This is what happens when we have the house to ourselves

In a very rare occurance last weekend, my sister and I had the house to ourselves.  And this is how we spent the afternoon....it was epic.

Yeah...I have a confession

I have a pretty big obsession with looking at wedding photos.  People I know, people I don't know, the more the merrier!

I think it's pretty stupid that America is obsessed with British royalty.  I mean, Kate and William are a cute couple, but really???

I can't sing and have a a pretty big fear that I am tone deaf and don't really know it.  I pretend I am not because I can learn some songs on my guitar by ear...so does that mean I'm not?

I HATE being called ma'am.  I realize people are being polite...but it makes me feel about 50 years older than I am.  Come on people, I'm a "miss!"

I am kinda obsessed with One Direction's music and may or may not have been very,very bummed that their tour sold out before my sister and I could get tickets. Come on, I think they have a very positive message! And I like shaking my booty to that positive message!

The Little Things

Today I was sitting in the home of the family I nanny for, watching Alia (18 months old) and Rylan (4 years old) crazily chase each other around the living room and giggle.  The TV was on with one of my favorite shows playing, and the hum of the dishwasher was in the background, and I thought to myself 

"I am so blessed."

It's the little things in life that matter so much, that may seem small, especially to others, but are truly very big things.

So I have decided to focus more on these Little Things, these Tender Mercies and that are such big blessings from the Lord to remind me how much he loves me, and to make sure I recognize them, and thank my Heavenly Father for them.

Little Things I Love This Week:

• The comforting sound of the dishwasher running
• Waking up to a soft,white glow in my room from freshly fallen snow covering my skylight
• A girls night with 3 of my best friends that are 3 of my absolute favorite people
• Inside jokes with friends
• Blasting music and having an in-car dance party with my little sister
• Gorgeous sunrises to admire while I drive to work in the morning

Keep the Change You Filthy Animal

I am SO excited for it to be 2013.  2012 was definitely not what I expected, but looking back it was SUCH a blessed year.  I am SO grateful for the wonderful people in my life and these wonderful memories and experience I am able to have and cherish.   These were some of my favorite moments from 2012:

-January- started this blog!-February- started nannying, celebrated my little sister's 21st birthday, made some awesome new friends, and smashed the living daylights out of a heart pinata.  -March- Went to the Baltimore Aquarium with one of my best friends and sister, and experienced Cheesecake Factory cheesecake for the first time.  -April- Went to the re-release of Titanic and totally fangirled, went to an All-American Rejects concert, and day-tripped down to DC with 3 of my best friends. -May- Chopped off 5-6 inches of my hair and dyed it brown, went to the Mayfair and saw Boys Like Girls.  -June- Went on my first vacation in over 5 years down to the Baltimore area!  -July- My Grammy (my grandma) turned 90!  -August- Won tickets to the Mixtape fest and saw 98 Degrees, Backstreet Boys, New Kids on the Block, LL Cool J, and MANY more awesome old groups! Also house-sat and enjoyed hot-tubbing. And I was hired to photograph my first wedding! -September- Went to see Switchfoot just miles from my house! -October- Went to Atlantic City to celebrate 2 of my best friends birthdays with them and my sister! Also saw There For Tomorrow in concert and had an epic time!  -November- My baby niecey was born! Little Maggie! And I flipping saw Joseph Gordon-Levitt LIVE and in person and almost touched his butt! -December- Turned 25! Christmas celebrations, spent time with my family, sewed some awesome ornaments and had a WONDERFUL holiday.

How It's Supposed To Be

I saw this on Pinterest the other day and it just really hit home. 

I don't know why, but as humans, we get caught up in comparison.  To strangers, to friends, and even pictures in our own heads of how things are "supposed to be."  And it is so easy to do, without even realizing it! Most of the time when I get down about something, or disappointed, it's because I had this picture in my mind of what things are supposed to be like, and they turn out differently than I thought/wanted.

And then I saw this and is kind of made me realize, just because things are different, doesn't mean they are bad.  The Lord will give us every good blessing we need.  And just because those blessings don't look like what we pictured, doesn't mean they aren't what we need, or aren't good. What we need is to see things how they are, and be grateful.

25 and stayin' alive! (ah, ah, ah, ah)

Welp, it happened.  Today I officially became an old lady.

I turned 25.

I remember as a little girl daydreaming, wondering 

"I wonder what I will look like when I am 25? "

"I wonder what I will be doing when I am 25?"

"I wonder what I will be like when I am 25?"

And after having a very heartbreaking experience last year around this time, I went into 2012 dreading turning 25 at the end of the year.  I was still struggling so much to accept what had happened and to move forward with my life.  I subconsciously put a mental expiration date on myself saying, "if I am not at my dream job...or....if I am not dating somebody else seriously...or...if I haven't moved out to my dream city by the time I turn 25,  I am useless, I am a failure."

And up until the end of the summer, I mentally beat the crap out of myself for not abiding by my timeline, my "usefulness expiration date."  I became more and more disappointed with myself because none of these things had panned out for me yet.

And then, by the Lord's tender mercy something clicked.  I realized how hard I was being on myself.  And that was big.  I never,ever had realized what ridiculous timelines I put myself on, I never realized how I would be SO hard on myself for not accomplishing things I thought I wanted to, when I wanted to.  And because I recognized this, I was able to begin to change it.

I realized that hey, just because some total clueless jerk broke your heart doesn't make you unlovable...it just means you deserve and want better. And he wasn't it.

Just because you haven't been able to afford that apartment you've been dreaming of moving to for so long yet doesn't mean it won't happen, it just means you are where you are supposed to be for now.

Just because you aren't at your dream job yet doesn't mean you won't have it...it just means you have a purpose to serve at the one you are at now.

And, just because things aren't like you pictured them at 25, doesn't mean they aren't good.

Expirations on people do not exist.  Sure, we all physically die and leave this earth some day, but we have NOW. We always have now.  

Treasure it, cherish it, live it, love it, NOW.  Make changes that need to happen.  Let yourself grow.  Work on your dreams.  Don't give up or beat yourself up.  The Lord has a plan for everyone, and He loves us all individually, and perfectly, even though we are not perfect.  He doesn't put us on timelines, when we mess up He doesn't say "Alright, that's it, you only have till your (insert age) to get it right!" He says, "It's ok, try again tomorrow.  Let me show you that what I have planned for you is bigger and better than your plans."

I am alive. Simply saying that puts a smile on my face because this time last year I didn't think I could survive.

But I did. And I am better. Stronger.  Older. Wiser. More blessed.

Here I am. all 25 years of me, failures, trials, experiences, scars, lessons, blessings, and all. I am alive and I am grateful to be 25.

Once Upon A Time/Happily Ever After

After a rough year, and the last few weeks being pretty challenging, I have found myself daydreaming about my life, and what I hope and dream for it.  I find myself thinking

 "I will be happy when/if this happens..." a lot.

  Then I saw this page online and it hit me....I can be happy NOW.  I don't have to wait for some future events in my life...I can make the best out of my NOW situation, and use NOW to work on making these goals and dreams come true.  

I have a Heavenly Father who loves me unconditionally and showers me with Tender Mercies every day.  I have the gospel.  I have a roof over my head, and that is an extra special blessing after being on the east coast and dealing with Sandy.  I have a car to drive and a job to make a living.  I have people who love me.  I have blessings without number. And when I think of these things, I truly feel happy:)

 I totally, TOTALLY recommend reading this talk too.