the good, the bad, the ugly.

Ya'll. This week is not treating well. Today was kinda sorta a balance...one minute everything's cool, the next I'm sobbing. This has nothing to do with emotions (I know, that was my first thought too...I am a girl, after all) but just life in general. Life is totally...life. That's the only way how to describe it.

So, if you want to know how I cope with the ups & downs of this thing we call life, read on.

Depressed when ya get up? Start you day off right with emails, the Twitters, and watching silly JHutch videos. Seriously, I've watched this video five times today. He is SO making fun of Vanessa and she thinks it's hilarious which makes that much more hilarious to me.



Sad that your blog is blue and all wintry when the weather is anything but? Email your amazing blogging design friend and plead for her to resize your February header. Then make your blog look all pretty in pink and starting updating it a little. Full monthly makeover post coming soon! 

Annoyed that you had to work on schoolwork until 7? Be proud of yourself for sticking with it and having a hot meal lovingly prepared by your mom. Also? Reward yourself with a Doctor Who episode while eating yummy turkey tetrazzini.

So sad for your sweet puppy not feeling good that you sob in the shower for the 2nd night in a row? Eat your feelings by stuffing your face with a Snickers bar and snuggling him.

That's my day. School, worry about the puppy, and surfing the Interwebs. Happy Tuesday, friends!

blimey cow

A year or so ago, I used to love Julian Smith. My friends and I would laugh our heads off at this video...and this one. And maybe this one too. Oh yeah, can't forget this one. TOO funny. Then we fell off the bandwagon and I forgot the awesomeness of funny YouTube videos. That is, until I watched this video that's circling around the blogosphere (and Facebook. but, ya know, i wouldn't know about that).

While Seven Lies about Homeschooling is amazing, Stupid People Who Do Stupid Things on the Internet convicted me while making me laugh so hard tears ran down my face. Just watch...




Convicting, right? I mean, I do things for the sole reason of telling ya'll about it. It's not nessicarily a bad thing because it keeps me accountable on projects, New Years resolutions, etc...but when it gets in the way of your life, that's when it gets bad.

Let's vow to share the good AND the bad with each other without losing who we are in the process. Agreed? Agreed.

crank up the christmas tunes

My recently-discovered-love-of-my-life Pandora has been blaring the Christmas music since the day after Thanksgiving every time I sit down to write a blog post. Right now, Micheal Buble is tellin' me Santa Claus is coming to town. I'm a big fan of Buble's style music so I created a whole station full of him & Josh Groban, Martina McBride, and Julianne Hough because not only can that girl dance, she can SING. Amen? Amen.

While I love the traditional carols & the instant calming effect they have, I'm a weirdo and like the non-traditional Christmas songs even more. Erika, the gorgeous red head behind Rouge & Whimsy, inspired me to share my favorite Christmas songs. In no particular order, because who can pick a favorite? I sure can't.

Baby, It's Cold Outside {Martina McBride with Dean Martin} - Martina McBride is amazing. The end.




Jingle Bell Rock {Julianne Hough} - Just listen.




Baby's, It's Cold Outside {Elf Soundtrack} - I mean, really. Is there anything Zooey Deschanel can't do? The answer's no, by the way. And yes, I have two versions of the same song. What can I say? I like it!




Jingle Bells {Micheal Buble} - Totally in love with his version of this song.




Last Christmas {Taylor Swift} - I'm sure I had heard bits & pieces of this song in earlier years but I feel like I just discovered this song!





It's Called Christmas with a Captial C {Go Fish Guys} - Yes, I know these guys are VBS type music, but listen. It's not a great message. Pea ess skip the first minute or so to hear the actual song.



Have any favorites among this list? Let me know in the comments!

worship music wednesday

Ya'll. This is probably my most favorite Christmas song EVER. I heard it on the radio yesterday for the first time this season and basically cried. Yes, I'm emotional and no, I'm not sorry for getting choked up about my Savior coming to Earth as a little baby.



Even though you can clearly understand the words, I'm posting the lyrics because I think they stand alone and tell a story without the music.

Hold on now, I gotta take a deep breath
I don`t know what to say when I look in your eyes
You made the world before I was born
Here I am holding you in my arms tonight
Noel, noel, Jesus our Emmanuel

You`re here, I`m holding you so near
I`m starring into the face of my Savior, King and Creator
You could`ve left us on our own, but you`re here
 

Don`t know how long I`m gonna have you for
But I`ll be watching when you change the world
I look at your hand, they`re still so small
Someday you`re going to stretch them out and save us all
Noel, noel, God with us Emmanuel

You`re here, I`m holding you so near
I`m staring into the face of my Savior, King and Creator
They could`ve left us on our own, but you`re here you`re here
someday I`m gonna look back on this
 

The night that God became a baby boy
Someday you're gonna go home again,
But you leave your spirit and flood the world with joy

You`d be here, I`m holding you so near
I`m staring into the face of my Savior, King and Creator
They could`ve left me on my own, but you`re here you`re here
Hallelujah you`re here hallelujah
You`re here 

Happy Wednesday readers! I hope you're having a wonderful Christmas season so far.

worship music wednesday {laura story}

Remember Worship Music Wednesday?! Oh my, that was sooo long ago. I'm happy to say I'm ressurecting it for this week to share with ya'll one of favorite Christian singers, Laura Story!

 Ya'll, I have a SIGNED COPY OF A CD FROM LAURA STORY!! I have never had anything autographed before so this is huge for me...as evidenced by my capital lettering up above, ha! Never mind the fact that it's signed to my mom {see the Miss Melanie?}, I listen to it the most so that makes it MINE, right?! Right.

See?! I'm so excited!!

I first heard Laura Story's song "Blessings" before I ever knew who she was. It was one of those times that I listened to a million times and always missed the radio DJ say the name of the artist. I'm not alone in my plight, I know ;)

Little did I know, I was much closer to Laura Story than I realized...my mom is friends with her sister, Miss Catherine!! It's like the seven degrees of Kevin Bacon, except it's Laura Story and it's more like 3 degrees. Imagine my surprise when Mama came up to me & handed me a CD one day, saying "Miss Catherine has had this all summer for us! Let's play it." And so we did. Over & over & over again.

What would a Worship Music Wednesday post be without some YouTube vids of my favorite songs?! Not a good one, am I right?

My number one fave: This is the Day



A couple of my favorites...It's hard to pick because all the songs are amazing. You should totally buy the CD or download it on iTunes.






And this song will forever be Miss Molly's song: Blessings {I heard it the day she died & bawled like a baby with my friend Margret Katherine in WOL} because it was God that choose that song for me to hear that day. Amen? Amen.

What do ya'll think? Isn't she amazing?!

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No one is compensating me for this post, ya'll. I'm simply sharing an amazing singer that I enjoy listening to, that's all. I hope you listen to her songs & grasp the message the same way I do! She is such a talented & inspiring woman {her husband had a brain tumor} & I would DIE if I ever met her.

summer splash (blog party)

I think we've established that I'm a sucker for anything blog party and/or giveaway related, so imagine my delight  when Emily & Moriah introduced me to the Summer Splash {Blog Party}. P.S. Aren't you so glad I like to share totally random things about myself from time to time? I thought so... ;)

On with the random!!

What are two songs that describe you? It Happens by Sugarland & You are More by Tenth Avenue North are such awesome songs that really strike me and speak to me. 

What do you most fear? Not the usual things {spiders and generally crawling things} but other things such as bad mistakes & their repercussions. 

What color(s) dominate(s) your wardrobe? Believe it or not, black is a big part of my wardrobe. I've been told I look good in black, and I think it's a versatile color to pair with more vibrant hues. After black, red & white are big colors in my closet.

How do you normally do you hair? A quick wash after swimming in the pool & air drying make it look kinda sorta BAD, so it's in a ponytail for the main part of the day. 

Do you prefer milkshakes or smoothies? I love fruit, but only raw fruit so it's a chocolate milkshake for me!

Do you like the color pink? It's growing on me, that's for sure. I used to hate hate hate, but I'm drawn to softer hues more than the bright neons.

What is your favorite flower? Gardenias, for sure.

How many states have you been to? Not counting various trips around NC...two. Lamo, I know.

What is your favorite thing about June? It's my birthday month, Father's Day, and this year, taking Driver's Ed & working the VBS nursery...all in June! Fun stuff.
  
Describe your "dream wedding location." Between our two old rustic barns at dusk with paper lanterns strung between the two buildings and my groom & I standing under our birch tree (which is right in the middle of the barns.) LOVE <3

Happy middle of the week, readers!!

american idol

As many of you know, the epic Blogger crash of 2011 took away all posts & comments off the ol' blog early Thursday morning, so I'm reposting this post along with a few others. Don't worry; all comments are still in my email so we can still chat about our Idol crushes! ;)

Yes, that's right; I've been sucked into the American Idol craze. For years I've refused to watch the show or even follow the articles on TvGuide.com {my entertainment/Hollywood vice}, but this season I gave up digging my heels in and ::deep breath:: became a AI convert.

Even though I came in more than halfway into the season, I still have my favorites/loyalties, and believe me, they are still going strong!! It's down to my three favorite singers and while that's a good thing, it means one of my favorites isn't going to win. :(

First up is my favorite male singer, Scotty Mcreery. OMG, ya'll! This guy has renewed my love for country music. Not only is his voice unreal {even to my untrained ear} since it's deeper than any man I know, but his hair, clothes and just about everything else is ::swoon:: worthy. The best part? He's a strong Christian and never shys away from the chance to say he loves Jesus & that's why he's there today. Again, ::swoon::!

And if that's not enough for you, here's some of my favorite songs. Acutally, more than a few... ;)











Next up is my second favorite girl, Haley Reinhart. Her voice is unlike anything I've heard in a long time, and I LOVE it. She is so talented!!

Last but not least is my favorite female singer, Lauren Alaina. She is so down to earth and seems to love being there, and it's hard NOT to love her and her voice! Seriously, it's amazing; like a cross between Miley Cyrus and Carrie Underwood. Ah-mazing, I tell you.

Even though I wanted to do my little fan girl post about AI {kudos to Emily for coining that term}, I also wanted to let you know that you are reading the words of a girl who is officially going to the American Idol Summer Tour in Raleigh NC this July!! To say I'm excited is an understandment because that's all I can think about!! What a summer it's going to be!

favorite things friday: YouTube edition

 Ah, it's good to be back. I know you readers really enjoy the Etsy/Big Cartel shops, and I love supporting them, but hey! I've got the PR covered with all my giveaways for a month or two. Thus, I share my favorite YouTube videos to give my favorite things a rest...
Disclaimer: Ya'll I know there are some really bad things floating around on YouTube, but if you know what you're doing and have some sort of filter, YouTube can provide HOURS of entertainment.

{Etrade Baby}

Have you seen this baby?! He's awesome, in case you haven't figured as much. My dad, little bro and I drop everything when we see this cutie on TV. And, for some odd reason, he's always on during football games.

This one is even better in my opinion...

{Target}

I don't even know what to call this lady, but Emily, Andrew, Clark, Dad and I were literally and figuratively rolling on the floor laughing last Saturday. I promise you'll replay this video at least a couple times...

Hahahaha, I can't stop laughing, ya'll. Here's another one...

And...yet another one. I'm sorry, but this lady is too funny!

{Today Show Goes Viral}

Okay, last one. It's a little longer than most, but so worth your time. I can't even imagne the planning involved in making this! 

Yay for YouTube and the fun videos it has! :)
Happy weekend readers! Don't forget to come back tomorrow and see the winners of the 1st set/week of giveaways!