I Promised It Would Be Unforeseeable!

WELL...

I moved back to my home(aka, I moved in with my parents..........again.) about a week ago :) Ft. Worth was a wonderful experience but I think God has different plans for me! Plans that I am so excited about. I will hopefully be opening a boutique in a town that is right down the road from my hometown! That was the ultimate goal anyway...I have just been given the opportunity to do it sooner in my life than I planned on! It is a liberating feeling knowing I have the opportunity to go into business for myself, but equally frightening! I am having a hard time wrapping my head around it to be honest! 

I mean, the business plan is done, the lines I want to carry are picked out, the logo is designed, and the name has been chosen. Only a few steps left and the doors will open in September (hopefully, but that may be a little ambitious)

I haven't been able to see where life would take me these past few months, and this point in my life is no exception. Guess I'll just have to sit back and ride it out...

When it Rains.....It Pours

You may have once heard the term "The Bottom Fell Out." That is, if you're Southern you've not only heard it, but you realize that if those words are spoken, Armegedon quite possibly is about to take place. 
Today was no exception.
 At work, it not only literally flooded in Justin, TX, but the bottom fell COMPLETELY OUT. It was my first time to experience my co-workers upset. Granted they had every right to be. However, I learned that there is no crying in baseball(or advertising), and there is NO ROOM for mistakes. Especially not when it involves 2,200 copies of a 54 page book....and a single page was wrong.

There are no words to correctly articulate the magnitude of this situation. There are also not enough words in the english language to convey the happiness I felt that this error was, in no way, my fault.
I just stayed in my office and compiled lists of pictures we needed. Yes, that's right. I hid. I admit it. You would have too.

Basically we all stopped breathing. I'll let you know if anyone was left standing tomorrow...

Restless

Do you ever have those days/months/years (you get my point) that you get restless? Just postively itching for some fort of an adventure. To travel somewhere you've never been. To do something spontaneous. To start a new business venture. You just get this feeling in your soul you can't shake...

This is where I'm at. I'm at the perfect place in my life to do something big. It will either fall apart, or fall together and either way will make me even stronger for it.

I employ you to shake up your life. Do something fun, spontaneous, radicle even! Even if it's something small like actually wearing the ADORABLE Antonio Melani heels you bought for sping, or if it's something *HUGE*, like finally starting your own clothing line you have always dreamed of (wink, wink!).

We Could Run Away: Needtobreathe

Everything stops as we look towards the clock
It feels like we’re moving backwards
It’s easy to find potential in before
But we look the same in the afters

Could we wait long enough to bide my time
Could we stay and say enough to change my mind

We could run away
Maybe we could change
Get back on our feet and then
Maybe make it home again
We could run away
Be on our own again
Maybe in the twilight
We can break out
Buy ourselves a Cadillac
Never turn around
We could run away
Be on our own again

We could stay here where things became unclear
Fighting what’s left of the right way
But everyone hates the chances that we waste
Under the light of the new day

Could we wait long enough to bide my time
Could we stay and say enough to change my mind

We could run away
Maybe we could change
Get back on our feet and then
Maybe make it home again
We could run away
Be on our own again
Maybe in the twilight
We can break out
Buy ourselves a Cadillac
Never turn around
We could run away
Be on our own again

Everything stops as we look towards the clock
It feels like we’re moving backwards
It’s easy to find potential in before
But we look the same in the afters

Could we wait long enough to bide my time
Could we stay and say enough to change my mind

We could run away
Maybe we could change
Get back on our feet and then
Maybe make it home again
We could run away
Be on our own again
Maybe in the twilight
We can break out
Buy ourselves a Cadillac
Never turn around
We could run away
Be on our own again

We could stay here where things became unclear
Fighting what’s left of the right way
But everyone hates the chances that we waste
Under the light of the new day

Could we wait long enough to bide my time
Could we stay and say enough to change my mind

We could run away
Maybe we could change
Get back on our feet and then
Maybe make it home again
We could run away
Be on our own again
Maybe in the twilight
We can break out
Buy ourselves a Cadillac
Never turn around
We could run away
Be on our own again

I'm Not Lost I Promise!!!

Life has been a tiny bit hectic! I am so terribly sorry that we haven't spoken in about three weeks!

There have been just a few minor events take place in my life. My sister's wedding, moving to a new city, starting a new job, getting adjusted and settled to said new place and job.

It is such an interesting and exciting time in my life and I am so blessed to have so many precious people to help me navigate. You get just as much out of life as you give in, and I am making it count.

Instead of giving you a wordy description of the past three weeks of my CRAZY life, honestly there is just too much to discuss, and let's me honest; pictures are more fun. SO its Wordless Monday: My New Life Through Pictures!
Ready......go.

The Fantastic Four at the rehearsal dinner

The Bride and the Ring Bearer

Getting ready the day of the wedding

Before we headed to the ceremony

Ceremony Site

Reception!

The cake

Easter Egg Dying Party in Bulah!

I failed the first time and had to call in the calvary!

New shelf in the new apt!

The Blog of Self Discovery

A few weeks ago I told all of you I would be writing a blog that was important to me. Something that I had to process. Well I can't give away the entire story really, because the person(s) it involves occasionally reads this blog (it was so much more  liberating when no one read this haha). However, the results were the following:

As a woman, you tend to have unrealistic expectations. Make no mistake between the difference of high standards for yourself, others, your career, etc and UNREALISTIC expectations. Expectations about your figure, clothes, hair, eyes, and most importantly love. If you're like 99% of women, we dream up this fairy tale romance. The man we marry will have to look a certain way, have a certain career, family, car, and love for doing the dishes (ok maybe that is just me ;P ) Most commonly however, we think the WAY we fall in love will be a certain way. You know, "knocks you off your feet, grand slam, out of the park, world series kinda stuff!" ( who is excited about baseball season?! This girl.). No but really, we ALL think that is how its going to happen. Well I am here to tell you, physical chemistry is not love. Not when that is all you have. Having a MAN guard YOUR heart about his OWN beats "the spark" every time. Sometimes you will fall in love a bit more slowly (make no mistake, if its the right thing, the "ah ha!" moment WILL come). Sometimes, it isn't what you "thought" it would be. Have the where-with-all to recognize a wonderful opportunity when you see one. Don't let running into an ex, or being sought out by someone you used to "crush" on throw you off. Just because you "fell" in a different way does not make it any less magical. Or "less" in any way come to think of  it.

God places every person in your life with a purpose. They make you aware of things, help you learn about yourself, help you WORK ON your flaws in character and in personality. God has shown me that in the last two months. It truly is the best feeling to realizes He has healed your heart from past, sometimes recent past, events. It is one of the sweetest moments in life. You will never feel stronger. 

To close, be strong in your feelings. you know yourself better than anyone. At the risk of sounds EXTREMELY cliche and cheesy, trust your heart. Listen to it. Your gut feeling will tell you right every time. Be open to doing things differently than you planned. You'll enjoy life so much more that way.

Song: A Little Bit Stronger by Leighton Meester

and

I Do by Ty Herndon

For the Love of Bachelorette Parties...

Well.....so somethings have changed  from my last post! In all of the best ways possible :))


I ended up getting a 2011 black Dodge Nitro named  Nelly (yes, like the rapper) that I am in love with :)))


I move into my new apartment the week after the wedding, and I start my amazing new job on April 18th!!! This is exciting and all but its also going to be  extremely hard to leave so many  people (and one little extra that I never saw coming) that I care about. I am positively terrified. BUT its the good kind. You know,the kind that makes you exceed every single expectation you set for yourself? As well as those expectations outlined by your new employer. 


Now.....on to the most amazingly stressful weekend of  my liiiiiiiiiiiiiife. I mean this in the best way imaginable. Brittany's Bachelorrette Bash (also known as B^3)

Britt and  Jana B. 

If you fast forward past the Hilton Anatole COMPLETELY screwing up our rooms, AND the fact that our "day of relaxation" was the polar opposite of that in every sense of the phrase, AND the fact that the dance convention for 10 year olds let out around the time the flavored condoms blew off the highly decorated gift Audrey made for Brittany (where the little minions mistook them for "pop rocks" candy), AND the fact that we were mysteriously charged for bottle service that we never used, AND the fact that Brittany was 200% convinced that her debit card was lost on a dance floor somewhere in Uptown (it was in her wallet in the hotel room)... it was hands down the BEST TIME I have possibly ever had. Hummer limo: Check; amazingly beautiful bride, who was EXTREMELY "accessorized": Check; 14 of the coolest girls I know: Check. Hanging out with the New Orleans Saints Kicker?: Check, Check, Check, and one giant CHECK for all his friends as well  ;) 
 As awesome/memorable/funny/insane  as it was, I NEVERRRRRRRRR want to be in charge for  that length of time ever again, ORR be held responsible for that many peoples' happiness and drivers' licenses :)


Thanks and Gig 'Em <3

IT'S OFFICIAL!!!!

I start my new job in Justin, Tx on April 18th!!!!! I had a long phone call with Anne (the President) this evening and all systems are go! You are reading the blog of the newest Junior Account Executive at Cultivate Agency. 

Feelings I am experiencing: FEAR, excitement, nervous, happy, pride, sense of accomplishment, fear, anxiety, fear...do you see a pattern?!

I think I am going to absolutely love my job. I feel like this is where I am supposed to be. It feels as if someone hit the fast forward button on life. This is what I have been waiting on and it is finally here. With great opportunity comes great responsibility, and this is a sink or swim option ladies and gents!

I think I am going to look back on this spring as one of the fondest periods in my life. Its been challenging in many ways I never could have foreseen, but the positives tipped the scale. Running on spring evenings with my sister, my porch swing, mom bringing me coffee upstairs when I am running late for work, long drives to my part time job to clear my head and get focused for the day, the way wild wisteria smells during the two weeks it blooms in the woods behind our house, and meeting someone that quite possibly might change my life forever. Growing up is happening all at one time and as scared as I am...I'm ready. I say that with the confidence that comes from practicing it in the mirror every day for the last three months. If you tell yourself something long enough, you believe it and it materializes right into your life; just how you always dreamed it would. 

New favorite book: The Paris Wife....AMAZING book. Obsession is a bit of an understatement for the way I feel about this novel written through the eyes of Hadley (Hemingway's first of four wives). I am TOTALLY nerdy and underline my favorite lines in books. Most literary works do well to have a few sentences underlined in my cherished blue felt tipped pen, BUT this book has notes, lines and lines highlighted, and entire sections copied into my journal. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE read it. It lets you escape into a world that our generation knows nothing of; 1920's Prohibition. Wikipedia Ernest Hemingway before you begin the book, and you'll disappear even further into the mind of one of America's moat eclectic and brilliant novelists.

Song of the Moment: All This Time - OneRepublic

***I have a n extremely important blog (to me) coming up due to recent events. However I am still processing said events,  and will put them into text as soon as I feel ready. It is amazing to have the opportunity to solidify changes He has made in us, in very tangible ways. I am not sure I will even begin to articulate it accurately. So keep an eye out :) ***

Always,

Ms. Amanda Grace

Facts of Life

I find out my start date for MY new job in two days!

I officially have an apartment in Roanoke, TX :)

I went new car shopping yesterday! And the winner is......A JEEP CHEROKEE!! (it just has to pass the Poppa test...)

I just found out the comforter I want from Anthroplogie went on sale recently. This has made me a VERY happy girl.

I bought my first coffee cups for MY new apartment and am buying MY first set of dishes for MY apartment tomorrow.(haha, see what I did there?)

I have a move in date for MY new apartment. Why yes, it actually does have wood floors, granite counter tops, and stainless steel appliances!

It is T-Minus 11 days until my sister's Bachelorette Party Extravaganza! 

Baker's Shoes has, hands down, the best sandals for spring this year.

I am, in fact, running low on my book selection and am therefore welcoming suggestions. Right now I am reading "Don't Sing at the Table," by Adrianna Trigiani. I didn't really have a grandmother growing up, and this is a book chocked full of lessons from my favorite author's two wonderful grannies. 

I have the best family and friends I could ever ask for. God has blessed me so much more than I ever could have imagined. 

God continues to reveal himself to me in new ways daily. I learn something new about Him everyday...

I have learned to love my coffee black.

I feel a new painting coming on.....or maybe redoing one I wasn't ready to finish...

Bridals, Showers, and Bronchitis

HUGE HUGE HUGE weekend last weekend by wedding planning standards. Bridal portraits: check. First  bridal shower: check. Stunningly beautiful bride with bronchitis: You guessed it: ding, ding, ding. The biggest weekend of her life, and Britt has bronchitis. She was deathly ill and was still stunningly beautiful. (I would post pictures but the Wrath of the Glazner Bride would prove fatal for me, the maid of honor).


The shower was beautiful and went off without a hitch. I am about to shoot a guy with a tranquilizer gun and make him marry me just so I can get all the ISH that Britt and Randy have gotten! I mean for the love of icing, she got a mini cupcake maker?!?!? 

ALSO.......

Quite possibly the largest day of my young adult life happened today......I GOT MY FIRST BIG GIRL JOB!!!!!
It is with Cultivate Agency and I will be handling all of the PR for all of our clients as well as be one of two Account Executives. It is SO weird to think about!!!! So get excited readers, A Year of Unforeseeable  Events will soon have a new location!!!! Ft. Worth Texas, baby!!!!!!!


However....
I found the PERFECT building in Nac today for my boutique. There is an apartment upstairs. The whole building has old wooden floors and exposed brick walls....it is perfect. It won't be available for long considering it is downtown and SUPERRRRR affordable. So I am torn. Not to mention the recent development in my life that makes East Texas seem all that more appealing, deciding has not been easy. 


What is the right decision? Following my heart is one thing, but is this the time in my life to listen to my head and not my heart? I still have so much life to live, so do I REALLY want to stay in Nac for another 5 years before I can expand?Not really. BUT do I lose one opportunity for another? 

My jogging trail.....

Needless to say I went for about 3.5 mile run today. How is something I have wanted for so long so scary/exciting/surreal?! Life is happening all at once when it has been in slow motion since I graduated. Monumental changes people.... monumental.

Song: Crazy Girl-Eli Young Band
Book: Captivating

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions.

Act Three:
Scene: The offices of Lilly &Co.


Two employees of Lilly &Co. and I are all in the board room. Posters of print media for different Republican candidates line the walls. Governor Rick Perry is staring me in the face, adn these people talk to him monthly. Not the least bit intimidating. All in all, it goes very well and they inform me that they will be in touch first of next week.


Fast forward an hour: Susan LILLY calls and asks if I am still and town....she wants to meet me. She proceeds to scare the CRAP out of me with the workload, the narcissistic cliental, and the lack of a life in general. She also tells me they will be in touch on Monday/Tuesday.




I find out about Cultivate tomorrow....


Scenario 3...I open my own boutique. The business plan is finished, and the logo is designed. All that's left is financing and I have a backer in place. The timing seems to be right; not to mention I have certain things that pull me towards staying in East Texas.


Biggest few days of my life thus far. And A LOT to consider. I've replayed every scenario over in my mind a hundred times. there are pros and cons to each. Whichever option I choose, takes me down a a completely different path....


Life is about the choices you make...and every opportunity has a shelf life.

The Road Not Taken - Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;        5
 
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,        10
 
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.        15
 
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.        20
 

Happenings

Southern weddings are not events. They are happenings. Celebrated in sometimes 2 and 3 different cities. Announcements are placed in a minimum of four papers. Teas are given, presents are put on for display, and it is all we talk about, think about, and dream about. Needless to say, southern weddings are all consuming. HENCE, why I am so behind on my blog. I have been in the throws of helping my sister plan the happiest day of her life. It has been stressful to say the least, but a joy all the same. April will be here before you know it! 

NOW. Enough about her ;)

This is possibly the biggest week of my life! I hear about the job in Justin, TX on Friday (also the day of my sister's bridal portraits. Gotta be a good sign right?!) I also landed an interview with Lily & Co. in Austin, TX!!!! They are fundraisers/Campaign consultants for the Republican Party of Texas. There are no words to express how SUPER pumped I am to have this opportunity. The fact that I have an interview Tuesday just goes to show its alllll about who you know. 

Scene: The Spotted Zebra

Time: The busiest time of the day (duh.)

Act One:

A teeny-tiny lady walks in. Needs new digs for the Houston Rodeo and alas, we are out of smalls/extra smalls. (Please keep in mind we are a mere 20 minutes away from a college town where sororities run rampant like a rabies epidemic. Hence, the sizes for girls with legs like pencils, are long gone).

Now, she leaves her card and asks me to call her as soon as we get a new shipment in. She works for Senator Nichols (R) from Jacksonville, TX. JACK. POT. 

Act Two:

I email her and the jest is this; "Hey we have new clothes in your size! Annnnnnd by the way I am interested in entering politics in the communications arena. Please help me find a job :D thanks and gig 'em!"

She puts me in contact with Lily & Co. and here we are.

Act Three:

Looks for it on Wednesday evening after the interview :))

Not disclosing any details because I chose to be EXTREMELY vague about my personal personal life on here; Lets just say things are possibly changing and I'm happy about it :) God is so purposeful in His timing. Whatever the situation may be. He knows so much better than I about what is good for me and when. It is genuinely a relieft that I don't have to worry about controlling my life! He's got that covered and reallyyyyy doesn't need my help. No matter how badly I think he does.

New Tunes, New Books, New Places, and New Tude

Musician of the Moment: Derek Cate. You can find some of his stuff on iTunes, but some of his best work is on Youtube.com. Check him out; if you don't become slightly obssessed you're a french fry short of a happy meal :)

Book of the Moment: The Wedding Machine. You would think that since I'm in THREE weddings and counting this year that I would be SICK of them. Alas, I am not dear friends. It is set against the crooked live oaks of South Carolina. It has it all: intrigue, romance, deceit, and debutante "Mommas" on power trips. They're armed with sugar marinated, southern one-liners that cut to the bone. These women can get away with ANY comment as long as 'Bless her heart," comes before or after. I promise you won't be disappointed!

This past weekend I had the priviledge (hahah yeah right ;P) of moving in my dear SBF, Say Say, into her brand new apartment in Cypress!!! It was so good to see her; it had been about three months. It was so nice to break away from talk of weddings, careers, and life goals. I needed to see my best friend :) I mean, at the very least we stayed up into the wee hours of the morning decorating and unpacking until we were too exhausted to keep our little eyes open, and therefore got AMAZING,, much needed, sleep!

New Attitude: Joyous, not just happy. Happy is reative. It is based on circumstances and that is not always a good thing. No one thing can make you happy. We as humans tend to think of happiness as a destination. "If I get this job, I'll be happy," or "If I just start dating I'll smile more." My personal favorite is "Just oooooooone more pair of shoes and I won't want anything else for at LEAST  a month or two!!" We can't live like that. Its not healthy.

Now it probably goes without saying, that I needed a bit of an attitude adjustment pre-Cypress moving mini-vaca. I was mad. Livid even, because my life wasn't going how I'd pictured it. No career, no pending marriage, etc. BUT this is the season the Lord wants me in. I have been edgy, and bitter towards my family, and even some friends that know me best. Joy is a choice. Its an internal passion that God gives us that we can cling to, no matter the circumstances.

It feels so good to be back to my patient (in some things!), laid back, normal self. There is joy in the storm. You would think that would be a no-brainer for someone who loves the rain....

Legacy: Nichole Nordeman

I don't mind if you've got something nice to say about me
And I enjoy an accolade like the rest
You could take my picture and hang it in a gallery
Of all who's who and so-n-so's that used to be the best
At such'n'such ... it wouldn't matter much

I won't lie, it feels alright to see your name in lights
We all need an 'Atta boy' or 'Atta girl'
But in the end I'd like to hang my hat on more besides
The temporary trappings of this world

I want to leave a legacy
How will they remember me?
Did I choose to love? Did I point to You enough
To make a mark on things?
I want to leave an offering
A child of mercy and grace who
blessed your name unapologetically
And leave that kind of legacy

I don't have to look too far or too long awhile
To make a lengthly list of all that I enjoy
It's an accumulating trinket and a treasure pile
Where moth and rust, thieves and such will soon enough destroy

Not well traveled, not well read, not well-to-do or well bred
Just want to hear instead, "Well Done" good and faithful one...



Tidbits

Drink coffee out of a real cup. It makes all the difference and exponentially more enjoyable.

Take time at LEAST once a day to marvel at your surroundings; to take in how everything works around you and how beautiful it is.

Have "girly days" with your girlfriends/moms/sisters/etc. My aunt, mom, and sister and I will find a new cute bistro/cafe to try and go boutique-ing. That is our thing, but do what works for you.

Collect something.

Have a hobby for YOU. Not something your kids/boyfriend/mom/sister/dad likes to do, but something YOU enjoy.

Hug someone a minimum of 3 times a day. (Statistics show humans need EIGHT hugs a day to be sane.)

Laugh. A lot.

Deal with your emotions as they happen. 

Deal with life as it happens. Don't try to plan; it never works out the way you thought. It is always better than you can imagine.

Try new foods.

Buy cute shoes.

Flowers in your house make you want to be there. 

Slowly decorate your apartment or house. That way you end up with pieces of furniture/decor that you love. Not just a bunch of stuff you got at Target because it all went together.

Drink wine and savor it.

Talk less and say more.

Listen. No really, listen.

For the right people, put their feelings above your own. Its not always about what makes YOU happiest. Most of the time it matters more to brighten someone else's day.

Love yourself.

Be brave.

Organize your closet. It will transform your life.

Keep a journal. Moms, pass it on to your daughters. They will understand you so much better and relate to you. It proves to them you're human, and you DO in fact understand where they are in life. You're not really THAT ancient ;)

Buy a few pieces of jewelry with the intent of passing them down to your grand-daughter.

Love someone more, not less.

Pray.

Its Only My Future...

OKKKKKKKK....

So. This job interview that I FREAKED OUT about last week?? Well.......it was moved due to a BLIZZARD in Ft. Worth, TEXAS. Yes, that's right. I said TEXAS. Not Canada, Wyoming, Colorado, or Montana. TEXAS. Clearly God has a sense of humor. Why yes, I think I will delay the world's most impatient person in the world's interview due to.....SNOW. That way, its COMPLETELY out of ANYONE'S control :) To top it off, we rescheduled it for a week and a half later. Hence giving me PLENTY of time to worry/fret/lose sleep/get nauseous etc...Sooooooo funny. Not.

How I felt for a week and a half

HOWEVER.

I did have my interview this past Friday at 10 am in the wonderfully cute town of Justin, TX. I fell in love immediately with the staff and atmosphere of the company. For the first time in my interview process, I truly felt this is where I was supposed to be. So much prayer has gone into this job search process that I know this is right. I just felt it. I hear the final decision on March 4th, but they did ask me to do some freelance work them between now and then! Whatever happens, I know it is what God wants for me. 

I will say...if this job doesn't "pan out"(if any of you have seen True Grit, new or old version, you will be chuckling to yourself right now) traveling just might be in my future.....

I am taking suggestions for ideas :D

All I know is that I want to impact people. Lots of people. To change lives. To give back. To leave a footprint...

Tranquilizer, Radar, and Taser Guns

Yes. You read the title correctly. Please...read on :)


Disclaimer:
I am not a "man hater." "Man eater?" Sometimes,but never "man hater." In fact, I love men. I love that they make you feel safe. The way they can make everything better when you've had a bad day. I absolutely love the fact that they can check the oil, take out the trash, and change out lightbulbs that I  couldn't even reach if I wanted to. But today, boys and girls, we are NOT talking about how wonderful they are :)

 Back to the Topic at Hand....

A radar gun. I want one. Where might I purchase one? I mean, boys are obviously given them as gifts at the age of 13 to use against us women, so I know they sell them somewhere. I would also like a taser gun and a tranquilizer gun. For these are the only means of defense that women have against the male population.


Just when we are happy and content with our lives. When we say that we "Really aren't looking for anything right now." When we, most likely, have FINALLY moved on and are sailing RIGHT PAST  Mr. Hunky Dunky, he shoots us with his radar gun, realizes we are in fact happy, and decides to swoop down like a she-eating terradactile and "realizes he made a mistake," and "misses you so much." Please introduce me to ONE SINGLE WOMAN that this has not happened to and I will take this blog off aggiegrace.blogspot.com forever, and this topic will never be broached again. No one? Just raise your hands please? No? EXACTLY.



Now, this would all be for not if these guys actually planned on FOLLOWING THROUGH with their apologies. BUT, that is NEVER their intention. EVER. As my best friend Say Say so eloquently put it, they have their "big boy pants" around their ankles; they need to just pull them allll the way up! Fact of the matter is ladies, we have not changed since the relationship ended. We are ultimately the same amazing women we were, and we don't need them to tell us, "You're the kind of girl I want to marry," or "You're just so sweet and made me feel so comfortable around you." We know that already :) Quite frankly, we ARE amazing women, and we don't need THEM to tell us that. The guy that sees that, and realizes he can't suck air without you? HE is the one worth keeping. HE is deserving of your affections.


*If the guy actually does follow through and this is his first offense; let him live ;) *


Now ladies, I think we should write our senators, state representatives, lawyers, generals, and the Secretary of Defense and DEMAND the weapons previously listed as a means to protect/defend ourselves. The tranq gun being used for wounding, and the taser gun being used for evil satisfaction if the guy reallyyyyy broke your heart or was just a huge jerk.

Southern Grace

Southern. Also synonomous with charm, poise, manners, accents, belles, Gone with the Wind, and pearls.

Grace: My middle name. (No really, I'm not kidding lol). 

Southern Grace is a phrase that has permiated into every element of my life. I do my best to conduct myself in a way that is worthy of the slogan. You have to respect yourself, first and foremost.  Also, expect that treatment from others; especially from the opposite sex. I am a HUGE fan of chivalry, and not the "East Texas" kind; just because you open the door for me when I walk in, doesn't mean you truly respect me. I'm not just picking on the men however. Ladies, the keys to demanding respect without asking for it are grace, humility and modesty. Don't act like a snot because then it backfires. Southern Grace is something you can't fake. Its a "classiness" that has to run down through your soul, seep through your pores, and be spoken with an educated, smooth, southern drawl. It can rarely be learned and is impossible to undo.

Southern Grace is how I was describe my style in housing decor as well as clothes. For example; my apartment will be decorated in golds, and whites, and light greens, with antiques accents. Very much a "Plantation shabby chic" look. Oak Alley is my favorite plantation in the south (where they shot Gone with the Wind!)and where I draw inspriation from.I absolutely adore having  lunch with my girl friends at tea rooms. I am a collector and admirer or tea pots, china, and antiques. If you're a fan of southern vintage decor, read Creole Thrift. It will give you AMAZING inexpensive decorating ideas that complete the home of a graceful Southern Belle.

Found at Bella in Crockett, TX



The book of the week is Roses by Leila Meacham. It is such a good read and I am hardly through the first couple of chapters. As always, I refuse to divulge the plot. I am hoping your curiosty is enough to drive you open a new internet tab, go to google, and find the summary. It will span three generations set in the East Texas sun. It leads you through the story of  families that were cotton and lumber tycoons, and the love that was between them (OK! that's all you get!).

Even Southern Belles can be silly!

          

To drive home my point, the idea of Southern Grace is something that has been lost, and the world is worse for it. People wonder why there aren't love stories like in The Notebook anymore. Well, to start,  I think we all need to be a bit more old fashioned and then maybe we'll have the respect for ourselves and for love like Noah and Ally did...

Small Towns, Cheesecake, & Big Changes!

Please just take this in. All of the chocolate-y caramel goodness. It is in fact heaven in a piece of cheesecake. Oh wait, heaven and cheesecake are synonomous....my apologies :)
Every Wednesday, one of my good friends Ally and I meet for lunch at on of Crockett's hidden treasures: Betty Boop's. It is here that we order a cup of coffee served in ivory, dainty, china coffee cups, and Chocolate Eruption cheesecake. I now live for Wednesdays. I mean hello, what in this world can't be fixed by coffee, cake, and a long chat with one of your closest friends? 

Our lunch meetings have turned into so much more than girlfriend gossip. We get to talk about things that are real for young women living in a small town. The challenges, the advatanges, the ghosts we face, and the sunrises yet to come. These meetings have become sessions of fellowship and encouragement. Seeing as I am looking for a career that will take me away from Crockett and my beloved Betty Boop's, who knows how long they will last? I will not, however, take them for granted.

Of course, Ally has the REALLY tan feet.

I had the opportunity today to go see one of the most important men in my life. My high school Ag teacher, Mr. Graham (aka: Big G, Daddy Graham, etc). He is the reason I am no longer shy, who got me into Public Relations, made me realize my passion for creating things (granted they were trailers, mineral feeders, and tractor accessories!), molded me into a leader, and encouraged me to jump head first into my first and only love. He symbolizes my small town roots and brings me back down to Earth if I am ever spiraling out of control. He is a second father to me, and I am so blessed that he still gets to be in my life even though I graduated high school long ago. I also had the opportunity to see one of my oldest friends. It had been ages and was so great to catch up. Talking with him and walking down memory lane made me realize how far we've come; how we're different people now than the ghosts in our lives then.  They're barely a mist in a memory buried deep in our minds. We're older. Wiser. However, somethings never change; he makes me laugh just as he always has. We watched kids, that used to be us, and just shook our heads and smiled. If we only knew then that we in fact....didn't know anything at all...

              

 "It sure left it's mark on us, we sure left our mark on it 

Finally, this is in fact the last blog I will be writing until after my big

 interview in Ft. Worth!I have that feeling a baby

bird must have riiiiiiiight before it leaps from the nest on its 

first flying lesson. Life has big moments. 

Ones you can just feel. Ones that seep from your heart and into 

your soul. This is going to be a big event....

Heading off for a new adventure....

We let the world know we were here, with everything we did 

We laid a lotta memories down, like tattoo's on this town " 

-Jason Aldean