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Showing posts with label me myself & i. Show all posts
Showing posts with label me myself & i. Show all posts

happy anniversary.

April 10, 2018





Happy anniversary to my sweetheart and my greatest love. Crazy to me that it’s already been a year! It went by way too fast. Even crazier that it’s also the 3rd anniversary of us dating.

We had such a blast celebrating in Vegas. Packed our days full! Special thanks to some random dude on the strip for snapping these photos.

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women.

March 8, 2017



Here's a little graphic I made for International Women's Day today.

“Here’s to strong women. May we know them. May we be them. May we raise them.” ❤️💪

I also made a free downloadable phone wallpaper! Just click this link: Download.

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life update.

April 5, 2016



Sorry I've been MIA you guys. Life has such a crazy way of surprising you and changing your plans when you least expect it..

A couple weeks ago I lost my job. A job I loved very much filled with great opportunity and coworkers who I loved like family. I was so heartbroken and cried a whole ton when it happened. But I had to find a job as soon as possible, so I applied for job after job and then some more. A week later, I landed my new job. I know, I was shocked, too. It was a serious blessing to be able to find a job only a week after losing my previous one. It still surprises me.

My new job is for a beauty company as a graphic designer and I'm loving it. Finding a job that combines my love for design and love for the beauty/fashion industry is really awesome. I'm still getting the hang of my new schedule though. I'm basically tired all the time. I've been so busy and hardly have time for much outside of work and Abigail. On weekends I feel like I can finally breathe. But that's how growing up works, right? I'm very thankful I have my baby girl to remind me of how wonderful life is even when it gets hectic. She's always my sunshine.

Once I get more of a handle on things, I'll be able to make more regular posts. Sorry guys!

*Also, this is a picture of my brothers and me. My oldest brother drove here from San Diego so we could all go to a concert together that we pre-ordered tickets to almost a year ago. It was so much fun being all together. I love my big brothers like crazy.

Life is ever changing and life is good.


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#hallelujah

March 13, 2016



I know I never do any posts about religion. Not because I'm ashamed or embarrassed.. I've just had my struggles and have kept it a mostly personal journey. But the Mormon.org new Easter campaign is really such a great one.. Because of Him, my mom and I know that she will see her parents again, and that I will come to know them even better than I did. And because of that, Hallelujah.

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all the feels.

March 10, 2016





Music is a wonderful thing. It can make you feel such a range of emotions. Music has always been very important to me. I've been making mixes for as long as I can remember. I've cried, smiled, laughed, etc... to so many different songs. Music takes me to places where nothing else can.

I decided to make a playlist of my top songs that give me all the feels. Enjoy!
  1. Old Panda Days – Casiotone for the Painfully Alone
  2. Skinny Love – Bon Iver
  3. Let It Go – James Bay
  4. Too Weak to Ramble – Dr. Dog
  5. Long Distance Swimmer – Adrian Crowley
  6. I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) – Sleeping At Last
  7. Youth – Daughter
  8. Step – Vampire Weekend
  9. Girlfriend – Streets of Laredo
  10. Montana – Youth Lagoon
  11. Big Black Car – Gregory Alan Isakov
  12. Knees – Peter and Kerry
  13. Heartbeats – José Gonzalez
  14. Draw Your Swords – Angus & Julia Stone
  15. Claire de Lune – Claude Debussy
  16. My Broken Heart – Noah and The Whale
  17. Coming Home – Wild Child
  18. This is Not a Song – Islands
  19. Breezeblocks – alt-J
  20. Black Hills - Gardens & Villa

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on being happy.

March 1, 2016



I've been thinking a lot about this quote by Leo Tolstoy. Explained in such a simple way. If you want to be happy, simply be happy. If I want to be happy, all I need is to be.

My initial response to seeing this quote on Pinterest was, "Okay, yeah, that's right. Happiness is a choice.. I'll just choose to be happy." Well first, what does it mean to me to be happy? If I'm being completely frank and honest, to me, being happy is being positively distracted long enough from sadness that it isn't present on the mind.

After spending all day thinking about it, I decided this simple quote isn't actually that simple. Yes, I do agree to an extent that happiness is a choice. But I believe that after you make that choice, it requires effort. It requires work. It also requires consistency.. To be doesn't require much. Being is existing. We all exist. Without any effort or work at all.. But choosing to be happy is a constant effort.

I hate when people say, "Why are you so sad? Can't you just choose to not be sad?" Well, yeah. I can.. But then I have to focus on being happy, and do things that make me happy. Maybe hold Abigail extra tight, listen to soothing songs, go for a drive, maybe eat a bowl of my favorite ice cream, and sometimes, I just let myself be sad. Because I believe that on the journey to being happy, you also need to recognize that it's okay to have other feelings. That it's okay to not be 100% all the time.

Everyone has their own definition of happy, but I do believe that each one requires work and effort. Happiness isn't something handed to you. It takes actual muscle movement to even smile, or laugh.. So whether it be a mindset, or a goal, it takes training, it takes patience, and you’ll likely have setbacks. But I truly believe that we deserve to be happy. We all need to find what is prohibiting our happiness and leave it. Find what is promoting our happiness and nurture it.

If you want to be happy, work for it. And it will be worth it.


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what happened when i cut off all my hair.

February 24, 2016





Jumpsuit: Forever 21 // Brooch: ban.do // Glasses: Warby Parker

Yes, another post about hair.

And yes, I did not follow through with my resolution of keeping my hair purple all year.

A pixie cut has been in the back of my mind for quite some time. It just never seemed like the right time.. These past few weeks or so I've been thinking of starting fresh with my hair, so I started looking at pixie inspiration and felt like it needed to happen. Thankful for my friends who helped push me into it!

After I cut off all my hair, a lot of things happened to me. I decided to make a list and share with you guys.

1. I immediately questioned myself a very large WHY. I had a mind full of regrets.
2. I started to wonder what other people would think of me:
    • Would people think I'm gay?
    • Will guys still find me attractive?
    • Will I be mistaken for a man?
    • What if everyone hates it?
3. I didn't know what to wear! I legit searched Pinterest for "pixie cut outfits". Yeah, that's a thing.
4. I now feel the need to compensate the lack of hair with more makeup to feel "feminine".

Once I had all of these thoughts to myself, I also came up with these realizations:

1. I've told myself many times, and will continue to, "Hair. Grows. Back!"
2. What can I wear? "Anything. You can wear anything, ya big idiot."
3. Having less hair doesn't make me any less feminine.
4. When it comes down to it, it's me who has the hair. Me who wanted it. And other people's opinion shouldn't carry so much weight.

Even though this is a big change and I'm still adapting, I'm going to own it. And rock it. :))


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on hair.

February 16, 2016



I do my hair myself and have been for quite some time. My grandmother was a hair dresser, and so was my aunt. And funny enough, my grandparents met in hair school! I've learned all of my hair techniques from my grandmother. From cutting and trimming, to bleaching and dying..

When I dyed my hair purple for the first time, I was not prepared for the amount of attention and comments it would receive. I'm actually a shy person when it comes to talking with people I don't know and being the center of attention in a group of people. I hate it to be quite honest.. But now I know it comes with the territory of having bright colored hair!

It's well known that I change my hair quite often. I've been thinking a lot about it, and decided to share the reasons why I change my hair as often as I do.

There are so many things in life that are out of our control. Hair is one thing I know I can control. For me, changing my hair is a way of showing myself that I'm not a complete bystander when it comes to life.

I always keep the mindset that "hair grows back". (Maybe not as fast as we'd sometimes like) Meaning if my hair reaches a point of looking bad, I remember it's only temporary. That helps lessen most fears I have when it comes to a hair change.

Of course, I change my hair because I love to. It gives me confidence, and it's a super fun way of expressing myself. Just like fashion and blogging is for me.

Sometimes, change is needed. Change can give you a feeling of starting fresh, starting over.. So if you're feeling that itch for needed change, I say do it! Life is too short to have boring hair.

On real note though, I'm starting to miss my brown hair. (So much for a New Years' resolution of keeping it purple all year)

Photo taken by Hillary.

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resolutions & reflecting 2016.

January 4, 2016



Another year gone. It seriously shocks me that it's already 2016.. Reflecting on my previous resolutions another time. My last year's resolutions were:

1. Be the Best Mom I Can Be
2. Become Financially Literate
3. Learn How to Gourmet Cook
4. Be Active
5. Love More & Be Kind
6. Be Bold & Brave

(1) I cannot put into words the amount of love I have for Abigail. Her and I can have conversations now, and that blows my mind. She is so smart and always loves to learn. She soaks everything up like a sponge. She knows her alphabet and numbers. She can say her ABC's and count to 10. She loves to sing a dance. I love teaching her new things. And I genuinely love hanging out with her. She's my best friend and I am so lucky to be her mother. (2) I wouldn't say that I followed through with this resolution completely. I'm still working on budgeting better and all the works. I can say that I'm much better than I used to be. And I feel confident that I'll only get better from here. I now have my own two bedroom apartment for Abigail and I. It feels like home and I couldn't be happier with it. (3) Hah. I definitely am no gourmet cook.. But I'm happy to say that I eat breakfast and cook dinner at home almost every day. I never used to cook. Now I love cooking meals for Abigail and I. Eating at the dinner table with Abby is my favorite time of day. And it saves us a lot of money! (4) This year was definitely the most active I've been. I worked with a personal trainer for most of the year and loved it. I was hitting the gym about 3 times a week. Sadly, near the end of the year, the gym dwindled and I haven't been in a while.. But all through the Summer I went hiking at least twice a week. So I sure was active for most of the year! (5 & 6) Not sure how to measure whether I did follow through with these two or not. I definitely made many new relationships this year and rebuilt some old ones. It was an interesting year for sure. I tried a lot of new things, I put myself out there. I'm excited to see what this new year brings.

Now here are my 2016 resolutions:

1.  B E  T H E  B E S T  M O M  I  C A N  B E
Just like last year, watching Abigail grow was the light of this entire past year. Her personality is blooming and she has me constantly smiling and laughing. I hope she'll always know how loved she is. This is a resolution I'll be adding on, year after year.

2.  T R A V E L  O U T S I D E  O F  T H E  U S A
I'm planning on visiting the Philippines and Japan at the end of October with my family. I'll have to save up money and my PTO. I have to make it happen! It's so hard for me to save PTO. As soon as I see that I have time off, I want to plan a vacation immediately. It'll be good for me to plan and save for something.

3.  B E  C O N S I S T E N T  W I T H  M Y  H A I R
I'm probably setting myself up for failure right here. Haha. I change my hair more than the seasons change.. I seriously love my purple hair though. It feels like it was my hair's calling to be purple. Fo' real tho. I'm making it a goal to not cut my hair, and keep it one color for the entire year. (Except bang trims) We'll see if I can do it.

4.  B E  M O R E  A C T I V E  O N  M Y  B L O G
I was not very active on my blog this past year. I'm going to try new things with the blog this year. I don't want it to be strictly fashion. I don't have the drive like I used to about fashion.. Don't get me wrong, I still love it. I just also want to add more personal things on the blog. More insight on who I am and who I'm becoming. Who knows, I might even become a vlogger.. LOL.

5.  B E  M O R E  A D V E N T U R O U S
This last Summer was such a blast with all of the hiking I did. I plan on keeping that up this year, too. And even more. Lots of hiking and camping.. Along with hiking and camping, I'd like to also be adventurous with life in general. I'm planning on proactively crossing things off my 30 before 30 list and my bucket list. It should be a lot of fun!


Happy 2016 my friends. Did you guys come up with any resolutions? Thanks for reading. I love you all.

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30 before 30.

September 24, 2015



After reading Steffy's 30 before 30 list, I was inspired to create my own. I turn 25 in January, so I might be starting this too soon.. But I figure, why not? When I was 18, I started creating my bucket list. I now have about 70 things listed, and have crossed off quite a few. I took a lot of things from there and added them to this. So completing this list will also help me complete my full bucket list! I'm also going to be updating with things I complete.

I split mine into 3 categories; Travel, Knowledge, & Self. (Continue reading)


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adventures as of late.

August 18, 2015

















I've been doing a lot of hiking lately and I've grown a great love for Utah's mountains. I can't believe I haven't taken advantage of this beauty until now. If you're ever bored, wanting a new hobby, etc.. Come hiking with me! I'm no expert yet though. Haha. I'm going to Zion National Park with my friends this weekend to hike The Narrows and Angel's Landing. I'm stoked!

Do any of you Utahns have a favorite trail? Or two?

Side note, my camera is getting delivered this FRIDAY. I'm so excited to be taking pictures again!

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it's my party.

January 16, 2015



Brooches: ban.do // Party Bobby Pin: ban.do // Party Time Headband: ban.do // Shirts: H&M

I can cry if I want to? Today is my 24th birthday. I feel old, but still very young. I feel optimistic. I feel excited. I'm going to make my 24th the best year yet!

Linked up with Style Elixir. 

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resolutions & reflecting.

January 6, 2015



This past year has gone by the fastest of any other year for me. It quite literally flew by.. Reflecting on this past year on whether or not I followed through with my resolutions, I can say I ultimately did follow through. My last year's resolutions were:

1. Be the Best Mom I Can Be
2. Be More Independent
3. Be More Outgoing
4. Be Fit
5. Stop Comparing Myself to Others

(1) Being a mom is the best thing that has ever happened to me. I try very hard to be a strong, stable, loving mother for Abigail. (2) This has worked for and against me this year. I have become very independent. Sometimes to the point where I've shut people out because I felt the need to prove to myself that "I don't need anyone else". Though it's worked positively for me in times where I've felt lonely, or sad. It's helped me remember that I'm a strong, independent woman. *insert fist pump* That - I - can do hard things. I've also moved out, on my own, and had to clean, do my own dishes, and cook! Yay for being a grown adult. (3) You betcha. Having the new hobby of country swing dancing many times a week, I've definitely had to force myself to be more outgoing. I've made many new friends, in my social life and at my job. I think that with making yourself get out of your comfort zone and meeting new people, it comes with an increase in confidence. (4) I'm not as fit as I'd like to be. But I did get exercise from dancing. (3 hours a night, 4 nights a week - whoa) I still struggle going up a large flight of stairs though. Haha. (5) I think parts of this resolution play hand-in-hand with being more outgoing. With the growth in self-confidence, I've reduced the need to compare myself negatively to others. Which has been for the most part subconscious. It's still something I'll have to continually work on, but I feel a lot happier when I don't. And I've really noticed that.

Now here are my 2015 resolutions:

1.  B E  T H E  B E S T  M O M  I  C A N  B E
Watching Abigail grow has been the light of this entire past year. Her personality is blooming and she has me constantly smiling and laughing. I hope she'll always know how loved she is. As said last, this is a resolution I'll be adding on, year after year.

2.  B E C O M E  F I N A N C I A L L Y  L I T E R A T E
This one has always been on my bucket list. Why not cross it off this year? I have school loans and hospital bills that I'd like to find the best way to manage and pay off. And now that I have a more stable, career-like job, I want to learn how to manage my money better.

3.  L E A R N  H O W  T O  G O U R M E T  C O O K
This is another one that has always been on my bucket list. I'm thinking of actually taking a class. There are a few recipes that I know how to cook really well, but I don't branch out much further than that. I want to be able to cook healthy meals for myself and Abigail. It'll also save some money instead of always eating out!

4.  B E  A C T I V E
Yes, adding fitness again. I want to be specific this year though. I'm going to get a year pass to my rec. center. Then I'm going to join a class of some sort, and also do more running on an indoor track. I want to either join a spin cycle class or a yoga class. I haven't decided yet! I'll be choosing that in the next week or so. I'm pretty excited.

5.  L O V E  M O R E  &  B E  K I N D
I can't say that I was sad to see this last year go. I'm excited and anxious to be starting a new year. I know it's only a measurement of time, but I'm going to make this year better than the last. I'm going to be more kind and loving. To my family, my friends, and even strangers. I'm going to smile more. I'm going to laugh often. I want to try to be a daily light in the people's lives around me. (Sorry for the insane cheese)

6.  B E  B O L D  &  B R A V E
Last but not least.. There's not much more I need to say for this one. #ambiguity


Happy 2015! Did you guys come up with any resolutions? Thanks for reading. I love you all.


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10 Things You Need To Know About Me If We're Going To Be BFFs.

April 10, 2014



I saw this post by Bee, and thought it was such a good idea. I decided I'd make a list, too! So, here you go; 10 things you need to know about me if we're going to BFFs.


1. My favorite things in the whole world are: daisies, IHOP, Oreos + milk, and Olive Garden. Give me any (or all) of these and I'll probably love you forever.

2. I'm a waster of food. I generally never finish a meal (unless it's from IHOP). Don't be offended if you make/buy me something, and I can't finish it! I get full easily. Too easily.

3. I LOVE DANCING. I could dance for hours on end. Line dancing, club dancing, party dancing.. You name it, I love it. I'm happiest when I'm lettin' loose to a good song. I'm not a good dancer though, I will probably embarrass you if you're seen dancing with me.

4. I don't like surprises. I've never been good with them.. When someone is planning on surprising me, I typically do all that I can to find out everything I can before the surprising takes place.

5. I really don't like talking on the phone. If you call me and I don't answer, try 3 more times and I'll most likely end up answering (I can't make any promises though). My voicemail is almost always full because of this.

6. I could watch Bride Wars 5x in a row and never get tired of it. Couldn't tell you why.

7. I rarely shave my legs. Sorry (not sorry?). The last time I shaved my legs was for my best friend's wedding. Which was last Summer.. Whoops.

8. I don't know how to swim! Please don't push me into the deep end at a pool. I'll probably drown and die. Haha. I don't really plan on ever learning. I think I should though? Maybe. Deep water terrifies me.

9. When you compliment me, I'll almost always contradict it. It just comes naturally. For example, if you say something like, "Kalee! Your hair is so cute today!" I'll respond with, "Oh, no. I didn't even try today. I hate it." I don't mean to! It comes out almost instantly. I'm trying to work on this though, because I find it annoying.

10. I love taking photobooth pictures. You know if we're best friends if I have a photobooth strip taken with you.


And there you go, now we can be BFFs.

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insecurities.

March 9, 2014


















1. Growing out my bangs.
2. My paleness.
3. My tattoos.
4. My small boobs.
5. My non-existent butt.
6. Super split-ends.
7. My man feet.
8. An hourglass figure.
9. Fragile, brittle nails.
10. My droopy eyelid.

I may be crazy for posting these. I thought a lot about whether or not I should share this on my blog. I guess they wouldn't be called insecurities if they didn't make you feel insecure. What better way to get over them than by posting for the whole world to see?

I could probably list more. No, I definitely could. But these are my "strongest", I guess you could say.. Having a blog where you post pictures of yourself daily, really helps with getting over your insecurities. Not necessarily making them non-existent, but making them irrelevant. Showcasing  your insecurities. Yeah, I can hate things about the way I look, but at the end of the day, I really am thankful for how I am and how I feel. I'm confident in my body, even though it's not perfect. It took a while to get there. But I'm there. And I love it.

Here are some other beautiful bloggers who bravely shared their insecurities.
1. Kaylie
2. Beverly
3. Samantha


Also, the Design Giveaway winners are announced. E-mail me to claim your prize! Check to see if you won here.

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so, i wrote a new song.

March 7, 2014



Cheesy, I know.. Also, attack of my freckles. Amiright?

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new lens.

January 28, 2014










It feels like Christmas! Last night my husband took me to get a new lens. I was deciding between a 50mm and a 35mm. I ended up going with the 35mm and I couldn't be more happy! I love it so much. I can't wait to see all of the beautiful photos I'll be taking with it!

Also, I won these boots from a giveaway on Selective Potential. It was my very first giveaway I won! I was so excited. These lovely boots are from The Braided Bandit.


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