twenty-two.

I turned 22 this weekend and I didn't even post a single v-day-b-day picture to commemorate it. Who am I ?! 24601?? Maybe this means I've finally outgrown my indulgent social media ways...HA doubtful. Guess I was too busy ~*makin' memories*~ to take any pictures. SORRY MOM (and everyone else who scolded me for it). 

On Friday my sweet hubs threw me a party at our apartment with all of our friends! I promise people came, but as mentioned before, I didn't take any pictures during the party and only remembered to do so once everyone was gone. But it really was such a fun time.

 I had to at least document the cute decorations my homegirl Dez helped with (aka did all the work for while I sat and we chatted)

The party theme was 1994. Naturally this meant a playlist of 1994's best hits, as well as print outs of 1994's pop culture highlights.

 Hello, it's me.

After the party, Treat Yo Self weekend ensued! Drew booked reservations at the Zermatt Resort & Spa for Saturday night and it was the best and most relaxing time. I truly felt like a queen all weekend. We ate our way through Park City Main Street with dinner at Yuki Yama Sushi, and then brunch the following morning at the Riverhorse on Main. Both very delicious. Once we got back to Provo, we headed to the movies for a special 30th anniversary screening of Pretty in Pink! This was such a happy birthday coincidence because it was only in theaters that day, AND it is one of my favorite movies! Molly Ringwald is my original Queen Bee. After the movie, Drew cooked me a a fancy steak dinner. He is the best husband and Valentine.

Literally the only picture to document anything that day, and it turned out terribly.

Shout-out to our presidents for giving us a three-day-weekend so the birthday fun could continue even longer! I know most people in Utah think that the Midway Ice Castles are overrated, but I have never been so that was another birthday request of mine. Honestly I was over it in about 20 minutes, but it was still quite a marvel to behold. Utah is really cool sometimes!!

I saved the best for last...the most exciting part of the whole weekend was that Drew and I booked a much anticipated trip we are leaving for right after graduation!! We have been talking about it for months now, but finally made it official on Monday! We spent hours planning and mapping things out after booking our tickets. It is the craziest and I cannot WAIT. Also, Monday was February 15th which just so happened to be the day Drew proposed to me last year in Central Park. We kind of forgot about it amidst all the excitement, but looking back on it, I couldn't have picked a better way to celebrate!!!

 Cutest lil birthday presents from my dude!

<3

Shout-outs to Drew for treating me like a valentine birthday queen all weekend long, my friends who partied with me and showered me with cards, gifts, and treats, and anyone else who wished me happy birthday in some form or another. I'm feelin' 22 and it's feelin' pretty great so far! 

you are the answer to my question

Last week I watched Breakfast at Tiffany's on the big screen in an actual movie theater and it was the perfect way to get me in the mood to visit New York City for the upcoming weekend. It is one of my favorites, but experiencing it in theaters was like watching it for the very first time. Little did I know just how relevant Holly Golightly & Paul Varjack's New York City story would be to mine...

Saturday/v-day/my 21st b-day was spent all day in NYC and it was absolutely perfect. Drew has never been to NYC so I was so excited for him to experience my favorite city. It was filled with lots of delicious food, meeting up with friends, (because if you weren't in Moab or St. George this weekend, you were in New York) the Brooklyn Bridge, the MoMA, shopping at Uniqlo, and the highlight of the evening: watching Romeo + Juliet performed by the New York City Ballet. Shout out to our lovely host Emily for being the best tour guide and letting us crash at her cute apartment on the Upper East Side! xoxo

 first stop: Doughnut Plant because duh.

 "I'm DONUTS about you"

bundled up for BB with babes

 MoMA

 LET ME IN PLZ I just wanna hang with Leandra/Karlie/Jenna

Romeo + Juliet - the death part

On our second day in the city, February 15th, we first ate brunch at the positively delicious Jacob's Pickles. Our train back to Lancaster left at 1 PM, so we had limited time to spare before leaving the city. First I grabbed a cookie from Levain Bakery and Drew was adamant about visiting Central Park for ~*some reason*~. I was a little more reluctant considering the weather. OH, the weather. Sunday was blistering cold with upwards of 40 mph winds and a windchill of -3. The last thing I wanted to do was walk through the huge park when we could have easily caught a bus to Ladurée. All this chick wanted was some macarons. But Drew insisted and since he let me plan 90% of the activities for the weekend, I agreed. We walked a little more until we approached the Naumberg Bandshell. Drew sat me down on one of the benches in front of it and told me he loved me. Then he got down on one knee and asked me to take my left glove off. Remember when I said it was -3 outside? LOLfest just thinking back on how cold I was this entire time. Then he asked me if I would be his wife and marry him in the Washington DC Temple and I said yes. It was a perfectly private moment and the happiest part of what was already the best weekend in the best city with my best friend.

Brief history of this monumental spot: Elkan Naumberg, founder of the Naumberg Orchestral Concerts, donated the Bandshell to NYC in 1923, where it continues to be used as a theater for free outdoor classical music concerts. The real reason I wanted to stop by was because I thought I recognized it as the location for the scene in Breakfast at Tiffany's where Paul Varjack meets Doc Golightly and gets the background story on Lula Mae Barnes aka Miss Holly. I wasn't positive on this, but then I did some research and confirmed it to be true. Granted, it is not the most romantic scene of the movie, but it is a scene nonetheless from one of the greatest romantic movies of all time. 

"Presented to the city of New York and its music lovers by Elkan Naumberg, 1923"

Hey wait, we're music lovers too! CUTE, RIGHT?!?

This weekend was equal parts exhausting and happy and I would do it all over again if I could. Thank you for staying long enough to read this tale and thank you to all those who offered words of love, support, and well wishes for my birthday and engagement. And a special thank you to Drew for agreeing to be my forever Valentine and making me his soon-to-be Mrs.

Guys. It's official: ceremony in DC August 7th 2015, party in Lancaster August 8th. MARK YO CALENDARS CUZ MARRIAGE IS HAPPENING. And it's happening at the prettiest place in the world to the coolest guy in the world. 

We are stoooooked.

(every)body likes you when you're 23

ANDREW'S BIRTHDAY WEEK 2K14 went a little something like this:

Monday: As one of Drew's birthday presents, I bought us tickets to see First Aid Kit play in Salt Lakc. We went with one of Drew's friends Colin and met up with some other friends at the show as well. This was the ~*dreamiest*~ concert and I loved every second of it. These Swedish sisterly songbirds were absolutely incredible live and I adored everything about their set, from their gold wardrobe to the glittering backdrop. So glam. And what concert would be complete without post-In-N-Out? To ring in Drew's birthday at midnight we of course had to go and sing him happy birthday on the ride home.

Tuesday: Mitt & Ann Romney graced BYU with their presence at our Tuesday devotional. Naturally they came to wish Drew happy birthday. I brought the donuts. Best quote from the devotional? In regards to receiving a lot of advice throughout his campaign: "Someone told me I should go a few days without shaving so that I would look more sexy...as if I needed that." LOL claaaassic Mitt.

Communal is for birthdays. I took Drew out to our favorite restaurant in Provo for a delicious meal and more presents to open. We saved room for Sodalicious and spent the remainder of the evening watching episodes of 'Goosebumps' and then 'The Nightmare before Christmas'. I dk, it was his choice.

Wednesday: Since Andy's birthday was two days after Drew's we decided to host an Andrew Birthday Bash on the day in between their respective days of birth. So on Wednesday night we picked up Chipotle burritos for a birthday dinner, followed by partying with birthday pies and friends. ALSO, that night we posted the full-length promo vid for Provo Yacht Club's launch party. In case I haven't told you about this already, it's a music blog started by Andy and Drew. Not only do they (and other blog contributors, including me) post new music on the site daily, but they will also be hosting a number of dance parties in Provo as well. SO CHECK IT OUT NOW: www.provoyachtclub.com and Facebook for the event info. I promise it's cooler than my blog.

Friday: So Thursday was spent doing all the homework we neglected to do during the week. But on Friday we went to see Vance Joy who put on the most chill show. We met up with a bunch of other people there and enjoyed dancing and singing and meeting new friends. It was the perfect ending to the week. Happy birthday Drew, I'm really glad you were born. Blink 182 is dumb, because EVERYbody likes you when you're 23. Especially me :)  

a vday bday story

Whenever people ask me how I feel about sharing my birthday with Valentine's Day, I make some joke about how it has the potential to be the best day a girl could ever dream of, but in actuality (or at least every year in the past), it is just like any other birthday. A new response I've been getting lately after I tell people when my birthday is has been "oh, I'm sorry, that sucks :/" UMMM THANKS? BYE. Granted, there have been years where a lot of my friends were dating when my birthday rolled around, but I still didn't mind all that much because pink is everywhere, and birthdays should be a fun time regardless of your relationship status. In fact, this past birthday was probably the happiest birthday I've had in two decades (get it? cuz I'm TWENTY). Well let's just talk about how bomb my entire birthday weekend was. It started Thursday night when my roommates surprised me with PUPPIES via Provo's greatest business endeavor: Rent-A-Puppy. This is a real thing and everyone should do it at least once. We played with twin golden retriever pups named Ben & Jerry for one hour. It was really a present for all four of us. Thursday night ended -and I guess my birthday began- with a viewing of The Lego Movie, which I HIGHLY recommend everyone go see, pizza, and coming home to the arrival of my dear friend Kaity, who drove from Idaho to spend the weekend with us. It's always a party when she's in P-town ;)

John and I decided to co-host a vday bday dance party after my original plan to go out of town for my birthday weekend fell through. Can I just say that I am so thrilled those plans didn't work out?!? Instead, I spent the night partying with some of my favorite people in Provo. I was so pleased with how the treats, decorations, and especially the music turned out. I made a party playlist on Spotify (see bottom), but Desireé and I also made a dance mix especially for this night, which you can listen to HERE. And by Desireé and I, I meant I chose the songs and what order I wanted them in, and she was the one to compile them into one single mix on GarageBand. I am the worst. Warning: this was our first experience with GarageBand and we are fully aware of the lack of smooth overlapping and presence of choppy transitions. We're working on it, but before long we will be dj mix masters. It was still sick and makes for a great workout playlist, so check it out! Thank you again to John, my friends involved with any of the party planning/prep, and all of my fabulous guests who showed up to party with me.

There is always a huge outpour of love from people on your birthday, but this whole day was especially full of hearts and sweets and love and dancing and happiness. I don't think I would've been able to handle any more...even if it was just for the sake of Cupid. So I guess having my birthday on Valentine's Day really isn't so bad. In fact, it can turn out to be pretty perfect. The rest of the weekend consisted of Abby's Galentine's Day party, leftover cupcakes, lounging, good movies, and even better company. All of my favorite things. I never wanted it to end. Especially because that was our last vacation until the semester is over in April. But we're not talking about that. Just focus on the happy. I'm feelin' so #blessed for all of you beautiful people and I cannot wait to spend this year with you. 20 is gonna be good. 

Love you long time <3

hbd to the smaller, cooler, wittier version of me

Happy 22nd birthday to my favorite sister and best friend in the world, Ynna! We're both gonna listen to t-swift's '22' on repeat today, it would just be rude not to amiright? Here's a picture from back in the day when our mother liked to tell people we were twins:

Ynna has said before that she tells people who have never met me that I am the taller, smarter, quieter version of her, so I've decided she is the smaller, cooler, wittier version of me. We have the same taste in everything, including but not limited to clothes, music, décor, books and movies. If you follow her blog (which you should probably start doing now if you don't), or have ever held a conversation with either of us, you might even notice we talk and write the same too. It's freaky sometimes. However, she is a far superior writer than I am, and is so much funnier too. Just follow her twitter for proof. But enough advertising Ynna's social media sites for now.

Growing up with Ynna was super fun because she gave me, and still continues to give me the best advice. When it comes to clothes, boys, what classes to take, and anything in between, I ask Ynna for her input first. I trust her judgment completely and we almost always agree on everything. She has helped me through more things than she even realizes, just by being such a wonderful example to me. I know I'm not the only one who admires her style, wit, friendliness and faithfulness. Sometimes I even think my friends are more interested in her life than mine. They tell me on the reg how lucky I am to have grown up with such a fabulous sister...as if I wasn't already aware! She inspires me daily and is the greatest sister, role model, and best friend in the world.

 Alex Steele Photography

This year was pretty momentous for Ynna, seeing as she graduated college, got married and moved to Dallas with her husband (and my new big bro!) Preston. I definitely miss having them here with me at BYU. She made the transition so much easier for me as a freshman by showing me the ins and outs of Provo and introducing me to her hip, older friends. I met a lot of wonderful people here thanks to her, and everyone who knows her has only nice things to say :] Last year she also introduced me to the wonderful world of iPod dance parties, which is now one of my favorite hobbies here at school. I miss swapping clothes with her and buying her food or groceries whenever we were on campus together too. It was a riot whenever we met up for Canon dinners wearing the same outfit, which happened more often than not.

Now Ynna is living in Dallas being a cute, perfect wife to Preston and I know she is loving it. I miss her tons, but in a few weeks, me and the Kutney's will be en route to PA for Christmas!!! I am giddy with excitement to spend the holidays with them and the rest of my family in sweet Lancaster.

Happy birthday sister dearest, I just love ya! Keep on dancing like you're 22 <3

hbd to my favorite jonas/gilmore groupie

Happy 21st birthday to one of my most beautiful and best friends, Vanessa! Vanessa was the first person to suggest I start a blog, so of course I'm going to dedicate a post to her on the day of her birth :]

I first met Vanessa four years ago through one of our friends Ivy. A direct quote from Ivy was "Don't worry, you two will get along. You both love the Jonas Brothers and Gilmore Girls." No truer statement has ever been made. I can quote any line from any of the seven seasons of Gilmore Girls and Vanessa will instantly finish up the bit with me. However, the greater love we shared was with those wonderful jobros. (scratch that, we both still share a love for them even though they are no longer. TOO SOON? SRY) Not even a month after meeting each other, we both attended a Nick Jonas concert. As fate would have it, there were two empty seats next to me so I snuck Vanessa and her friend Jess up with me to enjoy Nick's presence from the seventh row. Later on, we joined him onstage with hordes of screaming girls, eventually pushing our way close enough to touch him. This is my favorite story to tell not only about Vanessa, but in general. We were crazy and Nick felt violated, but it was one of the best nights of our lives. Remember when his album came out and we went to Target to buy it together? Not pictured is the cake we decorated in honor of it too. Not sorry.

What I love most about Vanessa is that she is the best listener and storyteller. We don't get to see each other very often since she is living in PA and I'm attending school in Utah, but I always look forward to our Skype dates where we catch each other up on everything going on in our lives (those of which are just TOO important to tell over a simple text of course). Even better are our Starbucks dates when I do come home for breaks. She is genuinely interested in my crazy long stories and gives excellent advice and input on anything I need. We are both very detail-oriented when recounting anything of significance (or not of significance), so she always has the best stories to share with me too. She is such a genuine friend and I am so blessed I have her to confide in, even when she is hundreds of miles away.

Another fun fact about Vanessa is that she, much like myself, is a concert junkie. We have both spent obscene amounts of money for the sake of concerts, and we always have another one to look forward to at all times. In fact, this past summer we both attended Jonas Brothers concerts. (Sadly not together, but after the band's three year hiatus from touring, it was our sixth or seventh Jonas concert to date...oops) Together, along with our friends Erin and Jess, attended Justin Timberlake & Jay Z's summer tour in Philly. It was one of the highlights of my summer to sing and dance along to the sweet music of JT & Jay Z with this fabulous friend of mine.

I miss this girl so much when I'm at school, but in a few short weeks I will be home for winter break and will be seeing her lovely face! I also cannot wait until she can come visit ME out here in Provo. Happy birthday Vanessa, enjoy being "TWENTY-ONE!" (only to be said in the voice of Kyle's cousin from GG) <3