High Standards Versus Being Picky

So, yes, this is one of those "I'm a single girl" posts. Not one that should depress you or bring you down, but hopefully one that inspires you. I've been single for (cue the cringe) a little over a year. I've had a few dates here and there, but nothing really spectacular. I'm not one to complain and so I'll say this in the sweetest way possible: "Being single is a blessing, not a curse."

Yep. Breathe. You read that right.

When you are single you get to devote time for yourself. You think for yourself, act for yourself, and truly live for yourself. You can do whatever you are called to do without anyone holding you back or changing your mind. You don't have to turn down a job opportunity in another city because your sweetie is here. Being single is one of the greatest blessings and completely necessary in order to become the person you were meant to be.

However, the real meaning of this post is something that has really been bothering me lately (sorry about this complaint and if you've said this to me..then, oopsies). I absolutely cannot handle the fact that so many people have recently said to me, "Stop being so picky!" or "If you weren't so picky then you'd be in a happy wholesome relationship" or something along the lines which I'm sure you can understand. But stop. Just please hear me out on this. Just because I have high standards does not mean I'm destined to a life of loneliness and it certainly doesn't make me picky.

Definition of picky: Picky is drawing things apart and making sure each little thing is PERFECT.
Definition of high standards: High standards is knowing what you deserve and aiming for the absolute best option.

Do you see that difference? (maybe not, but maybe if you keep reading you will understand)

Anyways, ladies (gentlemen), hear me out. I have high standards and God forbid, I never knew that was a sin. In fact, I've looked at high standards as being a great blessing for quite sometime now. When you are a woman with high standards you don't stop for any old guy, you're willing to pay the ultimate price for a relationship: patience and waiting.

Here are some of my standards, what are yours?

A hard-worker: I once had a guy say to me, "I can't imagine working 40 hours a week." I knew it was just over the moment those words came out. Some weeks I work nearly 70 hours and I have this guy complaining about 13 hours. Yikes, bro.

A man of strength, courage, and faith: I have always wanted to have the ultimate "defender" guy. The one who shows you off to his friends, holds your heart in his hands, leads you in a faithful way, and enjoys just your simple company.

A "jack of all trades": This one is a bit trickier, but you can thank my Papa. My dad is a hard working guy, but on top of all that, I've never had to take my car to a mechanic. He knows how to fix any car problem. I've never had to get a plumber, electrician, or anything along this line. He knows how to fix anything (I swear).

A country boy: My brothers are outdoorsy, my uncles are outdoorsy, my grandpas are outdoorsy. We like country music, country living, and home cooked meals..you catch my drift.

Well that was lengthy, but thanks for hanging out.

xoxox- polka dot gal

The First Few Weeks of Summer Vacation

Okay, seriously, these first few weeks of summer vacation just seem to fly by. It is absolutely insane the amount of time that has gone by. Although I'm loving being home, I'm overwhelmed with the amount of un-productiveness I've given into. I've found myself laying in bed an hour past the time I wake up (can you believe it?). I've already got one novel under the belt and another one two hundred pages in. Did I mention this all happened and today marks one week since I got home? Wow.

Anyways, on a more serious note, I've been overwhelmed by all of the friends I've been able to see, the laughs I've had, and of course, the joy of being home in general. So many things have been working out and I have been able to relax. Here are some photos displaying what my last week has consumed of:

 Some crafting never hurt anyone and certainly never someone like me who is consistently concerned with the latest DIY project.

 Grilling out is a Wisconsin tradition (maybe other states, too) and my dad is a master at the grill. We made delicious kabobs , sweet potatoes, and lemonade!

 Attended a beautiful wedding with some of my favorite people! These deer "sheds" proved to be the life of the party.

All of us with the beautiful bride! 

 Visited my favorite bakery in the Fox Cities. They have the greatest cookies and Wednesday just so happens to be cookie day. FABULOUS.

 Working on my tan ;) We now have low temperatures again in Wisconsin, but believe it or not, Monday I got a slight burn!

 Spending some time at the old daycare center I worked at throughout high school has been exceptionally fun! I love seeing all the kids I used to have in my classes and then their siblings!

Of course, we've all been praying for the tragedy in Oklahoma, but this teacher has hero status in my book!

 If you haven't been to the Wild Truffle, convince your man or friends to join you there. They have the most delicious wood-fired pizzas, a lengthy wine menu, and delicious entrees. This was my cousin's yummy sandwich, but I had a similar basil pesto one that was just as pretty. The prices are phenomenal and the taste is even better. So yeah, there was my little plug for Wild Truffle.

How is your summer going? Keep me updated!

xoxo- polka dot gal

Things Get a Little Funny..

Last night I came home from college for the summer! Good heavens! I was so excited. I unpacked for nearly six hours and I'm almost finished (okay, but not really). The feeling of "coming home" is such an exhilarating feeling. It's this idea that "home" is a place where you are your truest you! My family has this pants off policy where we're all accepting of the fact that pants are optional at certain times of the day (but in my case, all times of the day). I'm sure your family might have some sort of tradition or policy, but I doubt that it is the same as ours .

Anyways, I love being home. Last night we cracked open a bottle of "Frisk" a "prickly" Riesling option. My mom and I polished off the bottle with the help of my brother keeping us laughing all night. We sat on our front porch and watched everyone drive by. I introduced my mom to "Instagram" and then we laughed some more.

When you see the happiness in things and the faithfulness of God's timing in things, you can so easily be filled with joy. When I saw how happy my parents were that I was home for the summer, I couldn't help but feel loved. When I talked to my siblings nearly twenty times yesterday about all the fun events for the summer, I couldn't help but feel thrilled. When I looked online for the young adult large group at church this summer and saw it was weekly on a night that worked for me, I was amazed at God's timing. So easily, I was reminded of His faithfulness in my life. I'm so thankful.
I'm just going to leave you with a few funny pictures from this week. Enjoy your weekend!

Moving Up and On

These last few weeks have been somewhat of a blur to me. No, not because I was highly intoxicated or traveling the world losing track of the actual date or anything. They've been a blur of busyness, working, school, friendships, and a hefty amount of advocacy. As the semester has come to a close and all my once organized belongings are now stuffed into my car, I'm fully ready to hit the road. I know full well that this semester has made its way as being one of the best, worst, and trying semesters that I've experienced thus far. There are so many people who've encouraged me this semester, people who've hurt me, people who've seen me laugh, and even who've seen me cry.

I think one of the most difficult things that we do as we get older is make choices for ourselves. (I know that sounds simple, but wow, really.) We decide what and who makes us happy. We try to leave those who drag us down in the past so that we can grow. We endure sleepless nights and beautiful mornings of sunrise and hope. We find ourselves lost in prayer, wishing for difficult things that may never happen, and feelings of reject, lost hope, shame, and humbleness.

As I leave HWY 10 in my past and venture off onto HWY 114 (big difference, right?), I'm leaving behind those sleepless nights, days of worry, and times of pain to endure another chapter in my book: Summer 2013. I know it sounds cliche to say I'm just "moving on" and that's why I'm not saying that. I'm just saying that I'm so thankful for all the people who've been there for me and for all the memories that we've been able to share. I'm thankful for the idea of summer and being home for nearly four months. This feeling exhilarates me and gives me freedom. I can't wait to see my family, attend my home church, be around some really positive influences, and tackle some of those pins on my boards (Pinterest had to make an appearance..sorry not sorry!).

Above are a few of the people who've sincerely impacted my Junior year. I'm forever blessed by their kind words, laughter, hopefulness, and joy.

xoxo-polka dot gal

A Joyful Heart is a Thankful Heart

I've truly seen rock bottom and touched the clouds all within the same calendar year. I've cried tears to fill buckets labeled lonely, dark, hollow, hidden, sad, and overwhelmed. I've also filled those same buckets with peace, happiness, joy, thankfulness, and smiles. I had been on an emotional roller-coaster for what seemed like decades and I found lots of sadness in the sunniest days of the year. Do you want to know something really remarkable, though? Over the past year, I've found more joy in myself than I even knew existed.

As I wrapped up my last assignment and final of the year today, I felt moved that another year has come and gone. Another year of filled notebooks, twenty pound backpacks, sleepless nights, and extremely overloaded calendars and agendas. Another year of new friendships, old friendships, and discovering your own heart has come and left, yet again. I can't even imagine that next year is my last year of undergraduate schooling and that it will all be over then. What I do know, though, is that I will not let another day slip by where I allow someone to easily steal my joy away from me.

I have found that when I decide to make every experience into a joyful one, I'm so rewarded beyond even my wildest dreams. I have found that when I tell the Lord that he can have everything, and not just my leftovers, that He sincerely blesses me with way more than I deserve. I have found that smiling and laughing will help us to see things in a positive manner. Here is one of my most joyful pictures thus far and I love it. I'm not perfect, but I'm changing. I'm getting better, stronger, faster, louder, and more full of joy.

"I am learning what it means to be a woman—what it means to embrace all of my femininity and to see it as a loving calling. To know the difference between love of self, and loving myself, and to treat myself as tenderly as I would a friend."

xoxo-polka dot gal

Simply a Happy Birthday Kind Of Month!

I love birthdays because I love any reason to celebrate (perhaps why I'm always so joyful?). Anyways, April is bountiful with birthdays in my life! Many of my friends and family members celebrate birthdays this month and I feel so blessed to have them in my life for another year! I thought I'd showcase these lovely people on my blog today!

Happy Birthday to this sweet world traveler friend! 

Happy birthday to the most encouraging lady in the world! My beautiful mother! 

Here are three happy birthdays in one picture! Happy birthday to my step-sister Alyssa, my best guy friend Nick, and one of my oldest friends, Kelsey! YAY!

Happy Birthday to my lovely step-mom! 

Happy birthday to my baby brother! I love you, guy!

And there are many more so don't be offended if you weren't listed!

xoxo, polka dot gal!

(Wishing you all the dreams that can come true!)

Healthy Heart

This week was, well, not the greatest.

After waking up Tuesday morning and having some sort of stomach flu which then turned to massive headaches that have lasted up until this day, I can hereby say that I, polka dot gal, am not a fan of the flu bug! Although, I can definitely be a witness to the fact that sometimes being sick allows us a period of slow down time. I spent much time in my bed, reading, and dreaming up dreams. Through all of this being sick, I really took time to reflect on my blessings.

I decided in my somewhat clouded mind that I would start a list of blessings and try to add to it every day because I certainly am not thankful enough for this beautiful life. So here it is, an immature list of ten items I am thankful for out of the uncountable many. 

• Health, Health, Health, Health, Health (can I say it any more?) I am so thankful for being able to wake up every day able bodied and ready to tackle the world because I was born so darn healthy. 
• My jobs. I am so blessed to have jobs that even in financial stress I can still be thankful that I have a job to work at. 
• Iced Coffee! (umm..yes, no explanation needed)
• Quiet Time- Seriously, between journaling and reading, I am so blessed to be able to fill my heart, head, and soul with bountiful knowledge. 
• Strawberries on sale! 
• The feel of a brand new book, pages not bent and words just ready to be soaked in. 
• God's timing--because, well, every time I try to plan something it ends terribly wrong.
• The beautiful new fabric I snagged to sew up some skirts before the summer. 
• A Friday off! 
• My wonderful roommate who seems to constantly be encouraging me!

What about you? What are your blessings!?

xoxo, polka dot gal

Something to be Said About a Dreamer

So I've always been super bummed because I don't have these vivid, detailed dreams. I've always wanted to, but I just don't. Wait..I should clarify. When I sleep I don't dream. When I am awake, my brain is on dream overload.

Up until last year I never really knew what I wanted. Of course I wanted the husband, kids, house on the lake, and to teach lively elementary students. Further than those basics, I had no idea what I wanted to do, what I should dream, or what I should think about in order to equip myself for future dreams. Over the past few months, though, I've realized how important it is to set goals and dreams for myself. I don't have too many, but here are a few that I've been dreaming up (currently, and I'm a gal so I change my mind a lot)..

1. One day, I really want to open a shelter for women to come to when they are victims of domestic abuse. I would buy a home for them to come with their children and provide them tasty meals, comfortable beds, and help them get on their feet.

2. I want to travel out of the country. Maybe just once, but maybe more than that. I've never traveled out of the country and frankly, I'm quite scared.

3. I think I'd like to write a book. I have no idea what about, but maybe just some encouraging words or daily thoughts (think blog on steroids..).

4. I guess I'd really like to get sewing so much that one day I could put my projects on Etsy (not now of course..).

5. This one is fake (kind of), but one day I'm dreaming there will be more hours in the day so that I can possibly squeeze in a few more things into my chaotic schedule.

Well, that's all I guess. Sorry if this wasn't the most exciting post! I'll leave you with these three things! First, tomorrow I register for my senior year of college (can you believe it?) and I'm so excited for next semester. Next, what are some of your dreams/goals/plans? And lastly, this quote from Shauna Niequist is one of my favorites--live it, dream it!

"To all the secret writers, late-night painters, would-be singers, lapsed and scared artists of every stripe, dig out your paintbrush, or your flute, or your dancing shoes. Pull out your camera or your computer or your pottery wheel. Today, tonight, after the kids are in bed or when your homework is done, or instead of one more video game or magazine, create something, anything.

Pick up a needle and thread, and stitch together something particular and honest and beautiful, because we need it. I need it."

Why We Need Breaks..Really.

So if you haven't noticed, I've been slacking on this blogging thing hardcore. I want to blog and I have a lot to share, but I just haven't found the time or motivation.

I've certainly been bit by the slump of wintery mix and cold temperatures here in Wisconsin. I've wanted so badly to see sunlight and a few weeks ago I had the opportunity to. The reasons for my absence from blogging are many, but one of the top ones is that I went on Spring Break to Virginia and North Carolina for almost a week. The week before, I was so excited to go, and the week I got back, I crashed (last week). I missed my friend, the happy times, the blessing of being on vacation, and everything in between those really fulfilling days.

Last week I found myself crying or thinking about crying more than ever before. No matter what I did, I couldn't find my happy, wholesome self. I didn't know what was up, but I knew I didn't like it. I've been in this sort of rut ever since.

One thing my parents always emphasize to me is the simple few words, "Don't wish your life away". I, like many people I know, am so guilty of this. Today I wish it was tomorrow. Tomorrow I'll wish it was next week. Next week I'll wish it was summer. Summer I'll wish it was graduation. Graduation I'll wish for a job. And the wishing goes on and on and on. We get caught up in this vicious cycle of wishing for things that will eventually come on their own good timing. We worry about the next thing when we have wonderful things right in front of us.

So here's the uplifting half of the post (at least I hope)..We don't have to do this, gals. We don't have to live every day waiting for the next greatest thing. Instead, we get offered small blessings day in and day out that we should cherish. That drink you're drinking is never going to taste the same as it does right now. Those rain clouds in the sky are never going to look exactly the same. The way your sweater is fitting perfectly may never actually fit the exact way again. We say we want to enjoy life, but we're doing everything in our power to actually control life.

We need to remind ourselves every day that we are simply to enjoy God's plan for our lives, not control it.

While taking a break from life I was reminded just how fragile life is. Maybe that's why life is so hard- because it's so fragile.

I challenge you to step back today and simply breathe in the situation you're in. Remember that this day is never going to be here again. Those happy or sad tears are never going to fall the exact same way. You're never going to get today back. Praise God for these low times so that you can have a serious rejoice when you're enjoying the high times.

Xoxo, polka dot gal.

p.s. I'll share some VA/NC pictures in the near future! :)

Vacation..Time to Get Away

I have been dying to have a break for the last few months. On top of working nearly forty-five hours a week and being a fulltime student, my body has been sincerely missing rest. Today I flew to Virginia where I get to spend the next few days with my best friend, Jenni! Ecstatic would be an understatement. I had anxieties about flying and such, but most of those have faded. It is still my first trip alone, but I'm loving the first day. I'm loving seeing these beautiful people. Also, Virginia is beautiful. God is so good. He certainly has blessed my heart with great love and joy. That's all for day one..and here's a silly airport photo.

Why a Polka Dot World?

So the burning question has risen.."Why is your blog 'A Polka Dot World'?". I knew the question would come; however, the answer is lengthy.

Why?

I decided to give the blog this title after a lot of thinking and processing (I'm such a verbal processor). I wanted something that was going to be timeless, classy, yet have a bit of antique-ness to it. First off, you should know, I love anything old. I love shabby chic and getting ideas from old outfits. My mom has probably been my greatest inspiration in this area. She is a woman who can find a steal of a great antique and make it fit into our home perfectly. I love creating. I love dabbling about for hours on end thinking up ideas in my idea journal. I write the crafts I want to try, the outfits I want to put together, and most importantly, the thoughts and questions my brain is trying to understand.

Why not a chevron, stripes, plaid, or checkered world?

You see, I genuinely love polka dots. There is something about the way that they can describe us. Polka dots, when on just one pattern, are so similar. If you have a polka dot dress and you really want to know, I bet all of those polka dots have the same circumference and area. When you compare your polka dot dress to your friend's polka dot dress, your dots aren't going to be similar in the slightest. They  might be closer together, farther apart, smaller, bigger, or a combination of any of these.

The world is much like this. From our tiny eyes we can see those things around us, our polka dots. We can see those similar polka dots. We see friends who are like us, family who has helped us to grow, items we like, dreams we have, and places we enjoy. Our own polka dots are simply so unique to us that sometimes our vision is clouded from seeing any one's dots, but our own. We see the things we like and we think our neighbor or friend is so similar, but they are all unique in their own way, too.

When we take a step back and ponder on all of these dots and spots, it is easy to see that this is a polka dot world, at best.

To sum it up, I don't know why I love polka dots. All I know is that my dots and spots of life will never exactly match up with anyone else and because of that, we're all so unique and can learn so much from each other.

Praying for Your Future Unknown Husband Pt.1

How many times has someone told you to pray about something? Pray about that big test on Friday. Pray about that stressful week. Pray for your sick friend.

How in the world do you pray for someone you don't even know?

Part 1: The Struggle. 
Woman are innately created to long for someone. Someone to hold their heart. Someone to hold their hand. That someone to go on romantic walks with. Someone to have romantic talks with. We dream about it. We write about it. We tell our friends about it. It's this waiting game. These decades of waiting. These years of pondering. We all want it, so why can't we talk about it? Why is it hard to admit to your friends that you're struggling? Why can't we all just be honest about the difficultly hard situation?

I'll be the first one to tell you. My heart is deeply longing to find a mate. It is so filled with Jesus and the love He has for me, but I'm not going to hide it, I want someone I can call my mister.

We create this list in our head. It might go something like this:
 "He has to be six feet tall, with dark skin, dark hair, anything but brown eyes. He should have a clue        about sports, but not be obsessed with them. He should like to watch movies, but not ones that are too violent. He should read his Bible, go to church, lead youth group, sing worship songs, and pray for you."

Wait, what? Pray for a future wife? Pray for a future husband?

How in the world does this happen? 

Stay tuned for what the Bible says about praying for your spouse and then my own ideas about praying for your future spouse in the next few weeks. 

Righteous Fear

There is something to be said about fear, really. Fear is this crippling, anxiety filled word in the majority of people's lives. I know I haven't been alone here and that most of us have struggled with fear. This week I've had the opportunity to speak to some young women here at UWSP about righteous, or constructive, fear. All fear is not bad. We shouldn't look at fear as sin as much as we should be praying for those who are currently suffering from it.

What are your fears?

 I've been known to be afraid of being alone. I'm afraid of the future. I'm afraid of bad guys. (These are just basics..) What else are you fearful of? Knowing how infinitely large and good our God is can cause actually more fear than that which is unrighteous. When I look at one of the "big" problems of the day, I realize they are infinitely smaller than how large my God is. The Lord provides the big things for me. He provides the love I need, the plan I desire, and my entire future, yet still we worry.

Joyce Meyer talks about righteous fear when she leaves her notes on the book of Esther. She says how Esther was this one, sincerely unfit gal to be a queen of Persia, but that the Lord spoke His heart and put His hand on her to work through this assignment he had given to her. Esther prepared and the preparation was the hardest part, but she did it. Joyce Meyer goes on to say that just one person can change the world. You and I have the ability to take that fear of how good and how strong and how mighty our Lord is and use it. We have the ability to love others and to love them well. We are able to fear the Lord's hand in our life because He is so beautiful and full of wonder.

The good thing about righteous fear is that it always, always leads to God being glorified.

And from my eyes,

that's truly a beautiful thing.

xoxo, Polka Dot Gal

A Girl's Biggest Ongoing Decision..To Chop or Not

Who hasn't struggled with cutting their hair? Maybe I'm a bit crazy about it, but I have nice hair. It's thick. It curls well. It's naturally curly. It has really great qualities. But I constantly toss around the "should I cut it?" and "should I let it grow?". This love-hate relationship happens for most every woman (I think...right?). So for lack of anything better (just kidding--my planner is plump with homework) here are some of my favorite styles right now. Sorry about all the brunettes. I can't seem to help to be drawn to brunettes since I'm one of them. 

xoxo, polka dot gal

A Wisconsin Day..

Yesterday I decided to take a little walk into my backyard and take some pictures for a Natural Resources class (the worst class). Anyways, I just loved being outside. I even cried a little bit at just how darn beautiful Wisconsin is. Despite the snow that has been happening for the last four months, I'm so stinkin' blessed to be able to call this my home.

Snow covered boots..(favorite things!)

Who knows what kind of animal these belong to? 

Of course while outside, you must take a self-portrait of yourself. Who doesn't? 

Enjoying it. Branches and all. 

Thanks for meeting up for my first official blog post! 

xoxo, polka dot gal

Not So New..

So, I'm not really that new to blogging, but I thought I might as well start again. I've been really itching to start blogging again. I just love the way it feels to be able to talk about something I'm passionate about, clothing choices, hairstyles, crafts, sewing projects, cooking projects, and just about everything else that I love. I'm a well-rounded gal. So here it goes.. join me on this wild ride. It is indeed a polka dot world.