Can I just say....

I really enjoy blogging and want it to be a regular thing. I especially want it to be a regular thing as I get married and learn to navigate the waters of wifedom and domesticity! (Is that a word?)

I'm excited about being a wife, but it will no doubt be challenging. It was easy to feed myself; making dinner for a husband (who has different tastes than me) will be fun to explore! I plan on keeping it mostly pale, but adding potatoes, rice and whatever carbs Chase chooses to eat. I won't force my eating choices on him, but carbs hate me, haha. Luckily, Chase will always try and usually eat what I cook.

Our first "married home" is a 1-bedroom apartment in a very nice complex: gated community, gym, swimming pool, theater room, complimentary breakfasts on Saturday (!!!). I've never really had to share space with anyone, so this will be challenging! Haha. Chase just asks that I don't leave my makeup everywhere.

We're planning on looking at something a little bigger when I graduate and start working. Until now, our new place is perfect!

Anyways, the past six months have been craaaaaazy. Chase and I have dealt with unemployment, job searching, my first year of graduate school, getting engaged, planning a wedding and now, 17 days before I walk down the aisle...we have to pack and move to a new city.

Am I stressed? Yes.

Am I freaking out? A bit.

I still have things I need to do for the wedding and two of my best girlfriends (bridesmaids!) will be here in two weeks.

I'm absolutely soooo thankful for everything. Chase's new job is such a great opportunity for him and his career and our future. And, I already love Tulsa! There is so much more to do here and I've been told Tulsa has five farmer's markets....FIVE! :D

But, blogging has taken a backseat to life and I will probably not go back to regular blogging until August.

Thank you to everyone that has read my posts and I apologize if some have been boring or uninspired. I'm not sure my brain has ever been so scrambled as it has been in the past few weeks.

I hope everyone is having a fabulous summer!!!

Quick update: changes

Well, once again, I've been seriously slacking in the blog writing department. Chase and I returned home from my parents after being gone for a week, were home for two days, then he went to Houston for a job interview, we were home for one day, then we went to his parents' for the weekend, went shopping for engagement pics on Monday, and had our engagement pics on Tuesday. And, he started his new job yesterday...yay!

Engagement pics were so much fun!!! I fell in love with our photographer Kriea Arie at the first wedding show we attended and, thanks to my future MIL, we were able to take pics with her. I chose Bricktown in Oklahoma City as the location and I couldn't be happier! I absolutely love old buildings and Kriea went above and beyond my expectations. She took us to some really obscure places...I fell down in my heels, had glass shards in my feet, we were bitten by fire ants, but I think it was totally worth it! I can't wait to see the pics.

I did my own hair and makeup for our pictures. Our session was at 10 a.m. and, since it was already scorching outside, I was glad it was early! But, that also meant no one was available to do my hair. Doing my own makeup was crazy. I followed a photo of a heavily made-up Kim Kardashian and put more makeup on than I ever think I've worn. I freaked out when I couldn't find my eyelash glue, but Chase made an emergency stop at CVS and I applied my lashes in the car.

They may have been applied a little wonky, but hopefully I was able to conceal that with eyeliner! Kriea took lots of pictures of my lashes and complimented me on my makeup so I guess I did alright.

I also got a spray tan and put some fake nails on. I felt kind of silly going to lunch and the mall all dolled up like I was ready for a night on the town! 

We went to lunch at this amazing restaurant called Whiskey Cake. They are a farm-to-table restaurant, which means that they source their food and materials locally as much as they can. They also had locally made products for sale and a garden on-site. Chase had a burger and couldn't stop "MMMM"- ing. He said it was the best burger he has ever had and the waitress told us they use brisket meat that they grind daily.

I had a chicken cheese melt on sourdough (some studies suggest that that the fermentation used in making sourdough bread breaks down gluten....good news, because I love sourdough bread!). It had the best chicken I've ever tasted...the waitress said they let the chicken marinade in spices for 12 hours and they roast it over a spit. The sandwich also had pesto, havarti, avocado and bacon. So good!

We were stuffed, but took home the restaurant's namesake dessert for later. I can't even begin to explain the whiskey cake, but it was heaven! And it was topped with delicious freshly whipped cream.

As I said before, Chase started his new job and I am thrilled! Except, we are now moving to Tulsa after we get married. I'm excited about living in Tulsa, because I keep hearing what an amazing place it is. I just hate packing, moving and unpacking!!!

Update on gluten free...um, amazing (except for Whiskey Cake!). The joint pain I experienced after my food splurge in Alabama has gone away since I dropped the gluten. Totally worth it! I had to abstain from some treats this past weekend, including some yummy looking sweets at a baby shower, but it was worth it! I found an amazing bakery in Oklahoma City called Green Goodies that makes the best gluten free cupcakes! Apparently, they just won an episode of Cupcake Wars. I want to go back....fortunately, they're located near Whole Foods, so I can enjoy one with an almond milk latte!

Sorry for the randomness! I promise I'm trying to get this thing in order!!!

Vacation, goals and going gluten free (disclaimer: long blog!)

Hello everyone!

I hope you have all settled into the new month of June seamlessly. Sorry I haven't blogged in like, forever, but I kind of have a great excuse and I will get into that in a minute!

For now, I want to discuss goals. I love setting goals. And, I think it's great to take a look at everything the beginning of each month to see what areas you would like to improve in! I just got back home from spending a week with my fun, food-loving family and am feeling majorly soft. Time to get back on the wagon!

Here are some of my goals for June:

1. Drink a gallon of water a day.
2. Eat a serving of leafy green veggies at each meal.
3. Cardio for 60 minutes 5 times a week.
4. Strength training 4-5 times a week.
5. Completely eliminate gluten (more on that in a minute).
6. Embrace and have fun with the time left before my wedding instead of stressing and worrying.

What are some of your goals?

The reason I haven't blogged

My family invited Chase and me to join them in Gulf Shores, Ala., to stay at a condo on the beach. We toyed with the idea of going but decided that ultimately, it was probably best that we stayed in Oklahoma. The day we should have left with my family, we went to the lake. It was windy, there were bugs biting us and the water was cold. We were both sad that we didn't go.

My mom texted me and said, "My heart is sad, because there's not a red truck [Chase's truck] behind us." Chase and I talked about it again, decided to go and were on the road in 30 minutes. We were on the road at 6 p.m. for a 15-hour drive. It seemed like a good idea at the time! We loaded up on snacks and fizzy, caffeinated drinks and hit the open road.

The drive through Oklahoma felt like forever. We both thought if we could just get through the state, the drive would go faster! We finally exited Oklahoma and drove across Arkansas. We had both been to Arkansas, so it wasn't really anything special to us. We stopped at a McDonald's off of the highway at midnight for a quick restroom break and a large coffee. We soon realized stopping was a mistake and we left right as police cars swarmed the gas station next to the Mc D's we were at.

I was so excited to drive through Louisiana because I am dying to go to New Orleans. I really don't care how dangerous or dirty that people tell me it is; I want to see it for myself. It was dark (obviously), so we really didn't see much. There seemed to be a white-steepled Baptist church every mile and we drove through a town called Transylvania. We rolled down our windows and let the cool, humid Louisiana air wake us up.

The night crept on and we began to get tired. We finally exited Louisiana and started our drive across Mississippi. I loved Mississippi — trees were everywhere and they were beautiful! Unfortunately, the novelty of being in a new state soon wore off due to our sleep deprivation. We stopped talking and both just stared at the road. We both said that we would stop and get some coffee and breakfast, but we were both so ready to be in Alabama.

We FINALLY drove across the state line of Alabama and it was everything I had hoped for: trailer houses and confederate flags. With the tune of "Dixie" playing in my head, we valiantly braced ourselves for the last leg of our trip. One thing I love about living in the lower 48 after 12 years of living in Alaska is the ability to drive to different states and see different things! In Alaska, you are very limited to what you can see. I mean, of course the mountains, glaciers, rivers, and oceans are spectacular! I just enjoy seeing different things.

Alabama was the worst, especially when we arrived in the town of Mobile shortly after 7 a.m. We were trapped in stop-and-go traffic for what seemed like forever. We had to drive through this scary tunnel. Sorry for the crappy photo! Chase was putting the pedal to the metal :)

We finallllly arrived in Gulf Shores and it was absolutely beautiful! Our condo was literally right on the beach. Chase and I napped for a couple hours and then joined my family playing and relaxing by the ocean.

The view from the balcony of the condo.

We had such a great time and were both so happy that we made the night drive to 'Bama. We sat on the beach, played in the roaring waves, fell asleep to the sound of the ocean and enjoyed the company of my crazy family. One day, my mom, sister and I decided we needed to get out hair done. I found a salon with good interviews on the Internet and we booked an appointment. 

 

My sis and me

 

 My sister and I had our hair cut by the same young lady. My mom, however, ended up with an older woman. My mom is notoriously picky about her hair (NOT a bad thing, Mom!!! :)) and my sister and I were both worried. The color was gorgeous. The cut was looking good until the stylist pulled out a curling iron and began setting my mom's hair with the oddest looking curls. She kept puffing up the top of my mom's hair and pushing the bottom down against her neck. The look on my mom's face was priceless. The icing on the cake was when the stylist pulled out a bottle of some mystical potion that she told my mom would "put some bang in your hangar!" Not knowing exactly what that meant and too scared to ask for an explanation, we waited until we were out of the salon to burst into laughter. 

We were able to take some of the bang out of my mom's hangar before going to dinner. The rest of the trip, we kept threatening to put some bang in each other's hangars.

My man!

 

We chased down the times of the Krispy Kreme hot light for my mom and enjoyed some amazing food! Our favorite place was a little shack on the beach named Bahama Bob's. Our favorites were their fried mushrooms and ranch and the Bob's burger, which was a 1/2 pound best-burger-you've-ever-tasted covered with two slices of swiss, bacon and grilled pineapple. 

We also ate a ton of yummy food at the condo. I guess I kind of forgot that I have a wedding to get ready for! Oops. :) It was fun to let loose and not worry about ANYTHING. I haven't been that relaxed in such a long time. On the drive back, we stopped at the USS Alabama. I spent the first 18 years of my life as an Air Force kid, so I really enjoy military things, for lack of better word. My dad and brother toured the ship and the rest of us toured the grounds. 

 

 

We looked at the memorials for the Vietnam and Korean Wars. We spoke to a Vietnam veteran who brought tears to our eyes as he explained to us that he was traveling the United States, visiting the Vietnam memorials. His eyes watered as he explained they were instructed not to wear their uniforms home because people would spit on them. It's so sad to think about those men that were made to go away and fight in a war across the world; they were just doing what they were told. To come home and fear that your fellow Americans would spit on you....it breaks my heart! There was also a WWII vet signing books he had written in the gift shop. It was a neat experience!

 

Now, to the gluten free part! I had been avoiding gluten for the most part, except for a few minor things, before we left for Gulf Shores. When we arrived, my mom bought me some salad stuff, told me the cookies she made (my mom seriously makes the best cookies) didn't contain flour and I ordered a salad with fish and picked around the croutons my first night there. Then, I decided to throw caution to the wind. I began eating what everyone else was eating. I noticed something weird; my elbows started hurting like crazy.

By the time we left, the pain had spread to my hands. I was in so much pain that I had to take some medication and I hate taking meds. I googled it and found a lot of sites and forums where people had experienced the same symptoms due to gluten consumption. It is either that or rheumatoid arthritis and since it flared up out of nowhere after a period of avoiding wheat, I'm thinking it could be the gluten. I'm going to eliminate gluten the rest of this month and see if it improves. I have some family gatherings coming up, so it will be tricky!

Thank you for reading and have a fabulous Wednesday! :)

 

Wedding issues

When I was younger, I wasn't really one of those girls that planned my wedding. I mean yes, I always wanted to get married, but I always knew I wanted some kind of career. My parents have always been certain that I would never have children, because I was just never one of those girls that dreamed about being a mom. 

I loved Disney princess movies, but admired the princesses more for their beauty and wit than ability to snag a debonair prince charming. The closest I ever came to wedding planning was the copious amounts of wedding dresses I used to design. I would seriously have themes and design dresses and outfits for the entire wedding party. 

When you're an only child, you find interesting ways to entertain yourself. 

I did want to be a fashion designer until I discovered I could neither cut nor sew in a straight line, and resigned myself to spritzing on Chanel each morning instead of trying to be the next Coco Chanel.

I am however, absolutely thrilled that I have met my cowboy-boot wearing, truck-driving, prince charming and can't wait to marry him!

Wedding planning has been a little more stressful than I would have thought it to be. I'm sure being in my first year of graduate school only exacerbated things, but so many times I have begged Chase to just elope with me!

I'm still trying to tie up a few lose ends and we are taking our engagement pictures next Monday which I am very excited about! 

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 I will say the biggest source of my stress has been trying to lose weight for the wedding. Which, those close to me tell me I'm crazy, but of course, I don't believe them! Like any relationship, I gained a few pounds when we started dating. I met this wonderful man that loved me for me and I settled into the happiest relationship ever (seriously, I hope everyone ends up as happy as I am with him!). 

And, settling into a relationship meant eating whatever I wanted and eating like my fiancé. At first, it was great. We would often make dinner at my apartment and had two favorite meals that we cooked. One was barbeque chicken, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, and yeast rolls. The other one was Caesar salad, spaghetti, and garlic bread. (I’m cringing as I write this!)

My love of Chase and carbs took over and I abandoned green things in favor of true love and man food. For the first time in my life, I was truly happy. I let my guard down and I felt as though my heart was bursting at the seams. Unfortunately, so were my jeans.  

However, three years later and I am close, but still not to where I was when we started dating and I kind of hate that.  I am nine weeks away from the wedding and definitely not where I want to be, but I am slowly becoming more comfortable with that (I guess). 

My dress looks gorgeous on me and I really don't want to pay a lot of money for alterations anyways, haha. I'm trying not to be too hard on myself, because graduate school was no walk in the park and I am an emotional eater. I eat my feelings, whether I'm happy, sad, stressed, upset, excited, angry...well, you get the idea. 

Obligatory "Mean Girls" (aka best movie ever made) quote... 

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And I know "blah, blah, he likes you the way you are," but I still  need to log a few hours on the treadmill and shove some chicken and broccoli down my throat, but the fact really is...I'm just a curvy girl and I'm pretty sure I could never diet or exercise these hips away! Trust me, I've tried, haha. I tend to eat a (mostly) healthy diet, but definitely don't exercise as much as I should.

I hate that we girls put so much pressure on ourselves for things such as weddings, that should be the happiest days of our lives. Or maybe I'm alone whatever. It's just been a constant thing in my head and I wish it would go away. I seriously lie awake at night afraid I'm going to look fat in my engagement pictures or worse, on my wedding day.

Trying to just embrace every moment and not beat myself up for not being more active and eating better since I've been engaged. It's been a lifelong thing for me and for just once (especially during my wedding!), I want to be able to sit back and enjoy things without worrying about my weight. 

But anyways, I could go on and on about this issue, but that's for another post. :) I hope one day I am able to help younger girls overcome these kinds of issues but for now, I'm still working on myself.

*life changing moments.

Last night while lying in bed, it occurred to me that I did not do a makeup post yesterday. I apologize, but like most Okies, I was glued to the news for the better part of the day. Watching the events of the deadly tornado unfold in Moore, Okla., was absolutely heartbreaking. Even though I spent 12 years of my life in Alaska, I've always referred to Oklahoma as "home." This is probably because all of my family lives in the Sooner State and it is where I spent the first 7 years of my life. Now that I'm marrying a guy from Oklahoma, this is probably where I will spend the rest of my life.

Moore has always had a special place in my heart. My dad was stationed at Tinker AFB while in the Air Force and some of my earliest memories are of living in the first home my parents built on Teresa Drive in Moore. I attended preschool and kindergarten there and still feel a twinge of nostalgia whenever I drive by the city. When my family left Alaska in 2006, we lived in Moore for a year, not too far from that first home. Side note: During our first month or so after we moved back to Oklahoma, my mom flew to Alaska for my dad's retirement ceremony. I was attending the University of Oklahoma and had class the day she left, so my mom asked a lady to watch my brother and sister until I could pick them up. Surprisingly, the lady lived in the home my parents built. I'll never forget the feeling of picking my brother and sister up. I saw the window of the room that had contained my pink and white canopy bed that was across from my Little Mermaid bathroom. I saw the fireplace where I used to dress up and regale my parents and relatives with all sorts of shenanigans.

But yes, Moore holds a special place in my heart. Last night, I thought about the little lives that had been taken too early by the tornado. I thought about the parents who didn't know where their children were and the people who had lost everything. While watching the news yesterday, my eyes teared up every time they interviewed a survivor. One lady's eyes were misty and, obviously in shock, she kept saying how she and her children had been in the bathtub and now her house was gone. Another guy had also survived by getting in his bathtub with his two dogs. He was pushing them around the tornado stricken city looking for his wife and kids.

I am still in disbelief when I see the neighborhoods that were completely obliterated by the tornado. It has been said that Moore looks like a war zone and I agree. I'm not going to post any images of the destruction on here. I can't wait to hear more stories of the heroism and selflessness of Oklahoma residents in the aftermath of the tornado. Moore has been stricken by three major tornadoes in the last 14 years and if the people of Moore have displayed anything, it is amazing resiliency. Even though tornadoes keep descending upon their beloved city, they continue to rebuild.

It has warmed my heart to see an outpour of love, encouragement and support from across the nation. But, what I love most is how the state has bonded together and everyone has rushed to the aid of those affected by the terrible tragedy. Oklahoma has had its share of horrific events, but each time, the people of this great state have come together in support of each other and the love and sense of togetherness is something truly special and can only be experienced by those that live in this state.

I'm proud to be an Okie.

Please pray for the people of not only Moore, but for the state as a whole, as many places have been devastated by tornadic activity the past couple of days.

Getting crafty

Well, Saturday marks the 10-week mark until our wedding and two weeks until my first dress fitting!

I just really can't believe how fast time is flying by! I still have tons to do. We have yet to take out engagement photos and plan on doing those soon. I'm struggling though, because I'm picky and like simple things. I can't think of any other outfits I want to wear other than jeans and black shirts. Suggestions? I will do my own makeup for our pictures, but will more than likely get my hair done. I want big, Southern girl hair. The higher the hair, the closer to God and I need all of the heavenly guidance I can get right now.

Our venue is beautiful by itself, but there are some personal touches I want to add. Pinterest has some adorable signs and I plan on getting crafty this weekend! It's been awhile since I've made anything. I like doing crafts, but if I can buy something already made, I will. But, in the case of the signs I want, I figure I will have fun making those myself.

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I absolutely love this one! Two of Chase's nephews are ring bearers and I want one of them to carry this sign. I think it's so adorable.

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I really like something like this to set near the beginning of the aisle.

 

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And this!

 

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And, in Oklahoma, country music lyrics are always good!

 

I'm also looking at making a few other things, including my bouquet. We also haven't figured out the catering situation. We're having an afternoon wedding, so we just want something light. And, I also need to finalize what I'm wearing and bridesmaids' accessories...and flower girl dress and invitations...and my hair...

 

So much to do! I never realized there was so much involved with weddings. Luckily, our venue supplies a lot of things, so that helps! I'm also not much of a flower girl, so there won't be very many flowers in my wedding. 

 

Any tips or tricks for plannng the big day? 

  

Makeup Monday: Surprises and wedding countdown

So, I did it.

I completed another semester of graduate school and *humble brag* I did it with straight A's. Not quite sure how I did it, but I'm not going to argue with my professors either. I've already been done with school for almost two weeks and I can't believe how fast time has flown by. There's only a little over 10 weeks left until my wedding and to say I'm freaking out would be an understatement! I've been looking at wedding stuff today, making lists, and got back on the clean eating train after a weekend full of indulgences. I paid for them by feeling gross and bloated; after a day of clean, paleo eats, I am feeling like myself again. I wasn't really very hungry today, so I just had some coffee, bacon, an egg, and chicken and veggies. Nothing exciting, but I have to strut my stuff in a wedding dress in 10 weeks. Boring = effective.

Chase and I picked up some more of our shower gifts this weekend and it is killing me that we agreed not to use anything until after we're married and all moved in. So for now, all of our gifts are stacked up in my apartment and tempting me daily. One of the gifts we picked up is our Kitchen Aid mixer and I absolutely love the color. It took us forever to decide on it, but the matte black is perfect.

I think I'm going to gain 20 pounds after we get married, because we received a lot of neat things for the kitchen and I'm going to be cooking, baking, and eating up a storm. Good thing there's a gym at our apartment I guess!


I received my first assignment today for a new writing job I have and am excited to get started, even if the type of writing is not my forte. But, I get to do it while sitting at home in my pajamas drinking coffee, so I can't complain too much I guess.

I've decided I'm going to devote an entire day of the week to one of my favorite topics: MAKEUP. I talked to my mom on the phone for an hour and a half last night, and over the duration of the call, I instructed her on nutrition, healthy snacks, and which foundation she should buy. She also tells me that I should have been a nutritionist and a makeup artist, but I chose the path of a writer. Sigh. I guess I will have to settle for writing about nutrition and makeup.

Anyways, today will be the inaugural posting of Makeup Monday. Basically, I will discuss a few of my current faves. Feel free to leave your own in the comment section!

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 I. love. this. foundation. I usually wear L'Oreal True Match, but I wanted to try something new. I went to Makeup Alley, one of my fave sites, and read some reviews about foundations. This little gem of a foundation scored very high, but I was still skeptical, as I am a makeup snob and this is Covergirl. I did a little more digging and makeup gurus were raving about it, so I decided to try it. I usually wear the first or second lightest shades, but since the ones for this foundation were very pink and I have golden undertones, I went with the third. Covergirl boasts that this foundation is "All-in-one foundation with a long-lasting formula that fuses primer, concealer, and foundation in one easy step! The 3-in-1 formula provides a flawless look that lasts all day long." I would have to agree! I've been using this foundation for about a month and I love how easily it slides on my skin, how it covers without looking cakey, and how it really does last all day. I tend to have very dry skin, so I do use a bit of BB cream underneath and I don't use any powder on top. I'm interested to see how this foundation holds up in Oklahoma's notorious smoldering, humid summer heat. 

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This moisturizer was a bit of a splurge that was purchased shortly after Christmas (Christmas money is the best). When I was a teen, I had that annoying skin that was broke out, yet still dry. It was a vicious cycle of using drying products to clear up breakouts, then over-moisturizing to clear up dryness. Thankfully, I've learned the virtues of drinking water and a healthy diet (when I slack on water consumption or consume too much gluten or sugar, my skin shows it!), along with getting older and I only have to deal with the occasional breakout. My skin has, however, become drier, which means that all of those fun fine lines that show I'm a living, breathing human being, i.e. laugh lines and expression lines, show up more. Maybe it's all in my head, but I swear that this moisturizer has helped make the lines less noticeable. It's not as creamy as my usual nighttime moisturizer (L'Oreal Youth Code), but leaves my skin looking smooth and fresh when I wake up. I haven't tried the original Hope in a Jar, but I highly recommend this one!

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OK, so I just realized I said I would be writing about makeup and technically, my last item wasn't makeup. Neither is this one. Forgive me. Just let me say, I despise facial cleansers. I'm not sure why. I guess I feel as though they really dry skin out, or they burn my eyes. Even though I usually use coconut oil to remove my eye makeup, sometimes I'm just tired and want my cleanser to do the job. The term "cold cream" usually evokes images of old women in rollers and housecoats with a face covered in white gunk. I was hesitant to try this product due to those horrific images, but Internet reviews convinced me to give this cult fave a try. I'm so happy I did! Like I've mentioned, my skin is dry, so this may not be best for you oily-skinned gals, but I love it. My eye makeup slides right off and the cleanser leaves my skin feeling soft and moisturized. It does leave a slight film on your skin, but the instructions say that you don't have to use water when washing the cold cream off, so I just liken it to extra moisturizing power! Pond's also makes a Cucumber Cleanser that is in a container like this one and it claims to be light and non-greasy. I have yet to try that one though. 

I could talk about makeup all day! I'm afraid I'm going to be an old lady wearing bright blue eyeshadow and shockingly pink lipstick. 

What are some of your makeup favorites?