Ahhh, Italia

I know I was just barely raving about how much I love Christmas & how great this time of year is, but I've got to tell you, this season also makes me feel a bit restless.

The weather is beginning to get a little chilly, the sky a little gloomy, and I find myself wanting to travel to somewhere I can wear my bathing suit.  Either that or somewhere I can enjoy good food and good company.

When I was 15, my parents took me and my 13 year old brother on the trip of a lifetime.  We spent a week and a half in Paris and Rome. To say that it was a dream is an understatement.

We visited the Eiffel Tower, La Louvre to see the Mona Lisa (she's smaller than you'd think), and Notre Dame.  In Italy we visited the Trevi Fountain, St. Peters Basilica, The Vatican City, and drove past the Colesseum atop a double decker bus.

Even though those dreamy places were amazing and prestigious, my favorite part of the trip was Siena.  This place is the most beautiful I've ever visited.  It's your typical Italian thought, with cobblestone streets & restaurants with their seating outside for people watching.  Google it. It's history will not disappoint.

My parents are great travelers and found a picture perfect restaurant for us, tucked back in the middle of the ancient buildings.  There was a canopy out behind, and we enjoyed ravioli, veal, duck, and many more classic Italian dishes.  The food was amazing, and I was in heaven soaking in the Italian air and eating with some of my favorite people.

I'm sighing just thinking about these places. Can you tell I'm homesick for it?

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!

Okay, okay.  I know I'm jumping the gun. 

But really, I think one of my favorite things about Halloween is that the day after, Christmas music starts playing on the radio.

So no disrespect to Thanksgiving - after all, it is my 2nd favorite holiday - but I'm feeling all cheery and jolly and can't wait to hang the IKEA string lights I have already picked out.

Happy Holidays!

::here

::here

::&here

It's Time for Some Cheese

It has been exactly one year since Trev and I said  "I love you" to each other.  He said it first, and it was more of a "You know I love you, right?"

It was pretty great, because I had been wanting him to say it for days and days and was hinting and was nervous and when he finally said it, it was like a weight had been lifted.  I just couldn't say it first, I'm too chicken, but I really, really wanted to. Thoughts like "What if he doesn't love me back?" were drifting through my noggin.

Then he said it. 

And I said "I know," because I really did know it, and "I love you too."

And it was cute

and exciting.

 And I could breathe again. 

We still love each other, and life is good.

Tonight we'll probably celebrate by getting Slurpees and watching The Walking Dead.  I'm also thinking of making a grocery stop because I'm craving some Ben & Jerry's Phish Food.

Don't you just love love?  Today especially I'm super fond of it. 

Highlight Reel Moments

Man, it's been some time since I've last posted.  Blogging can be difficult sometimes because I feel like I don't have much to say.  Or I may compare my blog to other beautifully written blogs and think to myself  "I'll never be as interesting as her."

But really, to me, blogging is not about how beautiful a writer I am, or even how interesting my life is.  This blog is about having something to look back on and remember "Hey! I remember that experience!".  Or maybe even a place for me to share the things I love with people I love.  This is MY blog, so it should reflect my life and my passions.  Another thing that kind of reminded me that I needed to blog and really hit close to home for me was this:

That's something that I really used to struggle with because my makeup is never perfect, my outfits are seldom runway ready, and my life is not all about tea parties and amazing photo shoots in a sunny orchard.

My life is full of false eyelashes, because mine are not long or thick.

It's full of Kraft Mac & Cheese, because as much as I love cooking good & fancy food, I just don't have time.  To be honest, I love Kraft Mac & Cheese (but really, who doesn't?).

My life is full of stressful moments and a face that will break out if I don't thoroughly wash it every night! 

It's full of vent sessions and some moments of crying to my boyfriend because I have poor me syndrome (aka PMS).  Usually these crying sessions consist of me being sad that I'm not crafty, I don't know what to choose as my major, or the dinner I made for us the night before just wasn't as good as I had hoped.

However, I love these moments in my life, because when I do have those "highlight reel" moments, I am grateful for them.

LDS General Conference was this last weekend, and although I didn't get to listen to all the sessions, this year's conference felt a little different.  Excuse the cheesiness (I hate emotional moments, this post is unusual for me), but I was just so full of gratitude for my family, my amazing and motivational boyfriend, and for the light that the gospel has brought back into my life.

I am appreciating the reality of what this life is about more and more each day, 

and I love that even when my hair is a mess, my laundry isn't done, and I'm tired of the homework I'm supposed to be working on, I know that it's all good.

My point?  Life is definitely worth living for those highlight reel moments, but don't be discouraged if all of it isn't that way.  Nobody's life is.

SOS! I Need a Second Opinion

... and maybe a 3rd, 4th, etc.

I'm buying a planner (finally) and I've been waiting and waiting to find the perfect one for me, and I think I've found it.  HOWEVER.  I've reached a dilemma.

I can't decide if I should get the PYTHON cover.

or the GLITTERY GOLD cover.

Please assist, fellow bloggers!  

Also, I hope everyone is having a great week! Mine has been busy so sorry I've been MIA!  I'll do a real post real soon! ;)

Adorable planners found here.

Zulily Finds | A Wannabe Fashionista on a Budget

Have any of you heard of Zulily before?

This is completely new to me.  I received an email from one of my favorite people, my cousin Christina, inviting me to join this site called Zulily.  I joined not really thinking much of it, because it advertised itself as a site for babies and mom's. To my pleasant surprise, though, I found some AMAZING stuff at some AMAZING deals.

I am now eagerly awaiting my first purchases, and plan on purchasing from them again... and again

...and again.

Here are my three finds from this first experience. I had so many things in my shopping cart but didn't want to spend all of my remaining money on products there, so I narrowed it down to three.  It was difficult, but here are the results:

FIRST

An orange and fab O'Neill Trailblazer Hobo Bag. {$22.99 - Originally $46}

 

 NEXT

 In honor of Halloween a Raj Imports Orange & White Skull Print Scarf. {$15.99 - Originally $50} I'm dying to get this in the mail. Pun fully intended.

And FINALLY

A Raj Imports Turquoise & White Skull Head Wrap {$5.99 - Originally $12}

I did also score a free 8X8 photo book from Shutterfly just for having a Zulily account.

As you can see, this site is extremely useful and helpful for fashionistas on a budget - even for your little ones as well.  

If that's not cool, I don't know what is! 

To create your own Zulily account, click here to sign up and begin shopping - but do your best to not spend your whole paycheck or dip into your savings.  It's tempting, I know, but resistance is key my friends!

Labor Day Weekender

I hope everyone had a very relaxing Labor Day weekend!  

We spent our 3-day weekend in Fairview, Utah, staying at my grandparent's cabin.  It's been a few years since I've been up to the cabin because I always have to work.

Total BUMMER.

Right now, they're looking to sell the cabin, so I was really glad to be able to spend the weekend there with Trevor and my family to enjoy the last few breaths of Summer!

:: Mini roadtrip, we're on our way!
:: Going for a ride.
:: No better way to enjoy the great outdoors than with a fire and some s'mores!
:: Impromptu dance around the fire.
:: The beautiful view on our Fairview Skyline ride.

{Pictured: Cousin, Alex; Aunt, Ronene; Step-mom, Amy; Myself; Trevor; Sister's Boyfriend, Ben; Sister, Savana}

:: Creatively posing per Amy's request.