september the first.

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status of laptop : dead.
status of diet coke fast : done.
woof.
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September the First has been quite an uneventful day, but i'm telling myself that this is not indicative of the rest of september just like the fact that we didn't cut the cake or throw (retrieve?) the garter at our wedding is not indicative of the rest of our marriage. or is it? i think it shows that we are party poopers or rule breakers. but mostly i think it shows that i hate forced attention. am i on to something here?

it started at the post office where i dropped off some packages of various sorts to be delivered + had a conversation with the man working about handwriting (most that mine is shockingly bad). we laughed over illegible notes that we've written to ourselves + then i made a joke that we should be doctors. not because we are smart but because we have bad handwriting! 
that joke fell flat + the conversation ended right there. womp, womp.
then i got to wondering : MAYBE he had hopes + dreams of being a doctor but vomited at the very thought of blood + now it is a tender, tender subject. or something.
you know what post office man, I RELATE! i wanted to play catcher in softball because SITTING but i'm left handed + apparently that's an issue? SOLIDARITY.

then i drove by sodalicious + how can you drive by sodalicious without getting a soda? it's practically illegal, i tell you!

then on my way home, i passed the amish store kiddy corner from my house + thought TODAY IS THE DAY I GO IN THERE. they had all the butters (FIG! apple! marsmallow!). they had all the syrups (blueberry! pecan pie! cinnamon peach!). they had pickled everything (beets! corn! eggs!). and they even had amish hats for $25. also there was an old man sitting out front in a rocking chair + i still don't know if he was being paid to do that?
(full disclosure, the bottom right picture is from an urban outfitters. selfies feel more normal there than at the amish store. you know?)

i left with medium salsa, because i am a real woman + who gets mild, anyways?, clover honey, plain jane maple syrup + the intentions of going back for a sandwich special + a hat. because duh.

also i caught up on my real housewives of orange county. shannon beador. why do i like you so much? you're crazy. also bachelor in paradise. also after paradise. ...i'm going to go outside now...

now i'm sitting here typing this waiting for jeff to come back from his manly night watching ant man with friends. i think he is going to bring me back subzero ice cream because he just GETS me (...and i texted him : HI! will you bring me back some subzero ice cream tonight? to which he responded : Sure. But delete this text so I can pretend it's a surprise and I get you.)

SEPTEMBER THE FIRST, i declare you over.

georgia on my mind // #miyahardingwedding

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HIIIII! it's me. in an effort to remember EVERY. SINGLE. DETAIL. of my life, i'm going to play a bit of catch-up from this summer so far. and then i'll probably never post again and play catch up again in october. expectations : LOWERED!

anyways. onwards, upwards : miyaharding wedding.
at the beginning of june, i flew to georgia to celebrate avery getting married to her love, brit. it was a blur of flowers + humidity + $4 diet cokes from the lobby + i am so happy i got to be a small part of it. watching your friend get married is a happy thing + watching your friend get married to a guy you know will treat her like gold forever is even happier. yay! love!

avery + i flew in on tuesday + were welcomed with open arms to a georgia downpour. it was magical. also i got called 'sugar' twice at the airport + so like, what did i care? RAIN! RAIN ALL YOU WANT! the next day, we picked up olivia from the airport + headed to stone mountain.
what is stone mountain you ask?
i am not sure. i slept through the train ride + mildly remember being tied up at a ropes course? STONE MOUNTAIN! i'll include a picture down below so you can sort it out for yourself.

the next day, the rest of the bridesmaids flew in + we went downtown atlanta to eat + see the coke museum + frantically search for nene leakes (to beg her to take her new weave out)(and also to stay on real housewives. WHAT IS LIFE!!!). i successfully tried all 300? 180? soda flavors from all the different countries + felt absolutely dizzy afterwards. sugar rush! we ended the night with face masks + tacos.

the next day was a blur of flowers + hair + makeup + bridals! also chick fil a. we shot bridals on the golf course + watched the sun set + had ice dream + i didn't even notice the army of mosquitos eating my alive because LOVE! ICE CREAM! MINIMAL SLEEP!

the next day was the wedding + it. was. beautiful. avery looked like a queen. we had a luncheon at mary mac's where everyone toasted the happy couple + ate their weight in sweet potatoes and fried chicken (bless you, spanx). it was so awesome to see them both so happy! weddings! love! georgia! the night ended with music + mingling + maybe i lost my phone + maybe lily called the police + maybe it was bizarre but hey, MEMORIES!!! hahahaha.

all the bridesmaids! minus maddy. where were you maddy? 

this was long winded. but! the point! : the south will rise again!!!!! + congratulations to avery + brit!

Life in Idaho according to my iPhone ||

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I am currently watching the Where Are They Now? final episode of 90 Day Fiance while lying in bed and poof! a commercial comes on announcing Stacy London's new show, Love Lust or Run. This PLEASES me. I love Stacy London like I love Bethenny Frankel -- in fact, I used to sort of think they were the same person + thought of them interchangeably. After typing out this whole paragraph, I am realizing it is pointless...much like the second 'n' in Bethenny. How superfluous.

Where am I going with this? 

...

...

Anyways? Life. Christmas break. 

I saw this tweet today that said, "We are at the point of Christmas break where you just feel like you are unemployed + living with your mom." AMEN. This is the life. Sort of.

Here are some of the highs of break thus far :

Family Bunko tournament (heated) || Shooting guns with a sort of stranger
 (...random. But so fun.) || Catching Jeff spooning my dog (hahahahahaha) ||
Acai bowls for breakfast || Having my grandma here from San Diego -- she is. a. hoot.
I love that woman + her thick Brooklyn accent || Long drives to Sonic to get my dirty
 Diet Coke fix || Breakfast Club bacon || Walking my dog in sub zero weather with
 only the sounds of old school Usher + T.I. to keep me warm ||
 A pantry of FOOD! Is this adulthood?! || Having everyone home ||
 Attempting (and failing) to win the favorite aunt award || CABLE! ||

WOOT! 

Jeff + I are going camping in a yurt tomorrow in seriously 7 degree weather. This should be interesting.

GOODNIGHT to you, and you, and you. 

ELK CREEK FALLS || Idaho

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Just a whole bunch of pictures.

I woke Jeff up this morning to continue my Tour de Idaho. Well, my brief attempt at one.

We headed to small town Elk River to hike Elk Creek Falls + get some fresh air. Or something.

This is me telling our volunteer photographer to get more waterfall + less me.

And this is Jeff smiling through my bossiness.

Someone get this guy a steak.

Brooke in Nature in XL Puffer Vest is the name of this work of art.

Discuss.

Jeff is pregnant with gloves, keys, and cell phones + I am a celebrity

who was not ready for paparazzi.

Tell me you see it? 

IDAHO! 

Sometimes I like you.

Also you are welcome for the high-quality pictures. 

P.S. Christmas is near.

WAHOO! 

Saturday is showing off // a day in pictures.

Fish tacos, Acai bowls, sunny weather, + the beach all before noon. 

You're showing off, Saturday. 

A recap of May because it is JUNE(!!!!)

Today I walked out the door for my Sunday stroll with Jeff and he looked bemused. I did a little twist and twirl for him because I thought it was heading that direction and he just kept blinking on.

"Whaaaaaaat," I begged.

"You just look so..."

Twist, twirl, flutter of the eyelids.

"Butch."

Apparently long shorts, black flip flops, and a baseball tee aren't the most feminine look. Noted and noted. Ha.

On our walk we recapped May and decided that it was equal parts hectic and happy. I was living in Utah for half of it and was mostly homeless. I mooched off friends and lived in their apartments for a few days (I'm the worst roommate. I am totally out of the 'compartmentalized fridge' game -- I see almond butter, I eat all the almond butter. Oops.) while shooting weddings and feeling totally exhausted/totally thankful for having the world's best friends. I'm just going to throw it out there that every one needs a Morgan Randall. She let me bunk with her for a week straight and fed me and didn't even complain that I ate all her bananas...every time she bought bananas. One day I was locked out of my car and texted her early in the morning asking for a ride to which she responded immediately, "Sure! Coming!" without even asking why. Oh, bless her heart fifteen times over and promise I'm done being gushy.

I missed Jeff like crazy and became a much better Skype-date because of it (I just stare at myself...the whole time). But it was also so fun. It was like every time we saw each other and I was back in California, we had to get all of our fun out. We hiked and biked and Disney'd and played at the beach and lounged...all in a week's time. Now I'm off to Utah for more weddings and more mooching (just kidding about that last part).

Here's our May in pictures :

from left to right :
UT -->> CA : I came a week after Jeff did and enjoyed my Diet Coke + Audible filled drive.
REUNITED! 
This trail is right by Jeff's house and I love it. It's so beautiful!
With my best babe Nikki after a little Tropical Diet Coke + shopping trip. She thought my 'candid laughing' selfie was a bit much.
Disneyland! We went with Jeff's family from Michigan and had so much fun. 
A little trip to the Newport Beach Temple where we got married!
...ewww, gross.
Beach'n it at Table Rock. 
A bit of my Whole30. I massively failed this round (ha, having no kitchen was a struggle!) but loved my first round in March. I felt amazing.
Jeffrey thinking thoughts.
A wedding! I loved this couple + their big day. 
We spent Memorial Day at the beach like the rest of California.
A sunset after a bridal session. Heavenly.
Disney'ing round two. This was on Radiator Springs. The line was an hour and a half long and we actually had no idea what we were in line for the whole time. Ha.
Beach'n it part III with Jeff's brother Kevin and friend Don. I was so impeding on 'bro time.'
At the Bee's baseball game with Morgan. Free hot dogs, y'all!

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Happy June!

seaYEAH!ttle.

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going way back in time...

when our josh and rachel friends threw around the idea of seattle? in august? we jumped and clung on to it like a cat? do cats jump and cling on to things? we invited ourselves + plopped down our money for a hotel + you can't get out of this nooooow! 

and nearly a whole month later, i am still so glad that we clung on to that idea. it was so much fun! and also, that hotel was probably non-refundable? and can anyone think of a better metaphor for our unrelenting ways?

now here's seattle in pictures. lots of 'em!

// on the left, we have our fearless tour guide josh. we love our josh! he put up with my high maintenance travel requests like 'moderately healthy dinners' + a treat to follow (it's all about counterbalance, people) + a required nap time. because traveling is tiring. 

// wrong crowd? 

// sad panda man. kind of breaks your heart, no? 

// oooooh! the colors of the market...and that's all my commentary. but also, there were these really delicious mini donuts that jeff devoured both mornings that we were in the whereabouts of pike's place. they were overpriced. but jeff who is normally temperate in all that he does requested them twice for breakfast! that is something, no?!

// dudes, baseball is a long game. but ball-park food, despite its large price tag, ain't too shabby. also, yes. i am the child that whines for a mariners' shirt. mostly rachel (josh's wife + one of my favorite people. ever. every one need's a rachel) + walked laps around the stadium and stuffed our faces. ...go mariners?!

// kerry park! what a view. or something.

(by this time, i am sure most of you have given up on this post and scrolling so...phone picture time!)

// we met up with my jack + caitlyn friend from high school. they took us to dinner at bizzarro's (which was on diner's, drive-in's, and dives. rubbing elbows with guy fieri, and that's every one's dream!). and they paid for our bill. i feel like i must include that factoid because it was so, so kind. like, we ain't a cheap date! then we went to jack's place of work, molly moon's, and got free ice cream and watched all of jack's coworkers fawn over him. it was very endearing. then we sat by the lake and drifted off into the magical sunset of a successful double date (rare to come by!). 

// bellevue! 

// we attended the prettiest wedding at a house on lake tapps. it was amazing. amazing, i tell you. the couple jet skiied off into the dark abyss + we all cheered + then i poked and prodded to figure out what the heck the owner of this house does and how the heck can i join?! 

// and finally, on our last day there, i met up with brittany for breakfast. oh, brittany! she's actually the coolest + leaves you with the biggest gust of life from trying to keep up with her. ...also we gossiped about high school for about two whole hours. much needed.

// and the biggest thank you ever ever ever to josh and rachel. we had so much fun + will gladly travel sixteen hours in a car just to jam out to one direction + eat taco bell.