Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Ah, the Christmas season! As I write this post I am sitting next to a best friend, sipping hot chocolate and watching Elf. Clearly, I'm not complaining. There's something magical about the Christmas season, even if you're not 4 years old or don't still believe in Santa Claus. I recently bought the Glee Christmas Album in attempt to cheer myself up after quietly sobbing in the stationary section at Target as I searched for a graduation card for Kristin. The album is incredible! The last song, O Holy Night, gives me chills. Maybe that's because O Holy Night is tied as my favorite Christmas song, but really, go buy it!!

Thanksgiving was a wonderful break from school and I was able to do some fun things with Austin friends and spend time with my family. Becca and I got really domestic and made some delicious dinners. She always teaches me the newest and most nutrient rich veggie foods, like quinoa. 

                                                                                        

Quinoa somethings that Becca made- so good!

Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Cranberries

Turkey and Spinach Shepherd's Pie

Just before Thanksgiving break my roommates and I took our 3rd annual trip to Austin for our "roommate weekend" and for the Christmas Affair. Friday night we went to various places on 6th street but the highlight was for sure the Boom Boom Room. The BBR is exactly what it sounds like. Lots of bumping and grinding and perfect for anyone who wants to dance. We of course kept to ourselves but we did bust a move or two. The only thing that put a damper on my night was a snag in my brand new tights. Not to worry, returned them the next day for a new pair. Friday night before downtown we went to the Headliner's Club. The dinner was amazing and the company, even better!

That's all for now!

Merry Merry!

Woode Wood

Town Lake

This semester I am taking a photography class. I've always loved taking pictures, but I've never taken notice to the different techniques in photography. Our most recent assignment was to create a photo story. The photo story needs around 10 pictures with an attached story. Each photo is different and unique and should speak for the story. I chose to take pictures of one of my favorite places in Austin- the Town Lake Trail, recently renamed Lady Bird Lake. Here are my pictures for my assignment!

I got some strange looks as I snapped pictures of complete strangers... but I turned and walked quickly away before anyone could ask me what I was doing. This probably isn't the best idea considering it makes you look a lot sketchier than you really are. Oh well. I forgot to email myself one of my favorite pictures of Woode Wood. Woode Wood is a man who stands on a ledge looking over the trail and plays his guitar for passerby's. He is an interesting character and a bit creepy if you ask me. As I took photos of him he came down to talk to me and to show me his newest music video, "pretty girls." The video showed a wide variety of different girls looking into the camera whiping their hair to and fro or looking seductively into the camera. "These are girls around Austin I have met who said they'd be in my video!" Woode said. At this point I was genuinely freaked out. So I politely said thank you and kept walking at a faster pace. I'll post my Woode Wood picture later...

Howdy Doody

I'm not much for "Nashville" country music. I do love a few songs here or there, but mostly I favor Texas country! A few friends and I ate dinner the other night and watched the CMA's. There were various great performances and I do enjoy watching talented artists receive recognition. But come on country music industry, lets not forget out roots! Rascal Flats performed with bejeweled jeans and manicured fingers and Brad Paisley wore a skinny tie? I'm sorry, Who? What? When? Why? I was reminded of my appreciation for genuine COUNTRY. Which reminds me of my roommate, Alexis. Alexis isn't really all that country, she's actually from Michigan. But she went through a phase listening to the song "She's Country" for nearly 89 days straight. I know every word now! Anyways lets move on to the point of this post- Carrie Underwood was BEST DRESSED. She hosted the event so of course she changed about 4 or 5 times. I watched jealously as she presented awards, each dress more obsess-worthy than the next. I can't even pick a favorite! They were adorable...

So, Carrie, if you would please just send them in the mail. Thanks girl. 

The first dress is edgy and sexy. The following two are definitely more feminine and classic. The last dress risked seeming 80's prom but I think the color really pulled it off. 

Short and sweet post, but I couldn't resist sharing these! Love them. 

Happy Fall Y'all

It is officially beginning to feel like FALL! It's about time. Ok, let me begin with the highlight of my weekend. Ready? Baylor BEAT Texas! Was that a dream, you ask. No! It happened before my eyes. Honestly, I never thought I'd live to see the day. Sitting amongst Texas fans, both young and old, as the gap between the Baylor and Texas scores became larger and larger, I must admit that it felt DARN good! The stadium was quiet with disbelief and by the 4th quarter had cleared out considerably. I stayed until the very last second, soaking up the glorious victory. All that was left in the stadium when the clock hit 0:00 was a roaring Baylor football team and a faint "Baylor" clap clap "Baylor" clap clap. It was AWESOME. I believe the win was well deserved and no, I don't feel bad for Texas fans one bit! Share the winning wealth, will ya?

Friday night some friends and I ate dinner at Moonshine in Austin. Located in downtown almost adjacent to I-35 and 3rd street, I believe. The food was incredible. I've only been there one other time but I had forgotten how unique the place really is. It was pretty packed since it was a Friday night, but the back patio and fireplace made for a lovely wait. I ordered a few grapefruit and vodka's... my staple drink! Gotta get the vitamin C! The drink was made with fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice and was totally refreshing and delicious! I give Moonshine an A++ for food, drinks and atmosphere! Loves it.

Saturday was game-day. I forgot to pack any green so I stopped by Beehive to get an appropriate green game-day shirt. I found a great slouchy forest green tye-dye top and a statement gold necklace that paired nicely with my Halloween costume that night (coming later). The game was fun, clearly. And the weather was perfect! Here are a few pics from the game...

After the game was the second best highlight of my weekend. I. Was. LADY. GAGA. I legit looked like her and felt like a total rockstar. Check it...

 You can sort of see the necklace but it was a major steal at Beehive for $30. And it was perfect for both occasions of the day (Game-day outfit and Lady Gaga). Cory and I walked around on 6th trying to find a bar that didn't have an hour long wait outside of it. Our search was a fail and we opted for late night breakfast and milkshakes at 24 Diner. 24 Diner is located on Lamar just across from Anthro/Rei where the old Waterloo used to be. It's so good! Unfortunately there was another Gaga in the restaurant, but I got over it. We ordered the 24 Hash and a, get ready, TOASTED BANANA AND CINNAMON milkshake. It was literally heaven. Best Halloween EVER. Seriously, go there, order it.


Overall, pretty great weekend! Things to look forward to:
Fall parties! WOO! Not...
Baylor football, the possibilities are endless!
Austin weekend with the roommates
Thanksgiving break
Montana trip

Fall things I am currently craving incluuuude:

Plaid coat from Free People... this jacket is SO SOFT and perfect to wear with anything!

These Frye boots which are classy yet sassy... no rhyme intended. 

Totes love them. Ok that's all for now! xoxo

These are cool

http://www.lululemon.com/about/culture

Back to BAYLOR and VEGAS!

Entering into my forth week as a Senior at Baylor is already stressing me out! So much to do. Vegas was a BLAST! Hillary and Rebecca and I hit the night scene pretty hard but we also took time to relax during the day. We went out to nice dinner with the Madres and relaxed by the pool during the day. We met people from all over the world (mainly boys...) and even gambled away some cash. I quickly learned that I am a very poor sport when it comes to gambling. After losing two hands at a 15 minimum table (30 dollars gone in about 2 minutes) my mood quickly turned into frustration. I stopped playing after that. The Asian women dealers are VICIOUS. We also saw the Beatles Love show, it was incredible!! Great music and great entertainment. Reb Hill and I managed to go to all the clubs we were hoping to see- TAO, XS and LAVO. They were all in sane and we didn't get home until 4:30 both nights. FRAT.

Recap of my first few weeks at Baylor...
- Dallas weekend for Katie's birthday! So fun!! Went out, ate chick-fil-a breakfast for the first time. I am obsessed now. Aand spent time with friends
-Davis and Leanne's wedding!! Very good dance parties with both sides of the fam.
-Vegas
-Parents weekend, Buffalo game

Next home game I aspire to run the Baylor line. It will happen... pictures to follow.

Here are some pics from Vegas!

Longs Peak

We did it!!! I felt like death but we actually made it to the summit and back home after 13/14 hours of climbing. It was definitely one of the hardest things I have ever done. But also very rewarding and beautiful. It wasn't at all what I was expecting. I didn't realize how intense the actual climb would be. We watched the sunrise as we got to the Boulder Field and the weather that morning turned out perfect. Once we reached the summit it was too cloudy to see off the top, but the views on the way up were incredible! The weather on the way down took a turn for the worse. It hailed on us all the way from the keyhole to treeline. Of course, once we hit treeline, the sun comes out. But I actually enjoyed hearing the thunder echo against the mountains. My whole body felt like jello by the trek down and the last 4 miles dragged forever. But overall it was an amazing experience! Much more impacting that I expected. I was super proud of my 52 year old Dad also. What a beeeast. He even had back surgery less than two months ago! Jennie and I were delirious on the way, laughing at practically everything and wondering why the heck we decided climbing 16 miles was a good idea. But we were both so happy we did it and had so much fun, despite the following soreness for the next few days. Here are some of the pics!! They don't even begin to capture how big everything is in front of your eyes.

Estes Park, CO

My first vacation of the summer has finally arrived! We have been here since Friday and have been taking advantage of every minute. We hike to Ouzel Falls, went to Mary's Lake beach, ate at Mama Rosa's, walked through town, and made a delicious dinner tonight! Oh... and we have at least 4 more days. Tomorrow we're hiking Spruce Lake with my little cousins. That should be interestinggg. The next few weeks of my life are going to be super crazy so I'm trying to use this time to relax as best I can. When I get home I will leave for Chicago on monday (6 am flight eek). I'll be working at Lollapalooza for my internship. I feel very lucky to get to go and I just hope I don't screw up... That will be a crazy 9 days for sure.

Jennie and I flew in to Denver on Friday and ended up meeting up with a Baylor friend, Luke Whyte. We spend the afternoon/night in Boulder. I loved Boulder! It has a very Austin feel but all of it is confined into a smaller area. Street acts such as violinists, contortionists and more were performing all up and down Pearl St. Mall. Jennie and I met some of Luke's friends and wandered into a VERY hippie store. Some of Luke's girl friends were getting feathered extentions put in their hair. Immediately I was intrigued but did not consider getting one myself. Thirty minutes later we both walk out with them... HA.


Indigo on Pearl St. Mall


Beau Jo's was out dinner spot in Boulder. I was so pumped to go here because it was featured on my favorite t.v. Man Vs. Food for it's amazing pizza. And pizza is my favorite food. Check out this hamburger pizzaaa mmmmmm





Here's the Cabin in Estes where I come every summer. So many memories here. We added on the porch a few years ago but the original cabin was built in 1802. It has been updated, clearly, but it still has some of its original character. The hummingbids go crazy for those feeders. If you ever thought hummingbirds were peaceful and delicate creatures... think again. Flick from Pocahontas makes so much sense now.




Tonight for dinner we made Top Sirloin and Bell Pepper Kabobs with Pesto Couscous and Sweet Potatoes. It was delicious! Here's Jennie and I at our domestic best...




Ouzel Falls was beautiful and it was a good distance for our first hike, 2.7 miles each way. Everything was so green and alive. My dad caught a few fish and Bill caught some trees... Jennie and I are going on an overnight fly fishing trip on Tuesday. I am so excitedd. I love fly fishing but I have never been on an overnight. Mary's lake is one of my favorite places to go hang out during the day in Estes. It has a mini beach and it's surrounded by boulders and mountains.

Food Network- I love you

FOOD.
I don't spend much time watching T.V. But when I do, I watch the Food Network. The only downside is I always find myself wandering into the kitchen during commercials. I love watching people make food. I end up learning new ways to cook and I also learn of great restaurants and recipes. Cory and I even visited a burger spot we saw on Man vs. Food. Man vs. Food is actually on the Travel Channel but it's a show about food, so naturally it's another one of my favorites. The restaurant is called Twisted Root Burger Co. in Dallas. I highly suggest it! I had a buffalo burger and Cory had a blue cheese burger with bacon. They were heaven.
Some other recent delicious foods I've enjoyed lately-
Fruit Cobbler at Z Tejas. There are no words to describe. This cobbler is served still sizzling in the skillet with a large scoop of melting vanilla ice cream. Enough said.
Reed's salad with Salmon at The Grove in Westlake. Everyone likes there salad's differently. But this salad was made for me. It has the perfect amount of dressing with carmelized pecans and feta cheese. The salmon was perfect. YUM! My girlfriend and I also shared a bottle of 2008 Sauvignon Blanc- Robert Oatley, from Western Australia. I can't wait to go back! I think it's becoming me and Hillary's spot...

FASHION.
I found this polish at a salon in Westlake the other day and couldn't resist. I think I've found my summer color!
The polish is called No Room For The Blues by OPI



Today I wandered through Anthropologie and really wanted to buy this.



And this.



And this.




But then I reminded myself I didn't need anything. And I walked very slowly to the exit...


TRAVEL.
I booked my flight to Colorado! I can't wait to be in the mountains. Cory and I leave July 23rd and come back August 1st. I'm so excited to hike and fly fish and get out of the heat for a while. I'm finallyyy going to hike Longs Peak. This summer is the summer! Here's a picture her massiveness...



Long's Peak is the only "fourteener" in Rocky Mountain National Park. My brother did it when he was 9. Ridiculous. July 23rd can't come soon enough!