O Come Let Us Adore Him

I've been busy as a bee finishing my shopping, wrapping, and just thinking about baking!
Tonight we're having a traditional Italian Christmas Eve dinner of seafood, pasta and salad.  Yummm! We're going to mass at 11 pm - which I can't wait for.  They decorate our church beautifully and I love the Christmas music. Then it's home to sleep so Santa can come :)  

I love this canvas I found on Pinterest. Maybe next year I'll find some time (and patience) to make it.

The 26th is my Mom's birthday so we have more fun then, and Steven's is the 30th! I seriously have had a lot of shopping and wrapping to do ;) I'll share with you their gifts later in case they read this!

I hope you all have a peaceful Christmas and enjoy time with your families. Happy Birthday, Jesus!

Ringing in the New Year with Sequins

I feel like the only time I can pull off sequins...lots of sequins...is at New Years! This year I'll be ringing in 2013 with some friends here in Blacksburg -- so not exciting, but I'm determined to make it FUN!
Haven't picked an outfit yet, but here are some sequins-y pieces I think would be a sure way to have some fun!

Forever 21

LuLu's

Target

J. Crew

Francesca's

What will you be wearing this New Year's Eve? Only 11 more days!

Happy Thursday!

Christmas at God's House

This will be my only other post about Newtown.  I just can't help but think of that community tonight, especially after listening to the President speak on TV.   I found this little passage on Facebook.  I had tears rolling down my cheeks quicker than I could blink them away.  It definitely brings me some comfort.  I hope it does the same for you...

Twas' 11 days before Christmas, around 9:38
when 20 beautiful children stormed through heaven's gate.
Their smiles were contagious; their laughter filled the air,
...they could hardly believe all the beauty they saw there.
They were filled with such joy; they didn't know what to say,
they remembered nothing of what had happened earlier that day.
"Where are we?" asked a little girl, as quiet as a mouse.

"This is heaven." declared a small boy, "We’re spending Christmas at God's house."
When what to their wondering eyes did appear,
but Jesus, their savior, the children gathered near.
He looked at them and smiled, and they smiled just the same,
then He opened His arms and He called them by name.
And in that moment was joy that only heaven can bring
those children all flew into the arms of their King
As they lingered in the warmth of His embrace,
one small girl turned and looked at Jesus' face.
As if He could read all the questions she had,
He gently whispered to her, "I'll take care of mom and dad."
Then He looked down on earth, the world far below,
He saw all of the hurt, the sorrow, and woe.
Then He closed His eyes and He outstretched His hand,
"Let My power and presence re-enter this land!"
"May this country be delivered from the hands of fools",
"I'm taking back my nation, I'm taking back my schools!"
Then He and the children stood up without a sound,
"Come now my children, let me show you around."
Excitement filled the space, some skipped and some ran,
all displaying enthusiasm that only a small child can.
And I heard Him proclaim as He walked out of sight,
"In the midst of this darkness, I AM STILL THE LIGHT!"

I don't mean to exclude the adults that were lost in this tragedy. This post just warmed my heart. May they all rest peacefully.   Prayers and love to everyone in CT.

Hello, again :)

I can officially say it...my semester is OVER! I have time to BLOG! I have time to READ! I have time to CATCH UP ON SHOWS! I have time to SLEEP IN!
If you can't tell, I'm very relieved to be done with the fall semester. Overall, it was a great semester and I can't believe that in 5 months I'll be preparing for graduation. Unreal.
I am so happy to get back into blogging. There is a lot I need to catch up on!
However, today I only want to say one thing: My heart is broken for everyone involved in the tragedy that unfolded at Sandy Hook Elementary.  I heard the news as I left my exam yesterday and I held back tears as I walked home. As a future teacher and someone who spends a part of every day with elementary students and interns with kindergarten, I could only imagine the precious faces that I see and think about never seeing them again. It's a sickening feeling and I cannot imagine that that feeling is real for so many people in Connecticut today. My heart is heavy, my thoughts and prayers are with them today and always, and I hope they know how many people are sending them love.  It may seem unlikely now, but the sun will shine again in their hearts. God Bless them.
Of course, it brings back memories of April 16, 2007 for me. I, along with the entire Blacksburg/VT community, will never forget the enormous amount of love and support we received from everyone all over the world.  I hope to 'pay-it-forward' and send my support to Sandy Hook this weekend. I encourage you all to do the same.  Although there are no words that can heal the pain they are feeling, just letting them know that they aren't alone can mean all the difference in the world.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Thanksgiving via Pictures

::football in easton::

::experiencing lehigh v lafayette with steven::

::out and about in the amish country::

::thankful for him::

::thankful for my mama::

::huntin' man. thankful he is home this week::

::the farm in wv::

::home to see my baby belle::

::sweet, sweet hokie victory over uva::

 I hope y'all had a wonderful holiday!

I counted my blessings twice this Thanksgiving. So happy to have spent my week with Steven and his family, and then with my family. To top it off, my Hokies won our last home game -- my last game as an undergraduate. *cue the tears*

For now I am super busy wrapping up fall semester -- where does the time go?! I already have my spring classes back. Then it's graduation. WHAT.

I've also officially applied to graduate school. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Hope everyone has a happy, productive week!