Miscellany Monday

I've never technically participated in Miscellany Monday, but I'm usually pretty random with my posts, so I figured I might as well link up and play along! Heck, why not? So here goes.


{5 days}
There are only 5 more days until the kickoff of Rebel football season. 5. days. Y'all, I just can't even begin to tell you how excited I am. If you're new here and need to learn one thing about me, it's that I'm a football and baseball fanatic. Especially when it's involving my alma mater, Ole Miss. And you know what makes it even better? The Grove. 5 days til I get to see my friends (shout-out to Faye because I know she's reading this), eat some yummy food, drink a mimosa, and tailgate in style. Oh, and wear a pretty dress all the while. I.Cannot.Wait.

{A little over halfway there}
So, I weighed two days ago and I'm officially down 39 lbs. I want to lose about 30 more, so I'm over halfway to my goal weight! Praise the Lord! The only downfall to losing weight is that none of my clothes fit anymore! Thank goodness for dresses, because otherwise I'd be wearing an oversized KD tshirt and Nike shorts all the time. And another thing that sucks--I just bought a whole new wardrobe of scrubs about a month ago (already down a size from pre-diet scrubs) but now even the new ones are about to fall off. I am too broke to buy another wardrobe. But yippee on getting healthy!


{Love at first sight}
I love working at a teaching hospital. Love it. You wanna know why? Doctors. Residents. Interns. Med students. Everywhere. Every hour of the day. And lemme tell you, there are a bunch of cute ones. Nothing wrong with eye candy to spice up the night shift! Last night, I developed a huge crush on a med student. Seriously, y'all, I blushed when he talked to me. And when he smiled. And when he asked if I was new because he was pretty sure he'd never seen me before. Ahhh, I need a life. Is it sad that whenever I see a cute doctor, I automatically check out the left hand, ring finger? Yeah, I thought so.


{Fashion Police}
I missed most of the Emmy's last night. (I hate nightshift for that reason...AND my TiVo still isn't hooked up.) But I did get to see some of the red carpet while I was getting ready. Here's who I completely drooled over. I would kill to wear a gown like these...how fabulous it would be to get all dolled up like that! I love Lea, Heidi, and Eva...and I clearly love blacks and navys also. But seriously, to.die.for. And I want Heidi's legs, please.

{Sleeping beauty}
I'm totally getting into the swing of the whole sleeping-during-the-day thing. Black out shades, a sound machine, AND  fan= heaven. One of my friend's sweet, sweet mamas sent me a little care package with some soothing bath salts and a cute sleeping mask. How precious is that? So thoughtful. I am blessed! Alsooooo, I've invested in a big bottle of melatonin to take on those days when sleep just doesn't come. And girlfriends, that stuff works. I slept like a rock today. Or maybe it was just the exhaustion from 3 12-hour shifts in a row. Who knows. 


{Cha-ching}
The first paycheck is soon to arrive. I already have a wish-list for Target. It's just tradition to spend a little bit of the first big paycheck on yourself, right? Someone validate my thinking!  What's on my wish-list? Gossip Girl, Season 3. Some fabulous high heels for the first Ole Miss game. A new dress I've had my eye on for a while now. A shopping spree to Sephora. I have shopping fever! Someone save me.


{Mexican Monday}
One of my absolute favorite traditions from college (as simple as it is) was Mexican Monday at the KD house for lunch. Everyone knew what Mexican Monday was. And everyone was always there, no matter what. It was just one of those understood things. It was the one time of day that we all just sat down and enjoyed each other's friendship and company, over a big burrito or cheese dip. (MM was a main contributor to all the heftiness I gained in college...thanks cheese dip.) Welllll, now that we're old alums, a few of us are getting together tonight for a Mexican Monday reunion. And I am so pumped. I haven't seen these girls since around May, so it's way overdue for a get-together. Love my friends.


{Love Revolution}
Just bought Natalie Grant's new CD...and it is FAB. I love her and always have. Her voice is incredible, her lyrics are powerful, and her worship is pure and genuine. There are a few songs I could do without, but overall, I am in love with this CD. It's the only thing that makes my 15 minute interstate drive to work bearable. I suggest you all go buy it immediately...and put "Power of the Cross", "Your Great Name", "Song to the King", and "You Deserve" on repeat. You will thank me later!

Happy Monday, y'all. If you read all the way through this, I'm impressed. I hope and pray today was a good start to a good week for you! 


Oh, and clearly, I talk too much...and have been filling you in on so much of my random thoughts lately, but if you have any questions you'd like to ask, info you'd like to know, anything to get to know me better, ask away! I promise to answer anything!


Readers, y'all are the best. Thank you for being a part of my life. Nothing brightens my day more than reading sweet comments, hearing about your lives on your blogs, and making new blog friends. Y'all are fabulous. We should totally meet in person :)

13 Years Ago

Today is my baby brother's 13th birthday.

He's officially a teenager...and I feel old.

13 years ago. I can just remember how ecstatic I was!

I was almost 10 years old...so Thomas was pretty much my personal baby doll.

Bless him for having to grow up with two older sisters!

Loved him then, love him even more now!

How did he go from this...

{my favorite picture ever}

...to this...

...and now this!?

I'm not okay with him being that much taller than me.

He's only 13!

Now is the time of day to brag on my bro a bit...

He's a straight-A student, all-star athlete, and loves our church youth group.

And isn't he such a stud?! So proud of him.

He is such a funny, sweet guy. Can't wait to see what the future holds for him.

Happy, happy birthday to my favorite little brother.

I love you, Nomy, and I'm so proud of you!

You'll always be my baby brother, no matter how tall you grow!

Life As We Know It

I cannot wait to see this movie! A romantic comedy starring Katherine Heigl and Josh Duhamel surely won't disappoint. I could just watch Mr. Duhamel eat a bowl of cereal for 2 hours and I'd be entertained! Plus, it looks like a tear jerker. I can already tell you that I'm gonna love it. I'm such a girl...it's really a terrible thing. I cried watching this trailer. 
Lord, help me. Can't wait for this to come out!


Happy Friday, y'all. I'm headed to work...hope your weekends are much more exciting than mine is going to be!

JOY!

I am so excited about this... 

Like my heart could just burst out of my chest!

This has been one of my biggest prayer requests lately,

and God showed up and showed out!

You know when something just fits? 

Like deep down, it just feels right?

When you know it's a good thing, you really just know.
It just makes me want to jump up and down!

My heart has been so incredibly blessed lately!

I recently started going to Pinelake Church in Brandon...and man, let me just tell you--it's one of the most incredible churches I've ever had the privilege of being a part of.

I was so worried that I would move down here and not find a solid church home where I could grow and contribute, but little did I know the huge blessing God had in store!

It just fits. 

I was planning on looking around and trying out a few churches before settling on one, but I don't see the need to when I've already hit my sweet spot. 

My prayer lately is that God would just open my heart and help me to feel where He wants me to be, and I definitely felt it this morning. Without a doubt.

Like sweet Emily (who was so kind to let me sit with them at church)...When you know, you know!

Pinelake is the kind of church where you can just feel God's presence when you walk through the doors. You can see it in the greeter's eyes as he tells you good morning. You can feel it through the passion of the sermon, you can see it in the strangers' hugs when they tell me they're so glad to have me, and for me, I feel it most during praise and worship. I looked around this morning and all I could see were people worshiping our Father without reservation, with arms outstretched in offering, not worried about what the person next to them thought. That's my kind of worship. Free, pure, passionate, tears-rolling-down-my-cheeks, whole-hearted worship. 

Here's one of the songs we sang Sunday morning...the words really hit my heart.

God in my living, there in my breathing

God in my waking, God in my sleeping

God in my resting, there in my working

God in my thinking, God in my speaking

Be my everything

Be my everything

God in my hoping, there in my dreaming

God in my watching, God in my waiting

God in my laughing, there in my weeping

God in my hurting, God in my healing

I am so quick to forget that He is my God in everything...

I am so quick to forget that I am His and He sees me in the good AND the bad. 

He is my everything. He is in my everything. And I am so thankful for that.


Happy Tuesday, y'all. I'm headed to my 2nd night shift...7p-7a. Say a prayer :)
I'll have to post sometime tomorrow all about my adventures!

"I will wait for the LORD...I will put my trust in Him."

Isaiah 8:17

I'd Like to Thank the Academy...

Amber at The Daily Dose nominated me for my very first blog award! I didn't even know blog awards existed until now, but I'm pretty pumped for my first one! "The Versatile Blogger"...all about fun posts, great quotes, and real writing! I love love love her blog, her precious design, and how funny and real she is in her posts! Go over there and give her some blog love, and tell her that I sent you :) 

Thanks, Amber, you're too sweet to nominate me! 

The rules are to link up to the person who gave it to you, thank them (thank you, thank you, thank you again!), list 7 things about yourself, and then pass on the love to 15 other bloggers whose blogs you love and want to highlight! Goodness, that's a bunch of other people...how about I just do 10? 7 things about myself and 10 bloggers? Sounds pretty fab to me. 

1) For those of you that just started reading, I graduated from nursing school in May, spent the summer at home soaking in the last few months of vacation, officially became a Registered Nurse, and just moved to Jackson, MS to start working at a wonderful hospital here! 

2) I'm a die-hard Ole Miss fan. Born and raised a Rebel, I live and breathe Ole Miss football and baseball...seriously. Only 13 more days until the kickoff of football season, and I am ecstatic to see all of my friends and family in the Grove! Hotty Toddy!

3) I can quote almost every.single.episode of Friends. Best show ever created, hands down. If I've had a bad day, all it takes is a season of Friends (and maybe a real life friend & a glass of wine, too) to make it all better. 

4) People always think my mom is my sister. And they make sure to tell her that, so she just loves it. Either I look like a 42-year-old or she looks like a 22-year-old--let's hope it's the latter of the two. 

5) I can't sleep at night unless my fan is on...and it goes with me on trips. My friends make fun of me and the infamous fan all the time, but I just can't sleep when it's completely quiet. 

6) I am the oldest of 3 kids...my sister is 20 and a Junior (wow, can't believe she's that old) at Ole Miss, and my brother is soon-to-be 13 and in the 7th grade (taller than me & is a star-athlete). My mom is my best friend, and my daddy is my hero. My family means the world to me...I miss them every day!

7) Last but certainly not least, I am a sinner saved by grace. Jesus is my Rock, my Comforter, my everything. He is in the midst of the greatest struggles in my life and is always pulling me through. I wouldn't be able to (much less want to) face this cruel world without Him on my side. He is the reason I wake up every morning, and His Peace is the only thing that gets me through every day. 

And onto my 7 fabulous, wonderful bloggers. After all, the blog world is all about sharing the blogs we read with everyone else...we all need a little love! These are just a few of my many favorites, and some of these are my bffs in real life!

Faye @ Faye'sbook

Meg @ Meg's Musings

Elizabeth @ Bungalow 6304

Emma @ Legally Lovely

Tiffany @ The Apple Doesn't Fall Far...

Kirsten @ Soaking Up The Sunnyside of Life

Bethany @ American Honey

Rachel @ Rachel and John

Katie @ Cleared for Takeoff

Caroline @ A Life of Color

Stop by these amazing blogs and see why I love them so much! 

I'm Trying...

...not to miss my family like crazy


...to figure out my way around this thriving city of Jackson without a GPS...or even a clue of which way is North or South


...to get in the routine of working at night and sleeping during the day (which is really hard with no curtains over my windows)


...not to curse at and/or flip off the people that can't figure out how to drive on the Interstate


...to figure out what channels are HGTV, Bravo, E!, TLC, and the Food Network are in this place (after all, those are the only channels that really matter)


...to figure out how to cook a normal meal for myself that doesn't involve a microwave


...to hook up my TiVo when I'm so technology challenged that it's not even funny


...not to be jealous of my sister because she just moved into the KD house and still has 2 years of college left (and that's where I want to be more than anything!)


...not to make fun of Rachel Zoe, her bony arms, and her over-the-top dramatics because deep down I really love watching the RZ Project


...to get used to wearing scrubs every.single.day of the week


...not to cry at the picture my Loofa just sent me of her pretty white dress :)


...to get the courage up to go to a brand new church tomorrow on my own (I'm actually really excited about this)


...not to be lonely when I pull up to an empty driveway...empty house...empty bed


...to grow up and realize that I'm really on my own now and this isn't just a trial run in the real world


...not to yell at my landlord for banging on my front door at 9 am on a Saturday


...to stick with my workout plan even though it's 849° outside and I now live in neighborhood full of huge hills


...to resist the urge to drive 5 mins up to Gigi's and get a wedding cake cupcake


...to decide on what I'm going to wear to the first Ole Miss football game of the season (14 days from today...Hotty Toddy! I cannot wait!!!)


...to figure out where I'm gonna get the money to buy the fabulous new fall wardrobe that I've been dreaming about


...to contain my excitement over the bridesmaid dresses my bff Mary Kathryn picked out for her April wedding (first time as a MOH, so thrilled :))


...to muster up the gumption to get a hot new hair-do


...to use the word gumption more in every-day conversation


...not to take this wonderful, lazy Saturday for granted

Happy Saturday!

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, 

nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, 

will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:38-39

The Perfect Southern Home

I am a Southern girl in every sense of the phrase.

No, not the kind that lives to hunt, wears 'Southern Belle' t-shirts on the regular, drives a truck with a pink Browning sticker, sports a confederate flag, or other things such as these...

[not that anything is wrong with the aforementioned characteristics :)]

The kind that enjoys sweet tea, front porches, lazy afternoons with friends, fried chicken, Saturdays in the Grove wearing our best dresses, saying "y'all," and magnolia trees.

The kind of girl that dreams about living in a house that looks like this:

God bless you, Southern Living, for creating this Idea House in Louisiana.

When I picture my dream house, this is it. 

Southern plantation-style, with a huge front porch, perfect for afternoons with a glass of sweet tea and my favorite guy.

Makes my heart smile!

And get this... They named the house 'Bayou Bend'...how cute is that??

Wouldn't you love to sleep in this master bedroom?

And have bubble baths in this fabulous tub??

And watch the sun come up on this glorious porch?

That's the good life.

It's like living on the set of Gone With the Wind...LOVE!

Mark my words...I will live in a house like this one day.

So, now that you've seen my dream home, what's your 

idea of the picture perfect house?

Lemme know, readers!

I'm off to find my doctor husband that can pay for all of this....

Happy Thursday, y'all!

Top 2 Tuesday!

Tuesday, Tuesday!

One of my favorite days of the blog week...

because it's Top 2 Tuesday!

And this one is extra special...

...because I came up with the topic!

Thanks, Tay, for using my idea :)

The theme for this week:

Top 2 Characters You'd Want to Play on a TV Show or Movie!

1) So easy peasy to choose my number one. She's the whole reason I came up with this topic...drumroll please:

Lorelai Gilmore. My favorite show. My favorite character.

LOVE her and her witty comments.

She's beautiful, charming, and hilarious all in one.

I always begged my mom to talk as fast as she and Rory did, but it

didn't work out so well for us.

Even though we didn't master the quick and amusing banter,

our relationship is still as cool as theirs.

Gilmore Girls never fails to put me in an amazing mood.

2) Number two was pretty easy to choose also [I watch too much TV].

Bethenny.

What more do I need to say?

I am in stitches the whole time I watch her show.
I would kill to be her personal baby nurse.

[Bethenny, if you're reading...hire me!]

She couldn't be any funnier.

And seriously, she's just real and honest, and doesn't deal with

bitches mean girls like Jill Zarin.

Team Bethenny all the way!

[And Anna Beard, I know you agree with me!]

3) Okay I'm breaking the rules [such a rebel] and putting a third one.

I've been pondering this for a while, and I had to add this one.

[Let's be honest...I've thought of like 374 more I could add]

But really, this one has to be on the list.

Allie Hamilton from the Notebook.

The perfect, cliche, cheesy love story.

That I've seen 39480587 times.

And can quote word for word.

But really, let's all just admit that we'd love to be in her shoes.

Especially with Ryan Gosling playing opposite.

And who wouldn't want to be loved like that?

I'm gonna find my Noah one day :)

Okay, readers...who are your picks??

Link up over at The Undomestic Momma's blog!

[And come back and leave me a comment so I'll be sure to read yours too!]

I'm sure I'll want to steal all of your answers once I read them!

HAPPY, happy Tuesday!

Smile at a stranger today.

Let someone get in front of you in morning traffic.

Hold the door open for someone behind you.

Heck, pay for someone's fast food in line behind you.

Being kind is a blessing that is always returned to you!

"So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you."

Matthew 7:12

Getting to Know You Sunday :)

Oh blog, how I've missed you. If you follow me on twitter, you know of my deep hatred for Comcast...I've been in my new place for almost two weeks and STILL no cable or Internet. Dying over here!


Sweet Faye reminded me that I can just blog from my phone. So although it's quite annoying and a small pain in my rear, my withdrawals are much worse than dealing with this app, so here I am.


I've missed you all!


So, in typical Sunday fashion...it's time to get to know me! (and you!!)


1) What kind of athlete has the hottest body?
Can I answer ANY athlete? Seriously. But if I have to pick, I'd say soccer players, solely based on David Beckham. [This is the time where you go google his Calvin Klein underwear ad]


2) Planner or procrastinator?
Hmmm, I'm a big planner with the things that really matter...but everything else, I procrastinate. And I'm okay with that. It makes life a little more interesting.


3) Diet or regular soda?
Neither! Proud to say I haven't had a soda since May 31st...some days it's all I crave, but I'm determined to keep going! Buuuuut, if I had to choose...diet coke, aka my addiction.


4) What's your one "must-have" for fall?
One? Seriously? You know I can't pick just one. Sooooo, I'll go with these: some flats (so cute AND comfortable), cardigans for any outfit, booties for my new skinny jeans, and lots and lots of scarves! [I'm sure this list will keep changing, but that's it for now]


5) Favorite fast food restaurant?
Either Chick-Fil-a or Taco Bueno. Aw man, I could devour some Taco Bueno right now. Too bad there are none in MS. You up for a roadtrip, Faye??


6) What do you think is the sexiest profession for a guy?
Considering MY profession, I'm going to say a doctor. Preferably McDreamy in scrubs. Yes, please. AND lucky me, I work at a teaching hospital, so it's crawling with med students. Operation MRS. is underway.


7) Did you wear braces?
Yes. Unfortunately. And only for like 6 months, so I'm pretty sure they didn't do anything but make me look like a geek for 6 months. My teeth are STILL not straight. But beauty is in the imperfections, right?


8) Would you rather have a guy that's super sexy or kind?
Well for the first 15 mins, I'd go with sexy so I could just marvel at him. But that only goes so far...so my answer is definitely kind. It's all about the sweet, thoughtful guys...that's what makes my heart melt. And honestly, kind IS super sexy. [Hopefully some kind med students will read this]


Alright readers...head over to MannLand5 to link up! Join in on GTKY, it's a ball :)


P.S. Has anyone seen "Eat, Pray, Love" yet?! If so, give me a quick review...like it, love it, hate it??


P.P.S. I'm thinking about doing a giveaway soon...what would YOU readers like to win? Any good ideas?! Lemme know, because I'm all ears!


Happy, happy Sunday friends.
Oh, and it would totally make my week for some new followers and commenters...I know there are people reading so I really want to get to know you TOO!

Susan

We weren't the very best of friends.

We didn't see each other every day...we didn't even talk every day.

But we were the kind of friends that would run into each other and end up talking for hours on end. Or we'd plan on getting together for dinner and end up staying at the restaurant until they made us leave so they could close. Sus was my rush crush, and the friendship only grew throughout our few years at Ole Miss. 

We would talk about anything and everything in the world. I loved catching up with her and hearing her latest news or drama, she always brought a smile to my face. Most of the time it was simply because of the smile that was plastered across hers at all times. 

Such sweet, simple joy. 

One year.

8/11/09.

One year ago today.

Our sweet Susan was taken to heaven.

I really can't believe it's already been a year.

On one hand, it feels like it was yesterday, but at the same time, I feel like it's been 5 years since I've heard her voice or the happiness in her laughter. 

A whole year.

Susan. What more can I say about her? I know some of my KDs are reading this and understand what I mean. I can simply just say her name, and they all understand what that means, the joy that exudes from her, the happiness that surrounded her. I miss our talks, I miss how she'd get onto me if I talked to my ex-boyfriend (whom she hated), I miss running into her at the KD house and laughing til my sides hurt. 

I can't imagine how much her family misses her today.

I know how much her pledge class misses her. I hear it in their words, see it on their faces, and feel it through their tears. I so wish I could be in Oxford today.

I know how much I miss her because she has been on my mind all morning.

Through all of this, not a day goes by that I don't think about her. I wear my baby blue bracelet daily, just for that little thought of her. I can't imagine my every day without having at least a second of her in it.

two terrible pics of me, but those days are some of my best memories with Sus, so I had to put them on here

Through all of this, more than anything, it makes me wonder 

what kind of legacy I am leaving for this world. 

Susan lived every day like it was her last. She smiled when it hurt, laughed when she just wanted to cry, loved through it all, and made it known what the important things in her life were. Faith, family, and friends. Her legacy lives on through the laughter of my KD sisters, through the thought of her when I see a friend with our SCH bracelet on, when someone mentions her name. Her legacy makes each of us want to be a better version of ourselves, because we really don't know when we'll be taken away, too. 

What kind of legacy am I leaving? Do my actions reflect how I want to be remembered? Do my words show the love I have for the people around me? How will people describe me after I'm gone? What were the things that mattered most to me?? 

I'm reminded of a song that I've loved for a long time, but after Susan's memorial, it only makes me think of her. "Legacy" by Nicole Nordeman. Here's the chorus, how we should all live our lives:

I want to leave a legacy
How will they remember me?
Did I choose to love? Did I point to You enough
To make a mark on things?
I want to leave an offering
A child of mercy and grace who
blessed your name unapologetically
And leave that kind of legacy

More than anything, I want to be remembered as the girl who "blessed His name unapologetically." The girl who pointed to God with every action. What a legacy to strive for! These lyrics are taped to the mirror in my bathroom, just so I'll read them every morning, and hopefully keep these words in my heart and on my mind throughout the day. 

I am a better person for knowing Susan. She gave more love and showed more compassion and joy to people in her short 20 years than most people show in an entire lifetime. Tears fill my eyes as I think about this, but I pray that I am half of the person she was. I pray that I leave the kind of legacy that follows Susan. I pray more than anything that people rejoice in my death, knowing that I am worshiping at the Father's feet, just like Susan is now. 

And I don't think it's any coincidence that this is my 100th post...Susan would've loved to have a whole post dedicated to her, especially the big 100. 

I know she's looking down and smiling!

So readers, I challenge you...

What kind of legacy are you leaving? 

Is the legacy you're leaving the one you want to leave behind?

At the end of my life, my deepest desire is for our Heavenly Father to look on me with love and say "well done, My good and faithful one!"

I know without a doubt, Susan heard those words. 

And I know she's watching over me and all of my KD sisters, especially on this day,

when we celebrate her life and rejoice in her death. 

She's dancing with the angels! We love you, Susie!