Ways to Measure Fitness Progress that DON'T Include a Mirror (or scale)

It can be seriously discouraging to track meals, make time for the gym, sweat it out, wake up sore...only be feel like you're not seeing progress when you look in the mirror every day. More often than not, that is why people quit eating right or exercising. They just feel like the effort that they're putting in isn't translating to the results they want.

And that is where people go wrong. Placing all of your fitness and health goals on how you look is a sure-fire way to be disappointed. You shouldn't be working out and eating well only for a flatter tummy or reduced cellulite. Those things are great, and can sometimes indicate the effort you've been putting in, but those results are slow to come. They aren't going to show up nearly as fast as some of the OTHER ways to measure your fitness progress that DON'T include a mirror, and are just as satisfying (if you know to look for them).

1. You can go faster, climb higher, last longer, or generally DO more than you could before.

Remember that staircase at work that always put you out of breath? Now it's not even a blip on the radar. You can do even ONE extra rep, or you've added weight to your exercises from where you began. Maybe your mile time hasn't decreased, but now you can run two miles without wanting to die. Every single one of those examples is a reason to celebrate, and it's important to recognize where you've improved instead of focusing on what hasn't changed quite yet.

2. Your attitude about every day life has improved.

One of the major benefits of exercise is the endorphin release that naturally accompanies it. I know that no matter what kind of crap the day has thrown at me, I will feel better post-workout than I did before.

Plus, not only does your mood improve post-workout, but it improves all around. When you're regularly let out negative emotions and energy through exercise, the stressers of every day life don't throw you for a loop quite as bad as they used to. It's easier to recognize that there is always tomorrow to improve something.

3. You're sleeping better at night.

If you're not sleeping better at night, you're not working hard enough! This is one of the easier improvements to see right away after beginning an exercise routine. Often times, our bodies don't even begin to work to their potential sitting at a desk all day. So by the time bedtime rolls around, our bodies may feel tired, but they actually haven't done much to induce quality sleep. ANY kind of exercise will seriously improve quality of sleep, which will give you more energy to keep up your exercise routine the next day!

4. Your skin/hair/nails are clearer, longer, and stronger.

Putting your body under healthy stress (ie, exercise), means that it becomes more efficient at working out it's problems. This is why people who exercise regularly are less likely to get sick! This also means that things are working a little better at a superficial level too. Your skin turnover gets better, helping to clear up acne or scarring. Your nails start to grow faster (goodbye acrylics!). Hair looks shinier and doesn't break off quite as easily. I'm certainly not complaining about any of that!

What benefits did you start to see after working out that didn't include a mirror or a scale?

How I Survived My First 5k Race

If you can remember way back to three weeks ago, I had written a post journaling the start of my training for my very first 5k race, and this past Saturday was the culmination of all my efforts of the last four weeks.

Now, I don't want to seem like I'm bragging, but for me to finish a 3.1 mile race is something of a small miracle.

(that's me in the green, very excited to no longer be running)

Never in my life have I been a natural athlete, and certainly not a natural runner. My boyfriend had to actually teach me how to move my arms and legs in sync with each other, if that gives you any indication of my natural born talents.

I'm sure some people will scoff at running a 5k. "You only ran 3 miles? That's my warm up!" But I know that there are far more people out there who are thinking that they WISH they could run a 5k...and I'm here to tell those people that if I can do it, then so can you.

It literally takes nothing more than time and determination. Having said that, it can be hard to believe it's as simple as that, so I've outlined a few of the tips I followed and will share a few of the revelations I had along the way.

1) Start small, and don't overestimate your abilities
The first day I tried to run the full three miles after an 8-hour work day of wearing heels...it went about as well as you might expect. I ended up running a mile and a half before quitting with huge calf cramps and deflated spirit. It's key to just start off gauging your abilities. I'd say try running a mile (walking when needed) just to see what your fitness level is. From there, build up to the full 3.1 miles. There are TONS of programs on the internet, and Pinterest is a great place to find some easy to read programs. I have a ton of easy ways to get started and fitness motivation on my fitness board...check it out here!

credit: Jeff Henrickson Designs

2) You're capable of far more than you realize
This may seem to counteract what I just told you in point one, but it's also seriously important to recognize how amazingly adaptive our bodies are. The heart starts to condition itself for cardio activity as soon as after THREE cardio activities! That means your fourth workout could already start to feel significantly better than when you started. Telling yourself your aren't capable of something is the worst thing you can do keep yourself from a dream.

3) Don't compare yourself to other people
There was always a handful of people I was consistently passing up on the track...but far more who were consistently passing me. It can be discouraging to think that people are looking at you or wondering what you're doing. But I promise, everyone else is so wrapped up in their own workouts that they don't even hardly notice you. So try your best not to take notice of them and focus on how much better YOU are doing than the person you were yesterday.

4) No matter how crappy you feel during, you'll feel amazing when you're finished
The first time I actually finished the 3.1 miles in training, I felt like I was going to puke afterward, and it had taken me 40 minutes to finish. But as soon as I stepped off that treadmill (after cooling down for at least 5 minutes!) I felt like I was on top of the world. And this didn't get any less satisfactory as time went on.

credit: proteinfart.com

5) Don't skip two workouts in a row
This is probably the biggest and most helpful piece of advice I found, and I'll definitely be doing another blog post on it later down the road. The basic concept is that every one needs a day off every now and then, even if it wasn't out scheduled off day. And that's okay. But that skipping two scheduled workouts in a row building a psychological momentum that is hard to break. So even if you don't do what you planned on doing, make sure to do SOMETHING physical after an off day. It can be stretching, yoga, or a light walk around the block. Anything to keep your body from getting complacent with sitting around.

And that's about it. Of course it was super helpful that I had a wonderful cheerleader (thanks, Seth) making sure that I almost never missed a workout. However, I found the most important thing was to stick to a routine, even when I didn't feel motivated.

Have you ever completed a 5k? Half-marathon? FULL marathon? What fitness goal are you going to work towards now?

xoxo, KT

How I Started Training for My First 5k Race: Week One

I would never describe myself as “athletic”. I was the kid who was always picked last in gym class. I’m 95% sure that the only time I wasn’t picked last in gym class was when we learned to play basketball. Please note that this was probably the last time I was picked first to play basketball. I’m about as coordinated at dribbling as a t-rex would be (I’m assuming they can’t really manage that skill).

Consequently, I’ve learned to hate most physical activity, but most of all running. The only thing that I might hate more than running is box jumps. Once, Seth tried to make me do box jumps- I cried. He hasn’t tried to make me do them again.

So it’s a safe to assume that while running isn’t going to make me cry, it isn’t on the list of things that I do for fun. It just doesn’t really make sense to follow up drinking wine and shoe shopping with running.

So when a work friend sent out a email about a 5k happening in Madison in December, I laughed, and moved on. But a few days later I came back to it and said oh what the heck, and handed over a $15 check and my soul signed away on a waiver form.

On Monday of this week I realized that I had only one month until the race, and that I should probably start training. Thankfully, my boyfriend, Seth, trains athletes for a living and has run more than his fair share of 5k races. He suggested that I spend the first week just gauging my abilities and feeling out how I felt after each session before starting a true training program. What better way to do that than a blog post?

(Remembering to stay hydrated before, because once I actually got sick from not drinking enough before a run.)

Day One, November 9:
Forgot gym bag sitting next to the front door in my tornado of trying to get out the door on time. Combining the start of training with a two week spending ban probably wasn’t my smartest idea. So instead I looked at graphs of how to train instead of actually training. How Type A of me.

Day Two, November 10:

I remembered to grab my bag before leaving, but I packed my usual training shoes and leggings instead of running shorts and shoes. Ideal for lifting, not so much for running. If that wasn’t enough already, I didn't really think about what my usual heels would mean for this new plan. I found out that they are actually a terrible idea when I tried to start running and my calves cramped up so bad that I almost fell on my face on the track in front of everyone. I documented the aftermath on my Snapchat, ktcat92, and let me say, it wasn't pretty.

Length: 1.25 miles

Time: 18:25

Day Three, November 11:

Victory! Nothing went wrong! I didn’t finish the entire 3.1 miles, but today was legitimately the longest I’ve ever run for in my entire life. I felt like doing a little happy dance, but my calves were still on fire from the day before, so I settled for a victory wiggle instead.

Length: 2.5 miles

Time: 31:15

Day Four, November 12:

In an effort not to tire myself too badly (or get so bored that I quit), I decided to forgo running and lift instead, an activity I actually really enjoy. I don’t feel completely uncoordinated, and it also helps the booty (can’t so no to that). Unfortunately, I forgot my Polar Heart Rate Monitor, so I didn’t get to watch my heart rate climb or see my calories burned at the end. Still, a pretty successful workout.

Day Five, November 13:
I did NOT want to run this day. But I've found that one of the best ways to trick yourself is to just put on workout clothes, and walk around the track for a while. More often than not, I'll say to myself "Well, I'm already here. I might as well work." Almost every single time I'm more than happy I workout out (almost).
Length: 2 miles
Time: 23:22

I didn't work out yesterday or today, mostly because I didn't want to run outside since I'm still pretty unfamiliar with my surroundings up here. Still, my body feels pretty good and even though my legs are a little sore, they don't feel like they're going to fall off like I expected. Overall, I'd say this week went FAR better than expected. We will have to see what the coming week brings with an actual training program in place.

Have you ever done a 5k? If you haven't, have you ever thought about doing one, and what's stopped you from taking on the challenge?

Shopping Ban Update 11.13.15

It is officially day 4 of my shopping ban and I haven’t broken down. I’m feeling pretty good, if a little under caffeinated. The free hotel-quality coffee they have at work isn’t cutting it anymore, and if I didn’t already know I had a Dunkin’ Donuts gift card stashed away for tomorrow morning, I might’ve been seriously tempted to get a latte.

UPDATE: I wrote this last night. It is now Day 5, and sleeping terribly + needing to get gas = no time for Dunkin Donuts. I almost had a breakdown.

(Me, not enjoying the work coffee, but drinking it anyway)

So far this experiment has been less about money and more about preparedness (I made a terrible Girl Scout back in the day). It might seem stupid, but I know myself well enough to know that I’m not going to prepare a lunch the night before. Consequently, that means I’m making it in the morning now, which translates to waking up earlier. The free coffee at work continues to looking worse and worse.

Still, I’ve managed to eat something different at lunch every single day this week!

Day 1: Turkey sandwich, apple, cottage cheese

Day 2: Chili and crackers with ½ avocado

Day 3: Whole wheat wrap with turkey/avocado/salsa plus an apple

Day 4: Peanut butter and jam sandwich, ½ avocado, apple
Day 5: Crockpot chicken thighs + brown rice

The fact that I’ve actually remembered food every day this week is a small miracle. It also proves that maybe I’m not giving myself enough credit. I’m wondering if maybe my spending habits really are just out of laziness rather than lack of time…

I could also just be feeling philosophical from lack of espresso.

It has yet to show itself yet, but I’m also curious to find if I drop a few pounds at the end of these two weeks. I can’t hop down to the little café and grab a snack now, and I sure as hell don’t plan far enough to remember one. Combine that with the added exercise I’ve been doing, and we’ll maybe have a happy unexpected correlation. Starting a shopping ban at the same time as training for a 5k probably wasn’t my smartest choice, but we all have to live with our decisions, don’t we?

The weekend is approaching, and that normally means $$$. This is actually the first weekend since I’ve moved that I don’t have any plans, so it will be a true test of occupying my time considering I’ll also be alone. What are some of your suggestions for weekend fun that don’t include spending money?

I'm Doing a 2-Week Spending Ban Challenge

Meet Katie:

Self proclaimed shopaholic. The Devil Wears Prada makes me swoon regardless of how many times I've watch it and Confessions of a Shopaholic spoke to me on more levels than I'm willing to admit out loud. 

That is why, a particularly spendy weekend (thanks a lot, Sephora), I’ve made the executive decision to place myself on a self-imposed spending detox. A shopping ban, if you will.

I’ve heard stories of people doing such reckless things before like spending an entire year without buying anything new (uhm, yeah, not happening), or even going 6 months (still not happening). I’m not trying to light myself on fire here. No, I’m definitely going to have to crawl before I try to run a marathon.

The rules are as outlined below: I must go two full weeks without buying anything except for gas (a 45 minute commute dictates this unfortunate expense).

The Rulebook:

1.       Running Time: November 9^th- November 23^rd, 2015.
2.       All food must be eaten from the existing pantry/fridge unless it is given to me
3.       Absolutely no shopping of any kind (beauty, clothing, food, home, etc.)
4.       Gas is the only acceptable expense.
5.       I must record the pitfalls, woes, triumphs, and ultimate struggles of this experience as often as every day.

I’m expecting this to be difficult, mostly because the majority of my activities outside of work currently involve spending money. Given that I still haven’t found many friends in this new city, I spend most of my time alone, looking at websites filled with beautiful products or at the mall conveniently located about half a mile from my apartment.

This is a new opportunity to get creative with how I spend my time. I’ve been slacking on work outs as of late, and my work conveniently provides a free gym. There are a multitude of projects I’ve been ignoring inside my apartment including unpacking the last box of random “stuff” that really just needs to be put away. I even got a free Christmas tree this past weekend (thanks, Mom)! With so much I actually need to do, it’s a wonder I found time to even shop! (hahahahahahahahahaha)

At the end of this two week spending detox, I will allow myself to buy the turtlenecks I’ve been eyeing from Lands’ End (hi employee holiday discount) so that I can wear them for the holidays. PS- if you don’t know that turtlenecks are a thing again, look no further. I’ll be updating you on outfits once I have these bad boys in my hands.

This is truly going to be a test of my creativity and resourcefulness. There are tons of ways to get around spending money…I’m usually just too lazy to figure them out.

Let the fun begin. 

LIFE: Happy National Coffee Day!

It is certainly no surprise that I am something of a coffee addict. I mean, college + fashion + journalism + blogging = most stereotypical coffee drinker ever. Naturally,  I've spent the entire day looking up coffee themed products, and here are some of the ones that have tested my self control to it's absolute limits. You can thank me later, bank account.

letteredandlined

This is the perfect little print to educate those less knowledgable.

MooseberryCases

If I could have a case with my name + coffee + a pumpkin I would be the most basic white girl ever. And not even care.

WhoDoesntWantThat

Yup, no reason to not want this one.

ArmiTee

This is the perfect sleep shirt or lazy day outfit tee. It even says so right on the shirt.

ArmiTee

Equally as perfect.

HopSkipJumpPaper

Seth doesn't even like coffee, but he knows how much I do, so this would be perfect to hand to him on our anniversary.

Don't mind if I do. What's your favorite coffee drink? Or do you prefer tea?

Enjoy the day everyone, and drink a cup or two for me! 

LIFE: Health vs Lifestyle- Help Me Decide

Top left- 2 ingredient banana "pancakes" with green tea and agave nectar

Top right- Every day breakfast of oatmeal with fruit

Bottom left- Strawberry banana "ice cream"

Bottom right- typical breakfast smoothie

If you follow me on Instagram then you're probably wondering "why is she showing us pictures I've already seen?". And if you're not following me on Instagram...why aren't you following me on Instagram? 

Regardless of whether or not you choose to let me bully you into following my social media platforms, I've been posting quite a few healthy food pictures, and even posted a very sexy picture of myself sweaty and showing off my non-abs. So why does this matter to you? It might not, but I have been contemplating turning Wednesday into a "Health" section on this blog. That is where I could really flesh out any receipies I've tried (Instagram is a little cumbersome for that), give reviews on any products I've wasted my money on, or just anything a long those lines. 

I wouldn't be doing it to "keep myself honest" because let's face it. If I didn't want to post anything that week, it's all too easy to just skip out. I'd be doing it because now that my mind is thinking about these things more and more often, I find myself needing a platform other than Twitter and Instagram to really share my experience and thoughts on something. It also doesn't have to be a category. It could just be part of the Sunday lifestyle posts I've been doing and get filed in there (since sometimes I do struggle for weekly content on those).

So what do you think? Should posts like that be transformed into a new category or should I just file them under "lifestyle" and post them on Sundays as they come along?

xoxo, Katie

LIFE: bloom where you are planted

image

For some reason or another, these types of posts don't usually do very well on this blog, but I felt this was a pretty important topic that I needed to get out.

After having moved a couple of times (twice for school, and now my internship), I've realized the true importance of a quote like this. Too often people will make themselves unhappy because a situation is less than ideal or just not what they expected. Maybe the job you wanted is in a crappy part of the country, or the place you want to live doesn't have the right job for you. Maybe you were planning to get a job much higher up, and instead you're stuck at the bottom. Life will throw all sorts of curve balls we don't plan on, but the best thing to do is react them to and move forward.

Blooming where you are planted is all about making the best out of every kind of situation, because something can be learned from anything. Right now I'm living in my roommate's apartment that smells like cat litter and has dust bunnies pilled to the ceiling. What good is it going to do me to just complain about it? Instead, I've learned that regular cleaning really does make a difference (and makes it easier in the long run) and that my mom wasn't crazy all those years when she had us do a weekend cleaning of the floors, bathrooms, and kitchen. Parents really do get smarter as we get older.

Nothing turns out how we think it will. Another great quote to go along with this one is "life is what happens when you're busy making plans". It's just so true. It seems that most of the time there is nothing we can do in the long run but try our best to work toward something and then roll with the punches. If you're working in a company, looking at the CEO thinking "I want to do THAT", but you're stuck doing data entry, don't cry about it- do something about it. Whining isn't going to accomplish anything, and doing the very best data entry you can and looking for ways to improve it will not only create more purpose in you (creating a happier person), but also earn the recognition of those hiring that CEO. Taking root in a spot, making it the absolute best possible, and excelling at whatever task is at hand

 

So next time you're lamenting a terrible position or situation, take a step back and look at it for what it could be worth. More often than not, there is something to be taken from it, and think about a literal flower. Flowers that grow even in the most dried up undernourished dirt are absolutely amazing. Even more amazing than those planted in the store bought ultra-grow fancy soil. Be that flower. Be the flower that creates something out of nothing, that shocks everyone and truly flourishes in the environment that you are placed. There's nothing to lose except for the negative attitude holding most of us back.

 

 

LIFESTYLE: Family Weekend + Shopping Haul

As the weekend is upon us once again, I've gotten a little sad about the slump in plans. Looking forward, I have great plans to visit my boyfriend for the 4th of July holiday weekend, and last weekend was an absolute blast because my mom and grandma made the 7 hour drive just for two days with me. I have the best family :)

1. The most amazing blueberry almond oatmeal. I'm normally not a big fan of blueberries, but this might have converted me. The best part? The restaurant is just 15 minutes from my house.

2. My goodies from the weekend. I went a little shopping crazy after actually having people to get out and about with for the first time in a long while.

3. The magazines I picked up for 50% off! You best believe I'll be reading these cover to cover and then using them for an inspiration board + two new lip products (more on those to come later)

4. I let out my inner gypsy with a satin open shoulder peasant top and dangle earrings. I've recently become obsessed with fun earrings. Maybe it's because it's getting to be too hot for statement necklaces.

We had the best time doing touristy things around the area I'm living, showing them where I've been working the last month, and just sitting down and enjoying each other's company. I didn't realize how much I would miss them! It makes me appreciate the time I do have that much more now.

PS- I struggled with where to "categorize" this post. The great thing about categories is that it makes blog planning super easy. I can assign a category to a day of the week and my life is so much simpler! The only snag is when random posts pop up that I want to blog, but don't fit neatly anywhere. So while this may not be a traditional "lifestyle" post, I'm just taking a deep breath and realizing not EVERYTHING has to tuck away neatly. Baby steps.

xoxo, Katie

LIFE: Shopping Snippets

I know that Thursdays are usually a beauty post day, and I had one planned out and everything, but it rained all. freaking. day. yesterday and pictures were just impossible to take inside by house. The lighting is difficult enough to work with on a sunny day, let alone a drizzly mess.

However, the rain didn't stop my sister and I from taking a romp around town for some little things I needed for my room before The Big Move. One of our longest stops was Target, and I happened to remember to bring out my camera to get a few snaps of the goings on.

Of course in true "white girl" fashion we had to stop and get a starbucks for our trip around the store. I like to use the excuse that the town my college is in doesn't have one, so being home makes it a treat. Now that Lands' End has one inside the building I'll be working from, I have no excuse and will have to keep my habits in check.

A look through the dollar bin always proves fun! Although it's turned into the $1 & $3 bins now? When did that happen? Anyway, this basil growing kit made me laugh. Seth loves basil, and I thought this was a cute little kit I would have bought for him if I wouldn't have had to send it through the mail to reach him :( 
And these little candle holders were quite nice quality given that they only cost $1 each. If I was a tea light candle person, I would have bought them.

This little journal was too perfect to pass up. It's the perfect size for throwing in a purse (possibly the one to the right?) for jotting down notes/ideas/etc. I snagged that along with a few other items from the bins, and later this week I'm going to write up a haul post of everything I bought from Target and the two other places we went into. 
I fell deeply and madly in love with this brown purse, but the price tag just didn't warrant the splurge just yet. Especially because I really need a black structured bag more than anything (see my last post here for which one I've got my eye on). Looking at it now, however, I'm glad I didn't spend the money on it. It's photographed quite orange, and that's the trademark of cheap fake brown leather, I feel.

Running errands doesn't require a sacrifice of fashion. It was just as easy to throw on a pair of jeans, a sweater, and low heels as it would have been to wear leggings, a t-shirt, and tennis shoes (and heels don't require laces!). The make-up section of Target has also gotten a makeover since I've last been in. While it is brighter, I felt that it was quite a bit smaller- am I imagining that?

PS- my blog sale is going on through May 29th, so don't miss out on that. Later this evening I'll be updating it with books and shoes, so make sure to follow me on Twitter @styleduckling to know when everything is updated! I'll also be updating periodically with new items and tweeting every time something different goes up. Don't miss out ;)

xoxo, Katie

LIFE: "Calories Don't Count In This Mug"

For Christmas this past year, my uncle gave me this mug from Starbucks and it's been sitting on my dresser waiting for me to draw on it. I have a love-hate relationship with these types of customizable things. On one hand I want to just go crazy and doodle all over it, though I know it will end up a mess. On the other hand, I see all these amazing drawings and inspirational ideas on Tumblr and Pinterest of these intricate designs and I think "I know I could do that. Why don't I?" So the end result of the internal conflict in the creative project sitting dormant for 4 months before I finally pick it up and let the perfectionist in me take a cleaver to the head.

This mug design came from a spoon I saw (maybe on Instagram? I can't quite remember) that said "Calories don't count on this spoon" and I fell in love with it. I searched around to try and find it, and I found a few versions on Etsy (although I particularly loved this shop the most. She sells the most inspirational food related items). They're a little more than I have at the moment so I thought "hmmmm...this could work" and let loose.

It's both a fun and personal little mug. It can be easy to get caught up in the calories and fat content and fiber content and vitamins and the list goes on. Sometimes we all need a little reminder that it's ok to enjoy an indulgent cup of coffee every once in a while. Drinkable calories are one thing that just get me every time (hence my usual non-Starbucks coffee order of black coffee with two Equal). This fun and lighthearted mug will help me keep things light when the season for hot chocolate rolls around again.

As for the actual mug/pen set itself, it was a bit tricky. The white pen would only work sporadically which is why some of the little coffee mugs are more visible than others. The black end worked well enough once I got it going, and I have yet to use it since I still need to bake this mug in the oven (450 degrees for 30 mins). I think this would work just as well with any old porcelain mug and a Sharpie, so give it a whirl! Feel free to email or tweet at me if you do the project :)

This little post has been refreshing from the usual fashion and beauty. Do lifestyle posts interest you all as readers? There is something about Sunday that lends itself to lifestyle posts, I think. Maybe I will start a new lifestyle set of posts on Sunday. I'll be participating in the #lbloggers chat this afternoon on Twitter from 1-2 pm CST if anyone is so inclined to join. Happy tweeting!

Instagram Life #3

OOTD - My 'every day' makeup - My first Razzleberry Peace Tea!

Rompers are the best - #mylife - OOTD featuring my DIY American Flag shorts

I was going to die - The Beauty Crush in TIME (and subscribing to my Youtube!) - the prettiest cat we found a home for

My makeup from prom - cuddling - my new favorite necklace in two OOTDS!

I feel like a default to these posts every time life gets busy and hectic and I'm not sure what else to post, but there is always positive feedback, so I'm just going to keep doing it! Life has just been BOOM-BOOM-BOOM one thing right after the next lately, and it's not slowing down. Weddings, work, vacation, it's all just piling up! I'm sure you all can relate. Hopefully I'll have some time to breathe in the next couple days, and there will be a proper post soon. Ta-ta for now!

(I really need a different ending. I don't want to sound like Tigger)

A Week In the Life

My new rook piercing! - I was having a good curl day ^_^ - preview from the Easter post!

Shameless selfie - delicious Starbucks and my new sunglasses - spoiled myself with a laptop sleeve ;)

TBT post from senior prom - first time trying the Green Tea Frapaccino- Tyler asking me to his prom <3

Tyler and me on our anniversary - my sister at the Melting Pot for her 16th birthday! - Shy Girl by MAC (and my latest obsession)

Sorry for being MIA! My camera died in the middle of taking pictures on Easter, and after I came home to try and find the charger I realized that I had no clue where it was! Consequently, I haven't been able to use my camera since then. Hopefully I'll find it soon!

In the mean time, here are a few snippets from my Instagram. I am always looking for ways to see more of my favorite internet people's lives, so if you feel so inclined as to follow me, please do! My username is @katiegassmann (the same as my twitter)

25 Facts About Me

Oh hi there :) This post was inspired by a couple of bloggers who have done the same thing recently, and I thought it would be an easy way to share my life outside of the fashutysphere (<--new word right there, I better patent that). 

1. I love the radio. I have 12 different programmed stations and rarely listen to my iPod in the car

2. I've literally watched every episode of "Friends". More than once

3. Harry Potter is my all time favorite series.

4. I own 71 OPI nail polishes

5. My time management skills are probably some of the worst you'll ever encounter.

6. I adore baseball, especially Cardinals baseball.

7. I went to a private school for 1st-8th grade.

7th grade, braces....tell me why this picture was ever taken, again?

8. I've never left the United States and have only been as far west as Kansas City, Missouri

9. I went on a school trip to Washington DC in 8th grade and to NYC my sophomore year of high school.

10. My feet and hands are constantly cold, but I refuse to wear socks and only own one pair of gloves.

11. My boyfriend and I live 250 miles away from each other.

This picture is just over a year and a half old now. Time really does fly! (now I sound like an old woman, haha)

12. I love watching wedding TV shows.

13. I'm transferring schools in the fall

14. I absolutely hate cherries and anything cherry scented or flavored (candy, chapstick, medicine, etc)

15. My hair is naturally curly (no perm required) and it's always been like this.

Barney sweater, chocolate cone..what more could I have asked for?

16. When I was a junior in high school, I chopped off all my hair and kept it short until the end of my senior yet, and now I'm still in the process of growing it all back out.

17. I didn't fly on a airplane until I was almost 18 years old.

18. I am 100% addicted to Twitter (my link is on the right if you want to follow!)

19. I kept a pacifier until I was almost 5 years old. 

20. I literally cannot remember any of my freshman year of high school except for the very last day, and I remember very little of my sophomore year.

Hahaha, sophomore year,  2009....classic.

21. I love love love babies, but they terrify me. I'm always afraid I'll permanently damage them or scar them for life.

22. Spongebob is my favorite cartoon, and Tyler and I regularly quote it to each other.

23. If I start eating Chips Ahoy cookies, I will literally eat an entire sleeve of them. I can't stop. They have to be the crunchy ones though, because the chewy kind are not as good.

24. I am a terrible worrier. 

25. This list was much much harder than I thought it would be.


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Let's Get Started!

Even though it's a few days into the new year, I feel obligated to make a post about any new years resolutions I've decided to make. Though I know just about every single blogger on the planet made this post, I think that if I make my list public that I'll be more likely to stick to it. I haven't made any of the typical "lose weight/work out/eat better" resolutions, but I have made two separate lists: one for my lifestyle and one for my blog/fashion. Let me know in the comments what any of your resolutions are!

Lifestyle

1. Stress less about small things

2. Plan better/organization

3. Focus on school

4. Save money

5. Read more for fun

Blog/Fashion

1. Build a wardrobe

While my closet is stuffed to the brim, I realize there are so many items I don't wear or don't have anything to wear with. So over this year I'll be cleaning out my closet/shoes/jewelry, selling the items I can't work with (check eBay! There's in the right side bar), and building a solid wardrobe. I think I'll be putting posts up as I move forward on this journey, so check back!

2. Challenge myself

I feel like I get stuck in ruts. I find a trend I like, a fit I like, or a color, and then get lost in it. I also find myself wearing black on the bottom, and not pushing myself to get out of that. I also really want to get a fur collar, something I'd never have thought of last year. 

3. Blog consistently!

I'm sure any readers will appreciate this! I blog so much in spurts, but then go two or three week without a single peep from me. This year I'm determined to keep up with blogging regularly. I think I felt so much pressure to blog a certain way that it stopped me from letting loose. This year is going to change that.

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow!

As some of you may know, my boyfriend and I are in a long distance relationship, and so for the last week I've been visiting him and his family. Thankfully, I brought along my camera. Unfortunately, it wasn't used for it's intended purposes of outfit pictures. Instead, a snow storm, that I would never have experienced further south at home, hit today and we've been locked inside all day! It's been a lovely day inside all warm and toasty, though, so I thought I'd show you a few snippets from the day.

His cat, Mojo, was very into being a kitty model today.

Sammy, however, was too busy sleeping by the fire to be very bothered with posing nicely.

6 inches of snow later, it's finally slowed down, I think. Although its hard to tell since the wind is blowing everything around. Hope you all had as nice a Thursday as mine was, and tomorrow is Friday! The last weekend for Christmas shopping! It is sure to be a mad house. Hopefully you've been more responsible than I have and finished shopping before now ;) Happy Holidays!

Uh Oh Spaghetti-O's....

Hey there everyone! As you can see, this isn't going to be a regular type of post for The Style Duckling. As you can also see, I haven't posted for quite a while, and I'm here to fill you in on everything that's gotten in the way of that so you don't feel as though I've abandoned you all!

Since my last post on Thursday, August 30th, I went and visited my boyfriend for his first home football game and to spend the weekend with him and his fantastic family. Here a few little snippets from that wonderful weekend trip :)

headed to the game | his very large cat named cucumber | classic couple photo :)

However, during such trip, I started to feel a little poorly. I didn't think much of it at the time, but now I know that I should have (hindsight is always 20/20...). When I came home Monday afternoon, I spoke with my doctor and he wrote a prescription for an antibiotic I have needed before, and I went along my merry way thinking I would all find and well in just a few days. How very wrong I was... By Thursday I was so ill that I bombed a math quiz because I was running such a high fever (at one point it was at 103.6!) I was practically falling over and I missed the rest of my classes the rest of the day. By Friday morning, I had to be admitted into the hospital. And here are some lovely snaps of my stay here! (Proceed with caution if you're squeamish at all of needles!)

whats keeping me alive | whats actually keeping me alive | he wanted to be in charge of the remote...

Hopefully I'll be able to go home tomorrow afternoon, but they really need to make sure a few more things are in order before they can let me leave. This is all connected to a childhood illness that I was born with that is really just a bunch of complicated terms to describe that my kidneys didn't function as they should have, and though they have grown stronger as I've grown older, I am still quite susceptible to kidney and other related infections and diseases. It's all my own fault that I'm stuck here really, since I didn't respond quite as fast as I should have. So now I'm being punished by karma to be stuck in this place all weekend! This is the first time that I've really had the strength and right state of mind to let you all know what's going on. Hopefully I'll be out of here soon and better than ever, because after my constant reading of Vogue all weekend, I'm just bursting at the seems with trends and pieces I've fallen in love with to share with you all. Off to eat a terrible lunch of hospital cafeteria food, ta-ta for now!

Instagram Installment #2 + {GIVEAWAY WINNERS}

IHOP - New old purse - Tyler and I at "wiener dog races"!
Amazing chocolate chip frappe - Preview of a post - Tyler and Mojo :)
Preview of a post - My breakfast on National Girlfriend Day! - My pink rose for NGD <3
Shellac manicure - New thrifted sunglasses - Amazingly indulgent sandwich at 3 AM
"Classic" - Baseball hat Tyler won for me at a carnival - Glitter french manicure

Helloooo everyone! I haven't posted anything mainly because I don't have anything excited to post.. *whomp whomp whomp*. Sad life, I know. Honestly, I've just been working, spending way too much time watching my favorite blogger's YouTube videos (some recent favorites here and here), and wishing I had a more exciting life to share with you all! I did, however, venture out into the world of regular, non-lifeguarding people yesterday to purchase supplies for a new idea I've been hatching. Lately, I've been selling a lot of my clothes (if you're my personal Facebook friend, you're very aware of that), and that got me to thinking: "what if I made clothes to sell?" So that's what I'm going to do! That old adage "you have to spend money to make money" is far too true for my liking after yesterday's expenses, but I felt you all would be worth it. Expect to see lots of dying, ombre, studs, denim, and vintage-inspired items. So, I'll be making an announcement later on this week with lots of pictures and links to where you'll be able to bid on them/buy them (eBay, probably).

Now on to the part I'm sure you all clicked over for: the giveaway winners! Thankfully, there is the amazing website called Rafflecopter that allows people to enter, it stores all the information, and then randomly generates a winner!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Congrats to the winners, and I'll be emailing them later today! XX

Insta-Haul and Exciting Announcements!

So I know that it's a popular thing to do right now, but I thought that this would be a good little post to let you guys in on my life a little more and to make a couple of announcements! Most of these photos are from when Tyler visited me about a week ago, and then some random tidbits :)

Insta-Haul

First row (left to right): 1. Tyler and I got ice cream. He is just weird... 2. I can't get over Hot Pockets. I think I eat them every day 3. At the zoo!

Second row: 1. Tyler's dog, Sammy. She's so adorable! 2. Me, sporting my straight hair 3. My little fangirl moment when Kavita from She Wears Fashion liked my posts!

Third row: 1. The rows and rows of shoes I loved at the mall 2. Getting excited about my 4th of July post 3. Tyler and I hanging out on a hammock on the 4th :)

Fourth row: 1. My video attempt (disaster! haha) 2. My snacks from going to our outdoor theater 3. Tyler and I at fireworks

Fifth row: 1. My dog Daisy fell in love with him. So sweet! 2. My Vince Camuto heels I snagged at a thrift store for $6! 3. Our day out when we saw Spiderman and went to Red Lobster

I have a couple of announcements! The first being that we hit our first 1,000 page views! Thank you so much for everything. Seriously. I get so excited when I check my email and see that new comments have been added and I do my best to reply as fast as possible and to follow everyone that leaves a link. I'm always happy to check out other blogs! We've also almost hit 20 follows for which I am so grateful. The second announcement is that I have a giveaway planned for the one month anniversary of The Style Duckling coming up on the 27th. I'm not going to say what it is yet, but I will tell you guys that it's a really unique piece of jewelry! I'll make a post about that on the 27th of July, so be sure to check back then (and of course always check back for new posts!). Lastly, I was contacted by one of my classmates from high school who is a photography major, and she offered to help me by taking some outfit shots! We have that planned for Thursday, so that should be quite fun and a great opportunity for the blog. 

Sorry for the huge paragraph. I promise the next post will have some great pictures in it, because a HUGE shout-out needs to go to my daddy for allowing me the use of his amazing D5000 Nikon! The picture quality is amazing, and all of the colors are showing up fantastically.

Well, I do believe that's all for now. If there is anything you guys would like to see, just leave a comment or feel free to email me! Can't wait to hear from you all. Check back soon (probably tomorrow!) for a nail polish review post. I've gotten some feedback to do more nail/nail polish posts. Thanks again, everyone, and keep checking back!