Life is a highway...

Well today ended in a way I was not expecting... I spent 3 hours driving around Oklahoma City. The weather was gorgeous, the top was down, and I got to be the passenger... sometimes I really hate to drive!! It was a perfect evening!

My partner in crime and I had planned on grabbing a bite to eat... 3 hours later, we ended up back on campus! And we didn't even stop to eat!! Our drive took us to the lake, Bricktown, a sketchy neighborhood in OKC (whoops!), Heritage Hills, Edmond, and then back to campus. It was so great to drive around, talk, laugh, and listen to music. The perfect "calming effect" for my crazy, crazy day! Thanks Marty! :)

I hope y'all are as happy as I am that we are halfway through the week! xoxo, E

Today I'm Thankful...

Do you ever have a moment when you are so overwhelmed with the thought of someone that you can't help but call/text/email them as soon as possible?

This happened to me yesterday. The sermon at church was about helping the poor. At the end of the message, Pastor David stepped forward and said, "As we leave today, I want you to think about a few questions. First, in our world, who are the widows and orphans?" At this moment, a rush of sickness swept over me and tears welled up in my eyes. I had no clue what was going on, but the only thing I could think of was "what would I do if something happened to my parents?" I can tell you that it wouldn't be pretty... I'd probably have to be hospitalized. I can't tell you any of the other questions Pastor David asked. The only thing on my mind was that I needed to text (because the emotion was so overwhelming) Momma and Papas and tell them just how much I love them. I would never forgive myself if something happened to them, and I didn't take advantage of that opportunity to tell them how much they mean to me.

To move from one overwhelming moment to the next... After our sorority meeting last night, I came back to my room to work on a few things before heading to bed. As I sat at my desk, a wave of anxiety hit me like a ton of bricks. My chest tightened up, and I couldn't breathe normally. These attacks have happened in the past, but this was one where I couldn't pinpoint the cause.

But, one thing that kept running through my mind was the sermon from yesterday morning... The meat of the sermon was from Nehemiah chapter 5. We discussed helping the poor and the difference between righteous rich/poor and unrighteous rich/poor. I want to be one of the righteous ones. I never would have said (and probably still wouldn't say) that I feel called to the mission field. However, I do feel called to help others. I have a burning passion to work for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, and I think I might be called to work for Compassion International to work with the children that are sponsored abroad by the Christian community.

I have NO idea what God is going to do in my life, but I know He is busy at work. I used to always talk with friends about the fact that God might audibly talk to some, and others can just feel his presence. I feel like God and I have a very distinct rapport of communication... especially when He really wants me to do something... I always, always, ALWAYS feel sick. When I was in high school, and an adult would ask if someone wanted to get up and share/pray for the group/etc., I would always get a horrible stomach ache. Of course, this happened again yesterday... coupled with an anxiety attack.

This morning I woke up EXHAUSTED, and I still have a tight feeling in my chest. I will be in constant prayer until God relieves this pressure and reveals to me the purpose of it all. I appreciate any prayers you are willing to provide as well :)

Happy Monday! xoxo, E

Welcome to the Oklahoma State Fair!!

I went to my first state fair today!! And I've also checked another item off the senior year bucket list!

My friend Ellen and I dashed off to the State Fair today and had an absolute BLAST! What an adventure! We had to do some major off-roading to park the car. I'm so proud of Ellen for being able to drive with all the laughing that was going on in her car! After much ado, we arrived!

The first sight (and smell) you reach upon entering the fair was the petting zoo. Of course we went inside. I really want to visit Australia and Egypt, but I feel that now it's not such a necessity (kidding). We saw a kangaroo and gigantic turtle in the same cage... awkward.

Then, there was a GIGANTIC camel! You could also go on a camel ride at the fair. It was crazy!!

This was the CRAZIEST food booth. They take huge husks of corn and dunk them in a vat of butter... I felt my arteries clogging as we walked by.

I took the suggestion of some friends and tried a deep fried Oreo. YUM-O!

I think our favorite part of the Okie State Fair was the pig race!

Ellen and I were both expecting ugly potbelly pigs, but we were so surprised when 6 week old piglets raced! They were SO cute!!

Then they brought out Swifty. He was the tiniest pig I have ever seen in my life! He swam across the little pool and then started SQUEALING when they took him out of the water. Poor little guy.

The final event was a Big 12 Conference race. The OU pig won by a landslide. The OSU and UT pigs were lazy and were not as motivated to make it to the Oreos at the finish line. SO funny!

After we hit all the booths outside, we went inside the Pavilion and had some fun free samples. There was a popcorn stand with a HUGE variety of flavored popcorns. I was safe and got Carmel... Ellen got the Banana popcorn sample, it was a little weird, not going to lie.

I tried a Peach Bellini Slushie and it was SO yummy!! Yay for being 21!! Haha.

Tonight is the roomie's big show! SO excited to hang out with Ellen some more!! :)

xoxo, E

Friday Night Lights

Yesterday was a crazy day!!

My team and I labeled 500 packages of Lifesaver gummies and 500 Blowpops to prepare for our fundraiser's Awareness Week to benefit St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

After we finished, it was time to prepare for Oozeball... this involved shoveling a ton of mud to evenly cover the volleyball court. Lesson learned: I am not good at shoveling... in fact, I'm quite awful.

After dinner, I drove out to Moore with a friend to go to his high school's football game. We made the trip after he resolved that it was time for me to learn all about football. I have to admit, it was awesome.

It's a really interesting game when you understand the rules, and the crowd around us was SO entertaining! I even made a new friend! The little boy next to us was jumping from one bleacher to the next; when it started to rain, his dad told him to stop because he might slip and fall. He walked in front of us and looked like he was about to slip... I reached out to catch him and said, "Careful!" He then walked a couple more steps, looked at me, and pretended to slip again. He was such a smart, little stud!! He charmed me with his smile! :)

It was a really exciting game and Josh's high school team won in overtime!! Although, as we left the game, we both talked about how weird it was to be back in a high school environment. It was so funny to watch the innocent flirting, and the teenagers standing around... clearly not wanting to go home. Look out, I liked a football game! I'm becoming an Okie!!

Today, Ellen and I are going to the State Fair (my first one), and then we're seeing the roomie in "Children of Eden" tonight!! Happy Saturday!! xoxo, E

We're just really thirsty...

My friend Mary and I went to Sams Club yesterday to purchase drinks for tomorrow's Oozeball (mud volleyball) event.

I was told to buy 3 cases of Diet Coke, Coke, and Sprite, 6 cases of Dr Pepper and DDP, and 10 cases of Gatorade... of course, that meant 3 of Diet Coke, 3 of Coke, 3 of Sprite, 6 of DP, and 6 of DDP... And each case had 24 cans... SO MANY DRINKS! (we calculated about 700)

We also bought some Halloween Candy for the Student Union.

One customer walked by our cart and said, "Wow! That's a lot of drinks." And of course my reply was, "Well, we're really thirsty." Just call me little miss sassy pants.

Whenever life hands me moments that have the potential to be horribly embarassing, I like to just stand in the middle of Sams Club and laugh... and it definitely happened yesterday!

Happy Friday!! xoxo, E

FALL

It's finally Fall! I love this season. The leaves change (at least in NC they do) and the weather is perfection. It's really nice in OKC this week, so I took full advantage of the light-scarf weather. Love it!!

It's so nice to walk outside in the evening and smell the cool weather. Ahhh, I love this time of year. Thanksgiving and Christmas are right around the corner... you might not believe me, but it's true!

I can't wait to do a pumpkin carving! Marcus and I are planning a pumpkin themed get-together for the two of us. It's gonna be a BLAST!!

I also cannot wait to go home for Fall Break and see our fabulous Frankenstein pumpkin!!

Do you love this time of year as much as I do? It may be in part to the fact that my skin tone and hair color do REALLY well with warm fall colors :) hehe

It's almost Friday!! xoxo, E

It's all about the confidence...

Are you confident? Are you confident that you are not confident?

I was standing in the hallway talking to my neighbors Friday night about how I do not think I could have an intelligent conversation with them about politics. Two of them are in the process of taking their LSAT... yeah right! Like I have a shot at that one! Anyway, one of the guys says, "But E, you are so confident. You are even confident as you tell us that you are not confident in discussing politics!" It's true, I do come across as a confident person, but I know my limits. LOL

Confidence can get you anywhere you want to go. Prime example: When Momma and I were in Milan this summer, we got off the train and had NO CLUE where to go. We wandered for a few moments and walked past a nice hotel. We decided to go inside and ask the concierge for directions. We waited for him to finish up with a guest, then we stepped up to the counter. After chatting for a few moments, he pulled out a map and showed us exactly where to go. He even went as far as to tell us which landmarks to visit, in addition to our original request of how to get to the shopping district. After we finished getting directions we asked, "Oh! And where is the bathroom here in the lobby?" After we made our pit-stop we walked back through the lobby to leave. He called after us, "see you ladies in a bit!" He totally thought we were guests in the hotel. Our confidence served us well! Oh, and we definitely made a pre-train pit-stop back at the same hotel.

Confidence is everything!

I will be confident, and pretending to be confident, for the next month and a half in the various events and jobs that are quickly approaching. xoxo, E

Pearls?! Yes Please!!

I love pearls... especially when they are costume jewelry!! I am a nervous wreck whenever I wear my real strand... No last minute hairspray or spritz of perfume for me... and if you know me, I am a total last minute spray and spritz kind of girl.

But ANYWAY, I am really into layering my jewelry right now... I'm dying to get some new pearl pieces to experiment with!

Love the layered necklaces!

And the chunky pearl bracelets!

Jewelry is such a fun way to dress up a casual look and is so fun to experiment with!! Go crazy today; pair up a couple of pieces that you've never worn together!! xoxo, E

So In Love...

I am so in love with my nephew...

Isn't he just precious?!

Loving the caption Kristen put with this pic on Facebook...

"Proof it's not safe to drink and drive."

Hope you had a great weekend!!

xoxo, E

Successful Saturday

It has been such a productive Saturday!

I started out my day with an Entertainment workshop until noon. Then, I went out to lunch with Ellen. Love her SO much! After we got back to school, I started working on my Advertising Portfolio for class. Yes, part of my homework is to look through magazines... today's poison was InStyle and Vanity Fair. Love.

I then started working on the box for the registration forms for our St. Jude fundraiser. Pretty cute right?!

I ran 2 miles tonight at the gym! Hopefully Mere and I will be ready for our 5K that's coming up! So far we've only run on the treadmill... I wonder how big of a transition it'll be to run outside... Hmmm.

Well, after such a productive day, I'm exhausted! Off to bed early tonight!! xoxo, E

Heart Attack Averted!

If you are a Facebook user, I'm sure you've seen the multiple "warning: such and such is a virus" messages. Well, my Facebook wasn't working tonight, and I kept getting a message that made me worry I had a virus.

However, I'm a very lucky girl because my sweet friend Kim's amazing, Apple savvy boyfriend saved the day and told me how to fix the problem! Facebook still isn't working, but no error message!! HOORAY!!!

THANK YOU ERICK!!!!

My own personal rain cloud

I have felt like poor Eeyore the past few days. I literally feel like there's a fog inside my head. There have been a few cases of the piggy flu (H1N1 is not as fun to say!) on campus, in addition to the regular flu and bronchitis. And wouldn't you know, I'm sick now too. I don't have a fever or anything horrible like that, but it is still stinky when you cannot make yourself focus! Ugh.

I cannot wait until I get back to my bouncy and bubbly self.

It's been rainy and just ugh in OKC this week. I want the sun to come back out! I haven't seen it in DAYS! But I guess rainy days are nice when you're sick... I always sleep better when it's gloomy outside.

I hope your week has been better than mine! xoxo, E

New Fashion Trends?

I do not generally consider myself someone that knows the fashion trends before they are trends... but I DO know that these will not be walking the runway anytime soon.

Introducing... Vibram FiveFingers

Aren't they just lovely? I first heard about FiveFingers yesterday at work when Kim mentioned that her BF would be purchasing them. OMG. Have you ever seen anything so funny? Thank you Erick for giving us a laugh in the office!!

xoxo, E

It's Monday Again...

After about 15 hours of being trained on the Pearl Tiger moving light board, it is now official... I'm CERTIFIED!!

It was so exciting to work with the lights and to create a "show" as a part of our test! I can't wait to find out what my work assignments are this semester. Hopefully I will get to program and operate the lights for one of the shows. However, I can only imagine the stress that will come with that job assignment.

On a much more "wah wah" note... I think I'm sick. We've had a few cases of the piggy flu on campus, as well as the regular flu, and bronchitis too. My throat started hurting yesterday evening and it's still pretty sore today. "I won't be sick, I won't be sick." Let's see if repeating it over and over again works!!

Have a Marvelous Monday!

xoxo, E

Weekend Whirlwind

Happy Saturday! I've got a crazy weekend ahead of me! I was selected to participate in the moving light workshop today (9am-9pm) and tomorrow (9am-9pm). Whew! But this is going to be a great opportunity to learn about programming and running the lighting board and just another skill to make myself more marketable :) After all, that is the goal for all of us that are entering the entertainment world!

This picture is not related to this post at all, but I've been saving it to share with you all. I am the girl that eats chinese food with a fork and sushi with my fingers (sorry momma!), but I would learn to use chopsticks if a mini cupcake was at the end!! LOL

Have a great weekend! xoxo, E

I'm proud to be an American

"I'm proud to be an American, where at least I know I'm free. And I won't forget the men who died, who gave that right to me."

It's hard to believe that 8 years have passed since the tragedy of 9/11. I remember the months following the event; almost every car had an American flag hanging from the car window.

The American pride was undeniable.

In the years since, I believe the feeling of American Pride has been diluted in the lives of many. However, I am grateful for days like today when people remember previous events and that passion within them is "spiced up" a bit.

Because we live in America: we have the opportunity to agree/disagree with our leadership; we are free to work in whatever field we want; we can advance in society; we can speak freely; we have justice; we have the opportunity to CHOOSE.

I am so grateful for those that fight both here and abroad for my freedom. Also, I am so blessed to have so much love in my life.

Be proud today! We are Americans!

xoxo, E

Are you doing what you love?

Nothing in life is ever certain; That much we know. But even if we get to do what we love, who knows how long it will last. It is important to cherish every moment and do the best that we can in the time we are given.

Life isn't fair. I bet you've heard that one before too! Good things happen to bad people, and bad things happen to good people . The true test of character is how the good handle the bad that comes their way.

I started thinking about how these statements apply to my life. I keep saying "It's only the third week of school?!" or "Only two months until Homecoming is over, and I can relax again!" However, I need to appreciate every moment/experience that I have remaining in college. The remaining time is short, and this is an experience that I will never be able to get back. 

As for the second statement, I know that I am going to encounter some "bad things" while working on Homecoming. I had a boy come up to me this weekend and say, "So you know, I notoriously hate whoever is in charge of Homecoming. And this year that's you." I need to remember to keep my cool and speak kindly in tough situations. I want my actions to be a true representation of who I am (and hopefully that'll be a respectful and kind person, LOL)

So, it's a short post today because I'm off to cherish my college experiences (aka: go to class, LOL)

xoxo, E

A Laborious Labor Day Weekend

I had a conversation with a friend last night about Labor Day. He was talking about his never-ending "To Do List," and I was talking about my lack of sleep/down-time over the weekend. Contrary to the name of the holiday, we are not supposed to labor on our three-day weekend. We should be relaxing... it's a holiday for crying out loud! 

Needless to say, the overwhelming "labor" of my weekend resulted in a very sleepy-eyed, "I don't want to get up" kind of morning. I'm hoping to snap out of it ASAP. Oh! Perhaps I'll take a nap today! Yes. That'd be nice.

Meredith and I are still training for our Homecoming 5K. Yesterday, she ran a mile without stopping (woohoo!), and I alternated walking for a song/running for a song. Whew. It's easier to run for 4 minutes when you have a peppy beat. I'm going to have to do some iTunes downloading in the coming weeks to gear up for the run. 

Oh! But as a "practice 5K," Mere and I are going to run the Swazi 5K that is sponsored by our church here in OKC on October 10th. 

We are SO excited. 

Well I think that's all of the updates for now. 

Wishing you a terrific Tuesday! xoxo, E

I am so happy, So happy am I...

I am so happy. So happy am I. That I am a Gamma, Gamma Phi. We eat happy, sleep happy, happy are we. 'Cause we are the sisters, of G Phi B!

We had a great Preference Night last night! 

Mere and I got a little bit silly while waiting for the second party to wrap up... we were pretending like we were in jail. LOL

One of our favorite things about Pref is the cake we get to eat! YUM-O! I caught Mere and Courtney eating theirs on the patio. 

This morning we received 28 girls into our Gamma Phi Beta sisterhood. I'm so excited to call these amazing women my sisters! 

Here's to the pledge class of 2009!

xoxo, E

The Best of Friends... The Forever Kind

Last night was the 2nd Party Night for Sorority Recruitment.

To continue our NFL: Nations Finest Ladies theme, the room was decorated with football paraphernalia. 

The focus of last night's party was our various philanthropy involvement. First, our international philanthropy Camp Fire USA. Next, our chapter's philanthropy Ovarian Cancer Awareness. And finally, we got the girls that were going through recruitment involved in our efforts by helping us "build a bear" for children that are removed from "unfit" homes. 

It was another great party night. I think that being a senior makes you appreciate moments that you wouldn't otherwise. Last night Mere and I sat on the patio with some of our sisters and we laughed for probably a good 30 minutes. We had sisters come to our rescue and chase (or hop after) a frog in order to save us from his attack. New inside jokes were created (aren't those the best?!), and I would even argue that new friendships formed. I love my sisters, and I feel so blessed to be a Gamma Phi Beta.

Tonight is our final party night and this ceremony truly shows our deep bond as sisters.

xoxo, E

"Gamma Phi Beta Welcomes You Here"

Last night was the first night of Recruitment (or rush, lol) and it went very well! I can't believe it's my last year to be a part of this process! I met some absolutely wonderful women last night that I know would do splendidly in our house. We had four parties last night (to those of you that go/went to bigger universities, I'm sure that sounds like nothing), and I was absolutely exhausted by the end! We had frozen pink lemonade (yum-o!) and sang our songs for the girls. They all loved "Fraternity Man" (and it just happens to be one of my favorites as well).

Here are a few pictures from last night:

Claire and I

You can kind of see it in the back... 

Our theme this year is NFL: Nations Finest Ladies

Last night was our NFL Hall of Fame :)

Mollie and ME

Whenever I hear, "E-Newton!," I know it's Mollie

My name twin! Okay, so she goes by Liz, but her name is Elizabeth too :) Love this girl.

Time to gear up for night 2 of recruitment!!!

xoxo, E

Dreaming...

Have you ever had a dream where you needed to use the potty, but you just couldn't go? Usually, I wake up from the dream and realize I actually need to tinkle (too much info? LOL)

Well, I had a similar experience yesterday morning. In my dream, I was talking to the Dean of my school. After a lengthy conversation, I walked out of his office and saw my co-worker standing before me... 

"Oh no! Charlie! What time is it?!" 

"Dude, I don't know... but it's definitely after 5." 

"Shoot!!! I missed my scheduled time to work!"

At this point, I awoke and looked at the clock on  my nightstand: 8:10a.m. 

Shoot!! I set my alarm for 7:15a.m.!!

Time to get up!! I quickly washed my hair and got ready for class. Luckily, I give myself plenty of time to get ready in the morning, so this episode of over-sleeping did not result in a missed class. Whew. 

The Moral of the Story: Your subconscious knows when you need to get out of bed!

Hopefully, my Taylor Swift ringtone will wake me up (and keep me awake) next time!

xoxo, E

A Road to Self Discovery... Is that your final answer?

What would your answer be if someone were to ask you, "Whose career/lifestyle do you admire?" 

Well, I was asked that question as a part of my reading assignment for my Entertainment Business I class. We are reading "You've Only Got 3 Seconds," and there are multiple personality/value tests in the book to help you discover more about yourself. 

Things I learned about myself: 

- I have good self-worth

- I do not believe that life is a series of exchanges 

(I will do for you even if you aren't going to do anything for me)

- I am motivated by recognition 

- Spending time with my grandmother is probably one of the most vivid and positive memories of my childhood.

(Have I already told you the stories? If so, please forgive me for re-telling them... When I would stay with my Nanny, she would make me pancakes in the morning with my initials monogramed on the pancake. She introduced me to the ORIGINAL Parent Trap, Pollyanna, Escape To Witch Mountain, and soooooo many more movies. I would always snack on the plethora of candy in her kitchen while watching movies, but her Dalmatian was always there to eat the skittle colors that I didn't like... we had a system.)

- There isn't anyone I would want to switch lives with

(I must admit, I was pretty happy with that answer! I'm so happy with where my life is and where it's going!)

- I have no clue what I would do if I win the lottery. Like none. Save? Spend? AHH!!!

- I'm a ESTJ personality: "a person who believes in the 'work ethic.' Conservative, traditionalist, comfortable in hierarchical structure, honor bound and obligated, pessimist, joiner, backbone of society." Hmm... that is a pretty accurate description, although I would argue against the "pessimist" label. And I interpret "joiner" as being a part of far too many activities! LOL

But to get back to my original question at the start of this post, "Whose Career/Lifestyle Do You Admire?" 

You may be thinking, "I wonder what Elizabeth's answer was?"

Buckle up folks...

The first answer that popped into my mind was...

Rachel Zoe.

Now, if you do not know who Rachel is, that's okay. She is a celebrity stylist who has her own show on Bravo and she is living a "glamourous life." To explain my choice, I wrote : "I think I am drawn to the apparent glam and 'fabulousity' of her career as a stylist. It is something I would love to experience in my life, but I know that I want to have a healthy balance." I would love, love, love to work for Rachel (even if just as a summer intern) so that I could experience the reality of her job. I just think it'd be amazing to go to New York Fashion Week, and have the opportunity to shop and style celebrities for a living... 

Take a look at her studio... for real... I DIE!

xoxo, E

Senior Year Bucket List UPDATE

There have been some changes to the Senior Year Bucket List. One has been accomplished, one has changed, and a few have been added!

Woo hoo!

1. Watch "Twister" (I feel like it's a necessity

after going to school in Oklahoma)

Completed: August 22, 2009

2. Go to the OKC Bombing Memorial

3. Go to POPS!/Get our kicks on Route 66

4. Get a Little Caesar's pizza.

(I haven't had it since I was in elementary school)

5. Go see the Christmas lights in Nichols Hills.

6. Visit OU (University of Oklahoma) and possibly attend

an athletic event

7. Go to the Oklahoma State Fair

8. Volunteer at an area soup kitchen/Ronald McDonald House

9. Go to a Piano Bar

10. Eat at Iguanas (a Mexican restaurant here in OKC)

11. Have a picnic at Lake Hefner

12. Train for and run in the 5K at Homecoming

13. Train for a half marathon and run next December to benefit St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

14. Eat at Big Truck Taco (and try the fried avocado)

xoxo, E

Do my friends know me or what?

I had a very special surprise waiting for me when I checked my mail yesterday. A very sweet friend sent me these ADORABLE magnets.

Doesn't she know me and my obsession with olives so well? 

Thanks Leslie!

The agenda for today is: Stage Management class, Work for an hour and a half, lunch with Megs, break, Touring class, then gym, dinner, and time at the Gamma Phi Beta house to prep for rush this weekend! I'm hoping that somewhere in there will be some time to sit back and relax... so here's to a Terrific Tuesday! xoxo, E