Mini Vacay in San Diego!

Hi there!

Michael and I just got back from a 4 day vacation in San Diego. The weather was absolutely perfect, and the beaches weren't too crowded--probably because we were there the week after Labor Day!

 

 

Moonlight Beach. Isn't that the coolest name?!

A few days before our vacation, I used Google to search for local events happening near the hotel we were staying at. The first event I found was the Super Tasty 5K: a 5K "race" near the beach that included sampling food from 17 restaurants along the way. You can bet we signed up for it! It was such a fun opportunity to discover some nearby restaurants, and a great way to enjoy the warm, sunny day!

 Michael's first 5K! ;)

My favorite part of the trip was boogie boarding!! We were out in the water for hours.

We found a pink board for 50% off at Big 5 a few weeks ago, and Michael asked me if I wanted it. I have only boogie boarded once in my life -- while in girl scouts -- and I didn't remember if I actually liked it or not. I'm not much of a swimmer to begin with. I couldn't say no to 50% off though, and my husband said he'd teach me so I said eh, why not?

The cool ocean water felt amazing against my skin. It took me a few tries before I caught my first wave, but after that I was hooked! The waves pushed me over the water fast, and it was the most fun I've had in a long time! I made a silly little "Weekend Goal" to ride a wave allllll the way to the shoreline. I didn't get it the first day, but I did the next day--twice! It was a silly little personal goal, but it made me wonder what other "waves" in my life can I ride to the shore? What am I hesitant or afraid to try that might also make me feeling like I'm flying, if only I can will myself to take that first step--er, paddle?

I took a big step in a personal area of my life this week, and I can't wait to see where it takes me! Fingers crossed it brings me in all the way to shore. ;)

Have a great week! We're all in this together. :)

Another Day, Another Maxi Dress

If it wasn't obvious enough, Maxi Dresses are my favorite thing to wear in the summer! I bought this one at a boutique in Sedona to wear on our honeymoon to Fiji! :) I used a light chambray top and a belt to cover myself up for church this morning. Check out this pair of ginormous earrings I wore to complete the outfit -- I just love their color!

Thank you so much for reading! I hope you have a great week! :)

1 Dress | 2 Ways

Hi there!

If you follow me on Instagram, then you probably saw this red dress I wore 2 weeks ago.

Not really a dress that is appropriate to wear to the office, right? Wait! Oh yes it is! ;)

Simply tucking the dress into a pencil skirt made it perfectly polished for work! The layers from this outfit made it a little too warm to be wearing in July, but I will definitely be keeping this trick in mind when the weather gets cold again.

Thank you so much for reading!! :)

My Wedding Reception Dress - 1 Year Later

A white lacy dress screams warm, sunny days! This is actually the dress I wore to our wedding reception last year! One of the reasons I bought it is I knew I would be able to dress it down for a casual look after the wedding (the other reason is that it was 40% off :P). Today, I decided to mix it up a little bit by adding a chambray top underneath and throwing on some booties.  In the past, I've worn my chambray top over my dress, but I really like how it looks under my dress too--with a statement necklace of course!!

I hope your week is off to a great start! Thank you so much for reading! :)

Girly Sunday

I decided to dress up pretty girly for church this morning! Whats more girly than a bright pink dress? A giant pink bag with quilted hearts and a big pink bow, of course!
 
Thank you for reading! Have a lovely Sunday! :)

Michael kept making me laugh with his "professional photographer" moves ;)

Polka Dots and Leopard Spots

How's your Saturday going so far? Ours has been nice and relaxed over here! We slept in this morning (and by "slept in", I mean I got up at 6:30 and Michael was up an hour later).  We've been lounging around our place all day, but are headed to a BBQ and pool party soon!

Thank you so much for reading! :)

My Summer So Far

Hi there!

Summer is in full swing -- the thermometer in my car yesterday said 116 on my way home from work. Some states get "Snow Days", so today I took the liberty of giving myself a "Hot Day" and used up some PTO. Happy 3 day weekend to me! ;)

This summer has already been a blast!

• Michael's birthday, which we celebrated by going up North to fish with my in-laws
• Shopping, swimming and a BBQ over the 4th of July
• A conference with my church's high school group in Nashville, which was SO much fun!! My favorite part was hanging out with some awesome people! And learning how to play Banana-grams! And getting to see For King and Country live! And packing meals with Change This World! And hearing Greg Stier and Kyle Idleman speak!
• Girls' nights out
• Devouring BJ's new Peanut Butter S'mores Pizookie ohmygoodnessSOGOOD
• Oh, and then there was the day our apartment flooded. . .and today we discovered it now has mold. . .but we'll just forget about that for a second :P

We have even more fun plans for the rest of the summer! I need to get better at taking pictures for the remainder of the summer. Writing this tonight has made me realize I have hardly been using my camera, unless you count my daily outfit posts on Instagram!! ;) Here are a couple of pictures that I do have of this summer so far:

 

A relaxing day spent fishing at peaceful Willow Springs!

 This is the cutest "fortune" I have ever gotten from a cookie before! Of course I got it when I was eating dinner with Michael. :)

This is inside of the hotel and convention center we stayed at in Nashville. It was like a mini-city inside of a huge dome, complete with a river running through it!

And here's my favorite joke I've heard so far this summer:

Q: Why do girls always hang out in odd numbers?

A: Because they can't even.

What have you been up to this summer? Heard any funny jokes? I'd love to hear them! :)

Thank you so much for reading!!

Married Life

Hi there!

Michael was out of town all weekend -- 3 days/2 nights. It's the longest we've been separated in the year we've been married, and I can officially say I am thankful he does not travel for his job!! Before he left, I was thinking "ohhhh yeah, I get to hog the entire bed! I can turn the AC down so our apartment isn't freezing! I get to watch whatever I want on TV!" I did get the bed to myself and I did have an awesome weekend spent with my sister and a couple of girlfriends, but I have to admit that I also missed the heck out of my husband every night. :P

Tonight after church he had to go back into the office to finish up a big project. Even though he knew he would have a long day today, he put our dinner in the crock pot this morning! A beef chuck roast with potatoes and carrots -- delicious! Now it's 9:45 and raining/thundering/lightning/storming outside......I hope he comes home soon!

Surf's Up VoxBox

Hi there!

How is your weekend? It's turning out to be a pretty awesome weekend over here--Friday night out with my girlfriends, lazy Saturday with my husband (plus, he's making burritos for us for dinner as I type this. YUM!), followed by a Sunday spent with my mom and sister! I am feeling very loved, and it doesn't get much better than this! :)

Last month, the lovely people from Influenster sent me the "Surf's Up VoxBox"! I don't do much any surfing as I live in the middle of a desert, but these products were fun to use sans waves! ;)

 

Products in Box

CoverGirl Bombshell Curvaceous Mascara in Very Black

Sinful Colors Nail Polish in Song of Summer

Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration After Sun Ultra Hydrating Lotion and Soothing Aloe Gel

Jamba Juice All Natural Smoothies (Coupons)

First Aid Shot Therapy Pain Relief

I will not be reviewing the First Aid Shot Therapy because (thankfully!), I've been pain-free since I've received the box and haven't had any reason to try out the product!

CoverGirl Bombshell Curvaceous Mascara

I was very excited to find the Bombshell Curvaceous Mascara because I've been wanting to try it and have thought about purchasing it. I was even more excited when I found that it was in the only mascara shade I wear, Very Black. :)

What makes this tube of mascara so fun is it's double-ended! They make it super easy to use too--one side is labeled with a big 1, and the second side is labeled with 2, so you always know which side to use first!

The first side you use is to volume and curl your lashes. (Notice the curve in the brush). My little lashes definitely need help in that department!

The second side you use is to finish your lashes with the intense black color!

I was very happy with how voluminous and dark my lashes looked all day long, and would definitely buy this BombShell Curvaceous Mascara again! It's very convenient to only have to use one tube of mascara to get the volume, curl, and thickening you want instead of having to use two or three different products.  I will mention that I have only used this mascara a few times, so I don't know how long one tube lasts.

Sinful Colors Nail Polish in Song of Summer

This is definitely a color I have never had in my collection!

This was a fun, summer color to wear on my nails! I was not a huge fan of how it dried on my nails, however. There were air bubbles on some of my nails, and 2 of my nails chipped within my first 24 hours of wearing the polish.

 Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration After Sun Ultra Hydrating Lotion and Soothing Aloe Gel

A few days after getting the VoxBox, Michael and I went fishing with his parents up North. I did not think to apply sunscreen on my legs because they never seem to get any color, and wouldn't you know, my legs ended up burning! This Soothing Aloe Gel had shown up on my doorstep just in the nick of time! It did feel very soothing on my legs, and it seemed to help the redness fade more quickly.

Jamba Juice All Natural Smoothies (Coupons)

I will admit I was pretty skeptical to try this product. Michael used to work at Jamba Juice before we got married, so I have had my fair share of smoothies! I didn't think making one at home would even compare to what I could buy from an actual Jamba Juice, but I was presently surprised!

The smoothie packs come in bags of frozen fruit and yogurt chunks. The instructions on the back say to simply add some apple juice, and blend! It sounded easy enough.

 

I decided to try Caribbean Passion. I didn't have any apple juice, so I blended it with some of Welches Orange Pineapple Apple juice instead. (A healthier alternative to store-bought juice would be freshly squeezing some juice yourself!) After 30 seconds of blending, I had a yummy smoothie!

 

According to the Nutritional Information on the bag, this qualifies as 2 servings? Ummmm sorry, no. This is one Katie Serving.

 

I asked Michael to try some because well, he is the Smoothie King. ;) He said he was impressed by how well it had blended and had the same consistency as a smoothie from Jamba Juice. I agreed, and thought the flavor was very yummy!

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Overall, I was very happy with the products that I had the pleasure of testing! I would definitely recommend the CoverGirl Bombshell Curvaceous Mascara, Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration After Sun Ultra Hydrating Lotion and Soothing Aloe Gel, and Jamba Juice All Natural Smoothies!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend! Thank you for reading! :)

My Shell.

Hi there!

Still no cell phone. It's been 3 weeks already. Whew, time is flying!

The other day, a friend of mine posted a picture on Instagram with the quote "Do not let your soul be defined by its shell." That quote has been in the back of my mind ever since I read it.

For the past 18 months or so, I would try to "eat clean" on and off. Sometimes I'd just tell myself I wouldn't eat bread, cheese, or sugar. Other times, I would restrict myself from those items plus try to cut out all meat. I would inevitably blow it in a few days (well, duh), and would feel intense guilt and shame for eating "non-clean" foods, afraid I would gain an extra pound or two.

I don't believe that God intended for us to ever feel guilt while eating, or to scrutinize our food intake. In fact, calorie tracking and diet trends can become such an obsession that it becomes a stronghold in our lives. Also, not only our we obsessing over grams of protein and fat, we become obsessed with ourselves. "I can't believe I just ate that. That makes me feel like such a pig. I'm so worried about how I'm going to look in my bathing suit this weekend. I'm ashamed of myself." Yes, even insecurity is a form of self-absorption, and it's really easy to fall into this trap.

When I was training for my half marathon at the beginning of the year, I didn't try to "eat clean". I was doing so much cardio, I was afraid to try to set any limits or restrictions to what I was eating. And you know what? I felt great. Even though a 10 mile run can feel like absolute torture while actually out on the track, I always felt my best afterwards. The night after a long run, I wasn't giving myself a guilt trip over the pizza I ate the day before. I was feeling thankful for my body that was running faster and farther than ever before!

Recently, I've decided to stop trying to eat "clean" or "paleo" or "auto-immune paleo" or "low carb" or really, any diet at all. It has felt freeing, like a weight off of my shoulders. I am not going out of my way to eat unhealthy, I am just eating what I want--and I've started a running club at my work! I tend to not eat too much processed foods anyway (except for cheese. I could eat cheese all. day. long.). I'm also slowly making my way through the candy that is still in my Easter basket--I might actually finish my Easter basket for the first time in years!

I think the idea of having a "shell" to our soul is what makes makeup and fashion so much fun. Both of these things allow us to express our ingrained personalities, or even just an emotion we're feeling that day. Sassy, bright, demure, wild, modest, dark, bohemian, fierce, romantic--we get to choose how to reflect who we really are on the inside, and the best part is it can change day-to-day! I guarantee that my leopard print anything paired with a swipe of red lipstick tells you more about my character than a little extra flab on my arms ever will. ;)

Anyways, this is just a little bit of what's been on my mind lately. Thank you so much for reading!

Top 5 Favorite Things About Not Having a Cell Phone

Hi there!

If you follow me on Instagram (@KatiesStyleProject), you've probably noticed I've been MIA lately.

Here's the deal--while I was in yoga class 12 days ago (yes, I counted), meditating on eating a grilled cheese for dinner, somebody, somehow, broke the lock on my locker and stole my brand new Samsung Galaxy 5 S.  I'd had the phone for a total of 3 weeks. Insert sad face here.

I am grateful that nothing else valuable was in my locker, and they only thing the culprit got away with was my phone. However, I still feel violated and mad as heck that somebody had the audacity to break my lock in broad daylight and take something that didn't belong to them.

But Katie, didn't you have a lock pad on it?
Nope.

Well, what about one of those "tracking apps"?
Nah.

AND they took my Otterbox phone cover. That's another $50.

C'est la vie.

I thought it would be super difficult to go without a phone. I mean, I know people have gone without phones for thousands of years, but I've constantly had one in my hand since I was 16 years old and don't know a thing about making smoke signals.

That first day, I kept wanting to grab it and check it for new text messages or Facebook notifications--not that I would usually have any--but that didn't last long. Soon, not having a phone constantly by my side felt. . . .freeing.

I'm dragging my feet at shelling out a $200 insurance deductible for something I just bought, so no, I haven't replaced it yet. Here are my Top 5 Favorite Things About Not Having a Cell Phone:

1.I have so much extra time on my hands.
Since I'm not spending all of my free time lurking on social media sites, I have so much extra time to read books. I finished Divergent and now I'm working on Ender's Game. And I'm flying through the stack of untouched magazines piled by my bed. I used to finish reading them the day they came in the mail, but lately I've been tossing them under my nightstand. I'd forgotten how much I love Glamour!

I've also been cooking almost every night. And baking. Oh the baking. Homemade chocolate chip scones. Glazed strawberry muffins. Even Michael joined the bandwagon and baked the most delicious cinnamon bread I've ever had. I have a feeling that once I do replace my phone, Michael is going to hide it whenever he gets hungry. ;)

Also, I've been watching Gossip Girl. I will finish this series some day. I will!

2. Uninterrupted quality time with my husband.
Michael hates smart phones. He is a flip-phone guy all the way, and now I am starting to see his side. It's been pretty freaking awesome to watch movies or cook dinner or have a conversation together without being distracted by my phone buzzing and lighting up. I feel much more "present" at home. (And running errands. And sitting at red lights. And with a group of friends. And--you get the picture.)

3. I'm more focused.
Whether it's working on my Bible Study or at my job, I am much more focused and comprehend information much better. I also work much faster! I know what you're thinking--Ummmm really girl? Just put your darn phone away while you're doing something important. I had a bad habit of bringing it out if I was slightly disinterested in what I was doing. 

4. It's a lot harder to compare myself to people online if I'M not online.
I've realized how much of my time was wasted comparing myself to successful women online!  As much as I hate to admit it, it's a trap that I easily fall into over and over again. Clothes, makeup, travel, food. . .I have a tendency to think the grass is greener everywhere else. Newsflash: It isn't! Without easy access to social media and websites I've
a) wasted less time being non-productive looking at what other (productive) women are doing
b) spent 0 time making myself feel bad for being somebody I'm not
c) had more time actually living my own life!

5. Call me crazy, but I actually LIKE I can't be easily reached.
I don't know how to describe it really, but I kind of like the fact that I can't be "easily found". I'm doing my thing, without feeling obligated to return a phone call or text.

Oh, and the ache I've had in my right wrist? That's magically disappeared. My guess is from no texting. :)

I was planning on ordering a new phone this weekend, but ended up needing to get my car a new tire instead. It looks like I'll have to wait a little bit longer. I'm not mad at it. :)

Thank you so much for reading. Have a great week!

Anniversary Weekend in Sedona!

Hi there! I hope you had a wonderful weekend!

Michael and I were in Sedona all weekend to celebrate our anniversary. That's where we got married last year, and is a very special place to us! :)

We stayed at Pico Diablo Resort, which we had never stayed at before. When we checked in, we were told that we had been upgraded to a "King Room"! :D This was the perfect start to a wonderful weekend! We hiked, waded in Oak Creek, did a little shopping uptown, and played tennis at the resort.

This was our balcony view. Not too shabby, huh? ;)

There was a wedding ceremony right here during our stay! No, we didn't crash the wedding. . .but I might have watched them take photos from our balcony. It reminded me of the joy and excitement at our own wedding a year ago!

Crescent Moon Ranch

View from our hike

Wading in the cool water felt sooo nice on a hot day!

Happy to be in Sedona!

I unintentionally had a tribal-print theme packed away in my suitcase -- tribal print dress, top, and bathing suit! I really like it, OK?! ;)

Off to dinner. . .it was "Prime Rib Night" at Pico Diablo's restaurant. Michael was quite pleased. ;)

Ready for a day of exploring!

Thank you so much for reading! I hope you have a great week! :)