What's in My Backpack?

The Spring Semester is in now in full swing! Today I figured I would show what I keep in my backpack. I love these kind of posts!

My Backpack: I got this black Heckler for Christmas 2011 and I love it! North Face is an awesome, quality brand; a little over two year's with this puppy and it's still strong as ever! I also like the classic black color because it will always match what I'm wearing.

What goes with me everyday. Not pictured: Sunnies

My Agenda: In high school I usually just bought the $5 school agenda that was sold during registration but last year I got one from Target that I absolutely loved! It's a Five Star academic-year planner from Mead. I realized the vertical layout isn't for everyone but it's perfect for me; it feels like there's a lot more space to work with! I also love the check boxes to see what I've done and what I have yet to down. (Another post later on how I organized my baby agenda.) 

Pencil Pouches: I really love using cosmetic bags because they're lined to protect from makeup spills which translates perfectly for pen and highlighter explosions. They also tend to be more fun than regular pencil pouches. Vera Bradley, Lilly Pulitzer, and Kate Spade are great places to start looking.

One is full of pens and pencils, an eraser, a flashdrive, Sharpies, Wite-Out minis, scissors, and a mini stapler. The other holds my graphing calculator. I also have a financial calculator.

Highlighters: Along with my agenda these are my babies! I use them everyday to organized my notes and classes!

My Waterbottle: I drink A LOT of water and love having my trusty Camelbak on me at all times.

Books and supplies for my Tuesday/Thursday classes.

My Umbrella: Rain seems to come out of nowhere in Louisiana, I like to have my umbrella on me incase a downpour strikes! Mine was a Christmas gift last year and is from Jonathan Adler.

My wristlet: Again this basically goes everywhere with me as it holds my phone, IDs, keys, and money.

I also keep tissues, a mini first-aid kit, Tide to Go pen, mini deodorant, handsantizer, face wipes, Advil, eyedrops, cuticle cream, feminine products, and Chapstick. 

Books and Supplies for my Monday/Wednesday and online class.

And of course spirals, folders, and textbooks! I have a spiral and folder for each class (and a highlighter, all in the same color.) I have textbooks for four of my classes but only bring what I need for that day. I have a binder for one class because it houses a 100+ page financial report we're using throughout the semester. I had a binder for each class in high school with my special organizing system. But for college it gets far too bulky.  

What are your backpack essentials?

Facts about Me

In no particular order...

1. I'm lefthanded

2. My heart is plagued with wanderlust

3. I love any and everything related to Harry Potter

4. Wisconsin is the most beautiful place in the world

5. I have to hang toilet paper with the flap behind the roll

6. I'm extremely obsessed with Disney (films, music, World, etc.)

5. I have a love/hate relationship with snow

6. My favorite movie is elf and I watch it year-round

7. Chandler Bing is my spirit animal

8. My car is named Hank (the Tank)

9. I'm majoring in Finance and (hopefully) minoring in Leadership 

10. I love organizing

11. Matthew is my favorite book of the Bible (specifically chapter 6)

12. Freshly cut grass, vinegar, and are some of my favorite scents

13. I have anxiety

14. Joining Alpha Omicron Pi was one of the best decisions of my life

15. I want to live abroad (preferably somewhere in the UK)

16. The Beatles are my favorite band

17. I love going to the movies by myself

18. I have a huge crush JFK (don't ask)

19. I'm addicted to pinterest and twitter 

20. Brushing my teeth calms me down when I feel stressed

What are some quirky facts about you?

My Plan

So now that the semester has started and craziness is setting in, I'm making a plan to keep me on schedule on with where I want this blog to go. Here it is.

Weekly:

Each week I'll be having the following posts

- songs I've become obsessed with

- how I organize different aspects of my life

- funny things I've discovered over the week

Monthly:

- favorites of the month

- goals I have for the month

- 2014 Resolution progress

I can see this already helping me create a better blog with more reasonable goals. :)

What posts would you like to see?

On Repeat

When I like a song I tended to find it on Spotify and listen to on repeat until I can't stand it anymore. Too much of a good thing eh? So here's what I've been playing and haven't gotten sick of quite yet.

The Mango Tree - Gareth Bush: I can't remember where I first heard it but this song is a little slice of heaven. Fave line: When your heart and mind just don't agree// Meet me at the mango tree. 

Wake Up - Arcade Fire: I definitely remember hearing this for the first time in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty during the airport/airplane montage. 

Pompeii - Bastille: Again not sure where I heard it, I just really like the chanting.

The Soundtrack to Frozen: Disney is always perfect IMHO but Frozen was really something special and the soundtrack doesn't disappoint. Picking a favorite track is really hard but I'd go with In Summer, Love is an Open Door (which is surprisingly dark in hindsight, but really perfect: four for you Disney, you go Disney), and Vuelie. 

Go to the Movies Alone

Disclaimer: In the event that this post becomes widely circulated across social media (though I doubt it will), please remember if you do not agree you are welcome to do so, but this is my blog and these are my opinions. Thanks. :)

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I like being alone. Just me. By myself. Solitude.

Please, don't misunderstand, I'm not a loner. I DO have friends. I really enjoy being with people and (I think) I'm very friendly and social. The alone I'm talking about is the alone where it's just me, likely at home in my room bingeing on Netflix. That's actually probably a little too accurate...

Or maybe the alone that comes with, say, running errands. (Aimlessly and leisurely strolling around Target with a venti Valenica Orange Refresher from Starbucks is pretty much my fave.)

It's NOT the alone where you're by yourself but surrounded by people. More clearly, the alone where you're by yourself but are almost expected to be with others, like a meal in a crowded restaurant or at the movies. THAT alone nearly gives me heart palpitations.

For the longest time going to the movies by myself was on my bucket list. Until it was crossed off last summer. :) Because honestly, you NEED to know how to be that kind of alone.

You might be asking yourself, ok why do I need to know how to be that kind of alone? Or more likely, who are you to tell me I need to know? So first some background.

I clearly remember telling some of my older relatives that going to movies by myself was on my bucket list. Most of them didn't care; in the sense that they didn't see why it was worthy enough to be on my bucket list. "Because..." I said, "It's by yourself, you're not supposed to go to movies by yourself."

"But what if you REALLY want to see that film and no one else does," one countered, "or you have two hours to kill?" I then realized the more important point: why aren't you supposed to go alone? It's dark, you can't really talk to anyone anyways, who cares? Well, still me, but why?

In short: it's vulnerable, you don't have anyone to distract you from yourself. There's no deflection. There was a quote I remember seeing around pinterest a lot a while back, erroneously attributed to writer Oscar Wilde, that said some along the lines of "You have to know how to be by yourself and not defined by another person." The popular quote was actually coined by actress Olivia Wilde (good try Internet) about her then recent divorce.

You need to be you outside of being a gaggle of friends or someone's date. Well, maybe that's a bit harsh; you do need other's to define you a little... just not all the time. Because at some point, you will be that {scary} kind of alone and, in all likelihood, a stranger is not going to come save you.

So why not start learning how at the 8pm Friday showing of that new blockbuster you’ve been dying to see?

(a pic from when I was actually the only one in the theatre)

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If you’ve stayed that whole way a big thanks to you!

Again: If you disagree, write a response why I’m all wrong (we’ll both grow from it.)

My Favorite Moments of 2013

This post is pretty late coming but I don't really care. #sorrynotsorry We're not even a week into 2014, a little reminiscing now won't hurt anyone. There was a lot that happened last year so let's look back.

One of the greatest things this year was joining my amazing sorority Alpha Omicron Pi! I've made many wonderful memories with my sisters but here's a few that will be hard to top!

My Bid Day

Getting my Big

Initiation

Experiencing Formal Recruitment

Getting my Little

I also experience my first official Louisiana MARDI GRAS... on a mini mission trip to Taylor, Arkansas and Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia, Arkansas. It was for Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship's Mardi Gras Outreach and it was a blast!

-our team with Pastor Jimmy-

My first crawfish boil! Very delicious and I can't wait for Lagniappe Week 2014!

Seeing Sir Paul McCartney at Miller Park this summer with one of my best friends!

He's really excited for his concert ;)

I don't having any pictures of it but camping with my best friends in June.

My cousin Chad and his wife Kendra's wedding in August.

What were your favorite moments of 2013? What are you looking forward to in 2014?