Happy Memorial Day!!

Happy Memorial Day everyone!! 

In between all of the beach time, pool time, BBQs, etc. please take a moment to remember the meaning behind today.  Although I have never personally lost anyone to war or anyone who was serving protecting our country, today is about honoring and remembering those who gave their lives so that we may know what freedom is.  So thank you to all of the men and women who have given their lives for us... but also a big thank you to those who are currently serving in the military... it is because of those who sacrificed their lives for our country and because of those who are currently serving that we can call ourselves the land of the free.

We are the land of the free because of the brave.

Something's Different Around These Parts....

I don't know if you all have notice, but something is different around these parts. No... I'm still the same old me (and no I am not pregnant... since that seems to be the #1 thing people assume when I say I have good news now that I am married)... BUT my blog got a redesign!!!!

I could not be more grateful that Erin over at Love, Fun & Football reached out to me after reading my post about how I felt that my blog needed some sprucing up if I was going to make a commitment to blogging in 2014.  I cannot stress how A-MAZE-ING Erin was throughout this whole process.  She listened to my million and one questions... dealt with the changes I wanted to make (even down to making a change after we had launched the new design)... dealt with the fact that I wanted a specific font and just kept trying to describe it to her until we found the perfect one.

Seriously this girl is a SAINT for putting up with me throughout this entire process. I am pretty sure I had to have been the most annoying blogger ever when it came to my questions and I am just so glad that she was willing to help me!

That being said... if you ever need a new blog design I would HIGHLY recommend talking to Erin!! She does fabulous work for such a reasonable price that I couldn't ever imagine asking anyone else to redo my blog ever again (who knows if I will even ever redo it... I mean it did take me almost 4 years to redesign it this time around....)

And of course I obviously love reading Erin's blog, so you should totally check her out!

Today I am super, incredibly, beyond words thankful to Erin for helping me to make my blog the best that it can be.  Had she not reached out to me after reading my post I am pretty sure that my blog would still look at hot mess.  She has helped me gain confidence in this blogging thing because I now finally have a blog that feels more like me.  So thank you Erin... thank you for helping me to continue this blogging journey with a fresh new start!

#tbt... Chi Omega Eleusinian

This weekend, this Saturday to be exact, marks the 119th Anniversary of the founding of my beloved sorority Chi Omega.  Chi Omega was founded on April 5, 1895 at the University of Arkansas by a group of 4 women (Ina Mae Boles, Jobelle Holcombe, Alice Cary Simmonds, and Jean Vincenheller) with the help of Dr. Charles Richardson.  They created Chi Omega because they were tired of the fact that the men had their fraternities with all of their secrets and traditions while the women were left with nothing.  Little did these women know that Chi Omega would one day be the largest national women's organization (even bigger than the Girl Scouts!!).

One of the great things about being a Chi Omega is that I AM a Chi Omega and it is something that I ALWAYS will be.  I am proud to be a Chi Omega, and there are so many reasons why.  Chi Omega's founding purposes include: friendship, personal integrity, service to others, academic and intellectual pursuits, community and campus involvement, and personal and career development.  I particularly love the vision statement of the fraternity, "Sisters inspired by our values who serve the world while keeping Chi Omega ever at heart." I always strive to keep the values of Chi Omega close to my heart and those values are part of why I chose to become a Chi Omega when I was going through the sorority recruitment process.

So without further ado, here are some #tbt pictures to some of my favorite Chi Omega memories

G-Big, Me, Big

New Members Fall 2004

Before a Jungle Themed Party

Supporting Sisters at the Greek God & Goddess Competition

Bid Day 2005

Bowling for Bid Day 2006

My Chi Omega Family

Formals with my little

My Chi Omega Family

Visiting my Little after I graduated

Sisters in V's Wedding

The original Badge of Chi Omega

Just hanging with Flat Jean at Firesides

2 of my Favorite Iota Lambda Sisters

Chi Mu Sisters at my wedding

Sisters as Bridesmaids at my wedding

Today I am thankful for everything I have discovered through Chi Omega.  Chi Omega shares some of the same values as I do, and it is an organization that I am proud to be a member of.  I am so grateful for the friendships that I have made... both while in college and after college as a result of being a Chi Omega.  Chi Omega truly is for a lifetime and I know that I will always have a friend in a sister.  Being a Chi Omega means that I already share a special bond with other Chi Omegas out there and I know that in times of need I can definitely count on them.  So thank you to the Founding Women of Chi Omega because without your four I would not be the woman that I am today. 

#1800MinuteChallenge... Are You In?!

Other than going to Zumba every Wednesday night with some of my girlfriends I seem to find every excuse in the book to not go to the gym, workout at home, etc.  Well my friends, that changes TODAY!  I have decided to join the #1800 minute challenge sponsored by Erin at Living in Yellow, Alissa at Alissa Circle, Emily at The Freckled Fox, and Alycia at Crowley Party.

Basically how the #1800MinuteChallenge works is that everyone participating is challenged to be physically active for 1800 minutes during the time period from April 1st - May 31st.  According to Erin this equals about 30 minutes of physical activity every day... but the beauty of this challenge is that is is to complete 1800 minutes of physical activity over a two month period... so that means the weekend that we head to Williamsburg for one of my besties' weddings... if I can't work out that weekend it is OK because I can make it up some other time! There is also the added bonus that these lovely ladies have created the #1800MinuteChallenge hashtag so that we can all cheer each other on via Twitter or Instagram!

I am so looking forward to this challenge because I fee like I will be accountable for my actions... no one wants to be the one participant who doesn't complete the 1800 minutes... but I can also do things at my own pace.  If I want to go to Zumba for an hour one day (that's 60 minutes right there!), but want to take the next day off I can.  I was so excited about deciding to do this challenge, that I purchased a whole bunch of new workout gear... so that means I have to follow through with it... right?? RIGHT!

If you are interested in participating in the challenge or finding out more about it, you can check out Erin's post on it here!  I hope you all will think about participating with all of us (last count Erin said there were like 600 people who signed up) as we all work on getting fit!

Today I am thankful for the lovely bloggers out there who have given me so much love and support on my journey to make something of this little ole blog of mine... as well as those who are now inspiring me to get fit through things like this #1800MinuteChallenge.  I am so hopeful that the challenge will help me get into a routine that I will be able to keep up long after the challenge is over so that I can begin the road to a happier and healthier me.  If I can't get a job I might as well use my time to try to become the best me that I can be!

#tbt... My First House Party Weekend at Bucknell

This week's #tbt is to my first ever House Party Weekend at Bucknell.  House Party weekend is was a weekend at Bucknell where for an entire weekend the campus is transformed into one big party full of live bands playing outside, drinking beer, BBQing and overall just having a good time with friends.  I attended my first House Party weekend as a freshman in April of 2014, so with the 10th anniversary of my first House Party Weekend coming up what better time than now.

Unfortunately current Bucknellians will not get to participate in the gloriousness that is House Party weekend as the University decided to do away with it this year... and I can't say that I blame them.  House Party was a weekend full of so much fun, but in recent years it has turned into an excuse for students to get beyond wasted while the University turns a blind eye.  Too many students have gone to the hospital with alcohol poisoning, too many bad things have happened.  Sure not everyone gets like that, but the University needed to do something to get this weekend back to what it used to be... so if that means getting rid of it for a few year, then so be it.

Drunk eyed roomies

Freshman Year Friends at our first ever house party

With the girl who helped me become a Chi Omega

Drinking in bed and resting up for more festivities

Ladies enjoying drinks before heading out... boys photobombing

Drinking out of a blender is totally acceptable

I don't even know, but it was too funny to not include

Blurry but still cute

Best Roomie Ever

Today I am thankful that I was able to experience House Party Weekend.  Though it was still kind of a drunk fest of a weekend when I was there, it was still one of the best weekends ever.  It was so much fun to enjoy the nice weather with BBQs and bands outside of all the frat houses by day and then to dance the night away with DJs or live bands in the frat house basements.  I am thankful for the fun times I had with my friends over this weekend and I am so thankful that I got to participate in it during my time at Bucknell.  R.I.P. House Party Weekend... may future Bucknellians one day be able to bask in your glory again!

Liebster Award!!

Hello friends!! Today I am super excited to be writing this post because Lindsey from Bliss and Blunders of a Newlywed has nominated little ole me for the Liebster Award!! This award is given to a blogger by another blogger in order for us all to get to know each other better.  I am thrilled that Lindsey has nominated me and I am also excited to be able to nominate a few of my favorite bloggers for this award as well.  This is the award that keeps on giving... from one blogger to another. As a nominee I get to answer a series of questions that Lindsey has for me and then I get to come up with a list of questions for my nominees to answer.  It is definitely a win-win for all parties involved. So here goes...

My Questions from Lindsey

1. What inspired you to start blogging?  I honestly don't really remember what inspired me to start blogging.  I started my blog back in 2010 I think really as a place for me to write down my thoughts.  I used to keep a journal but was not always consistent about writing in it and I think I thought that having a blog would help make me a bit more consistent in my writing.  Of course that didn't happen and I didn't really make a commitment to making something of my blog until 2014.

2. Describe your "perfect day". A perfect day is pretty much any day that I get to spend with my husband.  We pretty much work opposite schedules and when we are both off I seem to be doing some much volunteer work in what little free time that I have that M and I barely see each other.  I think we saw each other for a total of 1 hour on Wednesday and we won't see each other until grocery shopping on Sunday morning.  Such is life... but I definitely miss spending time with my hubby. 

3. What are some goals that you have for your blog? I would like to make more of a commitment to blogging and to making something of my blog.  Prior to this year my blog had just been an afterthought... something that I didn't pay much attention to.  I would like to fix that.  I would like to keep writing posts... book reviews... sharing recipes... etc. in hopes that my blog becomes a place that people like to stop by and read posts or even try some of my recipes, read some new books, etc.  I want it to be a place that accurately shows me and my life.

4. What is your biggest fear?  Not turning out to be the wife and mother that I know I am capable of one day becoming.  Prior to meeting M I was convinced that I was never going to get married and that I was never going to have children.  I was going to be a partner in a huge NYC law firm by the time I was 35.  Those were my goals and dreams.  Then I started dating M and when things got serious my goals and dreams changed some.  Sure I still want to be a successful practicing lawyer, but I also want to be a good wife and some day I would like to have children with M and I want to be a good mother.  Because being a wife and mother were not in my original life place I am afraid that I don't always know what it takes to be one and that I will fail in this department.  I know it is a silly fear, but it is definitely something that I worry about from time to time. 

5. What is one of your favorite memories? The day I got accepted to Bucknell was probably one of the best days of my life. I was at Barnes & Noble with friends studying for my Physics midterm when I got a call from my parents.  They told me that I had gotten a big envelope from Bucknell and wanted to know if they should open it or not.  Of course I told them to go ahead and when they read me my acceptance letter it was one of the best moments of my life.  Of course I had to finish studying for my midterm, but when I got home my family had decorated our front door with congratulations signs and had gotten orange and blue balloons and I am pretty sure everyone cried because I was going to be going to the school that so many in my family had gone to before me. 

6. What is one thing you have always wanted to do?  The hubby will laugh when he reads the answer to this one and then he will probably yell at me, but I am going to write it down anyway.  I have always wanted to learn to drive a manual car.  The hubby has a manual and keeps volunteering to teach me how to drive it and I keep telling him no.  It isn't that I have no desire to learn it is just that I am so afraid that I will be so terrible at it that he will laugh at me and that I won't be able to learn.  I am so afraid that I am too uncoordinated to learn (I trip over my own feet sometimes), so I am just afraid that I won't be able to use two pedals at once and that I will end up ruining his car.  Who knows though, maybe one day I will learn.  

7. What is your favorite thing to do in your free time? In what little free time I have I enjoy getting to spend time with my hubby.  No matter what we do together I just enjoy getting to be in his company.  Whether it is out touring a brewery, running errands, or just sitting at home snuggling on the couch together I just can't get enough of being by his side.  I know he might say that I sometimes get agitated with him when we are spending time together, but sometimes I don't need to talk or anything, I just want to be by his side and enjoy being close to him.

8. If you could travel anywhere in the world where would it be? Spain. I will always love Spain and will never stop wanting to go back to visit.  I was in my glory when we were able to go there for part of our honeymoon and there is definitely a part of my heart that will always be in Spain.  

9. What is one thing that you would like to accomplish in your life?  I would like to put my law degree to use.  I graduated law school almost 4 years ago and have still yet to find a job in the legal field.  As much as I say that I will take a job doing anything, I really would like to get the opportunity to use my law degree.

10. What is your favorite Bible verse or inspirational quote? Why? My favorite Bible verse is probably a toss up between Luke 18:27 or Philippians 4:13... although they are both along the same vein. 

Luke 18:27: "Jesus replied, 'What is impossible with man is possible with God.'"

Philippians 4:13: "I can do all this through Him who gives me strength."

Through God and Christ all things are possible and this is something that I definitely try to remember when  I feel like life is getting me down.  God will not give me more than He thinks I can handle and so long as I believe in Him I can do anything that I put my mind to.

11. What is your favorite thing about blogging?  I love that I have a place to write down my thoughts for other people to see or for no one to see.  I love that no matter what I write I am writing it for me, although I do love reading comments from people and seeing who has the same thoughts as I do or who has different feelings.  I love the dialogue that I have with people through blogging.  I love that I have made friends that I know will last a lifetime.

And now, my nominations for the Liebster Award are:

Ashley at Our Mitchell Moments

Ashley at A Nelson's Nest
Bre at Average But Inspired

Courtney at Business Suits & Riding Boots

Maddie at The Whimsy One

Jane at My Squeaky Sneakers

And here are my questions for these lovely ladies:

1. What made you decide to start a blog?

2. Where do you see your blog in the future?

3. What is your favorite book? Why?

4. What is your favorite season?

5. What is your favorite thing to do in your spare time?

6. Describe a moment in time that you will never forget.

7. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years?

8. Where is your favorite place that you have ever visited?

9. If you could have a meal with one person from history who would it be and what would you eat?

10. Who is your celebrity crush?

11. What is your favorite thing about having a blog?

Ladies, looking forward to reading your answers to these questions and to seeing who you all nominate for the Liebster Award because yes it is now your turn to nominate 6 people who have 200 or less followers (on GFC, bloglovin' or wherever) for their blog and ask them some questions so that we can all get to know them better!

Today I am thankful for the friends that I am met through the blogging community.  I am thankful that Lindsey nominated me for this award so that I can meet some other amazing bloggers out there and so that I can have the opportunity to nominate some of my other favorite bloggers to give them some recognition! 

#tbt... Spring Break Edition

Happy First Day of Spring!! In honor of today being the first day of hopefully warmer weather, we are going to #tbt to Spring Break!  I only went on Spring Break trips twice when I was in college.. I always worked over spring break, but the two I went on were pretty amazing.  Sophomore year to Ft. Lauderdale, FL and Junior year to Italy!

Ft. Lauderdale, FL - Spring Break 2005

Spring Break 2006- Italy

Today I am thankful that I had the opportunity to travel on Spring Break with some amazing girls.  I may not still keep in touch with all of them, but the memories we made on these trips were simply amazing.  I will never forget the good times that we had and I will forever treasure the time that we spent together!