The World Through my Heart

The real reason I wanted to start blogging again is because of LeaderShape. LeaderShape made me feel like a changed person at the end of the week. For a six days I explored my vision for the world, learned about my personality traits, and defined my values while working with a "family cluster" of 16 other unique college students. Most people call LeaderShape a "leadership camp" but it was so much more than that. It really inspired me to be the best person I can be.

Learning about my personality style helped explain how I go about my daily life. I am an "S" which stands for steadiness. I make an emphasis on cooperating with others and work within existing circumstances to carry out tasks. I have a tendency to be consistent, patient, loyal, and I am a good listener. When I read this I had a mini freak out since it seemed so accurate. But what made me feel great is that these traits I usually viewed as negatives were actually viewed as powerful leadership skills. This affirmation really gave me the confidence to go through the week acting as me.

Through that personality test and working with my family cluster as a team, I realized that I really lead with my heart. And while leading with my brain, or with your feet for that matter may be ideal in some situations I've found that seeing the world through my heart is MY best way of going through life.

This sense of seeing the world through my heart inspired me to change my blog name. Because while I do like to write about My Beautiful Life beauty seems so finite and limiting to me. In my heart I hold values like

and I want my blog to be about more than myself. This summer, I challenge myself to write again. And to focus on the world around me through the view from my heart.

I say this all the time...but this time it's for real

Last summer, about this time, I started to blog again. It was such a fun outlet and way to express myself, but unfortunately when I got back to school life got in the way. I joined my sorority, Alpha Xi Delta, and I began to get much more into my major classes. Free time became a luxury, and most of that "free time" was spent studying, sleeping, or hanging out with my boyfriend.

But as busy as I was, blogging was always something that I missed. I still thought of it as a part of me, even though I was actively writing anymore. But now that another school year has come to an end, I really just want to write again. I want to make my blog design more aligned with my personal taste (and give myself an excuse to play around on PhotoShop).

But until the ideas start flowing, and the designs start coming to life. I want to leave you all with some photos of what I've been up to since my last post wayyyy back in November 2012.

With my big sister after Initiation into Alpha Xi Delta in December 2012.

At Miss. Greek competition in April, raising money for Juvenile Diabetes.

At Fuzzie Football with some sisters and EMU's mascot Swoop. Together my chapter raised awareness about reckless driving in honor of our sister Brenda. M Hugg who lost her life to a reckless driver ten years ago.

Celebrating turning (the anti-climatic age) 20!

At LeaderShape the most amazing experience of my life. I spent a week with 60 EMU students defining my values, and creating a vision for the world. I met some amazing friends, and truly came out of the week a more confident woman.

 

Finished up a year as the program's coordinator for AEYC-EMU and was elected as the treasurer and secretary for next year.

Went to formal with a pretty awesome date at the end of Aprill.

More is soon to come

Turkey Trot Detroit

After the color run I was convinced I would become a runner. In my post run high I decided to sign up for the Turkey Trot in downtown Detroit. I planned on training all through the fall, but lets just say that didn't happen. Thankfully I survived the race (barely) and didn't walk at all! The whole experience ended up being super fun and Alex and I are planning on continuing the tradition for years to come.

Pinterest Therapy

In an effort to maintain sanity I often browse pinterest as a stress reliever. Even though 9 out of 10 times it makes me more stressed because I end up procrastinating, this is beside the point. Since this week I have been super stressed out with initiation week, projects due before Thanksgiving break, and planning for my three year anniversary with Alex the amount of re-pins I've made lately is a bit obnoxious. But despite how unproductive I've been I figured why not spend another 30 minutes and share those pins with you!

 ps: I'm so lazy and stressed I couldn't even give you links, I know I suck. So just gaze at the pretty things and follow me on pinterest (links that way <-- font="font">

Big Little Week

This past week was Big Little week, which is kind of the most exciting week ever. The combination of suspense not knowing who your big is, and getting presents every day is amazing. On the last day before big little match up I got these letters. If you have ever read my blog before you would know that I have an OBSESSION with vera bradley so I was super excited that my big got me vera letters.

Wood goods in my favorite colors; pink, purple, and tiffany blue!

On the second day of big little week we get shirts that are passed down from people in our family line. I got a laundry basket full of 25 shirts! Some that are as old as 2004

Adorable coupons from my biggie

And this is me and my big! We always joke around because we met each other in the creepiest way....Facebook! Before our freshman year our school has Facebook groups for the incoming class to get to know people. We pretty much stalked each others lives, realized we were practically twins, became friends, became sisters, and now we're family!