Our favorite trends: How to style colored trousers for spring

Our favorite trends: How to style colored trousers for spring

Saturday, April 10, 2021

We've been loving trousers lately. Switching out a pair of jeans or leggings for dressy, clean-cut pants can really up your fashion game and make your outfit chic and sophisticated. 

Black or white trousers are classics -- add strappy heels or loafers to create a professional, powerful work look or even a date night look. But you should change things up now that temperatures are warming up.

Pastel trousers are perfect for spring! They give you a chance to take a few more fashion risks and have some fun experimenting with color in your wardrobe. 

The great thing about trousers is they can be casual or formal. Watch our reel below to see how we styled them! 

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If you add a blazer and heels, you can easily wear them to work or even an event like a wedding. 

Sera paired her blue trousers with a crop top and sneakers for more of a streetstyle look and Amanda threw on a desert graphic tee and a wide brim hat to create a boho-inspired look.

There are so many color options out there right now, from bright pinks to pastels and sage green. The best thing about this trend is you don't have to wear a matching blazer or even any blazer at all. Make the look your own! 

Laser hair removal: Is it worth it? Here’s my experience.

Laser hair removal: Is it worth it? Here’s my experience.

Wednesday, March 3, 2021

I recently spoke about my laser hair removal experience on our Instagram stories, and was shocked by how many of our followers had questions. My hope is to answer a lot of them here. If you have more, drop them in the comments below!

I started getting laser hair removal treatments on my underarms in June of 2019. The treatment destroys your hair follicles, so that you don’t have to shave EVER AGAIN (hopefully)! The idea of never having to shave my armpits sounded amazing. So I went for it!

The process was supposed to take 16 months, with a total of 9 appointments scheduled 6-8 weeks apart. But the coronavirus pandemic put a pause on my treatments for a few months.

Does it work?

Even with a pretty long break in my treatment schedule, I’m impressed with how well the process worked! I haven’t shaved my armpits in months and honestly forgot that I used to have hair there.

The best part about it, for me, is that the dark shadow I used to have in my armpit is basically gone. The whole experience was pretty quick and easy. If someone is thinking about getting laser hair removal, I definitely recommend it. But you should be prepared for the pain.

Does it hurt?

I’ll be honest – yes. The first few treatments were rough because I didn’t really know what to expect.

It feels like a hot rubber band snapping on your skin. The actual laser zap isn’t that bad, but the heat hurts.

In my experience, the best way to get through the pain is to ask the nurse to do a certain number of zaps, and then pause. It was helpful for me to know I could count 10 zaps and then I would get a break. Some nurses said patients prefer to just do it all at once, but I didn’t like not knowing how many zaps were still left.

For me, each treatment included about 30-40 zaps per armpit.

I remember after my first appointment, my underarms were sore the rest of the day. And as I got used to it, the hot feeling went away sooner. After my last appointment, my underarms only felt hot for about 10 minutes after I left the clinic.

Putting cool aloe vera on the skin helped a lot.

What happens after a treatment?

After a session, you’re told to avoid sun exposure (my underarms don’t see much sun anyway) and avoid extreme heat like saunas or hot tubs. You also shouldn’t workout and should avoid sweating too much.

Post-treatment instructions from Ideal Image MedSpa told me there might be red areas around the hairs (which I didn’t experience) as well as the burning sensation that I felt. They recommended it could be alleviated with an ice cold washcloth.

The hairs are supposed to shed 1-3 weeks after treatments. It won’t really look any different than normal growing hair. Nurses who did my treatments told me I might notice some of the hairs falling off, but I never did.

I didn’t notice any results until maybe my fourth treatment. My hairs became very thin. For a couple weeks after a treatment, I didn’t have to shave at all. When I did shave, the hairs were sparse.

As time went on, I realized that it was taking longer and longer after each treatment for my hair to grow back. Eventually, I just stopped shaving.

Before my final appointment, there were about 4 or 5 very thin hairs that had grown in, but you could barely see them. It looks like all of them are gone now!

You get to wear some cool sunglasses to block your eyes during appointments. This is the machine the laser comes out of. Had to snap a selfie to celebrate my last session!

Isn’t it really expensive?!

Yes, this is an investment. My treatment was about $1,000. In my head, I justified it by thinking about all the razors and shaving cream that I wouldn’t have to buy. I just got a raise at work and decided to treat myself!

What happens if your hair grows back?

I thought this too! I also purchased a lifetime guarantee from Ideal Image MedSpa, where you basically get 90% off what a single treatment costs if you need another treatment in the future.

From what I’ve been told, hair could grow back during pregnancy or during menopause when your hormones change. So if that does happen for me, I’ll have the option to go back to any of their locations and get a discounted rate on an additional treatment on my underarms.

Have any more questions? Feel free to let me know in the comments.

How to shoot content when you don't have a photographer

How to shoot content when you don't have a photographer

Wednesday, January 20, 2021

We started this blogging journey only five months ago, so in no way do we consider ourselves experienced influencers (yet!). But we have figured out a few things that we'd love to share with others trying to create a more polished Instagram feed.

One of the hardest parts about starting this account was taking pictures we were proud of. We both have iPhones that take great quality pictures, but the issue was finding someone to take the pictures exactly how we imagined them.

Unfortunately, we live in different states so being each other's photographers is not an option right now.

Typically, Amanda's fiancé Justin takes her pictures (slowly creating a #Instagramhusband) and our mom takes Sera's pictures, but they both have their own lives and can't be with us all the time. Not to mention neither of them are photographers (or even remotely interested in Instagram)!

Getting them to set up the perfect framing and lighting was definitely a bit frustrating at first and while they're definitely learning quickly, we realized that we both had to figure out how to take pictures on our own. 

Sera took this photo using a tripod and Bluetooth remote (hidden behind her back).

First things first - find some inspiration

When you're getting ready to shoot content for your blog or Instagram, it's really helpful to know exactly what you want to accomplish. Often times when we go out thinking we'll just wing it and strike a fun pose in front of something cute, it doesn't always work out. 

You drive around looking for the perfect background, but you don't know what you're looking for. Then when you start posing, you end up feeling awkward and unmotivated.

Look on the pages of your favorite influencers and see what they're doing. Pay attention to their backgrounds (especially the colors), how they're posing, and what they're doing with their hands.

You need to make sure the colors and brightness of the photo will match your current Instagram feed. When we first started out, it definitely took us awhile to figure this out. If your feed is filled with bright, sunny pictures where you can see the sky, a picture at night probably won't fit, and the lighting in your closet just isn't going to match.

At the same time, if you are sitting in the green grass, it might not look great next to a picture of you in front of a red, brick building (unless your vibe is Christmas).
                                            

We have a bright feed, but our outfits are mainly neutral colors like beige and white. A while ago we tried to post some pictures in front of our dad's candy apple red 57 Chevy. The feel matched our feed, but the color was off. We ended up archiving those photos (yay for being able to post them here though!)

So the lesson is pick your location wisely. When you're on your own, simple backgrounds are usually easier. Often times strip malls have cute buildings and walls you can use. We also tend to pick walls that are a bit hidden so we're not as embarrassed (more on that later).

Here's what you need to do it yourself

When we're by ourselves, we set up tripods and use a Bluetooth remote to snap the pictures. It's easy to find super expensive tripods and huge lights, but here are the ones we use. 

Sera bought the Sensyne Circle Light (only $37) and it works really well, but we are not big fans of the remote that comes with it (lots of awkward moments posing without any pictures being taken). The CAMKIX ($9) remote Amanda uses is much better. It responds really well to the button so you can push it over and over to get a lot of pictures in just a few seconds. We really needed this because we tend to blink a lot (and laugh at ourselves).

Because the remote takes the photos really fast, it often captures fun movement that Justin and our mom wouldn't be quick enough to catch. So spin in that skirt & flip that hair, girl!

To hide that we're using a remote we usually put one hand in our back or jacket pocket. Here's a photo that you probably wouldn't notice was taken with the remote.

I'm hiding the remote in my pocket and have the tripod set up in the show about 6 feet in front of you. I'm right next to a pretty busy street. I was pretty embarrassed so I took these pictures quickly.

How to get over the fear of shooting photos by yourself in public

We get it, we were terrified to go out with a large tripod and take pictures of ourselves too. From an outsider’s perspective, it seems really superficial and we were scared that people would think we were full of ourselves.

It is scary! Some people will honk at you and yell things. But you can't let a little embarrassment stop you from doing what you want to do.

We still struggle with this, but we just tell ourselves that it’ll be worth it when the pictures look perfect with our feed. It’s all about what makes you happy, anyway!

In this photo I was hiding the remote right behind my leg. I'm sure you wouldn't have noticed that without me telling you. 

Our 2021 dreams & manifestations

Our 2021 dreams & manifestations

Thursday, January 14, 2021

We have never been the type of people who create vision boards. We’re goal oriented, yes, but we’ve never really taken the time to create physical representations of these goals. 

2020 was a difficult year that distracted a lot of us from our goals and forced us to grow and adapt in different ways. That’s why this year we both decided to create vision boards that depict our personal and professional goals for 2021. 

Before we could start visualizing our goals we wanted a better understanding of vision boards themselves. Here’s why we're making them & why you should too:

 

1. Creating a vision board forces you to reflect and think about what it is you really want.
2. Vision boards provide you with a daily reminder of your goals and visualization is powerful!
3. They are a great mode of creative expression!
4. Have you ever heard of speaking it into existence? Vision boards help you to do just that.
5. Vision boards push you to celebrate your successes and achievements! Plus, they’re amenable, so once one goal is achieved, there’s room for another.

 
There aren’t any real rules or guidelines to creating a vision board, other than to include things that inspire and motivate you. You can include goals for all areas of your life, like relationships, career, personal growth, travel, etc. Or, you can choose to focus on only one aspect. 

You can also either create an actual board and really get crafty, or do a virtual board using Canva or Powerpoint, like we did. We got most of our images from Pinterest -- just pick whatever calls to you! 

We set our boards as our phone backgrounds to keep them visible and keep us accountable every day.
 

So, what’re some of our goals for 2021?

Amanda:

Find a career I truly love

Be confident in where I am in my journey

Make a home

2020 has been a difficult year for everyone. Luckily, our family is healthy & safe. I don't take that for granted at all. What this pandemic has really showed me is that I'm not happy in my career. I'm a news reporter and anchor. Many might call me "the media." Reporting on daily COVID-19 death numbers, the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor and the pain and anger that stemmed from that, as well as the incredibly divisive political climate has definitely taken a toll on me. 

The daily stress is something I need to take a break from. And I've learned that I need to prioritize my own happiness. Starting over is scary, and I'm terrified to leave the only career I've known and the position I worked so hard to get to, but I think it's time to find something that I truly love. 

2021 is going to be a big year for me. I'M GETTING MARRIED!! This year has also showed me how important family is, and hopefully I'll be moving back home to California to start my own family. It's also the last year of my 20s.

So this second goal is a really loaded one. I want to find confidence in where I am: that includes in my family life (getting close to 30 and seeing a lot of my friends have babies and buy homes definitely makes me anxious that I'm "behind schedule"), in my journey to find a healthy, fit lifestyle, and in my goal setting. 

I recently found an old piece of paper with my 2020 goals. I think it was the first time I looked at it since writing them down. No surprise: I didn't achieve any of them. 

So this year I'm vowing to keep better track of my goals and successes. I've decided to begin bullet journaling (and I'm excited for you to follow me on this journey!) so I can hold myself accountable and celebrate my wins. 

Lastly, I want to make a home with my future husband. We've been far from home for a long time and I want to finally be able to put down roots. For years, I've been saying, "We'll do that when we're in our real home." So this year I want to create our real home -- even if it's a rental or apartment for now.  

Sera:

Close exercise ring every day & achieve extended side crow pose

Read 10 books this year

Be more open

One of my main goals this year is to prioritize my health and fitness. To do that, I set two concrete goals for myself: close the Exercise ring on my Apple watch every day (which means working out for at least 30 minutes a day) and achieving the extended side crow pose in yoga.

Fitness has always been a significant part of both of our lives, but it has definitely taken a backseat for me in the past few years. Recently, I’ve become passionate about yoga and have been able to successfully achieve some difficult poses so far. I hope to continue this progress, starting with extended side crow. 

Another goal of mine is to read more. I loved reading in middle and high school, but haven’t had much time for it since. Reading is such a great form of self-care. It allows you to take your mind off things and transport into someone else’s story. Fun fact: Amanda actually used to hate reading so much that I would do her reading assignments for her in school! Now, she reads more than I ever did! I’m definitely excited to pick it back up again!

Saving the most difficult for last, I want to be more open. That sounds vague I know, but I’ve always been a pretty closed off and private person. Even writing this right now feels weird and uncomfortable (seriously, I already feel my stomach turning), but starting this blog has made me realize just how closed off I can be. 

Not just with our following on Instagram or our readers here, but also in my own personal life. It’s really difficult to open yourself up and allow people to see the less than perfect sides of you because it means making yourself vulnerable to judgments and rejections. It’s especially difficult when you’ve spent 22 years perfecting the art of avoiding vulnerability altogether. 

This year I really want to challenge myself to share more of who I am with everyone I interact with, whether online or in-person. I know that this will be difficult, which is why I’ve categorized it in my head as more of a long-term goal (maybe in 5 years I’ll be one of those people that can describe themselves as an “open book”). 

With that in mind, even if I only accomplish this level of openness with one person (that isn’t Amanda, she already knows me better than I know myself) this year, I’ll truly be proud of myself. So, cheers to fitness, open books (literally and figuratively), and 2021! It’s going to be a great year! 

Our joint goals:

Creating this blog has given us a creative outlet and a way to grow closer as sisters, but we also see it as a passion that we want to succeed. We wouldn't be writing this if we didn't want to help and inspire others! So we've also set "sister goals" this year. 

Growing this blog is a project we want to see flourish this year! And we need more people reading, clicking and engaging with us for that to work. 

Get to 3,000 Instagram followers (currently at 1,380)

Write 2 blog posts a month

Post on LiketoKnow.it 5 times a week, including at least 2 collages

Show up on Instagram stories every day

Be our true, authentic selves