Reverb10: Party

Prompt: Party. What social gathering rocked your socks off in 2010? Describe the people, music, food, drink, clothes, shenanigans. (By Shauna Reid)

So in order to answer this question, I cruised back through my google calendar (because I really didn’t party that much this year) and I have decided that the best social gathering I went to was in Oklahoma City for a birthday party in late January. I got to spend time with some of my favorites – Miss Agnes, Miss H, Miss Dubs & Mr. (Reformed) Whore.  We ate Mexican food, boozed it up and participated in some amazing karaoke. And I got to wear my sequined tank top. =)

Miss Dubs doing a little Reba -- Fancy didn't let us down.

PS – I know I am super behind on Reverb10 but I’m trying really hard to get caught up!

 

Reverb10: Community

Prompt: Community. Where have you discovered community, online or otherwise, in 2010? What community would you like to join, create or more deeply connect with in 2011? (By Cali Harris)

I feel like I have scratched the surface in several different communities this year — book clubs, lifegroup, sorority alumnae association/advisory board, etc. (OMG, how tired are you of hearing me talking about these activities?! I bet not as tired as I am of mentioning them!) I have really enjoyed getting involved in each of them, but I don’t feel like I have developed a true sense of community or camaraderie in any of them.

Book Club #1: I was invited by Mrs. BW to join last December and was very excited to do so.  I really enjoy most of the women in the group a lot but I don’t really feel “in” if that makes any sense. (I realize that it probably doesn’t.)

Book Club #2: Mrs. BW and I co-founded this book club and while I feel very “in” and connected, I feel that is because almost all of our members are people I was already friends with before — i.e. Miss PoliSci, Miss H, and Mrs. K2.

Alumnae Association/Advisory Board: It has really been a blast getting back involved with Kappa Delta, but I don’t think this really qualifies for me as community because Kappa Delta was my community throughout college — it isn’t really new to me.

Lifegroup: I think joining a lifegroup has been one of the most important things I have done this year in terms of finding more “community.” I think I don’t feel as plugged-in as I could for a couple of reasons: 1) Everyone in my group attends a different church campus than I do so I don’t get to visit with them at church and 2) Our group is really big and people tend to float in and out so it is harder to get to know/connect with them.

In 2011, I would like to connect more deeply with my lifegroup/church.  I think the support I have found and the new friends I have made are really great but I would just like to get to know everyone a little better and feel more tuned in, not just at our regular Monday night gatherings.

I would also like to get more involved in the online community.  Blogging has been really fun and challenging and eye-opening for me this year in a variety of ways and I would like to continue to explore the big, bad blogosphere.

Reverb10: Made

Prompt: Make. What was the last thing you made? What materials did you use? Is there something you want to make, but you need to clear some time for it? (By Gretchen Rubin)

The last thing I feel like I really made was a diaper cake for my cousin’s baby shower.  (It should be noted that technically I “make” food all the time, but I think I cook so much that it doesn’t count.)  I used a ton of diapers, some fun ribbon, a wooden ‘H,’ green paint, tape, dental floss, and a fleece blanket.  You have to roll the diapers up and secure them — hence the tape, but we ran out of tape and resorted to dental floss. It took WAY longer than it should have but it turned out so cute that I didn’t care.  Oh, and the fleece blanket was rolled up in the middle as the “anchor” so to speak of our cake.  And voila!

 

Everything was gender neutral because the sex of the baby is going to be a surprise! Hurry up Baby Hale, you are LATE!

 

I really, really want to make a fabric covered headboard for my bed. I got the idea from Jaime at Rabit Stew (another blogger I have stalked from Weddingbee over to their personal blog…) and she made it seem totally simple and chic.  I’ve been using just the metal frame that comes with a mattress for over 2 years and it is lame and annoying.  Plus, I hate leaning up against the blinds at night when I’m reading. I’ve had this project on my to-do list for a while and my dad already volunteered to help me so hopefully I can knock it out over my “stay-cation” after Christmas.  I need to order some fabric to use and since I am OB.SESSED. with black and white damask this seems like a natural choice:

 

It's classic and classy. =)

I’m glad this was a reverb10 prompt because it reminded me how much I really want to make the headboard! Don’t worry, I’ll be sure to show you follow-up pics when I do.

 

Reverb10: Wonder

Prompt: Wonder. How did you cultivate a sense of wonder in your life this year? (By Jeff Davis)

Well, clearly the prompts are getting more challenging each day.  For this one, I felt like I needed a definition.

WONDER:

1. to think or speculate curiously: to wonder about the origin of the solar system.

2. to be filled with admiration, amazement, or awe; marvel (often fol. by at): He wondered at her composure in such a crisis.

3. to doubt: I wonder if she’ll really get here.

I honestly don’t know that I’ve done anything in 2010 to “cultivate wonder.”  I read a few other Reverb10 posts in response to this prompt and one of them listed things the author wondered about in 2010.  I thought this was a fun take on a challenging prompt so I thought I would follow suit.

I wondered where I honestly could see myself in 10 years.

I wondered how my career would shape up.

I wondered if I should buy a house.

I wondered if I was over-committed.

I wondered what my second nephew would look like.

I wondered what God had in store for me in terms of my future family.

I wondered if I was contributing anything of value to anyone by writing this blog.  And then I wondered if that really mattered either way.

I wondered what 2011 would bring my way…

(PS – I kind of hated this prompt.  Please excuse the cheesy/lame post.)

Reverb10: Letting Go

Prompt: Let Go. What (or whom) did you let go of this year? Why? (By Alice Bradley)

In 2010, I think I let go of the need to please other people.  I’ve always been a pleaser and I almost always said yes to an invitation, whether I felt like it or not.  And I always worried about what other people thought about me.  And this year, I think I finally came into my own in a way.  I started saying no when I didn’t feel like doing something and I let that be okay.  I stopped worrying that if I opted to stay home instead of go out with my friends that I was going to miss something HUGE and everyone was going to forget about me.  I stopped caring so much about whether someone else thought my outfit was cute as long as I liked it.  (Although, I’ve always been fairly good at this I think I felt more genuine and confident about it this year.)  This year I let go of what I perceived of as other people’s expectations for me and manifested my own.  And I felt freed.