Girls Getaway with Emily Giffin!

This past Saturday was quite possibly one of the most exciting days I've had in a very long time, as I met my favorite author Emily Giffin! 

If you're not familiar with her writing, maybe you've heard of the movie Something Borrowed? Well, that awesome chick flick was based off of Emily's novel of the same name. :) (By the way, I recommend reading SOBO, and then reading Something Blue. Something Blue is the sequel to SOBO and is actually in the process of being made into a movie (YAY!). Emily told us Saturday that scripts were just sent to Kate Hudson (who plays Darcy) and John Kransinski (who plays Ethan) and Something Blue is REALLY happening! Without a doubt, Blue is my absolute favorite EG novel...although Where We Belong is a close second. ;))

May 2011...impatiently waiting for SOBO's release

I've been a fan of sweet Emily for years, and although I can't remember how I stumbled upon this fabulous author, I'm so thankful that I did. The way that she writes is absolutely inspiring, and the characters that she creates leave me speechless. Her ability to captivate real, raw human relationships makes reading her books something that I simply cannot live without. 

Okay, back to the event! 

On Saturday I headed downtown to the Gaillard Center for Emily's Girls Getaway event that included a question and answer segment and book signing, as well as tons of food, cocktails, and games. I asked Emily if she plans to re-visit the storyline from Where We Belong and she said yes! (If you'd like to see the Q&A segment, check out the live video from the Charleston event on her Facebook page. I asked my question around the 10:45 mark.) While I went by myself, I ended up meeting a sweet girl named Jessica, who was also there alone. We had a great time discussing our favorite books, authors, and our lives in general, and I'm thankful for this sweet new friend. 

Thanks to Jessica, I also got the moment I told Emily that baby number 3 is going to be named Ethan, which happens to be a character in Something Borrowed/Blue, and she was thrilled. :) 

A video posted by Lindsey (@lindseychristmas) on Jun 25, 2016 at 4:47pm PDT

Mrs. Giffin's newest novel, First Comes Love, comes out tomorrow but thanks to an awesome swag bag that I got for attending the event, I received an advance copy. 

And y'all. 

It's. 

So. 

Good. 

I started reading it yesterday and I seriously cannot put it down. Because it's a signed copy I'm trying not to beat it up too badly, but goodness I've taken that book with me everywhere! A story about sisters dealing with the anniversary of a family tragedy, both are at a crossroads in their life and are dealing with separate but similiar struggles. I haven't decided if I'm Team Josie or Team Meredith yet, but I'll keep you updated. :)

Boys mow the yard, Mom reads, Bella runs around. :)

Overall it was an absolutely lovely weekend, and while I felt horrible on Sunday due to a night of restless sleep, I'm looking forward to the very busy week ahead.

How was your weekend? 

Are you an Emily Giffin fan?

The New and Improved 30 Before 30

After spending a good bit of time thinking about what I want to get out of my 30 Before 30 list, I am ready to make a few final changes. The whole point in creating this list was to make turning 30 years old less daunting, while also accomplishing things that I've always wanted to do. I previously mentioned that a change in perspective (due to becoming a mother) has made me question The List. 

I've been asking myself if certain things must be accomplished before I turn 30 years old, how will these items impact my family, and am I being selfish in wanting these things. To answer, yes, I need to make some adjustments to items that aren't kid friendly. Yes, a couple of items fall under the "life list" instead of the Before 30 list. And the selfish part? I do feel a little guilty for still wanting to accomplish these things, but I've realized that they are necessary in order to prevent the loss of myself. My world revolves around Gavin (as it should), but it's okay to have some "me time", too.

The items I've decided that need to be replaced are:

11. Visit the Grand Canyon
16. Visit at least one sponsor child 
17. Spend the day with beluga whales

26. Visit at least 5 museums

30. Get accepted to law school

Now, let me explain...

#11 - Visit the Grand Canyon. This is something that I definitely want to see in my lifetime, but I also want Gavin to be able to see it and remember seeing it. This needs to be a family trip when Gav is old enough to appreciate the sights, and this will not be before I turn 30 as Gav will only be 3 years old.

#16 - Visit at least one sponsor child. Currently, Keith and I sponsor 4 children through Compassion. Wilkemberg lives in Brazil, Luz in Columbia, Michael in Bangladesh, and Ester in Tanzania. I adore these children with all of my heart and want to meet each of them. However, I called Compassion to inquire about bringing Gavin with us and they told me he needs to be at least 12 years old. He's not even a year old yet. I can't imagine traveling out of the USA for weeks at a time without Gavin, so I'm removing this from the list. If something changes and I am able to meet my sweet sponsor kids soon, then fantastic. It just won't be on the 30 Before 30 list. 

#17 - Spend the day with beluga whales. This would be really cool to do one day, but I'm going to remove it from the list as it isn't something that I consider a worthwhile need-to-do-before-30 item. So off it goes.

#26 - Visit at least 5 museums. I love museums and want to visit as many as possible in my lifetime, but having to commit to visiting 5 with an infant and eventually a toddler will be quite complicated (and basically asking for chaos). So, instead of dreading #26, I've decided to remove it.

#30 - Get accepted to law school. This is one that needs more than a few lines of explaining, but for now I'll just say that my new perspective has made me question the timing of law school right now for my family. In June I attempted to study for the LSAT, but I just didn't have the time. And if I don't have the time for the LSAT, I won't have the time for law school. This decision is very important to me, and I'll be writing later with more of my thoughts.

So, those are the items that are being removed. I'm happy that some are going and a bit sad about the others. But, it's for the best and I'm excited about the 5 that I'm adding. 

The new #11 - Take an aerial skills class. This new item is a fun one and not extremely time consuming, so it's perfect for my schedule. I've always wanted to take a trapeze class (that's on the life list), but I think that this will be a nice alternative on my 30 Before 30. I can take this class here in Charleston and I'm excited to learn how to be an aerial acrobat. :)

The new #16 -Have breakfast at Tiffany's. Oh, Audrey. Is there anyone who exudes grace and poise like she does? Doubtful. Breakfast at Tiffany's is one of my favorite Audrey movies (right behind Roman Holiday and Sabrina) and I would love to spend a morning strolling NYC with my two favorite guys and have breakfast Tiffany's.

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The new #17 - Start our adoption paperwork. This new item is truly the most dear to my heart. Keith and I have always had the desire to expand our family by having children and also adopting children, and I am anxiously waiting the moment that we begin the adoption process. To me, this isn't just an item on my 30 Before 30...this is the chance to change a child's life, and for our life to be changed in return. To love them and protect them and teach them about God. My greatest accomplishment in this life has been becoming a mother, and I can't wait to expand our brood. We desire to adopt internationally and know the process is a long one, so Keith and I have both agreed to begin the process before January 2016. AH! :D

The new #26 - Get published (even if it's self-published). If you guys only knew all of the ideas I have roaming around in this head of mine. I am itching to write my first novel, but I just have to get over the fear that it won't be good enough, and more importantly, that it's already been done. I've never particularly dreamed of having a book published, but if what I write does get publish then I would be thrilled. Mostly though, I'm writing for me, because I have to get it out! 

The new #30 - Further my education. Instead of focusing on getting accepted to law school, I'd like to weigh my options and see what is best for my family. Do I still feel called to fight injustices? Absolutely! I have already been provisionally accepted to a local Criminal Justice Graduate Program (YAY!) and could begin taking courses online and on-campus as soon as January 2013. I will be meeting with an academic advisor soon and will make a decision shortly after. All I know is that it's been a long, hard road for me to earn my bachelor's, and now that I'm almost there, I don't want to stop.

The New 30 Before 30 List

1. Ride in a hot air balloon
2. Fly a plane
3. Learn to speak Italian
4. Go sailing/learn to sail
5. Graduate from college
6. Go to Italy!!!
7. Pay off debt (excluding student loans)
8. Run a marathon
9. Read the whole Bible
10. Go on a mission trip
11. Take an aerial skills class
12. Meet my weight loss goal
13. Learn to play the piano
14. Go skydiving
15. Learn to play tennis
16. Have breakfast at Tiffany's
17. Start our adoption paperwork
18. Take a dance class
19. Learn to surf  (again)
20. Go snowboarding or skiing
21. Go to a Hillsong concert
22. Go horseback riding
23. Walk the Brooklyn Bridge
24. Attend a Yankee game in NYC
25. Volunteer regularly at a nursing home
26. Get published (even if it's self-published)
27. Go on a cruise
28. Learn how to shoot a gun properly
29. Do an anonymous pay it forward
30. Further my education

There you have it -- my new complete, final 30 Before 30 List! Do you have a bucket list? If so, please send me your link! I'd love to follow your journey.

Fill in the Blank Friday!

Click here to play along!

1. I am tired. Very, very tired. Gav is only waking up once a night and I get anywhere from 6-8 hours of sleep, but I'm just exhausted. I don't sleep during the day when he does, and I've never seen the underneath of my eyes look so dark! Any advice for some good eye cream?

2. I have always liked writing, although I never thought I was good at it (I'm definitely my worst critic). In second grade, I wrote a story about a talking leaf on one of President Clinton's jogs, and I won an award at my elementary school for it. That was the first time I felt good enough and it was awesome. :)

3. I hope to accomplish everything that is on my 30 Before 30 List with my family.

4. I can finally announce that my brother and sister-in-law are pregnant!!! Stephen and Ivey are some of our best friends and we could not be happier for them! Gav will be 11 months older than their little one and we just can't wait to raise our kids together! :)

5. I dream of changing the world. I know it's cliche, but I sincerely want to do my best to impact this world that we live in. I am only one person, but since when did that stop anyone? Specifically, I want to help lower the number of children currently living on the street in the Philippines (well, that and stop human trafficking and poverty). There are more than 250,000 currently living there, but my God is a BIG God, and I can do all through Him.

6. The way to my heart is with quality time and having a positive attitude. 

7. I am passionate about fighting injustices. When I changed my major 2 years ago to Criminal Justice, I wondered if I'd made a mistake. But honestly, this was the best decision I could have made. I love learning about the justice system and I know that this is where I'm called to be. I'm often extremely conflicted by news stories and am excited to one day become a part of this field.

The Greatest Show on Earth

Thanks to my little sister's change of plans, we decided to take a trip to the movies last night and see Water for Elephants. I finished reading the book last weekend and was very anxious to watch this story come to life. After my disappointment with Something Borrowed, I had pretty low expectations that this movie would do the book any justice.

Well, I was wrong.

This movie was absolutely superb. Yes, a few things were different but ultimately it stayed on track with the storyline. It was breathtaking. The actors, the setting, the wardrobe, the animals...all of it came to life in a way that made my heart flutter. 

Recently I have been reading a lot, and it all started when I laid my hands on Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin. I breezed through that novel, went on the Something Blue and continued with Emily's three other novels. After that I began Water for Elephants and am now reading Twilight. (Regardless of anyone's opinion of the Twilight series, I am loving the book.) The one thing that ties these books (other than EG's other three) together is the fact that they have been made into movies. I am completely captivated by the fact that a story can be created by an author and then come to life on the big screen. 

For me personally, another thing that these novels have in common is their ability to hook the reader. With the exception of WFE's slow start, I have not been able to put any of these books down. Seriously. When I'm hooked, I'm hooked. I read during my lunch breaks, when I get home from work, while I bathe, and before bed. Heck, I'd read at work if I knew it was acceptable. :)

As someone who loves to write, these books and movies inspire me tremendously. I was talking to my Grandmother this morning and she was telling me about a book that had her hooked. My grandmother is 84 years old and barely ever reads (apparently by the time she gets to the end, she won't remember the beginning) but read this book in one day because she was captivated. This book made her heart soar. I sincerely hope to write a book like that one day. By all means it does not have to be made into a movie, but a book that makes the reader literally want to jump in is a book worth writing.

So here's my question...which books have you been completely and utterly enchanted by? Jodie from Bursting at the Seams recommended the book The Help, and I actually saw a preview for this movie last night. Let me just say this movie looks amazing, and I can't wait to get my hands on the book! :) Thanks Jodie!

*picture from here

A Little Bit of This and That...

* Between my tip to Colorado, catching a nasty sinus cold, and my anniversary, things have been pretty much all over the place. I got back to Charleston on Thursday and planned on writing a trip recap and post my mountain pictures. Instead, I spent the night with my husband and tried to fight off my cold. (I failed at the latter) 

Friday I went to work and had a pretty busy day, while Saturday and Sunday were spent in my pajamas on the couch with a box of Kleenex. Yesterday was my anniversary, and I spent the day home sick with the hubs. We did decide to drive out to the plantation where we were married. :) 

We tried to renact a few shots from our wedding day, and I think we did a pretty good job. (Although I don't think I should have went out, because I am now feeling worse) 

* While in Colorado, I finished the book Something Blue and started Baby Proof. Ladies, these books were written by Emily Giffin and are absolutely fabulous! I seriously did not put either down unless I had to! I read Something Blue on the plane ride to and from Colorado and was moved to tears and laughs several times. If you're looking for a good read, I highly suggest any Emily Giffin book. 

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* Remember last semester when Math 201 broke my heart? Long story short -- I failed Statistics by 2 points. I retook this class this Spring, and the class wrapped up two weeks ago. So what's the verdict? I PASSED!!!!! I vowed to make an A the second time around, and up until the last week was succeeding. However, the final exam was extremely tough for me and unfortunately I didn't do too well. So, my final grade was a B-. I'll GLADLY take this...knowing that I will never, ever have to take another math class. Praise God! 

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That's all I've got for today! I'll be back tomorrow with my Colorado recap and some gorgeous pictures! Until then, here's a teaser! 

A Delayed Miscellany Monday

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* Right now I am supposed to be on my way to Atlanta. At 2pm I am supposed to catch a flight to Denver. Instead, I am sitting in the Charleston Airport blogging. My flight was cancelled due to maintenance issues, and I will be leaving Charleston at 2pm instead. I am currently on stand-by for a 4pm flight to Denver, but more than likely I will catch my booked 7pm flight. 

So what does this all mean? 

It means instead of arriving in Colorado around 4ish, driving to my hotel, enjoying the sunset views of CO, setting up my booth, and taking it easy -- I will be arriving in Colorado no sooner than 6pm (but probably around 9pm CO time, 11pm MY time) and rushing to my hotel, and waking up at 5am tomorrow to set up my booth. AH!!! While it's frustating, I really do love to travel, and I especially love airports, and I am happy to be here blogging and reading an amazing new book. (Although I wish things would have gone as planned.)

* Speaking of said amazing book, it's called Something Blue and is the follow-up to the book Something Borrowed. (I blogged about that one here) I've just started reading it, but it's always good to have a great book when things like cancelled flights happen. 

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* The Charleston Airport is playing some pretty sweet tunes over the loud speaker. For example, Dave Matthews Band, KT Tunstall, and John Meyer. Yay. :)

* Over the weekend I made compulsive purchase on a curling wand. What is a curling wand? Well, let me just say that is an AMAZING tool that curls your hair quick and easy, and give you nice loose curls. (without the creases!) I love it! I curled my hair on Saturday and Sunday, and while I don't have any pictures to show how well it works, I do plan on posting some later. 

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Okay lovelies, I think that's all from me today. I hope you guys have a wonderful day!

What I'm Loving...

1. I'm loving that I am blogging today. Life has been super crazy lately, and I've been slacking on my blogging. While I miss writing, it's kind of nice spending time doing other things. :)

2. I am loving that I get to report that my amazing husband has a brand spanking new job!!!! HE GOT THE JOB!!!! YAY!!!!!! He interviewed a few weeks back, and we got the call on Monday. Praise God! Keith has been working in sales at his brother's company, but thanks to the economy the company has taken somewhat of a hit. (Not to mention that working with family is never a good idea) His new job will also be in sales and will require a little bit of travel. We are SO excited and thankful for this new opportunity. I can't wait to see what the future holds!

 I am so proud of you baby!!!

3. I'm loving the book that I just finished reading called Something Borrowed. 

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This book has been adapted into a movie (starring Kate Hudson and Ginnifer Goodwin) and I saw the trailer for it over the weekend. I was so intrigued that I went out on Sunday, bought the book, and was finished reading it by Tuesday! (Keep in mind that I work full-time and am a full-time student) While the story line is a bit scandalous, it was such a great read and I cannot waiiiiit to see the movie! 

4. I am loving this picture of my hubs and my nephew, Baby Joe. 

Is this not the cutest fist bump you've ever seen? :)

5. I'm loving that I will be in Colorado in 4 days! Even though I'm there on business, I love to travel and am super exited to see the Rocky Mountains!

Have a wonderful Wednesday sweet readers! 

When I say, "I am a Christian" by Carol Wimmer

This poem was sent to me and I wanted to share it with you guys. Enjoy. =)

When I say, "I am a Christian," I'm not shouting, "I've been saved!"
I'm whispering, "I get lost! That's why I chose this way"

When I say, "I am a Christian," I don't speak with human pride
I'm confessing that I stumble-needing God to be my guide

When I say, "I am a Christian," I'm not trying to be strong
I'm professing that I'm weak and pray for strength to carry on

When I say, "I am a Christian," I'm not bragging of success
I'm admitting that I've failed and cannot ever pay the debt

When I say, "I am a Christian," I don't think I know it all
I submit to my confusion asking humbly to be taught

When I say, "I am a Christian," I'm not claiming to be perfect
My flaws are far too visible but God believes I'm worth it

When I say, "I am a Christian," I still feel the sting of pain
I have my share of heartache which is why I seek His name

When I say, "I am a Christian," I do not wish to judge
I have no authority--I only know I'm loved

Carol Wimmer, Copyright 1988

Summer Sisters

Summer Sisters is a novel by Judy Blume that I've read nearly every year since I was in middle school. There is something so special to me about this story. It completely captivates me. Maybe it’s because I am the borderline clone of Vix. Or maybe it’s because Laney is strikingly similar to someone in my family. Either way, whenever I read this novel I leave reality completely and find myself on The Vineyard with Caitlin and Vix.

I finished reading it again today and even though I knew how it would end, I was sad when it did. Even though I think the ending is actually how it should be, I wanted to know more about these beloved characters. *sigh* I could ramble on an on about how much I love this book, but I won’t. All I can say is that it truly is an amazing story about love, coming of age, friendship and betrayal.

As an aspiring teacher/writer, I admire Judy Blume tremendously. She has done what I someday hope to do. To write a novel that becomes not only a one time read, but stays in the heart of the reader.

Summer Sisters unfolds over almost twenty summers in the lives of two young women - from 1977 when they're twelve to 1995 when they celebrate their thirtieth birthdays. There's a love story at the center, and the story of a friendship more intense and longer lasting than many love affairs.