the reckoning.

Needtobreathe's new album will be released September 20th. Let the countdown begin. In the meantime, here is a taste of their newest single they just released off their new album, The Reckoning.

the little things.

"it's the little things in life..." yea, you've heard it before. It's cliche. Cutesy. Sentimental. People use it all the time to point out how often we miss the smallest things in our lives.

A thank you card or sweet note. (Thanks, Becca and Brian).

A kind compliment in passing.

A comforting hand on the small of your back.

An encouraging smile.

An extra squeeze as you release from a hug.

A helping hand.

A sweet touch.

A calming cup of warm espresso.

A hot ray of sunshine on a lazy Sunday morning.

A kiss on the forehead. 

A fresh vase of flowers.

A call from home.


Yesterday, when my mom called for her regular update, she asked about the usual - work, friends, weekend, plans etc. She pushed more than usual. She was hunting for details, the little things. My mom is a great listener and I often forget to take the time to share the small notes from my day with her. I know that since she is far away, she feels more connected when I can share silly, sweet moments with her. I filled her in on time spent with friends over the weekend. I told her about the little, but oh-so-noticeable, gestures made by the new guy (wink*wink). But I kept a few for myself...a girl has to have a little mystery.

Enjoy little things in life now because you will realize that they are big things down the road.

Get some sticky notes. Keep a journal. Blog about them. Tape them to your bathroom mirror. Take a picture. Capture the little things so that you can always remember what makes life so special.

Accountable.

I guess I better make sure I get my butt into gear considering my last blog post...

Goal 1: 5 Miles

I made a plan. I've set out to accomplish something. I listed my goals. I'm pushing myself.

Step 1: Run 5 miles by September 4th.

Here is this month's inspiration....

The ultimate goal is to run the Dallas White Rock Half Marathon in Dec. 2.5 miles down...10.6 to go.

Seven inches less.

From this...

 To this!

 The inspiration for the cut. Love me some Reese!

Anxiously Awaiting Autumn.

As of today, we've had 39 days of over 100 degree temps in 2011. Basically, everyone in Dallas is just baking to a point way past 'well done'. I can't help but check the weather in Connecticut and day dream about summers in the 80's. You literally can't do ANYTHING outside in these temperatures. It feels like you are stuck inside a clothes dryer or a giant hair dryer.

....everyone thinks that AC solves this problem. It's merely a band-aid....

Instead, I'm dreaming of the months when it looks and feels like this....

And when I get to wear these....

....and these!

I want to wear this....

 
And I want to do this....

Date Idea?

 

All if this in no way indicates that I like Halloween...I in fact, loathe Halloween.

....now Thanksgiving...that's a whole other story. 


All images found on Pinterest

Something beautiful.

July 12 - 3:03pm
(203) to (410)
Hey! Hope your week is going alright. I'm headed to Costa Rica on Saturday but if you're up for it, I'd love to get together before I take off.

....and then I waited. On pins and needles. Probably the longest thirty minutes of my life.

July 12 - 3:37pm
(410) to (203)
Hey. Yeah - definitely, I had fun the other night. I'll call you later. You around?

And that was that. My heart skipped a beat. That's when everything changed.



When I think back just 4 weeks ago, I never would have guessed this is where I would be. I feel grounded. I'm happy. Life makes more sense. It's really something beautiful.

pura vida.

I just returned from an amazing mission trip to Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica with HPUMC High School students. I had the opportunity to go as a leader/mentor and hang out with some pretty awesome kids for a whole week. I watched them work hard, play hard and worship hard. I watched them grow closer to God. I watched them grow in their faith. I watched them build relationships and make new friends. I watched them grow up a little bit right before my eyes.

I was lucky enough to have the chance to go on two mission trips to Kingston, Jamaica when I was in high school. It was a powerful experience that taught me how to be more humble and thankful for all the things I have. What is blessing it is that these kids had the opportunity to experience that. I feel so incredibly blessed that I was able to lead them this week and see God working in their lives.

The pictures really tell this story best.

Meant to be.

100 Great Things About America

In light of the recent holiday, I found this article to be fitting. CNN Money came up with the list, many of which I can say I fully agree with and some that seem totally random. Click here to view the full article and list.

Here are a few of my favorites:

8. Steve Jobs
The brain behind the iPhone, iPad, and iEverything finally managed to get the Beatles onto iTunes. What can't this guy do?

16.  Duct tape
Everyone's first fix-it choice. Just ask MacGyver. Or MacGruber. (Especially the neon and tie dye colors!)

19. Carlos Santana
If you didn't already have "Oye Como Va" in your head, you will now. - I'm not entirely sure how this one fits in, but the song is now stuck in my head.

26. Ben & Jerry's
The only thing better than its AmeriCone Dream is the "flavor graveyard" on its website. - Back home in CT we had a Ben & Jerry's store and all my friends worked there so I always got free Oatmeal Cookie Chuck. Man, I miss it.

32. Poland Spring
Better than Perrier. - Why don't they sell this in Texas?

49. James Taylor
Even if you're not crazy about his voice, a great American songwriter. - I used to babysit for his kids when he would play at Tanglewood back in Lenox, MA.

59. Clif Bars
The iconic energy bar. Yes, it's come to this.

69. Michelle Obama
A formidable presence who's brought her own form of glam to the White House. - Need I say more?

82. Blogging
We're all writers now. Uh-oh ... - Ironic...

93. Vineyard Vines, Ralph Lauren, J.McLaughlin
Preppy clothing brands outfitting Nantucket-goers and wannabes year-round. - Duh!


96. Girl Scout Cookies
Creating Thin Mint addicts across the nation.

ACL Discovery Band: Foster the People

This great band came at the recommendation of my trusty Music Advisor, Mitch. He's yet to fail me with a music recommendation so I was floored when he burned me a copy of this awesome album, Torches.

Foster the People was started in 2009 by Mark Foster. Foster originally named his band Foster & the People, but people misheard it as "Foster the People." Eventually, he took to the nurturing image it evoked of "taking care" of the people, so the name stuck.

Repack, Refurnish, Rearrange, Relocate

Repack, Refurnish, Rearrange, Relocate - Lately, those are the only words in my vocabulary. Yet again (as I've previously alluded to) I am moving. I have moved...wait let's count it...eleven times in the past five years. That's not even counting the moving that my family did back home (we've moved three times since I left for college...). Whether it was into or out of a dorm or sorority house, moving abroad to Copenhagen or moving to a new apartment, my living situation has constantly been in transition. Most of the time, I BARELY unpack before I'm uprooting again and moving to a new place. 

After graduation, we moved into a townhouse in Uptown where we planned on staying for at least two years but our plans quickly went south when our rent spiked and we could no longer afford our place. 

So yet again, this weekend, I am moving. Ugh. Sigh..... 

This is one of those times when I wish I was Harry Potter....or Ginny....or Hermione....even Luna, just so long as I could wave my wand and have everything moved and organized in my new location. That or I wish this would happen.... 

 ....yea I wish that I could just pick up my 'house' and move it. Alas, this is NOT the case (I grudgingly admit that I do not, in fact, have magical powers. Blimey).

I am forced to resort to the old fashioned way - pack up my life into plastic bins and cardboard boxes, strategically maneuver it all into my car (that is now teeny tiny) and unload it at the new location. 

Great, I can handle it. A little manual labor never hurt anyone. 

Oh my, I almost forgot to mention.....

....it's supposed to be 102 degrees this weekend. Nah, that's COLD for a Dallas summer. 

Don't all go feeling that badly for me just yet. I have hired a mover to move my bed, dresser etc and pick up a couch from my friends house. I have also recruited several handsome, muscular young men to slave away in the heat lifting all my heavy stuff. I've offered them a homemade baked good of their choice in return. I have also commandeered a truck for the weekend. Thanks Stew, you're a doll.

I. can. do. this. 

Moving has it's advantages though. It's a great way to get rid of stuff you don't need, clean out junk drawers, throw away old school papers....YES! I had been hoarding finance and accounting notes since sophomore year! Go ahead, say it....NERD!

My new living situation is a huge change for me. I'll be living alone in a one bedroom place. All 560 sq. ft. to myself. Teeny tiny. Just like my car.....are you sensing a theme in my life?

Downsizing - you guessed it.

I'm downsizing my budget too and all these recent changes are contributing to that. Stay tuned for my new budget rules in a later post. For now, you can admire my new floorplan.....again, all 560 sq. ft of it (sans microwave...weird).

Rules

I've seen people post these "Rules" on their blogs and I wondered where they were originating from. I finally found the 2 original blogs this morning. While some of the "rules" come across a little extreme, many of them are sweet and thoughtful. I've only read through a few but here are my favorites from the Gentleman's one and from the Lady's one.

Wedding Season is Upon Us!

Source: MINT Blog

Welcome to the Club!

It's finally here! 

2011 Mini Cooper Hardtop

Ice Blue with White Top and White Bonnet Stripes

Super Cool Features: 

Bluetooth!

Temperature

450 miles in 1 tank!

Fits in small parking spaces

I look so much cooler on the road

Costs LESS than my old car!

Coming soon to a garage near you!

2011 Mini Cooper in Ice Blue (Anticipated arrival date - June 8, 2011)

Focus on Needs

Food. Shelter. When it comes right down to it, those two things–along with some clothing to keep us “decent”–are really the only categories one needs to spend money on. After you’ve paid your rent or mortgage and stocked up on some groceries, you’ve pretty much taken care of the necessary. Almost everything else falls under “wants” rather than “needs”–and what we want is heavily influenced by advertising and our peers. So if you’re really serious about saving money, before making a purchase ask yourself if you REALLY need whatever it is you’re buying. If you’re honest with yourself, the answer will most likely be “No.”

From the MINT Blog