Currently...

Excited about constructing the seating chart for our wedding in one afternoon with CJ, and even having a little fun with it. We wrote each guest's name on a sticky tab and arranged them on half sheets of paper, representing each table (pictured above). So happy how it turned out!

Surprised that I was actually willing to go out in public wearing shorts yesterday. That's something I never do. Guess the heat finally got to me!

Making custom bows for me and my bridesmaids! And they are looking cute!

Loving these summer days filled with organizing, crafting, and planning, all at my own pace.

Trying to keep calm and not stress about every little thing. I haven't been very successful yet...ha. It's a work in progress!

Gaming my favorite game ever, Harvest Moon 64. Since I don't have a Nintendo 64 console with me, I can only play when I go visit CJ. I tend to not get a lot of work done when I visit... Seriously though, I can't stop playing this game!

<3

Simple and Classy

Top: Japan | Skirt: Charlotte Russe | Shoes: Blowfish | Purse: Target | Hair bow: Hot Topic | Watch: Japan

A little inside look into what happens behind the scenes at Dreaming of Dinosaurs: I actually first threw this outfit on a few days ago, trying to plan ahead and maybe get this post out a day earlier. I showed it to my mom just to get a quick opinion, in which she asks, "Are you going to where that just around the house, when you're not doing anything?" . . . I guess not! So I changed into gym shorts and a t-shirt instead, and waited to wear this on a day when I was actually planning on going out and "doing something", ha. Sometimes my plans just don't work out the way I intend them to... ;)

This look is a bit more girly than I usually go for but I ended up loving it! I found this top while in Japan and thought the fringe at the bottom was just so creative! Plus, I am a sucker for all things tulle! So I quickly snatched it up and decided to pair it with a simple body con skirt that wouldn't draw attention away from the top. It's super simple, comfortable, and even a little classy. 

In other news: I woke up this morning, saw that the date was the 18th, and then realized there is precisely ONE MONTH until the wedding! <Initiate freak out sequence>. It's crunch time and I am a little nervous/stressed with the last things I need to take care of. But I am honestly more excited than anything!! Wish me luck!

Thanks for reading Dinosaurs! 

<3

My Bridal Shower

Yesterday, my wonderful Maid of Honor, Heather, with the help of both our moms, organized an amazing bridal shower for me! I was so excited to be able to share this special part of my life with my dear friends!

The first look into the shower were these delicate invitations that Heather hand-cut all by herself. These alone got me super excited!

I was floored by how the shower turned out! The cute decorations transformed my living room and the delicious food made it difficult to stay away from the food table (seriously). I loved the color scheme, which turned out to be lighter shades of my actual wedding colors. Paper lanterns hung from the ceiling, fresh flowers adorned the table, striped straws emblazoned the drinks, and I had to add a touch of my own with 8-bit heart shaped ice cubes! Heather also made red velvet cake pops that left my mouth watering!

We all battled it out in a game of Bridal Bingo, then I sat and watched as everyone thought hard in a game of "How well do you know the Bride?" It was quite amusing to see everyone searching their memories to see if they could get the right answer! 

As a thank you, all my guests went home with a little gift bag, decorated by my mom and I. Each contained a cake pop to go, a pair of photo coasters, and a delicate mini heart whisk!

My Bridesmaids!

My sweet Mommy

My amazing friends and family!

I honestly could not have asked for a better day! I feel so happy that all of these people are willing to celebrate with me during this special time. I am even more excited for the big day to come! Almost a month away now, ahhh!!

<3

And in case anyone was curious:

Dress: Pimkie (France) | Belt: borrowed from Mom | Shoes: Charlotte Russe | Veil & Sash: Party Co.

Cooling Down

Top: Kohl's | Shorts: Charlotte Russe | Leggings: ?? (old) |

Hat: Charlotte Russe | Shoes: Charlotte Russe | Watch: S.T.A.M.P.S

Happy Friday Dinosaurs! I hope everyone's been having an awesome summer! I apologize for my inconsistency of late, this summer's been crazy! I'm constantly scrambling to try and just get my life together and it doesn't always work haha. But I'll tell you, I'm enjoying every moment of it. So many exciting things going on this year that I'm just happy to experience it, even if it gets a little crazy from time to time :)

This outfit was inspired while I was trying to find something cool but that covered up my legs. When it's hot it's so nice to just throw on a dress or skirt, but sometimes you find yourself sitting somewhere where it'd be much nicer if you were a bit covered up. Whether at school, work, or anywhere. So I grabbed a light pair of leggings, paired them with a cute pair of shorts, and a loose tank. And of course, accessories to top it all off!

Have a wonderful weekend, thanks for reading!

<3

Life is Crazy. And So Am I.

Hello Dinosaurs! Today I wanted to bring you a little life update. I've been looking forward to this for months now and today the time finally came. Today was my first day as a student at the Art Institute as a Graphic Design major. Someone out there is probably thinking, Didn't you already go to school for 5 years? And aren't you still finishing your Master's? Why yes, yes I have and yes I am. 

But a few months ago I had a minor (read: major) life crisis in which I wasn't sure whether or not I really wanted to work in the Education field, or even continue studying it for that matter. I just didn't feel like I was in the right place in my life. After going back and forth over it in my head for weeks, and to surprise of everyone around me, I decided to enroll in the Art Institute. I ended up finishing my year at Virginia Tech and decided to finish my Master's, which I'm still working on, but I didn't want to wait any further to start something new. I feel that I had been missing some form of creativity in my life and I'm hoping that this is it. 

After I got into reading blogs a few years ago I started to learn more about graphic design and see other people's work through their beautiful blogs. I'd always admired art throughout my life but didn't quite seem to have the skill for drawing so I never even thought about it. I was really attracted by the digital aspect of graphic design and how it could be used in so many different areas. So here I am.

I have no idea how any of this will turn out, but I am so excited for this new challenge. I never thought I'd be in school again, after almost completing 2 degrees, but life has a funny way of working out. I'm learning to just go with it. Why not?

<3