March Favorites

march favorites


one | two | three | four | five | six | seveneight | nine | ten | eleven

Can we all just agree that 2018 is the fastest year to date?! It is FLYING by, I can't believe we are a quarter of the way through the year already. March was a super busy month for me; between visiting New Orleans, celebrating my friend's bachelorette party, going on a girl's weekend trip to Texas wine country, working multiple big events for my day job, starting to teach at Beyond Studios and of course Easter coming up this weekend..... I barely had time to breath! Because of that, this month's Favorites round up is a little short, my apologies! But know these couple of items are real winners in my book.
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Best of OKC Boutiques

best okc boutiques
Outfit from The Clothing Bar

I have forever and always had a soft spot in my heart for shopping local! I love discovering little boutiques and supporting small business owners in OKC and around the world. Yes, I love me some Target and Nordstrom, but sometimes I get tired of having the same shirt as everyone and their mother and prefer to find something a little more unique and special. When I go on vacation, I don't want to shop at the same chain stores we have at home..... so, I thought I'd round up my top 5 favorite OKC boutiques for those visiting and/or those who live here and might be curious!

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10 Holy Grail Hair Products

holy grail hair products
Similar Cardi Here and Here (both on sale!) | Lace Trim Silk Cami (only $8!) | Gucci Belt, Dupe Here | Valentino Dupe Espadrilles  (multiple colors - on sale for $30!) | Kendra Scott Necklace | MAC Lips in Velvet Teddy

I'm gonna be honest with you.....my favorite thing about myself is my hair. HA! I've had the same cut and color since I was 14 and I'm OK with that......do what works! I've always aimed for the "Blake Lively / Serena" look when styling my hair, and I think I've pretty much mastered it by now.

Enough tooting my own horn, though! I've gotten a ton of hair compliments lately (my favorite kind of compliment to receive) so I thought I'd share my holy grail hair products that I swear by and could never live without. I did a similar post last year, and several of the products made the list again! That's when you know they are true winners.
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Friday Favorites + GIVEAWAY

case app giveaway
Free People Lace Tank (on major sale!), also available here | Similar Sunnies ($14!) | Cognac PumpsLaptop Skin

Happy Friday, everyone!! Whewwwww what.a.week. It has been so hectic around here that I don't even remember what I did this week.....let alone this month! That's when you know you've been busy! Today's post is one of my "Friday Favorites" - basically catching my friends and family up on what is going on in my real life! I know sometimes blog posts can get too "sponsored" or "sales-y" so I like to throw a little behind the scenes action in from time to time. I hope it helps any new readers get to know me a little more, as a real human and friend!

First off, I want to give everyone a heads up that there is a GIVEAWAY going on on my Instagram (@amandasOK) this weekend for a free product from CaseApp! I have a laptop skin and a phone case (shown in the photo above) and love them - you can choose from their designs, design your own from scratch, or use some of their templates to make a design uniquely yours. All you have to do to enter is follow me on Instagram, like the CaseApp photo and tag a friend. Good luck!

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AOK Guide to New Orleans

guide to new orleans

Another 2018 weekend getaway is in the books! I swear, the more I travel the more I want to travel. I love being home, don't get me wrong, but there is something so exciting about experiencing different cultures and exploring new cities. One of my favorite parts of traveling is planning the trip - it fills me with anticipation and excitement! The best trips live up to those expectations.

New Orleans was one definitely one of those trips that left me wanting more - I could have stayed longer and already want to go back! However, my stomach and digestive system demanded I return home to detox. NOLA was filled with European influence (more than any other city I've been to in the U.S.) and southern charm. It is really unique and unlike any place I've been before. Parts of the French Quarter are a little junky, but they are trashy in the cutest and prettiest of ways - color everywhere! The only disappointing thing about The Big Easy was the food.....now, don't get me wrong! Every meal we had was very good - a solid A all around - I think I just had overly high expectations. Everything was enjoyable, there just wasn't much that totally and completely blew my socks off. Does that make sense?

Regardless, C and I both totally and completely loved our time in New Orleans. We visited in early March and the weather was chillier than I anticipated (in the 50s and 60s most of the time) but I think that was a good thing. On our last day, the southern humidity made its debut and I quickly realized I wouldn't want to be there in the dead of summer.
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How I Edit Photos on My iPhone

floral maxi from romwe
Floral Maxi, c/o Romwe | Wedges | Lips, color is Stripped 

Hi, friends! Happy Monday to you! I've had several people reach out recently asking how I edit my blog and Instagram photos so I thought I'd do a quick post on it. I've always been a fan of good photography - my dad is a professional photographer and I had a Fischer Price film camera in my hands by the time I was five. I remember getting my first digital camera in middle school (I chose Nikon because of Ashton Kutcher, ha) and my first DSLR camera for my photography classes in college. I'm still a Nikon girl to this day!

Of course I have and use Photoshop on my computer, but a lot of the time I'm snapping photos on the go (especially when traveling) and need to edit and post them ASAP. Scroll on down to see my go-to photo editing apps for Instagram!

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Encouragement for Influencers

rainy day outfit
Embroidered Tank, c/o Romwe | Similar Army Jacket | Skinnies | Steve Madden Sneaks, $20 Dupe Here | Gucci Purse | Kendra Scott Cuff BraceletLips, Color is Patina
Hi, friends! And Happy Friday! Today's post is a little more personal/from the heart. I've been struggling with feeling discouraged lately, especially when it comes to blogging and Instagram. All bloggers do a good job of making their online life look pretty....but in reality, it can be messy, frustrating, disorganized and very, very discouraging. Blogging in general is a very over saturated market, so no matter how good you're doing, there are always girls out there doing better (and worse). Sometimes, the best ones get over looked while others, who may or may not deserve it, escalade to the top.

There are a lot of "cheaters" out there who buy their likes or followers. Better numbers makes those blogs and Instagram accounts look more appealing to brands and in turn, helps them become more popular as influencers. Others get lucky and go viral overnight. Then, there are those of us who work to improve our accounts, grow our following, and try to have faith that one day it'll happen. It can be really discouraging when people pass you by, but I try to tell myself that slow and steady wins the race.
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Thundering Up with Kickoff Couture

kickoff couture
Oklahoma City Choker T, c/o Kickoff Couture

You guys know I love all things home-sweet-homa! I was SO excited when Kickoff Couture reached out and asked me to partner with them. I've been wearing their stuff for years (both the OKC Thunder and Oklahoma State lines), so it was a no-brainer collaboration for me.

One of my favorite things to do is to dress up a good t-shirt. This one is extra fun because of the choker cut out. I thought pairing it with white skinnies and pumps made it ideal for a Thunder game date night! When C and I first started dating, he took me to watch the Mavs play the Thunder for my birthday since I am originally from Dallas. It was such a fun experience and something I'll always remember. He said he caught Kendrick Lamar checking me out from the sidelines...pretty sure C was just trying to make me feel special, haha, but it worked. If only I had this outfit back then instead of a KD jersey!
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Going Beyond | BIG Announcement!

fitness instructor

No time for small talk, I've got big news!! I'm SO excited to finally announce that as of tomorrow, I'll officially be an instructor at Beyond Studios in Oklahoma City!

When I started really trying to grow my blog last spring, I wanted fitness to be one of my main topics because it is something I genuinely love and am very passionate about. However, I never felt comfortable creating workouts or publishing health and fitness content because I wasn't certified in anything. I had tons of real life fitness experience, yes, but no titles or certificates to show for it. Now, though, I'm becoming certified as a Group Fitness Instructor and am SO PUMPED to teach BEYOND500!

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Easter Dress Roundup

easter dresses
one | two | three | four | five | six | seven | eight | nine | ten

Now that March is here and spring has almost sprung, Easter dresses are on my mind! As a kid, picking out my Easter dress was a BIG deal - I always looked forward to going shopping and would love to show my dress off at family gatherings after church. Well, things haven't changed in 20-something years. We typically spend Easter with C's family in Stillwater: church and brunch at the clubhouse. I always dress to the nines, even though it isn't necessarily required. I love it! And I love jelly beans, too ;)

I've had my eye on several Easter dresses already this year, so I thought I'd round up a few favorites in a variety of price ranges incase you're on the hunt for one, too! Pastels, florals, stripes, lace, ruffles, gingham and shoulder + back details.....all the spring trends - I got you covered! I added a few extras in the widget below, as well.
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What's Your #SkincareStatus?


I partnered with Neutrogena to bring you today's blog post.

The most important relationship in life is our relationship with ourselves. Self-love is SO important - if you're not happy with yourself, it affects any and every area of life, whether you want it to our not. Been there, done that, never want to feel that way again! The reflection you see in the mirror can change your entire day. For me, when my skin looks good, my day always starts in the right direction.

Your body's largest organ is the skin and the body is made up of over 50% water. It makes sense that you (and your skin!) need to stay hydrated in order to thrive. Taking care of your skin and keeping it moisturized will not only help you look and feel better now, but will keep you from aging too quickly. Bring on the moisture, am I right, ladies?

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A Jumpsuit for Tall Girls

black jumpsuit
Jumpsuit (available in Tall here) | Cognac Pumps | Kendra Scott Necklace | Gucci Purse | Lips, color is Beso
I wore this black jumpsuit on our trip to LA but didn't get the chance to take any good pictures in it. I thought it was fun enough (and affordable enough) to get it's own blog post - under $25 WHAT?!! I always have trouble finding jumpsuits that fit me.... I'm tall (5'9) with an athletic build, meaning broad shoulders and big quads/butt, but thin. It is really hard to find things that fit me right in every spot, but this jumpsuit came really close! I jumped for joy when I put it on. I ordered my regular size but in a tall.... it was a little big up top, so I think I could have sized down! If I was to order the regular length, though, I think I'd stick with my usual size. Can we talk about the puffy sleeves? So cute! It reminds me of an outfit I had for my Barbie!

It was SOOOOO windy during this photo shoot...like...my hair looked flawless when I showed up but was a tangled, stringy mess two minutes later. Thanks a lot, Oklahoma! Where the wind literally comes sweeping down the plain. Do anyone else's eyes water in the wind? Thats why I look like I'm crying in some of these pictures, ha! Thank goodness it is officially March, maybe the weather will take a chill pill...but probably not.

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SCOUT Bags: A Bag Lady's Best Friend

SCOUT Bags Review
Squat Goals Tank from Express (Sold Out), similar here | Leggings (only available in black, but AMAZING) | Sneaks | Plus 1 Tote Bag c/o SCOUT Bags
In the last year or two, I've become such a bag lady. I have a purse, a gym bag, a lunch bag, a weekend bag, a carry-on bag. I often times go to work, eat lunch at work and head to the gym straight from work, so I carry all three bags at once. I've learned that having one giant bag can make toting things around a lot easier because you can consolidate all the smaller bags into one and only have to carry one thing.

Insert: SCOUT Bags! I recently got the Plus 1 Bag and have been loving it so far. It has SO MUCH space inside that I can fit everything I need for the day's activities and then some. It is actually a two-in-one bag, so the tote can fold up to fit inside the snap-in, removable pouch, if needed. Even better, it comes in a bunch of different color and pattern choices to fit your personal style. My Plus 1 Bag is so durable, too, which is great for toting to the gym or using during travel. It is made of a quilted poly twill fabric, so its really soft and light! It is the perfect addition to my on-the-go, active lifestyle.

Of course, being the crazy dog lady that I am, I fell in love with the SCOUT Bags logo above all else. The pup, named Scout, is the "muse" and "top dog" of the company - he is even featured on the "About Us" page of their website. What a cutie!
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