A chip off the ol' block

It's funny when you introduce old friends to new friends and at that moment, you realize just how long you've known that person. All of a sudden every memory that you've shared with that person comes flooding back into your head and you think "oh man I've known you a long time slash I'm getting old if I've known you that long of a time."

Chip and I go way back, as in since my first year of working at camp, he's been there, rarely having a serious moment, and one of the few I don't feel as rude making obnoxious racists jokes with. I'm still not convicted on that yet...pray for me.

We spent a glorious day in Austin today, and he showed me many of the hot spots I had never even heard of. I feel a lot more knowledgeable now. I now know where the Austin warehouse district is...get excited world. Here I come. We also went all through Anthropologie today. After standing in the doorway eating pizza and dark chocolate, saying polite hellos to those walking past us, and pretending like we were poor people who could only dream of entering such a place...we finally went inside. We made our way around the whole store, acknowledging the artwork, and setting about 12 cute timers in the kitchen section approximately 1 1/2 minutes off from each other and stayed until they all went off...slyishly grinning at every ding.

I found the cutest kitchen utensils and accessories, headbands, wall hooks and dresses, and successfully came out NOT BROKE because it was too expensive to even consider it a justifiable Target find. Therefore, it is now my new Target, because it is safe, and a great place to get cool art ideas. I think I might make my own candlestick holders like these awesome blue ones I saw today. I only bought a really cute wall hook, and was completely and utterly confident about my small purchase with the cash register lady.

We then spent the rest of the afternoon watching about 17 episodes of Arrested Development. I'm pretty sure that's the first time I have ever successfully introduced a trend to Chip that he was not yet aware of. Yes I'm that AWESOME. It was a great day.

Progress

Currently back in my cooking mode, making my grandma's homemade spaghetti. It smells wonderful in here. We still don't have a table, or bowls, or more than two cups, so this will be an interesting night...I might should have planned ahead for that.

I went to the Austin Stone this morning, and once again, left fairly convicted. It was all about healing and confession. In scripture, it says that when we confess our sins to the Lord, we are forgiven and made righteous, but it also says that when we confess our sins to one another, THAT brings us healing. Having another believer to help you shine light on your darkness is when we finally feel the intensity of our sin and can begin to mourn, which in turn brings on healing. Such an interesting concept, scratch that, interesting TRUTH that I have so often neglected. The healing doesn't just come from the guilt of my accountability partner ever finding out what I did, but instead it comes from my soul hearing myself speak aloud the darkness I have been living in. Matt Carter talked about Paul saying he was the worst among all sinners. Many pastors might preach that he was talking about his life before becoming a believer in Christ, but in actuality, the Greek for the "I am" Paul uses is a present tense form of the phrase. He is still speaking of his lifestyle as a believer. It's comforting, truthful, and inspiring.

On a lighter note...Tiger football is starting ridiculously soon...and I want tickets to the Florida game...BAD.

Accidental Recipe

One of my favorite cookies is the strawberry pecan cookie my grandma makes. She uses regular strawberry cake mix, a cup of pecan pieces, one less egg, and no water. Everything else on the box instructions are the same. she just balls up the mix and sometimes places a whole pecan on the top for decoration.

I tried the same thing last night with funfetti cake! EXCEPT, I forgot the no water part, so what was sitting in my mixing bowl was a one-less-egg mix of funfetti cake. I went ahead an dripped it on the the cookie sheet as if they were seperate cookies and waited to see what would happen.

I am currently enjoying mini funfetti cake bites with my morning coffee! They are great for dipping or just adding an extra little sweet taste to my coffee. They compliment each other so well and they are spongy like cake so they soak up the coffee well too! Try it!

Pretty Pink Post-Its

I could hardly sleep last night due to all the excitement of being in my own place slash knowing I have a million things to accomplish before school starts. I found some really cute post it notes and wrote one thing I need to do on each of them, knowing the sense of accomplishment I would have whenever I tore one at a time off of my desk. The colors are fun, so in my mind, the tasks seem more fun. How about that logic?? With my non-wireless router this morning I took care of alot of business, including changing my address on every thing I have ever signed up to be apart of on the internet. Tedious processes irk me sometimes...but it was on a pink sticky note, so it wasn't THAT bad...

I also drove all the way to T-State today to (that's Texas State University for all you thorough type) get my classes in order, only for them to tell me to come back tomorrow and have an advising appointment. I wouldn't consider the drive a waste however, because I got to know the roads a little more, and speak to some advisors that I should probably be on good terms with...plus the task was also on a pink sticky note, so that also made it not worthless.

I also picked up a new router and got it all set up after talking to a tech-genius (I think in India...and I didn't catch his name) for about 30 minutes. I seriously felt so bad everytime I had to say "I'm sorry?"...I think he huffed at me once...?

Meanwhile, I hade this amazing Kashi and white wine dinner all planned out, feeling like J Lo in Wedding planner...single, still dressed up, and home alone with a pretty plate of food.

I think I tried to play the part too much. You ever do that? Sometimes I try to set things up around me to be just like they are in the movies and then in the end, it just wasn't my cup of tea. For example, I was so rediculously thirsty that the wine would not suffice. It tasted bitter because I think what I really wanted was some cold fizzing sprite going down my throat to wash down the pizza. So I got rid of it and got the sprite. Then, my Meditterranean pizza was a failure. I was so excited about the feta cheese and onions, and there was hardly any on it. And, the pizza should have been pure mozzarella, and it was definitely yellow. And I over cooked it. I only take maybe 1/25th of the blame for this, the rest is Kashi's fault. Verdict: No more Kashi pizza. Thumbs down.

Router Schmouter

p.s. I am officially awesome. I put together my whole wireless internet deal-thing...with wires going everywhere. I looked like a fool earlier, but I think I have it all figured out. There are many blinking lights, so that's good I think, and they are green, which is better than red or orange I've learned. The only problem is that my computer can't configure my router...so now I'm at a loss. Luckily though, Sara Bareilles is on repeat and I have some blush wine, and lean pockets. mmmm...

Oh! And I met my roommate Julianne and her completely adorable boyfriend Phillip. They really liked the place so far...mostly because my new consignment items-filled kitchen is presh.

Strawberry Swing

There is definitely something about waking up in the morning to wonderful colors, coffee, and strawberry waffels that makes life just about perfect. Ingrid Michaelson kept us company as the joys of being 22 flowed around Sarah, Katie, and I. I've been thinking alot about community and why it is so important to me. I think about the communities that I chose to not be apart of in my past, communities that I thought I wanted, but in the end was the exact opposite of what fit me...I think about the Tim Team and how I didn't get to chose them. I will never again speak to some, and others I might always keep in touch with.

My Waco community however, has always been something I felt comfortable with. I always feel home with them, and it's not "Waco," it's the people, the acceptance, the compassion, and the appreciation of my lame, elongated jokes. It's never seeing them for months, and then catching back up to right where we were, completely changed lives, but completely same chemistry. Their is a freshness when I am surrounded by that. Maybe it's being around Sarah and remembering who the core of me has always been, bringing me back to earth if I've taken a small leave of absense in my oh-so-common impulsiveness. It's reality again. I have friends that are married and hospitable. They play board games. They are growing up. So am I...and I am really liking it right now. I still feel like me because they are still who they are, despite huge life changes. I can never settle for less.

We spent a long time at a consignment store purchasing items that now bless my kitchen and bedroom with colors previously absent, which Sarah made quite clear. And thats why I love you. Don't touch the monkeys by the way.

"She's so Austin"

Dark chocolate. Red wine. Cloves. Where have you been all my life? I just finished a chapter of my life that, while much needed, and very much appreciated, left me with the most ginormous case of fomo I have ever experienced. Sitting around a gorgeous wooden table in College Station with my best friend and our newly wed bundle of cuteness (Katie and Ross), drinking wine, smoking cloves, savoring Dove dark chocolate, and discussing life love and the pursuit of happiness reminds me of my age, my needs, and my comforts. I am feeling very studious and The Dead Poet's Society-esq. (Very refreshing and deep) There's no where else I'd rather be right now, and I am fully content in the fact that when I leave here I have a place to call home to return to...a place that is calling me to decorate the heck out of it and eat the tasty Lean Cuisines currently in my freezer.