JoannaSpeaks

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"

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

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.

Since I was in 8th grade, I have been fascinated with the art of makeup and the different looks and shades that could be put on a face. I never had a problem with how I looked until I found out how I could look with makeup on. Since then, It has been very hard for me to go out in public without makeup. I started to break out and I noticed the dark circles under my eyes more and more as days passed. I started obsessing over new products and treatments that my skin began to rely on them.

One day, I decided to suck it up and run to the supermarket with absolutely no makeup on. I saw a girl I knew and she asked me if I was sick or if I was hungover because I looked exhausted. I ran back home and put makeup on my face again. A few weeks later I went to the same place with only tinted moisturizer on. I saw a former co-worker and she asked me what happened to my face. I had one pimple on my forehead. First of all, if you notice that someone has a breakout, or if someone looks like they could have used another cup of coffee that morning, DON'T stress to them that you've noticed. Instead, compliment their hair or their outfit. Your other option is so crazy I bet some people never even thought about it! DON'T SAY ANYTHING AT ALL!

I've decided to go one week without makeup. I have tried this before and it got too overwhelming and  frustrating. This week I mean it. I want my nieces, cousins and friends to know that makeup is not beauty. While I originally started to wear and collect makeup was out of interest, it has become a daily necessity. Beauty is not another layer on top of your face. I want to be comfortable in my own skin. I want to focus on my inner beauty instead of relying on my outer beauty. I challenge who ever is reading this to go at least one day without a confidence blanket. Whether that be makeup, curled hair, etc. Embrace your natural beauty! I will record my progress and post it next week. Until then.

xoxo
Joanna

I've been getting way over my head by browsing online for things that I need. Okay, I suppose I don't need them...otherwise I'd already have them. Have you ever went to the mall with a serious list of things that you tell yourself and your shopping buddy that you CANNOT leave without them? Have you ever left without them? I have. Each time. I figured if I did the shopping on line, I would be more likely to definitely wind up with them. As I've been re arranging my room, most of these are for my room. Once I get over my fall bank account massacre, I'll be sure to start packing these babies into my shopping cart.

1. This book that was suggested by a blogger (I can't remember which one! I'll link as soon as I find out). It seems to be written in an extremely original format, and I think I'd enjoy this book a lot.

2. These fairy lights! I've seen these around EVERYWHERE and I think they're so interesting! I can't decide if I want the copper wire or the silver wire. Ps) These are cheaper

3. I've never owned a vest, but I've been scrolling around on pinterest and I've seen so many cute outfits using vests like this one as a staple!

4. Incase you haven't read my past few posts, Steven is leaving for bootcamp to become a Marine in March. I already have a cute notepad in mind so that I can send him endless letters to keep me sane. In order to keep HIM sane and to keep him focused, it is important to be selfless and include only positive stories and thoughts in my letters. I told him if I ever get sad or if something unfortunate has happened that I would like to tell him about, I'd include it in a separate notepad to give to him when he comes home. This is so cute to keep the notes in! (Sorry for the novel description)

5. I'm so late on this trend. I never realized how much I wanted these boots until I started planning outfits around them before I even bought them!

I've also started pinning on my wishlist board on pinterest to feed my addiction to online shopping. What items are collecting dust in your online shopping carts?