A little bit of life (& fitness)

Just a little bit of my life today. That's all I have for you. I don't plan on regularly inundating you all with the boring details of my personal life, but I figured since most of you have hardly heard a thing from me in 4+ months, I'd post a few little things from the past week.

So if you follow me on Instagram, you're aware that I went hunting (and ate my weight in pancakes) with my husband this past Sunday-Tuesday. It was my second time ever hunting, and I feel like I can't even say that I actually hunted. Because what I actually did (other than eating copious amount of afore mentioned pancakes) was sit in the woods in the blind and play solitaire on my phone. I also fell asleep sitting up and started snoring. Maybe that's why we didn't see any deer...

A rose my husband left in my car and I found on my way out of work Sunday afternoon. Swoon. He's magical. ;) Must be pre-payment for going hunting for three days!

Calories galore. I regret nothing!

My cute little husband and I in the woods. I could just eat him up! Don't gag!

And of course, stylish as ever in the woods with my ponytail similar to that of Michelle Tanner from Full House, and my giant camo hunting boots. It was a fun little trip! Though hunting isn't necessarily my jam, being away from home and pancakes are. :)

Also, one of the things I've probably gotten the most e-mails/questions about is my diet & exercise regiment. I'm always a little cautious to do full-on posts about my diet & exercise because I've just done so much experimenting in the last year, I hate to commit to a post and say "This is what I eat, I swear it makes you skinny!" only to find later that that type of diet made me tired/cranky/fat/whatever. And by diet I don't mean any kind of crash diet or anything unhealthy like living off of Special K and protein bars, but just a set diet that focuses on a certain number of macro-nutrients (fat, carbs & protein) and amount of calories. Also, to tell someone what I eat and expect it to work for them without them also doing exactly what I do in the gym is not going to be good for them either. At the end of the day, you've kind of got to just experiment with your diet (ALWAYS staying within the realm of healthy and balanced!) and your workout regiment to find what works for you, because what works for me may not work for you. But let me know if you guys would be interested in more fitness posts, or at post about my diet/exercise, or any other questions. Lord knows that for those of you who follow me on Instagram are probably getting pretty used to all the shots of me flexing my little baby biceps or posting about my workouts. ;) You've probably also seen the following videos, but in case you haven't... who wants to be impressed by my muscles?!?! (That first video, I deadlifted 135 pounds, my friends!)

And then there's me, today, just chillin' at my desk at work. A little sleepy, a little thoughtful, and certainly looking forward to Thanksgiving next week! Matt and I will be visiting his family in Grand Rapids, and I'm excited to see family and eat tons of delicious food. And then spend the following three days in the gym trying to work it all off. 'Cause that's the best way to maintain a healthy weight, right?** 

 **No. Not how it works. ;)

Pardon my gigantic absence....

Hello there!

I've been trying to figure out how to properly come back from a nearly-four-month blogging break, but I'm not sure there's a formal way of saying "Hey, sorry I let all of you Internet friends thing I may have died or gone missing or gotten myself stuck in an underground cave, but here I am!". I would like to say thank you to all of you pretty people who e-mailed or tweeted me in my absence. It was so nice to be thought of!

I wish I had a really fantastic reason for being gone all summer (like being trapped in an underground cave) but the truth is, life happened. Life and other goals and work, etc. But outfits did happen as well. A few of them anyway. Here is photographic evidence of such:

What else has happened since I got sucked into a black hole?

I moved on up in the real estate world.

I got into the best shape of my life:

I turned a year older (22 on August 16th!) and celebrated one year of marriage with this hunk o' hunk o' burnin' love.

And last but not least, my husband and I acquired our first little love child:

Yes, a cat, not an actual child. Because this girl is still on Team No Kids. For now.

But I have missed blogging so very much, and I feel like I've lost touch with the fashion world due to my lack of blogging. What do I wear with navy? Are denim capris okay, sometimes? What about mom jeans? No? Even if they're belted? Okay. See? Clueless. 

And to be serious, blogging was such an outlet for me. Obviously. Why do any of us do it? It's fun. It's an outlet. It's a million great things, and I've missed having it in my life. And tonight, like many other nights, I leaned over to my husband and said "We should start taking photos of my outfits again so I can start blogging again." And usually he just nods and agrees, but tonight my husband said, "Okay. Tomorrow." And being the type of person that cannot commit to anything (seriously, how did I even end up married?), I decided to promise all my Internet friends (or what's left of them after my four month hiatus) that I would be back within the next few days. Just give me a chance to put on something cute, okay? You don't wanna see what I'm wearing now. I'll give you a hint: it starts with "Yoga pants" and ends with "covered in cat hair". ;)

six.

Be ready to be annoyed and possibly even gag. Because it's my husband and I's six month wedding anniversary, and I am feelin' a little lovey dovey today. Maybe it's silly to celebrate six months when I know most couples only celebrate yearly anniversaries, but being freshly married makes this girl a little silly.

I've been head over heels for this man almost since the moment I met him, and the last six months of my life have been an even greater awakening of that. He gives me more reasons to love him every single day, and more reasons to respect him & adore him.

The last six months have been filled with waking up to hot coffee sitting on my nightstand and a husband entering the bedroom with a tray of waffles; rolling around under a fortress of blankets and staring into each others eyes and wondering if this feeling of love could possibly be any stronger; long walks in the evening and conversations about our future together, walking hand in hand. Not to mention this blog, and how every new follower, every new comment and every e-mail is a reason for Matt to scoop me up in his arms and rejoice and tell me how proud of me he is. Surprise gifts, day dates, hunting trips, and a million laughs, hugs and kisses. I am one blessed little lady.

We spent such a large portion of our relationship being 1400 miles away from each other. To be able to have him and hold him at all times still makes me feel like I'm in a dream, and it's been over a year and a half since we were long distance.  I love that I'm the girl he kisses goodbye in the morning. I love that I'm the girl who gets to cook (and by cook I mean microwave) his meals, the girl that gets to be his cheerleader, and the girl who gets his heart.

Our "first look", and Matt hugging me while he cried. <3

You swept me off my feet this day six months ago, and you continue to do it every single day. You are my rock, my teammate, and my best friend. Team Hoyle for life. <3

Once Upon A Date Night Link Up: My husband chooses my outfits!

I'm linking up today with Jenna @ Demure in Diamonds and Emily @ A Devine Life for Once Upon A Date Night! Today, I am posting two date night outfits... that my husband chose! I don't have to tell you that men don't always have the best fashion sense (sorry, husband), and that their preferences in our clothing is often super different than ours. Below are two outfits that my husband, Matt, chose completely on his own based on what he likes to see me in (don't worry, I'm not naked ;)

Outfit #1:

Top: Gap, $8

Jeans: Kohls, $30

Purse: Coach, gift from Matt

Shoes: Love Culture, $10

Earrings: F21

Necklace: Windsor, $9

Why he chose the outfit: 

Matt has pretty much four favorite elements to an outfit I could wear: 

He wants to see stripes, 

he wants to see some blue, 

he wants it to be simple, 

and he wants it to be form-fitting. 

He really does love most of the outfits I post here, but if my outfit is any of those three afore mentioned things, he's drooling. I bought this shirt while shopping during our honeymoon because he just LOVED IT, but I've only worn it a few times since. I guess I just don't like it with plain jeans and the stripes are so thick, a lot of accessories don't look right with this. It also looks weird tucked into skirts, to me, so I just don't wear it much.

But Matt loves this outfit. He likes it because it meets all four of his favorite things about my clothes. He says my body looks good in this outfit, and he likes the wedges because they make me taller (and since there is a 14 inch height difference between us, HEELS MATTER) . Also, he bought that purse for the first birthday of mine we were ever able to celebrate together (we were in a long distance relationship for a while!), so he's always proud and happy to see me wear it!

When asked where he sees me wearing this, he said "Maybe a date walking along the beach," (in heels?! Boys!) "Or maybe a lunch date and some shopping" (that's better). When it's all said and done, I actually really like this outfit! I try not to ever wear a tight top and a tight bottom, I just feel a little too "exposed", but this covers almost all of me, so that makes me feel better!

Outfit #2:

Blazer: H&M, $35

Top: Banana Republic, $18

Skirt: Charlotte Russe, $16

Heels: F21, $20

Purse: Kenneth Cole, gift from Matt

Necklace: Charlotte Russe, old

Why he chose the outfit:

Why else? Blue & simplicity, two of his favorite things! He loves the blue paired with the bright top, and my white blazer is one of his favorite pieces as well. I definitely feel like I'm about to go into the office when I'm wearing a button-up, pencil skirt and blazer, but the bright jewel tones make it a little more outside-of-work-friendly, I suppose. Ha, I kept asking Matt, "This is what you want to see me on a date night?", and he kept nodding and smiling. Boys. I'm not sure I'll ever understand them. Even mine. Like I said, I love the colors of this outfit, but  just can't imagine wearing it on a date! Matt said he could see me wearing this out for dinner with him. Eh. Maybe. I mean, now that I know it's what he wants to see! :)

Also, that black Kenneth Cole purse is another gift from Matt. The first time I visited Matt in Texas while he was living there and I was still in Michigan, I saw this purse at Ross and was drooling. But as a college student who'd just shelled out a bunch of money to visit her boyfriend 1400 miles away, I didn't have the money to splurge on a new purse. I sadly left the purse behind, but a week after I got back home to Michigan, a package arrived in the mail. Matt had gone back to the store after I left and bought the purse to me and mailed it to me. Swoon! This is why I married him. Purses, I mean. Purses is why I married him.

Once Upon a Date Night Link Up is posted every 1st of the month.
Just follow the rules and help our Link Up grow!
From outfits, to shoes, to hairstyles, to Groupons, movie nights, dinners, traveling and day-dates...you name it. We construct our own how-to's for a great date night.

Want to jump in? Grab a button and Link up!!

The Rules

1. Follow me, Emily & Jenna on GFC, Instagram, Twitter & Facebook

2. Post your "Once Upon a Date Night Idea" and add your Link 

3. Find other bloggers who jumped into the Link Up and make friends :-)

4. Post the "Once Upon a Date Night Idea" button on your blog: with a link to mine, Jenna's & Emily's blog on your post.

By the way, I have to say this post was definitely inspired by my friend Chelsea's blog She Said He Said. Go check her out, because she posts her boyfriend's opinions of her gorgeous outfits every day, and it's hilarious!

Feb 1st: Date Night Link up w/ Jenna!

Jenna (click the image above to get to her) & I came up with a monthly link up featuring your most recent date night, date styles, ideas, etc, on the first of each month. For my first one, I'm just going to show y'all a bunch of pictures from me and the Mr's most recent date. This post is a bit link heavy, so click below if you dare!

Tagged!

Ginny from My New Favorite Outfit (one of my favorite bloggers!) tagged me in this fun reflection post about 2012. 2012 was literally one of the hardest but absolute greatest years of my life, and it was a joy to remember a few moments by answering these questions!

One of me & Matt's engagement photos.

Favorite Makeup: Oh, so many makeup discoveries this year! I'd have to say my favorite was the Lorac Pro Palette. It's got 20 neutral shades, half matte and half shimmery. The quality is fantastic and has every neutral color a girl could need on a regular basis. Love it! Honorary mention goes to Revlon Colorstay's Liquid Eye Pen for forever changing how easily I can manage my daily winged liner.

Favorite Book: You know what book gets better every time I read it? The Bible. :) I didn't get a chance to read many books in 2012 outside of the Bible and whatever books were given to me to read when I was in ministry school, but one that I reread last year that I loved was Battlefield of the Mind by Joyce Meyer. Such a fantastic book about anxiety and the mind battles the enemy tries to use to keep you from living the life you were meant to. I will reread this book every year.

Favorite Song/Album: Yours Forever by Dara Maclean is the only song coming to mind, because the first time I heard it on the radio this summer, I knew I was going to play it during my wedding. So beautiful.

Favorite Movie: Matt and I watch a lot of movies and I rarely remember the titles of them, but one in particular that I loved was Hysteria. It starred Maggie Gyllenhaal and was a hilarious and insightful movie regarding modern psychology in the 1800s, specifically a mental problem which people at that time regarded as female hysteria. I am a fiend for anything related to psychology, and this movie was just very well done. Also, I saw it on my honeymoon, so that may have affected my feelings toward it. :)

One Thing You're Grateful For: If I can only choose one thing, I'll avoid the obvious (HUBS!) and state something else: my health. I had a few minor health issues toward the end of 2011, and dealt with a couple other issues this year. But I'm doing much better now, and I am grateful to be healthy, to not have any issues I have to deal with daily, and to have a well-functioning body.

Greatest Challenge: Losing 20 pounds! I've struggled with my weight all my life. I decided that this was the year that I lost the weight I wanted to lose. I knew I was not functioning at 100% health-wise and I was sick of thinking of "one day" when I'd be the weight I want to be. It was so difficult staying on track and eating food that I used to hate, but I am so glad I did this for myself. Looking better is the least of the rewards that losing 20 pounds has done for me. I feel better and healthier than ever!

Looking Forward to in 2013: So many things! Visiting Atlanta in two weeks for a conference with my husband, continuing to reach more health and fitness goals (I'm beginning to run a lot more and can finally run for 20-30 minutes without stopping.. big achievement for me!), and many new adventures with my husband in our first full year of marriage!

Now to tag a few gals... let's hear your greatest hits of 2012!

Mo @ See Mo Go
Jenna @ Demure in Diamonds
Elizabeth Anne @ Mrs. Parrett

Cinderella & her Prince.

So my husband and I were driving home the other night, and me, being the whiney wife that I occasionally am, said that I missed the days when we were dating (and not on a strict budget) and Matt would surprise me with little gifts every once in a while. Now that we're married and have financial goals, we stick to a pretty tight budget, which doesn't leave Matt a ton of room to buy me pretty things too often.

But right after those whiney, moody little words left my lips, do you know what my husband did? Pulled a wrapped gift for me out of the back seat of his car. Out of no where! Was this magic? I tried again. "I wish you'd get me a Louis Vuitton purse." Nothing. I shot a little lower. "I wish you'd get me a donut..." Nothing again. Not magic, my friends. I just have a husband who keeps gifts for me in his car. :)

Inside the wrapped box was this:

A beautiful Pandora bracelet and charm. He said the charm was a carriage, representing our new marriage, us and our fairy tale. Since we met each other, he's called me his princess, and I've called him my knight in shining armor. We cry like babies when we watch Disney princess films and see the prince sweep the princess off her feet, because we so fell for each other just like a fairy tale.

Lesson learned: If you want something bad enough, complain about it to your husband.

No, no, wait.. that's not the lesson. This is: marry a good man, ladies. Marry a good man.

I'M GONNA WRECK IT!

Cardigan: Old Navy, $5

Top: Macys, $12

Jeans: Charlotte Russe, $35

Boots: Rue 21, $12

Purse: Steve Madden via Marshalls, $40

Necklace: Old Navy, $4

Earrings: Forever 21, $3

Bracelets: Gap, $4

Try number two with a cardigan! I'm liking them more and more. I wore this outfit out for lunch to Olive Garden and to go see Wreck It Ralph with my husband. Which, by the way, I totally recommend if you are completely enamored by kid movies. Which Matt & I are. Coincidentally, I can't really do anything lately without yelling "I'M GONNA WRECK IT!" first. It's fine, really....

And for those of you who've been asking for a close up of my face:

(Just kidding, no one's been asking for a close up of my face.. that'd be weird..)

 Anyway, I've also included a few little snapshots of our day. 

Hope everyone's having a great start to the new year! 

Love for 2012. Hope for 2013.

1// 2012 was definitely a year of airports. Between visiting Michigan and traveling to Dallas for the ministry, I was in some airport or another at least 1-2 times a month!
2// My roommate in Texas' dog, Chica! I miss that little mexican baby.
3// When Matt proposed to me at the same place we'd had our first Texan date.
4// Texas. The sky is bigger, the meals are bigger, everything is just bigger in Texas. And I miss it.
5// One of our engagement pics from one of our two engagement shoots. I photographed both of them! Each shoot took 3+ hours but saved us a ton of money! :)
6// Me at my bridal shower with my friend Alyse, who threw it for me!
7// Me taking photos when I'd just about reached my goal weight for the wedding this past September. Such an incredible feeling!
8// Me marrying my prince. The most beautiful and perfect day of my entire life.

For some reason, New Years doesn't usually strike me as a special time to start changing myself. Probably because I'm constantly putting changes in my life into motion. Nothing irritates me more than stagnancy or wasting time, so I'm constantly evaluating myself. If anything, I want a new year to be a time where I recognize the good things that happened that past year and applaud myself for my accomplishments. Positive self thoughts are more motivating than negative self thoughts, so I thought I'd start this thing off with:

a few accomplishments of mine from this year...

...completing my first year of ministry school. Looking forward to going back for my second and final year one day, but I'm trusting God's timing!

...successfully living on my own for the first time. In Texas, 1400 miles away from my parents and everything I've ever known. And without ever being late on a bill or going hungry!

...losing 20+ pounds. I've been at least a little overweight for most of my life, my top weight being about 50 pounds heavier than I am right now, but let me say, these 20 pounds this year did not come off without a fight. I worked hard. And I'm proud.

...marrying the man of my dreams. I've only been married about 3 1/2 months but they've honestly been the greatest months of my life. Not because I'm drunk in love (even though I am) but because I can't believe God gave me the gift and privilege of being this man's wife.

...started a blog. Seriously, even if this is a pathetic accomplishment, it's a big accomplishment for me. I've wanted to do this for a couple years but was afraid to. Afraid I didn't have anything worth sharing, afraid the blog would flop or be unsuccessful (I don't even know what a successful blog is!) or that I'd get discouraged. So I let my own fears stop me from doing something I wanted to do. Until this year! With the encouragement of my husband (who believes that every good dream is worth pursuing), I started this blog at the end of November and never looked back! 

and a few goals for 2013...

...continue reaching health and fitness goals. Having experienced what it feels like to be a healthy weight and living a lifestyle of eating well & working out, I only want to press further into it! I still have a few pounds I'd like to trim off, and a ton of toning to work on! Also, I eat very well about 75% of the time, but the 25% that I don't reallllly kicks me in the butt later. I can barely stomach anything greasy, creamy or sugary when I eat just a smidgen too much. So I'd like to gain better balance, and make sure I'm getting enough water! That one is always so hard for me!

...continue learning how to be a good wife. When I married Matt, I swore before him and our family and God that I'd be the best wife I can be, and I by no means believe that I have arrived anywhere close to that yet! Matt is the sweetest, most generous, caring and selfless individual that I've ever met in my life, and to be the kind of wife he deserves is always my goal!

...continue growing my relationship with God. This is a never-ending goal that will never be totally accomplished, because you can never reach the end with knowing God. So this goal is a give-in. :)

...better manage my time. Another seemingly never-ending goal. I feel like I never have enough time in a day! I can be good at time management, but I tend to want 100% of my free time to be spent watching everything on the DVR, and 0% of my free time to be spent cleaning or reading or doing something else productive with my time. I'm sure that within the next few years, I'm going to have a baby or something, and I'm going to miss the days where I only worked 3 days a week, and my only responsibility other than keeping my husband alive was a blog on the Internet. I don't want to waste this time in my life!

...become more positive and optimistic. It's very natural for me to assume the worst, believe that the best-case-scenario is impossible, and that everything is falling apart. I have to fight these feelings daily! And I want to live my life purposely setting out to believe the best case scenario, to have hope, and to not stress out over everything! My husband seems to live in this blissful little world of Nothing Bad Ever Happens. I used to think this was very naive and childish, but living that way is a paradise. My husband is never stressed! It seems like his positive attitude attracts goodness and success. And when the bad does come... it's not that bad!

I know these are just descriptive goals and not action plans, but I do have plans of action for each of these steps! I'm just not, you know, posting them on the Internet for the entire world to see. :)

So I hope you all are having a wonderful holiday season and are spending time reflecting on what a fantastic year you've had. Cheers to 2013! 

High Five for Friday!

I skipped last week, but I'm linking back up again with Lauren this week with High Five for Friday!

1. I made Christmas cookies earlier this week with my niece and nephew. So fun!

2. I've totally enjoyed choosing and wrapping gifts this year! This was my first Christmas as a married woman, and I so cherished it.

3. I didn't get any photos of Matt & I with his family on Christmas day, but here's a photo of us making the 2 hour drive up to Grand Rapids. We had a great time.

4. This stuff. Everywhere. I actually honestly hate snow, but this was only the first day we'd gotten it, and there's always a small (very small.. like miniscule.. almost nonexistent..) soft spot in my heart for the first snowfall of the winter.

5. Day-after-Christmas shopping. All I can say is Old Navy and Bath & Body Works: God bless you and your crazy sales. I went to a few other stores as well, and I came home with this loot you see here: retailed for $219, and I paid only $93. Success, ladies. Success.

His & Her Perspective: Our Wedding Day pt. 2!

Our Ceremony & the Reception:


Our ceremony was set to begin at 3:00, and I believe it started within a few moments of 3. Right before the ceremony, I was in a dark little hallway by myself while my bridal party walked down the aisle so that no one looking toward the back of the church would see me. I spent those few moments alone just praying. These were my last few moments being a single woman, only being "married" to Christ. The tears wanted to come, but I kept myself together and reminded myself that today was a happy day! I thanked God, and shared my heart with Him, and my commitment to this great future He had designed for me. I was ready for it!

His & Her Perspective: Our Wedding Day!

I recently read an article from a bride who advised other brides to write down all the details of their wedding as soon as they can, because otherwise they'd soon forget the sweet little details. So that is what I'm doing! And anyone interested may indulge themselves in the details as well, because I decided to post this online so I can always find it! I'll be posting little segments of the day, and today I'm starting with everything that happened up to the ceremony.. and everything you see in blue font was written in and added by my husband, Matt's, of how the day went in his own words. I think it gives a fuller point of view, and I loved to hear him describe our wonderful day. :) So here we go!

It's official.

I'm going hunting.

Matt and I will be spending the next five days in the middle of nowhere, Michigan (sometimes known as White Cloud), deer hunting. As a newlywed, I'm more than happy to support Matt in his favorite hobby. Well.. until I watch him shoot down Bambi. I can't guarantee my response after that. He tells me that we'll only kill adult male deer, and that they're not very nice anyway, but pretty much anything furry and with four legs is nice to me. :)

I've been lamenting all afternoon over the fact that I will not be bringing a single cute item of clothing on this trip.

Though I did manage to maintain a shred of my femininity in those pink thermal socks. 

I guess I always thought all hunting was kind of like, wild African boar hunting or something, where you're constantly on the move, tracking the animal. Exciting, right? Apparently, though, that is only for the movies. Deer hunting is apparently very... calm. I have been told I should expect to sit very still and quiet for three days in our blind in the woods, waiting for the deer. Except, I'm not very good at being still, or quiet. Or waiting. So we'll see how this goes.

However, I am super excited about a new experience with my husband and spending some alone time in the woods! I am one of those people who finds themselves needing to be constantly entertained or stimulated. I look forward to the peaceful serenity of the woods. And listening to every song in my phone on repeat.

I think this is what God made iPhones for. 

And even though five days hunting doesn't sound exactly like my cup of tea, I'd say it's a pretty fair trade when I've subjected Matt to so much shopping and fashion TV shows that he can now identify what type of waistline a dress has, how to accessorize an outfit, and if a woman is wearing hair extensions or not.

I've got him right where I want him. :)

Hunger Games

Dear husband (that's you, Matt Hoyle): I know I am an adult, but something I've not quite mastered is making sure I eat three square meals a day. For example, tonight: forgot about dinner being a thing until 1am, so I had to sneak out of bed and eat 2342 pieces of toast. Which is not an adequate dinner. Sincerely, Sorry All The Bread Is Gone.