Awesomeness of Today

Remember the engagement photo shoot I did with my bestie Casey and her fiance Chance?

(You can check out their wedding website here, 'cuz let's face it, stalking people you don't know and learning their story is fun!)

I wrote a big disclaimer towards the beginning of the blog post, mostly because one of my good friends has a massive problem with people who own DSLRs calling themselves "professional photographers" simply for the sake that people are willing to pay them to take photos. I'm always worried that when I take friends' photos, people will assume I'm one of those people, pretending to be better than I truly am.

Insert Casey, who told me a fantastic story that made my week life.

She told me that when she went to get the pictures printed, she told the lady at the counter her name and waited for what seemed like a long time to grab the photos. When the lady finally came back, she informed Casey that she could not have the photos, as they had been flagged for copyright infringement. The photo printing place thought the pictures were professionally done and thus couldn't be reprinted [insert a little bit of humbleness and a whole lotta pride here]! She insisted on a release form, but Casey whipped out her smart phone and went to the blog post where I insisted I wasn't a professional photographer and the lady let her buy the prints.

When Casey went home for the weekend this past weekend, her grandma took out the prints she got at Walgreens of Casey and Chance (as they printed out a bunch for family members). Casey saw the envelope holding all the photos with the word "Copyright?" on the outside, and her grandma indicated that she too had problems getting the photos printed.

Needless to say, I never realized I would need release forms for friends to bring to photo printers to let them know it's alright. It makes my heart happy, and I love it. I'm still not calling myself a professional by any means (um, I think you have to have more than one lens to be awesome), but it definitely was a photography confidence boost.

What's been awesome for you today?

Dear Monday v.18

Dear Monday, You came quickly but I'm glad you're here.

Dear Nick, You've been gone so much these past few weeks that I feel like you haven't had time to just be. I'm appreciative that as soon as you got back to Waco, you helped me clean my back room and declutter the house. You're such a classy man.

Dear Fam, FaceTiming with you is more fun than a barrel of monkeys. Why go to movies for entertainment when I can just call you?

Dear Miracle Match Marathon, Mile 12 water station was a blast. Although you served beer, wine, and margaritas for free at the end of the race, Josh thought it'd be appropriate to start little less than halfway through. The number of legitimate runners who chose some Shiner Bock to quench their thurst was indicative of the fact that Shiner should hilariously use this as a commercial idea.

Dear Patterson ladies, Spending yesterday afternoon with you was the best way to end a weekend. Going to Waco's Bridal Show Extravaganza with you made me realize how much fun celebrating in September is going to be!

Dear Liz, I'm constantly reminded at how much I love you, more specifically when we eat too many tortilla chips, wear tiaras around a bridal show without regard, and take silly-faced photos. You're fantastic!

Dear Best Medical School Applicant of All Time (who always gets two letters a la Todays Letters), We rode to Josh's house (1.4 miles away) at 8am yesterday and it was freezing. Thank you for warming my hands with your armpits when we got there and laughing with me when I busted out my high school cheerleading moves to the runners. Your zest for life makes me want to be a better person!

Happy Monday, friends!

I'm on my way to Dallas to meet a friend from high school and then grab coffee with an old mentor from college. I'm excited for a day full of reminscing. What are you up to today?

Thursday Thoughts v.4

Awesome buttermilk cupcake recipe here!

Happy Thursday, friends! Can you believe it's almost Friday?

You know the drill by now: write down a few things you've been thinking this week, and then link up below so that others can read what you've shared, too! Right click and save the photo above if you want to use one for the Thursday Thoughts link-up or make your own!

{one}

Nick got yet another medical school interview invitation! It's so exciting. This next one is in mid-February at Stanford (I know, right?!) and consists of 10 mini interviews each eight minutes long. During these, you read a scenario that is written on a paper posted outside a door, then when they tell you to start, you go into the room and tell the interviewer about how you would handle the situation. It sounds awesome.

{two}

Mere, one of the sweetest bloggers I know (also a native PNW-er, so I love her regardless) sent me a tweet today because she noticed I hadn't posted in a while. So sweet! Just to let the rest of you know, life has been awesomely busy, but I haven't forgetten about my blog friends!

{three}

I don't care who you are, if you have an exhaust pipe larger in circumference than my leg, you're a jerk. This is a blurry picture because we were at a stoplight and I was trying to stay far back, because anytime he accelerated, a huge black smoke cloud would erupt out from the top. Not only is it absolutely disgusting, it has to be completely distracting (and unsafe!) for anybody driving near him. Ugh!

(Yes, it's in his truck bed. It looks like a smoke stack, right?!)

{four}

It's Girl Scout Cookie time! I only bought one box for myself (they call them shortbread now, but when I was a Girl Scout, they were Trefoils) and a few boxes for Lisa in Norway, but chances are I'll buy at least two more before they stop selling them this year.

{five}

Speaking of Lisa in Norway, she asked for some ouchless black hairties since apparently they don't believe in painless ponytails abroad. While I was shopping for her, I found these. They're silicone-like, have no elastic, and are one of those products that will either work fantastically or fail miserably. I bought them to send to Lisa, but I may steal one before taping up the FedEx box!

{six}

Dissertation prospectus ideas make me want to barf. Every time I think I came up with something good, my professor tells me its either not easily doable, a poor idea, or just not going to work. Grad school sucks.

{seven}

On February 1st, I'm linking up with Hollie and some girls for a Valentine's Day link-up. I'll be introducing a sponsored giveaway that is Valentine's Day related, so be sure to stop by next Wednesday!

Here's hoping that the end of your week goes swimmingly! Link up your Thursday Thoughts here:

Dear Monday v.17

Linking up again for Dear Monday letters with Megan!

Dear Monday, You started a little rough, as I was woken up this morning at 3:45am from a crazy barking dog. I'll let it go though, because you've eased up a little.

Dear Nicholas, You're on your way to Boston! Kick butt in your Harvard interview! Also, make sure to contact Hillary, she'll show you around Boston and make you fall in love so we can move there. That'd be glorious.

Dear Erin and Dom, It was so incredibly amazing to see you guys this weekend! I swear, each time I hear Erin sing, it gets better and better! I loved catching up and getting some Lute time. Attaway, alums!

Dear 2402 class, Although last semester is going to be tough to beat, I've already had three students come to office hours (that's a record for two weeks of school!) and a student text me with a picture of a problem she had on her homework. Awesome.

Dear Baylor Moody Library, I know you got a Starbucks in your lobby last semester, but this weekend was the first time I visited you. It's incredibly awesome to sit at a table and see fountain mall on one side with a Starbucks on the other. Why don't I write here more often again?

Dear Weekend, You ended up being rather productive, even if your productivity level was lower than normal. My favorite part of you was accidentally playing hide and seek with Chloe after I left a cabinet open.

Dear Mom, I love that you've been blogging so much recently. Here's hoping that it becomes a trend!

Dear Mom #2, Welcome to Twitter! Blog friends, Cheryl is my mother's best friend and in turn, my "mom #2." Can't wait to see all the lovely things you tweet!

Dear Love (who always gets two letters a la Todays Letters), Your sister-in-law Alana posted a video of you this weekend playing Fruit Ninja Kinect and you were pretending to be an actual ninja. Your young-at-heart-ness and humor are just two of the reasons why I love you. I'm thankful for your presence in my heart.

Happy Monday, friends! How is the beginning of your week going?

Starbucks Sunday

Happy Starbucks Sunday, friends!

It's a gorgeous day in Waco, TX so this edition is coming to you a little late. Who could pass up the opportunity to spend time outside in this beautiful January weather?

This weekend has been full of non-productivity (whoops...), unless you count cleaning and laundry (which I usually don't, as those are things that just have to get done). Regardless, I'm currently at Starbucks, just about to finish a draft of a paper to send to my major professor, so I think I've made up for the hours I've spent trying to make the Million Club in Temple Run. Don't ask.

Other awesomeness that happened today:

My parents were in the local paper back at home! Check it out here. Basically, they're wonderful people who still hold hands and skip (when my mom has two good hips, anyway), only bicker when dad's not wearing his hearing aids, and are amazing marriage role models for all.

Also, Chelsea is home! From what her mother tells me, they left her gall bladder in because they didn't think that was the source of her problems. The doctor said she couldn't go home until she ate food and took pain pills orally, so she shoved down some applesauce and then swallowed a pill. Then, she went home and it all came back up. When that occurred, Chels said she knew that it was going to happen, but she couldn't spend one more day in the hospital. If you know Chelsea, you know that is hilariously indicative of her stubbornness. Thank you for all the prayers and good thoughts! Let's all hope for a quick recovery and that the doctors can figure out what's going on so she can return to chemo.

Hope you all had an amazing weekend! Nick has his Harvard interview on Tuesday, so I won't actually see him until Wednesday evening (I'm paying for all those times where I complained about not having enough alone time!).

Hope you all have a great end to the weekend, and a happy Chinese New Year!

Prayer Request!

Please, please, please.

If you pray, I would love you to pray for one of my besties, Chelsea.

Without giving too many unnecessary details, she's very sick. She has colon cancer and has been kicking its ass for a year and a half, but she's been having some unrelated medical issues that have knocked her down. She was in the hospital the entire time I was in Washington over December/January (and sleeping the whole time when I visited; don't worry, I gave her a hug and kissed her forehead!), and less than a week after she was able to go home, she was readmitted for further problems.

She (and her fam) are in need of love, prayers, and plenty of hugs. Since we can't give hugs (damn distance), please please please send love and prayers.

And if you don't pray, cross your fingers she gets better quickly.

Celebrating when I got into graduate school four years ago:

Thank you in advance for all the good thoughts sent her way.

Thursday thoughts v.3

Happy Thursday friends!

You know the drill by now: write down a few things you've been thinking this week, and then link up below so that others can read what you've shared, too! Right click and save the photo above if you want to use one for the Thursday Thoughts link-up or make your own! Easy peasy, right?

[1]

I saw the coolest sign up outside of the BSB (pictured above) that said "Take what you need." Guerilla love? I'm always a fan. I tweeted the photo and it has become my most retweeted tweet yet. That makes me proud.

[2]

I have two (count them: 2!) sponsored giveaways coming up on the blog soon, so stay tuned! I think you will all be excited for what I have in store. Expect one next week (hopefully!) and one the week before Valentine's Day. :)

[3]

I gave myself a treat yesterday, mostly because I wanted coffee. I picked up a white mocha from the coffee bar in the BSB atrium and sprung for the whipped cream. I rarely do this, as I like to be relatively calorically aware, but the coffee bar has the most amaaazing white chocolate drizzle that they put on top. Needless to say, it's heaven.

[4]

I know I'm behind on the times, but I'm in love with Maroon 5's Moves Like Jagger song. I can't help it, it's so darn catchy! But the more that I watch the video, there's no way Adam Levine has anywhere close to the moves like Jagger.

[5]

I just made these printables for my bathroom, as I think I'm going to get some purple towels too. (For some reason, after uploading to Blogger the jpeg looks light, but it's a bit more plum and a little less purple than these show.) Thank you for the inspiration, Pinterest!

[6]

Nick got another medical school interview. Seriously, this is interview number 10, which is unheard of (UCSD, for anybody who cares, because I wanted him to apply to the west side of the country). Nick and I have friends who applied to 15 schools and got interviews to 1 or 2, so the fact that he keeps being asked to interview at places is amazing. The fact that he has to pay to fly there, however, means his bank accounts does not like this. In the grand scheme of things though, not a bad problem to have...

What are you thinking this Thursday? Make sure to link up so we can all go say hi!

Shit Brides Say

I got this glorious video emailed to me today via Casey, the bride-to-be whose engagement photos I just took. Both she and Liz are brides, which makes our three-woman happy hour become Wedding Wednesday happy hour. For those who have ever been the non-married-non-bride in the group, you understand where I'm at. Anyway, she just sent me this and I couldn't stop laughing. Enjoy!



"Whatever dress you want. Oh, you want that one? I mean, if that's the one you really want..."

Dear Monday v.16

Linking up with Megan for another week starting with....

Dear Monday, You're the last time I get to see Nicholas before he leaves for a week for Yale and Washington University in St. Louis medical school interviews. Here's hoping that Nick charms the pants off everybody and has some awesome interviews!

Dear Nick, Yesterday, I paid for your flight to Boston for your Harvard interview as a birthday gift. This means: A) That's the biggest birthday gift I've ever given, B) I'm pretty much the most awesome girlfriend ever, C) If you get into Harvard, it's totally because of me, or D) All of the above.

Dear Dad, I saw you on television last Saturday during the Miss America introductions! Nice cameo! Can you find him? Hint: he's Baylor proud!

Dear Christmas break photographs, Speaking of Baylor Proud, I had a blast finishing edits (RE: lightening) of you last night before posting you up on Facebook. My favorites include:

Heisman poses in a bar full of UW fans after Baylor wins the Alamo Bowl

Hugging my sweetie in front of the Puget Sound (the same body of water Nick walked straight in for the Polar Bear Plunge on January 1st!)

A family dog pile with everybody I love (mom's taking the picture) during the middle of a family dance-off

Dear Nicholas (who always gets two letters a la Todays Letters), I'm so proud of you. Not just for your academic achievement (and medical school applicant badassery), but for your generous heart, amazing hugs, and ability to make a joke during any situation. Thank you for loving me.

Happy Monday friends! How are you spending your Martin Luther King Junior day? Mine is full of self-reflection, gratitude, and plenty of love!

Engagement session: Casey and Chance

Note: this is a picture-heavy post!

Two of my very close friends, Casey and Chance, got engaged last year before Casey went to Europe for three months (I swear I blogged about it but apparently I only put the photos up on Facebook). Anyway, they didn't have enough time to take engagement photos before Casey went to Maastricht, so although they're getting married in less than three months, we decided to take some engagement photos earlier this week.

Disclaimer: I am not, nor do I claim to be, a professional photographer. I'm fully aware that owning a DSLR does in no way make me a professional photographer, I just find it a fun hobby! Be nice in your judging!

We started out in downtown Waco near the Brazos waterfront where Chance proposed in September.

Then we went up on the suspension bridge for some more photographs. Y'all know me and how much I love body language photos!

After a wardrobe change, we did another location change and went to Cameron Park. It started out a gloomy and cloudy day but cleared up out of nowhere, so the park was practically deserted.

Before we left, we had Chance do one last wardrobe change. Chance is a firefighter in Corsicana, TX (about an hour away from Waco), so Casey wanted a few photos with his firefighter gear.

This one is my fave:

Aren't they a beautiful couple? Not only are they gorgeous, they're two of the most fun people I know. I love them very much and I was excited to spend a Friday afternoon hanging out with them! Plus, these are just a handful of the 50 or so photos that turned out completely gorgeous! It was a blast, for sure.

Happy Sunday, friends! If you're like me, you're taking today to relax and enjoy the sun! What are you up to today?

Also, I just found out my good blogger friend Eden posted the sweetest "spost" about me! Can we say nicest blogger ever?! Not even half the stuff she says is true. Okay, maybe the stuff about how I love my mom and dad... seriously though, go check it out! Make sure to leave Eden a note about how hilarious her writing is (especially the hyperbole, as Nick laughed when I read the blog post aloud and she mentioned Jennifer Aniston!).

Thursday thoughts v.2

Happy Thursday friends!

Write down a few things you've been thinking this week, and then link up below so that others can read what you've shared, too! Right click and save the photo above if you want to use one for the Thursday Thoughts link-up or make your own! Easy peasy, right?

[one]

Totally proud of RG3's decision to move to the NFL. He'll be done with two degrees from Baylor, so why should he stay at DI football when he can move to the NFL? It's a smart financial choice, a good time in his life, and who knows where his body will be in a year if he stays in DI. I'm all for it.

[two]

Remember those Printsagram cards I bought in October to randomly give to people? And how excited I was about the first time I did a sneaky Prinstagram drop on an unsuspecting person? I just found her Facebook, and guess what I saw there? Random acts of kindness are my favorite.

[three]

I have no idea what I want to do for my dissertation. My major professor kindly implied I was completely lame in all my ideas, so back to the drawing board. To which I have to say: shit.

[four]

The TV show Dance Moms is back! Best horrible reality TV show ever.

[five]

Speaking in superlatives, I had the best morning yesterday. You've all heard me talk about my bestie Nick (not to be confused with my boyfriend bestie Nick) who has the most amazing singing voice. I somehow charmed him into making me my own recordings, and he sent them to me. Amongst awesomeness, he did a "Cry Me a River" Justin Timberlake cover that makes me smile out of joy and a version of Jason Mraz's "After An Afternoon" that makes me miss him like none other. File these under "The Best Music Ever."

[six]

Nick's gone this week at a Vanderbilt interview, so I need something to keep me busy. Any ideas?

[seven]

Speaking of medical school interviews, for those who don't follow me on Twitter, we had some exciting news from Team Salt Lake this week: Nick got an interview at Hahvahd! Needless to say, we're elated. An interview doesn't guarantee an admission, of course, but even an interview is amazing. I'm so proud of him.

So that's what I'm thinking today! What about you?

Want to join? Link up here so others can read your thoughts today!

Gratitude journal: A tutorial

After Instagraming my gratitude journal on Sunday, Meghan asked for a tutorial on how I made it. Since I already did it, I don't have step-by-step photos. However, it's probably the easiest craft project in the world, so I don't think you'll have any problem recreating (err, making a better version!) of your own gratitude journal.

I used a Greenroom orange monogram notebook from Target (they didn't have the pink, which I didn't realize was an option 'til just now) for $3.49 (now that I think about it, it may have been $2.99). I chose the "LOVE" insert because it's adorable but kept all the other ones it came with just in case I want to change it up.

I then used chipboard as a template to cut out letters that said "gratitude" (and tried my darndest to get the entire word to fit on the cover). I'm sure you could use chipboard itself, but I opted to use four different cardstock patterns to make it a little more busy (plus I love reusing chipboard as stencils).

Then, I counted out specific page numbers for each month. I made sure there were enough pages for 52 weeks, but I ended up counting out 5 blank pages per each month. I started with a page indicating the month along with a tab using two similar stickers back-to-back. This is so I can flip to a certain month in an easy manner, plus it makes for adorable decorations that stick out the sides or top. I decorated with around the month name with stickers or other chipboard I already had. I also wrote using a skinny Sharpie for each of the tabs.

For the five blank pages, I decorated each page with a sticker, chipboard, or other nicknacks I had in my scrapbooking stash (buttons, brads, eyelets, shaped paperclips, etc.). These five pages are where the things I'm grateful for will be listed. I thought 5 pages is perfect (generally, 1st-7th, 8th-15th, 16th-22nd, 23rd-29th, 30th/31st) and figured that if one week I could only fit six days, I'd have plenty of room for the rest.

Some sample blank pages:

I thought about doing a page per day, but I didn't have enough pages and I'm so bad at journaling that I don't think I could write a paragraph each day. I can, however, list something I'm thankful for!

I chose to include enough room that I could add photographs (see Nick with the NERF aisle) or arrows to explain what I mean for each gratitude attitude. It you have a smaller notebook, leave fewer pages in between. If you have a bigger notebook, spread out the gratitude pages!

Don't judge my little girl handwriting Dad; when I wrote these, I didn't realize I was going to blog it!

(If those weren't enough photos for you, I have a photo of the tabs side and another gratitude page here).

And that's it! Easy peasy, right? If you make one, let me know so I can see it!

Do you have a gratitude attitude? Do you have a journal to remind you what you're grateful for?

Dear Monday v.15

Linking up with Megan for another

Dear Monday, You started early when I was awoken at 3am by massive thunder. You've been rainy thus far too. Thank you for matching my sad feelings of missing my parents already!

Dear Nick, Your enthusiasm for life is inspiring! I have the most fun with you, even when you play cell phone games the whole way home from Dallas.

Dear Chloe, I'm so sorry I left you for so long. I can tell you missed me a lot because you refuse to be anywhere except right by my side. I missed you too.

Dear In-N-Out, You're so simple and yet so wonderful. Thank you for making us feel like badasses when we order off the secret menu (and thanks to Em and Tim who recommended Animal Style burgers). Welcome to Dallas!

Dear gratitude journal, I finally finished decorating you and I'm pleased with how you turned out. Meghan asked for a tutorial so I'll blog about you soon!

Dear Ballin' Med School Applicant, It's so much fun to be your guest at medical school interviews. Although I didn't get to see the actual interviews, it was fun touring the hospitals and listening to people try to convince you why you should come to their school. It must be rough to be such a baller.

What are you most looking forward to this week? I'm looking forward to finishing up a 1st draft of a paper, editing another paper, and figuring out what the heck to do for my dissertation!

Happy Monday, friends!