ten days. one picture.

Well, I think I'll give you a flashback picture for this one...

It just seems that we are our cutest when we are oh-so-young.

I think I look a lot like my older self in this picture. :)

ten days. two songs.

Really, I have to choose TWO? This should have been at the top...ten songs. I could do ten songs. Haha....okay, so here it goes?

2. Something Beautiful by NEEDTOBREATHE. Arguably my favorite song of theirs...until this new album. I chose this one because I got to be in the music video they made for it...twice! I have loved this song for two years now, and this version below added accordion...which made it even better than I ever thought it could be. I love its message, melodies...love it all. 1. To Whom It May Concern by the Civil Wars. I chose this song not only because this duo is one of my top faves, but also because this song of theirs really sums up how I feel right now about being single, and my desire to meet the “one”. Enough said. (That and I mentioned them earlier when I revealed my secrets about singing.)

ten days. three films.

You know you are asking the girl who has no real favorites to choose favorites, right?  Sheesh, this is getting harder...

3. Cinderella Man.  I don’t own this movie yet, but I think about buying it quite often.  It tells such a beautiful story about the importance of family and love, and a man’s willingness to do what it takes to fight for that.  It’s humble, and leaves you cheering him on and weeping with his heartache.  Such a great film.

2. Despicable Me.  I’ve told you there is a small child living inside of me, right?  I love Disney Pixar films.  I think this one is my favorite...so far.  It makes me giggle, a lot.  I want a minion.  Just saying.

1. While You Were Sleeping.  This has been a consistent favorite for about 15 years now.  It never fails to make me laugh, and hope in real love.  I relate to the awkwardness of the main character and her desire to find love.  The supporting cast is a delight and it’s a movie you find me quoting on a regular basis.

(Honorable mentions...The Blind Side, The Help, Soul Surfer, To Save a Life, Lord of the Rings, Braveheart, Remember the Titans, Radio, Facing the Giants, Ever After, Penelope)

ten days. four books.

4. I know this is the generic answer that a lot of people give...but the BIBLE.  Seriously, it is the one book I can read over and over and get new and fresh insight into my life.  It is a comfort to me, a place of wisdom and advice, and an encouragement.  It keeps me grounded and connected to my Savior.  Even when I am not good at reading it all the time, I always want to.

3. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. Yeah, I am a nerd like that.  I love this story! It is epic and points to the heart of Jesus even though it doesn’t outright say it.

2. Redeeming Love.  This book makes me cry in a good way and evaluate my heart.  I never walked even a minute in the main character’s shoes, but I know her heart.  It’s the kind of book that anyone can relate to.

1. The Ragamuffin Gospel.  I love the grace and the heart of the Father that this book unveils.  I am also reading a book called Destined to Reign that has some similar points.  I am only a few chapters into that one, so I couldn’t add it quite yet.

(This one is hard, because I love books...there are so many good ones! The Help, The Mark of the Lion Series, Pride and Prejudice....I could go on and on!)

ten days. five foods.

5. Macaroni and cheese.  I’m not talking your Kraft mac n cheese...although on some days, that stuff is pretty good.  I am talking melt-in-your-mouth cheesy goodness...either found at Panera, Nucci’s or any great restaurant in the South.  All three of these types differ greatly, but all do a dance on my taste buds that takes me to a happy place.

4. Tri-tip sandwiches. The South has BBQ, we have the tri-tip.  And we do it well.  There are days where I literally crave these sandwiches.  Fave places to get them: Firestone and F. McLintock’s.

3. Chocolate. While this qualifies as dessert food, it is well worth mentioning! Give it to me in cake form, ice cream form, liquid form, solid form, brownie form (yes, that’s its own category), dark or light...chocolate is the best!

2. Shrimp n’ grits. Another southern favorite food.  I have had it two different ways, but as a friend once told me, you really can’t go wrong with shrimp n’ grits in the South.

1. Anything homemade. Casseroles, crock pot meals, homemade mashed potatoes...I know this is cheating, sort of.  But nothing beats a home cooked meal!  My dad’s chicken noodle soup and enchiladas also fit in this category.  (the truth is that I love food.)

Are you hungry yet? ;)

ten days. six places.

6. Hawaii. It reminds me of my mom, because the one time I’ve traveled there was with her.  I love the warm water, the beautiful weather, the lush surroundings, the laid back life.  

 
5. Seattle, WA. That place is where hipsters are made.  Unique coffee shops, incredible food, delightful panoramic views...Seattle is just plain cool.

4. Most places in Colorado.  I have fond memories of trips to Colorado.  There are lots of trees, which make me happy, and one of my best friends lives there.

3. San Luis Obispo, CA. The place I call home.  And the place I could call home for the rest of my life if God allows.  I love small towns and this place epitomizes that. I see people I know everywhere I go.  It’s quaint and lovely, and I am SO blessed to live here.

 
2. Charleston, SC. If there was a second choice of where to live, it’d be here. The food, the people, the history, the charm...it has it all, and I love this place dearly.

 
1. Heaven. One day, I’ll dance with Jesus and be filled with laughter and worship all day long.  I know the moments when I realize I don’t quite feel at home here on earth are when I am longing for this place. The best place.

ten days. seven wants.

7. A nifty fifty lens for my SLR camera. I wants it.
6. A pair of flat(ish) grey boots.  That go to my calf.  I saw pretty much what I wanted but they were too small...sad.
5. A new coffee maker. Mine has seen better days. Oh and a waffle maker too!
4. To be debt free! I have some student loans and car payments left to make...
3. More trips to places...like Ireland, Florida, the rest of the South, Maine, England, Australia, Italy...
2. To win the dinner with NEEDTOBREATHE. Because that would be sweet.
1. The ability to wake up early and be nice about it. Haha, oh how that would come in handy.

ten days. eight fears.

While I am not a fan of today's topic, not because I don't want to be more vulnerable, but more because I don't want to agree with these fears.  But as such, here are the ones, some serious, some less so, that I deal with .  Let's face it, we all deal with fear sometimes.  Here are mine.

8. Spiders...but sometimes even more so, spider webs.  Creeeeeeepy.
7. Disappointing people.
6. Not being able to lose the weight I want and keep it off.
5. Failing. In general, in anything.  Failing scares me.
4. Change. Especially unexpected change.
3. Stagnancy. I never want to be stuck in my walk with Jesus.
2. Not living my life to the fullest.  What a terrible thing that would be.
1. Not ever getting married and having a family. This is a huge dream of mine, and my biggest fear is that it won’t happen.

ten days. nine loves.

So, I never really explained this whole ten days thing.  I saw it on someone else's blog, and thought it was a fun idea.  I'd love to see others do it!  

9. Getting new music and listening to it for days on end...(like NEEDTOBREATHE and Ben Rector both of whom have new albums out...well, sort of. NEED’s will be out soon but I am grateful for the free streaming!) I love music. A lot.  I think this quote sums up this love well- "Next to the Word of God, the noble art of Music is the greatest treasure in the World." - Martin Luther 

This album is seriously amazing. So good that it made top 10 on iTunes for a whole week.

8. Aveda tea. I refer to it as magic tea.  It makes me very happy.

7. Sleeping in and/or lounging in my comfy bed on days when I am not rushed out of it. Reading books in bed is a bonus.

I wish I had this bed.  Mine is pretty awesome though.

6. Chocolate. In all forms. (except the really cheap kind that tastes waxy. That’s not real chocolate. Also fake chocolate milkshakes. Those should never be made with anything but the real deal.)

5. Getting texts/calls/facebook messages from my family. I love them so much, and it always makes me smile.  One time I text my dad to ask him about his lunch plans, as I was driving through and wanted to see him.  His response? "I can push back my audience with the Pope..."

4. Fall. All things related to fall. Scarves, mittens, leaves, pumpkin everything, cold nights...

I think this captures the way my heart feels in fall.

3. Laughing till I cry or wheeze or both. Yes, I wheeze when I laugh...friends aim to make this happen.

I loved this picture when I saw it.

2. All things involved with NEEDTOBREATHE.  The concerts. The music. The people. The little tasks I am assigned to. The band. The travel. The opening bands. The photography. The fact that I finally have a favorite band. (I never could pick before.)  Someone said the other day that they make their fans feel like family.  I think that's the best way to sum up my love for them.  I feel like I am cheering on family.

1. Being loved. By Jesus. By my family. By my friends. It’s the best thing EVER.

ten days. ten secrets.

10. I never really liked sugary cereals growing up.  I still don’t.  Give me oatmeal, or Raisin Bran or Kashi cereal and I’ll be a happy girl.

9. It surprises me when people consider me to be a good friend and want to keep in touch with me for long periods of time.  It always has.

8. I take great delight in telling people I’m 30 and seeing that their reaction is shock...because they think I am much younger than that.

7. I have a love/hate relationship with my singing voice.  I love my ability to harmonize, and think I am pretty good at doing so.  I am not so confident in my ability to lead a song.  Most people haven’t REALLY heard me sing.  Secret singing dreams of mine? That I would either be a backing vocalist for an amazing singer/songwriter on an album one day and/or that I could be a partner in crime in a singing duo that bares a resemblance to The Civil Wars...even if all we do is sing at weddings and stuff.

6. If my roommate isn’t home, I’ll use the bathroom with the door open. I guess I figure why bother with the shenanigans of closing the door and wasting electricity if no one but the cat is around?

5.  I am pretty sure I’ve forgotten what it feels like to be found attractive by a guy...

4.  The days I am weakest are the days when I am farthest from God and His truth.

3.  I am a people pleaser by nature, and have a hard time saying no.  I’ll often compromise instead of outright saying no.  I’m working on that....

2.  I absolutely cannot fall asleep in moving things (planes, trains, cars) unless I can fully lay down.  Actually, even if I am not moving and I am in something like a rocking chair, I have difficulty sleeping.  I am a great road trip partner.  I will not fall asleep on you.  

1.  If I can make funny voices and ridiculous jokes that border on complete cheesy-lameness in your presence, I feel at home with you and you are seeing the real me.  Most people take a while to fully see this side of me.

awesome/awkward round 2

It's a new week, and my friend Katie posted another week's worth of awesome/awkward posts...thus inspiring me to do the same.  Hope your week has been as awesome and awkward as mine!

Awesome: Having your Pastor pray over you, saying that you are a leader and that whoever is in your life will be blessed by you
Awkward: Him saying that he knows that because he reads your tweets, that you can't stop tweeting because you have something to say...all of this publicly (haha, he also knows ME very well, it was just a really funny moment)

Awesome: Driving by the Morro Bay Fire Department and having a handsome fireman wave at you as you drive by
Awkward: Well, I can't think of anything awkward about that.

Awesome: Shopping at Target (always awesome) for a friend's baby shower
Awkward: Finding yourself in front of the baby display with all the cute little ducks on them, and almost crying because you can see your (future) kids wearing the stuff and you wish you knew them...now. Yeah, walked away quickly.

Awesome: Shopping at Target and looking for a sweet leather jacket you've been wanting
Awkward: Trying on the largest size available in the regular section and have it cut off circulation in your arms, then going to the smallest in the plus size section only to be swimming in it. Sigh. Maybe it isn't meant to be.

Awesome: Getting to see my first lightning storm of the year while driving down to have Olive Garden with friends
Awkward: Getting caught squealing in delight every time the sky lit up....by your roommate

Awkward: Getting jury duty during the ONE week your work schedule finally allows you some office time to get caught up on work
Awesome: Showing up to jury duty to find that all of the pending cases for the day took pleas right before we were ready to go before the judge.  We were all released from duty after only an hour.

Awesome: Getting new referrals at work
Awkward: Knowing the family of one of your referrals...and hoping that the whole process goes smoothly, since sometimes it doesn't...

Awesome: Being recognized for your singing/acting abilities
Awkward: Being asked to promote your work's fundraiser because of those abilities...which is 80s themed

Feel free to share some of your moments of the week...I love these because it gives a fun insight into life. 

awesome/awkward

So, first of all, I have to thank Katie for making her qualifier for being tagged to do this simply the fact that you read hers. (I am a faithful reader of her blog because I love her.) Anyway, she has asked me to post about various moments of my week that have had both an awkward and awesome part to it. Here we go:

Awkward: not remembering whether or not you applied deodorant that day and having to do physical labor at Hearst Castle
Awesome: it being cool enough of a day to not have to worry about it

Awkward: driving down to L.A. to watch a show by yourself
Awesome: that show being NEEDTOBREATHE and Taylor Swift, running into people you know and getting to high five Taylor

Awkward: buying an album you already own, just so you can say hi to the band
Awesome: seeing their faces be as excited to see you as you are to see them, then getting to take a pic with them (which "wasn't allowed") and riding down the elevator with them

Awkward: going to a dinner to possibly meet someone, where you only know like one person
Awesome: meeting a bunch of new and awesome people, and having a great time

Awkward: standing by yourself while your favorite band is sound checking
Awesome: being at the sound check and hearing some sweet new songs

Awkward: being told that "your obsession for needtobreathe is terrifying"
Awesome: being secure enough in yourself to understand that this person has completely misunderstood you, and not letting that change who you are

Awkward: taking money out of the ATM only to realize that doing so may cause the check you just wrote to your roommate to bounce
Awesome: being paid back money owed and being able to deposit that before the check cleared (whew!)

Awkward: trying to use stilts for the first time since you were 12...in front of a bunch of new friends
Awesome: getting it right the first time and basically showing up the guys who had been trying to do it for 20 minutes before you

And finally, this is both awesome and awkward.

It's Ran Jackson from The Daylights and we are pretend sleeping. :)

a quick hi

I've been trying to at least keep up with reading my fellow bloggers' postings...but have failed miserably in any attempt to keep my own up. Good thing I've been learning about grace lately! (more on that to come)

This post is just to say "hi" and "I haven't forgotten my blogger friends!" :) And in the spirit of fun, I'll share a few random funny/awesome things.

• This video is funny. I love technology (cue Napoleon Dynamite)...

• And who knew cats could be so ridiculous?

• This duo wowed me, and then won me over with this cover.

• This simple devotional was so good I posted it on facebook.

• Besides Jesus, where I get some encouragement in being single.

• Something slightly crazy that I'm pretty sure I'm gonna do (the shorter one...not the longer...yet)

• I've decided I'm a fan. I mean, how can you not?

• In other news, my fave band dropped a NEW SINGLE this week...go get it now! Um, they also are coming back to my home town on August 31st. I love them.

So, I'll be back soon with some deeper thoughts. But until then, enjoy the above! :)

And here we are at the END of June!? Yeahhhhh.....

sing song-y day

Today I went to work without my iPod. This meant I was left to my own devices musically. I came up with "Billing, billing, billing, billing, billing everywhere...", caught onto someone else's song of "Oh happy day", and then randomly started coming up with my own version of 12 days of Christmas. I stopped at 2 days, but here is my version:

In the 12 days approaching, this is what's happening:
2 dentist visits
and a flight across the country...

Yup. I could build on this, but I have decided to let it lie. It has been a random Monday. I was quite productive. Got 4 1/2 things done on my list of 5 things to do today. Not bad at all for a Monday.

Sorry for this random post, but I realized I felt the need to post something after posting for seven days, and this is what I came up with. I am going to leave you with this...until next time...

I AM SO EXCITED FOR MY TRIP IN 11 DAYS!!!!!!! SQUEEEEEE!!!!!

multipass

Okay. I am sitting on my bed with my ankle being iced because I had an issue with walking the other day. It doesn't really hurt a lot, it is just stiff and weak. I was thinking of a title for this blog, and randomly "multipass" came to mind. I don't even remember the title of the movie that is from, but it involves an orange haired woman and Bruce Willis, and at one point she is eating chicken, and says, "Chicken, yum." So I laughed to myself as I started this blog.

I got to hang out with my favorite little buddy tonight, an adorable eight month old boy (maybe nine months now). He was so tired that he was giggling from his gut, the best kind of laughter ever, especially coming from him. One of my friends was hiding behind a blanket and playing peek-a-boo, and that was it, pure joy. I am praying for that kind of childlike, pure joy to return to my life. It's coming.

I am mostly moved into my new place. I love it! I feel like I live in a model home. I am so blessed. I have a real bathtub. I have even used it once. Really, I just know that God is going to help me grow as I live in this new environment.

I cried tonight in my kitchen while eating a bite of ice cream. I realized that I felt like I deserved being called out for my "hiding" (as I can best describe it). I was with my Pastor tonight while watching kids, and he just loved me and served me. He gave me half of his cookie and gave me my water when I had a sleeping baby in my arms. He made sure I was comfortable. When I got home and realized that I had expected something different, I cried. God is that way. When you feel like you deserve the worst, He hugs you and loves you. He reminded me of that tonight. God loves me no matter what, for who He created me to be.

I also watched Cinderella tonight. I am hoping that my prince is coming soon too.