Merry CHRISTmas!

Isn't it awesome how everything about the birth of Jesus is testimony to how he would live and die?! The manger he was laid in during those days would have been made of stone (like the tomb he would be buried in) and he was wrapped in swaddling cloths (like what they wrapped him in after he died). Even the gifts he was brought from the wise men spoke of who he was! Gold because he was the King ofall kings, frankincense because he was the priest of all men, and myrrh because he would die for all our sins. The older I get and the more I read and learn about the Bible, the more awe struck I become. How mighty, all knowing, and powerful is our God?!

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register.

4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Luke 2:1-20


After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi[a] from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:

6 “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.’[b]”
7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”

9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

Matthew 2:1-12

xo,
 eMr

Big/ Little Week

Looking at my little's Facebook today, and got so sad/excited to see how much my sorority family has grown!

Yeah....I got six new beautiful babies added to my family!

(notice how I was the only blonde in the family... until now! Now there are two of us! haha)

We're huge and I LOVE it! But now I want to make something for my new babies to let them know how much I love them, but have no clue what to do that won't break the bank or take up a lot of time.... I'll figure something out, but I'm taking ideas! :)

AND.... We won Best Sorority second year in a row at homecoming! I'm so proud of my chapter and family! 

Goodness, I miss it SO much! Definitely still having Sigma Kappa withdraws haha. 

Have a wonderful Wednesday! 

xo,

eMr

REVENGE IS BACK!

I'm surprised I didn't post about this yesterday, but OH MY GOOOOOODDDDNNNEESSSS, Revenge is back and as CrAzY as ever!

I'm freaking out, literally. I can not wait until Sunday.

I don't want to spoil anything for those of you who have not seen the pilot episode for the second season, but it most certainly did not disappoint! It's official. I'm obsessed with this show.

EmCain and I were texting the whole time and even called each other during commercial break (we really need to live next door to each other). My little sister and friend, Liz were texting about it too ( I know, we all have issues to freak out over a show).

I want to know what those of you who watch it religiously, uhhmmm like me, thought? What did you think of the beginning? and who do you think needs to go (Amanda and Ashley!)?

Hope y'all have a great Tuesday!

xo,
eMr

Microderma...What?

I am obsessed with Living Social. No lie.

Seriously, who doesn't want to go attend cool events, take a class on something fun, go skydiving, or get a massage for half price or more?

I just bought a deal to get a cut, highlights, and deep conditioning at one of my favorite salons for just $85! I'm super excited about this deal, because it's about that time for some hair fixin' up.

I do have a question about one deal I'm debating on buying....Microdermabrasion.

Has anyone done it?

I heard it can be great for your skin and can help your skin produce collagen, but for some reason I'm nervous about it. I do want some enlarged pores to get smaller and I do have a few acne scars that I wouldn't mind getting rubbed down to nothing haha I guess my bigger question is does it work?

Any advice?

Have a great Monday!

xo,
eMr

Extreme Makeover: Blog Edition

I need help!

I want to redesign my blog, but I have no clue how I want it to look! My friend Emcain offered to redo it for me because she is a brilliant blog designer, but I can't think of anything for her to go off of.

I'm thinking Southern and preppy obviously, but don't know what colors, fonts, what my button should look like, etc.

Anyone have any ideas that you think would represent me well?

I'll take any advice!

xo,
eMr

Hot Spiced Tea

I don't know about y'all, but I have been loving this cooler weather!

My friend and sorority sister, Taylor and I have been taking walks every night after work and it has been so wonderful just chatting away. I think these walks at night have really helped me sleep better too!

I usually would wake up 15 minutes before my alarm would go off, but lately its been a struggle to get out of bed. I guessing it's because of my new nightly routine, walk with Taylor, cup of tea and watch TV with mom, and then the basics of showering, brushing my teeth, and jumping into bed at a decent hour (yeah, I can't really make it past 10 now haha I'm getting old!)

I usually just pop in a normal decaffeinated tea bag into a cup of hot water at night, but with it being the arrival of fall, I think it's time for some Hot Spice tea.

Hot Spiced Tea

Ingredients

2 cups orange breakfast drink mix (We use Tang)

1 cup unsweetened instant tea

1/3 cup sweetened lemonade drink mix

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cloves

Directions

In a large bowl combine all ingredients and store in an airtight container. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons in a cup of hot water and enjoy!

The mix makes a great gift as well for a hosting gift, sick friend, or just a random present. Just put it in a mason jar and put some fabric on the lid or decorate it however you please. 

I also found a similar recipe for Hot Spice punch here!  I am going to have to try this one at Thanksgiving!

Have a great Tuesday!

xo,

eMr

Why So Serious?

This weekend was UTC homecoming, so of course, me and EmCain had to go down and see our sorority sisters.

I am beyond thrilled to say that Sigma Kappa won best sorority two years in a row for homecoming and my little was on homecoming court! It was a great weekend to see everyone and to celebrate (besides the fact that we lost our football game, but I really wasn't there for that haha)!

I thought I'd share our Step Show that we got first place in because it is AMAZING!  They did a batman and joker theme and it just blew my mind. Step Show is seriously one of the biggest things at UTC. Every sorority puts so much hard work into things like this and it shows!

I am one proud alumna! and this week is Big/Little week so I'm also a very proud great great great grandbig haha :)

Have a happy Monday!

xo,
eMr

Pumpkin Muffins

After doing my last post on fall, I had a major craving for pumpkin muffins.

About almost anything pumpkin flavored I love! I'm thinking about trying out some new pumpkin recipes I've spotted online and through Pinterest, but my go to pumpkin recipe would have to be these muffins.

A cup of coffee and a warm pumpkin muffin is just what you need on a crisp fall morning, and the recipe is super easy.

Pumpkin Muffin Recipe

1- 15 oz. can of pumpkin
3 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup water
4 eggs

Mix these 5 ingredients and then add:

3 and 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 and 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ginger

Bake for 20-25 minutes in a greased muffin pan on 350 degrees.

Makes 24 muffins.

I'm sure a lot of you have a similar recipe and to be honest, you can't really go wrong with pumpkin muffins haha.

I hope these muffins put all of you in a fall mood! Enjoy!

xo,
eMr

It's Almost Fall Y'all!

I don't know about y'all, but I am so ready for fall! It is my favorite season!

I am sick and tired of this Southern heat and humidity. Time for big sweaters, scarves, boots, and leggings in my eyes. But I always know fall is right around the corner when two of my favorite fall things are released.

Nothing brings a bigger smile to my face then to walk into Starbucks and to find out that their Pumpkin Spice Latte is back! This is fall in a cup and is by far my favorite drink at Starbucks. It's just one of the best things ever. 

I LOVE the way fall smells. There is something so home-y and cozy about it. You know what I'm talking about so don't read this like I'm crazy haha. I have been on a quest for a great fall smelling candle, and low and behold, it was right under my nose (no pun intended). The Mulled Cider candle from Wal-Mart is one of the best fall smelling candles I've been able to find, and for only $5 you can't really beat the cost, especially compared to Yankee Candle, Wood Wick, and Bath and Body Works.

I also think I'm going to try and tackle making a fall wreath like the ones I've seen on Pinterest, but we might have to see about that depending on time and if it's a wise way to spend my money (mmm probably not lol). 

What are some things you love about fall and know that it's near?

Have a great Tuesday!

xo,

eMr 

Mid-College Crisis

So I finally have had time to pick out a winner for my blog give away and the winner is......drumroll please......

Makenzie from So Simply Chic blog! 

Congratulations Makenzie!!!

I hope you all are having a great start to your week! 

Mine's been kinda hectic with my work schedule, but I feel so unbelievably thankful and blessed to have a job. To those of you who are still looking, don't give up! I know how hard it is and discouraging it can be to go in for interviews and not get the job. Just remember, God has a plan for you! Greater than one you can think of for yourself. I would never have imagined that I would be doing what I'm doing in a million years, actually if you told me this is what I'd be doing when I was in high school or college I seriously would have laughed at you, but that just goes to show little ole me can't begin to comprehend God's plan for my life or anyone else's for that matter. 

Hang in there all you freshman in lifers!  

But this also goes for those of you who are in college and are freaking out about what you want to do with the rest of your life. My second year of college, I had what I like to call a mid-college crisis. 

I hated what I was majoring in and starting freaking out even more because I felt like everyone around me had their lives already completely planned out. I can't tell you how many hours I lost of sleep due to stress about something so silly, of course it didn't seem silly at the time. Reading back in my journal, I realize now what a dark time that was for me. Worry literally consumed me and fear fed right off of it. 

What astonishes me now is that my little sister is going through the exact same thing her second year of college! This is NOT what God wants from us. 

He wants us to completely and fully rely on Him through all circumstances. 

Matthew 6:34  “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."

Matthew 11:28-30  "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

Luke 12:25 "And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his  span of life?"

John 14:27 "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid."

Do you realize how many hours of sleep I lost over nothing?! It kinda makes me mad to think about it now haha, but I am also very thankful for that time in my life. I honestly think that was when I had my great awakening and thirst for truth in God's word (maybe I'll go more into that part of my testimony another time haha). Another way God takes something completely awful and makes it work for His good. 

If any of you are experiencing the same thing, take it from me, someone who has survived a mid-college crisis, YOU'RE GOING TO BE OK. Deep breaths and say it to yourself. God has a plan bigger than you can ever imagine right now. Seriously, one day you're going to wake up one morning (like I've been the past few days) and think "wow, how did I end up here?" 

Are me and my sister the only ones who have experienced a mid-college crisis or have any of you as well?

I'm praying for all you freshman in lifers or anyone out there looking for a job, and to those of you going through a mid-college crisis. Just remember God's timing is perfect timing. We don't give Him enough credit. 

xo,

eMr

Financial Fitness

I know I have done a couple posts concerning money, but this is about some big time budget control.

Like most recent grads, I have student loans. For those of you who are fortunate enough to not have to deal with this kind of debt coming right out of college, I hope you realize what a tremendous blessing it is.

Well, get ready...I have a whopping $30,000 in student loans (promised to be honest and upfront with my life on here). The sad thing is, that this is actually pretty low for most college grads! I went to an in-state school and received several scholarships.

I've decided to put on my big girl pants and take control of this situation, and I know that there are several of you who are in the same boat as me, so I thought I'd share what I've been doing.

I realized that if I cut off a ton of spending and budget extremely well, I could have all of this paid off in two years (maybe less if I'm really good!). Debt is bad news bears and I don't want any part of it.

I've recently been reading Dave Ramsey's book 'The Total Money Makeover.' Talk about a wake up call about spending and saving money.

What's so funny is that its so simple, but it's all about changing your own behavior. Its a lot like wanting to lose weight. We all know how to do it: eat less, exercise more. Money works the same way: spend less, save more, its all abou putting this into practice and changing your behavior.

I would strongly advise this book to anyone, especially those of us who are entering the real world. I'm striving to get it right the first time and not the second or third time around.

There are budget sheets you can download from his website. Click here to view them! I downloaded the monthly and Quick Start Budget form .

I don't have this best track record for saving and spending money wisely so we'll see how this goes.....

Anybody else swamped in student loans???

xo,
eMr

Faith, Family, and Freedom

So I decided to post pone the reveal of my giveaway until Saturday to give some of the opportunity to enter if you have not already.

I've been super busy with work (I'm blogging on my lunch break haha), but I wanted to catch y'all up on some things that have been going on with me.

Chuckers for Charity was last Saturday and was SO much fun. I feel like I'm beginning to understand the game of polo and it was so cool to watch. Pictures soon to come once I find the cord that connects my camera and laptop (story of my life).

As you all know, yesterday was September 11. My heart aches every time I think about the thousands of innocent people who died that day, but also the brave men and women who were deployed afterwards.

I know we all hear remember our troops, pray for them, what a tremendous sacrifice they are making, ect., but do you ever really think about it? To be honest I don't. My grandfather, both my uncles, and two of my cousins have served, but I have never lost anyone close to me who have served.

 I was listening to my local Christian radio station yesterday and they were allowing people to sign up and get a free ticket to see the Last Ounce of Courage before it premieres this Friday. I had nothing else exciting to do on a Tuesday night, so I treated my mom to dinner at Panera before both of us went to see the film.

I'll be real with y'all the movie at first comes off sort of cheesy, and like a bad lifetime movie, but at the end of the film you will want to stand up and applaud. It made me want to thank everyone who has served and their families. It was that powerful.

We take so much time complaining about what's wrong with our country that we often take our freedoms for granted, but more importantly we forget how important it is to fight for these freedoms.

The film is Christian based (It's the second largest Christian released film since the Passion of the Christ) and comes from the same company that created Fire Proof and Courageous, so keep in mind that it was probably a low costing film, so if you're looking for high tech special effects you need to see another movie. However, if you're looking for a heart warming movie that will make you proud to be an American and a Christian look no further. You'll cry. I guarantee it.

God Bless America

xo,
eMr

My First Giveaway!

I know a lot of you are now back at school trying to get into the swing of things again or for some of you, just trying to get used to college all together. 

Besides the school work, one of the hardest things to get adjusted to in college is $$$. You're now on your own, and for most of us, we never learned how to budget. 

As a freshman, I was AWFUL with my money. Definitely overdrew my new checking account a few times (come on now, we've all been there... a $5 bagel becomes a $40 bagel due to an overdraft fee), buying your own groceries, going out with friends, learning how that refund check you get really isn't your money but part of your loan that you'll have to pay back one day (uhmm like I'm doing right now), 

So I'm here to tell you a few secrets I picked up while in college that can hopefully help you save some money:

1.) Figure out places that give student discounts. There are several great clothing stores (J. Crew!), movie theaters, even restaurants that give great student discounts. Some places also have certain days when things are offered cheaper! Just do some research, it'll pay off.

2.) Well this goes back to me over drafting my bank account haha... get overdraft protection. I know you think you'll keep up with it, but it's hard. Even if you're really good checking your account online, their may be a check floating around that might be cashed when you least expect it. Between my sorority and clubs I joined, there was a quite a bit of those that would throw me off.  (I once had a check for $60 get cashed 3 months after I wrote it!)

3.) "Do I really need this?" This is a question you should constantly ask yourself when shopping. Yeah, you can make excuses that you really need this new dress for such-an-such, but do you really? If you did join a sorority or any organization where there are some things you have to dress up for, borrow clothes! I can't tell you how many sorority sisters' dresses I borrowed for luncheons, formals, etc. Just make sure to return it in better condition than when you borrowed it. Paying a $5 dry cleaning fee is a whole lot cheaper than buying a new dress you'll only wear a few times. 

4.) It's ok to go out to eat, but only on occasions. This one can be tricky, but the truth is going out to eat all the time gets pricey and if you're one of those people who has to have Starbucks every morning, you'd be surprised at how much money you are literally throwing down the drain. I'd only buy that $5 cup of coffee if it's finals week and come on, you deserve to treat yourself!

but one of the biggest things that can burn a hole in your pocket is college books! Some of these books cost up to $200 dollars new and even used books can cost quite a large amount of money. The worst part is when you try and sell them back and they 1.) only give you about $20 dollars for that book you bought for $200 or 2.) they don't buy it back at all! 

5.) If you want to buy your books go ONLINE!  You can find gently used books super cheap on sites like amazon and ebay. When you finalize your class list, get the barcodes and title for your books and search away. BUT if you don't want to have to worry about selling them back, RENT you books! I started doing this my last few years of college and it saved me so much money! A great site to use is http://www.campusbookrentals.com. They have practically any book you could ever need for great prices!

If you're wondering if this really is the cheapest route and worth it, here's an example of a book I used for my favorite class in college :) I probably would have spent close to $80 dollars on this book...USED!!! But to rent it for a semester only costs $15! You can't beat that! Especially considering if you were unable to sell it back. 

Now, for the exciting part, Campus Books is willing to give one of my readers a $50 Coupon to use on their site! As you can see, $50 could probably rent you most, if not all of your books for one semester!

To win this Green Saving GIVEAWAY...

All you have to do is follow my blog and leave a comment about a green saving tip you use on this post! 

Easy peasy. I'll draw out a winner Monday! 

Have a great Thursday!

xo,

eMr

Bloom Where You Are Planted

Each of you should continue to live in whatever situation the Lord has placed you, and remain as you were when God first called you. This is my rule for all the churches. -1 Corinthians 7:17

Yesterday, I texted my good friend Lizzy to see if she knew of any good churches that held Wednesday night Bible study. She said she wasn't sure, but that she was asked to lead a small Bible study for middle school girls at her church that night and to pray for her.

Funny thing is that the first thought that ran through my mind was "I would love to do something like that." My heart and passion has always been for children and young women. For those of you who don't know, I led Bible study when I was in my sorority and it was one of the hardest and most fulfilling things I have ever done and to be quite honest I didn't think I'd have the opportunity to do something like that for awhile.

I kid you not, an hour later, a get a phone call from Lizzy asking me if I would be interested in being a leader. Um... say what? God did you really just open up that door that quickly? Just testament to how God pays attention to all your desires, even the most fleeting of thoughts.

I know the idea crossed my mind, but I have no experience counseling and leading 8th grade girls  and I'm not going to lie, I'm kinda in panic mode.

We ALL know what we were like in 8th grade. You feel awkward, don't really know who you are and trying to be someone else, talking about boys all the time, dealing with gossip and bullies, and all kinds of drama.  

I feel a little out of my league.

Don't get me wrong, I have talked to young women about very serious and heart wrenching things, but for some reason dealing with younger girls just scares me.

I don't want to come off like I've got it all right just because I'm older. I'll  be the first to admit I am a sinner and have messed up and only by His grace have I been forgiven and saved, but at the same time I want to be someone they can look up to and feel comfortable approaching. You have so many doubts about yourself as a person and wonder if you're good enough. Is their another young woman closer to God than me that is more equipped to lead these young women?

My mind has been spinning and I can't stop thinking about it since last night. I'm worried about the time commitment that needs to be made. These girls deserve a leader who can give them their absolute attention and be willing to make a commitment that will lead up to their years in High School.

Just pray that God will give me the wisdom to know what to do. I have a feeling I'm going to do it because the whole situation is just so crazy because it shows God's hand at work, but then what? Am I prepared to undertake something like this?

Pray for me girls. If any of you have led girls in this age group, I'd love to hear your input!

xo,
eMr

'MΣRIΚA

This weekend was bid day at UTC and me and Mrs. Emily Cain of course drove down to see our beloved sorority get 59 precious new members. Our theme this year was

'MΣRIΚA- "Making America Beautiful Since 1874" 

and it was honestly one of the cutest things I've ever seen. So get ready...this post has more pictures than I've ever put up. I'm a proud Sigma Kappa of Theta Phi. 

How we do bid day at UTC is all the girls that have gone through rush receive their bids Sunday morning in Patton Chapel. All the sororities wait outside, before girls three at a time run out to the sorority they got a bid from. There is a lot of tackling, crying, laughing, and it is by far one of the best feelings in the world to pick up the girl you've loved all week and know that she is now your sister. I almost cried about 20 times haha I miss it so much and knew that these girls that just ran out to us were about to start some of the best four years and continue our legacy.

Kinda obsessed with our letters! We put blue and red glitter on them and they looked fabulous!

Our brand new babies!!! 

New girls learning how to throw what they know :)

"Land of the Free, Home of the Sigma Kappa"

Congratulations to all of you that have gone through rush and have joined a sorority! I know sorority life isn't for everyone, but for me, joining Sigma Kappa was one of the best decisions I ever made. Cherish your letters, respect your ritual, and love your sisters. Life doesn't get much better :)

Congrats PC '12! Welcome to the Mystic Bond.

xo,

eMr

Chukkers for Charity

Imagine my surprise when last week I get an email from Vineyard Vines asking me to come to a wine and cheese event they're hosting at their store. Not going to lie, it made me feel pretty special.

Why did I get this invite? Turns out the charity I've been volunteering for partnered up with them to raise money for their huge fundraising event, Chukkers for Charity. 10% off all the purchases that day went to Saddle Up!

Before I go into the event, I want to tell y'all a little bit about what Saddle Up is. Its a charity in Nashville that allows children with disabilities to take horse back riding lessons. I know what you're thinking, how does horse back riding help children with disabilities? But depending on how severe the disability is, it can help a child talk, actually sit up without being strapped in a wheel chair, teach responsibility, and focus, etc.

I've only been volunteering there for a few weeks and have already fallen in love with several of the kids, horses, and volunteers. I know this may sound cheesy, but their is so much joy and love in that place that you can't help but smile when you get a kid in the saddle and walk them around the arena.

 If you're in the Nashville area and want to help out, click here. There are other organizations that use therapeutic riding, so if this sound interesting to you, see if there is one in your community. I'd strongly advise it.

Back to Vineyard Vines, so when I walk into the store they have two large tables set up with VV table cloths, VV solo cups, VV cooler, VV napkins, cheese, crackers, wine, sparkling water, and I'm thinking this is how to shop! (I took pictures of it on my phone, but for some reason they are not being sent to my email so I'll have to put those up later.)

And here's what I bought! 

The Westerly Vest in navy. I love that my small glass of wine convinced me to buy this. How perfect for fall with a striped button down or just a t-shirt? I see myself hiking or grocery shopping in it haha. 

But what I was really drooling over, and might possibly purchase later for UTC's homecoming, were these two dresses...

Aren't they adorable?! I just don't know which one I love more...

Happy Friday!

xo,

eMr

Oh Rush, How I Miss You

Its day 2 of my heart recovery. Surprisingly doing really well. Haven't cried so I'm guessing thats a sign I'm a-okay haha. I honestly think its because in my heart of hearts I knew this guy wasn't right for me, or at least not right now. I've been talking to my closest friends about all this and my Bible study leader who is one of the Godliest women I know. This is what she texted me this morning:

"I just heard yesterday that when you are single looking for the one you should be working on yourself to become the person who you would like to meet and marry someday. When you are ready and the other person who has also been working on themselves all this time find each other you will be a better fit. So many times we try to fit our will into His design and we just end up getting hurt more. All that to say, it does hurt. It is very hard and lonely but do not undermine yourself. If he is not the one, God does have a better plan even though we cannot see why or how. All He wants you to do now is trust Him and walk and talk with Him. I love you." 

So true! Just wait. I'm going to live the single life up :) Not in a crazy drinking making out with random boys way, but in God's way and discovering more about myself through Him.

On a brighter note...RUSH is this week at UTC. I thought I'd share a few pointers since I've been through it and have been behind the scenes of it for four years of my life haha.


1. Go in with an open mind. You may already have an idea of what sorority you want going into rush whether it's based on your friends in it, you know its good nationally, you're a legacy, etc. You'd be surprised, however, that once you go through you might realize that it's not the one for you. This happened to me at UTC. Everyone I knew was in one particular sorority, but when I went through I realized that I had fallen in love with another sorority and that was where I needed to be. Also, one sorority is different at every school and has different reputations.

2. Dress to impress. I know this sounds superficial and no we aren't judging you on how many designer brands you have on, but if you look like you really don't care about rushing, people will think you won't care about the sorority and your sisters as well. Think of it as a business interview, you want to be taken seriously.

3. Smile. :)

4. Don't drop out just yet. I'll be honest. Recruitment is bizarre. It just is. You have to walk in some house and have girls chant songs at you, have a 5 minute conversation, and then are supposed to base your decision off that. Stick with it. I promise it gets better after the first two nights and you start actually forming relationships.

5. It really is a mutual selection process. I know you girls going through think that we only choose you, but I'm here to tell you a secret... that is FALSE. We may love you, but you may love another sorority and drop us. It's as much of your decision as it is ours. 

6. If you don't get your number one choice, it's not the end of the world. I know you might be hurt and disappointed, but give the other one a shot. You're there for a reason and it might actually be the best place for you. Give it a couple weeks and if you still don't like it, go through rush again the next year. 

7. Soak it all in. Whether your going through or on the other side, it goes by so fast. Enjoy your college years and cherish your letters.

Good Luck to everyone who is going through recruitment! 

Have a blessed Wednesday! :)

xo, 
eMr

Office Blues

I know this is only my third day of work, but I am seriously going to have to do something to my office asap! I'm trying to think of some good ideas, but have no clue what to do! The sorority girl in me that never sleeps, wants to put chevron patterns, pink, and Lilly everywhere, but the somewhat grown up part of me says keep it professional. I did still buy this LP planner in Ugatta Regatta for work though....

love it!

Heres the deal, I have one wall that is blue and when I say blue, I mean it is BLUE.  And the floor has MAROON carpeting..... but I'm up for the interior decorating challenge haha.

(do you like the large picture of the elephant on my wall?  hint hint to where and whom I'm working for for all you smart cookies haha) 

And this is what I get to look at from my desk...It's clear to me that a guy had this office before I moved in. 

 I do like that I have a huge window and that I'm working with one of my close friends and sorority sister, so thats a great perk. Plus, I really do love what I'm doing and couldn't be happier with how everything is going right now,  I just need to doctor up my office a bit.  

 I'm thinking the theme for this office should be "Southern and Sophisticated" (yes, I just gave my office a theme. I'm excited alright haha). Maybe some fake blue hydrangeas, a candle, a lamp, pictures, and that's about all I've thought of so far.  

And of course this little guy will be moving in with me soon.

Bought him at World Market awhile ago. They still have them if you want to pick one up for yourself :)

Do any of you have any office ideas for me? 

HELP!

xo,

eMr

I GOT A JOB!

I know. I'm a terrible person and haven't blogged in FOREVER! but I have an excuse...as always.

I GOT A JOB!!!

Yay! and I haven't blogged about it because 1. I still don't have internet at my house and that does make things extremely difficult. 2. I had to move all my furniture back from Chattown to Nashville. and 3. Today is my first day and I finished my work early and am waiting to see what else I can do, so I'm keeping this short and sweet, but at least now y'all know I didn't die or drop off the face of the planet.

I'm not going to give a lot of details on where I work, but I'm in fundraising and so far love it! They're already giving me free stuff (like a Volunteer Traditions koozie and hat! ummm LOVE).

I got one in white. I wanted navy (like the one Reese Witherspoon has), but they were only giving out white, orange, or khaki. Yeah, orange and khaki would not look great on blonde me. 

and that's the koozie I got in mint :)

If y'all like what you see from Volunteer Traditions, click here to go to their site. They have a ton of really cute stuff and not just products that represent Tennessee, but also Texas, South Carolina, North Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, Florida....okay, you get the drift, every Southern state haha so go on over and take a peek.  

I can't even begin to put into words how much God has blessed me. You all know how worried I was about finding and a job, and I felt like each time I turned around I was getting rejected, but God had bigger things in mind for little ole me. He wanted me here and opened this door and I can't wait to see where it leads in the future. 

So whenever any of you are feeling stressed or discouraged about finding a job or anything else, just remember that He has a plan bigger than you could ever imagine. Just have faith, pray about it, keep an open mind, do all that you can do, work hard, and I promise He will take care of the rest in His own timing. 

But that's some of what is going on with me. I promise not to be a stranger anymore and will keep you updated on my first big girl job and everything else that is going on in my first year as a freshman in life....and let me tell you it is quite an adventure so far!

Have a joyful Monday!

xo,

eMr

Jenn's Bacon-Wrapped Hot Dogs

This recipe comes from Jenn at a Pop of Style and it looks delicious! I can't wait to try it! :) Remember to keep sending recipes my way!

I grew up on hot dogs. It clearly explains the almost-never-ending baby fat stage I went through, but after all of these years, I've never grown sick of eating them. They're almost always a staple in my refrigerator, and while they may not be the healthiest choice, they sure are easy to make.

So I figured... since they're not healthy from the start, why not make a completely unhealthy meal out of it by wrapping them in bacon?

Sure, why not.

This was an idea I snagged from one of my many favorite kitchen blogs, and it has all of the makings of the ideal summer recipe: grilled, quick and cheap. (Although I'm pretty sure we like quick and cheap every season of the year.)

Since my apartment didn't come with a grill, I used my handy dandy George Foreman instead.

Serve it with watermelon or a spinach salad with strawberries and candied walnuts (or both!).

xxo

Bacon-wrapped hot dogs


2 hot dogs
2 thin slices of bacon
1/3 white onion, medium sliced
1/3 red pepper, medium sliced
1/3 yellow pepper, medium sliced
2 hot dog buns (forget the health kick, and buy ones almost the size of sub rolls!)
2T olive oil
salt and pepper

1. Wrap the hot dogs with one slice of bacon.

2. Heat olive oil in skillet/pan over high heat. Add onions and peppers, seasoning with salt and pepper. Cook for six minutes, until they are softened.

3. Grill the bacon-wrapped hot dogs until they are heated through (about seven minutes), making sure you cook the hot dogs on all sides. While you're doing this, toast the buns on the grill or in a separate pan on the stove top.

4. Serve hot dogs in toasted bun and top with the onion/pepper mixture.

-- Makes enough for two.

Allison's Enchiladas

This isn't her exact recipe because she usually omitted the Campbell's soup and sour cream, but my dad has made it this way and it's pretty good and easy to make! This comes from Campbell's recipe site, which always has quick and easy recipes :)

Easy Chicken and Cheese Enchiladas

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup (Regular or98% Fat Free)

1/2 cup sour cream

1 cup Pace® Picante Sauce

2 teaspoons chili powder

2 cups chopped cooked chicken

1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

6 flour tortillas (6-inch), warmed

1 small tomato, chopped (about 1/2 cup)

1 green onion, sliced (about 2 tablespoons)

Instructions:

• . Heat the oven to 350°F. Stir the soup, sour cream, picante sauce and chili powder in a medium bowl.
• . Stir 1 cup soup mixture, chicken and cheese in a large bowl.
• . Divide the chicken mixture among the tortillas. Roll up the tortillas and place seam-side down in an 11 x 7 x 2-inch baking dish. Pour the remaining soup mixture over the filled tortillas. Cover the baking dish.
• . Bake for 40 minutes or until the enchiladas are hot and bubbling. Top with the tomato and onion.

I also have some great news for those of you who have followed me on my job searching journey! I have an interview Wednesday with a PR firm in Nashville for a internship! Pray that it goes well and that I'm exactly what they're looking for. 

Hope y'all have a fun and great Saturday!

xo,

eMr