Help Me Meet My Goal!!

Listen up, blog followers!!

As you may know, I sell Mary Kay. I have a personal career goal to sell $400 by the end of the month! That's less than  a week at this point! I am on my way to reaching my goal but need YOUR help! I don't care where you are in the country, if you want some Mary Kay, I'm your girl! You can always browse my Mary Kay website and check out all the amazing products, or, if you already use and love Mary Kay- you order something you're out of or something new you've been wanting to try! I will ship it to you for free!

Also- as always, I am offering a free gift to anyone who makes a $40 or more purchase!!

And this goes for you men out there too! Mary Kay has a men's line of products. While it's not nearly as large as the women's line, you can still get some pretty awesome products geared to you guys out there! BUT, don't forget that you can also totally buy your favorite girl a present for an upcoming holidy, or ya know, for no reason at all. :) {She'll LOVE you for it. You can thank me later.}


If you want to help but have no idea where to start, email me at nicolesykes@marykay.com and I would love to help you figure out something that you can use and will love for your budget!!

Can't help financially? Please pray with me that I am able to meet this personal goal of mine. :)

Don't forget, ANY little bit HELPS! No matter if it's a lipstick, lip gloss, concealer, eyeshadow, foundation, skin care product, mascara.....whatever!! Any little bit will get me one step closer to meeting my goal!! I would appreciate it SO stinking much- you have no idea.

And if you want to spread the word, PLEASE do so!
That's what's so awesome about us bloggers- we're great at spreading the word!! ;)

Cycling hurts...but it feels so good!

First of all, let me start this by saying- you may be an avid runner. You may work out every day. You may be a health nut. But I am NONE of the above! So, with that said...

I am so proud of myself! I ate light & healthy today & then had the workout of my life! Drew's {Alex's brother's} girlfriend, Ashton, invited me to the Spin/Tone class at our local gym and let me tell you {oh wait, I already did...} it was the workout of my life! I was so stinking hot & soaking from sweat when I left that place! It felt great! I am gonna be so sore tomorrow...I just have that feeling! & I definitely need to take some Tylenol because my "butt" bone is bruised I swear! How on earth do people "cycle" on a regular basis and NOT hurt their "butt" bone?? I'm the first to say, I have a huge butt. But it wasn't cushion enough for that bike!! I am thinking the part where you stand up while you while you pedal is supposed to be "the hard part" but let me tell you, I look forward to getting up off that seat! OUCH!

This is gonna be Alex on Wednesday!

Oh, and speaking of "OUCH"...those lunge holds were killer!!! But, I will definitely go back! :-) It does feel great to be productive & knowing I'm working towards my goal! I just can't wait to start seeing some results from all this time spent and pain gained. Hopefully soon!!

But, I am MORE proud of myself because of how healthy I've eaten today. For breakfast I had Special K crackers in the car on the way to my internship {with a Mello Yello}. I have to have a soft drink first thing in the morning! I can't imagine drinking the dreaded WATER first thing in the morning. Yuck!! For lunch I had some more Special K crackers with a Laughing Cow light creamy swiss triangle {for lack of better words.} I love that combo & together they are less than 150 calories! Oh, and I had some yummy strawberries too. :) Surprisingly though, I was full- so I just stopped eating. Shocker, I know! Then on the way home I had some grapes. And then after that workout, I had a yummy Granny Smith apple with some peanut butter. Only, I had one more bite I didn't finish because I swore I was gonna hurl it back up! Talk about FULL! Blugh!

But, it feels good to be full, happy, and I haven't even had chocolate today!!! I am starting to think that this whole thing is possible. It feels good to have hope! I just hope I keep it up!

A Fallen Marine is Remembered

Today I had the honor of witnessing the funeral procession of a fallen marine from Stanley, NC. I intern in Gastonia and his body traveled from the airport in Charlotte to a church in Gastonia where a memorial service was held in honor of this soldier. I'll be honest- I don't watch the news really and I hardly ever read a newspaper. So I've been in my own little world and hadn't known that this had happened. But as the day went on, I heard about the memorial service, but what was most talked about was the fact that members of Westboro Baptist Church were planning on protesting this hero's memorial service. SERIOUSLY. I had heard about this stupid church and it's completely UNchristian, UNloving, HATEFUL mission before but I didn't know that really. come. to. EVERY. fallen soldier's funeral. I'm not going to link to the church to support their website visitation {in case they get paid per visit or something} but you can Google them if you want to know more about them.

One thing I learned about today & witnessed was this:

There are some groups of motorcyclists who take to their bikes to protect families from Westboro Baptist Church protesters. The American Legion Riders and Patriot Guard Riders are both national organizations, that make a presence at soldier funerals. Both groups are open to all kinds of people, with the goal of respecting the soldiers and their families and let them mourn without distraction. Even with the protesters members of the groups say they manage to keep it peaceful.
"We don't confront the Westboro Baptist Church. Their goal is to promote their particular world view and that's fine. We just don't want them to bother the families of the soldiers as they do it," said American Legion Rider Chris Radloff.
They will only show up at the funerals with families' approval.

I think this is such a great idea-- Something/Someone to barricade the family from the evil protesters so they aren't hurt anymore than they already have been. They've already given the ultimate sacrifice....what more do these idiots want???

Can you tell that these people annoy me?

But anyways, back to the GOOD stuff...

The town of Gastonia {and probably the surrounding towns as well} asked their community to come out and line the streets of Hwy 74, the highway the procession traveled. They were supposed to come through the area around 1:15-1:45 today. Well, about 2:10, they came by. Luckily my internship site is on Hwy 74 so we got to go out & witness it to honor Lance Corporal Nic O'Brien.

Here's a little bit of info I found out about O'Brien. You can google more info if you wish:

Lance Corporal Nic O’Brien, 21, was killed June 9 in Afghanistan after being hit by an improvised explosive device (IED). He was serving in Helmund province, one of the most dangerous parts of Afghanistan.
Josh Cathorne, O’Brien’s best friend and fellow marine, was seriously injured by the explosion.
O’Brien was an East Gaston High School graduate who played baseball and soccer. He was offered an academic scholarship to college but went into the Marines, something he’d talked about doing for years.
O’Brien’s memorial service was held Monday afternoon at the First Assembly Church of God on Myrtle Road in Gastonia. The service was open to the public.
O’Brien will be laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery with full military rights June 28.

And here's a video of the funeral procession....check out all those motorcycles from The American Legion Riders and Patriot Guard Riders!!

I am so thankful for this boy giving his life so that I can live in peace and have the freedoms I {try not to} take for granted!

Attention Deficit Disorder

Having ADD myself, this video is like an AH-HA moment! Of course I could have told you this was what I was doing all along, but watching a silly video of "myself" just makes me realize that I need a good cattle prod every now & then to finish a task! I have a couple hours to kill before we go eat a fabulous Japanese steakhouse dinner tonight, so, I think I'll go finish an incomplete task I have floating around....I can see a couple in sight right now! Who's with me?? :)

Happy Friday everyone!

I Drive Myself Crazy

So, as a future counselor, if I have a client that comes in, super stressed out with the world on their shoulders one approach in helping them would be to help them figure out what they can & can't change, and then working with them on figuring out ways to help them change/control what they can & worry less about what they can't fix. For those of you who ARE "that client," easier said than done, right? Right! I know I can say that with an exclamation point because I am "that client." I always stress out way too much, get upset about things I can't control, and then don't take time for myself, focusing on what I can control. One thing I should be controlling, and should have been controlling for years is my to-do list. Things should never stay on your to-do list for months. Seeing the list grow is just anxiety forming. Then follows the guilt of not accomplishing tasks, false promises of doing better tomorrow, tomorrow approaching and you're in over your head again, pushing your tasks to the side, holding them off until tomorrow. Then the whole cycle repeats, doesn't it? Drives. Me. Crazy. But I do it anyways, knowingly! Drives. Me. Even. More. Crazy! But really, I am aware, and I am a big girl. What I do or don't do for myself is my own fault, my own choice, and I'll face my own consequences. 

I have so many things I WANT to do, for myself. So many things that I blogged about it last month. Since I blogged, what have I done? Well, I have started to work out, and I have started to run again. I went to "the beach" but I didn't see the ocean- so I don't think that counts. I must make another trip! ;) Other than that, I've been slacking! Oh no! I also have been reading Made to Crave and going to church on a weekly basis! So, I guess I didn't make my summer to-do list too unrealistic, but I definitely should have added 300 hours of interning to that list to make myself feel better about devoting so much time to "things" off the list.

I would like to start a girls get-together/Book club/Bible study/whatever else you want to call it. Like I said, I'm reading Made to Crave and LOVE it and feel like so so so many girls need to read it too, and would love it with me! It's something you can read by yourself, but I can see why they have groups of women read it together. Accountability is such a powerful thing! If you are in the Lincolntonish area & would like to join me, let me know! I would love to share this experience with you! 

Well, that's enough for tonight....

My hot shower made me sleepy and I need to NOT be up until 1:00 again tonight. So, I'm going to try to get some rest earlier than normal tonight. I'm really really really trying this normal sleep cycle thing. It's not working out well, but darn it, I'm still working on it! :) 

"If at first you don't succeed, try and try again." 

♥

TLC Shows, Internship Situation, & Gym Distractions

So, I'm sitting here...winding down from my not-as-busy-as-usual, watching another ridiculous show on TLC. Tonight, we're not watching some stupid British or Irish teenage gypsy girl, planning the over the top wedding of her dreams because that's what she'll be remembered for (because she can't read or write, dropped out of school at age 13, and is doomed to clean her and her super douchebag of a husband's trailer for the rest of her life). No, tonight we're watching stupid moms living vicariously through their five year old daughters who they allow to tell her what each one of them will do, while wearing fake teeth, hair, tan, nails, after their spa facial and emotional breakdown. SERIOUSLY! These people exist! Kudos to TLC for exposing, I mean sharing, the madness because I am hooked! 

So what have I been doing? Have I not been blogging because I've been watching TLC? Yes and no. I actually started my internship(s) a couple weeks ago & have been spending a lot of time there....and attempting getting on a real sleep schedule. I had a little "issue" with my internship so, here's the short story:

To work with substance abuse clients, you're legally supposed to be registered with the NC "Substance Abuse Board" (NC Substance Abuse Professional Practice Board). Some internship sites will let you basically work there for free, getting the experience, and don't care if you're registered with the board or not. My internship site isn't taking any chances, and asked that I be registered before I do ANY, and I mean ANY work with substance abuse clients. I got my internship later in the year, and didn't know I had to register, then had to wait to get the packet, met with my supervisor to fill it out, and it took a week for me to get someone at the police station to fingerprint me, and then I sent it to the board probably the 1st of June. Problem is: it takes about 4 WEEKS to get it back saying I'm officially registered!!! Until I'm registered, all I could do was observe...which is great at first, but my internship's only about 8 weeks long & I can't spend half of that time only observing! So, I'm spending all of my time at my other internship site, which I LOVE, until I'm officially registered with the board. If I get registered before July's over, then I'll get to do some court-ordered DWI groups for offenders. I observed a number of these groups & really am excited about having the {potential} opportunity to do some myself! Fingers crossed! :) 

Side note: In the end, it wasn't the police officer's, or the station's fault- so don't hate on them. :)

So, I've been interning! And watching TLC! & GOING TO THE GYM! Alex has been dragging me to the gym and I love him for it. I'm sore as can be today but plan on going back tomorrow. I know it's not a big deal to you, but I ran for 10 minutes straight yesterday. That's a big deal to me! That NEVER happens. There has to be something good on in front of the TV for me to stay focused distracted enough to run more than like two minutes. I lost my iPod's ear buds and music really doesn't do it for me anyways. Wish it did though! I want to download some podcasts or something to listen to to keep my mind off of running {while I run}- it might work! 

Any podcast suggestions for me?

 Because ESPN seems to be on the TV there all the time, and if you know me, you know that's not gonna hold my attention long. 

Oh, and still haven't figured out how to get each blog's "labels" to appear below it. Grr! Feel free to send me a suggestion!

&& Hump Day's over! Enjoy the downhill part of the week! :)

Blog help!

Hey guys! I'm having a little difficulty & I'm just wondering if any of y'all know anything about this.....I wanted to add each blog's label at the bottom of each blog. & I clicked the little check mark to show them & they won't show! Anyone know anything about this & wanna help me out?? :) I'd sure appreciate it!!

Dear 16 Year Old Me,

This video is being passed around Facebook and it's so great, I can't not share it!

It really does make you think! And it makes me think that I really need to find a sunless tanner that isn't horrible and doesn't break the bank!

What sunless tanning suggestions do you have?

DigiTwirl

I have definitely been MIA in the blog world lately, but trust me, it's not because I haven't had something to say! I started my 2 internships lately & have officially said GOODBYE to summer! More on that later...Right now, I have to finish something that's due today for our first internship class. Yep, I'll be in class for FIVE hours today, and other days this summer. I'm just hoping it doesn't interfere with my direct client hours (that I need!)....

Until I have time to really catch up with you, I wanted to share with you a website I found yesterday, reading I'm an Organizing Junkie's blog. It's DigiTwirl's website and it's "The weekly web show that makes tech work for you." Sounds iffy, but I'm not gonna lie....I spent time yesterday watching all of her videos. There's some pretty good stuff on there so I thought I would share! They are three minute videos to "solve your modern day headaches." t's definitely worth checking out, especially if you're like me and like things organized and like to use technology to help whenever possible! 

Happy Hump Day!!

Things I Will Not Miss Saying....{My Life as an RD}

It's almost been a month since I was a Resident Director at Lenoir-Rhyne. I miss a lot of things about the job, and the school. I loved my staff(s), my co-workers, my boss(es) and I even loved my building {that will luckily be renovated this summer} even though it's an oldie goldie. But nights like tonight, when I can take a shower and lay in bed and read a book in peace and quiet makes me reminisce on some of the funny {and some not-so-funny} things I've had to say over the last two years that I will not miss as much. ;) I've compiled a list {that may or may not be ongoing} for your entertainment.

Things I am NOT going to miss saying now that I'm no longer a Resident Director:

• Tripp, quit blowing that horn! {I don't know why that's the 1st thing that came to my mind.}
• Don't throw trash out of your windows.
• Whoever's tossing water balloons out onto oncoming traffic, stop. 
• Don't be 'that guy.'
• Oh, stuff was stolen out of your room? Well then you probably shouldn't have left your door unlocked.
• Lenoir-Rhyne doesn't make the alcohol drinking age 21, so don't blame Lenoir-Rhyne.
• Just because Lenoir-Rhyne is a private school, doesn't mean it can make its own rules and legalize smoking marijuana.
• Here's some bug spray.
• If I have to come back again tonight, I'm gonna be pissed.
• What are they DOING up there?!
• The faucet drips. It can't be fixed. Consider it a noise to soothe you to sleep.
• I can hear the person above me peeing. 
• Are you kidding me? {In more than one reference}
• Jacob, security does not want a copy of your transcript.
• There's a flood on first upper. {Had to say that one a couple times too.}
• No, I don't want to hang out. It's 3:30 in the morning. I want to sleep! 
• Someone burnt Easy Mac and we had to evacuate the building.
• Do you smell smoke?
• You know I can see you hiding behind that door.
• You know I can see you hiding behind your closet curtain.
• You know you can't have all these animals in here.
• Whose baby do I hear crying?
• I know you wrote it in sidewalk chalk, but that's offensive.
• Yes, I do think you are a chain smoker.
• No, we can't have alcohol at our educational programs. Or our social programs.
• Seriously, that guy gives me the creeps.
• If you could play football for USC, then what are you doing here? Yeah, that's what I thought.
• No, you can't have my number. 
• Yes, my boyfriend is white. Why?
• Seriously, twice in one weekend? 
• I'm sorry the machine took your dollar. Find a partner and I'm turning my head for 5 seconds. If you haven't shaken the chips out of the machine by then, then you're out a dollar. Or you can go to the business office during business hours tomorrow.
• No, you can't take the furniture from the lobby to your room.

I am sure there are more but still....that's a good bit to start the list off!! My residents were entertaining to say the least & definitely kept me on my toes! What an experience it was to be able to be an RD. :) Would recommend the job to everyone but wouldn't recommend the job to just anyone, if you know what I mean! After reading that list, you may be surprised to hear that I really will miss being an RD.

200 lbs

So, last week I hit up the gym 3 times! {This may not be a big deal to you- but it is to me. I haven't had time to think about going to a gym this past semester, let along actually GOING. So this is an accomplishment for me.} The first time I went I ran a mile straight! {I don't know that I could do that again, lol, but some magic power took over me and I was able to do it.} & I've been doing cardio & weights all three days. I thought, SURELY I've lost ONE pound by doing this, so, let me check the scale out...seeing one pound lost will motivate me more than seeing no pounds lost. 

Well, to my amazement, and horror, I stepped on the scale that I found in one of the boxes I unpacked last week. I put it in my room {on carpet- which MUST be the culprit} and it showed this:

Scared me half to death!!!!!!!!!

Note to readers: I do NOT weight 200 lbs! It was weighing myself on carpet that was the culprit {I was right} but if that doesn't scare you to the gym, I don't know what will!! I am way too short {5'1" on a good day} to gain one more pound. And plus, I have a LOT of jeans and pants I can wear if I drop a size or two! So that's my motivation. The number's really not important to me, at all, but if the number drops, I know my pant size will too. :)

Now that I know it's a sick sick joke, I find it funny enough of a story to share. :) 

Happy Memorial Day peoples!

"Graduation!"

I was going to do you a whole life update via bullet points...but this turned into a post-pictures-from-graduation-and-go-to-bed kind of post, so, stay tuned for more info later! ;)

So anyways, I GRADUATED "WALKED" Thursday night! I won't actually get my diploma until August when I finish my internship hours, but, here's a couple pictures from "the hooding ceremony."

Lenoir-Rhyne Counseling Graduates

Leah & Cynthia, two amazing inspirations of classmates!

"Being Hooded"

my love

"The Girl RDs" ~ My friends, Tori & Maria... Love them! 

Brother Bear

Pat & Me with Mom

A Proud Momaw!

Momma ♥

"Love & support brings happiness through all"

I spent the week leading up to "graduation," as I'll call it, packing my life up, taking 50 trips to Lincolnton & back, and trying to organize closing down a building of 150 freshmen as quickly as possible. Luckily, I had 6 great RAs who did a good job at helping me ensure that everything ran as smoothly as possible, making my job easier in the end once everyone had went home.

I found out I had to be out of my apartment two weeks earlier than I thought I had to be, two weeks before I had to be out. So, with classes ending, crap due, and all the closing stuff needed to be done, on top of still internship-searching and everything else life brings at the last minute, I had to pack up & move!! I was planning on doing all of that once everything was done & I had a moment to breathe. But looking back, I'm glad it all happened the way it did. {That's a whole other post for a later day.}

But, the night before graduation I just got really SAD. Sad mostly because I wanted a lot of things done that weren't done, and I had taken SO many trips to Lincolnton and back, along with Mom, Momaw, and Alex, and there was still SO much to do. {I seriously had way too much stuff.} My original graduation-day plans were to sleep in {a little}, do a couple things {including get a pedicure}, & then get ready early so I wasn't rushed and got to a graduation banquet we had beforehand ON TIME {for once}.

Oh! Here's some pics from that too :) ::

Me with the cute couple, Jonathan {"the boy RD"} & Melissa

My date to the banquet, my awesome friend Jodi, & her 4 kids!!!!!! Hot Momma Alert!! Haha

I love this girl! My sistah-friend, Jodi! What a blessing she is!

But do you think my graduation day plans were fulfilled? UM, ABSOLUTELY NOT. But it's okay. I was smart & showered early. I have an AMAZING grandmother that came that morning to help me pack & load the car(s) {again}. My necklace waited until the END of the night to break & I even got to take Momaw to lunch & had enough time to run to the nail salon & get my toes & nails painted. {Had to save the pedi for another day!} At the end of the day I felt BLESSED. It was a super long day but it was one I will remember! I am so thankful for the loved ones of mine that were able to come and know that the ones that couldn't make it are proud of me! Yep, that pretty much sums it up....I was thankful & blessed!!

Now, onto securing that internship....

The Wicker Basket

Alex sent me this in an email & I thought I would share it with you. 

The story is told of an old man who lived on a farm in the mountains of eastern  Kentucky with his young grandson. Each morning, Grandpa was up early sitting at the kitchen table reading from his old worn-out Bible.  His grandson who wanted to be just like him tried to imitate him in any way he could. 

One day  the grandson asked, 'Papa, I try to read the Bible just like you but I don't understand it, and what I do understand I forget as soon as I close  the book. What good does reading the Bible do?'

The Grandfather quietly turned from putting coal in the stove and said, 'Take this old wicker coal basket down to the river and bring back a basket of water.'

The boy did as he was told, even though all the water leaked out before he could  get back to the house.

The grandfather laughed and said, 'You will have to move a little faster next time,' and sent him back to the river with the basket to try again.

This time the boy ran faster, but again the old wicker basket was empty before he returned home. Out of breath, he told his grandfather that it was 'impossible to carry water in a basket,' and he went
to get a bucket instead.

The old man said, 'I don't want a bucket of water; I want a basket of water. You can do this. You're just not trying hard enough,' and he went out the door to watch the boy try again.

At this point, the boy knew it was impossible, but he wanted to show his grandfather that even if he ran as fast as he could, the water would leak out before he got far at all. The boy scooped the water and ran hard, but when he reached his grandfather the basket was again empty. Out of breath, he said, 'See Papa, it's useless!'

'So you think it is useless?' the old man said.  'Look at the basket.'

The boy looked at the basket and for the first time he realized that the basket looked different.
Instead of a dirty old wicker coal basket, it was clean.

'Son, that's what happens when you read the Bible. You might not understand or remember everything, but when you read it, it will change you from  the inside out.'

Moral of the wicker basket story:
Take time to read a portion of God's word each day;
it will affect you for good even if you don't retain a word.

Thought for Today: 
I really like this story because I don't retain things too well anymore...age may have something to do with it but I figure my brain  just gets overloaded! God isn't concerned about my brain anyway; He's more concerned about my heart.

Heaven Is For Real

So, I just got done reading Heaven Is For Real by Todd Burpo with Lynn Vincent. I'm really bad at retelling stories, and the back of the book sold me on reading it anyways, so I'll let it tell you what the book's about:

When Colton Burpo made it through an emergency appendectomy, his family was overjoyed at his miraculous survival. What they weren’t expecting, though, was the story that emerged in the months that followed—a story as beautiful as it was extraordinary, detailing their little boy’s trip to heaven and back.

Colton, not yet four years old, told his parents he left his body during the surgery—and authenticated that claim by describing exactly what his parents were doing in another part of the hospital while he was being operated on. He talked of visiting heaven and relayed stories told him by people he met there whom he had never met in life, sharing events that happened even before he was born. He also astonished his parents with descriptions and obscure details about heaven that matched the Bible exactly, though he had not yet learned to read.

With disarming innocence and the plainspoken boldness of a child, Colton tells of meeting long-departed family members. He describes Jesus, the angels, how “really, really big” God is, and how much God loves us. Retold by his father, but using Colton’s uniquely simple words…Heaven is for Real will forever change the way you think of eternity, offering the chance to see, and believe, like a child.

I don't read for pleasure much but I've heard too many good things about this book for me to pass it up when I found it on Mawmaw's kitchen table.  I read it in two sittings but if given a little longer, and not have had started at 12:30 AM like I did during sitting #1, then I probably could have read the entire thing in one sitting. Thank God the boys being loud in the lobby went away so I could read in peace and quiet! :)

Seriously, this book didn't make me realize Heaven was real. But it just confirmed what I already knew & made me think of things I wouldn't have ever thought of. Like who I'd meet in Heaven, and what I'd learn.

One thing I was reminded of while reading it was that I, along with anyone else trying to get to Heaven, need faith like a child. I need to think of things matter-of-a-factly, without a shadow of a doubt, KNOWING all I've learned, read, and been taught. We all do!

We need faith without proof.
We need to believe without seeing!

This doesn't happen often, but tonight, while finishing this book, I really cried happy tears, just thinking, "This is so awesome!" I think if I had a child that had visited Heaven, I'd be jealous of that child because I'd want to know everything they know! I'd want to see everything they had seen! If I'd just be patient, one day, I'll get to experience Heaven myself. But until then, I wonder all kinds of things and anticipate the day when I can witness all the things I've heard or read about, as well as the surprises Heaven has to offer...because you know Heaven has surprises. :)

If you don't read this book, you are crazy.

The End. :)

6,000

So, yesterday I looked at  my blog, and I noticed that little blog counter to the left. You know...this thing:

Well, yesterday I looked, and got excited because I was *3* visitors away from SIX THOUSAND visitors! And today, low & behold, I'm 29 over that number!! I don't know how, but that's awesome!! That's especially awesome because I set my counter up to count individual visitors, not the number of times visitors visit my site. That means that 6,000 PEOPLE have either checked out or stumbled upon my blog! Maybe it's my Facebook friends that decided to {finally} take a looksie. :) Either way, I am glad you are here! 

Do you have a blog? Or Google reader? Or anything else you use/could use to follow blogs? 

If so, I would love to hear from you!

Sometimes it's okay to be a follower

So please, hit that button that looks like this...

& say hello! :)

Either way, thank you for stopping by!

Bathroom Transformation

There really has been so so so so so much progress made on the house in such a short amount of time! I haven't blogged much about it because I didn't know the best way to go about doing it, you know, with not everything being completed yet, etc. Any suggestions would be helpful! But I did use this picture in a previous post as a bathroom decorating inspiration:

The bathroom's not nearly as big as the one in this photo but the light blueish gray & white with silver color scheme is what I was after!

Today we basically completed the bathroom. Little decor things need to go in there, along with towels, but the major stuff is done.

Here is a couple BEFORE pictures to give you an idea of what we were working with:

notice the floors & the scratched up door

notice the vanity...yikes!

an old light fixture...

and the chip on the wall started looking like this...

then later grew to this...

and the floor was ripped up...

and the "chip on the wall" eventually grew to this monster, which required professional assistance.

The vanity was GOING to be painted, but it was rotting...

so we ripped it out {I use the word "we" lightly}, along with the toilet Alex broke... Oops!

This is a glimpse of the mirror "before" & into the curtain-less shower

As you can see....we had a lot to work on! Again, I use the word "we" lightly, and often times out of context, haha, but still... you get where I'm going here! And just so you know, the "chip on the wall" was peeled paint. You know, that inconvenient "texturized" paint that the previous owners must have applied right to the dry wall! We attempted to start peeling and quickly got to a point where we could peel no more.

And remember: this is what I want it to look like in the end:

Well, after "we" had to have a professional to come in and give the walls a good sanding and a coat {or two} of skim coat to give us a clean, flat wall to work with..."we" could begin!

The walls were painted "Going Gray" {that's the color name} and ceramic tiling was put in and new molding was put around the base of the walls. A new vanity was put in as well, along with a new light fixture, and the much-needed toilet.

I really really really wanted to take the mirror off the wall & find a cute white framed mirror to put in its place. Unfortunately, the bathroom mirror is glued to the wall with magic glue because not even taking a hammer to that thing would budge it!! The ends were turning colors though & it was just not a pretty mirror, so Alex's mom came up with a great idea!! She thought of finding some molding at Lowe's, painting it, and gluing it to the super super super glued mirror to appear as if it were a frame!! BEST. IDEA. EVER! Saved me some money on a new mirror & it looks great!!

Again, we need some little decor-ish things in there, and some pretty towels, but this is what we have so far:

the new paint, molding, toilet, & ceramic tiling

the new vanity

And this SHOWER CURTAIN! ::

I am seriously so in love with this shower curtain. It's actually a Water Shed shower curtain & liner (2-in-1) but the idea of that scares me, so we also have a liner that's white! But I found it at Home Goods for $12.99!! Such a deal compared to if I would have found it {& of course I would have bought it} at Bed Bath & Beyond! But I was looking for something to match, something that wasn't too boyish, not too girlish either...and this shower curtain was just sent right down from Heaven!! You can't tell from the pics, but it's a paisley print with the color of the walls, black, white, and a bright aqua/turquoise-ish color.

Got my bathroom scene pic at Hancock Fabrics on clearance...Gotta love a good sale! ;)

full effect???

new light fixture & the molding turned mirror frame...

This was seriously the most transformed room in the house, which is why it's probably my favorite! It gives the house a{nother} pop of color and feels so bright, fresh, & clean! Exactly how a bathroom should be, in my opininon!

Do you see my inspiration in the finished product? 

Basically all that I got from it was the paint color idea/room color scheme & the idea of a white framed mirror! 

Either way, I consider this room a MAJOR success!!!

My Summer To-Do...

There are so many things that I've put off, pushed aside, or legitimately not had time to do. I've lost focus on a lot of important things and really just let a lot of things go. No matter what goes on in life, the world doesn't stop. It'll just keep on going without you & you'll miss it all if you're not careful.

As of right now, I do not have an agency counseling internship lined up. Lord willing, I will find the perfect one {for me} soon. If I don't, I might be in trouble and risk not graduating on time. :/ But I am trusting that the Lord provides, as He always has in the past. :) I also am not planning on having a summer job for the first time EVER. Okay, since I was like 15, but still. It's been a while! Not knowing if where & when I'll be interning, it's hard to commit to something. I also have said that I've run myself crazy for the last two years, filling up spare time of mine, and for the first time in a LONG time, I want some spare time! I don't want to intern full time, and then work all weekend every weekend. I don't want to intern all day then work all night. I mean really, something's gotta give!- and I vote a minimum wage job that relates non whatsoever to my Masters degree I'm completing! Sounds fair enough.

But, the bills will still be rolling in, so, I must do SOMEthing. So, I definitely will be working my Mary Kay business. I haven't been able to do that as much this semester {but I knew that going into the business} but this summer I will, and I want to! The multiple benefits from selling Mary Kay cosmetics are there and waiting on me to go get them!

But there's other things I want to do too....like:

1. Join a small group/Bible study.
2. Attend church on a weekly basis again
3. Get back into the Word more, reading my Bible & doing daily devotions again-- something that should have never slacked to begin with.
4. Posting to ten minutes to get you through your day & Fabulous Fulfillment. It really makes my heart smile to know that people actually read those things! :)
5. Turn old and scratched up pieces of furniture into newly painted love pieces of furniture :) 
6. Read for pleasure
7. Visit the beach at least once
8. Start running again
9. Two words: Weight Watchers
10. Get and keep a tan...something that's been hard to do in summer's past when I'm cooped up in an office!
11. Reconnect with some people...
12. Connect with some new people...
13. And just make sure I embrace each day, not worrying about the million things on my to-do list, what has & hasn't been done, deadlines, paperwork, responsibilities...

 I know that sounds a little far off into fairtytale land, but is that really too much to ask for? Ok, ok... I know I'll still have responsibilities, things to do, places to be... But I really just want to focus on DEstressing. & I think it's possible if I have less things on my plate!

I am looking forward to Summer 2011 for many reasons...But enjoying the beautiful Spring season while we have it! :)

Today I Learned: How Women & Men See Colors

1 down, 1 to go!

I finished my internship last Friday. It was seriously bittersweet for me. I really really really loved the place and everyone who worked there. It was such a fun educational experience for me and I {really} hated to see it end. Thinking of it just makes me hate strongly dislike whatever idiot(s) decided to cut money in the state's school systems. I would have LOVED to have even gotten to apply for a job there! Not everyone has been blessed with such a wonderful internship opportunity.  I really made friends with the ladies over there and they are all so positive and encouraging. They all were eager to teach me and went out of their way to help me when needed. I couldn't have asked for a better internship opportunity. Seriously.

Thursday was the last day that all three of the fabulous counselors {Christel, Sherry, & Kim} were there, as two of them were leaving town the next day {my last day}. They got me a super sweet card and a $30 gift card to Lowe's! They know how many trips I've had to make to Lowe's lately for stuff for the house and they knew there'd be many more to come! :) That was so thoughtful of them. They didn't have to get me anything, and I REALLY thought that was super nice of them! They are all so awesome! 

Christel, my internship supervisor, also got me a little present. :) We had talked about how in public schools you can't really have religious-based decor in your office, so she got me a little somethin' somethin' that flirted the line! ;)

Isn't that so cute?? Again, that was SO thoughtful! I am so blessed to have gotten to work with these great ladies! 

That means I am one internship down, one to go to graduate with my Masters degree! I have YET to find an agency internship for this summer. I have really been praying about it. I am getting pretty desperate but I don't want to take the first offered internship out of desperation if it's not where God wants me to be. So, I'm praying that anywhere {of the million places I've contacted} that isn't supposed to work out, simply doesn't. And I mean that. I want the perfect internship {for me} to cross my path and the stars align for it to be able to happen! 

Is that too much to ask?? :)

I just want everything to work out for the best! :) I got a great lead recently {that has a little something to do with this} & pursued it...hoping to hear back soon!! I will definitely be shouting from the rooftops when I obtain a summer internship! Just you wait.... ;)