Sunday, November 20, 2011

1 Peter 3:8-9

Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. 
Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.

Friday, November 11, 2011

HIGH-LOW!

Sorry I have been MIA all week. CRAZY busy week that incorporated me falling asleep as soon as I got home every night. Yikes!

LOW
-job rejection letter. 
I've come to terms with it and thankful that I still have a current job anyway. It happens to all of us and I'm looking at it as good practice for the job I am supposed to have.
-headaches that don't go away.
-the feeling of being overwhelmed by the 4 projects due next week that I haven't done much about yet. 
it's going to be a another busy week.


HIGH
-major healing for my dad. and I mean healing that the doctor can't even explain! amen.
-NJ teachers' convention= 4 day weekend for me or 3 day work week. 
either way you look at it, that's great!
-two white girls (one being me) going into a nj nightclub on "latin saturday" unknowingly for a mere 20 minutes before we were out of there. so shocking and uncomfortable but so much fun. love spontaneity! maybe we'll try again on a "not so latin saturday", perhaps a friday. 
-beautiful november weather in the 70's. unheard of.
blizzard in october, 70's in november...who knew!

Saturday, November 5, 2011

HOW TO LOVE

Woo. I just got chills and may have shed a tear. This video was just recommended for me to watch. It's depressing, I'll tell you that much. BUT, in the same sentence, I think that it is something that should be watched. It opened my eyes to what is going on in our world today, showing why it happens and how it happens- and in essence, one of the many pains of this world.

And of all people, Lil Wayne is the one to teach us this.

Take a look.


This is reality. And the worst part is that many people who are in it think this is normal. It's not normal, it is dysfunctional. But it is a cycle.

I'm at a loss.

Friday, November 4, 2011

HIGH-LOW!

LOW
-feeling of fatigue after 14 hour days
-interviews
-16 inches of snow. was not planning on shoveling leaves and snow this past weekend
-going through training this week


HIGH
-two days off from work due to power outages
-listening to my dad make fun of trick-or-treaters
Trick-or-treater: Oh, I love Snickers! (close door) Dad: I'm sure you do, you brat!
-good grades on master's projects- such a relief

This was also fun- just watched this video (thanks for sharing, Kelsey)
The last two kids kill me.


"Oh, good for you. Now you're going to get a belly ache."

Have a great weekend! :)


Wednesday, November 2, 2011

I HATE INTERVIEWS.


I hate interviews. I really do.

Sitting at the head of a table with ten big eyes on you, shooting questions at you at rapid speed- specifically asking the ones you weren't expecting to see how quickly you can think on your feet, dissecting every word you say, looking for something you said wrong...
At least that's what I think they're doing. Maybe I'm wrong. Hopefully I'm wrong.
But ehck- not my cup of tea!

That is all.

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

RANDOM THOUGHTS ON A TUESDAY.

1. Trick-or-Treaters are really dropping the ball these days. If they are going to go, they at least need to put some effort in. Walking up to a door in your school clothes and a pillowcase, without saying a word when the door is answered, doesn't cut it. There needs to be a policy: No Costume. No Candy. And second, is it that much of a bother to say three words at the door- "Trick or Treat"? Laziness. They come expecting- news flash kids: in my type of America, you need to work for it. Nothing is free. And in this case, your work is putting on a costume and saying "Trick-or-Treat". Not a bad deal for free candy, if you ask me.
...minus the "eaten" part. Awkward.

Here's my little nephew yesterday. Take notes, kids.

Cutie!


2. It's November already? Weird. Where did the past 10 months go? This marks Thanksgiving month and the start of the holiday season. My favorite! However, it also marks "No Shave November" for all the college boys (and even some post college boys, sadly). What's the point? Ain't gettin' girls that way- I'll tell you that much!

I'm not even going to try to find a picture and then make you look at it (thank me later)...this particularly cracks me up though:


3. It's all over the news- you know about it. Kardashian-Humphries divorce after a mere 72 days. So unfortunate. Does Hollywood understand the meaning of marriage, the covenant made with one another and God? Apparently not. I feel bad for Kris, but who called it though?



Leave it to Twitter to get something trending. Here are a few "Things Longer Than Kim's Marriage":
  • From @Seth_Rogen: "Kim Kardashian's singing career.'"
  • From @lizzwinstead: "The flavor in a stick of Fruit Stripe Gum."
  • From @PBSGwen: "Herman Cain at #1 in the polls."
  • From @TobeyMonster: "[Lady] Gaga's real name."
  • From @ChristyAnderson: "However long it took to find Nemo."
  • From @AshJed: "Dora the Explorer's pause, when she is waiting for you to answer her question."
  • From @A_MgDee: "The hashtag #ThingsLongerThanKimsMarriage."
  • And of course, from @SoVeryAwkward: "That awkward moment when the list of#ThingsLongerThanKimsMarriage is longer than Kim's marriage."

4. I'm on day 2 of no school because the school and surrounding towns that I work in are still without power from Saturday's storm. Some people are on day 4 of no power, heat, or electricity. Feeling thankful we didn't lose any. I have a feeling it will be back to work tomorrow. I won't complain about the 4 day weekend though!

Oh, and one other thing I forgot,
5. CC Sabathia...trying to opt out of his contract for a little (and I use that word lightly) more money. In the end he decided to stay with the Yankees (we are so glad to keep you, by the way!) but for 30 million dollars more. I would've been happy with just one million, but that's just me though. Great business move by you, CC, but let's be frank- that was a little selfish.

Monday, October 31, 2011

WE GOT ROCKED!

So first off let me remind you of the date. Today is October 31, 2011.

Yea, yea, yea, it's Halloween. But something better (debatable) happened just a few short 24-36 hours ago. Yup, we got ROCKED by a nor'easter in the middle of fall. I thought I went to bed, slept for 2 months, and woke up on Christmas morning.


With a forecast of 5-8 inches, the weathermen were wrong again. Surprise surprise. No, we didn't get a dusting or about 3 inches...we didn't get 9 inches or a foot of snow. We got 16 inches, people! Are you kidding me?






This storm knocked us out and knocked many people's electricity out too. And some still have no electricity or heat (hence, no work today!). I couldn't imagine. Thankfully our electrical lines are underground so we never lost it, but we did lose this...

our poor tree.
He's not salvageable. That guy is gonna have to go completely. Sad.

That is really nothing compared to what you see when you drive around. Tree branches everywhere, uprooted trees, trees split in half at the trunk, limbs hanging along with telephone wires snapped, hanging, and lying on the ground. Crazy storm.

Anyways, grab some blankets, hot chocolate, and keep warm everyone! It's going to be a longggg winter.


Sunday, October 30, 2011

Colossians 3:14


I hope you all have a blessed Sunday, warm with loved ones, out of this ridiculous snow.

Friday, October 28, 2011

HIGH-LOW!

LOW
-last night. 
Holy Moly was I tired both physically and emotionally along with a nice little headache going on. 
-some one hit my car today. scratched and dented one of the door panels. no bueno. good thing i don't have a really nice car.
-seeing snow. its October for goodness sake!

HIGH
-having the pleasure of meeting this little boy with autism. he just melts my heart! and I get to work with him everyday :)
-working with kids. the innocent things they say just crack me up and their belly giggles... i die!
-excedrin. does the body well for headache relief. thank you inventor of excedrin. i owe you- big time!
-good bonding and cooking time with friends and family.
-talking to friends who listen, support, and encourage.
-phone call for another interview for a dream position.



Have a great weekend everyone! I'm going to check out just a few jackolanterns. 4000 to be exact! Scratch that. It's sold out this weekend. Add that to "LOW" :(

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

LEAVE.


I stumbled across this excerpt on Don Miller's blog from one of his books, "Through Painted Deserts". If you don't know who Don Miller is, I would encourage you to get to know him. He is an amazing thinker and writer. As I read anything that he has written, whether it be one of his books or his blog, I always leave thinking- and I love that! (although I do love the mindless girly, trashy books too!) He challenges you to be who you were made to be- to step beyond your comfort zone, to discover and live. And frankly, I think we all need a little of that.

(the brilliant, Don Miller- doesn't he look fun? I want to be his friend.)




Don Miller has written several books, "Blue Like Jazz" being my favorite- not to mention it is becoming a movie, too! 

"A Million Miles in a Thousand Years" is a close runner-up.

Check them out if you haven't yet!



Here is something I found to be true: you don’t start processing death until you turn thirty. I live in visions, for instance, and they are cast out some fifty years, and just now, just last year I realized my visions were cast too far, they were out beyond my life span. It frightened me to think of it, that I passed up an early marriage or children to write these silly books, that I bought the lie that the academic life had to be separate from relational experience, as though God only wanted us to learn cognitive ideas, as if the heart of a man were only created to resonate with movies. No, life cannot be understood flat on a page. It has to be lived; a person has to get out of his head, has to fall in love, has to memorize poems, has to jump off bridges into rivers, has to stand in an empty desert and whisper sonnets under his breath:
I’ll tell you how the sun rose
A ribbon at a time . . .
It’s a living book, this life; it folds out in a million settings, cast with a billion beautiful characters, and it is almost over for you. It doesn’t matter how old you are; it is coming to a close quickly, and soon the credits will roll and all your friends will fold out of your funeral and drive back to their homes in cold and still and silence. And they will make a fire and pour some wine and think about how you once were . . . and feel a kind of sickness at the idea you never again will be.
So soon you will be in that part of the book where you are holding the bulk of the pages in your left hand, and only a thin wisp of the story in your right. You will know by the page count, not by the narrative, that the Author is wrapping things up. You begin to mourn its ending, and want to pace yourself slowly toward its closure, knowing the last lines will speak of something beautiful, of the end of something long and earned, and you hope the thing closes out like last breaths, like whispers about how much and who the characters have come to love, and how authentic the sentiments feel when they have earned a hundred pages of qualification.
And so my prayer is that your story will have involved some leaving and some coming home, some summer and some winter, some roses blooming out like children in a play. My hope is your story will be about changing, about getting something beautiful born inside of you, about learning to love a woman or a man, about learning to love a child, about moving yourself around water, around mountains, around friends, about learning to love others more than we love ourselves, about learning oneness as a way of understanding God. We get one story, you and I, and one story alone. God has established the elements, the setting and the climax and the resolution. It would be a crime not to venture out, wouldn’t it?
It might be time for you to go. It might be time to change, to shine out.
I want to repeat one word for you:
Leave.
Roll the word around on your tongue for a bit. It is a beautiful word, isn’t it? So strong and forceful, the way you have always wanted to be. And you will not be alone. You have never been alone. Don’t worry. Everything will still be here when you get back. It is you who will have changed.



Now GO! LEAVE. and SHINE!

Monday, October 24, 2011

USE HER.

Alright folks. Here is a 2nd grade grammar lesson.
I think being a teacher brings this out in me the most, but when I see words used the wrong way or spelled incorrectly, it drives me up a wall!

So, my gift to you...GRAMMAR. Use her- she's easy! :)

Real quick. Here we go!

than vs. then
than: used to compare two things. example: This place is better than I expected. OR Nine is greater than seven.
then: used for sequence of events. example: We went to dinner and then we went to the movies.

your vs. you're
your: to show ownership. example: Is that your hat? OR Your eyes are beautiful.
you're: contraction for "you are". example: You're the best! OR He said you're the winner.

there vs. they're vs. their
there: to show existence or location. example: There is money on the table. OR The car is over there.
they're: contraction for "they are". example: They're a crazy group of kids.
their: to show ownership. example: Their house is huge. OR Monkeys can pick up bananas with their toes.


One other thing, when you write, don't get lazy. Just spell the word because writing "dat" instead of "that" is really just saving you one letter. You couldn't just write ONE more letter?








Speaking of being a teacher and school...quick student quote from today:

(going over some vocabulary words)
student: waist
teacher: What does "waist" mean?
student: ...like to waste food?
teacher: No, that's waste, spelled w-a-s-t-e. This is w-a-i-s-t.
student: Oh, I know- like "you're wasted!"... when you drink too much beer!




Sunday, October 23, 2011



John 3:16-17


16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.



Friday, October 21, 2011

HIGH-LOW!

LOW
-the stress of having to get all of my coursework done this week. This consumed my week and I've had just about enough of it.
-the 12 hours of class I am sitting in within 2.5 days
-getting a Mantoux test. I don't care how old I am, I am not a fan of needles ever since donating blood and passing out twice. meh.

HIGH
-Bennett kisses.
-Max Brenner's (check out my previous post about it here)
-celebrating Brandon and his birthday!
-beating my opponent (I won't mention any names...Brandon) in fantasy football, especially after wayyy too much smack talk was done. The undefeated streak continues! can't stop. won't stop.
-finding CC Sabathia's and P. Diddy's house, eh, I mean estate, in my new job community. Chris Rock and Lil' Kim's are next.
-printing that 12-page sucker off. only took me a few days after numerous 1 hour "breaks", and repeated checks on facebook, twitter, and pinterest. oh, procrastination.
-afternoon jog on a perfect fall day around beautiful reflective lakes
-boatride down the Hudson with family and friends
-juicy hickory cheeseburger from  a new place we tried, Billy Joe's. Let me tell you, this burger was da bomb!



Enjoy your weekend!!

Do you have any plans? 10 bucks they're better than mine! I'll be in class. womp womp.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

THE IMPORTANCE OF FRIENDS

God knew what He was doing when he created "friends". He also knew what he was doing when He created the tv show, "Friends"-

...but I'm talking about the other kind of friends. The ones who you want to spend your time with, the ones you laugh with until it hurts, the ones you act absolutely embarassingly (yes, I made that word up) ridiculous with and they get it and jump right in with, the ones who listen, the ones who respond with not always what you want hear but with what you need to hear.

They were made for a reason. They were made to be real. They were made to be real with. The ones you can be real with are the ones you know are real.







 they make you do this.
and let you do this, too.


Wednesday, October 19, 2011

TRUTH.





A worried woman went to her gynecologist and said:

'Doctor, I have a serious p
roblem and desperately need your help! My baby is not even 1 year old and I'm pregnant again. I don't want kids so close together.'

So the doctor said: 'Ok and what do you want me to do?'

She said: 'I want you to end my pregnancy, and I'm counting on your help with this.'

The doctor thought for a little, and after some silence he said to the lady: 'I think I have a better solution for your problem. It's less dangerous for you too.'

She smiled, thinking that the doctor was going to accept her request.

Then he continued: 'You see, in order for you not to have to take care of 2 babies at the same time, let's kill the one in your arms. This way, you could rest some before the other one is born. If we're going to kill one of them, it doesn't matter which one it is. There would be no risk for your body if you chose the one in your arms.'

The lady was horrified and said: 'No doctor! How terrible! It's a crime to kill a child!'

'I agree', the doctor replied. 'But you seemed to be OK with it, so I thought maybe that was the best solution.'

The doctor smiled, realizing that he had made his point.

He convinced the mom that there is no difference in killing a child that's already been born and one that's still in the womb. The crime is the same!



Together we can help save precious lives! 


Love says, 'I sacrifice myself for the good of the other person.' Abortion says, 'I sacrifice the other person for the good of myself.'

By: Life is Dangerous: Let's Ban It




Photo from: Jayna Stechschulte

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

CASE OF THE TUESDAYS


I think Tuesdays are the worst day of the week. I know Mondays are bad but everyone knows that already and you really just came off of a two day vacation, if you will. It shouldn't be that bad. Even so, Mondays are expected to be bad and that's just the way it is. Tuesdays, however, remind you just how long the work week is. By Tuesday, you're not even halfway there yet. What is there to look forward to? Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday? Ugh. On Wednesday, it "hump day". You know you're halfway there so you're pumped. Thursday...you just have one more day- you can do it. And then it's Friday!

Need a little Tuesday pick-me-up? These girls are unbelievable.




(Happy) Tuesday!

I'm off to do work all day...

Monday, October 17, 2011

IT'S ALL ABOUT THE PERFUME.

Everyone is always looking for a new perfume, especially with the start of a new season. You may not need it but you just want something new and different. You want options. (That's me anyway). I seem to be building a collection because I can never seem to finish the bottle- that's why I usually opt for the smaller bottle- because knowing me, i'll probably long for something new and different before I can finish that big one.

Let's get to it. Here's what I've been loving...

Kate Spade: Twirl
This is the newest addition to my collection, thank you to Ali. This fragrance is just fabulous. I'm obsessed. It may be a tad more on the summery-side but its great for both day and night.

Style:
Sparkling. Joyful. Fruity-Floral



Juicy Couture: Couture Couture
This guy is tricky. I had a love-hate relationship at first, but now it's just a love relationship. This perfume has a stronger, bolder scent that mixes fruits and vanilla. It's definitely a girl scent and when you wear it, people will know you're in the room- so go easy on loading this puppy on.

Style:
Sweet. Girly. Flirty. Fruity



Bvlgari: Blv

Every time I see this or smell this, it puts a smile on my face, literally (it just happened). It's so soft and fresh smelling. Putting a splash on in the morning puts that extra pep in your step. If you're like me who doesn't like an overpowering scent, but a little something- this is the one.

Style:
Fresh. Classy. Beautiful. Clean



 Chanel: Chance

Chanel has nailed it. They got it all. This fragrance mixes florals and spices and spikes the senses for, how Chanel describes it, sweet but dangerous. Its a must have in the collection.

Style:
Sweet. Sexy. Sensual



Gucci: Guilty
Just listen to the name...."Gucci Guilty". It makes you say "Ooooo" right after it. Did it not?
Try it on. Give it a shot. What do you have to lose?
I personally don't have this one (yet) but it's one that I tried at the store, didn't get, but have been thinking about it since.

Style:
Daring. Rich. Sexy



Ralph Lauren: Romance


We all know this one. He's been around for a while. But he is a classic. And if you don't know what smell you're going for, this is always a safe go-to.

Style:
Timeless. Lovely. Floral-Musk


Check out Lauren Conrad's seasonal scent picks.... I haven't had a chance to smell any of her picks yet, but you better bet your bottom dollar that I'll be checking them out next time I'm in a Macy's or Sephora.

Sunday, October 16, 2011


1 John 4: 7-12


 7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

Saturday, October 15, 2011

A CHOCOLATE HEAVEN

I found it. The search is over. I found a chocolate heaven.

This place is a must go!

You all have probably heard of it already and are like "yea, Brit. I know about that place already. Old news!" But I'm writing this post for all of you who love chocolate as much as I do and have not yet gone to MAX BRENNER.

Max Brenner has pages of desserts (as well as other food too)- some you have never heard of and others that you have- but they are all kicked up to the next level.

This place is located right on Broadway between 13th and 14th, so next time you're in the Big Apple (or in another one of their locations throughout the world), you must make a pitstop. However, be prepared to wait and definitely make a reservation before going! We made a reservation and still had to wait about a half hour. If you didn't have a reservation, you were looking at waiting an hour and a half! Regardless it was worth the wait!


The bald man knows his chocolate and does it well!


Here's what we got:



I got this bad boy: Hazelnut Creme Banana Toffee Crepe. Uh, what?! Yes, please. I love hazelnut and any thing nutella and I love mixing some kind of fruit with it and a banana worked out just great. Then drizzle some more chocolate on top with some malt pieces and caramel ice cream- mhmmm! 
He got owned.


Ceriss got the Rich Italian Hot Chocolate. And it was just that. It was pretty much drinking heavy cream and chocolate and it was soooo good! Totally worth the new forming saddlebags.


And Bran got the Melting Chocolate Truffle Heart Cake. Cute choice, Bran. This is Max Brenner's version of a molten lava cake. So yummy and as if the melted chocolate in the center of the chocolate cake wasn't enough, they give you some more chocolate ganache to pour over it. Never too much chocolate!


HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRANDO!


Have you ever been? What did you get?
If you go, let me know what you thought of the experience!


Friday, October 14, 2011

HIGH-LOW!

LOW
- the amount of stress that came with this week's coursework
-being stuck in traffic for an extra 2+ hours 
-pants feeling a little tighter 
(i think it's from too much birthday bingeing. oh well, it comes around once a year)
-this sore throat and stuffy nose that i feel i'm getting
-saying "see ya later" to my bests 'til I don't know when next


HIGH
-weekend full of real friends, real conversation, and real laughs
-enjoying the foliage on long drives
- that glass of pumpkin ale
-birthday home with an amazing family
-the numerous feelings of love throughout this week
- the taste of my carrot cake birthday cake in my mouth. indescribably (<-word?) good.
-sister and nephew coming. yay! missed them!
-seeing the expressions on people's faces when you blindside them with a "random act of kindness"
-feeling and seeing the power of faith and prayer
-can I say this? ...job!

(my amazing birthday cake. recipe to come!)


Happy Friday!

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

EASILY DISTRACTED?

I stumbled upon this on Finding Beauty in the Ordinary and couldn't help but want to share it. If you're anything like me, and I'm not proud of this, but it seems like I am always glued to some sort of technology or communication device, mainly my laptop or phone. I swear I would be so much more productive if these devilish devices weren't around. 

Ohhh, if I only had the courage to do this...


So clever.

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

A BLESSED BIRTHDAY

I'm a little "emo" right now, if you will. Bear with me...

I am sitting here speechless by the amount of acts of love toward me for my birthday this year. I was talking to a friend earlier and was like "I literally don't know how to react anymore from everyone. Like what?! These people are real?" Apparently you all are. AMAZING.

I'm still sitting here trying to figure out how to put how I am feeling into words. All I can really come up with is this word:
BLESSED.

I would expand on that word if I could, but I can't, so maybe look it up in the dictionary and they could give you a better idea of how I am feeling.

The "gifts" that I don't physically receive, that I can't physically touch, but the ones that were given out of love, kindness, and thoughtfulness- those are the best out ones to receive. It's the simple acts that have meant the most to me today: the numerous personal phone calls and voicemails, the texts that simply said "happy birthday, i love you", the wall posts, the special blogposts (what?! I never expected that!- and multiple, I might add), the "special birthday dinner" that my mom came home and made for me after working all day and then baking my favorite cake perfectly after (it looked as if the "Cake Boss" made it), and the flowers my brother brought home for me. Then to mention the weekend prior full of friends, full of little acts of love- like "hey, i'll get this- happy birthday!" or "let's go out- early birthday present!" and now for a weekend ahead full of family. It's been nearly perfect.


Thank you to all who have made it special. Each little message sent or demonstration of love has put a smile on my face.... but I hope you didn't give it all in one shot and saved some of this love for next year too! ;)

Cheers to 23! I think it's going to be a good one...


(my boys: Dad and Brando with the "professional" birthday cake, missing my girls: Mom and Sosh)



If you missed some of the blogposts from some of my dear friends and family, check them out on their blog!
Ali at "write up your ali", Colleen at "Mademoiselle Michael", and Cerissa at "Satisfied". All great follows, if I do say so myself!

23 RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS.

As my 23rd birthday has come and will go, I sit and think about everything I have been blessed with already during my short time here on earth: my unconditional loving family, loyal friendships, full health, a faith with a purpose, and so much more. I begin to realize how many sacrifices and acts of kindness have been given to me and it only seems fitting that I give back, even though it may seem insignificant. After being inspired by another blogger who has done this before, I have decided to take the rest of the course of "birthday month" to do just that. I will perform 23 random acts of kindness to celebrate my birthday this year.

I hope to spread some compassion and warmheartedness to ones close to me and to total strangers and hopefully impact their life in a positive way for just a moment.



Have you ever done any random acts of kindness? What are some of the things you have done?
I hope to try to be original as I do this so any fun ideas are always welcome! :)