To the Boy in The Picture

Looking at this picture, almost a year and a half later, I still smile like the first time I saw it. I can see myself riding in my mom's car two days before I went on a last-minute decision of a Spring Break trip facetiously declaring that the next guy I dated, who better have one zealous personality, would live far, far away. I can remember awkwardly running through the sand, Tara's floppy hat flying in the wind, just trying to find a bathroom, and suddenly turning around when I heard a boy's voice yell out behind me. I can see the stool at the kitchen bar where I sat later that night when the same green-eyed boy plopped down beside me and smiled. Mostly, I remember taking pictures with my friends that night, and due to a weird feeling in my stomach, I told the guy that I had only been talking to for a mere hour that we should take a picture.Well..

The boy in the picture, as I constantly remind him, was my sarcastic wish come true. 

(As I found out the night I met him, he had quite, to say the very least, the personality, and would be moving to Houston in August for his job.)

The boy in the picture, who just happened to stop by our beach house on March 14, 2011, for one afternoon with his friends on their way to Pensacola, has completely changed my life.

Because, you see...

The boy in the picture, is now my FIANCE.

Yes, I am ENGAGED, and I still smile at the thought of it even though it happened almost three weeks ago. The story is quite similar to the one above. I had just arrived at the beach (where we met) with my family when the boy in the picture drove in from Houston. He had been there for no more than ten minutes, when he asked me if I wanted to go and fly a kite. I, being the dramatic diva that I sometimes am, refused to go and tried to explain to his thick skull that we would be going to dinner soon. Yet, he was persistent, so I finally agreed to fly the kite. Due to the futile winds and broken kite, we soon surrendered and decided to walk down the beach instead. A few minutes into our walk, literally, out of nowhere, six to eight dolphins started jumping out of the water. I was mesmerized. I have always loved dolphins (I pretty much thought it was my duty as a child to grow up and help Flipper). I ran to the water's edge with excitement and watched, yelling for Andrew to come see. That's when I turned around to find him...

When I turned around, the first thing I saw was the ring box. Simultaneously, I started shaking, laughing until I snorted (does ANY girl ever think she's going to snort in her proposal) tearing up, and screaming at him/asking him what he was doing. He proceeded to say a lot of sweet things; most I don't remember because I was talking just as much as he was(only completely typical and fully expected) in the midst of my excitement/complete and utter shock. Then he got down on one knee, asked me to marry him, and made July 28, 2012, the best day of my life. We then ran back to the condo where I told my parents (who had known the entire summer), and minutes later, his family walked through the door. We spent the rest of the night and week celebrating at the place where it all began with the most special people surrounding us. It was a wonderful week and the absolutely perfect proposal. Did I mention that an entire restaurant serenaded us with "Happy Marriage to You"? That, my friends, is a whole different story for another day. 

I think the best way to sum up my feelings are found in a moment of the proposal. Right after he proposed, Andrew stood up, pulled a Bible, with my new name, out of his pocket and read Proverbs 3:3-4 which in part states.

"Let love and faithfulness never leave you; write it in the tablet of your heart."

To put it simply, yet so accurately, God knew the tablet of my heart when He planned and then sent the boy in the picture into my life. HIS love and faithfulness never left me, and He, alone, has overflowed my cup by blessing me with the fiance that I could have never imagined yet have always dreamt about. For that, I am forever humbled and eternally grateful.

and..

To the boy in the picture: Words could never express how thankful I am for you. For the best friend that makes the most ordinary, extraordinary. For the irreplaceable laugh that brightens the darkest corners. For the Razorback fanatic who will cause me to hear SportsCenter in my sleep. For the hand that has held mine through prayers. For you coming into my life like a bull in a china shop and making every single broken dish worth it. For the past year and a half and all the ones to follow. Ultimately, for making me the happiest and luckiest girl in the world and for simply being the tablet of my  heart. I love you.

 

A Foggy Perspective

After a two-month hiatus, I am back. I, A) Do not know where summer ran off to, but she and Time eloped and left me standing at the brink of a new season; B) apologize for my absence but C) in my defense have been taking summer school, training for a 5K, and trying to accumulate observational hours. Therefore my mind has been gallivanting elsewhere for the past few weeks. Back to my point.

A Foggy Perspective. Yes, this is where I found myself two weeks ago.(Quite frankly, I am surprised that I have not seen the Ark and my admirable leopards floating by outside of my window because I feel like Mississippi has gotten nothing but rain for the past two weeks.) I had just left the clinic where I was shadowing when the rain began. Being the extremely over-dramatic girl that I am, I began to get antsy and started giving pep talks to myself as I drove through the rain and blared the Phillips, Craig, and Dean even louder (not sure how this really helped my concentration).  Yet, the rain only grew stronger, and within a few minutes, I literally could not see out of my windshield. At  this point, I was putting on quite the show, panicking, convinced that I would ram into the back of a cement truck and be buried beneath tons of plaster, rock, and debris. I didn't understand why my windshield was so foggy and how the rain had gotten so bad in such a short span of time. I was convinced that the situation was a lot worse than it really was (which I would soon find out it was not). Then, the oh-so-terribly-rusty light bulb clicked: "Turn on your DEFROST, Shelby."

If there had been a theme song for my life in that moment, it would have definitely been, "I can see clearly now, the rain is gone."

Yep, sure enough, the defrost took care of the fog, and guess what? I could see. (I felt only slightly moronic).

So what's my point besides pointing out the blatantly obvious that I have a  very short circuit in my light bulb of common sense?

Lately, there have been so many things going on, nationally and locally, that can give us as humans, and me as an individual, a foggy perspective. Life is full of storms where our vision becomes foggy, and we can't see through the rain. We face storms where we think the situation is a lot worse than it really is. We convince ourselves that there is not going to be any slack in the downpours. Yet, as I read yesterday in A Thousand Gifts, "Above the clouds, light never stops shining." Putting it into my terms: Hidden in the fog, there is always a place of defrost.

In life, we can't see past the clouds or the fog because we can't see the whole picture and because we are humans. Because I am human and because I want to know the answers and comprehend everything, I have struggled before with accepting that some storms in life are not going to always make sense. Yet, as I struggle with this, I find peace in the reminder of this verse today.

" So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." 2 Cor. 4:18

This verse is the answer to the foggy perspectives in our lives. Through our human capacities and human eyes, we can only perceive the rain and the fog sometimes. We cannot see the light behind the clouds and we cannot see the clarity beyond the fog. We can only see what is in front of our eyes. In this sense, we are all helpless. However, there is a God who can see the light. He can see the clarity. He can see what we can't: the unseen. He can see the bigger picture that is working for His glory. He can see the eternity that is an ocean whereas the temporary is merely a drop. Therefore, we must have faith in the unseen. Faith that there is light shining behind the clouds. Faith that there is a message to defrost in the fog. Faith that the situation is really not as it appears and that is is merely- a foggy perspective.

I have always wanted to hitch my wheels to the bandwagon of "Fill in the Blank Friday," and due to Lauren's cheerful version that I found, I thought today was a perfect day to start. Therefore, without further ado, let's begin shall we?

1.  Something that is very near and dear to my heart is people, helping them, and investing part of yourself into their lives.

2.      Another day in this crazy, abundant life   is good cause to celebrate .

3.  The most fun I ever had were moments of spontaneity or moments where I let myself be child-like again.

4.  True friends are   the few people in your life who you have no boundaries with and allow you to be your truly unique self while also molding you into a better person along the way.

5. Something that makes me terribly happy is  hearing people's laughter (especially Allison, Andrew, and Tate's just to name a few extraordinarily entertaining laughs).

6. A good way to spend a sunny day is   with sweet tea, a good book, and a beach chair at the ocean's edge. Hello, July! I am coming for you.

7.  My favorite celebratory food is ice cream. Hands down.

 

 

Halfway through with this Maymester. (Another reason to celebrate). What about you? What are your Fill-in-the-Blanks? Happy Friday, friends!

The Bachelorette Babbles

So, I saw this on Meg's blog, and of course, I couldn't help but join in on the fun since the highlight of my day yesterday was the pure entertainment of the first episode of The Bachelorette. For all of you who are turning up your noses right now, cut me a little slack. I am in summer school and had been reading about human development all day. I needed some kind of release, even if it was soap-reality TV. Besides, who can resist watching Emily? She's absolutely beautiful. Back to the point, here are my opinions and impressions from last night's show.

First impressions and favorites:
-Ryan: The guy is a former pro-football player. Do I really need to continue? Ok, ok, besides that, he is a Southern man (woo hoo). Not to mention, in his introductory video, he was playing with kids WHILE lifting a tire. Can we say Superman?

-Charlie: Almost reminded me of Channing Tatum in a way, so of course, I was immediately hooked. He's from Nashville which is also a plus. Finally, I found his demeanor adorable. From his joke about the plates in his head to just his smile- I LOVED him.

-Arie: I thought he was so cute and loved his consideration of Emily's feelings. He is also a race-car driver which adds an adventurous edge in my book.
-Jeff: Although I thought he stepped straight out of the 80s or The Breakfast Club, you can't help but love someone who donates their company's profits to a charity. And behind all that crazy hair, the boy is cute.

Moments that literally made me cringe:
-BOBBLEHEAD: I literally cringed at this. I would never want to see myself as a bobblehead figurine and do not find this the slightest bit romantic. Flowers, yes. Compliment, absolutely. A bobblehead doll that looks just like me and has absolutely no use: N-O.
-HELICOPTER: I can handle Linzi coming in on the horse last season because that was something she was passoniate about/loved. However, I have a huge problem with Kalon making the set his own landing pad and his "Sorry, I'm late" comment. You made no friends with that one, pal.
EGG: Once again, I cringed. The only guy from my home state, and he brings an EGG. I am all for creativity and being unique, but an EGG? The metaphor was terrible too. I would never want to be compared to an over-sized egg that you are going to "guard and protect." I'm sorry, did the producers let Casey come back this season? Next stop: Egg tattoo.
-Songwriter: I really don't even remember his name, but I was so disturbed by his "song" in the introductory video. I am anxiously awaiting for the awkward moment where he breaks out into a musical number on a date. Once again, Casey is back on the show people. 

Did you watch the show? Who were your favorites? 

Happy Tuesday!!

T's in TGIF.

Today, I figured I would have a spin-off of TGIF. As thankful as I am that today is Friday, (even though finals start Monday-eeek) quite a few things have happened this week that I am thankful for. So without further ado, let's begin my T's in TGIF list,

1. T for NICE cops. Yes, you heard me. I had NEVER been pulled over by a cop since I began driving almost six years ago (weird) until Tuesday night. I got a call from a friend who was having a bad night, so of course in Super Shelby fashion, I sped across campus. I had been in bed, so needless to say, my hair was not reveling in its glory days. As I was driving, I was not paying attention to what was behind me until.... the BLUE lights. Doesn't your heart always sink? Mine did. So, I pulled over to only realize NO LICENSE. Perfect. So with the biggest smile I could muster, I turned and saw the cop approach my window. He asked for my license, only for me to explain that I did not have my license-my friend called me in a panic for all I knew she could be hurt (yes, I pulled that sympathy card)- that I left in a hurry and didn't even intend to be driving- I am so sorry I am only going a mile off campus- ramble. When I was finished, I suppose the cop noticed how deranged I looked with my messy hair and ceaseless ramble and asked, "Mam, have you been drinking tonight?" I thought that my outfit, lack of make-up, and mangy mane did the job of explaining I was half asleep, but apparently not. I smiled and said no where he proceeded to ask if I had dead bodies in the car that he needed to know about (by this time, I picked up that he was kidding). Then to my miraculous surprise, he let me go scot-free when I had NO license. So major props to you, Mr. Policeman. Glad to see the meeting-quota-ticket-hungry force has not conquered everyone yet. 
2. T for Surprises. I love surprises, I really do. However, I have the nosy tendency to discover surprises by being snoopy (I was that kid who searched the house high and low for Christmas presents) or by finding the weakest link and badgering them until I got the desired information or by over-analyzing every possible situation. Yet, boyfriend is smart, and boyfriend is wonderful. While I thought he was sitting in his apartment in Texas watching a TV show, he was pulling onto campus in Mississippi. I got a call to go outside Wednesday night, and he was there. I literally was in s-h-o-c-k. He was in town for a recruiting event for work, so I got to hang out with him the past two days. It was just wonderful and just what I needed before finals started.
3. T for this past school-year. As the clock struck 3:45pm yesterday, I put the finishing touches on Junior year. I had my last class of my third year of college. I am still trying to figure out where the past three years have gone. I feel like I could walk back into room 1015 and find a freshman girl sitting on a red rug with her nose in most likely a Biology book never knowing where the next few years would take her. Yet, this past year has been absolutely amazing. I would not trade it for anything. I have gotten to do so many great things over the past school year and have made so many unforgettable memories. Although I only have one year left in this magical place, I am so grateful for the experiences I have had thus far. 
4. T for YOU. Yes, you, whoever you are reading this! I am glad that you stopped by to read my rambles and daily thoughts and for experiencing this crazy life with me so-to-speak. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, and that you too can find a few T's in TGIF.

 Happy Friday and May the 4th Be with You. (Yep, it's National Star Wars Day, and although I am not a fan, who is going to miss out on that incredibly cheesy pun? Not me!)

Do You Know What Tomorrow Is?

In case you were wondering...tomorrow,

Ok, so a little cheesy, I know, but if you were the slightest fan of NSYNC (and let's face it, most girls out there were/are) then you will appreciate this somewhat. I now have the song resounding in my head along with the visual of Justin, JC, Chris, Lance, and Joey breaking through the doll containers and running down the shelves in the music video. CLEARLY, I was a 90s child. I even have their lunch box, but enough of my fanatical rambling.

HAVE A GREAT FIRST DAY OF MAY!!

I know, I know. Awkward and Awesome twice in one week... Who does that? I do because my life is simply that awkward, and you can never be too thankful for all the awesome things in your life:) Here we go!

AWKWARD:

1. Tuesday, I had to attend an initiation ceremony for Beta Gamma Sigma, an honor society for Business/Accountancy majors. I already find school-related ceremonies painfully awkward: from the business-related attire to the inevitable speech to walking across stages in front of large masses of strangers to finally maneuvering through rows of seats to get back to your own. You get what I am saying. So, here I am, in this already awkward situation, and our row is guided to the stage where yes, we have to walk out in front of the masses. As my name is read, I walk with prayers on repeat that I don't face plant (that happens frequently), and I safely make it to the table where I am supposed to receive my certificate and pin(awkward again). As I get to the table, the girl asks me my name; I respond, and guess what? She couldn't find my certificate.... She asks if we can talk after the ceremony. I smile and say sure. I turn around, face the nosy masses who are wondering why this girl is the only incompetent initiate who doesn't get a certificate and smile yet again and walk to my seat empty-handed. I was hoping that everyone was blinded by the eager-beaver mother in the back of the room snapping photos that no one notice my blunder. Nope, one of the staff crawls through the rows of seats to get to mine and asks me my name and promises to find my certificate. Let's just say the Pony Express won't leave the watering trough, and my certificate will be here in a few days. 
2. Wednesday, I had been sick for over a week now with sinuses/allergies, but things had begun to look up for the good old immune system until Wednesday. I had just found my seat in my MIS class (which only has thirty to forty people) when a coughing spell decides to take over my body. I naively thought it would surrender within a few seconds, but no the cough fought viciously. After I realized this, I got up from my seat and found the nearest water fountain. I waited until I thought the cough had ceased. I returned to my seat in class and resumed listening to the monotonous computer programming lecture. Within a minute and a half, it was back with a vengeance. I did not want to get up for a second time, so I tried as hard as I could not to cough. I can only imagine the excruciatingly awkward faces I was making in this process. Eventually, the cough won out; I was coughing so much that tears were in my eyes- TEARS- which made it more awkward in that people thought I was probably crying from my public humiliation. Therefore, I excused myself yet again. You're welcome for the entertainment, peers.
3. Thursday, I had my management test. The room where this class is held is literally an inferno. It should just be referred to as the Boiler Room. Irrelevant to my story. Just me venting. Go with it. So, back to the test. As I am minding my own business, trying to make it through downsizing issues and MTBI personality traits, a pesky bug lands on my test. I try to shoo it off. It dies on the front page of my test. I want to scream because I have half of a dead bug on my hand and the other half on my test, but I am not sure that would fly with Teach. and the other 120-ish students in the class. Therefore, I have to bit my lip and finish through my test. Why me? Why my test?

AWESOME:

1.  Double Decker was this weekend. One of my favorite weekends of the year in this town and one of the 1000 reasons I love my secondary home. From the "Big as Yo Head" ice cream sandwiches to the tents of vendors showcasing their art, designs, food creations etc., to the red Double Decker buses voyaging through the town, to the music performances all weekend, and mostly the beauty of this quaint town makes it so memorable.
2. My sister came this weekend and I got to spend it with her. Much needed and thoroughly enjoyed.
3. Today's beautiful weather and a run at the park!
4. The green and white striped skirt and spring scarf I bought today!
5. One more week left of classes! Woo hoo (even though I will be in school all summer- just let me think it's still almost here for me!)

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!!

Throwback Thursday

Ok, so this picture is MORTIFYING, but I couldn't really help myself.  I have never joined in on the fun of Throwback Thursday, but today was too perfect of an occasion not to. You see, my best friend (pictured at left) is now OFFICIALLY in Nursing School, and I could not be more proud and more excited for her. Therefore, I found this old picture (high school spring break trip-yikes), and found it to be 100% accurate of how I feel today for my friend. 

To this picture: You are mortifying and a blatant reminder that I should not ever dance in public, in pictures, or anywhere at all for that matter. 

To today: Thank you for being a special day for my friend.

To tonight: Celebrations are in the forecast.

To my friend: I am so very excited for you. Although I am going to miss you terribly next year, I cannot wait to see this new chapter of your life unfold for you. You deserve this, and you are going to be absolutely wonderful. I am so proud of you. I love you!

Words of Wisdom Wednesday

Unfortunately, I don't have much time to blog tonight because I have a ten-page story due and management test tomorrow, but when I saw this quote, I couldn't help myself. I found it on Brittany's blog, and I knew I would have to put it on mine at some point. Also, major props to Skylar- she's from my hometown- on American Idol  tonight (which is playing in the background of my study session- everyone needs background noise right?)

Happy Wednesday!! Come back tomorrow? Great, see you then!

Awkward and Awesome (Houston-Style)

So, here we go. As promised, I am back from Houston, and I have multiple awkward moments to share. In fact, there are so many that I had to choose which ones to share. I haven't figured out the reasoning yet, but Awkward has a crush on me and follows me like a shadow. Without further ado, 

AWKWARD:

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• Let's start out with this guy. This is a foot-long hot dog. This is the epitome of awkward. No, the ball park did not sell "regular" hot dogs. They only served foot-longs. Therefore, in the spirit of the baseball atmosphere, I ordered a foot-long hot dog. Disclaimer: There is no non-awkward way to try to eat a foot-long hot dog. So, at one point, I suppose I was really into the game and picked this bad boy up upside-down. You can guess the aftermath. Yellow is my favorite color, but mustard on white shorts was not my ideal style for the day.
• People bring sunscreen to the pool. People bring towels to the pool. People bring life-sized teddy bears to the pool.. Yep. As we were sitting at the pool Saturday, a full-fledged adult felt the need to bring a five-foot teddy bear to the pool with him. (I am still trying to figure this one out myself).
• Sunday night we went to Raging Cajun which seemed to be a family-oriented restaurant but apparently was structured for giants. I get to the drink dispenser and make it beyond obvious I have never been to the restaurant before. I am a little over 5'6 and had to stand on my tip-toes to get my lemonade. Needless to say, I couldn't see the top of the glass, so as I go to pull my drink down, it billows over my cup and drenches my arm and legs. So if you're keeping score at home, we have mustard on the white shorts and pink lemonade on the rest of my body.
• Friday morning I boarded the plane and began the infuriating task of trying to "stow away my carry-on items." Most of the time, this occurs flawlessly. Not Friday. No, my pink tote bag decided she was claustrophobic and didn't want to fit in the bin. So here I am pulling a Ben Stiller practically heaving myself against the bag trying to make it go into the overhead bin. Need I mention it was before seven AM and I provided everyone with a comical wake-up call. 
• When I got there Friday, Andrew had to work, so I was left to entertain myself without a car on a rainy day in Houston. I had to be at the airport at 4am, so I fell asleep pretty quickly. When I woke up, Maury was playing on the TV. I could not find the remote, so yes, I watched Maury episodes... awkward all by itself. 
• Boyfriend, being the wonderful guy that he is, got me the flowers you are about to see in the Awesome section below. As I just mentioned, Friday was rainy, so when the sun came out Saturday, I was determined that these pretties needed sun. I set them out on the balcony, and they were happy as can be there. Well, Sunday came along, and when I went to check on them, they were dead as a door knob. All twelve of them. I killed my flowers. Every last one of them. (Sorry, Andrew.)

AWESOME:

• The beautiful flowers that were waiting upon my arrival! (Also the ones that I fried :( 
• Watching the Astros win 12-0 and also seeing a grand slam. Baseball games just can't be beat.
  
• CHUY'S. Yes, I went. Are you surprised?
• Dinner at the Spindle Top- it was on top of the Hyatt, and it rotates around as you eat so you get the full view of the city. It was so pretty! The food was wonderful too.
  
• Pretty days beside a pool. I need summer.
• Getting to spend an awesome weekend with one of my favorite people and loving every single awkward minute of it.

 

View from the Spindle Top- does no justice.

HAPPY MONDAY!!

 

Leaving on a Jet Plane

PLEASE tell me that when you read the title you immediately pictured Ben Affleck in Armageddon serenading Liv Tyler and spinning her around in a moment of pure a-w-e? If not, hopefully you at least know the song. If you can't recall either, I am crashing-and-burning here in my pop culture references. Back to the point. (Although, Ben Affleck is wonderful.)

In about seven hours (who's really counting here?) I am, indeed, leaving on a plane and heading to The Lone Star State to see (drumroll, please.....)

 

..........This guy!

He would probably be embarrassed if he knew that I put this picture up, but we'll keep it our little secret, ok? Great! Yep, that is what I put up with on a daily basis and have done so now for a little over a year! However, he's in Texas; I'm in Mississippi- so I don't get to help him uncross his eyes every day. Needless to say, I am rather excited about the weekend in Houston and hopefully can also have a visit with....

.........This guy!

To the human eye, that may look like your average queso, but ladies and gentlemen, it simply is not. It is Chuy's Queso COMPUESTO, and I have a serious love affair with this bowl of cheese, guacamole, and all sorts of heavenly goodness. Maybe it's just that Mississippi Mexican cuisine is not up-to-speed, but I absolutely love this dip. 

So, I might be MIA for a few days, but I promise I will be back as soon as I can with one too many awkward stories to tell! Considering past trips to Houston have led to:

• Me falling on my hands and knees in a dress and heels in the middle of the streets of Houston in the middle of a torrential downpour right outside of the huge window display of the  nice restaurant we had reservations for. Did I mention that a man on the street offered me his son's helmet?
• Literally running from a chimp at the zoo who was throwing things into the crowd.
• Spilling a cup of water in my lap and on my dress at another nice restaurant (see Awkward and Awesome post below) right as the waiter came to take my order.
• (and that's just a few)

So stick around. Things could will get embarrassing!

Have a great weekend!

She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not

:

So, I recently found Michaela's blog and loved it, so I had to join in on the fun of her post today- She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not. Let's get started shall we?

SHE LOVES ME...

1. Days at the park: This week, I have been to the park three days, and it always makes my week so much better. Whether it's running/walking or finding amusement from the yoga boys(see post below), I always love the me-time I have while I am there. The scenery isn't too shabby either (sorry that I stole this picture from you Samantha!)

2. DIY- Door Headboards: Since I will be moving into my new house for next year within the next two months, I guess I am starting to dabble my toes in the waters of decor. I have always fully believed in "one man's garbage is another man's treasure" which rings true for this piece. Last summer, I randomly found a door and had no idea what I wanted to do with it (or what I could since I would be in a sorority house). But now that I am about to have my own space, I think that the door might come in handy quite nicely. Cross your fingers that I can make it look like the one above:)

 

 3. CINDA B I absolutely love this line of luggage/bags. I think they are fabulous. One of my dear sorority sisters has recently started up her own business- you can visit her facebook page HERE- and she carries this wonderful line. Even better, if you spend just $50 on Cinda B, you get one of these ADORABLE coffee sleeves for FREE. I don't even drink coffee, but those sleeves make me want to start. So cute!

She Loves Me Not...

1.BEING SICK: The fact that I am having to take this medicine this week. I hate allergies/sinuses.

2. FINALS As happy as I am that summertime is soon approaching, I am dreading finals. No matter how easy the test can be, I am a champ at making them seem so much worse. I couldn't help but laugh at this cartoon though. My Eeyore attitude about them for sure.

3. The Bachelorette: Yes, I will admit it. I am ONE of those people who get vacuumed into the ridiculous drama of reality TV. Although I boycotted last season because of Courtney's crazy antics (not to mention several other girls who walked a thin line of mental/emotional stability) I am rather excited about watching Emily's season! The downfall: it doesn't start until mid-May.

Happy Wednesday kiddos! We are halfway there :)

People-Watching

Dear People Watching, thank you for always being downright amusing. Your performance is consistent and a guarantee, and I salute you for that. Yet, you never cease to amaze me with your variety. Let's review some of your work this week, shall we?


To the worker at South Depot, As much as I have always wanted to open my own restaurant (true fact), I am not applying for jobs in the food industry as of now. Therefore, when you hand me my change next time, you don't have to give me your glove as well. Yep, that really happened. Even more awkward was the whole "oops, you gave me your sweaty glove along with my seventy-five cents. Let's awkwardly pass it back across the cash register and not make eye contact while doing so."

To the girl in my class today, I thank you for assuming that I am responsible, organized, and all-knowing, but I am none of the above. As much as I wish I could have told you when your project was due, I barely write my own tasks in my own messy planner. I can't decide who was more confused- you for me not knowing your assignments or me for the bewilderment of the question.

To the boy in my class today, Thank you for the grandiose entertainment of sprinting out of the middle of a review in search of your stolen cell phone that you had been tracking on your computer the entire class. Not to mention, your return of defeat when you did not find Waldo in the midst of the crowd and your telephone. I only hope that your search is more successful tomorrow.


To the girl with the umbrella walking across campus, Evidently, we share a love for Mary Poppins and all of her glory. However, let's do try to leave the umbrella spinning and pivoting to Julie Andrews. You spinning around with your umbrella on the sidewalk today almost left me with a trip to the ER, and girlfriend, I have been there before with no intention of going back.

To the boy at the park Sunday, Thank you for the wild entertainment while walking. I thought that escaping the hungry pit-bull would be the pinnacle of my run, but oh boy, did you prove me wrong. Not only were you shirtless and doing yoga in the middle of a family park, you also felt the need to sit on your head at one point. (Major props for that, by the way.)

To the rest of you, I hope you have a wonderful week. Whoever said, "Stop and smell the roses," obviously never Sat to watch the trees send their characters out of the woodwork. It's much more entertaining:) ALMOST Wednesday!

Monday Motivation

Isn't this how we all feel about MONDAY? Then again, it does make you smile:) I definitely did that this morning too.

So, along with the cat theme, here is one more oomph to get your Monday going. (Please excuse the spelling of "ur" and "mai"- I promise that is not my grammatical creation.)

So build up your "Rainbow Wall of Happiness" and have a great week!

Dear Today, April 16: Thank you for being a special day and for marking the success of Boyfriend and I not killing one another over the past year :)


Dear Semester: Where did you go? You ran away along with Freshman and Sophomore year and are forcing me to embrace the fact that I am almost a Senior- not okay.


Dear Sweet Lady at Church: Thank you for singing Revelation Song. It's only one of my favorites and has a wonderful message to it.

Dear Chelsie: Congratulations on your engagement! I am so very excited for you and wish you all the best.

Dear Derby Day: You treated me so wrong. I can barely move a limb on my body... Speaking of...

Dear Internal Fitness/Physique: You are fired. You have fallen asleep on the job too many times. I need you to get back in gear and back in shape. Right now you are a blob.


Dear Awkward Moment from the Weekend: Thank you for teaching me that when stuck in the middle of a jam/dance session and college couples trying to "Bust-A-Move" the words "Excuse Me" are getting you absolutely nowhere and are only leaving you stranded in the cesspool of sweat and raging hormones. I would suggest hand sanitizer and whipping out your best dance number.


Dear Thursday night: Thank you for allowing me to wear this. Yep, if you even needed to ask, that would definitely be me in the center with the obnoxious shirt on. It was a themed birthday party, I promise.

Dear Nicholas Sparks: Thank you for releasing another fabulous book to the Cinema world this Friday. I am only hoping that they don't torture your stories as horribly as Miley did the Last time. (slight-pun intended).

Dear Readers: Happy Monday. I might just send a little mantra your way after I make it through this test!

Dear #WhatShouldWeCallMe, thank you for this clip. It is a perfect example of what led me to my utter humiliaton today.


Dear Newks worker, Thank you for attempting to be patient with me while I ran around like a chicken with my head cut off and made a complete fool of myself in your presence.


Dear Common Sense, WHERE ARE YOU? 

Dear Pimento Cheese Sandwich and Fire Roasted Tomato Soup, Thank you for, at least, being worth the humiliation I unfortunately embraced to purchase you.

Dear readers who are intrigued by my daily idiocies, So if you haven't figured it out already, I ate lunch(soup and sandwich) at Newks today where I completely embarrassed myself because my "favorite thing" was on the menu (hence the #whatshouldwecall me clip). I love Newks tomato soup, so much that, embarrassingly enough, last night at a friend's birthday extravaganza, I was asking people what Newks Soup schedule was. Yep, I am that awkward and food-oriented. So, when Amanda and I arrived there today and I saw that the tomato soup was indeed on the menu, I was elated. I was in a state of euphoria as I ordered and did not calculate in my head that I had spent money last night and did not have much left in my wallet. Therefore, when it got to the total of my order, $10.30, I opened my wallet to realize that I only had 9.00. I hissed at Amanda, who was in the line beside me, but she didn't hear me and began to walk towards a table. I counted my money again. Nine dollars. Once more for stubborn me- NINE dollars. Simultaneously, I bit my lip, wanted to melt into the tile floor, put the nine dollars back into my wallet, gave the Newks worker the biggest smile I could manage, asked her to cancel my order, told her I would be back momentarily, and dismissed myself from the line of onlookers. I chased Amanda down, borrowed her card (you're a gem, Roomie), and returned to my scaffold of humiliation. As I approached the same worker (don't you love irony?) for the second time, I tried to smile and reorder only for her to tell me I left my keys at the register. By this time she thought I was a descendant of Mr. Bean/The Three Stooges.  If you are wondering, I didn't let my pride stop me. I ordered that soup and sandwich and ate every last bite.

Happy Friday, friends!

Written Wednesdays

So, as I have hit a gargantuan writing block barricade, I have been stalking other blogs profusely and have found a neat idea behind a few blogs. Letters. We all love letters right? I am all for the convenience of our technologically-advanced world of text messages, e-mails, phone calls, etc., but there is something mysteriously romantic, unifying,delicate, and downright genuine about the conglomeration of pen and paper and an envelope in a mailbox. Although not the first time on this blog (I wrote a letter to myself once before), I thought I would implement the "letter theme" again (even though these are not real letters seeing that they are being typed behind my computer screen and not written on my stationery that needs to be put to use more often).  I can't think of two better people to write to than my parents. So without further ado, Let's give this a go, shall we?

Dear Frito and Pasty (as my childhood friends so lovingly branded you years ago),

            Words could never adequately describe how thankful I am for the two of you and all that you have so selflessly done for me the past twenty-one years.  You are, without a doubt, the two strongest people I know. As I have journeyed through life and my spiritual walk, I have always heard about possessing a Servant's heart and lifestyle, tried to discover what this truly looked like, and have been blind to the fact that the definition of this attitude was right before my eyes and guided me on a daily basis. Your compassion for people and the daily sacrifices you make to help others never ceases to amaze me. Thank you for dealing with my dramatic monologues and daily phone calls of my "crazy ideas." Thank you for supporting me with my second major change at the end of my Junior year of college. Thank you for encouraging me to be the "bigger person" in life while also teaching me how to notice and appreciate the "little things" we miss/take for granted on a daily basis. Thank you for understanding that silence is not one of my virtues and lending me your ears for two decades now. Thank you for setting the bar so high that I will never, ever reach it but will strive throughout life to get to the halfway mark. Mom, thank you for being the kindest, yet toughest, person I know. You really are not human. You are Wonder Woman in so many dimensions and never let the weight of the world keep you down. Thank you for being the resounding voice of reason in my life (even if I sometimes idiotically tune it out) and for giving me such an example of a God-fearing, beautiful woman. Dad, thank you for being the encourager in my life, sending me off to run the bases in search of my dreams, but always pointing me in the direction that leads home. Thank you for embedding the power of prayer into my life and for showing me true dedication to family and faith. Yet, thank you is an inadequate understatement to the two of you. You are one of the greatest blessings in my life, and I look forward to the lessons and years in the future. I love you.

-Shelby

AWKWARD & AWESOME

Ok, so I was feeling a little blog-friendly and decided to do two posts in one day. I haven't done this in a while so felt the need to update you on my life.

AWKWARD:

• If you go to eat with me more than three times, you start to pick up on my tendency to spill/drop/knock over food/drink on myself and my clothes. This held very true in Houston. As I was eating at Brennan's (nicer restaurant that I mentioned a few posts ago), our waiter was approaching our table as I picked up my glass of water, and you betcha, water came over the brim like a volcano and all into my lap as the waiter took my order. I think I made a great impression.
• In continuation of my dinner, SHRIMP. I have a definite love-hate relationship with this food. I love eating it but HATE peeling it. I should have taken this into consideration when I ordered Shrimp Chippewa at the restaurant, but of course, I didn't. So here I am after the waiter saw my cup turn into Mt. Helena, trying to politely peel my shrimp that are already submerged in grease, butter, and grits. Needless to say, a few shrimp tails were flying around my plate and table, and I had quite the look of flustered determination on my face for a good five minutes. 
• For Spring Break, I went with four of my friends to Santa Rosa Beach in Florida. I had just bought a new swim suit and was excited about wearing. So excited that, as I am laying out (it's halfway through the day to add to the kicks and giggles), Samantha says, "Shelby, you are wearing your top upside-down." I tried to argue with her, but sure enough, I had worn the swim suit upside down for approximately four and a half hours. If that doesn't take some awkward talent, I don't know what does.
• Also, on Spring Break, our cab driver one night told us scary/creepy stories and made himself out to sound like a possible serial killer. He then stops at a gas station...... and buys us all Krispy Kreme doughnuts...yep.
• Last week, I walked to my first class with a cloudless blue-sky day. A mere hour later when I walked out of class, it was torrential downpours. I had no umbrella, no rain jacket, and ten minutes to get to my next class where I was being evaluated on my story. So, with all my graceless poise, I sprinted in the rain, through a  silent building, laughing so hard that I was snorting (a-w-k-w-a-r-d), to finally reach my class looking like a deranged, wet zoo animal...I love the weather.

 AWESOME:

• Easter Break and getting to see family and my friends from home
• SNICKER EGGS. There is just something better about snickers when they are in holiday/abnormal shapes.
• Brennan's in Houston and Fish out of Water in Watercolor.
• The fact that I am almost a Senior in college and the Easter Bunny still comes to visit me.
• Same Kind of Different As Me- please do yourself a favor and read this book
• Spring scarves- I am slightly in love.
•  Houston weekend trip coming up next weekend!!

March Madness

I know, I know- it's April now, but I was absent so much last month due to the crazy rush of things and Spring that I had to make up for it and what better name to call it than- March Madness. Here's a flashback to the past month and all of its glory.

Trip to Houston

Chapter Retreat in Jackson

Spring Formal

Spring Formal

Day Trip to Kemah

Spring Break in Santa Rosa

The Good Life!

Happy Monday!!

Happiness. One of the most simple, yet ridiculously complicated, concepts/emotions in life. In my eyes, it could almost be summarized as this:

Kidding. Well kind of.  As I mentioned in the previous post, there have been a few big changes and decisions made in my life over the past month. I was waiting a while to share, but things seem pretty set in stone now (yet,are things ever set in stone with me?-good question). These changes came from me asking myself and evaluating what happiness meant and looked like in my life. Ultimately, this did not seem to be parallel with accounting. No disrespect to any possible accountants (I am dating one after all.) I still think it's a great field to go into, especially at Ole Miss (Top Ten in the Nation!), and offers a realm of possibilities to those pursuing it. However, at the end of the day, I did not feel like this would ultimately make me happy. Therefore, after much thinking, I have now decided that I am going to apply to OT school in the fall. I know this is a drastic change from Accounting/Business, but I was in Pharmacy freshman year which still doesn't really justify my decision. This decision comes from my heart. Throughout the past few years, I have tried to pinpoint the true passions in my life. For some, it's the wonderful world of sports. For some, it's fashion and the trends that stun the runways. For others, it's music and the arts. Mine is none of these. Mine can be found in the hopeful twinkle waiting behind teary eyes. Mine can be defined by a frown transforming into a smile. Mine are all ages, races, personalities, and ways of life. My passion is people and helping them throughout life. Volunteer at a nursing home for two and a half years, and then try to work in a field where you aren't constantly and directly aiding people, watching their progress, and reminding them of their potential while becoming a better person along the way. Try to not be captivated by the human heart and the power of a smile. (It's impossible).

As you can imagine, I have received doubts and skepticism from others due to my change. Yes, I am aware that I am almost a Senior in college. Yes, I am aware that this is the second time to change my mind. Yes, I know that I may come across as crazy. But as a wise woman once told me, you can't worry about others' perceptions and expectations in life.  You have to make yourself happy before that happiness can be passed onto others. For so long, I think I have tried to do what I thought was "expected of me" in a sense. Yet, my heart was never there. I have learned two things from this. 1) You are never going to satisfy the world's expectations, and quite frankly, you don't have to. 2) You are the only one who can control your happiness and how you view your life (meaning you have to go with your heart). Do I think I could have been worldly successful in accounting? Yes. Would I have been truly successful? No, because my heart would have not been in it, and why in the world would you dedicate your life to a passionless task? I love the line from one of my all-time favorite movies, Serendipity, when the guy says, "They only ask one question when a man died. Did he have passion?" Therefore, this is me doing what, I believe, will make me happy, and this is me pursuing a life of passion. Although I am not the biggest Beatles/John Lennon fan out there, when I saw this quote, I couldn't help but share. It sums up my outlook on this change.

 

So here's to being "happy"!

Humility in Houston

So the past month has been CRAZY. From tests kicking in to Spring Break to Houston and now back to Oxford, I have been pretty busy the past few weeks. Not to mention a few big decisions we'll get to in a few posts from now. I have so many funny/awkward stories to share, but as the title says, I found humility in Houston that struck a chord in my heart and is going to resonate until I address it.

This past weekend, I went to Houston to visit the boyfriend, and the last night I was there we went to an absolutely fabulous dinner here:

REPEAT AFTER ME: SHRIMP CHIPPEWA. (I promise you will thank me later.) Back to the story. So  here I am in this extremely nice restaurant (thank you, Andrew) just soaking it all in (along with my entire plate of food and of course I ate more bread than the boyfriend). So as I am waiting on my food, I can't help but observe the family seated closest to us. They appeared to be an overall happy family. They smiled. They laughed at all the right times. They were celebrating a birthday and snapping pictures. They all had their own plate of dessert (my kind of family). Yet, after a few minutes had passed, the conversation turned to religion. I was most likely inhaling an entire loaf of bread when I heard one say,

"I am just who knows/who cares when it comes to religion."

Now, it could have been the excessive amount of butter I had just consumed that caused it, but when I heard this statement, my heart froze. I looked up at the family who had just made my heart smile to now rest my eyes on a moment of pure heartbreak. For someone who seemed so composed from the outside, I couldn't imagine what was roaming in the depths of his heart. I could not imagine someone who, without hesitation, could write religion off as "who knows, who cares." I hurt for the life who hadn't been touched by the power of a prayer. For the soul who hadn't felt the grace of a new day. For the feet that helplessly tried to tread on waters that would soon rise above their head. For the heart who hadn't accepted the most pure and unconditional love. In that moment, I found humility in Houston.

There are two things I think we can take from this story. Just as there are no giants too big to be conquered, there is also no action to small to make a difference in a life and God's will. It does not take traveling to the other side of the world to find a hurting heart. It does not take leaving your town. It merely takes opening your eyes and ears to the people around you. The people you encounter on a daily basis. The people who daily whisper the troubles of their hearts but that we so selfishly tune out because of our own agendas or worries. As much as my heart broke for the man at the table beside me, my heart broke even more because I have not been as aware of the "who knows, who cares" around me. The second thing I think we can take from this is to live by the man's statement. Who Knows, Who Cares. Our goal in our lives should be to live a life where people know who and what we live for, and through our actions, they should know Who cares about them.

Happy Monday!!

"Glad you Came, Sweet Girl."

Two people have not received their way beyond over-due spotlight on my blog. Yet, they are in every word I type because I believe that I inherited the "dreamer" mindset solely from them. You would think they were just an ordinary couple in their seventies watching the news, attending every church function possible, or working on the latest quilt project. Yet, once upon a time, my sweet grandparents were a modern-day Romeo and Juliet. Despite the fact that they were sixteen and nineteen and that their parents might disapprove, my grandparents' love was all that mattered. Although it may be classified as "crazy," they eloped and got married as teenagers. They have been married over fifty years since. So the next time you say I am a hopeless romantic/crazy dreamer, I got it honestly. It's in my genes, and their story makes that crazy-dreamer heart pitter patter every time I think about it. 

Back to present time. Over the Christmas break, my grandfather had to have a procedure done for bladder cancer that they found. The day before the operation, my mom and I drove to Hattiesburg to be with him the morning of, and in all my morning-person glory, I was at the hospital at around 6:15am. If you know me even the slightest bit, you know that I am DEATHLY afraid of needles. My love for leopard print is the equivalent of my hatred for needles- if that says anything. Well, as soon as we walked into the holding room where my grandfather was, I saw the IV. You would have thought I had seen a King Cobra morphed with a tarantula. So, there I am, slumping into a chair, trying to smile, and feeling nauseated as my complexion descended to Casper. I was in no form or fashion equipped to be in a hospital room looking straight at my ultimate fear, but I faced my giant, so-to-speak, for my grandfather. As they wheeled him out of the holding room to take him to his operation, he looked up at me and said "Glad you came, sweet girl." My. heart. melted. That was the only strength I needed to be there. That was all that mattered.

I feel like this is true for our spiritual walk as well.  I heard once that "God does not call the equipped. He equips the called." There are going to be times in our lives when we are called to face our own unique giants. We may be scared. We may feel ill-prepared. We may feel like we aren't good or worthy enough. (We may be about to faint in a Hattiesburg hospital.) Yet, if we take that step and face our fears, God "equips the called." He gives us the strength to be in that moment. He gives us the resources we need to complete our task. He gives us a sling-shot with a rock of faith. He smiles and whispers,

  "Glad you came, sweet girl."

(And, that's all that matters.)

Awkward and Awesome

So, I have seen this on a few blogs, and I couldn't help but think it was absolutely perfect to implent on mine. Because let's be honest, I define awkward, and yet, I am continuously blessed with so many awesome things in my life. So without further ado, let's debut Awkward and Awesome. (I promise, if you give me a week or two, it's going to get real awkward.)

Awkward:

• Tuesday night, I became a big girl and attended my first Accounting social (that sounds awkward enough by itself), and was trying to act as professional as possible. I smiled. I mingled. I tried to ask accounting questions. I felt my stud earring fall out of my ear and hit the floor. Mind you, the actual stud fell out- the rest of the earring remained in my ear...(Thank the Lord I hadn't grabbed a plate of food yet, or it would have probably fallen in the artichoke dip.) So, in the middle of accounting recruiters, auditors, and eager students hoping to make an impression, I am searching the floor for my earring....yep.
• Over the break I bought a BOSU Balance Trainer ball. Me buying a piece of balance equipment is already awkward? Did I mention that after my first attempt at "Calorie Combustion" the ball decided to pop out of its platform. I killed the BOSU. After a week.
• In my new English Fiction class, we got back our grades to our reading responses. If you know me even the slightest bit, you might have picked up that I'm a little OCD about school and grades. This is especially true for my writing. So, professor decides to give me two 9-out-of-10s for two of my responses. I was livid. Mind you, I realize this is a 90, but he said "undeveloped paragraph." I think it's more than clear I can write more than 5-7 sentences. So, after class, I approached professor about my grades. He said, "you do realize it's still an A?" Yes, Professor, I do. I hope this is a developed paragraph!

Awesome:

• I finally got a red pair of jeans. Do yourself a favor and buy a pair too! Colored denim is in this spring ladies!
• No-class Fridays complete with BBB Breakfast of chocolate chip pancakes. TO DIE FOR.
• Last Sunday, I went to a new church, North Oxford Baptist, with Maggie and Tori, and I absolutely loved it. I also discovered Kim Walker's "I Need You More." Do yourself another favor and lisen to it!
• Tara brought me a Gigi's cupcake home from her internship on Wednesday. Sometimes, all it takes is some icing to make a girl smile.
• On the optimistic side of school, I just got good news for my writing project and am more than excited. More to come on that later!

Happy weekend!!