Blush for the New Year

Dress: F21
Shoes: F21
Necklace: F21

Well, guys, Christmas came and went and now we're heading into a new year. GAH. Can you believe it? I sure can't. I'm actually sort of freaking out. Like, I might have a full on freak out about the fact that ANOTHER year is gone. I can't even, guys. I can't even. ;) Really, though, 2015 was SO good. It has truly been one of the best years I've had. My older sister, Allison, and I really worked on ourselves this year. We did a lot of soul searching, tried to find what we lacked, and tried to work and build on the things we felt weren't quite 100 yet. Let me tell you guys, it worked. We both grew more than we even thought we could. 

At the start of this year when we looked at the last few years of our lives we both realized that we had built up a nice list of adventures we wanted to have but had never actually done and we decided no more. This year was the year we would push ourselves out of our comfort zone and just really LIVE. We tackled so many exciting things, saw so many things, did so many things, and had so many adventures! Really, I'm so proud of us both. 

This year definitely had its challenges and heartbreaks but we held each other up through the hard times and just kept on going. I think since we both made a conscious decision to just really ENJOY this year we had a blast with everything we did whether it was soaking in hot springs, getting lost paddle boarding, or just simple car rides in her lil red buggy convertible. I know it's probably stupid to feel so attached to an object but I love that lil car of hers. We've had so many moments in that car. We've had full on jam out sessions to full on sob sessions in that car. Anyway, this year just really made me realize that life really is as great as you allow it to be. I'm SO excited to see what 2016 will bring for us! I just really know it's going to be so great for both of us; I can feel it in my bones! 

Final side note, I thought this all blush look would make a cute and flirty NYE outfit. It's not your typical sequins, but that's what I sort of love about it!

Much love!

The Gift of Giving

Dress: Bohme
Flats: F21
Belt: American Eagle

So, this dress is pretty tiny. BUT, it's also pretty cute. Also, thick, thick, tights, man. They're basically the perfect fail-safe to wearing shorter things. Also, this day was ridiculously windy and I forgot to take the elastic off my wrist, whoops, so pay no mind to my crazy hair and ratchet elastic. ;) Anyway, this Christmas season has been a pretty great one I must say. It's been a little harder feeling the Christmas spirit this year having to deal with homework and finals but now that the semester is over I've been able to stop and consider my feelings for this season a little more. In Relief Society last Sunday we were asked to think of some Christmas experiences and of times when we truly enjoyed giving. As I reflected on this I decided on the moment when I first truly felt the joy of giving. 

It was Christmas 2008 and I was 16 years old. Kind of old for my first time experiencing the joy of giving but I was sort of a selfish kid growing up so giving wasn't my forte. Not to mention that up until this point I had never actually had a job and therefore hadn't ever really had any income. I mean, I babysat and had my fair share of money from that but, like I said, I was a selfish kid and those earnings were always long gone by the time Christmas came along. Christmas 2008 was different, though. That year I had got my first job ever as a cashier at Chic-Fil-a. I don't know why this year I decided to finally use my earnings on loved ones and not myself, maybe that's when I finally started maturing and letting go of my natural man tendencies of selfishness. ;) I don't know what it was but that year I felt a change in my little Grinch heart and decided to get something special for each member of my family. I was giddy with excitement and instead of feeling bitterness at not getting myself all the things I desired, I felt such a joy at the prospect of giving something to my family. 

There was one particular person I was excited to give to, though. My older sister, Allison. Growing up we'd always been best friends, always, but our relationship had mostly consisted of her doing all of the service and giving and of me doing all of the receiving. Heck, she'd even gotten me the job at Chic-Fil-a. She did my phone interview and all. (See what an angel she is?) When I did my budgeting I set aside the largest amount of funds for her gift. It took me a little while to determine what I could possibly get her to show her how much I appreciated her friendship, service, love and most of all our sisterhood. 

After a week or so of contemplation I decided I would get her a heart shaped jewelry box we had seen together on a trip to the mall. I wanted to make it a little more special so I paid a little extra to have the center engraved with a quote I had found that expressed perfectly my feelings for her, "God made us sisters but our hearts made us best friends". I had never felt more excited at the prospect of giving. That year Christmas couldn't come fast enough and for the first time I wasn't excited by the thought of what I would be receiving but by the thought of what I would be giving. When Christmas finally did come, my heart was fit to burst with feelings of joy from seeing my loved ones, especially Allison, open up the gifts I had gotten them. I could finally truly understand the joy of Christmas. We celebrate the birth, life and death of the Savior through giving whatever we can, big or small, to loved ones in our lives as a way of showing our gratitude for His ultimate gift.

As my older sister, Allison has taught me sooo many things in life one of which was finding the joy in giving to others. She is such a light and example to me in my life and today my family and I celebrate with her her choice to go through the temple and receive her endowments. I couldn't feel prouder of her journey in life and where she is today. She is such an exemplary person and if I could be half the woman she is one day I would be proud. 

I hope you all have a happy Christmas and find the reason for the season! 

Much love! 

Christmas-y

cardigan: American Eagle
top: Madewell
jeans: American Eagle
shoes: F21

Over the weekend I went to a new light show down in Kearns, Christmas in Color, and it was pretty stinking cool. It was a drive-through light show and I gotta say it was pretty neat driving through tunnels of twinkling lights! Also, I'm officially done with classes and I only have one more final left! Yippee! It feels preeeetty stinking good to not have any more homework to worry about. Seriously, such a relief. Also, I don't know why, but I'm not feeling Christmas-y at all this year. ;( It's so sad! I think maybe I need to get out and do more service. Anyone else struggling to feel Christmas-y? Any suggestions? I don't know if it's just that I've been so busy, but now that I don't have school anymore I'll try and focus a little more on getting my Christmas spirit on point. Anyway, I typed up this post on Monday and meant to publish it then but felt like it was missing more meat. I decided to wait a couple of hours for divine inspiration to hit me and well here we are two days later and all that happened is that I forgot to publish it at all, haha. :) I'll have a better written and more interesting post for you all to read in the next couple of days, though.

Much love!

Beanie Baby

Panda Beanie: American Eagle
Coat: F21
Top: abercrombie kids
Jeans: American Eagle
Boots: thrifted, buy here

So, I feel like a beanie baby in this hat. A kung fu fighting, kick a$* panda bear beanie baby. A little while ago my little sister and I watched a documentary about pandas and the work that's being done to help their species survive. We're both suckers for good documentaries, especially animal documentaries, so we were pretty enthralled and finished the documentary feeling like the biggest panda lovers on earth. That's why, when I saw this hat, I knew I needed it in my life. Anyway, I feel like I have nothing else to say. Don't hate me? It's just that it's currently 9am, I've already been awake for four hours, my brain feels foggy from a semester of waking up at 5am, and all I really want to do right now is go into hibernation mode and just sleep for a solid week. Ja feel? I don't know why but my energy levels these last couple of months have just been ridiculously low and I'm beyond ready for the semester to be over. I'm almost there, guys, I'm almost there. Anyway, just to complete the boredom that is this post, let's talk about the weather for a minute. Like, what up? We have zero snow. Zero. And it's killing me. I don't know why but I just have a hard time feeling Christmas-y without snow. I mean, visiting this cute little tree lot helped me feel a little more jolly but I need a good layer of snow on the ground to really get the feeling, ya know? Also, it's so crazy to think of how much life can and does change in the matter of just one year. This time last year I was dating a boy who was, to put it kindly, a total jerk. He was aloof, distant, and uncaring. I spent more time than I'd care to admit moping and crying over the mean things he would do and say. Oh, and of course all that just made me want him more. Messed up? Yes. But alas, such is the way of young adult girls. We all think we're above ever being 'that girl' but quite frankly I think the majority of us have been there and done that. Stupid, I know. You'd think we'd know better by now. But, sometimes, we have to date the jerks to be able to fully appreciate the nice ones when they come around, ya know? And even then we don't appreciate just how stinkin' nice the nice guys are. So, anyway, I guess my point is, cheers to the nice guys! 

Much love!

Let the Holidays Begin!

Dress: F21
Shoes: F21

Sooo, it's Christmas time again! It's so mind boggling to think that 2015 is almost over!! And that I'm in the last few months of being 23 years old. So crazy. I know I say this EVERY year, but this year flew by. Really. Also, so much happened this year, SO much. Life is wild, guys, life is wild. Anyway, I'm feeling super worn out from school. Like, I was ready to be done a week ago. I really think it should just be done. I'm at the point where I don't even care what grades I get...except that I do and I'm still kicking my butt to get that 4.0 :/ Sigh...I just can't wait for it to be done so I can have some quality free time. I want to play in the snow. Go on long drives, spend time with humans that I love, and just enjoy the season, ya know? Which, speaking of the season, have you guys seen the new Christmas video that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints put out for this year? It is insanely beautiful and will get you feeling all of those Christmas feels. If you haven't seen it yet, click the link in my side bar or watch it below!  Anyway, to wrap up this post let's talk Christmas outfits. I snagged this number during Forever 21's Black Friday deals and boy am I glad I did. It is perfection. It's holiday perfection while still keeping it classy and modest! Also, there's nothing like red and blush and these suede blush heels are also a mad steal from Forever 21. Anyway, I'm so, so, so excited for this Christmas season and I can't wait to share more holiday looks with you all and share a little more on my feelings and joy for this season!

Much love!

Cold Weather Sweaters

Sweater: American Eagle
Pants: h&m
Boots: h&m

I have an exam in roughly 9 hours. Ack. I should be sleeping but for some reason my sleep has been spooked so here I am typing away this post instead. I'm feeling pretty good about this exam but if experience is good for anything then that isn't necessarily a good sign. Have you guys noticed that? That most of the time the exams you feel super unprepared for you knock out of the park and the exams you busted your butt studying for you end up failing? Maybe it's just me. And actually maybe this is just my subversive way of trying to find an excuse to not study. ;) Either way, hopefully the studying I've done pays off tomorrow. I'm in the solid B range in that class (from getting lucky on the previous exams I didn't really study for) and I want to get an A on this next test to boost it up. Anyhow, enough boring school talk. It just finally got massively cold and now I'm sort of regretting wishing the heat would go away already. Even, though, I'm loving rocking cozy sweaters and boots like the ones above I'm already hatin' on having to walk miles around campus freezing my tush off. I guess the line between warm and 'I'm-a-walking-icicle' is very fine. And the saying "careful what you wish for" is very, very true. ;) Anyhow, I added fresh tunes to one of my go-to favorite playlists and I'm OBSESSED with it all over again. Give it a listen:


Much love!