Fun Palindromes

"Dammit I'm Mad" is "Dammit I'm Mad" spelled backwards

"Live not on evil"

"Murder for a jar of red rum"

"Party boobytrap"

"Yo banana boy"

My Mom is so cool...NOT!

My mom tries to be cool with text messaging and facebook but she fails big time! haha

My mom's Chicken Spaghetti Recipe

Chicken Spaghetti

1 Box of Pasta (bow-tie, spiral, spaghetti)

16 oz. American cheese (not velveeta, but a block of Kraft or store American cheese)

1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup

Miscellaneous frozen veggies (corn, peas, carrots)

1 package chicken breasts

Butter

Put chicken in a large dutch oven of water.  Boil until done (30 min or so). Take chicken out and put on cutting board. Use strainer to strain water, but save water for cooking pasta. Cook pasta until done.

Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces.

 In another pan, melt cheese, adding butter and milk and stirring until melted. Be careful not to burn. Wisk in the soup and added more milk until smooth consistency.

In another pan, put a small amount of water and heat frozen veggies.

Mix all together in large bowl.

My mom always makes this for me when I come home and I cannot wait another week for this delicious meal. As simple as it is, it is damn good. I eat until I am uncomfortable full. If you are ever in the mood for something easy but good I strongly suggest you make this!

Everything is bigger in texas

If you aren't from Texas you are probably wonder that retarded looking thing around my neck is. For homecoming in high school the boys buy their dates mums. A mum is nothing more than a bunch of ribbon, glitter, and feathers with a $200 price tag on it. Yes I said it $200. These poor boys make their parents spend money on such a stupid novelty. Every year in high school I told my date that I didn't need a big mum, that a single would be just fine. A single is the smallest size you can get, it is actually a pin you just pin on your shirt. A double is the next size up and it is worn around your neck. Following the double is a triple and finally the mother of all mums, the quadruple. (Shown in the picture above) Seriously how ridiculous do we look? My mum was so heavy I swore I had a small child hanging from my neck. My date made it a point to tell me he was going all out for senior homecoming and I was going to have an extravagant mum. I tried to sound appreciative and excited but honestly I could care less. We went together to sophomore homecoming as well and when I suggested that we just re-use those mums he instantly shot that idea down. The day before the big homecoming game my date brought my mum over to my house so that I could wear it in the morning. He pointed out all of the features he had picked out especially for me. 1. It was purple, my favorite color  2. It had a bear with a custom made cheer uniform on that matched the one I'm wearing in the picture  3. It had blinking lights and big bows  4. The most ridiculous feature on my mum was the bubble machine. Yes, a bubble machine. Seriously? I walked around all day with my mum randomly spitting out bubbles at people as they walked by. The unnecessary novelty set my date back quite a bit making the grand total of my mum around $300. I'm hoping people from other parts of the country teach my fellow Texans that bigger is not always better.

Back when I took sleep for granted...

High school days were great. I had minimal homework (less than 1 hour a night) and minimal responsibilities. 

I would come home from school and plop down on the couch to see what was on TV. After about an hour of that I would either take a nap or go to the gym, tan, layout, something of that nature.

Later I would do my 1 hour of homework and then help my mom make dinner. After I would watch some more TV, Facebook creep and then eventually go to bed. I never realized that going to bed before midnight was all going to change once I went to college.

Now I'm lucky if I go to bed by 2. If I get 5 hours of sleep in one night I consider it a good night. This pattern has caused me to become a caffeine addict. I have to drink a Redline Energy Drink just to get me through the day. Many haven't heard of Redline, because it is not very easy to find. Because of the extremely high levels of caffeine the FDA regulates who can purchase it. How high you might ask? 

Monster, Red Bull, Amp, and Rockstar all contain 85 mg of caffeine

A typical cup of coffee contains 70-85 mg of caffeine

Redline contains 368 mg of caffeine

Think you can handle it? Many of my friends look at me like I'm psychotic when I tell them this fact. I guess I have just built up a tolerance to these drinks that now it doesn't really effect me like it does others. I now some people who have fainted from shortness of breath, had rapid heart beats, or felt really shaky. I guess it's just a risk to take but it's the only thing that keeps me from falling asleep in class.

Text messaging

I think text messaging has been a great advance in the way we communicate to one another, but I also think  it has some major consequences. Prior to the texting phenomenon, friends and couples used to talk on the phone to each other for long periods of time. Nowadays it is not uncommon to not actually talk to something on the phone for a few days. Instead, impersonal text messages are sent. Although the same message is getting across, the meaning of the message might be interpreted in a completely different way. For example, it's pretty much impossible to tell when a person is being sarcastic in a text message. A simple joke could turn into a fight between two friends. Many people hide behind text messaging, because the feel they are more "emotionally safe." They are protected by the imaginary bubble of technology. I think couples relationships have been greatly affected by this trend. Couples spend less time communicating directly to one another and instead let their fingers and their cell phones do the work. Our society is so innovative and gets so excited when a new product or feature comes out, but I think we need to take a step back and look at how much we are letting technology live our lives for us.

How long it takes me to write a blog

It takes 15 minutes of talking

20 minutes of stalking some else's facebook pictures

10 minutes of checking my email

10 minutes of looking around trying to figure out what to write

and 15 minutes to write it once I figure out what I'm going to write about

= 1 hour and 10 minutes per blog X 40 blogs

47 hours total

Almost 2 days of blogging

Culture and tradition

It amazes me how different the United States is compared to a large majority of the rest of the world. We are cocky, arrogant, self centered, ruthless, and always looking out for number one. Reading about different cultures I love to see how much they value hospitality and generosity. Learning about the Italian culture and how much they cherish one another is so interesting to me. In America we are constantly in a hurry to get things done so we can move onto the next. We expect to eat lunch in a half and hour and get annoyed when it takes 5 minutes to defrost a Lean Cuisine in the microwave. Italians enjoy their meals and in fact consider it rude to have speeding services from the waiter. Our culture gets pissed off if their food hasn't been brought out within 15 minutes of ordering it. Both cultures have such different priorities and values. Italians put their family above anything no matter what they might lose. Americans on the other hand would sell their soul to the devil if it meant they were going to "succeed" in life, and by succeed I mean financially of course. I am so intrigued by the such drastic differences these two cultures have and I cannot wait to experience these differences this summer when I am in Italy for a month. I hope the experience gives me a greater appreciation for family and the little things in life and helps me forget about all of the materialistic things that cloud our view of life.

Bows, bows, bows

When I was little, no matter what I was wearing, my mom had a matching bow that she would put in my hair. I loved my bows and refused to take them out. Growing up I have kept this passion and still wear obnoxiously huge bows to class. I always get funny looks from people that don't know me. (Teachers especially) A lot of times they will make a funny comment about it and ask why I am wearing it. I not only wear bows in my hair, but I also have a bow ring, necklace, earrings, sunglasses, dresses, and bedding. Our symbol in Sugar Plum Cotillion was a born because of what is symbolized...

CLASSY   ELEGANT   GIRLY  YOUNG  SPIRITED  FASHIONABLE

I continue to wear bows every day because it reminds me how to live my life. Always be classy, never sloppy. Be elegant and girly even if you are wear sweats look presentable and fashionable. It reminds me to have fun take advantage of my youth and not take everything so seriously. It reminds me to be spirited and have a good attitude.

 

Why is chocolate so amazing?

I could talk about chocolate pretty much all day because I am quite the choco-holic. I can't go a day without at least having a little. I am very particular about the chocolate I like. I absolutely LOVE dark chocolate. I always carry a few pieces with me in case I'm having a bad day and need a little pick me up. I enjoy milk chocolate, but I never buy it for myself. If it's something I bought it is dark chocolate. White chocolate is good too! (Although it doesn't actually contain any chocolate) Every holiday my mom sends me a big box of Godiva truffles that I devour almost as soon as I get them. I am so obsessed with chocolate that I have a Godiva Rewards Card. Most people look at me weird say, "What the hell is a Godiva Rewards Card?" All you have to do is ask for one at any store and they will give you one. It's not a credit card or anything like that, it just gets your free chocolate when you present it to the sales clerk. Free chocolate....what could get any better? The taste of the chocolate is not the only thing I love about the sweet treat. I also love how pretty and intricate the details are on every truffle. Every swirl, sprinkle, or topping is perfectly placed on around the tiny ball of chocolate. The precision and attention to detail in each really makes each special. I am addicted to these little treats and I don't plan on breaking the habit any time soon.

Handwriting

One thing I wish so badly that I had is pretty handwriting. I clearly was not paying attention in 1st and 2nd grade in penmanship class. I really regret this now because when I'm writing quickly my notes get extremely sloppy. Sure I can sit there and write every letter precisely but who has time to do that? I envy my friends that have perfect curled letters that could be mistaken for calligraphy. Each one of my friends handwriting describes them perfectly. One has very big and bubbly handwriting exactly like her personality. No matter what we are doing she is outgoing and fun spirited. Another has very precise and neat handwriting exactly how she handles every aspect of her life. Her room is always spotless, her grades are always top notch, and she is always put together. Another friend writes everything in perfect cursive like it was going to be hung in an art gallery. She is classy and very detail oriented much like her handwriting. I unfortunately have what I like to call "random handwriting." Sometimes it looks pretty good and other times it looks like a hot mess. I have absolutely no consistency and that makes my notes look very interesting. I guess it really isn't that big of a deal that my handwriting doesn't look beautiful. At least I can read it!

Pick you Battles

Learning to pick my battles has always been a difficult task for me since I was little. My mom and I would constantly fight when I thought I was right about something. My dad (the calm one of the family) would try to reason with me and beg that for once I kept my mouth shut and didn't try to argue with what my mom said. I have always been extremely stubborn so defeat was not an option especially if I knew I was right. This attitude of mine got me into a lot of trouble in high school. In many situations I was so positive I was right that I would stand up to just about anyone and argue my point. This happened one too many times with various teachers throughout high school. If I didn't agree about a grade or a topic they were talking about I felt free to voice my opinion. Unfortunately in high school teachers have final say regardless of how right they are. As I would get into trouble my dad would still say pick your battles, if the issue is not that important let it go even if you know you are right. I got better at using my dads advice during my junior and senior years, but as an underclassman I had many trips to the APs office to talk about my behavior and attitude in class. Lucky for me I have learned how to act in these situations. I have realized I need to be calm, composed, and not attack someone if I don't think something is right. I will continue to learn to pick my battles and I'm hoping this will only improve as I get older.

When I thought I knew it all...

I have recently been thinking about how much I have grown up throughout my past two years in college. I thought about my attitude in high school and all of the stupid fights I had gotten in with my mom, because she had no idea what she was talking about. Many times I convinced myself I had been right in those arguments. It really hit me that we wouldn’t have those same fights anymore know that I was on my own in college. I have had to learn from my own failures, because my parents were not there to guide me. I think these failures have only made me stronger and wiser. There were many things I was convinced I knew and I was positive I was right. Being independent has made me realize that not only can I be wrong sometimes but also that sometimes there just isn't a right answer. College has made me more focused, more goal oriented, and more responsible. I have enjoyed living in my first house with 4 other roommates. I have learned patience from this situation. Living with 4 other girls that have all been raised differently is no easy task. Over the past year I have realized that I cannot get mad if something in the house is not the way I want it, or if my roommates living habits were different than mine. Although I got frustrated many times I learned to take a deep breath and try to relax. College has taught me so much about life and how it will be when I graduate and live on my own. I am grateful that I have my family's support if I ever need anything but it's is nice to know that I can make decisions for myself.

Unexpected originality

I saw a special on TV that showed unique staircases in various homes around the country. It was so interesting to see such an ordinary part of a house look so unique.

Many of the stairs that were shown were actually in relatively normal normal houses from the outside.

I think this can be related to people's personalities. 

Someone that might seem so ordinary from the outside

May actually be extremely unique on the inside.

Kids food that never gets old

1. Macaroni and Cheese

2. Peanut butter and Jelly

3. Ice Cream Sandwiches

4. Pancakes

5. Grilled Cheese

All of these foods are so simple but so good. Anytime I come home from college my mom usually makes me one of these and it reminds me of my childhood and all of the fun memories we have had in our house. I have lived in the same house since I was 6 years old and I can remember coming downstairs for breakfast or an after school snack and I would always request one of my 5 favorite foods. I would eat my Macaroni and Cheese with honey on top, pancakes in the shape of an R, and grilled cheese cooked with truffle oil. Yumm, I love that I can still enjoy these foods 15 years later.

sweet summertime!

The past few weeks as the weather has gotten warmer I have been craving homemade lemonade more and more. Growing up my mom would alway have a fresher pitcher made that we would drink as we swam in the back yard. Her recipe was pretty standard for homemade lemonade except she would put raspberries and strawberries in the pitcher to sweeten the drink up.

My Mom's recipe:

12 lemons

1 1/2 cups of sugar

6 cups of cold water

A handful of raspberries and cut up strawberries

College girls grunge chic?

When I came to college I was very shocked to see girls in adult large t-shirts and leggings as pants. I was very confused why so many girls rocked this look on a daily basis to their classes. Unbrushed hair, nike running shorts, and no makeup is common to see on any college campus. In high school even if I was going to wear a t-shirt to class it (1) fit and (2) was not the shirt I woke up in and (3) was paired with a pair of jeans. I didn't understand why every girl in college felt that it was acceptable to look like she hadn't bathed for a few days.

Now at the end of my second year in college I do understand wearing comfortable clothes to class, but I still make it a point to wear clothes that fit, brush my hair, and put a little bit of make up on to show that I'm alive. I think it is very disrespectful to our Professors when girls walk in wearing clothes you know for sure they wore to bed with huge X's on their hands and either no make up or make up from the night before. I know I have had my fun nights out in college and have not wanted to wake up and fix my make up or was of those infamous X's, but I have anyway out of respect for myself. I wanted my professors to have a positive impression of me and my friends. It embarrasses me when I see girls wearing my sorority letters looking like a total slob. If you are going to look like that at least don't represent an organization, because that does not send the right message to any faculty on campus.

I would love to know who started this grunge trend and if they dressed like this in high school or if it was a new idea when they came to college. I hope that slowly girls realize this is not a good look and try to at least make them selves look presentable. Shirts and running shorts are fine, but make them fit and don't use them as an excuse to not brush your hair in the morning.

Dream come true...

This summer I am traveling through Europe for two months with my best friend Lindsey. This has been a dream of mine for such a long time. Lindsey and I have been mapping out places and sites we want to see and it is only making me more excited. The first stop for us is Paris and from there we will travel to Spain, Italy, Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium, and the U.K. The deal my parents and I had about this trip is that I have to budget. Because I will be there for so long I need to make the most out of an unlimited Eurorail Pass and well priced hostels. This will be one of the greatest experiences of my life and I cannot wait to see all of the popular sites. Here is the tentative travel plan Lindsey and I have: (Any suggestions are appreciated!)

·      Paris to Barcelona 644 miles ($65 flight)

·      Barcelona to Nice 410 miles (Eurorail Pass)

·      Nice to Milan, Italy 195 miles (Eurorail Pass)

·      Milan to Florence 188 miles (Eurorail Pass)

·      Florence to Rome 176 miles (Eurorail Pass)

·      Rome to Capri (Eurorail Pass)

·      Rome to Venice 342 miles (Eurorail Pass)

·      Venice to Munich 340 miles (Eurorail Pass)

·      Munich to Amsterdam 513 miles (Eurorail Pass)

·      Amsterdam to Brussels, Belgium 126 miles (Eurorail Pass)

·      Brussels to London 228 miles (Eurorail Pass)

TJmaxx sells Valentino?

For my advertising class I had to do a group project that consisted of researching the discount clothing store TJmaxx and creating a creative brief. When my partner and I went to the store to do some on site research we discovered some things that we didn't know about the store. First, I had no idea you could buy Valentino shoes or Seven Jeans there. Did you? I was amazed at all of the high end brands I saw on discount racks. When browsing through the formal wear I actually saw an Alice & Olivia dress that I own. I paied full price (around $400) at Neiman Marcus and it was at TJmaxx for $140. I couldn't believe I had paid so much for the exact same dress. As I was browsing around the store more I realized that had a lot of great items that I know my friends and I would wear.

This got me thinking....do my friends not know that you can get great designer clothes at TJmaxx? I wondered if they really did have no idea or if they just refused to shop at a store like TJmaxx. Let's be honest, SMU girls are not known for being modest bargain shoppers. The reputation of a typical girl at this school is what I want when I want it regardless of the price. Not every girl at this school is fortunate enough to life this lifestyle so I hope they know about this great deal that I found. Not only can you get the high end designers your friends are wearing, but you can get them at a fraction of the price. If you haven't been to TJmaxx recently I suggest you swing by because I did not expect I would find so many great buys.

10 Guilty Pleasures...

1. JD's Chippery (aka the best cookies you have ever had) 
2. Purple sunglasses (only color I will wear)
3. Watching Will & Grace every night before I go to bed (been a habit since I was a freshman in high school and I can't break it)
4. Putting off homework to lay out when the weather is nice
5. Sleeping in as late as possible on the weekends no matter how early I went to bed
6. Always have an obnoxiously bright color painted on my nails and toes
7. Reading Twilight over and over and over again every time I have free time
8. Going on YouTube and watching my teams old cheer routines anytime I miss the high school days
9. Insisting my Mom and Dad tuck me in every time I am home for the weekend
10. Wear ridiculously huge bows in my hair to class (I don't care if you think it looks dumb I love it!)