My Life Story

My Look: Raincoat (another similar one HERE) | Similar Tank Top | Denim | Boots | Scarf | Handbag

**LONG POST ALERT** Hi guys! I know I have an ‘about me’ section on my blog, but it is pretty simple and doesn’t go into much detail about my life. When I ask you guys what kind of content you want to see on my blog, 90% of the time the response that I get is more lifestyle related posts, and something I have also got requested a bunch, especially recently, is my life story. So I thought I would take the time to write out a little story of my life so you guys can really know about me on a deeper level! I will also link this blog post in my ‘about’ section so for easy referencing if you ever want to come back to it.

Let’s jump into it!

I was born November 14,1994 in San Francisco. At the time, my parents were still married and had been married for 5 years before having me. We lived in SF for two more short years before relocating up to Washington where my mom was from and dad’s family also now lived. A couple years in to our new life in Washington my parents ended up getting divorced. I was very young like 3 or 4 so I don’t remember that time specifically, but I do remember how it was growing up with a split family so I relate to any of you who grew up or are going through something similar. As many days of heart break I have felt over my parents no longer being in love and together, there are even more days I count the blessings it has brought me. I was an ‘only child’ with my parents but now have 5 fabulous siblings and four parents to love on me. This is something I will never take for granted as so many people in this world lose their loved ones and I luckily am surrounded by so many.

I attended 3 different elementary schools due to moving a couple times within the area (and attending 2 private Christian schools before switching to public), then finally settled in a school district where I got to stay with my friends grades 6-12. Growing up I was AWFUL at sports to say the least. I was actually terrified of them due to being hit in the stomach during a soccer game haha. So instead I danced! I danced for as long as I can remember, and did competitively for years which I LOVED. Those are truthfully some of my favorite memories growing up. I stopped dancing to do gymnastics in 8th grade to prepare me for high school cheerleading which I then did for 2 and a half years – I was captain too! Cheer came to an end for me mid-junior year when I realized I had experienced it and wanted to experience the other side of things such as being in the crowd at football games and more involved in things like leadership and ASB. Yes…I was very involved in my high school haha. I did leadership for 3 years and ASB just senior year. I also was homecoming princess both my freshman and junior year which my mom ALWAYS asks me why I never bring up in about me stuff but I just think it’s kinda dumb and irrelevant but now you guys know haha!! And at the time I was so excited.

As far as relationships go, I had the infamous 5th grade boyfriend and 6th grade boyfriend and 7th grade boyfriend, which who really counts? I think I talked to my guy ‘friends’ more than my actual boyfriends at that age lol. My first real-ish (yet still not real haha) boyfriend was my middle school boyfriend & then I did have a guy who I dated all through high school and we ended up breaking up just about a month before meeting Al. I would say he’s the only one I consider an actual ‘ex’. If you are young and reading this, don’t date as early as I did like elementary and middle school what a waste!! Hahah. Once you are in a relationship in high school, you do hit that age where you learn SO much from it. I can honestly say I don’t think I would have been ready to meet Al and get married when we did had I not learned the things I need and want in a husband prior! I’m also happy I made the mistakes in a previous relationship to learn from and not make those mistakes with my wonderful hubby!! I get lots of questions about past relationships before Al, so I wanted to make sure I kind of touched on this part of my life so you guys know my story 🙂

Anyways, back to my senior year of high school. When it came time to apply for colleges I only applied to Washington State University – no where else. My mom and step dad were both BORN AND RAISED in Pullman, WA and my dad had moved there when he was 17 so you can imagine that cougar blood runs in my family. I wanted to go there, join a sorority, and as far as an actual major…I had no clue. I met Al the January of my senior year in high school and we started chatting but didn’t actually end up dating, yet would hang out with each other ALL THE TIME. He was 21 at the time and I was 18. Once summertime came, I was totally falling in love with that guy let me tell you haha. I remember I went to the Dominican Republic with all my best friends from high school for our senior trip and before I left I made him a ‘survive without Karlie for a week’ kit that still to this day he talks about!! A month later us and a bunch of our friends attending a country music festival (Watershed) where he actually told me he loved me for the first time 🙂 The realization that we would have to either commit and do long distance or cut things off was becoming so so real. I think I will do a blog or YouTube going into more detail about our story so I will jump forward a bit and try to make this a little shorter! We decided to commit, and I went off to school. He visited me there and flew me home a couple of weekends so we could see each other every 2-3 weeks. I joined Alpha Phi as my sorority and was studying communications. After about 3-4 months of being there, I just wanted to come home. I didn’t know what I was studying to be, and I just missed my family and my boyfriend to be totally honest. After MUCH convincing, my mom came and picked me up and moved me home.

Once home, I got a job at Nordstrom which is where my love for fashion truly started! I worked in the TBD department at my local store for about 5 months before enrolling in beauty school. I really only went to beauty school to do ‘some sort of schooling’ since I had dropped out and told my parents that I was going to continue my education haha. So I had to quit Nordstrom to make time for school and graduated with my cosmetology license a year and a half later! ( I started blogging while in beauty school!) I immediately got a job at the salon I knew I wanted to work at and had been working there as a part time receptionist while in school. I worked at the salon for a total of 3 years, but only did hair for about 6 months before realizing that my heart was really in my blog. With jobs that you have to advertise yourself to the world so much, I knew that trying to pursue them both at the same time would be a challenge and that I would never reach my full growth and potential in either field if I was only giving 50% to each. So I made the decision to go back to being just the receptionist for a while until I made the leap to quit entirely and pursue my blog.

In reality, all that I just took you guys though was a couple of years and at the same time as all of that Al and I got engaged and married! You can read our proposal story here (where we also got our fur baby, Leo) 🙂 We bought our current house while we were engaged which turned into a year long remodel, so right when we got home from our honeymoon we moved in with his parents and that is where we spend the first 8 months of marriage! You can also view our wedding post here! Since moving into our house, I have started my online clothing store, Shop KarlieRae, and we have just been doing life together!! We live on the same street as both of our parents and close to SO many friends and family, it couldn’t be more perfect for us.

I’m sure I missed lots of things that have happened in my life but this is just my journey in a nutshell! Nothing is how I imagined it would be, and I wouldn’t change a single thing. A quote I always find funny is “I made a plan and God laughed” because it is SO true!! Even only being 22 turning 23 next month, I can already see so much reasoning behind the reasons my life is how it is or the decisions I have made, and I can see why He has lead me in this direction. I can only imagine how much will change in my ‘plans’ over the next 80 (yeah I’ll live til I’m 102 lol) years!!

Sorry for the long post, but I do hope you guys enjoyed hearing my story! I’d love to learn more about you guys so please leave comments below so we can connect!! It’s cool to see all the things that played out in someones life to get them to where they are today! Hope you all have the greatest day today!!

Xx,

Photos x Molly Meeks