ordinarily extraordinary

A few weeks ago, I was getting frustrated with my hair. Because if my widow’s peak, my hair always falls in my face. I’ve tried every trend that you can think of, but I always end up in the same old ponytail/messy bun combo. When I was a child, my mom told me that I had a widow’s peak- a pointed gathering on my hairline in the middle of my forehead. She said that her mother had one, too. Since I didn’t have the chance to meet my grandmother, I felt special. A small part of her was given to me, and it was a trait that not many people had. In my current frustration over my hair, I did what any normal woman in need of a quick beauty fix would do- I went to Pinterest. When I searched for “widow’s peak hairstyles” all I found were videos of women shaving and plucking out their hair to have a straight hairline. I was so angry. But that anger begged the question: Why was I suddenly disgusted with something I’ve always loved about my body? Why was I being told that I should change i

I’m almost 23 years old, and I have always had a plan. I knew what I was going to do the next day, the next week, the next month, the next year. I’ve been focused on my career and my future since I was a freshman in high school. I was going to save some money by living at home and starting with 2 years at a local community college. I was going to keep at least a 3.0 GPA and keep my grades above C-level (pun intended). After that, I was going to get into George Mason and do a semester at Walt Disney World. Maybe I would even throw in a job or internship in there, somewhere. I was going to make a bunch of friends and have so much fun. After 4-5 years, I would graduate and have a job and everything would be perfect. So here I am, at the end of my really cool internship, waiting for my diploma to arrive in the mail. And I have nothing. Nada. Zilch. Zippo. Me, all week I applied and interviewed to become a full-time employee at my internship location, but didn’t get it. Of course, I

 “The lights are too bright, but if I turn them off, I’ll run into the wall.” “I’m so hungry, but if I eat something, I’ll surely regret it.” “The TV is too loud, but if I turn it off, the silence will scream.” “My head is splitting from pain, but if I rest, I fall behind on my work.” These are the thoughts that run through my mind multiple times a day. It can happen when I’ve been looking at my work computer for too long, or when I’m spending time with my friends, or even when I’m just lying in bed to enjoy Law and Order reruns; I’m hypersensitive. The brain can play tricks on you. Mental illness isn’t always loud, it is quiet and unrelenting. Hypersensitivity is NOT a mental illness, it’s just part of my wiring, it’s how God created me. My sensitivity allows me to have intense compassion and love for those around me. I just feel things, and I feel them deeply. While these are not bad things, my sensitivity makes my anxiety and depression even worse. Feeling

Happy Tuesday, everybody!  As you've noticed, I'm not doing the daily themed posts anymore. Between work and overloading my blog, I think it's better to do a weekly post with a few themed ones sprinkled along the way. Which brings us here! Accurate picture of me listening to the following songs... These are the top 3 songs I just can't get enough of right now: Kissing Strangers - DNCE feat Nicki Minaj Kissing strangers until I find someone I love... Kissing strangers until I find someone I trust... Kissing strangers, open heart, open mind, never know who you'll find... Believer - Imagine Dragons First things first I'ma say all the words inside my head. I'm fired up and tired of the way that things have been, the way that things have been. Second thing's second, don't you tell me what you think that I can be. I'm the one at the sail, I'm the master of my sea, the master of my sea... The Cure - Lady Gaga If I can't f

Everyone has their own opinion about the Kardashian/Jenner women. Personally, Khloe is my favorite. She is protective of her family, she never apologizes for being completely herself, and her confidence is unrivaled. She was always told that she was the “fat sister”, but when she decided that enough was enough, she took matters into her own hands and coined the term “Revenge Body”. She worked hard to get a body that she could be proud of while making everyone who ever doubted her think twice before making that mistake again. And that’s what I’m going to do. I’ve had a roller coaster last 5 years. I’ve battled eating disorders, depression, anxiety, rejection, loneliness, heartbreak… Seriously, the list goes on. After another day of wishing I looked different, I decided to do something about it. After this spring semester ended, I signup up for Planet Fitness. I liked the number of machines and the fact that it was open 24/7. I decided to sign up for the more expensive m

There are two phrases that are pounded into the minds of young Catholic men and women: 1)       " Guard your heart" 2)       Emotional chastity By now, you’re either thinking “how do I get out of another blog about Christian dating?” or “what in tarnation is she talking about?” First thing’s first, to everyone wanting to leave this post, just hear me out. To everyone else, let me explain: The phrase “guard your heart” comes from Proverbs 4:23:                 “Above all else, guard your heart, for in it are the sources of life.” Emotional chastity, like physical chastity, means that we don’t move too quickly. Emotional chastity is when we build up this idea of a guy or girl based on our own excitement, or even Facebook stalking. Both can cause harm to our heart. I learned these terms at pivotal points in my life. When I was a sophomore in high school, I already experienced my fair share of heartache. Guarding my heart seemed like something

Right before graduation, I went on a Seniors retreat with the Catholic Patriots. What better way to celebrate the end of my college years that with all of my friends, some good food, and Jesus? I had a final to take that morning, so I showed up after the first talk while everyone was having personal reflection. Once I joined my group, they told me that they reflected on what they wanted to be as children and how that relates to what we are doing now. One of the guys in our group said that he wanted to be a waiter and a dentist. Quite the interesting combination, I thought to myself. But the thing is, that's exactly what he was doing. He had just spent the last 4 years studying to become a dentist and this summer, he was going to be a waiter. He was living the dream! But things didn't go perfectly planned. Even though he had spent years devoted to dentistry, including internships and even a medical mission trip to the Philippines, he wasn't going to be a dentist. Nop

I will be graduating from college in 10 days. I will be graduating from college in 10 days. I WILL BE GRADUATING FROM COLLEGE IN 10 DAYS! Growing up, I always saw myself going to college, graduating, having a career... but I would be lying if I didn't think about quitting a whole bunch of few times while in college. Whether my grades just weren't where I needed/wanted them to be, papers and group projects stacking up, balancing my school work and social life, my mental health diminished at least once a semester. But I did it. I made it through. I went to community college for 2 years. I saved money. I got my Associates Degree. I got into George Mason University. I joined Catholic Campus Ministry. I did a Disney College Program. I became a Bible Study leader. I went to conferences. I was a full time student who also held a job. I did another Disney College Program. I discovered who I am and what I can do. I made friends who have become my family. And now,

Today marks the very first Woman Crush Wednesday post! Similarly to my other posts, I will keep to a general template for the Wednesday blogs. They will open with a little information about my woman of the week and will follow with 5 questions that I will answer pertaining to our friendship. Since this is my first WCW, I figured that the best way to start it off was with my best friend... Kristin and I have been friends since 2002. That's 15 years of friendship, and we've spent most of that time apart. We text almost every day and we FaceTime as often as we can. Currently, she is living in Connecticut and working for ESPN; she does graphics for the morning shows! We don't get to see each other as much as we'd like, but when we are together, it's as if nothing has changed. We never run out of things to talk about but when we're quiet, it is just as nice. Here's a little more about Kristin: 1. How did we meet? It was the middle of the school yea

I've previously posted about how I love the warm and sunny weather that comes with spring. But isn't the saying "April showers bring May flowers"? Spring is a time for growth, and growth comes from the rain. I love keeping the windows down while it rains. I will lay in bed with a good cup of tea and I'll listen to the rain for hours. I love the aesthetic of a rainy day and music softly playing from a record player. There is certain music that just sounds right in the rain; vintage records and raspy voices. Until I can get my own Crosley player and an extensive 50s record collection, I guess these songs will have to do: La Vie en Rose - Louis Armstrong Moon River - Audrey Hepburn (Andy William's version is also beautiful) Sway - Rosemary Clooney with Perez Prado Singing in the Rain - Gene Kelley Almost Like Being in Love - Nat "King" Cole What do you like to do on a rainy day?

Fun fact of the day: It's still Easter! Easter isn't just one day full of sunrise services and chocolate and bunnies and every other commercialized piece of nonsense, it is a season of celebrations! Christos anesti; Christ is risen! It is a season of hope and new beginnings, of knowing that not even death can overcome us. Jesus endured the most painful acts of torture and death that a person can experience. And He overcame! He rose, and so will we.

It's Friday everybody! GET PUMPED! For those of you who read my blog regularly, thanks a bunch! For those of you who don't... well, I am silently judging you... I have been wanting to make some more changes to my blog lately to make it prettier and more "me". I have also been wanting to make some changes to my posts. Every day, I have trying to post with the daily theme, but I have felt something has been... off with the themes. So I will be changing a few things: 1) Wonderful Wednesday is now... Woman Crush Wednesdays! I will still be doing Wonderful Wednesday on my Snapchat  but I thought it was kind of weird doing the same thing on 2 different platforms. Woman Crush Wednesday's are going to be posts about the wonderful women who have influence my life, whether they be my friends, family, authors, singers, and actresses. 2) Treat Yo-self Thursday is now... Throwback Thursday! Apparently, I don't do enough to treat myself to make this a weekly thing.

Happy Wonderful Wednesday, everybody! Wonderful Wednesday is a thing that I do on Snapchat every week where I talk about 3 wonderful things going on in my life. I then ask for people to share their 3 wonderful things in order to spread joy and positivity! Here are my 3 wonderful things: 1. I cut my hair! 7 inches of hair was cut from my head and I feel so free! A new haircut gives a renewed sense of confidence and it is such a wonderful feeling. 2. It is finally warm outside! Yesterday, I posted about music I like to listen to in the car when I roll my windows down. The weather has been so perfect lately that I have been able to drive with my windows down, wear sandals and dresses, and even sleep with my windows oopen and wake up listening to birds sing! 3. For the first time, possibly, in my whole life, I have not been freaking out about my future this week! I have been doing the Mary, Undoer of Knots novena this week and I've felt so calm about my future. I&#

It is 75 degrees outside right now, there's a light breeze blowing my fresh haircut, and all feels right in the world! I LOVE when Spring weather finally hits Northern Virginia. It's always a guessing game as to when it will happen (I mean, my campus closed for a snow day over Spring Break...) but when it does, I am a happy camper. I love rolling my windows down and taking the long way home so that I can jam to my favorite songs. I love turning the music all the way up to educate my fellow drivers in good music taste... Here is my current "Now Playing" playlist: Shout Out to My Ex- Little Mix "Shout out to my ex, you were really quite the man! You made my heart break and that made me who I am! Here's to my ex! Hey, look at me now! I'm all the way up and you'll never bring me down!" That's What I Like- Bruno Mars "Take a look in the mirror, now tell me who's the fairest. Is it you? Is it me? Say it's us and I'll

I get the feeling... Garfield the cat is credited with the quote, "I hate Mondays." Mondays are known to bring stress and funny Facebook memes. I mean, I get it, you have 2 days off to sleep and have fun only to go back to work Monday morning and daydream about that clock striking the end of your shift on Friday afternoon. But I actually really like Mondays. Monday means a brand new week, a whole week of being on your grind and crushing the term #GirlBoss. Monday means motivation, finding inspiration to get through another week. Monday means early mornings and late nights, getting work done and preparing for every possible outcome. Monday means change, trying to find what is making things feel slow and taking charge. This Monday was for change. I changed my calendars. I changed out my closet. I changed the layout of my bedroom. I changed my mindset from wanting a nap to working on applications. I changed my hair. I changed my mindset, so I'm going to

I love Tyra Banks. She's inspiring, beautiful, and really knows how to coin a word (smize is my favorite). A few years ago, I was reading an article or interview or something about Tyra where she said something along the lines of this: The woman's good! Lately, I've been thinking about this term. In this culture of social media, selfies, likes, filters, and #thinspo #makeupgoals, it's so hard to determine what is real and what isn't. Movies, music videos, TV, and magazines were always seen as the pieces of media that were warping young girl's self-esteem, but now, it's even worse. People are becoming famous because of Instagram and Snapchat posts. They have perfected the art of  strategic lighting and filters while sitting in uncomfortable ways to show off a seemingly flat belly and Kardashain type but. Now, it's one thing to see people you don't know getting hundreds, even thousands, of likes and followers, but it's worse when you see

Happy Tuesday, everyone! After deciding to take a small break from blogging, I'm back and ready to go! Lately, I've been thinking about motivation and things that motivate me. For me, motivation can come from anything: an interesting person I've met, a movie I've seen, a Pinterest board, but I'm especially motivated by music. From soft, sweet songs to edgy, alternative songs to sad, stare-out-the-window-like-a-music-video songs, music speaks to us in a number of ways. A lot of times, I find myself motivated by pulse-pounding, loud, punch-the-air music. When that happens, I feel like running at top speed and round housing some evil villain. Top 5 Hype Songs N*ggas in Paris by Jay Z and Kanye West Yoga by Janelle Monae I'll Make a Man Out of You by Donnie Osmond (from Mulan) That's My Gir l by Fifth Harmony My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light 'Em Up) by Fall Out Boy Seriously, guys, give these songs a listen and you'll fe

Happy Thursday, everybody! I absolutely love all of the DIY beauty tips I find on Pinterest. From teeth whitening to making your skin glow , Pinterest literally has everything! Something that I've noticed on Facebook and Pinterest lately is the reemergence of vintage beauty. I've seen videos about how to use a solid mascara and even how lipstick used to be made! I decided to look for something a little less extreme but also cheap (read: free). I found an article on Pinterest named "7 Vintage Beauty Tips You Need To Try" . I'd heard of some of them before (Audrey Hepburn is a brave woman for putting a pin so close to those famous eyes...), but the one that interested me the most is how Joan Crawford kept her face wrinkle-free and toned: Ice water. Yup, ice water. I decided to give it a try. I mean, it worked for Joan and Lauren Conrad, so why not give it a try? When I begin washing my face, I use warm, not hot, water to open my pores and let my Clairso

Hello, world! Let me start by apologizing for not posting any blogs last week. You know how you get so excited and have a plan for everything, but then life happens and you don't follow through? It isn't fun. I got discouraged last week for a number of reasons. Class assignments, exams, not blogging, and, of course, my impending future. Usually when I get overwhelmed, I do things that help me feel better like painting my nails or drinking a cut of tea. One of my favorite things to do to feel better is watch a Disney movie (the live-action Cinderella, Pocahontas, and Beauty and the Beast are my current go-to's...) I find everything about them inspiring and motivating, especially when life get's dark. From the character development to the story-line to the music, I always feel loads better after I watch a Disney movie. Here are my Top 5 most inspirational Disney songs: 1)  A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes - Cinderella How can I not start this list with the

So much for me doing daily blog posts... I got so busy with errands and classwork that I didn't give myself the time to blog. But have no fear, I'm back for Faithful Friday! As a Catholic, I like to frequent Confession. Something I constantly find myself confessing is my relentless need for control. My desire for control is something that I have to work on every day, but my priest gave me a great idea. Something that I, as well as most of the world's population, have with me all the time is my phone. Social media, email, class work, texting, it's basically another brain. He suggested that I have a picture as my background that reminds me of God's love for me. So I did. And now, whenever I stress about something and look at my phone, the first thing I see is a watercolor print that says, " but first, PRAY" . Here are a few of my favorite pictures that you can use as the background of your phone, computer, tablet, and even cover photo on Facebook and T

Happy Valentine's Day to all my married friends, single friends, and in-a-relationship-with-Ben-and-Jerry friends! For this Tunes-day, I'm going to share some of my favorite love songs! The Way You Look Tonight- Frank Sinatra "Some day, when I'm awfully low, when the world is cold, I will feel a glow just thinking of you..." Wanted- Hunter Hayes "'Cause everything that don't make sense about me makes sense when I'm with you..." Never Stop- SafetySuit "I will never stop watching as you leave. I will never stop losing my breath every time I see you looking back at me..." Tenerife Sea- Ed Sheeran "Should this be the last thing I see, I want you to know it's enough for me 'cause all that you are is all that I'll ever need..." A Drop in the Ocean- Ron Pope "A drop in the ocean, a change in the weather, I was praying that you and me might end up together..." The Day Before You- Matthew

I don't know about you, but last week was rough. Early mornings, late nights, piles of work, cleaning that needed to be done, places to go, people to see, things to do... Busy doesn't even begin to describe it. I was on the go from Monday straight through Saturday. Once I got the chance to sit down and do homework on Sunday, I couldn't bring myself to do hardly anything. Fortunately, I only have one written assignment, and it's not due until Friday. I got the general idea fleshed out for the 3-page, double-spaced paper, before I felt the wave of exhaustion. My legs and feet hurt from lip sync practice, my voice was raspy from talking and singing, my head hurt from having too many To Do lists, my heart hurt from everything stacking on top of each other; I needed a break. I pampered myself with all of my favorite products last night and allowed myself to just take care of myself. As I lay in bed watching Bob's Burgers for the thousandth time, I realized something.

Happy Friday, everyone! We did it! We made it through another week! When your week is full of  people who don't know how to drive, angry bosses, full parking lots, busy schedules, and just downright bad things, how do you deal with it? Do you scream and yell? Do you shut down and cry? Do you down a bottle of wine while watching another episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians? Hey, no judgement here; I've done it too. It is so easy for us to turn to the world for comfort but what do we do when that isn't enough? What happens when we still feel the loneliness, the sadness, the emptiness? What do we do then? We turn to a higher power, something more than ourselves, something that gives us purpose. We turn to God. For the last couple of years, I have been actively involved with GMU's Catholic Campus Ministry (CCM). I entered Discipleship with the wife of one of our FOCUS missionaries and began to lead a bible study. One of the things that FOCUS teaches us is

I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who starts to feel the burnout of the week by Thursday. Thursdays are actually my favorite day of the week! I usually have class in the morning and then I go to the chapel on campus. I do homework and  hang out with my friends until TNS (Thursday Night Supper) begins. We have Mass, a home cooked (FREE) meal, and a talk. We end around 7pm and them I'm free for the rest of the night. Usually, I take Thursday nights to relax and unwind. I count Thursdays as the end of my week. I may have class or something on Friday, but I'm usually pretty swamped on the weekends; it's basically like another week within a week. I'll take a nice shower, make myself some tea, settle in with some Netflix around 9, and I'm in for the rest of the night. So, yeah. I love Thursdays. One of my favorite parts of my nightly routine is washing my face. I love anything that has a process: cooking, cleaning, painting, working out... I have a pretty

Hello, world! I'm sorry that this is so late, but I have been go go go since 9am. So yeah. I'm exhausted. But that never keeps me from finding the wonderful things in my everyday life. Wonderful Wednesday is something that I started on my Snapchat (follow me @chickadeelee19) and was inspired by my friend Lizzy! I share three wonderful things going on in my life and I hope that you will do the same! Wonderful Thing #1: It's Homecoming Week! I have been so busy with lip sync practice, but it looks SO GOOD!! I can't wait for Friday! I will try to post it next week! Wonderful Thing #2: I can get back into a solid workout routine next week! Because of Homecoming taking up all of my non-homework time, I haven't been able to have a steady workout in a while. I'm excited to get back into running and going to the gym. Wonderful Thing #3: I got to hold a baby!!! It's always a good day when I get to hold a baby! He is just the happiest, handsomest baby in

Stress, it's a killer, and I've been feeling so much stress this week. Between classes, Homecoming, and bible study, I haven't been sleeping well; there's too much jumbling around in my head. When that happens, I turn to music to help me. Here are three songs that have been on my mind lately: Blue Ain't Your Color- Keith Urban I grew up listening to country music and this sounds just like the kind I listened to. I can just picture myself slow dancing in a dingy bar with some handsome stranger, trying to get my mind off of the fella who did me wrong.  Play That Song- Train When I first heard this song, I had no idea it was Train! This is such a different vibe that the stuff they have released in the past and I am LOVING it! A Whole New World- Yuna I am in love with Polynesian culture; the environment, the language,  the traditions... I'm hoping to go to Hawaii when I am back with Disney. Aulani started calling my name when this song was released with

Yesterday was the Super Bowl (congratulations, Patriots!) and I am definitely feeling the excitement! This week is Homecoming Week at George Mason University and I am on the team! From high school to college, Homecoming has always been exciting. At GMU, we have events ranging from a grocery bingo to a 3-on-3 basketball game to a blood drive. But the one event that I am looking forward to the most is the lip sync battle on Friday! I've adjusted to life back at home pretty well in the last month. As soon as I came home, I got sick with a sinus infection, not something you want in the middle of moving into a new house. Living with my family is great, but it's hard to get back into that frame of mind when I've been independent for almost 6 months. Now that things are starting to settle in, having a schedule for workouts, assignments, and Bible Study has gotten much easier. It helps when I have a set schedule when new things pop up, things like Homecoming!

Hello, blog-osphere! Welcome to my new and improved blog! In order to keep my blog new and fresh, I am going to be doing daily posts. Monday Motivation: Let's start the week off on the right foot! What is motivating me to get through the week? What is inspiring me in my life right now? What is keeping me going? These posts will include graphics, workouts, fun activities, Tunes-day: On Tuesdays, I will be sharing music that I enjoy! Wonderful Wednesday: Pulling inspiration from my Snapchat account, Wonderful Wednesday is the day where I share 3 wonderful things going on in my life. In return, I want you to do the same: tell me 3 wonderful things going on in your life. This practice is helpful on days when things seem to be going wrong and you just need that little boost of positivity to keep you going. Treat Yo-self Thursday: Tune in for my favorite health and beauty finds including DIYs. Faithful Friday:  Being Catholic is one of the largest pieces of my identity. On