JoannaSpeaks

Disclaimer: I am going to try to type this without stating my political opinions or where my vote is going. I am in no way shape or form looking for a debate. I am not speaking for every individual American, because I know that not one person thinks or acts the same as the other.

Tomorrow is election day. Tomorrow we decide the commander in chief for the next 4 years. Tomorrow we decide who has a say in our future. We will decide who will be the expected ultimate role model and our leader.

This election has ripped America into a hundred different pieces. We are no longer standing together in unison. Our different views and our frustrations towards other's views have turned most of us into overly opinionated, egotistical, selfish Americans. If Donald Trump is our next president, we will still be Americans. If Hillary Clinton is our next president, we will still be Americans.

It is an obvious statement to say that both candidates have their faults. I think where we went wrong is when we started to hate the opposing candidate so much that we became blind to the candidate that we support, and we became numb to his or her faults. I know where my vote is going, and I fully understand and accept the dangers and the concerns that will come with this candidates presidency.

My argument is this: I respect everyone's different political opinions and views. However, if you sit in front of me and say to my face that the candidate that you support is an all around positive role model, I will disagree on both ends. As I mentioned before, both candidates have their faults, they have told their lies, they have made promises that they can't keep, and they have torn each other down piece by piece to make him or her seem like the lesser of two evils. If you cannot admit that, you're not fooling me, yourself or America.

Photo: x

The morning started as a dreary, cold fall morning. I hoped that the wedding wasn't outside when I was doing my hair and makeup. Well, it was. HOWEVER...by some amazing miracle, the sun was shining it's brightest during the ceremony. The wedding was at a golf club, which meant that the venue was absolutely huge. I quickly learned that they are able to hold multiple weddings at one time.  We were on the other side of the building with a separate room for the reception that was literally up the stairs from the ceremony! Brittany looked absolutely GORGEOUS in her wedding gown with her bridesmaids by her side in simple navy strapless dresses. Brandon and his groomsmen looked super dapper in gray tuxedos. Steven's father was the one to marry them! It was such a special evening and I'm so grateful that I was able to share it with their family.

After the ceremony, Steven's cousin's girlfriends (that was annoying to type) and I found ourselves some appetizers and wine to occupy ourselves while the family was taking family photos. They had everything from chicken fingers to stuffed clams... (I was really trying to stay elegant, lady like and polite by not making a clam shell tower on my plate).


THERE WAS SO. MUCH. DANCING!!! Steven and I have been together for two and a half years and actually never shared a dance together before. "Can't Keep My Eyes Off of You"by Frankie Valli came on, which is one (out of many) of our songs. After taking a long, full sip of his drink, Steven agreed to share a dance with me even though there was only one other couple on the dance floor. I couldn't wipe the smile off of my face! It was the start of such a fun night full of laughter and love.

One of my favorite bits of the evening was the photo booth. They made as many copies of the photo strips as there were people in the photo and an extra to paste onto a scrap book for the newlyweds. I don't really remember how many trips to the photo booth I made, (oops) but I'm sure that Brittany and Brandon will definitely share a giggle or two while checking them out.

It was such a beautiful wedding! Steven's family always knows how to have a great time and keep me smiling throughout the  night. Thank you so much to Brittany and Brandon! I wish you a lifetime of giggles, love and happiness.



OOTN:
Dress: Hollister (can you believe it?!) Sold Out :( Similar here 
Shoes: Charlotte Russe
Bracelet: Thanks Mom!
Fragrance: Victoria's Secret's "Night"

A few weeks ago, Steven and I traveled to southern Pennsylvania to get a weekend away and to spend time with my best childhood friend, Tara. Theres something about the fresh mountain air that brings a calmness that I can't experience at home. The drive there took a couple of hours, but we didn't mind because the scenery was absolutely beautiful. We listened to music, ate junk food and laughed together the entire way. Once we finally got there, Tara put us right on her horse named Sabina. It was Steven's first time! After a lot of frustrating conversations and posture adjusting, he was able to ride it all by himself!

We went on a hike in her back yard and played with her horse all weekend long. It was so nice to get a really fresh getaway and away from our busy summer vacation town. Where is your getaway?

Happy September!
Quite a few things have happened since I last posted. The only things that have changed is that I turned 21 (F I N A L L Y), I went to vacation with some of my friends to Maryland, and Steven came home!


On my 21st (August 17th) most of my friends were working. So my mom, my best friend Teresa and I kicked off the day with a little drink at our local bar. My first legal drink was a malibu bay breeze. So original, right? After that, we all kind of hung around and joked and laughed until Teresa and I head out to a bar a few minutes away from us to meet with my girlfriend Laura. We had a few drinks, I got a free t-shirt which got immediately lost in the bathroom, and then we hopped to the next bar where we unexpectedly ran into our high school friend. We took some shots (naturally) and just caught up. I was slightly disappointed that more of my friends couldn't make it, but I didn't let it ruin my day. Especially on birthdays, I find it ridiculously hard to maintain a positive attitude even when the smallest of problems occur. But I was with my best friend, the cup in my hand was always full, and I had a night full of laughter. There's nothing really to complain about.

We held a small get together the next day for some friends or family that were not able to spend the day with me on my real birthday. Once again, I was slightly disappointed that more of my friends a and family were not able to make it...but once again...my cup was always full, I had my closest friends and a day full of laughter!

Lately, not only has our country been lacking a little love, but our entire planet has been experiencing some negativity. Now a days, the media gets to pick and chose what consumers know and how they think. Unfortunately, the media loves to publish articles and stories based on plain old bad news. While it is important to pay attention to the reality of the world and how cruel it can also be, as humans, we should also pay just as much attention to the positivity and love that the world can bring. Every once in a while, I think I would like to do this, just to give a splash of love in your day.

This post is slightly personal, and not very formal. You've been warned!
I started blogging over a year ago. I've had many other URL's with content that I absolutely hated. I'm currently in school aiming towards a degree in communication. If you were to ask me what track I wanted to take, I wouldn't have a clue. But I knew that advertising and blogging fit somewhere in that mix, so I began a blog. I always liked the idea of sharing my opinions and thoughts with the world and hopefully reaching out to someone and helping them where help is needed. I liked the thought of this so much that I started to blog about what every blogger blogs about.
No more! 
If you're looking for a blog with a lot of fancy HQ photos, giveaways, coupon codes and paid adverts, I can direct you to much more professional bloggers here. Maybe one day my blog will consist of these things, but not today. Today, I am going to work on building my blogs personality by putting my personality into these posts. Please, continue to read on and enjoy if you'd like. If not, I'm sorry I couldn't be any help to you, and I hope you find what you're looking for.
 Until then, enjoy your week.

Xo, Joanna

PHASE ONE COMPLETE!!

Steven has officially completed one out of the three phases to become a US Marine. I can't even explain how proud I am of him! So far, I've gotten 10 letters! Sometimes two sheets came in one envelope. I'm INCREDIBLY lucky to have received so many letters. I've been getting 2-3 letters each week. Some family members and girlfriends have received less than me, which is totally okay! They're probably just using their free time extremely wisely! Steven usually writes me on a Sunday when they have extra free time, waiting for dental or when he is up at early hours of the morning on fire watch. Phase one consisted of getting used to not having Steven around and attempting to learn all of the phrases and abbreviations the USMC has. Luckily, there has been many posts on support groups on Facebook that has helped me tremendously and informed me so much! I met a really sweet girl named Devin on one of those pages, and we've been talking every day! Our boyfriends are in the same platoon and it's so amazing to talk to someone who knows exactly what you're going through!

I know that everyone says that the first few letters and the first few weeks are VERY rough and they get stressed and depressed but it passes. I still didn't believe them! I read Steven's first letter and I felt terrible for him. I thought he was going to be that down for the entire time, but even by the next letter I could sense confidence. He knows how to get through his days and he requested a letter every day to keep him motivated. I've been writing him each night! (Noah must have really loved Allie to write her every day..it's hard! And stamps are expensive!)

 Now that we're almost half way (Half way point is on Monday [!!!!!!!]) Steven's mother and I have been discussing plans and gifts and arrangements for family day. I'm so excited! It's so close. I have to get through the month of April, and then I think that May will fly by so quickly! Then it's off to get my fresh Marine on the 31st! I've been so incredibly busy these past few weeks. I've had so much school work and regular work and I've been working out! It's so awesome to be able to challenge myself with Steven as my #1 motivator. So far, I've been remaining as positive as possible and sending Steven as many encouraging words as I possibly can! That's all for phase one.  Until next time, Semper Fi!

xo,
Joanna

Ah, winter semester. The time of the year when there's not enough chapstick or coffee in the world. As I mentioned before, getting motivated to be productive can be quite the struggle. Last semester, I cleared off my desk and told myself no more homework in bed! My bed is a sacred place made for crucial naps and netflix. Physically sitting myself in my desk means work time. Sitting on my bed automatically switches my brain into relax mode. AKA nothing gets done at all. Here are a few things I keep around my desk to keep me organized and motivated.