Okay, I lied...

Sorry about that. This time actually does NOT include a vlog... because I discovered another "girly" thing I'm bad at - filming myself getting ready - HA! But that's okay... I'll figure it out eventually and THEN I will show you my "somewhat daily" makeup routine.

In the mean time... let's talk about something else. Nails, perhaps. I am truly terrible about taking care of my nails. They are almost always differing lengths, some broken or peeling, and often with leftover nail polish because I rarely take the time to remove the polish once it starts chipping. And speaking of nail polish.... that is an art form I have not quite mastered yet.

I love it when nails look pretty and polished and perfect! I see them on Pinterest all the time, I even have a board filled with what I think are pretty nail ideas for myself, should I ever figure out how to take care of and paint nicely my poor nails. You can look through the pretty ideas here, if you'd like ;)

My Grandma (I call her Brondbob - Or Brond/Brondy for short - for reasons that aren't really known even to me) has beautiful nails, and she takes very good care of them. SHE is a polish master, and she passed that trait along to most of the ladies in my family. My middlest sister finds my inability to paint my nails quite comical. She has tried numerous times to instruct me on the proper technique, but for whatever reason, I still can't seem to get it down. Here is a time lapse video of what I look like TRYING to paint my nails. Notice the starting condition... Sorry for the sudden end, I think my dog was getting into something that he shouldn't have been. Anyway, here is that, have a good laugh (and try to imagine the finished product - streaks galore, and all over my fingers. as per usual) and I'll keep practicing. ;)

Do you have a favorite polish/color/technique? Feel free to share in the comments section!!

And thank you for your patience, I'll get my camera working soon and get that video up!!


stay gorgeous

I Woke Up Like This:: My Clean Face

I usually look something like this first thing in the morning. Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, right? Right. (what? no! that couldn't be leftover makeup...because i totally take mine off every night like everyone says you're supposed to!! or maybe i don't...) 

Before I get too far into this, I want to make sure something is perfectly clear. I believe the following is 100% true:

"Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight." 1 Peter 3:3-4 

This truth seems to get a bit lost in the defining of "beauty" today. And I'll admit that I am someone who loses sight of this fact all too often. When we are bombarded daily with the concept of a "beauty" that is based only on looks, it is easy to forget that our beauty needs to come from within. So as I take this year to really find ME, my style, and my self-confidence, please help me remember that it's not just how I look on the outside, but who I truly am on the inside that matters most.


I am really bad about washing my face on a regular basis. When I do, it's usually in the shower, and whether it's in the morning or night just kind of depends on the day. I am currently using a cleanser made by Sophyto (by Karen Sinclair Drake). Mine is a purifying silken cleanser, which I bought in a package at SamsClub.

My face has been SUPER dry lately (thank you, CO), so I have been moisturizing with Coconut Oil (the wonderful/do-it-all/magical oil I use for everything), which I also got at Sams. I only use a VERY SMALL amount of this on my face, otherwise I look incredibly greasy all day long.

Having clean skin is nice. There is a lot of crap in makeup, and, as a society, we layer that stuff on thick! So cleaning it off afterwards is a pretty good idea. Not to mention the junk that we fill our bodies with - fast food, soda, alcohol, candy, junk food (oh, the chemicals) - and the effect that has on our skin. {good in, good out} I really think the key to having clear, clean skin is more in our diets and lifestyles than our skin care routines. But that's just me.

After I cleanse my face and put on some coconut oil (and brush my hair), I look like this:

























Half the time, that's all I do. I don't look perfect, and I definitely don't have perfect skin. But this is me, clean and fresh, and I wish society thought this was all we needed. Please don't think I hate makeup. I don't. Makeup can be fun! And there are definitely days when I put on more - I just wish it wasn't expected or the basis of people's perception of beauty. (end rant) I'm going to show you all my "everyday makeup routine" for those days when I do wear more next! ;) 

RECAP: Clean faces. They're nice and good and pretty. MY ADVICE: find a good, natural cleanser and moisturizer and start there. I know there are lots of different types of skin, so finding your own products and routine will be important. But don't overdo it - let your skin breathe!! And - are you putting garbage into your body? {garbage in, garbage out}


Yep, that's all I've got for today. Thanks for reading :) next time might just include a VLOG! 

Being A Girl Is Tough

Okay, don't get me wrong, I love being a girl. I like getting dolled up, doing some shopping, drinking wine and watching chick flicks... but being a girl in today's world is hard work! We must have 3D white, straight teeth. Our skin must be acne-free, tanned, and luminous. Our hair has to be silky-smooth, and styled to perfection. Even "messy" has a specific look to it these days. We are judged for not wearing makeup, or for wearing too much makeup - although I often feel like the people judging the amount of makeup on a girl's face sometimes have no realistic standards. But, do any of us have realist standards anymore? Have you ever searched makeup tutorials on YouTube? Those things are 5-25 minutes long! (Some are even longer!!) And half of it is done in fast forward!!! That is so much time spent putting on makeup!! EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. Add to this style, fitness, creative outlets, cooking, cleaning, handwriting, and there is a lot that we are expected to be masters of simply because we are girls.

I'd like to pretend I'm a girly girl every now and then... (my Pinterest would lead you to believe that I am!) but I'm just going to come right out and say it: I suck at all things girly. So, this year, I've decided to try and add a little bit of perspective to the online world. I don't know about you, but, as a female/lady/woman/girl/person, I all to easily fall into the HORRIBLE habit of comparing myself to other females/ladies/women/girls/people. Especially since I've got two super-model sisters and a mother who is always confused for another sister. They are seriously beautiful, AND they are all really good at being girly! (sound like comparison, anyone? woops.)

This year [2015] I want to share with you ME. This year I am going to find my own style, and stop comparing myself to those around me. There is going to be a lot of trial and error, and I'm going to plaster it all on the internet so that, when I'm having a bad day, I can look back and laugh at myself. I'm inviting you to explore and laugh along with me. You may SHUDDER at the shortcuts I take in my "daily makeup routine," (or lack there of) or maybe it will inspire you to take some shortcuts too. ;)

here we go.

The Little Miss:: Maddie

In the last week of May, I started "nannying" this precious little girl two days a week. I had been working five days a week at State Farm and doing photography during the evenings and weekends, but I was feeling the need to shake things up a bit. Anyone who knows me knows that sitting at a desk all day is beyond challenging for me. I'm a child at heart and I would much rather be out having adventures than being a responsible adult. But, as life continues to fly by, the fact that I can no longer spend my hours daydreaming and pretending has become impossible not to accept. I still long to fill my days with laughter and fun, however, so when the opportunity presented itself to change up my schedule and spend two days a week playing and laughing and exploring with a sweet little 13 month old, I couldn't resist. I checked and rechecked my budget, worked with my boss to rearrange my hours at State Farm to Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and took on my nannying position Tuesday and Thursday. I also took on a SEO job that I can work from home on Tuesdays and Thursdays to help supplement some income (and still fill up my photography schedule as much as possible!). And I have absolutely LOVED it. It has been the perfect mixture for me of working my "adult" job, and doing something I am passionate about. I've loved being home more (and actually working to keep my house cleaned and somewhat organized - yay!), and I have absolutely fallen in love with the precious Little Miss: Maddie. Here are a few, or maybe more than a few, pictures of our time together. Maddie has been a huge blessing - she is so much fun to take care of, and we love playing all day long. Maddie is always ALL smiles, and she loves to snuggle up and read some books.

I've loved every second I've sent with this girl so far, and I plan on enjoying every second that I have left to spend with her! She'll be back to spending her days with Grandma once school starts up again in August - and while I know that will be very special for her AND for Grandma, I will definitely miss our days together!

On a side note - IT'S THE MIDDLE OF JULY! How did the year fly by so quickly?! It has been quite a year so far for me, and I hope it's been a great year for you too, whoever you are!

Thanks for reading.

Kortney Alacyn

Happy 27th Anniversary, You Two

May is quite the month in my family. There are countless birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, etc. It is easy for things to get rushed through, or even missed. I get to share my birthday with my parents, because I was born on their 5th anniversary. That makes this day even that much more special to me, and I wanted to take a couple of minutes and recognize my parents and their marriage of 27 years, today! It's a little weird that these people have been loving each other and making a life together longer than they were living without one another; longer than I've even been alive. (obviously, haha).

By watching these two love each other day in and day out, I've been privileged enough to observe what true love looks like. Yes, it is patient, and kind, not envious or boastful, nor proud; love is selfless, not easily angered, forgiving, it rejoices with truth and goodness; love always protects, always hopes, always perseveres - love never fails. We know this from 1 Corinthians, and we know this is how God loves us. But to see two people love each other this way is beyond what words can describe. This kind of love is rare, and beautiful, and precious. It is this kind of love that I will hold out for; I will never settle for anything less.

Beyond fulfilling what God has said and demonstrated to us that love ought to be, my parents have also taught me that love should also be:

1) Fashionable:

2) Fun:

3) Full of Kisses (even when your children cringe)

4) and Fulfilling. It should continue through the years to grow and strengthen so that you are more and more in love every single day, even the days when loving that someone is hard.

I love these two people so incredibly much. I love watching them love each other, and those around them. They care so deeply for one another, and they put each other first. They laugh, and explore, and sing, and dance, and cry, and pray for and with each other. They are best friends, but they are so much more. They understand one another in a way that no one else ever will. They acknowledge and embrace their imperfections, and they strive to be better versions of themselves as individuals as well as together, as one. They have set the bar high, and I pray that one day I will find the man who I will love this way for the rest of my life.

Daddy and Mommy,

Thank you for the examples that you are. Thank you for being my parents, my friends, my inspiration, and so much more. I love you!! Happy Anniversary - here's to many more!!

Loving you Always,

Kortney Alacyn