3 Year Blogiversary

Today is the blog's third birthday! It's hard to believe that I've been posting on a regular basis for three years now. I didn't know whether I'd be able to keep up with it when I started. I only knew that I wanted some creative outlet to get me through the monotony of classes and schoolwork. Through this blog photography and the art of creative dressing have become my greatest and most rewarding hobbies.

I started the blog halfway through my junior year of college after discovering fashion blogs a few months before. I became obsessed with them, but I'm not the most tech savvy girl and so I figured there was no way I could ever participate. After some prompting from my friends I just decided that even if my blog was not up to par with the rest out there, it would still be fun to look back on myself and see the progress in my life throughout that time. The early days of my blog are quite embarrassing. I didn't put the time into it that I do now, and I also didn't know how to make my blog aesthetically appealing. This past year things have changed drastically. I put a lot of time into the things that I post and I'm more serious about quality over quantity in posting.

In these three years I have gotten married, moved a couple of times, finished a yearlong teaching residency, graduated college, went through a few jobs, and probably had many more experiences. 

I love blogging and don't see myself giving it up any time soon. Thanks to all who read my little corner of the internet- I am continually amazed that anyone other than myself is interested in reading my daily ramblings!

My style has changed so much over the last three years. Here is one photo from each month since I've started blogging. It's a lot of photos, but it was fun for me to look through and reminisce each season of my life since the time I began blogging. 

Enjoy!

February 2010- my very first outfit photo...taken in a hanging mirror in my dorm room...oi vey!

March 2010- I discovered a spot of trees on a hill near my dorm, right behind the school theatre.

April 2010

May 2010

June 2010- This was one of the only photos from June. I would be getting married soon, so I was busy with wedding details!

July 2010- Sean and I got married on July 24, 2010!

And the one outfit photo from that month :)

August 2010- We moved into a small duplex together while I finished my last semester on campus!

September 2010

October 2010

November 2010

December 2010

January 2011- We moved to a new city and into the small apartment we are enjoying now. I started a few online classes to finish off my semester away from campus.

February 2011- I got a DSLR for my birthday! Still don't know how to use the darn thing as well as I should...
I also started working for Macy's and worked there throughout the summer.

March 2011

April 2011

May 2011

June 2011

July 2011

August 2011

September 2011- I began the toughest challenge of my life (so far), my yearlong teaching residency. I was taking a full course load of classes plus student teaching at the same time. For anyone who has got to school for teaching you know how tough that sounds! Most students don't take classes while they student teach.

October 2011

Early November 2011- This is the longest my hair has been, I had a photoshoot with two of my best friends in the woods and we had such a fun time!

Late November 2011- Then I cut my locks to donate. It was around 12 inches of hair!

December 2011

January 2012

February 2012- I started a job during this month along with taking classes and student teaching. I started working for the company I am with now-an afterschool program for children. At this point I was taking classes, student teaching, and working after school. I was at the school about 12 hours a day and then I'd come home and do homework. Not the most shining time in my life, haha.

March 2012

April 2012

May 2012- I graduated from college this month! It was the best. THE BEST feeling.

June 2012- I visited my grandparent's with my older sister and we got some fun vintage photos. :)

July 2012- Tried out a brief stint working for a daycare. It was horrible and I promptly quit and got my old job back at Kid's Inc. afterschool program.

August 2012

September 2012

October 2012

November 2012- Got promoted to a site coordinator position with Kid's Inc-which is what I am still doing now.

December 2012

January 2013

February 2013

Congratulations! You made it to the end :) I can't believe how things have changed. Sometimes in my day to day life I don't feel as though I accomplish very much. It's encouraging to look back on the past few years as a whole and see that I really have completed quite a few great things, which is wonderful to know.
Have a blessed day all! The husband and I are headed to the Twin Cities tomorrow to celebrate my birthday (because Monday birthdays don't count), so I will see you all after the weekend is over!
God Bless,
KJA

1 John 3:18
Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.

Leftovers

Well, I had quite the lovely birthday yesterday. Kind of a typical Monday, but I found out that this weekend my hubby is taking me on a little excursion to see some of my very best friends in the cities! If any of my MN friends are going to be around this weekend, please do let me know, I would love to see some of you!

These photos are from ages ago when snow and cold kept me from going outside. Instead I stayed indoors dreaming of some way to make myself into Katherine Hepburn. I certainly don't have her figure, but nonetheless a good wide-legged trouser was in order. I also wore one of my cardigans backwards just for fun.

Unfortunately, as much as I love these glasses, they aren't exactly wearable at the moment. One of the kiddos hit me smack in the face with a ball a few weeks ago and bent these right out of shape. When I thought they were wearable again, I got hit in the face with another ball (different child). So I guess these are magnetically attracted to rubber or something? At any rate I need to figure out how to reshape plastic glasses because truly these frames were one of my favorite pairs.

And, a devotion for today:

Our church had a guest speaker last Sunday and his message hit me pretty hard. He spoke from Exodus when the Israelites were given manna and quail from God (chapter 16). The chapter speaks heavily of how the people were supposed to gather only as much food as they needed for their family and not more than that. That way everybody would be equal-no one with too much or too little. This concept is so foreign to our culture today. We work hard to get as much stuff as we possibly can (I'm just as guilty as anyone of this). We think that as long as we are earning our money it's ok to spend it on whatever we want-be it vacations, clothing, you name it. I've been so convicted lately though, that maybe God has blessed me with abundance because He actually wants me to DO SOMETHING WITH IT. Sure, He loves me and doesn't mind me finding a bit of happiness in things. But do I really need an exessive amount of things to be happy? Do I NEED a closet full of clothes when there are those out there who have only the clothes on their back? Do I need a fridge full of food (half of which will probably go bad because I can't possibly eat it all) when there are children out there who only eat three times a week? Why do we humans not trust in the goodness of God enough to see that He will provide just what is enough for us-and any 'leftovers' that we have should be shared with those who need it more than we do? My husband and I certainly are not the richest couple I know-but compared to many we are blessed with SO MUCH MORE than we really need. 

The question in all of this is where and how can I help? Me spending less money on clothes isn't going to put clothes on the back of a needy child. The money is just going to sit in our bank account. The only thing I really do to help in small part is sponsor a child through Compassion International. I have a little boy named Albanus from Kenya who writes letters to me with pictures and all. And I write him back. It is the greatest feeling, really to know that I am helping out just the tiniest bit. The thing was, in church last Sunday I felt so compelled to sponsor even more children. It's something the mister and I will have to discuss...but I just feel like we should sponsor as many as we can afford-be it one child or ten children! I don't want to lower my guilt complex by just saying, "Oh, it's ok if I buy this-I do my part by sponsoring a child (or whatever your thing is)." NO! If I have excess money I should be spending it on more children not on myself! How selfish of a person I am at times...How selfish of a culture are we (in general)? 

I'm praying to God that He shows me more pathways in which to help, preferably even in my own community. With the hours I work, I could spend a good chunk of the day volunteering, I just don't know where at the moment. What I do know is that God's plan was for each of us to have enough in this life. How unfair the human race has made things and it's high time we try and tip the balance back to equality.

So anyway, sorry for the rant-but this has just been on my heart lately and I felt it was too important not to share. Thoughts?

God Bless, 

KJA

Exodus 16:17-18

 The Israelites did as they were told; some gathered much, some little. And when they measured it by the omer, the one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little. Everyone had gathered just as much as they needed.

Wearing:

Cardi-Target

Pants-NY and Co.- thrifted

Shoes- Kohl's

Scarf- Gift from my mama :)

Birthdays Past and Flock Together!

Today is my birthday! I cannot believe another year has come and gone in my lifetime. I am 24 years old. I remember when 16 seemed old (and 18 and 21!). Just for fun I found some photos of birthdays past. Enjoy all the chubby cheeks (oh, wait-I still have those!).

Here is my third birthday :) Man, I STILL love puzzles!

This is my fourth birthday. We always loved to get Barbies. This particular one came wiht sponges that grew when you got them wet. Best thing ever! I also got a whiteboard, which may have first sparked my interest in teaching. I loved that whiteboard (and later chalkboard) that I got. Many sessions of pretend school were held in our household!

Looks like my sixth birthday! I was heavily into matching sweatsuits by this time in my life. I can assure you I'm wearing matching pink pants to go along with this. Also, chocolate cake-YES.

My next obsession was fuzzy posters. I have a ton of those rolled up in my closet at home. They were the best thing ever! For the longest time I wore claw clips in my hair too. Tell me you all did too, right?

Here is my sixteenth birthday party. I got my braces off the day before my sweet sixteen. It was the best feeling to go to school the next day and show off my gleaming pearly whites on my sweet sixteen! I also got to have a Mary Kay party with my best friends. One of my most favorite memories :)

Aaaand here was my 17th birthday. You can tell old age was starting to take its toll on me. Haha .

I just love looking through old photos. I suppose that's why blogging is so important to me-I enjoy reminiscing and seeing changes that take place. Hope you enjoyed my trip down memory lane!

Also, don't forget to join me over on Flock Together today! I'm all layered up in one of Elana's dresses for the occasion :)

See you there!

God Bless, 

KJA

Jeremiah 29:11-13

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."