In the end...

It will be worth all the hours spent:

Writing up orders for blank posts

Auditing measurements and sending out bills

Avoiding the wrath of the one with anger management problems

Making small talk with the shop kid who starts a conversation with "you look..better" (seriously.. this is not even a joke)

And just sitting and waiting for something to do (the hours pass very slowly)

When I'm:

Shopping in Herrods

Taking evening walks in Hyde Park

Having tea in the Great Hall

Reading Austin on the coach ride to her house

Seeing Stone Henge

Eating crepes across the street from the Luvre

Falling in love with a new home, the great war, a new ward, and new friends

Minding the gap at the tube stations

Spending countless hours wandering museums and loving it

Watching plays at the Globe Theater

Strolling along the streets of Italy

Living in London!!!

I don't have a count down going because I don't want to get so excited that I miss the beauty that is around me today. However, when I'm sitting at my desk wishing I had something to do to pass the time, I daydream of London.

Digging

Tonight, I've been digging. No my job answering phones for a vinyl fence company hasn't inspired me to give installation a try, I've been digging inside. In my room to be exact. I dug through a huge pile of books to look at my high school scrapbooks. It's so weird to think about that time in my life. I am so happy for where I am in life and wouldn't trade it for a second but sometimes I envy the days when my biggest problem was if someone would ask me to Prom or how I was going to have time to accomplish all my extra-curricular activities, and who was mad at who for talking to their boyfriend. I see my sisters going through the same thing and I realize that it is not as easy as I just made it sound. At the time all of these problems are life changing, and you feel like it's the hardest thing being the only one not going to the dance, or breaking up with your first boyfriend. You don't realize till later down the road how going through those things that seemed incredibly hard have made you stronger then you ever thought you'd be. So, although I sometimes envy the small problems compared to the more adult ones (not fully adult! I can't even handle thinking about those things yet!) I am grateful for how hard those "little" things were then because they taught me to handle the bigger ones now. And I'm sure the bigger ones I'm handling now will seem just as minuscule down the road. Life is good like that. God is good like that.

So, tonight when I dig through the scrapbooks and laugh as I remember the way I had to wear my corsage on my forearm to Sweethearts senior year because of my burn marks from the steamer, or the time I spent at grad night watching my best friend teach my mom how to advance to the next level of the Mario game on the Wii or even how awkward Homecoming was despite being great friends with the boy... anyways-as I laugh at these things tonight I just want to honor the past, because it's made me who I am today.

And who I am today is kinda cool sometimes.

(in a non coincided way)

The Best Is Yet to Come

I've been thinking a lot about love lately, in all of its forms.

Like the love between mother and child...

Or father and child...

Families...

And then there is the beautifully romantic kind... the kind that causes to people to become their very best, the most self-less version of themselves, the kind that causes them to promise forever to each other. This is the kind of love that brought us all together on Saturday

Isn't this love beautiful in all of its stages?

Although this kind of love isn't present in my life right now, I never feel a lack of love. I am so surrounded by love from my family and friends that I feel more blessed then I can express. And I love them just as much.

I'm so very grateful I had the opportunity to see these two people I love so much get married and in doing so remind us all just how much love we are each blessed with. I love each of them, and their families so much and being with them all throughout the day was such a joy.

Congratulations to Chris and Liz Child. I could not be more happy for you.

(Lucky for me the people I love most also know how to have a little fun....)

I Realized Something Today...

I am MOVING to London.

Technically I knew this, but it's finally starting to sink in.

For so long I've been thinking about all the logistics of it: possible problems at Customs, money,
how many suitcases I get to bring, money, which shoes will have to stay home, money, getting my passport, registering for classes, oh and did I mention money?

But now, I not just thinking about logistics (although I haven't lost sight of the important ones-hence why I'm working 40 hrs a week)

Now, I'm dreaming about London.

I'm dreaming about what it will look like, what the humidity will feel like on my skin, what it will smell like when I study in Hyde Park, where I will go to church, how I will sleep on my bunk, the friends I'm going to make, the rain on my face and how beautiful it will be.

I still can't believe I'm going-I feel like I have so much to do before then-but everyday it gets closer and I get more excited! I'm moving to London!!!!

Dear Mom,

Thanks for teaching me to laugh. Thanks for teaching me to be happy. Thanks for teaching me to love those around me. Thanks for giving me your eyes. Thanks for teaching me that Heavenly Father loves me, and how to pray.

Thanks for teaching me to read. Thanks for teaching me to dress myself in a way that matches. Thanks for letting me be a kid. Thanks for teaching me to be patient. Thanks for making me feel beautiful, special, and good. Thanks for giving the best hugs. Thanks for being on my side.

As I got older, you taught me to serve others when I was being selfish. And to put my heart into everything I truly want. Seriously, because of you I knew how to do that. Thanks for teaching me I could do or be anything I wanted. Thanks for supporting me and always being my biggest fan. Thanks for helping me, especially when I denied needing it.

Thanks for loving me, wiping my tears, playing with my hair, staying up with me when I couldn't sleep, telling me everything will be alright, laughing with me, spending time with me, telling me stories, answering my questions, and teaching me. I've learned so much from you, and because of you and you're influence I'm growing into a better woman each day.

I love you Mom.

Love,

Colie

PS-Thanks for always sharing your chocolate too!

And to all my other mother figures. Thanks for always being there, teaching me, inspiring me, and loving me as your own. I'm so blessed to have so many wonderful women in my life to look up to, admire, and learn from. I love you all.

"Happy" Was the First Word I Spoke

Today I'm taking channelling my inner ROCKSTAR.

10 Things that Make Nicole Terribly Happy:
(in no particular order)

10-The 1950's housewife-esque feeling I get while vacuuming in my heels
9-Ingrid Michaelson's voice
8-Rainstorms that come fast, and stay awhile (usually #9 accompanies this one)
7-Reading high end fashion magazines on my lunch break
6-Capturing a beautiful moment with my camera
5-Summer Sunday evenings spent in Aunt Debbie and Uncle Chips backyard with the people I love most
4-When the Anthropolgie catalogue comes
3-Long chats with my favorite girl friends
2-Unexpected text messages and e-mails
2.25-Crossing things off a to-do list
2.5-Things that inspire
2.75-My parents and sisters and the knowledge of forever families
1-Studying the scriptures and praying to my Heavenly Father

Costly Apparal

I know the scriptures use it to describe the proud and stiff-necked. I also know that to some of you the clothing I'm about to mention is not "costly" keep in mind though that I'm a 20 year old poor college student. I also know that I can't help but love the following...so I thought I would share!

This super cute headband... so what if it is in the little girls section at jcrew.com

And this beautiful White House, Black Market dress, since the one I was really in love with was sold out

These Classic Sperrys... Oh I love them...

This beautiful J. Crew Cardigan :)

And the just as lovely J. Crew tank

And of course.. TOMS