I ♥ Thursday {No. 7}

I really hate doing I ♥ Thursday posts back to back... But in reality, I am lucky to even do them. Thursdays are the only day I have it easy... I don't have school and I don't go to work until 2 or 3... It is my in-between day... And so here I sit, with my coffee and blanket on the couch, writing up my weekly blog post... Maybe one day it will be a bi-weekly blog post... :)

I survived my French exam!!!! And I actually feel pretty good about it!!!!! I am really excited about how much I have learned so far. I am able to construct positive and negative sentences and form questions in the present tense. Yes, my vocabulary is quite limited, but I actually GET the sentence structure and can manipulate the vocabulary I do know quite well. I am just super excited about learning... :)

This coming up weekend is my English essay weekend!!! Yay!!!! I get to spend the entire weekend writing an essay on Edith Wharton's The Age of Innocence!!! I am so lucky!!!!..... Ok, sarcasm tone over... In all seriousness, I have really enjoyed The Age of Innocence. It has been a fascinating read. I will post my essay when I am done with it. Feel free to comment. :)

Now to get to the I ♥  part of this Thursday post... ;)

I am loving Spring styles!!!!! But it is still cold out!!!!! Gaaaa!!!!!!!! I am whiny about the cold right now... My family is very tired of it... lol :) So I will vent by posting my favorite styles here... :)

Red chevron with chambray??? Um, yes!!!!! :)

I am super excited about emerald coming in this season!!!!! :)

I love Jennifer Lawrence... She is one of my style icons... :)

I want a watch... I really like the rose gold... I think it would match with a lot more things than silver or gold... But I haven't been able to find the exact perfect one yet... I will be making another trip to Charming Charlie here pretty soon so maybe I will find one then... :)

I have really been loving this blog this week. She has the most amazing make-up posts. I especially love her lipstick reviews right now... :)

The Small Things Blog

And finally, a little reminder to myself about how to survive the rest of the week... :)

Have a good weekend... Au revoir!!!! :)

*whoops, I forgot to link back to Bramblewood Fashion*

I ♥ Thursday {No. 6}

Wow, this week has been tough... I have been busy out of my mind!!! (hence this post being a couple of days late) Since Monday I have been home for maybe three hours (not counting sleeping and getting ready). I am trying to stay sane... :)

I have a huge French exam next Wednesday so that is what my weekend is going to be... J'aime étudier, J'aime étudier, J'aime étudier. :)

What have I been loving this week??? Sleep mostly... That seems to be a common theme of my weeks... :)

It was Valentine's Day this week!!!! I LOVE Valentine's Day!!!Yes, even though I am single... ;) How could one not be happy on a day set aside for celebrating love??? Present and future... ;)

Running on the same theme (coincidence???;)), The Piano Guys released a new cover of Taylor Swift's Begin Again this week... :)

Oh, and Anthem Lights released their new song this week too!!! It has been a good week for youtube... :)

Hopefully I will get in another post before next week's I ♥ Thursday... Au revoir!!! :)

I ♥ Thursday {No. 5}

What have I been loving this week??? Sleep mostly... It has been a pretty rough week for me with school and work... But this week should be better cuz I have the weekend off... :)

Totally wish this... 

I love the Lizzie Bennet Diaries... :)

The more I think about it, the more I really love this movie... :)

French is really kickin my butt this week, but I am super excited about what I am learning... :)

I have been waiting for swing ever since my dance class started... And this week we finally learned it... :)

Essay on Robert Frost's poem "Storm Fear"

Fear of God

Robert Frost’s poem “Storm Fear” is a picture of a winter storm from the security of inside a family’s home. The narrator, probably the father of the family, watches as the snow falls to the ground outside while feeling the warmth from the fireplace indoors.  However, as the fire dies and the cold begins to seep into the house, he starts to worry about how his family will be able to dig out of the snow that is piling higher and higher. I believe this snow storm is a representation of sin in our lives and the fear the narrator feels about getting snowed in is a representation of his fear of sin.

The progression of the surface meaning of “Storm Fear” is an important element in the meaning of the poem. The narrator starts out feeling very secure and comfortable “It costs no inward struggle not to go/Ah no!” (Frost 240). However, as the “cold creeps as the fire dies at length” (Frost 12) he starts to feel depressed. This is a very common stereotype; cold makes people feel sad versus warmth makes them feel good. Stripped of the fleeting comfort that the fire brought, the narrator succumbs to despair and then applies that reaction to the rest of life. He asks how he will have the strength to survive the trials of life if he can’t even fortify himself against the cold: “And my heart owns a doubt/Whether ‘tis in us to arise with day/And save ourselves unaided” (Frost 16-18). Frost uses nature in this poem to bring the narrator to ask questions about his life. The title of the poem, “Storm Fear”, suggests that as the narrator begins to fear the effects of the storm on his family, he also begins to experience doubts and fear about his life. One critic says of Frost’s use of nature in his poetry “Nature itself does not fear, nor does it know fear, but fear can grow out of man’s relationship with it” (Bass 603). The narrator’s feeling of fear about his life is in direct correlation to the fear he feels about being snowed in.

Upon a second reading of the poem, the reader starts to see parallels between the snow storm and the questions that the last three lines raises that were not obvious on the first reading. In the first line, the narrator says “the wind works against us in the dark/And pelts with snow/The lower chamber on the east” (Frost 1-3). A few lines down, the narrator describes the wind as a “beast”. The wording of these lines is very significant. Frost is drawing a parallel here between the storm, the devil, and sin. The narrator says the wind “works against” him “in the dark.” This, combined with the reference to the wind as a “beast”, suggests that the wind is a parallel to the devil. This is the first of several references to Biblical themes. Throughout the Bible, believers are exhorted to arm themselves against the devil implying that he is actively seeking to attack them.  The narrator’s mention that the wind is blowing from the east is also significant. Because it is usually an east wind that brings cold weather, an easterly wind has become an analogy for sin, despair, and trouble. The fact that the snow is coming from the east suggests that the snow is a representation of sin.  Similar parallels between the cold and sin are included in later lines. The narrator says “Those of us not asleep subdued to mark/How the cold creeps as the fire dies at length” (Frost 11-12). This describes how sin can “creep” into people’s lives when their “fire” for right dies.  Those two lines also provide another parallel to life. People don’t normally see themselves diverting from the course they believe is right. It is a gradual “creeping” that will lead them astray. Just as a tiny misalignment on a compass will cause you to end up in a completely different place from where you intended, small choices and compromises can lead you to a place in your life that you never wanted to be. The quiet setting that the narrator is watching the snow in is also very suggestive of quiet meditation about life.

The reader also sees parallels between the comfort the fire brings to the narrator and the comfort people have, or think they have, in life. When the narrator says “It costs no inward struggle not to go” (Frost 7), he is making a statement about how he feels about his life.  He also says “I count our strength/Two and a child” (Frost 9-10). At the first reading, this line appears to be a mere statement about how many people are in the house. However, I believe that this is another statement about how the narrator feels about his life. He feels as if he is strong and able to withstand the storm of life. This is another example of how Frost makes use of Biblical themes; when people feel secure and strong, that is often when a “storm” of life hits and they are knocked down and humbled. Another parallel between the storm and life is the significance of the barn in to the narrator. He describes it as “the comforting barn” (Frost 15) and despairs when the snow storm covers it from view. This is a reference to the temporal things people take comfort in in life. The narrator derives security from the view of his barn and when that is taken away, so is his security. This is a representation of how people whose happiness and security depend on temporal things can be cruelly disappointed when those things are taken away.  

Frost’s handling of the highly Biblical theme of sin is unusual. One critic says of Frost “He [Frost] proffered religious affirmations only equivocally or ironically” (Liebman 417).  Another speaks of Frost’s use of religious themes in his poetry “The speaker in the poetry keeps alive the possibility that something greater than man sustains order and purpose in the universe” (Juhnke 153). In this poem, Frost chooses to handle the theme of sin seriously and utilizes the powerful image of a snow storm to illustrate it.

Frost makes use of poetic devices to illustrate his meaning. The repetition of the “s” sound throughout the entire poem is significant. The “s” sound is most commonly associated with a “shhh” which contributes to the quiet atmosphere of the poem. The differing length of the lines is also suggestive of the drifts of snow that are the central metaphor of the poem.

I immensely enjoyed this poem. Frost’s choice to use a winter storm to illustrate the weakness of man and their need for divine assistance was perfect. The imagery he used created a sense of raw, unrehearsed emotion. I not only felt for the narrator, I felt with him. However, the narrator of this poem is not necessarily the spiritual hero the reader is lead to assume. He only admits he can’t save himself when he has no choice. How much credit does a man deserve when he asks for help only when he is down? Humility is a trait that can’t be limited to the trials of life. If people began to exercise it more often, they might find that happiness depends not on what you have, but how you see what you have. 

Works Cited 

Bass, Eben. "Frost's Poetry of Fear." American Literature 43.4 (1972): 603-15. JSTOR. Web. 3 Feb. 2013. .

Frost, Robert. Robert Frost’s Poems. Ed. Louis Untermeyer. New York:St. Martin’s Paperbacks, 2002.Print.

Juhnke, Anne K. "Religion in Robert Frost's Poetry: The Play for Self Possesion." American Literature 36.2 (1964): 153-64. JSTOR. Web. 3 Feb. 2013. .

Liebman, Sheldon W. "Robert Frost, Romantic." Twentieth Century Literature 42.4 (1996): 417-37. JSTOR. Web. 3 Feb. 2013. .

can't help fallin' in love

Well, I guess it has been a week or so since I have posted. The time just gets away from me... Well, mostly I just give it away to Netlifx... You know how it goes... You get home from work or school and you are just so tired that all the good intentions that you formed on your way home just fly out the window and you succumb to the seductive calling of your bed and laptop... I knew ya'll would understand... :)

It is late right now. I have just returned from the movies... Me and my sister saw Warm Bodies. I never thought I would want to see much less like a zombie movie, but I did. It was pretty cute... In a lot of ways it is more realistic than your regular romcoms. You know, where the girl meets a perfect, good looking, rich guy, gets swept off her feet and then lives happily ever after... In Warm Bodies, the guy is unassuming yet caring... Gives us single gals hope that one of the unassuming guys in our lives might turn out to be "the one"... The perfect Valentine's Day movie... In a weird sort of way... :)

The rest of this weekend will be spent writing my first English essay of the semester. It is about Robert Frost's poem "Storm Fear". I am actually pretty excited about it. It has a very strong Christian theme which is unusual for Frost. I am glad I found it... :)

When the wind works against us in the dark, 
And pelts with snow 
The lowest chamber window on the east, 
And whispers with a sort of stifled bark, 
The beast, 
'Come out! Come out!'- 
It costs no inward struggle not to go, 
Ah, no! 
I count our strength, 
Two and a child, 
Those of us not asleep subdued to mark 
How the cold creeps as the fire dies at length,- 
How drifts are piled, 
Dooryard and road ungraded, 
Till even the comforting barn grows far away 
And my heart owns a doubt 
Whether 'tis in us to arise with day 
And save ourselves unaided. 

I will probably post my essay when I am done with it. Don't hesitate to tell me if you like it or it is total crap... :)

Hopefully I will remember to do an I Love Thursday post next week... Until then, au revoir!!! :)

a crazy little thing called love

I have seen other bloggers put random song lyrics as their titles... As that is the song currently stuck in my head, I thought I would share it... It is now stuck in your head... You're welcome... :P

Well, the first week of school is now over. It went very well. Last year I was a total mess after the first week because of the lifestyle change I was going into. Now it is old hat and I am revin' to go. :)

I can now greet people in French, ask about their day/health, and say good bye...

Example: 

Me: Salut!!! Ca va???

Other person: Oui, Ca va bien, merci. Et toi, comment vas-tu???

Me: Pas mal.

Are you impressed?? lol :)

Language is such a fun thing to practice during the day. I am in the car a lot and so I repeat conversations outloud... I text my friends in French... I talk to my cat... It is very fun... :)

I have also been feeling very crafty this week. I have done a couple of pinterest projects. I will share them with ya'll sometime this week hopefully. :)

Tonight I get to go dancing!!! I have my ballroom class at school and then I am going to Old Town to go English Country Dancing at Gadsby's. I haven't been in probably a year. It was a very lucky coincidence that my ballroom class fell on Tuesday nights and ends right before ECD starts. I miss dancing. :)

A bientot!!! Bonne journee!!!! Au revoir!!!!!

Ice Skating and Stuff

So... Tomorrow I willingly return to the secular institution that is going to enslave me for the next 4 months... An institution that is going to feed me ideas that spring from presuppositions that are directly against my own... An institution that employs people who openly scorn my Christian beliefs... In other words, tomorrow is the first day of school... :)

Why go to such a terrible school you ask??? Well, because it is cheap. :) 

Ok ok, that isn't the only reason... I am living at home and I have a good church with lots of close Christian friends that offer a ton of support. Trust me, I would NEVER go to a secular college if I didn't have all of that... I just couldn't do it... Here in Northern Virginia especially, there is a very large Muslim and Hindu presence. You can feel the spiritual warfare in the air when you walk down the street and it takes a lot of effort to keep from getting really depressed. An analogy that I head once is that in life we are standing on a conveyor belt that is moving towards Hell... If we don't actively walk towards God, then we are moving away from Him. That is what it feels like on campus sometimes. The enemy is fighting against you whether or not you choose to engage him. I choose to engage him... Most of the time... :)

When I am on campus, if I don't have any homework, I try to remember to bring my Nook so I can read my Bible. I don't always remember and sometimes I forget to charge it, but when I do, it helps a lot. For this semester, I also bought a C.S. Lewis book... collection... thing... It has daily readings from his works... I am super excited about that one... :)

Another thing that really helps is prayer. I pray in the car on my way to school sometimes. That helps get my heart in the right place for the day. 

The last thing that helps is something that a lot of people don't put a lot of stock in... That is the prayers of other people for you... Do you know how uplifting it is to know that someone out there is praying for you everyday??? I can't tell you how encouraging it is when I get a text from a friend saying that she is praying for me... So please, friends, pray for me tomorrow as I head back into the pit that is Northern Virginia Community College... :)

Wow, I totally didn't mean for all of that to come out... But hey, when the thought flows, you go with it... :)

I originally meant for this to be an outfit post. I had a super fun Saturday yesterday in which I did nothing but play around with make-up, hair, and clothes in preparation for a super-tastic fun evening of ice skating with friends from church... This is the result. :)

Mint sweater (Forever 21) over a chambray button-up (J. Crew)... Since I was going to be ice skating, I didn't bother matching a pair of shoes with this outfit... 

Ok, so I didn't end up wearing this necklace (Charming Charlie) since we were going ice skating and a long necklace wouldn't have jived with that... I changed it to a short pearl necklace inspired by this post over at Bramblewood Fashion... :)

You can't really tell, but I did a fun eye shadow job inspired by this pin... 

You can see the blue (which looks purple here) touch on the inner lower lid in this picture a bit better... I also changed my lipstick when we went skating to a darker berry... One of these days I will do a whole post on lipstick... I love lipstick... :)

I did this little twirly side pin thing to make pulling my hair back a bit more interesting... I got the idea from The Lizzie Bennet Diaries on youtube... Jane wears her hair so chic... I am going to be going through them again just to look at her hair... :)

Another word about my hair... Those curls... They took 10 minutes... How you ask??? With the magical curling iron that I got for Christmas... It is one of those that don't have a clamp... It is just a single rod that you curl your hair around and hold in place with your hand. If I wanted to, I could have Taylor Swift curls. But that would be a bit extreme for daily wear... When I get a camera that takes video, I will do a demo to show ya'll just how easy it it to use!!! :)

Ok, thanks for reading this way longer and deeper than I originally anticipated post... Hopefully it won't be the last this semester!!! lol :)

I ♥ Thursday {no. 4}

Yay, look at me, I am doing two I ♥ Thursday posts in a row!!! School starts next week, though, so we shall see how I do then... :)

Be sure to hop on over to Bramblewood Fashion to see the rest of the I ♥ Thursday posts!!! :)

This is spoke to me about some things that have been happening lately... 

Thank you... 

No words!!!!! AHHHHHHH!!!!!!!! Finnick!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

More fangirl screaming!!!!! AHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! :)

I want a heart sweater... I want, I want, I want!!!! :)

I just discovered The Lizzie Bennet Diaries. Absolutely Hilarious. I watched all 78 episodes over two days. They are great because they are only 5-6 minutes long so you don't feel as guilty about watching one. Although, who watches just one??? :) They can get a bit crude, but not too bad... :)

The newest Piano Guys video!!!!! This was super cool timing because Netflix just put Ghost Protocol up on instant stream and I just watched it... :) 

School starts on Monday!!!!! I know, I shouldn't be excited, right??? Well, I am. I have had a month off, two weeks of which was also off of work, and I am bored. I am a lazy person by nature and so when I don't have something that I HAVE to do, I don't do anything. 0:) Although, I did get most of the things on my to-do list done, I should have gotten them all done. But such is life. Live and learn and all that rot. I have learned that even if I have all the time in the world, it is just as hard to get my chores done as when I have no time... therefore I should do my chores and quit making excuses about having no time... :)

I am going to try to post twice a week on here. One regular post and an I Love Thursday post. Would ya'll also be interested in reading and discussing my English essays??? They are literary essays that deal with my interpretation of a topic given to me by my professor. Some of the books I have for this semester contain mature content, but if this semester is anything like last semester, they will be discussed in an academic and intellectual manner. Would anyone be interested in engaging in such discussion???

I am also super duper excited about starting French this semester!!!! I have always wanted to learn a second language and French has always been my first choice. I have my text books, a French/English dictionary, and a pretty notebook. I am all set. :)

One other thing that is coming up is the Walk for Life in DC. I have been wanting to go for, like, ever, but something else always came up. Well, this year it just so happens that it is on a Friday right after my math class which just so happens to be right by the metro. It was the perfect set up. I am super excited to show my support for life in our nation's capitol!!!! Is anyone else going to be there??? :)

Ta ta for now!!! :)

I ♥ Thursday

Hey, I remembered it's Thursday!!!!! That means that I can do an I Love Thursday post!!!! :) Ya'll should hop on over to Bramblewood Fashion and take a look at all the other I Love Thursday posts... :)

C.S. Lewis quotes... These have been popping up in my newsfeed and on pinterest all week. C.S. Lewis is one of my absolute favorite non-fiction writers. :)

This shirt... If you don't get it, you don't get it... :P

And some more Doctor Who... I LOVED the Christmas Special. I cannot wait to see how Clara Oswin Oswald's story turns out... :)

Les Miserables... If I tried to express how the love of this movie has touched the very depths of my soul, I would probably sound like a blabbering idiot... Suffice it to say, I have been dreaming in song since Christmas... :)

The Hobbit... Loved the movie... Did not love the HFR... I have seen the regular version and the HFR version so far. I would like to see it again in plain 3D so that I will be able to compare them all... I know, I am a nerd... :)

This outfit... Love the layering. I got a bauble necklace of my own a few weeks ago at Charming Charlie for 20 bucks (as opposed to 150 from J. Crew) and I absolutely love it. :)

Well, it is that time of year again... Time for New Year's Resolutions. It is hard to believe that it has been a year since I have made my last resolution list. I will post my 2012 list and go over how I did before making my new list... :)

2012 To Do List

1) Start learning French
*Didn't end up starting this, but I am taking French 101 this semester so it is going to happen... :)

2) Go to the Preakness

3) Visit the Ferrars
*very fun trips :)

4) Go to the chiropractor

5) Use up all the yarn I own
*Ha, I don't think I even knitted a whole dish cloth... Maybe I will pick up knitting again this year... Maybe not :)

6) Update my blog once a week
*Well, I did ok in the summer 0:)
7) Start exercising
*not likely

8) Read all the books I own
*not even close

9) Get promoted (to what I don't know yet)
*I didn't end up getting a different job, but I did get an interview... From that interview, my name has been put on a list that will be kept for a year. If a position opens up, that list is what they choose from :)

10) Enlarge my wardrobe
*done :)

11) Organize all my belongings
*I don't think I will ever get everything organized to my liking

12) Organize the garage
*nope

13) See The Avengers on opening night
14) See The Hunger Games on opening night
*Oh yeah... And The Hobbit and Les Miserables :)

15) Go to the beach... a lot
*once... resolved to do better this year :)

16) Lose 15 pounds
*more like gained... But I have a diet plan that I am going to be implementing soon :)

17) Match my purse with my outfit more often
*done :)

18) Lessen soda intake
*done

19) Walk the GW parkway more often
*not so much

20) Get pedicures regularly
*waaay too expensive around here

21) Get a smart phone
*sadly, no

22) Be more diligent in my Bible reading
* "more" is a relative term :)

23) Memorize poetry
*nope
24) Memorize more Scripture
*nope

25) Learn ballroom, Latin, and swing dancing
*I took some lessons, but they were very expensive so I had to quit... But I am taking Ballroom Dancing as my PE credit this semester so hopefully I will get better

26) Find the perfect bathing suit
*done

27) Get and maintain a good tan
*done

28) Wear more hats
*done

29) Look good in skinny jeans
*done

30) Make baby blankets for the crisis pregnancy center
*nope

31) Volunteer for the Wounded Warriors
*nope

32) Complete a sewing project
*haha, that's funny 

33) Learn to knit cables
*hopefully this year
34) Ride the metro more often
*again, hopefully this year

35) REALLY visit all the Smithsonians
*I did go to the National Gallery of Art in November and I have almost solid plans to go again with a friend... Hopefully before the year is out

36) Follow politics more closely
* agian, "more" is a relative term

37) Wear more dresses
*done

38) Buy and eShaki dress
*nada

39) Buy a Shabby Apple dress
*sigh, almost, but no

40) Become a "regular" at a local coffee shop
*If you count the coffee shop on campus as "local" then I was VERY regular ;)

41) Make 5 things I pinned on Pinterest
*Um, probably

42) Buy more shoes
*done

43) Try more hairstyles
*too busy

44) Fill my journals
*HAHAHAHA!!!!!! 

45) Buy a pair of red rain boots
*nope

46) Make new friends
*done

47) Buy something random and beautiful off of Etsy
*nope
48) Go to Mount Vernon at least once a month
*hahaha, nope

49) Start planning an overseas trip
*if dreaming counts as planning :)

50) Start saving for a car
*buying one this year hopefully
51) Wear more lipstick
*love lipstick now!!! :)

52) Keep my room clean
*a constant battle
53) Go to our local cupcake shop more often
*not really

Now for my 2013 To Do... I do love making lists... :) The essence of my goals for this year is to do more and love more. I have a *ahem* self-discipline issue sometimes and that translates into laziness. I want to DO more things... Not just fun things, but necessary things... Like dishes and laundry. I also am not the most compassionate person in the world... Meaning I am not always very considerate to the people around me. I want to change that this year... Or at least try... :)

1. Start learning French
2. Knit something
3. Sew something
4. Get a Circulation Aid job
5. Get volunteer hours at the library
6. Eat healthy... A Mediterranean-ish diet
7. Lose weight
8. Organize the garage
9. Stay a week at the beach
10. Start running
11. Memorize more Scripture
12. Read Les Miserables
13. Go dancing more often
14. See Catching Fire on opening night
15. Go to DC more often
16. Take a trip somewhere I have never been
17. Buy a Shabby Apple dress
18. Get on someone's "list"
19. Get all As
20.  Listen to more classical music
21. Learn more about Medieval history
22. Read Mere Christianity
23. Re-watch all 7 seasons of Doctor Who
24. Write letters
25. Journal more
26. Wear more eye shadow
27. Try a French macaroon
28. Learn more about French history and culture
29. Memorize world geography
30. Take Professor Brunner's Shakespeare class
31. Get a smart phone
32. Join Birchbox or Glossybox
33. Buy a nice watch
34. Buy a pair of wellies
35. Finish my Jane Austen book collection
36. Reach 100 posts on this blog
37. Go to Busch Gardens
38. Go ice skating
39. Buy a camera
40. Buy new bedding
41. See The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug on opening night
42. Maintain a minimum 3.5 GPA
43. Post semi-regularly on this blog
44. Re-watch Doctor Who
45. Improve my relationships with other people
46. Catch up with old friends
47. Identify the idols in my life
48. Go to a ball/dance
49. Expand my wardrobe
50. Read poetry
51. Wear scarves in summer
52. Frequent a local eatery
53. Buy a car
54. Organize all of my belongings
55. Do a video blog
56. Go on Twitter more
57. Try more vintage hairstyles
58. Watch more Old Hollywood films
59. Shop at J. Crew more
60. Buy something at Three Sisters for myself
61. Hang out in Old Town more
62. Go to Mount Vernon more
63. Walk the GW parkway more

64. Take up knitting again
65. Write down all the cool things that happen during the year and put them in a jar to be opened up at the end of the year

So much can happen in a year's time!!! I can't wait to see what 2013 holds!!! :)

I will put my 2013 To-Do on a tab up at the top of my blog page so that you can keep up with my progress throughout the year... :)

Merry Belated Christmas everyone!!! And Thanksgiving... And Halloween... And a lot of other events that I have missed in the last 6 months!!! But hey, life happens :)... At the beginning of 2012, I had no idea that I would be going to college full time in the fall, but life has this way of turning out different that we plan. I have slowly been learning that what I *thought* God's plans were for my life were actually *my* plans for my life. Through the encouragement of a friend and lots of prayer, I have been trying to find joy in my very busy and sometimes hectic day to day life. I am by no means there yet, but I do have a direction... :)

It has been two years since I have been in school...  Coming off of that, I didn't expect much of myself in college. But I underestimated myself. God has given me a brain that learns very quickly and easily if stimulated... I credit my 4.0 GPA at the end of this semester to that. :)

 I really forgot how much I LOVE learning!!! It took me a few weeks, but after I got used to the lifestyle change, I really started to enjoy myself. This coming up semester I am starting French which I am REALLY excited about. There is something about learning another language that is wonderfully romantic. :)

I couldn't begin to catch ya'll up on everything that I have been doing... Not that I have done much besides stuff that relates to college :). The short of it is I did homework, went to work, and hung out with friends... And watched movies... Namely, The Hobbit and Les Miserables... Both of which are FANTASTIC!!!!!!! :)

I will be putting up a 2013 To-do list tomorrow for the New Year. Hopefully, I will be able to keep up with posting a bit better than I have been... Ta ta!!! :)

Hey, just a quick note to tell ya'll that I did a guest post over at Rhapsody in Pink!!! :) Hope you enjoy!!! :)

I hope everyone had a good 4th of July yesterday... Mine was... Interesting... My mum was at the hospital most of the day due to a migraine induced by dehydration... Probably from this past weekend... So it was just me and two of my sisters that had to make sure the house was clean and all the food was prepared before our guests arrived... The trouble was that I wasn't sure exactly what all we were making... And when our guests did arrive, how was I supposed to entertain them??? They were mostly my mum's friends... Thankfully, mum got back home just as our guests were supposed to arrive... And they were late which was even better... ;) 

So we hung out and chatted with our guests until about 9 when we walked over to where we could see the Fort Belvoir fireworks... Then we walked back home and went to bed...

As far as 4th of Julys go, I would say that I have had better... But it did go with the theme of the week... Life doesn't stop when unforeseeable and extremely inconvenient things happen...  

On a happier note, I was very pleased with how this outfit turned out earlier this week... I have never been able to do the "tucked in" look cuz of my big butt and thighs, but the cut of these shorts really help that problem, I think... ;)

Oh, and I absolutely LOVE my TOMS!!!!!! I ended up getting both a red pair and a navy pair... The sizing was an interesting part of picking them out... They run about a half a size to a full size big, so make sure to try them on if you are thinking about buying some... I got a size 5 in the youth size in red and a 6.5 in regular women's in navy... The style is a bit different between youth and women's, but I like them both... ;)

I am trying to think of a creative, happy way to say I got my first Glossybox in the mail today... But I am so excited that it just keeps coming out I GOT MY FIRST GLOSSYBOX IN THE MAIL TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!!! So I think I will just go with that... :)

I GOT MY FIRST GLOSSYBOX IN THE MAIL TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I first head about Glossybox over at Bramblewood Fashion... I checked out the website and totally fell in love with the concept... I mean, who wouldn't want to get 5 European travel sized beauty products once a month in a gorgeous box??? I ordered it earlier this month and have been anxiously awaiting its arrival... I was so excited when it came today and even more when I opened it!!! It had some amazing products in it!!!!! :)

The box... Isn't it darling??? And a beauty magazine... ;)

I LOVE how it is wrapped... Very glamorous and chic... ;)

The products... I have used everything except the perfume so far and I totally love it all!!! have I mentioned how much I love Glossybox??? :)

This mascara is my favorite product... I have been needing new mascara for, like, a couple of months now... And this is a full size tube!!! I was so excited!!! :)

I was also super excited about this shaving creme... Smooth legs are one thing I love but rarely have... My legs feel great after using it this morning... ;)

The other product is a face firming lotion... Not exactly sure how to use it, but I figured I would try it anyway... ;)

This stuff is amazing... I LOVE the smell... And the texture... :)

This is a hair moisturizer... I am not all that big on conditioner or moisturizer for my hair, but I am gonna give it a try and see what it does... ;)

I can't wait to have an event fancy enough to wear this perfume to!!! It looks so glamorous!!! :)

Next time, I think I am going to try Birchbox... It is a different company, but it basically does the same thing... I have heard rave reviews from this blog... I want to see if it is better than Glossybox... :)


Well, I hope ya'll have a good rest of the week!!! :)

I used to think a long term power outage would be exciting... Well, this week I learned that I was wrong... They are not exciting or romantic... Especially in July... Or when you have a grandmother that lives off of machines living with you... Or when you have guests... But super especially when you have all three of those happening at once... 

The past two days have been completely miserable... There was a really bad storm on Friday night with hurricane force winds and lots of cloud to ground lightning... It knocked out power for all of Northern Virginia, DC, and a lot of Maryland... With temperatures reaching up to 100 degrees yesterday and today, everyone was totally miserable... 

On Saturday, we camped out at the library that I work at to charge up our phones and laptops (not that we could use our phones because the cell towers were down too)... My library was one of the only ones in the county that had power and internet so it was totally packed... People were sitting on the floor next to outlets charging their phones, ipods, and laptops... Northern Virginia people are not very well equipped to handle disasters like this... ;)

Another horrible thing is that payday was Thursday so my mom went grocery shopping on Friday... So we had a whole fridge and freezer full of food... On Saturday evening, we cooked up all of the chicken and hamburger patties we bought... It was a good thing we had company over... 

Saturday night was the worst... Everyone slept downstairs... Sorta... I don't know how much sleep everyone actually got... It was so hot... One of my good friends and her husband slept in their car because it was 90 degrees in their attic apartment... 

At about 4 in the morning, my disabled grandma who lives with us went into distress... She has to be on a breathing machine at night and periodically during the day otherwise carbon dioxide builds up in her bloodstream... Due to the power outage, she hadn't been on it for more than 24 hours... So my mom had to call 911 for an ambulance to come get her... We all envied her... She got to go into air conditioning... She will be fine now that she can be on her machine and have doctors monitor her blood gases... But it was horrible to be woken up at 4 in the morning by a 911 call... 

Our first plan for today was the pool... But would ya know it, it runs on electricity!!! So we went to Fredricksburg instead... I would have had a really good time if I hadn't had to drive... That put me in a sour mood... So I just didn't talk very much and avoided people... Charming Charlie and frozen yogurt helped... :) 

When we got home, the power was back!!! I cannot describe to you how amazing it was to walk into an air conditioned house... I didn't care so much about not having internet or having to shower by candle light... But the a/c... That is an absolute necessity of life... 

Now we are sitting at home hanging out with our friends and trying to decide what movie we want to watch... This might take a while... ;)

Lesson of the weekend... Power outages are not fun... And your attitude is a choice... I could have chosen to be more joyful today, but I didn't... I restrained myself from killing anyone, but I was miserable myself... So now, I am trying to be more happy... Hence all the happy pictures... ;)