Happy Wednesday! Today we get to spend the day with some amazing wedding vendors at Hotel Viking! We were featured in The Newport Wedding Magazine for a styled shoot we did. We had the BEST vendor team and I can’t wait to share more about that with you! Our Blush Babe today is Caitlin! I actually semi met her at Body Rock through my dear friend Kristina! I literally stared at her for like 10 minutes because she is just so pretty! Little did I know that her heart is just as beautiful as her face! She is a strong woman who inspires me with her positive outlook on life. She always has a smile on and encourages others. I know you will love her!
1. Tell us a little bit about yourself:

A little bit about myself, I’m 28 years old, I’ve been dating and am now engaged to the love of my life for the past 4 years. I am a daughter to my amazing, devoted father, a sister to my quirky brother, and an aunt to three of the most (soon to be 4!) amazing children that I am absolutely head over heels in love with. I think with my heart which can be a downfall at some times, but has lead me to make some of the hardest yet greatest decisions of my life. I’ve truly come to realize, and accept that each day, each breath that is given to you, is a gift. I try to live each day to it’s absolute fullest, even the hard days when nothing seems to be going right, there is still something to be thankful for, and something to smile about as the quote states “Each day might not be good, but there can be good found in each day”. Some of my favorite hobbies growing up, and still to this day include horseback riding, playing soccer, working out, and now being an Aunt to my babies Lennox, Logan and Brynley!

2.  What is a typical day like for you?

A typical day, in the life of Caitlin ha! Starts out waking up and going to the gym to start my day off with a nice sweat at Body Rock. I will usually go home and do some admin work for my job, and then its off on the road doing door to door sales for Nielsen TV Ratings. It’s an interesting position, you get to meet a lot of people, some super nice, warm and welcoming, othersss not so much! However that’s life, ya roll with the punches and you keep on keeping on. Once my day is done, I’m eager to get home to my fiancé, and our little bubba, our 4 year old french bulldog Calvin. On a good day when we actually adult, we’ll prep and cook dinner, and then have a sit down dinner together and catch up on each others day. Nighttime routine usually includes watching a few episodes of whatever show on Netflix we are currently into and or taking some time to get in some night time reading!

3) On hard days, what motivates you to get up and start your day?

On the hard days, which there have been more of than less unfortunately over the past couple of years, I have to dig deep. On the days where it’s hard to get up, hard to think straight or focus on anything, I think of what my mother would want me to be doing, what she would want me to feel. Losing my mother 3 years ago has invoked some very hard times, a lot of grief and loss losing my biggest motivator, and loudest cheerleader. I know that no matter what, she would want me to be happy, she would want me to thrive, and she would want to see me rise up from the darkness and prevail. It’s not easy trying to fulfill these wants when it is one of those hard days, and despite the different beliefs that one may have after their loved ones have passed, even when I don’t feel her, I know that she is there. I know she is watching me, laughing when I trip up the stairs, stub my toe on the corner of something, close the car door on myself, or do whatever other something silly that I am capable of. I know she is there guiding me in the decisions I make, the leader in my conscious mind to make the right choice as opposed to the wrong one. And while the hardest part of it all is trying to plan this wedding without her here, I have faith that she is indubitably head over heels happy that Bryan and I are together, and will be getting married, and sharing our lives together. She is the wind beneath my wings, and the light through a cloudy day when I look up to the sky.

4. Who inspires you to live your best life?

I’d have to say the two people in my life, that inspire me to be the best I can be are first and foremost my father. After everything he has endured, and gone through not one single day has he ever complained, or stopped his life due to his own grief and loss. He is selfless, loving, devoted, and although he is a man of very few words, his actions speak volume. Everything I do for the rest of my days will be to make him proud, to make him happy, and to keep a smile on his face. Secondly would 100% be my fiancé. While I have been trying to find my niche and find my purpose in my career life, he has been through it all with me, my tears, my worries, and he has been the uplifting motivator to keep going. My fiancé has the most drive in a person I have ever seen, he is the biggest hustler I know, and everything that he does in life is to provide for not only himself but for me, and for our future. He inspires me to keep pushing, to be better, do better, and to keep going.

5.  If you could go back and tell your 13 year old self something…what would that be?

My 13 year old self, boy those days were easier! If I could go back and give advice to that 13 year old girl, it would be to LIVE. Stop worrying about the petty high school drama that may erupt, don’t waste the tears on the breakups because the best is truly yet to come. That life is going to get difficult, be prepared and know that your support system will be there for you no matter what. Growing up and being an adult is HARD, so stop wishing to grow up, stop wishing you could be this age, or be old enough to do this or that, that time will come. Time doesn’t stop, it goes by really, really fast. So take it all in, every moment, every laugh, smile, heartache. Love the ones around you like tomorrow may never come. Don’t live with regrets saying I wish I could have done this, or didn’t do that, think of them as lessons learned and grow from it. Know that this life is a wild and crazy ride, so strap up, get ready, and live every day to it’s absolute fullest.

6. What is your favorite quote?

I think I would have to go back to one of the first quotes I ever learned, that will truly never go out of style. One that my mother recited to me, while explaining that we are all human, we are all equal and to treat everyone the same no matter their color, race, gender, sexuality. That quote is the golden rule “Do unto others, as you would want them to do unto you” The simplest gestures can go the distance. Hold the door for the stranger behind you. Smile and say hello to someone as you pass by them. Life is too short to be crude, short or just plain mean to people. Sure everyone has a bad day, and maybe they take it out on the wrong person, but be above that, and know that you don’t like being spoken to or treated in such a way, so don’t reciprocate, but rise above and kill them with kindness!

7.  You are inspiring women to get out there and love themselves, what piece of advice would you give them?

BE YOU, LOVE YOU. Something that I still struggle with each and every day, however follow so many wonderful women on social media who inspire me, and help me try to achieve this goal. You are the only one of yourself. Take care of yourself, mentally, physically, spiritually. Listen to your body, do what it is telling you. If that’s to go journal and let out some thoughts do that, if its to go for a walk and get some fresh air in your lungs do it. Life is so beautiful, but it can also be so dark if you fall and don’t have anyone to help you get back up. Find the people who light your fire, who inspire you to be better, who challenge you in the best way possible. Let go of negativity, let go of the people who no longer serve to help you, you don’t need anyone or anything to bring you down. This world has so much negativity in it already, be that source of positivity and warmth! It is so easy to be standoffish, or to crawl into a shell and ignore whatever it is that is going wrong. Thrive! Travel! Explore! And live your life. Stop wishing for it to be another day, another month, or any other day and time that is not today. Yesterday is in the past you can’t change it, Tomorrow is in the future and not promised. Today is the only given time that you have, make the absolute MOST of it, and I promise you you will already be on a better track to living the best life that you possibly can.