A few of my Favorite Things

100 Favorite Things Survey from Quizopolis.com

(I didn't answer the dumb ones!)

(Meow.)

Food? - mozzarella sticks

Restaurant? - benihana

Non-alcoholic beverage? - shirley temple

Song? - currently, it's 'never close our eyes' by adam lambert

Band? - 

Concert that you've been to? - the monster ball

Season? - fall

Holiday? - halloween

Day of the week? - saturday

Time of day? - evening

Color? - pink or teal

President? - fdr

Sport? - volleyball

Hobby? - singing/theatre

Animal? - giraffe

Number? - 

Board game? - cranium

Computer game? - frogger!

Drinking game? - 

Book? - the count of monte cristo

Poem? - 

Musical? - aida...closely followed by les mis

Tv show? - modern family

Ice cream flavor? - pumpkin

Genre of music? - pop

Female singer? - lady gaga

Male singer? - adam lambert

Instrument? - piano

Future career? - teacher

Pastime? - theatre

Animal? - giraffe.....

Pet? - kitty

Language? - english

Historic monument? - st. paul's cathedral

Country you've been to? - italy

State you've visited? - new york

Vacation spot? - nyc

Amusement park? - 

Actor? - johnny depp

Actress? - helena bonham carter

Comedian? - jack black

Joke? - 

Magazine? - cosmo

Store? - nordstrom

Designer? - 

Jeans brand? - 

Perfume/cologne? - secret garden jasmine

Jewelry that you own? - my locket

Pair of shoes? - 

Teacher in elementary school? - mrs. spencer

Subject in school? - english

College? - iu

Fast food restaurant? - steak&shake

Junk food? - ice cream

Cookie? - good old tollhouse chocolate chip

Web site? - facebook

Search engine? - 

Instant messenger? - google

Cell phone company? - at&t

Baby boy name? - don't know yet...

Baby girl name? - jane

Book when you were a child? - the big blue book of fairytales:)

Movie when you were a child? - wizard of oz

Activity as a child? - singing

Candy? - buncha crunch

Hairstyle? - short

Brand of shampoo? - i change all the time

Flower? - daisies

Tree? - 

Outdoor activity? - drawing with chalk

Planet? - saturn

Constellation? - 

Zodiac sign? - pisces

Place to have a date? - carrabba's :(

Best date? - melting pot with josh

Friend? - 

Place to hang out? - josh's

Way to pass time when bored? - watching ray william johnson

Job that you've had? - 

Family member? - 

Gift you got from someone? - my locket!

Inspirational quote? - when you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on.

Song lyrics? - 

Song title? - 

Music video? - bad romance

Word? - curriculum

Drink at starbucks? - apple chai

Prank? - 

Vehicle? - vw beetle

Vehicle color? - orange:)

Pen color? - blue

Artist? - 

Photographer? - 

Gum? - strawberry bubblicious

Hat that you own? - 

Place that you've lived? - carmel

Photo of yourself? - senior photo

Anniversary/Food truck frenzy!

So, May 13 was our 4-year-anniversary :)

(Awwwwwww.)

We had a somewhat [okay, extremely] boring day, BUT a great evening. Because it involved a lot of melted cheese and chocolate. At. The Melting Pot!!!!! Perhaps my favorite restaurant. But actually, nothing can surpass Benihana. But anyway. So so good. But I think they took "anniversary" the wrong way...

(Oops...not exactly!))

And he got me Just Dance 3 (the Wii game)! It's turned out to be a really wonderful present. I've replaced my daily horrific 30 minutes of cardio on the treadmill with 3000 "sweat drops" earned on the Just Sweat mode of the game. (Which, according to the game, is equal to 30 minutes of swimming.) It's so much more fun, and I wheeze a lot less. The only downside is how much it works my right arm/entire right side more than the left. To help, I hold another Wii remote or some other small item in my left hand to balance it out. But really - if you need an arm workout, or just want some really fun cardio, play this game!! I love it!

(One of my favorite dances..I think I have it memorized.)

In addition to all the cardio (plus around 15 minutes of crunches, squats, etc.) every day, I've been trying to eat better, too. 1200-1400 calories a day. And I've been keeping that up consistently, but my food choices could be better. Somehow, I always end up eating healthy foods during the day, then "splurging" at dinnertime. It's a habit I'm trying to break. One of my goals for the summer is to lose a little weight and become a lot healthier!

On a completely UNhealthy note - Yesterday, Josh and I experienced the magic of food trucks for the first time!!

Our first stop was the Genie Mac truck, where we got some delicious gourmet macaroni and cheese. (With bacon, sour cream, and green onions!) Absolutely to die for. So rich and cheesy and MMM.

(Is that a genie floating above the truck?! Or Josh's finger...)

(No caption necessary...)

Then, we split a grilled cheese at Scratch Truck. But this was no ordinary grilled cheese. It had some fancy cheeses, plus perfectly tender short ribs and some arugula. Yummiest yum yum yum. 

(Ugh, so goooooooodd.)

Finally, we got a huge, wonderful, classic carrot cake cupcake from Scout's Treats.

(It's a cupcake truck, it has to be pink!)

(Perfection.)

It was such a fun experience!!

We also saw To the Arctic at the IMAX today. Ehh. I mean, it was fine. But it was very preachy about greenhouse gases and there were not nearly enough cute baby polar bears. Plus it was only 40 minutes! 10 bucks and a drive downtown for a 40 minute film...dumb. But I did love those baby polar bears. And walruses! Dahhwww. After the movie, we strolled along the canal for a bit. It was a nice afternoon.

RENT auditions are this weekend! And I am so excited to [hopefully] be doing theatre again! 

Having a great summer & can't wait for all the adventures ahead!

Delicious Summer Fun!

So far, this summer has been fun!

I made some awesome cupcakes the other day...

(YUM - SO GOOD. Recipe is from the back of What's New, Cupcake? which is a fabulous book.)

Went to the zoo...

(My favorites!!)

And did some cooking...

(Skinny broccoli and mac&cheese casserole!)

(Not-so-skinny homemade mushroom pizza!)

I also reunited with some of my wonderful friends, got pedicures, and made s'mores.

Tomorrow is my 4-year anniversary with Josh! 

And we're going to the Melting Pot :):):):):)

Next weekend will be busy but fun!

Can't wait! :)

Summertime!

The past few days have been so fun and relaxing!

I started my summer health plan - 30 min cardio, 20 min calisthenics, and <1400 calories a day, except exercise break days on Friday and Sunday. Bleh. But, I lasted longer than one day this time...so, hopefully I can keep it up throughout the summer.

Haven't done a lot, really. Last night, I had a Cinco de Mayo taco night with Brittany and Josh. 

(Speedy Gonzalez...meh)

The day before, Josh and I saw The Lucky One. It was pretty good. Nothing great. Other than that, just some TV watching, walks, garage sale-ing, and fun times with our families.

Looking forward to the rest of the summer!!

Reflecting on Freshman Year

(Reflecting. Haha. Get it?!)

So, tomorrow is my last day at IU as a freshman. 

And it feels. So. Weird.

At times, this year seemed like it would never end. First semester in particular was...tough. Moving away from all I've ever known, starting over socially and academically, and getting used to the giant mass of people at this school...was a lot. I remember coming into IU with the intent of majoring in Journalism with a minor or double major in Theatre. Feeling certain I would be in a choir and hoping to get involved in some shows, as well. Ending up as an Elementary Ed major, who didn't even make it into choir first semester and never got into theatre at all. 

I went pot-luck with my roommate, which didn't end so great. (She, for whatever reason, hated me enough to move out at the end of the semester. Without telling me.) But that turned out to be a blessing in disguise, because that left a spot for my friend Brittany to move in. And Brittany soon became the best roommate ever, and now I can't imagine life at IU without her friendship! <3 :)

(Ahhhwww. I miss my roomie already.)

Getting rejected from choir was easily one of the most devastating experiences of my life. (And I know, if that's the worst thing that's ever happened to me, I'm a pretty lucky girl.) The one talent I felt sure of in a time of change and uncertainty failed me. I was really alone and really sad. And a lack of extracurriculars or clubs left me a little socially isolated. Thank God I made it in second semester, because I don't know what I'd do without SH. It's been so great to feel like a part of something and be surrounded by friendly people at rehearsal every day. I really hope the new director chooses to keep everyone in the group. It'd be absolutely awful to lose something that's quickly become very special to me.

(Singing Hoosiers banquet!)

I also really missed the comfort of home and my wonderful family. And Josh's family, too. And definitely my cat :((((

I'm so glad I went to school close to home so I can frequently come home for the weekend. Next year with a car, it will be even easier, which is great! I honestly prefer being taken care of and comfortable at home to having the freedom that comes with living in a dorm. I'll take my full-size bed and clean bathroom over a top-bunk twin and shower shoes any day. But I've gotten acclimated to it. And, dare I say, I may miss this room a little bit.

(How could I not miss this cutie??)

But, there have definitely been some great moments this year. Decorating every inch of my dorm room for each and every holiday (hand turkeys, pumpkins, Christmas lights, heart-shaped doilies...you get the picture). Creating chalk art all around my dorm and getting compliments. Someone actually took a photo of me one time...still not sure about that. Meeting a bunch of cool kids from Teter, SH, and my classes. Going to shows, movies, and get-togethers. Getting some great grades and really enjoying (most of) my classes. Discovering my passion for teaching. Rekindling my passion for singing by performing in the SH spring concert and Coffeehouse. Discovering a little bit of freedom. Getting even closer to my amazing Josh, who was there for me through every sad time, happy time, exciting, exhausting, difficult, and wonderful time. It was a hard year overall, but there were a lot of laughs, hugs, and smiles, as well.

(Jellen :))

All in all, I guess this year wasn't half-bad. I'm so excited for the summer ahead of me, and beyond that, SOPHOMORE YEAR! Gosh, I am old. Ha.

One more final tomorrow evening, and I'm on the road for home. Wish me luck!

:) -et.