5.30.2013

Can We Discuss Mindy Kaling?


Okay. Where to start? I first heard of Mindy back in the day when I was watching "The Office" with friends, and one of them pointed Kelly Kapoor out on TV and asked me, "Can you believe she's actually one of the writers of the show?" Now we had just watched Kelly pull of some sort of crazy shenanigans as well as talk in the quick manner in her very girly voice. So no, I couldn't believe she was one of the masterminds of this acclaimed TV comedy. But that's the kind of thing I like--the unexpected like that--, so I forgot about it a while later. I saw her briefly in other movies and whatnot, thought she had some funny one liners, and that was basically it.

Then came "The Mindy Project." I hated the pilot at first (I watch it now with delight...). I watched it and thought, "This chick is giving all us chicks really, freaking bad names! No wonder men like to think we're a little bit crazy because you've got characters like her basing their lives off of romcoms!" I hated that she ruined her ex-boyfriend's wedding; I hated that she was kind of shallow, and I hated that she was so wrapped up in a romcom induced fantasy of her love life. However, I kept watching each week. Like it became one of my shows to watch, and I was slightly (read: really) irritated when Fox had those weeks where it skipped an episode. Also 22 minutes is not long enough for any sitcom. 

And by the time I watched the finale, I was half way through Kaling's autobiography, and I had youtubed quite a number of her interviews. And I realized something. I may have started out hating Mindy because of how she seemed to be, but that hate turned into pure love and idolizing. I freaking LOVE Mindy Kaling. Not only that, but I now look to her as a role model. She's hilarious; she's real; she's a person

Let me start from the outside and work my way in. I am not a small girl. Given some poor eating and exercise habits (like maybe living off of peanut m&ms for two days straight...) this last year, I've gained a whopping twenty or so pounds. I'm certifiably chubby, and I just bought a pair of size 12 pants from American Eagle, a brand in which I was a size 6-8 this time last year. I've always been on the bigger side--whether you want to call it boyish, athletic, stout, or chubby-- no one has ever aspired to have my body or whistle at it in a smokin' way. I have fought against the grain way too often, experimenting with diets in high school and going on exercise binges (if you count swimming in that category too...). Mindy makes me feel like this is okay. It's okay that I'm not going to fill out a body con dress the way my twiggy sorority sisters do, but, by golly, I should rock one anyway. Have you seen Mindy in a body con dress? She looks hot. (Cue: Watch the "In the Club" episode) Have you see her rock some good style? Like, I want her clothes. Most of them. Especially on the show!

Okay, working my way in. So the other aspect of Mindy that I admire is her brain. She may have a higher-pitched voice and what appears to be a penchant for celebrity gossip and trashy books/magazines, but girl's got a brain. You don't go to Dartmouth because you half-assed your way through high school. You don't become one of the writers of "The Office" and stay on throughout its run by being mediocre. You don't get a play based on two celeb best friends legitimate praise by just being okay-funny. She knows her field, and she's at the top of it.

Another thing about her that I really admire is her self-awareness. She knows she's not thin; she knows she's not Giselle, and she knows her voice is high-pitched. She knows it's kind of lame that she loves cheesy things. She's knows that she's introverted by nature. But she knows she is who she is whether you like it or not. I love that. She can tease herself, but she can also have confidence.

Guys, I love Mindy Kaling. If I ever meet her one day, I'll probably turn into a stuttering mess because she's like me only more famous, probably more clever, and, obviously, Indian. 

5.29.2013

[Foodie] Kale Talk

I feel like as a whole our society focuses a lot more on health and fitness as a means to an end in terms of physical appearance. I'm guilty of this even now! I'm hoping to educate myself--especially before I get settled into the real world--on living a healthy lifestyle as opposed to just doing a diet or fitness regime in the hope I get a hot bod. I'm still hoping for the hot bod, but I'm hoping it comes as a result of healthy eating habits and regular exercises--whether it be getting out more, enjoying the gym, or what have you. 
Okay, so can we talk about kale for a minute? Unless you live under a rock or live in a world of junk food, you've heard kale touted as one of those "superfoods." It's up there with almonds (which I'm sadly allergic too), salmon, avocado, etc. I never really understood why though, hence why I'm putting up this infograph for you to reference. I don't know why they list fat and calories as lows... From everything I've read, though, kale is literally crazy good for you. Like from the claims people make, I feel like someone who lives off of this stuff will become a superhuman herself.

Anyhow, I finally bought myself some at the grocery store to use as my "leafy" portion. I usually buy salad mix, but the prices now that I'm paying for myself make me blanch a little. I usually get lettuce or spinach, but I thought I'd try kale this time (I don't eat enough leafy goodness yet to justify buying all three! Someday). Guys I love it. I'm still getting used to the taste raw, but using it in a sautéed mix of veggies and chicken--it tastes delicious. I'm currently making some kale chips, so I'll give you a few recipes to get yourself started. My next attempt will be with salads.

 R E C I P E S
I couldn't come up with a clever name...
Ingredients
  • Shredded Chicken
  • Mushrooms
  • 1/2 Cubed Avocado
  • Chopped Red & Green Peppers
  • Chopped Kale
  • Olive Oil
  • Salt & Pepper 
  • (Optional) Some Mozzarella or Cheddar Cheese
Directions
  1. Put some olive oil in a pan on medium to high heat and add pepper and salt.
  2. Cut up mushrooms. (I'm bad, I just use my hands and pull them to pieces!) Add to pan
  3. Once mushrooms are pretty coated, add in the rest of the ingredients except the chicken and avocado.
  4. Put a little more olive oil. Add salt & pepper as you like.
  5. Add shredded chicken.
  6. Then add avocado.
  7. Satuée until everything is considerably cooked through.
  8. Enjoy!
I should probably have let it soak in the oil & spices more...
Ingredients
  • Kale leaves
  • Olive Oil
  • Spices (pepper and salt for me)
Directions
  1. Set oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a bowl (or bag) mix kale leaves with olive oil and spices as you like.
  3. Smooth out on a baking sheet on top of a paper towel.
  4. Put in oven for 35 minutes.
  5. Enjoy!
IT'S REALLY, REALLY GOOD!
Ingredients
  • Kale
  • Ice
  • 1 Orange
  • 1 Banana
  • Some milk
Directions
  1. Blend kale, milk, and ice first until liquefied
  2. Add in orange, blend.
  3. Add in banana, blend.
  4. Serve & Enjoy!
(Anything I didn't give an amount for--just eyeball to what you like! I don't measure any of it, just use what I'm craving to guide me)

Got any yummy kale recipes? 

5.28.2013

[Book Club] A "Lighter" Read

...for those beach days...or four a.m. obsessed readers

THE SHADOW IN THE WIND
(Org: La sombra del viento)
By Carlos Ruiz Zafón 

So roughly freshman year the guy lent me this book because he thought I might like it. I left it on my dorm desk for about half a month while schoolwork and the likes got the better of me. It took a while to open it up, but when I did, I was suckered in to the mystery of it all. I found myself up at three or four a.m. reading it, needing to know the answers, and finally being amazed by the twists and turns. It's obviously not a literary kind of book, but it's what my friend calls, intelligent commercial fiction. You'll be left with a book hangover by the end of it, I swear.

It takes place in Barcelona, Spain during the Franco regime, and it follows the life of Daniel Sempere after he gets a book from the Cemetery of Forgotten Books called The Shadow of the Wind by a mysterious Julian Carax. His obsession with the book and its seemingly nonexistent author is what leads him down a spiral of mystery and danger. My favorite part is that his life during this mirrors Julian's. And, best of all, it's a coming-of-age tale, and you can see it interspersed through the mystery.

Seriously, one of my favorite books. The TWIST is crazy, and the writing, even for a translation, is sublime. I'm currently making my way through the original version.

5.27.2013

Happy Memorial Day!



Happy Memorial Day, all! I hope you spent the day in a relaxing manner, and, of course, remembered all the brave who have made this land free. This is the first memorial weekend, I believe, that I have had off-- I used to lifeguard or work, and this weekend was one of my most hectic. I finally enjoyed my four days off with naps when it was dreadfully windy and a day spent laying by the bay in Rock Hall.

5.25.2013

Tramcars in Lisboa

lisbon-portugal
Going to Lisbon, Portugal was probably one of my favorite trips despite European Vibe ripping us off on our touring and getting stung by a bee and ruining two pairs of shoes (more on that here). The city is beautiful--pastel buildings, a castle overlooking it all, etc. It might have helped that the sun was always shining while were there and it was such a stark contrast from chilly England, where I had been to earlier that week. This snapshot is of the time we decided to take the tramcar for the experience, and it broke down on us about midway through our trip. We decided to just wait it out and in the meantime I got one of my favorite pictures from abroad.

5.24.2013

[Sorority Stuff] Initiation Day

Looking back, I realized I'd forgotten to talk about half the stuff I thought I had about sorority life. This semester was especially a learning experience because I was a big for the first time (didn't join until my sophomore year), so all the small details you don't think about when you're the little became apparent to me. Like making all the stuff for Initiation Day.
Initiation is basically one of, if not the most, important day in sorority life. It's when you become an official member of your organization--you learn the secrets, you are deemed worthy of learning all about the side of the sorority no one else knows, you're official. Ours came right before Easter, and it's an all day affair. After all the secret stuff I can't tell you about (like drinking blood of sisters' past!*) comes the super fun part which is celebrating with the newly initiated littles. As a big you are responsible for making all the presents, and if you screw up, wellllll....
Now here's the best part. You can make a basket on a budget. No one is holding a gun to your throat and telling you, you need to buy the $40 monogrammed container holder. No one's telling you, you need to buy everything Lilly to put in the basket. Actually, it's better if you craft everything. Can't craft? It's a lot easier than you think, and you don't need to be doing any fancy patterns or anything either! Some people go and get all the cheesy things they can think of--stuffed animals, sunglasses, etc. I wanted to get my little things that wouldn't just sit around all day gathering dust, so I made sure to make her things she could use.

BASICS OF A GIFT BASKET:
  1. Letters. Rule of thumb. Get your little at least the same amount of shirts your big got you. Mine got me two originals and one for the chapter, so I did the same for mine. 
    1. SIDENOTE: If you cannot make letters by hand, don't even try. I did and wasted about twenty-five bucks in the process. Just buy them online or at a retailer. I got mine off of Jenna Benna. You can literally look anywhere from Etsy to Jenna Benna to Greek Streak, etc. Just make sure--is it of the quality you would want in your letters?
  2. At least ONE picture frame. Preferably one that you crafted yourself. You know your little is going to have a tone of pictures to print out by the end of the year, and she should have at least one sorority-related or craft-related frame to put it in. My big painted me a Zeta frame, and I made my little a few Lilly Pulitzer printed frames.
  3. Wooden Letters. Like the kind you can hang up on the wall. I used a Lilly print and switched it around a bit to make it related to something she loved--dance.
  4. A Pin Box. Making or buying a little pin box so they can hold their pins in them! I made a Tiffany & Co esque box.
  5. Some sort of treat. My little loves Reeses Pieces, so I filled a mason jar full of them.
  6. A decorated plaque. Besides her main plaque/paddle, make her something else cute that she can hang on her wall. I made mine a City Family Plaque and wrote our names on the back so that her little can inherit it and continue on. I also made her pink and white two-toned plaques with crowns on them and quotes on the back. 
THINGS TO KNOW BEFOREHAND
  1. Her favorite color(s). This way you can do combinations.
  2. Her favorite food/drink/candy.
  3. Her habits. My big got me a wall organizer because she knows I have a tendency to be forgetful...
  4. Any other likes & dislikes.
  5. HER SIZE. Oh goodness, beware if you get your little a XS when she is an S and that T-shirt doesn't fit. Even the most levelheaded person will be uncomfortable.
Hope that helps! Get creative with your basket. Pinterest became my best friend during this whole semester, and I used a lot of the ideas, even during Clue Week (that's for another post). Also be prepared. Today is the day a lot of pictures shall be taken.
Got any fun ideas that you did or want to do?

*If you don't know that reference, we can't be friends.

5.23.2013

[Style Files] My Favorite Airport Inspiration

So, one of my favorite parts about traveling, especially via airplanes, is figuring out what to wear. It's definitely an art form, and while you might roll your eyes and say, "Don't be a snob, throw on sweatpants, a T-shirt, and sneakers, and call it a day," I must disagree. Dress sloppy, feel sloppy, and it's very annoying to feel sloppy on nine hour plane rides or even five hour plane rides. No, I'm not saying I forbid you wear any of the three mentioned, but if they make you feel like you're about to go to the gym or go to bed, then you might want to rethink.
Sidebar: Last one's not actually airport, but it's a good
example of how a T-shirt can be a little more put together.
Personally, I don't think I've ever quite gotten my airport style right. It's never been terribly awful, but it's always trying to do too much. When I first traveled to Italy & Greece, I got so caught up in what to wear, I looked ridiculous. I wore a crew neck sweatshirt and shorts to South Korea. To California, I wore a longer skirt and a simply white top, and to Spain, I wore loose black pants, a tank, and a white sweater (I was trying to save space!). Each time on the way back, I was trying to wear my suitcase home, so I looked a little...homeless. I go more into what I believe are the do's and don'ts here. On this post, I want to celebrate someone I think nails it each time she walks off the airport. Whether it's a stylist or her, I don't care, she always looks good and comfortable. 
Jessica Jung
As a member of Korea's most famous idol group, girl travels a lot. She's nailed it down to an art form--long pants, flat shoes, simple, breathable top with a few variations in between. Colder weather constitutes a layering of shirts and sweaters and a scarf; warmer weather constitutes shorter clothes and sometimes dresses. I stalk this tumblr constantly for her airport updates, which is where these images are from. I'm convinced it will help me one day nail down my own airport style.

UPDATE: She's now a former member of said idol group.

5.21.2013

[Tips & Tricks] Staying Involved

Look. I get it. I barely survived this semester with my GPA still intact (that's being overdramatic, but ya know). The last thing anyone wants to do is try and use their brains to function any more than necessary. Summer is for long days laying out at the beach, covered in Coppertone or Hawaiian Tropic sunblock, feet sunken down in the muddy sand and cooled by the icy waters-- there may be a book or a magazine involved, but rest assured said book is light and cheesy and the magazine is more images than words. It's heaven for three months of the year when the library becomes a distant horror, checking Web Advisor happens never, and Zimbra is checked maybe once a week.

But the world doesn't take summer breaks. And it keeps spinning, and you really should have some idea of what's going on. Your brain deserves a break, but don't let it fry completely. I'm not saying you should be dragging the Post down to the beach instead of Cosmopolitan, and I don't think the news should be on in the background all the time. What I'm saying is find some ways to stay involved. Know what's going on in the world. Here are some of the ways in which I'm hoping to keep my mental abilities fresh even as a I try and relax a little or even balance an internship and job.

source
1. Utilize Social Media. Twitter is my favorite. If you don't have an account get one. You don't need to tell your friends; you don't need to get caught up in following drama, etc. You just need to make one and follow these accounts:
  • Associated Press (@AP)
  • CNN (@cnnbrk)
  • Wall Street Journal (@WSJ)
  • Other sources of news, like Fox that you'd watch on TV 
    • Just google the name plus twitter and it will pop up!
As a bonus I also follow these on my Twitter because they tweet about issues in which I'm interested:
  • Half The Sky Movement (@Half)
  • Korean Economist Institute (@KoreaEconInst)
  • Korean Real Time (@KoreaRealTime)
  • Liberty in North Korea (@LibertyinNK)
  • U.S. Embassy Seoul (@usembassyseoul)
  • Levo League (@levoleague)
source
2. Read Good Books. I'm not saying you need to throw out those trashy beach reads. I'm saying, try to read one or two really good books this summer. Even if you don't like reading, everyone has time for it. Whether it's a long time spent on the toilet (don't lie, you know you have those days) or thirty minutes before bedtime, everyone has time to fit in reading a few pages a day. 

And when I say read, I don't mean mindlessly roam through a book like one would do with beach reads. I mean take a pencil with you and dive in--underline some quotes, circle some important page numbers. It's something I'm still teaching myself to do right now, but it's so worth it later on when you're discussing the book and trying to remember this fantastic scene on this specific page number somewhere in the 300 page book. It doesn't even need to be classic literature. I'm currently reading Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books by Azar Nafisi. 

source
3. Be a Nerd, Get Ahead. This is easier said than done. As an English major, I can pretty much guess what kind of books will be in my Shakespeare class, so it's not too much of a stretch. But if you have the opportunity to get ahead on work for the next semester, whether it's doing thesis work, reading a book ahead of time, etc, then do it. 

That's mostly what I have for now. Obviously you can substitute  While I'll always advocate for reading, you can always watch a documentary or something that gets you thinking. Do something intellectual that interests you, random research, extensive reading, etc. Just stay involved, don't turn too much to mush no matter how tempting baking in the sun might be.

5.20.2013

Where I've Been...

Guys! I've been a busy bee since I last posted. Do you like the updates to the blog? I've been trying to clean it up and give it a fresh feel while setting up what I want to do with it. I'm starting to lean towards deleting my Facebook eventually, and I want this space to be a way for me to keep up with the friends who I don't necessarily talk to everyday. That probably sounds somewhat narcissistic--after all, who expects their FB friends to suddenly take an interest in her life so much that they follow a blog about it, but, you know, there might be, like, one person out there...

Anyhow, after I turned in my last paper, it was time to sit back and anxiously pick at my cuticles in preparation for my grade... Just kidding. I've come to a point in college that I cannot fret over things like grades. As long as I'm doing well (which for me is maintaining somewhere in the A range), I should sweat the small things (like a B in my American Government class, which I took purely for distribution). Fretting leads to stress, and stress is something I need to actively try to cut out of my life. It takes too much energy, reeks havoc on my health, and gives me pimples, I swear.

Really, though, I've been busy!

SATURDAY
Roommates move out, apartment feels empty.


SUNDAY:
Taylor Swift Concert! Not to mention seeing Ed Sheeran sing live, which is a treat in and of itself.
TBH I loved the Fearless tour more, but it was one of my first concerts, so of course I'm biased! I will say I'm loving T. Swift's new look (it's a look I've been patiently waiting for her to realize since 2008!), though I'm missing the curls!

MONDAY-WEDNESDAY:
Peer Mentor Training
The Peer Mentor Program at my college is based on helping Freshmen adjust to college life. We have training in the spring and a more extensive training in the fall. My favorite parts? The dance parties in the after hours and the fact that we get the Freshman book for free (more on that later!). Have you heard of the "Jungle Skank"? Learn it, love it, and I'll see you in August.

WEDNESDAY-SATURDAY:
OCMD!
I went with my little to her beach house in Ocean City, Maryland! Surprisingly this is my first time going to the MD version--my family usually goes to Jersey if anything. Fran showed me around the boardwalk and we hung out the beach. Be wary of those Scopes people unless you really want your picture taken. Both of us were exhausted by the end of each day because we were still getting over this semester!

SUNDAY:
Graduation
Yesterday was Graduation Weekend! Guys, as of today, I am officially a senior. I'm seriously not okay with it in the least bit, but we're going to take baby steps. I haven't cried yet, but I think it's because it hasn't really hit me that all of these people I've seen everyday in college aren't going to be here next year, and that I'm not the oldest class. It's surreal to say the least.

More news in the works! I'm spending the next few days stabilizing and reenergizing because I have a research project coming up! I'll be headed back to C-Town on Thursday already!

5.12.2013

Chestertown

Officially done with this awful, awful semester!
One of my best friends from home, Kate, came to visit me Friday afternoon, and I got to show her around my college's adorable town. It's seriously gorgeous this time of year, especially right at the water front.
I loved walking around downtown, and we even ate at my favorite place, Play It Again, Sam, or as we call it, Sam's for shorthand. And no, it's not my favorite just because it has my name!

Now it's just time to enjoy the little bit of time I have to relax and then figure out what I'm doing tonight. Did I mention I'm going to a Taylor Swift concert tonight? 

5.11.2013

Leonardo DiCaprio is My Soul Mate

Okay, so like a lot of kids who go to small private colleges, I am well aware of the phenomenon that is The Great Gatsby. As an English major, I an also aware of its literary merit whereas I'm quite confident most are more obsessed the the excess party and glamour image portrayed. I'm going to be blatantly honest. I read the book once in high school, circa junior year, and while I liked it, I do not remember it leaving as much an impact on me as I thought it would. I probably need to read it again now (summer reading, perhaps?) now that I have more an appreciation for Fitzgerald's style, but I'll let that be in the future. Currently, I would like to focus on the fact that I definitely went and saw the Baz Luhrmann movie tonight, and I enjoyed every freaking minute of it.
You have to understand Baz's works to appreciate what he did with Gatsby. I personally have a love-hate with Baz. I hated Romeo + Juliet despite loving Leo and Claire. I, however, loved Moulin Rouge  and what he did with the epic feel of Australia. If you go into The Great Gatsby without understanding his over the top way of directing a film, I'm warning you, you. will. be. over. whelmed. And, it's totally okay if you hate his work. You're just going to probably hate this too. I loved this adaption (never saw the other one, though I should...). I thought some parts were a bit awkward--Tobey Macguire's lines were occasionally a little off for example. I thought Carey Mulligan was perfect as Daisy, even though I love Carey and I kind of can't stand Daisy despite her ethereal beauty gig. Oh, and Isla Fisher was such a pleasant surprise as Myrtle (which is an awful name, by the way). I wish she had had a little more screen time! However, the main point of this post is not necessarily about going over GG's plot points. It's Baz, and you're going to love it or hate it. The point of this post is to express why with every movie I see with him, I'm thoroughly convinced Leo Dicaprio and I are soul mates.
And I don't mean this romantically, though if that followed as a result, I wouldn't be averse. No, if you've read Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, you'll understand my view. Lena thinks her grandfather is her soul mate-- it's obviously not romantic. That's how I view Leo. I think he's just so interesting. Just from the roles he picks alone, he would be such an interesting person to talk with. You could learn so much from his experience, from his choices, from his life. Apparently he has a frat boy side too what with his occasional partying and affinity for thin, blonde models. He's got to be an onion, and it would be the greatest thing ever to be friends with him! I'm thoroughly convinced that if we ever met and became acquaintances we would totally be close once the star-struck thing wore off.

Okay, enough rambling. This post is born after a week long hell of final papers, and my mind is a little...dazed right now. But does anyone else feel like this with someone else, or am I just the alone weirdo?

Image Sources 1, 2

5.06.2013

Tips to Survive Finals Week

Okay, so I know some lucky college students are already done and over with it, some seniors even graduated, but finals week is young here at my college. Everyone goes a little insane: wearing the same yoga pants a few days in a row is acceptable, the library is the hottest place on campus, and there may or  may not be an emotional breakdown or two. I personally have four papers due by the end of the week and a cumulative ecology exam on Wednesday. Not to mention I have a few more internship applications to complete... I'm ready to burn all my books, curl up in my bed, and call it a day.
But, obviously, life must go on, and even though my dreams of becoming a bohemian writer (or I guess they're calling it hipster these days) is still there, I must complete college with good grades. As an Asian (even an adopted one), A's are acceptable, B's are Bad, and anything below that is just failing. So, even though I will never have as hellish a finals week as science majors, here are my tips to surviving this awful, awful week:

1. Work out! If you already have a regular schedule, stick to it no matter what. If you don't, START. It doesn't have to be long--thirty minutes on the elliptical and a 15 minute shower and back to studying.  Just make sure you're breaking a sweat. It seriously helps with concentration and relieving stress--I promise that's not just a thing to say.

2. EAT Healthily-- Try and make sure your DH meals are filled with veggie goodness. I'm not kidding when I say healthy people have more energy.

3. Don't forget to indulge a little though. Come on, if there's one week that calls for a little extra serving of ice cream or one more cookie, this week is it. Don't go overboard, but don't feel bad about a little extra sugar.

4. GET SLEEP. For the love of all that is holy, cramming in two semesters worth of notes in a night isn't going to be effective in the least bit.

5. Make To-Do Lists. At the beginning of each day, make a to-do list of what you must do. Today, for example, I wrote on my whiteboard:
  • Finish at least half of my Spanish paper
  • Write out Guide for Ecology Exam
  • Finish Intern Applications
  • Start on Business paper
  • Work on bibliography for Spanish paper
6. Keep organized: Even taking time to clean up all your folders and throw out anything unnecessary works. I also like to try and clean my room (though right now it's a mess). A cluttered room=a cluttered mind.

7. Get rid of your social media sites! I made my big change the password to my Facebook so I wouldn't go on it until after this week is over. As much as I want to look at pictures from formal and whatnot, I must resist the urge. I should probably do the same for others...

8. Dress comfortably. But try to not look like a total slob. I always feel a little more energetic when I at least look somewhat nice--even if it's for a day in the library. Everyone has comfortable clothes that aren't jeans. Maybe if you're in yoga pants, wear cute top or something to balance it. Just make sure you're not trying to focus too much on your outfit--use that brain for more important things this week!

That's all I have got for now. Anyone else have any interesting tips? Good luck to all, and may the odds be ever in your favor!

5.04.2013

[Sorority Stuff] Formal Time!!!

I know, I know! I must be boring you with all my sorority-related posts. I promise it will calm down a bit once summer comes. April/May are the months besides recruitment that are soror-crazy!

Anyhow, last night we had our formal. It was at this little theatre in town, and, as always, a blast, if not a teensy bit too short for me. The thing about sorority formals is they're a lot of fun. You're with sisters, so you're immediately a lot more comfortable than with the whole school and their judging eyes (though nothing compares to the anonymity of discotecas in a foreign country!), and they're choosing the music, so it's definitely better than the too-much-rap-crap played at regular dances.

And, of course, it's a prime opportunity for picture taking!
My wonderful City Family!
Obviously, a sorority arm is necessary.
My dress is actually one of the first pieces Lauren Conrad made for her collection for Kohls way back in the day, purchased from Ebay! And my shoes are Ann Taylor (but the faux-leather one!).

5.01.2013

Día de Fútbol at WC

Hello all!
So this past weekend was actually quite an eventful one (and, obviously, I'm not reporting this until right now in the middle of the week!). I did a whole bunch of stuff, but mainly I wanted to introduce something I've been sort of a part of since my freshman year. Día de Fútbol is an annual event at my college, and we held it this past weekend. It basically brings in the Hispanic community around Chestertown for a day of literacy, soccer, and food. This year I played photographer and used my little's camera all day!

Here are some of my favorite shots: