'round these parts

Sooooo much has gone down this week.

Thursday: surprise birthday dinner

Friday: s'mores birthday party

Saturday: girls day getting nails done

and now we've come to Sunday....

where I will be doing a truckload of homework.

This last week has been crazy, and this next week is gonna be wayyyy crazier.

2 tests, 3 essays, and a bunch of little short essay assignments.

I love how everything school-wise always happens to fall on the same week!

Welcome to being a student I guess??

I'm sure as a way of procrastinating, you'll see me around these parts :)

Wish me luck!

<3 Bri

i decorate whenever i want

Another holiday I love almost as much as my berf-day?

HALLOWEEN.

I'm so excited for the air to get cooler so I can continue to deck out my house in spooky decor with no judgement, even though I started decorating a week ago...which is no where near October.

Obviously I don't really care about this so-called "right time" to decorate for upcoming holidays.

PSH!

On the birthday party front...

I got a white sheet that will substitute as a projector screen, and have picked up some twinkle lights.

Still trying to figure out where to hang those up, and seeing if I need more...we shall see!

Plus, I'm thinking some kind of cute wooden sign to guide people to the backyard?

If you don't follow me on Pinterest, you should probably start, cause I'm a pinning maniac when I have a goal in mind!

Happy Sunday :)

<3 Bri

winner of kara's kustoms iphone case giveaway!

The winner of the iphone case is....

MICH YU!

Expect an email from me soon!

Thanks to everyone who entered! I'll have to do these more often, it's so fun!!

Everyone have a fabulous first day of fall :)

<3 Bri

birthday rut

Bahaha. 

You know, instead of "Lets get wasted", cause it's my 21st and what not.

I'm so punny.

I'm not gonna take all the credit for the tagline, my mom is just too creative for her own good.

So. 

Now to the point.

You all know that I've been in this "Birthday Rut" so to speak.

Where I've just been tired and thinking such blasphemous thoughts, such as:

"Do I even need/want a party?"

{GASP!}

No creative theme was just coming to my mind like it has in previous years...

 I've had no motivation to do my homework nevertheless motivation to plan a party...

 and just an overall lack of excitement for my birthday weekend.

JUST SAD AND PATHETIC.

 Then, I was inspired by a post my friend Kyla sent me. 

{Thanks girl!!}

And the idea was refined after a good talking to with Momma G-Man.

A vintage "drive-in" party.

{Source}

Imagine this...

Friday night.

Crisp cold air, not too cold...but cold enough that you can wear a sweater & feel cozy.

Twinkling lights strung throughout the backyard.

A projector & movie screen.

Smores bar.

Fondue table.

Cuddles & blankets.

A funfetti cake with 21 candles.

A small & special get together with your closest friends.

Sound amazing??

It does to me too!

Thanks to all of you for helping me out of my rut :)

I can't wait to get started on the decorations!!!

Oh, and weeding the backyard...booo.

<3 Bri

P.S. Welcome new readers from ABCDE! Glad to have you here!
Everyone, make sure you enter the Kara's Kustoms iphone case Giveaway!

iphone case giveaway {CLOSED}

Hey, do you remember that one time I reviewed this case?
Kara's Kustoms now wants to give an iPhone case to one lucky reader in the color of their choice!
You know the drill by now my blogger friends...use Rafflecopter to enter the giveaway ASAP cause the giveaway ends on September 22!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And btw, have a happy Monday :)
<3 Bri

dear...

Dear Husband,

Ok ok...I get that you hate taking outfit pictures.
It's really un-manly and what not.

But...
 how do you expect me to show off all my cute & finds to all my bloggy friends without a photoshoot?!
Now I've resorted to secretly taking pictures in the BYU bathrooms before someone comes out of the toilet.
Classy.

Dear Halloween Decorations in Target,
YOU ARE GOING TO SUCK ALL THE MONEY OUT OF ME.
Seriously, if you want to spend your whole paycheck this weekend, go to the Target Halloween section.
I dare you.

Dear Fall,
Boots. Carmel Apple Cider drinks from Starbucks. Pumpkin patches. Apple Cider candles. Sweaters. Scarves. Crisp air. Non-humid hair-dos.
Thinking about you makes me all warm & fuzzy!

Dear Friday,
No work? Check.
Caught up on most of my hw? Check.
Date night!? Score.

Have a nice weekend :)
<3 Bri

trends i don't get

While looking through some online sale stuff a while back,
I came across some trends that thoroughly disturbed me and it made me wonder why the poop some things are popular...and how much longer they will even be considered "trendy".
I took a leaf from "How Not to Dress Like a Mom"'s book while writing this :)

Flatforms

 They look like flotation devices.

Wedges and heels are supposed to make you walk taller, look thinner, and make your butt look higher and tighter.

What do flatforms do?!

The opposite??

Mullet/Hi-lo Skirts
I slight Hi-Lo I feel is acceptable...
 but when the highs are half-way up your thigh and the lows are dragging on the ground?
Why?!

The Jcrew Bubble Necklace aka The Blogger Necklace

I saw the bubble necklace a while ago on the Jcrew site and was like: 

"Oh, that's pretty cute! The price tag though? Bleh."

Then every blogger ever known to blogspot now owns the bubble necklace.

People come into Francescas asking for the bubble/blogger necklace.

WHAT THE.

There is so much going on with that necklace I feel like it would fall into the grand canyon known as my cleavage and be lost forever.

What is a trend you just don't get?

<3 Bri

P.S. You all had some way cool ideas on what type of party I should throw for my 21st b-day! Stay tuned and I'll write up some ideas and dash in some pictures for you on what I'm planning :)

no martinis for me

My Barbie & Ken 19th Birthday dance party

I love my birthday.

Ok....I think that is an understatement.

I LOVE my birthday.

I've written about it here & here.

When is my birthday you ask?

September 28th.
{Ahem, 16 days from now}

The same day as Hilary Duff!
I've known this since the Lizzie McGuire days :)
It's sad that I'm proud of that.

 Yet I digress...

I'm gonna be 21 this year guys, so there is no excuse.
No messing around.
It has to be good.
Memorable at the very least.

In the past I've almost ALWAYS had themed parties.
I feel like the only way I can throw a party, is if it has a theme.

My 19th birthday was a Barbie & Ken dress-up dance party.

18th was a surprise party at the dorms cafeteria, decked with party hats & balloons.

17th birthday was a huge Mexican Fiesta.

16th was a Halloween dance party.

You get the jist!

But this year?

I've been completely stumped on what to do.

What about a smores bar??

A theme hasn't just come to me like it has in years past.
{And since I don't drink, the typical 21st b-day ideas won't work!!!}

Plus I've been so tired as of late, that...dare I say it?
I've not even been very excited for my birthday.
BLASPHEMY.

Am I getting to old for parties?!

Should I even have a party!?

I'm at such a loss here my friends.
Someone puuuhhllleeeasssee spark my creativity.
Seeing as how my brain is already dead from the long 2 weeks worth of school.
YIKES.
Any good ideas?

<3 Bri

kara's kustoms iphone case

Let's be real, who doesn't depend on their phone nowadays.
My entire life {to-do lists, schedules, numbers, emails}, are all in this little rectangular box, so I need to protect it!
{Especially since I'm so dang clumsy}
I was sent the Kara's Kustom's Aluminum Iphone 4 case, and this is my list of Pros & Cons :)

Pros

-practically indestructible for when I throw my phone around

-can set the phone on it's side with ease to watch a video or to take pictures

-sleek design made of aluminum or copper

-comes in multiple colors: red, blue, green and silver
-would be perfect for someone who is not particularly careful with their phone!

Cons

-when your phone heats up, the case does too

-too bulky at the corners to fit into a men's pocket with ease 

-prevents use of the very edges of the touch screen

Not only does Kara's Kustoms create their own Iphone cases, but they also sell:
Ipad cases, classy pens, sleek salt & pepper shakers, and more!

Check it out!
<3 Bri 

dear...

Dear Pomsky {aka Nugget},

I WILL dress you up like this {in the picture above} in cute little raybans.

Everytime I see this pic, no fail...I start to tear up because of the ridiculous amount of cuteness.

Don't hate.

Dear Body, 

Can you stop being sick? 

I got homework to do, a house to clean, clothes to organize, walls to paint and work to make cash monies at. You are of no help.

Dear Wanna-be Rebellious Side,

If you weren't a goodie two-shoes, you know...your whole life. 

You probably would have considered getting this.

Dear Normal Friends,

Wow, what would I do without you? 

You always reassure me that I'm still sane in this small & wacky town.

Dear Mom & Dad,

Seriously. Best parents ever. 

Dad signed up for Fantasy Football with Ryan and Mom is stoked about leopard print wedges. 

How cool are you two??

Dear Husband,

Thank you for taking care of me while I'm a total sick-o. 

I know I've eaten like half a bag of Turtle Chex Mix and feel like a poofy plop, 

but you still think I'm cute :)

<3 Bri 

fall style pinspiration

Pretty much I'm avoiding more homework right now.
BLEH.
At least I'm getting a little more used to school, seeing as how there is stuff to turn in now.

So, during my procrastination, I put together some Fall Style Pinspiration boards from my Pinterest!

What I love about the Neutral Pinspiration board is that most of those pieces I already have in my closet! {And I'm sure you have a couple of these pieces in your own!}

Such as:

My black moto jacket, olive jacket, fur jacket, boots, leopard print shoes, and dark jeans.

It hasn't been until I've gotten into the blogging world that I really knew who Kate Spade even was.
{Pathetic, I know}
Now that I'm officially obsessed, I am always drawn to her bright & feminine style.
I loooove the hourglass shapes, bright colors and classic style that the Kate Spade style embodies.
Hopefully one day I'll be able to afford her clothes, but fake it 'till ya make it right??

What trends are you most looking forward to this fall?

<3 Bri

tender mercies

I haven't been feeling well the past couple of days.

The whole body ache, head ache, stomach ache, lack of energy thing.

You are totally nodding your head right now, knowing exactly what I'm talking about.

Instead of telling you all how insanely crappy I feel....
 I wanted to tell you about some little blessings that have come my way today.

1. My Assistant Manager at Francescas is just awesome, she was able to let me come in for part of my shift tonight. And another Frannies friend covered the rest of my shift so I could go home and crash, they are so sweet!

2. My dear husband was more than happy to drive me to & from work. Plus he took care of me all day today with hugs and Zupas.

3. After posting on Instagram that I didn't feel too well, a friend offered to send me notes for a class that I had missed. She just added the class to her schedule and realized that I was in her same section, what are the odds??

4. During my 2-hour shift, a little bloggy friend popped in, anyone know Rachel Sayumi?

It was completely by chance that she was coming in to look for jewelry for her bridal shoot {how fun!!} and I just happened to be working.

Holy moly, she is too fun to talk to, she definitely lifted my spirits!

5. Finally, after Ryan & I got home.

I barely get situated on my couch to die, then hear the doorbell ring.

I am wondering who the heck is coming over at 9 at night {I know, I'm old..9 is late for me}.

I open the door and practically hyperventilate.
 It is one of my best friends, Erik, from my Freshmen summer here at BYU.

He is back from his 2-year LDS mission, and is now living in Provo.

He just randomly decided to walk over to my house to pop in & say hello.

{All the guys in this picture are my best friends, the two guys on the left and center are still on their missions, and the guy on the right, Erik, is the one who popped by! This picture is from 3 years ago, so weird!}

It's sure nice to know that my Heavenly Father is making sure I'm doing ok by sending these awesome people my way!

Any tender mercies come your way this week?

<3 Bri

living room face-lift

The past 4 months I've been staring at this wall, and totally hating it.

This is the first thing that people see when walking into our home, and it was just complete poop.

Originally it was a brown wall {like the other 3 walls in the room, BOOORING}, with a bunch of holes in it and some peeling paint. Yuck!

So, right before school started last week, I decided it was a good idea to get crackin' on this project.

{Yup, two days of non-stop painting did the trick!}

But , oh my stars what a difference

The room looks cleaner, feels lighter & bigger!

One of these days I'll take better pics {aka, not with my iphone} to adequately show what a difference this blue accent wall makes in the living room.

I'm still in the midst of putting together my collage wall & switching out some of the throw pillows.

But for now? I'm absolutely loving it.

Amazing what a little paint will do to a room!

Now I'm brainstorming for my next project...our bedroom.

Dun dun DUNNNNN.

<3 Bri

my cravings

I don't know about any of you Lifestyle/Fashion bloggers out there...

but after posting picture after picture of outfits I put together, 

I've definitely learned how to better dress my body.

What do my curves crave?

Pencil skirts.

Wedges.

Stilettos.

Skinny jeans.

Sweaters.

Dresses with a waistline.

Skinny belts.

Lovely blouses.

A supportive & pretty bra :)

{These wedges were $8.98 at Target. SCORE.}

Have you linked up with Modern Modest Beauty yet to show off your Sunday best? :)

<3 Bri

i like bees on my necklaces, not up my skirt

Welcome to the front of my house!

See all that nastiness on the front step?

Ryan, Evan {the brother} and I assaulted the step because

THERE WERE WASPS LIVING IN IT.

Um, no joke.

WASPS living in the step.

They would attack visitors as they would come to our front door, fly up my dress, and one even flew up my brother-in-law's pants and stung him.

Then finally I decided that I had had ENOUGH.

We hauled our buns to Home Depot to buy some killer wasp spray & caulk.

We made a plan.

10:00 at night, we would do it.

It's about to go down.

Evan sprayed inside the crack where the wasps would travel in and out, then we made haste to hurry up and caulk the holy tar out of it.

In the midst of smoothing and applying the caulk...

WE HEARD BUZZING.

Evan and I look at each other with jaws dropped. 

Screaming ensued and with reckless abandon we stuffed the caulk into the crack. 

Half screaming and half laughing I ask Evan "Do wasps sleep?!"

He yelled "BRI. WHO CARES?!" as we rush to finish the step.

Finally it was finished.

I was content. 

Then this....

See that hole there?

And that wasp smiling for my little picture?

THE WASPS HAD BURROWED THROUGH THE FREAKING CAULKING OVERNIGHT.

I pretty much had a hissy cow fit.

So, the other night Ryan sprayed and re-caulked the step.

No more wasps....for now. 

Moral of the story...

wasps are tenacious and are determined to attack you on our front step.

At least it will deter potential robbers, right?

<3 Bri