My Thoughts
This is where I share my thoughts and feelings and to give updates about whats going on in my everyday life. I also share tips and tricks that I have learned along my journey.
To say the passing of Kate Spade this week due to suicide hit me hard is an understatement. Kate Spade. Such an iconic brand and powerhouse. With her bright and vibrant designs and cheerful pops of color. She paved the way for a new way of thinking and designing in the fashion world and I always felt like her items, her designs were made just for me. So happy, cheerful and full of so much life. She was someone to look up to for me as a woman where I knew I too can be in charge of my own future. A few days later, another life was taken by suicide, Anthony Bourdain. Another powerhouse. A man who seemed to have it all. Another soul who I felt like I had a special bond with..now gone forever. I had the pleasure of meeting Anthony a couple of years ago when we were both on the TODAY show. That was such a special day and moment for me, and being in the green room with him, getting my makeup done with him and being on the show on the same day…he has always had a special place in my heart. So hearing the news that he too took his own life…I was in complete shock. I was still trying to process the passing of one of my idols and now this. To say I am beyond devastated is an understatement Mental Illness doesn’t discriminate What these deaths show us is that…
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![Body Positivity Self-Love Question and Answer with Sarah Tripp of Sassy Red Lipstick.]()
1 1Share There are just some people in life that when you look at them you think, “this person has crossed my path for a reason.” Sarah, @sassyredlipstick, is one of those people for me. I was introduced to her by someone on Instagram when they told me I HAD to check her out…and I am so glad I did. Sarah is a huge body positive and self-love activist and completely loves herself and her body just how it is. I love that. Being someone who is learning to fully love and embrace my body just as it is, it is so refreshing to see others being confident, happy and spreading nothing but love…that is something that I completely admire about her. When I struggle with my own body image and have days that I just don’t feel good enough, I love turning to others who can help lift me up and make me realize that it is ok to have bad days, we all have them. What matters is how we keep going and keep fighting to love ourselves and to continue to help others do the same. One of the people I turn to when I’m having an off day is…Sarah. Not only is she someone I admire and look up to for her self-love and body positivity, but the relationship she and her husband Robbie (@Tripp) have is seriously couple goals. The way he supports her loves her and cherishes her, just the way she is truly one…
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![The Best Accessory You Can Wear Is Your Confidence…Go Ahead and Rock that Red Jumpsuit!]()
Maybe she’s born with it…maybe it’s this red jumpsuit! I have to say this red jumpsuit is one of my favorite items of clothing I have ever bought. I think the reason is that I never thought I would EVER be able to wear not only a fitted one piece but that it would be bright red! Don’t get me wrong, this is totally me! Colorful, sassy, girly…everything I am… all in one item! But actually being able to wear it on my body…now that is a different story. You see, I never thought someone like me could pull off something like this. Wearing something so fitted, and bright would draw so much attention to me. Only girls with slim bodies and big boobs can pull off jumpsuits like this right? WRONG!! So wrong!!! That is old Jacqueline’s way of thinking. In the words of Taylor Swift…old Jacqueline is dead! So when I saw this jumpsuit and found those negative thoughts coming back into my head…the only thing I could do was grab it off the rack and try it on. No more thinking we have to be a certain body shape or type to wear something. No more thinking bright colors are only for people with “perfect bodies.” (PS, there is NO SUCH THING AS A PERFECT BODY) and no more thinking that we have to only wear black, and baggy clothes, and things that do not show off our figures and draw no attention…
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![How Did I Stay Motivated to Lose 350 Pounds? Being Disciplined with Healthy Habits are Keys to Success.]()
Let’s talk about motivation. I think this is one of the questions I get asked the most. How did I stay motivated to lose 350 pounds and how do I still continue to stay motivated now? Where does your motivation come from and how can I have it too!? Well, let’s start with the definition of motivation. “Motivation is the reason or reasons one has for acting or behaving in a certain way”. Where to find Motivation If I am having a difficult time staying motivated I like asking myself, “why am I doing this?” I like figuring out what my “why” is. These “whys” are your motivation, they are why you want to make the changes and pick a plan to make those changes happen. For me, I ask myself, why do I want to lose weight? I came up with a whole list of reasons as to why I wanted to lose weight. I came up with all of my “whys”. Yes, one of the reasons was to “look good” but that wasn’t the sole reason I wanted and needed to lose weight. Many of my “whys” had to do with my health, wellness, and overall wellbeing. I knew that I needed to change my lifestyle in order to be successful. I knew that what I had been doing was not working and would not get me where I wanted to be. Starting Out Super Motivated After I figured out why I wanted and needed to change,…
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