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So in hopes of getting our of my rainy days funk today, I’ve decided to take a look at all the things I love about summer, look forward to about summer, and things that remind me of summer memories.
1. Cherry Coke. The very first summer I went to summer camp I was about 10. I remember my mom giving me a roll of quarters to use at the snack machine and drink machines. I was SOOO excited about this tiny piece of independence. My mom? Giving me a WHOLE roll of quarters? For me to pick out my own snacks and drinks for an entire week?!?!? YES (with some fist pumping)!!! So, when we got to good ole’ Camp Oak Hill for our week of sleep away camp, it didn’t take long for me to discover where the drink machine was located. Back then, a can drink was only 50 cents. So what did I do with my $10 in quarters? Yep. I bought 20 Cherry Cokes in the course of 5 days. 4 Cherry Cokes a day. For a kid who wasn’t allowed to drink any soft drinks at home, you can imagine how awesome I thought this was.
Surprisingly, I didn’t get sick off of them and I still to this day love to get a Cherry Coke from the fountain machine if it’s available. It takes me back to summer camp and one of the first acts of independence I had.
2. Watermelon. It’s no secret that this fruit is pretty much my biggest weakness when it is in season. So much so that my grandmother has been known to buy an entire watermelon for our summer vacation just because I’ll be there. And don’t you worry, it always gets eaten! I also love it so much I once traded a birthday cake for a watermelon one year. My Dad drilled the holes for the candles and everything. I kid you not.
3. Rainbows. It’s no secret that I love these flip flops. I’ve been through 3 pairs in the past 6 years. And these puppies take a lot of wear and tear! This summer, I am going to need to purchase another pair. Sadly, my 3rd pair has had better days and the souls are now pealing off the bottom. Not to mention the arch support is non-existant. Some people may have trouble forking over $50 for flip flops and I must admit, it’s tough the very first time. But then when those flip flops form to your feet and last for 3 years, all seems right with the world.
4. Nicholas Sparks. Put me in a beach chair on a sunny day by the ocean with a Nicholas Sparks book and I will be good for the day. I love reading his books at the beach. They always take place on NC beaches. There’s something about reading his books while at the beach that makes them 10 times better. I already have 2 lined up to take with me on my beach weekends this summer. Can’t. Wait.
5. Breaking out the summer scent. For me, when I break out the Coconut Lime Verbena lotion, it’s officially summer! It smells tropical and makes me think of my trip to St. Lucia. Sometimes if I close my eyes, I can still hear the steel drums.
P.S. Dear Bombays, can we please go back soon? Love, Melanie
That’s my summer list. There are SOOO many other things I could add but those are the ones I’m dreaming of today as I look outside at the rain.
What are your summer things?
Well, tonight is the end of 2009. I’ve had a good year. I can’t complain. I would say I grew a lot personally and the Lord has taught me a lot this year.
- I saw my family go through a lot changes and I saw myself be effected by the changes. I learned that the storms of life will pass. And for the most part, the storms of this year have.
- Got to see my little brother graduate high school
- Got to see (and be a part of) 2 of my best friends get married (June & October)
- Got to go to Dinsey World with my family.
- Got completely surprised by a beach trip for my 25th Birthday by my wonderful friends.
- I learned that I still don’t know what path the Lord wants me on. But I also learned that in the meantime, he will provide.
But as I look forward to 2010, here are some personal goals I want to strive for:
- Run The Cooper River Bridge Run in March. And I do mean RUN the entire 10K.
- Continue to stay healthy and fit.
- Focus on spending more time with God through reading the Bible. So many times I let this slip my mind.
- Start seriously saving toward my future…whatever it may be!
- Find a church home and become a member. Sad to say, I still haven’t done this even though I have lived here for 6 (going on 7 years) now!
- Organize. Organize my stuff, my life, and my future goals.
- Get better at taking pictures. And be in more pictures. (*This one is tougher than is sounds!)
That’s all I can really think of right now. But if I think of anymore I’ll add them! I hope everyone has a wonderful New Years Eve and is looking forward to 2010. I know I am! I have a feeling this year has a lot in store for me. And I couldn’t be more ready.
So you should have known I wouldn’t let December go by without a “Oh let me count the ways” post on the most wonderful of seasons! So here are a few reasons I love Christmas 🙂
1. A good reason to be crafty. I’m thinking of trying a variation of these found at Kelly’s Korner. Aren’t they cute?
2. The baking. I always designate a Saturday to do all of my holiday baking. Baking cookies for friends is a big thing my mom always did and I still love the tradition. This Saturday is my “Baking Day”. I can’t wait!
I’ll be making some of these…which oddly enough require no baking.
Some of these…a classic & favorite by all.
And this yummy new recipe which I can’t wait to try! Found here.
3. The lights. There is nothing like getting bundled up, piling into the car, and driving through the tackiest neighborhood in your town. We do it every Christmas Eve.
4. The Christmas parties. I usually make it to 3 parties a year including my work party (which is this weekend) and then a few friend parties. There’s nothing like getting to spend time with people who you love and appreciate all year long! This year, our work party is at a Mexican Restaurant.
Ole’ Santa!
5. The Christmas Movies. Ok, I know I already talked about my love for Christmas movies in a previous post but this is a whole other side of Christmas movies. I love how you can turn on the TV at night after a long day and find a cheesey, corny Christmas movie on somewhere the entire month of December. Just last night, I found “All I Want for Christmas” with the young Thora Birch. What a cute movie!
6. Christmas Music. When I was a kid, we began listening to Christmas music in September due to the DCP (which you will read about below). So, every year, I am chomping at the bit to hear the Christmas tunes come through the radio! Some songs can be retired though. Like Wham’s “Last Christmas”. I would be perfectly fine if they never played that song ever again! But bring on the Michael Bubble “Let It Snow”! What a cutie!
7. The Christmas Decorations. From the Christmas tree to the little knick knacks you set around yoru house, I love decorating to make the season more festive. We put up a small tree at our house which I have yet to take a picture of. But my most favorite tree of all is this one I got to see last year in Rockafeller Center. They know how to decorate!
8. The Christmas Pageant. Most of you know about the Christmas Pageant or as we call it the DCP for short. But for thoase of you who don’t, the DCP is the Christmas Pageant my church from home puts together every year. My parents co-write the script and my dad directs it. This year is the 20th Annual Durham Christmas Pageant and it is a tradition many people continue every year, both attending it and being a part of it. It is a great blend of Christmas music with the Christmas story. I was in it my entire childhood and now I enjoy going back and taking friends to see it each year.
If you are in the North Carolina, you should make the trip to Durham next weekend to check it out! Learn more about performance times and tickets by going here.
9. Family. There’s nothing better then walking into my parents house, the Christmas tree lit, the apple cinnimon candle burning, a Christmas special on the TV, a fire in the fireplace, and the hug of your parents welcoming you home for Christmas. One of the top 10 moments of the year for me!
10. The Nativity. My favorite part of Christmas is of course the Christmas story. Afterall, it is the reason for the season! Corny I know, but oh so true! Make sure to keep your Christmas in perspective and remember that no matter what, celebrating this is what matters.
One of the long-standing traditions at our house is to watch Christmas movies the day after Thanksgiving while we put the tree and decorations up. Here are the ones we watch and why…
A Christmas Story. This is my Dad’s favorite Christmas movie of all time. He laughs hysterically. We love it too. it’s a classic!
Christmas Vacation. The scene with the squirel makes my mom laugh so hard she cries. Not to mention Aunt Bethany is the funniest character in the entire movie. Another classic.
White Christmas. Another one of my Dad’s favorites. Not to mention Bing Crosby and those blue eyes are DREAMY. And you guessed it, another classic!
The Grinch. By far one of the best remakes of a classic ever. Jim Carrey is awesome as the Grinch.
Miracle on 34th Street. This one is GREAT for Thanksgiving Day because it begins with the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. And it’s such a sweet story.
Home Alone. Great movie full of funny lines. I can still repeat pretty much every word. One of the favorites from my childhood.
The Santa Clause. One of Tim Allen’s best rolls in my opinion!
The Family Stone. This quickly became one of my favorite movies after seeing it a few years ago. I love all the actors and think it has a great message. Plus the craziness of the family reminds me a little of my own.
The Holiday. I absolutly love this movie! I guess it’s because I’m a hopeless romantic but I love every single thing about this movie! Even Jack Black! The best part has to be the dreamy Jude Law playing a dad. And how cute are those little British girls?? I just want to put them in my pocket!
Elf. One of the funniest movies. Will Ferrell is a comic genius.
The Polar Express. This one is quickly becoming a classic. The graphics are great and also has a great message.
Of course I love the other classics like Santa Claus The Movie, Prancer, and any ABC Family Christmas movie (25 days of Christmas, how awesome!). But these are the ones I own and I always take home to watch with the family.
Are there any I forgot you consider must watches?
The past weekend, I made a special trip home to go to the NC State Fair in Raleigh. I know I’ve mentioned it on here before but the State Fair is a staple part of fall for me. Growing up only 30 minutes away from the fairgrounds allowed me to go every single year as a kid. My parents were super cool and use to let us skip a day of school to go to the fair on a weekday to avoid the weekend chaos. So, wonderful memories surround it for me. Here are a few things in my opinion make it such a wonderful experience.
1. The Prize Winning Pumpkins. These amaze me every single year. How is it possible to grow something that huge in the same patch as regular size pumpkins?? I mean, what do you do differently? I’m not a farmer so I don’t know. But it’s pretty freakin awesome if you ask me!
2. The People Watching. There are people in the state of North Carolina who only come out of the hills twice a year. And the State Fair is one of them. I love to watch people. It fascinates me. It’s the Sociology minor in me, I guess.
3. The Atmosphere. There is nothing like walking around in the fall weather with your scarf around your neck listening, sipping a cup of apple cider, smelling the different foods, hearing the sound of the rides, people screaming and laughing as they get spun around, seeing the lights come on as it gets dark…I could go on and on.
4. The Novelty Vendors. The fair is the only place where you can buy Maple Syrup Cotton Candy, a Rod Iron Dinner Bell, and a SHAM WOW in the same place. It’s fun to walk through the buildings, see the different vendors and the things they’re selling, admire the craftmanship of the handmade items and the ingenuity behind the latest frying pan. Random but fun none the less.
5. I saved the best for last. THE FOOD. It’s no secret that this is why I really love the fair. I ate healthy all week before going to the fair for the simple reason that I wanted to enjoy myself! As a kid, it was all about the rides. As a teenager, it was all about walking around with my boyfriend holding hands. As an adult, IT’S ALL ABOUT THE FOOD! I won’t go into detail about the 9 or 10 different things I ate in a 4 hour period but I will tell you this, I hit all the major fair food groups. Dinner (i.e. some sort of protien). Fried vegetable. Fried Dough. Dessert on a Stick. And Hot Beverage. I also may have partaken in some other foods in between which hit one or more of the fair food groups. Needless to say, I am hitting the gym hard again this week! It was totally worth it though. It’s officially fall to me!
1. The arrival of the halloween candy in the stores. You know how they set up an entire section of candy for all the trick or treaters. I never buy any because I don’t get trick or treaters but I still love to walk by and smell the sugary plastic smell of lollipops and candy corn.
2. The cool mornings. I love waking up with a bit of chill in the air. I really love that I can leave the windows open at night too!
3. Football season. There is something about tailgating, sitting in the stands, watching the players run on to the field as you adorn your team colors and cheering as the ball is kicked for the first play. Then when it gets cold, getting hot chocolate, snuggling under a blanket and enjoying the bright lights and halftime performance.
4. The Pumpkin Spice Latte. Enough said.
5. Time to break out the scarfs! Ok, I am a bit of a scarf junkie. I have a collection of about 20 scarfs which I LOVE to wear. Almost daily. I’m going to be very said when they aren’t in style anymore. Let’s hope that never happens!
6. Oranges, browns, yellows, and reds. I love these colors in my wordrobe and in my scenery. Fall leaves are my favorite!
7. Camping trips. Everyone should take at least one camping trip in the fall! One time and you will want to make it a tradition. I promise.
8. The pumpkin patches start popping up around town. I love picking out a pumpkin. It’s not fall until you”ve purchased one!
Yay for the fall 🙂
![fall_leaves[1]](https://melhuff.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/fall_leaves1.jpg?w=490 "fall_leaves[1]")
1. The sun.
2. The salty air.
3. A laid back atmosphere. No schedule. No time restraints.
4. Finishing my book. FINALLY.
5. Sleeping on the beach.
6. Early morning walks on the beach.
7. Eating some seafood.
8. Not having to drive (yay ).
9. Hearing funny stories.
10. Getting some much needed rest.
I’ll be back Monday!
![Outerbanks_nc_beach[1]](https://melhuff.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/outerbanks_nc_beach11.jpg?w=490 "Outerbanks_nc_beach[1]")
212 days till year 2010
205 days till Christmas
123 days till Jessica’s October Wedding
91 days till my 25th Birthday (wow…sigh)
18 days till I go to Dinsey World!
10 days till my 2 year anniversary at my job/little brother graduates high school (yay!)
5 days till Marianne’s June wedding (YAY!!!)
3 days till I’m off to do my Maid of Honor duties!
Time really flies when you think of a year in days…craziness.
Everyone has little rules they live by. Most of them subconsious. But none the less, they govern ones life. Here are a few of mine.
1. I never eat the 2 end pieces of bread when I buy a loaf at the grocery store. I don’t really know why, but I don’t. The ends are just there for show. I’m convinced.
2. I always walk on the correct side of the mall. For those of you who never follow this rule, the correct side is the right side for whichever way you are heading towards. Just like when you drive. Please take note. This doubles as a pet-peeve.
3. I have a 60 degree coffee rule. If it is cooler than 60 degrees, I order hot coffee. If it is warmer than 60 degrees, I order iced coffee. If it is 60 degrees exactly…well I don’t know. I guess it would depends on what I’m feeling like that day!
4. Marriage before moving in together. For everyone, this rule is different. For some couples, it just works better to move intogether first. But for me, I want to share a mailbox after I share their last name.
5. I have to make my bed every morning. I am convinced I sleep better once it’s been made for a full 12 hours beforehand.
6. When I buy an article of clothing, I throw another out. This is a new one I am trying out. We will see how long it lasts!
7. Call the parents once a week. My parents are very good at letting me live my own life and not checking in on me a whole lot. But I like to give them a ring and let them know I am doing well at least once a week. It’s my very small way of thanking them for giving me life and respecting my inependance.
8. Always smile and be nice to those who work in the service industry (food, retail, etc.). I know they mess up your order sometimes and they don’t ring up your purchases right every now and then. But just keep in mind, working one on one with people in the service industry is tough and they deal with rude people all day long. Also, chances are, that’s not their only job. So be curtious to them. Chances are they are just getting by.
9. If it is sunny outside and over 60 degrees, the sunroof is open when driving. No exceptions.
10. Never go to Target without walking through the shoe section 🙂
1. Embrace the things that pull you out of your comfort zone. Being too comfortable can be a bad thing. It’s good to step out of your comfort zone and do things that encourage you to meet new people and explore new sides of your personality you may not have known were there. As a good friend of mine says “Don’t let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game.”
2. Always have faith. Those of you who know me well know that I am constantly using “have faith” as my encouragement mantra. But it is so true! As the Bible says ” …if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say move to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move…” (Matthew 17: 20) So, they truely are words to live by. Have faith.
3. Be thankful for the small things in life. Sometimes taking the time to be appreciative for the small things can ground you and remind you not to worry so much.
4. Never say never. As soon as you try and dictate your life, God will come and buldoze it and start over. It’s best to let him handle your life and never say anything will never happen. That’s usually when God proves it will.
5. Life is too short to be so serious! I have learned this the most this past year. If you can’t laugh at yourself, then you really need to lighten up. Life is to be enjoyed. So it’s ok to crack a smile every now and then 🙂
6. It’s ok to just sit back and observe sometimes. When there is nothing you can say, usually that is a cue that you don’t need to. So be content to be quiet sometimes. A comment is not always needed.
7. Hold your treasure in things above. This is another one from the Bible which I love. It’s so easy to put our treasure in earthly things. But we should set our minds in things above. Someday the things of earth will go away but the treasure we hold in heaven will remain forever.
8. Love as much as possible. Everyone wants to be loved. It is human nature. So love unconditionally. Even your enemies. Life is too short to hold grudges. So forgive quickly.
9. Being scared is part of life. I get scared a lot. About stupid stuff and important stuff. But at the end of the day, getting cold feet and a little fear is healthy. The important thing to remember is to not let it take over your life. You can’t live in fear.
10. Things will fall into place eventually. There are many times that things happena and I don’t understand why. It’s okay though. Sometimes it’s best not to know. But in hind-sight, I can see clearly what God was doing. So when you are frustrated and want to know why things happen, remember that you are just human and sometimes the human mind can not comprehend why He does the things he does. Everything will work out in time.
All in a Huff 