one year

This was us last year...

Happy Anniversary, my love. Te quiero.

(all photos by Maloman Photographers)

a face only I could love

Remember when I called you my favorite??? ;-)

[tomorrow is the big day! can't wait to celebrate.]

Four More Days

In four days Alex and I will be celebrating our very first wedding anniversary. 

(!!!)

I'm not entirely sure how we'll be spending the day, but I'm just excited to be with my husband and feeling that lovey dovey feeling. ;-)

I've been thinking about the past year lately. It's been...fun. :-) 

About two months after we were married we moved to Wake Forest, NC. I was excited to move away with Alex and begin our life together. But I didn't expect for it to be as difficult as it was. I was slapped in the face with homesickness. I missed my friends...I missed my family...I missed the familiarity of Miami... Sometimes I would just cry, out of nowhere, it would just hit me all of a sudden. Sometimes I would just feel annoyed, angry, frustrated. 

Through it all, Alex was very patient. I wasn't exactly easy to deal with, but I think Alex did well all things considered. 

Eventually I became more accustomed to our new home and I've grown to love it. And I am beyond thankful that we moved here, despite the rough patches. It has been so good for us. We have learned to rely on each other. We have learned to entertain ourselves. We have learned to love each other despite our feelings. We have learned SO much about God and the Bible. We are blessed to live in a community of people that puts their trust in the Lord. There are so many wonderful examples of godly men and women that we can draw inspiration from. 

If we had stayed in Miami, our marriage would look completely different right now. I'm not saying we're perfect or have it all figured out. I'm just saying that we have been blessed. 

I have a great husband (and I think he would agree that he has a pretty great wife, lol, I dunno, maybe). He is kind, loving, patient, hardworking, hilarious, creative, and he is always striving to be a better man. Plus, he is VERY handsome. :-)

Here are a few pictures of us wayyy in the beginning of our relationship. We were 20 years old. 

ban.do

I love hair bands. Especially now that I have short hair. 

Ponytails and buns aren't options anymore, so I've been loving wearing hair bands. 

(especially this one that I won courtesy of Princess Lasertron)

There's this adorable website that sells adorable headbands called ban.do. They have several lines ranging in style and price. Jen and Jamie are the talented girls who make these whimsical pieces and they blog over here. 

I am in love with these beautiful pieces! Here are some of my favorites:

summer time means...

Today is the first day of my summer vacation. 

Glory!

I survived my first year of seminary. I cannot believe how fast it went by. I've learned a lot and I've enjoyed [most of] it. 

But now it's summer time! And summer time means...

• Reading books that I want to read. 
  
• Taking time to focus on photography.
  
• Late night movies.
  
• BBQ's.
  
• Hopefully a trip or two to the beach.
  
• Outdoor concerts. 
  

It's going to be grand. 

I'm most excited about taking pictures again. It's nice to have time to do a hobby that I love. 

Also, Alex got me a lens for my birthday! (50mm f/1.8) It's a fun little lens and I'm excited to get some use out of it. 

ALSO, I finally signed up for a flickr account. It's probably the easiest way to share my photos with the world, so I had to do it. 

Here's the link to my sets. I don't have anything really new up there, but hopefully I will soon. 

Anyone else out there have any fun plans for the summer?

Russ and Hilary Prayer Card

Russ and Hilary are students at the seminary and also members of our church.  

We met them in our small group and they are a great couple.  They're caring, smart, and the biggest UNC fans I've ever met. 

Soon they'll be going overseas to do missionary work. I admire anyone who leaves behind everything they know to live in a foreign country to tell others about Christ. And I know this particular couple will be blessed for their obedience and faithfulness.

I did a little photoshoot with them and Alex used his photoshop skills to make a prayer card for them.  

I think it came out pretty nice if I do say so myself. :-)

We love you guys and will be praying for you. Especially with this awesome prayer card! ;-)

Ork Posters

I stumbled upon these on the Apartment Therapy blog.

They're neat. These posters depict different major cities and all the neighborhoods they contain.

I definitely enjoy these more than regular old maps. 

There's also one poster that shows the different parts of the heart. I would definitely put it up on my wall! 

You can buy these posters for not too much cash. I'm sure you could come up with some great decorating ideas with these. 

Enjoy Ork Posters!

Happy Birthday To Me!

We had a great weekend in Miami. I'll be posting pictures soon. For today, I'm going to be lazy. 

:-)

I deserve it...it's my birthday. 

Yay!

Off to Miami!

As soon as Alex gets out of work he's coming home, we're packing up the car, and driving to the airport. We will then board a plane, sit in it for about two hours, get off the plane, and walk out into the Miami night. 

This weekend we will:

• Party! ;-)
  
• Celebrate my birthday. 
  
• Go to the beach (weather permitting).
  
• Eat lots of yummy food.
  
• Watch this awesome couple say, "I do."
  
• Eat more yummy food. 
  
• Spend time with family and friends. 
  

We're excited. 

 

I won! I won!

I enter lots of blog giveaways. :-) Who doesn't like winning free stuff???

Well, I finally won a giveaway! And I actually won something that I really wanted. 

Princess Lasertron is an amazingly talented girl. She's incredibly stylish and crafty. She even has her own business making "vintage felt and button design." 

Here are some samples of her work:

If you've been in our apartment you've seen my button bouquet on the coffee table. 

Well, that was my feeble attempt of imitating this girl's amazing work. :-) 

Also, she and her husband were married on the same day that Alex and I were. They have the most rad wedding photos:

Anywho, this blog was hosting a giveaway. The prize? An adorable headband handmade by Princess Lasertron. I was beyond excited when I found out that I actually won! So thank you to Under the Petticoat and Princess Lasertron. 

I love my new headband! 

Loose Teeth Vintage Inspired Sundress with Petticoat GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Loose Teeth Vintage Inspired Sundress with Petticoat GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

study?

I am feeling so unmotivated.

I have two finals on Thursday and two next Wednesday.

Also, I'll be in Miami for the weekend (yippee!), so studying then is OUT of the question.

I need to take advantage of the time I have today and tomorrow to study.

Problem is...I don't feel motivated. 

::sigh:: 

Anyone have any tips on getting pumped up for studying?!? I'd really appreciate it. :-)

P.S. I have a stiff neck. :-( I can't bend my head to the left because I feel sharp pains. Alex has been an excellent nurse. ;-) So I'm hoping it'll be better by the time our Miami trip rolls around! ::cross them fingers::

Check out this sweet photo of the Miami skyline:

some link love - B21

Baptist 21 is a blog that is "seeking to be baptist in the 21st century."

They have some interesting insights on many issues that we are facing in this time. Some of the contributors are from my very own school. 

This particular post caught my eye since I recently posted a blog connected to this topic.

This person makes a great point that all Christians need to be aware of and think about.

Check it out here.

New Math

It's no secret that I'm not a math fan.

But this is some math I could get into. 

Check out this site by Craig Damrauer. It's fun.

Here are some of my favorites:

May First - Countdown!

We have officially entered the month of May!

You know what that means...we can officially begin counting down to my 24th birthday. :-)

(am I really that old???)

Mark your calendars, May 18th is the big day. 

I'll be in Miami the weekend prior to my birthday for Rey & Lauren's wedding. I'm sure we'll squeeze in several birthday celebrations the few days we will be in Miami. 

On the day of my actual birthday we'll be on a plane headed back to Raleigh. Still not sure if we will do anything once we arrive. But we better! *ahem*

Anyway, if you want to be a good friend...call, text, e-mail, send a smoke signal letting me know you care that I'm aging. If you want to be a really good friend I looove gifts. Cards are great. Gift cards are really great (Target, F21, Urban Outfitters...).

I'm kidding of course...but seriously...I'm just saying.  No harm in putting it out there...after all, Luke says, "Ask and it will be given to you..."

:-)