The Whole Place Was Dressed To The Nines

Saturday, October 27, 2012

Date Ideas

Okay, so I don't have a boyfriend. I don't even really like anyone right now. But I happen to love planning dates :) I think it's just think it's super fun. So be prepared for this to be a ridiculously cute, romantic post.

Okay, so idea number one is the county fair. I really like this outfit for it:

Fairs are really fun and romantic dates. Hand holding on rides is practically mandatory, there's lots of twinkly lights, great music, and yummy food. (Image courtesy of Pinterest)

Idea number two is a drive through the country, windows down, radio up. Perfect outfit:

I'm partial to country music, so I got this idea from the Luke Bryan song "I Don't Want This Night To End". LOVE THAT SONG. This really is my ideal date. And it's super inexpensive, since all you're spending money on is gas and maybe some bottles of lemonade or root beer. Although if you were driving to a cute little picnic spot, maybe some fruit and sandwiches could be involved. (Image courtesy of Pinterest)

Idea number three is a movie/tv show marathon on a Saturday. This is great for rainy days. Perfect outfit:

If my (imaginary) boyfriend were to show up with a huge box of Sour Patch Kids and popcorn and was willing to watch every episode of Dr.Who that is on Netflix with me while curled up under my favorite blanket, I'd be the happiest girl in the world. I might even be talked into watching Lord of the Rings in return (I've never seen it. I told a friend of the family that she should start shopping for an outfit to wear to my wedding when I agree to watch Lord of the Rings, because that's true love). (Image courtesy of Polyvore)

Idea number four is a picnic. I actually did this with my girlfriends today! It's so much fun. Perfect outfit:

Go to the store and get cheese cubes, crackers, lemonade, apple slices, berries, things like that. Pack napkins and glasses, a huge blanket, and your camera. Take LOTS of pictures. Adorable pictures, silly pictures, pictures of food, pictures of feet, whatever. (Image courtesy of Pinterest)

Idea number five is dance lessons under the stars. A lot of town centers and community centers do this for free. Perfect outfit:

Grab your guy and sway the night away to Frank Sinatra and Michael Buble. Maybe treat yourselves to ice cream or coffee afterwards. Lots of fun, super romantic, and a great excuse to dress up a bit! (Image courtesy of Pinterest).

For all you lucky ladies with boyfriends, I hope you have fun maybe trying out some of these date ideas and enjoying this gorgeous weather!

Please comment if you have any questions or post ideas!

Lots of Love,

sCa

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Life Decisions

I've been having a bit of a tough time the last few days. I've really been stressed and tired, and today was the straw that broke the camel's back. As you might have guessed from my blog and twitter names, I'm premed at Houston Baptist University. I've been questioning why since about the third week of school. It's not HBU that's the problem (I simply adore my fabulous school), it's me. I frankly suck at all things science and math. So, why, you might be asking, am I premed? Allow me to explain. When I was 14, I decided I need to pick a career so I could start planning for college. I thought I was way behind on the whole game because at 14, I had not yet taken the PSAT or SAT. I was insane. But that's beside the point. I decided that I would be a doctor (specifically an obstetrician-gynecologist), for a few reasons:

1) It was a job where I could help people every day.

2) I wouldn't be sitting at a desk all the time.

3) I would get to interact with people.

4) It was a financially stable job

5) It sounded really smart

Yes, the fifth one is a lame reason. But do you know what kind of looks people give a fourteen year old when she says she has a 35 year plan and knows exactly what she's going to do with her life? Very impressed. So I went with it. I decided to major in biology because I was getting an A in it in high school, and I thought surely in college we wouldn't bother with plants and cells, we'd jump straight to diseases and anatomy.

Reality check four years later: I hate science.

Further reality check: I really hate plants.

I'm pulling low A's and B's in biology, and low A's in precal. But I'm not interested in anything that's happening. I go to pre-health meetings, and I'm bored. My fear of cutting open a cadaver grows worse. In one of those pre-health meetings, we are told a story of a girl whose reasons to be a doctor were eerily similar to mine. She walked into her first cadaver class in medical school and fainted. A week later, she dropped out of medical school.

I don't want to be that person. I don't think I would actually make it that far any way. So I've decided to pursue a different path.

I'm going to change my major to Business Management and Political Science. My goal is to begin my career by working on political campaigns, before running for office myself. Eventually, I hope to achieve a high office, such as Governor of Texas or President.

I'm going to pray about it more, but I believe this is what God is calling me to do. He has put so many great opportunities in my life that point towards the political/business field. For instance, I have interned at my uncle's law office for a total of six months. I participated in Youth and Government, where I was blessed enough to be placed in the Senate my senior year. I have taken three government courses now. In one of these courses, I learned how to write a thesis-based argument paper, where I argued that the decision in Roe vs. Wade was incorrect legally and constitutionally. I was able to for free participate in speech and debate programs throughout high school, where I learned the skills necessary for a career in a political/legal/business field.

Also, I believe that God is telling me that I was not meant to be a doctor. I've been having nightmares about things such as cadaver dissection and the possibility of being legally forced to perform an abortion. In my biology test today, even though I studied a total of about 48 hours for it, I was unable to answer with confidence almost half of the questions. Science is clearly not one of my gifts. However, I have been told that I am a gifted public speaker, and that I have a talent for organization. I would really like to use these gifts to glorify God.

I am going to think and pray about this a lot more before I make my final decision. I'm going to schedule a meeting with my Freshman Year Seminar professor (who is also a business professor, and the pre-law advisor, if I decide to go that route) and discuss it with him. I will also meet with my biology advisor, and explain my fears to her. Also, I'm going to talk it over with my parents, priest, and godparents. My brother's godfather has offered to give me a tour of his ob/gyn offices, so I'll do that before I make my decision.

So, if next week there's a mass change of my internet user names, don't say you weren't warned :)

Lots of Love and please keep me in your prayers,

sCa

Monday, October 8, 2012

How I Study For Exams

So, since I have a bio exam coming up on Thursday (eek!), I'd thought I'd share how I study for my exams.

To start, I make a study plan, which looks something like this. I tend to do this two weeks in advance, get unmotivated and not follow it, and have to redo it for a week's worth of studying....oops....

Then I start reviewing my lecture notes, which I print off of Blackboard. I highlight all the vocabulary and the headings while we cover it in class. Then, I go through and make flashcards for all the terms. Each chapter gets a different color highlighter for it's flashcards, which corresponds to the color I'll use on the study guide sheet she gives us. Here's what my notes and cards look like:

Then I read through my lecture notes again obsessively. I underline as I read to keep myself from just skimming. This helps me stay focused. I do each read through with a different colored pen, so it ends up looking like a rainbow. An example:

That's my third read through of those notes. I doubt you can tell because of my lousy phone camera, but there is blue, lime green, and purple underlining on this one so far.

Then I go to my class notes. I highlight terms and headings, redraw all the diagrams on clean sheets of paper, and summarize each chapter's notes onto a single piece of notebook paper so I have all the concepts easily at hand. Here's the notes after the first go round:

A Redrawn diagram of the the reproductive cycles of Zygomycota and Ascomycota (we're studying fungus and plants right now. Bleck):

And my summary of the notes:

I do this chapter by chapter (each test covers 4 chapters). My professor takes her test questions directly from her lecture and class notes, so I don't really have to worry about what was in the textbook, but I'll go over any diagrams in there that she's referenced in class.

This leaves me feeling well prepared for each exam. I hope this helped some of you, and thank you for reading! If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for post topics, please leave me a comment below! I love reading them :)

Have a blessed and wonderful rest of Monday (please pray for my exam on Thursday!),

sCa

Sunday, October 7, 2012

What I'm Craving From Vineyard Vines Right Now

So I'm really regretting being a broke college student right now, because Vineyard Vines has some super cute stuff for fall! Here's what's on my wish list:

This skirt is absolutely darling. I love the print, and it's the perfect length-easy to sit down/stand up in, but not so long it looks stuffy.

I bought an umbrella during orientation (cause it was pouring), but my brother managed to lose it. I think this would be the perfect replacement....

I know this is a guy's shirt. But really. I just love oversize t-shirts.

Eeeeeee Shep Shirt! I love this style. I'm in a debate over the white or navy (purely mental, since I have no money for coffee, much less clothes)

These look beyond comfy. And they're so precious! Can you say late night study session wear?

It rains a ridiculous amount these days, and I'm constantly getting soaked cause of the lost umbrella. I don't have room in my tote bag/backpack for my raincoat.....but this one stuffs into it's own pocket! So it becomes super small, and ultra convenient for carrying around.

I love khaki skirts, and courdouray just screams fall to me. What's not to love?

I'm a coffee addict. My mom figured out that with all the money I've spent on coffee at Starbucks/Java City since January, I could have bought TWO coffee makers at William Sonoma, with money left over. Maybe if I'd had this, I'd have realized that sooner....

Whale sticker set! For my laptop, my planner, my car, my homework notebook.....so many uses!

This dress is adorable! And so multi-purpose! Date worthy (if I could find a boyfriend), throw on a sweater and it's perfect for church, add a jean jacket and it's ready for tailgating. I could even wear it to class with a sweater and my sperrys.

So that's what I'm pining for-what are y'all liking from Vineyard Vines right now? Comment and let me know!

Also, if you have ANY ideas for posts, please tell me! I'd really like to start posting on here more often, eventually daily. So anything you're curious about, just tell me!

All photo credit to Vineyard Vines.

Saturday, August 25, 2012

Fantastic Giveaway over at the Preppy Student Blog!

Hi Y'all!

Just wanted to let you know about an amazing giveaway happening at the Preppy Student's blog. She's offering a Southernly Stated pocket t-shirt to one winner. Let me tell you, I am in LOVE. Super adorable. I love pocket t-shirts, and this one is yellow! How perfect for wearing around campus?

So definitely head over to http://thepreppystudent.blogspot.com/2012/08/giveaway-southernly-stated.html?showComment=1345902804761#c3054072951280119594

and enter to win!

Lots of Love!

sCa

Thursday, August 16, 2012

Desk and School Supplies Tour!

Hey y'all! So this is a tour of my desk and school supplies (since I'm headed off to orientation in T-minus 25 minutes!). This is what my desk actually looks like. Since I'm a commuter, it is in my bedroom at home, between my bed and my sister's Barbie dollhouse (actually a bookcase we painted and glued window frames onto.) I got the actual desk about two weeks ago at a Junior League resale store for $27, which is pretty much the best thing ever.

It has these little shelves. On the top one, I keep a basket and box with school supplies, and the bottom one holds my monogrammed school tote and my pencil bag.

This is my laptop. I actually just made it look like this this morning-before it was all Lilly stickers from last year's planner and a hot pink curly letter monogram. I think it looks a bit more professional now, right?

This is the shelf on my desk, where I have my books, folders, notebooks, binders, lamp, and pencil cup (and my alarm clock, but you can't see it really in the picture).

My dry erase wall calendar....

My Lilly planner! I chose You Gotta Regotta, and I LOVE IT! It's so cute. I got the large size, and it's just perfect. The sticky note is so that I can turn to the current week really quickly. And yes, I got the Academic Sticker set, so it is monogrammed.

Inside shots of the planner:

It's open to next week, so all my classes are written in for then. The sticky note is my daily Bible studies, but, as you might notice, those are for this week (I just moved the note over a page cause I haven't written next week's out yet).

This is the inside of the front cover of my planner, with notecards detailing my color coding system (each class is it's own color), and my class schedule for this fall (with building and room numbers so I know where I'm supposed to be).

My Lilly notebook for writing down my homework assignments. I'm going to follow the advice of one of my favorite bloggers, Carly at The College Prepster, and keep homework out of my planner. Instead, I'm going to go through my syllabi each Sunday night and write everything that's due for the week in this notebook. I did something similar in high school and it really worked!

My notebooks and folders for each class correspond to the color-coding system in the planner, i.e. all of the Biology stuff is green.

My monogrammed binders! I'm so happy about these. People on tumblr actually made the monogram on the background for me, and then I dragged it into pages and expanded it, then added a text box with my classes. I have a binder for my Monday-Wednesday-Friday classes, and one for my Tuesday-Thursday classes.

My mason jar filled with pencils and pens:

This is the basket I keep on the shelf. This has school supplies that I would need to reach for fairly often, including paper clips, scissors, a pencil sharpener, extra pens, page flags, erasers, binder clips, and my USB drive (which is argyle!).

This is the box on the shelf. It's actually a Kate Spade Twirl perfume box. I got the perfume set for my 18th birthday, and thought the box would be great to store school supplies in.

In it are notecards, colored pencils, sticky notes, scantrons, monogram stickers, more scissors, and my Lilly Academic Sticker Set.

This is what I'm using as a pencil case. It's actually a Clinique make-up bag that came as a gift-with-purchase a while back. I thought it would be cute for fall, since it's purple and olive, with the fruit and leaves. It's also big enough to hold my calculator, which is VERY important, cause I hate having to dig through my bag for that thing.