Two truths

Ever felt like your life was turned upside down? Chances are, everyone has felt that way at one point or another. Whether it was because of school, work, relationships, family, friends, even regular day-to-day things that can make life seem impossible sometimes. Feeling overwhelmed or not in control of our lives can create a sense of stress or worry inside of us.  Yet, we are told to trust that the Lord has a plan for us, and that He makes ALL things work together for our good:

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. Romans 8:28

It gets difficult to let go, and let God.

1.  You think you know what is going to happen. Well, you don't. Yep it's that simple.  You may create a plan for your life, a future, and it just might not be what the Lord has planned for you.  So at that point you can feel lost, confused, even angry.  Well, this quote from Thomas S. Monson is so true, and something we all should learn. Things don't always go the way that we want, so we simply "adjust our sails" and try something else.
2. You think you know what is best for you. Well, you don't always.  If you trust in the Lord, and you live your life to glorify Him, He will take care of you.  He knows you, all of you; the good, the bad, your best, your worst-- your every waking thought.  If He's taking you through trouble waters, perhaps you should hold on.  There's a method to the madness, it just might take time in the wake of everything to realize what it was.

We don't always do everything right, we don't always know what's best, and we can't see the Lord's entire plan. So, we trust and love the Lord and wait for things to get better.

Incase you didn't notice, I have a major case of the Monday's.  But, there are so many things I have to be grateful for.  If you're having a bad day, remember that too!

Falling for fall.

I saw a sign on pinterest, or maybe it was an e-card... either way it was adorable and so fitting for what I'm feeling right now. It said something along the lines of, "What's the first day of fall?" ..."Sweetie, everyone knows it's when Starbucks starts selling pumpkin spice latte's".  I wish I would of re-pinned it... any-who.

I noticed today, as I sipped on my pumpkin spice latte, that fall is rapidly approaching. With fall comes adorable warm and cozy outfits.  Now don't get me wrong, I'm a summer weather girl.  I love shorts, tanks, dresses, flip-flops, bathing suits... you name it.  But there is a certain comfort that I can find in an oversized sweater, scarf, and boots.  Although I'm functioning on a budge, a limited one at that, a girl can dream-- right? Well here are a few additions I'd officially like to make to my dream closet.

Found on my "Fashionista" pin-board.

A little laughter.

Hope this at least made you giggle! Have a great Wednesday!

A few favorite fonts!

Bebas// Diner// Scriptina// Scribble box//Modern No. 20// Channel//
Champagne & Limousines// Cursif// billabong// Coventry Garden

Statement necklaces

Statement Necklaces, it goes without saying that this is a bold fashion trend, and it's one I've been trying to pull off lately.  It's so nice as a pop of color to a simple ensemble. My biggest dilemma is figuring out what to pair them with?  After browsing pinterest for a while I found they really can compliment any plain top or dress.  

1//2//3//4

My most recent attempt at rocking a statement necklace was at the Clemson/ Furman game.  I wore a simple white dress with a bright orange necklace to represent my tiger pride. What do you think?

I'll be (hopefully) getting my bubble necklace in soon! I'll be sure to update you on what outfits I try with it.

How are you wearing your statement necklaces?

Jewelry, on a dime.

I've really wanted some new jewelry lately, and I don't mean just accent pieces that work with one or two outfits (although I am pretty excited about that bubble necklace).  I wanted to get some pieces that I could wear to class when I'm dressed down or out on the town when I'm all dressed up. However, when operating on a budget, this isn't always an easy feat.

And so that's where Amazon came flying in, cape and all, to save the day.

1. Silver Cross ring with cable band.  Small and subtle, but an adorable ring that not only acts as a great accessory, but also a wonderful and humbling reminder.
2. Designer inspired thin cable bracelet with champagne colored stones.  Well, we're on a budget, right?
3. Geneva Platinum two tone women's watch.  Gotta love gold and silver, eases the decision making process on the rest of the jewelry.
4. My favorite, the Geneva rose gold women's "boyfriend" watch.  Such a beautiful color!

Fear of "speaking out"

If you follow me on here, you've probably seen where I'm a small group leader this semester in FCA. During the first few weeks we've been getting our girls, attempting to find a time that works for everyone, and then dividing them up between my co-leader and I.  

We met last night and a lot of girls couldn't make it for different reasons but it was basically a time for us to hang out and get to know the few girls who were able to come.

Next week, however, is the (for some) dreaded event of sharing testimonies.  

Sharing testimonies is where each girl gives a little bit about herself, past-present-future, and a little about her walk with the Lord and how she came into a relationship with him.  

My co-leader and I agreed that this was a wonderful way to break the ice (the first "serious" time that we'll share together) and will open up the doors for possible topics and prayer requests for the group in the future.  

To some this is a chance to really get stuff off your chest, because for some we've never told our story of how we met Jesus. To others, this is a time of pure panic.

"What will the girls think of me?" "Is my story relevant?" "Can I do this?"

Public speaking is never fun, talking about personal issues is rarely fun.  But I think it's important to remember that our testimony is written by the Lord, and therefore nothing to be ashamed of.  

Psalm 139: 1-4 You have searched me, Lord, and you know me.  You know when I sit and when I rise;  you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.  Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely. 

There is no "wrong" way to tell people about how you met the Lord, that story has been written for you.  There is no editing, no rehearsing, no one (besides the Lord) knows you better than you. So I'm not sure who this post was meant for, but always be willing to tell people about Jesus, they may need to hear it, and it may need to be from you.

Don't ever think you're story isn't good enough, or relevant.  Because God made you in his image, and sent his son for our sins.  His grace and his mercy are always, and will always be enough.  

"We are his portion and He is our prize."

Bubble Necklace, ah-mazing deal.

I don't know if you guys have seen the wonderful deals via Facebook lately, but I'm obsessed.  It's probably not a good thing, but... what can ya do. Most recently I saw a deal from The Printable Cottage, for a bubble necklace at $9.99 and free shipping! It ends today, so I'm just saying... if you've wanted a bubble necklace, now's your chance because you usually find them for $50-$130.

Sorry this is so short!
I'm ridiculously bogged down with school work, but I just had to share this awesome offer!

Expect a post soon, I'll stop being so slack!

Not my image.  Image found via The Printable Cottage

Top five tuesday: What's most worn

To say that I've been MIA for the past few weeks would be an absolute understatement.  Here's the thing, I recently moved into a new house (pictures to be uploaded, soon) and in our new house we didn't have cable or internet installed.  It wasn't too bad not having cable, I no longer spent countless mind-numbing hours watching television.  However, the no internet thing... that was awful. But this past weekend we got hooked up with cable and internet and I'm back in the game! I've missed you guys and I certainly intend to get back into the blogging groove!

Anywho, back to the reason for this post, I'm linking up with Rachel from just peachy on top five tuesday, wardrobe addition.

1. Nike tempo shorts, also known as "norts" a must have for any college girl who doesn't want to dress up every day.  Also, a must have for any runner, they're amazing!

2. Chaco's, great for hiking, walking around campus, lake trips, kayaking, you name it!

3. A Patagonia pull-over, super warm, super comfy, and unfortunately for me is great at attracting dog hair... doesn't stop me though!

4. My Target brand Fake Rogers, get it? ... haha, ok really.  They're amazing and I've literally almost worn them to pieces.

5. White skinny jeans, I really battled with myself on whether to get these or not because they're white, and I don't know about you, but I experience what is called the white curse.  Basically, if it's white, it's covered in something before the day has ended.  But, besides that fact they literally go with everything!

It was great doing my first link up, and I hope you enjoyed it too!  I look forward to reading all of the others.

Pink, pink, pink

Images {via}

Although summer is technically coming to an end, well--we start school soon... so for me at least, I find I'm still very much in summer mode.  I'm not sure that I personally could pull this off, but I'm really loving these bright pink lip colors. I've always been a fan of neutral lips, until I saw this.  I'm skeptical of bright reds, because it can sometimes be over-bearing and a little in-your-face. But this pink can be both subtle, or dramatic.  I'm loving the bright summer shades as a little pop of color to your make-up routine, and perhaps some bright pink polish to match?

What do you think? Have you tried any bold lip colors?

Guest post-- Sweet to the Soul

Hello readers! 

Our names are Alex and Emily, and we are co-bloggers at Sweet to the Soul. Our blog is relatively new to the scene but we love being able to document our foodie experiments, our fun adventures, and getting to share the incredible Biblical community we have and what the Lord is teaching us during this exciting time in our lives! Both of us are also majoring in Nutrition at Clemson University so we usually try to add a nutritious and healthy twist to most of the things that we blog about.

One of the best things about being a nutrition major is getting to cook, and of course eat, in many of our classes! 

We both love to cook and experiment with new foods and recipes, but that doesn't mean that our attempts always produce perfect results...

pancake cookie, anyone?

But then there are the success stories...

Some incredible cookies and cream treats that have become a staple for us

Mediterranean stuffed chicken and asparagus=a hit with everyone!

We are so blessed to go to a school where there is never a dull moment and we always have a wonderful group of friends around us. We both got to know Sasha about two years ago through our Fellowship of Christian Athletes Small Group, where we met weekly and discussed what the Lord was doing in our lives. It has been awesome to see how our friendship has grown over the years and it has been fun to be a part of each other's lives through our blogs too!

One of our favorite things about blogging is just that-getting to be a part of each other's lives in a unique way. Blogging gives us a way to find, try and share recipes and ideas that we often use to serve others and bring people together in community. The Lord talks a lot about using our gifts to serve others in the Bible:

1 Peter 4:10 says "Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms."

and it also says in Galatians 5 "You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love."

We have found so much fulfillment in using our passion for cooking to obey what the Lord commands in these verses. We have seen firsthand that giving of ourselves in this way has done nothing but bless us in return! If we could encourage you as readers in any way, it would be to ask you to consider putting your gifts to use in a way that shows the people around you the love of Christ. He is the one who gave you those special abilities and desires for you to reap the benefits of sharing them with the rest of his people. So whether it means taking a next step with a passion you have, reaching out to those around you in need, or maybe even starting your own blog where you can share your experiences, search your heart and see where God is nudging you to use your gifts!

Thanks for letting us share a little bit about ourselves and what we love at Sweet to the Soul! 

Love,

Alex and Emily 

Guest Post-- {unspeakable joy}

Hi y'all! I'm ryann from {unspeakable joy}! Many thanks to Sasha for letting me watch over her blog while she is away!

I've always admired Sasha for her awesome taste in music. In fact, we have gone to a few concerts together, and of course, had a wonderful time! Here are a few pictures of us from our adventures... talk about blast from the past!

So pumped for Coldplay- Summer 2009

just viva-ing la vida, y'all

summer 2010- John Mayer and Train

nothing like a little mayer acoustic to get your heart beating fast!

As you can see, Sasha and I have had some great concert experiences the past few summers. There's nothing like making a playlist and rocking out as you run errands, sit out on the back porch, or hit the gym in the summer, agree? That being said, here is my rockin' summer playlist of a few of my favorite tracks!

Thanks for reading, and thanks for having me, Sasha! Don't forget to come pay me a visit on my little blog!

xoxo ryann

Toes in the water, Toes in the sand

Leave it to the Zac Brown Band to adequately accompany this post.  I certainly plan on having my toes in both the water and the sand this weekend while I'm away at the beach.  I probably won't be holding a cold beer in my hand but that's certainly alright because I will be holding a wonderful book instead.  Whether it's laying out in the sun, wading around in the waves, or sitting on a rocking chair listening to a thunder storm, the beach is always a place I can relax and recollect. Although I'll be out of town, you should make your way back to see some awesome ladies and the things that they'll have to share with you.

Motivation

As I sit here and enjoy my morning coffee, I can't help but think this summer has completely flown by. And my oh my so much has happened.  This summer I've done so much-- I've explored my faith, I've helped others explore theirs, I've met life long friends and rekindled old friendships, I've shared hilarious and precious memories that I will never forget, and I've also grown up.  It's so odd to think that in less than a month now I will be starting my senior year of college. Seriously, where did the time go?  Instead of stressing this morning about all that there is to come, I figured I'd leave you with a little motivation, all found in my pinterest board {words to LIVE by}, feel free to check it out.  But for now, just enjoy --

Hope all is well, and remember the Lord makes all things work together for our good.

Psst! Also, go check out the wonderful Jacks giveaway over at Coffee at Nordstrom!

e.l.f.

When it comes to make-up, I pretty much shoot for the natural look. Even though I don't wear that much I still found myself spending a lot of money on make-up like every three months, and it just wasn't fitting in my budget anymore.  Luckily for me I was recommended e.l.f, eyes lips face, by my mom.  She swore by it, and said it wasn't that expensive.  She got me a few things to try out, and I loved it. 

Some of my favorites: {1. Tinted Moisturizer} { 2. Under eye concealer and highlighter} {3. Mineral Foundation set} { 4. Pink lemonade all over color stick} { 5. Cream eyeliner} {6. Volume plumping mascara}

Tinted moisturizer, what a wonderful idea. Get to hide those blemishes, and protect my skin from the sun, perfect for trips to the pool/beach.  I love the under eye concealer because it doesn't just hide dark under-eye circles, it also highlights your eyes giving you a refreshed look.  The mineral foundation is awesome because it's very lightweight and easy to apply, and then there is my favorite piece of all time, the all over color stick. I have pink lemonade which is a very pinky pink. It's great as a highlight on my cheek bones and a little splash of color on the lips.  Perfect to throw in your clutch for a night out on the town or a day out with the girls.  The cream eyeliner is super easy to apply and I wear the brown because it's not quite so in-your-face.  And the absolute necessity (for me especially because my eyelashes are blonde) is the mascara.  Love the volume it gives my lashes!

I used to think e.l.f was only online, which wasn't too big of a deal because they have awesome sales and promotions going on-- all the time. However, I was visiting Alex in Atlanta and noticed they had a super target, which is already pretty awesome.  But it got even better, they had an entire e.l.f. section! It was so amazing, and not to mention everything featured above was $3 dollars or less. Yeah, it was that good.

Wanna look good on a budget? Check out e.l.f.

Gracious words

This post isn't only about gracious words, although it is always nice to hear them.  I was looking at my pinboard and I noticed i've pinned so many wonderful quotes, sayings, and pieces of scripture that I wanted to share.  It just so happens it goes along well with whats been on my mind lately.

We are called to be fishers of men, to love our neighbor as we love ourselves, and to love the Lord with all of our heart.  At times it seems so difficult to fathom what it means to love.  I feel like no matter how many times i'm told, and no matter how many books I read, I will never truly understand what it means to be created in the image of the Lord, by the Lord, a father who loves us so much so that he will forgive everything that we've done only to be accepted and loved by him.  

And to think if we lived our lives like that, loving unconditionally, how fulfilling and pure our lives and our love would be.  The relationships we could create could withstand anything, and the bonds would be unbreakable, real, deep and meaningful.  As if forgiveness of our sins wasn't enough, this is yet another gift we've been given, the ability and the command to love, and love to the fullest.  

It's hit me more recently the importance of what we're called to do, and I hope that it to encourages you.  Sometimes it's so hard to love everyone-- but we're called to.  So I want to give you a little push, not to change over night, but just to try and love those close to you a little more deeply.  Friends and family, and then to try to extend that love to those surrounding you, coworkers, classmates, and see if the light of the Lord can indeed shine through you.  It's a take off of passing-it-forward if you will, and I think we can really change the way that not only we think, but also those surrounding us.

Lovely Lace

As always, I've taken a dive into obsessing over certain fashion trends.  I'm thinking, however, I fell a little late into this one. But hey, better late than never right?

I recently went into Marshalls (bad idea for my wallet, great idea for my appearance) and I found an adorable pair of lace shorts, and an equally adorable grey and orange striped dress with a lace back.  As always I'm jumping on the bandwagon, the lace bandwagon that is, and I'm a big fan.

What fashion trends are you liking lately?

Cooking, group effort

If you know me well at all, then you already know I'm not the best cook there is.  Actually, I very rarely cook anything that doesn't involve boiling noodles and adding sauce.  However, Thursday night I had the night off from work and was feeling a little adventurous, so I invited two of my friends over and we decided to take on cooking as a group effort.

That night we made Parmesan crusted chicken, with a side salad of spinach, Roma tomatoes, mozzarella and a balsamic vinaigrette. 

Hunter took over cutting the chicken, he handled the dangerous stuff, with the help of Brooke.

He also loved wearing our adorable cheetah print oven-mitt, it fit him so well.

I took over the salad part, which only required cutting, adding dressing, and tossing-- 

needless to say I was a pro.

We also paired this lovely meal with the "Pick six" at Ingles, where you select your own beers and put them in a six pack.  It was pretty convenient because we all had very eclectic tastes.

We finished the night off with cookies for dessert.

Any good recipes you'd like to share with me?

Instagram

Started reading "Love Does", i'm too excited

Thanks to cloudy weather, we enjoyed a cool run

When visiting ATL, we hung out with friends

Where I wish I could spend every day, at the pool  

I met my best friends puppy, Millie

Went to watch Karaoke downtown, hilarious

I never will get enough of that handsome, lovely face

Chevron

{via 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7}

As always, pinterest has given me false hope in the sense of fashion trends.  It seems there always changing, however, this is one I'm loving.  The thing I like most about chevron is it seems to fit in everywhere: clothes, decorations, bedding, beauty, invitations, backgrounds, and easy do-it-yourself projects. I haven't gathered any items of this adorable trend in my closet-- yet.  But I fully intend too, and until then a girl can dream, right?Keeping up with fashion, or at least trying too, what about you?