Weekend with the Fam

Psalm 122:8
For the sake of my family and friends, I will say, “Peace be within you.”

What a fun weekend! No snowstorms, so my whole family was able to come up and celebrate my sister and I's birthdays. It was so much fun playing with my nephews and playing hostess for a day or two. The weather was beautiful, and my sister, mother and I even got a little shopping in on Sunday!

We played Kinect of course, which was one of my favorite parts. It's almost as fun to watch others play as it is to play yourself! I got to 'box' my dad and brother in law, which in real life I wouldn't have survived. Playing on kinect however? We were much more evenly matched ;) haha!

We even got to watch 'Despicable Me' while trying to get my nephew to succumb to his need for a nap. I got some really adorable pictures of the two sweet boys and had so much fun playing with my camera. After looking at the almost 400 pictures though I realized that I have a lot more practicing to do before I'm any good at photography. I just assumed that with a nice camera every picture would be magic. It's a lot more difficult than that! I think the biggest enemy of my picture taking was the light. If the light isn't right the picture turns out awful. My sisters also had fun taking some pictures :) I'm excited to go through and edit them!



Here is what I wore on Saturday:


















Thanks Jeni for taking my pictures!

Wearing:
Top-Vintage, thrifted
Jeggings-Charlotte Russe
Shoes-Target, Christmas gift from hubby :)


My lovely sisters and I :D



My treats displayed on the serving-ware my sisters bought me for the wedding :)



I can't believe I'm another year older. It doesn't seem like a year has past since my last birthday. AAAAND!!! I almost forgot that today is my blog-iversary! One year ago I started this blog and even though I took a break this summer for my wedding :D I'm so glad I kept up with it! I really didn't know what I was doing when I started this thing. All I knew was that I loved looking at other fashion blogs and thought that it would be so neat to look back on what I was doing in the past. It has been my creative outlet and I am having so much fun with it every day. I wear so many of my clothes in such different ways now, I feel more like myself and better about my appearance than I did a year ago. I'd like to think that I'm less self-conscious as well. I think my husband thought I was crazy when I started, but he's so supportive now that he realizes how much fun I have doing this blog. I'm not sure that I'll be able to continue forever, at least at posting 5+ times a week, but I hope it continues for a long time :D

Here are the pictures from Sunday:















Thanks to my Sean for taking the pictures!

Wearing:
Earrings-Gifted by my lovely sister
Belt-Thrifted
Top-Walmart
Sweater Dress-Walmart
Leggings-Dollar store
Boots-Walmart

Hope you all had a great weekend as well!
God Bless,
KJA

Twenty-Two

Is it sad when you forget that it's your own birthday? I feel like tomorrow is my birthday because my whole family will be coming over to celebrate for my sister and I. It actually hasn't been a very good day. I keep ripping my clothes on random things, I threw my neck out this morning, I have a huge list of things that I need to clean before my family gets here, and I'm just plain exhausted. But that's why I'm taking the weekend to celebrate-it doesn't really matter what day my birthday is right?

I had to work yesterday, hence the lack of a post. I just wore all black :) Not very interesting. It was quite the long day, but not as bad as I expected it to be. I was scared out of my mind to start out because they just threw me in front of customers right away, but thankfully it was a very slow day so I had it pretty easy. I'm dreading working busy weekends with no one there to help me out! Eep!

I have to get back to cleaning, I hope everyone had a wonderful week and is looking forward to the weekend ahead-I know I am!
God Bless,
KJA


Psalm 40:4-5
Blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD,who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods.Many, LORD my God, are the wonders you have done, the things you planned for us. None can compare with you; were I to speak and tell of your deeds, they would be too many to declare.

















Wearing:
Earrings-Gifted to me by my lovely sister
Scarf-Vintage
Dress-Vintage
Coat-Vintage, it was my grandmother's :)
Cardigan-Thrifted
Belt-Thrifted
Tights-Walmart
Shoes-Target

Sun and Trees

I've had so much fun playing with my camera! There isn't much around to take pictures of, so today it was bricks and trees. I didn't want to stay out too long because it felt like the camera was getting cold.



I made a huge grocery trip today. I stocked up on food for family this weekend! I've also been cleaning like a madwoman.

As you can see from the pictures it was extremely sunny outside. I almost got a headache just being out for a few minutes! I suppose it's the layer of snow making it twice as bright.



Now that I have such a better camera, I need to find a better place to take photos! Something with a little more interest and prettier backgrounds...I just don't think there's anyplace near our apartment..I'll have to have Sean drive me around on weekends for fun photoshoots :) What a lucky guy huh? :D haha!










I didn't notice until I was looking at them on the computer that there are two bugs frozen into this tree! The two black spots are the bugs. I love that I can catch that in such detail-something I didn't even notice when I was snapping the photo!










Now I just need some more subjects for my photos :)
God Bless!
KJA

Psalm 26:3
for I have always been mindful of your unfailing love and have lived in reliance on your faithfulness.

Wearing:
Sweater-Shopko, ages ago
Romper-Ragstock, thrift
Tights-Walmart
Shoes-Target
Scarf-Self made from an old man sweater

New Camera!!

I got my camera tonight-Wheeeee!!! It's the most beautiful thing ever. :) Sean brought it home with him from work, since he had it sent there. It was too dark to take any pics outside, so....here are a bunch of pictures of a candle! I definitely have a lot to learn about taking pictures with such a nice camera. I need to figure out all of the settings and whatnot! But I actually really liked these candle pictures :D Thanks to my Sean for the wonderful birthday present, I can't wait to learn so much more about photography!

I'm excited to share many more photos tomorrow! Goodnight :)

God Bless!
KJA

Pile It On

I tried not to wear sunglasses today, but it was just too sunny! I kind of ended up liking the way they look with the outfit :) This dress is definitely one of my best purchases. I wasn't sure about it at first because it was a weird length, but once I cut out the hem someone had poorly stitched up it's been perfect! I love the color and the pockets too. I thought I'd just pile it on today with two belts, a scarf, and some ridiculous earrings that I love. Just a comfy outfit for getting some housework done!
I cannot believe the weekend went so fast. I feel like I have so much to do around here before this weekend when my family comes! Including a huge grocery store run...

Hope you have a happy Tuesday!
God Bless,
KJA

1 John 4:18
There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.





















Wearing:
Earrings-Target
Aviators-Sean's
Scarf-Gifted
Belts-Thrifted
Cardigan-Thrifted
Dress-Thrifted
Boots-Payless-$1!

A Day In

I didn't post yesterday because I've been a little "under the weather" but I thought I'd at least get dressed and make an effort today. Yesterday Sean and I just stayed in our jammies and lounged on the couch eating leftovers and watching Pawn Stars. It was wonderful for a day when I didn't feel the best.
Today is a bit more of the same but I finished my homework which I feel pretty good about! Sean has the day off for the holiday so I'm letting him play video games :) haha.
We didn't get nearly as much snow as many around us this weekend. In my hometown I hear they got 17 inches?! That's just craziness. We just got a light dusting around our apartment and it's not bad at all. I just hope the weather stays nice for this weekend when my family is supposed to be coming to celebrate birthdays! It blizzarded on our Christmas so I'm praying that the weather holds out for our birthdays!

I should have thought of this passage for Valentine's Day, but it applies to everyday of our lives. This passage just makes me happy every time I read it :D
1 John 4:7-12
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

Hope you've had a great Monday!
God Bless,
KJA



As you can see by the lack of makeup I'm still pretty pale, although that's not much of a change compared to how I normally look...just comfy jeans and a sweater with pockets seemed like a good option for the quiet evening we'll be having!




Wearing:
Scarf-Gifted to me by my lovely sister :)
Striped top-Thrifted
Sweater-Free at rummage sale
Jeans-Hand me down

A Cold Walk

It seems like Saturdays are my sweater dress days. I've been wearing one every Saturday for several weeks now. I guess it's because they're so comfy and soft and just perfect for a day of staying in! Although Sean and I actually did venture out to try to take a little walk today. The sun was a little bit deceiving as it was windier than we thought it would be. We ended up getting our frozen butts home and promptly situating ourselves on the couch with hot chocolate and a movie. That's what Saturdays are for right?

Every day I get more and more excited for my camera to arrive. I keep thinking during the day "I wish I had my camera so I could take pictures of that!" I'm so pumped! Last night Sean and I went to a diner with a couple of our good friends and I loved it. They had fun desserts like a purple cow, which is grape soda and ice cream and the food was great too. I definitely want to go there again!

One of my favorite verses :)
1 John 3:18
Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.

God Bless and have a great Saturday!
KJA
























Wearing:
Earrings-Walmart
Scarf-Vintage, thrifted
Belt-Thrifted
Sweater dress-Target
Sweater-Target
Boots-Walmart

Avoiding the Lake

I had to make sure to take my pictures earlier in the morning today so as to avoid the lake that appears as the sun continues to melt the tiny little piles of snow that are left. Around 4 in the afternoon the grass by our patio is just flooded and then I guess it freezes again during the night. Slowly but surely the snow is going away! Although, in SD we've had blizzards in March before, so I'm not getting my hopes up that it's gone for good :)

It was time for a pretty dress today :) I love this dress of my grandmother's. It never photographs very well because of the bright color, but it has these pretty little white flowers on it and it's just perfect. Not only that, but I have another dress of hers in the same fabric that's sleeveless and a little more summer-y. I love them! The shoes weren't my first choice, but it's so wet outside I had to wear something that wouldn't get my socks all soggy! :P

Here is my verse for the day (and for life!)

Philippians 2:3
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves

I have to think on this verse so often. Especially when dealing with marriage I have been struggling with this lately. I was telling Sean last night how it's so weird going from only thinking of yourself for twenty years to all of a sudden having to think of someone else's needs above yours completely. Some days I'm good at it and some days I'm just not. It can be frustrating. I feel like I should know everything and be such a pro at communication and all of those things that pertain to marriage, but really 7 months is not long at all!! We have so much time yet to learn and figure things out and we've only just scratched the surface so far.

Have you had any revelations lately?

God Bless,
KJA




















Wearing:
Earrings-Forever 21
Scarf-Made from an old sweater (thanks mama!)
Dress-Vintage, my grandmother's :)
Tights-DKNY via TJ Maxx
Shoes-Stolen from my sister's closet :)