All kinds of things

A post of lots of random things I have done lately, or see, or been to, or gotten as gifts...

Newspaper print on my nails.  It was fun to try.  Found the idea from pinterest

 I wanna say this was on Easter...but I don't quite remember.  

 For my birthday, Alex took me to a fashion show.  I was thinking it was going to be a runway with models, but apparently this type of fashion show is one where there are vendors who show off their products and sell things.  They also give away free goody bags, and you can get discounts on photography shoots, and local clothing stores.  It was fun. But not exactly what i expected.  Then there was this piece of artwork we saw when we first walked in.  it is just string that is making a very cool looking rainbow.  Alex and i decided we are going to have to do this in my new apt!  yesssss!

Me and Bre at my birthday bash last night.  It was fun.  It was several peoples birthday and so we got called up on stage to sing with the band and dance for a song.  I pretty much rocked it!  you already know about me.  lol

This was a present from Abdoul for my birthday.  Yes, Abdoul.  You are probably asking yourself why he is back in my life, and what i think i am doing.  Well, funny thing about that.  I didnt ask for him to be back in my life, nor do i want him there.  He is...stalking me...i guess.  Stalking is a harsh term.  And i don't know if it is the correct one to use, but i don't know of any other word to use.  He shows up unannounced when i have told him he is not welcome at my apartment.  Tries to kiss me when i dont want him to.  Texts me and tells me he misses me and loves me.  Part of my secretly kind of likes it.  Who doesn't want to be the girl a guy just cant get over?  But really, i don't love it.  And he needs to quit.  He keeps buying me things thinking that will help.  Sadly if he knew me better he would know i don't really like getting gifts from people who i am on good terms with, let alone, people who are trying use it to win me over.  And the really funny part is i see him now (against my will) more than i did when i was dating him, and if he had only put in this much effort (and a lot more probably) we would not be in this situation, now would we?  

They are wall hangings from Africa.  

And a rose from him too.

Jason and I went to a Stars Hockey game a few months ago.  It was fun.

Part of my birthday present from Bre

 And yes, it is that time again in my life when i am moving.  I am going to be living alone again, which i am exited about.  I am trying to find and apartment that i really love and will feel settled in so i wont keep moving every 12 months.  I am sick of it.  Seriously. 

This is a door knocker.  and i thought it was super cute.  A boy and girl kissing.  if you pull up the bottom, the boy come away from the girl and then they kiss again.  I was in this person's house the other day and saw it and loved it.  haha

 This came in my chinese food the other day.  and i just wanted to say thanks!  yeah...to you!

some projects

I came across "quilling".  And i love it! Its super easy and looks so fun!

A dragonfly

A flower

A balloon

This project i started in my head a long time ago.  About the time i was dating Leandre.  I wrote a ridiculously long quote on my phone one day about all the things i think i am worth.  And then i started creating a piece of artwork for it.  It is a piece of wood with dark paint colors splattered all over it and then whitewashed with a silver paint.  Then i broke down the quote and wrote it down.

My brother's wedding!

I flew into Indy on Thursday, May 10th.  We drove to Cincinnati.  We stayed in the Hilton.  (by far the nicest hotel I have ever stayed in) We spent some time with Nate and Erica and some of their friends before the wedding.  The female side of the wedding party (including mothers and grandmothers) all had lunch on friday and then we got manicures and pedicures compliments of the mother of bride. So much fun!

This is Juno (Beach) and I at Nate and Erica's.  We are pretty much besties!

My parents at the hotel one morning.  Is this picture not classic?! So typical of them.

 
The rehearsal and dinner was on Friday night.  This was the groom's cake.  Apparently my brother puts Tabasco on everything.  A trait I believe he picked up from our father.  lol

Me and the bro

The groomsmen along with Erica's uncle and father, and my dad (the three in the center)

The bride and bridesmaids

They had two hair stylists and a makeup artist come in and do our hair and makeup the day of the wedding.  My hair look phenom!

She did my makeup.  And she airbrushed my foundation on! what?! first time i have ever had that experience.  I was a little scared to breathe while she was doing it.  lol

Erica's dress!

I dont have any pictures from the actual wedding because i didn't have my phone on me at the time.  But this is their first dance.  

This is the "tent" that the reception was in.  I didnt know "tents" could have chandeliers but now we both know they can.  If you are still calling this a tent, that is.  lol

The "Naked Karate Girls" aka the band.  They sang some great cover songs and did a lot of fun dancing and dressing up, as you can see.

I had so much fun!

There are lots more pictures.  If you want to check out the photo blog the photographer has here is the link.  They are pretty amazing!

http://www.leppertphotoblog.com/?p=13148

2 months

is my breaking point.  It seems i can keep up with things that are hard for me for a solid 2 months.  And then i am over it, ready to be done.  i quit.

I am not sure why that is the magic number.  But it is and i DO NOT like it!

So i decided in January after a mild but semi scary low blood sugar episode that it was time I did something about my health.  Not that i am in bad health, just not great.  I am borderline diabetic because i don't take care of myself and i could see the road i was on, and it was not good!

So i joined Weight Watchers in january.  I did really good the first 2 months.  and then i tried to quit.  because that is what i do.  I guess i just got tired of tracking what i ate, and planning meals, and eating things that were less fun to eat.  Buuuut alas, i decided not to quit at the last second.  I got back on track and lost more weight.  and come Wedding/Vacation time i had lost 25lbs in 4 months.  Not bad.  Not amazing or anything.  Nothing Biggest Loser style or anything, but nevertheless, i was proud.  But now i have hit my two month mark again, and i want to give up.  I eat horrible things.  I dont work out, and i dont care.  And i hate being this person.  Only this time, i dont have a friend doing WW with me to help me to not quit (because she quit.  lol) I also dont have the wedding or bridesmaids dresses to motivate me anymore.  and i just want to quiiiiit!  5k's are not really an option that i want to explore at the moment because it is already blazing hot outside at 7am.  Seriously.  We are almost in the 100s everyday and it is not even june! blah!

So what i really need is some motivation.  What motivates you to work out when your couch is oh-so-comfy?

or you can just move to texas and make me work out with you.  that could work too!  take your pick. :)

Its my birthday!

And on my birthdays I tend to be somewhat reflective.  I was at work today, thinking about...me and the thought occurred to me that if i could go back to my 16 year old self and tell her where my life is at right now she would never believe me.  So I thought about what I would say to her anyways.

I would tell her that she will learn some pretty great stuff in the next 12 years.  And that she will go through some pretty amazing things, both good and bad.
I would tell her that:
-your dad will get sick, but he'll be okay
-you take an amazing journey to Asia and have a blast
-boys will like you
-believe it or not, you will have choices when it comes to them
-and that 3 of them will tell you that they want to marry you before you even find the right one
-your heart will get broken deeper than you will think is possible to recover from, but you WILL recover, and you will be grateful he wasn't the one
-and you will break some hearts too
-you will develop talents that others will recognize as pretty amazing
-you will become independent
-you will feel loved by your Heavenly Father in a way that you don't currently know
-you will learn of the Atonement in a much deeper way and learn to apply it to your life
-you will have friends who will love you through everything
-you will lose friends, some by your choosing and some not
-your situation is not hopeless
-you will discover over and over again that the beginning steps are always the most difficult and it will always get better
-you will move a ridiculous amount of times
-you will make more money than you thought you would
-you will make a ton of mistakes, but you will forgive yourself
-you will become friends with your brother and realize he loves you very much
-you will learn to see yourself as beautiful in a very real way
-you will discover you can do ANYTHING with discipline and work
-you will decide you are worth it.  worth all the things you don't think you are currently worth
-you will have a TON of fun!
-you will be happy.  Real happiness.

I would tell her to get excited! And that is will be hard and scary, and exhausting, but she will make it and love who she is someday.  And it will all happen in a short 12 years.

Let the journey continue...

What would you tell your 16 year old self today?