I Whip My Hair Back and Forth

In the midst of my newfound love of sewing, I have progressed on to make a headband. The tutorial I found online was kind of confusing (inverted box pleats are difficult to sew), but I finally figured it out.

(Sorry I'm so uncomfortable taking pictures of myself.)

My Name Peggy

I've watched a lot of television this break since I've been out due to wisdom teeth surgery and a bout with strep throat. This is definitely my favorite commercial right now. Happy Time.

100th Post

So, I just realized this is my 100th blog post.

I wanted to do something really clever, witty, or extremely memorable.

But I've got nothing.

Now it's just really uncomfortable.

Sorry I'm so awkward.

But thanks for reading even when I post weird and dumb things.

My not-so-obligatory-yet-still-important "what I learned sophomore year: part one" list

I was going to wait until May to post this, but I learned a whole lot in one semester, so why wait?

1. You know that saying, "Revenge is a dish best served cold?" Oh no, it should be more like, "Revenge is dish that should be served as a corndog." Not quite as catchy, but wayyyy more true.

2. If you're going to whip your hair back and forth, just be careful not to shatter a glass.

3. Check the boxes before taking multiple cold medicines in one night.

4. Just say no to glitter. In any way, shape, or form.

5. Vienna waits for you.

6. True friends are the ones who will pee in their pants from laughter in front of you. And admit it.

7. Always grab your tiger card on the way out for a fire drill. And a bra.

8. Aerosols should always be sprayed outside.

9. "I was afraid it was going to rain" is not a legit excuse for taking jeep doors up the elevator in front of the RA.

10. Always keep a plunger in the guest bathroom.

11. Find the most private bathrooms. And keep them a secret.

12. You're never too old to watch childhood movies. And maybe even cry just a little bit.

13. Lygers DO exist.

14. It's okay to want your life to turn out just like Kathleen Kelly's.

15. Life's too short to eat bad steak.

16. Sometimes it's socially acceptable to make mildly inappropriate comments in class.

17. Never tweet negatively about Paula Deen.

18. Stalking members of the men's swim team is no big deal, as long as you feel good about it.

19. Having a name that fits perfectly on scantrons will never get old.

20. Mentally hashtagging life is a sign that you tweet too much. #totesoutofcontrol

21. Any word worth having in your vocabulary is one that can easily be abbreved.

22. If you're going to shower, at least jazz it up with some bath crayons.

23. Asian night in Tiger Zone will beat you. Every single time.

24. Outdoor concerts are the best kinds of concerts.

25. Live on the sassy side of life.

26. Maple doughnuts are only for people like Buddy the elf.

27. Sometimes you just have to throw away a trash can.

28. Don't eat waffles if you're allergic to them. Or go to a Waffle House.

29. Three turns should do it, I think.

30. Don't be a Connie.

31. 5 hour energy shots taste like chalk. Chase it down with some chocolate milk or something.

32. If you're going to faint at the doctor's office, best go to Urgent Care on South College.

33. Sometimes you just have to cry on your way to class. Life happens.

34. You can't sweet talk your way into the hay field parking the night before a big game. No matter how cute you are.

35. Life's weird.

sew in love

I like to consider myself an avid crafter. Maybe not quite up to connoisseur level, but enthusiastic, no doubt. So WHY I waited so long to learn how to sew is way beyond me. My best guess is that I was afraid I would never again address my "real world" commitments (not that I have many, but school is a big one) once I let loose in the sewing world. I think that is a valid fear. I've been looking up tutorial after tutorial on the hundreds (literally, hundreds) of blogs I've bookmarked. Pump the brakes, I'm out of control. My first project may be simple, and definitely not perfect, but it is for a good cause.

One of my sorority sisters shared this website with us. Her cousin started this cute organization "I'm Sewing Hope" just to show the love of Jesus to people who really need to see it. The first project was pillowcases that went to oncology patients at Children's Hospital of Birmingham. The project that I sewed for is this precious crayon roll going to orphanages in Sub-Saharan Africa. For real, I have NEVER sewn until today. Not even a button. But I did this. So can you. Spread the word. This is a great way to tangibly show people that there is hope, one so much greater than anything in this world.

sorry the photos are janky, I used the camera on my phone because my real camera is still packed away in a suitcase somewhere

Lord of the Flies

We have company this week. Room 343 has been infested...by fruit flies.

It all started when I decided to open my window to let in some fresh air while I was studying. Little did I know I was letting in my nemesis. At first I just found one little fruit fly. He (although based on what happened next, I'm thinking it was a she) seemed harmless enough. I thought it would probably die before I even woke up the next morning.

Oh no. It was very much alive.

Then I found another.

Where there are two fruit flies, there are inevitably going to be babies. (Cue "Let's Get It On") Lots and LOTS of babies. The original fruit fly was preggers. Now we have quite the little household of fruit flies. They are incredibly obnoxious, especially while we are all trying to study. What no one can understand is how they are still alive and reproducing. We don't even have any food in our room because we're all getting ready to go home! I spent this afternoon googling ways to get rid of them. I've still got nothing.

Right now, we're just all saying a prayer that we don't return from Christmas break and our room is literally covered with the little vermin.

throwback to cafeteria days

One day I am going to write a book filled with lots and lots of crafts you can do with brown lunch bags. I have high aspirations for my life.

fuzzy forest critters

I dig autumn...even if it feels like winter instead. As much as I'm not an outdoorsy, granola girl, I do like to appreciate the inspiration little woodland creatures contribute to design this time of year.

one two three four five six seven eight nine

so american

I fully embrace the fact that I am a grandma in a 19-year-old's body. Writing papers and baking Martha's apple pie was my kind of autumn Saturday.

begin afresh

It was about time we spruced up the vanity with some encouragement!

new beginnings

you should check this out.

repurpose

I don't know if things like this make my inner librarian cry or rejoice. But I do know that I am completely infatuated with using old book pages to create something whimsical. Maybe I'll cover my chair project in them instead...

photos from design is mine and notes from a cottage industry

words to live by

just add a tub of butter, y'all

To apologize to the boys for stealing their car doors, we decided to bake cupcakes as a peace offering. First of all, Melanie used her legit yellow hand mixer. Whoa, dream big. We decided to go all out and make the icing from scratch, so naturally we turned to Paula Deen for a recipe.

So we found this. Well, it originally tasted FOUL. As in MAJOR PARTY FOUL. We just kept adding in vanilla hoping for the best. In the midst of my anger, I tweeted at Paula Deen that I was disappointed in her recipe.

Oh, what a major party foul it was on me.

Turns out, spreading the icing on the cupcakes was the most delicious thing EVER.

So I had to tweet at Paula AGAIN apologizing for my mistake.

The moral of the story: tweet others just as you would like to be tweeted.

hoodrat stuff

I have the greatest friends ever.

Tonight was easily one of the greatest nights of my life.

I got a brand new little!!

Isn't she presh!? We go together better than pandas and bamboo.

So we all took our littles out and committed a minor felony. It's not grand theft auto if you don't take the whole car right? (Regardless, the doors were returned to our friend. So all is well.)

justin timberlake only gets better with age

a place to hang your hat

This project has been a long time coming. We have this pseudo-hallway in between the kitchen/living room and mine and Carrie's rooms and bathroom. We were getting sick of the bare walls, so we started by sprucing this one up a bit. Once the other two roomies get home, we'll hang their aprons, too! (Side note, it is kind of difficult to decorate when you can only use 3M hooks and mounting tape. Imagine the possibilities we'll have when we can use a hammer and nails!)

now i lay me down to study

One of my favorite shows of all time (Pushing Daisies, too bad it was cancelled after only two seasons) best describes how I feel about hugs:

It's like an emotional Heimlich. Someone puts their arms around you and they give you a squeeze and all of your fear and anxiety come shooting out of your mouth in a big wet wad and you can breath again.

(go to 1:25)

In the midst of midterms, I find it so easy to lose sight of what's important and throw myself thoroughly and wholly into school. Yes, that's why I'm in Auburn, but I can make myself absolutely sick just dwelling on tests. So I've finally figured out some of the best ways to combat test anxiety:

1. Prayer. Giving it all to the Lord is the best way to go, but that doesn't excuse a lack of sufficiently preparing.

2. A hug. For real, I thrive on hugs. REAL hugs. Not wimpy side hugs.

3. Taking a walk. Auburn is seriously the best place on earth to take a walk. Either a brisk walk to get the blood flowing or a leisurely stroll. However, it's not usually relaxing unless with a friend.

4. Taking a drive with the windows down. I was never a believer in this until Abby showed me how it was done.

5. A cup of mint tea (sans caffeine). There's just a relaxing property to mint like nothing else.

one is silver and the other is gold

Why do I have the coolest roomate & psuedoroommmate in the entire world?

bloom where you are planted

"I've been praying for like-minded people."

Oh, how this has been the theme of our room thus far. I never knew so much encouragement and pure, unadulterated elation could live within four walls. It's so amazing how much easier it is to just do the gross and gritty stuff of life when you live with your biggest cheerleaders. Their love for me and each other isn't even an iota of our Savior's love for us. How satisfying is it to daily feel the Lord directing our paths and delighting in every detail of our lives? I've learned to rest in the promises of the Lord, even today as I drove home in the pouring rain (Genesis 9:11). This has already been such a year of growth: in who I am as a person, a student, a friend, a sister, and a daughter, despite everything being really crazy. It's that good crazy, you know? The chaos that comes with an overabundance of joy.

"Oh, that we might know the Lord! Let us press on to know Him. He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early spring." Hosea 6:3

summation

This weekend in summation...

1) an A on my first paper of the semester

2) The Civil Wars outdoor concert in Waverly

3) sweet new tshirt

4) best grilled cheese of life

5) Auburn victory

6) clean sheets

7) reading reading reading

laa dee daa

Okay, so I've kind of had a lot of time to do plennnnnty of arts and crafts after I finished all of my tests and papers. So here are my little creations:

this is above my door

So, I decided to refinish a chair. Yep, in the dorm room. It was an offer I couldn't refuse-- $5 at Salvation Army. One day, it is going to be b-e-a-u-tiful.

Oh, and I hooked up the DVD player to the TV. By myself. It was a proud moment since I am mechanically inept.

if i were a house...

We had to do a project in art of architecture called "If I were a house..." Basically, we had to find a picture of a house and identify the architectural qualities the house evokes that are similar to our personalities. (It was actually kind of a difficult assignment, okay!) Regardless, here I am... as a house. Or as close as I could get.

Found in Country Living.

make do and mend

I'm really excited about this craft project! I found something somewhat similar on this site, but I really wanted to make it my own. I used plain needlepoint hoops, patterned fabrics, fabric glue, and some pinking shears to make this happen. No sewing at all. (P.S. If someone wants to teach me how to sew, I've been dying to know.)

(maybe I'll do something on the green gingham ones later.)

"i'm a major weeper"

"Jesus wept."

John 11:35

Preface: I'm a nerd, in a big way.

I'm in a few literature classes this semester, but today in British Lit I we were discussing a text from the fourteenth century. In the midst of our ridiculous class discussion (my class seriously rocks) the question was raised: was this woman crying merely for attention or as a true display of her penetrating sorrow? One point, which I found particularly convincing, was that her tears were a sign of her vulnerability and since she was weeping in public further drove home how humiliating this must have been for her to openly display such an intimate expression of emotion. Since the text we were reading was a religious work, the allusion to Jesus Christ's overwhelming sorrow in the Garden of Gethsemane soon before His crucifixion was made (Mark 14:32-52). How humbling of an experience must it have been to beg before the Father, asking Him to take away the cup of suffering? What a mighty love did it take for God to follow through with His plan, and Jesus to willingly partake? Sometimes I learn more in the classroom than I ever bargain for, and I'm so thankful for that.

motivation

There are days (such as today) that I just have to write down my goals and remember that every little thing, no matter how trivial, gets me one step closer.

I have learned, that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.

Henry David Thoreau

growing up is optional

Today was Carrie's birthday! We had a little get together in our room to celebrate her turning 20. What a sweet evening with such a sweet blessing.

What a champ blowing those contraband candles out.

Presh roomies.

We love each other so much, it's disgusting.

Yay. She's twentyyyyy!!

I made these cream cheese brownies from Martha's recipe. I'm still trying to figure out all the nuances of our oven, so these were a little more dry than intended, but otherwise they were quite excellent. One day I'll figure out how to better execute the marbleing technique.

have your cake and eat it too

Peanut Butter Cupcake from Gigi's. So rich, but soooo good.

pondering...

Not that I'm very math-minded, but I bet if we were to graph all of the fire alarms in Auburn dorms, the all-girls dorms would have more than any other buildings on campus.

have a nice day!

He was amazed

When Jesus had finished saying all this to the people, he returned to Capernaum. At that time the highly valued slave of a Roman officer was sick and near death. When the officer heard about Jesus, he sent some respected Jewish elders to ask him to come and heal his slave. So they earnestly begged Jesus to help the man. “If anyone deserves your help, he does,” they said, “for he loves the Jewish people and even built a synagogue for us.” So Jesus went with them. But just before they arrived at the house, the officer sent some friends to say, “Lord, don’t trouble yourself by coming to my home, for I am not worthy of such an honor. I am not even worthy to come and meet you. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed. I know this because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, ‘Go,’ and they go, or ‘Come,’ and they come. And if I say to my slaves, ‘Do this,’ they do it.” When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to the crowd that was following him, he said, “I tell you, I haven’t seen faith like this in all Israel!” And when the officer’s friends returned to his house, they found the slave completely healed.

Luke 7:1-10

I have been so challenged and encouraged by this scripture. It can be difficult to possess faith like this Roman soldier, but it is so incredibly worth it.

google is still better

why does this commercial crack me up?

What does a clam do on his birthday?

He shellebrates!

One of my roommates is turning 20 this weekend! We're throwing her a little dessert buffet party after her family leaves to go back home. We're cooking up (no pun intended) a few ideas for sweet treats, but we would love your suggestions for your favorite dessert recipes!

The invitations. :)

today was a fairytale...

...okay, just kidding but today was kind of awesome.

It started out eating crepes here with my roomie, Carrie. We've been going to this little spot for quite some time, but today I created the best crepe combination I've ever had. It contained bananas, honey, and cinnamon. Holllllllllyyyyyy smokesssss it was so good.

Following our little breakfast, we went to Children's Harbor on Lake Martin to surprise all of the baby pandas on their pledge retreat. We had a lot of fun, and I made these to snack on:

Peanut Butter Nutella-filled cookies. They were pretty legit, if I do say so myself. All in all, it was a good day.

a strange new phenomenon

I love back to school shopping. Seriously, it's like a sick pleasure how much I love trips to office supply stores. I wish someone would send me a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils one day. Anyway, this year's shopping list included the usual suspects: binders, paper, felt tip pens, good ink pens, post-it notes of many colors, index cards, so on and so forth. But upon going to class for the first days, it became apparent that I was indeed missing something that I found to be of great necessity.

I said I would never wear one.

I felt like I never understood people who did.

It never dawned on me how much I was missing.

The satisfaction that comes from it is positively disgusting.

So, I caved.

I did what I said I wouldn't.

I bought...

...a wristwatch.

Not only did I buy it, I sport it every single day. And I'm a huge advocate of the previously misunderstood accessory. Even one of my roommates was coveting said watch so much, she had to go out and buy one, too. And the other roommate is going to get one as well.

I think this sudden change of heart stemmed from the fact that professors have gotten really hard on cell phones in class. Some of mine even threatened to kick students out if they even lay eyes on a phone. And apparently Auburn can't put clocks in all of the classrooms...so, desperate times call for desperate measures.

Who knew such a tiny device could bring so much unadulterated delight.

And this is the part where I apologize to all the wristwatch wearers out there, and hope that you will accept this convert into your special society.

a room with a view

I'm starting to get settled in my new dorm room, and it's looking pretty cozy already. Here is the progress I've made thus far: