Things are heating up...

With record high temperatures hitting East Tennessee, it's hard to keep cool.  You can get this look for less than $50!  It may not be anything over the top, but less is more in this type of weather.

• Target Mossimo Pocket Vee Tee in White- $6.00
• Forever 21 Cat Eye Tortoise Shell Sunglasses - $5.80
• J. Crew 5" Chino Shorts in Poppy - $26.50
• Old Navy Capri Sandal in Black - $10.00

The grand total of this outfit is [drum roll please] $48.30.  Sounds good to me - what's not to love about a price like that?  Add a statement piece like a fun necklace, patterned headband or scarf, or a bold belt to make the style your own!

Keep cool.
-JD

Things I Love - Chevron

I am currently (and have been for quite some time) in love with chevron.  I mean what isn't to love about a great zigzag?

1.  iPad Sleeve - Etsy  2.  Earrings - Etsy  3.  "In With The Breeze" Skirt - ModCloth  

4.  Lamp - Jill Rosenwald  5.  Tote - Virginia Jackson  

6.  IKEA Stool Slip Cover - Etsy  7.  "Chevron Top of the World" Dress - ModCloth  

8.  Monogrammed Melamine Tray - Etsy  9.  Throw Pillows - Thomas Paul

I will warn you, some of these items are a little steep.  With that being said, I am in the process of finding some more affordable options.  Check back later for the progress of my "chevron project."

Live with love,

-JD

P.S. Shoutout to Alex Hansen for the tips on making my first idea board.  Check out her blog here.

Welcome Home

There is truly nothing quite like coming home.  I will always smile when I am at that oh-so-familiar Roan St. intersection for the first time in a while.  I will always love waking up in my own bed.  I will always love being greeted by my puppy at the door.  I will always enjoy sitting in the den with my family after our days are done.  And I will always, always, ALWAYS play Wagon Wheel when I cross the Washington County line.

Live with love,

-JD

"Home is the nicest word there is." - Laure Ingalls Wilder

Oh, Canada!

This week, the youth choir of Church Street UMC traveled across the border to Canada! It has been a wonderful week, as always.

Our first stop was Sunday Morning worship at Our Lady, Queen of the Most High Rosary Cathedral.  No lie.  That is the name of the church.  We sang early here on Sunday in Toledo, Ohio.  What an incredible space it was!  The pictures do not do it justice in the least.

Next on the list was the legendary Cedar Point amusement park.  I have heard that it was the roller coaster capital of the world, but in all reality, it is like Mecca for thrill seekers.  The Raptor was by far my favorite.  Chickened out on the two tallest coasters, Millennium Force and Top Thrill Dragster - both had drops over 300 feet.  Maybe next time...maybe not.

In Toronto, we stayed at Ryerson University in the dorms.  One night we were lucky enough to be serenaded by some of our very own boys.  The set list included "Ring of Fire" by Johnny Cash, and "Twist and Shout" by the Beatles.  Some of the youth had a little too much sugar that same night.

We performed at 4 different retirement communities in the area.  These proved to be both a blessing and challenge.  The older folks had a tendency to be somewhat distracting as far as audiences go - especially for our choir tour first-timers.  However, our director, Tim Ward, even got tickled a time or two.  

We traveled to Stratford, Ontario, about 2 hours away from Toronto - the home of Justin Beiber.  As you can imagine, some of the members were beside themselves.  We bordered on hysteria a time or two.  But we all survived.  We attended a production of "You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown" at the Avon Theatre.  The street performers outside of the theatre had the sign above hanging on their guitar case.  You had to appreciate their creativity even if you didn't dig their jams.

On our last night in the city, we went to the top of the CN tower, which has an incredible view of the area.  Lucky for us, we were there in the late evening, so we were able to see the sunset as well as the city lights.  It was quite a sight.  For those of you that are afraid of heights, I might not recommend this endeavor - it is by no means a short building.

I some how managed to get in and out of Niagra without any pictures, but that was our final stop on the tour.  We road the Maid of the Mist, which was absolutely beautiful.  The falls are stunning, especially from the boat.  The rest of Niagra greatly resembles Pigeon Forge - not quite as stunning.

We attempted to sing "O, Canada" as we crossed the first half of Rainbow Bridge.  Once we crossed over to the American side, a rousing rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner (in roughly 8 part harmony) ensued.  This was followed by a group chant of "USA".  The chant was a little bit of a let down [I was hoping for something similar to the chanting when the Americans beat the Soviets in the '80 Olympics] but we were all glad to be back on American soil, nonetheless.

After plenty of travel, pit stops, and meals on the road, we finally arrived back in East Tennessee.  The mountains were a sight for sore eyes.  I have to say, there really is no place like home.

Live with love,

-JD

20-Something

20-Something.  I have recently come to the conclusion that this title applies to me.  And I have recently come to become quite familiar with the symptoms of quarter-life crisis.  So, naturally, being a planner has gotten the best of me.  I have a brand new college degree (although that seems nearly impossible), am beginning a master's degree in the fall, and am on the cusp of some big time changes in my life.  Bring it on.  It's time for a change of scenery - even though I will be calling Knoxville and THE University of Tennessee home for a couple more years.  Rocky Top you'll always be...

Back to the plan.  I have kept a Life List on and off throughout my life, but I am now making one specific to my twenties.  The goal is to achieve all of these before the big 3-0.  I have plenty of years to make them happen - right?  Here is where we are so far, in no particular order.

Cut a demo.

Live downtown.

Read the classics.

Travel to Italy.

Audition for a Broadway show.

Get a teaching job.

Learn to cook.

Become a runner.

Get a puppy.

Get my Master's degree.

These are feasible goals.  At least they seem so right now.  I am starting with Read the classics.  I have unofficially dubbed this summer "Summer Reading - By Choice."  Some of these are first time reads, some are ones I am re-reading.

The list currently includes:

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass - Lewis Caroll

The Help - Kathryn Stockett (I know this isn't a classic, but I really want to read it!)

A Tale of Two Cities - Charles Dickens

Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen

The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald

One of the reasons I love literature is one of the reasons I love music - it is always the same,yet, it is constantly changing.  The words or notes written hundreds of years ago are constant, but they way they touch us are different every time we return.  I am looking forward to seeing where these words will take me!

Live with love,

-JD

P.S.  I don't know about the "selfish years," but I do know that I don't plan on touching the ground.  Here's to having a wandering soul... :)

Things I Love - Planning Periods

It has been quite some time since I gave an update about my student teaching experiences.  In a nutshell: high schoolers really do think they know everything, middle schoolers are abducted by aliens on a regular basis, and naps have never been so wonderfully pleasant and refreshing.  Some of my favorite quotes from the middle school thus far:

"Did they have that when you were a kid, Ms. Darden?"
"Have what?"
"Nickelodeon."

On a day when I didn't get as much sleep as usual...
"Wow, Ms. Darden! You really look like you need a hug."

"Ms. Darden, what are we doing today?"
"What do we normally do?"
"Sing and stuff."
"Exactly."
"So we're not having a party?"
 "No. Why would we have a party?"
"Ummmm, it's Tuesday?"

If there is one thing I have learned from all of this, it is that the old saying "Laughter is the best medicine" is nothing short of a prophesy for my semester thus far.

P.S. I am taking 5 minutes of my planning period to write this post.  Thus, the reason that I love planning time.

Live with love [and lots of laughter],
JD

Ms. Darden Reporting for Duty

I have officially finished my fourth week of being a full-time educator, and I begin my fifth week in the morning.  I will be honest, it is a little bit harder than I had originally anticipated.  And by "a little bit"I mean a whole dang lot.  It is absolutely exhausting - but I am LOVING it. Every minute of it.  I don't even mind 7:30 bus duty. (Ok, I could do without leaving my house before 7:00 AM...) Long story short, this is one of the most wonderful, tiring, frustrating, eye-opening experiences I have ever had.  I have an entirely new appreciation for my own teachers and for working parents.  I am learning so much every day, it is hard to even know where to start.


So, rather than attempting to recap everything that has happened in my first month (wow that is hard to believe) of teaching, I have made my top 10 list of things I am thankful in my new teacher world.  MUCH more to come :)


10. WBIR morning weather report
9. Felt Tip pens. 16 different colors.
8. TOMS Heels
7. Turkey Creek Super Target
6. Copiers that hole punch AND staple
5. Colleagues like Amy Beth Miller
4. A bible app that reads The Word to me on my morning commute
3. Solfege
2. Alarm clocks
1. COFFEE

Wondering where my own imagination will take me...

Live with love,

-JD