a little about the blogger.

i am going to use this post to tell a little about myself! i have done this before on facebook and i had a lot of comments, so i just thought i would do it again, because it causes me to dig deep and its real fun! hope you enjoy:

1. i am in love with my savior. he rescued my life and everyone elses. that is the best gift. hands down.

2. i am a hopeless romantic and i believe in happily ever after. i plan to acheive this someday<3

3. even though i sometimes don't act like it, i love my brother. he is the greatest sibling a girl could ask for. i know he would do anything for me. and i would do the same. including watching him ride a bull. he doesn't have a brain. we know.

4. i suffer from a disease called retailed therapy. regardless of what anyone says, it's real. and it helps.

5. i love kids. i want to spend my life doing something with children. i used to think that was teaching, seeming as how i am going to college for it, but i am not thinking that any mo

6. i despise lady gaga and all of her music. i don't want to hold them like they do in texas please.

7. i love to sing. i sing in the shower. i sing in the car. i think about singing. i love it.

8. i have a slight hello kitty obsession. i don't care what anyone says. i hear a lot of people say "my little sister loves hello kitty." my question is always "how old is your sister?" the range is normally between 5-10 years old and no i am not ashamed.

9. i love dancing. i can't dance, but i love it.

10. just like my best friend mara, i love to eat. our love for food has bonded us together for life. most people assume we don't eat, but praise god we have high metabolisms.

11. mara and i are freiends for more reasons than food. we became close in the lovely coach slattery's class and have been inseperable ever since. she is the best friend a girl could ask for. she doesn't care if i don't shower for weeks at a time.

12. i have a kid. her name is lacey. she is my cat.

13. i love fashion. i have a slight jealousy for those people who are so wealthy they can afford to pay $400 for a shirt.

14. i have been called crazy. i take that as a compliment. i will be the mom everyone is embarrassed by, but i am okay with that. i am not supposed to change for anyone, right?

15. i am emotional. i drive and sing real loud when i get angry.

16. the bible is the best book ever written. it's the best love story and i am in it.

17. i love music. i love all genres. this is another great thearpy.

18. i wish i could write songs. great lyrics are the best. kind of like a poem, but you can sing it. :)

19. my mom is my best friend. she is the most understanding, supportive, independent, strong, godly woman i know. she is the best mom in the world. hands. down.

20. i love pictures. taking pictures is the best way to capture a memory. i wish i took more, but i cherish the ones i have. my new years resolution was to try to capture as many memories as i could.

21. i hated highschool. i wish i could look back and say i miss it, but i don't. drama is not fun to me.

22. because i hated highschool, i assumed i would love college. i didn't. being away from home was not fun to me. i am now home, its not much better.

23. i love to read. books are fantastic ways to escape in a "fantasy" world. unfortunately, most books are too good to be true, but i am completely content with thinking they are.

24. i love to wear comfy clothes most all of the time, but if i ever need a pick-me-up i put on some cute clothes and jeans and i feel much better about myself.

25. i adore my family. they mean the world to me. i would do anything for them.


26. i try to think positively at all times! i think everything happens for a reason because god is sovereign.

27. i have a tattoo. it is on my wrist. it says "phillipians 4:13." i love it and wouldn't change it. it has a sincere meaning and it's a solid reminder to me every single day. you should hear the story of how i told my mom. to my defense, she knew i was going to get it before i did. i did not go behind her back.

28. spring and fall are the best. not too hot, not too cold. perfect for outside extravaganzas.

29. i want to be a wife and mom someday. god has put this very strong desire on my heart and i can't wait. i am not wishing my life away, i just can't wait to spend my life with my best friend. whoever that might be.

30. i do not feel peaceful about public education and will do something other than teach with my degree.

31. some of my guilty pleasures: andy's custard, sprinkles, chocolate, ranch dressing, shoes and pedicures.

32. the "perfect" guy will take me to look at the stars and send me flowers. something no guy has done for me, yet.

33. i like to read any magazine. especially the ones including lots of fun stuff about fashion and beauty.

34. laughter is the best medicine.

35. blogging is my new obsession.

36. i can't wait to go to africa. my goal is to teach while i am there. eeeekkk!

37. i love to decorate and renovate. i have decorated my room countless times as well as many other rooms in my house. i wish i had enough money to splurge on expensive pieces, but i love to shop for great deals.

38. i want to do something bigger with my life. i am still praying about what that might be, but i am not sure what it is.

39. i want to learn how to hunt. i think i will cry, but i think it could be a good experience, if i suceeded. hopefully, cody will hurry up on that one.

40. if i had a chance to fulfill a lifelong dream i would sing worship music all day long and get paid for it.

i hope everyone enjoyed this! i definitely enjoyed writing it and i guess that's all that matters. have a blessed day!

i'm back.

ughhh... i just wrote an entire post, and it disappeared. i will post later when i find it and am not so frustrated. deal with it mara.:)

i miss you.

i have been housesitting for a week now, and i can't figure out how to get the internet to work! if anyone is an expert, let me know, because i am about to die. not exactly, but close. i will be writing this evening, i promise! hope everyone is doing great! have a good afternoon!

rain, rain, go away!

this semester is already overwhelming. i have six classes and i have a consistent amount of homework in everyone one of them, already. i know, i know, i need to get used to it right? well i don't want to:) it was POURING rain today. it's days like these where i truly miss high school; the days where i could switch classes INSIDE a building. the days where I didn't have to change clothes 1231412 times a day because i continually got wet. it is also days like these where i do not see the point in showering before class. call me gross, but its true, and you know you think the same thing:) don't get me wrong, i love to shower and be clean, but showering for me is a long process and if i am going to get wet, causing my hair to mess up, why waste my precious time. i have struggled with migraines for four years and weather fronts trigger my head, not fun.
embarrassing moment of the day...i was told i couldn't be in a class. after all the struggles with my schedule, i am still attempting to get in a university studies course. the course is "american health care system" and i can't find an open seat. the professor was very sweet and she gave me the option to come to class and see if any of her students didn't show up. when i got to class i let her know i was there and she told me we could talk after class. i didn't expect her to bring it up when she was calling role. and i for sure didn't expect her to tell me, "everyone showed up, better luck next time." she then told me i could leave, AFTER she had started class. i had to pack all of my stuff up and walk out. i do NOT get embarrassed, but i definitely was feeling it today. awesome.
i have been blessed with the opportunity to house-sit for over a MONTH! i am excited, but very nervous. i will be in cape, but i am sure i will pee my pants everytime i hear a noise. i LOVE my alone time, but when it gets dark outside, someone better be there beside me! so we will see how long i last before i am driving home in the middle of the night.
my mom told me today that there is a trip to africa at the end of july, meaning i might be going sooner than later. this is SO exciting but scary at the same time. i would love to go this summer, but i do not have anywhere close to the money i need saved. god is so faithful and he is my provider, so if he calls me on this trip i know he will provide, but it will be taking a major leap of faith. if you think about it, say a prayer for me!
if anyone is up for a great new worship song, check out kari jobe's "revelation song." i am almost brought to tears every time i listen to this song, which is quite often. it makes me want to dance! it is very moving. i encourage everyone to listen to it! FANTASTIC!
i will leave on this note, EVERYONE going into college, or already there, MUST invest in an adorable umbrella, rainboots, and raincoat. it is imperative for days like today! have a fantastic week! remember that "God has no interest being a wekend getaway or a summer cottage. don't use God as a vacation. He wants you under His roof now and always. He wants to be your mailing address, your point of reference. He wants to be your home." -Max Lucado

it's been awhile...

school started today...gross. i honestly think i am already dreading the semester. fantastic. i officially "hate" semo. maybe not completely hate, but dislike with an extreme, i mean extreme, passion. i got on my portal yesterday, the DAY before classes, only to realize my schedule had been completely jacked. when i went to my advisor, who is retiring in twenty days and doesn't care, he explained that he didn't do it. i am sure there could have been a HUGE glitch in the system, but it was mesed up and i was now expected to travel to kennett to take a class. despite the extreme frustration i am still in the process of figuring out my schedule at 9 o'clock at night. awesome.

as far as this semester goes, i think it might be the death of me:) i am taking seventeen hours and some of the most boring classes. on top of boring classes, i have 8 o'clock classses EVERY day. yuck! i am taking one fun class this semester that i am super excited about! children's literature will be so much fun! it is a class completely based on acquainting students with significant illustrators, writers, and works of children's literature. we got to read children's books in class today and it made me reminisce in my childhood for a little while. even though classes won't be the best, i am excited that i have friends with my best friend! we will not be forced to hang out together:) i am not complaining about that!

only eleven months and one week until africa! i am so pumped! if anyone is interested in checking out exactly what i am doing or would like to contribute check out the website here! i am so excited and it is going to be such a blessing. i am starting to save my money as well as save things to sell in our heart for africa garage sale. my mom and i are going to collect items from anyone getting rid of things they don't want/need anymore. we will have a garage sale this summer and 100% of the proceeds will go to our heart for africa fund. if anyone is interested in donating items, let me know! it would be greatly appreciated as well as going to a good cause!

this week has been pretty crazy and stressful at that. god is so good and he remains so faithful. i am so thankful to have the god of the universe on my side at all times. i have been stressed about money for sometime now. i have been praying for jobs and trying to figure out what i can cut out of my budget to make things work out! i was so blessed to get the phone call from a sweet family asking me to housesit for a month! god is SO good! i am so excited for the opportunity to have some extra money and still have time to work on school and not stress about anything!

"god, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful." 1 corinthians 1:9

i had dinner with my family last night and while we were eating, we talked about the world and society. it literally DISGUSTS me. maybe i need to get down off my high horse, but i am so frustrated with the way the world works. my uncle and grandpa started discussing the "jay leno and conan," which i know nothing about. someone brought up their salaries and i almost blew up. a talk show host making 80 MILLION dollars?!!? someone who stands up and discusses crude and inaccurate facts makes over 2,000 times more money than i will make? the person who teaches students how to write their name and count to one hundred? the fundamentals to life. and on top of that, a college sports coach who makes outrageous amounts of money and they don't even teach students how to play the sport, because if they are playing for college, they can already play the sport. uggghhhh. i will step off my soap box now. sorry for my little blow-up. i have been extremly uneasy about the whole teacher issue. i DO want to be a teacher, i just am sick of the way society is! how sad to know my children will be in this society.

now that i am finished with that, on with the good stuff:) god is going to do so many great things this semester and i AM looking forward to that! i think new beginnings in 2010 will be great and i know god is going to rock my world! he is still on the throne and he continues to work everyday!

pearls and fabric and rhinestones galore!

hi everyone! i am busy at work still! i am loving my new "craft-making-self." i went back to hobby lobby today to branch out my supplies section and i have been busy ever since! hope you enjoy all of these!
this is just a simple peacock feather and rhinestone on a black headband!

i also made some clips for hair. these were made by the request of sweet, mara.

these are pins. these could be added to a cardigan, jacket, or a necklace!

i am having so much fun making these cute little accessories! if i can stand to part with any of these i am going to sell them! i have already had so many people asking, so i thought, "why not!?" today was a great day! i got to sleep in this morning! :) then, i had lunch with one of my favorite ladies, meredith! it was fantastic and i got to share some awesome things god is doing in my life! we ate at my daddy's cheesecake, another favorite of mine! after lunch i got to get together with mara! it was so fun to be crafty! we might just open up a business! :) remember you heard it here first! i have some new items i will be adding soon, so be looking forward to that! also, i am going to write a real fun post in a few days! i am really excited for it! i hope everyone is having a great day!

school is going to be here before i know it! eeeekkk! NOT looking forward to that. i probably need an attitude check, right? hopefully once the semester gets going i will become more excited about it and i hope it flies by like this last one! god is doing so many great things in my life and i am so excited to see what he has in store for me this semester!

"my god is my rock, in whom i take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation. he is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior-from violent men you save me." 2 samuel 22:3

ahh! so excited!

today was such a great day! i can hardly contain myself as i write this! not only did i get to have lunch with some sweet girls, i also started a SUPER fun project! i have wanted a headband with a hairpiece for so long! so today was the day! i got my inspiration first off, from tons of pictures! i also saw these at an adorable boutique here in cape, but they were out of my price range! i searched for some ideas on some different blogs and decided, "hey, i can do this!" after a great lunch, i went to hobby lobby (one of my favorite places on earth) to pick up some great fabric and supplies! the total of all of my supplies was less than the ones at the boutique! i have already made four and with the materials i bought i could literally make hundreds more. awesome, right?! if anyone is interested in these, let me know! i am going to keep making them! hope you enjoy!

as for lunch with my girls, it was fantastic! i had so much fun enjoying some of our last days before school starts. :( if anyone who lives in cape hasn't experienced honeybaked ham, go there tomorrow! :0) i met lindsey, becca, and mara there for lunch! it was delicious, as always. we had a blast! although there were some of the most disturbing conversations i have ever had! i do not think i will want to have boys for a very long time, if ever...haha.

i do not want to become the blogger that just writes about my every movement during the day. i have decided to start doing a "do it yourself," inexpensive craft once a week. this gives me a great opportunity to let my crafty side out. i love to do hands-on crafts and projects for less money, but i always think i don't have enough time, so this is perfect for me! if anyone has anything they would like me to try or something they have seen before, let me know! and if anyone has a topic they would like me to talk about or give my opinion on, i would LOVE too! just leave me a comment!

"for god so loved the world that he gave his ONE and ONLY son, that whoever believes in him, shall not perish, but have every lasting life." john 3:16

greater things vision

brother mark's message was absolutely, positively life-changing. the message that god put on his heart will change the life of lynwood as we know it and i can't wait to see these changes! his message was titled "greater things vision 2010." he spoke on the top three visions for our church.



1. maturity: "training christians to experience spiritual transformation through god's word."

2. mobilization: "mobilizing christians to shar the word of god in our community and the world."

3. ministry: "ministering to the needs of hurting people in a safe, loving, christian environment."



to cut right to the point his message truly "rocked." i cannot wait to see these changes. if anyone in the "blog world" in this area is in need of a church home, please come by lynwood and experience the life change with us.



tonight was a bittersweet moment as we said goodbye to some dear friends. our music minister and his wife will be leaving soon and tonight was their dedication service. we had a dinner before and had a great turnout! it was so fun to see everyone and have a fellowship time with the belchers, despite the RANK of kettle beef on my clothes all night long. for those of you who don't know me i can't stand to smell bad and smelling like food is "bad" in my book!



i am going to talk with brother mark this week! i am SO excited! i hope i can share my vision and what god has put on my heart with my fellow bloggers soon, but until then please keep praying! god is speaking and i am so pumped!



"i do not count my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only i may finish my course and the ministry that i received from the lord jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of god."

acts 20:24

i am so excited for this week! i am not scheduled to work at all and although i WILL regret this later, i am going to enjoy this week! i have lots of lunch dates (perfect excuse to go out to eat) and i am going to clean the house, the one wish of my mom. and sometime in there i am going to relax and ENJOY! and my absolute fave...back to school shopping! i can't wait to go get new school supplies! yes, i am easily amused.

thanks so much Ashley for making my adorable header! i just sent her pictures and told her what words i wanted on it and she did the rest! she did fantastic! she also added a sweet signature! if you haven't checked out her blog, you should! she is a pro at some blogging:)

good times!

sooo....last night was the partayyy! it was a BLAST! i got to wear my adorable shoes and my sweet dress! i danced soo much and was completely sober, unlike EVERYONE else! enjoy:

last night was SO fun! there was a great turn out! the senior executive vice preseident of the company was in town from alpharetta, georgia. i just love him! we had lots of fun discussing the future and he gave me his own take on the education system and how i should handle it. thanks mr. rand:) it was great to see some familiar faces i wasn't expecting as well. it was also very hearbreaking to see the embarassing effects of alcohol on so many, maybe they will learn their lesson after last night. we can only hope. well after we danced the night away, we got the pleasure to stay in the hotel for free! medassets is so great to our family and all of their employees. mom and i left this morning so she could head home to start baking cakes for brother gary's reception tomorrow.

for anyone who loves cute, trendy clothes check out walmart! i went there today because i had to pick up the stuff for puppy chow:) while i was there i saw this adorable skirt! i looked around and realized it was an entire line of clothing. miley cyrus' line i guess? anyways, its super cute and REAL cheap! i picked up a few things and headed to dustin's house for some good family bonding and delicious puppy chow! if you haven't ever made it, no it's not dog food, check out a recipe! if you don't have one, i'd love to give it to you! it's a perfect treat for kids!

i can't believe i still have a week off before school starts! i am actually getting ready for school to start! the sooner it starts, the sooner i am finished! i also found out my sweet friend has the same spring break as i do, so we might just have to plan a little roadtrip!

"Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity." 1 Timothy 4:12

HE speakes to me.

the god of the universe spoke to me today. he spoke clearly and quickly. i was sitting at work today reading a great girls bible study. (i have the delightful opportunity to lead a girls bible study with some girls from the youth this semester) i was reading through the book to prepare my heart when i started to get uneasy. "what the heck am i going to do with my life?!" a question i probably should have figured out before completing two years of college, but leave it to me, i always make things complicated. i know i have a passion to teach, but as i shared on my last post, i am VERY uneasy about the public school system at this time and i know god will fulfill that desire in his own way. so, on with the story, i was reading my book, minding my own business when i felt god's nudge. you know the feeling that you kind of, sort of, just MAYBE want to ignore? well i said, "god, is that you?! what do you want me to do with my life? i am confused and don't know what to do!" and BAM! right there sitting in the lobby of Edible Arrangments, god told me. now wouldn't you just love to know? TOO BAD! i am totally kidding. that is such a cruel joke, but i am not going to tell my "blog world" at this point. i have people i need to discuss this with, and things i need to do before i ruin a great thing! but keep posted, because i am really excited for what god has in store for me! i do ask, for those of you reading, i do ask for your prayers on the guidance of what god has put on my heart.

tomorrow is the big day! well not too big, but i have my mom's annual christmas party in saint louis! i am so excited to where my great dress and fabulous shoes! a night away from home is sometimes so needed! it will be a great time to talk with my mom and just enjoy seeing some great people i only see once a year!

sunday is going to be a sad day! brother gary is leaving lynwood, in view of a call, to go to tampa, florida. sunday is his last day and we will be having a banquet for him. it has been so fun to spend some time with his family this week and go through pictures and make plans to make his night memorable. i am going to miss him and his wonderful wife, mrs. sue, but i am glad we get to keep his daughter:) god is going to do such great things in our church and i am very excited for what brother mark and our staff has planned.

you know you are growing up when...

you know you are growing up when things like government and politics are in my mind before making decisions. my most recent BIG decision in my life is whether i should change my major or not. for those who know me they know i have a passion to teach and love children, but lately in my research, i am finding education is changing. obviously, all things change, but unfortunately, i feel like education in the public school systems is NOT on a good road. my opinion, and i DO love teachers, i mean i am paying thousands to learn how to be one, is teachers are overqualified babysitters. this is absolutely outraging to me, because this is my passion. i want the experience to be pleasant as well as rewarding to the students i am investing my time in. i want the opportunity to teach what is right and make sure my students are fully learning and not just memorizing, like most teachers are teaching. i don't believe this is the teacher's fault, unless, that is, the teacher is "like that." school boards want money and in order to get money, school districts must make the grade, so students need to test, test, test, leading them to evetually forget the information they have learned. if i could afford to teach in a private school out of college, i would love to do so, but i don't think, unless god brings me a doctor:), i can afford this out of college. bottom line to this: i have a passion to teach, but most public school's don't allow teachers to teach, hence the idea to switch my major. i am confused as to what to do, but i am taking this issue up with the god of the universe, and i think he will let me know without a doubt, what i should do!
sorry for the boringness, as mara would say, of that post. it is on my mind so much right now, i couldn't help myself. now for some fun things...i have a fun annual christmas party to go to this friday and saturday. my mom has a corporate party every year. it is hosted in saint louis and it is a black tie affair! therefore it calls for a dress and GREAT shoes! i went to the mall yesterday with a serious budget. i planned on borrowing a dress, but i could not find one to borrow from anyone. i went to macys and found NOTHING. i stopped by jcpenneys and found ONE dress and thankfully they had it in my size. i got the okay from some sweet friends and found out it was on-sale! eeeek!:) i then proceeded onto charolette russee to check out their adorable selection of shoes when i happened upon the cutes "rockin' pumps" for $12.99. i think the day was successful! can't wait to show pictures of the party!

"i praise you because i am fearfully and wonderfully made..." Psalms 139:14

god is so fantastic and i am so thankful and blessed that i can have the freedom to praise his name wherever i am. he is working in my life and he will work in anyone's life who calls on his name. a great friend told me, "god doesn't instill desire's in your heart to tempt and torture you, he puts them in your heart, to fulfill them if you are faithful." Psalms 145:19 says "he fulfills the desire of those who fear him; he also hears their cry and saves theml." god will fulfill the healthy, desires HE places in your heart if you are faithful to him. he takes the time to care for us and he hears our cries. how blessed are we?! have a great day!

golden girl quote of the day:
dorthy:"did you sleep with tony?"
sophia: "a little."
this might be inappropriate but soo funny! i love me some golden girls!

saved by god's grace

wow..how you think you know someone. i have litterally been saved by god's grace. thank you jesus. i will continue to remember my motto "NO guy is worth your tears and the one who is, won't make you cry."

on a WAY more important note, i am loving the lessons god has taught me. my life is awesome and i am so excited for what god has for me in the months and days to come. through the things god has taught me through my life god continues to whisper "I am enough." it is so important to remember that. he has also continued to tell me "you are so worthy." the god of the universe thinks I am worthy, who cares if no one else thinks i am! but i think god will bless me in his time in ways i can't even imagine right now!

"charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the LORD will be praised."
proverbs 31:30

i still have two weeks left of christmas break! how awesome! i still have time to gear up for school, relax, and visit with great friends. i am going to be taking a trip to lexington, kentucky next weekend to visit my best friend from Murray! i can't wait! i have not seen her since august! it has been too long! her famliy is such a blessing, so i cannot wait to reunite and just enjoy!

this week i decided to tackle the job of fixing up our bathroom so i painted yesterday! i like to call the color "chocolate milk." i love the color and i LOVE to decorate so it was great! i took down the shower doors and added a shower curtain. its so great! i love when i can organize and change things up a little bit! next job is the guest bedroom. my mom and i are going to paint it blue! its a gorgeous color and i will decorate that as well! its a great time! it doesn't take much to make me happy:) i also painted my nails this weekend! i always have the hardest time figuring out and sticking with what color i want on my nails. this time i tried "incoco" strips. they come in a package and you can get them in any color or in white tips. i used white tips. they are actual nail polish but they are adhesive and the excess chips off and they are perfect! this may be a horrible discription, but trust me they are great! everyone should check them out! mara loves them too!

i have spent a lot of time this week watching my golden girls seasons! they are absolutely fabulous. i hope the friends i have now can and will be friends in the far future. girlfriends are so great. i am getting ready to head to church! sundays are so great! i adore getting to see my friends and church family and brother mark is gearing up for a fantastic message and i am PUMPED! god is so great!

"rejoice in the LORD always. i will say it again: REJOICE!" phillipians 4:4