Anyway

People are often unreasonable; illogical and self-centered; Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may acuse you of selfish, ulterior motives; Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies; Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you; Be honest and frank anyway.
What you spend years building, someone could destory overnight; Build anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous; Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow; Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough; Give the world the best you've got anyway.
You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God; It is never between you and them anyway.
Anyway- From Mother Teresa

I saw this on a friend's facebook page today, and it's something I try to remind myself to strive for everyday. I often wonder about people's perception of me or if the things I say and do come across the way I meant them to at the time. But as my grandparents and parents have always said, "If you know you were honest and did your best then that's all you can do." So I'm trying not to worry about those kinds of things anymore. I guess I think about what people think of me most when a relationship ends and I start thinking about all the "why's" and "what if's" and what I can do to fix what I can with me. I found a quote last fall after my grandfather past away by John Wayne. He was someone my grandfather admired and I have come to admire over the years as well. "I have tried to live my life so that my family would love me and my friends respect me. The others can do whatever the hell they please." I feel like if I always do my best to make my family proud and I know I have friends that respect me then everyone else just doesn't matter.

Shopping Excursion

Went shopping on Magazine St. in New Orleans today with my roommate and her sister. In researching where we wanted to go we came across a store owned by one of the actors from our new favorite tv series Mad Men, Bryan Batt.
His store Hazelnut is just about the cutest thing down there and has great, unique gifts. I especially loved the New Orleans toile and wish I could afford some of it.
Anyway, it was a successful day of shopping, I found a new dress and am now on the search for the perfect shoes to match. Next stop...Perkins Rowe.

Full Circle - It's So Good to Feel Like Me Again

It's been almost exactly a year since I've blogged and I feel like I'm back in the same place I was then but so much has happened since. I've lost a grandparent; made a life changing decision to move home, change careers and go back to school full time; fell in love, and got my heart broken by someone I thought was going to be my best friend. Despite all the loss and scariness I'm still happy. I've made some new friends; moved in with one of my best friends who inspires me with her kindness everyday; discovered that I absolutely love nutrition and can't wait to finish my degree; finally get to be a true LSU Tiger; and discovering all the new things about the city I love.

Last Friday I went out with my friends downtown. First we went to Tsunami, a great sushi restaurant on the top of the Shaw Center overlooking the river. It is absolutely gorgeous at night and the drinks and food were awesome. We had a great time and I'm so glad I still have some true friends in BR.

This spring I've truely missed my friends from Jackson and college, but it was time to do something for myself instead of holding back to be there for everyone else. The first few months were exciting with a new relationship and finally doing something I loved, and then the beginning of summer was hell losing someone I thought was my friend and loved me. But I've learned some lessons and things about myself. I am so much stronger than I ever dreamed I could be and as Carrie Bradshaw would say: "Later that day I got to thinking about relationships. There are those that open you up to something new and exotic, those that are old and familiar, those that bring up lots of questions, those that bring you somewhere unexpected, those that bring you far from where you started, and those that bring you back. But the most exciting, challenging and significant relationship of all is the one you have with yourself. And if you can find someone to love the you you love, well, that's just fabulous."

More Goings-on

The last few weeks of summer have been filled with spending time with friends and playing more than anything. i have so much to do to get ready for classes in a few weeks i don't know where to begin. i figured that i needed to do somethings for myself though. i am now an independent consultant for Arbonne. It's a health and wellness company and we have products for skin care, hair care, aromatherapy, weight loss, etc. i really love all of the products because they are all natural and they really do what they say they will do. i doubt that i will go crazy selling this stuff for prizes and all, but it would be nice to earn some extra money and get discounts on stuff i need.

i'm also trying to get back in the habit of working out again...at least going for a run or something. i bought the nike/ipod workout thingy to help me get motivated...it hasn't happened yet though.

i'm also trying to spend more time praying and will hopefully find a church to start going to soon. i'm reading " " by , right now and it talks about how you lose the love and passion in religion. Even by being devoted and going to church and participating in service it can become robotic and the meaning is gone. i feel like that's where i've been for the past few years. My faith has never waivered, but i forgot how great it feels to love what you're doing and who you are.

Right now i'm just very thankful that i have great friends around me and my life is going somewhere rather than standing still.

ch-ch-ch-changes

So i've finished moving into my new place...but still have to put things away. i'm loving my new place though. It's bigger and there's a bigger yard for my dog so that's good.

Last weekend i went to New Orleans with a bunch of friends and had a blast! We went shopping on Magazine St. and partied all weekend. My liver still hates me. It was so good to hang out with old friends and catch up on good times.

That's all i have to say about that...

We are mysterious creatures, aren't we?

i went to the movies last night with my little sis and we saw "Evening". Basically a mother is on her deathbed and her two daughters are with her and she begins dreaming and saying things that make no sense to her daughters. She's remembering a weekend that changed her life forever. The writer Susan Minot hoped that‚ "anyone following the woman's story would think about what's important in their own lives, what they cared about the most, and how they would want to live their own lives moving forward."

i think that any woman who sees the movie will thing about all the relationships in her life (with her mother, friends, the love of her life, etc.) and what they mean to her. It seems to be doing that for me, but i always seem to do that with movies. It is a beautifuly story of love, life, and friendship and i definitely want to read the book now. We are such mysterious creatures...

Fresh Start

"Growing up Southern is a privilege. It's more than where you're born, it's an idea, a state of mind that seems imparted at birth. It's more than loving gumbo, iced tea, pralines, baseball, bibles, and country music. It's being devoted to screen porches, magnolias, bottled barq's, crawfish boils with your friends, mardi gras, jazzfest, bars that don't close and each other. It's walking slow and always smiling. It's good manners, good eating and good drinking. We don't become Southern, we're born that way."



So i'm getting bored with facebook and myspace. i like using it to keep in touch with friends near and far, but i'm ready for something new.



i've been working on a lot of changes lately...new townhouse, going back to school so i can start a new profession, new car (this means lots of new bills too), and most importantly i've left behind all of my almost/maybe/kinda/sorta/on-again/off-again relationships. At first i was a little scared because i thought i had found the guy i wanted to be with for the rest of my life. Now i realize that what i wanted and what i need were not the same. i allowed myself to let go and found out i really am ok, and let's face it better off, now that i'm not going to let myself be treated like that. i enabled a lot of what happened in the relationship, or what i see now as a lack there of.



enough of that...



i'm hoping that i can blog more (once i really learn how to use this thing...)and let facebook and college-life go a little more and continue to move on from that point in my life. it's weird how you stop and think one day and it's like "i'm done, i'm moving on, and i'm growing up". It's really exciting and i'm glad that everything is falling into place for me.



So enough about me...



In the past few months i have started reconnecting with old friends that i have missed dearly!

i went to Mary Catherine's wedding in Tupelo and i am thrilled that she will be living close by in Yazoo. Hopefully now we will get to see each other more. Also Sam emailed about possibly taking a trip with the girls out of the country next year. i am already looking forward to it so much i really don't care where we go! We are also going down to the N.O. next weekend to shop and celebrate Shannon's birthday (again). i know we will have a blast doin' it big together again.



i'm sure i'll write more later...