pray for everything...

...but especially those in Tuscaloosa and the other areas hit by tornadoes yesterday.

A mile wide tornado is just one of the tornadoes in the outbreak yesterday...

This is the aftermath....

Pray for them, guys.  Rescue attempts today were nothing but recovery.  The death toll is rising and people are still missing!

MUSIC DAYYY!!!! :)

Alrighty lovveess, enjoy the beats! :)

Uncharted - Sara Bareilles

First off, this song is fabulous!! So upbeat and hopeful! Secondly, if you can recognize most of the musicians it will crack you up! I wish I could meet these guys...they're goofy as hell!

Kiss with a Fist - Florence and the Machine

So, I'm always a fan of Florence, as I'm sure you've noticed.  This song came on my shuffle on my traffic-filled drive back from Houston to San Marcos this weekend.  It's punchy(pardon the horribly pun) and energetic.   And no, it's not about domestic violence, it's about emotional and psychological beat downs while trying to uphold a relationship. (I got this from Florence's Myspace)

And last but not least....drumroll please....

Give a Little - HANSON

Okay, I'll go ahead and say upfront that I stole this from the Inspiration Tree blog.  But, c'mon!! I HAD TO!!! It's flippin' HANSON!!! WHAT?! hahahaha It's a great song too!! I'm about to go download it!!

I just couldn't believe it and I was inspired.  Hanson inspired my music day....

Just can't believe it.

AAND, HAPPY EARLY 21ST BIRTHDAY TO MY WONDERFUL FRIEND, MEGHAN!!

Busy, busy, busy....

Hello on this incredibly stressful and humid day!

Taking a break from the stress to be momentarily lazy and say hello to all my lovely readers(which is probably about 2 people, but whatever!! hahaha)
sooooo
Friday was my big deal interview with the Attorney General's office!
It went amazingly!! I couldn't believe it, it made my day! If i get and accept this internship I will be working with the Communications department within the Child Support Division of the OAG; I will be working on cases, writing articles, editing press releases and even going to observe in court!!
So all that's left is my criminal background check and one more interview with my supervisor...bahh!! :)

Easter weekend was fabulously full of relaxation, laughs and lots of wine with the family! :)

Today was my big group presentation in my Research Methods class...that went well!
Also, interviewed at the Austin Convention & Visitor's Bureau, Music and Film division.  That would be an AWESOME internship and opportunity.  I don't think my interview went very well though :(
I was 5 minutes late to begin with, stupid Austin traffic!! blahh!!!
Ugh, but it's in this gorgeous building on Congress Ave, and they are so involved with the Austin community!! They are huge in marketing Austin to travelers, making sure events have bands, trying to get local artists "out there", getting movies and commercials and any other kind of film to come film in Austin...it would be suuuuch an amazing opportunity!! And so much fun!! But the interview was short and I was flustered...meh : /
After my little lazy blurb I'll have to get back to studying, working on another project and filling out my application for the U-Star!

OH! So I'm trying to come up with a good book to read this summer...I'm thinking...Water for Elephants, Wicked and then starting Atlas Shrugged....
anyone have any suggestions??

need a laugh??

:)

zach galifianakis...my official chill pill!

So, tomorrow morning, 10:30 AM, is my interview with the Attorney General's office for my internship...

I am FUH-REAKING out!! haha

Final project for my web design class is a group project, my friend Jena and I are doing a website on 3 professors at TXST that do crazy-awesome things other than being professors...made the homepage for the site today; it's pretty awesome :)

Anyway, I'm sitting here researching my heart out on the Attny General and watching 'It's Kind of a Funny Story'...it's helping my nerves, but I'm about to dose myself with Benadryl and pass out so I can actually get sleep! haha

Positive energy for my interview is highly requested, lovveess!!

oh and this movie is great...i mean, Zach Galifianakis AND Queen+David Bowie!!

a good day

Once again had a wonderful weekend!! Today, though, today was a good day that made me think, "Wow, I need to blog about this day! This is a genuinely good day!"


I woke up to an email setting up an internship interview for this Friday morning with THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE in Austin!!! Super pumped! That, will have you wake up in a good mood! 


I also had a reply about an internship with Austin Music and Film Office and by mid-afternoon had an interview set up for Monday!!! ahh!! I got two interviews set up in one day! 
It's uplifting, especially when you feel like you're not going to get an interview at all...
I picked up another application to re-apply at the University Star for the summer today, as well.  And I have a friend who has put in a good word for me, so that's helpful this time around! 
And as a shout out to her: She got her internship at the New Braunfels newspaper! So super congrats to her on that one!
Wrote my first press release today, feel pretty confident about it. :)
OH! I registered for fall and got all my classes that I needed!!


My friend Brittany just started as a consultant for Mary Kay and had her first Mary Kay Party tonight! It was a lot of fun, and I discovered that I would totally wear only Mary Kay makeup if I wasn't on the tightest budget EVER!!! So I basically figured out that my summer is going to be CRAZY busy; but that's good right?! But seriously: internship, working at the paper and hopefully a job since both of those things are great for my future but completely unpaid...blahhh


Tomorrow after class I get to go shop for interview clothes!! woohoo :)


So here's a great quote I came across on StumbleUpon the other day:


"We are all alone, born alone, die alone, and -- in spite of True Romance magazines -- we shall all someday look back on our lives and see that, in spite of our company, we were alone the whole way. I do not say lonely -- at least, not all the time -- but essentially, and finally, alone. This is what makes your self-respect so important, and I don't see how you can respect yourself if you must look in the hearts and minds of others for your happiness." 
— Hunter S. Thompson (The Proud Highway: Saga of a Desperate Southern Gentleman 1955-67)

enjoy the newest video from one of my (now) favorite bands :)


don't forget your self-respect, lovveess! be wonderful!

stress

The past couple days have turned into somewhat of a stress-fest.
The end of the semester is closing in on us and I canNOT wait for it to be summer so all this stress is DONE! I am in desperate need of a job, money is not my strong suit, I quit my last job in January for two reasons: the good one-to focus on school and bringing up my GPA; the bad one- I was OVER that job!!
I mean I agree that you should be happy in what you do; but, I need money! I also need to learn to budget better. heh.
I am in the process of searching for a summer internship and as the semester draws to a close so do my chances of getting one.  I heard back from my top choice and when I went to look for writing samples, I kinda fell short.  And the one I thought was my best; well let's just say it wasn't as good as I thought.  But, I went ahead and sent in my pathetic writing samples.
I have all these projects closing in on me and just don't feel like my groups are really getting anywhere.

I know I'm being a total Negative Nancy tonight; but I'm tired, stressed and annoyed and plan on putting in a movie and crashing out early! Sometimes you just need to vent and get things off your chest.  People around me tell me I'm far too hard on myself, and I know this well!

Maybe tomorrow will be a better day.  I just have to trust that it's all in the Lord's hands and He knows what's best for me for this summer; just like my momma just told me.

BUT--I will totally accept any words of encouragement haha
AND if anyone knows of places looking for employees and/or interns in the PR, journalism or photography fields in the Austin/San Marcos/San Antonio area...those would be some pretty encouraging words! haha

Night, lovvees!

swing life away

Well, hello friends!

I feel like I was gone for a while...no worries, I have not left you hanging! I took a weekend to simply chill and have fun last weekend and it turned out pretty busy!

Quick recap?
But, of course!

Friday was a gorgeous day and a day of laundry doing and bbq attending! Met some new awesome people and at some damn good bbq!!! :)
Oh and my friend and I discovered a new dance move...the cat daddy...yeah, you heard me! hahaha

Saturday was yet, another gorgeous day, involving poolside relaxation and then....drumroll...the ultimate 80s party!! It ended up getting a noise complaint and we had to move elsewhere...but it was still a very good and fun night full of laughs and my favorite people...

This is my favorite couple, and my san marcos family; and, this picture sums us up pretty perfectly! haha

These are two of my best friends in the entire world! :)

Sunday marked the first float of the season for me(this is a big deal up in the hill country)! FABULOUS day!! ab-fab, sweetie darlings; ab-fab!

Today is the second day of a new diet...my seester and I are doing it together.  The 17 Day Diet. I love it! It's 4 cycles...3 of 17 days each and the last is maintaining...

It's not some crazy fad diet. It doesn't leave you starved. I do miss my little 100 calorie snacks a little, but I honestly do feel more refreshed and happy. Our fridge is stuffed full of fruit and veggies and it's amazing!

I feel good about this! And proud of us :)

And today my only class was cancelled and I have been extremely productive! Even sent out 5 more internship emails and followed up on the previous ones! I'd appreciate any good energy you can send my way with these: prayer, fingers crossed, knocking on wood...etc!

And here is another high school favorite that i recently rediscovered and truly love:

Swing Life Away- Rise Against

"i've got some friends, some that i hardly know; and we've had some times that i wouldn't trade for the world! we chase these days down with talks of places that we will go..."

hope you're feeling as ab-fab as i am, lovvees!

looming gov't shutdown

All the fear surrounding this shutdown is a factor of fear mongering! A temporary shutdown does not mean that people will suddenly be running rampant in the streets, it simply means that government offices(some of which probably don't even need to exist) will temporarily be closed until they can figure out what they need to do concerning the budget.  There will still be police, firemen, post men, etc...
Is it really devastating or terrifying that national parks will be closed for a bit?
Yes, it is hopeful that it does not last too long so that people can start getting paid again; but, it's not this huge scary thing that media and gov't officials are making it out to be.  Once the clock hits midnight, if the shut down happens, there will still be power, police, food, jobs, etc...
This is not the end of the world, it is temporary and life will still go on as it has.  I have seen things about military not being paid while the government is shutdown, and if that is the case I pray that this does not last even a week.  I have military family and so on that count I hope this doesn't happen.  But, other than that, this IS NOT THAT SCARY! Calm down, have a drink, keep on having fun.

And just so that you know I haven't suddenly turned into a politics only blogger....here's some music to countdown to the shutdown by:

it's all about the pursuit of happiness, lovvees :)

campus politics

Due to recent editorials, ASG (Associated Student Government) elections and legislations passed by the current administration there has been quite…an uproar. 

The current (or now former) ASG vice-president lashed out at the University Star (Texas State’s newspaper) on, none other than, Facebook recently. 

Editors are being lashed out at and lashing back (as much as they can). 

Being friends with a current U-Star writer, and vying to work for the paper myself, I decided I would make my own opinion known on all of this, since technically Star employees cannot, themselves, lash back unless anonymously. 

Issue #1: ASG vice-president whining on his Facebook about newspaper editorials.

I’ve been doing some homework on this whole situation and, honestly, it’s been quite an entertaining process. I would just like to start off with how completely professional it is for the ASG VP to complain about the mean old journalists writing about him on his FACEBOOK! (Yes, that is sarcasm in print)

 He keeps challenging the Star to place names on the editorial articles in “The Main Point”.   He also defends his legislative decision by criticizing money spent on the paper.  Granted, there are plenty of ways costs could be cut at the paper, there are always leftover issues and such things, but he’s not actually trying to get that accomplished.

(“The Main Point” is the editorial section of the UStar attributed to, simply, the Ed-Board.)

I’m sorry, but you’re not Humphrey Bogart or James Cagney shouting at the “coppers” to ‘show their face’; or, the Joker yelling at Batman to do the same, for those less affluent in film noir. 

If you can’t handle being criticized, anonymously or not, on your legislative moves without turning to Facebook to cry about it then PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE don’t go into politics.  For the sake of, not only the public that will have to deal with your whining and antics, but also yourself, you might crack under the pressure of local, state or national politics. 

Issue #2: VP and others associated complaining about editorial bias.

I have one word for you: DUH!

Come on, people; you know better than that! Quick lesson: an editorial is an opinion piece, aka: editorial section is made for open bias.  This is also one reason it may be anonymous, dim wit! IF members of the ed board happen to write an article with a byline it will not (or should not) show open bias; however, if you have read an article attributed to them in “The Main Point” you will know and possibly be able to read into their bias in their non-editorial articles.

Issue #3: The Alumni Bricks:

The issue, it seems, that may have started all this controversy. 

$3,000 of student fees is being put toward the marketing of “Bobcat Bricks”.  This is a brick, engraved with your name, installed by the new bobcat statue. You buy the brick for $100 when you graduate, if you want one.  Okay, this sounds kind of cool; you will be immortalized at Texas State once you graduate.  At the same time, do we really want our money to go toward this totally unnecessary, “kinda cool” project?? I personally don’t, there are far better things that my money could be doing than funding a brick project.  The ASG administration has no idea how many bricks have been purchased, either.  I think the entire project is bogus!

To all the Greeks complaining about the editorial saying that Greeks who don’t vote to support DeGarmo “will be paddled”.  I’m sorry, that’s just good humor! There’s even an ed-board disclaimer saying that they don’t actually believe that will happen.  No reason to mindlessly yell to defend your Greek-life! Take it with a grain of salt; realize that it’s humorous and an obvious hyperbole. 

I’m open to comments and criticism.  Bring it on! I’ll even go ahead and admit I did not research this as thoroughly as I may have for an article and if I am misguided in any of my statements I welcome you to shed light on facts I’m unaware of.

Reference:

Brick Story:

http://star.txstate.edu/content/asg-spends-3000-bricks

Editorial (which I just so happen to find absolutely hilarious!):

http://star.txstate.edu/content/main-point-students-deserve-better

Colter Ray’s (the VP) FB whining (lucky me! He doesn’t have his profile set private…):

http://www.facebook.com/ColterRay/posts/1791104427787

Gangster film noir:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybepshlRvq0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIhiQHNk480&feature=related

hellloooo on this gorgeous day!

Today is a beautiful day!! And I just watched the movie Morning Glory with Rachel McAdams, Diane Keaton, Harrison Ford, and Jeff Goldbloom...it was fabulous! I'm always a sucker for the movies about girls making it in the journalism industry, though...Devil Wears Prada...fab! haha

This one, however, also had intriguing camera angles...so that was a plus!

Definitely recommend! :)

Now here's some awesome music for this fabulous day:

Pumped up Kicks- Foster the People

i LOVE this song...it makes me happy...it's been stuck in my head for about 3 days, and to top it off...they are all super attractive ;)

Sail- AWOLnation

This song has a fabulous beat! AWOLnation is a pretty awesome band and this video is pretty awesome.  I first heard this song over the summer when a classmate of mine got an opportunity to make a video for it for a Red Bull Records contest while AWOLnation was in Austin. I heard it again about a month ago on my favorite Austin radio station(101.5FM) and finally downloaded it last night...AH-mazing!

Label my Mind Blown- Electric President

I used to ride around Houston on gorgeous days like today in my friend's convertible with the top down and jam this song! I lost it and the cd she gave me a while back and have been searching for it forever! It isn't on iTunes and I completely forgot the name and could only remember pieces of lyrics....I FINALLY found it again last night! PUMPED! :)

now time to attempt to wake up the heaviest sleeper i know and get her to go on a walk with me before the sun goes down... :)

enjoy, lovvees!!

louder than sirens, louder than bells, sweeter than heaven and hotter than hell...

Today has been a good day. It's gorgeous outside, I got to feed my iced soy chai latte addiction, drive around with good music jammin' and wonderful sunshiny weather, had someone help me find a good parking spot for class, got encouragement on my writing in class and when I got home had a reply on one of my internship emails!
Granted, this email was just them telling me I need to specify which departments I would like to work in, but hey, I have an email about an internship with Texas Monthly in my inbox!

I hope your day made you feel as triumphant as this ant...I mean, he looks pretty excited about that twig!

These quotes were the first thing I stumbled after receiving that email...they're pretty inspiring for someone needing a little push to be ambitious:


Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.
-Will Rogers

People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily. -Zig Ziglar

Ambition is not what a man would do, but what a man does, for ambition without action is fantasy.
-Bryant H. McGill

It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog.
-Mark Twain

Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you will land amongst the stars.
Les Brown

Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.
Robert F. Kennedy

Hope those inspire the ambition inside of you! And just to pump you up a little more:

Yes, Florence is crazy, but she's awesome and you can't NOT jam her music! She's intense...

get pumped, lovvees!

100 ways to uncomplicate your life...

I stumbled upon this today and as I read through it I found it INCREDIBLY insightful! Honestly, everyone needs to make their life a little less complicated, so hopefully at least one of these things will stick with you and help you make your life easier.  Without further adieu; and with some personal comments added in...

100 ways to UNCOMPLICATE your LIFE:

1. Don’t try to read other people’s minds

2. Get up 30 minutes earlier so that you don’t rush/get a ticket while driving too fast/have to explain why you’re late/get fired

3. Get 8 hours of sleep per night so that you think more clearly

4. Stick to your budget

**1-4 are the easiest and most obvious of all of these(and 4 things I definitely need to start doing...TODAY!)**

5. Start saving and investing every week, no matter how little you can spare

6. Balance your checkbook

7. Don’t try to be friends with everyone. Cultivate closer relationships with fewer people.

8. Don’t try to do business with everyone. Identify your target client and take very good care of them.

**9. Before getting angry, ask yourself if it will really matter in 20 years**

10. Focus on being a good person, not on pleasing others

11. Stay home this Saturday, and finish off that nagging chore that you need to finish

12. Kiss and make up

13. Make a weekly menu, and shop for only those items at the market

14. Ask your grandparents the best way to uncomplicate life, and try it for a month

15. Fill up your gas tank when it’s half full

16. Don’t drink alcohol when you’re tired, sad or mad

(especially sad and mad...or stressed!)

17. Pay your bills on time

18. Get an annual physical examination

19. Say “I love you” to your significant other and to your children. Studies show that more marriages last, and fewer kids use drugs, when these words are spoken every day.

20. For just one day, imagine everyone’s intentions are good because most people’s are

21. Give away clothes that haven’t been worn in two years

22. Throw out clothes that are in disrepair, and can’t be mended

23. When you have a conflict with someone, talk it out. Don’t let it turn into more than it is.

24. Know what your priorities are in life, and act as if they are your priorities

25. Tell the truth

26. Don’t cheat

27. Don’t steal

28. If you’re holding on to a ridiculous grudge, let it go

29. Clean your house weekly, so that it doesn’t become too large a chore

30. Do your best at work, or at school

31. Don’t eat when you aren’t hungry

32. Eat when you are hungry

33. Be yourself

34. Say no unapologetically

35. Cook simple meals

36. Don’t try to keep up with the Joneses

37. Pay off your car before buying a new one

38. Organise your desk at the office

39. Change your smoke alarm batteries when the clocks spring forward, and again when they fall back

40. Organise your important paperwork

41. Take only half the clothes that you planned to take with you on holiday

42. Help your children with their homework every night, and have an open dialogue with their teachers

43. Have white sheets and white towels in children’s rooms/bathrooms, because they’re easily bleached

44. Spend your time with nice people

45. Avoid drama

**#44 is the best way to achieve #45**

46. Don’t text or talk on the phone while driving

47. Turn off the television/video games/computer; they’re time consumers

**i definitely need to learn this one...

48. Don’t engage in office politics

49. Refuse to gossip, or talk behind other people’s backs

**sadly, i may never fully achieve this one...

50. Do the dishes right after dinner

**LOVE...this does make life SO much easier...better yet, do them while you're cooking and then right after you eat!

51. Never go to sleep angry

52. Ask nicely for what you need and want

53. Walk 10,000 steps per day to help your heart

54. Do 20 push-ups before speaking in anger

55. Leave work at work

56. Don’t befriend anyone that isn’t trustworthy

i think i'm getting this one down finally

57. Don’t envy others

58. Have your oil changed

59. Take vitamin C BEFORE you catch a cold

**emergenC is my best friend :)

60. Don’t work more than 8 hours per day

61. Weed your garden weekly

62. Wash your car weekly

63. Have a spring cleaning month every year, and do one room at a time

64. You don’t need to be best friends with work colleagues, but build respectful partnerships

65. Don’t drink and drive

66. Don’t look for reasons to be angry or sad, look for reasons to be happy. You’ll always be able to find plenty of each.

67. Be friendly with your neighbours

68. Return emails and phone messages promptly

69. Schedule in free time

70. Don’t procrastinate

71. Do what you say you’ll do, when you say you’ll do it

72. Be more flexible when you’re able to be

73. Forgive and forget. End of story.

74. Break the consumerism habit…put a three month moratorium in place on buying anything not deemed a necessity

I NEED TO DO THIS!!!!!!

75. Start your diet on September 1, rather than January 1, so that you won’t also have holiday pounds to lose

76. Take care of any health issues or concerns

77. Have your tires rotated

78. Have your brakes checked

79. Have your eyes checked

80. Don’t let your imagination run away with you

81. Let go of perfection in others

82. Let go of perfection in yourself

83. Don’t try to help those that refuse to help themselves

**i need to learn this...those are the "friends" that will stress you out the most if you let them...

84. Find a way to reduce your commute to work

85. Have an alloted amount of worry time per day/week, that you strictly abide by

86. Drink more water

87. Eat more salmon

yummmm!

88. Don’t make a mountain out of a molehill

my worst enemy...

89. Wear your hair in a classic, easy to care for style

90. Finish what you start

91. Wear classic clothes and shoes that never go out of style

92. Create a daily routine

93. Have a 1, 5, 10 and 20 year plan for your financial and life goals

94. Slow down

95. Eat out less often

96. When you ask your husband which outfit looks best, thank him for his answer and wear the one he liked rather than focusing on why he didn’t like the other one

97. Allow your children to grow up

98. Clean out your garage, and donate anything that hasn’t been used in the past year

99. Stretch every day

100. If a relationship is over, let it go

okay, i might just have to print this off and tape it to my mirror or something...it really is fabulous advice!

that's all for today, lovvees! 

101. smile as often as possible!

a taste of last month...

March was an extremely eventful month for me...mostly the last two weeks of it actually...

I was a bridesmaid in my cousin's wedding on March 17 (aka St. Patrick's Day).  This day and the week of was so busy and so fun.  Sadly, I missed out on her bachelorette party :( but the wedding definitely made up for that.  Some crazy drama happened(of course) but that is not how I will look back on this day.  It was a beautiful wedding and such a fun reception! I don't know what I would do without Tiffany Jeanne in my life!

A week or so later my other cousin(Tiffany's younger sister) graduated from Air Force Basic Training! That was such a good weekend! I am so proud of this girl, she is so strong!

These are my cousins, yes.  But in all honesty(especially within the last couple years) they are closer to the sisters I never had.  I would do absolutely anything for them! I love them with all my heart!

And speaking of "sisters I never had"...I said I'd give a preview of how yesterday turned out. :)

They make it pretty easy for me to look like a good photographer...(also a set of people I'd do absolutely anything for and love with all my heart!)

I hope you are as blessed by amazing people in your life as I am, lovvees!!

hello bloggers...

Soo...last time i had anything close to a blog it was my freshman year of high school when i was "angry" and had a sweet little Xanga.  Remember those?? I whined on it ALL the time about how much "my life sucked..." wah wah wah...oh and how evil my mother was.  Eventually my mom found it and after reading it decided i wasn't allowed to go on my church's mission trip to Mexico that year because (and yes, this is a direct quote...) "they don't want or need a heart like yours!" Oh, of course my life was "over!"

hahaha

Anyway, my mom is now one of my best friends and i now know that being a teenager is child's play, and although I'm not quite in the "real world" yet, things can get far worse.  But, I like to look at it as things are going to get more and more exciting.  I'm a public relations major and photography minor, I cannot wait to start a career! I'm in the process of applying for my first legit internship and it's scary and exciting!

I actually got the privilege to take my best friends' photos today down in Gruene and i am about to start editing them right now! (i'll give ya'll a little preview...no worries!)

well, i guess i'll welcome myself to the blogoshpere! :)

see you soon lovvees!!