I need a new look...

I am in desperate need of new clothes!! I weeded through my closet (as I occasionally do) of things I hadn't worn in forever. I am a firm believer that if you haven't worn something for the last six months (minus those that are seasonally specific - ie sweaters and coats) or if you look at it and your first thought is "eh", then you shouldn't keep it. So after I cleaned out old unwanted clothes, I noticed that all I had left were t-shirts and tank tops... nothing exciting... nothing stylish... I am a boring dresser. And the clothes I had gotten rid of were also not cute... so I need new clothes! I am determined to dress with more style and flare. I love the clothes at forever21, H&M, etc, but when I go shopping there I tend to get basic Ts and tanks ALL THE TIME!!! Well no more! I have recently discovered LOOKBOOK.nu - a website where everyday people post their cute stylish outfits. Some of them are ridiculous and I would never wear them, but some of the pieces are cute! So I am drawing inspiration from there. Here are some cute outfits I found -

I'm a fan of blazers

The necklace is strange, but the dress is adorable!

perfect!

really wish I could pull off aviators

I actually just like the bag and blazer in this picture... and maybe the necklace

maybe not the shoes or tights... but the rest if super cute!

So hopefully I can stick to my oath of not buying anymore plain t-shirts for a while...

Summer of babies!!!

So I didn't only travel this summer... there were also lots of babies being born - actually just 2... but still it was a summer full of babies and baby showers :)

First up was Jack Matthew-

me & Baby Jack

He was such a peanut! Proud parents Meredith & Andy were so excited for his arrival! All of us girls were excited to have another little boy around! He is so cute!!

Next up was this third little boy in our group! Spencer William -

me & Baby Spencer

My beautiful friend Jeannette!

Spencer William

Some of the girls! The other ones were there earlier so they have a different picture :)

This brings the total in our girls group to 6!!!

Me, Kelsie w/ Rori, Jeannette w/ Madi (Spencer in her tummy), Meredith w/ Jack, Jessica w/ Eli, and Nicole w/ Emolyn (Baby girl in her tummy) - we're missing Sarah & Tara

We definitely have our hands full!!

Up next is Baby girl Thompson in October! I am spending the day with Miss Emolyn Kate and when I look at my beautiful niece it is hard to imagine that I will love another little girl so completely! But I already do!

Me & Em

Emolyn Kate & me!!

I'm back!

Here's what has happened since we last spoke...

- Slept
- Worked
- Ate
- Hung out with friends
- Slept
- TRIP TO THE BAHAMAS!!

Amazing sandy beaches

lovely private beaches

View from our room!

LOOK AT THAT WATER!!!

Me enjoying our view!

the nannies

Rowan & I - I hung out with this little munchkin every night before bed :)

enjoying hand-rolled cigars!

Nicci & I - the only ladies who smoked :)

- Worked
- Boredom
- Slept
- Hung out with friends
- Made money
- CARLA'S VISIT!!!!

Macayo's for Carla's first true mexican food experience

Addicted to QT 32 oz Fountain drinks!

Heading out of town to the Grand Canyon!

Montezuma's Castle

Waiting to get into the Grand Canyon in the rain... Carla fell asleep

Bright Angel trail

enjoying the view from the edge

Tilly & Chels!!!

- Hung out with friends

- Back to school shopping

- School starts on thursday!

So as you can see aside from the occasional trip, my life is pretty uneventful. But I want to start blogging again and sharing with you my search for direction, adventure, inspiration, and just general excitement in life.

I'll be back soon... I promise :)

finals have stolen my soul...

I am coming upon the end of the semester... Summer is almost here and I am more than excited to have this summer to work and plan fun things to do!! I am determined to have fun this summer!
Due to my stress with finals and papers and whatnot that ends this semester, I have found it hard at nights to fall asleep... so last night I turned on the TV and flipped to PBS (you know, so I could bore myself with antiques roadshow or something - no offense Mom and Nancy). But to my delight, Rick Steves (I know Amy) had his travel show on and they were visiting YORK, ENGLAND!!! I have been to York... you all might remember Phoebe and my little video "Total Eclipse of the Heart" - it was filmed there! I was grinning like an idiot the entire episode see all the places I visited and seeing all the beauty of the city again! It got me to remembering Fountain's Abbey, The Bronte House, ghost tours with William Shatner (our tour guide looked and kind of sounded like him) around York where Rick, Brie, Tyler, Victoria, and I tried to scare ourselves! SO MUCH FUN!!! I missed it so much!
So I woke up this morning excited to watch Phoebe and mine's video... and then I moved on to watching all our videos again. I do this probably every couple of weeks and laugh hysterically cause they are so hilarious and were so fun to make!
I tried to upload the videos on to this post, but I can't... But I could only upload 2... so here they are





Europe #1

Europe #2

Excitement...

Wow, I almost forgot what this feels like!! To be excited about something... REALLY EXCITED!!! My best friend Kendra, my kindred spirit Betty, and I are going to the Bahamas this summer for a WHOLE WEEK!! A family from Kendra and Betty's church is going on vacation and asked Kendra to come and bring 2 friends along to watch 8 kids!! I am SO EXCITED!!!

Check out the RESORT we are staying at!!

TOMS Day without Shoes...

Hey all!!



I have been embarking upon an adventure today. TOMS shoes has declared this day to be a day without shoes!! I am overjoyed at this idea because I don't care for shoes! I tend to go barefoot whenever I can... haha!

But today is different, because I will not be wearing shoes ALL DAY! Wherever I go, I will have no shoes. Now, today is kind of an easy day to do this... I am nannying, so I have pretty much only felt weird walking through my garage and through the parking lot of the apartment complex where I watch Olivia. The challenge will come when I walk to the park later, a couple of block away! I am ready though because seriously it is nothing when you consider what SO MANY people live through everyday!!

Some facts:
Fact #1:
In some developing nations, children must walk for miles to food, clean water and to seek medical help.

Fact #2:
Cuts and sores on feet can lead to serious infection.

Fact #3:
Often, children cannot attend school barefoot.

Fact #4:
In Ethiopia, approximately one million people are suffering from Podoconiosis, a debilitating and disfiguring disease caused by walking barefoot in volcanic soil.

Fact #5:
Podoconiosis is 100% preventable by wearing shoes.

For many people all over the world, everyday is a day without shoes on their feet. Today TOMS is asking everyone to experience what it is like to walk a mile in their soles... even if it is only for an hour, or minute, or whenever you can.

TOMS is an organization that makes shoes, and with every shoe you buy they send a pair of shoes to a child around the world. TOMS are seriously the most comfy shoes in the world and I am completely dying to get a pair one day when I have $50 to spare.

So take part and live today without shoes!!!

After Lent...

So it would appear that after all the questioning over what I was gonna give up for lent, I guess I gave up blogging... and without even thinking about it. hahaha

this time last year!

Lent...

How many of you out there in blog world are doing anything to observe lent??

I have never done it... I have talked about doing it... but have never actually committed to anything. I guess the pressure to do something isn't really there because as a non-denominational protestant, I have never been required to actually give something up for lent. But part of me has always been curious to do it.

I was brainstorming last night with my roommates about what I could give up to observe the 40 days leading up to Easter and I threw out some ideas. BUT the catch is... you are supposed to give something up that would take away from you spending time with God. Now, if I am being honest, I have been thinking of limiting my Facebook time (not giving it up entirely, but LIMITING). But, my roommate asked me if I'd really be using the time I would normally have been on facebook to spend time with God? Convicting... because the answer is probably no. I would probably try... and then I would fail... and then I would feel that lovely religious guilt. ugh.

So will I do it?? Lent starts today (with it being Ash Wednesday and all) and so for the next 40 days I SHOULD be limiting my time on facebook... but the honest truth is, I have already not been very good at it.

So here is what I ask from you... word of encouragement... What are your ideas on Lent? Will you observe it in any way? If so, what will you be giving up? If not, why?

Do you have any idea how IN LOVE with the weather I am today!!! I am sitting with the door open gazing out at one of my favorite views in the whole world, my backyard :) So instead of updating you on the monotony of my life... which believe me, is MONOTONOUS, I am going to take a cue from Elsie and share some things that have made me happy or inspired me lately:

1. Spring dresses with cardigans


2. a dock by a lake

3. Jane Austen (of course)

4. wedding dresses with pockets

5. Book of Romans

6. the color grey (I actually spent most of the morning trying to find an affordable duvet cover in grey - so if you know where I can find one for cheap, please let me know!)


7. Weekend bags (I'm in search of the perfect one for under $30)



8. bike riding across ASU in the evenings


9. cucumbers (they're yummy)

10. Forever21 (got a gift card for christmas from my bro Tyler and I can't wait to go on a little shopping spree with it!)


Okay, I know that was a random list of stuff... some of it you probably wonder why it makes me happy... but as I said in the beginning, my life has been monotonous at best... so I am easily pleased right now :)

What makes you happy?

Tattoo!!!

So I have toyed with the idea of a tatoo for many many years now. I kind of have an idea of what I want, but I don't have enough motivation to actually get one... BUT I found this tattoo artist through Elsie's blog and I am totally in love with her work!!!! Check some out here!

I especially love her abstract stuff!!! I want one of her tattoos SO bad.

Doppelganger...

So 5 different people on 5 different occasions over the last 3 weeks have told me I look like Zooey Deschanel. I think it is the new dark hair! Either way, it is a TOTAL compliment and I feel so flattered because I think she is legitimately gorgeous! I also would love to mimic her style!


In other news, I have started the semester. I had one class this evening that ended up ending early because my professor wasn't prepared with a VHS player to show our first film of the semester. So she gave us the assignment to watch the film by class next week, so luckily I was able to find the film at the Tempe Public LIbrary :) I also read the first few sections of my online class "Shakespeare on Stage and Film" and I'll need to pick up a copy of Romeo and Juliet script in the next couple of days. Tomorrow I have my "Stuart England" class and my "Literature of Adolescence".

I am hoping this semester will be filled with excitement and that I'll like my classes :)

Semester nearly complete...

Today is reading day for ASU. What is "reading day" you ask? Well it is a day you don't have classes so you can focus on studying :) My day includes editing my final draft of my big 27 page paper (which I will do after this blog post) and the final draft of my religions paper (did that before this blog post)!! My religions paper is unsettling for me. This entire semester we have been working on a research project for the class. I chose the topic of Prayer in the Old Testament and what is said about the relationship between Yahweh and His people. We had to write a proposal and then a 5 page paper about the answer to our question as found in our textbook and then find 6 articles and write abstracts about 5 of them and a 3 page paper about the 6th. Now this topic was causing me a headache because I just had no desire to write on it as I got deeper into my research. I kept thinking that there was an ACTUAL paper looming in my future that I would have to compile all this research into... um... come to find out 2 weeks ago, there is NO FINAL PAPER!!! Basically we just have to RE-turn in all our little papers and abstracts online tomorrow edited and polished. No actual original paper from me on the topic. So some of you may be feeling an emotion of joy on my behalf at the discovery of 1 less assignment that I had been dreading. But as I said it is unsettling for me. I keep thinking that is TOO EASY! I keep having this feeling that I will turn it in tomorrow and discover that there is another assignment I forgot to do. Even though I have confirmed with my professor that there is no other assignment. I know, "Miranda, relax and breath." The end of the semester always drives me literally insane... all my neurotic tendencies come out full force right about now.

My big long 27 page paper is nearly complete. I am just gonna read through it a couple more times and make sure I clean up any messy spots and clarify any points I didn't make clear enough... should be cake.

In other life news...

I am getting into the Christmas Spirit slowly, but surely. I have my mom's gift, I know what I am getting Nicole, I have an idea of what I will be getting Shawn, and I know what I am getting Emolyn (I just have to go and get them all). I also need to figure out Tyler and my dad. Next week is my first week of freedom from school, so I'll be Christmas shopping during that time. Anything not to cause me to go stir crazy!!!

It also is looking like I will be moving out of my parents' house come January 1st. I found a girl from my church who is looking for another roommate for a house she and another girl live in just a couple miles from ASU. I looked at the house and talked with the two girls who I will be living with and the whole thing seems AMAZING!! More details will follow (along with eventual pictures) as it all becomes more final :)

I want to take a nap now...

Sorry this was a boring post. Here is a picture of when my life was fun and interesting...