The Morning Of The Big Day

Posted on June 23, 2016 by karissaestrada

WyattandKarissaWedding-114 WyattandKarissaWedding-33 WyattandKarissaWedding-60 WyattandKarissaWedding-53 WyattandKarissaWedding-23 WyattandKarissaWedding-49 WyattandKarissaWedding-92 WyattandKarissaWedding-16 WyattandKarissaWedding-105 WyattandKarissaWedding-119 WyattandKarissaWedding-130 WyattandKarissaWedding-37 WyattandKarissaWedding-128 WyattandKarissaWedding-125 WyattandKarissaWedding-141 WyattandKarissaWedding-99 WyattandKarissaWedding-136 WyattandKarissaWedding-137 WyattandKarissaWedding-147 WyattandKarissaWedding-148 WyattandKarissaWedding-167 WyattandKarissaWedding-152 WyattandKarissaWedding-172 WyattandKarissaWedding-177 WyattandKarissaWedding-180 WyattandKarissaWedding-197 WyattandKarissaWedding-203 WyattandKarissaWedding-104 WyattandKarissaWedding-145

April 22nd on a perfect Pasadena day. 75 degrees and sunny with no cloud in sight. All of us girls slept in until 9-ish. It was slow morning, drinking Starbucks in our hotel room and giggling about the big day ahead of us. I woke up in a panic with my nerves completely out of control. I was shaky and nauseous: I was a mess. I don’t even remember what exactly I was worried about. Maybe the thought that this day was all about Wyatt and I or maybe it was walking down the aisle with all eyes on me. Not for second did I second guess Wyatt though. I knew for sure that he was the man that I wanted to marry. Thinking that gave me comfort…along with a little Rosé.

We headed straight towards the venue to get ready. We messed around for half an hour or so, dancing, laughing and SnapChatting until the beauty crew showed and it then it was time for business. In a small room, with teal colored walls and windows on every corner we got prettied up listening to Ashlyn’s playlist and drinking a little more to calm our nerves.

I had a moment in between the “Where’s the bobby pins?” and “Can I borrow your lipstick?” to just grasp what exactly was happening. All of these girls, some I met in middle school, others oversea and one way back in elementary school, were all here for me. These sweet girls packed their suitcases and flew from wherever they were to California just to stand by my side when I say “I Do.” I am so lucky to have met them and was grateful that they were there with me.

I love you Ashlyn, Hannah, Autumn, Nicolette and McKala. Forever grateful for you.

Getting ready for the big day was only half the fun. The next post I’ll show you my favorite ceremony pictures that forever changed my life. Stay tuned.

Photography |Winsome & Wright |

Flowers |Running Wild Florals |

Dress |Monique Lhuillier Spring 2016 Collection|

Bridesmaid Dresses | BHLDN |

With Love,

©Karissa Marie

Stay updated with me and my blog. Follow me here ↓

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest | YouTube

Honeymoon In Maui, Hawaii

Posted on May 1, 2016 by karissaestrada

Hello there my beautiful readers!

Let’s see, what’s been going on in my life lately. Hmm, I got my nails done. I’ve been eating lots of buttermilk pancakes and trying to snack on more fruits and veggies. Hmm…what else happened?

OH! I GOT MARRIED!

I guess I should have led with that. Wyatt and I are officially married, officially husband and wife and we cannot be more over the moon about it. I cannot wait to share with you all of the sweet memories of the wedding day. The second I get my hands on the wedding video as well as our beautiful photography photos I will be posting them up on here! So stay tuned.

Wyatt and I just spent our entire day today traveling back to Colorado. I will admit that I missed my bed but not that much. I wish our trip to Hawaii lasted just a little bit longer. I mean, who would ever want to leave paradise and come home to snow and yucky 30 degree weather. Anyways, we are officially unpacked and all settled in. Tomorrow is my first day back at work in two weeks. Oh reality.

Our honeymoon consisted of laying on the beach, boogie-boarding, drinking margaritas, bike riding around town and eating lots of delicious seafood. I don’t think I’ve ever eaten more in my life. From fish tacos to pork nachos to their signature piña coladas- I’m pretty sure I experienced all that the Hawaiian cuisine had to offer. Wyatt took to me to my very first Luau! It was one of our favorite memories. We had LITERALLY the best food on the planet and our host made Wyatt dance on stage in front of everyone. Everyday we watched the sun go down on the beach, I mean, nothing can get more romantic than that right?

Everything was perfect. Our honeymoon was everything I had ever dreamed of. Hawaii was beyond breathtaking. I’ve never been there and I’m so happy to knock another destination off of my bucket list. We stayed at the Westin Resort and they treated us very well and they even left us champagne in our room!

Every moment of our honeymoon was incredibly special and I will never forget this trip with my husband. That’s right, I said it…HUSBAND.

We are already planning another getaway for this summer.

Let the adventures begin!

With love,

©Mrs. Karissa Marie

Stay updated with me and my blog. Follow me here ↓

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest | YouTube

Our Engagement Story

Posted on August 30, 2015 by karissaestrada

It’s currently 1am New York time and I am too high off of love to fall asleep. Saying that I am on Cloud 9 is an absolute understatement. Cloud-uh-Billion is where I’m currently located. Tonight the love of my life, high school sweet heart, and best friend proposed to me and I said yes. After nearly seven years (I’m exaggerating, its been a solid 6.5) Wyatt decided that in the smack middle of Times Square with a hundred people surrounding us on my 21st birthday would be where he would pop the question and boy oh boy…did he make me melt.

I had thought of all the different ways Wyatt and I would end up engaged but none of them could possibly compare to the way it actually happened. I wish I could tell you that I remembered every single detail of this moment but no, that’s not the case. Everything was such a blur but the sweet things I do remember, I will never forget.

It was around 8:30 PM. We had just gotten off a sunset boat ride that took us around Manhattan (He originally planned on proposing to me then but it didn’t feel right) and everyone was rushing to get back to Times Square because Wyatt said my birthday present was waiting there for me. The entire taxi ride I was guessing what my present could possibly be. I had guessed Ed Sheeran serenading me, One Direction, a puppy, and a private concert from The Kooks. Wyatt said “Guess in your head ok, it’s gonna be good.” The taxi guy dropped us off where the ball drops on New Years. Wyatt grabbed my hand so tight and didn’t let go as he dragged me through the crowd of people. I started feeling such anxiety because I had no idea what was to come. I kept on repeating “I don’t like surprises, I don’t like surprises.” Little did I know.

Somewhere between heaven and Times Square Wyatt stopped me. I immediately knew this was our moment because I didn’t see Ed Sheeran in sight. Wyatt grabbed my shoulders and said the words that are engraved in my memory forever, he said nervously, “I love you. You’re my best friend and I want to spend the rest of my life with you…” He then got down on one knee and by this time I was already crying and said, “Will you marry me?”

Ahh.

I can’t even begin to type how I felt in that moment. It was a feeling beyond this universe, something that I had never experienced before. For a split second I had forgotten where I was and complete ignored the fact that rows and rows of people were circulating around us taking pictures and going “OH MY GOSH!” It was just me and him in this beautiful crazy city and I have never felt more loved in my entire life. I was screaming YES!YES!YES! and doing some weird awkward dance/hop/kicking my feet in the air kind of thing and there he was, my fiancé, putting this giant rock on my finger while still on one knee. Swoon. We kissed, we hugged, we laughed, we smiled…we were finally engaged to be married. We not only got to share this very special moment with the people of Manhattan but also his parents, my parents and my brother. I could not have asked for anything more.

It was perfection and I’m so happy to be his.

Wyatt and I want to thank everyone who congratulated us. We saw all of your snaps, tweets, and messages and we are so thrilled that you’re thrilled. We feel the love. Thank you.

Let the wedding planning begin.

With love,

©Karissa Marie

My engagement dress.

Stay updated with me and my blog. Follow me here ↓

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest | YouTube

People Are Mean

Posted on August 11, 2015 by karissaestrada

I’ve had that Taylor Swift song stuck in my head all day. You know, the one where she sings “Someday, I’ll be living in a big ‘ole city and all you’re ever gonna be is mean.” Sometimes song lyrics bring such comfort to me on days where I feel so small. Just a heads up, I feel like venting and I don’t have anyone to vent to at the moment so here I am typing my little heart out hoping that someone out there understands the way that I feel.

Here we go.

People are mean.

I could stop it right there but I’m sure you would like a little more explanation as to why you’re not getting a typical fashion post in your inbox today. Well, I currently have a raging headache from crying so hard because I’m just so darn sick of being treated poorly. I’m sure so much of you can relate to being beaten down emotionally and girl, it’s tough. I get it.

Let’s back track a little bit shall we? I mentioned very briefly in a previous post that I was bullied in school. I think all those times that I was shoved and kicked to the ground, literally and more than once I might add, has made me so much more vulnerable. I won’t get into my deep dark past of being emotionally and physically bullied in school but I’ll just say that the bullying doesn’t stop there. It’s everyday. It’s between strangers, co-workers, friends and family. I wish I could say that the rude words and actions and feeling completely defeated and small stops after high school but it doesn’t and that’s what I had expected when I graduated. I’m an adult and the moment I even get a vibe that someone is upset with me or when someone is being rude to me, it immediately takes me back to all those times I was bullied in school and I just lose it. LOSE IT. I would love to think that going through a lot of abuse while I was younger has made me stronger but I think my brain and heart developed differently.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve always had a problem with “taking things too personally.” Carrying a whopping 10 pound heart comes with a lot of responsibility. Lots of tears and lots of heartbreak. Even the smallest things will make me cry. I don’t really want to say that it’s because I’m sensitive, (I secretly hate that word) but I think it’s because ever since I was a little girl I’ve been put down. I will not name any names but someone in my family, who is very close to me, has emotionally abused me my entire life. They’ve questioned my intelligence, my work ethic, my life goals…and well to make it short, me. They’ve constantly expressed that what I’m doing and who I am isn’t enough. I’m literally tearing up just typing this because it still bothers me that I can’t be all that this person wants me to be, even today, and it bothers me that even though I’ve grown up and moved away from this person, I still get emotionally abused from other people on a daily basis. I’m so sick of it. I’ve, unfortunately, have taken things to a new level and started medication for my depression and anxiety. I’m know a lot of it has to do with just being born this way and losing a family member but I think the rest of it is because I started to believe all those things that my bully’s had told me. Their little twisted words are stuck in my brain forever. (On the bright side, I’m a lot happier since I started the mediation. Haters gonna hate but my medication will fix that. HA!)

A revelation that I had today, and my point to writing this, is that I will NOT apologize to anyone for having a big heart or for being so “sensitive.” (Gag) I won’t change for anyone, not even for a family member. If I feel like I need to cry, I will. If I feel like shutting people out that have had hurt me, I will. If I feel like taking things too personally, I will. If I feel like typing up a blog post, I will. I am me. I am enough. I love me. Your rude thoughts and actions towards me may break my heart, yes, but they won’t entirely break me. Your hurtful words may ruin the moment but after a good cry and a good nap, they won’t ruin my day. The world would be such a wonderful place to live in if people just realized that their thoughts and actions have true consequences. From little smirks, to mean words, to ruining someones day, you have such an effect on other people, more than you might know. I challenge every single one of you to think before you speak, apologize if you’ve wronged someone and continue to walk with love.

The world and the girl typing up this blog post could use a little bit of that.

People are mean and that’s just not nice.

With Love,

©Karissa Marie

Stay updated with me and my blog. Follow me here ↓

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest | YouTube

That Dumb Girl In Chemistry Class

Posted on March 22, 2015 by karissaestrada

I gravitate towards splashes and blocks of color. I think most artists do. I may not be the painting kind of artist, even though I used to be in high school and HEY! I was pretty good at it. I have a few paintings in my parents storage to prove it. But I am in fact an artist in many other forms. For example: I’m a cookie artist. A guacamole artist. A doodle artist. A lipstick artist. A freelance writer-artist. A dry shampoo artist. An under qualified and un-paid apparel/editorial artist. And even a chocolate strawberry artist but look, I’m an artist none the less. Being an artist is simply creating something out of nothing. It’s seeing beauty in all shapes and sizes. I think we all have an artist somewhere inside of us. Others just pursue it more passionately than others. I see art everywhere I go. Not in a hippie way (no offense to the hippies) but I see beauty, color and chaos in everything. I think that makes me so high strung more than half of the time. My brain never stops.

I’ve never been good at math or science. I was always so ashamed that I never quite got that part of high school. One incident that has always stuck in my head was on my first day of Chemistry class. I sat down next to a girl that I THOUGHT was my friend and she gives me this look, like I was an alien or something. The next words that fell out of her mouth have still kind of haunted me to this day. She said, “Um, this is Chemistry class…Are you sure you belong here?” Ouch. I ran to bathroom and cried. Did I really have the word ‘Dummy’ written across my forehead? Let’s just say I switched classes immediately. From the day I started pre-school to my second year of college I was EXTREMELY hard on myself. I nearly punished myself every single time I didn’t get something 100% right. I was constantly insecure in my school work. I was constantly running to the girls bathroom to breathe and give myself a pep talk. I had nothing but A’s…but in my head that wasn’t good enough. My mom told me the other day that even before I started school I was ridiculously hard on myself. I’ve literally never stopped judging and punishing who I am. I have extremely high standards in all aspects of my life. Which I didn’t know that could be harmful until now. My mom said, “You don’t have to know it all Karissa. Just know the things that make you happy.” I was and am still always focusing on my weaknesses. When the whole time I could have learned to accept the fact that I am a right side brain user. Little did I realize that when we had projects in English, Science, Art Class and Social Studies that had anything to with color or creativity, everyone would want to be my parter. MY partner. My teachers knew I would shine when it came to these kind of projects but I had no idea. Writing poems, painting a canvas and creating slideshows were my thing. I even made one of my teachers CRY while presenting one of my “pieces of art.” I wish I could have given myself some credit. I wish I could have rewarded myself just a little more.

Here’s what I found a few weeks ago that I’m gonna put on my refridgerater to remind myself that it’s okay to not be a left brain thinker. It’s actually okay to be exactly who I am.

World, I’m not a left brain user. Don’t try and corrupt us who are right brain users. We have a purpose too. We can make a living too. We are important too. So put your hands high in sky whether you’re a left brain or a right brain and give yourself a little more credit. Love what you were given because I swear, what you were given was a gift.

Self acceptance.

Hey, I may be that dumb girl in chemistry class but at least I see life in more ways than just one.

Sincerely Your A+ Art Student,

©Karissa Marie

SHOP MY LOOK!

Paint Chip Blouse. Jeans. Shoes.

Stay updated with me and my blog. Follow me here ↓

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest | YouTube