...

Some of you probably returned from out of town to loving kids, husbands, pets, boyfriends...what have you.

I returned home to this:

Awww, thanks Neko! It's like a giant hug welcoming me home.

it's okay, BlissDom edition.

Hey y'all. So, I'm with some of the most wonderful ladies at BlissDom, and IT'S OKAY. (Nice segue, eh?)

It's okay...

...to listen to Tori Spelling's book on audio tape during the road trip here.

...to think that a 10-hr car ride with friends ain't so bad.

...to be incredibly thankful Neely brought apples on the trip. 

...to hate Arkansas.

...to love Tennessee.

...to be a bit nervous for the conference.

...to be a bit EXCITED for the handmade market place!

...to love staying in hotels. And pull a Ross and take as many complimentary items as I can back home. 

...to already have gotten lost in the Gaylord Opryland. TWICE.

...to steal salt 'n peppa.

...to miss your boyfriend. A little. 

...to never leave Nashville. Ever.

#BLISSDOM! Find me on Twitter (@hellokiley) and Instagram (hellokiley) for many updates. :)

Phone fun and oh hai, I'm alive.

I can't believe - I mean, LITERALLY cannot believe - that this week is already here! In the next seven days, I'm going to be having so much fun that I can barely stand it. Blissdom, a Pure Barre class with some wonderful ladies (at 6am no less...I agree Meghan, Neely is crazy awesome and I can't believe she's getting me to take a 6am class!), and a wedding with some amazing people.

I know you all probably think I died, but I assure you I did not. ;) I've just been busting my butt trying to get back on track with new classes. It paid off! So far, all 100s this semester. Feels good, not gonna lie.

I'm also linking up with the lovely Savanah and Ashlee to post what's on my phone from the last week. Here goes!

Torchy's. Doesn't get much better! 

I would have bought this if I didn't already have a Moleskin I love to use. This is perfection.

Gratuitous sleepy kitty.

This is from a little over a week ago but it was so nice to have the gang all together!

My old friend V. I don't see her enough!

Gratuitous sleepy puppy. I haven't had enough Chuy pics on my blog lately, so you're welcome.

My favorite place to run. It's always quiet. I feel like I'm the only one around. (Oh, so I guess now you know where to kidnap me. Good move, Kiley.) Oh yeah, I started jogging. I mean, I do NOT jog. But I started Couch to 5k. I hope that I'll be able to take it seriously and keep going. I've never found joy in running, but Drew swears that a "runner's high" comes eventually. And if I'm going to keep losing weight, I need more cardio!

Favorite watch. 

New polishes. They are PERFECT together. I love Essie. It last for days and days, sometimes even without a top coat! At least for me.

Found this Rilakkuma iPhone wallpaper online. Adorbs.

And I leave y'all with more sleepy kitty. 

Pinspiration with Emily!

I have another fabulous guest post for you guys and gals today. Emily is one of the sweetest bloggers. Period. She is always so bubbly and wonderful to talk to, and I was so thrilled she wanted to guest post for me while I'm on my little hiatus! I especially love this post because my life has felt so...HECTIC...lately; it never hurts to find a little Pinterest inspiration.

Take it away Emily!

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Hey there everyone, I'm Emily from over at

I can't believe that Kiley is actually giving me custody of her blog for a day, she must have had a streak of temporary insanity but I'm glad she did!

For those who have no idea who I am, I'm a 20-something born & raised in Dallas, still here 'living the dream' with my amazing boyfriend and our hyper little puppy dog.  I am a sports nut and a girly girl just having fun and taking one day at a time! I am very new to the blogging world & this is my first guest post, so it took me a while of racking my brain to figure out what I wanted to write about and then the wonderful, amazing Pinterest came to my rescue!

I've recently found a few quotes  that I've printed out and put around my house because they are just the inspiration I've needed for a good long time.

Source: Uploaded by user via Emily on Pinterest

It's so simple but it's so true - in all areas of our lives.  Whether it's love, work, friends or anything else you have to go after what you want, ask all the questions you can think of & always step forward!  So easy & yet so hard to do all at the same time...

This one is my absolute favorite...

Source: flickr.com via Emily on Pinterest

This quote helped me turn a corner, it helped me kick-start my rediscovery of a weight loss journey & just helped so many things fall into place when I took this to heart...  When it comes down to it, you are the most important person in your life & you absolutely have to love yourself first..

Don't get me wrong, I am all for inspiration but let's be real, sometimes all of the inspirational quotes in the world aren't going to be right for the occasion...  sometimes you just need to remember these few things - 

Source: pinkwallpaper.blogspot.com via Emily on Pinterest

or

Source: Uploaded by user via Emily on Pinterest

So those are some of my favorites... Hope you enjoyed my little take-over of Kiley's blog!  

Come on over & visit my corner of the internet sometime!

valentine's gifts for the dudes with Everything According to Erin!

Today I have a bit of a treat for y'all: Erin is guest-posting today (My first ever! She took my guest-posting virginity. I guess that means I have to start blowing up her phone with needy texts and stalking her facebook, right?) and talking about Valentine's gifts for the guys in our lives! And thank goodness, too, because I am hopeless when it comes to shopping for a boy. 

So enjoy, and if you're not already reading Erin's blog? Well then you should because she is the bee's knees y'all. 

xo. Kiley

Hello, Hello Kiley followers! I'm Erin from Everything According to Erin and I'm taking over Kiley's blog today! This is my first ever guest post and I'm super stoked to be doing it for Kiley. So I was thinking with Valentine's Day right around the corner, wouldn't it be great to post about some ideas I've been tossing around for the men in my life? They're the hardest to buy for (you all know what I'm talking about). Here are some of the ideas I came up with. Some I researched on my own and some I just down right stole from pinterest!

Source: formengifts.com via Erin on Pinterest

Now my man just got one of these for Christmas, but I thought it was a great idea for any guy who has too many watches. You can find them pretty cheap at Target or Walmart or if you really wanna go all out you can look at Fossil, Sharper Image, Nordstrom's or Bloomingdale's.

Source: formengifts.com via Erin on Pinterest

Now this is something I know my BF would LOVE. A beer of the month club membership. This is perfect for the guy who loves his beer and not just your regular old beer, different types of beers ranging from pale ale's to stoudt's. You don't just get one little beer every month, depending on the company, you can get anywhere from 12-24 beers per month with several varieties. I've seen memberships range from $25-$60 a month. You don't have to do a full year either which is really nice if you only want to purchase it for a few months.

Source: personalizationmall.com via Erin on Pinterest

This is an awesome present for the guy in your life that is a huge sports fan. Every guy I know goes to a ton of sporting events. What happens to those tickets afterwards? Some games can be a pretty big deal so why not get him something to put those tickets in and protect them? I love this idea. It's perfect for my dad, bf, uncle, you name him!

Source: formengifts.com via Erin on Pinterest

These personalized cereal bowls are so cute! My guy loves to eat cereal, why not give him a bowl that makes him smile every time he looks at it?

Source: twigandthistle.com via Erin on Pinterest

These are awesome! Cute Valentine's Day themed stickers for your fruit!

And last, but not least...if your guy just isn't the V-Day gift type of guy, you can always get to his heart through his stomach!

Source: makeandtakes.com via Erin on Pinterest

Source: sweetpeaskitchen.com via Erin on Pinterest

Source: kids.nationalgeographic.com via Erin on Pinterest

Source: petitekitchenesse.com via Erin on Pinterest

You can find all of these ideas in my Valentine's Day Gift Ideas Pinterest board. Make sure you follow me on Pinterest and come over and visit me on my blog!

♥ Erin

giving the universe its due respect.

I need to find a way to thank the Universe because apparently I've been having my Best Week Ever and I didn't even realize it until today.

Don't believe me?

Sunday I went to a movie at iPic (an expensive, luxe theater) and since they double booked our seats, we received a full refund, free food and drinks, and an extra pair of free passes.

Monday, I found out we get a bonus at work for the month of January: a level five payout. I know you don't have a clue what that means, but it's awesome. Trust me.

Tuesday, I still hadn't made it a day this week to Pure Barre yet, but I discovered I've lost five pounds since December.

Wednesday, I went on a run with Drew and didn't die or throw up a lung. (That right there is probably enough for "Best Week Ever" status.)

And yesterday? I found out that I won a free pair of ShoeMint shoes...whichever style I want! I'm sorry, but there is absolutely NOTHING that anyone can say to me today that could possibly ruin my mood after that. You could come right up to my face and tell me I looked fat and I probably wouldn't even hear you because my brain is playing an endless loop of the song, "I Won Free Shoes, I Won Free Shoes" in my head.

I've GOT to find a way to give this week the proper respect it deserves. Tonight, I'm going out with some girlfriends so I'll be having a drink for the Universe, you can bet on it.

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And speaking of girlfriends...

Today's topic: Love my girlfriends. (like my segue up there? eh?)

Girlfriends are important for our sanity. They love us even when we get bangs or gain ten pounds. They put up with our whining because we put up with their whining right back. I don't know what I would do without the girls in my life.

Mom wins over all these hoes.

Dixie totally counts because she was my best friend. And she gets extra points for being so fluffy.

And Neko totally counts too because just LOOK at her...she's adorable.

xoxo.

it's okay to look like Voldemort.

Time for a new edition of It's Okay Thursday!

It's okay...

...to have eaten nothing but Mexican food, bagel bites, and salads all week. (Refer me back to this post, guys, the next time I complain about being fat, kay?)

...to be on a HIMYM marathon obsession.

...to work better under a little pressure. Procrastination, FTW.

...to have everything you want to take to BlissDom all laid out and packed in your mind. I can't believe it's already February! Almost time!

...to wish it was Friday night. Uptown, here we come!

...to be pumped because my new Stella and Dot necklace came in yesterday!

It looks like I have no nose. I kind of look like Voldemort.