Recapping...

Baby Sister and I had a great time this weekend!
We decoupaged some cute things for her room at school next year and just hung out doing nothing together for a lot of the time! :P

Saturday I spent most of the day playing soccer scrimmages. We did not look good and were thoroughly humbled by the teams we played but it was fun to be with the girls again and get to play real games! At the end of the scrimmage my coach was really upset with us for playing so badly. He said that we had wasted our time in coming and that we were terrible. He is SO frustrating! He coaches based on his emotions and does not consider the affect his words have on other people.

When I finally returned back from the games, we went hiking at pocket, which was awesome! It was beautiful outside! Our hiking excursion lasted for just long enough to see some beautiful scenery and to find a nice sunny rock. Middle Sister swore she knew where an awesome rock was... it was a REALLY long walk to her rock! We finally found her favorite spot. It was not really sunny anymore and there wasn't enough room for four people to lay out, but still we had a ton of fun and laughs! :)

After our adventure we were craving something fresh so we went with having some cowboy caviar and tortilla chips for dinner! We threw two cans of ro-tel, two cans of black beans, a bag of frozen corn, three avocados, some scallions, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, salt and pepper together as a make-shift recipe. We forgot the lime, but it still tasted awesome! We sat and watched Sleepless in Seattle as we ate and ate and ate some more!

Picture compliments of yourhomebasedmom.com

Living in TN, cheering for the Green and White :)

Go Michigan State!!

Yes, I was raised in Atlanta. Yes, I am at school in Tennessee. Yes, I want State to make it to the final four!!!

Both of my parents are Michigan State Alumni and my dad played football for them back in the day, so we are big on MSU sports. Especially in basketball season, when they actually win :P

I volunteer in a Physical Therapy clinic about 15 hours a week in preparation for grad school. They let me participate in our office march madness competition. I don't follow basketball at all, but love Michigan State and Duke. SO... right now I am in first place of the whole bracket race :)

I hope Duke goes all the way! I do love the success of the underdogs in the tournament this year though.

AND MICHIGAN STATE IS GOING TO THE FINAL FOUR!!!

All in the Family

My youngest sister, who we will call 'Baby Sister' is visiting! I have loved having her, we have had a great girly time together so far!

My family is a huge part of my life, I love when I get to be there and help support them when they are in need! We are so close and great at rallying around each other in struggles.

Daddy, my mom, me, Baby, and Middle

I know no family is perfect, we are far from it, but I love what we have in my family!

Today we watched While you were Sleeping, which is quite possibly my favorite girly movie of all time! If you haven't seen it, you must! It will make you laugh and cry (happy tears) all at the same time! :)

We are headed out to get some dinner! Have a great night!

Happy Tuesday!

I have begun to sew lately and once I finish my current projects I hope to learn to quilt. I have not done anything big yet, just starting out with coasters and pot holders. My current project is binding some pre-quilted fabric to make a set of place-mats for my mom. My interest in sewing and researching how-tos with binding etc. is what started my interest in reading blogs, wandering etsy, and crafting in general.

In a search for a craft idea for a birthday present for one of my sisters and a graduation present for the other one, I came across the Moda Bake Shop!

Here are some of my favorite ideas from the blog posts :)

The Simple Little Table Runner is my favorite! I love how casual and cute it is! I can't wait to have time to try it!

The Personalized Birdie Pillow is adorable too! Just another sweet idea that I LOVE! :)

This Made for Yo-yo's quilt is so cute! I don't know how hard it would be to make, but it is definitely going to be a goal of mine!

I will definitely post pictures after I make my sister's gifts! I just wanted to share some of my favorite idea finds lately!

Have a happy Tuesday! :)

Flowers of Spring!

I am loving this new spring weather that has come our way lately! It is beautiful and sunny and all nice warm things!

With spring comes dress shopping! It seems like prom season was not that long ago, but my days of buying formal and semi-formal wear are not over yet! This spring I have the challenge of finding two dresses instead of just one! I have my Junior-Senior and then am going to a Spring formal with Patrick!

Junior-Senior usually includes around a two hour bus ride in a formal dress, so, I chose a classic yet comfortable gown that will not require constant readjusting:

I know its pretty plain jane but I love the color and have a cute gardenia to put back in my hair when its pinned up! :)

Now, the second dress I want to go short with but haven't been able to shop for it yet, so here are some ideas I have found online that I can't wait to try on when I'm home over Easter weekend!

I love the blue of this dress! My favorite part is the bow in the back. I love bows.

Dress option #1 is a Maggy London Sleeveless Silk Dress from Nordstrom.

Another concern I have when dress shopping is that I am 5'3-ish and my body does not handle extravagant dresses with excess fabric well. My concern with this dress is that it might have too full of a skirt.

Dress option #2 is definitely the most trendy of my selections. I love how Tibi can look trendy and modern yet always looks classy and simply cut. This dress is their Strapless Dahlia Silk Dress from Saks. I love this dress but I feel like it might not be formal enough. A lot about this dress will depend on how it looks in person!

Dress option #3 is the choice that looks most similar to my style. Its black and I would love to wear a dress of another color but I love the detailing of this dress! It has a small ruffle around the back and neckline and a ruffled flowery pattern around the hem. This dress is by Max and Cleo, Strapless Taffeta Dress from Dillard's. If it were a different color it would be my fav fav favorite, but I'm really not thinking black is going to work.

Dress option #4 is borrowing this light blue dress (or one similar to it) from a friend. I think its a beautiful dress and it looks great on her, the only question is if it will look great on me too! She has quite a few inches on me so we will see!

Now, I love these dresses but am definitely interested in looking around! I only have Thursday afternoon (before Easter) though so I wanted to get an idea of the looks I like best and what I am looking for!

So, through all of this shopping I have found:

• Simple
• with a cute accent e.g. a bow, subtle ruffles, or gathering
• hitting just above the knee to work with my height
• a color other than black or white

I miss shopping! I can not wait! For now I will just eat healthy and soak up all of this beautiful spring weather!

Until next time I will be enjoying these awesomely perfect days of early spring! :)

Let's keep things in perspective!

Spring break was awesome and beautiful and SO relaxing! We spent half of the week at Kaitlyn's house just between Cocoa Beach and Merritt Island. It was great to go to all of her favorite places and get to know her family a little bit, while enjoying laying and playing in the sun! Thursday morning Middle and I drove up to St. Augustine to visit my grandparents for a few days. They are so funny and we loved every minute of our time with them!


It was a perfect break , unfortunately that has made for a tough transition back into normal life. Monday started with a very late night and the week has not seemed to let up yet! In addition to overwhelming classes, last minute obligatory commitments, and ugly weather, on my way out the door earlier I knocked my retainer off the counter and stepped on it. While this seems like a trivial mistake, it was the straw that broke the camel's back.

However, after I somewhat fell apart I was reminded of this awesome quote by Edward Everett Hale:

I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do.

Today that quote meant to stop whining about the things that are out of my control and take charge! So here are a few things that I do to make my down moments not seem so low:

• listen to encouraging music. I love Hillsong United because the words and music make you want to go conquer the world or something!
• drink lots of water! When you are hydrated you have more energy, look better, and focus more easily
  
• eat a low calorie snack. I always feel better after I sit and just eat. My snack of choice is cucumbers with salsa, I can eat all I want and not feel guilty or gross after!
• grind and eat some flax seed. Flax seed is a great source of fiber and helps to level out hormones.
  
• go tanning. I know, this can be so bad for you but with improvements that have been made since most of the bad news studies have come out could make a huge difference.
• get organized. When i have a list detailing what I need to do by when, the small tasks do not seem as daunting as when I look at all that needs to be done as a whole.
  
• put things in perspective. I know that the Lord is in control over all things and I don't need to worry because what is meant to get done will.

As of right now, I have fixed a tasty and healthy comfort food vegetarian stew and am studying fine arts with a nice hot cup of tazo zen tea!

Until next time! :)

I love coming home :)

I get to spend today at home relaxing, running errands, and packing for the beach tomorrow. There is a sunny high of 57 degrees, it is going to be a great day! :)

"I had rather be shut up in a very modest cottage with my books, my family and a few old friends, dining on simple bacon, and letting the world roll on as it liked, than to occupy the most splendid post, which any human power can give."
- Thomas Jefferson

Futbol anyone?

At this point there is only one class standing between me and spring break! I am so excited!

Earlier today I hosted a poster making tea party in my dorm room! I am a proud member (and treasurer) of the SSTOP club on campus.

For those of you who have not heard of SSTOP the acronym stands for Students Stopping the Trafficking of People. It is an amazing cause to be a part of. If you are at all familiar with the issue of human trafficking I am sure you have heard about how gruesome and ugly it is. After attending conferences, studying rehabilitation centers, and even just watching video about it, my eyes are completely opened and my heart is completely burdened to do all I can to support those who are risking their lives to uncover trafficking rings around the world.

For more information visit http://www.stopinternational.org/

On that note, we have planned an intra and intermural 7vs7 soccer tournament. I am so excited to be a part of the planning of such an awesome event! For very little cost we will be able to spread the word about trafficking, raise money, and provide students with a great time! We have been so blessed to have the support of two campuses and athletic programs.

However, I am quite possibly the least artistic person when it comes to poster making, I am good at coming up with cute ideas but not so great at the cute handwritting and picture drawing. Despite my handicap, we had a very productive night!

I love organized messes :) Overall it was a great night spending quality time with some awesome girls.

I can not wait to go home tomorrow and spend the rest of the week at the beach!

-Shelby

The Kick Off!

Here it goes! I have no idea how to start this journey. I guess an introduction would be appropriate.

I am a college athlete at a small school in rural Tennessee. I was raised for the most part in Atlanta. I am graduating this December and hope to pursue physical therapy after that. I am so excited about everything to come and loving preparing for it right now! I am ready to be out of the small town scene and back to the city, but until then I have begun crafting, sewing, and all sorts of girly fun things!

• I love getting to know new people and exchanging awesome stories and experiences!
• Soccer is the sport that helps with tuition but is definitely not the only athletic activity I enjoy! I can not wait to graduate so I can get back into triathlons especially!
• I am a health nut who loves to experiment in the kitchen!
• I think the human body is really cool. (yes, I am a nerd)
  
• I love doing laundry but can not stand the ironing!

More to come later! I tried to put pictures in but could not figure that out... so we'll see, if nothing else comes from this blog at least I will become more computer literate! :)

Anyways, it has been a long road but due to an AMAZINGLY supportive family and loving Savior I am living a beautifully blessed life!