If you don’t already have your own hashtag on Instagram, you should create one. I was laying in bed, reflecting on this year that’s almost passed, browsing through my own Instagram account’s #skinnyscouttravels hashtag, which I created around the end of last year to document my travels.
Looking through all those snaps made me feel all nostalgic inside, and brought back so many memories that I’d forgotten about in the hustle and bustle that is the setting up of my own businesses (more on that later).
2016 has been nothing but a crazy roller coaster ride, one that I’d queued up for but didn’t realise how insane it was until I was on it.
The Good
I got the chance to teach a new batch of students before I quit my job as a public educator, and hopefully I managed to touch their lives with what little time I had with them. Being in the college for 5 more months from the start of the year also meant that I could still be in close proximity to the students under my charge in the previous years, which made the transition to my leaving the fraternity later in the year slightly easier to deal with.
I quit my job as a public educator and travelled to South Korea and New York as part of my summer break, which was very much needed. I officially launched Trouvée.Co, my own line of mid-range semi-precious gemstone jewellery and made the decision to also pursue blogging full-time (speaking of which, you should watch my in-depth video tutorial on how to wear navy eyeshadow). And although starting my own businesses now means I have to scale back on my travels for the time being, wanderlust is always a great motivation to achieve my goals and dreams.
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Monsieur Ratatouille and I moved to a new apartment, which I absolutely love. Apart from the fact that it’s a bit too small, it’s just the perfect little nook for now. We got a new addition to the family and he’s none other than my pet hamster, Peachy, who keeps me company most of the time, since I work from home. I also got to try my hand at gardening. Seeing that both our plants (one identified as a “potted plant” at the grocery store, the other a basil) have grown to the point where they needed re-potting, I suppose I’m getting quite good at it.
The Bad
What would a roller coaster be if not for the parts where your heart jumps out of your mouth?
April just wasn’t a good month at all for me this year. So many things happened at the same time, I wouldn’t have come out sane if not for the loved ones around me. My grand mother passed away after a long period of illness and I still miss her to this very day. Work wasn’t smooth sailing and we kind of got evicted from our previous apartment because the landlord had decided to sell it before our lease was up.
But as they say, when you’re at the bottom, the only way you can go is up. And from there, things just got better as the year wore on.
My Hopes and Goals for 2017
I wish for The Skinny Scout to be more successful. I hope to work with more brands, as well as connect with more readers of this blog. I’d love to make more videos to share with you, to tell and show you that you don’t need crazy contouring skills or know how to draw eyeliner like a pro to be able to #dressyourface.
I wish to enable more women around the world, to make you more confident of your abilities and to be self-assured enough to say, “If my makeup looks weird today, that’s OK. I’ll improve and look better tomorrow.” After all, that’s how I self-taught my beauty skills. You can watch my YouTube tutorials on natural-looking makeup for a start.
I wish to grow Trouvée.Co into a full-fledged company, fulfilling my decade-long dream of having my own jewellery line that helps women complete their look with chic affordable pieces. Hopefully, I would be able to provide jobs by the end of 2017 for those who need it and who can help Trouvée.Co grow even more. I wish to foster great relationships with shoppers of Trouvée.Co and get to know you as far as possible.
Overall, I wish to be able to help more people adopt a positive mindset in life by first being the positive person. I wish to continue to spread the message that we don’t have to put others down to feel better about ourselves, and to never forget where we first came from. We can look and feel our best if and when we want to, and it’s definitely not difficult if you put your mind to it and make it a habit. Oh, and music always helps. Trust me.
Last but not least, perhaps a Chanel tweed or crochet Jumbo to fill my wardrobe with.
Direct from Chanel.
What about you? What are your hopes and dreams for the new year? If you are also a blogger and wrote a post about it, do leave your link in the comments below and share it with me. If you don’t blog, it’ll be really cool if you shared your dreams with me as well.
May your wishes come true,
Roxanne