jumping back on the bandwagon.

looking at my blog archive it is clear that 2011 was not a very productive blogging year for me! 15 posts!? that is crazy. i can definitely say that 2011 was crazy busy- i really cannot believe that i fell that far behind on blogging... i am hoping to get back on top of this blogging machine! hoping that my friends can help keep me accountable on this one! i have been doing lots of baking and cooking lately, which i can promise will be topics coming up in the near future! i have a few fun things to share, hopefully i will actually share them! for now i will just leave you with a photo from this Christmas. 

just a thought.

miscellany monday.

link up with carissa and share the random!

[1] tonight is meet the teacher night for my student teaching school- excited but nervous all at the same time. we all have to wear khaki pants and a black shirt which meant that today i had to run to target to buy some khakis... not really a fan.

[2] sean and i have recently purchased an ice cream maker and have been testing out some yummy recipes! we made a delicious mint oreo batch last night and i am planning on sharing the recipe later this week.

[3] i understand being comfortable and all but this just seems a little excessive... and i seriously love a comfy pair of jeans.

is this for real!? and as if that is not enough...

no good.

[4] wedding season is officially in full swing! we have been to weddings the past two weekends and have 2 more within the next month- though i am not complaining! i am pleased to keep on attending! here are a few pictures from the past two weekends.

leland and sarah's wedding

mandy and wesley's wedding!

[5] yesterday at church we sang so many amazing songs, but one song in particular has continued to play over and over in my mind... i cannot find a great video on youtube, but this is the best i could find!

i hope that you are having a great start to the week! don't forget to link up with carissa!

just a thought.

bright green.

my eyes are hazel. sometimes they look brown, and other times they are a mix of gold a green. however, when i am upset, they are an undeniable shade of bright green. i don't know when i first noticed that when i cry my eyes turn bright green, however, i do remember using the fact that my eyes were green to describe to my mom how upset i was when i was in elementary school... and she knew what i meant.

on saturday morning i found out some of the hardest news that i have ever heard. sean called me and told me in the middle of the night my granny called my dad and that they headed over to her house. my grandfather had a heart attack in the middle of the night and he passed before the ambulance got there. through broken voice he told me this, as he was talking the only thing i could do was scream and cry out. i still feel like that is all i want to do. i didn't know that it was possible to cry this much. i thought that surely your tear-ducts would just run out of tears... but they don't. i couldn't think. i had no clue what i was supposed to do. i called my mom and then called my dad. by the time i called my dad the only thing i could do was cry into the phone and tlel him that i was so sorry. i tried to ask for details, but at the same time i knew that i didn't really want to know. i didn't want to believe that it was true... i now that it is. but i don't want it to be true with every fiber of my being. after sitting in my apartment for 4 hours alone and sobbing i packed up some clothes, sent e-mails to all of my professors and cooperating teacher, and hit the road. i couldn't stand sitting alone in my apartment waiting.

i cried the whole way home. the four hours in the car seemed like a flash of time. i barely remember driving. by the time i got home i just got out of the car and sobbed. so many thoughts were racing through my mind and i didn't know how to act. i only knew that i couldn't help but cry. i went over to my dad's house later that night and sat with him and cried. i cannot imagine what the rest of my family is going through right now. i haven't been able to go see my granny yet, i have only talked to her on the phone. i can't imagine what it is going to feel like to walk into her house and know that he isn't there anymore. to be honest, i am dreading it. i want my grandpa to give me a hug and wrap his arms around me. but i know that he cannot. i am comforted by the fact that he is now in heaven. i know that God is sovreign. i know that He is in control. i know that He is the author of life. i know that He is getting the glory. i am still grieving. and mourning. i keep singing "great is thy faithfulness" over and over in my head. i sing out loud until i break down. i want to sing "it is well." my heart and head are saying the words, but when i try i cannot get them out. it is always easy to say, "God is in control" when you find yourself on the downhill side of a struggle and things are looking up... it is much harder to force yourself to keep singing that when things are hard. extremely hard.

i haven't been able to look through photo albums yet. i have one picture in a frame from my five year old birthday party with my grandpa. i am going to try and find more tomorrow. he has the friendliest face and clear blue eyes. i wish that in this picture of him and my granny you could see them.

i miss this man so much. i love this picture because he is laughing, i can hear the way he laughs when i look at this picture. it doesn't feel real. i feel like at any moment this is all going to be over. i know better. i know that it isn't. death is not the final word. sin has lost its power and death has lost its sting because of Jesus. i praise Him for giving me my grandpa. i love him so much. even though things don't make sense when i look at my perspective, i know that God has an eternal picture. he sees all in the blink of an eye. 

his funeral is on wednesday and the burial is on thursday at beaufort national cemetery. i know that things are going to feel real by then. i would ask that if you think about it, please pray for my family, specifically for my dad and for my granny. it is hard to talk to either of them. when i saw my dad every emotion came pouring out. i need strength. i am trusting in Him to get me through this and to hold me up.

do you not know? have you not heard? the LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. 

-isaiah 40:28-31

right now, my eyes are still bright green. 

just a thought.

abc's of thanks

i'm linking up with rachel at finding joy and creating my "abc's of thanks." there are so many things that i am thankful for, some are silly, but they are serious too- we should always seek to give thanks to the King for the riches and mercies that he has bestowed on us.

 
a air conditioning- while this may seem silly, if you have ever had to go an extended period without it, you know what a blessing it is
b books- anyone who knows me knows that i find literacy of the utmost importance, plus- i love just sitting down and reading a great book
c cookies- sometimes you just need one
d dancing- in all situations a dance party makes the day better
e energy- it is what gets me through the day 
f friendship- i am so grateful for my wonderful friends in my life
g grace- the biggest gift we have been given, and it is more than enough
h home- i love being home and the sense of security that comes along with that word
i ice cream
j Jesus Christ
k kickin' back and relaxing- especially weekends that are filled with this- delightful 
l laughter- not only does laughing provide a wonderful abdominal work out, but it adds years to your life- double bonus, plus- a simple smile can turn around your entire attitude
m mi madre- my mama- i love her and am thankful for her each and every day- i don't know what i would do without her
n nature- the beauty of God's creation around us is truly a love language between us and our Creator
o organization- call me pathetic, but i love to organize things and love the feeling of accomplishment when a task has been finished
p pictures- having pictures of places and people that i love around me brings me comfort
q quiet- simple silence to rest and relax
r receiving (and giving) hugs
s sean patrick alford- excited to the moon and back that he is going to be my husband
t transportation- the ability to get from place to place
u understanding
v vacations- i haven't been able to take a "real vacation" in a long time, but i love having time to get away and enjoy just being with people i love
w worship- the ability and freedom that we have to worship the King
x xerox- can you imagine how hard it would be to make copies without them?! 
y yogurt
z zoo- though this might be the only word that i know that starts with "z," i actually do like the zoo and am so glad that i have been able to go to some great ones- how else would i have been able to feed  giraffe or see an elephant up close?

now it is your turn to go and link up... do it!

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.

four seasons.

today marks the day that sean and i started dating a year ago- so i just thought that i would take some time to recognize that on my blog. we always talked about dating in "seasons" and looking forward to completing "four seasons" with each other because in that span of time we would really get to know different sides of one another- let me just disclaimer that at times i am not always incredibly pleasant to deal with- but sean has been a champ and loved me and encouraged me! about the pictures:

[summer] this picture was taken in my foyer of my house right before sean took me out for my birthday dinner last summer.

[fall] we spent halloween in chapin because that's sean's step-dad's birthday- we carved a pumpkin and named him charlie- this was one of many pictures that we took with our pumpkin!

[winter] this picture was also taken in chapin over valentine's day weekend- it snowed all over the state of south carolina, but the columbia area got the most snow. every tree around us was covered in snow- it looked like a christmas card!

[spring] this one is from my friend maegan's wedding up in clemson- believe it or not this is one of the few pictures i have of us from this season- glad i at least have this one!

i can truly say that this past year has flown by! i can remember the exact details of our first date like it was yesterday. (however, in 50 years i'm sure they'll be a little fuzzy!) i'm so thankful for this man and his leadership in our relationship! thanks for letting me share a little bit about me!

just a thought.

bunches of beads.

this week i have been babysitting two of my favorite girls- they are really just precious (though sometimes a lot to handle- but let's face it- aren't we all at some point!?) and so fun to hang out with. caroline is 7 and alexandra is 5- i've been watching them since they were 3 and 1, respectively. at some point in the day miss alex (me) had a great idea to bust out the perler beads [the beads that you put on a template and then iron them to make it stay together... i know- who knew that those had an official name?] and try and create something wonderful... yikes- had i known the strife we were going to have with this craft i would have suggested coloring or playdough. just in case you have no idea what i'm talking about- look below:

[photo credit]

my first thought upon looking at this picture was "what the heck!?" because who in their right mind decides to make a bunch of mario characters from iron-together beads... but then i thought about the fact that someone had to sit hunched over for hours upon hours to create those... i now pity that person. these little beads are quite tricky- the slip all over the place and have a huge resistance to actually going into the desired peg- then, once you get them all finished you must hold it completely still because one wrong move and all the beads are on the floor and you have 2 screaming girls [not that i'm speaking from experience or anything].

the moral of this story: approach perler beads with extreme caution or you might end up having to create a lot of pieces of "art" because you're the only one who can put the beads "in the right spot" [again- not that i'm speaking from experience] (ok... maybe i am)

happy thursday- and happy july! i can't believe it is already thursday! these 8 to 6 days are really putting me behind on school work and blogging- please forgive me blogging friends- i am trying to read blogs- it just seems that there isn't always enough time in the day!

just a thought.

never have i ever...

hello sweet friends- i was thinking recently about a lot of things that i would really like to do, but, for whatever reason, i haven't done them... here is the list:

[one] go fishing... this was mentioned in a miscellany post awhile back, but i just feel the need to restate it (and also side-note that i might be going tomorrow... i'm pretty excited about it!

[two] wilderness camping... i've gone camping before, but never truly gone camping in the wilderness without a shower (which would mean that the only camping i've done is at a camp ground) and i don't think that really counts... just ask my boyfriend- he'll tell you that it doesn't count either... (i might have heard about it once or twice)

[three] go rock climbing on real rocks. of course this would mean that i actually need to perfect my rock climbing on fake rocks (who am i kidding- i need to learn how to do that!)

[four] explore europe... i just really want to do this- however, my lack of expendable income will make this dream difficult to obtain.

[five] go parasailing- i just think that it would be fun- that's really my motivator for wanting to go!

[six] jump out of an airplane (with a parachute on my back!)- i guess i should start by saying that i would like the courage to do this, but then- i would actually like to do it... we shall see.

[seven] go scuba diving... explore the ocean and get to swim around with fishes? yes please.

[eight] ride on a sailboat- one day this will happen... (or so i am told)

 [photo credit]

you see? that could be ME!... one day (maybe).

this list makes me sound like i would like to be some adventure woman... but maybe i would- who knows!? however, i just think those things would be fun to do at some point in life- some of them are more obtainable than others- but you know... that's...

just a thought.

is it bed time yet?

whew... poll manager (worker) round two- republican runoff election...

today was the runoff election for the republican primary, which meant getting to belle hall at 6am- i had planned to wake up at 5am so that i could shower eat a leisurly breakfast, and then take my time getting ready and gathering my things for the day... however- instead i turned off my alarm and woke up at 5:30am- but i still pulled into the parking lot at 6am- it just included a quick job of getting ready, eating cereal in the car and then forgetting my composition book so that my mama would have to come and bring it to me- but hey- it all worked out in the end!

the day was long- however, i did get a whole bunch of stuff finished! i read 300 pages in my book that i'm reading (redeeming love), wrote a paper (yes, a whole paper!), and took notes on two chapters of stuff for my music class! i'd be lying if i said that i wasn't a little bit proud of my productivity level for the day! i'm glad that i worked at the polls- it was honestly pretty fun and it was a cool way to meet new people and to see people that i've known for a long time!

speaking of early mornings- hannah at aspire is currently hosting a giveaway of epic proportions- a festive coffee/espresso maker- i would like to win this gem... it would be so fun to be able to make espresso in the comfort of my own home! plus- who doesn't love free stuff? [the appropriate answer is that no one wants to turn down free stuff... especially not in this economy!]

if you want to know more about this giveaway you can follow this festive button to hannah's giveaway!

or to get to her blog you can click here:

 

just a thought.

deep breath.

breath in. breath out. deep breath.

deep breaths have been getting me through this week. it has been pretty busy, not to mention i haven't really been up on the school work like i need to be... i guess that's what tomorrow is for!

this week has been vbs at the church- i.e. 500+ kiddos running around and screaming... and i love it. it is so sweet to watch the children sing and get excited about being at church and learning about Jesus- so refreshing and encouraging. it was my job to go around and take pictures of the sweet kiddos during all of the festivities- it was such an immense blessing to have that actually be a job- i just loved it. when i get stressed or frustrated with vbs i stop and think about how privileged i am just to be in a church that values children's ministry. i am then instantly thankful. God is so gracious in giving me such a wonderful place of true worship- and i sometimes forget how much i take that for granted. not everyone in the world gets to wake up on sunday morning and drive to (an air-conditioned) church, listen to the Gospel being proclaimed, and worship the King without fear of persecution... but i do and i am so thankful that i can.

when the world tries to bring me down i can just remember that i am blessed beyond all measure because of the work of Jesus on the cross for my sins... and for that i am eternally grateful.

Father God,

i praise you for your abounding grace and mercy in my life and know that Your hand is over me in all that i do. i praise you for a wonderful place to worship You and pray that you will continue to mold me and make me more like Jesus in everything that i do.

for Your glory until the end

God is so, so good and His love endures forever.

even as i was writing this post my whole focus for it changed. i started out writing about my week- but it ended with writing about the glory of God... it is so amazing to me when the smallest things all end up bring the glory to Him- i pray that my life would be a better representation of the Gospel and i would be a true ambassador for Christ.

just a thought.

a day in the life...

...of a poll manager [don't let the title impress you- i was just a poll worker]

in order to be a poll manager worker you must first wake up at 4:45am- not trying to complain, but usually that time of day and i don't see each other unless it happens to be after 12pm... which would then make it 4:45pm... the morning wake-up was a little bit nuts. you must then show up at your precinct at 6am in the morning and get set up for the day... let's just say that by 10am it felt like it should be after lunch time. then you sit around, wait for people to come in to vote (which wasn't that many... shame on you precinct 27-i'm partially kidding) and then wait for it to be 7pm so that you can say "the polls are now officially closed." not going to lie- that was one of the highlights of my day! all in all my day started at 4:45am and then lasted until about 11:45pm... to say that i was tired today simply does not even come close to say how i was feeling- we were joking that we didn't even know how i was standing up... :) i believe that the title of this post should probably be "sleep deprived" since that's the overall emotion that i've been feeling for the past week- but tomorrow i get to sleep in! so excited! just need to do some school work in the morning but it shouldn't be too much! can't wait for the sleeping... [i have no idea how i am going to make it as a real-life adult... this lack of sleep is killing me]

in other news- my atm card arrived in the mail today along, with my roomie carrie's save the date card for her wedding, and my netflix movie- dear john... can't wait to watch that tonight! i also must admit that i have been completely sucked into "the bachelorette" i just can't help it... it is the only tv show i watch and i feel ridiculous while i'm watching it- yet i still can't help but watch it online since i always seem to miss the actual tv airing of it... i'm almost too embarassed to write this, but since i already have, i suppose that's that then. something sad about my atm card is that i have a new pin number [which will arrive in the mail within 5 to 7 days... why it didn't come with the card- or why they even changed my pin number- is beyond me]... so close to being incredibly helpful dearest wachovia, but yet, so far at the same time.

just a thought.

a new career path.

[picture info]

i was thinking back to when i was little and loved to sell lemonade at the corner of my street and wishing that i could still make money that way. it was great, drag out a table to the end of the street, make a sign, stir up some lemonade and wait for the money to roll trickle in- all tax free, might i add.

is it still ok for me to sell lemonade at the corner? i am pretty sure that i could do just as good of a job as the little kid who lives down the street from me... in fact- i dare say that i might do better than him, considering all of my past experience! (no, i'm not really going to sell lemonade) though one time someone did pay me $10 for a glass of my lemonade... he owed me an additional $0.10 but didn't have it so he gave me a $10 bill instead- i wasn't complaining!

so, what say you- any ideas for me to make some quick cash? i'm thinking that a lemonade stand might be my best option.

[picture info]

 but then again, that's...

just a thought.

leapin' lizards.

random fact about me: i cannot stand lizards... or really anything of the "creepy crawly" category. i don't know why this is, i used to be so adventurous with animals and never got freaked out, however, as i have gotten older the little creatures freak me out more and more.

on monday night a little lizard decided to take an adventure into my home and reside underneath the washer and dryer... needless to say, i was not pleased when i found the little guy- i started freaking out, screaming, and carrying on- it was such a sight to see and such an overreaction considering i am a million times larger than the creature (might be a slight over exaggeration, but you get the point). i didn't know what to do or how to remove this uninvited guest from my home... i got a yard stick (why this seemed logical, i do not know) and then tried to catch him in a bug jar. he started to get a little feisty so i tried to "stun" him by tapping him with the yard stick and then put him in the bug jar... my tap was a little too much and i am sad to say that little lizard is no longer alive. i did honestly feel bad that i killed the little guy, but what was i to do!? there was no way that i would have been able to fall asleep with him in my house- just no way.

i hope that somehow all the lizards in the area got the vibe that they are not allowed in my house. no sir- not welcome.

maybe a sign in the front yard would have helped mr. lizard know that he wasn't allowed in my house... then maybe he'd still be alive... lizards should learn to knock before entering people's homes- it is just rude to come in uninvited.

just a thought.

decorating dilemma.

this past weekend i went to maegan and jordan's wedding- it was such a great day- here are just a few of my pictures- the wedding was held at magnolia manor in westminster, south carolina.

there aren't a lot of pictures- but these are just a few! it was such a special day and i am so glad that i was able to share it with them!

in other news- i have been trying to figure out some decorating ideas for my apartment- i have a fun orange and white shower curtain from potterybarn that i bought on super sale a long, long time ago but just had to have it and now i need things to go with it- it is a classy curtain so i wanted something classy that i could use for a while with it. i found this lovely set of bathroom goods from potterybarn (way too expensive but i just couldn't help myself) and i wanted to get it- luckily i have been trying to shop around because that is just more than this college kid can afford and i read some reviews that said it rusted after a few days... that's right- days not months or after several uses... my hopes and dreams of my bathroom have crashed and burned... it is a good thing that i went to marshall's today and found some bathroom stuff that i really liked- now i just need to make the trip back and buy it! here is what i wanted to get:

isn't it festive? i think that it would have looked great in the bathroom... i wasn't going to buy all of that- mostly because that would be ridiculously expensive... and also because that would have been too much for me- but i liked the overall look of things. i think i'm going to stick with the heavy glass soap and 2 canisters from marshall's- a whole lot cheaper and will look just as clean and classy.

i'm trying to find some cheap furniture for my apartment that i can either refinish or paint a new color in order to make it functional for my life. i have a big problem with buying pieces that i don't think i'll be able to use in my "real-life" or "adult-life" as i like to call it, just because i'll be graduating in just 3 semesters (which is crazy).

on monday afternoon i helped my friend rachel anne (pictured above) decorate her new apartment! we lined all of the shelves and cabinets with some festive contact paper and then hung some pictures on her wall to make it feel more at home- i think that it turned out pretty well! (please excuse the horrible quality... this is from my phone)



oh man- this post is much longer than previously planned... starting my position at the church today! i'm so excited and encouraged to be working with the children's ministry this summer- it is such a great place to be!

just a thought.

love free stuff.

as a college student i must admit that i love free stuff- but if you're really honest with yourself you know that you love free stuff too... just go ahead and admit it. well, once again, i have entered a giveaway and i am here to tell you all about it. carissa at lowercase letters has a giveaway right now and it is for some fabulous. wonderful. totally chic. bags that everyone should enter to win... except that i don't really want you to enter because then i have less of a chance, but i guess i'll make the sacrifice. go ahead, enter, try and win- i dare you.

you should also go ahead and just start reading that blog anyways, it is one of my favorites and you will love reading it- i am always encouraged and entertained. so, back to the giveaway: bottom line- these bags are awesome and you need to check them out. here are just a few samples that i got from carissa's blog

here is the one that i hope to win:

and here are a few other samples- they are all just so fabulous, it is difficult to just pick one! i might have to stop by charm design's etsy shop just to get MORE!

see what i mean? all fabulous! if you want a chance to win just head over now and try your luck at a new bag! good luck!

hopefully my next post will include some pictures from my friends' wedding tomorrow- i'm just thrilled to see them get married! on a side note: have you prepared something to make your mama feel special? if not- get on it... she deserves it.

just a thought.

it has been awhile.

hello sweet friends, so sorry for my delay in blog writing, those finals really got in the way of the joy of being able to write freely. moving out was a success- i got all of my belongings to either my friend's apartment, my future apartment, and then the rest at my house- my room is now in chaos and that will hopefully change sometime in the near future (not a clutter fan).

now, i must tell you a little secret that got me and the roomie through exam week- go here now that's right- it is the hanson website... before you are quick to judge please know that i was a huge (understatement) fan when i was in like 1st grade- i don't know why, but the music is still joyous to hear! please let me introduce to you the faces that i grew up with.


there they are, in their shining glory... so sweet. you'll be pleased to know that they are still adorable with their sweet families. there were many a summer days that i would listen to them throughout my childhood (i was also the VP of the hanson club in my neighborhood, yea, i was legit).

today has been pretty relaxing, just did some minor errands and finished up wrapping some wedding presents. a new thing that i have discovered is vera bradley wrapping paper! i may be behind the times on this one, but i just love the fun colors- i decided to wrap my presents in sittin' in a tree wrapping paper and then added some green and white ribbon to make it extra special. check out this pattern- it is so sweet.


so adorable- i just love it. if it isn't obvious- i am kind of a fan of brown and green, though it may be like a tree they just go together. i love wearing them and when i get my own place i plan to decorate with them!

i suppose that is all for now- this weekend will be great- heading back up to clemson to see some lovely people getting married- i'll try and get my camera working and put up some pictures!

just a thought.

quick [update].

yesterday i had a little bit of a freak out, i was a little nervous about all that i needed to do, but luckily i have just been taking it a few steps at a time and today a good amount of the list was finished, which is really encouraging!

do child growth and development final observation
complete assessment assignment
dominate math exam
take special ed. exam
get through assessment exam
write english final

dana and i haven't really kept up with our movie list, hopefully we will finish it by thursday, but probably not... we might have to let that be a next semester goal.

friday is quickly approaching, which means that it is time to pack up the room, but anyone who knows me knows that i come with a lot a lot of stuff... most of which i don't even use- it somehow just lives in my room and then i pack it up, leave it packed, and then unpack it for the next school year... why do i do this? i do not know. i should probably just lighten my load and throw it away, but that just seems too permanent for me.

something exciting is that tomorrow i am going to sell back my books and possibly order my clemson ring! a clemson ring is just beautiful, i am so thrilled.



here is the ring (without the proper year) but i just think it is so beautiful, hopefully an order will be made... and the money for the ring will most likely be coming from the cash that i get from selling back some books (don't judge- this is the life of a college student).

can't wait for summer time, only one exam and a project left to complete! life is so good.



hopefully that will make you smile a bit, if not- the fact that that my roommate and i had a song war (of which i decided to go totally 80's) last night instead of doing homework, will hopefully make you smile.

just a thought.

the [calm] before the storm.

countdown until this semester is over: 3 days. that is nuts! once thursday comes i am home free and finished with this semester... while i am just thrilled to be home, i am a little shocked that it is already finished! this summer is just going to be great, can't wait to spend a lot of time at the beach and also shagging on the pier! i must admit that i am a huge shag fan- if you've never been to shagging on the pier, you need to go! it is a really good time, or you can take the trip out to folly beach. both venues will provide a wonderful experience!

on another note, my roommate and i have a movie list that we want to watch during this exam week (since everyone knows that exam week has nothing to do with exams. here is the list:

australia
casablanca
cold mountain
tristan and isolde

i know it isn't an incredibly long list... but they need to be accomplished before thursday, so far- we only have cold mountain under our belt- hopefully that will happen!

something that everyone should also invest some time in watching is food network's cake challenge. the show is wonderful and comes on without fail every weekday at 7... it is almost always on in our room (i.e. i just finished watching it and am such a fan).

exam week is going to be pretty crazy for me, rundown of things to do:
write english final
do child growth and development final observation
complete assessment assignment
dominate math exam (ha.)
take special ed. exam
get through assessment exam
... notice that none of those have a strike through, that is unfortunate.

hopefully everything will end well and summer can start off without a hitch!

"be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations,I will be exalted in the earth."
Psalm 46:10

let that passage be the cry of my heart this week.

just a thought.

[give away]

holy cow. love a good giveaway! the whole idea of giving away things via blogging is just thrilling, i must say that i do enter somethings here and there- i just can't help myself. at any rate- this new blog that i started reading called aspire is doing a favorite family foto sharing, so i thought that i'd join in... i just love pictures, so it isn't really hard to pick! you should check out her blog, it is pretty fun!



here is a favorite recent family picture- i love my mama!



pictures are my favorite- i have an entire photo wall in my room just filled with pictures of people i love, and people who are basically like my family.





i really have some beautiful people in my life- so incredibly blessed!

just a thought.

my [favorite] things

although i really want to, i am going to refrain from posting all of the lyrics to that song... though everyone should go and listen to "favorite things" from sound of music before reading the rest of this post... you won't be disappointed, it really is that enjoyable!

at any rate, this week has been a little crazy- but the weekend was just wonderful! i packed up a bunch of my junk and then sent it down to charleston to await my arrival- which means less junk cluttering my life in clemson (hurray!). however, during the weekend is when [some of] the favorite things took place!

favorite thing one: i went to farm boys bbq... this is not just any ol' bbq place- it is the kind that is only open thurs-sat (that means you know it is good) and it is just delicious. thanks to sean, i now love this place and columbia has a redeeming quality (alright- the bbq is actually in chapin, but you just have to help columbia out whenever possible).

favorite thing two: for lunch on saturday we went to california dreaming. i realize that this post is mostly about food and the previous post is about food, but just get over it- i just happen to write about food. it was scrumptious. the croissants are delicious and the california dreaming salad is a must... so if you want to treat me to something delicious- let's go there. we can split the salad and it won't be too expensive!

favorite thing three: i got to eat atlanta bread company for supper and get a chicken pesto panini... just trust me- it is the best.

favorite thing four: [not food related] it was lovely weather in columbia and it was even nice enough to go out and sit in fenley park and enjoy the swings and the fountains that were on! another bonus of the day was that a couple was there taking prom pictures, oh how i do not envy them- so glad to be finished with that stage of life!

and now- just to spice it up... some not so favorite things:

white tennis shoes. there is no reason to have a white tennis shoe (or dare say a PAIR of them)... i am sorry if you own a pair, have ever owned a pair, or wish that you could have a pair. my advice: throw them as far away as possible, change your mind, and then look to the world of color to put on your shoe. i don't know what it is about me, but i just can't stand them- i'm sorry, but that is just the way it is.

but that is enough rambling about that- exciting news is that summer time is just around the corner... i can smell the sweet salty air already! this time next week i will be all finished with my classes and packed up to head to home sweet home! a little bittersweet, but still exciting overall. however, come may 31st i am a student again... but only online classes- so no classrooms for me! i hope that your thursday is just wonderful, mine has been!

just a thought.