Nights Out and Days Off

I was sitting at work yesterday and the day was dragging on and on. Now don't get me wrong, I was enjoying my job for the day as school receptionist. Being school receptionist meant I wasn't in a class room for 4 and half hours with 25+ students at a time. But very little was going on for most of the day, so time was moving slowly. I couldn't wait until the day was over; I was looking forward to a nap. 

At about lunchtime, while I was sneaking looks at my phone, I got an invitation to attend a VCU basketball for that night.  Now while that nap was tempting, I value my social life, which has been lagging lately so I took Jim up on the offer!

Luckily since I am still without car, my sister attends VCU and has class every night. Tip off was scheduled for 7 p.m., which worked out perfectly since Dani has class at 7. She was nice enough to take her favorite big sister to Richmond with her. 

Now I've been to very few basketball games in my life. But it's a little weird when you're at a university's sporting event and you don't go to that university. Now we both wore black and gold to fit in but we knew none of the cheers. Especially the "you suck balls" cheer that the students do every time a player on the visitor team is introduced. Next time, we're making up on our own cheers!

But the VCU fans and the pep band are pretty hardcore. It was a good game; basketball is less squeaky in real life than it is on television. VCU played the Hofstra Pride and VCU won by 12 points. Next time I'm going to have to bet money on the game and learn some more about basketball so I can be a little more into the game.

Needless to say, I got home pretty late. I had been trying to suppress the cold I could feel coming on all day. On Tuesday morning I got a lovely surprise! Other than my cold that is. I got a day off! I was planning on telling the substitute caller that I was taking the day off if she called, but she didn't! I got to sleep in until 10:30. (Don't call me lazy, keep in mind I'm a little sick!)

When I went to take the dog out this morning, I wasn't expecting the spring-like weather! It worked out well for some self photography using my camera remote!

This is how I felt about my day off and today's weather! I'm a regular cheerleader...now all I need is a big purple hair bow! =]

2012 Goals and Resolutions!

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So it took me a couple of days but I've finally come up with my list of resolutions, goals, etc. for 2012. I'm ready to make this year the best year of my life, no matter what ups and downs life throws my way!


Fashion

• Dress better -I need to find clothes that look good on me. I get bored with my look a lot and rarely do anything to change it!
• Get rid of clothes that I do not wear - Make room for the new clothes!
• Finally find the best makeup, nail polish, and lip color for my complexion and skin tone
• Don't be so lazy with accessories - I wear the same earrings for weeks on end, then I'll switch earrings and wear them for weeks on end. I am so boring!

Social

• No more boring weekends - I'm tired of sitting at home every weekend! I'm young! I need to get out before I get old!
• Be a better friend
• Don't force people to be in my life
• Give back and appreciate those who are good to me - I need to be sure that those that do so much for me know how I much I appreciate them!

Fitness

• Exercise more
• Run some races (including an 8K that's taking place in February)
• Use the Wii Fitness games I have while I have access to a Wii - Just Dance 2,3; Michael Jackson Experience for the Wii, EA Active 2, and Zumba!

Nutrition

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• Eat more fruits and vegetables
• Take more vitamins and get more vitamins and minerals naturally by eating better
• Stop drinking caffeine after 3 p.m. - I had been doing really good at not drinking as much caffeine back in 2010 but getting up early for work and having long crazy days has got me back drinking way too much caffeine.
• Drink more water 
• Cut down on sweets - I definitely had way too many sweets when fall and winter started. Someone I work with recently mentioned that I put on weight and I decided that maybe I shouldn't eat as many sweets as I do. Not that I'm overweight, because I'm not. Just due to my multiculturalness, this home girl puts on most of her weight in three places: the chest, the booty, and in between the two, which will eventually make me look like a raisin with legs!
• Try out more recipes - I get bored eating the same things over and over again.

Life

• Get a job - Need I explain why this must happen this year and soon? I'm trying to apply to at least one job everyday. At least for the next 30 days. 
• Get an apartment (with an awesome roommate!)
• Get a car 

Creativity, Hobbies, and Interests

• Try more art projects - Thanks to Pinterest I've seen about 10000 things I want to do. Now to find the time and the money!
• Finish all the projects that I start - I am queen of starting things and not finishing them!
• Start on my scrapbook - I've had this scrapbook for at least a year and it has 0 completed pages!
• Work on my photography - I got 3 awesome photography books for Christmas and a monopod! I can't wait to take some awesome photographs and completely redo my portfolio!
• Practice Spanish - Being able to converse in Spanish is going to come in handy one day, I know it. So far I've found that random people just ask me to help them get their phone out of Spanish when they accidentally change the language on their phone. Plus I don't want to lose my Spanish-speaking skills. 
• Work on my writing (creative and non creative) - I need some good writing samples for some of the jobs I apply to. And I'm going to try writing a novel
• Read more than I watch TV (keep a list and write book reviews)
• Blog more!!!

Financial

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• Start couponing - This will come in handy when I finally live on my own. I'm gonna be the queen of couponing!
• Save money - I got a coin counting money jar for Christmas! I've always wanted one of those!
• Pay as much on my student loans as I can - Curse you student loans, I don't want to paying you all my life! 
• Pay back my mama for my car repairs

Travel

• Add more states to my list of states visited - I just want to go places! I need new scenery and new experiences! Going somewhere? Take me with you!

What are your resolutions and goals for this year?

Bye Bye Betsy

It took awhile for me to get into the Christmas spirit this year (well, technically last year now) because I had A LOT going on!


Unfortunately the week before Christmas, I was in a car accident. =[ My precious baby, Betsy was totaled! Luckily, I didn't suffer any injuries (other than some soreness in my wrist, which was probably bruised), except the whole being-afraid-to-drive-again thing.


The accident wasn't my fault as the other drive lane changed into my car. Thank goodness, he had insurance.

I'm really sad because I figured Betsy and I had a few more good years together. Especially since we just did such expensive repairs to her back in August. (Remember?) I've been driving her since I got my license in 2007 (if you're doing the math right now and laughing at me, shut up!). 

How many of you have lost your first love car? How did it happen? (Want to sell me your cars?)

Top 11 of 2011

I would say that it seemed like it was just yesterday that we were ringing in 2011, but in reality it seems like it was a long time ago!


I decided to make a couple of lists to commemorate 2011.

Top 11 Books I Read During 2011 (in no particular order)

1. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - Read it now if you haven't already.
2. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
3. Mockingjay by Suzanna Collins
4. Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe - One of the best classic novels I've ever read
5. The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
6. Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin
7. Something Blue by Emily Giffin
8. Hoda: How I Survived War Zones, Bad Hair, Cancer, and Kathie Lee by Hoda Kotb
9. The Help by Kathryn Stockett
10. Through My Eyes by Tim Tebow
11. P.S. I Love You by Cecelia Ahern

Top 11 Roadtrips of 2011 (in no particular order)

1. Maine (July) - By far this was the best roadtrip ever! I am so grateful to Patti and her family for taking me. I got to spend a week with one of my most favorite families that treat me as if I am their own!
2. Harrisonburg (April) - I had the opportunity to meet one of my tumblr friends and tour the new performing arts center. I gotto attend two of Beau's baseball games and hang out with some of my absolute favorite JMU/Harrisonburg loves.
3. Charlotte (April/May) - Though I was down there for a job interview, I got to spend time with my old roomie, my birthday twin, and my boys! And I actually got to stay in the city this time and see more of Charlotte.
4. Arlington (January) - I brought in the new year with my roomies and got to go to Tyson's, which reminds me - I need to go back there.
5. Harrisonburg (August) - I always love going to Harrisonburg for fantasy football weekend. On this particular weekend, I got to catch up with one of my MCCs, go to the book fair, and go dance like a crazy fool at The Blue Nile, which was the absolute highlight of my weekend!
6. Norfolk (May) - I traveled down to Old Dominion University, a place I always feel at home, to celebrate my little cousin's graduation! A good time as always!
7. Arlington (August) - It was my first time in Northern Virginia during the warm months in years! I had a blast walking around D.C. in the heat and visiting museums and monuments!
8. Arlington (September) - I went to D.C. for some job interviews and it was the first time I rode the metro by myself and I did it correctly!
9. Harrisonburg (October) - Homecoming 2011 was amazing! I got to surprise my favorites! And watching the game with Jim in the brand new stadium was AMAZING!
10. Arlington (February) - This trip happened so long ago that I can't remember what I did. But I do remember not having to spend Valentine's weekend alone and I got to see my Bea! I think I also went to Potomac Mills and IKEA for the first time ever!
11. Blacksburg (August) - Moving my sister into college was fun because it brought back memories of my 4 wonderful years at JMU! And I got to spend time with my Little Duke turned Hokie, Tori. 

Top 11 Moments of 2011 (In no particular order)

1. My little sister being crowned Miss DHS in March.
2. My little sister graduating as valedictorian of her high school class.
3. My cousin graduating from Old Dominion University.
4. Watching my JMU Dukes beat those Richmond Spiders as my first game in new stadium for Homecoming 2011.
5. Watching the Dinwiddie Girls Cross Country team become regular season district champs and win the district championship. And I was there every step of the way!
6. The birth of my niece, Raina...but maybe not the part where I was actually in the room for it.
7. Being invited to vacation in Maine with Patti and her family! I swear the whole week before I went I was so excited, I'd just say Maine and smile like a goober because I could not wait!
8. The Earthquake of 2011
9. Seeing Wicked at the Landmark Theater
10. Having two articles and photos published in The Progress-Index
11. That moment when they announced that there was actually was going to be football this year, which led to me drafting not one, but two fantasy football teams!

Tis the Season for Baking

WARNING: This post will make you drool. You will see many photos of sweets and then you will be hungry! Don't say I didn't warn you. 


Or so it seems in my house! I'm packing on the winter weight. =/

It started on the Friday before the busiest Saturday in my life in awhile. Seriously I never do anything on the weekends and all of a sudden I'm invited to two parties on the same Saturday! 

The first party that I was invited to was a graduation party for Santana, who has been my cousin's roommate and best friend at ODU for forever! The 3 of us have celebrated all of our graduations (all at 3 separate times) together!

The second party was cause for all the baking. I was getting together with a couple of my Dinwiddie Girls for a Tacky Sweater/Cookie Swap party. 


Which led to baking all Friday night! Thank goodness I had the help of my youngest sister because I certainly know how to make a mess while baking!


Leave it to me to choose something I'd never baked before, something that required strange ingredients like light corn syrup and kosher salt. 


I chose Mini Black and White Cookies. 

I was baking until 11:15 p.m. And that icing is super messy!

Ever since that night, the baking has not ceased in this house since. Aspen and Lynn made a ton of chocolate cookies on Saturday night. And I brought home so many sweets from the party!

Then my mom's boyfriend is a track coach and Aspen is an architecture major and this is what happens when you add those two together and the fact that the store didn't have the cookie cutter they wanted. 

Yes, they made that themselves. They used this cookie cutter and several others for a couple of batches of gingerbread cookies. 

Then Dani made peanut butter cookies with chocolate Kisses and Aspen made more sugar cookies!

Needless to say, we haven't been at a loss for dessert at all this week!

What are you favorite holiday desserts?

Virginia Tech

I wish that the cliche, "Lightning never strikes the same place twice," was true. 

I know everyone affiliated with Virginia Tech feels the same way. 

Unfortunately yesterday, Virginia Tech was struck again with tragedy, and the feeling was very reminiscent of the tragedy that occurred back in 2007. While the outcome did not compare to that of 2007's incident, any loss of innocent human life is tragic. 

I was a freshman at James Madison University when the 2007 shooting occurred, a close two hours away from Virginia Tech. As a college student, it felt as if my way of life had been threatened. I couldn't imagine a tragedy hitting any closer to home. 

Until yesterday, that is. I was working at the middle school yesterday in Dinwiddie when I found out what was going on in Blacksburg. I had received a text message from my little sister. She is a freshman at Virginia Tech. 

I must say it felt much better hearing about the events from my sister first than hearing it from another source. She kept us updated about the ordeal. I also began following Virginia Tech on Twitter when my sister started attending. 

My sister was thankfully in the architecture studio with some classmates when the shootings occurred. I was thankful for this because where the police office lost his life is a short walk from my sister's dormitory. Neither she nor her roommate were in the dorm or the area at the time. 

It seems VT did a great job of getting the word out to students and I'm grateful that the situation did not escalate into any further violence. 

As you go about your day, please keep the students, faculty, staff of Virginia Tech, and the family of the slain police officer in your thoughts and prayers. This university has endured too much pain but has a spirit that will never be defeated. 

VT<3

Fall and Winter Blues

My birthday is in April. I am a spring baby. And I love the summer with everything that is in me. 


So when fall and winter roll around every year, it makes me a little sad. I don't like the cold weather (even though I did 4 years of really cold weather at JMU!), the lack of sunlight, the stress, etc. I miss the lighthearted atmosphere of spring and summer. There are more people to hang out with. Those seasons just aren't as lonely as fall and winter seem to me. 


This year on top of fall arriving, I was working as a long term substitute for an 8th and 9th grade business class. Which added to my fall blues even more because it was very stressful and the kids weren't always nice to me. I'm not going to lie; I was excited when their teacher returned on Thursday. It was good money, though.


So now that my days are a little less stressful, I'm gonna try to kick the fall and winter blues with a list of things that makes the fall and winter not so bad after all!

• Thanksgiving! - I'm a fan of food, family, and football. 

• Skinny jeans and jeggings tucked into boots. Okay so even though I'm more of a flip flop or slip-on Sperry's kind of girl, I am totally getting into this pairing tall boots with skinny jeans and jeggings for fall and winter. I just need more boots and more jeggings (so comfy! - Those pictured I purchased from Aeropostale for $10) 

• Matching scarves with long sleeved shirts. I am addicted to Old Navy scarves! Especially since most of them I bought for $1 back in my JMU days with my roomies, Patti and Natasha. I like to try out different shirt/scarf color combinations.

You can never go wrong with purple and yellow!

• Pea coats! I love the way a pea coat really completes an outfit. No matter what you are wearing, you look a little more formal while wearing a pea coat!

Old photo, still have that pea coat though!

• Even though I absolutely hate cold weather because I would rather be warm than cold any day, I love that I have a legit reason to live in my Snuggie (like I don't already).
• Christmas, of course! I love getting presents and when I have money, I love buying gifts for my family! 

What's your favorite season? What do you like most about fall and winter? And hey, while we're at it, what do you hate about fall and winter?