12 weeks until the hardest day of my life

I will be running my first half marathon 12 weeks from today!

Luckily, my best friend Meredith is doing it with me!

To date, I've run a 5K (with Mere)

and an 8K

I didn't actually train for those two, but I did learn some valuable lessons.

From the 5K, I learned: don't run the night before, even if it is to make sure you can do at least 2 miles at a time for your 3.1 mile run less than 12 hours away.

For the 8K, I didn't run the night before (a MUCH better idea). Lesson learned: 4.96 miles are easier than 3.1... but that doesn't mean I can do 13.1 without training.

I've got a training program in place and it starts today.

My organizational OCD-ness is taking over.

I'm going to keep impeccable records for this process.

So here we go with today's agenda:

Tracking my weight

Taking my measurements

Downloading songs for my iPhone

Checking out the course... and a later task will be figuring out where I want my parents to stand along the route to cheer us on!

Happy Sunday! xoxo, E

Snowy musings... and conclusions

What I've learned in the last 3 days...

1. The Burberry rain boots are terrific snow boots. Seriously, one of the best purchases I've ever made.

2. My sweet Betty is a God send in winter weather. Driving in the snow feels like off-roading!!

3. You should never be overly confident while driving. Just because you made it safely on the city roads and through the crazy parking lots doesn't mean you're good to go. Sometimes when you pull into your parking garage you can slip on a random patch of ice. Pride cometh before the skid.

4. If the safety of you pulling out in front of me would be questionable on an 80-degree sunny day, you probably shouldn't do it in this weather of ice and snow!

5. No matter how "mature" and "professional" they are, guys turn into six-year-old boys when it snows.

Jack knocked down all the icicles we walked past and decided to make a snow angel on the walk to the grocery store.

Jeff, you have a snowflake on your shoulder... or 500 of them. Jack threw snow on Jeff so then Jeff chased Jack. I felt like their mother "Boys! Be careful! One of you could slip and fall, and we all know Jeff will be the one to wipe out!"

6. College students are resourceful. I came upon a friend scraping his windshield last night. As I approached, I realized he was using a spatula.

"Ummm, Aaron. Whatcha doing there?"

"I don't have an ice scraper. Gosh, my hands are cold. My gloves are soaked."

"Well, you should put on oven mits! You could have a whole kitchen theme!"

Oh I love snow days!! I think that's all for now!! xoxo, E

Snowy, snowy days

We are on the tail end (I hope) of Ice-a-Palooza with about 6 inches of snow thrown in!

Here's a pic of the courtyard...

I was shocked with all the snow on this tree. Talk about a snow drift!! I have never seen so much snow falling in my life!

p.s. I apologize for the quality of the photo. It was taken with my iPhone while I was on the elliptical.

While I love the winter wonderland, I have a case of cabin fever. I'm pretty sure it came on faster than ever before!!

I've had four friends that have kept me in stitches during this time though.

Will. Grace.

Karen.

and Jack!!

Thank goodness Jeff has the box seasons 2 and 3. I keep laughing out loud. Man, I love this show!

Happy Saturday!

xoxo, E

A New Addition

You might notice a new addition to the right side of my blog...

I decided to add a clock that would keep me (and those of your reading) informed of what time it is in Swaziland. Although I do not leave until March 11, I thought it'd be a good thing to have on the blog :) Enjoy!

We are in the middle of an ice/snow storm and cabin fever is on its way I'm afraid! Eeek!!

xoxo, E

Well that works out well...

I was about to start this post with my sheer excitement that J. Crew's spring line is now online... then I realized that it's Thursday and time for my "Top 10" list of the week... Luckily, the two work well together!

Top 10 Favorite Pieces in the new spring line at J.Crew

1. These shoes are SO cute!

2. I'm not even CLOSE to thinking about (slash wanting to) put on a bathing suit any time soon, but I'm loving the gingham

3. Girls, can we please make it a social norm again to wear more hats. This one is just so beach chic

4. I love, love, LOVE this tank.

And it looks way cute under the sweater with layered necklaces!

5. So this shirt does not photograph well but it's way cute in person.

I'm pretty sure I can't wear yellow, but I really like it

6. I have an obsession with our boyfriend v-neck tee's and the color assortment right now is BANANAS.

7. Everyone loves the favorite tank, and it's new(ly different) this season! Last year the tanks were outrageously long and bizarrely tight... looks like they fixed the problem... and some great colors as well!

8. I'm loving these black pencil pants... they're my motivation to hit the gym hard right now

9. This skirt made my favorites list as kind of a joke. It is an adorable skirt, don't get me wrong, but as we were unpacking the boxes Monday night, my manager pulls it out and says "Okay, so cute, but where will I wear it?" Gatlin and Myself: "Duh, the grocery store... a trip to the mailbox... walking the dog. It's SO versatile!" Hahahaha. (In case you can't tell from the picture, it's über-dressy

10. Like the black pants above, these shorts are providing gym-spiration. I think they are so cute and a great take on the traditional blue jean short.

I hope you enjoyed this weeks list! I know I did... if only my bank account was supportive of the Thursday series :) Hehe. Happy Thursday!

xoxo, E

PLEASE READ!!

I wish I were... an Oscar Mayer... wait, what?

I watched a clip of Monday's "Today Show," hosted by Kathie Lee Gifford and (guest host) Kristin Chenoweth.

Kristin (an OCU grad, sorority sister, and pretty darn amazing Broadway/television star) promoted her work with Oscar Mayer's Good Mood Mission.

The Good Mood Mission "started the year by donating 1 million pounds of food to Feeding America, the nation's leading domestic hunger-relief charity. Our goal is 2 million pounds, and we need your help to reach it."

It's SO easy!!! Click HERE and complete this sentence "it doesn't get better than __________" All you have to do is share your "good mood" and they will add one more pound to the food they donate.

I shared the site with co-workers yesterday... and now I'm sharing with you.

I have an additional challenge, leave a comment here as well with your answer! I'm dying to know! Let's see how many Olive My Life! followers take 30 seconds today to make a difference!!

xoxo, E

So long savings!!

I'm saying "So long!" to my savings account.

Well that is not at ALL true, but I was reminded last night how detrimental it can be for me to work at J.Crew. I worked from 6:30-midnight and we "rolled out" the new line. OMG, so much cute stuff!!

I mostly unpacked boxes and folded product, however the accessory table was my job... Hmm, I'm thinking it might be because of my obsession with headbands? Actually, I know that's why my manager picked me to do it, lol.

Anyway, I'm really proud of how it turned out.

And the new line is GORGEOUS. If you are a J.Crew fan, check it out!!

p.s. I almost bought an adorable black pea-coat while at work last night. I'm 120% sure my Momma would have cut up my credit card though. Last time she was here, I wanted to get this adorable navy coat from the crew. Before she "let" me buy it, Momma made me name and count the number of coats I have. After about nine I decided I didn't want to play that game anymore. LOL.

Have a terrific Tuesday!!

xoxo, E

Talk about an anti-depressant

New York, New York, What a Wonderful Town!!!!

Momma sent me a text today asking how New York sounded for Easter weekend...

Um, duh!! The answer is always, "YES!!!"

I am SO excited for this semester now...

Here's the lineup for NYC:

We are seeing "The Addams Family"

And what I am MOST excited about is "Promises, Promises"

April cannot get here soon enough!!!

xoxo, E

CoCo Chanel

I rented CoCo Chanel and it was such an amazing movie!

The movie tells the story of CoCo (did you know her real name was Gabrielle?) before she was CoCo Chanel.

She was such a beautiful and strong woman...

... and revolutionized the fashion world for women. She wore pants (and the men were shocked when they could see her legs), hats that were not the normal frilly and feathery hats worn by most women, and wanted to make it on her own merit.

I was so inspired by this movie and her strong spirit. If you haven't watched the movie yet, it's worth the trip to Blockbuster.

On a semi-separate note, I love the new ad campaign for the Chanel Cocoon line

It's very Audrey Hepburn-esque. Love... Love... LOVE!!!!

xoxo, E

Dolce & Gabbana. Fendi and Adonna... Se7en Jeans, True Religion. I say no, but they keep givin'

- Black Eyed Peas

Living in a material world, And I am a material girl

- Madonna

We are a consumer society, and we always want more, more, MORE!

Did you see Hope for Haiti on MTV? I was working out at the gym and it was on. There were SO many performers that donated their time and shared their talents. Many celebrities also donated their time to thank donors who called in to support the relief efforts in Haiti.

I was so moved by the stories that I logged online to www.hopeforhaitinow.org and donated. As a "poor college student," I don't always feel like I'm able to make a difference, but I know that every little bit helps.

Happy Weekend! xoxo, E

Absence...

I've been a bit MIA this week because it's been a blue week. However, it has forced me to make myself a priority... and things are looking up :)

Although it may seem a bit gloomy,

this weeks "Top 10" list is...

My Top 10 Fears:

1. I am afraid of falling. I don't mind heights. But the moment I think about falling, it's over.

2. I'm afraid that I will be diagnosed with Melanoma again. Recently it's been on my mind a lot more.

3. I'm afraid of losing my parents. I am that kid that cannot even discuss it without crying. I would be lost without them.

4. I am afraid that I will graduate from college and not be able to get a job.

5. I'm afraid to fail... at anything

6. I'm afraid of the unknown (Something I'm trying to conquer with my trip to Swaziland. While I'm going with my church here in OKC, I don't really know anyone going on the trip with me.)

7. I am fearful of death... not the after part... more of how I'm going to die. morbid much? lol

8. I'm afraid that some of my most cherished friendships will change drastically following college.

9. I'm afraid that I will disappoint those around me

10. I'm [at times] afraid to step out and do something I really want to do... I listen to outside voices far too much and allow the opinions of others to influence me

Well that was therapeutic! Thanks for listening!

It's Thursday! Hooray!!

We should always have 3 day weekends and 4 day school/work weeks!!

xoxo, E

If everyone else jumped off a bridge...

... would you do it too?

At this moment, I think I just might.

Ok... not really... but I'm itching for an adventure.

I think it may be because I had so much going on last semester (and a lot of stress to boot) and this semester is just a lot of school stuff. At least right now it is.

I've had a hard time transitioning into "normal life" after our NYC trip. When we were there I realized just how much I want to move to the city after graduation (and for an internship this summer).

I am really trying to break free from this funk because it's my last semester with my senior friends, but I just can't seem to do it.

I need a challenge, I need to jump off a bridge... well, what I really need to do is start applying for internships. That'll give me a fun project to work on that will start yielding results!

Here are the semester countdowns:

5 1/2 Weeks until Billy Joel/Elton John Concert

7 1/2 Weeks until Swaziland

13 Weeks until I turn 22

14 Weeks until my Half Marathon

16 Weeks until summer

... and can we please draw attention to the fact it's almost the end of January!! Oh man, here we go! Happy MLK day tomorrow! I love 3-day weekends!!! xoxo, E

It's "Thursday Series" Day!

Top 10 Things I love about my Roomie

1. She got my laundry out of the dryer for me yesterday when I had to run off to class before the towels were dry

2. She folded the towels for me... what an awesome surprise when I got home

3. She turns off all the lights in the living room before going to bed... otherwise they would never be off

4. She walks into my bathroom and looks at herself in the mirror, and stops to gaze at herself in the full length mirror on my door, every time she comes into my room.

5. She has impeccable fashion sense, yet still wears crew socks.

(See previous post here)

5a. She has a great sense of humor and lets me pick on her

6. She is so incredibly talented

7. She is thoughtful... the time that sticks out in my mind most recently is the letter she left me before driving home for Thanksgiving. She wrote out why she was thankful for me. It meant the world.

8. She loves impromptu sing-alongs and photo booth video performances

9. She is an amazing Christian woman

10. She has been my roomie for almost 3 years now... and is still willing to entertain the idea of living with me after college!!!

Freshman Year - 2006

We lived on the same floor in the freshmen girls dorm

Sophomore Year - NYC 2007

1st year as roomies

Junior Year - Fall 2008

First Day of SENIOR YEAR - Fall 2009

Love you LJL!

xoxo, EMN

First (two) days of school...

I've made it through the first two days back at school!! Woohoo!!

I ordered my books via Amazon and saved the parents over $250! I picked up my 7 boxes/envelopes from the mailroom yesterday.

This box was full of peanuts...

and this book was inside...

was the sender afraid this teeny-tiny book would break?

The roomie and I had a bonding moment yesterday. At one point she kicked her leg up in the air (who knows why) and I was dumbfounded. The conversation went a little something like this:

"Linds!"

"What?!"

"Pull up your pant leg... what is going on there?"

"You like my socks?"

"Well you look like a 4 year old boy, but sure..."

(I then pull out my iphone to capture the moment)

"... you say I don't mention you much anymore, but this picture is totally going on my blog"

"Wait! Take a picture of me with my pant leg down so they won't think I just walk around like that!"

"No way! This is funnier!"

The End.

Sorry rooms! Love you!

Let's see what this semester holds! Buckle up... Here we go!

xoxo, E