#HappilyEverAfter

Anyone who knows me well knows that I practically have my wedding planned out, minus the groom. They also know that I want 9 children-God willing-and know that one of my favorite things to do is watch wedding videos on Pinterest. So, naturally, I ended up watching a few tonight and it got me thinking.

It is probably no surprise that I am at a point in my life where I long for a romantic relationship. However, I know deep down that a relationship will happen when it is supposed to happen. Rather than think about my perfect man, I need to pray for God's perfect man that He has in mind for my future husband. It doesn't surprise me that myself and friends of mine get all emotional when we hear beautifully written vows about faith, love, cherishing one another, etc. because THAT is what a committed relationship is about! It is not about cute snapchats, good morning texts, or WCW Instagrams. While those are all fine and dandy, relationships are about bringing one another closer to Christ, loving each other even when times get tough, cherishing one another and every single flaw that comes with it.

Now, I probably won't stop "pinning" some gorgeous dresses and rings, but I recognize that I need to take a step back and focus on the heart of it all--continuing to be the woman that I need to be and patiently waiting and praying that God reveals to me His magnificent plan for my life and my future.

I have planned out other times of my life, and God revealed to me an even greater plan that was not at all in line with mine. I can't wait to see what His plan is for myself, my sisters, and my friends. I am confident that His plan for my/our weddings will outshine the Pinterest boards any day!

Always stay fierce, stay fashionable, and stay faithful

More than Enough

(Current Mood) 

I should be studying for a test I have in about 8 hours, but honestly cannot focus because there is so much on my mind.

These past few weeks, I have been struggling with not being enough. I am currently trying to be the same 4.0 student I was last semester, the perfect daughter and sister, the greatest friend, the best employee, and a well-rounded individual. But, you know what? Trying to be all of that is quite challenging, and I hate to say it, but impossible.

I am so incredibly lucky to go to an amazing school and to have an amazing family and friends. I have so many wonderful things going on in my life, but as soon as something does not go well, I emotionally collapse. I try so hard to be in control of all of these different aspects in my life, but I am not supposed to be in control of them! You know who IS supposed to be in control no matter what? GOD!

I do not know if you can relate to this while you read it, or if you just think I am insane. To be honest, I do not really care. What I do care about is that you make an effort, with me, to recognize that God has everything in the palm of His hand. He has our joys, our struggles, our tears, our laughter, and SO much more, in the palm of His hand.

He has created you and me to be His instruments. He did not put us on the Earth to get the greatest grades and to astound all of the people we know with how well we do in life. He did not create us under the assumption that we will be flawless and succeed in everything that we do, 100% of the time. He created us to walk the Earth and share the joy of the Lord with everyone around us. He gives us the opportunity EVERY DAY to turn to Him in prayer and in thanksgiving. HOW COOL IS THAT?!

I keep trying to remember that my “calling” is not to get straight A’s, make a lot of money, and push myself to the ultimate limit. My “calling” right now is to be grateful, be joyful, do my best, and love abundantly.

If you are feeling the same way I do in regards to not being enough, it is my prayer that you understand that you are MORE than enough. God created you and He is using you in the exact way He wants to. Your life is His artwork and His masterpiece. All you need to do is let Him control the paintbrush and all of the colors will flow beautifully (cheesy, I know…but it makes me smile).

I am more than enough. You are more than enough. No matter what goes on in our lives and no matter what struggles we come across, we are perfect in the eyes of God and nothing can ever change that. 

Always stay fierce, stay fashionable, and stay faithful.

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

OOTI-Outfit of the Interview!

God has been so amazing, as always, and gave me the opportunity to interview for a position that I hope to receive. If I do not receive the position, I know it is not His plan for me and I look forward to seeing all that He has in store!

I was not sure what to wear for the business casual, group interview, but decided on this Kate Spade dress (on sale, online when I got it) and a simple black sweater and flats. With an interview, it is always wise to wear a pop of color, so they remember you, but also to keep it professional and modest. That was what I was going for with this and I ended up loving the outcome! Always wise to wear a watch to an interview, as well! I sure was glad I wore one because it was definitely useful.

Interviews can be nerve wracking, but being confident, not conceited, can be a helpful trait to have. If dressing to impress gives you that confidence, then, by all means, dress up!

Much love to you all!

Always stay fierce, stay fashionable, and stay faithful!

50 Shades of All Kinds of Ugly

*Viewer Discretion Advised*

The past few days, my social media has been filled with people mentioning the movie 50 Shades of Gray. On my ways to class, I hear people talking about it. I have also heard about it on the radio. I feel like this novel-turned-movie is everywhere, and I have been eager to write a bit on why I am choosing not to see it.

When I was thinking about how to go about writing this post, a scenario came to mind. If Liam Hemsworth and Mila Kunis, or two other celebrities that you may love, were having sex in a specified room, would you choose to walk in there, sit down, and gawk at them as it was happening? No. Probably not. That would be quite odd. BUT that is sort of what will be happening in the movie theater as this movie will be playing! Patrons will plan on going to the theater, get excited about seeing a new release, spend $12 or more, may purchase popcorn or candy, and will sit and relish in the fact that they are watching two strangers' (famous strangers') kinky "love" story--probably including a significant amount of sex.

The "love affair," that patrons will gawk at involves sexual abuse and violence to add to the "kinkiness" of the storyline. Well, hypothetically speaking, a couple, who thinks seeing this movie could amp up their sex life, may be led to believe that using Christian Grey's level of impact may be wise. And that is wrong on all sorts of levels. No movie, or form of entertainment for that matter, should put any ideas along those lines into someone's head.

Also, the movie comes out on Valentine's Day. Valentine's Day, as all of you know, is a holiday in which relationships tend to be celebrated. I am aware of the fact that many people have posted on social media about how seeing this on Valentine's Day with their significant other is going to be so great and so fun! How sad! If a couple is going to see this movie on Valentine's Day, I feel it is implying that "our relationship is not all that great, so rather than focus on the happiness and joy we find in each other, let's go see how a billionaire and a college graduate express their love, because it is probably more interesting than ours." (Sorry for that run-on sentence).

In general, relationships are special, valuable, amazing things! Healthy relationships need to be cherished, enjoyed, and couples must do all they can to continuously make great memories together. A couple's sex life should not be compared to anyone else's! Someone could say they are stronger than others and will not be influenced by the movie, but we are human! And God created us in a phenomenal way, but we all remember aspects of the things we see and watch, and we definitely compare ourselves or others to those experiences.

Sex is not something that should be exploited in main-stream media. I am aware of the fact that porn exists, and that is another heart wrenching topic in itself--but I do not feel that it had become part of main-stream media, until now. I believe that 50 Shades of Gray is the first step, and a scary step, into what will be accepted and appreciated in our culture.

The physical love that one person partakes in with another should be sacred. It's purpose, ultimately, is for procreation. The purpose of it has been twisted and may vary between individuals, but in general, that is the overall purpose. It should be private and intimate, and the hearts of those involved should be guarded and cared for.

These are just some of the thoughts I have about this new movie 50 Shades of Gray, and I am personally choosing not to support it. I ask that, for the sake of our culture and the media of future generations, that you may choose to do the same. If you DO choose to see it, however, please just think of some of the things you witness, and how they may be affecting you, or those you know.

Stay Fierce, Stay Fashionable, and Stay Faithful!

1 Peter 1:6 "Be truly glad, for there is wonderful joy ahead."

Outfit of the day for this beautiful day. You may recognize the ensemble from an outfit of the day in an earlier post, but I wanted to wear it to school, so I dressed it down with some chucks :) Love tulle skirts and beautiful days! Praise God!

Always stay fierce, stay fashionable, and stay faithful!

(Skirt from Anthropologie, Jacket from Nordstrom)

SINGLE: Sparkly, Incredible, Nice, Great, Lively, and Exciting

What is a better thing to do than study for a college exam I have in 10 hours? To write about how the single life is fantastic and magical. This may be a little bit all over the place organization wise, and I apologize for that. Sometimes though, I just gotta write out some thoughts and they keep coming! :)

*Disclaimer: I have nothing against healthy, wonderful, happy relationships! They are amazing things that should be cherished and cared for. I love them actually. I just am single right now, so thought I would write about why that is a pretty amazing thing too.*

I am probably in the minority when I say that I didn't have my first kiss until I was 18. I also have only been in two relationships, which both were not very good situations. However, I have never been completely convinced that the single life was a good or enjoyable thing.

Recently, though, I have been overwhelmingly thrilled with being single. I am not sure how that feeling of confidence and comfort came about, but I am so happy that it did! And if you, as a reader, are potentially struggling with "singlehood," maybe some of this will give you comfort. I have never been so happy, so confident, and so overwhelmed with joy as I have been recently, due to my current singlehood.

I am not going to write about "singlehood" in the same way that Cosmo or TSM do. I am not going to explain how it is a time to throw yourselves at anyone who walks by and have fun because of the lack of commitment. It is not a time to see how many guys are interested in you or how many hearts you can break.

TSM includes the following as two of the 50 benefits of being single:

1. Sex is never a chore

2. No one makes their problems your problems

PEOPLE! What kind of world are we living in if those are two of the 50 reasons singlehood is a good thing!! Those are just two examples, but I think it is important to share some more moral values to singlehood, than those lovely shoutouts to sex and problems.

First of all, something I have found out in my joy of singlehood is that it is a time to focus on yourself. I don't mean it is a time to forget about friends, family, or other obligations, but it is a time in your life where you can do what you want to do, when you want to do it, and for the right reasons! It allows for you to truly think about and remind yourself what you deserve and how you deserve to be treated; like the princess that you are in God's eyes. It has allowed me to reach a point in my life where I do not want to settle for anything I have experienced in my past, or anyone who does not recognize my worth or the sheer beauty of my heart. I am not perfect, and none of us are, but I do know that my heart and soul are beautiful and I can confidently say, I only want someone who can see that beauty and cherishes it as much as I cherish his.

Second, it is a time where sex doesn't even need to be on your mind. I am someone who would like to wait until marriage for sex, but even if you're not, don't think about it in singlehood! Don't look at it in the same way TSM does! If you are single, you should not be messing around with anyone else based on the fact that you aren't committed to another! You should take joy in the fact that you are on your own, you are special and wonderful, and that is not something that should occupy your brain!

The third thing may only apply to some, but it would be great if it applied to all. Personally, I love this aspect because I love fashion, but when you are single, dressing for yourself is so much more fun! You do not need to think about what this one guy in your math class will be "into" or how tall of heels you can wear to get by with that shorter guy you like. NO! You can put on a tulle skirt, spin around in the mirror, and be like "DANG! I look, feel, and I am a marvelous creation!" just because!

Fourth is FAITH! I feel like there are two lies that college students can say sometimes, and I definitely have before too--I am no angel. These lies, I think, are that (1) you don't have enough free time to devote time to Jesus and prayer or (2) you do devote time to prayer and you're doing well in your faith life and relationship with Christ. I have nothing against those in relationships, and I think if you are in one with an evenly yoked individual and can devote time to faith growth, that is phenomenal! But while you are single, how cool is it that you can devote any or all of your free time to the big guy upstairs! He is so amazing and deserves any time we can give Him! If you also are feeling like you are doing well in your faith life, that is phenomenal and God bless you! But, with that said, we can all grow, always! Am I right?! AM I right!

The fifth thing to point out is that, TSM is totally wrong when they say that a benefit to being single is "no one makes their problems your problems." Again I say, WRONG! When you are single, it is such a great time for you to CHOOSE to let other people's struggles or problems become yours! When a friend or loved one needs you, just needs a hug, wants to talk, or is having some personal issues, you have the time and ability to step in, love them, pray for them, and care for them! It is a time for you to focus on other people's overall happiness in life, in addition to thinking about your own. Being single, and currently uncommitted, I find so much joy in having the freedom to comfort and pray for those who need it more than I do.

Lastly, in a bit of a hodge podge of words, a time of singlehood is a time of joy, laughter, happiness, friendships, fun, dancing (if you're into that), sparkles, happy tears, and a time of growth. It is not a time to be condemned or judged. It is not a period of time that should be looked at as a waiting game. It is wonderful, marvelous, and fantastic. And it is most of all, a time for you to be comforted in the fact that God has a perfect plan for you and your love life. A plan for His princess (you) to find ultimate happiness in someone who you deserve. He has got it all figured out :) Maybe I will meet an amazing guy in the next month, maybe in the next year, maybe not for a long time, who knows! But I am perfectly okay with that.  In the mean time, you and I can sit back, relax, create lovely moments, and trust in Him!

God bless you all dearly. I hope and pray you find comfort in whatever season you are at in your life; single or in a relationship.

Always stay fierce, stay fashionable, and stay faithful!

Psalm 139:14 "You are beautiful, for you are fearfully and wonderfully made."

My name is Kelly and I am about to be brutally honest. I am 5’ 8” and 170 pounds. My thighs touch, I have chubby cheeks, when I wear tight pants, a muffin top forms, and a double chin makes an appearance every now and then in Snapchats. It has taken me a long time to realize this, but in addition to all of those traits of mine, another trait is that I am beautiful. I am beautifully and wonderfully made, and I am so thankful to have realized that in recent times.

This is not written as a statement of my confidence, but rather an invitation for EVERY SINGLE WOMAN who reads this to recognize her very own beauty in her EVERY SINGLE flaw that she sees in herself. 

Way too many girls and women that I know personally look in the mirror and I literally feel like they are quoting Mean Girls (when Regina, Gretchen, and Karen point out their nail buds, pores, etc.). Everything that is pointed out is either “ugly,” “fat,” “too big,” “too small.” A mirror was created as a blessing (I think), to make sure we don’t leave our houses in orange pants and a purple shirt—but overtime, I feel like mirrors have become a curse! Why is it that when we look in a mirror we only see what looks bad? What about looking in it and thinking “wow! I am beautiful, I am confident, I am happy!” That should be what matters!

From significant others, on more than one occasion, I have been told I needed to lose weight, work out more, dress a certain way, etc. I was convinced that what would make me happy was to do so—to start working out and eating less. Thanks be to God, I never got so into it that it was to a dangerous extent—but it was definitely emotionally taxing. I thought that the more effort I put into losing weight, the happier the other person would be, and in turn, the happier I would be. Newsflash—that is not the case!

I had this mentality for the longest time that if I was thinner and didn’t have thighs that jiggled when I jumped, guys would like me more and that HAD to make me happy! Right? WRONG!

I hate to say it, but I don’t think I have reached a point of complete peace, joy, and happiness until recently when I recognized the beauty in every flaw and in every part of me. Please note, I do not think that, because I feel beautiful, I can trash my body—or anything along those lines. We have been blessed to have the bodies God has given us, so it is still important to respect, cherish, and nourish His creation.

Simply, the point of all this is to challenge any female who reads this to look in the mirror and see truly how beautiful she is—on the surface, and deep down. You don’t need to look like or act like anyone other than yourself. You are perfect, you are stunning, and every little bit of you is beautiful. Cherish it.

Floral and Jelly

Outfit of the day incorporating floral pants and jelly sandals. It doesn't get much better than that. 

Be adventurous and style your life the way you like it! Patterns, textures, colors, take your pick and have some fun! 

Taking in God's Creation

Lucky enough to live in a city where lovely friends of mine and I can go explore the beauty of God's creation and, of course, take some silly pictures while doing so.

Stay fierce, stay fashionable, and stay faithful!

We like to pretend we are beasts. 

Lovely friends! 

Confidence is key! 

John 3:30 "He must become more and I must become less."

Hello to all those reading this! I have been pretty terrible at frequent posts lately and for that I apologize! Recently, life has been a wonderful whirlwind that God has had His hand on the whole time! I am so blessed to be where I am right now in life, and I am thankful that God was able to bring about such JOY from darkness! If you are in any sort of darkness at this time in your life, trust that HE will overcome it and good can come out of it! Prayers for you all!

Here is yesterdays outfit of the day featuring one of my new favorite things--a Tulle Skirt! They are so feminine, modest, classy, and fun! What girl doesn't love to twirl in a big, fluffy, tu-tu like skirt?!

Always stay fierce, stay fashionable, and stay faithful! Muah!