Sweet Savvy Lovin!

If...Then...

2012-01-28T08:19:00.000-08:00

This new year, I have decided to do several things differently. After learning about and briefly reading Debbie Macomber's One Perfect Word, I have decided to focus on a particular word for this year and to pray that God helps to grow me in that area of my life. In order to find your word, Debbie says to consult journals or think about something that arises frequently in your life and thoughts...this led me to the word boundaries.

I have always known that setting healthy boundaries is essential to one's life, yet I have always struggled to do this-whether it be with eating, my family, or what I do in my spare time...I need boundaries, it has become apparent. So I have been starting to establish them. I plan to do this in several ways such as going to bed and getting up at a normal hour, working out 3-4 times a week, not over-eating during any meal, having a healthy distance from my family, and treating sweets, fast-food, and eating out as something special-not as routine.

What has been interesting this past month is that as I prayed for strength to establish boundaries, God has given me a promise of prosperity for my life. I just love this! I love how if you do something out of obedience, then God blesses you. This is the promise God has given me for prosperity:

"For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land - a land with streams and pools of water, with springs flowing in the valleys and hills; a land with wheat and barley, vines and fig trees, pomegranates, olive oil and honey; a land where bread will not be scarce and you will lack nothing; a land where the rocks are iron and you can dig copper out of the hills." -Deut. 8:7-9

Now I have even more motivation to establish these boundaries in order to usher in this promise. It is during these times that I am so thankful that God is my rescuer and provider. If you have any questions about what the heck I'm talking about, feel free to leave me a comment. I'd love a chance converse with some of my readers.

xoxo,

Savvy

Happiness Hiatus...

2012-01-17T12:31:00.000-08:00

I have been/am on a hiatus from my Happiness Project. Sometimes I find myself wanting to do so much (i.e. wedding planning, school, work, church), read so much (you should see my "intended" reading list for this year), and keep in touch with so many people that I begin to give everything a little less of myself...and that is what has happened with my Happiness Project. This is not my character. When I do something I want to do it fully and completely, so with that being said, I am/have been taking a little break from the project so that when I come back to it (hopefully next month) then I can do it with full force and dedication. So yeah, until further notice...

xoxo,

Savvy

Resolutions...

2012-01-11T15:28:00.000-08:00

I have always been a fan of New Year's resolutions. I don't always complete all of them, but I like the idea of stepping into a new year with goals in mind, and I really like achieving these goals and crossing them off. Usually I keep my resolutions pretty private...you know, just in case I don't really complete any of them and also because some of them are very personal. But last year I shared my goals with several people-my small group, a few friends, and my (then) boyfriend-and I realized that my motivation to complete these items grew so much more, I didn't want to fail, I wanted to be proud of myself, but I also wanted others to see me follow through (I really like approval...at least I know this about myself). With that being said, I thought this year I would share my resolutions on an even larger scale and maybe knowing that they are out here on the web will motivate me to work even harder to reach my goals. So, here goes:

-Finish reading the entire Bible
-Read 12 books for leisure
-Get out of credit card debt
-Establish a regular workout routine
-Travel to two new places
-Finish my England/Scotland scrapbook and video
-Make a Mexico scrapbook and video
-Make a wedding scrapbook
-Save at least $2,000
-Learn tennis
-Volunteer on a large scale at least 3 times
-Finish my happiness project successfully
-Go on a family vacation
-Learn to cook 5 new things

So, there you have it...my resolutions. Here's to 2012, I'm claiming this year as my year!

xoxo,

Savvy

Last year was big, but it only gets better...

2012-01-09T09:35:00.000-08:00

So 2011...nothing really major happened, NOT! I mean I took a lil beach trip with the girls, started my Happiness Project, started dating this amazing man, watched one of my best friends get married, started grad school, created a new holiday with my friends, and then to top off this full year, I got engaged! So yeah, 2011 was pretty good to me. I can't wait for this year to unfold...I get to marry my best friend and travel to some exotic location with him...can't get any better than that! Bring it 2012!

Here are the books I read in 2011:

Heaven is For Real-Todd Burpo

Media and Cultural Studies Keyworks-Meenakshi Durham and Douglas Kellner, Eds.

Moonlight on Linoleum-Terry Helwig

Love Wins-Rob Bell

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas-John Boyne

A Stolen Life-Jayce Dugard

Crazy Love-Francis Chan

Glass-Ellen Hopkins

Lovingly Alice-Phillis Naylor

Miconception-Paul and Shannon Morell with Angela Hunt

Sing You Home-Jodi Picoult

Girl Meets God-Lauren Winner

Having a Mary Spirit-Joanna Weaver

Alice in Blunderland-Phillis Naylor

Starting with Alice-Phillis Naylor

The Search for Wondla-Tony Diterlizzi

Take God at His Word-Dr. Kregg Hood

Crank-Ellen Hopkins

Half Broke Horses-Jeannette Walls

Glass Castle-Jeannette Walls

House Rules-Jodi Picoult

-Pretty good list I'd say, especially considering that I was in school for part of this time. Speaking of school, I said I had a lil announcement...well here goes, I GOT ALL A's THIS SEMESTER!!!

Until next time.
xoxo,

Savvy

It' still fun to...

2012-01-08T07:31:00.000-08:00

This morning as I was eating my cereal, I realized it's still just as much fun to hold a BIG spoonful of Rice Krispies in my mouth and listen to the snap, crackle, and pop as it was when I was a kid. Doing this got me thinking about some other things that are still just as fun as they were when I was little, here's what I came up with:
-Swinging as high as you can before jumping off, still completely exhilarating to me!
-Racing friends to the top of a hill just to roll back down it.
-Playing Nintendo 64 with all the boys.
-Cannon balls into the swimming pool.
-Playing with an Easy Bake Oven.
-Playing dress up with your girl friends (aka Halloween).
-Building a blanket fort.
and
-Eating ice cream on a cone.

--of course there are so many more to be thought of, this is just my lil' list. Do you have any additions?

Happy Sunday!

xoxo,
Savvy

The Holidays...

2012-01-04T14:10:00.000-08:00

Things are much different now that my mom has been gone for a year. But this year, the holidays were filled with family and friends...laughter and tears, lots of baking, shopping, pajama wearing, Nintendo 64, and eating-which seemed to make things a lot better. Overall it was a good, relaxing holiday. I had 10 days off of both work and school, so I was in super vacation mode. It.was.awesome! I watched a ton of TV and ate and slept whenever it pleased me...aw, the glory days...

Here are a few pics from the holidays:

Oh and BONUS! This lil cutie was born on December 29th! Her name is Serena :)

Coming up soon: New Year's Resolutions, Happiness Project, and a lil announcement!

xoxo,

Savvy

Whoa There!!

2011-12-06T14:49:00.000-08:00

Right now I feel like my life is on fast forward. Not like the VHS type of fast forward when you pushed it once and it went sorta fast, then you pushed it again and it went all supersonic, "dangit I missed the part I was trying to fast forward to", fast...no my life is more like the DVD type of fast forward when you push it the first time and it says 2x, then if you push it once more it says 4x and you can still see everything going by, but its slightly blurry and almost not real...that's the type of fast forward mode my life is in right now.

I'm currently trying to plan and execute a Christmas party for the office (while still maintaining all of my other job duties), write a 5 page reflection paper on my philosophy of teaching, write a 15-25 page research paper, bake two sets of goodies, volunteer for my church's media staff, and plan every detail of this wedding. I can see it all happening, but it's kinda blurry, and sometimes I feel like I'm just watching everything fly by. As this semester winds down, I can't believe I've only been in grad school for one semester, I also can't believe I made it through this semester. And finally I can't believe that I'm getting married in 5 months!! I just need to pull on the reins of my life and slow things down for a minute because living in fast forward is tough! I can't wait for a month long break from school and 10 days at home with my family and my love.

xoxo,

Savvy

Tonight...

2011-12-02T13:58:00.000-08:00

Will be the perfect ending to a great week, and the perfect beginning to a great weekend!

-This past week was so lovely, it was filled with hanging out with friends, wedding planning, decorating the office with Christmas attire, planning a Christmas party, curling up with a good book, and finishing up some school work. There wasn't anything super remarkable about it, but that's the best part...my week was normal, and quiet, and slow. That's something so rare in my life, that I seriously felt like I had the best week ever...no super highs...no super lows, and that was perfect for me.

-This weekend I am going home, which always makes me happy. But to add a little cherry to my sundae of happiness, I will also be 1) picking out our FREE honeymoon with my love tonight at a FREE culinary bridal show where we will also get FREE champagne toasting glasses! And we invited my future in-laws to attend with us...so exciting! 2) I get to spend some quality time with my brothers making pizza and cookies 3) I am having a girls night with two of my best friends, there will be animal print clothing and probably some cheese fries involved, who doesn't love both of those? and 4) Sunday me and some of my girls will be attending a FREE spa day! We will get facials and goody bags from Mary Kay-and my good friend Jessica is driving all the way to Knoxville from Nashville to enjoy the fun, I'm so happy!

--So I say this cautiously, but I say it nonetheless, nothing can get me down right now...not even being knocked upside the head by a metal dolly while trying to load it with books at work (yep, that actually happened today)...so I say it once again, nothing can get me down. I feel so incredibly blessed!

Here are some Christmas decorations for you:

Happy Friday!

xoxo,

Savvy

To Walk in Her Shoes...

2011-11-28T09:22:00.000-08:00

Today is the one year anniversary of my mom's passing. When I look back at this past year without her, I can't believe I'm still standing. This past year has been one of the toughest yet greatest years of my life. This last year I watched my family grow stronger together, then fall apart, then grow stronger together again; and eventually each of us has found our ways.

Here are some of the major highlights of last year:

-We survived our first Christmas without mom
-We survived mom's birthday without her there
-And we rang in the new year, hoping for more
-God showed me His love for me during Valentine's
-I went to enjoy some time with my girls at the beach, and once again God showed me how much He loves me
-I started my Happiness Project
-I met the man of my dreams, though he was right in front of me the whole time
-I turned 23-this was a tough one to do without my beautiful momma there to hug
-I attended several weddings, with my love on my arm-but the best part of wedding season was seeing my oldest friend marry her best friend
-I started graduate school
-My lil sister got married and moved to Missouri
-My girls and I created our own lil holiday
-I went with my love to Kansas City to visit his family
-And then the Best Day Ever happened-now we are engaged!
-Then I found my wedding dress!
-My lil brother moved out into his own place
-My family celebrated our first Thanksgiving without mom, and I learned how to make the Turkey thanks to my future mother-in-law. I missed my mom's cooking so very much, but I missed her even more. At least this holiday, just as the others, we were surrounded by family and friends who love us.

So now a year has passed, and I can't believe how quickly it has gone, but I can say that I am very proud of my family and so very blessed with great friends and extended family.

I figured in celebration of Thanksgiving I would share a few turkey day memories of my mom:

My mom was an excellent cook-I mean excellent! She was great at making a lot of things such as homemade tacos and meatloaf, but I have to say that when it came to Thanksgiving, no one could touch her. She was one of those cooks who just made things without recipes, yet each time it was delicious!

Some of my favorite memories fell on Thanksgiving; when my mom would decide she didn't really wanna cook a big meal that year, then change her mind and pull the whole thing together in one day. We each had our favorite part about helping her cook the meal, Prestyn was always the one to taste the dressing as my mom perfected it, I always wanted to lick the sweet potato pie mix bowl and add more brown sugar to the candied yams, Dakota always wanted a sweet potato pie to himself, Angelena typically spilled something at which point we would all moan at the loss of that yumminess, Justin and my step dad always cleaned the turkey, and Dylan liked to make the deviled egg mix. We would sit around cooking and eating, and usually not finish until late that evening. Then we would gorge on the delicious foods, pop in a movie, and of course...sleep.

One particular Thanksgiving, my family was driving each other crazy-so after we ate, everyone wanted to part ways, but instead my mom made us push the couches against the wall as she popped in a Richard Simmons workout VHS and made us all do his ridiculous workouts together...it was hilarious! We had such a great time. Then the night progressed to a full blown dance party, with me teaching Dakota how to slow dance with a girl and mom showing us all up doing the twist, "just like your grandaddy!" That Thanksgiving memory will forever live on in my mind, it reminds me of just how much fun my mom was. So though things have progressed and changed, I will forever be thankful for having such an amazing mother.

xoxo,
Savvy

Life Lately...

2011-11-22T10:13:00.000-08:00

So, so, so much has been going on in my life lately. The biggest and most recent event is that I found my wedding dress!!! It was a beautiful Saturday this past weekend with some of my best friends around me and my wonderful pastor (she's the one I mention here), cheering me on as I tried on dresses, basically undressing and dressing me themselves, and crying happy tears when I chose the perfect one for me!

Other events in my life include: the ending of my first graduate school class, a trip to Cleveland for homecoming, a small kitchen fire-with no serious consequences and Thanksgiving at the office. All of these things make me one grateful girl. Here are some other random things I'm super grateful for:

Christmas decorations at the office

The picture of my mom I have beside my computer

Holding baby Elden

Pumpkin flavored everything

Groupons

My fuzzy purple blanket

Peppermint bark

Time to read a good book

My weinee dog

Sweet cards from friends

...I can't wait for some turkey...and the subsequent turkey sandwiches from the leftovers :)

Now for some pictures, I will warn you, I have a lot.

Dinner after I said yes to the dress

St. Louis Arch

Engagement Ring!

Free celebration dessert after we got engaged.

Time for Registries!

Beautiful Fall Colors

Lee University's New Chapel

This, my friends, is a cake

What I do at 4:00am

My semester in books...

-Well, there you have it, a random assortment of pictures from my life over the last few months.

I hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving! I plan to eat at least my weight in food ;)

xoxo,

Savvy

I told you...

2011-11-14T10:31:00.000-08:00

That once I read a whole textbook I would add it to my booklist. This one was a whopper too! It's all these theories from Marxism to Globalization and how they apply to media...fun read :(

Anywho, so I'm done with that one! School is wrapping up nicely, not much left: just one research paper, one reflection paper, and several abstracts until I'm free for the holidays...man I could use some gingerbread about right now.

And I promise, I will soon have a life update (with pictures of course!)

xoxo,

Savvy

Keepin' It Happy...Months 5 and 6

2011-11-08T08:30:00.000-08:00

So, lots and lots of changes have been coming my way, the most important being of course my engagement! I'm still quite a happy girl due to this. But, I have also been keeping up with my happiness project, and now it's time for an update on the past two months of happiness.

In September (Month 5)-Get Some Brains, I dedicated myself to staying ahead in school. This was super, super hard! But, by doing so I taught myself a lot of discipline, and I was able to actually enjoy my weekends-hanging out with friends, family, and the boy. This verse really helped me through, "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it."-Heb. 12:11

In October (Month 6)-Get on the Ball, I tried to keep up my act of discipline in order to reap rewards later down the road, by dedicating myself to a better work ethic. My biggest goal was to be on time to work...and I accomplished it! Timeliness has always, always been a struggle for me, so I'm so glad that I am tackling this now, because it really does affect the entire day if I am rushing in the morning and then I still end up getting to work late. So, now, after a month, I have trained myself to wake up at least an hour earlier than I need to get ready, so that I can insure that I will be on time to work.

I have realized over the last few months that my happiness project is more about self discipline and gaining knowledge than what may be seen as a typical definition of happiness. However, I have also realized that through gaining these disciplines and this knowledge, I am becoming a happier person...funny how that works.

Anywho, that's where I'm at with my happiness...this month I am working on Getting Creative, which is perfect seeing how I have lots of DIY projects I'd like to do for my upcoming wedding!

xoxo,

Savvy

BEST..DAY..EVER..

2011-10-24T08:12:00.000-07:00

Last week during my Fall Break, my love and I took a little trip to visit his family in Kansas City (both Missouri and Kansas). We also made a pit stop by my bestie Amy's house in Olathe, Kansas. The trip was amazing, fun, and such a great time of bonding. On our way back the love and I had planned to stop in St. Louis to tour around and visit the famous St. Louis Arch. I was so excited on the way up there when I saw the Arch that I made my rapper lean out the window several times for photos of the Arch from the Interstate...and he got some great ones! But anywho, back to the return trip-after three days full of family, food, and fun, we headed home.

When we were driving to St. Louis we talked about how that day was our six month anniversary, and like the nineth year we've known each other, what a perfect way to celebrate huh? Oh wait...it gets better!

We finally arrived to the Arch and after taking several pictures outside (and knocking on the side of the Arch to see if it was hollow...we couldn't help ourselves), we bought our tickets to the top. I have to take a minute hear to admit that I was such a wimp on the ride up...with every little jolt I gripped the boy's knee-what can I say, me and heights...not so much. Okay, moving on...once we got out of our tiny pod at the top of the Arch in the observation deck, I commenced being super excited and taking photos. We asked the nice couple that rode up with us to take a photo of us...then I headed to the window to take photos. Next thing I knew, someone tapped on my shoulder, and when I turned around there was my love...on one knee smiling from ear-to-ear...let the crying begin. He said all the perfect things (small confession: I may have missed some of what he said because I was crying-but I'm sure they were perfect!), and then he asked me to be his wife and I, of course, said yes! Then there was hugging, and applause, and pictures. It was perfect, simply perfect! And now we are to be wed! Time for you to see photos.

**Bonus** A couple people video taped it and will hopefully email it soon, so I will post that when I get it.

We are admiring the ring :)

Like I said...BEST.DAY.EVER!

xoxo,
Savvy

When I finish...

2011-10-12T09:03:00.000-07:00

Reading my first full graduate text book, you better believe I'm counting it toward my books read this year! I only have one paper left to write and a midterm to complete and I'm a free woman! And when I'm done...I'm doing all kinds of fun, fall activities...yay me!

Things to come: my Happiness Project updates, pics from my life lately, and a summary of fall activities!

Something to Meditate on...

2011-10-05T08:21:00.000-07:00

"When times are good, be happy;
but when times are bad, consider this:
God has made the one, as well as the other."
-Ecclesiastes 7:14

-That is only 2/3 of that verse, but that's the part I'm clinging to right now as I try to fight my way through mountains of homework that I feel like are literally screaming at me, "You will never finish!" And as my family struggles along. Times may be a little tough right now, but God has made both good and bad times...I know I can make it through. Just one and a half more weeks of crazy amounts of homework and 3 hrs. of sleep a night, and then I will be in the arms of my love headed to Kansas! I..can't...wait!

Thoughts...

2011-09-28T09:11:00.000-07:00

Sometimes life is tough.
Sometimes things don't make sense to me.
Sometimes I want to cry.
Sometimes I hate my job.
Sometimes I think I'm not smart enough for grad school.
Sometimes my family drives me crazy.
Sometimes people die.
Sometimes relationships don't work.
Sometimes happiness isn't really within reach.
...but...
At all times God is good.
At all times God provides.
At all times God is ushering in His will for my life.
At all times God loves me.
At all times God is giving me grace.
At all times God is my joy.

...so...life may not always be perfect, but having faith in a God who is helps to get me through. It's been one of those weeks and it's only Wednesday.

xoxo,

Savvy

Nom, nom, nom...

2011-09-19T13:17:00.000-07:00

I have no social life these days...dang pursuit of higher education! But, I know this is exactly what God has for me and I'm doing just what I'm supposed to be doing-so many things are affirming this such as my professor offering to work with me on my thesis starting this summer! And the potential of attending and presenting my research paper at a conference next fall-a full year before I graduate! So...all the mountains of reading are worth it so far. Plus my wonderful bf helps to keep me on track and he even goes and gets me snacks :)

--And so the week begins--
Happy Monday!

xoxo,

Savvy

The Progressive Strawberry...

2011-09-14T12:45:00.000-07:00

So you may ask, "What the heck does that title even mean?!" And I will answer that question for you in just a minute, but first I would like to talk a little about my best friends. They are these amazing girls that I met in college, we shared life, love, and living quarters for over two years...and then college ended...and my heart broke as we scattered in different directions to pursueour goals.
But throughout the two years since I graduated, we have done a good job of keeping in touch and celebrating events and non-family-oriented holidays together. One of my favorite people ever, Kristen, struck up a deal with me that after college we would make every effort we could to not go longer than 6 weeks without seeing eachother...and so far this has been successful! We switch back and forth as to who travels to visit and who is the host, so this past visit it was my turn to journey to Cincinnati, OH to visit. But something soo amazing happened this weekend, three of our other besties were also able to make it for a random weekend of hanging out-thus we decided this needed to be deemed a holiday.
As we searched for a holiday name we threw around words that had been used a lot that weekend, and that's when we realized we used the word progressive often i.e. "We're so progressive going to a baseball game by ourselves, without a guy."-Kristen. So, progressive stuck...and also at that point we happened to be eating strawberries, but no one would eat the HUGE one, concerned that it would just seem greedy...instead we each took a little bite of it...o.m.g. sweetest strawberry I've ever had! So, somehow in all of this holiday naming and strawberry eating...we decided that our weekend of randomness (that also involved several of us being very irresponsible, seeing how we were doing things such as starting our first days of work and grad school and taking GREs on Monday) should be named the Progressive Strawberry! Thus a holiday is born...I'm pretty sure that's how they decided on things back in the day ;)

Here are several pics of our weekend of eating, baseball, giant jenga, sailing, art galleries, a visit to the conservatory, a neighborhood cookout, and lots and lots of love.

Can't wait til next time!

xoxo,

Savvy

Back to School...

2011-09-08T14:27:00.000-07:00

So, I started graduate school last week...and I already have mountains of reading and a few papers. But oh how I love it! I love the atmosphere of a college campus, I love working hard and seeing the rewards reflected in my grades, I just love working towards what I want to do with my life-which is to be a professor. I know, I know...I'm weird, but this is me...and I am back in my element with school.

In other news, I was awarded a graduate teaching assistantship! I'm soo excited!! I'm teaching the research portion of the 1010 Journalism course alongside another GTA. This is seriously such a great blessing to already, as a first year graduate student, be gaining teaching experience. I can't wait to see what the year holds.

While working a full-time job and going to school is going to be tough, I am certain that I can handle it and I'm excited to be on campus again!

Well, time to get to some of this work...Happy Thursday!

xoxo,

Savvy

Happiness Continued-Months 3 and 4

2011-08-31T11:53:00.000-07:00

So, I've been slacking on my happiness project posts, but trust me I've been slowly progressing toward acheiving happiness :)

During the month of July I worked to grow my passion for life. I got passionate by praying for many different causes such as ways for God to use me in ministry and mentorship as well as for my church and their mission to help the homeless in Knoxville, TN. I also got passionate by adopting a compassion child and praying for him and his family often. I'm so excited to see Tusnar grow and excel in life with my support from afar.

This past month (August), I pursued living a healthier life. I worked out more regularly than I have been...this one was tough to maintain, I have realized I am epically lazy smh! I also severly reduced my caffeine intake and snack food consumption. Overall, I am happy with my effort to get in shape this past month. As I continue my happiness project, I will continue to maintain these lifestyle changes and (fingers crossed) amp up my workouts both in frequency and intensity.

Over the past two months, I would have to say the thing that brought the most happiness to my life was adopting Tusnar as my compassion child. I love the fact that my small monthly donation can help him to go to school and eat healthy and learn about Jesus. I find a lot of joy in helping others, and Compassion International has made it very accessible to help those in need.

In September I will be working to get some brains! I'm excited, so stay tuned!

Happy Hump Day!

xoxo,

Savvy

The Second Time You Fall in Love...

2011-08-18T13:14:00.000-07:00

I just read this post by Ryan O'Connel on the Thought Catalog and I absolutely LOVE it! Everything he writes is so true in so many ways. I just feel like this is such a great way to portray how it is to love again, and how amazing it truly is. Thanks to my bestie J Day for pointing me in the direction of this post!

Here you are:

"The second time you fall in love with someone, you’re going to feel so relieved. When you get your heart broken for the first time, you can’t imagine loving someone else again or having someone else love you. You worry about your ex finding love before you do, you worry about being damaged goods. And then it happens. Someone else loves you and you can sleep well at night.

The second time you fall in love with someone, it’s going to feel different. The first time felt like a dream almost. You were untouched, untainted by anyone. You accepted love with wide open arms and desperation. “Love me, love me, love me!” So you did. And then it fell apart and left you shocked to the core. You realized that people could be cruel and break your heart. You realized that people could stop meaning the sweet things they said to you just yesterday. So when you go into it again, you’re going to keep in mind everything that you’ve learned. You’re going to say, “Love me, love me, love me…until you don’t. In which case, I would like some advance warning. Thanks!”

The second time you fall in love with someone, you’re going to compare it to your first love. That’s okay. That’s natural. You’re going to be studying the new love with judgement and wariness. “My ex never liked broccoli. Why the hell does this one eat so much broccoli?!” Discovering that you have the ability to love multiple people who are different and feel different is initially very jarring. Loving an unfamiliar body will leave you disoriented and in dire need of a map. That’s okay too. That’s to be expected. Just ask the new love for directions.

The second time you fall in love with someone, you’re going to suffer from a bout of amnesia. You’re going to poke and prod at your lover’s body and be like, “Wait, how do I do this again? How do I love you? I think it starts with us having a moment together in some coffee shop, right?” It’s going to feel scary at first. Falling in love is sort of like riding a bike though. You never really forget.

The second time you fall in love with someone, you’ll be a more sane person. Your first love is when you get all of your insanity out. You behave like an insane monster because your mind is freaking out about all these new powerful feelings. By the second time, however, you have an idea of what works and what doesn’t. It’s by no means perfect. The insanity will make a cameo at some point. “Peek a boo. I’m here! Hope you didn’t forget about me!” But you can usually shoo it away after awhile.

The second time you fall in love with someone, you will hopefully have better sex. Do not quote me on this.

The second time you fall in love with someone will still be exciting and you might even talk about moving in together or marriage. It will feel more “adult.” You have no idea what adult love actually is but you think it involves making coffee for each other in the morning and maybe even getting a dog. “This is my dog, Xan. I got him with the second person I fell in love with because that’s what you do! The first person I was in love with would’ve killed a dog.”

The second time will not be the first time. The first time is an insane magical life gift that you can never reclaim. But that’s okay. The second time is more real anyway. The second time can involve some amazing love."

Happy Thursday! I hope your week is going wonderfully, mine's been awesome because my rapper is here!!

xoxo,

Savvy

She Was a Bit Quirky...

2011-08-10T09:34:00.000-07:00

It's been 8 months since the saddest day of my life, the day I lost my beautiful, smart, loving mother. I honestly can't believe time has flown by so quickly...and even more I can't believe how much she has missed during these last months. I have been missing her terribly. Though the ache has lessened, I feel that this soreness in my soul is something that will never go away; it's something that I will just have to become used to, like achy bones as you grow old.

So many things remind me of her daily. And sometimes when I realize what those things are it makes me kind of laugh, because she sure was quirky. For instance, the other day I grabbed a bottle of water off of the counter and then I grabbed a glass and began to put ice in it (I don't like room temperature water), and as I did this I was reminded of my mom always saying that I wasn't allowed to do this when I was a child. She said that putting ice, which is made from tap water, into purified water defeats the point of having bottled water. I would get so frustrated as a kid because I hate warm beverages. But now, having that memory of her, makes me chuckle-remembering what quirky little things got to her.

One other thing that was recently brought to memory about my mother has to do with my love. When the boy and I first met (in youth group), I noticed that he was much bigger (as in stout, not fat-just to clarify for his sake) than his other 3 brothers...I soon came to find out why. He LOVES food...and honestly I had never seen someone get so excited over food in my life-but he did and I thought it was hilarious. I began to call him "big hungry" and I would ask my mom if we could take extra food to church just for him, because I knew he would get all excited. Well she too thought it was hilarious to watch him get soo happy to see a plate of food coming his direction, so of course she agreed. But my mom thought it would even more funny to tease him with the food by waving the plate in front of him saying, "Do you want some?", then pretending like she was going to eat it. His face was priceless each time, because he'd get all worked up. My mom got so much joy out of him being around...and she greatly enjoyed teasing him too. It makes me happy to know that my mom loved this man as much as I do and that he embraced and loved her quirkiness as much as I do too.

So while I miss her so much, I also notice all of the time how her little quirks have rubbed off on me, and this makes me happy because I think she was wonderful!

Mom, Me, and my baby brother on my First Communion day.

xoxo,

Savvy

Tasha Gets Married!

2011-08-08T13:37:00.000-07:00

On July 30th, my best friend from 8th grade married her high school sweetheart. It was lovely! I was honored to be in their wedding and I know that their marriage will be full of fun and love. Here are a few photos from this wonderful event.

Me, Tasha, JDay-love these girls!

Gnia and Tasha...that cake was delicious!

I love weddings!

xoxo,

Savvy

Love Like Crazy...

2011-08-03T08:12:00.000-07:00

I recently finished reading Crazy Love by Francis Chan. I took my time reading this book because I really wanted to not just read, but fully comprehend what Francis was trying to convey. I greatly enjoyed reading this book and I felt challenged many times throughout.

Here are some of the ideas and challenges that stuck out to me most while reading:

"Not being able to fully understand God is frustrating, but it is ridiculous for us to think we have the right to limit God to something we are capable of comprehending."

"On the average day, we are caught up in ourselves. On the average day, we don't consider God very much. On the average day, we forget that our life truly is a vapor."

"Our scene in the movie, our brief lives, fall somewhere between the time Jesus ascends into Heaven (Acts) and when we will all worship God on His through in Heaven (Revelation). We have only our two-fifths-of-a-second-long scene to live. I don't know about you, but I want my two-fifths of a second to be about my making much of God."

"The greatest knowledge we can ever have is knowing God treasures us."

"When you are truly in love, you go to great lengths to be with the one you love. You'll drive for hours to be together, even if it's only for a short while. You don't mind staying up late to talk. Walking in the rain is romantic, not annoying. You'll willingly spend a small fortuneon the one you're crazy about. When you are apart from each other, it's painful, even miserable. Her or she is all you think about; you jump at any chance to be together." --This is how our love for God should be.

"Having faith often means doing what others see as crazy. Something is wrong when our lives make sense to unbelievers."

"Much of our talk doesn't match our lives. We say things like, 'I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,' and 'Trust in the Lord with all your heart.' Then we live and plan like we don't believe God even exists. We try to set our lives up so everything will be fine even if God even if God doesn't come through. But true faith means holding nothing back. It means putting every hope in God's fidelity to His promises."

"There is so much more to our existence than what we can see. What we do reverbrates through the heaven and into eternity."

All-in-all, I learned a lot from reading this book and I am currently beginning to challenge myself to love God in the "crazy" way He loves me.

xoxo,
Savvy

Inspiration...

2011-08-02T08:21:00.000-07:00

"God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at the break of day." -Psalm 46:5

-I love this verse and basically...it's getting me through a whole lot right now.

xoxo,

Savvy

Life Update...

2011-07-23T18:10:00.000-07:00

So lots and lots of things are/have been going on in my life lately...and here's the update:

Big news first-I got a part-time graduate teaching assistantship! This puts me one step closer to my dream of being a professor! yay!

Now for a photo montage of other happenings:

Watched fireworks with some of my favorite people here in Nashville.

Played with Sparklers on the 4th.

Thoroughly enjoyed spending time with two of my besties over a long weekend.

Wrecked my poor car :(

Enjoyed spending lots of time with these two boys!

Cooked the PERFECT summer dinner: taco ring, salad, chips and salsa, and watermelon!

Enjoyed a surprise visit from the love of my life on a Wednesday when I thought he was in D.C.

He brought me roses! Did I mention he's the love of my life?

And now I'm completely pumped and anticipating the wedding of my best friend since the 8th grade this coming weekend!

Other things going on include: settling into my new apartment after a long weekend of moving last week, experiencing the awesomeness of Trader Joe's (we don't have this in Knox), and upcoming bday celebrations for two of my brothers! Life's good!

xoxo,
Savvy

More Little Loves...

2011-07-18T08:42:00.000-07:00

I have shared before some of my little loves but I have realized there are still so many more things I love and find to be daily blessings in my life so I thought I'd share some more little things I love:

-Peanut butter sandwiches for breakfast
-A good coffee mug
-Picnics
-Walk-in closets
-Chunky jewelry
-Mexican food
-Manicures
-The smell of new shoes
-Sharing a memory with someone about my mom
-Hand Sanitizer
-Afternoon naps with the fan on and the window open
-Getting a voicemail from a good friend
-Being the person to capture an amazing photo
-Seeing the clouds part in the sky and the sun shine through
-Dilbert comics
-YouTube videos of kittens
...and a recent little love-McDonald's McCafe Mango Pineapple Smoothie, soo delicious!

So there you have it, some more little things I love.

Happy Monday!

xoxo,
Savvy

Meet Tusnar...

2011-07-14T07:56:00.000-07:00

He is my compassion child! He's 7 years old and he lives in India with his mother and father. His father is a laborer and he makes the equivalent of $40 a month. Tusnar is a part of a child development program, where he attends school, receives healthcare, and receives clothing and hygiene items. I am so delighted to sponsor him, because through my sponsorship these items will all be paid for for him, instead of his parents having to struggle to support him in this program.

I chose to sponsor Tusnar for two reasons: 1) He has been waiting for over 6 months to be sponsored and 2) He is from India, which is a country that has been on my church's heart for about a decade (My pastor and brother are actually visiting there in October).

I cannot wait to grow this friendship and see him develop into a young man, knowing that my little part has helped to improve his life. So exciting!

xoxo,
Savvy

Get a Clue! Month 2 of Happiness...

2011-07-07T09:37:00.000-07:00

So, last month I wrote about my plans for the second month of my happiness project. In stark contrast to the first month of my happiness project, this past month of "getting a clue" wasn't quite a happy experience for me. I did watch and read a lot of news stories and I felt very informed. I also prayed for my city, country, and world often and spent some time meditating...but I realized that knowing all of this information didn't really make me happy, it just made me worried. Honestly, I'm not sure I want to know about everything bad that's going on in this world...

However, one thing this past month has inspired me to do is to grow more passionate about life and loving others. So this month I would like to pursue this desire, and hopefully through becoming more passionate about things in my life, I will become more compassionate for others. This month I plan to learn to play tennis, pray for a different cause each week, adopt a compassion child and enjoy the outdoors with long strolls and many visits to the park. I figue if I can't stand knowing all of the bad, then maybe I should focus on the good and pray for better days for our world-additionally I thought I should take a step to make things better and that means to me, providing for a child who has no one, thus my decision to work with Compassion International.

Well, hopefully this month goes more smoothly than the last!

xoxo,

Savvy

Let Freedom Ring!

2011-07-01T09:19:00.000-07:00

I have been so blessed to spend the past two 4th of July weekends with some of my best friends, viewing fireworks, eating delicious foods, and enjoying the outdoors. This year, I'm super excited because they are coming here, to Nashville, to celebrate! The 4th has quickly become one of my favorite holidays, because I love seeing fireworks, I love my country and I feel so blessed to live here (especially after going on my first missions trip), and also because my friends and I have made it a point to reconnect with eachother during this time of the year-which makes my heart soo happy! This year's attendees include two past attendees-Bex and Kristen, and four new attendees-Mikaela, Sean, and Joshua...I'm very excited to continue this tradition here at my home! Here are some photos of past celebrations:

Kristen, Me, Elyna, and Bex (top)-Virginia 2010

Kristen and I-Cincinnati 2009

Gosh! I love fireworks!

xoxo,

Savvy

And This is Why I Love Him...

2011-06-28T10:00:00.000-07:00

Me: I miss my mom. I wanted to tell her about this weekend...about you.

Him: Check this out: Your mom has already heard all about me AND your amazing weekend. Why? Because she's been watching you live it out as it has been happening and she's very thrilled to know that you had a blast. She's very proud of you for continuing to provide for the family and being the best sister you could possibly be to her sons. She's excited for you and your future, especially your Best Kept Secret. Although, it's not really a secret anymore to her and she's probably laughing at how I went from being the little, goofy, hungry family friend to being the strong, sexy, still hungry boyfriend that I am now. She had no idea, lol. But she's proud of you nevertheless. I aim to take good care of you because I love you and also because I know she's watching. So think on good things and know you're in good hands. God's hands. And your mom's as well. I love you, and she does too.

--All I can say is LOVE OF MY LIFE!

Life Update:

2011-06-27T09:05:00.000-07:00

Man! Life has been soo busy lately, and things don't seem to be slowing down anytime soon-so I apologize in advance for the sparse blog posts. Right now I am currently preparing to start my first semester of graduate school at MTSU, which means lots of fees and registration procedures-blah, blah, blah! I'm also looking for a new place to live because my rent went up an astronomical amount (Cue the stress!). And on top of these two big life changes, I've been busy juggling wedding stuff for various friends, working, going on family vacation, and just dealing with life in general. During these busy times is when I wish I had my mom the most. She was so good at calming my anxious thoughts with a simple, "You've done this before, you can do it again." I miss her lots, and it saddens me that she's not here for all of this excitement, but I'm very glad to know she is watching from Heaven cheering me on in life.

Now for some pics to document what I've been up to:

Manicures with Jess!

Attended this lovely bride's country wedding with the besties!

Pretended to be country with Tash

Fam and Friends with a turtle while we were at the Cabin on vaction.

Attended my good friend Ted's wedding with these lovely people.

Watched my amazing rapper perform with Caleb and Danielle.

Hanging out with Mic and Rachel.

Love, Love, Love...It takes a lot of self restraint to not write about him and put up 1,209 pics of him :)

Well, I'll be back with another life update soon. Happy Monday!

xoxo,

Savvy

Party Shoes, People!

2011-06-06T15:17:00.000-07:00

So, these last few weeks have been filled with lots of celebration. Over Memorial Day weekend my bestie Kristen came to visit from Ohio and she brought Whitney also. The weekend was fantastic and full of good ole country fun! We explored Franklin, enjoyed live music, grooved to country music at The Stage bar, got our worship on at Bethel, ate at Cracker Barrel, enjoyed Arrington vineyard, and relaxed by the pool. I absolutely loved having the girls here and getting to hangout with Jessica and her brother as well as Danielle! Here are some photos from that weekend:

In addition to my awesome Memorial Day weekend, I have been celebrating the upcoming wedding of my oldest and one of my dearest friends, Tasha. This past weekend we threw her both a lingerie shower and a bridal shower (busy, busy!). My bestie Jday, the Maid of Honor, did such a wonderful job on the decor for the parties! I'm so happy for her and so glad to be a part of this time in her life.

Me, Kelly, Tasha, and Jday-Bridal Party

Finally, I have been celebrating how much I love this sweet guy :)

xoxo,

Savvy

Happiness Project Month One...

2011-06-02T10:48:00.000-07:00

So as I mentioned earlier, I have embarked on a journey to find happiness. This past month (May) I worked on "Getting Pumped"-gaining energy through more sleep, yoga, and the like. I began a progress chart just like Gretchen does in The Happiness Project and used it to track whether or not I was able to accomplish each of six tasks I gave myself to do daily in order to gain more energy both physically and spiritually. My six tasks were: Sleep 8 hours, Walk more often, Act More Energetic, Morning prayer and devotion, Evening prayer and devotion, and Yoga in the morning. While I wasn't able to keep up with each of these every day, I was able complete many of the tasks daily-and on those rare days that I was able to complete all of the tasks, I felt like a million bucks! My energy definitely increased from sleeping my full 8 hours (which I kinda hate to admit was the one task that I completed the most-only missing out on it 4 days out of 31...haha!). But the most remarkable thing that I noticed during this first month on my journey was that I gained so much energy throughout the day by getting up from my desk and taking quick, brisk walks around the office. Overall, it was a good month and now that I have some techniques for increasing my energy I will use those as I progress into the next month of my "Get Happy" project.

This next month (June) I will work on "Get a Clue". I have laid out seven tasks to help me to be more aware of what is going on in the world around me. Since I absolutely hate being clueless, I figure why not tune myself into current events and be in prayer about things that are going on in my city, nation, and world that affect me. My tasks to help me get a clue are to read a Local news source, a National news source, a World news source, and a Political news source daily; as well as writing down one new piece of information I learned each day, praying for my city, country, and world, and meditating daily on a scripture. Basically my goal this month is to clear my mind of clutter and to become aware of what matters most, and to actually do something about it by keeping a good perspective and praying for needs that arise.

So, stay tuned for an update from this month's progress and to hear what next month's "Get Happy" strategy is!

xoxo,

Savvy

Wedding Season...

2011-05-31T10:38:00.000-07:00

So, wedding season is in full swing and since I am attending two weddings and a bridesmaid in another, my mind has really been wedding focused.

Here are some things I have been contemplating: How to get presents for all of the couples on a budget, what to wear to each wedding, and some little things I would like at my own wedding one day.

Here are the answers to these things I have been contemplating: I will do Visa giftcards so that the couple can spend the money however they would like, and I can keep to a strict dollar amount for each couple. Since I'm a bridesmaid in one wedding, that dress is covered (phew!) As for the other two weddings, since they are at different times of the day (one in the afternoon and one in the evening), I figure for the afternoon wedding I will wear a brightly colored pink dress and for the evening wedding I will wear a more formal grey dress. Luckily, this handsome man will be my arm candy for each wedding, so I have all of the accessories I need! As far as some cute little things I would like at my wedding here are some pictures for you:

-Well enjoy your lovely, short work week!

xoxo,
Savvy

Anticipation!!

2011-05-27T12:05:00.000-07:00

My bestie is coming to visit me this weekend!! I can't wait to see her, it's been nearly a month and a half since we last saw eachother and that is a long time considering we used to spend everyday together. I have an entire itinerary of fun things to do planned out and luckily the weather is supposed to be beautiful! Other perks of the upcoming weekend include: the fact that Monday is a holiday (the Lord is good!) and in addition to seeing Kristen I also get to hang out with two other lovely ladies from college, Danielle and Whitney! So needless to say, I'm in such anticipation for this wonderful girl weekend!

Whitney, Me,and Kristen one of the first times we ever hung out!

Me and Danielle

Happy Long Weekend!!

xoxo,

Savvy

Never Forget...continued

2011-05-20T12:32:00.000-07:00

So, previously I wrote some things I never wanted to forget. As I continue to chronical my life both here and in my personal journal, I am also continuously adding to my list of things I never want to forget as I grow older. Here are some that I have recently thought of:

The tingly sensation of drinking an ice-cold Diet Coke.
That chocolate really does seem to make everything better.
To always take my vitamins.
The feeling of clean sheets.
How privileged I feel to have someone share his/her secrets with me.
The serenity of taking a long stroll through the park.
How important sending snail mail is.
How special it feels to receive snail mail.
...and...
That you are only given one mom...and no matter what she WILL change your life-even after she's gone.

Happy Friday!

xoxo,
Savvy

The Perks of Getting Older...

2011-05-11T13:46:00.000-07:00

This past weekend on Saturday was my birthday! However, somehow (because I have work friends, and other friends spread out across the state) I was blessed enough to basically get to celebrate for nearly a week...I've now decided that this is definitely a perk of getting older. Also, my sister was in town the entire week which was awesome! Here are a few pics of my wonderful bday week:

The awesomeness started on Wednesday with this gift from my wonderful friend Jessica!

And this great card from her too!

That night we watched Water For Elephants and ate dinner at Calypso.

On Thursday my co-worker Holly gave me this "sweet" cookie card and giftcard to Longhorn Yum!

Then My Co-workers Treated Me to Mexican for Lunch (I love Mexican!)

On Friday I went to lunch with my friend Kyera and she surprised me with this gift!

Then on Sunday My Special Boy Read Me a Poem He Wrote for Me!!

My beautiful Pastor sent this purple carnation home to me on Sunday!

And finally on Monday my bestie Amy and I went out for dinner here in Nashville!

-So with all of those lovely surprises and special treats I felt so blessed the entire week...this was definitely a great way to start my 23rd year of life.

xoxo,

Savvy

My Giving Tree...

2011-05-01T20:56:00.000-07:00

When I was younger my mom always read to us. Her favorites included Hop on Pop, Where the Wild Things Are, Love You Forever, and The Giving Tree. She was an excellent reader-always making the best voices and saying our names in place of the word "you"...and of course making sure we all got a chance to see every picture. Some of my best memories of my childhood are us gathered at my mom's feet as she read to us then lining up to give her goodnight kisses while she said, "don't make them sloppy wet ones!"

Of all of the books my mom read to me and my siblings as children, the one book that resonated the most with me was The Giving Tree. Many times as I was growing up my mom was very much like the tree character in this book, always giving of herself and always happy to make others happy. All of her life she was a provider and though she didn't have much, she always gave what she did have. I have learned so many life lessons from her, but I definitely think that the best lesson I have learned is to give and to do it cheerfully. I have been wanting to think of a way to honor and remind me of this beautiful woman and her giving spirit, thus came this piece of artwork.

*Note* I have never worked with oil paint, so I had no clue it takes 7-10 days to dry...slow process, but soo worth it!

The original drawing

First Layer

Nearly two weeks later I added the tree

The following day I added the detail and wording

The complete, hanging work

So there it is...I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out (and with my patience during the drying process.)

xoxo,
Savvy

I Waited for You...

2011-04-27T09:58:00.000-07:00

So, as promised, I am announcing some big news. But before the news, I would like to tell a little pre-cursor of a story-this explains how I got to where I'm at and why I know this is such a big blessing.

-Once upon a time there was this recently turned 15 year old girl who was lost, incredibly lost. And one day, for the 4th of July her younger brother invited her and her mom to go visit this tiny church that had recently started and was being hosted in the back corner space of an office complex. She was very wary of going and honestly thought church and "church people" were all full of it. But there was a promise of free food and good music so she was enticed into going...I mean who wouldn't be? Upon arriving, she was greeted by warm smiles and kind handshakes. The food was good, very good-and so was the music. But little did she know exactly what kind of church this was...so when the worship began and flags appeared and people spoke in tongues...she sat completely freaked out on the back row eyeing her mother with a pleading look that expressed, "can we please sneak out?!" But her mother being the loyal, willing to give people a chance person she was, shot back a look of, "no!" So the service continued, and the girl became more and more interested in what these people were talking about-so intrigued that when she was asked by a beautiful blonde woman to return that Sunday-she replied, "okay, yeah, sure..."

The rest of the week came and went, and Sunday was quickly upon the girl. She arrived with her mother to the church and sat in the back row. When it was time for the worship to begin-she noticed that the same blonde woman who asked her to come back to the church was leading the worship from behind the drum pit...awesome! Later, the girl came to find out that this woman was the Pastor's wife and even later she would learn that one beautiful woman's heart could change her life forever, but that's another story for another time. After the worship ended a round, curly-haired man took the pulpit and introduced himself as Jeff, the associate pastor. He began to preach and tell of his own life story-his own redemption...how God saved him from a life of destruction and drinking. He modeled his life by putting these chains around his neck that had signs on them with all of the sins he was under, there were so many it seemed he was actually weighed down...then he spoke of how God at some points literally rescued him from these sins through other people and by grace alone. As he spoke of his rescue he removed each chain and he was able to raise his neck a little more. In the end he explained how just believing saved his life. At that moment the girl began to think, "Well I'm not nearly as messed up as him and look what this God did to save his life...I want that, I want his joy, more than anything...I want to be rescued." And it was from that moment on that the girl's life would be forever changed.

So then the girl became very involved in the church, she joined the dance team, worship team, and the youth group...she even got baptized. She was happy and was growing closer to this rescuer...her life was being transformed. She was meeting amazing people especially in her youth group. One family in particular, The Wesleys-who were comprised of Mom, Dad, and four boys, would become an intricate part of her family-participating in holidays together, attending school together, playing sports together and at some points even providing shelter to one another. Basically, the Wesley family was becoming her family-and she was happy.

Life went on, and the girl graduated high school, very grounded in her faith but still dealing with many life struggles. The girl attended a wonderful university where she grew into who she was as a person even more, gaining wonderful friends, traveling the world, and learning about her God and His deep love for her and how to be a Christian in her workplace. But through this entire journey of college her family always stayed close to the Wesley family-the girl even lived with the Wesley's grandmother for a summer. During the girl's last couple of years of college she struggled and dealt with heart break, she also grew close to one of the Wesley boys as they shared their mutual heartbreak and deep friendship with one another. Over this period of time the girl and the boy maintained that they had nothing more than a deep-rooted friendship to anyone who inquired. And while this was true, sometimes the girl wished for more...

Well, one tragic day in November of 2010 the girl experienced the most heart breaking event in her life. The girl lost her mom...and she was sad, really, really sad. During this time, the boy was there for her, comforting her and requiring no more from her than friendship...and the girl liked this, a lot. But as any story of a boy and girl goes, the girl's feelings grew. Luckily...so did the boy's. However, for fear that these feelings could lead to a bad ending (because everyone has fears), the girl and the boy did nothing to advance their feelings. And then there was another girl...and the girl was sad, and hurt. But, once again, as in any good romance story, through this tough situation the boy and girl grew closer together...and they no longer could deny what was right in front of them. They talked and talked...and talked, and then they took the leap (figuratively that is). Excitement bubbled over and both the boy and the girl told their closest friends of their new adventure together. Many approved, a couple didn't. But what is a good romance story without disapprovers? And now, with confidence the girl can say, "I waited for you. You are the man God has been building up this girl to be with for so long, you reflect my Jesus in so many ways and I cannot wait to share my life with you. This will be quite the adventure, with many ups and downs-but my excitement can no longer be contained. I have waited for you and God has blessed me. It's your spirit that inspires me and draws me near to you. When I speak to you and you speak to me, I grow closer to God, and I know he has placed us together for a reason. I'm so glad I waited for you."

So, who's to say what will come next, but all I know is that this girl is very happy...and is living a bit of a fairy tale-because after enduring the long night, her joy has come in the morning!

There you have it! My big, happy news! He's wonderful! Also, check out this video...I'm so inspired by her words, and I feel like I finally have what she is speaking of.

xoxo,

Savvy

Little Loves

2011-04-25T13:04:00.000-07:00

I haven't done a little loves list in a while...my last ones are here and here and from my very first post ever. So I thought I'd take some time to fill you in on some more little things I love:

-How eating a delicious piece of chocolate can instantly relax me.
-The smell of lavender.
-When someone tells me I look nice on a day I don't even try.
-Finishing a huge Moe's burrito!
-Reading letters from my mom from years ago.
-Weekends with my best friends.
-Snail Mail.
-Being told that I am worth "it"-whatever that should mean at the time.
-Watching my co-workers gawk over the candy bowl on my desk.
-Reading on a rainy day.
-And viewing my brothers and I in miniature form.

-just in case you are thinking-"Wait! She said she would fill us in on something exciting that is happening in her life right now...that huzzay!"-I will very soon give you the good news update...I just have to keep up the suspense for a little longer.

I hope everyone is having a lovely Monday!

xoxo,
Savvy

Happy!!!

2011-04-19T11:55:00.000-07:00

Something wonderful has happened and I'm soooo happy! I will fill you in on details later.

xoxo,

Savvy

It's Ya Boi!

2011-04-12T11:58:00.000-07:00

So my very good friend, Mr. Josh Wesley, has began blogging about his adventures and thoughts on his musical journey. He has fantastic music and great thoughts to share with the world. So being one of his biggest fans I would like to take the opportunity to promote him here on my blog. You should stop by his blog where you can download his entire mixed tape for free!

Also if you are in the Knoxville, TN area over the next couple of weeks you can check him out live at a few of his shows, Patrick Sullivan's in the Old City at 10:00pm on Friday April 15th, Pellapalooza at Pellissippi State's main campus on Wednesday April 20th, and at The Church at Knoxville on Sunday April 24th at 10:30am. Once again, he's amazing and God is doing big things with his talent and music career so go check him out!

xoxo,
Savvy

Spring Cleaning and Other Excellent Things...

2011-04-11T09:14:00.000-07:00

This weekend was one filled with relaxation, walks to the library, long phone conversations, letting my artsy side take over, cooking, and lots of spring cleaning:

Finally put my corkboard back to use!

Oh how I love you organized closet!

Cleaned out the fireplace...there were soo many ashes!

Got some England/Scotland scrapbooking done!

Cooked a yummy pot of Black Eyed Peas!

Got this amazing, sweet card from my bestie!

What a lovely weekend it was indeed!

xoxo,

Savvy

Happiness...

2011-04-08T12:04:00.000-07:00

Can be defined as, "good fortune, pleasure, contentment"-but lately what I have realized is that my happiness is in my hands. I feel that all the words that define happiness are all subject to external circumstances or people...someone giving you good fortune, etc. But what I'm looking for in happiness is something that can't be taken away due to misfortune or a bad day-I want a happiness that's deep in my soul so that even on the toughest of days I am happy. As a Christian I know that only God can provide this happiness, which to me is joy. I also know that I need to live an orderly and obedient life in order to be able to fully open myself to this joy.

A few weeks ago my friend introduced me to a book called The Happiness Project. This is a book by an ordinary woman, Gretchen Rubin, who wanted to be happier at her core, and in order to achieve this she set out to put her life in order. She speaks about how her happiness project will look different from others, but how reading someone else's story can help to inspire you to take on your own project. Well, she was correct and now I have decided to pursue my own happiness project. I'm calling it Get Happy! Each month for the next year I will focus on "getting happy" by doing things from increasing my energy to getting a clue about what's going on in the world. I will be sharing my progress every couple of weeks here on my blog. I'm very excited about this journey and I'm excited to share it with you all!

xoxo,
Savvy

Things I Have Been Up To Lately...

2011-03-21T12:37:00.000-07:00

Baking these yummy Magnolia Bakery cupcakes!

Building this bookshelf with my friend

Baking these Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes for my Oscars Party...yummy!

Loving visits from my bestie!

Hanging out with these lovely ladies a.k.a "The Cubists"

Winning a game of Putt Putt with the family!

Enjoying the beauty of Springtime in Nashville!

And...missing these girls like crazy

xoxo,

Savvy

Beach!

2011-03-20T16:55:00.000-07:00

So what did we do while at the beach you may ask...

Danced, frolicked, enjoyed the scenery, spent time with the locals, attended a softball game, ate lots and lots of food, went swimming, loved on each other, hot tubbed, and ate more food :)

xoxo,
Savvy

Oh Japan...

2011-03-15T14:28:00.000-07:00

I am praying for you.
I am praying for my uncle in the Navy who is stationed there.
I am donating to help with the rescue efforts.
I am challenging everyone else to do the same.

xoxo,
Savvy

"I Swear to You"...

2011-03-14T13:40:00.000-07:00

"By Myself"-that's a direct quote from God.

This past week at the beach was deeply spiritual for me as well as an amazing time of catching up with my friends. While in St. Petersburg, I read some great passages from the Bible, but the best thing I heard while at the beach was when my friend pointed out that God says to Abraham in Genesis 26:16, "I swear by myself Abraham."-God swore...to God! It's amazing! I just love the intensity of that promise God made that he swore by his infallible self that he would prosper Abraham. The struggles of daily life, especially since losing my mom have seemed to overcome the power of God in my mind, but this simply isn't true! No situation is too big and no struggle is to hard for God, and He swears by himself that He will prosper me. I find this very comforting.

Another aspect of my trip where God showed up and was amazing in the way He comforted me was through a song by Gungor called You Have Me. It's words are just these amazing simple truths that really spoke to me...here are the lyrics:

Out on the farthest edge
There in the silence
You were there
My faith was torn to shreds
Heart in the balance
And You were there
Always faithful, always good
You still have me
You still have my heart
I thought I had seen the end
Everything broken
But You were there
I've wandered at heaven's gates
I've made my bed in hell
You were there still

Always faithful, always good
You still have me
You still have my heart

You have me, You have me
You have my heart completely

And here's the video for this beautiful song:

-So to sum up my experience at the beach I'd have to say spiritual, fun, and relaxing. I feel so blessed and refreshed and completely ready to be back to work and life. (Oh...photos coming soon!)

xoxo,

Savvy

And then something lovely happened...

2011-02-26T21:20:00.000-08:00

Last night, as I was sitting with friends in Panera talking about how I have no clue how to date and how I don’t know if I’ll even be good at it, a guy walked up and said, “Savannah, I don’t know you. But I think you’re a lovely person and I think you would make a lovely date and I just want you to know that.” Then he just walked away as I sat there mouth agape with the girls laughing and commenting on how amazing that was…that one comment made my night a million times better.

This is the second time this month that something so wonderful has been said to me. On another occasion I was sitting at lunch with a co-worker when a waiter walked by and said, "I'm sorry to interrupt, but I just want to tell you that you are beautiful and that we have been talking about how beautiful you are." Once again, mouth agape...I think I was able to mutter a quiet "thank you", but otherwise I was speechless.

Here's the thing, this month has been a particularly tough month for me. Several things factor into why, such as how intensely I have felt the loss of my mom lately, how intensely I have felt the distance between my best friends (coupled with missing them a whole lot), and wondering when the heck God is going to bless me with my husband. I think February has been a month that has reminded me how much I yearn for the closeness that comes with relationship-partly because this was mine and my mom's month and partly because many of my close friends are getting married soon and I am still very single. Often times I find myself praying for love and for God to send me my husband, pleading with Him from a lonely, single girl's heart...and then He does these amazing things through complete strangers to show me that He loves me deeply and fully. And I stop and think..."lovely".

xoxo,
Savvy

In Two Weeks...

2011-02-19T14:55:00.000-08:00

I'm going to the BEACH!!

This is exactly what I need-time with my best friends in the sunshine. I can't wait to run around half-naked, snuggle at all times with my girlies, and experience God in what I think is His finest environment. To say I'm excited only skims the surface of my excitement.

I'm sooo blessed!

Now for some photos from previous beach experiences (note-I may be so in love with the beach because I only had my first beach experience 3 years ago).

xoxo,
Savvy

Reading...

2011-02-06T14:34:00.000-08:00

-I do it to escape
-I do it because I enjoy a good story
-I do it because I can go places and have experiences I've never had
-I do it because it's fun

I will always encourage and enjoy reading because I believe that a person who reads is a person who succeeds.

xoxo,
Savvy

This guy...

2011-02-01T16:00:00.000-08:00

Is great because...well I'll just let you see for yourself...

(we call this the "Fat Kid" face...it always makes me smile, and he's never too "big" to do it for me)

He's also great because:
-I've known him since high school (Prom, Rugby, and SpongeBob in the mornings while skipping first block)
-We dated for 3yrs. (that was fun too)
-We're still friends though we aren't dating
-He held me while I cried because my family stressed me out
-He held me while I cried because my dog was taken to the pound
-He held me while I cried because my crazy, beautiful, amazing mom died
-We always have fun together
-He knows that when I'm quiet-things aren't okay
-He knows all my ticklish spots (dangit!)
-He found a song that completely describes me-She Likes Purple by Wideawake
-He's quotable as heck-"Spare ribs, I mean how many can a cow really spare?"
-He's smart
-He's a dork and he completely embraces it
-He's a wonderful guitarist
-He's also really good at sports
-Oh and did I mention that he does the "Fat Kid" face? ;0
-Basically, he's great...and I'm blessed to have him in my life

Also, I wrote this because he wanted me to write about him on here...hope you feel special Mister!

xoxo,
Savvy

And Here's Germany...

2011-02-01T13:48:00.000-08:00

Austria 2010

2011-01-30T14:55:00.000-08:00

In the wake of my devastation at the loss of my amazing mom, I never got the chance to share some of my photos from Austria. So here goes:

These are a conglomeration from the three cities I went to in Austria-Millstatt, Spittal, and Salzburg. I definitely didn't have enough time there and cannot wait until I can visit again.

xoxo,
Savvy

To "The One"...

2011-01-28T11:18:00.000-08:00

I've finally realized you're not "The One",
I've just been dumb.
For far to long, it's been to the memories that I've clung...
Then you were the light,
You made me come undone.
But I've finally realized...
You're not "the one".

--That was just me thinking outloud a bit after hearing such a poetic song, Jar of Hearts by Christina Perri. Here are some of my favorite lyrics:

"And who do you think you are
Running 'round leaving scars
Collecting your jar of hearts
And tearing love apart
You're gonna catch a cold
From the ice inside your soul
So don't come back for me
Who do you think you are
Dear, it took so long just to feel alright
Remember how to put back the light in my eyes
I wish I had missed the first time that we kissed
Cause you broke all your promises
And now you're back
You don't get to get me back"

Men...ugh! Can't live with them, can't...well I don't really know how I feel about the second part of that saying ;0

xoxo,
Savvy

How I feel...

2011-01-26T10:37:00.000-08:00

I cannot wait for February 5th! Then I can emerge from my cave of studying.

xoxo,
Savvy

2011...

2011-01-12T21:08:00.000-08:00

xoxo,

Savvy

This describes it all...

2011-01-08T18:09:00.000-08:00

“When someone dies, it feels like the hole in your gum when a tooth falls out. You can chew, you can eat, you have plenty of other teeth, but your tongue keeps going back to that empty place, where all the nerves are still a little raw."

-Jodi Picoult, House Rules

It would be fun to:

2011-01-06T10:23:00.000-08:00

Live here!

Work here!

And visit here!

...wouldn't that be a lovely life?

xoxo,

Savvy

Goodbye...Hello

2011-01-01T11:21:00.000-08:00

So 2010 was definitely a year of ups and downs. Some really good things happened like this, this, this, and this. I had some adventures, made some good friends, and progressed in life. But some bad things happened too. I lost my mom and some really good friends...as I like to say, times were tough. But this new year I'm really hoping for some blessings and for God to work good out of tragedy. So goodbye 2010, hello 2011!

Books I read this year include:

The Buenos Aires Broken Hearts Club-Jessica Morrison

Saved by Her Enemy-Don Teague and Rafraf Barrack

The Night of the Gun-by David Carr

To Write Love on My Arms

Little Bee-Chris Cleave

The Shack-William Young

Certain Girls-Jennifer Weiner

Good in Bed-Jennifer Weiner

The Color Purple

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Bang! - A story of growing up in the hood.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

xoxo,

Savvy

Family

2010-12-28T12:17:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I forget how fun and ridiculous my family is, then little things help to remind me. On Christmas this year we went to hangout with an extension of our family, the Wesleys, to enjoy lunch. Before heading out I wanted to get a picture of everyone in front of the tree...our family is known for being epically late to everything, so we got up early and were all ready and taking pictures on time, we even arrived to the restaurant on time-many high fives ensued. I was so proud of everyone for our teamwork...it's just so funny how something so small can bring us all together and put smiles on our faces.

So while this Christmas was empty without my mom, I'm sure she was just as giddy to see us happily arriving places on time.

yay! For family photos and wonderful memories.

xoxo,
Savvy

Christmas Eve, Eve

2010-12-23T17:27:00.000-08:00

So I promise not to make my entire blog about how much I miss my mom, I know that there are other times and places for that...but as I sit here on Christmas Eve, Eve I can't help but remember the good times I always had with her on this day. We would huddle up in her room wrapping presents (not very well, my mom was a fan of the "every present looks like a piece of candy" wrapping-like this), stuffing the stockings, drinking hot cocoa with plenty of little marshmallows, and watching A Christmas Story while quoting-"And this would be remembered as the Christmas when we had Chinese Duck." These are memories I will forever cherish and miss sharing with her. This Christmas will be hard without her delicious cooking and contagious laugh, but I'm so grateful for all of the Christmases I have had with her and I am glad to know that she is spending Christmas with Jesus, the reason for the season anyway. So Merry Christmas to all-make memories to last a lifetime.

xoxo,
Savvy

Sometimes...

2010-12-11T14:18:00.000-08:00

Bad things happen - things I can't even begin to understand, things that make me want to curl up in a corner under a blanket and never come out, things that make me want to punch holes through walls, things that make me want to give up, things that make me want to be stronger, things that make me want to be better...things that make me sad, really, really, sad.

Losing my mom a couple of weeks ago is one of those bad things. I have no words to describe the intense loss I feel I have no words of inspiration for this space...all I have now are memories and I think that my mom would want to be honored in no other way than to tell of her amazing memories, to tell of the person who made me who I am, the person who taught me how to love, give, and love and give some more.

-One of my favorite memories of my mom comes from when I was young: I was at the age when I began to stop believing in the tooth fairy. I had lost one of my last molars and when I lost it I walked right up to my mom and asked her for the money because I knew she was the tooth fairy. My mom promptly responded (very indignantly) that she was not the tooth fairy and that now that I refused to believe the tooth fairy would not put my $2 under my pillow. After much begging for my mom to just give me the money and her insisting that she was not the tooth fairy, I asked my mom what I had to do to convince the tooth fairy to bring me money for my tooth. My mom then pulled out a notepad and coloring book and told me that she knew the tooth fairy personally and that she knew she would appreciate an apology letter and a coloring. So I sat on my mom's bed with her and wrote the letter and colored a picture from my Lisa Frank coloring book. After I finished it, my mom said to go and put it under my pillow. Upon lifting my pillow to put the note and picture under it I saw a fresh $5 bill and a note that said, "It's okay I love you and forgive you for not believing, but don't do it again!" I was shocked and amazed so I ran to my mom to show her the money and the note and she simply said, "See good things happen when you believe." To this very day I have no clue how my mom got that money and note under my pillow, but one thing I know is that this memory perfectly describes her. Always believing the best, always teaching me to believe, and always forgiving. I miss her so much it hurts, but I'm so glad to have know such a beautiful woman.

xoxo,
Savvy

Happenings...

2010-11-17T10:33:00.000-08:00

-I'm going to Austria, Italy, and Germany in t-minus 2 days! I'm super excited to be going, but I leave with a few reservations. Those being a lack of money upon my return, my mom sick in the hospital, and missing family Thanksgiving. With that said, I am just praying for God to provide and to have a fun and safe trip! Thus far, all I have packed are snacks...a vital part of traveling I would say :) Before I leave I still have to
1) Do Laundry 2) Clean my house 3) Recycle 4) Study extra for the GRE, seeing how I won't be studying at all while there 5) And go for a job interview tomorrow

I'm going to Austria with this lovely lady!

-Speaking of Jobs, I haven't apprised the blog world to the fact that I am/have been working at a new job! I am working for a Christian book publisher Howard Books. While I loved working at The Courier, I find working here so much more satisfying-I'm not really a sales person, so I got bored quickly. Also, to hopefully supplement my income I will soon be writing for an alternative medicine journal if the interview goes well.

-A final happening would include returning to my alma mater for the first time as an alumni a little over a week ago. I LOVED it! I felt like a celebrity with all my former classmates and sorority sisters asking for photos and giving out hugs, not to mention the breakfast held in honor of the alumni. Also, one of my best friends, Alyssa won homecoming queen!

Those are all of the major happenings for now.

xoxo,
Savvy

Before Fall is Over...

2010-11-10T14:25:00.000-08:00

I want to:
-Eat Lots of Turkey
-Try on of those pumpkin blizzards at Dairy Queen
-Go to one more bonfire-and drink hot apple cider while there
-Successfully roast marshmallows in my fireplace (last time building/maintaining the fire didn't go so well)
-And paint my fingernails burnt orange

...if I complete all of these tasks (which seem to involve a lot of eating hehe!) before winter begins, I will be one happy girl. I'm excited about Christmas time and all the festivities that come with it, but I just want to thoroughly enjoy fall first.

xoxo,
Savvy

Pesky Things!

2010-11-07T18:39:00.000-08:00

I got pulled over twice this week because my registration expired. It's such an annoying thing to have to go and take time out to renew...but now that I have a citation from not doing this very thing I wish I wasn't so lazy.

Getting this ticket made me think about things that really annoy me and I feel that this is a perfect opportunity to let my readers in on a little more about who I am and what makes me tick...so here goes my list of pesky things:

-Things that have to be renewed yearly (or more often than that)
-Waiting in long lines at the grocery store
-Slow gas pumps in the winter
-Driving on a one lane road behind someone who won't even go the speed limit
-How visiting hours at hospitals are really inconvenient and too short of time periods
-When someone drinks almost all of the milk and puts the container back in the fridge so you think there's some left when really there isn't enough for your bowl of cereal
-When someone puts an empty box of cereal or easy mac back into the pantry
-Daylight savings time
-Taxes (both paying them and filing them)
-Registering for classes
-When fluffy pillows go flat
-When potato chips get stale
-How coffee gets cold so quickly

...so I'm pretty sure my list could go on and on, but I'll leave it at these things because they are the ones that irritate me the most.

I'd also like to note that while I can think of lots of things I find pesky, I could definitely counter all of those things with blessings in my life, so although I'm complaining at the moment, I also realize that I'm very blessed and fortunate.

xoxo,
Savvy

Little Reminders of Bigger Importance...

2010-11-03T13:09:00.000-07:00

   Today as I was running through the store trying to buy bread before work because I had nothing to eat for lunch I was simultaneously fretting over my lack of money and how I will probably have to get another job in order to support myself-then I heard it-Snap! My shoe broke...you.have.got.to.be.kidding.me! My frustration was at an all new high. I hobbled through the store to the cashier who proceeded to comment on how I looked tired...icing on the cake I would say. So after going back home and changing shoes, I made it to work 30min. late.
   Needless-to-say I was in serious need of some inspiration and cheering up, so I turned to a few of my favorite blogs. One being Katie Davis' Kisses From Katie a blog kept up by a truly inspiring woman. At just 21 years of age she mothers 14 Ugandan girls-she followed God's call on her life and left the comforts of her home to do His work.
   The story I read on her blog today seriously put me in my place. Katie's heart is breaking today because one of her daughters who she has loved on for two years was taken away from her and given back to her birth mother. After all of Katie's hard work in restoring life to this child, in one quick sweep she was just taken away. I can't imagine the heartbreak she's experiencing...real, true pain and devestation...and here I was this morning completely upset and frustrated over a broken shoe and low funds to support my lifestyle.
   So many times I have to be reminded of how blessed I am and how though life can irritate me and throw kinks in my plans, there is always someone else dealing with worse and needing my prayers. All of this is to say that I get so overwhelmed with the ails of my life, I forget to see the blessings in each day. Like the fact that I have shoes and more than one pair at that, or that I live somewhere where I can just run to the store to grab bread. God is so good to me and to everyone in each individual way. We can't forget to be thankful, we can't forget to pray-for our blessings and for others.

xoxo,
Savvy

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T20:37:00.000-07:00

My amazing October included:

...yummy cookies (andes mint), fireplaces and roasting marshmallows over the fire in them, visits from friends, friends dressed in footie pajamas, pumpkin fest, pumpkin flavored everything, adorable pumpkin donuts, and playing in the beautiful fall leaves.

xoxo,

Savvy

Getting to know me...

2010-10-26T12:59:00.000-07:00

is quite difficult. I'm a weird, and kinda quirky person, so I very rarely "let loose" for fear that others won't accept me. I have my guard up most of the time and it takes a while for me to really trust someone. But once you do get to know me get prepared to know everything, because I then become an open book-once I trust you I will tell you nearly everything. While this has gotten me into some trouble in the past I don't regret being who I am and trusting fully. I am a fiercely loyal friend and I guess because I am that way I expect the same from others, but people let you down all of the time. Luckily, I'm also really forgiving ;) Everyday I try to find the beauty in the little things. I'm a dreamer you could say, but dreaming means I've lived through another night so I'm okay with that.

-So here's one of those fill-in-the-blank things about me...enjoy!

1. I am in love with Jesus, quirky, fun-loving, smart, an adventure seeker, in love with dancing, music, and photography, a sister, daughter, and friend.

2. I wish someone would sponsor my life so that I can travel the world and do missions-and along the way adopt tons of little orphans.

3. I like smiling at strangers and secretly hoping that made their day better. Fall time, long sleeves, purple and pink, zebra print, cows, dressing up, traveling, food, chocolate, and spending as much of my time as possible with my friends.

4. I can turn a bad situation around with positivity; it’s one of my strengths J

5. I hope that my mom’s health improves, I want her around to see me get married and to spoil her grandkids and teach them all of her quirky ways.

6. I think that life is a blessing-I know it sounds cliché but I really do think this. Also, I probably just think too much-I tend to read into a situation when it really has no depth.

7. I was a college student just a year ago, and now I’ve moved a little further from home to a place where I knew no one and made a life for myself.

-Oh and I love this picture/quote I found through Stumble Upon:

xoxo,

Savvy

Fall Lovin...

2010-10-13T21:01:00.000-07:00

I absolutely love the fall and all it has to offer. The smell of bonfires, caramel apples, pumpkin flavored everything, leaves turning colors, Halloween, hot apple cider, and wearing boots, scarves, and hats. I had a lovely fall weekend with some of my friends recently-check it out.

Things I love:

2010-10-06T13:09:00.000-07:00

God, Family, Friends, Zeta, Knoxville, Cleveland (TN), Lee, Fall, Purple, Dancing, Singing, Traveling, Bike Rides, Reading, Writing, Scrapbooking, Laughing, Smiling (especially at strangers), Grey's Anatomy, Glee, Jersey Shore, Music-Lots and Lots of Music, Long Sleeves, Sweats, Sock Monkeys, Forehead Kisses, Skype, Fat Babies, Weinee Dogs, Slightly Burnt Popcorn and Pumpkin Seeds, Cheese Pizza, Cupcakes, Diet Coke!

-Now you know me a little better :)

xoxo,
Savvy

Also...

2010-10-02T20:54:00.000-07:00

My best friend Kristen said this song reminds her of me and it makes me happy she thinks such great thoughts of me :)

One thing that sucks...

2010-10-02T20:42:00.000-07:00

is when you move away from home and miss your best friends. They are the people who know me...I mean really, really know me-and I miss them, lots...that's all.

xoxo,

Savvy

As Time Passes...

2010-09-29T10:21:00.000-07:00

I often times think of things that could be, should be, and may be. I can't help it, it's who I am...a futuristic thinker according to the strengths finder test. A nice little definition of how I think is as follows:

You are the kind of person who loves to peer over the horizon. The future fascinates you. As if it were projected on the wall, you see in detail what the future might hold, and this detailed picture keeps pulling you forward, into tomorrow. While the exact content of the picture will depend on your other strengths and interests -- a better product, a better team, a better life, or a better world -- it will always be inspirational to you. You are a dreamer who sees visions of what could be and who cherishes those visions. When the present proves too frustrating and the people around you too pragmatic, you conjure up your visions of the future and they energize you. They can energize others, too. In fact, very often people look to you to describe your visions of the future. They want a picture that can raise their sights and thereby their spirits. You can paint it for them. Practice. Choose your words carefully. Make the picture as vivid as possible. People will want to latch on to the hope you bring.

I absolutely love to look back on my experiences and think of how they have made me who I am and who I'm going to be. I look to the future and relish in the fact that great things are to come...things like Austria with its snow-capped mountains and A Christmas Carol themed holidays with my best friends. I find my happiness in knowing that the future holds great things and that with perserverance I can attain these magical little tid-bits.

I realize that not too often on here do I really tell details about myself...maybe this is due to my worries of cyber-stalking and such. But I've come to realize that no one wants to read about someone with no substance and that's the impression I've been giving off...which is quite the contrary to who I am. So welcome...cuddle up beside the cracked window of my life as I tell you the story of me.

xoxo,
Savvy

Guess Where I'm Going???

2010-09-27T14:12:00.000-07:00

Austria, Germany, and Italy!!!

Just bought my plane ticket and I will officially be spending my Thanksgiving break with two of my best friends in Europe!

Things we're going to see:

Neuschwanstein aka Cinderella's Castle (Germany)

Sites from the Sound of Music

Beautiful Venice!

Oh and we're staying at this CASTLE in Millstatt with my bestie Amy!!!

So I'm excited to say the least!

xoxo,
Savvy

Quicknic!

2010-09-16T14:14:00.000-07:00

So what's a quicknic you may be asking? It's a picnic...but better. It involves friends, Zaxby's (get ready for an addiction), a local park (which must at all times be the host to a birthday party), and someone who has to be at work in approximately an hour. It's amazing, and one of the best ways to spend a sunny day with your besties.

Quicknics have been some of the happiest times of my life! I can't wait for the next one, weekend of Sept. 24th with my Koala who coined the term :)

xoxo,

Savvy

Something to think about...

2010-09-02T13:17:00.000-07:00

"Earth's crammed with Heaven,
And every common bush afire with God,
But only he who sees takes off his shoes;
The rest sit round it and pluck blackberries."

-Elizabeth Barrett Browning

~I'm off to see my friends and family for the Labor day weekend. Have a Happy Weekend!

xoxo,
Savvy

Seeing Clearly...well Sorta

2010-08-25T14:44:00.000-07:00

I'm currently reading The Shack, a book I have been meaning to pick up for a while and never got around to, until now. Now that I am reading this book, I'm understanding so much about myself and my faith that I never before understood..I'm seeing things more clearly than before and understanding how God operates and loves. This is such a fantastic book and I highly recommend it to everyone, whether you're a Christian or not...this book really portrays God and His love for us in such a fantastic way.

Here are a few quotes from my reading thus far that have really helped me to understand more about myself, others, and God:

"When all you can see is your pain perhaps then you lose sight of me?"

"Living unloved is like clipping a bird's wings and removing it's ability to fly...pain has a way of clipping our wings and keeping us from being able to fly. -And if left unresolved for a very long time, you can almost forget that you were ever created to fly in the first place."

"We (the Trinity) have no concept of final authority among us, only unity. What you're seeing here is relationship without any overlay of power. We don't need power over the other, because we are always looking out for the best. Hierarchy would make no sense among us."

"Trust is the fruit of a relationship in which you know you are loved."

-So go pick this book up today, I promise you won't be disappointed!

xoxo,
Savvy

Times of my life...

2010-07-14T19:07:00.000-07:00

Dear Knoxville,

I have loved you for 22 years. You have given me some of the best and most trying times of my life. You were the place I called home for 18 years. You have my family, friends, and memories. I have parted with you several times, sometimes for longer periods and sometimes just for a couple days of escape, but I have always come back. Often times I try and picture how different my life would be without you, growing up on your streets, knowing your secret passages and romantic places, and where to go and be alone or to have a good time with friends. I will miss you greatly, but now it's time for me to leave you for a long while...will I come back...who knows...will I continue to call you home...always.

xoxo,
Savvy

Dear Cleveland,

Oh how I used to dread returning to you in the beginning years of my college career! You used to be the location that was the bane of my existence, I never wanted to go back to school, when everything I still loved was in my sweet, sweet Knoxville. But then...the tables turned. Relationships I thought would never end did, friends I thought would never move on did, and the person I thought I was changed. With that, I learned to love you, not because of your charm, though now when I drive your streets I notice that you have so much, but because of the people, love, and memories you hold. Cleveland, you...yes YOU have given me 10 of the best friends I could ever wish for, some of the greatest stories I could ever tell, and an education in life, love, and literally an education. Thank you for four years of fun, but I really thank you for these past two, completely irreplaceable years...it's for that I love you and will miss you.

xoxo,
Savvy

-It's time to move on to the great city of Nashville. I'm moving Friday, but gosh I'm gonna miss my home, friends, and family.

Sometimes It's Best Not to Say Anything At All...

2010-07-06T13:06:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since I last wrote on here, and needless-to-say, as in many of our lives, much has changed.

Good fortune has definitely been upon me and here is the proof:
-I had the most wonderful and successful time putting on the musical, Curtains, with my friends in May and June.
-I was fortunate enough to once again travel to New York City for an awesome media conference (best part, all-expenses-paid!)
-I landed a new, sweet job with Simon and Schuster's Christian book publisher, Howard Books, in Nashville.
-I got baptized at the River surrounded by some of my best friends over 4th of July weekend!

As the title of this post states, I feel that sometimes it's just best not to say anything, I mean I can't pretend that my day-to-day life is terribly exciting. I work, spend time with my family, and hang out with my friends, just like the average person does. My life is pretty ordinary to be quite honest, but I love every aspect of it. I love the small blessings I receive each day such as sweet notes from friends far away and thinking of you texts or cookouts at work after a long week and acting as if nothing in the whole world can bring me down just for one weekend of fireworks fun. I have things to say, but sometimes I just think it's best to let life unravel of its own accord and talk about the results later. As time goes by things definitely change, anniversaries of the sort you didn't imagine pass by unnoticed while you're wrapped in someone else's arms, friendships you thought would never fail seem to be lost in the wind, and blessings you never expected pop up just in time. Over the last few months, I've just let go and let God, and I have absolutely loved the results! Life's good, and I'm back to writing...only if need be that is.

xoxo,
Savvy

Happenings:

2010-04-28T21:01:00.000-07:00

-I started my first week at the new job!
-I am still working at the Giant Onion too (I know, I know...)
-I am playing in the Musical Curtains this summer!
-Block party in Times Square in June!
-I am going to Virginia for an epic 4th of July (More details on that and pics of course)

Just thought I'd take a minute to inform you guys of my latest and upcoming adventures...life's such a blessing!

xoxo,
Savvy

Should all anniversaries be celebrated?

2010-04-22T09:06:00.000-07:00

This is the question I have been wondering lately, due to the up coming one year anniversary of my break up (after 3 1/2 years dating), which I can also say was the beginning of me finding out who I am and being completely happy with that.
On May 3rd last year, I felt a pain that I can't even explain, it was like my heart actually hurt. I thought I was losing something that I would never be able to recover again, I didn't even know who I was without him, without being an "us". However, it's one year later and I am the happiest girl alive! I have the best friends a girl could ever ask for (11 besties to be exact), a wonderful family, a wonderful savior, and a good job, not to mention the roof over my head and sweet car. I'm blessed beyond measure...and guess what?! I know who I am!
I am Savannah-sister, friend, daughter, cousin, mentor, world traveler, scrapbooker, pet lover, crafty, intelligent, witty, strong, photographer, runner, dancer, and most importantly saved. I am comfortable in my skin, happy being a "me" and I attribute this all to that terrible day a year ago...but now looking back...it wasn't such a terrible day, it was just the rocky start to a wonderful me. That day was like the first mile of a marathon, it's always the hardest, but once you get past it you know you'll make it to the end.
So now, here I am embarking upon the first anniversary of a new me...and the question is how to celebrate? Because I definitely think a celebration is in order. I'll update you later on how I celebrated.

xoxo,
Savvy

Websites I absolutely love...

2010-04-18T10:27:00.000-07:00

These sites inspire me, make me laugh, and cheer me up on a sad day:

http://makesmethink.com/

Today, with tears in my eyes, I told my father, “I don’t know who they want me to be!” He smiled, put his arm on my shoulder and said, “It’s not about being who they want you to be. It’s about being yourself and finding others who are okay with it.” MMT

http://postsecret.blogspot.com/

http://1000awesomethings.com/

#533 Taking a spin on a shopping cart

So go check them out and get a few laughs...

Have a blessed day!

xoxo,
Savvy

Those Facebook things...

2010-04-15T14:09:00.000-07:00

I took a quiz on Facebook. I usually think those things are so dumb and they don't usually ring true to me, but I took this one and It's so true! It's what I believe:

What Bible Book Are You?

Result: Ruth

You want everyone to know the love story behind the story of success. You want people to know that no matter their background and their hurts, God can do a new and unexpected thing in their lives! You want people to know that no matter where they are from and whom/what they've worshiped they can be accepted by God and among the people of God.

Ruth is my favorite book of the Bible because It's such a love story between God and Ruth. She's so faithful and loyal despite her pain.

So yeah I think it's crazy that a Facebook quiz actually hit the nail on the head this time.

xoxo,

Savvy

Awesomeness!!!

2010-04-14T10:57:00.000-07:00

I GOT A JOB!! I am quitting the Giant Onion!

It's so hard to believe that I actually am starting my first "big girl" job in a couple weeks! I am going to be an advertising sales representative (it even sounds official huh?)

So yeah, I'm pretty excited! Next phase in my life commences soon...oh and...wait for it!

I'm going to be in a musical too!! This summer is going to be pretty exciting!

It's a wonderful and bittersweet feeling to be quitting the job I've had since I was sixteen, moving back to my hometown, and beginning something new after four years away, but I'm so ready for what God has planned!

xoxo,
Savvy

Maslow missed the mark...

2010-04-07T11:04:00.000-07:00

What is the worst thing to live without?

While at the Giant Onion, bored out of my mind I'd like to add, this little question popped into my mind. Naturally, the first thought I had was, "I obviously couldn't survive without food, water, and shelter." But, that wasn't the point of this question...because there are many people who have all of the essentials in life and are miserable, everyday you hear about a famous person overdosing and such. My thoughts racing, lead me to wonder, what if Maslow got it all wrong? What if his Hierarchy of Needs is missing an essential element? An element that stands alone, yet defines the satisfaction to which every other element can be enjoyed. What if Maslow just didn't think to factor in something that doesn't seem essential, yet without it many times everything else doesn't even seem to matter?

Companionship, not being alone, having someone to share every creature comfort with...that's what he forgot about...that's what Maslow missed. I mean think about it, when you're with someone who makes you happy, everything seems to be better; food tastes better, sunny days are sunnier, and your self-assurance is pretty much through the roof. Then, if, heaven forbid, your relationship ends, that all changes. Your desire for food is lessened, and if you do eat more, you definitely don't enjoy it as much and even the sunniest day seems to be disguised by looming rain clouds.

Thus, it all boils down to companionship. People make people happy-no hierarchy of needs can map that out. There's no scientific explanation as to why nothing is as satisfying as another person to love and be loved by. So there you go Maslow! I may just be smarter than you, and I work at the Giant Onion!
xoxo,
Savvy

This week I discovered:

2010-04-04T17:45:00.001-07:00

-how to play Em, G, A7, and C on the guitar
-what happens at the end of the Harry Potter series!
-that drinking lemon water everyday gives me energy i didn't know i had
-walking to the library is so much more fun than driving
-i like having red hair
-each day God surpasses my expectations :)

All-in-all it was a blessed week!

xoxo,
Savvy

The Ode to the Onion...

2010-04-01T10:02:00.000-07:00

As those of you who read know, I work at Outback Steakhouse. In my spare time there I write my thoughts and such, because writing is therapy to me and working is stressful, etc...

So for your enjoyment, the Ode to the Onion:

Oh Onion how you bane me, pain me, strain me...
And sometimes entertain me.
Your phone rings,
Your TO GO door swings,
Each new day brings...
NOTHING!
Excitement, I think not.
Delightment, Ha! Ha!
But you do bring me mullah,
And for that Giant Onion...
I salute you, MUSHMAH!

I really don't mind working at the Onion that much. I mean dogs think I smell delicious. Hey! I'm not shooting for the stars or anything, it's nice to have a little recognition, even if it is from the dogs...they count too!

Have a blessed day,
Savvy

GOALS...

2010-03-30T10:14:00.001-07:00

This week I want to:

-Go for a bike ride
-Finish my Harry Potter book
-Clean my house
-Dye my hair
-Catch up with an old friend
-Learn a song on the guitar

...and...Smile everyday!

My friends are the best!

2010-03-25T11:26:00.000-07:00

Why? you may ask...because we take "family" photos on the beach together

and because we go sunset cruising together on Spring Break!

Plus, they make my heart happy and are some of the best women of God I've ever met!

Waking up feeling like PDiddy!

2010-03-18T11:43:00.001-07:00

So my friend told me that she heard an interview with Kesha in which she explains the line in her song Tik Tok. She tells the interviewer that she says, "Wake up in the morning feeling like PDiddy", because she thinks PDiddy is a pimp and that he would wake up every morning surrounded by gorgeous girls. She thinks her friends are gorgeous and when she spends the night with them and wakes up in the morning surrounded by all of her beautiful friends she just feels like PDiddy.

My friends and I think this is the most amazing pop song lyric now because it's so sweet and heartfelt. Thus, everyday during our Spring Break trip, when we have been waking up surrounded by seven other beautiful girls, we feel like we wake up in the morning feeling like PDiddy!

All in all my friends are the best because they are beautiful inside and out...they make me smile and make sad moments funny. They make me feel blessed and pretty much like a pimp lol! We're having the time of our lives!

You win some, you lose some...

2010-03-13T12:30:00.000-08:00

Then you go to Florida with your besties and none of that even seems to matter anymore!
So I didn't get selected as one of the three finalists for Young Free Tennessee, but the three they did choose would represent us very well so congrats!

I've noticed that when things don't exactly go as you plan, God ALWAYS throws you a "bone" and mine this time is a wonderful trip to Florida with my best friends that commences TOMORROW!!

Needless to say I may not be blogging very frequently, but I wish you all a happy week! Yay, for palm trees and sunshine!

TOMORROW...

2010-03-11T09:27:00.000-08:00

Is the BIG day!! I can't wait to find out who the Young and Free Tennessee Spokesperson finalists are! This is seriously the chance of a lifetime for many of us who applied. So with that said...get your crunk eyes on!
(that "crunk" eyes line was made popular by my bestie Jaxon! also this pic is crazy of me!)

I'm just sayin...

2010-03-09T17:10:00.000-08:00

I absolutely would love to be the Young and Free Tennessee Spokesperson!

I had my interview and met wonderful people such as Christian and Jessie...everyone was so welcoming and nice even though I know they are incredibly busy interviewing the 51 applicants (they even mentioned not getting lunch-what troopers!).

After having such a wonderful interview I could totally see myself working alongside these great people to bring the financial word to those 25 and under. I'm very excited for this opportunity!

Oh and I saw the cube! Super adorable!

Put it in my GPS...

2010-03-08T00:12:00.000-08:00

So my Young and Free Tennessee interview is in T-minus 6 hours and I'm very excited! As I was putting the address into my GPS I began to think about how this program has and is really changing so many people's lives. Not only will the Young and Free Tennessee program give those 25 and under a voice in the financial field, it will also change the way this generation is viewed as we show how financially savvy we are.
In addition, this program is really going to change one person's life as they become the spokesperson for ORNL and the 25 and under crowd in Tennessee. There are 51 applicants and each person brings something very unique to the table. I feel very privileged and challenged as I campaign for this position due to the vast amount of skill that my fellow running mates are demonstrating throughout this competition. I have very good competition and I am proud to be running along side these talented young Tennesseans! Seeing how much youth 25 and under in Tennessee have to offer makes me very proud to say I am from Tennessee and I know that whoever gains the title of Young and Free Tennessee spokesperson will represent us very well.
With that being said, I would absolutely love to be this person and I know I could do an excellent job. So, as I go into my interview tomorrow, I go with my head held high and excitement streaming through my veins. I pray all goes well and I cannot wait to see who the three finalists are.

Oh and don't forget to vote! Voting begins March 12th.

This is just hilarious!

2010-03-07T11:01:00.001-08:00

A friend of mine showed this to me on post secret and I thought it was hilarious...sad thing is it's so true sometimes...oh life at the Giant Onion!

Layers and layers and layers

2010-03-04T11:25:00.000-08:00

So as promised two posts ago, here are some more of my thoughts while working at the giant onion. (Written on January 25th)

What has my life come to? Forward progression, I think not. So you got into all five of the colleges you applied to, so what you got full rides to all of them? Who cares that you graduated in three and a half years when most people are pumped to get out in the expected five? Oh wait...hold the phone...you graduated summa cum laude? Get it girl! Btw...no one cares! Fact, a college degree does NOT get you a larger tip.
So here I sit making the same amount of money I did in high school, doing the same freakin' thing I did in high school, ignoring the same annoying people, and blowing off the same way-to-persistent guys. Am I bitter? Heck yes! Very, very bitter...did I say very? At this point in my plan I am supposed to be engaged, working my dream job, and surrounded by smiles from all of my also happily engaged best friends. REALITY! Single, working at the Giant Onion, and all of my friends are also single. Um...now does my bitterness make sense?
Almost immediately after writing that statement about bitterness, my thoughts wander to places such as Africa and Haiti. Places war-torn and in constant states of devastation. They don't even have the Giant Onion...much less spoiled people who can complain of their misery because they have to serve fellow fat Americans the "famous" Giant Onion. Maybe what I'm doing right now with my life isn't exactly glamorous, but it could be a lot worse. I'm not in debt and I know that each night I have somewhere to go home to and a bed to sleep in. I wonder now if I'm even allowed to be upset...the answer...yes, I can be upset. Upset that in my selfishness I forget about God's righteousness. Upset that in my blessings I harp on my worries. Upset that no matter what, I, being spoiled as I am, will probably ALWAYS find something to complain about.
With all that said, maybe I'm not as bitter about how my life turned out. Maybe I'm just bitter...kinda like the Giant Onion, hmm. Good thing onions have layers, and some of those layers are really surprisingly sweet, especially when fried. Oh, and people love the Giant Onion...and entire company was built off of it-now that's an inspiring concept.
All-in-all life's not bad, it just has layers, some are tough, some are bitter and a little hard to swallow, and then there are those layers you wish you could always exist in...the sweet ones. But, just like everything else in life, you would never realize just how sweet the sweet layers are if you don't experience the bitterness of the layer just before.
So what now? Hold your head high! There has to be a sweet layer coming soon...I can't wait! I hope my sweet layer holds grad school, a husband, and some friendships that last a lifetime. But most of all I want my sweet layer to be according to God's plan...it will only be that much sweeter!
xoxo,
Savvy Be happy with who you see looking back at you...

A penny saved is a penny...ROLLED!

2010-02-27T11:05:00.000-08:00

In keeping with my recent endeavor to become the first Young and Free Tennessee spokesperson, I have decided to take a moment to share a little something that I made as one of my New Years Resolutions.
I wanted to find a way to save money slowly throughout the year in order to have some extra mullah to spend on Christmas presents. Let's be honest, saving at the age of 21 is super hard, especially on a waitress' income. So I got a little creative...I decided to actually use a piggy bank, well it's not actually a pig...it's much, much cooler, it's a British phone booth that I picked up while in London this past summer.
Each day, since the beginning of the New Year, I have been depositing my spare change in my tele bank, and surprisingly not taking any out. Mostly because I forget about it, but partly because I have a strong desire to carry through with one of my resolutions, since the whole working out thing is NOT happening for me lol!

I have decided that once the bank is full, which happened to be yesterday, that I would then roll all of the coins and put the rolls in a box and at the end of the year I'll deposit it all. Little did I realize just how successful this savings plan would be! When counting my change yesterday, I came up with a total of $34.67! I realized after counting and rolling my cash that if I kept saving around this amount of money over a period of two months, then by the end of the year I would have around $220 to spend on Christmas presents! This means that I won't have to whip out my credit cards and put myself into more debt this year for Christmas, and that's great motivation to keep saving!

So there you have it, a smart saving tip, and another reason to vote for me as your first Young and Free Tennessee spokesperson. My adorable cat was really interested in what I was doing, she kept knocking the coins over.

Something BIGGER and Sweeter!

2010-02-25T18:54:00.001-08:00

Okay so I know this will really upset all of you who were really looking forward to my follow-up blog entry on the Giant Onion, which was to include the Ode. But I have to put that on the back burner and take a moment to talk about something that I'm really excited about...something that makes working at Outback not so bad...something that gives me lots of hope for my future and that is my application to be the first Young and Free Tennessee spokesperson.
What is Young and Free Tennessee? It's an opportunity, a glimmer of hope for me post-graduation. ORNL Federal Credit Union announced that they were searching for someone to be a spokesperson for those 25 and under in Tennessee, so with tons of excitement I applied. The spokesperson will be responsible for communicating with other youth, giving financial tips, and providing a voice for both the 25 and under crowd and the credit union. The spokesperson will blog, post videos, make podcasts, and use many other forms of media to communicate with and to the 25 and under crowd in Tennessee.
With all of this said, I'm very glad that I heard about this opportunity on the radio and was reminded of it by my little brother because this is exactly what I went to school for and what I want to do with my life.
I posted my video application and blog entry on the 21st of February and since then i have posted another video with the top five reasons for everyone to vote for me if I am chosen as one of the finalists. I am set to interview on the 8th of March, which is the second to last day to interview. I'm nervous, but I know that this is what I have gone to school for four years to do, thus I am confident that I will give my very best effort. The competition is fierce, and I'm very honored to be running for this position against some very qualified applicants. So with this opportunity in sight, I am very excited about my future! I will keep you all updated on how everything progresses...but for now i will leave you with my video: