it's been a while.

It's been a crazy and amazing few weeks for me. On Christmas Eve, this happened...

Tim and I got engaged! It was lovely and simple and perfect.

We both enjoy blogging, so we decided to create a new blog for our engagement journey and our adventures after we are married. We are getting married on July 27, and we couldn't be more excited!

Check out our new blog! 

Some thoughts.

This is how I feel right now, and almost exactly what I did as I walked out of that classroom into the rain. Today I finished my first semester of graduate school, and I cannot stop smiling. I think back to when I first started this program. The first few weeks I cried every night. I did not think I could do it. I wanted to quit. I hated myself for entering the program and thinking I could actually make it through.

I feel like society puts these strange restrictions on us. We are told to be self-confident, but not cocky. We are told to walk tall, but not too tall. We are told to boast about what we have done, but not talk about it too much. I feel like I always tried to walk this very fine line, and I pushed myself down because of it. It was easier to have low self-esteem and just hate myself than to know myself and what I was good at.

Today I completed something I did not think I could do. Something not everyone could do. I made it through my first semester of graduate school and I am damn proud of that, and there are no apologies for how great I feel about myself at this moment.

Thursday.

Thursday. Thursday. Thursday.

I have been sick all week and this is the first outfit I have put together since Sunday morning. The rest of the week I was in pajamas. I am so glad the week is almost over. Today I am working at my internship and tomorrow I get to hang out with some pretty cool kids. Saturday is our Handmade Holiday Shop! I can't wait. But for tonight, I am looking forward to a glass of wine, (hopefully) an evening walk with my love, and a nice hot shower.

All about a scarf.

The other week I was in a meeting when I glanced at the co-worker across the table from me. She was wearing a beautiful floral scarf and it was wrapped around her neck in a way I had never seen before! I probably stared at her much too long trying to figure out how she had done it. (In fact, yes, it was too long, judging by the many times she caught me staring. You know, that awkward moment when someone catches you staring at them. Yeah, awkward.) I finally figured it out and I wanted to share it on my blog so everyone could benefit from my creepiness. 

I love it!

Handmade Holiday Shop!

A few months ago, my friend Bethany had the idea of doing a craft fair with a twist. She wanted to open her home for people to walk through and see the items in their natural place. I LOVED this idea (especially because of my fear of craft fairs. See previous blog post.) So friends, if you live in the Anaheim area, you should come down to our Handmade Holiday Shop this Saturday!

Bethany is also hosting a giveaway to try and get the word out about the Handmade Holiday Shop! Want to win these earrings that her father-in-law, Dan, makes? (I have seen them first hand and they are spectacular!)

Here is how you can win them! 

Visit Bethany's blog and leave a comment telling her how you spread the word. There are three ways to do this:

1. Post a Facebook status about the Handmade Holiday Shop (linking to Bethany's blog post)

2. Tweet about the Handmade Holiday Shop, linking to Bethany's blog post and using the hashtage #handmadeholidayshop.

3. Blog about the Handmade Holiday Shop, and link the Bethany's blog post.

It would be SO COOL to meet some bloggers. I will be there all day! Hope to see some of you there. 

Fashionably Late?

 I know I haven't blogged in a while, and I almost didn't post these pictures because they are a few weeks old, but they make me so happy that I just had to.

We had the best time at the pumpkin patch! We picked great pumpkins, went through the corn maze, and ate some delicious food. Tim and I dreamed about the future and tried to avoid crowds (which proved impossible). I can't wait to go next year!

My study playlist.

Making flash cards is pretty boring, but it helps to listen to music.