hello madisonrskipper

After nearly a year of blogging as Monogrammed Madison, I have decided to make my blog more personal as I head off to college. Thank you for all the support for the last year. I hope you will continue to enjoy my blog. Below is a link to follow my adventures on my new and improved blog.

blog: madisonrskipper.wordpress.com

instagram: @madisonrskipperblog

today is the day

Today is the day. The day I have dreamed about since kindergarten when I asked my mom when I would be able to wear that "square hat and shiny robe." The day that sometimes felt like would never be here. The day that most everything I've ever known changes.

Over the past few months I have taken a break from my blog. I definitely haven't taken a break from life though. The weeks leading up to this day have been filled with excitement, adventure, lots of nostalgia, a few tears, planning, and just plain living.

Dancing the night away at prom.

Aruba rocked (literally) 

Just chilling with my (fl)amigos.

SO blessed to have these pretty ladies in my life.

College orientation was fun!

I couldn't have asked for a better ending to the best year of my life. Senior year has been just that, the best year of my life. My experiences, my struggles, my fears, and my memories of this year have truly shaped me to be who I am today. I have learned so much about myself (and like to pretend I have learned a lot about how the world works).

Everything has a way of working out.
Although some things didn't go exactly as I planned or hoped, everything worked out. This year I learned the importance of keeping the big picture in mind. I let one bad test grade stress me out, and look I'm still going to my dream college and everything is okay.

Cherish all friendships.
This year I have met more new people than ever before. Many of which have become my really close friends, some of which only where part of life for a short time. Either way I have learned a lot about myself as a result of people entering or exiting my life. I have learned to cherish all friendships, not just the ones who have years behind them. New friendships can be awkward or even scary but the reward far out weights the risk.

Go do something (& take pictures).
Don't get me wrong, my senior year had its fair share of Netflix nights but those aren't the nights I remember. I remember the times I went out to brunch with friends or had late night jam seshs or went exploring downtown. I love the quote "we didn't know we were making memories, we just knew we were having fun." And don't forget to take pictures because, like the quote says, we are making memories that you'll want to remember.

Conversation is key.
Whether it be with your parents, your best friend, or your significant other, conversation is key. I discovered that life is a lot easier and there are a lot less problems if you just communicate. Also I learned not to be afraid to ask for things you want. The worst someone can say is no.

As I walk across that stage today to receive my diploma, I know this is the ending of one chapter of my life and the start of a new one. The familiar faces that I have been surrounded by since kindergarten will soon be replaced with lots of new faces at college. I couldn't be more excited to start this new chapter but I will never forget the memories, lessons, and experiences I have learned here. So here's to the class of 2015!

accountability

This past week, Ali (@thehappyprepster), my friend Emily, and I dove into a series called Open Your Bible from the She Reads Truth website. Initially I was most excited about diving into God's word and fellowshipping with these sweet girls. I had no idea how much being accountable would positively effect my relationship with God. 

Each day for the past week we have individually done that day's devotional and then shared our thoughts on a group message. Throughout the week we also sent prayer requests and just shared things about our week. It sounds so simple, and it really is, but that group message encouraged me to stay focused on God and in His word all week. (By no means am I say it went perfect, I did skip the devotional on Thursday, but they kept me accountable!)

God calls us to share in this type of way. In Thessalonians 5:11 we are told to encourage one another and build each other up. It's so simply, yet so effective, to be able to send or read an encouraging word from Ali or Emily at random times of the day. Also, my relationship with God has deepened. I been spending more time in prayer since the start of this series. I honestly believe, like in Proverbs 13:20, that when you walk with the wise, you become wise. I have loved sharing my thoughts and hearing (rather reading on text) their interpretations of each day's devotional.

I want to encourage you to grab a few friends and start keeping each other accountable. Honestly it so easy; all you need a bible study (She Reads Truth is my personal fave- it's free and online!), your bible, possibly a cute notebook, and a group message. Comment below your thoughts below!

friday fun

Fridays rock but today like really, really rocked. This Friday was filled with French toast, fresh flowers, friends, fine arts, and fresh air (alliteration on point!). Since it’s Good Friday, I had off of school and I spent my day doing some of my favorite things.

I started the day off at one of my favorite breakfast places, Daily Eats (and yes I post way too much about their French toast but its SO good!) I met up with five girls from the Tampa Bay area who are also going to be, like me, freshman at Auburn University this fall. It was so exciting to meet these girls. We chatted all about our favorite things to do in Tampa and what we are looking forward to in college.

After finishing my delicious French toast and saying goodbye to my new friends, I went to Trader Joe's to pick up some fresh flowers because you doesn’t love fresh flowers?! I was a little very indecisive when it came to picking out which bouquet to get. I ended up going with the adorable, bright pink tulips. They seemed perfect for Easter weekend. 

Once I finally picked which flowers to get, I headed to Davis Island to meet Ali (@thehappyprepster) and my friend Emily for tea and a bible study. Again, I was a little indecisive when it came to picking out which tea to get but in my defense there were like a hundred to choose from. I ended up getting my usual, the mint julep. 

We caught up on life, talking about the struggles of being a second semester senior, our excitement for college, and then dived into a bible study. We started the She Reads Truth fourteen day study called Open Your Bible. I cannot wait to share in later posts more about this series. I have a feeling the next fourteen days are going to be amazing!

It’s crazy to think my Friday still isn’t over (crazy right?!). Following our awesome bible study, I said bye to Ali and Emily and took a visit to the Tampa Bay Museum of Art. In no way do I consider myself an “artsy” or “museum” kind of person. This visit was strictly for the purpose of a school assignment, but it turned out to be a fun experience. I came to look at the classical art and ended up spending most of my visit looking the more modern art by Norman Rockwell which is really cool!

I concluded this fun Friday by blogging in my eno at Curtis Hixon Park which is next to the art museum. I had such a great day off filled with all of my favorite things. I am looking forward to the rest of Easter weekend and spending time with my family. 

Be sure to follow more of my adventures on Instagram, @monogrammedmadison. Comment below what your idea of a perfect day is!

chasing after laughter

Spring is in full bloom here in Florida (literally). This afternoon I was laughing and frolicking - did I really just say frolicking - around in my new favorite shorts while taking pictures with Macey (@ohmyprep). After our impromptu mini photoshoot (that's a thing, right?), I was looking through the dozens of pictures that we took and couldn't help but notice how many of them I was laughing in and not in the "make me laugh, I need a cute candid" kind of laughing but the truly happy kind of laughing. 

Like the book of Ecclesiastes says, there is a time for everything. There is a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance. (Ecclesiastes 3:1,4) Lately, I have really been feeling joyful. No life isn't going perfect and yes, things are stressful, but I am focused on God and allowing His peace to bring me joy. With graduation quickly approaching and planning for college, this is a time for me to be happy and get excited for the future. *insert happy dance here* I have been trying to take each day as it comes seeking the greatness even in the tough days or the plain ole' boring days.

Today, I just wanted to encourage you to chase after laughter. Look for things to make you smile. Laugh at other people's jokes, no matter how cheesy they may be. Laugh at silly things like the funny sound your sneakers make when you walk on tile. Laugh at yourself. Nothing is better than being able to laugh at yourself. I probably laugh at myself more than most people laugh in a day. 

I've always heard that "laughing is the best medicine" and even The Bible says it is in Proverbs 17:22, a cheerful heart is good medicine. Today, try not to take everything so seriously and laugh a little (or a lot!) 

This is me chasing after laughter (thanks for capturing this Macey!). My clothing is all from Target, my shoes are Jack Rogers, and my monogram necklace is from Etsy. Be sure to follow me on Instagram to keep up with more of my adventures.  Comment below and on Instagram what makes you smile!

you do you

I always have heard the phrase, “life isn’t about finding yourself, it’s about creating yourself” and that overwhelmed me. I thought how or what do I create myself to be. As I continue to grow closer in my relationship with God, it has become evident to me that life is about discovering who God wants me to be, not who I want to be.

Recently, my devotional book (Jesus Calling by Sarah Young) had this quote, “enjoy the adventure of finding yourself through losing yourself in God.” The past few weeks that has stuck with me. 

First off, the quote says enjoy meaning take pleasure in and have fun. Lately, I have been enjoying doing exciting things and trying new things. I am by no means saying I am “going crazy” or losing focus on my priorities, but I have just been trying to love life and all that God has to offer me. I’ve been trying to break the mold of you should dress like this, say these things, listen to this type of music, and step out of my box. Since doing this, I think I have become less judgmental. The last few weeks I have been loving learning about new things and meeting new people. While keeping in line with God’s word, I have been living the “you do you way” meaning live your life the way you feel God is leading you to. Don’t let society's stereotypes decide what you wear or what you like to do or who you hang out with.

Secondly it says, finding yourself through losing yourself which reminds me of the verse 2 Corinthians 5:17. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here.” God cleans, purifies, and makes our broken hearts new. To me, finding yourself through losing yourself is the perfect illustration of that. We can try finding ourselves through social media, our friends, school, or hobbies but to truly find yourself we need God.

I remember hearing someone say that when you do what you know God wants you to do, you will be the happiest. I honestly do believe that. I encourage you to focus on God and discover who He wants you to be. This has been my goal each day for the past few weeks and I can honestly say God’s peace and joy has been an overwhelmingly presence. I hope “you can do you” and experience God in a similar way.

important reminders

Have you ever had one of those days? Ya know, the days where you fail a test & end up balling your eyes out while sitting in your car. Okay, maybe that’s just me but I am sure we’ve all experienced some sort of (at the time seemingly) disastrous event. For me, many of these “disastrous” times are school related.

Last week, I was spending most of my time preparing for a big test. Countless hours studying and many cups of coffee later, I failed it. Yes, failed. 

Now looking back it, I see how I was overreacting but when I received my grade I was a mess, like sitting-in-my-car-ugly-crying a mess. 

That morning for some reason I decided to toss my bible in my backpack which isn’t something I usually do. While sitting in my car being a mess, I reached for my bible and desperately typed into Google “devotionals for when you fail a test.” To my surprise there were lots of results. I clicked on the first one (click here). This devotional was simple but exactly what I needed to be reminded of.

When my world is turned upside down I need to remember…

God loves me.

No matter what happens, God doesn’t love me any less.

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that’s what we are! -1 John 3:1

God knows me better than you know myself.

You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is even formed on my tongue, you know if completely. -Psalm 139:1-4

God knows the future and He is in control of everything.

I need to trust that He knows what he is doing.

All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. -Psalm 139:16

God’s plans may be different from my plans
but God’s plans > my plans.

In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps. -Proverbs 16:9

Many are the plans in a person’s heart but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails. -Proverbs 19:21

God is more concerned with who we are than what we do.

God’s ultimate purpose for my life is for me to be more like Jesus. I cannot do that when I rest on others or academics for my self-esteem.

And we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. -Romans 8:28-29

There is nothing too big for God to deal with, so pray, and pray, and pray.

Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you. -1 Peter 5:7

Whatever you may be going through this morning or this week or even this month, always remembered that God cares about YOU (yes, you who is reading this!) and whether we realize it or understand it, God does everything for our good. With that said, you go kick Monday morning's butt!

all we do is eat, eat, eat {weekend recap}

All we do is eat, eat, eat…  that’s the lyrics right? This weekend Macey (@ohmyprep) and I spent the weekend eating and laughing. I kid you not that pretty much all we did. We started out at Mr. Penguin for a sweet treat. I enjoyed the cookies & creme and Macey loved the sour green apple. 

Next, we lounged around in our pajamas and munched (more like devoured) on our favorite Boom Chicka Pop popcorn, mine being the kettle corn and hers being the white cheddar. Friday night was one of those lazy nights spent talking about everything under the moon and laughing so much that your stomach hurts! 

After sleeping in till noon (oops!), Macey and I got dressed in our favorite oversized tshirts and went to Daily Eats. Daily Eats is this super cute diner type of place. The french toast is to die for, so of course Macey and I both ordered it with strawberries and chocolate chips. 

No one loves dessert and big shirts more than us. I couldn’t ask for a better friend to spend my weekend pigging out with! Be sure to follow this sweet girl on Instagram @ohmyprep.

Thanks for stopping by my blog, check out my new All About Me and Contact Me pages at the top and comment below your favorite sweet treat!

get 'er done {my productivity tips}

You could say last night was one of those nights (slash mornings). You know, the ones were you spent hours with your nose in a book, your desk is scattered with a million sheets of paper, your anxiety is at an all time high, and your hours of sleep is at an all time low- the dread “all-nighter”. (And just to clarify, my definition of all-nighter means staying up till like 1am. I am not that pro!)

I have a weird schedule. Class three days a week, work one day a week, managing an online class, while still trying to fit in time for blogging, my quiet time with God, and fun with my friends and family. I am not writing this post to claim I have it all figured out when it  (because I don’t), but I wanted to share some of tips for the stressful times and how I deal with them.

Yesterday on my way home from work, I began to become so anxious about all that I needed to get done. It’s crazy to think but over the weekend I made a countdown to graduation (42 days!!) and wrote a to do list for each day. And I sure do have a lot to do!  Last night, I hunkered down and got yesterday's tasks done and here’s how:

{get focused}

When I am feeling stressed out, I have trouble focusing because I am preoccupied with how overwhelmed I feel. During times of high stress, I like to retreat to the library. Taking out the distraction of noise really helps me get focused and organize my thoughts. Prior to starting an assignment or a study sesh, I like to plan out what I need to do and how I plan on doing it whether it is making flashcards or rewriting notes or reading in the textbook.

{be equipped}

Trust me, this is one of the biggest ways I procrastinate. “Be right back got to get a pencil. Or oops I forgot an eraser. Looks like I need to go get a drink of water. Wait, I need more notecards.” Before sitting down, make sure you have anything and everything you may possibly need to complete the task so you do not have to keep getting up.

{stay focused}

After establishing what I need to get done, I need to stay focused and just do it. Sometimes I come up with a great study plan but never actually follow through with it because I get distracted (oops!). First off, put the phone away- whether its putting it in the other room, turning it off, or throwing it out the window. Next, crank the tunes. Everyone has there own opinions on music while studying. Once I am all set to start actually studying, I personally love some low-volume, instrumental music. My favorite is the deep-focus playlist on Spotify. 

{take productive breaks}

Another thing I am guilty of, studying for fifteen minutes then treating myself to an hour long study break - not such an efficient way to work. Last night on my desk, amongst my review sheet, textbook, flashcards, and planner, I had my bible. Never before have I combined study and my quiet time with God but I will being doing it this way from now on. Diving into God’s words during overwhelming times is crucial but sometimes the hardest. When I am stressed I feel like I don’t have time for God. Last night while on a study break, I read this verse and it sure was relevant. Even when I feel like life is crazy, I should take rest is knowing that God is there and everything will be okay.

Like I said, I may only have 42 days left of high school but those 42 days are going to be kicking my butt. I’m hoping to be able to get focused and stay focused all the way to graduation. Let me know if you found this post helpful and please share your study/productivity tips with me in the comments below or on Insta @MonogrammedMadison.

coffee shops & late night talks

Last night, a life long friend (like we go all the way back to elementary school) and I sat sipping iced coffee till Starbucks kicked us out. Unlike most of my time spent at Starbucks, last night did not consist of any textbooks or studying or gossiping about about petty drama. 

My friend confided in me that she is struggling with an eating disorder. After reading my story on my blog (click here to read), she said she felt that she could come to me with this. I could not be more honored that she felt this way. Also, I am SO happy she is reaching out for help. I think in any struggle, admitting you need help is the most difficult part.

We spent the night diving straight into the deep end. I told her about my experiences and shared with her things I’ve never told anyone. She also did the same.

After last night, I had a million things I wanted to share on my blog that my friend and I talked about (and there will probably be lots of upcoming posts regarding a variety of topics) but today I just wanted to remind everyone, myself included, that being a good friend is SO important. Friendship is a lot more than matching bracelets, doing fun things, and taking cute pictures. It’s about being there for someone when they need it or late night phone calls or encouraging them at their weakest times.

Lately, I have been feeling very lazy in my faith. I mean like skipping my quiet time, being at church but not being at church, and just not living passionately for Christ. As much as it breaks my heart that my friend is struggling with this, I see how God is using this situation for both of us. This has reignited my fire for Christ. I hope that talking about my experiences, mistakes, and lessons learned had a positive impact on my friend. I know it definitely encouraged me to stay focused on what is important. 

It truly is amazing how God puts each moment in each of our lives for a reason. It’s so easy to get caught up in “why is this happening to me” and lose sight of the big picture. Sometimes I question God as to why he would have allowed me to treat myself so poorly or I hesitate to blog and share so opening about my life, but without these things, moments like last night wouldn't have happened. 

I’m quickly learning that in life being honest and genuine go a long way. Not only does it allow you to be yourself, but it also encourages and can help those around you. I’ve learned that being an open-book doesn’t make you vulnerable, it makes you available. God wrote a story specially for you and how selfish is it to live out that story without sharing it with anyone. Even at a young age, we’ve all learned something and I don’t mean something like the fact that the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell. Each of us have lived for some length of time and during those days, months, and years, we have had unique experiences, adventures, struggles, and joys. 

Let’s focus less on ourselves and make ourselves available to others. Lets live a life that has a positive impact on people. Let’s be that friend someone can always lean to. Let’s be honest. Let’s be genuine.

I hope you enjoyed today’s post. Unfortunately, I cannot grab coffee with each of my followers (mostly because that would be a lot plane tickets and I would pass out from a caffeine high), but if you would like to share anything with me, feel free to email me at monogrammedmadison@gmail.com and if you don’t already, follow me on Instagram to keep up with more of my adventures, @MonogrammedMadison.

let's be real

Today's post is titled, let's be real and today I want to do just that. I posted a picture on my Instagram (@monogrammedmadison) of myself just a few minutes after I woke up without makeup and without  brushing my hair.

Lately I have been receiving lots of sweet comments (which I really do appreciate) on my pictures about "how cute I am" or saying "you're gorgeous." I am in no way saying I do not appreciate these comments because I do and my followers are sweetest!

I just know that sometimes when I scroll through Instagram, I start to feel bad about myself or my life. It sounds so silly but it happens sometimes. My favorite type of blogs to read are lifestyle blogs where people share their lives. When reading lifestyle blogs, it can be easy to feel jealous or down about your own life. I know I feel this way sometimes. The purpose of this post is to bring awareness to this feeling. It does in fact exist and we should all guard ourselves from it. 

I hope that my blog inspires and encourages you to find the joy and explore what your life has to offer. I never post to try to make anyone feel bad about themselves. The intention behind my blog is to share things that make me happy, things that make me sad, and lessons I have learned in life. I try to be as real as possible.

The funny thing about social media is we think it's such an accurate representation of ourselves and our lives, when in reality, we only post on good hair days and when life is going good. Trust me when I say, I am not as put together all the time as it may seem by looking at my Instagram. You can just ask my friends, I send them some seriously terrifying snapchats and have been known to at least once leave the house without brushing my hair and rocking last nights pajamas. 

I have decided that I need to try to portray myself more accurately on social media, that includes sharing my bad hair days and no makeup selfies. There is absolutely nothing wrong with these things, they are just as beautiful! One of my biggest fears of blogging is that I would make someone feel not good enough as a result of my pictures or posts. 

I hope all of my followers know just how beautiful they are (and yes that includes you!) Let's be real with each other and not let ourselves fall into the "not-feeling-good-about-ourselves-because-everyone-is-so-cute-on-Instagram" feeling. 

Be sure to follow more of my adventures on Instagram 

@MonogrammedMadison!

horsing around

My last day of spring break was spent horsing around. After church, my family and I head to the horse track. I mostly was excited to wear a Lilly dress and my monogrammed floppy hat for the first time this year but it turns out I really do love watching a good ole' horse race. 

Although I couldn't officially make any bets, I would pick my favorites before each race. I definitely did not get the "winning gene" that my dad has. He picked the trifecta in the first race!

 Maybe if I didn't pick the horses by cutest of their names
I would have better luck!

In between the races, I played with my precious cousin, Michael, who is six weeks old and more stylish that I ever will be. He rocks a bow tie better than any boy I know!

 Michael holding his winning tickets. Six months old and he's
already a track rat!

I couldn't have asked for a better last day of spring break. I am looking forward to many more sunny afternoons at the horse track. And hopefully my betting skills will improve by the time I turn 18 in just a few months!