slightly elegant

······················· When you have friends like these,  all you need is a camera to document their silliness  and a golf cart to ride around and enjoy the lake when it is rainy and foggy outside.

Fall has officially arrived here in Tennessee! It was all of 53 degrees today, so I had to pull out my big coat so I wouldn't freeze to death.  On Thursdays, Miranda and I have a 3 hour break in between classes together. We decided to use our spare time by taking a trip to Wal-Mart to get some tiny pumpkins and plastic vampire teeth to make these cute little vampunkins. Ha! So cute! (We used googly eyes and sewing pins for the eyes.)

My favorite kind of friendship starts in second grade and lasts through high school and beyond. The kind of friendship that helps you get through the hard times in life and gives you some really great memories. Yep, that's my favorite kind of friendship. Oh hey, Miranda! I didn't see you reading there. :)

I spent the weekend with my wonderful friend, Miranda and her family and family friends. She also in brought along another friend of hers, whom I had the pleasure of meeting for the first time this weekend, James. It felt good to get away and enjoy one of the last few days of summer weather this year. (It's supposed to be in the 60's next week!) I got to experience tubing for the first time! How fun that was! But, my body feels like jelly! Agh, my legs and abs hurt soooo bad! Something Miranda and I realized while we were away for the weekend, we've been friends for 11 years! Wow! I've really never had a better one than her! We became friends in second grade when our parents worked in an elementary school together. I think our friendship is so cool, because we are sooo different. We are interested in different things...hobbies, music, clothes. She likes scary stuff, and I like cute things. Our personalities are different, but, it is so easy to be around her!

001 & 002. On Sunday, I went up to the bluff to go rock climbing with my friends Ethan and Jojo, and our friend Drew joined us later. I can't remember the last time I had so many cuts and bruises on my legs. Ouch! 003 & 004. Later that night, Allison (whom we all call "Oopie"), Robert, and Ivy caught up with us to go downtown to the River Walk to watch the annual Fourth of July fireworks. We walked what seemed like forever to find a good spot to see the fireworks. I wore rubber flip flops for the first time this summer (yes, i know summer is half way over, but I hate rubber flip flops!), and I got a disgusting blister from them on my toe. So, I had to walk back to our car barefoot. But, it was well worth it. The fireworks were beautiful! 005 & 006. Today, Momma and I made a flag cake to celebrate our nation's birth. YUM! 007 & 008. What's more patriotic than the American flag on a cake, and pink lemonade? 009 & 010. Sparklers! 011. What ...

Yesterday, I went to Nashville Shores with my family, and invited Daniel along. I brought a disposable waterproof camera, and I'm quite pleased with the results. Aren't these pictures so funny?!

Today was a good day!

Today is the two year anniversary of the passing of my sweet friend, Taylor. She would have been 16 on June 5th this year. Oh, how I miss her rambunctious energy! You can read about her story  here .

This weekend was one of the best I have had in a long time! My friends Miranda, Allison, Sierra, and a foreign exchange student from Japan, Kentaro, went laser tagging in Nashville. It was hot, it was sweaty, it glowed in the dark, and it was so much fun!  :)