Iceland via Instagram

Hi all, I hope you're having an awesome Sunday so far. Mine has been full of coffee and catching up on some blogs. So far so good.

Tommy and I returned from Iceland on the 8th, and it was honestly the best trip ever. Returning to real life was tough because we both had so much fun. Iceland has always been a destination I wanted to visit, and I'm so glad we made it happen. The country is beautiful, the people are incredibly nice and the food was amazing.

I will make a larger update about Iceland soon (I have about 500 pictures to go through, ahh) but in the meantime, here is a peak at our trip via Instagram! You can find me on Instagram @Amandakerz

Inspiring Instagramers

Without a doubt, Instagram is my favorite App on my phone. When I wake up in the morning, I always spend a little time in bed going through Instagram. I just love starting my day with bunch of beautiful images! Here are a few profiles on Instagram that I find really inspiring. Any instagramers that you admire? Let me know, I would love to scroll through their feed!

theartofbasic

Anya's photos are so simple and lovely. They all have such a beautiful, clean feel to them.

heatherhawkins

Her instagrams are full of interesting and beautiful places, tasty food and other things that just make your eyes happy. This girl seems to always be on the go! 

apieceofcake82

Deborah's photos are very graphic and primarily black and white. They always stand out in my feed because of their contrast and simplicity.

drvolland

Daniel lives in Seattle, so of course I love scrolling through his photos of Pacific Northwest landscapes.

life lately

I started feeling a little icky on Thursday at work, and by the time I got home I knew a mean sickness was coming. Sure enough, I spent all day Friday and Saturday in bed with aches, a stuffy nose, sore throat, and mild fever. Yuck. By Sunday I felt a little better, and today I am heading back to work. Being sick and working in cosmetics is difficult, constantly having to blow your nose and sneeze is kinda gross, haha. 

Here is a little peak of my life lately through instagram. You can follow along @amandakerz

1. Chopping brussel sprouts for dinner a few nights ago. Love brussel sprouts!

2. Atticus was my sick-day nap buddy all day Friday! Such a sweetie.

3. Atticus is quite fond of the new couch.

4. Making Valentines.

5. Pretty roses downton Bellingham.

6. Seattle for the day for Clinique school.

7. My favorite thrift find so far this year! 

8. Yummy cheese plate.

9. Paper shopping. I could have bought all of them!

life is good.

Yes, the past month or so have had their ups and downs. But looking through my Instagram photos helps me realize how sweet the ups have been. Lots of kitty snuggles, good food, warm fires, antiquing, and being with my boy. Life is good, even when it's hard.

life lately

Phew. Life has been a little crazy lately, but things are slowing down. In fact, I have a few days off in a row. Weee! I'm going to try and stay productive, but I'm also super excited to just be lazy.

Top to bottom, left to right.

Find me @amandakerz

1. Went to Clinique class on Tuesday in Seattle.

2. Pho! So perfect on a rainy day.

3. Leaf-face.

4. Finally found a kitchen table! Now to find some chairs...

5. My reading buddy.

6. Chia seeds on cereal. 

7. Lovin' my polka dot pants! 

8. Cool antique letters.

9. Atticus loves the fire.

10. Some art downtown.

11. Colorful bowl of thread.

12. Breakfast. 

lately

Oh hey blogging world, remember me?

Things have been a bit busy around here, and when I've had spare time I have been super lazy.  Sometimes instead of creating a post, I just want to watch How I Met Your Mother while eating rice cakes. What can I say, I simply live a very glamorous lifestyle.

Moving along, I'm looking for a few more sponsors for the month of October! I have four spots open, and would love to have you! Check out my sponsor page for more details or email me at amandakbybay@hotmail.com.

Here is little peak into what I have been up to lately!

Top to bottom, left to right. find me @amandakerz

1. Simple and lovely bouquets at Brittney's wedding. 

2. Adna, Washington.

3. Antiquing of course!

4. I had to chuckle when I noticed a theme in my "reminders."

5. Sleepy Atticus. He is getting so big!

6. Started my day off with a margarita. Yuum!

7. Tommy and I spent some time with his family at his grandpa's house. His grandpa has some great antique furniture, I especially love this ottoman!

8. A little ocean collection at Tommy's grandpa's house.

9. Lots of soup and salad on my lunch breaks.

10. My mom and I at my cousins wedding.

11. Tommy surprised me with an ollo clip, and I have been having so much fun with the macro lens! Post about this coming soon.

12. See what I mean about feeling lazy? Breakfast in bed. 

lately, on instagram

Here's a peak into what my life has looked like lately, via instagram. You can find me @amandakerz

Top to bottom, left to right:

1. Tea & honey. 

2. Sleepy kitty! 

3. Went down to Seattle for my Clinique class.

4. Learning about the new Clinique products for fall!

5. An awesome piece of artwork inside the Pan Pacific Hotel in Seattle.

6. Went out and got some drinks downtown. Loved the reflection of this chandelier.

7. Atticus sat and watched Project Runway like this for about 10 minutes.

8. Cupcakes I made for Tommy's birthday.

9. Had some wine and cheese at The Temple Bar.

10. Tommy didn't want anybody to see his girly drink.

11. Our neighbor's apple tree.

12. Thriftin'. 

My week on instagram

Spolier alert: I saw a wild owl. 

instagram @amandakerz

Top to bottom, left to right.

1. My aunt made my graduation announcements, and they turned out so great! No thanks to UPS though, as they put my package in the bushes where they sat for a week. 

2. Atticus loves to lounge on my computer when I'm trying to use it. It's cute, but gets kinda annoying. 

3. At first I was surprised the fortune cookie predicted that I was about to watch a movie. But then again, I  did order takeout. 

4. Somehow I rationalized this as a healthy breakfast. I mean, it has fruit ...and whipped cream has less sugar than syrup. Right?

5. Looking out the window.

6. Cat show at the Lynden Fair. I like cats...but participating in a cat show is on a whole other level. 

7. Ferris wheel.

8. A Moowich, aka giant ice cream sandwich.

9. Drink after work.

10. Atticus and I went to the vet to get shots and test for feline leukemia (negative!). He then slept for over an hour. 

11. Sunset on Bellingham Bay.

12. YOU GUYS. I saw a wild owl. I'm not sure if this is common in other areas of the country, but I have only seen owls at the zoo. Tommy and I were driving home from dinner when I saw it. The owl was sitting so perfectly on a sign, I thought it was fake. We turned around to be sure and I'm so glad we did! It was huge with black spooky eyes, just sitting on a sign by the side of the road in broad daylight. Very surreal. Gahh, why didn't I bring my camera to dinner? 

my week on instagram

Oops, this post is a day late, but I have a feeling you'll forgive me :). 

Find me on instagram @amandakerz

Top to bottom, left to right.

1. HUGE blueberry!

2. Collection of vintage soda bottles.

3. Heart of Bellingham.

4. Atticus loves to be on my computer when I'm trying to use it. Which I tooootally love as well. 

5. Went blueberry picking!

6. Sometimes your morning coffee needs to be fancy.

7. Went and saw Sigur Ros in Seattle!

8. Sigur Ros. Such an amazing show!

9. After the concert, Tommy and I went and had a burger at Dick's Drive-In. 

10. Atticus is going through that feisty kitty stage, but I love when he gets all sleepy and cuddly.

11.Attended my friend Megan's wedding on Saturday, post coming tomorrow!

12. The lovely cupcake tower at the wedding. Yum!

instagram sunday

Here is my week according to my iphone! You can find me on instagram @amandakerz

Hope you all are having a lovely Sunday! Today is nice and warm in Bellingham, and I have the day off! I'm planning on getting a little sunshine and possibly going to go see the Dark Knight. Have you seen it, what do you think? I can't wait to see Anne Hathaway play cat woman, from the previews she looks amazing. 

1. Enjoyed some biscuits and honey at Diamond Jim's Grill. Tommy and I love this place, their biscuits are so delicious!

2. My dad came up to celebrate his birthday with Tommy and I, and we had a great time enjoying some beer and food at Boundary Bay Brewery. 

3. Hanging boat inside Boundary Bay.

4. I took Atticus outside to explore a bit, and while he slowly got more comfortable, at first he didn't want to touch the grass!

5. I have been on a big oatmeal kick lately. Love to eat it while watching Downton Abbey :).

6. Enjoying the sunshine.

7. Chubby kitty belly! 

8. Stocked up on fruits and veggies at a local produce stand.

9. Mural in Bellingham. It reads, "Ye olde city of subdued excitement."

10. Not trying to push anybody's butons here, but this sign just made me chuckle11. Blueberries at the farmers market. Yuuum. Amber and I got two pounds and ate them all in one day.

12. This ivy heart is down by the bay, and is so cute! I love that people keep it up. Amber and I took some photos with it, look for a post tomorrow!

instagram sunday

Here is my week according to my iPhone! You can find me on instagram @amandakerz

1. My brussel sprouts are getting so big! Although since we have gotten the kitty, they have definitely been put on the back-burner.

2. Shoes and tights.

3. Fish tacos and white refried beans for lunch with Megan.

4. Little snuggle bug kitty.

5. This pretty pattern was painted on the walls in an antique store.

6. Eggs and mushrooms, such a good combination!

7. Ceiling of the Paramount Theatre.

8. Lobby of the Paramount theatre, so pretty!

9. Atticus loves to lay in the sun. 

10. Our secret window. Appears to be an attic, but there is no entrance to an attic anywhere in the house that we can find. Creepy!

11. Rawwr! Sleeeepy kitty.

12. I was craving a blizzard, and sometimes you just have to satisfy cravings :)

instagram sunday

Just what instagram needs, another cat owner who loves taking pictures of their cat! :) You can find me on instagram @amandakerz

Top to bottom (left to right)

1. We got this horse dress at work, and I just had to try it on. It started as a joke, but then I put it on...and kinda liked it! It's just so bizarre!

2. Lovely lilacs from my neighbor's yard.

3. Daisy, my mom's mini American Eskimo. 

4. A coworker and I tried out hot yoga this week, and holy cow. I didn't know I could sweat that much!  Yummy salad I made after the class.

5. A lily, my mom's favorite flower.

6. Went to breakfast with my dad and Amber. Had some eggs benedict, so good.

7. Beautiful antique glass display in an antique mall. Amber and I spent the day hunting for a dining table with no luck.

8. Cupcakes! Looked better than they tasted actually. 

9. Atticus loves to climb up Tommy's leg and perch on his shoulders.

10. Oh hello little kitty! What big eyes you have!

11. Passed out.

12. Champagne and cake with some coworkers. 

instagram sunday

You can find me on instagram @amandakerz

Top to bottom (left to right)

1. One of my favorite parts of sunny days are the clouds during sunset. So pretty.

2. Frozen yogurt, blueberries and bananas. Yuuuum.

3. The rose bush on the side of our house is on its last leg, so before it died I had to take a few pictures.

4. I have been trying to use my espresso machine more in order to save money. It always turns out really good, but there is just something about buying an iced latte. It's probably all in my head.

5. Picnic!

6. Ordered some chinese takeout after a long struggle on what to have for dinner.

7. Tommy was quite happy with the amount of wine in his glass that night.

8. Had some leftover swedish pancakes, so I ate them with yogurt and blueberries. Sooooo good.

9. Went on a hunt for a vintage dining table with no luck. I am being way too picky...but I just know what I want! I have been thinking about going back and getting that mirror though.

10. This mural made me laugh. Yes, I'm sure that's how it all went down.

11. Yayy, gratis finally came! Definitely a perk for working in cosmetics.

12. Clothing rack is finally done!

instagram sunday

This week was my last part time week, and as of tomorrow I will be working full-time. It's bitter sweet. More money, less time. But hey, can't really complain. Here are some pictures from this week!
Follow me on instagram @amandakerz

Top to bottom (left ro right)

1. I love all the fresh fruit during summer, especially cherries! Give me sun, a good book, and a bowl of cherries and set.

2. I have been working on my clothing rack on and off, it's finally almost done. Painting can be time consuming, especially when you're almost finished and then scruff the paint. Gaaahhh.

3. This little elephant sits on our shelves in the kitchen, and decided to take a tumble and break. Luckily, it was nothing that a little superglue couldn't fix!

4. Lemon!

5. Sparklers are the only fireworks I truly care about. When I was little I used to pretend to be a fairy with a magic wand, twirling and whirling my sparker around. 

6. The weather FINALLY started to turn around on Wednesday, and has been so beautiful ever since! Summer is finally here in western Washington. Yay!

7. Long exposure and sparklers! I took this photo using the MyShutter app. The app is pretty "meh," but this photo turned out pretty neat.

8. Blueberry pie. Ice cream. 'Murica!

9. Coconut calamari with fresh mangos, red onions and arugula. Some of the best calamari ever, so fresh and tasty!

10. Tommy and I participated in art walk, and purchased a few screen printed cards. Loved this one about the founding fathers...so funny!

instagram sunday

Happy July everybody! I can't believe June has come and gone already! Here is my week via instagram.

follow me @amandakerz

(Top to bottom, left to right)

1. We finally had a nice enough day for me to wear my new dress. You can see the rest of the outfit here.

2. One of the things I love about my house is that I find new flowers growing all the time. These little daisy-like flowers were too cute not to pluck.

3. My mom gave me a hanging tomato plant, and the seeds began to sprout! Sadly...the very same day I killed them. I thought a little sunshine would do them good, they got too much and wilted. Definitely need to work on my green thumb.

4. Tommy and I went enjoyed a cheese plate and wine before seeing Moonrise Kingdom.

5. Bushes with beautiful purple flowers frame my front porch, and bees have taken a liking to them. The bushes are great to look at, but it's a little scary to have to dodge bees everyday in order to get through the front door!

6. I was able to lay out and enjoy a book in the sun one afternoon, and this amazing ring around the sun appeared.

7.Yummy latte!

8. Our landlords came and took down our beautiful ivy! So sad.

9. Hard to tell from the photo, but the weight of my clothing broke the hanging bar in my closet. Get rid of clothes? Nahhhh.

10. Funny pepper.

11. Suuuushhhi!

12. My sister Amber came up for the night, and we spent it eating sushi and frozen yogurt while watching the gymnastic olympic trials.

instagram sunday

My first Instagram post! Oh how exciting!
Follow me  @ amandakerz

Left to right (top to bottom) 1. Bellingham clearly has not gotten the message that summer is here. It was POURING yesterday. 2. My cactus collection!3. LOVING Fiona Apple's new album. I cannot stop listening to it.   4. Yogurt cookies! Still enjoying these guys. They have gotten so soft!5. Reading and enjoying a popsicle outside. The weather was warm, but cloudy. Who needs the sun anyway? 6. Tommy's first show with his band, The Social Schema.  7. Statue outside Whole Foods in Seattle.  8. Mini mousse cups at my Clinique class! So cute and yummy.9. Clinique training is always fun, and the food at the Pan Pacific Hotel is always amazing!10. Tulalip tribe singing and rowing a canoe in Tulalip Bay.11. Visited the driving range with my mom and brother for the first time. Definitely not going pro anytime soon.12. Hush. Poster in my sister's room. 

hi instagram, my name is amandakerz

I got a new cell phone. It's an iphone. I'm kinda in love.

I have only had two cell phones in my phone owning career. Well technically three, but one went down the toilet and I got a replacement of the same kind. Yeah...it went down the toilet, never to be seen again. This was due to the perfect storm of pulling up my pants, shallow slack pockets and flushing the toilet right as my phone jumped out of said shallow pockets. I literally just stared in shock at the empty toilet bowl for about 20 seconds.

But back to my iphone. I have one, and am already loving Instagram, and all the other fun apps. But mostly that one. You can follow me at amandakerz, where can I find you?