July Haul

July was a whirlwind.

I have absolutely no idea where it went.

I'm sure as I get old(er) I'll be saying that more and more. It really makes me feel like an adult. Well, that and the bills I pay every month. There's nothing like watching your bank account deplete to really make you feel thankful you have responsibilities.

Anyway.

On July 2nd, Collierville held it's annual Independence Day celebration. It was a lot of fun! We ate sno cones, learned to do "the wobble" and saw a bunch of fireworks!

Wendi & I at Collierville's Independence Day Celebration.

July 3rd was not only Faith Baptist's annual fireworks - which really are the best in the city - but also my beautiful mother's birthday! We did do a cake and presents for her at the fireworks, but I didn't get any pictures. Mostly because we were so hot we could barely hold the camera to get the two pictures we did take that night.

Evan & I.

I don't know if I'll ever see a fireworks show that tops Faith Baptist's.

Every summer the Orpheum Theatre does a summer movie series and this year they focused on movies made in Memphis. On July 8th, we went to see The Firm. It was my first time seeing it and I loved it.

Just like June, I tried to be at the pool as much as I could. So relaxing.

July 26th was Samantha's birthday! Here she was being serenaded in Italian. She wasn't quite sure what to think!

Samantha & I - July 26, 2011.

My New List

Source: wavesrule.tumblr.com via Whitney on Pinterest

So, if you've known me for any length of time then chances are you know that I had "a list." Well, who are we kidding? I have a lot of lists; I am constantly making lists. But one list in particular has always been around and that was my "guy list" and all of the requirements that I had for someone I would potentially date.

Well, I'm a slightly stubborn person and I flat-out refused to compromise on this list. I was not budging. I just thought I knew myself and that I knew exactly what I need out of someone. And that's partially true - there are certain basics that I will never compromise on.

But I had a lot of things on there that barred me from dating certain groups of men. And then something happened: I fell for someone who fulfilled little to none of the requirements on my list. All the careful planning I had done in preparation for me to have feelings for someone else went out the window.

Now, I did not date this individual but through my feelings for him I learned a little more about myself.

See, I believe that everyone we encounter is put into our lives to teach us something and we should teach them something, too. Now I have no idea if I taught him anything, but he for sure taught me two things.

1. It's ok to let go of the little things on the list and that every guy that I have feelings for or date does is not a check mark on a list.

2. Being on fire for God and not compromising in their faith and convictions really is the most important thing to me.

My feelings for this person have faded, but not my gratitude. I have no idea if he's even reading this - I would venture to say no - but if you are - thank you. For knowledge is the greatest gift that someone can give a person and that's what you gave to me.

That brings me to the photo above. I came across it on Pinterest last night and haven't been able to stop thinking about it since. Wendi and I were reading it and you would have thought we were in church we were agreeing so much! Ha!

It was reminding me more of my grandpa with each new line I would read. And you know what? My grandpa and grandma have been happily married for 70 years. So, if that list is like my grandpa and he knows how to make a marriage last then that's what I need to be looking for.

Well that photo?
Is my new list.
Feel free to copy.

The Love List {Travel Edition}

"Vacation all I've ever wanted......"

It's summertime, so let's talk about vacay.

I'm not going anywhere this summer (except for a couple days at Kentucky Lake) but that doesn't mean I can't dream.

So this post is going to be about the places I wish I were going this summer.

It's not going to be depressing at all.

5. Miami

{via}

I took my mom to Miami for her 50th birthday and ever since then we've both wanted to go back. Gorgeous beaches, amazing shopping, fabulous places to eat.......I would go back in a second.

4. San Francisco

{via}

"Whatever happened to predictability? The milkman, the paperboy, evening tv."

Ever since I was little I wanted to go to where the "Tanners lived."*

As I've grown up, though I've learned a million more reasons why I've wanted to go there and I need to make it happen. Sooner rather than later.

3. London

{via}

I heart London.

I want to visit Westminster Abbey, Harrods, Big Ben, the London bridge(and hope it's not falling down, youknowwhati'msaying?), Buckingham Palace......my list goes on and on.

2. Bali

{via}

Specifically this private resort. I want to go where there's no technology. I'm thinking honeymoon here?

1. Ireland

{via}

This is the number one place I want to go and I can't wait until the day that I get to go there. And I will go there.

I can't wait to eat fish n' chips in a real Irish pub. It's on the bucket list.

Where are you dreaming about?

Yeah. I Said It.

---- Those shoes you wear? Not actually shoes; they're slippers.

---- You sir? Are married to the world and it's causing problems. It's time to file divorce papers.

---- You are no longer attractive to me. Let's go ahead and deflate that ego now, shall we?

---- We have a co-dependant relationship, but it's ok. I like to be needed.

--- Stop feeling sorry for yourself. There are a lot of people who have it much worse than you. Put on your adult hat and quit your whining.

--- Contrary to popular your belief, it's not all about you. There are other people on this planet. You can pick your jaw up on the floor now; I know it's a harsh reality but you'll be ok.

--- You ruined a lot of lives but somehow you're the one for whom I feel sorry.

--- The color yellow? Not so much your friend.

--- You need a shirt that says "Open Mouth, Insert Foot" because it's apparently kind of like your life motto.

--- I might have feelings for you.

--- The hairbrush is your friend. Use it.

The Love List via Pinterest

Do y'all Pinterest? I swear it's the best invention since....whatever the last thing I thought was the best invention was....or something.

Anyway, it's the most amazing website where you can store all thse things you see online in one place on different - very organizational - virtual corkboards.

It's like a control freak's dream.

And mine.

So, I thought I'd share with y'all who don't Pinterest(love how I've made it a verb?) a few things that have caught my eyes recently.

Source: anthropologie.com via Whitney on Pinterest

I'm coveting this duvet cover, which, yes I realize is a sin but look at it. I need it.
What's that? You want to purchase it for me?

Source: cutestfood.com via Whitney on Pinterest

so easy + so fun = this snack

Source: amelialyon.net via Whitney on Pinterest

Let me tell you that I cried when I saw this series of photos. Which, in and of itself isn't surprising since I'm pretty sure I cried during the Folgers commercial the other day, but oh the sweetness. I will never look this good giving birth, but my hats off to her.

I would. I really, really would.

Source: kuchnia-pelna-cudow.blogspot.com via Whitney on Pinterest

These flowers are made of coffee filters.
COFFEE FILTERS.
I will be making these.

Source: weheartit.com via Whitney on Pinterest

And while we're on the DIY subject, this is just glow in the dark paint in mason jars. So summer.

Source: bestlovequotes.info via Whitney on Pinterest

When I get married, this is going to be the house motto. Well, that and "Momma's always right."

If you want to sign up for Pinterest you can do so simply by going to their website. There might be a little bit of a wait, but I have some invites left so let me know if you want the hook up yo.

Do y'all love how I just got ghetto on the blog?

Happy Pinning!

Someday We'll Know

I've been full blown obsessed with this song recently.

Seriously - like it's on automatic repeat on my iTunes.

Maybe it's because I've been in the mood to watch A Walk To Remember(which Wendi & I did tonight and then we had one big cry fest. good times, i swear) but I think maybe it's because I feel like I have so many unanswered questions about things.

I'm not a person who likes to have unanswered questions. When I want to know something I'm obsessive about finding the answer. Me + Google = BFFs. I'm not even lying. The things I have googled range from "where should we eat for dinner?" to "how do flies give birth?"

I wish I was making that up right now.

The point is, I want to know something and I find it out.

The problem with this? There are some things Google does not have the answer to. And, in fact, it's the things that bug me the most.

~ Will I get married?

~ Will a certain important individual in my life ever be happy again?

~ Why do I never learn my lesson the first time?

~ Will I ever learn to fully recover from the Central North situation?

~ Does Ryan Seacrest ever sleep?

I kid about that last one, but seriously? Does he?

The point is that I have a hard time not knowing things. I will never fully be able to handle not knowing certain things, but I will tell you what I do know:

I know that God is in control and I know that by trusting Him things will work out for good.

(Romans 8:28 y'all)

I also know that no matter what the outcome of any situation above, whether it be what I want to happen or what I want to happen least it was His plan and in the end, that's all I need to know.

When I was little, and I was just as nosy and information seeking back then as I am now, my mom would always use the phrase "You're on a need-to-know basis" and it would just drive me insane.

Well, now that I'm older I look at it like God is telling me that.

He's telling me that I know what I need to know and I need to trust Him for the rest of it. Because honestly? If there were things in my life that I had learned the outcome of it long before I went through the process to get to it, I would have just messed myself up totally. And it's the sweetest things in my life I'm talking about here.

And so, while I'm still working on being content without all the information, I'm also praising God that I've been kept in the dark. Because it's after the darkness that comes the light.

And what beautiful light it is.

June Haul

When I was little I was a big picture taker - loved being behind the camera and in front of it. My family always talks about one time where I was throwing a huge temper tantrum(shocking, I know) and when my mom brought out a camera I promptly stopped, smiled and posed and after she took the picture I went right back to the temper tantrum(again - shocking, I know). I think it's because my mom took so. many. pictures. when I was little that I just got used to what I was supposed to do when it came out.

Anyway, as I've gotten older I've begun to appreciate the fact that pictures help document your life. I know that years from now I'll treasure the pictures I've taken and look back on the memories I've made just as I enjoy going to my momma's house and looking at her pictures.

Now, since I'm blogging again and using this as a sort of journal, I thought I'd do a little picture haul every month to keep up with what I've been up to.

I'm a little late on June, but better late than never!

June was such a busy month!

Wendi's birthday is in June and for her present I got her tickets to the Michael Buble concert. It was kind of like a present for me, too! Ha!

Wendi and I - she hates this picture but it's the only one I have of us from that night and I think it's cute!

I know y'all think he's singing to the crowd but really it's just to me.

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I tried to go to the pool every day off that I had even if it was just for a little while. Swimming is one of my very favorite things to do and a day at the pool relaxes me more than almost anything!

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For Valentine's Day this year my momma got me and Samantha tickets to Beauty and the Beast at the Orpheum in downtown Memphis! I've seen it so many times, but it's in my top 5 favorites and I was so thrilled to see it again! This is at a restaurant downtown on the trolley line called Majestic Grille and it's about 1 minute from the theatre.

My momma and I at the show.

This is during the number "Be Our Guest" which is absolutely amazing to watch! I'm fairly certain you're not supposed to take photos during the performance, but I didn't use a flash so we're all good.

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This is what the sun looked like on June 27th - a coworker of mine's fiance texted him and told us to go look and this is what we found. We looked it up and apparently it's common and it has something to do with ice crystals popping in the air.

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