25 by 25: Let the FUN begin!

Since today is my birthday, I am starting a fun, year long adventure. I am sure y'all have heard of these types of lists before, but my inspiration came from some fellow blog friends. Miss Football, Almost Gypsy Soul, and A Desert Girl each did one of these lists last year before thier 30th birthday and like all good blog ideas, I am borrowing it. So here it is, the 25 things I want to complete from now until my 25th birthday.

1. Graduate with my PharmD and become a practicing pharmacist.  This one is pretty self explainatory, but definitely my number one goal for this year.
2. Complete a craft project once a month. I have a constant list on my phone of craft projects I want to complete, so this one won't be too hard and a lot of fun!
3. 25 Random Acts of Kindness. This one will be completed the 25 days preceding my birthday. Besides that, it is pretty self explanatory.
4. Send a surprise in the mail to a loved one once a month. I probably have a million things I have pinned on Pinterest that I want to make, plus I love sending people things in the mail. It always warms my heart when I receive a letter or something unexpectedly in the mail so I want to reciprocate the felling to my friends.
5. Travel to 2 different states. I have been to 23 states, so I want to add 2 more to get me to an even 25 before my 25.
6. Anonymously pay off somebody's electric bill during the winter.  I think I heard about this one on the news my first year of pharmacy school and I just remember thinking what a great idea that was. Since I will finally have a job that I can afford to help somebody out like that, I am very excited for the opportunity.
7. Volunteer my time where it is needed. This one is pretty open to variability. I just want to spend some time volunteering and giving back. I am not quite sure how or where I plan on volunteering my time. So if y'all have any suggestions of good opportunities, I am all ears.
8. Knock off 5 bucket list items. This one is going to be fun! There are so many options to choose from, where should I start?
9. Try 12 new restaurants. Sometimes I get stuck in my rut and don't explore with anything. I go to the same restuarants I always go to, eat the same things I always like, and don't venture out. So here we go with 12 new restuarants.
10. Make blessing bags to keep in my car. This one is all over the internet and Pinterest. We also made some of these for CPFI (Christian Pharmacist Fellowship International) and they were a huge hit. Here is a link that explains the general idea of them.
11. Run a race. Last July I made a goal for myself to learn to love to run within the year. I have gotten to where I enjoy it now, but I have yet to run in an actual race. I did do a virtual race last Thanksgiving, so I guess that kind of counts.
12. Pray a voiceless prayer. This one was on Miss Football's list & I fell in love with the idea. I mainly just want to work on strengthening my relationship with God so this is really a two-part task I am looking forward to doing.
13. Call a loved one once a week. This was actually my G-Ma's idea and I love it. Now when G-Ma suggested it, Papa informed me that it couldn't be 5 calls a day to my Mom while I learn how to cook. Of course the first thing I had to do was inform him that I knew how to cook, then I added it to the list.
14. Try 24 new recipes. This one obviously came from the challenge listed above. Evidently somebody is vastly underestimating my cooking skills. Perhaps he did not remember my skills I picked up during 4-H favorite foods contests. 
15. Watch a new movie each week. If y'all know anything about me, you know that I am a huge movie fan! I am always interested in checking out the latest movie, but 52 new movies will certainly be a challenge and a little piece of sanity for me to look f0rward to.
16. Redesign my blog. It is in a desperate need of renovation. Enough said.
17. Buy a new nail polish once a month. Everybody has that one thing that they do as an instant mood booster; mine happens to painting my nails. I have been slowly trying to improve my nail art skills and I think this will be a fun way to work on that.
18. Paint a piece of art (probably a skyline). During my rotations I had in T or C last year, I met a patient that was absolutely adorable. He used to be a musical composer that organized an international concerts for over 15 years. Well after he hit his 90s, his hearing gave out on him. One day he came home and his wife had an easel set up with a picture and told him to paint it. After he stopped admitting his lack of confidence in his painting skills, he finished the painting; since then he has had a sweet past time hobby. So since I have an insane obsession with skylines, the inspiration was born.
19. Adopt a new soldier. I adopted a soldier for the first time last year and absolutely loved it. It was definitely one of my favorite things I have done. It was a great way to give back to those who risk their lives to protect our freedom and ended up being the highlight of my week each time.
20. Plan a trip to Europe. I have planned on visiting Europe since I was a little girl, so here it is. Now for those of you *cough*Miss Football*cough* that have been to Europe, I will take suggestions on all the hot spots to visit. I may not be able to go to Europe this next year, depending on a job and what not, but I want to get the trip in the books for sure.
21. Apply for the Amazing Race. O-Chem Friend has wanted to apply for the Amazing Race as long as I have known him. Well obviously over the years and having our relationship develop, I have also became interested. With that being said, we are going to apply for the Amazing Race! The application process is a little different than I was expecting, so I will certainly have to do more research, but I am very excited about it all!
22. Jamie Eason Live Fit Program. This year I have been working on getting my happy butt back into shape and this program I have heard lots of good results about. This one I am planning on completing after I get settled in to a town & job.
23. Find a financial planner. As y'all know, I am about to become a big girl with a big girl job and along with that comes responsibility to start paying off stuff like student loans and what not (but whose keeping track) :) Since I am going to be going from a student financial status to a pharmacist status, I figured I should get some hep with 401K and stuff.
24. Explore a city I have never been to. The name pretty much gives it away, but I haven't decided yet which city to visit. I am kind of leaning towards Washington D.C. right now, but I am still up for suggestions.
25. Donate money to a St. Luke's Children's Hospital. I think since I decided I wanted to practice in the health care industry, I have had a connection with St. Luke's. Now that I have (or will have) a job, I am excited to start donating to an awesome cause.

Alright now that I have it all listed, let the fun begin. Each month I will post a blog catching y'all up on everything I have completed that month.

This little gem I stole from Almost Gypsy Soul:

I reserve the right to add, delete and amend this list however I see fit throughout the year.

My First Ever Link-Up PARTY Y'all

For awhile now I have wanted to host a link-up party so I finally did it. Here goes nothin' ... 

Sometimes I get so caught up with everything going on with life that I forget to take a step back and remember how truly blessed I am. This is especially easy to do as we are rushing around trying to get everything settled for the holidays before we get off work or out of school. We are over consumed with finding the perfect gift for our loved ones and making sure we all have the best that we sometimes miss out on the true reason for the season. So in the spirit of the holiday season I am going to host a link up for others to help spread a little Christmas cheer. It is super easy and a GREAT opportunity to give back as we remember the reason we celebrate this season. Whether it is to the less fortunate or a random stranger, it is all about the thought that counts.

Here is all the details . . . Sometime between now and Christmas do some kind of selfless act, that's it! It can be as simple as paying for the person behind you at Starbucks, sending an extra Christmas card to a neighbor, drop off a batch of cookies to a friend, visit a nursing home, buy an extra toy for a child, donate an old coat, etc. There are endless possibilities to be explored and I am sure y'all are a lot more creative than I am, so start a thinkin'. Then, after Christmas I will host the party and everybody can link-up with their stories. Now don't you miss out on the fun just because you don't have a blog. If you do have a blog, you can send your description/story to me and I will gladly write it up and post it for you. Oh and I am having a few minor technical difficulties working the link up so I will post that as soon as I get it working :)

Have a great week lovelies!

Friday F.U.N.

Our last semester of pharmacy school is filled with tests and LOTS of group work. Seriously it takes over your life with all the group meetings. Lucky for us, our main project, in public health we had to create a video raising awareness to a public health topic, so that was a nice change of pace anyways.

Immediately we started planning. Laker Lover, Miss Artesia, and I wanted to do a fun video. We decided to remake the Spice Girls song Wanna Be. For those of you who are not aware of the song you can check out the original here. Our version is kind of silly, but was a lot of fun to do. Oh and a BIG shout out to You I Am for his help with vocals and editing! Seriously y'all he is awesome, go check out his music. Oh and did I mention he is also in med school right now. He is a rockstar! I hope y'all enjoy it and get a laugh out of it this beautiful Friday!

Tuesday Fun

As y'all all know, last week another year bit the dust! Of course my friends were kind enough to celebrate this joyous occasion with me. How else better to celebrate this occasion than a steak and a night full of dancing. I was blessed to have so many wonderful friends come out and celebrate it with me. Here are a few snap shots of our night of fun :)

My Little B

My Little B and Miss Artesia

Laker Lover and her Dad

As Miss Football calls it, "Our People"

Oh and just a little teaser, I have some EXCITING news I am dropping on you guys tomorrow, so get ready!

Happy Tuesday lovelies!!

I Am Working On It

Another One Bites The Dust

As many of you know, today is my birthday. Yep, that's right I am turning the big 2-3! Now I am not one of those people that really freaks out about age (well at least not yet), but I do have a little unease about today. I am turning 23 and as I reflect back on 22, nothing significant that I did is sticking out in my head. What did I do this past year? Who did I make an impact on? How did I change someone else's life for the better?

Since Lovely Country Mess was with me this weekend, she got to hear the slight freaking out that I did. Thank goodness for good friends in our moments of weakness, right?!? She was sweet enough to point out to me that I may not feel like I have accomplished anything this past year, but I have. I have traveled the world and the United States promoting the profession I love. I have witnessed true love and shared many laughs with the best people in the world. I have seen wonders of the world and international events. I have dressed up in disguise and supported and prayed for a complete stranger.

I have had one of my best years of my life so far and simply over looked it, why? It is so easy for us to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of our everyday life and simply overlook the finer things. Now I certainly can't go back a year and take notice to all the wonderful opportunities I was able to experience, but I can change my future. I can take a better notice to all blessings I experience in this upcoming year. I can take the time out of each day to truly appreciate life's smaller things. I can make a difference, and I will! I challenge each of you to take the same initiative in the upcoming year!

God bless you all and here's to another great year!

Lovely Day

I hope you have a lovely day my dears!

FAQs

I know I have been doing a lot of link ups lately, so I thought I would answer some random questions for y'all to get to know me a little bit better.

1. Where were you 3 hours ago? Watching Act of Valor! A must see for everybody, SUCH a good message!


2. Is there anything pink within 10 feet of you? My fingernail polish! Orly Oh Cabana Boy! Y'all will fall in love.


3. What are you wearing right now? Shorts & my D-Wade tshirt.


4. What are the colors of your bedroom walls? Well since we are renting in the city I'll tell y'all about back at home (aka parent's house). My old room is a pearly white color. I got the genius idea the summer before my junior year that I was going to paint my room. Well if y'all know me, you know just painting my room was not good enough, so I decided to add a texture to the wall. Needless to say... 1 week later, about 10 gallons of paint, and who knows how much plaster later we finally finished. Yes I say we because my family being the angels that they are helped me finish this project since my genius self started this during 2-a-days. Haha good times in the country!


5. Can You Taste The Difference Between Pepsi And Coke? Yes! I am not a picky person when it comes to soda, but I can tell the difference.


6. What is your most treasured item? I don't just have one particular, but one of them is the painting of the NYC skyline my aunt painted for me.


7. Favorite 2 color combination? Black with just about anything! I guess if I had to pick I would say my 2 favorite colors... Black and Blue doll.


8. What is your favorite accessory? James Avery Heart ring my parents gave me Christmas '08 and I have not went a day without wearing it.


9. What is your favorite fashion store/shop? Forever 21


10. When was the last time you drove out of town? Last week. I drove to Lubbock to see friends and then back to my hometown to see my parents! Great trip!


11. What was the last thing you bought? I would probably have to say gas unfortunately!


12. Favorite tv show? Well this is a tough decision to make! If you caught my blog about tv shows I have several including, The Big Bang Theory, Whitney, How I Met Your Mother, NCIS, and Smash.


13. What is the first thing you think of when you wakeup in the morning? You have got to be kidding me!! 5 more minutes, PLEASEEEEEEE!


14. Biggest turn off? Bad attitude/personality.


15. What does your screen name mean/how did you come up with it? I am a country girl through and through who is currently getting her Doctorate in Pharmacy. Therefore I thought it was fitting to be Pharm-er Girl.

That is certainly a start to get to know me better! A few other insights can be found on my blog from last Sunday. Check it out!

Have a great weekend loves!

If You Really Knew Me

“Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired, and success achieved.” 

--Helen Keller

I saw this on Michelle's blog the other day, as well as a couple others, and thought it would be a good idea for me to do as well!

If you really knew me....


--You would know that ice cream is my favorite food.


--You would know that I can watch a movie one time & nearly quote 1/3 of it.


--You would know that I love the rainy, grey cool days && on that note, I am thinking about moving to Seattle.


--You would know that I have a scar on my head from my brother convincing me to jump out of the back a moving pick-up when I was about 10.


--You would know that I like to get 'gangsta' in my car on road trips and pretend I am a rap super star.


--You would know that I hate walking out to my car at night, whether I am in the country or in the city. Not my thing!


--You would know that even if you break my heart, I eventually will forgive you and give you another chance.


--You would know that I love to travel the world, even though I have only been to Australia and (soon to be) Egypt outside the good 'ol USA!


--You would know that the longer I am in the city, the more I miss the country.


--You would know that I have a fish named, Prince! He knows whats up.


--You would know that although I thoroughly enjoyed all my sports and extracurricular activities in high school, none of the plaques, ribbons, or trophies matter to me anymore. I am thankful for all the lessons learned, friends made, and experiences under my belt!


--You would know that I am brutally honest... Sometimes too honest, if we are being honest! ;)


--You would know that I love taking pictures, especially of landscape.


--You would know that one of the first things I do after I become a Pharmacist is go see the Northern Lights!


--You would know that I truly believe everything happens for a reason!


--You would know that I LOVE to laugh and make people laugh!


--You would know that Peyton Manning and Dwayne Wade are my two favorite athletes!


--You would know that I have recently loved reading.


--You would know that I wish I loved running.


--You would know that I have no problem making a fool of myself in public, especially if it helps brighten someone else's day.

Well I hope y'all enjoyed getting to know me a little bit better. I look forward to getting to know each one of y'all a little bit better!