The Best WINS of All Time

Want to know why? Because even the small wins add up to big wins…. so a win is a win.

This last week I started to feel like my digital shop wasn’t going anywhere and over the weekend I made some goals to hold myself accountable. I also felt like maybe I had my vision everywhere and was not organized. I started to feel like if I filled this cup over here another cup might become empty.

It is so great to have multiple ways to achieve your goals, but if you don’t hold yourself accountable how can you win?

I started this blog to go alongside my passions: photography, digital design, and a little bit of lifestyle in between. It was hard but you know what? I started. I did it. and THAT is a win. What do your wins look like?

Here are some of mine:

1. Post daily
2. Batch create content
3. Do something creative

Today, I have done all of those things, but even if I did just one it would be a WIN.  If you are here because you like what I create, AWESOME (& me too— it’s not just working around here it’s mostly fun)!  If you are here for some new ideas: EVEN BETTER. & if you are here because maybe you have a small business and are wanting to take it to the next level: FABULOUS.  I’m here for you. I’m rooting for you!! & I have resources on my Etsy Page that can support you.

Make today awesome so yesterday get’s jealous!

xo,

kai

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Gift Guide for Your Self Care Queen

I am all about self-care lately and as a mom, I’m always looking for products that are not only great but also step up my “me” time!

Here are my 13 must-haves:

1. Silk Pillowcase
2. Jade Roller & Gua Sha
3. Pura Smart Diffuser & Scents
4. Amazon Kindle
5. Fuzzy Slippers
6. Amazon Fire Tablet
7. Plexus Skincare
8. Plexus Vitamins 
9. Tea Drops
10. Frameless Candles
11. Shower Steamers
12. Headphones for zen moments

For more self-care shopping check out here!

The above contains affiliate links, which means if you use my code and make a purchase, I’ll be compensated at no additional cost to you. However, I only recommend products I love!

Treat yourself a little extra and plan for 2023 with printable planners & decor on my Etsy!

A Cheat Sheet To: Healing Your Body

It has been a while since I’ve been active on my blog and to be honest, I haven’t felt like posting or writing anything, but I am back and ready to be more consistent!

Recently, I have been proactive with healing my body from the inside out and it, and I thought this would be a great start in sharing especially before the new year! Here are my top 5 must-dos for healing your body and mind:

1. Read often
2. Meditate or pray daily
3. Journal your thoughts or talk to someone (even voice recording yourself to talk things through)
4. Find a great multivitamin
5. Start taking probiotics! I use these

For me, taking probiotics and wanting to heal my body has been a big thing for me. Most recently I’ve struggled with hormone imbalances that made my postpartum anxiety and depression linger for way too long. I’m sure a lot of us mamas can relate to feeling more than “off” from time to time. I can say with not taking hormones, therapy, exercise, vitamins, and good probiotics I don’t have those issues anymore. I’m not here to be all about me but it is important to heal your body along with your mind.

What works for you?

xo,

kai

Mom’in during a Pandemic

I wrote this over a year ago with the intent to publish it but was scared to put on paper my struggles as a new mom when I felt like the world was closing in on me–– I hope you enjoy it.

Having a baby during a global pandemic sure changes a lot of things as many of you know. It changes relationships, how you thought your story might go as a mom, and who you become as a mother. I had a beautiful baby boy at the end of January 2021 and I never thought that part of my recovery physically would also be to recover my mind. My little guy spent a week in the NICU and I was desperate to feel “normal” and connected because my family could not possibly understand what it is like to be a mother in a pandemic AND have your baby not come home with you. I was the first of my major girlfriend group to get pregnant and have a baby and so they just didn’t understand how I was feeling. I really needed people in my life who understood where I was at in my journey and especially who understood the struggle of a NICU pandemic mom.

I faced not only the struggles of navigating new motherhood but came home with postpartum anxiety and depression. Bonuses I did not expect to come home with.

I kept telling myself I had all the support I needed though—I had my husband, my family, and friends. I realized over time that while these people were all great, they just didn’t get it! Being a mom that went through trauma it was so refreshing to have other women know and understand how hard pregnancy, labor, and NICU stays, and how hard being a pandemic mom truly was.

Flash forward two years and the pandemic seems like a blip in time. I am thankful for therapy, my immediate family and friends to get me through. I can say I made it! I made it through a time that was so very hard for me.

Whatever you are struggling with right now, know you are not alone. You can get through it and you might need some help along the way.

xo,

kai

How To Start Manifesting Your Life

As I’m listening to Mallory Ervin’s podcast Living Fully (take a listen if you like women who empower other women), I decided to re-open my blog and jump back in. Listening to this podcast today, something that has stuck with me is the topic of everything happening for a reason, that even when you feel like God is telling you “no” it may not be a firm no rather than a reevaluation of timing and I felt that (link to the episode here). Feeling all the feels and trying to “live fully”, I’m ready to come back to writing; it’s been over a year since I wrote anything.

About 8 months ago, I told my husband I didn’t want to do the job I was doing and wanted to work towards working in marketing and social media in addition to starting a family and becoming a mom. Scary as that was to say to him this stable job I had was not for me anymore, I did it. That was at the end of 2019, we made our goals for 2020 not sure where God would take us, but decided to let go. A few months and meltdowns later, we found out I was pregnant on Memorial Day weekend where we would normally grieve the loss of a loved on for an anniversary that was too difficult to swallow… How crazy does God work?!

In the interim, quarantine had started and everything seemed so out of place. My job that I was so hesitant to leave and timing did not feel right I questioned everything. I wondered if the goals I made in 2019 was really where I was supposed to be; then a door opened for me to leave for a brand new opportunity without looking back… again how crazy does everything happen for a reason?

Currently, I am doing what I love working in marketing & social media and becoming a mom. God was looking out for us, and gifted us as parents to a beautiful baby boy.

Writing this, it sounds like everything fell into place like magic, but it was not all magic. Two major life changes hit me at once and it is scary. Sometimes God or the universe (whatever you believe) puts things into motion and you do have to take a leap of faith. Sometimes you don’t, but know it will all align the way it should. Start manifesting your own life I promise it is worth it. Long life update, but everything does happen for a reason, be joyful in hope, patient in pain and faithful in prayer (Romans 12:12).

I truly believe that it is all going to align up for you. It may not feel that way now, but it will. Whether that is your dream career, your relationship, etc. Keep pushing and keep manifesting your goals; you got this.

xo,

kai

Secrets to Owning Your Personal Brand

I have been waiting to re-brand my blog and this topic of personal branding has been on my heart and mind… more like tugging on my heart and mind. Notice anything different? Yeah, welcome to THE Modern Rose… in like the only one out there. This is my personal brand. This is me.

We all have this concept of wanting to represent ourselves in a positive way– a beacon of light, if you will. But have you thought about that representation as a brand for you personally? Everywhere you go someone is recognizing that “thing” because of the brand attached to it. That brand could be you, but you playin’…

A lot of content bloggers and podcasts talk about this concept, but its not discussed enough. This should be shouted from the rooftops because its BIG. Personal branding is just as important as the brand you obsess over or the brand you work for, except it’s all about you.
Back to basics: what is a branding? In the overall sense, it is what people describe a product or a associate a product with. How do you do that with yourself? Great question. Think about your personal brand (or how you represent yourself) as “what are people going to say about me?” Your brand is what you put out to get back in. Its your ideas, content, personality, style, your engagement level… it’s your story. Your brand is more than just what you say about yourself or that 60 second “elevator pitch” you have mocked up in your mind. Your brand is literally an invisible label that not seen, but heard and felt. It makes an impact. So how are you going to create your own personal brand??

Top 5 things that come to my mind when I think about my personal brand:

1. be consistent
2. be bold
3. be engaging
4. show your personality
5. tell your story

Being consistent is more than just creating everything to be streamlined and similar its not going back on your word, be precise and clear but make an impact with every word that comes out of your mouth evenly. Show that you are dependable for the people that buy into your personal brand.
Be bold. Like really… BE BOLD. Say what’s on your mind and mean it, but be professional with your confidence. No one likes arrogance.
Be present and consistent. Stop worrying about the things you cannot control like the past and future and engage with in front of you now. What you put out into the universe will come back to you– people will want to hear what you have to say, only if you are genuinely present with what they are saying. You have got to be present and comfortable with that. With being present, be you! Stop being what you think people want out of you and just do you. Lastly, tell your own story and own it. Success can be taken away from us at a moments notice, but own your story and success as if it wasn’t. Your story and successes need to be recognized every day. So OWN IT. Your story of you is what gives you credibility and creates the cherry on top of your personal brand… & you’ve got to work for it every day.

No idea or brand was created over night and your personal brand won’t be refined over night either. Think about how you want to represent yourself. That next job, creating your resume, those are all ingredients to a beautiful recipe that people will remember.

xo,

kai

One Simple Way To: Stand Tall

Every day we wake up with a new day, a new to start over to write our own. Each day the sun rises and so do we. We wake up to an awesome day that awaits us. Each day we are blessed with a new seed to grow into a beautiful new tree.

We can have it all just with a new mindset. A new mindset that our “tree” has new leaves fresh and crisp ready for that new day. Our trees are all different in there own ways, constructed vein by vein in each leaf, branch by branch down to the trunk to support and hold up everything. Our tree is special. It’s leaves may shed, to leave us with something bare but that’s just it— they shed for something greater. Day by day we are graced with new. New ideas, new support, new growth. We may run into trouble or doubt but one thing remains: each new leaf to make our tree is beautiful. A tree doesn’t doubt how to grow it just does. Our path and growth is planned for us and we just need to do. Just do what’s best for us in order for us to grow. To grow into something magnificent and detailed in our own unique ways.

This isn’t my typical blog post but I felt inspired by J Lo’s new movie, Second Act and the words just flowed in because we all can have that chance to have a second act. We are not always in control but we can nourish our tree to grow and guide it into something amazing.

If you’re reading this, your tree is special too. You are detailed and wonderfully made. You are developing new beautiful leaves and strong branches to add in supporting the greatest thing: you. You’re tree shouldn’t doubt its ability to be something stronger, something outstanding. It just does. So tomorrow just be. Be you. Be your own kind of beautiful and let your tree stand tall.

Xo,

Kai

10 Things College Taught Me

It has been since April since I last wrote!  It feels weird, but I have been taking this time to focus on me (and let’s face it– school has taken up most of my time).  I try to squeeze in as much as I can at once with everything: family, friends and my own time.  I was itching to write something and wanted it to be a fun post because I realized a lot of my blog posts are pretty serious whether I mean to write them that way or not.  Sorry, not sorry.

I’ve gone through college twice.. over exaggerating? Tiny bit. I completed my bachelor’s degree in 2016 and I am currently wrapping up my master’s degree (just a little under 6 more months but who’s counting, right?).  Since I am almost done with my master’s I thought it would be fun to share what this experience of gaining two degrees has taught me thus far that I have helped me through life in general (with or without a degree).  Here goes nothing.

1. You are greater than you think you are.  Stop doubting whatever it is, because what you have is great
2. Only you can define you.
3. Be yourself because everyone else is pretty weird (am, I right?)
4. The risk, the tears, the difficulties you may go through are all worth the triumphs
5. You literally got this.  Like you can do anything you set your mind to and then some.
6. You are destined for bigger things… things bigger than you and you will accomplish them
7. It is okay to break down and say, I can’t (spoiler alert: YOU CAN!)
8. Change your mindset.  It is really amazing when you start off with a positive attitude or change your “have-to’s” to “get-to’s”.
9. You will be okay.  I have literally felt the lowest I thought I could be, but in the end I was okay.  Whatever it is that is difficult (from small to big), eventually, you will be okay.
10. Be excited about your next chapter because it’s big.

xo,

kai

Family Isn’t Always Blood

“Family isn’t always blood.  It’s the people in your life who want you in theirs.  The ones who accept you for who you are. The ones who would do anything to see you smile & who love you no matter what.”

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So I’ve kinda been MIA because I have been editing multiple sessions of pictures including this family session last week and it was a success!  I still have a lot of editing to do with the pictures… but I could not wait to share some of the pictures and the story behind some of them.

The people in these photos have been in my life for 20+ years.  The first is a picture of two beautiful women I am so grateful to call family, to call an aunt and to call a sister.  The second is the shoes of a strong woman and mom and her son that doesn’t go anywhere without those boots.  The third is one of my favorites of my mom and her best friend (someone I am lucky to call my aunt) these two women I look up to in so many ways and look to both of them for strength and faith.  The last is my soul sister and I (God made us and our mothers friends because they couldn’t handle us as sisters, even though we’ve always been a dynamic duo); she someone I admire and would not have been able to go through so many ups and downs without her by my side.

I could say so much about all the photos I took that day, but the only thing that is important is the people in theses photos.  These people may not be my true blood related family, but rather my family bonded by love and there for each other when we truly needed it.  Short, but sweet post and mostly appreciating the people that have a special place in my heart!

I am so happy I was able to capture that love on camera even if I twisted my knee and have to go to the doctor for it!  Don’t underestimate your photographer either.

xo,

kai

Ways to Do it For You

“Do things for yourself; in thirty years nobody is going to remember your choices except you.”

Over the last two weeks, I have really struggled with self-love and doing things for only me. It’s hard to put yourself first when you’re always putting others first when the truth is loving yourself should be the priority over all the other things. In the words of Sheryl Crow, “if it makes you happy, it can’t be that bad”.. so do it.. make yourself happy.

Life is too short to not do what makes you happy. If anything I’ve learned over the last year that has been reiterated these past few weeks in finding myself, it is to do what is best for you and everything else will fall into place. If you don’t do what’s best for you first how can you do what is best for anyone else? From now on, I’m doing just that while blasting and singing “If It Makes You Happy” by Sheryl Crow.

Things I’ve done (that you should try too) that’s made me the happiest I’ve been in a while:

1. Had a dance party in my car on Friday to get out of my head. (If you were one of the chosen ones to see my Snapchats, consider yourself lucky).
2. Had spontaneous nights with friends that included crying and laughing
3. Ate ice cream for dinner
4. Ate breakfast for lunch
5. Bought myself new clothes because why not?!
6. Dressed up for brunch in something I wouldn’t normally wear
7. Had brunch with old friends
8. Took selfies and posted them because again: Why. Not.
9. Woke up and reminded myself that the life I live is beautiful.
10. Appreciated myself and then the people around me (side note I really need to listen to my own advice).

On my bad days I remind myself of these things because it’s the wins that outway the losses.

xo,

kai

Where have I been?!

Hello my roses,

I have been away for a little bit gathering my thoughts and taking a break from a little bit of everything.  P.S. I also went on a much-needed vacation.  Rather than stick to my 30 days of blogging challenge, which let’s be honest, I haven’t been very good at; but I am going to try from here on out to blog once a week.  Not only to serve as a creative outlet, but I want to share my creativity and passions with my readers.

So without further ado… this weeks blog: why you need to take a vacation and get off the screen you live on.

Last weekend at this time, we were coming back from a bike ride from the beach (one of our 10+ mile bike rides).  Sunday at the beach was a cloudy day but a great day, at that and I was exhausted.  The previous days consisted of eating too much, laughing until I cried with family and soaking myself in aloe because of a bad sunburn.  Monday was our last day and we again road bikes and ate way too much.

With spending so much time on a bike, you one: have to pay attention to where you are going especially when the Boardwalk is crazy busy and two: you have a lot of time to look at what’s around you and clear your head.  While on vacation, I practiced just that.  I wasn’t on my phone every second and I was forced to appreciate the scenery around me.

I mean how could you not appreciate the scenery with views like this?!  I guess what I am saying is get off that screen and go make memories of watching the sunset until its dark, go on a walk until your feet feel like they are going to fall off, eat food with the people you love until your stomach almost bursts and thank God for the people around you because that is all that matters.

 

“life is a journey, so enjoy the ride” 🚲

xo,

kai

30 Days of Blogging: Favorite Food

Day #6: favorite food

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I have to be honest, I am not doing so well with this whole 30 consecutive days of blogging, but I am doing my best!  I will get through 30 posts, until then I’m still on day 6.

I have been a little busy and that is why I have not blogged.  The last few weeks I have been trying to get a passport, working, finalizing everything to start my masters and trying to do things that make me happy and allow me to relax!  Grief has a sneaky way of creeping up on you to create anxiety, feeling sad and everything in between so you have to find things that work for you to not push away the grief but ways to manage and heal through it and that’s exactly what I do when I bake and take photos.  Side note, I got my passport so I can go abroad!  I will be here waiting for it to come in the mail in the meantime because the passport agent would not accept my Prime Membership 2 day shipping so I will have to be patient for a few weeks!  I love food and I love capturing food with my camera, I think I love food photography a little more than taking portraits of people. While I’d love to just hop on a plane and try a bunch of different foods and take pictures of the excellent food, that is not going to happen tomorrow so, for now, I’ll take pictures of the things I bake.

I love baking but more importantly, I LOVE baking and eating cupcakes.  Rather than sit at home just watching Bachelor in Paradise (BIP) all night or falling asleep at 7 PM, I baked in between Carly and Evan’s wedding and the actual BIP episodes.  Tonight, I made a gluten-free vanilla cupcake with chocolate buttercream.  Baking gluten-free is difficult to get that same taste as non-gluten free things because it is missing that key ingredient of the protein: gluten.  Although, I live that GF lifestyle, I do splurge and eat some non-gluten free things every once in a while (a girl’s gotta eat, okay?).  These cupcakes tonight though, were on point with taste and how they looked!  (I wish I could eat cupcakes all day and not be at risk for diabetes or other health issues, I guess I can dream, right?)  But it also helps when you have a great camera!  I recently got a new Canon camera and honestly, my new baby does a great job at capturing everything especially these little beauties.

 

I use a Canon EOS Rebel T6 for all of my work and I literally took these pictures, connected to wi-fi and downloaded these pictures to upload them to my Instagram and blog!  How cool is that?!  Enjoy swooning over these pictures!

xo,

kai

30 Days of Blogging: 3 Personality Traits I’m Proud Of

Day # 5:

3 personality traits I’m proud of:

1. My determination
2. My kindness
3. My trustworthiness

Valuing myself and looking at what I love about myself makes my day that much better. Sometimes after a long and rough day, you have to do or think about the things that make you happy. You also have to love yourself.

xoxo,

kai

30 Days of Blogging: My Guilty Pleasure

Day #4: My Guilty Pleasure

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I feel really bad I didn’t stick with my challenge and blog yesterday.  So today is like 2 posts in one!

First, in my last post, I said Sunday I would not complain and took that challenge!  Honestly, when I thought about the day, I did not complain.  Having that in the back of my head and to wake up feeling refreshed as well as positive really made a difference in my day.

Now for today’s answer to what is my guilty pleasure?  Hair and makeup videos.  Yes, hair and makeup videos are one of my favorite things to watch.  You know those videos on Facebook that pop up and are like a minute long and show all of these hair transformations with cuts and colors and have really good dance music?  No? OMG just watch this video.  (To be honest, I just got distracted watching this and had to refocus).  Anyways, I LOVE these videos and if it involves makeup, I’m right there too!  For some reason (maybe it’s my love for beauty products) watching these videos just makes me zone out and stop thinking about everything else.  Sometimes I even watch them when I’m trying to relax or go to sleep.  It is so memorizing what some people can do to not only their hair but also makeup.

I know this was a short post, but I honestly think this is pretty self-explanatory and you should just watch the videos LOL (Plus it’s my day off and I honestly tried to talk myself out of doing this… but I promise I won’t tomorrow!)

30 Days of Blogging: Meaning of My Name

Day #2: Meaning of My Business Name

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About 2 years ago, my mom and I were into (still are) flipping furniture– like resurfacing and making something old look new.  I originally had an idea to create a pop-up shop to sell vintage finds that we re-done.  Not that, doing that didn’t work out, I just decided to put my passions somewhere else, but I kept the name for my business I had decided on.  At the same time, a good friend had asked me to take some of her Senior pictures for college… and BAM!  Just like that, my passion bloomed into a business.

The reason I decided to name my business Modern Roses was that 1. my favorite flower is a rose and 2. my middle name is Rose.  I wanted something new and fresh that represented me ( I was also inspired by Madonna’s book: The English Roses to be honest.  If you haven’t read this children’s book, then you’re missing out.).

From that point on, Modern Roses Design and Photography has grown into something beautiful.  I have done a lot of portraits for my friends an family and design for small businesses, to bigger corporations.  Even though I am going a different route with my dreams with perusing my masters in psychology, my art will always have a special place in my heart.

If you are just dying to see some of my portraits (which I don’t blame you) head over to my Instagram.

xo,

kai

 

30 Days of Blogging: Challenge Starts Now

In order to connect and write worthy posts, I am going to do a series of 30 days of blog posts.  P.S. I got this off Pinterest so I want to thank Pinterest for my inspiration for the next 30 days. Get ready to bloom into my life.

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Today is #1.  Seventeen Facts About Me

1. I am an only child
2. I recently graduated and am now starting graduate school to study psychology (wait, is that two? oh well)
3. My family are my biggest fans
4. I am a photographer
5. I work in marketing
6. I have a cat that stays at my parents’ house (or her castle because she thinks she’s a queen)
7. I bought a house at 21.
8. My life path number is 11. (If you don’t know what life path numbers are add your birthday up and Google it.  I’m sure you’ll learn something about yourself)
9. I’ve gone through all of life’s stressors and lost more people than I would have imagined at the end of 2016 and through this year
10. I love pizza and ice cream
11. I am gluten free
12. I am slightly obsessed with Gossip Girl and Greys Anatomy. I have watched both series more times than I’d like to admit
13. My favorite bible verse is Romans 12:12
14. I have a thing for numbers (if you couldn’t tell by fact #11)
15. I am passionate about giving back and helping veterans
16. I bake cupcakes
17. I started this blog to have an outlet and display my creative work

Boom. Done.  Fin.

xo,

kai

Welcome to My Secret Garden

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a little about me.

I am  trying to figure out my place in the world.  Oh also I am a recent college grad and I am going back to school for my masters.  My family says I am an overachiever and I would have to agree with them; but when I know something is right for me, I am passionate about whatever is thrown my way.

Rewind to 2009, where I had blonde chunks peeking through parts of my hair and took graphic design to have an excuse to be with my friends in class in order to feel like I fit in. I learned the basics and quickly fell head over heels with being behind the camera and photoshop. Mind you, I wasn’t very good and had a lot to learn, but I soon learned to prove myself and others.

Fast forward to 2014 where I challenged myself in college to experience more than just business classes. I expanded my portfolio and learned art is just that: art. It is whatever you make of it. Photography and graphic design has shown me: be who you want because there is only one you (so what, if other people don’t like that). Two years later, I graduated from Grand Canyon University with a Bachelor of Science in Marketing and started Modern Roses.  I am continually challenged with working with an array of clients and projects.  I have never been happier to explore and have a creative outlet.

What do I love most? Being a part of my clients’ memories, hearing their stories and capturing & reflecting through my camera and art how my clients may not see themselves.

So welcome to my secret garden where the flowers are colored with life, love and a little bit of everything in between. 

xo,

kai