New Layout! {And the Threat of Comparing Oneself to Others}

So I did mention that I was in love with the whole aztec print revolution in fashion right now....
So I decided to draw inspiration with it for a brand new layout! What do you guys think? Pretty lovely right?
I thought so!

I have worked on it in between the other three I have on my burners (wooh my stove is gettin full) for the giveaway I did last week. So I decided to treat myself and get it finished, and I can honestly say that it's very fetching in my humble opinion. It was strange to see how much my style has changed, and to realize I was enjoying being a bit more chic and less bright and fun. Not that I don't still love to party and have fun. But hey, a girl can be both, right?

Right.

I find that I've learned a lot as far as simplicity and pleasing to the eye, as well as how to organize things a bit more efficiently. I am very proud of this layout and think it shows my nature of growing and learning beyond where I had been when I dabbled in graphics before.

Though that leads us to our second part of today's spiel.

Why is it we always drag ourselves down when we're feeling good by comparing ourselves to someone else? It's no secret that I have several blog designers that I highly look up to. Whom I think the world of and think they have loads of talent that far outshines my realm of ability. And just when I was feeling like I'd grown so much and enjoying the fruits of my labor, I scoped out a few just to see what they were up to, and felt myself deflating again.

WHY?

I hate myself for doing such a thing and taking the own wind out of my sails. My life has been stressful for a long time, and I'm just now digging out of the hole I'd allowed myself to wallow in calling it getting by. So the opportunity to feel proud of myself and happy are few and far between lately. I've been majorly second guessing myself, caught between morose lackluster energy and panic. And the hits keep on coming. I'm only holding on by a thread sometimes, and sometimes not even that. But I'm still feeling better than I have been. So the fact that when I was feeling rather proud I decided to dash it on the proverbial rocks astounds me. Boggles my mind. Boggles.

/sigh

I'll figure it out one day I'm sure. And until then I'm still working towards that far away goal of self assurance and calm weathering of the storm. I feel better now than I have in a good long time, as I've mentioned, and I know my family will make it through. Make it work. Together, we are everything. I don't need anything else.

So I'm going to take this victory and hold onto it.

And don't forget, if you'd like to get your hands on some affordable blog design for yourself, visit me over at my shop!