2010love

So, I hopped on over to Gabby Blair's blog yesterday and she was showcasing some fabulous t-shirts from 2010love. I think these are so cute. I kind of want one. A LOT.

If only I was so creative too.

2010 is going to be a good year. It has been so far. And it can only get better :)

happy st. patrick's day.

I'm not a fan of St. Patrick's Day. I am only wearing green because I think I get a treat in chemistry if I do. (haha - oh what I will do for candy. I'm like a little child.) But I couldn't think of a better title.
Anyways, we got to see some of our engagment pics yesterday! And I'm kind of in love with them so I'm putting some here.(I'm sorry about the kissing photo. I just think it's a cool shot.)

Anyways. They just make me happy. :) :)


OH.
p.s. I applied for graduation today!
Hallelujah.

you make me happy.

So let me preface this post by saying I have an easy week this week - Come Tuesday night, I had only one homework assignment left for this entire week (stats). Not bad, right? (And of course, I'm not working on stats right now. Oh no, I'm here on my blog :D)

Can I just say that I LOVE the days when I discover new artists. I love randomly hearing a song in the background of a tv commercial or show and desperately racing to figure out what song it is before the magic of the moment is gone, before I no longer know what I'm looking for and have no way to find it again. Today was like that.

I discovered this girl's music. Her name is Lindsey Ray. I think her songs are pretty cute. Maybe kinda cheesy, but don't deny it, you like that stuff sometimes. :) You just have to be in the mood for it. I guess I was in the mood for it today because I kept listening to her songs and only found one that I wasn't happy with (granted I only found like 7 or 8 songs total).

Her style is a lot like Colbie Caillat. I tried to find some of her stuff on youtube. Some of it is there. If you are interested in listening (which you don't have to be, just because I like her doesn't mean you have to) THIS is the link to her site. My favorite song is 'you make me happy'. Not like the traditional stuff. But so good!!! I wish I could link it to play here.

I did make an extra $20 yesterday for just laying still for an hour with a needle in my arm and having an ultrasound done (on my arm. not belly. i'm most definitely not pregnant. but it was fun to see what that would be like) Easiest twenty I ever made - the hardest part was trying to stay awake! So maybe I will go buy this cd with it.

Oh, so you know the whole "first dance" thing?

Well, we have "our songs" but they come with a big problem. The cutesy ones - the ones we would actually consider dancing to - are in Chinese. (I understand them and can actually sing along with them - for the most part) But, we were thinking of maybe an English song for first dance.

So do you have any suggestions of songs? Or just any good music you think I would like? (and I really do like all types of music.)

In lieu of Cadbury's.

Do you ever find yourself craving things? I mean things OTHER than food. I do. (my food craving for the moment are Cadbury's eggs - here for the Easter season and NOT making it any easier for me to fit into a wedding dress.) Want to hear what I have been craving lately?

1) a Burberry trench coat -

(image from here)

A classic yet trendy, practical yet "I'm not afraid to pay for something a little more expensive" piece of clothing. Oh how I would love to have one without having to trade in 5+ months of rent. Alas, my non-skinny waist and normal-length legs would not do it justice. But that does not stop the craving.


2) running shoes. And when I crave these, I crave lots of them - many kinds and many pairs. Nike, adidas, asics, puma, underarmor, mizuno.

(image from here)

Whenever I see them, I get this little tingle in my feet that makes me want to put them on and just keep running. But, I cannot justify buying these because I do not fit into the category of "passionate runner". Although I would like to call myself one someday. But not today.

3) ruffles, ruffles and more ruffles. I can't seem to get enough. I just think they look so feminine and lovely without giving me the feeling like I'm stuck in the wrong century.
I love this dress:

(Taken from here)

Also, my dream wedding dress:


Oh how could you NOT want to wear that?!! Just imagining myself in it makes me feel beautiful.

4) bangles. Stacks and STACKS of them. Thick and chunky, bold and painted, carved or plain, gold or silver or wood. Oh man. I want them all.

From here

From here

Aren't they so pretty?

4) Lately: THE USA OLYMPIC SNOWBOARDING OUTFITS!
Holy smokes. Plaid and denim. I love that they look like they are snowboarding in their jeans!

Image from here

BUT what I really love are their JACKETS! I think they look so good. Too bad BURTON doesn't even sell them yet. Or the fact that I wouldn't be able to afford it anyways.

Other things making my list: boots, scarves, headbands, mascara, and bags. (especially ones with shoulder straps. extra bonus if they have both kinds.)

I guess now is the time when I need to take a step back and be grateful for what I do have instead of wishing for things I want. Reality check time. Catchya on the flip flop when I get back from it.

what are YOU thankful for?

What I am thankful for today:
1. for the Church. and the Atonement.

2. for real salt lake winning the mls cup. for being the underdogs and for fighting their way to the top.

3. for friends to be nervous and scream and celebrate with when we do win.

4. for delicious food to fuel frenzied enthusiasm.

5. for being able to find the hilarity in having a dating seminar during sunday school instead of a lesson

6. for vacation days and short school days

7. for a cozy bed that is warm and snuggly.

8. for gchat. and skype.

9. for hopes and dreams and plans and wishes and goals.

10. for people with whom i can share all the hopes and dreams and plans and wishes and goals

"Happiness cannot be travelled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude." Deni Waitley

I love candid photos.

Found this little gem. Isn't it precious how the love just ooooozes off the page?

Personally, I think it would be a lot cuter if the lady on the left wasn't staring at C and J.

Oh well. you get what you get and you don't get upset. :)

I want to be Blair Waldorf for these reasons:

I LOVE a good headband. Props to the designers who have brought headbands back into fashion and made them so uber cute. These are by Bambako. Unfortunately a teensy bit out of my price range. But they are so fun to look at! (thank you GB for the heads up on these!)

Dirt is good.

In yet another attempt to avoid studying and give my brain some down-time, I recently discovered a commercial about kids. And dirt. And the fact that children have a right to a childhood.

WATCH here.

And I completely agree.

All the Bells and Whistles....

(I think girls will like this post more than the guys. Sorry - It's just what came out.) Apparently it is the season for weddings! Which makes me happy. And a teeeeeeny bit sad because I know that I now take second place to someone else. But I'm okay with that so I'm mostly really really happy.

Ever since I was about 16, when there would be a wedding reception at the church where I went to seminary, I was sent back with a camera to take photos of how everything was decorated. Just so that I would have an idea of what I might want when I was old enough to get married.

Well, folks, heads up. I am now 21 years, 4 months, and one day old. Somewhere in the back of my head it is screaming that there is no way that I can get married now. I mean, I'm ONLY 21. And yet.... And yet, I've watched so many fall in love, get engaged, and have incredibly beautiful weddings/marriages that I can't help but want one of my own. And I've had a lot of people suggest to me that maybe I should get married. My parents, my little brothers, people from back home who know how BYU is, everyone out here who is married. Don't get me wrong. I do want to get married. But there are some important things to think about - it being the right time, right place, right person, right authority - these ALL play a role in it.

However, Christian did tell me that he had a dream that I got engaged, AND he had to ask me if it was true or not. So either he's a fortuneteller or his dream was creepily realistic. So, since I've been preparing myself for this with photographs since high school, I decided to share some of my plans with you all (along with some tangents).

1) I found the wedding dress I want. Alas, I just found out it will cost more than a semester of tuition. Ergo it is out of the picture. So I shall have to restart the search again.
2) I love love LOVE looking at wedding pictures. You can practically feel the happiness OOZING out of their smiles. It's like Love is tangible. And since I always want what I can't have, I want that. So that's where I get tons of my ideas.
Here's the cake I want:
Not really, but kind of. I think it would be super fun. And that's the important part of the wedding, right?

Here are some flowers that I LOVE: except for the roses. I'm not such a big fan of roses.

But I am currently obsessed with dark purple.

And since I've gotten to look at so many rings lately, here's my current favorite:I don't know. I go back and forth. (And since I'm a girl, I pretty much like anything that is sparkly.)

Anyways, the rest of the plans are currently under review because I change my mind a million times a day. So, here's what I know about the guy I'm bound to end up with. I went back to my notes from when I was 16 and found these: Please read and enjoy. (And please please remember, I'm not 16 anymore, but I was when I took these. Way before facebook quizzes came around.)

Your type is the Preppy
If he's conservative, friendly, and clean-cut, he's just your type! You fall hard and fast for him. Your guy's refined, runs with a cool crowd, and has a little cockiness thrown in for good measure. He's just cool, calm, and collected. Another quality that draws you to him is his ambition. He aims for success and follows whatever path will lead him there. You respect how he always makes time for his friends and has a tendency to be a little goofy. With this cheeky,well-groomed guy, you can rest assured that you'll live the American dream!
Huzzah for the American dream! haha

You are a Hopeless romantic
Chances are you love soft music, candlelight, and long walks on the beach at sunset. Crying at sappy movies (your favorite kind) is a given — a box of tissues is a must — and you've have had your wedding planned since grade school. (HA - close. More like high school.) You're looking for a deep relationship — a soul mate. Traditional and sympathetic, guys love that they can open up to you and talk to you about their feelings, their past, and their hopes for the future. How can a suitor win your heart? By romancing you. Sending you flowers, surprising you with a picnic lunch, or going for a horse-drawn carriage ride. Before you know it, you'll be creating a life-long love story. (More like for eternity, not just life-long.)

Natalie, you find love in a Fairy Tale
Glass slippers, traveling minstrels, knights in shining armor. These are some of the classic components of fairy tales. And when it comes to your real-life love life, you'll take 'em in the form of candy and flowers, poems describing your beauty, tiny velvet boxes, and the like. (I'm liking the velvet boxes part. And the flowers.)You sometimes have to work to get your head out of the clouds, but your optimistic spirit and love-conquers-all attitude helps you deal with the good and bad that life might throw your way. As long as you can spot a poison apple when it knocks on your door, you'll always be able to find your happy ending.

Natalie, Prince Charming is the man of your dreams
A hopeful romantic, you're looking for that special guy who believes in fairy tales too. You want the best for yourself and those you love. And you're happy to go the extra mile to make sure everything works out in the end. So even if it means kissing a lot of frogs, you won't settle until you've found the prince you've been looking for. And that's sure to make a happy ending.

Well, if you have made it to the end of this post, I'm sorry. Those last 4 paragraphs were probably a huge waste of your time. And mine too, when I was 16. And I am happy now. I love my life. Even the parts that seem so unsure at times. Being where I am today is so, so much different and better than I pictured it. But maybe that's the best part.

dear Boy,
if you are the man i end up with, i want you to know that i am trying to be the best person i can be now. sometimes i feel like you will never show up. but if you promise to show up soon, i promise to let you help plan the wedding. with no zebra cake. and i promise to love you forever. literally.
love,
Me.