Tia Things

Hello hello beautiful people! My goodness it feels like a lifetime has passed since I last typed onto this page. I have had a tone of TikTok success and I won't lie, it took all my attention! Lately my life revolves around my full-time job, wedding planning and trying to save money... not easy considering the wedding planning.  Here are some high level updates as to our wedding planning and stay tuned for a tone more updates and wedding content coming! 1. The venue, the vendors and the plan are all set! I was pretty lucky that my fiancé and I had a very similar vision for our wedding- a big vision. Unfortunately, we were a bit naive as to what the cost of that would be, but we are certainly learning to plan and save money more than ever. It is also the first time we are in situations where we need to decline plans because they are simply too expensive. Overall, the quick first months of engagement were really successful in planning and locking in location, vendors and putting down...

 Hi gems,  Happy happy Wednesday!  Today we are chatting about The Good Sister, my May book of the month! This is definitely not my usual romance or fiction recommendation, it is a bit of a mystery thriller because as you read, you are putting together pieces of a puzzle that don't fit. You have an eerie feeling the whole book, and are waiting for the other shoe to drop! The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth, is a fiction novel that follows two sisters through the diary of Rose, and the live perspective of Fern. Fern is such an interesting character, this is the first time I have read a character that clearly was on the spectrum of autism but it was never clearly said, this was something that readers gathered through her actions, social interactions and such. The whole book seems to be Rose taking care of Fern after a difficult childhood, but things quickly go darker.  As Fern gets pregnant, you start to see a lot of red flags as Rose is clearly more and more controllin...

 Hi gems,  I am catching up on a few blogs today which means catching up on the books of the month! This book was a really exciting spin on the "best friend's sibling" and I thought it was a fresh take on time jumps as well. the Sister between us by Hailey Dickert was a really fun and creative book that took us from childhood to adulthood of our characters on an unexpected rollercoaster.  The two main characters, Jake and Leah, have known each other their whole lives. Leah is basically a permanent fixture of his family as she is best friends with his sister Chloe. They begin a relationship as teens, secretly OF COURSE! The whole story plays out really giving us a sense of a usual sibling's best friend romance but when a few turns happen, there is a really unexpected plot twist that comes with this. SPOILERS BELOW Chloe and Jake have a great family but there are a few battles like their mom having left them and later being in jail. Jake tells Leah but they keep secret...

 Hi gems, Happy, happy, happy Spring! The rain and mud are upon us but the good news is that we know soon enough the blossoms are coming! I’ve decided to start a new series on the blog where I will showcase a book of the month every month that is my top pick!  In March, although many great books came and went, the biggest standout is hands down Every Summer After by Carley Fortune ! This book brought my soul happiness! The book is set on a couple and through time jumps, flashbacks and more, you slowly put together crumbs of a story that leaves your jaw on the floor!  Throughout the epic childhood and teen years of the main Characters Persephone and Sam, you know there are missing pieces you haven’t gotten to see yet. Especially when they cross paths again after a loss as adults. There is an obvious missing piece that caused issues but readers only got that details at the end and let me tell you… jaw met floor!  I will be doing a whole YouTube video on this book with...

 Hi gems,  Happy, Happy Friday!  Today we are closing out the year with our biggest lessons learnt in 2022, it was Ana amazing year overall with many lessons learned over time!  1. Take the trip: If you are thinking of taking a trip, be it for a weekend or a month, GO! There were so many trips this year for me, it was such a blessing and I truly look back with no regrets. Make the memories, explore the world, take a break from your routine.  2. Stop Comparing: In the past, I truly used to compare myself to others and have a lot of anxiety about trying to catch up or be something I am not yet ready for. Whether it be in my career, personal life or love life, I felt I always was moving to the next step. I now am so happy, I feel as though I am living in the moment more than ever! 3. Don't hold on: I am having a huge moment of gratitude for the people who surround me lately, its something I have thought of so much as I move through huge moments of my life and learn...

 Hey gems,  Welcome back to my blog! Today we are talking all things engagement! My longtime boyfriend and I are engaged! It happened one evening after work, the day before we left on our trip! I got home to our living space filled with roses, candles and of course OREOS! Not only was it incredibly romantic but extremely shocking as I thought it would happen during the trip or later on closer to the holidays.  The moment was not only so romantic, personal and is what my dreams are made of! We have since started planning and are officially set for a summer 2024 wedding! It is such a surreal moment in life to have something you have been thinking of for so long happen and unfold!  2022 has definitely been a year that I will cherish forever, at 25 I did 10 trips, grew my career, got engaged and continued to build my friendships. As we close out the year, there is truly no regret on my mind as I dive into the possibilities of 2023! Cheers to you all my babes, Tia

Hi Gems,  Welcome back to Tia Things!  Tonight we are chatting about mental health and some ways I have learned to put it at the forefront of my life. Firstly, I can't say I have previously dealt with a tone of mental health issues, but this year, after many difficult moments of loss, grief, stress, anxiety, things started to pile on. I dealt with my lowest lows, and have since then worked on maintaining the most healthy balance I can.  Of course, one of the biggest challenges is the fact that you cannot control the issues, difficulties or outside factors that come your way, so here are 5 ways I keep my mental health as a top priority.  1. Speak your feelings: I have learned that bottling things up, holding on, or trying to just "push through", doesn't work for me. I need to verbalize my feelings and mental state in order to move forward, through and onward. So first things first, I express myself in the good, the bad and the everyday. This is also great because as a...