Hey There, I’m Chelsie
PR samples – I was sent a sample to style. All opinions are my own.
This year has been insane for me and my little family and between all the changes that we’ve gone through, I’ll be the first to admit that my blog has suffered at times. Now that life is settled down just a tiny bit (as in, instead of it feeling like a hurricane, it feels more like a tropical storm) I feel like it’s time to start fresh here. I know that there are some new faces around HTC, especially from Instagram, so I wanted to just take some time and reintroduce myself – to show you that there is a real human being writing the words behind this screen and that my life is not picture perfect as some posts may lead you to believe.
Hey There, I’m Chelsie!
Yes, it’s spelt with an “ie” and not an “ea” because phonetically, it just makes more sense. Apparently, the word “chelsea” means port of ships, which I’ve always been embarrassed to share. Back in the day when it was cool to look up the meaning behind your name, my friends would be like: “oh my name means ‘Princess of Peace’ or “Warrior Loved by All'” and I’d be like “Cough mynamemeansaportofships.” But I’m fan of it now, especially because I realized that ships live on the ocean and I truly love the Ocean. I am all about that salt water life.
I grew up in Southern New Hampshire, just 45 minutes outside of Boston. Or BAHston, I should say. Yes, I do have a pretty heavy BAHston accent, but I have made a conscious effort to drop it because I used to teach High School English in Idaho and having Boston accent while teaching English outside of Boston doesn’t go over well.
I am so grateful I grew up in New England. I learned how to drive in the snow, how to live in extreme heat and extreme cold, how to body surf in the Atlantic and how to summit peaks in the White mountains. I grew up surrounded by the most beautiful Autumns in the world and by people who are hard and tough and loving and kind. I grew up with Boston Sports being a way of life and am as avid of a New England Patriot’s fan as you’ll ever meet. Here’s why I still cheer for the Patriots.
I started this blog back in 2013 after having a bit of a midlife crisis. I graduated with a degree in English Education and taught for over a year. I loved my kids more than anything, but I hated the politics of teaching in a public school setting. So I picked up a part-time job as an office manager and blogged on the side as a creative outlet. My blog was called Life with Rosie and I named it after my dog (named Rosie, obviously.)
I originally started out as a craft and food blogger. I am not skilled in either subject. If you want a good laugh, you can see my first DIY post here and my first recipe post here.
I slowly discovered that blogging could be a therapeutic outlet for me, as well. You see, I’m a 10-Year pediatric cancer survivor and before I started blogging, I was truly struggling. I was struggling with my ability to forgive my body for its betrayal. I was struggling with my self-confidence and my scars. I was struggling to feel worthy of my second chance life. I was struggling with severe anxiety, PTSD, and survivor’s guilt. I was so uncomfortable in my skin and so depressed. And, I started to share a little bit about my life as a cancer survivor here on the blog, including the hateful comments I get from using a handicapped parking pass.
And you know what? Writing about cancer and connecting with so many people who could relate on one level or another began to heal me. I started a journey on learning to love my scars, to appreciate my body for what it has survived instead of what it struggles with and to indulge in a little bit of self-love through makeup and style. Sharing that journey through my blog (which I rebranded to Hey There, Chelsie in January 2016) has been a vital part of helping me find myself and my life’s mission – to show others that it IS possible to live a vibrant life despite your scars or past.
So while I never, in my wildest dreams, imagined I would be a style and beauty blogger, that’s now a huge part of my content here at HTC. And I hope it doesn’t come across as vain or conceited. It truly is me, learning to be proud of my body, trying to encourage others to do the same, and sharing budget friendly ways to do it!
A few other things about me:
I’ve been married to my husband, Dustin, for almost 4 years. We met in college and have been together for six years altogether. We have moved five times since we’ve been married and it’s been a little hectic. Our most recent move was from Louisiana to Utah. I think it’s safe to say, though, that we’re staying put in the great Out West for the time being (thank goodness.)
My favorite show might have to be Parks and Recreation. I love Ron Swanson and aspire to be more like him. But I also love Grey’s Anatomy.
My feet and nose are ALWAYS cold. It’s the worst. I often ask Dustin to just put his hand over my nose to warm it up.
I lived in China for six months and taught English there to second and third graders. It was easily the hardest thing I have ever done, and I don’t regret it a single bit. China is an amazing country full of amazing people and food and I miss it every day.
I’m an introvert. Like big time. Being social exhausts me. I mean, I enjoy spending time with friends and family, but I get very exhausted very fast and will more than likely choose to spend a Friday night home with Rosie and Dustin and my favorite tv show than be out on the town.
But I also love to travel and have new experiences, because I’m trying my best not to take my second chance at life for granted. So it’s all about balance. And naps. I take naps almost every day, mainly because chemo zapped my endurance and stamina, but also because I just love to nap.
I just yelled down the hall and asked my husband what are a few things I’m obsessed with. He gave the following answers (and was dead right, as always)
Christmas Music – as in there is no wrong time to listen to it. My favorites? I love belting Oh, Holy Night! and jamming out to the Transibberan Orchestra. Looking to add some Christmas cheer into your life? You can read about all my favorite Christmas music and movies here.
Harry Potter – as in I thought I was a wizard when I was little and waited for my owl to bring my letter to Hogwarts. I even proudly wear my Harry Potter graphic tee while running errands! Dustin and I just went to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in September and it was by far the most magical experience I’ve ever had. You can read all about our day in Hogsmeade here.
Bath and Body Works Candles – Especially their fall and winter scents. I know, this is probably so basic of me, but I have yet to find candles that smell as amazing as the B&BW ones! But don’t worry – I NEVER pay full price for them! I am all about that sale life! My favorite scents of ALL time would have to be this one and this one.
Leggings – Especially these ones from Simple Addiction that are EXACT dupes for those pricey LulaRoe leggings. Use the code “Chelsie15” for 15% off yours.
Dresses that are long enough – I’ve got long, lanky legs and finding dresses that come down to my knees is so hard. I’m learning that it’s okay to wear dresses that show off my left knee (it’s pretty scarred and mishappen from that tumor thing) but I still have days where I’d rather have a longer dress to cover some of it. Finding longer dresses is like my secret mission in life, and thankfully, I found eShakti. They allow you to completely customize their dresses to your style specifications. So, this dress that I’m wearing now? It originally was sleeveless with a different neckline and a bit shorter. But, I had them add sleeves, a scooped neckline and add some length and ta-da! A perfect black dress at the perfect length.
All things beauty related – Because learning how to do my makeup has been very therapeutic and healing for me. I used to hate looking at myself in the mirror, but now I sit down every day and get to express my creativity and new-found love for myself through my makeup. And, it’s now part of my mission to help reduce the overwhelm others might feel when trying to figure out what makeup to buy (or avoid) or how to treat those pesky pimples.
So, that is a little bit about me and Hey There, Chelsie. Tell me something about yourself below!
