Toilet Paper Fash

Don't worry.
You're not missing anything.
I didn't get married... yet.

Yesterday at my friend's bridal shower,
I had the opportunity to model a lovely creation, care of Charmin.
In fact, Charmin not only provided me with this lovely dress,
but also a veil, a string of pearls, a diamond bracelet, and my very own 10 carat diamond ring.
Am I lucky, or what?
I mean, now that I'm a style blogger, this is just so up my avenue.
I like to call this look TP Fash.
Don't be jelly.

Unfortunately, some girls are jelly.
Like some of the other girls who attended the shower.
They Cinderella'd me out of that dress faster than I could say "I do."

Now would also be the appropriate time to tell you that 

since the toilet paper was taped to my clothes, 

as those lovely ladies ripped my designer threads from my body,

I also suffered a Janet Jackson moment in my own front yard.

I left that photo out for your convenience.

Though I didn't delete it.

The faces on the girls around me are too priceless...

nevermind my own dignity.

A big congrats goes out to the soon-to-be newlyweds, Andrea and Jason.

Can't wait to celebrate with you both in 10 days.

And don't worry, I bought a brand new dress at Francesca's just for your big day.

You won't have to be taping my Charmin creation back on anytime soon.

************************************

And... surprise time!

Have you heard of Miinto?

They're an online retail company that sells designer and fashion items.

They offer over 1,700 brands and specialize in local and specialty boutiques.

Their goal is to offer a collaborative online shopping site for smaller stores and boutiques to help them achieve an international selling presence.

I don't always understand fashion, but I get Miinto.

In fact, I would add this, this, and this to my collection in just about 2 seconds.

Today, Miinto is teaming up with Aunie Sauce to offer you the chance to win

one of their awesome CDALC bracelets!

And we're not picking one winner, we are picking three!

So go get your online shopping on at Miinto,

say hello on their Facebook from Aunie Sauce,

and then enter the giveaway below.

Don't forget to cross those fingers that you win!

♥

The rules:

Three winners!

Enter via Rafflecopter only.
Email me if you have questions about how to enter.
International friendly.

Giveaway ends at midnight on Saturday the 4th.

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Leaving So Soon?

Top: Nordstrom Rack // Shorts: old // Necklace: c/o Lisa Leonard // Boat Shoes: Sketchers

Do you ever have those weekends that just fly right on by?

This. One. Did.

See ya, weekend. 

It was nice knowing you.

Do we really not get to meet again for 5 more days?

Bummer.

All I have to say is:

Pizza by the slice.

Evening park volleyball.

Couch conversations.

Early-morning workouts.

Promo event at Francesca's.

Mac-and-cheese.

A really scary movie.

Church and worship.

Buffalo wings.

Shopping for... jewelry...

Movie night in with friends.

Every. Moment. Was. Awesome.

See you next week, free time.

Nice knowing you.

Fitness

If you're one of my friends around Boise, you know that I like to go to the gym.
A lot.
But if you really know me, you know it's more of a have to.

I mentioned yesterday that one of my weaknesses is food.
I know it's something that a lot of us deal with,
but as I said in that post... it's a constant battle for me. 

Pizza, mac-and-cheese, ice cream...
I could live on heavy carbs, calorie-loaded dairy, and an occasional salad.
But I don't.
I try to choose wisely... most of the time...
which is why I'm always heading to the gym straight after work.

I've never been a skinny girl.  
I've always been athletic.
It used to make me really self-conscious growing up, especially when I was never able to be a flyer on the cheer team because of my "size," which was still quite small, just so you know.
It didn't matter if I was in middle school, high school, or college...
I was always one of the "bigger girls" on the team. 
Which is insane,
because if you look at the photos from last week's JBC,
I was not carrying a pound of extra weight.
I was heavier than most girls... but you guys, it was muscle. I was an athlete.
But that's how they thought of me... which translated into major self-consciousness of my body. 

Anyway, after I stopped cheering at Boise State in 2009,
I realized how much activity we did each day at practice,
and the lack of it started adding pounds(as in 30+ pounds) to my frame.
I had to start working out in lieu of my running races and cheer practices. 
Ever since, I've always had a personal trainer.
Whether he's putting me through bootcamps, lifting, crossfit, or cardio sessions...
I'm working my booty off.

In 2010, I was recognized for my hard work when I was employed with Bodybuilding.com.
And the program I was following in that article is not too different to what I'm doing now.
5-6 days a week.
Sweating buckets at the gym. 
And let me tell you what... that builds muscle and confidence like no other. 

You'd think with all that motivation and exercise that I'd just be a little ripped hard-body, right?
Well... that's where the eating comes in.
And ruins everything.
But—I'm fortunate because Daniel is a personal trainer... and he really helps my lifestyle.
He's not my trainer, but he is so motivational.
Whether it's going to the gym, eating better, splitting meals (our favorite), 
or just being encouraging, he is always there for me.

I think one of my favorite parts of the day
is right after my workout,
when I'm disgustingly stinky, red-faced, dripping with sweat, not an ounce of makeup left on my face, hair plastered with salty sweat to my head,
and Daniel tells me I'm beautiful.

It makes every drop of sweat and every skipped candy bar
so. worth. it. 
I used to be self-conscious,
but now? I wouldn't trade being athletic for anything.

So, whether you're in the still-young and crazy-fast metabolism stage,
20's, 30's, 40's, 50+'s,
any age, any metabolism level, any number of pounds, or any level of an athlete (or not),
just remember this:
YOU are beautiful. YOU can take charge of your health.
You CAN make a change. You DON'T HAVE TO listen to what others say.
And as long as you're CONFIDENT with yourself,
your beauty that you feel about yourself will be so evident to others.

Now put on a smile, 
grab a healthy snack,
and meet me at the gym at 5:30 for shoulders and cardio.
See you there. 

PS> What's the vote? More "fitness" topics? No more?

<div align="center"> <a href="http://www.auniesauce.com" title="Aunie Sauce" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m587/ADriflot/Annelise%20Buttons/justbecause.jpg" alt="Aunie Sauce" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

Link up and meet some Saucy Ladies!! 
(Note: you DO NOT have to be a part of "Just Because Fridays" to link up... link up "just because!")

Even If You Know Me...

Even if you know me,
even if you're my best friend,
my sister, my parents,
or an every day reader...
there's always something new to learn about me.

I'm not perfect. Nor will I ever be...
and I do have some secrets.
Good secrets... they are just things that are, well... secret.

1. I love to sing. Love love love to sing. But no one ever hears it.
2. My all-time favorite band to sing along with is the Dixie Chicks.
3. Each and every meal is a battle of portion sizes. I like to eat... a lot. My weight is always going up and it's a constant battle each day to maintain it. Almost everyday on my way to the gym I have to fight with myself not to pull through a drive-thru. Unfortunate? Yes. True? Yes (and I admit, I've given in once or twice before).
4. One of my biggest pet peeves is watching people "booger roll" out their car window. My sister and I both are booger-roller police. 
5. I will never, ever stop missing my little baby Oso, who I had to give up when I ended my last relationship.
6. I scare very easily. A few (ahem, the Rowe brothers) know this one. And they know I don't like being scared. I jump/scream/wave-my-hands-in-front-of-my-face-like-a-little-girl very, very easily.
7. If I'm ever irritable, holding me close and showing me love calms me down so fast.
8. I'm very self-conscious of my dancing skills... or lack thereof.
9. I always tell people I don't want children. Heck, I tell myself that every day. But something keeps telling me otherwise.
10. Having a bad eyelash day is way worse than a bad hair day. Blame it on the trich.
11. Messy, dirty homes and things just left out (like shoes, purses, dishes, etc.) give me anxiety.
12. Ever since I was rear-ended in May (for the 2nd time), I've been a very scared driver. I'm still defensive, trust me, but driving in traffic terrifies me. I get nervous on my commute home from work each day. The Flying WYE and Eagle Road in Boise just. scare. me. And Boise doesn't even have bad traffic!
13. I feel like everyday my purpose becomes more clear. I'm here to share my story. It's not an exciting, thrilling, or rags to riches kind of story. But it's mine, and I'm here to share it.

And if you know me, 
you probably know this,
the thing I love most of all...
is love. ♥

>>Linking up with Miranda for T13 here.

50 Shades of Aunie

Photos: Taylor Love Studios

Every day I feel like I'm learning a little bit more about myself.

What makes me tick.
What I can improve.
What I'm good at (volleyball, apparently).
What I'm bad at (also volleyball, sometimes).
What I like and don't like.
How I feel about certain topics.
How my actions, opinions, and feelings affect others.
How I am affected by the actions and feelings of others.
Why I act in a certain way, or say certain things.
Why I have certain feelings.
Why I think the way I do.

And each day as I reflect back, the answer is so clear:
I'm not perfect.

In fact, it's more than that.
I'm not above anyone else.
I don't have golden standards.
I make mistakes.

And you know what?
All of that is OK.

How do I learn if I don't make mistakes?
Trust me, I make a lot of them.
Each. and. every. day.

What I work so hard to do is move on from those mistakes.
They are in the past.
I can't change them.
But I can learn from them and move forward.
Each day is a new day, why stew on them and lament the past?
I don't do that.
Not anymore, anyways.

But what I don't need?
I don't need to be reminded of those mistakes.
I don't need to be reminded of the past...
and the bad decisions I made.
Everything happens for a reason.
And everything I have done has brought me to where I am today.
And I am so proud of the person I am today.
I like me.
I like the changes I've made.
And as I said before, I'm always figuring out what to do better next time.

Yesterday I got called out for being "me."
In public.
In front of friends.
And then more privately, as I tried to go directly to the source.
I was reminded by this person of all that I've done wrong.
And like a ton of bricks, it dropped me.
Literally. To the ground.
If I am able to move forward, change by life, and try to be a better person,
why can't others just let it go?
I get it.
I messed up.
But that was over a year ago.
I have risen up from that old self.
I am NOT the same person.
And as I have said before, I am NOT perfect.

As I found myself broken and hurting yesterday,
I was reminded by my best friend that I don't need to be affected by this.
Every person is entitled to their own opinions.
They can think whatever they want.
For instance, if I don't want to love the book 50 Shades of Grey, I don't have to.
But my sister? She loved it. And that's totally fine.
In fact, I think that probably 50% of the female population is all about that book right now. And if that's what you like—then read it! It's OK!
If one of my closest, favorite, most awesome family members does not think I'm a good person,
that's OK, too.
And I need to learn and teach myself that I do not need to be hurt by their feelings.
As one of my friends pointed out yesterday, would life not be so boring if we all had the same opinions?

Is it weird to think about the whole
"sticks and stones may break my bones
but words can never hurt me" mantra?
For me, words can be hurtful...
but they don't need to be.
It takes a lot of strength to bear words that feel like swords,
slashing and breaking you down.
And while I don't have all of that strength quite yet,
I'm still learning, right?

So as I move forward,
still finding out more about myself each day,
I just need to remember to give thanks.
I expect to be doing a lot more learning every day... for the rest of my life.
And as often as I claim to be the girl of "not's,"
my greatest "not" of all is that I am NOT perfect.
Nor will I ever be, no matter how hard I try.
So instead, I'll just be me.
If you're with me, then praise you,
because sometimes, you'll have to deal with my garbage, my emotions, and my mistakes.
But it means more to me than you will ever know.

And to that best friend, the one who is always there and supportive, thank you...
Daniel, I don't know what I'd do without you.

So tell me—what are YOU learning about yourself? What's one of your 50 shades?

On My Heart ♥

Necklace c/o: Ashlee Alaine Designs

I've been called saucy,

sassy,

and swanky.

But under all the zebra print,

glitter, and confetti...

my favorite thing to write about is what's on my heart.

It's usually love.

Just saying.

But in case you'd like to catch up on my more heartfelt posts,

I've collected them all here for you.

You lucky duck.

It's not just peeling eggs.

Changes
Courage
Rejection
Pulling Back
Compassion
Doubt
Inspired
 Okay

PS> Today I'm featured on my good friend Matt's blog. He's a Christian, he has a heart for missions, and eventually he is going to move to Mexico and change lives with the power of God. Give him a visit today, read his kind words about me, and show him some saucy love!

<div align="center"> <a href="http://www.auniesauce.com/p/on-my-heart.html" title="Aunie Sauce"><img src="http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m587/ADriflot/onmyheart-1.jpg" alt="Aunie Sauce" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

What's on your heart today? I'll give you one hint about what (or who) I'm thinking about. Starts with a D and is 6 letters. Obvious?

The Double Rainbow

Clutch: c/o JAVOedge

"In such a time as this,"
the tattoo on my friend's forearm reads.
It's perfect, and couldn't be more fitting for this very moment.
Of course, the meaning to her is different than to me.
As it should be.

I don't think I've ever been more in love.
More happy.
More taken aback each day when Daniel smiles at me.
More hungry to begin our life together.
More blessed that all the pieces are falling into place.
More stunned than when those blue eyes smile back at me.
More willing to drop any plans in a moment just to spend time together (ahem, the gym).
More excited for what each next day will bring.
More hopeful for the future.
More myself than I've ever felt before.

In such a time as this...

Always a Cheerleader

Today for Just Because Friday, I'm flashing back to my early BSU cheer days.

I know I've told you before that I used to be a Boise State cheerleader,

but I don't know if I ever told you how awesome my first year on the team was.

It was the 2006-2007 school year.

Boise State was really good that year. 

We had Derek Schouman, Ian Johnson, Drisan James, and Jared Zabransky.

You may remember it as the year the Broncos won the Fiesta Bowl.

Now that was an experience.

Standing on that sideline in Arizona,

I cried, I laughed, and I jumped up and down a lot.

I even busted out some Angels in the Outfield wing-arms, much to the dismay of my teammates.

But I'm pretty sure those angels heard me, because we won that day.

And no—for the zillionth time, it wasn't me who got engaged that day.

Though, had it have been me, I'm sure you would have known about it by now.

We also won Nationals that year.

Epic.

The first Nationals win for the Boise State cheer team.

They've gone on to win so many more titles since.

Oh—and if you're wondering, in the photo of the girls tumbling,

can you spot me? 

I'm the one in the mid-back-flip in the back. 

Just hanging out mid-air. No big.

<div align="center"><a href="http://www.auniesauce.com" title="Aunie Sauce" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1133.photobucket.com/albums/m587/ADriflot/Annelise%20Buttons/justbecause.jpg" alt="Aunie Sauce" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

Link up and meet some Saucy Ladies!! 
(Note: you DO NOT have to be a part of "Just Because Fridays" to link up... link up "just because!")

3 Types of People & JULY GIVEAWAY

Custom embroidered logo c/o The Snugly Duckling

With all my sap lately, I thought I'd bring a little humor to today's post.

The way I see it, there are three types of people in the world.

And for this example, I'm going to refer to some common toilet talk.

I'm sure you'll understand... and forgive me.

In reference to seeing if the stalls are occupied in public restrooms:

Type 1: Those who peek under the stall to check for feet or lightly knock on the door (in the case that you can't see under)

Type 2: Those who walk right up and push the door, or just go ahead and try the handle. This type may also jiggle the handle or twist the knob multiple times to be sure.

Type 3: Those who simply decline to use public restrooms at all.

I am a Type 1 to a T. I was always taught to knock before entering. I always get caught questioning "Hellooooooo?" outside of the stall.

Type 2's? Ugh. There's nothing like trying to just get it over with and then all of a sudden someone is rattling your door handle. However, I have no negative feelings for these people... I still love you. Even the lady who walked in on me.

And then there's the Type 3's. Oh, you Type 3's. It's OK—germs are real. I just don't mind them as much, I guess.

So, what are you? A type 1, type 2, or type 3? Note: this question can be found as an entry option in the giveaway below... so make sure to enter!

And now, as promised, this month's giveaway! Brought to you by my amazing July Large sponsors, there are 15 prizes and 15 winners... enter away!

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

  Confessions of a Graphic Design Student Blog // Facebook // Twitter

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 Something Charming Blog // Facebook // Twitter // Weddings

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  Living and Learning Blog // Facebook // Twitter

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   Jess is More Blog // Facebook // Twitter 

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  Jessica Who? Blog // Facebook // Twitter

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Howdy Girl Blog // Facebook // Twitter

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Sigh...Gush...Gasp Blog // Twitter

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Dearest Lou Blog // Facebook // Twitter

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Exactly As We Are Blog // Facebook // Twitter

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   Lip Gloss and Crayons Blog // Facebook // Twitter

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CJVZ Hearts You Blog // Facebook // Twitter

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Simply Just Lovely Blog // Facebook // Twitter
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From Kristen, With Love Blog // Facebook // Twitter

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For Love of a Cupcake Blog // Facebook // Twitter

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Our Reflection Blog // Facebook // Twitter
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The rules:

There will be ONE winner for EACH item!

You MUST tell me your top two items you'd prefer to receive

(though I can't guarantee that you will receive one of them).

Enter via Rafflecopter only.
If you don't have a Facebook (for mandatory entry) email me!
Email me if you have questions about how to enter.
It's INTERNATIONAL-FRIENDLY, baby!

Giveaway ends at midnight on Wednesday the 25th.
PS> I know 86 entries looks ridiculous... but it's based on point value, promise :) It's not 86 total!

Good luck!!

♥

a Rafflecopter giveaway