Megan's Wedding Pictures

A month ago my beautiful older sister, Megan, got married to the love of her life. 

She was the most beautiful bride ever. The wedding was amazing. 

Here are a handful of pictures. There were so many wonderful ones, it was hard to narrow it down. 

Handsome groom and beautiful bride. 

 Bridesmaids 

Groomsmen

On the way into the church

First kiss as husband and wife

 Family picture including Billy.

These two are my favorites.  

I love this one also! 

Tim and I. :]

First dance and wedding cake. 

Mr. & Mrs. 

I am so happy for her and excited that Billy is now part of my family. 

Check out my sister's amazing bridal photos. 

All photos by Linden Claire Photography.

Happy List

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- winning a $10 gift card to Michael's

- passing my math test

-getting silly bands from my 4th graders

- buying a shirt i really wanted for more than 50% off. 

- surprises in the mall

- orange and yellow leaves on the trees

- new episodes of glee, the big bang theory, and community

- getting 12 hours of sleep

- going home tomorrow to see my family, tim, his family and attend a wedding

- my hometown festival (referred to as madness)

Making A Difference - BeadForLife

I have wanted to share this organization with you for a while now.

The seventh graders at the school I worked in for my internship over the summer were working on a community service project. For this project they were selling necklaces, bracelets, and earrings made by BeadForLife. Their mission statement is: BeadForLife creates sustainable opportunities for women to lift their families out of extreme poverty by connecting people worldwide in a circle of exchange the enriches everyone. (via)

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These are a few of lovely beads these women make. All of the beads they make are made out of recycled magazines and paper.BeadForLife works mainly with women in Uganda who have been living in extreme poverty and working for a very low wage. To learn a lot more please watch this video:

 When I first saw this video at the school my eyes were watering. The work they are doing is amazing. And the beads they make are so beautiful. Buying a piece of BeadForLife jewelry helps the women in Uganda and it helps the rest of the world because you are recycling. :] 

I bought a pink bracelet and I love it. I really need to wear it more often. 

When I was told about this organization and what the students were doing for it, I felt inspired. 

Mainly because the students at this school did not have a lot and here they were helping others around the world. I hope to host a BeadForLife party one day. 

Please go explore their website, watch the video, and share with your friends. 

P.S. I hope you have a very peaceful day, since it is International Peace Day.

Words We Heart

I am very excited about a new project I am working on with some very lovely ladies. 

We started a blog called Words We Heart.

It is going to be full of lovely images and quotes. 

Please go check it out and let all of your friends know! 

Book 25 - Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows

I am done with the 7th and final book in the Harry Potter Series, Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows.Wow. This book was amazing. I absolutely loved it. I was so excited about how J.K. Rowling wrapped up the whole series. This book had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I could not stop turning pages. I was so desperate to find out what happened next. It was full of action and suspense and everything you could want out of a Harry Potter book. Go read it now. 

I was sad when I finished because I felt like I had gotten to know the characters so much and then they were just gone. I felt like I lost several friends. I really enjoyed the final book, probably my favorite. I enjoyed the whole series and am excited to read it again in a few years. :]

"So Slow Down Today..."

Last week as I was reading books on WeGiveBooks.org,
I read I Knew You Could by Craig Dorfman.

This book is part of the The Little Engine That Could series. 

I loved The Little Engine That Could when I was younger.

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As I was reading I came across several quotes everyone should keep in mind.  

Of course I want to share them with you. 

“Don’t be afraid to toot your own horn, If you need to be heard or there are people to warn. Or if being yourself just makes you so proud , that you want to share it and sing it out loud.”

“Try to remember that the world is so wide, full of all kinds of people with their own trains to ride. Just stay true to yourself as you travel your track, with no second guessing and no looking back.”

“That’s when to push and to strive and to strain, to show the world you’re not a giving up train. And you’re wise if you know that doing your best means that sometimes you should just slow down and rest. Speeding through your whole trip will bring only sorrow, so slow down today to be happy tomorrow.”

These were my favorite and they had me feeling happy and inspired after I read the book. 

I highly recommend you go read the book and remember these things through out your week. :]

Remember When?

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Remember when I wrote about We Give Books and how they are making a difference?

Well I created a reading group and I really really hope you will join me in reading. 

And remember when I wrote about Freerice.com? 

They have changed their website and now you can create an account and keep track of all the grains you've donated. Let me know if you create an account so we can be friends. :]

School has kept me so busy lately. This is my senior year of college and last semester on campus. 

In the spring I start student teaching. I have a placement interview this week. *fingers crossed*

This growing up thing is becoming a reality all too soon. 

Hope you are having a wonderful week so far! 

P.S. Thanks to everyone who helped me reach over 100 followers. 

Definitely made my month. :] 

"You Make My Dreams Come True"

My room mate and I watched "500 Days of Summer."

I love this movie. This is one of my favorite scenes.

It makes me happy and he is just too cute. 

Hope you are enjoying your weekend. 

Howard's Knob

Tim and I went up to Howard's Knob on Sunday.

It was an amazing view. I can't believe this is my 4th year here and

 the first time I've visited Howard's Knob. 

From the top of this mountain you can see the entire town of Boone. 

This is pretty much the whole town. 

 You can see the entire campus. 

This is Grandfather Mountain. Can you tell why it's called that? 

Because it looks like a Grandfather! It's hard to tell from this picture. 

This is our football stadium, it looks so tiny when you look at it from the top of a mountain. 

Standing in front of the entire campus. Kind of crazy, right?

When I walk around campus I feel like it's so big. 

From here it looked much smaller. 

I really enjoyed visiting Howard's Knob and am hoping to go back once the leaves start to change to their fall colors. I also was happy that Tim came to visit me this weekend. He really is the best. :]

I hope you have an amazing day! 

Decorating Tips?

I moved into a new apartment a couple of weeks ago. 

My walls are white, very white. 

I have done a little bit of decorating. 

But it's hard because I can't not paint the walls and I am on a college student budget. 

Here is what I have so far: 

(this is above my closet)

(this picture is above my bed)

There is still a lot of white. Tim helped me put up my pink curtain so that adds a little bit of color.

And a few personal photos on my desk and nightstand.  

Do you have any cheap/DIY decorating tips? 

And by cheap I mean basically free.

I would love to hear your ideas. 

Hope you had an amazing weekend.

Favorites of the Week

"sometimes in my tears I drown, but I never let it get me down, 

so when negativity surrounds I know some day it'll all turn around, 

because all my life I've been waiting for, I've been praying for

for the people to say, that we don't wanna fight no more, 

they'll be no more wars and our children will play, one day"

- Matisyahu - "One Day"

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"To find the balance you want, this is what you must become. You must keep your feet grounded so firmly on the earth that it's like you have four legs, instead of two. That way, you can stay in the world. But you must stop looking at the world through your head. You must look through your heart, instead."

- Eat, Pray, Love

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"I wish I had a thousand words for love, but all that comes to mind is the way you move against me while you sleep, and there are no words for that."

- Brian Andreas

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"Every morning we are born again. What we do today is what matters most."

- Siddhārtha Gautama

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Hope you have an amazing day!