And They're Hitched:)

No surprise here, but I'm WAY behind on posting these days. One of the main things I wanted to be sure to do an entry on is my brother (Jacob) and sister-in-law (Casey)'s wedding!! I'm only a few weeks behind... ;) Anyway, the first part of their wedding celebration was in La Crosse, and that was primarily for immediate family. It was a really intimate ceremony, and we had a great time! Everything was perfect, even the weather! Loved it. Not to mention, I was selfishly excited about getting the chance to spend a few days in one of my favorite cities! :) The first pictures I have posted are from that day. The second part of their celebration was a reception back in Colby at Casey's parents' land. Also perfect!! I tend to get pretty nervous about outdoor events, no matter what time of year it is, but we seriously couldn't have asked for a better day for the reception. I got a little chilled at night, but I just tore up the dance floor to keep warm, ha! Couldn't be happier to have been a part of their special day(s), and I'm even happier that I can now officially call another Zimmerman a sister of mine! :) Woohoo! Hope you enjoy the photos!

Casey getting her hair done for the ceremony! :)

Austyn after getting her hair done!

Trying to get everyone together!

Okay, not a good picture, but it cracks me up EVERY time. A VERY candid shot after Drew sneezed all over Lia. Too funny!

A good one! :)

Me and the bros!

Table at the dinner!

Me and Drew at dinner!

The Zimmerman fam! :)

Me and Casey at Wine Guys!

Me, mama, and Casey!

Dad and the bros at Top Shots!

HERE'S THE START OF THE RECEPTION PHOTOS!

SO bummed this is blurry. Otherwise a cute picture of the fam!

Me and Jacob (aka: The Groom!)

Me and Casey (aka: The Bride!)

Crazy group of peeps gettin' down on the dance floor!

Mama and Papa dancing!

First dance as husband and wife. :)

Dave and Court (lovebirds) dancing!

Father/daughter and Mother/son dance!

Macarena:)

Last photo of the evening. Happy smiles! :)

Thrifty!

As always, my weekends of freedom are pretty few and far between these days. Fortunately for me, this weekend offered me the opportunity to completely relax and do whatever I wanted. LOVE it. On Friday night, I had the perfect chance to just relax and play around on the internet. Through my online browsing, I ran across a gem of a blog called Sunday Crossbow. Just an 'average' girl whose motto is "Play dress up every day." So simple, yet such a great idea! Her blog largely focuses on cute outfits she puts together, and needless to say, it's already served as an inspiration for me. Interestingly, I expected this to be like many other blogs in the sense that it'd show me adorable outfits for outrageously expensive prices. Wrong. This girl is one thrifty chick, and even when she doesn't buy her stuff at thrift stores, she gets it at places I shop all the time (Target, H&M, etc.). How freakin' perfect to find a blog like this that shows me I can actually afford such cuteness on a budget like mine?! Anyway, because I was extra excited about this whole concept, I decided to spend part of my Saturday heading down to the Third Ward to do a little thrifting. There's a store right near my work called Retique. It's a branch of Goodwill but carries more selective, stylish items. Perfect place for these purposes! After finding a few items that I plan to mix and match with my current wardrobe (photos below), I also wandered around and found myself stopping to enjoy a beer on the patio of a local restaurant. Seriously could not have been a more perfect day. I could get used to this whole thrift store thing. Super cheap and super fun. I highly recommend it! :)

The shirt ($3.99) and pants ($7.99) are both new purchases. Pants are a little more high-waisted than I'm used to, and I'm not sure where I'd wear this, but I'm kinda diggin' it! :)

Shirt... ($3.99)
(Pants: Delia's; Boots: Boston Store)

Shirt... ($3.99)
(Pants and Shoes: Kohl's)

T-shirt... ($2.99)
(Jeans: GAP)

Belt... ($3.99)
(Tank: Deb; Jeans: GAP)

A couple shots of my relaxing time at Cafe Benelux after thrifting. :)

I'm a Celebrity!

Just the other day, I was told that my picture is on one of the UW-L website pages (far left picture). Say what?! I didn't know they'd put me on there, especially since I don't go there anymore; however, I'm not complaining! Here's a little explanation. One of the offices I worked in during grad school was called the Campus Climate office. This office is aimed at promoting social justice issues and making the campus a safer, more welcoming and inclusive community. I really enjoyed my time working there, and I learned SO much, not only from the people I worked with, but also from the students I interacted with on a daily basis. That particular day, we were promoting a "United Against Hate" campaign. The ribbons we're sporting (mine around my leg) all said, "UNITED." As you can see, we also wore black. I was proud to help send such a great, powerful message. Anyway, kinda of a random entry, but to see that picture and to be reminded of what an amazing experience I had working in Campus Climate just took me back a little. Definitely going to visit those peeps while I'm in La Crosse next week! :)

Hair!

Okay, folks. I broke down and did it. I took a few of those awkward photos of myself the past couple days in an attempt to give you a glance at my new haircut! Three weeks ago, I was in La Crosse and decided to make a hair appointment while I was there. My last two years of living there provided me with the opportunity to find "my" hair stylist, so needless to say, I was sad to leave her behind when I moved. Fortunately, she's still doing her thing and was able to get me in for a haircut. Perfect! I knew I wanted to cut it before my brother's wedding, and I didn't want to do it like the day before (usually takes me at least a week to start liking it again), so this seemed like perfect timing. As always when I make a somewhat significant hair change, I got freaked, but fortunately for me, Jenna at the Orange Pearl worked her magic once more. :) Anyway, it's SO unusual for me to go this long without having a reason to take photos, but since I've had a few requests lately, I thought I would post a few pictures and give ya a peak. Not too far off from what my hair used to look like before I started growing it out, but I must say, I'm a pretty big fan. I think I've come to the conclusion that this hairstyle is "right" for me! Maybe you disagree, but at least I'm happy with it. :)