“How do I stop carrying everything that has ever happened to me?”— Blythe Baird

Play at romance, we slow dance

In the living room, but all that a stranger would see

Is one girl swaying alone

Stroking her cheek

I have noticed myself pulling and pulling back from posting on here. I don't even know where the passion has gone for Mostly Lisa, to be honest. Life has taken me in so many different directions and paths for the past seven months that the passion, along with the motivation, within me has been truly just spread too thin. My brain can't handle so much dedication at once! For the most part, I have really enjoyed having other things to be creative and interested in. The new career I am in has given me a lot, however, there are times where I really want to have the motivation back to keep this blog up. This all probably sounds like a broken record for the people who have stuck with me these past seven years, but you all know that this is how I process different things. So I've come to a decision that I'll pause the repetitiveness and come back here and there, with less pressure on myself to constantly have to update. When I do come back, hopefully the content will be better than if I was updating every single day or week. Please enjoy these links that I've rounded up for the month of February!

MUSIC

• This Lorde song has been stuck in my head for the past month. What a beautiful, melodic song to make you feel so many different emotions. I finally caved in and am going to see her next month at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul! Hopefully this song will be just as gorgeous in person.
• Speaking of concerts, I am also seeing Kate Nash for the first time in the next couple months. Her new album is fire. 
• Dua Lipa - I'll see you in June! 

SHOPPING

• Spring is just around the corner and Eloquii is killing it with their new arrivals. These Luna Printed Cylinder Heels are unexpectedly a must for me. 
• Oh hey, it's me in t-shirt form! 
• A current obsession of mine? Embroidered faux leather jackets - they are amazing. Tough and feminine, the perfect duo. 
• With spring and summer arriving very soon, I am on the hunt for a good pair of prescription sunglasses. I've had no luck finding a pair in my price range but then I instantly remembered BonLook and their amazing pricing. This pair may be just what the eye doctor ordered. 

READING

• If you haven't seen 'Annilihation', do not read this article. My long-time friend, Lindsey Romain, is a fantastic journalist and wrote this spectacular piece on Natalie Portman and the incredibly beautiful movie she is now in. Natalie brings her all in this masterpiece and I highly recommend that everyone goes to see it in the cinema. 
• I also thoroughly enjoyed this article about a relatively unknown horror show called 'Channel Zero' on SyFy. It is not a show that I would have ever imagined myself enjoying, however once it sinks its teeth into you - you are hooked. If you have ever read a Creepypasta story, this show is for you. It's incredibly well made and builds so well on the suspense. The last episode for this season literally made my skin crawl.
• These street style looks from NYFW are INSPIRING.
• I enjoy reading my horoscope for the year - this is what mine says for 2018. 

VIEWING

• So you're all watching This Is Us, right? Go ahead and watch this fanvid and be ready to cry your eyes out. It is the perfect roundup of everything that has happened up to the last episode. It's insanely beautiful.
• This Instagram feed by Luke Abrahams is the perfect travel inspiration for the England area.
• Kristen Wiig x James Corden trying to duet 'Hallelujah' is definitely greatest thing to make me laugh in awhile.
• All the stunning F/W '18 collections! 

Wow, it has been so long. If you've read my previous post that I put up towards the end of May, you will know that I have been dealing with some pretty tough mental health issues. I would equate to everything that I was going through, like drowning - where you're trying to gasp for air but you keep getting sucked down deeper and deeper into the water. The harder you flail your arms, the harder it is for you to breathe. Then slowly your lungs fill with the water and you hit the bottom, maybe even rock bottom. Turn that water into clouds and clouds of negative thoughts, low self-esteem and feelings of worthlessness. It's not a good combination. I did actually hit rock bottom a week or so ago and realized I needed to get help, so that is exactly what I did. We'll see what happens in the next month or so but I'm going to be taking everything day by day, and just going to live.

In the several weeks that I haven't posted, I've definitely come across some lovely things to read and so I thought I'd share them today! Enjoy.

• ban.do x Starbucks: I am obsessed with ban.do and their quirky and cute paper goods, planners and other home goods, but finding out they collaborated with Starbucks has sent me over the edge. The only problem with this collection? It's only available in the Asia Pacific! Such.a.bummer. Luckily they're hosting another giveaway, so make sure to enter. 
• Stranger Things 2: This is fairly new since it just debuted at Comic Con 2017, but I had to include it! Stranger Things is coming back, baby! What a trailer, I mean it just gets you sucked in by the moment the music starts playing in the background. I can't wait to see what they come up with in the new series. Can October get here already?
• Paramore: On Friday, I'm finally getting to see Paramore perform live and I am so pumped to get my jam on. I haven't been able to stop listening to 'Fake Happy,' since it resonates so well with life right now. 
• Wonder Woman: Obviously this movie was beyond kick ass! Have any of you seen it?! 
• Sad Girls Club: Speaking of mental health, I recently came across this brand called Sad Girls Club and it's a great outlet to express and talk about everything you're feeling, without being judged. 
• Elie Saab Fall 2017 Couture: Feeling the 'Game of Thrones' vibes in this collection and I don't even watch the show. Lovely gowns, adorned with gold metals and sequins. 
• Ashley Graham: She's been KILLING it lately! Landing covers for Glamour, Harper's Bazaar UK, Elle France and even gracing the cover of her own book. What an inspiration.
• Anthropologie: Because these shoes are giving me major fall vibes and I'm truly hoping they go on sale in the future.
• Insta-Crush: Daniel Casson takes absolutely stunning and inspiration imagery of Great Britain. He captures things in such a beautiful light, and you really feel like you're almost in the picture. Highly recommend following.
• Words of advice: I think we could all pay heed to these words right now.

It has been so long since I last updated, guys! I do apologize about this, but life and lack of inspiration just got in the way after Valentine's Day. The best part of this long break though? Getting a six day vacation from all the mundane aspects of life in Minnesota - work, job searching, the cold weather and most of all, the seasonal depression. I got to jet off to Florida to visit my aunt + uncle and boy, it was much needed! I'm still on a vacation high, even though it's almost been two weeks since I got back. I'm really glad I did it, mostly because I also got to check a HUGE item off my bucket list - going to Disney World! Yes, you heard right. My ultimate dream of going to Magic Kingdom finally came true and it was like everything lined up into place on the day that I went. My aunt let me borrow her car to drive up to Orlando, parking was incredibly easy, I met a really nice couple from Indiana who showed me around the park, and stayed around the entire day to see the fireworks before the park closed. I'm still pinching myself that this actually happened, but I will remember the trip for a very long time. Head to my Instagram to see some photos from the trip!

Now that life is slightly back to normal, the inspiration to post and be proactive on Mostly Lisa is there again. I obviously have to come back with a series that I quite enjoy, here is this week's Monday Reads! Look out for more updates in the upcoming weeks, and let me know what you're reading lately.

• Fall 2017 Ready-To-Wear collections: Like always, I enjoy keeping up to date with each Fashion Week every season and sharing my favorite looks on social media. This time around was no different, even though I missed quite a lot from LFW + MFW, it's been a lot of fun to catch up and see how beautiful the collections have been. My absolute favorite so far has been Elie Saab! I felt like this woman was a moody princess that didn't take s*** from any man. 
• Oscars 2017: This is a little late, but I have to talk about this red carpet! It just so happened that I got home the day of the show, so I was able to swoon over some of my favorite looks as they were happening. Some of my best dressed: Cynthia Erivo in Paolo Sebastian, Ruth Negga in Valentino, Brie Larson in Oscar de la Renta, Chris Evans in Salvatore Ferragamo, and the entire cast of 'Moonlight'! 
• Who What Wear x Target Spring 2017 collection: I am so obsessed with the fact that WWW has made more runway-inspired fashion available for the masses. Being a plus size woman, it is SO thrilling to not feel left out of a collection that you normally would be. I've picked up a few things from the fall collection, but I can't wait to start wearing some of the spring items. There is a wide range to choose from - a floral bomber jacket, slip dress with contrast straps, layered cuff button up + more!
• Beauty & the Beast 2017: I'm very nervous that this movie is not going to live up to my expectations, but I can't lie and say that I'm not excited to see one of my favorite Disney movies made into live-action. Let's just hope that Emma Watson's voice is not too auto-tuned. 
• The Curvy Con: Sharing this to set a reminder for myself to buy a ticket. I mean, the panel of speakers alone is something I have to see in person!
• Artwork To Put Up Soon: From Plant Planet, these adorable prints are so perfect for spring. Hopefully I'll be able to find some room on my walls to put one of these beauties up.
• Rihanna Channeling Amelia Earhart: Bravo on this editorial, Harper's Bazaar! Bravo!  
• LUSH: If you needed another reason to love LUSH and show your support, add this to your list: they do not use synthetic preservatives to make their products stay fresh - they are self-preserving. This is a really great read, and shows how dedicated this brand is to maintaining their quality worldwide.
• bff bags: ban.do just released this ADORABLE collection of cross-body bags that you and your BFF can wear together. I'm especially in love with this version.
• Libation Studios for Drunk Disney: One of my favorite YouTube channels - Practical Folks - does a series called 'Drunk Disney' where they watch Disney movies and drink while doing so. The quality of these episodes have gotten exponentially better, and they now do a themed drink for each movie that they watch. I had to share this month's video for Beauty & the Beast because it's so lovely and pairs perfectly - Enchanted Rose. I'm definitely going to try and make this before the movie comes out next week. 

You may remember one of my favorite series called 'Monday Link-Up', where I would share a few of my favorite finds from the past day, week or month. They were links that were fun to read, watch and shop from a variety of different online sources. Now that we're in a new year, I decided that it would be fun to switch the name up a bit since everything else for Mostly Lisa has done so. The new series is going to be called 'Monday Reads.' It will still be the same format - links to things I've found interesting + unique, but just a little cleaner for this new layout. I realized I hadn't put together a Link-Up since September, so please enjoy this new edition and these intriguing new reads.

• Women's March Minnesota (and around the world): I was unable to go to the March yesterday, I was working at my job the ENTIRE event, but I was tuned in on every social media platform to see coverage on it. It was probably the most inspiring thing I have ever seen, the comradery of women (and even men) around each March brought me to tears. My heart was so full to see women band together for such a great cause + movement - no matter their skin color, sexual or gender identity, age, ethnicity, etc. Everyone was there to support one another with the chance to have their voices heard, and boy, was it heard. We can't stop there, we have to keep pushing forward and strive to have equality in this country. Look at these beautiful photos from Marches around the world, they have me feeling so inspired. Let me tell you as well, he's #NotMyPresident.
• Danielle Brooks: She's killed it on the red carpet, has an absolutely powerful voice and is an activist for women no matter their age. I had to reference her in today's post because I came across this article on Teen Vogue that features her cover of the feminist song - "I Am Woman" and it is mind-blowing! 
• Spring 2017 Couture Shows: Patiently waiting for the Haute Couture S/S '17 shows to begin. They have already started out with a bang via Alberta Ferretti Limited Edition, so many beautiful embellished sweaters and pants. 
• Five Hair Trends for 2017: I am a huge fan of Brit.Co and constantly read their articles of various subjects like; beauty, creativity, current events and recipes! One of their current articles - supplied by The Barefoot Blonde - sparked my interested since it is talking about the current hair trends for the year. If you've seen any photo of me, you know that I normally keep my hairstyle pretty neutral, but I'm really digging the Bardot Inspired Hair! 
• Breaking Down 32 Different Accents: Tumblr can be a source of bad + good, so I was generally happy when I came across this video of a dialect coach analyzing actors' accents. I could definitely watch hours of this, it comes with such ease for him! 
• Conversations With Creatives: I am apart of a great local blogger group called Twin Cities Collective and they recently re-branded everything - including the content that they create. They just announced they would be starting up a podcast featuring local creatives around the Twin Cities, and I wanted to feature it because it just sounds like such a unique way to get to know fellow bloggers and smaller brands that live in the Midwest. We're all really aiming to express our passions, so I really hope that I get to go on it sometime in the future.