Sunday Wisdom: Rest

Lately I have been thinking a lot about what it looks like to have a super busy life - filled with classes, clubs, and social obligations - and at the same time focus your life on the Lord. And the truth is, it doesn't exactly work.

I'm not saying we don't have good intentions, because for the most part I believe we do. We want others to know the Lord, but through our overachieving tendencies and an underlying desire to keep ourselves busy, we are losing touch with Jesus while simultaneously giving off an image that we are Christ followers and want others to experience a walk with the Lord, too.

We tell ourselves to go go go, that we can handle adding another class, working a part-time job, volunteering in the community, serving on leadership at church, involving ourselves deeply in organizations that mean something to us, maintaining healthy relationships, and sleeping on top of all of that. We all do this. But God's plan for us isn't to be a perfect image of what the world lists as priorities. God's plan for us is radically different.

"Be still, and know that I am God." -Psalm 46:10

Did you catch that? This isn't a one time command, either.

"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”" Matthew 11:28-30

We hear repeatedly in the Bible that the way to the Lord is not through busyness, but through stillness and rest. We can't expect to hear from Him while constantly involving ourselves in one thing or another.

I've started to make an increased effort to be still and rest in the Lord on a daily basis, and set my phone, computer, and hectic life aside just fora few moments. And what I've found is that my hectic life can wait a few minutes. The cost of being still is absolutely nothing, no matter what you have on your plate.

Happy Sunday!

A Few Of My Favorite Things

Adjusting to this new semester has been a bit more of a demanding task than I originally anticipated! Even though I have been super busy this past week with meeting tons of XΩ girls, starting classes and already having tests/quizzes, the busyness has allowed me to figure out what I really want to spend time on this semester. Here's a quick post on a few of my favorite things lately!

1. Red Nails

All shades, all circumstances. Maybe it's the contrast between my absurdly pale skin with the red, but red nails are too great right now, especially with Valentine's Day right around the corner.

2. J.Crew's Farewell to Winter

50% off with code BYEWINTER on all the cozy, comfy, and warm things we've had our eyes on this season.

3. The Skimm

They've been killing me lately. A new office and new additions to their staff are making my favorite source of news even quirkier and greater. If you haven't signed up, sign up here.

4. Paul - The Prison Letters by N.T. Wright

My roommate and I decided to go through this book together over spring semester. I just started getting into it, but so far I really like it. It breaks up the books of Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon into segments, and then gives detailed explanation and insight into each section. I love it because it helps me get more than a surface understanding of the books! Definitely recommend to all who want to discover more about the New Testament. 

5. Fleece

With the disturbingly cold weather we've been having recently, I've been layering fleece on fleece on fleece. LL Bean and Patagonia both currently have great deals on fleece layers to keep you warm! I just bought this Men's Snap-T Pullover pictured above (yes, it's a man fleece) for those days when even your cutest warm sweater just isn't going to cut it.

Stay Warm!

XΩ

This past week has been super hectic for me because I have been going through Sorority Recruitment! Yesterday was the grand finale - Bid Day - and I was so excited to receive a bid from Chi Omega! XΩ was without a doubt the chapter I had my eye on the whole time, so I was super excited. What made this event even more exciting was when I realized a huge amount of my friends had made the same decision as me!

Here are a few of my favorite memories from yesterday: 

And most importantly, here are my favorite owl studded pieces that I now have my radar on:

owl graphic tee

silk boy blouse in owl print

owl bracelet

jeweled owl pendant

night owl scarf

night owl mitten

night owl hat

Happy Tuesday!

UVa // College Acceptances

In honor of UVa Early Action decisions coming out today, I thought it might be appropriate to share some words of wisdom on how I ended up at UVa and why I am utterly embarrassed that I even considered other schools throughout my high school career.

taken by fourth-year, Tyler Crown on Monday

The first time I visited UVa was the summer before my senior year of high school. Prior to that, I had always dreamed of being a UNC Tarheel (boo). I promise you that as soon as my mother and I viewed Grounds for the first time that August, I knew this is where I wanted spend my college career. 

The next day, I did the typical college talk and admissions tour. My tour guide was wonderful, and was full of enlightening information about the university and it's history. But what stood out to me the most about my tour guide was her overwhelming passion for the place. This was no scripted tour, it was so blatantly obvious that she cared deeply about the university she had only attended for a year. I hadn't seen anything like that at any other tour I attended for any university. (Freakishly enough, that tour guide would later become my RA the following August! She is still the best, and I love her even more now.)

I came back to Tampa knowing that UVa is where I belonged. Waiting for admissions decisions to be posted was absolute torture, I remember the eerie feeling of all of my friends getting acceptance letters and me waiting for my first one, which was UVa in mid-January. 

Something that I think is very telling of where you want to go to college (if you aren't 100% sure) is the moment you click the "View Decision" button and realize you are accepted. As soon as I read I was accepted, I genuinely did not believe it. I reread the first sentence over and over to make sure I was not imagining it, and to make sure I actually had been accepted. I was alone in my house when I read that decision, and I remember calling my parents to tell them and crying on the phone. My adrenaline and excitement was through the roof, which is very uncharacteristic of me. This would be the first and last time I got that excited over a college acceptance over the next few months. My candid reaction told me that this is exactly what I wanted, and the overwhelming excitement and relief was enough to get me through my high school semester exams ;)

Now, by all means, it is good to have options. I was so thankful for every college acceptance I received in 2013. But, the joy I received from my UVa acceptance surpassed all the others tenfold, and that's when I truly realized I had to get up to Charlottesville some way or another.

Some things I would greatly encourage current high school seniors going through the application process are to visit the school after you have been accepted if you are considering it, but as a student. Stay with a friend, or at the very least, meet up for coffee and a casual afternoon with an older person you know from high school, home, camp, whatever. There is a great difference between what it's like to walk around Grounds (or campus) in a tour setting, and what the day-to-day life of a student is at any university.

Another thing I would definitely advise people to do is to find some way to sit in on a class. Many universities have formal programs that you can do this through, but it also works just to tag along with a friend to a lecture on something that interests you. Obviously, every class is different within a university, and it definitely would not be fair to judge a university based off of one lecture. But it's still a great opportunity to see what kind of facilities the university has, observe class sizes, and learn something - after all, that's what college is all about.

My last piece of advice is to refuse to settle, if at all possible. It's no secret that out-of-state and private tuition is expensive, trust me, I know. But I think the benefits are worth the costs if you are willing to make it work.

And if in the back of your mind while reading this post you could relate specifically to UVa, here are some easy/fun things to do to keep you updated on life at TJ's university:

1. Follow @UVADeanGroves on Twitter. He's fabulous.

2. Like the "University of Virginia" page on Facebook. They post beautiful photos like the one of the Rotunda I placed earlier in this post, and include news and information about what's happening on Grounds.

3. Watch SNL this Saturday night to see the premier of Sasheer Zamata - a UVa alum - on the show. (Fun fact: Tina Fey also went to UVa. UVa loves SNL, I love SNL, so I love UVa.)

4. Look us up on all those college lists. We are really good at being positioned at the top of important college lists. 

5. Follow @theuniversityofvirginia and @instalawn on Instagram. No filter or explanation needed.

PS: If you gather anything at all from this post, I want it to be how passionate everyone immersed in the UVa community is about this institution. It is unparalleled and unlike any other place in this world. Don't take my word for it either, ask any Virginia professor, alum, student, or fan.

Keep posted for another post coming soon 
on my favorite things about UVa! 

Collars & Necklaces

One of my favorite preppy looks that you can always catch me wearing is collared shirts with necklaces laying under the collar. I love how the simple addition of a necklace to a collared shirt can take an outfit from casual to semi-dressy. It can be played up as simple or formal depending on the necklace, and is a super versatile look for all fashion senses!

via 4.bp.blogspot.com

My favorite collared shirt to play up is my chambray shirt (crewcuts version) from J.Crew, but I also use this look on tartan shirts (similar to the one pictured above), gingham shirts, and the classic Ralph Lauren Blue Label shirt.

Here are a few of my favorite combinations!

chambray

crystal fitzgerald bib

supernova collar

tartan

perfect shirt

bird of paradise bib

DIY: Make Your Own Monogram

The amount of money I have spent on personalized, monogrammed gifts for friends (or splurges for myself) is a little ridiculous, but I always justify it in the name of cuteness or necessity. The other day, I started thinking about how easy it would be just to do it myself! So, I looked into the project, and it turns out it is a ton easier than I expected it to be.

I always use Adobe Photoshop for my blog graphics, but definitely realize that the majority of people either a) don't know how to use this program or b) don't have it. However, this is no problem because the only thing necessary to design your own graphic with a monogram is Microsoft PowerPoint! (Shocking, right?)

So, here are my step-by-step instructions to make your own monogram!

Step 1// Download the font. I use the Monogram KK font found here. Click the download button, and then you'll have to click on the .ttf file to add it to your font collection. This is definitely not the only option in terms of font choices, but if you're a fan of the scripted monogram this is definitely a good option! Times New Roman is a great option for a classic monogram look.

Step 2// Open Microsoft PowePoint to just a normal, white backgrounded presentation. Delete the default text boxes.

Step 3// Click File --> Page Setup. This will allow you to change the size and orientation of the slide. In my example, I did a 7 x 7 square, but the size possibilities are endless and definitely depend on the purpose of your monogramming needs!

Step 4// Type out your monogram initials into SEPARATE text boxes. The separate text boxes is really important - also - remember to put your last name initial in the middle! I used 150 pt font for each letter.

Step 5// Enlarge your last name initial. It's definitely your call how big to make it, but I chose 250 pt font. 

Step 6// Interlock your initials. This is another step that requires personal preference, because you definitely don't have to interlock them at all for it to still turn out cute! To move the letters, move the text box around. You have to click on the outside of the text box to be able to move the letters without the type tool coming up. I love that my version of PowerPoint has an alignment feature to help me make sure that my letters are perfect! 

I like mine to interlock a little bit, so mine looks like this.

Step 7// Center your monogram. To do this, hold down the Shift key and select all three text boxes. From there, you can either drag your monogram with your mouse or use the arrow keys to move the group to the center (or wherever on the page you want your monogram) of the page. 

Step 8// Adjust the font colors (if you want). You can either change all three initials to a different color, or change your first and middle initial colors while choosing a different color for your last name! Here are two examples: 

Step 9// Save or print your monogram. Click File --> Print if you want to go ahead and print the monogram to use as a binder cover, stationery, business card, etc. If you would like to save your monogram as a picture to apply digitally to other sources, then click File --> Save As Pictures.

Obviously, there is a lot of leeway for creativity in terms of placing an image as a background in the slide, font choices, color options, size, etc... but this should get you started! 

Happy Monogram Monday!

Picture This

My love for photography goes way back to a happy Christmas morning sometime in the '90s when I received a Polaroid camera (ps - love the comeback Polaroids are making). In high school I spent most of my time taking pictures at almost every school event, from football games to club meetings. Serving as a member of the yearbook staff propelled my love for photography to a new level as I began to understand DSLRs and Photoshop. 

I've kept up my love for photography in college, but it's been a little more of a challenge because I don't have my big DSLR camera with me at school. I take most of my pictures on my phone, and rely on the editing power of Photoshop, and for quick fixes, iPhoto to enhance images. But, because I am always on the go at school, I have found some super handy and incredibly useful photo editing apps for quick touch-ups or fun/quirky editing! 

So, here are my favorite four photo editing apps!

1. Afterlight

Afterlight is my favorite for basic fixes - brightness/contrast correction, saturation, highlight/shadow, etc. Afterlight also gives you the ability to make any photo fit into a square image with a white background. I edited this picture with Afterlight to give it the white background and correct some basic features of the photo! 

2. Snapseed

I love Snapseed because it has a feature where you can choose a section of a photo and only apply edits to that particular section. This works really well when there are weird shadows or glares that make pictures look a little off! I edited this picture with Snapseed to make the sailboat in the background more visible and myself stand out against the background more.

3. Pixlr-o-matic

Pixlr-o-matic is awesome because it has a ton of filters and effects. It's great for when you're feeling artsy, and works especially well with pictures that don't have people in them. (This is not to say you can't use this app when there are people in the picture! I do all the time - it's just especially great for scenic pictures.) I edited this picture with Pixlr-o-matic.

4. Harris Camera

Harris Camera can either work really well or pretty mediocre. It definitely takes some time to get the right layout and pictures to make this app work the way you want it to, but when it does the results are phenomenal!! I edited this picture with Harris Camera - and it's pretty great, but it took some time to make it so great. This app is also super great when you take the pictures directly through the app of the same subject.

Happy Friday!