A tip for finals, and for life:

If you work hard, it will be easy; if you work easy, it will be hard.

Our Christmas and some other things.

My cute roommates, our two favorite (yup, we definitely play favorites) FHE brothers, and I decided a little while ago that for us and our love, December 9th would be Christmas. We have a cute little tree set up and it had lots of fun little presents under it that we got for each other. We made two yummy kinds of soup and ate them all cozy and then opened our presents. I figured out that I could MAKE a cute infinity scarf, so that is what I gave my roommate Aubrey, as well as a manly one for my FHE brother Parker. Here is a picture of Aubrey's, it turned out quite fabulous, I must say! (We love mustard yellow at our house.)

I also made a crocheted headband to match it. 

FUNNIEST story. When Parker unwrapped his present (an infinity scarf) he exclaimed, "An eternity robe!!!!" We aren't letting him live it down. 

I liked my outfit today. I wore the cute denim shirt my good friend Alee gave me for Christmas, and the darling Anthropology belt my roommate Emily gave me. I felt so very spoiled!

Our mirror was dirty when this picture was taken...don't judge.

In case you are wondering, I should definitely be studying for finals right now...this is what happens when I try to do homework in my apartment instead of at the Library.

So...I am really excited to move to Provo. These last couple of weeks have been a teensie tiny bit scary. I won't find out if I am actually accepted to go to school at BYU until February, but I am moving there anyway. It feels kind of like a gamble, even though I know I shouldn't be so worried because I have a high GPA. I just feel like a little bit of a leap of faith is being required of me. But it's ok!!! Everything will work out the way it is supposed to, I just know it!

I also feel so strongly that I need to go there. At first I was planning on just living at home during Winter semester before moving to Provo in the summer, but I just feel so strongly and undeniably pulled to Provo, obviously I don't know why. I am excited for this new adventure!

This was kind of a rambly post, I apologize.

Tonight we had a ward closing dinner/talent show and I sang "Part of Your World." When I sat down afterwards my roommates held up a plastic fork and said I should have used it as my "dinglehopper." Is it weird that I wish I would have?

Nuggets

Thanksgiving break was lovely. I love being with my family as well as with my second family at the Charleston Assisted Living Community where I have worked for over 4 years. Lots of love, lots of food, and countless spiritual confirmations that completely uprooting and rearranging my life to move to Provo and transfer to BYU is the right thing to do. Of course I have moments where I ask myself "Why am I doing this? It doesn't make any sense! It's crazy!" But it just feels so right. I was talking to my mom the day after I realized it was what I need to do and I told her that the scariest part is that I don't feel scared.

I wanted to share a couple of nuggets with you. Little nuggets of truth/inspiration/encouragement.

Heavenly Father loves to bless you. Sometimes He just wants to tell you He loves you.

Fear is not a companion of mine.

Christ makes up the difference.

The comfort and aid of regular scripture study helps us endure to the end.

If God doesn't give you what you want then it isn't what you need.

Put your trust in the Lord, He will never let you down.

"Lead me in the truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day." (Psalms 25:5)

Obedience isn't always easy or comfortable, but in the end it will make you happy.

"You deserve to sit fully in your brightest, most beautiful self." ~Stephanie Lee (my beautiful sister!)

Christ's message is the miracle of change.

It is important to feed your Spirit every day.

When you have a problem, ask God--He knows what to do!

Think about the things you want to change in your life, then ask, then see how the Savior helps you overcome.

I hope at least one of those helped you out a little bit. :) Have a wonderful day!

Guide My Footsteps

Oh my goodness gracious. The last week of my life has blown my mind. I am talking about the big change that I mentioned a couple of posts ago. Here is the story

So this semester is my 5th at BYU-Idaho. I have loved it so much. This semester though I was feeling perhaps a little bit, hmmm, like nothing at all was happening in my life? I am not sure how to describe it other than to say that my life consisted of my classes and my church calling and that's basically it. I felt somewhat empty inside. I was doing everything I could to live life to the fullest, and I was still enjoying every day, but it definitely felt like not everything was as it should be.

Last Sunday, I was sitting in the BYU-Idaho center next to my FHE brothers waiting for the Boise Temple dedication to start. My dear FHE brother Parker and I were talking about school and he told me that he had been considering transferring to BYU in Provo. The strangest thing happened. It was almost as if I heard myself saying "I want to do that too." At first I was a bit taken aback by myself since this really wasn't something I had been thinking about at all! The dedication started then and I will always remember how strongly and undeniably the Spirit spoke to me personally during that meeting. I knew that transferring to BYU was what I was supposed to do. I will treasure that day forever.

After that I jumped right into making plans and basically rearranging my entire life. It has been crazy. I assumed that I would continue at BYU-I for winter semester and then start at BYU in the fall, but it turns out that if I do that I will have too many credits to transfer. At first this seemed like an obstacle, but everything has fallen into place for me to move to Provo and work during winter semester.

I have been amazed to see the Lord's hand working in my life this past week. Transferring from a school where I have scholarships and am 3 semesters away from my Bachelor's to a brand new place seems crazy, but I know without a doubt that this is the direction I am supposed to take. So many things have worked out miraculously for me; I know the Lord is watching over me and helping me get to where I need to be.

It feels amazing to know something as strongly as I know I am supposed to move and transfer. Already from this experience I have learned so much about myself and about the Lord's constant care for me.

I know that He is guiding my footsteps. :)

Kinda Lame

Someday, one of you cutsie bloggers should teach me how to make my blog look cool.

Chuckles...

I think Heavenly Father chuckles a little bit when I make plans. But it is important to make plans...that way there is something for Him to change! I don't want to write too much about it right now, the details have yet to be worked out, but it looks like a very big change is about to come in my life. :)

On a lighter note, I got bangs. My dear friend Cami is the best and she cut them for me. Here is before...

 

 

 

Here is after...

In case you are decieved by these pictures into thinking that I have straight, sleek hair, that is false! It can get pretty wild and wavy.

Anyways, I will hopefully be writing more about the subject I opened this post with, for now, stay tuned!



Unproductive Saturday...

Today was not as productive as I was planning on it being. I have not done any homework at all, but I am not too worried about it. This morning Emily and I went to the gym. I have fallen in love with running again. Then I came home and read and watched hair tutorials. I learned how to french braid!

Then me, Heather, Parker, Emily, and Aubrey went to see Extravadance! It has a bit of a special place in my heart since it is the reason why I wanted to come to BYU-I. When I was 11 my amazing mom was asked to speak up here and I came along. We had a mother-daughter trip and went to see Extravadance. At that time dance was my LIFE so I loved the show and loved how all the costumes were even modest. That is when I decided I wanted to go to school at BYU-Idaho! I am glad I did. I love this school and I have learned so much about life, my major, the gospel, and myself in my 5 semesters so far here.

After the show we went out to eat. Fun night! Also, I really liked my outfit...

Ruffly blouse: $5 at Plato's Closet

Cardigan: $10 at Romy

Belt: $1 at D.I.

Boots: $5 at yardsale!

D.I. Find! And Some Other Things

If you know me, you know that I LOVE thrift shopping. Anyone could have an awesome wardrobe if they spend a lot of money, but to put together great ensembles for practically nothing is to me a kind of art. Last weekend I went shopping with some friends and look what I found:

This super cute, vintage, warm sweater/coat was only $6 at D.I.! I love it. :) 

So life is good. I love my classes, roommates, and friends this semester. We have a lot of good laughs and lots of fun memories. I really have sooooo many blessings in my life. Here are just a few from the last couple days:

-Getting a better score on my science test than I anticipated.

-Noticing before I left the gym that I had dropped my only pair of gloves I own.

-Answers to prayer that are so direct that I know God is in the details of our lives.

New Boots!

I realized last Thursday when I woke up to six inches of very wet snow that I needed some for realsies winter boots. I have some awesome coygirl boots ($5 at a yard sale!), some pretty green suede ones, and some other cutsie boots, but nothing that would actually protect my feet from yucky weather. So I went online and found some that I LOVE!

They came in the mail yesterday and I was so excited!! They actually arrived while I was at my Relief Society Presidency meeting, so my roommates (who knew how excited I was for them to come) thought it would be funny to hide the box behind the pillows on my bed and then wait by my door to hear my reaction as I went to bed. (Oh those silly girlies! How I love them!)

 

They are so fun because you can wear them two different ways!

 

I am quite happy with them. :) And they definitely keep my feet very warm!

 





Some Moments...

Today is a weird day. It is that magical time of the month where all emotions are intensified. I skipped my science class so I could take a nap. (I don't believe in skipping class!) I haven't eaten very healthy. Today is just a weird day.

Also, I have been thinking about something. (Warning: if you don't want to gag, you should probably stop reading.) When I came home to Utah for my off-track in April, I was sooo through with dating. Every boy was so dumb. Relationships were over-rated. I was just done. There were times where my mom would say "Merrie, do you even like boys anymore? Sometimes I think you could just take 'em or leave 'em." That was basically how I felt. I did eventually want to meet the right guy for me and get married and I knew it would happen some day, but I just didn't care anymore.

During the 5 months that I was home from school, several things happened to me that slowly changed my perspective. It all started when I went to a wedding reception of a girl  from my home ward. As I watched the newly married couple interacting with each other, so in love, ready to spend eternity together, I suddenly felt overcome with emotion. I realized that I wanted that. The feeling was so strong and undeniable. I went home that night and bawled into my journal.

Several other events transpired during my summer. One of them was dating a boy who I got really serious with. He and I could have gotten married. It wasn't totally right though. I knew I needed to end the relationship, but leaving him I took with me a strong, strong desire to get married in the temple, to make covenants and create with a companion.

I still feel that way. With all of my heart, I want to move on to that next step in my life. I realize that life gets harder in many ways when you are married, but I still have that desire.

I am totally happy where I am, being single. There is no part of me that wants to rush into a foolish relationship or make a hasty decision. I know that everything will happen the way it is supposed to and in the Lord's timing for me. I am just saying that the difference between me now and me 7 months ago is that 7 months ago I didn't care and now my heart longs for that very important step in life.

New Title

As you can see, I changed the title of my blog. When I first created the blog I intended to mainly post gospel-related things. It has changed to a blog about whatever happens to be on my mind, church related or not, so I felt it appropriate to change the title.

I love the word serendipity. It was coined by Horace Walpole in 1754 and means "The faculty of making happy and unexpected discoveries by accident." I love serendipitous moments! They can't happen if you are too stubbornly set on one particular outcome; rather, they occur when you move forward in faith in your chosen course with an open mind and heart. :)

School Eats You

This week I had two block classes that ended. Whoot! Now I only have 6 classes instead of 8, I am very excited.

Isn't it funny how working your bum off is barely good enough in college? I don't feel like I am bragging when I say I have been putting my nose to the grindstone. My days go something like this: I wake up at 5, read scriptures, exercise, get ready, pack a lunch and a dinner (this takes a long time and is kind of annoying), then go to class. In between classes I hit the books. After classes I go strait to the library and stay there until my homework is done. Then I come home and it is basically time for bed because I have to get 8 hours of sleep. When I say I "have to" I mean just that--if I don't then the next day my body won't let me get out of bed or I will involuntarily fall asleep in class or at the library, which is embarrassing.

I love the fulfilling feeling of working this hard. During my off-track I worked full-time and it felt strange to come home without homework. It was nice, but I honestly missed that feeling of working so hard and accomplishing so much.

How do you feel about the work load? Do you secretly kind of love it like I do or is it the bane of your existence?

Purple Oatmeal

For breakfast lately I have been eating oatmeal. Last week I bought a bag of frozen mixed berries and have been adding a handful, along with a cut up banana. Delicious! Stirring the berries around in the oatmeal turns it purple and then I feel like I am eating something out of a Dr. Seuss book.

Besides purple oatmeal, I find lots of reasons throughout the day to be happy. You find what you look for, so I like to look for the happies. :)

Too Passionate?

Sooo... this last August I attended BYU Education Week for the third time, it is the highlight of my year. I highly recommend that you go, it is amazing. One of the classes that I went to was called "Dating vs. Hanging Out." It really changed my perspective on the dating that is going on in the LDS Single Adult scene. I won't rant and rave too much about it here, but instead will post a link to a talk where you can read what Elder Dallin H. Oaks has to say about it, because I agree with him whole-heartedly.

https://www.lds.org/ensign/2006/06/dating-versus-hanging-out?lang=eng

I feel passionately about this subject. Call me crazy, but I think it is another one of the Adversary's ways of trying to thwart eternal families. I am done being a part of it. Nowadays when I guy asks if I want to "hang out" (aka let him bum on my couch while I provide him with food) I say "Sorry, I don't hang out, but if you would like to go on a date I would be glad to."

Feeling and acting this way places me in a very, very small minority here at BYU-Idaho. Everyone here hangs out casually, it is what they do. But I am done with it. Sorry!

Today I think...

Today I am wearing the most ridiculous shirt. Have you ever seen Anne of Green Gables? Do you remember the light blue dress that she wants so desparately and Matthew buys for her? The one with "puffed sleeves"? Well the sleeves on this blouse are easily comparable to those. I got this blouse at Savers and I just love it. I wear it with some pointy-toed shoes I got at DI years ago that match the color of teal perfectly. I love thrifting.

I really like crock pots. They are so easy and they make everything so yummy.

Ok, here is something. I think that what "dating" has become in this day and age is ridiculous. Here are two things I won't budge on:
1) The boy is the one who asks the girl out. I have had so many people tell me that I should stop being so old fashioned and ask boys I am interested in on dates. I won't do that because if there is a boy I am getting to know who hasn't asked me out it is either because a) he doesn't want to go out with me, or b) he is too afraid/awkward/whatever to do so. Both of those are good enough reasons for me to just kind of drop it. I will be friendly, I will flirt, I will encourage, but I will not ask a boy on a date. That is just not my job.
2) I really think it is important to go on a for realsies date. "Hanging out" makes the objective so unclear and just confuses everyone.
I realize that I sound silly and old-fashioned, but I feel strongly about these things, and I have experienced it all. The traditional ways are the best ways in this area, in my opinion.

I really think everyone should read Leadership and Self-Deception by the Arbinger Institute. I just finished it last night and it changed my life!

Mmmm, the yummiest sandwich of them all.

Today I made the most scrumptious sandwich for lunch. It consisted of fresh spinach leaves, tomato slices, avacodo, cheese, turkey, and mustard on wheat bread. Mmmmmm. It sure hit the spot.

This semester I have been eating healthier than I have in the past, and it feels so good. The inspiration that caused this? My Early Childhood Nutrition class and my American Epidemic class. After learning just a few things about health and nutrition I see how important it is to take care of my body. A huge perk to this is that I feel like I am doing better in other aspects of my life! I am more alert and attentive in my classes and I just feel better all around. :)

An "Epic Fail" and some other silly things.

Guess what I did yesterday. Probably the silliest thing anyone has ever done in the history of silly things. I tried to go to my 3:15 class at 4:15. I went in and sat down and thought to myself "Hmm, I don't recognize any of these classmates." Then everyone around me started talking about an assignment that was due that day that I knew nothing about. I started to panic, how could I have missed the assignment? It was then that I realized that this was in fact NOT my class! Silly, silly Merrie. I went home and felt a tad ridiculous, as you can imagine.

The other day I saw the people in the paramedic program learning how to climb trees. It struck me as completely hilarious.

Today in the library I was gathering up my things to leave and when I pulled my jacket off of the chair then it (the chair) very loudly fell apart and everyone looked over at me as I felt myself turning red. The nice boy next to me helped me reattach the top part of the chair.

My science teacher has a Mr. Potato Head tie. He wears it with a peach colored shirt and he reminds me of a male version of Miss Frizzle.

Here is a picture of my niece Melissa and Me in 2006. I ran across it the other day and it warmed my heart. Shouldn't every backyard have a swing like this?

Also, here is a picture of me doing the splits when I was 12, unless this post wasn't random enough.

Because our apartment is a greenhouse and a Disney movie

So my roommates this semester are plant lovers. It is really fun. In our apartment we have I think 4 different potted plants, which doesn't seem like that many, but when your living quarters are as tiny as ours, four plants makes the place look like a greenhouse. It is fun, I like it a lot. :)

Also, we have a lot of Disney lovers, which I obviously love. Not a day goes by that we do not all burst into a Disney song, usually while we are getting ready in the morning. Emily always amazes me because she knows every word to every song.

I love my roomies, they are great. :)

Grateful, Grateful, Grateful, Grateful. :)

I always have intentions of being a good blogger. And especially when I read my friend's cute blogs, friends like Amberly and Melissa, I feel inspired to blog. But sometimes I feel like I don't have much to say. But right now my heart is full of gratitude and I wanted to express how very happy and blessed I feel.

My mom, Cheryl Carson, is my best friend. She is the cutest, funniest little lady and she just cracks me up. I love talking to her, she is such a good listener and full of wisdom. I was born when she was older, so by the time I came along she already had had a ton of life experience. She is an amazing lady and I love her so much.

Last weekend she went to the Emergency Room in intense pain. On Tuesday she was tested for pancreatic cancer. For some reason, this whole ordeal was really hard for me. This type of cancer takes people very quick, and my mom decided long ago that if she ever had cancer she would not get chemo. The thoughts of possibly losing my mom broke my heart. I should have been able to tell myself to just not think about it since we didn't know yet the results from the MRI, but it was just very difficult for me for a couple of days.

The test results came back on Thursday and we found out that what she has are benign cysts. I was so happy and relieved and grateful!!!

What I learned from this experience is never to take your loved ones for granted, you really never know when they might leave you (for a time). I mean, just because my mom doesn't have cancer doesn't mean that she couldn't get in a terrible car accident tomorrow. My mom told me that she thinks everyone should have a week of thinking they might be dying, she says it really helps you get your priorities straight. :)

Other than that little story, I don't have a whole lot to report in my life. I am going to school and I love it. I have a great ward and wonderful friends. And I am planning on being a better blogger!

I haven't blogged in a long time...

Hello there! So I haven't written in my blog in 48 years. Here is what has been going on in my life:

1) I dated someone, a really outstanding person, but it didn't work out. It's ok though. :) The thing that was not very fun about it is that I have always felt that it is much easier to be broken up with than to do the breaking up. I don't like hurting people's feelings very much, but I always feel it is more important to be honest and to-the-point in a kind way. Anyways, I hope that his life is filled with blessings, he deserves them!

2) I have continued to work at the Charleston Assisted Living Community. I love my job so much. I get to be surrounded by such wonderful people every day and I learn so much from them. Sometimes the residents will just say the sweetest, cutest things and it just makes my day. :) My coworkers are some of my dear friends and they are amazing examples to me. I am so blessed!

3) I went to the doctor for some girl stuff. My body has been whacko lately, it is not my favorite thing. I think it is starting to replenish itself, which is great. Being tired and feeling like I needed 14 hours of sleep a day was not very fun. Especially because it is harder for your spirit to feel happy when your body feels like it got hit by a truck--not impossible, just harder. But I have so much to be grateful for. Sometimes looking back I feel like my trials are tiny pebbles compared to the mountains that so many people go through. (Knock on wood.)

4) My mom opened a cute etsy shop, check it out! I am going to be putting my crocheted headbands on there pretty soon too. :) http://www.etsy.com/shop/TheCrochetingHook

5) This week I attended BYU Education Week for the 3rd time. I LOVE it and it is the highlight of my year! I would highly recommend going. It was so fun to attend with my mom (the cutest, strangest, quirkiest little gray-haired lady in the world), my older sister Stephanie (the FUNNIEST, most artistically talented, loving and accepting person I know), and my 15-year-old niece Melissa (the most stylish, gorgeous, poised, cute and intelligent girl ever). I love these ladies to pieces! We laughed our guts out, cried together, and learned so much about the gospel, ourselves, life, and true happiness.

I love my life! I love the imperfections, I love the joys, I love the true peace and happiness the gospel provides, and I love MY journey. It is so exciting and I feel so grateful for each day.

Savior

You know what? Trials are a part of this life. Big ones and little ones. And you know what else? They are custom made for each of us. And you know another thing? I am truly learning that my Savior and Brother Jesus Christ understands perfectly everything that we are going through. Elder Holland said "He knows the way out, and He knows the way up."

It is this truth that gives me so much strength. I won't go into personal detail, but I, like all of us, have something difficult in my life. The thing that makes it hard is that I will think that I have overcome it completely, and then everything crashes down again. It is a very quiet trial that I rarely talk about, mostly because other people cannot understand the pain it causes unless they have experienced it themselves. But He knows. He really does! He knows exactly how I feel and the emotions I experience. And most importantly, He can heal me. I know that healing is a process, a learning process, but I find great joy and peace in waiting upon the Lord.

I am grateful for my trials. I look back on them and I wouldn't trade the lessons they have taught me and the person they have helped me become for anything. My trials seem so small and insignificant compared to the truly heartbreaking things that so many people endure; but to my Shepherd they are not small. He is there, He understands, He loves us, He will heal and help us.

Why I Wanted to Delete Facebook

DISCLAIMER: Upon reading this post, you may find the author to be old-fashioned, prudish, and over-the-top. No offense is intended. :)

So some of you may have read the facebook status I posted a little bit ago declaring that I intended to delete my facebook account. Since then I have decided to keep my account, so I can keep in touch with friends and see people's wedding and baby pictures, but I would like to take this opportunity to explain why I do feel the way I do about facebook and all other social networks.

I think it's silly. Silly! It is silly how dependent our society has become on social networking. I see so many people who cannot fully enjoy anything in life unless they have posted a facebook status about it, written a blog entry, tweeted, and put up pictures on Instagram. It is silly that people's real lives have become inseparable from their virtual lives. And more than silly, I think it is sad. It is sad that people will spend so much of their lives in front of a glowing monitor, not really living at all. And on top of being silly and sad, I also think it is quite dumb.

So, to each their own, but as for me, most of the time you will find me actually living my life for reals. I will be going on walks in the foothills, having meaningful face-to-face conversations with the people I care about, smelling the gorgeous roses that are in full bloom outside, and singing for residents at assisted living centers.

I am so grateful for my life. I am so blessed. I love to live.

Issues

I absolutely love my Institute class. We are studying the New Testament and my teacher is amazing! He is so knowledgeable about the scriptures and the things I am learning are blowing my mind. I look forward so much to every Thursday evening and I wouldn't miss a class for the world.

One of the things we learned about last night was how we can liken the miracles of physical healing that Christ performed while on the earth to how He heals us emotionally, physically, mentally, and spiritually in our personal lives. I will probably never be blind or have leprosy, but there are areas of my life in which I am spiritually blind or emotionally ill.

We took a look at the story of the woman who had the issue of blood 12 years. Our teacher asked us to replace the word "blood" with something that is personal to us, perhaps "an issue of depression" or "an issue of self-esteem" or "an issue of an addiction." Just like the woman who's faith made her whole by touching the Savior's robe, we too can be made whole when we touch Christ and access His Atonement.

Thanks so much for reading! I like this blogging thing. :) 

My Life Currently

Isn't life interesting? I think it is so amazing how much we as humans personally change and evolve over the months and years.

At the moment I am living at home for the summer and working 35-40 hours per week at the Charleston Assisted Living Center, which is the best job, I love it and am so very grateful for it. Comparing myself to the person I was a year ago is astounding, especially in one particular category...

My biggest passion used to be theater. I lived to perform. So naturally I was excited to audition to be a part of the bunch up at Playmill Theater in West Yellowstone. That was my plan for this summer and it seemed perfect. I love all my friends who are there and the family who owns and directs the theater is absolutely amazing. Then, about a month before I was planning on auditioning, I was praying about my plans and I received a very strong "no", that Playmill was not the path for me at this time. At first I was so confused, how could performing all summer long not be perfect for me? But there was no denying what I had felt, and there was no denying that I felt perfect peace at the prospect of going home and working for the summer.

Since I have been home there have been two plays I have almost been a part of. The first was Alpine Community Theater's production of "Annie". I have done three shows at ACT and the amazing people there are like a second family for me. The day of the auditions I got all dressed up and was literally walking out the door to go to audition when I had a complete meltdown. I felt so worried and full of anxiety at the thought of doing a show, so I didn't audition. You would think that after that I would have gotten the message, but not quite. A few weeks later I went and tried out for "The Sound of Music", simply because Maria is one of my dream roles. A few days later I found out that due to some scheduling conflicts the show had been canceled. Hahah! It almost felt like a joke.

Not doing any kind of theater has been very different and new for me. But it has also been very, very good. I couldn't even begin to write about how much I have learned about myself. The biggest thing I have learned is that there is more to me than performing, a lot more. Singing and dancing does not in any way define who I am. There is so much more that I can do. Who I really am is a daughter of God and I have infinite worth that wouldn't diminish if I were to be injured and couldn't dance or lost my voice and couldn't sing.

I have also learned that the Lord's plan for me is approximately 5 million times better than any plan I could come up with for myself. :)

What is your season?

Towards the end of last winter semester, my good friend Andilyn threw a couple of "Color Me Beautiful" parties. "Color Me Beautiful" is the idea that every person fits under a "season" or color palette that when worn makes them look their best. I loved learning about this and it has made doing my makeup and choosing my clothes lots easier and more flattering on me. My season is autumn. This means I look best in warm, Thanksgivingy (totally a word) colors, such as:

Here are some links to some websites that will help you figure out your season: 

http://quizilla.teennick.com/quizzes/6384983/color-me-beautiful

http://www.colormebeautiful.com/?gclid=CKDh75q5mbACFQxshwodwEH6Xg

http://www.quibblo.com/quiz/3hHYhth/Colour-Me-Beautiful

The other season's colors are:

Winter: looks best in bold colors with cool undertones.

Spring: looks best in bright, cheery colors with warm undertones.

Summer: looks best in muted, subdued colors with cool undertones.

Another thing that I love about knowing what colors I look best in is that when I wear them they enhance my natural features and coloring so much that I don't need to wear very much makeup!

This is the beginning of my personal blog...

It has always taken me a while to catch on to trends This applies to "blogging" as well. I am always skeptical about anything that has the potential to waste my time, especially in front of a computer screen. Blogging definitely seemed like it fit under such a category.

Then I was required to make a blog for my Family Relations class. For part of my grade I had to post each week about the things I was learning in the class. It was a very positive experience and I felt like I was able to say things that needed to be said, without forcing anyone to take the time to listen to me (I already do that enough, believe me) and I was free to make what I posted as intelligent or as meaningless as I wanted to. That, along with following the very inspiring and uplifting blogs of some of my friends, is what has inspired me to start my own personal blog.

I hope this will be a place where I can share the thoughts and experiences I have that make life meaningful. I want to share my love of life and the gospel and the faith and hope in my heart that I strengthen and nurture each day.

Enjoy reading!