My Never Ending Journey To Self Love

Welcome & Thank YOU for taking the time to view my New & first ever Blog Upcy! Where I will be sharing my simple Up-cycled Art Projects, Arbonne Makeup Tutorials, and all things Positive & Pretty!

     I'd like to start by Introducing myself (and sharing a little bit about who I am for those who don't know me personally).

     I'm Jennie Matthie, I grew up on my Families thousand acre Dairy farm "Maplehurst Farms" in the tiny micro Village of Algonquin Ontario (The Church, Library and Public School I went to had even been built buy my Great Grandfather...) with my Parents and 3Brothers (who though enjoyed tormenting me (out of love i'm sure) on the daily... wouldn't stand for anyone else even to look at me the wrong way, which i must admit had its down sides when i started to date ... I am very lucky to know they've always got me) & of course my soul sister Kristen McNish who pretty much ( & to this day) never left my side! My neighbors consisted of my Grandparents, Aunts and Uncles and my amazing cousins (my brothers & cousins made growing up on the farm more fun and at times mischievous & dangerous than words can describe (nor would we ever admit to) and so many amazing memories). I spent my days outside in the fields, playing with the cows and various other animals we had over the years (chickens, goats, horses etc), bugging my brothers to let me hang out with them and their friends, taking vocal and dance lessons and making crafty messes wherever I went!

The house that built me.

     I went to High School at Thousand Island Secondary school in Brockville to get away from my brothers try and get a little more independence. Since we lived in the country and were not on the Bus route my amazing mother and some incredible neighbors took turns driving myself and a few of the other kids in the neighborhood to a random bus stop where we would catch our 45min long ride to school... & this is where at the age of 15 I met my High School sweetheart & love of my life Cody Humble!

Cody and I on our very first date at a school dance

      I then moved to Ottawa to study the Developmental Service Worker program at Algonquin College from which I graduated in 2012. Though I hated didn't love Ottawa right away and found the hustle and bustle of big city life very stressful. After countless tear filled calls to Cody and my younger brother while lost on the streets in a city I felt I didn't belong, I managed to learn the bus system which to me (someone who for the safety of all others should never drive a vehicle) gave me the feeling that I could do anything!!

     After working in my field for a little over two years ( a career I had been dreaming of since I was in public school) as well as a second part time retail job (in an attempt to pay back my mountain of student loans) I began to struggle with depression anxiety and low self confidence, (this is something that I had dealt with throughout my adolescent and teenage years) but this time it was different and my body began to manifest physical symptoms. I was the heaviest I had ever been, had no motivation, was always sick whether it be an infection or common cold, and began to grow small and large cysts all over my body.

     It was at this time that Cody and I were introduced to the Arbonne Business Opportunity (I promise more on this in posts to come) by his father & though i already had SO much going on in my life at this time *I literally didn't even have the energy to make it out of bed to work some days* and he had stuff of his own going on we knew that this was an opportunity we just could not afford to pass up on! We have been in the business for just over a year now and already it has opened more doors than we could have imagined including traveling to VEGAS last year for a Global training conference *this would have been both my and codys first time on an airplane and my first time ever traveling outside of the country (with the exception of shopping trips across the st. lawrence)* and will get the opportunity to do so again this May! It was at this conference that I committed myself to my very own Pure Transformation (also more on this in a future post) which was the name and over-all theme of that years event. I spent the last year focusing on myself and the practice of self love which is something I think everyone should do more of these days.

Cody and I signing the Arbonne A's in Vegas with words of inspiration

      Overtime I left both of my other jobs, this was a decision that did not come easy for me and i think if i am really honest with myself is one I had been putting off for far to long. I kept telling myself that I couldn't quit my DSW job. I had just spent years completing a program and had countless people help me make it to graduation so that i could get a job exactly like this one. That I would be letting down my mother who's footsteps I had followed into this career path, & that I would be unable to contribute anything to my and Cody's like together here in Ottawa ... I kept telling myself I should just be thankful to have not one but two jobs in this economy.
But then one day it all sort of just clicked - Why am I punishing myself by continuing to do anything that doesn't bring me happiness?
 I began to make changes in my life to get back to a place where I was truly happy with my life and myself!  As I shifted my mind away from focusing on what I no longer wanted in my life and started to consciously focus on thinking only in the positive, my life began to fall into perfect place! I made a promise to myself that I would take the time to do more things I loved, to travel, be creative, & spend time with family and loved ones. Our lives are a direct reflection of our thoughts One positive thought in the morning can change your day, and in time your whole life.

     I have always loved to create, ever since I was a child I loved playing with different mediums and techniques, I love the feeling of taking something old, unused, or forgotten and using it to create something new and beautifully unique!!

     Thank you to anyone who read this and took the time to come and check out my Blog & look forward to sharing with more very soon!
I will be posting All things Valentines in the week to come

     Never be afraid to sparkle a little brighter <3