Casual

{Dress, Target. Shirt, Anthropologie.  Hat, H&M. Shoes, Cynthia Rowley.}

My days are filled with classroom sitting, errand running, furniture painting, and cleaning up little sticky hands and mouths.  It's awesome.  But who wants to do all those things in high stacked black wedges and silk tops?  As much as I love all of those things, a cotton dress and flat sandals are much more practical.  Let's liven it up, shall we?

It's a perfect, casual, summer get-up.

Oh, and remember when we would all do this? Ha!

A Love Story

A Love Story


I told you I would tell you our little love story (or big to us) like 4 months ago, so here it is...finally.  My lagging bum apologizes.

Mike and I were introduced by a mutual friend back in the spring of 2009.  He and my friend were working together at the same company and since he was new-ish to the area, she, being the hospitable person she is, invited him to our church.  There, we met and became friends.  And for me, that's exactly what it was and stayed...friends.  But to Mike, not so much (I feel like I need him to write this part...but he ain't here right now...I'm having to deal with that and you will have to as well).  Mike claims he basically started falling immediately.

So spring, summer, fall and winter came and went and were filled with fun times together with our friends.  We went to parties and baseball games and drank margaritas...he came to Starbucks to "work" while I was there working and tried to get me to come over and watch How I Met Your Mother...and I stayed uninterested.

This went on for nearly a year until he finally asked me to grab some coffee with him.  We both knew what was going to happen that evening...he was going to spill his love filled guts to me (I knew everything already and he knew I knew, but still nothing had been said directly between us...so this was the time).  We sat and chatted and he finally came out with it.  I listened and smiled and told him thank you for telling me and how nice it is to hear that someone thinks and feels that way about you.  But, in the end, told him I didn't feel the same way...(I am such an idiot!  I know people...I know).

So more months passed and we remained friends...we were good friends and I enjoyed him as my friend and I saw him as my friend and thought I would see him that way always and forever (trying to stress "friend" here).

But something began to change in my heart.  I remember the day he walked into Starbucks with his backwards Detroit Tigers hat on (he looks so studly when he wears that hat) and I looked up to see who was coming in and my belly became flooded with butterfiles.  And then I became covered in butterflies.

It was weird and I was like, "whaaaat was that?"

Since that moment things have changed.  And they changed fast.  We began to hang.  Like hang hang, not friend hang.  And he told me he loved me.  And I told him, "thanks for telling me"  (Idiot!  I know people...I know).  Then we were bf/gf.  Then a few weeks later I said I loved him.  So we loved each other and couldn't believe the ways that God had moved and worked to bring us together (you'll have to ask Mike more about this because the Lord was at crazy work and speaking to Mike always telling him to keep pursuing me...even after multiple rejections).  Then we talked about marriage.  We both knew once we dated we would get married.  And we wanted to get married.  We talked with God, our families, friends and everyone told us to do the same thing.  Get married.  You're ready.  And we were.

So we are getting married.

And it's the best thing that God has given me.

I'm still all covered in butterflies.

(Here is a little taste of what the best day of the year is going to be like...October 21 are you here yet?)

He's awesome

I get to marry this kid...heck yeah!  

You are rocking this fiance thing.

ps. come back tomorrrow to hear our love story:)

Mild or Spicy? Take your pick.

The other day I showed up at Mike's place and he goes, "Whoa, are you wearing lipstick? Is it on me now?"  That comment of course came after Mike laid an I'm-so-happy-you're-here smooch on me.  You see I never wear lipstick.  My makeup routine consists of a touch of concealer, a swipe of mascara and maybe some eyeliner if I am feeling motivated.  So when I showed up with my bright reddy/pinky/orangey lipstick on he was a little shocked...and then he said, "I don't like it"...um, rude!!!  Jk, Michael, you're not rude.

Anyway, what do you think?  Mild or SPICY?

{lipstick, Covergirl lip perfection in Fairytale)

If you're a fan of lipstick you should go purchase this lovely shade.  Throw on some sunglasses and a pair of shorts and you'll feel like you're in Morocco. 

Cultural Envy

I was always so jealous of the people who grew up in a very distinct culture (ya, I know America has its own culture, but why can't I be 100% Italian or Brazilian or French? Mutt).  

So because I am not those things, sometimes I like to dress up as if I am.  So on this hot Sunday I dressed up in my recycled India Sari silk wrap dress/skirt and gold jewelry, put on my red shoes and pranced to church and back and then decided to change into shorts and a T.  It is way too hot to wear silk on a 95 degree day.

{Dress, street market.  Belt, H&M.  Sweater, F21.  Earrings, gifted.  Bracelets, gifted.}

DIYourselfers

Mike and I became do-it-yourself-ers over the last week.  Goodwill and Home Depot have seen their fair share of us and we are thorougly covered with paint specs and sanding dust.  It was so fun to tackel some projects, or at least get started on a few.  Our tables and chairs and bookcases all need some tlc before they can go into our new place (which is still tbd), but we have a vision and it will be sooo spectacular.  Just trust me!

Pining...

3 things I am just plain pining for.

(All from NastyGal)

The fourth

Happy fourth!  

This year's holiday was the best yet.  Why you ask?  Because it was spent with my splendid future husband.  Eating hamburgers, sweating your butt off at the parade, and watching fireworks are so much more fun with a handsome boy by your side.

We really did sweat our little bums off.  Did anyone else overheat with us?

Here comes summer

Or is it actually coming?  The 89 degree weather counteracted by the 53 degree weather has confused me.  BUT, nonetheless, I will be in sundresses and flippy floppys everyday...soon.  What sundresses will I be wearing you ask?  Anything silky and bright.   I hibernate in grays and blacks all winter long and it is time to bust out the neons and the airy whites.  Join me?

Here are some of my favorites.  

(My birthday is Saturday hint hint;)

(Click on image for the link)

Cubs game awesomeness...

Awesomeness.  I don't use this word often, or even at all, but that is the only thing that describes what happened Tuesday at the Cubs game!

So let's start at the beginning, yes?  Hmmm...

About a month ago, Chamberlain (the nursing school I attend) held auditions to sing the National Anthem at the Cubs game on May 10 (It was Nurse's Night at the Cubs game for our school to celebrate Nurse's week).  I, of course, was not going to audition.  I have terrible fear sometimes about singing in front of people and without a doctor's prescription to valium or a beta-blocker, there was no way I could sing.  So weeks went on and the day of the auditions finally came unbeknownst to me.  After class someone told Joellyn and I that we should try out (Joellyn or Jody as most of us call her, is one of my bestest buds that I met during this terrbily stressful thing called nursing school)...

OK this is going to take forever...Here we go...

No way we were going to try out...but then decided to with several people peer pressuring us...practiced in the car after class for about 30 mins...audtitions that night and we placed 2nd (Bianca won, a great gospel sounding voice!)...2nd place still allowed us access to the field for a little recognition...May 10 came...walked into the stadium and they asked us, "How do you feel?  You guys may be singing tonight.  Bianca stuck far away in traffic"...Gahhh!!! What?!?  We haven't sung that song in like a month!  We haven't even been able to warm up! Can someone get us a drink?...Ok, it is us.  We are gonna have to do it...we rush through the Wrigley stadium trying to pick out a key to sing it in...my hands are completely numb and tingling...we got a couple mins on the field to practice quietly...aaaaannd WE ARE UP!  National anthem at Wrigley Field (click to watch)...who would've thought!?!

Can someone get us some water, please?  1/2 a beer didn't cut it

Love you, Jody!!!

Lovely friends.  The most fun day between our two wedding days:)

 Boo, I am so glad you were there with me!  I love you most.  END!

Cute vintage iPhone wallpapers

Look what I found!  And the best part is that they're...Free! Free iPhone backgrounds! Cute and vintagey and springy.  There are even stripes for the boys (and girls, of course:)

Check them out HERE

Yeah...

Yeah...

Sorry, blog world.  I have neglected you once again...

BUT...ALAS! I am back!  A bit of vacation has cured my lack of motivation for just about everything.  Phew!

So, wanna see what we did on vacation?  Vegas and California were our destination places and we enjoyed them thoroughly.  Sun and sand we saw, but high and cool fashion I did not see...Vegas is the last place to find a bunch of classy people...hm, did I just give both Mike and I a blow?  Nah.  We were classy. Even the man at the casino hailing us taxis commented on our dress.  We were fun and fancy.

Totally went on the price is right and we both made it to contestants row...yessss...

We couldn't stop smooching;)

On the hunt

So as our wedding day is not really approaching as fast as we would like it to, we are trying to find ways to bide our time and have fun and get even more excited for our marriage (is it possible?).  We have decided to take secret trips to towns to scout out apartments and good restaurants and stylish boutiques and make sure we end up in the best possible place just for us.  Last week we headed over to a cute little town to test out the local Mexicana cuisine and taste test their margaritas.  This test is on the top of our priority list.

I say...

I say...it's time to get blogging again!  

Sorry blogging world...I've neglected you.  Never will it happen again.  Pinky swear.  Cross my heart.

The last two weeks I have been distracted with my new fiance, a wee bit of wedding planning, work, school, a mini trip to Detroit for parties and more parties and road rallies (ever done one of those things?  Amazing Race around your own town...I'm addicted.  Who wants to make one for me?).  I've also been distracted with some fairly incredible sites that friends have introduced me to that have kept my hands from a typing and my eyes glued to computer screens and my finger continually pushing the "older posts" button.  

Check them out.  You'll find something pretty, I promise.  Some of these are basically heaven.

Style Me Pretty

Once Wed

When you know, you know, ya know?

Some time ago I said to my mom...

"I wish I could just be friends with someone and then one day say to one another, 'Hey, I pick you.  I love you.  Let's do this thing.'  Doesn't that sound wonderful and easy and perfect?"

  I thought so too.  And the funniest thing happened.

It happened.

Well, basically.  (more on that later:).

I know.

He knows.

We know.

And it's all quite perfect.

Anticipating a fun engagement, beautiful wedding, and long happy marriage together.

Me and my betrothed:

Isn't he handsome?  He's mine:)

More juicy details soon!!!