bloody noses.

 White Shirt: ??, Red Sweater: Thrifted, Jeans: f21, Shoes: UrbanOG.com

Do you remember when I got those terrible bloody noses the other month? 

They lasted up to three hours and ruined my birfday.

No, I haven't been cursed with another.

yet.

But for the last few days I've been having dreams nightmares that I have a bloody nose. 

It's awful.

Actually, it's not that bad since I'd rather have them in my subconscious rather than my conscious but still.

I'm convinced it's God's way of telling me that I need to apply vaseline to my nostrils like I used to every night, but haven't for a month or so. Have I actually done it? Nope. I keep forgetting to. And even though I'm dedicating this entire blog post to my  un-vaseline-d nosey, I will probably forget again.

At least I still carry around a little towel in my purse and Afrin. 

Who knows when it'll strike again!

california, here i come!

Earrings: F21, Top:Old Navy Thrifted, Jeans: F21, Shoes: DSW

I know, I wear this shirt a lot. It's just so easy.

Also, I wear these jeans a lot. They are the only pair that fit my hips, toosh, and legs. They're not too long. They don't slice into my hips or tummy when I sit down. No weird bunching or sagging. They look and fit the same after a wash. And they only cost me $9.50. 

After all the expensive jeans I've bought from Nordstrom, these are by far my favorite pair of jeans ever purchased. And they're from Forever 21. 

That's why I wear them with everything.

Also, I'm headed to California today. I'll try to post just as often, but the consistency may be a little sporadic.

whenever i'm sad.

Sweater: F21, Necklace: Nordstrom Rack, Jeans:Ross, Shoes: UrbanOG.com

There are three things that can always cheer me up when I'm sad.

1. YouTube videos of people falling. My favorite to watch are gymnastics bloopers.

2. Eat. Don't think bingeing on junk food, but literally just eating a healthy snack or meal because most of the time I'm just upset because I'm hungry.

3. Do a handstand. Call me crazy, but there is something about being upside down for 1.5 seconds (because that's just about the longest I can hold it) that turns my mood around! I'm smiling the second I stand upright! 

What do you do to cheer yourself up? 

Awkward & Awesome.

Sometimes I forget all the awkward/awesome things that happen to me throughout the week, so this week I am opting for Awkward & Awesome Thursday in pictures. But it's really just the "awkward" part of things. Obv.

Pom-pom hands...

 Probably trying to boss the husband around...

 If my photographer weren't my husband, I'd be creeped by this one...

 Literally falling into the bushes...

 "Honey, make sure you get a close-up of my gold gem-enrusted earring so that people don't think I'm a boy in this collared shirt!"

In other awkward news, yesterday I was at The Dollar Tree (only the most amazing store in the world) and as soon as I walked in these three high school boys---that were in line with their mom--follow me up and down three aisles (I was running away from them) taking pictures of me on their cellulars. WEIRD.

If they weren't minors I'da called the cops! Once they got their money shot (probably a distant pic of me glaring into the lens from thirty feet away) and I was in line behind them (their mom was buying a boat load of stuff) I kept staring them in the eyes and they would get all weird and giggle and high-five each other. 

EWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!

THEN, when I saw them in the parking lot, they whistled as I dove into my car. 

Classy.

Boys/Guys/Men that are reading this, it is NEVER ok to follow, take pics of, and/or whistle at a lady. And even if you get away with it, you will never "woo" her with those methods.

The end. 

insecure in my femininity.

Sweater: Thrifted, Shirt: Banana Republic Thrifted, Necklace: Burlington Coat Factory, Jeans: Ross, Shoes: UrbanOG.com

If you know me in real life (or since the start of this blog) you would know that I am the most girly of girlies. 

My nails are always painted.

I have to wear make-up whenever I'm out in public. Or even home alone.

I usually wear heels.

And if that doesn't validate my femininity then I play my "I was fourth runner-up Miss Oregon Teen" card. And if you don't know about pageants, fourth runner-up is a nice way of saying "fifth place." 

Anywho, my somewhat unrelated intro is now over.

But I do feel like a boy whenever I wear a collar.

Since collars are like totally "in" and I love to wear things that are in style, I over compensate by wearing gold gem-encrusted jewelry, my highest of heels, a ballerina bun, and an extra splash of perfume--just incase anyone is curious enough of my gender to get that close! Ha.

E-bear (Ian) calls me ridiculous.

But ser ser.

It's the only way.

hurry up and wait!

Sweater: Thrifted, Denim Shirt: Old Navy Thrifted, Necklace: Burlington Coat Factory, Leggings: Everlast, Boots: Kohl's

We've officially started our house hunt, again!

We drove by/peered through/snooped around the yards of a few houses last night and fell in love with two of them.

We emailed our realtor late last night and he miraculously had an opening to take us on some tours today at noon!

I was just so excited last night I couldn't even sleep. Seriously.

And although the tours weren't bad, they definitely weren't the best.

The house we were most excited to look through was locked up with no lock box.

One that we were super curious about turned out to be a dump.

And one has a pool (!) and a HUGE backyard but it's not in the best neighborhood, nor is the style of home for our taste.

Today was just the first day of house hunting, but I left feeling a little disappointed. 

Actually, a lot disappointed.

I guess it's just because I'm impatient and avoid situations that may turn into a process.

I don't care about the journey.

I'm destination minded. 

I just want to get to the end.

I want what I want right away--whoa! That made me sound like a brat.

But ser ser (pronounced "seer-seer", short for seriously, but with more emphasis since it's repeated), just ask Ian. I am literally the most impatient person in the world (I'm working on it).

When I see something in my mind, I have to have it that way and I want nothing to do with it if it turns out wrong.

This is only day one of the house hunt.

I have a feeling there will be many more like this one.

God, grant me the patience I so desperately need!

allergies are cool.

Earrings: Handmade, Scarf: Thrifted, Sweater: H&M, Shirt: Old Navy, Skirt: Thrifted, Tights: Burlington Coat Factory, Shoes: Forever 21

Lately I've been thinking that it's kinda cool to be allergic to stuff. 

I've always been allergic to milk and almost had to get ear surgery stuff when I was in second grade. I grew to hate being allergic to milk because that meant that I couldn't eat a lot of ice cream all at once. Or cheese. I love cheese.

And now I kinda wish I was allergic to more stuff.

That's all!

my new favorite color?

Blazer: The Limited, Top and Jeans: F21, Necklace: Burlington Coat Factory, Shoes: UrbanOG.com


The last three pairs of shoes I've purchase have all been the same color. 

TAUPE.

I'd go as far to say that taupe is the most perfect color ever invented because it goes with everything. 

Sometimes it looks gray.

Sometimes it looks tan. 

Therefore, it goes with blacks and browns, blues and oranges, cool and warm colors.

I think that is why I'm obsessed.

And, although they are all the same color, they are all such different shoes.

I've got the pumps, sandal wedges, and now the lace-up wedge booties! 

i wish i was a neat freak.

Sweater: Thrifted, Shirt: Ross, Jeans:F21, Shoes and Necklace: Burlington Coat Factory

Actually, I guess I kind of am. Not because I love to clean clean clean, but because I like things tidy.

I literally cannot sleep at night if the bedroom is cluttered.

Does that mean that I pick everything up before bedtime?

Nope! 

I usually just pile everything that was on the bed, onto the floor : ) With the intentions of picking it up the next day.

Ian isn't a neat freak either, which I like because he doesn't nag me to pick up after myself all the time, but I don't like it because it feels like our apartment is never clean! 

Sometimes though, I get really really motivated to tidy up and since I operate based on my moods I take full advantage of those times. They usually come late at night. 

Weird?

Anywho. I hope you don't think we live in a dump. Because we don't. It's actually pretty clean right now. But that may or may not be because we had company today.


The end.


Oh! The Q&A's are posted in a tab if you're interested in hearing my responses. If you think of any more questions (along with those of you who were already a little bit late in asking, I will post my answers in that tab as I get the questions)!

Q & A.

hi hi hi.

Since it's been dark by the time my photographer (my husband) comes home, I am short on outfit pictures. Maybe I'll catch up this weekend.

But, I was thinking about doing a question/answer post where you all ask me questions and I answer them.

I feel kind of weird since I'm really not that interesting, but there is always a certain level of mystery I find from fellow blogger friends where sometimes I don't even know what their first name is.

So there's gotta be something you're wondering about me/me and Ian????

Hopefully this will make my blog feel more personal.

Ask away! 

I'll be back on Monday with the answers.

Awkward & Awesome.

Here are more cute pics of my honey! 

Hat, Shoes, and Jeans: Urban Outfitters, Vest and Shirt: H&M


It's awkward and awesome Thursday from over at The Daybook!


Awkward:

-When you can't understand what the foreign person at the restaurant is asking you.

-When the girls sitting in front of you take [literally] 89 pictures of themselves and you're trying to eat... am I in the background of all of your "self portraits"???

-When the people sitting behind you are making fun of the people sitting in front of you.

-Getting crumbs trapped in my scarf--can you say "bib for adults"?

-Falling asleep to the rhythm of our neighbor's snoring.
-Sitting in the same spot on the couch when Ian gets home as I was when he left in the morning. I swear I haven't been sitting here all day! I did do something today! 

-The way dogs look at you when they poop.
-Getting a wedgie when you're wearing snug jeans... there is no subtle way to fix that.
-The really fast toilet flushers that practically jam your fingers.
-Dreaming about people you only know by their blog.
-Someone walking really really fast behind you... do you look? do you move over? 
-When there is a pause in the middle of a worship song, but you sing anyway because no one informed you that they were gonna leave off the second part of the chorus and keep it instrumental. 
-When the dog puts his butt on your pillow. And you sleep on it later that night. Ewwww!

Awesome:

-P.F. Changs...soooo delicious!

-My re-discovered love of pina coladas.
-Slow dancing in the kitchen with Ian. Awwwwwwww!

- Ian's new haircut and my new hair color!

-Going on a couple dates with Ian this week.
-Snuggling to sleep with my husband--it still hasn't gotten old!
-The fact that I was actually in the mood to clean!
-A beautiful, sun-shiny day. There are just so many more options with how to spend your time!
-Singing Do-Re-Me in bed with Ian. Not gonna lie, we couldn't remember all the words.
-The fact that Ian does the dishes ever night after I cook. Best. Husband. Ever.
-Talking to each other on our cells in bed so we could test out Ian's blue-tooth.

does anyone like public speaking?

Scarf: Israel, Shirt: TJ Maxx, Jeans: Miss Me, Shoes: F21

I absolutely hate getting up in front of people and talking. 

I don't care what we're talking about. I'm never "in the mood" for public speaking.

Our church is doing a weekly women's event called "Her Story". 

Each week, a different woman from the church (mostly Pastor's wives, like me), will get up and share her life story to the rest of the women attending the brunch event.

Luckily I haven't been asked to share and if I am, my excuse will be that I feel as though I am still at the beginning of my "story", and since I'm the youngest wife in the group I think they'll buy it!

At our last pastors' wives get-together, I was asked to do a blog post about what to wear when you're speaking in front of people, so here are a few pointers I came up with:

1. Consider the Venue: Is it indoors or outdoors, hot or cold, what is the lighting like? If there are concrete, tile, or wood floors pay attention to which shoes you decide to where as heels are sometimes slippery on smooth surfaces (I've learned this the hard way). Are there any steps that you will be walking up or down, heels are also difficult on steps.

2. Consider your Audience: What kind of people are you speaking with and what kind of person do you want to portray through your outfit? Are you going for a job interview, or speaking in front of a large crowd? Know who you are speaking to and dress the part. When in doubt, modest/professional is always a safe choice. 

3. Consider your Reaction: Some people (like I) get super nervous when getting up in front of people. If you "perspire" when you get nervous, think about wearing dark colors like black, navy blue, charcoal grey, or a dark purple that will hide any perspiration, and then accessorize with a colorful scarf or jewelry. If your hands shake and you will be holding a mic or notes, keep your hands undecorated--subtle polish and almost no rings as that will draw attention to your hands and even more if you are shaky. 

That about does it! If you can think of anything else that would be helpful leave it in a comment! 

when parents text.

Necklace: Burlington Coat Factory, Shirt: Forever 21, Jeans: F21, Boots: Kohl's

I hope you all had an amazing weekend! I sure did.

I'm feeling somewhat uninspired today so I don't really have anything clever to write.

I found a funny website though.

It's called When Parents Text. 

Enjoy : )

i do like people.

(Pre-New Hair)

Scarf: Thrifted, Sweater: Target, Shorts: Old Navy, Tights: Burlington Coat Factory, Boots: Kohl's


When I was little, my infamous saying was "don't fooooorce meeeee!"--in a really whiny voice.

I like making wise choices that will benefit my future, but planning too far ahead stresses me out.

I get really anxious when someone/everyone needs an answer from me right NOW. 

So if they don't give me time to think, talk, or pray about it, then the answer is automatically no.

I make my day-to-day decisions based on my mood and if I plan too far ahead and I'm not in the mood when the time comes, then I'm stuck and it gets me totally upset. 

 I do like people. This is just one of those weird social-related things that makes me kind of awkward.

I'm that girl that totally freaks out and goes into hiding when other people are like constantly wanting/needing me. 

I think it's because I feel so dependent on others, that I don't like when others are so dependent on me.

It totally stresses me out. 

I just don't like when it feels like someone else's happiness revolves around me because it's just too much pressure!

I don't do pressure.

Can you tell?
Haha.

as promised...

Sweater: Thrifted, Everything Else: F21

As promised, here are the pictures of my new hair! 

I got it done at Amore Salon in downtown Portland, by my friend Lindsey.

I was actually just a model that they were practicing this trend on, so the whole team had their hands on me!

I love how it turned out!

i got my hurrrrs did.

 

 Earrings: Handmade by a friend, Shirt, Scarf, and Belt: Thrifted, Jeans: Miss Me, Clogs: F21, Purse: Lulus

Also, today I got my hair done! 

I've been wanting to try the "ombre" look for a while now so I went for it!

It was quite a process, but it ended up turning out like I had always imagined <3

Sorry for the terrible pic, I'll get some better ones up tomorrow!

you can call me ref.

Jacket: H&M, Tank: Fashion 123, Necklace & Jeans: F21, Boots: Can't remember, Purse: Urban Outfitters

I was told I resembled a referee in this jacket... in the best way possible, of course.

Riiiiiiight.

Anywho, I mentioned in a recent post  that Ian and I are going to Africa! A few of you wanted to know more so here it is:

We're taking a group of about 25 people from the college ministry at our church (since Ian is the college pastor there) at the beginning of August. We will spend most of the time helping at some of the churches there in Uganda and playing with little babies in the orphanages.

Can't wait!