The Liebster Award

Oh my goodness y'all, my little heart is so excited this Monday morning! I've seen the Liebster Award floating around blog land for the past few months and always dreamed that someone would pass it on to me. Well, over the weekend Lindi at Sweet Southern Sparkle gave it to me and I'm just so honored. 
For those of you who do not know, the Liebster Award was started by bloggers to nominate new bloggers in order for them to gain recognition and give them a boost to keep going.

The Rules 1. You must link back to the person who nominated you 2. You must answer the 11 questions given to you by the nominee 3. You must pick 11 nominees with under 200 followers to answer your set of questions 4. You cannot nominate the person who nominated you 5. You must tell the nominees that they have been nominated by you
So here are Lindi's questions for me:
one// Why did you start blogging? For a few months I had been following different blogs and I loved the community that surrounded these bloggers. I wanted a way for my family to keep up with me after I graduated college and started my "big girl life". I knew these first few months would be a little slower since I was traveling with my job and not really living a "normal" life, but I'm excited to come off the road in May and turn this little blog more into the vision I have!
two// What is your favorite beauty product? My favorite beauty product is one that I found while traveling to Texas last semester and it is Jane Iredale's Zap & Hide Blemish Concealer. I featured this wonderful product on My Favorite Makeup of 2013 post so you can read more about it there!

Jane Iredale

three// What was the name of your very first pet? Well, I was one of those children that was deprived of having a dog until the summer before 7th grade. So growing up we had lots of fish but our first real pet was an all white guinea pig. I named him Casper (like the ghost) and let me tell you, besides my puppy, Casper is the best pet I've ever had. 
four// What does your blog name mean to you? Growing up in North Carolina my entire life, I've always considered myself a southern girl. Upon taking this job as a Traveling Leadership Consultant, I've learned just how much southernness there is in my blood. Every where I've traveled from snowy Pennsylvania to the gulf of Texas, everyone always ask me where my accent is from. I guess you could say I've got that southern charm ;-) So I decided that the second word in my blog name would be "abundance" for the overflowing amount of southern love that runs through my blood.
five// If you could pick one place to travel to where would it be? My dream vacation is of course New Zealand. Y'all if you've never been there you must go at least once in your lifetime. It is by far the place I feel the most blessed to have traveled to in my young age. Since I've already been to New Zealand though, the one place I would pick to go to now is South Africa. Who can resist these breathtaking views?

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six// What are your hobbies besides blogging? Traveling, crafting, taking pictures, scrap booking, and reading
seven// Who is the most influential person in your life? This is a hard question for me to answer. Personally, I don't think there is just one person who has influenced my life the most. Everyone from my parents, to my little sister, to my grandparents, Josh, and the families I've worked for at mission camp. I'm one of those people who is a firm believer that if you take the time to get to know someone, they can leave an impact on your life for forever. 
eight// What is your dream job? Growing up I had one dream job but then when I attended college I added two more dream jobs to that list. I'm currently living one of those dream jobs being a Traveling Leadership Consultant and cannot believe my time will end in May! My other two dream jobs include: being a teacher and owning my own Etsy shop. Hopefully both of those dreams will come true this summer!
nine// What is your go to wardrobe item? Even though it's not an actual clothing article, my go to item every day is my black long champ tote. The reason I love it so much is because it literally can go with the most dressed up of outfits but you can also rock it at the gym. I love how big it is and that I can carry so much in it.

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ten// What is your favorite type of candy? Anything sour all the way! I love Sour Patch Kids, Warheads, sour gummy worms. If it's sour, chances are I love it!
eleven// What advice would you give to a new blogger? While I still consider myself a new blogger as well, I think one of the biggest things I have learned is to be a reader. The more blogs you read and comment on daily, the stronger of a bond you create with that blog author and have the chance to gain new followers. Also, just be yourself :-)
My Nominees: 1. Ashley @ A&O on the go 2. Chesson @ A Southern Twenty-Five 3. Jessica @ Preppin' Postgrad 4. Hope @ Hope in a Blog 5. Cait @ Home Sweet Ruby 6. Khala @ The Birdie Bowl 7. Jessi @ Jessi's Design 8. Lauren @ Peach State of Mind 9. Courtney @ Southern Class, Carolina Sass 10. Kristin @ Young & Southern 11. Kaitlin @ The Sequined Spatula
My Questions: 1. Why did you start blogging? 2. What is one goal you have for this year? 3. If you could go back in your life and relive one moment, what would that one moment be? 4. When you were younger, what was your dream job? 5. If you could live in another state, what state would you live in and why? 6. What is your favorite winter Olympic sport? 7. If you could switch lives for one day with anyone in the world, who would it be and why? 8. Favorite organizer/planner/calendar company (because I love organization!)  9. Where would you like to see your blog be in 6 months? 10. If you could only read one blog for the rest of time, what would that one blog be? 11. What is your biggest advice to any bloggers?
I loved doing this post so much and hope that the eleven of you ladies I've tagged will participate as well! Happy Monday :-)

Thursday Inspirations

Sometimes in our lives we get so bogged down with our day to day lives that we often forget to take a moment to breathe and be thankful for all that is around us. The past three weeks of adjusting to life back on the road have been go, go, go, and I know that spring semester of travel is just beginning. Sometimes I find myself so consumed in to-do list that I forget this wonderful job I have is also the journey of a lifetime. I have a secret board on Pinterest where I pin things that bring me inspiration and remind me every day to take a moment and relax. Relax, unwind, and say "thank you" to all those who have impacted my life that day. So today my friends, I hope you can find some sort of inspiration in the following post:

Created by my little sister!

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Five on Friday

Happy Friday sweet friends...we made it! I've been looking forward to Five on Friday all week as I missed it last week due to my short notice visit to Nashville.  So without further to do, I'm teaming up with April for this week's post. Let's get started: [ONE] I am finally caught up on all the Bachelor episodes from this season. I may have stayed up way past my needed bedtime last night to finish watching them on Hulu Plus and thank goodness I am back on track! Luckily this week I don't travel till Tuesday so I'll be able to see the episode on Monday night AND the thing I've been looking forward to for days months.... Sean and Catherine's wedding! I cannot wait to see what her wedding dress looks like. 

[TWO] So one thing I'm looking forward to when I get off the road is purchasing a "big girl camera" aka a DSLR camera. But, I need some help! Those of you that have a DSLR, what brand/style do you use? Are you happy with it? Any other recommendations you might have would be great! 

[THREE] Last night I submitted my North Carolina teaching application and I can finally mark that off my list as one step closer to being a teacher! While I love the job I have now and would not trade the experience for anything, my little heart has been waiting to have a classroom of its' own and I cannot wait till I get off the road to find my teaching position!

[FOUR] Tuesday I head back up to New Jersey and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I will see some snow. You would think with all the traveling that I've done that I would have seen some but nope, sure haven't! I already told the girls to get a big bowl of clean snow from this last storm and save it for me in the freezer. I think I'm going to teach them how to make snow cream!

[FIVE] One thing I just can't stand about winter is how chapped my lips always become. Like y'all,they get to the point sometimes where they are so dry they crack. Any one else out there suffer from this? Well my sweet friend A. Bax introduced me to Aquaphor last weekend and I'm obsessed now. You can find it in the lotion aisle at any drug store and it has worked wonders on my lips! You can also use it as lotion but I tried it once on my hands and it was way too greasy. My lips though, they are as soft as a baby's bottom!

 

What are YOU living for?

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So many times in our daily lives, we get caught up in earthly things. I'm not talking about just the material things, but the thoughts that consume our mind 24/7. Don't you think our thoughts should be set on the one who has given us this great life? For me personally, I constantly find myself thinking about what state will I travel to next week for work? What will my future classroom look like and what grade will I be teaching? When will it be my time to turn my love of crafting into a business? Where will I be this time next year? It's "earthly" thoughts like those, that will push us farther and father away from our father in heaven. I should not be concerned with my life on earth, but instead should redirect those thoughts to know that I am living my life for Christ. I am his and he has my future in his hands. So friends, I challenge you to the following: when you find yourself consumed with thoughts of what this life holds for us, remember the verse above and know that ultimately we are living for our forever home with HIM in heaven! 

A Week In My Life

First off, congratulations to Sarah for winning my first giveaway! I've sent you a little e-mail to get all your contact information so I can send you the book. Thank you to everyone who entered and thank you for helping me spread the word about this wonderful giveaway. Stay tuned over the next few weeks to see what February's giveaway will be!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

One thing I love about this blogging community is the friendships I have formed over the past few months. Every day I smile opening up my e-mail to read what you all have to say and I love even more being able to respond back to each of you. As I've gotten to know some of you, you have asked more and more about this awesome job I have as a Traveling Leadership Consultant. With so many questions I thought it might be fun to let you into a little sneak peak of what a typical week is like in my life! (I'll apologize now for the possible overload of pictures that are about to happen.)

Monday (travel days):
6:00am- Wake up and get ready for the day
8:00am- Head to the airport dressed in casual business attire and ready to tackle a full day of people watching

10:30am- Board flight number one

12:30pm- Quick layover which usually involves grabbing Starbucks for lunch before boarding my second flight
3:00pm- I am greeted at baggage claim by the most welcoming signs and sisterly love in the world.

5:00pm-I arrive at my home away from home for the week and get settled into my room with other wonderful sisters!

Tuesday-Saturday (meeting days):
6:30am-Wake up and get ready for the day
7:30am-Hop a ride to the college campus (isn't this the cutest car?)

8:00am- Student Meeting #1
9:00am- Student Meeting #2
10:00am- Student Meeting #3
11:00am- Student Meeting #4
12:00pm- Lunch with a sweet sister
1:30pm- Faculty and Professor Meeting
3:00pm- Student Meeting #5
4:00pm- Student Meeting #6
5:00pm- Student Meeting #7
6:00pm- Dinner with lots of wonderful people

7:00pm- Fun Break (usually filled with intramural practice, attending an on-campus event, or watching movies with sisters)

9:00pm- Student Meeting #8 to wrap up the day
10:00pm- Answer e-mails
11:00pm- Relax, call home, blog, read, etc.
12:30am- Lights out

Sunday (Sightseeing Day)
95% of the time I will have meetings late Sunday afternoon/early night; but I love Sunday relaxation. I've been able to attend so many different styles of churches on the road and worship with people who just a few days ago were strangers. Sunday brunch has become one of my new life loves, and sightseeing on a Sunday afternoon will never get old. Here are a few of my favorite thing's I've been able to see while on the road:

Kansas City Race for the Cure 

Liberty Bell in Philadelphia 

Miss America Shoe Parade in Atlantic City 

Color Run in Augusta 

Cleaning Up Beaches in West Long Branch

Sightseeing in Pittsburgh

Meeting Miss Pennsylvania 

Visiting the home and elementary school my mom grew up in 

St. Louis Arch

To say I have the best job in the world would be a huge understatement! It is truly a 24/7 job but one that I wake up blessed to have every day. Now hopefully you all can see a little peak into my typical week :-)