The one I call mom

Well since it's Mother's Day, what better thing to write about than my magnificent mom?  I was initially going to make this post a picture montage of my mother and my through the years...but then as I was going through our family photos I simultaneously relived those awkward/fat/crooked teeth/bad hair stages of my life and decided to just use words.

Then I also encountered the ridiculosity of the Internet in Themiddleofnowhere, USA so uploading would have taken hours anyway.

Back to my mom!

My mom and I have been best friends forever.  When I was younger we lived alone, just her and I, & when I was 9 she got re-married and we re-located.

Those years together were the best.  We were two peas in a pod, doing everything together.  Some of my fondest memories of my mom and I are from that time. 

Like the time we visited my uncle in Daytona and couldn't swim on the beach because it had been taken over by jellyfish.

Or the the time(s) my birthday parties got snowed out and we played around the house eating my birthday cake.

Or the evening walks we would take in our neighborhood in the summertime.

Don't get me wrong, I love my life now.  But I will admit it was devastating trying to adjust to a new life where I had to share my best friend.  There have been rocky times along the way, especially through my high school years.  But now that I have spent 9 months away from her, I know that my mom will always be my closest gal pal.

I can tell her everything and I know she won't judge me.

She is great at proofreading papers.

She thinks all my jokes are funny.

She will stay up late on Saturday nights to watch SNL with me.

She is honest with me (even if I'd rather she not be).

She is a great role model.

She is a great friend.

These are just a few of the great things about her, and I appreciate every other little thing I didn't have time to mention.  I do not know where I would be without her, and I'm so lucky to have gotten to spend so much time & make so many memories with her.

So, to all moms, 

near or far, 

here or there,

alive or passed,

Happy Mother's Day!

We love you and appreciate you more than you could ever know!

The things I love about love

When I asked Emily what I should blog about tonight, and finally decided on love her response was a sarcastic look and the comment,

"But that's what you're entire blog is about."

Exactly!

And after spending this "reading day" (day Butler calls the day before finals actually start) stumbling weddings and quotes, I have found myself once again deep in my addiction to other people's romantic happiness. 

So, I have compiled a small list of things that I think are lovely.  You know like when you see a picture of 2 people in love, hear a set of tender song lyrics, or read something that just melts your heart?  I find myself in these moments all the time, so I'm going to share a few with you.

1.

I find it incredibly, passionately, adorable when a man puts his hand on his woman's face, cheek, neck...when going in for the kiss. 

  I found this picture on StumbleUpon, follow this link to see the entire engagement shoot.

Again, found on StumbleUpon. Honestly what is not beautiful about a soft pillow island?

2.

Songs get me every time.  Sometimes the smallest lyrics get me tearing up thinking,

"If anyone ever said that to me I swear I would die."
Here are a few examples:

"The silence isn't so bad, til I look at my hands and feel sad; cuz the spaces between my fingers are right where yours fit perfectly."

-Owl City, Vanilla Twilight

"Her lips won't touch the demon wine, but her eyes are full of pure moonshine, & I get drunk just holding her hand."

-Rascal Flatts, Dry County Girl

"But we're gonna start by drinking on cheap bottles of wine, sit talking up all night, saying things we haven't for a while."
-The Script, For the First Time

So, let's recap:
-Can you think of a more creatively romantic way to ask someone to hold your hand?
-Can you imagine someone feeling so engrossed in you just by holding your hand?
-Does it not just sound blissfully, hopelessly wonderful to just sit and reminisce in each others presence?

3.
Again found while stumbling, these are some regular quotes that just make me think about love.  As if I wasn't enough already.

Okay, I know this wedding/love/romance kick is getting a little excessive but I can't help myself!  & yes I know movies aren't the real thing, wedding photos are staged, and songs are written by paid songwriters, but a girl can dream right?

That's what I'll do right now.  Off to bed before another long day of procrastination.

The year in faces and memories

5:05 today signaled the end of my freshman year of classes at Butler.  I know you probably hear this all the time, but I honestly cannot believe how fast it has gone by.  I can only hope that my next 3 years here hold just as fantastic memories as this past year has.

A couple of weeks ago I was so excited to come home for the summer, but as the end is drawing nearer I am beginning to have a change of heart.  I know next year will be a blast, living in the sorority house and whatnot, but I'm going to miss my room in Schwitz and my roommate/best friend.  So, what better way to culminate the end of a great year than with pictures from my favorite memories and of my favorite people?

Here we go, we'll start at the beginning, naturally.

One of the first weekends on campus, SGA put on a movie night on the mall.  Emily and I went out with a bunch of new friends to watch Iron Man 2.  Dang I miss that tan.

It's a Butler tradition to have your picture taken on the bulldog statue each year...we accomplished this the night before classes began.

Toogie (my dancin' fool of a neighbor) was the first of our group of friends to celebrate her birthday at BU.  A big group of us went out to Buca di Beppo and ended the night with Step Brothers and Flying Cupcake.

HALLOWEEN!  Emily, Ali, and I got all dolled up to go to SNU's Voodoo party...while we got cold waiting outside and never actually made it in, our costumes were great, right?!

Perhaps the most exciting memory I have from this year was living out my lifetime dream of going to NYC.  While I have probably blogged about this a million times, it was one memory that I couldn't leave out.

Recruitment was a week filled with laughter, tears, stress, and the most fun I have probably ever had.  They say it's the week you never want to relive, but that you'll never forget.  100% true.  The humor behind this photo is that Toogie, Micaelina and I didn't know which hand we were supposed to use for the DG salute, so we took one picture with each and deleted the wrong one at the end of the day.

Secret Crush, & my twin!  DG has a traditional formal where if you choose, an older sister picks a date for you, and on the night of the dance all the guys line up with paper bags on their heads and your date is revealed!  My date wasn't a secret, but it was still fun to get to watch the other girls be surprised.  Katie (the beautiful specimen in the purple dress) is my twin, this means we share the same big sis in the house.  I couldn't have asked for a better gal!

Spring Break was the perfect week of sun filled skies and relaxation.  Emily and I stayed with my grandparents in Naples, FL and had an amazing time!  We laid out, shopped, and even paddle boarded (which I was extremely skeptical about, but ended up loving!)  We have since began planning the rest of our spring breaks for our remaining years at Butler!

Houston we have Bulldogs.  I had the opportunity to make the voyage to Houston and watch the Dawgs represent Indiana Basketball in the Final Four tournament this spring.  What an awesome experience!  We spent the weekend traveling, game watching, and even singing along to a free Kenny Chesney concert.  Did I mention we got floor seats for the National Championship?

Little 500 was one of the most fun times I have had this year at Butler, and we weren't even on campus!  Emily, a great friend & sister Allison, and I made the trip to IU to stay with a few of their friends from home.  We attended a paint party (obviously) and spent upwards of 2 hours getting the paint out of our hair that night and the next day.  Olive oil was our best friend that day!

Our second formal of the semester was Royal Wedding themed, and took place this past Friday night in honor of....The Royal Wedding.  I had Allison find me the perfect date and we had such a great time!  How great to get to go out with a bang!

So, this year has definitely been filled with its share of tests and trials, but all in all I grew as a person, made some of the best memories of my life, and met friends that I know will be in my life forever.  

Emily

the perfect roommate, great friend, role model, and comedic relief at all hours of the night.

Ali

my newfound cousin, my other half, perfect work-out buddy, has tons of cute clothes to borrow, and always there.

Toogie

the hilarious, beautiful, dedicated, and fun-loving dancer that I get to continue to live with at DG.

Allison

one of Emily's best friends from home who is one of the nicest people I have ever met.

Katie

the most perfect, cutest, and possibly smallest twin I will ever have.

And so so so many more that I simply don't have the time to name.  I owe all of these wonderful memories, countless sleepless nights, and endless hours of laughter to you.

Thank you.

The Most Important Day...

PROM.

Not what you were expecting, eh?  

Well it's that time of year again;

 time to spend hundreds of dollars on a dress you'll wear once, 

(unless you run cross country at Twin Lakes)

Each year our XC team wore prom dresses with tennis shoes to our annual banquet.

Time to get your nails done, 

hair done, 

car washed, 

flowers bought, 

reservations made.....

You get the point.

And while only one of the three proms I attended was even remotely enjoyable...I sometimes find myself wishing I got to go back to prom this year.  It's fun to get all dolled up, take lots of pictures, eat out with your friends and dance the night away, so in lieu of such an epic time in the lives of high schoolers all around the world here are some tips and tricks I have picked up along the way.

1. Try on dresses you would least expect to see yourself in.

Both sophomore and junior year I went prom dress shopping with my mother, and she would always push me to try on dresses I might not usually.  This is great advice for 2 reasons: one, your dress will be unique & two, it really opens up the amount of options you have.

2. Go with your gut.

No this is not about your plans for after prom.....

Anyway, if you are trying to collaborate with a big group of people to make lavish prom plans but are feeling uneasy, left out, or even just annoyed, DON'T DO IT!!  I can tell you from experience you will have such a better time doing whatever YOU want to do.  Whether that means having mom cook dinner at home (which is super fun and cheap) or just going to dinner alone with your date, your pre-prom plans can make or break your entire night.

3. Do something fun after prom!

I was never allowed to (cough cough) or invited to (cough cough) stay the night with friends after prom, I always wished I could, so I say if you have the opportunity, Go!  So many memories are made during prom, I remember my mom and dad telling stories about going to King's Island or doing something crazy the night after prom and I always wished I could have done something like that.

So, I know it's probably lame for me to blog about prom when I'm in college...but I couldn't resist!  I'll leave you with a few of my favorite prom moments from sophomore, junior, & senior year.

Junior prom was my favorite year! I absolutely loved my dress.

See, the dress you'd least expect...

Senior prom...not my favorite dress...but we needed some variety.

Another year wiser

This past Sunday, I visited my grandparents on Easter, and my grandma posed to me a complicated question,

"What is the most important thing you have learned in your first year of college?"

I was caught off guard.  I mean people ask me all the time, "How's school?" or "Do you like sorority life?" but never actually expecting me to answer with a developed and thought out response.

So I thought for a minute or so and responded with,

"Keep an open mind."

And there you have it.  The advice I have been giving myself this year has been to be open to new things,  to not limit myself & also to never be quick to judge.  Compared to my high school experience, college has been a complete culture shock, & it has not been an easy adjustment for me.  In high school I was your typical "Do-gooder".  I was president of 1,000 clubs, always making straight A's, and home by 12 on weekends.

Now don't get me wrong, I enjoyed made it through without any major fall outs, and I respect my parents for holding me to such a high standard.  But to be honest, my attitude in high school was all wrong, & I had no idea what I was missing out on.

Another disclaimer, I'm also not saying that college is all about partying and celebrating newfound freedom in irresponsible ways, but I never knew how important it was to be open and adaptable to new environments.

This especially came into play when I went through recruitment.  At the beginning of the week I never would have guessed I would end up where I did.  But I made my motto for the week to keep an open mind, which allowed me to see the girls for what they really were.

I also found it liberating to discover that I didn't have to be in every club, or the most involved girl on campus.  & to be completely honest I was tired of my extracurricular schedule in high school.  But at the same time, the amount of random organizations at my disposal was exhilarating & I found myself participating in ways I might not have back home.

In a nutshell, I am so proud of myself for taking the road less travelled and attending a college where few alum from home would be.  By radically throwing myself out of my comfort zone, I came to learn so many new things, & grow in so many different ways.

My only hope is that going home this summer and getting tossed back into the old grind doesn't clog my newfound pores, but instead allows me to share my new perspectives with those close to me back home.

Let me tell you about my day....

I wish I could say that today was just another Manic Monday, however in the 2 & 1/2 hours I have been awake this has been one of the worst days ever. Period.

Did you want me to tell you about it?

Good.

So, it all started last night when I was studying/doing 2 hours worth of homework for a spanish test I forgot about.  I printed off 15 pages of worksheets (with my own paper and ink) with intentions of finishing some last minute cramming this morning before the exam.

Then I woke up 5 minutes before class. Awesome.

Went to class with my phone, ID, & pen. I'll keep you posted with the outcome of that one....

Came back from class and began working on a paper due at 4.  For this paper I have to show evidence of my Twitter account (the paper is an analyzation of the importance of Twitter).  

I first waste 9 pages of paper and color ink because it only makes sense that I would want to print one tenth of my tweets?  So, I have to copy and paste every single tweet (88 to be exact), correct the spacing, highlight the evidence I am required to show, and delete the ads.  

Then my printer decides to fail.

Take 2. The tweets print. 

This makes my toll of wasted paper for the day: more than 20 sheets.

The last event to complete this Marvelous Monday (so far...keep in mind its 12:30) occurred in the cafeteria. I got up from my seat to go get my food when someone's chair comes out of nowhere. I completely trip over it, knocking it and the 50 lb. backpack it bears down directly onto my foot as about 10 people walk by. Doing nothing I might add.

I would have liked to cry at this point.

But instead I decided to write about it. If you can think of anything I could do to pick my spirits up off the ground, advice would be greatly appreciated.

Only one thing missing....

So, I haven't blogged for a long long time.  I'm sorry.  I've missed it, and a recent habit of mine has sparked my blogging interest once again.

STUMBLE UPON.

I know I am a little behind on this ultimate form of procrastination craze, and boy am I sad about that.  For those of you who don't know Stumbling is a term used to describe hours small amounts time spent surfing through hundreds of pages of blogs/websites/articles handpicked to fit your interests.  

When I created my account 2 days ago I said I was interested in things like Christianity, fitness, food, humor, and.....weddings.  This last one is what inspires tonights post.

I am a completely hopeless romantic. 

I cry during romantic comedies.  

I gawk at couples holding hands and flirting in public.

  I daydream of just having someone to spend the rest of my life with.  

And mostly I fantasize about my future wedding.  

The dress: ivory lace with a v-neck front and back adorned with some sort of sash.  

The location: outdoor, or in an old vintage-y chapel. 

 The bridesmaids: many, and wearing simple J-Crew dresses in matching colors but various styles.  

The time: autumn.  

The theme: going with the season, autumn; fully equipped with earthy features to celebrate my favorite time of year.

The decorations: homemade (this will allow me to dip in to my crafty/resourceful/thriftiness)

What's missing?  The groom.

Am I bitter?  No?

 Why would I be bitter when it seems like everyone is growing up, finding the loves of their lives in college, and making plans for the rest of their lives?

Why would I be bitter when the sole wish of my young life is to be in love?

Why would I be bitter when every single wedding that comes up as I anxiously click "Stumble" are the epitome of my big day?

The dresses they wear? Perfect.

The decorations? Definition of craft perfection.

The themes? All outdoor and fall.

Bridesmaids? Flawless.

I see a pattern emerging....

But then I take a look back and think,

 "Is it really the wedding that matters?"

"Once I find the perfect man shouldn't it all just come together?"

"Should I really be spending my newfound time and freedom sulking over what I want in my future?"

I guess I'll just stick to my routine for now:

Praying for my soulmate knowing that God's got him out there somewhere, just waiting to be stumbled upon.