complainer everyday

Today, I'm not necessarily talking about fashion.  I'm going to take a break, maybe give you guys a break?

This past week I've been dealing with an issue regarding my dang crackberry that I do love dearly, but sometimes seems to give me more trouble than it's worth.  As I was texting one of the roommates discussing this issue, among others, I looked back over my texts and realized what a complainer I was.  I generally like to think of my self as a positive person, and although I know everyone has their off days when all your energy is simply going into getting up in the morning, I still have to make myself remember those that are not nearly as lucky or blessed as I am. 
Even though my crackberry gets little glitches or service problems, I have one.  Even though my computer's sound has a mind of it's own, at least I have a computer with personality.  I have a mom who loves to talk to me so much I can't always get her off the phone, a dad who trusts me enough to stand up to those verizon people, a sister who loves me even after I tell her bluntly not to wear "hooker shoes", and a brother who texts me back in french because I tell him I'm bad at it (D'abord, c'est dificile.  Ensuite elle devien plus bonne. Which I thought meant something totally different until I put it in Google Translator.)  I have the best friends who make cake pops and cinnamon cookies, amazing dresses and beautiful hairstyles, call me from six hours away to talk about silly stories that I can't even tell very well. 
Just remembering these things shows that I have everything that I need in my life.  Let's face it, I have nothing to complain about.  I'm not a Von trapp family member, climbing the Alps to run from the Nazi Regime who want to take my dad away.  In the snow.  Still singing. (And yes, Taylor, that reference is all for you.)

happy list

Hello all! 
I continue to make exuses for not posting in the past week or so.  What can I say?  It's summer.  I actually feel like going back to school will be less stressful than right now.  Of course, I say that and in two months I will probably be complaining about how jam-packed my life is.

To stop myself before I complain anymore about my amazing summer, I have an activity for anyone who might be interested.  I was in Wilmington the last 3 days, visiting my old roommate Kristen, who's the bomb.  As I was looking around her room at all the magazine cut outs that formerly covered the cenderblock walls of our dorm room, I noticed a list she had posted of natural highs in life.  I later ran into a similar list on two of my favorite blogs.  Deciding this was a sign from God, I've created my own list as a reminder of the wonderful little moments in life that make it good in this crazy world.

1. getting things in the mail, especially magazines.  and shoes.

2. watching all of The Lord of the Rings movies and remembering how amazing brilliant JRR Tolkein was.

3. singing Disney songs at the top of my lungs in the car.

4. finishing a run.

5. looking at old pictures.

6. pine knoll shores beach.

7. catching someone looking at you differently.

8. dancing and performing in front of anyone.

9. thinking about how much life I still have left to live.

10. listening to a really awesome new song.

11. playing with my doggy.

12. eating fudge tracks ice cream.

13. laughing so hard you don't need to do crunches.  and your cheeks hurt.

14. watching people open presents.

15. waking up from a good sleep with the sun coming in.

16. knowing God has an awesome plan for me.

17. licking cake batter off mixers.

Definitely a good reminder for those gloomier days.  Anybody else have some additional happy moments?  Feel free to share (:

in the sun

I'm going to try something else a little new: while you're reading this, listen to "In the Sun" by She & Him (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZ3cTwI9bIw).

Today, I'm simply writing about this new lovely pair of satin shoes. And you will never guess how much they were ($9). They're just so classic and beautiful.

I was reminded last night by a close friend how important those classic and reliable things in your life really are; things like your family (or atleast my family). Through high school, you might go through a time where you really want to wear those trendy shoes that actually kinda hurt your feet, but everyone else wants to wear them. Still, at some point you realize that you feel safe in those streamline mint-green peep toes. You can always count on them to make you look good.

Now just to finish off that good look, here's some other ideas...

dress: modcloth, necklace: forever 21, clutch: asos

free will, will, will

Has anybody else noticed how difficult life is? I'm sure that sounds like the dumbest question. But seriously, there is so much to think about in a day, and it really never ends, especially when you're pursuing your dreams. Whenever my dad has to do anything (I mean anything: grocery store, chores, work) he always makes a list with little boxes to literally check each item off. He writes them all down on note cards, punches holes in them, and stores them in a spiral bound notebook, which is getting pretty thick. This list just keeps growing and growing; everyday there's something new to check off or add to the list.
I realized people, as in me, segment their lives, constantly looking forward to something coming up. When you get to that place you've been thinking about going, that event that makes you want to turn on Five Years Time (Noah and the Whale) so you can dance in your excitement for it, is the climactic point of your own personal book. It's Harry winning the battle against Voldermort who's attached to the back of Quirrel's bald head. But wait a second, aren't there six more books? All of which are about three times as long as the first. Just like Harry Potter, our lives continue after Voldermort is defeated for the first time, and actually the last time for that matter.
I guess my point is that it gets pretty daunting, life, that is.

Yesterday, a little 8 year old girl Ellie Botvin, passed away after a two year battle with cancer. I only met her once, but she was the best friend of another amazing girl, who I consider my family. When I think about the kind of struggle that Ellie's been through and the fact that she doesn't get to continue her story for six more sequels, I can only feel so blessed that God has allowed me my own story here on earth.
I really don't mean to make anyone feel guilty or bad about the life they want to live. I mean, that's why we have a little something called free will. I only think about this as a reminder to live the life I've been given with purpose. I will continue working towards my goals, my dreams. I will maintain my friendships past that exciting cruise trip. I will love my family when I kinda strongly dislike them. I will marry Ron Weasly! (Too many Harry Potter references?)

HELLO, MY NAME IS

Unlike my past two posts, I have no ridiculous circumstance to report on (thankfully), but this thought did come to me in the shower. Could anyone truely imagine what it is like to be someone else? What it is like to live in a foreign country, and be from that country. To hold the NBA championship trophy for the fifth time in your life. To perform in front of millions of screaming fans everynight. To look in the mirror and see someone else looking back at you.
I have also talked to one of my friends about the idea that no one, NO ONE, is in the same place. Ever. If you're sitting at the same desk you've sat in one hundred times, you're still not with the same mindset you were the last time you sat in that desk. Or the same mind set from a second ago when you were wondering if you were sitting in the same desk.

The first time I really thought about this I got goose bumps. Just the realization that in this crazy overpopulated (according to some) world that we live in, no one has ever or will ever experience the same moment you just did. It kinda makes me want to live my life a little better, right? If I'm the only one who gets to live this moment, I should probably make it a good one. Not bad for shower thinking.

summer is no longer about catching fireflies

I guess this is a little depressing for my first post, but it is definitely something I'm sure everyone thinks about as they get older. What happened to those summers? Swim team practice in the morning, capture the flag at night, lemonade all the time.
This summer is not one of them. This summer I have two jobs. I am so thankful for both of them, but unlike past summers, I am not laying poolside or driving around with the windows down all day.
But wait a minute, let me back up and give you a little better idea about myself before these two strenuous summer jobs.
I am a pretty typical 18 year old girl from charlotte, north carolina. Or for that matter, I am a pretty typical 18 year old girl from anywhere. I have been dancing since I was two years old. I had planned on pursuing this through college and even performing professionally. But after this year, God seems to be pointing me in another direction. So I am starting fresh this year, a new school, a new major, a new mind set. (And yes, I can see how cheesy this all sounds. But how can it be cheesy if it's true?)
I have always been very interested in fashion, art, music; I started thinking, if I'm not dancing, why don't I do that? So, currently, I'm following my new dream of becoming a fashion stylist at a magazine. And that magazine will hopefully one day be teen vogue, but whenever I think about that, my mind immediately goes to Juno sarcastically shouting, "DREAM BIG!" at her dog adoring stepmother. Probably minus the sarcastic part.

Anyways, the way all of this connects: the summer, the cubicle job, the teen vogue, is my determination to find a summer job at teenvogue. Or atleast somewhere a little closer to what I want to eventually do with my life. And then I would be happy with skipping out on the capture the flag and the swim team practice to just settle for some lemonade (:
now that endings not so depressing, right?