Happy One Year Blogoversary to Me!

Hard to imagine but it's my blog's one year blogoversary!! 

I never could have dreamed about how many new friends I would make within a year of blogging! 

I started this blog as a way to make connections and record some of the ramblings of my everyday life and come away having not only accomplished those things but also with a mindset that has me walking through life with optimism and appreciative of so many things I had ever previously thought twice about!

I also never imagined that I'd make it to a third post let alone an entire year of posts!

In the past year, here's  three of my favorite posts!

1. Thirteen Quotes on Laughter

2. Thirteen Mantra's I Strive to Live My Life By

3. The 3 Cents of Happiness

And of course the post that started it all!

The Butterfly and the Cocoon

I for one think this momentous occasion deserves a virtual toast!

Here's to another year (and beyond!) of bloggy friends and happiness!!

Okay, okay, my toasting skills are not the greatest! Haha! But in all honesty, I love you guys and hope that you all have enjoyed reading my blog as much as I've enjoyed writing it!

Great, big, gigantic virtual bloggy blogoversary hugs!!

(Do you see my name!?! Proof! :] )

What Would You Tell Yourself?

Have you ever looked back at your life and said to yourself, 

"I wish that I had known this earlier in my life."?

Up to this point I've learned some important lessons. 

Some of them include:

1. Don't "Kill Time." Time is precious, embrace every moment.

2. Growing up, you think your high school sweetheart is going to be the person you'll be with forever. Chances are, you're not. Each relationship is an experience. 

3. Don't be afraid of experiences.

4. Scratch that, don't be afraid. Don't let fear stop you from taking chances. Don't be afraid to trust.

5. It may feel like the end of the world. It's not. Life will go on.

6. When life gets the hardest, call up your best friend. Laughter is the best medicine.

7. Hold on tight to real friendships.

8. Don't spend all your energy on friendships and relationships that are one sided. You deserve better.

9. Don't cry over someone who's not willing to cry over you.

10. Forever is a long time to be without someone, don't walk away angry.

11. Don't regret. Past experiences have made you who you are today and led you to have so many wonderful experiences.

12. The only power that someone has over you is the power that you give them.

13. It's not what happens. No one can make you feel one way or another. No one can make you do anything. It's not the action, it's your reaction. You have the power to choose how you react.

14. Put yourself in their shoes. Where are they coming from? Do you feel any differently about that person now? 

15. It's not your place to judge. You are not responsible for judging anyone or their actions.

16. Don't accept things you don't think are right. You can affect change.

17. Hold yourself accountable when you are.

18. Allow others the space to hold themselves accountable when need be.

19. Don't blame.

20. Hugs, kisses and cuddling are wonderful things.

21. Love without bounds.

22. Find out what makes your light shine and do it. 

23. Don't do the things that make you miserable. Life's too short.

24. Don't fall into old patterns, figure out how to bring positive change to your life. If something had a negative outcome in the past, change it for the future. Don't fall back on habit.

25. Be happy, smile, it's a chain reaction.

If you could go back in time and tell your eighteen year old self anything, something you know now that you wish you'd known then, what would it be?

A Birthday Giveaway! (and Fall Photos!)

So there's one week left until my birthday!

In honor of my birthday I'm giving away a pair of fun gold fairy earrings!

To enter, just leave a comment!

(And you're welcome to a second entry if you follow me! Just be sure to leave a separate comment for each entry!)

The giveaway will be closed on my birthday, Saturday the 21st!

Now, here's a few photos I took yesterday! Fall around here is beautiful right now!

Friend Makin' Monday -#3

So this Friend Makin' Monday the topic is confessions. Head on over to Kasey's to see what everyone confessed!

You ready? Here are mine:

1. I have emetophobia. 

For those still trying to pronounce the word, that's a phobia (fear) of throwing up. Not just myself doing it but anyone or anything that has to do with the sight, smell, taste, sound. idea or even memory of it. And I'm not only afraid of it, I literally freak out! I have been known to have full on panic attacks surrounding it. I don't remember going a day (even when I was really young) without the fear being there. I'm also a lot better about it then I used to be-I used to go on full alert when someone simply said the words.

2. I want to work in a pediatric oncology ward in spite of having emetophobia.

Heh, I'm still working out the logistics on this one...

3. Speaking of fear-I'm afraid of fires.

I'm not afraid of candles or even fires in the fireplace but I'm incredibly afraid of house and wildfires. The first memory I can remember based around this was when a classmate's house burned down. My house was the next in line to be evacuated and many of my friends lost their homes to the Angora Fire in Lake Tahoe in 2007 which lasted from June 24th to July 2nd.

4. I once had a pair of mating dragonflies land on me.

I was camping one year when I was out swimming and two dragonflies landed on my arm. I took me a minute to figure out why they were connected together the way they were!

5. I love planning more than the reality of doing things.

I love to make extensive plans about everything, from exercise scheduling to organizing a room, but I have a hard time following through with them. I'll often end up at the results I want but I never get there the way I planned.

6. I love campfires. 

I started going to summer camps from the time I was a year old. I went to summer camps up until the time I was 13 when I started working at them. I know a hundred or so camp songs and love singing them at the top of my lungs while roasting marshmallows around a fire for the delicious and very gooey S'mores.

7. I have many favorites.

Some may call me indecisive but I can't pick favorites. My favorite color, song, movie, number and shirt change from day to day and often many times in a day.

8. I am awful about phone calls.

I don't know what it is but I have rarely pick up the phone to call people. If it's in an email it feels like a lot less work (as impersonal as it is).

9. I don't think I will ever be able to dye my hair.

I have a couple natural blonde streaks in my hair that I love and would be sad without them.

 

10. I spend way too much time online in blog-land.

'Nuff said. =]

What are your confessions?

Tagged and an Award

So I was tagged and awarded over at Thought Threads....Thanks for thinking of me!

Here are the rules of Tag:

* List Six Unimportant Things That Make You Happy.

* Mention and link to the person who tagged you.

* Tag six of your favorite bloggers to play along, and comment on their blog to let them know they've been tagged.

These Are Six Unimportant Things That Make Me Happy

[By the way...isn't unimportant happiness an oxymoron?]

1. Books

I love to read and have devoured books for as long as I can remember. I usually feel guilty that I don't have much time to read but I make up for it during the summer. I've read 2 and a half books just today and have started on another!

(I just started reading "Plain Truth" by Jodi Picult and at page 61 am loving it so far!)

2. The Internet

The internet is my connection to the outside world and where I live most of my days. (Not that that's a bad thing!) I always seem to feel this strange feeling of loss when for one reason or another don't have access to the internet for a period of time.

3. Pants

As I am currently in the mindset of the Amish world (that's where the story in "Plain Truth" takes place) I realize that pants make me quite happy. I don't think I could handle wearing dresses and skirts all of the time.

4. Stars (and wishing on them)

I love stars. Staring at a black night sky that is completely lit up by shining stars - there's nothing more magical. I also love wishing on them and am thankful when I get to see the first star again and again each night with my ever changing wishes.

5. Crayola Crayons

How do they get such a beautiful and wonderfully huge rainbow of colors into such a tiny box? [My favorite since childhood has been "Jungle Green" the perfect color, but is hard to come by nowadays!]

6. The Smell of Summer

Campfires, BBQs, S'mores, Fresh lake and ocean air and the smell of driving through forests of huge redwood trees.

I'm going to leave this open to whomever feels like joining in! If you do, please leave a comments so I can be sure to come check it out and find out more about you!

The "Love Ya" Award states:
These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award.

I'm also going to break the rules of the award and keep the 8 spots open too! I love you all!

Lastly, I received this award from Jennifer a little while back and never said thanks, so..Thank You!