Only 47 Days...

Until graduation...

Woot! And then after that...DISNEYLAND FOR ME!

Double woot!

So now I just have to keep on studying and studying and studying so I can pass all my classes so my beautiful plans don't get ruined... Definitely possible.

Other things happening as of late:

1.) I got to see an old friend mine on Friday. She's old and married now and lives near a bus where they sell tacos. It was great to see her again, to reflect on old times as well as the new, and realize that after all this time, we can still be friends and still have a connection. It was really nice! Hopefully we can have some more get togethers before I take off in April.

2.) Lots and lots of eating of Pringles of the sour cream and onion variety. I'm going to get fat off those things. But I suppose I know that I'm loved since I haven't had to buy a single can. Thank you Matt and Sara for blessing my life with Pringle goodness.

3.) I'm officially a part of the Celtic Tales that will be taking place here on campus. Breanna and I are singing a duet. "The Soft Goodbye" in fact as sung by Celtic Woman. It should epic! We performed it for our storytelling class who agreed that our voices sound great together. Sweet!

4.) Procrastinating...as usual.

Speaking of which, I really must get back to mein hausaufgaben...or homework. In half an hours time, I'll be heading to Idaho Falls where I will be fed food. Huzzah for not having to make your own meals! So there's a quick little update! I hope all is well with you out there and that you are enjoying all your adventures.

A Very Twilight Valentine's Day

I hope you all had a wonderful Valentine's day yesterday! It's been a pretty good weekend, and there's no school today. Huzzah! One thing I did this weekend was help Breanna make a Twilight Valentine's day parody. I think it might actually be one of my favorite videos we've done! So whether or not you like Twilight, you should watch it...mostly because we are awesome :)

Also, continue watching after the credits...that's the best part! Enjoy!

Frustrations and New Loves

I suppose it's been a while since I've actually told you about what's happening in my life right now. Things are good...a little overwhelming at times but still good.

I'm working on putting together a resume and job portfolio for class as well as for an internship I'm really hoping I'll get. Yesterday I had a bit of a breakdown (just a wee one) because I felt like there is so much pressure for me to get this done right so I can get a job...one that doesn't require putting backpacks in boxes like I've done for the past two summers or one that involves any form of fast food like I did the summer before that. All in all, I felt like I couldn't do it. And you know when you are upset about one thing how it makes everything seem horrible? It's easy to put a negative connotation to almost anything when you're in a bad mood.

So, although I'm still under some pressure (does anyone else think of the Brian Reagan sketch when they say the word pressure?), I'm feeling a lot better this morning. Thank you to everyone for your help, by the way. After all, we all need some help once in awhile. Plus my resume is slowly improving! So things are getting better!

Now that I've told you about the current academic stress in my life, let me tell you about one of my new found loves: book arts!

Here are some of the books I've done so far! It is so fun to make books, and it's really not that hard. Sometimes it can be a little frustrating, and it does take some patience. But all the frustration you may face is completely worth it once you've got the finished product in your hands! As I'm learning to put these different types of books together, they all have little flaws that are probably most apparent to me and my teacher. But when I make a mistake, I just smile and say that it gives the book character. I'm going to have a lot of books with character...

The materials for book making can be a bit expensive at times. Just last week I spent eight dollars on one sheet of paper. Don't worry. It's a good sized piece of paper. I just couldn't resist! It's a Japanese print which I love! And really, eight bucks is a really good price for a Japanese print of that size. So it was totally worth it.

On a completely different note, I've joined the theater council here on campus! It's mostly so I can be a part of a Celtic Festival that they are putting on. My friend, Breanna, and I are potentially singing a duet for the event. Technically, we still have to try out...which will happen next week. It's been a long time since I've been a part of this sort of production. I haven't officially been in a play since my last year of high school. So I'm hoping this will work out so that I can have that experience at least one more time (hmmm....that just put an image from Beauty and the Beast in my head...). Wish me luck!

Well, I've got a bunch of reading, writing, napping? to do. I hope you all have a good President's Day weekend! Oh! Also, Sunday be Valentime's Day! Yes...I did say it/spell it that way on purpose. That was my little shout out to Teen Girl Squad..... Anyway, I'm sure you all remember my sentiments on this particular holiday. But just in case you can't, click here for a little reminder. Remember to celebrate all your loved ones this holiday: friends, family, pets, everyone who's helped you get where you are today. And you don't have to celebrate them by giving them gifts or doing something cheesy (although those moments can be quite awesome). Send someone a message, or make a call, or doing something nice for your roommates, etc. Do something to celebrate people, for I'm sure just as there have been many great people who come in and out of my life that there are some great people in yours. Happy Valentine's Day!

Benefit of the Doubt

We as people have a tendency to grumble about getting older. Perhaps it comes down to a fear of getting old, of losing our usefulness or beauty or intelligence. I can understand this desire to stay young forever, but even so, I'm okay with it. The older I get, the more I learn about life, myself, others, and I suppose whatever subjects I'm taking in school.

One thing I've learned and just reminded myself of is the concept of giving people the benefit of the doubt. I suppose that phrase has become cliche, and yet there's still some truth to it. I've seen in myself as well as in other people this bad habit of assuming the worst of people or I suppose it would be more correct to say we assume something about them that turns into a put down for ourselves. Am I making sense?

Hmm...perhaps an example will illustrate what I'm trying to get at. In a world overcome by text and instant messages (Aw, yes. I too am guilty of that!), it's easy to misinterpret what someone is trying to say. Or maybe they take a long time to respond or don't respond at all. If you're anything like me, on occasion you might think this reflects negatively upon yourself. It's silly I know, and I'm proud to say I've overcome this bad habit for the most part, but I can't deny that it has happened. I'd think myself in those situations that they had some reason for not wanting to talk to me. Again...silly.

While I was having such a conversation months ago now, I decided that instead of assuming the worst, I was going to give them the benefit of the doubt. As soon as I stopped worrying myself over why they weren't talking to me or making up reasons or ideas or emotions that they may be having, I felt a lot better about myself for one thing, and it made talking a lot more enjoyable and less stressful.

I don't know if that's an adequate example, but hopefully you see what I'm getting at.

This sorts of situations don't have to occur over the internet or through texting. We interact with many different people in multile situations everyday. And I think that it's easy sometimes to assume the worst of people, but that won't be beneficial generally. It harbors negative feelings, I think. When we assume good things about people, look for the good in people instead of the bad, we can be happier. Plus it's always interesting to see how our views of people can change, how they appear to us once we've changed our mindset.

So I guess here's my advice for the day (I do like to think I have some sound advice periodically... Hopefullly that's true...), give someone the benefit of the doubt. We don't always know what's on a person's mind or how they are feeling or even why they are acting they way they are at a given moment. We all have struggles in our lives, and sometimes it's harder to deal with those struggles than other times.

I feel like I ramble a lot. Thanks for reading. May you all have a wonderful weekend!

Finding Beauty in Yourself

It's occurred to me recently that some people are under some false impression that to be beautiful or desirable as a friend that you have to be of a certain body, have perfect hair and facial features, be smart, and basically be more than just boring and average, which is how some of us tend to view ourselves.

You are not boring and average. I can tell you that right off the bat. For as silly as this may seem, there is only one of you. Remember my last post on having stories to tell or having your own adventures? Let me reiterate that we all have stories to tell. Everyday is full of adventure if you are willing to see it that way. And because you are unique and in no way whatsoever boring, your adventure will not be the same as anyone else's.

I suppose I'm getting a little off track. This post is about finding the beauty in yourself because just as I can guarantee that life is full of adventures and that you are definitely not average, you are beautiful! Now you may look in the mirror once in a while and think that there isn't anything beautiful about you. I beg to differ.

There's much more to beauty than the outward appearances. I love my family and friends, and when I think about all the qualities I like about them, I can't help but see their beauty. And maybe their face isn't zit free all the time (I know mine isn't!) or maybe they get on my nerves every once in awhile, but I love them for who they are individually.

Sometimes it's a lot easier to find the beauty in someone else than it is to find the beauty in ourselves. We are our worst critics. So how do you find the beauty in yourself? It's rough sometimes...really rough. But we all have beautiful qualities. Sometimes it just takes us forcing ourselves to see those qualities before we can actually accept ourselves for who we are.

So here's my challenge. When you feel like being negative about yourself, stop and list a few things you love about yourself. If you need some help (because we all do on occasion), have a close friend help you out. Seriously.

And don't try to bring yourself up by bringing others down. That won't help you in the long run.

If your still having trouble, do something nice for someone else. Serving someone is one of the best ways to lift your spirits.

Good luck on your adventures! Until next time!