Mobile journalism, cooler than the other side of your pillow.

Another "assignment" if you will, for my Blogging for Journalists class. This class by far is my favorite because i'm getting credit for speaking my mind and posting about it!

So in this blog, it's all business. However, I have found something that is so important these days I can't pass up the chance to discuss it.

http://www.mulinblog.com/mobile-journalism-examples-and-production-tips-qa-with-rte-video-journalist-philip-bromwell/

As a college student, at any moment in time I could look around and see 90% of my peers looking at their phone, that is if I choose to look up from my own. What are we all looking at? Most of us are on the internet. Whether it be Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, a local news website,  we are all consumers of mobile journalism.

We are all connected with people countries and continents away with the tap of a thumb (or pointer finger however you scroll through your screen). The world is moving quickly away from print and further and further into the the real of the world wide web! We've gotta get with it and keep up with the times people!

So sorry for the serious post, ya gotta do what you gotta do. On a lighter note, the Spongebob movie is coming out next week.

So you say you've got passion?

My Blogging for Journalists class has only been in session for what is now three weeks, and already I have learned SO MUCH. Today we read a blog about passion. It instructed bloggers to write about what they are passionate about, and I felt inspired to tell you all what I am passionate about.

First and foremost, whether it is popular or not, I am passionate about the Lord.
In life you will go through tough times and wonder what the point of the daily grind may be. For me I learned the meaning as a young girl in church.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life." - John 3:16

The Lord is filled with love, grace, hope, peace, forgiveness, and so much more. If you want to know more about him, feel free to ask, I am an open book about my continual journey in truly seeking and knowing the lord.

Secondly, I am passionate about my family.
I am, by eight minutes, the youngest of six brothers and sisters, and a twin! I was blessed to grow up with two parents that love the Lord and love me unconditionally.

From top left: Joel, Daniel, Jared, Me, Grace, and Abby

 My siblings are one in a million as well. Three boys and three girls, there is not a one of us that is exactly like the other. We have a veteran among us, a soon-to-be principle, a cancer survivor, three teachers, twins, and most importantly, we all love each other more than words can express. My love for them is not easy to express in words.

My nephews are the heart of my family. These three little guys (AND ONE ON THE WAY!!) are what all of us can agree, make family gatherings most fun and entertaining. And without an amazing group of brothers and sisters-in-laws our family would not be complete. Let me tell you my brothers and sisters know how to pick-em!

Finally, but certainly not least, the love of my life, my fiancé. Casey completes me in all of the best ways. He is a wonderful man of God, kind, slow to anger, patient (which lets all agree, anyone who has chosen to spend forever with me would need buckets of patience!), loves my family, I could go on and on about this man. Let's just leave it with July 19, 2015 cannot get here soon enough!

Well there you have it! While there are many many more things that I am passionate about, these are the top three that fill my heart to capacity. I am one blessed girl.

5 Ladies that rocked the Red Carpet at he SAG Awards

With a new year we welcome a new award season and countless evenings on the Red Carpet filled with our own "ooo's" and "ahhhs" as we watch from the comfort of our homes in our pajamas. The 2015 Screen Actors Guild awards did not disappoint Sunday night with some of my favorite Red Carpet looks this year. 

1. Emma Stone in Dior. Emma Stone made my jaw drop in her Tuxedo-inspired gown by Dior. From her red lips, understated hair, and black dress to make her flawless complexion and ruby red hair pop, she is hands down my #1 pick for the night.

Emma Stone wore a tuxedo-inspired Dior gown to the 2015 SAG awards

2. Sara Hyland in Vera Wang. Sara Hyland was the perfect balance of sheer, glitz, and glamour for her custom red carpet gown by Vera Wang. I flock to anything Vera so the idea of a custom gown with a sheer overlay, on Sara Hyland's body was STUNNING.

Sara Hyland wore a custom Vera Wang gown with a sheer overlay.

3. Julianne Moore in Givenchy Haute Couture. The red heads ROCKED the red carpet this year, and Julianne Moore is no exception in this custom Givenchy Haute Couture embellished gown. Her jewels and softly curled hair did not take away from her glamorous old-Hollywood dress either. Loved this look.

Julianne Moore in custom Givenchy Haute Couture.

4. Joanne Froggatt in Anna. Maybe i'm biased because she is a cast member of my favorite show, Downton Abbey, but her blonde hair in contrast with her GORGEOUS fish-tail satin gown by Anna was stunning. Also her jewels and wedding ring completed the look flawlessly.

Joanne Froggatt wore a satin, fish-tail gown by Anna.

5. Kiera Knightly in Erdem. Two words come to mind when I think of Kiera Knightly last night and they are HOT MOMMA. Pregnant and Red Carpet can go two ways, bad or good, and last night this for Knightly went exceptionally well. This gorgeous plum gown by Erdem added classic beauty to the already glowing actress. Also I love her husband's, James Righton, fitted tuxedo.

Pregnant Keira Knightly in Erdem.

While we are only at the beginning of awards season, I think these stars have set the Red Carpet bar high.

10 Blogs to follow

As an assignment for my blogging for journalists class we had to look up 10 blogs that interested us. This was something I was excited about HOWEVER made me think about what selecting 10 blogs that interest me says about, well me.

I want you all to know that in finding these blogs, I grabbed from my different favorite parts of life. They are in no way in order of importance. But this list I have compiled consists of travel, cooking, marriage, weddings, fashion, and the thoughts of bloggers that grabbed my attention. 

1. http://thepioneerwoman.com

Have you ever SEEN this woman in action?? She is amazing and a native Oklahoman, so naturally, she made it to the top of my list. 

2. http://www.herandeverything.com

I grew up knowing this blogger, and found out she was blogging by following her on Instagram. Also, she loves cats and traveling, so she goes on the list as well. 

3. http://laurenconrad.com

LC is my absolute favorite. She is elegant and beautiful and perfect and ever since seeing her on The Hills (yes I will admit to being a Reality TV fiend) I love her. So when I found her blog I nearly squealed. 

4. http://justagirlandherblog.com

A cute DIY blog I stumbled upon on Pinterest, this blog is a young mother and wife titles I will be adding to my repertoire in this next stage of my life. She is fun and has risen to have a top blog! Go girl!

5. http://youngwifesguide.com/blog

I am getting married in 5 months and 29 days. This blog appealed to me because I will soon be a young wife, and I love to see what others are thinking with similar situations to my own. 

6. http://tirzahmag.com

Full of devotionals, traveling, thoughts on current events, this blog is like my blog, but famous. Again, go girl!

7. http://www.norbly.com/becoming-a-proverbs-31-woman/

Proverbs 31 is a passage in the Bible all women should model themselves after, a blog of the journey of becoming and being a woman of the Lord is right up my ally. 

8. http://www.thehouseofsmiths.com

Another Pinterest found blog, this one is DIY crafts from a stay at home mom and wife. I love this kind of stuff and am constantly looking for ideas in how to decorate my future home!

9. http://bridalmusings.com

Well, I AM a bride to be, so a wedding blog is a must. I will be glued to this one.

10. http://theblondeabroad.com

A professional who abandoned the daily grind to travel the world, IF ONLY! Her travel, fashion, pictures interest me immensely. 

SO go have a look and I hope we can all enjoy these interesting blogs!

Martin Luther King Day

As I sit on my couch today, free from school and responsibilities, I reflect on the meaning of this holiday. Freedom. Let me throw a disclaimer out there that I am in no way an expert of this matter, these are simply my thoughts on the subject.

A preacher, civil rights activist, humanitarian, victim of murder, and so much more, his life's work impacted the lives of all American's today. Racism is still very much one of our country's largest problems, and is evident in the Ferguson, Missouri riots due to Michael Brown's death.

Dr. King created a legacy of loving one another, serving others before yourself. I have heard the popular parts of his "I have a dream" speech, but had never fully read it. Today I took the time to do so and have pulled parts from it that our country still so disparately needs.

"But there is something that I must say to my people, who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice: In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again, we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force."

What if today we applied these words to our lives? Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness or hatred. America is a beautiful melting pot where people from every nation, religion, and language can come and live their lives out loud without fear of prosecution, or worse. 

But what have we done with the hate we express towards our Middle Eastern brothers and sisters? What are we doing showing prejudice towards Latin-Americans who fought to come to the United States in hope of better life? Our Asian countrymen that were forced from their homes during World War II did nothing to deserve the hate expressed towards them? Or women of every race and age? Still to this day men get paid more to do the same job as a women, and why? African Americans are not the only race or gender to find themselves victims of racism. 

And what about Jewish people? A race that has been under attack since deep in the bible times and at one point, a tyrant tried to completely erase from the face of the Earth? Until will stop looking at the pigmentation and listening for the accent of our brothers and sisters and look at what kind of person they are, Dr. King cannot rest in peace. 

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that."

In the Bible God tells us to love one another repeatedly. John 13:34-35 says "A new command I give you, Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must Love one another. By this everyone will know that you are disciples, if you love one another."

That is how Martin Luther King Jr. should be remembered. A man who chose love over hate, and fought for what our great country promised, freedom for ALL. 

Happily Ever Howsden

I recently got engaged to my boyfriend of 2.5 years and since then, have been planning one of the most important days of my life. There are some things that I have learned throughout this whole process and I would like to offer advice to anyone willing to listen.

1. Passively suggest to your man that he make sure a photographer is present for when he pops the question. A picture is worth a million words,  and to you looking back at the pictures will bring up the flood of emotions you experienced that day.

Photography by: Allison Mims Photography

2. Pick a rock star group of girls to share this experience with. From trying on dresses, bridal showers, bachelorette parties, to the wedding day, these girls will define your wedding experience. ALSO, Get creative in how you ask them, they'll love it! I did it with cookies and hand written notes!

3. Book your venue as soon as possible. This helped me in setting a date as well. I got engaged in September and availability for venues in July were almost impossible to find. Here's a sneak peak of what we decided on.

 http://bridlecreekok.com/

4. Find THE DRESS. In finding my dress, there was a special group of people I knew I wanted to be there to help me pick the perfect dress. 

I included my future mother-in-law, both of my fiances sisters, my wedding party, and my wonderful mother. 

When you go shopping, keep an open mind but don't be afraid to hurt anyone's feelings, after all this is YOUR DAY. I ended up picking a dress that on the rack looked good, but on me, brought me to tears. 

( No picture on this one ;) )

5. Take engagement pictures. This detail was a very important one for me and my Casey. It took strategic planning and a small road trip to get our pictures done in the time-frame we wanted. Find your photographer, and you've crossed a HUGE thing off of your list. 

Photography by: Allison Mims Photography

Lastly, pick your battles. You have a vision, you have always dreamed of this day, and you want it to be as perfect as possible.

As the people you have in your wedding will need to be flexible you will need to be as well. The tiniest detail will go unnoticed by most, so letting go and not controlling every. single. aspect. will do a lot for your stress level and help you enjoy the day to it's fullest.