Instagram this Week!

Hey Reader-Friends, with spring break around the corner, I hope to post a few more interesting posts besides the weekly Instgram post! Nonetheless, it’s a great time with Jenni! Link up with us!

1., 2., & 3.) The eats this week! Tomato, spinach, mushroom, and pesto sammie. Fish tacos Friday night with Chad. And chicken fajita quesadillas from camping on Saturday.


4., 5., & 6.) The fun this week! Cash stash in the sock drawer, new nail polish, and “the broom experiment”…I’m sure you tried it, too!

7., 8., & 9.) The friends this week! Jenn-Jenn and me at Trivia, followed by a shot of me with one of the cutest couples I know –Liston (the goofy one, obviously) and Meri Ansley..and finally, one of my very best friends and me (snuggling by our campfire this weekend :)




10., 11., 12., 13., & 14.) The adventure this week! Chad and I took a weekend for ourselves and went camping and mountain biking in Ackerman, Miss. We sweated, we laughed, we snuggled. It was perfection.

Time flies when you’re Instagraming

24 hours is just not enough in a day! Seven days are gone in a blink! And all I can do to keep up is re-cap with Instagram. Linking up with Jenni for this week’s “Best of Instagram.”

1. One of the days this past week for the February photo challenge called for something “blue,” so in honor of BEB, ta-da!

 

2. Some of my girls and me at Hey Joe’s for Trivia on Wednesday night.

 

3. I can’t tell you how many times I have told  myself that the responsible thing to do would be to sell this beaut back, so I can better afford bridesmaid dresses, big girl bills, etc…etc…etc…BUT my heart is screaming “NOOOOOO” very loudly. Heart wins for now.

4. The past few weekends, Chad and I have made some spectacular dinners. This week’s menu included Tilapia (pictured above) and Mediterranean pizza (gone before a picture could be snapped).

 

5. And as usual, this is what Sundays look like.

Happy day to all!

Better Late than Never Instagram

This semester is my last one of undergrad. All those that have done senior year before me made it look so easy. It was supposed to be the “care-free” year. PHA! I am so busy…It may have something to do with the fact that not one but TWO of my very best friends are engaged!

1.&2. “Will you be my maid of honor?” magnets Amber Grace made for Jessica and me. Oh, speaking of Jessica, she just so happened to get engaged tooooo! Oh, and these two gals decided that they are going to do their weddings merely weeks apart this coming July. Deep breaths. Deep breaths. Exciting times!

3.&4. Got to spend a leeeettle bit of time with Mama on Monday because I had a dentist appointment in my hometown. I love this woman beyond words. She took me for my favorite…SUSHI!

5.&6. Honestly though, I don’t crave restaurant sushi as much these days because my boyfriend happens to be an AMAZING sushi chef! Look at that stuff! It is so legit. That adorable little fluff ball that is ever so intrigued by the bottle of beer is Squidbilly. He was a favorite that night when we had some of my girlfriends over for Chad’s said amazing-ness!

7.&8. Fast forward to V-day. Chad was still an amazing boyfriend, he just happened to be an amazing, broken boyfriend. He took an elbow to the head while playing basketball, and we had to get him eight stiches. He was all tough, and I was all proud! He is definitely going to be in some pain, but it was certainly a memorable first Valentine’s Day. I think those “sweet-hearts” were the right medicine, though. Red velvet cheesecake brownies. I am oh so grateful for Pinterest! 

Thanks for letting me link up so late, Jenni!

Overdue Love

Dear goodness, I haven’t linked up with Jamie for WILW for ages. So, here we go!

I think this is an opportune moment to make a big announcement. The first thing I am loving is the special delivery coming my way. Drum roll, please….

 

Yes. I did it. I not only made a decision about the dilemma I talked about in this post, but I ordered a Canon Rebel T2i from B&H on Monday. This is how the ordering process went: I got off of my waitressing shift, I sat down at our local coffee shop to do homework…and the next thing I knew I was clicking submit order. Then, I proceeded to stand up with a zombie-glazed stare, pale as a vamp and floated to the bathroom in case I were to throw up. I didn’t throw up. I smiled suddenly, because a twinge of excitement came over me in a hot flash. But then I realized the hot flash was related to the breakout of hives on my arms. This was my first very large purchase in my life, and I have no idea what I’m doing, but I have a feeling my nerves will settle when I start to figure out that magical device. It’s on it’s way, ya’ll!

The next thing I am loving is that it’s Trivia Night at the restaurant where I work. The past few weeks I have found a wonderful few hours of stress-free enjoyment there, as I sit with a group of friends and laugh at what dummies we all are.

That’s Olivia, a pretty fellow blog sister and one of my real life best friends, and me at Hey Joe’s (where I work)

Lastly, I’m loving good food. By “good” food, I mean GOOD food. Like healthy-esc. Since I started running and working towards a seriously more fit lifestyle, I feel the effects of what I eat more than ever.

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A good run makes me happy these days; and if I feel like crap from the crap I ate earlier that day, or the night before I tend to get a little cranky. This isn’t a terrible thing. It makes me want spinach. Little changes in diet or hobbies change your whole person. Who would have thought!

Speaking of such, I’m going to meet that pretty fellow blog sister now in the gym! Link up with Jamie and tell us what you’re loving too!

TGFB!

That’s “Thank God for Blogging”, by the way. I’m proud to say that in the last few months, I have convinced all three of my very best friends to become bloggers. They are starting a journey now that in the beginning, I didn’t realize how much it would be apart of my life. I’m sure on the surface that just made me sound like an utter dorkasaurous (hmmm, that one probably did too); but this is what I have found myself saying to my girls as they have been putting up their first posts: this couldn’t be a better time for you to start blogging.

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One of them is going through some hard times and changes, another is going through some very happy times and changes. All in all, life is happening. And they are documenting. As I look back on my past year of blogging, I am thankful for the free therapy it has provided. I went from struggling with the feeling that no one was reading my page, to the realization that this really isn’t even about that for me anymore. I will admit that part of the reason I blog is that I would like someone to think, or being encouraged, or inspired, etc.…but at the end of the day, I just need to document, and create, and work out my mind a little bit.

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Even if you’re not into the technological hype, I still encourage you to write throughout your life. It’s good for the soul. Go old school with a journal…or a napkin, whatever. But if you are starting to blog or even are thinking about starting to blog, this is my advice. Don’t get caught up in getting everything perfect right away…the look of your layout, the “right” way to say things in this blog culture, gaining an immense amount of  followers…all that will come on it’s own, as long as you just write…and write truth-the stuff that is in your heart. You can’t be wrong for that. All that stuff I mentioned you learn along the way. You will struggle with it…probably cuss at your computer screen quite a bit, but persevere, my friend. There are plenty of other bloggers willing and ready to give you tips. Just ask.

So, here are a few gals I would like you to meet.

This is Olivia Jo. She is an amazing young lady that I have journeyed through the depths of English hell along side. What I’m trying to say is she is a fellow English major and a much better writer than myself,  and  so you should definitely check out her BRAND NEW blog: Out on a Limb. She explains the meaning of her blog title and why she decided to jump into the blogosphere here. The girl knows what she believes and has a strong will. I’m confident there is inspiration waiting to pour from her fingertips.

Meet the “other” Amber.

This is Amber Grace…Often thought to be my sister when people meet us…and apparently that is before they consider that our parents were very uncreative with naming baby girls. She is a very happy gal because one of my other best friends happened to propose to her on New Year’s Eve. It was pretty magical, and you can read the story and go on the journey with her on her blog: Learning to Dance. I know she will be covering a lot of the details that come along with planning a wedding, but her page offers that and so much more. Girl loves her some Jesus and has an amazing testimony that will inspire for sure.

And last but most definitely not least, my girl that has been through it all with me- Jess.

I know you already want to touch her hair! But go read her blog: Shaped by Grace. She has a lot of love in her heart, and it has spilled out all over her page.She is currently student teaching, and I know there are a lot teachers and soon-to-be teachers in blogland; I’m sure my dear Jessica Nicole would love to “meet” you!

So, basically what I’m saying is go visit my friends. Tell them I sent you. Leave them some blogging advice-they are all craving it!

Welcome to an amazing journey, ladies!

{Nash}Vegas!

Get excited! Well, you don’t have to because I am enough for all of us! My university is having Fall Break I am headed to Nashville tomorrow to see some friends.

 

The plans are to do a little boot scootin’ at

 

There is also this AMAZING second hand book store that I left my heart at last time I was up in Nashville, and I’m hoping to retrieve it and maybe few more of these beauts-

Whatever goes down, I will definitely be having some fun with this girl:

Can’t you tell?

That’s Jenny from the block! She is a hometown friend that decided to broaden her horizons and move to a town a tad more exciting than our own.

Talk to ya’ll soon!

A Birthday Tribute

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…to a very special friend!

“Who” is that special friend, you ask?

A gal that would love those little guys above because she loved owls before the hoot-hoot craze even hit, a gal whose blog touches and inspires SO many here in the blogosphere, and a gal who is turning…

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This post is for you, Nicole! Thank you for being you!

I know this blog-lady in real life and I can promise you, Reader-Friends, that she is as true as her words! The gal loves her Lord above all else and is one of the most tender hearted spirits I have ever met. She wraps her entire heart around the hurting, has a joy deep, deep, down in her heart, seriously, and dreams dreams fueled by determination. She is a blessing as a friend. And I am sure glad she writes, because she has some wonderful thoughts! Nicole, I celebrate you today!

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Celebrate 21 in a classy kind of way, girl!

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I hope you all have been introduced to this lovely lady, but if you haven’t be sure to visit her at Bloom and don’t forget to leave her sweet birthday wishes!

Where have YOU been?

You may ask. Well, Reader-Friends, besides being terribly busy with school, I have been taking on some pretty challenging life feats. For instance, rock-climbing and roughing it in the woods! Last weekend I went with a group from my university to Jamestown, Arkansas. And as promised, here’s the recap! Remember, last week I shared how I was nervous about  not knowing anyone on the trip? Well, we all became instant buddies!!! Be prepared, there are many pictures  coming at ya!

As the sun was setting we were headed into the woods.

My new friend Bobby showed us girls how to build a “manly” fire.

He did a pretty good job!

Our kitchen:

Dinner over an open fire. NOM!

Our instructor Todd giving us the how to’s on rock climbing before we headed off to the cliffs-

Hiking to the rocks…Not going to lie hiking was even exhausting, especially coming back up!

The view

Todd and Bobby demonstrating how to rappel down. If you are an adrenaline addict then I would recommend this little activity. Noting like hanging off a cliff backwards to get your heart pumping!

Yours truly climbing back up

Way up there! Can you believe I’m getting a college credit for all this fun?

Belaying my friend on the rocks-

Bobby being a beast-lead climbing with NO shoes!!!

Our mascot for the weekend! (we found him on the dirt road)

New friends!

After the first day of climbing, we had some chill time at the campsite, so we played washers. Bobby and I kind of dominated! We did a lot of trash talking and then  grabbed a “victory stick.” Here is the victory stick, oh and our friend T in the background because she is burning with jealousy:

The end result of labor day weekend?  New friends, an amazingly fun time, a good kick off to getting back in shape, and on the down side, this:

Calamine lotion all over my bit up ankles, scratches and bruises all over my legs. No skirts for me for awhile, but it was so worth it!

There will be more pictures on Facebook (you can connect through my FB button on this page), but for those of you that have had enough, I shall end it here. Before I go, I want to encourage all my  Reader-Friends to step out of their comfort zone once in awhile, to try new things, or even to do things you love more often, and lastly to not be afraid to connect with people you do not know, because seriously, you will come out a better person or at least appreciate life a little more because of it.