I am a warm weather person.

This weekend we are heading to Beech Mountain like we do every year with Michael's family. We get to stay at a beautiful mountain house overlooking a (usually) snowy valley, play in the snow, sometimes go skiing. And every year I have to convince myself that it's going to be fun. I have to "gear myself up" for it, in a sense. I don't like cold weather. I hate being bundled from head to toe to the point where I can't breathe or walk. This is probably due to the fact that I feel like I never have the right gear for it and always end up with cold, wet extremities. I don't like driving up the mountain in our little Prius when the roads are slick. I had a bad experience skiing once, and while I've had some good ones since then, it's still not my favorite thing. I'd rather sit by the fire drinking coffee and reading a book.

What I'm thinking about 2014

So many bloggers out there are picking a word for the new year, and I think it's a really neat idea. I actually thought I might try it out this year, since I didn't set any new resolutions. However, I haven't the slightest idea what my word for 2014 should be. I felt a little weird coming into this year, like some big things are going to happen but I have NO IDEA what those are because no big things are really on the calendar! It's a strange feeling to be anticipating something but not know what that something is. Does anyone ever feel that way?

There are some things that are looming but we don't know exactly how or if they're going to pan out:

Talking about social media via social media

I've been hearing a lot of buzz about the effects of social media on our lives and speculation on how they will affect society long term. Articles on this topic (most often with a focus on millennials) are everywhere. I've seen people do media fasts and give up all social networks for a certain period of time, from a week to a month to a year. I am sometimes inspired to do one myself, but honestly I always back out because I feel like I'll miss too much if I don't stay connected somewhat. I like knowing what's going on in my friends' lives and seeing a random snippet from their day, or sometimes seeing something exciting like buying a house or getting engaged.

The problem with completely fasting from social media is that these days we use these avenues to communicate. The people who say, "oh I don't do Facebook, I don't like that stuff," are pretty much saying the same thing as, "oh, I don't do email," or "I don't believe in having a telephone." I'm sure people were resistant to the telephone when it was first invented, but when the world becomes dependent on it and you are the one who is choosing not to use it, it actually cripples you and you might miss out on important information. Communication is the most valuable thing in our lives, because it gives us access to ideas, information, and people. We can't live long without communicating, or we start to go crazy.

But I often wonder if there is a way to do it better. I think having so many different avenues of communication - write on her Facebook wall! tweet him! comment on her blog! text her! email them! send her a snapchat! comment on her instagram photo! - can dilute the specialness of connecting with someone. And while I am probably not going to ever give up these social media apps, I'm realizing I can't rely completely on them. I feel a distinct difference in connecting with someone when it's an email or text versus a Facebook post or a tweet. I think it's something about being private and knowing that person really wanted to talk to me and not just throw words out to the world with my name tagged to it. Obviously a phone call or a face to face meeting trumps all of these things, and I could never get by without having that kind of communication daily.

A couple thoughts:

1. The very nature of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and blogging is such that it causes us to quantify our friendships instead of qualifying them. Without thinking about it, I sometimes find myself counting likes, comments, and followers instead of focusing on the person who is liking and commenting.

What I'm Up To

Hello to the Internet world! I'll resume my France posts soon. But for now, here's what I'm up to right now:

Making Blueberry Zucchini Bread
with our produce box goodies

Reading these books

Where'd You Go Bernadette by Maria Semple

I started this book a little unsure of how interested I'd be in the story, but I had heard from so many people it was great that I decided to give it a shot. Several times have I almost busted out laughing mid-read, it's that funny. I also failed to notice that the author is one of the writers for Arrested Development. It has just as many awkward, ironic situations as you would picture and more. Such clever writing. I'm almost finished and a little sad about it.

Little tidbits

photo by Blythe K Photography

+ Little City Radio. Just listen. So good! Thank you Kate & Anna for enlightening me.

+ Ghettofy your twitter. Search your @ twitter name and see your twitter feed look gangsta. Hilarious!

+ This TED Talk. Seriously inspiring. Don't waste time in your 20s - make them count!

+ The First Love sermon series my church just finished up last weekend. Every single one is solid truth for relationships, for those single or married. I really loved this series, and I love my church!

+ Just recently started following Our Freaking Budget and I love it already. It's all about being smart with your money. I'm on board with that.

+ The difference between olive oils. This explains why I'm always burning things on the stove but not getting them fully cooked. Extra virgin is not always the "right" oil to use.

+ I'm pretty overdue for a new computer - my laptop is the one I got for my first year of college and it's almost 7 years old. I'm just grateful it's lasted me this long! So I ordered a new computer this week (thanks to Michael doing hours and hours of research). Bad for the bank account, but totally fun for me. I'm hoping I get it in time for the weekend so I can get it all set up!

+ On the menu for this weekend: BBQ pork in the crockpot, mac & cheese, pink lemonade punch, and spending time outside. I hope it's good weather!

I'm really, really, really ready for Friday. Who's with me?

Lately

I saw this idea on Annie's blog Turning Pages last week, and thought I'd try it out (AKA I'm totally copying her). Here's what I've been up to lately.

Listening... to Taylor Swift's new album Red. Seriously love it. Particularly songs "I knew you were trouble" and "The Last Time." Also, Christmas music. Yep, it's started!

Watching... Homeland!! SO GOOD. And of course Modern Family, Parks & Rec, and The Office.

Eating... Cheeseburger Pie for dinner last night and lunch today. Mmm mm good. Also apple crisp pie and apple muffins.

Drinking... spiked apple cider. Yes, I'm kind of on an apple kick!

Pining... after Young House Love's new book. I'm dying to browse through all those DIY projects!

Traveling... Claytor Lake in Virginia for a girls weekend a few weeks ago, Charlottesville, VA to go apple picking, Greenville, SC for my grandpa's 80th birthday party, and soon we're off to Charlotte, NC for Thanksgiving!

Wearing... lots of scarves and sweaters, gray skinnies, and Essie's "She's Pampered" on my fingernails (which is more of a deep red than the website shows).

Needing... new running shoes. I really need to go get an evaluation done at a running store to find out the best shoe for me. I have never done this, and since I've been running consistently lately, I think it's time!

Inspired...  by this amazing glitter garland. I can't wait to do something similar for my Christmas decor, once I get it all out after Thanksgiving.

Feeling... thankful and excited about my new promotion at work. It kind of just fell into my lap and I'm so grateful to be trying something new and to have more responsibility. Plus, a raise ain't bad either! I'll be starting after Thanksgiving, and I can't wait.

Enjoying... adulthood. I feel like I'm finally where I'm supposed to be and I'm loving this stage of life. I'm content and happy where I am, and that's a glorious feeling.


* image via Fine Art by Di, who happens to be my mother-in-law!

Choose your life

image via

Lately, I've been thinking a lot about being intentional. Every choice we make in the moments, shape our days, and shape our lives. Even our non-choices are in fact, choices. Choosing not to do something is choosing something else, and in essence, choosing against that something. If we're not careful, we can unintentionally say no to things that we don't even realize we're rejecting. Scary.

Am I alone in this? I think in this era of our culture, it is so easy to not think about our choices. We are so distracted by all the things around us. When we're in line at the grocery store, sitting at a red light, waiting on a friend at a restaurant - whenever we have any dead time - we are checking our email and our Instagram and Twitter feeds. We choose distractions, instead of reflecting on our choices, past and present. We don't just sit and think. I am just as guilty of this as the next person. What impact does this have on us? On our relationships? On society?

I want my actions to be intentional. I want them to mean something. Even my non-actions. I don't want to look back at this decade in my life and think, why did I do that? Or, why didn't I do that? I want to know why, because I thought about it.

In a practical sense, this might mean choosing to call a friend or family member to catch up when I'm tired from a long day at work. Or, it might mean leaving my phone and computer in the other room while I spend quality time with my husband. It might mean asking someone hard questions that I'm really not sure I want the answer to. It might mean investing money in a non-profit or ministry instead of investing in my wardrobe or my home. It might mean spending a couple hours baking alone simply just to slow myself down.

Whatever it is, I don't want it to just happen. I want to choose it.
Or not choose it.

"In these bodies we will live, in these bodies we will die. Where you invest your love, you invest your life."

- Mumford & Sons

Some things you may not know about me

So, my friend Christina from My Life, Laughs, and Love nominated me for The Liebster Award WEEKS ago, and due to all the craziness as of late, I haven't been able to take time to finish this post! I have finally written out 11 things about me, answered her questions, and come up with some of my own for the lovely bloggers below. This is pretty wordy (probably more than you want to read about me) so let's get to it!

The Rules

1. Create a blog post included 11 random facts about yourself

2. Answer the 11 random questions from the blogger who nominated you

3. Give this award to at least 5 blogs up to 11 and link to them in the post

4. Tell those people you nominated them

5. You cannot nominate the person who has nominated you

6. Remember to tag blogs with less than 200 followers

11 Random facts about me

1. I'm 5'2" and wear size 5.5 in shoes. It's never really bothered me, I actually kind of like being small. Except when shoe stores don't carry anything less than a size 6!

2. My favorite class in college was my freshman English class. I absolutely loved our professor and we read some pretty awesome novels. We did so much writing that semester and it was a ton of work, but it was one of the few college courses I actually got a solid "A" in. So why did I pursue a left-brained major like Accounting? I'm asking myself that question right now.

3. I am the oldest of 5 kids. Since I am naturally an introvert, I definitely need my space and alone time, but because I grew up in a big family I love having lots of people around and things going on (hence the social part). I've always thought I wanted to have a lot big family too but 5 may be just a little too many for me to handle. I'm realizing more and more how much work kids are!

3. I was homeschooled through the 4th grade. I have lots of memories from my elementary years but I probably couldn't tell you how old I was in each of them because my elementary years all sort of run together, since I didn't have different teachers and school years to mark the times. But I learned so much in those years. I developed a love for reading, which I kind of fell away from once I started going to school (go figure). But I wasn't one of those weirdos who didn't develop social skills - I played a TON with my siblings and all the neighborhood kids, and we constantly got together in homeschool groups to do field trips and group homeschooling. It was actually a lot of fun!

5. I am an INTJ. I think I am more of a social introvert than a true quiet introvert. You can take the test here to find out what you are!

6. I did show choir in high school. Like, full out glee club. I was lucky enough to go to school during a time when we had an amazing director and a really wonderful choir program with 5 different choirs to be a part of. I was in a show choir called Pizzazz and an all girls choir called Ladies Select. Our show choir did some really fun numbers - MJ's Thriller (we dressed up like zombies and everything), Shania Twain, songs from Rent and Wicked, just to name a few. We took big spring trips every year to compete in competitions in Florida, Chicago, and Los Angeles. Some of my favorite highlights and high school memories came from being a part of the show choir!

7. I don't like my feet. I feel like they always look fat. But my hands - I do like those!

8. Speaking of hands, I keep my nails short almost all of the time (no, I don't bite them).

9. My maiden name is Yantz - it's German. It's a little different and kind of weird, but I miss it sometimes. It's just not a name you hear everywhere, and that's kind of cool.

10. The countries I've visited outside of the US are Ghana, Venezuela, France, Italy, Dominican Republic, islands in the Caribbean, and Canada (do those last two even count?). I feel like writing these all down makes me want to do a blog post on each one... I'll have to get on that.

11. While I'm really excited to have babies someday, I'm most excited for them to be little kids - like ages 3, 4, 5, & 6. Those are my favorite ages because they are still in the "cute" stage and they are learning and growing so much, asking questions all the time and saying the funniest things!


Christina's 11 questions

1. If your job were to transfer you to a different location, ideally where would it take you?
I think it would be awesome if my job took me somewhere I wouldn't be brave enough to move to on my own. Honestly there are so many places I've been fascinated with lately that I can't pick just one! New York (thanks to this lady and How I Met Your Mother), Chicago, Denver, and London all make the list. I know some of them sound cliche but they are cliche for a reason - people must love them!

2. Do you bunch or fold your toilet paper?
Haha this one made me laugh! I definitely bunch it (and the hubs always complains that I use way too much, which I don't, he's just crazy).

3. What quality do you love most about yourself?
This one is tough for me! I think it would have to be that I'm a "doer." I like having things on my schedule, lists to check off, and projects to work on. However, I also see this as a fault sometimes. Sometimes I wish I was better at just "being" - sitting around and enjoying people without necessarily accomplishing something. So there's my backwards answer to that question :)

4. What is your going out drink-of-choice?
Usually a margarita will do the trick! They are the perfect combination of salty and sweet :) If I want something light I'll go with a vodka tonic.

5. If you won a shopping spree to any store, which would it be?
This is hard! If it was an unlimited shopping spree, it would have to be Nordstrom because they have the nicest clothes. But if I was on a limited budget it would be TJ Maxx!

6. What was your high school mascot?
We were the Spartans - Christina you are fully aware! Our colors were orange and blue, and then I proceeded to go to college where the colors were orange and maroon, so let's just say there is a LOT of orange in my t-shirt drawer!

7. Stilettos or wedges?
I'm really loving wedges lately! They are about 10x more comfortable and it really helps that they're in style now. I feel justified buying them because I know I'll wear them with more casual outfits because they're so comfortable :) (But I do love a good pair of pumps when I get really dressed up!)

8. Most embarrassing moment?
This may or may not be my most embarrassing moment but it's the first thing that came to mind. When I was 10 years old I was climbing trees with some neighbor friends, who happened to be boys. I jumped out of a tree wrong and landed weird on my foot so I was sitting on the ground making sure it was okay, and one of the boys said "Dang, you need to shave!"  I. was. mortified. That night I went home and without asking permission shaved my legs with my mom's razor. And that's why I started shaving at the young age of 10.

9. Favorite season?
When I was in school, summer was hands down my favorite season. I think it's still #1, but fall is coming in as a very close 2nd. My favorite things about summer are the long days and the hot weather! And I feel like everyone is generally much more relaxed in the summer months.

10. Who sent you your most recent text // what did it say?
From my mom: "I'll let you know when I hear something," referring to my cousin who had twin baby boys today!

11. Guilty pleasure?
Shopping for myself when I'm buying gifts for other people. I seriously do this all the time! If I go to a favorite store of mine to look for a present for someone else, I end up spending just as much time, if not more, browsing for myself. Even when I've already used up my shopping budget for the month! I always feel guilty doing it, but sometimes it pays off when I snag that random item that I really needed, which of course I found because I wasn't specifically looking for it (darn you, Murphy's Law!).

And now... the nominees!

Colleen @ Ordinary Tales

Megan @ Happy the Home

Mindy @ Handmade by Mindy
Heather @ Made to Live
Erin @ Life as a Losey
Sherri @ The Life of a Wife

My 11 questions for you

1. What is your current ringtone?
2. Favorite thing to do on a Friday night?
3. What do you usually have for breakfast?
4. Do you have any superstitions?
5. If you had to do it over again what would you study in school?
6. What TV shows are you into right now?
7. What's the last concert you went to?
8. What was your first AIM screen name?
9. Favorite birthday memory?
10. What was your first paying job?
11. If someone gave you $500 for no reason, what would you spend it on?

Are you still with me? Wasn't that fun?? I think I'm going to change up the rules a bit. If you are a reader of my blog and WANT to answer my questions but I failed to nominate you, please do! In a comment, an email, or do a whole blog post like I did! You can totally claim that I nominated you :)

Memories

This past weekend I went through some old boxes from my parents' house. It was so weird to go through all of my high school memories, and some even older than that! These boxes were filled with old notes from friends, hilarious journals from middle school, sewing projects, and photos. I also came across about a billion ticket stubs to various movies, concerts, and high school musicals. Don't ask me why I saved all of them, but it was fun going through and seeing all the different movies I saw in theaters. Teenagers see SO many movies it's ridiculous! Take a peek at some of the things I found.

Notes written in class and passed in the hallways to my friends,

all kept in a priceless homemade memory box from a good friend

Yearbooks! I have yet to leaf through these.

My now 10-year-old doggy as a 1-year-old pup

A matching mother-daughter picture. Love this so much!

Of course a good amount of things had to be tossed...

(yes, I used to cross-stitch. maybe I'll show you some of my lovely finished projects another time)

 But there are some things I would never, ever, ever throw away.

Like this decorative rack, hand-painted by my grandmother for my nursery.

She passed away when I was 5, and I love that I have this keepsake from her.

It makes me want to name my daughter Laura just so I can put it up in her nursery.

Things like this make me cherish the memories that made me who I am today. They make me thankful for the full life that I have lived, all due to my parents, siblings, friends, and experiences that influenced me so much. These things also make me thankful for where I am today. One day I will look back on my 20s, fondly I hope, and think of these times as "the past." What will I remember? What will I not remember? I'm realizing that what I do every day is me adding pages to my story. So every day really counts. Because pages add up to chapters, and chapters compile the book. I hope one day I'm proud of the way I'm living right now. Mostly, I hope I remember. At least the good things anyway.

Laundry + Laziness

pinned here

So I have to admit, I'm a bit lazy during the work week. The laundry piles up, the floor does not get vacuumed, and I'm doing well if I make it to the grocery store once. I have family coming in town for Easter, but for my day off on Good Friday I want to do something more fun than just playing catch-up on cleaning the apartment. So tonight I forced myself to fold the two loads of laundry that have been sitting in the baskets since the weekend. And, newsflash: it actually wasn't that bad! It only took me one episode of How I Met Your Mother (this is a great way to measure time I might add), and I got to laugh hysterically while doing so. Why do I allow myself to live with a mess for so long even though it doesn't take very long to clean it up?? I always picture it taking way longer than it actually does. I need to remind myself later that folding two loads of laundry only took me 30 minutes! [I think that if I had a laundry room like the one pictured above I would definitely be more inclined to spend time in there. Yes, of course that's my issue.]

I feel so much better getting all of that put away. If I wrap up my cleaning tomorrow night, I'll be able to sleep in on Friday and do some fun things instead of chores!

What sort of household chores do you put off just because you don't like doing them?

And do you have a pretty laundry room like the ones all over Pinterest?

If so, I want to see it!

A good Thursday morning

Some things that are making me happy this morning...

a sunny drive to work

the way my clothes smell with my new laundry detergent

pants that I don't have to get hemmed and fall at the perfect length

we finally booked our flight for our vacation in May (!)

posts like this one and that one that remind me to love and to love well

prayer and the power that's behind it

adorable pictures like this one!

via Katelyn James

High Five for Friday!

I'm linking up with Lauren over at From My Grey Desk for High Five for Friday! And I don't think I've ever been so excited for a Friday...

1. I'm finally kicking the butt of the cold I've had all week. Feeling refreshed and ready for the weekend :)

2. Loving the cute calendar that I printed from anna and blue paperie. Free printables are great! (Leave a comment if you want to find out how I got it). I have all 12 months but I'm only putting up 4 at a time on the wall of my cubicle!

3. Even though I was feeling tired and sick this week, I still managed to try 2 new recipes (one of my new year's resolutions). Wife points!

4. This week I joined the church choir and I am SO excited to be singing again! I cannot wait for the Easter performance.

5. And hurray for good friends finally getting engaged!! Congrats Corinne and Joseph!!!

Can we say High Five for Friday??

Modernly Retro

Lately I've noticed so many ads and products are going seriously retro. Mostly in the '50s era, but sometimes they are a combination of that decade with the '60s, '70s, and '80s. I realize the whole it's-cool-to-be-thrifty-and-wear-your-parents'-clothes-from-college thing has been going on for a while now, but lately I think the advertising and design world has been catching onto those ideas. Take a look:


Vera Bradley's fall ad - how old school is that station wagon??

De'Longhi kMix coffee maker

Pottery Barn Kids pink retro kitchen - I actually think this is super cute!

Pepsi & Mountain Dew throwback series

 

Shabby Apple's vintage Madison Avenue dress
(the new online boutique you see ads for on like every single blog)

...and I'm sure AMC's hit show Mad Men has something to do with the trend

What's your take on the "new" retro style? Do you like the idea of redesigning an old style or do you think it lacks originality? What other things have you noticed that have "gone retro?"

First day on the job :)

 

Doesn't my hubby look great? This is his first week starting in a pharmaceutical sales position, promoting some new drugs in the Raleigh/Durham area. With so many specialized doctors, incredible facilities, and guaranteed pharmaceutical competition, there is a lot going on in the healthcare industry here. Think about it - Duke, Chapel Hill, WakeMed... talk about intimidating! I know Michael will do just great as he grows this business and promotes his drugs in the new market. He is already working so hard to do his best and put himself out there. I am so proud of him and so excited to see all that he is going to accomplish in this position and in his career! More than anything, we are so grateful God has given him this opportunity. If you think about him, send a little prayer his way as he embarks on this scary and exciting new journey.

I love you, sweetie!

Wildflower fail

I take back roads on my way to work, and the other day I noticed some pretty yellow wildflowers along the road. I love having fresh flowers in the house, and my previous bouquet had gone bad so I had the brilliant idea to pick some and bring them home (they were not in anyone's yard, nor were they planted by the county - they really were flowers growing wild. I promise I didn't steal them from anyone!). Well, when I had cut them and put them in water in a mason jar as a vase, it was obvious they are wildflowers and didn't look quite as nice as the hydrangea and dhalias. I still thought they looked cute though, in a disheveled-daisy-kind-of-way, so I left them on the table next to my pumpkin. I was so proud of myself for finding a fresh bouquet for free! Until last night. That's when I realized that wildflowers may have been a bad choice. It has been two days since I brought them into my house, and now surrounding the mason jar is a circle of bright yellow pollen that is continuing to drop from the flowers, making a mess on my table and fall placemats. I guess these cute little wildflowers are gonna have to go.

This got me thinking about how life in general is imperfect and doesn't always go according to plan. Throughout my apartment this is so obvious - right now my bedroom looks like an explosion of laundry, half of which needs to be washed, the other half is already washed but in a laundry basket so the clothes probably now have permanent wrinkles from sitting in there so long. My bathroom, though now organized, has gotten dirty once again and definitely needs a good scrubbing. My dishdrain and dishwasher are full of dishes that need to be put away. Our kitchen table is covered with bills, magazines, and random mail we needed to take care weeks ago. Oh, and don't forget the wildflower pollen has gotten into that mess as well (I still have yet to clean that up). Yeah, so a lot of imperfections...

To add to all that, last night my husband and I were getting settled in front of the TV to eat dinner and catch up on some of our favorite shows, and I don't even know how it happened but I knocked over my pink Mike's Hard Lemonade and completely doused a good portion of the carpet. Instead of having a peaceful and relaxing night, we ended spending a good 45 minutes trying to figure out how to clean the carpet and get rid of the stain. There may or may not have been a fight somewhere in there, too, with maybe a little bit of yelling, because we are human, and definitely very imperfect.

I could go on to say that everything "doesn't have to be perfect," "life is so much more interesting with the imperfections," and "it's the imperfections that make you you." And yes, life is definitely more interesting because of the imperfections, and my life is so much more full because I am surrounded by so many unique people who are not all just like me. But the truth is there is a part of me that still gets frustrated with my flaws, and while I have a strong desire to do things the right way, I simply just can't all the time. And that is so frustrating. I can't rely on a quote or a mantra to give me to right attitude to just let it go, as the world might tell me to do. No, I have a greater comfort: the fact that my Savior loves me in spite of all my imperfections. Not because I'm going to "try to do better next time," or after I have already cleaned up the mess. But He loves me through it all. So much that He offers it over and over again to me before I'm even ready to apologize.

I guess I just wanted to share a little bit of what's on my heart right now, and remind you that if you're feeling imperfect, know that I am, too. Very much so. But the amazing thing is that we're covered by the grace of a God who loves us so much. I am so thankful for that.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend, and while it may or may not be perfect, know that you are loved in spite of your imperfections.

You are my Home

I just love this music video. This little girl is so precious. "Home is wherever I'm with you." How true... I'm so glad I get to live with my best friend!

DIY Wedding Invitations

Wedding invitations are not cheap. After dropping thousands on deposits for your venue, caterer, flowers, photographer, dress, cake, etc., invitations are not something you want to splurge on. And it is so hard to find decently priced wedding invitations that are pretty and made of good quality. After searching for hours upon hours on various websites (from American Weddings to Wedding Paper Divas to Costco) and not finding anything that I liked that was less than $500 before postage, I resolved to try to design my own. I started playing around on Microsoft Publisher, found a website that allowed you to download free design graphics, and finally came out with invitations and RSVP postcards that my mom and I both liked. It was not an easy process. I probably spent 30+ hours working on the tedious details: the size of the invitation, the fonts, the colors. At times I wanted to pull my hair out! BUT they ended up looking exactly like I wanted and for SO much cheaper. I had a family member in Greenville, SC take them to be printed at Bob Jones University Press on nice cardstock paper (it was just a really good deal to get it printed there. I'm sure there are other printing presses that have great deals). I then borrowed a paper cutter to cut them to size and ordered envelopes to fit from an online paper company. The total cost before postage was less than $150!

If you are considering DIY-ing your wedding invitations (or any invitations for that matter), here are some tips I would give you:

1. Make sure you are willing to put time into it. What you're not paying in money, you will be paying in time, and if you are working a full-time job and only have a few months to plan, you will not get these done in time.
2. Browse online invitation websites and see if you can get an idea of what you want yours to look like. Not many people can just design something on the fly and come up with something eye pleasing. I am not a graphic design artist and I knew that, so I got ideas from other people who are before I started!
3. Look at envelope sizes FIRST, then you can know how to size your invitations on Publisher. I had designed my invitations, then got around to ordering envelopes, and found they only came in certain standard sizes and I had to resize my invitations. Ugh, it is never fun to redo work!
4. Find a good printing press that will do quality printing for a good deal. Send them a proof of your work, and have them print a free sample for you. That way you know how it will turn out.
5. Have patience. Like I said, this project will take time, and it can be stressful when it's not working out like you pictured in your mind.
6. Solicit help from others. Get a second opinion from your mom, your maid of honor, or anyone else who knows the theme and colors of your wedding and has a good eye. Sometimes others' ideas combined with yours will turn into the best results.

I hope this helps! If you have any questions, feel free to email me (lybritton@gmail.com) or leave me a comment on this page!

My Favorite Lips

Lip gloss. Lip balm. Chapstick. Lipstick. Lip plumpers. If you are a girl, I'm sure you've tried them all, trying to find the best one. It is a challenge indeed. I want to share with you some of my favorites, in hopes to help you not waste any more money on trying out products! As a disclaimer, I prefer my lips to feel lightweight rather than sticky. So if you love really glossy lip glosses, this post may not be the best product review for you.

Carmex Moisture Plus

I love that this product gives your lips a glossy look and feel, without being too much. I am not too crazy about true lip glosses that feel heavy and sticky. This is lightweight and gives your lips a slight shine as well as sun protection with SPF 15. When I looked this up on the website, I just saw they now have 2 new colors added. I will have to check those out soon!

Softlips

I have used this lip balm for years. Really. It is the most lightweight out of anything I've tried. It really does make your lips soft! I have tried the colors and I'm not too crazy about them because the product feels entirely different, a little too thick. If you're looking for something to always keep on hand in the winter for chapped lips, and in the summer for sun protection (has SPF 15), this stuff is great. My favorite flavor is vanilla.

Covergirl Natureluxe Gloss Balm

This is my favorite lipstick by far! It feels like a chapstick but gives you the color and shimmer of lipstick and lip gloss combined. It is perfect for the low-maintenance girl who wants to get glammed up. Also has SPF 15. The color I've picked is Pinot 245 and I love it. It is not extreme, so if you're looking for a bright color or something that will really stand out, this may not be your lipstick.

Some products I've tried and disliked are:
Nivea "A Kiss of Smoothness" - this tube looks like a gluestick and feels like one. Too thick and did not make my lips feel moisturized, but like the moisture was sucked out of them.

Anything Chapstick - Now, I can't vouch for their newer products, because I haven't tried them in a while. But anytime I have bought Chapstick I've disliked how it makes my lips feel. I've also heard that the product in it actually dries your lips out to make you continually need to put on more. That's how I feel when I wear it, so I wouldn't be surprised if that was true.

I hope these tips have been helpful!! If you have any favorites please feel free to share.

I love trying out new lip products!

Big Decision

I recently just got a smart phone, and am in awe every day of all the things this thing can do. The first thing I did was set up my Gmail, and instantly my contacts were loaded on there without me even realizing it. Then I set up my Google Voice app (if you aren't using this, you totally should. You can have calls be forwarded to any phone by setting this up, so if you're out of the country or in a place you don't get good service, you can still get calls on a landline or someone else's phone. And this allowed me to keep my number without the hassle of transferring it. I also can check my texts and voicemail online if my phone is dead. Have I sold this thing enough already??). Ok, we get it, smart phones are pretty sweet.

Picking a case for my phone, however, is a hard decision. Do I want a rubber one, or a hard one? Should I pick my favorite color pink, or would that look unprofessional as I'm using it to do business? What does it say about me? Or would that appeal to some of my clients and be a good conversation starter? Or would they not even care?? These are the thoughts running through my head. I also don't want to wait too long to make a decision, because I need to buy one before I scratch my new phone, since I am prone to drop expensive things on a regular basis. So I'm going to make a decision tonight, and hopefully I'll like it!

What kind of case do you use for your phone, if any? Also, what's your favorite app? Would love to hear from you!

One year since

Going on a run around a suburban neighborhood at 10 o'clock on a Wednesday evening is actually very quiet and peaceful. Doing the same in a college town is a whole different story. I probably haven't even gone on a run at that time of day since college. It got me thinking, reminiscing the years at my alma mater. It has been over a year since graduation, and so much has changed! As I pondered and jogged (probably succeeding more at the former than at the latter), I concluded that a single word can sum up my college experience: Adventure. I think that was the most exciting thing about graduating high school, and knowing that I was leaving for a place I had never been before. It was the thrill of the possibilities: the friends to be made, the places to visit, the silly adventures that students find themselves getting into on a weekly basis. The options were endless; our time unlimited. And it all got to take place within the buffer between us and the real world, where our parents were still paying the bills while we got to call the shots.

As graduation came and went, I felt like my adventurous days were over. Now, looking back and really seeing the full picture, I see that college is defined by adventure not because it equals it, but because it marks the start of it. It is the first time in our lives where we get to (or have to) decide what we are going to do with our time, what we are going to invest in, and what paths we are going to follow or create. I realize now that this was only preparation for what real life is like. We are doing the same things, only on a bigger scale and a bigger map. I feel like all of my close friends are scattered across the country, across the world, doing what they love or searching for it. It makes me sad, and at the same time excited. I miss my friends very much. There is something about about the bond that forms with people who surround you once you've left your parents and your childhood home. We had such a community, and the fact that it was founded in Christ made it that much stronger. Going our separate ways after college did not sever our bond, but the bond was still stretched, and sometimes it hurts. Even still, I am so excited to see who everyone is going to become, and what they are going to accomplish. So much has happened in the past year, as we are figuring out where we should go and what we should do. Much has been learned about life already, yet there are so many more lessons!

I have probably brought upon way too much nostalgia for one night. But as you are looking back to your college days (or your defining years of becoming an adult), say a prayer for those who you love and miss. I wouldn't be the same without the influence of my fellow Hokies. Please know that I miss you and think of you often.