stranded at starbucks, and other summer adventures

Is school really only a week away?

*sigh*

I had no job, no summer classes, and basically no real purpose other than to see how many different ways I can make coffee enjoyable in this ridiculous summer heat. But I can honestly say that this has been THE best summer of my life...might have a thing or two to do with the fact that I am dating the guy I've had a crush on since highschool, that magical time of consistently bad hair days, freaking out when he asked me to prom, and forcing my little sister to go with me to his football games...even in the rain.

But between him, my best friends and my (loyal) sisters, I have had so many crazy summer adventures and I only wish I could have documented them in pictures. Alas, I only have fond memories of getting caught my the cops (multiple occasions) as we found ourselves accidentally trespassing at parks and private lakes late at night. These are the kinds of stories my youth pastor boyfriend will probably not be integrating into sermons.

Yesterday Christy and I were sitting at Starbucks, feeling kind of bummed about summer ending as we downed our matching tall pike place roasts with a shot of vanilla. I was late for volunteering at VBS at our church, and Christy told me to just skip it.

"Come on," she said. "We can just hang out here, they'll never miss you!"
"Ugh, but I can't do that, I told them I'd help out."
"Oh, fine."

So we're about to get into my car when she realizes that she locked it from the inside...and I didn't have the key that unlocked my doors.

Me: Wait, wait, we're LOCKED OUT??
Christy: Oops.
Me: Oh my gosh, I'm going to miss VBS!

Pause.

Us, simultaneously: SCORE!

So, we hung out at Starbucks, ordering more drinks and entertaining the baristas with our (perfectly timed) predicament. It was the perfect end to the perfect summer!

sUmMeRtImE!

This has been the most amazingly laid-back summer of my life! No job, no summer classes...ba-lessing! (as my sister would say). Just friends to hang out with, books to read, and the boyfriend to have sporradic dance parties with! I do, however, want to feel like I'm being at least *somewhat* productive, so here is a list of goals for this summer...

*plan a day trip to the beach. I mean, I live in North Carolina, there are no excuses!

*watch at least one more movie at the drive-in. Even if the movie sucks, the people-watching is plenty of entertainment in and of itself.

*have a photo shoot on the farm with my sisters

*finish the photo album of my trip to Nicaragua...three summers ago. (slacker).

*spend some alone time at Starbucks. I love staying busy but I so much miss sitting at Starbucks in a little sundress with a good book. Sundresses, in my opinion, are mandatory at coffeehouses.

*pick out my classes for next year considering, you know, that I'll be a senior and if I don't get into the classes I need I won't be able to graduate. Kind of a big deal. (again, slacker).

Hope you guys are all having an awesome summer!

(beach photo from weheartit.com)

wedding!

Last weekend I was a bridesmaid in my cousin Jessica's wedding and it was sooo much fun! Definitley a lot of work because she had an outdoor wedding and while we were setting up for it that morning, the wind was blowing all the flowers over and there was a chance of rain and we were panicking slightly. But the weather cleared and everything was perfect. It was sweet and simple, but so romantic!

Mmm, coconut cake.

Sisters!

*sigh* You gotta love weddings.

So now that it's over and I still have absolutely no job prospects, I'm thinking that I need to dedicate time to doing some serious crafting! I've gotten a little slack with that lately, but I'll have some new scrapbook pages posted soon. But right now it's pouring down rain and I have a stack of books and some Chai tea waiting for me!

xo

heather

she's back :)

Wow.

I haven't posted since April, how crazy is that? I miss the blogging world so much, though, and I am definitely ready to get back in the swing of things this summer. Is summer not the best season ever? I mean, fall is great and I like spring, but there's just something about summertime that makes everyone so carefree and happy for no other reason than the fact that life has slowed down just a little.

I have no job (yet), no major projects going on, no (major) trips planned, but life is so good! Staying up late and not worrying about tomorrow, multiple trips to the library, tennis, movies, swimming in lakes, kayaking, daydreaming...life is good right now!

Annnnnd tomorrow is my twenty-first birthday! That's so weird to wrap my mind around...I'll be twenty-one when I graduate from college! I don't have any huge plans, other than to hang out with my friends and the fam...although a certain cute boy is taking me to the drive-in movie theater tonight! I can't wait; drive-ins are just so Grease.

Anyway, sorry about the pointless rambling! Just thought I'd post a little update and let everyone know that no, I did not get get by a semi or anything on the way home from college.

Week in the Life...so far

So, my original plan was to post each day this week about all the notes and photos I've taken for my "Week in the Life" project. But with finals coming up, late night meetings, and everything else going on, well...it ain't gonna happen! But here are a few of my favorite pictures of the ordinariness of my week so far:

Finishing up my 12 page paper...not fun.

Caramel ice cream and Breakfast at Tiffany's...much more fun.

I had to make a second trip to Wal-Mart this week because I forgot to buy honey...the trip was totally worthwhile when I found this Winnie-the-Pooh honey. Made my week!

Our cozy little kitchen

T.P. and air freshener in the background...so glamorous.

...because I'm always this perky in the morning...must have been post-coffee.

Me, Christy, and a couple of our friends went to the park to play :) I forgot how fun swings and monkey bars are.

So, that's been my week so far. Hope this gives you guys some ideas if you're doing your own Week in the Life Project and if not, well...you know a whole lot more about my life than you ever wanted to!

xo

heather

things to be happy about

...or, "What I Did During English Class"

*free Starbucks drinks*walking out of the library with an armful of books*watching two movies in a row*

random chit-chat with strangers*reading Jane Austen in the summertime

*turning on the radio to the exact song you were hoping to hear*surprise visits

*watching a movie you haven't seen since you were a little kid and realizing that you remember a lot more of it than you thought*getting compliments from strangers*skipping class for no other reason that the facts that it's sunny outside*reading your middle school diary*meeting new people and feeling like you've known them for years*trying not to burst out laughing in public when you suddenly remember something hilarious that happened a week ago*looking through old pictures and finding some of when your parents were dating*

when profs push back the due date of an assignment*inside jokes


what are some of your favorite things?

"A Week in the Life..."

Next week I will be participating in the "A Week in the Life" project, created by talented scrapbooker Ali Edwards. The project basically consists of recording a typical week in your life, focusing on even the most random details, like what you wore, what you ate, where you went, what kind of music you listened to, etc. It's a way of recording the small things that you may not remember five years down the road.

I know a lot of you have expressed interest in scrapbooking, and if you want to learn how but aren't sure where to start, this is a great project to get you going!

Here's what you do: Take as many pictures as possible each day (I'm starting on Monday, just because that always feels more like the beginning of the week than Sunday). Throughout the day, or at night, jot down all the details of the day. Did you overhear an interesting conversation, did the cute Starbucks barista ask for you phone number (ha-I wish!), did you try a new recipe, etc.

Then, after the week's over, you can compile all your photos and notes into a cute scrapbook categorized by each day. Easy, right?

For more information and ideas, check out Ali Edwards' blog.

favorite things

my favorites lately...

Spring!!!!

All things white. Yay for white cardigans and shoes after Easter!

Fifties dresses. *drool*

Funky nail polish slightly reminiscent of what I would have worn in sixth grade.

How To Train Your Dragon

Without a doubt, one of my favorite movies this year!

So, we had to release our little duck friends into the wild (well, the park on campus). Last we saw of them, they were swimming happily in the little creek. We really wanted to take them home for Easter Break, but, well...they stunk. Real bad. So, hopefully they're still frolicking around in the park.

Easter break was soooo fun! We had a bunch of family come down and hang out on our farm; we went flying and swimming and kayaking annnd...we even got bored one day and tied an air mattress to the back of our four wheeler. Definitley something only us country folk would come up with!

Hope you all have a fantastic week and enjoy the sunshine!

xo

heather

meet Waffles and Hank

Despite all the craziness and insanity of being a college student, I decided to add one more responsibilty...

Yes. I bought a baby duck. And my sister bought the other one.

Don't ask me why. We were just randomly in Panera (my life a series of Panera and Starbucks runs) and we were like, "Hey, we should go a a petshop and look at some baby animals; they probably have little chicks or something for Easter."
So we went to Tractor Supply, saw these precious little babies and kind of had to have them.
No, we are definitley not allowed to have animals of any kind in our dorms and yes, they stink like heck but they are kind of the most adorable things ever.

They spent the first part of the week in Christy's top dresser (just like in "Fly Away Home") but her roommate wasn't exactly thrilled with them, so now they're in my bathtub. Fortunately we're going home for Easter this weekend, so we can take them hope to the farm. But for now, it's kind of fun having little pets in the apartment...just don't tell my RA, okay?

xo
heather

it's this kind of thinking that gets me bad grades...

I love coming back from a long break and realizing just how much I really do love school. Way too often I get stressed about schoolwork and getting everything done and going meetings, only to overlook the people that make the college experience worthwhile.

Even though the semester only gets more and more hectic, I've decided that I need to make people a priority, whether that means taking time to chat with the person next to me in the coffee line or post-poning homework to go to a campus event. Even studying in the library instead of my room can totally brighten my day--besides, you never know how many cute guys you'll run into!

I don't want to look back on my college days and regret not putting myself "out there" more and taking advantage of being surrounded by thousands of people my age. I want to grow as a person, and that's not going to happen if I hole up in my room and write papers all day.

Yesterday I was studying for Spanish when my sister called, and said, "Hey, let's go do something. I'm so bored, but I look cute today, so we should go somewhere!" I love the way us girls rationalize. And I thought, "You know, I do need to do something fun!" So we spent almost two hours slurping fat-free smoothies from Panera and laughing so hard that half the restaurant turned to give us their raised-eyebrowed looks. I may not have gotten all the studying done that I should have, but I had a great time catching up with my sister. Those are the kinds of things I'll remember years from now, not how hard I worked for a grade.

So, that's my goal for the rest of the semester--to make friends (old and new) a priority. And now on to some much-needed Spanish tutoring!

ten things...

First of all, thanks to Cassie at for tagging me in the "Happy 101" award!

Okay, 10 things that make me happy...

1. Reading a reeaallly good book. I'm not the biggest Nicholas Sparks fan of all time, but this book was amazing:

2. New adventures. My family is planning a move to Chile in the very near future and I couldn't be more excited!!

3. Quiet time. Even at home, it's hard to find time to get away from the hustle and bustle and just...be. There's something so calming about just spending time alone with God and completely forgetting about whatever else is going on.

4. Cowgirl boots with dresses. My outfits all week have been basically this.

5. Not worrying about calories or how I look in my bathing suit because it's too darn cold to wear one anyway!

6. Trying on prom dresses with my friend Meredith at the mall. I wish I took more pictures, it was so fun! Part of me is like, "Am I really graduating from college next year? I still want to go to one more prom!"

7. Thinking about doing something different with my hair. I love these girls' hair:

Katie at Skunkboy Creatures.

singer Jenny Lewis

I wish my hair was a little nicer to me when it comes to the curling issue. I tend to look like a redheaded Shirley Temple when I curl it. Kind of scary...

8. Sailboats. My sister Christy is in Florida this week with her friends, surfing and sailing (lucky...) But, I mean, I can't complain. I'm kind of enjoying the cloudy weather, and...watching movies all day...Okay, not really.

from weheartit.com

9. Switching my major, yay! I have officially decided to switch from English Education to English Writing, mainly because...well...I wouldn't have been able to graduate on time if I stayed in the teaching program, so I was like, "Hey, I like to write. I'll just do that." Unfortunatley, the longer I'm in college the more I'm like "Eh, who cares about the future? I'll figure something out..." But, seriously, I love to write and I'm super excited about my classes next year.

10. Scrapbooking inspiration

by Amy Tangerine. Check out her blog.

I'm supposed to tag ten other bloggers but...I tag everyone! Have a great day! (Oh, and I'm feeling much better, thanks for the get well wishes!)

xo

heather

pretties

Spring Break and I'm home sick. Ughhh...
You know what the worst thing about being sick is? I can't stand the taste of coffee. It's tragic. I got sick last summer and couldn't drink it for weeks. It was like I was trapped in some sort of alternate universe or something. So, guess I won't be visiting the cute little coffee house I discovered just down the road...

On a happier note, I am super in love with the art of Nan Lawson. How adorable are these...

I love them all!

See more here.

xo

heather

wednesday randomness

Recipe-testing time!

I feel sorry for my future husband--I consider a bowl of baked carrots a meal. I'm not a vegetarian by any means, but the thought of cooking meat kinda freaks me out. But at least I cooked it from scratch, right? Mm, and they were sooo good! The recipe is over at Martha Stewart's website if you want to try it!

I just broke one of the cardinal rules of blogging: never blog about what you ate for dinner.
But, in my defence, it's more of a celebration of the fact that I can cook rather than an utter lack of a life. At least I hope.

And, even though I haven't made any new layouts recently, I thought I'd share some pages that I made my freshman year of college...

Sorry the picture quality isn't so good. I'm not cool enough to own a scanner.

Hope everyone has a great rest of the week!

xo

heather

getting back in the habit

I've decided that I've been skirting around the issue of writing for so long that I just need to sit down and do it. I've wanted to be a writer for as long as I can remember and can honestly say that it's one of my biggest passions. But I just don't do it enough. Last year, I wrote somewhere around seven or eight chapters of this novel that had been edited by a professional, real-life author. Naturally, my computer crashed and I lost it. Since the thought of re-writing that same story has as much appeal as listening to nails screech down a chalkboard, I've decided to start a new one.

But, as everyone knows, forcing oneself to sit down and knock out the first few chapters is always the hardest part. Plus, I live within walking distance of two different libraries, which means that my insatiable appetite for books is never left unsatisfied.

So, in other words, I need to put down the books, hide my library card, and pick up my laptop.

Oy.

tea parties and ukuleles

I finally got my ukulele on Friday! Oh my gosh, it is the cutest thing I have ever seen. I knew they were small (duh) but when I saw it in the store I was like, "Awww, it's so tiny!" I only know a handful of chords, but it's enough to make my room sound like Hawaii, and that makes me happy. I can only hope my roommates feel the same way :) I'll post some pictures soon.

Yesterday me and a big group of girls went to this adorable tea place in Chattanooga called the English Rose. It was the highlight of my year. I had tea, crumpets, and some sort of fruit and meringue dessert; it was absolute heaven. And, as if it wasn't adorable enough, the people that worked there were British. I almost died. I'm sorry, I'm just such a girly-girl. Here's me and my friend Jess:

So now I'm like, "Um, where can I buy a teapot? Right now?"

Anyway, I'm not super bogged down with homework this week (miracle of miracles) so I am going to work on my scrapbook, try some recipes I found in a Martha Stewart magazine, and read! Oh, and learn a song on my ukulele. Which, I have a feeling is going to be a little harder than it looks.

xo

heather

dreaming of...

pretty gardens!

I've always wanted to live in a place where I could have a big, beautiful garden. Here are some pretty ones:

So pretty! (all pics from weheartit.com).

I'm *hopefully* getting my ukulele this week (yay!) but I can't decide whether I want a yellow one or a wooden one. What do you guys think?

xo

heather