One man's trash....

.....is my new treasure!

Wow - I really hit the jackpot today! Call me crazy, but I just love to go to thrift stores, especially Goodwill, to see what treasures there are to behold!

I have found a few small furniture pieces at thrift stores for a few dollars that I (actually, my dad) have cleaned and repainted and then used and received many compliments on! To me, those thrifty finds are so gratifying because they are usually so cheap!

Today, I went to a local Goodwill, and below are some photos of the loot I came home with! I just moved in to a new place 2 weeks ago and am in the process of decorating and accessorizing the place with my roommate. The challenge is that we are both on graduate student budgets, so thrift store finds are just delightful for all of those reasons! All of these items cost between $1-$2 each.

 Small gold basket
Haven't decided which room to use this in yet...Living room? Kitchen?

 I love French memo boards and have a larger one in my bedroom. I found this one today and think that it will be the perfect fit for one of the walls in the new living room! I plan to print some sepia-colored pictures of me and my roommate and put them on here.

 I love toile, y'all!
This small toile storage box was a steal for the condition that is in. It looks brand new and will be great for storing things in my room. And the best part is that it is toile!

 The sweet cashier packed some of my other items in the box.....What could they be???

 Measuring cup

Looks like it has never been used, and the price was so right!

 This item also looks like it is brand new and has never been used! The colors on the handle immediately caught my eye, and I love the quote on the front - "A day without laughter is a day wasted." Laughter is definitely what gets me through the day so many times! I was thinking of cleaning this and giving it to someone as a gift, but I may just keep it for myself!

 Though it is difficult to tell from the picture, this vase/pot is rust colored and will match our living room decor so perfectly! I haven't decided if I want to put flowers in it or just use it as a candle holder. Or maybe I will just change its use from time to time!

I could spend hours looking at books. And at $2 for hardbacks and $1 for paperbacks, how could you not rack up on some summer reading material? I got these 5 books and 2 more to equal $10 total for all of the books!

I am excited to polish these up and get a lot of use out of each of them!

Do you enjoy shopping in thrift stores? What kinds of gems have you found in them?

I want it all...

....from Fornash!!!

I am in LOVE with every single one of these!

Earrings....

Bracelets....

What's not to love?!

Do you own any lovely pieces from Fornash? How do you like them?

All images from http://www.fornash.com.

Lilly obsession: Shoes

 Resort Chic Wedge

 Picture Perfect Espadrille

Just a Little Knotty Wedge 

Can you tell I love wedges?!

Paige Sandal Ruffled

LOVE this color combination!

Encouragement from this week

This week was the first week of my first rotation. To say I was nervous on Monday morning would be a huge understatement. I had no idea what to expect, what the people would be like, how busy or slow it would be, if I would be able to do anything. I prayed the whole way there on Monday morning, read my devotion before I went inside, and God really came through. Everyone was so welcoming and helpful. I really want to share what my daily devotions were this week because the timing on these was so perfect! I use The Confident Woman Devotional by Joyce Meyer. Each day had so many great thoughts and everything below (except for what is in italics) is directly quoted from my book.


MONDAY - At the Right Time - Habakkuk 2:3
The kind of preparation you need depends on what you are being called to do and your season in life at that time.
If you have something in your heart that you believe you are supposed to do but are unable to do now, don't let that discourage you. We hold some things in our hearts for years before we see them manifest. Let your dream incubate in your heart. Pray about it and do whatever you can to be ready when the time is right. 
*This was good for me to read because I often wish that I could move to Latin America or be in a position that allows me to learn and speak Spanish frequently. I know that God has put this dream in my heart and that though I may not be able to see now what he will do with that, I know that he has prepared me and is continuing to prepare me for a time in my future when that will be important.


TUESDAY - Keep Learning - Proverbs 1:5 (This is a good verse that I need to memorize!)
Even the people who are able to get formal training still need to have some experience. Knowing something in our head and knowing how to apply it practically can be two different things. 
We need to be lifetime learners, and we can all learn something every day if we let all of life be a school we attend. 
Wherever you are, you are in God's classroom.


WEDNESDAY - Don't Be Boxed In - Acts 9:36, 39
 However we learn, we can be assured that God will prepare us in His own way.


THURSDAY - Small Things - Zechariah 4:10
...Let everything in life be preparation for the things you have in your future. Don't despise the days of small beginnings. Those small beginnings are usually all we can handle at the time. God will give more when He knows we are ready. Enjoy every step of your journey. Don't be in such a hurry to rush through things taht you miss the lessons you can draw from each day.
*I wish sometimes that I could just know everything about being a pharmacist and jump right in and fill all of the prescriptions and tell the patients everything they need to know without having to think so hard. But I know that I have so much more to learn, and that learning means learning everything, even the small things that I want to move past. This was an attitude check for me, to take each day one step at a time and not try to get ahead of myself. 
If you do, God will do what you cannot do. Do your best to be prepared for the job in front of you and God will come through with supernatural abilities that will amaze you. 
To be prepared for whatever God's calling is for you, you don't have to worry about the part you don't know how to do. Just do the part you know. Your faith-filled actions are seeds you sow. Sow your seed in faith and God will bring a harvest at just the right time. 


FRIDAY - God's Gifts
If you confidently step out and do your part, God will surround you with people who have the gifts and abilities that you don't have. However, when a person lacks confidence, quite often they cannot receive help from other people. They are too busy making comparisons to receive the help God has sent them. Insecurity and a lack of confidence will steal the wonderful life that God has planned for you.
You don't have to be prepared to do the entire job by yourself. Just prepare yourself to do the best that you can do and remember that God will add what you don't have.


I hope that something from one or each of these day's devotions encourages you as it did me! Have a blessed weekend!

Pharmacy rotations: What's it all about?

Pharmacy students are required to do rotations. I know that many pharmacy schools do their rotations differently, but  I will explain to you the how's and why's of rotations for the college of pharmacy that I attend.

Here are the facts:
1. What it is: The first rotation is completed at the end of the first year of pharmacy school. Our rotations are completed in 4 weeks, with 8 hours of work expected per day. Rotations can be completed in May, June, or July. The first rotation is community-based, with most students working in independent pharmacies, chain pharmacies, grocery stores, or hospital outpatient pharmacies. The second rotation, completed after the second year of school, is in a hospital. Our fourth year is nothing but rotations, with a minimum requirement of 9 rotations that start on the first of the month and end at the end of the month.
2. How rotations are chosen: During the spring semester, we put our rotation preferences into a system. Preferences can be organized by site, preceptor, date, etc. Students rank their choices. On a designated day, the "spin" occurs, and the computer magically matches students to their rotation sites. Some students get their first or other top choice. Some do not. 
3. The worst part about rotations...you have to pay for them. Where the money goes, I do not know.

My rotation is in a hospital outpatient pharmacy. So far, I love it! I like everyone that I work with and am working in a great learning environment. Everyone is so helpful and knowledgeable!

Always looking...

...for new small companies that sell bowties and other preppy clothing items!

My go-to gift for CW is often a bowtie. Even if I need a little something extra to go with a gift for him, I can always rest assured that a bowtie is something that he will use and love! He works at a fine men's clothing store several days a week and is always looking for interesting and new bowties to wear to work. I've purchased from Southern Proper, High Cotton Ties, and many other smaller companies before. I love smaller companies because each one is unique and has its own neat story, and usually the products are made with much more care than larger-scale manufactured products. And the customer service with these companies is always unbeatable.

Naturally, I was ecstatic to find a few new companies today while perusing Tumblr posts.

Graves Cox & Company, a custom clothing store out of Kentucky, carries a variety of fine menswear and accessories, including bowties by R. Hanauer like the ones pictured below:

I love this aqua and coral combination. 

Wouldn't the pink and green match nicely with Lilly shifts?

Next up is the Briggs Adams Bow by Pierrepont Hicks.

I love bowties that can be tied in different ways to reveal different patterns and textures, and this bowtie is no exception.

In June, they will have bowtie belts available! How nice would this look with a button-down and khakis? Quite a different look:

Pierrepont Hicks has full-length ties, bowties, clips, and as previously mentioned, bowtie belts available in June.

Finally, we have J. Press. Check out this lovely Raw Silk Stripe bowtie:

I think this would look nice with a blue seersucker suit.

J. Press has so many stripe, critter and pattern color combinations to choose from. This may be where CW's next bowtie comes from! A number of dress shirts, polos, suits, pants, etc. are also available from J. Press and their prices are comparable to most other companies.

What are some other companies that you know of that sell bowties and other menswear items?

Lilly obsession: Summer

Wynden Halter Top in Lagoon Green

(Would look so pretty with the Avery Skirt below, or with the Buttercup Short!)

Janine Top

This top has two of my FAVORITE details - one-shoulder AND a belted waist!

Avery Skirt

In one of my favorite summer prints - Classic White Had me a Blast!

Sully Dress

I love color-block dresses, and these colors look so great together! And the flower detail makes it even better.

Buttercup Short

This is hands-down my favorite item from Lilly's summer line! The Buttercup Short is so cute and retro. The 5" inseam makes it an appropriate length, and the Classic White Had Me a Blast looks best in this short, especially with the blue/green top! I think I need these. 

What are your favorite Lilly items for this summer?

**Look for my Lilly obsession: Shoes post soon!

All photos courtesy of http://www.lillypulitzer.com.

Kirkland's, Marshall's, and the Maxx

Yesterday, after spending the whole morning cleaning, I went out for a mini-'shopping' trip. I wasn't actually shopping for anything, but just thought I would share some of the things that I came across.

 I found this tunic at Marshall's for only $16.99, compared to this tunic at BCBG online for $248! Though it's a little too short on me to be a dress, I think it would look cute as a dress if you have shorter legs, or even with leggings! The graphic design was pretty and the tie at the waist makes this very figure-flattering!

I found these lovely pink and green party napkins at TJ Maxx. If I had a reason to buy them, I would have! The picture doesn't do the colors justice. Approximately $7 for both packs.

Now that my final exams are over, I can go back to being obsessed with the Royal Wedding! I found these two magazines at Target yesterday, opting out of Us and a couple of others that were filled with Hollywood news that I honestly don't care about.

This lovely blue dresser was at Kirkland's on sale yesterday. Not as wide as a normal dresser, so it would be great as a hall table or in any room, really! Again, the picture doesn't do the color justice.

I am now finished with my first year of pharmacy school. I don't think it has hit me yet, even though I am home and don't have anything at all to study for the first time since last August! The year flew by so quickly and it's hard to believe that this first year is complete. My first rotation begins next Monday at an outpatient hospital pharmacy. The rotation that all first-year pharmacy students at my college of pharmacy complete after their first completed year is a community pharmacy rotation. Many of my classmates will be doing rotations at grocery stores, chain pharmacies, and independent pharmacies. I can't wait to get started and hopefully apply a lot of the things that I have learned over this past year!

Have you ever had your nails done by an electrical engineer?

I have! I'll get to that later...

Though the most challenging week of the semester is about to begin, I feel refreshed after spending a weekend at home with my family!

I hurriedly left school on Friday after bombing a final and headed straight home to see mom and dad. The traffic was awful for about half of the drive and it rained almost the entire day. After a longer-than-normal ride, I arrived home to my mom and dad's welcoming arms! I spent most of Friday evening studying and preparing for one of my finals this week while watching TV with mom and dad. We watched an improv show (Improv-a-ganza?) with Drew Carey and some of the cast from Whose Line is it Anyway?, one of our family's favorite shows. We laughed so hard while watching it! Check it out on the game show channel if you get a chance.

On Saturday, my dad had to play Easter Bunny at church, so what did my mother and I do? No, we did not go sit on the bunny's lap. We went for mother/daughter mani/pedi time! It was so relaxing and fun, and I convinced my mom, a classy lady who always likes to stay neutral or dark red in her polish colors, to do a brighter red to welcome the spring and warm weather. I went with a bright pink to match my Easter dress. Our manicurists (two men) were rather chatty, and we learned that the salon was a big family business and that they all were from Vietnam. I discovered that my guy graduated from Clemson 10 years ago and now lives and works full time as an electrical engineer in a nearby city. He comes home on the weekends to work at the salon since it's his family's business. What a change from Friday to Saturday?! Electrical engineer by day, manicurist by weekend. He did do a most wonderful job. I guess engineers pay attention to detail, even when it comes to painting nails!

Mom and I then headed to our favorite spot, TJ Maxx. We were there for nearly 2 hours. We made our usual turn about the store - finding clothes, trying on clothes, finding shoes, trying on shoes, and then on to our favorite part - home decor! We went up and down every aisle (twice on some). They had quite a few finds on the clearance aisles. We found several beautiful plates and glasses and pitchers at very low prices! Since I'm moving to a new apartment soon, we were also perusing for potential new decorations, and got some ideas of things to use. I also got some ideas of things to add to my shopping list, things that I will need in my new apartment! We always find so many neat things in the Maxx, especially when we put our heads together!

We headed over to Lowe's after that to pick up dad's birthday present. He wants a stoop or deck or something of that sort for his shop, so mom and I made our best attempts to pick out the necessary materials for him at Lowe's. Hopefully he will not be angry that he has to assemble his own birthday present! 

We then headed home and made tacos and ate with dad. After eating, we headed to my aunt and uncle's house since my cousin and his wife and daughter were visiting from Cincinnati. We don't get to see them often since they have moved up north, but we are thankful that we were able to spend time with them last night. We helped my 2-year-old cousin dye easter eggs and it was quite amusing! After a while we started drawing on them and mixing them in different colors. After playing and coloring and tickling parties with my little sweet cousin, we headed back home. I did some more studying and watched some great HGTV shows and then we all went to sleep.

On Sunday, we went to church together and heard a GREAT sermon. The pastor made an analogy about how the 'stone' in front of Jesus tomb wasn't limiting to him and that he was able to get out of the tomb without depending on someone ("man") to move it for him, and that as Christians, we have 'stones' or obstacles in our lives that seem impossible to us. But God is capable of handling our seemingly impossible obstacles for us and that we can live confidently knowing that God will help us to get through those challenges! It was very empowering.

After service, mom, dad, and I went to my grandmother's for our traditional easter lunch. My other baby cousin kept us laughing the whole time and thought that everyone at the kids table was a different superhero. Somehow, I was designated as catwoman?! We then took him outside and hid easter eggs for him and had a blast watching him look for them and find them!

After a long afternoon, I went home and had a short nap and said goodbyes to mom, dad, and boyfriend. It is always so tough to leave home, and I cry every single time, but I am so thankful for my family, even if they are a few hours away from me, and for the support that they provide for me.

I am so thankful for a blessed Easter, with my family and my boyfriend, and for another chance to recognize and celebrate the sacrifice that the Lord made for me.

Decisions

1. I need to do more community service.
2. I need to stop online shopping instead of studying.
3. I need to stop getting sunburned, even though it is unintentional. 
4. I need a job.
5. I need to stop procrastinating.
6. I need to learn to not be so hard on myself. 
7. I need to do really well on my test and final this week. 
8. I need to hear that just because I don't do well 100% of the time on every single thing in school that it is okay and that one day I can still be a great pharmacist.

It's been a while!

It's amazing the things that you want to do instead of studying, like re-vamping a blog you haven't used since January!

Favorite quotes from The Alchemist

"The world we live in will be either better or worse, depending on whether we become better or worse. And that's where the power of love comes in. Because when we love, we always strive to become better than we are."

"Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams, because every second of the search is a second's encounter with God and with eternity."

"Every second of the search is an encounter with God," the boy told his heart. "When I have been truly searching for my treasure, every day has become luminous, because I've known that every hour was a part of the dream that I would find it. When I have been truly searching for my treasure, I've discovered things along the way that I never would have seen had I not had the courage to try things that seemed impossible for a shepherd to achieve."

Verses on my mind today

“When hard pressed, I cried to the LORD; he brought me into a spacious place. The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid." 
(The Message also says - "God's my strong champion." - I love that!)
Psalm 118:5-6

"This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: “Only in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength."
Isaiah 30:15

"This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you."
2 Timothy 1:6