Long Time, No Chat

Oh my goodness! It has been a long, long time since my last blog entry!

Since my last entry, a LOT has happened, and I guess it's fair to say that... in retrospect....there's a lot that hasn't happened.

A brief update: I lost my job in December 2011. It was somewhat expected, yet somewhat a surprise. It is difficult to work in a start-up environment that is full of constant change. This was a blessing in disguise, as I can now admit to anyone who is curious, that I was not in love with my first job out of college. I think that is completely natural, and I am completely comfortable and satisfied with no longer being with the company. I wish them NOTHING but the BEST and am honored to have been a part of a cool project!

My current job search is taking place in Nashville.I have been blessed with several interviews and meetings with potential employers. The Lord is teaching me patience, understanding, compassion, and a plethora of other life lessons. I am fortunate to have a gentle and enduring boyfriend [[and  best friend]] who lets me stay with him while I attend interviews and learn about companies. In return, I cook delicious, healthy dinners, do laundry, and clean! I mean, come on, who wouldn't want me as a house guest ;) ?! I am seriously blessed, and the Lord had this mapped out for me. He is so amazing.

In my time away from work, I have been dedicated to my study of God's word as well as sharpening my cooking skills. I am currently obsessed with Dashing Dish and Eat Yourself Skinny. My downtime is so extensive that I have been able to travel back and forth between Atlanta and Nashville- allowing me to enjoy family time and do a LOT of soul-searching. 

I constantly wonder what I should be doing - should I be back in school ? Should I go get my graduate degree? Am I supposed to be in Nashville? What am I destined to do?

If you and I have spoken before, you  may know that I am extremely indecisive and very inquisitive. I spend most of time praying and asking God, "is this a sign?"; "Is this what You had in mind?"; "Should I stay...go....what is the plan, Lord?" It is testing, no doubt, but it is SO humbling. I AM NOT IN CONTROL... HE IS. Sometimes people are in shock that I am not freaking out that I don't have a job right now because that's unlike me. I like to be working- at one point in college, I had 3 jobs. I love to make money and be busy. But, I also know that I want to be happy. I'm waiting until the right opportunity comes along. God will let me know: I'm sure of it.

Enough about me because that was never the point of this blog. I started this to share my love...passion...obsession for food and fitness. While my journey back to "high school skinny" has been less than successful, I've been using these last few weeks to get back in the groove of things....

While I am in the search for a job, I am [[[[attempting]]]] to train for a half marathon with Drew- although it has been challenging with ...well..,you know...life getting in the way. I also dropped my gym membership (since I'm not in Knoxville) and have not purchased a membership here because I am on a tight budget. I have had to be SUPER creative with my workouts. Since I am not a member at Drew's apartment complex...obviously... I have difficulty using the amenities that the complex has to offer. "Amenities" may be stretching it- a few old treadmills, rusty ellipticals, bikes, etc... No TV and my iPhone only plays music through my speakers (not through headphones- has anyone else had this problem?)...Needless to say, it's frustrating. If I can sneak on in there, I just power through it. When it's nice, I walk around the complex. Today it was beautiful so I took Nahla (Drew's dog) for a LONG walk around the complex. So long that she was worn out for the rest of the day- it was great!

I've also been doing some p90x DVD's in addition to "at home" work-outs where you literally have what you have at home.... for instance, I do tricep dips off the side of the couch or hand stands against the wall. I'm also back on the weight-watchers train because like they say... "it works."

I am going to leave you with some pictures of recent lunches/dinners I have whipped up in addition to some other little treats!

Thanks to Katie at Dashing Dish, I discovered this AMAZING snack. It's perfect if you're in a hurry in the morning or a post-workout snack. Mix a serving of Greek yogurt (I'm currently obsessed with the Kroger brand Vanilla! It's so cheap and so good for you!)...anyhow, mix the yogurt with a LITTLE bit of unsweetened cocoa as well as a packet or two of Stevia. I add strawberries and then if I need a little more of anything else- I just add to taste. ***A little reminder about Greek yogurt: if you've never had it, it can be a little weird at first. It almost reminds me of sour cream which is why I actually use it as sour cream.... BUT, if you buy the flavored ones or add Stevia (the all-natural sweetener) it turns into a perfect sweet treat!

 

My sweet boy and Nahla on New Year's Eve. We had a great, laid-back night with our best friends from Knoxville!

Italian Stuffed Peppers (Dashing Dish Recipe Here) Dinner tonight was SO delicious. Even Drew liked it...although he  could have been pretending because he's not much of a pepper fan. (Only 5 ww+/serving if you count those!) I paired it with a salad, and I am still so full!

I have been doing an INSANE amount of reading lately (probably no surprise there ;)). I have ready so many good books (including the Hunger Games and the Shack!!!) but right now I am reading this sweet story. It is SO moving and SO powerful.... this woman has blown my mind and my love for Jesus grows more and more as I see Him in this precious woman.

No sense in cutting out all the goodies and treats if you are wanting to get healthy again. It's so much better to react to those cravings and find a healthy alternative or just eat the good stuff in moderation! I made this peanut butter pie (again, Dashing Dish) for Valentine's Day because Drew is a big peanut-butter/Reese's guy. It was super yummy and super "skinny." This was his go-to treat last week, and he wouldn't have known it was low in points if I hadn't spoiled the surprise!

When I was home back in December, Mom & Dad were just cooking dinner like they normally do. I grew up eating extremely healthy and gourmet meals. It's nothing for them to have the meal above on any given Tuesday- almond-crusted salmon, fresh green beans, and mashed potatoes. I said "This is why I had a flat tummy in high school because  I ate like this...minus the Pinot Grigio... and no dessert!" So delicious!

Thanks for reading!

xo, m

The Heart of a Voluneer

 Hope everyone had a blessed weekend!

There were multiple times over the weekend that I thought, "Oh! I need to blog about that!" And when it comes down to it, there's really only one thing on my mind.... Tennessee Football.

The Vols dominate my thoughts, actions, and the majority of time  pretty  much year-round. If we're not in season, then I'm studying new recruits and making sure practices are going well, etc... So you can imagine what football season is like for me.

If you and I don't know each other well, you probably didn't know I wanted to be the next Erin Andrews before Erin Andrews was Erin Andrews. Then I found out that people (specifically girls) discovered Erin and her job and thought, "well duh! That's what I want to do all day!I want to talk to athletes all day." Needless to say, I got a little discouraged watching people with half the talent, on-air personality, etc.... get these amazing jobs. I worked hard until about my Senior year and decided, I should probably look for something else to do. Family, having a life outside of work, and money were more important to me at that point. I am happy with my decision, but there are times I wonder what would have happened if I had truthfully, honestly pursued that goal. Chances are I'd be living off of Ramen noodles spending way too much money on a one-bedroom apartment in a small Kentucky town maybe getting to covered the high school football team on Friday nights. Could have been the path I took.... who knows?!

My love and passion for sports never wavered, however. I actually became a better fan - a more knowledgeable fan. Being a journalist means being unbiased, and I would rather be covered in orange all day then have to fake it for a career. That's how much it means to me.

I believe in the University of Tennessee. I support Coach Dooley and the rest of our staff. I support our players. Sometimes I may disagree with play-calling or a player's action but I would never show doubt in our team, bash them, or give up on them. And neither should you.

Unfortunately, it's not in my budget to attend every UT game. I wish it was, but this is part of being an adult. I can tell you, however, how pleased I was to see the turnout on Saturday. Neyland looked close to normal again. I know the players and staff appreciate when that stadium is full and loud. It makes such a difference. I hope the students realize how important it is to support the UT teams - not just football - any sport for there to be a crowd with a LOUD student section. Enjoy it while you can - trust me - you miss it so much when you're gone.

My thoughts on the game as a whole... Our defense played another great game, and our o-line was insane. Thank you so much for letting Tauren run the ball. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! There was no other way I wanted to see Tauren go out. He deserved that as much as the other seniors deserved that win! There is no question that Bray was rusty - Dooley said he would be. He'll be better next week, IMO. A win is a win and that was a well-deserved W.

My thoughts on the Vanderbilt team and James Franklin.... Vanderbilt is a heck of a team compared to what they have the reputation of being. I think we came out and played decent against a strong Vanderbilt team, and their biggest problem wasn't us - it was them beating themselves. As for James Franklin - I had a  lot of faith in this man and what he could promise Vanderbilt football but was absolutely disgusted by his attitude at the game. Even moreso, there's a rumor (yes, a rumor) that when walking off the field he told UT fans that he'd "be back, mother f****rs". I pray to God that this is not true. I could never see Coach Dooley, Coach Fulmer, UGA Coach Mark Richt, etc... saying something like this. Was that real life? Please let me know if you can confirm.

My thoughts on fan's reactions... Using the word "fans" very lightly here, y'all. I get so bummed when I read my follower's tweets and they say things like "why are we celebrating a win over Vandy?" "Why did the team celebrate that win? Not necessary." First of all ~ we should celebrate a W no matter what. No matter how good or bad a team is supposed to be, that can all change in a game. Cuonzo Martin said something about this the other day in a presser. I can't find the exact quote but he basically said, you play each game and each team one at a time-  and you take the team for what they're worth that day. So even though Duke is supposed to be amazing and be 100% all the time, there's that chance that they could come out flat tonight. (Not saying it's going to happen, but just using an example). ANYHOW, what I mean is this Vanderbilt team may not have been supposed to be great and maybe they'll never be great, but this year they've done alright. And let me frank with you when I say an alright team could beat UT on a really bad day. We played our butts off, deserved the W, and got it. As for the players that celebrated with the fans... GOOD FOR THEM! It was their last game at Neyland! They should do whatever they want before they leave that stadium for the last time. We got an important win - an SEC win - an instate rivalry win - a TRADITIONAL win. Let 'em celebrate, and celebrate with them. Life's too short, y'all.

My thoughts on Dooley.... Dooley walked into a hot mess of a football program. He's done what he can to pick up the pieces and rebuild. He's had players come - go - come back - go again.... it's been crazy. Not to mention we lost our starting QB for our toughest games as well as our best offensive player. We were predicted 7 or 8 wins before the season (with everyone healthy including Janzen Jacson). With all of those guys  out, we've managed to come out 5-6. Hopefully we can go 6-6 next week. I'm thinkin that's alright considering the odds. Changing coaches too much messes up a program. We can't just say see ya, Dooley because we're not in the Rose Bowl the first couple of years he's here.

Y'all just wait because we're coming back. Give it time. Every program struggles, and luckily, we're blessed enough to have the resources to make it back to the top. Y'all that don't care now will wanna ride shotgun with the rest of the bandwagon in a couple of years. I'm sure we'll have room for ya, but it won't be as sweet if you didn't love 'em all along.

Go Vols~ Beat Kentucky!

This is my sweet friend Ashley who works at Dead End Barbeque! Go and see her~ she's new there, but she's not new to serving! She is a WONDERFUL young woman and I just love her heart!

Regarding the controversy over the video from the post-Vandy UT locker room... even though the video should not have been released, how awesome was it to see the team and staff so happy? I think it made people like Dooley more - not kidding.

I read Inky's book [FINALLY] on Sunday. It only took me about three hours. It was such an easy read - and SO AMAZING. I recommend it for EVERYONE. If you're having a tough time buying someone a Christmas gift, go buy it now!! And how cool was it that he tweeted me back after I said how awesome his book was? Such a wonderful guy.

Lots more pictures to come next week once I finally upload my camera. Plus I hope to have a TON from Thanksgiving. Drew and I are headed up to Peoria, Illinois to visit my family on Wed AM. We'll get to see my dad's entire family (he has seven brothers and sisters- all married w/ kids and my grandparents) as well as my mom's dad and his fiancee, and a few other family friends that still live in Illinois. It will be SUCH a great time and for everyone that hasn't met Drew yet there, they're in for a treat!

Have a blessed holiday~ fill your tummies up because it's back to grind time when it's all done!!
xox, m



madison|bushell

Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels!

I've come to a realization this week....

I am not a morning person.

I knew this before this week - I've known this my entire life, but I made it official this week when I tried to challenge myself to go the gym every weekday morning. Remember that from my last entry? Ha!

I lasted one day, y'all. ONE DAY. I am awful! But really, I think the challenge in itself was good because challenges and goals are always motivating and when I didn't wake up yesterday and today and head straight to the gym, I felt and feel GUILTY all day long and then force myself to go after work. So here's to continuing to making it to the gym or getting your workout done NO MATTER WHAT!

I wanted to share some recipes with y'all as well. I finally had time to go to the grocery store since I had planned out my meals. I cooked everything last night so that I was stocked up for the next week.

I made a yummy, "skinny" chicken pot pie:

Obviously, mine was not as beautiful as Katie's was, but it was tasty and satisfying- just like she promised. Next time, I think I'll follow the recipe and use the FF Sour Cream instead of 1 c of the FF Cream of Chicken. It wasn't nearly as creamy as I would have liked it to had been. 

I did make the 6 individual servings in these cute little pie dishes! How easy is it to prepare and store some in the freezer? I baked three last night - one for dinner, and two for meal options during the rest of the week! Perfect for cool, rainy days like today! And nice for when I crave it again in a few weeks, and it's already made!

Another recipe I whipped up for this week~ Crunchy Asian Sesame Salad

This was yummy and so CRUNCHY ~ I'm a big texture person, and I love crunchy things so this salad was perfect- fresh and crisp. Plus, the great thing about salads is you only put in what you like and what you'll eat! I followed her recipe for the most part, but I made a few slight changes to save on money and calories!

 Also- something I learned from that cute little Katie over at Dashing Dish... she recommended using cole slaw mix as her base for her salad instead of lettuce. She said it is crunchier, fills her up moreso than lettuce, and also doesn't wilt nearly as fast as lettuce. I traded in my romaine for the raw cole slaw base and couldn't have been happier! Great recommendation!

She recommended this dressing, and it went PERFECTLY with the flavors:

I am craving chocolate, so I'm heading over to her site to look up a guilt-free recipe for when I get home. It's pouring rain here, and I can't help but thinking of curling up tonight with a yummy treat and my Wednesday shows! Yay!

Back to work~ just remember:

Weekend Catch-Up!

Hello Sweet Readers!

I hope you all had fabulous weekends! I know I did! I spent a lovely weekend with my best friend Brittany, her parents, and my mom in Chicago. Brittany and I have been friends for years (around 13!) and our parents are close as well. Her parents moved to Chicago in June, and Brittany is a nurse in Macon, Georgia. We had the most amazing time after surprising Britt & Jules! Here are some pictures:

Jenga was the go-to game of the weekend! That's my best friend Britt- isn't she beautiful?

B's dad, Jeff, is super smart. He even has smart ways of winning Jenga!

Jenga got pretty intense.... how bout that wine glass, too? Adorbs.

Theme of the weekend- HARK! Do you hear my empty glass? :)

Chicago Style Pizza - most delish thing ever. Thick, deep, buttery crust- OMG. To die!!! I headed straight to the gym this AM after that weekend of food!

We were so proud of how long the Jenga structure stayed up... CRAZINESS.

Michelle's about to make the whole thing come down...

We celebrated Thanksgiving since we usually all spend it together in Georgia!

Britt's mom makes the most amazing Grasshopper Brownies - chunky brownies with peppermint icing and chocolate drizzled on top... too good.

Britt, Jules, me, and my mom on their condo deck!!!

You can kind of see my mom (Michelle) back there- she is a crazy woman!

Our Thanksgiving feast!

We are SO blessed to have such wonderful friends, and I don't know what I would have done without Britt all these years! She is the best! Luckily, I'll see them in a few weeks, and then Britt will spend Christmas with us since she has to work the night shift on Christmas Eve... sad for her fam, but so glad we can be just an hour away for her to spend Christmas with a big family!

Now I know I was SUPER bad this weekend- I enjoyed WAY too many treats. There are SO many good places to eat in Chicago, Julie is an amazing cook, and we like our wine so we had too much fun. I planned my meals for this week accordingly along with  my workout schedule. Challenge of the week? Mom gave me mine this week: go to the gym every MORNING to get it out of the way. No chances to tell your body NO if you get out of bed and go... and no chance to tell yourself "no" later if you've already gone!

Here's a little snapshot of my meal plan- I like to write out exactly how many meals (of each meal) I'll be shopping for. For example, this trip to the grocery store, I'll buy enough food for 7 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 5 dinners, and 10 snacks. Those are rough estimates- things always come up. But I'm allowing myself 1 lunch out during the week, 1 dinner out during the week, and no breakfasts out of house. It helps keep you organized - your expenses & food. I plan out meal options, look at serving sizes & see how many meals I can get out of recipes, and look what I already have in order to make a shopping list. There's no sense in going to the grocery store disorganized or clueless. You'll end up not buying enough or buying too much (thus wasting money). It has always helped me to plan, plan, plan. You're more likely to stick to a diet plan if you've got your meals planned. 

Hope you all have a WONDERFUL week! Thanksgiving and a teeny break are right around the corner! Hang in there!

xo,
Madison



madison|bushell

Couch Potato to Gym Rat

One of the hardest things for me to do is push myself to work out. If I can get to the gym, I'm golden- I could stay for hours. If a friend drags me on a walk, I'll whine and complain, but I'll love myself and her [even more] when I'm done. Sometimes, all I need is a little kick in the butt to get me going. Other times, all I really want to do is stay at home and watch re-runs of the Real Housewives of Atlanta. Maybe you're like me and have trouble taking that first step as well - or maybe you want to go the gym, but you're not sure what to do once you're there. I understand that completely. A gym can be a really overwhelming place to go. Here are some tips, advice, etc... for getting your workout in. 

Find Motivation...

I've done a post about motivation before, but it's the first step in making that workout happen. Inspiration can be found anywhere. I get mine from pictures - especially on Pinterest. I have a whole "board" dedicated to motivating myself. 

Tighten up those booties!

Want that line down your stomach?! Work for it!

Muscle is sexy!

 Can't afford the gym? Don't feel like going to the gym?

There are TONS of at-home solutions to avoid the big, corporate gyms out there.  (Keep in mind also that there are many smaller gyms popping up everywhere with extremely low membership costs, no contracts, and VERY flexible hours! Some are open 24 hours!!)

Videos ... I used to do fitness videos, or I guess DVDs,  all the time- I found a P90X set (brand new) on EBay for $30. I love doing those sometimes as well as Pilates videos. There are also You Tube videos that are helpful! Just search for whatever you are interested in doing that day! Also, a lot of fitness and health nut bloggers put up videos of different workouts.

Recently, I've found a lot of quick & easy solutions like these:

These (above) are definitely useful while you're watching Dancing With the Stars or waiting on your supper to cook!

Don't know what to do at the gym?

I used to have this problem- I would get myself so pumped up to go to the gym, and I'd get there- do about 45 minutes on the Elliptical then be like "now what?" It's frustrating- especially with all the big machines and everyone always seems to know what they're doing. Well, chances are, about 50% of the people there are just like you! They have no idea what they're doing or the right way to do this or that machine.


A couple solutions...

1. If you can afford it- hire a personal trainer. Even if it's just for 5 or 10 sessions, they can teach you how to use the machines properly and also teach you about other equipment in the gym. They'll also give you feedback and advice on your diet.

2. Don't be afraid to ask of a tour of the gym and all of the equipment. Chances are the employee will be so happy to show you around and get you started on some of the machines it will almost feel like a free personal training session!

3. Read fitness magazines! Magazines like Self and Oxygen feature TONS of work-outs every month. Most of them can be done at home, but there are tons of cardio work outs available out there as well as weight exercises. Clip a few out that look interesting and take them with you. No one will judge you. In fact, they'll probably see you doing something that looks productive and try after you're not looking ;) I've done it before and seen it happen before!

An example of a cardio work-out... don't be afraid to change it (your normal work out routine) up. Muscle confusion is the best way to lose weight & tone up!

4. GO TO THE CLASSES! It's free personal training essentially! My favorites are circuit classes and spin classes. I learn TONS of new work outs that I can use outside of their class. If you don't like it, you can always leave and never come back. The great thing about classes is that there are always going to be people in there that are in better shape than you and people in worse shape than you. Both should motivate you! I love going to my spin class and seeing the moms in there with better bodies than me kicking my ass- it's such an inspiration. Then there are some girls in there who are younger than me who weigh what I weight and more trying to get their stuff back together - both motivating!

I'm nowhere near perfect or good at taking my own advice. I make the excuse all the time that I don't have time for the gym. There is ALWAYS time - you have to find it and use it. No excuses. "You'll regret not going, but you'll never regret going."

xo, madison



madison|bushell

Melting Pot Monday

Happy Monday, y'all~

I hope you all had a blessed weekend filled with laughter, good friends, family, and hopefully some football! How awesome was this to see just now?

Prayers go out for a wonderful QB and leader for the Vols! Wishing you a safe, speedy recovery!

But we are fortunate to have Simms and Worley who have stepped up in Bray's absence. Looking forward to the future! Go VOLS!

[[Disclaimer: I apologize for the random entries that I have been writing lately! I'm all over the place and combining my love for yummy food, sports, celebs, and nutrition all in one! I think I'll be bouncing a lot between those four things - a melting pot of my passions! Hope you enjoy :) ]]

Spent another weekend in Nasvhille with the boy. We spent both mornings scoping out spots for yummy coffee and playing with the dogs at the dog park! Friday night we enjoyed drinks & dinner in the Gulch - you may be familiar if you're from Tennessee - if not, the Gulch is what I would consider a young & trendy part of the city with good shopping and some delish restaurants. We thought we'd try out Ru San's - a hip sushi bar.We enjoyed the atosphere, the drinks, and this wonderful appetizer:

Fresh tuna seared with a delicious light crust and a yummy dipping sauce!

Unfortunately, the service, wait, and main sushi entrees weren't our favorites :(

Shrimp Tempura on the left (Drew's favorite) - was decent, but nothing special, Spicy Tuna in the middle (my favorite, and I've gotten him hooked on it!) but it wasn't anything special either. I was so bummed! On the far right - the crazy looking roll- was the Rising Sun roll. It sounded so good at the time- tuna, salmon, avocado, tempura crunchies,a spicy sauce. But it was a bomb.

Oh well. We won't love every restaurant we try, and not everyone will do a perfect Spicy Tuna roll like Fulin's, (We are obsessed with that place, and we believe it was karma that the sushi was gross since we didn't go there. In fact, we went the next day to make up for it and indulged in our usual crab rangoon. YUM. This is my shameless plug for Fulin's  in Brentwood.)

I got this perfect picture on Saturday:

This is my precious godson, Jack. He lives in New York (he's the son of my uncle who is in the Navy) and plays hockey just like his daddy. He was all suited up and ready for his game on Saturday. How adorable is he? Can't wait to see him over the holidays and take him for a sushi date- his favorite!

For all you health nuts out there who also happen to be lovers & followers of Christ, I found the most amazing blog. Please read Katie's story, borrow some recipes, and share your favorites! Her shared insight regarding how to pray, what to pray for, and when to pray was so inspiring. I loved that she prayed specifically and looked for answers -  such as what is the right amount of time for me to work out? How much should I weigh? And so on... So, I wrote a list of eight prayers for myself, my family, my friends - anyone in my life - and asked for instruction and teachings in areas such as money discipline, biting my tongue when I want to stay something, and eating habits. I won't share them all with you all because I feel as though it's something I'd like to keep between the Lord, myself, and a few of my loved ones, but I can tell you I'll be blogging lots throughout the next year about the triumphs, troubles, and everything in between!

Leaving you with the FAB Victoria Beckham with her PRECIOUS Harper Seven. Oh, and a little glimpse of David ;)

Love & Blessings To All,
madison



madison|bushell

The Post-College Blues

Happy Thursday, Loves :)

I hope you are all having a wonderful week. This time of year is always stressful with Thanksgiving right around the corner and then Christmas immediately following. If you're out of school, you can probably relate to my thoughts and feelings reflected in this entry. If it's your last semester of college, savor it! If it's your second to last semester of college, milk it for all you have left. If you still have time- make the most of it! I can't explain how much you'll miss it when you're finished. The year or so after you graduate is considered one of the tougher times in your life. I didn't believe it when I heard it, but I'm living through it now and realizing that being an adult isn't all it's cracked up to be.

I was SO fortunate to get a job right out of college. It may not have been anything to do with my major (Sports Media), but it was a paying job. Enough to pay all my bills (yes, all of them are now in my name), start paying back my loans for school, and still enjoy myself.  Is this the end-all, be-all of jobs? Absolutely not. Rarely will you stay with one company for your entire career. But I'm getting experience - getting my feet wet.

My advice? Start looking for internships if you've still got some time left in school. If you're about to graduate but don't have a job - get a part-time job to start saving money [especially if your parents plan to cut you off after graduation.] Look for internships and entry level positions in the places you want to live. Most importantly, however, utilize your resources. You meet certain people for certain reasons. So-and-so works for XYZ company and could maybe get you in the door with one of their biggest clients - ABC company - so never burn bridges. You never know who could get you in the door somewhere.

Most importantly [as cheesy as it sounds], listen to your heart. I know, I know. It's cliche. But you really have to ask yourself what you want. What is important to you? Proximity to family? Moving to a big city? Moving home? Saving money? Taking the next step with your significant other? Don't think too much into pleasing others.... do what will ultimately make you happy. That takes a lot of self-reflection and evaluation. Trust me, you have time do that now if you're still in school. I worked three jobs at one point in school and still had time for a social life and multiple other positions on campus - so you have time to take some "you" time and think about what it is that you want from your life.

Leaving you with some fond memories....

Happy Childhood :) Couldn't have had a better up-bringing with both sides of my family helping my young parents see that I grow up in a successful, happy, healthy home.

I cheered/danced/tumbled my whole life. Cheerleading and football was a way of life in Snellville, Georgia. It was literally everything.  Still is there! Go Broncos!

Look how young McCade and Macie look!!! McCade ALWAYS wore a hat  -always! He was so stinking cute... still is! But he hardly wears a hat now. Macie is SO precious in this picture as well! She has grown up so much - it's so scary! She is my mini-me. Absolutely in love with these babies.

The University of Tennessee Ambassador Scholar (UTAS) Program changed my life. Being chosen as an Ambassador Scholar was an honor and a blessing. I met some of my best friends and the love of my life through this program.

Carson (L) and Melissa (R) have been my best friends since we were around 9. We didn't meet Carson until middle school, but Melissa was my first friend in Snellville. We've remained close and I couldn't ask for two better people to look up to in life. They are both beautiful women of God. Angels in my life :) We've spent many summer days laying on the rocks and fishing at this river- the Chattahoochee. You may have heard a song about it ;)

This is Brittany- my soul mate & best friend! She and I have been best friends for about 13 years now. She goes on every family vacation - my granddad legitimately thinks she is one of his grandkids. Love her heart!!!

Lastly, my favorite people on my favorite night ever- Zetaaaaa Formal. Drew on the left - omg! How different does he look now?! Still has the same heart, same amazing personality and sweet smile. My love! And then the BEAUTIFUL Tori DeButy. The most charming, amazing woman you will ever meet - thank you Zeta Tau Alpha for bringing us together. And finally, Caleb - Drew and my best friend. Love him and so happy for his engagement to the beautiful Gina Martin (my roommate!)

I hope you all have a blessed day and weekend (if I don't blog again before that!)

xoxo,
Madison









madison|bushell