another blog.

Hey - You should check out the other blog I write for catalystsingles.blogspot.com  It's for my young singles class at Prestonwood. It's a prayer/devotional blog. Let me know what you think! Love ya'll and will be posting some posse weekend pics soon!! 

frosty the snowman.

i love snowmen. check out how to make these here. now i just hope it snows this season so i can make a real snowman! have a great monday!

is it 6 o'clock yet?

So I was cleaning out my email today and I found this video that my old roommates made of us. Hilarious! They used a horrible picture of me but it's funny anyways. Enjoy!

http://elfyourself.jibjab.com/view/yQagWk48av2hvdwzoxhm

P.S. It's Posse Christmas this weekend! Can't wait!!!

I was tagged.

Thanks Beth for tagging me! I believe the rules are you can only answer with one word.

1. Where is your cell phone? left
2. Your significant other? unknown
3. Your hair? dirty
4. Your mother? silly
5. Your father? funny
6. Your favorite thing? friends
7. Your dream last night? erased
8. Your favorite drink? coke
9. Your dream/goal? joy
10. The room you're in? office
11. Your fear? separation
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? colorado
13. Where were you last night? church
14. What you're not? focused
15. Muffins/donuts? donuts
16. One of your wish list items? camera
17. Where you grew up? allen
18. The last thing you did? write
19. What are you wearing? scarf
20. Your TV? snl
21. Your pet? spazz
22. Your computer? floor
23. Your life? complicated
24. Your mood? hopeful
25. Missing someone? always
26. Favorite pastime? naps
27. Something you're not wearing? rings
28. Favorite Store? outlets
29. Your summer? far
30. Your favorite color? blue
31. When is the last time you laughed? morning
32. Last time you cried? yesterday
33. Who will re-post this? amy
34. Four places I go over and over? work,church,home,sonic.
Four people who e-mail me? mere, duncan, laura, volunteers
36. Four of my favorite foods? pizza, avacadoes, cheese, fruit
37. Four places I would like to be right now? mountains, england, romania, bed
38. Four people I tag? best, amy a, amy d, dez

the city built on water.

Um excuse me what? Venice is under water?? Take a look. Let's just say when I was there in June, it did NOT look like this.

I knew it was sinking but whew, that's what I call a bad day. Do you think they have "flood days" like we have "snow days"?

In june it looked like this:

I think the term "dryer" comes to mind!

Suprise Holidays are my favorite

YAY! My boss just gave us a suprise paid holiday tomorrow - gotta love that :) I'm going to enjoy hanging out with my parents, brothers, and dogs!! Happy Thanksgiving Break!!

I've gone country.

After hearing all those Texas accents this weekend in Houston and the CMAs earlier this week,  I felt the need to reconnect with some good ol' country music. I just burned a copy of Clay Walker and George Strait and I'm falling in love again. Ahh Clay you know a way into a women's heart...

Lately.

Sooo I've been not feeling so good since Saturday afternoon so I have been trying to get lots of rest before this weekend aka Ashley's Wedding Extravaganza!! I'm uber excited to go but I hope I am feeling 100% before tomorrow! If you know me at all, I usually have LOTS of energy so please pray for me to be all better for the wedding. (oh, and that this war that've I been fighting with my skin in the middle of my face will depart ASAP)

Anywho, I am getting a new Vera Bradley bag for this wedding and please vote for the print I should buy. The finalists are:

Yellow Bird

Puccini

Mod Pink

Kensignton

Please tell me which one you would pink and why and I will reveal it to next post....Even though I've probably already bought my favorite!

Blessings and Love!

blog makeover

look how cute my new blog is! i have this great designer...ashley dubose! she's a-mazing. she's getting married in 11 days and she still has time to whip up a little somethin somethin for her best! can't wait to the wedding ash! thanks again!

happy birthday amy!

I'm just sharing real quick some of my favorite pictures of amy duncan in honor of her 23 birthday! 

little boxes of awkwardness.

Elevators. why are they like the black hole of awkwardness?!

I swear some of my most uncomfortable moments happen in elevators. I work on the 7th floor of a building so of course, i take the elevator about 6 times a day (go to work, get breakfast, go upstairs, get lunch, go upstairs, leave for the day). I get onto an elevator by myself about 80% of the time but then there is the other 20% of the day that is usually a total hot mess of uncomfortableness. now i'm sure i'm exaggerating the condition of awkwardness but there really is NO good way to start and end a proper convo on the elevator but I can't help myself because there is nothing worse in my head then "dead time" where all occupants of the elevator just pretend there are no other individuals in the same elevator. Adding to the difficulty of ignoring others is that the entire door wall is a mirrow - meaning you stare at each other no matter what angle you are looking. Usually people just check themselves out, pull/adjust their clothing, rummage through their bags, stare down at their cell phones, and the list goes on of convo avoider activities.

IF a convo is started, it usually revolves around the weather, sports, or politics. I can manage a quick little quip about the debate, the cowboys, or "staying dry" to bring the other individuals a quick smirk. My parents would claim elevators make me uncomfortable because our generation is technology driven and we can't handle human contact anymore. I disagree. I think people are just weird. But I was wondering everyone's thoughts on elevators? how do you start a convo? got any tips on how to handle this seemingly routine human encounter? Is it me? or is it the elevator?

blessings and love!

they did it again...

Now you could call me an Apple groupie but I just really admire their constant innovation. Check out the new macbook and why it makes me covetous! It is not only completely creative in design but it's also more environmentally safe!

love me some cowboy boots.

So it's yucky day 2 now in Dallas - it would be best described by one word...gray. everything just looks gray! But I'm not bummed because i'm wearing my favorite shoes in the entire word, my cowboy boots. Oh I love my boots. They just make me happy. My mom bought them for me before my first bar-b-cupid. oooh that memories. the perfect shoe for the entire texas winter. I love shoe, I love cowboys, I love texas. my boots embody all of that in one. i just thought they should just get some love today. p.s. i'm wearing heinous black tube socks underneath...but that's our little secret.

business time

Okay friends, you could say that a lot has happened since the last time I blogged. I went from 2 jobs, to one job, to two jobs, back to one job. Now I'm working full-time for H.I.S. BridgeBuilders! Yay, no more part-time for me! (yes i know - it's paid hourly but it's money). It's pretty much the best job ever because the following reasons:

1) It's a Christian nonprofit, it's not everyday that the "bottom line" is people's salvations.
2) I get to work in HR
3) I get to work with some of the coolest people in Dallas - the citizens of DHA housing
4) I am grateful everyday for my family, friends, home, and church
5) I work with people at prestonwood
6) Everyday is a jeans day!
7) I get to work at 10:00 and make my own schedule!
8) My office is beautiful with every office supply you could think of at my disposal - neerdy i know.

Okay now that you got the update about the job - look forward to the real life update in the near future...

ps. TRI - i need life updates! blog please :)

she works hard for the money...

So time for a life update even though the majority of you who read this got caught up at Celina and Tommy's Wedding this weekend. Since my last post, I not only got 1 job but 2! However, they are both part-time with no benefits unless you count all Chinese food I can eat for 50% off! Now we're talking. 

First I work part-time at PF Changs...yes, yes, get out all the laughs out now as you imagine the most clumsy and slightly awkward person deliver very large and hot trays in a very crowded restaurant. Add a very unfortunate uniform and a scary freezer, and you have my life. My official title is back waiter even after a week of training and a food test because alas I have no formal restaurant training to be

considered a server. Who would have thought that a college degree with 2 majors would not really prepare you for the real world?! 

However, I do find the job very fun because 

1) it's challenging and I'm learning ALOT about myself and Chinese food 

2) i'm meeting people I wouldn't normally hang out with and maybe just maybe I can be a good witness to them

3) the money is suppose to be good (however i'm not really sure how tip sharing works yet). 

So by nights I work food and by day I work at a really really cool job! I work for the JKL foundation writing policy and procedures, job descriptions, and strategic plans for a non-profit organization called H.I.S. BridgeBuilders. Through educational classes, GED certification, an eye glass and dental clinic, and various other ministries, the BonTon community (INNER CITY DALLAS) has been transformed and I am so blessed any time I volunteer. If anyone else is interested in volunteering there with me, please let me know! I would love to take you! Anywho, I have been volunteering there, when I could, for about the last 5 years and I hope that my work here will be able to help this ministry go to the next level. It is the model to be taken nationwide as the example for successful faith based initiatives. Not to mention I have a beautiful office on the 7th floor with 3 huge windows that mesmerize me every time I look out them (but that's just a bonus). I am trusting that God will take this opportunity and build it into something better than I can imagine. Until then, I'm working hard for the money! 

Meredith and I have been trying really hard to think of things to do so when we go home after work we don't go just to bed like we want to so we have come up with a couple of things to do. Our first adventure was today when Amanda, Meredith, and I went to Paint Yer Pottery to get our mosaic on. It WAS an adventure. First the women working at the store was a crazy-o but Meredith just convinced me it was because she was an "artist" and she lacked the people skills to be normal, but I know plenty of normal artists so agree to disagree. Second of all, if you are a perfectionist I would suggest staying far far away from mosaics unless you have the best glue because as Meredith discovered, the tiles are slippery when trying to mosaic a round pot. I did enjoy decorating mine with blues and white tiles to match my comforter. Amanda's was really cute with pastel colors and she is so creative with her tile cutting. Meredith's was named "Baylor Ole" because it was a cross between the themes of Cinco de Mayo, Baylor, and Olympic Rings. It was cute despite the description but Meredith left downtrodden and refusing to ever mosaic again. However, I say you get right back on that horse...

Stay tuned for more adventures as we try to discover how to be cool as two single baptist girls in the city! I think we should have a tv show but it would a very very boring tv show that would show us driving around or watching the olympics... well it's 10 pm now so it's time for bed :) but I wish I was kidding.  

oh, and I'm legally required to put this in my blog. heheh. 

*The ideas expressed in this blog no way reflect the opinions of PF Changs and they can not be held responsible* 

or something like that... blessings and love! 

hi o

So it's been a month since my last post so I basically I can claim to be the worst blogger ever but I'm not giving up just yet. Since my last update, I travelled to both Colorado and New Mexico with my parents for weddings & birthday celebrations. So I've really been able to take sometime off and rest to figure out the next best step. Obviously I haven't made any steps but I take comfort that it is in God's plan and I'm in his will. So besides giving everyone a detailed explanation of what I've been doing I'm looking towards the future. :) 

Fun obsession of the day: 

I am currently obsessed with the Coach Fall line of bags. I have no idea how they can stay on top of their game every single season. So if I dream of carrying any of these bags. Let me know which one is YOUR favorite. 

love & blessings! 

a day in

tennis players are cuties.

So after having a heated debate last night at dinner about the cutest athletes, my friends came to the consensus that swimmers have the best bodies. However after watching Wimbleton today, I have developed a sound argument for tennis players being the best looking athletes. The argument relies strictly on pictures. I'll leave the decision to you....

The first example, Andy Roddick, the American 

Nadal & Federer

I almost put shirtless pictures of them up to prove my point but I wanted to keep it PG. I really suggest doing the extensive research to understand the depth of my argument. What do you think? 

happy birthday jessica!

Tonight I fully enjoyed the pleasure of joining Jess and her immediate family at P.F. Changs in Allen for dinner. It was so nice to see her before the big day and enjoy some good food too. Her family is really funny! Jessica and I enjoyed birthday "shots" which is how PF Changs serves dessert. I had the "Great Wall of Chocolate" and Jessica had something with strawberries. Very delicious! 

However we only took 1 picture: 

Happy Birthday Jessica!

I am going to the lake tomorrow with Laura and this weekend I travel to Houston for Ashley's shower so I can't wait to see her & Amy A. The serious job search will start next week :) 

blessings & love. 

obsession!

Today i got to do one of the coolest things ever. I drove a scooter around along the Amalfi Coast and if you have never blessed/cursed with the pleasure of driving in Italy, you would be glad that i'm still alive! 

First, the Amalfi Coast is the most beautiful display of ocean driving scenic in the world. It is nestled in the cliffs of Italy and has the bluest ocean I have ever seen...

Second, The best part is they let me drive a scooter! At times I really did feel as if I was never going to make it back stateside because of the curves and crazy Italian driving, and I kept getting the weirdest looks from everyone. I think mainly because my curly hair stuck out of my helmet and they were confused. 

There are several reasons why I think we should have all bought scooters in waco. 

1) gas efficiency  

2) so fun to drive

3) they are so cute! 

4) you can race

5) customized colors ya'll 

Needless to say, I'm seriously considering buying one in the next city I live in...ok maybe not in USA but if I ever move to Europe....a girl can dream right?! 

love & blessings. 

traveling.

hey guys,  

i can't believe where i am. i keeping doing reality checks for my family like "do you realize that we are in eating dinner in ITALY?" or "can you believe we are staying in a hotel above the grand canale in venice?" god is so good! his creation is mesmerizing! i'm trying to take it all in that i see and hear and the people i meet. also, i think i might have to get married here! everything is so romantic and gorgeous.  

on a side note: every italian man stares! i don't know where they learned it but it is hilarious/flattering/scary feeling all at the same time.

i must go to sleep now because it's 1:30 am and we are getting up early tomorrow to sightsee and travel back to our villa in tuscany for the wedding (my mom's best friend is getting married in a castle on friday night - the reason we are here). 

blessings & love! 

new "begin"nings.

hello real world. goodbye bubble. i'm graduating in 27 days! to articulate the bittersweet feelings i am having i will use lists. 

things i'll miss: 

having roommates - they make my life 100x better

my posse living down the street 

the neighbor boys just walking in our house

food for though & clay pot 

things i'm excited about: 

living in dallas (restaurants, movies, shopping!) 

a membership at lifetime fitness

summer time 

quality time with the karis  

road trips to visit waco 

getting involved at prestonwood 

possibly volunteering at k-life? 

these are just a few things off the top of my head but mere and i also made some goals for the next couple of weeks (in no particular order)

1. find job 

2. find housing 

3. find a boy :) 

4. find a life

5. not end up in a van down by the river. 

pretty ambitious goals? good thing God is in charge. 

blessings & love! 

spring time at ole bu.

it's catching on...

so after having a blessed convo with amy duncan (the most beautiful person i know - inside & out) and jessica patton (

a holding pattern

whenever i start something new i have a tendency to set goals. as soon as i decided i was going to blog, i analyzed why i would and what i was going to talk about. was it going to be my struggle with figuring out what i'm going to do with my life, planning my trip to europe, stresses about finding a job, opinions about current society, calculated responses, or just the ramblings and awkward situations that surround my mind? so i began to think and realized i have always had an internal struggle with articulating my thoughts on paper and when i think about it, verbally too. my biggest fear is the ridicule from my roommates! just as i write this my roommate says she can't blog because her thoughts are too "important" for the world to see. maybe the more i think about it, this blog can be an escape....okay, that's the exact moment this just turn creepy. i'll reflect more on the purpose of this and decide if i can commit. i'm kinda a big deal.