pura vida

I just had to share these bracelets with you. I am obsessing over them to say the least. Pura vida bracelets are from a small community in Costa Rica where a villager started makes and sells them. They are now becoming much more popular and he has been able to expand his sales from less than 10 a week to more than 5,000! It's an incredible story and can be seen at their website. The best part is that for every bracelet that has been purchased part of the profit goes back to charity and no 2 bracelets ever look the same since they are custom made. It's pretty cool folks. I am definitely purchasing one

[or maybe 5].

I don't have a ton to say today.

[sorry]

I was up way too early and then napped before class trying to kick this sickness.

[ugh, it just won't go away!]

But can we still be friends? I promise I will start being a better blogger soon!

I've got some ideas in the works.

By the way I am so excited for the Bachelor tonight.

Uh- they are going to South Africa- how cool?!

I have a few things up my sleeve for {healthy you} coming up soon so keep checking back!

sunday's revelation

First of all I would like to send out a great big thank you to Frills for Thrills for featuring me in her latest post!

It was so much fun and great blogging opportunity!

[thank you Frills!]

Today is what I like to call a very lazy day. I have done nothing worth mentioning really.

[ya know..just watched 3 movies and laid in bed since I've been sick..]

But I've been thinking a lot lately about how much of a difference I want to make and the impact I want to have. I have started reading

[again]

the Purpose Driven Life- such a great book! I would highly recommend it. Anyway, some stuff has been going on in my life lately

[both good! and bad]

that has made me want to dig deeper into my purpose here on earth and how I can further better God's kingdom. Remember how I told you I have some good news here? Well, I am super excited about it! And then yesterday I kind of got blind-sided by some things and it made me question a lot about why I am here and why bad things have to happen. I have been having to constantly tell myself God is in control and nothing and no one can change that. So needless to say, even in the last 24 hours God has been faithful to soften my heart and attitude to

one that desires to focus on Him and not on the bad things. This is huge for me people. I tend

to worry a lot and when I worry I can easily become consumed by the problem or even begin to make up bad scenarios in my head and worry about those.

[how silly.]

As a dear friend of mine who is now with Jesus once told me

"Don't look at bad things as problems, they are opportunities. Opportunities to become closer to God and to become a stronger person."

[don't you just love that?!]

So folks, I am declaring right here that those things will not consume me and I will choose instead to trust in the Lord. Besides, I am not going to let those things take away the happiness I got with all my good news this week! :)

Oh, I guess I should share that. I won't share all of it though.

[ya know, that way you'll come back!]

I am so excited and blessed to have the opportunity to work at the hospital for my practicum this spring! I went there on Friday to talk with them about my hours and asked the gal if I would be able to do a summer internship and she said

YES!!!

I am so excited! This has been my dream for so long and now I can finally see the light at the end of the school tunnel. :) Praise God, right?!

[via]

I want to leave you with some happy thoughts. So here you go!

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart

and lean not on your own understanding;

in all your ways acknowledge him,

and he will make your paths straight."

Proverbs 3: 5-6

I hope you have had a happy weekend

[and maybe a lazy sunday like me!]

God bless!

fabs and flops fridays #1

So here it is people! I am starting a new thing on Friday's called "fabs and flops". Here's how it goes: fabs are going to the 5 most fabulous things from the previous week, flops are the 5 "worst" things.

Let's see how this works.

Fabs:

• having a snow day!
• going to all-campus worship (so great!)
• finding out I have an internship for sure for the summer (thank you, Jesus!!)
• finishing my 5k
• spending time with some of my best friends

Flops:

• getting assigned 2 group projects this week that are due next week
• being sick
• driving in the ice
• watching sponge-bob (sorry...not a fan.)
• having a FINAL this week (who does that in week 8?)

I am so thankful for this 3 day weekend. It's much needed. I have some exciting news and will be sharing it within the next few weeks so just stay tuned!

Have a happy Friday!

snow day!

Lucky me! Today I woke up to snow and tomorrow class is cancelled!

Hallelujah.

I so was wishing I was here:

This is the view from home :)

[thank you, brother for posting this!]

[I was especially wanting to be there after hearing my mom tell me she was baking!]

I did have to go out on the roads today which was uh- intimidating/scary/not okay!

But I made it.

And now that I have a 3 day weekend it's all worth it anyway.

As promised before, I tried to come up with a cute "snow day" outfit. Sorry folks, didn't really happen how I was hoping. Today was a little busier than I anticipated. But I did get some pictures of what I ended up doing so hopefully you aren't too disappointed!

{shirt: charlotte ruse, cardigan: old navy, jeans: ross, coat: macy's, scarf: homemade gift, headband: gift, boots: pay less, necklace: f21}

So I am hoping to start a new thing on my blog for Friday's so check back tomorrow!

[which is in 6 minutes...why am I up so late?]

Enjoy the snow, and be safe!

hey again winter...

[via]

WoW!

Looks like winter has come back to stay for a while. I woke up the last 2 mornings and BAM there was *snow* on my car, on the ground and it was cold enough to make me wonder if I had somehow landed in Alaska. To be quite honest, I am not really all that excited about

how cold it has been and all the snow, I mean it's practically March! I was definitely

excited about the sunshine we had a few weeks ago. :)

Okay...wow enough about the weather!

[sorry to bore you!]

But all of this *snow* has definitely gotten me back into the spirit of wanting to be inside and cuddling while watching a movie and drinking a cup of hot chocolate.

Instead of doing that I have been doing homework.

[haha...lame!]

But I did make some yummy muffins! Apple cinnamon muffins to be exact. So good! I love baking and how the delicious smell permeates the house. MMmmm! Take a look-see.

Anyhow, looks like it's time to bring the boots and scarves back out and those oh-so-cozy gloves of mine. I've got an outfit in mind for tomorrow...stay tuned!

Back to this post instead of me babbling on.

[sorry again!]

Check out some of these wonderful winter happy styles!

winter styles by Jenn Danna on Polyvore.com

Cute huh?! Enjoy winter while you can!

i guess it's my bucket list

Okay, so here it is:

MY BUCKET LIST

[I know you all were waiting for it]

Honestly, this may not seem too extravagant or anything

[okay some things might be]

but this is really some of the things that I want to do/accomplish in my life before it's over. Yes, there are some fun, kind of "out there" things, but a lot of it is simple stuff that I want to do to make some kind of difference. Enjoy!

1. I want to learn how to dance

[yeah...I'm kind of behind...]

2. I want to make a dress

3. I want to plant a big vegetable garden

[and keep it alive...]

4. I want to lead someone to Christ

5. I want to go skydiving

6. I want to learn how to snowboard

7. I want to ride in a hot air balloon!

[that will make me overcome my fear of heights. and basically it'd just be so cool!]

8. I want to start at the base of a mountain and hike to the top

9. I want to have a baby

[get married first! obv.]

10. I want to write a book

[not really sure about what.]

11. I want to go on a mission's trip to Africa

[Sierra Leone to be exact.]

12. I want to dance in the rain

[after doing #1 of course]

13. (warning: this could disturb some people) I want to shoot a bird...

[my dad hunts and I grew up around it okay...]

14. I want to go snorkeling

15. I want to travel to every continent

[okay, maybe not Antarctica]

16. I want to learn how to windsurf

Some things I have already accomplished on my Bucket List include:

-learning how to play tennis

-driving a dump-truck

-playing a whole game of golf

-going to disneyland! (uh, so fun!)

-knitting a scarf

-going to a professional sports game

-giving blood (wow, that was a bad experience though.)

So now that I have shared some of the things on my list, it's your turn! What's on your bucket list?

By the way, if you haven't yet check out my newest post in {healthy you} here!

so much to see...

I am pretty sure I have blogged a little about this before...but whatever.

I want to travel the whole world. There are so many cool

places to see! There is a place on every continent that looks absolutely amazing. I am in awe

whenever I look at pictures online of the beauty that is on our planet.

[I mean seriously.]

So pretty. Check these out!

[paris]

[greece]

[italy]

[jamaica]

[china]

[fiji]

[egypt]

[and yes, I'd love to ride a camel]

[australia]

[sahara dessert]

Whoa. That's a lot. I've got some work to do! I know everyone says they want to travel the world...and I will. This has been a dream of mine forever.

Where would you like to travel to?

Sarah's Giveaway and Super Cute Blog!

So I have recently become more acquainted through blogging world with the lovely Mrs. Sarah Nelson. Sarah's husband Ian used to teach the college group Real Life through Calvary Chapel of Corvallis and that's how we first kind of came into contact. She has the cutest blog and quite honestly I've been creepin' it for some time now :) She is doing a fun giveaway now too for a gift card to a CSN Store! You should check out her blog. It's the sweetest!

so today I ran a 5k

So this morning I got up bright and early to head down to Eugene and run a 5k! Little did I know when I signed up that it would be cold enough for ice and snow. I mean it was freezing out there. It was a 5k designed to be run with a partner so I went with Korey and of course we were running late

[I feel like I always am...]

and I was kind of nervous that we would be late and miss the start. But, we didn't :)

[I worry too much for no reason]

We finished the race in 26 minutes and 46 seconds! I was determined to run the whole thing and didn't really care about the time, but I was surprised to see that we did so well. Poor Korey had his shoe untied the whole time and since it was so cold and hard to breathe his chest hurt. I was impressed that he kept going- I don't know if I could've. Anyway, after we finished there was free clam chowder, fruit and muffins. Then we went to the mall and I shopped and bought some clothes and jewelry I probably shouldn't have. I'd say it was a success.

[me after the race]

hair daze

I am in a total obsession right now with hairstyles and haircuts. I kind of go through phases with this where I want to get a really outrageous haircut because I am tired of dealing with my long hair. My hair is naturally curly and when the weather is wet it just gets frizzy and really icky. Even if it's straight it just goes all haywire and I often find myself just putting up so I don't have to deal with it.

[this picture is bad in so many ways, but this is what I mean when my hair just goes bleh]

So naturally towards the end of winter I am totally ready for something new and fresh. Right now my hair is over halfway down my back and it's been a while since I've had it cut. I used to have really short hair

[I mean really short, like by my ears]

and it just didn't look good on me, so I still want it to be long.

These are some styles that always inspire me:

[all images via google images]

I love long layers. I also love bangs, but I'm always nervous if I should get them or not. Any input on what I should do?!

Also check out my newest post in {Healthy You}!

looking on the {bright} side

Today was just one of those days where I had to look for the positives in all the negatives.

To say the least..today was {rough}. Okay correction- the beginning of this day was not too great. I woke up at 5:15

[that should be your first clue]

to go to work

[at OSU Catering].

I usually don't mind the morning shifts because I can get some hours in and then be done for the day and do whatever I want. But this morning was BAD. I had several orders right in a row and on the very first one all of the coffee, orange, juice and water spilled. grrreat. Oh, and the doors were locked to all the rooms I needed to get in and a customer asked me for more food on her order after it was set. Double wammy. But everything was set on time and good to go. Then I was off to class and then a nice workout to relieve some stress ya know. I got back to my car and found a parking ticket. Nice. I had a breakdown right then. I called my mom sobbing and just feeling {really bad}.

[I'm not overly exaggerating...I am also boggled down with schoolwork]

Man, I hope someday I can be as amazing of a woman as my mom. She is so wise and helpful and would do absolutely anything for me. My conversation with her really changed my attitude and helped relieve some more stress. God has totally blessed me! My day has only gone up from there.

I had coffee and talk-time with my wonderful friend Kendra, who I adore so much! It was such a blessed time to chat and just relax. Seriously {so blessed}. In my afternoon class I didn't have a quiz

[always a plus!],

and we got out early

[yay!].

I got to say hi to my friend Jessy, and even though it was only for like a couple seconds that girl can seriously light up my day

[thank you!].

And of course I have been praying and asking God just for a better attitude and motivation to help me get through the rest of my huge load of homework. He is so faithful.

I am so looking forward to this night. I am home in my cozy {pink fluffy} socks, sweats, and with my hair on top of my head, and I am totally motivated to do my paper, project, and study for my midterm. In fact, I am {excited} to work on it.

[okay, yes I am a nerd and total dweeb]

And I will probably have Lucky Charms for dinner... :)

This verse kept popping in my head today: "This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." {psalm 118:24} Even when you think your day is going badly, just remember all things happen for a reason and that ultimately you can choose to rejoice and find the positives! :)

[this picture {totally} made me so happy]

Happy Valentine's Day!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

Today is one of the only days the whole year that we take time to recognize and express our love for all of those around us. (kind of sad, but true) Single or not, I hope that you were able to tell someone today how much you care!

My Valentine's day was full of very pleasant surprises. I woke up to a wonderful message from my boy. I talked with my amazing mother on the phone. After my morning class I came home to a surprise bouquet of flowers, a card, and my favorite- a candle! (it smells divine by the way!) We just kind of hung out for the day until after my next class then went to a lovely dinner at Carinos restaurant- so delicious. Tonight we are ending the night with

[homemade]

yogurt and fruit parfaits for dessert and watching some tv. Needless to say, today has been wonderful.

[my lovely gifts]

[my valentine]

I hope you have had a happy heart day!

headbands up.

So I've noticed more recently that headbands are coming back in style. With long hair like mine, I am always wanting to get it out of my face, but often times find myself just putting it in a ponytail. A headband would be a great alternative. There are all kinds, shapes, and sizes which make them a very versatile accessory that can be used to dress-up or drab-down any outfit for any occasion.

A google search brought forth A LOT of results, but these are some that I loved.

the hippie style (via)

the scarf- can go with any outfit (via)

the dressy hair flower- match with your outfit for your night on the town (via)

the bandana- simple, yet stylish (via)

the athletic & hair-get-out-of-my-face headband (via google images)

the studded headband (via)

the simple and elegant flower headband-great for any occasion (via)

So whether you want to dress-up or hit the gym, there is a fun headband for you! They can also be fun and easy to make! Enjoy :)

.smack-dab in man-land.

So... today I had a terrifying experience. Let me explain.

I try to go to the gym at least 4 times a week and if I'm not at the gym you can generally find me running somewhere around town. Basically when I workout I do cardio exercises (running, doing the eliptical...) and then I work on abs and push-ups after that. I never go to the weight room. That is man-land right there.

So of course I get an assignment in one of my classes that requires me to go to the weight room to do various exercises to test my strength and whatnot. And of course I would choose to go when it's the busiest time of day. So there I am smack-dab in the middle of man territory looking like an idiot I'm sure because I don't even know where to

start. I mean, I've lifted weights before and all that, but when there are that many people there, it's kind of intimidating trying to figure things out. Luckily, a girl I knew was there and she was able to help me (whew!). It was so sweet of her and I am so thankful! To be honest though, I didn't finish the assignment yet because I was too intimidated. I think I saw...one...other girl in there the whole time. I mean scary! Right girls?

So, this whole thing got me to thinking that I should really become more familiar with the weight room and not be so intimidated by "man land." So here is my goal and I want to encourage you to participate with me: I am going to lift weights in the weight room on the machines 2 times a week for 25 minutes. There. I am super nervous! But it'll be a fun journey and I hope that you will join in with me!

736 reasons to {love} coffee

I swear, some days coffee literally seems to save my life. Recently, I have been finding myself needing to have a cup in order to function. uhh- I don't do addictions. And to be honest it has been a little hard for me to accept the fact that I want to have a cup every morning.

[not that I have been letting myself..]

So of course my dad's oh-so-wise words come to mind: "ya know, it's always good to make a pros and cons list to something before making a decision." BINGO!

{pro}} it tastes yummy

{con}} it can be addicting (like I haven't said that already..)

{pro}} it helps me wake up

{con}} it can stunt growth (who cares! I'm done growing anyway)

{pro}} it's a good socializing activity

{con}} it can yellow your teeth (just use crest whitening strips!)

{pro}} it warms you up on a cold day (or if you prefer to have yours cold, it's just as delicious!)

{con}} it can be an expensive habit (by making it yourself at home it's cheaper!)

{pro}} believe it or not there are some health related benefits (read here)

{con}} I can't think of anymore. (not that the other one's were a big deal) ;)

{pro}} goes well with lots of foods or after dinner

{pro}} the smell is divine

{pro}} you can drink it in all kinds of fun mugs or a nice thermos

{pro}} there are so many different flavors to add so you won't ever get tired of it

{pro}}( seeing a pattern here?)

ok...I can think of a billion more pros, but I'm out of cons. pros win. I just love a good warm cup of coffee! Enjoy one on this cold day :)

Addison Road - What Do I Know Of Holy

I have seriously been obsessed with this song lately and can't get it out of my head. The words make me think so much about how much I truly don't know and how much more that I actually do want to know about God. Just thought I'd share :)

[happy friday]

oh friday...I love this day. There is always a sense of accomplishment that comes from knowing I made it through a long week. This particular friday has gone especially well.

It started off as one of those days where I just could not open my eyes for the life of me and when even after the alarm went off

[several times]

I still could not get motivated to get up for my 8 am class. I finally rolled out of bed and right before I was about to leave I

[luckily]

checked my email only to find that class had been canceled! And what did I do?...you guessed it- went right back to sleep. When I finally got up like 3 hours later, I went to campus to turn in an assignment and had my money ready for the meter only to find that the person before had left early and it still had 20 minutes left! I mean seriously...today has already been so good. I'm so excited to have a 3 day weekend! Today I get to go to my old boss's retirement party and I am so excited! Then I get to go spend the evening with my wonderful parents. Tomorrow I'm headed to the beach for the day and sunday is the SUPERBOWL!

[go packers!]

Hope you have a happy friday and a fab weekend! :)