A day of purple and orange.

Brandon and his family took me to my first college football game this past saturday in Clemson. I got the entire college football game experience too! We tailgated, walked around and checked out the homecoming floats, watched the mini parade, and got some really good seats in the stadium. I had such a blast and I can't wait to go again soon! Plus Clemson totally killed Boston College! 36-14 ;)

I'm currently relaxing on my fall break, but that doesn't mean I don't have any work to get done. I plan on cleaning my room today and finishing up the remainder of my homework from last week so that I can spend more of tomorrow studying for my Music Appreciation test. On Friday I'm going to tour Clemson with my parents and Brandon gets to come home finally. Our 8th month anniversary is also on Thursday, of which we are very excited about :) I am hoping we get to do something special for it because we haven't really gotten to celebrate any of our past monthaversaries (as he likes to call them). 

School is still kicking my butt and I'm getting extremely nervous. I want to do really good this year so that I won't have to stay at Greenville Tech. Going to that Clemson game certainly boosted my confidence though. I really needed to be reminded that if I want to go there someday, I really need to get my act together at where I go now. Watching Vampire Diaries all week certainly didn't help my attention span either... but hey, I'm already caught up in the third season and now I can start watching it with everyone else on Thursday nights at 8 D:

ELENA + DAMON PLEASE GET TOGETHER!!!!!

Oh, btw, I got my nose pierced last week. ;D

I hope everyone has a wonderful week! xoxo

I think I'm in love.

I love Clemson, and I love Brandon, so if you can imagine putting the two together they are the best, most comfortable, most alive, most sweet feelings in the world. We ate at a really awesome restaurant and watched kind of a scary movie, but the best part was being able to spend time with one another and just... well, relax. These sort of days with him are the ones I cherish most. I hope you all had a lovely weekend xoxox.

No, I'm not really sure why he's making that face in the first picture. He refused to be serious! :o

Mutemath at the Handlebar.

If you have never heard of MUTEMATH, I strongly suggest you give these guys a chance for that you won't be disappointed. I discovered them a few years ago on Myspace around 2007, a year after their first album came out. This video was being advertised and it would come to be one of my favorite songs of all time. I soon downloaded a few more of their songs off the album, but sadly forgot about them as time passed. It wasn't until I met Brandon that I rekindled my love for them after he introduced me to their latest album titled 'Armistice.' From there on out I have never been so overwhelmed with such beautiful music. They have certainly kept me company over the months and honestly, I have yet to get sick of hearing them.

Me, Brandon, and his parents got the privilege to see them live this past Thursday at the Handlebar in Greenville and it was the most incredible show I've ever been to. We were lucky enough to be the first ones there (him getting there at five, me at five thirty, and his parents sometime after six) and be able to see the band in the cafe. We were so shy though we didn't know what to say or how to approach them because well... they were trying to eat ha. Still though! Having them literally TWO feet away from us was so intense! When the doors finally opened, there was this beautiful little spot at the very front of the stage (and right where Paul Meany was to stand) that ended up being Brandon and I's space. We had a perfect view of the singer (Paul), the guitarist (Todd) and the drummer (Darren), however where I was standing Paul's organ was right in front of my face so I couldn't see the bassist (Roy) in the back very well. The concert had so much energy though for just a little show. There were tons of people behind us, and at that moment I was extremely grateful for the spot Brandon and I were able to snag. And yes I got to touch all of them except for Roy who was mainly on the other side of the stage (it was kinda cramped...) and I even got Todd to smile at me twice! Bahah!

At the end of the concert we were kind of sad because we thought we weren't going to get to actually meet them and talk to them, but then a glory moment happened when Todd walked out to the tour bus and a bunch of people started shouting his name. Brandon and I both shot over there as fast as we could and yes we got to meet him/grab a picture with him! Brandon even got him to sign this little cd he bought at the merch stand. To make things even BETTER though, Paul walked out too! The picture above is with me, Paul, and Brandon and if you couldn't tell, we were ECSTATIC! He even gave us hugs like he's known us all his life! He was the nicest guy, and so was Todd! I wish we got to meet the other members, but I think they were inside. Still though, the show was amazing, they were amazing, and I want to relive that night for the rest of my life. I have never been so happy before!

I'm serious though you NEED to give them a listen! They are incredible musicians! :)

Pictures above:

1. Me, Paul, and Brandon after the show.
2. Some of the band in the cafe like 2 feet away from us!
3. Me and my love before the concert.
4. Front and center!
5. Paul's set list!
6. Todd!
7. Darren!
8. Paul!! :)

Good Night

I apologize for being so absent the past few weeks, but a lot has been going on in the month of August that has distracted me from writing. I promise to keep updating more frequently and not to abandon this precious online blog again.

Recently I've found myself reminiscing over the previous years of my life. I have overcome so much, yet fallen behind in some cases. I do know that I am approaching that stage where I'm trying to find myself as an individual and to try and forget the person I once used to be. The first picture that is posted up there was taken when I was 15 years old at the beginning of my Sophomore year of Highschool. That entire year taught me things that I am still to this day learning how to forgive. If anything, I experienced two life changing events that would carry me to this moment right now. I recently just experienced my third one last month. I remember when we were all in 9th grade and we were the first class to be in the Freshman Academy and one of the history teachers gave a speech to us in the gym. He told us to look to our right, and then to our left at the people beside us. I remember we all gave each other goofy smiles, not even expecting to hear the next few words he would say to us. He told us that there was a possibility that we would grow apart from these people, a few would drop out or move far away, and God forbid it, but some of us could face death in our highschool years. We were only 14 and 15 at the time though, so of course we took his wisdom lightly. As I grew through highschool, however, I did loose a few friends and gained a few more. I will say that I never personally lost a friend, but I know people who have and have faced death themselves. These real life situations were still so surreal to me at the time that I never really wanted to admit myself to them. I wanted to bury my head under my covers and hide from the monsters of the real world when some of the monsters were people I trusted and tried to find comfort in. It's amazing how people change over a certain amount of time and how you truly discover who your friends are as you progress into college.

So much has gone on in so little time, but I'm starting to feel normal again. I'm also starting to realize just how much certain people mean to me in my life. If anything, Brandon has been more to me than just my boyfriend. I never once thought it was capable to be best friends with someone you were intimate with; like it was a whole separate concept of relationships. He has taught me more about friendship than anyone in my entire life, and has compassionately stood by my side and loved me far more than I could ever imagine. It's the little things that he does that reminds me of how much he loves me and cares for me and those thoughts indeed bring the most comfort in times when I'm feeling sorrowful.

As I've previously stated before, August was a hard month for me. I had to overcome some emotional issues that involved watching all of my friends leave for college, plus a number of personal events that took place with the whole 'moving forward' process in my life. I am choosing to lean on God for most of these matters now and to not worry so much about the things I cannot control.

~

In other news to this, Brandon and I get to see MUTEMATH this Thursday and I AM BEYOND EXCITED! It will be my first real concert seeing a band that I absolutely adore, so as you can imagine I'm flipping out! We got V.I.P packages too that came with a shirt, a ticket to the show, their new cd (that comes out October 4th, AND you can totally pre-order it now on i-tunes) plus a bonus song! We are beyond pumped for this and yes there will be lots of pictures and hopefully some videos to share! I will totally be updating on this more though!

I wanted to end this blog on a happy note though because despite how last month turned out, September is starting to look pretty snazzy. I am really excited for all that God has planned for me and I cannot wait to start looking at the next school I plan to attend! I hope everyone has a fabulous Labor Day weekend and week!

xoxo

Adventure in the mountains.

Yesterday Brandon and I went to Table Rock with his mother for a little afternoon adventure. When we first started the trail it felt pretty good. It was cool and shaded and pretty much no problem at all. Well, as we kept moving the trail eventually became a lot harder than we expected and eventually quit after about 45 minutes. Other than the heat, crowd, and lack of water down my throat, it was a wonderful experience. I wore my rainbows so I think I brought the wrong shoes as well, and of course Brandon didn't get enough sleep the night before but suddenly got a random burst of energy when we were hiking *tries not to grumble*. When we got back home we went swimming in his pool and played for about two hours, then we came back inside and enjoyed some wonderful pizza (thanks to his lovely mommy) and watched It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Needless to say it was a wonderful day :)

My back to school date is approaching rapidly, but I think I'm finally getting to the point where I'm content with that. I've felt so idle since January and even though I'm ready to start fresh, I'm terrified to start fresh. This year determines so much for me in so many areas in my life. I had two break downs last week from all the stress I've been bottling up and it was rough. Very rough. I have so much to do in so little time it seems, but from now on I'm trying to give this a positive outlook and not worry so much about those things now. It's still summer and I still have time to spend with my friends, family, and boyfriend. It's amazing what prayer and faith can really do.

xoxo

Productivity + yummy pizza :)

This week has been both lazy and productive! Here are a few pictures of what I did. My grandma gave me this old quilt she bought off of QVC the other day and now it is happily hugging my bedsheets. I was getting really sick of my old one, so I definitely needed a change. This one actually matches my stuff too. I usually go for the brightly colored quilts you see sometimes, and I actually found a perfect one when I went to the mountains a couple of weeks ago. Unfortunately it was like... $100 and my mom talked me out of getting it :/ it was still very nice though. I've also been getting into old children's books (thanks to Ashley, Brandon's sister hehe). I've been absolutely DYING to find an old copy of Winnie the Pooh and I finally found one laying on a dusty shelf in this antique store in Greer. Talk about SNATCH! :) I think it was dated to about the early 1940's? It's in really nice shape!

I also splurged the other day on Etsy and bought this lovely dress from the 1950's, but sadly... it barely fits me. I was really gutted about it too. I'm thinking about taking it to this place that does alters but I don't know if they can really do anything about it since it is vintage fabric. Plus the cost might be a little pricy. Who knows... I might use it, but I am definitely not ready to give it away just yet. The way the girl packaged my dress though was really cute! She put a little doily on top of it with a little message saying thanks! I'll definitely have to remember all of these cute little details for when I open up my shop soon!

The other night boyfriend and I (well, mainly Brandon, I just did the woman's work) made these grilled pizzas and oh my gosh they were amazing. I couldn't finish mine, but it was totally devine. We just got this dough from Publix, added some of this fancy mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, and fresh basil and man it was a perfect meal. My love can surely cook :) I also spent some much needed time with my best friend Leah, and then last night Brandon and I napped for a while and watched It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (which is really growing on me btw)

Ahhh well tonight I'm going out with a few friends to celebrate our friend Shelby's 17th birthday! Yay! :) I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! xoxo

can i just say...

that i absolutely love this boy? 

he is more than anything i could ever ask for, 

and for the first time in my life, i actually have found a safe place to land.

even if things have been tough the last few days, he has shown me so much patience and kindness. 

i love him so, so much.

xoxox

Andy Lehman and The Night Moves.

This past Wednesday, Brandon and I went to an outdoor concert at Reedy River to see one of our favorite local bands, Andy Lehman and The Night Moves. It was a wonderful show and we were so happy to stop and talk to them for a few before they performed. I'm really glad it didn't rain though, but as soon as they finished their last song it was threatening to storm in the distance. We had a really good time :)

 

There hasn't been much going on lately. Just slow summer nights, cuddling, laughing, talking, some swimming, ipads, macs, movies, etc. Last night we did go see the premiere of 'Horrible Bosses' and boyfriend and I both agreed it was our favorite 'free' movie we've seen so far (he works at regal and they give him two free tickets every day.) So we both totally recommend that you go see it!

Tomorrow I'm going to a huge Flea Market in Asheville, NC, and I am hoping and praying I bring home plenty of vintage goodies to share with you all. I've been hunting a quilt as a new bedspread for my room because I really hate my current one. I'm so excited though I can barely contain it :)

xoxo

the weight of stress.

I'm pretty good at stressing myself to death for some reason. It could be something really little too, but yet if it affects me in any kind of way, it hits me hard emotionally. I start thinking about it before I go to sleep at night and then it moves on to some tears and frustration and then I take it out on those who I love. If you're wondering why I'm stressed or how I could even possibly be stressed to begin with since it's summer, I'll tell you straight up that I'm terrified about school. I don't want to go to Greenville Tech really, and now I'm starting to doubt myself on what I want to do with my life. As you all know, photography is a huge passion of mine. For about a year or so I decided on fashion photography as my career choice. When my Senior year at Byrnes rolled around I still kept the same thought. However, I then started to think about the other options I could go for as a photographer. I never had it in me to do weddings or anything in that category because I've heard a lot more cons than I have pros on the matter. But a few months ago I was browsing along the internet until I came across this beautiful couple who did weddings in the exact same style of photography that I love. Their names are Andrew and Carissa Gallo and they're based in Washington, D.C. I was instantly floored by their work and that's when I realized that I didn't have to do the standard 'Wedding' photography you normally see. There are people who do actually have the same taste as I do, however, I'm not sure how big the clientele is. Once I saw this beautiful work though, I seriously started to doubt fashion photography. A few weeks ago I was asked by one of my good friend's mom if I would be willing to take some photos for a local consignment shop in Spartanburg called, "OOPS!" I definitely took up the offer, but I then began to learn a lot about fashion and how a clothing store works. Honestly, I wasn't expecting half of what I got out of it, and now I'm more prepared for the next shoot. It was still a fun experience though and I got to work with two of my best friends, of whom who were excellent models. :)

I'm not sure what I'll be doing later on in life and what school I'll end up transferring to. In the end I just want to wrap my head around something else and not worry about my back to school date.

But I want to thank my wonderful, sweet boyfriend for being there for me last night. I definitely used his shoulder to cry on via skype and he patiently listened and knew what to say. Even if he was half dead from spending all day at the beach with his family hehe... I love you very much honey!

four months today :)

Thank you for being so loving, kind, patient, supportive, and overall just wonderful these past few months. You have made me feel like the luckiest girl in the world, and the happiest at that. I really hope you know that you mean so much to me and that I'm so very thankful that you're not only my boyfriend, but my best friend. You hold a very special place in my heart and I thank God constantly for bringing such a loving person in my life. (: You're the funniest person I know, and you always know how to cheer me up. I can't even stay mad at you very long and even when I 'try' to it never works. You always manage to bring a smile to my lips no matter what you do. You're incredible, and I love you so much :)

For those of you who couldn't guess, it's Brandon and I's four months today. (: I know, I know, silly to celebrate, but come on... nothing wrong with expressing how much a person means to you, right? Hehe. I put up a few pictures as a 'timeline' of our friendship/relationship and goodness... even if the first picture was taken just back in December, it literally feels like such a long time ago. He's definitely my favorite, that boy.

I am currently soaking up some summer sun with my parents down at Harbor Island, SC, and it's wonderful. I love it down here so much; it's practically a second home to me. The atmosphere is very inspiring and I plan to snap a lot of photos to share with you all. That's my biggest struggle when I go on vacation; taking pictures. I find that to be super ironic too, but I get so lost within the beauty, relaxation, and history of the lowcountry that I just... forget. It's something I'm determined to break this year though. Oh and by the way, guess who drove on the highway for the first time since getting her license? THIS GIRL RIGHT HERE! Yeah! It was really awesome! Horrifying in some spots, but nonetheless really easy and mellow. I hope to get the hang of it some day... as for now I think I'll practice a bit before heading out on my own. :P I hope everyone is having a lovely week! :)

Wednesday afternoon.

Just a small update. Boyfriend is playing L.A Noire and I'm just sitting here watching. We had a pretty productive afternoon. Went swimming for a bit and played cards with his family :) Ah summer, how I've missed you so.

taking shaky new steps.

So... obviously a lot has been going on this week. I recently graduated from Byrnes Highschool on May 24th, 2011 and needless to say it was a complete whirlwind. That day was stressful from the start, actually. I had to wake up at 7:30 for a miserable graduation practice, boyfriend went with me around 2 to get my hair done (of which didn't last long at all later that night), we went and ate around 4:30, came back and got my cap and gown, and then I was sitting in my place in the gym around 7:00. All of the faces that I had grown up with surrounded me and at that moment I didn't feel sad. I didn't feel regretful. I was content with where I was at. I honestly didn't even realize that I probably would never see most of those faces ever again. I probably will forget most of them, remember some of them, and keep in touch with a few of them. It never even hit me until the other day, too.

Growing up really sucks in a way.

On a lighter note, I loved my cake. It was perfect. The flags were perfect, the tiny blue frosting was perfect, and the cake platter was perfect. It made me extremely happy, but even more so that my mom let me use her wedding china to eat it off of. :)

I've spent the last few days with Brandon (boyfriend) and they have been wonderful. Yesterday we spent a three hour car ride with his mother to Clemson and to do some things for his job. Though it was fun, we all were seriously tired by the time we got home. Later that night we came back to my house right before a huge storm hit. It was probably a good thing we left when we did because as soon as we got inside it literally threw down. He's been helping me set up my lap top. It's a good thing he's my tech support because I sure don't know how to do most of what he can do. Especially since he is a total Mac geek ;) I love my silly boyfriend a lot. <3

I think I might play sims for a while or rest. I really need a day of rest although I know we're going to be doing something today. I always end up having to do something. Meh. Tomorrow I'm taking pictures with Emily and her friend from school for my Vintage store that I'll be opening up soon. I really need to get back into thrifting... especially now that I can drive. Hm.