Trying to tame my mane

Before the summer began, my hair and I were in a battle. Some days it was curly, some days it was half straight and half wavy, and some days it was just straight crazy. I remembered when I was little (and my hair was straight) I used to braid my hair after the shower, sleep in the braids, and wake up to take them out and find...well, some kind of kinky, poofy, semi-wavy do. So, I decided I would give it a try for old times sake.

Before...
After


The picture is dark and blown out, but you get the idea. It sort of worked, although slightly kinky. As summer goes on, I continue to battle with my crazy hair. I am seriously trying to grow my hair out and have a couple of inches to go. In the meantime, Rachel Scholl (fabulous) gave me some highlights which makes me happier with my crazy hair. Here is me this morning sporting bedhead + a bobby pin!
Not so crazy today. I continue to experiment with hot rollers, foam curlers, and all different products to tame this mane. A heat index of 120 does not help! Alas, I will be in Alaska in 60 degree weather at the end of this week and I expect to have fabulous hair! Do you have any tips to beat this heat (perhaps more practical than braids?)

Organizing my Jewelry

I really do not have a ton of jewelry, but I have been slowly accumulating and making enough to where the little jewelry box James got me for our first Christmas really was not cutting it anymore! So, I decided to make something to hold my earrings and necklaces/bracelets. Here they are:
These did not take long at all and they were both cheap projects! I had some creative ideas like decoupaging or distressing the accordion peg rack or sprucing up a few things but I decided to keep it simple. It was cheap and easy and my bathroom is much more organized! Hopefully later I can show you pictures of my bedroom and guest bathroom which are both getting mini makeovers! Until then, I am enjoying my summer break before grueling graduate school and I hope you are, too!

Feeling Good

Okay so the beginning of this is going to sound a little mushy, but I have to share it in order for this post to make sense! The other night, James gave me one of those movie kisses. You know, where the guy touches your face ever so tenderly, stares deep in your eyes, and lays a big one on you. It is amazing how something so simple sent chills down my spine, made me feel all nervous, and felt like I was kissing him for the first time. Somehow, this later got me thinking about other things that really make me feel good and I started making a list:

{one} When you start to sweat because you are working out hard. I realized this as I was drenched doing zumba. I did not feel gross, I felt strong, lean, and like I was working hard.

{two} Stretching. This is something I have started to do, especially while watching So You Think You Can Dance! I feel so rejuvenated and love my body more.

{three} Crying. I know this totally does not make sense to the male population, but sometimes crying just makes you feel better. It can solve problems on its own!

{four} Checking items off of to-do lists. Man this creates a sense of accomplishment like none other. Especially for avid to-do listers like myself.

{five} When you have a good hair, face, and outfit day all in one day. Since we can be quite fickle and insecure at times, it is great to have days when you feel...pretty!

{six} Achieving recognition. For whatever it may be. Recently I have had multiple people tell me I have great posture. Thanks, I have been working on it really hard (Dr. Miller's orders!)

{seven} Cooking a new successful meal. I love to see James' face as he bites into something I made that he loves and even sometimes requests me to make it the next day. I did not learn how to cook growing up so it is very exciting!

I'm sure I could list a hundred more! What makes you feel good?

Family Photoshoot

For Mother's Day, James and I gifted my mom a family photo shoot. The last official family photo shoot we did was 17 years ago so it has been a long time coming!

Meet my family: Mom, Heather, Mackie, Billy and my two nieces Aiden and Hannah.

It was really a non-stop laughing trip to downtown Charleston. We had loads of fun and it was priceless to see how happy my mother was. This is only a few out of the many pictures and I wish I could show them all! We are going to do another shoot to include my brother Dustin eventually-and who knows how the family will grow by then!

The symbol on the bottom right in the last few is James' logo which was designed by Kara Groves. Shout out and thanks to Kara, she has been a joy to work with! To check out James' work, go to jasriley.com -there is a lot more to come soon on there!

I'm a Chipped Teapot, Short and ....

I decided yesterday that I would go to the chiropractor after needing to for quite some time. Here is my history of injuries building up to this point: 1. Landed on my head in a soccer game in high school which ended in a concussion. 2. Wiped out while wakeboarding in high school. 3. Hit my head while snowboarding in February 2009 ending in another concussion. Not to mention getting punched in the jaw two times while playing sports.

My chiropractor looked a little surprised but said at least I have fun stories to back up my pain. Today I met with her to discuss my x-rays and start treatment. I was told that my jaw is crooked (which explains the TMJ), I have loss in my neck curve, there are some muscular issues, and I have a degenerative bone disease in my spine/neck. Yep, like how I just tossed that in there?!

Really it sounds worse then it is. Also, it only came because of the sports injuries, not because I have had this disease. The good news is that she can stop it from getting worse! I would explain the details, but medical talk is no fun. Googling or WebMding illnesses is typically never a good idea-but not too far off in this case in you are interested.

My chiropractor banned me from extreme sports in a roundabout way (along with James). She said that I am lucky to be alive and surprised I have not been paralyzed. Really I say all of this because I think God might want me to be here! I am not sure exactly why and always am searching for my purpose. I think it is probably a good time to start figuring that purpose out more. Since I started dating James, his father has called me a chipped teapot due to my multiple injuries and clumsiness! I guess he was not too far off, but I am thankful that God has not allowed me to crack yet!

Busy Busy Busy!

Are there ever times in your life where you are crazy busy but you aren't sure what you have been doing? That is completely how I feel right now! I have not blogged in forever and I have probably had time, but something has kept me busy.

Since last blogging, I have gotten highlights and glasses, graduated from Charleston Southern, revamped our office at home, and gotten into the Masters of Social Work program at the University of South Carolina. I also got some awesome new tennis shoes (one pair for running and one for training) and my body is really hating me right now (lunges after running a few miles = no good). I even contemplated getting the Reebok “booty shoes”. So yes, there are some silly things mixed in with important milestones, but it is all awesome to me!

Mostly what is keeping us busy around here is my very talented husband and his sweet photography skills. We have been booked every weekend, which means there is editing to be done during the week after a full work day. I am so loving learning more about my camera and have now moved on to learning editing software.

So that is what I have been up to! Next time I blog, I will share some of the pictures from a few of our shoots so I can have proof of my reason for absence. I also have some yummy recipes to share! Here are a few from some recent events:

To Love Their Husband Tuesdays

So, I have decided to join in on the To Love Their Husband Tuesdays. This is basically where I am challenged to go out of my way to show my husband that I love him and chat about it. I think I want to personally go beyond loving my husband and come up with more ways to show how much I honor and respect him since that is basically speaking love to men.

First off, I want to say how awesome my husband is. Just yesterday, he worked for a LONG time to help me redesign my blog. He was very patient with me and made my header just like I wanted! I was very surprised to discover how much he knows about blog design-but then again he never ceases to amaze me. That man can 100% do anything he puts his mind to, and do it well. I do not think there is anything he cannot do and for that I am proud! Not to mention how lucky I am to have such a handy hubby.

In saying that, I have two challenges that I want to begin to work on. First, I want to be proactive in noticing when my husband does these things and make sure to thank him and give recognition of his hard work. Sometimes I can be so critical because honestly, I set high standards for everyone I know (trust me I'm working on it) but he does not deserve it. My second challenge is that I want to pray for him more. Although he is the person I pray for the most, I certainly do not do it enough. So there is my second challenge responsibility.

I can't wait to work on being a better wife!

Embracing Accusations

"The father of lies coming to steal kill and destroy all my hopes of being good enough
I hear him saying cursed are the ones who can’t abide. He’s right. Alleluia he’s right!
The devil is preaching the song of the redeemed, that I am cursed and gone astray.
I cannot gain salvation. Embracing accusation.
Could the father of lies be telling the truth of God to me tonight?
If the penalty of sin is death then death is mine.
I hear him saying cursed are the ones who can’t abide, he’s right. Alleluia he’s right!
Oh the devil’s singing over me an age old song that I am cursed and gone astray.
Singing the first verse so conveniently

He’s forgotten the refrain
JESUS SAVES!"

You have to listen to this song by Shane and Shane. I could not stop crying as I watched them perform it this past Thursday at CSU because it so spoke to my heart. I realize that I have strayed from the message that I am saved by Jesus’ blood. Instead, I act like my relationship with God is dependent on my performance. If I am not keeping disciplined in my quiet times, prayers, etc then I feel like I start praying and think that I am not worthy of talking to God, that He does not want to hear what I have to say, and that I deserve nothing. I feel guilty to ask anything of Him. Something in the back of my mind tells me that I am not good enough. Or maybe if I did better then God would love me more and things would come out better. This song took me back to remember that it does not matter what I do or who I am. Jesus did not die to save people who were perfectly obedient, otherwise His blood would have been wasted. Ultimately, I really do not deserve to be loved and blessed, but I am because my God saves. No matter what I have done and what I do, I will forever be saved.

Because the sinless Savior died my sinful soul is counted free.
For God, the Just, is satisfied, to look on Him and pardon me.

Thank you Jesus

Excuse my nerdiness

Before you even begin to read this, I want to make a disclaimer: I am a nerd, a total nerd! I love school, I love to read, love research, and honestly and thankfully, learning comes easy to me. So in saying that, I understand my perspective on the topic I am about to discuss might be different from many! So bear with me if your opinion is different and tell me all about it in your comments!

This last year of undergraduate school has made me think a lot. Mostly, I think about my future career and what my undergraduate education has done to contribute to this. As I reflect back, I remember the days of researching who the easy professors were and which classes were the easiest. If you wait until class sign ups come around, then you will see all of the students asking each other these same questions. This year, my perspective on this changed completely. For some reason I became annoyed at hearing fellow classmates grumble about difficult classes. It is like something finally clicked in my brain! I realized that one day I am going to have other people’s lives in my hands, which is a huge responsibility! If I desire to be a professional one day then what is an easy education going to do for me? It might make the classes easier and decrease my stress level for the time being, but what about my future? Let’s be honest here, you do not expect to obtain a high level of education when you go for the easy classes. It is basically quick input into your brain until you can flush it all out after the test.

I just do not get this anymore and I wish someone would have told me earlier. Now I am not advocating for taking the hardest professors and class load every semester. I just recommend that you do not skimp out on taking classes that will challenge you-especially in your area of interest. The real world is not going to be easy and as you become a professional, people set standards and expectations and do not allow for excuses-the responsibility falls on you.

So my advice is do not take the easy track. You will either never remember what you learned or totally be unprepared for your future. I have not even mentioned the fact that you or someone is paying for this education you are receiving! When you add that in to the equation, it is a different ball game. I know I would never buy a 200 piece puzzle for $500. That is a lot of money being wasted on something that is way too easy. Do not be afraid to be challenged—you will be amazed at your potential. The result will be gratifying knowing that you tried your hardest, pushed yourself, and truly earned that degree.

I will earn that degree on May 8^th at 10:00! In August, I will be starting graduate school at the University of South Carolina to earn my Masters in Social Work. I am so thankful to have learned this lesson before moving on to the next level of schooling. I know it is going to be hard, but I cannot wait!

Thank you to Dr. Sinisi, Dr. Walker, Dr. Sharpe, Dr. Adkinson, Dr. Naylor, Dr. Bower, Dr. Miller, and Professor Dillon for challenging me and making me think--I appreciate it now more than ever. Thank you for setting high expectations and encouraging students to perform at higher standards. You guys are awesome!

Friendships with a purpose

Last night, James and I had to stay home from our Bible study due to our sicky-ness. We decided to have soup for dinner and watch Couples Retreat. The movie in all was not too bad but it somehow managed to teach me a valuable lesson! At a point in the movie, the men start calling each other out on their marriages. It started with someone offending another and then they would say things such as "Well you do ____ to your wife, how do you think that makes her feel?" You could just see the a-ha moment when the husband realized what he was doing (of course he quickly retorted and called that man out!)

This made me realize that I do not have anyone who does that! Not only in the context of my marriage but life in general. Bluntly stated, I want a friend who will call me out on my crap! It is easier said than done because it truly requires effort on both sides! It is hard to find someone who has time these days as many of my friends are in school, newly married, or just crazy busy (as I am myself). But it is important to make time for friendships especially purposeful friendships! Now don't get me wrong, I have my gals who I love love love. I just believe relationships were created to do so much more than what I am previously doing with mine.

Yes this requires some effort, honesty, and getting over yourself--but I am willing! Maybe it is because I am in this odd transition from graduating college to getting into the real world which can take a toll on friendships. I guess I am just wanting to find those friends that I will have for a lifetime who can encourage me to be a better person, follower of Christ, wife, and one day mother. I not only desire to find those types of relationships (and modify my current ones) but I want to be that kind of friend for someone, too. This is something I have been thinking about for a while, but I am just realizing how important this really is to my heart. I am hoping and praying to find this: as iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another (Proverbs 27:17).

Here is a picture for you to laugh at my sicky-ness:
Geared with Gatorade, soup, thermometer, and toilet paper! Don't worry I am feeling better today :)

In front of the camera!!!

James and I got to go to the best party a few weeks ago hosted by Richard Bell Photography. They rented out the top floors of Southend Brewery and invited friends, previous clients, and future clients to come out and eat food, have lots of fun, and get pictures taken all for free! They had different settings such as natural light from the windows, backdrops, costumes, and walks throughout downtown. James and I got pictures taken in all of these except the costumes (we are kind of germaphobes!) Here they are:

Since we are venturing into starting a photography business, we have been taken so many pictures of other people! James often takes pictures of me (all the time!) and we go out shooting all the time. It was kind of fun to be in front of the camera and get pictures taken with my man! Thank you Nathan, Wanda, Valerie, and Mell-you guys are awesome!

And if you are curious, you can view some of James' work on his blog @ jamesrileyphotograph.com/wordpress

My list of dates

I have talked to a few of my friends about this list of dates that I made for James a long time ago. James is comfortable with staying home, playing video games, editing pictures, watching television, and doing anything inside any night. I on the other hand, love to be outside trying new things all the time. Being an extrovert, I get energy being around other people and especially love my quality time. But I do get tired of doing the same things over and over--it is who I have always been! Since this is a foreign world to James, I decided to make a list of things I want to do. I figured this was a fail proof method because all he had to do was pick one off the list! My friends have told me that I need to share my list so here it is in all its long glory including links so you can check some of the places out:

1. Go out on the dock, gazebo, pier and dance to sweet music. 2. Go fishing. 3. Bowling. 4. Picnic at Wannamaker and improve my frisbee skills. 5. Play frisbee golf. 6. Get a group together and play frisbee, man hunt, softball, etc. 7. Watch the Goonies, Office Space, or any other must sees! 8. Make home made pizzas-create a new recipe! 9. Watch the Have Nots or some comedy show. 10. Go on a bike ride through Crowfield. 11. Bike up to Charleston Southern University, watch the sunset, and take pictures. 12. Dress up fancy and take pictures downtown of neat stuff and get people to take pictures of us. 13. Go out on a boat ride. 14. Go to an art gallery such as Gallery Chuma, The Gibbes, or others. 15. Visit the Charleston Museum. 16. Go to Fire & Earth and make pottery. 17. Walk/bike the new bridge near sunset-bring camera, flashlight, and bubbles! 18. Go rock climbing at James Island County Park. 19. Take the dogs to James Island County Park to see if they like to swim at the doggy beach! 20. Go visit local parks, do a devotional, and have a picnic. 21. Picnic, sunsets, and anything outdoors are always cool. 22. Host a unisex poker night. 23. Go anywhere at night where we can see the stars (especially the beach + blankets + warm beverage). 24. Crazy Paint Date-this involves a sheet, different colors of paint, and different painting tools such as a brush, sponge, squirt gun, hands, etc and go crazy! Later we can cut out the best pieces and make art out of it. 25. Do a fun arts and crafts project together. 26. Go to the beach and I can teach you how to surf. 27. Have a murder mystery party with friends! 28. Go to Cypress Gardens to visit the Butterfly Garden and ride the bateau boats. 29. Go to Frankies Fun Park and race on the track, have fun in the batting cage, and get our aggression on the driving range. 30. Go to Possibly Picasso and make something for the house. 31. Thrift Store Date-go to a thrift store, pick outfits out (more than likely crazy) for eachother (wash them-as we are germaphobes), and go downtown acting completely normal! 32. Go to Cupcakes in Mount Pleasant! Yum! 33. Barnes & Noble date night-drink coffee and read magazines (James->photography Me->craft). 34. Go to the rope swing on Daniel Island or Ravenel. 35. Try out local mom and pop restaurants. 36. Go to one of the local farms and pick fruit (starts in April)! 37. Go to Charleston Cooks or take a cooking class. 38. Walk on the beach at night, star gaze, and collect shells for our bathroom. 39. Go to one of the places downtown that teach you how to dance (swing, shag, or salsa). 40. Go to the beach at sunset/sunrise (do you see the themes:sunsets, beach, outdoors?) 41. Have a worship night with friends. 42. Have a campfire and make smores. 43. Walk around the Reflection Pond at Charleston Southern University and feed the ducks (we have sweet memories here). 44. Get a caricature drawn of us. 45. Have an outdoor party on our patio, grill out, and play bocci ball. 46. Play the question game (this is how we got to know eachother while dating). 47. Build a fort in the house and make ice cream! 48. Volunteer at the soup kitchen, Special Olympics, or somewhere else together. 49. Watch our wedding dvd and cuddle. 50. Build something together like our pot rock. 51. Go garage sale-ing. 52. Fix your VR4, take it to the car show, and go for a cruise. 53. Clean and organize your garage! 54. Dress up nice (so we look more "established") and go test drive your dream car. 55. Make something out of the mirrors in the garage! 56. Get dressed up and go somewhere fancy to eat! 57. Go paintballing, 4-wheeling, or something dirty! 58. Go kayaking or canoeing. 59. Japanese night at my Aunt & Uncles. 60. Go downtown and visit it as if we were tourists! 61. Visit our grandparents and make a sentimental gift for them. 62. Go to the Cinebarre. 63. Go to Carowinds! 64. Visit any local festivals (Flowertown, Spoleto, etc). 65. Go to a concert. 66. Double date with your parents. 67. Hang out with Mackie (my brother) and Ashley (his sis). 68. Go to the drive-in movie theatre in Beaufort. 69. Go to Jestine's Kitchen for lunch! 70. Fingerpaint. 71. Use our screen printer to make t-shirts. 72. Take my sled and some cardboard and go down the hill at Wannamaker Park. 73. Go camping-even if it is not very far away. 74. Go on a ski trip. 75. Go on a day/weekend trip to Charlotte--> Ikea, Cheesecake Factory, Forever 21. 76. Visit downtown Summerville (we never go there) and eat at Ladles. 77. Homemade sushi night--everyone eats with chopsticks! 78. Go to an auction. 79. Master a recipe together.

Some of these can be combined such as campfire and smores, picnic at the beach, etc. Some are expensive and some are cheap! I probably need to find some more cheap ideas! My whole idea was that we would try to take pictures at all of these dates and compile it all into a big book so we can remember! I have also heard of people doing a date jar where they write dates on a piece of paper and pull one out on their date nights. Lastly, I want James to tell me some dates he wants to do specifically as well so I can take him out!

What are some of your date ideas? I'd love to add to my list :)

Picnic in the Park!

On the first official day of spring break, I had the opportunity to go on a picnic with a few of my gal pals! These friends of mine are in Psychology Club with me which is usually where we see each other. Well, we decided it is about time to hang out outside of these events like the real friends we are! I love how Psychology Club has helped in forming relationships with these girls. Shardai is my little sunshine and is always happy whenever I see her. Laura is a great person to bounce ideas off of and is super helpful, caring, and independent. Ruby is amazing for many reasons and I feel myself growing closer to her every week-especially when she sits with me in my car talking for three hours eating brownies!


It was fun to just get outside and enjoy the weather! We were all about this picnic and had yummy sandwhiches, chips & dip, sweet tea, muffins, grapes (which we killed), and more! Oh and we even had a plaid tablecloth! I think what made it special was that we are all four completey different people but that didn't matter at all. It was fun, delicious, and a great start to my Spring Break. I definitely reccommend that everyone goes on a picnic because it is starting to get beautiful outside and it is a really cheap date idea (of which I have more ideas to come!) Here are a few pics from the day:

Snow Day!!!

I am still in awe that it actually snowed in Charleston! And not only that, but it stuck for more than one day! I would say that at our house, it snowed at least a good six inches which was amazing! When I was on the way home from work, I called James and said "I think it is about to snow! Something is coming down and it is not quite rain and not snow yet!" Well as soon as I pulled into my driveway, I started honking at James because the sleet was starting to turn into snow. I ran out of my car so excited and literally just jumped up and down in the snow! About an hour later we decided to go get a pizza and a movie since we did not want to be out on the roads all night. Well, once we went outside, we discovered that in my excitement, I had left my car door open! So, I had about an inch of snow in my car!

The best part about the snow was seeing people so happy as we walked throughout the store. It is amazing how excited everyone was about it--minus the few people I saw with umbrellas! I could not stop smiling and jumping up and down! I have seen snow before but this much snow has not happened for at least ten years in Charleston. It might take that long to happen again...hopefully not! We made a snowman who we named Stanley, then Stanley 2.0, then Stanley 2.5 as his head did not want to stay on!

The next morning we decided to take pictures around our neighborhood and it was so much fun to see all of the snowmen in our neighborhood. I even taught one little girl how to make the big bottom part of a snowman because she didn't know as her father brushed snow off his car with a broom --oh Charleston! James and I also had a huge snowball fight of which he definitely won which is when I gave up and made a snow angel!

All in all, we had tons of fun and got lots of great pictures! It made for a perfect Valentine's weekend.

My First Post!

Hello! So I am a newbie when it comes to the blogging world. One of my best gal pals Chelsie highly recommends blogging, so here goes! I am hoping that I keep up with this thing, even if nobody reads it! :)

The topic of this blog is about new beginnings. I made a list of things to do in 2009 and I will admit that shortly after making the list, I tossed it aside and did not think about it anymore! Well really, the things I wanted to do, improve on, or add to my schedule plagued me quite often. Still, I avoided them with some kind of excuse. Some of the items on my list might be silly, but the whole idea is to be more organized and efficient with my time leading a healthy lifestyle that honors God. So here is my list:

1. Work out 3x a week. In addition, pilates 2x/week.

2. Call extended family at least once every other week.

3. Make a weekly chore list.

4. Get on top of the couponing!

5. Have more quiet time. At least 4x/week. (hopefully more!)

6. Send snail mail to my friends/family!

7. Read for enjoyment instead of just school (thankfully, I have done this!)

8. Write in my journal at least 2x/week.

9. Take vitamins and drink 64oz water every day!

10. Plan meals ahead of time and cook at least 4x/week (leftovers, community group, and family dinners cover the rest!)

11. Look for God's blessings and workings every day.

12. Do the Cooper River Bridge Run!

13. Apply and get into graduate school :)

14. Graduate!!!

15. Search/pray about mission trip.

16. Help out with a street ministry

17. And although you don't have to know this, I want to floss more and lotion up to keep my body healthy!

18. Here is a crazy thing I want to accomplish--doing a split! Or being more flexible--I don't want creaky joints.

19. Expand my vocabulary by learning a new word every day.

20. Read the Bible in a year and work on memorizing scripture.

21. Call and hang out with my girl friends more often.

Some items have been added and I am sure plenty more will be as well. These just kind of came off the top of my head. I believe I can do it all, but it will certainly call me to be more disciplined! I am hoping to get some pals to hold me accountable to a few of these--it always helps if you know a friend is going to ask you! I am starting small in some things, because it is a process. Hopefully a successful process! But, I am not going to avoid my list this year! I am determined to accomplish it all. I am sure there will be updates on here as I am going along, I will certainly have something to talk about! Until then, to the new year and what it brings!