what not to do in your wedding announcement

ok people, it's that time of year, wedding season. something that every wedding crazed girl looks forward to. and something that those of us with small pocketbooks dread. wedding invites crowd up the refrigerator and we find ourselves getting the same present for everyone on the list, because it's just easier that way. and, although i am unmarried, i believe i am a self-proclaimed wedding planner and critic. i've seen my fair share of weddings, and in particular wedding announcements.
here's what NOT to do in your wedding announcement.
*awkward poses. we've all seen the "awkward engagement photos" online, but people, these things really exist! there are certain poses that perhaps you should not be putting out there for the world to see. this includes hand placement and how your clothes look in the pose. below, is just a tame example of awkward posing. what were they thinking? "oh honey this will look so good. i mean we're gonna walk around like this all the time after we're married right? i don't want you out of my sight! and if you try to leave me, well then you will be strangled. . . "

*personality. ok ok, don't get me wrong, you should incorporate personality into your engagement photos and wedding announcements! this sets you apart from other people. however you can take this too far. don't dress up in crazy outfits- keep it simple. don't include animals, especially dogs or cats, in your photos (i think the occasional horse can be cute if you are going for the country feel)- you are not marrying your dog! location is huge. avoid posing in water- that's awkward. avoid strange locations, like porta-potties, college campuses (yes i have seen people taking engagement photos on BYU campus and i think it's weird), etc.

a good way to add personality

* keep the clothes on! i don't need to say anything else on that i hope. . .
* kissing. let me clarify, kissing is all good and fine. i mean we want to know you are in love, and not just signing a business contract. buuuuut, (and this was told to me by a good friend who is actually married),  you don't want to kiss too much. her words "just give him a peck in the photos because other wise it looks like you are just macking on each other." not classy. also keep the kisses cute- lips, cheeks and foreheads. everywhere else should be off limits! we don't want dear 80 year old auntie marge keeling over out of shock and a sweet kiddo like you would kiss like that.

this is cute

*colors. i do love me a good pop of color on the invite/save the date. but too much color, that doesn't match up, is just too much. choose a font that people can read without going cross eyed, in a color that isn't going to blind people. it's ok to do a couple different colors on the save the date, but make sure that there is an underlying theme and that it makes sense. don't do a new neon color on each line. that is just awkward to look at and hard to read. if you are going to do colored lettering, then keep the background color something neutral- creme, black, grey, or white.

well i've had my rant. i hope you laughed a little, but you also took this seriously. thank you to the people whose wedding invites inspired this post and for the friends who had beautiful and classy engagements. you have given me hope that not everyone is terribly awkward.
now go. be in love. get married. and all that jazz.

reasons my mom is awesome

she makes food i like, or she tells me to cook because she likes what i make better.

she says she will come save me if the power goes out while i am in the shower.

she keeps me in line, telling me, "rebekah, we do not say 'Shut Up' to our boyfriends!"

she makes the best carrot cake in utah. and trust me, i've tried a lot of carrot cake. none can compare to my moms.

she lets me be different from my family. she doesn't expect me to be like everyone else.

she taught me to love reading.

she trusts me to make my own decisions, and supports me in those decisions.

she puts up with my Scottish temper.

yeah, she is pretty amazing.
Happy Mother's Day Mom!

april. . . according to instagram and other things

i decided to get the flu general conference weekend. spent two days with a fever above 100.

celebrated Passover with family and friends

wished for it to stop snowing.

went to the dr. about stomach pains. got an ultrasound. not prego. no gall stones. diagnosed with gerd. gotta cut back on the ice cream :(

made pazookies.

skyped a lot.

worked 40 hours during finals week.

welcomed home my sister from her mission.

went to Pizza Pie Cafe with Hyrum. and ate lotsa pizza.

stopped blogging. woops.

bought a plane ticket to vegas.

cheered BYU men's volleyball onto a MPSF victory.

jenny moved to salt lake :(

signed up for my last half marathon until after the mish. (and i'm totes not ready for it.)

graduated from BYU!

yeah so that was april. now it's may and ya'll are probably wondering where in the heazy i went. but never fear. i've moved back home (oh the joy) before my mission. and i have a goal to blog at least once a week. also, let's play before i leave to Vancouver for 18 months. saavy?

why i take naps

if you know me, you know that i love taking naps. there was a time this semester where i was taking two naps per day. so i was basically on a toddler's schedule. what's wrong with that?

people who know me well, know that there is a time almost every day, where i turn my phone in silent, and nothing can wake me from my nice little nap. whether it be 30 minutes or two hours. naptime is important.

why didn't we take advantage of this while we were kids?

apparently there is a National Napping Day! on March 14. wish i'd known so i could have celebrated. probably one of the only holidays where you party by sleeping. i will definitely be observing this holiday in the future.

did you know that cultures which have siesta hours have lower rates of coronary heart disease?? a study shows that napping 3 times a week, decreased the risk of coronary heart disease by 37%! boom!

famous people who napped: Winston Churchill, Bill Clinton, Johann Brahms, Einstein, Margaret Thatcher and Napolean.

so you see why i nap?

it's completely logical.

it's not that i'm just lazy, and i'd rather get under my comforter for some snuggle time.

nope i'm purposely napping.

so i can be a genius and live forever. obvi.

napping is pretty great. 

just sayin.

so go take a nap today.

you deserve it!

oh haiiiii

i'm back! not that i was actually gone anywhere, besides doing cool stuff, obvi. but i haven't blogged in forevs. and since i promised someone that i would blog today, i'm doing it. first off, i think we should all recognize that it's April. March just flew by! and it's got 31 days. cray. i'm already loving April because. . . 

i'm blogging outside on my balcony, in short sleeves. this is epic.

also. . .

i graduate- from college, not high school- in 22 days!

my sister comes home from her mish in two weeks from this very day.

the sun shines in my bedroom window making napping so much more pleasant.

it's general conference this weekend. supes excited to hear the prophet speak!

and elder holland, of course.

and, the trees are starting to get little green leaves. 

spring really is here!!!!

i need to quickly report on how my March goals went-- look for April goals coming up this weekend!

accomplished: 

finish The Holy Temple book

finish 2 Nephi and Jacob (I actually got through Words of Mormon)

Get a B on chemistry test (83% baby! i'll take it!)

learn a belt song (in process)

met two knew people in the ward (thank you sushi sluts club)

save $100-$200 (actually saved $400. boom baby)

yes. i would say March was good to me. 

so i finished the Harry Potter series again. guys, i can't help it. i love it. 

also, this is my life. just sayin.

so that's my life. i promise that i won't be so long lax in posting. because i know you all check everyday to see if i've written something, and you are dying to know what the heazy is going on in my life. it's like a freaking novel.  or like an action comic book. i'm basically a super hero. like spiderman. i'm spiderman.

speaking of spiders, remember that one time i held a freaking tarantula?