Whimsies and Fancies

FEBRUARY: Kind of Like a Marathon?

2011-02-13T20:47:00.006-06:00

Oh, February. If you know me, then you know that February is my least favorite month of the year (excluding my parent's anniversary and Dad's birthday, of course). I know, I know....I should be appreciative of every single day I have on this earth. I am very aware of this. But February is what I imagine the last three miles of a marathon must feel like. FOREVER. EXHAUSTING. PERSEVERANCE. EXTREME TEMPERATURES. On top of that, my skin is back to the palest shade possible and my jeans are fitting just a little bit snugger than they were pre-Thanksgiving.

On a different note, this month is also the light at the end of the tunnel. March is only a few weeks away. And with March comes the planning of vacations, online purchasing of bathing suits (let's just be honest: no one wants to try on bathing suits under the fluorescent lights in the department store fitting room with such alabaster skin as mine), and daydreams of what my garden might look like two months from now. As silly as this may sound, it is a big month of hope for me. Without experiencing the most dismal, gray, "bleh" month of the year, I wouldn't be able to appreciate the rainbow of colors amongst the flowers and the smell of honeysuckle in the springtime. Or the sunshine, melting Popsicles, and a slight breeze in the summer. Or the crackling of leaves on the ground, eating al fresco, and warm apple cider in the fall.

So I guess I'm confessing this: Even though I don't like it, I wouldn't want to live without it.

XOXO

The Debutante

2011-01-10T18:25:00.004-06:00

Just finished reading my first book for 2011. I loved The Debutante by Kathleen Tessaro. It took me a few chapters to really get into, but after that I couldn't put it down. Loved the last lines.

XOXO

Fantasy Bachelor

2011-01-04T17:27:00.010-06:00

No.....I do not have a fantasy bachelor. HOWEVER: I think that it would be extremely fun to have a Fantasy Bachelor game....like fantasy football, except you play with contestants from the Bachelor. So, The Bachelor Season 15 premiered last night. I think it becomes much more fun to choose and bet who will win. Unfortunately, the person who I am betting against chose all the same people I did :) Haha! So here are my top 5 picks for this seasons Bachelor. Drum roll, please......

MARISSA: I'll be honest....I just needed a fifth person, and it seems that Brad likes tan, dark-haired girls. She fits the bill. So, she is my 5th.

ASHLEY: I love her. But he already threw out that he feels comfortable and "friendly" with her. So, ultimately, he will break it off with her, saying that she is too much like a best friend. Kind of like the Jason/Jillian breakup.

MICHELLE: She's a tricky one. I'd say she gets to number 3ish. I like her but I think she is going to be that kind of crazy mean girl who is rude to everyone else in the house.

SHAWNTEL: She'll come in second. Why? I feel like she's my kindred spirit. She's a little too honest and open. Not mysterious enough...therefore, she's out.

EMILY: Here's the thing...he is intrigued by her. BUT, I can see Emily walking away from him. So, I'm probably wrong here, but I think she'll make the top two or three for sure....

CONFESSIONS:I must admit I took a peak at RealitySteve once I chose my own top five. He is predicting someone that I thought for sure wouldn't be in the running. BUT, it kind of makes sense. After all, she does have tan skin and dark hair and could be confused for either Deanna or Jenny.....

ALL THINGS LOVELY IN A NEW YEAR

2011-01-03T20:58:00.053-06:00

NEW YEARS DAY BRUNCH AT BOSCOS

Well, it is that time of year again. A time to once again reflect on accomplishments and decisions made in the past year. And my personal favorite....making a bucket list for the next twelve months! Last year my resolution was to NOT make a resolution that had anything to do with exercise or my weight...and I succeeded by making a list of things that I was excited to do in 2010. My list was quite long and there were many things that were not accomplished, but I was still pretty proud of the things that I did! A few items I can check off my list: TAKE A ROAD TRIP, PLANT A GARDEN, WRITE MORE, SEND MORE CARDS, KEEP AN OPEN HEART, LOVE, BE MORE SPONTANEOUS, GET A RECORD PLAYER, MAKE STRAIGHT A'S (I DID GET ONE B+, BUT I AM GIVING MYSELF A CHECKMARK ANYWAYS), READ "THE WINTER ROSE", PRAY SPECIFICALLY, WATCH SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE AND WHEN HARRY MET SALLY, DRINK MORE WATER.

APRIL & I ON NEW YEARS EVE

I have a plethora of memories associated with all of these things....far too many to write out here. 2010 was full of a lot of laughter and a lot of tears, while being surrounded with the most beautiful hearts I know. I truly am blessed with the most wonderful family and friends. On that note, I rang in the New Year with both new and old friends! One of my best friends from college, April, came to visit Nashville with her husband. I had such a great time reliving old college memories with her and our other friends from school! We topped off the weekend with a girls brunch on New Years Day and a friendly game of Gin Rummy (my FAVORITE card game)and a movie.

So.....on to this year. I decided to keep most of the things that I didn't finish last year on this year's list and to tweak a few things. Additionally, I have a few that are going to stay on the list as I think they are pretty important! I would ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT if you see something on here that you are wanting to do and we can do it together. That way I can make sure it gets done!

More than anything I am looking forward to new challenges, more smiles and laughter, and special moments with the people that I love. It's going to be a sweet year. Do any of you have some of the same goals??? Maybe we can do some together.....thoughts? LOVE.LOVE.

"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy- think about such things." - Philippians 4:8

XOXO

Love and Silence

2010-12-20T13:01:00.006-06:00

The title of this blog may seem a little bit odd. I haven't written in a long time. I have sat in front of my computer screen many times over the past several months and stared at the screen wanting to convey my thoughts, but in the end have closed it down and felt that maybe it would be better to wait for another day. Last night we had our Christmas party for my small group through church and I confessed that I hadn't written in so long- mostly because I didn't want anyone else to see my thoughts or my heart at the moment.

During our get together, my beautiful friend Laura led us in reflection over the last year and what God has taught each of us. I'll be honest...my first reaction was dread and the desire to burst into tears. The last year has really been full of a lot of ups and downs that have all intertwined together to form a whirlwind of emotions within me. I spent the first half of the year trusting God's plan for my life. I had felt God speak to me many times that his promises were true and to trust Him. That was a joyful time. Fast forward to the end of 2010 where I have just felt abandoned by Him and in turn have felt angry. I often wonder if God is mad at me, since I'm calling for him, but he's not coming around. My good friend Jenny told me that she starts her day off by asking God, "Do I trust you?" and answering that question for herself every day. Will I trust God with my life this very day? Even this has fueled my resentment towards Him....I'm trying to trust, but where is He in these moments?

So what has God taught me this year and what can I praise Him for? Although we wrote out lists of praises and answered prayers last night, I've kept thinking about what God could possibly be teaching me or showing me through pain, love, and silence. This is what I've come up with.

1. I AM THANKFUL THAT I AM MISERABLE WHEN GOD IS ABSENT. I was a little bit curious about examples of God's silence and absence in scripture and how I might find some type of comfort or reasoning behind it. I actually found someone else's blog entry discussing two examples of silence in scripture. Psalm 22 begins with the words, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? You are far from my plea and the cry of my distress. O my God, I call by day and you give me no reply; I call by night and I find my peace." I can relate to this. The writer then reminds us to finish the Psalm. It concludes with praise and adoration and a reflection on God's faithfullness throughout the ages. Her blog concludes with these words: "We are now, as always, at the foot of the cross. The cry of the psalmist and of Jesus is now our cry, and the silence of God may lead us to despair. So, hear the words of Psalm 22, and heed the witness of the church. Embrace our silent God with faith, hope, and love." I thought about this for a little bit, and it kind of just hit me. There have been times in my life when I never noticed God's absence. I believed, but it had not resulted in any type of change in my heart. But there has been, and I can see and feel what life without Him is like. It's awful. Maybe this is what God is showing me in this time? I can praise Jesus because I know without a doubt that I don't want to be without him.

2.I AM THANKFUL THAT I UNDERSTAND LOVE. This is a tricky one and maybe I will regret writing it out. After all, loves grows over time and I'm sure my understanding will be different in twenty years than it is right now. On top of that, there are different types of love and ones I haven't experienced. But recently I had someone tell me that they can't love, don't know how to love, are choosing not to love. That type of thing. I am thankful today that this reasoning or mindset is something that I can not understand or fathom. It's easy being a female and watching a multitude of romantic comedies to have visions of fairytale love in your head. I'm not saying that there aren't many days that I think in this manner, but I am thankful I know what true love is: a reflection of Christ's love for us. I know that this is a long passage, but it is one of my favorites. A reminder of what love truly is and that it is a necessity in life. If you truly know and accept Christ's love, you can't help but love others. I may not always be the best reflection of this, but I am thankful that right now I know what it is.

"If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.Love never fails." - 1st Corinthians 13: 1-8

3. GOD HAS SHOWN ME THAT THE TIME IS NOW. One lesson I have learned over the year is that there really is no time like the present. My friend from work, Amber, recently committed suicide. While I was not extremely close to her outside of work, I saw and talked to her several times a week. She always had a smile and an encouraging word for me. I have struggled since her death with the fact that I have no idea what type of hope she had. I knew her for a year and a half, and have no idea if she had the same hope that I have had on dark days. Questioning the authenticity of the relationships that are constantly being built in my life is an area that I am still working on....struggling with. I don't really have any type of answer to this. I guess I am just thankful that God is showing me how fleeting this life is and the time we have on earth is precious.

4. FRIENDSHIPS AND FAMILY. I am thankful for the friends and family in my life, who stand by me regardless of all of my faults. And there are many. For forgiving me when I have wronged or hurt them. For loving me when I have not shown them love. For picking me up when I can't get off the ground. For giving me joy and laughter. For being a reflection of God's love for me.

Sangria, Anyone?

2010-10-24T15:30:00.009-05:00

It is a beautiful fall day. I guess autumn comes pretty late here in the South. But the leaves are finally changing into pretty reds, yellows, and oranges. I went to church this morning and then enjoyed a nice lunch with two of my favorite people, Matt and Jason. Super excited that The Local Taco is opened in Brentwood, and even more happy that the windows were open. This allowed for open air dining without the wind blowing us over. The most amazing part of lunch? Apple Peach Sangria, of course! Just last night, my roommate and I were talking about making some homemade sangria, so ofcourse I had to try it. DELICIOUS. So, I got to thinking about what kind of sangria Laura and I will make. I found this yummy looking recipe for Strawberry and Peach Sangria. What do you think???? Do you have a recipe that you love, red or white?

1 750-ml bottle dry white wine
1 1/2 cups Essensia (orange Muscat, a sweet dessert wine)
1 1/2 cups sliced strawberries
1 cup peach liqueur
3 peaches, each cut into 12 slices
1 large orange, cut crosswise into 6 slices
1 large lemon, cut crosswise into 6 slices
1/4 cup strawberry syrup (optional)
3 to 4 cups ice cubes

Mix white wine, Essensia, strawberries, peach liqueur, peaches, orange slices, lemon slices, and strawberry syrup in large pitcher, smashing citrus slices slightly. Let stand at room temperature at least 2 hours or chill up to 4 hours. Serve sangria over ice.

XOXO

Peaches, Menchies, and...that's Bananas!

2010-08-19T11:49:00.017-05:00

Ahhhh....it is hot. Very hot. I typically long for a neverending summer, but this year I am very, very ready for fall to come. Seriously. There are many things that I love about summer though. For instance, the smell of suntan lotion and the pool. The feeling of the breeze by the ocean. The taste of peaches. Country music. Ice cold beer. Popcicles. These are just a few of those things. But, there are so many things that I am looking forward to for fall! Jennifer is getting married, my birthday, AND let's not forget....my last semester of classes!!! So excited. Since it's been a while.....I feel like it would be appropriate for a Summer Fancies list instead of August....as I have missed writing for most of the summer.

The fact that Betty White is going to be writing TWO books.....

St. Louis

MENCHIES....MMMMMMMM!

Sookie Stackhouse.....I am pretty much obsessed. On the third book within about a week and a half...

ZOE-ISMS

peaches

The Bachelorette

As always.....Britney...on Glee! AGH!

Weddings

XOXO

SPRING VACATIONS

2010-05-17T15:01:00.009-05:00

My vacation between spring semester and summer school is unfortunately officially over today. The last few weeks have been so much fun and a lot has happened. FIRST, one of my best friends Courtney got hitched in Little Rock! She was such a beautiful bride and her wedding was gorgeous. I always love having all of my close friends in one place and this was no exception. My favorite memory was probably Courtney's sweet words about Daniel and to us at her lingerie shower. Not something you might typically expect to happen while opening these type of gifts, but also something I won't forget. Other highlights of the weekend would include the bridesmaid luncheon and slideshow Courtney had made for all of us and my sweet date who I discovered also knows every word to all 90's R & B that was ever written. :) It really couldn't have been a more perfect weekend.

Courtney, Daniel, and I after the ceremony

BRIDAL PARTY

ADAM, ME, JENNIFER, AND DAVE

The weekend after the wedding, I had the great luxury of going to Florida with friends. Just think Real World: Destin. We left on Wednesday night and arrived at the beach house very late that night. The house was beautiful and was just a two or three minutes walk to the beach.

BEACH HOUSE

FAVORITE MEMORIES: RACK'M STACK'M. Is there a homeless man in the cabana? SPADES: TEAM COLESLAW. ACHY-BREAKY HEART. SPOONS. IT'S ONLY TWO HOURS TO KNOXVILLE. POTATO SHOTS. WE SHOULD HAVE LEFT THE HOUSE. JENNY'S DANCE MOVES.

We had a great time, but were definitely ready to get back once we found out that it was flooding in Nashville. On our way home Sunday, we had to detour to Knoxville and spend the night there because we weren't sure if we were going to be able to get back into the city. Quite terrifying to not know what you are driving into or if your friends, family, and home are okay. I was so blessed to have no damage. Just a little bit of water in my garage, but nothing that couldnt be mopped up and aired out. I have many friends from work who have lost everything that they have. It is really heartbreaking.

The last exciting portion of my vacation was Steeplechase. It just goes by so quickly! I attended the annual sleepover at Matt's house where we woke up the next morning and drank mimosas and ate cinnamon rolls. We got there at around ten....pretty much blinked and it was five o'clock.

Janae, Jennifer, me, and Jenny

Classes may be starting, but so is summer....and I'm excited.

XOXO

April Showers Bring May Flowers

2010-04-26T13:47:00.005-05:00

I love flowers. I am currently working on my summer garden. I'm not very far. So far I have purchased a pretty hanging plant for my back deck and a few flowers as well. I'll be honest....I'm just a little bit tired of Lowes SO I decided to venture last weekend down to the Flower Mart in Green Hills with my friend Jason. They have so many additional options and the prices are reasonable as well. They have great garden flowers and alot of options for shrubs and trees. I didn't see any cherry blossoms but that is next up on the list.....

Flower Mart

XOXO

UNICORNS AND FAIRIES

2010-04-15T19:55:00.005-05:00

Do you ever wish that you were 6 years old again? Some days I do. They were so simple! Your biggest worry was if your parents would let you stay outside and play past dark so that you could catch a lightning bug. A few weeks ago I had the pleasure to nanny for three little darlings. Grayson and Addie are 4 and 2 respectively and are brother and sister. Their sweet friend Paise came over to play that evening as well. I must tell you that I was extremely excited and decided to bring my favorite childhood movie over for them to enjoy. The Last Unicorn. I own it, however it is on VHS so I don't get around to watching it too often. The Last Unicorn is about a beautiful unicorn who figures out that she is the last one on earth. The rest of the unicorns are being held captive by the Red Bull. She begins a journey to find and save her fellow unicorn family.

Well, Paise had many questions for me about unicorns, the most important of which was, "Erin, are unicorns real?" There is only one good way of answering this question. I replied, "Well, some people say they are not; however I believe in my heart that they are real." This made Paise very excited in which she responded, "Oh, Erin! That is EXACTLY how I feel about fairies! My mother says that every time you hear a "biiiiiiiiiiiing" that a fairy has just been born." This was of course an opportune time for my cell phone to go off with a text message a few rooms away. Hearing this, Paise started jumping up and down with excitement exclaiming, "Did you hear that, Erin. A fairy has JUST been born!"

Don't you wish that we could be so excited about beautiful make-believes? I still think it is fun. A few days later I was reading Anne of Windy Poplars and Anne was writing a letter to her beloved Gilbert about a map of fairyland that she was making with her young next door neighbor, Elizabeth. I loved the passage so I thought I would share.

"Our map isn't completed yet..... every day we think of something more to go in it. Last night we located the house of the Witch of the Snow and drew a triple hill, covered completely by wild cherry trees in bloom, behind it. (By the way, I want some wild cherry trees near our house of dreams, Gilbert.) Of course we have a Tomorrow on the map....located east of Today and west of Yesterday.....and we have no end of 'times' in fairyland. Spring-time, long time, short time, new-moon time, good-night time, next time.....but no last time, because that is too sad a time for fairyland; old time, young time.....because if there is an old time there ought to be a young time, too; mountain time....because that has such a fascinating sound; night-time and day-time...but no bed-time or school-time; Christmas-time; no only time, because that is also too sad....but lost time, because it is so nice to find it; some time, good time, fast time, slow time, half-past kissing time, going-home time, and time immemorial...which is one of the most beautiful phrases in the world. And we have cunning little red arrows pointing everywhere. But, oh, Gilbert, don't let's ever grow too old and wise....no, not too old and silly for fairyland." - Anne Shirley

XOXO

THE SWEETEST MONTH

2010-04-13T14:50:00.020-05:00

It appears that I have not been doing too well on keeping up with my blog these last few weeks. Life has been very hectic with school and work, but there is light at the end of the tunnel. I am 99% sure that I will be in school full time this summer and fall which means....that I will be graduating with my masters in exactly one year. I am so excited. And thankful.

So, spring weather is here and it is getting warm very early. I love watching the flowers bloom and the trees grow. Except not my tree, since Treeman cut it off without my permission and it is not growing back. If you do not know this story, then please feel free to ask at any time. I got especially excited this morning because I gave myself stickers for more accomplished New Year Initiatives. I have now accomplished these five additional goals for the year. They are as follows:

Since I did not cheat during Lent, and did not have one Coke at all, I felt that warranted a Drink More Water sticker. And I have not yet gone on my road trip, however it is happening two weeks from tomorrow. I am headed to Destin, Florida for five days of wonderful, beachy nothing. Surrounding myself with sunshine and laughter and probably a few books and magazines. I borrowed my parents record player when I was at home a few weeks ago as they don't use it very often....so it has a new home. I feel like I need to focus in on "The Winter Rose" a little bit, as it is extremely dear to my heart. Dear in the sense that I looooooove it. It is the second book in "The Tea Rose" trilogy by Jennifer Donnelly. The only disheartening part of reading these books is that the third one will not be out until 2011 and I am not sure if I can wait that long!!!! LUCKILY, I have something that should tide me over which I will get to later. But the thing is, you should probably read this book. I absolutely love historical fiction, but I especially love it when there is romance as well some mystery or thriller type of moments.....since you have to start with the first book, I will supply you a little bit of information below (aka the back of the book) and hopefully you will go to your library and get it immediately. It is a rather long book (700 pages-ish?), however I read it in a week. What is really crazy, is that it took the author eleven years to write and get this published. She went and lived in England and learned the dialect and the culture. Very interesting.

East London, 1888 - a city apart. A place of shadow and light where thieves, whores and dreamers mingle, where children play in the cobbled streets by day and a killer stalks at night. Where shining hopes meet the darkest truths.

Here, by the whispering waters of the Thames, a bright, defiant young woman dares to dream of a life beyond tumbledown wharves, gaslit alleys, and the grim and crumbling dwellings of the poor.

Fiona Finnegan, a worker in a tea factory, hopes to own a shop one day, together with her lifelong love, Joe Bristow, a costermonger's son. With nothing but their faith in each other to spur them on, Fiona and Joe struggle, save and sacrifice to achieve their dreams.

But Fiona's plans are shattered when the actions of a dark and brutal man force her to flee London for New York. There, her indomitable spirit – and the ghosts of her past – propel her rise from a modest West Side shop front to the top of Manhattan's tea trade.

Fiona's old ghosts do not rest quietly, however, and to silence them, she must venture back to the London of her childhood, where a deadly confrontation with her past becomes the key to her future.

The Tea Rose is a towering old-fashioned story, imbued with a modern sensibility, of a family's destruction, of murder and revenge, of love lost and won again, and of one determined woman's quest to survive and triumph.

Authentic and moving, The Tea Rose is an unforgettable novel – one certain to take its place beside such enduring epics as A Woman of Substance, The Thornbirds, and The Shell Seekers.

Cherry Blossom Trees and Tulips

My Dear Courtney's Wedding! Oh, Love!

Beaches

Book Club....yet to be named

My Puppy Love Tee

Kickball Teams

People who Dream

GLEE starting back tonight!

Kelli's Kindergarten Class

Cottages

Margaritas

She & Him: Volume Two

I have lived through much, and now I think I have found what is needed for happiness. A quiet secluded life in the country, with the possibility of being useful to people to whom it is easy to do good, and who are not accustomed to have it done to them; then work which one hopes may be of some use; then rest, nature, books, music, love for one’s neighbor — such is my idea of happiness. -Leo Tolstoy

PRESTON'S BIRTHDAY!!!

XOXO

GHOSTS THAT AREN'T SCARY

2010-03-25T19:22:00.013-05:00

I love pretty tunes! I could go on and on today about music. Like the cotton slogan. It's the fabric of our lives. A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of seeing an old friend from high school play some pretty melodies here in Nashville. I would have written about this a while back, however, I felt the need for a few old school/blackmail pictures to include. At this moment, I am back in Memphis and was able to get some pictures scanned from our world's pre-digital days. Enjoy.

So, my friend from high school, Trey, and his family went for a drink and then headed over to The End on Elliston to see sweet friend Brandon Kinder and his band The Rocketboys. A.) Music = Enchanting B.)Their t-shirts are very soft and comfortable. C.) Brandon's voice is so clear live. Heart.

I bought the full album 20,000 Ghosts on iTunes and can't stop listening. My personal favorite that tends to be on repeat is the song All the Western Winds. I love it. So for your listening pleasure I have included a video of my favorite AS WELL as some cute pictures from high school.

SENIOR TRIP IN HIGH SCHOOL

BRANDON PRACTICING HIS SKILLS

LOVE. LOVE. LOVE.

P.S. The Rockeboys

P.P.S. Soft T-shirts are Important

XOXO

STRAWBERRIES!!!!

2010-03-14T17:20:00.013-05:00

Okay. Not exactly strawberries, however, I am loving this blog! Have you read it before? It is called Strawberry Koi and focuses on vintage style. So much inspiration can be drawn from the pretty outdoor photographs and whimsical clothing. I LOVE IT! You should probably add it to your favorites. Heart!

Strawberry Koi

XOXO

Rain, Naked Juice, and Springtime

2010-03-12T09:43:00.025-06:00

As I sit here writing, it is pouring down rain outside. Apparently most of my neighborhood has no power. Luckily, I am not one of those people and here I am typing away on a computer that is plugged in and full of power. Sorry, neighbors!

So, I haven't written in a while and I think an update is necessary. I have had ALOT going on as of late and it is sometimes a bit overwhelming. I am working hard at school right now. I am pretty sure that I have read more this semester than I did in my entire four and a half years of undergraduate studies. My brain feels a bit fried. I am looking forward to my trip home to Memphis in two weeks. Five days of doing absolutely nothing. I am ahead on my school work, won't be working, and plan on just RELAXING. Hopefully the weather will be pretty!!!!! I so enjoy getting excited about Spring!

LENT UPDATE: I have NOT cheated. Janae and I both have gone three weeks without a coke! Yes, there have been headaches. I am taking two Advil Migraine a day right now which is probably not the healthiest choice, however, I think the headaches should fade soon. I don't really know long they typically last, but I am ready for them to go away.

Since I can't have cokes, I am becoming more open to other beverages including my new favorite...NAKED JUICE! Yum! Have you had one???? My favorite so far is Red Machine which consists of raspberries, strawberries, and pomegranate! I am pretty sure I will be running to my local Whole Foods and stocking up on every flavor immediately. I am particularly anxious to try Peach Mangosteen Bliss! MMMMMMM!!!

NAKED JUICE

I just bought my Steeplechase ticket!

The Rockeboys

Becoming more aware of my thoughts

BRUNCH

I have begun reading "The Winter Rose" by Jennifer Donnelly. Please note that this is on my New Year initiative list and I will receive a sticker!

Forgiveness

Rich Ramsey

Queen B is back. Need I say more?

J. Crew bathing suits

XOXO

Piece of Cake

2010-03-03T00:15:00.004-06:00

I love this. I don't think I have to say anything more. I'm tempted....Precious.

Piece of Cake

XOXO

A Toast to Margot Elena

2010-02-27T15:50:00.007-06:00

If you do not know this woman then you should. My hands send out their eternal thanks for getting this girl to put any type of moisturizer on them. If you don't know, Margot Elena is the beauty entrepreneur who has brought us three luxurious brands: Lollia, Tokyomilk, and now Love & Toast. I am a huge sucker for any item where it looks like someone took the time with the packaging, so I was not disappointed with the lovely, whimsical detailing. OR the various scents. Yum. My favorite is Love & Toast's PAPER FLOWER which I purchased at The Cosmetic Market. First of all, I think that is quite a romantic name for a hand lotion. Second of all, it smells DELICIOUS. And three....the tube it is in is precious.

THE COSMETIC MARKET

LOVE & TOAST

Now, I do have another favorite. You can never limit yourself to just one. And I have my mom addicted as well, and she is VERY picky about hand lotion (Love you, Mom!). WISH from the Lollia line is divine. And you can buy in giant candle form if you are particularly obsessed. Since you know I love adjectives and descriptions more than anything, I must list the description given. I couldn't write this any better myself.

"A burst of Italian bergamot mingles with notes of cinnamon and pepper, rice flower with accents of jasmine and ylang ylang, all wrapped in sheer amber woods and vanilla bean." -Lollia

UMMMMMM......HEAVENLY.

LOLLIA

Now, I have not bought anything from TokyoMilk, but I did browse through what they had available today and it smelled great. What I loved EVEN MORE was that on their website they also have greeting cards available that are sweeeeet. This one was my favorite. ENJOY!

TOKYOMILK

XOXO

SWEETHEARTS

2010-02-19T00:10:00.011-06:00

As promised, a little Valentine's Day weekend update. So- Valentine's Day. Not my favorite holiday of the year. But I don't hate it. I know there are alot of people who are very anti-this day, however I think it is nice to celebrate the love....

PRETTY FLOWERS

Saturday started off fantastic with my Pampered Chef party. I always enjoy having some of my favorite people over at once. It makes my life happy :) So we cooked and drank mimosas with strawberries. My favorite moment may have been when multiple people mistook my homemade fruit tea for orange juice and ended up having fruit tea mimosas. Yuck. Or potentially Preston's amazing reading skills. Or that we nominated each other for various cooking tasks. I still can't decide. So here are a few cute pictures of my pretty friends cooking. Yuuuuum! We had breakfast casserole!

Matty practicing his baking skills for Sven and Lily

Lauren, Kel, and Linds

That evening a group of us went to see Valentine's Day. It was exactly like I expected and everything that I hoped it would be. It made me laugh most of the time, but I was able to cry a solitary tear. Taylor Swift made me laugh the most. And I might have fallen in love with Bradley Cooper again. Another favorite? THE PREVIEWS! Letters to Juliet? The Last Song? YES. From there we went to have some food and drinks at Jackson's. I loved their Valentine's menu. They had a "cheap date" menu and "break-up drinks". Next year, if you need a good laugh, I would suggest Jackson's takeout V-day menu.

SUNDAY. I went to church and was reminded of the ultimate love which cannot be earned or bought and is always so readily available. We had our community group that night and it was so fun! We exchanged cards, ate cookies, and read verses about love. A round of applause is in order for Janae's crafty Valentine's magnet for my fridge! ALSO, I LOVE scriptures and quotes about love. So in the spirit of a belated Valentine's Day, I will share. LOVE!

Valentine's Day crafts!

As God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. -Colossians 3:12-14

You were never poor as long as you had something to love. -L.M. Montgomery

The way that you smile, makes me high

I remember the sunlight, shining down in your eyes

Let's go down to the ocean, true love of mine

-MINDY SMITH

Janae and I before the movie!

at Jackson's

XOXO

CONFESSIONS AND CURRENT LOVE

2010-02-17T14:06:00.010-06:00

So, it is now time to confess. Today is the first day of Lent. No, I am not Catholic, however I did attend Catholic school for a while growing up, so I learned about it at an early age.

First Grade Class at St. Agnes

Two years ago I gave up fried food. I did pretty well, however I was informed by friends later on that Chinese food was indeed fried, so I didn't succeed completely. Last year I gave up alcohol. Again, I cheated. Twice. In my defense, I did get laid off of my job and I went to dinner and my dad had a glass of wine waiting for me on the table. Okay, no excuses. So, this year I am giving up something near and dear to my heart. I have a love relationship with Diet Coke. Probably 3-4 a day. I gave up cokes for a minute in college. At the time I was not aware that you were to expect headaches when you gave up caffeine. I had a migraine for four days straight and insisted to the school nurse that I had a brain tumor and she had to do something to help me.

But I think I am meant to give Diet Coke up. Janae called me last night and said that is what she is giving up for Lent and two is always better than one. I was still on the fence. Then I turned on the television and there was a doctors show on discussing all of the harmful effects Diet Coke has. Nothing I haven't heard before, however I still felt it was a little sign. And then there was only one left in my refrigerator. So here goes. 40 days. I have also made an agreement with myself that if I do this successfully I get a sticker on my New Year's Initiatives List which is "Drink More Water". I think by giving one up I will be able to achieve the other. I will keep you updated on the headaches that are likely to occur in my near future.

All of that to say, I am really loving my pretty mug from Natural Life that I got at Davis-Kidd. On the inside it says "Love the Moment"....so this morning I drank some delicious Cranberry-Apple Tea out of it. I am pretty sure I am going to become better acquainted with this mug over the next forty days. Isn't it cute? Natural Life has a great website, too. I bought a really cute bag from them for my friend Lauren for Christmas. GREAT GIFTS.

NATURAL LIFE

And as long as we are talking about tea, I have stocked up on several different flavors such as Vanilla Chai, Herbal Mint, and Cranberry-Apple. I was taken back to what "Stuff White People Like" has to say about tea obsessions. If you haven't read this, please do. HILARIOUS.

STUFF WHITE PEOPLE LIKE # 13: TEA

So, I still have much to update you about. Especially my fun Valentine's Day weekend. But that will have to wait....expect it maybe Thursday or Friday...along with some other exciting news! Heart!

XOXO

FEBRUARY SNOW DAYS AND SAMOA ICE CREAM

2010-02-03T23:51:00.019-06:00

OH, 'tis February. The month of love. I will be honest...February is typically my LEAST favorite month of the year. Why, you may ask? A few reasons in no particular order:

a) the holidays have passed and I have typically gained my holiday ten
b) My skin is officially pasty
c) Valentine's Day is thrown into the mix
c) It is cold, and I am aching for warmer days

PLAYING IN THE SNOW

HOWEVER, this February has started off on a good note and I have not been afflicted by my typical February Blues. I will update you at the end of February and let you know if they stayed at bay for the whole month. Since the second month of the year has begun, I feel that it is necessary to update you about my New Year initiatives and where I stand in accomplishing them. After all, it is you who hold me accountable :) I will be honest. My long term goals are coming along okay. This consists of continuing writing, loving, doing things I typically would not do aka being more adventurous, trusting God, and eating more vegetables. Unfortunately, I will not get a sticker until the end of year. But all of the initiatives that could be easily accomplished in one evening have not. These include: taking some time to look at the stars and making a homemade pie. The year is already slipping away. So, my goal for February is to atleast accomplish two of my "could be completed in one night" initiatives by the 28th! I will update you!

On another note, I have recently had many adventures. Last weekend consisted of Nashville's version of the Ice Age. Not kidding. If you know me well, you know that I CRAVE snow and ice. Not because I particularly love cold, because I hate it. But if I am going to endure cold weather then nothing could be more exciting than being snowed in and being made to relax and play with my friends. One of my favorite snowed in memories is from Little Rock four years ago (also in February!). I was living with my two best friends Elizabeth and Courtney and we got snowed into our apartment. We had recently graduated from college and moved to Little Rock with each other. There were three of us in a two bedroomm apartment and we were LOVING it. The ice storm prevented any of us from going to work and we spent the weekend in Valentine's Day themed "pajamas", watched Sex and the City, and ate Edy's Girl Scouts Samoas Cookie ice cream. If you haven't had Samoa Ice Cream before, then you should. It might change your life. (After further research on Edy's website it looks like this flavor is NOT available at ANY store within 50 miles of Nashville! SAD DAY!)

EDY'S GIRL SCOUTS SAMOA COOKIE ICE CREAM

Nashville's snow storm provided everything I could desire given the situation. First of all, BFF Lauren moved in with me two weeks ago from Little Rock so she was around for the fun. On top of that, Paris Hilton's BFF Janae came over and spent the weekend with me. DISCLAIMER: Janae is not REALLY Paris Hilton's BFF, however if Paris met her then it would probably happen. So, the weekend consisted of lots of bad-for-you foods, sappy movies, dance parties, snow fights, laughter, and a hike to Las Palmas for margaritas. Janae and I had one adventurous outing consisting of a drive to buy some wine, Starbucks, and food and ended in a stalled car and a walk home with groceries in hand. ANOTHER exciting initiative for the year? Janae and I decided we are not romantic enough....or atleast educated in the department of romantic movies.

ROMANCE MOVIES LIST

CONFESSION: I have never seen Casablanca, Sleepless in Seattle, When Harry Met Sally, Gone With the Wind.....and the list goes on.

So, we made a list of romantic movies that we feel like we should see before we die. There are a few that we have seen, but should probably watch again. Our goal is to watch all of them by the end of the year. I'm not going to lie- Janae and I together equal two hopeless romantics who like crafts, so we made lists to put on my refrigerator....and, yes, we do receive stickers as soon as we finish each movie! ****BTW, I ALSO MADE A LIST OF MY NEW YEAR INITIATIVES**** We managed to knock a few off of the list when we were trapped inside. We finished Sleepless in Seattle, Steel Magnolias, The Graduate, and Serendipity over the weekend. I have seen Serendipity before and own it, but was reminded of how much I LOVE IT. And the soundtrack! Please go to ITUNES and buy Moonlight Kiss by Bap Kennedy immediately.

DANCE PARTY

God's daily revelations

my new vanity I bought on Craigslist. I really enjoy sitting and doing my makeup somewhere other than my bathroom

starting Beth Moore's new book "So Long, Insecurity" and getting to meet her NEXT THURSDAY!

my guilty pleasure- Justin Bieber's new song "Baby"

contentment

my community group....LOVE THESE GIRLS!

The Bachelor... I am still in limbo on whether it should be Ali or Tenley....

my curtains I got in for my kitchen from Urban Outfitters. They make me smile every morning when I see them

my new gold headband/wrap that was a Christmas present from Lauren. It allows me to pin my hair up and look like I tried to look presentable when it is quite the opposite....

my new bangs!

Scholarships....YES!

My professor, Dr. Alyson Bass- too bad all teacher's aren't that awesome.

Usher, Celine Dion, Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Hudson, and Smokey Robinson's MJ Tribute at the Grammy Awards. OMG. Who thought of that?

NOT THE BEST PICTURE....BUT MY PRETTY KITCHEN CURTAINS

HOPEFULLY I will have a picture of me and Beth Moore to post NEXT WEEK. And I shall update you about my (hopeful!) lack of the February Blues!!!

Here are a few other recent pictures from life as well!!!

Lauren's "Welcome to Her New Home!" Party

SOMETIMES I FORGET TO TAKE CERTAIN ITEMS OUT OF MY FREEZER

MORE SNOW!!!!! WITH JANAE AND LAUREN!!!

XOXO

NOLENSVILLE FEED MILL: AN AMISH COUNTRY MARKET

2010-01-28T08:53:00.010-06:00

As you know, my dear friends, I truly enjoy discovering a new restaurant, boutique, or any other hidden treasure. SOOOOOOO last week I went out to Nolensville to pick out a few items for my house at Three French Hens. I ended up getting there about thirty minutes before opening, so I wandered across the street to the only place that was open. It is this moment, that I encounter The Feed Mill. OH MY GOSH. Since I was the only person in the store, I taste-tested practically everything in the store. All of the product are local from Tennessee. They sell fresh cheeses (um, they had Blueberry Cheddar Cheese. Delish), milk, pie fillings, jams,veggie chips, chocolates, fresh bread, and much more. All local. I ended up coming home with two pie fillings (peach and key lime with which I plan on making my homemade pie from my New Year Initiative list!) and some FROG jam. Do not be alarmed about the FROG jam. Initially they told me that, yes, it was indeed made of FROG legs, but this is a lie. It actually stands for Fig, Raspberry, Orange Marmalade, and Ginger. BEST Jam I have ever tasted. So....it is now another place to add to my list of secret spots. So fun.

XOXO

A FAIRYTALE...AS ALWAYS

2010-01-19T22:48:00.012-06:00

Love, love, love her! and this song...

XOXO

BITTERSWEET DESIGNS

2010-01-12T17:27:00.007-06:00

So many of you know that I have wanted to write since I was little. Other than this blog, I recently began journaling again. You may not think that it is important to have a "special" journal and that any piece of paper will do, however I have recently realized that this is an incorrect notion....or at least in my case. I have bought several journals over the past few years promising myself that this year I would begin again. In middle school and part of high school I was addicted to journaling and writing, but as I grew older I made less time for it and eventually it was nonexistent. With that said, I have a million empty journals in boxes.

Back in November I decided there would be no more excuses and I would begin writing out my thoughts once again. Along came my "Whimsies" journal. At first I could not fathom spending this small fortune on a journal and resisted the temptation. After a month of returning to its location and drooling over it, I made the plunge and it was mine. Good choice, since I can't seem to fill it up fast enough.

My "Whimsies" Journal

So, why is my Whimsies journal special? Bittersweet Designs makes composition books, baby books, pictures frames, photo albums, and jewelry out of vintage wallpaper, silk ribbons, vintage chains, and sparkling stones making each item unique. As far as I know the only place to purchase their line in Nashville is Lulu on Main Street in Downtown Franklin. Other than that you can check out their products online and inquire about a retailer near you.

BITTERSWEET DESIGNS

XOXO

PRAYERS LATELY

2010-01-11T00:25:00.008-06:00

THE GLORIOUS UNSEEN

So what have I been praying about recently? Ironically, prayer. The last several weeks have been full of "I just don't knows" for me and some of my close friends. Some of my friends are making some big life changing decisions regarding their careers, locations, finances, etc. Personally, I have been struggling with giving my future to the Lord and admitting that I just don't know what is next....and being at peace with that. On top of that, I have had people close to me dealing with unexpected illnesses with their friends and families. Through all of these things, God has lead me to focus on prayer and how to pray. For the past several days I have been reading and studying what the Bible says about prayer and what I have learned is how without even realizing it, I have been doubting God. Here are several of the verses that I found...

"This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know he hears us- whatever we ask- we know that we have what we asked of him." - 1 John 5:14-15

"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all of your heart." - Jeremiah 29:13

"Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart." - Psalm 37:4

"But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord." - James 1:7

"When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures." - James 4:3

"If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him?" -Matthew 7:11

and finally....and this is a long one....

"Have faith in God," Jesus answered. "I tell you the truth. If anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." - Mark 11:22-24

What I found reiterated over and over, is that we are commanded to not doubt God, and to believe that what we have asked has happened. I then started to think about all of the "safe" prayers I have prayed over the years. I have simply not asked for things so that I didn't run the risk of ever being disappointed in him. How selfish of me and how silly to even try and put God in a box. I am called to pray bold prayers and to believe in those prayers. For those who are sick, God will heal them. For those who are lost, God has revealed himself to them. For those suffering that God will comfort them. And for the desires of my heart, God will bless me with those. I guess I am now challenging myself in this new year, to pray in a new way. To pray boldly and to be confident that my prayers will be heard and answered. Below are a few people that I ask for complete healing for and I ask that you do as well.

LITTLE LANA

BRENT ADAMS

LAUREN SETZLER

I'll just end on one final verse and it is off to bed.

"Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." - James 5:13-16

LOVING ALWAYS,

FANCY TODAY

2010-01-10T23:35:00.008-06:00

I think I am in love with this dress. I mean....if anyone out there is in the mood to buy me a dress and send it this way....I will gladly accept :) Just kidding, but how cute is this? And if you don't check out ModCloth's website you should. FANTASTIC. Not to mention I get very excited that they actually name their clothing. I think it makes it much more interesting to shop and call clothes by their name. For instance, this dress is called the "Whipped Cream on Top" dress. I think that would make it much easier to discuss your clothing choices with friends if every outfit had a name....just a thought.

PRETTY DRESS

XOXO

THE PERCH might be my new obsession....

2010-01-06T20:32:00.003-06:00

Have you ever been somewhere and INSTANTLY fallen in love. Well, it has happened today. My BFF Matty called me this afternoon super excited because he looooooves crepes and hasn't been able to find anywhere in Nashville that has them. In comes THE PERCH. I tried to put off going until next week, but Matt would not have this. He would be at my house in thirty minutes and we were going to eat crepes immediately. So.....an hour later we have arrived. Let's just say it is DARLING. Very small- just a few tables. Just the way I like it. Definitely one of those places you could go by yourself and sit for hours reading and drinking coffee.

Now, not only was it precious, but the menu was small and full of deliciousness. Also please note that my friends know how excited I get when I see a menu full of adjectives describing desserts. They get a kick out of it and make me read the menu to them out loud. I am pretty sure there is nowhere else in Nashville where you can consume an Orange Creamsicle Latte (candied orange and white chocolate) or a Smurf Latte (white cholate and blueberry). They had several types of crepes, but I chose the "healthiest" on the menu which was the Smore's Crepe- filled with marshmellows, hershey bars, and crushed graham cracker. Pretty sure I died and went to heaven. On top of that I had their Cinnaroll Latte. Mmmmmmm! Matt and I are extremely excited about our discovery and have decided that it will be our secret spot. But here I am sharing about it, so I guess it's not a secret anymore. You should probably try it out.

THE PERCH

My Yummy Smore's Crepe

XOXO

WHAT IF THE WORLD STOPS TURNING......

2010-01-06T01:08:00.000-06:00

So I LOVE music....and you probably already know how much I adore Mindy Smith- HOWEVER, I discovered a song on one of her Long Island Shores album which I hadn't really listened to and now it is my new favorite of the week. The lyrics are sweet and beautiful ofcourse. LOVE HER.

XOXO

NEW YEAR: SIMPLE PLEASURES

2010-01-05T00:17:00.000-06:00

Hi Lovies! So, yes, here I am starting out on this whole blog thing for a few reasons. One, most of my pretty friends are getting married, having babies, and starting blogs. So I should probably keep up. Two, I like writing and remembering- so this is the best of both worlds. <3

So, it is a New Year and really I can't believe that it is 2010. I started thinking about where I was 10 years ago on New Years and had the sweet memory of being very sick and missing a NYE celebration with my best friends from high school at Shannon Wilhite's house. We were 16 and were super excited about drinking sparkling grape juice out of champagne glasses. This year was definitely fun and a nice start. Nothing like good friends and 80's music to kick off a new decade. Here is a picture of my good friends Jenny, Janae, and I dressed in our festive New Years Eve garb before heading out.

Growing up, we always spent New Year's Day at our friend Roy Robbin's home on Mud Island in Downtown Memphis. It is one of the most memorable traditions I have of growing up, and hope that one day I will be able to have something like that in my home. Roy always has all of his close friends over for a "drop-in" meal throughout the day. Some of the menu items typically included are homemade bar-b-que shrimp, seafood gumbo, raspberry cheesecake, and sweet potato and pecan pie with Chantilly cream sauce. Probably the best meal I eat all year. But this year New Year's Day was spent in Nashville and was very pleasant. Janae spent the night with me and we woke up, watched Breakfast at Tiffany's in our PJ's, and ordered pizza. AND THEN!!! it was time for the New Year's resolutions. Since I am currently very content with life, I thought I should make a list of fun things I want to do or accomplish this year. I am still not done with my list, but here are a few of my favorites......

Watch the sunset from somewhere high up with a bottle of wine....and a friend

Finish learning to play the piano

Road trip with no plans

Find somewhere dark in Nashville and watch the stars for a while

DECK FURNITURE!!! - so I can actually utilize my pretty deck

WRITE

Praying specifically

Send more cards just because

Finish the Anne of Avonlea series....(I'm on book 3. L.M. Montgomery is the best thing that ever happened to girls who love adjectives)

Plant a pretty garden

Buy a shaggy rug for in front of my fireplace

Multi-media collage

Make a homemade pie

Go horseback riding (Pretty sure it has been at least 10 years....)

Build a pillow fort and watch movies like when I was 10

Do something I wouldn't normally do (I feel that this has been accomplished with the fact that I just bought a pair of skinny jeans...that counts right?)

Have a picnic

Keep an open heart

Trust God daily

Love.

So- to 2010. I think it is going to be a year of special moments with new friends and old, a year of growth, a year of love, and a year of simple pleasures.

"I believe the nicest and sweetest days are not those on which anything very splendid or wonderful or exciting happens, but just those that bring simple little pleasures, following one another softly, like pearls slipping off a string." - L.M. Montgomery in Anne of Avonlea

XOXO