Memorial Day Weekend

  My boyfriend Geoff and I aren't exactly what you would call "outdoorsy" and have not once gone camping together. So when memorial day weekend rolled around we weren't itching to get out our tents and sleeping bags. We instead opted for the comforts of the windy city. We both really needed a break from our busy schedules and were excited for this mini getaway. We loaded up the car and took off for Chicago that friday night after work. We got in too late that night to do anything but were ready the next morning to enjoy the beautiful weather. It was in the mid 70s and sunny which made it perfect weather to explore the city. We started off walking down the magnificent mile drinking our morning dunkin donuts. Then we acted like tourists and did some shopping and walked down Michigan Ave toward the river for our first photo opp. Then off to Millenium park for some quality people watching and lunch at Pret a manger.

After lunch we strolled down to the lake and watched the sailboats and yachts pass by. We found ourselves dreaming about what life might be like in Chi-town. I really don't consider myself a big city person but still somehow desire to conquer this crazy and vibrant city. I have lived in Minnesota for all of my 24 years of life and thought that I would finish out my days as a Minnesotan but recently have begun to explore the possibility of expanding my horizons and breaking away from the ordinary and comfortable. If you know me at all you know that I really do not like change. Yet I find myself longing for change and becoming curious about what a future might hold for me outside of Minnesota.
I attribute this newfound flexibility to a few different things

1. LOVE
2. My family's impending move to Scottsdale, AZ.

I think my mover and shaker boyfriend has had a huge influence on me in this area. He has always had big dreams and inspired me to expand my horizons. Not just because I want to be more like him, but because I want to be apart of the crazy dreams he has for his life. This trip especially reaffirmed my love and desire to spend my life with this amazing man. Enough sappy stuff for now though.

After more walking around we regrouped and grabbed some italian for dinner and changed for our nighttime activity. Geoff discovered that every Saturday night from Memorial Day to Labor Day they have fireworks on Navy Pier. So we grabbed some overpriced but delicious gelato and headed down to the pier. The fireworks brought families and couples and crazy drunk college students and it was absolutely packed. The show was spectacular of course especially since the skyline was sparkling in the background.

The next morning we found a delicious brunch spot and I devoured the most amazing egg, bacon, and spinach sandwich  on a honey biscuit. It was a sort of rainy day so we laid low for a bit and did some work at a Starbucks to pass the time before our next chance to stuff our faces! We went the cheap route for dinner and had Shake Shack which is officially my favorite fast food burger place.

Our next chance to appease our stomachs came in the form of drinks and dessert. We dressed up and went over to Pops for Champagne. I of course had a glass of champagne and we split some chocolate panna cotta with raspberries which was of course to die for. We thought about checking out some other rooftop places to get some views of the city but by that point my feet were killing me from wearing flip flops and sandals with no support all over the city. I will not be making that mistake again because 5 days later my feet still hurt!

Monday morning came too soon and our fairytale in Chicago ended. We had a long drive ahead of us but it was worth it. I cannot wait for our next trip!

Bahama Mama's

I finally got to go on a vacation after two years of graduate school and two and a half years of work after undergrad  in a challenging job. My wonderful travel companion Diane is a friend a met this year in church who is also in my small group and has become a good friend. We planned this last minute trip one night after small group and about a month later we were on a flight to sunny Miami! We spent one day laying on the beach in Miami, eating cuban food, and preparing for our cruise! We departed from the Port of Miami and boarded the Norwegian Sky. This was my first cruise and I was a bit nervous about a few things which may seem ridiculous but worried me nonetheless. 

1. I was worried about sharks. I have a huge fear of sharks and have heard from my years of dedicated shark week viewing I know that Florida is the shark attack capitol of the world and I was more than a little worried about swimming in Miami. The first night we went to the beach (which was conveniently just steps away from our hotel) a group of guys told us that they had just seen a large shark in fairly shallow water right in front of our hotel. I was pretty hesitant to go past my ankles into the water but eventually the heat outweighed my fears and I decided to throw caution to the wind and jump in.

2. My second fear was that we would face severe weather and that we would have rough seas and I would get sea sick or that the weather would get so bad that we would be in real danger. After all the recent stories of cruise ships sinking and running aground I worried that especially as I slept something would happen and that I wouldn't wake up and die or something. Luckily none of my fears came to fruition. I never saw any sharks and had a blast swimming in the crystal blue waters to my hearts content.

Our first stop was in beautiful Nassau. We ate our delicious breakfast on the cruise ship, got our swim suits on, and started exploring Nassau. The town was filled with little shops run by locals and a market where you could barter for little trinkets. We could have spent upwards of $75 a piece to go to the infamous Atlantis and be treated like royalty but decided to stick with the local beach. We were definitely not disappointed by what we found. The beach was stunning and had everything that we needed. Locals were selling beach chairs, umbrellas, and kayaks from the huts that lined the beach. This is where we got our smoothies and french fries for lunch. These locals were some of my favorite parts of our time in Nassau, they had this infectious joy and you could tell that they loved spending time on the beach with the tourists. They danced on the beach with the drunk sorority girls, brought drinks right to your beach chair, and took shots with you in the water. I loved this "no worry be happy" mentality and it made me seriously question the American Dream. I briefly considered uprooting my entire life and opening up a tiki bar on a tropical island...maybe someday. After a long day on the beach we were exhausted but eager to visit the next island.

The next day we arrived at Great Stirrup Cay, the private island that Norwegian Cruise Line owns. This island was all inclusive, we had a lunch buffet right on the beach and could order drinks from the tiki bars and charge them right to our rooms.
We got to spend one last day in Miami when we got back into the US and eat some more Cuban food before coming back to chilly Minneapolis. I will always remember this cruise and can absolutely see myself going on another cruise and visiting Miami again. Hopefully my next vacation comes a lot sooner and can be a bit longer next time!

xoxo

Katie 

2014 Favorites: Photography

I have had the wonderful opportunity to travel quite a bit in the past year or so. I got to explore the streets of New York and of course Central Park, with my amazing boyfriend. This was our first time traveling together and it was an exciting and fast paced trip. If you have never been to Central Park in the fall I highly recommended it as I have never seen anything like the beauty of the juxtaposition the park is to this bustling city. I cannot wait to visit this one of a kind city again. I also had the opportunity to travel to Chicago twice this fall/winter. Once with my closest girlfriends Elise, Emily, and Alison then again for a quick trip with my main squeeze. 

However, the majority of the artistically inclined photography I captured this year was while I was exploring my own city, Minneapolis. As morbid as it sounds, I have always found cemetery's hauntingly beautiful and peaceful. My favorite cemetery in the Twin Cities is Lakewood Cemetery. It is one of the few that have large mausoleums and large memorials. It reminds me of what a centuries old cemetery might look like in Europe, likely because of the reminiscence of this to the frightening cemetery in The Phantom of the Opera. 

The final picture is of Temple Israel in Uptown, Minneapolis. I have never had the opportunity to go inside, but the building is stunning from the outside. 

It may be pretty obvious from this collection of favorites, but I am inspired by architecture and nature. Neither one on its own is typically enough for me but I love the two opposites together. The stark contrast of the heavily structured metal or stone opposing the unpredictable leaves or waves of a river or lake. I am quite obsessed with history and seeing a large city next to a park or an ocean or even a gorgeous tree adjacent to a statue peaks my interest. I begin to wonder about the origination of the structure and how the preexisting nature once was as it was undisturbed by industry. The older the monument or building the better. This leads me to ponder about the people of that era and the vast differences between this generation and that time. What I most enjoy about photography is that it can make you pause and be still, even if just for a moment. The chaos of life rarely allows for these moments and I so cherish the rare opportunity to be inspired simultaneously by what the Lord has created with his handiwork and has enlisted man to erect. 

For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. Romans 1:20 

"But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds of the air, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish of the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this? In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.  Job 12: 7-10

 






















In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.  In him was life, and that life was the light of men. John 1: 1-4 

Photography can be more than an artistic outlet, it can reveal the very nature of God. It can truly be an act of worship as we stand in awe of the one who gave us the ability to see, to think, and to feel the wonders he has made. It can truly bring us into the presence of God if we allow it to. So this year, along with my church I am believing for Greater and especially a greater presence of God and opportunities to worship him. 

Minnehaha Falls

 Yesterday was pretty stressful for me. I spent the afternoon making cover letters, and sending them out with my newly spruced up resume to apply for internships. I will hopefully get hired by someone and start an internship this May! My anxiety was through the roof and I decided I needed to take today off and have some fun.My wonderful boyfriend and I decided to have a date day. 

So I bundled up (yes this includes my fleece lined leggings) and we headed to Minnehaha Falls. I grabbed my favorite Kate Spade bag, gold Fossil watch, and my roommates pearl necklace and earrings for accessories. My hair was quite a mess today. I worked out last night and showered at lifetime with their crappy shampoo and let my hair air dry. I don't do this often, especially in the winter but I braved to cold because I hate using a blow dryer on my hair because it is damaged enough already. 

I found one of my favorite sweaters (purchased from Target) from last year in the back of my closet and paired it with my new favorite plaid shirt from Old Navy and headed out to meet Geoff. The weather was a bit windy and chilly for my taste but we made it down to the falls with minimal difficulty. Be warned, if you plan to head over there the steps are extremely icy and you will want to wear shoes with some good grip and some mittens so you can hold on to the freezing cold railing without your fingers falling off. I think we each nearly died a few times on the steps but we made it down to the path. 

The creek was partially frozen over so it was a bit treacherous and if you stepped in the wrong place your foot would plunge through the snow and into the water. Geoff unfortunately found this out the hard way and was quite cold. There were many adventurous souls who climbed up behind the frozen falls but I wasn't feeling that brave and was incredibly hungry so we just snapped a few pics and headed back up the stairs. 

Not too far from the falls is one of my favorite burger places in the Twin Cities called the Blue Door Pub.  If you have never been before you should really try it out. They have the most amazing Juicy Lucy's or as the Blue Door Pub calls them "Blucy's" I have ever tried. My personal favorite is called "Cease & Desist" and aims to rival the Big Mac and of course is far more amazing than its McDonalds competitor. 

I left extremely full and satisfied and ready to slip into a food coma. Thankfully we had nothing else planned that night and were able to have a wonderful chill night full of blogging, reading, and watching movies. 

Photo Credit: Geoff Turgeon

Snowy Sunday

I absolutely love my church, I go to River Valley Church and it is a near perfect fit for me. I love the chance to worship my creator with the community of believers at the church.

I took a break from posting much of anything over Christmas for two reasons. First of all I was a bum. I have been working a lot and needed a break from pretty much everything including makeup. I was also attempting to focus on family and not be so obsessed with Instagram. However, it was nice to be back in my own apartment and get back to my closet and my roommates clothes.

I woke up way to late for church and threw together this outfit which I was quite pleased with. I picked out my favorite plaid button up shirt in navy blue and paired it with my grey polka dot sweater from Tommy Hilfiger. Then I topped it off with my sparkly statement necklace from Francesca's Collections and my one and only gold watch with a navy face from fossil. I am happy to debut my Christmas present from my wonderful boyfriend, a new Kate Spade bag!  I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of my new wallet to go with my new bag as my current one is extremely outdated. I briefly wore my favorite little heels which are also from Tommy Hilfiger. I really didn't wear them for long though because it was incredibly cold out and my toes got cold. As usual I wore my favorite Old Navy Jeans which I wish I would have paired with some fleece lined leggings but I was running short on time and we were late to church as it was. We probably only missed one song but the message was phenomenal, challenging, and inspiring.

After the service a group of friends decided to go ice skating together as there were many of us in town for Christmas.  We found a perfectly festive rink and bundled up as best we could and tried not to fall. I am proud to report that I did not fall even once. I also happened to be the slowest skater in the group but I highly doubt there is any correlation between those two variables. We ended the night with cold faces, enchiladas made by yours truly, and board games. I much preferred being inside to the frigid cold but it was a fun night with good friends, even if I was the slowest skater of the bunch.

Office Christmas Party

I absolutely love my job, it is my dream job. I get to work with women and children in need and it is so rewarding and life giving. The only thing I love more about my office than my clients is my co-workers. I have a great team and am so blessed to learn from them all.

I have been waiting to wear my new favorite fair isle sweater from Old Navy and was excited to showcase my new find. I actually bought this gem on Cyber Monday during an online shopping binge. I can't seem to find any more online so they may be sold out unfortunately.

I paired it with my favorite gingham button up from Tommy Hilfiger which I admit I wear far too often.
I was also able to debut my new statement necklace from Francescas Collections. Follow the link to purchase a similar look. My jeans from Old Navy as well, are an absolute staple in my wardrobe and are another pair I wear far too often. These can be found both online and in store, I would highly recommend them as they are the most comfortable and flattering pair of jeans I have ever owned!

Finally, we get to my shoes. This is a constant battle for me in the winter as I am a bit of a baby and tend to stick to my warm boots to keep my toes warm during the long frigid Minnesota winters. This was a special occasion and I figured I should mix it up and threw on a pair of my coziest flats from none other than Macy's. If you know me, you know that Macy's is my absolute favorite store, it is literally like a second home to me. I lovingly call these my old man loafers and they are not the fanciest but they sure are comfy!    

My lipstick is another wonderful holiday color from NARS and is not mine but my roommates. I am so grateful for her great taste and willingness to share! 

The party was a huge success and a great opportunity to have some fun with my coworkers. We played taboo, exchanged white elephant gifts, and sipped on some festive holiday drinks. I walked away with a lovely bottle of pinot noir which I may or may not be re-gifting as I am not too fond of red wine.     

Taylor and Marks Wedding

Over the weekend my wonderful boyfriend and I traveled to Milwaukee, WI for a college friend's wedding. I admit I have a lot of anxiety when it comes to choosing outfits for occasions both big and small so I put quite a bit of effort into this look. I envisioned myself in a chic holiday dress but found that it was tough to find something that would brave the winter cold. Instead I found some lovely separates from Francesca's Collections and Macy's 

I fell absolutely in love with the white and gold polka dot top from my new favorite brand from Macy's, Mason Jules. [follow the link to purchase] My second stop on my shopping trip was to Francesca's Collections. I am typically overwhelmed by all of the sparkly jewelry but thank goodness for the incredibly helpful sales lady who assisted me in narrowing it down. I finally selected this fabulous number. I couldn't find the exact one online, but they have similar ones on their website that can be found here. I should have grabbed some other jewelry as well but I was running short on time, and money, as always. Especially this time of year I always find myself short on cash and spare time! 

The skirt I found is going to be my holiday staple this year. I am currently obsessed with gold for the holidays and hope I get the chance to wear it again soon! I paired the skirt and the top with some simple black tights and my favorite pair of black heels by Jessica Simpson. I topped the look off with curled hair and my roommates red NARS lipstick. 

It was a beautiful wedding filled with love the support of family and friends. We left the church and drove off to the reception at a local coffee shop with a quaint hipster vibe. I was thrilled to see this lone Christmas tree and enlisted the help of my hot date to snap this pic and I am getting tired of relying on mirrors and selfies to capture my outfits. 

Thank goodness for his photography skills and my favorite new photo editing app, Afterlight.

Cheers to this beautiful bride who has been such a dear friend to me!

Geoff and I were lucky enough to sneak in a picture with the bride at the reception before sneaking off to Chicago for a short day trip!
I found this outfit to be very versatile and worked splendidly for a night in the Signature Lounge on top of the Hancock Tower in downtown Chicago.