today was that day.

i love the changing of seasons. even when we’re transferring from a season that i love to one that i don’t enjoy, i love the transition period and i especially love the first day that you begin to notice that change. and today was that day.

today i walked by myself alone to class. this is a rare occasion considering i have every single class with 2 out of 3 of my roommates. but this rare occasion gave me the chance to see the changes that have been going on in my little world.

half way through my walk to class, the wind began to pick up and all of the lifeless leaves were plucked from their home on the branches and were sent swirling through the air. it was absolutely magical looking, like the sky was snowing leaves and I was caught in the snow-globe. and in that very moment i just wanted everything to freeze. i wanted to take a video in my head that would replay that exact moment just like I remembered it. because in that moment it dawned on me how much i had missed changing while I was busy inside of my little world. 

the mind is a curious thing due to the fact that one small detail can trigger a whole slue of thoughts. this sudden gust of wind that turned my world, if only for a second, into a magical scene and the realization of the world changing around me, struck something deep in me: if i’m so oblivious of the seasons changing, what other things have i missed while I was caught up worrying about projects, getting a job after I graduate, etc, etc, etc?

and then my thought pattern shifted into thinking about the stage of life that I am in right now and the stage of life that i am about to enter into.  i’m about to jump into a lot of unknowns in my life and be surrounded by things that I am completely unfamiliar with. things like marriage, and having a grown up job, and living with a boy (the latter I am probably most unprepared for). and while i’m excited about this phase of unknown excitement that awaits, leaving this particular season of life is bittersweet. growing up in general is a bittersweet transition and the first day that you realize that that transition is taking place is always the scariest. and today was that day.

...and all because of a 5 minute walk to class. 

counting down.

in 5 days, i will be back in northwest arkansas cheering on the hogs with friends. 

in 38 days, i will get to see my entire family while enjoying turkey and dressing. 

in 48 days, i will be only one semester away from being a real teacher. 

in 68 days, i will get to spend my 21st christmas morning waking up to see what santa brought. 

in 208 days, i will hold a piece of paper in my hand that says i'm a teacher.

and in 215 days, i will be a married girl to this little boy...

soul friends.

every tuesday night the bcm (baptist collegiate ministry) here at arkansas tech has our weekly worship session called fuel. i have enjoyed fuel so much this year, and i am so grateful for what the bcm has brought into my life spiritually and relationally through the passed 4 years as well as the people that make every element of the bcm work together. it's just really great...trust me. 

this passed tuesday night we had several student speakers who shared their experiences regarding missions. one particular speaker talked about how she felt like she had found her soul friend while on her mission field this summer. 

i love the thought of soul friends, people who you can not only be comfortable around, but who build you up and keep you accountable. and i sat in my seat thinking of all of the soul friends that i've found in my life and how completely blessed i am for the people who have been there for me through it all. 

here's to finding your soul friends!

weekend roadtrip.

this passed weekend we decided to pack our bags, load up the car, and spend the weekend in kansas city. there was actually more planning involved than that, but none the less, we spent the weekend driving in a car, watching baseball, shopping in fun stores, eating good food, enjoying friends, and laughing a whole whole lot. 

it was a much needed break from the busy-ness of normal life. 

today i'm thankful for trips with friends, the kari jobe cd, our student center serving starbucks coffee, and this face:

 

alison in ireland.

i have always wanted to go to ireland. when i think about this country i picture rolling, luscious, green hills, enjoying an afternoon of tea with friends, and soaking in every inch of history that ireland has to offer. 

{photo credit}

well, unfortunately i don't have a trip to ireland planned in my near future. instead, i am living vicariously through my sweet friend alison who is currently there studying abroad for the semester. she gets to wake up every morning and soak in the ireland air.

{enjoying fall on jbu campus last year}

the past few weeks i have been collecting fun quotes, pictures, etc to send to alison in a little packet. i've been constantly searching for different things to send her. i love getting mail and packages and i can't wait to send this to her!

have you ever sent someone a fun package who was in a different state or country? what did you send them? i need some more ideas please!!

happy hands.

i know this video is making it's rounds on the web, but i still couldn't help but post it here. 

new goal in life: learn this. 

funky-slump.

recently i've been in a funk. or a slump. i couldn't decide which word fits my situation better, but for all intensive purposes, we'll use the word funk from here on out. 

i've been in one of those funks where i have so much to do and so much swimming inside of my head that i haven't wanted to do a single thing. and then that just adds and more and more to my "to do" list (i love a good to do list) which in turn sends me back into this awful cycle of doing nothing and blah-ness and, well...a funk. 

and with this funk has come a slump in my blogging. i have come up with a zillion blog posts in my head over the past couple of days full of great stories, ideas, and projects. but as soon as i sit down to type everything out...poof! it's gone. 

posts that include things like...

the weekend that a puppy named bandit came to visit...

the time that my roommates and i decided to "burn" all the wax out of our ears and our current obsession with homemade remedies...

{uggg, i know. but these little suckers work!}

my current favorite blog that has left me inspired to add more color to my life, start an inspiration journal, and turn all the letters ever written to me into throw pillows. 

{www.alisaburke.blogspot.com}

seriously, she's so so cool!

and that's just a glimpse of everything that i have been dying to blog about. 

but then that darn funk hit me. and here i am now, thinking of all the little things swimming around in my head but unable to spill them all out. 

welcome fall.

the sudden change in weather has caused me to shy away from blogging and work on small projects around this fun little apartment. last week we experienced rain, and in russellville, when it rains it pours. literally. but today it's sunny and you can smell fall in the air.

saturday was the first razorback game of the season in little rock. my sweet friend gentry's family always has a big tailgate set up for the game and we all head to little rock to prepare for a razorback victory. tailgating has quickly become one of my favorite things to look forward to in the fall.

soooooo many hog fans and soooo much fun!!

saturday was also mine and zach's two year anniversary. celebrated with a relaxing weekend together that has been one of my favorite weekends in a long time. and sweet little zach surprised me with a new camera. he is the best gift giver ever. 

dear zach, 

thanks for always making my laugh, teaching me about football and baseball, helping me make decisions, and being my better half. 

here's to 60 (plus) more years!

cold tangerines.

do you ever hear a song or watch a movie or try a recipe it was just so good that you wanted everyone that you know to listen to it, or watch it, or bake it? well, i've come across one of those exciting little treasures in the form of a book. and even though i'm only halfway done with it, i just couldn't wait to tell everyone about this book. 

my sweet friend/roommate/bridesmaid/teaching partner kate got me this particular book for my birthday titled cold tangerines. i know, i know...weird name, but wonderful book. shauna niequist, author of cold tangerines, has totally drawn me in with her writing style and i have been having to force myself to put this book down at night so that i can get some sleep. 

this book is all about living your life in the moment. niequist shares about how she felt like she waited her whole life for a "big" moment. she waited and waited until it finally dawned on her that the "big" moment lays in every single moment of every single day. and all of those little moments create our lives that have been intricately woven together my our Savior and the creator of the universe. 

the only way i can give you a glimpse into this book is to give you a few passages that have stood out to me. read them, you won't regret it. 

"But this is what I'm finding, in glimpses and flashes: this is it. This is it, in the best possible way. That thing I'm waiting for, for that adventure, that movie-score-worthy experience unfolding gracefully. This is it. Normal, daily life ticking by on our streets and sidewalks, in our houses and apartments, in our beds and at our dinner tables, in our dreams and prayers and fights and secrets - this pedestrian life is the most precious thing any of us will ever experience."

"I want a life that sizzles and pops and makes me laugh out loud. And I don't want to get to the end, or to tomorrow, even, and realize that my life is a collection of meetings and pop cans and errands and receipts and dirty dishes. I want to eat cold tangerines and sing out loud in the car with the windows open and wear pink shoes and stay up all night laughing and paint my walls the exact color of the sky right now. I want to sleep hard on clean white sheets and throw parties and eat ripe tomatoes and read books so good they make me jump up and down, and I want my everyday to make God belly laugh, glad that he gave life to someone who loves the gift." 

apartment living.

can i just start by saying that i really really REALLY love living in my new apartment. seriously. i don't know how i ever crammed all of my junk into a dorm room. having an entire room, a living room, and a kitchen is so fun. i'm getting spoiled.

my roommates and i have had lots of fun the past two weeks making this little apartment feel like home. we've made lots of trips to goodwill, tj maxx, and hobby lobby. and somewhere between the spray paint, old picture frames, and various trinkets, i think we're cozying into this space.

my personal favorites in the apartment include:

1. embroidery hoop collage in my room. 

i haven't quite positioned these little boogers quite right yet, but i'm getting there. thank you apartmenttherapy.com for inspiration!

2. fun throw pillows on the couch. 

thank you tj maxx and crafty roommate gentry. 

3. book/remote basket on the coffee table.

thank you thrift store for the $1.00 price tag. 

4. kitchen chalkboard.

thank you hobby lobby for the scratch and dent clearance aisle, and camp war eagle for the "joy" cheer that has made it's way to this board. 

5. picture frame collage in living room.

thank you goodwill for 50 cent frames and colorful spray paint for the re-vamp. 

6. owl drawing in my room.

thank you talented fiance for your sweet art skills. 

7. butter dish.

thank you tj maxx for your cheap prices. 

8. little owl friend. 

thank you sweet old lady at a garage sale that decided that you didn't need this anymore. this little owl has made its home a-top of my bookshelf. 

twenty-one years.

in honor of my 21st birthday, my friends and i decided to venture to a nearby town and go on a wine tour and do a little wine tasting. all of us recently turned 21 and know very little about wine, so we decided we would learn a little bit through this experience. 

this particular town houses four different vineyards and wineries. on the way there we ended up getting lost and found ourselves in the middle of one of the vineyards. and even though we weren't suppose to be there, it was so so pretty! 

once we got there we enjoyed our tour and learning about how wine is made. and even though i'm not a fan of wine, it was a fun way to spend my birthday afternoon with sweet friends. 

saturday evening we all went out for dinner and ice cream. after we loaded up on sugar, the boys insisted on riding go-carts. boys will be boys, huh?

if i have learned anything in my 21 years of life, it's to enjoy little moments. even if those moments include watching 23 year old boys ride go-carts like 9 year olds. 

happy dance.

a couple of weeks ago i won a giveaway from fern&flora. up for grabs was a sweet little leaf necklace from, none other than, meg from meg's musings. and when i received that little email saying i was the winner, i may have done a little happy dance all around my house.

my "winnings" arrived the day before i headed back to school. meg's packaging is a-dor-a-ble! and the packaging is just the beginning to the fun little treasures inside!

this necklace is going to be so perfect in a few weeks when the weather cools a bit and crunchy leaves are on the ground. i-can't-wait. 

check out more of meg's creations at her shop. 

school days.

and it's finally here: school!

i'm all unpacked and nearly settled into my new apartment and loving it. not having to live in a little dorm room this year is a huuuuuge blessing. no more cramming everything into a half of a room, no more caf food, and no more loud people running down the hall at night. hallelujah!
but the best part of being back at school is seeing these faces.

and friday i turn 21 so, the four of us have decided to take a wine tour in a nearby town for the afternoon. fun! and saturday night we're celebrating all summer birthdays and having a dinner in our apartment. i really have the best friends ever.

cheers to senior year!

friday favorites.

1. 72 hours. 
in 72 short hours i will finally be reunited and living in a little apartment with these two cuties.  

to say the least, i'm pumped. 

2. amy butler wallpaper. 
amy butler has done it again. she's stolen my heart by creating beautiful patterns, this time in the form of wallpaper. ugh, i love this.

oh my, i really love this pattern. 

{photo credit}

3. norah jones. 
dear norah, thank you for making beautiful music that inspired me to finally get busy on making pillows for my new room. {pictures of the pillows to follow!}

happy friday friends!