Sweeter than Serenity: July 2014

Friday, July 25, 2014

Cake in a Mug + Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe


A few weeks ago I posted this picture showing my cake in a mug that I made for dessert! Since then, I have gotten several emails asking me how I made both the cake and the icing, so here it is!

Cake in a Mug

1/2 cup cake mix of choice
1/3 cup water
1 teaspoon oil

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Spray your mug with cooking spray, and pour the batter in. Microwave for about a minute and a half.

Cream Cheese Frosting

2 tablespoons cream cheese
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk

Thaw and combine ingredients together, mix well. You may add more powdered sugar or more milk in order to reach the desired consistency.


Happy Friday everyone! Today I am leaving camp, and next week I will share about the week!

God Bless!
Hannah

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Loving Lately

Factory printed ruffle top

Factory woven trim caftan

Factory scalloped eyelet short

Factory pull-on pant

1 // 2 // 3 // 4

It's no secret that J.Crew Factory is one of my favorite places to shop! I'm always scanning the site looking for new arrivals, and these four items are my top four items that I'm loving right now on their site. What are your favorite items?

Happy Hump Day!

God Bless!
Hannah

Monday, July 21, 2014

Black and White and Red All Over









Top: J.Crew Factory (old) // Jeans: American Eagle // Shoes: Bearpaw c/o 

A couple weeks ago you caught a glimpse of this shirt's twin, the blue and yellow striped J.Crew top. I got this one with the idea that I would wear it to Razorback basketball games back in January (which I did), but it quickly became a favorite, and now I wear it all the time! It's been particular cool in Arkansas the past few days, so I got the chance to pull it out and wear it last week!

Happy Monday everyone! I'm spending my week at Bogg Springs camp in Wickes, Arkansas leading a group of 11th and 12th graders! Please pray for a great week as I'm trying to balance my food allergies and hydration issues with my heart for going all out for these kids! 

God Bless!
Hannah

Friday, July 18, 2014

Workout Apparel Essentials

As a fitness professional, it's safe to say that I live in fitness clothing more than I do in regular clothing (which is crazy with how much I love fashion, I know!). Today I want to share with you some of my favorite pieces of clothing that I live in on a daily basis.

1) BCG Seamless Cami Bra
BCG™ Women's Seamless Cami Bra

So far, this is the only sports bra I can find that isn't racer-back and actually provides decent support. I have a lot of issues with muscle spasms in my upper back/neck, so I try to stay away from racer-back sports bras because they pull on those muscles even more. If you're looking for a sports bra that isn't racer-back and still works great, then you've got to try this one. You can find it here.

2) Nike Pro Capri Pant
Nike Women's Pro Capri Pant

These are my favorite! They are incredibly comfortable, and the waist band on them is even really comfortable. They move with me no matter what sort of crazy workout I'm doing, and they have lasted through numerous workouts since I bought them last fall. You can find them here.

3) New Balance Minimus
New Balance 10

I have finally found the shoe to end all searches for a great shoe for cross-training (my classes are considered cross-training). This shoe makes it feel like I'm not wearing shoes! It's super light, it moves with me, and it has a wide toe-box to make plenty of room for my feet to move! It's perfect for the side-to-side movements, and I seriously love it for everything (except running), and even everyday wear is great with these! If you are doing any sort of workout with lateral movements or plyometrics, you've got to check these out! You can find them here.

I hope these tips on workout apparel help you to feel more comfortable and confident when you hit the gym so that you can reach your fitness goals! Don't forget to email me with any questions about fitness, I can finally say I have an actual degree in Exercise Science (I got my diploma in the mail the other day!).

Last night was my last class to teach at UREC (U of A's recreation department). It was sad to say good-bye, but I think I've finally come to terms with the fact that it is time to move on to the next adventure in my life, and I know for a fact that God has a great plan in store for me through Physical Therapy! However, I couldn't leave UREC without taking a picture with my final INSANITY class last night!


God Bless!
Hannah

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Casual Hump Day







Happy Hump Day everyone! I want to introduce you to another type of shoe from the Bearpaw collection, the Hanna moccasin style shoe (I feel like they were just made for me, haha). They shoes are ridiculously comfortable. I wore them around to run errands over the weekend and my feet were so happy in them! They come in a variety of colors, and I just love these blue ones so much! (ps, does anyone else notice that I always have to roll up my jeans in every single picture? I'm just too short for them!)

Well tomorrow marks my very last day of work at the U of A! Next week I'll be at camp, and I can't wait to share some pictures from there when I get back! Have a great rest of the week!

God Bless!
Hannah


Philippians 4:6-8
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."



Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Wheelin' and Dealin'






Top: Goodwill (yep, you read that correctly!) // Shorts: Forever 21 // Wedges: Bearpaw Blossom c/o

So I recently decided to take on the challenge of trying to find something in Goodwill that I would actually really wear. I spent about an hour sifting through all the clothes, and I came out with two shirts, this one and another one that you will be seeing very soon! The best part is that I spent a total of $5 on BOTH shirts! Now, for a poor grad student, this is wonderful news! I think I may take on this challenge more in the future, and I might possibly even add it to my blog regularly! I think it's really great to figure out how to look stylish on a budget, and sometimes you can find great things at consignment shops and Goodwill! 

God Bless!
Hannah

Monday, July 14, 2014

Pearls and Tulle







Top: Forever 21 (old) (similar sleeveless) // Skirt: Groopdealz // Bag: Steve Madden
// Wedges: Bearpaw Blossom c/o // Glasses: Ray Ban 

I hope everyone is having a great Monday so far! I'm getting a little bit sad because this is my last week as a resident of Fayetteville. I attended my very last Sunday morning church service at my church yesterday, and Thursday is my very last day of work at the U of A rec center (hper). I am so excited to be headed to Conway soon, but leaving is still hard!

Next week I am excited to say that I am going to be serving as a cell group leader (counselor) at a church camp. I am so excited to play with these kids and teach them about Jesus! Also, as much as I like to be girly, I also LOVE to be outdoors and run around and play games, and this is the perfect excuse to do just that! Have a great week everyone!

God Bless!
Hannah

Friday, July 11, 2014

Bearpaw and Braids







 

Top: J.Crew Factory (old) (similar) // Jeans: American Eagle // Shoes: Bearpaw Blossom c/o
// Bracelet: Belle Boutique (old) // Necklace: Riffraff (old)

It's no secret that blue and yellow is one of my favorite color combinations lately. I actually almost named my post that until I remembered that I already had a post named that last month! This shirt from J.Crew Factory is one of my absolute favorite shirts of all time. I ordered it a size up because I love wearing it as a loose over-sized type shirt, and it has been great! These wedges from Bearpaw have done it again. You don't see me wearing heels hardly ever, but wedges I love (as long as they are comfortable), and these are incredible! 

Happy Friday y'all! Have a great weekend!

God Bless!
Hannah

Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Pretty in Pink on a Budget


  • Pretty in Pink on a Budget


H M a line dress
$14 - hm.com


Hot pink pleated skirt
$46 - getthelooks.com.au


Chino shorts
factory.jcrew.com


Keds shoes
lordandtaylor.com


Long bag
$43 - black.co.uk




I've really been loving all things pink lately, so I wanted to share with you some of my most loved pink items that I have my eye on! I'm a huge fan of summer dresses, so I of course had to start with that! I actually own the J.Crew shorts, and I wear them all the time! The skirt and bag I am totally dying over, and the Keds shoes, well, you just can't beat them when you want to look cute and girly yet be comfortable at the same time!

My MIA status on returning comments is about to come to a close. I'm driving back from Columbia today to finish up my last week of work in Fayetteville, then it'll be a whirlwind of a month until school starts. Just hang with me, I'll return to some normalcy in my life soon! (I hope!)  Happy Hump Day y'all!!

God Bless!
Hannah

Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Sweet Summertime






Top: White Plum // Shorts: J.Crew Factory // 
Necklace: Square Hearts c/o // 

I actually got this shirt as a surprise from White Plum. They did a grab bag special on Jane.com about a month ago, and this shirt along with another one was my surprise grab bag! I was very impressed with this shirt! It's incredibly comfortable, and looks great with almost any shorts or pants. I was definitely a fan of that promotion.

On a sidenote, these pleated shorts from J.Crew Factory are so super comfortable. They look nicer than normal shorts, and the fit is so perfect!

I hope everyone is having a great week!

God Bless!
Hannah