Mad Like Alyce

Favorite posts of 2015

Happy New Year!!!!

I’m so excited to be a full year into this blog, and I was shocked this morning to realize that I put up 116 post in 2015. I will go over my goals recap soon, but just a teaser: I had planned on doing 1 post each week. I more than doubled this!!!

I also had noticed a lot of my favorite bloggers sharing their favorite posts of 2015, and thought it was a great idea to share some of my favorite posts you might not have seen during the past year. I didn’t realize just how much fun this exercise would be! Some posts I had completely forgotten about, and after digging through my archives, I struggled to narrow it down to even 10! There were some great DIY’s that I cut simply because I wanted to include some of the more powerful posts on my journey this year with really starting to feel in control of my PTSD. But never you fear, some of my best Halloween posts made the list.

Alyce’s Favorite Posts of 2015

 

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A Chronic Pain Nightmare: The Problem with Insurance

I turned 26 this year, and subsequently lost the safety net of being on my Dad’s insurance. This post delves into some of my biggest frustrations surrounding how insurance can severely limit the quality of life for those living with Chronic Pain.

hatter-feature2-768x1024Mad Hatter Costume Tutorial

This costume was by far my favorite creation this year. It turned out so much better than I had anticipated, and considering the amount of time investment it took in comparison to others, this was a clear winner.

Sally-1Sally from Nightmare Before Christmas Costume DIY

This is the DIY I am the most proud of. The dress was honestly a labor of love, and the time investment in creating this was a bit exhausting (probably exacerbated by my lack of seamstress skills or knowledge of how to construct a dress), but overall, it turned out so incredibly beautiful. I’m just so pleased with it, and still think it was more than worth it in the end.

Road-to-Pine-Ridge-1000x580The Road to Pine Ridge

This summer I went out and spent a week volunteering at The Dream Center on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in western South Dakota. I cannot tell you how much this trip changed me. It rubbed me raw and left my soul vulnerable. It changed my entire way of thinking about the world. I am a different person because of this experience. I hope that you have a chance to experience something like this in your lives.

 

fragile

Word of the Day: Fragile

I wrote this post right after making a major breakthrough with my counseling. It was not long after this experience that I began to start getting a grip on my PTSD. Often we feel like we are already incredibly fragile when we have PTSD, yet there is something to be said for opening the doors to the safe room in our minds and making ourselves incredibly, immensely, vulnerable. To let the fear out, you have to open the door.

Aquired tasteMaybe Being Oneself is Always an Acquired Taste

Along with my journey of accepting my PTSD, I have made great steps in accepting myself and my body. In a world where our bodies are always under a microscope, I find that I am finally starting to accept who I am, and realize that it doesn’t matter what I look like, I need to love myself first.

jack-1070x580Jack Skellington Makeup Tutorial

This was my favorite makeup tutorial by far, and I had such a great time doing this costume in cahoots with my sister.

Sun-and-moon-1070x580Sun & Moon

Even though I am nearing my 2 year dating anniversary with Damir, it was just during this year that I started to learn what a healthy relationship was. A past of domestic violence makes relationships so difficult, and it wasn’t until I had this epiphany about relationships and energy that I realized how to make it work for me.

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What Will Really Sink Your Ship

This was a great lesson about catastrophizing every little worry. It is also a great realization into how our PTSD, while a disability at times, can also give as attributes that help us in life.

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The Mayor from Nightmare Before Christmas Costume DIY

This was a last minute addition to my costume roster, but I absolutely loved it for its simplicity and impact. If only I could find a good way to see out of it! It would still work wonders as a Halloween decor lampshade.

jack cake-1000x580Jack Skellington Surprise Cake

Ok, so I lied… I could only narrow it down to 11. This cake was the kickoff to my mad month of Halloween, and I just loved every second of making it. It was the first time I really felt like I created something truly awesome and worth sharing, and really boosted my confidence. It also has opened the door into trying to improve my overall blog photography… which is a project in itself.

Hello!

Hi! I'm Alyce.
Spooky friends unite! Join me as I take my home from 1990 to "Halloween Chic," share spooky. home decor and outfit inspo, create my favorite cosplays and play with SFX halloween makeup.

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