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Friday, May 27

Jasmine Swap!

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I did something huge today....I bought a Mac. A Macbook Pro. Not only was I nervous to begin with putting forth so much money, but there was a deal on Best Buy that included a free Wii or Xbox 360 if I bought an HP. Well, I ended up choosing the Mac and now I'm  dying to get it in the mail and play with it! I have had the worst luck and I swear I'm the most virus prone gal in the world. How it happens, I don't know. But I can't wait until June 4th.
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Blogger has been down for over two days now. Wah! My laziness still hasn't hit the hay and I'm still a slug, so blogger not working didn't help things at all. When I blog, I'm way more productive and my days are much more structured. Isn't that weird?! Anyways, work is slowly becoming so great. I'm becoming less of an untrained puppy every single day! Today I was even given a gold star (not literally) and got a half hour to go visit my dad two floors below me because I'd finished virtually everything they wanted me to do for the week.Tomorrow it looks like I'll be back to onion crates and onion bags... but then it's Friday! Yay! I love that the weekends actually mean something to me this summer. And that I get paychecks this summer.
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Jasmine and I had a little swap off last month and I had not posted what she sent me yet!! Grrr. I finally sent her package today so she will get hers next week and post her side of the swap! She sent me this top and in her note said that she thought I'd be able to wear it as a dress and she couldn't have been more correct! Being 4'11" has that affect on clothes. I LOVED wearing something with a Peter Pan collar and I think Jasmine has me convinced that I need more!
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It was kind of cold the day I wore this outfit and since all the pictures I took in this sweater are lost, I decided to throw it on. I got it months ago from Goodwill and I know for a fact it must have been donated by a 90 year old woman. It just smells like old perfume and white permed hair. I have not yet donned my new favorite ballerina bun yet...so here you go. I added this bow that was previously a sewed in belt on a dress for a headband, threw socks on with some black wedges, and there we have it.
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FRIDAY! YAY! My college pals are coming tomorrow and I couldn't be more excited! It's weird being away from the people you spend every hour of every day with for 8 months. I can't wait!
Outfit:
Dress: Jasmine
Sweater: thrifted; Goodwill
Shoes: thrifted ; Goodwill
Socks: Urban Outfitters
Belt: Mom's closet
Necklace: Alex
Hairtie: DYI

Monday, May 23

Until The World Ends

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This weekend was supposed to be productive. Very productive. I stayed home just so I could be productive, missing my sister's soccer tournament 6 hours away. I was kind of productive but I wasn't extremely productive. I unpacked all of my clothes and organized them into drawers. I figure that's sort of an accomplishments. Four suitcases with 60+ dresses, 45+ sweaters, 30 some tops, countless tights, underwear, and bras, all my workout gear including six pairs of yoga pants, and many pairs of jeans. Ugh!!!! I hate unpacking. Now I just need to purge and unpack all the "stuff". Ughhh.
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Since my sister and Mom were gone, my Dad and I had the house to ourselves. Last night we were supposed to watch Gilmore Girls and a movie, but much to my surprise, when I walked into his bedroom I found him watching...wait for it, wait for it.... The Last Song!!!!! Once I discovered his movie of choice, he proceeded to comment for the rest of the night about what a "convincing" actress Miley Cyrus was, how "old" Liam was for her, how much he liked the father in the movie, and how "good" the movie was. And he was dead serious about it all. I guess when you've lived in a house of all girls, you are immune to any negative connotations with chick flicks...since it's basically what you watch all the time. Anyways, I still haven't gotten over this yet and love it. A lot. Especially since this time, he wasn't influenced by any female at all.
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I forgot about these pictures. They were hidden on my hard drive. Oooops. My computer crashed during finals week so I can't store any new files on my hard drive. It sucks and thus, is the reason I'm saving for a Mac. I've had it with PCs. So anyways, I just found these pictures today. They weren't Niklaas' favorite, but I feel like this outfit is what I've been wearing for the past week because the weather has been all over the place. Really really cold and rainy or really really hot and sunny. Therefore, dresses with sweaters and dresses alone.
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I got this cardigan a few months ago and I live in it. I sleep in it, even though it's summer. I'm anticipating that you'll see this dress again this spring/summer sans cardigan, but it was so easy to layer and I loved it! I am really getting excited for spring/summer shoots. I have some *exciting* ideas planned out and I can't wait to actually follow through on them!
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Saturday, May 21

My dream is to go to Nashville....

.....and see this little lady.
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One day and 11 hours?
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I love Amber because:
-She's beautiful, inside and out.
-She's more than what she wears; she IS what she wears; and she's confident about herself. She emulates everything that a girl should be and want to be. She's the kind of girl who loves herself so much that it makes you feel beautiful, too. When you look at Amber, you see that she's unique. You see that she isn't cookie cutter. You see that she is just who she is. And you see that you should see yourself that way too. And that you are wonderful.
-She lives in Nashville. NASHVILLE. Well, outside of Nashville, but near Nashville. Nashville is my dream.
-She has the best collection of dresses ever.
-She is a truly and genuinely gifted writer and everything she says hits me hard. And I love that. I love feeling like someone knows how I'm feeling. That I'm less alone. She writes better than most people can say things.
-She gets me. Enough said.
-She owns this bike:
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And, we're going to have monthly features on one another's blogs. I just died and went to heaven <3

Find her here!

better together

We had not yet really celebrated the big one year.
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So what else is there to do except bake a cake?

Thursday, May 19

Feels Like Spring

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Onions. Onions. Onions. I spent four hours at work today scrubbing rotten onion residue off of 50 onion crates. Have you ever smelled rotten onions? Or...rotten onion week old juice? My sense of smell is completely shot and onions are all I can smell and taste. I guess I better get used to it considering I have three and a half months left and onions will be my mantra until August 28th. Woot.
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So, lately I've toyed with the idea of making some sort of blog shop. I know a lot of people have them, but I really don't know how effective bloggers are in selling their old clothes nor how much interest there would be. And then there's the "how". Do I make a separate "blog"? A separate "page" on my blog? A "tumblr" shop? I only intend on selling items that I have showed on my blog because I only want to sell things that I would continue to wear. I wear a S-M and most of my clothes only get worn a few times (thus, blog shop!). Anyways, if you have any comments/feedback/interest, please, please, please let me know!
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I've been grumpy and entirely pathetic these three days of summer. The last two weeks have killed me. Between finals, flying home for prom in a whirlwind trip, soccer tournaments, packing, and studying, I have reached my max. I still haven't unpacked and I have four suitcases on my bedroom floor littered with clothes thrown to and fro. It's bad. I've basically been going to work, watching Netflix, driving my sister to where she needs to go, and doing her homework. Somehow, I'm still pretty busy following my sister's schedule and I really just need a solid weekend of nothing!
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I got this top from Forever21 for Christmas and I love that I'm still wearing it in the spring! I need to love these shorts more- they're so perfect and comfortable and match everything! I'm loving the break from bad weather to go tights free. I love my tights, but there's only so much I can handle. One of my favorite things is exploring my moms closet and finding old shoes. None of them are fancy, per say, but simple black heels? Score! I added socks and voila!
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Have a wonderful Thursday!



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Tuesday, May 17

food for thought

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-I'm finally home, 
-But it doesn't feel like summer when it snows.

-I'm loving Amber's spring blog posts these days.

-My netflix que has been getting some much needed attention from me this week.

-I haven't unpacked a thing. I'm living out of a suitcase.

-I managed to salvage $400 dollars from the school year, and now I am going to buy a new laptop. I have no idea which one I'm going to get. Mac? HP? Dell? Sigh. I honestly don't care. Just give me
a new laptop that doesn't die every second. Okay?

-It's weird when you get to the age that your friends start getting married.

-Or when people start asking you when you're getting married even though you're only 18 and while one year in a relationship is longer than many engagements, I still feel like a 7 year old with a driver's license and grown up job. Or when your mom says, "You can get married in 3 years when you graduate, but any earlier and I won't pay for the wedding." Haaaaaaaa.

-I seriously want a Kindle.

-Washington State University is the most confusing campus on earth.

-Oh, yeah. Work. I started work. A real job. As in, the government gets to take a portion of my pay check and I have a boss. But I love it, for what it's worth. Washing test tubes beats washing silverware and dirty plates any day. And listening to the radio isn't bad either. And neither is working one floor below your dad who pops in every few hours to say hello when you've missed him for a whole semester.

-Why haven't I bought Easy A on DVD yet? I seriously have watched this movie at least eight times on Netflix and rented it four times from Redbox. I need it. 

-I spent all weekend making friends with 8th graders. From Washington. It was the greatest. I have an odd ability to make friends with people way younger than me and way older.

-I have $50 to spend at Modcloth with my gift certificate and I have no idea what to buy. It's a conundrum.

-I think my sister is most excited that I'm home for the sole fact that I can now "help" her do her homework.(By help I mean doing) 

-Moscow is pathetically empty without Niklaas here. I know that's pathetic. And I know I can be labeled Class A "Whiney" for saying this, but really. I got here yesterday but he's gone until Thursday and I've realized how terrible it is to be the one at home while the other is off in a new place. And I can't believe he did this for a whole year. I can barely get through a few days. Being the one in a brand new place and a new surrounding with new friends is so much easier than being in the place that you've been for 18 years. I can't believe he did this for me, and with a remarkably surprising minimal amount of complaining. 
I just want him to come home 
(insert Maggie is pathetic comment here)

Saturday, May 14

My Heart is Calling/Following

I am not Maggie: She’s been extra busy this last week with finals and whatnot, so I’m taking over for right now, with super exciting things to talk about, of course! Last weekend was Prom, and luckily for me, Maggie was able to fly back from college to go with me.

Although that may seem silly, it truly did mean a lot to have her here, and though it was “just a dance” it was my senior prom, so having there was the best. Before the dance though, we went out for dinner, r…breakfast, because, at least to us, nothing says classy like formalwear at Shari’s. It was so weird though, having made it to a repeat of a dance as a couple. It’s not something that we necessarily expected last year, and making it to this point is incredible. Not only that, but everything about this year was so different. Rather than the nervous “first date” of last year, this year we knew each other, we knew we liked each other, and we were already together, so most of the awkwardness (and we weren’t with even more awkward couples) was circumvented. Plus, we completely avoided other people; we don't dislike them, but it was nice to spend a night alone, especially when we haven’t had many lately.


Anyways, I don’t have tons to say tonight, besides how incredible that night was, and how incredible it is that we’re “officially” done with long distance: Maggie is finished with school for the year, and we’ll never have to be apart like this again. It’s an amazing feeling, to say the least.


This picture (the one above) and the other picture (the one below) are actually some of my favorites from the night, I love the light and the detail and all that good stuff.


P.S. Maggie's dress was from Modcloth

And...this is what I wore (I'm sure you were all dying to know)


Oh, and side note, this couple-y picture of us was taken by my dad. Needless to say, I don't particularly taking the wedding photos. They turned out so weird, if you ask me. Picture styles definitely aren't genetic.



Maggie will be back soon, I promise!

<3, Niklaas

Thursday, May 5

Missoula Train Station

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It seems that the universe isn't my my side lately. Last week, I got a cold. A real, full blown cold. It kept me in bed all the time, doing homework on my computer and using my lap desk to do chemistry. Then, my computer crashed and I had to pay big bucks for them to fix my hard drive, which as it turns out, is un-fixable. So I can't save anything to it. At all. I think it's time for a new computer (and I'm not happy about it).  I guess in retrospect, it could be worse and not everything went wrong. I got a C on my chemistry test that I took with a 103 degree fever (class average? 44) and got an A on my archaeology test so I don't have to take the final. Both good things. And it was my one year anniversary. Which caused for a mental uplift. I'm still sick this week, but I have a heck of a lot to do!
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So, since I blogged last the Princess got married, the bad guy died...and can we say Disney movie weekend anyone? I just feel like I need to put my two cents in by saying that Kate's dress was absolutely the most beautiful article of clothing I've ever seen. Even though I was sick, I ended up waking up to watch the entire wedding anyways. And it was worth it. I know a lot of people thought all the hurrah was pointless, but after watching, I fully understood why. A royal wedding simply isn't just a wedding! It's an entire event, royal hats included. Seriously, it was like feasting my eyes on candy. If all of my dreams fail to come true, I swear, I'm going to become a wedding planner. And Niklaas will be my side partner photographer. We'd be quite the duo.
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I know I've been a terrible blogger lately, but have no fear. After next Thursday, I'm all yours. For four months. In fact, I'm pretty much devoting all summer to working and blogging. It's going to be fabulous. I have a long list of picture ideas in Idaho and themes. I'm so excited! I just need to get through my Chemistry and Biology finals....eeeep. I'm nervous. Does anyone else despise the fact that in college, finals can equate to over half your grade??? I do. It's make it or break it time right now.
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Niklaas took these pictures when he was here for a couple days! It was so fun to walk around Missoula and explore- something I pretty much had not done until he came. We walked around downtown, found the coolest thrift store I've ever seen, ate ice cream in the rain, rode the carousel, and strolled by the river. It was wonderful to skip a day of school and just do "fun" things. Plus, it was amazing to see how things would be next year when we can explore every day. I can't wait.
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We took these pictures at Missoula's first train station! I wish I could tell you more...but i didn't read the plaque because it was raining and we wanted to get out of here. I am looking forward to finding more historic places to take pictures (that's one of my goals this summer!). I think my favorite part about college (one of) is borrowing clothes. My friend Katie got this dress and it's the most comfy dress I've ever worn. I loved the white flowers! My other friend Maggie has the best sweaters in the world and she loaned me this cardigan from J Crew. She's a J Crew fanatic. They both worked wonders together! I decided to throw on my white oxfords and tights and voila. Comfy outfit.
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Sunday, May 1

one year anniversary

Do you remember how I used to blog like crazy over my every month-a-versary with Niklaas? I have a secret. I've been holding out on you and refraining from being excited about them every single month in preparation for today when I could get excited. Really excited. Today is ONE YEAR. Niklaas and I have officially dated for a whole year! Wa-oh!

One Year:
It's weird. Thinking of us then, me then, and him then. Us then was nothing. Me then was insecure and unhappy and desperate to get out of Moscow. Him then was the most adorable boy I'd ever met. Us then were just best friends. Me then had the biggest crush ever on a boy I didn't think knew I existed. Him then played Rock Band for hours with me in my basement, texted me every single second of every day, endured exchange students with me for six weeks, and all together filled the void of something I didn't even know was missing. Me then didn't believe in relationships. Him then was in one. After a year, I can say with certainty, I believe in them.
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The past year has been funny. While I had high hopes, I had almost no expectations. If it makes any sense, I think it's crazy that it has been a year but it's not crazy that we are have reached this point. From day one, Niklaas has been the boy I didn't have a choice but to want to change my relationship status on facebook with. The boy who was the single exception. I had a crush on him before I even liked him. I had a crush on him when I liked someone else. I have a crush on him today. He's been my true best friend. We are first and foremost best friends. That's what came first. And then came his other relationship. And then the ending of it. And then came me. And then came summer and the best summer ever. Taking pictures every day, watching countless movies, spending way too much money on gas driving every where, me getting my wisdom teeth out, my graduation... it was the summer of us just being "together together" as a real couple every day as opposed to being together as best friends every day. It was carefree and easy and fun.

Then I left for Missoula. Which, in retrospect is kind of mind boggling that we even tried long distance after his previous experience. I mean, really. Two long distance relationships in a row? But, in a way, it was when we really got to know each other in the way that we know each other now. Being in a long distance relationship...you kind of have to be really close to be able to stick it out. It can't be because you are too scared to end what's great before it gets worse. It can't be because you feel obligated to the other person to stick it out.It has to be because you just want to. It's really that simple. You have to want to go weeks without seeing each other. You have to want to get by on text messages. You have to want to not know what they're doing all the time and letting that go. It took me months to figure it out. It took being a baby and whining and crying and moaning about the fact that we couldn't have the previous summer. I don't know when that changed, but it did. I put on my big girl panties and finally got it. If I learned anything about long distance over the past year, I realized that being apart doesn't mean not being together, it means being together but not living in the same place. Sounds simple, but I agonized about it. Not having the same friends, not knowing what was going on all the time. I have this theory that somewhere down the line, we just fell together on the same page. Probably during spring semester, after winter break. We weren't all over the place, missing each other at different times and being grumpy at different times. It just became understood that being together was the luxury, and it wasn't necessarily a necessity. It was an inconvenience and while it was hard and I missed him terribly... I could get by seeing him once a month, at most. And I wanted it.

I think my favorite part of all of it is the fact that in a way, we've grown up together. And while it would have been perfectly normal and even understandable to grow apart as we grew up in the past year, we didn't. We grew individually but together and that, I think, is so beautiful. I went into this being as realistic as possible and open to the idea that it could just not work out. I went into it expecting failure. I went into it saying that if we had to end it, I'd be alright with it and we'd be able to move on as friends. But we actually made it. I would not have believed you one year ago today that we'd survive a year in possibly the most life-transitioning time of our lives, but I'm happy we did. No matter what happens in the future as we grow up even more (there's still a lot left to do), I have loved these twelve months. 

I take it back. My favorite part isn't all of that. Nope. My favorite part about us and this year is that even if we aren't "destined" to be together and even if we aren't soul mates, I have genuinely adored being his girlfriend and I have loved having a true best friend in every sense of the word for a year. It's been fun. It's been a dream come true. It's proved to me that waiting for something great to come along is worth it and being yourself is actually the best dating tactic you have.  And I have no idea what's in store for us later, but this is all something I can't and will never forget.

i've had the time of my life fighting dragons with you
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swimming
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(look where Niklaas' hands are. Naughty.)
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this has been a hard year.
but it's easily been the most rewarding year of my life.
he's my boy with the bread.
my ron.
my ross.
my walle.


i <3 being his.