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!