Hurricane Harvey

Wow. Hurricane Harvey.

The last few weeks have been devastating to so many people surrounding me.

I can't help but to feel shame and guilt that our home went completely unaffected and untouched.

Of course, we are unbelievably grateful that we are safe and our home is okay.

Driving around and seeing all of the homes under water,

all of the homes destroyed, 

and all of the homes with every single item from inside laying in the grass, ruined,

is absolutely heartbreaking.

We only had two people in both mine and Kyles families that were affected.

Kyles cousin, one of my very best friends, Krissa, had her apartment flood.

And my parents home also flooded.

The fact that both of our families live all over Houston and only two homes were affected is an absolute miracle. 

As soon as the flooding started Kyle could not sit down and just NEEDED to do something.

(gosh, I love him)

We don't have a boat, and we really had no way of helping,

and that was SO hard on him.

He ended up convincing one of his cousins to bring two boats down from the valley.

(Shout out to Jesus for allowing him to get to Houston safely)

Once they got the boats, Kyle and his brother and cousins spent the next few days saving people from their flooded homes.

They saved elderly, They saved young couples, They saved children, and they saved pets.

I have never in my life been more proud of those boys.

Even though they saved tons of people, those people are still left without a home and all of their memories and belongings.

Please continue to pray for Houston and all of the other areas that were affected by Hurricane Harvey.

I am so proud of Houston for coming together, and staying strong.

God bless Texas.

First Trimester Fears (that no one warned me about)

(photo taken at 9 weeks)

So the glorious day has come to an end,
the day you saw those two lines, or the words "yes+" or "pregnant" on that stick...
The day you may or may not have realized,
 "oh my freaking gosh, I'm going to be a mom"

The day I got my positive pregnancy test was easily one of the most
emotional/exciting/shocking/happiest days of my life.
It ranked up there with the proposal & wedding day.
But then there are those days/weeks/months to follow that no one really talks about,
The First Trimester.

Before you get pregnant, at least before I did,
I had a picture in my head of what my pregnancy would be like.
Whenever I envisioned the first trimester, all I pictured was
 happiness & extreme excitement, maybe a little nerves, but mostly positive thoughts,
and of course lots of planning and so much excitement and eagerness to share the good news.

Well my friends...although my first trimester was full of happiness,
it was also full of fear, worry, negative thoughts, and guilt....
Basically just a bunch of things that aren't fun and that no one likes to talk about or admit to feeling.

I remember the first few days I felt like I couldn't be excited,

it was too early, anything could happen.

I remember the first few days I also felt a sense of guilt,

I didnt "feel" like I always thought I would feel.

I didn't immediately feel like a mom, I didn't feel connected to this tiny thing growing inside of me.

I remember the first 9 days after finding out, I would always say to myself...

"Even if something bad does happen, at least I know now that I CAN get pregnant"

And then came the 10th day....

All I did was cry, I felt SO anxious and terrified all day long.

That "tiny thing" that was growing inside of me was no longer a "thing" 

it was now e v e r y t h i n g.

On the 10th day I felt like a mom, on the 10th day all I could do was worry.

That feeling of "Even if something bad does happen it'll be okay" was quickly replaced with

"I can't lose this baby. Lord, please protect my baby"

SIDE NOTE: I'm not saying that this will happen on the 10th day for everyone. Hell, some of you may immediately have that feeling once you see that positive test, and for some it may come later. And guess what? No matter when it happens for you, IT'S NORMAL and completely OKAY!

I never knew that once I came to the realization that this was all real and happening,
 I would immediately be filled with fear of losing my baby and it all ending too quickly.
Fear consumed my mind pretty steadily the first few weeks,
which made those first weeks of my pregnancy SO hard to enjoy.

Thankfully, I had people to talk too and confide in and they had really great words of advice for me.
I was reminded that fear and worry don't come from the Lord,
If (God forbid) something bad was going to happen, like losing the baby,
the Lord wouldn't prepare me by filling me with fear/worry.
That's just not how God works.
I was also reminded by a sweet friend who was also pregnant,
that I won't ever get these first few weeks of being newly pregnant [with my first babe] back ever again.
So soak it all up, enjoy it, and push fear and worry to the side until there's REALLY a reason for it.

Being able to talk to people so early on during my pregnancy was HUGE for me.
I know a lot of people frown upon sharing the news until you're further along,
but I chose to tell (pretty much) all of our family almost right away,
and I don't regret it one bit.

Being able to vocalize my fears with women and people other than my husband was extremely therapeutic.
I was SO blessed to have a friend who was also pregnant with her first baby,
but a little further along than me to talk too and share my thoughts and worries with.
She was a HUGE comfort to me and I am unbelievably grateful I had her.

I guess my reasoning for this post was just to shed some light on the fears
that come along with the first trimester, that maybe not everyone deals with,
but for those of us that do it's nice not to feel alone,
 and to have someone help encourage you to get past those fears and put your trust in the Lord.

Just know that feeling afraid is normal,
BUT it's not good for you or the baby.
So whatever you gotta do to help you relax, DO IT.
Pray, do yoga, call your mom, take a {safely warm} bath.
Whatever it is, figure out what calms you and keep on keepin' on!
Your body will typically make it VERY clear if something is wrong,
so until that happens push all the worrying to the side and
ENJOY the amazing life growing inside of you.

Our pregnancy story

I'm writing this post with a heart so grateful and so full...

There's so much I want to say to all of you,

to those of you who've prayed for us and with us, 

for those who have opened up to me and shared your struggles,

for those who have come to me and shared your story.

Thank you.

If there's one thing I know for sure,

There is power in prayer.

Kyle and I have been trying to start a family for about two years now.
I'm aware, two years may sound like nothing to some of you.
But when you want something SO badly...two years feels like a lifetime.
Two years of trying, two years of negative tests,
two years of watching others post baby announcements and live out your dream of starting a family.
During those two years I made multiple appointments.
The first appointment wasn't until after the first year of trying,
I went to my obgyn and expressed my feelings of concern.
I told her we'd been trying for a year
 and I was afraid and worried that it hadn't happened for us yet.
She quickly laughed, She said "You're young and healthy",
 "I'm sure you're fine, just keep trying for a few more months"
Well that wasn't exactly the answer I was looking for,
I wanted a baby NOW.
I left the appointment feeling discouraged and frustrated.

Fast forward to a few more months of trying and failing.
Then there were the months of completely giving up hope and not "trying or tracking" at all,
but secretly hoping it would happen since we "weren't trying" anymore.
Nope that didn't work either.
After a couple more months I decided I just wanted to go straight to a specialist,
I made two appointments with two different specialists and each one had to be cancelled because of something getting in the way.
Which was extremely frustrating.
I just wanted some answers.

After more thought, I decided I just needed to switch to a different obgyn,
within 2 months I had made 4 different appointments to visit an obgyn
and figure out what's going on with my body....
Every single time the appointment would roll around,
something would come up and I would have to cancel.
This happened 4 times y'all, F O U R.
I finally realized that this couldn't be a coincidence and it had to be God.

Was this God's way of telling me to just stop and be still and trust in Him?
I went back and forth and talked to loved ones and
couldn't figure out what this meant or why this kept happening.
Why did I keep having to cancel these appointments that I wanted to happen SO badly.
What was Gods plan? I just couldn't make sense of any of it.
About a month later I decided to attempt to make an appointment again.
On June 7th I finally arrived at my appointment.
The doctor was great, very friendly, and very proactive.
I shared our story with him and he was honest with me and told me that from what he hears,
It sounds like a classic case of unexplained infertility,
but of course he wouldn't know for sure until we started digging deeper.
He encouraged me to start taking prenatals again.
(I was taking them for a while, but had stopped because I was so frustrated and discouraged)
We set up an appointment the following month for me to get my uterus/tubes checked,
and he referred a place for Kyle to get checked out as well.
I FINALLY had a plan of action, we were finally going to get some answers.
I immediately went to the store and bought me some prenatals,
I was so thrilled to have a plan and answers to look forward too!

That month crept by slowly, but I was still so happy to have a plan of action.
Even if we didn't have a baby soon, We would have answers.
Fast forward to about nine days before my appointment....
On Monday, June 26th around 9am,
I fell to the ground in shock, sobbing, gasping for air, and praising Jesus.
God had finally answered our prayers, 
those little tests that often brought so much pain and heartache
finally read a big YES+.

I could not believe it, Was I dreaming? Is this real?

All of those cancelled appointments made so much more sense now.
If we would have started this process when I wanted it to start,
we would've wasted so much time and money,
and honestly probably would've been left with no answers and more frustration.
It's amazing how God works.
His plans for our lives are FAR FAR greater than our own.
He allowed me to finally go to an appointment because he KNEW
that I needed it emotionally.
By going to that appointment I received the promise of answers and hope for my future,
By going to that appointment I started taking prenatals and better care of myself,
Going to the appointment helped me become in a better physical and emotional state
for the baby that I had no earthly idea that was already growing inside of me.

It was a long and frustrating two years of waiting,
but God worked on me in SO many ways during those two years.
I needed more time to grow, I needed time to make mistakes and learn from them,
I needed time to figure out who I was.
Looking back, I really wasn't ready for a baby.
Gods timing really is perfect,
He knows our hearts and our needs SO much better than we do.

Kyle and I are [totally still in shock] absolutely thrilled to become
Mommy and Daddy to this sweet baby BOY that God has chosen for us.

Embroider[me] please

So I don't know about you, but I cannot get enough embroidery lately!!!

| Top / Jeans / Sandals (similar) |

Tops, jeans, skirts...just take all my money and embroider it ALL.

I am all about this trend, and I do not want it to end.

I scored this beautiful top at Zara for under $40,

and you'll definitely be seeing me in it multiple times this Summer.

I've got some cute little embroidery items coming into my shop soon,

so be sure you're on the look out or following my shop on insta!

Just click here to follow. 

I rocked this little number a few weekends ago when we had a family day,

and were showing my fam our new house and around the neighborhood.

Is it just me or do weekends keep going by faster and faster?
I could've sworn it was Saturday like 10 minutes ago.

I've got some SUPER cute new arrivals going up on my website today!
If you're in need of a one shoulder ruffle top,
or the cutest romper ever...
GO NOW 
{new arrivals will go up around noon today}

Memorial Day Weekend Recap Part II

Once all of the wedding festivities were over

 and the happy couple was off to their honeymoon,

we decided to make the last day a vacation day.

Which means, BOAT DAY!

Unfortunately this suit is completely sold out everywhere, 

but i'll link some other cute options for y'all below!

here, here, here, and here

It was the perfect relaxing ending to our busy weekend.

That evening us girls went to a Spazmatics concert and 

H O L Y C R A P

it was freaking amazing!

If you don't know who they are (I didn't before the concert) They're a band

that plays/performs 80's music.

They were such good performers and we all seriously had the best time ever.

But now it's back to reality...

I have my 10 year high school reunion this Saturday.

(wait when did I get so old)

So that should be interesting, i'm sure there will be plenty of alcohol involved.

Happy Thursday!

Kaase Gets Cozy

Well, May 27th was pretty much the prettiest day e.v.e.r.

My sister in law got married in her fiancé's families lake house backyard
and it was unbelievably stunning.

The day started out with hair & makeup of course,
oh and lots and lots of pigs in a blanket.
Oh, and mimosas!

I was so obsessed with the wedding colors,
each bridesmaid got to choose her own dress and the colors looks so beautiful together.

The boys looked SO handsome as well, 

I couldn't get over how cutie Kyle was in those suspenders.

 (link to my dress)

The ceremony was short and soso sweet.
The entire day flew by wayyyy too fast.

Here's a shot of me and my brand new brother right after the ceremony!

hehe love ya Alex!

It was such a beautiful day, for an even more beautiful couple.
So excited for them to start this next chapter as husband and wife. 

Memorial Day Weekend Recap Part I

Wait, it's June already?!

Sheesh, May was such a busy month for us!!

We bought and moved into our new home, I turned 28, 

my sweet sister [in law] married her best friend, 

and it feels like about a million other things happened as well!

We had a super busy Memorial Day weekend, 

we left on Thursday to head to Canyon Lake.

That's where the wedding took place and we were nonstop all weekend!

Friday was the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner,

the dinner took place at a beautiful restaurant winery called Oak Valley.

dress | heels | ear rings | clutch

A few days before the rehearsal dinner Kyle and I were asked to do a surprise toast

for the bride and groom.

Guys...public speaking, no no no, NOT my thing.

BUT of course, we were so honored and love those two to death.

So it wasn't difficult at all to get up there and pour our hearts out.

The entire weekend flew by wayyyyyy too fast, 

Tomorrow I'll give y'all a glimpse into the wedding day!

Holy crap, it was SO perfect.

Backyard weddings will forever be my fav.

We bought a house!!

Wellp, it's official.

WE'RE HOMEOWNERS!
(this post was supposed to go up yesterday but we haven't had internet)

It seems like we've been on this home searching journey forever.

Kyle and I closed on Friday and moved [almost] everything in this weekend.

We've been renting the last 3 years and it is SO exciting [& scary] 

to finally own a house of our own.

We brought Charley to the house for the first time last Friday evening,
Y'all I have NEVER seen her so excited in my life,
It was seriously the funniest and weirdest thing.
She was just running and jumping around like a maniac with the happiest face.
It's like she knew we bought the house for her haha

It's funny because we've barely been at this house 24 hours and it already feels like home to us.
We are so thrilled that God led us to this area and this house,
it still feels like a dream.
Cannot wait to start making memories here.

Fredericksburg Weekend Recap

Happy Friday!

This past weekend I got to celebrate my amazing sister in law, Michelle.
I got to spend the weekend with such an incredible group of girls
and we had SO much fun drinking wine and telling stories and just laughing our butts off.

We arrived in canyon lake Friday night and had a relaxing night in,

I got the chance to meet a lot of Michelles' close friends for the first time.

They are all SO sweet, 

we spent Friday night drinking margs and catching up/getting to know each other.

Saturday was spent frolicking around the Hill Country drinking lots and lots of wine.

I wore this adorable romper with these Steve Madden wedges that i've literally been 

eyeing for what seems like FOREVER now. 

SO glad I caved and purchased them.

Romper: ShopAtImage | Wedges: Steve Madden via DSW

I don't think the weather could've been any better the entire weekend,
[Shout out to Jesus]
After the wineries we headed back to the house to relax before our dinner reservations.

The weekend went by WAY too fast, as it always does.
But of course i'm happy to be back home.
Hope all of you had an easy breezy week and enjoy your weekend!

R+F Review

Holy moly I woke up feeling REFRESHED this morning!

Bri reached out to me on instagram and offered me these R+F samples and holy cow,

was not expecting them to be THIS great.

I have super sensitive skin, so i'll admit, it did take me a while to convince myself to try them.

But now i'm SO glad that I did, and already need more.

I am a major lover of all things exfoliating and this micro-dermabrasion paste quickly

became one of my top favorites.

So... I took videos applying it, but they're a little ridiculous so i'll spare y'all.

I applied the micro-dermabrasion paste first,

I was a little worried the scrub would be too intense and leave my face red and irritated.

NOPE. 

I could've lathered my face in that stuff all day long.

It smelled amazing, and it was the perfect mixture of a scrub and moisturizer.

After scrubbing my face down I applied the night serum,

which left my skin feeling extra soft. 

Bri also sent me a lip serum and when I kissed Kyle goodnight 

he came right back in for more to get some more of the serum haha

I've honestly been wanting to try R+F for years 

but was so afraid it wouldn't be worth the investment.

I'm so thankful Bri was kind enough to send me some samples,

I now have a way better idea of what their products are like and I know my skin can handle them.

If any of you have been interested in R+F but afraid to try it PLEASE reach out to Bri.

She is such a sweetheart and will answer any question you may have!

Feel free to call her at 551 427 2911

Or shoot her an email at BriVitulano@gmail.com 

Or just head to her site!

bvitulano.myrandf.com 

This post was supposed to go up this Monday but it's been a crazy week.
Tomorrow i'm re capping my weekend in the Hill country and then,

I've got some exciting news to share with y'all next Monday!!!