Well if the title alone didn’t give it away, there’s a lot going on in this blog.  I really didn’t expect to put this all into one blog, but scheduling just kind of made it happen that way!

We got featured on the Style Me Pretty Blog!

So I didn’t know until after my workout today that the wedding photo shoot Grant and I did for the all new Riven Rock Ranch Venue got featured today on Style Me Pretty!  Riven Rock Ranch is nestled in the Texas Hill Country and has some of the most beautiful Texas views I’ve ever seen!  Looking out from on top of the hill I felt like we were in Italy!!!  (Not like I’ve ever been to Italy, but I told the photographers that and they agreed with me so…..lol)  Riven Rock Ranch is a pet friendly location, so we honestly probably got the modeling job thanks to our little Bucky Bulldog.  Bucky got to attend our real wedding and he event got featured in Southern Living! BTW,  Southern Living is like the next best thing to the Bible here in the South!  Way to go Bucky!!!

I’ll share more of my favorite photos from this shoot next week, but I’ll link the Style Me Pretty article HERE for y’all to see!  Special thanks to Taylor Walker Photography for having us as well as all the other vendors who worked hard to make this production happen.  It was like a real wedding.  There were guests, appetizers, a full meal, cocktail hour and a dreamy exit!  I love the job I already have so much, but when I get to be a bride to Grant that’s always one of the best kind of work projects around! Complete vendor list is at the bottom of the post for proper credits!

See the more from this styled wedding shoot on the Style Me Pretty Blog HERE.

The Winner of the Randa Carrabba Label Model Casting Call is…

Now the next portion of this blog post calls for me to announce the winner of the Randa Carrabba Label model casting call.  I would like to start off my sharing last night’s instagram post.  Be sure to read the caption because I had ALL. THE. FEELS.

View this post on Instagram

There’s a lot of moving parts in my life right now. I take on so many projects and give myself in so many directions that sometimes I forget to sit back and enjoy every season and opportunity that life brings. . One thing I want to share with each of you is that I am finally at a place in my life where I am not afraid to fail. Failure used to scare the heebie jeebies out of me! But you know what’s so beautiful about failing or not being afraid to fail? It at least means you tried! If something doesn’t come together or turn out the way you want it to, God probably has another door open that actually fits your life better. I am not afraid of failure, BUT I AM AFRAID OF REGRET!. . If you want a fit body, go get it! If you want a new job, start making moves. If you want to open a business, then START somewhere. Stop being afraid to try. Motivate yourself and include inspiration in your life that sets your soul on fire! Decide who you want to be, what you want your life to look like and how you want to impact others and then go create just that. We live in a big world FULL of opportunity!. . I would also like to say the the @randacarrabbathelabel model casting call response truly blew me away. The hardest part of my day was choosing just one and having to send regret emails to the rest. I wanted to include everyone and asked my intern to hit “send” for me because I really struggled telling so many beautiful women (both inside and out) that they weren’t chosen for this project. You are ALL fearfully and wonderfully made, but I will be announcing the model I chose tomorrow on my blog!. . I love engaging with each of you! I have said it many times before but I feel this space we share on the Internet is the most positive and uplifting place to be! I’m going to focus tonight on rest and tomorrow on all the final photo shoot prep details, so it will take me a few days to respond back to all of your comments and messages. Thank you in advance for your patience, understanding and of course your support! I may not be one of the most popular people on Instagram in today’s standards, but I can promise you I am one of the most GRATEFUL. Love to you all!!!! ????????????????????

A post shared by Randa Yezak Carrabba ???????? (@randacarrabba) on

As you’ll read in the caption above, the model call response truly blew me away.  The hardest part of yesterday was choosing just one and having to send regret emails to the rest.  I wanted to include everyone and even asked my intern to hit “send” for me because I really struggled telling so many beautiful women (both inside AND out) that they weren’t chosen for this project.  Every single applicant and every single reader of mine is fearfully and wonderfully made!  But without further adieu……..drum roll please!

I honestly couldn’t believe I had a professional model apply, much less one that is local to Bryan/College Station!

Alisha is actually married herself and fits the mature yet classy vibe I was looking for! She is also a dog mom to a precious little Yorkie named Angel. When I asked Alisha to say a few words about herself for my blog she responded, “Modeling is my profession but I have a degree in Agriculture Soil Science. My favorite hobbies are hiking, painting, and gardening. I was just interviewed in Voyage Dallas Magazine as an up-and-coming model in the market which you can read in their website under Meet Alisha Griffin. I owe God everything in my life and love spending time in the Word. My husband and I met in college in Kansas and have been living in Texas for 4 years now and we love it. We moved here so I could be close to family.”

How I’m Avoiding Bloat For the Photo Shoot!

The last portion of this blog post is going to be how I have prepared myself to be bloat free for the big photoshoot that is happening tomorrow and Friday.  Years ago I wouldn’t be one of the models in one of my business shoots, I would be the stylist who would pop in for an updated headshot or behind-the-scenes action shot.  But y’all know now after my fitness journey I have gained my own confidence and step in front of the camera very regularly!  I mean I’m no Alisha, but my little short self is gonna give it my best tomorrow and Friday strutting my stuff!!! This shoot however is towards the top of the list of importance when reviewing all the shoots that I have done.  This one is for launching my own clothing label!  I will be sharing more about this clothing line over the next few weeks leading up to the launch, but it is going to be a line where I sell to other store and boutique owners.  I am making marketing such a high priority to be able to deliver to them to help ensure sales success, so needless to say the next two days are important!  There’s no time for me to be feeling bloated.  Maybe TMI, but I’m set to start my period in just a few days so the STRUGGLE. IS. REAL.  (Sorry if that’s TMI, but keep in mind this is my LIFESTYLE blog and I like to keep things pretty honest to ensure it is trustworthy for my readers!)

So I’m sharing a list of things I’m doing to keep myself feeling lean and ready to take on the camera!

  1. I’m not eating much Dairy from Monday-Friday of this week.
    1. I do still eat dairy the majority of the time because personally I love it too much, but I will limit it in times like this.  Dairy (especially in excess like ice cream, heavy cream, whole milk, etc.) can make you feel and look very full and bloated.  I am actually not even drinking my normal whey protein shakes this week, as I am opting to get all of my protein from fish, meats, I did have like 2 eggs this week, and then some plant based protein powder by Plexus.  I like the LEAN in chocolate mocha.    People who are lactose intolerant have a really hard time with this and obviously cut out all dairy.  I choose to only cut it out during “prep” times as it helps make my stomach appear more flat.
  2. I’m drinking LOTS of water.
    1. This may seem counter productive.  Like why would I want to intake lots of water if it’s just going to stick to me?  Well, the truth is when you aren’t drinking ENOUGH water your body will hold onto it!  When you are drinking enough water (I always drink around 80-100 ounces a day) then you body can much more easily flush the excess water out.  Plus it’s great lubrication for your joints and muscles while working out to help with performance and injury prevention.
  3. I’m taking a good pro-biotic.
    1. Gas produced by the bacteria in the intestine is a major contributor to bloating.  Clinical studies show that probiotic supplements can help reduce gas and they are just overall good for gut health.  Gut health is so important!!!  I used to take the probiotic created by Dr. Axe of Ancient Nutrition (I still use their bone broth collagen powder), but honestly it was too strong for my body.  I started to notice I felt more bloated from it.  About 5 weeks ago I started taking the Plexus ProBio 5 and Plexus Bio Cleanse based upon a recommendation from my favorite Orange Theory coach Adam!  I go to Orange Theory every Wednesday for my Sprint day!  I actually signed up to be an ambassador so I could get a better deal on the ProBio, BioCleanse and the Plexus Slim in a package deal.  (You’ll read more about the slim below).  I also was won over knowing that they offered a plant based protein powder as these are harder to find than whey protein powders. If you’re interested in becoming an ambassador for the same reasons I did, feel free to leave me a message because I would love to assist you and have you on my team!
  4. I’m actually drinking Plexus Slim instead of coffee.
    1. I didn’t become a coffee drinker until a few years ago.  And let me say it’s more like I enjoy a dash of coffee in my sweetener and creamer.  With doing intermittent fasting on the lifestyle I live by, I had to cut this out in the morning (or at least limit my creamer).  I do get caffeine if I take a pre-workout, but I try to only use pre-workout on HIIT and cardio focused days rather than strength days because I don’t want my body getting too “used-to” the supplement or feeling.  So this is where Plexus Slim came in.  It allows me to get a caffeine fix if I need it in the morning, helps with appetite control (which I need during fasting), and has super clean ingredients.  I don’t drink it every day, but I would say I average 3-4 days a week.  I do a lot of fasting and as I build muscle and my metabolism up, this does help curb my appetite and help me make it through some fasting times! Plus I enjoy knowing the Plexus Slim pink drink isn’t going to stain my teeth as strongly as coffee used to!  Just another advantage I saw!
  5. I did a little extra cardio every day this week.
    1. I didn’t over do it, but I did add about 20 minutes of cardio at the end of each of my workouts this week just to help burn that extra fat storage and help keep me feeling lean for the upcoming shoot!  For cardio, I love the treadmill, stairclimber, dance classes at Tru Fit, and if the weather allows then I go on a little family run/walk around the neighborhood.
  6. I’m limiting my sodium intake. 
    1. High processed and packaged foods are high in sodium and low in fiber which can contribute to a bloated feeling.  My goal is to stay below 1500mg this week, but I did already go over one day.  I at least recommend trying to stay below 2000mg a few days before a photo shoot or special event.  Not just before a shoot do I try to watch my sodium these days.  Last week on instagram I took a pic on my story while grocery shopping and asked if I should choose low calorie or low sodium.  My answer is always low sodium these days.

I hope you all enjoyed reading the latest happenings in my life!  I’m headed up to the George Hotel here in College Station to get everything set for the big photo shoot starting tomorrow!  Be sure you’re following along with me on instagram to keep up to date on our progress!  I have put so much prep work into this shoot and have an incredible creative team tomorrow with GT Studios and Versy of Vixen Salon.  Can’t wait to show you all the magic we create!

Full vendor list from the Riven Rock Ranch Wedding Shoot: Venue  @rivenrockranchresort | Coordinator @livelyeventstx | Photographer @taylor_gevelinger | Floral Design @reileyandrose | Rents @suespeed | Rentals @peerleseventsandtentstx | Dress Boutique @bellabrideboutique | Dress Designer @misshayleypaige | Cake Designer @cakesrocksa | Calligrapher @lazycreekdesigns | Hair & Makeup @jaxstudio | Tuxedo @theblacktux | Garter @lagartier | Jewelry @nicole_mera__ | Bartending @the_pour_horse | Velvet books @clairemagnolia

xo,