Check out my friends!

You may or may not know that I read a plethora of blogs: some by friends, some about typography, some about design, some about crafts, some just about random things.

I also adore Google Reader. I discovered Google Reader several months ago, and it has made my blog-reading a glorious experience. Before, I had RSS feeds on my laptop’s browser window, but I couldn’t really read my blogs from other computers. With Google Reader, I can now access all the blogs I read and keep up-to-date with them from any computer. It’s magical, really.

But the point of this post isn’t necessarily to plug Google Reader (even though I just did). The point is that when I created this blog, I added links to all the blogs I read on my RSS feeds to the right hand site of this blog, but since I did the initial link-up and started using Google Reader, I haven’t added any of the blogs I have started reading since then.

Well tonight I went through my Google Reader and did just that! All my blog links are now updated, and you’ll find several awesome people who just started blogging  on the list. Take a quick gander over there! ——————————>

You shan’t be disappointed.

Celebration!

Happy Birthday, blog!

PLUS: MORE AWESOME GOOD NEWS UNRELATED TO MY BLOG’S FIRST BIRTHDAY!

Today is my blog’s 1st birthday. While I have participated in several blogging endeavors throughout the past eight years, this is probably my favorite project.

It all started around this time last year when I developed with a friend crush on my boss, Laura.

This is actually not a great picture (it's blurry; I'm sweaty because it was 100° outside that day; I've got some awkward acne going on...), but this is Laura and me!

She was our new hall coordinator, and I just knew we were going to get along swimmingly! She had a bachelor’s in journalism (like me!) and had gotten her master’s in college student personnel (like I want to do!). She always wore cardigans and loved to craft. And she had a blog. I had been thinking of starting up again, and I was inspired.

Blogging over the past year has been a really amazing experience, and I’m so thankful to all of you who read! In fact, as I talked about last week, I was hoping to make it to 10,000 views by my blog’s first birthday, and I am happy to announce that, as of this post…

I’ve had more than 10,400 views!

Thanks, guys! I hope you’ll continue to read throughout the next year, too!

And now for the good news!

#1. My beautiful sister was offered a position at the YMCA of the Rockies Day Camp! This means it’s more than likely that she’ll be out there with me this summer, God willing!

We were adorable children.

We're pretty okay looking now, too.

#2. I have officially been invited to interview at Texas A&M University for their Student Affairs Administration in Higher Education program! I could not be more excited for this opportunity! Whoop!

One step closer to College Station! Thanks and gig 'em!

All I can keep saying is “Everything that has breath praise the Lord!”
I’m so excited to see what God has in store for me in this next year!

 

It’s almost been a year!

So I was just looking around my blog, and I realized its first birthday is coming up next Thursday, January 27!

I’ve also noticed that I am steadily inching towards 10,000 views! (300ish views away!)

Ignore the fact that most of my views come from Google searches for Toothpaste For Dinner’s Ambien Walrus cartoons, I’m still really excited to hit this milestone, and would be even more excited to hit it in time for my blog’s birthday!

Can we make that happen, readers?

And if you haven’t already, you should either email subscribe to me (link on the right) or add me to your RSS feed (I adore Google Reader)! It only takes a few moments, and then you’ll be sure to never miss a post!

When will my break begin?

So last weekend I went out with some of the canvas group girls to see Tangled, the newest Disney princess movie, and I must say I rather enjoyed it. I really liked Mandy Moore’s voice and singing, especially in the first song, “When Will My Life Begin,” about what Rapunzel does all day while she’s in the tower. The song made me laugh because even though Rapunzel is sad she does these same things over and over, it’s exactly what I want my winter break to be!

And so I’ll read a book
Or maybe two or three
I’ll add a few new paintings
To my gallery
I’ll play guitar and knit and cook
…
Then, after lunch, it’s puzzles, and darts and baking,
papier-mâché, a bit of ballet and chess,
Pottery and ventriloquy, candle-making,
Then I’ll stretch
Maybe sketch
Take a climb
Sew a dress
And I’ll re-read the books
If I have time to spare
I’ll paint the wall some more
I’m sure there’s room somewhere
And then I’ll brush, and brush
And brush, and brush my hair

Now, my break probably won’t be this diverse (I doubt I will do anything with papier-mâché or candles, and I definitely won’t need to brush my hair as much as she does), but I do have a list of things I want to accomplish over my 4-week vacation, the biggest thing being NOT WASTING TIME ON FACEBOOK. I have no work or school obligations, and while I want to get rest and recharge, I have so many other productive things I want to do! I haven’t had a full winter break without ResLife obligations in three years, so I need to take advantage of it! So here’s what I’m thinking for my daily routine:

• Wake up at the same time every week day. I’m thinking 8:30 or 9 because that isn’t obscenely early, and that’s probably going to be my daily wake-up time next semester.
• Eat breakfast and read the Life & Arts section of the Star-Telegram.
• Go for a walk with God. Have quiet time wherever I walk to. The one nice thing about Texas not being super-cold is that I can probably go on a walk in sweats and not freeze to death.
• Take a shower.
• Eat lunch. Possibly with the few friends I have in town on occasion or with my little brother at school.
• Check e-mail/Facebook/Twitter briefly.
• Interchangeable afternoon activities:
  Read a magazine.
  Read a book.
  Write a letter.
  Talk to someone on the phone.
  Learn to parallel park.
  Write all my memory verses on cards/memorize them.
  Catch up on Dexter/watch any weekly TV shows that have new episodes.
  Bake things.
  Blog.
  Play guitar.
  Play viola.
  Play piano.
  Start making my high school T-shirt quilt.
  Catch up with friends.
• Make dinner.
• Eat dinner with my family.
• Hang out with friends/family.
• Go to bed at a reasonable time.

These are the goals I have set. Let’s see if I can keep them! Just about a week until I can start!

Alot of laughs

If you’re ever looking for a good laugh, check out Hyperbole and a Half.

My friend Barclay originally let me know about this blog when the author wrote about grammar (which I adore), and more specifically, the imaginary animal she thinks about whenever she sees “a lot” mispelled as “alot.”

And while that was really funny, I nearly died of laughter after reading “The Party.”

Guaranteed to put a smile on your face.