dear best friend,

dear best friend,

Remember that time on Valentines Day when I said I had only been on 3 dates the 6 semesters I had been there and then that teacher walking near us turned around and said, "That's so sad. You should hang out in different buildings."? Well I'd like him to know that I've successfully had plenty of more dates since then and you're about to get married. And that is something I seriously can't believe sometimes, it just makes me so freakin' happy! Every time I see a picture of Summer Bellessa and Brooke White, I love it so much more because Summer's hair is red now, so we really are just like the GWG. Do you remember that time I would use IcyHot cream for my monster of a knot in my shoulders and I accidentally touched my eye and you said it drooped like I was having a stroke? That's me for ya.  I miss watching award shows with you because you're the only person that enjoys it and knows everything thats going on.  When I watched the Golden Globes, everyone made fun of Diane Keaton, which is kind of ok, because she's an easy target, but the fact that they didn't know that she was in Annie Hall with Woody Allen or even who Woody Allen is, means you don't exactly have license to make fun.  And then when I explain everything, they still don't really care. So lets just plan on watching all of the awards shows together, ok? I heard someone play P.S. I Love You and I was surprised I knew all the words and didn't know why it made me feel sad. But I realized it was because you had played it so many times before. i think that we should take a minute to commemorate all of the songs that have gone through the infinite playlist of our college experience. like this. Remember this one too? Have you caught up on Revenge yet? Or had any slurpees lately? I hope we get one when I come see you. Sometimes I really hope that it comes a lot sooner than it is going to, because it's one of those monumental marks that you go through in a friendship, and who doesn't love to get a chance to see that? It's just like when we wrote our names on the top of the door to our room in the 411 or the time we switched you into my room from yours.  I think that sometimes when those things happen, we see the significance and know that things are changing, but what I think we don't know is that there's something else about it that is much small and simple, and we don't really remember that until later. but when we do, it makes all the big things seem that much bigger and the good things seem just that much better.

like, really, how did we turn into such women? 

TYRA

Once upon a time, when Jace and were roommates, 

and Tyra the art figure model was our friend, 

we did a project of tyra and her poses. 

i found these the other day and they still make me laugh.
i only wish i still had the pictures of tyra with a wig on.
but thats another story for another time.

another letter to my best friend,

dear best friend,

when i wait for the elevator, i still say "in case of fire, use stars". and i still feel like i'm funnier than i really am when i say it. and sometimes when i leave the library to walk home, i still get worried that the alarm will go off.  do you remember that time that i absolutely nailed an irish accent? it was probably like 3 in the morning and we were living in carriage, and for a whole hour i spoke nothing but perfect irish. i'm still disappointed that i've never been able to ever again. also, i look back and realize that we watched ten tv shows last fall and i honestly don't know how we did it. do you? speaking of, are you watching smallville? i really hope you are. yesterday i wanted hot chocolate so bad i almost drove to IF for a good cup of it. you would have done that with me, wouldn't you? sometimes i want to snapchat you and ask what i should wear tomorrow-especially on sundays. you know that tights throw me off. i also always want to snap you funny lines, but you don't have sound, so you should get a heytell and i will too. sometimes i miss that we would argue about if peeta or gale is better and i wish that we were going to the midnight premiere together. i'm not even going at midnight and i feel like a failure. i also miss when i wanted to go get something out to eat and i could just look at you and you'd know what i was thinking. its called telepathy. have i told you that i'm planning on going to paris before my grandma gets too old?  she wants me to take a picture in front of the eiffel tower just like her mother did, and i decided i want to do it. and that made me want to tell you, because you love paris so much. i'm also working on something for you. its a surprise for a certain thing and that's all i'll say about that. lastly, i miss when we would have "days". like bon days or audrey days or gossip girl days. again, its telepathy at its finest and i miss that and that we were so much the same. please give me an excuse to come visit soon....*cough* *cough*

el

a little shoot

last week we found a field that was green

and seeing as those don't stay that green for that long around these parts, 

we decided to take the opportunity of it. 

and p.s.-

i looooove those first two pictures.

a letter to my best friend

dear best friend,

i miss that we would both stay up on our computers before we go to bed and say things like "did you read courtney's blog?" or "go look at what i just pinned".  i think i took for granted and forgot just how alike we were. i didn't realize how much the same we were until i started living with people that don't do the same things as us, and that makes me sad. sometimes i listen to your starred playlist in the morning because that's what would be playing if you were here. the mirror is in a new spot and its finally hung up on the wall like it was supposed to always be. did i tell you that jason lucas said hi to me in the hall in the spori? i think he recognized me from all my insta's that he keeps liking.  making egg salad sandwiches isn't that great anymore, because one egg isn't enough food, but two eggs is too much, and i find myself at this awkward stage because i don't know what to do with it all. i told you it would be a hard transition to learn how to cook for only one person. wasn't the new score for downton abbey so good? poor poor mary makes me so sad that i want to cry and only downton can do that do a person, don't you think? last night, i just wanted you to be here so we could eat cookie dough and watch something sad like we do when things just aren't the way we wished with boys. but I really just missing staying up really late. I'm so proud of you for getting so good at painting your nails on your own too. the other day a really big semi honked its horn by my room and I yelled "Brody's here!" nobody got it. will you come visit me soon? then we can make no bakes and you can buy me ice cream because you owe me BIG for that. and i guess i'll buy you some too.

Back at it again

serena vander woodsen-am i right?

probably one of my favorite parts of visiting jace, 

was getting to take her pictures again. 

she's always the best model and lets me take my time to try new things as i learn.

i missed taking her pictures and love these pictures. 

friends and weddings

last weekend i got to go to a little town in california, where four of my best friends are from. 

after having heard so much about it and its people, it was so much fun to actually go and see it.

i loved loved loved meeting all the family and friends and soaking it all in.

and on top of it all, going to the first of the weddings for the six of us, was the best part of it all.

lovely candice and ian looked so beautiful together and it was a day of celebration and happiness. 

i love weddings because they're so full of happiness. 

i also hate them, because they make me want to have a wedding, 

but this one only made me more and more excited for 

the weddings that will keep coming for all of my friends.

and this girl-she's the real gem. 

we ventured through the beginning years of adulthood and college together

and i couldn't have done it without her. 

i owe her a lot, and knowing how happy she is makes the fall without her a whole lot easier. 

thanks for showing me your town-i'll be back next summer!

dancin'

a couple weeks ago i went to the lower lights concert with my family and our friends the merrills. 

i love this picture and this little friend of mine.

29/52

215. notes for days

216. i like wearing green

217. these feet need some TLC.

and a different tan line

(thanks TOMS)

218. this is how i talk on the phone

219. yay, they're getting married soon! 

and yay those are my pictures in an announcement!

220. i'm starting to grow a little coin collection from foreign countries

221. we watch movies on sundays

.

every now and then i have a night that i don't particularly want to do anything very much at all. 

i just want christmas lights in a cramped fort with my friend

and then we can laugh about how squished we are in that tiny fort

and maybe share a few creative ideas too.

i'm glad i took that picture.

that week that i spend with 20 teenage girls

i had such a great week.

these girls are my most favorite girls out there. 

we spent the week "roughing" it, hiking, crafting,

and of course, participating in the usual skits. 

of everything that i have learned from this, it is that 

there is a much more strong divine force that is at work in this world, 

and that this generation is being prepared for that, even if they don't know it.

they are each divine and unique people that contribute in different ways

and it would not be possible without their differences. 

they introduced me to "beef stew" (thanks brooke)

and crazy dance moves that i'm pretty sure are way beyond my skills.

but most of all, they are loving and i love them for that. 

let's hear it for my girls on fire!

because some days, i really miss them. a lot.

when i look back at that semester, 

THE semester, 

i know that it was that semester that will be the one i always remember.

i knew it when it was happening, 

and i couldn't help but think that things 

were never gonna be as great as they were right then.

And sometimes i don't think i can even ever try to have that great of a time again, 

because so much has changed and there are so many new things, 

but i think its the fact that i still have these great and wonderful girls in my life

that makes all the difference to me. 

because they mean enough to me to always be talking to them.

and thats what really defines it all for me.

ps. does anyone else think its a little creepy/cool that we all felt the same way about this yesterday?

cause we're cheetah girls, cheetah sisters. ;)

also, you're welcome for the incredibly sentimental and corny ode to my friends and winter semester. 

but i figure you can put up with it one of these few times ;)

Cortney

i went on a little photo adventure the other day

and it was quite the adventure. 

it was the first time with my brand new camera, 

(i named her penny)

and it started to pour half way in. 

it wouldn't have been as fun as it was if cort wasn't the person i was shooting.

we've been friends for a while now and i always love how confident and friendly she is.

i'm counting down the days until we finish this shoot. 

isn't she lovely?

if i've learned anything from my roommates its... (an ode to my dearest friends)

its that you should always inspect something before you buy it. getting the best magazine is always essential.

its ok to love boy bands at 21.

there is never enough jewelry.

there are actually people out there that watch as much TV as you do.

its your own insecurities that hold you back. people love you and notice your talents more than you think they do.

disney doesn't really get old.

peeing your pants isn't as embarrassing as it seems.

it is definitely possible to not wear the same outfit more than once and still come up with new outfits.

pop radio brings for the best moments in long car rides and getting ready for the day.

anywhere can feel like home.

post college limbo

man, nobody ever told me that leaving college could actually be sad at times. 

it may have to do with the fact that i have a little red devil occupying my time right now, 

but i find myself full of me-lan-ca-lee the past few days since i've been home.

while it mostly has to do with the disheartened feelings of leaving my best friends, 

its almost like a post mission limbo, where i don't really know what to do.

there's no school to occupy my time and mind, my lifestyle has changed, 

and i don't have anyone to watch TV with until 2 in the morning. 

i do love being home with my family, 

and the list of things i have going on this summer 

is enough to get me rolling out of bed any day.

but for now, i think i'll take these next few days off as my transition 

and remember that i really am grateful that i had a good enough year 

that it stinks to have left it. 

noteworthy happenings

i've been a bit preoccupied lately, and whether its the insanely awesome friends i have or the fact that i'm simply just bored with my blog (yeah, thats a problem i've been having lately), i figured i should at least give an update on some of the more little and odd, but noteworthy things that have occurred as of late.

i finished watching my very first season of the bachelor.  did you all see that i'm going to be the next bachelorette too? thats going to be awesome, right?

my back is a field of knots that seem to not want to leave. consequently, the icy hot cream i bought to bring me a little bit of relief caused more of a confusion (and show) when i accidentally got the remnants all over my left eyelid. so that was a weird feeling.

i'm going on a trip this summer, and quite a big one.

jace made a fort. underneath her closet. there's lights in there. we watch revenge sometimes when we're in there. its pretty cool.

i overhead a weird conversation about a lady's dog Tulip getting its haircut tomorrow. it was all in a very small town that had a great wall that we took pictures at today. that was an adventure.

10/52

63. pudding drop.

64. changing up the blog.

65. snow. 

66. bath.

67. getting sick

68. addicted. 

69. sending letters