Good Life

I hope everyone is enjoying this gorgeous weather as much as I am! High of 79' with a clear blue sky and gentle breeze! Just wanted to share the perfect song to drive to on these kind of days. I love it! Windows down and this song playing in the background(:

What A Day

*Phew* It's been a crazy busy week that involved running from class to work, class to work, work to lunch with friends, and so on. Thus I have completed (officially) my first full week of college. *Pumps fist to the sky*
Due to a hectic week, and an immense lack of sleep I basically considered today my "lazy day." And I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed it. Slept in late, devoured some piping hot breakfast casserole, took a long relaxing shower, savored a delicious cup of coffee, stayed in my sweats till 2pm, did a little baking, read a good book, drooled over fresh strawberries, and even got some piano playing in. Mmmmmmm, what a day.

And I discovered so many new things!

Check out this hilarious wedding shoot: http://www.glamour.com/weddings/blogs/save-the-date/2011/08/real-wedding-album-barbie-ken.html?mbid=fb_fanpage

I've always wanted to try one of these fun scarves: http://www.affordablescarves.com/shape/loop-scarves/?gclid=CPLD7dmK8aoCFWICQAodejfpQA

She is SO adorable! Lovin' the bow(: http://blog.beatrice-dg.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/JS-031.jpg

This makes me laugh! I adore the European guys fashion: http://myfrenchobsession.blogspot.com/2010/01/guide-to-european-mens-fashion.html

Going along with the above link, not only does he dress great, this guy is adorable. e

Night Rain

Mmmmm I just love a good thunderstorm. Especially at night. I love the sound of the deep rumbling thunder, the brilliant flashes of lightning, and the steady downpour of a heavy rain. It's the perfect nighttime lullaby. If it wasn't so late I'd put on a pot of coffee and curl up with a good book. Guess I'll just have to imagine that for now(: I'm all cozy in my room, and I've got my little flashlight with me in case of a power outage (which would be terribly exciting). I did treat myself to a little snack. Remember the story about the pint sized container of mango ice cream? Well tonight I polished off the remains of Chocolate Deluxe Moose Tracks. Mmmm tasty. It made for a great rainy night snack.

I feel so complete when I stand in the rain.
I feel no sorrow, I feel no pain.
It may give me a cold but I don't care.
There's a calming sensation from grass to air.
The feeling of love I don't have, I'll gain
Because my heart falls open as I stand in the rain
~by Rachel M. Costello

Fashion Fun

I am so ready for fall weather! I simply cannot wait for the cooler temps and all the cute sweaters and hoodies we'll get to wear. Did a little bit of fall shopping today with my best friend. We braved the mall, chowed down on some delicious Chinese food, and ended up with some fun new clothes! Good times. This fall I will be buying some cute chic sweaters, cardigans, dreamy soft sweatshirts and hoodies, as well as so many colored cami's to layer with. I think layering clothes is one of my all time favorite looks. Today I scored a really fun short-sleeved cardigan that is white and raspberry striped. I could wear it with anything! I think my favorite part about going shopping is just looking around and seeing what everybody else is wearing, and how they pair an outfit together. Lately I've been on the hunt for things to wear to work and my classes. I have all morning classes this semester (those will definitely be written about) so I've been looking for things to wear. As my friend so perfectly put it: "It's 8am. You want to look decent and not look like you've just rolled out of bed. But you also don't want to walk in with layers of makeup caked on your face." American Eagle has some super fun sweatshirts and longsleeves that I'm waiting on my next paycheck to get. They're comfy, casual, and cute. My perfect "8am look"

Misproportioned

I really admire the artists who create and draw mangas. There is so much detail and depth in just black and white form. I love the little doodles and random notes they write among the pages of their stories, and I also love it when they draw out of proportion! While immensely enjoying the Prince of Tennis series, there were some fun photos in between the chapters that just made me laugh out loud. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!
(I apologize that they didn't show up as big as I had wanted them too!!)

No Fear

Sometimes my mouth becomes a heavily locked gate, and no words are allowed in or out. Half of me tries to open my mouth and scream what needs to be said, while the other half is pulling me back, wanting me to just keep silent. The words tremble at the tip of my tongue like the hooves of a racehorse pawing at the gate. They keep waiting and waiting, but sometimes the gate remains shut. I bite my lip as the situation fades away, and suddenly my words are no longer needed. Or are they? The words left unsaid are the ones that we regret. When looking back on our lives we always think “Oh I wish I'd said that,” or “Why did I let that go without saying anything?” It's a game we play with ourselves. So often we'll say inside, “Oh I'll say it next time.” But what if there isn't a next time? What if suddenly the chance to say those words ever again are ripped away from you for forever.

We don't know what the future holds. We could die tomorrow. We could die tonight. We'd like so much to believe that we're invincible, or that we'll last forever. But we're forgetting that our lives are but a vapor in the wind. We won't be here forever. I don't know about you, but I don't want to die leaving things unsaid. Tell someone you love them, let someone know you care. I know this is said a lot but they're things that need to be said. We can't just go on acting as if we'll live forever. Laugh often, take chances, say the things you need to say, try new things, and please, oh please, don't be afraid. Just because our life is short, doesn't mean we have to fear death. God, the Creator of Heaven and Earth, gave His only Son, Jesus Christ, for YOU. Jesus took your place on the cross, and not only did He pay the price for my sins, and the sins of the world, but for yours as well. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him, should not perish but have everlasting life." ~John 3:16. I'm a sinner. Unworthy and undeserving of life. Yet the Creator of everything loved us, loved you, SO much that He was willing to give up His Son for you. Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life.” Notice that it's a gift.

It's not something that we could ever pay for. How do we receive this gift of eternal life? Acts 16:31 says, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved.” All you have to do is believe that Jesus died for you, and not only that, but that He rose again on the third day, defeating sin and death. Because He has defeated sin and death, we no longer have to fear it! Believe on Him, and you will be saved. This gift of eternal life will happen the moment you trust in Him, and you can never lose that gift of salvation. John 10:28 says, "I give them eternal life and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand." And then again in 1 John 5:13 we are told, “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God (Jesus) that you may know that you have eternal life.” No longer do we have to fear death! Once we are saved in Christ we are always saved. All you have to do is cry out to Him, and He will rescue you.

Time Flies

Where did the summer go? Where do I begin! My summer was beyond incredibly amazing. Words couldn't even come close to describing it. I spent most of my summer out in the country among rolling green hills, endless blue skies, and beyond the reach of cellphone service and an internet connection(: Every year, since the time I've been old enough, come the middle of June I come to contemplate the age old question of: How do I fit everything in my closet into my suitcase. Anywho, so I pack up my bags (notice it didn't all fit in just one) and off I go! Where do I go? To my second home: a Bible camp nestled among green hills, gravel roads, a winding river, and a sparkling blue lake. It was a wonderful summer! Now that I'm home, it's back to real life for me (which means more posts on a regular basis). I can't believe that school starts in two weeks! Yikes! Where did summer go? Ahhh it was such a good one though. And I'm looking forward to this new chapter in my life. I'm officially starting college, I have a part-time job, and this fall semester is looking to be an adventure. I'll make mistakes, make new friends, learn new things, try new things, and above all, try to live my life in a way that would glorify the Lord the most.

P.S. I love, love, love the way they filmed/designed this video. Super cool! Way to use the stop-motion technique!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyMhvkC3A84&feature=related