This is what I want above my fireplace. I need to make this happen.

Currently Listening: "Newfallen" by A Weather

Giuliana and Bill

I love Giuliana and Bill so much! Love Love Love.
Watch them on E! Sundays at 9pm.
I think they are so funny and so in love. Amazing.
:)

Listening to: "Love Loving You" by Savannah Packard

Engagement Pictures

So, Today Erik and I had our engagement pictures taken at Jenkins Estate in Beaverton, OR. It was an amazing day, perfect lighting and weather. It was warm enough to wear a tank top but we weren't sweating. It is so funny because Erik and I are not overly affectionate people when we are not alone, we are not really into the public displays of affection. So it was crazy when Sara told us to go crazy and just love each other and act natural and kiss in front of her. We felt so nerdy and awkward, so all we did was make each other laugh. We just stared at each other and tried to crack jokes. We got to be really silly and the grounds of Jenkins Estate are sooo pretty! I think I will be pushing for one of my friends to get married there, so just wait those of you that might be getting married soon! I am going to push for it! Plus, you should also get Sara to do your pictures because she's great! Well, thats all.. Erik and I are awkward but we still had a great time, and beautiful pictures from this beautiful time in our life is simply.. well.. amazing.

Currently Listening To: "Breathing" By Lifehouse.

Long Time Friends

Its pretty crazy how you can be friends with people for your whole life, then not see them for a long time but still every time you get together it is like no time happened between. Growing up causing long time friends to go a million different directions and even though you still really care about each other, your lives are so different that it is hard to spend a lot of time together. That is why it is so important to make time for friends in your life even if it is not the easiest thing to fit in.

Today I got to spend 4 hours with Jenny and Amanda and it was a great afternoon! We got lunch and pedicures and just talked about life, talked about how the dreams we always used to talk about are coming true and how important each is to the other. It is amazing how 4 hours can go by in the blink of an eye because you just want to hear every little thing about each others lives. Amazing. Amazing afternoon. :)

"No Envy, No Fear" -Joshua Radin

Retreat Weekend!

Tomorrow Erik and I will be attending our engagement encounter retreat weekend! I am really excited for it, it is a guided way for Erik and I to understand all the expectations that we have for each other during our marriage and also a way to get away for the weekend and worry only about each other and nothing else. I am also very excited because it is the first time Erik has ever been to a retreat type atmosphere and it is such an insane experience that I cannot wait to hear what he thinks of it! So, Wish us luck that we still like each other when its all over (jp jp). :)

Currently Listening to: "Sing Me Sweet" by Matt Nathanson

Sunshine Song

In Yoga class every wednesday we usually finish the class by singing the sunshine song. I have found that I love this song and often sing it to myself when I am having a bad day or just need a little pick me up. It has such a positive message and just makes me feel better, like things are going to be just fine. I thought I would share it with you. Hopefully it gives you a little jaunt in your step as well.

May the Long Time Sun Shine Upon You

All Love Surround You

And the Pure Light Within You

Guide Your Way On.(Repeat Twice)

Guide Your Way On... (Repeat three times)

Currently Listening to: "A Friend Like You" -Aberfeldy

Living Room Re-Vamp

I finally redecorated the living room! I know it has only been 4 months since we moved in, but I just did not feel like the original way we did it was our style.
So...

Red Slipcovers ---> white/natural slipcovers

Orange metal artwork ---> Blue cherry blossom art print

Red multicolor paisley rug --->simple green one

Plus, I rearranged the furniture.

I also got a new dining set for the patio!

So happy right now, the room is so simple and beautiful now!

Listening to: "Someday" The Strokes

Wedding Planning

So here are some of the things I have decided I really like and would like to have as part of my wedding. The other day I realized that I needed to get going on wedding planning and did not know why I wasn't wanting to do it at all. I think it is because I was trying to think of what was expected in a wedding and not just getting down to little tiny details, the little things that would make it our wedding. Once I found www.etsy.com I was in love! I love so much on the website and it just made me so excited for the wedding! So I made appointments to go talk about flowers and cakes and just started really thinking about what I wanted and what I thought Erik would like. So yay! On my way to planning this wedding! And good thing.. because its less than 5 months away now. Insane, in less than 5 months, I will be Mrs. Shannon Reed. So crazy to think about, but at the same time... it is so fitting and amazing. I get to marry my favorite person, now thats happiness. :)

So...

Listening to: "Counting to 100" by Matt Wertz

Simple Living

Life is funny. At least with myself, little things can make me so happy. Like, for example. $12 stools from ikea, a nice day where windows and doors in my apartment can be ope, a yummy cup of coffee and real simple magazine. Its funny how much this little scenario can make me happy. I can just sit back, relax and dream about decorating my apartment and my future home. I just cannot make sense of wanting anything other than just a simple little life. I want to marry my amazing fiance, live together in a small home and just make it happy everyday. I want to live knowing that I am so close to my parents and siblings and know that no matter what, I have people in my life that I can count on. It is amazing also to find friends that you know genuinely like to be around me and don't care if its just sitting and making fun of silly websites. I don't think I could ever be happy in a life where i did not talk to at least one person in my family every single day. I love that my fiance and I cannot go more than an hour without either text messaging or calling each other.. even when we know the other person will not get the message right away. I want to live a simple life where all you have to do is bring home some silly wildflowers and put them in a spaghetti jar and make your whole day because it cheers up the room. I love that reading a book or magazine on the back porch or cuddling with the kitty or napping with my man can make me so happy that I could just scream. I love being happy. I wish I would've realized earlier that I can make myself happy, all I gotta do is enjoy the moment, carpe diem, and choose to only be around people who make feel good about myself and who I am. Thank you everyone who makes my simple little beautiful crazy life possible, you know who you are.

Listening to: "Simple Life" -The Weepies

Some things that make me so happy!
Coffee:


The Breeze:


Flowers:

hahahahahahahah

Decorating

I have decided that I no longer like the way my living room looks. It is not what I want, the colors are not colors I love and so I do not feel at home in the room. I hate when you decide something and cannot get past it. As soon as I decided I didn't like how the room looks, I have an obsession with changing it. Right now it is all red and orange. I have decided that with the white walls that the colors are too dark and just make me hate the room, therefore.. I have decided to buy natural colored slipcovers and a new blue/green floral area rug and a new picture for over the mantel. This will go better with the fireplace too! I am very excited. Maybe even move the orange chair into the office and bring the sea foam one into the main room. Wish me luck!

Rain

So, I was thinking today, why does everyone hate rain? I love rain. I love how it flushes the whole city with water so that it is clean and refreshed and new. Rain is a fresh start. It makes everything smell beautiful and every creates a tingling on your skin to make you feel so amazing and new. I love when you are inside and it is raining and you can just see how amazing weather is, it can be sprinkling and still sunny or it can be completely dark and pouring, the possibilities of how rain can come down are unlimited. It is even incredible when you are in the rain and you can see that you are part of a never-ending life cycle of plants and animals. giving us rain to create water systems so that we can live. I love the rain. Rain is amazing.