from lp with love

Not having cell service for a weekend can really do a person good. Especially when there is wake-boarding, tubing, jet-skiing, kayaking, and hiking to get done. This past weekend was spent at beautiful Lake Powell in Page, AZ with Drew's family and friends on their houseboat. This was my second annual visit to LP with the Tekulve's, but sadly our stay was much shorter this time around. Due to dumb school and dumb work we couldn't stay for the full week, but packed every activity we possibly could in 48 hours, resulting in having to live in our incredibly sore, tan/burnt, tired bodies at work the following Monday. Highlights of the weekend included the glow stick dance party on the top deck the first night we arrived, sleeping under the many many stars that can only be witnessed at Powell, and hiking up to Rainbow Bridge which made Delicate Arch look like a joke.

Truthfully, these are pretty much the only pictures from the whole weekend. In fact, I didn't even take them. I asked Drew to take a few for me and the rest of the time our phones were tucked away. This was partially due to the fact that the entire lake looked like this (beautiful, blue water, red rocks, sky for miles...YAWN) so there wasn't much else to document. Unless you wanted to see my siiiiiick wake-boarding skills...in which case I apologize because they are non-existent. Also, I'm trying this thing where I am not constantly taking pictures of my whereabouts. Don't get me wrong, I am a firm believer in 'pics or it didn't happen', but sometimes when you witness something so beautiful in nature, a picture just doesn't do it justice. It's best to just keep the snapshot of it in your mind and save it in its truest form in your memory bank. Furthermore, Snapchatting or Tweeting pictures of every tidbit of your day loses the intimacy of whatever moment you shared with those people in the present. Enjoy the time you have at the place you're at, with the people you're with and just take the necessary pictures. You're only going to Instagram the best one anyway.

Until next year LP!

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.

cloudy california

SCHOOL'S OUT, SCREAM AND SHOUT! loljk spring term starts tomorrow :( BUT winter semester finished up last Wednesday and after a week of zero sleep, lots of Monsters, 4 final exams, internship interviews, packing up my house, and being homeless for a few days, I took a much needed trip to California with Drew for the weekend. It was the perfect break that my brain and body needed in between semesters.

We flew in on Thursday, and from the time we arrived up until the day we left, the weather was cold, dreary, and as un-California-like as possible. OF COURSE. Just our luck :( I was banking on at least two full days at the beach and I got zero. But we still made the most of it! On Thursday we drove down to Balboa Island for treats at Dad's, ( I can finally say I've tried the frozen banana and hippo cookies!! Just as delicious as anticipated). Then we roamed around the beach looking at all the pretty houses and choosing which one we'll buy one day. After grabbing some dinner at a Greek restaurant I don't remember the name of, we drove back home and Drew gave me the full Yorba Linda tour, showing me his old high school, his favorite hang out spot as a child (the library), friend's houses, and some other special places that held fond memories for him. It was so fun to get more acquainted with his childhood home! I think my favorite part of the day was saying the name of every single street we drove by in my best Californian voice.

FRIDAY WAS FOR DISNEYLAND. OK, so we were not initially planning on going to Disney because it would be too expensive and we already had a jam-packed weekend ahead of us. But Friday morning rolled around and even though we had plans to spend the day in L.A. visiting LACMA, The Getty, and other sites, Drew successfully convinced me that Disney was the better option. AND IT TOTALLY WAS. I've only ever been one other time when he took me last May, but with the chilly, rainy weather, it was far less crowded and we were able to go on so many more rides! We even finished everything we wanted to do by dinnertime, so we went home, had dinner with his mom, and then went back for round two! And by that I mean we got back with just enough time to ride Pirates of the Caribbean again, and then watched the fireworks. It was such a fun spontaneous day and just as magical as Disneyland should always be. YOLO amiright?

Sorry for the picture overload from our Saturday morning spent at LACMA. This was such a neat art museum and I loved exploring it with Drew. Even though he's lived less than an hour away from L.A. his whole life, he's never even been to it! Andy Warhol is one of my favorites, so this was pretty dreamy for me. This past semester I took a Western Humanities class and when we learned about modern and post-modern artists, everyone was hating on not only him, but pretty much all artists of this era. I felt personally offended by my classmates' views on this movement in art as a whole, because I think modern/post-modern artwork is so innovative and just the coolest. So this is my shout-out to Andy and his fellow artists of that era: U ROCK, DON'T EVER CHANGE. Before we left L.A. we grabbed lunch at the yummiest Thai food truck I've ever experienced, Arroy Food Truck. This place was the bomb and Drew (the french fry connoisseur himself) stated that their garlic basil french fries were the best he's had in a while. I completely agree. Yes that's right, Thai fries are a real thing and for that I am grateful. If you are ever in the area, track them down and you won't be disappointed.

The main reason for our California trip was to get our engagement pictures taken by our dear friend Meredith. She is a super talented, up-and-coming photographer in the Orange County area and we figured it would be the perfect opportunity to spend some time with her, while also checking something off the wedding to-do list. We originally planned to take them at sunset on Saturday, but of course the weather had other plans. With the torrential downpour and crazy winds at the beach, we rescheduled for early Sunday morning, just before we left for the airport. And let me tell you...they. were. perfect. Seriously. Meredith is a dream to work with and also the nicest and coolest gal pal. Check her out (and follow her!) on her photography site, Facebook page, and Instagram! Here's just a lil taste...but perhaps another post will hit the blog when I get them all back...who knows?!? (LOL me. I know. Of course there will be because I'm obsessed).

photo cred: Meredith Chapman, you rock my socks off and actually make kissing pictures look good.

Thanks for reading this monstrosity of a post. I had the best weekend and I look for any excuse I have to visit California. Hopefully I'll be back very very soon!

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!)

friday is for favorites

Sorry if the title misled you, but I most definitely will not be making this a weekly thing, and for that you are welcome. It's just that I'm a fan of Friday, alliteration, and every aspect of the above mood board, so why not blog about it? This collection of pictures is just a snippet of what the most highly anticipated event of the(my) year will (hopefully) look like: MY WEDDING! It's going down on August 7th if you haven't heard. I know it may seem like ages away for all you Mormon peeps, but to the rest of the world, I'm down to the wire. The fact of the matter is, I applaud you gals who can pull off a two month engagement. There is already so much to do it makes my head spin. And I love it. I love every second of it. Okay, I don't love that it consumes 90% of my thoughts when they should be consumed with the physiology of the central nervous system and the physics behind the angles of refraction from a beam of light, but it is certainly the most enjoyable of the three.

Since I got engaged, I have been making weekly checklists so I don't overwhelm myself with one giant to-do list for the entire wedding process. I feel much more accomplished completing one whole list, rather than only checking off 7 of the 1975606549852083 items. This week I nailed down one of the biggies: choosing our engagement, bridal, and wedding photographers, including the locations for the respective shoots! Other items that have already been checked off in the previous weeks: booked the venue, called the temple, found a dress, chose a color palette (pink and orange because this is real this is me), and met with décor specialists. At this rate it might seem like we'll have this done in no time, but every hour or so I remember another detail that hadn't crossed my mind before and I jot it down for later. We've accomplished a lot since our engagement became official, but we still have a long way to go. I am absolutely giddy thinking about how busy I will be in the next few months with preparations. I fully intend to cherish every moment of it because hey, you only get married once amiright?

More of my favorites this week that are completely unrelated to wedding stuff: Purity Ring released their full-length album Another Eternity on Tuesday which has been on repeat since then because it's AMAZING, and tonight I'm seeing Bleachers in concert with my fiancé. Happy Friday!

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.