I need to write a blog post.

This is a blog post. I haven't written one in a while, so I need to become reacquainted with the lovely form of informal writing.

My life has been full of classes and a new job! I started working at the Iowa State Daily, the campus newspaper, which is indeed, a daily weekday paper.

You can find us online at: iowastatedaily.com! What do I do there? Well, number one, I don't write for them. Sorry! I feel like I don't really have a creative bone in my body (unless I'm getting fancy hitting the enter key). I edit the paper! I edit some on the page and some of the online content and some of the tablet (think iPad) edition. (Yes, there's an app for that) I absolutely love it! I get to be super particular about grammar (and people don't think I'm being crazy)!! Of course, I won't go super grammar crazy here, but hopefully you'll see my writing improve as time continues.

Hopefully this finds you well, just a while before, rain was pouring from the sky! It's kinda gross and slushy out which is not my favorite. I'd much rather have beautiful, fluffy flakes of snow! I have yet to have a great snowball fight, so my friends, look out! I do promise to play fair (as long as you do)!

Also, I hope to tell you all my exciting news soon, so be keeping an eye out for it! :)

Cupcakes!! And snow!! And stupid mirror picture!!

Okay, so I actually took some of these pictures today and am posting today! :)
Please enjoy!!

This is a stupid mirror picture.  But, I kinda look cute and this is funny. <3

I really hope you can see the snow!! :D

This house is really cute. Especially with the snow.

Um, my friend's birthday is this weekend. So we baked cupcakes. And we love laughing while we bake. I think you'll like these.

His name is James. So we wrote a 'J' on the cupcakes.
And we go to Iowa State. So we used red and yellow sprinkles.

We're really cute. :) Yay!

I hope you're enjoying my adventure at Iowa State!

Second Semester

I have officially started my second semester! (on Monday.) My break was pretty good, and now, I'm ready to begin once more! (FYI: I just found out that the building I'm sitting in has scary looking bridges as connectors to each room on the second and third "floors". I don't even know why I think they're frightening... they just are...) My roommate has moved out. :( It was fun, but she was tired of having to follow the bus schedule all the time. I now have my own room and so far, no sign of a new roomie. I like the extra closet space, but walking into a dark room with nothing going on can get a little sad. I enjoy the quiet sometimes, though, too. Today is the coldest day in a looooong time, forcing everyone to put on sweatshirts under the heavy winter coat. I have leggings on under my jeans, trying to keep warm. I can't wait to go home and curl up under my blankets for a short nap.

Happy snows to you!

Break? pfft. nah.

Well, we're back in the swing of things here at home. My brother is home, and I gotta say, so far, I love having him here. We even did a family movie one night! We saw Hugo; what a great family-friendly flick! No swearing, positive message, plenty of clean action (no blood, guts, or gore), a couple of laughs along the way, add a tiiiny bit of messiness to the main character's life (thievery, shenanigans, secrets) , and you have yourself a cute movie set around the 20's in Paris, France. The set was beautiful, and the panoramic views of Paris are gorgeous! I definitely recommend it!

My break has consisted of work, work, work, and a dash of chill play-time. I work as a sub teacher's associate at the elementary schools when I come home. I like it; some days are better than others. Today is the first weekday (other than Monday) that I wasn't called in.

Have a merry Christmas!

silence

This is the beginning of Dead Week at Iowa State. I am whispering because we only get one hour of loudness each day this week. It has passed. My whole floor freaked when we could be loud. It was great! We have all been so loud for so long, we didn't know what to do with ourselves. My roommate and I have decided to bunk our beds. My friends will help me. They're great, aren't they? Yeah.


I am done with two classes as of today. As of tomorrow, I will be done with one more. The semester is winding down. I  changed my meal plan for next semester and began my contract for housing next fall. Craziness. I can't wait. 


btw, a heated blanket is worth every penny. 

Back Home!

Well, I'm now back in my dorm after a long week at home. This post comes late, due to the nagging of papers and tests to prepare for. I enjoyed my week with family, but my friends and I have so much fun together! This weekend is WinterFest! I really hope it lives up to the hype my friends and I have added. :) Carriage rides, touring the Campanile, hot chocolate at the Knoll (president's house), free ice skating! AHH! I'm almost ready to burst from excitement!! This night will hopefully be filled with Christmas-y magic! It's my favorite season! I can now listen to Christmas music unashamed and, not to worry, have been doing just that. Enjoy your weekend and do something productive. And then, do something that you'll never forget! Hugs!

P.S.: It snowed yesterday!! Hooray for December 1st!! What perfect timing! :)

Cold

All right. Where did fall go?? To whomever stole it: I'm not even mad. I just want it back! Okay? Thanks!

That's funny, but unfortunately true. Winter is coming. I have to be really super bundled to stay warm, and the kid from New Mexico? Yeah, he's freezing his behind off. My friends are amazed that I, an Midwest girl, could  be cold. After all, it's not that cold, only about 50 or so. BRRRR!! I feel like hibernating! If it's dark outside, I should be in bed! (I probably shouldn't move to Alaska at any point in the winter) I have the most amazing view from the den! I can't wait to put up pictures! (definitely coming soon!) Although the den is ten degrees colder than my room or the commons, it's so much quieter that I can hear myself think. Fabulous!
I did ask my parents to bring down a thin set of gloves for me. My dad sent an email back saying that I should invest in a flannel shirt, just to wear around the dorm, of course, but gave me "fair warning: I will NEVER look as cool as him, so don't even try!" hahaha I love my dad and his sense of humor!

Have a funny day!

Weird happy grins

Fall is my favorite season!! And, welcome September! Here it is!!! :) I now have to wear a sweatshirt while walking to classes, and shorts just don't cut it anymore. *insert happy weird grin here* And, soon, with the help of my brother and the computer engineers on my floor, pictures will be a possibility! I can't wait to show you my view at night from my dorm, my roommate, and my new friends.
Another reason I love fall: FOOTBALL!! (College is my favorite!) This past weekend was the wonderful ISU v. UNI game here in Ames. Congrats Cyclones, you pulled it off! With a win under our belt, the (evil) Hawkeyes (puke) travel to challenge us. (to my dismay, they will probably wipe the field with us, but i would like to pretend they won't.) Nebraska (another team i love) also won! :D
But, instead of actually going to the wet and rainy game last weekend, a few girls and I found a little kitchen and baked cupcakes! :) DELICIOSO!!!! (and you can see the recipe here)And, as a shrewd business woman, I sold them for $1 a piece or 3 for $2. I know, I was giving them away at that price, but, alas, people bought them! And not just people from my floor! Silly people like to check out the activity on all the floors and got suckered into buying cupcakes. haha crazy kids!

New to my posts: Every time I post, I will try to incorporate a funny story about non-Midwesterners misconceptions about our awesome traditions.
Here's number one:
On the really hot days, a bunch of us were sitting in the common room, wishing winter would come sooner! (In March, I'll wonder about our sanity) Then we transitioned to our favorite fall/winter treats. One girl said she couldn't wait for hot apple cider, and the kid from New Mexico yelled, "WHAT???" We all stared at the crazy 'foreign' child. "I thought that was only a Christmas myth!!" We thought he was kidding... he wasn't. YAY FALL!

Have a happy fall! :)

Stress

Finally, I turned in my paper sent from the devil. Actually, my teacher has a name, but this paper gave detrimental habits into my life. But now it is over, I finally got some sleep, and I dressed pretty for school! Today was a good day! :) AND we played pep band tonight!!! I love pep band!! For those who don't know what pep band is, it's basically the band playing pop songs (from the late 90's, but they're still pretty awesome)! YAY! The school year is coming to a resting stop soon, and semester tests are next week! AHH! I don't think they'll be too hard, but I hope to do the best I can. Many presentations are due soon, and I think I'm ready! (Yes, I know, I use tons of exclamation points!) I can't wait for the semester to be done! If I thought this semester was easy, I can't wait for the next one! Creative foods, band, choir, government (difficult, but not impossible), Spanish, and two other classes that I'm dropping to fill with slacker classes! :) Maybe I'm naughty, but I do alot of extra-curriculars in the next few months! I've applied to my first college, and as long as my school sends the correct stuff in and pay for my app to be looked at, I am looking forward to hearing from UNL in about 3-4 weeks! (that long mainly so I don't get my hopes up too high)

Christmas is closing in upon us, and I can't wait!!!!!!!!!! My brother is coming home, and a close friend, even mentor in a way, is coming home on the same day!!! It's going to be great!!

And finally, an adventure I had this past Saturday! So over the past weekend, my town encountered a blizzard! I had to work that morning, so being the trusty and reliable employee I am, I made myself go in. My mother warned me not to, but I told her that I didn't have a choice, it was my job, and I had to be there. Along the way I came upon spots where I couldn't see anything, but I simply slowed down and kept going. I made it there, and my co-workers were glad, but my boss said that I should be on my way ASAP. Then my mom called, saying not to send me home at all; the weather was too bad, and my small car would not make it back. I would stay with a close family friend who lived in town. I made it there by lunchtime, and then, (long story short) we went to work on a house they were fixing up. Technically, we were demolishing everything so they could begin to fix up. I spent about five hours weilding a hammer as a torturous weapon. Some parts were tedious while others, I could just pound on the walls without a second thought. I enjoyed myself! Finally, we arrived back at the warm house and ate supper and played Scrabble. I lost terribly, but it was fun to play, nevertheless. The next morning my home church was cancelled, but a friend's church was putting on a drama, so my mom and sister came in, allowing me to have fresh clothes and get home!! It was an exciting weekend!! Next time, I think I'll call in to work saying that I don't want to get stuck! ;)

Passions

So I have returned to some of my passions! Writing, architecture, and reading!! With the show done, (it went fabulously, by the way) I have so much more time on my hands. Although with this newly acquired time, my parents expect me to use it on something "worthwhile" aka: cleaning m room and car. It really does need done! If my motivation lasts long enough, maybe I'll even start in on my closet?!?!

One of my fave things to assist motivation is: Pandora! What it is: Internet radio. I have it as an app on my iPod, but you can also use it on the computer on pandora.com. It allows you to listen to songs in a similar genre that YOU want to listen to! You can listen to pretty much anything, and it's free! Give it a try!

And it's official: there is SNOW!!! I don't mind it as long as it doesn't come at a bad time! :) Somehow, my dog becomes super active during the winter, or as active as an old dog can get. I hope the nice, fluffy stuff comes soon! I feel a holiday party coming as soon as the snow comes!