simple math: last day of school

PLUS
EQUALS
Oh, that's right. Sprained my ankle on the last day of school playing on the bungee run inflatable. AM. SO. COOL.

T-town

I know that you have all heard about the tornado in Tuscaloosa and other parts of the southeast. My sister lives in Tuscaloosa, so this has felt incredibly close to home. Thankfully, my sister is ok, as well as her friends. Some of her friends had damage to their homes/stuff, but all of AnneTaylor's stuff is ok.

This week's Sports Illustrated cover is all about "What the Tornado Took" from Tuscaloosa. It focuses on the athlete's response to the tornado. It's heart wrenching. You can read the full article by clicking on the picture.
The NFL draft was the day after the tornado hit, and it was cool to see quite a few Alabama players get drafted! Even cooler was that those guys were still talking/tweeting about how they were going to help in Tuscaloosa.

You need to read the article. It's really well written, and it will certainly make you feel connected to the real story in T-town.

bathing suits and modesty

Growing up, I thought the only reason to wear a one-piece bathing suit was to hide fat. I thought skinny people wore two-pieces and fat people wore one-pieces. Just the rules. However, when I was in highschool, my friend Natalie (who is thin) wore a one-piece all the time. I remember talking to her about it, and she said that wore one when she knew she would be around guys- because she thought that her body was none of their business. I remember being surprised about that because I had never given much thought to modesty in regards to bathing suits.

By their very nature, bathing suits are not modest. They are skin tight and resemble underwear. Everything is on display. But talking to Natalie made me realize that there are some decisions you can make about someone else's ability to know everything about your body.

I was reading Elizabeth Esther's blog this morning about her daughter's bathing suit choices, and it made me remember this revelation with Natalie in highschool. Her husband reminded her that it's not about the bikini- it's about the relationship. The relationship with her daughter for her to understand modesty and purity is what matters- not the bathing suit.

I go to a camp with my church every summer, and they have a rule that you have to wear one-piece bathing suits. And, I'll be honest, there is a incredible sense of innocence for that entire week on the beach. People who come to camp for the first time always complain about the rule, but after you've gone a couple of years, you kinda come to like it. However, I do think there is such a thing as TOO modest.

I have some friends that I babysit for- their daughters are 11 and 8. Naturally, when I babysit in the summer, we go to the pool. The first time we went, I was shocked to watch the little girls get their bathing suits on and put a pair of board shorts over their suits. I mean, they're little girls. There's a part of me that feels like making little girls wear shorts or those crazy swim-outfits is teaching a sense of shame of their bodies. I think there has to be a balance.

Obvs, I'm not a parent, so I don't have to make these decisions, but it does make me think.

twitter

Just found DogHouseDiaries.com
Greatest timesuck of my week. I read through every. single. archive.
and totally loved every minute.
this was one of my favorites:

but then I thought, I should tell people how much I love twitter.

I LOVE TWITTER.

It's BY FAR my favorite social network. I have been on it for a while now- and I seriously love it. I feel lost without it after a few hours. :)

Are you on twitter? I should follow you!
You should follow me!
www.twitter.com/camismith

stories I only tell my friends

My love for all things Rob Lowe is no secret here. Loved him in The Outsiders, Brothers and Sisters, West Wing, and even when he was the bad guy in Austin Powers and Tommy Boy. LOVE HIM. So, when he was on Oprah the other day, of course I watched. He was there promoting his book, Stories I Only Tell My Friends.

Please understand that I am NOT usually a celebrity-tell-all kind of reader.
BUT.
Rob Lowe's book just isn't like that. It's SHOCKINGLY well written, and it is much more of a reflection of his life than an expose of his past romances and debauchery. It's a very quick read, chronicling his life through the end of the West Wing. It briefly mentions Brothers and Sisters and the shows he works on now, but not in great detail. As a huge enthusiast of The Outsiders, I loved that there were about 3 chapters devoted to that time in his life.
He leaves nothing us-discussed.

I loved it- def rated-R, but mostly bc of profanity. Everything else is alluded to without being trashy. Well. Without being vulgar.
READ IT!

the lottery

Just got this email.
Now I'm sure I'll win. Just because I'm not sure I want to.

miss bachelorette, miss bachelorette!

This past weekend was the "Bacheloretter Getaway" for my BFF, Rachel. She's getting married in ONE MONTH! We rented a cabin in Dahlonega- and it was FABULOUS.
We went to dinner the first night at a place called the Crimson Cafe- it was crazy crowded and the food took forever, but we had a private room and a great server, so it was fun! In the grand tradition of any "fungirls" weekend, there were about a million pics!
On Saturday, we went to two different vineyards for winetastings: Frogtown and Three Sisters. They were both great- with beautiful views and delicious wine!


For dinner, we donned matching "Rachel's Last Fling Before the Ring" tshirts and went out for Mexican food. We were overwhelming to say the VERY least- but we had a BLAST!


In recovery mode, we went to lunch at The Smith House- which is a family style Southern restaurant: fried chicken, fried okra, black eyed peas, and so on. It was DELICIOUS. We ate in about 12 seconds, so I don't have any pictures of the food! But, we took this incredible picture in the gift shop right before we leave. So typical.
We had a blast! I hope we get to do it again next year! It was amazing to get away with such fun friends- and celebrate Rachel!

**None of these pics are mine... most of the group shots were done by Susan Crutchfield- she's amazing: check her out!

read across america

This is Read Across America week- and we are celebrating here! My favorite day of the week is "wear a tshirt that you can read" day! So, I'm wearing one of my fav shirts:
Happy Birthday, Dr Seuss!

spinach

I hate spinach.

well. I hate cooked spinach. unless it's mixed with cheese and fat and artichoke and turned into a dip.

or mixed in a salad.

los does it again

I've told you before about my (web-based) friend Carlos Whitaker. He writes Ragamuffin Soul, leads worship, and rocks a v-neck. I have been encouraged, challenged, rocked by the things he says and does. My favorite thing about him is his incredible recognition of his own imperfection.

Today's post is called "God's Power, Prayer, and Paxil". I HIGHLY recommend you read it, but it made me recall my own mental health battles.

As a junior in college, I had a complete break down. I was depressed. I can word it a lot of ways and give a lot of reasons, but the bottom line is that I was clinically depressed.

My friends and family were incredibly supportive, and I've never been shy about telling people.
BUT.
I do feel like there is still a moment of shock when I tell people. Because I'm a happy person, right?! and happy people aren't depressed! right?!
For me, depression had nothing to do with happiness. It was about isolation, hopelessness, and heartbreak. I could turn on the "good times" when I needed to, but those moments of true introspection always revealed my own pain.

I've not had to be on the meds for a long time now, but it is still a constant battle and awareness. I have to keep a strong check on my own emotions bc I know I can easily be back in the same place. Not that the place is bad- it's just not my desire.

I loved that Carlos talked about the fact that the church needs to change the stigma associated with mental health issues. It's not about someone's faith or prayer life- or a question on the power of God. Most people are ok with me taking asthma meds- they don't encourage me to pray more to overcome my asthma. So why is it different with mental health?

“Be the change you want to see in the world.” -Mahatma Gandhi