Friday Favorites #11: Week of 5/9/14

Hi friends! This morning I am headed to have my wisdom teeth removed. I've heard good and bad stories so, I decided I am just going with the flow and seeing what happens. I did hear however that I can eat as much ice cream as I want in the days to come…which is awesome right?? 

Last night for a laugh before bed I looked up the YouTube video "little boy after dentist." 

I wonder if I'll be this goofy!

I hope that gave you a little chuckle too! :) Now, moving to favorites from this week. First, a quick thank you to Heather for hosting each Friday. It's always such a fun way to closeout the week!

--Picture Quote

My amazing friends Alex and Kayla got me this beautiful framed quote for my graduation. Thanks again guys! I will always remember college graduation and the both of you when I look at this. This is honestly one of my favorite sayings out there. It also is something I strive to live by every single day. To me, there is no truer statement. There are things that go on each and every day that we will never know. Think to yourself. Do you share all battles with everyone? Most likely not. We can help others though, without even having to know that they are going through something. If we decided to just say hi to those we pass or exchange a smile, it is possible that we could totally change their day.

--Movie Prescreening

On Tuesday night I was able to go to a prescreening of the movie Neighbors with a few friends. I have never seen a movie before it was actually released in theaters so, I was really excited to go when the opportunity arose. We got there about 2 hours prior to the viewing as seating was limited and we wanted to make sure we got good spots. About 20 minute before the movie started there were some free posters and giveaways handed out. I was lucky to receive this super cute pink t-shirt promoting the film. I did think that the movie was hysterical. Although, being a part of greek life myself, I can say that the portrayal of fraternity life is very over exaggerated. Almost every negative stereotype that could be associated is. Greeks definitely take a hit when it comes to being shown in the media. But hey, isn't mostly everything dramatized in the movies? One warning is that it is rated R; you can expect a lot of inappropriate use of language, sexual content and substance abuse. If any of this makes you the slightest bit uncomfortable I would not suggest this for you.

--Scanning Old Photos

I spent the day Wednesday looking through and scanning old photos for my mom. I ended up making it through about 500 some photos. It was actually quite the fun day. I had my little station set up with the albums, scanner and my iPad (to watch Netflix). I found myself laughing out loud all the time as I was flipping through. What would get me most was the outfits we would be wearing! Oh the 90s…some great times in fashion. LOL! I also loved the photos from Christmas and Easter mornings where our hair was all crazy and we were still in our PJs. I can't wait to scan more and of course, giggle!

--Postgrad Show List

So, this week I started to dive into the list of shows I made for post-graduation! Some of them I have not seen in months or years, but figured this would be the perfect time to finally get caught up. They are in no specific order of how I plan to watch, they are just listed as they popped into my head. I'm pretty sure there are still a few that I may be missing. Yet, here is my starting point!

--Post This Week

I Graduated! on Tuesday 5/6/14:

Now I want to hear from you!

What have been your favorite things this week?

Questions of the Day:

1) Any recovery tips for wisdom teeth extraction?

2) Do you get a laugh from old photos?

3) What TV shows would you recommend?

By the way, I am not sure if I will end up being able to post at all over the weekend. My plan is to stay resting as much as possible. That always seems to speed up the healing process! So, incase I can't…

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

❤ Nichole ❤

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Apologizing

Apologizing. A situation that can be difficult for everyone at any given time. But yet, we all like to receive an apology when we get hurt. So, why is it so hard for us to do when we have hurt others? Well, I found an article on NBC's today.com which lists reasons why apologizing can be hard. Although each circumstance is different, I believe these few items do a good job of covering all spectrums. 

• fear of rejection
• being given a cold shoulder
• some feel is a sign of weakness
• feeling vulnerable
• admitting incompetence
• prefer to stay in denial
• pride or ego getting in the way
• lack of empathy 
• don't want to face own flaws

Apologizing does not mean you are weak, does not mean you are incompetent, and does not mean you are wrong. It actually means that you are able to become the bigger person. To me, being the bigger person symbolizes strength and maturity. It takes a strong person to be vulnerable. 

Relationships are worth setting pride aside for 5 seconds to say just 3 simple words, "I am sorry." 

Questions of the Day:

1) From the list, which is the reason that causes you to avoid apologizing?

2) What helps you to be able to say you are sorry?

3) Is there someone who is in need of an apology from you?

❤ Nichole ❤

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Thursday link-up with Amanda!

The Photo Album #7

Hi all! Hope today finds you well! I'm excited to share something with you all this week that I have never talked about on the blog before. This is just another one of the many reasons I love the weekly photo album series post. It allows me to step back and share more of who I am and was each week! 

The photo below is from March of 2009, which was my junior year in high school. I was a member of our varsity cheer team and the varsity boys basketball team had made it to state finals!

Picture on court after the state championship game. I'm second from the left in the front.

I started cheering my sophomore year of high school. Now, the reason I did not start until my sophomore year was because my freshman year I played basketball. When my freshman year came to a close there had been a change in the sports schedule and the next year girls basketball would no longer be in the fall. In high school I always liked to have a sport or activity to keep me busy so, the change with basketball left me with nothing to do in the coming fall. A few of my friends were on the cheer team and suggested I join. I had a lot of fun with it over the following 3 years. 

One of my favorite memories about my time on the cheer team was being able to help create our pep rally routines. A couple of us girls would get together to choose the music and pick the stunts. I then, would go home and make the mix! It would take a few hours to get right, but I enjoyed it.

I'll forever remember how amazing it was to be court side in school colors the day our guys team won states. While the last few minutes were counting down on the clock we were sitting on the sideline, hands interlocked, watching intently. When the buzzer went off chills went all throughout my body. The next thing I knew I was jumping for joy, cheering at the top of my lungs and hugging each of my teammates. The energy from the fans was insane…we were now, 2009 state champions!

What sports/activities did you do in high school?

❤ Nichole ❤

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I Graduated!

So, this weekend was super exciting! I graduated college! Yesterday I apologized for my absence from the blogosphere because of it, but the days were packed and I didn't want to miss a moment. Starting on Friday everything was truly incredible and it is a time of my life I will never forget. I'm really happy to share this with you all! The camera was used like crazy so be prepared for lots of photos! :)

Friday:

I started the day by going to get special graduation nails done with my mom. The design I had my eye on could not be done with shellac so, I ended up going back to acrylics. After I was finished there I went over to Billy's grandparents to spend time with them as well as his brother who was in town for the weekend. Later on in the night I headed to pick up my friends Heather and Scott who were staying with me, or so I thought, since they were flying out of my local airport the next morning. When we got into town, my mom surprised us, well me, with a room at the hotel right by the airport for the three of us to have a fun night and early graduation celebration. They were already in on it!

White, black, and silver to match my dress for Sunday.

I was greeted with a lovely present walking into my friends house to pick them up. 

The cute way my mom revealed the surprise & decorated our room.

Saturday:

My mom and I were up bright and early Saturday morning to get on the road down to Ann Arbor for the commencement ceremony being held in the Big House. The past four years I have attended a satellite campus of U of M, but the large graduation incorporates graduates from all three campuses. We met Billy down there and come 8 am he and I were off to gather with all the other students. It was a little chilly and slightly rainy yet, still an incredible experience! I was also blessed to have a family friend give up her day to be there and to run into a dance teammate of mine from this past year.

Outside the gates of the Big House.

Processing into the stadium & finding our seats (50 yard line, row 17!).

Looking out among the graduates.

Pictures after the ceremony before heading home.

Sunday:

The big day! The day I went from being an undergraduate to an alumni. I was so thankful to have my mom, dad, brother and godparents in the audience. Since I was graduating with Billy, it was also great to have his grandparents, brother, mom, and dad there too. Sunday was surreal. I don't even think it has completely sunk in. I do know that it did hit me sitting there during the ceremony, though, that I was going to miss college and everything/one associated more than I ever thought I could. 

Walking into the arena and heading down to sign-in.

Friends and faculty.

Right after we finished processing out.

A little blurry, but the first time I saw my parents as a graduate.

I wouldn't be who I am today without these people. <3

My brother and I are goofy.

My family.

Billy's family.

Our classic and traditional knee pop pose.

After the ceremony, we went over to campus to take some cap & gown photos.

Although I'm graduated, the nerd in me will forever be!

"Today is only the beginning, not the end."

It's hard to close this chapter of my life, but it is also exciting. 

And I will never forget where I came from. I will always wear my maize and blue with pride.

Questions of the Day:

1) What emotions did you feel on your graduation?

2) How long did it take for the reality to sink in?

3) If not graduated, do you have certain expectations for it?

❤ Nichole ❤

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MIMM #12 {Checking In}

Hey everyone! Happy Monday and Happy Cinco de Mayo! I first would like to apologize for my absence over the past few days. It was for a good reason though, I promise. This weekend was my college graduation so, there was not much time to sit down in front of the computer. Saturday and Sunday were filled with tons of fun creating once in a lifetime memories. Today is just a quick post to check in as I didn't want to leave my blog dormant for three whole days. I have a ton of pictures to go through from the weekend and wanted to make sure everything was perfect before I shared them with you all. So, be sure to keep an eye out tomorrow for a full recap of graduation! I'm really excited!

But, before I go here's one picture for a little sneak peak! :)

This weekend was truly incredible which calls for linking up with Katie for Marvelous in my Monday! 

How was your weekend??

❤ Nichole ❤

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Friday Favorites #10: Week of 5/2/14

Hey there everyone! We made it, Friday is here and the weekend is right around the corner. Can I get a whoop whoop! I'm hoping you all have had a good week! Today is my third day without class or school work and I have to say, it feels weird. Now, I'm sure most of you already expect where this post is about go so…drumrollll…and here's what has been top of the favorites list this week! 

--Crafting

I have always been a fan of all things crafty. My grandma, mom and I used to have a project of some sort going at all times. When I got into college the projects became less and less frequent however, unless it was involved at a sorority event. Everything was really busy putting crafting on the back burner. I did get a chance to bring it back last night when working on my graduation cap! This then reminded me how much I do miss it. I want to start crafting again asap!

Left: Billy's cap - Right: mine

It was tons of fun and they both turned out great! Mine was a bit on the more complex side of things calling for a second set of eyes, my brother helped. :) Just a little longer until the big day!

Left: Nic's and my project - Right: Billy's

--Makeup Haul
A few months ago Ulta opened close to me. I was very excited since the closest one was about 45 minutes away prior to this ones grand opening. Although, it has taken me until this week and this trip to actually make it into the store. I was in need of some new makeup and with graduation being this weekend I decided to take a stroll in Ulta. The store is incredible! It still all looks so pretty and new. Recently I have heard many good things about the NYX brand and never using it before I figured I would start there. There was a great deal on the line, buy one get one 50% off. I ended up purchasing everything I needed from NYX and couldn't wait to try it out; liking it so far!

--Matching Mason Tumblers
While out and about shopping for the gems and glue on Thursday with my mom and friend we bumped into some adorable mason jars. Last month I mentioned how I have a slight…okay, maybe a little more then slight…obsessions with water bottles, tumblers, etc. When walking through the isles at Michael's my eye caught these, of course, and I had to do a double take. My friend, who is visiting from out of town, and I ended up going back to the isle before we left and decided we needed these in our lives. We picked out our favorite matching pattern and headed to the checkout line. The matching is fun because when she goes home tomorrow we will still have something keeping us connected. As soon as we got home they were out of the bag and being used, no time wasters over here!

--Ever Growing Memorabilia 
Anyone else love keeping little mementos and knickknack's? Lately I have know an increase in the number of things on my shelf. There's definitely an abundance! The thing is, each one has a story behind it and I love being able to look at them when I walk into my room. It brings a smile to my face! The shelf has memories from my family, friends, birthdays, holidays, dance and even 1st grade!

--Post This Week

Just Laugh? on Tuesday April 4/29/14

What's on your Friday favorites list this week??

❤ Nichole ❤

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Linking up with Heather!

It Starts With You

Happy day it's the first of May! :) Okay, so, not sure where that urge to rhyme came from, but I went with it. And…now that I got my silly self out for a second onto the rest of today's post! 

We all have ideas of how others should act. We all have expectations of those who are in our lives. Yet, have we every stopped to look at ourselves? Have we determined if we exemplify all the things that we want in others? Because, if not how can we ask someone else to be something we aren't?

Well, we really can't or more so we shouldn't, although we still do. We have to be the person that we wish to see in others. I'm sure that this sounds incredibly cliche, but it is true. And it is important. 

It starts with you us.

1) If you want to be trusted, be honest.

We cannot expect others to trust us with what we say and who we are if we are not willing to be an honest person ourselves. This also means that if we are not honest with other people we cannot hold them to the standard of being honest in their relationships with us. 

2) If you want to be honest, be true.

Honesty comes from being true - being true to family, friends, and self. Everyone that is in our life deserves that respect from us. If we want to be taken seriously in the things we say and do then we have to come across as being a truthful and trustworthy person. 

3) If you want to be true, be yourself. 

One of the biggest components of being able to be true is being able to be yourself. We all are unique and special in our own way. We have to be confident in the skin we are in and walk around showing it. To me, the root of this all is being you. By being yourself you can be true those in your life, if you are true then you can be honest, and if you are honest you can be trusted. 

We all at some-point look for others to be honest, true and themselves. But, before we jump to conclusions about others from now on…let's first take a step back and look in the mirror. 

Questions of the Day:

1) What are your thought and or opinions on this?

2) Do you feel like you hold yourself to the same standards you do others?

3) What's the biggest thing you look for/expect in and of others?

❤ Nichole ❤

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Big thank you out to Amanda for always hosting this Thursday link-up!