Wednesday, March 28, 2012

{Spring Break Edition}

Last week was Spring Break, and I'm pretty sure I haven't slowed down since. I didn't have any big plans over the break - for the past few years, I have been on a trip of some sort over Spring Break. So, the boy and I went to my hometown to spend some time with my family. It was wonderful. Except...

 I got sick - You know all those different, yucky sicknesses that were going around before Spring Break and I was bragging because I didn't catch them, yeah I caught them. I am thankful, however, that my body held off to get sick until Spring Break because I am a teacher, but it made for a miserable time. 

No internet - my family lives in the stone age! Ok not really, but my sister's house, where I was staying, doesn't have internet. 

It rained. And not just here and there. It rained for four days straight. It rained so much, I felt like a fish. And of course, the only shoes I brought were my brand new tennies (this is what I like to call tennis shoes), my Toms (that are falling apart so rain just flowed right in), Leopard print flats (flats + rain = no bueno), and boots with heels (that sunk in the ground ever step I took).

But despite my sickness, excommunication from the 21st century, and my shoe epidemic, the trip was a success.  We were supposed to travel back to the city on Thursday, but we were having such a good time, we stayed until Friday.

The 'rents!

My lovely sister and her 5 children! I stayed at her place, but the kids
were on trips of their own. So, I kept my sanity :)

Since I know you are dying to know what kept us their a day longer, I shall tell you! We played Yahtzee like it was going out of style (wait... I think it has been out for a long time), I showed Johnny around my "huge" hometown and we ate at all the local food joints (you know, the two my town has), and we went to the auction (yes, a good time in my hometown is spending Thursday nights at the local auction)!Go ahead and laugh at the auction going, but I found some lovely antiques! And we only paid 50 bucks for the truck load! I will show you what all we got in my next post!

When we finally got back to the city, the weekend was already booked up. I will not go into every little thing we did, but we did spend one entire day out with two of or best friends! And should I include that they just got engaged? Yes, I shall! We went to the Science Museum with our lovely, newly engaged friends, Kaleigh and Greg! You can read their engagement story here if you want - it's too sweet not to! She's a blogger as well, so you don't have to know her to enjoy (I have discovered that about the blog realm)! 


That is my Spring Break story! Anything fun happen in your world over Spring Break?! 



Monday, March 26, 2012

Musical {Grease!}

The musical that is up for today is... Grease! I have been holding off on this fabtabulous (I've used this word twice today, so that means it's a real word now right?) musical until a warm, sunny Spring day! And that is exactly what today is! Don't you just love Spring?

All pics via google
If you were a teenage girl at some point, I am pretty sure you have seen this musical. It is kinda like Titanic; every teenage girl was obsessed with it and are still in love with John Travolta (he still looks like this in my head) as a result. Every time I watch a John Travolta movie, I think of Grease. If you haven't seen it, I am ashamed... Ok, not really, but you have to go watch it asap.



Some funny casting trivia for ya... Maria Osmond was first casted for Sandy's role, but turned the part down because she didn't like that Sandy had to turn "bad" to get the guy. Oh well, we got Olivia Newton-John instead. Henry Winkler (the Fonz on Happy Days) was originally cast to play Danny, but he turned it down because he didn't want to be stereotyped as a leather-wearing bad boy. Oh well, we got John Travolta instead. 


For the few out there who haven't seen this musical, the plot line is too cute. In the summer of 1958, Danny and Sandy meet while on vacation and fall in love. However, when the summer ends, they have to go back to reality - miles apart. Unbeknownst to either of them, Sandy's family moves and they end up at the same high school, Rydell High. But the Danny that Sandy runs into is not the guy she met on the beach. The struggle of them trying to make their love work is what makes this film so great. It also captures the 1950's perfectly (that is really what high school was like, right?)!



If you haven't seen the film, you have at least heard some of the music, right? I know I say this all the time, but Grease has some of my favorite songs! - "Summer Nights,""Hopelessly Devoted to You,""Greased Lightning,""You're the One that I Want,""Beauty School Dropout,""Look at Me, I'm Sandra Dee,"and "We go Together!" - Did I just name almost every song in the show? I promise, it's good stuff people!

Look at that hunk!

Do I have any fellow Grease lovers out there? What's your favorite song? I would have to go with, "Summer Nights!"

I will be posting a Spring Break breakdown for you tomorrow! See you then!



Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Spring Break and Giveaway!

Hello sweet friends!

Since I am a teacher, I am participating in Spring Break this week! I am not doing anything too exciting; I just went home to see the parents and show the boy around good ole' Stilwell, OK (my hometown)! There is only one major downfall to this little adventure, NO INTERNET! I'm from the sticks... 

We decided to stay out at my sister's house, and she doesn't have internet. I was unaware of this little detail, and I obviously didn't plan this trip out too well. So, I finally got some free time and am now sitting in a freezing cold McDonalds, just so I could talk to you lovely people. I will be home Thursday, so I will be doing some make-up posts when I get home. 

But until then, go check out my current giveaway on my dear friend, Melissa's blog!

Pineapple Lily

 I sell Mary Kay on the side, and thought I would give away one of my favorite products, Satin Lips! Melissa has made it so easy to enter! Go check it out!

Be back soon,



Friday, March 16, 2012

If it weren't for English Majors...

Well, I did it! I passed my Comp Exams and I now have a Master's degree in English! I can not even begin to say how EXCITED I am! In honor of this achievement, I thought I would share with all of you what becomes of a person who has a Master's Degree in English. We English nerds, are a breed all of their own. So what exactly does that mean...

All areas of your house become "ideal" locations for stacks of paper 
(and yes, that is a cassette tape in the fourth picture - don't judge).  




 Books. EVERYWHERE. These are not for decoration, people. There are books stuffed in places that books shouldn't go. There are books stacked on top of books. There are books... you get the picture.


Entire shelfs are dedicated to certain authors because you feel like you have some special connection with them.  

Shakespeare Shelf
Jane Austen Shelf
J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis Shelf
Selective Complete Work's Shelf
You travel to places just so you can see literary/historical sites (England, France, Italy, and Greece)...


Guide Books from Travels
You get presents like this for your birthday - and get excited about it :)


All the decorations in your house become literature or book themed... 

Book Pages

Lord of the Rings Quote 
Lord of the Rings, again... 
Shakespeare Timeline
Well there you have it... the English major! I hope you enjoyed this silly little post about my life. The great thing is, this aspect of my life is my favorite part of me! I actually like being a nerd, and now I can take great pride in it because in May I will receive a little piece of paper that gives me that right! 

I would love to hear about the little quirks you all have that have developed out of something you love! Be it fashion, science, photography, or even something like running - we all have those little things that make us unique!

Monday, March 12, 2012

Musical {The Phantom of the Opera}

The Phantom of the Opera was probably what really got me started watching musicals again. And for this post, I am referring to the 2004 movie adaptation. There are other versions of The Phantom of the Opera out there, but this is the only musical version. One interesting thing to note, Andrew Lloyd Weeber is who produced the movie, but he is also who wrote the musical (that's pretty cool!). 

All pics via google
I actually have a lot of friends who don't like The Phantom of the Opera and I can see why, but I still think they are crazy! I love it SO much! I catch myself singing songs from the musical all the time. I also catch the boy singing them, which makes me swoon (have I mentioned he can sing?)! So needless to say, it is one of my favorite musicals. It is definitely creepy and kinda weird, but oh so wonderful!


A few interesting tidbits for you: Originally Hugh Jackman was asked to play the phantom, but he had to decline because he was working on Van Helsing. However, the director was impressed with Gerard Butler's performance in Dracula, so he was given the role. Butler had no vocal training before this role, and had only four vocal lessons before he sang "Music of the Night" for Weeber. And yes, you read that right, GERARD BUTLER! A lot of people don't realize that is him under the mask, but it is :)

Yes ladies, that is Gerard Butler! 
The role of Christine Daae' also went through a couple cast changes. Katie Holmes was the front-runner for the role until she was replaced with Anne Hathaway, who is a classically trained soprano by the way. But like Jackman, Hathway dropped out because she was working on another film. That led to Emmy Rossum taking on the role of Christine. Now, I knew a lot of this, but I am not that much of an expert. That being said, I found a lot of this info from the web! So, let me know if you know something else interesting that I may have missed!  

The story begins at the Paris Opera House, in 1919, where an auction is being held. The attention is then drawn to Lot 666, a chandelier that is in pieces. This begins the story of the Phantom, which is told in flashback form. The Phantom, a disfigured musical genius, haunts the opera house. He is in love with the young Christine Daae', and he secretly tutors her with hopes that she will become the next opera star. She believes he is the "angel of music" sent by her deceased father. When the Phantom's love is threatened by Christine's childhood friend Raoul, the Phantom does whatever it takes to insure that he gets Christine. His efforts culminate in a climatic scene in the bowels of the opera house.

One of my favorite scenes!
The music was also written by Andrew Llyod Weeber. This musical contains some of my favorite songs: "Music of the Night," "All I ask of You," "Wishing You were Somehow Here Again," "Think of Me," "Masquerade," and of course "The Phantom of the Opera." I actually had to trim down that list because I wanted to list all of them! I get goose bumps just listening to some of these songs. Two of my dear friends were in a show together and they sang "All I Ask of You" as a duet, and after that performance they started dating and eventually got married. They give all the credit to signing this song to each other! How sweet is that? If for nothing else, the music is enough reason to watch it. 

Go check it out musical lovers! Then come back and tell me what your favorite songs is or what you thought of the movie as a whole!



a few of my favorite things...

Hello sweet friends!

I have had a couple of crazy days! Instead of boring you to death with an entire update, I thought I would share a few of my favorite things from the week!

Mary Kay shipment! I love getting goodies - even if I did have to pay for them!

Three new eyeshadows!
My desperately awaited mascara! 

My sweet sister brought me some tea from work! It is one of the holiday blends, so I hope I don't like it too much because it's only available once a year. Isn't she awesome though... I was telling her that I was really into black tea right now, and then she gets me this (you may not be able to see it, but it's a black tea blend)!


I finally broke down and bought a $15 bag of Almonds! I have been mooching handfuls from my voice teacher for weeks! 

Can be found at Sams if you like Almonds - they are awesome!
New finger color :)

Bought at Ross!
I found this sauce at Target, and I am hoping it is going to be yummy! The boy and I are really into pesto, so we are planning to use this over pasta and add shredded chicken. If you know of a better recipe, please share! 


The other day as I was reading some of my favorite blogs, I stumbled across a particular post I have to share. I was over at "The Girls with Glasses Show", and I came across this post! It is a hair tutorial with Promise Tangeman! Just go look at Promise's hair if you don't think that this is a big deal! Anywho, she mentioned the dry shampoo she used, and I was floored. Suave dry shampoo. She said she loved it, it smelt good, and it was only a few bucks. I have been using Big Sexy Hair's dry shampoo which is $16 or so bucks. So, you better believe I hightailed it down to Target to see if I could find it, and they carry it! Score! And it was only about $4 bucks! I have already used it, and it is awesome! Seriously, it smells really good and I don't think that it leaves as much residue in my hair. You should try it and tell me what you think! 


The last of my favorite things this week was my nail date with my dear friend Kaleigh. It wasn't anything big, just a quick nail job. But I love this blue that I went with, and I love spending quality time with my sweet friends! 


Do you guys make your own favorite things list? If not, you should! It makes you look back and appreciate the week you had!


Thursday, March 8, 2012

depressing... read with caution

Hello sweet friends!

Have I ever mentioned that I am a teacher? I don't think so. Well... I am. I teach English at a local University. I spend all my time teaching Freshman how to write college worthy papers. And yes, that is as difficult as it sounds! My students drive me crazy, but I love them. It amazes me how much you can care about a student in one semester's time. I never see these kids outside of class, and I only see them a couple days a week, but somehow I legitimately care about them. Most of them, I will never see again after the one semester I have them, but they all leave a mark on me. Do I have any teacher friends out there that can relate? 

I don't know why my right  arm is being wonky in this picture :)
Well, I just used that picture to distract you from the depressing detour that is about to take place in this post. And here it is... This semester it is my students that are pushing me to keep a smile on my face. I know teaching is where my heart is, but this particular semester I have been struggling to enjoy it. It isn't my students - they are wonderful as always. I think I am having a difficult time transitioning into a new school. When I began teaching, I worked for the school I had graduated from. So, I knew everybody. I had strong personal relationships with all of my colleagues, and most of them are dear friends. But this year, I have moved to a new school. Don't get me wrong, I love the new university I work for. It is just extremely difficult to make new "colleague friends" when I am only there a couple days a week. I am also a LOT younger than about 90% of them. I just kinda feel out of place when I am there. I am hoping it is just a phase that I am going through because I feel like this is where I am supposed to be. We shall see, I guess. 

This is my first depressing post... You guys want the good, the bad, and the ugly right? I was trying to think of something to share tonight and this is what came out. On a brighter note, I do love teaching! I never thought in a million years that I would be a teacher when I grew up (I'm only 25 haha)! I definitely never thought I would be teaching English - and composition for that matter. But here I am. I am definitely that English teacher my students make fun of (in a good way of course). It could be my extremely nerdy love of Lord of the Rings or Jane Austen (somehow I can turn any conversation into a discussion about one of these two). Or maybe it is.... no it's probably the LOTR's thing. 

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

White Tree!

I am finally getting some photos up that work towards my most recent project, White Tree! If you don't know what I am talking about, you can click on the "White Tree" tab in the upper right hand corner! But briefly, it is my little photography endeavor! One of my goals this year was to work on my photography skills. It is something that I love and have had a passion for, but I have been too scared to work at it. 

Well, my lovely friend Kaleigh (at this point you should all be avid followers of her, since I post her link all the time) asked me to do a little mini-shoot for her. She's a fashion blogger and she recently did a post about a shirt she had received from Sugarlips. Sounds like the perfect opportunity for a fun day out snapping pictures if you ask me! Here are a few of my favorite shots of the day! 

All pics via moi! 








It was a WINDY and CHILLY day, but I think we got some pretty good shots! One more shout-out to Kaleigh! She is wonderful and is always looking for ways for me to get some practice in! Isn't she a natural?

White Tree is still a work in progress, but I am hoping by the end of the year I can see a major growth in my photography skills. I am slowly but surely starting to figure some of this stuff out! I know this post was a little different than normal, but I hope you enjoyed my pics! Let me know what you think!




Don't forget to check out the other lovely bloggers who are linking up this week!