September Favorite Things

Let's go ahead and get the cliche intro over with: I can't believe it's October already! But seriously, 2013 is almost over. This is crazy.

As usual at the end of the month, I'm linking up with Ashley for Favorite Things.

I

1. I was tracked out.

Being on a break from work is always good. Even though it wasn't a great track out, I still enjoyed not having to be at work. 

*I got a hair cut while I was tracked out.*

2. I changed my blog name.

I shared why I decided to change my blog name from Just a Small Town Girl to Make it Count. I'm excited about this change and I'm excited to have my own domain name.

 

3. I went to a women's retreat for my new church.

We recently started attending a new church. This month, they had a women's retreat. It was a good experience. I got to meet new people and had my spirit rejuvenated.

*The view of downtown from my hotel room. *

4. The weather is cooling off. 

I feel like I say this a lot on Favorite Things, but I hate hot weather. So, cooler weather is always appreciated.

5. Ornaments for Adoption starts next week!

I started Ornaments for Adoption last year and I'm excited to see how this year goes. Since it's my second year, I feel like I'm able to plan a little better. (Be sure to check out the OFA website I've been putting together.) 

*I cleared the ornament shelf at Michael's*

What's your favorite thing from the month of September?

Autumn Book Challenge Plan

I first started following the Semi-Charmed Kind of Life blog when I saw the button for her Winter Book Challenge on someone's blog. The challenge had already started, but I knew I wanted to stick around so that I could catch the next one. 

Finally, summer came around and I was excited to see her post on the Summer Book Challenge. I guess I'm more competitive than I thought because I set my mind to the fact that I was going to be one of the first people to finish this challenge. When I had the chance, I was reading. I became a little obsessive with it. At some points, I was reading more than one book at a time which is something I never do. Anyway, it paid off. I finished the challenge within 2 months and was one of the first 5 to finish. I was proud of myself because I did this while working a full time job and trying to not neglect my duties at home and spending time with my husband.

This year Megan (not me Megan, but Megan from Semi-Charmed Kind of Life blog) is doing an Autumn Book Challenge. One thing I got to do as one of the first finishers of the summer challenge was submit a category for the autumn one. I decided to participate in this one as well, but I'm not in it to win it this time. I just want to complete the challenge. It's too easy for me to become obsessive with it and there are other things I want to read that don't fit into a category.

I do want to share the challenge with you and share my plan. 

Semi-Charmed Autumn 2013 Book Challenge

This challenge comes from Semi-Charmed Kind of Life's blog. You can read the full list of rules for the challenge over there. It runs from October 1-December 31. One change is that you can reread up to 3 books, but I'm going to try not to.

 

The Challenge:
5: Read a book that does not have "the," "a" or "an" in the title.
10: Read a book that has been featured in Oprah's Book Club. This list includes all the books up until 2010. (Submitted by SCSBC13 winner Erin.)
10: Read a book that takes place in the state where you currently live. If you do not live in the U.S., read a book that takes place in the country where you live. (Submitted by SCSBC13 winner Megan.)
15: Read an epistolary novel, which is a book written in letters, emails, diary entries or other documents. See this Goodreads list if you need an idea, but make sure it's actually an epistolary novel first! Goodreads lists aren't verified, so non-epistolary books could have snuck their way on there.
15: Read a book first published in 2013.
15: Read a book with something spooky in the title. (Submitted by SCSBC13 winner Bev.)
20: Read a book with "air," "water," "earth" or "fire" in the title. (Submitted by SCSBC13 winner Gypsi.)
20: Read a book on which a television series has been based (e.g. Orange is the New Black, Gossip Girl, Pretty Little Liars, Friday Night Lights, etc.).
25: Read a fiction book that has someone’s first and last name in the title (e.g. The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Bridget Jones's Diary, etc.).
30: Read two books by the same author. They can be in the same series, but do not have to be. Co-authors do not count (i.e. the author must be the sole author of each book).
35: Read a fiction and nonfiction book about the same topic. (Example: Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close and The Woman Who Wasn't There are both about 9/11. I'm planning on doing a whole post with a list of ideas soon, if you care to submit any!)

My Plan:
5 no articles in title: Fly Away by Kristen Hannah
I already have this book in my queue at the library and it fits into this category. 

10 Oprah Book Club: East of Eden by John Steinbeck
I had a hard time picking a book for this category. There are a lot of classics on this list or books that just didn't interest me. (I have a hard time getting through classics!) I finally settled on this Steinbeck book because I liked Of Mice and Men in high school. 

10 State Where I Live:
This was my category idea, but I haven't settled on a book for it yet. Nicholas Sparks' books take place in NC, but I've read all but his new one. I really want to read a new book. Any recommendations for a book set in North Carolina? 
  
15 Epistolary: The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
I wasn't happy about this category. I'm not a big fan of reading this type of book and I read 2 in the last challenge- The Perks of Being a Wallflower and The Color Purple. I decided on this one because it seemed interesting. Although, I also want to read We Need to Talk about Kevin.

15 Published in 2013: Allegiant by Veronica Roth
I'm excited about this book's release! I've already preordered it, so it's perfect for this category. 

15 Spooky Title:
I'm having a hard time with this one too. I've looked at a lot of lists, but any list I can find for Spooky Titles is full of Spooky Books. I don't want to read a scary book. I thought about rereading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I'm going to look at other people's plans and see if I can find something.
 
20 Air, Water, Earth, or Fire: Chasing Fire by Nora Roberts
I also had a hard time with this category. I've already read a lot of books with fire in the title like Catching Fire, The Girl Who Played with Fire, and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Then, I couldn't find many with the other words in the title. I found this Nora Roberts book for now (I can always depend on NR to have some random title that fits with what I need for a challenge.)

20 TV Series: Under the Dome by Stephen King
I could have made it easy on myself and read something light and fun like Pretty Little Liars. Instead I'm going to give the 1000 page book a try. I really enjoyed the TV series this summer and I know the book will be different, but I think I'll enjoy it.

25 First and Last Name: The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon by Stephen King
I'm not 100% sure about reading this one, but I found it when I was looking up information on Under the Dome. 

30 2 Books 1 Author: Looking for Alaska by John Greene and Paper Towns by John Greene
I've already read The Fault in Our Stars or I would have paired it with Looking for Alaska since I want to read LFA anyway.

35 Fiction and Nonfiction on 1 topic:
I've had a few ideas on this, but I think I'm going to wait because Megan says she's putting together a post with a list of books that would fall in this category.  

Do you have any suggestions or thoughts on these books/categories? Are you participating in the challenge?  

What's in my movie bin?

Happy Friday!

This is my 4th week doing this series. I'm enjoying getting to share little pieces of my life with you.

In case you missed any of my previous posts, here's what's on my fridge, on my bookcase, and in my purse.

When I shared what's on the shelves of my bookcase, I shared that I have 2 bins containing my movies (the 2 lighter brown ones house my movies). I thought a good post would be to share with you what's in those bins.

I've gotten a lot better, but in college I loved to buy movies. I used to always search through the $5 movie bin at Walmart and used movie shelves at movie rental stores.

I have a lot of movies, so I sorted them into categories to share with you.

Of course, I have my favorite movie-Titanic.

The entire Harry Potter movie collection

I consider these my classics- The Thornbirds, Forrest Gump, Gone with the Wind, The Princess Bride, and Grease.

I love Christmas and Christmas movies- Elf, How the Grinch Stole Christmas (both cartoon and real live versions), A Christmas Story, and The Christmas Classics.

These movies didn't really fit in another category, so I consider them my "serious" movies- Remember the Titans, The Patriot, The Other Boleyn Girl, Troy, Catch Me if You Can, The Notebook, A Walk to Remember, Walk the Line, Pearl Harbor, Where the Heart Is, and Pleasantville. 

I love a good kids' movie- The Princess and the Forg, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Monsters, Inc., Tangled, Finding Nemo, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, Madagascar, Toy Story 3, Shrek the Third, Despicable Me, Up, The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast.

This is my largest category. I call it my guilty pleasure movies. These movies are just fun- Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, The Proposal, Mona Lisa Smile, Sweet Home Alabama, Across the Universe, Miss Congeniality, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Hairspray, Enchanted, Legally Blonde 2, The Princess Diaries, John Tucker Must Die, Legally Blonde, 13 Going on 30, New Year's Eve, He's Just Not That Into You, Sydney White, A Knight's Tale, Stardust, She's the Man, 17 Again, Valentine's Day, Mean Girls, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Step Up 2, Center Stage, Bride Wars, Step Up

Only in the past few years, did I buy some TV series DVDs. I have the first 3 season of Vampire Diaries and the first season of Glee (which is really the only one worth watching).

Do you buy movies or TV series? Do you pay full price or get them on sale or used?

Follow Me Intro

When I first started blogging, I talked about my faith a lot more than I do now. I'll admit that one reason I don't do it as much is that you have to put a lot more time and thought into a serious post like that. I think another reason I don't is because it's not the easiest thing to talk about. Especially now that my blog is larger, I have a diverse audience. All of you are no going to agree with me. However, I can't let that stop me. This is my blog and this is my place to share my thoughts and those thoughts include my faith.

I had already begun thinking that I was going to start posting a faith related post every Wednesday. Then, one day I saw where Christie from Satisfaction Through Christ was hosting a Bible Study link up every Wednesday. How convenient. I knew I wanted to sign up. Not only did that fall in line with my plan, but it would help keep me accountable to posting.

The bible study will be going through David Platt's book, Follow Me. This book has been on my "to-read" list for a while now. I really enjoy David Platt's teaching. He is the author of one of my favorite books, Radical, and I often listen to his sermons on my way to and from work. I like that he teaches the Word in context and is very bold. He doesn't try to sugar coat things or try not to offend anyone. He always challenges me.

So, I'm excited about going through this book on my blog. It's been a while since I've done this, so I think it will be good. It's not too late to join in if you're interested.

I also wanted to announce that I was one of the first 5 people to finish the Semi Charmed Summer Reading Challenge and I got to submit an idea for the Autumn version of the Semi Charmed Reading Challenge. I loved doing this challenge and I look forward to the autumn one as well. I'll be slowly putting together my plan on my Book Challenges page as the challenge begins on October 1.

NEW BLOG NAME

I am excited to announce that this blog has a new name (and a few changes in the look). Although, I'll go ahead and note that this new look was just kind of thrown together and I plan on getting a new design with the new year.  I wanted to go ahead and get the change in place before Ornaments for Adoption starts.

This little space on the internet will no longer be known as "Just a Small Town Girl." When I started my blog, I was a small town girl from Alabama. I'd only lived in one town my whole life. The college I went to was only an hour away from home and it was pretty much a small town as well. The name fit me perfectly during that point in my life.

After marriage and a few months after I started this blog, we moved to North Carolina and for the first time in my life I lived in a big city. However, I still felt like "just a small town girl." I wasn't comfortable in this new environment. So, this name worked for me and my blog for a while.

Recently, though, I've begun to notice that I've changed. I've grown and matured since moving away from home and everything I've ever known. Contrary to what people might say, there is a different mindset and culture in a small town than in a bigger city. Don't get me wrong, I love small town life. It's how I grew up and I'm very thankful for it. But, it's not who I am anymore. I'm not JUST a small town girl. 

I am still and forever will be a small town girl. Don't worry, I'm not one to forget my roots. I feel like I've experienced so many new things in the last 3 years between moving to a new place and blogging (reading other people's blogs is similar to visiting new places and meeting new people). I'm so much more now and want my blog name to reflect that.

This decision came on really quick. I only decided a few weeks ago that I was unhappy with my blog name and wanted to change it. I went back and forth about the decision because it's so much work to go through changing everything. I also couldn't decide exactly what I wanted to call my blog. 

I made a list and had narrowed it down to my two favorite choices, but I still wasn't 100% sure. Then one day, I was looking at my "About Me" page and read the quote from Titanic that I used to have there.

I figure life's a gift and I don't intend on wasting it. You don't know what hand you're gonna get dealt next. You learn to take life as it comes at you... to make each day count. 

-Jack from Titanic

Then, it hit me. MAKE IT COUNT. It was a perfect name for my blog. I LOVE the movie Titanic and the theme of living each day as a gift no matter what life hands you. I'm not going to rewrite all my Titanic thoughts because you can read them here. This is a quote that I claim as my "life quote," so why shouldn't it inspire my blog name.

In order to make sure we're all updated, here are my new links (and some that didn't change):

My blog (I got my own domain!): www.makeitcountblog.com
My Bloglovin': I'm not entirely sure if I can just change my name on Bloglovin' and keep my followers or if I need to start from scratch. Does anyone know about this?
My Twitter: @makeitcountblog
My Instagram: @makeitcountblog
My Facebook: (I changed my URL, but I'm still working on changing the page name. There may be a new Facebook page if this doesn't work out.) www.facebook.com/makeitcountblog
My Google +: Megan Hall
My Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/mdhall88
My Goodreads: Megan Hall

I hope you like the new name and the temporary new look. Have a great week!

What's in My Purse?

Today, I'm continuing my "What's in/on my __________?" Series by sharing with you the contents of my purse. I know many bloggers have done posts like this, but I never did. However, it fits perfectly with this current Friday series.

In case you missed the previous ones, I've already shared with you what's on my fridge and what's on my shelves.

I'm not a big fan of purses. I loved college when I just had a small wallet that hooked on to my keys. I never took a purse around with me in college. Since I'm not a big purse fan, I hardly ever buy them. My current purse was bought for me by my grandmother.

I have the hardest time deciding what kind of purse I prefer. I like larger purses because I can put lots of stuff in them-especially books. I like to carry a book with me when I'm out. On the other hand, it's hard to find stuff in large purses. They're like a black hole. I like small purses because you only carry the necessities and it's easier to find stuff. With smaller purses, though, everything has to go back just the way it came out and it can honestly be a pain to try and shove your wallet back into a small purse.

Here's what can currently be found in my purse:

1. This is my current purse. It came from Thirty-One and it's a smaller over the shoulder purse. I love over the shoulder purses because they don't slip and they're secure.

2. These are the stamps I bought today.

3. This is some discount card the dealership sent us after we purchased our vehicle there. I'm not 100% sure what it's for yet.

4. This is a small coin pouch that was given to me. I use it to hold a few necessities like a small mirror, floss, Listerine strips, a small pocket knife, and chapstick. 

5. I found an old list I'd made of things I needed to do at Walmart. I also have a small flashlight and sunglasses in my purse.

6. This is a paper from one of the hotels we stayed at this past weekend. I briefly mentioned how we had to stay in a hotel when I discussed my thoughts on Miss America.

7. This is my wallet. It's nothing fancy. I had had the same wallet for several years and I finally found one that I was okay with and that wasn't too expensive.

8. These are my keys. I have my vehicle and Lee's vehicle keys, our apartment and mailbox key, and a key to my parents' house. I also have my keychain from Dots and Curlz and my expired Planet Fitness member card.

9. I have a pair of earbuds in my purse. I love the little thing they're wrapped around. It keeps them from getting tangled up. Then, I also have my ID badge for work for which I lost the little plastic cover and need to get a new one.

10. I have a few medicine essentials. I always carry Aleve around with me for my knee pain. Then, I have some Zicam still in my purse from when I had a cold.

11. I have 3 pens in my purse. Although, mysteriously I can never find one when I need it. I also always have a small brush. I hate when my hair feels icky.

12. Lastly, I found some change in the bottom of my purse. I also have my year round schedule. This thing is my lifeline at school and it's usually on my ID badge, but since I lost the plastic thing it's just in my purse for now.

What should I share with you next? What is an essential item you must have in your purse?

Miss America, Racism, and Other Random Thoughts

Happy Hump Day friends!

I had a crazy weekend. I won't get into the boring details, but it involved our ongoing battle with Lee's health. Let's just say I ended up in a hotel in the middle of nowhere on Sunday night and had nothing else to do but watch TV. I didn't even know Miss America was going to be on until I turned on the TV. There didn't seem to be anything else on, so I decided to watch it. I'm not against pageants. I was even in some when I was younger (nothing major-mostly school sponsored fundraising pageants). I even got some scholarship money from participating in the Junior Miss program. I said that to say, I'm not against them, but I'm not really into them either. It was just a way to entertain myself. Plus, I logged on to Twitter to watch all the fun #MissAmerica tweets unfold.

At the very beginning of the pageant, all the contestants get to do their cheesy intros. Of course, I'm going to be rooting for Miss Alabama as that's my home state and Miss North Carolina as that's where I live now. Unfortunately, neither one of them made it into the top 15. During the introductions, I instantly liked Miss New York and Miss District of Columbia. Why? Because they were of Western Asian or Indian (I'm sorry I don't know the PC term) descent. As a white girl who's very plain and boring looking, I find ethnic people very beautiful. Again, I'm sorry if that's not the correct way to say things. My husband is half Italian and I hope if we have biological children that they look like him and not me. 

                            Miss New York                                                         Miss DC

images via Miss America website

So anyway, Miss New York made it through all the way to the top 5. Her talent was a Bollywood dance which I loved. I did an Indian Dance workout class last semester and loved it. It was so much fun. I love watching this type of dancing. I thought it was unique and showed off her heritage and culture. I won't get on my soapbox too much about the talent portion of these types of pageants. But I will say...PLEASE, PLEASE don't sing! Unless you sound like Adele, Lea Michele, Carrie Underwood, or someone similar-just don't. A lot of people can carry a tune, that doesn't mean it should be your talent for Miss America. 

Fast forward to the end of the pageant, Miss New York wins. I'm no pageant expert, but I thought she was beautiful and did a good job. While they were going through the crowning and victory walk, I looked at Twitter and was saddened by what I saw. 

image via National Post

There were so many nasty tweets about the winner. I'm sure you can use your imagination to figure out what they might have said if you didn't see them yourself. Basically, people were saying she wasn't American and some went as far as to call her a terrorist. To read more about these nasty tweets, you can read this article from National Post. I'm pretty sure I teared up reading these tweets. I can't believe we are not past all this racism. How can people continue to be so ignorant? 

It makes me feel even worse because it makes my race look bad. It makes people like me look bad. I'm a white, Conservative, from a small town in southern Alabama. Please know that not all people who fit that description think these things. I don't. I'm happy that she won. I know that young girls who look like her will now have someone to look up to. While I know you can technically look up to anyone whether they look like you or not, people tend to look up to people who are similar to them. I think it's important for children of all colors and cultures to have people like them to look up to in various positions.

Different cultures intrigue me. I enjoy the diversity of the area where I now live. As many of you know, my husband and I hope to adopt one day and we're open to adopting whatever child God leads into our life whether they're white or not. It hurts my heart to think that if we adopt a child that is not white, this is what we'll have to deal with- ignorant people who make ignorant and hurtful remarks- ignorant people who think they're better than someone else because of the color of their skin.

Yes, people on Twitter, this is America. It's a land of great diversity. It's a land of freedom. Unfortunately, it's also a land with a sad history of oppression and hate. Please, teach your children to respect and embrace diversity. It's what I try to teach my students and I tear up every year begging them not to make the same mistakes of even this current generation of adults.

Did you see these nasty tweets? What are your thoughts on the continuing racism that exists even over something as simple as a pageant winner?

19 days until Ornaments for Adoption

Literary Junkies Link Up (September)

Fall is in the air. I can feel it. I love fall. I love the colors, the smells, football, the weather, the clothing, and on and on. 

I'm currently tracked out, so I don't have to plan posts in as much advance. If I wake up and decide I want to link up for Literary Junkies, I can.

I post a lot about what I'm reading so if you'd like you can follow me on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest or Goodreads. You can also check out my book challenges page to see the challenges I'm trying out this year. 

1. What are you currently reading? Tell us about it!

I am currently reading Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. I just have to say that I should have done a YA book challenge this year because I have read so many already. They didn't have YA books like this when I was that age.

Anyway, this book is basically about a girl (named Cath) who has a twin and is obsessed with a book character named Simon Snow. It's her first year of college and her twin wants to meet new people and Cath would rather stay up late and write fan fiction. So far, I can really relate to a lot of what's going on in terms of how Cath feels about her first year of college. I had a really hard time adjusting to my first year of college as well.

2. Autumn is coming! What's your go-to drink when curling up with a book at night?

I pretty much only drink water, so I don't have any fancy coffee or tea that I like to curl up with at night. I usually do have a cup of water nearby, though.

3. Printed books vs. e-books: What are the pros and cons of each?

I definitely prefer printed books. The pros of ebooks, though, are they're easy to travel with. You can have several books on an ereader and it takes up a lot less space than several books. A con is that I don't like to not be able to see the progress I'm making through a book. It also can be frustrating when you're lying down reading and the screen keeps flipping (so you have to be sure to lock it) or you accidentally touch the screen and your page changes.

4. Buying books vs. library books: Which do you prefer and why?

I'm a big fan of the library. Probably the number one reason is that I'm a big fan of not spending money. I also don't like things in my house taking up a lot of space. As much as I love books, they make things look very cluttered. I don't want to spend money on something I can get and use for free. The only books I buy are ones that I love and would want to read again.

What about you? If you're not linking up, I'd love for you to answer one of these questions in the comment section. 

Ornaments for Adoption starts in 20 days:

Princess with a Purpose

My favorite thing to share about is ways to help others. Before I get too far into this post, I want to make sure you've seen my new Ornaments for Adoption page. OFA 2013 will start in 3 week! So, help me by starting to spread the word and by grabbing a button below. Also, if you have a shop, small business, or are just crafty I'd love to have you help out by donating something to be given away as an Ornaments for Adoption buying incentive. Message me if you're interested.

While I'm on the subject of OFA, did you see my post over the weekend about the exciting news from the Brocks (the family from last year's OFA)?

<div align="center">
<a href="http://ornamentsforadoption.weebly.com/" title="Just a Small Town Girl "><img src="http://i1164.photobucket.com/albums/q580/mdhall88/ofabutton1_zpsc0a53448.jpg" alt="Just a Small Town Girl " style="border:none;" /></a></div>

Now on to introducing you to a princess. Brooke is a girl I know from my hometown. She is a true beauty on the inside and out. She is part of a unique organization called Princess with a Purpose.

Brooke is a 20 year old student at the University of Mobile where she's studying sociology and social welfare. She is from Headland, Alabama. Some of her favorite things include Disney movies, pageants, chocolate, reading, and enjoying sunshine.









I asked Brooke a few questions to help us learn a little more about Princess with a Purpose and what we could do to help out this cause. 

What is Princess with a Purpose?
Princesses with a Purpose is a non-profit organization started by Miranda Bryant and Kaci Pedersen to share hope, love, and magic to both children and adults. Those who are a part of the organization become fairytale characters and visit numerous places such as children's hospitals, carnivals, nursing homes, etc. 

How did you get involved with Princess with a Purpose?
I heard about PWAP through a friend of a friend at the University of Mobile. I fell in love with the idea and found the organization's Facebook page. I asked if there was any way I could be a part of the organization even though I didn't live in Georgia (the organization's headquarters). They asked for an audition video and fortunately I made the team! I have only been able to do one event in Georgia, but I have done events on my own in my area in Alabama. 

What are some of the specific things you have done with this organization?
I have visited the USA Women's and Children's Hospital in Mobile, Alabama twice; and I attended the Chocolate Festival in Mobile, which promotes awareness and raises funds for victims of domestic abuse. I have also visited an assisted living home in my hometown of Headland, Alabama. 

Describe a typical day of "princessing."
Princessing begins with a mental preparation. Before I go, I make sure that I know my princess information such as my kingdom, my prince, and animal friends. I also ask God to give me the ability to bless a child that day and the attitude of a true princess, which includes kindness, a genuine heart, and love. I actually want to begin every day that way. Next comes the dress, the wig, and the makeup. I want to look like the "real deal" as much as I can. I drive to my event and get ready for the thousands of stares I will receive. Many times we have room visits, where I chat with a patient, take pictures, and give hugs. In cases of a carnival, I mainly take pictures with the children. 

What has been your favorite moment of being a princess?
During my most recent visit, I had one girl give me a tiara she had colored ahead of time and she sang me a beautiful song. Before I left her room, she said "I will pray for you." How I need prayer! This young girl was sick and she still had a heart caring for others. That is what being a princess is all about. It blessed me so much and reaffirmed my calling to be apart of PWAP. 

Is there anything we can do to help out this cause?
Like the Facebook page and get the word out! Donations are accepted, including money and items that could be given to someone in need. You can find out more information by visiting their website. 

I don't know about you, but I LOVE this idea. Maybe you have a talent for acting and singing and would like to find out how to be a princess (or prince) in your home state. Maybe you live in Georgia and want to join their Georgia team. Maybe you live in a state with princesses and princes and would like to have them at your next event.  

What's on my shelves?

Last week, I shared this new Friday series I wanted to start where I show what's on or in my ____________ and fill in the blank each week with a new thing in my house. I thought it would just be a fun way to share my life with you.

Last week, I showed you what is on my refrigerator. Today, I'm going to share with you what's on the bookcase that is in our living room.

This week, I thought it would be easier for me to simply number the shelves and tell you about each thing going across from left to right rather than numbering each thing.

1. The first thing on this shelf are different workbooks from Bible studies I've done. In front of those books is a cross that was given to us by my cousin as a wedding gift. The frame was also a wedding gift and in it is a picture of Lee and me on my family's vacation to Gatlinburg, Tennessee. The pottery pitcher is from our honeymoon where we stopped in Helen, Georgia. Next, are some children's books we've acquired in preparation for having our own some day. In front of those books is a Willow Tree angel that was given to me by a family friend. It is the angel of being surrounded by love.

2. First on this shelf is one of our engagement pictures. This one is one of my favorite. We're in front of my families pond. This shelf holds some of my favorite book series: The Mark of the Lion, Gone, and Harry Potter. In front of the books is another Willow Tree angel figurine. This one was our cake topper at our wedding. Then, there's a snow globe from our trip to the Outer Banks and another one of our engagement pictures. (I collect snow globes.)

3. This shelf starts with a box of my DVDs. I used to attack movie sales and I loved finding some of my favorite movies for a cheap price. Maybe one of my posts in this series will be "What's in my DVD boxes?" Next is a teddy bear I bought Lee while we were dating. It is one of the softest bears ever. It has on a tshirt that says "Someone at Troy University loves me." Then, there's the snow globe my parents gave me when I graduated college and a picture of Lee and me on my graduation day. Behind that picture, is a mixture of mine and Lee's books. These are all some of our favorite Christian nonfiction.

4. The tiny things at the far left are little figurines I bought when I went to Mexico. I got them to represent us. Behind them is a picture from when Lee and I went to Disney World for our first anniversary and in front of that is a snow globe from Disney World. In the middle is Lee's box of DVDs. He doesn't have very many movies. He mostly buys concert DVDs. On the right, is a snow globe from the NC Museum of History. Behind that is a picture of us with my family and then one of us with Lee's family.

5. This shelf starts with another snow globe. This one is from Carolina Beach. Behind it is an Alabama piggy bank. I used to really like pigs. Then, we have a picture of Lee with two of his best friends and a picture of me with my best friend. The small picture is from when Lee and I went to watch my college play against Florida. The last thing on this shelf is my second box of DVDs.

6. The bottom shelf is actually half way covered up by our chair. I just moved it for this picture. The smaller books are photo books I've made from various events in our life, such as our trip to Disney World, our reception, and our honeymoon. Next, is my stuffed pig from Build a Bear. It's a teacher pig and Lee recorded a message that it says when you press it. (I told you I used to like pigs.) The pig is holding this thing that's shaped like a heart. I think it's made from a palm tree branch. Lee bought it for me the day we got engaged. The green bucket was part of a wedding gift and it holds random odds and ends. Sometimes we put magazines in there, but mostly it has cords and other attachments for our accessories. The last thing on this shelf is our wedding album and my scrapbooks (which I need to finish!).

I hope you enjoyed this tour of my bookcase. I didn't realize I had so many items with so many memories. What's a special item you have that may seem random to others, but holds an important meaning to you?

10 Songs that Define Me

I love music. I love how hearing a song can take you back to a certain time or place in your life. It's so funny how songs can be so strongly tied to memories. 

Today, I want to share 10 of those songs from my life. These are 10 songs that when I hear them, I'm transported back to another place and time. 

1. "Need You Now" by Plumb

I first heard this song when Lee was so sick. It really spoke to me during this time in my life. Now, anytime I hear it, it reminds me of how God got us through that difficult time.

During one of our many ER visits

2. "You and Me" by Lifehouse

This song is special to me because this was our "last dance" song at our reception. We had a first dance, but I enjoyed the last dance more. During the last dance, our family and friends stood in a circle around us and they could come in and hug us and wish us well. It was very emotional. It was the moment that I really realized that my life was about to change.

Our last dance

3. "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" by Backstreet Boys

Growing up, I was a huge Backstreet Boys fan. So honestly, I could put any of their songs in this spot. But I had to choose one. This one is such a fun song and it's the one everyone was looking forward to during the concert I went to. It reminds me of those awkward middle school year and me and my friends dancing around.

Who doesn't love those middle school years?

4. "Don't Stop Believing" by Journey

 

Obviously, this song was the inspiration for my blog name. It's also just a fun song to sing along to. This song will always remind me of car karaoke sessions with my best friend and college roommate.

A photo from our traditional roomies photo shoot

5. "Bring Me to Life" by Evanescence

My senior year of high school was my favorite half time show in band. We did a rock themed show and one of the songs they played was "Bring Me to Life." Doing the dance was so much fun and my boyfriend at the time was the soloist during the song.

Performing the song at my town's Harvest Day festival

6. "Achy Breaky Heart" by Billy Ray Cyrus

As a young child, I only listened to country because that's what my parents listened to. For some reason, I LOVED this song when I was a kid. I have no idea why. I just remember that my grandmother had the tape of this song and I used to put it in at her house and dance around the room singing at the top of my lungs.

Me with my grandmother

7. "Ol' Red" by Blake Shelton

My brother was obsessed with this song when it first came out. So, it will always remind me of him. This song was to him what "Achy Breaky Heart" was to me. I have to admit, though, it took me a long time to realize what was going on in this song. I'm bad to not really listen to words. I remember having an "ah-ha" moment when I finally paid attention.

Now he's too cool for school

8. "God Gave Me You" by Dave Barnes (NOT the Blake Shelton version :p)

I first heard this song around the time Lee and I got engaged. So, it will always remind me of how excited I was to start the rest of my life with him. It's a great song about how your spouse is truly a gift from God.

The day we got engaged (Are we so happy we're glowing or are we in humid Florida? Or both?)

9. "He Loves You Not" by Dream

When you're in middle school, everything is so dramatic and every song speaks to your situation. During this time, I liked this guy who later became my first boyfriend. At the time, there was another girl who liked him and this was my anthem because he liked me not her.

Who could resist this adorable, pigtailed, clarinet playing middle schooler?

10. "Sweet Home Alabama" by Lynyrd Skynyrd

I can't be a true Alabamian without including this song. I'm pretty sure it's our state song. If you want to get a bunch of Alabama rednecks excited, just play this song. Alabama fans particularly love it because it works perfectly to say "Roll Tide Roll" after the words "Sweet Home Alabama" are sang in the chorus.

Lee and I at a BAMA game

What's a defining song in your life?