Bring on Break!!

Finally Winter break...And that means time for me to take a breather and blog!

This semester has been busier than most, but now that finals are over it's time to relax and reflect on how it all went:
Classes were generally enjoyable. Professors were good, some were a lot of fun and some nice enough to write me letters of recommendation for grad school.
Speaking of...grad school apps are completed! Which has been a big stress relief.  The only thing to do now is wait, though, which is in some ways harder than the application process haha. I've applied to the Occupational Therapy program at Milligan, Speech-Language Pathology at the University of Tennessee, and the Audiology doctorate program at East Tennessee State University.  I'm still thinking Milligan is my first choice, but knowing that Patrick is going to be in Knoxville and the money I'd save from going to UT makes me think twice. I am just hoping that it all works itself out when the news about acceptance comes around.

So, I guess it goes without saying, but things with Patrick have been going really well.  Although the semester's been busy for the both of us, we've been sure to make time for study breaks and just having fun. 

He makes me so happy, and it's nice to always have someone to talk to and who listens when I just feel like rambling...He always surprises me with his abounding love and never fails to bring a smile to my face. Which is why it was so hard to say goodbye to him last night. 

Winter break is only 3 weeks, but even 3 hours can feel like an eternity without him around! And I would love to be able to spend the Holidays with him.  I only hope that this is the last time we'll have to go so long without seeing one another. Oh, I just love him!

This semester we finally finished up that flea market table! Remember this??

Well take a look at the end result!

Pretty cute, huh? It was a lot of work trying to get the stain on the top just right, but I am so impressed with out it turned out! This project just made us want to refurnish even more!

And we decorated the apartment with my roommate for Christmas. It was like a Winter Wonderland in here!  Although the weather hasn't felt like Christmas is coming, we sure are excited for it!

Only 11 more days!

Unfortunately, I am stuck on campus until at least Sunday night because of work.  Patrick left yesterday. One of my roommates left today, and the other leaves tomorrow, so I'll be spending some time alone...I'm so excited to head back and see my friends from back home! It's been since summer, so it'll be really nice to be reunited.  Until then, I have to do some packing and some cleaning, so I better get going.

Lots of Love,
Jamie

Where have I been all my life??

Haha, a better question would be where haven't I been! Sorry for the long absence; I have just been so busy with school, work, research, and friends, whenever I get a second to myself I'd rather take a nap than try to get creative with a blog post haha.

It has seriously been so long that I have no idea where to even begin. I haven't even plugged my phone into my laptop in forever, so when I did I had 152 photos to upload! And I want to share them all and tell you everything that's been going on, but I have an exam tonight, so I'm gonna try to keep this short (I told you, I'm busy!)

Rewind about 3 weeks ago, and it was bid night for our sorority! After days and nights of slaving over recruitment, we got almost 50 new Alpha Gams! This is my "pledge" daughter, Casey. She's a senior at Purdue but a junior in the nursing program so she's got another year here. She's got such a funny sense of humor, and is super outgoing-an excellent addition to our house! I'm excited to continue getting to know her and all our new baby squirrels!

Research...9 hours in the lab every week...If we aren't hooking people up with all that crazy wiring, we're on the computer dragging and dropping points on a screen for what seems like an eternity. Although the actual thesis is interesting, I can't wait until we're done with all this data collection.

When we get a break from school, Patrick and I have been finding lots of fun things to do. We went to the driving range (turns out he's a really good golfer!), on a few dinner dates, and to nearly every flea market within a 20-mile radius hahaha. We did find this beautiful little table for my apartment!

I'm pretty much in love with it. We've been living without a table for awhile now, so it's finally nice to have one! And Patrick and I are going to work on refurnishing it a little over Fall break: repainting the chairs and staining the table. I think it's going to look really nice!

Patrick's favorite class right now is tree-climbing 101 (I don't actually know the name of the class, but that's what I call it hahah), so he got all this fancy gear to go do it on his own, so he likes to practice in the backyard a lot. He really loves it, but it scares me to death seeing him go so high! I can't believe that's what he wants to do for a living! (And he claims he's afraid of heights...ha!)

But although he worries me with his love of tree-climbing, he always finds ways to make my heart smile. He brought me these sunflowers the other night:

For no special occasion at all! And it was so thoughtful because my room is brown and yellow and I have a few fake sunflowers in it, so he knew they'd match beautifully. And they sure do! What a sweetie!

And when I find time I've been cooking and baking. Made delicious blueberry cobbler last week!

And the recipe is so easy!

What you'll need:
-2/3 cup sugar
-2 tablespoons cornstarch
-3/4 cup water
-3 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
-1 teaspoon melted butter
-1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
-1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
-1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-1/3 cup milk
-3 tablespoons melted butter

Preheat oven to 425ºF. Combine sugar,cornstarch, and water in a saucepan on low heat until it gets thick/caramel-like (stir constantly!) Add blueberries and continue stirring over low heat for two minutes. Spread mixture into a greased 9-inch pie plate. 
In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, milk, and 3 tbs. melted butter. Stir until just moistened. Drop spoonfuls of dough onto the blueberries. Brush with 1 tsp melted butter and dust with cinnamon.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the dough becomes lightly browned. Enjoy!

So good even my roommate (who hates all fruit) eats it! Haha

Aside from all that, I've basically just been partying hard:

Hahah, not! This is just me "helping" Patrick do the dishes after steak night with some of our friends.  Really aside from all that I've just been working and focusing on school. This semester seems to be flying by! And the weather's been getting so chilly it's really starting to feel like Fall (or even Winter sometimes haha)

As I said, I've got an exam tonight, so it's time for some last-minute studying! But I will make an effort to keep you all updated regularly; I know some of my friends have been yelling at me for not (but thanks for those who actually follow!)

Study, study, study!
- Jamie

Busy, busy, busy!

While my semester is off to a great start, it's been super super busy! I've barely found enough time to sleep let alone blog! But here's a quick recap on all that went on this past week:

1. Classes
I really enjoy all of my courses this semester! Even some that I thought would be incredibly dull are pretty interesting; I think neuroscience of movement was the biggest surprise. I was really dreading it, but the content is actually pretty cool and a lot of it will probably come in handy for OT school. I think my favorite class is stereotypes and prejudice, though. That kind of thing really interests me, and the professor is great at facilitating discussion. My research on gait in older adults requires the most work/biggest time commitment, but it isn't bad; the people I work with are really nice, and it looks like the load will be pretty spread out over the semester so it won't get too stressful.

2. Formal Recruitment
Getting new Alpha Gam babies is exciting but the process is oh so draining. We've been recruiting all weekend, 12-hour days, in uncomfortable wedges with no air conditioning, lots of yelling/singing and little sleep. Needless to say, I was exhausted come Sunday night. (I even started to lose my voice by the end of it and had an awful sore throat!) But I met some great girls in the process, some of which I hope I will be able to call my sisters soon. Recruitment will continue this weekend, but Tuesday is bid day and that means new Alpha Gams! And I can't wait to meet them! I also can't wait for recruitment to be over with haha. It kind of stinks having it the first two weekends back to school; I'm still trying to get back into the swing of things!

3. Work
Getting back to work at Pier 1 was kind of bittersweet. I wasn't sure I wanted to do it this semester, especially because now the drive over there is even farther from my new apartment. But, I got a raise this year, and there are a lot of new people (mostly college students like me) working. It's actually been really fun so far. This past week was even our associate celebration/50th anniversary of Pier 1, so there we had a little party going on in the break room!

Cake and candy galore! We even got free candles and wine charms! I am glad I decided to go back to work this year, I really do like the company and the people I work with seem happy to see me again. What's really sad, though, is that our assistant manager, Sally, who is such a sweet and fun lady, is leaving us next month. It's going to be sad to see her go. I hope they find someone just as nice to fill her spot!

4. Trying to find some time for fun!
In all the hustle and bustle of getting back to school, it's been a little difficult to find some time just to hang out and enjoy life! Most of my free time is spent with my roommates or with Patrick. It's so nice to see have him close by again. We've been going to the main building of my apartment and playing pool. I usually end up winning and getting some free food/den pops out of it haha. We've also been cooking a lot of delicious meals!

This was barbecue chicken, fried potatoes and onions, and broccoli! And last night we made chicken stir fry with brown rice that was delicious! We were going to make cobbler last night but it got pretty late, so hopefully that'll be coming soon. I have a great recipe I'll share!



Aside from that I've just been trying to enjoy the beautiful weather we've been having because it's bound to get cold before you know it!

My dad was supposed to come down and get dinner with me tonight, but something came up, so it looks like I'll have the evening to relax! I can't wait to change into my pj's and just hang out!

Big hugs and lots of love,
Jamie

Back to school!

Well, senior year has officially begun! And I have to say, I think it's going to be good. I've now had every class once, and although all we've really done is gone over the syllabuses (syllabi?), they all seem at least somewhat interesting. This semester's courses include: History of American Sport; Medical Terminology; Stereotyping and Prejudice; Food, Culture, and Health; Neuroscience of Movement; and some research on gait (specifically in older adults). All my professors seem very nice (My American sport prof spent most of class talking about goats and throwing chalk at people that fell asleep hahaha) and the coursework doesn't seem like it's going to be unbearable. Yep, I think it's going to be a good semester!

I've also now had some time and help decorating my apartment a little more. We've got stuff on the walls now!

Found a curtain rod at Wal-mart for 2 dollars and tied these curtains back with adorable sunflower napkin rings found on sale at Pier1! The mirror is also from Pier1 (on clearance haha)

My absolute favorite part of my room now is these adorable wall boxes my amazing boyfriend made for me over the summer out of some old pallets! So simple and cute and great for some extra storage of little things! Love them!! (for some more ways to get crafty with pallets click here!)

And can't forget our little kitchen! We got fancy and put place settings on the bar to make it cute, and those heart baskets on the wall were a steal at a flea market ($3!!)

I'm totally digging this whole apartment-living thing! It's so nice having my own space and getting to decorate and making my own food and everything! Love love love it!

Now I actually have to get started on some class readings, but before I go I just have to show off this find:

How cute is this vintage Purdue bear sweatshirt??? Got it at a yard sale a couple houses down from Patrick on Sunday for $5!  Hahah it fits, but I can't decide if I want to keep it a sweatshirt or turn it into a cute throw pillow...either way, super excited about this!

And the homework begins...
- Jamie

Livin', Lovin', Alpha Gammin'

This past week has been so busy with getting settled into my apartment, working at Pier 1, and above all, preparing for my sorority's formal recruitment. From 9:00 in the morning to 4:00 in the afternoon, we've been singing, talking, and decorating to get ready to present our house to hundreds of girls to get some new sisters. I was honestly kind of dreading this week (which we refer to as 'work week'). Ending my summer early to come and practice something I've already gone through did not sound appealing. But it was surprisingly fun! I learned a lot about some of my sisters; there were some girls that I have never even talked to, and when we got the chance we discovered we had a lot in common! The other seniors and I have been preparing a poem to read on the last day of recruitment to show the potential new members (or PNMs) what being an Alpha Gam means to us. It really portrays the importance of sisterhood and how evident and meaningful it is in our sorority. I started thinking about graduating at the end of the year and leaving these girls, and I started getting emotional! I really have found a home away from home with this sorority, and I'm so thankful for that. I'm really excited to get some new sisters and spread the Alpha Gam love!

As much as I've been enjoying it, though, I definitely feel like I could just collapse from the hustle and bustle. Unfortunately, I've been going from there straight to work the past couple days and haven't been getting home until around 10:00, so I haven't gotten much of a break.  By the time I get back to my apartment all I want to do is get in bed! But the other day I had such a scare it was a little hard for me to fall asleep!

I found this ugly bug on my bathroom floor! It was big, too, and pretty fast-moving! I scrambled for a toothpaste box to smack it with. It was so gross! And, you know, the one had to come from somewhere, so I kept thinking there might be more around! But I haven't seen any since then, so I think I'm safe...for now, at least haha.

Other than that, apartment living has been pretty awesome. And now both of my roommates are moved in, so it's great! I can't believe classes are starting on Monday, though. I wish I had a few more days to just enjoy being back before the stress of schoolwork takes over. But at the same time it would be great if I had a fast-forward button for life because I'm so excited for Patrick to get here on Saturday! It feels like I've been waiting forever haha.

Until then, and especially now that work week is over, I am just going to spend time with the roommates, relax, and catch up on some sleep!

Zzzzzzzz
- Jamie

Ding-dong, I'm home!

I'm here! A couple hours of driving, and I'm back in the corn fields I have grown to love so much haha. Oh, sweet home Indiana. I got here Saturday and got all moved into my beautiful new apartment and I'm loving it so far! It is even bigger than I was expecting, and having my own room and a big bed feels awesome. I love being able to decorate and give it that cozy, homey vibe. Take a look at pictures! (and be jealous hahah)

I know the walls are all bare, but it's a work in progress. I've been so busy with preparing for sorority recruitment, working at Pier1, and unpacking, it's been hard to find times for the little things like that. Plus, I'm sure Patrick wants to help me when he gets back. By this weekend, though, it should all be lookin' pretty good!

Another cool thing about living on your own is cooking!

Dinner today was salad, chicken nuggets, and homemade baked fries! Kind of cheated with the chicken nuggets (they're Tyson frozen breaded chicken tenders), but I made those fries myself and they were pretty good and couldn't be easier!

Just slice a potato or two, mix with a little bit of olive oil and salt, and bake at 450 degrees for 20-30 minutes, flipping them halfway through. Super tasty and better than fried fries haha!

Now I'm about to head to bed. It's early, but they kept me at work until 2:30 in the morning (which I'm very unhappy about - 7 and a half hours of moving dinnerware, glassware, and furniture with no break!), and then I had to get up early for a long day of recruitment practice. I am exhausted!

Good night from me and all of my stuffed animals,
- Jamie

Is summer really over??

So here we are, last day at home - unbrushed hair and makeup-free just after waking up. That'll be the last time I get to sleep in on my little old twin-sized bed (can't really say I'm gonna miss it-I'll have an XL full size waiting for me at my apartment!).

This day, so far, has been filled with packing, packing, laundry, and more packing haha! It's weird to think that I won't be coming back to this house ever again. My room is bare, and it feels a little unreal, but we've moved so much over the past few years, it doesn't bother me anymore. Especially now that I'm at school most of the time, this barely feels like home. I emptied out my closet, cleared my drawers, and filled boxes to take to my dad's new place. We tore down the old posters and threw a bunch of other junk away. Then there was just one project left:

Fitting all this into my dad's little two-door convertible. We managed it, though! I'm surprised at how much stuff I'm taking to school this year. My car is stuffed, my dad's is packed, I've got Patrick hauling a load in his truck, and I still have a pile of things from last year waiting for me back at school! I'm starting to feel pretty grateful for getting a first-floor apartment haha, I just hope I can find room for everything!

I'm so ready to move in; I've been looking forward to this apartment since before we even signed our lease! I've never really lived on my own before, so I'm excited for the independence and responsibility. Buying my own food and cooking will be new for me, but I can't wait! Plus, I can't wait to get to know my roommates even better - I love them both, and I really think it's just going to be a lot of fun living together.

I could go on forever about how psyched I am for senior year to start (oh my gosh, senior year!!), but I have to get going on more laundry and some last minute shopping. The next time you hear from me, I should be all moved in!

Bye-bye, Chicago!
Jamie

Bakin' Blondies!

But not just any blondies...SNICKERDOODLE blondies!

Can you say yum?? Got the idea from Sophie's blog {here}. Her happy place has tons of recipes that will make your tummy happy indeed! I've been drooling over them for some time now, but this was the first one I actually made. Of course, they didn't turn out as pretty as Sophie's, but no matter - they tasted great!

What you'll need:

-1 cup butter, softened

-2 eggs

-1/2 tbsp vanilla

-1 1/2 cups white sugar

-1/2 cup brown sugar

-2 cups flour

-2 tsp baking powder

-1 tsp cinnamon

-1/2 tsp salt

And for the topping:

-2 tbsp white sugar

-2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Blend the butter, eggs, sugars, and vanilla until creamy. In a seperate bowl combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Slowly add the dry ingredients while mixing (batter will be thick). Spread batter into a greased 9x13 pan. Sprinkle on combined cinnamon-sugar topping. Bake 30 minutes.

Now, when I made these they didn't really rise like they were supposed to (which could have been my fault for opening the oven one too many times to check on them), but the next time I try this recipe (because I will definitely be making these babies again!) I might use a 9x9 pan and leave them in a little longer. We'll see! Definitely a great recipe, though! I actually ended eating so many last night I gave myself a tummy ache, so be careful, they are dangerous hahah!

Happy baking!
- Jamie

Life without Facebook

I deactivated my Facebook last night for formal recruitment for my sorority (something about preventing dirty rushing or something, I honestly never really understood). Regardless, I am a rule-follower, so away it went. And unlike most, I am not unhappy about having it gone. In fact, quite the opposite; it's a bit of a relief. I hated logging on just because I had "nothing better to do" and creeping on other people's photos or status updates simply because I was bored. I found myself judging people for what was on their wall, which is completely unfair.  And I'm sure others were doing it to me, too, so honestly I'm glad to be done with it. I don't even plan on reactivating my account when we are able. I'm sick of reading about other people's drama, and I'd rather focus on school or read a book in my free time. Even though I've been harassed plenty by my high school friends because this is our main source of communication throughout the school year, I figure if we're really friends we will find other ways to talk. That's the main reason why I started this blog. It's much more informative than a simple status update, and my hope is that friends will read it at their convenience.

That being said, I have found plenty of other (way more productive) things to do with my time today! This morning I started filling out grad school applications. The process is stressful; there are a lot of people to contact and forms to fill out. And every school is different so it's hard keeping them straight and figuring out what I need to do for each one. I'd like to say I'll be happy when it's all over, but then comes the worst part: waiting. It's gonna be a long year, haha.

And the past few days have been deliciously dangerous in terms of diet:

McDonald's Friday night...

Portillo's for lunch Saturday (although I can't say I regret this meal choice. Cake shakes and hot dogs...there is seriously nothing better!)

And a fried sampler platter for dinner yesterday haha. Boy, was everything good! We had tofu chicken nuggets, fried macaroni and cheese, mini feta cheese and onion pizzas, fried tempura vegetable cakes, and sweet potato fries!! I suggested adding the vegetables so all the bad stuff would cancel out (that's a thing right?? hahah)

So needless to say, I had a few calories to burn. I wanted to go for a little run, but my gym shoes are still packed away in my car somewhere, and I didn't feel like digging them out, so I found these kicks from my middle school years:

They were not the most comfortable. Pretty snug, and I could feel some nice blisters developing. So, a run wasn't gonna happen, but I did take a long walk. The weather was wonderful today, and with some tunes it was very enjoyable!

Now I am just watching the Olympics and waiting for the first NFL preseason game to start! The best thing about summer ending is football season starting. Can't wait!

Facebook free's the way to be!
- Jamie

Shopping Sprees and Mac and Cheese!

I ordered some stuff from American Eagle earlier this week because they were having a sale for an additional 40% off clearance all clearance (this is still going on in stores, so check it out! some good finds!) I got 3 pairs of jeans, 3 t-shirts, and some underwear for, get this...$69.33! Everything retailed for well over $200 bucks! I thought it was a pretty good deal! Although a lot of it didn't fit and I had to return it today, here's what I ended up keeping:

Cute striped crop top (with pocket!) and dark blue Artist jeans

This shirt I ordered in another color, too, but I liked this one a lot better! So bright and cheerful!

Then I went to the mall to return all that didn't work out and naturally did some more shopping while I was there...

Got this skirt and lace cami for $10 total from Charlotte Russe! It was too cute to say no haha! Also found another cami that was a v-neck on one side and scoop on the other so you could wear it both ways. Good for layering! And it was $3.99 and bright pink, so that was a no-brainer.

And when you sign up for the Vera Bradley mailing list (you might have to do this at a Vera Bradley store, I'm not sure) they send you a birthday card with a coupon for $20 off a $20 purchase, and since I have been away from a store for so long, I finally got a chance to redeem it!

So, I found this cute little cosmetic bag to use as a pencil case that should also be big enough to fit my calculator, ID, and more! And I love this pattern!! After the coupon it was only $6, what a steal! I am quite pleased with all my purchases today!

And real quick before I go, my sister and I made awesome homemade mac&cheese! Sometimes I mess it up and don't put enough cheese in or too much butter or something, but this time it really turned out good!

All you do is cook a box of pasta, strain it, then in the pot combine about 1/4 cup of milk (really just enough to keep it creamy, I just make sure it covers the bottom of the pot) with a tablespoon of butter and 8-10 slices of American cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste. This macaroni is so creamy delicious! Way better than Kraft! And easy peasy! Try it!!

Lots of love,
- Jamie

Have a happy day!

In case you had any doubts today is going to rock: check this out!

And remember, it takes more muscles to frown than to smile!

Celebrate today!

Lots of smiles
- Jamie

Childhood Memories

Got an awesome blast from the past today when I went to clean my closet out. One of my friends told me she was taking some of her old clothes to donate, so I thought, "Hmm, I bet I have a bunch of junk I could get rid of..." Plus with my dad moving in about a month, it certainly wouldn't hurt to get unneeded things out. And so it began...

I made an absolute mess of my room trying to organize things into stuff to keep, stuff to throw away, and stuff to donate. But it was a pretty fun process! And I ended up finding some wonderful gems from my childhood, like:

Banana bear!

Beanie Babies!

Underwear wallet!! (Hahaha I used to love this!)

Teeny tiny barrel of monkeys!

The iBrick! (world's oldest iPod hahah) I actually used that thing!

And my beary best friends from elementary school! Haha, this brings back so many memories.  I used to take Aqua everywhere with me! My friends and I would play with these little guys all the time. So glad I found them!

And I ended up with a HUGE pile of stuff to give away.

More than three garbage bags filled with clothes, shoes, toys, and more. My room seems a lot less cluttered and it'll definitely make my dad's move easier. And it's just nice knowing that all this stuff is going to someone who actually needs it rather than sitting in my closet collecting dust. Feelin' pretty good!

And yesterday was a good day, too! I spent most of the day with some high school friends. We baked cookies and watched the Olympics and just spent some time catching up because it's been so long since we've all seen each other!  This is the recipe for the cookies we made. We wanted something simple, and they said they were the best, so we had to try them haha! And I don't know about the best but they were really good!

They were so gooey and sweet. Even this morning they were still nice and soft! We accidentally got dark chocolate chips though, which aren't my favorite, but they were still good! And it was a very easy recipe. Definitely will try them again! Maybe with M&Ms or butterscotch chips instead! Mmm

Now it's time for some supper and then getting together with the girls again for some more Olympic fun! Have a good night, everyone!

- Jamie