My Thanksgiving break was a week long! Hallelujah!

So, to summarize how my break was, I will break it down day by day below! Tell me what you did this break? Also, anybody have their tree up before Thanksgiving? I applaud you on your boldness.

Sunday: 
I drove to my dad’s house (with Starbucks) late afternoon and he stopped by Cookout on the way home for dinner. Delicious!

Monday: 
My dad got up early (around 6:00 a.m.) and left for my sister’s house in Tennessee. Its about a 4 hour trip, so we stopped for breakfast at a farm to table grocery store/restaurant and got some good coffee and breakfast. We then drove through north Georgia and made our way to her by early afternoon. I went with my sister to get my niece and nephew from school and they were so excited to see us! My niece had no idea we’d be in the car! We went to Lowe’s to get some paint, some lunch, and my dad worked away while my sister and I ran errands and got the kids some lunch. We all went to bed pretty early that night.

Tuesday: 
I woke up around 9:15 a.m. (sleeping in=amazingness!) and went to Dunkin' to get some coffee and donuts. I wanted to play with Buddy for a while and my niece was at school. My dad painted most of the day and we ran a few errands here and there. My sister and I went to Taco Bell for lunch and I played with my niece and nephew that afternoon and evening. We all went to bed a little later that night.

Wednesday: 
I got up around 8:00 a.m. and played with my niece and nephew before we had to get ready and go home. My Dad and I stopped at Dunkin' to get some donuts and coffee once again. We love that place! We got home at a pretty decent time. I spent most of the night resting.

Thursday (Thanksgiving!!!): 
My Dad woke up relatively later and got ready to head to my aunt’s for Thanksgiving lunch. We are not really Thanksgiving dinner people. We eat pretty early and then spend the day watching football or the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade if we are early enough. After we ate my cousin and I headed to Peachtree City to ride around in the golf cart and take in the view of Peachtree City Lake. There are a lot of lakes and parks around, so we had plenty of a view. It was so cool to go along the golf cart trails. All in all there is 90 miles of golf cart trails in Peachtree City. They are tucked and hidden away, but they are a treat to drive through. You see things you normally wouldn’t in your car. We then went to get Starbucks and made the trip back to the car. Later my dad and aunt joined us for a walk around the lake. It felt good to get up and moving after eating all of that turkey! 🙈 Nearing the time of sunset we made our way to Gaddy’s to look at lights. I had never been before, but let’s just say, it’s not what I expected. I thought it was like a farm you drove through where they had lights and light sculptures around...Um, no. It was literally a group of decorated houses and some pretty neat light sculptures, but it was amateur. Either way, driving through 3 times was fun and hilarious! My Dad and I left after we made it back to my aunt’s and we stopped for Huddle House on the way home. We were starving!

Friday: 
Did a whole bunch of nothing and watched GILMORE GIRLS! What did you think? I think I cried 17 times. I thought it was awesome, but I wanted more. Also, I love when shows start streaming on Netflix or Hulu, because then the curse words start. It was weird to hear Lorelai say “sh*t”. At the same time, it made more sense for her to talk that way. I didn’t realize how clean vable networks are, but it’s real/off-putting to hear non-cursing characters curse. How could those “last four words” be it? Is this really closure, or is it a new storyline for the future? For the love of God, Palladinos! Bring it back!! For the record, my favorite season was Fall. #yearinthelife #gilmoregirls #lastfourwords

Saturday:
After we did nothing on Friday, we had to get out of the house Saturday. My Dad and I went to Ruby Tuesday’s to watch the first half of #GTvsUGA and was so sure that UGA had GT beat. We were WRONG! GT came back the last quarter and won by 1 point. We heard the rest of it on the radio. We went to lunch, Hobby Lobby, looked at some tiny houses, and a flea market. My Dad and I love flea markets and antiquing, so we had a pretty good day all around. We went to get some groceries and had hot dogs for dinner that night (ha!). It sounded like the only thing we hadn’t eaten all week.

Sunday I came home and did adulting things. I am ready to get back to work and so thankful for the time off. Now, it’s the countdown to Christmas!!

MAKE ROOM FOR SINGLENESS

In my life, I have had very few times where I was single. I always felt as though I needed to be in a relationship. I thought I was bad at being single and better when I was in a relationship. Looking back now, I know that thinking wasn’t right. You need to be just as good (if not better) on your own than when you are in a relationship. Otherwise, who is the other person getting? The holidays are always tougher on me now that I am single. When I was in a relationship, or married, I had that person to do those holiday things with like ice skating, looking at lights, making cookies, going to Christmas parties. Now, I do those things with friends or family, and trust me, that isn’t bad. But, deep down there is that longing and aching. I honestly haven’t felt that feeling in months, and I have to say, I am pretty proud of myself for that.

I used to think singleness had no place or room in my life. Me? Single? No way, sister. Not this century! But, I have come to realize that singleness absolutely has a place in my life and is welcomed to sit at my table. I think singleness has allowed me to become who I truly am. I have had to rely on myself during times of stress or trouble. Of course, I pray to the Lord and talk to friends or family if I am in over my head, but it feels good to rely on myself in situations that are hard. It feels good to rely on my own instincts and not feel as though I have to heed to someone else's advice simply because I am in a relationship with them. Trust me, I appreciate it when it’s there, but I have always been the type to trust their word over my own, and that isn’t the best thing all of the time.

I think that for those who have become newly single, or if you are like me, and are just now able to embrace it, you should be try and make more room for being single. Don’t take a week and jump on the relationship train when it stops at your station (good metaphor, eh?). Sometimes, it’s okay to let that train go on by, because guess what? There will always be another one. I used to feel hopeless that no one would come along, now I almost hope that they wouldn’t. I have now come to a place where I don’t actively look. It would take one heck of a guy for me to sacrifice my time, my energy, my single seat at the table. It would take a lot for me to actually flag that train down and allow it to stop (see what I did there?). For now, it keeps moving, and so do I. I have so many aspects in my life that seem to be uncertain. I don’t know where my career, family, or life will take me. I don’t when or where I will meet him, or if I ever will. To me, that’s okay.

Friends keep getting engaged, married, pregnant. Here I am embracing me. For what it’s worth, it’s great to have a little more room in my life. I am now focused on things that matter most. I am focused on the people who matter most.

For me, this new found freedom and solace in singledom has been what I have prayed for. I am beyond grateful that I am finally getting where I have always wanted to be.

More Posts about Singleness on Melissa Faye Blog:

• 7 Mistakes Single Girls Make
• Letter to my Single Self
• Loving Myself
• Dating Apps and Why They are Good

LINKS & LOVES

Happy Friday, everyone! 👏

I am so glad it’s Friday because today marks the start of my week-long Thanksgiving break! Yay for the Holidays! Can you believe it’s begun? This is absolutely crazy. I cannot believe Christmas is like 5 weeks away.

Here are my links & loves from this week. Share yours with me below!

1. This prayer. I have really needed it this week.

2. This wreath. I am so excited for Christmas decorating!

3. Carly’s outfit from The College Prepster (details on her post). 

4. This trailer and this trailer. EEK!!!

5. Also, this blog post about the presidential election.

6. These prints for the bedroom.

I hope you have a great weekend!
xx, Melissa Faye

More Links & Loves Posts on Melissa Faye:

• Links & Loves

MAKE SPACE FOR A DREAM CLOSET

Every girl (or guy) has a dream closet. I have had one my whole life. Of course, I wasn’t able to create the dream closet due to clutter and disorganization. If you want create your own dream closet, there a few things that need to be done first. No dream closet comes easy, but it might if you read the rest of this post! 

For my dream closet, I would include the following things: 

1. A large chaise or couch for lounging
2. Large mirror (for those #OOTD selfies)
3. Jewelry and accessory storage, which I am seriously lacking in reality
4. Storage for shoes
5. A place to store luggage and bags

I would also love include a system that would allow all of my clothes and shoes to be accessible year-round. I know that may not be practical for everyone, but there are ways to minimize, so you can have the most space in your storage.  

Every quarter or so I like to empty my closet and rummage through the things I may need or not need anymore. I came across this company called MakeSpace and it seemed really cool! The graphic below can help you decide what to keep, store, donate/sell, or trash/recycle. 

MakeSpace is a company that's basically like having your own second closet. They’re a storage company that picks up and drops off your items whenever you want them. They have self storage locations throughout the US. 

What would you include in your dream closet? Tell me below!

Other posts about Organization on Melissa Faye Blog: 

• Organization Tips & Tricks
• Tips for Organizing Your Blog Life

A LIST YOU SHOULD DEFINITELY MAKE

Sometimes, when I am journalling, I will write a HAPPY LIST. 😄

The rules are pretty easy.

Write down 10 (or more) things that make you happy. These can be silly, simple, or small. It doesn't have to be an out of the park wish list (hello, a million dollars?!). It just needs to be things that literally make you smile or give you J O Y. It's best when it's things you've done or have experienced before.

Here is my HAPPY LIST!

1.  Christmas trees.
2. Anything from Starbucks.
3. A good hug.
4. A good cry.
5. Disney movies.
6. A fast moving line at the grocery store.
7. Smell of rain.
8. The crackle of a fire.
9. Pumpkin candles.
10. A good work-out.
11. A good page-turner.
12. Puppies or dogs in general.
13. The 1st bite of a really good dessert.
14. Hand-written cards.
15. Tumbleweed or tiny houses.

What's on your list? Share with me below!

Happy List Making, xx

TEN THINGS I'VE LEARNED FROM WORKING AT A COLLEGE

There are some interesting parts of my job. I know, you are probably thinking, "Duh, I have always wanted to know more about your super interesting life!" Well, good. I am glad you are here friend. I really am.

Working at a University is much more than just working any old 9 to 5. Sometimes I encounter some really interesting students. Sometimes I get "Thank You" cards from students and wonder what the heck I did to deserve such a nice gesture.

If you aren't familiar with the University system, or how colleges operate in general. Stick around!

1. Sometimes students or parents just want to talk. Good thing I have a Counseling degree. Sometimes it really does come in handy more than you'd think. From illness to death to just the normal struggles of a college student, I hear it all. Sometimes I hear more than I bargained for. Gotta love the non-filtered college kid or parent!

2. If you eat at your desk, you are not at lunch or on "break". You are just eating at your desk. I will get the occasional break or lunch time walk-in, but most of the time, it's just a 1 minute conversation. For the quick question and answer, I have no problem. But, if a college student wants to get in depth about their account and I am elbows deep in a salad (or a cheeseburger), it may be best to come back once I have digested.

3. It's not really a 9 to 5. Working at a college can be some long hours both at nights or on weekends (or both). If you want the typical 9 to 5, go home, and leave work at work, you need to find another occupation!

4. People in the community love you. When we moved to the small town we now inhabit, people were thrilled. We are in a rural part of Georgia/Alabama, so it was kind of like sounding an alarm when we got here. I nearly had my cheeks pinched by some grandmas over this.

5. Graduation makes it worth it. Let's be real, not every student will be my favorite. For those I love, graduation is sad, but I am happy they've accomplished their goal. For those that aren't my favorite (or have given me a hard time), graduation makes it worth it. Even then I am proud for them!

6. You get some sweet discounts. I get the teacher/education discount at Apple, and I also have an 18% discount with Verizon. Sometimes being in education pays off.

7. I learned how dumb I was in college. I have to admit, a lot of my college experience for my undergrad was a blur. Now, looking back, I realize how I did a lot of things on my own, but I am a rarity. A lot of kids these days have no clue what they are doing. I just have to be patient and helpful!

8. Millennials are always on their phones. If there's not headphones in their ear, they're are usually buried in their phones. I have had to snap at a student to get them to actually make eye-contact.

9. You get asked what classes you're in. A lot. I always get asked if I go here, if I went here, or when I graduate. My 30 year old self thanks all of you.

10. (Along with #9), I regularly get asked if someone who knows that they're talking about can talk to them. Uh, I've worked here almost 7 years. I know what I am talking about.

I hope you enjoyed a little glimpse into my work life.

#WERKFLOW 

CURRENTLY COVETING: SWEATERS

I am so excited that #sweaterweather is finally here. I have been dying for cooler temperatures here in Georgia, and they are finally here. I love a good sweater. I can pair them with jeans for a casual look, or I can add them with slacks or skinny black pants for work. Here are the current sweaters I am coveting.

Cozy and festive!

How comfy does this look?!

Hunter green is my jam right now!

Perfect for work or weekend!

Such a unique look!

Again, with the Hunter green!

Bright and casual.

All sweaters can be found on the Old Navy website. BONUS! They have 50% of all sweaters, plus another 30% off for online orders with Code WARM. Head there now! What are your favorites?!

This post is not sponsored by Old Navy.