American Red Cross

photo credit: http://artwelove.com.

     When I was in high school, I gave blood all the time and even set up a couple drives [one of which was the most successful blood drive in the Portland area for Summer 2009. We had to start turning potential donors down because we ran out of bags!], but I hadn't given blood since I graduated. Until today. 
     I am so afraid of needles and can't think straight or answer simple questions [like for the health history questions they ask before you can donate] before giving blood because I am freaking out. But I know how important it is to donate your time, money or blood to the American Red Cross and that the amazing feeling that you get after donating, knowing that you potentially saved three lives while only giving up about an hour of your time and a pint of blood that your body replenishes in about 24 hours, makes everything worth it. It's like going on the Tower of Terror at Disney. You're freaking out the whole time in line, thinking over and over that you're going to chicken out, but once it's over you think, 'hey! that wasn't too bad. When can I do it again!?' hahah that might have been a lame metaphor, but it really is kind of like that. Once it's over, you forget what you were so freaked out about and all you can think about is how great you feel for doing something so good. :]


Click here to find a blood drive near you!

Currently listening to... "Someone Like You" by Adele. I may be a few months or so late on this, but I'm loving me some Adele right now.

Dr. Dre.

     I'm so hardcore, it's scary. And I love this song.

But only watch/listen to this version until the 4:26 marker. Because after that, Hittman [by the way, who the hell is Hittman??] destroys every good thing that Dre and Eminem had accomplished.

Currently listening to... well.. duh.. just think it through and you'll figure it out.




P.S. Alcatraz is on tonight! And guess what! Glee is doing all MJ songs on tomorrow's episode. I can't wait :]

I had a grand day.

My clothing choice of the day.
As you can see, I'm still working on the whole
self-portrait thing. 

Today's been a good day. It all started with that morning jolt of my alarm clock at an unearthly hour [which I won't complain/brag about here] then to Leavey for erging [or sleeping/chatting/internet-surfing for the coxswains among us] at 5:50am then on the water at Lexington by 7:15. I was in the launch this morning, which is kind of a drag compared to being in a boat, but it was fun this morning with a couple of my favorite rowers in the launch with me. 
     Then I got some time before class which unfortunately did not equate to a shower [being as my floor's bathroom was being cleaned until I left for class, but I can't complain since some people have to clean their bathrooms themselves] but I did have enough time to get cute, but not enough time to chicken out of wearing my new jeans [they're kinda flashy]. 
     But it ended up being a good decision because a couple of ladies in my first class commented that they liked my pants and said that I should start a fashion blog! So then the idea came to me that my sisters [Shannon of Simply Shannon and Jessyka of Let's Talk About Beer] and I should expand our blogging horizons and do a collaboration style blog! We all have such different looks, so I feel that we would grab a lot of different types of readers [and this way we won't have to blog everyday! which we aren't very good at with just one blog]. Great idea? I thought so.
    And on top of all this, I got some packages in the mail and... guess what!? It's Friday!! [Friday. Gotta get down on Friiiiidaaayyy! Sorry. I had to. That song's never going away, so get used to it]. So no waking up at the butt-crack-of-dawn tomorrow morning and the Novice Lock-In is tomorrow night [any novice reading this, all I can say is this: beware). And I think I'm gonna get my hair did at some point this weekend. Possibly today. Even thinking about going back to the red..  hmmm.. 

Top: Material Girl by Madonna. Jeans: Cheap Monday.
Boots: sadly, I don't know! All I'm getting from what's written on the actual
boots is that they were made in China. Whoops.

Currently listening to... "Time Turned Fragile" by Motion City Soundtrack. Ah, MCS. Just to listen to you on the highest volume and sing at the top of my lungs is enough to make any day a grand day. 

old photographs

      Stumbled across some photographs from the graduation party for sister Jessyka from Let's Talk About Beer [who sadly, isn't actually in any of these pictures] tonight as I watched my favorite movie, How to Deal, for the thousandth time [which is a blast from the past in and of itself, since I found the receipt for the movie tonight and I bought it in 2006].

Waiting for Jessyka to get her diploma!

I'm pretty sure that this picture is still on the frig at home.

Looks like I've always been a crazy party-fiend.

creeper-peeker.

currently listening to... Mandy Moore having obscenely melodramatic outburst. My personal favorite? "Why doesn't anyone trust me to know what I know anymore?!"

New Year's Resolutions!

     Okay so I know this is roughly a month late, but I was giving myself some time to get a feel for 2012 and think through what I wanted to accomplish throughout this year. But recently, my sistah over at Simply Shannon did a post on her resolutions on a month-by-month basis [which I really hope works out for her!], so I decided to give it a shot! I'm not one for New Year's Resolutions because I feel like I'd never stick to them and I like to think that I can make goals for myself at any point of the year, not just January first, but I decided, what the hell, I'll pick out a couple things to really focus on.


     First of all, I'm gonna spend more time with the lovely ladies that I will be living with next year. We'll be together 24-7 this time next year, so we might as well start figuring out each others' tiniest subtleties now [if only because we won't be able to escape them later!]. 

This will be framed and on the mantle at Lemonade Stand next year.
Photo by Meggan Sisto.

     Next, I'm going to focus on my chemistry grade and get a high B or A this quarter. I'm not sure where this chemistry thing is going for me, but while I'm at it, I'm gonna give it my all. 

No more sleeping in class!
Photo by Sean Sullivan.

    Thirdly, I'm going to work on my confidence in the boat. I've talked to some other coxswains and a couple of my rowers and they've all said that, for the most part, I've got the goods, but that I just need to commit myself, so I can instill confidence in my rowers. It's simple, they won't trust me 100% until I trust myself 100%.

Gonna have more of these tosses in the spring!
Photo by Karla Gaitan.

    Lastly, I really want to explore this film photography thing that I'm dabbling in. My last two rolls turned out okay, with some pretty shitty shots, but also some pretty great ones. I'm hoping to take more trips specifically for photography and also to start some kind of photo series featuring my boys. I also plan to take a film photography course through SCU this spring, so I will learn how to develop my own film! How rad is that?

Okay.. well, those are my 2012 goals for now. Social, Academic, Athletic, and Creative. I'd say that that just about covers everything! And hopefully all of these are going to change/grow for the long run, not just these next eleven months. 

Wish me luck!

currently listening to... My Favorite Accident by Motion City Soundtrack.

Alcatraz

photo credit: http://images4.fanpop.com.

     I just spent roughly two hours of the maybe eleven hours that I plan on being awake today watching the premiere of Fox's newest drama, Alcatraz.  I cannot wait until next week. I'm hooked already.

photo credit: http://www.samneillonline.com.

very punny

My friend Michaela showed me this. I want to live this conversation. I want to be those blue speech bubbles.