September Coffee Date

If we met for coffee this week I'd suggest we grab a bagel too because I love bagels and I haven't had one in over a month. I might even suggest we have coffee at home so I can stay in my jogging pants. 

If this is our first coffee date I will listen more than I'll talk until I have a better idea of what kinds of things we should talk about. If this is a reoccurring coffee date then I'll dive right in and let you know that my contract ends this week and I still don't know what's coming next. That I am worried and anxious about the next few months. That I've been putting myself out there, had some hopeful moments but so far nothing has really worked out. If you're interested in talking faith & theology then I would let you know that Habukkuk 1:5 has become a source of comfort lately.

I would ask you how things are going in your life and hope that you'd provide updates on your love life, work life and anything else that's interesting or important. Leaving lots of time for discussion.

Gradually we'd transition from life's 'serious' matters into new T.V. shows we've discovered and Pinterest projects we're dying to try. I'd let you know that I watched the pilot for Girl Meets World when it first premiered and wasn't blown away, but I went back and watched all the episodes and it's grown on me. I fell into the hype and watched How To Get Away With Murder, it wasn't phenomenal but I'm interested enough to keep watching. This would lead to an in-depth analysis of Grey's Anatomy and how that show is going to end.

We would wrap things up when the pot was emptied, our faces are sore from smiling and our souls feel  refreshed. And agree that this is something we need to do more often.

Linking up with Brave Love for the last day of Blog-Tember.

Reflections

I am incredibly thankful that I grew up surrounded by water. I don't remember learning how to swim, the first time I saw the ocean or my first time on a boat, these things have always just been part of my life. It's probably why I find so much peace and comfort being on and near the water. When I have some time at camp to spend alone I usually spend it on the dock or walking along the water. There is something magical when the water is still and calm, it forces me to also be still and calm and reflective.

September and October are always times of reflection for me; things that I would do differently, things that I will do differently, moments I want to engrave on my memory and moments I would rather forget. The past few week I've moved on from reflecting on this summer to making plans for the next year. And I've noticed that it's more about creating better habits and making positive changes than it is about stopping and although it wasn't a conscious decision to frame things that way it's making a difference in how successful I am when it comes to accomplishing things on my 'Fall To-Do List'.

I deleted Facebook from my phone and the only time I miss it is at night when I'm scrolling through social media on my phone right before I go to sleep. Other than that I live without it just fine.

I started journalling again, pen to paper, write whatever the heck you want, no pressure to gain followers or engage readers or fear that someone from 'the real world' will stumble across your blog (am I the only one that has this fear?). Its ridiculously therapeutic and something I was incredibly consistent with for the majority of my life until I stopped.

I am the worst at reading during the summer. Unless it's a camper file, an incident report or a warm fuzzy I can never seem to find time to read, which means I've fallen way behind in my goal to read 50 books this year. I want to read at least 5 books before Christmas.

Even though I'm trying to eliminate time wasters from my life I am still counting down the days to the season premieres of my favourite shows. Tonight Survivor and The Middle are back. Grey's Anatomy returns tomorrow. Criminal Minds in a couple of weeks…I don't have any plans to watch any of the new shows making their debut so at least I'm not adding more shows to the mix.

Autumn is only one day old and I'm already over the influx of pumpkin spice and declarations of how fall is the best season to ever exist. I appreciate pretty leaves and leggings & boots but mostly I love flip flops, norts and iced coffee. Also, it is too early to decorate for Halloween, let's get through Thanksgiving first. (Unless you're American, in which case hold off until the second week in October.) I do want some pumpkin pie in my life though.

All that being said about autumn I will drink at least one pumpkin spice latte and treat myself to some of my favourite Halloween candy.

I am doing a lot of praying that I hear about a job this week. I've made it through the first two rounds and now I'm just waiting for one more phone call. I hate the waiting game and knowing that I've done everything I can do on my end and it's up to someone else to do what they have to do on their end.

I never hide my love of Taylor Swift and I'm looking forward to listening to her new album the day it comes out. I'm also eagerly awaiting the release of Andrew McMahon's new album.

This just re-read this post and realized it's all over the place but that's what happens when you try to combine weekly confessions and a fall bucket list.

Coffee & Blogging

It's been rainy and windy out so my Fall Picture Practice consists of my new red mug being filled with coffee. Because when it's cold and rainy and fall like outside it's time for hot coffee and jogging pants inside.

I spent a huge portion of this weekend sitting on my bedroom floor surrounded by photos and scraps of paper and stickers. There is something exceptionally therapeutic about condensing the summer into one book of photos and papers. I can lose myself for hours cutting & gluing & sticking and just putting it all in one place. 

Today's Blog-tember prompt is to share 5 blogs I read on a regular basis

71 Toes
Shawni is my favourite. She is so genuine and honest and if I'm lucky enough to become a wife & mom someday I want to be like her. Shawni and her husband recently moved themselves and their kids to China for a semester so her recent posts have been about navigating the new normal. Plus, she takes beautiful photos!

Kelly's Korner
I think everyone "knows" Kelly and her adorable family. I love that Kelly isn't afraid to share her beliefs with others and is just so darn sweet.

The Grand Adventures of Me
Nina is hilarious. Her blog is the best balance of posts that make you almost pee your pants laughing and posts that really make you think about and reflect on  your spirituality.

34 Magnolia Street
Lauren talks a lot about her faith, her involvement with church and her recent move from the south to the north. Reading her posts feels like I'm chatting with a friend over coffee instead of reading some stranger on the internet.

Mix & Match Mama
This a fairly recent addition to my daily reads, but I love reading Shay's recipes, following her adoption journey and being inspired by her out of this world organization.

Coffee and blogging seem to go together like salt & pepper so with that I'm off to finish my coffee as I scroll though my Bloglovin' feed. Happy Monday!

Open & Close

Summer is my favourite season. I look forward to the first day when the sun feels warm and the grass is noticeably green. I love the first week or so at camp when the days start off foggy and cool but then gradually become warm. The span of time when daylight starts at 5:00 a.m. and lasts until almost 10:00 p.m.. August is my favourite month because it has the perfect balance of hot days and evenings that are warm enough to be outside but cool enough to fall asleep. 

When I look back on this summer I'll think about the enormous potential and possibility I felt in May. Laughing and hypothosising with H. & R. about what was ahead. Which new counsellors would be amazing, which would quickly figure out that they weren't "camp people" after all. Who would develop camp-mances and who would start off uncertain but grow into an amazing counsellor.

And then I got thrown a curve ball. Followed by another and in a matter of days it felt like everything was flipped upside down. This was the first summer that I really doubted myself as a 'camp person' and as person. It's the first time that camp has ended and I haven't been certain that I'll find myself back in the same place next May. I know that there's a time for everything; for things to end and begin and it may be time for me to step away. 

I have no  idea what will unfold over the next few months. What doors will open and what ones will close. So as summer ends I'm looking forward to processing this summer, figuring out where I need to be and the things I need to step away from. Of course I will do it all while enjoying the scent of Crackling Woods candles, sipping on hot coffee and eagerly awaiting the premiere of my favourite shows. 

Fall potential and summer potential feel very different to me. Fall is about moving forward, taking time to figure out what went right, what was wrong, what I can change and identifying the things I need to hold on to and the things I need to let go. 

Liking up with Bailey Jean

Friday Favourites

This week had a lot of ups and downs. I cried over some things that weren't worth crying over (and some that were). I danced it out to Shake it Off, ate some ketchup chips, shared my frustrations with H. & R. and just kept moving forward. Since it's been "one of those weeks" I think it's only proper I end the week with things that made me happy.

First off, these earrings:

Back in August I went on a ridiculous mission to find lightning bold earrings for my Secret Friend at camp. The only ones that I could find came in a set of 20, but SF wasn't getting all 20 pairs of earrings so I got the other 19 pairs. Usually I wear my pearl earrings because they go with everything and I like them a lot. The past few days though I've been embracing the peace signs. There's just something about them that makes me really happy and they've become my new favourites. 

I went to Target last night and bought myself one of my favourite candles

Pinterest

It's not everyone's cup of tea but it smells like camp and it makes me really happy. During my Target trip I also scored some Sharpies that were on clearance for 50 cents (!!!) and an adorable notebook with foxes that was also on clearance and I can't seem to find a photo of online. Trust me when I say it's the best. 

The sky was an amazing shade of sky-blue-pink last night as the sun was setting. I was driving though so I didn't get to take any photos but I'm a firm believer that sometimes the best thing is to enjoy life's little moments rather than rush to capture it for the blog/instagram.

I discovered grape Kool-Aid Singles this summer and they've become a favourite. 

The health benefits are pretty non-existent but every once and awhile I add one to a bottle of water just to mix it up a little and it reminds me of summer and makes me happy. And it has to be grape. I have no time for any other sugary juice flavours, if I'm going to drink it it has to be grape. 

Most people might feel a little depressed or unenthusiastic about grocery shopping on a Friday night, but grocery shopping is my favourite. There's just something so calming walking down the aisles, checking things off a list and then coming home and putting it all away. My plans to go grocery shopping this evening are seriously what's motivating me through the rest of today. That probably makes me weird, but I embrace it.

Linking up with Momfesssionals to share my Friday Favourites! 

Things I've Cried About This Week

This week's edition of Humpday Confessions I present to you, inhabitants of blogland, a list of things that have made me cry this week.

• Re-Run of 19 Kids & Counting with Joseph is reunited with the family after finishing ALERT Training.
• Ikea commercial featuring Buddy Holly's "Everyday".
• I got BBQ sauce on my sock.
• A story in the newspaper about a little boy who is in remission from cancer and helping to raise money.
• Jason Maraz singing on Live with Kelly & Michael Tuesday morning.
• A girl I went to high school with announced her engagement on Facebook.
• This newspaper article from B.C.
• H. & R. are just SO. FAR. AWAY. 
• I tried to send photos into Wal-Mart to get prints made and when I went to pick them up there was an error with the files and so only 40 (out of 100) photos printed. 
• I decided to bake some brownies last night, and then used the wrong pan because I wasn't paying attention. Turns out if you bake brownies in a 6x6 pan instead of an 8x8 pan they will not turn out. They'll get all cake like not at all what you wanted.
• I've been getting a lot of comments from 'no-reply' bloggers over the past few days and I feel bad because I make an effort to respond and I worry all these 'no-repliers' will think I'm a terrible person.

I don't like focusing on the negatives (or craziness as the case may be) so I'll also make note of a few things that have made me smile this week.

• We got a Wal-Mart SuperCentre in my little corner of the world and it turns out you can buy pre-made guacamole there and it's delicious. And so cheap (compared to buying avocados) and surprisingly it isn't full of sketchy ingredients. I ate guacamole & chips twice this week for lunch.
• I've been up past my bedtime almost every night this week because time zones are terrible and when it's 11:00 p.m. on the east coast it's supper time for R. I'm so thankful for technology but my sleep is suffering.
• During the same ill-fated Wal-Mart trip with the photos I bought a very happy red mug that I've been drinking my coffee & tea out of to start my mornings.
• I've been participating in the Blog-tember Challenge with Bailey Jean and I have stumbled across so many great blogs! 

What's made you laugh, cry, fill with rage this week? Share your stories and go link up with Kathy! 

Brand New Information

The prompt for Blog-tember today is "Most people don't know this, but…" and my mind immediately went to this classic Friends moment when everyone finds out about Monica & Chandler.

My love of Friends is something most people know about me, but you may not know that "The One Where Ross Got High" is my all time favourite episode. I can recite it line for line and it makes me laugh every time. 

Most people know that I'm particular about my food, but you probably don't know that a lot of what I do and don't eat is about texture. I eat a lot of chicken breasts but I can't handle shredded chicken and I'm not a fan of leftovers because the texture so often changes when you re-heat something.

You probably know that I love camp and count myself incredibly lucky to be able to work as an Assistant Camp Director but you probably don't know that I almost chose to study Social Work.

I've blogged about my major fears/anxieties about dying alone but rarely mention my other biggest fear of forgetting. It's why I'm so 'into' blogging, scrapbooking, journalling etc. I worry about forgetting (and being forgotten).

I've said before that I've never travelled outside Canada, but I haven't mentioned that I don't feel a strong desire to travel. There are places I would like to see (Stonehenge, Auschwitz, Cliffs of Moher) but I haven't met anyone who I really want to visit those places with and there are other things I would rather spend money on.

I love Pocahontas and a lot of other Disney movies, but I have no desire to visit Disney World. I hate rides, I don't like crowds and all those people running around in costumes kind of freak me out.

I have names picked out for my future children, and I worry that they will skyrocket in popularity or a close friend/family member will use them before I have children meaning I can't use them. They've been "my names" for years though and not getting to use them would be heartbreaking.

I watch the same movies over and over again, occasionally I'll watch something new and when I do I thoroughly Google and IMDB the entire plot so that I can prepare myself for the ending and know what to expect. I do not like not know how things are going to end.

I enjoy a good cup of coffee and normally drink it black with 1.5 sugars. Sometimes I'll use cream and only half a sugar.

My favourite animals are squirrels and I obviously have a lot of love for cats but polar bears also rank pretty high on my list of favourite animals.

What are some things most people don't know about you? Don't forget to link up with Bailey Jean!

Picture Practice {Eagles & Gulls}

The theme for today's Picture Practice with Kelli is "Birds" and it just so happens I was recently out in the boat with my grandfather and took a whole bunch of photos of birds. Including two eagles who were fishing next to us. I can't say I consider birds to be a favourite animal of mine but some of them are pretty interesting to watch!

This guy was soaring over head for a long time. I that he's against the blue of the sky instead of the white clouds so his bald head stands out in the photo.

Then they started coming down to the water and grabbing at fish. If I had a different lens on my camera I think I could have gotten some really awesome photos but I think this is still a cool moment. They were flying and coming down so fast that I was just clicking away and hoping that there would be at least one good shot in there.

And finally I really appreciated the way these sea gulls seem to form a zig-zagged line in the water and were content to just bop around in the waves.

Sunday Social {119} & Blogtember

Favourite Scent: Boy, mixed with a hint of campfire and rain. For those of you who need a better visual the Crackling Woods soy candle from Target. 

Favourite Food: I love donairs. If you're not from the east cost of Canada then it's probably safe to assume you have no idea what that is, but trust me when I say you're missing out. I've been told it's similar to a gyro, but I've never had one of those so I can't verify that. If you ever find yourself on the East Coast getting a donair definitely needs to be a priority!

Honourable Mentions:  Ketchup Chips, Pizza, Chicken Nuggets, Chicken Caesar Salad, 

Favourite Sound: Rain! Especially in the summer and it's extra wonderful if there's thunder & lightning happening as well. 

Favourite Picture Currently on your Phone: I am really digging this photo I took of my Salted Caramel Mocha the other day. Truth be told I almost never delete photos off my phone so I have plenty to choose from but I narrowed it down to my favourite this week.

Best Memory of the Year: I was not prepared for this question! In the quest to choose a favourite picture on my phone I did come across this photo, which made me pretty happy because it captured a pretty awesome memory.

When it rains our camp parking lot turns into a small lake of sorts. I was having a bit of rough day and determined that the best way to relieve some stress was puddle jumping. And I may have went a little overboard and at one point found myself sitting in the puddle. I was hoping someone would join me but instead the director and a former staff member who happened to be volunteering that day stood in the doorway casually sipping their coffee and laughing at the ridiculous-ness. All while snapping pictures of course, which found their way onto the camp instagram with a bunch of silly/fun hashtags. And I'm happy to report that I did feel a lot less stressed after the puddle jumping!

Bonus Question for Blog-Tember…When did you start blogging and why?
I started blogging eons ago. Back in junior high I had an xanga, then in high school I moved on to Livejournal, during university I dabbled with Tumblr and about two years ago I dove into the "real world" of blogging with Grace & Galoshes. I've always blogged because I like writing and in the beginning it was a great way to stay in touch with friends, which is ironic now since I'm pretty firmly set in the blogging closet.

  

Solo

This week alone I saw two engagements and one pregnancy announcement pop up on my Facebook feed. All from girls the same age (or a year younger) than me. I am really happy for those people and I wish them nothing but the best, that doesn't mean I don't feel a twinge of hurt/jealousy whenever another announcement comes rolling in.

Once upon a time I met a boy who was a few check marks short of perfect…except for one glaring problem, he wasn't ready to be in a relationship. Which I calmly accepted and let myself hope (and pray) that at some point the timing would be right and we could be together. Then he met someone else, who he was ready to be in a relationship with and I spent a month  far longer than I would like to admit bursting into tears when I saw photos of their adventures and listening to Taylor Swift while I tried to process my feelings towards the whole thing. Things are better now, I'm a little less emotionally fragile and when I step back and take myself out of the equation I really do want him to be happy. 

I get discouraged pretty easily when it feels like everyone else in the world is in a serious relationship, two steps away from marriage but I know that I would rather be single than be with someone just for the sake of being with someone. 

It's hard to be confident and okay with this whole season of singleness thing when I have such a strong desire to be married and have a family. I trust that there is a reason God's current plan for me doesn't involve being in a relationship. I have don't have much of an idea why that is, but if I let myself believe that it's something I'm doing wrong I get angry and bitter. And nobody likes the angry bitter single girl. Including myself.

If you want to read more about my thoughts on being single check out this post.

Linking up with Bailey Jean for Blog-Tember! 

Coffee & Prayers

{one} 

I'm in the market for a new Bible. My current "all-purpose" Bible was given to me at the beginning of an LIT program I completed at camp when I was 16. It's very much highlighted and bookmarked and noted and has seen better days. I'm sure I'll save it forever but I feel like I'm in a phase of life where I need to start fresh. If you have any suggestions for a translation or specific Bible I should get I am all ears! I have been using God's Word translation but I'm open to change. I already have a copy of The Message that I read on occasion but would prefer something else for daily use.

{two} 

I posted yesterday on Instagram about my deep love for Salted Caramel Mocahs from Starbucks and I'm going to post about it again here. I know everyone goes head over heels for Pumpkin Spice this time of year but the PS Bandwagon is not one I'm interested in joining. I so rarely go to Starbucks but I had an appointment yesterday and picked some up on my way home. It's been a long week and I'm starting to feel the stress of not knowing what's around the corner. 

{three}

Somewhere along the way between April & Now I lost my planner. It wasn't so bad during the summer because the days schedule was always posted on the door and when I had errands to do during break I made a to-do list and got things done. Now that I'm back in the Monday-Friday real world I have no idea what I'm supposed to be doing each day. I was trying to plan blog posts last night and realized I had nowhere to write them down. I'm way too cheap to buy a fancy Erin Condren planner or any of those other brand name books that cost an arm and a leg. So fingers crossed I can find something cute & cheap the next time I'm at Wal-Mart. 

{four}

I'm doing an Online Bible Study with Love God Greatly on Esther which prior to this month isn't a book of the Bible I've read a whole lot. I do feel like it's perfect timing though so much of the lessons we've covered so far is about trusting that God has you where you need to be. It might not be where you want to be but there is a reason why. I struggle so much with journalling and really making a specific time to pray and reflect during the camp season it's one of the biggest challenges I've found working at a secular camp. It's been lovely to get back into a routine of journalling every day and having time to really reflect opposed to a quick prayer before bed. 

{five}

One of the best things about working from home is waking up at 8:30, putting on a pair of jogging pants and checking my e-mail on the couch while I drink my coffee. My brother broke my favourite coffee mug earlier this week and now I can't seem to find another one that holds just the right amount of coffee. There are a million coffee mugs in the cupboard though so I refuse to buy a new one, but it just isn't the same. Please tell me I'm not the only one with an unhealthy emotional attachment to which mug I drink my coffee out of in the morning.

     

I Confess...

//I am way over due for a confession session so without further explanation here's a whole bunch of things I need to get off my chest...

//The other night I found a bag of gummy worms my Secret Friend gave me during the last week of camp. I proceeded to open the bag and eat so many of them that I gave myself a stomach ache.

//Adjusting to the real world after four months of camp is hard. I can't seem to sit at my computer to write end of summer reports for longer than 30 minutes before I have to wander around and check things out. I'm not sure if I'm expecting to see my cats doing arts & crafts in the dining room (I'm working from home) but I just can't stop doing rounds.

//I've been sleeping with a thousand blankets to stay warm even though if I closed my window and wore pants instead of PJ shorts.

//I struggle to sleep in a double bed by myself because there's just so much room and I'm a small person who does not need that much room to sleep. Especially when one considers my love of small spaces and sleeping jammed against the wall and into as many pillows/blankets as possible.

//Last week one of our tasks during camp shut down was to tie-dye some new curtains so that they'll be ready to go in the cabins next summer. In the process I stepped in some dye and the bottoms of my feet are still purple.

//I'm not ready for summer to be over. I can feel the cold creeping in and to combat the chill I've upped my coffee intake.

//I have major "forever alone"/single girl anxiety but every now and then I let myself get carried away pinning wedding ideas and baby photo sessions on my secret Pinterest boards. Lately I've been getting way carried away, but it's just so hard to resist the perfectly rustic/DIY wedding favours and babies in guitar cases.

//I just ate cookies for breakfast and justified it by promising I'd eat a big salad with lots of veggies for lunch.

ISFJ

I know that there are people out there who think "Personality Types" is a bunch of bologna. Everyone is a little bit of everything depending on the circumstances. It may be true that some people are a little bit of everything sometimes, but not me. I'm an ISFJ through & through. 

Pinterest

I relate to being an introvert. I love my friends and really value continuing family traditions but at the end of the day I need alone time. I need to be able to sit alone with my thoughts, doodle in my sketch book and put the day into words in a notebook. If I go too long feeling like I need to be around people I start to feel really overwhelmed, which leads to anxiety and we all know that's a bad scene. I appreciate when people recognize my hand work, but I don't like to be made the centre of attention, which explains my love of warm fuzzies. I'm pretty observant when it comes to how other people are feeling but I don't always let on that I know what's going on with someone because I figure if they wanted to talk to me about it they would. Along the same lines of being observant when it comes to people, I have a really good memory for little details about people. Favourite colours, songs, movies, names of first grade teachers, if you mention it to me once the odds are pretty good that I'll remember. And if I ever have to buy you a present you better believe that I'll use one of those details to craft some sort of thoughtful and personal gift. 

I'm a total rule follower, even if I don't necessarily agree with them. I read somewhere that ISFJs value lists and organization so much because it helps them make sense of all the information they store in their head. I love to-do lists and colour-coded organizational systems but my systems don't always make sense for other people. The way I group things together is rarely logical to anyone other than myself. 

When I believe in something or someone or get involved with something I stick with it, even when it may be best to walk away. That all circles around the responsibility, patient, devoted, dependable, loyal and honouring commitment traits. 

Overall I think it's a pretty good personality to have, there are a lot of downsides to being so attentive and sensitive and introverted but everyday I figure out more ways to use my strengths to my advantage and overcome the hard parts!

What's your personality type? Head over to Brave Love and link up with Bailey Jean to share yours!

Summer Jams & All-Time Faves

For months it's been on my list to join Kelli at Just Beachy for her Picture Practice link up, but I always forget until it's too late. I remembered this week though and it just so happens that the topic for today's Picture Practice is "The Sky". I love sunsets, which means I have a lot of sunset/sky photos in my archives. I don't get a lot of down time during the summer but one of my favourite things to do is take a few minutes at the end of the day to watch the sunset. 

I don't like to do anything while watching a sunset except be in the moment and watch the sky, but the rest of the day I'm pretty much always listening to music. 

I can spend hours crafting the perfect playlist to fit my mood and I love discovering new music to add to my list. I always feel a little anxious when I recommend music to others though, I'm worried they'll judge my taste or think I'm a crazy person. And what I listen to totally depends on my mood I spent a lot of time this summer bopping around to Timber  although mostly in the car or when I was alone because let's face it, it's a terrible song and totally not camp appropriate. I also listened to My Lighthouse by Rend Collective a whole lot this summer. Everyday by Buddy Holly was also a popular song this summer, in large part because one of our male staff played it on his guitar daily (if not hourly). And way back in April or May H., R. & I decided that Be Okay would be our song of the summer so we listened to that non-stop as well. 

In addition to all those songs that will go down as "Summer 2014" songs I also have a few all-time favourites that I've loved for a very long time and will continue to love for a very long time. 

All-Time Favourites

Konstantine - Something Corporate

The Crane Wife 3 - The Decemberists

Slide - Goo Goo Dolls

The Luckiest - Ben Folds

Left & Leaving - The Weakerthans

What songs will forever remind you of summer 2014? Do you have any all-time favourite songs that you'll love for as long as you live? Go ahead and link up with Bailey Jean for Blog-tember and share your music tastes!

Sunday Social & Blog-Tember Five

5 Things About Me

• I'm an extraordinarily sentimental person and have a really hard time letting go of clothes/mementos/random souvenirs etc. 
• I love candles, but I'm so cheap that I hate spending money on something I'm literally just going to burn.
• I'm a planner by nature and not knowing how the next year of my life is going to play out is scary.
• I have major anxiety about turning 25 in January. 
• I love my job as an assistant camp director, but my real dream job is to be a stay at home mom (but still involved in camp).

5 Favourite Things About Blogging

• Having an outlet to write and share photos.
• Interacting with other bloggers.
• Finding inspiration reading other people's blogs
• Learning new things
• Participating in swaps! 

5 Things I'm Doing Before The Year is Over

• Redecorating my bedroom
• Organizing all of my scrapbooking supplies
• Downsizing my wardrobe
• Learn a new recipe
• Finishing some scrapbooking projects that have been 'in progress' for years. 

5 Favourite Fall Fashions

• Leggings
• Boots
• Scarfs
• Hoodies
• Flannel 

5 Favourite Beauty Products
I don't have a whole lot of brand loyalty when it comes to make up so in general terms by must have products are…

• Mascara
• Eye Liner
• Concealer
• BB Cream
• Lip Chap

5 Favourite Books

• Stargirl - Jerry Spinilli 
• The Princess Bride - William Gold
• Campingly Yours - Thomas C. Adler
• The Perks of Being A Wallflower - Stephen Chobsky 
• Little House on the Prairie Series - Laura Ingalls Wilder

Linking up with Ashley & Neely for Sunday Social and Bailey Jean for Blog-Tember!

Right This Second

Linking up with the blog-tember challenge to share what I'm up to at the moment! 

…reading Sleepaway: Writings on Summer Camp by Eric Simonoff

…watching Re-watching Grey's Anatomy  I'm on the second season and Denny just arrived at the hospital, I'm preparing myself for the heartbreak that's ahead!

…trying to figure out how to go about unpacking my bags post-camp.

…eating I just finished eating pepperoni pizza for supper. Now I'm looking ahead to chips & dip as a snack later when ooVoo-ing with H. & R.!

…pinning Scrapbooking inspiration and gallery walls.

…tweeting not much of anything! 

...going to spend the day with a few friends from Seattle! What a treat!

…loving I got a Project Life "Dear Lizzy" Core Kit on clearance for $14 today at Michael's! 

…discovering it's hard to figure out when you need to stay loyal and stick it out or let it go and start a new chapter of your life. 

…enjoying a cold glass of pop!

...thinking "Is 6:00 p.m. too early to put on P.J's?"

…feeling excited, optimistic, hopeful and determined that things are going to fall into place. 

…listening The opening credits to Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives on the Food Network

…thanking technology for making it possible to spend Saturday night with H. & R. even though we're in three different provinces and three different time zones. 

...starting to 

August & Everything After

As I've mentioned before my summer isn't quite over yet. Tomorrow myself and the camp director are headed back to camp to finish shutting down the site for the winter and tying up a few loose ends with paperwork. I was home for the weekend though and I spent most of my time trying not to hyperventilate about the "what happens next" thoughts that seem to be taking over in my head. 

In an attempt to combat the influx of stressful and anxious inducing thoughts I spent a lot of time this weekend cleaning my room and watching 19 Kids & Counting. I did leave the house long enough to spend the day at my grandparents and take some photos, which was probably the highlight of my weekend. 

I really need to figure out what to do with all these photos. I think my first step is going to be investing in a external hard drive to store them all on, but after that I'm not sure. I don't necessarily want physical albums of sunsets, flowers and random animals with the occasional family/friend photo taking up space in my house. But it also seems silly to let them all sit in their digital state for all of eternity. I'd love to hear your suggestions on what exactly to do with all these photos. Especially the ones I take while playing with the camera…let's be real, nobody wants or needs hundreds of photos of my coffee cup. 

Sunsets are my absolute favourite. 

I've got a busy few days ahead so my posting streak is probably about to end before it ever started but hopefully once I return to the land of reliable internet I'll have life a little more figured out. Until then I am off to sort through another box in my closet and pack up some things I'll need for the next week. 

Linking up one last time with Rachel & Lisa! I've really enjoyed participating in their Weekly Wrap-Up link up over the past few months!