August Calendar Freebie!

I have your August desktop calendar ready (a day early)! Yay!

I was feelin' a vintage beachy theme... make sure to download yours through the link in the caption.

**CLICK TO DOWNLOAD IMAGE**

I'm looking forward to me and Josh's 6th wedding anniversary, my nephew's 3rd birthday party, some long awaited clothes shopping, exciting new design projects, and showing off these 

fresh new ladies on the sidebar :)

What are you looking forward to this August?

 

Wedding Invitation Designs

Hey loves! How was the weekend? I really didn't do anything too special- just chilled in my PJ's and buried myself in design and blogging... story of my life? It must be, because here I am starting off the week continuing that theme- sharing a blog post about my designs! haha

I had a really wonderful experience recently designing the wedding invitations for one of my best friends. You might remember a post I did on her Save the Dates? We have the exact same taste so it was nice sitting down with her on our multiple coffee dates and coming up with ideas for her invitation design. She had a general vision of what she wanted, but I was able to help her narrow in on the specifics.

Watching every piece of this project come together was very exciting for me! In the end I think they came out so beautiful! What do you think?

I must say, seeing my designs in print form (I would imagine) is similar to holding your newborn baby for the first time... there is so much careful preparation and effort put into every single detail to make sure it turns out perfect, and the built up anxiety leaves you hoping they will turn out as wonderful as you imagined. Sure the delivery might not have been exactly as expected (such as the registry's tab being cut short without regard to my crop marks!), but oh my goodness- when you see them in all their glory, you realize they were soooo worth it! 

Allison & Chris,

You are going to have the most amazing wedding day,
and I can't wait to be there to support you!

Mom Moments

I don't get to see my mom very often, about once a year to be exact. I didn't feel like blogging the past couple days because they were her last 48 hours in town before she had to fly back to Connecticut. 

We had a lot of fun together over the last few weeks - at my sister's house, camping, going to dinner and whatnot - but most of all I loved those quiet moments when we could just be in a room or car together and not have to run down our list of updates like we usually do over the phone... we just enjoyed the moment and acted like we see each other all the time.

I wish that was the case.

Three weeks goes by fast. I had to drop her off at the airport yesterday morning, and after I hugged her goodbye and started to drive away, I got emotional. I felt like a piece of my heart went missing again, just as it was starting to feel whole. It happens every year, but never gets easier.

Now, if she can figure out how to get her photos uploaded to her computer (I have faith in you, Mom!) I should have some fabulous photography to share on here shortly, but for now I'll just share one of my favorite moments from her trip...

...our scenic drive up behind the capitol. We stumbled upon this hill top with a gorgeous panoramic view of the Salt Lake valley. I had never seen Utah look so beautiful before. We would have stayed and watched the sunset if I didn't drink my coffee so fast! ;)

It's bittersweet we have to live so far apart, but what can I say, I loves my Momma, and no matter how old I get, something tells me I won't ever stop needing her.

When was your last Mom Moment? 

KV is in the house!

Hey there pretty peoples!

*twirls around*

Notice anything... different around here? :)

To all those who are reading through your feeds... hop outta there for one hot minute to feast your eyes upon this fresh new layout. See that? Yep. I finally got my butt in gear last night and stayed up 'til about, ohhh... three o'clock in the morning? Sounds about right. 

I'm so glad I finally decided on what look I wanted. It definitely takes me more time when designing for myself, that's for sure! 

So there's a few changes around here that you'll need to get used to...

There's a completely new name...
The blog will now be known as "KV's Confessions" ...same me, same rambles, same love for design, just a different version now that I'm ready to take on more challenges after completing school. I feel a little bit more free now that I've dropped the "graphic design student." It made me feel like I needed to stay within these imaginary lines- always needing to center my posts around design or school to reflect my brand. The truth is I have many, many interests and passions, and although design is at the top, I like the freedom I have now that I can be more than a design blog.

...and new colors!
If you remember my "Identity Crisis" post I did when I was trying to decide on a color palette, I ended up using the yellow and blue from Confetti Color! I named these swatches Powder Blue & Old Yeller in Photoshop... no idea why I felt I needed to pick them- I just got a really good feeling when they combined. At first I tried using all of the colors in the palette, but after going back and forth I think I'm a 2-3 color scheme type of girl. Two main contrasting colors plus an accent or two... it just makes more sense to me.

Same everything else... for now!
Although things may look new around here, I wanted to make sure I was still staying the same blogger I always have been. There are still many more updates I need to make with my social media sites and the launch of my Storenvy design shop- which won't be linked up until I actually upload some product! All in good time, right?


Even though the shop isn't launched yet I'm still working on a lot of design jobs and I'll have some posts about them later this week. If you want to inquire about a design project you have in mind please send me an email and I can give you customized pricing! 


I'm very excited for the "new me" ...I hope you are too! Sound off in the comments and let me know what you think!

Monday Funday?

Ya know what, I'm OK with it being Monday today, because I had a pretty kick ass weekend. 

My sister and her husband took me and my mom camping to Bear Lake, right on the border of Utah and Idaho, and of course the chillins came with - (that's what Josh and I call children... chillins. Don't ask me why.) - they always make things interesting!

It was SO. BEAUTIFUL. Every scene around me seemed to be magical. We would keep stopping for photos every where we drove- of the sky, the clouds, the cows, the views... I was lovin' life. I especially loved not having to worry about makeup for a few days, and I actually started to think I looked halfway decent without it, even with my greasy bangs flopping in my face as I played windy badminton.

(Note to self: Wind and badminton together are impossible to take seriously.)

I wish I paid more attention to using sunscreen though :/  I started off with the SPF 6 tanning oil my Mom and sister were using... then quickly realized this was the first time of the year I was exposing my vampire-white skin to the sun. After about an hour I bucked up and slathered on the 50, but it was too late... my legs were already fried up like crispy bacon. And my shoulders. And my back. And even the spots between the sand on my feet... I had become the rock lobstah.

Whatevs. Burns fade but memories last forever, right?

I ended up getting some killer photos to go along with my killer sunburn. Here's just a few...

P.S. This photo montage and blog post doubles as a sneak peak into my new blog colors and fonts...
have I built up enough tension yet? :)

I really needed this time away from the laptop, and although it was wonderful, I just wish my hubby could have been there with us :( I was going through some serious negative spells last week when I found out he wasn't able to get the time off work. With the amount of downfalls we've had over the last year combined with the amount of hours he's been working, it just would have be nice for someone to throw us a bone for once! GD, man, ya know what I'm sayin'??

Oh well, what can ya do.... how about enter another giveaway? :) 

(anddd I don't care what beef anyone has with sponsored posts, giveaways are freakin' FUN!)

10 bloggers, 10 prizes, 10 winners! Go forth and enter!

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DISCOUNT CODE 
Use code "GDLOVE" from July 24-29th for an instant $5.00 off anything in the shop! *excluding gift cards

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DISCOUNT CODE 
Use code "CONFESSIONS20" for 20% off!

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

GOOD LUCK BLOGGER BABES!

P.S. The fabulous winner of Tranae's Custom Blog Planner & Ad Space is 

Kodi from Leaving My Mark! Check yo inbox girl! :)

One Thousand

image via

Remember the time when you read Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes in elementary school? Did anyone else learn origami for the first time by continually making paper cranes with their classmates, then proudly hanging them from the ceiling?

Do you remember how many effin' cranes that was??

A lot.

One thousand is a big number. When I started out, sure, I wanted to be what Emily Hope recently called "blogfamous." I wanted to have thousands of readers. I thought that would make me a giant success. As I slowly grew, it started to hit me that it might actually be possible.

I thought having 1,000 readers would make me feel different... like maybe it would finally prove that I was legit or something. I know it's a big milestone, but even though I've received many congratulations, I'm not sure why.

I thought I would be doing better things with the blog at this point. I'm a little disappointed in myself, if you can believe that... I guess what I'm saying is I'm bummed that, in my opinion, the quantity doesn't match the quality.

Let me try to explain...

Reviewing my recent posts there are more sponsored posts, more giveaways, and more link ups. Not to say those are bad, but where are my design services I've been talking about for so long? Where is my new layout I've been needing to code? Where are my projects I should be working on? Where did me go?

I feel like I'm at that breaking point where I need to choose between engaging with my readers and focusing on my life and career. I need to choose whether I want to spend my days promoting or actually spend time accomplishing what I set out to do from the beginning- becoming one helluva designer. 

I've been struggling with this a lot lately. I've been so busy with cleaning out my inbox, returning comments, trying to comment back... that I'm not reaching goals. I see people producing amazing creative things, things I should be doing, and here I am sitting on my ass because I have 50 emails I should have already answered. I get so exhausted and by the time I'm ready to do my own post my creative energy is fried.

I hate to say it, but maybe I've become a blog snob. I'm not saying I have 1,000 people banging down my door wanting to be besties, but I've felt a lot of guilt lately for not returning every comment. I've seen some posts around complaining about bloggers that don't return comments, and I have to say that I understand why.

I've decided I'm not going to pressure myself to do that anymore. There are several times when yes, I will want to spend a good 3 or 4 (or 8) hours reading blogs, because I love it and that is the reason why we blog in the first place, to engage with the community. But when I do that I want it to be authentic, I want to want to do it, not feel obligated or expected.

What a way to show my gratitude, right?

I feel like an asshole (yep- uncensored) but I had to confess. Maybe a confession at 1:30 in the morning isn't the best time to explain clearly what I'm about to publish, and I'm sorry if this wasn't the kind of post you were expecting for a milestone, but hey, at least it's real.

Just know that I love you guys... and I'm not just saying that. I read every comment. I read every email. I appreciate you. I thank you always for your kind words of encouragement. If this blog was a machine you would be the fuel. I recognize that. I will never forget that. And I won't ever forget where I started.

It's time I start living. It's time I start embracing my potential. It's time I stop finding reasons to procrastinate. It's time I start living up to my own expectations.

I just hope you are willing to stick along for the ride. 

I Heart Instagram

Photography is something that interests me a lot. One of these days when I can afford a big girl camera I want to seriously practice and learn some tricks, but for now I have resorted to using my camera phone and Instagram... which I have completely fallen in love with, hence the name of this post!

As someone who totally fails at taking photos, it gives me that extra encouragement to capture the special moments in my life before they are gone.

So, (you guessed it!) I thought I'd share a little photo dump from the past few weeks... enjoy :)

Me & Sam lounging on a Sunday afternoon... my little man is getting gray!

My Dad and I discovered a lovely cafe in downtown Salt Lake called Cafe Trio. We enjoyed some of the best coffee I've ever had as well as one hell of a panini! Definitely going back there.

I finally painted my nails with a color my bestie got me for my birthday. They chipped within a week, but just painting them once allowed my nails to grow out of their chewed up funk, and now that they look halfway decent I've been pretty good at keeping them in check :)

I took my time getting ready one morning last week and sat outside with the dogs sipping on my coffee and staring at the clouds in the sky. I catch myself doing that a lot. 

Self portrait silhouette style, caught while the sun was going down outside my curtains.

Kinda artsy... maybe?

I'm having fun with it- it's definitely a nice way to practice for the big girl camera! I know some of you are pros in the photography department- do you recommend any fancy moderately priced cameras for a beginner like me? 

If you haven't already make sure to enter 

Tranae's Interview & Custom Blog Planner Giveaway

(hurry- it ends Friday night!)

Oh, and don't forget to join in on these fun link ups going on this week! 

Me Myself & I

Smell The Roses

What's On Your Bucket List? (Vlog Link Up)

P.S. Does anyone know of some fun Instagram/photo sharing link ups? 

Me Myself & I Link Up!

The long awaited link up is finally here!!

I couldn't be more excited :)

I hope you all took some time to answer this month's 5 questions! 

If you haven't already be sure to follow all of the hosts before linking up:

Breanna @ My Beautiful Crazy Life

Shane @ Whispering Sweet Nothings

Danielle @ Framed Frosting

Jenna @ The Life of the Wife

Amanda @ For Love of a Cupcake

....annnnd here we go!

What is your biggest phobia? Spiders. It's really, really bad you guys. I'm not even going to search for a photo because pictures of them give me the sweats. I swear they stalk me every where I go. You can say I'm spider-aware- I always check my surroundings to make sure there aren't any around. For example, if I leave a pair of pants on the ground and want to wear them again I have to shake them out viciously first, just to make sure there aren't any lurking. But I can't kill them... repeat. CAN'T. I swear, you guys, there is literally this force that holds me back, even as I have a shoe in my hand and I'm standing there for a good 10 minutes trying to build up courage. Solution? Spider spray. It's still scary seeing them run around until they slowly die (which I'm sorry to the Buddhists but I love when they die), but then the tough part... what to do with the creepy body? (OK I have to stop typing about spiders, I'm starting to feel things crawling all over me *looks around paranoid and itchy* ...told you it was bad.)

If you could relive any day of your life, 

what would it be and why?

Image via 

This is a really tough question!! I want to pick a day from every 5 years or so, but, honestly, nothing is better than being a kid. I would love to relive a day from when I was around 6 or 7 when me and my sisters would play house in our basement. The imagination we had was amazing. We would invite our friends over, make up scary situations, act them out, and then freak ourselves out because we were convinced it was really happening. We would come inside for dinner with grass stains on our knees and afterwards watch the newest episode of Are You Afraid of the Dark while eating popsicles. How awesome is that?

If you could choose to stay a certain age forever, 

what age would it be? 

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I would say 25- the age I am right now. There are much less broken hearts and confusion from my adolescence, there's enough experience to know who I truly am and be myself, yet still a certain naivety about the world that lets me continue to embrace it. Dreams are still plentiful and the possibilities are open. I've learned from mistakes but have plenty more to make. Old enough to show maturity but young enough to still get ID'd. Yeah- 25 is a good age!

Which celebrity do you get mistaken for? 

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I've been told (although I'm not sure I agree with all of them) Liv Tyler, Sandra Bullock and Audrey Hepburn. Can't complain there- they are all classic beauties!

What songs are included on the soundtrack to your life?

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I kinda put these in sequential order...

1. "Paradise" by Coldplay - me as a little girl dreaming of Paradise
2. "The Middle" by Jimmy Eat World - me growing up in school and figuring myself out
3. "First Day of My Life" by Bright Eyes - how I felt when I met Josh :)
4. "Danny's Song" by Anne Murray - how I feel every day with Josh and I trying to get by!
5. "Bittersweet Symphony" - me figuring out how life really is.
6. "Time" by Hootie in the Blowfish - how I felt a few years ago when I felt time slipping away

7. "Dreams" by The Cranberries - how I felt when I went back to school to reach my dreams

8. "Don't Stop Me Now" by Queen - how I feel now that I'm finally in a good place

We want to know your answers! 

Grab the code and link up- have fun with it!

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P.S. If you have any questions that you'd liked asked in the future link ups, please fill out this form. You never know- you just might see your question in next months party! :)

Feelin' Fabulous!

Good morning, beautiful blogland!!

This girl is feeling refreshed and fabulous today- mostly because I had an amazing weekend with my hubbs and Mamacita. I finally finished up my new blog design (just need to code it!), we went and saw Ted on Friday night (pretty darn hilarious) and Magic Mike on Sunday (OMG), dined on some good grub, and just spent some good quality time together!

My favorite part was when my Mom and I took a spontaneous drive into SLC and stumbled upon this amazing overlook of the entire valley to watch the sunset... she took some really great photos that I promise to share on here at some point!

Don't you love those summer weekends that seem to make life worth all of the every day hustle? It was that breath of fresh air that I really needed, and having my mom here to share it with brought it to another level of fabulous.

Speaking of fabulous, I have the queen of fab visiting today! It's the lovely Tranae from Becoming Fabulous, and you are just going to love her. She's got a dreamy prize to giveaway too- not gonna lie- I really wish I could win it!! Take it away girl!

Hey fabulous folks.

I am Tranae, a sweet Georgia Peach with dreams of Becoming Fabulous. 
I’m halfway there; the other half I fake it. 
Shh… don’t tell, most people don’t seem to notice.

I live in Atlanta with my husband and fur baby, Chloe. I’m currently in my 10^th year of college, literally. And when I’m not studying for my Ph.D. (player hater degree…lame, I know), I get into all types of mischief.

For me being fabulous is more than physical appearance and material things. Being fabulous is a multi-facet concept that includes our physical, mental, and spiritual health and well being.  I believe we become fabulous when we learn to accept our assets and flaws, love ourselves unconditionally, develop a positive regard for others, and most importantly, achieve growth. Therefore, every time we strive for growth we become more fabulous.

How to follow. I know that goes against the grain because we are taught to be leaders. However, over the last year I have learned that in a marriage sometimes you have to be the follower.

“Every saint has a past and every sinner has a future.” -Oscar Wilde

I believe there is good in everyone and everyone is capable of change. This quote reminds me there is hope for everyone and not to dwell on the wrong I have done in our past.  

I would have to say graduating from college with honors is one of my greatest accomplishments. I was a bit of a wild child growing up and I didn’t get serious about going to college until my senior year of high school. It was a miracle I was accepted into college but once I got there I worked really hard. 

My name is Tranae and I’m a Twilight-oholic. I even have a Twilight Room. Sad, I know.

I found a fedora from American Eagle a couple weeks ago and I have fallen head over heels in love with hats.

Right now I’m refinishing a dresser that I found on the side of the road. Yes, I’m that girl. In addition to being an adult Twilight fanatic, I pick up junk off the side of the road.

I wouldn’t call it a hidden talent because I’ve been known to toot my own horn at times but I love designing floral arrangements. After designing the flowers for my wedding, I went back to school to get my certification in floral design and started my own business, Sassy Stems of Atlanta. 

I would have to say the In His Own Image from my FAB 101 series is my favorite post. It talks about the importance of self-acceptance and remembering that we are perfectly imperfect.

Just one? I’m beyond clumsy so my life has been full of embarrassing moments. But one that really stands out happened when I was a teenager and involves me falling down a long flight of stairs at the train station while trying to look cute in front of some boys. Long story short, I fell, the boys laughed, and my cousin, who was with me at the time, laughed so hard she peed her pants. All around embarrassing. 

Oops...I almost forgot about the giveaway! Because you guys have been so fabulous, I'm giving away a printed custom blog planner and large ad space to one lucky winner!

I'm pretty sure Tranae is already fabulous, wouldn't you agree?

She wasn't kidding about the sweet Georgia peach part, that's for sure!!

Good luck winning this FABULOUS prize! Open to US/CAN residents only!

(Winner will be announced next Monday!)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I've Got a Lovely Bunch of Blogger Babes...

(deedle-lee-dee)

Here they are all featured in a post!

Lifestyle Ones,

Stylish Ones,

Some that make you grin...

You read their blurbs, give 'em a click, then start all over again! OH!

I know you like my version better :)

This month I had my spotlight stealers tell their stories and answer a bunch of fun questions. My goal in life is to be more like each one of them... healthy, active, hilarious, stylish, and artistic.

Check 'em out!

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BLOG | TWITTER | PINTEREST | BLOGLOVIN'

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BLOG | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | DEVIANTART

"Magnet by Bombay Bicycle Club :) One of my new favorite bands!" - Jessica

"Don't laugh. The last song I listened to was the Spice Girls on Pandora. For some reason I've been feeling a blast from the past." - Jillian

"There is something about summer that makes me want to pull out all my old go to SoCal punk rock albums. Lately I have been listening to No Use For A Name. Soulmate and Justified Black Eye are two of my favourites." - Emily

"Sexy and I know it by LMFAO" - Melissa

"Marina and the Diamonds - Starring Role." - Aleksandra

"Greek yogurt with fresh blueberries, raspberries & pineapple...delish! 
Oh and a BIG old cup of coffee." - Jessica

"The last thing I ate was a hummus cup. Not the best, since I think I only make the best hummus that you can't buy in the store." - Jillian

"Mango chicken. Seriously what's better than mango? Nothing - that's what." - Emily

"Greek Yogurt." - Melissa

"Cornflakes, since it's 8am, here in Vienna right now." - Aleksandra

"Called: My Grandma (who you will see a lot of on my blog...she's a trip!) 
Text: Best friend Danielle." - Jessica

"The last person I talked to was my boyfriend. We usually keep it to texting since we see each other every night." - Jillian

"I'm dropping friends like Pauly D drops beats. Seriously I am the worst communicator - whoever texted me last probably didn't get a response." - Emily

"My hubby." - Melissa

"My best friend Tina." - Aleksandra

"Oh man. Answering this makes me really sad. I haven't traveled since my 21st birthday (January 2011) when I went on a cruise to the Bahamas, but I have stayed at beach hotels close to home since then...does that count?" - Jessica

"I traveled last to Rhode Island for my sister's wedding. I am actually going this weekend to New York for her birthday!" - Jillian

"Outside of CA-NA-DA? This past March. On our honeymoon. To Thailand. NBD." - Emily

"Last July to Vegas!" - Melissa

"Hmm.. let me think.. it was in May. I visited my family in Bosnia." - Aleksandra

"A quick post wishing all of my lovely friends a happy 4th of July :)" - Jessica

"The last thing I blogged about was a delicious Asparagus Pizza Matt and I made the other night. Sooo good." - Jillian

"I blogged about my Past Crushes. Donnie Wahlberg - ripped jeans - yes please!" - Emily

"My shoes of the week!" - Melissa

"'Being more comfortable around myself.' You can read it here!" - Aleksandra

Told ya they were a lovely bunch! :)

On another note, I noticed I reached over 900 followers yesterday!

WOW- that sh*t cray (my favorite saying of the moment, if you couldn't tell).

I try not to obsess over the numbers, but who am I kidding, it's a good feeling. 

I hope you all take a moment to introduce yourselves, and as always...

 THANK YOU for reading!

Oh and don't forget about the new My Myself & I link up happening next Tuesday! 

Have a wonderful weekend my friends!!