Hamilton Pool, ATX Part 3

Hi Friends! I hope you had a wonderful weekend! Mine was pretty lazy, but I got out of the house a little which was much needed.

Anyway, one more post from my trip last week to Austin, TX. (Check out Part 1 and Part 2!) We wanted to get outside, especially since my sister and her friend came down from the blustery cold in Ohio. We chose Hamilton Pool because it was close to Austin and there wasn’t a lot of time added to our trip home. It was the perfect outdoor detour!

Tank- Lucy | Pants- Nike, sold out but here are the matching shorts, and I linked other great black and white versions here, here, and here | Shoes- Mizuno, here is the newer version | Watch- Garmin

 

ATX Part 2

Hi friends! As you know I visited Austin last week for the first time. My sister and her friend came down to Dallas on their spring break and we drove took a road trip! We wanted to see as much as we could in the weekend that we were there, so we ran all day and crossed a lot off of our list. First stop, after dropping the pups off at the dog sitter’s was Hypnotic Donuts in Dallas. This was probably the best coffee donut I have ever had, I’ll take a half dozen more, please.

Finally we were on the road and about an hour in we started seeing signs for Waco, TX. Affectionatly known as the place where they film Fixer Upper on HGTV. We started joking about stopping ot say hello to Chip and Jo, and as we all needed a coffee break, we realized we were only about five minutes away from Magnolia Market and the silo project. So, we took a quick detour to see the market, unfortunately didn’t go in because the line was around the block, but it was worth it and we can say we saw it!

Our first stop in Austin was the HOPE Outdoor Gallery which I posted about here in ATX Part 1. Next we stopped at Umlaf Sculpture Garden which was a little underwhelming, but also a nice midday break. Bonus, my sister Megan and I blended in with the scenery.

Next stop of the day was the Texas State Capitol building. We wandered around the grounds and learned about Texas history, but mostly took in the college campus feel.

For the evening we decided to go to S Congress Ave, eat dinner and wander around. We found the infamous I love you so much wall at Jo’s Coffee outpost, finally ate dinner (we had all crashed from the donut sugar high hours ago), and then explored some more. There were so many cute vintage and knick knack shops, it was so much fun!

The next day we had plans to visit Hamilton Pool for a hike, but wanted to be sure we didn’t miss anything in Austin before we left. Continuing the donut theme from the previous day, we went to Voodoo Donuts for breakfast and walked around 6th street before heading out to hike. Overall Austin was great and I can’t wait to go back! I’m so happy to finally start exploring my new home state!

HOPE Outdoor Gallery, ATX Part 1

Hi friends! This past weekend my sister came into town for her spring break and we took a road trip to Austin, TX. We had a great time and got to explore quite a few cool new places.

One of my favorites was the Hope Outdoor Gallery. It’s a park on the side of a hill with what looks like the remnants of an old building all completely covered in graffiti, actually, it’s art. We scaled the side and hiked up to the top (not my best choice of shoes for this activity) and had a great view of downtown Austin! We watched a few new murals begin to take shape, and avoided sitting in any wet paint, so overall a pretty successful day. One thing to note if you go and get the urge to add to the wall, this is private property and you must make an appointment to paint there.

I have a ton more pictures and things to tell you about this trip, so stay tuned I’ll be posting them in the next few days!

Dress- Nordstrom | Jacket- Currant Elliott newer version here and similar vest version here | Necklace old, but love this, this and this | Booties- Cole Haan, simlilar here, and here | Bag- Rebecca Minkoff, similar version here

February Instagram Round Up

February was an interesting month for me. A lot of exciting and fun things happened like Valentine’s Day, my birthday, and my sister coming to visit and our road trip. I do have to say, though I am very ready to see what March and the Spring has ready for me. I’ll be updating my blog and hopefully making significant changes and updates, and making other exciting changes in my personal and professional life. Keep an eye out for updates! For now, enjoy my favorite moments from last month!

Back Blogging

I’m back! I am so sorry guys! I was having major technical issues with my blog, but thankfully I’m back online and back posting.

It’s been a rough couple of weeks, but I’m determined to keep my head up. I finally have time to work on my blog and I am so excited to get everything I have in my head onto the screen!

Before I do that, I have a couple visitors this weekend and we are heading to Austin, TX. I have lived in Texas for a year and a half and have yet to explore anywhere other than Dallas. So, I’m really excited to get to see and explore a new city. Hopefully I’ll get to do much more of this in the future!

Stay tuned for updates! Until then, here is a photo of my adorable puppy!

xoxo Kasey

24 Thoughts for 24 Years

Hi Everyone!

It’s my birthday (and I’m obviously not shy about sharing that fact), but just as cool is its National Drink Wine Day. What a perfect coincidence!

For this post I want to reflect on the last year and all I have learned and accomplished. So, here’s a list of my favorite moments and accomplishments!

1. I traveled so much more this year! I love seeing new places and doing new things, but don’t often take the time and money to go, so even a couple new places is a huge feat for me!
2. I moved into my own place. I have never lived by myself before and to take the leap and live by myself for the first time was huge for me.
3. In this leap, I discovered my love of interior decorating.
4. I actually reused what I had and DIY’d many pieces in my apartment. My Pinterest was never more active than when I was decorating.
5. I managed to live halfway across the country from my parents somewhat successfully.
6. I ran my second half marathon!
7. I ran my first full marathon!
8. I played tennis again! That hasn’t happened since high school, but I was so excited to find a tennis meet up that I could join and play with.
9.  I was way more active. Going along with #6-8, I maintained my fitness throughout the year much better than I have in the past.
10. I met a fantastic guy 🙂
11. I made a ton of new friends (many through said guy).
12. I have still not missed a Thanksgiving or Christmas with my family.
13. I have also managed to successfully tag along on vacations as well!
14.  I remain in touch with my best friends from childhood. Almost nothing matters more than the people who have been there for you your entire life. Why let a few states get in the way?
15.  I managed to talk to my parents more now than I did when I lived with them. We’re close.
16. I kept another being alive for a year-my dog, Elie! It was her first gotcha day in July, and we had a fantastic first year together.
17. I did so well with the above, I decided I needed another one.
18.  Money management: I got my first credit card with a large credit limit, which was incredibly daunting at the time. I’m happy to announce that I have managed it responsibly, if I do day so myself!
19. I decided on a career path. Weirdly enough, I circled back to my college major and decided to focus a career in Marketing.
20. I read more. On planes, by the pool, I am thrilled to realize that I have read many more books this year than possible in the last four combined.
21. I started this blog!
22. Not only did I start this blog, I am consistently posting and fully committed to it, which was my biggest problem in the past.
23. I got over my fear of going places alone.
24.  I continued to follow my dreams of this blog and business.

Finding the Perfect Workout for YOU

Hi Friends!

Today I want to talk to you about something important: your workout. I post a ton about running because it’s something I truly enjoy doing. However I realize it’s definitely not an activity everyone loves. So I want to tell you how I found my “thing” and help you find yours!

1. Figure out why you want to work out. Whether it’s losing weight, staying healthy, having something to do, it doesn’t matter, as long as you have a reason and a goal in mind. I started running right after my grandfather had a heart attack (he’s ok!). It really put things into perspective for me and I realized that eventhough I looked like I was in shape, it didn’t mean I was.
2. Start with something you enjoy. Find something  you already enjoy doing rather than what you think you should be doing. If you’re just starting out think about things you like to do and find an exercise counterpart. If you like dancing, try Zumba, watching TV, find an exercise bike or machine with a tv to keep your mind occupied, there’s even surf classes in the middle of the city, in today’s world there is something for everyone.
3. Don’t overcommit. Many gyms or studios have a short trial period or Groupon that so you can try them out first to determine whether you like the atmosphere or classes. Definitely take full advantage of it. There’s nothing worse than paying for a year’s membership to a gym to find out you hate machines and feel awkward around all the people. (That’s why I like running, I like to run by myself or with my dog. Plus it’s FREE.)
4. Give yourself an adjustment period. Just like my 30 day challenge, you’re not always going to get it perfect. I came off of a long break after the marathon and wasn’t in the mindset to work out everyday. So, if you miss a day (or a week) keep going!

 

Do you know what else helps? Cute workout gear! Shop my current favorites below!

Taking Back Relaxation with Valentia

When my sister and I were younger we would have spa days. We’d paint each other’s nails, give each other massages, and put on masks with cucumbers on our eyes! We loved pampering ourselves, but as we grew older and busier, we lost our relaxation days. As life gets more stressful, you realize the importance of taking some time for yourself. That’s why I am thrilled to work with Valentia to tell you about two of their fantastic products.

I was so excited to try out Valentia’s Ultra Plumping Hydration Mask, it smells so great and goes on really smooth. I left the mask on for about fifteen minutes and felt it tighten, but was pleasantly surprised when my skin didn’t dry out. I washed off the mask and even after the first use I could already feel my skin getting softer and smoother.

The other product I received from Valentia was their True Glow Eye Cream. I never use regular moisturizer on or around my eyes, so this is the perfect solution. It moisturizes and helps get rid of my under eye circles, and reduces puffiness, which was really helpful when I found out I was allergic to my friend’s cat and my face and eyes were swollen.

When I combined the effects of the mask with Valentia’s True Glow Eye Cream, it produces a great result. The hydration is amazing, especially in this constantly changing weather-my skin can’t keep up! I love how they even out my complexion and hydrate my skin. Thank you Valentia for these products, and thank you all for reading!

True Glow Eye Cream c/o Valentia

Ultra Plumping Hydration Mask c/o Valentia

xoxo Kasey

Thank you to Brandbacker and Valentia for sponsoring this post. All opinions are my own!

Rock and Roll Half Marathon

Hi Everyone! I can’t believe it has been almost two whole months since I ran my first marathon! (If you missed it click here!) I have some exciting news to announce… I’m running another big race! Right before the Dallas Marathon I was super excited and exploring at the Health and Fitness Expo. I of course stopped at most of the booths to see what swag I could get. I ended up at the Rock and Roll Marathon booth, and accidentally signed up for another race. I was a little swept into the moment! The Rock and Roll Marathon Series started in 1998 with the idea of placing bands along a race course. More runners take part in this series than any other in the US! They only run the half marathon in Dallas, and thank goodness, I don’t think I would be ready for a whole again!

As you know, I have taken some time off and haven’t had much of a work out schedule since December. I usually take the winter months off, because I hate the cold, treadmills, and have an aversion to machines in gyms. I’m working on it, guys! This race will definitely make me get over a few of those things, but I’m actually really excited about getting back into a schedule… about time because the race is 6 weeks away. It snuck up on me!

So, I found a great training program from SHAPE that I started today. (A rest day, but I did yoga.) I chose an intermediate program because I would love to improve my time, and mentally I’m past “just finishing.” (I did double that distance!) I’m a little intimidated about my 6 week goal, but when I cross that finish line it will all be worth it!

Thanks for reading!

xoxo

Kasey

 

S’more Dippin’

Hi everyone! As you’ve been reading, I visited my best friend, Lilia in Minnesota last weekend. When we’re together we revert back to our younger selves and do things that we would have when we were in middle school. One of our favorite activities was baking and concocting fun and crazy recipes, sure to give you an immediate sugar rush.

We planned ahead and researched recipes on Pinterest, Buzzfeed, and Yummly to find the best options to tweak and make our own. We landed on S’more dip, it’s a classic and s’mores happen t obe a speicialty of ours. After all, we take credit for inventing the s’moreo (melted marshmalle and chocolate in the middle of an oreo)!

Lilia can take full credit for these amazing ingredients, because she did the shopping. We prepped our work station with the ingredients: Break and Bake Toll House cookie dough, Ghirardelli dark and milk chocolate chips, marshmallow fluff, marshmallows and cinnamon graham crackers. A fantastic spread on its own, but when combined its euphoria!

To start, we spread out the blocks of cookie dough in a cast iron pan an inch or so apart and baked them for 8-10 minutes until they were about half baked. Then we added marshmallow fluff which we would recommend melting before layering on, it gets messy!

Then we combined the dark and milk chocolate chips and added a thick layer. Finally we melted the chips in the oven for a few minutes. It’s not an exact science we just tried not to burn the cookie.

Finally, the last layer was the marshmallows. We added them with little space between to cover the chocolate chips and placed in the oven until golden brown. It’s important to get that crispy shell, it’s my favorite part!

I love taking amazing recipes and tweaking them to make them my own. It’s a great way to get creative and have fun while baking! We made a ton of food, we didn’t even put a dent in the dip when we ate it, so it would probably be best for a party or a family.

Have any of you ever made s’more dip? What fun goodies did you add in?
Xoxo Kasey