1.) 20 Random Things about Me

I am going to be doing 30 posts about things that include: me, others, life, hearts, and passions. These posts have been inspired by

http://cherishinghopesanddreams.blogspot.com/2012/01/30-things.html

Today is 20 random things about me!

1.) I love Chik-fil-a. It is my favorite fast food place and it is the one place I would want to be taken out to on a first date (and I have been before). The Polynesian and chick-fil-a sauce is the best with ordering a number 5 eight count along with a Dr. Pepper.

2.) I have always had a desire to have 8 kids; 4 of my own and 4 adopted. I think it's because I have always wanted to have a big family and my family is not very big. Will this actually happen? I have no idea!

3.) I love DIY projects. Pinterest is the greatest invention ever because I have been inspired to do so many DIY projects and once I am on summer break I plan to do one once a week.

4.) I do not enjoy physical touch. It's #5 on my love languages. If I am close with you, sure I'll hug you, but I absolutely do not want you to hug me if I am not close with you what so ever. My friends think that is so funny to tell people, but it is the truth. Gifts are my #1 love language in case you wanted to know ;)

5.) I am the middle child and I definitely play the middle child card every chance I get. Sometimes it works and sometimes it utterly fails.

6.) I will sing a song I like over and over again for weeks on end even if I only know the chorus. My roommate wanted to kill me when the song "Whatcha say" by Jason Derulo came out because I sang it nonstop with only two lines repeating.

7.) I have been a hostess at a restaurant for 4 years now and I love it. I almost considered not going to college and doing that for the rest of my life (Thank God I didn't!).

8.) Resulting from hostessing, I love planning parties. I always said I would be an event planner if I did not go to school and still consider making that a part of my life.

9.) I love sandwiches. They are easy to make and they never get old. I especially liked them grilled!

10.) I am a big shopper. I love trying on clothes, buying clothes, picking out clothes for other people...clothes, clothes, clothes! I used to avoid shopping at all costs, but I love it now that I know my style and what looks good on me.

11.) When I get angry, I sometimes have a southern accent. I do not know why or how, but it happens.

12.) Sparkles are my thing. I love buying sparkly or sequin shoes and most things I have are blingy.

13.) I am currently learning how to love running. I am slow, but I always feel great after running for 30 minutes.

14.) Seattle, Washington is the place I want to call home. Previous posts cant tell you all about that!

15.) I am a big day dreamer. Boy can walk into a room and I can dream of our life together. That may sound pathetic or ridiculous, but I just blame it on my active Imagination. Shoot, I know I am not the only person who does it!

16.) I love the sport of soccer. I played for 8 years when I was younger, and still continue to play for fun. It does not bring out my most beautiful side, but it does bring out my most competitive.

17.) I have chosen Ohio State to win the Big 10 for the last four years. That's how big of a fan I am.

18.) Basketball is the one sport I can watch and really get into. I tend to yell even if I am not sure what the call meant.

19.) I love wearing leggings and a comfy sweatshirt. I just love comfort!

20.) I just got my nose pierced which is pretty monumental in my life because I was told not to do it and I went against my parents rules (probably a first for me) and it has been something I have dreamed about a lot. Pin It

California Fun

Well, I loved California! My two roommates and I had so much fun and were very blessed the whole trip. Here is a summary of each day and all the fun we had!

Wednesday Night: We left school and headed to the airport and flew into LAX at about midnight.

Thursday: We woke up early and rode with Bumpy to the MGM building and took a tour of his work. While we waited for T* sister we hang out on the 32nd floor balcony and did some shopping in the mall next door. I fell in love with H&M and I cannot wait to take a little shopping trip there when I get the chance. After T* sister picked us up we went and had lunch with their great aunt who took us to a fancy yacht club for lunch. There we saw Kurt Russel and tried escargot (not great, but not horrible either)! After lunch, we got our rental car which was paid for by T* great aunt (such a blessing!) and drove to our free movie screening of American Reunion. It was hilarious and I would not mind paying to see it again!We also did a little shopping before the movie and I found my formal dress for $8. Can you say deal? Finally we called it a day and headed back home to Orange county around 11 p.m.

Friday: We drove to T* sisters house and spent the afternoon walking down Hollywood Boulevard looking at all the stars. M* and I got lost while looking at the stars on the street and had to wait for T* and her sister to come find us. We also did some shopping in the morning and I bought some cute stuff! We picked up T* nephew and headed to dinner at Cheesecake factory since I had never eaten there before. Afterwards we stayed in L.A. for the night and had an interesting evening with two dogs wanting to cuddle all night!

Saturday: The majority was spent at Universal studies which was FREE!! We got to ride a bunch of rides and do an awesome studio tour that looked at set used in tons of movies such as: Jaws, War of the Worlds, and the set for Desperate Housewives which was closed set since they were filming (super exciting). Afterwards, we had a FREE dinner at Hard Rock Cafe and it was delicious! Then we went to see the Lorax which is an adorable movie.

Sunday: We went to Santa Monica and Venice Beach. All of us rented bikes and rode from Santa Monica to Venice and back. Then we walked to Venice to look at the cool shops along the beach and grabbed some ice cream. On the way back, M* was interviewed for a documentary which was awesome! We had dinner at a cute Mexican restaurant and then I crashed at 10 that night because I was so exhausted

Monday: Nanie took us to Huntington beach and to lunch at Ruby's Diner which had the best milk shakes. We did some window shopping and then went back home to have a delicious spaghetti dinner. Ended the night getting my nose pierced! I did not pass out and I did not bleed, but I did upset the parents (which I think everything is good now?!).

Tuesday: Our last day in California! We had breakfast by the ocean and checked out some cool yachts. Then we went back to Hollywood Boulevard to do a Hollywood Home Tour. We saw where Michael Jackson died, where Jennifer Gardner and Ben Affleck live, and tons of other people. We also got to see the set up for the premiere of 21 Jump Street (I saw the movie on Friday and it was hilarious! Go see it!). Had dinner at Fudrucker's and saw another FREE movie screening for a movie called Dark Shadows with Johnny Depp in it. It was also a very good movie and in a huge theater!

Wednesday: We said goodbye to Nanie and Bumpy and headed to the airport. I saw Jennifer Hudson in security while we were waiting and we ended up getting a picture with her!

It was an awesome trip overall filled with so many awesome memories with T* and M*.

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Birthday Act of Kindness cont.

I hit a bit of a delay in the birthday act of kindness. I was really good for a week, but then I realized I was not doing the acts of kindness for the right reasons. I began to see them as a chore and start slacking on the way I accomplished them. So I have instead tried to be more aware of acts of kindness I can do in my everyday life.

However, my main reason of doing the random acts of kindness was to hopefully inspire others to participate too. This dream of mine came true! I happened to place two encouraging notes on two Resident Assistants cars in the parking lot at school and they were inspired to participate in acts of kindness as well. All the Resident assistants in the apartments did random acts of kindness for their buildings and I am just so excited.

The idea of paying it forward is a beautiful idea. I hope everyone can find a way each week to serve or help someone else.

This week I leave on my next adventure to California and I am sure I will have lots to share with you! Pin It

Random Acts of Kindness Birthday Style

Since I am celebrating my 21st birthday on Tuesday and let me just say I love my birthday. Maybe it's the fact of the whole day being about me? But I also like celebrating it for the whole month, which I will admit is a little selfish. With that in mind, I decided to celebrate the whole month with it not being centered around me. I am a pintrest fanatic and I found a blog that talk about a women celebrating her 38th birthday by doing 38 Random Acts of Kindness (RAOK) on her birthday. I have decided to do that as well, but by doing a RAOK each day for 21 days. God has granted me 21 years of life and I would like to give him credit and give back to his people so on February 1st I started my RAOK list and plan to go until February 21st.

Day 1: Happy Notes on Cars
 At first I was supposed to write encouraging notes on cars, but I decided to put encouraging quotes or inspiring quotes on people's cars. My roommate and I stuck 42 (21+21) cards on random cars at school.

Day 2: Thank the Mail Center
 I believe three women work in the mail center all of the time and I know they have a tough job with trying to make sure everyone gets their mail. I wrote them thank you notes and attached candy to them and then left them randomly on the mail center counter. When I came back 5 minutes later, they were gone so I hope they enjoyed them.

Day 3: Hold the door Open for others.

(To be discussed) Pin It

My Life

My life has been quite a journey lately, this past week especially. Monday I felt lost and I found myself walking back to my apartment crying because of this feeling. I have changed a lot since high school and I sometimes miss the person I was then. I was involved in so much and never really had time to relax. Well, I know have a life that includes some relaxation which is probably good for a full-time student and part-time worker, but being busy defined who I was and I miss my busy side. The last year has shown me that I have pushed relationships away and that I instantly see the worst in people.

So to fix this fear and unrealistic mindset of mine, I participated in two small groups this week. One was purely to socialize and I loved it. I loved getting to know people better while at the same time allowing people to know me better. The second was a bible study and this was so hard to do! I've been trying to be more of collectivist when it comes to my faith rather than an individualist. I love the relationship I have with God, but I also know he says that we are a body and that we should fellowship with each other. I am still hesitant about the Bible study, but this is the first bible study I have been involved in since my Freshman year of college. Hopefully these events will help me to be more social and maybe add some healthy busyness to my life.

While this blog has always just been a place for me to journal in a way and keep family updated, I have decided I want it to include different aspects of my life as well. So this week I am going to share some recipes that I have made in the past couple of months. Thanks to the lovely website known as Pinterest I have been more creative when it comes to cooking.

http://www.chef-in-training.com/2012/01/crock-pot-chicken-parmesan.html

I made this recipe this week and it was super quick and easy. We ended up eating dinner pretty late the night I made it so the chicken basically fell apart, but it was still a cheap and easy recipe for a college student.

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/baked_parmesan_tomatoes.html

This was also a quick and simple recipe, but not a favorite just by itself. I'd like to try it another time and create into a panini instead of just the tomato by itself. Takes about 10 minutes and is an easy appetizer or snack.

http://formamas.blogspot.com/2011/08/pizza-casserole.html

This recipe was not so quick. It took some time to prepare and a while to cook; plus I did not use the right noodles so it came out as more of a soup rather than casserole. Overall, it was delicious but not exactly efficient for the college life when it comes to time-management.

http://ashleykaitlin.blogspot.com/2011/01/million-dollar-spaghetti.html

I saved the best for last! This recipe is so delicious and I have made it three times since I found it. I have a roommate who does not really enjoy marinara sauce, but she loves this dish. It's similar to lasagna with a twist and is just too yummy! It takes a little bit of time to make, but I'm willing to put in the time because we have enough for leftovers for a couple of days after making it.

As you can see most of my recipes have an Italian side to them. Pasta is affordable and cheap for us to make and I love Italian food! Seriously, I probably would eat it everyday except for the fact its not healthy to do that.

To end this post, I am going to leave you with some wisdom I am trying to implement into my life this week.

I do things based on feelings a lot and I really want to stop doing that. Feelings can be right sometimes, but mine lately have not been true. I hope you and I can work together to remember what we deserve. Whether that is a better friendship/relationship, a different lifestyle, or simply a job well-done.

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Round 2

Where or who do you turn to when you need great advice?

I usually turn to my roommates when I need advice. They are the people who will love me at my worst and put up with my craziness. Now whether or not I listen to their advice is a different question. I probably listen to their advice more than anything, but I still have the times where I ask for advice and still choose to do what I think is best. Sometimes that works, but majority of the time they have whats best in mind and I do not.

What is your favorite fictional story?

My favorite, that is impossible. I love to read and there are many books that just hit my heart. The Christy Miller and Katie Weldon Series by Robin Jones Gunn enveloped my high school years. I dreamed of finding my own Todd and Eli and going on the adventures Christy and Katie went on. The Guy I'm not Dating series is another favorite as well. I also dream of a future Gabe and a time where I can feel secure in my single life. Stand-In Groom is my third and final favorite. Yes, all of these end up being love stories, but all have a unique part in why I love them. Christy Miller shows the life of love and Christianity; actually all the books do. The Guy I'm Not Dating makes me burst out loud laughing every time I read it and I have at least once a year since I found it in high school. Stand-In Groom shows the difficulties when it comes to jobs and love which could happen in my life, right?

What is the most recent dream you had while sleeping?

On Sunday, I dreamt that I got married. My dress was mermaid style with lace and it was odd to put together. I drove to pick up my best friend, but turned around so I wouldn't miss my wedding. My bridesmaids when and picked up my best friend and then I walked down the aisle and got married to my Husband. The next day his brother was trying to steal me away from my husband and I woke up. Very weird dream, but fun to see myself in a wedding dress.

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Discover

I've found that I am an individual that likes to answer questions. I can talk longer if I am asked a question than if we just simply talk. So with that, I have been looking for questions to answer which can lead to discovery and open my eyes. So here I begin with blogs asking questions for discovery.

Who was your first love? Where is he or she now?

I've never been "in" love if that makes sense. I've never said "I love you" to show a deep commitment to someone, but I have felt love for someone grow in me. The first person was probably K*. We have never met, but we were pretty serious about each other when I was in middle school. Thanks to a good friend we both became friends and began to talk almost every night on the phone and send the lovely myspace messages to each other. At this age, I was not allowed to technically "date." So we talked with the fact we both liked each despite the fact we never met. After he bought me a ring, I realized how serious the situation was and I began to pull away. I pulled away completely when I stopped talking to him when we were supposed to meet at an amusement park. He and I are still friends and sometimes I wonder if maybe he was the guy meant for me. We still haven't met and I hope we meet at least once someday. Whether he is the guy for me or not, he is the first boy who created the idea of love for me.

If you could be in your dream place at this moment, what would you be doing?

Right now my dream place is Seattle. Indiana is home, but I am ready to spread my wings and land in Seattle. I want to develop its lifestyle and learn the life of Seattle student. I would stroll the city, the parks, take in the scenery and wind up in a Starbucks coffee shop having an intellectual conversation with a stranger. I'd discover a quaint cafe and eat lunch while reading a book. Then I'd buy the outfit I've always dreamt of with the perfect shoes, of course. I'd end the night enveloped in the arms of the man  for me. What a dream!

If you had the opportunity to get a message across to people, what would it be?

To be honest I dream of speaking in front of people; telling them about the hardships in life but the beauty with breakthrough. But the one thing I have always had a desire to talk about is Purity. Maybe it's because it is the topic that brought me to Christ or has played a major part in the decisions in my life. Mainly purity when it comes to sexual actions and relationships. I'll be honest. I struggle with pure thoughts, pure actions, pure desires, etc. I'm a human being. I desire sex, I crave the feeling, and I dream about the experience. I've made mistakes in relationships and crossed the lines I set up for myself, but their is beauty in redemption and that's what my message would be. It is never too late to start over or to begin again. Forgiveness is constant in every aspect of our lives and especially with purity. I want to warn younger girls of  the life that is going to hit them, discuss the events occurring in high school girls life, and teach older girls how to forgive themselves for their mistakes. Purity is beautiful and unique in each of us. That would be my message.

What can you do today that you were not capable of doing a year ago?

A year ago I was at the weakest point in my life to date. I was lost, broken, hurt, angry, sad, and depressed. A year ago I couldn't confront my problems in a healthy mindset. I would get lost in a world that wasn't real to get out of reality. This year I am capable of asking myself the tough question. What is really making me want to escape reality? I have the strength to say no to the temptation and I have strength to ask the tough questions.

If you had the opportunity to go back in time and change one thing, would you do it?

While I do not have regrets in life, there is one aspect of my life that I would change if I could. It has been a chain on me for my life and sometimes I wonder what would have happened if I had not stumbled across it and let it be apart of my life.

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