Wedding Wednesday: Finding the Perfect Bridesmaid Dresses

Happy Hump Day!    

I'm back with another Wedding Wednesday post today on one of the most fun/most contested wedding choices ever: bridesmaid dresses. 

I think we can all agree that the age of purposefully making your bridesmaids look ugly is over (hallelujah).  I love my bridesmaids and I want them each to feel beautiful, but with five different girls, that can be a bit challenging. 

Click through to read my top tips for choosing the best bridesmaid dresses and see what my girls will be wearing in March! 

My Top 6 Commuting Tips

Happy Hump Day!

Today's post is all about my top commuting tips. When I started commuting last year, there were tons of posts on how to make friends or get plugged into campus life but nothing on the general act of commuting. I was already a senior, so I didn't need help on the social side of things, but the logistical side of commuting was a big learning curve. I learned a lot of things the hard way, so I thought I'd make those lessons useful and share them with you! 

DIY Sugar Scrub and Bath Soaks

Happy Friday Lovelies! 

I don't know how many of you are back to school, but I just finished my first full week of my last semester (there cannot be enough exclamation points after this) and I'm enjoying getting into my new routine. I don't know about you, but the fresh organization is my favorite part of a new school year. 

The best part of my final semester is being able to take interesting classes, not just requirement fulfillers. I'm a history major, so I'll spare you the classes I'm totally nerding out over, but just know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel! 

It's also been my first week back commuting and I did not miss it. How are there so many people in Orange County? Needless to say, I'm ready for a pamper night. 

I thought I would share my favorite DIY pamper night recipes with you in case you were feeling the need too! These are easy, super gentle, and geared towards moisturizing tired skin. I guarantee you have the ingredients for at least one of these recipes already. Bonus: they're kind to the college girl's budget! 

Back to School Basics: Favorite Dresses

Welcome Back to School Y’all!

I hope you are settling in well. I started last Wednesday and it's been crazy.

When I was brainstorming back to school posts, I thought it may be kind of fun to share with you the basics that form the bulk of my class wardrobe. I wore uniforms alll through my pre-college schooling, so basics are my happy place. They're easy to wear, versatile, and are the perfect foundation pieces.  I love all of these pieces and I hope you find something you love too!

My Favorite Dresses

I go to school about 20 minutes from Disneyland and it stays murderously hot through to Halloween (there's been a few years when I'm still wearing shorts the week of Thanksgiving!). I don't even want to think about pants for the first month of school but I also don't really like wearing shorts to class. Enter dresses; the floaty solution to my sticky problem.

1, 2, 3, 4

School Bags I'm loving

School is starting soon, and as sad as I am about the end of summer, I'm excited about school supplies. Today I wanted to share with you a list of school bags that I'm loving this fall. 

I have a 15.6" laptop, which is as big as it sounds. It's mega size makes it challenging to find cute bags to use for school, so I went on a quest to find cute and functional bags for this fall. I thought I'd share my findings with you: 

Tote Bags:

Monthly Favorites: July

Long time no favorite, oops. May and June were crazy with finals and then I traveled all over the place. I feel like I'm just now slowing down and coming up for air. I have lots of things in store, including travel posts and some back to school tips and tricks.

Favorite Memory:

There was so much to love in July, but my favorite was our family trip to Sun Valley, Idaho. I'll be doing a long post specifically on the trip, but one of my favorite nights of the trip was the night we watched the ice show. I've always loved watching skaters and there is something so magical about watching incredibly talented people skate under the stars in such a relaxed setting.

Wedding Wednesday: How to Register

For the next couple Wedding Wednesday posts I'm going to be talking about our wedding registry. This has been one of the things I looked forward to most, but has also been one of the most challenging. The registry is all about setting up your future home, which is really exciting, but can also be really overwhelming. I want to share our lists and some of the thinking behind them in hopes of offering some help to those of you who are planning your own wedding. When we've been married for a little while, I hope to do a registry update and detail what works, what doesn't work, and what we wished we had gotten instead. 

Happy Wedding Wednesday Y'all! 

I hope you're having a good week. This Wednesday,

Wedding Wednesday: How to Register

For the next couple Wedding Wednesday posts I'm going to be talking about our wedding registry. This has been one of the things I looked forward to most, but has also been one of the most challenging. The registry is all about setting up your future home, which is really exciting, but can also be really overwhelming. I want to share our lists and some of the thinking behind them in hopes of offering some help to those of you who are planning your own wedding. When we've been married for a little while, I hope to do a registry update and detail what works, what doesn't work, and what we wished we had gotten instead. 

Happy Wedding Wednesday Y'all! 

I hope you're having a good week. This Wednesday, I wanted to give you the steps we took for making our registry. This is pretty type A, but I found that the more organized we were, the more fun the whole process became. I may be a little crazy, but Kyle and I have enjoyed our registry process much more than we anticipated. Let's get into it!

Step 1

Make a Master List

The very first thing I did was to put a big master list of registry items together. I started by searching pinterest for a few suggested lists so I had somewhere to start from. Then I took into account our lives; we both love to cook/be in the kitchen and plan on entertaining.  One of my college roommates is getting married in September and they love to camp, so their registry has a lot of camp gear on it. Another thing I took into account was things we already have (see this post for a look at some of what we are starting with). Lastly, I had my mom look over the list we had and got her advice on things that were totally ridiculous to register for/she never uses and what she wished she registered for.

We took all that information and organized it into a spreadsheet. I separated it into sections that made sense to me and made sure I had places to add quantity, color, item name and prices.

*The prices part was important to us because we knew I had some expensive things on the list and we wanted to balance the registry for all of the people who want to bless us. In addition we both feel really strongly about getting the best price for things and wanted to extend that respect to people who are buying for us.*

The most important tip I can give for this section is to alphabetize your chart sections. I didn't originally and the entire time we were in the first store I was regretting it... bad.  

Step 2

Research 

You definitely don't need to do this step but it helped so much. We took a day and hit every store we thought we wanted to register at, just to get an idea of what we wanted from where. It also helped us price compare between stores. This helped us create a game plan and made the actual process of registering so much smoother and stress free. 

Make sure to print out your master list and take it with you for this step. I wrote all over our list. There were things we saw in the store that we had missed on our first list writing and things that just didn't make sense to register when we were standing in front of them. We noted prices, pieces we loved from specific stores and I started building my color schemes. Then we got home and started editing. 

Fair Warning: this is a looooong day. Make sure to stop for a snack and give your man a break. Kyle was lagging really hard at the end of our marathon and I know we could have benefited from a snack break.  

Step 3

Divide Up by Store

 Once we had a really solid list together, I started to make note of what I wanted (or wanted to look at) from which store. I hand wrote a little focused checklist before our first store and it was by far the best idea I've had during this process. It was so helpful to not have to sift through the whole master-list and it kept me from getting overwhelmed. Being able to check off things kept us from wandering around the store lost. 
After our first store, I color coded our master list both with what I knew and what I anticipated per store. From that, I made focus lists that were typed up and organized. Best decision ever. 

Step 4

Register

We took the master list and the focus lists and hit the stores. We did call ahead for Williams-Sonoma, but I don't feel like it seriously made an impact. We did learn some helpful tips on our journeys though:

a) Have a Designated Wedding Email Address

This tip is all around helpful for all wedding planning, but since you have to provide an email address for every registry you do, having a single place you can both access is really helpful. We chose an email address we can use long after the wedding (kyle.jessica.weir) but a wedding specific one (weirwedding, KyleJessica2017, ect.) could be fun too. 

b) Be Organized

The more organized we were, the less stress/conflict we had. Planning ahead also ensured that we made appointments where needed. We also made sure to hit the two flagship stores near us so that there was as much on display as possible. A lot of stores use an app for registering, so make sure you both have a fully charged cell phone and a way to recharge.

c) Eat

I cannot stress this tip enough. Registering can be a long and sometimes overwhelming process. Eating before you go/stopping for a snack break kept us both in good moods. 

d) Remember that the two of you are a team

Registering can get kind of.... interesting. There are a lot of feelings and thoughts at play and that can sometimes create conflict. It's really important to remember that you are a single team working towards a single goal: an awesome marriage. Your relationship is more important that the stuff you put in your house. Make sure to make good communication a priority. Kyle and I had to stop and just listen to each other a few times. Another thing to remember is that compromise is key. Kyle had a hard time with the price of dishes and some of my kitchen choices. We stopped and talked about the why behind my choices and the why behind his bother and found some compromise. 

e) Make it Fun

Registering for your future home is supposed to be fun! This is the coffee maker you'll use every morning and the waffle maker you'll pull out every Christmas. A few times we purposefully stopped and reminded ourselves that we needed to relax and enjoy the experience. As organized and practical as we tried to be, we were also open to whim items to encourage the fun. We also made an event out of it. After we registered at our first store, we went on a date to our favorite restaurant. This not only gave us something to look forward to, but it also reminded us that this whole process is more about our relationship than anything else. 

Step 5

Edit and Review

When we got home, I made a point to review our registry and make some edits if needed. This helped to keep our registries cohesive between stores and made sure we really liked everything we decided on. I ended up changing the quantities of a few items and even removing some items in favor of another store. We tried to be intentional about our registry and this step really helped us meet that goal. 

I hope this was helpful! Come back next week for a peek at our master list :)

XO,

Jessica

Wedding Wednesday: Pampered Chef Haul

For the next couple Wedding Wednesday posts I'm going to be talking about our wedding registry. This has been one of the things I looked forward to most, but has also been one of the most challenging. The registry is all about setting up your future home, which is really exciting, but can also be really overwhelming. I want to share our lists and some of the thinking behind them in hopes of offering some help to those of you who are planning your own wedding. When we've been married for a little while, I hope to do a registry update and detail what works, what doesn't work, and what we wished we had gotten instead. 

Outlines

I'm currently sitting in our Student Union Building, listening to the hum of an industrial vaccum and the people below the balcony playing pool. Chapel let out early this morning and I have ended up with a magical 30 minute window before my next class, so I figured I should at least draft a blog post.

I don't know about you, but I write a lot of papers in college. A lot. I'm under the humanities branch, so that makes sense, I guess. But what really makes it a lot is that my department policy is a research paper for every History/PoliSci class we take. Long story short, I write a lot of 10 page research papers. 

As I was scribbling out my outlines for the semester, I thought it may be helpful to show you. I used to follow the normal method that most people will teach you how to do, but they were never really helpful to me. They were hard to fill out, made my writing choppy, and were utterly unhelpful in reaching high page numbers.  And then I had a professor ask for questions instead of an outline... and he changed my paper writing world forever. The result has been half outline, half mind map, and all helpful.

*As a disclaimer, this method does not work for everything. It dosen't line up well with the three part thesis that you were taught in high school and it's not really super great for things like compare/contrast papers (although it does work). That being said, it's a history paper's dream outline.* 

Research papers, by nature, don't really lend themselves to the three part thesis (you know the "such and such a thing has x, y, and z and i'm going to show them to you" kinnd of thesis.) They are about a subject, why you should care about it, and in most cases, an argument for a single conclusion or opinion.Which makes them hard to fit into the normal outline method. 

Enter the question method, which essentially gets all those things on the table, while making it really easy to hit high page numbers. Because all reasearch papers start with a question: "what was the impact of smallpox on Colonial politics?" "Why the heck did Abraham Lincoln's body get toured around the North before he was buried?" (See history can be fun), and then go about answering that question, which ultimately leads to a series of smaller questions, this method uses the actual flow of writing a research paper as it's outline form. It was probably one of the biggest ah-ha moments I've had in all of college. 

Since I didn't get this until really late into my college career, I wanted to share it with you in hopes that it helps you way sooner. 

ok, so the nitty gritty. 

this is a normal outline format (just for comparison purposes) 

And here is the Question Format Outline: 

It looks really different, and like it would produce less information, but I promise, it covers way more. The best way to do it is to start just after you've done some piliminary research, get as many questions out as you can and then fill in as you go. That way it guides your research and your writing. (Multitasking forever) 

This is the early form of one of my papers. This is just essentially a brain vomit of everything I know/want to know about this topic and question with a little of what I already know thrown in. 

Here is another one from this semester that's a little more filled out. (and two pages long, I apologize) 

Even more details and quotes can be filled in as you go, if you in-depth outlines are your style. 

The questions per page not only make sure you really cover what you need to, but they also ensure that you have enough information to cover your page limit. 

I hope this helps you! Good luck on your finals weeks!

XO, 

Jessica

Wedding Wednesday: Engagement Ring Care

He got down on one knee, said those special words and put that gorgeous ring on your finger. Congratulations! I hope you get to enjoy and cherish this time together because it's awesome. 

It's not all about the ring, but it is a special piece that deserves the utmost care you can give it, right? But how does the normal girl keep her bling blingy?

I contacted my Aunt (who custom made my ring with Kyle) and asked for her insider gemologist tips to share with you.

Here are the best ways to take care of that gorgeous sparkler he picked out just for you: 

1) Be Smart:

 Your ring deserves to be shown off, but it's best to leave it somewhere safe when doing activities where it could get harmed or lost. Rock climbing? probably not a good idea. The beach? Probably shouldn't tempt fate. Gardening? nah. Moving something heavy? heck no.

This is especially important when moving; I can't tell you how many times my mom has bent her ring and lost a diamond while moving furniture. If you really want to keep the commitment, I suggest switching out for a qalo or cheap decoy ring during non-gemstone approved activities. 

2) Limit exposure: 

Similar to the point above, limit the substances your ring comes in contact with. Cleaning products are really harsh on the metal and gemstones on your ring. Lotions and hair products,  especially hairspray, are also things to keep away from. Not only can they hurt your ring, they seriously dull the sparkle.

 I have little ring spots in the areas where I most frequently need to take off my ring to make sure it always has a safe spot to land. A dish by the kitchen sink, an elephant on the bathroom counter and a ring holder on my nightstand. My ring is white gold, which is super sensitive, as the palladium coating wears off, so I try to keep it as unexposed as possible at home. 

3) Be aware:

Those pretty stones are held on by prongs, not super-glue. Don't take your ring off by the stones or the prongs, rather wiggle it off by the shank (the band). Check your ring often to make sure your prongs are still tight, especially after you tap or catch it on something (Towels, sheets, sweaters, hair, crazy fuzzy rugs...etc).  If you notice that it's loose, take your ring in; there's nothing worse than losing your stone. 

My roommate got engaged a week before I did and the stone fell out of her ring within the first month. It was a jeweler error not securing the prongs enough, but it came out because she accidentally hit her hand on the car door. Like the smart woman she is, she immediately checked her ring. After being horrified to find her missing stone, she searched around her and actually found the stone! Moral of the story: check immediately, don't wait to look down and find empty prongs.

4)Keep it Clean:

Diamonds especially like to collect grease and dirt. Your ring is designed to let all the light shine through, so make sure you give it a clean canvas to work with. If you can take it in, most jewelry stores give free cleanings. If you can't take it in, there are various methods to get the sparkle back at home.  

*Every gemstone and metal reacts differently, so check to make sure what is safe.* 

For diamonds and gold, like mine, here are two at home solutions:

A) a very SUDSY solution of toothpaste (not pasty) and water and a gentle scrub with a soft toothbrush  is a great quick clean. I put a small dollop of toothpaste on the brush, add water and work up the lather on my nails until it's sudsy. It's super effective and easy. Then I make sure to rinse it thoroughly with my sink drain blocked. 

B) if you have more time or a very dirty ring, you can fill up a cup with two parts warm water, a half part ammonia and a half part Joy dish washing soap (yes, the brand counts here) and soak your ring before giving it a gentle scrub and a thorough rinsing. You can adjust the mixture to what works best, but be careful with the ammonia. 

april favorites

How is it already May? This semester has blown past in the blink of an eye. I'm cheering for the end of school but I'm also wishing there was another week squished in there somewhere just to get all the things done. Spring is here though, and Southern California has managed to not go from mild winter straight to hades! (There are not enough exclamation points in the world for this)

So here's what I've been loving in between homework and commuting this spring.

Favorite Memory:

 At the very very beginning of the month, Kyle and I went back to our wedding venue to figure out some details. It was so wonderful to walk around holding hands and picturing where we are going to say our vows. 

Body Care Favorites

Essential oils: Lavender, Peppermint and Rosemary. These have been used daily this month. Three drops each of lavender and rosemary in the diffuser every night have made it so much easier to fall asleep. Peppermint goes in the diffuser when I get home to help me stay awake and focused on homework after my commute. And finally, I added peppermint and Rosemary to my shampoo to help my scalp and give me a good refresh. It makes my morning shower smell so good.

Eyeliner: I'm usually a liquid liner girl, but lately this maybelline eye studio gel liner has been rocking my world. It is super easy to work with and stays put no matter what. And it is way black, way way black. something this brown eyed girl really appreciates.

Burt's Bees: lemon butter cuticle cream and honey and grapeseed hand cream. This spring has been windy and dry. Dry like I'm going to shrivel up and become a pile of dust. I put these two on right before bed and let them do their magic. (They looks so tiny because they're from the tips and toes box.)

Lotion: This Every Day Shea Body Lotion in Unscented is all the praise hands.  I get it from whole foods and my very sensitive skin drinks it up. In addition, I've been using up lip balm like a crazy person. In particular, this ultra repair lip therapy; which is not pictured because my tube is all used and squished.

Sakura Allure Green Tea: I love loose leaf tea and this month this fruity green tea has been my favorite iced drink. It's a delicious blend with cherries and hibiscus and rose. I have gone through so much of this I'm getting ready to order some more. (PSA: I find that it works best with the German Rock Sugar instead of regular sugar.)

Closet Favorites

Target does it again! My black wedges disappeared when I moved out of my dorm room last year and I just hadn't found a replacement worthy. Until now. These are so cute and so comfortable. I picked them up the morning before a double date and wore them all the way through my homework session, afternoon classes and dinner at the coziest gastropub. I couldn't recommend these enough.

Reading Favorites:

These two books are rocking my world right now. 

Kyle and I are going through The Meaning of Marriage as a sort of pre-pre-marital. It is so so good; the pages are full of underlines and my notebook is filling up with notes. We're both taking notes in the same color through the whole book so we can go back through when we've been married 5 years and laugh at our naive unmarried selves. And then at 10 years go back and laugh and learn from our engaged selves and our five year selves.  

The Newlywed Cookbook was my very first engagement present from my best friend way back in December, but the fresh spring recipes are really calling to me right now. On top of easy delicious recipes, the pictures are to die for. BLT's with Spicy Moroccan Mayo? Roasted Chicken with fresh Pesto? Berries and Cream Biscuits? Sign me up for a picnic stat. 

I've also been reading Elizabeth Bard's new book "Picnic in Provence: a Memoir with Recipes" on the kindle. I loved her last book; she's a master at weaving beautiful stories with delicious food and witty self reflection. This is my favorite kind of book and her sequel is shaping up to be just as good. It's been my nightly before bed read lately. 

In the corner of the book are my new headphones. This is my third pair of urbanears bagis and they have been so good to me. My last pair lasted two years going from backpack to purse almost every day before they started to get a short two weeks ago and we all know that one cannot survive college without headphones. This mulberry color is a deviation from my usual practical black, but it's so bright and happy and springy and it has been totally making my homework sessions lately. 

What have you been loving this month? 

currentlly v.I

the first post is so awkward. You don't know me, I don't know you. I've been trying to write this thing for weeeeeks. weeks.

This was the best way I could come up with to have that first conversation; consider this my virtual handshake.

{Currently}

watching: Grey's Anatomy like it's my job. I have a problem.

reading: Timothy Keller's "The Meaning of Marriage". I couldn't recommend it more.

listening: to Mansfield Park on audio book while I drive to/from school

making:  lists. lots and lots of lists.

feeling: tired. spring allergies and school are double whammies

planning: blog posts! and how to fit a Jimmy Fallon lip sync video into a class presentation.

loving: iced tea in almost every variation and the fact that my man comes home tonight from a business trip.

hello there

I really hope we can be friends. 

I guess I'm doing this blog thing again. 

wish me luck :)