New Addition

Two posts in one day....Try to contain your excitement!  Ha!

Any who...I thought I'd share a quick little update with you: I got a new desk!

I have been dying to have a real desk for sometime now.  For years I have had this little craft fold up table that "functioned" as a "desk."  My previous desk foldable table wasn't even three feet long and really limited my ability to use it in any way.  While it worked great for crafting, since I didn't have to worry about paint getting on it, I simply could not use it for anything else.  Not to mention I've been using this huge, clunky, green desk chair that I absolutely hated with that little table.

Yeah it was not a very good combination.

SO when the possibility to have an apartment (in my hopefully very near future) arose, I started looking for some key furniture pieces I would be needing.  That's when I came across this really beautiful desk at a great price! I simply could not turn the opportunity down.  So I emailed the owner, worked out an even better price, and got dad to go with me to pick it up!

The desk is absolutely perfect and exactly what I've been wanting!  The best part however, is when we arrived the owner gave me her previous desk chair for free!  It's a cute little red leather chair.  The red doesn't quite go with my current decor but it's WAAAY better than that ugly green chair so I took it! I loved the shape of it, and red will easily fit in with how I hope to decorate my apartment when that day comes.

Here take a look:

BEFORE: (I told you that chair was ugly!)

 AFTER:

Isn't it pretty?!  The desk is a little large for my current room, but it'll be perfect when I get my own place!

Wishful Wednesday

While working on my last design project, I discovered this great new store out at South Point, called West Elm. Apparently it's part of the Williams-Sonoma & Pottery Barn corporation.  We stopped in there to buy the accessories and bedding for her master bedroom, but I fell in love with this store!  They have some of the best accessories I've seen and all at pretty affordable prices.  They also have beautiful bedding, curtains, and furniture options.  I was dying to shop for myself on that trip, but had to focus on the task at hand.  So what's on my wish list this week?  Gift cards to the West Elm store, so I can go back and have my own shopping spree :)

Quick Tip Tuesday

Don't be afraid to mix and match prints when choosing fabrics for your upholstered pieces. As long as the colors coordinate and one print does not over power the others, mixing prints works beautifully!  I heard a trick once to help make your job easier if you don't fully trust your fabric-mixing/picking abilities (yes I made that up).

It's called the "squint test".  Lay out all of the fabrics you're considering and squint your eyes.  If one pattern stands out a lot more than the rest, then discard that fabric and pick another.  If they seem to all blend together then you've got a winning selection.

When I performed my design test at Ethan Allen, he praised my ability to mix patterns and fabrics.  I didn't use the squint test, but hey not everyone has gone through design school!

Here are some samples:

How do you read?

For as long as I can remember, I have been fascinated by people who can read a portion of text and discover this incredible hidden truth or bigger picture.  For a long time, this realization would happen in school.  My teachers could read a book and come up with all of these crazy hidden meanings. I could read the same book (not that I actually read them very often) and never in a million years come up with those ideas.  For example:  When my teacher tried to convince me that the book Animal Farm was about communism, I just could not see it.  To me, the book was nothing more than some animals talking. Period.

I've never been big on reading, and I think a lot of that stems from the fact that I'm a surface reader.  I have a hard time seeing these bigger pictures or discovering a larger meaning in the text.  I read what I read, and get the obvious picture. It is very rare that I can break it down into something more.

Recently, I've seen this become more evident during my quiet time.  While in High Point a few weeks ago, the pastor  broke down a passage in a way I would have never thought to.  The animation and emotion he put into every verse he read, really challenged me to look at the way I read God's word.  For years now I've simply skimmed over a verse, looking for the obvious points. I'd write a little something down and then move on.  And for years, I've had a hard time remembering what I've read let alone applying it to my life.  Reading the Bible had become like everything else I had to read.  I was doing it because I had to, not because I wanted to.  I'd read a verse quickly, get what I thought I needed, and move on.  While that method worked great for getting A's in school, that is not the attitude I should, or want, to have while reading God's word.  

Hearing the excitement in the Pastor's voice as he read, as if he were talking to God himself, was a concept I'd never considered.  While I am still not great at reading this way, I've really tried recently to take more time in the word.  I haven't been reading more verses, but really taking the time to break down and take in each word of the passage I'm reading that day.  Like I said, I'm still not great at it. I'm pretty sure Pastors will always be better at seeing and teaching the bigger truths, but that's what they're there for right?  

This new way of reading has really challenged me to try and grasp the greatness of the words written in the Bible.  For example I looked back over a few of my favorite verse like:

Jeremiah 29:11  "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you, and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future."  I normally took comfort from this verse seeing that there's a plan for my life; that I'll have a future.  However, I never really took the time to apply or see that it says "I know the plans I have for you."  (That would be God talking in case you didn't catch that.)  That means the HE knows the plans for my life.  Not me, not my parents, not my friends, not the lady at church, no one but HIM.  How often do we try to control and plan our lives out?  I know I'm guilty of this every. single. day.  It's built into our selfish human tendencies to want to control our lives and pretend like we have control over tomorrow. In reality it is God, and only God who knows the plans for our lives.  If we trust Him and lean on Him for understanding and guidance, our future will fall into place just as He planned.  This means that my plans or ideas will not necessarily be how my life plays out.  I must trust God, lean on Him, and align my hopes and dreams with His ways, so that I can live a life that glorifies Him. Then and only then, will I find the hope and future He promises.

And then there's this one:

Romans 11:36 "For everything comes from Him and exists by His power and is intended for His glory.  All glory to Him forever! Amen." How would you read this?  I used to read it as everything is here for and by Him.  However, I never really took the time to understand how massive the word "everything" is here.  Every. Single. Thing.  Exists by God's power for His glory.  Sure, this is easy to accept when you think about all the happy times in life, the beautiful scenes in nature, or the smile on a child's face.  But "everything" also includes heartache, death, pain, insecurity, confusion, etc. It's so easy to read this passage and skim over that part. We can't forget or ignore the harder side of this passage and learn from it.  Everything comes from God, and the sooner I grasp the vastness of that statement the better.  I find so much comfort knowing that even the hard times or the not so beautiful moments come from God too.  They push me to grow, mature, learn, and grow closer to Him.  How often does it take our world falling apart to make us call on God.  Sometimes the hard times are the only way He can get our attention.  Plus, just from looking at my past, I can say that the hard times are the most important and pivotal points in my life. They drew me back to God to make me who I am today.  The hard, ugly, and painful times are never fun but they will always be there.  You and I can take comfort from knowing that they exist by God's power. 

Taking this little bit of extra time has really challenged me.  How do you read the bible?

And the Winner Is...

Melissa Oakley!

Congratulations Melissa!!  I have sent an email to you and Ball + Chain.  They should be in contact soon to get your shipping information.

Thank you so much to everyone who entered this giveaway! I cannot thank you all enough for your support over the last couple of years.  I hope to do more giveaways in the future, so keep reading!

Also, here's a HUGE thank you to Ball + Chain for supporting my blog through this giveaway!  This would not have been possible without your generosity.  Thank you for your support and for offering such beautiful products at amazing prices! 

Thanks to everyone!

Ball + Chain Giveaway

Ok everyone, here we go!

For those of you who may not know, I am hosting this giveaway in celebration of reaching 10,000 site views on my blog!  This is a big thank you to all of my readers!

Ball + Chain has graciously partnered with me for this giveaway.  For those of you unfamiliar with them, let me share a little bit about their incredible company!

I'm telling you, it's one of the coolest ways to shop!  I participate in their auctions each week, and have never been disappointed with any of my purchases.  Most of my favorite pieces of jewelry have come from Ball + Chain.  This is why I'm so excited to offer you the chance to win your very own piece of Ball + Chain jewelry!

So without further ado, here is the gorgeous necklace you have the chance to win!

Simply use the Rafflecopter below to enter!  You must like Ball + Chain on facebook to be qualified for any entries into the giveaway.  You can also earn up to 7 extra entries by leaving a comment on this post, following my blog, or sharing this giveaway via Twitter or Facebook!

There can only be one winner and they will be announced on Monday, October 29th!

Good luck and thank you again for helping me reach this goal!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Friday Free-For-All

I am proud to announce that I have reached the 10,000 view mark on my blog!! 

Not only was the 10,000 mark hit, you all made the 10,000th view on my 200th post!!!  I'd say that's pretty impressive!  That means if this were a perfect world and everything averaged out correctly, I've had 50 views on each of my posts!  That's incredible!

I started this blog in June of 2010 with the intent to heal my broken heart and have a place to spill out all of my thoughts.  I never in a million years would have guessed that people would actually read it, take time to invest in getting to know me through my words, or that I would be sitting here today healed of the broken-heartedness that began this blog 2 1/2 years ago.   People I don't even know have taken time out of their lives to read a little bit about mine.  It's crazy for me to even think about that, yet so encouraging!  I've had readers in Germany, Russia, Australia, India, Brazil, Latvia, and that's just to name a few.  Technology is a truly incredible thing, and I am so thankful to have such faithful readers who not only care about my life but have encouraged me so much over the last couple of years.  Thank you so much for your kind words and giving me the push I've needed, over and over, to pick myself up and keep going.  You'll never fully know how much that means to me.  But thank you, 10,000x!

What's to come for the next 2 1/2 years?  Well, you'll have to stay tuned to find out, but I hope it will only grow and become more of what it is today.  I will maintain the personal side of my blog, as I find it very therapeutic to write out my thoughts.  I also hope to increase the amount of blogging I do, on design topics/tips/ideas etc.  I hope the next 2 years will be filled with wonderful memories, limited brokenness, and lots of joy for me to share with you!

In a more true Friday Free-For-All post let me update you with the happenings of my life the past couple of days:

-Yesterday I had an interview that went really, REALLY, well.  But that's all I'm going to say for now because I don't want to jinx it!  More to come on this soon!

-Last night I went to the State Fair with Erin & Stephen.  I learned that it's not as much fun as I remember growing up, but the Fair will probably always remain on my must-do list each year.  I'm a sucker for traditions.

-I learned that fried foods are simply not as enticing when they cost $6 a pop.  Same goes for the rides at the fair.  I paid $5 to ride the ferris wheel, but that's all the money I could stand to dish out!

-Speaking of money spent at the fair, I got out of there spending only a whopping 12 bucks!  That's got to be some kind of record! ($3 of that I could have saved if I had looked at how many tickets the ferris wheel would require before I bought them.  Oh well!)

-Tonight Erin & Stephen are coming over for dinner, because mom misses them!  As Erin and I say, this simply adds to our on-going joke that she is the favored child around these parts!

Other than those few points, that's about all that's been happening around here!

Oh for all of you wondering about the giveaway....it will be posted on my blog the beginning of next week!! Stay tuned and you could win some fabulous jewelry!!

Happy Friday!

Wishful Wednesday

Everyone who knows me, knows how much I love Criminal Minds.  I'm in the process of collecting all of the seasons on DVD.  As of now I've got season 1-6, so it only makes sense to add Season 7 to my wish list.

Speaking of my current seasons, I can't seem to find my season 5.  I know i've lent it out a couple of times, but can't remember who the last person to use it was.  I've asked all of the usual suspects.  If you have my season 5 set, please let me know!!  If I can't find it then, well I'll have to add season 5 to my wish list as well :)

Quick Tip Tuesday

Painting a small room, like a half bath, in a rich/warm color will create a more intimate and cozy space.  Dark colors can be overpowering in large spaces, but are great in small doses.  Your first instinct may be to paint small areas in lighter colors, but try switching it up.  Trust me it's beautiful!  Here take a look..

 Don't understand the angle of this one (guess they were trying to show off the ceiling) but it's beautiful!

 We all know how much I love grey. 

Ignore the rose kleenex box and soap dish, the brown is beautiful!

Monday is Funday: Big Announcement

What better way to celebrate Monday, than to share a big announcement with you all!

If you scroll to the very bottom of this page you'll see a little icon, called SiteMeter, in the bottom left corner that tracks how many views my page gets.  You'll notice I'm about 50 away right now from hitting my 10,000 view mark!  That's pretty exciting for me!!  This tracker blocks any views I make so that means that over the last 2 and 1/2 years or so, I've had 10,000 views on my blog!  Wow! Thank you!

To thank all of my faithful readers, once I hit that 10,000 mark I will be hosting a giveaway right here!

I've mentioned in previous posts how much I love Ball & Chain Accessory Auction on Facebook.  They auction off beautiful jewelry every Tuesday night in a name your price auction.  Well folks, they have partnered with me to host a giveaway for my blog!

I'm not sure what the pieces will be yet, but they always have beautiful items that are sure to impress! Help me get to that 10,000 mark so this giveaway can take place!

Thanks again for reading my blog! Yall are the best :)

Jute Creations

After seeing multiple projects on Pinterest and other blogs I follow, I'm beginning to love jute crafts!  I've always loved adding organic touches to warm up a space, and this may become my go-to trick.  From what I've gathered a little jute, hot glue, fabric stiffener, and an object waiting to be wrapped is all you need!  I haven't tried creating anything yet, but a roll of jute is on my next list at the craft store!

Here are some of my favorite applications:

When I graduated from High Point, I went through the donate/trash pile outside our dorm and picked up a few fun shaped vases.  I had planned to paint them white, but I think at least one will become wrapped in jute now :)

How adorable are these???  Adding wooden letters is an easy, cheap, and fun way to add character to any space.  I've got a ton that I've used over the years just sitting unused now.  Usually I paint them to coordinate with my decor, but I'm definitely trying this!  Love, love, LOVE it (especially the little rosette detail)!!

How fun is this?  There are so many chandeliers with hideous or boring shade covers.  This is a cheap and fun way to add an organic touch and spruce up that old chandelier.

Yep, I think I'm gonna have to buy some jute!

My Plea to You

Ok folks, I need your help.  Desperately!

The design angle on this job hunt simply doesn't seem to be panning out.  So, I'm beginning to look at other options.  I really want to find a job in the High Point/Greensboro/Winston Salem area.  If you know of anyone hiring in that area, or have connections that could lead to a possible job, could you let me know?  I've got administrative, sales, and design experience, so anything that uses those abilities would be great.  I'd love to find something that is at least partially connected to design in some form, but it doesn't have to be. As of now I'm looking into receptionist, administrative assistant, and sales positions.  I'd like to find something that requires a college degree, so I can at least say my student loans have a purpose, but I'm willing to explore any angle (except maybe the fast food business).  Most importantly I need a full time position that will pay enough to get an apartment and pay off my loans.  I'm not looking to make six figures, but need a steady income.

I've got a couple of people in that area looking for me as well, but I figured I'd pull all of my resources and see if any of you could help me out.

Anywho, just thought I'd ask.  I'd love any help or leads you could provide.

Happy Saturday!

Thursday Thoughts

Not a whole lot to share today other than, I need a job.

That's all I seem to think about lately. The time to pay back my student loans is fast approaching, and it's making me a bit nervous.  Plus, I'm just down right tired of sitting around the house everyday.  I've done everything I can think of to entertain myself, but the only options really left are going out shopping or applying for more jobs.  Seeing as how money is my concern, unnecessary shopping trips simply aren't possible at the moment, and well I've applied for every possible position I can find.

Literally.

I know the perfect job is out there for me.  I know God has plans for my life and career that I can't even comprehend. I'm trying so very, very hard to remain patient and trust in His timing. It's getting more difficult each day, but I'm trying.

Other than that, there's not much to tell.  I'm dying to move back to High Point, I need a new car (Helga is on her last breath),  I'd love to take a trip to the beach, and I miss my long hair.

I know my life is so exciting!  Try not to be too jealous.

Could use your prayers!

Happy Thursday!

Wishful Wednesday

I have been on a bit of a necklace craze lately.  I've always wanted more jewelry to wear with outfits, and I seem to have the best luck finding and using necklaces to accessorize my wardrobe.  This little beauty (below), from Francesca's has been on my wish list for awhile now.  I saw one of my friends wearing a similar necklace and fell in love! This would be a great addition to my Christmas list :)

Love it!

Quick Tip Tuesday

Did you know: that the wattage on a light bulb is not actually how much light it produces?  The number of watts only refers to how much energy the bulb requires to light.  The number of lumens in a bulb is what really determines how bright your bulb will be!

So next time you're wanting a brighter bulb, take a look at the number of lumens first!

Memory Lane

I had an incredible weekend!

Honestly, it was one of the best weekends I've had since I graduated.  It was so nice to walk down memory lane as I spent time on High Point's campus with my friends.  As I turned onto campus there was a giant sign that read, Welcome Home.

That's exactly how it felt.  I didn't feel like I was returning as a student, but I felt like it was an extension of my home.  I spent four fabulous years on that campus.  This is the campus where I cried my eyes out and picked myself up after my break up, where I forged the most amazing friendships a girl could ask for, where I spent countless hours in Norton, where I learned to do what I love most.  This is the campus that has truly had a huge impact on shaping me into the woman I am today.  It was a surreal feeling not being a student anymore, but an encouraging and proud moment at the same time.

I felt a sigh of relief when I stepped back into Norton for the first time since graduation.  I was so thrilled to not be one of the students sitting at a CAD computer stressing out over due dates.  At the same time I felt such a sense of pride walking back into those rooms where I once sat.  I remember as a student talking to past graduates and counting down the days until that moment would be mine.  I finally got to experience it, and boy was that a great feeling!! I had made it.  I survived Norton.  Until you've gone through design school, you'll never be able to truly appreciate how I felt, but trust me it's a great feeling!!

It was also so nice to catch up with my friends again.  While I didn't get to see everyone, I got to spend a good amount of time with my roommates from last year.  Goodness have I missed those girls!! We all have such a great relationship. We can sit and talk/laugh for hours and not even realize the time that's gone by.  I so badly miss our long crazy late night chats in room 409, but I got to enjoy a little taste of it again this weekend.  I love them and miss them so very much!

Not only was visiting the school and my friends wonderful, getting to enjoy the area again was great! I had forgotten how much I missed High Point.  To have three major cities within a 30 minute drive, lots of your friends close by, and all your favorite places in one area again, is wonderful!  I even got to go back to the church I attended when I went to High Point.  Oh. My. Goodness.  I have missed that church!!  I forgot how much I loved that place.  I always feel so encouraged yet challenged every time I go.  The community is incredible and I love listening to the pastor.  It's probably the only church I've visited where I feel absolutely at home, one with God, and encouraged/challenged to strengthen my walk with Him every time. I would really, REALLY, love to get a job and move back to High Point.  It's hard to explain, but it's where I really feel like I should be.  Maybe that will all work out.

I am truly blessed.

Happy Monday Y'all!

The View From Here

It's alumni weekend at High Point, and boy am I glad to be back in this city! Goodness I have missed college, my friends, the gorgeous campus, and all the perks that go with being an HPU student. I love everything about High Point!  I got into town today around 1:30 and met up with my roommates from last year for lunch, which turned into a two hour catching up session!  I love those girls and miss them so much! I just checked into my hotel room, which a good friend of mine hooked me up with; Thank you again Mrs. Steele!!!  Now I'm contemplating whether to go get my nails done, hit up my favorite shops around High Point, or just enjoy a good movie....oh the choices!!!  Did I mention I love and miss High Point??

This would be one of those perks of being an HPU alumni.  Free gift waiting for me upon my arrival!!

My awesome room!

Now off to explore!

Friday Free-For-All

I'm stealing this blog title/idea from a friend of a friend's blog I follow.  I love the freeness (not sure that's actually a word but we're going with it) of letting it all out on Friday.  No rules, no specific topics, just free to write whatever the heck I feel like.

As I laid awake twisting and turning for hours last night, I started to think of some things I could do to fill my days around the house.  I figured since I have this blog, and have been experiencing a little writers block lately, I'd try to come up with some quick probably cheesy daily blog ideas to keep the blog rolling and my readers semi-entertained!  So here's what I've come up with (did I mention they may be cheesy?):

Monday:  Not Me Monday
Tuesday:  Quick Tip Tuesdays
Wednesday:  Wishful Wednesdays
Thursday:  Thursday Thoughts
Friday:  Friday Free-For-All or Friday Five (it'll vary each week)
Saturday/Sunday:  Whatever I feel like writing, if anything :)

Not me Monday is another idea I stole from a different friend's blog.  I love the sarcasm and innocent  way of admitting embarrassing or hilarious facts about yourself.  After all it's not like they really happened ;-)

Quick Tip Tuesday is an idea I came up with last night.  I've been trying to think of a good way to share any design advice I have without having to do long drawn out posts.  I thought sharing a few quick tips each week would be a perfect way to do this and not require a lot of work on my part.

Wishful Wednesday is another idea I came up with last night.  Since Christmas is right around the corner, and I'm sure everyone in the family will be looking for my list soon, I thought this would be a cute and fun way to share my wish-list with everyone.  Now not every item I put on here may be practical, but it never hurts to dream a little :)!

And then finally, we come to Thursday Thoughts and Friday Free-For-All.  Both of these allow me to write whatever I so desire that day.  Anything and everything that may cross my mind on these days can be written about.  The Friday Five is a little blog series I've done before that consists of my listing five of whatever topic comes to mind that day.  In the past I've written about my five biggest weaknesses, five favorite childhood movies, etc.   Anything goes on Thursday and Friday!

Well, that's about it for today.

Oh, my second interview went well.  I should hear back next week sometime if I got the position.  Fingers crossed!