The greatest gift.

     Happy Easter dear friends! I hope that you take some time today to reflect on the meaning of the cross. God's Son died a brutal death upon it so that you and I and every other single person in this world can have the gift of eternal life if we choose to follow Jesus. I am just now finishing reading through the four Gospels of the bible. Each of them includes an account of Jesus's death and resurrection, and everytime that I've read it I'm continually amazed at how amazing our God is, and how Jesus's sacrifice is the ultimate demonstration of love. Below is one of my favorite Christian songs, and the one that I think best describes the true spirit of Easter:

     Easter blessings to you and your families and friends!


     xoxo Miss ALK

Web Wish List {2}

     Time for my second round of Web Wish List! Today I picked a beautiful necklace and three solid colored basics that would all coordinate perfectly with it. They are all in what I consider to be "Easter colors" and would be great things to wear in April and May!

1. Necklace: "Color Mix Statement Necklace" by J. Crew I can't exactly take the credit for finding this gorgeous necklace. I first saw this feautured last week on the blog A Preppy State of Mind. The author of Preppy State, Rachel, is one of my fashion role models because she always has the cutest clothes and accessories and this necklace is no exception! The colors in it are each so bold and eye-catching, and they all coordinate so well together. If it wasn't priced at $165.00 I would have snatched it up by now. :-)
2. Dress: "The Prettiest Pixie Dress" by ModCloth How cute is this little lavender number?! This is the perfect shade of violet for springtime, and I love the silhouette and style. Wearing it with some cute strappy sandals and the J. Crew necklace would be the pefect outfit for any spring formal event! The skirt looks so flowy- this would be the perfect type of dress to twirl around in. It is priced at $75.00.
3. Jeans: "Current Elliot Mint Green Skinny Jeans" by Montaigne Market I've been wanting a pair of mint green skinny jeans for awhile now, but since mint is so "in" this year there are many different shades available. Should I purchase a pair, I'd like for them to be the shade of these skinny jeans- bright enough to be really considered "green" but not too bright to not be considered in the mint family of color. I found this perfect pair on a website for a French clothing store, but I'm sure at least one US retailer sells something similar. Wouldn't these look awesome with a white v-neck t-shirt and the J. Crew necklace? In US dollars that would come out to $275... quite pricy but I think that's because of the difference between euros and US currency!
4. Shirt: "Petite Short Sleeve Button Down Blouse" by LOFT Shirts that are made of a light material with buttons and short sleeves are popular right now. I have one in mint that I wore in this post. I love this style because you can wear it with a pair of jeans for a casual look, or a skirt and heels for a dressy evening affair. This style of shirt would also look great with a statement necklace, and the J. Crew one would cooordinate perfectly! This dark coral color is also very versatile and would match a lot of things.


     Have a wonderful Saturday dear readers! And remember, you still have a little bit of time left to ask me a question that I'll answer in my upcoming and first vlog!


     xoxo Miss ALK

Fun Fact Friday {8}

      I feel so badly for putting this up literally at the end of a Friday, but I came home last night for Easter break and have spent most of the day out and about applying for summer jobs. The bakery that I worked at for the past two summers is closing this year, so I need to find a new job. There are few things more stressful than job hunting, but I am confident that God will provide something for me. Anyways- it's FFF time! As always, these posts are inspired by Emily of the blog The Adventures of Rosie. I'm going to try and make this post really just legit "fun facts" about me instead of random facts about my week, haha.


Friday, March 22nd, 2013

1. Today I got a very sweet e-mail from one of my favorite bloggers, Elle! It made my day. I love hearing from other bloggers, and some days I honestly don't know what I would do without the blogging community.
2. When I was a sophomore in high school I was obsessed with the TV show Degrassi. I watched religiously for two seasons, and then stopped abruptly for some reason that I can't remember.
3. My favorite type of cuisine is hands-down Indian. I could eat Indian food everyday. It's the only type of cuisine where I like the vegetarian dishes just as much as meat ones. And my favorite type of meat is lamb which is in so many of the dishes! Seriously, take me out for Indian food and you'll have a special place in my heart. I have to drive at least an hour to the nearest Indian restaurant from school which is very sad.
4. This is the first year since middle school that I've had a new dress to wear for Easter. Junior year I wore a dress that I kinda stole from my mom (see it in this fashion post) and last year a hand-me-down from an older cousin. Expect an Easter fashion post Monday or Tuesday!
5. I am almost done reading the Gospel of John, which will conclude my reading through the four gospels, which I've been doing since New Years'. What perfect timing with Easter coming up! Reading about Jesus's life has made me so thankful for the amazing price that He paid for our sins.

      If you would like to participate in Fun Fact Friday please give credit to Emily in your post and follow her blog! Her blog is private, so shoot her a friendly e-mail at theadventuresofrosieblog@gmail.com to have her approve you as a follower!

     xoxo Miss ALK

     

NYC trip! (2 months later)

     *A tiny bit of blog business before I start this post: there's still time to ask me a question that I will answer in my first and upcoming vlog!*

     Last night I finally picked out a cover photo for the Southern Belle in Training Facebook page, and the picture that I chose was from my January 2013 trip to NYC, which I then realized that I had never shared any pictures from! I think it was because the trip was at the end of my Christmas break (And I was going through a "lazy spell" where I was barely blogging, haha.) and once getting back from New York I had only two days to pack up all my stuff and head back to school for my spring semester.

     Anyways, New York is one of my favorite places to visit! This was my first trip in about two years. But since my dad is from Long Island originally I have some extended family that still lives there and during my childhood we'd go visit every year or two. The last time I was in NYC was my junior year of high school: my cousin got married at the Plaza Hotel (Yes- THE Plaza). It was the most beautiful and elaborate celebration ever and just like the weddings on the WE-TV show Platinum Weddings. You can read more about my cousin's wedding here, but without further ado here are the pictures from my long weekend in the city with my dad!

     The first picture is the stage that Taylor Swift (and others) performed on for the New Years' Rockin' Eve TV special! We arrived in the city on the night of January 1st, and the city official still hadn't taken everything down. Below are some of the gorgeous leftover Christmas decorations at our hotel! This was our third stay at the DoubleTree Times Square! It literally right in the center of everything, and one of the most beautiful hotels ever. I'd highly reccomend it! Our room always has a great view of the lights and action in Times Square.
   
     Next up pictures from the sights that my dad and I saw! Getting to drive by the beautiful Rockefeller Center tree and visit the Forever 21 flagship store were highlights. My poor dad- we visited Forever 21 twice in one day and I must have spent over three hours in there combined! Also- the Chanel purse that I'm using in one picture is real, courtesy of my mom; who originally got it from my grandma- it's vintage! Is there really a better place to use Chanel than in NYC?!

     Next are a few photos from my great-uncle's house in Brooklyn. He's lived in the same house for over half a century and has the most charming living room ever. Take a peak!

      And lastly, before heading out of the city we visited one of the Victoria's Secret flagship stores. I was thrilled because they had all of last year's swimwear on clearance which never happens in their regular stores! I got an adorable bathing suit at a great price. :-)

     Have you been to NYC before? What was your favorite memory of your trip?


     xoxo Miss ALK


     P.S. If you can I'd appreciate any prayers/good vibes/thoughts for my huge French presentation that me and friend B have to do in our French class today!

The best thing I've ever seen on Twitter.

     xoxo Miss ALK

Ask away!

     Hi friends! I had meant to bring y'all the second edition of my "Web Wish List" today, but unfortunately I was assigned an insane amount of homework today in my classes and I just don't have the time to finish the post. Maybe if Dancing With The Stars wasn't on tonight I would... :-) Anyways, expect that later in the week!

     Since I don't have time for a long post today I thought that I'd try something new. I've gotten some new followers and readers this month so I figured this was the perfect time to try something that I've always wanted to do- a vlog! I've seen other bloggers do them and always enjoyed them, so it's time for me to do one of my own. The subject of my vlog will be me answering any questions that y'all have for me! I figured this would be a more fun way for my new blogging friends to get to know me rather than just reading my "About Me" page (Although hey, check that out if you haven't yet!). Feel free to ask me anything! Minus really personal stuff like my real name or name of my hometown I'll answer everything. You can ask your question by commenting on this post or if it's more serious and you'd like to be annonymous just send me an e-mail. My e-mail can be found on my "About Me" page, and I'm using a different e-mail than I did on my old blog so be sure to check that out for my current address.

     On a side note, if you're free tonight from 6-7 p.m. EST, I encourage you to tune into my radio show! This semester I've been blessed with the opportunity to host my own radio show at my college's radio station on Monday evenings. The theme is 90s and early 2000s pop music, so if you need your boy band or old Britney Spears fix then tune in tonight! Please e-mail me if you would like the information for how to listen online. :-)

     One more bit of blog business is a reminder to like the Southern Belle in Training Facebook Page if you haven't yet! It's another great way to be reminded of when I post, and soon I'll be adding some more fun things to it.

     And lastly, this encouraging bible verse that I tweeted out this morning. A great reminder for when the beginning of your week seems long and daunting (like mine!).

     "Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever." -1 Chronicles 16:34 NIV


     Have a great Monday! I can't wait to read all of your questions!


     xoxo Miss ALK

Vera Bradley Summer 2013!

     Today's post is certainly going to be much more upbeat then the one I posted late last night. It's a new day, the sun is shining (Although it is quite chilly, but hey, sunshine is better than rain.) and I've already taken two tests today, which means the rest of the day should be a breeze. :-) Today is also exciting for another reason- Vera Bradley's summer collection launched today!

     How cute are these prints?! From left to right they are called Tutti Frutti, Lilli Bell, Marina Paisley and Sun Valley. Normally when the new Vera prints come out for a certain season there will be one or two that I really like, but I honestly adore everything in the summer collection! I think Sun Valley would be great for a purse, and Lilli Bell would make an adorable duffle bag. My iPhone would look gorgeous in the Marina Paisley hardshell case, and I'd go for anything in Tutti Frutti! Speaking of Tutti Frutti, below is my most favorite new product of all. Despite the fact that it comes from the Vera baby line I really, really, really want this! Perhaps it'll make an appearance in my Easter basket next Sunday?

     Aren't those the cutest little bunnies ever? Bunnies are one of my favorite animals and how cool would it be to have a Vera Bradley stuffed bunny?!


     Which is your favorite print from the Vera Bradley summer 2013 collection?


     xoxo Miss ALK


     P.S. Please like the all new Facebook page for Southern Belle in Training by clicking here!

In need of encouragement.

     Today was not my day, and this has not been my week.

     Despite the fact that I'm over the terrible virus/sinus infection combo that ransacked me in the weeks before spring break and then the actual break itself, my energy levels are still not back to normal yet. I get an energy crash most days in the late afternoons. I haven't been going to any school events or club meetings- just going to class and then to the caf for food takes a lot out of me. I've always been a very active person who doesn't enjoy too much sitting around so this is part of the reason that my spirits have been down.

     Due to the sickness thing I've had a ton of make-up homework, and most of my teachers and jumping right into assigning new things now that spring break is done. Tomorrow morning I have two back-to-back essay tests (one is a make-up exam) and I'm not fully prepared, yet I feel that I have no motivation to be prepared either. School is becoming a burden. I'm starting to dread going to classes and I feel that I have no joy in being at this school anymore. The fact that this weekend's weather forecast shows low temperatures in the 30s and lots of rain isn't helping me a bit either (This isn't Maine weather!!!). While I am blessed to have sweet friends here at college, I'm feeling disconnected from most of them lately (Probably due to the fact that I haven't been getting out much.) I've also lost touch with a lot of people that I was close with last semester, and I hate when that happens. Another thing that's been burdening my heart is how I'm losing touch with my high school friends. I knew that this was going to happen (And to be honest- I didn't even plan on staying in touch with all of them.) eventually but it's hard for me to adjust to since I stayed in close contact with many of them my first semester.

     Here's the weird thing though: as much as I don't want to be here I don't really want to be home either. While I am excited to be going home next weekend for our short Easter break, I definitely don't feel homesick. I love the South, I really do. I'm just very confused about what I want I guess. Part of me wants to transfer.

     Now for some details about my day: as stated above I haven't had a lot of energy since returning to school. But today I got fed up with the low energy thing and decided that I needed a little break from campus. I hopped in my car and decided to do a little shopping. This was probably my first bad decision, because as I am currently without a summer job I'm not really in a position to be making unneccesary purchases. As I was on my way back to school I reached over for my phone so I could play a song off of it in the car. It wasn't there. I quickly turned around and sped back over to the stores I was at. Luckily one of them had my iPhone and it's back safe and sound with me, but the whole incident really freaked me out. I couldn't believe I was so careless.

     After I got my phone back I realized that I was craving a slice of ice cream cake. Those of you that follow me on Instagram know that since being sick I've been eating lots and lots and lots of ice cream cake. I'm not really sure I why I've suddenly developed a taste for it as I've never liked it much in the past. But anyways, that's what I was craving and it seemed like the perfect treat to end to a long day of 4 classes and almost losing my phone. So I went into the nearest Walmart, only to find that they didn't sell ice cream cake. I was dissapointed, but drove to a nearby grocery store. After having unpleasant interactions with at least 4 employees (Seriously people- customer service is important!) it was determined that this store also didn't sell ice cream cake. I had a feeling that store number three would be where I got lucky... but alas I had no such luck. Three stores, NO ice cream cake. The worst part is that I wasted close to an hour doing all of this dessert hunting and it used up whatever little energy I had left for the day, so now I'm having a really hard time studying for my tests.


     Seeing all of this typed out almost makes me laugh now- I guess the annoyances of my day and week seem very trivial and small compared to what so many others are suffering. I suppose it is easy to get caught up in yourself and forget the bigger picture- that God's love never fails and everything happens according to his purpose and plan. But here's the thing- while I know that God will never leave my side and that He's always with me through these experiences of exhaustion, lonliness and frustration, it doesn't mean that I'm feeling 100% better either. I know that I'm not depressed- I was for a time in my junior year of high school and these feelings aren't as severe as what I was feeling then. But I'm definitely not very happy right now either.


     To end things for tonight, I just wanted to let y'all know how much I love you. Blogging is seriously one of the best things that I've ever decided to do. It's such a great stress relief (I already feel a little better from just typing this up) and a good creative outlet. But the best part has definitely been getting to know my amazing followers! I love reading your blogs- in fact most weekdays that's a highlight for me after I get done with classes for the day. I especially love reading the blogs of the girls that are a few years older than me, and have not only gotten through the tough high school and college years but made it out very successful and strong in their faith.

     Thought I'd let you guys know that despite the large amount of homework that I have to do this weekend I don't have many other plans, so if any of y'all are free to I'd love to get to know you more! My blogging friends have brought so much joy to my life and even the littlest things like a comment from one of you or a "like" on Instagram always brightens my day. I enjoy skyping with blogging friends or even just a good ol' IM chat. Please send me an e-mail at rainbowflash94@yahoo.com if you'd be interested in chattin' it up this weekend! :-)


     Here's to a new day tomorrow! Many blessings,


     xoxo Miss ALK

Fashion post {3/19/13} // Blog Facebook news

• Cardigan: AB Studio {bought at Kohl's} (January 2013)
• Jeans: American Eagle (2012)
• Wedges: Antonio Melani {bought at Dillard's} (November 2012)
• Earrings: Target (August 2012)
• Bracelets: Left hand is a gift from a family friend. Right hand are two bangles from a three part set from Charming Charlie (January 2013)
• Nail Polish: Bottom polish is Pure ICE in Celestial and the top sparkly polish is L.A. Colors in BCC

     Blue and orange is such a fun color combonation, and was perfect for me to wear on the warmest day this week! I bought this cardigan last month at Kohl's and this is the first time that I've worn it. Isn't the back gorgeous?! You can't really tell from this picture but the material for the floral back is actually a softer and more delicate fabric. As y'all (should) know I'm obsessed with anything floral, so this was a must have for me! Another way that I can't wait to wear it is with a black pencil skirt for church or a business casual occasion. 

     I don't usually wear bootcut jeans. If you read a lot of my fashion posts then you know that I'm usually to be found in skinny jeans. I wanted a bit of a darker washed jean though to offset the bright sweater so I went with my favorite pair of American Eagle bootcut jeans. Most of my jeans are from American Eagle. They have a style, wash and size to please everyone! I decided to add a little bit of neutral sparkle in with these pretty tan wedges. They're actually very comfortable to walk in! I love wearing heels and would wear them more if most didn't hurt my heet so much on my long walks to classes, so it's always exciting for me to find some that don't make my feet miserable. I found these at the end of the season at a Discount Dillard's last year, and I got a great deal on them!

     The blue in my earrings matched the blue in my sweater and nails and the gold in them matched the gold trip on my shoes, so these were a must wear! Target usually has some adorable statement earrings like these for fairly cheap, so I reccomend looking there if you want some big and bold earrings. I stuck with the blue theme with some simple bracelets. The base color for my nail polish is actually a solid and deep royal blue and the sparkly color is a forest green, but combined they create the perfect teal look! 

     Now for some blogging business news, I finally made a Facebook page for this blog! PLEASE CLICK HERE TO LIKE IT! I'll be sharing my posts there as well as some photos and other fun things. It will be a great way for you to stay in touch with me and find out when I post. I created it about an hour ago and I'm already up to 10 likes, and I'd like to keep them coming! :-)

     Are you wearing florals and bold color combinations this spring? 

     xoxo Miss ALK

Web Wish List {1}

     I'm so excited to share with y'all my first Polyvore collage! Being a college student on a limited budget I don't have the funds the buy everything that I want. But the beauty of the internet is that I can browse my favorite brands and stores' websites to my heart's content, and share my favorite items with my fabulous blog readers!

1. Purse: "Flicker Fabric Tenley" by Kate Spade I must confess, this first item isn't exactly a web find. My one excursion over spring break was short day trip to a mall in Masschusetts with my mom. Since I was still recovering from being sick I wasn't feeling too well so we weren't able to hit up many stores, but I did spot this lovely little purse in Nordstrom on our way into the mall. Isn't it just darling?! I think I've said before how much I adore anything bright and floral, and this bag is no exception! Yellow isn't typically a color that I'm crazy about, but I think that the white strap and bold flowers look perfect against it. In the past I've been a fan of big purses, but after getting a small cross body Michael Kors bag for Christmas from some family members I've been looking at other bags in that style. I really, really, really wanted to get this bag but at $158.00 it's just a little too much for me to afford.
2. Cover Up: "Embroidered Cover Up" by Aerie A good beach cover up is something that I've been in need for for awhile. I prefer ones with sleeves for when the beach gets a little bit breezy! Back in March 2010 I picked up a great Old Navy beach cover up, but sadly the last few years have taken a toll on it and there's a large tear in one of the sleeves now.  Anyways, this Aerie cover up is the closest thing that I've seen to what I'm looking for in my next beach cover up. I love the way that the bright lime green embroidery pops against the royal blue, and the tassles are a fun touch. It's priced at $39.95, maybe if it goes on sale anytime soon I'll buy it!
3. Dress: "Jordan dress" by Lilly Pulitzer I am so in love with this dress that it's not even funny. The first time that I saw this on the Lilly website I was like "Gahhhhh I NEED that!" Probably the thing that I love most about it is the color combonation of pretty blue and green stripes set on a white background, but the adorable bow and feminine cut of the dress just add to its charm. It would be perfect to wear to a spring wedding or for Easter if I'd be spending it in the South! I'm going back to Maine for Easter weekend so it would probably be too cold to wear anything like this... but that's unrelated. This beauty is priced at $288.00.
4. Pumps: "Love Me Nude Patent" by Michael Antonio Out of all four of today's feautured items, these are the ones that I'm most likely to buy (Or something similar to them, as I would never buy pumps online since I couldn't try them on first).  I've been wanting a pair of nude patent pumps forever. Nude pumps are such a classic fashion statement that match almost anything and never go out of style. Their coloring gives them a less severe look than a black patent pump (Which is another fashion staple that I am proud to own!). According to Zappos.com (where they come from), they have a 4 1/2 inch heel, which I think might be a little difficult to walk in, but definitely would be worth it. They're reasonably priced at $49.00 with free shipping, but my guess is better deals can be found on similar nude pumps in retail stores.

      Did y'all like this post? I hope to do more like this again soon since it was a lot of fun for me to compile all of my favorite finds into one cute collage. :-)

     xoxo Miss ALK

Fun Fact Friday {7}

     Another week has passed, which means it's time for another round of FFF! FFF was started by my blogging/real life friend Emily and I enjoyed her posts each Friday so much that I had to join in!


March 15th, 2013

1. I used to be really into figure skating when I was younger. I competed for about a year and a half (2004-2006) and did lessons for a total of nine years!
2. The academic accomplishment that I'm most proud of to date is making a 100 on a 10 page poetry analysis paper in my English class last semester. Definitely one of the hardest school assignments I've ever had to do!
3. Watching the finale of The Bachelor last week and seeing how it was set in Thailand only intensified my desire to travel there. I would love to honeymoon in Thailand someday!
4. Speaking of travelling, had I not gotten very sick my mom and I were supposed to be on our way home from Italy today! We were supposed to be there for spring break with a group from my college. Imagine that- I could have been in Rome while all of this Pope stuff has been going on!
5. I get a huge kick out of the Grumpy Cat meme. Here's my all-time favorite picture! Never ceases to make me laugh. :-)

      If you would like to participate in Fun Fact Friday please give credit to Emily in your post and follow her blog! Her blog is private, so shoot her a friendly e-mail at theadventuresofrosieblog@gmail.com to have her approve you as a follower!

     xoxo Miss ALK

This is home.

     I apologize for the lack of posts lately. Since I've come home I haven't really been doing much except for resting and attempting to catch up on my make-up work for school, and my life has been very un-exciting. Most days I don't even get out of my old ratty pajamas, and on rare days (like today!) I've managed to put on some yoga pants and a t-shirt... not exactly fashion post worthy material!

     The one the thing that I did make time to do though was to spend a little time at the local beaches on Saturday and Sunday. One fact is that my hometown and the surrounding areas have gorgeous beaches. A second fact is that while they are beautiful year round, they definitely aren't warm year round! It was in the 40s both days when I took these photographs, and that's average (if not warm) for March in Maine. Typically the beaches are a little more sandy and a little less rocky, but Maine has had several storms lately which has eroded much of the sand and exposed a lot of rocks.

     Without further ado, I present to you a taste of my (true) home:

     I've never taken the time before to appreciate how beautiful the ocean is in this season of late winter/early spring. God's creation is truly magnificent isn't it? One of the things that I miss the most when I'm at school is the smell of the salty air and the simple beauty of watching the waves crash against the sand and rocks. I'm truly blessed to call this home. As much as I love the south, I'll always be a Maine girl at heart... whether I like it or not!

     What's naturally beautiful in your hometown?


     xoxo Miss ALK

Fun Fact Friday {6}

     Time for one of my favorite things about the end of the week... a FFF post! Credit for FFF goes to my blogging friend Emily.

Friday, March 8th 2013

1. I can't snap my fingers. I've had numerous people try to teach me how over the years but it doesn't make a difference. 
2. The bakery that I've worked at for the past two summers is closing this year, so next week I'll be doing job hunting around my hometown.
3. My favorite color is aquamarine.
4. I'm becoming an Instagram addict.
5. I started reading my way through the New Testament at New Years', starting with the Gospel of Matthew. I'm now more than halfway though the Gospel of Luke! :-) 

    If you would like to participate in Fun Fact Friday please give credit to Emily in your post and follow her blog! Her blog is private, so shoot her a friendly e-mail at theadventuresofrosieblog@gmail.com to have her approve you as a follower!

xoxo Miss ALK

Home sweet home // blog business.

     This past Tuesday I made my latest trip to the doctors office. The newest diagnosis for the symptoms that have been making my life miserable for almost two weeks is a "severe sinus infection." (On the bright side, my second mono test came back negative, so that's something that I don't have to worry about!) The bummer though is that the doctor told me that he didn't reccomend me going on my planned Spring Break trip to Italy with a group from my school. He said that I needed several more days of rest to finally beat this thing.

     As much as I was dissapointed that I couldn't go on my trip, the main thing that I was concerned about was being stuck any longer at school. I was so homesick. Being that ill by myself was definitely one of the hardest things that I've ever had to go through. Almost miraculously though my dad was able to find me a last minute flight to come home. And when I say last minute, I mean getting a phone call from my mom that I was able to come home...if I was packed and in the car headed to the airport within 20 minutes...that kind of last minute. :-) Somehow I was able to pull it off though!

     I've been home for two days now, and I haven't left my house since I've gotten here. Flying while being sick wasn't too bad, (minus the fact that my ears felt like they were going to explode on the descent into the airport), but the rushed trip took away whatever little energy I had left. I am so thankful to be home and able to see my parents, but I've also been in a bit of a mood slump the past couple days. I'm a huge extrovert and total people person, and it's been a bit of a lonely couple weeks for me. Also since I missed two full weeks of school I'm going to be in way over my head when I go back to school with make-up work. I also have a lot of make-up work that I brought home for next week. I feel like all of the stress of school is preventing me from being able to have an enjoyable break.

     On the bright side, now that I'm home and recovering hopefully my blog posts can stop being about sickness updates and will go back to fashion and lifestyle posts. :-) And now for some blog business: I finally have a blog button!! You can find it on the sidebar of my homepage. And I'm also pleased to announce that I was accepted as a member of the Southern Blog Society! This is the first official blogging community that I have joined and it's wonderful to be a part of it. I'm hoping that this will allow me to make more blogging friends and also attract more readers to my blog.


     Now time to wrap up this post so I can bring y'all this week's edtion of Fun Fact Friday!


     xoxo Miss ALK
   

Tomorrow...

     In the morning I'll be going back to the doctors office, but this time to a new doctor. After visits to a doctor and the ER last week I'm quite sick of medical facilities and ready to be feeling better, but I'm just not. I've missed 6 days of classes now. Some of my symptoms are gone, like my fever and sore throat. But the terrible headaches/lightheadedness have remained, making it hard for me to get much make-up work done or get out (which is why I still haven't been to classes yet). For the past couple days I've also had a very weird rash appear on my arm. 

     Myself, my mom and a group from my school are supposed to leave early Thursday morning for a spring break culture trip to Italy. With the way that I'm feeling right now there's no way that I could travel halfway around the world (literally). I'm praying that either I will start feeling much better by then, or will find out if I was misdiagnosed for a second time and be able to start some sort of medication or treatment plan. So much uncertainty in my near future! Trying to surrender all of my worries to the Lord:

     "Cast all your anxiety on Him for He cares for you." -1 Peter 5:7 (NIV)

     xoxo Miss ALK

Fun Fact Friday {5}

     Back again for another round of Emily's Friday link-up! If you have read my past two posts then you know that this past week definitely hasn't been very "fun" for me. A brief health update: I went to the local ER today because my illness was only getting worse. I found out that I was misdiagnosed with strep throat, and I have some unnamed illness that a lot of people in this area are coming down with this season. There is no treatment for it, so I basically have to rest until my symptoms dissapear. It was dissapointing news, but I am glad that I didn't have strep or mono (which I was also tested for). Sadly the staff of the ER wasn't that great and I actually had to file a complaint about the Dr. that saw me because he was very rude. Anywayssssss..... back to FFF!


March 1st, 2013

1. I am developing a love for Bollywood movies. Netflix has a wonderful collection of them on instant watch (with subtitles!). Who doesn't love a good love story mixed in with several song and dance numbers and some beautiful outfits?! They are addicting. :-) Seriously, if you ever have 2 1/2 hours to kill than watch one!
2. I want to learn how to sew patterns to be able to make some of my own clothes and accessories. 
3. This news is actually quite exciting... next year at school I'm living in one of the student apartments! They are on campus which means I don't have to commute to school and can still live near my other friends in the dorms, but I get a full kitchen and larger bathroom! The girls that I'll be living with are sweethearts, we went out to dinner last weekend to get to know each other. We will all be cooking and baking a lot and using our kitchen as much as we can!
4. I collect keychains and have done so for years. At home I think I now have over 60. I pick one or two up at most places I vacation at and my grandma and some friends have also given me a lot! Ironically I have only two on my actual set of keys though. I have a Vera Bradley zip ID case and a tiny New York keychain and I don't really change them up!
5. I prefer using Twitter on my phone (I'm a bit obsesssed with emoji).

     If you would like to participate in Fun Fact Friday please give credit to Emily in your post and follow her blog! Her blog is private, so shoot her a friendly e-mail at theadventuresofrosieblog@gmail.com to have her approve you as a follower! 


   Here's to a hopefully healthier weekend filled with getting caught up on schoolwork!


   xoxo Miss ALK