Small Town Girl

Ever since I was little I have loooovvvveeeedddd Little House On The Prairie. It was my Mom's favorite show growing up, and so naturally it was one that she showed her little girls and they all fell in love with. 

I remember as a little girl acting out one of our favorite episodes over and over and over taking turns who got to be Nellie and who got to be Laura ( If you watch Little House it is the episode where Nellie fakes getting hurt and in the end gets flipped out of a cart into water...).  

As a child I loved Laura. She was so funny, and when I really began to love the show I was right around the age of her character. I felt like I was just like Laura- and my name even matched hers! Completely convinced that I was Laura I HATED Nellie Olsen and her terrible Mother and don't even get me started on Willie Olsen! 

Nellie was a city girl.

Laura was a county girl.

Naturally, my one desire was to be just like Laura and be a country girl.

 As I have gotten older I've realized that I have a little bit more Nellie Olsen in me then I would even have admitted as a child.... I love being girl. I love fancy dresses and ringlets. And I even live in a small town just like Nellie would have. 

Perhaps I am more of a small town girl...

I love this dress because both the cut and color are darling and it has pockets- and honestly who doesn't love a dress with pockets- but it is rather short, so I always have to wear a skirt underneath and it also wrinkles really easily if you sit for even a short amount of time.

 {I awkwardly learned both of those things while at a debate tournament and had to keep making sure my skirt was covering me enough every time I sat down and smoothing my dress frantically every time I wanted to speak in congress... yep.... you probably didn't want to know about that novice year experience...}

Outfit Details: Jacket- Aunt Nancy (She gave me some of the most darling clothing that I have and I am soooooo thankful!), Dress- Target on sale for $6, Under skirt- T. J. Maxx, Boots- Thrifted, Pearl Bottle Necklace- Vintage  

You Blue Me Away

Isn't this the most gorgeous dress! It is one of my very favorites. These photographs are from another photo shoot with Katie, and you can view a few more photos over a Katie's blog, Red Photography. Katie not only had me for her model in this shoot, but three other gorgeous models. Kassie and Sydney are truly the sweetest girls I know, and are some of my best friends. The last model was Natalia, my sister. I think Tali had a lot of  fun hanging with the 'big girls', and her pictures turned out looking so beautiful! 

Outfit Details: Earings & Necklace- Rue 21, Bracelet- Gift from my Sister (similar here), Dress- Aunt Nancy, Shoes- T. J. Maxx 

You can tell in some of the pictures my face is a little bit swollen. After the photo shoot Katie and I had on Monday my face, chest, shoulders, hands, neck, and ears broke out in hives. I had been taking allergy meds non stop and using different allergy sprays and lotions throughout the week, but by Friday night they hives were still there. Thankfully by Saturday they were a little less noticeable and I was able to cover them with make up, but I still look a little swollen and red in these pictures.  

I hope have a wonderful week!

What's Your Favorite Holiday?

Outfit Details: Shoes- Payless, Tights- Mom, Skirt- T. J. Maxx, Jacket- Down East, Shirt- Down East, Pearl Earings- Rue 21, Necklace- Fuego, Bracelet- Claires, Ring- Mom and Dad 

In honor of the beautiful United States of America I decided to go all out red white and blue today. 

I was planning on wearing this on the fourth of July, but, unfortunately I ended up staying home in lounge clothes. The reason- I still had hives all over my face, neck, and chest. So, my family ended up going to Grandma's and having a BBQ and swimming, while I stayed home taking allergy meds and working on book logs for honors English. yep. 

I wore this to church today and this is what our missionaries said:

Elder Childs-"All you need now is a horned tail"

Me-"To be the Devil?"

Elder Childs-"Or a demond..."

Me-"Hahaha, It's the red tights isn't it?"

Elder Childs-"Yeah, something like that... but it still looks cute."

Our Elders make me laugh so hard. Ever since Winston left on his mission I have had a much greater appreciation for missionaries, and all of their sacrifices and their families sacrifices. They give two whole years to the Lord focusing entirely on the Lord's work! We have the Elders over for dinner a lot since Winst left, and are always giving them treats at church. Because they are always at our house or we are at Anne's (where they are also always at) the Elders are always teasing me, and sometimes they remind me of Winston. I mean really... I look like the Devil to a missionary... what am I even supposed to say to that?

Mom always has a nasty habit of sharing some of my most embarrassing  stories when the missionaries come over, and because it was the day before the fourth last time they came Mom thought that it would be appropriate to share the story of the first time that a boy 'hit' on me... So here it is--

It was 6th grade and my whole class had gone up to the mountains for an all day ski trip. All day long one of the most annoying boys in my class had followed me around, so I was slightly relieved when it was finally time for us to go home. We left around 8 so it was dark outside and everyone was tired and worn out from a long day or skiing/ snowboarding/ playing in the snow. I was sitting with my best friend talking and feeling super stinky and grubby when the boy that had been following us around all day squished into the already crammed (we were wearing snow suits and winter coats and winter boots...) seat with us. Then the boy turned to look at me and said:

Him:"What's your favorite holiday?"

Me: "I don't know...Christmas?" In my head I was saying 'The day when you learn to LEAVE ME ALONE!!'

Him: "Don't you want to know mine?"

Me:" No."

Him: *undaunted by my cold response*"Well, mine is the fourth of July because the fire works go KABOOM!"

Then the terrible part happened. He put his arm around my shoulders as he did the Kaboom. 

As you can imagine, my friend and I were horrified. Not only was it the worst pickup line we had ever heard, but it was being used on me! While on a field trip! Ew...

And that my dear friends is why the fourth of July is not my favorite holiday. 

p.s. Today is international kissing day so this post is S.W.A.K. 

Jacqueline Kennedy

Outfit Details: Suit Jacket- Aunt Nancy, Skirt-Bella Bird, Gloves-Vintage, Pill box hat- Vintage (borrowed from Mom), Pearl Necklace- Rue 21, Shoes- Aunt Jenner 

I absolutely adore this outfit. It is so feminine and classic. The first time that I wore this outfit Sister Allen, my old seminary teacher, told me that I looked just like a modern Jackie Kennedy. 

I was honored! I love Jacqueline Kennedy's style- it is timeless, and so beautiful! And I was so honored to be told that I look like such a style icon! 

Jacqueline Kennedy photo source: here 

It is a good thing that I had these photos saved from a while ago because right now I am simply miserable. Remember those pesky hives I mentioned from the other  day... well, they are refusing to go away. It stinks. Hopefully they will start going away soon!!

Once upon a time...

I am honestly one of the luckiest girls in the world to have a friend who loves photography so much, and is so good at it. She is such an amazing friend, and I am so excited because she is starting up her own photography business- Keller Photography. Though she is starting small with me as her model (the poor girl) she is going to do amazing things! She is just starting up a blog to feature her photography on, and if you want any information about having her take some photographs for you that is the perfect place to contact her. We are constantly planning  photo-shoots and they always end up being so darling; she would be the perfect person to hire for senior portraits!
This is perhaps my favorite of all the photo shoots that we have done together! It is enchanting, and I felt so beautiful as we took the pictures. I felt almost ethereal. It was so fun to just go out with Katie and have these wonderful shots taken (even though I am covered in hives today - I should have taken my medicine seeing as I am basically allergic to all nature- it was worth it ).

Here's a really cute story about baby Birdy that goes along with this shoot. The day I took these pictures after I finished getting ready I came upstairs and ran into Birdy. When she saw me she just stared. Her mouth popped open and she said "Coco?" So I lifted her up and gave her a kiss. Then she touched my flower crown and smiled, so I put it onto her. It was so cute to see that Birdy loved the styling as much as I did. I think she was a little disappointed to find out that Coco really wasn't a princess...

Photoshoot Preview

Flower crown + lace dress + country = this beautiful photoshoot

I spaced it

Another novelty necklace! haha. The kids love them, and I love them, so they are perfect for another day at summer school. 

Have fabulous Friday!! 

Outfit Details: Top-Old Navy, Dress- Hand me down from an aunty ♥, Earrings and Necklace- Claire's

Fly Away

Try to ignore my muddy knees! I was helping the kids with their lunches at the picnic in the park

Lately Talia (my lovely photographer and avid blog follower) has been insisting that I do more with my blog. She tells me "I checked your blog today... and you haven't posted anything new..." then she adds "And I take the pictures for you-- I know what pictures you have!" So, this is for her... 

Every summer since I have been in middle school I have volunteered at the elementary school summer school. I love it there- I am completely in my element. I want to go into a future career of elementary education for the deaf and blind, and the summer school program helps me not only to learn how to teach children things different ways, but it also teaches me how to be a fun teacher. I get to work with the most amazing women! The way that they teach so fun to watch! Mrs. Gerard makes the kids laugh so hard, and Mrs. Weazemore finds ways to make all of the kids feel like they are learning so much!

The reason that I love summer school the most, however, is the children. They are the cutest kids, and they all have such unique and wonderful personalities. I love being able to volunteer with the kids and actually get to know them and become their friend as well as their teacher. They all have so much personality, and some of the things that they say make me laugh sooo hard!

Here's some things that my 1st graders wrote in my journal (the boys were so excited when they found out that I had a 'diary' because they all wanted to write in it and know some of my secrets hahaha)

"Cora is nice and pretty!!!!! And I like Cora purse. and I like Cora flipflops. Love Brody!"

"I lik Cora. I goiried Cora I body goiried Cora. I like reede wif cora."-Domminic 

"Cora you are portty! I  love you. when you came to school you were Nice."-Marlee 

"from Makenzie to cora you are nis. You aree fun."

Those kids just make me laugh!!

All of the kids in summer just love my novelty necklaces. Every day they run up to me hoping to see what type of crazy necklace I am wearing. This little bird cage is one of their favorites. I love that it is one of their favorites because I see each of those little kids as so special.

 When I was a little girl in elementary school I had to go to summer school for reading. It was so hard. I felt like I was stupid! I wasn't as good as the rest of the kids that were in my class, because I had to go to summer school. Summer School has such a negative connotation, and the kids that go should not be subjected to that. They should not have to feel like they are not as good as the other kids in their class. 

Even though when I was younger I struggled with reading and had to attend special classes and summer school, that did not, and does not, mean that I am not as smart as the other students in my class. It means that I learned differently and I wasn't ready to read. Kids learn things at their own pace, and just because they are different does not mean that they are stupid. 

Going to summer school or having to take classes to learn to read better should not define who you are.It doesn't matter. I am a 4.0 student. I am involved in so much in the school and the community, and  I am at the top of my class. 

I want all of my students to know that they are special! They can do amazing things, and they will soar!

Outfit Details: Shoes-Target, Jeans-Target, Shirt- T. J. Maxx, Sweater- T. J. Maxx, Pearl Necklace & Earings- Rue 21, Bird Cage Necklace- Debs, Ring- Vintage  

Somewhere in Time

Terryn and Kristina, two of my flute section dresses in their 80's garbs
(and I must say Terryn looks so realistic that it scares me... )

Searching through old forgotten pictures I had uploaded I found these. This spring our high school help a 'pops' concert. The theme was songs from different decades, and all those participating in the concert wore an outfit inspired by a decade.
Most of the girls in the flute section thought that we should all wear 80's inspired looks... but I just couldn't bring myself to it, and I ended up wearing this. I absolutely love the vintage styling of this look, and many of those coming into the concert commented on how lovely I looked.
I love the style of the 1950's. I love the gloves, hats, petticoats... I love it all, and I feel that that is where I belong...
I wish that women still dressed as elegantly as they once did. I wish gloves and hats were still in style, and young men still opened doors for girls without even having to think about it. It seems that I am stuck in a time that I do not belong. A time where immodesty is stylish and convenience is chic...
I am always told that I dress and act so old fashioned and so fancy. I belong in a different time, but that is something I love. I belong somewhere in time though it is neither now, nor entirely then,
Now, back to where my thoughts started. I wore this outfit to the concert and everyone who saw it loved it, especially after I swing danced with a few people and the twirliness of my petticoat was truly noticed.
Hopefully one day the elegance of the past will come back.
Outfit details: top-vintage dress, skirt-Ralph Lauren, gloves-vintage, hat-vintage (borrowed from Mom), pearls-vintage