Beach Week

Today, I will be spending quite a bit of time on a bus filled with high schoolers headed to Myrtle Beach. It's that time of year again, BEACH WEEK.

About a week ago, I was asked by a fabulous lady if I was interested in volunteering with the McLean Bible Church high school group, The Rock, at their annual Beach Week. As some of you may know, my heart really is with the high school ministry at MBC and have volunteered with the ministry and its house groups in the past. So, of course I agreed to lend a helping hand!

It's going to be an incredible week of fellowship and worship. I've spent the past week praying for the week and for the students. I'm so excited to see how God will use this week to change each of our lives. It really isn't just about a group of high school kids going to the beach for fun. It's about heart change. Please be praying this week for the 535 students, staff members, and volunteers! Pray that God would just open our hearts to the things He wants us to see and learn.

Thanks for your prayers!!

Summer Bucket List

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I am beyond excited that summer is officially here and am ready to begin writing a new story for this season. It's the last summer before I enter the real world. So, I want to take full advantage of this summer and experience many, many things before hitting the books come August. What better way to kick off the summer than a bucketlist! I have about 2 different bucket lists going right now--one with cMm and one for myself. Here are some things that I'd love to experience for myself before summer leaves!

1. Spend quality time with friends & family

2. Craft, craft, craft

3. Bake, bake, bake {to give others}

4. Get back in shape

5. Hit up a few of the "Diner, Drive-in, and Dive" spots

6. Hang out at the pool

7. Beach trip

8. Find the two perfect senior portrait outfits

What are some things on your summer bucketlist?

Niagara Falls

I've got something called "The Travel Bug" right now. I would love to spend the entire summer traveling around, seeing different places, and creating new experiences. After spending so much time in China traveling from one city to the next I realized how much of my own country I have not yet seen!

My parents and I have been talking about a trip to Niagara Falls for quite some time now. We decided last Thursday that we wanted to drive up Sunday night and spend a few days there. Living the spontaneous life, right? Come Sunday night, we jumped into the rental car and headed up to Canada. After 8 hours of driving through the night, we finally arrived at the Canada/US border around 8am! It was such a gorgeous sight!

Our first sight of the day was the cute little town called "Niagara-on-the-Lake." Very quaint town lined with boutiques and little stores, with an amazing few of the lake. Of course, we stopped and took a few pictures.

After seeing the lake, we decided to walk around the town and stopped to check out this cute little hotel. It was more like a bed and breakfast place, in my opinion. We stopped at the "Prince of Wales Hotel" and snapped a few more shots!

Mama and Papa Kong

Up next? It was time to visit Niagara Falls! When we got there, it was only about 9:30am but it was still a sight to see! Absolutely stunning. The sound from the fall was so grand, and I just stood there in awe. It's crazy the amount of water that falls every second, let alone the entire day!

How gorgeous is that??

The fun part comes next: the Maid of the Mist tour! We hopped onto this cruise ship and pretty much circled around the falls. I honestly did not think we were going to get soaked...but I was 100% wrong. Those ponchos did nothing! The falls are incredibly strong and water was just flying everywhere! But, it was such a fun experience, I would do it again.

On the Maid of the Mist. See how we're nice and dry?

Putting on this dorky little thing.

The aftermath: soaking wet.

After the tour, we dried off a bit and headed out for some food and live music. At the end of the day we returned to the hotel and I simply loved the view...minus the massive casino in the center.

Best part about the view from our room? They light up Niagara Falls when it gets dark out. LOVE.

Day 3 of our little trip entailed a drive up to Toronto and visit this mall Mama Kong wanted to see: Pacifica Mall. The mall has over 300 stores and 100 restaurants. Crazy, huh? We stopped for some dim sum (WAY more delicious than that in the DMV area) and did a bit of shopping. The mall was pretty much exactly like those in China. I actually felt as if I were back in Beijing haggling away.

My trip to Niagara Falls and Canada was fabulous. I had an incredible time and can now cross "See Niagara Falls" off of my bucketlist!

Pinterest Wednesday

Before I get to Pinterest Wednesday, there's a whole lot going on today! It's Dave Barnes' birthday, so happy birthday sir! It is also National Wear Your Lilly Day! So, get out there (in this heat wave) and wear your Lilly proudly.

Last but not least, Happy First Day of Summer! Summer is my favorite season of the entire year and I'm very excited to kick off this summer with a little bit of Pinterest Wednesday. Two trends that I'm totally loving so far this summer are: high-low dresses/skirts and pleats! Put both of those together and it is just gorgeous. Last week for cMm's birthday, I wore a blue watercolor pleated high-low dress and was absolutely loving the ensemble. Pair that with the wind and you've got some great movement going on in that outfit.

Not all high-low skirts work though. It's gotta be the right length, print, and must be correctly accessorized. Pinterest has a few great ideas!

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Great color, scarf, and belt! You can't go wrong with a cute pair of wedges to pull the outfit all together!

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This dress has a super cute print and I'm just a huge fan of those wedges.

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Not a high-low but it is pleated. Loving this ensemble! The gold belt and accessories make it work.

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Mint is so hot right now and what better than a pleated mint colored skirt?? Um, that bauble and pink belt!

What are your thoughts on the high-low trend?

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One Busy Sunday

This is one busy Sunday! There is so much to celebrate.

First up, HAPPY FATHER'S DAY! It's a bummer that my dad has to work on Father's Day, but it's been like this for the past 20 years of my life. We're pretty use to it. The family just simply celebrates this special day on a different day.

NEXT: It is one of my best friend's 21st birthday! June seems like a busy month for birthdays. Today we celebrate my friend Julia's birthday. I absolutely cannot believe we have known each other almost 11 years now. Crazy! HAPPY BIRTHDAY JULIA!

Julia and I at Senior Prom

Julia and I at the beach right before leaving for college

In other news, I am headed to Niagra Falls/Toronto tonight with my parents. I am fully prepared for my mind to be blown by this world wonder!



Live to Love: Summer Line

TANKS TANKS TANKS!

Last night at midnight, Taylor Thomas launched Live to Love's Summer 2012 line. Scrolling through the new items, I found myself saying "Like, like, like that too, oOoo that one is CUTE!" Yet again, Taylor does not fail in creating a line of cute designs. But, these shirts go beyond fashion. It's about spreading the love of Christ to others. I am a huge fan of these shirts because it's always a great conversation starter to share the message of Christ.

What does this new line entail? Lots and lots of tanks. As y'all know, I'm quite fond of tanks and have a closet full of them during the summer. What's great though is that these tanks are versatile and can easily be layered with a cardigan during the fall! All shirts are printed on American Apparel and are SO soft. Seriously, you won't regret purchasing one...or ten tanks.

Here are some of my favorites that I will be picking up:

Texas Tank--I've got a special place in my heart for Texas. What better to show my love for the great state than a tank?

Tribal Logo Tank--Tribal and geometric print is a hot trend for the summer right now!

Green/Turquoise/Pink Dyed Tank--Tie dye screams summer, right?

Circle Tote--This tote isn't actually part of the summer line but from a previous season. BUT, it is on sale AND is perfect for toting around books to the pool/beach.

What do you have your eyes set on in the Live to Love summer line?

www.livetoloveapparel.com

***use promo code: LTL75 for 10% off your purchase!***