October in a Nutshell

     It certainly has been a hectic October and I’m hoping November brings some good news for the Gators! This past month has been filled with loss after loss in football.

     I did a fair bit of traveling in October. It all started with fun times in one of my favorite cities, New Orleans. My friends Jill and Hannah joined me on SAE’s LSU Roadtrip. Though the bus ride took upwards of 10 hours I think, we still had a blast.

     We spent most of our time on Bourbon Street (surprising?) and never actually made it to LSU for the game. I’m not too upset that I wasn’t there to witness the annihilation of the Gators by the Tigers. Instead, my friends and I partied in a bar called “The Beach” while the game played on a projector. Afterwards, we decided to drown our sorrows on Bourbon which ended up being an unforgettably great time. I even sang karaoke with James on stage at a bar called “The Cat’s Meow”.

Jill, myself, and Hannah overlooking Bourbon Street

James and me at the SAE party on Bourbon Street

James is quite the lady's man!

Here I am with some friends at the Cat's Meow

Karaoke Pic

     Though I could write an entire blog on the NOLA trip alone, I’m moving on to the next weekend, Family Weekend! Every year my parents venture to Gainesville for Zeta’s family weekend. This year was by far the most fun we’ve ever had. Finally, after four years of being friends, my best friends in Zeta and I decided we would all take our families out to a bar to watch the Auburn game together. Again, the game itself was embarrassing but you would not think we lost by the way our group was having fun and partying! I think mom and dad felt like college kids again.  

Family Weekend

Close Up!

     On Sunday night of our family weekend, mom, dad, and I grilled some steaks on the new grill dad brought up for me. It’s the perfect size for tailgating and the occasional cookout on my balcony! We actually tried to save some money by buying some really nice steaks but some that were on sale. There is a reason they were on sale… The name “mock steak” should have been a clue, yet we still decided to try them.

     The next weekend was pretty laid back. No Florida football to watch and not much to do but clean and relax. The following Tuesday, October 25^th I believe, brought Zeta’s annual philanthropy, Zeta Line Dance. I had a blast coaching my team, ZBT, to victory! Ok we didn’t win, our dance placed second, but everyone says we should have won so in my book, we did! The boys worked so hard to pull off our army themed dance. Everyone was amazing! The philanthropy’s success in monetary terms is yet to be determined but we had a great time raising money for the Susan G. Komen foundation.

All the girls on my team striking a pose!

This is the whole team! Love them!

     And lastly, this past weekend brought more bad news for the Gators who lost to Georgia. Once again, I myself managed to not let the loss keep me down. Two of my Zeta besties, Skoti and Alexa, and I traveled to Jacksonville for the weekend. We thoroughly enjoyed the world’s largest tailgate and the entire weekend in general. Because Skoti’s boyfriend kindly invited us to stay at his home by the beach, I only spent a grand total of $15 all weekend! That’s what I call a vacation.

I sat with some of my Dazzler friends at the game. From the left is Brittany, Kelsey, me, and Hannah!

Me and Hannah with her sister Kelly 

Alexa, Skoti, and me enjoying the pregame festivities!

I had to include this one. This is Skoti's boyfriend Stewart's cat. Great hospitality!

     Now things are getting in gear for homecoming weekend! With the first men’s basketball game on Thursday, Gator Growl on Friday, and the Homecoming game on Saturday, you can bet I’ll have much to blog about shortly! (And hopefully in a more timely fashion…)

More Pics!

     Today easily brings the most beautiful weather Gainesville has see this fall semester, yet I still chose to sit inside and clean. Regretting it already. A clean apartment does mean at least one good thing, more pictures to add to my blog! Today I decided to focus on the dining area and kitchen.

     The original plan was to have a cozy, inviting space in which to cook and eat. I’ll admit the kitchen is fairly cozy and inviting, as far as a college student’s kitchen goes, but the dining area turned out much more sleek than I had anticipated. I have absolutely no problem with that though.

I’ll begin with a view of the entire space.

     Here is a closer view of the dining area. Brita ended up purchasing Ikea’s “Bjursta” for the table. James and I had a great time assembling it, as weird as that may sound. He and I both enjoy putting things together. There are two leaves that can be added to the table in the middle. We decided that one made the table plenty big for us, but if ever we have a ton of folks over, it won’t be a problem.

     Brita’s mom found the gorgeous chairs for a steal from Macy’s I believe. The darker edges of the chair match the table perfectly! Best of all, the suede seat actually makes studying at the table comfortable! (Unlike last year’s chairs…)

     I had this vase and the marbles inside left over from my room’s decorations last year and decided to pair them with some yellow crystals and bright flowers to give the space some color. Originally, yellow and teal were not on the interior design menu but after moving in and seeing the space come together, Brita and I decided the two colors look great! The vase and place mats work well to give this sleek table and chairs a more welcoming feel!

     Brita and I purchased this gator cork board from PB teen right after we graduated high school. Though we had not planned on reusing it in the dining area this year, I was thrilled to see how well it went with the rest of the space.

     Behind the table, we have a small breakfast bar. Before we set the table up, it really came in handy. Although we do still make use of it, I much prefer eating at the table… or the couch.

     

Here we have our lovely kitchen. There wasn’t a whole lot we could do to add our own personal touch but the place still looks and functions great!

     This is what I like to call our “cooking corner”. My aunt gave me this amazing spice rack for Christmas last year. I actually have put it to good use too! We like to keep a few bottles of wine around if we can afford to. Our stash is starting to dwindle. This is most likely my doing. I've also stored a bunch of cookbooks in this corner as well. I’m one of those people who likes to look at my books neatly stacked, not stored in a cabinet.

     This is easily my favorite part of the kitchen. After using a Keurig for the first time this summer in a hotel, it did not take me long to realize that I needed one for myself. No not want, I said need. This is the most convenient thing in the world people! It literally takes 2 minutes to brew a cup of coffee. I hit start and by the time I get my cream and sugar out, the cup is ready to go! It’s the perfect thing for those mornings that I hit snooze one time too many and leave myself absolutely no time to get ready. Well I suppose that’s every morning.

   

  This cute little mat has followed us through the years to every place we’ve lived.

     

In case you’re curious, here is our laundry closet.

     Off of our kitchen we have a little balcony. We haven’t made any use of it yet, but maybe now that the weather is cooling off we will.

     We set up this table and chairs set to try and encourage us to use the balcony.

     

Last but not least I wanted to include our window sill. Brita and I like to keep all our cute wine glasses here. Most of mine are from my friends’ 21^st birthday celebrations.

And there you have it! Our kitchen and dining area! Now I’ve got to get the Halloween decorations up.

Surfin' Z-T-A

     Happy Friday readers! I just got off the phone with my dad, who kindly reminded me that I am long overdue for a real blog. I didn’t think anyone actually checked my blog regularly so I must admit I am a little flattered by his reminder, even if it is my own dad. Because of said conversation, I am hoping to write not just one, but two blogs today, and my goal is to make one of them another room blog! Sorry, this one’s not about my apartment…

     For the past month, eleven of my Zeta sisters and I have been preparing a dance routine to enter in the most anticipated philanthropy of the year, Sig Ep “Surf Frenzy”. Why is a dance competition called Surf Frenzy you ask? I have been wondering the same thing now for 4 years. No idea. Nevertheless, Surf Frenzy is in fact a dance competition among all of the Pan-Hellenic sorority chapters here at UF. Each dance is about 5 minutes long and typically, very good. The money raised goes towards diabetes, or as I prefer, diabetus. This year’s Surf Frenzy took place this past Tuesday, the 27^th.

     Our team spent at least 2 hours (usually 3) almost every weeknight for the past month putting together our dance. Every girl on our team was super talented and we definitely had a great time preparing. In the past, Zeta has either won the competition or came in second. Last year’s routine actually tied for first place in the dance category, but we somehow fell short in some of the other categories and ended up placing second overall. I had a really great feeling about our dance this year and was beyond excited to perform and take home the surfboard shaped trophy. Again, no explanation for you.

     I felt amazing during our performance and had a blast being involved with the event. Every year I look forward to representing Zeta and this year was no different. The applause was tremendous afterwards and we could hardly wait for the awards ceremony. Our entire chapter came out to support our team and watch the dance, and pretty much everyone stayed to hear the awards. Unfortunately… we were a bit, for lack of a better word, surprised by the results.

     Our T-shirt sales and penny voting scores were in the top 3 I believe. Both categories are essentially a way to raise money for the event. For attendance, we took first place- a true mark of a strong sisterhood. When the time came to announce the winners of the dance category, the place went silent. In third place was Kappa Delta. Yes! We beat KD! I thought to myself. Now if we just beat DG… Second place went to Kappa Alpha Theta. All of the Zetas grew rapidly excited and tense. Ha! DG didn’t even place! Yes we got first!!! I’m so excited I could throw up! I kept saying to myself. “In first place,” the announcer paused, “we have the lovely ladies of………. Delta Gamma! For the third year in a row!”

     My heart sunk. I NEVER saw that coming. For the overall top three, we did end up in third, but I really thought we were going to take home the gold. At first I was so pissed off I was seeing red. All I could think about was the hard work that we put into Surf Frenzy, and I’m talking about the whole chapter not just the dancers. It felt like it was all for nothing. I tried so hard to convince myself the whole thing was rigged. I couldn’t believe our amazing dance didn’t even place!

     Since the competition, I have realized a few things. For one thing, all the dances were amazing! I wish I could have performed in every single one! Also, I’ve been reminding myself how great I felt on stage and how much fun I had in the process, definitely worth the time and effort.

     Above all, we still won first in attendance. That speaks wonders about Zeta and the kind of people that make up our sisterhood. In high school, I practically had to pay my friends to watch me dance. Our entire chapter willingly waited hours in the crowd, literally, to watch a five minute dance. There were signs with our names on them, huge ZTA letters, and a massive crown in the air to show our Zeta pride. I cannot express what it felt like to have so much support and encouragement. I will never forget how elated I felt up on that stage dancing for all of my sisters!

     Looking back, Surf Frenzy 2011 was a GREAT experience. Maybe Sig Ep didn’t choose us as winners, but in my book, everyone in Zeta was a winner that night!

If you would like to see the dance for yourself, here is a link to a video on facebok: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10150306185841626

And of course, here are some pics!

The whole team at Zeta before the show

Seniors!

Me and my friend Jaclyn

Two of my best friends Kerry and Alexa made this sign to hold in the audience!

Big Little!

My family in Zeta recently added our newest member, Kaley, and I could not be happier or more in love with my Great-Grand-Little! (Wow I feel old...)

I think the pictures speak for themselves!!

After Kaley found out

Group hug

From the bottom up: Kaley (GG Little), Savannah (G Little), Jess (Little), and me! (big)

My favorite pic!

Our family dresses

Jumping for joy!

Backwards Totem Pole

In front of the ZTA house

Regular totem pole

Me with my friends in their family outfits

    

Rub a Dub Dub

     Finally, I’ve gotten around to taking pictures of the new apartment! I know I promised a month ago but I wanted to wait until everything looked perfect. Ok it’s still not perfect, but the place is certainly looking great and it’s about time I shared it with you all!

     To avoid a novel of a blog, I’m keeping it simple and starting with the bathroom. Yes I know a bathroom doesn’t sound like it takes much work, but nothing I do gets away without much work. It takes more than a simple bath mat and coordinating towels to make a bathroom, though my boyfriend may disagree (sorry James but it does.) Because my bathroom is connected to my bedroom, I wanted them to match. I began by selecting a shower curtain with the same print as my duvet. From there, I coordinated with a bath mat, wash cloths, hand towels, etc. to match! I will go into more detail with the photos I promise!

     My first disclaimer- the bathroom is fairly small so taking good shots proved challenging. My second disclaimer- I am NO photographer.

   

     In this picture you can see the shower curtain in full. I chose an oil rubbed bronze curtain rod and hangers to compliment the knobs on my dresser (pics of my room coming soon!) and also because I already owned it. Saved me some moola.

     The fluffy white towels were gifted to me for Christmas by my Aunt Lisa. They are amazing, like the feeling you get when you lay in a pile of puppies (except without the smell.)

     The shelf is one of my favorite things about the bathroom because my boyfriend helped me put it up, and by helped I mean he did it himself. Such a handyman.

   

     Behind the curtain, there’s a shower! Imagine that! My mom found this neat shower caddy that hangs from the shower head to keep all my bathing necessities organized. I realize the brushed nickel finish doesn’t match the shower rod but I’ll assess that in a moment. 

I splurged a little on my bath mat. I don’t know the brand but it is so fluffy I couldn’t resist. Bed Bath and Beyond knows there stuff when it comes to these kinds of things. I can’t help it! It’s hard to tell by the picture but it is a light blue color to match the shower curtain. Stepping onto this mat after a hot and steamy shower is quite an experience of luxury and comfort, as the fibers of the mat engulf the bottoms of my feet and give them the end of the day relaxation they deserve. It’s the kind of thing you have to respond to by saying “Ahh,” as you would after taking the first sip of a freshly popped can of cold soda.

Also note the Simple Human trash can to the left. I bought it to match the rod.

     These next photos give a good idea of the finished product. It’s a cozy space with fun and vibrant touches to give it a more inviting and trendy look. I tried to stay out of the picture but the mirrors really made it difficult!

     Mom and I found the towel and hand towel shown that match so perfectly, we could not pass up on the opportunity. Because Aunt Lisa already gave me the set of thick white towels, we decided to only purchase one of each. I think they add just enough to the space to keep it from feeling bland.

     I decided to purchase the oil rubbed bronze soap pump to match all the other oil rubbed bronze items I’ve mentioned. 

     Now, I’ve got to include my only problem with the space so Missi, a woman I worked with a lot at Javic Homes this summer, doesn’t read this and think she taught me absolutely nothing. If you can’t already tell, the sink faucet and shower head are chrome, the knobs and shower caddy have a brushed nickel finish, my accessories are all oil rubbed bronze, and the door knob is antique brass! This would be considered a huge interior design no-no. My excuse- I’m in college. (Sorry Missi!)

I’ve saved the best for last. It’s my favorite thing. 

     My mom found this cute little bird, for lack of a better word, statue to decorate with. He’s wearing a little crown and we know I love all things crown. In front of him I put a picture of me with my two best friends Brita and Jill from my 21^st birthday. Not only does the picture bring back great memories (yes I DO remember my 21^st bday) but it’s also nice to get ready for the day with my two best friends every morning!

Well there you have it, my new bathroom at its finest! I’ll work on getting my room pictures into the next blog!

Get Up and Goooo!

     I can hardly believe it is already September 8th. Where has the time gone? It feels like we will be sporting Santa hats in no time. For now, I'll stick with my September gear- orange and blue duh. Speaking of which, if you are unaware, and if you truly are you ought to be ashamed, the Gators totally annihilated FAU this past weekend. Seriously, what a GREAT way to open the season. Gainesville was packed all weekend long and the bar scene was anything but tame. Naturally, I can hardly wait for this weekend's game- should be full of school spirit and debauchery. (Am I allowed to say debauchery? Who am I kidding its my blog. So yes, lots of debauchery.)

     Over the past week, I found a new show to get into. Ok, it isn't "new", just new for me. I've almost finished an entire season of "The Biggest Loser". (Is it sad that I just googled whether or not to italicize TV show titles?) I know I literally sound like the biggest loser ever, having spent a decent amount of time wrapped up in this show but I swear it is the most inspiring series I've ever seen save maybe a select few episodes of Oprah. Since embarking on my new obsession with the show, I'm constantly finding myself more motivated to get up and physically do things. From walking close to a mile to and from class to randomly running to my boyfriend's house behind midtown, I feel really inspired to move!

     I want to take a minute to elaborate on this. Who knows, maybe I can encourage you, my fair readers, to get up and go too. This summer, I interned with a home-builder and primarily spent from 8am - 5pm sitting at a desk. It was not until about halfway through the summer that I realized how much I take my college lifestyle for granted. Real people, that's what I call people with jobs and real lives, do not have an entire college campus at their feet. They typically do not have the option of walking to work as I do class. This summer, I felt their pain. For the most part, the contestants on "The Biggest Loser" are real people, most of whom blame their desk jobs for being the catalyst to their weight gain. They are HUGE when they begin their journey on the show and I'm terrified of that happening to me!

     From now on, if given the option, I will always choose to walk to class. During my workouts with Dazzlers, I've been keeping the contestants in mind and I push myself as hard as I possibly can. I remind myself that if those fatties can do it, so can I! I'll never die from working out to my full potential so why not give every ounce of effort I have right? That's been my new outlook lately and I feel so great about it!

     Here's a link to the first episode I watched. Who knows, maybe you'll get hooked too!
http://www.hulu.com/watch/204703/the-biggest-loser-week-1

     But, most importantly, DO NOT spend a lot of time sitting on your couch watching it! Get up and Go! You'll feel great I promise!

Week 2 Brings Good News! And Football!

     Week one of my J2 semester passed by faster than I expected, although I suppose the world does spin at a constant speed and thus the week actually passed by just as fast as any other week does. I’m quickly learning which classes I MUST be on time for, which may need some outside form of entertainment to keep me awake, and so on. So far, I still think I enjoy my contracts class most, but my favorite teacher (as of now) teaches our soils and concrete class. He is hilariously blunt and I say anyone who can make a class on the composition of concrete interesting deserves a medal.

     I received some exciting news yesterday. I have been invited to join Sigma Lambda Chi, the honors society of the Rinker School of Construction. Yes, I am a big wig now. I realize that honor societies don’t always seem like a big deal, but trust me it is. Would my name end up on a plaque in Rinker Hall if it weren’t a big deal? I think not! Naturally, being the overachieving nerd that I am, I was thrilled to get the news! In order to be invited to join, you must be in the top 20% of your class by the end of your J1 semester. Yay for hard work!

     Last time I wrote I mentioned Zeta’s Bid Day. Apparently, bid day, as well as our new pledge class, was and is a huge success. I use the word apparently because a) I was not present on bid day, and b) I do not know anyone in the new pledge class. I remember, back when I was a “baby” as we call them, the seniors were scary and rather unapproachable. It wasn’t that they were mean, they were just old and intimidating. I have come to the conclusion that I too am now thoroughly old and intimidating because none of the baby zetas have managed to introduce themselves. Then again, neither have I. Hopefully I will make the effort here soon enough.

     Dazzlers continues to keep me happy and in shape. Workouts have begun in full swing, starting at 6am on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and with either a 5K or a stadium workout on Monday. When the going gets tough and I feel like passing out I always remind myself of how smoking hot I will be one day from all this physical fitness! It helps. (Sometimes it’s the only thing that helps.) I’m really looking forward to this weekend- the first Gator home game of the season with new coach Will Muschamp! About half of the Dazzlers, myself included, will be passing out cardboard fans to keep our Gator fans cool in the heat of the night. At some point during the game, we will be making a quick appearance in the President’s box. I’m definitely looking forward to such an exciting weekend! 

Two weeks in Two minutes

     Ok ok, I knew I would have a tough time with this blog thing. Quite a bit has happened since I last wrote. I’ll start with the thing I was most looking forward to- moving!!

     Yes I have finally moved into the new townhouse and I could not be happier. I would post some pictures but I will wait until everything is PERFECT! Mom, dad, and Brita’s parents loaded up a huge U-Haul with all our furniture and drove up on Friday the 5^th. We spent hours unloading and days organizing. If I’m perfectly honest, I’m still organizing. Shocking right? My grandma made her way to Gainesville as well along with some cousins to see the new place and spend some time with us! Brita and I are still debating a few decorative touches because we are yet to have our couch covers. Brita’s mom offered to dye them and I can’t wait to see the outcome!

     My room is coming along nicely, and I love, love, love it, mostly because my bed faces my oversized closet. Some people prefer to wake up to a view… what can I say I like my clothes. James loves to point out how ridiculous my closet and all of its contents are but then, he is a man and what does he know about the importance of such things? I can also see all of my neatly organized shoes from my bed as well. Ah. I’m looking at them now. Ok they are distracting me.

     Other than the excitement of the new apartment, I spent the last two weeks trying to focus on Dazzlers and Zeta. Our 2011-2012 squad is so amazing! All of the new Dazzlers are wonderfully talented and are so much fun to be around. Our two weeks of two-a-day practices practically flew by because they were actually fun! On top of Dazzlers, I’ve been spending a lot of time at the Zeta Tau Alpha house for recruitment. Today is actually bid day but the festivities do not begin until about 7 pm. I am anticipating a very large and very awesome pledge class. We had so many great girls come through I can’t imagine a bad PC’11.

     In addition to all of the above, class began yesterday. I don’t know how prepared I am to start the great balancing act that is my “normal” college life once again. I have to admit I am pretty excited for most of my classes. Today I sat through my first Construction Contracts lesson. The teacher began by asking everyone in the class to write their names in bold print in the center of the paper, followed by the date and a signature. At the bottom of the page he instructed us to write “+10” and hand them in. I think he must have given back at least 8 papers claiming they were incorrect, mine included. I believe the point of this exercise was to demonstrate that contracts need to be followed exactly, with no more or no less than what they request. This was an interesting way to begin the class but I’ve got to say I think it is going to be a great one!

Well, that’s all for now but hopefully I can manage to write again without so much delay.

Movin' Out (Aja's Song)

     Ah, it is Monday, the bane of Garfield’s existence and the one day of the week that always arrives too soon and lasts forever! After an exhausting weekend spent moving all of my stuff out of my old apartment, this Monday morning finds me dragging and sleepy. I’m almost a cup of coffee down and still my eyelids feel heavy and unforgiving. Perhaps I will venture to Einstein Bros during my lunch break because God only knows how sleepy I will grow with a full belly.

     As I just mentioned, this weekend called for a lot of time a patience to get me all moved out. Friday evening, mom, dad, Maggie, and I hauled up in the Prius and hit the road for Gainesville. I’m noticing that as I get older, riding in the car for a few hours with my parents becomes less and less of a pain and more enjoyable. Maybe it’s because I’ve perfected the art of tuning out and falling asleep at any given moment. So on to the Gator Nation we drove and when we arrived, we met my boyfriend James for dinner at T.G.I. Fridays- most appropriate since it was Friday. Feeling thoroughly replete afterwards, James and I decided to lay low and stay in. Well really, I just fell asleep almost immediately and James hung out with his friends in the living room.

     Saturday morning we all got a fairly early start on the apartment clean-out. (My parents may beg to differ but I think 11 am is a fairly early start for a weekend.) Box by box we loaded up and out. We ended up with way more full boxes than I ever would have foreseen in a million years. Luckily, my friend Danielle allowed me to store them in her room in the unit down the hall from me. I pray she does not venture to Gainesville on a whim in the next week and a half because she would KILL me if she saw how much we managed to squeeze in there! We pretty much got everything out of the apartment by Saturday evening and managed to spend our down time wrapped up in various shows on HGTV- what else?!

By the end of the day, James and I felt pretty exhausted but managed to perk up after a great sushi bowl dinner and the prospect of an SAE party a few blocks away. As it turned out, the party was a great way to begin the night, but I can’t help but feel old now around all the budding freshmen. I noticed short shorts and cute tops are quite the trend amongst the freshmen- a dead giveaway. Not one girl I knew that has spent at least a year in college had on shorts.

     After the party we hit the usual bars and actually stayed until closing. On our way back, we were ambushed by some, as my dad calls them, “friendly” people, clearly just looking for a fight. Easily one of the most terrifying moments of my sheltered little life. A car full of kids just stopped in the middle of the street and came after my friends throwing punches and yelling threats I couldn’t really understand. For some reason in my drunken stupor it made sense for me to start apologizing. I kept yelling “sorry I tripped! Please stop I didn’t mean to!” I never tripped and I have no idea why I felt the urge to say this. After I begged the guys to stop fighting, this girl jumped out of the car and started coming at me in a rage. I am yet to understand what in the world I did to upset her but for whatever reason she felt the need to try and beat me to a pulp. Luckily the guys I was with would never, ever allow that to happen so I am fine! It was so extremely bizarre. Needless to say after that affair, we called the police and returned home.

     The next day was spent repainting the entire apartment whilst recounting the previous night’s events to mom, dad, and Brita. We all agree Gainesville has some strange, angry people. Repainting pretty much took all day as we ran out of paint and drove to two different stores to find the right stuff. We repacked the car and left with about twice as much as we had arrived with. Maggie and I enjoyed a little photo shoot, some Zaxby’s, and a nice nap squished together in the back seat! All in all, quite an eventful weekend and I can hardly wait to get back to Gville!