My friend Haley Scott is becoming a star in Detroit.

Haley has been one of my best friends since senior year of High School. She has always been an amazing artist - photographer, fashionista, designer, painter, and creator of unique monster pillows! She can turn anything into something new and beautiful. She is currently attending College for Creative Studies in Detroit for photography, but she has also been involved in many modeling opportunities, including major photo shoots in L.A.

Today Haley was published in the Detroit Metro Times. She was the model for the Fall Fashion editorial "How to wear white after Labor Day, cool out in camo, and go Egyptian chic." AND she was on the cover!

Metro Times website



"For over a quarter of a century Metro Times has been Detroit’s weekly alternative for news, arts, culture, music, film, food, fashion and more.

Over 657,000 loyal readers pick us up every month to find out who to see, what to do, and where to go. Hard-hitting journalism, in-depth profiles of local artists, musicians, and cultural icons, and the area’s most comprehensive club and concert listings have made it the most sought after news and entertainment resource for metro Detroiters."










Haley's work is distinct, cutting-edge, enticing, and truly one of a kind.
She is the most intriguing person I know. I am so happy that she was given this opportunity, because she deserves it, and there is no one like her.

A few things that caught my eye today

I like to start off the week with some refreshing images.
I really should be doing my Illustrator homework instead of browsing blogs, but I need a break for just a short while.







Julia Galdo



baby stump






bubble garden



stick on the wall



awesome print




bookmobile

Three Lists of Ten.

I now realize how much free time I had in the summer, and how much free time I do not have during the school year. This is my third year at college, and it is by far the busiest year yet. Thankfully, it has been busy in a good way. I love my classes, and I love learning. I appreciate IWU more and more with every semester. I am attached to this school and the people here. It has become home to me, and I am thankful.









With busyness comes a lack of blogging. I need to find time! This blog is my outlet.
So I will offer you tidbits of my life lately...

What I've been up to the last few weeks:

1. reading a lot of textbooks
2. working at McConn and loving every minute
3. spending time with my dear friends Hannah, Beth, Kate, and Anna
4. sweatin' at Turbo kick and piyo
5. Contributing to PRSSA as the Vice President, trying to pull everything together
6. consuming lots of coffee
7. struggling through my accounting class
8. putting out a fashion column for the newspaper at our school
9. looking for summer Internship opportunities in Indianapolis
10. getting so excited talking about the future with Jordan, and thanking the Lord for what a blessing he is to my life



What I am listening to this fall season:

1. Skinny Love - Bon Iver
2. In These Arms - The Swell Season
3. When I go - Slow Club
4. A Whistle - Josh LeMasters
5. Generator First Floor - Freelance Whales
7. I Gave You All - Mumford & Sons
8. The Wild Hunt - The Tallest Man on Earth
9. Ragged Wood - Fleet Foxes
10. Who Knows Who Cares - Local Natives


Things I need to work on:

1. getting enough sleep
2. finding creativity in Baldwin (healthier food options)
3. trusting God's will, and being patient while waiting for His answer to prayer
4. being intentional with my relationships
5. visiting Williams prayer chapel
6. preparing for the professional world
7. doing my laundry...
8. figuring out a way to battle Sprint cell phone service
9. remembering to take my multivitamin
10. allowing myself to stop, rest, and give up my worries


That's all for now folks!
Have a great Sunday morning.

Our room in Kem smells of incense.

so this is the final result of our little quaint dorm. Hannah and I love this place, and we have enjoyed every moment of decorating.
















Unfortunately, we have come across a few setbacks. Since this university loves to give us restrictions, we have to find creative ways to make our dorm feel like a home rather than a sterile and blank room like they probably want us to have.

There is always something new.
Every year I get "in trouble" and plastered with ridiculous fines by girls with power trips. The resident staff in my experience has always been a little too obsessive about the "fire and safety" regulations at IWU. You would think they might offer some grace and understanding, but it's actually the opposite. I can't wait for the day when I'm in a townhouse on campus where the RA's just don't give a crap, because they know the rules are completely stupid, and they also realize that we are adults and we should probably be treated as such.

To give you a taste, I will just say that the recent incident happened over burning incense. That's right, incense. It's such a terrible and rebellious act right? yes, well, some people here view it that way apparently. It's so funny. They were literally in a mad frenzy. We like to say "only at IWU" when things like that happen. And then we laugh at them and move on with our day, knowing that we have more important things to spend our time on.


(I apologize for the negativity, but some people just need to stop.)

It's the third day of classes, and I already have loads of reading, and plenty of assignments to go with it.
Thankfully I love all my classes, and I am realizing how perfect my major is for me. I'm finally to the point where I feel knowledgeable in this field, and it's exciting to study something that will actually benefit my future.

With the cooler weather slowly moving in, I have felt like the semester is really getting started. Fall is my favorite, and the season I wish would never end. Every year I plan an overload of fall related activities and events, and I don't stop there. It is an overwhelming obsession that is probably not normal. This year it will be even worse than last year, considering that I have been itching for fall ever since the second week of summer. So please, don't let me get too carried away with fall and all of its glory, because I still need to stay focused on this whole studying thing.

I just can't become overwhelmed with school. I won't let myself. This year is going to be a great one.

Choose the Company You Keep

I realized that I am surrounded by strong, diligent, genuine, and hard working people who love the Lord and are passionate about life. I really do believe that living in such a good environment will help me to become more of the person I want to be. Sometimes I find myself slacking, or becoming overly pessimistic. This happens when I am around people who are slackers...and a bit too pessimistic.

The solution is to choose my friends wisely, and to intentionally spend time in healthy environments. I don't want to waste a moment on anything that does not serve God and strengthen my spirit and mind.

Being back at school always reminds me of how great this community is if you know how to manage your time. It's easy to hang out with people who don't challenge you and push you to be better. It's easy to settle for less and run away from your problems. And it's really easy to get caught up in the routine without finding the deep friendships we all need. With this being my third year at a Christian University, I seem to have finally settled into the real relationships that will last a lifetime.

I will only have this community for these next two years. I will never again be surrounded by people on a daily basis who are continually striving to grow closer to God. Even though it is not "real life", I am thankful to be here. Because these people inspire me.

Cravings.
Sometimes I get these weird cravings. Lately I have been craving Tazo passion tea, fall, free time, and a good hearty cry. (I know. It's weird.)

When I am browsing the internet, I come across things that bring new cravings.
Today it was a long bath...



a walk in a park...


and my old books from childhood.





Having these cravings helps me to enjoy the small blessings the Lord has given me. Each day we are experiencing new smells, experiences, and feelings. I want to soak it all up. Sometimes I get teased for getting excited about stuff that most people find normal. But the truth is, everything is a gift, and I don't ever want to become too comfortable. I want to live in the moment and see things for what they really are.





Hopefully you can do that too. Just look around. There is so much that we can get excited for. Life is much better that way.