Happy Hump Day Babes! I am so happy to share that I am working with Caseapp again! If you’re not familiar with Caseapp, they are an online retailer that specializes in custom phone cases as well as skins for your laptop. So far I have a laptop skin and three iphone cases. I always struggled with finding unique phone cases that actually last for more than a month. Their phone cases are truly amazing quality and last through many pavement drops, I have a slight problem with dropping my phone, oops. Even through many drops, none of them have even cracked. These phone cases would make the perfect stocking stuffer! Here are the two that I picked out: Stacking Case // Leopard Case
I had a really hard time picking two out because I wanted so many more so I wanted to link some of my other favorites!
This past Saturday, my boyfriend and I went to Lumaze in downtown Pittsburgh. After hanging out there for a few hours, we finally went to Roland’s Seafood Grill.
I have been wanting to go here for so long now and since we were super close we decided to go. I ordered the stuffed mushrooms and my boyfriend ordered their famous lobster roll. My mushrooms were pretty good, I just am not that big of a fan of red peppers and the crab meat had a lot of it in it. I had a few bites of his lobster roll though and it was SO good. I highly suggest stopping by if you’re ever in the area. Here is their Lunch Menu and their Dinner Menu.
First off, I wanted to say thank you to all of the people that helped me put this together. I clearly couldn’t have done it without each and every one of you.
As a quick little background story on how my boyfriend and I met, it is your typical dating app love story. Although we both wish it didn’t involve dating apps haha! Back in 2017, we both matched on Tinder. After talking for a few days, we went out on our first date to a local bar. I had two friends there with me so it wasn’t really anything special. I would like to think we hit it off but looking back, I thought he was super hot, but I wasn’t all that impressed with his personality ( love you babe). He came off as your typical hockey player with a huge ego. And I wasn’t all that interested as I was trying to dodge all of that bag nonsense ya feel lol. After that night, we texted for a day or two and then it fizzled out. I am sure if you’re reading this and have used dating apps you know exactly what I am talking about lol.
Fast forward to 2018 weirdly around the same time as the year prior, I had just recently got out of a relationship that quite honestly I didn’t want to be in to begin with. I was loving life and hanging out with my friends all of the time. I was super happy with how things were going and I really wasn’t looking for anything all that serious. As I sat in bed bored one night, I saw a girl on Instagram talking about a new dating app, Hinge. I had no idea what to expect so I figured why not download it and see what it was all about. Oddly enough, after going through a profile or two his popped up. So I swiped or whatever you do on that app to open messaging and within a few minutes he messaged me. At first, I was purely just messing around but after we got to texting, I realized he was me in a males body. After a few days, we met on a Sunday for afternoon drinks at a place called The Yard. Looking back, I have never gone on a Sunday date so that was kind of weird for me lol. But we were there for hours. And I mean like four hours. I can’t speak for him but in my opinion we hit it off. Really well. I don’t think I have ever told him, but that night I was sitting at home, and was like I am pretty sure I just met my match. But I have been on far too many dates to have high exceptions so although I left super happy, I definitely didn’t think that we would of ended up here.
After hanging out for a few months, we finally made things official on May 5, 2018. Although I like to say we basically were attached at the hips since that Sunday back in February haha! Moral of the story, I truly believe everything happens for a reason, at the exact right time. If I wasn’t at the exact place emotionally, truly happy with who I was as a person, I don’t think I would be writing this post. Now, I don’t have him locked down just yet, aka a ring JKJK but I am beyond grateful for Hinge because if it wasn’t for that app, I wouldn’t have met the love of my life.
So now that y’all have the back story, lets talk about this book. I’d like to think that I am quite the crafty/creative person and I really love buying gifts but I wanted to change things up this year. After doing some research, I came across a picture on Pinterest like all of the ones below. After brainstorming, I decided I was going to some how, some way, get someone from each state to send me one similar. To be honest, I didn’t think it was going to happen but with the help from the Lauren Elizabeth Facebook Group, some blogger friends, and the Scrubbing In Facebook Group, I was not only able to get most of the fifty states but I also had girls send me photos from all over the world. That being said, I literally just finished this book a few days ago. It took me SIX months to put together. Yes that is right, six months. So if you plan on making a book like this, start as soon as possible. I purchased the book for about $12 at Michael’s and for the photos I used my HP Sprocket that my boyfriend bought me for my birthday. I bought a bunch of film which was around $45 from Amazon. But you could always get pictures printed at Target, Walmart, or Rite Aid. So when it was all said and done, I spent around $60. I also left some space on each page to put photos of us when/if we ever traveled there. This book even has a pocket in the front, for tickets, or souvenir type things. Although hes not a girl so guys don’t really hold on to that type of stuff but it is there anyways lol. Needless to say, I am so happy with how things turned out and I think he was too!
I am so excited to share that I am collaborating with Rue21 this holiday season as one of their Brand Ambassadors! I put together some really cute outfits for the holidays whether you want to dress up or go the more comfy route, I am sure you will love them all! The first outfit that I want to share is the most comfortable option out of the bunch. This could be the perfect Thanksgiving outfit if you are like me and eat until you feel like you’re going to explode. These black super soft cell phone pocket leggings are beyond comfortable and will work for the overeating part. I paired the leggings with this burnt orange waffle knit dolman top and my Target A New Day mules. The second outfit that I put together can be worn for either Thanksgiving or Christmas. Even if you have a work event/party, this outfit would work perfectly. Rue21 sent me this really cute cold shoulder top that I paired with my Free People mod wrap skirt and Marc Fisher thigh high boots. I usually don’t wear sweaters like this but surprisingly, I really liked how this look turned out. The third look that I put together is something that would be cute as a New Year’s Eve outfit. When Rue21 sent me this bodysuit, I was not a fan because it isn’t something that I would typically buy for myself. But after styling it, I actually loved how it all came together. I paired this Rue21 lavender flounce super soft bodysuit with my Rue21 distressed jeans, and my Nordstrom sock booties.
This past Saturday, my boyfriend and I finally went here for dinner. I have wanted to try this spot out for months and it definitely did not disappoint. To start off, I loved the aesthetic as it had somewhat of a rustic and modern type feel. To drink, I tried a few of their ciders but ended up going with an arsenal cider. For dinner, I ordered their BLT which absolutely amazing. The bacon was more on the sweet side so it really made the sandwich as a whole taste good. The fries were also very tasty and not at all greasy. My boyfriend ordered one of their burgers in which he also had only good things to say. For dessert we ordered their apple/ice cream option and it was so so good! All in all, I highly recommend this restaurant if you’re ever in the area!
Last Sunday, I stepped completely out of my comfort zone and attended one of my first Blogger Bash events. I had no idea what to expect, and with getting my IUD just a day prior, I wasn’t sure if I was even going to be able to make it. But I did, and couldn’t be happier for doing so. I started blogging purely to share my love for fashion and to help others save some coin! But before WLFJ became what it is now, I started blogging on Tumblr. I was a junior in high school and just had my first surgery on my stomach. Since I was off of school for a few days, I was bored and decided to find a new hobby. I wasn’t consistent but every once in a while I would go on and share some fashion related posts. Come senior year, I had a another major surgery which in turn had me in the hospital for two weeks, and because of how invasive it was, I had to leave high school and get home schooled. I had teachers come to my house three days a week for a few hours but other than that, I was so bored. I was in a lot of pain for months and wasn’t able to do much, so that is when I dived in full force and started being consistent on Tumblr. For me it was just something to do and I would of never guessed that the blogging world would ever be what it is now. In 2017, I began With Love From Jordyn and if you would of told me that I would of been invited to a Blogger Bash, with over 20+ girls, that I have never met, and that I actually attended it, I wouldn’t of believed you. This event was beyond perfect. I met so many amazing women that were all so inspiring. The event was held at The Loveliest Coffee & Clothes and Glow Blotique. Both which were absolutely gorgeous shops. We all had our hair done at Glow Blotique and all of the photo ops were at The Loveliest Co. It truly is the most instagramable shop that I have ever seen. Florals were by @stemsfloral. They had all of the things from cookies, cupcakes, charcuterie boards, champagne, coffee, and tea. The food was by Mediterra, Becka Bakes, and Tasty Baker. After mingling for a while, we all picked out some pieces from The Loveliest and took photos outside with photographer Caitlin Thomas who is @caitlintphoto on insta! This part was SUPER out of my comfort zone because of course, all of my insecurities started running through my head. It’s one thing taking your own photos but it’s another having a professional take them. Caitlin worked her magic though, and I am actually obsessed with how the pictures turned out. After taking all of the photos, we had an Instagram Tips & Tricks Panel with Katie from @loveyoursocialmedia, Cristin from @gossboss_photovideo, and Brea from @thethinkingbranch. All of three of these women were so inspiring and I truly learned so much. It was nice to see women supporting women. Lastly, I was so happy to meet Victoria from @ohjoyfulday who made this watercolor portrait. I have wanted this done for years now for a few things that I have up my sleeve so stay tuned!
Let’s be real, being on the pill sucks and it is such a hassle. I have been taking birth control pills since I was fifteen because my periods were so bad. I always had such bad cramps which has led to my endometriosis diagnosis. I wrote a previous blog post all about that if you’re interested. After going to endless gynecologist visits, we came up with a game plan to always skip the last row in my birth control pack (sugar pills) and continue on to the next pack so that I would never get my period. It was working well until I took a pill a few minutes late and not only did my period come back but I was woken up at 3am with major cramping. I said enough was enough and that is when we decided to go with the IUD. I wanted to write a post about my experience, so I am doing more of a journal entry style that way you get my true feelings day by day.
I just got home a few hours ago from my appointment and I would be lying if I said that I am not super miserable. It sucked but it was not as bad as I expected. I was told to take ibuprofen an hour before my appointment which I completely forgot until I was on my way. When I got there I had to take a pregnancy test, considering I haven’t had a period in months. As expected, that came back negative so it was now time for the procedure. I was super nervous but my gynecologist was super helpful by telling me step by step on what she was doing. Considering I am no doctor, I will skip all of the “medical talk” and briefly tell you what she did in my own words. So as always, this is my opinion and please make sure to always ask your doctor if you have any questions. I had to undress from the waist down, then she cleaned the area with iodine to make sure I don’t end up with an infection. After she inserted the speculum, she started to measure my cervix which is when I started feeling a lot of cramping. After she had me cough, she began inserting the IUD which took only a few seconds. I was already cramping so bad that I really didn’t even feel it go in. Most girls say they feel a pinch, fortunately I did not. After that was all done and she took out the speculum, I was in a lot of pain, cramping wise. I got a little nauseous but after laying down for two minutes, I just wanted to go home and lay down. Which is where I am at now, hello couch potato. I have my heating pad on and my Motrin bottle at an arms reach. I can honestly say when laying down, my cramps aren’t that bad but the second I get up, yikes. I will update y’all in the next few day. One tip that I can give you thus far, schedule your appointment on a Friday and have someone drive you.
So I am currently on day four, and I am MISERABLE. I will say, my IBS is not helping the situation but the cramps are horrible. Since this post is a little on the TMI side, I am writing this to be real. So if talking about periods weirds you out, move along. That being said, I didn’t really start bleeding until Sunday night. Now with it being Wednesday, I am full force on my period. I forgot how bad this sucks lol! Basically my heating pad has been my best friend. The doctor said to take an easy but Sunday I had a blogger event so I was gone for roughly 7 hours. I think it was too much for my body because Monday was brutal and that is when things took a turn for the worse. I know this is part of the process so I am just trying to power through it, but needless to say, the aftermath of getting an IUD is brutal. I am told that after a few weeks when things subside, it is totally worth. So I will let you know how I feel about that statement in a few weeks. Haha! My next update will be in a week or two.
