Creole Wisdom

It's official: I am a history minor.  In case you were wondering I'm majoring in Mass Communications.  Since my major is very business based I thought it would be a good idea to balance it out with something more in the Humanities.  The funny thing is, I have half the classes done for the minor in the first place.  More of a "duh" decision than anything else.  Either way I am pretty excited, this University is known for keeping undergrads longer than four years, but I'm on the track to graduate on time... and with a minor.  Not that I'm dying to get out of college, but I would like to get real life started (er, baby making) in a reasonable frame of time.

In other news we have been having the most superb Indian Summer.  I am dying from the joy in my heart.  I hate when it gets cold early.  As a result the trees are just starting to get vibrant and pretty soon I'll be out to do my usual fall photo shoot(s).

I hope you all have a great weekend where ever you are.

judgment restrained by love

I have been so frustrated lately with a couple people.  My friendships are things that I really cherish, and I think for everyone there just comes a point where you want to go, "ahhhh!"  And I have been wanting to so bad.  I hate that mean e-mails are "the thing" to do now.  That is just not acceptable, and yet so very temping to do.  The older I get the more I realize how essential good communication is with friends.  It is difficult to walk the line between honestly and cruelty.  We all want to get our point across, and why not add a little bite?  Do you know why it's so temping?  I was thinking about it, and then I opened my scriptures and read:

"Verily, verily I say unto you, he that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil, who is the father of contention, and he stirrith up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another." 3 Nephi 11:29.

The second I read this I felt at peace, I certainly needed to hear this message today, right at this moment. Now, I am definitely not the person to throw the word "evil" in the serious sense out there, but this is so very true.  So often I am trying to have the attitude: judgment restrained by love, which is part of my sorority's motto.  I need to keep working on it, and am thankful that the scriptures can just make it all so simple for me.

bid day

I love these motion shots because they express the excitement and fun of Bid Day.  Bid Day, for my non-Greek life savvy readers is the day, at the end of recruitment, where girls get their invitation to become members of sororities.  Recruitment is a long and often stressful process for those of us on "this" side, and for girls going through it can be overwhelming- and this campus only has 9 houses.  I cannot imagine being in the south where they have 2,000 girls go through recruitment and over 100 live-ins.  Eek!  That would be wild. 

The intense and fun game of Bunco, which resulted in one very loud room!  I love this game, it was the perfect thing to do on Bid day.  Everyone got to know the new members a little bit better, and since you have to switch partners and tables it kept it upbeat.  The best was prior to playing Anne and I did a little demonstration, my favorite part was getting to explain when you yell "Bunco!"

Can you tell how very serious I am about Bunco?  I am telling you... we were fierce with that game.  I don't even want to imagine what it would of been like had there been prizes!

Overal, it was a wonderful, fun event.  I am excited to get to know 18 new girls!

(Psst... I'm in one of the pictures.  Can you guess which one?)

 

cannot {freaking} wait

I am leaving for Utah on Friday the 5th and staying through the afternoon of the 10th.  I am thrilled.  Thrilled.  I've never been even near to Utah, and cannot wait for my visit.  Obviously I'm going to General Conference, Saturday and Sunday afternoon sessions.  My dear friend Lindsay is taking me to BYU for a few days, too. 

Now, I need your advice.  What do I do/eat at/shop at while in Utah?  What are my must sees?

Furthermore, what should I expect Utah/LDS readers?  You know what they say, "when in Rome..." Fill me in!

fall fashion preview

There are new items at Shabby Apple, so grab a cookie and take a look-y right here.  Yes, their prices are not so super cheap, but their quality is wonderful.  I love the brown, cap sleeved dress I got there earlier this year.  I don't know about you, but I like to support people like these.  Now, I'm thinking, is that plum number a necessary for conference.  Who knows if I'll end up in the Ensign so I'd better try and look cute. 

Autumn has also arrived at another tried and true favorite, Shade.  Shade simply makes the best t-shirt out there.  Modesty, length, and colors aside the fit is divine.  They are wonderfully made, and reasonably priced.

I am loving that deep purples, golds, and grays are in now.  These are shades that actually complement my skin tone versus all the yellows and creams which wash me out.  Can you feel fall coming?  If I only had my LL Bean book yet...

Yeah, I am up at 1 am.  I am going to be exhausted tomorrow for class (have to get up at 7:20).  It's all for you readers, all for you (imagine Janet singing that last line). Too bad I was busy most of the night on a date with a certain someone.  bwahah more blog-dating-creole-wisdom style entries to come! Thank goodness I could keep my French onion soup down this time...

the second time around.

It's funny to be a junior, again.

You see- entering the status of junior, or eleventh grader in my high school was a huge deal.  All throughout my St. Mary's career people built up junior year as hell year.  The year you worked your hardest, when classes would be at their most intense, and college application deadlines loomed.  Girls having emotional breakdowns in the bathroom during our ten minute morning "break" (more like break-ette) would be explained with, "she's a junior" or "she got waitlisted at Yale."  During freshman year I remained ambivalent.  But towards the end of sophomore year I realized that something wild, much like a hurricane would be knocking on my front door awaiting me and my 10 pound Northface backpack. 

And what do I honestly remember?  Not too much.  Long, long hours at my desk upstairs in our bonus room.  Getting my honor roll certificate after finals were done. But mostly I recall days skipped with Alyx to bake cookies, wanting nothing more to get to college (I hung a Barnard poster in my bedroom for months), eating lunch everyday at pizzicato near PSU with Annalise and Hannah, driving Sundays in the rain to Art House for scrapbook supplies, and doing the inevitable:

Oh my goodness gracious! My how styles (and faces of people) have changed.  Do you know how siked I was about those Making Memories stamps?  I used them on nearly every layout I made!  Oh and the tiny clips, what fun ; ) I look at those cute ladies and love that I can place them now, on their own journey into the real world all thanks to the magic of Facebook.

This junior year the books are back out and with a vengance I haven't seen since 2004.  After a four hour library trip tonight my memories of what it means to have strained eyes are returning.  This should be an interesting ride.  At least by May, it will be my last time as a junior. 

get your head in da game.

For the past two days I have been seriously busy with sorority recruitment.  It's one crazy process that leaves me to wonder: if people only knew how much work, dedication, sweat, blood, and tears went into this those horrible stereotypes would quit.

It is unbelievable, enriching, and empowering. 

Today was "hour tours" and we shuffled 157 girls during seven 30-minute "parties" (there are about 15 or so in a "group") through our house.  Yesterday we had 200.  This is the largest recruitment this university has seen.  Ever.  After nine sessions yesterday and seven today all of us are tired beyond all belief.

Now that part one is over I feel like I can finally get back to blogging as usual.

Oh, and have you noticed sorority snaps?  Go check it out. 

It's recruitment time, and you just have to get your head in da game.

of beautiful, and not-so-beautiful things

I took this picture before our first Monday night dinner of the year. I love that Anthropology (sale rack) dress and target shoes. I love the old 1930s built in dresser.  How many other women have gotten ready for dinners, dances, and morning class at this very vanity.  It's fun to think about it.

And it's beautiful you know, all those good thoughts, and a funky picture to go with it.

But there's part of that image you don't see: my stubbly legs, the bad hair as a result of poor hair spray application, how stressed out I am from running non-stop since 7am, and all the daily worries that plague my mind.

Today Jay and I talked on the phone.  We like to talk about blogging and our blogging "friends" as if they are real people in our lives, and in many ways they are.  How can they not be?  Many bloggers I have known for a few years, and have been keeping up with me for a long time.  Many offer sage advice and cheer me on (thank you).

I guess what we kind of came to is the fact that some people feel the need to portray their lives as perfect, ideal.  The reality of blogging is you can do just this, and it's probably psychologically positive for many.  I think the opposite is true.  Everyone knows there's no such thing as a perfect husband/boyfriend, always clean home, constantly well behaved children, and always stellar social life.  Yes, we need to look on the bright side, be optomistic, and blogs are not the place to divulge all the nitty gritty details of the negative.  I guess I say just f*ck it and tell the whole dang story (to an extent). 

Everyone has good and bad parts. 

Now, you are probably thinking that I don't share enough of the bad.  Of course, I don't want to expose myself too much.  Still, my life is most likely a lot less dreamy then you imagine/I portray (my fault).

I am constnatly second guessing myself when it comes to the big life decisions I've made.  I struggled for two years in a relationship with someone who yes, treated me like gold, but was addicted to drugs and alcohol.  I did not know this until the second year we were dating. This does not mean that I didn't put in my fair share.  I could be hard on him, and I'll own that.  Almost every day I struggle with my decision to get baptized, and at times I really doubt it.  I keep going though, and I guess that's just the reality. Endure to the end.  I am "put together" because I spend hours on being this way.  I should probably be having more fun than spending a lot of my free time reorganizing sh*t. I am a people pleaser.  I overextend myself. I am stubborn.   

Back to the point: Jay and I wondered if blogs are like mini PR campaigns.  I think so.  But what are we selling here?  Do you want people to think your life is perfect, and why do you feel the need to do so?  I am a bit guilty of this, and I think it's because we are selling something to people.  We're selling beauty and who really wants to read about huge bills in the mail or marital problems?  Is there some sort of middle ground?

school's back [forever]

Did you get the news yet that, yes in fact this is going to be my year? Last year, which I would like to make known as the twelve months in which my blood pressure nearly soared will be just a distant memory... No more crazy apartment dramas, with out of control roommates, zero world's-worst boyfriend sagas, and even spiritual crises culminating in major u-turns. 

Junior year has already gotten off on a good foot, and I hope it stays that way.

Today was the third day of school, and let me tell you, not even a ridiculous heat wave (think mid 90s) or a strike will get in my way of getting stuff done.  I just put on a Lily sundress avec massive sunglasses and go with it. 

It was the typical, typical run around:

Syllabus after syllabus.  Attendance, which is taken the first day only (haha).  Bikes zooming by.  Mile long lines at Jama Juice.

But then there was someone really cute, and really friendly.  This is the person who is going to make Philosophy 1001 worth while.  here's how that all went down:

Imagine: 8:50 am on Wednesday.  I am walking to the other side of campus, it's already hot.  I enter the building that I had the terrible Anthropology class in exactly one year ago.  Was I going to have post-traumatic stress disorder as a result?  I had to buck up.  Lecture hall 270, find a seat in the way middle.  There was major "dork" (I know, lol) on my left and then the cute guy on my right.  It was chit chat central from then on, followed by, "you have such perfect girl handwriting."  You know, nothing is hotter than a man who compliments your penmanship.  Then we had the usual exchange of info (year in school, major, neighborhood living in...), followed by an inquiry into what discussion section I had and if I had a class after.  And talk about manners, as we are leaving he puts out his hand and says, "My name is Bobby, it's really nice to meet you."  I am drying inside.  Bobby?!?  What!  Is this 1954?  I'm loving it.  So after assuring that I'd sit in the same spot next lecture I got pushed by the crowd out the door.

Then last night after homework got done Brian took me to the MOA.  I eat lasagna, he had salmon with pesto.  It was delicious.  Then we played mini golf- my first time.  It was sad, at least in my opinion.  Golf is certainly not my forte, but it was fun!

So yeah, it's basically good times.

...After reading this you'd think I'd be going for an MRS. degree.

in a perfect world

In a perfect world I would ride those lovely (teal!) beach cruiser to class and it would have the most adorable front basket.  My hair would blow in the wind, and I would have some really hot banana black capris with treatorn sneakers on (check). 

What would you do/wear/ride in a perfect world?