On a Whim

Our Butler Bulldawgs are going to be making an appearance at Loyola in Chicago this weekend!

Ashley & I are nothing less than dedicated fans but we didn't know until like, uh, now, that the boys would be in Chicago this weekend.

Well, there's no time like the present, baby.

Ash & I booked our hotel room for Friday night last night & will be spending Friday evening & Saturday in Chi-Town.

Obviously, we know we're going to be at the game Saturday afternoon but we're not sure what we're going to do Friday afternoon/night and Saturday before the game.

So I'm looking for suggestions.

I really want to go to the Shedd Aquarium if Ashley can get a sub for her job Friday afternoon but either way, we still need suggestions for the rest of the time.

We're up for anything fun!

Ps. We kind of have a reason to go. If you hadn't picked up on it, Ashley's boyfriend, Erik, is #4 on the team.

It's a girl!!!

Okay you're right, you already knew she was a girl.

But you didn't know that she arrived yesterday, didja?

Well she did & she's perfect & just as sweet as can be. 

My Roommate, Ashley!!!

I'm so glad to have her, a partner in crime! 

I've arrived!

As I write, I'm laying on the top bunk in my dorm room.

We left our house, an hour from Butler, at 11 yesterday morning & my parents and brother didn't leave here until about 7 last night. It was a long, but very productive day.

Proud Dad & Momma

This room is a lot different than my room last year because it has a bathroom in it that my roommate & I will share with 2 other girls on the other side. It's a jack & jill bathroom, I guess. Because of the bathroom, the room is very asymmetrical & makes decorating hard, especially when this tiny room has to hold 2 beds, 2 desks, 2 dressers & 2 people's extra things.

My roommate, Ashley, didn't really want to bunk the beds but there wasn't really an option so I figured taking the top bunk would be the best thing for me to do, especially since I don't mind at all. 

Also, I forgot a regular pillow. Who does that?? Me.

I do kinda wish I had a rail on the side though. 

What?? It would make me feel more comfortable! 

Anyway, this room is also a lot less homey. I try really hard to make my living spaces nice because having a good place to come home to, especially when I only have one room to live in, is very important to me. It's going to be hard in this room, I think. 

But since we bunked the beds, we have room for a futon, which will be nice & make things feel more cozy, I'm hoping. Luckily, we already have one that was my brother's & just have to get it up here when my dad can bring it up. Until then, we'll have a big space in front of the window.

I think it will feel better when we have a t.v. in here too. I don't watch much t.v. but it would be nice to have one now since I've moved in a week early for newspaper & Ashley won't be here until Sunday. Alas, Ashley is the one bringing the t.v. so I'll have to wait & watch Hulu on my computer. 

When I get out of bed I'm going to go to Target & pick up some things I forgot like hooks for the walls & velcro-stick-up things. I hate these bare white walls. I'm going to get one of those tables that hooks on to top bunks too. You know, for late night snacks & my iphone. The essentials. 

Today is also the first day of our writing bootcamp for newspaper & the day my friend Jessie is coming to visit. It has to be a good day with those two things on the schedule, right?

I'll post more pictures as more stuff gets up on the walls & it becomes more cozy in here.

Until then chickadees, have a good day! 

ps. I'm doing some giveaways to celebrate my first day of classes next Wednesday & one of them is uhhh-mazing! Get excited!!! 

A week from today ...

.... I'll be back in the land of the blue & white ....

You heard correctly, a week from today, I'll move everything I own (pretty much) back to little ole' Butler University to get started on my sophomore year of college.

I'll be moving in a week earlier than everyone else for a whole week of "newspaper bootcamp". Basically, I'm going to a week long conference on how to not screw up be a good newspaper journalist. 

Since I'm going to be the Promotions Director for the Butler Collegian this year, I won't be writing a ton but I'll still be pumpin out an article a week & planning all of The Collegian's events. 

I'm pretty stoked.

Even more than I'm excited for a week long of photography & writing, I'm excited to be a Sophomore. 

Some girls told me last year that being a Sophomore is the worst possible feeling. They said nothing is new, it's all stale & you're stuck in the rut of not being a freshman, not being a senior & having nothing to look forward to. (AKA: graduation)

Well I'm tellin those girls to stick it where the sun don't shine because I'm about to have the best year of my life & I mean it.

I'm not intimidated by the big school & although I'm sad to leave my momma, I do love living in my own space.

 I have established friends & am about to make more and I won't ever have to be feeling lonely. 

I have a million & one awesome opportunities coming up this year & I've worked at the daycare all summer so hopefully my immune system is built up & I won't be so sick the first few months.

Packing on top of swim lessons, babysitting, photographing & training for a 5K on the other hand, I'm not so excited about. 

I haven't even started & my whole life is supposed to be boxed up in less than a week.

I guess all good things come with work.

Sad Day

My 2 bestest friends from Butler came to visit me last night! We went to a little hole-in-the-wall mexican restaurant that everyone in town loves & which people wait outside for until it opens since it doesn't open until 5. I took them to Zaharako's, an ice cream parlor downtown that was opened for the first time in late 1800 or early 1900 but was just refurbished & then we went to the outlets. It was the perfect evening that begged for today when we would go to the lake & jet ski & boat.

Except, while we were shopping, I got that feeling. You know, that feeling that's a sore throat and achy bones, a miserable feeling. I tried to brush it off. I faked like I was okay even though I couldn't stop saying that my throat hurt. But then when we got home, I started to feel worse. I didn't even want to sit up to watch while we Hulu'd The Bachelorette. Around 11 o' clock, I bought a movie for them from On Demand & apologized; there was no way I could stay awake anymore.

I slept on the floor while they slept on the couches & I woke up at 3 am writhing in misery. I do that when I'm sick or in pain without even knowing it - I make a figure 8 with my hips - I guess to get my mind off of it subconsciously.

I was cold & uncomfortable so I went & got in bed with my mom. Yeah, I'll admit it, I'm not too old.

At 5:30, her alarm went off & I've been awake ever since. She brought me some tylenol so right now I feel ok, except I really don't want to talk because my throat hurts but I think the lake & jet skiing is out.

I feel so bad because J & E drove a few hours to come see me & now I'm sick. They're still asleep & I'm just trying to decide what I'm going to do when they wake up. UGH. So disappointing.

I can only imagine all of this sickness is from my first week of working at the daycare.

Kids are seriously so gross. Poop, spit up, snot, oh my!

I promise to start taking a multivitamin & eating more fruits & veggies to assure my body is getting the nutrients it needs. It appears my immune system is going to need all the help it can get.

Until then, I'll just be laying in bed.

Tweet me! 

Wordless Wednesday

Meet my future roommate: Ashley! 

Observations

I swear, running has so many benefits. I mean, walking has so many benefits too, if that's what you like to do, but for me, running is my thing.

A lot of times I've said that I hate running but only because it really is a challenge for me. I'm not one of those people who can just up and decide to run a few miles one day. I have to have capris on (you know, to prevent chafing), I have to have my hair up with a fat headband, I need a good sports bra and a tank and I need good music. Along with that, it can't be too cold and I have to build up slowly starting at about 20 minutes of running.

Even though running is a challenge, I love challenging myself. I don't think I'd do so well if I was training for an event or had a coach, but I love just being by myself & pushing as far as I can go. I'm up to running 30 minutes now by just increasing 5 minutes when I felt like it & the challenge is good. It makes me feel strong and it makes me feel like I'm accomplishing something that's great for my body.  During the run, my mind is so clear. I'm pretty sure I have my best thoughts then.

I'm also very observant while I'm running maybe because I'm so slow and I see things I don't see when I'm in a car, which is how I've seen most of Indianapolis surrounding campus.

Today, I ventured a little farther off campus than I had been before (it was at 4 o'clock, mom & it was in safe areas) and as I was running, I passed by a house that wasn't anything special besides these babies all over the front yard. Tulips & Gerbera Daisies are my favorite so it made my day to see all of these beautiful Tulips in the yard! I hadn't ever noticed them before.

I run with my iphone so I stopped and took a picture & kept going happily. It wasn't long before I came to this guy, standing up on his hind legs munching on an acorn. I couldn't believe how close I was to him and that he was just standing there, so I snapped another picture & then took off again.

I know, I'm not respecting his privacy very well. At least we know he's a boy.

I love running because of how it makes me feel but also because of the things it makes me appreciate like beautiful flowers, happy squirrels and legs that can carry me miles without a problem.

Ps. This being positive thing? It's awesome. So many good things happen when you're paying attention to them.

ELITE 8

I don't know if you guys have heard but uh ...

BUTLER IS IN THE ELITE 8!!!!

Our PR group at Butler has been doing work for Buffalo Wild Wings & it's our job to get people to go there during the games. I made a Facebook event Tuesday night for the B-dubs viewing and at last count, over 100 people had RSVP'd and said yes. So even though I invited everyone, it was too packed to go tonight. I guess I did my job, but it was kind of a bummer at first.

But where there's a will there's a way! We called ahead to Champs downtown and got great seats in the not so crowded restaurant. Me, Jessie, Emily, Drew & 2 of his friends had a blast hanging out & watching the game. It's 2 a.m. & I have a class at 8 & a full day tomorrow but I don't care cuz this was a super fun night & our guys are movin on!! 

BU-TLE-R-U-A-BULLDOG?

HELL YEAH!

Boy's got heart.

At the beginning of every school year, Butler has a big event called Block Party where every on-campus organization sets up a table, has representatives, hands out info & candy and has sign up sheets so that you can get on the list serve for the organization if you want. 

The sororities and fraternities always draw a big crowd but this year, one of the biggest lines was for Dawg Pound. 

Dawg Pound is Butler's student-section for all of the athletic events.

 For $20 dollars you get all of the emails about every sporting event, club cards, 2 T-shirts & the opportunity to sit in the student-section at all of the events which are free to students.

 It's a pretty good deal, so I signed up.

I also think it's awesome that the Dawg Pound encourages it's members to go to all events, not just basketball & football. 

Emails are sent out about all of the events and assigned point values. 

Games that everyone wants to go to are less points, but games that not so many people want to go to are worth more. When you go to the event, you scan your card to accumulate points.

 Then, when times like this happen, when everyone wants tickets and they are limited, those with the most points get the tickets first. It's a great incentive to get people to go support all of the events.

I was probably like the worst Dawg Pound member of all this year. I only went to one football game, Homecoming, and I just went to a handful of basketball games. I never scanned my card and I never got there early enough to sit in the student-section.

Needless to say, I'm pissed at myself.

I'm not so much mad that I didn't go to the games because the guys are doing awesome right now, but because they have more heart than any group of guys I've ever known. 

They play every single game as if they've never played one before. They never give up & so far, they've beat all of the odds. 

Nobody expected them to beat Pitt last night.

This conversation that took place today between me & one of the best players on the team completely encompasses "the Butler way" and the nature of every single one of the guys on the court:

Me: "Did you sleep okay or were you too fired up?"

Him: "Noooo I slept terrible!" 

Me: "I bet!"

Him: "We got up at 6:30 this morning!"

Me: "oh man. I bet you're exhausted!"

Him: "Yep but I'm going to coach practice right now"

Me: "You're a crazy guy"

Him: "I love what I do :) "

They weren't in bed before 1 and were up at 6:30, but he's still going to coach some high schoolers because he loves what he does.

& that's the most important thing about these guys. Yeah, they're killin it out there right now. But they deserve it. They work hard every single game, every single practice & play with more heart and class than any other team I've seen.

& for that? I'm so proud to be a Butler Bulldog.

The things I've learned in College

How To Make It Look Like I've Showered When I Haven't:

& .... 

The Many Different Ways I Can Wear Yoga Pants & A Sweatshirt:

which style is your favorite? Do tell.

Sassy but Classy

One thing that we ladies have to work on is staying classy but also sassy. Nobody wants to be a good girl all of the time, but nobody wants a bad reputation either. Sometimes it's tough to stay on the right side of the line, but it's absolutely necessary.

I'm not saying I'm the perfect classy girl, because I'm not. I mess up a lot. I occasionally hurt feelings & make a fool of myself, but I try really hard to be better all of the time.

Here are some of my tips to stay classy while still being sassy .....

1.) Mind your manners. I'm not saying that you shouldn't ever drop the F-bomb; I do it too. However, be careful where you do it. Keep your potty mouth to yourself or in the company of others who you know won't be offended by it. It's okay to talk about your dirty-laundry and put chew gum like a cow with your best girlfriends, but keep it there. On all other occasions, use your magic words & table manners, Ladies!

2.) Be Kind. There is nothing, nothing cute about being a snob. Be nice even to people who aren't the nicest to you. That doesn't mean you have to be best friends with them, but it does mean you have to treat them with respect. It's amazing how much brighter life can be when you're simply nice to other people.

3.) If you mess up, admit it. We all mess up. I do it more often than others. Can anyone say word-vomit? But there is definitely something to be said for owning up to a mistake & giving a sincere apology. Don't add any "I'm sorry I did that, but you ...." No. Own up to your mistake, say you're sorry & move on.

4.) Choose Modest Clothes. There is a time and a place for that mini-dress that nearly shows your butt, and that time & place doesn't come around very often. For all other times, choose to show off one or less asset. If you're showing a little leg, cover up your cleavage & vice-versa. There are a lot of ways to not look frumpy but still be modest.

5.) Don't Talk About Other People Via Social Media / Say it to Her Face. I can't even tell you how many times I'm absolutely disgusted by girls & women alike who write about others on their Facebooks. It's so immature & sad. If someone has upset you, first decide if it's worth your time to even say anything. Take a breather. And then, and only then, tell them to their face what your issue is. Being as kind & least dramatic as possible, of course.

6.) Stay Current on World Events & Other Knowledge. Just like there is nothing cute about being a snob, there's nothing cute about a woman who is ignorant. In fact, being knowledgable is super sexy. Check the news every now & then so that you will be prepared to hold a good conversation if the opportunity arises.

7.) Realize that Balance is Key. Girls, I'm not saying don't party, because by all means, DO. I'm not saying don't listen to your music too loud or ever wear sweatpants to class, I'm just saying Balance it. Know when it's appropriate to do so & when it's not. Know that moderation is key.

8.) Be Confident. Of course, it's important to balance confidence out too, because no one likes a stuck-up woman. But, subtle confidence is the best thing you can have. Walk with your shoulders back and your head held high, while still being friendly. Know that you have lots of really awesome qualities.

9.)  Take Care of Yourself. Nobody's perfect but for goodness sake ladies, keep your eyebrows waxed & your roots done. It's just really important. You don't have to go to the salon - buy some tweezers & box color. Wala! Good as new. Try to eat well & work out too. Both are not only vital to physical health, but emotional as well.

10.) Love. I'm tellin ya ladies, nothing is better than a girl who can love and knows she is loved. Send cards to friends, dole out compliments & do small favors for others. You reap what you sew, pinky promise.

There you go, my tips to being classy while still being sassy. What are your tips? Do you struggle with the balance like I do?

Happy Friday blurbs

TGIF, right??

It's 6:36 a.m. & I'm laying here wide awake. I tried to get into the doctor yesterday but since it had been closed for 2 days due to ice, it was completely booked by 9:30 a.m. when I called. Hopefully they can give me some meds so I can get some sleep. I don't know about you, but 6 hours of sleep is not nearly enough for me. You know it's bad when you fall asleep to Jimmy Fallon and wake up to the Sunrise news.

I woke up to 21 followers this morning!! I wasn't sure I'd ever see this day & I'm super stoked. Thank you to the 3 new followers who joined last night. & as always, thank you to everyone who follows. I love having you here.

Despite the fact that I got invited to a big party tonight at the Football house tonight, I may opt for a low-key night. Starting the group-fitness-instructor-program means that I have to be certified in CPR & First Aid, so tomorrow is the class at the HRC 10-3. It will be a long day, but I'm thankful that I can get certified & receive 5 hours of training for $16 for being a Butler student.

I promise to take pictures this weekend to add to my blog posts. I know that words are kinda boring without pictures to go along with them.

Lastly, I'm going to turn anonymous comments back on and just moderate the comments as they come in. I know I have a lot of readers that don't follow & I love to hear from you & don't want you to think in any way that you're less appreciated because I appreciate every last person who spends a little bit of time with me, even just once.

Wishing you all a fabulous weekend .... I'll be back on Monday!

XO

Happy Monday!

Good Morning Bloggers! 

Mondays were so much easier when class didn't start until 10. This 8 a.m. stuff is for the birds man. 

Regardless, I had a really, really awesome weekend & I wanna share it with you! 

Friday

Drew & I had a date night. We hung out with our friend Logan who goes here also & then we went to the Butler vs. Green bay game, which Butler won!! It was a super fun game.

Also, somewhere in the midst of this basketball season, my dad decided that texting me

"DEE DAWGS" 

meant that he had great school spirit & is really supportive.
I also think that he thinks "Dee Dawgs" is like a chant we say here at BU.

I'm never gonna tell him that um hello, never in the history of my Butler career have I said "Dee Dawgs" because it's just too darn funny when I get those texts on basketball game nights.

After the game, we came back to the dorm & fell asleep. 

Pretty lame actually, but we were both so tired - he had 6 a.m. workouts that morning & I'd had a really long week.

Saturday

Saturday morning, I got up & went to a 90 minute spin class that was UH-MAZING.

 Then, I drove for like 30 minutes trying to find Taco Bell (I know totally defeats the workout) and then did laundry at Marian, Drew's college.

 Laundry here is $3 a load. 

Robbery! 

But it's free at Marian. 

After the laundry, I came back here & Jessie & I got ready to go out. While we were getting ready, Emily came in and asked if she could go out with us too. So, off we all went! 

 Emily. Jessie. Me.

We met up with our friends Ashley and Kelsea & went to the Football House first. 

Ashley & I

The funniest story of the night was this: 

My friend Logan said that if I went up to the guy at the bar & flirted with him, he would give me a drink. So, off I went. 

I walked up to this guy who was not attractive and said Hi, What's your name?

He looked at me, unamused, and in all seriousness said,

"Just cut to the chase, I know you just want a drink." 

True story dude.

Not interested in the least.

After the Football House, we made our way to the Baseball House which was way more fun. 

I saw a bunch of friends there and we all danced, sang along with the songs and left happy. 

I lost my student I.D. which was $20 to replace, but it was all in good fun.

LOVE my girls!!

Me. Jessie. Emily. Ashley. Kelsea

Sunday

The morning came way too quickly today!!

I had to meet my mom halfway between here & home to get money because, while I lost my ID, I also lost my Debit Card a couple of days ago. Therefore, I only had about $35 to my name today & I had gas to get & an ID to buy. Even though it was early, it was nice to see my momma at the end of a long week.

THEN, I met 3 super awesome, Indianapolis-based, bloggers for lunch!!! Aly planned the little luncheon at the Cheesecake factory with Becky, the smallest Stoneking, Elli, and Sarah.  We talked so much that the waitress came a few times before we were even ready to order. It was really awesome to be able to meet 3 really great women. 

The blog world rocks.

After lunch, I went to the campus police dept. to get a new I.D. and then napped and did the normal Sunday night stuff, homework & cleaning. 

Hope you all had just as much fun as I did this weekend and are pumped for a fabulous week!

da-da-da-dat, dat don't kill me, can only make me stronger

Ladies and gentleman, I just finished my first 90 minute spin class!! Yes, I said 90. And spinning means indoor cycling, in case you're not aware of the term. Most importantly, I said YES! I finished it!!

Borrowed

Our 90 minute class was taught my 3 different instructors who each taught for 25 minutes. The class started in the 80's with the first instructor, the 2nd instructor was the 90's, and the 3rd was now. Each instructor wore the outfit they would've worn if they were really teaching in their decade & played the music they would've played.

First, was the 80's. The instructor wore her leggings and cut off sweatshirt (although I don't know how because I was dripping in a tank & shorts) but I cant remember any of the songs she played. It was almost 2 hours ago.

Next up, was the 90's, taught by the director of Group Fitness at Butler's HRC. I knew she would be tough & she didn't disappoint, but she also had a ton of energy and was really fun, so it wasn't bad at all. She played songs like Jump Around and Barbie Girl. We did a lot of sprints and jumps in her section.

Lastly, was the present. Crazy in Love and Promiscuous  Girl were some of the songs she played. Although we did do a really long sprint pyramid and one hill, she was easier since it was the end of the class.

In between each section, we had 4 minute "power breaks" during which we could get water, use the bathroom OR join the instructors in core work, which I did.

The 90 minutes flew by and it was so much fun!! I went with 2 of my friends and we had a blast. I feel extra hot today because I got such a good workout too - Double win!!

Whether you're a beginner worker-outer or advanced, try spinning. There are classes out there anywhere from 30 minutes - 3 hours and the really great thing is that you get to control your workout. You get to add resistance or take it off, so it can be as hard or as easy as you'd like to make it. With the music blaring and sweat dripping off me, I get in the zone. While the snow was falling outside, it was July in my head. I was riding down an open road in the sunshine, just using the body God gave me.

Find a spinning class at your local gym! Take a water bottle, a headband and a hand towel and get ready to fall in love with a new workout!

So What!

Ok you guys, before we get started, can we please all take a look at this?

I'm not sure this picture really does the color of these "bananas" justice. So here we go ... 

These are what Toogie (my roommate) came back from the store with when I asked her for some bananas. 

I would normally never do this but when she showed them to me, I laughed and asked if she was joking?   No. She was not. She thought if they were a little greener, they would last longer. 

God love her. 

Moving on  .....

.... to SO WHAT Wednesdays!

-

- So what if I ate a grilled chicken sandwich the size of my head last night, it was soooo yummy!

- So what if I bought a bag of Dove chocolate last night, also yummy. Are we realizing a trend? Whoops.

- So what if I was so tired tonight, I could only think of 2 things to say So What to, and they're both about food ... yesterday was the first day of classes!!

What are you saying so what to? 

Do it! 

It makes Wednesdays MUCH more enjoyable!