Stories of Grace, Love, and Kudos

SURPRISES!! and the past two months.

2010-03-25T17:39:00.007-05:00

Soooo I don't want to ruin any surprises for my bridesmaids... but I have something SOOOO STINKIN' SPECIAL to give to them at the bridal luncheon.

Hint: It was the basis of the first conversations with two of the girls in the bridal party and re-created a super strong bond between my matron of honor and me... No worries. I'm not giving God as a gift even though He was the basis of the conversations between and the majority of the bridal party and myself!! :)

THANK YOU to... well, you know who you are! You're so fantastic! Your gift will be a huge blessing to the ones receiving it!

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Other News: Wedding plans are fabulous! Only 65 more days till I get to marry my soulmate! :) Our excitement is uncontainable!! We commend my mom on the beautiful job she's done. She hasn't stopped!! I can't wait to share everything with you all after the big day!

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Also, I just realized I didn't post anything that happened in February or mostly March... so here we go:

I turned 22. The night before, my roommates, Laura Oliver and JD backed an awesome brownie cake and put 22 candles in it for me to blow out!

Then we had a SNOW day!!

[I love the picture below!]

Valentine's Day. Yep! Super romantic. We had a thai recipe complete with chicken and rice... and we ate it off of the ironing board in my room with the pretty flower lights hanging off my art shelves. :)

JD turned 25. I tried to plan a surprise party for him... but it wasn't much of a surprise because I ruined it. Oh well. It was much easier baking the cupcakes and the GIANT cupcake (I was inspired by Meredith Cook) which my roommate Jen bought for me (the pan, that is) for my birthday! I also made these Oreo truffles which were AMAZING! Everyone loved them at the party! AND it gave JD and me some time to spend together baking. :) JD had a few friends come from out of town and then I invited his closest friends from Auburn.

[We played Apples to Apples. This was JD's team below. The guy on the left was actually the that somewhat "introduced" JD and me.]

[And most of the people who came to the party. A couple had left early.]

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March has also been a pretty crazy time for us. JD was mugged but my roommates and I came to his rescue - ALL because of his wisdom in calling us before leaving his apartment. We were there within 4 minutes of the attack beginning. No worries. JD handled himself very well. No weapons that we know of, only three big guys standing outside of his apartment that just wanted some cash.

Spring Break began at the beach with JD and mom - finishing up some great wedding things - and then concluded with a trip to Huntsville to search for a home!

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And April? Well, as JD puts it, April showers bring May flowers. :) Can't wait to see all of my friends and family at the bridal showers! I know they'll be amazing!

Stay tuned!

Two Days of Abounding Blessings

2010-02-04T10:31:00.004-06:00

Yesterday I walked into reinvent, store owned by Jessica (the co-owner of Mammoth). While I was in there, my friend Alex Dykes walks up to me while I'm looking at the beautiful coasters you see below and says, "Hey, isn't your birthday Friday? I want to buy these for you as an early bday present!" I insisted no but his insistent non-agreement won. So he bought me those beautiful coasters so JD and I will have a pretty setting to put our drinks on in our new home! Oh, and the bird... well, I just thought it was so pretty! I couldn't resist not getting it for myself! Haha!

But that's not all!! Today, I had an early morning taking back lingerie to Victoria's Secret [side note: NEVER order anything from online unless you are 100% sure it will fit!! They won't take it back in stores.]. The employees were 15 minutes late opening the doors but I was so blessed waiting outside for those 15 minutes. I met a woman named Jeana [not sure of the correct spelling] while waiting and told her the story about the lingerie - how it was a Christmas present from my mom but too small. "I need all the lingerie I can have because I'm getting married in May and this is all I have so far! I really hope they'll take it back!" So then I shared with her our plans for missions and our super short story... that we're actually getting married exactly a year from our first date. [First non-date date I suppose... but still. It was May 29th all the same.] I told her how I only dated a guy for three weeks and if I didn't know he was the one, then I'd let him go and keep waiting.

She said she hopes her daughter has the same love story as I've had. Gosh, I wish that for every woman!! It's been a beautiful journey thus far and I know it's only going to get better! Anyways, the doors finally open and she lets me in line first. The lady at the counter stopped me right as I said "online" and told me she couldn't take it back. Mrs. Jeana asked if she could look at it, asked me how much it was and said, "Gosh, there's a girl at my church getting married in May. I wish I knew what size she wore. I would give this to her and buy you a whole new lingerie set!" This time my insisting won and I told her thank you but I can probably just exchange it online. Regardless, she completely blessed my morning. Who does that anymore? People with the most precious and generous hearts. That's who. I am so thankful for people like her that God smacks us into just so He has the opportunity to brighten our days through His children.

So I ask you, world of bloggers - how have you been blessed today? I'd love to hear your stories too!

Marketing Mayhem at Mammoth

2010-01-14T11:31:00.004-06:00

My internship at Mammoth officially starts tomorrow. Yesterday I went in to check things out and meet the rest of the team. Everyone was so great! They're all trying to come up with a new name for me because there are now two Whitney's and that's just not good. Since Adam(s) isn't exactly a good nickname for a girl, the team came up with either the Defender or Marketing Mayhem (Mayhem for short). Which would you vote for?

As a public relations major, I should be doing PR work but as much as the PR world is trying to fight it, PR and marketing are slowly merging into one. It's good for me because that means I get to do design work rather than just simply trying to sustain healthy relationships among all of the publics for the company. It also means I get to make cool things like this brochure like we did for my class last semester:

We were in groups of four and this is the brochure we created. I think it's pretty rad for PR majors who have very little idea of how to work with Adobe InDesign. We learned how to do some of it in class but most of it by online tutorials. It was so much fun! Oh, and Mammoth PrintShop is a company in Auburn that designs t-shirts by screen-printing. Check out their Web site here: Mammoth PrintShop

The main goal of my internship is to get more involved in the community and hopefully to gain more local clientele through the process. Most of their work is done nationwide especially along the West coast. I'll try to update you on what I do for the semester! If you need any shirts made for an event, Mammoth is fantastic so don't hesitate! I'm hoping to do something special for my bridesmaid's gifts from here... it's a secret since I know two of them read this blog.

You can now follow Mammoth on Twitter at: MammothRocks

Whit, you are so domestic...

2009-12-28T21:57:00.004-06:00

So mom and I went to get things started at Macy’s on Saturday morning. I didn’t realize how right people were about the scanning gun! I went crazy with it… especially in the Martha Stewart section. She’s not the wisest of women, or even close to being the most ethical or honest; but she is the master of design and known as the domestic goddess. I’m not really sure but over the past year, my thoughts of being a woman have changed dramatically. Before last year, I went through a two-year phase where all I wanted to do was graduate, be a businesswoman and get married around 28-years-old. I know this isn’t considered the era of “women’s rights” but let’s be honest – women are still fighting for their independence. They are fighting for equality in the workplace and in America all around. I didn’t fight for a membership in the Augusta National Golf Club nor have I stood on the streets with signs claiming my right to vote. I wasn’t exactly striving to be a domestic goddess either. Things have changed over the past year though.

When at Macy’s, I ran into one of my best friends from childhood (Emmy) and her mom. Emmy is going to be one of my bridesmaids [I mean, we made a promise when we were 6-years-old]. I showed her the pot I was getting so I could try it out and she said, “Wow, Whit! You’re so domestic!!” To be honest, I started backtracking. I tried to justify why I was getting this beautiful red pot. I felt like I lost that ambition, that independence that I had claimed during my season of singleness. What happened to me over the past year??

I am a woman. I embarked womanhood. There’s no fighting it. Not that I’ve ever wanted to, but sometimes as a woman, I feel helpless. We aren’t built to be stronger than men physically, and I kind of hated that for a while. So I tried to be stronger than men emotionally. I built a concrete wall around my heart because that’s the only way I felt I could be stronger.

During a conversation between my roommate, one of my best friends at Auburn (a girl that I always thought was more independent than me), and myself, we started talking about marriage. The best friend said, “You know, I could be a nutritionist but in reality, I just want to be a mom.” But isn't that truly how every woman feels? If we break down our walls and dig to even the deepest trenches in our soul, we will find that it is what we are molded to be. The nurturer and domestic people we are will one day break through our core. Our independence won’t necessarily be taken from us, but we will see that all we really want to be is a mother, a wife. We want to care for people, because that drive was instilled in us at birth. Some just choose to deny that.

So world of bloggers, specifically women, how do you feel about being domestic? Are you in that season of life or do you believe that being domestic is just for a housewife or stay-at-home mom? Do you feel that becoming “domestic” shears you of your independence? Or are you proud to be domestic – a strong woman who can sew, cook, clean, and still have a life outside of the walls of her home?

List to do

2009-12-28T21:52:00.003-06:00

Hello Lovely World of Bloggers!

I hope your Christmas season has been as great as my family’s! This was the last year that Chase (my bro) and I were at home with mom and dad without our significant others. Next Christmas, we will both be figuring out which family to visit at what time seeing as we will both be getting married in the year 2010. It’s been quite an exciting year for the Adams family! But it’s been a beautiful one.

JD and I only have a few more big steps to go in preparing for our wedding. My mom and my matron of honor / cousin have been such a big help! I think wedding planning has been a breeze because of them! I’d be lost without their suggestions and guidance – that’s for sure! Next thing on the list for this week: Registry, cake testing (mmm!!), and flower arrangements.

--> Tip for future brides: MACY’S has a wonderful rewards program so definitely try to get hooked up with them! We’re also registering at Bed, Bath & Beyond because we’ve heard they were extremely professional and helpful in the area of customer service for bridal registries.

During the break, I've been pretty busy learning how to cook!! The movie Julia & Julie truly inspired me! Did it inspire anyone else? Mom has taught me how to make 2 types of roast, crepes, dessert, and stuffed french toast. Dad taught me how to make cornbread! :) Cornbread and buttermilk is a special treat for us around here! With all of this cooking and preparing for what marriage will probably look like, I've been doing a lot of thinking about what it is to be "domestic". Is it a positive or negative phrase when people call you that? You'll find out my thoughts about it on the next blog! :)

video of the proverbial proposal

2009-11-29T19:12:00.001-06:00

So here's the video we've been working on!! Sorry it's taken so long! Hope you'll enjoy!

The Proverbial Proposal from Whitney Adams on Vimeo.

His Story First... :)

2009-11-17T20:38:00.002-06:00

I know. I know. It's been a few weeks since I said I would post our stories... but they took a little longer to collaborate than expected. :) I'm going to let yall see his side of the story first!

THE PROVERB-IAL PROPOSAL

HIS STORY:

August 13^th - The Start of Something Beautiful

I’ve entertained the thought of proposing to Whitney at her sorority candlelight ever since my dinner date with Mama E on August one-three (13) spent at the OG (Olive Garden). The more I thought about it, the more I liked the idea and started gaining more information from Whitney about her Zeta friends and what the candlelight ceremony is all about. She had little-to-no knowledge of how interested I was in proposing to her at a candlelight.

With each passing ceremony (there were 2 this semester prior to when I asked), she told me more and more of what she wanted hers to look like. Then one day she enlightened me of her friend Felicity in whom she would confide the secret of her special ceremony. Little did Felicity know how big of a role she would really play!

September 23^rd - The Plans are Set in Motion

Although my plans and prayers were set in motion on August 13, the situation grew in its intensity on September 23. I messaged around 25 of my closest friends via FB (Facebook) alerting them to the vision that I had of how that night would go down.

The FB message went a little something like this:

Men and Women of God...

As many of you know, God has blessed me beyond belief with an incredible Proverbs 31 woman...and it is time as Beyonce would say..."to put a ring it"

So here's whats happenin...

I plan to ask her at one of her Sorority Candlelight services (pretty big deal, if someone in the sorority gets engaged, the rest of the sorority finds out about it at this service, so if so facto, nobody will know except the pres and her friend Felicity (of whom I am in negotiations with and setting all this up, you can refer to her as the "insider" if you will))

Ideally next Wednesday, September 30th

This is what I envision...

They will all be in a big circle. They pass around this bouquet and then the girl who is engaged blows out her candle when the bouquet gets to her. When it comes time (me and Felicity are working on the timing right now and amongst other details) Felicity will signal...(They (Whit and Felicity) will be across from the door) and I walk in and she sees me coming, open door, enter circle, do the stand, stare and smile (for the pause effect of "yeah, this is about to go down" :P), then walk towards her, speech, knee (or vice versa), question....ennngaged :)

SOOO yeah I'm pretty stinkin stoked!

But I wanted to let yall know and for yall to be prayin about it. About getting everything set up with Felicity, that nobody squashes it, what I'm gonna wear, that night specifically..just yeah...a plethora of things to pray for :)

Thank you guys and I am so glad you can be a part of this time in my life! Love yall! :)

J.D. Todd
Phil 2:5
G3!

September 24^th - The Insider

The next day I messaged Felicity {AKA – the Insider}:

Hey Felicity,

This is J.D. Todd aka Whitney's boyfriend aka the hopeful husband:)

Whitney really seems to confide in you about the candlelight service and you seem to be the only one she is going to tell...

Now I don't know if this is possible but...

I was wanting to make her candlelight service special in the fact that I want to propose to her at it...

And was wondering if you could help me out with it? The way I envisioned it would be: Everyone stands in the circle, they pass around the candle, nobody blows it out, then there will be some confusion, then boom I walk through the door, grab the candle, hand it to you (you will be standing next to Whit), boom I hit the knee in front of Whitney, say my spiel, she says yes, you hand her the candle, she blows it out...and happy night :)

And oh yeah, I'm wanting to do it either next Wednesday (Sept 30th) or the next Oct 7th...Ideally, next Wed...the only reason I wouldn't is someone else got proposed to and I dont want to show them up, or make them feel any less special :p you know...

So yeah, I really hope this is feasible, and you could maybe give me some other ideas about the service that may be more impactful (not a word) or what not. But yeah, if any of this is confusing, or if it would be easier to call me and explain the sitch, please by all means :) My number is 205-499-3463 :)

Hope to hear from you soon. And hope you are having a wonderful week!

J.D. Todd
Phil 2:5
G3!

September 25^th – Receiving of the Ring

And that weekend I would receive the ring from Mama E. We arrived at the Adams’ house late Thursday night and Mama E begged Whitney to leave the room so as her and I could converse (Whitney had no clue it would be about the ring). We chatted some and she gave me the ring before we left for the week.

September 28^th – Felicity, Flowers, and Formal Wear

That Monday I met with Felicity (for the first time) to look for the candlelight bouquet and for what I was going to wear on that special night. We ordered the turquoise vest and tie for pick up on Wednesday. With our quick success, we were sure that we would find the ideal candlelight bouquet. After three shops of failure, we were bouquet-less and decided all the shops were about to close for the day. So we decided to meet the next day…

September 29^th – A Beautiful Bouquet and Final Preparations

Felicity and I met at Auburn Flowers, only to get the best service and find the most perfect bouquet :) We discussed what exactly would happen, time of arrival, my cue, other insiders, etc and parted ways until approximately 6:30 pm.

September 30^th aka Game Time

After lunch and class, I picked up my attire, went to Whit’s place, left at 3:30, showered, and wrote down exactly what I wanted to say, practiced it in front of the mirror, and prayed :) I asked one of my friends (Jeremy) to film the event. I had a camera on the inside and Jeremy would follow me in. So he did all the behind the scenes stuff :). I was told by Felicity to arrive at the sorority room at 6:00 pm. We met with Mama E and her sister Aunt Sonya and arrived at 5:50 (plenty of time). I did not know this, but it was a mandatory night for all the sisters, so yeah, close to 200 girls were in the house/room. So there we are standing and waiting for the singing (that was the cue), while dodging anybody that walked through the hallways (I didn’t want to be seen), it was quite and adventure really :) So finally the singing starts, I wait, and wait, dance a little to pass the time, and wait, heart pounding, nervous smiling, and boom, the door opens…and it was lights, camera action as I walked through the door. The room filled with gasps, omg’s, smiles, and screams as I entered the circle. We locked eyes as I crossed into the circle, keeping my eyes on the prize, I stood in the middle for my dramatic pause effect and little did I expect, she started walking my way and she met me in the middle (sweet analogies to be had with that one). We hugged – screams – parted -- more screams --hugged some more, parted, then a hush fell over the crowd, waiting as if I had something to say. It was now quiet. Nervously, yet confidently I said:

Whitney Taylor Adams

You are the Proverbs 31 woman that I have prayed for and desired

You have inspired and encouraged everyone around you, especially me

You have rocked my world and stolen my heart

I want to spend the next 50 years and the next 50 after that

Dancing, singing, cooking, traveling, laughing and loving with you

With that being said…

Whitney Taylor Adams…

Will you marry me? J

Then boom! I hit the knee and the rest is history, well not actually, we have the rest of our lives to live freely for the G-O-D. We kissed and told the story to the rest of her sorority sisters. We then texted our friends with the line “It’s official” and went to eat at Milano’s (an Italian eatery, it’s her favey). We then went to her place, took pics on her laptop to commemorate the night.

so now it's time to share the BIG NEWS!!

2009-10-02T13:32:00.003-05:00

As you could probably tell, I'm engaged now! :) And by engaged, I mean I am officially ecstatic in the fact that the most wonderful man in my life (outside of my dad) has made a commitment with me to continue the next 8 months in full-throttle preparation for sharing our lives together forever. I'm not going to lie, we have everything prepared for the wedding... our venue, DJ, photographer - we've chosen what he and his groomsmen are going to wear and my bridesmaids' attire also... oh yea, and I bought my dress last Friday. We like being untraditional and well, him proposing to me AFTER we have made most of the plans only adds to that characteristic of us both.

---> You're probably thinking - this crazy girl! But when ya know, ya know. He asked my dad about 6 weeks ago if he could marry me (my dad thinks he's awesome!) and well, we've pretty much been planning since then. Most people have 1 to 2 years to plan their weddings... but we wanted to get married in May so that we could make it to my brother's wedding in June and then leave to go overseas on missions work in July. So we had to get the ball rolling... Anyways, with knowing that he was going to propose, you would think I would be expecting it - that it wouldn't be a surprise...

So far from it. He blew me away! ...and my 200 sorority sisters that were there to be a part of the experience.

*Disclaimer: Before I begin into this beautiful fairytale-type love story, I need to explain a few parts of the process of a sorority "candlelight" before I begin the story so.... A candlelight is a special ceremony for a sister that has been engaged. Normally only the president and the girl who is engaged know about the specifics of it - who it is, when the candlelight will be held, etc. We all stand in a circle and sing a ritual song. During the song, we pass around a bouquet with a lit candle in the middle of it that the engaged girl picked out from a florist before the ceremony. The bouquet is passed around the circle 3 times. On the third time, the girl who is engaged blows out the candle and then we all gather around and listen to the story of how her new fiancee proposed.

BUT my candlelight story was quite different. I thought it would be really cool to pull in both of our stories instead of just mine. I will write mine in the next post and then he'll have a post of his own - exclusively from JD - on the next post! It'll be fun! I hope you enjoy our story and our adventures as much as we do!

this was our trip to orlando...

2009-10-01T11:08:00.004-05:00

As I said in the last post, we wanted to make sure we met each other's closest friends and family members before we completely decided - yes. this is it. So I drove down to Mobile to meet his sister and parents (who are phenomenal and I can't wait to be a part of their family), as well as his best friend Chris Colvin. For my closest friends who are reading this now - i.e. Katelyn Bridges - don't feel left out. I still consider you, Lauren Cook and Emmy as my best friends so don't be sad that none of yall got to meet him before we made this decision. haha! So then we drove from Mobile to Orlando to meet his other great friend Trey and his wife Kristen who work for Disney. We also went to my 1st cousin's, 1st cousin's (I know, confusing) house to have dinner one night. This girl - Nicole - is pretty much my soul sister. We didn't meet until this past December but were pretty much best friends instantly. :)

So we went to the Larson's home the second night we were in Orlando - and Nicole fixed us a divine, home-cooked dinner! She made red velvet chocolate cupcakes... so delicious!

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THE LARSON'S

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I think I failed to mention already that this was JD's FIRST trip to Disney World - can you believe it!? It was so magical! Plus he got a "1st Visit" pin... can it get any better?? We went to Universal Studios and rode the Tower of Terror, then Epcot (so Chris could see Canada - the place it rained for an hour and a half) and finally to the Magic Kingdom.

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TOWER OF TERROR

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EPCOT

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MAGIC KINGDOM!!

before last night...

2009-10-01T10:29:00.006-05:00

Hello beautiful world of bloggers!

I am dreadfully sorry that I haven't written in the past few months... but I kind of wanted to wait until a special event happened. As you may remember in May, I had a special cooking night with my manager Sarah in preparation for a "date night" with a special guy in my life. The guy that I called five of my closest friends after seeing him for the first time and said, "OMG. I just saw the most attractive guy I've ever seen in my life...." So I hooked him, reeled him in, and four months later, we're engaged.

---> WAIT. STOP THERE! How did this happen so quickly, you ask?

Well, we decided that if we were to date, that would be it. So we prayed intensely about it (I mean, I've been praying nine years for this man) and decided - ok, we'll meet each other's closest friends and family members and if we love them, we're definitely getting married.

---> So what's the hurry? Is it just because you're graduating in May and want to have security?

Oh, my friends... far from it! JD actually wasn't even sure if he wanted to date me in the first place. You see, he had made this commitment to God that he would go to Mobile, Ala., for the summer (2 months) to do inner-city missions work and then dedicate two years after he graduated (also in May) to missions work. He was undecided if it would be overseas or in America. ...And then he met me. :) He told me he wasn't sure if he wanted to date me because he knew he wouldn't be able to dedicate a lot of his time to me (because he would be in Mobile the entire summer), that he desired to pursue my heart with a steadfast fervency, but knew he couldn't over the summer. So we decided, ok - we'll just see how it goes over the summer, we probably won't talk every night but we'll evaluate how things are going in August and take it from there. I wrote him letters of encouragement every week and his pursuit of my heart was still relentless, even if he was in Mobile. Needless to say, he called every night, drove to our 4th of July party to meet my family (about a 10 hr drive altogether so I met him half-way), and we fell in love real quick. It was that weekend that he told me, "Whitney, I'm going overseas for two years when I graduate but I want you to be by my side and go with me." The weekend before his last week in Mobile, he drove down to St. George Island just to spend ONE day with me (also a 5 hr drive on the way there, 5 hrs back... but this one he drove solo). That was the day of our first kiss. It was beautiful and romantic. We pretty much decided that weekend, ok... we're getting married. I wouldn't rather spend the rest of my life with any other person than this man who rocked my world from the moment I saw him, to each 5-hr conversation we had in the coffee house, to every time he makes me laugh and smile - just by thinking about him. I have never had a man in my life that has pursued my heart in such a pure and fervent way. It's more than I could've asked for...

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*FOURTH OF JULY*

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COOKING TOGETHER

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HIS BEACH TRIP TO SGI

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MORE UPDATES LATER TODAY!!

final project

2009-06-22T14:31:00.005-05:00

So I took pictures for my final project Friday of my roommate/best friend's boyfriend, Paul. It's a photo essay of the process of creating a stencil... These are a few of my faves:

restricted.

2009-06-19T15:38:00.012-05:00

As I mentioned in the last blog {so sorry I haven't caught up lately}, I'm taking a photojournalism class. I was so excited about it - the challenges especially. In a five-week minimester, it's difficult to have tons of events in which you can take pictures for the expected curriculum but I think I've succeeded in that challenge. Most of the photographs were pure luck - being at the right place at the right time. I haven't felt nearly as challenged as I wanted to, which has been a massive disappointment to me. I tried to experiment with creativity and lighting for some pictures but my teacher said if I wanted a good grade for the project I shouldn't turn it in. If I could show him simple, I could give the rest of my talent to the world. As most of you know, I grew up in Georgia Bulldog country... and this class has been the one and only regret I've ever had in choosing Auburn over UGA. My teacher said he looked at UGA's curriculum and how they had the challenge of taking 35 portraits of strangers - on one roll of FILM - and if they didn't turn out, they failed. He said he would never do that to us. Oh, how I wish he had challenged us with that! I miss not having to use film. Our generation has become so digitized and immersed with using only the best technology that we forget that sometimes, the classic way of doing things is truly the most beautiful. This class, has however, instilled a passion in me which I never knew existed - the passion to reach the world through documentation. We watched a video in class today about photographers who travel overseas to capture the trenches and the depth of war. Adrenaline was rushing through my veins. I know it would be immensely dangerous but I would love nothing more than to let my photographs cry out my heart and my passions. A man on the video said, "A struggle without documentation is not a struggle." There are so many things going on right now, in America and beyond. How incredible would it be to scream out those things, those struggles, the hearts of the people which have no voice to the world through photography?

For our final project, we have to tell a story. From beginning to end. I'm actually in the midst of shooting photographs of my roommate's boyfriend making a stencil, but if I had more time, my utmost desire would be to document a day in the life of a homeless person or someone who feels as if they have no hope {and of course I would take someone with me... not go alone, mom}. Not to embarrass them or to call them out - but to show people that life is so far beyond our own selves.A photo essay that would move society to action. The title of this blog is "restricted". Sometimes I feel restricted in the sense that I can't take creative photographs in my class, but most of the time, I feel restricted in the sense that I'm not doing enough for people. I'm not reaching out to people enough. I'm not giving people who can't speak, the ability to speak through documenting their situation. If I were to do photojournalism for a living, it would look something like this...

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These were all pictures I took throughout Auburn. I LOVE the one of the kid. A few of my friends go out to the government housing every week and play with the kids down there. Jump rope, play basketball, draw with sidewalk chalk - doing anything to show these kids that they are loved. That's the only message I desire to portray.

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These are some photographs I've taken thus far for class. The first ones are of my brother, Chase, in which I used different types of lighting for: butterfly, 45 degree, and split. The two below him are complete strangers. The one with the leaf in his mouth... well, he was just excited to be getting his picture made. John Doyle, a guy I work with, is below those two.

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And these pictures were taken on my way back from home last Sunday night. One of those pure luck moments. I was 5 cars behind this accident, so by the grace of God I not only lived but I got some rockin' pics {and made friends with a couple of Georgia State Patrolmen}.

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"There are plenty of people who are miserable in their jobs, for they have not listened to God's call. And I would add there are many Christians who are not fulfilled in their spiritual lives because they have no sense of their gifts or purpose, and they just run to the mission field to save souls rather than transform lives and communities using their gifts and those people they live among. Both lead to emptiness and burnout... Often wealthy folks ask me what they can do for the Simple Way. I could ask them for a few thousand dollars, but that would be too easy for both of us. Instead, I ask them to come visit. Writing a check makes us feel good and can fool us into thinking that we have loved the poor. But seeing squat houses and tent cities and hungry children will transform our lives. Then we will be stirred to imagine the economics of rebirth and to hunger for the end of poverty."

Shane Claiborne - Irresistible Revolution

PhotoJ.

2009-06-06T15:21:00.004-05:00

This semester has been fabulous thus far. I LOVE summer classes! Short. Sweet. To the point. I'm taking a management class as well as a photojournalism class. The photoj class has been great in the way that it's forcing me to take pictures and grow as a photographer through seeing different things in different ways - capturing an exhilarating moment in one portrait. I don't feel so challenged in the fact that I'm learning layouts or photoshop but I have thoroughly enjoyed taking some pics. Most of these are flowers I think are breathtaking but I enjoy taking pictures of flowers... so sorry about that. Enjoy! Oh, and pictured below are pictures of a squirrel I saw jump out of a trashcan with this Chick-Fil-A waffle fry in its mouth. I HAD to take a picture of it! It portrays the immunity squirrels have toward human beings in Auburn. They barely flinch if you walk up to them.

makes my heart smile award!

2009-05-27T02:00:00.001-05:00

My precious mom gave me this awesome award and

I'm so excited to pass it on to the other people in the

blogging community I've fallen in love with!

Thanks so much, mom!

You truly are the greatest mom and best friend ever!

I am so thankful for you.

So here are the rules for the award:

1. The winner may put the logo on their blog (just right click on the image and copy, then paste to your blog post)

2. Put a link to the person who sent you the award

3. Nominate 10 blogs

4. Put a link to their blogs

5. Leave a message for your nominee's

Blogs that make me SMILE~

*Before I begin, my mom's blog (the one who nominated mine) is by far the one who makes me smile the most! I'm so proud of who she is and what she stands for. Her blog and artwork surpasses my imagination!

1.http://lakelaughlove.blogspot.com/ ----> Ok. So this isn't exactly an "artist," but she was my best friend in high school: Katelyn Bridges. Her blog is the way we've been able to keep up with each other recently. She's one of the funniest people I know; and therefore, never hesitates to make me smile.

2.http://abeautifulmess.typepad.com ---> Miss Elsie Flannigan: I took a class from her and fell in love with drawing and painting people... and doodling. Her entire site is packed FULL of inspiration to no end. I didn't realize how many other people loved her until I entered the yellowbarnart contest. She's a pretty popular lady! Everything about her site brings me happiness... and a smile.

3.http://www.formula2911.com/ ---> Steve Hill: He's just an awesome guy with a beautiful outlook on life. He sees God in everything... and that makes me smile.

4. http://yellowbarnart.blogspot.com/ ---> So these girls have just made my month. Even if I hadn't won the contest, I would still love their work. They make me smile because they inspire me to reach my dreams as they are reaching for theirs (to own an art supply store!).

5.http://vintageindie.typepad.com/ ---> Who doesn't smile at vintage goodness?! I also love this site because it has the "vintage wedding guide." I mean, let's be honest... all girls think about their weddings... even when they don't have a fiancee, much less a boyfriend. Because of this site, ideas about my big day are rolling in.

6.http://spark-journal.blogspot.com/ ---> This group of girls is new to me but I immediately wanted to go make a quilt... which I have no clue how to do. Thanks for making me smile about the quilts I've been dreaming of making since I looked at your blog!

7.http:/thompsonfamily.typepad.com/ ---> Danielle Thompson: Her children are precious! I love her photography - her use of colors is PHENOMENAL!

8.http://kellykilmer.blogspot.com/ ---> I love Kelly's work! I would really love to take one of her classes soon! She uses mixed media and it is beautiful work! All of her journals make me smile. I hope to have a collection of journals like that one day!

9.http://createloves.blogspot.com/ ---> Holly Neufeld: Her art is similar to Elsie's but her's makes me smile just as big. Great photography and an abundance of inspiration.

10. http://timewithtascha.blogspot.com/ ---> Tascha from Canada. This blog makes me smile because she has a skill in painting that I fear I may never achieve. As an artist, I think we can learn and add our own touch to things, but this woman has an incredible gift! I just love it. I don't know how else to explain it.

a tribute to the blogging ladies of yellowbarnart:

2009-05-26T09:11:00.001-05:00

Today I won my first blogging contest!

The beautiful ladies at Yellow Barn Art (www.yellowbarnart.blogspot.com) put it on. Because I didn't have a video that showed just how excited I was about winning this incredible package of art supplies, I decided to show you one of equal equivalence:

Little Miss Sunshine - I Won | Academy Awards | SPIKE.com

Please stop by their site and encourage them; read their story of their goals; and show them some love... even if I hadn't won this contest, they would still be super awesome in my book!

Thanks again girls!!

this is the moment that we know.

2009-05-25T19:29:00.000-05:00

My dad took my mom to the Art & Soul Conference and they brought me back this precious doll and a rockin' awesome guitar /art t-shirt. I get so many compliments when I wear it! Thanks again mom and dad!

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I saw this on a t-shirt once from www.onetruth.com. It is just that: Truth. So I added my own detail and style... used the watercolor crayons my mom gave me... and used my own font. In the little part, it says:

Our focus as a society feeds on beauty. It has become a goal & obsession. As girls, we entangle ourselves in the latest fashion & the smallest sizes. However, deep down what we really want is to be loved, to feel loved. We've bought into the lie that looking beautiful will make us happier & bring us fulfilling love but what we really need is the unconditional love of Jesus. He is the one who makes us beautiful, the One who paid the price for our beauty, and we need to see ourselves as He sees us. It's not about what we do or how we look, but who we are...

and we are His Beloved.

because you never look more beautiful than in His eyes.

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This is a close-up of the coffee warmers:

I'm thinking about setting up an account and selling them on Etsy as well.

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These are pictures from the dinner Sarah and I cooked the other night. Sorry it's not a terribly beautiful presentation but I was still excited about it anyways.

A New Transition for me this time.

2009-05-21T01:42:00.001-05:00

Today my manager /great friend, Sarah, from the coffeeshop rode with me to the grocery store. She taught me how to create a well-balanced meal with ALL fresh veggies and meat (exception occurs during the dessert portion). We made mandarin ginger breaded & baked chicken, sauteed zucchini & poblano peppers, garlic mashed potatoes, and lovely three-layered brownies separated with sweetened condensed milk and topped with fresh fanned strawberries. In order to develop a well-balanced meal, you should have a protein, a fibrous green veggie, and a carb. Desserts are a must - in order to maintain a healthy sanity.

In the midst of cooking, she told me that I had the entire summer off at the coffeeshop because I'm the only employee who doesn't live off their paychecks & of course, because we had to cut hours. She offered me some of her hours because, as I hope you can tell, I don't work at a coffeeshop to make money but rather because it's what I love to do. It looks like I won't be working there again though. She also told me that the owner has been buying supplies to change the coffeeshop into a... hot dog stand. There's nothing wrong with working at a hot dog stand... BUT I love working with coffee, not hot dogs. The hot dog stand transition is estimated to start in July so that things will be swinging by August (football season).

It's easy to be frantic about such a transition, but the Lord works in ways I could never imagine. Yesterday, it finally hit me that I have no clue what I'm going to do when I graduate - I don't even know for certain where I'd like to do my internship. Really though? What else could I do but go to the Lord? I certainly didn't want to make a decision for my life like that on my own. I spent time in prayer over it - and what does He do? He changes the place I work into a hot dog stand. I'm intensely excited about this transition and seeing what the Lord holds in the future. I will be pursuing my career options and be responsible about it, but I also know that our Savior is so faithful in opening the doors in our lives to make it happen. What an awesome adventure He's about to take me on - I'll be sharing it all with you in detail!

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Also, my roommate / one of my closest friend, Courtney, went to visit her family in Portland this past week. There was a lot involved in the flight situation on her way back to Atlanta and Birmingham... but the point of this is that the airport lost her luggage. Over $2,000 worth of her stuff - including an expensive camera her dad asked her to give to her boyfriend for him AND the first few paintings she's ever done in her life - was in that bag. We've all been praying in complete confidence that the Lord will somehow put it on our front doorsteps, so right now I'm asking that you'll join with me in this prayer. A blogspot of full-throttle prayer warriors can have a big impact. She sent in her claim today stating all of her possessions and their costs - and has been on the phone with Delta since Friday. She knows there's nothing more she can do and has fully put it in the Lord's hands. Please shout a prayer out for her today. She'd really appreciate it, for sure.

Home. FINALLY.

2009-05-19T17:31:00.000-05:00

Home was amazing! If you haven't been able to tell yet, my family is so incredibly important to me. Chase and I went to the climbing gym Thursday night - it is one of the most challenging and liberating sports in my mind. I wish so bad that I was an athlete in the sense of a tennis or soccer or basketball player but my heart is in the extreme sports - I feel so much more hardcore that way. Dad made coffee every morning for me (except for the ones I slept SUPER late into - he makes the BEST coffee; I try to make the same but he adds the touch of love *aww*) and brought home awesome movies. Sadly, I fell asleep during two of the three of them (sometimes I think I have a sleeping disorder). I stayed awake during Taken... it kind of creeped me out but it was a very intricate and well-made movie. Honestly, I loved it. Mom and I also hosted a bridal shower for my cousin, Lauren Larson, who is getting marred in mid June. Pictures from that later!

I spent the majority of the time home crafting with mom. This was my main project: coffee sleeves. We decided to call them "Whitney's Coffee Warmers" but the name is subject to change. I'm going to start selling them at the coffeeshop I work in but will be extending to the rest of Auburn / possibly the internet if they start selling well!

I made these things for my mom - for Mother's Day:

1. Drew dandelions on a vintage gardening book.

2. Painted a picture.

Finally, this is the rest of the Transition series I made for my roommates / "bff" Brandy. It was so special to give to them before everyone leaves.

Update Numero Dos

2009-05-13T07:52:00.000-05:00

Good morning my lovely friends of the blogging world!

It's a beautiful, yet muggy and cloudy day on the plains of Alabama this morning. I'm currently working, or rather just waiting for customers to serve super early in the morning. The city is dead in between the Spring and Summer semesters - which I suppose is expected. However, this gave me the perfect opportunity to write this blog - the one I have been highly and intensely anticipating on sharing with you.

There have been some very *magical* moments this semester for me. Although I couldn't completely capture or ever partially convey just how incredible these moments were for me, I at least attempted to do so. Here we go:

I went to see one my top three favorite bands in concert: Copeland. As soon as I went, I found that it actually got moved down a little to top five while an opening band took its spot. Brooke Waggoner, Paper Route and Providence opened for Copeland - Paper Route quickly moved up to my top 3 favorite. They just put out a new record. Check it out. This is a compilation of small videos I created from the concert. It's almost like you're there.

copeland concert from Whitney Adams on Vimeo.

Most importantly, my awesome brother proposed to his... suspense is killing you, huh? So here's the video of that:

For Real, For the Bro from Whitney Adams on Vimeo.

More to come soon!

Update Numero Uno

2009-05-11T00:38:00.000-05:00

First of all - a VERY Happy Mother's Day to each and every single woman that has lived their lives as a wholehearted servant dedicated to their children. I am so thankful for my mom and everything that she means to me. I could never ask for a more beautiful woman to follow in the footsteps of one day. Sure, we've had our ups and downs and bickerings here and there - but she is, by far, the closest and dearest best friend I have in my life. To be even a morsel like her as a mother will speak words to my children AND my husband - and they will be deeply blessed. I wasn't able to spend this day in honor of her WITH her because of work / the distance barrier, but I took off work this upcoming Wednesday through Sunday so I can spend it with her (and the rest of my family, of course) and play with all of the new things we've learned in the world of art! I will put up pictures of our Mother's Day celebration in a few days. I can't wait!

In the meantime, I must deeply apologize for neglecting my blogsite this semester. It's been pretty rough with classes and, well, life, so thanks for your patience. With that being said, I am so thankful for this semester - even though it entailed the most intense growth period I've ever encountered in my life. Some of you are thinking... "Right, 21 years... you've got A LOT more to grow and encounter." This, my friends, is so true. And as tough as it's been on my heart and even mental state, it's been sooo good. The Lord has been faithful in refining me and showing me His truth. Therefore, this has turned out to be the most beautiful season of my life. My roommate, Hannah, encouraged me to read 1 Peter because she saw my heart in it as she read it. In chapter 5, verse 11, Peter says, "And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To Him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen." Please don't jump to assumptions that my sufferings entailed that of physical suffering or ridicule or loss of someone that I hold dear - rather, it was suffering from a mental state, a disease - the disease of doubt and of heartache. That - that - is a disease I would never wish upon anyone. The Lord is still in the process of healing it - but as Peter said, He has been and will continue to be faithful in restoring, confirming, strengthening and establishing me. What a beautiful promise! Through this restoration, He has brought people into my life that have been deeply encouraging - people that I have no clue how I've even lived without until this point - people who I joke around about, but truly believe that they are my soul mates - not the "man-husband-like" soul mates, but the soul mates who know your heart just by looking at your face and know to sit and listen rather than try to solve the problems. For each of you, I am eternally grateful for the confidante and safe place you have been for me.

Now that the semester is over, I need to share with you my "adventures" since final exams. I wish I could say I travelled to great lands and stood under the most extravagant waterfalls, in awe of the One who created them. Rather, I've travelled into the depths of my imagination - which is always pretty adventurous - and delved into the interior of the right-side of my brain. First, I finished the book "Noah's Ark" by Judy Baer. Know, that if you start to get into the Chick Lit genre, you will most likely be criticized because it's a romance novel. Sure, there is a handsome hunk involved that sweeps the girl off her feet - but normally, the girl is too busy with her focus on the Savior that she barely even realizes the guy's around. If you're into the sappy retreats from reality, here's a little teaser from the end of the book - but I won't give away any names.... "I don't know how God manages these things but He knew _____ and I needed to be together and He let nothing stand in the way. It took a while, of course, and it wasn't without trauma, but the results are definitely worth the wait." I'm not much for receiving Truth from fictional books, but I sincerely believe that statement. If God intends for it to happen, He'll make it happen - there will be tough times, refining times, but when it's in His plans, it will happen. There are the cheesy statements too. The statements that classify it as those "that will probably never happen, and if it did... well, I might think the guy was joking" statements: "Norah, if I'm going to be set adrift at sea on an ark, there's no one I'd rather travel with than you." Regardless, it's an incredible book and I had a pretty difficult time putting it down - but then again, I go weak for books like this.

I decided to do a small series of paintings called "transition" because there are so many people in my life going through... well, transitions. Some are taking it well, and others are having a terribly tough time with it. College draws in way too many opportunities for people to journey in and out of your life and I'm sad to say that there are a few special people that are - or will be - doing that within the next few months. Some are moving to near cities like Birmingham or Atlanta... and then others will be moving to the other side of the world - Hong Kong. To each of you - I will miss you terribly. I cherish you but am so proud of the steps you are pursuing in your lives. May the transitions in your life bring you joy and an abundant life in our Savior.

And finally... these are a few sketches from my sketchbook I've been working on. Nothing too big - just a few starting steps and inspiration for the future pieces I'll actually have time to work on this summer!! Yay!

And he touched my mouth and said: "Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for." Isaiah 6:7

2009-03-29T11:42:00.000-05:00

Today, Jesus set me free skepticism, from doubt, and from a shaken faith. And for that, I am thankful. Fortunately, we see His salvation among people often because He is a living God… He sets us free from sin, from the chains that weigh us down so heavily from a life of grace and redemption. I have been waiting for this day for months. A day that He would break me, that I would shed tears over how abounding in grace He is and how much He has entangled me in that same grace. The day that I would come to the end of myself, my logic, and soar freely in the faith He has showered on me. He has brought me out of my Egypt and I can shout, “His love endures forever” without holding back. I know the full truth of that. I always hoped that this freedom would be between just God and me – not at a church, not because of what a friend said… but just words spoken directly from God to my soul. Well, it did happen at my church today, and I find goodness in that. As much as I let pride control my life, it was obviously in God’s plan to shatter my heart today… at church… because He does use that vessel, that catalyst, to speak to us. It was also a way of, once again, breaking down my pride. Pastor Chris Hodges reminded us that God doesn’t want us to feel condemned; He desires for us to be free in His love and find satisfaction in that. Romans 8:1-2 says, “Therefore, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit set me free from the law of sin and death.” Our Redeemer doesn’t want us to be burdened by the yoke of any type of slavery, and mine was skepticism. It was at that moment, God brought me out of the wilderness, the dry land and set me free. I have been praying this chapter over my life, waiting on Him to refine me and to bring me back into a life of purpose and pursuit:

The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad;
the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus;
it shall blossom abundantly and rejoice with joy and singing.
The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it,
the majesty of Carmel and Sharon.
They shall see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God.

Strengthen the weak hands,
and make firm the feeble knees.
Say to those who have an anxious heart,
“Be strong; fear not!
Behold, your God
will come with vengeance,
with the recompense of God.
He will come and save you.”

Then the eyes of the blond shall be opened,
and the ears of the deaf unstopped;
then shall the lame man leap like a deer:
and the tongue of the mute sing for joy.
For waters break forth in the wilderness;
and streams in the desert;
the burning sand shall become a pool,
and the thirsty ground springs of water,
in the haunt of jackals, where they lie down,
the grass shall become reeds and rushes.

And a highway shall be there
and it shall be called the Way of Holiness;
the unclean shall not pass over it.
It shall belong to those who walk on the way;
even if they are fools, they shall not go astray.
No lion shall be there,
not shall any ravenous beast come up on it;
they shall not be found there,
but the redeemed shall walk there.
And the ransomed of the Lord shall return
and come to Zion with singing;
everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;
they shall obtain gladness and joy,
and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Isaiah 35

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On another note, my sorority had our formal Friday night and I wanted to share some pictures with you. My date was awesome and we completely danced the night away. I was really nervous about taking him, because we realized after I asked him that we had A LOT of differing views in the perspectives of politics, humor, religion, and alcohol. We were able to look beyond that and managed to have an awesome time regardless. It was really cool to take him because he hadn't been to any type of formal occasion since his Junior Prom (6 years). I think it meant a lot to him to have the chance to go. He was so excited about wearing a tuxedo and all. Although the night was great, we got back onto the bus and I was quickly reminded how thankful was that I took a guy that respected me as a woman and knew his alcoholic limits. I was deeply disappointed in the girls' dates because of their crude language and how wasted they were. It took everything in me to not turn around and tell the girl behind me how sorry I felt for her because of the way her date was talking to her. I would have if I didn't think he would punch me in the face... he's one of "those" guys it seemed.

She Speaks 2009 Conference

2009-03-24T11:58:00.000-05:00

One of my incredible friends from home, Mr. Randy, wrote me an e-mail the other day reminding me a very important truth that I prayed every morning in high school. I’m not sure when I stopped praying it every morning, but I hate that I have. My prayer was, “God, don’t let me miss it. I’m not sure what ‘it’ is for the day, but don’t let me miss it.” Maybe that’s why I have been missing it over the past few months. Or maybe I’ve been getting it all along. I don’t feel like I’ve been out of His will through my confusion and frustration; in fact, I believe with all of my heart that I have been in the center of His heart. “He rescued me because He delighted in me.” I know He will rescue me from this frustration and He will give me the strength to overcome it. I believe He will give me answers to my bewilderment because as mysterious as our Savior is, He is also a God of clarity.

When I was 12-years-old, I knew God was calling me to be involved in some type of ministry. Yes, I thought He called me to serve as Panhellenic President too, but I know without a doubt that He called me to serve through ministry. If He didn’t, He wouldn’t have given me to opportunity to serve His kingdom through other positions in Panhellenic where I could freely claim His name and share His salvation weekly for two years. He has called me to ministry. A few weeks ago, I wrote on my shower tiles, “God, don’t let me miss it.” Now, every morning, I cry that out to the Lord.

My mom sent me an e-mail about 4 days ago about the Proverbs 31 Conference (Speaking, Writing and Leadership Conference). I can’t miss it. My heart is burdened for the young girls of this world to speak to them. Coming to college, I’ve seen hearts shattered; college women crying on the ground in the middle of the streets coming out from a bar; and women who just don’t know or understand the eternal Truth the Lord holds. It’s not “too late” for them, but I feel like it’s important to reach these girls at a younger age. Middle School. Because of the burden the Lord has laid so heavily on my heart for the purity of these women, I feel it’s best to start at that young of an age. They need to see that “blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God (Matthew 5:8),” and I feel like God is constantly building me and refining me so that I can spread this Truth among them at conferences and even maybe through writing. I can’t miss the Proverbs 31 Conference. I know it will be a continuance of my Savior refining my heart and instilling these burdens in me even more heavily.

I woke up this morning to a text from a man that I admire more than he will ever know because of his strength and satisfaction in the Lord. It said: “In his heart, a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps. Live in light of that Truth, Whit. I know it’s hard to see but He really is leading you.” Barrett Grant has been a huge encouragement to me in every aspect of my life and has challenged me on end without even realizing he has. The Conference is one of the steps to the course I hope to follow throughout my life. God’s desire for me is to spread His Truth among the nations. His nation for me is the heart and purity of young ladies and I’m excited to be following in this small step to the course He has already set out for me.

I know I don’t deserve this scholarship for the Conference, because I deserve nothing. However, I know that I am worthy of it, because the Lord has made me worthy of deserving it – which is a fact that will forever baffle me. It would mean the world to me if I could receive this scholarship. My incredible parents have offered to pay for me to go, but it would be a huge blessing for my family and me if I received the opportunity to attend this conference with little fees. If you feel as though someone needs or deserves it more, please give it to them. This is it. I can't miss it. God won’t let me miss it. If I don’t receive the scholarship, I know He will provide the money elsewhere. Thank you, still, for the opportunity. I know I will be younger than most of the women there, but I am ecstatic to gain wisdom and hear Truth from you all. I can’t wait!

*If you are interested in the Conference and would like to get more information, go to http://www.lysaterkeurst.blogspot.com/ or http://www.shespeaksconference.com. You can find out how to apply for the scholarship of Lysa TerKeurst's blog. Hope to see you there!

I'm painting my fingernails pink and cleaning out my closet. It's time for a fresh beginning to a hopeful end.

2009-03-22T23:44:00.001-05:00

Can I just acknowledge for a second how incredibly beautiful everything is? The weather has been PERFECT. The dogwood trees are in bloom and I just back from the most beautiful island on the east coast.

So I do what everyone does when Spring rolls around. Clean. Soak up the sun. And paint my fingernails a pretty pink. As for me, I also set goals on how to finish out the semester strong. I decided not to do any vigorous work over Spring Break and instead read my favorite Chick Lit novels (Judy Baer was my main gal) and type up a few notes from a class. Now I'm off to a fresh start and I'm ready for whatever comes my way. I think. I realize a lot of my previous posts have been pretty intense, so I wanted this one to be light-hearted and filled with where my heart and thoughts are currently.

As you know, I turned 21 years old in February and I've been overly flustered. So these are my new goals, desires, and determinations. I will find myself. One of my favorite songs right now is "The Day I Lost My Voice (The Suitcase Song)" by Copeland. The lyrics shoot arrows at my heart with impeccable aim:

What could be an anchor here, with a storm on the rise,
When you never meant to see so clear, when smoke gets in your eyes
And the men in the moon never makes his replies understood

I've got my life in a suitcase and ready to run run run away
I got no time cause I'm always trying to run run run away
Cause everyday when it feels like it's only a game I've got my life in a suitcase, a suitcase, a suitcase

For a moment I was one man and the world made sense
For a moment in this storm made of consequence

I've been so busy trying to run and get away from this life that has the potential of being so abundant and fruitful yet instead, I've been lost in the chaos of it. Once again, I've been searching for Truth and things have been foggy to me. I've allowed frustration and bitterness to decay my heart. I pack the small things I have assurance about into a small suitcase and run with that alone. I'm done with that though. I will find myself again. I will find Truth and I will seek Him out. In Him, I will find myself.

These are all excerpts from my journal. This one is my favorite. I all-out doodled. It was so releasing. I like to think of the left part of "reality" (empty and pretty boring sometimes) and the right part of "my world". Nobody understands it, and honestly I don't either. It's not supposed to make sense. If someone took an X-ray of my brain's thoughts... this would be what it looks like. Some might think of it as cluttered and random, but I see it as hopeful, cute, filled with memories, and still a section that is incomplete (or rather in process...). Reality is amazing but a lot of times, my imagination far outweighs my reality.

Music is a part of me. If there were three things that were the core of my soul, they would be God, music and water. I am constantly immersed in all three and would be lost without each. Some random facts about me are that I am an Aquarius and my name means "white island" as well as "clear water". So I've taken it upon myself to live out the meaning and origin of my name. Though I don't believe in horoscopes and such, I do believe I have a connection with water. Just as my Savior and my music does, water showers peace over me. Just being around it, looking at the reflection of the trees or the stars on the still glass or salty swells, brings me serenity. I guess that's why I always sing when I'm near it or skiing on top of it... and I would sing to my "long lost sisters", or mermaids, in my younger years.

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Ok... so this is new. I'm not sure when, but I started really getting into superheroes. Not reading comic books necessarily, but rather creating them in my mind. These are just two that I drew out without even thinking about what their powers would be or anything like that. I just thought it would be a fun series to begin. I'm thinking of starting a painting series from it. I know. It's super Elementary, but I think it's kind of exciting and silly. That's who I am.

Tour of Collections

2009-03-15T22:11:00.000-05:00

Tour of Collections

My beautiful mom started a tour of collections on her blog. Awesome, huh? She was so kind to send me pictures from home that she took of the many collections I have in my room (in Georgia).

Don't be fooled. I didn't do this impeccable decorating in my room. My mom did it when I left for college. I found this rockin' clock at Target and she was creative enough to put it between my brown transferware collection. It looks timeless-eclectic.

A few years ago I started collecting bottles. I worked at a different coffee shop than I work at currently and I told my boss that I collected old bottles, so he gave me a box full of old ones he had in his attic. The blue ones are my favorite!

This is a collection of little trinkets I've accumulated over the years. A mini-Heinz ketchup from Eatonton, Georgia, that I took from the Country Club my good friend, Matt Rogers, and I ate at. The bowling shoe is from a night out with the Debutantes of Monroe my Senior year of high school... one of the girls accidentally walked out of the bowling alley with her shoes on and didn't realize it until we got 20 minutes outside of Athens... so we just kept the pair. By we, I mean I kept one and another girl kept the other. The matches are from my Junior Prom that I attended with Matt as well. We went to a lovely restaurant in Atlanta with a small group of close friends. There are many other trinkets but I can't exactly remember where all of them derived from.
This collection holds many of my Willow Tree angels, but not all of them! These angels are extremely special to me because I've received them as gifts from so many people who have had a significant and noteworthy influence on my life. As you can tell, I collect many pictures and pictures frames as well. My mom made the one of Kevin and me, the frame is so cool! The rest are of high school friends and cheerleading years.
This is the end of my collection tour... finishing off with my newest collection set. Johnson Brothers Historic-America Brown Transferware. My mom collects beautiful dishware and I would love nothing more than to continue to follow in her footsteps in this collection tradition. Between collecting unique and stunning dishware, as well as antiques, my home should include the same shabby-classic-southern, but sooo comfortable, home as my mom has created for our family.

Finding contentment in singleness: big hearts are for breaking.

2009-02-25T00:08:00.000-06:00

I love “love”. I love loving people. I love seeing people in love. Love makes me happy… to the point that I crave it. I crave relationships. I crave love. Now, psychiatrists would say, “Oh, you must have had absent parents so you try to fill that craving for love from guys.” This, my friends, is a HUGE misinterpretation. My parents – my family – have always been there for me and loved me with every morsel of their soul. You see, I’m just a romantic. It’s as simple as that. And that’s OK. It’s actually caused a lot of heartache, but it’s still OK. There’s never really been a season in my life where I’ve been content with being single… until now.

I have spent my life pouring my talents, gifts and heart into guys who are quick to receive them but fail in returning any of their hearts or talents back into me. This probably sounds tremendously selfish, but it’s not. In relationships, when I break up with a guy, it’s because I feel like he has stopped caring. That’s been the only reason for any of my break-ups. I have painted so many pictures for male friends (also known to me as ‘prospects’). I’ve made them cards. I’ve done sketches of things that I know are special to them. I've made endless mixed CD's for them. Honestly, I feel like that’s all been wasted time and heart. Maybe they treasure the things I’ve made for them – but how silly is it of me to have already given away so much of myself to guys who won’t be the man that I spend the rest of my life with? I hadn’t even made my best girl friends paintings until I had found that I was completely content in this season of singleness.

By the way, this is the painting I did for Laura – it’s lyrics from a Jack’s Mannequin song, American Love. We went to the concert together and honestly, I think that was one of the highlights of our awesome friendship. I remember her yelling these lyrics at the top of her lungs… because our hearts are big. And they’ve been broken. And that’s OK. Obviously, a guy won’t ever be able to heal that brokenness, only the Savior can… but at the same time, I know we will meet men who won’t break them in a way past boyfriends have.

Please know that I have no desire to get married anytime soon. I'm not in any rush. Just to clear the water on that one if you were getting a different impression. In fact, I’ve decided to soak and revel in my time of singleness. Learn from it and write about it. There are days when it’s incredibly rough – like when you hear about so many people around you getting married and engaged… all at one time. Oh, and springtime – totally my season for love. But then I realize how much time I have to enjoy complete independence. Granted, I will still consider myself to be strong and independent when I get married. I think that’s one characteristic that my husband will find attractive about me – that I love him and need him but won’t be completely and utterly dependent upon him, that I can still be my own person. I mean, I hope he’ll find it attractive, because that’s how I’m going to be. But I will also be madly in love with him, and that will be all he needs to know. Through a new goal of creating things only for my girl friends, family and maybe customers soon, I will truly be saving my best for my husband. How cool is that? As content as I am, the wait is getting tougher, just because I have so much love to pour into him. There are so many things I want to share with him… but I will spend this time progressing in my talents and making him things during the wait. Plus, this will be my time to grow by myself before we can grow together. He’s the only one who will truly receive all of me – not just physically, but with everything – and that’s awesome.

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And I wanted to end the post on this. Because my great-grandmother (yes, I am fortunate enough to still have all of my grandparents alive, as well as a great-grandparent... and she's actually a great-great-grandmother) is the coolest. She fell the other day and broke her leg, but no worries. She's still awesome. She loves getting cards so this one will be on its way in a day or so. I love her.

A story about a girl whose faith has been shaken...

2009-02-23T18:39:00.000-06:00

“God is relentless in His pursuit of you.”

If you haven’t been able to tell from my posts, I’ve been in a massive funk over the past few months and I feel like it’s time to tell you why. Maybe it will help someone else who’s dealing with the same issues or maybe it will stick with someone in the case of future need. Most of all, I just want to share with you what’s going on so you can see the coolness of God.

In November, I ran for the position of Panhellenic President (president over all of the sororities). It wasn’t something I necessarily wanted to do, but it was a place I felt strongly called to. God and me have a pretty tight bond, I think. I could normally tell when He was speaking to me or speaking through me – and I felt like more than ever, He had called me to serving there. For five months, my compassion towards sorority girls grew uncontrollably. I wanted to pour love into them constantly, shower them with the same grace God has showered on me. That was my sole purpose for running. Well, the results were the closest it’s been in years and I lost. For about two months after elections, everything was great. I trusted the Lord and told Him that His desire was for me to pour compassion and love on the girls but I had missed the whole point – I didn’t need a title to accomplish that. So I turned to my sorority and have been developing stronger relationships with the girls in that community instead… this is the first time since I joined that I haven’t held a position, yet I’ve gotten to know the girls on a more intense level than ever.

The root of the problem was not that I didn’t get the position, rather I questioned if I truly heard from God. Was He telling me to run or was it my own selfish desires to run for such a prominent position and I was mistaking that for His voice? I try to tell people that and they don’t get it. There were so many times that I wanted to back out. I didn’t want the responsibility; I didn’t feel I was capable. Then I felt like God was saying, “Hey, it’s cool, Whit. I’m right here. Just go for it. You have my strength.” Once again, was I still mistaking my conscience for His voice? So I began questioning prayer. Not God’s existence or sovereignty, but prayer and receiving God’s words – not Word, but words. So I challenged Him. Dumb, I know. Honestly though, I think it’s OK to challenge God. Even when nobody else gets it, He gets it. (Which this was another confusing thing for me. How can God relate to us not understanding things when He knows all? He’s never had the problem of not understanding. I still haven’t figured that out – but I’m OK with that now.) I told God that I didn’t want answers from scripture or from other people – but from His voice, and His voice alone. Even though I offered that challenge to Him, I still ran to others for answers. All I got was, “Well, just know He loves you and you are His child,” or “It was your pride,” or “Just give it time, it will all work itself out.” Those are all great answers but that had nothing to do with my question. Was it my conscience speaking or was it God? Up until a couple of days ago, nobody truly understood the issue until Chris Lock, Laura and I were talking at Cambridge.

Chris is filled with wisdom: With trying to get answers, all you’re trying to do is satisfy that need for relationship. Until you’re fine with not having the answers, God won’t typically give you the responsibility of having them. Without answers, you have no choice but to trust.

When I asked Him if he thought it was my conscience or God, he said, “Well, there have been plenty of times where I thought I heard from God and I was completely off. And that’s OK. I have scars from my face because I have fallen so much but you just gotta keep going and keep loving.” So I think that’s my answer. Maybe it was pride… but maybe it was that I thought I heard from God… and either it wasn’t Him at all… or maybe it was Him but I had mistaken the idea for running as President for just pouring love out on the women of Greek Life.

You know, I never thought I would be the one whose faith was shaken by such a small issue. I hate that. At the same time though, it’s been awesome. I’ve learned so much about myself along the ride and I’ve learned that it’s OK when we get it wrong… as long as we keep moving forward and love people unconditionally along the way. Regardless, I don’t need answers anymore. “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7).” I always thought I understood this verse until Chris talked it out with me. I’ve never had that peace because I’ve always wanted to understand. So for those of you that have been worried about me, just know that it’s OK. I’m just in the process of learning to not understand and how to be OK with that.

PS: Another thing I’m learning is that when I read the Bible, I really have to stop thinking about where we get it wrong as Christians and how denominations have destroyed the original message. Instead, I’m learning to read it… just as God wrote it to me. It’s a lot more powerful that way and I’ve been able to stop judging this “religion” so harshly and look at it as Christ would want me to – between Him and me.

I'm a terrible blogger...

2009-02-21T23:13:00.000-06:00

Hi Everyone!

I'm sorry I'm such a terrible blogger and can't seem to write more often! School has been keeping me incredibly busy but I've definitely had some fun too!! Last weekend, Chris Freeze came to Auburn. It's been 4 years since the last time we've physically seen each other. We met at a journalism convention in South Carolina and have kept in touch ever since... through phone and video chat. He lives in Myrtle Beach and just decided to come down Valentine's Day weekend! Luckily, I had a Crush Party social the night he came into town so it was a pleasure having him as my date. It made me so happy - he wore the matching felt heart pin I made him! When I say he wore it, I mean he wore it with pride. He then wore it on Valentine's Day and made sure to take it home with him back to SC. Of course, Laura came too!!

I'm not sure if you can tell from the pictures, but Chris absolutely spoiled me the entire weekend. It's weird, you know - to experience how a guy should treat you and know that it's right. We joked around and said he was my boyfriend for 3 days. He even bought me a birthday present but left it at home (I can't help but believe him)... so he insisted on buying me this rockin' awesome umbrella I saw at Target. I fell in love with it. I went to buy it but he wouldn't let me.

so we took pictures in the Winn-Dixie parking lot with the clear umbrella and our fantastic sunglasses.... at night. :)

These are a few snapshots from our photo booth session.

One of the best parts? He serenaded me practically all weekend! He's a great guitarist! He even took me to the guitar shop to get mine repaired, cleaned up, and got new guitar strings. Elixirs. He learned a couple of my favorite songs that I sing and we jammed together for a while. Unfortunately, I was sick; therefore the voice was struggling. We still had fun.

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So my friend, Kevin, who I call "Texas" to everyone but him sent me a pair of Vans... It's kind of been a 2-year process so I was pumped when he sent them!! The deal was if he finally got me the Vans, then I would paint him a picture... This was it. It was pretty big. Also expensive to ship - but I think it was worth it. It portrays one of his favorite songs - Deathbed by Relient K - which is a story of redemption. I put a picture of Texas on there ... I'm not sure if he's down with that, but I thought it was cool. Currently, it's hanging in his apartment I think.

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This is one of my great friends/co-workers, John. He's awesome. We took these pictures one night when business was slow so I thought I'd share them with you. He's such a model.

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Finally, this is Laura and me. She's the coolest. Her and Courtney are my two closest friends in Auburn and I don't know how I would make it without them. When I was going through my rough time, Laura called me and took me to go get my nails done (it's great being a girl) - and she made me a "Whitney's Be OK cd." She's so cool and I'm so thankful for her.

It was my 21st. I was the only sober one. I remember every second of it - and for that, I am thankful.

2009-02-08T15:00:00.000-06:00

Hi friends!

On February 5, I celebrated 21 years of an abundant and blessed life. This was the most special birthday I have ever had. I woke up to a morning of blueberry cheesecake muffins {made by Courtney (I always make muffins for the both of us in the mornings so this was a special treat for me)} as well as tons of yellow notecards saying what I mean to her. “Creative, saved, loved, righteous, genuine, refined, HIS, abounding in grace….” She also bought me more muffin mix for the future muffin mornings we will have together.

Hannah, another roommate, gave me a gift card to Hobby Lobby for $25 and a cute hat in the afternoon. I was surprised by a phone call from my friend Riley who took me out for lunch and greeted me with this birthday gift...

Yep, my first beer. I looked at him and said, "Riley, you know I don't drink!" He just laughed and said, "Well, I know but at least you can legally have it in your hands." Since I had class right after lunch, I was forced to carry it around in my purse (fortunately I carry a large purse so I could hide it) through 2 classes. I have no clue what to do with it now.

After my class was let out at 5, Courtney and Laura picked me up and took me to my favorite place... Olive Garden. I love pasta. It's unhealthy how much I love pasta, actually. They made a poster that had my closest friends on it write the things that make me special to them, had a balloon floating from the table and then came the gifts. Laura gave me an AWESOME yellow, vintage wallet and Keri Anne gave me another cute hat! Dinner was filled with nonstop laughter and incredible food (and dessert).

Courtney, Laura and I went to Party City after that to get my accessories for my "night out". A pink boa and feathered tiara. I realized how much I still love to dress up... something that still lingers from childhood and I love it.

So my friends from Cambridge Coffee and I all went to a new dance club in Auburn called PULSE. It was sooo cool. The floor lit up with different colors and there was a disco ball. I had the time of my life. I was the one of three people not drinking and I was still the first one on the dance floor. We danced the night away - 4 hours straight to be exact. It was my 21st birthday. I was the only truly sober one. I remember every moment, and for that I am thankful. Not too many people can brag about that.

It didn't stop there though. The night ended but over the weekend, I went home and the birthday just kept getting better. There was a delicious caramel cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory waiting on the kitchen table. Mom cooked a new spicy mac & cheese recipe and they all gave me my gifts. Chase gave me an awesome Dr. Seuss card, some delicious tea from Teavana and an iTunes gift card (dad gave me one in the mail so I'll be taken care of for a few weeks music wise)! Mom gave me never-ending art supplies!! I can't wait to start working with them. We didn’t get to spend much time crafting this week, but it’s time for her treatment so I’m excited about when we’ll have the chance to soon enough!

One of the most special gifts though was from my dad... “A Journal of Butterfly Kisses” The first half of the book is filled with reflections and encouragement from my dad and the second half is left for me to fill up about him. I started crying when I was reading it. I am so thankful for such amazing parents… especially a dad who had tea parties with me, videotaped my magic shows, and still takes me on daddy-daughter dates. I couldn’t stop writing last night when I was filling in my part about him. One of my favorite parts was, “The color that best describes your personality is the hot pink of a sunrise and the deep blue of a clear sky because you are both vibrant and calm at the same time. You have a quiet truth about you.” He’s so poetic! To have my dad say that about me lets me know that I am still on the right path to becoming the woman I strive to become. There are so many parts of the book I would love to share with everyone, but I guess it’s a daddy-daughter thing. Most would never understand just how special our times together are. The page I started crying was, “One thing I hope you will always remember me for is ‘loving you’.” As long as I live, I will never forget that. My dad is my superhero and will forever be.

2009-01-18T18:31:00.000-06:00

These are some journal entries I've been playing with. Sometimes I go days without writing/drawing. Other times I can just play all day in it sporadically and do about 6 entries. No limitations.

This is one of mine and Chase's favorite songs. Whenever we would drive long distances this past summer, we'd always crank it up and sing it in the car. It's a little hardcore but it has beautiful lyrics. Our favorite part is the "ooooooh oooh oh - can't find any way out." We harmonize. Or attempt to at least. My favorite part is "I wish I could live where the sea meets the land. The ocean and I would be the best of friends." It just fits me.

I did this one a couple of months ago. I can't explain to you what happened behind it but I can just say from experience:

(1) Those whom you care about the most are the ones who know how to cut the deepest.

(2) Pain can bring out the best art in people. Though there was a lot of pain within this page, it's one of my favorite drawings. It truly came from the soul.

If you've been keeping up with the blog, you've read enough to know that I've had a few pretty rough months behind me - emotionally, spiritually and mentally. I just go to the point where I decided that I wouldn't let it get any worse. Compared to the rest of the world's problems, I have an extraordinary life - and I realize that. Without that comparison, I've been blessed and realize that I still have an extraordinary life. However, life is really tough to push through when you're dealing with doubt and broken relationships. They weigh you down like icy 10 ton blocks just hanging out on your shoulders. You get to a point where you think, "Wow. It can only go up from here." Obviously, I didn't scan in the rest of the pages because it talks about everything that only my mom and best friends know... but things are getting better. I just know it. I'm finding myself and realizing my passions. I'm finding my strength in Him. Even when I have the world pushing me to doubt and no understanding. I'm being forced to push the world away and seek faith in Him and in Him alone. It's a beautiful thing in the end, but in the midst of it - it stinks.

My notes (revised / I didn't doodle during church - no worries) of an incredible message from church (at auburn) in December.

I tried sushi with the guy who is teaching me how to play the guitar. Mmmm!

So this one is pretty lame and shallow which is why I saved it for last. Don't judge me. :o) Sometimes, you need to write down the things that happen throughout the day that make you feel good about yourself. Or even the things that hurts you. Whatever it is, let it out on the blank pages.

So this is the New Year... and I don't feel any different.

2009-01-16T23:22:00.000-06:00

Wise words from Death Cab for Cutie (a favorite band of mine). Happy New Year to all of my wonderful readers! Sorry I haven't written sooner! I'm back at school, all settled in - making coffee, taking extremely interesting classes, and even treading water during the intense game of water polo. That's right. I'm taking a water aerobics class this semester and we play either sharks and minnows or water polo on Fridays. Mondays and Wednesdays are extremely exhausting in the class though... it's not ALL fun and games. The main thing is - it is now the year 2009. The year that I didn't even write a resolution for myself, but rather a couple of lifelong goals:

1. Live healthier. (Stop eating pasta every single day. I got a gym membership and I swim every other day in class too. Swimming has become a great challenge for me. I want to be faster and more skilled.)

2. Find understanding. (This past year, I found myself in conversations with others saying, "I just don't know." No, I haven't stopped saying it. I still don't know or understand a lot of things that are going on in my life right now. That's OK with me. Yet, I desire to understand with steadfast faith rather than just having to know - if that makes sense. If it doesn't, then you're are the same place as me - you just don't understand. Kidding. Maybe my thoughts just don't make sense to some people, but I want to regain the childlike faith - that everything will work out. No sweat. In His timing. That's all the understanding I need. Now I just have to know that... and believe it.)

3. Love people. (I don't mean non-Christians. It is sooo easy for me to love them and not judge them. It's most difficult for me to love my brothers and sisters in Christ. Not because they might screw up but because they call other people 'bad witnesses'. To me, that's a bad witness. But I guess I'm doing the same as them right now too. I just want to love people. Those who love Jesus and those who don't even want to hear about Jesus because they've already been bashed by those who claim to love Him.)

As for the lyrics that entitle my blog tonight, I'm just progressing. I've been working on these goals. Yet right now, I don't feel any different. It's only January 16 though. I have a whole year to feel different.

So here's a brief overlook at my past couple of weeks....

*Christmas Day.

It might seem silly, but this is probably my favorite picture taken on Christmas. I love my parents. They're incredible. I can't even begin to describe the love they have for each other. I've never seen two people that have been together as long as they have and still have stars in their eyes. They have a patience for each other that I will never be able to comprehend. They are so giddy when they're together. Sure, they have their times where they must separate themselves from one another before they go crazy... but they love each other. They learn new things together and constantly serve one another. Look how happy they are.

This was taken at my grandparents' house on the night of one of my cousin's engagement party - Lauren. I met her fiancee on Christmas Day and love him. He has an odd sense of humor, but I like it. They're perfect for each other. And so happy! Lauren asked me to be a bridesmaid so we went shopping the day before. I wish I could put pictures up of how absolutely stunning our dresses are, but I don't want to ruin the surprise for her big day! She will definitely be the center of attention though - her dress is beautiful!! I thoroughly enjoyed shopping, laughing and eating with her and the family!! I got to meet her other first cousin, Nicole, who is also a bridesmaid... we are going to be great friends. I can't believe we've been family this long and haven't met until now!

This picture cracks me up. Chase now. At 24 years of age. And Chase 6 years ago. Whoa. Major weight change, bro. Haha - we laughed so hard over this picture!!

This day was such a blessing to me! Karis had a birthday party and invited my other two cousins, Faith and Haley, over for a craft session with mom. The girls made Jesus in a manger ornaments... then we had a special surprise. My other little cousin, Jackson, came over to craft with his mom (who I've called NaeNae since I was a kid). I helped with the mangers a little, but I thought it would be neat to make these little bobby pins with the girls. NaeNae made one for her little girl, Reagan. It was so much fun to do this project with the girls! They loved the bright colors and it looks so cute in their hair! These girls are so special to me.

New Year celebration! Ted and I brought the New Year in together. My other friends were either in Alabama, Oregon, Tennessee, or Texas. So it was just us. And Chase kind of. We watched movies, ate pizza and ice cream, and welcomed the New Year with a toast (of sparkling grape juice of course).

THIS was one of the greatest moments I had since the last blog I've written. Seeing my wonderful friends again - especially this one! Courtney. One of the 4 other roomies. She's my accountability and stronghold. Her and Laura (I'll get a pic with her soon to add) are two of the best relationships I've had since I've been at Auburn. To explain the friends they have been to me would take an entire blogsite.... So for now, just know they are a huge part of my life and I'm so happy to be around them again. I only talked to each one over the break twice (because I very strongly dislike talking on the phone much) so it's good to spend some quality face-to-face time with them again.

As for the art I did at home after Christmas presents were given accordingly....

I am so thankful for goofy friends that I can share moments like this with. Megan, Laura Beth and I had a headband night my freshman year in college... this is what we did when it was storming outside. Anyways, I thought these would be the perfect three pictures to place in the salt shaker. My mom taught me this cute idea.

And at school....

I went thrift store shopping with Jackie (Chase's girlfriend) and mom during Thanksgiving Break and I found this little gate thing. I should've taken a before/after shot. Before, it was a white-washed gate that said "My Little Bunnies" on top of it. Haha - I changed that up for sure! I love the colors I ended up using. When people paint and craft with me, they get really confused because I don't ever really have a 'plan' set out for a project. I just get a slight idea to begin and go from there. Colors just start mixing and words just start coming out!

I'm also working on another painting that truly expresses where I am in life. I'll have that one up soon. For now, I'll tell you a little about this one. Proverbs 4:23 is one of my favorite verses! "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." What a beautiful command! The idea of the gate is supposed to be like the gate of my heart. There's a map to it but for now, I must guard it. Otherwise... well, that's what the painting I'm working on will explain. It's tough - especially for an absolute romantic like me. I put my entire heart into every relationship, serving and loving unconditionally. Sometimes I feel like a naive teenager; other times, it just reminds me how much more I must save up for my husband. He is going to be one lucky man. haha - Not because of me, but just because I will wholeheartedly love him and serve him in every way possible. From the little things like leaving sweet notes for him in secret places, but most of all treasuring his heart as he will mine. I am so excited about giving this love that has been building up in my heart for almost 21 years now. It'll probably be a while though - which means I only have more love to store. I can wait for something that great.

I'm also working on a painting for Kevin (Texas)... but he's going to send me a pair of Vans first / I have to ship it to him before I can put pictures up. All I can say is... it's pretty killer. I took ideas from other paintings I've done but never expected it to turn out this way. It's a lot different than any of the other paintings I've done. Can't wait to show you!

I'll be posting up some journal entries I've done a little later. Can I just say how proud I am of my mom because she no longer fears a blank page in a journal anymore?... Super proud.

Teddy K, SPs and Christmas Wrapping

2008-12-21T22:00:00.000-06:00

This is my friend, Ted. In my phone, his name pops up as Teddy K. I'm not sure where that came from or if he even knows that I call him that, but I do. He's one of the coolest guys I know. We met exactly one year ago at the Fellowship of Christian Athlete's Winter Recharge. He played bass guitar in the band. He's one of those friends that you could not talk to for a year and then when you hang out, it's like you try to talk about what happened since the last time you talked - but because you are so similar and so distracted by the little things, it makes it difficult to carry on a conversation. Haha - That's a good thing though! We eventually got around to talking about the past semester (we haven't hung out in a long time). Today, we walked around downtown in Athens, getting blown away by the intense wind and laughing the whole way. We went into a bunch of shops, checking out all of the objects that could possibly act as a back scratcher and checking out the cool hats and such.

Ted is also a barista and had to work tonight so I followed him to the wonderful Jittery Joe's for his late-night shift. We were able to talk a lot more about life and all of the wonders of it - school, romance (or lack thereof), coffee... we didn't talk much about Jesus but He was definitely present. If you haven't had an intense conversation with me lately, you won't know exactly how rough of a semester this has been for me... but it's been bad. It was so encouraging to talk to Ted - especially when it comes to the dating department. We both have the same issue: we analyze things WAY too much, before anything is physically there to even analyze. I'm thankful for Ted. And I'm thankful for the time we got to hang out tonight. Enjoy the pics!

The one below is our "family Christmas card" enactment. You can't tell but he's sporting an awesome Santa sweater as well as a duotoned gray cardigan.

This is Chris, one of Ted's co-workers. He's a pretty cool guy. We tried to take the picture with the sign that says "Jittery Joe's" and on the bottom, it says "running fuel" or something "fuel"... so we were acting like we were running. On fuel. But it doesn't really make sense because you can't read the entire sign. Next, is a picture (taken by Chris) of Ted and I talking about the Naughty List... a list of lattes that hold about 1000 calories in them each. ;o) Just kidding. Ben, on the other hand, is a friend of Chris and Ted. I actually didn't formally meet him, but Ted took a picture of him as he was leaving. And now he will forever be engraved on this blog.

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These are a pair of my most favorite shoes! I'm not materialistic. At all. But these? I love them more each time I wear them. The pictures below are self-portraits (SPs). Elsie finished up our projects for the class and this one was probably in my top five favorites. I think it's so fun to play with angles and random objects! The shoes would be qualified as an SP... Above is another one of our projects. It's a little bracelet - awesome, huh? I love making these! More to come!

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These are the lovely packages I wrapped. Chase did an awesome job on wrapping mine so I couldn't let him beat me out! The three at the bottom have the reindeer wrapped up in them for my grandparents, aunts and uncles.

Disclaimer: This blog holds Christmas gifts... Dad - don't peek till after Christmas!

2008-12-18T14:09:00.000-06:00

Hello!! I hope everyone is having an absolutely lovely day! It's quite muggy here in Georgia but warm. Still a great day though... I've been busy getting everyone's gifts made and put together so I wanted to share them with you. This first one is the one I gave to Laura. John, a guy I work with, said the felt 'envelope' was excessive but that's what we do as artist - right? Go over the top. The bird was an embroidery pattern from Elsie. And the envelope had a nice little surprise of a Cambridge Coffee gift card inside - she loves coffee. Probably her biggest expense besides groceries... as it is the majority of a college student's greatest expense. Our friendship began with our love for Kristin Billerbeck novels. I used to think C.S. Lewis was cheesy when he said, "Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, 'What! You too? I thought I was the only one!" That was mine and Laura's encounter when I saw her reading the Spa Girls series in Cambridge one day. I didn't think anyone else around Auburn had heard of Billerbeck. Anyway, I got her the first two books from the "What A Girl Wants" series. She gave me some awesome guitar picks and a Death Cab for Cutie band shirt. She's awesome.

These are the wonderful, glittery reindeer my mom found at Target. I made the decorative bows around their necks. Aren't they great! My mom helped a pretty good bit which was wonderful spending time with her and learning from her. I made these for the grandparents and Aunts and Uncles. I still have one more reindeer to finish.

This is my favorite!! My brother, Chase, always has screen names or e-mails called 'the eskimo friend'. When I was listening to Damien Rice the other day, I realized that was where he got the idea from. Damien sings a song called Eskimo so I painted all of the lyrics in the background and then put 'so i look to my eskimo friend' on the sides. It was so much fun to do this for him. I really hope he loves it! I also got him a couple of things from Moosejaw.com. He probably gets tired of getting paintings every year. haha - just kidding. This will only be the second year.

This is one of my projects from the Elsie class. The heads are wooden balls from Hobby Lobby and I sculpted the bodies out of clay. So cute!

One more project from Elsie's class. I LOVE these! They are old books from a thrift store. The top one is The Legend of Paul Bunyan. I got it for my dad because he's in the lumber business. Sometimes he claims to be a lumberjack. ;o) I think he'll love it! The other one is The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. The last present for my brother (I got him a lot this year). Whenever I think about him, he defines adventure. I thought it would be cool to do the cover like a treasure map (idea I got from Elsie) so I did.



Finally.... I got my hair done today!! I haven't had much luck with hairstylists in Auburn so I just came home and got it done by Donna, the lady who used to do it. She did EXACTLY what I wanted! I'm so excited about it!! (side note: this picture is mainly for Courtney because I just got off the phone with her telling her about it. I'm sure it doesn't look as awesome as yours... haha)

K- I'm off to play. Or maybe watch a movie. Or maybe nap. Or maybe all three. Actually. No. I think I'm going to practice these dance moves first. Then all three.

and if that wasn't enough for you, here's some holiday cheer. My friend has this obsession with Relient K... and well, it's kind of slowly rubbing off on me after he sent me some CD's a couple of months ago. Enjoy:

<3 Christmas Break.

2008-12-17T01:32:00.001-06:00

Hello all!!

I've been terribly busy with school and such so I haven't been able to keep up with the blog BUT I do have some fun things to share with you for now. I can't tell you just how excited I am about being home for Christmas! My mom and I have been busy at work already - though she's getting paid for her work. :o) I have truly enjoyed being with her though and already learning so much. I'll be putting up many completed projects in the next few weeks, but here are a few things for now:

*This is a mini scrapbook album I learned how to make in my Elsie class. It's made out of recyclable office materials and Starbucks coffee cup holders. Enjoy!!

*I made scarves for each of my roommates (4 other girls) for Christmas this year - including Laura (she's one of my closest friends). Well, I embroidered them by hand... I didn't make the scarf. I had so much fun making them and fitting the colors with all of their personalities!

This is the one I made for my roommate, Courtney. Hopefully it will help keep her warm in Oregon...

Unrealistic Dreams.

2008-11-19T18:18:00.000-06:00

Kind of an oxymoron, huh? Aren't the purpose of dreams to think of the unrealistic... something you think could never happen unless there was an intervention of One greater than yourself? Well, I had a teacher shoot down my dream/goals for after I graduate. For those of you that don't know, my mom and I are planning to own an art store.... 1/3 art gallery, 1/3 art workroom - playroom - place where we can have great artists come in and teach classes, and 1/3 coffee shop. My teacher pretty much said it was unrealistic. She gave me all of the possibilities in which it would fail as well as suggested to me all of the issues we would face as owners... we would have to be accountants, managers, trainers, secretaries, and janitors all in one.

All I can say is, I've dreamed of nothing less than the impossible because I know that our God has greater power than I do. He can take care of the parking issues and the money that we will need to start it and the people who will enter into a shop that glorifies Him. I also know that the moment we stop using the store as a vessel to proclaim His name, He could take it away with a snap of His huge hand. He won't allow the economy to keep people from a time of leisure and relaxation. We want this to be a home for community, a place of comfort where artists can release the stress of life and leave their worries or proclaim their praises on a canvas. I'm excited to see what will come out of it... and even though it broke my heart that one of my favorite teachers this semester said, it encouraged me to start now. I'm not exactly sure where to start or how to start... I just know that I need to start. I'm thankful for her. She has only pushed me to prove that He is able; and with Him, I am able as well.

It's been really difficult being in this major (Public Relations). The more I delve further into the core of it, I realize that no matter what, I will always be dealing with PR. Everyone will if you encounter 'the public'. I highly doubt I will be acting in the role of crisis management or anything of the sort. It would be cool to do something with PR and I admire those who do. However, it seems like a nasty world of who's who and networking... but not much in a genuine sense. That bothers me. One of the reasons I hate going to football games is because I feel like I'm wasting 7 hours of my life (with tailgating and getting dressed up and such) when I can be doing something productive... like creating something for someone or inspiring someone. Not so I can get recognition or move up higher in rankings... but because I sincerely care about people and want them to see just how special and precious they are. I feel useless when I'm not helping others. If any of you know a job in PR where I can make a living by helping others through inspiration, creation, and art - please let me know. One and half years to go before graduation. And I have no clue as to what I will do.

My Journal & Playlists

2008-11-17T23:41:00.000-06:00

*For the Elsie class, she encouraged us to get a journal. I love sharing these pages with you... however I left out quite a few pages - because it's a journal, of course. I share these in hopes that you may be inspired. The first two pages consist of dialogue between a sister (in my sorority) and myself during a beauty pageant we had to attend. I don't understand the concept of beauty pageants... but that's for another day. It was a funny night though.

*Elsie also encouraged us to define magical. These are my definitions. You can see that the left-hand page is covered up. Not to block out anything but I had messed up on a page, ripped it out and then left the page that was bound on the other side.... so it was falling out. I made do and created a little flap to hold the part of the binding together. The flap says "Armstrong Browning Library" and the quote it's covering is from Elizabeth Barrett Browning. I also have "Disney World" written on there.

*Jack's Mannequin

*My Biggest Fears

*My brother and I were talking about what we wanted to do in life. I would love to enter into the career of public relations... however, more than ANYTHING, I just want to be an artist and play all day in a studio... and make things for people that make them happy and enjoy the little things in life. He wants to do the same. Maybe not so much the artist route, but still the same idea. Therefore, we call each other "renaissance babies".

*The last pages are a filled with a quote out of a book I'm reading called "Georgia On Her Mind". I feel like this quote defines my life... MANY nights of my life - which isn't bad. In reality, it's better to kiss hundreds of coffee cups than hundreds of guys, right?

*Finally, this is my specialty. Call me old school. I'm a junior in college and still LOVE making mixed CD's for people. If I knew my friends still had tape players, I would make them mixed tapes instead. So these are for my friend, Alex. He made me a mixed CD and although it was AWESOME, he's still only qualified as the 2nd best in my book. I made a third playlist but it didn't scan correctly. It was the coolest one too. Oh well. Enjoy! Oh - and thanks to Elsie for the inspiration for some of the doodles!

2008-11-16T12:04:00.000-06:00

This is the wonderful care package my parents sent me!! : ) I haven't been able to take a break from all of the goodies... including the sweets.

After I opened the care package....

Elsie Class

2008-11-15T20:48:00.001-06:00

So I started taking this class by one of my favorite artists, Elsie. She's awesome and has given me MUCHO inspiration! I wanted to share with you the new projects I've been working on. I have some other stuff to scan in that I will be putting up maybe later tonight or tomorrow.

*Stitching Broaches. I am SOOO excited about this project! It has really gotten me into sewing and such. I've really enjoyed working with fabric and painting my own little ideas. The pictures were drawn by Elsie but I painted the coffee cups. : ) I gave the tree and piece of candy to my best friend, Laura, and I gave the coffee cups to a couple of my co-workers at Cambridge.

*Self-Portraits: I felt really vain taking these pictures at first... but then, I just had such a great time dressing up and posing, I just couldn't stop! It's so much fun! Elsie encouraged us to take pictures in things we would never wear in public and do some painting too. Here we go!

^These were taken before my Halloween social. I was an Indian Princess. My friend, John, made my dress but I did the feathers and war paint (inspired by Elsie).

^I loved these. I wore blue feathers and bright red lipstick and took pictures against my lime green wall in the bathroom. But when I took them in black and white or sepia, it looks like I'm in the 1920s with big feathers! I played A LOT with these. Sorry there are so many pictures...

*My mom sent me an AWESOME care package in the mail of art supplies (which I'll be putting pics up later from that) and put this beautiful, fake red flower on top of the box. Who knew I would be able to use it like this??

*tonight, i paint.

2008-10-05T15:29:00.000-05:00

Hi! Sorry I haven't kept up with my blog very well. Everything has been super busy here on the Rolling Plains of Auburn... but so much fun! I've been studying non-stop but I've made a little but of time for art. So, I'd like to share with you what I've been working on:

*First: My paintings.

above: tree painting inspired by the song "just let go" by mae.

below: dandelion painting inspired by the song "let your love be strong" by switchfoot.

below: painting project my mom and i did together.

*Second: my art journal.

These are some marker sketches I've been working on. Scripture or songs that have inspired me...

slow dancing in a burning room: john mayer

*Third: This is a little project I did yesterday. I got this wooden organizer at Hobby Lobby and I painted it lime green and then coated a dark brown on top of it. I finished it off with an embossed stamp of birds...

*Finally: a cool story I would like to share you about just how incredible our Savior is...

Currently, I hold the position of Zeta Tau Alpha's Big Sister/ Little Sister chair, which means I have to pick out all of the gifts for the little sisters, organize a Revealing and buy baskets for initiation so the big sisters can get them gifts and put them in the baskets. Well, I procrastinated (not like me) and waited till a couple of weeks ago to start looking for white, silver or turquoise baskets. All of the ones online would be about $800 covering the price of the baskets and shipping... oh, and they would take 2 - 6 weeks to come in. Therefore, I've been freaking out trying to find baskets for 60 girls in the city of Auburn. Since Initiation is next Sunday, I've been in a rut and running around each store in AU trying to find some. Well, yesterday I was about to walk into Hobby Lobby when I had a heart-to-heart with Jesus and prayed that He would somehow have 60 baskets in the store that would be the perfect size and nicely priced. I walk into Hobby Lobby and each top shelf on the right side of the store is aligned with 30 wooden, circular baskets. I told a lady I needed 60 and asked her the price: $4.99. She pulled out a cart from the back of exactly 60 wooden baskets and when I went to the cash register, thinking it would be about $318 (I bought ribbon for the baskets too)... but they gave me everything half price. $170. How awesome is He! In the smallest things to the biggest, His name shall be praised.

Gustav

2008-09-02T00:19:00.000-05:00

So Many Things to Do!!

2008-06-28T08:36:00.001-05:00

WELCOME TO THE BEAUTIFUL ST. GEORGE!!

Once again, sorry I haven't been writing more consistently. I've been so busy! Work has been great - I have met some really great people with interesting stories! Here are pictures of Nick (the Russian) and me at Wakulla with the gators. You can't see it in the picture of me very well but I promise it's there!!

*This is an osprey

When I haven't been working, I've been reading. I bought these two great books from Barnes & Noble Monday:

Kristin Billberbeck is my favorite author - this one is about a woman whose husband (a producer) left her for the main actress in his movie. Her lawyer suggests that she goes to church and joins the group "The Trophy Wives Club". All of the ladies have been divorced and had once believed that men could make them feel complete... at times, it's a pretty cheesy book but Billerbeck always has a way of letting the main character take it down a notch.

This study of David is also wonderful! If you are a wife or mother, I would definitely recommend it! Beth Moore discusses the family of David, starting with Hannah and then Samuel. It's really encouraged me to steadfastly pray for my future husband and my children. More than anything, I simply love reading about the adventures of the Old Testament... I think a lot of times we forget to.

I've also been doing a lot of bike riding! Here are some pictures Chase took last Sunday:

My thoughts on life? Well, lately I've been really sad for the families around here. I saw a lady at the Dollar General with her grandson and she was complaining about how all that she was buying was stuff for him and she was ready for him to go home to his daddy. That makes my heart cry. Reading the story of Hannah... knowing how much she wanted a child but couldn't bear makes me bitter towards those who treat their own children like they're a burden. Children are precious gifts and that's how we should handle them and speak to them. We should treat them with the same love Christ gives us. Grace, mercy and compassion.

Finally, here's the artwork I've been playing with:

Happy Father's Day!

2008-06-15T15:41:00.000-05:00

The internet is still down but we’re working on it! :o)

Disclaimer: Ok - for the last blog, it might not have seemed like I am having the time of my life down here... but I am! :o) I just meant that there are not very many girls that would love to have this job because it can be painful at time - from sunburns to working your muscles hard - but I love that stuff! I love challenges - especially physically - so this is my dream job! Don't worry friends and family - I couldn't live here for too long because the beach is supposed to be a place for my vacation... not life-long career! haha

Most recent news: Chase and I are quickly seeing our purpose in being here this summer. Last night (Saturday), our pastor on the island invited us over for a grill-out with his family. His name is Themo. His wife’s name is April… and they have four boys ranging from ages of about 8 years old to 15. The burgers were great and the company was even better! There is an amazing opportunity for me to hang out with some high school girls and to truly pour myself and Jesus’ love into them. I can’t wait to ‘chillax’ with them! Chase volunteered to play his guitar at the services tomorrow (they have one on the island and one at Apalachicola – about 20 minutes away from one another). Their house is in Apalach and they live about 10 steps from the church so we walked over there after dinner. Chase pulled out his guitar and started playing a song he had written – “Somebody Different”. April stood up and started singing with him and passed me a microphone. Before we realized it, we had been standing up there for 3 hours just singing and praising to different songs. It was one of the most beautiful moments I have ever been a part of. To say the least, Chase, April and I will be doing a couple of songs together during the services throughout the summer. The Lord was so alive in those three hours. His presence was breathtaking. The coolest thing was when April pulled out a song called “For My Ashes” sung by Enter the Worship Circle. I had never heard it but Chase started playing and we all just started jamming out. The words are amazing: For my ashes, you give me beauty; for my mourning, you give me joy; for my tears Lord, you give me kisses. Oh, yea, that’s how good you are. The scripture behind it is from Isaiah 61 – which has become my favorite chapter in the Old Testament. It was perfect!

In other news – I am officially a kayak guide! I went on my first solo trip Thursday to Wakulla (an hour & a half drive from the island) with a group of six people - one older couple from Birmingham and another couple that had two teenage boys. It was very successful! We saw one manatee, four gators, two river otters, many gar and sheephead fish, and tons of beautiful flowers and birds. We had a blast together! If you have never been to Wakulla, let me try to set the scene for you. It is a very epic atmosphere – Spanish moss hanging from massive cypress trees, the clearest water that you see for at least 15 feet down to the bottom – exotic in every sense of the word for America. As we kayaked, the Lord spoke to me: “This is yours to enjoy. I have created these birds and set every tree in place for you to be mesmerized by – do you love it?” Our Creator desires for us to enjoy the creation He has made! All I could think about is how unworthy I am. We are so undeserving of all the beauty He has to offer but He keeps giving because He loves us… He wants to please us… He desires to show us His goodness and beauty through His creation. He has made us worthy to enjoy it though! He has redeemed us! He has cleansed us and made us good as He is good! Here is my challenge to you: Seek Him out! When you walk outside or drive your car, please look around and see His goodness – whether it’s in a man giving to the poor or in simply seeing His beauty in the trees – seek out His goodness because He seeks to display it mightily to you!

PS: A HUGE Happy Father's Day goes out to all of the wonderful men in my life - from Papas to uncles to cousins that are expecting a child in a few months! Most of all to my dad - I love you and I am so thankful that you have been such a big part of my life! I pray that the man I marry will be as kind-hearted, generous and loving as you! That he will have tea parties with our daughter (if we have one) and climbs trees with our son (if we have one) - and even act as a student for them in their "schoolroom". Thanks for being a student for me even though you already know everything... you are my Yoda and Papa Bear! Love you bunches - wish I could be with you today!

Every Girl's Dream

2008-06-08T10:55:00.000-05:00

Sorry I haven’t written much – our internet and cable has been cut off. Everything is good – this past week was Kids’ Camp. It was actually pretty rough. The kids were a little intolerable at times and by the end of the week, the amygdala effect definitely affected me. I got really upset with one of the guys who works with us because the deck was a mess when we got back and nobody was cleaning it up. It wasn’t a big deal and I should’ve never even said anything because it wasn’t my place, but I was at the end of my rope. I love working here for the summer, but I don’t think I could ever live like this. I think I’m a little too OCD for this lifestyle…

On another note, mom keeps saying that I’m living out every girl’s dream by working here this summer. Sure, the tan is great; building muscle and losing fat is great; the people are great…. But I know very few girls who would want to be around gators, sharks, and little critters; who would want to get their hands dirty… and the rest of their body; who would want to lift kayaks and be attacked by roaches and no-see-ems every day. Kidding – it’s not that bad.

I do know that I’m living out every girl’s dream because I am loved. That is every girl’s desire – we all just want someone to love us. My family and friends love me and show it every day through phone calls, e-mails, and the amazing letters; but I have found a love deeper than that. Or rather, that love has searched me out and found me. It’s such a beautiful thing to grow so close to a God, a Savior, a Redeemer, a cross. Even when I question His Spirit, His nearness, His existence, He displays to me His beauty and His desire to know me as a lover. No guy has wanted to know me on that level of purity and intimacy – but my Jesus does. I love Song of Songs because even though it is a song from King Solomon to his lover, it is the true melody of Christ’s love that He longs to share with us. He wants us to release our veils. He doesn’t care if we are darkened by sin; He sees beyond that and still calls us beautiful.

“My lover is mine and I am his… I belong to my lover; and his desire is for me. Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm; for love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding like the grave. It burns like a blazing fire, like a mighty flame. Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot wash it away.” ~Song
of Songs

I also love this passage from Isaiah - a prophesy of what our Savior came to do for us... once again declaring His desire to be our everything:

"He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion - to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair." ~Isaiah 61

Finally - GREAT NEWS!! The Lord is continuing to heal my mom again. She went to a new doctor that tested her thyroid and found that she suffers from hypothyroidism which causes heavy weight gain, muscle cramps and frequent muscle aches, fatigue, weakness, tiredness, and swelling. The doctor put her on medication and her swelling has already gone down. Hopefully, everything else will be taken care of too and she'll have more energy. Please keep her in your prayers... as well as the doctor - that the Lord will give him the knowledge in taking the best steps so that she can be healthy again. Our Father is faithful in answering us - sometimes it takes years, other times it takes just a week. We're seriously discussing our plans in making The Charm House into a mother/daughter business - a little boutique filled with artwork and coffee! We'll just continue to pray over it and see what happens!

Birthday Cake Ice Cream & Sunset Cruises

2008-06-01T21:09:00.001-05:00

This past week held many crazy and unforgettable moments for me. My brother went out of town for a wedding, and being the goofy girl I am, I needed someone to stay with me. My mom came down with a wonderful surprise: my great Aunt Shirley & Uncle Robert along with my 2 cousins, Crosby & Karis. It was such a pleasure to see my aunt and uncle - they are always filled with joy and laughter! I hadn't seen Crosby and Karis in years. They have not only grown up, but also matured in such strong ways. Crosby is the captain and chaplain for his football team - he proves to be an incredible man of the Lord without the title of chaplain. Karis and I spent a lot of time together. From building starfish in the sand and body surfing the waves to playing the Game of Life to her silly moments like calling a manatee "a tiki-man", we definitely bonded! Crosby and I spent a lot of time together as well - he took care of me while Chase was gone. He killed a roach for me. As a family, we devoured some birthday cake ice cream.

More than anything, the most special time I had was when I got to hang out with my mom. She wasn't feeling well most of the time, but just being around her brings light to my world. I can never thank her enough for all she does for me - she tried everything she could to get down here, no matter how soon it was for her treatment. Dad couldn't make it because of work but we called him at our favorite restaurant so it was kind of like he was there. Besides that, it was just a special weekend.After my family left Saturday morning, Beth and Dave asked me if I wanted to go on a sunset cruise (Dave is a captain at Journeys). They took good care of me too while Chase was gone. We went to Little St. George and found neat shells and driftwood. Little St. George is completely desserted and one can only get to it by boat. It is a beautiful place a holds many treasures from special seashells to beat-up boats that drifted to the island during hurricanes. Below is Beth and Dave's dog, Honey. She ran around the boat like crazy searching for dolphins but we never found any. As the sun was setting, Captain Dave drove us out in the middle of the ocean, and we floated as the Lord brushed His hand across the sky, creating an array of breathtaking colors for us. We drove back to the dock and Beth fixed a wonderful couscous salad dinner for us. She spent the night in Chase's room so I wouldn't be in the house by myself... she and Dave have truly gone out of their way to make Chase and me feel comfortable on the island. I could never thank them enough for their hospitality toward us.

And It Happens...

2008-05-26T21:42:00.001-05:00

So connection was my goal for the summer... and it's definitely being accomplished! I wanted to build sincere relationships with people - I wanted to hear people's stories and let them be told!

Today, I went to the beach to take some photographs. During my walk, I met a man named Mark. I was wearing shorts with Auburn written on the front and he asked me if I was a student. After I said yes, he quickly greeted me again with a "WAR EAGLE!" Mark graduated from Auburn in '81 with a major in Graphic Design. During that time, Auburn was the only school in the nation that the students in sketch classes had to draw nude models... with bathing suits on. His family lived in Atlanta but are now moving to Asheville, NC, because his wife wants to start an art business - she'll be teaching people how to play with fire and make ceramic pottery. This is their son: I also met a sweet couple who are locals that live down the street - normally, we stay away from the locals because they can be kind of sketchy - but this was different. Their names are Elizabeth and Todd. They have a little girl, Alex - 3 years old, who will talk your ears off! Todd is a volunteer fire fighter and has his first medical response. Alex told me that she's gone on many rides in the fire truck with her daddy! Everyone on the island is very hospitable. Elizabeth told me I could stop by anytime!

Finally, I met this guy:
His name is Carlo. He's from Talahassee. He loves skimboarding. He and his friend were just chilling on the beach so I asked if I could take some shots - this was the best one. It looks pretty hardcore... but it's only St. George - where the waves are about up to your knees... when you're in knee-deep. I didn't get much of his life story but he did a great job skimboarding so I could get some great shots!

More posts and life stories coming up!!