Open Heaven / River Wild + My Christmas Gift to You

Taken when I went to Jervis Bay, NSW

I have always loved any kind of music that has come out from Hillsong Church. The times that the songs came out or the times that I first heard the songs all represent a different time in my walk with God, and as I've gotten older I have learned more and more what it truly means to worship God. 
With Hillsong Worship specifically, those songs have been best for me to listen to when I am worshipping with other people in church because the meaning of those songs I think are a reflection and prayer that we all have. Hillsong Worship's newest album, Open Heaven / River Wild has emphasized that more than ever for me. 
This current album is my prayer & desire for my life at the moment. Every song on this album touches my heart in a different way. I heard some of the songs live in Sydney when I visited but once I got my hands on the whole album, I was hooked! 
In the last few weeks that I've been playing the album on my phone, I have been cycling through the songs over and over again and still have not gotten tired of them. Of course, the top tracks & the singles off the album are "O Praise the Name," "Open Heaven (River Wild)," "Transfiguration," "Love on the Line," and "One Thing." However, I also recommend listening to all of the songs if you get the chance. 
There are certain songs that I like more than others of course, but for whatever reason I love the bridge of pretty much every song on the album. There are 12 songs on the album. Some of my favorites: 
"Remember love,  Remember mercy,  Christ before me,  Christ behind me
Your love & kindness Has never failed me Christ before me,  Christ behind me"  - Jesus I Need You
"There'll be a season For joy & weeping In everything our God is faithful
His arms are open I will come running Now & always our God is faithful" - Faithfulness
"I'm covered by your love, In searching in my heart Forever I am found in You, my God
My feet have wandered far, But now I'm where you are Forever I am found in You, my God" - Never Forsaken
I could honestly go into detail about each song and talk specifically about why I love it so much. Musically, the songs are not very complicated, but they are also not stripped down by any means. Lyrically, they are beautiful. If they're not a prayer, they are a really great reminder of God's power and place in our lives. I have gone through a couple times where I was driving and sobbing to these songs as I cried out to God in desperation for some peace and praying what these songs are praying for myself. 
And now, I want to share the blessing of these songs of worship with you this Christmas!  I have partnered with Hillsong Worship and Capitol Christian Music Group to give away a copy of this album to share with you in the hopes & prayers that you would be just as blessed by this music as I have been. 
Just enter the giveaway using the Gleam platform below and/or go to my Instagram @krisellerhiax and go to the photo just like this one to enter! Depending on when you see this post the photo may or may not already be posted so just keep an eye out for it! The giveaway will end on Christmas eve right before it hits midnight on Christmas, and I will choose a winner either right on Christmas day or the day after, depending on how busy I get with my family. 
This will most likely be my only post this week because I will be preparing for Christmas & prepping the blog for a renewal in 2016, so Merry Christmas, everyone! I hope you enjoy your time with your loved ones and if you decide to enter my giveaway with Hillsong, good luck! I pray that you are as blessed as I have been by this album. 
"Open Heaven / River Wild" Christmas Giveaway

So Flashy and Nüd with Nüd Ink

IT IS SUMMER! 

 Well for me, at least.

Summer means relaxing, getting some sun, and best of all, no homework. (Thank God cause this semester was horrible for me academically.) 
So since summer means spending time in the warm heat, it also means shorts, tanks, crop tops, dresses, and just showing a lot more skin than usual. A really fun way to adorn your skin that has been picking up (even Express of all places sells them) is flash tattoos. 
I think they're a cool and fun trend so Nüd Ink, a company that specializes in flash tattoos, sent me a few packages to try out for myself! 

I was sent a few different styles and decided to try their "El Dorado" collection first because I love the geometric shapes and lines used in the tattoos. 

Flash tattoos are so fun and they look awesome on your skin! It's also nice that they're temporary as well because if you don't like it, then it can come off. I love the idea of tattoos but am not sure if I would ever take the plunge and get a real one myself. So settling for metallic temporary ones are fine with me. 
Here are two other times I tried the tattoos, and the bottom photo is actually of a bindi from their "Om" single sheet special. I had to dance to Bhangra, a traditional Indian dance, at school so I decided to use a bindi to add onto the ambiance of my costume. 

Thanks to Nüd Ink, I'll be sporting flash tattoos the entire summer and I can't wait to show them off in the glimmering sun. (Summer also means I'll finally get back to a regular blogging schedule, yay!)
Check out Nüd Ink on social media @nudink or check out their hashtag #getnud to see some of their other stuff and see what other people are saying about them!
Disclosure: I received these as press samples; all opinions are my own.
Have you tried the flash tattoo trend yet? What's your favorite print or pattern to use? 

Posted Inspiration with Heart & Lips + A GIVEAWAY!

Words of Affirmation is my love language. I love when people say nice things to me, but I love even more having visual reminders up where I can see them. 
I was sent two beautiful prints from Heart & Lips, a cute little shop that specializes in inspirational prints based on Bible verses. The owner, Taneka, personally prayed over the different prints she has and felt that the two she sent me were best for me to have. 

The first print says "I found the one my heart loves" and the verse it comes from is Song of Songs 3:4. If you aren't familiar with the print, Song of Songs, or Songs of Solomon as it's also called, is the book in the Bible that talks all about the love between a man and a woman as they prepare to be married. 
Although I am not yet married or even engaged, I like this print because I will be bluntly honest & say that I like to think that yes, I have found the one that my heart loves. I feel like people even in the most committed relationships don't proudly say this enough until they're engaged, which I do understand--I mean that person can still walk out on you at any point especially if you don't have a ring on your finger. But then again I feel like that can happen at any point in a relationship, even at the marriage level unfortunately, so if you feel like you have the guts to do so, then don't be afraid to say it--"I found the one my heart loves." 

This second print I was gifted says "You are altogether beautiful," and the print is inspired by Song of Solomon 4:9. I like this reminder because the way I look and how I feel about myself is something that I have been struggling with for as long as I can remember. I don't struggle with it as much anymore but there are days when I feel horrible at myself and a print like this is just what I need to encourage and remind me of my worth. 
Now if you're wondering why these aren't on my walls, it's because I'm moving out of my dorm in a month so I would rather just wait to put these on my new apartment's walls rather than put them up only to take them down one month later :] 
So onto the good stuff: 
I've partnered with Heart & Lips to giveaway not just one, not just two, but FOUR PRINTS for FOUR LUCKY WINNERS!
That's right, 4 people will each get to win one of these sweet and lovely prints to display in their homes. These make great gifts as well, which is why I also have a discount code for 15% off your purchase with the code GIVEHOPE if you can't wait to get your hands on these. 
So the prints we are giving away are one of each of the prints that I have plus two more. One of them says "I am fearfully and wonderfully made" and the other starts off with the phrase "I am like an olive tree." 
The giveaway will run until midnight on April 17th, so next Friday right at midnight PST! This giveaway is open internationally so everyone has a chance to win! 
Check out Heart & Lips on all social media: Facebook || Twitter || Instagram || Pinterest
God bless & good luck ♥

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My Workout Story and What I Learned About Myself Through Class Pass

I usually HATE working out. I don't mind being physically active, as I used to be a dancer when I was younger and loved it. What I hate is the conditioning aspect of it--most of which includes some type of running. 

From my dancing days, circa 2007--I want to get this flexible again one day!

A little known fact about me: I actually have exercise-induced asthma, but it really only flares up when I do some intense running or any kind of exercise that involves a form of it, like suicides. I always run at the same pace (even though it's slow) like all my coaches recommend, but my asthma still flares up pretty badly. Because of this, I dreaded tennis practices in high school because the first half of practices included conditioning. 
Because I hated the feeling like I was dying every time I tried to work out, I completely stopped doing any kind of regular physical workout after tennis season ended my junior year. 
I remember when I did drill team (a type of dance and not the ROTC kind) and tennis, my coaches would say the same things: "If you can't run a mile, then you can't [do a 3 minute dance routine/play a full match]." However, when it came to doing those very things, it came pretty easily to me and I didn't get tired nearly as quickly. 
Now fast forward to me in college: I don't go to the gym at all. I eat a lot of crappy (but delicious) food, and I only do physical movement if someone is making me (ie: walking somewhere or I'm being forced to help move something). 
I know that this type of lifestyle is not healthy. I may not be overweight by any means, but I know that if I don't do anything soon these habits will catch up to me. It's just that I get so lazy and because most people's idea of working out usually involves running, I am never motivated because I hate the feeling of not being able to breathe.  Enter ClassPass.

When I found out it was coming to LA/Orange County and learned about the basic concept of it, I was beyond excited! The idea of getting to take a bunch of classes in a bunch of studios in the area sounded great. I love variety and the types of workouts being offered in the classes (dance, barre, yoga, pilates, etc) so I just had to give it a try!
ClassPass contacted me about trying it out for a month and I could not turn down that offer! Free workouts that aren't running? How could I ever turn that down? 
So through ClassPass, I was able to try out a few different types of classes at different studios. I tried barre, pilates, cycling, zumba, and aerial silks. 
I liked barre and aerial silks the most because they both incorporated dance and flexibility while doing things to help build some strength in my body. Barre is basically ballet exercises done at a fast pace to do cardio workouts. Aerial silks are where you are hanging in cool poses from the ceiling, but trust me, it's much harder than it looks because of the upper body strength it requires to lift yourself off the ground. 

So with all of that being said, here is what I learned about myself through ClassPass: 
+ I prefer workout classes compared to working out at my own pace.  Even though most people work out on their own time and at their own pace, that isn't enough to motivate me. I like taking classes for school, so of course I am the same way with being physical. 
Taking classes forces me to set aside time for it because I have to sacrifice gas to drive to the studio and usually money in order to take these classes. I know you have to sacrifice money to have a gym membership too but with these classes I am also accountable to the instructor to make sure that I show up and don't have to pay a cancellation fee. 

+ Workout classes are just more fun for me in general. Sometimes classes at these kinds of studios can add up to be more expensive than a gym membership depending on how often you go, but honestly they are just more enjoyable for me than running on the treadmill or lifting weights. I mean who doesn't want to learn how to hang out from the ceiling? 
+ I would have to make a lot of changes to my diet if I really want to see results. I'm not necessarily trying to lose weight, but I do want to flatten my resting pregnant tummy (I know I am small and I'm not calling myself fat--but trust me my stomach looks pregnant all the time!) and gain some muscle in my upper body because my lower body is still pretty good. 
When I played tennis, even at my most fit self, my stomach was still so big it looked (and felt like) there was a balloon inside of it. Darell told me not too long after I started ClassPass that my diet was the reason that I didn't see results in my core. Not only would I have to limit the junk food I ate, but I would also have to track what I'm eating and what is in it and how often I am eating (my metabolism lets me get away with eating so crappy but staying small that's why). 
------------------------------
ClassPass has really made me excited and have hope for myself as far as workouts go. If you are interested in trying out Class Pass, it's $99 a month to try out as many classes as you'd like! And with some of these classes costing between $20-$30 for just one, you've already gotten your money's worth after 4 classes (although I recommend taking much more than that)!
I'm actually very excited to get more active in my lifestyle thanks to ClassPass. It sounds cheesy, I know, but I swear this is all genuine! If you have any more questions or want more info you can ask me or just head on over to the ClassPass website. 
#LivingtheSweatyLife 
Disclaimer: ClassPass provided me a complimentary month-long membership but I was not financially compensated nor was I asked to write this post. I just really love ClassPass and what they have to offer!

Feelin' Fresh with Evian Facial Spray

The weather is getting warmer (at least in California), so you want to stay cool and refreshed. And as fun as it is to get in the water at the pool or the beach, let's face it--you can't always do that at places like work or church. 
That's when I found out about Evian Facial Spray. It's a spray that is meant to set makeup, cool and refresh your skin, and so much more. It's made up of Evian water and is sealed in a canister so that it cannot be contaminated by outside sources. It's basically your own personal mister, and you can use it at the gym, at the work, or at the beach. 

I tried it out for myself and misted myself to see how it would be with my makeup. I already had my makeup on for a few hours and wanted to see if it could help it last longer and keep me looking and feeling fresh. 
After eating Korean bbq where I had smoke from the grill coming at my face on top of the hot weather and a total of 10 hours later, my makeup looked pretty fresh still. I didn't have my eye makeup on due to rubbing my eyes a few minutes earlier but my foundation was still in tact, which does not happen often with me. 
My only thing with the Evian Facial Spray was that a few minutes after it dried there was a weird feeling on my face, almost as if I was wearing a facial mask. The feeling didn't last long, however, which was good. 
As I was trying this out for myself, the boyfriend was also trying it out for himself as well... as well as all of our other friends. He definitely loves it! And I like it too and recommend it for keeping cool but also helping set your makeup. I'll try it again soon and replace my setting powder and see how it does on its own. 
Would you use a personal mister like this? Do you use mists instead of setting powder for your makeup? 
Disclosure: I was provided this Evian Facial Spray courtesy of Evian and Brandbacker. All opinions are my own.

Going Clear with Proactiv

HI EVERYONE! I apologize for my absence for the past week or so; last week was just a crazy week and if you've been following me on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook, then you'd know that my cousin's wedding was in Vegas as well, so that prevented me from doing tons of stuff for my blog as well as far as actual blogging. 

One thing that I was able to do in Vegas was maintain the facial routine that I've been using for the past couple of months! 
I have been SO blessed to get to work with Proactiv for the past few months on a project to improve my skin! Proactiv is a brand that I've been hearing of on tv for so many years and through a cousin who used it when he was in high school 10 years ago too, so I was excited to finally try it out. 
I received 4 products of theirs, 3 that go together in a 3 step routine and a 4th one that can be used in conjunction with the three: the Skin Smoothing Exfoliator, the Pore Correcting Treatment, the Complexion Perfecting Hydrator, and the Skin Purifying Mask. 
I will say that I don't have terrible acne to begin with, but sometimes I will have breakouts where I have a few big pimples on my face that are pretty embarrassing. I also have a lot of acne scars especially on my cheeks from previous breakouts.
Here are my before & after photos from before Proactiv til today: 

There isn't a major difference, but you can definitely see that on my right cheek (middle photo), although I still have acne scars, they have definitely faded quite a bit since when I first started using Proactiv. 

When I first started using it, however, my skin dried out A LOT (I have combination skin) and I broke out a lot too. During the times when I had breakouts, Proactiv did a great job at getting rid of them within a few days. And even though my skin dried up (winter probably also contributed to it), the Complexion Perfecting Hydrator helped my skin feel lively. 
Having a 3 step process to clearing my skin with 3 different products may seem like a lot, but it really isn't. It just takes some getting used to. 
When I wash my face, it goes like this: 

1. Use the Skin Smoothing Exfoliator all over my face then wash it off. 

2. Use the Pore Targeting Treatment on the parts of my face with acne on it. It's used like a medicine so you don't wash it off.

3. Use the Complexion Perfecting Hydrator to moisturize. 
It's that simple! For a bonus step, you can use the Skin Purifying Mask and leave it on for 10 minutes or spot-treat with it overnight. 
Proactiv has helped control my breakouts and even fade some of my acne scars so I'm pretty happy with the way my skin has turned out as a result. If you have acne like mine or worse, I definitely recommend giving Proactiv a try! 
This post was sponsored by Proactiv. All opinions are my own.

Glam, Edgy, or Boho: Azura Box Review

I love subscription boxes. They are the best way to try out and discover new things, whether it is makeup, clothes, or sometimes even snacks. Plus, it's always fun to get something new in the mail. 
Not too long ago, I got into contact with a brand new fashion/beauty subscription called Azura Box, and they sent me a box to review! They sent out their first boxes just last month so I was excited to get to be part of this. 

The whole premise of Azura Box is that you take a style quiz and determine if your style is edgy, glam, or boho to determine if you will receive things like dainty or statement jewelry or silver or gold jewelry. Then they'll send you a box with two pieces plus a bonus beauty product for a surprise! And the price of this is only $19.99, which is a good price for two quality pieces of jewelry. 
For my box, I was sent a statement necklace, some dangling earrings, and a moisturizer. I was also sent some extra chains for my earrings or necklace in case I would need to replace a few. 

My favorite item is hands down, the necklace! The earrings are nice and they match really well with the necklace, but they're not really my style. But the necklace, I will wear it as often as I can, whether with a fancier outfit or to dress up a casual one. It's a bib-style necklace which I've always wanted to try for myself. I also like that it's a statement necklace but it is still simple because it's just hanging chains. It's a great balance of edge and standing out without being gaudy. 
I still haven't tried the moisturizer yet, but I will definitely do that soon! It looks pretty promising. 
Another great thing about Azura is that you can shop past boxes or different styles from other boxes on their site! They have a few dainty bangles that I want to get my hands on. I think it's great that they also provide that if you are like me and have a wide range of styles. 
I love finding newer subscription boxes that aren't as mainstream as Birchbox or Ipsy. Don't get me wrong, I love them, but I love even better finding subscription box gems that have some great stuff too. 
If you're interested in subscribing or want more info on Azura Box, check them out on their website or their other social networks:
Facebook // Twitter // Instagram // Pinterest
Disclosure: I received this box courtesy of Azura Box. I received no financial compensation and all opinions are my own. 

Pinterest-Style Typography with Stencils

I love crafting and DIY stuff and always have. Ever since I was a little girl I've dreamed of having my own craft studio and still have every intention of having that when I have my own place. However, I usually don't have time to craft or am out of ideas for what to do. 

I recently got DIY Type: 50+ Typographic Stencils Perfect for Decorating, Crafting, Gifting courtesy of Blogging For Books, and I was very excited to try it out. 
Its style is pretty vintage, which is pretty popular among crafters and people on Pinterest. The stencils include the entire alphabet in large, capital letters, capital letters that are shorter and stubbier (but still vintage looking), and some little embellishments that one could use. 
I decided to paint a canvas with my initial, a "K," to see how it would look like, and I was pretty pleased with the finished product for the most part. 
The stencils are made out of cardboard, which makes them pretty good for tracing outlines and stuff, but when my paint got a little watery (partially my fault), the paint went right underneath the stencil. However, I was able to recover from that so it's all good!

I did a pretty simple design for now and hope to add more to it and really make the stencil shine. These stencils are perfect for the upcoming holiday season so I can't wait for that! My only other criticism with this book is the variety of stencils. I think there should've been lowercase letters, script letters, or something more with the variety of the stencils. Other than that, I approve and recommend this book for all the crafters out there! 
Disclosure: I received this book courtesy of Blogging for Books. All opinions are my own.

Eyebrow Routine ft. Billion Dollar Brows

Happy Sunday! I just wanted to interrupt your Sunday to remind you that I have a Youtube channel! I have videos on there that sometimes accompany blog posts (which I always post for you on here), but not all videos do. 
For example, this week's video is my eyebrow routine featuring Billion Dollar Brows! It's a full-on review, first impressions, and demo video so I go in depth about the products. Please be sure to check it out and subscribe if you haven't already! 
This post was brought to you by Billion Dollar Brows and Brandbacker. All opinions are my own.

The Dean's List VoxBox + First Impressions!

It's the middle of the semester, and so it's that time where I'm beginning to get very tired and exhausted from everything that is happening at once. 
Thankfully, Influenster sent me the Dean's List VoxBox just in time for a little pick-me-up during this time of year. I'm excited to try everything out! My video unboxing and reactions are linked below, but if you'd prefer to read about it or get a more in-depth review on some of the products, keep reading!

This voxbox was pretty solid, if I do say so myself. I have a snack, a few beauty items, a couple new pens (my obsession!), and some lady products. I'd say that this box rounds out pretty perfectly what is necessary for this time of year. It's a combination of treats and necessities that I love. 

Let's get onto the box!

Boudin SF Huntington Beach Grand Opening

I love food. So much. Free food is even better. So when I find out about Boudin SF's Dine & Donate days at their new Huntington Beach location, I was thrilled! 
Boudin SF is mostly known for their sourdough bread. They started out as a bakery but eventually added a cafe portion to it, which is what I experienced when I attended the Dine & Donate event during the week of the Boudin SF Huntington Beach opening.
I attended with a really awesome friend of mine so that we could experience Boudin for the first time together. (They even reposted my insta picture below on their Facebook!)

When we got there, we were told that we could order anything on the menu except for two items. One of them included salmon which made me sad, but I was okay. We still got to choose a side, an entree, a drink, and a pastry. 
My lovely friend, Sammi, chose a Blue Note Baguette Burger, a side of caesar salad, some kind of soda that I think was Coke, and a lemon bar. 

I personally don't like bleu cheese so I didn't sample her burger, but she said that she loved it. Everything about her entire meal was great, except the bread of her burger was a little hard. 
As for myself, I ordered the Roasted Cremini Mushroom & Swiss Baguette Burger with bacon in it. On the side I got some chips, a lemonade, and a chocolate croissant. 

The entire meal was amazing. The burger's flavors all blended really well together. My only complaint is that the bread was a little tough like Sammi's burger. Other than that, oh my gosh it was great. 
The chips were your average bag of chips, and the croissant was just so soft and I loved taking apart the layers and eating them, savoring the sweet pastry. I love croissants but not always chocolate but this made me crave for it, most definitely. Even the presentation of both mine and Sammi's pastries were great!
I didn't get a chance to try out their famous clam chowder, but I know that I will surely be returning to try it someday. If you live anywhere in California, check out and see if Boudin has a location near you!
Have you tried Boudin SF before? What's your favorite entree or pastry? 
Disclosure: Boudin provided a meal for review purposes. All opinions are my own.