Summer Camp 2016

It's that time of year again! This will be my last summer as a camper at Camp Greystone A.K.A my little slice of heaven. I am leaving this Saturday and will be gone for 5 weeks starting Monday. Every year for the past 9 summers I have gone to camp. There is nowhere in this world I would rather  be for 5 weeks. I try to explain to people how awesome it is to spend practically a whole summer with all girls and no technology in the mountains of North Carolina. People who have gone to camp "get it" and are excited for me. Others, think it is some sort of cult and that I'm going against my will. Trust me, my dad has offered me many an amazing trip I could take or car I could buy as opposed to going to camp and I have never had to think twice before kindly telling him I'd rather go to camp. Some people think that because I go to camp I am missing out on what's going on at home and the camps that my friends go to for one week or less. I just tell them they've never been to my camp. Because the truth is, there have been times in the past where I have seen pictures of all my friends having a good time that summer and felt like I had missed out. But when I take a step back and look at all the doors camp has opened for me and the unbreakable bonds of friendships I have. I know I made the right choice and the right investment of my time.

Side story: When I went to my freshman orientation several weeks ago, we were put into fairly small groups with one group leader. We were all sitting in a circle and I knew no one. But, the girl sitting across from me looked very very familiar. After our leader was finished talking, I went up to the girl and flat out asked her how I knew her. She asked me if I went to Camp Greystone and we clicked. I don't even remember knowing her that well at camp but just having that one thing in common we had a special connection and were able to talk and catch up. These kinds of run-ins happen to me all. the. time. I even ran into a camp friend while I was in Grand Cayman! It is truly a wonderful thing.

Though it is bitter-sweet to think that this is my last summer as a camper, I am very sure that I will be back as a counselor or working at camp in some way. I like to joke that I'll marry into the camp family and live at Greystone the rest of my life. We'll see ;)

Here are a few throwback pictures from my earlier years at camp:

 

Thanks for reading! See you in 5 weeks!

Powder Blue Dress

//Dress -I don't think it's online yet but I linked a very similar one /Boots /Ray-Bans /Purse /Small Monogram Necklace //

My trusty summer standby is a sun dress with my cowgirl boots (I could wear these all day!) I was in Francesca's looking for this exact powder blue off the shoulder dress... actually, I was looking for a gift for a friend, anyway, it really was exactly what I was looking for! One of the Ole Miss football game colors this fall is powder blue which happens to be one of my favorite colors but is also sort of hard to come by. Francesca's had some really cute options in store! I love wearing dresses on game day because it can be so. hot. Mississippi heat is really something else. Dresses are perfect because they are flowy and breathable. People may call me crazy for prepping game day outfits so early but after I come back from camp, it will be here before we know it!

Thanks for reading!

Colorful Kimono

 //Hat -I got mine from Stein Mart and linked a similar one /White tank /White jeans /Kimono -also from Stein Mart and I linked a similar one /Shoes /Purse //

My mom and I found ourselves in Stein Mart the other day and -to my surprise- I found this adorable hat and kimono! I have never been on board with the whole kimono trend because I found most of them to be, well, not my style. But, recently I have seen some really beautiful ones in places like Anthropologie. I absolutely love this one I found in Stein Mart and I believe it was under $30!

I am trying not to let this slow week slip through my fingers because there is only one more week until camp starts!! I'll will probably post a recap/see ya later of that before I leave, per usual. Also, I did a little shopping yesterday and really want to share that as well! Stay tuned! 

Thanks for reading!

Grand Cayman Islands

     This year 40 students and adults from my church youth group were able to go to the Grand Cayman Islands for our annual choir tour. We sang for churches, children, a nursing home, and in a 24 song- 2 hour long concert! (only 2 people passed out!) Grand Cayman is such a beautiful island and we all had a wonderful time singing and enjoying every minute we had there. I am very thankful for such an awesome youth group and for students who are so involved and care about sharing the love of Christ through music!
     I won't get into all the details of the trip because we could be here all day but one of the opportunities we had was to work with an organization called the Jubilate program. It is a program for young children to come to after school and learn about music. We put together a little workshop for them where we ran stations like note reading, rhythm, silly songs, and tutoring for the children who needed help with homework. One girl who came to my station, Kiara, told me that she had a sister named Lucy and that I looked just like her. I asked her, "How do I look like your sister?" and she said, "You just do! But you are much whiter." Haha! We all had such a fun time working with those kids and getting to love on them.
Here are a few snaps:

 

                                                     This is sweet Kiara

                                                We went to hell and back ;)

 

 

One night, we had dinner on the beach at sunset and it was breathtaking.

 

 

We saw this sign walking in to the nursing home! haha!

 

 

 

The tiniest little hermit crab we ever did see!

 

 

 

                                                    Thanks for reading!

High School Graduate

Wow. Senior year really does fly by in the blink of an eye. Looking back at all of my years of high school I feel like I have grown the most this year in particular. I have grown spiritually, mentally, academically, you name it! I have had to deal with some tough things but I have experienced some wonderful things as well. Through the hard times I have become stronger, more confident, and closer to God because I know this is only the beginning of what He is preparing me for later in life.

Things have not slowed down one bit since graduation but have in fact sped up it seems! I graduated May 14th, had orientation May 27th and 28th and then left for the Cayman Islands the 29th for a choir tour/ mission trip. I got back from Grand Cayman last Thursday and will hopefully have a recap of that on the blog soon. This weekend I have a cousin getting married in North Carolina and a couple weeks later I leave for camp! Sadly, this will be my last summer as a camper but I am just as excited, if not more excited, than I have ever been for camp!

Please check out the blogs that my best friend, Lauren, has started posting! She's the bomb. Link here to her blogs. :)


Thanks for reading! I'll be updating my Instagram soon with what's been in my life lately!