Hello love and welcome to my space! It’s Friday so it’s time for another celebration. Shamelessly Fabulous Friday was born out of my desire to share and celebrate folks that inspire me, uplift me and add a little sunshine to my day in the hopes that they do the same for you!
“If you want something, you have to push yourself to get uncomfortable and out of your comfort zone, doing things that may scare you are worth it to get the things you desire most”
Today I am sharing and celebrating Cara, Creatress Great Full Girl! I came across Cara’s Instagram page several months ago and was instantly struck by her positivity and light. The thing that stood out about Cara’s page was the food but I definitely enjoy the inspirational messages that she shares in her stories, with ‘The Great Full Gang’ as she calls them!
Every day you can rely on Cara for the take away of the day, list of things that she is grateful for as well as compassionate inspiration. When Cara shares, you can tell it comes straight from the heart!
I had the absolute pleasure of sitting down with Cara and having the most lovely Soulversation, here is what she had to say:
Tell me about your Instagram handle:
I chose this handle because my grandmother, who I consider my guardian angel, came to me in a dream one night and told me to call my blog The Great Full Girl because I love food and my passion is to live a great full life and help others live a great full life too!
How long have you been vegan/plant based and why:
I’ve been vegan for a little over 2 years and although it’s been beneficial for my health, I stay vegan for the planet and the animals we share this earth with. I watched documentaries like What the Health and the movie, Okja and knew I would never go back.
What is one thing you wish you knew before going vegan/plant based:
How hard it can be to make the transition because so many people will put you down for choosing to be compassionate.
Did you notice any spiritual changes when you made the switch to eating plant based?
Absolutely! Once you become vegan you open your heart to more compassion in the world. I started to think about how I treat people on a daily basis and it became easier to put myself in others shoes. It also changed the way that I consume down to the products that I bring into my home. I’m conscious about if its compostable and biodegradable.
Are there any foods you avoid? Why?
I used to avoid mushrooms before going vegan but now I’m obsessed!
What is one food you cannot live without?
Any type of sweets, especially donuts so I’m so happy donuts can be made vegan!
How did you get into lifestyle blogging?
I moved to Texas from California and one of the things that I fell in love with was the food and the hospitality and I really wanted to start a food blog. So another friend of mine that had also moved to Austin from California wanted to start a food blog so we did.
When I made the connection and went vegan I was afraid that since I couldn’t eat at the places I ate before that I would be limited. Luckily, Austin is so vegan friendly and it was really easy to make that transition.
What is keeping you grounded these days?
Hope for the future is keeping me grounded right now. Just knowing that even its a really chaotic time right now, I see so much hope. There’s a quote “no matter how good things are, no matter how bad things are, they’ll always change”. That is something that I keep in mind during this time. Although things are chaotic, it doesn’t mean that things are going to stay that way. We are moving into a better and brighter world and in order to do that we need to go through these labor pains of birthing the world that we want to see.
Who inspires you?
My dog Zeke. He was abandoned before I found him and yet still trusts and loves me every day. He is a constant reminder to forgive and live in the present moment with compassion to everyone. The people that inspire me the most are the people who do kind things out of the kindness of their hearts. People that help people knowing that there’s nothing in it for them, it’s just about asking, how can I be of service!
What book has made the greatest impact in your life?
It has to be a toss up between The Alchemist and Eat. Pray. Love. I learned so much from The Alchemist, its a short book but its packed with all of these amazing allegories and great take away’s.
What are some simple things that bring you joy?
Sweets!!! Quality time with my fiance.
What are your favorite self care tips?
Meditation has helped me a lot. One of the things that I have learned from meditation is that your inner child is always there. Your inner child is your highest self. It has no reservations, no doubt, its so pure. It believes that anything is possible. Over time as we grow up, our ego silences our inner child, our inner self. One of the things I have learned from meditation is that if you can get still enough and you can get quiet enough, all of the things that you’re asking questions to in your life, you already have the answer.
Dancing, there’s nothing putting your headphones on and dancing especially when you’ve had a hard day.
What is something a lot of people don’t know about you?
I had scoliosis as a child and wore a back brace for several years of my childhood to avoid spinal surgery.
What is one song that can instantly put you in a good mood?
What are your best practices for getting through challenging times?
I enjoy meditating and journaling. I believe God is inside you as you. You just have to turn down the outside noise to listen.
What are your words to live by, or your motto?
Live with unconditional compassion.
Who do you think would fit into Shamelessly Fabulous Fridays?
Healing in Hindsight (Taylor Turner)
What are you grateful for?
The thing that I most grateful for is having the community here on social media, a supportive community. I say that because social media can be used in one of two ways, and that’s to tear people down and to lift them up.
What gives you hope?
What gives me hope is that we’re moving into a society that will be equal and fair! A world where people have access to opportunity and that we have a more equal system gives me hope.
Where can we find you? ( Blog, Instagram, YouTube ect)
www.greatfullgirl.com or on Instagram & TikTok
I had so much fun sharing and celebrating Cara today! Definitely, check her out! Thank you so much for stopping by and until next time, Stay Fabulous, xo.
