The Sun is Shining

40 degrees and sunny outside? Welcome to a Utah spring day! I couldn't wait to bust out the bright colors and bare legs {although they are pretty dang white...}, freedooooom! My mood is instantly lifted when the sun is shining bright, you can take the girl out of California...but not California out of the girl ;) Tonight we were invited over for games at the home of a couple in our ward, and it was a complete BLAST. We were invited over for dinner & games by another family last week, who we also had a fantastic time with!

I honestly cannot get over how friendly and outgoing everyone is in our new married ward. Every week after church Ryan and I come home and say to each other: We made the right choice in switching, this is so dang awesome. It's always nice to feel welcomed & wanted! 

The sun is shining, I'm more than half-way through my last semester, we are making tons of friends in our new ward, I had a great day of thank yous from coaches & parents this past Saturday when working, and I couldn't be happier :)

Selfies All Day Err' Day

I wore this outfit out to lunch the other day with Ryan and he just shook his head because my tee-shirt  has "Selfie" emblazoned on the front. A very fortunate find at Target for $10, along with these adorable turquoise flats for $11 at Ross. All I'm saying is that Ryan is just jealous that he can't find a bargain selfie shirt for himself. 

Soooo I finally got my hair done this morning, which means no more outfit pictures with beanies/messy buns. Hooray! Blogger problems right?! Another good nugget of news, I just got an email today saying that it's time to order my graduate cap and gown. Say wha?! I'm SO excited to be that much closer to G-day. Only 2 more months :D Also, hooray for the long weekend. I don't know about you, but lots of napping will be going on around here...

Little Love Notes

I love you more than a dirty Dr. Pepper

You have the cutest lips/buns

No one can impersonate grumpy cat better than you

I love you because you wash the dishes when I gag at them

You had me at our first date :)

I left these little notes around the house for Ryan to find during this past week and it made me so happy to hear his hearty laugh upon discovering them. Definitely worth the few minutes it took to print them, write little somethins' on, and tape up. Cardstore has free printable love notes just for you to print & use! They don't have to be relegated just to the week of Valentines, use them anytime through the year to show your loved one some...well, love :)

Happy Valentines Day!

Why We Work

We work because we are patient with one other when we need to be. Especially with his latin sassiness and my over-dramatizations. {Speaking of which, he texted me this pic earlier today saying this kitty reminded him of me...}

We work because we've been through crazy ups and downs in our first 2.5 years of marriage together that most couples don't go through in 5 years.

We work because he does the dishes cause I gag every time I smell them, and I walk down the super creepy and small stairs to switch over laundry cause his arms are too buff to fit.

We work because when Ryan is tuned in juuusstttt right, he says exactly what I need to hear and it gives my heart warm fuzzes.

We work because we love to have fun and absolutely love including our friends and family in on that. Which usually means that I'm creative direction for the parties we throw while Ryan gets to help pull the vision all together with his handyman know-how.

We work because he understands my need for: hot bubble baths, new shoes, fashion magazines, talking with my family a couple times a week, and Audrey Hepburn movies.

While I understand his need for: his football obsession, educational podcasts, crazy colored no-show socks, and growing ridiculous mustaches {example below.}

We work because I look forward to seeing his half-asleep smile in the morning and he likes to wrap me up in his warm bear hugs when I get home from school.

We work because we are a great team, and I sure am looking forward to all our years of adventures together {i.e. our couples to-do list which includes going to a Super Bowl and traveling to Italy} :)

Cat Coat

I picked up this amazing coat from @shopvictoriafarnsworth on Instagram because I knew I just couldn't live without it. It's Banana Republic, with fur, camel coloring, and a price that was absolutely incredible....um, YES. It was my first ever Instagram purchase and I was a little hesitant with how it would all work out. What if it doesn't fit? What if it gets lost in the mail? What if someone else has already claimed it, but I jumped the gun and sent the payment?? {All things that someone who is a littttle bit Type A would worry about...unnecessarily I might add.} 

I come home from school to see a big box waiting by the front door for me...I can honestly say that very little tops snail mail and packages waiting for me at home. I rip open the package, throw on the coat and just start petting it like a complete weirdo. I'm in love {again...if you want to be all technical about it, I'll claim Ryan as my first love ;)} 

I walk out to show it off to Ryan and friends and what does our friend Cody call it? A cat coat. 'SCUUUSE ME?! {Said it sassy "oh no you didn't" voice with accompanying finger waving.}

Good thing I have insanely HIGH self-esteem because I trotted out on our double date in this beauty and didn't think twice. I'm totes gonna rock my cat coat! MUHAHAHAHA! I showed you! {Not really, cause after the initial mocking, no one cared anymore haha.} Moral of the story is don't listen to your husband or his friends about fashion. The end.

Things Only Provo-ites Know

 // University Avenue and University Parkway are two completely different streets, and are horrific at the following times:
+ 4-5pm everyday
+ Whenever it's snowing
+ Monday night FHE {family home evening}
+ Friday & Saturday date nights
+ Wednesdays during MTC {missionary training center} drop-off times
+ In between General Conference sessions
+ And during the summer when EFY kids are being dropped off at BYU

// The Velour is known for hosting up and coming Provo bands for hipster kids to drool and obsess over. Neon Trees anyone? {Still bitter that I didn't go when they were performing there...}

// Going on the West side of University Avenue over by the train tracks is super sketchy...how does that part of Provo even exist?!

// Everyone knows what you mean when you say that you live south of campus or condo row.

// Granted, everyone still gets Alpine Village and The Village confused...

// You are accustomed to random people asking you for weird favors such as: a picture for their FHE picture scavenger hunt, to film you wishing a stranger happy birthday, or taking surveys from you for their psychology class.

// If you are an out-of-state driver, then you blame all the horrible accidents and driving practices on other driver's "Utah plates".

// Instead of the Six Degrees of Separation, we have the Three Degrees of Just Being Mormon. You pretty much can track down a connection with anyone through various friends, acquaintances, school peers, missionaries, or family because we are all so dang inter-connected.

// BYU Cougar fans are the loudest when we win a game, i.e. driving through the streets honking, screaming, dance parties, fireworks, etc. When we lose? Provo is a complete ghost town.

// Betos drive-thru is hoppin' between the hours of 10pm-3am cause BYU students don't get the typical drug-induced munchies....we get the study munchies from studying all night for our dang tests! {Plus Betos is one of the only 24/7 businesses in Provo...smart move Betos, smart move.}

Super Bowl 2014

I grew up in a basketball family...my entire family has played and I'm now a basketball referee for Parks & Rec {makin' my dad proud!} Then I married Ryan...who is all football all the time. He played his entire life, and is now a walking football encyclopedia. Super Bowl sunday is where we come together as one...party planner extraordinaire and football fan maniac ;) 

We love being social and having a reason to rally up some of our favorite people to come over, which is why this is our second year hosting a Super Bowl party. I love hosting parties, so I had a complete blast putting the food and table together!

I made some Cafe Rio pork in the crockpot and had rolls {or "Bronco Bread", so corny right?}, cheese, and sauces for everyone to make their own little sliders. Throw in some southwestern dippers, themed cupcakes, cheesy potato skins, and 7-up punch and we're in business! Everyone brought over their own appetizers to contribute which included: cream cheese filled croissants from the Provo Bakery, amazing avocado salsa with chips, homemade girl scout cookies, and delicious artichoke dip. Can you tell that we all love food?!

I also printed up some Super Bowl commercial bingo cards which was actually super fun! We all got pretty competitive to see how could hit bingo first ;) I don't know if it's a sad or happy thing...but I had such a fun time the whole night that I didn't even pick up my camera to take pictures of who was there. BLOGGER FAIL! Even more of a fail? The Denver Broncos...ouch!

Midway Ice Castles

Back in December I snagged a Groupon for the Midway Ice Castles knowing that it would be a perfect budget friendly date! Especially since it's hard to get myself to go out on dates during the wintertime...cause all I want to do is cozy up in blankets, eat pizza, and watch Netflix. We finally went this last Friday and it was absolutely breathtaking.

Even driving up to Midway was beautiful, I snapped this picture and just enjoyed looking at all the snow capped trees. Sometimes I forget how pretty Utah really is, so it's nice to have these reminders every once in a while!

Ryan was being a rebel and punching some of the icicles...that dork. It was cool to see these manmade ice castles and walk through all the different mazes and crevices they had to offer. At nighttime they have LED lights inside the castles light up to make it even more magical, how cool is that??

We even saw Queen Elsa and Princess Anna from Frozen come to take some pictures, and it just made me wish I was a Disney princess! Although, I do think that I have the whole Sleeping Beauty thing down ;) This is something that I would definitely want to do next winter, it's a good excuse to get out of the house and make the best of the freezing temps here :)

Grease Lightening

Why are Mondays always so difficult?! It's probably because I party hard during the weekend and have to face the harsh reality of college life. Early classes, assignments, and tests means that I end up looking practically homeless. Beanies & no make-up here I come! Booooooo. 

This is the look I wore to visit the Midway Ice Castles {which were gorgeous by the way}, and I wore these {what I've now dubbed} grease lightening waxed denim along with my new favorite Shoedazzle knee-high boots. Look at me being all edgy!! I've been wanting to try leather leggings for a long time now, but could not find a pair that were sturdy enough...cause I don't need my goods flying out everywhere! 

{Remixed: Boots // Sweater}

I found these waxed jeans at American Eagle, and even got them on sale. Score! I like how they give the look of leather pants, but has the comfort of a normal pair of jeans. Would definitely recommend these! Plus it doesn't hurt that I now have half of my Sandy costume for this year's Halloween ;)

Chunky Sweater Heaven

Is it just me, or has January just flown by? Not that I'm complaining in the least, the closer we can get to summertime & graduation the happier I'll be! Although, one of my favorite parts of winter is being able to wear oversized sweaters with skinny jeans. I found this super cozy sweater for half off clearance at American Eagle and these olive snakeskin print khakis from Gap for 12 bucks. I'm seriously on a roll with these amazing finds!

While the weather is still dreary outside, I've been trying to hit the gym more than 3 times a week as well as clocking in on My Fitness Pal {username: brianna_rios}. Which not to toot my horn {seeing as how I've been frequenting Sodalicious too much haha}, I've clocked in for a little over two weeks and have only missed a few days of the gym. I'm already feeling stronger and better overall, even though I'm not seeing a huge difference on the scale. The goal is to feel strong & fabulous in my swimsuit at Seven Peaks this summer!

Well my friends, I've successfully put off my American Heritage reading {gag} for another half hour. Now it's time to bite the bullet with Great Gatsby playing in the background {such a good movie}, and finish off this ridiculous amount of reading! Only three more months...sigh.

Comms: Where Hipsters Unite

This is pretty typical for what I wear on any given school day. Something comfy for all the hours I sit in class, and for all the walking I do up to campus. Although, I don't like looking like a slob...so flat boots, comfy skinnies, and cozy sweaters are what I'm all about! 

Since all my classes are in the Communications building this semester {Advertising, PR, and Comms Studies majors}, I feel like my ensembles just fit in. Big glasses? Studded booties? Funky pants & sweaters? They totally fly in the Comms building! Everyone tends to wear massive glasses {most of the time they are fake...read my rant about it here}, combat boots, and slouchy beanies. I should start a tally on how many people I see in a day wearing any number of these things, just so I can prove my theory {ohhh research methods class, you are finally good for something.} 

{Remixed: Booties}

Now my bright & colorful outfits don't make me stick out like they did in the Family Studies building {where everyone was extremely conservative...think mom jeans and 80's shirts}, or in the Music building {musical geniuses & actors galore...too busy writing symphonies to care about what they're wearing.} Although, I don't know whether or not I should be touting that I fit in with the hipsters of our campus...haha! Is it a good thing to be considered a "hipster"?!

Weekend Update: Baby Ford

This past Saturday I went to my blog BFF's baby shower for her little girl who's due on Valentine's day! How cute is that?? Everything was decked out in pink & gold by her awesome mom and sisters, and the food was deeeelish. I seriously had 10 of some sausage roll-up finger foods, cause they totally hit the spot. Yummmmm. {Check out Kyla's full post on the shower!}

Ryan and I had a blast picking out adorable little girl outfits for Kyla's little one, and it makes me look forward to that time in my life when I'll be buying little baby clothes up the wazoo. Tutus, baby jeggings, and frou-frou galore! Until then, I'll just spoil my friends babies :)

After the shower, Ryan & I just vegged the rest of the weekend because we are exciting married college students and all. Hooray for sleep & a ridiculous amount of Sodalicious runs!