REVIEW//2012

[january]: passion 2012, followed by the annual janterm in california.

[february]: participated in step sing for the first time!

[march]: celebrated my birthday during spring break in LA.

[april]: journeyed to six flags and passion city church in atlanta. 

[may]: followed up mary austin's nursing school/college graduation with a trip to new york.

[june]: mary austin + andrew forever!

[july]: a post-wedding week of beach rehab and a family reunion in san marcos, texas.

[august]: spent the month in lexington with some of my favorite people and saw
mumford & sons live in louisville. 

[september]: spent a magical weekend in knoxville. 

[october]: ran up to lexington for fall break, then the fantastic four made
our annual jaunt to nashville. 

[november]: saw ben gibbard in atlanta, then celebrated thanksgiving in florence.

[december]: took a girls' trip to opryland, then made too many
wonderful christmas memories to count with friends and family in montgomery.

KADIE//HAASE

kathleen[mary]haase

the story: i connected with kadie my freshman year at samford through lots and lots of mutual friends. this girl has been a highlight of my college experience, and i am honored to be living with her next fall!

your [soundtrack]: Anything by Will Reagan. Jonny Lang. Drew & Ellie. Ben Rector. Yep, I’m your typical Samford Gal. I’ll listen to anything that makes my heart feel good.

your [script]: The Parent Trap. Blood Diamond. Slumdog Millionaire.  [If it has foreign culture, I probably love it.]

your [library]: When Helping Hurts [Corbett], The Harry Potter Series [Rowling], Redeeming Love [Rivers], A Separate Peace [Knowles]

your [shade]: Mustard Yellow. It’s warm and hospitable.

your [inspiration]: people who radiate freedom. People who live in freedom and are unashamed of who they are inspire me.

your [mantra]: “Scatter JOY!” –Ralph Waldo Emerson

you [love]: Flannel. Coffee. African Babies. Boots. Community. Blueberry Muffins. Step Sing. 

you [hate]: orange scented things.

your [purpose]: to love people well and to rejoice in every circumstance.

you [believe]: I believe in dreamers. I believe in people who don’t just have vision and passion for things, but they actually pursue them.

your [influence]: My best friend, Emily. Her love for people is endless. She’s gentle, truthful, compassionate, and doesn’t settle for injustice. She truly just loves me well.

you [admire]: freedom and confidence. I admire people with a willingness to be misunderstood for the sake of being free in who they were created to be.

your [escape]: I escape with a cup of coffee, a book, and a journal.

your [origin]: Born and raised in Roswell, Georgia [just 15 minutes north of Atlanta]. I love it because of the people. I grew up with all of my best friends from high school. They get me, encourage me, and love me- even when we are scattered across the country.

your [fondest memory]: Two summers ago while I was in Kenya, I got to go see my sponsor child, Catherine, again. I swear it was like a movie. She ran out of her class and jumped into my arms. It’s probably one of the sweetest memories I have.

your [perfection]:  Unattainable. PTL for grace, y’all.

your [challenge]: people- pleasing.

you want to [meet]: Esther.

your [shining] moment: Last summer some of the Kenyan women told me I was the best white girl they’ve ever seen make Chapati. That was quite the accomplishment.

your [humblest] moment: Oh gosh, my life is one long embarrassing moment filled with tripping, ripped clothing, and awkward silences.

you want to [be]: The most free and bold version of myself.  

your [wildest] dream: Live on every inhabited continent for at least a year.

your [dream destination]: Kenya, for sure.

your [pet peeves]: When people chomp their gum.

your [vice]: Friday Night Lights.

your [site]: Welp, I’m a religion and JMC student, so I often post on                            http://kadiehaase.wordpress.com/

your last [purchase]: RED pants from Ann Taylor Loft.

your [now]: I’m a studying Religion & Journalism and Mass Communication, and hoping to pursue social work in the future.

your [childhood ambition]:In pre-school I wanted to be a ballet dancer. Or Baby Spice.

your [secret]: I’m almost never on time. But then again, I guess most people know that.

you [like]: I’d like to think that I never meet a stranger. I love that I love people.

you [are]: Consistent.

kadie, you are the flesh-and-bones manifestation of joy. i've come across very few people who are as kind, compassionate, humble, and gracious as you. you see the beauty in every person and every situation because jesus, who makes ALL things beautiful, lives in the center of your heart and mind. daily i benefit from your encouragement, laughter, concern, and love. spending time with you is a day-maker, and i am counting down the days until we move into our little house! you are so loved, kadie. keep loving the light, my joyous girl.

you are [delightful].

FLORENCE//MISSISSIPPI

Thanksgiving from Alex Wolf on Vimeo.

I put together a little video of some moments from Thanksgiving this year. Upon watching it again, I realize that it's kind of a boring video unless you know and dearly love the people in it. It just so happens that I do know and love these people, so I think it's the sweetest video ever! Enoy!

OVER//FLOW

i was recently given the honor of designing a tattoo for my dear becca. after "dating" the idea of this tattoo for four years, she finally decided to get hitched! i got to tag along and watch becca get inked this week. pretty cool to think my handwriting has been permanently etched onto the skin of such a legendary girl!

may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. 

[romans 15:13]

GIVING//THANKS

we are headed to florence, mississippi, to celebrate thanksgiving with my mom's huge, wonderful family. i could fill a book with gratitudes, but here are a few things i am particularly thankful for at the moment. sometimes i feel like the most fortunate girl in the world. life is pretty wonderful. i hope you're feeling that way, too.

[photo]

BECCA//LAFFERTY

rebecca[lynn]lafferty

[the story]: i have the distinct pleasure of attending school with the awesome rebecca lafferty. we have had many mutual friends throughout our time at samford, but i didn't get to know her until last spring. we met at a picnic table in ben brown plaza, the birthplace of all great friendships.

[your soundtrack]: “As Tall As Cliffs” (Margot & the Nuclear So and So’s), “Bust a Move” (Young MC), “Full Circle” (Cheyenne Kimball), “Savannah” (Relient K), “Can I Have This Dance?” (High School Musical 3, Troy & Gabriella), “Body in a Box” (City & Colour), “The Age of Worry” (John Mayer), “Autumn” (Ben Rector), “Just Friends” (Jonas Brothers), “Forever and Always (Piano Version)” (Taylor Swift), “Heels over Head” (Boys Like Girls), “The High Road” (Broken Bells) “Bury the Castle” (Paramore). GOSH I JUST LOVE MUSIC SO MUCH I CAN’T MAKE DECISIONS LIKE THIS.

[your script]: I have an awful time picking favorites when it comes to movies, but a few that I can (and have) watched over and over again? Remember the Titans, The Bourne Trilogy, She’s the Man, A Cinderella Story, Crazy, Stupid Love, Say Anything, The Breakfast Club, Pitch Perfect (new inductee but deserves a spot on the list), Stick It, Miracle, High School Musical (mostly 1 & 3), The Lion King, Tangled, The Help.

[your library]: The Fault In Our Stars AND Paper Towns by John Green; Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen; Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini; The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald; The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger; Passion and Purity by Elisabeth Elliot; The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling; The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath; Crime & Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky; The Help by Kathryn Stockett

[your shade]: Coral is my all-time favorite color and has been since the ninth grade. I think I love it because it is bright and happy but it isn’t orange or red—it’s more smoldering than that. It’s a slow burn.

[your inspiration]: People’s stories inspire me. Music inspires me. Traveling inspires me. Books inspire me. Walking outside in sunlight-filled cold air.

[your mantra]: “Scar tissue is stronger than regular tissue. Realize the strength, move on.” (Henry Rollins)

[you love]: I love Jesus Christ and living in a community of believers. I love laughing more than most anything. I love weather that consists of sunshine and 55 degree weather. I love traveling. I love watching people in airports. I love ink. I love spending time with friends and listening to their stories.

[you hate]: Abuse.

[your purpose]: To love others. To keep learning. To spread the Gospel.

[you believe]: In Jesus. The rest is inconsequential.

[your influence]: My parents. My “aunts and uncles” that I grew up with as a missionary kid. My high school English teachers. Lindy Williamson. My discipleship group.

[you admire]: Confidence, joy, and peace.

[your escape]: I watch silly television shows and take naps.

[your origins]: I don’t know where I’m from. I was born in Virginia. I moved to Pakistan shortly thereafter. Lived there for seven years and then moved to California for a year, Virginia for three years, Indonesia for five, and Singapore for two. I love every place I’ve ever lived for different reasons—mainly for the people there. I would say that Indonesia holds my heart the most—I love the culture and the people and the food and the landscape. I love everything I learned while I lived there.

[your childhood ambition]: Ever since the first grade I wanted to teach high school English. Or be on Barney.  

[your fondest memory]: Being obnoxiously loud at basketball games in high school or watching Gilmore Girls with my second family, the Milams.

[your perfection]: Not being anxious or depressed.

[your challenge]: My biggest challenge is not comparing myself to others and anchoring my identity in Christ.

[your fantasy dinner party]: Emily Dickinson, Zac Efron, my future husband.

[your humblest moment]: It involves my jeans ripping completely down the back at an intramural game. Ask me sometime.

[your shining moment]: My proudest moment was during my senior year of high school when my school created a school spirit award (one had never been handed out previously) specifically for me. I treasure it above any other award I’ve ever received. 

[your aspiration]: I want to be someone who brings joy and light to others—someone who continues to learn and desires to learn and shares that passion with others. 

[your wildest dream]: If I could sing and make a living doing that without being a celebrity, I think I’d do it.

[your destination]: London (because let’s be honest, that city is my soul and I’ve never been), Lynchburg, VA (to see my sister), or New Delhi, India (to see my family…I’m going in December!)

[your pet peeves]: People who sweep problems under the rug rather than talking about them, “How are you?” “Good.” NUH-UH, YOU AREN’T GOOD, NO MAN IS, when people play with their gum. Ew. 

[your vice]: Buying nailpolish. I can’t help it. I just want them all. Also: thrifting. I’m completely addicted.

[your site]: I am constantly on tumblr (feel free to follow my poetry blog: riotousrambling.tumblr.com) and I always check Today’s Letters.

[your last purchase]: A movie ticket. Typical.

[your location]: I’m in college studying English Literature and I don’t know what the rest of my life looks like but I’m okay with that.

[your surprise]: what is something that few people know about you? I’m an introvert (most people don’t believe this or refuse to believe it). 

[you like]: that I’m a listener and most people tend to feel safe with me.

becca, you are a work of art. you exist at the point where beauty, intelligence, emotion, and meaning meet. you embrace life -- the good, bad, and ugly -- wholeheartedly, which is why you are the supreme listener, understand-er, and confidant. being with you is so refreshing because you are real. you like what you like, and you refuse to apologize for it. becca, you are eloquent, adventurous, honest, enthusiastic, extraordinary... not to mention stunningly beautiful. it has been an honor and privilege to be a part of your life, which is sure to be legendary. keep feeling it all, my brilliant girl. 

you are [delightful].

OCTOBER//PLAYLIST

Here are a few of the songs I had on repeat this month.
Spotify users can take a listen to (most of) the songs here.

[Photo credit]

SPOOKY//WEEKEND

Every Halloween weekend since freshman year "the friends" have made the trek to Brentwood/Franklin/Nashville, Tennessee, to visit Rachel and Andrew's Aunt Regie. It is literally one of the most anticipated events of the fall around these parts. Requirements for the Annual Spooky Weekend: marshmallow roasting, viewing of an awful horror movie in the Man Cave, the Downtown Franklin Halloween Festival, pennies on the railroad tracks, Ghosthunters marathon, a foray into Nashville, pretending to watch the Auburn game, and scary stories sponsored by Regie. I'm already counting down to 2013's trip!

SHAKER//TOWN

Fall Break arrived this week in all its glory! Rachel and I were fortunate enough to head north to Lexington, Kentucky, to see my sister Sarah and family (including this newly one-year-old girl). We had such a wonderful time! On Sunday we visited a nearby Shaker settlement... here are a few photos from the afternoon in Shakertown.

ROCKY//TOP

I had the pleasure of visiting Knoxville with a few friends earlier this month. We had a wonderful time... ate good food, had good talks, watched good football, and hiked a good trail (that was a little more challenging than advertised, if we're being real). Knoxville had gotten the fall weather memo, which we LOVED since Birmingham still thinks it's July. Can't wait to go back!

BABY//GLORY

There are few things on Earth as perfect as my niece Glory... except maybe my nephew James. I have been massively blessed to get to see Glory tons this summer, including a three week stay at her home in Kentucky this month. I came across these photos from earlier in the summer and thought the internet would be a better place with them here. 

NATALIE//JEHN

natalie[nicole]jehn

the story: natalie is a beloved cousin, best friend, and cinematic muse (please refer to this jewel). she's also a sister to this delightful person.

your [soundtrack]: "give me love" by ed sheeran. "love lust" by king charles. "blood" by the middle east. "awake my soul" mumford and sons. "blue skies" by noah and the whale. "your ex-lover is dead" by stars. "some nights" by fun.

your [script]: arrested development, new girl, friday night lights, how i met your mother.

your [library]: books that make my heart burst: the bible, redeeming love by francine rivers, love does by bob goff. books that i absolutely can't put down: the hunger games by suzanne collins, feed by m.t. anderson, maze runner by james dashner, the girl with the dragon tattoo by steig larsson, never let me go by kazuo ishiguro, divergent by veronica roth. guilty pleasures: twilight by stephenie meyer, delerium by lauren oliver, matched by ally conde.

your [shade]: red!! it's exciting and passionate, bold and abrasive. you really can't ignore red. it holds its own in the spectrum. and i love red lipstick!

your [inspiration]: oh my goodness, anything, everything. my family. my three favorite girls: shannon, alex, and mary (i would be lost without them and life would be a little less magical), music (mostly when driving), words that are well chosen, love letters, my students. they inspire me to be better. to be someone who shapes them, loves them, and fights for them. a nice note just because. a smile. a child understanding something for the first time. someone telling you they love you. trials. growing, learning, loving.

your [mantra]: "God defiers are always in trouble. God affirms find themselves loved every time they turn around." psalm 32:10

you [love]: jesus, family reunions, road trips, airports,rainstorms, rummage sales, target, cookies, hydrangeas, people, paris, photographs, teaching, kids, iphone 4s, a hard run, crafts, pinterest, buying a new song on itunes, meeting a cute boy for the first time, reading, keeping busy, laughing, doing weird things to make other people laugh.

you [hate]: snakes, sharks, and slow walkers.

your [purpose]: to make every child i teach feel important, special, loved, challenged, and inspired.

you [believe]: in love.

you [admire]: physical: eyes. personality: zest, self-control, and grit.

your [escape]: NETFLIX! or a really good book.

your [perfection]: something we will strive towards and fall short of until we die.

your [challenge]: remembering everyday that God's way is better than my own.

you'd [meet]:  sean farris and we could live happily ever after.

your [shining] moment: finishing my first year of teaching.

your [humblest] moment: when i was at a science museum with mary austin, my skirt blew up in a glass cased hurricane simulator, and i flashed a group of schoolchildren on a field trip.

your [aspiration]: to be someone who made a difference. someone who loved radically.

your [wildest] dream: to move to paris and own a boutique that mostly sells antique jewelry and handmade greeting cards.

your [childhood ambition]: to be a teacher. or a movie star.

your [destination]: PARIS. HANDS DOWN.

your [pet peeve]: long lines, traffic, intentionally rude people, internet failure, people who park their car in two spaces.

your [vice]: chocolate. watching ten episodes in a row of a really great tv series. jelly bellies. pinterest.

your [last purchase]: a really amazing pair of maroon skinny jeans.

your [surprise]: i have dressed up like a man on multiple occasions.

your [origin]: wisconsin. i don't love it, that's why i moved.

your [location]: houston, texas. 7th grade writing teacher at YES prep eat end, serving low income children. population: 99% hispanic. our policy is that students cannot graduate until they have been accepted to a 4 year university. this school changes lives.

you [like]: my ability to laugh things off. i don't take myself too seriously, which allows me to really learn from other people.

you [are]: ready.

natalie (or, as i prefer to call you: zan), to borrow a sentiment from the incomparable katy perry, you are a firework. but, unlike the momentary spark of a firework, your glow is continuous and constant. you don't believe in wasting a second of precious time. you are always learning, thinking, creating, doing, and laughing. in fact, laughter is the first word i associate with you because you have brought so much laughter to my life. you will do anything to make others smile, and you know nothing of embarrassment. not a moment of your life is lived half-heartedly, but instead with incredible passion and zeal. you are adventurous, bold, and bright, and have showered me with your vibrancy each day. i love you more than you could know. stay ignited, brilliant girl.

you are [delightful].

CHALK//ART

Have I mentioned that my sister got married this summer? Yes? Are you sure? Well, the wedding gave me a chance to spend some quality time with chalk lettering. I've been interested in chalking for a few months now, so I was really excited to experiment with it for Mary's reception. I did about 12 or 13 large pieces that were hung around the building. I think they turned out so well and really appreciated Mary trusting me with the job! What a girl!

I'm pretty sure I'll have chalk dust in my lungs for the rest of time, but that's a small price to pay in the name of love and aesthetic. 

Thanks to my brother for the photos!