D.Y.I.N.G.

Okay, okay, okay. I can barely contain myself. It has been practically two years since I've seen this girl. I think (knock on wood, wood-like substances, anything hard...) that the drought is finally over. A date is set for this Friday... food, drink and reuniting. One of the sweetest, most genuinely caring and sincere people I have ever met, aHr is truly one of my greatest friends. We have shared many, many a dinner and prayer over Zaxby's Zalads and many a night up late chatting in the 3' x 3' box-room-thing we shared in our sorority house. To celebrate the closing of a Sunshine-less two years, here are my top 5 favorite things we have shared...

Picture taken November 2007 - our most recent get together.

5. Crafting - from card stock to grosgrain to canvas picture frames, we spent many hours creating masterpieces and works of art. Ave had a greater gift than me, and it's one of the things that makes her such an extraordinary teacher.
4. Anno Domini and Amy Grant medleys - as great as her crafting skills, her vocal ones are even more divine. A member of NC State's Christian acapella group, she would rehearse in our box-room-thing while I pretended I could carry a tune and harmonize with her. We embraced our shared obsession with Amy Grant and rocked out regularly to "Baby, Baby" and "Galileo."
3. Cookout milkshakes - if you lovelies don't have a Cookout in your vicinity, you are missing out terribly. Thick, creamy, full of real fruit, cookies, etc, Cookout milkshakes are God's gift to me (and my friendship with aHr). I allowed myself two per semester (banana pudding shake, please), and my favorite person to share them with (besides Baby Sis, of course) was/is Ave. One of my favorite memories is traveling to Western Blvd. to get shakes my last night in our room-box-thing and relishing in the dessert and equally sweet conversation that followed.
2. Blogging - if it weren't for this pint-sized powerhouse, Polka Dots & Protein Bars would never exist. Truly. Before PD&PB's conception, my inbox was regularly filled with links to preppy blogs, wedding blogs and cupcake blogs. I was hesitant when Southern Sunshine first encouraged me to begin my own, but with a bit of prodding, pushing and peer pressure (the holy trinity of p's, natch), I discovered one of my favorite things in the world: Writing mindless entries and submitting them into the blogiverse.
1. Judging People - few people outside of Lobster are truly capable of "getting" the fact that I love, adore, totally enjoy judging people in real life and, especially, on reality TV. The problem with most people is that they take everything I say at face value and get offended. Not my darling Ave. She quickly became one of my favorite to watch TV with (and that's saying something).

Can't wait to see you, sweets!