first day of school!

today is my first day of school for student teaching! i am so excited about this final semester and graduating in december! meet the teacher night was a success and i really enjoyed meeting all of my sweet students that were able to attend. i am excited to see how i change throughout the semester and know that it is going to be a learning experience! i hope that you enjoy this little clip from finding nemo!

happy tuesday!

just a thought.

100 days [and counting].

holy cow... 100 days and then the wedding will officially be here! i cannot believe it. there is still so much that needs to be done before then, but i know that it will all get finished (i hope!). it seems like, for the most part, the planning stuff is finished and now it is just fine tuning- hopefully i haven't forgotten some crucial piece of the wedding... if you come and you notice i did forget something, be a dear and don't mention it! ;) 

at this point one shower is scheduled, two are pending, i've started my dress fittings, my bridal portrait is scheduled, and the florist has the basic concept of what we want. i am so pleased with each and every one of the vendors that we have chosen... everyone has been a dream to work with! at this point the "big deal" item left unchecked is the program design. i got a quote from the same place that did my invitations, but it was just too crazy (like $500 crazy...). that might not seem like a huge lump sum, but it was just more than i would like to spend on programs... while i will save and cherish mine for.ev.er, i know that no one else will (it is ok, my feelings aren't hurt). i would love to get the programs from the same shop because i have basically grown up in that shop and love the women there, but i am thinking that we will just find a different path... like *shudder* design them myself (with lots and lots of guidance).

school right now isn't too insane. i am in my semester before student teaching, it is referred to as "block" because it literally blocks out all of your time... no lie. on monday i am in clemson classes from 830 to 4ish, tuesday i am in a 6th grade class from 745 until 245, wednesday i am in class from 9 to 130, thursday i am in 6th grade from 745 to 245, and then friday class from 9 to 12... not horrible, but still a lot. my planner and i are basically bffs (cannot believe that i just used that term... i am going to blame it on the fact that my major circle of influence right now is currently people who still have friend journals and are 11/12...). i am sort of waiting for the "storm" of this semester to come... hopefully it just won't (wishful thinking, i am afraid).

in fun news we have signed a lease for an apartment in clemson! it starts may 1st so that we can move everything from my current apartment to the new one without having to store anything somewhere and still gives me plenty of time to be home before the wedding to do last minute details! we also have our official marriage license... it is all safe and sound in a plastic paper saver (sheet protector) in the "wedding binder"... it was freezing cold when we went to get it, but we, of course, stopped to take a quick picture with the receipt to come pick it up... kind of lame, yes- but i am glad that we did because we couldn't pick up the real deal together because of all of the snow (yes, snow) in charleston that week!

i hope that you have a wonderful weekend! any big plans!?

just a thought.

miscellany monday.

the theme of life lately has been adjusting... this semester is going to be crazy- so that is why i have been off the face of the planet... trying to get things in order, but sadly, writing has not been much of an option.

i have been going 100 mph since coming back to school this semester- 19 hours of class plus two days a week in the schools has been a lot- hopefully it will become manageable... we shall see. i am having to go home every other weekend to do stuff for the wedding, which is fun but also a lot to deal with. exciting update is that my dress is in! i am going for the first fitting on friday afternoon! i cannot wait!

this weekend sean came up for his birthday- we didn't do too much of anything, but that was just perfect! i made a scrumptious red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting, recipe can be found here- the only thing i wish i would have done differently is add more cocoa powder... oh well, lesson learned for next time!

i also re-discovered the fact that the wii that we have is all kinds of fun... we played a ton yesterday... which was probably a waste of the day, but it was fun! my friend lindsey was over and we unlocked some fun races!

so many things going on, just cannot wait to update better and get back into the swing of writing... i hope to get back in the groove soon!

go link up and share!

just a thought.

miscellany monday.

happy monday! time to link up and share your randomness!

{one} i like to put lemons in the garbage disposal and then grind them so it smells lovely... i particularly like to do this when company is about to come over... don't judge.

{two} with another win for the tigers this weekend i am feeling extra lucky!

the only advantage of sitting on the top deck is a view like this!

{three} fall break is just.around.the.corner... and i must say that i need it!

{four} wedding planning is going well... for real. date-check, church-check, reception place-check, photographer- check, musicians for ceremony-check, website- check! :) let me think that this is progress people, i know that there is still much to be done!

{five} while cheering at the game this weekend my engagement ring suffered an accident... the band broke... i cried, but it is going to be ok. we have to get it reset, which means i am going to be without a ring for awhile, but it will be ok in the end.

{six} last week my clemson ring came in the mail... i am in love.

{seven} engagement pictures are happening this weekend, i am so excited- my friend (and maid of honor!) rachel is taking them and it is going to be great!

{eight} dana and i watched rocky horror picture show in honor of the fact that glee is doing it this week... it was beyond weird, and that is an understatement. 

this isn't from watching the movie, but it is from the social this weekend... i just happen to love it a lot. a whole lot.

{nine} fall break is just around the corner... i know i already mentioned it, but i am just.that.excited. this is the first time i am seeing sean since his fall break... which was at the beginning of this month- not a fan. but it has gone by pretty fast and i've been super busy- so that has been a blessing!

{ten} this weekend we had a crusade social that included carving pumpkins... i love carving pumpkins- i'd say that all around- this weekend was a success (minus the broken ring and the defective jeans that i bought at target and then returned)!

in the process of creating a masterpiece.

final product: an owl sitting on a tree... kind of

{eleven} i love toms, i have a pair in olive green that go with everything (or so i like to think!) and michelle at living a life of love is giving a pair away! go over to her blog for a chance to win!

i love them in red! i think that these will be my next purchase!

remember to link up! 

just a thought.

miscellany monday.

holy cow- talk about a long-term absence from the blogging world- life has been crazy, and while i haven't been writing on my blog i have been reading them- pinky promise!

now it is time for some lovely randomness and miscellany with carissa's miscellany monday!

[one] my lovely tigers have been on a losing streak... but then i went to a home game and the streak ended and we won a game! winner, winner, chicken dinner!

[two] my favorite part of a home game is when we release the balloons when the cannons go off... it is so fun and reminds me of the movie up!

[three] my friend (and maid of honor!) rachel came up for the game this weekend... so maybe she was the reason we won... just maybe!

[four] life has been super busy... planning has been really fun, but also really busy- a high point is that we registered when we were in columbia a few weekends ago! so fun- that gun was a whole lot of fun... i'm not going to lie.

[five] i get to have scrumptious chick-fil-a breakfast this morning... and an added bonus: i have some lovely company too- my friend lindsey is going with me!

[six] even though life is crazy busy, i will do my best to keep up with things and make my way back to the blogging world!

go and link up and have a happy monday!

just a thought.

that time again.

clemson football is officially starting this weekend- clemson games are so much fun, i am absoltely in love! i will be missing a few games this season for a wedding and some other stuff, but i am so excited about the season! there's nothing like a clemson football game.

[via]

and here is something else to get you excited...

what team will you be cheering for this season?

just a thought.

change of scenery.

tonight is my last night of sleeping in my bed for a while, because i'm off to move across the state! there are so many emotions going on right now, which is why- instead of sleeping right now, i am awake in bed, with the urge to write. i am 100% excited about my apartment, my sweet roommates, and my amazing friends- yet at the same time i am just so sad that i am leaving charleston. home. security.

today i stopped by my church to give sean and some other guys who were doing yard work (in 100 degree heat, no less) some sonic slushies and then to hang out in the office for a bit before i ran a few more errands and on my way out of the office i just started crying. not even cute crying (because i am convinced that actually does exist- i also know that i do not possess the skills to "cute cry")... just plain old trying not to hyperventilate crying and just trying to get out of the door before the intense water works occurred... not my best moment.

so now, the scene hasn't really changed too much- i'm in the house i've grown up in. sitting in my "big girl bed" that i have had since i was 5. trying not to cry and feel so sad that i'm leaving.

however, in all of this i am realizing that there is something so incredibly wrong with this picture. in my sadness i continue to try and rely on myself to feel better instead of throwing my pain and sadness to my Father who can heal all. i would sincerely ask for your prayers as sean and i once again make the transition from living in the same city to living across the state from one another- this set up isn't exactly favorable, however, it is just for a season. i am constantly having to remind myself that even though i may have great skills in planning- i certainly don't want to be the one planning my life on my own terms- that just sounds like it is destined for trouble.

thank you for listening... or reading sweet friends- i resting in the fact that He is in control over all things and that i am being provided for.

 "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. -Matthew 6: 25- 34

please excuse my lack of blogging as of late, i've been incredibly busy with finals, packing, and just generally trying to stay sane! 

just a thought.