painting pete.

This is my friend Hayden's van (named Pete)... annnddd we decided we wanted to paint it. (with his parents permission of course!) It's something that we've wanted to do for qquuiittee a little while.

Each side was something different... and man was it fun to paint! Obviously, it turned into paint wars, and even throwing paint-covered tennis balls at the van. Hilarious, truly. Man, these memories.

Sincerely, 

Erica Michelle

oh my goodness.

picture taken on my iPhone from my car

I was driving back to my house this morning and I was stopped in construction. I was just looking around, and I realized that I'm gonna miss this place. I gonna miss these mountains, and the sheep in the spring, and the Colorado weather. *sigh* ... 90 days. that's it.

The beginning of summer has been fantastic. Full of new experiences, best friends, and lots and lots of adventures. It's hard to explain. It's just been a great start to the summer. Last night a group of us went to the drive-in to watch Epic and The Croods (I know, I didn't even take pictures). I'm still bitter, by the way, about the ending of Epic. Really Disney? Really?? If that was your attempt at a happy ending, you fail. Anyways, I just thought I'd check in.

Basically this post was a random attempt to explain that I live in the most gorgeous place ever, and the beginning of summer vacation has been absolutely fantastic (:

Now to go pack for the youth temple trip! Farewell for now!

Sincerely,
Erica Michelle

guest post: Julie.

Hey there! So, I have been following the wonderful Julie for a little while now, and I adore her blog! I'm also guest posting on her blog today so make sure to stop on by! 

This girl is awesome! She's lived all over the world (seriously) and is now attending my dream college... BYU. She blogs about her life, books, just random stuff... and it's one of the blogs that I seriously read EVERY SINGLE post. So without further ado, here is Julie!




Hi I’m Julie! I’m overjoyed that Erica asked me to guest post this week, I love making new blog friends. I’m relatively new to the blogging world but I’m improving and growing my blog Different is Beautiful. I would love new followers and am open for swapping buttons or guest posts on my blogs! Email me at 7julieh@gmail.com if you’re interested. Visit my blog here. 

Who am I?

I am a lover of music

I have a bucket list   

           

I hate sharks

Pretzels are my favorite food

I play guitar

I’m a runner

I am obsessed with traveling

I am one of six kids

I know how to beatbox   

      

I’m a college student 

I’m an adrenaline junkie

 

I’m a Mormon

Why do I blog?

I originally started Different is Beautiful as a way to document my life and adventures after my family moved to Turkey my senior year. I wanted a way to stay in touch with my family and friends back in the US. I was really bad about blogging and didn’t truly begin posting until a year later when I graduated high school. Hence, most of my first posts are a look back at my year in Turkey and my senior year in High School. You can read some of my favorites here and here. When I started college I decided to keep my lil’ blog going as a project and document my experiences at Brigham Young University. It’s been a crazy and wild adventure since I started college a year ago, and I’ve grown a lot as a person. This week I celebrated my first bloviversary! I’m slowly growing and improving Different is Beautiful and my hope is to gain new readers and friends along the way. Feel free to stop by anytime, an never forget Different is Beautiful!


I'd like to thank Julie for guest posting! Seriously though, stop by her blog! If you're interested in guest posting... don't forget to email me!

Sincerely,
Erica Michelle

10 things//update.

So much has happened, I mean really, it has been a great start to my summer (: Some stuff I may be blogging about later...  but here are a few quick updates-

1. this sweet little graduation present came in the mail a few days ago:

yep. 15 inch MacBook Pro. I love it. That's an understatement actually. (fyi, I did have to pay for a part of it... I'm not that spoiled! Thank you graduation money!)

2. because of #1... this is literally what I've done with my life:

(no, not take pictures of myself). I just lay on my bed, headphones in (yep, two door cinema club still), and read blogs, pinterest/tumblr, and then read more blogs. literally. that's it.

3. Work. work. work. work. work.
That's all I feel like I'm going to be doing this summer. I got a second job... and a third job! (a couple weeks ago, but I forgot to tell ya'll's about it)

4. youtube and pandora. what would I do without it??

5. I moved my sewing machine back into my room. next week is gonna be full of thrift shopping and pinterest craft days with this lovely lady (:
*please note that we went thrift shopping before it was cool.*

6. Katie and I have been hanging out the last few days... and it's been lots and lots and lots and lots of fun, just enjoying summer, watching stars {I saw my first shooting star!}, laughing hysterically at Pirates of the Caribbean {the second one}, and so on. great fun I tell you.

7. Evan and Caitlin are here for a few days while their parents are in San Diego (lucky ducks!). gosh, my nephew and niece are cuter than yours. no offense of course, just speaking the truth!

8. I'm going to go get my hair cut next week. and I'm so sad because it's finally growing out, but I want to get rid of all the dead ends, then let it grow all summer before college. ohhhh the problems of being a girl.

9. next week is our ward youth temple trip! I am soooo stinkin excited about it. it's been forever since I've been on a temple trip, but I already have the days off of work, so no one is stopping me this time! (:

10. life is great right now. I mean, no more homework, instead- sleeping in, hanging out with friends/adorable nephew and niece, laughing, inside jokes, star gazing, working, reading, blogging, and sewing. what else could I possibly ask for??


I hope your week is going just as fantastically as mine!

Sincerely,
Erica Michelle

first official day of summer.

Yes, I quit going to school last week, but everyone else had to go through Tuesday morning. To celebrate the beginning of summer vacation, we headed up to Bananas in Grand Junction. Tuesday was a day full of bouncy houses, mini golf, tons and tons of laser tag and go carts, diary queen, and fake tattoos. I was having sooo much fun, I didn't even take very many pictures to document the day!

Sincerely,
Erica Michelle

seminary graduation.

 So... goodbye to seminary. If you're thinking "what the heck is this seminary that she keeps talking about?!?" then let me tell you something... seminary is a church class that high-school aged kids from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (aka Mormon) attend 5 days a week. Depending where you live, seminary times are different. Some places, like Utah, get release time seminary, which is during the school day. However, because there aren't many Mormon youth where I live, I had early-morning seminary.  It could have been even earlier, but the first three years of seminary started at 7 a.m. and this year was at 7:10. EVERY SINGLE DAY BEFORE SCHOOL. There are four years of seminary, so each year we study something different. My Freshman year was the Book of Mormon, Sophomore was the Doctrine and Covenants, Junior was Old Testament, and this year was the New Testament. I can honestly say that I probably read almost every single chapter in all of those books.
I wish I could say that I always had a great attitude... however, that's not true. Sometimes (especially this year during tennis season) I would get to bed at 2 or 3, then have to wake up for seminary. NOT GOOD I TELL YOU. But you know what? I'm glad I stuck with it. Seminary taught me a lot. From being able to eat breakfast/get ready in 12 minutes flat, to learning more about the scriptures and increasing my faith, I wouldn't trade it for the world. So here's a goodbye to all those early-morning scripture studies, scripture mastery games, donuts on fridays, and getting to be closer with the youth my age. I loved it!

Sincerely,
Erica Michelle

graduation party.

so... like three days late, but this was my graduation party:

(my sister made me a smash sign in book! it was adorable!!)

 

 

yep... we had a real keg of rootbeer! hence the reason for me making that cute "stone-cold sober" poster (: the other "rise and shout" poster was a printable I had repinned on my byu/college board on pinterest! We had sooo many people show up! It was definitely awesome having that much support (: oh, and one of the presents I got included BYU colored toms... true story. (yes, that's my fourth pair of toms. no judging.)

Then Sunday night after graduation (from 8 pm to 2 am) there was a senior party! They put tons of effort into this party, and have TONS of cash and prizes to give away. I won 40 bucks! Plus another five in the money box thing (seriously, you go into a box and money flies all over and you try to grab it). It also included sumo wrestling, rock wall climbing, jousting, gambling, air relay races, food, and pictures!

Definitely one of the most fun nights of my life! Now I'll blog about my first official day of summer, seminary graduation, and an awesome graduation present from my parents called... a 15 inch macbook pro (: yes, it's been a good past few days!

Sincerely,
Erica Michelle

high school graduation.

Last Sunday was officially the end of my high school experience... graduation! I got to walk down the field with 250 of my classmates, and shake hands with teachers and administrators I have gotten to know over the last four years. It was truly a blessing! Now begins my next chapter. In 99 days, I'll be moving to Provo, Utah to begin a new journey at Brigham Young University... and I COULD NOT be more excited about it! 

I couldn't have done it without my parents!

Both my siblings got to be there! And Danielle's cute kids, of course!

Siblings!

Two best friends... BYU BOUND!

proof I actually got my diploma (;

Last time singing the national anthem with the Chamber Choir seniors!

I don't blame her... graduation was long, cold, and windy!

I couldn't have made it through without these girls (and kelly and kym) and I definitely would be a much different person then who I am now!

I was so blessed to have a couple Aunts and Uncles, quite a few cousins, my grandma, and my friends there supporting me! I've been waiting for graduation for literally years... and now, here I am, officially a Montrose High School graduate!

More about my graduation party and senior party tomorrow (hopefully)!!

Sincerely,
Erica Michelle

last week of high school.

goodness, time has flown by! Monday and Tuesday were full of finals, ice cream, and studying. (seriously, those three and only things). Tuesday, as all the seniors were driving away from their last day of high school, the AP US history kids were gearing up for another APUSH study session. seriously. congrats to us.
Wednesday, when all the seniors were sleeping in, AP US History students were taking a 4 hour test at 7:30 in the morning... how'd it go? actually... I seriously think I may have possibly passed it!!! whooooo hooo!!! Then our teacher bought us pizza to bribe us into coming back to school and telling him how the test went, and it definitely worked. Then, I completed my MHS withdrawal form!!! seriously, officially outta that place.

then shopping with kelsey and the tennis banquet.


today was graduation practice. it was hot. really really hot. and it ended with the weirdest surprise EVER.

so, there we were, taking our senior class picture, and they start playing the Mission Impossible theme. I totally thought they just wanted some music (my school plays music a lot), then out of no where this helicopter was flying over us. I kinda thought "wow! what a coincidence! how funny is that?" then the helicopter flew back around....

and landed on the feild!

then the superintendent of school jumps out of the helicopter, hands a briefcase to this lady, then gets back in and flies away!

did your school have a helicopter at your graduation practice? I think not.

turns out that our theme for the senior party is spies and stuff like that... soooo, dang awesome. ok?

then Sam, Kelly, Kelsey, Kym, and I had our annual end-of-the-year chinese food lunch!

signing the AP history ceiling tile!!

Then, last night, the girls all had a sleepover. only this one was really special. we all bought notebooks that we filled with our favorite memories, pictures, inside jokes, anything! it was absolutely amazing. I couldn't have gotten through high school without these girls!

(that's root beer in case you were wondering...)

Sincerely,
Erica Michelle