Outside My Own Little World..

The number one new years resolution is to lose weight. It seems to be the thing that every American would like to accomplish. Some of us don't even make new years resolutions. And for us that do, they are often forgotten by February. As I was getting ready for a friend's New Years get together, I thought about what mine would be. Lose weight? No... Better grades? Nah. Keep my room clean... yeah right. Then a song came on the radio. I now know what my new years resolution is. I am going to try my hardest to help every needy person I encounter. No matter what they need. Obviously, I can't give anyone millions of dollars. But I can give my love, my support, and my friendship to those who need it. I know that I can make a difference in someone's life somehow.


My Own Little World- Matthew West
In my own little world it hardly ever rains
I’ve never gone hungry, always felt safe
I got some money in my pocket, shoes on my feet
In my own little world
Population me

I try to stay awake through Sunday morning church
I throw a twenty in the plate but I never give ’til it hurts
and I turn off the news when I don’t like what I see
it’s easy to do when it’s
population me

What if there’s a bigger picture
what if I’m missing out
What if there’s a greater purpose
I could be living right now
outside my own little world, ooo


Stopped at the red light, looked out my window
I saw a cardboard sign said “Help this homeless widow”
Just above that sign was the face of a human
I thought to myself, “God, what have I been doing?”
So I rolled down the window and I looked her in the eye
Oh how many times have I just passed her by
I gave her some money then I drove on through
in my own little world there’s
Population two, woah

What if there’s a bigger picture
what if I’m missing out
What if there’s a greater purpose
I could be living right now
outside my own little world, ooo
my own little world, ooo

Wo-a-oh x3
yeah-ah

Father break my heart for what breaks Yours
give me open hands and open doors
put Your light in my eyes and let me see
that my own little world is not about me

What if there’s a bigger picture
what if I’m missing out
What if there’s a greater purpose
I could be living right now

I don't wanna miss what matters
I wanna be reachin' out
Show me the greater purpose
So I can start livin' right now
outside my own little world, (yeah)ooo
my own little world, (yeah),yeah, yeah
my own little world, ooo

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things..

You know what sucks? The flu. Yeah. I've been in bed all day (with the exception of getting up to get some Honey Bunches of Oats) and I am bored out of my mind. Being stuck in bed like this gives me so much time to think. I could think about all my problems (which really aren't as bad as I think they are), how messy the room around me is, or how much I need a shower (yeah, I said it).. but instead I'm going to think about something happy. My favorite things ever. Vague, huh? I know. I'm going to entertain myself. Hopefully someone else, too.


1) White Bedding. Life is hectic. Life is intense. When I come home to go to sleep, I don't want hectic. I want simple. I want white.

2) Candles. I feel like you all already know this about me. I love candles. They're one of my favorite things to buy and in my opinon, they're a perfect gift. I always want to give them for Christmas but someone always gets to it before I do. :(
3) Audrey Hepburn. I love everything about this woman. If I could meet anyone, I would love to meet her. She is so inspiring, isn't she?
4) My nephews. They are so sweet and they make me so happy. When everything else is bad, hearing Jermia say "I love you, Steph Steph" makes me forget that there is anything bad at all. Braxton can't exactly say much yet, but his precious little smile says enough for me.

snotty nose. haha.

5) The beach. Who doesnt love the beach? I love the heat. I love being tan (makes me feel pretty). I love the smell of the ocean and the salt. ahhhh...

6) Interior design. I loveeee decorating rooms and painting walls and putting colors together. It makes me feel so crafty. When I have my own place, I can assure you that I am going to go decorating NUTS.
7) Baby animals! Haha maybe this is just the child in me. I loooove baby animals. I really wish that it was legal to own a baby panda.
8) Mini things! Things that are small but should be big are so cute to me. Maybe it's because I'm smaller than I should be that I like miniature versions of things. Who knows.
9) Cake Boss! Easily the best tv show ever. I'm so jealous that I can't do what they can do.
10) Weddings. Yes, weddings. I love going to them and looking at wedding magazines and all that jazz. I've had my dream wedding dress picked out since I was eight. Of course I am in no hurry to get married, but when I do... FIELD DAYYYY!

11) Nail polish. You already know this, but I just feel that it was necessary to add to this list. I own probably about 50 bottles. Its almost unhealthy..
12) Flowers. This is just a given. Every girl likes flowers.

13)Road trips! I love car rides. Especially when the weather is pretty. I don't ususally like to drive on those road trips though.. passenger's seat is my favorite place. :)

14) Thetare. Yep. I'm one of those. 15) Nostalgia. I love old things. Black and white pictures, old music, old movies, everything. It was all so simple a long time ago..

16) Crooners.

17) Hikes. I like being outside in general. But theres something so rewarding about being at the very top and seeing a beautiful view. My advice to you: NEVER hike a mountain in Toms.

18) Bracelets. Sometimes i get a little too excited and wear too many at once. I often have to tell myself to stop being so over zealous.

19) Cooking. When I'm in a bad mood, nothing cures it like mixing a bunch of crap together and then sticking it in the oven. It isn't always successful, but it sure is fun,

Okay thats enough. Only took me like 2 hours. YOU SUCK, FLU

Listen To My Heart? Yeah. Right.

I'm sure everyone has heard the phrase "listen to your heart". I know you have, actually. You've either heard it in a song, out of someone's mouth.. or you've read it in a book, in a magazine. Blah blah blah. How cliche is that saying? I've always thought that it was so corny. Like: "How could your heart possibly tell you anything? It sends blood to all your body parts so it won't die. If i tried to listen to my heart, all i would hear is boom boom.. boom boom.." Okay, getting a little ahead of myself already. Basically, that phrase means (in my opinon) do what you know is right. I have always had a hard time doing that. I know the difference between right and wrong, sometimes I just choose to pretend not to know. Your conscience has many names (or personas, rather)... Your Jiminy Cricket. The angel on your left shoulder and the devil on your right. Whatever you picture it to be, listen to it. Trust it. It's usually right. I cannot begin to count the times where I have been in a situation that I knew would end badly. I'd tell myself, "Stephanie. This is going nowhere. Run while you have the chance." But I never listen. All I can think about is what I'm feeling then. I know that the disaster is coming... I just choose to act like I have no clue. And then when the end comes.. when the pain rears its ugly head, I always say, "Why don't I ever listen to myself?" I've done this enough to finally learn my lesson. I'm finally deciding to use the judgement that God gave me. The judgement that I know is in there somewhere. Jiminy, I'm coming for you.

Just Breathe.

2 AM and she calls me 'cause I'm still awake,
"Can you help me unravel my latest mistake?,
I don't love him. Winter just wasn't my season"
Yeah we walk through the doors, so accusing their eyes
Like they have any right at all to criticize,
Hypocrites. You're all here for the very same reason

'Cause you can't jump the track, we're like cars on a cable
And life's like an hourglass, glued to the table
No one can find the rewind button, girl.
So cradle your head in your hands
And breathe... just breathe,
Oh breathe, just breathe

May he turned 21 on the base at Fort Bliss
"Just a day" he said down to the flask in his fist,
"Ain't been sober, since maybe October of last year."
Here in town you can tell he's been down for a while,
But, my God, it's so beautiful when the boy smiles,
Wanna hold him. Maybe I'll just sing about it.

Cause you can't jump the track, we're like cars on a cable,
And life's like an hourglass, glued to the table.
No one can find the rewind button, boys,
So cradle your head in your hands,
And breathe... just breathe,
Oh breathe, just breathe

There's a light at each end of this tunnel,
You shout 'cause you're just as far in as you'll ever be out
And these mistakes you've made, you'll just make them again
If you only try turning around.

2 AM and I'm still awake, writing a song
If I get it all down on paper, it's no longer inside of me,
Threatening the life it belongs to
And I feel like I'm naked in front of the crowd
Cause these words are my diary, screaming out loud
And I know that you'll use them, however you want to

But you can't jump the track, we're like cars on a cable,
And life's like an hourglass, glued to the table
No one can find the rewind button now
Sing it if you understand.
and breathe, just breathe
woah breathe, just breathe,
Oh breathe, just breathe,
Oh breathe, just breathe

(2 A.M. -Anna Nalick)

How Do You Deal With Change?

Change. It happens to everyone at some point. Some of us enjoy it, some of us do not. It really depends on the situation for most. People deal with change in different ways. I deal with change by changing something else to get my mind off of the other change. Make sense? Probably not. Recently, I experienced some change that I wasn't too happy about. How I dealt with it: dying my hair purple... along with my two best friends. We documented it.. so here you go. How I deal with change:

Mary was first. Being at my mercy....

...she was a bit scared.

I was next...

And then there was Erin.

After 15 minutes, it was time to rinse. (It was cold apparently.) Anddd after some drying....

purple hair! (kind of.)

Typical Thanksgiving Post, Y'all.

Well, Thanksgiving is tomorrow. Most people get so excited for Thanksgiving. They love the home made stuffing and the turkey and the gathering of their families and all that. Call me crazy, but rushing from house to house to house and stuffing myself so much that all I want to do is lay down isn't my idea of exciting. Maybe that's because I've forgotten what Thanksgiving is all about. It's not about showing up at the doorstep of your relative with a pie and then proceeding to eat four times more than you brought. It's about being THANKFUL. So whether you're like me or you're the one who jumps all over the thought of Turkey, remember the things that you appreciate.. the people that love you. Forget about the pumpkin pie for a second and give thanks. After all, thats what its all about.

Blithe Spirit, A Ghostly Comedy.

Everyone has a passion. Everyone has something that they love to do. My passion.. theatre. I feel compelled to pour out my heart onto this keyboard right now, so prepare yourself.. because this will probably be mostly me rambling.

Until theatre, I never really had alot of faith in myself. Let me rephrase that. After theatre came into my life (or I came into it's life rather..) I stopped doubting myself. There's just something about pretending to be someone else for a solid 2 1/2 hours. Something about singing your heart out on stage. Something about making a crowd laugh, gasp, cry, smile.. feel something. I'm sure I sound like a super freak right now.. But hey, It is what it is. Anyways, if i kept going on and on with how deeply in love I am with this activity, this would be the longest blog post in history. So, let me get to another point. The reason that I feel so compelled to share my love with you all is because I am currently doing a show. Not currently.. I mean I did one about 6 hours ago. The Theatre Society at my school (which I am extremely proud to call myself a part of) is performing Noel Coward's "Blithe Spirit". I play the part of Elvira, the dead first wife. I'm sure most of you have no clue what that is. I know I didn't before it was introduced to me. But it's a wildly funny production about a writer who holds a seance in his home and accidentally brings his 1st wife back from the dead.

Tomorrow is closing night for the Blithe Spirit cast. It's sad to think that at 5pm tomorrow, we will be performing our last show. This experience has been a great one for me. While extremely humbling, it has been fun, sentimental, tiring, and so worth all the effort and practice and lost sleep due to memorizing lines. This is my first play... and what a great first it has been. I'm looking forward to many many more.

The whole Blithe Spirit cast including our fabulous director and the 2 greatest techies ever.

My best friend Erin and I. Erin plays the part of the mischevious maid, Edith.

My fantastic director. The evil genius behind it all. (P.S.- That's grey paint... I'm not that pale. Yet.)

Excuse My Cheezy-ness..

For those of you who don't know, this little man is my nephew, Braxton. Today was his first birthday party. You always hear the phrase "time flies"... but I've never really applied it to my life. It seems like not even that long ago, I was feeding this little guy a bottle. Now he's eating cupcakes on his own, giving me big sloppy open mouthed kisses, offering me slobbery cheese puffs, wobbling around everywhere (as opposed to running), and saying little fragments of words. It's so hard to believe. I'm not even sure where the time in between his birth and his first birthday went. It flew by. Today was a significant day for me. I've finally realized what people mean when they say "time flies". Happy first birthday, Braxton. Aunt Steph Steph loves you.

Oh, Hey Fall.

Fall is here! Well, supposedly. Even though it was about 80 degrees today in good ole Alabama, It is no longer summer. Fall is most definitely my favorite season. I love everything about it. Here are a few of my favorites as fall is just starting to materialize itself...

My cowboy boots. There isn't even much to say about them. I adore them and I jump at any chance to wear them.

Candles! I love candles any time of the year, but I especially love them during the colder seasons. Especially ones that smell like cinnamon, pumpkin, bonfires, etc. Sooo yummy.

Teaaaa! Ah, I am such a tea person. I'd take tea over coffee anyday. Unless of course the coffee was Starbucks, then I'd probably have to drink them both. Bigelow's Pomegranate Green Tea is my favorite.

As you all know, I am a nail polish fanatic. Actually, fanatic doesn't even describe me well enough. This is currently my favorite nail polish. Ingrid by China Glaze, a part of the Vintage Collection. It's much like You Don't Know Jacques by O.P.I., but with some gold shimmers. Sooo pretty!

The infamous Pumpkin Spice Latte. I could drink one every day. But because I care about my waist line, I treat myself every now and then.

SCARVES! If you know me at all, you know I'll wear a scarf any time of the year. With any article of clothing. I feel like I could never get enough. I just really like wearing them in the fall because I don't feel stupid. Versus wearing them in July and sweating to death. Which I am also willing to do.

My Toms. I have this exact pair; a birthday present from a friend. Love them soo much. I recieved them just in time.. because my old yellow ones had seen their day. So sad.

Skinnies! Love them. They're just perfect. Although it is extremely difficult for me to find a pair that fits right... considering the fact that my legs are really short, they're my second favorite thing to buy. And they fit perfectly into my BOOTS!

Yes, that is a cookie. It's a snickerdoodle. Probably the best baked creation ever. Its just a sugar cookie rolled in cinnamon sugar before its baked. So easy to make. They're delightful.

Over sized sweaters like this one make me so happy. They're so comfy and I wish i had one in every color. I'm working on that.

I'm not even sure if this perfume is meant for fall. But whatever. Burberry Weekend=<3 align="center">

And last but certainly not least, the scenery.

Yum.

"Most people are like: I'd die for chocolate! Not me. I'm like: F**k chocolate. Give me bacon and cheese."- Michael Buble

Jist discovered this quote. Another reason why I am in love with Michael Buble. Besides the fact that his voice is like nothing I have ever experienced in my LIFE and there are no words or phrases that are good enough to describe him, he'd rather have bacon and cheese than chocolate. God made this man just for me.

Forgiveness.

Webster defines forgiveness as "the act of pardoning somebody for a mistake or wrongdoing". Forgiveness. That is a very big idea isn't it? I mean, when you think about forgiveness, most people just think about saying sorry, and someone replying with "that's okay". But how often, when you apologize, do you hear someone say "I forgive you."? Not very often. I don't think people really know what forgiveness is anymore. Maybe they were really never taught. To me, forgiveness is accepting someone's apology, forgetting all about it, and loving them anyways. I try my hardest to do that. I have come to find that when you hold a grudge, it only hurts YOU. You walk around with this grudge weighing so heavy on your heart, and you are doing nothing but making yourself miserable. I have often heard people say (and said it myself.. many times) that the word "sorry" means nothing when you hear it so much. People throw around "sorry" like they throw around beer at a frat party. Does nobody understand the meaning of this word anymore? People say "sorry" not because they feel bad for the mistake that they have made, or how they have hurt you.. but only to shut you up. If you truly care about someone, you will learn how to forgive them. Nobody DESERVES forgiveness. Nobody deserves anything. But I can promise you, forgiving someone is alot easier than hating them forever. The Bible says that if your friend "sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times returns saying 'I repent', you shall forgive him." We all know that forgiveness is not always easy. When someone hurts you, it isn't easy to put it aside and love them anyways. But for the sake of your own happiness, learn what forgiveness is. And learn how to give it.

"The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong."- Mahatma Gandhi

Welcome to my future home...

Feel free to park anywhere out front!

But please come around to the back and into the side door...

Which will lead you right into the kitchen!




And then into the great room area where we can drink tea and catch up.




Here's where you'll be sleeping...

And here's where you can wash up.

Feel free to visit me in my office any time.

But if I am in here....

Or here, please do not disturb.

Dinner will be served here at seven.

And afterwards, we can retire to the pool.

This is just a mix-up of my favorite rooms/landscapes, etc.

I hope you enjoyed your visit to my dreams.