Bag: Elaine Turner [c/o]// Blouse: Target// Jeans: Nordstrom Rack//

Shoes: Jeffrey Campbell// Earrings: Lisi Lerch [c/o]//

Hey sweet lady! I hope everything is going fabulous in your life. Today is a little special, because it’s my birthday [yippee] & I have a special giveaway planned for you. In fact, I have a week full of giveaways planned, so stay tuned to enter & try to win. This is my little way of saying thank you for following along & supporting this dream of mine.

Can we talk about this gorgeous bag for a minute? I am a sucker for a good hobo bag & this one is what serious dreams are made of. The suede + leather details make it perfect to take into spring, & the color goes with just about everything! If you are not familiar with Elaine Turner, you should be. She is a Texas brand, so I am a tad partial, but her bags, jewelry, shoes & more are gorgeous. She has an awesome message behind her entire brand, which you can read more about here. That said, this Elaine Turner bag is what you have the chance to win this evening on Instagram, so keep your eyes peeled, as the giveaway will go live at 8 p.m. CT. It’s a $348 value… which is HUGE! All you will have to do is find the picture on my feed featuring this bag, like the picture, follow @adoremorewithgeor & @elaineturner, & tag your BFF who would also love this bag! 

Since it is my birthday, I wanted to talk about 23 things I learned in my “Geordian” year. See what I did there? 😉

1. Family is seriously everything. I got engaged on my 23rd birthday, so this year was full of wedding planning. That said, my family was a bunch of lifesavers. If it were not for them, Austin & I wouldn’t have had our dream wedding.

2. Open your heart & don’t be scared [trust me, I know easier said than done]. However, falling in love is so fun & being engaged was one of the major highlights of my life. Such a fun season!

3. Girl time is a must. Don’t take it for granted, & be sure & make time for those special ladies in your life!

4. Owning a puppy is fun, but a lot of work. I wasn’t raised around animals, but Austin & I made the plunge to get our sweet Brutus in April. It was easily the best decision, & I truly never knew I could love something that’s not a human so much!

5. Take risks in your career. I did this year & it opened my eyes like no other!

6. Cry sessions [+ wine] are sometimes a necessity. Just get it out girlfriend!

7. Living with a boy is everything I dreamt of & more. Hehe. I love getting to wake up & go to sleep next to Austin everyday.

8. Pray not only in the bad times, but the good times, too. It can be so easy to only pray during the storms, but is just as important to pray during the sunshine, as well.

9. I have a shopping problem. Okay, maybe I didn’t exactly learn this during 23, buuuut it has became rather evident having joint checking. Sorry, Aust! This is something we [ I ] am working on.

10. Get out of your comfort zone, even if it’s a tad intimidating. Something I am still learning.

11. I am a major homebody. I never thought I was until Austin & I moved into together. We are perfectly content being at home on a Friday night in our PJ’s, versus being out at bar. Who doesn’t love a good pizza & show binging sesh?!

12. I love to read, but don’t do it enough. I started several books during 23, but never finished them. I need to get better at setting aside time to read & build my knowledge!

13. It’s okay if you don’t know what you want to do with your life. Girl, if you only knew how many cry sessions I have had over this one. Really though, ask my mom or Austin. I’m sure they could fill you in. LOL!

14. Saving money is extremely hard, but extremely worth it.

15. Taking a break from social media is good for the sole. Just put the phone down for a solid day & I promise you will feel refreshed!

16. Don’t use your credit card for things you couldn’t pay for with cash.

17. Sometimes it is okay to treat yourself. If you’re having a bad day & want [need] those shoes, then just splurge! BUT don’t use the credit card.

18. Being a wife is more rewarding than I could have ever imagined.

19. Travel. Take that trip. See the world. Better to do it while we’re young than when we have kids & can’t!

20. A girls trip to Nashville with your BFF’s builds some of the best memories. Wow, I wish we could go back!

21. Wedding planning is fun, yet stressful [I think we all know this]. If I could relive the planning I wouldn’t stress about the small things, because my mom was right… they didn’t end up mattering! Note to all you bride to be’s 🙂

22. Being out of college almost two years, I am learning who I will stay in touch with & who I will not. Part of life!

23. I have contemplated giving up my blog, as the pressure & comparison game gets old. However, I have learned that this is something I whole heartedly enjoy & am not going to give up. I’ve put wayyyy too much work into this little hobby, to just throw it all away!

All that said, 23 was a great & exciting year! Being a fiance to being a wife, starting not only one new career, but two, traveling, blogging & so much more… it is going to be hard to top. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading this blog & following along with my boring life. If it was not for you, I would have already given it up. Cheers to 24!

Thanks to Elaine Turner for this collaboration. All opinions are my own.