things i'm obsessed with

here are a few things that i'm currently in love with...

tervis tumblers...serious love here, they are just so convenient and fun to use. i think that they make a great gift that's fairly inexpensive (especially if you use a 20% coupon at bed, bath & beyond) or you could use the cup as a "gift bag" of sorts like i recently did. i actually totally stole this idea from Amy and then used it on her later :) but i don't think she will care. i don't really know how i carried a drink with me before i had one...and i'm pretty sure that tervs saved grad school!

toms...i got my first pari of toms over 3 years ago. they are off-white with black (and minor pink) writing on them so naturally i was worried about them getting dirty & didn't really start wearing frequently until last year (guess there was just something about spending all day in the library that called for comfy shoes). anyways for christmas the twins gave me a brown pair and i'm definitely getting more use out of these. i'm excited for TOMS flats, which are coming out this spring!

mug from Anthropologie...i saw these all over twitter and two days later i was gifted one...the mug is just so cute and i really enjoy drinking my coffee out of it each morning...but that might have something to do with coffee time occurring during morning nap-time. this would also make a cute gift for the coffee lover friend...or really just a friend who likes cute things.

pick your plum...so if have even a minor crafty side, you should definitely check out pick your plum. it's a daily deal site (well daily weekday deal site) that has a different crafting supply each morning. i always like to check each morning and see how much i really need whatever is offered. it's not like i buy something every morning but i think that this is a good way to stock up on some fun and unique items. plus it's not like you can ever have too much crafty goodness (reason #72 why i'll need a 2 bedroom apt for just me) 

buying baby clothes...confession: i've always liked wondering through the baby section at stores and looking at all the cute clothes. but, i never had a reason to actually buy the clothes...well that all changed last year. with the arrival of the twins, i now have an excuse to buy baby clothes. and i get to buy boy and girl clothing...i don't even have to stick to just one! i think it's a pretty good thing that the twins came along because now i can buy clothes and give them to the babies as opposed to just buying the clothes and storing them in a closet for my future kids...cause that wouldn't be weird or anything. i just really, really hope that my kids are not complete opposite seasons of the twins...and that i have a girl or else i don't know what i'll do with the smocked dresses

chevron and stripes...i was a little hesitant to jump on the chevron bandwagon at first but consider me there now. i got notepads from erin condren with a chevron print at the top and i'm really pleased with how they turned out. i also keep seeing cute chevron ideas on pinterest and i think that i will have to incorporate it somehow to the apartment i hope i'm decorating soon.

{these adorable plates can be found here}

maternal instinct?

after engage last night, i was kind-of part of a conversation that was about maternal instincts and if they kick in after giving birth. the question was posed to a recent first time mother, who responded with a definite "yes" and that they kicked in immediately after she gave birth. so on my drive home (which was nothing like the drive home mentioned in this post thank goodness!) i thought about this maternal instinct idea. i have honestly never thought about whether i would have that maternal instinct once i had kids. i mean i've always been pretty good with kids and kids have always liked me so i just figured that my own kids would follow that pattern. and, as i've gotten older and been around more kids and spent more time with babies, i just knew that this would totally be the case with my own kids. obviously i'm not having kids anytime soon so i can't test out this theory just yet.

but don't get me wrong i know that nothing can compare to what i'll feel for my own kids. so there's that. and i also know that while i may spend my days with two 9 month olds changing diapers and figuring out nap times, i don't make big decisions or anything. obviously, i mean that's why the babies have parents...i just dress them in fun clothes and take a gazillion pictures of them. and i can admit that i'm totally not ready to make the big decisions (okay that's a slight lie...sure i'm not ready but a lot (or all) of that has to do with the boy and that whole situation...i'm definitely way ahead of most other 23 year olds) 

and now it's time for the scary thought i had while on my way home...what if i don't have maternal instincts? i'm being 100% serious here...what if once i have a child i just don't feel "it"...and i don't even know what "it" is! and then i realized how ridiculous it is for me to feel this way because a) i'm nowhere close to having a baby & b) do i honestly think i would ever feel that way about my own child. 

but after about 2 minutes of thinking about this i realized that this was probably definitely THE most irrational fear i've ever had. of course with my own kids it will be different...and even if i'm not that different than i am now, who cares. i'm pretty good with figuring out a baby as i am right now. i would like to admit that i think teen mom is to blame for me considering that there might be a lack of maternal instinct...i mean seriously some of those girls have it but some of them wouldn't recognize it if it smacked them in the face...20 times a day. 

i feel like it's also fair to mention that sometimes i just know that i'll have like the most difficult baby ever. but then i realize that i would probably be better equipped to handle that than some other people...and no lie my dad has joked with me since i was probably 13 that i would have twins because i would need it to mellow me out...and to show me that parenting isn't as easy as i made it out to be (in my 13 year old mind). but in the past year he's kind of realized that twins really wouldn't terrify me (not that they ever did) so now he says triplets...thanks for that one John. 

attending a parents meeting...nbd

so this past Sunday i went to a meeting for parents of children...yeah i know i don't have kids yet but i went for someone who does. and honestly, i think it's the kind of thing that any church member who either has young kids or plans to have kids should go and hear. and also, it's meetings like these that remind me how lucky i am to have the parents that i do. a lot of the stuff that was discussed were definitely present in my childhood..and honestly until a few years ago i would have assumed were present in any child's life whose parents attended church regularly. i've learned a lot about that in the past few years (even without being a parent) and it has certainly solidified my ideas about how my children will be raised. 


one point that was made was that your children develop friendships while attending class and church.
this was my FAVORITE point and is pretty much the point of this entire post.
These friendships that are made when children are so young will hopefully continue to grow so that when they are in middle/high school they have a great group of friends who have similar morals/beliefs and share the "same faith." as i've written before about the great group of friends that i met at church when i was in the first grade and how impact-full their friendship was come high school. and i seriously had an ah-ha moment when the minister made this comment. i was always at church...any time the doors were open we were there...and so were the girls that i developed these friendships with. and i really want nothing more for my children (especially my daughter/s), then for them to have the same friendships. so yeah my kids will be at church all the time. because i want them to have every opportunity to have those friendships. and i know some days will be rough but there's nothing more important than the spiritual development of my to-be children. 
and yes, i know that there is more to it than just going to church. trust me, i know that. i grew up with daily family devotionals until i was old enough to do them myself, along with family prayer time. so it won't be left up to sunday school teachers. and it's going to be the top priority for me. so yeah i think that anyone who is going to be a parent can benefit from hearing stuff life this. i liked the reminder. 
and to completely change directions (well sorta) i think that this so relates to looking for the boy. i just can't imagine being married to someone, much less trying to raise children with someone that doesn't have spiritual development as the top priority and is satisfied with attending church casually. so i guess the boy has some big expectations to meet...but i have no doubt that he'll do just fine :)

bringing pretty back

[article can be found here]


i saw this article mentioned on another blog and i'm so glad that i clicked the link to read. it does such a great job of putting a lot of my rambling thoughts and ideas into actual, coherent words. i've written about modesty and purity and all that good stuff before. and while that is not the focus of this article, it's all related. but i'll try and keep this post to the article specifically. (note, i kind of fail at this)
i think this article is so relevant today. i love that pretty (for this specific author) is defined as a combination of beauty and innocence. i pretty much want to just copy and paste every word from this article. i love love love the part about projecting innocence and how that inspires men to protect and defend it. captivating does such a great job of delving into this particular topic and lady in waiting even has a chapter or two as well. those books have really encouraged me to not only embrace my innocence but to desire a boy who will protect and defend it. 
and now it is time for "is this too real aka should i really even write this down, much less actually blog this idea/question?!?" it has on occasion (okay multiple occasions) crossed my mind that what if the boy doesn't really care how innocent i am, like what if it's just no big deal. and then i realize that obviously he wouldn't be THE boy if that's how he felt. but then i go down the whole road of what if my expectations are too high? and then i think about how i really can't imagine making out with random boys each night, much less doing anything else so we're pretty much back to square one now. and maybe sometimes i even wonder if there are any cute, ambitious boys out there who would not only understand innocence but want to protect and cherish it. but, at the end of the day, the thought of doing something to tarnish that innocence just isn't an option. so i guess the boy will just have to make an appearance at some point. 
and back to the article...hotness is just a commodity. i, again, love how this article differentiates between being hot and being pretty. to say that hotness is a commodity brings a smile to my face and i like that the movie grease is referenced. i remember watching this movie when i was in 4th or 5th grade. i liked the music a lot. but i remember, even when i was that young, being slightly confused as to what was wrong with Sandra Dee? obviously she was pretty but why did she have to change to get her boy. obviously as i got older, i understood more aspects of the movie but that message has always bothered me. and i'm glad to see it addressed here. what kind of message is that sending that in order to get a guy you need to change who are you, and the changes really are not for the better. 
and again with should i actually post this or not...so, while i went through that awkward stage in middle school that everyone goes through, i rebounded from it pretty well..mentally i mean. i don't wake up every morning and look in the mirror and hate what i see. i mean, sure some days i really like my hair and other days i wish i was a little tanner but nothing major. but naturally it enters a girls mind that maybe she just isn't pretty (or hot) enough to ever find someone. like maybe if i was a little more this, or a little less that then i would have already found the boy. it's kind of hard when you go out and the girls you're with attract all sorts of attention from guys. but then, once i evaluate the situation and am truly honest with myself, i realize that i don't really want that kind of attention. i mean everyone likes to feel attractive and desired but ultimately i have a deeper want. and really, that's perfectly fine. this also makes me wonder where i'm supposed to find the boy at? i would never say that anything is impossible, after all God does like to use the unlikely situations to show his power, but is it really that likely that i'm going to stumble upon the boy at a bar? i personally don't think so but i'm clearly not in control of this story. i realize that church would be a likely place to meet the boy, but i'm not going from church to church just in hopes of finding him. i really do believe that God does not desire that. and i'd like to be pursued by the boy, not the other way around (but boy is that another blog post completely) so to sum up this somewhat random tangent, i like the distinction between being hot and pretty...because most of the time i never think of myself as hot...but i'd much rather be in the pretty boat anyways.
the line that nobody wants to be thought of as innocent, the good girl, kind of makes me want to cry. and even more so, it makes me want to cry for all the little girls out there who need good women role models and people to tell them that it's okay to be the good girl. it's not always an easy path but it is definitely the right one. and i'm still on that path but it's not one that i regret. and i know that i won't ever regret it, no matter what ends up happening. i really can't explain how much i just want to tell all the girls in middle and high school that it's worth it to be labeled the good girl. (and again with the honesty, i wonder if those girls would even want to hear that from me. it's not like i have this "successful story" to tell them. i mean i'm still looking for the boy.) i know without a doubt that this is one message i will pound into my daughter(s)...you know, the ones i don't have yet with the boy i haven't met yet but i may be planning her wardrobe vicariously through a certain little girl already. [definitely a story for another day] 
i think this article should be shared with girls everywhere. but especially those girls who are trying to be pretty but sometimes wonder if it's even worth it. because girls, it totally is. i really never thought that one of my passions would be for girls in middle and high school but i think that it totally is. i just think that's such an impressionable age. and maybe it's because i loved it when the "young women" of the church did stuff with us when i was that age. i loved being in their class or just talking with them after church on a Sunday. and maybe, if the cycle continues, one day my little girl will have "young women" in her life who encourage her to bring pretty back and be the good girl.

trunk or treat [simple] craft ideas

trunk or treat is saturday night...i obviously think it would be super cool to have the cutest little crafty area. however i'm also a realist and considering it's outside and i can't control the weather, not to mention whether to plan for 20 or 200 kids, i really need to keep it super simple. but super simple with the crafting i am not. i'm 99.9% sure it's just going to be a coloring table (unless it's really windy and then maybe just no craft area at all)

but here are a few simple halloween ideas that if you were doing crafts for a smaller group of kids could be really fun

(found here)

i think that instead of making it into a yard stake, i would just leave the pumpkin as is. or you could always just glue the sticks to a piece of paper...and have the sticks painted orange already if you were in a time crunch

(found here)

again this is pretty easy but really cute...and the circles could definitely be made ahead of time in order to hurry this project along

(found here)

this could take a little longer than the first two but i think that a wider age range of kids would enjoy this

(found here)

i think this is adorable and it would be so cute to make a couple of these and line them up somewhere...or fill a vase up with them

(found here)

faux stained glass candy corn...really cute and the tissue paper and pattern could be cut out before hand

(found here)

again you could have the tissue paper ready ahead of time and it would still be fun and pretty simple

i'm still looking for a cute halloween printable to use Saturday night. if all else fails, i think an orange circle with a green stem (both construction paper) would be pretty obvious as a blank pumpkin to create however each kid desires

i'll be sure to let you know what i end up doing!

oh your THAT mom...

I like to joke that I'm totally going to be THAT mom one day. I'm probably unreasonably excited about planning birthday parties, being a homeroom mom and running kids in 15 directions so they can make it to dance, soccer and baseball practice.
I have a pinterest board focused on this general idea and maybe these pictures will give you a better idea of what I mean by the whole "oh your THAT mom" statement.

modesty

I kind of want to get these thoughts down so that one day when I hopefully have a daughter I can remember (as if i'd forget) how much the "modesty" talks my mom had with me, truly impacted me


So confession, I don't really remember said modesty talks that my mom had with me. BUT I know that we had them and that they occurred practically every time we went clothes shopping from 5th-9th grade. 
I was never the jeans and t-shirt type of girl (but oh how grad school can change that!) and I'm sure going shopping for appropriate clothing with 13 year old me was NOT a pleasant trip. I know that I wanted to wear what everyone else was wearing. I wanted to be in the so-called "cool" clothing and always be fashionable and trendy. But my clothing priorities were not my mothers. And I am so very thankful for that. I can't tell you how many times while in the dressing room I heard "that shirt looks pretty low", "don't you think that top is too tight" and "that dress is definitely too short." But I think the thing I heard most often was, "would you want to wear that in front of the church on Sunday." And honestly, I didn't. I knew that the clothing wasn't sending the right message about the type of girl I was....and I definitely didn't want my church to think of me as that type of girl. 
[side note: my mom never directed these comments at me, as an attack on my body physically. I never, ever took them that way and I know she never meant them that way either]
I think that so often with modesty and girls, we talk about how what a girl wears is important because of what boys will think about her. And yes, that is a very important aspect of modesty and one that should certainly not be overlooked. But sometimes that can be a slippery slope, especially when all a girl wants is for a boy to pay some attention to her. That's why I think it's important to stress not only the type of boys that dressing a certain way will attract but also how people in general are attracted and will perceive you. 
I distinctly remember going shopping for a high school graduation dress. I was 17 years old and with some of my girl-friends looking for the perfect dress to go with my white wedges. I found this super cute halter top dress. It had a pretty low v-neck in the front but the back was pretty okay. My friends really liked it but I remember spending 20 minutes looking at myself in the dressing room mirror and wondering if I should buy it. I tried to justify it by saying that it was going to be really hot day and that I needed a dress like this. But ultimately I just knew that I would be super uncomfortable in it all day long, especially with taking pictures. I later found a dress that I really loved and I'm really glad that I waited for it. 
So moral of the story, don't settle. (okay so life lesson there) I'm 23 years old and yes I have a strapless dress or 2 in my closet. And yes I have shorts that are too short for me to wear to church but I definitely wore them to class. But I don't think what my mom was trying to tell me was that I should never wear anything but baggy jeans and sweatshirts. In fact, I know that wasn't what she wanted me to get from her talks. What she wanted me take away was to just double think about what you wear before you wear it (and especially before you buy it). I love buying clothes but I'm pretty picky. I also don't really like shopping with people who don't "get" the way I dress. I'm super aware of how short a dress/skirt is, especially with the addition of heels. I'm also really aware of how a shirt hangs when I bend over. And I really, really try to consider all of this when I'm buying clothes. I think I'm probably a nightmare to shop with if you don't "get" me. Partly because sometimes you can just tell that an outfit isn't going to be appropriate, no matter what and I'm the girl that just isn't going to try it on. Why bother when I know that it just isn't something I want to be seen in, even if it is just in a dressing room. 
I think it's totally do-able to dress cute and modestly. I'm so glad that when I was really young my mom just didn't allow me to wear certain things and, as I got older, we talked about the clothes when shopping. This might seem really silly but I want my daughter to consider her clothing choices as much as I have. And I hope that one day she will be able to see the value in appropriate clothing and appreciate it as much as I do. 

{Clemson graduation may 2010}

[not the best picture of my mom but we both kind of love it anyways]

so many ideas...all i need are the kids...

today at Kelly's Korner, the link up is all about ideas for preserving kids artwork and photos. I don't have any kids yet but I have seen some awesome ideas via pinterest. I, of course, aspire to do all of these things with my kids artwork and photos, once I have said kids and they have artwork to treasure. {full disclosure: some of these ideas I like simply because I'm not sure if I'm going to be that mom who puts art work all over her fridge...in fact I'm pretty sure that won't be me...that's why I need something like this in my house somewhere!) I figure if I start planning now then actually following through with these plans will be a piece of cake. So here are some of my favorite ideas:

This is a great gift idea. You frame your child's artwork along with a photo of them creating the art. Grandparents would love this (i mean i'm assuming they would...mine might not be so impressed with my drawings as a 22 year old...trust me they are NOT frame-worthy!)

(via this blog)

This idea is simply to create a gallery of your kid's art. I love the simplicity of the white frames. Obviously it would be key to date and have the child sign their art, just so you know which art belongs to which child.

(via this blog)

such an organized way to keep track of photos. I really like the idea of labeling each section of photos and then having a box for each child...or a box for each year. I think this would be a good way to keep things organized and current, as opposed to having 50 million photos to arrange from the past 15 years. 

(via this blog)

I think this is my favorite idea for this project and one of the best things I've found on pinterest so far. I love love love the idea of putting artwork into a book. I love even more that there would be multiple books and that each child would (obviously) have their own set of books. I think this is something I can definitely see myself doing. 

(via)

[[to find me on pinterest go here (i might be slightly obsessed)]]

life currently

     When I was younger I thought that having kids and getting to be around a baby all the time would be the greatest thing ever. My mom would always remind that babies (and kids in general) are a lot of work. Obviously I understood this and it's not like I was going to go and get pregnant just to have a baby...I mean I watch 16 & pregnant/teen mom all the time :)  Well recently I've been spending my days with twins who are 4 1/2 months old. And okay, I kind of get how they are a lot of work. But really I get how yeah life changes when you had kids but that doesn't mean that you have to stop doing anything cool and just sit at home 24/7. I obviously don't leave the house when I'm with them and that's totally for the best. I told my mom that now when people say they can't do something because they have a kid I don't buy that excuse at all. So really these twins have given me the ability to call people out on their lame excuses for not being involved. I really appreciate that ;)

    But back to the whole babies are a lot of work thing. I feel like most 22 year old's would be okay with watching twins for a day or two (or maybe even a week.) But, by doing so, they would realize that they are totally not ready for kids, at all! However, since I'm such an abnormal and unique person, they haven't really had that effect on me. Yes I will totally admit that they can be a lot of work. And that I want to have a stable life before I think about kids (obviously i need a good job so I can buy all sorts of awesome clothes and such...no lie i sometimes feel like i should start on wardrobes now...which seriously would be such a ridiculous concept...but no so ridiculous that i'm completely ruling it out) 

    Sometimes they both cry at the same time and one just has to cry until I can put the other one down. But then 5 minutes later they are both giving me big smiles and the only one remembering the crying from earlier is me. (and honestly a little crying never really hurt anyone...) So that's parenting lesson #1 the twins have taught me (okay so number one should be always have a burp cloth ready...spit-up is no joke people!) I should probably make a list so in x amount of years I can reference this...I mean who knows all the crazy things that will have happened by then. And my own list would be much better than any advice I get from other people. Because if there is one thing that I am certain of, it's that when I'm a mom I DEFINITELY don't want advice from others...especially random people...or people that annoy me...so basically 99.6% of moms out there. 

    The point of this post could pretty much be summed up like this. Once I have a job there is a possibility that I might start a wardrobe for my yet-to-be created child(ren). The twins are great babies who are teaching me and giving me reasons to call people on their lame excuses. So basically I might be slightly crazy and I really like telling people they are wrong. 

Goals, Lists and Life

So the first week of graduate school is over and I came away with a very intriguing assignment. I'm not sure that my professor expected for this assignment to cause me the problems that it did but oh well. The assignment is to list our one and five year goals. While there are some given goals, I feel like I have two lists of five year goals: those that are appropriate for grad school and then my real goals. My real goal list came somewhat easily to me. Of course there is some overlap between my two lists but not a lot. It was also mentioned that we would discuss our goals in class. I think this might be the part that bothers me the most. I'm not ashamed of my five year goals and those that really know me can totally understand them. I'm just not so sure that a female-dominate graduate level class can fully appreciate where I would like to be in five years. So here are my real five year goals...

*I'd want to be married to a man who is the spiritual leader of our family (and probably at least a few years older than me...but hey who knows)

*I want to have kids (this of course hinges on the marriage factor...and depends on how long I have actually been married)

*I want to have a job I love-if it's possible for me to be home with my kids I really want to be doing that. It's strange to write that because for 18 years I never wanted to stay home with my kids...but after one semester at college I realize that it's actually what I REALLY want...and yes I'm in grad school now...

*I want to be established in the community...a homeowner in a good community with a good school district and a church that I love

*I want to be involved at a church that I love-one that challenges me and makes me think but that also encourages me and provides me with great Christian fellowship

*I want to be a good influence on those around me-especially younger girls from church...I want to be involved in their lives 

*I want to maintain a good relationship with my brother (and his maybe wife?!?)

*I want to have relationships in which I am truly held accountable and can be open. I obviously want to have such a relationship with my would-be husband but I also want/need this with a Christian female friend or two

*I want to be able to look back and see how God has changed me and been active in my life in the past five years. I want to be able to acknowledge and recognize why things happened and see how God was moving daily in my life. 

I could continue but I feel like these goals really encompass what I would like to see in myself in five years. Of course writing out these goals makes me think about how much of my future is based on getting married. It's not explicit from just reading these goals (I hope/think) but it's pretty obvious in my mind. The thing about goals is that most of my past goals have all been things that I can accomplish on my own. I mean it might take some hard work and lots of time but I can get it done. That is certainly not the case with marriage.


 I have a few female friends who are single and this topic has been popular with us recently. One friend, who has a similar church background, said something to me that made me think. We were talking about lists and things we were looking for in guys. I have pretty much determined that I'm much more likely to meet a guy who is compatible with my list at church. Does this freak the crap out of me...of course. My friend then talked about her list but ended it by saying that she is confident that she could meet him anywhere. I'm not saying that I doubt God's ability for me to meet this guy, I'm just taking a realistic approach (and trying to limit my constant thoughts about possibly meeting him)... And now this post is starting to relate a lot to my previous one. I guess the main thing I got from this conversation with my friend is that I'm not looking for this guy in every situation...and to be quite honest I'm okay with that. I know that the type of faith I'm "looking for" in a guy won't just come in someone who has been to church a few times in his life, among other things. 


This is getting kind of hard to explain so I think I'll just go the way of saying that I'm trying really hard not to be judgmental with all of this...and that it does (somewhat) relate to my five year goals because by having the detailed and specific list that I have, it's (I believe) realistic to think that I'll be married and have kid(s) in five years. I really don't see myself dating someone for very long. I mean obviously this is all up to God...but I'm kind of sure that I know what I want. And it's not like I just created this list overnight. It's been an on-going process of mine for over 10 years...and yes that means I started this list in middle school but hey I'm just ahead of the curve. The list is certainly not what it was back then but by the same token all of the really important things have remained. I know that obviously when (if??) I get married is all up to God's plan for me, but I have to admit, it makes these five year goals difficult to write. 

It would obviously be easier if I just knew...would not everything be easier if we just knew...

But I can plan...naturally all of my planning can be in vain but still, I can plan. And while I plan I can work on other goals and reach some goals I was unaware that I even had. More importantly, I can focus on school and my relationship with God. Those are actually the two main areas of all of my one year goals. I want to journal more and focus on my relationship with God. I am kind of floating right now in that area. I am at church and I like it but I miss the fellowship & encouragement that I've associated with church in the past. It's a really weird place to be in and I have some decisions to make. I'm worried that I'll make a decision based purely on where I feel I have the greatest chance to meet a guy. Totally not right but that doesn't make me consider it any less. 


I should probably get back to writing my goals and rereading my assignments but this somehow seemed much more important. I realize that this has been a somewhat random post but it helps me to see it all written out. And hopefully one day I'll be able to look back at this and see how God has been active in my life since this post...

Weekend [part one]

 What would the weekend be without cookies...

and crafts

&

   

 these projects are not finished yet but hopefully that will happen sometime soon...because I've already found quite a few more projects that I am ready to get started on!

tonight

 

[more to come...]

Crayons

 

[This cute kid helped]