My State of Mind Today

When I woke up today, I knew I had a choice. It's the same choice I have every day, but on Mondays, the first day of a new week, this choice seems even more crucial. It's the choice to say "It's going to be a good day." Let's face it- as Honest Abe put it....

Sometimes, my mind doesn't make up a good decision, and other times, it does. Today, I was happy, despite the impending geometry test that may or may not kick my butt tomorrow. However the test goes tomorrow, I will still choose to be happy, because geometry is oh-so-temporary in this wonderful life (thank goodness!).

Have a terrific Tuesday, everybody! Can't believe I'm three weeks into my 31 Days challenge to myself and still going strong (okay, maybe not strong, but hey, I'm still going!).

Back to School

Fall break seemed to fly by so fast... Too fast. Maybe it's because I have three papers due and two tests to take tomorrow, or maybe it's just because I'd rather be somewhere else, but today I just wasn't feelin' back in the groove. Where else would I rather be than the town where College GameDay is paying a visit in just three short days? Nashville, TN, the home of my Theta sister Martha. Although I couldn't be there to celebrate Martha's life with her family and friends, I showed my support in another way:

 

Wearing our letters.

One of my best friends from Wofford, Alana, is studying abroad right now, and she was very close with Martha. I can't imagine how hard it must have been for her to find out the news while so far away, but she still managed to write a beautiful post about it here on her blog.  Her message to embrace life and live each moment is so fitting, because truly, "the now" is all we are guaranteed. Here's to remembering that in the the midst of happiness and sorrow.

[ 

1 Corinthians 13.

Yesterday...

All my troubles seemed so far away.

I said I felt like I was on a mini emotional roller-coaster in my quick post last night, and I feel so petty now. I used the word "mini" to avoid making it seem like something as silly as a game could control my emotions, but still. After finding out something as shocking and gut-wrenching as I found out this morning, I feel dumb for posting that last night.

Yesterday, Martha passed away. Although I doubt many of my readers know Martha, I felt like starting with "my friend passed away" would diminish who she was as a whole. While I did consider her a good friend at Wofford, she is so much more than my friend. She was a daughter, a sister (both literally and in spirit through Theta), a best friend to many, and a super-smart, sassy, and beautiful person.  I had the pleasure of recruitment-party-planning with her, hanging out with her, and (something I will never forget) getting pranked by her, Heather, and Viraj!

 

Martha, on the left end with her gorgeous, self-described "mane" of hair.

My thoughts and prayers are with Martha's family and her closest friends. This weekend was Wofford's homecoming, so thankfully, her pledge-class, only a year older than I am, is able to grieve together before going back to the cruel real world, where everything else moves on, because it doesn't understand that something terribly huge just happened.

I thought it would only be fitting to close this post in one way:

"When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love."1 Corinthians 13: 11-13

We can only take comfort in the thought of Martha seeing not just dimly in a mirror, but face to face, something more beautiful than we can imagine here.

I Hope...

And I hope that you feel beautiful every day. But I know that realistically, it's probably not going to happen. We all have our days that we feel like a second (or third, or even last) rate version of ourselves, which sucks, but that's just reality. I know I struggle with that sometimes, and when I do, this quotation from the always-fabulous Roald Dahl comforts me:

The idea of good thoughts shining out of my face like sunbeams, making me look lovely, is beautiful in itself! Hope everyone has a beautiful, lovely-thought filled Wednesday!

I Believe in Pink.

Audrey Hepburn was a smart lady. I thought some of her wisdom was fitting, since it's October, AKA Breast Cancer Awareness month! I'm definitely embracing the fact that my favorite color will be popping up everywhere- and for a good cause, too!

I am 100% with Audrey on the whole believing-in-pink thing. I may be 21, but if you stepped into my room (at school or at home), you'd probably think you had entered the realm of a six year old princess.  Speaking of which... There are a few pictures of my room that I never put on the blog!

 

My handy-dandy dry-erase board and my Pottery Barn-inspired (okay, you caught me PB kids inspired) lamp Since taking that picture, I've moved my fam pic to my desk area and added my iHome charging dock/ alarm clock. And yes, those are cupcake sheets!

 

My glamorous hair and makeup studio, AKA the floor!

 

Watching Discovery Investigation channel quickly became one of my guilty (no pun intended!) pleasures this year, but as a huge scared-y cat, I'm trying to break my addiction to watching crime shows! I'm trying to focus on happy shows like "Modern Family" and "Say Yes to the Dress"

 

See those precious painted letters above my closet? When I worked in the marketing department of a large engineering-ish company a few summers ago, I had the pleasure of working with the sweetest, most caring woman, and as a going away present, she and her daughter painted me these letters. These have sentimental value, and I still love them as much as I did when I got 'em!

 

Ta-da! No room is complete without a little monogramming! Morgan totally hit the nail on the head when she painted this for my birthday present last year, because it matches my comforter perfectly!

 

One of my favorite personal touches in my room: my card ribbon! My freshman year of college, my mom helped me hang three of these ribbons on my door, and ever since then, I've loved using clothespins to clip my cards and pictures somewhere I can see them! Now since I only use one ribbon to hold my notes, I keep only the latest and the greatest on there, and the rest go into my organizer!

Although I'm sure my room looks silly and immature to lots of people, it makes me so happy, because like Audrey, I believe in pink. Heck, I'm gonna get the most use out of this girly decor as I possibly can now, because I  have a feeling when I "grow up", my future husband will not be a fan of the whole "pink bedroom" thing!

Like Audrey said, tomorrow is another day, and that means I'm another day closer to fall break! Wahoo! We made it through Monday, everyone!

Real Joy

Today, John and I went to church and it was my favorite service I've been to in a while.  The music included some of my favorites, like "Your Love Never Fails" and "How He Loves" (the original, John Mark Mcmillan version). Those two songs always manage to stir my heart. The lyrics are meaningful and the music is beautiful and it all adds up to a meaningful worship experience. If you've never listened to either of these songs, I strongly recommend you do. They both encourage me in times I feel alone.

Our pastor, who in the past has said he wasn't a big communion person, explained its significance today and added a few things I'd never thought about to my understanding of the sacred act. In the Bible, there are numerous instances of God using bread to remind people He was there for them and cared for them. Wine, in the Bible, is described as something that brings joy to people (and if you've ever tasted cherry wine or moscato, you know God ain't lyin'! ;) ) The point of both of these statements? Through the bread and wine of Communion (and Passover, to Jesus and other Jewish people back in the day), God is reminding us:

"I'm always with you, and my ultimate desire for you is joy." 

I absolutely love that. Knowing He is always there and He truly wants the best for us. Just thought that'd be a good way to end the day and start the week! I'm actually almost at a week of 31 Days! Woohoo!

It Feels Like One of Those Nights...

When Taylor Swift, AKA the musical love of my life, dropped her latest album almost a year ago, I was beyond thrilled to listen to the entire album on repeat, but some of the tracks stood out.

A couple because their Taylor-trademarked-honesty (if you scoff her as an artist, please go listen to the moving "All Too Well" and then let's talk). And a couple because they were so darn catchy you couldn't help but want to dance around your room. One of those catchy songs is "22".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgFeZr5ptV8

It's a song that, admittedly, could be sung by a cookie-cutter pop star, but I love it. I say all of this, not only because I can't stand the idea of doing a 31 Day Link-up without talking about Taylor Swift, but because tonight feels like a happy night. A dance-around-my-room night. And this song is perfect for one of those nights.

Oh, and PS: If you don't have a song that makes you want to jump on your bed singing into a hairbrush, I think you're missing out on life. And I think that's a very sad thing.

 

I wanna dance like Manny on Modern Family... This scene always makes me giggle!

I Love Ya, Tomorrow!

Dear Tomorrow,

You're Thursday, AKA my Friday, and I love you. Well, to be honest, I'm not usually so crazy about you in the morning, what with my 8 AM and all. However, this super pretty pin inspired me on Pinterest earlier:

Overall, I'd like to think I've lived my life exhibiting positivity, but that doesn't mean I've been doing that so much lately. Plus, I can portray anything I want to the world, but until I'm truly, actually, sincerely believing what I'm saying and doing (or, in other words, smokin' what I'm sellin'), it doesn't mean a thing!

I'm really trying to be intentional with my optimistic, oh-happy-day, cherish-every-moment attitude. I will wake up tomorrow, remembering how grateful I am for the many blessings in my life. I'll remember how grateful I am even if the unexpected geometry quiz kicks my butt. I'll be especially grateful when I leave my last class of the week after finishing my exam.

Thursday, I guess what I'm trying to say is that I plan on loving every moment of you tomorrow. Almost as much as this sweet baby loves being vacuumed:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZoqzarjWZI

SO glad my sweet friend Christine showed me that video as a happy little study break! Goodness, I'm glad my Early-Childhood-major friends understand how much joy comes with a baby's giggle! Hope everyone is enjoying this 31 Days thing as much as I am so far! Visit Nesting Place to see some other blogs participating in the hoopla!

Be Okay

Have you ever had that feeling where you feel like the best you can do is simply stay afloat? Because I feel like that right now. For the past few weeks, I've been trying to get my SuperGirl on, but something snapped in me this past week, more specifically, the past day or two, and I've felt the opposite of invincible. Everything seemed like my kryptonite: junk food, negative thoughts, and especially schoolwork... Yuck!

 

Ya feel me?

I feel like I should start at the very beginning, since Maria says it's a very good place to start (sorry, couldn't resist). Rewind to August, when the fall semester started. I started this adorable little post to fill everyone in on my sched:

"I’m taking eighteen credit hours this semester, with six classes. It’s a pretty unique schedule: two of my classes meet for three hours once a week, one meets three and a half hours a week, and three meet twice a week. On top of classes, I’m require to complete forty hours in the schools this semester! Field experience is a big part of becoming a teacher, and they’re making sure us Clemson Early Childhood Education majors get enough of it! I don’t mean to sound like I’m complaining, because while it sounds overwhelming typed out, it’s totally doable (so far)! I think my key to staying sane this semester is staying organized, which is why I spent a while yesterday getting syllabi printed and put into protective sheets, organizing binders with dividers, and designating notebooks and folders to certain classes."

Maybe you're wondering why this sounds "adorable." I'll tell ya why: to attempt to put a very long (and when I tell it, dramatic) story short, my sweet advisor (and I'm not being sarcastic, she truly is a wonderful lady) accidentally misadvised me. Towards the end of the add/drop period for classes, I heard there was a mandatory class that I NEEDED to take THIS semester. I panicked, asked my advisor about said class immediately, and she calmed my worries. However, she was kinda sorta wrong about calming my fears. It turns out the class I fretted about was only offered in the fall, and I did need to take it this semester. Solution? Add the course a month into the semester. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I now have five classes from 8 am- 3:15 pm, and I now have fifty hours I need to complete in the schools, outside of class time. Whew.

 

....My exhausted face (captured in Savannah, of all places) says it all.

If I thought I was complaining in my first little ditty I wrote and never published, I certainly seem like it now! However, I've been doing well.... Up until now. I pretty much mentally crumbled, and now I'm reassessing my "go-go-go" brain. My conclusions:

I actually do thrive on being busy; I just need to make sure I carve out some happy, "me" time. This includes painting my nails (which I've recently grown to love, I think maybe because when my nails are drying, I have an excuse for putting down school work and just hanging out!) and working out (something I fell in love with over the summer but completely abandoned here once things got hectic). This does not include inhaling sugar-laden junk food like it's my job (not like I've been doing that or anything....pshhh!). It's a lot easier to crank out SuperGirl-quality work when I'm feeling good about myself!

As silly as I feel posting this, I also feel like it's important for others to see, too. It's okay to not be okay all the time. However, let's remember that these day-to-day struggles are oh-so-trivial when it comes down to it. I constantly remind myself that God's love is bigger than I can imagine, His plans are better than I can imagine, and the family, friends, and life I'm blessed with are more spectacular than I deserve, so I better soak it all in right now!

Plus, guess what day tomorrow is?!?!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWBhP0EQ1lA
:)

31 Days.

As a college student who is still trying to learn how to squeeze the maximum possible productive minutes out of each day (and failing pretty miserably, most of the time, I might add), blogging is usually on the back burner. Don't get me wrong: I love to write, and I love reading other peoples' writing even more, because it inspires me and gives me different perspectives on things. However, life gets in the way a lot.

Tonight, though, on Facebook, I saw a link to a Wofford grad's blog. Said grad is smart, sweet, and from my hometown, so naturally, I was curious to click on her link, which actually led me to The Nesting Place. This big blog is hosting a super-cool, month-long link-up where bloggers blog every day for the entire month of October. About anything they want.

Now, lots of people focus on one specific category to blog on, but why limit myself?! (Cough, I ramble too much and don't feel like making an effort to focus, cough) I think it will be a great challenge to see if I can blog every single day this month! I'm trying to give myself more structure, and I think this will be an awesome thing to incorporate!

Yay for a new month, a new season, and many reasons to love life.

31 Days: 

October First

October Second

October Third

October Fourth

October Fifth

October Sixth 

October Seventh

October Eighth

October Ninth 

October Tenth

October Eleventh

October Twelvth

October Thirteenth

October Fourteenth 

October Fifteenth

October Sixteenth

October Seventeenth

October Eighteenth

October Nineteenth

October Twentieth

October Twenty-first

October Twenty-second

October Twenty-third

October Twenty-fourth

October Twenty-fifth

October Twenty-sixth

October Twenty-seventh

October Twenty-eighth

October Twenty-ninth

October Thirtieth

October Thirty-first

Go Read This.

Go Read This.

Please. I promise it won't take long.

Did you read it? Pretty insightful, but at the same time "duh!"

Sometimes, I let exhaustion get the best of me, and sometimes, I really shouldn't be that exhausted. If you are exhausted right now, it's time to rejuvenate, and if you're in the process of making yourself exhausted for absolutely no reason, just stop. Because I think from time to time, we're all a little guilty of over-thinking, or over-looking how fabulous our lives are, right this very instant. I'm so blessed, and I'm going to make the most of this wonderful week. 

Happy Monday, everyone :)