the graduate.

When I first received my acceptance letter to Brigham Young University a week before my 17th birthday, I was just ready to get out of Amish Country, PA. I chose a school farther west than anyone else in my high school's graduating class. Moving to Utah meant living thousands of miles away from almost everyone I knew, and that I would only see my family on Christmas and summer breaks. Four years later, I can say with utmost certainty that it was the best experience and the smartest decision of my entire life.

 

In four years, I gained a lot of knowledge. I took dozens of science classes among the brilliant minds of pre-professionals, sometimes feeling extremely inadequate in those giant lecture halls as I did so. I confirmed that I hated Chemistry more than any other subject in the world, and that I loved Anatomy as much as I hated Chemistry. I learned how to speak a little bit of Tagalog and Icelandic. I had the privilege to learn from and get to know some very wise professors. I spent a lot of hours in the Harold B. Lee Library, wrote a lot of papers, studied a lot of flashcards, and consumed a lot of gallons of Sodalicious.

In four years, I learned a lot about people and even more about myself. I've met some of the smartest, coolest, funniest, and most spiritually minded individuals in the world and I am now lucky to call them my best friends. I learned to only make time for the people who make time for you. I learned that Halloween is a huge deal once you get to college, and that an iPod dance party is the best form of therapy. I discovered 15 different concert venues in Utah where I attended 30+ shows. I realized how much I enjoyed grocery shopping, meal planning, and cooking for myself. I learned how to be outdoorsy, because this state is too pretty not to take advantage of it. I learned that sometimes you just have to cry or laugh it off when school/work/dating/life sucks. I cried over boys and I laughed over boys too (read: shared countless bad date stories with girlfriends). I got asked out a grand total of zero times throughout my entire freshman year and somehow started off my senior year with a husband.

In four years, I gained a true testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I know for a fact that there is no other school in the world where I would've had the same spiritual experience as I did in this tiny bubble that is Provo, Utah. I went from living in a town where I was one out of ten Mormons in my high school to attending church in campus classrooms because there are thousands of us within a two mile radius. We started most classes with a prayer and professors tied in the Gospel to almost every secular topic. I had the privilege of attending General Conference multiple times. I have the ability to visit nine different temples within an hour from my house. I learned how to really pray, and how to trust in God's time-table instead of my own.

This turned into a sappy, wordy, love-fest real fast, but I'll close with this. I love Brigham Young University so very much. I will bleed blue until my dying day. I pray that one day my future children will get the chance to have a similar college experience here at the Y. I think I now know what it means to be an adult and I definitely know I would not be the person I am today if I spent these past four years anywhere else. 

COUGAR 4 LYFE.

((So what does a young, poor, married couple do right after finishing their undergraduate career?!? Travel to Europe, of course!! Fun fact, it's past midnight here in Reykjavík as I finish writing this post because the jetlag struggle is real. To follow along on our European adventures these next two weeks, you can check out my Instagram. I will be obnoxiously posting on there until I lose 50% of my followers. Cool! Bye!))

mtv cribs

Drew and I moved into our first ever apartment together as a married couple three months ago, and I'm finally getting around to this long overdue post about it. To be honest, I don't really care for this post and I'm already a little bored writing it...but I promised too many people that I would post pics of my new digs so you are literally the only reason I'm not backing out. So UR WELCOME.

We found this place thanks to one of Drew's friends in the film program who used to live here with his family. I was immediately smitten on our first walk-through. It has all the furnishings and charm of an old, historic house, but none of the gross, decrepit feels or smells of an old, historic house. I keep saying historic because it really is one of Provo's historic sites! The mayor of Provo used to live here some hundred years ago! There's a plaque on the front porch and everything. Later on it was remodeled and built into eight different apartment units and the front little one on the right is the one we call home.

The living room is easily my favorite spot in the apartment. Everything from the stained glass to the bay windows, to the chandelier, to the mantel makes my antique-loving heart sing. Thanks to KSL we were able to furnish this little room all fairly cheaply! The artwork and most of the décor were things we already had on hand. I'd be lying to you if I said I hadn't been picking things up here and there from thrift shops, even before we were engaged, with our future apartment on my mind. Tell me I'm crazy. We even have an "entertainment corner" equipped with TV, posters of some of our favorite bands and movies (all Drew's contribution), record player and stand. We loooove our Crosley and Urban Outfitters stand so much! We bought it a little presumptuously considering our collection of vinyls is a bit sparse right now, but we're slowly but surely adding to it and have used it a few times already! Turning it on and just chilling in the living room is one of our favorite rainy day activities. 2hipster4u.

 

If I was a legit blogger, Cavallini Papers & Co. would have probably sponsored this post because they contributed to about 70% of the décor in here. Those vintage posters you see in the living room, our bedroom, and in the kitchen? ALL from Cavallini. If we're friends, I have most likely told you about this place before because it is my #1 store for all things crafty, vintage, and cool. I buy my stationary, postcards, wall posters, and cards for all occasions from here. I cannot rave about this place enough! Thank you Cavallini, for making all my decorating dreams come true.

Despite the many quirks about living in such an old house, we absolutely love it. Storage is non-existent, our kitchen appliances may be from the 50's, and our bathroom is barely big enough to move around in, but it's ours. Even though we may not be here for a very long time, we put so much of ourselves in it because we wanted to truly make it feel like our home. So come check out our crib! We love having visitors!

all the feels.

I am a very nostalgic person. I keep every note, letter, postcard, and invite I receive in a toolbox I found at a vintage market. I keep a numbered list of every concert I've ever attended with the date, location, and opening acts featured ( PS- I reached #50 last week at Chromeo ft. ODESZA and it rocked). Speaking of vintage markets, I also love visiting those things more than life itself. Something about old artifacts/clothes/straight up junk make my heart sing. I look back at old photos and watch old videos on my phone more often than I care to admit. Recently, everything has been making me nostalgic and I just want time to stop. Please?

Desiree's 21st birthday soiree // Cori's backyard bridal shower

Freshman year in David John Hall feels like forever ago, and yet recent e-mails back and forth to my freshman roommate Lindsay (who is currently serving in Cebu, Philippines and will be home in one month--yes, I am the worst for just now e-mailing her) and updating her on my life makes three years seem very short at the same time. This summer, everything really is changing. Girls are getting married (like me?!? LOLWUT?!) Best friends are leaving on missions, people are graduating and moving away and getting real-life jobs and I don't understand how any of us are old enough for this! I know this happens all the time to everyone because life, but this is the first time it has been so applicable and personal to me. This morning I saw my dear Abby for the last time for at least 18 months, who is now at the Provo Missionary Training Center as we speak. She will be the coolest and classiest sister missionary that ever graced Kansas. She is my most glam friend and will be my "A" date forever. I know she will change the lives of so many people and everyone she comes in contact with will feel of her sweet spirit.

Remember when she quoted Fleetwood Mac's "Go Your Own Way" in her farewell talk? We all do.

Everything about this summer and beyond makes me nervous, but excited (#namethatquote). My thoughts are mostly consumed by my own wedding, but all of my friends are embarking on new, scary, and amazing adventures and I don't know when we'll all be together again, especially my little Wyview Crew that I have grown so close to after meeting at the beginning of our freshman year. Hearing about their stories via e-mails/Instagram posts and not being together to chat until 3 AM is just not the same! BRB crying. Not to mention life AFTER the wedding?? Ha ha ha yeah that is uncharted territory. I am thrilled beyond belief/on the brink of tears whenever I think about all the things that go with it. Just a lot of feelings right now. Mostly I just want time to stop so I can sit back, breathe, and then probably cry some more. So if that could happen, I would greatly appreciate it. THX BAIII.

april showers bring (summer weddings)

This past weekend was simply the happiest. Not only did General Conference fall on Easter weekend this year and Drew's parents were in town for it, but a few of my best girlfriends threw me the prettiest bridal shower on Saturday! Since all sessions of General Conference consisted of me sitting on a couch/bed in my pajamas and we didn't have our normal church service, meaning no matching dresses with Ynna and my mom (which we do every Easter Sunday...insert crying emoji here), I decided to document the most glamorous of the three events: my beautiful shower!

Let's first talk about those PAPER FLOWERS. My friends know all too well about my love for crafty photo backdrops at parties, and I am still so enamored whenever I look at pictures of this one. People are still talking about them (probably). I essentially want this same thing at my reception, hope they don't mind. Abby, the queen of flowers, picked up my favorite colored flowers to display around the room and they were just the prettiest! (Sorry that for the duration of this post I won't use any other word as much as prettiest, but it's the truth).

80% of the room was pink and orange and I was 100% okay with it. Special thank you to the Miller's for opening up their beautiful home to us and hosting my shower.

My future mother & sisters-in-law: Katrina, Katie, and Sarah

All of my guests took a picture of themselves and wrote/illustrated how we first met each other. I just love these two! Emilee is going to be my roommate this summer and I am stoked. My last roommate before my eternal roommate hahaha WUT. I always have so much fun with this girl and I'm looking forward to the boba dates and Sodalicious runs that will surely ensue when we live together. She also introduced me to sweet Lauren, who I had known of for awhile (IDPs & Twitter bring the ppl together) but we decided to take our cyber friendship to the next level this semester and I am so thankful for it! Now we're practically dating considering how often we have movie dates and post-date drop-off chats (she is my boyfriend) with each other. So thankful for both of your friendships and your attendance at my shower!

I wore each of these outfits when something significant happened in mine and Drew's relationship. First date/first kiss, the proposal, first met, and first concert shown from L to R. Say what you will, but this is me we're talking about so of course the first concert we attended together is on the same level as the day he proposed. The game was that everyone had to guess which outfit went with which occasion, and then I told the story about each. Even though most of my friends already heard these stories (or were even present for them), it was still so fun to retell them and think about how much has happened in a year. For instance, exactly one year ago from the date of my shower was when Drew asked me out on our first date for the following weekend! Awww

Let the flower wall photoshoot begin

 Love my Kaity baby for coming down from Idaho for the weekend to celebrate with me <3

 Sup we're engaged. August is gonna be cray. (I promise we're wearing our rings, we just opted for ones where you can't even tell)

OK this is by far THE PRETTIEST card I have ever received. My classy friend Maddy made this and I will probably frame it in our house, hope she doesn't mind. She is so thoughtful and even painted those flowers in the same exact colors my wedding bouquet will be! I showed her maybe one picture of a bouquet I liked over a month ago. Hire her now for all your calligraphy needs. I know I am!

T is for TEKULVE

And finally, a picture of me surrounded by my angel friends/hosts. They went above and beyond to give me the prettiest, most Alyanna-esque shower there ever was. I cannot thank them enough for pulling this off in the midst of this crazy end-of-semester period, just so I could have all my friends together before the summer of weddings/missions/study abroads/internships takes over and everyone leaves me here in Provo. Sorry that everything has to be as difficult as possible. I am #srslysoblessed to have these girls by my side throughout this college experience and all the monumental decisions and events that go with it. Thank you for adopting me into your Wyview clique that fateful freshman year and being my roommates, confidantes, and go-to girls when I need anything! They will undoubtedly roll their eyes at the sappiness of this, but I just love ya!

One more big thank you to all the ladies who attended my shower and made me feel so very loved! I truly appreciated your presence and your presents ;) This whole weekend I felt loved, not only from my sweet friends, but especially from listening to the messages at General Conference from our wonderful prophet and church leaders. I feel my Savior's love for me everyday, but this past Easter weekend was a wonderful opportunity to reflect on how truly grateful I am to have the knowledge of the Gospel in my life. Because He lives, I get to marry my sweetheart for time and all eternity and we can be with our families forever. I love this Church and know that the talks shared with us were truly inspired. You can listen to/watch all of the sessions from this weekend HERE.

xoxo,

 -the soon-to-be Mrs. T 

(promise that won't be my new sign-off or anything--you can kill me first--it just seemed fitting for this post. Speaking of which...4 months from today y'all! Eeeeeek!)

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