My Friday Five

This week was my first full week as a Vanderbilt junior and here were a few of my favorite things.

1. Getting this lock screen from She Reads Truth. What a great reminder for the week. I love lock screens that remind me of what is true.

Find it here

2. This dress I found on Pinterest. Love the dress, love the color. And it's on sale for $418...

Cute right? It's from Neiman Marcus

3. Slow Dance by John Legend is that song for me lately. Old school sound. Adorable lyrics. And, I mean, it's John Legend.

4. The fiftieth anniversary of the March on Washington. We have a long way to go, but we should celebrate how far we've come.

Read more about it here

5. That Vandy, Ole Miss game! I laughed. I almost cried. It was the best Vandy game I've ever seen and I got to witness it with 40,000 other people.

Image here

Now I want to hear about your weeks! How were they?

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Taylor

Linking up with:

Semester Snapshots: Nashville Hiking

This year, I'm living in a suite with five other ladies. I could not be happier with how the whole living situation turned out. Four of my roommates and some other friends went on our first Saturday morning outing. The plan was to hike and then go to the Farmer's Market. Our short hike turned into a 3 hour, 6.4 mile hike... oh, dear. Despite our multiple detours, I enjoyed so much conversation and life-sharing. I couldn't have planned it better myself.  I hope to show you more  of my school life as the weeks pass.

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Taylor

Musings:What Makes A Friendship?

For some reason, the idea of friendship has been heavy on my mind lately. I look back on past friendships and see the ways I have tried and failed to be a friend. The first part of Proverbs 17:17 was running through my head. It says, "A friend loves at all times." Ironically, I forgot about the second part  "and a brother is born for a time of adversity." That's exactly what I've been missing! Friends were made for those rough times. The times when friends are ugly and hurtful and don't seem much like people who we want to be around. My prayer is to gain an increasing understanding of what godly friendship entails and to have opportunities to practice it. I don't want to look back on any more friendships with regret.


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Taylor

DIY: Styling Your Dorm Room

This is my third year in college and moving in this time was the easiest by far. I'm especially proud of this bookcase. It's also a perfect way to highlight a few tips for dorm room decoration.

1. Pick a color scheme. I chose lime green, teal, and pink. I have plenty of other colors within the shelf but these colors are woven throughout.

2. Frame it out. These days, it's easy to find plenty of great prints (or make your own!) These frames  provide consistency and pops of color.

3. Tape it up. Washi tape is a cheap and easy way to incorporate color into any space. ( More on that later!)

4. Inspire yourself. I bring books to school that can inspire me when I actually have time to read for pleasure. Most of my frames have inspirational quotes in them as well. My theme verse for this year adds even more color to the plain wall.

How do you dress up your dorm?

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Taylor

Summer Snapshots: Bajaboulile Primary School

I spent one week volunteering at a primary school in a township in Pretoria. I got to help teach the photography workshop to middle schoolers. There were also drawing, singing, rhythm, and soccer workshops.  Before the workshops started, we got to play with the youngins. It was a wonderful time of seeing the kids thrive when given the chance to be creative. The rest of the group stayed with the kids for three weeks. I was only there for one. I've never really done missions trips where I work with kids before. The attachment I felt towards them was unexpected. That week was one of my favorites in South Africa. It's hard to capture the fullness of that week in a blog post. Let me know if you have questions! I also want to let y'all know that I'm going to start a Semester Snapshots series. It will let you have a little peek into my school year.

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Taylor

Friday Favorites

This is my first weekly wrap up post in a while! It's been an absolute whirlwind between moving back to Vandy, starting classes, being jetlagged, and catching up with friends. Here are five things that caught my eye this week:

1. One of my lovely roommates showed me this Hey Girl applet for Google Chrome. It changes every picture on a web page to pictures of Ryan Gosling. I'll be keeping this in my back pocket for midterm and finals pick-me-ups.

2. This flash mob at one of my favorite grocery stores, Mariano's. They got opera singers to go under cover and surprise all the customers!

3.  This Justice Manifesto by Relevant Magazine. What a wonderful reminder of what God calls us to advocate.

4. I enjoyed my Rooibos tea from South Africa, my new mugs, and the rainy view from my suite.

5. I spend a much needed goodbye weekend with my parents and we stopped by one of our favorite breakfast eateries.

How was your week?

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Taylor

Linking up with:

Bejeweled!

I don't wear a lot of jewelry but when I do, it has to make a statement. I had fun browsing around my friend's online shop and picking out my favorite items. Take a look and tell me which piece fits you best!

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Taylor

Getting There: Goal Setting for a New Semester

here

I always feel like myself in the summer. It's me and Jesus and the people I love. I have a lot less distractions. Summers are my favorite. But the reality is that I'm a student. During this season of my life, school is important. Each semester (and sometimes mid-way through a semester) I set goals for myself. One of my favorite books, One.Life, asks the question, "What would it look like to have a life with no regrets?" I ask that question every semester. For me, words stick . I normally have a phrase, quote, or verse that I center a season of my life around. My verses this semester are Psalm 27:14-15.

I remain confident of this:

    I will see the goodness of the Lord

    in the land of the living.

14 

Wait for the Lord;

    be strong and take heart

    and wait for the Lord.

My goals for this year are twofold. First, I want to intentionally acknowledge the goodness the Lord. I plan to invest in relationships and put others first. Second, I want to wait on God. He's changing me each day and it's my job to follow His lead. That requires trust. It means I need to give up control. That's easier said than done. 

Goal setting isn't only for new years. What does it look like for you to live a season with no regrets?

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Taylor

Wildcard Wednesday!

 Welcome to Wildcard Wednesday!

<a href=" http://www.simplyclarke.com/search/label/Wildcard%20Wednesday"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvnsmVmIjoNwirQ6lC3Q3OQO0GCzYmc_6EEOu5iXgykBE4nwi3AyQKl7tvLDBdGg2FA3-8Bx4I_qDVBIdOBVcMs2v4_Gj7EG8B5SoWelpfbqglgbakk46gl28jptVlDQXiS7kMEs-1qVI/s1600/wildcardwed.jpg"/></a> 

The name of the game is #wildcard 

Stakes: A special PRIZE will be up for grabs the last week of each month

 Your link ups each week are your entries

Example: If you link up your blog, bloglovin and twitter you will have 3 entries each week

Disclaimer: You MUST be following your hosts in order to win

Winner of the June #wildcard {Won A $20 Giftcard of Choice}:

Rules of the Game: 

1. Follow all your hosts

Simply Clarke: Blog / Bloglovin / Twitter

Mal Smiles: Blog / Bloglovin / Twitter

All That Glitters: Blog / Bloglovin / Twitter

and co-hosts

Blog of Author J Lenni Dorner: Blog / Bloglovin / Twitter

Live And Move: Blog / Bloglovin / Twitter

The Campbells: Blog / Bloglovin / Twitter

2. Grab our button for your post so that others can join in the fun

3. Link up using your Blog URL, Bloglovin' URL & Twitter

4. Visit at least 3 other blogs

5.  TWEET about Wildcard Wednesday using #wildcard 

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Now make some new friends :) 

Summer Snapshots: Game Drive in Pretoria

Here is the first of many photo posts about South Africa. My first stop on my trip was Pretoria, the administrative capital of South Africa. One weekend we went on a game drive at a nature reserve near by. I loved the Lion King as a child and it was amazing to see animals out and about.  Nature photography is quickly becoming my favorite. God did such a good job designing the world and I just get to capture it.

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Taylor