I just want to begin this by saying thank you to all of the exquisitely kind words in regards to our wedding and everything about it. In all honesty, I wish I could go back and relive the whole day, which is not abnormal. Everyone who’s been married has shared with me this similar desire, and I’m so blessed to have a video of our wedding come our way rather soon!
Let me just express that being married is literally the most fun I’ve ever had. Collin and I laugh until we cry, watch marathons of True Blood, and eat whole watermelons as often as we can, declaring our gratefulness all along the way.
Lately, things have been a little tough. The future is looking uncertain with our current jobs and the stress of what that could mean is intimidating. Recently, my job reduced my nine hour shifts to four hours, bringing me in at a whopping sixteen hours a week. It really hit hard.
After several nights of unloading my anxieties on my husband, I realized that though I was anxious and fearful, I was still the happiest I’d ever been in my life. He agreed, and with that, I’ve since continued to count my blessings and look toward the larger picture that is our life!
Before we know it, we’ll have babies, dogs, our own multi-bedroom house, and the struggles of today will wash away.
And lemme tell y’all, I cannot wait to have a baby! But I will. Sigh. We don’t quite fit the monetary criteria we believe is necessary, and frankly, we want to travel and live our “couple life” for a weeeeee bit longer! 😉
Also, we drive a Fiat. If that’s not Birth Control, I don’t know what is!
I plan on attempting to write my book this year. It’s not something I don’t have time for or am not interested in, I just need a good lead. It’s tricky; if I want to write about eating disorders, do I include my personal journey, or exclude it with awareness of the triggers it will cause?
Do I write a novel? If so, for children? Adults? Whatever it may be, I plan on illustrating it and pouring my heart into it.
(Also, if anyone knows how/wants to help me make writing/blogging my living, send me an email, I’m definitely interested!)
With all the time I’ve been dealt not working, I’ve been able to write music and revisit the piano, which has been sooo fun. There’s nothing like having your own home, and someone to share in the fun with you.
This was merely an update because I’m home sick. Green snot is really cute, huh? 😛
Here’s some shots of our life as of late:
We both got some lovely tattoos, we welcome a lovely kitten into our home, and Collin’s birthday is in two days!
blissbranch 
Looooove that tattoo! Beautiful 😍
Hope things improve work-wise
So happy you’re happy 😍😘❤👏
Did you draw that picture of you and collin?! It’s amazing!
I made a decent monetary sum doing a beauty blog for a bit, but my heart simply wasn’t in it, so I quit. I would suggest getting a sponsorship. Maybe a health food brand or a fitness company? Perhaps even a recovery center?
You two are adorable, can’t wait for the next round of Dupree babies, you included! Lol
I did! And wow, thank you so much! I’ll look into specific sponsors once I get my private domain :)!
Hey Karsyn!
Those tattoos are gorgeous. And Primrose is adorable! I’m getting a kitten in a couple of months and I can’t wait.
If you want some help I would love to help you make writing/blogging your living. I love reading your posts and it might be fun to brainstorm together about ways to attract more attention to your blog and writing so that it can be a full-time job for you.
Let me know if you’re interested! If you have a Twitter tweet me (@RedheadMaxwell) so I can give you my email address. 🙂
Cheers!
Emily
Hey Karsyn!
Those tattoos are gorgeous. And Primrose is adorable! I’m getting a kitten in a couple of months and I can’t wait.
If you want some help I would love to help you make writing/blogging your living. I love reading your posts and it might be fun to brainstorm together about ways to attract more attention to your blog and writing so that it can be a full-time job for you.
Let me know if you’re interested! If you have a Twitter tweet me (@RedheadMaxwell) so I can give you my email address. 🙂
Cheers!
Emily
Thank you sooo much, Emily! I’ll definitely keep you posted!
I know exactly how you’re feeling. I could reiterate everything you’ve said in my own way, but just know that you’re not alone (even down to the baby thing!!). The more months that pass (right around the corner from 6 months!), the more I see God in the practical ways. That’s also the best part of having a relationship that’s God-centered; knowing that He will supply it all. Of course I know that doesn’t mean it’s always rainbows and unicorns, but it gives me that peace. (:
Any who, write about everything! A lit teacher once told me that if you just wait for all the inspiration, then you’ll never create. You just have to start writing and sift through it all. Alas, I suck at taking this advice myself. I love to feel inspired before I write haha! If you want to write about Ed, I think you have the discernment to know what would be an absolute trigger and will be just enough depth for someone to be encouraged to know somebody has been through the exact same journey. (:
I love the blog mrs-degree.com. She’s not super well-known, but she’s a dear acquaintance of mine who’s been married for a few years and expecting her first baby! She’s passionate about encouraging young wives, and she’s been very encouraging for me!
Also, if you’re not familiar with the Dave Ramsey envelope system or the program “You Need A Budget,” I know those programs to be extremely helpful! My husband and I use the envelope system, and it’s so helpful.
ANYWAYS, you’re beautiful and talented and married, and those are beautiful things!!! Feel better!
Thank you, sweet girl! I’ll definitely check those out. We have some friends who’ve mentioned the Dave Ramsey plan, we’ll read more 🙂
Lovely post, Karsyn! I am also interested in blogging for a living. I have heard and researched sponsored posts, but sometimes you have to have certain criteria for the sponsors. I keep researching, and I will send you an e-mail with what I find out.
Thank you! Yes, I’ve researched successful blogging, and everything I’ve come across mentions sponsors and ads to make $$$!
Hey Karsyn, have you thought about writing specifically your testimony of faith? I have not read all of your posts ( I have read many that I love) but writing even a blog about your faith and how you tackled anxiety and eating disorders could really help the younger generation. I work with many teen girls and it’s just the norm to constantly put themselves down.
If you blog enough and gain a following you can have ads on your blog page and that’s how you will make money.
I believe that if you love writing and have a strong passion you can have a fan base, hopefully being teen girls who can look up to you.
If you look on my blog, I wrote and published a guide: How to Give Back When You’re a Poor College Student. Who says that you can’t do something similar?
Let me know if you have any questions about creating and publishing eBooks, I would love to see you succeed 🙂
Sam
Wow, thank you so much, I’ll definitely check it out girl! 🙂
Your love and relationship is such an inspiration, love hearing y’all’s journey!
Thank you so much, sweet girl! 🙂
I think you’re a very nice girl. You seem to be very kind and sweet and optimistic and all that is great, but I don’t think you have any idea how very privileged you are. I’m not saying this to be rude or hateful, just to me, you seem so blind to how many things that you have the opportunity to have and participate in. I know it’s none of my business and I really promise that I’m not trying to be mean to you, but I wanted to give you some perspective. Whether or not it’s my job or not, this has really been eating at me.
You and I are the same age.
You are married to a man you’ve known less than a year (I’m not saying that it lessens how much you love each other…I have a point). Your marriage was funded in part by donations from *strangers*. You have a house. You drive a Fiat (A roughly 16,000 dollar car). You work at a coffee shop and are able to just let the fact that you are only able to get 16 hours per week (that’s barely even a part time job) roll off your shoulders.
I have been with my since I was a sophomore in high school. We can’t afford to get married. We don’t have relatives or kind strangers to give us money. We are currently saving to rent an apartment; I’ll be paying for my half of the rent with mostly student loans. My boyfriend and I share the 1997 Cadillac Deville that I inherited from my grandmother; it only sometimes starts and costs more to drive than we can usually afford. My boyfriend and I both work 40+ hr weeks. He works in the stock room of a factory from 10pm-7am for $12/hr. I clean at a hotel for a little over minimum wage. I don’t want to clean for 8 or more hours a day, but I also would like to be able to afford groceries.
I just want you to realize that if I had an opportunity to live the lifestyle that you have found yourself in, I would be so incredibly happy. I would be comfortable and stable and be able to move forward instead of the backwards direction it seems like I’m going.
Every time I see you talk about being stressed about your financial situation, it kinda makes me want to cry. Because I may have it worse than you, but there are people who have it even harder. You have no idea what it’s like to truly struggle.
I don’t want to belittle your problems, because life is hard on everyone no matter their situation. And maybe this is jealousy talking, and maybe that makes me a bad person, and I’m sorry for that. I just couldn’t go any longer without telling you how privileged you come off.
I’m sorry. I’ll go cry in a corner now.
Delete this comment.
I do have perspective, thanks.
Collin and I had been together for over a year when we got married.
My posts are about positivity and gratefulness, despite the stress of life, which everyone has. My posts are intentionally relatable so that others can feel comfortable that no one’s life is perfect.
You obviously did not receive my point for posting; I’m essentially losing my job, and instead of whining about it, I’m moving forward because there are things we want and need to make happen in our life that are impossible to make happen without me working a full-time job. Trust me, it’s not “rolling off my shoulders”. I merely have the power to assess our situation, trust that this is a part of God’s plan, and seek a new opportunity to provide for my family.
I’ve never made my blog about pity or shame, and I never flat out complain about my life. I’m sorry you felt as though I did. Maybe you should try moving forward mentally if you can’t change your situation. I’ve learned that you cannot benefit from dwelling on negative components of your life, and everyone has different degrees of good and bad.
Boo at haters^^ Obviously they’re taking their frustrations about life out on the wrong person. But well handled Karsyn. Everyone struggles and it’s not a contest about who “has it worse.” Life is about staying strong and being kind. That person will learn some day…
Anyway……I personally find your blog fun and relatable and enjoy coming back and checking for updates. Keep doing what you’re doing girl!
I would suggest keep doing more of what you have already been doing such as music playlists, offering recovery texts and resources. I would say maybe not now but once you have a bit more money to invest in a nice camera and take more “professional” looking photos. I’m sure you are familiar with A Beautiful Mess; they have tons of little tips and tricks for taking nice blog style photos and have photoshop actions. So I would say upgrading the quality of your pictures would help a lot. But yeah just keep going! Things like blogging for a living are all about allowing time for things to progress and connections to flourish. Luckily I think you have the advantage of already having a lot of instagram followers and people finding out about you and your blog because of Eisley and the Duprees and such. So I would say just keep networking and sticking to it. And like i said above having reoccurring features such as music related posts, maybe adding healthy recipes? on top of writing about your personal life. I think you’ve got a real nice way with words a good sense of how to write well. But yeah this is all my unprofessional opinion. But as a blog lover from what I have seen, successful blogs find a way to be well rounded yet still having a focus. You get me?
But good luck with everything! I think I speak for a lot of people when I say we are excited to see your blog blossom! I am hoping to start a non profit organization helping to end violence through art and i want to do a program focusing on bullying so i might contact you in the future about your experiences if you are up for that when the time comes.
Also, ignore the haters! I admire you for continuing to spread positivity.
Much love!!
– Ava
Hi Karsyn! I’ve been reading your blog for a little while now and just wanted to express how inspiring your posts have been. I feel like the negative comment above is fueled by failure to realize that this is like a public journal. And though all your posts are positive and emphasis on the wonders of you life, no one should ever assume that anyone is just breezing through life without trials.
Not everyone is focused on the negativity of their lives, and not everyone is willing to share it was strangers and some more opener bloggers. Some people want to share their light, rather than their darkness. And because radiant women such as yourself and your sister in laws choose to share the positives in your life does not mean it is without flaws and struggle.
I am thankful for people like you, because you remind me to focus on the good stuff. It shows the world that your strong enough to bear with the bad and that you do recognize the blessings in your life.
I think that person realizes she ranted out of jealousy, and who can blame her? When you’re a negative person with a negative outlook on life, you can help but be envious of those who can look passed the crap and enjoy life.
Sorry for the long response but I feel like because of that comment you deserved to hear some of the positive effect you have on your readers. Keep blogging and sharing your light, Karsyn!
I meant “share it with strangers like some more open bloggers do.” Have no idea what my auto correct did there haha. 😛
Hi there, I just wanted to say I love how open and honest you are in your blog posts and instagram. It definitely makes me feel like I can relate to some of what you’re going through, good times and bad. Some of my favourite blogs do exactly this and many of them seem to be successful (in terms of making a living from them) so you must be on the right tracks to make it a career.
One blog I follow has released a book on how to be a successful blogger. From what I can tell she makes quite a lot of money from it. (worldofwanderlust.com/books)
“This book is the ultimate guide to blogging for beginners and will take current bloggers’ readership and fanbase global through a step-by-step process. Over 70 pages, readers will be guided through the process of creating a successful blog and learn everything there is to know about blogging professionally. This book includes visual aids, a sample letter for approaching sponsors, statistics and examples, and much more.”
She charges for it of course, but if you ever get chance to buy it, it might help you. I haven’t read the book myself but when I saw your post it just reminded me of it.
Hope this helps in some way 🙂
Hannah
(UK)