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.

And the Countdown Continues...

Today 2 out of my 3 Wednesday classes were cancelled....so in all my laying around studying I decided to take a break to focus on the real task at hand:

PACKING FOR SPRING BREAK!

Emily and I take flight at 6:57 PM on Saturday and I am running out of time to pack!  Because it is so expensive to check luggage ($25/bag both ways) we have decided to split one large suitcase and each take a carry on.  Today I'm going to outline a few items I absolutely cannot leave without!

1. Tanning oil and after sun lotion.

I'm a big tanner. I'm the girl who comes back from summer vacation and people question my ethnic background. But it ain't easy being a bronze babe. A good tan takes work and lack of SPF...oh and acceptance of skin cancer.

2. All the Pretty Little Dresses

When in comes to packing for vacations I tend to overpack provide myself with many options. And whether it's hot in Naples (it better be) or not, you better believe I'm breaking out the sundresses.

3. Sexy Sandals

Again with the overpacking...in all honesty, my spring break carry on in year's past has been known to solely contain shoes. (no pun intended) But come on, how can I resist? It's 40 degrees at Butler which means I'm not gonna be breaking out these bad boys unless I'm on vacation.

4. Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Bikinis

Everyone has their obsessions. One of mine may or may not be bikinis for spring break. This is a collection from up to 2 years of spring breaks.  The thing is, I'm a lifeguard in the summers so I don't get many chances to wear cute bathing suits in the sweet summertime. How do I deal? By bringing 5 suits on spring break....one for each day!

I'm super excited for spring break...

Can't you tell?

The Ides of March

Everyone knows that somewhere within the mad month of March lies the blissful retreat that is also known as SPRING BREAK.  & in lieu of Butler's spring break being 4, count 'em 4, days away, I thought what better way to head off to Florida than to reminisce on my past 3 breaks spend in the Sunshine State?

I have been blessed to spend my past 3 spring breaks in Clearwater and Daytona and bliss doesn't even begin to describe my experiences!  I'll give you a pictorial lowdown on each year's trip!

For SB2K8, I made the voyage to Clearwater with my great friend Maddie with her parents and grandma Sue.  We stayed in a beautiful condo only 5 minutes walking distance from the beach.  Our place also had an awesome roof looking out over a manatee filled canal where we spent half of our laying out time that week!

(unfortunately I have no pictures from that year because neither Maddie nor I had Facebook at the time)

SB2K9 began with a Rihanna-esque haircut:

& was again spent with Maddie and another close friend, Eve.  That year we went to Daytona Beach with Maddie's mom & let me tell you, Daytona is way crazier than Clearwater!  When we arrived the city was celebrating BCR (Black College Reunion) & let's just say it was a BIT of a culture shock.  Thankfully the Reunion ended on the second day of our trip and we enjoyed our week laying out at the giant pool at our hotel and making sand castles on the beach!

We were lucky enough to also be staying in the same hotel as a big group of more girls from good ol' TL, so we spent some time on the beach with them too!

& of course we couldn't leave without feelin' a little bike week!

For my senior spring break, SB2K10, I went back to Clearwater with my dear friend Brooke, her mom Angie, my mom, and my grandma.  We stayed in a condo very similar to that from 2 years before and has just as great of a time!

We ate delicious pizza

Watched beautiful sunsets

& even went parasailing!

Parasailing was a little too scary for me, but I am so glad I tried it!

This year, SB2K11, my super cute, fantastic, funny, nice, awesome roommate, Emily and I are making the trip to Florida again to spend the week with my grandparents in Naples!  The temperature has been in the mid 80's for the past few weeks so I've got my 2 essentials packed and ready to go: tanning oil and bikinis.

& in case you were wondering about the SB2K's they are just a clever way to spell your names with the date in the sand.

I hope you have a great spring break whether you are spending it in the sun, visiting family and friends, or even just heading home!

Don't Judge a Book.....

At the start of my 2nd semester at Butler, I decided to go through the process of formal recruitment and pledge a sorority.  After a stressful, nerve-racking, and insanely fun week, I received a bid from Delta Gamma and couldn't have been happier!

I'm sure many of you have stereotypes in your head about sorority girls, and if you know me you know I don't really fit the stereotype.  However, neither do any of the girls at Butler.  

Or so I thought.

After recruitment was over I was so excited to be a part of greek life on campus.  I had this idea in my head that everyone in all the houses were still friends, and didn't care about the names on the outside of the beautiful greek row mansions as much as the personalities of the women on the inside.  That everyone was simply in a different house because they felt at home there for different reasons.  This was the case for me anyway. 

Through the initiation process I have come to find however that there really are pretty harsh stereotypes for each house, and just by being associated with 2 or 3 greek letters you might have a black mark across your forehead.

Do you think that's right?

I don't.  & I'm not okay with it either.  People I've never even met, don't even know their names, scowl at me and my sisters when we go out.  & the things they are saying about us aren't very nice either.

(Just a disclaimer, yes I understand EVERYONE has done this at some point or another, & yes I know I'm guilty too.)

But what's the point of passing this judgement on other girls, who in theory have more in common with you than not.  We did all go through the same recruitment process with the same intentions of affiliating with the Greek community.

I personally think the HEINOUS comments posted to sites such as College ACB about which song represents each house 

(DG's was "I just had sex" by The Lonely Island if that tells you anything about the stereotype we're up against) 

or a rank of all the houses based on the "hotness" of their pledge class,

do nothing but create pointless drama and gossip between we Greek women.

Not only that, but when we are all up against stereotypes, anytime someone slips up it gives "proof" or satisfaction to the ones spreading the gossip.  & then the stereotype monstrosity comes full circle & guess what?

NOBODY WINS.

Just like any time you gossip, it might feel awesome at the time, but as soon as someone hears you that shouldn't, or they get dirt on you, 

You. Feel. Like. Crap.

So here's what I'm thinking:

If we all stop trash talking our fellow Greek women, & stop spreading rumors creating stereotypes, we can have more fun, make more friends, and show the non-greek community that Butler's greek life really is different.

Plus, my mom always said the only reason you gossip about someone else is because you are jealous of something they have.  

I know I absolutely made the right decision pledging Delta Gamma, and I hope all of my sisters and fellow Greek women can say the same about their choices.  So don't give anyone a reason to think you aren't where you want to be, because we are the ones with the power to eliminate these stereotypes with our words and actions.