What a mix

I think this weekend is going to be a mix of super-fun and super-stressful. I may or may not have 3 papers and a presentation due next week...none of which I've even begun to work on. Oops. Finals season is so sneaky-one minute I'm like "ok, just have to read another eleventy million pages for tomorrow" and then all of a sudden BAM! I'm like "shit, I have to read these eleventy million pages for Monday and write a paper and do the research I've neglected all semester. Fantastic!" My personal opinion is that teachers shouldn't be allowed to assign any work other than final projects for the last 2 weeks-at least. I just can't keep up with my normal workload plus final projects and final exams. Oh yeah I just remembered-I have an exam next week too! No, not a final...those start the week after. Please explain to me the logic of having an exam (1 of 3)exactly a week before the final...So anyway, what I was saying before my rant was that I need to get shit done. No more procrastination-which means that my poor Google Reader, and hence my favorite blogs, will (hopefully) be sorely neglected for the foreseeable future.

But hey, I get to have fun too! A friend from church and I are throwing a dinner party tomorrow evening. It should be a very fun evening-I'm cooking a risotto, he's cooking some sort of dead animal, and at least 15ish people will be there. We weren't really counting on that many actually being able to attend, but hey, the more the merrier! I really do like to cook, but usually I find it's just not worth it to cook something that takes more than 2 (if we're being generous) dishes for just myself. It's not the effort of cooking, but the cleanup-having no dishwasher and a sink perpetually filled with dirty dishes makes it seem just oh-so-unappealing. 

And Saturday is Relay for Life! If you don't know what it is, it's American Cancer Society's biggest fundraiser. It's a 24 (or 16, or 12, depending on who's running it) hour walkathon relay-someone from each team is supposed to be on the track at all times. I've been doing it for the last 7ish years and I can't imagine missing it. I think I'll do a full post about RFL and my personal reasons for getting involved later, as it really deserves a discussion all its own. To sum up, I love it and look forward to it every spring. I know that I'll stay up all night, so no church on Sunday-I'll need to sleep till about noon, maybe even 2, since I won't get home till after 7am. If anybody would like more info now, or to donate to ACS via my fundraising page, here's the link: http://main.acsevents.org/goto/emma2010 Thanks! :)

Thankfully, I'm not working all weekend-I worked extra during the week, around classes, and am doing so again next week-don't want to be stuck in the store my birthday weekend! :) 

Oh, and happy Earth Day! Here's a nature pic for ya (weeping willows are my favorite tree, as I tell my campers every summer...ha)

image

xoxoxo

Oh how I love accessories!

So a couple weeks ago, I won a secondary prize in a giveaway sponsored by Amber's Notebook and dotinabox, and got a $5 credit towards dotinabox's Etsy shop. Since I'm mildly obsessed with carousels, of course I had to get the carousel necklace! It just arrived yesterday and I am so looking forward to wearing it. Plus Dorothy enclosed the sweetest note and a vintage hairpin! She, her jewelry, and even her packaging are just too cute :) Of course, now I want the majority of items in her Etsy shop...

she has more of them-we could match!

and how adorable are these?! Mine is a different flower, but just as cute :)

In other news, I have a nasty cold, so I'm just hoping I don't lose my voice. All I want to do is curl up in bed with a cup of tea and maybe watch a movie but I've got a paper to write...gotta get down to business!

xoxoxo

Tis the season

for recitals and fundraiser parties! I've gone to 2 fundraiser parties for shows my friends' shows in the last 2 weeks and I didn't even make it to all of them. I also went to two recitals on Saturday and have 3 more in the next week. End of the year, everyone's getting crazy. My last final is 4 weeks from tomorrow. Boy I'm excited for this semester to be over. I'm taking a lot of interesting classes, but it's been super stressful. Blargh.

In other news, since I've been a bad blogger, I still haven't shared my Easter muffins with y'all! They're super cute :)

Technically, they're chocolate muffins with the simplest frosting ever, but they seemed more like cupcakes to me. I was so happy I had my tulip papers to use for them too! My friend Holly came over the day before Easter to make them with me. It was gorgeous, so we went for a walk along the Hudson, as well, before hitting up a fundraiser party for our friend's production of Spring Awakening.

Last week was gorgeous, so I basically did no work and just spent all my time sitting by the Hudson River and eating taro frozen yogurt with fresh fruit, coconut, and almonds. (In case you couldn't tell, it's one of my favorite foods. Yum!) However, now all that work is catching up with me...and I register for next fall's classes tomorrow. Eek! I really, really hope I get the ones I want, because I have no idea what else I'd take. *Crossing my fingers!*

Ok, back to work...anybody want to write a Personality Psychology paper for me? :)

xoxoxo

Bake Sales

At NYU, they're really popular with the clubs. I really have no idea why, since I rarely see people buy anything from them...I certainly never do. Odds are, I have made/could easily make what they're selling, plus I just don't really eat sweets. However, NYC banning homemade goods is ridiculous. So what if you can't know the exact calorie count? Schools now can only sell things like Doritos. Really, NYC? Really? That sounds totally healthy, much better than banana bread or oatmeal raisin cookies.
Thankfully,  NYU hasn't gotten that weird-yet. So last night I was roped into baking cookies for Tisch New Theatre's bake sale today. I used to be on the board, but for a myriad of reasons I am no longer involved. But several of my friends are, hence my baking for them. Except wait! The bake sale was moved from campus to one of the acting studios. And they wanted me to bring my cookies there. Ummm no. I don't have an extra 45 minutes to do that. I though my favor was done with the baking. Apparently not. I did actually put my foot down about it (yay not being a doormat!) so I now have about 3 dozen coconut chocolate chip cookies. Come and get 'em!
On a completely unrelated note, it's finally stopped raining! I am so excited, even if it's not actually sunny... :)
xoxoxo

Giveaway...gone away

Roxy, of the fantastic Effortless Anthropologie, is was hosting a scavenger hunt giveaway. It was super fun until people were so passionate about winning the $250 gift card that they were calling every Anthro number in existence. Good lord. So it's closing tonight...but it was fun while it lasted! Anyway, you should check out her blog anyway, cause she's full of info and super cute outfits. So much fun to be had!
Whereas in my world right now...there are papers to be written and laundry to be done. So go have fun looking at pretty pictures and learning more about a pretty awesome store :)
Ok, I gotta give you one pretty picture, right?

image

There's just something about wildflowers as opposed to orderly gardens that is so appealing...

xoxoxo

Yes, I am a liberal.

Very much so, especially socially. No, that does not mean I am a Socialist. Or a Communist. It does mean that I am quite pleased with Obama signing the health care bill today. It wasn't exactly as I'd hoped or imagined-especially that damn anti-choice amendment-but it's a step forward. If you're disappointed that it's not as radical, as I am, just think-with how difficult it was to get this passed, a bill that really made all the changes I'd like to see wouldn't stand a chance.
On that note, I read "An Absence of Class" by Bob Herbert today. It was a great piece, saying a lot of what I wish people would have courage to say more loudly and in more mixed settings, politically speaking. It seemed a lot of commenters agreed, and many of those who didn't...well, I would encourage you to read their posts for entertainment value, as long as you promise not to find them and shake them until they agree to inform themselves. (Yes, this was a struggle for me too.) I'd be interested to hear y'all's take on it...
xoxoxo
P.S. See, I don't just shop and eat and read silly novels :)

I'm back!

I had spring break last week, which I'm totally using as an excuse for being the least productive person ever. I went back home very early Monday morning and just hung out with the fam and a couple friends. I worked a bit too-but that work was taking care of super adorable dogs and cats, so it barely counts. I got to see my friend Megan for St. Patrick's Day (we ate Guinness brownies and talked for hours) and my friend and summer coworker Caroline for a great lunch in downtown Ann Arbor. I had forgotten how insane University of Michigan students can be on this holiest of days...I was somewhat afraid one would stumble in front of my car. No joke, I heard a girl say "I don't even know where I am". At 11:45am. Very amusing, but it makes me feel like an old lady-I could never do that, not even at night...I like to be asleep around midnight because I'm a granny. It's ok, I've come to terms with it.

Then I got back to NYC Thursday night (very very late) and worked Friday-Saturday-Sunday, so I missed all the sunshine here by being cooped up inside. Now, of course, it's raining again. At least I got rainboots while I was in A2! :)

I love these. Mommy dearest bought them for me at DSW as a belated Christmas present and they made me so happy today. No more wet feet for me!

I also bought myself a little treat to use my $10 coupon for being a member of their rewards program (before it expired).

the Steve Madden Diablo boot...but mine are black.

My brother immediately deemed these my "swashbuckler" boots, despite them being labeled as Western. I have to say, for once I think I agree with him. Hey, does this mean Johnny Depp and I can be BFFs now? Please? :)

I also bought a pretty awesome pair of sunnies, since I left mine in NYC. My brother told me it was supposed to be pretty grey when I was in town, and silly me, I believed him. I bought them at Marshall's for $13...I had no idea they were $55 at Nordstrom! I feel like such an intelligent shopper now, ha.

Hopefully the sun will return soon so I can wear them again!

xoxoxo