Mug Life {6}

While I've got my blog motivation going, might as well do an updated yet throwback Mug Life! I took this picture in Seattle and ironically it has all--mostly--of the elements I needed for it so why not! Let's do a travel version of Mug Life, switch it up a bit AND combine it with a review of the book pictured...you can kind of see it...sorry *shrugs*

My Current Read // Not the best picture but what I WAS reading IN BED WITH THE BEAST by Tara Sivec and LOVING IT!! It's the second book in the Naughty Princess Club series. I was so excited for this book because--duh--Beauty and the Beast, pease note my book sleeve. I thought this book was clever and smart and I loved Belle and the 'beast.' I loved that she was shy and unsure of herself and really came into her own. Beast was patient and kind and so thoughtful. I loved the twists and nods to the original fairy tale in the first book and this book also was SO clever in it's delivery. Her bad dates and parallels to the inanimate objects from the story were just too, too good. The friendship between Belle, Cindy, and Ariel was incredible. They are so honest and real yet supportive of each other in the perfect balance. I CANNOT WAIT for Ariel's book because she is so crass and in your face, I cannot wait to see her vulnerable and fall in love *sigh*.

Underneath the Mug // I took this in the moment while at a cafe recommended by Wendy! So it's not a mug per say but I was really enjoying my morning coffee at an adorable cafe in Seattle!

Get Nailed // Essie's Mint Apple Candy was perfect for Spring! I'm not a huge fan of spring colors but I've been definitely vibe'ing with some pastels lately!

Itinerary Update {6}

Oh, hello! It's more than likely that you haven't noticed--except Hannah--that I've been pretty MIA in regards to the blog the last few months. I've loved doing special posts like Galentine's Day with Alexa, Hannah, and Rachel and UK Recs Fit for a Queen & UK Recap with Hannah, but I just haven't been motivated to write reviews or travel posts or lifestyle posts. I don't know guys, blogging has always been a passion project of mine; a place to call my own to express my thoughts on books, travel, and life so if I wasn't feeling inspired to blog or write...I wouldn't.

UK Recap Fit for a Queen // Back at Home • Mug Life 5

Mug Life is a periodic feature on the blog where I talk about what
I'm reading, wearing, drinking out of, and wanderlust dreaming about.

If you've been following on the blog or Instagram, you know that Hannah and I were traveling in the UK--but kind of don't bring it up or I'll cry all the tears of sadness that 1. I'm no longer with her 2. I'm not in the UK anymore and 3. I'm no longer with Hannah. I didn't think it was possible to love her more but it was! I am mourning the loss of this trip still today but I digress. While we were there, we did a UK Recs series for books, TV/Movies, and places we love; we thought we would do a parallel 3 day recap talking about books, what we did, and a back home mug life!

On Monday, we talked about the books we read while traveling; Wednesday was our trip recap, and today is our Mug Life featuring the book we read when we got home. The fates aligned and Hannah and I had a parallel with the first books we read after our trip together. She read something I rec'd to her and I read something she rec'd to me! We both fell in love with our respective books AND the London mugs we bought so, of course, a Mug Life was born!

UK Recap Fit For a Queen // Besties Abroad

If you've been following on the blog or Instagram, you know that Hannah and I were traveling in the UK--but kind of don't bring it up or I'll cry all the tears of sadness that 1. I'm no longer with her 2. I'm not in the UK anymore and 3. I'm no longer with Hannah. I didn't think it was possible to love her more but it was! I am mourning the loss of this trip still today but I digress. While we were there, we did a UK Recs series for books, TV/Movies, and places we love; we thought we would do a parallel 3 day recap talking about books, what we did, and a back home mug life!

Yesterday we talked about the books we read while traveling, today is our real recap of what we did and 3 Good Things about each day. Hannah and I both keep a 3 Good Things planner/journal so this was the perfect format for us to reflect back on what we did AND what our favorite parts of each day were.

Instalife {5}

Eep! It's been quite a long time since I did an Instalife, like since January and it's now July, so clearly it was about time. I love doing these because I seriously love Instagram, and taking photos in general, it is my favorite social media platform because it has very minimal bullshit. But I digress. Here's what I've been up to on Instagram, and of course I'd love if you followed along!

Row 1

#WanderlustWednesday in Bratislava, Slovakia. Loved their town center! // Getting that summer hair and letting it sit while reading Cocoa Beach // Mug Life with one of my favs mugs and the last of my Beatriz Binge reading!

Mug Life {3}

Back for another edition of Mug Life! I seriously love this feature so much, I can't wait to do a quick update on all the fun stuff!

Skin Deep {1}

A lesser known secret about me is I love skin care products. I suffer from not the greatest natural skin and am always on the lookout for new products to try. My skin is sensitive and prone to breakouts if I don't keep up with a skincare routine, so I love hearing about what works for other people and trying out new stuff! I thought it would be a fun feature/post to talk about what skincare products I'm loving at the moment and ask you what your favorites are, too!

Why I Was Wrong About the Planner Life

Listen, I'm about to get real. I have always been intrigued by people's elaborate planners. I love the idea of them and being organized. But looking at what people did with them and the time they took to decorate and use stickers and washi tape overwhelmed me and, I won't lie, I secretly mocked them in my head. I could never see myself spending the time on them and I always thought it looked like people spent more time writing down their life than actually living it. I am here to say for about the fifth time in my life...I was wrong.

I was wrong. I was wrong about the planner life. I was wrong about the time it took to utilize it. I was wrong about how simple it could really be and I have to thank Hannah for that. While visiting her she educated me, lol, on how she uses hers and how simple it is to organize and use the planner and make it your own. I fell in love! I am now obsessed. And I love every second I get to use not only my planner, but my new traveler's journal as well! Let me break it down...

That's My Bag, Baby {2}

Inspired by Hello, Chelly's What's in My Bag

It's been a while since I've done one of these and the last few weeks have definitely changed what I carry in my bag because, le sigh, I've succumbed to the traveler's notebook trend. After visiting Hannah and having her weave her Fae magic around me aka tell me how simple it is to use and how organized it makes her I was all about it. To be fair to Hannah, I was thinking of getting one for awhile but just couldn't find a cost-effective dupe but, again, she has magic she found one for me at JoAnn's! Woot woot! So here's what's in my bag as of late!

Mug Life {2}

Hello from the ATL! Last week when I was with Hannah, she had the best idea to do a dual Mug Life because 1. We were together and taking it for everything it was worth 2. We couldn't stop talking about ACOWAR because it was coming out in a few days, currently out now. So we give you the above picture and below MUG LIFE! Just a fun FYI, those mugs on top of the books represents the hero of the book the mug is sitting on top of. If you've read the series--WHY HAVEN'T YOU READ THE SERIES YET--we hope you have a nice chuckle over the mug representation. We sure did...

Adventures in the Great Wide Somewhere // BFF in the ATL

If you've seen my Instagram or Twitter, you'll know last week I had the most amazing time  visiting one of my very best friends, Hannah, in Atlanta! I was so excited to finally visit her and hang out and meet her new little man! I can honestly say this was one of the best weeks ever. Hannah and I had so much fun and I wish I could have just moved into her guest bedroom and stayed for a long time. Geography continues to be my best and worst enemy because leaving made me so sad but I'm legit already looking at cheap flights to get back. This was how Hannah and I spent our time in the ATL!

Adventures in the Great Wide Somewhere // Climbing Mt Kilimanjaro

If you've been following me on Instagram you'll have already seen some of my Mt Kilimanjaro photos and--spoiler alert--I made it to the top! It was without a doubt, the most incredible experience of my life. I have been thinking about climbing Kili for my 30th birthday for almost 5 years. Ever since reading Me Before You where the main character, Will, says that's what he did for his 30th birthday, I've been inspired to do something epic when I reached that milestone. When I first read it, I thought to myself, 'Yes, I'll do something really exciting but I could never do that.' And after thinking about it a few weeks, I couldn't get it out of my mind and my stubborn streak reared its ugly head and finally said, 'Why CAN'T you climb Mt Kilimanjaro? What's stopping you?'...and from there the dream was born.

Itinerary Update {5}

Hello, friends! It's been awhile! Hope you're all still here...was anybody there to begin with? Oh, well. Per usual, after a trip it takes me awhile to get back into a blogging routine, it's one of my many flaws. I just keep reading and writing reviews and just never schedule them. No idea why I do this when all the hard work is already done. Oy vay. 

What's new with me? I got back from my birthday trip a few weeks ago! It was so much fun! Rome was incredible and I found new restaurants and places I haven't been before. I also was able to see different parts of the Colosseum that were previously and currently off-limits unless you book a special tour. AND!!! I succeeded in climbing Mount Kilimanjaro and it was hands down the most amazing and incredible thing I have ever done in my life. It was 8--long--days and we summited on Day 7 and I actually reached the top! I say actually because nothing about that climb is a guarantee. Two people in my group of seven alone didn't make it to the top due to acute mountain sickness so shit is real up there to put it in perspective. I'll definitely be writing a post about it and including pictures--goal is to have it up next week Wednesday for Adventures in the Great Wide Somewhere--so hopefully y'all stay tuned for that! I don't really know what I want to write about it so if y'all have any suggestions of what you wanna hear I'll do whatever. Otherwise I'll just do a quick write-up of what it was like/how I felt going up. *shrugs*

30 Things I Learned By 30

As cliche as it is I couldn't resist reflecting on my life when I was approaching 30 and writing about all the things I've learned thus far. The big day was Tuesday and it was such a great day! Thank you all for the birthday wishes and tweets and messages, it means so much to me! When I was thinking of what I wanted to write it was almost impossible not to feel a little emo. I tried to include some funny ones as well but for the most part I felt really introspective and it felt very cathartic writing these and thinking on all the things I truly have learned over the past 30 years. So here it is, the good, the bad, and the foody, I mean, funny.  

1. Love yourself.
It took me almost 26 years to truly learn to love myself. We are all unique and beautiful and bring something special to the table. Know your worth.

2. Have no regrets.
This one is hard because there are so many places our path could have diverged but I also believe everything happens for a reason. Own your choices, even when you're wrong. Especially when you're wrong so you can learn and grow from your mistakes.

3. Quality not quantity.

With friends, purses, books, anything. I'm definitely a less is more kind of person and really love eliminating unnecessary extras in my life. Y'all know how I treat my TBR :)

4. Travel.

To the next town, next state, next country, next continent. See as much as you can, the world is full of beautiful places. One of my favorite quotes is from One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid and it says, "I had predicated my life on the idea that I wanted to see everywhere extraordinary, but I’d come to realize that extraordinary is everywhere." We all know I love to travel but I love the small moments in everyday life just as much.

5. Be open minded.
About other people, their lifestyles, their cultures, life's too short to be a bigoted asshole.

Kiss List {January 2017}

*Token sentence about how I can't believe the first month of 2017 is already gone* I personally feel like the month hasn't flown by! Probably because I started my new job and sitting in 8 hours of orientation for 7 days will make any month seem long. With that said, with the month feeling a bit longer it was PACKED with AMAZING books! Because of that, I'm going to be doing a special Kiss List post on Monday highlighting all the incredible reads of January. The purpose for Kiss List 2.0 came about because I wanted a post to gush about my favorite book of the month that really stood out to me but this month I honestly could not choose. Once you see my pics, you'll understand if you've read any of them. But that's Monday, TODAY is about all the rest...

Instalife {4}

Back for another Instalife! I love these posts because I love Instagram; taking photos, highlighting what I'm reading, where I am, where I've been, I just love it! So here's what I've been up to the last few weeks on Instagram...

Itinerary Update {4}

We are almost done with first week of the New Year, where has the time gone?! Haha. I hope you all had a fun and happy holidays and New Years! I spent most of my time with family and it was wonderful. I am super close with my cousins and grandmother and aunt and uncle so it was a great Christmas Eve and Day. My favorite part was my cousin and I had each other's names for our Secret Santa. Over the summer I recommend he read the Throne of Glass series and he read the whole thing in a few months and loved it! So i was able to get him a signed copy of Throne of Glass...and unbeknownst to me he had my name and ordered me a travel mug with the Rattle the Stars quote on it! It was awesome! Such a thoughtful and beautiful moment on Christmas it made me all warm and fuzzy inside.

Best of the Year {2016}

This week I've been doing my favorite or bests of 2016. Monday was books, Wednesday was travel, and today I thought it would be fitting to do a year in reflection/what I've learned type post. What a year it's been! I remember ringing in the New Year and couldn't believe it was already 2016 and here we are a year later and I'm thinking where did 2016 go!? As I'm sure everyone can relate to, my year has had highs and lows and a lot in between. So I thought it was fitting for what I wanted to talk about to head each section with The Good, The Bad, or The Ugly...here we go.

The Good

Itinerary Update {3}

Bute Park in Cardiff, Wales

I cannot tell a lie. I've been a little slugging getting back into blogging consistently per my new routine/schedule I wanted to adopt. It's always hard for me to get back into normal stuff after a trip and blogging is usually the last thing to come back. However, I was super proud of myself to have gotten all three parts of my trip recap on the blog which I'll talk about below but I digress. Let's get to the good stuff!

It's been a little while since I did my last Itinerary Update and I am going to try really hard to be more regular and get back on my 'schedule' of blogging because I do love it and how it works. That being a book review, a travel post, and a lifestyle/update/inspiration post a week. So I'm gonna do my best but I was inspired to a personal update and here we are.

InstaLife {2}

As I said in my recent Itinerary Update, it's been a busy few weeks and my Instagram has been busy documenting! I've really gotten into the Insta Stories, as well. I know it's super similar to Snap Chat but I missed the train on that one and I don't really get it so Insta Stories was perfect for me. I totally love it for pics I want to post that just aren't cute enough to stay on the feed permanently (LOL) and I never want my feed to be book after book I'm currently reading or hey check out my Starbucks cup...again. Anywho, this is what me and my Instagram have been up to. Would love you all to follow along @xoxokellynina :)

Row 1

I started my reread of The Queen of the Tearling series! It's amazing if you haven't read  // I went to Milwaukee's Irish Fest over the weekend to eat some great food and listen to some great music. A piece of my heart is always in Ireland // #WanderlustWednesday in Rio at Christ the Redeemer

Row 2

Finally got some blogging motivation! // My first view of Wisconsin farmland after my 22 hour road trip home *tear* // One of my new FAVORITE books EVER! Seriously! The Fantasyland series by Kristen Ashely took over my life! Read that series you guys!

Row 3

Trip to Nashville and the Country Music Hall of Fame // Meghan Trainor concert in Nashville! SO much fun! I love her and her music! // Trying to take cool pictures while stuck in the car for 8 hours :/

Row 4

Pitstop in Hershey, Pennsylvania and the Hershey Chocolate Factory. I love Reese's. Favorite candy! // My last day at Dartmouth ended with a great dinner with my two favorite friends and coworkers. Gonna seriously miss them. // Ended one of my last off days hanging out at Starbucks and planning out fun trip stuff!!

Hope y'all enjoyed my recent Instagram adventures! Make sure to follow xoxokellynina if you can :)