Waco, TX

'21' has been one of my most memorable birthdays by far. Celebrations started about a week before my actual birthday because I'm a princess. As many of you know, I'm currently in Charlotte completing a summer course. Since I wasn't going to be home for my actual birthday, my parents threw a little get together at home with friends and family. 

The day before the cookout, I told my mom I wanted a mermaid-inspired birthday cake because I'm a princess. Since I can remember, my mom has made every one of my birthday cakes, so I didn't think my request was weird. However, my mom looked at me like I was crazy! My mom always underestimates her baking abilities. She made a beachy cake that I didn't want to cut because it was so beautiful! She's the best. Not only did it look like it belonged in the ocean among all of the mermaids, it was delicious as well!

Side note: We're one of those families where we don't buy Halloween costumes or birthday cakes, because "those can be made." This is something I cherish now, but when I was little it drove me crazy! I've had one store-bought Halloween costume and I used it for about 5 years in a row (a witch costume, if you were wondering.)

I had a great time celebrating with everyone and getting stuffed on chicken and shrimp! My daddy can throw down in the kitchen, too. We ended the night with sparklers and more cake.

I headed back to Charlotte that Sunday to began preparing for the big trip to Texas! If y'all remember, in collaboration with my parents, Laura planned a trip to Texas for my birthday. We had a jam-packed schedule and I still had a week of summer school a head of me before we were off to Texas on Friday. That Wednesday was my actual 21st birthday. My mom happened to be in Charlotte for a transportation conference, so I had breakfast with her that morning. When I walked into Laura's house after I drove back from class, it was oddly quiet. I turned the corner to go into Laura's room and was repeatedly greeted with a birthday horn. It was so funny! She handed me an iced caramel macchiato (my favorite) and stepped aside to reveal a pile of presents and crafty wall decorations. She had my mom, Sam, and MaryLou write me notes on the back of pictures. I didn't expect a thing! I cried like a baby.

Laura is known for making altered books for people for special occasions. She takes old books, mod podges the pages together to create thicker pages, and glues pictures onto the pages and paints them to make them beautiful! I never expected to ever get a book because it takes her months and a lot of time to make them. She started mine at the beginning of December and finished in June. It's just amazing. Some of my favorite pages are below!

Mrs. Carolyn and Mr. Malcolm (Laura's awesome parents) took me out to dinner to celebrate with Eli and Laura. It was so yummy- thank y'all again! 

After a week of birthday celebrations and anticipation, it was time to pack for Texas! This trip was my first time traveling on a plane and going to Texas. If y'all remember, Laura and I traveled to New York last year by car. We would have killed each other driving We wouldn't of made it to Texas driving, that's would've been 16+ hours! Flying was so much fun and such a cool experience for me. Landing made me uneasy, but it was so worth it! The flight was about 2 hours and 40 minutes. We landed at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, grabbed our rental car, and headed for Waco, TX!

We had a busy schedule for the next two days and we hit the ground running. We planned to do the following:

Day 1: June 17th

• Magnolia Market
• Lunch on Magnolia Market Grounds
• Common Grounds Coffee Shop
• Reunion Tower ($16)

Day 2: June 18th

• Dallas Farmers Market
• Bishop Arts District
• Sprinkles ATM Cupcake Machine
• The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza - John F. Kennedy ($16)

We didn't get to the Reunion Tower, due to extra time spent in Waco looking for Chip and JoJo's farm. We didn't find it and wasted a lot of gas, but we had fun exploring Crawford, TX! It's a cute little town outside of Waco that consists of lots of farms and open space.

The main reason we went to Texas is because we are HGTV's biggest fans and religiously watch the show Fixer Upper, which is filmed in Texas. Chip and JoJo Gaines, the show's main characters, have a huge store in Waco, Texas called Magnolia Market. It's this beautiful store located next to two huge silos and holds lots of household goodies and decorations. A lot of the houses on Fixer Upper feature products from Magnolia Market and we wanted to check this place out for ourselves. 

Starting with the positives:

• The atmosphere was very family-oriented and so happy. It was the most beautiful day and the place was bustling with people. There was an AstroTurf courtyard space with yard games and shady picnic tables to sit and snack at. We had a delicious lunch of gourmet grilled cheeses and strawberry limeades from food trucks onsite. So yummy!

• The staff was so friendly and welcoming. If there was a picture opportunity, a staff member was there to take one. If there was a question, it was answered. If there wasn't an item, it was restocked. Everyone had a positive attitude!
• There was something to see every direction you turned and you had to circle the place twice to take it all in, probably more than twice. 

(Click to Enlarge)

• Everything from the postcards to the wall decorations to the furniture was beautiful. I. WANTED. IT. ALL. I even loved the shopping totes they gave you to carry around the store!
• Parking was free, easy to find, and in walking distance (if you knew where to look.)

Ending with the negatives:

• Although I would put everything in the store in my future house, I wouldn't be able to afford the house if I wanted the decorations. It was a little pricey, which was to be expected. I came out with a mug, postcard, and sticker, spending right at $20. Laura bought a t-shirt, poster, and postcard, spending right at $37. We found those things to be the most reasonably priced.
• We know TV can make things look bigger and better and in this case, it was true. HGTV makes Magnolia Market look like it's isolated and away from town. It's literally smack dab in the middle of the little town of Waco and a lot smaller in person. We were a little disappointed in location and size.
• There was quite a bit of construction going on onsite. It made taking pictures annoying because you couldn't help but get construction fencing and machinery in the shot. A positive to this is that we're going to have to go back to see it when everything is finished and the bakery is opened.

1,071 to be exact!

After we left Magnolia's, we went to Common Grounds coffee shop. It was so delicious. They have live music on certain nights and really neat seating and lighting outside. All sorts of old couches, rustic chairs, and benches were on the porch and grassy areas in front of a big stage. We sat outside and enjoyed some shade before we headed back to Dallas for the night. 

The next day, we were off to downtown Dallas to do some exploring at the Farmers Market. It was so cute! We sipped on a couple of homemade pineapple green teas while we walked the market. It's set up in two sections, 'The Shed' and 'The Market.' The shed holds the fruits and veggies, while the market houses the retail vendors. Parking is also free here! 

It was a quick drive to The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza. This museum is dedicated to the presidency of John F. Kennedy, Jr. and his assassination. The museum is housed in the book factory that Lee Harvey Oswald shot JFK from. It was really neat to see the "crime scene," pictures, and news articles from his time in office to his assassination. You wore a headset that guided you through the museum. We weren't allowed to take pictures inside the museum, but Laura snapped a quick one of the exhibit honoring his presidency campaign.

We grabbed a quick lunch at Oddfellows while walking through the stylish, yet pricey, Bishop Arts District. Lunch was so scrumptious! I had chicken and waffles, Laura had a chicken sandwich with fries. I can't do it justice with words. Just know if you haven't been to Oddfellows, I feel sorry for you. 

We took video the whole time we were in Texas (hence the lack of quality photos) and Eli put together an incredible video for us with all of our footage! He spent some major time on this. Thanks so much E for the video! Check it out below:

We ended our trip with a drive to the rental car center and a bus ride to our airport terminal. This trip was so much fun! I would suggest Magnolia Market to anyone, especially if you love Fixer Upper as much as we do! Texas is a great state and I would go back in a heartbeat. 

So...I can call myself a senior in college now?

I'm a little embarrassed that my last post was in February...but, I can assure you that it has been my most difficult and busiest semester of college yet! So no worries, it wasn't like I was intentionally ignoring the gigantic fan-base I have through this blog. I hope you caught the sarcasm.

When I started this blog freshman year, I wanted to denote all of my awesome college experiences. Things didn't work out that way over the course of the next two years. Don't get me wrong, I love blogging and I love talking about myself, but keeping up with what to write about and what I've done is hard. My mom and I have been to several conferences in the past year and some of the hosts were professional bloggers. It's crazy how much work goes into one of their posts before they even begin writing. On that note, I had to do a little research through my Instagram and Facebook to see what I had done in the last 2 months that was blog-worthy (two whole sticky notes full of events to be exact), so let the blog post commence! 

February held my best friend, Sammy's bridal shower. The shower was so sweet and fun. Fast forward a bit. March was the month of Sammy's bachelorette weekend in Charlotte, NC. It was so fun and relaxing, not to mention how great it was to get away from some responsibility for a little bit. We spent the weekend at The Lazy 5 Ranch, which you faithful followers have seen on the blog before, exploring Charlotte, and going to the movies. Oh yeah, and the billion and a half trips to Amelie's Bakery Uptown. I know what you're thinking, that sounds like a wild time! It was to us! I had such a great time with Lou, Chels, Katie, and Sammy.

Sammy's BEAUTIFUL wedding was in April. It was a dream. The place, time, weather, couldn't of been more perfect. Also, if you're looking for bridesmaid dresses, I can't say enough wonderful things about the ones we wore! I loved it and would wear it every day. Check them out here. 

Photos by: Kelly Pyle

Around the time of February/March, Laura (roomie) and I started brainstorming. Brainstorming what? Well, if y'all remember, during our spring break of 2015, we moseyed our way up to New York and had the most dramatic time of our lives. So, we decided to make a-trip-a-year a new tradition. We stayed on the East coast last year, so we're venturing our way out to....Texas! In June, we're hopping on a plane and flying to the Lone Star State! This will be my first time ever on a plane and visiting Texas! Why Texas?

Throughout this whole school year, Laura and I would start our mornings eating Eggo waffles and watching HGTV. If you watch HGTV, you know of the couple Chip and JoJo Gaines. If you don't, you're missing out. They have a TV show called Fixer Upper and it's based in Texas. They are also the owners of the awesome store Magnolia Market. That's our main purpose in going, to visit Magnolia Market and explore Waco and Dallas, TX. Don't worry, I will blog all about it when we get back. It's a quick two day trip that, with the help of planning and planting a seed from Laura, my awesome parents have gifted me for my 21st birthday!

UNCC Housing Banquet, Laura + I

During March/April, I decided to take a leap of faith and apply for some scholarships being offered through UNC Charlotte. I turned in my applications and resumes, and with the help of my awesome boss , April, and sweet friend, Antoinette, my recommendation letters. I didn't think much of it for about a month, but I received notification about two weeks ago I was awarded a scholarship. It was one of the most exciting days! My mom and dad were able to come up and celebrate with me as I accepted the Michael G. Green Family Scholarship for Merit. I was thrilled my parents were able to be here! Around the same time I was applying for scholarships, I was invited to join the Kappa Delta Pi International Honors Society in Education. I will be inducted in tonight! Big things are happening this semester!

In June, I will be finishing up summer school in Charlotte. I have 1 class to complete before I begin student teaching in August! Luckily, awesome roomie Laura and her great parents live in Huntersville, about 20ish minutes away from campus. They are so sweet to let me stay with them while I am in summer school. I have 3 Foundations tests to take for teaching licensure this summer, my first one is at the end of this month and the last two are in June. Please say a quick prayer, or a dozen. These tests are no joke! Y'all, this is unreal. I will be graduating college in December! 

I'm currently in the process of packing up my dorm room. My final exams start next week and then I can call myself a SENIOR in college! What? When did this happen? I literally just started freshman year yesterday. Since I will be in Charlotte for a good chunk of summer, we have some fun things planned that I've never done the whole time I've lived here. It's crazy how 3 years can get away from you.

(Almost) 20 Tips from a College Junior

It has been a long 2 months since the last post. However, as you all know, I'm not very good at doing this on a regular basis. Exciting things are happening this semester. I have LESS than a year until I graduate! Ah! Deadlines are quickly approaching and it has been a lot little bit stressful. I have to take all 3 of my teacher licensure tests by August and then I begin my student teaching. I was placed in a 4th grade classroom and I couldn't be more excited about that! Then, I walk in December across the stage. MY OH MY!

So on that note, I have a few tips from a college junior:

1.  Junior year GOES BY SO FAST. Sophomore year was definitely the longest year ever. It was between getting directly into my major and finishing up my general education classes. Junior year on the other hand is going by like 200 miles an hour. Really remember these days.
2.  I have made the decision to not work during my senior year of college (technically, I can sort of considered myself a senior now, but that feels a little rushed.) I made a separate savings account to put some money a side each month, so I will have some change to spend during my last semester at UNCC. Make sure you're looking ahead and planning for financial reasons!
   
3. Don't be afraid if you don't feel like much of an adult yet. Y'all, last week I had my mom make my dentist appointment (and I may have asked her to make them for the rest of my life.) It's okay! I mean, as long as you're doing some adult things. Please have at least your first job by now, oh, and PLEASE be doing your own laundry. Don't rush growing up, but you are going to have to grow up.
4. Be considering where and what you're going to do after you graduate. I only have 1 semester of senior year unlike most people, so I have to think a little faster, but definitely start thinking about some long-term plans.
5. This is the year a lot of your friends start getting engaged and married. Don't sulk about your singleness, be happy for your friends and family! One of my best friends, Sammy, is getting married in April and I'm so excited to be apart of it. My brother, Drew, is getting married in August and that's so exciting! Be supportive and happy for those close to you.
6. Just like last year's tip, go home and visit! It gets even harder to leave home this year. Luckily, my sweet mama and daddy are coming to visit this weekend! I can't wait to see their faces.
7. Do something different this year. It doesn't have to be crazy or anything. I recently tried hot yoga with my friend Kelly and I'm going back again this Sunday! It was a really cool experience.
8. I'm still living on-campus and loving it. This is my second year in an on-campus apartment and the convenience is real. I recently registered for housing again and I will be living in another on-campus apartment this upcoming school year. Of course, shop your options, but I highly recommend on-campus living!
9. Checking the mail is still something I look forward to. Check your mail, but also send it! It will make someone's day and if you're lucky, they'll write you back!

   

   Hey Ma, please make my dentist appointments forever? Thanks, you're the best!

10. If anything, school work gets way more intense this year. I have friends working towards many different majors and I think they would say the same thing. Remember to stay focused and definitely make your to-do lists. They'll come in handy. 
11. TAKE PICTURES. We live in a time where we are so lucky to have technology. Well, it's a blessing and a curse, but you get it. Take pictures of things that mean something to you. You're going to want to look back on them later.
12. Make summer plans! I have to stick around for the first summer school session this year (one step closer to early graduation!), but I am lucky enough to have an awesome roomie to let me stay with her! Thanks Lar (and Mrs. Carolyn and Mr. Malcolm!) We're planning to do some fun stuff around Charlotte that I've never done before.

    

    Lar + I

13. I know I told you to consider future plans, but also make some fun future goals for yourself. Anyone that knows me can tell you that I want a puppy names Peaches after graduation. Silly things are still things to look forward to too!
14. Read some books, not just textbooks. Shout out to Mrs. Greear for letting my borrow See Me by Nicholas Sparks. Such a good read so far!
15. Organize your room (and don't forget to decorate either.) I bought a shoe rack this year and it has changed my life. I can actually see all of my shoes, hallelujah!  

For the sake of being too repetitive, I'm going to stop at 15. Just remember to pay attention to your life and enjoy the moment you're in. Wow, that was cheesy. I feel like I was just in my freshman year dorm room writing my first 20 tips post. 

Two weeks of an Almost-Teacher

Today marks the last day of my clinicals for my IMB semester. IMB stands for Integrated Methods Block in the College of Education. I'm not sure if it works the same way at other colleges like it does at UNCC, but you are dismissed from education courses for two weeks to gain required clinical experience (40 hours) in an assigned elementary school. For the last two weeks I have felt what it's like to be a teacher everyday and it has been so awesome and reassuring.

For IMB, I was required to teach a social studies lesson, literacy lesson, science lesson, and observe all of these subjects as well, including math. I could not have been placed at a more perfect school or in a more perfect 4th grade class. My CT's (cooperating teacher's) were so helpful and provided me with so many teaching resources- it was like teacher material heaven! I taught an integrated social studies and literacy lesson about comparing and contrasting NC transportation (4th grade social studies standards are all about NC) and a disturbance cycle lesson in science about oil spills. They're way more fun in person than how they sound in writing!

Weekly essentials: coffee + packed lunch

I was so nervous about teaching my lessons, as it was my first time teaching whole group lessons! I had my lesson plan "script" in-hand and ready to go, then I started teaching and didn't even look at it. I was so proud of myself y'all- the lessons went so, so much better than I expected and they flowed so well! My main CT observed my literacy/social studies lesson and went over her observations with me afterward. Her observation comments were so helpful and completely boosted my teaching-confidence. I am not trying to be braggy when I say this, but I think it's good to be proud of yourself, so I'm going to share. She said it's clear when teaching comes naturally and she could tell that it came naturally to me. I will forever hold that compliment in my heart because I was so worried I would have to look at my lesson plan the whole time to see what I needed to say. It was such a reassuring moment. My students turned in their transportation Venn diagrams after the lesson was over and I was so proud of their work! It is definitely one of my favorite teaching experiences so far!

I mainly wanted to write this post to share about my experience, but also what I learned about myself during these past two weeks.  

• I am an official grandma of my generation- well I've been a grandma probably since high school. I am not one to stay up super, super late or go out and party, so going to bed between 9:00 and 10:00 every night was probably one of the best things about these last couple of weeks y'all. Have to get enough sleep to keep up with those kids!
• Being called "Ms. Hatcher" is not as weird as it used to be! At first, I wanted to be like "that's my mama's name," but now I've learned to accept it. It comes with time.
• I really love working with 4th grade. I didn't think I would not like it, but I didn't think I would love it as much as I did either! Teaching 4th grade in the future is a very real possibility! 
• Teaching is so much fun, duh. Really putting in an effort to make your lessons interesting and interactive for the students pays off. I enjoyed teaching the material so much more when I saw that the students were genuinely interested in learning it!
• I did not want to leave those precious students after these last two weeks! It only takes a whole 2 minutes to get attached to them, let alone 40+ hours!

I had so much fun during these IMB weeks being an almost-teacher. Planning lessons and implementing them in the classroom made this experience so real and encouraging. I can't wait to be able to do this for a living!

Mini Update!

A whole, whole bunch has been going on this past month. For starters, I changed my Instagram bio to 'occasional' blogger. Let's face it, I'm not good at doing this on a regular basis. 

There has been some exciting changes that have been made to my college career...I found out that I will be graduating early! That's right- December 2016, I will be a college graduate! It kind of makes me want to throw up and celebrate at the same time. I feel like I literally just graduated high school. So much is going to be packed into this next year and I have a feeling it's going to fly by. Junior year has definitely been the most stressful by far. I am going to be in the classroom more this year and I have been writing LP's like it's already my job! Lesson plans aren't as bad as I thought they were going to be, but it's no fun when you can't actually do them in the classroom yet. For now, I will go to the study room with the white board and practice my "teacher presence" on Laura (roomie)- it makes it a little more realistic.

I have a couple of classes in Uptown Charlotte this semester and they are probably my favorite. Last week we took a tour of the city and we did SO. MUCH. WALKING. We went to some new places I had never been to and took a ride to the top of a hotel to see the skyline view. It was beautiful. It was really neat seeing all of the places I hadn't really paid much attention to before. I've lived here for two full school years and I'm just now doing this!

The roomies and I entered our dorm room into a 'Campus Cribs' contest last week. We found out Friday that we are finalists! That's pretty exciting. We have a dorm room "photo shoot" tomorrow and then voting commences. Be on the lookout for a shared post on Facebook about voting! We're all really excited about it!

Laura, her parents, and I will be traveling to Georgia this weekend for some fun! Laura got me Nick Jonas *fan girl screams* tickets for my birthday and we get to see him Friday night! He was so, so good in concert last December at The Fillmore. I can't wait to hear him again! We're going to the Georgia Aquarium with Laura's parents on Saturday and I am ready for that! I have never been before!

Anyway, I just wanted to fill y'all in on all of that. I'm sure, actually I know, I'm leaving out a bunch of things that have happened, but I can't think of anything to write it out. I hope y'all are having a great week so far!