I think we can pretty much all agree that 2016 was definitely a big bag of sh*t, right? Well, for me, in particular, it was actually the hardest year of my life. I lost my little sister in April of this year. April 20th, to be exact. The same day that Prince died, and essentially from the same cause. Melissa was 29 and it was very sudden. I plan on talking more about everything at some point, but right now it’s still a little too raw for me and I want to really think about a meaningful way to bring honor to her memory.
I almost didn’t do this post because, initially, I thought “what happened this year that I’m even proud of?”
Truth is, I’m really, really happy that I ended up pulling this together because sometimes you have to sit down and actually take count of all the good things in your life, even when life seem like they couldn’t possibly be any worse. After going through a few months of 2016 blog content I realized that even though I suffered a major loss pretty early on in 2016, I still managed to accomplish a lot and have a ton of fun. My sister would’ve been really happy that even though I’m quietly suffering, I can still enjoy my life and everything that comes my way. And that’s all we can do, right? You have to keep living.
{My 16-day trip to Australia}
Australia was on my travel bucket list for almost a decade and I’m so glad that I finally got to make it happen. I snorkeled the Great Barrier Reef, did my first shark dive, got to see dozens of kangaroos and climbed to the top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. This was truly the trip of a lifetime.
{My partnership with Women’s ROGAINE}
I was so excited to be featured in their People magazine Oscar’s advertorial, as well as their Satellite Media Tour.
{Gemma and Gea’s first partnership}
Did I mention my cats, Gemma and Gea, are basically models? Ha. I was so honored when Purina reached out after seeing my babies on Instagram.
{Writing my first magazine story}
I was honored and elated to get to write my first magazine piece (for Cosmo), and on a topic that I feel is so important.
{Speaking about #StigmaFree mental health}
I was so honored to speak about my sister and her untimely death at NAMI and Philosophy’s #StigmaFree luncheon. Obviously mental health is something often not spoken about, and it’s so important to SPEAK about it so that we can break the stigma that it’s not “normal” to be sad or depressed.
{Going to Aspen with Steinway & Sons}
Obviously Aspen is a kind-of-a-big-deal winter destination for the LA elite, so I was pumped when Steinway & Sons invited me to attend the Aspen Music Festival and take over their Instagram account.
{Working with MODE Media to create video content}
I was insanely sad when MODE announced it was folding but happy that I got to work with their amazing team a few months before the closure. I got to do what I love to do when we showed my tricks on “How to get a California Summer Glow” and I stretched my boundaries a bit by doing my first DIY video as well!
{Moving to a new apartment}
I’ve got tons of new apartment content coming in early 2017 that I’m super pumped about. My new apartment was a fresh start for me. A fresh start that was much needed.
{Seeing Gwen Stefani after a 7-year hiatus}
Click this and watch. Seriously, click it. Seeing Gwen again (my 20th time seeing her/No Doubt live, btw) truly invigorated me and took me back to a time where I felt care-free and could let go, just a little.
{My most popular post: Testing Kylie Jenner’s Lip Kit}
I mean, I had no idea this post would be such a hit, but it was. I’m happy to be your official Kylie Lip tester and can’t wait to test more things for you guys in 2K17. 🙂
{Meeting/interviewing Kourtney Kardashian}
My Three Questions With celebrity interview series is one of my favorite series on my blog and this year I got to talk to Kourt K, Bethany Hamilton, Jaime King, Eva Mendes and Jen Atkin…just a few.
Cheers to 2017, guys.
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