11.10.2011
11.07.2011
home.
it's been a little over 6 months since i packed up all my stuff from rosemary street and moved back to charlotte. sometimes it's hard to believe it's been that long. sometimes it feels like i never left charlotte, like this is just a continuation from high school with a little bit of a twist. and most of the time i think i'm pretty blessed to call this my life.
it hasn't been easy. i found myself thrown back into a life i hadn't lived since high school. i've had to deal with a lot of things that i've pushed off to the side because it was easier that way. i've had to yell and cry a lot. i've had to do a lot of forgiving. i've had to decide to put things behind me. i've had to learn how to love my family again. i've had to let go of someone i gave my heart to many moons ago. i've had to pick up the pieces of my broken heart and learn to move on.
but i've been able to have dinner with my family again. i've been able to add a "bar" column to my budget because i have friends and a life again. i've been able to watch brian go from not being able to hold a fork to walking in his walker. i've been able to play with my mom almost every day. i've gotten to feel friendship in it's truest form. i've been able to grow- to learn from my many mistakes and decide to be a better person. i've been able to heal.
somedays are hard. somedays i wish i could go back to living in isolation because it was easier that way. somedays i want to hop on a plane and never look back. but i'll always look back because this is my life. and no matter where i may go & who i may be, this will always be home.
it hasn't been easy. i found myself thrown back into a life i hadn't lived since high school. i've had to deal with a lot of things that i've pushed off to the side because it was easier that way. i've had to yell and cry a lot. i've had to do a lot of forgiving. i've had to decide to put things behind me. i've had to learn how to love my family again. i've had to let go of someone i gave my heart to many moons ago. i've had to pick up the pieces of my broken heart and learn to move on.
but i've been able to have dinner with my family again. i've been able to add a "bar" column to my budget because i have friends and a life again. i've been able to watch brian go from not being able to hold a fork to walking in his walker. i've been able to play with my mom almost every day. i've gotten to feel friendship in it's truest form. i've been able to grow- to learn from my many mistakes and decide to be a better person. i've been able to heal.
somedays are hard. somedays i wish i could go back to living in isolation because it was easier that way. somedays i want to hop on a plane and never look back. but i'll always look back because this is my life. and no matter where i may go & who i may be, this will always be home.
10.31.2011
lately.
not having a home game every weekend has been surprisingly nice. it's been good to spend time in charlotte & spend time at home. the weekend of the 22nd we started the weekend off by going to my sister's house for a bonfire. my friends came with me too.
saturday night we celebrated halloween.
way too much leopard.
the girls of scott ave.
halloweekend started off with a 18 hour work day. we had a party at the mansion and it turned out to be a fun (but terribly long) night.
sun drop girl, ramona from real houswives, heidi from tool time, wilme & betty, a cat and kim kardashian
wilma & betty.
10.18.2011
my island.
there is a small little piece of land a few miles off the carolina coast. this island's land area is about 5 square miles and to most people it wouldn't seem like much to brag about. there are no cars allowed on this island - it is only accessible by a ferry boat and once on the island, your mode of transportation is a golf cart. there is a grocery store, two restaurants, two country clubs, a few retail stores, a church, a post office & a beautiful light house.
my family started coming to this island when i was 3. we had just moved from charleston to charlotte and somehow my parents stumbled upon this island. at the time, there wasn't much there. no grocery store, no retail stores, no post office, only one country club.
until last weekend, i hadn't been to this island in over 5 years. i could try & explain to you how great it was to be back but i'd never be able to. this island has been through so much with me & i have been through so much with it. i've watched the island change & grow over the past 20 years but i've never stopped loving it. no matter how many people now know about my little piece of heaven. no matter how many new houses there are and no matter how populated it gets. i will forever cherish this island.
i could go on for days - go on explaining the memories. like how my parents and i took my sister & i to the top of the light house one weekend and told us they were giving their marriage another shot. like the heartbreak that followed when it didn't work out. or how i still miss the memories of kissing harrison on east beach that week after graduation. there has been so much - so many families- my parents together, my parents apart, my new step dad & his family, my new step mom & her family, my best friends. my life.
this island is called bald head island. and it is forever mine.
my family started coming to this island when i was 3. we had just moved from charleston to charlotte and somehow my parents stumbled upon this island. at the time, there wasn't much there. no grocery store, no retail stores, no post office, only one country club.
until last weekend, i hadn't been to this island in over 5 years. i could try & explain to you how great it was to be back but i'd never be able to. this island has been through so much with me & i have been through so much with it. i've watched the island change & grow over the past 20 years but i've never stopped loving it. no matter how many people now know about my little piece of heaven. no matter how many new houses there are and no matter how populated it gets. i will forever cherish this island.
i could go on for days - go on explaining the memories. like how my parents and i took my sister & i to the top of the light house one weekend and told us they were giving their marriage another shot. like the heartbreak that followed when it didn't work out. or how i still miss the memories of kissing harrison on east beach that week after graduation. there has been so much - so many families- my parents together, my parents apart, my new step dad & his family, my new step mom & her family, my best friends. my life.
this island is called bald head island. and it is forever mine.
10.10.2011
kentucky.
noon games call for "early" friday nights, mimosas and shrimp and grits.
hunter told us to strike a model pose. this is what we came up with.
baby cocky!
gamecocks dominate, 54-3. the connor shaw era begins.
rainbow above the stadium. i think it was the big man blessing little connor.
san jose's for dalton's birthday.
got up early on sunday and came home for the panther's game with my fam. they lost, but it was still a great game and a great day for football.
it's been a busy month! i'm traveling again this weekend to the beach with my parents. i'm really looking forward to going to BHI - it just may be my favorite place on this beautiful earth. i haven't been in about 6 years and am anxious to see how much it has changed.
auburn.
a great weekend... minus the loss. it started out in the middle of nowhere, sc at a little gathering called "campmeeting" but don't you dare pronounce the p... they'll know you're not from around here.
there were out houses. and hay floors and a lot of fried food. and i'm not kidding.
we headed back to cola and ran into our sweet mar at jake's.
ammie's airplane ride on saturday morning.
i never knew i could love a cement building so much.
or a patch of grass.
pals before the game.
how i felt about the 16-13 loss.
there's 4 of them in there.
gourmet shop on sunday morning.
my new pillow pet. worth every penny & i named him melvin.
i couldn't let him go!
vandy weekend.
during the fall, i remember weekends based on what team we play on saturday. i've been slacking on updating so hold on tight for the last month in 3 posts.
friday night i stayed in charlotte because my great friend brett from atlanta was in town. we went out with all of the coaches that work with my sister. we went to enso for dinner and then to our fave place howl at the moon for drinks. as always when i'm with brett and my sister, we drank too much and had way too much fun.
saturday morning katt and i left for cola. it was a fun weekend with a few speed bumps but overall a good time. gamecocks win 24-21.
friday night i stayed in charlotte because my great friend brett from atlanta was in town. we went out with all of the coaches that work with my sister. we went to enso for dinner and then to our fave place howl at the moon for drinks. as always when i'm with brett and my sister, we drank too much and had way too much fun.
saturday morning katt and i left for cola. it was a fun weekend with a few speed bumps but overall a good time. gamecocks win 24-21.
pals.
sexy.
the soon-to-be mrs. rose
one of my favorite places on earth.
9.23.2011
dear alexa
Hi you! I’ve been meaning to write you for a few days now but I’ve been super busy at work & with life. You survived the first day of rush! I was actually just down in Columbia for “mock rush tea” which is where all the alumni and senior moms come to watch their rush routines. Round 2 & 3 will be much more fun and you’ll start to learn a little bit more about each chapter. How are you liking it so far? Rush is kind of awkward- but it’s fun to go in all the houses. Hopefully you’re having a great time & making some friends in your Phi Chi group! And about choosing a sorority – follow your heart. It sounds so cheesy but it really is true. You will end up where you’re supposed to end up. Don’t get caught up in the stress & drama – just try to enjoy the process. It will all work out!
Where are you living? I saw your picture but couldn’t tell – maybe because they just renovated Patterson. That is where I lived and loved it. Spend as much time as you can getting to know the girls on your hall. I’m sure you’ve already picked up on this, but not everyone has been as privledged and as blessed as we were growing up. It’s something I really loved about going to school there – being out of the “south Charlotte bubble.” Some of my best friends in the world are from the middle of nowhere South Carolina and have very different lives and families than I do but it makes me love them even more.
I’m so excited for you Alexa! Choosing South Carolina was the best decision I have ever made. Freshman year will be hard & an adjustment, but by the end of spring I hope you’ll be as in love as I was. Make sure you’re sober enough to remember the feeling that you get the first home game when 2001 plays- it will be something you cherish forever. Go to as many baseball games as you can – we have one of the nicest, if not the nicest, college baseball stadiums in the country. And you might have heard- we’re pretty damn good too! Take care of your friends- a lot of people will be making a lot of bad decisions in the next few months, but love them through it. If you ever think someone needs more help than you can give them – don’t be scared to ask your RA or call 911. I almost lost a friend while she was laying in my arms and calling 911, despite what everyone else had to say, saved her life. Get involved in as many things as you can. Spend time on the horseshoe – there’s WIFI! Get to know your professors – I still keep in touch with a few of mine and they are wonderful resources to have. Most importantly, soak up all that USC has to offer. It is a wonderful University & Columbia is a great place to spend 4 years of your life. I can only hope that in 5 or 6 years when you’re in my shoes, you will be as proud as I am to have a degree from USC.
Good luck, have fun and enjoy the ride!
Where are you living? I saw your picture but couldn’t tell – maybe because they just renovated Patterson. That is where I lived and loved it. Spend as much time as you can getting to know the girls on your hall. I’m sure you’ve already picked up on this, but not everyone has been as privledged and as blessed as we were growing up. It’s something I really loved about going to school there – being out of the “south Charlotte bubble.” Some of my best friends in the world are from the middle of nowhere South Carolina and have very different lives and families than I do but it makes me love them even more.
I’m so excited for you Alexa! Choosing South Carolina was the best decision I have ever made. Freshman year will be hard & an adjustment, but by the end of spring I hope you’ll be as in love as I was. Make sure you’re sober enough to remember the feeling that you get the first home game when 2001 plays- it will be something you cherish forever. Go to as many baseball games as you can – we have one of the nicest, if not the nicest, college baseball stadiums in the country. And you might have heard- we’re pretty damn good too! Take care of your friends- a lot of people will be making a lot of bad decisions in the next few months, but love them through it. If you ever think someone needs more help than you can give them – don’t be scared to ask your RA or call 911. I almost lost a friend while she was laying in my arms and calling 911, despite what everyone else had to say, saved her life. Get involved in as many things as you can. Spend time on the horseshoe – there’s WIFI! Get to know your professors – I still keep in touch with a few of mine and they are wonderful resources to have. Most importantly, soak up all that USC has to offer. It is a wonderful University & Columbia is a great place to spend 4 years of your life. I can only hope that in 5 or 6 years when you’re in my shoes, you will be as proud as I am to have a degree from USC.
Good luck, have fun and enjoy the ride!
9.20.2011
my weekend photo story.
friday i stayed at work late for our last "summer cocktail" event. i took pictures for the myers park magazine and chatted with people about the mansion - my mom, sister and brother-in-law came too! i got home and went out with my siblings and some friends.
saturday we woke up and hit the road to columbia. i've been missing columbia and williams brice - it was so great to be back!
new signage in the stadium
fireworks at halftime
and then we went out in 5 points - good to be back there and with my pals.
and then i sat in gum....
so i was like this...
and then i went to sleep and woke up and ate rockaways and got a peanut butter milkshake which made me like this.
can't wait to do it again this weekend!
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