Stats: Blaming the Weather

Stats:

days with Jake: 364
thesis: 78% complete
hours writing autobiography: 7 1/2 
hours outside: 4
movies: 4
mood: excited
reading: Moonlight on the Avenue of Faith
learning: how to sew an applique, how to analyze an open-ended survey
highlights: thesis coming together, received my first raise!  


Weekly Update:

#Confession, I've been really emotional lately. Not in an angst-y way or anything, just particularly stirred up in the "feely" department. I'm not sure why I am particularly emotional all of a sudden. Last week, I blamed my thesis. But this week, I'm blaming the weather.

Yes, the weather.

Have you ever noticed that February is just sort of...magical? And I'm not saying that because it has my two favorite holidays of the whole year (Valentine's day and my birthday). No, there is a distinctly magical quality to February that just makes me feel all out of sorts. It's slightly chilly, but also sunny, but not too hot either. It can't decide whether or not to be winter or spring so it decides to be both and neither at the same time. How else could it be 80* today and raining tomorrow?

Anyways, all that to say, I've been extra emotional lately, which usually manifests itself in squeals (and sometimes crying, or other times just a tiny little throb in my chest) over silly things like the lantern scene in Tangled, 4 pounds of pink minky fabric, talking to Jake on the phone, Valentine's day merchandise on clearance, finishing my autobiography, miscellaneous displays in Hobby Lobby, making progress on my thesis, stupid memes from Facebook, and classical music. And, I really really miss Jake. I think the long-distance combined with the full schedules, infrequent communication, and our 1 year anniversary tomorrow is gettin' me down a little. (Of course, I'm excited about the anniversary part!) It's definitely weeks like this that make long-distancing it quite a challenge, but we press on.

Shine a Light on Slavery

Today is Shine a Light on Slavery Day. People all over the world are participating by drawing a red X on their hands to illuminate the fact that slavery still exists in the world today.

• 27 million people are in modern-day slavery across the world 
• 161 countries have been identified as affected by human trafficking
• The total yearly profits generated by the human trafficking industry amount to $32 billion 

The End It Movement is making its stand and raising awareness to end human slavery. Spread the word in the fight for freedom. 

Never Eat Alone

I'd been trying to get my hands on this book for awhile but then I got it for Christmas and now I've finally finished it!! It was an excellent recommendation from Joel Zaslofsky, one of the bloggers I follow and I really enjoyed it!

Keith Ferrazzi talks about networking in the business world in new terms, arguing that business is moving from a less competitive model to a collaborative one. And in a collaborative model, relationships matter.
"We can go through life...making shallow, run-of-the-mill conversation with strangers that remain strangers. Or we can put a little of ourselves, our real selves, on the line, give people a glimpse of our humanity, and create the opportunity for a deeper connection" (149). I love his emphasis on the art of relationships. Although he focuses primarily on networking in a business context, I think what he has to say, especially about helping others, can be used in any relational context. Great book with a lot of practical applications. I even got to practice while in the airport!

Survey Says!

Stats:

days until my birthday: 1
thesis: 58% complete
survey responses: 3
screen time: @_@
reading: Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi 
learning: to embrace the unknown future
mood: girly
looking forward to: birthday chillin'
highlights: spring weather, finding cool stuff on the web, and conducting leadership webinar last night

Weekly Update:

Some days, I feel like that scene in Tangled where Rapunzel goes from "I'm a despicable human being" to "This is the best day of my life!!" Not that I believe I'm a despicable human being or anything, but from time to time, I experience severe mood swings in a single day--usually relating to perceived success or failure.

This week, it was my thesis project. After sending out a volley of emails Tuesday with minimal leads, I began Wednesday discouraged and a little despairing. My predicament appeared so bad that I was depending on my dad to fill out my little survey so I could at least have something.  I spent all day on an internet campaign, stalking potential participants through independent book-sellers, tracking down their contact information, and emailing them to participate in my survey. I was so desperate, I didn't expect anything to come of it. But lo and behold, by afternoon, two people had responded and a third committed to filling it out over the weekend! And because of those two people, I found the hope and the determination not to give up!! (Although, thinking of a big fat F also does the trick, but that's not quite as positive.)

I still have a little ways to go though, so if you know anyone who has written, or is writing, their autobiography (does not have to be published) could you please direct them to my questionnaire (linked below)? I would be much appreciative.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1GX-yc4nVkWR5gaKQTR6f9-PnTqeFD93TT9en4gS7ujk/viewform

Modcloth Knock-Off

This dress has been hanging out on my Pinterest board for quite some time. I'm not sure what it is, but there's something about the $99.00 Modcloth dress that makes me want to swoon every time I look at it. (Of course, virtually everything on my pinterest boards make me feel that way--an unfortunate side effect of the otherwise trendy website.) However, I am not about to drop a hundred bucks on a dress; I'd rather DIY it instead!

I found this frumpy "vintage" 80's dress in a thrift shop a couple years ago and I've been meaning to change it up newdressaday style, but I just haven't gotten around to it. If you can imagine, there were long billowy sleeves and an additional lace trim on the collar, making the dress a funky turtleneck kind of deal. After I cut off the sleeves, I wore the dress once or twice, but something was still off. But I thought it would make a great base for something similar to the Modcloth dress if I could get my hands on some lace.

Once I did, I got to work with mom's sewing machine. I cut off the top half of the dress, took in the sides, and folded the top edge over to make it a strapless number. Then, using the new strapless dress and another dress with a jewel neckline, I traced and cut out two pieces from the lace and sewed them together. Then I stitched the lining along the bodice and tacked the upper edges in the back and in the front to keep it up. It was still a little long, so I took about two inches off the fabric and voila!

My Modcloth knockoff!!

I had planned to dye it teal like the original picture or even pink, but I'm not sure if the dye will take to the fabric of the original dress. For now, it will remain cream, but I reserved the top portion I cut off to test the dye on. So this dress may make a comeback in a different color!

Passion 2014!

The Passion Conference was absolutely stunning.

Highlights:

• the freedom to walk around wherever we wanted in downtown Houston (as long as we arrived on time)
• the Houston Police Chaplain escorting us through an underground tunnel that shot all the way across downtown
• jumping rope with complete strangers while we waited for doors to open
• a stadium full of 17,000+ college students praising God
• the worship team(s) created new, never-heard-before songs especially for the Passion Conference
• Hillsong
• listening to Louie Giglio, Francis Chan, Beth Moore, and Judah Smith speak
• "if you work on your character, no matter what happens [facing the unknown future and making big scary decisions about careers, opportunities, etc.], you won't waste your life"
• "where you stand has the power to determine where you walk, but where you walk will never determine where you stand"
• experiencing God's grace a whole new level
• "10,000 reasons" sung by more than 10,000 people
• praying for a homeless man on the street with my peers
• reviving the passion for Jesus Christ in my heart

The whole weekend was an incredible experience and I wish I could give more than a few fragments of it, but sometimes it feels so futile to use words. Truly, humility is being an English major without words, the very things I have staked thousands of dollars and hours of study upon and still, I am utterly speechless.

SD Day 4: Last Goodbyes

I think I've mentioned more than once that goodbyes are hard. Well, I'm here to say it again-- they don't get any easier!! After packing my last few belongings and stripping the bed, we spent a pleasant morning drinking tea out on the back porch and talking. The sunshine on my back was so lovely! Looking at him with our mugs of tea, I thought I could do this for a long time. And I am confident we will! But until next time, there are moments to be captured, adventures to be had, and yes, a few goodbyes to be said-- but it's not forever. Just for a little while.

Love you!