So, my camera battery died, and I didn't have my charger with me. So this weekend was full of iPhone photos, so bear with me. We started off the weekend in Salmon, Idaho. My sister, my mom and our friend Ryon and I went to Salmon to see my grandma for her birthday. We went ate donuts, rode four wheelers, and of course, did homework. After Salmon, we made our way to Stanley, Idaho for some excellent hiking. On our way to Boise, we experienced some of the most beautiful scenery Idaho has to offer. Here are some snapshots of our weekend! Happy Mothers Day to all those great mothers out there, especially mine! Have a great week!

It's spring break! I am back home for the week, and I have been insanely busy. Yesterday, my friends and I decided to take a spur of the moment trip to Idaho City. It is a small town about 45 minutes away from Boise. Idaho City is tiny, but full of little adventures. We explored an old cemetery, ate some ice cream, walked through the "old town", and even found a toy shop. It was a fabulous day. Here are the photos that went along with it. Be sure to watch the video as well! I hope you are all having a great week!

So, on Sunday, my friend and roommate Taylor and I decided to go on an adventure! We found our way to a dried up swamp and a hidden forest. It was a truly magical excursion. Here are some photos, and even a video of our day! Take a look!


                     
                                             Swamp Land from Taylor Bollwinkel on Vimeo.

My good friend Cami and I decided to go on a photo adventure a couple of days ago. We ventured out to a river and a majestically forest. It was a much needed exploration day. During our time there, we found a geo cache, animal bones, feathers, rain and pure joy. It was a fantastic day. Cami happens to be an amazing photographer! In fact, she photographed my blog photo on the right ---> Go check out her photography page and 'like' it! She is awesome! Here are some shots of our day!

Photo Credit: Cami Hogan

Photo Credit: Cami Hogan

Photo Credit: Cami Hogan

Photo Credit: Cami Hogan

Photo Credit: Cami Hogan

So, I have been a terrible blogger lately. I have to apologize for that. I just haven't had any time. I feel like I have been going non-stop. However, I am productively using my class time right now, to write this post. Hooray for multi-tasking. As you saw from my previous post, I have been busy with band practice, but I have also been busy with school, birthday parties, photoshoots and so much more. Here are some snapshots of my life these days! I will get better at posting more often! I promise! For now, this will have to do. Thanks for dropping by! Have a great weekend!

So, I have taken an extended absence, but I am happy to say that things in my life have gotten a little less crazy this week, so now I am hoping ill have more time to blog with all of you! Here is the reason I have been so busy:
School, of course is one of the main contributors to my lack of extra time. In addition, this semester, my twin sister and I have put together a little band (we still don't have a band name, so feel free to leave band name ideas in the comment box below). We decided that we are going to audition for BYU-Idaho's I-cover. It is essentially a show where bands perform a cover song of their choice. We have been practicing like crazy, and tonight is the big night. We are auditioning, so wish us luck! Here is our video! Check it out and stay tuned for upcoming videos!

The weekend before last I had the opportunity to go see a band from Utah perform at Sammy's Rexburg.  My friends brother (Kyle) opened for a band called Cliffs. Kyle and his band performed a few songs and they were amazing! They had a great sound, and they were all in all just a great group of guys. After Kyle's band finished up, Cliffs performed. Cliffs music was a mix of all types of sounds. They were so much fun to watch and listen to. It was a great night full of good food (from Sammy's) and great tunes. Next time Cliffs are in town, you Rexburgians had better go attend. It was a night to remember. Click HERE to check out Cliffs and download their free EP "Experiments"!

Kyle

One thing that I love about the blogging world, is meeting and working with fabulous fellow bloggers who inspire you and give you the motivation to keep blogging. My good friend Sara from Sunshine and Pretty Things, has nominated me for the Liebster award. The Liebster Award recognizes small blogs, and connects them to other blogs and bloggers. It is absolutely fabulous! I would like to extend a HUGE thanks to Sara for nominating me!

Here are the rules:
Thank the person who nominated you. Link your post to their blog. List 11 facts about yourself then answer 11 questions give to you. Create 11 more questions for your 9 nominees  all of whom have 200 followers or less. Comment on their blogs informing them of their Liebster Award nomination.

11 Facts About Me:
1) I love to travel! So far, I lived in Russia for 4 months. While I was there I traveled to Sweden, Finland, Estonia. This Christmas I went to Guatemala! In April, I may be going to Iceland for a whole WEEK. I can't wait!
2) I love cottage cheese. Like so much. You don't even know.
3) I am a sophomore at BYU-Idaho right now, studying Graphic Design!
4) I played soccer for 11 years, and tennis for 3 years! I love all sports! In addition, I play ultimate frisbee, volleyball and I love to swim!
5) I have an irrational fear of explosions. Fireworks, open flames, even mowing the lawn kind of freaks me out. I am slowly getting over it (I hope).
6) I love to sing! My sister and I just started a band, so you will be seeing some music videos soon!
7) Spending more than $15 on any single item of clothing makes me sick to my stomach. I am EXTREMELY thrifty!
8) I dislike reading with a fiery passion. I don't know what it is about it. I suppose the fact that I spend most of my day reading for school has something to do with that. After I have read about science and the arts all day, I can't envision myself sitting down to read even MORE when I didn't have to.
9) My least favorite food is fish. yuck. yuck. yuck.
10) I have an identical twin sister! Her name is Julie and she is 5 minutes older than me!
11) Chocolate milkshakes are probably my most favorite thing on this planet.


11 Questions for Jenny:
1) What song best represents your outlook on life? 
The song that best describes my outlook on life is probably Get Happy/Happy Days Are Here Again by Judy Garland and Barbra Streisand. First things first, they are two of my favorite singers. In addition, this song is just great. It is the perfect mash-up. My favorite line: "forget your troubles, and just get happy"
2)If you could be fluent in any language, what would it be?
If I could be fluent in any language, I would probably choose French. I just love the way it sounds. French movies, French music, French everything. It is lovely.
3)Who is your style icon?
As of now, my style icon is Kimbra. She is amazing. Her style never ceases to amaze me. She is constantly wearing bright colors and patterns. Not to mention, her music is to die for.
4)Which would you rather possess: the ability to fly or the ability to become invisible
I would LOVE to be able to fly. I would never fill up my gas tank ever again and I would go see the world.
5)What are your top three favorite movies
Number 1: Gone With The Wind. This one is a classic. I could watch this movie over and over again.
Number 2: One Day. This movie gets me every time. The story is beautifully put together. I just love it.
Number 3: The Odd Couple. Well, I probably should have a comedy in my top three. This one is fantastic!
6)If you could live in any decade what would it be?
If I could live in any decade it would probably be the 70's. I love the disco style and the crazy cool hair. Let's face it, I just one some 70's sunglasses and a VW bus.
7)Other than your blog, what is your favorite social media outlet?
My favorite social media outlet is probably instagram. I just love to take photos, and instagram makes it so fun and easy.
8)Who are you closest to in your family and why?
I am closest to my twin sister Julie. That's correct. I have an identical twin sister. We are roommates right now and we just do everything together. I will introduce you to her sometime!
9)What hobby do you wish you had more time for?
Honestly, I wish I had more time to blog. School sucks the life out of me sometimes and I just forget to blog. In a perfect world, I would have crazy awesome creative posts at LEAST twice a week!
10)What is one of your happiest childhood memories?
My happiest childhood memory is probably riding bikes and scooters on the housing development that was across the street from my house when I was really little. We loved to go make jumps and explore out there.  I miss those days!
11)If you could have dinner with any one person in the world, living or dead, who would you choose and why?
If I could have dinner with any one person, it would probably be my brother. He passed away in March of last year, and I would love to just have one more grilled cheese sandwich from Paul Bunyan's in Coeur d'Alene Idaho with him! Miss ya buddy!

11 Questions for my nominees:
1) Do you prefer crunchy peanut butter or creamy?
2) If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?
3) Where did you spend your favorite vacation?
4) What is your least favorite thing to sweep up off the floor? (i.e. lettuce, peas, cheese..)
5) What do you want to be when you "grow up"? (what are you studying)
6) If you could only watch one movie for the rest of your life, what would it be?
7) If you could swap wardrobes with one person who would it be?
8) What is your favorite kind of music?
9) What is your favorite holiday and why?
10) When did you start blogging and why?
11) What is one of your new years resolutions?


My 9 Nominees: 

Hello again my lovelies. I would like you to meet my roommate and very good friend Taylor Bollwinkel. We live in a quaint little fourplex with four other gals. So get used to posts about our daily outings and happenings. We all attend BYU-Idaho located in the middle of nowhere, Idaho. The weather today is partly cloudy with a chance of TWO HUNDRED feet of snow.  Taylor is a talented musician, photographer, and blogger. Yesterday, Taylor and I journeyed over to an abandoned house in our neighborhood. I'm sure it will be demolished soon, so I'm glad we got a chance to photograph over there before we lose our chance. Here are some snapshots of our afternoon in the creepy abandoned house. Go check out Taylor's blog here ---> http://taylorcharmant.blogspot.com/ .... Thanks for stopping by! Have a marvelous Monday.

photo cred: Jenny Bodell

photo cred: Jenny Bodell

photo cred: Jenny Bodell

photo cred: Jenny Bodell

photo cred: Taylor Bollwinkel

photo cred: Taylor Bollwinkel

photo cred: Taylor Bollwinkel

photo cred: Taylor Bollwinkel

photo cred: Jenny Bodell

So, you have all been patiently waiting to hear what REALLY happened on my trip to Guatemala. Well, here it is from day one.
Let me just start off by saying that this is the extremely summarized version of my trip, so here it goes!
We started off our trip in Guatemala city. We ate dinner with a friend we have there and then stayed the night at a hotel in the city. Guatemala city was interesting. It was busier than I expected. It was nice to get out of there and move onto to Panajachel. Panajachel is a small tourist town about 90 minutes outside Guatemala city. It was pretty late when we got there, so we ate dinner at a local restaurant and then went to bed. The next day was very busy. We rented a boat and drive across the lake to many small towns that where just below several Volcanoes. It was amazing. We shopped, ate, walked, took photos and just had a relaxing day. The next day was full of driving. We spent almost all day in the van. Our destination? Coban. We didn't spend long in Coban. We got there late, and we were pretty tired, so we just went to bed, and went to church the next morning. It was so fun going to church there. An interesting experience to say the least. We left Coban shortly after to head to Lanquin. Lanquin is a small but beautiful little town. It was a rough road to get there, but worth it. We spent the day swimming in natural ponds and waterfalls. There was even a natural water slide that I may have slid down 2... no, 3 times. It was amazing there. There were cocoa bean trees and coffee bean plants. It was a very informative and memorable day. The next day we had to wake up and head back to Coban. Coban was on the way to go to our next location, Tikal. I'm sure most of you have heard of Tikal. Tikal is the location of one of the star wars episodes. It is a park full of ancient towers, monuments and temples. The whole day was just one amazing temple after another. We hiked all over the park. We saw monkeys in their natural habitat and amazing birds and all sorts of wildlife. It was truly amazing. To say the least. The next day, we found ourselves in Antigua. Antigua used to be the capital of Guatemala, until it was partially destroyed by natural disasters. It was an absolutely beautiful town. The buildings were so colorful, the people were extremely friendly and it was an overall great way to end our trip. Sorry for that you waited this long and you only got snippits of what we did, but luckily I have pictures to share with you that ought to bring to life some of what I have told you. Thanks again to all of my old and new followers! I am excited for a new year! Love you all!

This is literally, a sneak peek. I know you have been antsy to see photos of the trip, and I have been antsy to share them with you. It just so happened that I as soon as I got home from Guatemala, my semester started. That being said, I have had virtually NO spare time to edit literally hundreds of photos. So here are just a few teasers. The trip was amazing. This weekend I will post again with a more detailed explanation of what I did there, and there will be photos to go along with it. For now, I hope this gets you by! Thanks for being patient!

Merry Christmas to all! I am currently on a road trip to go pick up my sister and brother in-law. We will be traveling to Guatemala in the morning! Beings that we are on the road all day, we celebrated Christmas on Sunday. We opened presents, had a big dinner, went to a Christmas party, the whole nine yards. It was a magical day! Quickly, I would just like to say that I am so grateful for my family. They are awesome. In addition, I am thankful for all of my friends. Confession: I am not the easiest person to make plans with. I am quite frequently busy, and  I have a terrible time fitting in some one on one time with all of my awesome friends. So thanks to them for being patient and amazing! THANKS to you ALL of my followers! I would have given up blogging long ago if it weren't for you amazing people. So thanks for always being amazing. I hope you all have a great day!

So, I know it's been a long time since I have done an outfit post. I take full responsibility  But this outfit should MORE than make up for my absence. This week, I purchased a fox sweater at Old Navy ($15), and I am obsessed with it! In addition to the fox, they had an owl and a sheep (coincidentally, I bought the sheep sweater as well). I love sweaters in general, but it is just too cold to wear a sweater without a jacket this time of year. So, in the photos below you will see how I paired the sweater with a thin jacket and a beanie to create a cozy layered outfit perfect for winter. Take a look!

If you follow me on Pinterest, you know that I love to collect quotes. I came to the decision that I wanted to incorporate these quotes into some sort of craft. So, these past couple of days I been working on a really fun and simple project. QUOTE MUGS! Whether it's water, coffee, tea, or hot chocolate, most of us grab a mug in the morning to pour ourselves some sort of beverage. I figured, what better way could there be to start a day, than to read an inspirational quote on your mug. It's kind of cheesy, I know. But at least it would give me something to think about, other than homework, tests or work. I went to my local craft store and purchased a DecoColor paint pen. (However, I had a discussion with my sister, and she explained to me that the paint from a Porcelain 150 pen would last longer! So I would go with that! I have also heard that a sharpie works just as well! All you have to do with a sharpie is draw your design, and then put the mug in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.) Anyhoo, then I dug out my old white mugs that I wasn't using anymore, and started to draw! I looked up my favorite quotes from Pinterest, and put them on the mug. I just love the way they turned out. They are so inexpensive and they would make the perfect Christmas gift! In addition, it is a great way to upcycle old dishware that you have no use for anymore! Take a look!

The time has come for me to share with you my Christmas playlist. The following list consists of old songs that I have loved for YEARS, as well as new tunes that have brightened my holidays this year! Take a listen!

Typically we wait about a week into December to put up our Christmas decorations. However, this year is different. We will be going on a family vacation that will start on Christmas day. Therefore, we won't be able to enjoy our decorations as long as we normally do. So the day after Thanksgiving, we put out every decoration we could find. Sorry these are all instagrams, but at least it will give you an idea of what we did! I hope you all had a great break!