I resolve to...

I resolve to YOLO more.  Yes, I know YOLO is one of the words to leave behind in 2013, but the idea behind it, to be more spontaneous and to live life to the fullest, is something that I want to be better at.  2014 brings more "lasts." Last semester, last chapter meeting, last Greek Sing, last time I might see some people.  So instead of succumbing to Netflix every night and weekend, I am going to make some memories.

TWO ZERO ONE THREE: The Music

I'm trying my hand at a mini-series, reflecting on various moments in 2013.  First up: music.  2013 was a huge year for music.  International hits like "Gangam Style" and "What Does the Fox Say" went viral and even made radio play - huge!  Check out this mashup of some of the top songs in 2013. It's a pretty cool video.

Thankful

28 fun things to be thankful for this November 28

1. 5% cash back on all my online shopping with my credit card
2. No-bake cookies
3. Inside jokes
4. Only having classes on Monday and Wednesday
5. That the TV cameras love me
6. Insomnia Cookies after a bad test
7. The Rec Center and all the fun exercise equipment
8. Perfect hair
9. Kate Spade surprise sales
10. Mangok Mathiang
11. TJ Max Home Goods
12. Cheering on the Cards at Papa Johns Cardinal Stadium
13. An awesome internship in the Office of Admissions
14. Chocolate fountains
15. Diet Coke that gives me life
16. Studying abroad
17. National Championship gear that says University of Louisville
18. Tom + Chee grilled cheese donuts
19. Seeing Luke Bryan in concert
20. Kroger points for gas
21. Craft time
22. Nap time
23. Snack time
24. That Laura Prepon will be back for a few more episodes in Orange is the New Black
25. A house close to campus
26. Supportive friends to help fuel my Taco Bell addiction
27. My sisters who lend a hand, a shoulder to cry on, and the possibilities for an endless wardrobe
28. Apple Maps. I would be so lost without you.

On my Radar

Tonight is my sorority's date party! It's our big themed social event of the semester where everyone just cuts loose and has a good time. This semester, the theme is The Great Gatsby so naturally I have been prowling the internet all week looking at Gatsby related everything.  Here is what's been on my radar this week:

ONE | "A Little Date Party Never Killed Nobody" is the theme we have going on and is the phrase going on the back of our shirts. I absolutely love this iconic image of Leo holding up his toasting glass.  #classy

TWO | Not Your Typical Flapper Dress: I think people forget that flappers weren't the high society folks who would be at a 1920s Gatsby party.  This dress has that romantic and vintage detail that I think would be at a 20s party. 

THREE | PARKS AND RECREATION REDDIT: I'm not your biggest Reddit fan but I am all over this Reddit subthread. Check it out.

FOUR | SPERRY DUCK BOOTS: Oh if I did not just buy a pair of LL Bean Boots, I would be all over these! They look so warm and I love the different color options they have! Find them here.

FIVE | GRADUATION: 

!!!!!!!!

A Day in the Life

I always love reading posts like these by other bloggers and I realized that my life is decently interesting enough to be able to do this post.  The great thing about being senior is that I have a golden schedule: 12 hours and classes only on Monday and Wednesday. I learned pretty late in the game that people actually schedule like this on purpose to make it easier to work or do internships (or waste time/sleep).  Unfortunately the Monday/Wednesday blocks make your day really scheduled but I was fortunate today to get out of one class early and have one class canceled. (One awesome part about college: when the teacher’s are sick, there is not a substitute teacher!) Variety is the spice of life, right?!

Here is my (not so typical) Wednesday:

9 AM | Champion are Readers program at the Early Learning Campus: My sorority’s philanthropy is literacy and we have developed a reading enrichment program that can be implemented at any elementary school.  It makes me wake up a few hours earlier than normal, but it is so worth it to see these kids faces light up when we have a new book to read every week.

10 AM | Coffee Coffee Coffee: One day I will be able to function without coffee every morning.  Today is not that day.  I love stopping by Quill’s Coffee Shop in Cardinal Towne for my caffeine fix.  Plus – check out that fun coffee art!

11 AM – 3:15 PM | Class. Lunch. Class. Class:  I have a really good mix of lecture and discussion based classes this semester.   It can be difficult to distinguish how the professor will teach the class so I recommend asking around before you sign up for a class.  In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever just blindly signed up for class without asking friends and looking them up on Rate My Professor.

4 PM | Panhellenic: I take minutes every week at Panhellenic (the umbrella organization for all Panhellenic sororities).  This week we had elections so I am officially the outgoing Secretary.  Greek Life not your cup of tea? UofL’s student body is so diverse and there are a variety of student run clubs and organizations that cater to different interests.

5:30 PM | Night class: My sociology class was cancelled this week but it is my favorite class this semester.  This class is loosely structured but we mainly just discuss hot topics and relate it to the chapter we’re focusing on in class.  Night classes can be good and bad – it’s always a bonus only having class once a week, but that class also lasts 3 hours.. so choose them wisely… and take them with a friend.

J. Crew Factory Sale

30% off everything, free shipping until November 15!

Some of what I'm obsessing over:

Color block, navy, elbow pads, shoulder buttons? Check, check, check, check! Literally every single obsession I have is in one sweater. 

Who says your can't combine stripes and polka dots?  This sweater does the pattern matching for you! Pair it with a bright button up underneath.

I love these mustard cords! A must have for the fall and winter for sure.  

On my Radar

Has anyone else been just plain exhausted this week? I must have gone a little too hard Halloweekend. ;)

ONE | THE VOICE

I've always loved The Voice, but I've never had the patience to stick through an entire season and watch the entire season. Usually, I watch every single blind audition episode, and then taper off during the knockout rounds. But this season, whew, I am hooked.  Maybe it's because Louisville's own Olivia Henken is on the show, or maybe it's because I'm just obsessed with the rich and diverse vocals from all the singers.  I binge watch the episodes. It's bad.  

TWO | DEM_WHITE_BOYZ

I followed DEM_WHITE_BOYZ on Vine when they first became Vine along with just about every other famous Vine dance group.  It got a little overwhelming so I unfollowed every single one.  Well, I guess I just can't stay away because I spent my Wednesday night watching/rewatching every single Vine they posted.  This video in particular just made me LOL. 

THREE | Kate Spade Lucy Dress

Oh man, am I lusting over this dress. I'm a huge sucker for shift dresses. (Honestly though, way too tall for them. I am not allowed to have my arm go above a 90 degree angle.) It's subtle but still super fancy and I just love the beading and decoration around the collar.

FOUR | Kevin Ware

He's back! 222 days after the horrific Elite Eight injury, Kevin Ware made his 2013-2014 season debut against Louisville's exhibition game against Pikeville.  I just cannot get over his bravery, courage, and drive to get back out on the very court that could have ended his career.  So excited to see more of Kevin on the court this year! 

FIVE | V FOR VENDETTA

I watched this movie for the first time this past Tuesday (cliche, I know, since it was November 5), and holy smokes I can't believe I hadn't seen it before.  I'm a really bad movie watcher. I usually only like movies where I can tell what the movie is about, so obviously I never had any interest in V for Vendetta because, like, what the heck is that movie title?! I still don't totally understand the movie so I'm going to have to watch it a few more times but I was just completely blown away by the story line. I definitely recommend watching this!

#FridayFive

Is procrastination supposed to help you?

This weekend, I was working on a project for my strategic communication writing class.  This is an online class, so I never complete the assignments and quizzes until the weekend they are due. This I chalk up to lack of motivation. #senioritis Granted, I always start mapping out the assignment the Wednesday before so by the time I am ready to buckle down, I've already done the hard part.  But this weekend, even after mapping out my assignment, completing these assignments were torture.  I had a hard time coming up with good writing material, and I basically threw away my entire Saturday because I just wasn't feeling it.  It was an unusual feeling because this is one of my favorite classes I've taken.

Sunday, I bit the bullet and completely revamped my assignment, changing the client and product.  And you know what? I don't think I had ever written faster or had that many thoughts come to my mind at once.

I wasn't aware of it yesterday, but after reading this article on Levo League this morning, and evaluating my past few years in college, I've realized that at its essence, procrastination is really just your gut feeling.  I didn't want to write Saturday, not because I was lazy, but because all the ideas I had totally sucked and I didn't even want to put those thoughts on paper and face reality: that I needed to pick a better topic.  I needed to start clean.  It can be hard to admit that, especially when you have finished one part of the assignment.  Is it worth it to give up and start clean with a blank slate?

So how does this relate to my past three years of college?  Between going into college not following my heart, and refusing to listen to my gut for two years, procrastination was really my saving grace.  Interesting concept right?  Procrastination gave me a second chance, a chance to start over with something I was passionate about.  The Levo League article gives the most important question to ask yourself: How would I feel if I completely removed this from my to-do list? Relief?  Then let it go. You're not giving it the 100% it deserves.  Discomfort?  Be truthful with your inner fears.  Discover the risk you can afford to take and still sleep at night.

And did you know, at its core, procrastination really means, belonging to tomorrow.

Coping with Rejection

About one year ago, I got the dreaded email stating that I was not moving on in the interview process and that although I was qualified, I was not what the company was looking for.

I laid in bed and cried for about two hours.  This was my dream internship and I felt like I had been kicked in the stomach.  I had never not succeeded at something like this.  I was high achieving in high school, aced my interviews for scholarships and programs for college, got my first internship right after my freshman year of college, which snowballed into many other opportunities within the company.

I had never felt so defeated before, but I jumped right back into the internship pool and had an interview with a different company two days later. I didn't get that internship either, but I wasn't sad about that one.  At that interview, I realized that the only place I wanted to intern at and work for was the first company that had rejected me.  Plus, the second company honestly gave me the heebie jeebies. The environment and set-up was not my style.

So - I talked to the campus rep, reapplied at the beginning of the next semester, interviewed, and got the internship.

There are many different ways to cope with rejection.  You cry.  You get mad.  You get hateful.  You doubt yourself.  I did it all.  But I rose from it.  There is no greater power than the power of emotion. I channeled everything into the rest of the semester to make myself more valuable, more talented, and more prepared for the interview and the internship. In that time, I was able to find my passions and realize how those passions connected to my internship.  But I'll admit - it was hard going back to those interviews and seeing the people who had rejected me.  But if anything, getting that call is greater validation that everything that I worked hard for gave me this opportunity.  So when you feel like you are at the your lowest, work yourself to your highest.  It'll give you the confidence you need and make you feel better about everything you have accomplished.

Do something.

Well, I am back after an unexpected and long hiatus.  Since I have last posted, I have finished my internship at Target, received a job offer to start at Target full time as an executive when I graduate in May, and have started my senior year.

Senior year is the first of many lasts for me.  It is the last time I will probably see a lot of my college friends all together for a very long time.  It is the last time I will ever be able to get to complete the full college experience.  Over the summer, I saw my senior year as a joke. My classes were easy.  I wasn't taking many hours.   I didn't have much going on.  But now, I see my senior year as a final way to make an impact.  School has been going on for only two weeks and I already feel as if I am as busy as I was last semester.  I find myself adding on new opportunities to get involved and try and make a difference.

It will be interesting to see how the rest of my senior year goes.  I am sad but excited to make this last year count and make it the best year of college.

Finding the Time

One of the greatest assets after graduation is the connections you make in your workplace from your internship.  An internship is the number one thing I tell incoming freshmen to focus on while they are in school.  Start early (right after your freshman year, even!) and do them often! Of course - during the school year, it can be a little trickier to find the perfect balance between classes, your internship, a part-time job, campus organizations, and down-time. But, it's not impossible to do it all. I was there.  I was the girl who was working a 10-hour internship and a 15-hour part-time job.  I was on a leadership position in two Greek organizations.  I was involved on the campus activities board.  I was taking a full-time course load.  You can do it all...It just takes strong will, a good sense of organization, and the ability to prioritize.  Plus, being able to successfully multi-task wouldn't hurt either.

My best friend during my spring 2013 semester was my planner and my phone.  I synced my phone to my iCal and had all my classes and meetings on there. I used my planner to make lists of everything I needed to accomplish on that day.  I was always on my phone so that was where my schedule was most up to date and thats what I started referencing a lot more as the semester went on.  It was a tough semester - I would leave for my 10 AM class and not come back to my house until 5 PM, only to stay long enough to eat and then be back on my way to meetings until 9.  I was definitely my most prepared as far as classes went because I didn't have time to fall behind.  To have a semester that hectic, you teach yourself how to be disciplined and not check Facebook every ten minutes of studying.

In the end, it was totally worth it.  Pushing yourself to that level and realizing that you are succeeding is the best feeling in the world.  It really is a way to see how much you have grown as an individual and how much more responsible you are.  It also makes you appreciate the time you have to yourself a lot more.

One tip to note - the perfect balance is changes semester to semester. Sometimes it can even change within the semester. It's just important to stay adaptable to the situation and learn from your mistakes.

Money 101 for the Struggling College Student

Too often than not, I see my friends spending money like they don't have to worry about saving up for anything. If there world was really that perfect, then I am genuinely jealous, but also sad because the feeling of saving up for something and then buying it is such a worthwhile feeling! I don't know about you, but it makes me want it so much more, and I take better care of it if I am using my own money to buy it.

It frustrates me to see people wasting money when I know they should be saving it.  I feel like the financial illiteracy of our generation is going to screw us up.  My sister and brother-in-law will end up debt-free from dental school in two years because they are saving and putting money aside and trying not to take out loans.  I just wish more of my friends have that mentality instead of putting it off until later.

So for those of you who are interested in saving money, the first step you should take is to live by the 50/20/30 method. 50% should go to the essentials - rent, gas, bills, food. 20% should go toward your future - paying off debt, saving for a vacation, etc. 30% should go to your lifestyle - eating out, shopping, vacations, etc. Even just allocating that money will make you reel in your spending habits and set boundaries.

I am trying to be a lot better about this.  I recently downloaded the app Mint, which connects your bank accounts and credit cards so you can see how much you are spending by category. It scared me to see that every month I was spending way more than what I was making.

They say it takes 30 days to make or break a habit.  Hopefully within a few months I'll be able to have my finances in a comfortable state and I'll be saying that I am successfully saving up for my future.

If you want to know more, I would recommend reading this article from Target.  It is what really gave me a good wakeup call and gave me the steps I needed to take to regain control of my finances.

'Merica

27 Ways to be As American As Ron Swanson

Growing up

From "Follow Your Arrow" by Kacey Musgraves

I am far from being a "grown up" but I can definitely tell that I have been growing up. I will be entering my senior year of college in about a month in and a half and then 9 short months later, I'll be graduating college and entering the real world.  I love this new Kacey Musgraves song - not only because of the Pi Phi symbolism, but because I feel like it preaches a pretty strong message.  Sure the lyrics are controversial, especially for the country music genre, but I think that this song is all about being proud of who you are, not holding back, trying new things, and learning from your mistakes. 

15 Things That Taste Like My Asian American Childhood

Modeled from Foodbeast

Strawberry Pocky sticks. I love seeing these sold at places like Target!

Strawberry Yan Yan's.

Strawberry Koala snacks.  Notice a trend? I really like strawberry.. Also - I want to note that I would exclusively eat the Koala crackers, and not the Panda crackers. 

Botan Rice Candy! I still love these! Sometimes you can even find them at World Market! 

Caramel Milk Candy 

Fruit Bubble Gum. Someone brought these to gym class one day my freshman year of high school. I was so surprised to see these again! 

Shrimp Flavored Chips - I love these. I still buy them at World Market.

Nori. I think I've lost my taste of dry nori but I still love it in sushi. 

Lychee! These things were so addicting. 

Yogurt drinks - this was always the first thing I grabbed when me and my family went grocery shopping on Sunday. I wish they sold them in larger bottles more frequently. 

Boba Tea. Still my favorite thing in the world. Like ever. 

Dry ramen noodle snacks. So good! 

Grass jelly drink

Dried pork. If you're not Asian, you think it's disgusting. I'm not sure what it is, but I ate it on everything anyway. 

Sticky rice wrapped in leaves - oh my goddness this is my favorite way to eat rice! My aunt and uncle make these in their restaurant and gave me six to take home. There are huge perks when your family owns a Taiwanese restaurant. 

Five Things Friday

I'm moving into a new apartment with my friends next month and I couldn't be more ecstatic! While I have absolutely loved the apartment I've lived in the past two years, I've had a ton of roommate drama.  I tend to run away from conflict which is part of the problem - but the other problem is that the people I live with are my sister's friend…and not to be mean..but they're not really my scene.

Since I am the only one out of my friends that have been living the BYOF (bring your own furniture) lifestyle, I already have accumulated a lot of stuff to bring to our new apartment…but that hasn't stopped me from looking and lusting over furniture.  So to kick off Five Things Friday, where I'll blog about five things that I am lusting over, these are the top five things I would love to have in the new apartment:

This would be a perfect accent chair. 

Waffles are my favorite food. Make them circus animal shaped? Even better! 

Okay, so I actually bought this two months ago for my new room..but I'm still so obsessed with it!

A perfect welcome for any Pi Phi's home! 

It's going to be hard to get used to sharing a bathroom - I'll definitely need a mirror in my room so I can get ready in the morning. 

Is there something that you have in your apartment that you can't live without?

Target | Walmart (similar) | Urban Outfitters | Pottery Barn | Fab

How I went from being Rapunzel to Mulan in a day.

Coco Chanel said, "A woman who cuts her hair is about to change her life."  Not only did my hair transformation change my life, but it also changed the life of someone else.

One year ago today, I donated 13 inches to Locks of Love.  8 weeks ago, I donated 8 inches to Pantene Beautiful Lengths.

When I donated my hair last year, I was a nervous wreck.  I had been growing my hair out for two and a half years and so many of my friends would see pictures of me with short hair and comment that I looked so much better with long hair.  It sounds vapid, but I was so scared I was going to be ugly when I got all my hair cut off.  Luckily, I didn't let my friend's beliefs prevent me from donating.  In fact - both times I donated my hair, I told nobody or only one friend.  Let me tell you - instagram/Facebook can be a bold way to announce to the world what you've done.

It makes me feel a sense of accomplishment to say that I've been able to donate my hair twice within the year. And the fact that I know it is going to a good cause is a way to remember that I am doing this for something bigger than myself.  God gave me the talent to grow hair faster than the normal human being - might as well but that gift to good use!

My hair transition: April 2012, June 2012, March 2013, April 2013.