mckevin ties the knot! // NASHVILLE, TN

just a little throwback because my posterity needs to know this! this needs to be on the internet! this was the wedding of the year + the south will rise again!

it was no secret that i was so excited for nashville. not only do i love weddings but two of my favorite people were getting married AND i got to see the south + pretend to be connie britton a la rayna james for like, a week straight. i. was. pumped.

we flew in on monday night + stayed at a house outside of nashville. there was a walking trail that ran alongside the cumberland river + it made for the most beautiful morning walks. actually i am making this sound too romantic. it was beautiful but i partially feared for my life a few times + got lost like, every day. also there was a turtle! that was cool. 

jeff + i explored nashville the next day. i texted me friend alaina (hi alaina!) who goes to belmont(!!!!) for a list of things i needed to see + we tried to hit everything up. we went to music row + honky tonk central + the country music hall of fame + some park. the parthenon? in nashville? that feels right. at one point it started pouring rain + it was all so very 'sweet home alabama' (also known as the most underrated movie ever).

the kofords were the best hosts. they took us to the grand ole opry (!!!!!!) where we watched thomas rhett play + i almost cried out of sheer excitement. it was amazing. nashville is so cool. they danced + clapped + totally put up with my squeals. the next day we went to pizza + the yummiest ice cream place with their family again. they were so, so nice + so, so cool. kenna! your family! the best! also they're not in this picture because they were being super nice people + grabbing our tickets while i insisted on this photo opp. i am the actual worst.

my calendar is all messed up but there was also a welcome party? and the yummiest cake i have ever tasted? and at one point we went to a museum + painted + an aquarium? also we had a dance lesson? this is all a blur.

and then the wedding!!!!!!

i don't care that this is lengthy because the wedding!

it was the most gorgeous day + mckenna looked so pretty + all the flowers were so good + the food was amazing + they had the best band ever + it was just. so. fun. like, not kidding. we danced all night long + everyone was majorly sweating from all the partying + i could talk about it all day long. wedding of the freakin' year. also the ring ceremony! in my mind there was a harpist? is this true? it was like, angelic + the pictures are so good. fifteen thousand thumbs up.

three months later but congratulations to kenna + kevin + THANK YOU for the best time in nashville! ...nashville, nashville, nashville. i could talk about it all day.

also thank you to the stapletons for housing me + feeding me + putting up with the fact that i was unexplainably soooooo tired all. the. time. (...i could actually be on i didn't know i was pregnant. more on this later)

because i know you want to know about my day --

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it has been a full 72 hours since i last had a diet coke. you want to know what? i feel horrible. i've had an ongoing headache + literal daydreams about filling up a large 44 oz. at my corner 7/11.

but anyways. today my computer died. just DIED!
i was subbing (yes, subbing. as the ancient proverb says : Idle Hands lead to Too Much Money Spent at Target) in a jr. high computers class + had some serious intentions of editing a wedding + watching 'when harry met sally' + then poof! dead! bye! black screen, frozen keyboard, no remedy. apple care awaits me tomorrow which might mean i need to break my diet coke fast because LONG LINES! oh. and also nordstrom...

so then i was just stuck! no computer! in a middle school classroom full of hormones and screaming and hugging and hitting and the misuse of eyeliner which meant that i had to ask all of my usual suspects for texting about their feelings on the vmas + kanye west for president. oi.

my thoughts : i think he started strong! like, i'm going to apologize for my wrongdoings + also shed light on why i am so passionate about the music industry (justin timberlake's tears!) + throw in an anecdote about my daughter and then mush. poof. fart. he lost his train of thought and was just like...ummm...now what? and then someone was like 'KANYE FOR PRESIDENT!' and he was like, stage fright?! who am i kidding!? i am yeezus! yes! that! kanye 2020.

poor kim. her face said it all : please. stop. get him off the stage. keep smiling. stop. smile. no. no. no.

anyways! THE DAY MUST GO ON, as they say!

and now i am watching bachelor in paradise and regretting not getting fries with my chick fil a salad because who doesn't suffer from fry regret? i either regret getting them or i regret not getting them. such a fickle lover, those fries!

p.s. send prayers for my laptop, please and thanks!

p.p.s. while were in nashville (more on that later because it was so glamorous and so fun and NASHVILLE!) we didn't have a full length mirror so jeff had to take a picture of every outfit i put on. what a good sport! that is love! also he chopped up all the onions today. what a romantic, that jeffrey. 

p.p.p.s. most probably thought my boobs looked great in this shirt and wanted it immortalized. THE MORE YOU KNOW! 

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!

WHAT UP MAY!!!! // the past month.

HI GUYS! it's brooke here, remember me? i'm reporting live from moscow, idaho where i'm currently sitting under three blankets downing my third diet coke of the morning + debating whether or not to move today. you know, tough stuff.

this past month has been GOOD. or maybe it was just that april was so bad? have i said that before? well let me tell you again : april was so bad. but may! may was so good! may is the month where i am reminded that i am a sane + functioning person most usually...sometimes + that i actually do like my life. oh. okay.

ANYWAYS MAY!

i started the month running a half marathon with my nikki-friend. it was very spur-of-the-moment + we were remarkably untrained but it was so fun. seriously. at one point nikki peed on the sidewalk + that will forever by a favorite memory, hahaha. we kept a pace. was it a good one? meh. but it was a pace! and we finished! and we got a giant medal that i keep in my carry-on suitcase. in fact, i pulled it out a few days ago at our hotel just to show it off to morgan. it's whatever.

we went to morgan's restaurant in park city, zoom, and shut. the. place. down. i think i'm still full (just kidding. i'm not. i just ate like, thirty five pretzel thins -- bring on the gluten headache, y'all!). i'm talking three appetizers, entrees, and four desserts. that's what's up. morgan gave us a tour of the kitchen + we watched some mild kitchen drama unfold + i felt like i was on some reality tv show. so basically : all my wildest dreams came true.

avery has been living in my basement (hahah) while she is in transition from student housing to married housing. hi roommate! it has been fun having her + I AM SO PUMPED FOR GEORGIA! watch out ATL (horrible snapchat as proof. you're welcome.)

tandem biking! it's hard! morgan + i (WOW MORGAN! we hung out a LOT this month!) rented a tandem bike one afternoon + MOBBED down the canyon. haha. i felt like i was in a parade/a human centipede. highly suggest it.

i have decided i want to start wearing higher shoes + skirts. so there is that. my first attempt : seven inch clogs. i hardly survived one hour of church before complaining. HOW DO PEOPLE DO THIS ALL DAY? beauty is pain...but do clogs cancel out any attempt at femininity anyways? LET ME KNOW. exciting times, i know.

i had a wedding in washington last weekend (it was so pretty + the couple was the best ever ever) + jeff + morgan tagged along for the ride. side note : jeff sat in the backseat the whole time? it's fine. we're fine. it's fine. anways. washington! weddings! jeff in the backseat!

NOW! we are in idaho. well, actually we are back in washington for another wedding BUT our home base in idaho right now. i just bought a five dollar fishing hat at walmart today so yeah, you could say things are going well. ha. i have reverted back to 'high school brooke' so i have stopped doing laundry + wearing pants + am basically useless. unfortunately my 'high school brooke' legs have not returned but i'll keep you updated.

THE END. for now. that was photo heavy, I AM AWARE.

a little bit of california //

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jeff + i went on a much needed visit to california this last week after he finished finals. when i say much needed...TRUST ME. ha. april was stressful + april was the month where i thought OH MY GOSH WHAT IS HAPPENING TO MY LIFE?!?! like, 3,453 times. in fact, i would like to not be held responsible for anything that i did or said or ate during the month of april. THANK YOU!

but california. back to it. i feel like every time we come, the pictures are the same ol' same ol'. picture of flame broiler : check! picture of t-street : check! picture of me in a dorky hat : CHECK!

we mostly just maxed + relaxed in the true stapleton form (take-out food, game night + a movie) BUT some other highlights included : hiking valido // dirty mexican food // walks on the beach // lunch with kenna k. // blockhead ice cream in LA // korean bbq with my family // koa's blessing! // the park with my daddy-o // DISNEYLAND! // dole whip float // ...the tram ride home. disney takes it out of you! // timmy's pirate birthday party!

oh. and the bruce jenner interview. CAN WE TALK ABOUT IT? i love bruce. i really do. i feel like bruce has been going through SO MUCH pain/confusion/shame etc. etc. etc. + who am i to judge?! you do you, brucer! also he is so sweet and probably went through so much suffering and you know what? who cares. who cares! it will all be figured out later + let's just all be nice, right? ...but also AMBITIOUS DRESS CHOICE BRUCER. AMBITIOUS. that's all.

p.s. PRAY FOR MY PHONE. it is so broken. SO SO broken. mostly i just want all my disney pictures back. there is a REAL risqué splash mountain picture on there that needs to be saved for posterity. ;)

ACHOOOOO! // when paige came to visit.

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spring is my favorite time of year. right now. but i always forget just how bitter-sweet it is.
the allergies. oh! the! allergies! i feel like i am gorging myself with off-brand allergy medicine (i can't afford the real stuff, ballin' on a budget here) + dayquil + eye drops + medicated chapstick + kleenexes. also with costco fruit snacks, but that is besides the point.

anyways, happier things + times.

my sister came to town last week (two weeks ago?) for her spring break + it was a breath of fresh air.
we watched seasons of dance moms (don't miss with the zeigler dynasty), drank insane amounts of diet coke + had a sugar cookie chaser after every. single. meal.

we went to vegas + complained about the crowds of people. SO MANY PEOPLE. where are you all going? why aren't we more organized here? what are you wearing?! we spat out jerry seinfeld-esque complaints the entire time. also we snuck into a fancy pants hotel's pool using my mom's old room key. KIM IS SMART. all caps. the people watching there was prime + i still have so many follow-up questions (there was this average looking man there who had FLOCKS of women fawning over him. i concluded he was a drummer? of some sort? for some band?)(speaking of bands, r.i.p. zayn. womp womp.)

recommendations, because you asked (...not) : lotus siam + braddah's island style. both of the strip. HOLLAH!

onwards. we then went to st. george which felt like a quiet, peaceful heaven where we did exactly what we do in provo except in warmer temperatures. ha. we drove through the swig drive through multiple times, pounded chick fil a (sugar free lemonade is MY JAM) + cringed over chris soules' dancing. just stop, chris. just stop.

...and then we drove home. aren't you loving this play by play?
while in the utah valley, we ate A TON + visited my grandma + cousin...and watched A LOT of dance moms. did i already say that? #abbyleeforpresident2016

also HI! we celebrated paige's birthday. i loved that i was able to semi-spoil her. her requests : donuts, french toast sticks, sonic, sodalicious, oatmeal chocolate chip cookie, IKEA (WHAT!!!!!), shopping + cheesecake factory. like a true 35 year old woman. yay for birthdays! yay for paige! 

(p.s. i know i've said this before, but i wish you all could have a paige. she's smart as a whip, funny as hail + eaaaaaasy to be around. she left me with a better music library + a feeling that everything is going to be JUST FINE. also with intentions to cut out sugar forever. hahaha. this is one long cheesy way of saying i love my peep.)

AND THAT'S A WRAP. 

...paige, come back!