The next to last...

Today is my second to last day of work at CBS News! Of course there will be an entirely seperate blog post after I'm officially done, but I'm just so excited that I have to share a little my happiness with you at this very moment. Don't get me wrong, I've loved my job here in New York, but I'm so ready to get back to Texas, family, and friends. This morning my boss pulled me and Stevie, the other intern, aside and told us that since a couple of the publicists won't be in the office tomorrow or Friday, she was going to order lunch for eveyone today as a thank you and goodbye to the interns for this semester. Woohoo!!! Free lunch!!!! We ordered from Brooklyn Diner up the street. I got a huge Chinese chicken salad and it was delicious!

Speaking of interns, I want to give a quick shout-out to Stephanie Bittner, better known as Stevie, who has been my partner in crime this semester. I know it was God's plan for us to work together for the last four months. I mean, how often do two enaged interns (who got engaged within 24 of each other, but in two seperate states) get placed in the same office?! We've have fun learning from each other, bouncing wedding ideas off of each other, giving opinions and suggestions, listening to each others frustrations, and all of this in between pulling news clips, answering phones, and preparing PR pitches. Talk about two women that have perfected multi-tasking! Stevie just started a new blog and I'm so proud of her! I'd like to think that I plays a big part in this decision. She's headed to Italy in a couple of weeks, so check out all of her Italian and wedding adventures at: http://www.unefillesleigh.blogspot.com/

Tonight is my last class as a college student. All I have left are two finals, one on Tuesday and one on Wednesday. I can't believe this time of my life is finally here. I'll be home in 8 days and graduating in 17. CRAZY! I know I talk about this just about every time I blog these days, but what can I say? It's a big time in my life right now. I still haven't quite wrapped my mind around it.

But here's the real issue: How do you feel about my new blog background? I can't decide if I like it. I love reading, but I don't know how I feel about a book background. Although, I guess it doesn't matter. I'm sure it will be something different in a day or two. I'm so indecisive:)

Movin' Along

Life just keeps moving along, a little slower in the last couple of weeks, but still moving none the less. I say this because the closer I get to moving back to Texas, the slower time seems to pass. It's like being a child during the week before Christmas and counting the minutes until Santa's arrival. This next week will be my last week at my internship at CBS News. I've learned so much from this experience and I'll be sad to say goodbye to everyone in my office, but on the other hand, I'm ready to go. It's time to move on to my next job adventure and to take another step towards my career.

{The intern desk in the Press Office at CBS News}

On Friday I had my second wedding dress fitting to make sure that the alterations were going smoothly. Everything is going very well! The dress looks great and we talked about what kind of bustle I wanted. I decided to go with the American traditional bustle because the French bustle made me look like I had a second butt, just lower. Not flattering! Just a couple more little alterations and my mom and I will pick it up this Friday. Have I mentioned on my blog yet that my mother is coming back up to New York? Well, she is! Jules will be up here on Thursday to help me begin the packing process. She's going to take one of my big suitcases full of clothes, etc. home with her on Sunday so that I don't have as much to haul back the following week. Isn't she sweet?

Saturday was pretty cool. All of the students in my program were required to go to the MoMA, or the Museum of Modern Art, that morning. Unfortunately, I'm not one to really read much into art, although I do appreciate it very much, so I never feel like I take away much from museum visits. Bummer, huh? I just take a lot of pictures and know that I've seen famous artwork. Maybe I should buy a art book and read about it before hand? I don't know. My favorite exhibit at the MoMA was Tim Burton's exhibit and my favorite painting to see was "Starry Night" by Van Gogh. They wouldn't let me take any pictures in the Tim Burton exhibit, but here's a picture I took of Van Gogh's painting. 

{Starry Night}

Today's another pretty chill day. I plan to start packing a little, work on some last minute homework, and do some laundry. It looks pretty gloomy outside, so I doubt I get to do much but hang around the dorm. Luke has been working super hard this weekend which has made it tough to talk to him. They had a huge group of people out at Camp Zephyr all weekend plus a ton of extra staff. On the weekends, Luke is at work sometime around 7:30 a.m. and is never truly "off" of work. He could get called in the middle of the night if something goes wrong. We've only talked for maybe an hour or two this entire weekend. Not my favorite:( But I'm so proud of him. I can't even begin to imagine working as hard as he does plus being a full-time college student. I see God working in His life and growing him in big ways. I know there is an amazing plan for Luke and for our lives together.

Now, if only the next 11 days would pass by just a little quicker...:)

{Hot tubbin' last spring}

Done

I AM READY TO BE BACK IN TEXAS. I AM OVER NEW YORK. OOOVVVVEEERRRRR IT!!!!!!!!! DO YOU HEAR ME?!?!?! I'M DONE WITH THIS PLACE!!!!

Thanks for letting me vent:)

My Love Affair

Music has always played a very big role in my life. I remember as a little girl sitting the the front seat of my parents' suburban with my feet up on the dashboard singing along to Amy Grant's, "Baby, Baby" or knowing every word to every song by The Commodores or Johnny Cash, two of my dad's favorites. I also listened to a lot of Celine Dion (thanks momma!), Jock Jams (yes, we owned every volume!), and Shania Twain (somewhat disappointing now). But anyway, you get the picture. Music has played role in my life from the very beginning.

It wasn't until about junior high that I realized my true love for music. I mean, come on, who wouldn't have come to this realization by listening to the Spice Girls, Backstreet Boys, NSYNC, etc.?! Ok, but seriously, this was about the time that I started to really appreciate music. I took my Discman with me on every junior high out-of-town volleyball or basketball game and always had a newly burned cd mix in hand, titled appropriately for each individual trip, of course. But these mixes were not limited to boy band music; I listened to all sorts of music: 90's Country, Rock and Roll Oldies, Motown, Alanis Morisette, Madonna, Rod Stewart, and tons of 90's Alternative. There has to be so much more, but this is what I can think of off the top of my head at this moment. It was also around this time that I started singing pretty regularly in church. So not only was my library of music growing, but so was my voice. Now, by no means am I the next (fill in the blank with your favorite singer), but I can carry a tune pretty well. I've sang and performed in choir and individually throughout high school and college. Ok, I know, I know. You get it. Sara loves music. Sorry:) Times to focus in on my whole point of this blog post.

Here's ultimately where I'm going with all this music talk: Music is more than just a love of mine. It give me words when I can't find the right ones. I definitely think of myself as a lyrical person. I journal, write, sing, read. I love words and sewing them together in a beautiful way. When you speak to me, choose your words wisely, because I will probably read a lot into them. And if I ever come to a point where I can't find the words to say what I'm thinking or feeling, I can always find a song that says it better than I could anyway.

Worshipping the Lord through song is the most intimate way I talk to my God. Whether I'm actually singing or just listening to the music with my eyes closed, this is when I feel I'm the closest to Him. Many worship songs give me the words to speak to explain to the Lord exactly what I'm feeling when I can't find the right words myself. Have you ever wondered how that works? I mean, how does David Crower or Casting Crowns or Tenth Avenue North know how I'm feeling? I believe the Lord has a hand in this:)

Last night, I was listening to my iPod before falling asleep and I had it on my worship music playlist. Here are some of my favorite lyrics from the songs I was listening to. If you've never heard one or more of these, please download it/them. Great lyrics, great sound, and an even greater God to sing to.

"Your love is extravagant

Your friendship, it is intimate

I feel I'm moving to the rhythm of Your grace

Your fragrance is intoxicating in the secret place

Cause Your love is extravagant."

-Your Love Is Extravagant, Casting Crowns

"Hey now, this is my desire

Consume me like a fire, 'cause I just want something beautiful

To touch me, I know that I'm in reach

'Cause I am down on my knees.

I'm waiting for something beautiful

Oh, something beautiful."

-Something Beautiful, Needtobreathe

"So I come boldly, boldly to Your throne,

Confident in Christ alone.

I come boldly, boldly to Your throne,

Knowing Your greace is greater

Than anything I could ever need."

-Boldly, Branch

On another note (no pun intended), I'm also struggling to pick out First Dance, Father/Daughter, Mother/Son songs for mine and Luke's reception. I have SO MANY love songs that I think go with our story. I want this song to mean something, be romantic and perfect. And how am I supposed to pick just one song for my dad and I to dance to?? I don't like the corny, traditional songs. I want to pick something original, something sepcial. This will be a tough one for me and I'll continue to dwell on until someone forces me to choose.

Well, I now that I've gone on and on about my love affair with music, I leave you with this awesome video of Amy Grant performing "Baby, Baby." Yes, you're welcome:)

Vera Sale!!!

For those of you who are Vera Bradley lovers, check out this awesome sale! I used to be way more addicted then I am today, but I'm still a big fan, especially for an extra 20% off of all sale items. Just thought you would like me to share this little bit of excitement with you:)

LAAAADDDYY!!!

This past weekend, my childhood best friend came to visit me in New York. This was an epic weekend for two reasons: 1) Because we had an AMAZING time! and 2) Because this was my last visitor before I move back to Texas!!! It was so nice to have Millie visit, to stay in a hotel and not in a dorm room (SO over it), to see a couple Broadway shows, and to shop! Mill didn't get to New York until Friday evening, so we just grabbed a quick dinner across the street at a little Italian place across the street and called it an early night. On Saturday, we dominated the city and Sunday we just relaxed. Here are a few pictures, both from the trusty iPhone and my actual camera, from our weekend. I'll explain the pictures as we go:)

{That's my girl. Shopping within the first hour of being in NYC. And of course, she had to get something for everyone. Love ya Mill!}

{Millie and I saw Jersey Boys on Saturday afternoon. It was incredible! I walked out of there singing, "Big girls don't cry!!!"}

{We had dinner at Ellen's Stardust Diner}

{Before we saw our second show, we bought (and split!) a Crumbs cupcake. DELISH!}

{Millie and I before Promises, Promises}

{Two shows in one day = Broadway success!!}

{Just Jack!}

We met Sean Hayes (aka Jack from Will & Grace) after the show. It was crazy to hear him talk so straight, ha! He's Millie's fav so, of course, this was the highlight of our night! Btw, the title of this post is "LAAAADDDY!!! because we quoted all of Jack's lines the entire weekend.

{Me creepin' while he ate his cookie after the show, ha! We weren't allowed to ask for pictures with him, so this is as good as it got}

Like I said earlier, Sunday we just relaxed, no agenda. We had lunch/dinner at an awesome restaurant called Carmine's. I'd never heard of it, but Millie said it was her favorite place in New York. The portions were family sized aka the biggest amount of food I've ever seen! Here's a picture of our massive chicken parmesan. 

{Whoa baby!}

I've also developed, since I've been in New York, this incredible gift of buying expensive jeans for cheap at resale shops. Luke should be proud of me:) My first week here, I bought a pair of Citizens jeans for $5. Yup, 5 bucks! This past weekend, I found a pair of Joe's at the same store for $30. Not as good of a deal, but get real! I've spent $35 total on two pairs of jeans that I would have had to spend $300 on normally. Momma didn't raise no fool;)

While Mill and I were enjoying our lazy Sunday afternoon, my boy and his posse were workin' hard out at Camp Zephyr. There is always a ton of work to be done this time of year as everyone is getting ready for the summer. This is the precious...cough, cough...I mean tough picture Luke texted me of the guys working their tails off out at the big Z. You can tell by this picture that they need a little sunshine and summer time in their lives. Hang in there boys, 4 weeks!

Today at work I realized that I have 17 days left in New York. Wow, I seriously can't believe it! Two weeks left of work, I pack up, take finals, and move home. Then graduation...work...more wedding planning...AHHH!! Ok Sara, quit getting ahead of yourself. One day at a time:) That's how I'm learning to take my life, one day at a time. It's the only way I stay sane! I hope everyone had a great relaxing weekend and a as-good-as-it-can-get Monday!

My Wedding Shoes!

Alright ladies and gentlemen, here they are!

These are the chosen ones, the shoes I will wear the day Luke and I become husband and wife (everyone together now: awww!!). I LOVE them! They are Kate Spade and I bought them at a wedding boutique here in the city. I thought I wanted colored shoes that matched my bridesmaids' dresses, but after shopping around and knowing the detail of my dress, I decided to go with shoes that matched my dress. I know what you're probably thinking, that's a tall heel. Yes, they are:) But they are so comfortable! I also plan on dyeing them after the wedding. Wouldn't these shoes be even sexier in red?! I think so! 

Also, I have a quick favor to ask you. I'm taking my cue from my friend Molly who, in her blog, asked this same question. Every so often, friends and family make comments to me about "My Green-Eyed Perspective." If you read this blog regularly, every once in a while, or just when you come across it, I'd love to know who you are! Please click the "Follow" button on the right side of the page to let me know that you've stopped by. If you have a Google, Blogger, or Twitter account, you'll have the option to follow publicly using that account. If not, you can still follow my blog by clicking "Follow" and typing in your name. Again, I'd love to know who's reading my blog! This way I can give you a shout out:) For those of you who are already following, thanks so much and I hope I give you fun insights into my hectic life and all of my crazy thoughts. If I'm not following you blog, let me know and I'll return the favor. 

Well, happy hump day everyone! We're half way through the week and time just keeps flying by. I'm going to leave you with a verse that has been on my heart lately and I hope it helps give you peace today.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

-Jeremiah 29:11

Lady Liberty and Ellis Island

Today, Ashley and I went to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island! (Hence the title of this blog post. I know, so creative, right?) It was quite a trip getting there, but we ended up having a great time and ended up with a few good pictures too!

So, out tickets for the ferry said 2 p.m. We decided leaving the dorm at 1:30 p.m. wasn't a bad time, because the ferry is only one stop up. Well, we didn't really consider the fact that the trains run slower on the weekend or the ridiculously long walk we'd have to make from Wall St. to catch the stupid ferry. We ended up running probably a mile to catch the ferry because we thought we were late, only to find out that the line of 300+ people wasn't going anywhere without us. "If only I was sweating...oh wait, I AM!" Yes, those are sweet Ashley's words after our award winning sprint to the end of the ferry line. Hey--at least it was a beautiful, sunny day! We got great seats on the ferry ride and our first stop was the Statue of Liberty!

[Isn't she a beaut?}

{The Lady and myself}

{My sightseeing partner and I}

After taking pictures with the Statue of Liberty, we grabbed a couple of quick pictures of the city. They look a little far away, but it was still a great view. The Hudson River is what lies between the city and the statue. Remember the 'Miracle on the Hudson'? Yeah, that one!

{It wouldn't have been a successful day if my squinty eyes hadn't made at least one picture}

Our last stop before we headed over to Ellis Island was at the cherry blossoms. I've been so jealous of all of my friends Facebook pictures with the cherry blossoms in D.C. because I think these trees are just beautiful. I was so excited to see that cherry blossoms were in full bloom at the Statue of Liberty! Can you say PHOTO-OP? Ashley and I took advantage, not only of the pictures, but of the trees! She and I both climbed these trees like little girls and it was so much fun! 

{Cherry blossoms}

{Climbing the cherry blossom trees!}

After our tree-climbing and picture-taking escapade, we jumped on the last ferry over to Ellis Island. We took an audio tour of the area where all of the immigrants arrived, where they were given medical and legal checks, and we got to stand in the area where families were reunited after the extremely hard process. I've never really studied this part of history and it made me sad to think of the family members that did not pass the inspections. They traveled for weeks on a cramped boat, looking to find a new life in a new world, only to be turned away. Many of their family members were allowed to stay while they were forced to return home. How sad is that? But so many more were allowed to stay and help build our country into what is it today. There is so much history on that little island. This trip made me appreciate my family and all of the families that made the sacrifice for me without even knowing it. God bless America! 

{Ashley and I at Ellis Island}

Now, I'm home and really tired. I guess with all of the running and sightseeing, I've worn myself out. Now it's time to play a little catch-up so that I can be ready for the new week. My childhood best friend, Millie, will be here next weekend so I'm going to start working on our itinerary for when she's here. Time is quickly passing and before I know, it will be time to go home a graduate. Three and a half more weeks in the city, eeek!! :)

Chips Ahoy! and Prom Memories

What a lazy weekend I'm having! Not lazy in the sense that I haven't gotten anything accomplished because I HAVE. It's just that the pace of this weekend has just been relatively slow compared to the pace of my work day routine. And I'm liking it:)

Yesterday I slept in until about 10 a.m. I told myself I could not sleep any later than this because I had to wake up and apply for jobs. Oh yessss...the life of a graduating senior. Well, I am please to report that this task was indeed successful and I've applied to many places that I would be thrilled to work for. I'm definitely looking for a job where what I do on a daily basis effects the greatest amount of people in a positive way. I know that sounds broad and this may sound corny to you, but I want my future career to have meaning. I want to serve people by doing a job I'm passionate about. I'll keep you posted on how the job search is going.

Ashley and I have been trying to eat healthy since it's almost bikini season and, for me, WEDDING SEASON! However, we caved last night and got Chinese food for dinner, lol. But we did the best we could. I ate chicken and broccoli and Ashley ate some kind of house chicken. There was so much food actually, that we brought half of it home. Mmmm, Chinese food leftovers! After we'd gotten back to the dorm and gone our separate ways, I heard a knock on my door. I opened it to find a pouting Ashley demanding that we find chocolate ASAP. You see, she's given up Chips Ahoy! cookies for now, but was having serious withdrawals. So, we went to our local grocery store to by baby cups of cookie dough ice cream so that she wouldn't cave and then we rented Princess and the Frog. GOOD MOVIE! This was the first cartoon movie I'd seen in a long time and I was pleasantly surprised! A little ice cream and a good movie is always better than caving and buying an entire bag of Chips Ahoy!, no doubt:)

Today I woke up around 10 a.m. and I was missing Texas A LOT. I had this incredible urge to pack a bag, jump on the first plane out, pick up all my friends and head straight to the beach. I want to go home so badly! I'm not homesick in the way the little kids get homesick at sleep-over camp. I just want to be back in Texas. I want sunshine at 90 degrees, not 65. I want the beach, Mexican food, my family and friends, Luke, etc. Thanks New York, it's been real. But you're just not Texas. No worries though, I only have 26 more days, and believe me, I'm counting!

This afternoon I got a good hour-long workout in and now I'm going to work on a little wedding planning. I think I'll just lay low tonight and enjoy my evening. Tonight is Prom 2010 in Hallettsville and my baby sister, Becca, is a junior. This means that this year, her class was in charge of the theme/decorating/etc. I'm so excited for her because I remember how fun prom was when I was in high school. Getting my hair done, taking pictures before hand with friends, dancing all night...well, until my parents told me I had to come home, ha! Good memories. Here is a picture that Becca texted me of her before prom. How hot is this little girl?? She get's it from her big sister;)

{Have fun Becca Roo!}

Also, I was looking through mine and Luke's engagement pictures for the first time in a while yesterday and came across this picture. I don't know why I hadn't noticed it before, but I really like this one! It's now my new FB profile picture, of course. Taking those pictures was so fun! Jade will be taking our wedding pictures as well and I can't wait! She's just a great photographer. If you haven't checked out her website, you should! www.journeytreestudio.com

{Love you babe!}

Tomorrow I'm headed to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Be looking for pictures soon! Hope you're having a blessed weekend:)

Picture update because I'm lazy:)

I've been wanting to blog about this past weekend for a while now, but every time I start, I can't seem to get a good flow going. So, because of my inability to organize my thoughts, I'm just going to post pictures and explain through captions. Happy picture browsing!

{This is the precious box my wedding shoes came in. I bought them this past weekend!!}

Would you like to see what these sexy shoes look like? If I get a good response, I'll post a picture soon!

{A bunch of the girls went to Grimaldi's, a famous pizza place in Brooklyn, last Friday night for dinner. It was fun to have Jenny and Katie visiting!}

{On Saturday, Ashley and I went shopping. While she tried on clothes at Anthropologie, I admired all their cute kitchen decor and dishes. I LOVE their stuff and hope that Luke will allow me to selfishly spend a little of our wedding money on a few pieces. The blue/green/pink coffee cups and bowls are my favorite}

{Matchy matchy!}

{These make me want to bake}

{I know, it's so wifey...but I think these oven mits are adorable!)

{After Anthro, Ash and I did more shopping. H&M, Victoria's Secret, and Forever 21. In the middle of all the shopping, we made a stop by Macy's Flower Show. I'm glad I got the chance to capture a few pictures of the beautiful flowers in Macys. Spring is officially here, FINALLY!}

{Aren't those little birds too cute? My momma would have loved this flower show! I wish it would have been going on when she and my sisters visited}

This past weekend was really fun and very relaxing; much needed. So, besides these pictures, I have a few life updates. I've decided not to go to law school, for a couple of different reasons. There's no need to go into these reasons; God made the decision easy and that's that. So now, like all of the other college seniors anticipating graduation in 5ish weeks, I'm job searching. I'm been writing cover letters like a crazy person and sending those, plus the good old resume, to PR firms and PR departments all over Corpus Christi. Have I told y'all that CC is where I'm moving after graduation? Well, it is! Luke has one more semester of school after I'm done, so we'll be in Corpus for a little while at least. 

Wedding stuff is good, but I could talk about this kind of thing forever; that's for another post at another time. It's been tough planning from New York, but I'll be home in 4 weeks and then I'm hitting the ground running, both literally and figuratively! Speaking of running, here's another life update: Today, I started tracking what I eat and how much I'm working out. There is an awesome website, http://www.mydailyplate.com/, that is sort of like Weight Watchers, but FREE! When you enter in information such as you age, weight, height, amount of physical activity, etc., it calculates how many calories you should be eating according to how many pounds per week you want to lose. I don't want to lose a ton of weight of anything, but I definitely want to tone up before the wedding. I've heard multiple success stories about this website just today, so I'll keep you posted and let you know what kind of success I have. Wish me luck!

Ok, it's time for bed. After a 9 hour work day, a 3 hour class, and a 30 minute run over and back on the Brooklyn Bridge, this girl is beat. I hope you all had a wonderful day and have an even better night's sleep! Sweet dreams:)

Akward Elevator

I don't ride elevators very often in Texas. I guess the opportunity just doesn't present itself of a regular basis. But since I've been living in New York, I ride the elevator. Like, alot. I live of the 7th floor of my dorm building, I work on the 6th floor of the CBS Broadcasting Center, and I go to school on the 7th floor of some random build that I don't know the name of. But I think I've made my point. I ride the elevator multiple times a day.

It's been easy to note a difference between taking the elevator in Texas and taking it in New York. In Texas, if it's just me and one other person in the elevator, I'll strike up a conversation. "How's your day going?" or "Where are you headed?" I'm a talker naturally, but I also think that elevator rides are a good time to share Christ's love by engaging and noticing His people.

BUT NOT IN NEW YORK.

Riding the elevator in New York is awkward. No one looks up at you. No one talks. And if they're riding the elevator alone and you step on, they'll immediately pull out their Blackberry or iPhone and start pretending to be sending some uber important email. I mean, get real dude, I saw you playing Sudoku on your iPhone. These kind of people make me feel awkward by the way they act. And this is saying something since I don't feel awkward very often. Every once in a while, I get up the guts to speak to these anti-social New Yorkers. Sometimes there is a successful,

Me: Hi there.
New Yorker: Hi.
Me: How are you today?
New Yorker: Fine.
Me: Hope you have a nice day.
New Yorker: Thanks.

Other than that, these people refuse friendly conversaion. Oh well, it's not going to keep me from trying! These people need to watch Steel Magnolias. My favorite line from that movie is, "Smile. It increases your face value!"

Hey--make friendly small talk with someone today. You never know when they could use a friend and you may be the only Jesus that person ever sees. Happy Wednesday everyone!

**P.S. Sorry for the lack of posting recently. I've been busy with a lot of tedious work, but I have a lot to catch y'all up on. Be looking for a new (long) post soon!**