since now i'm in full swing wedding planning mode, (no worries, i'm not a bridezilla) my weekly favorites are all things wedding! thank goodness for pinterest, yet there are SO many ideas and inspirations that i can't narrow it down! i'm also very thankful that my mom is a professional organizer and is very on top of things, phew!

p.s. i'm looking for a California (LA/San Diego area) photographer to take my engagement photos, so definitely let me know if you know of anyone/are a photographer yourself!

what was our life like before pinterest?! who knows... :) but i noticed I picked a lot of things with blue in them. i think i have a crush on a certain color this week.

have a lovely easter weekend!

i am so inspired by black and white photos. i was thinking about what makes a beautiful black and white photo? because not just any photo can be black and white. the answer: contrast between darks and highlights in photos.
so then i thought, someday i want to go out and snap a ton of photos and edit them all to be black and white and see how i do. someday i'll do that... and i'll most likely blog about it and share with you all.

but for now, here's a recent B+W photo of myself as i was experimenting with darks and highlights in photos. 

okay first of all, i apologize for my blog layout being indecisive lately. i just couldn't make up my mind for what kind of look i wanted, and find a good minimalist layout that fits my style. i love clean, simple + white space. so i've finally found the layout i want and i'm sticking with it!

if you haven't read it already, i highly recommend this book. honestly, i'm not much of a bookworm, but i have thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. it's inspirational and it is a book that you don't just read all the way through then never pick it up again. it motivates you to be better. to become a better person and to really think about how you treat others. it's a book that encourages change. change for the better and it works- but only if you want it to work and are willing and open to letting it change your life. it's a process and takes patience.

in my interpersonal communication class, we have to create our own "self project" for the semester. i chose to read this book, "How to Win Friends and Influence People" by Dale Carnegie. i had heard about this book several times in my life, but never sought it out to read it for myself. when my teacher told us about this self project, instantly this book came to mind. everyone loves having friends right? everyone wants to influence those around them right? at least i know i want to have a positive impact in someone's life, which seems simple, but how can you do it?



i started reading the first chapter and couldn't stop reading! it amazed me. it inspired me. it opened up my mind for new learning and i loved every bit of it.

the first chapter was all about this principle. Principle 1- Don't criticize, condemn or complain. how often do we do that in our daily lives?  i can be very critical about myself and others and i know that; it's something that i strive to overcome everyday. after reading this chapter several times, i made the choice. i chose to be more aware of what i say about others and about myself. i told my friends that i made this goal and for them to help me out. it's been a couple weeks since making this goal and i can tell a difference in the way i think about others. i'm not perfect, but i try every day to say nice things about others, to not be so hard on myself, to not complain when times are hard and to sincerely compliment those around me. i am so much happier when i make others feel good about themselves.

pinterest is seriously amazing and gives me SO much inspiration. i especially love pinterest for gathering ideas for graphic design and photography... and fashion and yummy dinners and well, basically everything!