grad.

Life has been crazy especially over the past three weeks, but basically since christmas.  My final semester at college has been filled with every emotion–happiness, sadness, confusion, and lots of stress.  I had my final portfolio review and senior art show as an undergrad the first week of May.  Getting everything finished and ready for those activities really took a toll on me.  I had minimal sleep and forgot to eat consistently which left me really sick and weak feeling during the review and show.  However, overall I got positive feedback from the professionals at the review and got to interact with everyones' friends and families at the show, which was a fun ending to a very stressful day.  


After the show, my classmates came over and we made some pizzas and drinks and just spent awhile relaxing and enjoying each others' company before everyone departed for the summer.  When I went to bed that night, I was out.  I ended up sleeping for a full 8 hours which felt so good.  

art show presentations.

The next day we had graduation practice in the morning followed by baccalaureate in the afternoon.  I got to spent the day with my roommate who was also graduating.  We both had been running around like crazies and hadn't had time to spent together so it was nice.  We were randomly placed as roommates first semester freshman year and have been together every since.  Her large extended family had arrived the day before so they came to my art show and spent the weekend with us.  

baccalaureate.

Finally it was May 5th which is Cinco de Mayo and therefore our grad was dubbed Cinco de Graduation. We were in the afternoon ceremony and therefore had time in the morning to get things organized.  My sister even came over to help fix my hair.  

looking intelligently into the future.

Post grad, everyone came over and we had a fiesta for Cinco de Graduation with tons of mexican food from our favorite place.  We even had some piñatas hanging from our light fixtures.  However, being the control freak I am it drove me insane having everyone trying to fix things and move things around.  The margs definitely helped me calm down and they were delicious!

It doesn't feel like I graduated 9 days ago and I doubt it will hit me until everyone else goes back to school in the fall.  I don't feel like I should be old enough to get a "real world" job.  It actually scares me a lot.  I haven't done much since graduation except do some shopping and scrapbooking to help clean our house up.  I feel the need to be more productive now, but I really did need some time to relax and enjoy being out for the summer.  

The rest of this month is going to get busy very quickly with siblings and friends graduating from other schools.  I will be doing lots of baking and cake decorating for their upcoming parties.  Tonight I will be uploading photos from my camera to my computer and finishing some household chores.  Tomorrow I hope to add multiple recipes we've tried over the past couple months as well as some more updates on life.  

Till then, cheers!

Random.

Check out this car window sticker family I saw today.  Good thing they have an SUV with maximum window space.  I really wish I had gotten a picture of the family I saw last week who were Star Wars drones.  My family would probably have something like that.

Last haul.

Now that my last official spring break is over, I have less than 8 weeks left in my college career...well my schooling career.  I may end up going to graduate school eventually, but not immediately. 

Unlike everything else I have not made extensive plans for post graduation.  I've always been one to go with the flow so that is exactly what I am going to do.  The right job will come along, I just know it. 

I know things will happen way faster than I think so I am trying to work ahead, especially since Greek Week is in 2 weeks.  Chao for now, I have to go to convo to be able to graduate in May..5 left after today!

mess.

I came across this picture today and it made me laugh because it is so true.  I know I am not the only one who gets in trouble for having an "organized mess" around the house.  I thought more people could relate.

abroad.

Over the holiday I had the opportunity to take a PR and Advertising class in London.  It was actually considered a travel/study program since we weren't stationed at a university.

This was my first official trip outside the North American continent, which I was initially nervous about then I was too excited to be nervous.  I hate leaving places and people so heading to the airport was rough and I was stressed because I was unorganized and was afraid I forgot a bunch of things.

The trip over the big blue wasn't bad.  I tried to sleep for a long time, but drifted off.  I just watched a bunch of movies and before I knew it we were there.  By this point I was exhausted because it was 7am London time.  That's 1am Nashville time.  I tried to enjoy the ride to our hotel but was so sick I mostly just tried to not get sick.  I feel asleep as soon as I got into my room.

Over the course of the trip we visited more fabulous places that I can possible name, but I hope to highlight some of my favorites.  First, here is the list of places I got to check out.

- Mayfair and Piccadilly
- Notting Hill: Museum of Brands, Packaging, and Advertising, Portobello Road Market
- Covent Garden: London Transport Museum
- Greenwich: Royal Observatory, National Maritime Museum
- East London: Olympic 2012 area and structures
- Hampton Court Palace
- Harry Potter city walk tour
- Stonehenge
- Bath
- Wimbledon facilities
- South Kensington: Science Museum, Victoria & Albert Museum, Natural History Museum
- Museum of Childhood
- Imperial War Museum
- Tate Modern Museum
- Agencies: McCann Erickson, Weber Shandwick, DDB
- Abbey Road
- Buckingham Palace
- Millenium Bridge
- Burlington Arcade

Of course we also saw some of the top tourist attractions like Westminster Abbey, Parliament, Big Ben, London Bridge, the Tower of London, and the London Eye.  I know there are even more places that we visited that I can't think of right now.

Overall I had such an incredible time, it's hard to put in words my thoughts.  I hope to share some of my pics from my adventure in the upcoming posts.  I can't wait!!

2012.

Every new year people make resolutions that they have no plan of keeping.  I am the same way, but this year I'm making changes.

Maintain weight and new lifestyle changes.

The number one resolution seems to be lose weight and get the 'hot bod" you've always wanted.  Since finding out I am lactose-intolerant, I have lost 15 pounds without any extra effort (like exercise haha) and am almost at the weight I was when I graduated high school.  Hooray! 

Learn to shred. (aka play something on the guitar)

Bo bought me a beautiful fender guitar almost 2 years ago and I have yet to learn to play anything on it.  My excuse has been mostly that it is not in tune and I don't know how to do it, but Chase just tuned it so now I have no excuse.  I want to rock and roll....

Learn to fight.  

I hate exercise that is the same motion or activity over and over again.  I found a local place that specializes in mixed martial arts, which is awesome.  The MMA they teach is not like UFC in the octagon style, but more like self defense.  Also the first time I took karate, I couldn't handle the meditation part, mind you I was like 4-5 years old, so this style doesn't involve the focus that traditional fighting styles do.

Stop biting my nails.

This resolution has been on my list ever since I can remember, but this is the year...I can feel it.  

Learn another language.

Eventually I would love to be fluent in another language, but at least this year I want to get a start on it.  I'm definitely thinking French.  Also, I have loved sign language since I was younger and would love to be able to use signs to communicate.  Maybe I'll end up being trilingual.  That would be sweet!

Get Organized.

I love organizing and being organized, but since I was away over the entire holiday, my apartment isn't clean.  We have lived here for a couple years now and still don't have pictures on the wall or shelving.  It is time to get things figured out.  When we do, we will have so much more space.  

I think that is all for now, but I can't find my official list as the previous resolution has yet to be completed.  I'll make sure to update my status of these from time to time.

2011.

Last year was a pretty good year.  Here are some things I loved, hated, learned, or experienced in 2011.

- Spent numerous days enjoying the outdoors at the park by my apartment.  We saved the leftover peanuts from Preds' games to feed the squirrels.
- Traveled to Chattanooga, TN...twice.  I hadn't been there since high school.  My favorite stop there is the aquarium.  If you have never been definitely go, you won't regret it.  I never knew how many types of jellyfish there were.  We also stopped at the Children's museum which was great as well.  Mostly I just enjoy the atmosphere of downtown Chatty.  Just walking around is cool with me.
- I turned 21!  It's nice to sit at a restaurant and have a drink after a long day or when relaxing with friends...legally that is.
- Bo and I went to the Preds' Gala and Casino Night which we had never been too before.
- I went to a Flogging Molly concert.  They are my favorite band and I had an awesome time.  I also got to drink lots of beer at it because I was 21!
- Went to Florida to ride ATVs, hang with Bo's relatives, and go to HARRY POTTER WORLD!  It was awesome, I freaked out more times than I can count.  I would love to go back very soon.
- Got a new little within my sorority.  Her name is Emma and she is great!
- Went to the Lady Gaga concert in town.  She is fabulous and awesome to see live.  Everyone was dressed up and able to have a rockin' time.
- Went to more rollerderby bouts.  Rollerderby is quickly becoming one of my favorite sports to watch.  It is fast, fun, and super addicting.  I would love to play, but haven't rollerskates since I was little.  It really can't be that hard because I can skate on ice.  I need some new rollerskates pronto.
-The Preds made it to the second round of playoffs...the furthest in franchise history.  We are still a young team and it was an amazing accomplishment.  I cheered till I had no voice and cried at the end from happiness.  (I get emotional about a lot of things if you haven't noticed before.)  It is great seeing the guys giving their all for the team and its fans.  I will never forget the feeling in the arena that night.
- Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding.  Due to the time change, bo, his mom, and I stayed awake till the wee hours of the morning to watch the nuptials on TV.  The ceremony and her dress was beautiful.  It would have been crazy to be there.
-Watched the country music marathon being run.  It was incredible seeing how many people were running.  The streets were packed.  I can't wait to get up and watch the start this year as well.
-Bo graduated from university.  I'm so proud of him.  He has been doing freelance since then and loves every minute of it.  His positivity gives me reinforcement about graduating myself.
-Checked out the Coke Factory in Atlanta.  Yum...it's like the Willy Wonka factory of coke.
- My brother spent the summer semester in Russia.  He had an amazing time.  I'm so excited he got this opportunity.
- B-Roo 2011!!  The weather, as always, was almost unbearable, but the company and music was fantastic.  It's like living in a dream world that you never want to leave.  When you get back to reality, the experience is surreal for sure.
-VEGAS BABY!
-Seattle, WA, then driving to Vancouver, BC, Canada, ending back eventually at our summer house.  The drive is beautiful and they are definitely a couple of my favorite cities.
- I got bit by a raccoon.  I'll save this story for another time, but um-yeah...not the best idea.
- Celebrated my grandparents' 50th anniversary with a huge celebration in Winnipeg, MB, Canada.  I don't get to see my relatives a lot because they live so far away so it is nice to reconnect.
- Realized 5-pin bowling is my game fo' real!
- HARRY POTTER 7 PART 2!! It was awesome.  I was too far behind in the books to finish the last one before the movie was released so I had no idea what was going to happen.  It was epic.
- Sorority recruitment in the fall.  I was elected Vice President Recruitment in fall 2010 so all the planning we had been doing since then lead to this.
- Spent sisterhood retreat in Gattlinburg, TN.  It was a great experience bonding with all my sisters!
- Spent Halloween downtown with Katie and Chase.  We met a lot of interesting (and interestingly dressed) people that night.  Definitely one for the books.
- My chapters' EC got to go to Austin Peay State University and perform their colony's installation and initiation of members.  It was an incredible experience and made me feel that much closer to my EC members and the organization as a whole.
- Steamboat Springs, CO, before christmas.  Of course we skied/snowboarded like crazy, but the weather was kind of crappy so we also got to spend some time shopping downtown and finishing puzzles. ha.
- Over the Christmas holiday I went on a study abroad to London, UK!  I'll definitely be writing around this experience.  It was my first European or outside North America travel experience.  I met some cool people and grew as an individual.
-

back.

hey all!


I know I have promised entries and have failed miserably, but please give me another chance as I have so much to share.


Obviously it is 2012!  This year my life will change forever.  I am graduating university in May and am freaking out.  Everyday I realize something else that will change about my life and though I don't know if it is for the better or worse, there is nothing I can do to change it.


Next, the end of 2011 was hectic to say the least.  I barely got any sleep due to classwork, family life, sorority, and travels.  And even though at the time I was stressing out like no other, I now can appreciate it all.  I really did have an awesome time.


Lastly, I have about a million new recipes to post so I'm going to get on posting those asap.


Thanks for hanging in there.