Day One: The Story of My Life

   Yes, I'm well-aware that I'm a day late. Story of my life. (Oh, wait, that's the title!) At any rate, here's Day 1 of the Month of Blogging Challenge.



Day 1: The story of your life in 250 words or less (or one paragraph... no one will be counting your words... probably)

  I was born to high school sweethearts on November 20, 1985. Born and raised on family land nestled out in the country, my sister and I grew up spending an ample amount of time outdoors. I was  an avid reader (anyone remember Sweet Valley High?) and a beast on the Nintendo (Mario was my jam). Let's fast-forward through middle school, as those years are too awkward to read about, and move along to high school. High school fits the cliche description of some of the "best years of my life". A life filled with fun and void of any true sense of responsibility. College was even better than high school! I learned a lot about who I was and who I wanted to be, and I managed to pick up some pretty spectacular friends along the way. Upon graduation, I moved to the booming metropolis that is Notasulga (note the heavy sarcasm) and taught 7th grade math in Auburn for four years. Teaching will always be a part of me, and I will forever cherish that part of my life. I recently transitioned into the business world, and I have to say, I'm loving it!! My life has somewhat been turned upside down in the last two months, but I like it all the more. In summary, I lead a very blessed life!

Challenge: Blog Everyday for a Month

  My blogging has been sporadic lately, to say the least. Life gets busy, and blogging seems to be one of the first things to go. I find this to be ironic since this is when I have the most to blog about, but ya' know. These things happen. To combat this, I've decided to take on the blogging challenge and write each day during the month of July. Wish me luck, as I'm sure I'll be needing it!

  **I was inspired by Annabel, author of Hot Mess. I stumbled across her blog a few months ago while researching Pure Barre. If you are looking for a great read, check her out! She's fantastic!!**

   For the sake of accountability, the schedule is below. 

Day 1: The story of your life in 250 words or less (or one paragraph... no one will be counting your words... probably)

Day 2: Educate us on something you know a lot about or are good at. Take any approach you'd like (serious and educational or funny and sarcastic)

Day 3: Things that make you uncomfortable

Day 4: Favorite quote (from a person, from a book, etc) and why you love it

Day 5: Publicly profess your love and devotion for one of your blogger friends. What makes them great? Why do you love them? If you don't have blogger friends, talk about a real-life friend or even a family member

Day 6: If you couldn't answer with your job, how would you answer the question, 'what do you do'?

Day 7: The thing(s) you're most afraid of

Day 8: A piece of advice you have for others. Anything at all.

Day 9: A moment in your day (this can be just a photo or both a photo and words)

Day 10: Most embarrassing moment (s). Spill. 

Day 11: Sell yourself in 10 words or less

Day 12: What do you miss? (a person, a thing, a place, a time of your life...)

Day 13: Issue a public apology. This can be as funny or as serious or as creative as you want it to be.

Day 14: Ten things that make you really happy

Day 15: A Day in the life (include photos from throughout your typical day - this could be "a photo an hour" if you'd like)

Day 16: Something difficult about your "lot in life" and how you're working to overcome it

Day 17: A favorite photo of yourself and why

Day 18: Tell a story from your childhood. Dig deep and try to be descriptive about what you remember and how you felt.

Day 19: Five of your favorite blogs and what you love about them

Day 20: Get real. Share something you're struggling with right now.

Day 21: A list of links to your favorite posts in your archives

Day 22: Rant about something. Get up on your soapbox and tell us how you really feel. (a pet peeve, a current event, a controversial topic, something your husband or roommate or neighbor or boss does that really ticks you off)

Day 23: Things you've learned that school won't teach you

Day 24: Your top 3 worst traits

Day 25: Something someone told you about yourself that you'll never forget (good or bad)

Day 26: Something you read online. Leave a link and discuss, if you'd like.

Day 27: A letter to your readers

Day 28: Only pictures

Day 29: Five songs or pieces of music that speak to you or bring back memories. Use YouTube to include them in the post

Day 30: React to this term: Letting Go

Day 31: A vivid memory

The Sunday Six 06.16.13

What I did this week. Work, work, work! (But at least I have a smile on my face when I typed this.) I spent Wednesday and Thursday in Birmingham and finished up the work week in Huntsville. Once again, it was a productive and incredible week at Raycom Media. And, of course, I have to mention that I stumbled upon an H&M in Huntsville--and, might I add that I was in and out in a record 2 hours!!!  I returned to the Ham for some fun out on the town with my boy on Friday night. We visited Good People Brewery where I enjoyed an Coffee Oatmeal Stout that was divine!

What I did this weekend. I had the pleasure of witnessing the matrimonial union of Craig McDaniel and Lindsey West on Saturday evening. The wedding was just as beautiful as the bride! I spent today with the fam honoring my Daddy and Grand daddy for Father's Day.

What I'm reading. I'm afraid I don't have anything super exciting to report in this category as I've been doing a great deal of reading articles covering digital marketing. However, if we want to edit this section's title to future tense then it gets a bit more interesting. I am starting the first book in the "Game of Thrones" series on tomorrow's plane ride. I'm pretty excited to see what all the hype is about!!

What products I'm using. Mom gave me the cast-offs from her Ipsy bags today. I scored a new lipstick, highlighting pen, and cream blush. I could very possibly be addicted to makeup so these newbies are making me pretty happy at the moment. :)

What I'm listening to. I've been listening to A Twist in My Story by Secondhand Serenade this week. You gotta love that harmonizing!!

What quote I'm loving.

The reason I love this is two-fold, (1) the majority of my favorite moments have occurred on the warmer days of the year, and (2) it just goes to show you that you don't necessarily have to be dolled up to the 9's to have the time of your life.

Happy Sunday!

Update

   I apologize for being MIA on the blogging scene. Life has been a whirlwind as of late, but it's a good kind of craze. Lots of new things have entered my life and made it all the more better. I don't believe in excessive complaining about staying busy--although I have been found guilty of it from time to time. Better to be busy than stagnant and bored. So here's a brief synopsis of what's been going on:

New Job: I'm just about to finish up my fourth week working for Raycom Media. I cannot say enough positive things about this new gig!! I absolutely love it! I've learned a great deal in what little time I've been there, and  I am excitedly anticipating the future as I continue to grow my knowledge base. It's very rewarding to present business owners with an exceptional product that allows them to grow and prosper, particularly the smaller businesses. It's also afforded me the opportunity to experience cool new places and meet some fantastic people.

New Relationship:  So there's this special someone whose been monopolizing all of my free time in the last couple of months. I also cannot say enough great things about him. :)

New Season:   It's no secret that summer is my preferred season. And what's not to love--Lake Martin, summer dresses, flip flops, Friday nights at Chucks.....There's always this electric vibe that resonates off of summer. It has a unique way of nudging people from their homes and bringing them together, and that's just plain delightful.

   That's all for now since it's late and tomorrow boasts a full schedule. There's plenty more to catch up on, but I'll save that for another time.

Good night, y'all!

 
  

The Sunday Seven 05.12.13

What I did this week. This past week was my last full week of teaching, and it was a doozy, for sure. Morning duty, standardized testing, detention duty, packing up my class room, planning for some lovely ladies' retirements, & planning activities for the students in my absence, oh my! At one point, my To-Do list was rocking 63 items. Not to mention, the realization that I will no longer be working with children on a daily basis anymore hit me pretty hard. But, alas, the weekend came and I'm ready to face this next week head on!

What kept me busy this weekend. While Memorial Day weekend is the official kickoff to summer, I went ahead and started mine this weekend. We resumed our Friday night summer ritual by going to Chuck's Marina and spent all day Saturday hanging out with some good people on Lake Martin. And, of course, I spent my Sunday with my incredible family to honor my mother, grandma, and aunt.

What I'm eating. I don't have anything particularly exciting to write about in this category. It's been a whole lot of PB&J's for me this week. However, I did sit down to a Mother's Day feast today.

What products I'm using. I've been loving this brown sugar and olive oil scrub one of my dear coworkers gave me. It is perfect for this time of year since it exfoliates and hydrates. My skin has a nice little glow to it, and it smells divine!

What I'm listening to. There's something about this time of year that makes me roll down my windows and turn up the country music. Currently, I'm loving Jake Owen's new song "Anywhere with You".

What I'm looking forward to. I am so looking forward to this upcoming week for so many reasons! First, because I will walk out of Room 6205 for the last time on Tuesday afternoon. Don't get me wrong, this thought saddens me to no end, but I am looking forward to it being done so that I can officially focus all of my excitement and attention to the start of my new career. Second, I am looking forward to this week because I am packing up the bikinis and loading the car for a few days at the beach with my ladies! This thought helped pull me through last week several times. There are few things I enjoy more than spending some QT with Aubrey and Jenna!!

What quote I'm loving.
Sounds simple but not so much. Ol' Ralphy knew what he was talking about!

The Times They are A-Changin'

  "Courage is the power to let go of the familiar."--Raymond Lindquist

   I have been itching to formally make this announcement for quite some time now. I wanted to make sure I told my students first before I put my business out there in cyber space. After an emotional day spent talking it over with my kiddos, I am finally comfortable sharing the news with y'all.

     I am so very pleased to announce that I have accepted a position with Raycom Media. I am so excited and anxious about this new opportunity!!

     While I adore teaching and cherish the opportunity to make a difference in a young person's life, I have felt a pulling in my heart to make a professional change. Not wanting to make the wrong move or do anything rash, I came back to school this year and prayerfully seeked God's guidance and wisdom regarding this subject. I didn't want to do anything drastic without confirmation from Him that this was His will. And boy was He faithful with giving me confirmation! :) Just as He usually does, God didn't just answer my prayers--He went above and beyond what I asked of Him. It has been made abundantly clear that this big change is the right change for me.

       I am so grateful for having the privilege and honor to be a teacher for the past four years. As much as this sounds like a cliche, I truly believe these kids have taught me just as much as I've taught them. I can honestly say without a shadow of a doubt that I am a better person because of them. Since becoming a teacher, I've learned the arts of patience, forgiveness, and humility. I've learned that you have to pick your battles and let things roll off your back. I've learned that a smile is more powerful and more potent than anything that comes out of your mouth. I've learned that it takes all different kinds and diversity is something that should be celebrated. I've learned that, if you want to know the truth about something, ask a child. I've learned that encouragement and praise go a long way. I've learned that my way is not necessarily the right way and flexibility is key. I've learned that you may never truly know how much of an impact you can have on another person's life, but you should strive to do just that every single day. I know these kids will probably never know the profound impact they've had on my life, but I will be spending these next few precious days trying to show them!
   

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

James 1: 17

   



 

Friday's Letters 05.03.2013

Dear Short Work Week,

  My, you sure make the week fly by!! And I'm certainly not complaining.

Dear Spray Tan,

   Thanks for sticking around after I got back from the beach. Only problem with that is I have no idea if I'm actually tan or if all of this is just paint that's going to wash off in the next couple of days. Either way, I'm going to enjoy it while it lasts.

Dear The Vampire Diaries,

   I wish there was a new episode every single night!! You are, without a doubt, my biggest guilty pleasure. But what's wrong with a little teeny-bopper vampire fun?

Dear Todd,

   Once again, you are a miracle worker! Thanks to you, I am no longer sporting frayed ends and washed-out color on my head. It certainly hurts my feelings to look back as I'm leaving and see all that hair circling the chair I was just sitting in, but I suppose I'd rather have slightly shorter, more healthy hair than longer, dead hair. 

Dear Ross,

   Admittedly, you are not my usual go-to spot for retail therapy. I detest having to dig through rack of clothing. However, you are the absolute best when it comes to finding super cute and affordable dresses for work. Brag alert: I got three dresses that are appropriate for both work and church at just over $40. 

Dear Ants Plaguing My Flower Beds,

   I'm sorry you had to die. Really, I am. Unfortunately, I desperately need to finish planting my flowers and you wouldn't comply with my no-biting policy.

Dear Middle of May,

   Cannot wait until you come around so I can return to the beach. Last weekend spoiled me. Big time.