Fall, Football, and Fashion

July 1, 2012 was a monumental day in the life of every single Texas A&M student, past and present. For you girls out there scratching your heads, this was the day Texas A&M joined the SEC! The move from the Big 12 to the SEC not only lead to drastic changes in sports, but also to BIG changes in girls' game day attire. It was once completely normal to wear denim shorts, your favorite Aggie t-shirt, and your boots to games. Now EVERYWHERE you turn you see game day dresses, sundresses, skirts, lace shorts, and boots as far as the eye can see!

Give me two seconds to go stereotypical over-analytical girl mode on you. I love game day dresses. I think they are breezy during hot middle of the afternoon games. I think they show school spirit, in a fashion-forward and sweet way.  I think they are adorable, especially in those pictures every girl loves to take, "OMG! Make sure you tag me in that!!" You can disagree all day with what I am about to say, but I'd rather not have giant words across my chest. I truly believe that you can show your school spirit in a trendy, classy, and practical way in a dress or skirt/blouse combo of your school colors without "Gig 'em Aggies" or "Texas A&M" plastered all over you. Also, on a completely practical note, I'd rather spend money on an outfit that I can wear out to dinner, to work, to church, etc., not just to a football game. 

With that off my chest, I'd love to show you some of my favorite game day options! All of these are from an online store that I am crazy about, Yours Truly Clothing! We all know that maroon dresses sell faster in College Station than Tory Burch flats in a thrift store. After many failed attempts of buying game day dresses in the almost boutique-less land of College Station, I learned that online shopping was my best bet. 

1. Megan Dress - in garnet (first dress above with white)

2. Lindsay Dress - in garnet

3. Frances Dress - in garnet

4. Sarah Dress - in garnet

As all southern women know, no outfit is complete without accessories. Here are some of my favorites that I think would look awesome with any of these dresses

1. Dawson Necklace - in Garnet 

2. Hayes Necklace - in white

3. Whitney Necklace - in black

1. Mae Earrings - in white

2. Sophie Earrings - in black

Don't forget your boots and your favorite pair of sunglasses and you are ready for some fightin' Texas Aggie football!

All of these items are from the store Yours Truly Clothing. It is run by some really sweet women, you can read about their fun story here! 

I am the campus representative for YT Clothing at Texas A&M. You can like my page on Facebook here! Also check out our Instagram @YTClothing_TexasAM and Twitter @YTClothingTexasAM

20 Memories Commemorating my 20th

Goodness it has been far too long since my last post! Since moving into the sorority house I experienced my first recruitment work week, my first recruitment, and my first week of school. It has been a busy few weeks and I'm overjoyed to be settling back into an actual routine. 

My 20th birthday is right around the corner so here are 20 sweet and silly memories to commemorate turning 20!

throwback to 1993

1. That one time I rolled down the stairs as a baby (go ahead and make the joke, "Oh so that's why you are the way you are!"
2. That one time my sister asked my mom and dad when they were taking me back to the hospital
3. That one time I let my cousin use me as her "my-sized Audra" doll (more like many times)
4. That one time I asked a boy to the sock hop in 4th grade and he said no (I still have a fear of socks to this day!)
5. That one time I nursed a cactus back to health after a "cactus dissection", gave it a name, and dressed it in Barbie clothes
6. That one time my sister chased me around the house with a butcher knife. It was a joke... I think
7. That one time I sang the Psalms to the tune of "Killing Me Softly" as a 6 year old
8. That one time my best friend Blakeley and I decided to co-parent a hermit crab we bought in Galveston. Her? name was Bella, we only fed her treats, she lived about a week
9. That one time my sister convinced me lactating was part of puberty
10. That one time I played basketball and made one basket the entire season
11. That one time my best friend Ben and I convinced our high school we were half siblings (blonde hair, blue eyes, obviously related)

Ben and me. homecoming senior year

12. That one time I visited Texas A&M and knew it was the school I was meant to be at
13. That one time I got in a wreck with a teacher, in the school parking lot, 1 month after I got my license, and it was my fault
14. That one time I worked at J.Crew and fell deeply and madly in love with clothes and the retail world
15. That one time I designed a t-shirt for my school of 3000 students and accidentally used a drug reference on it (I swear I didn't know what "geeked up" meant!)
16. That one time I pierced Ben's ear on a church trip using a sewing kit needle and he had to get a tetanus shot  
17. That one time I got my wisdom teeth out and decided it only made sense for me to neigh like a horse and hiss like a cat as I waited to be released to go home
18. That one time I got a bid from Chi Omega and made some of my very best friends

my pledge class. bid day 2013

19. That one time I got to spend half of my summer loving on high school girls and serving the Lord at Sky Ranch
20. That one time at camp where it truly hit me how blessed I am to have parents that show me Christ's unwavering love through the way they love my sister, each other, and me

I spend way too many hours a day planning out my life. If you are like me, take some time to think of the blessings in your life and reminisce on some sweet memories :)

New Decade, New Room

This weekend I moved into the sorority house. I get to spend the next 9ish months, waking up, eating meals, watching ridiculous TV shows, studying, praying, getting ready, sharing life, and having a blast with 40 or so of my best friends. We make fun of people overusing this hashtag but I am downright #blessed. 

This post would not be complete without a little shout-out to my new roommate! Tori says she remembers meeting me on bid day last year but I was way too overwhelmed to remember anyone's name that day. My first memory of Tori is from the first football game of the season last year. As little baby freshmen a group of Chi-Os and myself wandered around from tailgate to tailgate not really knowing how the whole thing worked. We had all thought the whole pre-game thing would be a lot more glamorous than it was, but we also hardly knew anyone at that point. Anyways, while standing around praying the minutes leading up to the game would fly by I remember Tori standing there, arms crossed, saying something along the lines of "Well I'm just annoyed there isn't something more organized for us to be doing right now. I don't want to just walk around from tailgate to tailgate." From that moment on I knew that this type A, organization craving, room cleaning, coffee drinking, Taylor Swift loving, beautiful blonde girl was going to be one of my best friends. Let's be honest, we are practically the same person.

Us at that first football game, throw whatcha know

There are so many super exciting things about being in college, but being the nerd that I am, getting to decorate my bedroom each year is one of the most exciting parts of all! If you looked at the history on my computer you would see numerous visits to Pottery Barn,  Anthropologie's home section, Ballard Designs, and of course Pinterest. I could spend hours a day scouring these websites for home decor inspiration, and I often do despite the many items on my to-do list. Here is a little tour of my new room, the product of an embarrassing amount of hours spent on Pinterest.  

Here is the before picture, so empty, white, and sad!
 (This is Tori's side, I didn't remember to take a before shot until after I had moved boxes in)

After

Here is the area above my bed. The fabric garland was so easy to make and I love that it adds more color to the wall. Tori and I have different bedding but we both made these with the same fabrics to tie everything together! I found the tutorial for it here.

Close up of my shelves. I've been collecting little knick-knacks from places like Hobby Lobby, Michaels, Joanns, Francesca's etc. all summer. I found the idea for the monogrammed wood pallet on Pinterest. All the other crafty pieces were made with love from my big, Alex :)

I bought this piece at an antique store in downtown McKinney last summer. I love that I can display my pictures and some of my jewelry. Also, check out those cute little tiny pictures. I bought them from this website that prints 3x3 Instagram pictures!

One more view of my side :)

Fun Fact: My cousin Sara was a Chi-O at Texas A&M too. The room I am living in and the bed I am sleeping in are the same room and bed she had when she lived here!

The only thing missing in my room right now are these adorable prints I ordered on Etsy from a little shop called, The Wheatfield. They are technically greeting cards but I plan on using an 8x10 frame with a 5x7 mat to display one or two of them! Aren't they so cute?

Hope you enjoyed the little tour! If you have any questions about where anything is from or how I made something, I would love to hear from you!

Washed by the Water

my wonderful co-counselors

This summer I worked at a Christian summer camp, Sky Ranch. Over the course of five weeks I had the privilege of being a counselor for around 100 sweet, beautiful, and fun teenage girls ages 14-17. My campers came so eager to learn and our conversations over topics like boys, body image, heaven, sin, gossip, the Bible, and so much more, are conversations I will always remember and hold dear to my heart. While I hope my girls were able to go home feeling closer to Christ and more sure of what they believe, I know without a doubt that they were able to teach me so much more than I ever taught them.

One conversation that stands out in my mind today is one about baptism. While I personally do not believe that you HAVE to be baptized in order to get to heaven or consider yourself a Christian, I believe that baptism is an incredibly moving and symbolic way to declare to the Lord, and to the world, that you are living for Christ alone. As I've mentioned before, I'm a lover of lists. Here is a quick list of things I believe as true when it comes to baptism. 

1. You do not have to "clean yourself up" before making this public declaration of your faith. God meets you right where you are and starts the cleaning and refining for you

2. Baptism is never something to do just because you feel like it is expected of you 

3. Baptism is not your ticket to heaven, accepting Jesus into your heart and believing the Gospel as true is

4. No matter what age you are baptized at, baptism is a sweet and intimate moment between you and the Lord that he treasures

Today I had the privilege of attending the baptism of my precious camper, Claire. While Claire could have easily fallen to pressure of approval from others and been baptized when all of her friends were, she waited until she was positive that she was ready. She may see me as a teacher or mentor, but I do not think she realizes what she portrayed to me with her decision to be baptized. Claire's choice to stand in front of her church and declare her love for the Lord was such a bold move and reminds me of 1 Timothy 4:12 which says, "Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity." I so often find myself being comfortable in my faith. I go to church and sit in the same spot. I read the books of the Bible that are easy to interpret. I pray conservative prayers. One thing I have learned over the past 20 years is that the comfort zone stifles growth. With Claire's baptism in mind, I am determined to live a bold life that is pleasing to Christ and brings glory to His name. 

sweet Claire and me after her baptism

Even when the rain falls

Even when the flood starts rising

Even when the storm comes

I am washed by the water

-Needtobreathe

Birthday Wish List

*warning: painfully awkward childhood picture at end of post*

My senior year of high school I started working at J. Crew. What started out as just a holiday job turned into a passion of mine. I nerd-out when it comes to fashion, J.Crew in particular. I am in the business school at Texas A&M but my major is currently up in the air. I have contemplated majoring in supply chain management and getting a certificate in retailing. To get to the point, I love retail, I love shopping, so expect some posts about both.

My 20th birthday is just around the corner so that means it is time for my annual birthday wish list! (Mother...take note) Check it out below and scroll down for links to each time!

1. Anthropologie "Hou Hou Dinner Plate" here

2. Kendra Scott Danielle Earrings in Abalone Shell

3. J. Crew Factory Blythe Blouse in kelly green

4. OPI Nail Polish- pinkish color, greenish color, beige

5. Chi Omega Texas Shorts here

6. Handpainted Folk Owl Mug here

7. Home Sweet Home Cat Print from Etsy

8. Kate Spade Pueblo Tiles iPhone 5 case

9. Kate Spade "Eat Cake for Breakfast" mug

10. J. Crew Cece Leather Ballet Flats in turquoise

In honor of throwback Thursday, and starting a new decade here is a throwback to what was probably on my birthday wish list at age 10! 

and now for the awkward picture of me at age 10. Don't feel bad if you cringe.

Note: I am holding my pet cactus, Kylie Bobina... more on that later. Also, when I showed my mom this picture she reacted, "..what is that?!?" Ouch.

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So I Decided to Start a Blog

I know that I don't have to justify my decision to start a blog, but I figured it would be the best way to introduce myself to the blogging world. I work better using lists so here we go:

reason.one

In a little over a month I turn 20. I will feel no different on September 11th than I did on September 10th. I won't feel older. I won't feel wiser. I won't feel more mature. I won't have my life any more figured out.  I definitely won't grow any taller. I probably won't stop eating princess shaped fruit snacks. But let's face it, I haven't had too many decades go by in my life so starting a new one is a pretty big deal! 
I used to tell myself, "I can't wait until I'm married and I have kids (or just a dog) so that I have interesting stuff to blog about." That is not the mentality I should have. Why can't I find interesting stuff to blog about where I am right now, entering this new decade? This brings me to reason two.

reason.two

I'm about as "Type A" as it gets. I find joy in writing in my agenda and making to-do lists. Don't get me started on crossing things off my to-do list...I might get worked up. Although I do believe that this mentality has gotten me far in life, well maybe not in life, just in school, I realize that God does not call us to live a life where we are constantly looking towards the next big event. Every day that we wake up is a gift certainly not promised by God. Every day is another opportunity to share Christ's love to others, a task we should be joyful about. My hope is that with this blog I can reflect more on what I'm being blessed with right now in my life, not what I am anticipating in the future. 

"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." Matthew 6:33-34

reason.three

I'm the baby of the family. My sister is a 23-year-old 1st grade teacher who recently moved into her own apartment, which means when I leave again for school in a couple weeks, my parents will be first time empty-nesters! Now I know I technically still live there, it's my permanent address, but for about 8 of the 12 months of the year I will be off in College Station, leaving my parents bored and alone, wondering what to do with their life! Who are they going to take shopping? Who are they going to cook dinner for? Who is going to make them laugh? Who is going to keep them hip and cool? Who are they going to tuck in every night? Okay maybe it's been awhile since they've tucked me in, but still, this is a new stage in life for them! So this is sort of a gift for them. Phone calls between class can be pretty short and surface-level so this will be a way for them to keep up with their crazy college kid. 

Meet the Family

                 dying Easter eggs with my dad and sister       family vacation to Mexico in 2012

my mom and me in NJ last spring break on a mission trip

I hope that those reasons are good enough for me to be accepted into the world of blogging! Join me as I take on this new decade and new adventure in my life!