Arm and hand dance

This is nothing like the hokey-pokey.






Hannah and I watched it before class today, and we were both amazed at how they keep a straight face the entire time.
I could imagine myself giggling if I attempted something like this.

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.

Coming back to school early is harder than I expected. My days have been planned to the minute lately with all of the work I have been doing. This year I am getting deeper into my Public Relations major while also juggling two jobs, entering into the position of the Vice President for Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA), and hopefully still holding on to some kind of a social life.

I was hired for Student Government Association as the Vice President of Public Relations. This is the most challenging but rewarding thing I have ever done, and I only just started a week ago! My position is loaded with responsibility. I'll be doing all of the PR and promotion for SGA, which involves some design elements, creative thinking, and strategizing about how to best maintain the branding of SGA. I'll be working with the rest of the cabinet as we strive to be the voice of our student body. Since there are only ten cabinet members (the President and the rest of us VP's) we have already formed a tight bond and connection with one another.

And I do love dressing in business attire and getting my own desk in the SGA office :-)





My other amazing job this year will be for McConn, our coffee shop at IWU. I'll finally be a barista! Gosh I can't even explain how excited I am for this. I know it probably sounds pathetic, but I have always wanted to work at McConn since I came to this school freshman year. I love coffee...a lot, and soon I will have learned all about the process of growing, roasting, brewing, and making coffee. I want to soak up every detail of training so that I can one day make a perfect shot of espresso and maybe even some latte art.

I'm not complaining that my boyfriend Jordan, one of my best friends Beth, and so many other great people will be working at McConn as well. It really is the most social job on campus...but I would honestly do it for free.

so yeah, I will be extremely extremely busy this year.

This past week I have been growing closer to the SGA cabinet, while training rigorously for my position. Let me just say that I am going to love it even more when the year is done.

Now it's on to McConn training this week!! Today was the first day and oh what a wonderful experience it was.

I am sitting in my living room back home watching Design Star. As I see these young designers recreate a room and turn old pieces into new and beautiful additions, I am feeling inspired to search for some cool design elements myself.

There is a never ending abundance of quirky items online to share with you all.

For example,



fireplace with some color from apartment therapy.



a fun book wheel.



birdie wallpaper from trove.



repurposed drawers from apartment therapy.




Home Sweet Home bathroom barn door.



Romance spelled out on the wall.

Some advice from Donald Miller

What Men Really Need from Women, and what Women Really Need from Men.
In his blog, Donald Miller shares an excerpt from his book Father Fiction, which gives advice to people who grew up without fathers. I thought all of his opinions were spot on, and definitely worth sharing.



“…Weakness isn’t attractive in either sex. Some girls think being weak will attract a strong man, but it won’t. Being weak will attract a predator, which is why girls who show self-pity often get hurt in the end. Bad guys smell it out and take advantage of them. The girl thinks he’s strong because he’s bad, because he’s confident and mysterious, but really he’s insecure and is only using her to make himself feel like a man. It’s a cycle, though, because once a girl gets used, it gives her something to feel sorry for herself about, and she just starts all over, attracting predators.

This sounds very unfair, I know. It sounds unfair because IT IS unfair. A sad reality in our world is those who are hurting are often the same people who are taken advantage of. Our response, without question, should be to defend people who are hurting and protect them, but also to guide them into healing so they can be strong and not get taken advantage of again. If a woman gets hurt, it’s important to get counseling and help before putting herself out there. There are countless exceptions to this, but I still believe it’s true that when somebody is weak, they need to find people they can trust who can help them gain strength. Girls who grew up without fathers are often hurting and looking for strength and affirmation from men, and it’s important they get that from a community or from men who are safe.

Now I am going to say this directly and perhaps offensively, but I want to say it straight: If a girl wants a great guy, she has to stop feeling sorry for herself. She has to do something different to attract somebody different. If you are strong and choosy, if you have a vision for your life, he will sense in you somebody to partner with so the two of you can help others (or raise a family.) That’s what a good guy is looking for. I’m not saying you can’t cry on his shoulder every once in a while-guys love being strong for a woman-I’m just saying if you have the characteristics of a wounded animal, you are going to attract somebody who eats wounded animals.

The sad truth is there are millions of legitimate victims out there, but each one of us needs to access the many resources given us to gain back our strength.

It’s important to note that a strong, confident woman is what a guy needs, but it’s not always what a guy wants. Guys who are weak themselves may feel secure with a weak woman, but girls, this is not the guy for you. Strength attracts strength. Feminine strength is incredibly attractive.

Guys are also attracted to beauty. But that doesn’t mean you have to look like a supermodel. In the vision I have for my wife, she doesn’t look like a model at all. She’s going to be the mother of my children for heaven’s sake. So a girl throwing her boobs all over the place may get my attention, but she’s not getting a ring. At least not from me. Beauty is important, but it’s true there are many ways to be beautiful. I know good-looking girls get more attention, but what that girl most likely wants is to have a conversation and instead she gets guys falling all over her, so her life isn’t perfect either.

A guy who has a serious vision for his life and family is looking for a partner, an advisor, somebody who can work with him to do remarkable things. A bimbo isn’t going to help. And if he wants a bimbo, he doesn’t have a very good vision for his life anyway. Self-assurance is beautiful. A choosy girl is beautiful. A woman who does not manipulate with her appearance is beautiful. A girl who is respectful of other people is beautiful. Intelligence is beautiful. A woman who has deep faith is beautiful. God knows there are plenty of books out there for girls on how to attract guys. I’d be careful and read the ones from dignified, older authors, because there are all kinds of tricks women use to attract men that just leave them more and more lonely.

Here is the last bit of advice: We are not going to get the love we really need from each other. We are going to get it from God, in heaven. Until then, we have an awesome opportunity to practice committed love with each other. We get to be faithful to each other, we get to try to love unconditionally (at which point we will understand how amazing God is) we get to serve each other by being more attractive to our mates, we get to take care of each other, we get to bring children into the world and take care of them, we get to share our lives with a family, and we get to have a heck of a lot of fun together. And as such we get to improve our character. Those are some of the reasons we should be looking for a mate.”

What does a man need from a woman? (This is not in the book, but I wanted to summarize some more practical thoughts for this blog.)

• A woman who believes she is beautiful and cultivates that beauty, in many ways. He’ll be drawn to that beauty and confidence. Now much of this comes from understanding how much you are loved by God and so have infinite intrinsic value. So pursuing a true answer to that question is important. The other part comes from this whole, beautiful, educational playground God gives us. He has given you ways to cultivate beauty, and He wants to go with you on that journey. Is it memorizing poetry, learning a language, playing a sport, starting your own baking class on the internet, or doing aid work somewhere in the world? Go for it and have a blast. We think God is going to suddenly make us feel strong or beautiful or confident, but He’s not, He’s going to go with you into an awesome story where character development happens along the way. Tell God you want to live through an awesome story that brings you to an understanding about your intrinsic beauty.

• A woman who is choosy. A woman who knows she is beautiful waits for a good match. This doesn’t mean you should play hard to get. Games are just confusing. What it means is that you should respond kindly to guys who have done the work you are worthy of partnering with.

• A woman with a vision for her life. If she wants a family, she’s looking for good dad potential and good husband potential. If she wants to become President, she’s looking for good “first man” potential. Know what you want and look for that in a guy. And don’t lie to yourself. If you want to be a mother and have a family, don’t pretend you’re not interested in that because you are afraid a man will get scared off. Having a family is an awesome vision, and if he doesn’t want that, you aren’t compatible.

• Show some respect. Emerson Eggerichs rightly tells us men are attracted to respect and women to love. We both want love and respect, but it’s true men strongly respond to respect. Respect makes a man feel great. Men like women who don’t constantly criticize, reminding him of his failures or what’s wrong with him (that’s true for all of us, for sure, but it drives men nuts). If you are dating somebody you don’t respect, either find something to respect about him, or leave, but don’t cut him down on the way out. And don’t cut down other men, either. Just show respect, and guys will start wondering what it is about you that is so great.



Donald Miller is one of my favorite authors. If you're looking for a good read, check out some of his books. My favorite is Blue Like Jazz, where he shares the story of his spiritual journey. He went from being distant from God and losing his faith, to seeing the importance and relevance of Jesus in his life.



You can visit his blog here to see some of his other entries.

Adorable baby pictures

Words by Everynone

This short film made me smile.
It gave me goosebumps.

Pay close attention:

play
blow
break
split
run
fly
fall
light
space.

Favorite childhood memory = camping

And I only got to do it once this summer.
It was worth all of the work that camping tends to be. The preparation, food, setup, etc. Actually, the whole event is pretty tiring. But I couldn't have asked for a better camping experience.






we pitched our tents
and bathed in bug spray
then we chatted and laughed all through the night by the fire.