My Music

The music I have on my blog means a lot to me. I have a great love for music. I just love how music can express an emotion or event so raw with perfect wording and impactful notes.
This is why I have each of these songs on my playlist:

And Now My LifeSong Sings by Casting Crowns:
I love this song because of its simplistic wording in how God changes your life. It is a reminder to myself of what I want my life to represent.

For Good by Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel:
I LOVE all of the music in Wicked but For Good is one of my favorites because its words are so true in how people affect our lives. And it's a real emotional part of the play that makes me cry.

You Are Loved by Josh Groban:
Well I love this song because 1) it's JOSH GROBAN 2) His voice is AMAZING and 3) It is a great song to sing in the car. (James and I will listen to it when we go home and turn it up really loud and just shout the words). It's also just a feel good song. Very encouraging.

Everything by Michael Buble:
This song just reminds me of James. It is fun and sweet and he is my everything. And I love Michael Buble. Great style!

Have A Little Faith In Me by John Hiatt:
John Hiatt's voice is really appealing to me and is very soulful. I also love the piano in this song.

Say by John Mayer:
This song is on my playlist because I think it is kind of funny since this page is a blog and the main lyrics are "say what you need to say". And I have been a fan of John Mayer for awhile....he is a great musician. Very talented.

Oh My Sweet Carolina by Ryan Adams:
Ryan Adams is a very gifted musician/song writer. His words on going home to Carolina are in ways I feel about going home too. I love his and the girls voice in all of his music. (totally soulful!)

Tangled Up In You by Stained:
I heard this on a trip to the beach this past September and the words totally captured me. The lyrics are amazingly heart felt and romantic in how it expresses how great love is. Again his voice is very soulful.

Tiny Dancer by Elton John
Just a great song that makes me smile. That's it. I love it!

So Close/Indiana by John McLaughlin:
An Amazing voice....his sound is very touching and soothing. I feel like he pulled the lyrics from Indiana right out of my heart. Love him!!

That's How You Know by Enchanted:
The movie was cute...not my favorite, but it was good. I really like this song because it is just a fun, lovey song that makes me smile and dance.

9 Crimes by Damien Rice:
It is a sad, but hauntingly beautiful song. Totally heart felt. Damien Rice is GREAT!

As Long As You Love Me by The Backstreet Boys:
It's The Backstreet Boys. They were my first loves and will always have a place in my heart and I am not ashamed to admit it!

Fun Fact: A duck's quack doesn't echo, and no one knows why.

Try This

Okay these are questions that I found and instead of just answering them with words from a keyboard, I have to answer them with only pictures. See if you can do it too!

1) Favorite place I have traveled to:

2)Best meal I prepare:
3)What makes me laugh:

4)A favorite event of your adulthood:

5) My addiction:

6)The last good book I read:

7)Last good movie I saw:

8)The last lesson God has taught me:


Fun Fact: Alligators can out run humans.

What's New!

These are some of the things that I am hooked on right now.


GREY'S ANATOMY
I have loved this show since season 1. I have missed the past like 5 episodes and have just now caught up watching them online and I am so excited about the next episode! I love this show!!!

RICE KRISPIES TREAT CEREAL
I loved this cereal when I was younger and about 2 years ago started looking for it in stores and couldn't find them and about half a year ago I found them....they brought them back! They are so good! YUMMY!

30 ROCK
James and and I have just gotten into watching 30 Rock. James told me he wanted to do something together that we would both enjoy and a friend is letting us borrow the first couple of seasons. At first I thought it was kind of stupid but James loved it. Now I think it is great! It is silly humor but we both think it's really funny! I love that James and I can share that!

THE GYM
I am not one to be a fan of working out, but I do really enjoy going to the gym on campus. I tend to get bored real easily with workout videos and with the gym you can change up your workout every time. I also like the machine telling me how far I have gone and how many calories I have burned!

Fun Fact: The football huddle was first used in the 19th century by a team at a college for the deaf. (Very interesting!)

Which Side Are You?

I was always told that you were either 1) a math/science person or 2) an arty/English/history person. And of course I am #2! I love those subjects! And I do well at them. I wanted to know more though and this is my research results:

The left side of the brain controls the right side of the body. The right side controls the left. The population seems to be equally split left and right. A brain can be half left/half right, predominantly left or predominantly right.

Learning Styles
Left brains learn by hearing. They find the lecture system just fine. Right brains need to see something done--show me, to feel, and to actually experience the process--then, they remember. Lecture style is a challenge for a right brain.

Recall
Left brains can go to a party, meet 12 new people, and remember their names the next day. The right brained person will not remember the names but will remember what they were wearing, the couch they were sitting on, the room they were in, how their hair was done, and possibly what they were talking about. Everything but the name.

How They Approach A Project
Left brains naturally arrange the various steps in order and begin with the first one. Right brains prefer the ricochet method. They select steps without any obvious order--doing what comes to mind at the moment. Both get the job done but in different ways.

Neatness
Lefts usually have a tidy personal space and know where things are. Rights have a "piling" system that they use quite often. They sometimes say, "Don't touch my piles. I know where everything is." Other rooms in a right brain's world may be neat and tidy, but the personal space rarely is.

Planning
Lefts plan days in advance and are prepared for weekends, parties, and going to the movies. Rights decide things on the spur of the moment.

Testing
Lefts memorize well. They can remember dates and facts easily. On tests they do quite well. Rights remember images and patterns. They can see the picture of that soldier next to the cannon, remember details in his uniform, know what season of the year it is, and they know the date is below--but what is that date? Lefts usually do better on tests even if both left and right brains have the same I.Q.

Punctuality
Lefts will be on time and even early for everything. They are the ones in the theatre before anyone else gets there. Rights, on the other hand, are usually only on time for the most important things. Rights are likely to be on time for church if in the choir. If not in the choir, it is probably optional to be on time.

Left Brain
uses logic/detail oriented
facts rule
words and language
present and past
math and science
can comprehend
knowing/acknowledges
order/pattern perception
knows object name
reality based
forms strategies
practical/safe

Right Brain
uses feeling
"big picture" oriented
imagination rules
symbols and images
present and future
philosophy & religion
can "get it" (i.e. meaning)/believes
appreciates
knows object function
fantasy based
presents possibilities
impetuous/risk taking

I thought this information was pretty neat! And I am going to start adding a fun fact to each of my posts just for fun!

Today's fun fact: Eagles mate in mid air. (Who knew?!)

My Dream House

This is really stupid but some times when I get bored, I think about my dream house and how my "perfect" house would look. I love looking through magazines and picking out different things that I would put in my house. I pick out staircases, wall color, kitchen appliances, cabinets, and sofas and the list goes on and on. My dream home is not modern at all. I see it as older looking, sort of a mixture of the My Girl house and 7Th Heaven house combined. And these are my "blue prints"!
This is the first floor:


And the second floor:


This is just my dream house...I am aware that an art teacher and preacher salary will make this house seem impossible to attain but that's why it's my dream house. I could have it one day....And I am so excited!

My Weekend of Accomplishments

This weekend has been full of so many things!
I was able to clean my room....something that REALLY needed to get done. I made the chicken that Tresa put on her blog. (It was soooo good and I made so much we have been eating off it since Friday and still have left-overs...thank you for the recipe!) I semi- cleaned out my car and semi did laundry. I'm still working on that. I painted 4 pots to put my plants into. They look really good! I finished a big project for my class which takes a big load of stress off me. And I met Woody Harrelson! James and I were at the gym on campus and after our work out we were going to go swim laps. As we were walking past the basketball court I looked over and saw one white guy in the mist of a huge group of black guys playing a game. I then slapped James' arm and yelled, "That's Woody!" So instead of swimming laps we sat and watched Woody play (he is actually kind of short and not very good at basketball). We just so happen to be sitting next to his water bottle so he came right up to us. James told him he didn't want to bother him but wanted Woody to know how much he liked his last movie. Woody was so nice and said thank you and shook James' hand, then mine and of course I sat there smiling and just mumbled. James laughed pretty hard at me for being so star-struck. Woody is actually filming a movie down here in Valdosta so that is why he was there. I am just so mad I didn't have my camera!

The Pit Bull Blues

This video makes me smile. It reminds me of how awesome it is to have the love of ANY dog. I miss my pit bull. And this song is great....wonderful lyrics!

Quotes, Quotes, Quotes!

James and I always joke that 90% of all our converstations with eachother turn into a movie quoting game. I personally love it. So here are some of my favorite movie quotes. I will let you figure out what movie each quote is from and then give the answers later. Post your guesses if you would like but you don't have to. Here we go!

1. "Well done you."

2. "They looked at me as if I had lobster's crawling out of my ears."

3. "You're not dying, you just can't think of anything good to do."

4. "I'm just screamin' at my husband; I can do that any time."

5. "Do you think our love can make miracles?"

6. "We got no food, no jobs... our PET'S HEADS ARE FALLING OFF!"

7. "Hold me closer, Ed, it's getting dark. Tell Auntie Em to let Old Yeller out, [cough cough] tell Tiny Tim I won't be coming home this Christmas, tell Scarlett I do give a darn... Thank you, you love me, you really love me!"

8. "Ages three and up! It's on my box! Ages three and up! I'm not supposed to be babysitting Princess Drool!"

9. "I'm gonna touch the butt."

10. "A gun rack... a gun rack. I don't even own *a* gun, let alone many guns that would necessitate an entire rack. What am I gonna do... with a gun rack?"

11. "Go away! And don't come back for five to seven days!"

12. "Face it, girls, I'm older and I have more insurance."

13. "Where's the Tylenol?"

14. "Don't cry, Shopgirl. Don't cry."

15. I ain't burned...the sun don't bother me."

16. "I'm the king of the world!"

50/50

This week has been a roller coaster of emotions for me! Every good thing that has happened, has had a bad thing follow it. I got a great grade on a paper I did in one class followed by a not so good grade in another. I was purposely not put into the co-rec basketball game (I played for a grand total of 6 minutes) on Tuesday night yet I played the best I ever have this season while I was in. The girl that coaches the team for some reason does not like me. I had a harsh critique done on a project of mine and then found a note on my car that said "Have a good day" by a girl I knew. My eye has been hurting lately and I now know that it is because I have a sty but I found out I get to go home this weekend. After I found out that I get to go home this weekend, I found out that I have a lot of homework I get to bring with me! I also have been struggling with some of the people at the Wesley and how unfriendly they are and have been contemplating not going there anymore. Then I got a call today from Sara Beth. She is a friend that I met at Wesley that moved this past year. As I received our cable bill and was disgusted by how costly it is, I got two great surprises as well. Thank you so much Tresa! I loved the sign and the Steel Magnolias wordle made me smile! So creative! My roommate saw it and said I have never seen that movie before so I made her watch it that day! She of course loved it. And thank you momma for the angel. That was so sweet and thoughtful. I really don't have much room to complain as these "rough spots" are not so severe as some things people have to go through. It has just been a lllloooonnnngggg week and I can't wait until Friday!!! Thank you for letting me vent!

Great Low-Cal Meal!

When I am dieting it seems that there isn't a lot of options that taste great and is healthy. So when I feel like I am missing out on great foods that are just NOT even close to healthy, I fix what I like to call Nuked Awesomeness. You need:
Two Potatoes


And Spray Butter, Cheese, and Bacon Bits


Put the potatos in the microwave and cook (my microwave doesn't heat so fast so I put them in for 8 minutes...it varies)


Then mash them on your plate and add the rest of your ingredients. You are now done and ready to eat. It should look something like this!


It is a great tasting meal that is very satisfying. And for this whole plate it is only 250 calories! HOLY COW!!! Enjoy!

Prayer

I love the Willow Tree Angels. They make me smile and each remind me of something important or special. I don't have this one, but I really like the Prayer Angel because it is so simple yet powerful.

As I was cleaning my room tonight I started talking to God about everything going on in my life and what I feel I needed to change. Tonight at my bible study we talked about confession and my first reaction was to point my finger at all the people I knew sitting in there. There has been a lot of things going on inside the Wesley house that I see as very hypocritical and just plain annoying. So as I sat and told myself how happy I was that these people could hear this message, I didn't take myself into consideration. It did not hit me until later on tonight while I was chatting with God that I realized that I related to that message too. Now I'm not saying my confession is sex or stealing but I should probably keep more of my opinions of other people to myself and be a better example than making judgments on others. And I haven't prayed as much as I should. I'm so busy with my plans and things to do, I have neglected to ask what I should do. I was doing a daily devotional and somehow that has stopped. I need to get my spiritual life back on track! And I will. Prayer is good. It clears my mind and brings calmness to my life. Why don't I do it all the time? I have no clue!

The Diet Blues

I have been really struggling with my diet lately. I feel like I am eating well and I am working out a good amount. Monday I do Tae Bo, Tuesday and Thursday I have a basketball game (Wednesday is my off day), Friday James and I go to the gym at school and do an hour workout, and Saturday and Sunday I have basketball practice which lasts about two hours each day. Plus I walk all over campus (while carrying all my art stuff). I usually write all my calories down and I haven't lately. And James and I have gone out a few times and eaten VERY well. But still I am so disappointed. My goal is 36 pounds by July 18Th which is very do-able. I guess I just want it all off right now. I feel like I am more toned so maybe it is just muscle. That is what I have been telling myself. I ordered another Tae Bo DVD from Walmart.com with a gift card from Christmas so that will be something that could help. The customer review said that a woman lost 31 pounds from it. I need her plan! My goal is to keep track of my calories from now on and focus on not letting my temptations get the better of me. For example: James has had a really bad soar throat lately so I ran to CVS to see if they had any Popsicles and of course they didn't so I picked him up a strawberry milkshake from McDonald's. And what did I do. I got one too! I should have told myself no but it sounded so right! It was soooo good too! I just hope I at least lose 1 pound this week!

**Fun Fact**
When drinking water, put lots of ice in it. The colder the water, the more your body works to heat you up, thus you burn more calories!

Don't Be Mad Mom!!!

Alrighty, I have a tendency to get a sudden urge to change things up a bit and last week my impulsive side got the best of me. I have changed my hair color from this:


To this:


Now I need a tan! But I also wanted to add some highlights so I put this on:


Aren't I gorgeous!? Kody helped me transform my look and without checking the directions on the box, helped herself to highlighting something of her own. It's ok nothing bad happened!


And the final product.....



You can't really tell in the picture but the highlights came out good. I know my mom and dad like me as a blond but I just like change sometimes. My hair will probably be back to its same color within a couple of months...who knows!