I've been tagged!!!

I have been "tagged" by my old neighbor and sweet friend, Kelly Hall. I'm supposed to tell you faithful readers (yeah, right!) seven random or weird things about myself...and then tag seven of you to do the same on your blog. so...here goes...

1. I really have a hang-up when it comes to chocolate and peanut butter. I can't get enough of Reeses candy (my absolute favorite), peanut butter M&M's, or my new found love, peanut butter and chocolate bars from Cater's Market. As a matter of fact, church members were bringing in candy last week for the hayride, and I had to take out all of the Reeses because of the peanut allergies we have in the children's ministry. Sad, I know...I put them in my stash in my office and have treated myself almost everyday. It is Halloween week ya know...we're SUPPOSED to eat lots of candy!!

2. I have NEVER been to a MSU football game. Yes, I know! TRAGIC!! I guess growing up as an only child, and being a girly girl at that, it was just never something I got the chance to do. I am a graduate of MSU, but I went to the branch in Meridian...so it wasn't like I could just walk across campus and go! Maybe I can get that problem fixed soon!

3. I have had the same cell phone number since the 8th grade...and it spells my name!!! I got my first cell phone for christmas and my mom thought it would be super cool to have a neat number so she had it arranged where the last 4 digits spell out my last name!!

4. I HATE bandaids. Yesterday, I went to get a flu shot and I begged the nurse not to put a bandaid on my because I might throw up! I know...I'm weird! It's really strange that I work with kids and see bandaids all the time, but I just don't like putting them on or looking at them!! When I was student teaching, a little girl named, Jakyra, came to me with a scraped elbow and I couldn't help her out because a bandaid was involved!!

5. I love to keep letters that people have written me. I have every birthday, get well soon, good job, thank you card, etc., that I've kept in a box over the last three or four years. As a matter of fact, the bulletin board in my office is covered with them. I haven't always done this, but it has just become important to me over the past several years. I go through them occasionally because they ALWAYS make me smile!

6. I LOVE to travel, but can't stand riding in the car for more than 2 hrs. We went to the mountains last year for Thanksgiving and it almost killed me. I would rather fly to Atlanta than have to drive. It's a standing joke at FBC when I send out the summer schedule for the kids in the summer...Dr. Leake (our pastor) always says, "One things certain, the kids WON'T be traveling any further than Birmingham..."

7. It is an ABSOLUTE MUST that I make my bed every morning before I leave my house. If my bed is unmade, I just feel nasty for the rest of the day! It's weird...just a hang-up I guess.

So there's a few weird things about myself!! I'm passing this along to:

1. Julie Culpepper

2. Amanda Henry

3. Ashley Hill

4. Lindsey Swift

5. Jonda Henry

6. Sarah Beth Snowden

7. Rosemary Piedmont

Have fun girls!

A Good Book!

For those of you that know me, you know that I don't like to read AT ALL!!! Seminary has been an eye opening experience for me as far as reading books and writing book reviews. Because I was an elementary education major at MSU, I spent my junior and senior year making bulletin boards, posters, puppets, etc. Now, all of my classes are lecture based and I'm having a hard time getting back into the groove of things. However, I had to read this book for my Interpersonal Relationship Skills class and it was really good. It's not hard to read and it is something that we all can relate to. Pick up a copy and read!! You'll enjoy it!

My Office Has Officially Turned into a Grocery Store!

I am in the middle of planning the FBC Preschool & Children's Fall Hayride for Saturday. I've been asking church members to bring 2-liter cokes for one of our games and bags of candy!! When I walked into my office this morning, it looked like the grocery store had thrown up in here...IT'S CRAZY!!!! I had to snap a picture so that you can see what I'm talking about!

My Boss's Day Gift...

Last Thursday was Boss's Day and I got a gift. They call me the "little boss" around FBC because I'm so young. Anyway...I got a box of Carolyn's Cheesestraws (I highly recommend them if you've never tasted them) and a gift certificate to Southern Gardens to go toward a new North Face Jacket!! My secretaries (one of them being my mom...but she made it clear on day 1 that I was NEVER going to call her my secretary) are wonderful!! Thanks for making my Boss's Day so special Sharon, Sandra & Sherry!!

Canton, Hattiesburg, Sushi, OH MY!!

Thursday, I went to the CANTON FLEA MARKET!! I was introduced to Canton back in May for the first time and I fell in love! I love to shop, but I can't really shop in mass chaos like that. My mom was in Jackson on Thursday too and she was watching the news and she said that over 70,000 people were there!! Daphne (friend from church) went with me and we had so much fun. Since I don't have a house of my own, I can't really buy a lot to decorate with...so I talked her into buying everything that I thought was cute for her house :)

On Saturday, Kristen and I went to Hattiesburg to do MORE SHOPPING!! Here again, I didn't buy too much. I did buy a pair of chacos because they were on the 50% off rack! I bought some ribbon and stuff for christmas to make me a cute wreath and a few little odds and ends at target to give away to my bunko group next Monday!! Kristen, on the other hand, RACKED UP!! It was so much fun! She told Jeremy (her husband) that she could NEVER go shopping with me again because I was such a bad influence and talked her INTO buying everything instead of talking her out of it.

Sunday night after church, I met my friend Brittany, her sister Briana and Brittany's friend (she's my friend too) Rachel at Saki Sushi for dinner. These girls were home from MC on fall break so I was excited that I got to spend time with them on a day other than Monday (because that's when I'm at MC for school) and outside of the cafeteria. We had so much fun!!

Briana, me, Brittany and Rachel

Finally Fall on Grandview Avenue

My favorite time of the year is FALL! I love the weather, I love the decorations, and I love that it's almost time for Christmas!!! One of my very favorite things to do is decorate our home and make wreaths for the holidays. Last weekend, we went and bought hay and pumpkins and got out our scarecrow and made us a cute little display on our porch. I also made a wreath but I wasn't 100% happy with it. For those of you that know me well, you know that I'm not satisfied until something is PERFECT!! I left the wreath up all week and decided that it needed to be taken down and a few new things needed to be added. I went to Hattiesburg this weekend with a friend and found some cute things at Hobby Lobby and Target...oh, how I wish we had both of those stores in Meridian!! Anyway, I am pretty much happy with the way it turned out! Happy Fall!!

A New Business Card

What do you think about my new business card??

Since I came on full-time in June and it's now October, I decided that I needed a "professional" business card. My uncle is an artist and he works for an advertising firm in Birmingham. He was the first person I thought of when I wanted to begin this project. The reason it looks the way it does???? He says that the concept on the card design centers around the image of 4 pieces of construction paper with torn edges randmoly laying on the card in assorted bright colors creating the cross in the negative space. The design speaks to the interactivity and the message of the preschool and children's ministry of FBC Meridian.

Maw Maw Hensley Would Be Proud!!

My great grandmother was named Addie Mae Hensley. She was such a precious woman. I remember spending my summers with her! She would always order my favorite girl scout cookies (Thin Mints), let me sit in her rocking chair where the wood was worn because she rocked constantly, and all credit is given to her because she introduced me to country music television (CMT) and I would sing and perform in her living room for hours. She always ate lunch at 12 o'clock on the dot, not a minute earlier or later and she would eat cucumbers, onions and tomatoes, EVERYDAY!! Maw Maw Hensley died when I was young and I only remember these certain things about her, but apparently she could make a strawberry cake that would put Paula Dean to shame.

A few years ago, my mom ran across Maw Maw Hensley's recipe for her famous cake. She decided that she wanted to try her hand and see if she could even come close to Maw Maw Hensley's. SHE DID!! Her cake is WONDERFUL!! It's a 3-layer strawberry cake with HOMEMADE icing and real strawberries. It's supposed to be served right out of the refrigerator and that makes it even better!! She's thinking about beginning to sell them! Any takers?? She made a cake for me to take to my bible study a few weeks ago and it's been in high demand ever since! I defintely think that my mom made Maw Maw Hensley proud!!