Blogtember Wrap-up

I just did a quick vlog to celebrate completing the blogtember challenge, which is my first blog challenge that I've ever completed in my 5+ years of blogging, so YAY ME!

Now, onto Blogtober 2014! WOOHOO!  

Blog Advice.

I personally don't think I'm one to give the best blog advice, the biggest thing I can say is what I said in the vlog, be you, be yourself, be authentic.  Don't change for the blog world, make the blog world change for you.

Highs & Lows.

We have two days left of September, how is that possible?

Today's blog prompt is to share your highs and lows of the month.

Highs//

+ Another great month in my apartment.
+ Cooler temperatures.
+ Return of Fall TV

+ Lots of family time.

Lows//

- Only being able to see Karen two hours in the last month.
- My budget needs a major makeover.

If I only have those two as lows, I'll definitely take it.  It's been a pretty great month, I'm excited for what October has in store!

Top 5 Things I Want NOW!

a Keurig 2.0

Garth Brooks tickets

this Carhartt sweater

this BG shirt

these reader sheets

What's on your wish list?!  

Better Than I Used to Be.

I can say without a doubt, the Meghan from a year ago would not recognize the Meghan of today.  & I'm totally okay with that.

Meghan of yesteryear

The Meghan of last year was still 4.5 months away from telling her parents the truth about school.  She was getting used to the fact that one of her best friends, her sister had up and moved out of their house because she was 18 and didn't want to have to deal with the rules of the house anymore.  In October, her work mom would have a stroke and that would rock her world, but they would become even closer because they began talking almost nightly on Facebook.

Okay, sorry I can't talk about  myself in third person anymore.

I think I've really seen myself grow a lot within the last 6 months.  Ever since I turned 22.  I feel like I'm finally becoming an adult and I'm independent and it feels great.

I love having my own place, I love the great relationship I have with my parents for the most part, because let's get real, they still are adjusting to not having me at home, I love my job, it's not where 18 year old Meghan would have thought she would be, but I'm learning that's okay as well.

Have you made any big life changes in the last year? Are you where you're 18 year old self thought you'd be?

Top Ten from Lora.

I'm so excited to have one of my first and closest blog friends Lora guest posting today, take it away friend! 

So when Meghan asked me to take over her blog for the day I was super excited. You see Meghan and I met in another world of blogs that no longer exists - OpenDiary. That site is actually where I met a lot of people I consider great friends...and Meghan is thankfully one of them. We bond over lots of things but one of the things we really bond over is country music and our love for country boys. SO! That's what I'm here to talk to you about today - country music. Not only is it my absolute favorite genre of music, but I'm also from Tennessee so it holds a very close spot in my heart. (Not to mention a man in flannel, boots, with a beard well...him too). So let's get to it shall we...

Top 10 Favorite Country Artists:

1. George Strait
I'm sure if you have read me you expected Luke Bryan to be at the top here, but no the #1 spot goes to King George, because he's George. He's iconic and there will never be another one like him.

"To hell with the red wine pour me some moonshine"

2. Johnny Cash

Ring of Fire, I Walk the Line, Folsom Prison Blues, The Man Comes Around.
You just simply cannot have country without having Cash. And I love him.

3. Alabama

I cannot listen to Alabama without thinking of my MawMaw and PawPaw. I hear them and I am instantly taken back to their yellow VW Bettle, sitting in the back, sucking on an orange, the windows down, riding down some back country roads with this tape in the player. They have memories tied to it and they just signify country for me. Once upon a time they use to have this concert festival in Ft. Payne, Alabama every year literally in my grandmother's back yard - my uncle MAY or MAY NOT have snuck me in once and I was front row at Vince Gill...

"Sweet potato pie and I shut my mouth"

4. Vince Gill
Vince Gill was the first cd I owned AND the first concert I ever went to. My parents surprised me with the tickets when I was maybe 8? I remember going with my mom, wearing my Vince Gill shirt, and so excited to see him in person. These days I still get like that when I see my favorite artists live. I can't help it. There is something about seeing someone you enjoy live and that is why I will forever spend money going to concerts instead of shopping. His concert is also where I saw my first bra being thrown on stage and a woman literally rushing onto the stage and security chasing her....ah memories.

5. Brooks and Dunn

I don't have a lot to say about them, but I remember listening to them growing up and continuing to listen to them until they decided to no longer make music together.

"Oh get down, turn around go to town boot scootin' boogie"

6. Tim McGraw

I remember the first time I ever actually listened to and liked Tim. I was in middle school and it was Something Like That and the boy I had a super huge crush on played it and I fell in love (with Tim not the boy). The crush didn't last obviously, but my love for Tim did.

7. Luke Bryan

I've seen him twice in concert and will be seeing him for a 3rd time in less than 2 weeks. I cannot get enough. I love his music, but most of all he is fun. His concerts are fun, his music is fun, his personality is fun.

"Shake it for the young bucks sittin' in the honky-tonks
For the rednecks rockin' 'til the break of dawn..."

8. Cole Swindell

I just can't stop talking about him. He's new on the scene of country music, but he's been writing songs forever it seems like. I cannot get enough of his cd, his music, his smirk. He's adorable and he puts on a great show! I've already seen him twice this year alone and I'm planning to see him a 3rd in December. Seriously listen to him. You will not regret it.

9. Blake Shelton

For some reason people tend to think Blake just suddenly popped up the past few years. No sir. He's been around for a while and I remember Ol' Red and Austin AND I loved him then.

"P.S. if this is Austin, I still love you"

10. Florida Georgia Line

LOVE these boys. I saw them last summer when they were touring with Luke and they put on a great show. I know that they are a hit and miss with some folks, but they are a hit with me and I have loved everything they've put out.

I love country music and Nashville is one of my favorite places to go. Country music just reminds me of Tennessee and living on back country roads where police men get out of their cars and chase cows. A slow life, a happy life, a peaceful life.

Thanks Meghan for letting me invade your space for the day! 

 

Fall Bucket List. (& a PSA)

This is a PSA I never wanted to have to make, never thought a little ol' blog like mine would attract the dramatics it has from one commenter in the last 36 hours.  If you don't like me, fine, but then do me a favor and hit the x in the upper corner.  If you do find it absolutely necessary to leave negative comments on my blog, although I will defend myself and block you, you better have the lady balls to attach an email or some way for me to contact you.  You should also know that not only will I defend myself, but members of my tribe will as well, namely my big sister and my sparkly unicorn spirit animal. & I will make absolutely NO apologies for them defending me.  It's like Kenny Chesney sings in the Boys of Fall, you mess with one man, you got us all, the boys of fall.  Except we're obviously not boys, but it IS fall, so that works.  

& now back to our regularly scheduled programming, what's on my fall bucket list?

-TWO concerts.  I am seeing Brantley Gilbert on October 23rd and then *hopefully* seeing Garth Brooks on November 14th! Yes, my #1 and my #2 on my concert bucket list, all in less then a month.

-Fall photo shoot.  I would love to take some sister pictures with Mady.  I have to see if we can find some to take quality pictures for less than an arm and a leg.

-Lots of reading. My best friend Jayme and I are going to start up a book club.  Because #nerdsforthewin

-Bonfires. I would love to have a couple bonfires with my family before the snow falls.

What's something on your fall bucket list?
& come back tomorrow for a guest post from one of my favorites!

Finishing the 50 Q's.

If you knew that everyone you know was going to die tomorrow, who would you visit today?

That's not a morbid thought or anything.  I would make sure I visited all of my immediate family & then I'd go say good-bye to the closest of my friends, Jayme, Karen, V, etc etc.  Would you be willing to reduce your life expectancy by 10 years to become extremely attractive or famous?

Nope.  What is the difference between being alive and truly living?

Knowing that you are chasing your dreams and living each day to the fullest is to me the definition of truly living as long as you have your family by your side.  When is it time to stop calculating risk and rewards, and just go ahead and do what you know is right?

Today. If we learn from our mistakes, why are we always so afraid to make a mistake?

For me, I am a people pleaser and I hate disappointing people, so that's why I don't like making mistakes because a majority of the time my mistakes affect more than just me.  What would you do differently if you knew nobody would judge you?

I would probably give writing a bigger shot at becoming a full time thing for me.  When was the last time you noticed the sound of your own breathing?

Just now, thanks for that! What do you love?  Have any of your recent actions openly expressed this love?

My friends and family & yes, I'd like tot think my actions openly express that.  In 5 years from now, will you remember what you did yesterday?  What about the day before that?  Or the day before that?

Probably not? Decisions are being made right now.  The question is:  Are you making them for yourself, or are you letting others make them for you?

It's taken me quite a while, but I am making decisions for myself.  

Where I Come From.

So I live in a small(er) town and I absolutely love it, but there isn't much to do or tell you about it, other than the fact is that it's home to me and no matter how far I stray I will always call this place mine.  I love the slower pace of life & I love the people of this town(for the most part).

So I'm borrowing Amber's idea of doing a life lately type post today!

• Had lunch with my grandma yesterday & it was SO good to catch up with her & spend time together one-on-one.  Gave her a tour of my apartment, she loved it as much as I do.
• I am absolutely LOVING my apartment, I feel like I'm starting to get a hang of this living on my own and being an adult. 
• Speaking of being an adult, I was talking to my dishwasher the other day.  Yep, it was driving me nuts so I gave it a good talking-to about cleaning the silverware. I have issues obviously.
• I get to see my best friend in ONE month people! I'm taking a bus and going down to see her in Des Moines an I AM SO FLIPPING PUMPED! 
• Also, I'm seeing Brantley Gilbert as well.  
• Jayme and I are going to do a Q&A vlog while I'm down there, tell us what you want to know about us! We're both pretty open people.
• Mady's birthday is in 2 days.  She's going to be 19, um what?! 

So tell me something that's been happening in your world lately, and leave a question for Jayme and I to answer in our Q&A video! 

My Tribe.

These five following ladies are what I like to call "my tribe".  They raise me up when I am down, love me when I want to hide myself away. I love them like my long lost sisters from different misters. 

Lora from Heart of Life, she's basically the big sister I always wanted but never had. The one I go to when I need a good pep talk or for sound advice. Love her!

Rachael from the Rachael Way is my sparkly unicorn spirit animal. I love this girl to pieces & know that once she's back in the states we will meet! 

Morgan from True Life of KMK. Morgan's love of Jesus & her family & her adorable pup Tank inspire me daily & she's also always been SO sweet to me. 

Amanda from Keeping up with the Haneys. Her passion for not only her career, but her family & friends is one I admire. She's another one I'd consider like an older sister. Plus, she loves Aaron Watson as much as I do. 

Ashley from Ashley Lately. I just want to be her when I grow up. She loves Jesus, her family & country music just as much as I do and she's someone I definitely look up to! 

So who are a few of your faves? 

Fall favorites

It's almost 11 and I'm just now posting, I worked today til 4 and then came home and napped and deep cleaned and everyone knows, when you get in the cleaning mood, you don't let anything break it.

Here are just a few of my favorite fall things:

-pretty colors on the leaves. 

-jumping in said leaves, usually Mady and I will jump in a few piles between our house and my grandparents house, but now that we're both out of the house, I'm not sure who's gonna jump with me.  

-cooler temps

-hoodies being acceptable without being questioned "aren't you hot in that?" um, no, I'm still cold actually.  

-pumpkin pie

-fall TV starting back up.

-hockey season is right around the corner

-NASCAR is just wrapping up and it's so fun to watch the championship play out. 

-Thanksgiving

-bonfires

What's one of your favorite things about fall?

Day of My Life.

You'd think that after looking over the blogtember list as many times as I have, I would remember to take pictures of my day, but alas, I did not.

So here's a little breakdown of my what a day off in my life looks like.

I usually wake up between 8 am and 10 am depending on how late I stayed up on Pinterest or Tumblr.

Sad face while realizing my potato oles were gone. 

Since I'm off, if Karen's working, I will usually walk over to work & have lunch with her around 11.  Usually it's just sandwiches or maybe McD's if we're not feeling the lunch meat route that day.  On Thursday, we went to Taco John's, since she left me for vacation after being out on medical leave, two hours in a month is NOT enough time together.  #boohiss

I will usually head home around 12:15 and then catch up on my blog reading, work on some blog posts for upcoming days, and just putz around online.

About 3, I start getting restless, so I end up cuddling in bed on my phone for a half-hour or so, just to re-charge my batteries.

If I'm in the middle of a good book after I take my cat nap/relax period, I will probably read that til I finish it.  I'm the type of reader, that I usually can never find a good place to stop because I keep wanting to know what happens next, so I very rarely leave a book in the middle.

Usually by that time, I'm ready for supper and I usually just heat up some leftovers or throw a pizza in the oven.

I finish out the night with a movie or start another book, depending on my mood and then I'm usually laying in bed by 10:30 or 11 and I end my night with a few rounds of Candy Crush, the nightly recap with Karen and Pinterest or Tumblr.

What does a normal day look like for you?
Do you have a tumblr?

Above Everything, Love.

If I could give just one piece of advice to a large audience, what would I choose to share?

Love. Let yourself be loved and love others.  Don't sell yourself short when it comes to love.  Love freely and without apology.

The Home of Country Music.

You'd think my day off would be the day that I get a blog post done and posted right away in the morning, but nope, here it is 8pm and I'm just opening blogger.  #ohwell

Ever since I've been old enough to know about Nashville, I've wanted to visit there, and now that one of my good friends Lora lives only a few hours away from there, I really, really, really want to go, not only to sightsee, but to meet Lora as well!

I want to visit the Bluebird Cafe, and I think it'd be cool to see where they film scenes from Nashville, the TV show.

I would love to just walk up and down music row and see if I could run into any of the who's who of Nashville, namely Brantley Gilbert or Garth Brooks.

I want to see the Country Music HOF and the Grand Ole Opry.

Have you been to Nashville?
Where is a location on your vacation bucket list?

Vlog it like it's hot.

This took me way too many times to get it right..

50 Q's Part 4

At what time in your recent past have you felt most passionate and alive?

Usually happens after a good church service or going to a concert. 

If not now, then when?

When it's the right time.If you haven’t achieved it yet, what do you have to lose?

What am I achieving? 

Have you ever been with someone, said nothing, and walked away feeling like you just had the best conversation ever?

Karen and I usually can have these conversations while working together, or just when we're sitting at lunch together. 

Why do religions that support love cause so many wars?

Because we're imperfect people.  

Is it possible to know, without a doubt, what is good and what is evil?

I want to say yes, but not without a doubt.  

If you just won a million dollars, would you quit your job?

I'd probably cut back, but no I wouldn't completely quit I don't think. 

Would you rather have less work to do, or more work you actually enjoy doing?

More work I enjoy doing :) 

Do you feel like you’ve lived this day a hundred times before?

If I just take a glance at it then yeah, but I also know that there's something special and unique about each day, you just have to be willing to find it! 

When was the last time you marched into the dark with only the soft glow of an idea you strongly believed in?

Um..

Something Not Many People Know..

I had a harder time with this prompt than I probably should have, but that's because I think I'm a pretty open book.

So something not many people know about me is that I was in school to be a court reporter.  I went from August 2010 to December 2012.

I went in thinking that this would be a pretty awesome job for me, that I would get to do something that sounded like a lot of fun, and each day would be something new.

Let me tell you, court reporting is HARD WORK, and it takes a lot of patience, a lot of determination, a lot of drive and you have to have the passion to do it.

I was working 32 to 36 hours a week while going to school, so that right there took a lot of my practice time away & after awhile, it just got to be where I was dreading practicing and forcing myself to go to school and it wasn't fun anymore.

I can't believe we're already half-way done with the blogtember challenge!

It's Your Love..

If I were to get married tomorrow..

Today's prompt was to create a mood board for anything you'd like, so I decided to do one on my future wedding!  

1//one of my favorite pinned dresses on my Future Wedding board

2//L-O-V-E this ring!

3//One of my favorite love songs--It's Your Love by Tim & Faith. 

4//Love this idea for a picture I'll want.  

What kind of mood board would you do?

That Blog Life.

I have blogged in some capacity ever since I was 14.  I had an OpenDiary off and on from the time I was 14 to 16 when I kept that same diary until that site closed down early this year.  I also keep a more private online journal over at Prosebox, which is like OD, but this blog has been in existence since August of 2010.  I first started a completely public blog whilst I was in my senior media lit class as a required assignment.  I deleted those posts once graduation came around and then relaunced as They Call Her Meghan that August.

Why do I blog?

Because therapy is too expensive, haha.  But in all seriousness, I blog because I want to be able to look back on my late teenage years and my twenties and remember all that I did.  I want to be able to go back on my bad days and reminisce about the good days.  I love writing, I love sharing my stories and my life with my friends. This is my way to do it.

What about you? Why do you blog?

Sunday Social

1. Favorite scent
I love the smell of a new book and clean sheets! 
2. Favorite food
I love homemade mashed potatoes.
3. Favorite sound
My grandpa's laugh.  He has one that is all his own & I love it.  
4. Favorite picture currently on your phone

My brother is now taller than I am. He's also ten years younger.  

5. Best memory of the year so far
Either moving into my apartment or all the concerts I have been to! 

Never Been Kissed(& Why It's Okay)

The topic today for Blogtember is tell us about your relationship status, single? engaged? married?

I am single, and for now, I am completely a-okay with that.

Here's why,

I will not date a person unless I could see them as my husband down the road.  Right now, God is still molding me into the person He wants ME to be by myself, before he can introduce his match for me.
I will go into my marriage without divorce being an option, because, I believe a marriage is forever, even if my parents wasn't. I wrote a pretty powerful post on marriage when I first started blogging, and I still stand by that post 100%.

& about my title? I have never been kissed and would love to save my first kiss for my wedding day, or at least for when we get engaged.

So what's your love story? Or are you single like me?

Pine Roost.

My dad and stepmom got married April 2001 & every Memorial Day weekend from there on out, we spent at Pine Roost.

What is Pine Roost?

Pine Roost is a group of cabins that my great-grandparents Lyle and Marge and their extended families built when my Grandpa was a boy.  They are on Big Pine Lake, hence the name Pine Roost.

Every Memorial Day weekend like clockwork, we would pack up our truck, hit the open road and that first weekend of the summer each year was spent cleaning up the cabin and making it summer-ready.  We would sweep and mop, Get the cobwebs out of the corner & make sure our bunks were made and ready to be slept in, and filled with sand by the weekend's conclusion.  Once our parents would let us loose after we had asked them for only the 1000th time if we could go play by the lake, we would do just that, but you best have your life jacket on if you went past the sauna, because there was a rule, you either swam out to the high tower and then between our dock and Honey's or you had to have a life jacket on.  This is where I tell you I was too chicken to take this test til I was like 13. #fail

Once we figured out, just like our parents had told us, that the water was indeed still too chilly to swim in, then we'd beg for jet-ski rides.  Matt(& Ryan as he got older!) would ride with my dad and I would ride with Mady and Lynn, there were many arguments on our jet-ski about who was sitting in the middle and who had to have the back.  I usually got stuck in the back because Mady didn't like my long hair in her face, WAH WAH poor Mady. 

Then dusk would fall and we'd have a fire and enjoy s'mores.  Once it got too buggy, then we'd go inside, watch a movie or in the later years, we would play cards, more often than not, Texas Hold 'Em.

Then April 13th, 2008 happened.

We were at a waterpark with my dad's side of the family when my aunt Karin called Lynn, you need to turn on the news, the cabins...they're gone!

Our cabins were a part of a string of arsons that day, and all of the cabins but the ones on the hill were destroyed.

Because we are strong and didn't want the arsonists to win, we re-built.  & as much as I love the new cabins, a part of the history is gone forever.  The summer of 2007 really was the last summer that I got to spend every other weekend up there, because now even though they are re-built, I have a job that requires me to work weekends and life is busy.  I do try and make it up there for at least a couple days each summer though, just to get away from life and my phone and just BE.

I will always hold the weekends up there & the memories made during those weekends very near and dear to my heart.

Because Pine Roost? It's a place where everyone knows your name and they're all glad you came!

linking up for blogtember--tradiitions.

Inspiration.

I wrote a pretty awesome post about inspiration here & another one about how I hope to be an inspiration here.

Today, I want to talk about the inspiration I draw from the heroes of 9/11.

The passengers of United 93, who stopped a plane from hitting Washington D.C.

The countless firefighters who went in the towers, knowing that they probably wouldn't make it home to their loved ones that night.

The police officers who assisted the firefighters and helped the search and rescue efforts those days, weeks and months afterward.

The soldiers who answered the call of duty from that very first day, all the way up to today, because all gave some and some gave all.

The normal people who left their houses 13 years ago this morning, to never return again.

The family members of all the above-mentioned.  Because they too paid a price.

Stop for a minute today and just remember those who lost their lives on that fateful day.

Freckles.

Ten Things I love about myself.

1. My Sassiness.  I'm pretty sure that quote about being sassy, classy and smart assy was made by someone who got me on a particular snarky day!

2. My Freckles.  I have next to none on my face, but I've got a ton on my arms and legs! One time when Mady and I were in Colorado with family, we decided to count each others freckles, I think she got up to the 190s and then stopped.

3. My arms. Don't ask me why, but I love how my arms look.

4. My height. This one has taken me a while to embrace, but I love being short.  One of my lovely nicknames from friends and family is Frodo.  Yay me :)

5. My resiliency. I am able to bounce back pretty easily from whatever life decides to throw at me.

6.My smile. I love smiling, smiling's my favorite!

7.My work ethic. I may want to be lazy 85% of the time, but I have had the same job for the past four years and have never had problems with my attendance.

8.My love of trying just about anything once. My grandma commented on this a couple of summers ago and I had to agree, I will try just about anything once before deciding if I like it or if it's something that interests me.

9. My love for Jesus. Because really, without Him, none of the above really matter.

10. My friends and family. Because truly without them, I'm not me.

50 Q Part Three

Would you rather be a worried genius or a joyful simpleton?

Joyful Simpleton hands down.  

Why are you, you?

Because Baby I was born this wayyyyy! Haha, um because it's how God wanted me to be?

Have you been the kind of friend you want as a friend?

To quote another song, I'm better than I once was but ain't as good as I'm gonna be. 

Which is worse, when a good friend moves away, or losing touch with a good friend who lives right near you?

Losing touch with a good friend who lives near you.  

What are you most grateful for?

My amazing family, hands down. 

Would you rather lose all of your old memories, or never be able to make new ones?

I think I would rather lose all of my old memories. 

Is is possible to know the truth without challenging it first?

I think so, yeah. 

Has your greatest fear ever come true?

Knock on wood, no. 

Do you remember that time 5 years ago when you were extremely upset?  Does it really matter now?

I was a senior in high school, so it was probably something to do with having to work on a weekend that I wanted to come out to my dad's.  

What is your happiest childhood memory?  What makes it so special?

Summers spent up north with my grandparents. 

My People Person.

Today's prompt for Blogtember was what's your personality type? I took the test last year right around the same time & then I also took it again last night and I got the same exact thing both times, which truly doesn't surprise me.

I love people, if I'm comfortable with them and know them.  I'm a My People person, meaning that I love my people and hanging out with them.  People that I've gotten to know and am comfortable with.

It also doesn't surprise me that I got distinct preference of feeling.  It's no secret that I make a lot of my decisions based on my emotions instead of thinking things through.  I am really trying to be better about that though.

I am kind of surprised that sense won out over intuition though, I try and always listen to what my gut is telling me to do and I am quite intuitive over certain things.

One of the biggest things that is written about ISFJ's is that they have a hard time saying no. TRUTH!

& that I value my relationships with my family and very close friends and hold them to high esteem, YEP YEP YEP!

So what personality type are you?

Words fail, music speaks.

After reading and writing, my third passion is music.  I can't play an instrument or sing to save my life, but I love listening to it & I love going to concerts.

I'm 95% country music and 3% praise/worship/contemporary Jesus lovin' music & 2% every other kind of music.




My Absolute Favorite Artists//
Brantley Gilbert
Luke Bryan
Cole Swindell
Garth Brooks
George Strait
Blake Shelton
Miranda Lambert

My Absolute Favorite Songs//
Austin by Blake Shelton
That's Why God Made me by Daryle Singletary
What Faith Can Do by Kutless
My Faith in You by Brantley Gilbert
The Thunder Rolls by Garth Brooks

My Current Favorite Songs//
A Dozen Roses and a 12-pack--Cole Swindell
Burnin' It Down--Jason Aldean(total guilty pleasure song)
People Loving People--Garth Brooks
American Kids--Kenny Chesney
I Just Wanna Be Mad--Terri Clark

What's a favorite of yours?

Linking up with Bailey Jean of course :)

I Like Big Books

& I cannot lie.  

via

I am absolutely LOVING these topics that Bailey has come up with! Reading has always been of one of my favorite things to do ever since I was a young girl, and it's still true now in my twenties.  I love reading just about anything, I don't really like the sci-fi genre, but other than that, I will at least try and read it.  

All-Time Favorites//

The Baxter Series by Karen Kingsbury

My Own Story by Ryan White

She Said Yes by Misty Bernall

The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks(This is the first book I can remember full on sobbing from.)

The Wanted Series by Kelly Elliott

Authors that I read Everything of//

Kelly Elliott

Molly McAdams

Kristen Mayer

Sarah Dessen

Books that make me cry//

The Last Song

Taking Chances and Stealing Harper by Molly McAdams(these two books still have me in a book hangover and I read them over a year ago for the first time!)

My Book Boyfriends//

Gunnner Mathews from the Wanted series

Chase Grayson from Taking Chances and Stealing Harper

Colton Donovan from the Driven series by K. Bromberg

My favorite genre for the last couple of years has been the New Adult genre.  I love getting lost in a good love story! 

Sunday Social!

It's Sunday, so obviously linking up for Sunday Social!

1. 5 things you want us to know about you

1) I am loyal to a fault, I will have your back until you screw me over. 

2) My family and friends are the most important thing to me other than my faith.  

3) I am an ambivert, meaning I'm part intro and part extrovert. 

4) If I could do anything in the world, it would be to write for a living. 

5) I'm anxiously waiting to get my first tattoo.  

2. 5 favorite things about blogging

1) The ladies I've met through this blog.

2) Writing.

3) All the new things I've discovered because of it. 

4) That I'm able to express myself freely. 

5) The free stuff! #keepinitreal

3. 5 things you are doing before the year is over

1) Brantley Gilbert concert in Des Moines

2) Seeing my bff while in Des Moines.

3) Hopefully making a trip up north if I can swing it. 

4) Pay my mom off for helping me with my last student loan.

5) Enjoy every moment! 

4. 5 favorite fall fashion staples

1) My faded Maurices' jeans.

2) My green plaid flannel. 

3) My Garth Brooks sweatshirt.

4) My Columbia zip-up

5) My old Bemidji Beavers hoodie. 

#simplegirl

5. 5 favorite beauty products

Um..

Have a great holiday weekend!

Currently.

Can I just give myself a big pat on the back for posting 6 days in a row and not quitting already? * pats self on back*

...reading all of your blogs, I love this challenge, so many new friends!

...watching not much at the moment, I'm re-watching Army Wives from the beginning, and I'm at the beginning of season 5. Can't wait for Chicago Fire, Nashville and Grey's to be back! 

...trying not to worry about things I can't control, but that's easier said than done. #prayerrequest

...eating a Morning bun from Starbucks, because it's my day off and I'm going to enjoy it!

...pinning all the things. 

...tweeting I saw this quote and had to retweet it, because it's become one of my favorites about writing and reading as well..."If there's a book you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it." #loveit

...going to Iowa in 45ish days to see my bestest and my husband Brantley Gilbert.  

...loving that we have a Starbucks in ER now, I can walk there and walk back, nice exercise, & coffee, #winning

...discovering that God has me exactly where he wants me at this point in life.  

...enjoying the fall like temps that Minnesota has had the last couple of days.  I love sweatshirt weather.

...thinking about my ideas for my novel for NaNoWriMo.  

...feeling pretty good. 

...hoping for a hug from Karen tomorrow.  

...listening to my Pandora that has all of my country stations shuffled. 

 

...thanking God for all of the little things in my life that I am blessed with.  

...starting to countdown the days til I get to meet Mav!(One of my best friends that I met online.)

linking up with the lovely Bailey! 

Little Moments.

My life's not perfect, and I thank God it's not because how boring would that be? I live for the little moments and they are most definitely something I'm passionate about.

The sunsets I'm able to capture right off of my balcony.

The late afternoon Starbucks runs for the PSL.

The little notes between Karen and I.

Hearing my favorite song on Pandora.

Fangirling when Garth Brooks' newest song comes on.

Voicemails from my Grandma just calling to say she loves me and hopes I'm doing well(I really need to call both of mine!)

When my sister Facetimes me just to say Hi.

The way Cooper and Leader get so excited when I come to visit, whereas Chloe is just like ehh, you're back? Coooool.

linking up with Bailey Jean

Fashionista I am Not.

This is probably the Blog-tember prompt I had the most trouble with, so I'm putting my own spin on it.

fashion do's for me: My favorite faded blue jeans usually paired with my favorite concert tee or hoodie depending on the season.

fashion do not courtesy of Pinterest: 

fashion do not courtesy of people watching: Do not wear the high-low dresses nine months pregnant, or if you do, please make sure to get the correct size, I do not want to see your underwear and three fourths of your stomach.  Thank you.

linking up with Bailey Jean once again! 

Also, I'm doing a Q&A/FAQ vlog on September 16th, comment here on the blog or shoot me an email at theycallhermeghan(at)gmail.com with your questions!

When I Grow Up.

PC--Pinterest

Today's prompt for Blog-tember is, what do you want to be when you grow up? After I pointed out the above, I realized, to me that is the million dollar question, what do I want to be or do when I grow up? If you would have asked me that question a year and a half ago, it would have been that I dreamed of being a court reporter, ask me a year ago up to about the last couple of months, I would have said I wanted to own my own coffee shop.  Now? It changes day to day, hour to hour. 

 If I were to be completely honest with myself, I would love to be able to write for a living. I want to write words that impact lives.  I want to share my thoughts with the world.  That's something concrete that I can work towards I believe, but right now? When I haven't even completed a NaNoWriMo challenge before or sat down and outlined or anything that signifies, to me at least, the starting of a career in writing, I need something that will pay my bills.  

My parents want me to go to school and get a degree, but I tried that once, and I'm not so sure formal education is for me anymore.  I'm not academically strong.  I made okay grades in high school, but it wasn't the easiest for me.  I have thrown around the idea of going for accounting or vet tech.  Accounting appeals to me because I love numbers and love making them work and figuring out problems with them.  Vet tech because I love pets, but I don't think I could handle all the science.  

I was reading She Said Yes by the mother of one of the Columbine victims and I've read this book multiple times, but this time for whatever reason it stirred a lot of emotions in me, and it was almost like God was using it to speak to me, weird as it may sound, like He was telling me that instead of worrying what occupation I need to be in, just worry about loving people.  

My calling is to love people.  I love loving people.  I love helping people.  So when I grow up, or grow old or however you want to put it, I want to keep loving people. Regardless, if I'm still working in retail customer service, if my dreams of being a bestselling author come to fruition, if I am able to love people throughout my life as Jesus loves me, I will consider myself at the top of my career. 

What do you want to be when you grow up? 

linking up with Bailey Jean!