Photos by: Matti Shaw Cross Photography

Similar Dresses: here, here, here, and here.

Hey everybody! I hope you are all having a great week. There's lots of stuff happening this week as we approach Christmas! I bet your weeks are getting a little more hectic as well? With all the presents to get and the deals to snag from sales, and maybe even traveling to see family, like me, you're probably feeling the pressure. Maybe you feel like there's not enough time in the day to get everything you need to get done, done! Well, just know that I'm right there with ya and that we will get through this season together! We can do it :)

I haven't done a "To Live Free" post in a while, and I'm just feeling the inspiration today, so I wanted to rant about something that's on my mind ;)

Who else out there shares my love for Lauren Conrad? If you don't know who LC is, she is just a normal girl who was selected to be part of an MTV reality show called Laguna Beach. The show followed her and her friends through their senior year of high school and into the summer documenting the little life dramas that go on when you're in high school. So many people, including me and my BFF, Haley, fell in love with Lauren because she was just the girl next door, but was experiencing so many of the same things we were - and in a much more glamorous setting, with better looking people lol. Anyway, she went on to do a follow-up show as she entered adult life. We got to see her transform and focus on her love for fashion. After a few years, the show ended and Lauren could have stopped there too. But she didn't. She's built an "empire" for herself as a fashion designer, author, home decor creator, blogger, philanthropist, and so much more. She is now a successful business woman that has her hands in so many different areas.

I've talked about this before. I think there have been so many stereotypes or boxes placed around our generation telling us what to do and who we should become in life. You've seen it: School, college, marriage, house, kids, repeat. That's the path, right? While those are all good things - and I want all those things - I don't want to be defined or define myself by them.

The sky is not the limit. I have a few dreams to become an author, a successful blogger, a product creator, a smart business woman, someone known for her taste a style, a wife, a mom, a home owner, a photographer, a videographer, and so much more. Most days I limit myself! I tell myself "that will never work," or "I can't do that."

For example, when I first started this blog, I thought "No one is going to give me product to shoot, much less pay for it!" But after asking around, and around, and around, Shop Hawn said yes! She was my first, truly sponsored post. Also, this photoshoot is an example of doing something I thought I couldn't. I don't know anyone from Phoenix - I don't know anyone from Arizona in general! So, when I came up with the idea to do a photoshoot out there, I thought "No one will want to do that with me! No one knows me. It's just not gonna happen." But I emailed photographers anyway and Matti said yes. It was probably the most fun I had on my trip to AZ, actually! And look at the beautiful pictures we got!

Right now, I am tempted to think "Who am I to author a book? It will turn out just like everyone else's! It won't be unique." But you know what, I'm going to try anyway. And maybe someday you'll be reading my book!

Some days I'm plagued with the thought "I can't. I can't. I can't." - "Not me. Not me. Not me." But Lauren Conrad, Joanna Gaines (another empire-ess that I admire), and so many other people are just that - they're people who did the thing! They just did it. So I'm feeling inspired today and I hope some of that inspiration rubs off on you! You CAN do it. Whatever IT is for you. And I'm excited to see you try - and eventually succeed!

The sky is not the limit. You are not just one thing. You are not just a single girl. You are not just a girl with a ________ degree. You do not have to choose one path in life. Pursue all your interests. Tell yourself that you CAN.

Whew! Okay that was my rant for the year! haha Let me know in the comments if any of that resonated with you. I cannot wait to hear what dreams you have, what you've been scared to pursue, and how you've overcome past fears and "I can'ts."

Thank you Inspyre Boutique and Matti Shaw Cross Photography for sponsoring this post!

Thanks for stopping by!