Yea, I went MIA for a while. I’m sorry. But let’s be honest-I’m one busy busy girl. From running two positions in Sigma, school, work, etc... I just don’t have a ton of time to spear. Sorry...but really-I’m not sorry.
Okay. So let’s catch up. Perhaps last time I told you I was applying to grad school. Drum roll please.... I decided not to apply. I haven’t been studying and that’s a whole bunch of money that I don’t want to blow. Instead I’ll focus on starting a career or you know...doing something productive with my time and in society.
Life is busy, I don’t even know where to begin in telling you guys things. So maybe I’ll just tell you what’s coming up and then we can go from there? I’m going to a birthday shindig tomorrow. I take my first mid-term tomorrow. And....school is still incredibly hard.
This week:
JERSEY SHORE PREMIERE!
I’m incredibly pumped. Judge me. I don’t care. Every Thursday you’ll find me on the couch, glued to that TV. Come at me bro. Or join me. That would be wonderful as well.
Food. Nomz.
http://www.thefoodee.com/recipe/3472/
My version may be a little different but this soup is delicious. I've eaten it like 12 times in the past 2 weeks. I make it in hopes that it'll last me a week or so.-but so far it's only lasted 3 days per batch. No Shame.
For the moment, this is all I can think of. Cross my heart I'll be more interesting next week. Promise.
I now have internet at the new apartment! Woohoo! Good day! Which means, I can get on with the bloggin. Just like you always dreamed of.
It’s true what they say. Moving is hard stuff. I’ve been in the new place for over a week and still haven’t fully moved out of the old one. Which I should probably get on with. My shoes are now safely...on my bed. My pictures...still in a box waiting to be displayed. And I have a very wobbly shelf thats holding lotions. Taking bets on how long it’ll stay up.
It’s been a great week filled with old friends visiting from out of town. Words can’t describe how much it filled my heart to spend time with them. And for them to
see where I do life. Though it may have been boring at some points, I’m hoping that they enjoyed themselves and had a nice little vacation. And Boone loves them. That counts for something, right?
Some new updates of life;
1) I am now both Rush chair AND secretary of Sigma for the Fall semester. Im so unbelievably pumped that they have given me the opportunity to serve them yet again. But do you know what that means? Becca is leaving us. Ugh. My best friend for two years is going where the Lord has called both her and her husband. While I definitely support them, I’m going to miss them something fierce.
2) My Arki friends have left/ will soon be leaving, Jury duty calls.
Boone hates other dogs. While this may not seem like a huge deal, it’s hard to hold him back sometimes. Merp.
Boone has bad breath. Diagnosis? It may or may not be a rotting tooth. Ya nasty.
I bez going to a concert and a Ranger game this week. So it should be an excellent week.
Life changing events? None. Sorry to let you down again.
Give me more;
Batman. The Dark Knight Rises
Can’t get over how good this movie was. If you haven’t seen it, don’t read my blog tomorrow. Because I’ll be doing a movie review over it. And I wouldn’t want to spill anything for you. But seriously, my face was blown off by this movie. I’m faceless right now. I’ll probably go see it at least two more times.
That being said-My thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of those killed in Colorado. And I pray a speedy recovery to those who were injured. We live in an evil world, but we have a beautiful and merciful God who protects us in the midst of the chaos.
Music.
My record player needs more beats to drop. So I'm now open to musical suggestions. Ready--GO!
And yes. That's what my record player actually looks like. Fancy-Right?
And my first day back at work. How unlucky for me.
Wait. Let me rephrase all of that. I love my job and I’m really glad to be back with the boys and hanging out. However, my brother and his fiance are in town and I really wanted to spend the day with them. Marmee even took the day off to explore with them! She never takes the day off to explore with me-sigh.
Over it.
HAPPY DAYS! I have a surprise.... I got a puppy! (obviously it didn’t take much to get the secret out). His name is Boone (previously known as Rover-had to change that) I couldn’t let him stay in the pound. He’s too beautiful to spend his days there/be put to sleep. And the good news., he was half price! In the month of July all pets are half price at the Denton Animal Shelter, So if you ever wanted a sweet little furry friend like Boone, go check them out. Now. He thinks he's a lap dog & he likes popsicles. Whatta cuttie.
Isn’t he precious?!? Comment below with your “aww”’s and “can’t wait to meet him”’s..
So here’s the sitch. We’ve gone and come back from Austin, where we had a grand time celebrating Skye’s birthday. We’ve mastered doing the dip (ditching/leaving/escaping) on creepers or people that we were bored with. We’ve made new friends, ran into old ones, and had an all around great weekend. Floating the river was an experience and I did not get a sunburn. Hollla! It might help that I’m already super tan, so my first initial sunburn has already taken place.
My week has consisted of packing, cleaning, packing, occasionally sleeping, and more packing. In between those things I may have gone to an orientation (pictured to the left. Photo Cred to Greer), gone swimming with the boys and taken them to Bonkers, and hung out with some friends. It’s been a good week. Nothing life changing. Sorry to bore you.
Saturday (tomorrow) I get to fly to Stephenville with friends. You may think that silly, but the cool part is that I have a friend, who is a pilot, who can fly us to freakin Stephenville just for the heck of it. Jealous? And I move in on Sunday1!! woooo! Free cupcakes and cake balls to those who help me move. You know you want some.
I’ll post pictures of the new place when I get it all set up.
I can't get my mind off of
Song obsession:
Wagon wheel by Old Crow Medicine Show
Perhaps its the banjo in it. Perhaps it's that I really do feel like I should be traveling somewhere when I listen to it. Perhaps it's his voice. I.Don't. Know. But what I do know, is that I can't get enough of this song. Every time we hop in the car to go somewhere, I play it at least once. I even have the boys singing it at the top of their lungs now.
But that's not all!
If you know anything about me, you'll know that I'm mildly obsessed with Mumford and Sons. So when I found this, I kind of..maybe a little bit...freaked out a lot.
I'm in love. Seriously.
Craft of the week:
I’ve been able to secure two globes to work with in this project. I really love that you can basically find anything you’ve ever wanted to do on Pinterest. It makes life so easy. Anyways-I plan on painting verses on them, any suggestions of which ones? I’ll be sure to show you guys the finished project!!
Also-I’ll be redoing a brass headboard (which is harder than it looks), Painting a tacky gold frame, which will later house a mirror, and making DIY work-out shirts. Check back for the updates!
What I'm nervous about:
Now that I seriously only have a few hours left till I graduate college, I’m constantly wondering what the next chapter of my life looks like. Do i go to grad school (which I’m leaning towards more and more each day), or do I just....pick up and go somewhere? Friends say it’s the best time to go where you want to- you don’t have ties to the city anymore. But secretly, I love Denton. I mean-I would love to go to Seattle, but I’d get there...and then what? I know what I want to do, I just don't know how to go about doing it. For now, Denton is my home and my focus. I’ll go where I’m told. Let’s make the most of this place.
It’s amazing to see how many boxes your life can fit into. I’m also amazed as to what I’ve collected over the past two years since moving into my own place. I’ve rediscovered some treasures and cringed at ones I was hoping I’d lost. Gao, my Chinese fisherman, is very excited to be moving on with me. However, the stack of magazines I’ve stashed away, well...they’re being relocated to the dumpster outside of my apartment. All this packing has led me to thinking about what I put my value in. Do I put my value in my possessions, or do I put them in Christ? If all of this, all of my movies, books, clothes, shoes, etc. were taken away from me, would I still be joyful? I've learned that the question is not "could/would I be happy?". Happiness is a fleeting emotion. Joy is something that can't be taken from you.
Yep. My blog just took a turn there. Feel free to stop if you want. I won’t be offended. Shoot. I won’t even know.
After thinking about the question and really searching my heart, I've found that I would be joyful.Well that's easy for you to say now, you're not in the situation. You're right, I'm not in that situation. I don't think I would be happy that everything was gone. However, my parents, Tj & Bekah, and others have done a wonderful job in teaching me that it’s all just material things that are easily disposed of. Why would I put my joy in something that was so easily taken away? If and when I put my joy in Christ, nothing compares.
When all is lost, I have everything.
So I sit here, looking at these boxes that are piling up around me and have no emotion. I neither love nor loath them. If you saw Gao, you’d probably laugh at the little Chinese man holding his rod and smiling at the fact that he’s caught a fish. And you’d be right, that’s exactly what he is. But to me, he reminds me of the first semester I took an interest in the Chinese culture or of an old friend. You see a tacky fish bowl...shaped like a fish? I see a flea market adventure with my marmee and finding something so tacky, it worked. & the home of the late Calvin & Calvin the Great (when I move into my new place I’m thinking of getting Calvin&Hobbs. Yes. All one word.). These things that I possess don’t keep me tied to this world yet they tell a small story of who I am. My ultimate joy comes through knowing I am a child of my Fathers.
Chew on that.
Off of work. Packing. Fireworks. Friends. And officially done with summer school. It's been a great week. Austin this weekend. It will be Legen.....Wait for it because I'll tell you all about it on Monday ...dary.
Ah it’s 11:38 pm and I’m still not:
Emma Stone. I can’t get enough of her right now. Or ever. I don’t think she’s done a role that I haven’t liked yet. So now that The Amazing Spiderman is out and she is starring as the lovely Gwen Stacy, I’m going to have to go see it. My DVD player is constantly playing Easy A & Crazy, Stupid, Love. I’m sure if I owned more movies with her in it, they would be in rotation as well. Merp. I just want to be her best friend.
What app am I hooked on?
Epicurious.
It’s this awesome app that has all different food recipes that are categorized by different needs, tastes, skill levels, etc. Perhaps you are a master cook, look at the more challenging recipes. Not so much? That’s okay, there’s a section for us too. Need idea for brunch, pasta, or meals that are kid friendly? They’ve got you covered. In the mood for a banana? Simply tell the app that, and you’ll get 234 recipe results. You can favorite those recipes that you want to try, and save them for later! WAIT. None of that is even the best part. The best part is that once you decide it’s time to make that meal, you can add it to your grocery list in the app. Want to make three meals from the app? All of the ingredients from all of your recipes are categorized neatly and easily for you! Your shopping trip just got a whole heck of a lot easier. It’s a free app. So download it, check it out, tell me what you think.
Here’s the link to download it on your iphone or ipad:
chocolate and a big glass of milk before bed. I don’t know why, but it helps me sleep so well. it’s probably not helping my tooth ache. Also, Mom...I have a tooth ache. We should probably get that checked out.
My current read:
People have been raving about this book since it came out so I finally decided to devote my summer to reading it. I have to tell you, it lives up to the hype thus far. Occasionally I have to pull out a dictionary or a commentary over what I’m reading. And I have to be honest, I had no idea what Christian Hedonism was before I picked up this book. Let’s be honest again, I’m still not sure what it is. The book is helping me to learn what one is though, so hopefully by the end of it I’ll be able to tell you exactly what Christian Hedonism looks like. The statement the book is working off of is; The chief end of man is to glorify God by enjoying him forever. And we’re slowly breaking down that statement to see how it’s true. If you haven’t read it, I encourage you to pick it up.
With joy,
Shelby
Ps! Shout out to my first follower, a dear friend of mine, Mrs. Thompson! Here's a link to her blog! And be sure to check it out...I'm a guest blogger! Wooo! http://becca-thompson10.blogspot.com/
Yo-yo yiggity yo. Crazy week that we’ve been having here in the 631! I haven’t been to the nanny house in a week and the break has been awesome. This next week I have off as well, so really these two weeks have been my summer break. I’ve stayed up past my bedtime, played capture the flag, hung out with old friends, and watched two too many lifetime movies.
Aren't we presh?
My friend Whitney is in town for an internship, which makes hanging out with her so much easier than if she lived in Arkansas. Some other old friends, Kristen and Charlene came up to Dallas to spend time here, making for a very exciting weekend.
<<Here's the whole gang. We ended up running into one of their old friends, and uh.. Kristen's ex boyfriend... and hanging out with him. Nice dude. And as for the random guy in the back, no one really knows his name. Oops.
We celebrated one chapter of a sweet friends life closing here in Texas, while the next chapter of his life consists of the Coast Guard. He is currently in New Jersey for boot camp and will then make his way over to California for school. This is a huge deal! Do you know how selective the Coast Guard is? Pretty selective. And this dude got in, so proud! On another note, Crockett had to leave the love of his life and my best friend behind for a couple of months. No worries bro, I’ll take good care of her! ...When she gets back in Denton that is. But for real. he’s been like a brother to me for the last two years. And I can’t wait to see what the Lord has planned for him in the Coast Guard. Can’t wait to meet up at the Jersey Shore and fist bump with you!
At another adventure to El Guapos (which is the same place that we said good-bye to ‘Crocklett’) we celebrated a friends 21st birthday. WOO-HOO!! The birthday girl, my sweet friend Jazmine, had 20 of her closest friends next to her while she sipped her first drank. And her wonderful boyfriend got her a few of her favorite things. Such as life size Doctor Who cut outs. Isn’t he the best?
Here's to the best small group that has ever graced Sigma and to the most wonderful birthday girl of the week.
Left to right: Yours Truly; the newlywed, Anna-Marie; Birthday girl, Jazmine; The Fashionista, Mariah; Cowgirl Lauren; and Lucky Lindi
The rooms just moved out leaving two of us in the 631. And now the apartment feels oh so empty. I can’t knock on Greer’s door anymore and laugh at her or sit in the hallway for a couple of hours talking about nothing. But it’s okay, I can just call her on the tele.
Also. In 14 days, I’ll be moving into my own place. Who’s getting excited?
Besides watching 15 kids on a saturday night, playing two rounds of capture the flag, and eating to much ‘brownie in a mug’, it’s been a pretty mellow week..
My Tv obsession:
I am in. love. with this show. Probably because I'm awkward and I feel like Jenna and I could be sisters. Maybe it's because she blogs and no one knows about it, which is basically how I feel about it at this point. Although she is a lot more anonymous than I. I don't like all the weird sex stuff and that they curse so much, but oh wait, it's all bleeped out because you can't curse on MTV. Why write a script with so much cursing if you're going to be on a network that bleeps it out? Dumb. But whatever. I'm hooked.
What I'm Craving:
It's my weakness. And they just came out with that nacho burrito thing. It's delish. I already tried it. But for realz, I have to limit myself. I knew I had an addiction when I was going to TB at 9am for a burrito. ....no one should eat a bean burrito at 9am. No one. If you or someone you know is addicted to TB, seek help immediately.
My craft project for the week:
Just in time for the 4th! Im going to attempt these beauts and wear the crap out of them on Wednesday. Get excited. I'll let you know how they turn out.
This coming week will consist of Fourth of July with Whit, a visit to give another birthday present, a trip to Austin, and a few other adventures. Here we go!!
I’ve been house sitting at the nanny house all week. Which has been quite lovely. I haven’t had to take care of the boys due to one at cub scout camp and the other visiting his grandma. So, I’ve been at the house watching the pup and taking care of some flowers. Take a look at these beauts!
I’ve caught up on homework, taken tests, worked out, and done quite times like no ones business. It’s been both awesome and relaxing. Downside? I’ve eaten all their food, the house is kind of creepy at night (at the moment, something downstairs is singing. I'm upstairs. Hopefully it's just the dryer), and a flea bit me on the lip. THE LIP! It’s black and blue and puffy all over. Terrible. Be glad it’s not you.
Here’s some things that I’m obsessing over this week.
My jam:
So if you haven't heard this Village original, you need to get on it right away. No, Really. It's beautiful..
"There is freedom, taste and see. Hear the call, come to me. Run into these arms of Grace, your burden heavy, He will take."
Yea, okay. I may be a little late and this may be a little lame. But whatever. I've been alone all week and enjoy watching women kick butt in a court room.
Plus I finished all of How I Met Your Mother. I really wish I hadn't.
My draannkkk (alright. I tried this once. And it wasn’t that awesome. But still. I’m all for new things):
That is grapefruit, spinach, apples, almond milk, banana, and grapes. Yea, juicing isn't my thing. Why not just eat those things separate? It's not like you get more nutritional value by combining all of the above. Weirdos.
Sorry I didn't do a movie this week. But thing were cray-cray up in hur. And there was a Freshman Orientation that I worked. And when everyone is going out for Chinese afterwards, how are you going to choose that over a movie?
Wanna know what is getting me pumped this week?
A) Ikea with mi marmee tomorrow. I love that place. I love her. And I love buying new furniture...win, win, win.
B) Seeing old Friends! My beautiful friends from Arkansas are here to visit and I get to catch up with them at some point tomorrow. Which excites me like none-other.
Great news friends! Yesterday morning on my mile run, I broke that 9 minute goal that I had set! By 7 seconds! This is huge! A week ago I was dying at the end of my runs and now I’m running a mile without stopping and doing it in 8:52. Now, I know in the grand scheme of things that is not the best time, but it’s a place to start. I’m pumped.
And if you read my post from yesterday, that means I get to go to a 9am movie! I don’t know if I’ll do it this weekend, but the point is that it will be happening. I can’t wait.
Twas a night filled with great friends and great times. If I took photos, here is where I would post them. But I did not. Sorry. Skye (one of my roommates for those who are unaware) and I ended the night by ‘stealing’ some pallets from our apartment complex. I say ‘stealing’ because they weren’t using them anymore so we decided to recycle them. Super excited about these things because once we move into our new places they will turn into.....
Can’t. Wait. Thank you, Pinterest.
Cook-out, baking, house sitting, and errands today. I’ll do my best to take pictures and make you feel like you were there too.
I feel as if there is some sort of law that excuses roofers from doing their work on days when the sky is cloudy and the rain is falling. If there is, the men re-roofing my apartment complex don't know about it. If there isn't, there should be. And while we're on the subject of making new laws; there should be one that bans roofers from starting their day before the hour of 10 am.
Although, today they did wake me up in time to go to work. Taylor Swift isn't doing her job anymore and quite frankly, I'm beginning to despise her voice in the morning. Today I'll thank them. Tonight I'll change my alarm clock.
The rain has been wonderful today. I'll admit that the thunder scares me but it's a price I'll pay. My roommate and I sat on the porch working until the rain started soaking our papers. But it was peaceful while it lasted.
The one awful thing about Denton? When it rains, it pours. And when it pours, it floods. I hope you have a paddle boat on hand.
I feel as if the simple things in life are often skipped over these days. With all the technology that we're bombarded with on a daily basis we forget how wonderful simple is. A cup of coffee, a cupcake, a sunrise, and a flower. Enjoying time with friends, watching a good show, reading a fantastic book, or simply sitting in the quiet. How often do you look for joy in the little things?
That's not to say that there can't be joy found in things more complex. I enjoy my Apple products and my life is has been made easier with the invention of the internet. But when was the last time you wrote a letter? When was the last time you logged off of Facebook and went on a walk?
I'm guilty of it. It's so much easier to turn on the TV and be cheaply entertained. However, I find that my contentment with such things are quickly fleeting. But when I take notice of the little things around me, I'm struck with awe and wonder. I find amazement in those small things.
And that's the point.
To think about what we may experience everyday and to re-discover the beauty and joy in it.
