2015 Accomplishments of 3 Fabulous People

2015 was a bit of a crazy year for me, but I have to say that I am thrilled to have finally found a solid group of friends to be my safety net. Instead of recounting all that I accomplished in 2015 (because that seems as indulgent as scarfing down a box of Voortman Wreath Sprinkle Cookies, which I already did with many witnesses) I decided to shout out to a few of the amazing people in my life. If you aren’t mentioned, it isn’t because I don’t think you are amazing, your story might just be a little too personal to splash across the world wide web for all and sundry.

My BFF, Cecilia Cannon– HomewithKeki.com, Staging by CC

This gal kicks more ass than anyone I know, and does it so fearlessly and without giving a crap what others think. I love it. We were chatting on NYE about what we learned this year, and it was just that- she stopped caring so much what others thought and decided to live life according to her rules. Cecilia, aka Keki, owns and operates an incredibly successful Home Staging business- Staging by CC. She has an incredible eye for detail, design, and affordable ways to redesign the aesthetic of an entire space.

One of her photos of a bar car in her home- LOVE!!!

In addition to her business, she also pens an incredibly chic and informative home design blog- Home with Keki on which she presents stunning photos of her home and projects with a whole lotta insider tips that I desperately need (she is single-handedly responsible for my family room not resembling a fraternity). Oh, and did I mention that she is the mom of three? Two hockey playing boys and lovely little Lucy? I admire her, and am so incredibly honored to be her friend. She is my partner in crime, and together we are planning our world (social media/blogging) domination.

Our New Years Resolution for 2016

A Cheerleader for Women, Stephen Dimmick– DailyDimmick.com, GlossiGirl

I “met” Stephen years ago through 30Second Mom, and have been consuming content from him since. He taught me how to do a true smokey eye (deconstructing it so even this mama in her sleep-deprived haze could understand), and hand picked a red lip color for me when I was nervous to splash that much rouge on my mouth. His incredibly informational site, Daily Dimmick, dishes a daily dose of gorgeousness. He has worked on the runways of London, Paris, New York, and has had his work showcased in the pages of Vogue and the cover of Time magazine. Inspiring others to be beautiful inside and out is what this guy is all about. His motto is: “If you ain’t a nice person, makeup won’t help.”

Stephen discussing bright lipstick on the GlossiGirl Blog

This past year, he launched his own makeup line called GlossiGirl. Stephen, alongside his husband Jonathan, used his 27 years in the makeup business to create high quality products that are cruelty-free and simply stunning. Starting with lipstick, GlossiGirl plans to expand their offering to include liners, eyeshadow, the whole nine yards. My fave work of his this year included Madeline Stuart, the first face of GlossiGirl’s Beauty Is… campaign. Madeline initially launched a campaign to become a model and change the face of the industry and how people view others with disabilities. Maddy, as she is known, has Down Syndrome and is incredibly successful with at least 7 modeling contracts under her belt. She wants people to know that Down Syndrome “is a blessing, something to be celebrated.”

Stephen and Madeline

My PLAYful Friend, Meredith Sinclair– MeredithPlays.com, Today Show Regular, “Well Played” author

I remember the first time I met Meredith- we were having a working lunch at Symphony’s Cafe in Evanston and I remember thinking…this gal has her $hit together. Fast forward a few years, a move, a kid and a lot of life lessons, and we are still friends and I still feel the same way about her. She started her blog about 10 years ago and evolved through a few names and versions to settle on Meredith Plays. Meredith is where many bloggers aspire to be professionally, but many don’t know what a solid foundation she has personally as well. She gave me the courage to stand up for myself, take pride in what I have going on, and sport crop tops and leather pants with me along the way. I am so freaking proud of the fact that her first book, Well Played, is in the editing stage and slated to be published early this summer.

First working meeting with Bryson in tow!

She practices what she preaches- her belief is that play is vital in life, and I love seeing her vibrant personality come out when she does her gigs on TV. She is also incredibly close to and proud of her family and it shows. She is who I would pick as my mentor personally and professionally, hands down.

Image Source: GettyImages

Overall, I am thrilled to have these people in my life, as well as SO many others out there! I feel like I am finally finding my “tribe,” those people who get me and who I learn SO much from.

Happy 2016, here’s to another year with many wonderful things to come!