12 To-Dos in 2012

I know with today being New Year's Eve, we're all thinking about our goals for 2012. What do we want to do differently or accomplish in the year to come? This year in particular is important to me because I'm graduating from college. 

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That means it's the end of pretend life and the beginning of real life! There are so many things that I want to do in the next year, things that are going to take a great amount of strength, determination, and faith.

I want you to be a part of my journey.

Some of these things are small, some have to do with my career and others are things I plan on changing in my life.

12 To-Dos in 2012:

1. Have an amazing spring break: At this point, I don't know where that will be or who I'll be celebrating with, but I want it to be perfect. This is my last actual Spring Break and I'm going to make it a good one.

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2. Exercise more: I don't want to lose a certain amount of weight or be a size 00, I'd simply like to be more active.

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3. Graduate college with honors: I want to finish my senior year out with a bang and have really good grades!

4. Get a job: This is probably the part of this year that scares me the most. I'm not scared to work, get up early, or be on a set schedule. I'm just nervous about finding a job that I love. I know that everything happens for a reason and I will end up exactly where I'm supposed to be.

5. Live on my own: After living away from home for 4 years and living in my own apartment for 3 of those years, it's hard to go back to living at home. I love my own space and being independent. Living in my own place is something I'm looking forward to so much.

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6. Get a dog: I don't want a pet immediately after graduating, or right after moving into an apartment, but eventually I would like to have one. I love animals and would love to adopt a dog from a shelter.

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7. Read more: I have an ever-growing list of books that I want to read. I would love to find time to enjoy each and every one of them, including the Harry Potter series and The Hunger Games.

8. Buy a crock pot & learn to cook with it: These things are so neat and inexpensive, plus there are so many easy recipes out there to make with a crock pot. I would love to have one of these, maybe as a graduation gift! (hint hint)

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9. Send out my own Christmas cards: This is something that we have always done as a family, but I'd really like to send out my own next year. I think it shows maturity and how much fun would it be to design and send them?!

10. Be able to buy REAL Christmas presents: I'm so ready to be able to afford real presents for my family. I love the feeling of opening gifts on Christmas morning and next year I'd love for my parents to have their own stockings and nice gifts from me.

11. Invest in a nice piece of jewelry: I normally don't buy jewelry for myself. I would actually prefer someone else pick it out, maybe because I'd rather spend my money on dresses! In the next year I want to invest in a really nice piece of jewelry, like a Pandora bracelet or David Yurman. I'd love to have something to keep and pass down to my daughter one day.

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12. Go to Disney World: I am absolutely in love with the magic of Disney World and I can't wait to go back! I've been telling my parents for a while now that I would love to go when I graduate!

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If you're still with me, thanks for reading! I'm sorry for the super long post. I hope you have a wonderful New Year's Eve! Be safe and I'll see you in 2012:)

Cover to Cover Book Club: Link-Up #1

Hi Everyone! Today I'm guest posting over on Katie's Blog, His Diamond and Mine and I'd love for you to stop by and check it out!

In other news, today is the first link-up for the wonderful blogger book club that I'm a part of, Cover 2 Cover! I'll be linking up with Ashley at Everyday AEM and Crystal at Coffee at Nordstrom along with many others for our first book review. 

This month's book: How to Be a Hepburn in a Hilton World by Jordan Christy

1. What do you think is the most important piece of advice that Jordan Christy gave in this book?

I think one of the most important bits of advice in the book was the title of chapter 4, "Choose Your Friends Wisely." During the past year, I have learned so much about people that I originally thought were my friends and then showed their true colors. The people that you surround yourself with have a huge impact on how you act and feel. I can't afford to put time into friendships when that friendship isn't reciprocated.

2. What do you think is the most obnoxious “Stupid Girl” characteristic?

One thing that annoys me to no end, is when girls don't wear suitable clothing when they go out. I understand if you have more to love in certain places, but there are clothes to enhance all body types, and personally, I don't want to see it. Also, language. I will never begin to understand why some women curse like they do. I have encountered this in person, online and in meetings. I think if women ever want to have a job and be seen as a professional, this is something that has got to go!

3. There were SO many great quotes in this book. Do you have a favorite?

I have a couple favorite quotes: 

p88 "...It's important that we take stock of our current relationships. Are we happy with our friends? Are they dragging us down? Can we count on them no matter what?"

p134 "Great style starts with always looking your best, no matter what day, time, or occasion."

p135 "People always remember a chic and classy outfit, so when in doubt, dress it up."

4. What do you hate most about how our modern day media portrays women? Which celebrity do you dislike the most?

I've never been much of a celebrity follower, but the way that the media portrays what is beautiful amazes me. No person should think that they have to be a size 00 to be perfect. There are so many beautiful women out there that think they have so be this small to be considered beautiful and it's really sad. I don't really dislike any certain celebrities, but there are some that I think serve as a great example to young women, such as:

Reese Witherspoon

Emma Watson

Kate Middleton

 5. Jordan Christy said that one of the best ways to cultivate a healthy self-image is by celebrating your positive and unique qualities. If you have the time, take the “9 Types” Personality Test here:http://www.enneagraminstitute.com/dis_sample_36.asp Did you discover anything new about yourself? Which type are you? Which traits do you feel are most representative of you?

After taking the personality test, I found out that I am a type 2, "The Helper." Some of the words that describe type 2's are caring, interpersonal, generous, demonstrative, people-pleasing and possessive. I think that many of these are very accurate to my personality while some are questionable. I think it's always nice to take personality quizzes like this one because it can make you aware of things you may not notice about yourself.

 6. What are the top 5 things on your Smart Girl list? (goals to become a more articulate, knowledgeable, and well-rounded person.. see Jordan’s list on page 62)

I have found that the items I put on my Smart Girl list are also many of my goals for the next year, so they are very close to my heart.

1. Graduate from college with honors

2. Decide what I truly want to do with my future

3. Be able to live out on my own

4. Find time to read all the books on my LONG list

5. Give back in some way

 7. One of Jordan’s suggestions for staying out of a rut with your group of friends is to travel together to your “signature cities.” If you have time, take the signature cities quiz here: http://www.testq.com/career/quizzes/84-whats-your-signature-city What’s your signature city? Have you ever been there? Do you ever see yourself visiting your signature city in the future? Would you ever consider traveling to your signature city with your group of friends?

My signature city is Savannah, GA. I have been there once, but I was simply driving through with my family on our way to Disney World, when I was younger. I don't think this really counts as a visit and I would love to go back someday! I love traveling in general, so this is definitely somewhere that I would consider visiting. Anywhere with great food, entertainment, and people is where I want to be!

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8. Overall, what did you think about the book? What was your favorite part of the book? Least favorite?

The book was a nice, quick read, but I usually like to read books that have a story line of some sort. Emily Giffin and Kristin Hannah are two of my favorite authors. My favorite part was the chapter about friends and how to surround yourself with those that support you. My least favorite chapter was "Let Him Come Calling." I agree with Christy in most of her views of how to act toward males, though there were some examples she used that I thought were a bit old school and did not apply to me.

Overall, this book was a nice read and I would recommend it to a friend.

What I'm Loving....Thursday!

Okay everyone, I realize that today is Thursday, but yesterday was so busy with Jake coming to visit, I thought I'd tell you about what I'm loving anyway!

1. I'm loving that yesterday morning, Jake and I were finally able to see each other since we started Christmas break eleven days ago! I have missed him beyond belief and I was jumping around waiting for him to arrive!

2. I'm loving that he loved all the gifts from my family and I!

3. I'm loving the present that Jake made me for Christmas!

(More on that later!)

4. I'm loving that we got to go see New Year's Eve together last night, since we don't actually get to spend the occasion together.

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5. I'm loving that today, I got to visit with some family that hasn't seen me since I was seven years old and then more family that hadn't seen me since I was a baby! Hopefully I've come a long way since those bangs and crazy teeth!

6. I'm loving that I'm just about finished with my 2nd book of Christmas Break!

7. I'm loving all the new faces around my blog! I can't wait to get to know you and you get to know me as well! Happy Wednesday (since I missed you yesterday) & Thursday!

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Guest Blogging & Top 5 Tuesday: 2011

The topic of today's post is 2011, both here on my blog and at In the Life of Emily, where I'm guest posting! I'm so excited for my first guest post over at her fabulous blog! Stop by and see my 10 favorite memories from 2011!

In an effort to get back into regular blogging and out of all the craziness that comes with Christmas every year, I thought it was only suitable to link-up with Rachel at Just Peachy for Top 5 Tuesday!

2011:

1.) Movie: "Crazy Stupid Love"

I didn't see this movie until it came out on DVD, but I thought it was just too cute. There's nothing like a good romantic comedy, plus the people in it were amazing.

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2.) TV show: Say Yes to the Dress

I know this show didn't originally come out this year, but it is my all-time favorite show! I could watch episode after episode and be content.

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3.) Song: Nikki Minaj-Super Bass

This video is a little strange, but I think this song is super fun and catchy! I like music, but I usually just listen to what's on the radio or Pandora.

4.) Thing that happened: I was nominated to be on the Homecoming court at my college this year! You can read more about this on my guest post today!

5.) Christmas Present: As I mentioned in my Christmas wishlist post, I thought I was the only college-going female that didn't have riding boots, well since Christmas, this has changed! I got the most perfect pair and they have Melody written all over them...they have BOWS!

What are your favorite moments from 2011?

A Christmas of Firsts!

The Miller family gets together every year on Christmas Eve. This is a time to eat, fellowship together, and see some people that we may only get to see once or twice a year. This year in particular, we decided to do something a little different. I wanted to try a Christmas sweater party. Parties with this theme are becoming more and more popular and I thought this would be something great to do with the amount of people that we have. The grand prize, a $15 Walmart giftcard, luxurious right?!

Andrew, Samantha & I before leaving

During this year's Miller Thanksgiving, I announced the specifics of the contest:

-You needed to wear a unique Christmas-themed sweater 

(We used "Unique" in place of "Tacky" because some people achieve tacky in their normal attire haha.)

-To enter, you had to bring a can of food, that would be donated to our local outreach ministry

-You would only be judged from your neck to your waist 

Upon putting this little event together, I had no idea that people would get so into it! What a great surprise! We all arrived to my Great-Aunt Jean's around 5:30pm that night. Everyone brought their dish and came ready to eat.

Some people had on their sweaters when they got their, while others didn't put on their creations until right before judging. Instead of just having one or two family members be the judges, everyone got in on the decision. I told everyone that they would be judging us on tackiness, uniqueness and overall presentation. The contestants lined up in a different room and paraded in one by one, modeling our Christmas works of art. We even had an announcer to let them know who was coming up next.

These are a few of the beautiful creations!

 

 

Samantha, Ashley & I decided to go out together as the "Stokes County Rockettes"

The judges deliberated and decided that everyone was a winner. They thought it would be even better to donate the Walmart giftcard as well, so it went to someone who needed it. We had a great time and in the end, donated 35 cans of food and $15 to Walmart to the Outreach Ministry.

Filled with Christmas spirit, we decided that we wanted to go sing Christmas carols to a lady that has gone to our church for years. Though she is not a Miller herself, she and her husband are about as close as it gets!

This was definitely a Christmas Eve that we'll never forget!

Have you ever attended a tacky Christmas sweater party? Would you ever have one with your family?

Merry Christmas to All!

Tonight, my family had a Christmas Eve they will never forget and I can't wait to tell you all about it!

Picture it: tacky Christmas sweaters, presents and (my favorite) tons of food! 

Until then, I hope you all have the most wonderful Christmas & that Santa is good to you!

From my family to yours...

We have a Winner!

A huge thank-you to everyone that entered my very first giveaway for the cute assortment of gifts!

With the help of the Random Number Generator, we have a WINNER!

The lucky gal:

A big congrats to lucky number ten, Amanda at A Sweet Simple Southern Life!

**Make sure to contact me at sweetlikeasong@gmail.com, so I can get your package on the way!

Merry Christmas Eve Eve!

"What's in my makeup bag?" VLOG!

In honor of my first giveaway and becoming a brunette, I thought it was also time for another first! 

MY FIRST VLOG!

I hope you all are just as excited about this as I am! I love watching vlogs because it's a little more personal and a chance to actually hear what the blogger sounds like.

A big thanks to my brother, Andrew, who helped me with the set-up & editing!

I've watched a lot of "What's in my bag?" vlogs, and those are so much fun, but I wanted to do something a little different! 

(Try not to laugh too hard!)

I hope you loved it!

Remember: My 55 Followers Giveaway ends tonight at midnight!

You can enter by visiting my giveaway post and following the directions there!

The lucky winner will be announced tomorrow.

A Sam's Christmas!

When I was sixteen, I was lucky enough to find a job that I loved, at a place called Sam's Pizza. I started as a cashier, then moved to waitress and back to cashier (due to my need of control haha). I love working there and even try to get on the schedule a few days whenever I'm home on break.

Last night, Sam's had its annual Employee Christmas Party! This was my fifth Christmas party and I can only say that they get better every year. It's not a normal employee Christmas, where you simply go out to eat dinner with the people you work with and go home. It's a time to let loose and have fun! I look forward to going every year because of the amazing food, creative games, and the famous "Sam's Secret Santa." 

The Sam's Pizza Crew!

Once everyone arrives, we all take a seat around the dining room. You're encouraged to bring someone, as long as they're ready to laugh and eat. The dinner is done potluck style and is nothing short of delicious. We have everything from turkey to shrimp, chocolate covered popcorn to banana pudding. After we're all full, the games commence (my absolute favorite part). A few people at Sam's put together the most creative games they can come up with. In past years, we have played Sam's Jeopardy, Minute to Win it, and many others. Those that win go home with money, so everyone has their game face on!

When you volunteer to play, you have no idea what you're going to have to do. During the first game, I decided to volunteer and partner up with my friend, Meranda.

Did I mention I now have brown hair?! OMG! What do you think?!

Meranda had to hold a role of toilet paper by a ribbon, while I spun in circles until the toilet paper was all wrapped around me. The group that wrapped their person the fastest and used all the toilet paper won. Let me remind you I had just eaten SO much food, and after this, I was done with games for the rest of the night!

At this point I was about to fall over from laughter and motion sickness! We didn't win, but everyone had a great time watching me walk sideways for a while.

Snapshots from the other games!

Right before the party was over, we opened our Secret Santa gifts! I had Jessica's name and got her a gift card for two movie tickets, so that her and her husband can have a nice date night!

Me, Meranda, & Jessica

My friend, Kayla had my name and got me a gift card to Charming Charlie's, along with a lotion/body wash pair from Bath & Body Works. It was the perfect gift for a girly girl like me!

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I'm already looking forward to next year's party!