ITS FALL Y'ALL

So fall has officially fell and it is glorious. A little early to be this chilly at night if you ask me, but it still does not offset the fact that I LOVE the fall.

Growing up in Louisiana I never really felt like I got to experience fall. We had it, but it did not come gradually like it does up here in Fayetteville. It was like “okay today the leaves changed colors.” And then the next day they would be gone, and the next day it was winter. Here fall lasts for more than three days and I can just soak it all in. All of its fally goodness.

I love the crisp bright colors of fall while everything is changing. Crunchy leaves make a wonderful symphony of sounds as I walk to class. The smell of bonfires and spice wafting through the air. The best. Fayetteville in the fall is like none other. I’m not going to lie, getting to experience a “real” fall was something that drew me to the university. Winter is another blog post for another day…

Today I got to go to a lovely Fall themed sisterhood with the wonderful women of AOII. We went to McGarrah Pumpkin Patch and had a GREAT time. There were bonfires, a haunted hayride, a haunted corn maze, pumpkins galore. It really was great to get to have silly fun and laugh with my sisters. These girls truly have become a second family to me and it is the best feeling to be able to just forget about school and worries of life and just have fun together. I can’t wait until our next sisterhood!

 

With that, I am going to cozy up in my sweater and blanket, light my vanilla spice candle (they’re a dollar at Walmart and they smell FANTASTIC) and get to work on homework.

Happy fall yall!

Spooktacular and Conway!

Halloween is just around the corner so of course AOII had to have a function! This year the function was with Alpha Chi Omega and Alpha Delta Pi for an Alpha Spooktacular!!

My date and I went as Mary Poppins and Burt. Some of my friends’ costumes included Toddlers and Tiaras, a dalmation, a cheerleader, Sandy, and an 80s work out star. We went to my friend’s date’s apartment beforehand to hang out and get ready for the function. We all had a great time and Halloween season has officially begun.

 

Monday there is a sisterhood for all of AOII. We are going to a pumpkin patch and are going to do all kinds of fall activities. CAN’T WAIT! I’ll be sure to blog about that later.

Friday after class my friend Mary and I drove to Conway, Arkansas to spend the weekend there for the Arkansas game versus Ole Miss. We went to a restaurant called Stoby’s for dinner, which had the best cheese dip ever. We ran a couple of errands with Mary’s mom and then went to sleep to get ready for a very early morning game.

the things you find in Hobby Lobby

Saturday morning came bright and early with a 7:30 AM wake up call to get ready for the tailgate and the game. We got ready and then headed towards War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock. After about 45 minutes of tailgating with one of Mary’s friends we decided that it was way too cold to be tailgating and decided to call Mary’s mom to come get us.

In Front of the Arlington Hotel

silly shoppers

After we left the tailgate we decided that we would go to Hot Springs, Arkansas and visit Mary’s lake house on Lake Hamilton and then visit the shops in down town Hot Springs. We ate lunch at a delicious Mexican restaurant called La Hacienda and then hit the stores! We both found some great jewelry that I can’t wait to wear out. After a quick trip to Mary’s lake house we headed back to Conway to celebrate her dad’s birthday. 

This weekend was a great adventure and a great time. Being back in Hot Springs brought back so many great memories from going to camp there and made me miss being there every summer. Even though we didn’t make it to the game, I still had a wonderful time with Mary and her family.

Until next time!

Thankful Thursday... A Little Late!

Okay so I know its not Thursday but I got like knee deep in school stuff and there was a function so I had to take a time out. So instead, we will have Thankful Sunday!

This week I am thankful to have the friends that I do. This semester has been a definite roller coaster and my friends have been there with me through every dip, curve, and rise. I have had so much fun with them this semester and I can’t believe our junior year together is almost over. I’m thankful for the things we have gotten to do together like functions, trips to the zoo, Little Rock games, and thousands of shopping trips.

 

 

I am thankful that they will always be here for me to pick me up when I am down and help me through tough times. I’m thankful that they can laugh with me when things get a little crazy and be silly together. You girls are amazing and I can’t imagine my life without you.

Wild Weekend Adventures

This weekend was quite the exciting one between initiation and a trip to the zoo!

Initiation was Friday night and I can’t even believe it has been 2 years since I was initiated. It brought back memories about that night when I was a freshman and all the excitement around it. I’m so happy for my new, official, sisters to be a part of AOII! I’m so happy for my Grandlittle (I’m still coming to terms with the fact that I’m a grandbig) and can’t wait to see what AOII has in store for her!

Saturday my friend Sarah and I took a trip to the Wild Wilderness Safari drive through zoo in Gentry, Arkansas and it was probably the best thing I’ve done in Arkansas in a long time. I went in expecting rinky-dink, because lets be honest its Gentry, Arkansas, but it was FANTASTIC! There was so much more to it than I expected and was pleasantly surprised. The zoo just had two baby lions and they were SO cute!! Of course we had to go hold them and that was an experience that was way too cool, and hilarious.

Baby lions are like giant kittens and the poor Kappas in front of us found that out after the poor girl got her hair basically eaten by the baby lion and another girl got peed on. Both equally hilarious incidents and I was beyond glad that I was not on the receiving end of either one of those situations.

  

After Sarah and I checked out the baby lion multiple times we jumped in my jeep and headed on the safari. 

Side note: again, thanks Mom and Dad for the jeep I don’t think the corolla could have made it through the safari. The animals were fabulous and sometimes terrifying.

Enter: the emu. These birds were HORRIFYING and everywhere!!! And they would come right up to your car and peck at your windows. I felt like I was in Jurassic Park and shortly after they came up to my car a velociraptor would be next.

pure Jurassic Park terror

Emus aside, the zoo was great and so was initiation. Congratulations baby pandas! And if anyone wants to go to the zoo, call me I’ll be more than happy to go

Thankful Thursday

CLEARLY it is Thursday, so what am I thankful for this week? AOII and my fantastic little, Emily!

AOII – Obviously, AOII is a huge part of my life and I couldn’t be more okay with that. I’m so proud to carry on the legacy for my family. I really wish that my grandmother was still alive to be able to share this journey with me, but hearing my dad talk about how passionate his mom was for AOII and how much she loved it makes me love it that much more. Over the summer I realized that we both joined our chapters within their first five years of being on their campuses, which was something that was really cool to me. I am so happy that AOII has connected me with so many amazing women whom I get to call my best friends. Sure sometimes I get frustrated with them or with AOII, but what kind of family would we be if we didn’t? The good times with AOII always out number the bad and I couldn’t be happier or more proud to be a part of this sorority.

Which brings me to my little, Emily. I am sooo SO happy that I get to call you my little for the rest of my life! You seriously are one of the most amazing people I have ever had the privilege to meet. I have met some pretty strong people in my life, but Emily, you take the cake. You face challenges that I can't imagine having head on and still can hold your head high and have a wonderful attitude. I didn’t know you very well when we picked our littles my sophomore year, but I knew that you were going to be mine. You had to be. That was the end of the story. You are so quirky and fun to be around and you completely accept my weirdness and my quirks. I truly feel like you are another sister that I never had. Being the youngest in my family, I always wondered what my older brother and sister felt like looking after me and now I know what that feels like thanks to being your big. I want to protect you and I want only the best for you. I love you like you are a part of my own biological family and I am BEYOND thankful that you are my little and are a part of my life. You’re fantastic, Emily and I will ALWAYS be your big.

The End of Fall Break

‘Tis the eve before the end of fall break and over the past 4 days I have done absolutely nothing of substantial meaning. And I’m not even sorry about it. I work my ass (pardon the French, Mom and Dad) off for school and I needed the break! Not to mention midterms were just completed and I think my brain was too fried to even want to do anything.

I did, however, spend some glorious time with my parents and my puppies. And helping poor little Copper get back to health.

As some of you know, Copper recently ruptured two disks in his upper back and was not doing well AT ALL. I was very afraid that this trip home would be one of the last times I would see my baby Copper alive. However through the power of persistant rest (sometimes laziness is the best choice) and lots of puppy muscle relaxers little Copper is on his way to being almost as good as new. Today he was feeling his legs, wobbly though they may be, and even walked all the way to the back door! Something he hasn’t done in about a month. Fingers crossed he will continue to get better and better and be back to my sweet little Copper soon!

I was so excited to get to spend time with my two best friends this weekend. Kelsey and Amelia have been with me through thick and thin for many years now, and I cannot imagine my life with out them. I only wish I could see them more often!!

This fall break was much needed and very relaxing. Thanks to all who made it great, mainly my bed since that was where I spent the most time, but also the many people who I miss SO much when I’m in Fayetteville!

Home

Currently it is fall break  (PRAISE JESUS) and as most of Fayetteville also has I have returned home. Thanks to the rain it was the world’s longest drive home, but thanks to my parents I didn’t have to drive in it.

I always have a love/ hate relationship with coming home. I’m so excited because I get to see my parents and my dogs and sleep in my own bed, which is the most comfortable bed ever, but at the same time it never feels long enough. Although sometimes during longer breaks I can't wait to get back to Fayetteville. It’s a conflicting situation that sometimes I’m just not quite sure what to do with. Am I the only one? I surely can’t be.

This trip home has been great. It’s always relaxing to come back here. I don’t have to worry about school or homework, even though I probably should, and I can just catch up on sleep and with friends who still live here. Not to mention I gain like five pounds because of so much eating, but who cares hah.

Well, I hope everyone else has a wonderful break! I’m off to enjoy the rest of mine!

Thankful Thursday

Today’s post will be short, but I want to keep things going with this and I don’t want it to end up like the diary you promise keep on New Year’s Day and then three weeks later you stop writing in it.

This Thankful Thursday I am thankful this week is OVER! With a midterm, a concert, and what feels like endless laundry doing at my apartment I am finally able to just lay on my couch and relax. And now, that is EXACTLY what I am going to do.

 I cannot wait to drive home tomorrow and be on fall break and just sleep. OH and see my two best friends in the whole wide world.

That being said, goodnight all! Happy Thursday!

PS I am also SO thankful to my parents for driving up here to attend my concert. Those who didn't come SERIOUSLY missed out. It was a great show!

It's Back!

Its that time of year again, concert season! With our first concert of the year coming up for Schola, I have been thinking about all of the different things I’ve done, shows I’ve been in and the incredible variety of music I’ve had a chance to sing.

I grew up with an affinity for all things theatre and fabulous. I think it has something to do with my daily Richard Simmons video as a kid (thanks mom!) and took to the stage at the tender age of 3 as a dalamation in miss missy’s dance recital. Since then there was no stopping me! I was incredibly blessed with parents that supported and gently pushed me towards further goals in theatre, not to mention could afford to pay for countless dance classes and costumes (again, thanks mom and dad!)

Always looking for more time on stage and singing more things than I actually spoke as a child, opera was the obvious next, and might I add, glorious step in my life. Being a part of Shreveport Opera opened a whole new world, and I loved every second of it. I would start college as a music major because of it. Although I am no longer a music major singing, music, and pageantry are still a huge part of my life

I am so blessed and honored to be a part of Schola Cantorum Choir here at Arkansas. I have met some amazing people that seriously are some of the most talented people I have ever met. We’ve done some awesome, and sometimes kind of weird, music and each year we continue to grow together as a choir.

All this being said, I’m now going to shamelessly promote schola! If you’re in the Fayetteville area Thursday night you should definitely come check us out! The concert is at the Walton Arts Center at 7:30 pm Thursday! We will also be singing with two other choirs on campus, Concert Choir and Inspirational Singers! Tickets are $1 for students and $5 for everyone else. I promise it will be a great show!!

Thankful Thursdays!

I’m going to start to try and get in the habit of thinking of something I’m thankful for each week. I got the idea from my planner of all places and I think it’s a good one. Some weeks are rougher than others and big or small it’s important to be able to stop and take a step back and realize that there is still good going on around me.

This week I am thankful for dachshunds. If you’re here, you’ve obviously typed in my blog URL thingy and know the two staples in my life: diet coke and dachshunds. Dachshunds are just little instruments of happiness. If they’re not sleeping, their tails are wagging and they are greeting you with kisses. They are constantly by your side and are, lets face it, just freakin’ adorable!

On the note of being thankful for dachshunds, I’m most thankful for MY dachshunds, past and present. Wendy was a little firecracker who put up with anything and everything that my sister and I put her through. From dressing her up in our doll clothes, that were way too small for her fat little body, to being in countless “dog shows” Wendy put up with it. I wish I could find pictures of her to put on here! Captain and Copper are the two biggest love lumps you could ask for. From constant kisses, ear flapping, and tail thumping to countless hours of playing fetch and laying in the sun these two are never far away from each other or someone in my family.

So on this thankful Thursday I am thankful for dachshunds. The ones I’ve had in the past, the ones I have now, and the ones I am POSITIVE I will have in the future. A house is not a home without a dachshund.