Sequin Maxi Skirt Giveaway + Provo Fashion Week

I am giving away one of my custom aBree Original Sequin Maxi Skirts to one lucky winner in honor of my upcoming collection at Provo Fashion Week. In less than two weeks me and a few other local designers will be showcasing our looks at a runway show in Provo, Utah! My designs will be showing on Wednesday, April 9th at 6:30 and 9:00 - tickets sold at the door or through our kickstarter campaign. My collection is dressy ready-to-wear mixed with formal. It is light and fresh and very spring, with bright colors, gold, and lots of sparkle! Follow me on instagram @breelena for some sneak peaks!

Please check out Provo Fashion Week's facebook page and kickstarter campaign. We are still $1,500 away from our goal and only have 4 days left! Please help us out if you can!! We greatly appreciate your love and support!

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Valentine's Day

The night before Valentine's Day I had an EXTREMELY bad migraine which kept Taylor and I both up most of the night. So... Friday (Valentine's Day) didn't quite start off the way we were hoping. I had class at 8 and we both woke up extremely late and I figured Taylor wasn't going to do anything because we both had an VERY busy week and I didn't think he'd have time, I didn't do anything for him - and he mentioned the night before that we could see a movie or something...let's just say I felt like crap and my hopes were low.

Taylor dropped me off at school at 8, he then goes to class and work at 9:30, I come home at 11, then I pick him up at 5. While in class I kept thinking that all I wanted to do was sleep - but I also really wanted to do something for Taylor. I stopped at my parent's house and made some hearts to decorate our apartment with - she also gave us a few treats and then I stopped by the BYU Creamery to get a mint brownie and ice cream (his favorite). When I got to the Creamery there was ONE brownie left - I about died I was so happy and relieved. I had determined I would clean the apartment as the rest of Taylor's present (when you are married that is surprisingly the best present) AND I was going to take down Christmas! Finally.

When I walked through the door I was in such a terrible mood - I was just tired and my head was still killing me but I really wanted to make the day good for Taylor and clean things up. On the table I found these HUG GORGEOUS flowers, a beautiful box of chocolates, and the sweetest note. I started crying like a baby - I had no idea how he was able to keep it all a secret and sneak these flowers into our car/apartment without me knowing. He is amazing. It literally was the biggest and best surprise in the world. He's too good.

The rest of the night was full of more surprises. He told me to dress up and that we'd need to leave at 7:00. We drove to BYU campus - which made me extremely confused at first - he took me to the CDT dance concert (which is so thoughtful since I love dancing). After the concert we took off to... another parking lot on BYU campus - again extremely confused - where he handed me a wrapped present. I honestly didn't expect ANYTHING else - the flowers, chocolate, concert, and I knew dinner was coming - it was all too much. He gave me an adorable T&B engraved bracelet {pictured below}. I love it so much. We finally then headed to dinner - at Chef's Table (the dressing up nice finally made sense). We have been there once before - for my 18th birthday. It was so amazingly delicious. 

I love my sweet Taylor more and more everyday, he is literally my better half.

I am so incredibly grateful to have him.

 ^^the set up for Taylor when he came home from school (Sans-Christmas)^^

 ^^the little treats I got for Taylor^^

 ^^flowers and chocolates from sweet Taylor^^

 ^^yes, the flowers are half as tall as me which means 2 1/2 feet^^

 ^^my other surprise - he found and ordered if from my Pinterest board - such a stud!^^

 ^^butternut squash soup, prime rib and lobster - so so so yummy!!^^

Christmas 2013 {better late than never}

Let's now back track to Christmas. I honestly am having a hard time remembering all the details about the holidays...which is sad. I will try to remember what I can. We went back and forth between our families and had a lot of fun!! That is what I remember.

Christmas Eve:
We spent lunch and the afternoon with my family - eating our traditional crab legs and clam chowder. We opened presents from the kids (which was a little lame since it was just me and Bain this year) and then Taylor and I left to spend the evening with his family.

 ^^clam chowder // date pudding // cheesy french bread // beet salad // crab pasta salad // crab legs^^

Christmas Day:
We knew we wanted to spend the morning together at our own apartment and open our gifts to each other (J.Crew's sales were too amazing to pass up so we ended up having quite a bit for each other... what can we say - we both like shopping and J.Crew a little too much! haha). We told each other we weren't getting any surprise gifts for each other (we knew all the clothes we'd be getting) but Taylor broke the rules and surprised me with a couple gifts.....and I guess I surprised him with one gift too.

 ^^our cute little Christmas^^

 ^^so grateful to our moms who let us borrow so many Christmas decorations^^

 ^^my surprise gift to Taylor - combining all of the mission letters between the two of us. I didn't even get a quarter of the way through before Christmas came - so it is a work in progress..can't wait to have this book of memories^^

^^after we had opened all of our gifts we were getting ready to start cleaning up when Taylor had me look under the couch... that is where I found surprise gift #1 - it was the Home Alone DVD.. I was a bit confused, but was happy because who doesn't need to start their Christmas movie collection their first year of marriage?? He then pointed me in the direction of another hidden present. This time I opened up this beanie. I was SO extremely excited!! We watched Home Alone together a few weeks before Christmas about how much I LOVED his reindeer beanie - and Taylor found an exact replica (after much searching). He is such a sweetheart. We then started cleaning up for real and getting ready to head to Taylor's parent's house when Taylor told me to come into the room he was in.. He then pointed to my final surprise gift... earrings to complete my green amethyst jewelry set!!! {pictured below} In 2011 he gave me my necklace that I never take off, in 2012 he gave me a matching ring {also pictured below} and this year he gave me these delicate earrings that I love. He treats me far too well!^^

We then spent the day with Taylor's family eating lunch and opening presents - my in-laws are too sweet and definitely spoil us. Our big present was new phones!! We were extremely excited!!! I also got some Mally makeup (my favorite) and Taylor got a nice leather bag (among other goodies).

 

For the evening we went to my parents house for round three. We first got to talk with Sy over Skype which is always a good time, then we opened presents. I sadly didn't take photos of everything we received but it was a wonderful Christmas. On of my favorite presents was definitely my egg poacher my mom gave me - I've been wanting a new one forever. We ate our traditional prime rib for dinner and everything was simply wonderful!

The day after Christmas we went up to SLC for our annual family reunion - we stopped at Temple Square before the party with my family.