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!

I'm a Taco Bell Junkie! There I Admit It...

I like to eat - who doesn't right? But, I really like to eat, especially Taco Bell. Unfortunately, I can't eat three burritos a day and lose a few poundsies. So, I have to give up something. Either Taco Bell or my desire to be fit and trim.... tough decision. 

I am a big believer of the Mireille Guiliano's "French Women Don't Get Fat" plan! She teaches you how to eat what you love by making smarter choices. It is NOT a diet book! She HATES diets (weird, so do I). The book is hilarious, and she tells you how the French stay so thin. If you haven't read this book, you really should. It kinda changed my life!

Yet, I haven't lost any weight - not because of Mireille Guiliano, but because I haven't done what she suggests and I like to eat out! She would say that I can eat out, but I have to be smart when I do - which I'm not. Are you seeing my problem here? I get motivated by books like this (or New Years), and then I don't change. Story of my life. 

So what is my new remedy for my tragic love handles? A handy-dandy checklist, yep a checklist. Since I love food and I think it is one of the many pleasures of life, I think I should be able to enjoy eating out with friends and Taco Bell runs. However, I need to watch myself. What I think has been years since I ate at Taco Bell has really only been about two hours. 

With all of that being said, I decided to make a restaurant checklist so I could keep track of my eating out. I didn't want to eliminate eating out completely, but I did need to cut back. So I decided to make this!

It still seems like A LOT of eating out, but I had to start somewhere. Like I said, I eat Taco Bell numerous times a week, so cutting back to once a week for me is a big deal! I also go out with friends a ton, so I gave myself a little leeway there. I also gave myself 3 pop runs! I typically only drink water, but there is a little drive-in in OKC (Tim's Drive-in) that has the best pop in the world! And when I've had a bad day, Tim's makes it better. So, you get the gist. 

This is my start to a healthier me (cheesy, yes?)! I hope to keep cutting things back.