thankful Thursday: my LuLaRoe business

I usually look "hard" for my LuLaRoe photos, but once in a while, you can see a smile creep up in those moments when I realize that playing dress up is my JOB. I am so thankful for 

the opportunity to own a business. Not everyone can start something like this. My family and friends have been incredibly supportive by shopping with me, assisting me with all kinds of tasks, and offering words of encouragement. 

I never, ever thought I would be working from home. I have a master's degree, and I had a great career in that field before I moved to Georgia. My life has taken a different path, and I am so thankful that I discovered LuLaRoe and considered starting my own mobile boutique. 

Working whenever I want to, wherever I want to is perfect for our crazy life. I can go and do anywhere, anytime with my husband. I can book pop-ups and do online sales when Zack is at work; I can visit family in North Carolina while doing pop-ups for people there; I can take off two weeks to travel with Zack if I'd like to. Not only is my schedule 100% flexible, but when I do work, I LOVE what I do! 

I was absolutely a LuLaRoe addict before I became a consultant. These clothes are amazing! I looked professional and felt comfortable in my Irma tunics and maxi skirts, and I could easily play on the floor with my students. Now, I wear maxi skirts, Amelia dresses, and Cassie skirts to church, Cassies and Julias on dates, Cassies and classics, Julias, or leggings and Irmas for running errands. Can you tell that my favorite is the Cassie skirt?! I discovered LuLaRoe at the perfect time in my career and personal life. I had been dressing up way more than my coworkers, but I still had a desire to look professional and needed to be a bit more comfortable. I felt like the play clothes in my closet were starting to look kind of young for me, and I was about to make the transition from single twenty-something to stay at home wife pushing thirty (who knew?! not me). 

Now, I get to meet new people in my (still kind of) new city and share awesome clothes with them. I get to style outfits for people!!! I get to reconnect with acquaintances online and in person and help them find clothes they love. I am so thankful for this opportunity! 

Now, for the photos. This is a sampling of what I post every day--these particular photos show how I have integrated my Hand Me Down Style with LuLaRoe items. Of course, I have my own unique spin on styling LLR! 

I get this from my mom! We have so much fun together when I do pop-ups in North Carolina and she gets to tag along. I wish I had her helping me all the time!! 

Follow along with my daily styling posts on Instagram @lularoe.kathrynschmidt and on Facebook via my page LuLaRoe Kathryn Schmidt and my shopping group (where I usually post a little more in-depth about each day's outfit and also post items like these for sale during flash shopping opportunities once-twice per month). 

Contact me to have my mobile boutique come to your house! lularoe.kathrynschmidt@gmail.com

I continue to post all kinds of snaps of my life on my personal Instagram @kathrynschmidt! 

Showing You My Singles: Sarah

This Friday, I am linking up with Kelly's Korner blog for show us your life: singles. 

On the right is my pal Sarah. She loves Jesus and has been all over the world doing missions. Sarah will get up and go with a moment's notice even if it's not missions related. She is up for all kinds of adventures, including a planned sky dive on her next birthday! 

I met Sarah through a mutual friend who was in my small group in North Carolina. Sarah invited me to her church, hung out with me, and introduced me to many of her friends. She is the reason I know anyone in Georgia! 

Sarah loves on her friends' babies. These are not her own. 

She has done triathlons and enjoys working out at boot camp, running, climbing, and hiking. 

Sarah works full time and is also pursuing her Master's degree in social work. She works at a university and formerly worked all over the state of Georgia, helping migrant students access education. 

Sarah also has an awesome tattoo. 

I am so thankful to have Sarah as a friend! 

To get in touch with her, send me an email at handmedownstyle@gmail.com 

thankful Thursday: bachelorette celebrations

I've been begging my friends to come with me to pure barre for years. Turns out all I had to do was get married! This was my one special request for any bachelorette type celebrations--I would much rather go to barre than a bar. I didn't think it would actually happen, but these friends showed up and went through a challenging workout just because I asked them to! 

I had a lot of fun celebrating this weekend with pure barre, a shower, and a dinner out with my small group pals. 

 My friends made some delicious food. My favorite shower detail (below) was this prayer tree. They each took a Bible verse from the tree and prayed that for me and Zack. 

I'm thankful that my family and friends took the time to make last weekend so special. 

And if you need a laugh today, here's a video of two men trying pure barre for the first time. 

friend time

This thankful Thursday I'm on the road. As soon as my bff Lindsay said she was sad that I'm moving away, I reminded her that I'll be just as close to her as I have been, AND her house is the perfect stopping point halfway to my new home! 

I'm so thankful that I got to spend time with Lindsay and Tom. They offer me a place to stay and even better, quality friend time. I am trying to spend my last few single weeks the right way, and precious time with friends is important! 

thankful Thursday: family and friends

Our family has had the highest highs and the lowest lows this year, and each of those presents an opportunity for our friends to draw close and show their love. I'm thankful for the calls, texts, comments, cards, hugs, and especially prayers. Our friends have truly been there and supported us through it all. As my family connections grow by marriage, the love and the cares have both grown. Even after losing a loved one, the good still outweighs the bad. I'm overwhelmed at the ways my life is enriched by my new family relationships. 

These times are both character building and character revealing, and I'm thankful for my family and friends growing with me and showing up for me in joy and in sorrow. Even the smallest gesture can mean so much. I hope that I learn how to be a better friend by watching my friends. 

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. 

2 Corinthians 1:3-5

our bridal shower

My best friend and next door neighbors threw a coed shower for us in April. It was clear that they put a lot of time and effort into it, which is nothing less than I'd expect from Lindsay. All of the details were so thoughtful! 

They created a photo scavenger hunt with pictures of us, and once all of the blank spaces were filled in on the sheet, it even spelled out a secret phrase about us flying! 

Lindsay's dad made these adorable bride and groom clothespins. 

Lindsay and Tom made us airplane cookies with our initials. How personal and sweet! 

One of my favorite details was the beautiful flowers. 

Thank you, Kelvingtons, for a wonderful shower!!! 

All photos by my pals Lindsay and Tom. 

cookie exchange 2014

Torri and I hosted our third annual cookie exchange in early December, and it was a success! Each year we learn a little more about what it takes to host a cookie exchange and make things work well. We grew our number of participants significantly this year, and we loved having our friends join us to kick off the Christmas season! 

A few of our friends stepped in to help quite a bit as we were overwhelmed with cookies this year--so many to label and cut up for samples. We definitely met our goal to grow our cookie exchange! 

Mom's friend Cathy won best tasting cookie, with her Swedish almond cookies (below), and my friend Kristin won prettiest cookie, with her spritz cookies. I don't even have a picture of hers! We always get wrapped up with hosting and forget to take pictures. 

I'm so thankful for our good friends here, and I enjoyed getting to see so many of them in one place. I feel so loved by my friends who take time from their busy December to bake cookies and come to our party. Even though I will be married and moved away by next Christmas, and Torri will have a baby, we are going to do our best to keep this tradition alive! 

friendsgiving on the farm

I was so excited to be included in a special friends and family Thanksgiving celebration, invited by my friend Rebecca. She invited us to her boyfriend's family's farm the Sunday after Thanksgiving for a combination oyster and clam roast and full Thanksgiving spread. 

Among other talents, Rebecca is a chef on a yacht several months of the year, so she mixed up some fancy drinks for us, of course. 

Her dad brought oysters and clams from nearby their home at the coast, and he tended the roast. 

I loved checking out the farmhouse -- the paintings, the vintage lace tablecloths, the crystal, and the collection of turkeys. 

I'm a little embarrassed to admit that I'd never shucked an oyster, and come to think of it, I still haven't. 

I had to at least sit in the driver's seat of Rebecca's "princess ride," a 1992 Range Rover. 

Matt, Rebecca's boyfriend, is a Land Rover enthusiast and collector. 

Zack and I might be a little envious of their collection . . . 

We enjoyed eating oysters and turkey, and more than that, meeting and chatting with all of the people. When I told my parents about where we were going, they found a connection to Matt's family. Our big city is also a small town.