Sweetheart OF The Month:
-Lilly Cristy-
1) Please introduce yourself! We’d love to get to know you.
Hi there! I’m Lilly Cristy. A follower of Jesus, wife to a Texan, soon to be mama to Adley Mae, West Coaster turned Midwesterner, occasional blogger, boutique & brand manager, and just a simple gal seeking to find the beauty & joy in every day.
2) Where do you call home? How do you stay rooted?
My husband and I call Fargo, North Dakota home (yes, like the movie) he’s from Texas and I’m from Washington & California so it’s kind of crazy how we landed here. We’ve both lived a lot of different places over the last five years, which has been an adventure to say the least, but I’ve learned so many valuable lessons about what “home” really means and how important it is to stay rooted and grounded in the important things in life. For me, the thing that has kept my “rooted” over the past five years has been Jesus. Wildly enough, the year before all of this moving around began, my church at the time did a series on Ephesians called “Rooted” it taught me such a deeper understanding about my purpose & calling and how to stay rooted in what is good and true in this world.
3) What is your favorite piece of literature and why?
As a kid, I was a huge reader. As an adult? Not so much. But when I do sit down, oh man I could spend the day buried in a book. One of my favorite books I’ve ever read has got to be “Crazy Love” By Francis Chan. It totally wrecked my life in the best way possible at the most perfect time and I’ve probably recommended it to just about everyone I know. It is such a powerful, life changing message that completely convicted me and spurred me on towards a more Christ-centered way of living my life, something I will forever be grateful for.
4) The Sweetheart persona is all about kindness. Who has had the biggest influence in your life when it comes to being taught how to be “kind?”
Oh gosh, there have been so many incredible role models and people who have exemplified this, though I must say the one that sticks out the most is my mama. I think the reason I’m always looking for the good in people is because of her, she just so deeply cares about people and has such a gift when it comes to being empathetic. She’s always been quick to remind me to put myself in others shoes and be sensitive to the needs of others which, though frustrating at times, is essential when it comes to understanding how to extend kindness to all.
5) The Sweetheart persona is all about being in good company. What is your favorite memory with your friends?
I always go back to these few years right after college when I lived with my two best friends and every day seemed to just be the sweetest time together. Just simply doing life together, cooking meals, taking off on random adventures, heading out on late night Target runs, it was just such a sweet time of life to get to live life alongside two of my favorite people.
6) What makes your heart beat? What do you believe in, stand for, and want to tell others about?
So many things make my heart beat…I’ve really learned over the past few years just how passionate of a person I am about the things that I love. But at the end of the day, the most important thing to me is encouraging women to find their identity, their purpose, their passion, and their beauty in Jesus. I know firsthand how easy it is to get caught up in the things of this world and how the world tells us to look/act/feel/etc. but I’ve come to learn that the greatest joy is found when we hand those worldly ideals over and let Jesus be the thing we fix our eyes upon. He alone defines us and it is Him who deems us worthy, lovable and His most beautiful creation. My heart is to share this with women and hopefully encourage them to avoid the years of heartache and hurt that I’ve gone through because I didn’t fully know and believe this.
7) What do you do? And what led you to choose this path?
Day to day, I manage the cutest little kitchen & home boutique in downtown Fargo. I spend my days there merchandising, creating unique displays, ordering new products, training and managing employees, developing content for our social media, and so much more. It really is a little bit of everything — which I absolutely love! No two days are really the same and I’ve learned that I definitely thrive in this atmosphere. In all honesty, it’s not something I really ever pictured myself doing, but it’s definitely my favorite thing I’ve ever done and has really pushed me to discover my creative side, which has been such an adventure! In March, I get the chance to take on a completely different role as I become a mama and now that is the job I know I was made for.
8) If you could describe your ideal day, how would it go?
Any good day must start with coffee (in my opinion) but add a walk on the beach with the sun shining and hot coffee in hand and I’m the happiest girl alive. Something about starting off the day with the cool ocean breeze, the sound of waves rolling in and that feeling of sand between my toes just brings me so much happiness. Add in a few of my favorite people and well then, it’s perfect. Follow that up with a homemade breakfast (my favorite meal of the day) a quick run to a coffee shop for more coffee (because why not?) and a drive to somewhere off the beaten path with the windows down and the country music blasting and I’m on cloud nine. During the day, I could be happy really doing whatever…whether it’s a trip to the beach to catch some sun, a hike up the side of a mountain to get my heart pumping, a shopping trip with the girls, or maybe all three?? As long as my day ends with catching the sunset, a few laughs with friends, and maybe a glass or two of white wine, it’s been the perfect day.
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