Summer Trends

So every day that I'm at home while Nick is gone, I can't help but browse online for the cutest fashion trends.  My personal fashion has changed a lot this summer just from the cute new things coming in all the time.  My personal favorites are fedoras and maxi skirts this season.  I love cute hats because they go with everything and take an outfit from day to night.  I also love maxi skirts because they are SO comfortable & flowy which makes it so I'm not so super hot that I can't stand it.  Here are a few of my favorite pieces I've seen this summer:

Nordstrom B.P. department

I love this skirt because the floral print adds so much to the outfit- all you need is a cardigan or a simple basic top to match and you have yourself a darling little outfit!  The best part about Nordstrom B.P is that it's on the fairly inexpensive side compared to most of what Nordstrom has, and they have the cutest styles!

Nordstrom B.P. department

I saw this hat the other day while browsing in Nordstrom and thought it was so cute!  At first I didn't really think I could pull it off but after I saw Minka Kelly in the Roommate (see pic below) with her little fedora on I decided I should try one myself.  It is SO adorable on & I love the simple black band- makes it easy to match just about everything :)

Dillards- bet you can't guess the price ;)

I have been looking for a gold watch for the longest time.  I looked for a while and never really found one that I loved, except of course, Michael Kors.  However, at this point I don't have $225 to spend on a watch!  I would rather save that money for a new Mac that my husband quite possibly might buy me for Christmas/Birthday present. ;) However, while browsing through Dillards the other day, I came across this watch.  It was sitting on the clearance table, with another just like it.  It is SO adorable, & I thought for sure it was NOT on clearance.  OK: so here is the best part.  I looked at the tag, and it was originally like $150- for a Betsey Johnson watch, figures.  Well so then it got marked down to $20 apparently and I immediately snatched it and paid for it and got it sized- and it is now my favorite accessory.  I love it & if you're looking for a Gold watch, check Dillards!! It's so cute and sparkles, which I love :)

As most of you know, I'm totally hair obsessed.  I want to go to hair school someday, maybe once I'm finished with college.  A lot of me doubts that will happen, but maybe :)

Anyway, I thought I would post one of my favorite hair tools also because I get asked so many times what curling iron I use for my hair.  Sometimes I use a basic hot tools one, but for the big loose waves I do to it, I use a curling iron called the Cortex 4 in 1.  Check it out below :)

I guess the reason I love this so much is because it comes with so many choices!  I usually just use the biggest barrel to create loose waves, but the other three give so many options- whether you want tight or looser curls, this gives you those options.  The other great thing about this curling iron is the curls last all day, sometimes days.  It also literally takes me ten minutes to curl my whole head, and who doesn't want their hair to be done FAST but still look amazing?!  It's perfect for everyday waves as well as tighter curls for a more romantic, date look.  I definitely recommend!  I purchased this from www.folica.com & another great thing?  Lifetime warranty.  So if it ever breaks, you get a new one for free. :)

Anyway, quick post, quick rant about a few favs :)

Hope everyone is enjoying their summer, we're sure looking forward to seeing all of our family and friends again in about a month & a half!

Middle of Summer time!

Hey everyone!  I haven't written a post in a while now, so I just wanted to update on how The Jackson family is doing here in Colorado!  Things have been good, fortunately it's sunny outside and makes days so much more beautiful.  However, it's definitely taking a toll on me with Nick being gone all day long!  It's been hard at times because I get lonely, & I miss having him around all the time.  I won't lie, it's making me look forward to going back to school in the fall!

My job has been great though, it definitely keeps me busy and the girls I work with are super nice.  I'm happy I actually found a job because if I didn't, I REALLY don't know what I would've done this summer!

To keep me busy during the summer, I work during the day as well as hang out with the wives of the guys that work with Nick!  They are all so much fun to hang out with and it's great when we get together and talk and have our girl time, because without it I think I would go crazy! :)

I can't believe the summer is half over already.  Somehow it's the days that go slow, the weeks go fast... so weird how that happens!!  Anyway, my parents have been staying at our house in Springville lately, decorating and finishing things while we're out for the summer.  I'm so excited to come back to it all decorated and cute when we get home!  I'm so grateful for my mom who has spent so much time making it perfect.  I love you Mom! (& dad!!! :)

For the kitchen, I'm wanting kind of a contemporary look with a few modern twists.  I love this table because it's tall and really gorgeous wood.  My mom and I both LOVE tall tables and I know Nick does too. :)

Pottery Barn kitchen table

My mom and I were thinking of getting a sectional for the living room, because it adds lots of seating without taking up tons of space.  It's perfect for big family get togethers or when friends are over for fun. I love the tan/neutral color that goes with everything, so I could add a pop of color to it if I wanted and switch up colors if I wanted as well! :)  I like the idea of the picture below because it has a modern look to it, which I really love.  The TV is also mounted on the wall, which is what we are doing to ours!

With our bathroom, I'd love to also do a fun, modern twist on it.  Even though our bathroom doesn't look exactly like this, I love the purple flowers and the light yellow walls.

For our master bedroom, I would love to do something that will be neutral and have a kind of calming effect.  I love the picture below because of the oasis type feel to it.  

I can't wait to FINALLY have it all decorated!  I want to maybe try to hand make some of our decorations to add a personal touch to our house.  I'm so excited and can't wait for it to slowly but surely come together!

Summer beginnings

I decided since I haven't written a post in a long time I would update our blog on our life and how Colorado has been treating us so far!

We have been kept busy with work this summer; while Nick is out selling every day and I am working as well to keep sane!  I miss home & Utah & I am really excited to start up school again in the fall.  I have decided 100% on a major and I am studying nutrition & eventually wanting to go to the BYU Dietetics program to become a registered dietician!

Lately I have been so much more consistant with running!  I have been running every day and I am really working hard towards becoming a better runner and eventually running a full marathon.   I just recently bought some new running shoes because my previous ones just weren't stable enough for distance running. I went to Boulder Running Company in Colorado and had them look at my arches and watch me run on a treadmill to detect the issues with my feet and what shoes would work best with my type of arch and running.  I ended up getting the Mizuno Wave Creation 12 shoe, and I really like it so far!

Unfortunately I have been having issues with my feet- I went to a foot doctor and he told me I had tendonitis in both of my feet which has been causing a lot of pain.  I do have to take a week or so off of running which I'm really bummed about, but in order for my feet to heal and my swelling to go down I have to ice it & take my medication.  Hopefully the swelling will go down soon so I can get back to it!

This past week I was able to go to my parent's home to visit my family (Nick had to stay and work...we missed him & I really wish he could've come!) and watch my younger sister graduate!  It is SO crazy to me to think that Emily is now a freshman in COLLEGE, Madeline is an 8th grader (NO WAY!) Rach is in 6th grade... she's in middle school... I can't even believe it... and Jr. my little baby brother is in 2nd!  I guess he's not so little anymore!  & what's even crazier to everyone is that I'm a married woman of  6 1/2 months!!  Time moves so fast but we're all enjoying it and loving the times we get to spend all together :) 

Madeline & I before graduation

Nick is doing great selling out here in CO and we feel really blessed to have been lucky enough to find such a good company for him to work for.  He has so much support from everyone and we both really appreciate it.  We have met some great friends in Colorado and we're excited for the next 2 1/2 months to make even more friendships and grow and learn as a newly married couple!!! :)

May Flowers

Hello fam & friends!  This week has been an awesome one!  Nick has been doing fabulous in selling and we're having fun getting situated out here in CO!  My job is fantastic and I LOVE the girls I get to work with- they are all super nice and I love Victoria's Secret!  I can't wait to actually start, as these last four days have been training days.  I also start Forever 21 next week, I'm super excited!

I can't wait until May 31st because I get to fly home to see my best friend and beautiful sister graduate!  Unfortunately Nick has to stay and work, but I'm excited to have a few days to just be with my amazing sisters!!

My parent's have also recently bought a salon in Logan called Samson and Delilah!  If you don't know wear that is, it's in the same complex as Cafe Rio and Little Ceasars!  They are remodeling the entire thing, and I'm so excited to see the final results!  My mom had me help her pick out a logo for the salon & I'm super excited to see all the fun things they do and products they put inside.  If you have never been there, go check it out!  The stylists are amazing!

Anyway, life is great for the Jackson family and we're excited to see all of the fun things the rest of the summer brings!! Have a fabulous weekend!

First day of Warmth!

Today finally felt like SUMMER!  It is 80 degrees here in Colorado; almost.. HOT!  I wore leggings and a dolman type top today, and even in light clothes; I still feel like I'm about to start sweating! I love warm weather and can't wait until the pool opens up!  


Tonight Nick and I are going to a movie and dinner, and going to venture around Colorado!!  I'm excited because we haven't been on a date in forever!  I miss him!!!  I'm all alone during the day and those are the times where I seriously feel like I NEED a job!  I think to myself: WHAT TO DO... grocery shop? clothes shop? jewelry shop? find a craft? read a book?  All those ideas are now fulfilled and I am just simply BORED!!! I can't wait to start my jobs next week!


My family is staying at our house in Springville (well, the house my parents bought for us, so I shouldn't say OUR house- it really is their house ;) And my mom called me this morning and told me she was going to "restock" on some items.  I get a text from my dad saying "Ur mom is nesting in ur house.  Make it stop...." my reply "Wahooo!!! I mean... STOP!" I then get some pictures of the guest bedroom and the guest bathroom, and my mom has already decorated them for us! I love it and it's exactly what I would have picked!! Thanks, Mom!

Colorado thus far!

Hey everyone!  Hope everyone is enjoying their summer so far :) 
So, last Sunday, the day we got to Colorado, I was super excited and as we drove up to the apartments, they looked so cute and I couldn't wait for our summer adventure.  However, the moment I looked into our apartment, I knew something wasn't right.  When Nick told me the apartments were furnished, we both assumed "hotel" furnished. As in, had everything we could possibly need- bedding, silverware, dishes, etc.  WRONG.

I looked up at Nick and all I could say was "Oh no."  I quickly became frazzled, wondering what exactly we were going to do; as we had only brought basically our personal necessities like clothes, toothbrushes, hair stuff, make up, etc.  He looked at me, kind of smiling, knowing I would start freaking out right away.  I called my mom right away, with anxiety, wondering what we were going to do!  Luckily, since my aunts' live so close, they were able to help us and let us borrow their things!!  Thank goodness!  They gave us everything we could possibly need.  THANK YOU AUNT LISA AND LYNNETTE, you are both my life savors! :)


Last Friday, I was able to babysit my adorable cousin, Sophie!  Sometimes I just want to call her my niece because she is so much younger than me!  I felt like mommy for the day and it was SO much fun.  She is such a doll!  We went to Chick Fil A for lunch, Target and went to Rio the movie, which I totally recommend!  It was a blast!

It's been great here so far!  It's so beautiful and has absolutely everything you could want or need.  I got a job at both Forever 21 and Victoria's Secret, which is GREAT!  I'm super excited and I'm even more excited to be kept busy!! I start Victoria's Secret this weekend and Forever 21 on Tuesday.  I can't believe I ended up finding jobs for my two favorite stores!  :)


Nick is getting adjusted here with his job!  At first I felt bad for him, knowing he was going to be knocking doors all day long!  But for any newly married couple, I would totally recommend it!  We will be so grateful when the summer is over, when we both can just go to school and spend more time on our relationship and not be so stressed about making money!  He is doing good so far and the company he signed with is GREAT!  I'm so glad we ended up with a great company for him to work for.  :)


 Have a wonderful weekend everyone, and we will be sure to keep updating as the summer continues!! :)

Thoughts.

Hey all!  So I have been inspired to write a little bit about myself in this post; something I have been thinking about lately.  Every day I hear so many women talking about weight, how much they weigh, how much they want to weigh, how much they wish they hadn't eaten this or that- women these days are surrounded by the pressure to be stick thin, and this is my opinion and personal experience on that- which I hope gives some sort of inspiration to girls and women who read it! :)

As a lot of my close friends know, in high school I struggled quite a bit with losing too much weight in a very short time period.  I am now able to freely talk about it, but for a while it was very hard for me. I became obsessed with dieting, weighing myself, not eating regular meals (or at all) and usually feeling sad, lonely, and depressed about myself often.  I went from being 125 lbs. at 5'6 to 99 lbs. I am now in much better health and condition, as I am now 115 at 5'7. (My dad says that because I started eating, I grew an inch.  I think he was partly joking when he said it, but I believe it!) I did not realize the importance of health, eating regularly, and getting good exercise. (I would over exercise excessively and sometimes pass out during class.)  Here are a few tips that have helped me (and I'm sure many other girls who are struggling with this problem can relate) overcome my weakness.

1.) Do not weigh yourself every day.  I used to weigh myself probably 15 or more times a day.  That is, until I started getting help and realized that doing so can alter your mood, and finally realizing that your weight fluctuates by about 5 lbs. throughout the day! I have actually just decided to get rid of my scale.  I focus more about how I'm feeling and what I'm eating rather than the number on the scale.  It is, really, just a number!  If it alters the way you feel or your mood; do what I did, and just get rid of the scale. :)

2.) If you decide to keep your scale (it takes lots of courage to just throw it out), do not weigh yourself at night time!  Doing so will just cause you to become frustrated if you aren't seeing results. If you are going to weigh in, I recommend doing so once a week, same day, in the MORNING.

3.) Drink tons of water.  Doing so will help you feel less hungry and also helps metabolize your food.  Studies show that sometimes the feeling of hunger is actually just a feeling of thirst.  If you drink lots of water, you will be less likely to eat too much.

4.)Don't compare yourself to somebody else.  Women everywhere are always comparing. It is important to, first, realize that you are YOU.  You will never be somebody else no matter how much you try.  It's much easier to accept it now rather than try over and over again to look or be like somebody else.  And second, realize your potential as a person.  You may see a beautiful girl, and think "oh, I wish I looked like her," but you don't know her struggles or difficulties or her weaknesses.  It's important to be grateful for who you are and what you have, rather than what somebody else might appear to have.  Nobody is perfect, and nobody has it all.

5.) Work out!  I can't tell you enough how much working out daily has changed my life.  I am now less likely to focus on my calorie intake, as I run at least 4 miles every day.  My daily workout routine consists of 30 minutes of high intensity on the elliptical, 10 minutes on the bike, and I focus on one body part per day.

6.) Don't skip meals.  Never, ever skip meals.  It slows down your metabolism and if you do it often enough, your body will start storing everything that you eat as fat.  NOT GOOD!!  I usually eat 3 or 4 300-400 calorie meals.  My daily caloric intake is somewhere between 1200-1700 usually.  But, I don't count!  Because I work out so often and I haven't had babies yet (once I do have babies and my metabolism slows down, I will have to be more strict about it, but not yet!) And I find that even if I eat a little more one day, my weight always stays the same because I have built muscle that burns more calories.

7.) Muscle weighs more than fat.  I had to come to terms with this as I was 112 lbs and I have now gained 3 lbs in muscle. However, I fit into my clothes the exact same.  It took me a little bit to understand this, but I have now learned to focus on the way I look and feel, rather than the number on the scale.

8) GENETICS.  Everyone has different genetics.  As I said before, you can't compare yourself to anybody else.  Your body will never be like another person!  Your genetics are a huge determining factor in the way you look.  Your food intake and exercise will determine the rest.

I will be honest, I still struggle with my eating habits at times.  It usually crosses my mind every time I eat, as I delt with my eating disorder for 2 years.  But I know each day if I focus on the good, and less on the bad; remember what I'm thankful for, and remember those that care and love me, I will continue to grow and become better.  The most important thing is who I am on the inside; as that is what people will remember the most.

"People will forget what you said, they will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."

I hope that this post has helped or inspired those who read it! :)

I also just added a few things to my make-up drawer/closet so I thought I would review!

this really is the best lipgloss I've ever had.  I bought the color 227.  I love it because it's super shiny, yet isn't sticky and hardly feels like I have anything on.

Purchased at Nordstrom

TOMS!  Cutest, most comfortable shoes ever.  I bought the sparklies and I love them.  They are adorable!

Purchased at Nordstrom.com

Hot Tools NanoCeramic Curling Iron 1 1/2 inch.  I love this curling iron because if you have long hair, it gives you those big, wave-like curls! It also holds curl well and glides through your hair easily. Love it.

Purchased at ULTA

Instead of KS, we're headed to CO!

hey everyone!
Nick and I recently got the news that his company that he is selling for this summer wants him to now work in... Denver, CO!  When he told me this I was absolutely extatic! I have a lot of family located in Colorado which will be so fun because I will be able to visit them often!  Plus, Colorado is beautiful and I have always thought that I would like to live there someday!  There is no better way to know if you want to live somewhere than by staying there for a few months to get to experience it! I am so so excited.  I was originally very excited for Kansas City because of the place we would be living, but knowing that we will be only an 8 hour drive from Utah instead of 17 hours is really great. The weather is also much more like Utah; wonderful summer weather without being too humid. 

The Denver, CO temple is absolutely beautiful.  I am excited that we will be able to visit the Colorado temple while we are living there for four months!

Our apartment complex will be called Stone Cliff Heights in Aurora, CO!  I'm so excited and I'm looking forward to it!

I cannot wait! :)

decoration 101!

hello friends and family!  Nick and I cannot WAIT to move into  our house March 29!  I have been looking at designs and furniture lately to see what we can put in our house to decorate and make our own. Unfortunately we won't be here very long (we leave for Kansas City April 25) But we will still have a month to enjoy our first home.  I saw this adorable, colorful living room and I had to post it!  Though this may be too much color, I thought it was super spring time looking :)

The room in the picture below, I absolutely love because of the neutral aspect of it.  I love that it has some pops of blue in it. I want to hopefully get furniture that is neutral and accessories that are colorful, so that we can change around the colors in the room!

HOW CUTE IS THIS.  Okay, so if I lived in Florida or Hawaii or Arizona where it's usually always warm and rarely rains, this is what I'd do with my backyard.  I love all the colors! SO FUN!

( all of the pictures above are from house of turquoise)

I love this couch. It will be fun to put colorful pillows on it to decorate!

I love this sign!  It really is so true ;) haha, I love to cook but Nick and I are both so busy, we are rarely home at dinner time.  But either way, I definately want this sign in my kitchen :)

As you can probably tell, I cannot WAIT to move in to our home.  It will be such a fun experience for the both of us!  Will update once we've decorated and make it a place of our own :)

Valentine's, Birthday, Life!

So, I haven't written a post in a while, but here is what's been going in our lives lately!
Nick: he has been super busy with school, and recently got a job reffing little kids' sports games!  It is the perfect job for him; he is such a sports fanatic. ;)
Kyla: work, work, work! That's basically my life! :) I actually really enjoy staying busy and we're both really looking forward to moving into our new home!  We find out pretty soon when the move in date is and we're so excited!  We love that it is located in Springville.  It is right down the street from a new Wal Mart which will definitely be beneficial!

Valentine's day was amazing!  I woke up and made Nick breakfast at 8 am and surprised him when he got home from class.  Waiting for him were pancakes, eggs and bacon & a basket of his favorite goodies.  He LOVED it and he was so happy!  Men love their food :) He then turned around and surprised me when I got home from my days errands, with flowers & chocolates, and our bed was covered in mini candy bars, and laying on my pillow was a cute heart necklace :) We then went to PF Changs for dinner!  It was a wonderful first Valentine's day for us. :)

my birthday was absolutely amazing too!  I woke up and Nick had breakfast made for me, my all time favorite chocolate chip pancakes :) I had work early and so he woke up at 7 am to make me breakfast!  I then went in to work, and at around 10, I see Nick walk in with balloons, hot chocolate and a cupcake :) I was so excited and surprised to see him! After work, I came home and he gave me my present, then we went to Cheesecake Factory for dinner.  Overall, it was a great birthday :)

I wanted to upload pictures of the inside of our home! I wanted to do a before and after, to see what it looked like before and then after we have decorated all of it!

this is the front of the house!

this is the porch area!  I love it! :)

This is the fire pit in the back yard!  Nick loves this :)

This is the big park located directly to the right of the house!  Our fence has an opening to it from our back yard so we can go play at the park!

This is the entry way of the house.  I love the hardwood floors!

Here is the family room!  We want to redecorate and paint the whole thing.  Instead of putting a big furniture piece on the back wall, we want to add more seating and put the TV on the wall facing the furniture piece.

Here is the kitchen!  I love the granite counter tops and the cute barstool seating.  I also love the green pantry door! (It has a lock on it for little ones who try to sneak into the pantry) :)

here is the master bedroom; the bed they put in there is absolutely ridiculously huge! So in reality it isn't that cramped looking!

here is the master bathroom! I love the 2 sinks, high counter tops and walk-in closet!

second bedroom for guests and such

second bathroom upstairs!

unfinished basement, finished after we get back from summer sales: downstairs there is a big family area that we are going to decorate into a theater room and game room.  There is also a place for built in desks for Nick and I.  We are also going to add a kitchen downstairs so that when my family comes to visit, they will have their own kitchen.  There are two more bedrooms downstairs & lots of storage space!

Life is wonderful for us right now.  Marriage is a wonderful thing and I am so excited that every day I get to come home to my best friend.  There is absolutely nothing better. :)