Happy Fall lovely followers!

It is officially looking like fall in Utah! I pulled out my sweaters and boots and can't wait to jump in a huge pile of leaves. This past weekend was ahhh-mazing! My family came up so we took full advantage of the nice weather and gorgeous falling leaves. Here are some pictures of our adventures in Park City on the Alpine Slide and zip-lines.

I love this picture of my adorable parents! Candid/laughing pictures are the best!

We also went to Deer Creek and spent a few minutes skipping rocks (a.k.a. throwing boulders into the lake to make big splashes).

The picture on the right will eternally make me laugh! Even though it looks like my mom is in motion, she had slowed to a stop about 20 yards from the landing pad and had to scootch her way to the end with about 50 onlookers sharing in my laughter.

These boots from Kohls are the best fall purchase I have made thus far! I was giddy with excitement when I went to Dillards and saw that Steve Madden had the same ones for 2x the price!

Isn't Bridgett GORGEOUS?! I love having a pretty sister to practice my photography on. That hair of hers looks perfect in every picture.

Sometimes it makes me laugh to see the great lengths we will go to for a great picture! Nearly falling into a very cold river is only one of the hazards of going on photography adventures with me.

Okay... this might be my all time favorite picture of my Dad and I! Our double chins and his crows feet are so perfect! If only you could see the happy tears from laughing this hard!

Fall in Utah is beautiful! To say that I'm currently happy, would be an understatement :)

Have a lovely day readers! 

My Hair Challenge!

Hello Friends and Family!!!

Many of you have requested more hair posts so here you go! This school year I decided to mix things up a bit and try out lots of different hair styles! My mom, sister, and I have a never ending group message where we send pictures constantly. Sorry if it sounds odd, but every morning I take a "selfie" and send it over to them for hair/makeup/outfit approval :) So I'm sorry in advance for the ridiculous amount of embarrassing selfies that I took in my adorable living room and bathroom.

I normally have my hair down and curled or up in a pony tail, so it has been fun to push myself to try out new styles! I hope that some of these pictures give you a little inspiration/motivation to mix things up and do something fun with your hair!  

I'm obsessed with braids and try to incorporate them into as many styles as I can! They are super fast and totally vamp up any hair style!

I've incorporated my obsession with bows into my hair styles and I'm excited to buy more hair accessories this season!

Have a great weekend dear readers! 

Jumping back into college life!

Well friends, I'm back in Happy Valley (Provo, Utah)!

My classes are all amazing and I'm IN LOVE with my new house and roommates! I can't get enough of BYU and all the fun friends I have made this week! Here is a look at my week in pictures...

This is my adorable house. I have NINE roommates that make me laugh until I cry! We are already really tight and stay up way too late...

This is the Provo Temple that is about 3 minutes from my house.

On Labor Day I went with some friends to Mona where we swam and tried out the rope swings! 

This was my first time, and even though I look pretty graceful, it ended with a pretty bad back flop!

 Eating Fro-Yo with my adorable roommates! 

My favorite spot to relax on campus.

Friday night rooftop concert and dance parties!

 All the cool kids eat at the hospital at midnight after going to dance parties because everything else is closed... That corn dog was sooo good!

 Saturday morning hike in Provo Canyon with half of the roommates!

We love roommate bonding in the great outdoors!

It was a great week! I forgot how much I love Utah and college life! :) I hope you had a wonderful week too!

Developing a passion for creativity...

^^^I have the cutest cousins!!!^^^

Hello Followers!

I want to discuss my newfound passion for art! This past semester, I decided to take Art for Elementary Education as an elective. This course changed the way I think about creativity and helped me develop many new hobbies. 

In class, we learned about how students are often told by fellow students, parents, or teachers that they are either really great at art, so they stick with it, or they are told that they are not very artistic, so they give up on creating art. Growing up, I had always enjoyed drawing and taking pictures, but since I wasn't the best at either of those things, I shrugged it off and decided to leave art to the people who were born with the natural artistic ability. Well that is where the problem is. Artistic ability is not a gene that some people are born with and others without. Artistic ability is developed over time with a lot of practice. Yes, some people grasp techniques faster than others, but that does not mean that they are better at art. Children (and adults like myself) need positive reinforcement and encouragement so they can develop a passion for creating without the embarrassment of not being the best right off the bat. 

One thing that I strongly believe is that everyone has a desire to create things that did not exist before. Whether it be creating tasty foods, sewing a blanket, playing music, or painting a picture, we all have talents that we can develop if we put in the effort.

 ^^I drew my best friends wedding dress for a wedding present^^

I am so grateful for the ability to create things that make my life more beautiful. I may not be the best artist or photographer but I enjoy practicing my skills and showing my progress. Have a great week!

P.S... Go create something! :)

College Checklist

About one year ago, I flew the coop and moved to Provo, Utah for college. It was the most exciting and terrifying time of my life. After 4 months of summer I am getting excited to go back up to BYU! 

Many of us are going to be starting college in less than a month and, if you are like me, you are procrastinating the packing. It is stressful trying to decide what to bring and what to leave behind. For the most part, you will probably remember to bring everything you need, but I wanted to help by sharing my ULTIMATE College Checklist. Of course you don't NEED everything on the list, but this can help you get organized. Good luck! 

Here are a few pictures of my first few days at BYU!

7 Hair Tips and Tricks

Hello Friends!
Today I want to share with you a few of my hair tips and tricks! I am often asked about how I do my hair and what I do to help it grow. My sister and I have very different hair so we handle our hair differently in some ways and the same in others. Bridgett has thick/coarse hair that is dyed blonde, whereas I have thin/fine hair that I haven't colored in over a year. So here are some of our simple and effective hair tips and tricks!
 

1. DO NOT TRIM YOUR HAIR as often as the professionals tell you to. Us Saxton girls only trim our hair every few months and when we do, we only trim off 1/4 inch! When you go into the salon every month to get a "healthy trim" and they cut off an inch of your pretty locks, you're not making any progress... Also, Bridgett and I only layer around our faces because we hate when our hair is thinned out too much by adding layers in the back.
 

2. TAKE YOUR VITAMINS! Every morning, we take Biotin pills because it helps to promote healthy skin, hair, and nails by nourishing cells throughout the body. I am also a strong believer in eating food rich in omega 3 fatty acids, Vitamin D&A, and protein which is why I am always eating salmon, eggs, and sweet potatoes! 
 

3. DO NOT WASH YOUR HAIR EVERY DAY! Stripping the oils out of your hair on a daily basis will make your hair brittle and dry. Throw your hair in a bun and shower everyday without washing your hair. I can go 2-3 days before my fine/thin hair needs to be washed whereas Bridgett can wait longer because her coarse/thick hair doesn't show oils. Plus, second day hair is perfect for holding better curls and really pretty updos/side braids. Dirtier hair holds in place better and is easier to control. Which leads me to my next tip.
 

4. BUY SOME DRY SHAMPOO! It baffles me that some women have never used dry shampoo! It saves my hair nearly every day! After one day of not washing my hair it is flat and oily. Dry shampoo is a spray that is essentially powder that soaks up the oils and lifts your roots to add volume!   You spray it on your roots, let it sit for a few minutes and then rub it onto your scalp and brush it out. Other people I know use baby powder which has a similar effect, but for me, baby powder shows too much in my dark hair and is too heavy for my fine hair. My favorite brand is Suave and you can find it at most drug stores.

5. LEARN HOW TO BRAID your own hair! This is still a huge struggle for me, especially since my sister is a pro and I have her braid my hair nearly every time! Knowing how to do a quick fish tail side braid or french braid your bangs will keep you from always throwing your hair in a ponytail when you're running late. Also, to keep your braid from looking like a kindergardener's hairdo, keep it messy! Pull apart the braid. The messier, the better. Here are a couple braiding tutorials to use when learning: Fish tail, Braided bangs 
 

6. PROTECT YOUR HAIR! I use BioSilk- Silk Therapy. It is a weightless, leave in, silk replenishing, and reconstructing treatment that repairs, smooths, and protects all hair types. I use it on my wet hair before styling and it really works! 

7. BUY A WAND to curl your hair. I only use a medium wand, large wand, and flat iron on my hair. You can use a wand to get perfect ringlets or soft waves depending on the size and length of time held on the wand. Someday I will post a tutorial that explains all the different types of curls that you can create with a wand curling iron. My favorite one is the Bed Head 1 1/4 inch wand.

I hope these tips and tricks help you reach your hair goals! Have a great Monday :)

Birkenstocks and 5Ks

Last weekend, we went up to our annual mini family reunion in St. Johns, AZ to visit my Great Grandma and celebrate the 24th of July. We normally spend the weekend playing cards, watching the parade, and eating until we feel sick. So instead of gaining 5 lbs like normal, we rolled ourselves off the couch to run a 5K! We also took some pretty pictures during our down time... Enjoy!

This is our "before" and "after" 5K picture of the fam-bam! It felt really good to check running a 5K off my Summer Bucket list!

My Great Grandma is the bomb. She is 86 years old and still walks 2 miles almost every day! I love the way she talks about my Great Grandpa, who has been in heaven for over 20 years now, and their sweet marriage. 

Now lets talk Birks!
Birkenstocks are the new "It" shoe! **happy dance** for comfort and style! At first, I was hesitant because I have only seen them on wanna-be hippies at BYU and old people that wear them with socks... but after seeing that JCrew and Urban Outfitters were selling them and that they were in every fashion magazine I've read this month (InStyle, ELLE, Vogue) I had to try on a pair. They are SOOO comfy and not nearly as clunky as I thought they would be, so I bought the Arizona style in taupe! I'm completely obsessed now and wish that I wasn't a poor college student so I could buy them in every color and wear them every day. If you aren't sure if you want to buy a pair, just promise me that you will try them on before they are SOLD OUT (you heard me right, they are so popular right now that the black pair are on back order for 3 months) or bump up in price because of the high demand. Even my super stylish, stiletto wearing momma ordered a pair of shiny silver ones because mine were so comfy. 

On a side note, Bridgett is my built-in hair stylist (and I'm her make-up artist) so we decided to try a new hairstyle on Saturday and then take pretty pictures. It is a dutch side braid! Sisters are the best.

If you need more Birkenstock inspiration, go check out my Birks Pinterest Board! 

What we wore...
My lace shirt: Target
Bridgett's neon shirt: Target
My shorts: American Eagle
My shoes: Birkenstock