Am I Enough?

Hey everyone!

I've been thinking a lot recently about appearance in today's society and how important it seems to be to everyone, including myself.

For example, I participated in a Dear World project (check out their website here) where we wrote messages that we felt were important on ourselves.

And even though my message was "you are enough," I was initially anxious to see my picture so I could determine if I looked 'good' or not, which is completely contradictory of my message. At the time, all I could think to myself was, "My hair looks really greasy" and "Do my shoulders look wide?"

Looking back, it seems crazy to me. I knew the point of the project was to inspire people and bring hope to those in need but I was consumed with these selfish thoughts about how others would see me. I'm beginning to understand how difficult it is to take your own advice sometimes.

While I love to write messages on my bathroom mirror like "Happy girls are the prettiest" and "Imperfection is beautiful," I continue to find myself spending too much time in front of that same mirror trying to erase any 'mistakes' I find.

While I'm not saying my obsession with appearance has completely disappeared, I'm really trying to enjoy my time on this Earth rather than obsessing over whether my hair looks good in a picture or not. I've started with looking at pictures as a way to capture a memory, rather than a potential Facebook profile picture. And speaking of Facebook, I've been fighting the urge to put every good picture of my friends and I on social media. Some memories I'm keeping just for myself.

Choosing Classes

I'm about to schedule classes for Fall 2013, which sounds crazy to me! This will be the first time I will really (kinda) know what I'm doing when I'm scheduling and I'm so excited to choose new classes. This is probably because I'm in my last Spanish class ever (hopefully). I just wanted to stop by to write a few words of advice to any new college students or just to my future self:

• Try not to do more than 15 or 16 credit hours unless the classes are easy or you are sure you can handle it.
• Plan ahead of time which classes you're taking.
• Keep a list of classes you still need and make sure you are getting everything done.
• Pair easier classes with hard ones.
• Spread your general requirement classes out in your schedule. These are typically easier and can be a good break when you are in your higher major classes.
• Have fun and take what sounds good!

DIY: MP3 Player Workout Armband

Okay, I don't have an ipod but I'm extremely jealous of those armbands you can buy to make your ipod hands-free while working out. So I decided to make my own! If you want to make a cheap one too, keep reading :)

Supplies:
An old t-shirt
Needle and thread
A music player

Okay, I'll break it down really simply:
1. Cut off the sleeve of the old tshirt.
2. Put on the sleeve and place it where you want the band to sit (mine sits right above my elbow).
3. Pinch the fabric around your arm until the band it tight, but not cutting off your circulation.
4. Either mark the fabric while it's on your arm, or slide it off (keeping it pinched) and mark it. This will let your know where to make your first stitch so it is tight enough to stay on your arm.
5. Fold the sleeve in half (hotdog style haha) and make a simple stitch of your choice down the sleeve, through all four layers (after you fold the sleeve, this should create four layers of material to sew through).
6. Take your player and put it into the makeshift pocket created by folding the sleeve. Make a note of where you need to make a second stitch to make it stay in the pocket.
7. Make this second stitch.


You should be done! :)
Good luck and leave a comment of you have any questions!

Birthday Girl!

Hey everyone, I know this isn't really related to college life, but it was my 18th birthday yesterday! :) Finally being 18 has made the idea that college is starting in a month a little more real. It's an amazing feeling, and I can't wait to start college classes and live in the dorms. Thank you for reading, and I promise I'll post some more college-related content soon!

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

During orientation, our school gave each of us a copy of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. We're all expected to read it this summer before school starts because we will discuss it in class, both the author and a family member of Henrietta are coming to speak to us, and  it will give us all a conversation starter. I finished the book last week and I unexpectedly loved it. If you look at the cover, you will find that the book is nonfiction, about cells that have been living for over sixty years, and that it is a New York Times Bestseller. Honestly, I was always more fond of fiction books and science was (and still is) one of my worst subjects. So when they handed me the book, I was less than enthusiastic about reading it. However, I was completely wrong. The book jumps back and forth between the story of Henrietta's personal  and the story of her cells and while I wanted to skip forward to read the family's story, my boyfriend was interested in how her cells contributed to science. I think that's why this was such a good pick, because everyone can find a part in the story they enjoy and can relate to. It's definitely a book I would never pick up on my own, but I'm extremely glad I read it. Almost every person I've talked to about it has said the exact same thing.
Basically, the story is about a poor black tobacco farmer named Henrietta Lacks who had cervical cancer in 1951 and her doctors took samples of her cells without her knowledge. Henrietta died from her cancer, but her cells that they collected began to reproduce on their own, and they are still alive today. Henrietta's cells (or HeLa, as they are called), have been used in cancer research, to test vaccines, and they were even sent into space to test how cells react when exposed to the atmosphere. They contributed enormously to scientific research, but her family never knew these cells were still alive. The story follows the author, Rebecca Skloot, in her journey to learn about Henrietta's life and write her book.
So if you have already read it, leave a comment telling me what you thought! If you haven't, I highly recommend you go out and either buy it or check it out at a nearby library. You won't regret it :)

To see more, buy a signed copy, or read more about the author, check out Rebecca Skloot's page on The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks: http://rebeccaskloot.com/the-immortal-life/

No Sew T-Shirt Blanket

Hey guys! Today I have a cool craft for you to try :)
I recently realized that I have a lot of memorabilia from high school. I also recently realized that I have collected an abundance of t-shirts from the last four years. Since I'm moving on in life and going to college soon, I figured I should find a way to keep my high school memories without taking up space in my closet or completely throwing out my old t-shirts. So, I decided to make a no sew t-shirt blanket. It's a lot heavier than I expected it to be, but I'm excited to take it with me to college. I used thirty-nine t-shirts and one sweatshirt to make mine, so now I have a lot more room in my closet :) haha I just wanted to start to give you ideas on how you can preserve your physical high school memories without creating useless clutter. And plus it's nice because I can continue to use those t-shirts that I would never wear again.
I will keep you guys updated with the various crafts I get into and I hope you like this idea :)

A quick tutorial:
1. I cut a 16in x 16in square from the t-shirt (trying to center the logo, but not going crazy with it).
2. Then, I took a ruler and a marker and measured 2 inches away from each edge. I also cut seven strips (eight cuts) into each of the four sides. This should give you seven strips of fabric on each side (28 in all), and the four corners should be in square or rectangular shaped strips.
3. Cut each of the corner strips in half, creating two triangles instead of one square strip (this makes them easier to tie together).
4. Repeat these steps with the remaining t-shirts. I made a 4 x 5 blanket that was two-sided and used 40 shirts. You can use as many or as few as you would like.
5. After you have cut up your shirts, tie the strips together. You can either choose to cut all of your shirts and then tie them all at once or tie them together as you get each one done (I chose the second method personally).
6. After you tie the strips together on one side, gently pull the fabric so the designs on your shirts won't be shriveled up and tiny. Warning: you will hear a riping sound when you pull on the fabric. This is supposed to happen, and it will be fine as long as you pull gently.

7. Continue tying until you are satisfied. Like I mentioned earlier, my blanket is 4 x 5 and double-sided. However, you have freedom to create your blanket in anyway you would like.

If you have any questions on how I made my blanket, or if any of the instructions are unclear, leave a comment! :)

Orientation

Okay, whew. The pressure of choosing a college is done. Now it's time to move on to actually going to your college. I actually went to my own orientation three weeks ago, so the experience is pretty fresh in my mind. Let me start off by talking directly to the girls (and possibly some guys, I don't judge). If you're going to a large college with a large campus, or if your orientation is scheduled for a day that is supposed to be ridiculously hot, pack light and wear shorts. My orientation was a two day ordeal, and dragging all of my crap over to the residence hall was exhausting. Not to mention I was in a dress, and you know what happens when you are hot and sweaty and exhausted and your legs are rubbing together in a dress. I was not a happy camper. At the very least, wear leggings. Please, for my sake.
Okay, glad that's over. Now for some general advice. Take a backpack. Number one thing I was grateful for. They gave us a bunch of papers and free t-shirts and information with no place to put everything and little opportunity to return to the room to dump it all in our suitcases.
Next, if you're staying overnight like I did, don't think you need your own pillow if they provide one for you. It was one more thing I had to lug around, and after walking around campus for approximately nine hours straight, I could have slept on the sidewalk, taking my chances with the rapists and the muggers. You won't care if your head is on your favorite pillow.
Be friendly!!! I'm sharing my dorm room with three other people. Two of those girls met each other at orientation. You could meet your future roommate, best friend, spouse, or enemy at orientation. But it's hard to make a good first impression if you're being shy or being grumpy. So be nice and get to know people!
Learn something. After all, that's why you're at orientation. Pay attention to the speakers, but be prepared to accept the fact that you won't absorb everything. The staff at orientation will be the first to admit that they're throwing a lot of information at you, but usually if they cover any important information, they'll give you a handout with everything you need to remember. Don't worry, if you pay attention, you'll be fine. Also, be prepared to schedule your classes at orientation.
Have fun! Yes, you're there to become familiar with the campus, meet people, and learn things. But you won't accomplish any of this if you don't just let go and have fun :)

Overall, go to orientation, have some fun, meet some people :)