twenty-ten

with two days left in the year, a lot has been going around about "best of 2010." whether it be music, celebrity news, news in general, or my personal favorite, the best dressed... around this time we always like to pay homage to what was the best, and sometimes, the worst. my own year has definitely had it's best and worsts, all of which have made 2010 a growing one. but without it, i believe the following year would not have the same potential it has. 

so in true spirit (and to make up for the lack of photos in my last post)...

in 2010...

{constants became un-constant. in may, my big & grandbig graduated}

{gained an incredible little, whom without i'd have a lot less laughter and hugs}

{gave domestic violence a one-two punch}

{went to a fraternity formal weekend & gained countless laughs}

{made mistakes & sang somethin' country on the nissan lawn}

{celebrated a start to the summer with a getaway to delaware with my mom}

{threw what i knew at a nationals game}

{became a mexican while catching up with old friends}

{touched the sky in denver, colorado}

{celebrated the end of a sweet summer with a vacation to hilton head island, sc}

{made a house into a home}

{raised $8,900 for alzheimer's at uv nights}

{learned that quality is better than quantity}

{found my family}

{gave back & went to a dungeon}

{just "suz'd" it during homecoming 2010}

{...and the obvious, turned the big two-one}

{celebrated a championship}

much love to all of you & the best of fun on new year's eve! after nearly two weeks straight of work, i will be quietly celebrating at home with lo mein & my favorite bottle of champagne... but right now, nothing sounds more appealing. 

hear from you in the new year <3

decisions, decisions

all my life i have been fearful of very few, distinct things. spiders, men who don't understand social distance, and... spiders. it has been up until recently that these fears have never expanded or deflated... but now, i have added one more item on to that list. the future. 

since i was a freshman and possibly my entire life, i have always been a planner. whether it be for just the next hour or next decade, i had a plan. in elementary school, make friends & do your homework. in middle school, pass your standard exams & keep your friends. in high school, excel in everything and get into college, and for me that college has always been virginia tech. and i rarely looked any further passed that. 

after taking a few fashion marketing classes and always being one that took what i wore very seriously, i looked into apparel programs across the east coast and conveniently, the one at tech captured my interest the most. may it be the smaller program, which i love, or seeing pictures of clothing sewn from students currently attending across the walls... i immediately knew there was no place else. 

but, like i said, i had only gotten that far. i knew i wanted to be an apparel student... but i wasn't entirely sure what i wanted to do after being an apparel student, and i still am not. but when i joined virginia tech in august 2008, it didn't concern me. but now, as i research internship after internship, try to connect dot to dot, i seem to have lost that long lived plan i had for myself. 

so the question is... what do i do? do i do what brings the most money or what i enjoy? do i try to be compromising and meet somewhere in the middle between enjoyment and finances? do i even have an idea of what i enjoy? 

recently, i made the decision that i would love to make a career out of writing. but unfortunately, it will be very unlikely that writing for a magazine, especially a fashion magazine, will be my next step. so, here i am... wondering where my next step will be. what move to make next... do i stay comforted in the city i've called home for years and take a paying internship here or do i break my roots for an experience that could very well be a disaster but equally be one of the best summers of my life? and as i know many of you sit there and may think, this is such a simple decision given those relative to the "real world," but for me, a girl who is split between being a homebody and wanting to constantly break out and do something extraordinary, i am caught at a major catch 22. 

and as much as i wish i could give you a conclusion with this post... i can't. so like all the best stories, this is to be continued. in a new year, with a positive, new direction. 

{my apologies for the lack of photos... it is a resolution to take more in 2011!}

'tis the season

as i turned in my last scantron and finally hit my bed instead of my management textbook, finals week turned into the best time of the year... winter break. for an entire month, i can dedicate myself to nothing but sleeping & watching hbo, with working here & there before the festive holiday hits this saturday. 

but this break didn't start according to plans. 

as i woke up thursday morning, i didn't have one of those "excited to wake up to snow" feelings. to see that blanket of snow cover the back patio of my sorority house only made me queery. i had been wanting to get home and sleep in my own bed since finals started, yet within an overnight low-pressure systems that brought five inches and a glazing of ice to my front door, i was pressed to reconsider my return date.

despite my joyous mood, i toured the house to find the leftover house girls in our great room (special name for living room) congregating with the same irritable feeling. yet, being in the company of others, especially those in a similar situation, suddenly brightened my mood. 

to make the long story short, the day that could have very well been one where i sat in my room and ate and felt sorry about myself turned into one that gave me a great opportunity to have some serious sister time. not one filled with recruitment or meeting procedure, but an entire day filled with having fun, laughing and getting to know each other even better than we did before. from noon that day to two in the morning that night, we had our own little snow day and it couldn't have been more memorable. 

now, as i am faced with mall goers and holiday humbugs, as well as adjusting back to being with my parents for an extended period of time, i have to remind myself that happy times DO exist as long as we let them. an attitude has a huge impact on your memories, it can either brighten them or taint them forever. so in the spirit of the holiday season, i suggest looking at the world sunny side up- as this is the one season filled with joy and miracles, forgiveness and gratitude, family and great holiday music, it goes by too quickly to pass up.

happy holidays everyone! 

{opening my american girl doll on christmas day, a favorite christmas memory to date}

and just as buddy the elf said...

"the best way to spread christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear"

{my all-time favorite christmas tree at rockefeller center...

this picture does not give it justice}

cram time

it's pretty typical of most college students to feel the stress of those last few weeks of school, even more so when you decide that football & tots tuesdays have taken precedence over your schoolwork for the past month. however, i justify my behavior by thinking... katie couric said her procrastination helped her become the news journalist she is today. if katie can do it, so can i. 

sadly though, i'm coming to terms with the fact that i am no katie couric and a typical college student who procrastinates only to leave exam week to be one unmatched, with all nighters, outlines & overuse of my hootie & the blowfish pandora station. 

when i study, i always opt for the most comfortable outfit you could imagine. sweats, uggs, & my sorority grateful dead t-shirt. it's not pretty, but if i have one week where i am the rule and not the exception by looking like a hot mess... then why not take advantage?

taking a much needed break after 4 straight hours of studying

(wearing my favorite shirt- a sorority passdown, grateful dead shirt) 

as this isn't my first finals week, i have grown to be an expert in cramming & studying until my eyes blur. i have pulled so many all nighters it is almost a natural decision and even my own family knows not to call me until i walk out of that last exam for fear of a screaming fit. yet despite all my blunders, i always manage to pass my classes & keep breathing with these simple (and unexpected) rules: 

1. take time to do something completely mindless for 10% of the time you study. like today, i stared at the wall without a thought in my mind. it makes you a better thinker when you actually have to think. 

2. eat your stress. froyo & wendy's are my fave picks.

 and quite possibly any food that is near reach at any given time. 

3. be with people. you may think they distract you, but like exercising with friends, they actually push you. and you can push them. 

4. quiz yourself with ridiculous questions in between "actual" questions. such as, "why is h shaped as an h?" it has a strange way of clearing your head. 

5. day dream. in the past hour i have planned a vacation and a wedding to my hubby, adam levine, all in my head. 

6. take some time for yourself. self pedicure. shower (you should do that regardless, if at all possible). deep condition your hair. organize your closest. the more together YOU are, the more together everything else is... or at least appears. 

7. remind yourself that it's an exam. you aren't being put through torture (although it may feel like it at times) and you will survive, body & soul, regardless of the grade. 

good luck with all your finals!  & for your personal enjoyment (well, mainly mine... let's be honest): 

Maroon 5-Give A Little More 

getaway

after returning back to the grind after an uneventful week of tryptophan, seconds & thirds, friends and family, i quickly made a countdown to what was a very eventful weekend in charlotte for the acc championship game. for a college student and diehard hokie football fan, this was the pinnacle of the season and was easily one of the best weekends of my college years. legally able to experience the greatness of city bars, we saw all there was to see of charlotte including your typical overpriced drinks but great music and even better dancing. 

grabbing dinner at a restaurant near the hotel

top & skirt - target.com 

there is something funny about nightlife that i never experienced before, either the rush of movement of the crowds or the blaring music or the simple fact that i was able to enjoy myself in place that i didn't automatically recognize, it got my heart racing and beaming for what's ahead. 

nightclub in charlotte

leather jacket - nordstrom

after a night that seemed relatable to one on the hangover, i was ready to get my game face on. sadly, as i decided to forsake my fashion for the sake of my health and to stay dry, i opted for a more weather-friendly game day outfit including my knee-length winter jacket, several layers and leggings, all of which still didn't seem to keep the chills at bay. 

gearing up for the championship
dress - forever 21, scarf - j.crew, denali north face jacket - dick's sporting goods

and as another football season comes to a close, i drove back home thinking... next year, it will be my last. but then a second thought immediately follows. that's the whole point of these weekends away? what would it be if we were stuck in a perpetual groundhog's day life? constantly repeating, never progressing... it doesn't seem too interesting to me. so how about it... live a little, wear that top you always save for that perfect night but never pull out of the closet, treat yourself to that pedicure. it's always too late to live in the past, but it's never too late to live in the present.