The Little Things

     The holidays have me thinking that sometimes it really is the simple things that really matter the most. 
Bonfires. Old Friends. Family traditions. Fresh Coffee. Rainy days. 
     When my family gets together for the Thanksgiving holidays we always share something that we have been most thankful for the past year. I shared that I was thankful for supportive parents in college, when so many of my friends have predestined plans that their parents have for them. My parents have guided me in the right step but also not forgotten to enjoy the simple things.

Anyways, that’s what got me thinking about a few of my favorite simple memories.

     I was six years old and all my way older and cooler cousins had mastered the iconic Charlie Brown skiis before me. This was my third attempt to get up and I was getting quite discouraged. My last try had my little body getting dragged underwater as I refused to get let go of the rope. Swimming back again to the handlebars, I heard my cousin yell “Stand up Margaret! C'mon! You just have to stand up!” My uncle hit the boat motor and we were off and once I found my feet on the water I focused and hit the correct skiing position. Suddenly I was really up on the waves - and I sure felt like I was on top of the world! I’ll never forget that feeling as my whole family had turned around and was whooping and hollering and passing out high fives because of me!

     One of my other favorite memories was when I bought my first coffee maker. Growing up, parents were fearful of coffee, thinking it to be a toxic and chemically off-balence addicitve. They have also never tried a Starbucks hazenlut latte or any brewed beverage in their 50 years. So I don't put it too far past them. Anyways, when I went off to college, the first stop I made after moving in was to purchase my very own Kurig coffee maker. I was finally able to become the coffee connoisseur I had dreamed of becoming - that first cup of coffee couldn’t have tasted better! Now, a cup of freshly brewed light roast coffee is truly one of the simple day to to day matters that still makes me smile. 

     

Check this happy website for more simple wonders.   http://justlittlethings.net/page/7

    

Multitasking Media Mayhem

Upon watching a video of ongoing research on students who believe the can multitask with all their electronics, I really began to question how often I do the same. I realized that I literally cannot sit still and must have constant access to my phone, the computer or the television at some point in the day. When I recorded the hours one day as a semi-experiment I realized this further. In one 24 hour day I spent around six hours exposed to the media. Some days were longer and some days were shorter but that was around the average. I realized I am trying to multitask my electronics. On the certain day I monitored my media use, I would be typing a paper on the computer but keeping my iPhone right next to me in order to check constantly. Then later on into the evening I would watch TV, while trying to read a book or study for an exam. But the worst was the instant access to Facebook, Twitter and other entertaining websites that easily toke over my homework and study time. I was on Facebook constantly. I often get on Facebook the most and spend an hour easily, afterward forgetting why I opened my computer in the first place. Interestingly enough, this social website blocks true social skills as it prevents me from communicating and interacting with other people throughout the day. Therefore this media isolates me from me and I am usually using media alone. Given the expanse of the Internet, there is so many more valuable website I could be visiting and learning from instead of email and Facebook. Facebook provides a great way to share pictures and friends but the constant use of my time on it shows that I am addicted to being updated to minute matters. Honestly, the results of this log didn't surprise me because I knew that I was attached to the media in multiple forms. Just walking around my eyes are instantly drawn to newspaper and magazines being sold or to large billboard advertisements overhead. The majority of my thought process spring forth from the media I see around me and I am wrapped up in the latest ideas. I believe that media is accomplishing some great advances but in order to fully enjoy it we need to take steps back and balance the intake of the necessary and the unnecessary. 

Life Through Death

     When I woke up on the morning of my birthday last week, I eagerly checked my phone to see all the birthday texts that I had received. It’s secretly everyone favorite part of their birthday- looking at all the wall posts and shout outs from various people and feeling like the most popular person of the moment. But in the midst of the “HAAPPPPPYYY BIIIRTHHDAAY OMGGG” texts I got a very saddening and disheartening one that simply said, “Did you hear about Garrett?”

     Flash back to Garrett Luce, a one of kind talented high school friend of mine with a huge smile that could positively draw others to him. He was Troy Bolton when our middle school performed High School Musical, and then every lead in the school plays after that. He was the starting catcher on the Second Baptist School baseball team from freshman year on. He was and is one of the best gentlemen to every girl he met and was definitely valued by both boys and girls as a great friend. He would sit in yearbook class with my friend Brooke and I, and just talk to us because he wanted to know about our lives. He was a goober but we loved it.

     I spent the day between tears and laughter as I was with friends who didn’t know Garrett but when I would think of him and tear up they would comfort me. I kept thinking about his parents who lost the only child they had, and the brightest light in their lives. I had never lost a friend before and simply couldn’t wrap my head around it.

     Coming home for the funeral, I was surrounded by classmates I hadn’t seen since graduation. A majority of my friends were even closer to him than I was and it was heart sickening to see them shudder with sobs as we watched a video slideshow of Garrett. The funeral was a beautiful time of celebrating his life and sharing hilarious stories of Garrett as well.

     But afterwards, when our friends parted and came home and we each sat by ourselves and processed everything, we began to come to grasp by ourselves how death affects us personally.

     Being a strong believer in the Lord, I took utmost comfort in knowing that Garrett’s strong faith secured him in the presence of Jesus the moment he was taken from us. I want to live the way he did, carefree and joyful.

     That being said, I encourage each of you to embrace life for the very essence that it is life. Our days that are most filled with love of life is what makes our life our own. Wake up every morning thankful to have another day of life and constantly remind yourself of that throughout the day. If Garrett can have such an impact on people in his 19 short years than we can seek to live each day the fullest.

    

Pumpkins A Plenty

     The season of fall wouldn’t be quite complete without a trip to the local patch. The pumpkin patch offers a great photo backdrop as well as a great selection of pumpkins to adorn the front porch or carve into an assortment of faces. Sculpting the pumpkin aside though, the round orange squash actually does have a variety of other options.

Hair Mask/Face Mask: The high amounts of vitamin A, vitamin C and zinc in the pumpkin can do wonders for dry and damaged skin or hair.

For the face mask:

Mix 2 tsps. of purred pumpkin, either from a can or cooked fresh from the pumpkin with a touch of honey and milk.

Apply to your face for fifteen minuets and relax. Scrub you face off and enjoy a fresh glow!

For the hair mask:

In a food processor, mix one cup of fresh pumpkin and four tablespoons of coconut oil together. Spread the smooth mixture throughout wet or dry hair and let sit for 30 minuets. Wash out the mixture thoroughly from your hair and enjoy a new shine!

Pumpkin Pinata: What better way to smash a pumpkin? Carve out a pumpkin and fill it with candy. Then hang the pumpkin by a string. Blindfold players one at a time and let everyone have a turn smashing the pumpkin. Perfect idea for a Halloween party!

Pumpkin Seeds: A favorite of our families, this recipe is easy and the pumpkin seeds last a long time.

Ingredients:

One medium sized pumpkin

Salt

Olive Oil

1.  First pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.

2.  Scoop out pumpkin seeds from a pumpkin and separate the seeds from the rest of the pumpkin mass. Measure the pumpkin seeds in a cup measure and them dump them in a medium saucepan. Add 2 cups of water and 1 tablespoon of salt to the pot for every half-cup of pumpkin seeds. Bring the mixture to a boil and then let simmer for 10 minuets.  

3.  After draining the seeds, coat the bottom of a tray with olive oil and spread the seeds out on the tray. Bake the seeds in the oven until they begin to brown, probably about 5-20 minuets. When the seeds begin to brown, take out the tray and let the seeds cool. Once the seeds are cool, they are good to eat!

Since everyone has their own family traditions with pumpkins, let me know yours and I’ll feature it on this blog! Happy Fall, ya’ll!

   

Sinister, It Is.

     Not many movies are able to incorporate all aspects of horror in a scary movie as well as a recent movie, Sinister. The plot incorporates elements of mystery, horror, and suspense to give you the perfect nightmare. With mysterious serial killings, creepy little children who “shush” the audience, and a haunted house I was hooked the entire movie. I’m a Halloween fanatic and live for scary movies to get me in the mood. The freakier the better, and Sinister definitely delivered.

     The movie starts off simply enough, as a normal family moves into a house, so that the father Ellison, (Ethan Hawke) can write his second true crime novel. Little does the family know, but they have actually moved into the house in which one of the grisly family killings took place. Ellison discovers a box of Super 8 films that date back to the 60s. Each film depicts a normal family gathering and then switches to the next scene in which an unknown killer murders the family.

Ellison works the plot well as the frustrated writer who works relentlessly to solve the mystery and write the book that will seemingly fix all his families problems. He refuses to believe that something to starting to seem paranormal. But as Ellison’s children begin to act more and more strange; he and the audience feel a gripping sense of dread and terror.

With each new discovery of a film, I felt more and more unsettled. When Ellison finally believes something is wrong and decided to move his family back, I couldn’t even breathe. I knew that he wouldn’t be able to escape. The final end to the movie was horrifically disturbing and even if you could predict it, it would cause many a sleepless night.

While doing some research on the film, I came across an article about how this film uses the “found footage” idea in a new way. Usually, the “found footage” is anonymous and edited by an unknown source. Here, the horror lies in how the “found footage” is fragmented throughout the movie. You shiver and cover your eyes every time a film is shown and the short clips continue to haunt you the rest of the movie.

Overall, I highly recommend this movie and if you’re not big on horror than make this the one horror movie you see all year. 

Reason Why OU Does It Better OU/TX Weekend

        As I start the drive down I-35 to the city of the moment, Dallas, TX for OU/TX weekend I can’t help but think about the gravity of this weekend and how much both teams/fans prepare for the next few days. Coming from Texas myself I am well aware of the traditions that go on from the UT side. Texas prides itself on the preparation of this weekend and the customs but I personally enjoy celebrating with the Sooners more!

1.     OU doesn’t chain link to a date all weekend: The Greek life at the University of Texas has the long lasting tradition in which a boy asks a girl to OU/TX weekend and they are stuck as dates the whole weekend. That’s a long time especially since it’s almost required that the dates get a hotel room together. So if your date turns out to be a scoob, your weekend might be an interesting maze of escape routes! OU’s Greek life throws just one

2.     Hotel rooms > staying at someone’s parents house: What’s better than cramming 14 of your best friends in a really nice hotel room and having a weekend long hotel party? Free breakfast, everything gets cleaned up and all of your friends are just a room away. All the OU fans congregate in the same hotel and the spirit is contagious as everyone yells Boomer Sooner all the time!

3.     OU Always Goes for the Win: Texas fans pride themselves on banking on a victory every year and don’t get near into the spirit as much as OU. But, OU gets pumped up the whole week before and still manages to pull the win a good majority of the time! OU fans get show their spirit more!  

The Answer is Yes Part 2

      I do think that saying yes as my only response in a 24-hour period was one of my most insane and unprepared ideas yet. To summarize my day I ate my way through Campus Corner, I bought a huge supply of instant coffee that I probably will never use and I played starting offensive line in an intermural flag football game. I also got nothing accomplished and nothing checked off my checklist. But I had a day that rivaled a field trip day in elementary school. Nothing was planned but I was still surrounded by my best friends and I could definitely tell a few stories here. My day began with this…

     11:45- Once I have walked aimlessly around the Kappa house, where I live, for about 20 minutes after class I usually decide to run errands. I go by myself to be effective. This day I went to Homeland Grocery Store where I discussed the perils of having terrible cigarette tasting coffee in the Kappa house every morning. The grocer asked me if I wanted to try buying instant coffee. I of course had to agree and next thing I knew I had boug an entore Instant Coffee set with every flavor because I couldn’t turn down his offer to buy it all on sale! I am going to start passing the packets out to anyone who will take them because what else am I suppose to do with 75 packets alone of Hazelnut Coffee?

    

      12:30 –I’m still in the midst of trying to tackle my do to list of errands when my friend Emily calls me. She asked if I had eaten lunch and when I told her I hadn’t she asked me to join her at campus Corner at Café Plaid. I was on a tight schedule but I agreed and ate with her. In the midst of lunch I actually got another call from a friend I hadn’t seen in forever who wanted to meet for lunch as well. Emily didn’t understand why I couldn’t just say no but I told her it was a long story and I was really obligated. So I ran over to Blackbird for my second lunch. I could barely move after eating so much and seriously debated turning my phone off to avoid another dreaded call.

     4:00 Around this house I ran into the girl in charge of intermurals at Kappa. She is always on everyone’s tail to get girls to participate in the various sports, but as usual we try and skip around it because half of us couldn’t catch a football if our lives depended on it. This time though I had no choice and agreed to play staring offensive line in the game that afternoon. However; the game turned out to be a lot of fun as a majority of people showed up and I didn’t have to do anything but run around and act like I wasn’t open to reduce the risk of the ball actually being thrown to me. Easy enough! Afterwards, our picture got taken to be posted in a new Greek newspaper. So, now I’m famous!

     

The Answer is Yes Part 1

     Recently inspired by the movie, Yes Man starring Jim Carrey, I have decided to undergo an interesting challenge. The movie follows an unhappy man named Carl who enrolls in a self-help program that follows one simple concept: say yes to everything you encounter. Carl watches his life improve in almost very aspect-he lands a job promotion and even find an attractive girlfriend.

Watching the movie, I pondered if that is always the case and when total agreement can totally fail. So for the next week I am going to choose two days to rationally accept every question or challenge that comes my way. Whether its trying the mysterious egg casserole at the Kappa house, or painting or getting lost while picking up a friend’s dry cleaning in Oklahoma City I am bound to have some exciting results.

Of course, I couldn’t have undergone this challenge without giving it a test run- so today I tried to answer yes to as many questions as possible from 10:00 to 12:00 p.m. this morning. Here were my major two discoveries.

10:07 – I woke up to my best friend asking me if she could borrow my phone.  I agreed and found out her phone had been stolen after a hazy night out, but we used my phone to track hers and she was able to find it. I breathed easy since my first agreement of the day had been helpful and not tricky…

11:34- Running super late to my flight home to Houston, I stopped to get gas and realized my gas cap had gotten partially stuck in the tank! It was so typical of my lemon of a car. The maintenance man asked if he could help me out and give my car a full service. I didn’t have time but I had to agree so I gave a huffed yes as I checked my watch pointedly. Well, turns out my tires were dangerously low and needed inspection. Within only 8 minuets they were plumped up and I was on the road, feeling extremely relieved and lucky to have said yes to that opportunity. Maybe this submission thing had some serious good karma…

     So at this point I love my new game, but I feel that surely the things that I agree to won’t always pan out! Stay posted to see the misshapen adventures that might occur from a day of complete compliance!

Late Night Eating in Norman, OK

     Whether you have been out and about on the town or you have been up late night studying, everyone gets those munchies and wants a place to eat! There are a variety of places to eat in Norman, but I have to tell you about my favorite places to late night grub.

Crossroads: If you’re not a freshman you wanna hit one up for some points to go eat at the best place on campus. Renowned for their curly fries, there are a variety options that are sure to please anyone. My favorite thing to get at Crossroads is the grilled Greek chicken Panini. Its healthy and chock full of flavor. They have most everything from hamburgers to sushi to grilled cheeses. It’s cheap and fast and you’re bound to have hilarious conversation with the drunken kids stumbling in.

Fuzzys: Debatably some of the best fish tacos around, Fuzzys has the most ideal location around campus corner and the fastest service around. Always a hot spot, it’s never too late to go to Fuzzys and eat some chips and queso. I’m from Texas, which the Tex-Mex capital and I’m pretty picky about my queso, but Fuzzy’s has the best in Norman. The other best option is the chicken salad, which goes well with their avocado ranch dressing. Yum!

Jimmy Johns: Always down to deliver, this is easily the best place for a good ol’ sub late at night. They have several options but I love the Italian sub the most because it has a delicious dressing and a wonderful combination of cheeses. This is the spot for the late night studiers because it delivers to most anywhere.

     Basically, if you hit up the downtown strip, Campus Corner, late night you are bound to find great conversation and delicious food. These are only a few of the great options but others to look out for Pickleman’s, Seven, and Crooked Crust!

 

Fall in Love with Fall

               

     Autumn is the most perfect season of them all and as the cooler winds have ushered in a revolution in temperature, they have ushered in a change in me. Lately I have been doing some self-reflecting and I think that as usual I can reinvent my outlook on life. Most of us live demanding lives as students and it’s hard to focus on positive things first. I've decided to make a few resolutions for this fall and I encourage you to join me! 

1.  Talk a walk. I absolutely adore watching the leaves change into mixtures of golden orange and apple red since I come from Texas where the leaves stay a continuous green all seasons! The best way to enjoy the leaves turning and feel the cool air around is to take a walk down the neighborhood streets. You can find your own path and make a habit of walking! I'm aspiring to take more early dusk strolls around this town to observe the signs of autumn around me.

2.  Go Home for the Holidays. All my favorite holidays are in the months of fall and that includes Halloween, Thanksgiving, and of course my birthday! I want to make an emphasis to remember holidays and their importance this year, because it’s not going to be forever that my grandmother makes her traditional honey seared turkey on Thanksgiving and it sure won’t be forever that I get to watch my nine year old sister trick or treat in her Miley Cyrus costume.

3.  Drink and be Merry! One of my other most favorite things to do is drink fall time drinks like the Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte and my mom’s homemade Russian Chai Tea. It’s a small factor but long talks outside wouldn’t be the same without a warm mug that gives off a delicious spicy smell. With this enjoyment of fall I am promising to myself that I will take breaks to sit and delight in the small things that make up this wonderful time of year.

     Make this season it a time of year that you want to get out of bed and enjoy the day! Go try the newest fall themed beverage at Starbucks and walk around your surroundings. Savor a home cooked meal with your family and stay too long afterwards catching up. There is enjoyment, relaxation and wholesome changes to be found even amongst a busy season. 

The Soundtrack to Your Life

     Music has undoubtedly entertained people for years. Not much can top a person putting thoughts and feelings into a flow of notes and rhythm. As humans we experience a daily dose of mood swings but fortunately there is a great variety of music to sync our emotion with. Often we treasure songs by their words and by the pictures they paint in our minds. Given that I absolutely love listening to almost all types of music so I thought I might share a compilation of some of my favorites for every type of personality or for any given moment of the day.

     Music for the Happy-Go Lucky: When you’ve got nothing to lose but time, your crusin’ in the car, and the sun shining outside gives a positive outlook for your day, you gotta harmonize with the likes of Natasha Bedingfield, Beyonce, The Beatles and The Shins. For the ultimate feel good feeling see Bob Dylan and his collection of happy beats.

     Music for the Family Reunion: Everyone getting together usually means good fellowship, home-cooked food and maybe some funky traditions. Putting some Neil Diamond, Frank Sinatra, The Beach Boys and Rascal Flatts in the background will get everyone singing along and maybe even a make shift karaoke party started.

     Music for the Rainy Days: I don’t know about everyone else but when I wake up to the sounds of rain plinking on the roof, I put on my most comfiest attire and pleasantly enjoy the day doing a good deal of nothing. The voices of Bon Iver, Coldplay and The Weepies prove the perfect soundtrack to relax and ponder life while looking through raindrops on a glass window.

     Music to Get Things Accomplished to: As many days as we would like to wallow around and do nothing, some days we have a growing checklist and impending deadlines. The right music definitely helps me cancel out distraction and zero on exactly what I need do. I plug into Mumford & Sons, Explosions in the Sky, and compositions by Rachel Portman to get in my zone.

     Music to GET PUMPED too: Whether your getting ready for a great night out, driving to a concert, or putting a song on at a party think Nicki Minaj, Passion Pit, Wallpaper, and Flo Rida. The White Panda website (http://www.thewhitepanda.com/) is a music mash up website that puts out mixes of current top hits and is a fantastic resource as well.

     Music to Listen to Just Because: Of course, some artists and their music are near perfect for any occasion. My most reliable include John Mayer, the Dave Matthews Band, Chris Brown, Ingrid Michaelson, Beyonce, Regina Spektor and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. It’s the kind of songs you really don’t mind playing on repeat.

     There isn’t anything like the feeling you get when your favorite song comes on and everyone around you knows that you know every word. Everyone has their own taste in music and how it matches to their current perspective but I think we can all agree that we owe a lot to songs and the song artists. Music gives us a chance to escape and daydream. Songs also bring together the old and the new as we continue to enjoy our parent’s favorite tunes. American pianist Billy Joel said it best, “I think music in itself is healing. It’s an explosive expression of humanity. It’s something we are all touched by.”

    

Wacky Wedding Traditions

     

     Weddings bring out the depths of tradition, whether old or brand new. Half the fun of wedding planning is looking at other people's wonderful, creative or ridiculous ideas. Celebrating marriage can be done in a multitude of ways from underwater off the coast of the British Virgin Islands to getting hitched at the same chapel your great-great-great grandmother did. People take great pride in doing things like they have always done them and weddings are no exception. However, broaching the subject of wedding traditions brought up some unusual ones and I pondered the line between custom and craziness.

1. The Wheelbarrow Exit -A friend of mine shared with me that her grandparents made an untraditional walk out on their wedding, when her grandfather simply hoisted her grandmother into a wheelbarrow and steered her towards their getaway car. The tradition lives on and there will certainly be a wheelbarrow handy when my friend gets hitched.

2. The Change Up- At a recent wedding I went to, a couple left their reception to confetti of…pennies and nickels. Apparently, the thought was that the change would bring good fortune to the newlywed couple. The most hilarious part of the matter was the five year old ring bearer running around stuffing his little pockets with as much “free money” as he could find.

3. The Best Dog Gone Idea- I heard of a couple who shared that they were so attached to their two year old Chihuahua that they had the pup bring their wedding ring down the aisle with a basket as big as its head attached to its collar. The pup was well trained enough to make it down the aisle but when it reached his owner the poor pup peed on his foot, probably out of sheer nerves!

When it comes to my family and me, we have a multitude of traditions but my favorite new tradition will be when my dad gets to officiate my wedding. He got his wedding license years ago to do my cousin’s wedding and ever since then I knew I wanted him to pronounce me under my new married name. Whether weird or sentimental, wedding traditions sure make each event something old, something new something borrowed and maybe even something blue!