my best friend is a beauty queen.

it's plain and simple... she was a gorgeous bride & is still a gorgeous newlywed. 

love this lady bunches.

_______________________________

in other news:

i second shot a wedding last night with a friend of mine and will post a few teaser pics as well as a few on my site [ www.rachelmccordphotography.com ] which i will be updating with those and other images this week! so stay tuned!

happy sunday.

best. weekend. ever.

no, i'm not exaggerating. 

i think it really was one of the best weekends there ever was.

here are some (not nearly all, but some) reasons why...

the company. 

these girls, among other fine friends MADE the weekend.

so many giggles.

the beach. 

because well... look at it.

the food. happy hour tacos, wedding buffet & endless justifications that calories eaten in love and celebration don't count. 

(which they don't).

my [21st] birthday.

i will never, by choice, have a birthday in america again. 

it's just waaay to relaxing when you're on vacay.

these guys made sure i was a happy girl all day long. 

lots of love & so fun!

oh, and not having to buy a drink all day was pretty sweet too.

the pool. 

three pools. two happy hours. one swim up bar. you do the math.

the dancing. 

jampacked dance floor from start to finish. so quality. 

including dancing the macarena in a fountain and jumping in the ocean. perfect.

the wedding. 

such an act of worship, the Spirit was definitely present.

beautiful, tearjerking, simple and exciting. so great.

and of course, these guys. 

it was such a crazy joy explosion to celebrate these two. 

still can't get over how epically fantastic it was. love you two & again, congratsss!

Mexico has been ruined for me forever because of this weekend. 

I don't think much can top it.

I also don't think I'm gonna get used to no happy hours, no beach, no $5 tacos and fiestaing for a while... 

Yikes. It was suuuuch a good time.

on becoming a real life big girl

i turned 21 this weekend.... 

and it was glorious.

people always tell you on this particular anniversary of birth...

"have fun!!!! but not too much! ;)" while using way too many !!!'s and ;) ;)'s. ... but God bless 'em, they mean well.

they always tell you...

"liquor before beer, you're in the clear, clear before liquor you'll never be sicker."

they always tell you...

"don't do anything I would'nt do!"

they always tell you...

 "put your wallet away. i'm buying you a drink, it's your birthday!"

this weekend... i never got sick once, always mixed well, didn't do anything you wouldn't do, and didn't buy a single bev on my bday & it was deeply fabulous.

although, i was pretty spoiled because i had the pleasure of turning the big two-one in puerto penasco, mexico while celebrating my beloved friend shannon's wedding (which was hands DOWN the most fantastic wedding i have ever attended/been in, btw. such a B L A S T)

at 12:01, i was greeted with hoots, hollers and of course tequila by dear friends. followed by the whole afternoon of sauntering back and forth between the beach, the waves, and the pool. followed then by a glam/laid back rehearsal dinner & cocktail after party. 

it was a rough go, real hard day...

great friends, great sun, great times and great day, full of many"best birthday ever" thoughts.

i think i'm gonna like this big girl business.

p.s... i am finally (part-time) employed! i'm a freelance eater, photographer & writer for a foodie website. perfect summer job? i'm thinkin' cheaaa. PTL.

p.s.s... snippets of mexico adventuring to come :)

go get it.

"Whatever course you decide upon, 

there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. 

There are always difficulties arising 

which tempt you to believe that your critics are right. 

To map out a course of action and follow it 

to an end requires courage." 

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

now, it's time to run.

thing[ish] things.

i have been home for nearly two weeks. and i still can't get over the fact that i have been home for nearly two weeks. i was always convinced time moved slower at home but i'm starting to learn that it moves much faster here because i have no schedule to abide by, so time just does whatever the heck it wants.

since i have arrived, and re-nested in dear old meddy, i have been....

-frantically job searching
-enjoying the heck out of my family
-paparazzing my nephews, as per ush.
-watching tv [luxury, such luxury since my tv-less existence at escuela]
-eating lunches with friends
-s l e e p i n g [both too much & not enough]
-crocheting, which there is never time to do
-drowning in the greatness of mccord bbq's
-working on my online class
-getting stuff to my eyeballs with my gramma's insane cuisine
-watching my brovah play softball
-missing my mosaic whittier family
-whipping my bod into summer shape
-taking life slowly, even though it is racing by already

and i cannot wait to...

-go out on ze boat, mmmm.
-find a stinkin j o b
-adventure about being summery
-hang out with dear friends
-turn TWENTY-ONE [pssst, june 18th, a week from yesterday]
-celebrate my beloved shannon tierney's wedding [a week from today]
-drool over the swell season at britt
-drink boba and swim in the nearest body of water until my brain falls out
-soak up my last summer as a college student... bizarre. SO bizarre.

just for funny's sake, here is evidence of hilarious summer adventure #1 with my dearest brooke...

goal: drink wine

problem: don't have a bottle opener

solution: use a drill to crank that sucker out

result: brooke & rachel = 1, cork =0

cheers my friends.

everyday i want to...

 "finish every day and be done with it. you have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense." 

— ralph waldo emerson

everyday i want to pack up, get out and discover.

everyday i want to take pictures, for the rest of my everydays.

everyday i want to be a part of something revolutionary.

everyday i want to wander.

everyday i want to feel beautiful, if only for a moment.

everyday i want to move, breath & dance.

everyday i want to revel in something mundane.

everyday i want to live simpler than the day before.

everyday i want to be uninhibited.

everyday i want to find a little trouble.

everyday i want to find a boy with the perfect flannel.

everyday i want to be 12.

everyday i want to live.

s is for summer

my bones are achey, my eyes are tired but my heart is happy and my mind is resting because it is SUMMER and i am finally HOME.

i love biola and all that i am blessed to do there and the people i get to be surrounded by, but as long as i live i will always love my dear friend oregon.

so far summer is off to a resounding start at the McCord house, as it always is... complete with unveiling/cleaning/repairing the boat for the summer, Sonic limeade/ocean water runs, communal lunches and dinners fully equipped with bevs, constant nephew entertainment and long overdue dosages of delicious family bonding.

oh summer, you are so lovely.
can't wait to catch up with old friends, unpack and start making plans to have adventures.
soon i'll have to start my 3 online classes and find a job... but for a day or two i plan to be blissfully unaware of adulthood and be a summer love child in every way achievable. duh.

p.s.. you may be sick of seeing these boys but i don't care because they make me smile until my face hurts. A N D they are deathly beautiful, proof:

my heart is home & so happy.