Happy Shrimp Day ?

Thanksgiving! 

I'm going to the beach today, so instead of having a turkey dinner, I will be having a fantastic shrimp dinner {YAY}. For all of you out there wondering, my favorite food is seafood. I love it.

Today is the last day of me posting things I'm thankful for! (thank goodness... it was getting kind of boring. I apologize.) Since I forgot to write yesterday, I'm going to combine yesterday's post with today.

Day 27: I am thankful for my parents.
Day 28: I am thankful for my life (or just life in general).

My parents are the greatest. I wish I had realized how thankful I was for them sooner, but I guess that comes with getting older. They have both done so much more for me than I will ever deserve. They've done things for me that I probably don't even know about just to make sure I have a good life. I'm really glad I have them.

I've already written about my dad once (he was day 5). Just in case you didn't read that post (and don't feel like clicking on the link I so generously provided, I will summarize. My dad is wonderful and strong. He's very protective, so I always feel safe being with him. He's always known how to make me laugh. I can talk to him in movie quotes (which I think is pretty important). He likes to be outside, so I probably got that from him. He does all sorts of cool sports. He's pretty good at art, too (which was always fun for me when I was little... he used to draw the coolest pictures for me). My dad is great, and I am so thankful for him [and for putting up with me for the past 17 years].

My mom is my best friend. That sounds pretty cliche, but she's always there for me to talk to and she truly wants the best for me. I've never had to worry about telling her exactly what I'm thinking. She's always there to listen and hug me. She knows exactly what I like (and fairly certain she can read my mind). She's had to keep up with all sorts of random, emotional teenage girl stuff over the past few years, so I'm impressed that she still likes me at all. She always knows how to make me laugh {the other night, we spent ten minutes trying to throw M&Ms into each other's mouths and laughing every time we missed... which was every single time because we're awful.} My mom is beautiful, and I'll never be able to tell her how thankful I am for everything she's done for me.

Unlike most people, I get the privilege of having two bonus parents.
My step dad (better known as Poppy) has been around for most of my life. He's honest and hilarious. He gives the best advice about pretty much everything.
My step mom (Priscilla) is super sweet, and I love how fashionable she is. She's very generous and patient, and I am thankful for that.

I am thankful for all of my parents. They have helped me have the most fabulous life. Which brings me to the next thing I am thankful for: life. I am so thankful for the life I have been given and everything in it. Sure, I've had sometimes when I haven't been so thankful, but everyone has a bad day. 

Overall, I have been blessed with so much more than I need. I can't even begin to be thankful for every single thing. I love this life, and I wouldn't trade it for anything else (ooohhh that was corny... oh well).

To finish up this Thanksgiving post, here is a Thanksgiving joke:

 What happened when the turkey got into a fight?
He got the stuffing knocked out of him!

here is a picture of a turkey I drew.

P.S. I probably won't post again until Saturday night because I'll be at the beach. Happy Thanksgiving, y'all!

Ooey Gooey Butter Cake

Day 26: I am thankful for baking (and baked goods).

For those of you who don't know, I love cooking (specifically, baking). It is by far one of the most relaxing things to do. Plus, I get bored a lotttt so it's a good way to keep me entertained for a while. 

To inspire some of you to bake some delicious desserts [and share them with me], I'll post one of my favorite recipes!

It's a Paula Deen recipe, so it's only fitting that it's called Ooey Gooey Butter Cake. {I know that sounds disgusting, but it is one of the most heavenly, delicious desserts.}

Ingredients:

• Cake:
• 1 package yellow cake mix
• 1 egg
• 8 tablespoons of butter, melted

• Filling:
• 8 oz. package of cream cheese, softened
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 8 tablespoons of butter, melted
• 16 oz. box of confectioners sugar 

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Mix the cake mix, egg, and butter with an electric mixer (consistency of cookie dough)
• Pat the mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased pan. (I like to pat the mixture up on the sides to give the cake a good crust all around).
• Beat the cream cheese until smooth in a large bowl. (This part can be difficult if the cream cheese isn't softened enough. Because of my lack of patience, I usually end up beating it for a second, then knocking it off the beaters, then beating it more. It's tedious, but it  doesn't take long.)
• Add the eggs, vanilla, and butter to the cream cheese. Mix well.
• Add the powdered sugar and mix well. 
• Spread the cream cheese mixture over the cake (cookie) batter.
• Bake for 40-50 minutes. {Don't over bake it! It is supposed to be gooey on the inside. When the top has turned brown, it's done.}

I promise this is one of the best things in the world. 

There are lots of varieties to this recipe, too! I like to add chocolate chips to mine, but you can also make Pumpkin Ooey Gooey Cake.  

I'm thankful that baking is a thing. If I could do anything, I would definitely start a bakery. [I'm not exactly sure how to do that, though]

If you're looking for any more recipes I've posted, here's a link to my Chocolate Pecan Pie. 

Paula Deen riding a stick of butter in a pile of mashed potatoes.

 

Brother! Sister!

Day 25: I am thankful for my siblings.

Fun Fact: I don't have any siblings who are completely related to me (meaning we have the same parents).

Let me tell you about my wonderful siblings and why I am thankful for each of them!

Logan is my oldest little brother. He was born a full thrity seconds before his twin. I'm thankful for Logan because he is by far the sweetest child I have ever met. He's the most loving boy! He always stresses about me going to college and never fails to give me a hug when I need one (and often times when I don't). He's pretty funny, too. Most of the time I don't really get his jokes, but he laughs pretty hard at them so they must be a little funny.

Dylan is my youngest brother. He's a great boy. He's super driven and determined to do everything right the first time. He's very competitive. He's one of those people who likes being right, which is fine because he's very smart. I love Dylan though because he always agrees with me. (Sometimes I see that as being a suck up), but he always just trying to help out. He'll go with me anywhere and help out with anything I need.

{My brothers are twins and they are half brothers.}

Alli is my little step sister. She's super adorable. Honestly, she is by far one of the most adorable kids. She's going to be beautiful (more than she is now) in just a few years. She's always energetic. Occassionally it's a little too much energy for me to handle, but I'm glad she's alwasy so excited about things. She loves doing crafts and singing and talking to our dogs, just like any little girl. She's always nice to talk to and play games with. 

I'll admit that I have a hard time being patient with all of them at some points. [It's something I need to work on, I know.] Everyone gets a little frusterated with people they live with some point, though.

I'm so thankful to have them in my life! I hope I can be a positive roll model for them. They've taught me lots of things, too.

I'm going to miss them soooo much next year.  

Very Pinteresting

wowowowow!

I wish I wasn't so sleepy and had something interesting to say today. (oh well)

Day 24: I am thankful for Pinterest.

I have a problem. I'm obsessed with Pinterest. I really am on it all the time.

{my teachers think I'm doing studious things on my ipad at school! but I'm really just on Pinterest}

If you don't know what Pinterest is, it's the greatest thing ever. That's what. (I really don't know how to explain it)

Basically, I have a board for everything. A wedding board. A craft board. Food board. Auburn board. EVERYTHING.

Someone who didn't know me and based their entire image of me off of my Pinterest would probably think I was preparing for a wedding in college with several kids in order to become a skilled baker. That's not exactly the case.

It's great. 

If you're ever looking for a gift for me, I recommend going to my Pinterest first for some ideas. 

Dress to Impress

Day 23: I am thankful for dresses.

Can I just be materialistic for a second?

I really love dresses. 

People try to act like putting on a dress requires a lot of effort, but it actually doesn't. You just throw it on. You don't even need pants! It doesn't get much better (or easier) than that. 

Dresses are fabulous though because they make you feel wonderful! I mean, when I put on a dress I just get an entirely new level of confidence. You can do whatever you want to in a dress. {That could probably be argued, but you get the point}.

I bought this dress today for the Holiday Social, a dinner party we have at my school each year to teach us manners (but we all know it's so we can keep getting that tomato soup).

I wore my prom dress for my senior pictures (then it got super cold so I ran back to my warm car).

Dresses make me happy.

I hope you all appreciate the wonderful feeling of putting on a new dress.

{If you're reading this and you're a boy, I am sorry for the girly-ness of this post. However, I am more sorry that you have never known the feeling of wearing a dress... or maybe you have.}

Hello, Break!

Day 21: I am thankful for movies that stay true to the book.

Day 22: I am thankful for Thanksgiving Break!
 
Okay, I know... I haven't written in the past two days and this Hello, Friday is a little late. I had good reasons though: 

• Thursday night, I went to see Catching Fire. {It was super great!} It was late when I came home, so I just passed out.
• Yesterday, I was going off of the 5 hours of sleep I had from Thursday night, so I was very tired (I don't do well with only a limited amount of sleep).

But, anyways, I will write another Hello, Friday post today!

Hello, sleep.

Hello, nothing. I swear I did not do anything at school yesterday. I just sat there.

Hello, done. I'm done with Phase 2 and my research paper! 

Hello, heavenly dessert. We made something called "one heavenly dessert" yesterday in Nutrition and Wellness. It was heavenly. On another note, Nutrition and Wellness involves 0 nutrition.

Hello, BREAK! A whole week off from school.

Hello, warm weather. It felt perfect outside.

Hello, photoshoot.

Hello, shopping (but not actually buying things, we just looked at everything).

Hello, homemade soup.

Hello, smiles.

Hello, roommate! I picked a roommate. I'm tooooo excited for college.

Hello, sleep.

BFF Club

Day 20: I am thankful for friends.

I have some rockin' friends.

I have friends I've know for 14 years. We made it through the awkward St. Luke days together. We're surviving the crazy years at Columbus. We've always gone to school together. I'm not sure what I'm going to do next year when they aren't at the same school as me for the first time. 

I have friends I just met in high school. Some have been friends with me since freshman year, and some I just met this year.

I have church friends. Friends from sports. Friends from France. All sorts of random friends.

I even have friends I awkwardly met through RoomSync in my search for a roommate at Auburn. Actually, I've only met one person that way so far, but I'm beginning to think we're twins!

My friends are really just fabulous though! They put up with me when I'm hyper and over-excited. They talk to me and listen when I get upset or worried. They like the same random things I do. They explain things to me. I really believe my friends have made me a better person (because they're all so wonderful!)

I'm pretty impressed with my friends for keeping up with me for so long. I love them. 

Ahhh! I'm going to miss my friends so much next year, but I can't wait to meet new friends!

I should explain the title of this post. When I was little (in the St. Luke days), my best friends were Zoe Wirt and Kate Mize. We wrote a BFF song, because we were BFFs... duh. I will teach you the song because anyone reading my blog must be a friend. It goes like this:

It's the BFF song!

The BFF song.

The B!

The F!

The BFF song!

I'm not really sure why there's only one F in the BFF song. It just happened.

I love my wonderful, beautiful, smart friends!

 

Believe It. Love It.

Day 19: I am thankful for Auburn.

I talk about Auburn a lot. {If you don't believe me, or want to read more feel free to check out Accepted for Admission, Birds, and Senior Project.}

I really have a passion for it though. Not just the football. Not even just the school. The town. The university. The sports. The atmosphere. Everything about Auburn is perfect and exactly what I want. 

Auburn has given me a fantastic scholarship and opportunity to live out my dreams. I honestly have never actually been able to picture myself at any other school. As I've mentioned before, I had a hard time actually accepting that I couldn't see myself at any other school. It was just strange for me that none of my  friends were ready to pay a deposit to a college. In fact, most them don't even know where they want to apply. That caused me to question myself a little bit, but when I tried to think of somewhere else I'd like be, I knew Auburn was right.

The university has fabulous academics, especially in science (one of my favorite subjects). They also have a great honors college, and I plan to enroll in that.{there's some pretty sweet benefits with being in the honors program}.

Like I said though, it's not just the school that I love (although the school is magnificent). I love Auburn's atmosphere. I love that Auburn feels like a small college town, but the college is large. I like that it's in the South. I like that both of my parents went there. I like that every person I have ever met in Auburn has been sweet. I love Auburn.

Auburn football is just a bonus. I don't care what team you go for, you have to admit that Auburn has made a major comeback from last season and that catch on Saturday was AMAZING.

 
 I get pretty defensive Auburn, too. Do not try to bash my school or my team. 

In light of some angry Georgia fans I've had to deal with the past few days, I did some research on Auburn so I could better explain the difference between our mascot (Aubie the Tiger) and our battle cry (War Eagle). The difference is one is a mascot and one is a battle cry. I'm not sure why that's hard to understand, but it is for some people. 

There are a few legends surrounding the origins of the battle cry. One legend says it originated at an Auburn-Georgia game in 1892 when an old soldier's pet eagle began circling the stadium as Auburn began to win the game. The crowd became so excited, they began to shout "war eagle!"

Another story suggests in began with a 1914 football game against the Carlisle Indians. The toughest player on the field was nicknamed Bald Eagle. In an attempt to tire him, Auburn began running  defensive play after play on his position, calling it "bald eagle". The crowd mistakenly hear "war eagle" and began chanting it.

One legend even goes back as far as the Plains Indians living on the land before Auburn was even thought of. It is said that these Indians used the feathers of a large golden eagle to make their war bonnets... giving them the title "war eagle".

No matter where they originated, I love all of the traditions of Auburn.

Today I began my roommate search. There's a really nifty program that Auburn uses to link you with people who have the same interests as you through Facebook. I feel really creepy looking at random people's pages, but a girl's gotta do what she's gotta do.

I'm so happy I'll be attending Auburn University next year. I believe in Auburn and love it. 

Monday.

Day 18: I am thankful for Mondays.

Wow. What is happening?! My blog must really be going downhill for me to actually think I'm thankful for Mondays.

I guess I actually kind of am though... a little. I mean, Monday is the farthest day away from the weekend, but it really isn't that bad. (People just like to tell themselves it is and feel sorry for themselves and dress like a bum.)

I guess I've kind of always found a small amount of pleasure in Mondays because of school. [I'm literally going insane. Call a doctor... that was a bad use of the word literally. I'm sorry.] But, school is actually pretty pleasurable most of the time. 
You get to be with friends all day. You learn interesting things. It's really not that bad.

At least it's not Tuesday. What's the point of Tuesday? Nothing happens on Tuesdays. It's not the first day of the week. It's certainly not hump day. It's definitely the slowest day of the week. I'm boycotting Tuesdays start tomorrow. 

So, my fellow blog readers, this whole thankful a day thing is actually more difficult than I expected. I have millions of things I'm thankful for, but none of them seemed like the right thing to write about today. {That's probably because of all the school work I'm focused on for this week since today was Monday}. 

However, I hope you all were able to enjoy your Monday.

I like education. This is related to my topic for tomorrow. (I actually do know what I'm going to write about tomorrow.)

Naturally

Day 17: I am thankful for nature.

Oh my gosh. This world is so beautiful sometimes. Today was perfect. The temperature was wonderful. It was just barely raining. I loved it.

I love fall leaves. I love crisp air. I love animals. I seriously just love biology. {biology sounds like one of those gross things, but it's just the study of living things.}

I've always loved animals (plants are cool too though). Since as early as I can remember, I was holding puppies and feeding cows. It was awesome. 

Whenever someone asked what I wanted to be when I was younger, I boldly proclaimed "VETERANARIAN!" Now, since then, I've considered a lot of other options. In fact, I even convinced myself that I didn't want to be a vet. [we can talk more about my possible career choices later]. However, as of last night/this morning when I couldn't sleep, I have decided to consider becoming a vet again because animals are seriously just the greatest. (I have a lot of time to decide that though.)

I love all things related to biology. Feel free to ask me any biology related questions, because it love talking about it.

Also, if you ever wanted to know anything about animals, ask me that too. I know that absolute most useless, fantastic animal trivia. I spent a lot of time watching animal planet in my younger years.

Today, my recommendation for a good time is to go on a picnic. Park your car somewhere. Pack a lunch. Grab a blanket and just start walking through the woods until you find an open area. It's fun!

Slammin' Saturday

Day 16: Today, I am thankful for sleep.

I had a gooooood sleep last night. I was seriously tired. I didn't wake up until 9:45. That doesn't sound to late, but considering that I'm usually up by 8:30, I think that's pretty impressive.

umm... I just kind of feel like talking about my day because it was nice.

soooo, I slept in and that was pleasant.

I woke up to the sound of a mixer. My step mom made a red velvet cake and a chocolate pound cake all before 11 this morning. {impressive} She's a really great cook. [I got to lick the spoon.]

I didn't have to go into work until 1, so I got to hang out with my dad and step mom this morning (and Denise). We ate breakfast for lunch. Breakfast is always good.

I went to work from 1-5. Work is lovely.

I had two hours to kill before work and a birthday party, so I went shopping by myself. I bought so fleece lined leggings and a large flannel shirt. yay winter!

Today, is Michelle's 18th birthday. She looks like Taylor Swift, but she sings way better than Taylor Swift. She likes cats and various funky thing. So, I bought her these fantastic cat earrings. Her ears aren't pieced. I'm a rockin' best friend.
 

super cool cat earrings

I had El Vaquero and red velvet cake for dinner. CONTENT.

Big Bang Theory. Modern Family.

Today was slammin. I'm using Remi's word.

Auburn won!
 

Hello, Relaxation

Hello, Friday!

Hello, early morning packing. I'm at my dads house this weekend and I was too lazy to pack my suitcase last night.

Hello, cop car. I freak out whenever cops are driving behind. I'm not even doing anything wrong!

Hello, school.

Hello, physics test. I just don't get physics. It's a little disappointing. I've never had such a difficult time with a science class. I'm not doing bad in the class; I just don't understand. 

Hello, free time. I love when teachers just don't feel like teaching.

Hellooooo, Brad Pitt. Orlando Bloom. Christian Bale. We're watching Troy in world literature (The Iliad).

Hello, Just Dance. {I'm a great dancer.}

Hello, photography.

Hello, bagel bites. Trevor and I and magnificent chefs.

Hello, babysitting. coloring. board games. playing with hair.

Hello, tired.

Hello, late night snacks.

Hello, silly golden doodle puppy.

Day 15: I am thankful for layed back classes.

The South

Day 14: I am thankful I grew up in The South.

As I wore my holey cowgirls boots for the last time today, I just felt really glad that I'm in The South. Here, it's okay to wear cowgirls boots every day until you've worn holes into the bottom. And do you know what you do when you wear one pair of boots out? You go get another.

My beautiful, funky grandmother texted me yesterday asking if I wanted to meet her after school some day to buy a new pair of boots. {Of course!} So, we went to Kim's Boots, where we were surrounded by hundreds of shoes... boots to be specific. I was actually completely overwhelmed. How do you even begin selecting just one when you literally want all of them? I tried on several pairs until I saw them-- Nocona Women's Tan Vintage Cow Fashion Toe Boots. Boom. Tried 'em on. Got 'em. Done.
 

purty, huh?

I love wearing boots. I am convinced that you can wear them with just about everything. Jeans? duh. Shorts? you go for it! Dresses? cuuuuute. I believe in wearing whatever you want, whenever you want {especially if it involves boots}.

Being able to wear your cowgirl boots to any social event is just one of the many perks of being raised in The South. 

Reasons I love The South:

• the way people talk is comforting (rather than annoying like those weird northern voices)
• gooooooood, home cooking. mashed potatoes, steak, corn, pecan pie. you name it and a southern grandmother can make it.
• SEC
• umm... it's gorgeous. Have you seen Savannah, Georgia? Auburn, Alabama? Either one of The Carolinas? You can't get those looks anywhere else.
• country music. 
• the people here are nice! people aren't always in a rush, and most are willing to stop and have a pleasant conversation or give you a wave as they walk down the street.
• that weather, though. even when it's "cold" down here, it's not that cold.
• some of my favorite books take place in The South. Cold Sassy Tree. Gone with the Wind.  
• there's some pretty fabulous sayings floating around out here. "Bless her heart."  y'all  "Gimme some sugar!"  Y'all! "heavens to betsy!"  Y'ALL  "I do declare!"  Y'ALL.
• COWS
• fields. I just love fields. That's probably because I spent a good portion of my life at my grandparents farm out in Cusetta. That is by far my favorite place in the world.

I can think of a million more reasons why I just genuinely love The South. 

I definitely want to explore other places, but The South will always be special to me. 

Let's be honest, I'll probably end up spending the rest of my life here. I'm okay with that.

The Plan

Day 13: I'm thankful for my planner.

I listed my planner as one of the things I would grab if my house was on fire in Think Fast.

Today, I would have completely forgotten about work had it not been for my planner. {I'm really glad I wrote that down, or else I would have just driven home after school.} My planner has saved my life many times (that's a metaphor).

I am an obsessive planner. Obsessive is a scary word that people don't like to use. I think it's a good thing in this sense, though. I love writing things down, making lists, and knowing what I'm going to do each day. With school and work and life just happening all the time, it's really pretty beneficial.

Why?! Why do I always have a plan?

Well, I have found that knowing what needs to get done makes it a lot easier to find time to do other fun things (things that don't require a plan). I don't get stressed out as much because it's super easy to see what all I need to do. [Sometimes, things get kind of crazy in my head. You know that feeling you get when you have a million things to do and you don't know how you're ever going to be able to do them all? Yeah. I don't like that. So, I write it all down and get it out of the way.]

Having a planner definitely helps relieve a lot of the stress in my life, but sometimes, my obsessive planning gets in the way. I actually get really flustered when plans change. It's not a major problem- like I don't have a meltdown and face plant on the floor screaming and kicking. It just causes momentary confusion and reconfiguration of my time to calculate how I'm going to finish everything that needs finishing (mathematical, huh?)

NOW, I don't literally plan everything. I mean, I know it sounds like that, but I am a semi-normal teenager. I am perfectly fine and capable with letting things happen and doing things at the last minute. I've just found that my life is a lot simpler when I write things down in my planner.

 
I'm weird. It's already been established.

my advice for people today: write things down and let them go.

I also just really adore my Lilly Pulitzer planner. {It has stickers. stickers.}

A Home, A Bed

Day 12: I am thankful for my home. I am thankful for my bed.

Sometimes, it's hard to remember that I have everything I need (and more). I have a million times more things than some people. I am incredibly fortunate, but I tend to forget that a lot. 

Days like today help me to remember that though. 

Today I had my senior pictures taken by my fabulous senior project mentor, John Pyle. It was truly a fantastic day. {It was all about me. That's why... honesty is good, right?}

It was seriously one of the most fun things I've ever done. I woke up on my own time (at a pleasant hour) and went to get my make-up and hair done [by one of the greatest ever- Lauryl at Phyxx Salon]. Then, my photoshoot began! We started downtown in my grandmother's amazing condo and finished up out in one of the most gorgeous fields I've ever been in. The day was full of outfit changes, smiles (and serious faces), and pose experimentation (one of which almost led to me falling out of window).
 

the last picture taken on the shoot today

After my photoshoot ended, I was treated to Chick-fil-a (and one of their amazing milkshakes).

Today was pretty much centered around me. Everyone else did all the work for me- carried my clothes, did my make-up, drove me around. My job was a simple, one-step job: look pretty. 

So, today started off pretty warm. But, as the day went on, it got progressively windier and colder. For those of you who see me on a regular basis, you know that I do not handle being cold well. That's when the whole "I have way more than I actually need thing" hit me. I have people who care about me, people who cater to my needs, more clothes and other junk than some people could ever dream of, delicious meals, and a great house. But the one that really got me thinking (and made me thankful) was my warm bed. I have a warm bed in a loving home to fall into each night. 

I have a great life. I am so very thankful for everything that I have that I certainly do not deserve.

Shout-Out: First, to John Pyle for being an amazing photographer and incredibly kind. And, secondly, to my always amazing mother for doing everything she possibly could have done to make today perfect, for carrying the reflector through the wind today, and for being beautiful.

Today was good day. {I am worn out.}

Complimentary Compliment

Day 11: I am thankful for compliments. 

I don't mean the kind you get every day (although those are nice and gladly accepted), like when your mom says "you look cute" each morning (that actually happens every morning- I love my mom). I mean the genuine, unique compliments. The kind you don't get every day. The kind that you feel you have to share or you might just explode. The kind you get from people who don't know you that well or people who don't generally give out compliments. Those are the greatest.

I am definitely a person who is easily swayed by what people think of me. It's something I've really been trying to fix, so I'm not so easily affected by others' opinions. However, it can be a super good thing when what people think of me happens to be something positive. It means it is incredibly easy to make my day and to make me like you. 

I started thinking about compliments a lot today because I got several. I curled my hair, [which is always a strange, gravity defying feat]. That inspired a few notes of approval. But the comment that really got me thinking about the positive things people say to me was from someone I had never met in the store today. I had just finished trying a pair of shoes on a little boy and attempting to give his parents advice on which shoes I thought they should get. We didn't have the ones they wanted, so I clearly was undeserving of any positive remarks. I wasn't much help at all other than to tell them what size shoe they should get and offer to call them if we got anymore. BUT those people seemed so happy to have listened to what I was saying. They were so glad I was trying to help them {I like people like that- thankful, happy people}. Then, they asked me what my name was, looked me in the eye and said "Thank you so much for your help today, Jessie. You have been great!" Whoa! I don't even know these people, but they seemed so genuinely thankful and appreciative of my help. 

Which brings me to another thought (they actually aren't related, but that seemed like a good transition). One of the greatest compliments I have ever received has been when someone says they're proud of something I did. Proud is a big word. Not in size, but in importance. It has a lot of impact and people don't just say that every day. I believe when someone say that, most likely, they really mean it. It means they are so satisfied with whatever you have done, they are ecstatic about being associated with you. I like that.

Compliments are fabulous. We all know the impact words can have on a person, and I think a compliment is the best thing you can do for someone. It can change the entire course of their day just by boosting their mood.

here is a compliment for all of you out there who continue to read my blog (even on the boring days): I think you are terrific. I mean that with the utmost sincerity. I love that people are interested in what I have to say enough to read it, and I love the support I get. So, I think you are amazing (for continuing to read this and for being there for me).

advice for the day: Don't ever hold back a compliment.

Lazy Sunday

This is about to be pretty short.

Day 10: I am thankful for lazy Sundays. 

I love being able to wake up on my own time and not really having anything to do. When I wake by mysef, rather than with an alarm clock, I am much more pleasant. I generally wake up pretty early. That's probably because I fall asleep early. {Last night I fell asleep with all of lights on while reading. That always causes me to wake up periodically in an extremely confused state until I realize what happened and turn the lights off.}

I'm thankful for not being stressed out about filling out scholarship information. I know if I just take my time and do a little every day, I'll get it done easily enough.

I like finally having a day to rest and watch movies for a little while. 

I love watching Trevor play soccer and hanging out with him. He's pretty great.

I like hanging out with mom. 

So, I am thankful for having time to do whatever I want and not really worry about an agenda. 

Today was a lazy Sunday.

No Cats Available

Day 9:I am thankful for my job. 

I work at the Kiddie Shoppe. It's kind of surprising how many times I've actually been asked if I sell cats. (the answer is no). The Kiddie Shoppe is a kids clothing store.

I got my job at The Kiddie Shoppe by a random stroke of luck. {I was getting a pedicure with my stepmom, Priscilla, and she said "why don't you go in there and see if they have any jobs?". So, I did and look what happened.} I love it. 

We sell a lot of really adorable, funky children's clothes ranging from newborn all the way up to size 14. We sell shoes, too. {I like all the things we sell. Occassionally, I can fit into these clothes... I wear a size 14 in dresses and a size 5 in children's shoes.}

I like kids a lot. They're adorable. They say the cutest stuff. Plus, watching some kids put shoes on for the first time is hilarious.

Sometimes, it's a little difficult. People don't always want to take my advice because I'm only 17, so obviously I don't have kids. People tend to assume I don't know what I'm talking about (but trust me, I do.) 

I really like how flexible my job is with my school schedule. I don't get to work to much during the week because we're only open until 6 and I have school. Plus, I have lots of meetings and other things I have to do after school. My boss is super understanding of my schedule though.

My boss Lindsey Morgan is pretty great! She somehow manages to take care of three kids (with another on the way) and about a million other things in addition to running the store. She bought the store this year from my first boss, Rick McKnight, who is equally as fabulous. He knows everything. Both of them have been incredibly sweet and supportive of everything I do.

So, basically I have an amazing first job. It makes me happy. 
 

Hello, hot chocolate.

It's another Hello, Friday!

Hello, three day weekend. {my motivation to get out of bed this morning}

Hello, senior dress up day... hello, massive flowers. [We all dressed nice today for senior dress up day- pleasant. I was forced to wear a giant flower on my chest- unpleasant.]

Hello, rocket launching. We finally got to launch the rockets we made in physics. My rocket didn't go very far, but I was honestly just impressed that it went got off the ground at all. (I was really going more for design. I named it The Great Pumpkin and had a drawing of Linus from Charlie Brown in the pumpkin patch.)

Hello, pop quiz in AP Statistics.

Hello, no work ever. We never really have assignments in Nutrition and Wellness. Today we watched a random cooking show. While that was playing (it was some cooking show with Garth Brooks' wife), I was able to complete my homework.

Hello, DON'T TOUCH MY STUFF. I'm a little bit OCD, and I just really don't like when people touch and move my stuff around. It's mine. Touch your own stuff.

Hello, Kiddie Shoppe. I like work.

Hello, cold pizza and flavor blasted Goldfish.

Hello, fooooootball.

Hello, freezing.I guess I wasn't actually freezing, but considering that I was wearing my "dress up" outfit, which consisted of a skirt, jeans shirt, and boots, I was pretty cold.

Hello, mom. My mom and I are home alone together this weekend!

Hello, a million things that need to be done- scholarships, reading, senior project, photo shoot, shopping, soccer game, etc...

Hello, hot chocolate.

This brings me to what I am thankful for today. 

Day 8: Today, I am thankful for hot chocolate. I have an obsession with chocolate, okay? It's a problem. I know. But, hot chocolate is one of those things I could never give up. I'd be willing to say I could give up all other chocolate products, as long as I could keep hot chocolate. 
Hot chocolate is great year round. Please try to tell me it's not. (you can't)
It's especially fantastic on a cold day like today, when you come home and all you want to do is curl up, drink some hot chocolate, and then fall asleep.
Hot chocolate is also especially magical while traveling through Fantasy in Lights at Callaway Gardens or when your mom makes it on the stove. 
TIP: peppermint hot chocolate at Starbucks. It is the best. (and it's always available... just because something isn't written out on the menu doesn't mean they can't make it- they always have the peppermint syrup chillin' behind the counter. Show it some summer love.)

Hot chocolate warms your body and your soul.

So my recommendation for this beautiful weekend is to grab a cup of hot chocolate and take a nap in between all the craziness {advice mostly for myself, but please feel free to do it too!}
 
 

Senior Project

I may actually be going crazy...

Day 7: I am thankful for senior project. {call me crazy}

For those of you who may not know, my school requires seniors to do a year long project in which we learn a new skill. I chose to do photography. My mentor/teacher is John Pyle. I really just think he's the greatest. He has been extremely patient in teaching me and he's really just a nice, hilarious person in general.

I mean, don't get me wrong about this whole senior project thing. I freak about it just as much as the next person (probably more because I'm slightly OCD and I don't stay up late to work on things). In fact, I had a little bit of a melt down on the way to school the other day just thinking about everything that I had to do to prepare for my Phase 2 presentation [there are four phases].

Despite all of that, I LOVE MY PROJECT.

I haven't made a list in a few days, so here is a list of reasons why I love photography and my senior project.

• I get to meet all sorts of new people. Everyone I've met has been incredibly nice and generally pretty funny.
• It's interesting. I just like learning new things. Sometimes, it takes me a while to catch on to all this photography stuff. It's a lot harder than you would think. John tells me the same thing over and over again, I usually don't understand until about the 589579340th time he says it. {I think I'm finally beginning to get it, though-- YAY}
• Sometimes, I get to be behind the camera. I'm always ready for a picture.
• I feel kind of artsy. It's a new feeling. Sometimes I'm a little uncomfortable and unsure of what I should do, but I'm definitely becoming more confident.
• Confidence. (see the above two posts)
• Actually doing the project is pretty easy. Like getting hours is easy enough because all I have to do is show up on a photoshoot. Those usually last a few hours so I'm good to go. (we have to work on our projects for a total of 100 hours)
• It's probably going to be a pretty useful skill in life.
• it's fun and i like it and YEAH!

So, I may be one of the few people who actually love my senior project. I could definitely answer questions and talk about it for dayyyyys. (but I won't because that's annoying)

For those of you wondering, I got a 100 on my presentation. Go Jessie! 
That grade pretty much kick started a great day. 
A few notes on things that made my day great: I got a packet of M&Ms for getting all As. I didn't really do any work. The Blue Door picked out several outfits for me to try on and get for my photo shoot next week. I called my grandmother. I got to talk to my friends (whom I miss and never get to see). I went to a surprise party (that turned out to be not much of a surprise). I had some cake. I paid my deposit to Auburn.

Today was a success. Senior project is a success.

The High

Museum. (don't think I'm doing bad things)

Day 6: I am thankful for fabulous art and the amazing stories that go with it.

Today, we took a trip to The High Museum in Atlanta, Georgia. 

Art has always been special to me since I grew up going to folk art shows with my dad and grandmother, but this was "that fancy kinda art". I love folk art, and now I know I love other kinds of art as well. 

If I was somewhat artistic, that would be fantastic! But, it looks like I'll have to just enjoy admiring the art and learning about it.

Right now The High Museum has two visiting exhibits: Go West!: Art of the American Frontier and Paris on Peachtree: Art of the Louvre's Tuileries Garden

The Western art exhibit was really cool. It featured art from around the time Americans started to push farther West [you know, the time where we got all those Buffalo Bill type movies from]. It was an audio guided tour, which was nice because I got to hear a nice lady pointing things out about the pictures I probably would have missed {and it played cute, western sounding music in the background}. Some of the paintings were so real, I could have sworn they were pictures. A lot of the pictures featured cowboys and Indians, some had buffalo and horses. I think the ones I liked the best were the paintings of Yellowstone by Bierstadt.
  
And of course I enjoyed Paris on Peachtree because it was from France. Many of the items were sent over to The High from The Louvre (an art museum in France- the one with The Mona Lisa). They had some of the giant statues on display from the Tuileries Garden, the area outside The Louvre, which was turned into an open air statue museum and a public park. Most of the statues were the classic, naked, Greek statues depicting various gods and goddesses. There were also a lot of paintings depicting scenes from the gardens over the years. Those were unreal. Plus, I have this weird thing about French history... where basically, I just love French history. So, listening to the stories behind many of the paintings was pretty neat.

The High Museum also has a permanent collection of art. I got a chance to walk through that, but I'm pretty sure I missed a lot of it because I was running out of time and it was huge! They have some really amazing, classic, and funky stuff (even some folk art).

The moral of this story is Jessie loves learning things. You should take her to a museum.

 

Thankful Things

Oh my gosh. I'm an awful person. I didn't post anything yesterday. I sincerely apologize. Senior project is absorbing my life. 

Anyways, I'm so happy it's finally November! Everyone on Facebook seems to be posting another thing they're thankful for for each day in November. I kind of like that idea, so I've decided to catch up on it today and continue through the end of the month.

I'll still post about other things, but I'll throw in whatever I'm thankful for for that day at the end of each post.

Let's do it!

Day 1: I am thankful for fall colors. Woodland exploring in the fall is the best. The weather feels perfect and the colors are even better. Everything feels so nostalgic.

Day 2:I am thankful for family. That doesn't exactly mean family that I'm related to by blood, but people who you've been around your whole life. I'm thankful I have people who've always been there to help and care about things that are happening in my life.

Day 3: I am thankful for birthdays. I just love birthdays. It doesn't even have to be my birthday. I get super excited for everyone's birthday. Birthdays  are just really great celebrations.

Day 4: I am thankful for cows. We spent an entire class period learning about all the lovely things we get from cows. There are diary cows and beef cow. All kinds of cows. I love 'em. {fun fact: I used to have about 70 cows out on my grandparent's farm in Cusseta.}

Day 5: I am thankful for my dad. He's the coolest. He does all sorts of awesome things like mountain bike riding and kayaking. He has some nifty tattoos. He's pretty good at folk art, which I love. He can have an entire conversation with me in movie quotes. He is outdoors-y and fun. He loves me even when I'm not the greatest daughter. AND he saved me from a melt-down today by fixing my PowerPoint for phase 2 of my senior project.

 
Each of those things was related to something I did that day.

I'm thankful for lots of things, so this should be easy enough! 

NOVEMBER RULEZ.
 

A Lovely Weekend

Yeah, so... I didn't write last night. I was really tired though. I also wasn't sure what to write about (and I'm still not). {I'm not feeling very passionate about any big issues right nw. I'm just concerned with senior project.}

I'll just tell you about my perfectly lovely weekend [minus Friday since I just wrote about that.]

I love my job. Kids are seriously the cutest. I mean, don't get me wrong, sometimes they can really suck, but generally the kids that come in the store are great. They are always smiling and willing to talk. They follow you around and give you hugs. It's great. I also just really love watching how adorable some families are together. A lot of times, I can just look at a mom or a dad and see how much they really care about their kids and would do anything to make them happy. It's adorable. 

{Short story: A dad came in the store on Saturday and from the second he walked in, you could tell how excited he was to be out on a date with his daughter. He said "I love you, sweetie. What do you want?" They were the most fabulous little family.}

I went to a family reunion on Saturday afternoon. {I'm not actually related to anyone in the family, but I didn't realize that until a few years ago... I'm working on being adopted or something so I can actually be part of the family.} The Patterson family is the greatest, though. I love all of them. Going to the family reunion each year is definitely one of my favorite things. I love seeing everyone (even if I don't always recognize them). The food is pretty good, too.

*I am just full of love today. 

Today is my little sister's ninth birthday. She had carnival party with all sorts of fun activities, including a hay ride. It was pretty fabulous. 

I finished the day with Mexican food (which automatically makes any good day, a great day).

So, even though senior project is getting a little stressful {I finished my research paper today- hallelujah} I still had a great weekend.  


Also, I am now being known as Princess Jessie.

That is all. Good night, peasants. 
 

Hello, Friday

Hello, November.

November is the second of the three greatest months of the year. The other two are October and Decmeber. Everything that is great or that is worth looking forward to happens in the last three months of the year. {yay}

Hello, rainy morning. [My drive to school was a little terrifying, but the weather was actually perfect.]

Hello, tests after Halloween... yeah, didn't study for that.

Hello, poems. {I'm a poet. Who knew?}

Hello, new friends. I've become friends with a lot of people I've known throughout high school, but never had the chance to really be talk to and be friends with. I love new friends.

Hello, Nutrition and Wellness {a.k.a. the greatest class ever}. We never make anything nutritious in that class (that's probably why I like it so much). Today we made hotdog mummies and Halloween sugar cookies.

 
Hello, surprises. My friend Olivia left me some cookies in the Nutrition class before mine with a special message.

Hello, senior project.

Hello, Trevor!

Hello, turtle (named Sebastian).

Hello, nature. We went on a nature walk. It was splendid.

Hello, beginning of a super exciting weekend.