A New Spin on an Old Friend

        I LOVE Lilly Pulitzer! With that being said my planner has been through a lot. After three great years of the bright, fun Lilly P planner I think it's time for a change. I have my eye on an Erin Condren planner for this coming year. Nobody I know has one which is a plus because I like to be the trend setter. Those who have had one in the past seem to be very excited about the new edition! 

My current planner goes until December so until than look for more unique planner options! 

And A Way We Go!

    Summer time means traveling! Recently I made the journey back down to school for summer classes. But that doesn't mean I won't be traveling this summer! In mid-June my "brother" is getting married in North Carolina and my flight has been booked for weeks now. In August, my family is taking a trip to Bermuda- super exciting! And finally I am spending Labor Day weekend in Nashville with my parents. Three exciting trips in three very short months. Also this summer my best friend and I are trying to squeeze in a weekend trip to St. Louis to visit sorority sisters and the Kentucky bourbon distillery trail. 

    All this traveling makes me wonder if I am traveling up to my fully preppy ability! So of course I consulted the preppy Bible - True Prep.  Lucky I found the Prep Traveling Commandments  (pg. 45) which enlighten me on a few interesting pieces of knowledge! 

Prep Travel Commandments

1) Thou shall not fly first class

2)Thou shalt use thy frequent-flier miles whenever possible 

3) Thou mayest fly business class if thy destination is more than five hours away

4) On board, the wine will not be fine; therefore, drinkest beer or spirits

5) Thou shall not wear shorts, sweatpants or flip flops on an airplane

6) If thou shall take sleeping pills thou must try not to snore

7) Thou must not complain about jet lag

8) Thou must take lots of photographs

9) Thou are encouraged to rent cars in strange places

10) Exotic locations are encouraged

11) Thou shall try tonic water in other lands, as it tastes different

12) Thou willst always have (had) a wonderful time. 

May 27th

     Unofficially, Memorial day is signifies the changing from spring to summer. It means the pool will open, the schools will let out and it is one more day to enjoy with family and friends. The Federal Government gives the holiday to remember those we lost in the line of duty. I am from a military family (my dad served in the Gulf War and my grandfather fought in World War ll) so patriotism is something that runs through my veins.  Please take time today to reflect on those who died for your freedom.  A moment of remembrance occurs at 3:00pm local time and flags should be at half staff at noon.  They gave all they had to serve and protect our great country. The home of free because of the brave.  

My grandfather when he enlisted at age 17 

My dad and his parents the day he signed his commission

Home Sweet Home

      I arrived back at school after a bunch of hard goodbyes. After a 13 hour car trip I made it safely and crashed instantly on the couch. Well, not instantly, Isla was super excited to have me back and demanded lots of pats. It's good to be back! After a good nights sleep I began to move my boyfriend into his new apartment! It is so nice, a little small but perfect for just him. (promise pictures to come once it is all put together) He is still cleaning out his old place which I refuse to help him with because well that place was just nasty! My class begins on wednesday and I could not be happier to be signing all summer long. I finally think I found my calling- how exciting is that! 

His new house! How cute is the porch swing! 

A Mother's Day Surprise

     So last week was complete madness. In addition to finals (which I will talk about later) I decided to surprise my mother for mother's day. It was something I was going back and fourth with for a while, it is a 16 hour drive and I really only could be home for 8 days. The week flew by! 

Sunday- I made it official, I accepted a substitute teaching job during the week and made arrangements to stay with my sister's friend in Greenville, SC. A little unsure about how it was going to all work out but determined to make it happen. 

Monday- I broke down and told my sister. I was really aiming to tell as little people as possible which was a big fail. I ended up emailing around to a few of my mom's friends looking for substitute teaching jobs. 

Wednesday - I told my Dad that I was going to be arriving on Friday afternoon and not to tell my mom. Not telling my mom was a lot harder than it sounds. Several times she called me asking me what I was gonna do in my small town all summer, she offered to take me to Georgetown Cupcakes if I came home and cried on about how much she misses me. I felt so GUILTY! All I wanted to do was tell her to put an end to it. 

Thursday- I left Oxford, MS around 10 am after a couple of goodbyes. Stopped once in Oxford, Alabama for lunch and was stuck in Atlanta traffic before arriving in Greenville, SC around 8:30. My mom called me and I cried because I just wanted to tell her so bad! 

Friday- I left Greenville, SC around 8:30 and after one stop in Henderson, NC plus some traffic I arrived home around 3:30! Nobody was home, I crashed on the couch but not before a phone call from mom. I finally dominated the conversation- telling her how I was having a blast with friends by the pool and had plans for the weekend. Finally around 8:00 my mom comes home. It took her about 30 seconds to fully progress what had happened. I tried to get a video but you couldn't hear anything but my wild laugh. She kept saying "Oh My God I can't believe it." After a beer and some Chinese food we called it a night. 

Sunday- We went to my Grandma's house to celebrate with her and my Aunts. They all laughed, two of them knew on thursday and the rest my mom texted after I surprised her on Friday. All and all it was a good treat to come home. I really set the bar high for next year... any ideas? 

Happy Wednesday!

 Happy Hump Day! 

Why Not Both?

     I cannot believe that college graduation is a year away. It completely freaks me out that in less than a year I will be leaving this adorable small town to embark on my big dreams. But you see, I do not know what those big dreams are yet. Don't freak out I am not thinking another major change just a new career path. I love the Communication Sciences and Disorders field, that I know will not change. But the more I study and the more I talk to people I get more confused on what I want to do out of college. I want to work with children, I want to sign and I want to make a decent salary (I have expensive taste). 
     I talked to my advisor and she said that both fields are very fulfilling and she could see me thrive in anyone. (which is great but not what I wanted to hear). My sign language professor told me to consider taking the interpreter exam in the winter and look into audiology if I wanted to continue to sign. I am seriously considering flipping a coin. To apply to both programs is going to be a lot. Applications are due in January and my head is already spinning. Hopefully this summer will clear things up. Why is growing up so tough? 

or 

   

Finally Finals

    Oh finals week, it's the one aspect of college I will surely not miss. My hardest final is tomorrow and the nerd I am, I have been studying most of last week and all weekend for this. I'll be damed if I don't make an A, after all I actually understand the material for this one! Thankfully this should be my last anatomy course for a while, until graduate school at least. I take the anatomy final at 9 and have my sign language conversational final at 1:30. Totally prepared for that, I love signing out and public. 
          The language is fascinating and so fun. My boyfriend is in the course with me. We love going out to dinner and signing to each other, it really freaks out the waiter when we start to speak to each other. The other night we had another table come up and say that all night they were going back and forth on which one, if anybody was actually deaf. I think it will be something we continue to do even when the semester is over. 
     Speaking of the semester being over, 7 more days and I will be a senior! Such a scary thought!! 





Before I leave for the week here are some tips to survive finals!

1) remember it is only a test- not the end of the world

2) there is such a thing as to much caffeine, for every drink with caffeine in it you need one glass of water. 

3) Music may making studying fun but unless it's jazz or classic it is hindering your brain's performance. 

4) Change up your study spot, when the coffee house gets to crowded the library is most likely empty. Personally my kitchen table is where I like to study. 

5) Take breaks, one long study session does little good when you aren't focused. For every hour you study take a ten minute break. 

6) SLEEP! Studying while you are exhausted does very little, instead of staying up late go to bed early and wake up early. You are more likely to get a lot more accomplished with some shut eye.

7) Eat healthy. Now more than ever does your brain need all of the nutrients you can give it. Consider an apple or strawberries over the brownie or cookies. 

8) Write things out. You brain is more likely to process the information if it is hand written. Personally I use a white board because it saves paper. 

9) If you are nervous getting to the testing site early helps to relief some of the anxiety. Sitting in the room and taking a few deep breaths releases a lot of tension. 

10) When you/if you have a change to relax remember to do something for yourself. Watch a movie, eat ice cream, get A drink, it's not against the law to have a little fun during finals week. 

Best of luck and say a prayer! 

Ice Scream You Scream We All Scream...

...For Ice Cream! 

         I got an ice cream maker for my 21st birthday! I gave it up for lent and have been back in my old 3 times a week habit now. My oh so thoughtful boyfriend put my love for cooking and my love for ice cream together and bought me a Cuisinart Pure Indulgence ice cream maker! It was so easy to clean and assembly- defiantly something to do with my nanny kids (if I get any this summer). His thoughtful parents sent me a recipe book- Scoops, 125 Specialty Ice Creams From the Nation's Best Creameries  Needless to say expect a lot of awesome ice cream recipes this summer! 

                                          Naturally my first recipe was strawberry!