Instagram Karissa VS The Real Karissa

Posted on March 30, 2015 by karissaestrada

I keep on forgetting to mention that I reached 10K on Instagram the other day. I’m shocked I haven’t blurted out those words yet to anyone. The reality is, I find reaching 10K pretty cool but I’m so relieved that I don’t let the number of subscribers or followers on any of my social media handles consume me. I don’t stay awake at night counting the number of likes on post or waiting for the next follower to discover me. No. It’s not like that at all. I’ve always been visual and loved taking pictures. When I look back, I’ve always been somewhat good at social media. I remember back in the good ole MySpace days, I was always being told how much people loved my page set-up and my photos which are now called “selfies.” I guess you can say that I have a raw talent for the internet. It’s so silly when I hear myself say it out loud. Social media has been an incredible platform for my blog. I’m able to reach so many of you on a more personal level. Because of Instagram, I can express my creativity more freely and I’ve been able to drive business from it. Best of both worlds. I’m still waiting for the day I get noticed and someone important sends me off to travel the world, wearing cute designer clothes and taking pictures for Instagram. (Ya right Karissa.) But really, that’s happened to a few of my Fashion Blogger icons. Sincerely Jules, one of my first blogger inspirations, was just doing her own thing on her blog and one day it became an empire. She lives in L.A. for the most part but she’s constantly traveling the world and living it up. Because of her blog success she is now a designer. Like seriously? That’s just one of many fashion blog success stories that I wanted to share. I don’t know if I will ever make it that big. I wouldn’t mind it at all but honestly, I won’t beat myself up if I don’t. I think that is the biggest misconception about me, that all I want is internet fame. Nope, ew, no thank you. I’ve gotten over 10,000 followers on Instagram simply by BEING MYSELF. I think that’s something to be proud of for sure but I won’t let any amount of followers get to my head or more importantly, to my heart. I have a lot of people who look to me for fashion inspiration and trust me, I feel the pressure of it all. Last Saturday I was approached by not one but THREE of my blog subscribers. THREE! Strangers that I had never seen before came up to me saying “Are you Karissa Marie?”

Wuw. What is life right now? I had no idea I was capable of impacting so many of you. It’s an honor to be recognized for the things that I do and for the person that I am. But if I’m being completely honest: I don’t feel appreciated outside of the internet world. I’ve bent over backwards, shown all sorts of my creativity and my kindness and my willingness to GROW to all kinds of people and even though, yes, I do get praised for it, praise is NOT what I’m looking for. I’m looking for a career people. I’m looking for my dream job or at least a step in that direction. I don’t know if it’s just Denver or if it’s just me but I don’t feel appreciated here. My lease to my apartment is up in 3 months and I could not be more excited to pack my bags and hopefully go somewhere where my talent can make an impact and a difference. Somewhere I can throw myself into projects and be surrounded by like-minded people. I really think my age has something to do with the fact that I haven’t gotten a decent job here in Denver. But that’s SO NOT FAIR. I have a lot to give. I just need a chance and an opportunity to prove myself.

YOU CAN’T FAKE CREATIVITY.

So here I am, in the same position I was in last year and the year before: Lost. I’ve been lost for a few years now and I’ve reached the point where I question if I always will be lost. Will my brain be stuck in a state of limbo for the rest of my life? I’ve been “stuck” forever now. The only thing difference is that I have a few more followers. I’m ready for a better, more positive outlook on my life. I ready for better, more uplifting friendships. I’m ready for a better job but more importantly a better self.

I just felt like being honest today. I felt like typing up all my feelings and posting it on my page because it will make me feel better for just a few minutes before I go back to my life of disappointment. My biggest fear is making a living out of something that doesn’t truly make me happy. I want to make a living doing spiritually, emotionally, and mentally fulfilling work.

I fear a job that squashes my creative juices into oblivion.

I need a sign. Any sign that says I am here on this planet for a reason. A literal sign that points in the direction that I should go would be helpful as well because I have no clue what life has in store for me. I don’t even have the slightest hint.

So thank you, 10,oo0 + followers, THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for believing in me but I think my biggest accomplishment will be whether or not I can believe in myself.

With love,

Karissa Marie

Top. Skirt. Fedora.

Girls Night Out

Posted on March 28, 2015 by karissaestrada

Hello There Friends!

This is the first of many posts featuring some fabulous clothing items from Tobi.com. Today’s post is all about this “Bound To You” wrap style top. I wanted to style this top in a very “Girls Night Out” kind of way while still keeping it casual by adding some slouchy faux-leather bottoms. The cut-outs in this top reveal just enough without being too overboard. Not for one second did I feel insecure just because of the placements of the small but statement cutouts. I’m not one to show a lot of skin but I thought this top was appropriate enough for a fun girls night out on the town. I love this monochromatic trend that’s happening right now. I also really love it with a pop of red lip and a gold accessory because I just can’t live without color on a Friday night. Tobi.com is a great place for on-trend simple clothing. I really think a lot of my girlfriends from back home will adore this site. IF YOU SIGN UP FOR THEIR EMAIL LIST YOU GET 50% OFF YOUR FIRST ORDER! Check them out |here|

Since Spring has arrived and summer is just around the corner it’s time to start taking the layers off and revealing our sun-kissed skin. I’ve really embraced the porcelain look this winter and I’m almost sad to say goodbye but I look forward to getting a little extra Vitamin D on the those sweet sunshine days. I’m not yet in the tanning mood but I’ll hang out by the pool once in awhile. I’m gonna taking tanning this year nice and slow. I’m in no rush at all to get darker so just bare with me and my white girl complexion.

With love,

©Karissa Marie

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Top. Bottoms. Bag. Shoes-Zara

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| Sole Serum |

Posted on March 26, 2015 by karissaestrada

Day in and day out I get asked how I’m able to wear heels all day long. To be honest, I’m like most women and I do get foot pain. I’m just able to sacrifice my comfort so I can wear my favorite heels. Heels make me feel beautiful. It may sound silly but they not only elevate every single look you wear, but they bring confidence that a normal flat couldn’t, just couldn’t. No matter the amount of blisters, red marks, and band-aids I still would much rather opt for heels. Those painful days are over ladies! I would hate for other women to not feel the way I do in heels because of their discomfort, so here’s my secret.

Let me introduce you to Sole Serum– “A serum that targets foot pain relief. With the power of lidocaine and a soothing combination of natural oils and extracts, Sole Serum takes away your daily aches and pains. Just simply apply a small amount when you start feel discomfort. Your feet will be free of pain for up to two hours per use. Whether you’re standing on your feet all day, running errands, or simply making your way through the work day, foot pain can occur in even the most comfortable and sensible shoes. Sole Serum is the perfect solution, with its blend of natural and active ingredients to safely relieve foot pain for up to two hours per use. The power of lidocaine not only blocks the foot’s pain signals from reaching the brain, but also helps to reduce inflammation. It also includes natural ingredients to help soothe your skin and leave your feet feeling refreshed. Your feet will thank you!” Click | here | to read more about their philosophy.

But here’s my philosophy: Wear whatever makes you feel beautiful because life is WAY too short to not to.

With love,

©Karissa Marie

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The Blue Team

Posted on March 24, 2015 by karissaestrada

It’s official. I’m on the blue team now. I’m so happy that more and more clothing companies are hopping on this Indigo trend because it’s just more for me to buy. I WANT IT ALL. I’ve always been a huge fan of the color blue but now that it’s available everywhere I’ve just been soaking it up more. I almost don’t want to leave the house without the color blue somewhere on my outfit. I need help. Again, this is just another phase in my style life. Everyone goes through them. I was school shopping one year and all I bought were dresses. Nothing but dress. No jeans, no tees. Halfway into the school year I was like, “Okay, I’m so sick of this.” But I always do this to myself. I jump into every fashion adventure with my whole heart. I really dive deep and I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that. Because in the end, I’m left with great memories and some cute clothes that are mostly timeless. I now have plenty of denim in my closet to last me a lifetime. I really feel like one of the guys. Uh oh, here I go dropping the word menswear but whatever. My brothers would really love this new “not so girly” side of me that I’ve recently discovered. I love my skirts, my blouses, my heels but it’s nice not having to dress up completely in head to girly-ness. It’s nice throwing my hair back and putting on some denim overalls. P.s. I have been on the search for some fabulous overalls for the longest time. I’m so thrilled to have finally found a nice light wash pair. All that’s left to do is discover a dark wash but until then I’ll be rockin’ this one.

With love,

©Karissa Marie

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Overalls. Top. Shoes-Zara

Cute Overalls HERE. HERE. and HERE.

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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

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