May is Mental Health Awareness month, and my message to you is to surround yourself with people who understand that depression and anxiety are NOT your fault or your failure.
Pretty in Purple
To bring out the green eyed monster in me (or just to brighten up my face) – I liked to use a purple look. Check out my tutorial featuring some nontraditional hues from Sephora Collection, Pure Cosmetics and more.
Dear Austin: Where are the women who look like me?
In America’s fittest city, living life as a healthy and happy curvy girl feels like sacrilege or failure of some kind. As a #realaustinwoman, I want to change that.
The Goddess Glow
Sometimes we want makeup that makes us feel like the goddess we are. Here’s my less than twenty goddess look for you to repeat!
Movie Review: Overboard
I like movies that: 1) trip me the f out/make me think about the meaning of life 2) have me on the verge of a panic attack for two hours 3) make me laugh so hard my sides hurt and all I want to do is make jokes for the next few hours My mom […]
Adventures: Carlsbad Caverns National Park
The Land of Enchantment is kind of what I picture as homebase. As much as I HATED growing up in a small town in New Mexico, as an adult I’ve developed a soft spot for the empty space of desert and wind blown sunsets. (Check out my quick guide to The Guadalupe Mountains National Park […]
Happy Things: Made by my Momma (Sale Code Inside)
My mom and I did a lot of growing up together. She had me as a twenty year old, and as a 24 year old now I can see all the things we learned about life as I formed into a functioning adult. For instance: Don’t store the iron on the top shelf (twice that […]
Photos for Sale: The Etsy Shop is Open!
Thanks to everyone who has been super supportive of the site so far! I’m excited to announce the opening of MyInvalidLife – the Etsy shop. Special shout out to the woman who helped me fall in love with photography in the first place/my high school mom/my very first customer, Kari Riemer, whose canvas in the […]
Adventures: Guadalupe Mountains National Park
So the New Mexico state song legit has the line: It never rains, it never snows, but the wind it always blows. Unfortunately, the rest of the song doesn’t make the state sound any more appealing, but home is home is home and I still love New Mexico. The state park just to the south […]
Thoughts: You Don’t Owe Me Your Misery
I’ve always been really uncomfortable with my own happiness. Call it cynicism, cowardice – maybe call it self defense. When things are good my comfort zone is miles behind me.
ATX Life: Mayfield Park Trails
One of the coolest things about Austin is the sheer number of trail miles nestled into the city limits. Near Laguna Gloria and Mount Bonnell is a little park where I just so happened to take prom pictures in high school called Mayfield Park. But the coolest part about Mayfield Park in my opinion is […]
ATX Life: Laguna Gloria
I’m a firm believer in the idea that life is art. So for me, sculpture gardens are sanctuaries in ways other installation spaces just can’t be. Laguna Gloria by Austin Contemporary is probably the best example I have of a place where life and art merge beautifully. Admission is $5 for adults on every day […]
Madie Leon Riley 