World Traveler, This Girl

Tomorrow, I will no longer be "Alabama Alexandra." It's gonna be Texas time for this ragazza. Huntsville will always be my high school love, and for the foreseeable future it will be the "home" I visit every holiday. But, ya'll....I'm moving to Houston. Leaving bright and early tomorrow with my Momma to move into University. 

I'm mostly all packed. I'd say 92%. It's a little strange to look at your life smooshed all together into three suitcases. You kind of think "Huh. This is me...in a few pieces of luggage. What does this say about me?" 

I moved to Huntsville, Alabama a little over 5 years ago. May 2007. Good heavens how time flies, and then...how it drags! I love this city very much, and have grown immensely and learned so much. 

What will Houston, Texas bring? 

I will admit, I am nervous AND excited. Happy AND sad. Scared AND ready. God has definitely put it very clearly to me that I need to be studying opera at the University of Houston Moores School of Music; gotta listen to God!! (He does truly amazing things, and I am so excited to see where He takes me!)

Today I am finishing up some last minute packing and cleaning. I must vacate my room, which will be really strange for me. It won't really be my home anymore. I'll be a Texas chick. (Good thing I already use lotsa hairspray and wear dresses a lot ;) )

I'm not good at goodbyes...I am much better at see-you-later's. God has a purpose for taking me to Houston, and I can't wait to see what He does this year. 

Prayers for safe travel and adjustment would be lovely; I'm a little overwhelmed, but trusting in God. I might not be able to blog for a while, we'll see how crazy life gets. 

Hope ya'll have a great rest of the week!

xoxo, alexandra anne 

PS. If you live in Alabama, I already miss you way too much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Please please write me all the time, and visit ANY time. :) I love ya'll so so so so much! <3 <3 <3 Be back soon ;)

Summer Thunderstorm Love

So, ya'll....I'm a total copycat. And I love linkups. And giveaways. (Maybe someday I'll have something to giveaway :) For now, I'll just tweet a bunch and hope to win something someday haha!)

First off, you must go see my friend Elise :)  She is my lovely new friend, and I just enjoy her blog so much! We've been emailing and texting quite a bit recently. I love new friendships! So I figured if I'm going to copy all her linkups, then I will give her a bit of credit here ;) 

1. How long have you been blogging? And what got you started on blogging? Has your blog changed? I started blogging a long time ago, and have had several blogs. Last year I was in Italy, so I had an Italy blog, but now that I'm back home, I figured I should have a generic blog for all my thoughts. :)

2. Did you go to college? If so where, and what did you study? I've been taking classes at my local college for years now, BUT will officially be a freshman (age wise, anyway) at the University of Houston Moores School of Music as a Vocal Performance major :)
3. Where have you traveled? So many places! See my All Around the World page ;) 
4. If you won the lottery, what would be the first thing you would buy? College tuition, and a puppy. Oh, and some dresses from The Shabby Apple. 
5. What are your 3 biggest pet peeves? Untied shoelaces; when people let the trash bag fall into the trash can and still put more trash in it; when people just cannot use the English language correctly.
6. What is your favorite movie? Tie between The Princess Bride or Serenity. 
7. What is your drink of choice; wine, beer, or liquor. Or Water, Soda, Tea? Proseco (like white wine) for alcohol. Water for generic. 
8. What is something you enjoy to do when you have me time? Listen to music and read. Or just listen to music and zone out :) Taking a walk is also lovely.
9. If you could have a $10,000 shopping spree to one store, which store would it be? Oh wow....Barnes and Noble or White House Black Market. 
10. Share with us an embarrassing moment of your past? Or present. My first movie date with Michael was when we saw Sherlock Holmes 2. It was a great first movie experience :) until the drive home...I spilled popcorn all over the floor of his car...and it was brand new. >.> Whoops. Sorry, dear. <3 
11. What day would you love to relive again? The day I met Michael. It was a dance for a sweet sixteen of our mutual friend, and we didn't know each other at all then. But it was such fun, and I would love to relive that. :) 
12. If your life was turned into a movie... what actor would play you? I think Amanda Seyfried could do me justice. 
13. What are the jobs you had in high school/college/the early years? I've babysat out the wazoo (what does that phrase even mean? really??), and I've cleaned a rental house, done office organization, etc. 

14. Show us a picture from high school or college. 
--> --> --> My 17th birthday party; me and Jarrod. He looks so thrilled to see me, right? ;)






15. If you could travel anywhere in the world, all expenses paid, where would you go? Right now I'd say Egypt or Greece. But I really want to go back to Italy....... 

16. Show us the most current picture of you or you, or your family, or anything of meaning to you. 
--> --> --> Me and mah bro. ;) He's 6 and way too cute (and devious) for his own good. 


17. Where do you see your life 5 years from now?
Hopefully with a Bachelor of Music, maybe married or engaged, possibly in grad school and finding a job. 


Now for my Top Ten Tuesday :) 


1. My Dad is home!!!!!!!!
2. He took us kiddos and Michael to go see The Amazing Spiderman; quite enjoyable! (Who loves Stan Lee's cameos? I always look for him :) :) :) )
3. My new ipod is in the mail, and should get here sooooooooon!
4. I'm getting excited for my recital on Sunday! (The more prepared I get, the better I feel!)
5. I have quite enjoyed making new friends and staying close with old friends. 
6. I'm on a Shabby Apple fix right now.....and reallllllly want their dresses. *melt*
7. I've been listening to a lot of epic music lately; mostly a group called Two Steps From Hell. Don't let the name fool you, they're an orchestral group! But...rockin! 
8.The weather is so funny here in Huntsville. But I love the summer thunderstorms. 
9. I am SUPER excited for Houston! 5 weeks and two days til I move!!! EEK! XD 
10. God is healing my heart and slowly bringing me closer to Him. <3 





Enjoy the rest of the week my lovelies!
xoxo,
Alexandra Anne <3 

PS. Anyone else addicted to coffee? ;)  
--> --> My morning cup (yes, I wear chandelier pajama pants haha) of wonderful coffee. <3 

By the way....it's ok!

Hey ya'll. Found another linkup, and I quite like it! Yay for positive reinforcement! :)

Today I am convinced that it's ok: 

To dance like a dork while cleaning my room

To wear my new ring from my daddy on my ring finger (haha, I don't care if it looks like I'm engaged, I promise I'm not!)

To love completely without falter

To be in love with opera

To argue with my family about who gets to read a new book in our house first ;) (nerdy family means scrounge for new lit!)

To be slightly obsessed with instagram ;) 

To have too many shoes (but what girl has just the right amount of shoes anyway?)

To already have a bag for Houston even though it's 6 weeks away 

To be sad about friendships ending

To celebrate the love I see every day

To be obsessed with coffee ;)

To totally jam out to orchestral music 

To ask for God's forgiveness :) (He DOES forgive! isn't that great?)

<3 

Day 9 :)

Linking up with Life of Love for the 15 Day Challenge :)
Today's challenge asks: "Tell us the best day of your life to date."

I can't just pick one...and I'm sure I'm forgetting a bunch! But here are a few off the top of my head:

*The day I fell in love with opera- I can't say what day exactly it was, but it was mid-June 2011 when I was in Arezzo. I was sitting in a master class listening to some older students singing beautiful music, and I just knew. I finally knew passion.

*The day I first told Michael I love him- I was so excited to tell him, and so nervous too! I had been feeling it for a little while, and at that point (it was early in the relationship actually) we were trying to keep track of each other's feelings for the other. So he would ask "how are you feeling about me now?" And by that point all I could say was "I'll tell you in person, k?" (I was out of town for an audition, so this conversation was had  several times in phone calls; but I couldn't wait to tell him!) The next time I saw him in person was actually his birthday (Michael has the same birthday as Jarrod, one of my best friends, so we had a double birthday party at my house). I had a few minutes alone with him before the party started. So he asked, again, "How are you feeling about me?" I smiled and replied "I think I kinda love you." :) I was lucky to hear him say he loved me later that night. :) :) :)

*The day I told everyone I will be attending the University of Houston Moores School of Music- this had been a heartwrenching subject for me. I wanted so badly to just KNOW where I would be going to school. Everyone asked me, every day, what my plans were. Music majors have it tough; we don't even get to audition until February of senior year, where most of our fellow seniors already have roommates planned. I was in limbo for weeks, not knowing what school I would go to. But God answered a very specific prayer, and by leaning on Him, His plan was finally revealed to me! Such a neat moment for me. And I am beyond ecstatic to be going to Houston! Funny fact, U of Houston was the first school I visited last fall when I began my journey to college ;)

*Graduation day :)- That day we look forward to, ever since we were little, but especially since freshman year. Seniors always look so cool, and reign on high. Well, being homeschooled, I never really felt like a senior, but I was on an adventure. Graduation was a wonderful day because I could shout to the world that I was DONE! I had so many friends and family come support me and watch me walk :) I also had the pleasure of singing an aria for the performance section of graduation, and I led the congregation in a hymn during the ceremony. I came home with my closest friends and family, and we enjoyed pizza and croquet. That's all I need really. The people in my life. I'm so blessed by the people God put in my life! My parents are my rock foundation, my best friends listen to me vent and have helped me when I was at my rock bottom, and my boyfriend always puts a smile on my face. So many individuals have helped me all my life, and I am eternally grateful. And guess what? I'm always ready for new friends :) I want to be that person for someone else!

"Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing at all." -Helen Keller

"Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened." -Dr. Seuss

Xoxo,

Alexandra Anne 

Prego Tutti

Welcome All!
I am back in blogland.

In the almost month since I last wrote I have had quite a whirlwind month! I graduated high school, decided on a college, sung in my final group recital, made new friends, reconnected with some old friends, and fallen more in love with my savior Jesus Christ.

Graduation was truly a worship service; this is possible when you're homeschooled ;) I was blessed with a lovely ceremony full of homeschoolers and their friends and families. I am so grateful that my parents were able to educate me not only at home, but all over the world! (Virginia, Rhode Island, North Carolina, Alabama, England, Scotland, Italy, to name just a few places my education has taken me...) I also met many new friends, who were also graduates! Ha! But they were a lovely group of students, and we are all on our own individual journeys that God has guided us towards!

That leads me to my next piece of news: God finally revealed to me where I need to be at school this year!
I will be a vocal performance major at the University of Houston Moores School of Music :) I am so blessed by this news!!! A year ago I fell passionately in love with opera, while studying in Italy, and God spoke very clearly to me. He told me to go study music at a collegiate level. This is all very exciting.....and scary! It's a very open-ended command, you see. Go to school? Great! In music? YIKES! But I will honor the gifts and passions He gave me. Whether I end up singing professionally, or becoming a music theory teacher, or a conductor, or a composer, He will be glorified! I don't know where I will end up going, but it is an adventure. A journey I am excited to take! This past year has taken me all over the world, and I have grown in music and in faith. I have learned to trust Him in everything. EVERYTHING.

Know what else is amazing about God? Prayer is SO very powerful; He answers!!! It might sound corny or cheesy, but it is 100% the truth! I had to give up everything to God to discover His will, and I am so glad I did. He is totally worth it =)

That's my journey so far!
This summer will consist of preparing for college, learning music, reading (see upcoming post on that on Wednesday!), and growing closer to my wonderful Lord.

What's going on in your journey?

"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." -Matthew 7:13-14