I'm alive, I promise!

Sorry about the lag in posts! I went from being able to use the internet 24/7, to not at all. But I'm staying at my aunt's house for the night, so yay 24/7 internet again! Well, for at least tonight haha. (I can't wait to get back to school to have unlimited internet again)

I'm kind of overwhelmed. I'm just worried about about all these things that don't seem to be coming together. Prayers would be lovely. Everything in my life is actually so up in the air. It's driving me absolutely crazy. When can things start working out for the better? I'd like for it to be right now please!

Anyways, I can't say I feel any better, but here's to wishin' and hopin'. 

Later!

Home.

So, I recently became addicted to American Idol (no thanks to my parents.. I really don't need another show to watch!). Philip Phillips was this years winner. My parents especially loved him because he sounds like Dave Matthews. Philip Phillips has an AMAZING voice and I'm really glad that he won. This song was written for whoever won American Idol and I feel it really showcases his voice (even though he said in an interview that he doesn't even like this song).

Just thought I'd share a great song. Here's another song called Home by the amazing serenader, Michael Bublé.

"Home"

Hold on, to me as we go
As we roll down this unfamiliar road
And although this wave is stringing us along
Just know you’re not alone
Cause I’m going to make this place your home

Settle down, it'll all be clear
Don't pay no mind to the demons
They fill you with fear
The trouble it might drag you down
If you get lost, you can always be found

Just know you’re not alone
Cause I’m going to make this place your home

Settle down, it'll all be clear
Don't pay no mind to the demons
They fill you with fear
The trouble it might drag you down
If you get lost, you can always be found

Just know you’re not alone
Cause I’m going to make this place your home 

Pinterest.

So, I have a small obsession with this glorious thing called Pinterest. 
For those unfortunate souls who haven't heard of Pinterest.... It's an online bulletin board basically where you can "pin" pictures ranging from recipes to weddings and everything else in between. 
It's basically every girl's dream come true. There are SO many ideas and most of them show you how to do it (which is even better).

Because of pinterest, I am going to have to get married at least twice, have at least 100 parties, have 20 children, be in the kitchen for 2 years straight cooking, spend another year doing all the work outs to work off all the weight I gained from the food, need a house with 100 rooms that I can decorate (and redecorate), AND have one side of my house completely dedicated to just my wardrobe alone.


I have a problem, I think.

Do they have groups to fix this addiction?

Here are some of my favorite pins. Enjoy. Follow me on pinterest if you like! =)

Where Is The Love.

Wow. Just today as been. Wow. 

I just wanted to take the time to express my deepest sympathy to each and every one of the victims (and their families). An event that should have been fun and exciting ended in chaos and grief. I am praying for each and every one of the people in attendance and of course, the victims and the wounded. 

It's a horrible thing to realize when something as simple as attending a midnight premiere of an amazing blockbuster film could end in such tragedy and turmoil. It's like nowhere is safe anymore, which is so sad. It's even more sad to realize that we are living in a world where violence seems to be the answer. I found a couple lines of lyrics to the song "Where Is The Love" by Black Eyed Peas (hence the blog entry title) that I wanted to share:

"Whatever happened to the values of humanity
Whatever happened to the fairness in equality
Instead of spreading love we're spreading animosity
Lack of understanding, leading us away from unity."

(Here is the rest of the lyrics if you care to refresh your memory.)

I just hope that one day, America (and every country for that matter) can be a country where everyone is safe. An America where we can go on an airplane without it being flown into a building, or enlist in the military without having the fear of going overseas and coming back in a coffin, or taking an every day pleasure and go to the movies and not be afraid of getting shot. It's things like this that make me not proud to be an American. Especially when it takes catastrophic events to bring us together as a country. It's just not right. Or fair. Especially to those who aren't alive because of those actions. I am not taking this even to get on my soapbox and I am very sorry if it came across that way. 

(Some friends of mine actually live in Aurora and were at a different movie theater at the same time watching the midnight premiere of The Dark Knight Rises. I am so thankful that they are okay.)

Just because this has happened doesn't mean you should protest Warner Bros or movie theaters or Christopher Nolan or the Batman franchise. Please don't do that. They had no intention of causing this nor is it anyone's fault, except for the man who did this.Still go out and enjoy life and live it to the fullest. You only have one life to live. How do you choose to spend it?

Remember:

I hope and pray that God grants each individual peace and serenity that were affected by today. It doesn't make sense, but God will bring you through it. 

God Bless.

Life Is A Show.

So, I went to Oak's Park today with my cousins, 2 best friends, and my mama, and younger sister. I left my camera at home, so no pictures to show our fun times. I really need to invest in a camera... Or just remember to bring my hand-me-down camera that's in one of my many bags. Oh well.

Other than going to Oak's Park, I didn't do much else. Oh, but I am obsessed with about 5 different tv shows right now. Curse you, Netflix!

You should definitely check out:

LOVE this show!!!

Roommate got me hooked on this show!!

Sister got me hooked on this amazing show.

Got hooked on this show while I lived in China.

Another one the roommate got me hooked on.

Never guess how I started watching this one...

Oh and check out these blogs too! They're favorited on my internet browser (Firefox, by the way). 

• Life in Technicolor. Written by a really sweet gal named Gracie. She's mormon and just writes really down-to-earth things about herself and her husband and their life together. I actually borrowed some of her blog format. You'll see. =)
• Lauren Elizabeth. Also a sweet gal that is mormon. She's family friends with Gracie. I found Lauren's blog from Gracie's and have been hooked ever since. Lauren went to BYU and majored in Clothing Design and is now currently an event planner (which is what I want to be, which you can read about here).
• Petalsbyxavi. I am in LOVE with this blog! It's all about weddings and it's super awesome and gives you a bunch of DIY projects for weddings like guest favors, bridesmaids gifts, etc. Like I said, I'm absolutely in LOVE!.

Well it's bed-time for me.
Until next time!

Part of Me.

I am SO excited!
Tomorrow, I get to see my beautiful baby sister, Arianna.
She's coming to spend a couple days with me and my mom.
A bunch of us (myself, my 2 cousins, Christian and Braden, Christian's friend, my younger sister, my mama, and my friends, Halley and Mirradawn) are going to Oaks Park tomorrow and I'm excited to spend the day with Ari (and the rest of them, of course).

Uncle Chocolate

Yesterday, at church, a man named Willie Franklin spoke. You may have heard of him. He was an NFL player turned minister and is pretty much a Church of Christ household name.

 
Anywho, he'd been in Vancouver since last Tuesday and spoke to Hazel Dell Church of Christ about evangelism last Wednesday-Sunday.  I wasn't able to go Wednesday-Friday because one thing after another came u (i.e. great-grandma in hospital, babysitting...) But I was able to go yesterday and was super glad I went because it really helped me renew my slipping faith.

The past 2 years have been super difficult for me. I won't go into too many details this time, but I've just had A LOT of family issues. It's been especially hard for me to deal with because I've been at school and everything was happening back at home. But of course I had to stay at school, so I was feeling 50 different emotions all at once.

Everything just kept piling up and piling up like one big, awful mountain and I couldn't handle it anymore. So I slept. And slept. And got sick. And then slept some more. I tried to occupy my time with school, work, and Iota Chi to fill that hole in my heart. Growing up in a religious family, I know it was silly for me to try and fill that void with things other than God, but I was mad about everything that was happening and I just didn't feel like going to church. I justified it by the fact that I had chapel Monday thru Friday and Bible every Tuesday and Thursday. But as the semester went on, even Bible class was a struggle to go to. Heck, all my classes were a struggle to go to. It is seriously a miracle that I scraped by with a 2.0 GPA this spring.

Then I went from a super stressful spring to a super stressful summer. My parents' are moving to China in August and so we moved out of their house in Arizona at the end of May and moved in with my sisters' up in Vancouver (not B.C.), WA (not D.C.). My sisters' live in a 2 bedroom apartment. There are 7 people currently living there. It's very close quarters to say the least. There's been some issues there and just issues with the fact that I'm not 1800 miles away to ignore my family issues. We're all in a little apartment having to deal with it all. It's not been a fun or enjoyable time some days.

But yesterday, listening to Willie Franklin preach, really changed me and I'm so glad it did. I was feeling sad and depressed about being sad and depressed and that it was affecting my spiritual life so much since I allowed it to. All it took was to hear one lesson from a phenomenal speaker and I was healed. I went up to Willie after church and said thank you for such a great lesson. He called me sis and then told me that he was praying for me. When I went for evening worship that night, he was really excited to see each and every one of us. He again told me that he was praying for me and then gave me a great big hug when I had to leave. I wish we had more people in the world like Willie Franklin.

Willie reminds me of a passage I read in Shane Claiborne's The Irresistible Revolution. It's a really great book and I always feel so spiritually refreshed after reading it. Buy it, ebook it, or borrow it from the library or a friend. It's life changing. I'll leave you with this quote.

Until next time.

 "And I think that's what our world is desperately in need of - lovers. People who are building deep, genuine relationships with fellow strugglers along the way, and who actually know the faces of the people behind the issues they are concerned about."

-Shane Claiborne

I Won't Give Up.

I heard this song by Jason Mraz the other day on the radio for the first time. I think it would make a great first dance song for whenever that time comes. My mom even said that it could apply to your spiritual life. Enjoy!

When I look into your eyes
It's like watching the night sky
Or a beautiful sunrise
There's so much they hold
And just like them old stars
I see that you've come so far
To be right where you are
How old is your soul?

I won't give up on us
Even if the skies get rough
I'm giving you all my love
I'm still looking up

And when you're needing your space
To do some navigating
I'll be here patiently waiting
To see what you find

'Cause even the stars they burn
Some even fall to the earth
We've got a lot to learn
God knows we're worth it
No, I won't give up

I don't wanna be someone who walks away so easily
I'm here to stay and make the difference that I can make
Our differences they do a lot to teach us how to use
The tools and gifts we got yeah, we got a lot at stake
And in the end, you're still my friend at least we did intend
For us to work we didn't break, we didn't burn
We had to learn how to bend without the world caving in
I had to learn what I've got, and what I'm not
And who I am

I won't give up on us
Even if the skies get rough
I'm giving you all my love
I'm still looking up
Still looking up.

I won't give up on us (no I'm not giving up)
God knows I'm tough enough (I am tough, I am loved)
We've got a lot to learn (we're alive, we are loved)
God knows we're worth it (and we're worth it)

I won't give up on us
Even if the skies get rough
I'm giving you all my love
I'm still looking up 

Gonna Get There Someday.

All during high school and especially during college, my teacher's have always asked "What are your goals in life?" This was kind of hard to imagine, especially in high school when I couldn't even see past my nose. I always hated the question "What do you hope to accomplish by the time your 10 year high school reunion rolls around?" Well, honestly with the high school I attended, I hoped to be as sophisticated (and rich) as I'm sure the rest of my class will already most likely be. I also hoped that we all would've matured enough in the past 10 years to not remember who was in what clique or who hated it. Anyways, I'm off my soap box now.

The point I'm trying to get at is that I wasn't really thinking of substantial goals. And up until recently (like yesterday), I didn't have too many specific goals. I had the whole "I want to get married and have kids and blah, blah, blah" fluffy goals, but only a few goals I could reach in say, 3 months, or a year, or after I graduate (disclaimer: I promise I'm not an airhead and wandering around aimlessly in life). So, I came up with even better ones.

Goals for the end of the Fall semester:

1. Lose 4 pant sizes.
2. Make the dean's list + get straight A's (both semesters). 
3. Save, save, SAVE money!!!

Goals after I graduate:

1. Move to Texas OR New York City.
2.  Get a job as an assistant buyer or event planner.
3. Be out of debt (aside from student loans. Ugh.) 

Life goals:

1. Be a successful world traveling buyer
2. OR be a successful event planner (maybe even have my own business!!)
3. And of course be happily married with 3 wonderful children =)

Ciao for now!

Third times a charm.

Hello blogosphere!

This is my third attempt (yes, I said third) at penning a blog. The other two just ended up being one of those things where I was really good about posting for a month or so, but then it fell off the face of the earth. But, third times a charm, right?

I'm currently on summer break from Harding University. It's a little private Christian liberal arts school (such an oxymoron, huh?) in Searcy, AR. I'm really missing all my friends and just our random trips to Sonic or Wal-Mart, or even Little Rock. Heck, I'm even missing school. I'm a Fashion Merchandising major and I get to take the coolest classes this year! I've taken visual merchandising (which I LOVED), as well as Textiles, History of Fashion, and Apparel Analysis (just to name a few).

Harding University in the Spring.

In the spring, I'll be taking Advanced Apparel Production. Basically, I get to make my own fashion line and then we debut it at the end of the semester. I also get to take Fashion Merchandising Practicum. We get to go to the Atlanta market! We're one of a few school groups who get invited each year. Plus, I've heard the shopping is absolutely amazing. My little fashion heart can't wait!

 My first window display!

I'm also part of this awesome social club called Iota Chi. I pledged my freshmen year (and have the scar to prove it) and have loved every moment since after that week of hell... I mean unity. I have been Service Project Director the past 2 semesters and have been team captain for Relay for Life and planned a dress drive where all the proceeds will be going to our philanthropy, She Dances. As stated on their website, they're an organization who provides holistic restoration for young girls who have been trafficked and sexually exploited in Honduras. Sadly, I won't be able to be Service Project Director this upcoming semester due to a low GPA, but I'll still be active in the club!

 Iota Chi Fall 2011

The girls', minus Rebekah and Rachel.

I'm so excited for this upcoming fall. I'll be living off-campus (with an AWESOME gal, Katie!), have an amazing job at an active retirement home, Harding Place, working in their cafeteria, and be treasurer for the Relay for Life committee! I will be super busy, but I like having lots of things to do and plan for, so I'm pumped.

Well, I better go for now. I'm currently watching my two awesome cousins, Christian and Braden, while their parents are out of town.

Au revoir!