Why Graciela | Brand Goals

Happy Thursday!!!

Today I want to do something a little different and just chat about this blog and why I started it. I am getting a lot more traffic on here and some new readers (welcome!) and since I actually haven't really done this type of post yet, I thought it's about time I do. Not only will reading the "why" behind this blog help you as readers when you are on here but every time I write out my brand mission + goals it always re-inspires and motivates me. It's a win-win. ;)

So...

Why Graciela?

Well, first things first. The blog name. My name is Grace, not Graciela, but since I am part Latino I liked the idea of using a different variation of my name and Graciela is a Spanish variation of Grace. I love the elegant sound it has and it just sorta stuck.

I've always loved fashion and follow some fabulous fashion blogs, and have always wanted to start a clothing line and do some modeling (like for fashion campaigns). When coming up with the idea for this blog, I knew fashion would be apart of it somehow, and occasionally I will share some style tips or some of the latest trends, because come on, girls love fashion and just feeling confident in their style and most of the time we can instantly bond over shoes. :) For example, when I'm out and I see a girl with either some cute shoes or some to die for handbag, I always compliment her and ask where she found them. That sparks an instant connection between us that often leads to a full conversation, all because of fashion!!

When it comes to the blog I will at times talk fashion and what's on my fashion wishlist because more often than not fashion opens a door to more. Fashion is relatable and fun and I have found that it can be a bridge to lead to more conversations and real talk moments. Fashion can open the door.

Beyond fashion, my brand goal has always been to provide value. I always get asked either by real-life friends or followers what does it mean to be a girlboss or how can they because they are in college or work full time or that they are only 16. Many think that to be a girlboss you have to start a company or blog or be an entrepreneur or be 30 years old and that is totally not the case!

To me being a girlboss is learning to become the best version of yourself in all areas of life and going after your dream life. So if you are in college you can figure out what is important to you and give 110 %. If you are in a full-time job, you can figure out the areas of your life that are important to you and balance it out so that you are becoming your best self in all those areas. And if you are in high school, GIRL you have such a great opportunity being in that age group and pursuing a girlboss mindset. The world is waiting for your greatness.

If you are a superstar in school or work but don't give time for working out or personal development time or family/friends or faith (or whatever your non-negotiables are) then I personally think it's difficult to be my best in one area if I'm not giving the time of day to another. Make sense?

I'm not saying each of those areas has to be perfect and a finished project, but being a work in progress is better than nothing.

This is where I want to fill the gap of providing relatable content. If you have questions on fashion, being a girlboss, personal development, what I use for skin care, real-life talk, quick recipes for an on the go lifestyle, literally whatever you want to know that is where Graciela blog comes in. You have crazy busy lives as aspiring girlbosses so sometimes you don't have time to research the latest trends or see what the best podcasts are currently or maybe you don't know where to start when it comes to creating a morning routine. Girl, I got you. These are the things I want to chat about and just help you with on your girlboss journey.

The mission of Graciela is for the everyday girl. It's where women can come to be inspired to be the best version of themselves. My goal with every post is to inspire women to find the ladyboss within herself and win in all areas of her life. 

I am super excited to share all the March content I have planned especially related to Women's History month! Talk to you in the next post!

remember to always glam up, goal up and never give up!

3, 2, 1...Happy NY!!! | goals, dreams, & aspirations

shop the outfit
faux fur jacket (similar) (similar) | crossbody/clutch | velvet booties

Welcome to the first post of 2018!

I wish we could have had an NYE blogger party full of champagne boomerangs, glitzy glam dresses, and Insta worthy photo booths. How fun would that be!?

How To Stay Intentional During the Holiday Season | Advent 2017

Happy First Sunday of Advent!

Today I wanted to share my heart with you all because this little blog is a place that I want you to be able to come and just hear truth and be inspired whether it's about being an authentic #LADYBOSS or my favorite devotionals.

Questions For Self Discovery

I recently was reading a post by my ultimate blog, life and girl crush, Stephanie Sterjovski where she was discussing these journal questions that caused her to stop and do some self-reflection. I loved reading her experience and after taking some time to journal with the same questions, I was really drawn to share with all the ladies on this blog. 

Essentials For The Faith Based Girlboss

Faith is a large part of my life and any girlboss endeavor I pursue. Being a girlboss means having a balance and understanding of all areas of your life. For me, this means that I have my faith life in just as much order and give it just as much attention as I would my professional or fitness pursuits.

Embracing Moments of Challenge and Growth || Symposium 2016

This past weekend I was privileged to be able to attend the fifth annual Symposium on Advancing the New Evangelization. This time of thought provoking presentations and stimulating conversations made me stop and think about the many opportunities we as college students have at our fingertips, but many times don't take full advantage of them.

During our collegiate years we have numerous opportunities to step out of our comfort zone and expand our horizon. I clearly saw this at this years symposium that was held at my school. We had three keynote addresses as well as dozens of presentations on "Mercy and the Revolution: The Church’s Mission after the Sexual Revolution." In between these sessions we had the opportunity to dialogue with many of the scholars and really dive into some of these topics that are so relevant to our society. 

These are valuable opportunities to meet and interact with world renown thinkers that challenge you and provoke you to go beyond the norm and really form opinions and ideas on a subject. The world and the Church are bigger than our little world and it is at gathering like this that inspires you along your quest for truth, especially as young college students.

The only way we are going to be successful and effective is if we are challenged. Challenged in the way we think as well as the way we present our thoughts. Don't be afraid to be challenged. All these established scholars that I met are where they are today because they accepted challenges and learned from them.

These are wonderful occasions to gain advice and new ideas from those you look up to or those that hold your dream occupation. This was the case for me during these two days of the symposium. I have previously heard of  Dr. Pia de Solenni, Associate Dean of the Augustine Institute but was never aware of what she did and her mission. After our short encounter she now holds the position as a role model in my life because she is someone that I can aspire to. She is not a role model in the sense that I need to become a Dr. Pia copy but rather I can learn from what she's done and look at where she has been.

I am always extremely grateful for these opportunities to learn from great minds like Dr. Pia, Molly Judd, Ryan Anderson, and Timothy O'Malley. Opening yourself up to once in a lifetime moments like these could determine your future. Imagine the connections you could make or the ideas that would take place just through exposing yourself to great minds and truth. If you want to make any amount of difference in this world you first have to be different. That may be in just attending a symposium at your school that hosts 47 presenters from 20 different institutions. Or maybe it's joining a club that will challenge you and force you to step outside your box. Nothing worthwhile is ever easy. If you want success and opportunities you have to go outside yourself and search those opportunities out.

The ability to seek out opportunities and grow from the experience plays a large part in the work of evangelization. Realize that there are many options that could be right, even if you may never have thought of it. This reminds me of what Dr. Pia mentioned:

"Don't assume the world is your enemy. Build relationships. 

You will get further than you think." 

-Pia de Solenni

Coffee & Truth || #WhyIMarch

Tomorrow I will be traveling from Kansas to Washington D.C with over 250 Benedictine College students + priests and faculty to participate in the March for Life. I am so excited to experience this event at our Nation's capital. I went to the Walk for Life West Coast last January so it will be exciting and probably overwhelming at times to see 50,000 more people that are at the DC one.

As I prepare for this pilgrimage to D.C. I have have been asking myself, why? Why march in freezing temperatures for a cause that seems like we are loosing. Am I going to just explore the city of D.C.? Here's what my reflections have cultivated:

I march because I am one of seven siblings and I stand in thanksgiving for those seven "Fiats" my mother gave.

My little brother Francesco a couple years ago at a Rally for Life

I march because I stand in solidarity with all those innocent children that didn't have a chance to take their first breath outside the womb.

I march for all those affected by the tragedy of abortion. Mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, grandparents, future generations.

I march because my generation doesn't just sit back and watch our world's population slowly dwindle down.

I march for those who work in the abortion industry, either those directly or indirectly involved in the organization.

I march because I live in a country where we can stand for rights and truth.

I march because 1/3 of my fellow college freshman across the country are missing because of abortion.

I march for those teaching false accusations and burying the extremeness of this evil.

I march for those mothers that feel like they have no option or are put in a life or death situation if they don't terminate the pregnancy.

I march for those men who weren't real men and protected the hearts and bodies of the vulnerable woman.

I march to tell the future generations that I didn't just glide through life and let the biggest genocide ever known, become an accepted intrinsic evil that we don't even think twice of.

I have created a playlist (of course ;) about l i f e if you want to listen to it as you travel to the March or just when you want to praise God for life.

Our Lady of Guadalupe :: Pray for us! 

Holy Week

Take a look now at Calvary. Jesus has died and there is as yet no sign of his glorious triumph. It is good time to examine how much we really want to live as Christians, to be holy. Here is our chance to react against our weaknesses with an act of faith. We can trust in God and resolve to put love into the things we do each day. The experience of sin should lead us to sorrow. We should make a more mature and deeper decision to be faithful and truly identify ourselves with Christ, persevering, no matter what it costs, in the priestly mission that he has given every single one of his disciples. That mission should spur us on to be the salt and light of the world. 

-St. Josemaria Escriva, Christ is Passing By

Emotional Chastity #WomanOfChristWednesday

 via

"Become the woman of your dreams, then you will attract the man of your dreams."

-Sarah Swafford 

Emotional chastity is not to prevent love, it's to give you authentic love.

Emotional chastity, like physical chastity, requires discipline. We all have sexual desires, but by living out the virtue of chastity, we don't let those desires control us. Since we aren't just bodies, but also hearts, minds, and souls we are called to practice chastity in all those areas. Emotional chastity means guarding the gift of purity of our hearts and minds.

It is very easy for woman to fall into this emotional mind game, especially when it comes to guys. You see some random (cute) guy at church and you start planning your wedding colors. You are introduced to a great Catholic guy and you start putting your name with his last name to see how it sounds.

Many of us have been guilty of this and when we first think of it, it may sound just like innocent school girl fun. But what begins to happen is that we start to know longer see them as a whole person with a mind, a heart, and a soul. We only see them only as a physical being, we begin to see only their body.

"You can never use another person as a means to an end."

-Pope John Paul II in Love and Responsibility  

 

We may at times before even meeting this guy, create in our mind this perfect person from his personalities to his looks. We have created this character that only belongs in a Nicholas Sparks film not real life. Nothing against chick-flicks, I am admittedly a huge fan. But don't let your Pinterest-filtered mind take over reality, because that is dangerous for your heart and soul.

So far what does all this mean? It means no imaginary boyfriends or comparing your actual boyfriend to a fictional character.

You want to cultivate a pure heart for your future vocation. For those called to marriage you want to be able to give your whole self to your future spouse in both your body, heart, and soul.

Use this time that the church calls remote preparation, as a time to grow in virtue and knowledge.  A time to understand who and what God wants of you. And then when He sees fit he will reveal where and who He wants you with. We will receive many more graces when that does happen if we take the time now to sanctify ourselves in body, mind, and soul. 

"Only the chaste man and the chaste woman are capable of real love."

-St. John Paul II

 

L E N T

 

Look at His adorable face.
Look at His glazed and sunken eyes.
Look at His wounds.
Look Jesus in the Face.
There, you will see how He loves us.
  -St. Therese of Lisieux

Prayer
"Prayer is the raising of one's mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God" 

-St. John Damascene

• Do my lenten reading plan -Something for the mind: Father Elijah: An Apocalypse by Michael O'Brien -Something for the Soul: The Way by Josemaria Escrivia -Something for the Heart: Embracing Therese, Faustina and Bernadette: Three Saints Who Challenged My Faith, Gave Me Hope, and Taught Me How to Love
• Pray the Litany of Humility everyday 
• Write in my prayer journal every 
• Pray the stations of the cross on Fridays
• Go to weekly adoration 
• Remember the person of the day in my prayers

Fasting/Discipline

• Instead of listening to secular music, listen to some lenten themed music or some Christian songs that draws me into the desert with our Lord. 
• Journal for 10 mins each day
• Go one day a week (Friday) without social media

Almsgiving/Thankfulness/Give of Myself

• Write more faith based posts
• Go on more walks with my siblings
• Add blessings to my list
• Write more letters to friends

Okay, well there you go, my 2015 Lent game plan. I would love to hear your thoughts as well as what YOUR plans for Lent are. Just remember to ask yourself why you are doing this. 

"God gives the growth." 

(1 Cor. 3:7)

Finding Joy in Singlehood

While everyone is posting about date night ideas and getting dressed for that fancy dinner with that special someone, I thought I would share with you a few reasons why I think singlehood is actually a beautiful + joyous time in persons life.

Singleness: a word that has so much negativity, loneliness,  and questions. What no boyfriend? She must be ugly. She has no future.
‘Everyone else’ is in a relationship right now, so why shouldn’t I be?  Is something wrong with me?

That is how the world views singlehood. But I view it as a joyous soul searching period.

I am a HS Senior and have never been on a date. And I haven't been looking.

"High school is about finding your bridesmaids not your husband"

Single is a word that describes a person who is strong enough to live and enjoy life without depending on anyone except God.  It’s a person who is trusting God with their future, with their life, and with their love story.

These early years when your on the peak of adulthood is a time when you should be finding who you are. These are the years of possibility and growing and exploring. These are the years when you find out what it means to be you. When you form your own opinions and make your own decisions.

There's joy in being a single young woman.

You don't have to go through all that heart ache and confusion of having a boyfriend who he himself hasn't found what it means to be a young man.

You don't have to date in High School or College to feel fulfilled. You don't have to settle down in a serious relationship or jump from multiple casual ones.

Embrace your singlehood. Because you won't get it back. 

Being single is not about putting your life on hold for that perfect relationship.
It is a time where you can grow into your role in society.
A time where you can travel.
A time where you can do mission work.
A time where you can invest in your friendships.
A time where you can dedicate yourself to your studies.
A time where  you can find new hobbies.
A time where you can get to know "you".
A time where you can have Netflix nights.
A time where you can go on an impromptu trip with friends. 
A time where you can prepare your heart for that future relationship.

There's joy in being single. The grace is in finding it.

-Grace 

How To Be Pretty //

Being pretty is not just what you wear or the new hairstyle you're trying out. Being pretty is about much more then you think.

Being pretty is about first realizing that you are beautiful and that nobody can determine you worth and happiness.

You are beautifully and uniquely you. I know you are probably like yeah yeah Grace I already know all this stuff. I hear it all the time.

I understand that -- but I don't think you actually do. If you did believe that NOBODY can define your happiness then you wouldn't compare your clothes to the newest trend or the way you speak or carry and present yourself. You wouldn't try to change YOU to try to fit in with that group who they themselves don't understand what being pretty really means, because if they did they wouldn't send of this vibe to you that says in order to be accepted and blend in with us you have to change what makes you you and what sets you apart.

Those people that do that aren't pretty because if they we're truly pretty that would show in all areas of their life, their speech, their spirit, and in their demeanor.

What a shame it is to go through life having those people determine your happiness and your worth.

Every-time you wake up in the morning with air in your lungs and a pulse, there's a purpose for you and your life. Every single one of us is here for a reason. We get one life. One chance. You do have a choice. You have the freedom to live your life to the fullest. If you find yourself not in a place you want to be you can change that right now! It might not be easy, it will probably be scary and uncomfortable but you just need to believe in yourself and surround yourself with those people that will help you get to where you want to be and who you want to become.

I often see and hear from many girls about being pretty. We are constantly surrounded by what we aren't and what we don't have instead of what we do have. We are such a superficial society.

The truth is that society see's pretty as being x inches tall or x pounds on the scale or having long curly flowing hair or beautiful tan skin. And that's sad. We shouldn't have to fill this mold of society's pretty.

Sometimes we might wish that we were friends with that pretty girl next to us in class and that if we were maybe some of her prettiness will rub off on me and once I'm "pretty" all my worries and struggles will go away. But the truth is, they won't. Because happiness and fulfillment doesn't come in trying to fill this "mold of perfection" or even in being friends with the pretty girl. Happiness and true beauty will shine forth when we give ourselves permission to be that unique individual that we were created to be.

The pretty people aren't the ones who spend hours on their hair and makeup. The real pretty people are the ones that try to make others feel pretty. How you make other people feel says a lot about you. 

The ones that randomly come up to you without ever having met you before to say that they like your shoes or your hairstyle. They are the pretty ones because they are going out of their way and stepping out of themselves to self assure another person.

Compliments can save a person's life. You never know what a few words of encouragement could mean to someone, because you never know what somebody is going through. And you may never know what your few words meant to them you just did your part and followed what your heart was telling you at the time.

So you see beauty is so much more than the makeup. As much as I love makeup and all the beauty paraphernalia, the makeup industry has killed the teenage girl, and until we find another mode of pretty besides trying to find the perfect hair extensions, that's just how it's going to be.
We need to make a change and start seeing pretty for what it actually is. Pretty is about perspective.
Pretty is the face of a down syndrome child, who though may not have a face of a model contains the purest and truest beauty out there because they radiate joy to everyone who comes in contact with them.

The first step in transforming the way the world sees pretty is first understanding what pretty means to us and living it.

-Grace

My Sisters the Saints // Book Review

 

Number of Pages: 240
ISBN: 978-0-7704-3651-3  

Released: September 23, 2014

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

 // Book Synopsis //

A poignant and powerful spiritual memoir about how the lives of the saints changed the life of a modern woman.In My Sisters the Saints, author Colleen Carroll Campbell blends her personal narrative of spiritual seeking, trials, stumbles, and breakthroughs with the stories of six women saints who profoundly changed her life: Teresa of Avila, Therese of Lisieux, Faustina of Poland, Edith Stein of Germany, Mother Teresa of Calcutta, and Mary of Nazareth. Drawing upon the rich writings and examples of these extraordinary women, the author reveals Christianity's liberating power for women and the relevance of the saints to the lives of contemporary Christians.

// My Review //

This is one book that I will read more then once in my lifetime. I loved reading this powerful memoir because it made me stop and think about my role in society as a Catholic woman, and also hearing about her struggle between motherhood and being a woman in the workforce. I have to admit that there were a few times when I teared up because the author was pouring her heart out to the reader.


I love the straightforward approach that the author used when incorporating the lives of the six female saints into her own life. You can truly feel the genuineness about her relationship with the saints and it makes you want to cultivate that same relationship in your own life. I highly recommend this spiritual read to all woman with one instruction: read it with an open heart.

 About the Author:
Colleen Carroll Campbell is an author, print and broadcast journalist, and former presidential speechwriter. She writes an op-ed column on religion, politics, and women's issues for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, blogs on those subjects for The New York Times and The Washington Post; comments about them on such networks as FOX News, CNN, and PBS; and discusses them as host of Faith & Culture, a weekly television and radio show that airs internationally on EWTN, the world's largest religious network, and on Sirius Satellite and Relevant Radio. A former speechwriter to President George W. Bush and the author of The New Faithful: Why Young Adults Are Embracing Christian Orthodoxy, Campbell contributes frequently to national publications and speaks to audiences across America. Her website is www.colleen-campbell.com.

 I received this book for free from Blogging for Books for this review.

Stillness...

Black and white photo's draw you into a calming, beautiful, yet mysterious world.

They present an unknown stillness. 

They hold a mystery and we have to solve it, in other words we have to find the color.

Find the hidden little things.

Find the joy in sorrows.

Find the innocence in the wordly.

Find the peace in chaos.

Find the beauty in the unshapely.

We find all of this when we first find HIM.

Find the Christ Child in every crevasse of our life.

Find the Christ Child in every face we encounter.

Find the Christ Child in our daily chores.

Find the Christ Child in our studies.

Find the Christ Child in our prayers.

“We must confess that we all have need of silence (stillness), filled with the presence of him who is adored.  This is what man needs today; he is often unable to be silent for fear of meeting himself, of feeling the emptiness that asks itself about meaning; man who deafens himself with noise.”

-St. John Paul II in 1995 Apostolic Letter, Orientale Lumen

Three Gifts of Thérèse of Lisieux {Book Review}

 “Thérèse has been such a presence in my adult life—it is as if I have known her personally; she is as real and alive to me as my lifelong friends... I’ve identified three gifts that Thérèse has given me, which I would like to offer in this book to everyone seeking to find more meaning in their faith and their journey to find God.” 

-Patrick Ahern

Number of Pages: 128
ISBN: 9780385347907
Released: January 1, 2014

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

 // Book Synopsis //

Taken from Good Reads

 Transformation in our lives happens when we live with the confidence that "God is nothing but mercy and love.” In this inspiring book, beloved author Patrick Ahern looks at the teachings of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, the Little Flower, through the lens of his own personal experiences in which this  "saint for our times" played such an important role for more than seventy years.  With honesty and humility, he delves into the transformational love that infused her faith, led her to be named one of only four female Doctors of the Catholic Church, and gave Ahern’s own journey direction and meaning. 

Ahern focuses on what he calls the three gifts of Thérèse:  her universal appeal, her conviction, and her little way. Echoing Therese’s recognition that bureaucracy, penances, rules and commandments miss the message of love that she knew to be true, he says, "She convinced me that someone as ordinary as I could aspire to the love of God, which filled her heart to overflowing." He hopes the same for his readers. 

// My Review //

Saint Therese of Lisieux is perhaps one of the most well loved saints even to this day. Mostly known for her little way. But what is the little way?

In this simple work of Bishop Patrick Ahern he shares the impact St. Thérèse had on his life and the lives of others through her "three gifts."

Universal appeal
Bishop Ahern shares about Thérèse's early sensitive childhood and how it shaped her.

Conviction
The most telling example of her conviction is the now infamous story of how she personally asked Pope Leo XIII to allow her to join the Carmelite convent early.

Little Way
"Her spirituality is within the reach of everyone..." 

This is a wonderful introduction book to Thérèse and her spirituality. Though simple it certaintly gives a clear message and makes you want to read. I would highly recommend it to anyone who wants to develop a personal relationship with Thérèse.

"Whoever possesses the present moment possesses 

God

+++

Therefore whoever possesses the present moment 

possesses everything

 +++

The present moment is enough

Don't let anything trouble you."

• More Info
• Read Chapter One
• Author Bio

I received this book for free from Blogging for Books for this review.

Lenten Meme

I came upon this Lenten meme and thought it would be a great post to do on this Ash Wednesday! Anybody who wants to join in please do. Just leave me a comment so I can go see yours!

What is your favorite Sorrowful Mystery?

The second mystery - Jesus is Scourged at the Pillar. What endless love comes from this mystery. Jesus whipped and flesh ripped open in reparation for my sins. 

"Jesus, 

You remained pure of heart even when

 Your flesh was torn and scourged by those who hated You.

 Help me to grow in the virtue of purity even when I suffer."

(via)

What is your favorite Station of the Cross?
The fifth station, Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus carry His cross. The message to me in this station is will I help to carry the cross of Jesus? Am I willing to endure all the hatred, rejection, and pain that comes with it? Many are called to carry that cross but few pick it up and put it on there shoulder.  

Do you fast during Lent? As far as food goes I fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday and abstain from meat on Fridays as required. Fasting can also include refraining from any activity you indulge in. It is a form of self-denial.

What is your Lenten Resolution(s)?

Well, every Lent I use Maria Von Trapp's guide to a lenten reading plan. Here are my reads:

1. Lumen Fidei by Pope Francis
2. The Sanctifier by Archbishop Luis M. Martinez
3. Rise, Let Us Be On Our Way by Bl. Pope John Paul II

There are some virtues that I am going to take this Lenten season to work on. I want to cultivate the virtue of moderation by limiting time on social media to one time in the early morning and then one time at night. And industriousness meaning don't put things off. "Do what your suppose to do, when your suppose to do it, in the way its suppose to be done."

Do you use Holy Water during Lent? Yes I do. I bless myself with Holy Water as I enter/exit the Church. The removal of Holy Water fonts does not take place until the Sacred Tridumm.

How many times do you go to Mass during Lent? I go to daily Mass with my family throughout the year. So for me its not a lenten resolution since its a daily blessing for me. But I highly recommend to those who are able to attend daily Mass to do so. Either in the morning or evening. You will be changed forever!