It's time to go reflect and celebrate!

Today is pretty special, well this whole month is pretty special, because Mostly Lisa has officially turned FIVE years old! Not only does this actually make me feel old, but it also makes me pretty emotional to think of all the things that this blog has done for me. It's opened me up to being a more outgoing person, it's made me more confident in my writing abilities and it has unlocked the potential for better things to come. So many things that I never would have thought possible five years ago, especially when I was just starting college and learning more about who I am as a person.

To believe that I began blogging when I was 21 years old, just boggles my mind. That I had just come off of Livejournal, into this brave new world of the unknown. Blogging wasn't that big yet back then, and it was a true guessing game of how long I would end up keeping doing this. It makes me reflect on what some of my favorite posts are, so I figured I'd share a few that really stand out to me.

1. A Dress For My Body Type: The point where I really began to understand how to craft a post into something that would be worthy to read. This was also a time where I really understood that it was okay to be plus size, and still be able to feel sexy.
2. Fashion Friday - Feeling Tropical: One of my favorite FF posts I've done. The setting, the dress and hanging with my BFF. It all came together to become a lovely mix of the perfect post.
3. Mostly Lisa's Holiday Gift Guide - For The BFF (2013 Edition): The very first ML Gift Guide set in the series. It's an annual tradition now, and one of all time FAVORITE things to share and talk about with my readers.

Thinking about how five years have gone by, and how much of my life I've dedicated to this. There have been highs and there have been lows, but each have taught me things about myself and how to improve on this creative outlet. How cool is this though? To have an outlet to be yourself and to engage and tap into you abilities. That is probably the best part of Mostly Lisa for me, and being able to share my passions (and obsessions) with other people. You may not respond to any of my posts, but I do see you viewing them! Thank you for that, because it does mean a lot.

Here's to another five years, more inspiration and more friends to meet!

Happy December! The last month of the year is upon us, and that means it's now time to celebrate the holidays. It can be any holiday, as long as it means something to you. I personally celebrate Christmas, and am a big believer of wanting to share the spirit of the season with people. I may not always feel that way for myself, but I really enjoy making someone else's day (or month) a little brighter. That is why I wanted to share on here, that I'm game to send out some snail mail in honor of the festive season that is surrounding us. I L-O-V-E getting mail, it's like a tiny present every time you write a letter or just a hello. It's a time honored tradition for me to send out cards to people, I've been doing it since my Livejournal days, and I wanted to bring it to Mostly Lisa.

So if you'd like, feel free to fill out this form that I made! Simply enter all your information, along with one of your favorite Christmas songs, and send it on its way. I'm the only one who will see your information, so don't fret! I hope that any, or all, of you can participate in this. I look forward to seeing your responses on your favorite song. xoxo

P.S. The Mostly Lisa Gift Guide giveaway IS STILL LIVE! There are two days left of this, and not many entries. You have to re-gram the image on Instagram in order to enter the contest, so make sure to do so. GOOD LUCK!

There's definitely more than one thing to smile about today! Not only are a day away from Thanksgiving, but TODAY is the #mostlylisagiftguide giveaway launch! I thought it'd be so perfectly fitting to have it be on the day where the gifts I found are for an extra special person. The BFF, the person you can confide in and the person who almost knows you more than your own family does. I feel super special on saying that I can count five people as my best friends, and they all mean the world to me. Keeping those beautiful people in mind, the gifts I came across were generally for women and so much fun to look for. These are people you'd definitely want to spoil this year, so the budget is casually thrown out the window.
So let's get down to it! The second Mostly Lisa Holiday Gift Guide giveaway is now live, and ready for YOU to join. I've been counting down to this for the last week with the gift guides, sneak peeks at the gifts I'm giving away and other promos for you to enjoy. Want to know the deets on the giveway? Let me fill you in then! There are five gifts (plus a surprise extra gift) that ONE person is going to win, and it's just in time for the holiday season. It's going on until Nov. 28th, and the winner will be contacted in 48 hours after they are chosen! The contest is entirely through Instagram, but I wanted to give you other chances to win in the form below! It will also be easier for me to choose a random winner when the times comes to it. Good luck everyone!

Today's gift guide is about the tiny little people in our lives that are by far the EASIEST to shop for. There were so many cute + unique ideas that I found for baby, toddler and pre-teen that I literally wanted to do two different guides to include all of them. I'm pretty happy with what I came up with though, and I hope you are too! By far the best place to look for kids gifts is at J.Crew or GapKids, since they are always on trend with the latest in kids fashion and accessories. The gift that stands out the most to me in this guide is the Glitter Pizza Slice Bag from J.Crew! I, myself, would use and wear this in a HEARTBEAT if I had the chance. I also really love the Bunny Ballerina Doll from Pottery Barn Kids, it's so adorable and perfect for any age that still enjoys playing with stuffed animals. So make sure to shop all the links above, and let me know what you'd get your kids this year!

THE GALS // THE GUYS

 As it always happens during my gift guide series, finding ideas for guys seems to be the hardest thing to do. You either find just what you're looking for, or you don't find anything that is remotely interesting. This gift guide was supposed to go up yesterday, but I had some difficulties finding items that would be different from what I've previously done. I'm pretty proud though of what I found, and each gift idea is something I would give to any guy in my life. This time around, it doesn't have to be last minute for him because there are some pretty unique gifts out there this year. The absolutely favorite of mine in this guide is the Gentleman's Writing Set from Anthropologie! An online exclusive from the British brand, Chase & Wonder, this gorgeous hand-printed box comes with hand-pressed writing sheets and fifteen matching envelopes. How amazing is that?

Let me know what you'd get your special guy this year! I'd love any recommendations that I might not have come across while looking over and over. Also, if you saw yesterday on my Instagram, I gave a little preview of one of the gifts that will be apart of the #mostlylisagiftguide giveaway! There will be special previews until the giveaway goes live next week, make sure to keep a lookout!

THE GALS