!!!!!!!!!!!!

I just submitted by last final :D :D

BEST DAY EVER!

Celery Sticks

College is draining.  Not necessarily hard, just draining.  Usually the classes are fairly easy, (if you know how to pick them) but adding college to every other stress in life zaps your energy like none other.

I have surveyed my brain and found the top 5 tips for all you college-attending and college-considering peoples.  Ready?


Tip #5: Don't work full time while attending college unless you really need the money (aka you will starve without it).

Tip #4: Take 15 credits.  Of those 15, take 2 online and 3 in class.  Of the 3 in class, take all Tuesday/Thursday.  For those who would like to eat, this helps with work schedules and also study/relax time between school days.

Tip #3: Take all your classes with your roommate, it makes everything so much easier.

Tip #2 Schedule time to relax and hang out.  This way you will have time to escape school, and your friends will not think you have dropped of the face of the earth.

Tip #1 (top tip...by far): Enroll in institute.  This will seriously save your sanity.


Well, there you have it.  The college tips from Miss Celery.  Hopefully this does not discourage you from attending college, (some of you are probably already sucked into it) but I want to help you through the crazy web of college life.  So...good luck!


***Disclaimer: This post was based on the author's own personal experiences and may not be generalizable to the general public.  The author takes no responsibility for the disappointed expectations of those who experiment with her tips and hints.

Set your sights high...

Confession #2 - Dream Occupation

I decided my dream occupation would be a librarian.  I sometimes feel weird saying that, but I think it would be awesome!  For me, the "perfect job" is one that I could others love.  I am basically in love with books, so working with and helping other love them would be perfect!

 

First of all, I could work with books all day (could life get any better?).  I could help other people find good books (explicitly excluding Twilight.....), and then if I were really lucky, I could work in the kids section and even do story time with them!  How sweet would that be?  

Did you know they use to have a degree in library sciences at ASU?  I wanted to get that degree so bad!  Unfortunately all library science classes and degrees have been discontinued. Sad day :(  Don't worry though, I can still be a librarian.

Also, I feel really good about working in this library...

Confession #1 - Stuffed Animals

So I realized I don't do much confessing on this blog....thus defeating the purpose of the blog...So I am starting today!

Confession: I love stuffed animals.

Yes, I still sleep with my teddy bear and my bunny rabbit.  I don't think I could make it though a night without them! 

This picture describes perfectly how I feel about my little friends :)

I just get all happy inside when I see this picture!

WOW!!

Well, my posting has failed lately. My problem is that I feel like my life is not that exciting. I go to school and I work. The end. Oh, and sometimes I sleep.

I recently moved out of my parents and into a house with 5 other girls, which is pretty exciting! I was super nervous at first, but now I love it. There are definitely drawbacks. For example, I don't have food. Like really, I haven't gone grocery shopping in 2 months. But I still love it!

Okay, lets talk about how lately I have wanted to write poetry like hard core. I feel like I am not super good, but I still love doing it. Maybe I will post my poetry thoughts on mi blog....I feel good about it.

Thai Adventures

So the other day I went to a Thai food restaurant for lunch.  Right before the food came out, I ran to the restroom.  When I go there, I realized I had a serious problem.  I couldn’t figure out which was which.  There were random carvings on the door, which I assume meant something in Thai, but since I speak English, they weren’t helping me out.  Finally I decided to pick the one that looked the most “girly”.  The inside looked okay, but I was still worried.  I discovered I had made the right choice when a woman walked right in on me.  Awkward.

Maybe I should study Thai since I obviously have a knack for it.

The most wonderful cany bar EVER!

I had to post this, because I am in the middle of eating a Snickers.  I can't even describe how much I love them.  I sure hope there are Snickers in heaven, if not, I might have to smuggle some in :)

Coping with Stress

In one of my development classes, we learned about stress, how it affects our performance, and how we cope with stress.  There have been three main coping strategies that researchers have found that we as human beings use.  These strategies are either, appraisal-focused, emotion-focused, and problem-focused.

An appraisal-focused strategy includes when and individual changes the way they think about the situation.  Usually this includes distancing oneself from the problem, finding humor in the stress, or changing how they view the situation. 

An emotion-focused strategy is used when there is a lot of emotion involved in the stress, and individuals use this strategy to release emotions often with forms of relaxation.

Using a problem-focused coping strategy deals directly with the problem.  Those who use this strategy, try to figure out what they can do to control and fix the problem.  They dig for the underlying cause of the problem and try to fix the problem directly.

Typically people use a combination of these strategies.  Each strategy has its advantages, though the most developmentally sound strategy is the problem-focused strategy. 

My coping strategy is definitely appraisal-focused.  I distance myself from any stress I am feeling and try to distract myself.  This is helpful if the stress is something I shouldn't worry about, but when the stress is related to school and finals, my coping strategy keeps me from doing my best.  I avoid anything that reminds me of school, including studying for finals and writing final papers.  I am trying to get better at using the problem-focused strategy, but its hard for me.  So this is probably why I wrote this post instead of starting my paper......

What is your coping strategy?

A-Z

So I stole this idea from one of my friend's blog. I figure it's much faster than doing a 30 challenge :)

Age: Actual - 19  Desired - 10. . .aka I don't want to grow up!

Bed Size: Twin

Chore you hate: Emptying the Dishwasher!

Dessert: Ice cream - Cookies and Cream :)

Essential start of your day: Making my bed. I can't function if it's not made.

Favorite Color: Blue

Gold or silver: Silver

Height: 5'4

Instruments I play (or have played): Piano, Organ, French horn, Recorder, Voice (does that count?)

Job Title: Administrative Assistant

Kids: Well I am not married, so I have none. . .

Live: Mesa, AZ -- best place ever!

Mom's Name: Juliet

Nickname: Lessie, Curly Fries, Celery

Overnight hospital stays: None so far!

Pet Peeve: When people refer to me as Celestial. . .like really. Its frustrating

Quote from a movie: Most of my favorite come from National Treasure whenever Riley opens his mouth. One of my favorites?

Control Room Guard: The fire alarms has gone off.

Riley: Uh-oh. God save the Queen.

Right or left handed: Right

Siblings: 3 younger brothers, 2 younger sisters, one sister on the way :)

Time you wake up: Anytime from 6 to 7

Underwear: Well I wear it. . .

Vegetables you dislike: Okra!! Sick. Nast.

What makes you run late: Getting on facebook before I'm ready. . .not a good idea.

X-rays you've had done: Of my teeth at the dentist and orthodontist. . .does that count?

Yummy food you make: Dude. I make bomb cookies. Just saying. . .

Zoo animal: Tiger

Summer!!!

Disclaimer Notice:
This post is completely random, however not completely pointless.

I have been complementing the happy thought that school will be out in approximately 8 weeks!!!!!! Summer break will be here and I will be relived from school work for a full 3 months (well close to it). So these are the places I want to visit. I'm not sure how reasonable they are, or if they will even happen, but still, I can wish, right?

Option #1 - Visit Utah
Utah summers are so much more bearable than Arizona summers. Not to mention the family I have to visit up there.

Option #2 - Visit California
Ideally this trip would be complete with visits to 6 Flags, Disneyland, and Knottsberry Farm.....but me being a poor college student might not work so well with those plans.

Option #3 - Visit somewhere out east
About 5 or 6 years ago me and my family went to visit a few states out east. We went to New York, Ohio, Illinois and even ventured up to Canada. I have wanted to go back ever since, and maybe this summer I will :) But again, the 'poor college student' factor does not help me out so much.

Really I would love to do all three options, but we shall see what happens :)

The power of music

So I feel like a lot of my posts have to do with music. But its okay cause that is what I love!

Anyways, yesterday I was super stressed. I was getting snappy at everyone and I didn't really want to be around anyone. I knew I wanted to be happy and be semi-pleasant but it wasn't working out so well for me. As I got in my car to drive home from from work, I turned off the radio and turned on MoTab. I absolutely love MoTab! It always brings the spirit and this time especially helped me to get my act together.

Moral of the story?
When you need a pick me up, when you are feeling down, when life is honestly crashing down around you, when you can't handle anything and anyone around you. Take a second to breathe. Listen to your favorite song, or something super relaxing.

Music makes life worth living.

SPRING BREAK!!!!

It is finally here!! I am so excited!

Secretly I am not doing anything exciting. I am working ALL week. But still. No school is a happy thought :)

"Weak things become strong"

Lately life has been an emotional roller coaster. I have been changing so much. As I get older, more and more of my rough edges are broken off. I feel like I am being placed in testing areas. Situations that test my weaknesses and eventually turn them to strengths. I have not particularly enjoyed any of the hardships I have gone through, but I would never take back the lessons I learned during those times.

In the last year I have felt....

alone

frightened

abandoned

betrayed

baffled

regretful

angry

disappointed

But as I have learned to rely on the Lord through my trials, I have learned to turn my weaknesses to strengths. I have turned to the Lord and He has helped me to feel...

love

comfort

acceptance

trust

understanding

peace

calm

joy

One scripture that has helped me surface from my trials as a stronger person is found in the Book of Mormon in the Book of Ether. Chapter 12 verse 27.

"And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them."

I love that scripture so much. It reminds me of the provider of my strength, the one source I can always turn to in times of hardship, the only one who will always reach out His hand to lift me up when no other help is in sight.

This poem has also helped me to imagine my Savior beside me through the darkest hours of me life.

Whenever I hear the sound of His voice,

Or look to His outstretched hands.

Whenever I feel His arms around me,

Or the warmth of His smile on my face.

Whenever I'm touched by the Spirit He sends,

Or walk with Him day by day.

I'm glad that I have such a wonderful friend.

My Savior, my brother, my King.

I love my Savior and I am so grateful for the constant companion he has been to me through my entire life

I love many things. I love many places. I love many people.

I love nature. Of all the things and places that I love, nature has to be the one I love most. Nature is a constant. Obviously the scenes of nature change, my backyard will not look the same in 10 years, my favorite mountain will have changed over the next 5 years, but there will always be a place in nature where I can escape.

Part of me has to pick favorites. Favorite food, movie, book, song. I have favorites for all of them. In nature, my favorite things to watch and be a part of are, water, clouds, trees, and the stars. Probably more than half of the pictures on my phone are a combination of beautiful clouds and trees. I can't stop myself from attempting to capture the beauty of nature. 

But I have discovered something while attempting to imitate nature on my phone or with a camera or on paper. Pictures and paintings of nature never quite capture the beauty and simplicity of the original. They can inspire feelings of awe and a give you a desire to be happy, but they can never show you the same details that the artist saw.

Maybe this is one of the reasons I love nature so much. It is a changing constant in an unstable world. 

The Debate...

What do you do about a college class that is a complete waste of time. I am seriously considering not going to class anymore. Here are my justifications.

• I have already taken a course very similar to this one and so none of the content is new.
• My teacher is a grad student. I have nothing against grad students, one of my favorite teachers is also a grad student, BUT this teacher does not really know or care what she is doing.
• Everything is posted online. Reading assignments, lecture notes, assignments given in class. Everything.
• When she lectures, she does not add anything to the notes, she simply re-iterates what the notes say.
• We watch movie clips almost every class period.
• It is my last class.

So, I feel like all of these reasons are good enough to stop attending class. However part of me feels like I would be a slacker and a quiter if I did.

WHAT SHOULD I DO?!?!?

Spin Art

So last night I went to one of my really good friends 20th birthday party. It was really fun! She had lots of food and since it was outside she had a fire pit, which was good cause it was slightly chilly! I got to hang out with people I haven't seen in FOREVER! Some of my best friends from high school were there, and we had soooo much fun. At her party, she had a spin art, which I haven't done since elementary school! We were all having tons of fun trying to make the perfect picture. Mine turned out pretty good. On one of them I squeezed the green to hard and so it turned into a green blob. But the other turned out pretty cool looking. Now I really want to do more.....

Movies (and music!)

I am a huge movie person (I have not seen many movies) but I LOVE to watch movies!  One of my all time favorite movies is the 1995 version of Pride and Prejudice (yes the 5 hour one!) I love the "old time" romance in that movie. The other day I was introduced to an awesome movie by the awesome Bonster (yes this is a nickname...) It is called Cranford. It was created by Sue Birtswistle, the same lady who produced my Pride and Prejudice (yes it was also about 5 hours) Cranford was amazing. I loved it. Now my list of all-time-favorite movies has increased. So far, here it is:


Pride and Prejudice(1995)
The Scarlet Pimpernel(1982)
National Treasure(1&2)
Cranford(2007)
Tangled(2010)

I'm pretty sure there are more, but those are all I can think of right now :)

Also, my favorite part of any movie, is the music. Music makes a movie. And secretly I love music more than movies. These are some of my favorite music quotes


“Music and silence combine strongly because music is done with silence, and silence is full of music.”
-Marcel Marceau

“Music is harmony, harmony is perfection, perfection is our dream, and our dream is heaven”
 -Henri Frederic Amiel

Pizza + Music

Basically, I fail at blogging. Its been like a whole month. Or more. But here I am again :)

On Saturday night I went to Organ Stop Pizza! It is my new favorite restaurant! I haven't been there since junior high, and I forgot how much I love that place. If you haven't been there I would recommend it in a heartbeat! There is a HUGE organ with soooo many pipes and instruments connected to it. You can make requests for songs and this AMAZING organists plays your requests from memory! I could not help being amazed at how good this organist was. It blew my mind. He played some of my favorite music too: Beauty and the Beast, Star Wars, Mission Impossible, Toccata and Fugue, and an epic arrangement of Flight of the Bumblebee. It was sooo awesome! Plus I learned that the organ is called a Mighty Wurlitzer and the one at that restaurant was the largest in the world!

 

The Mighty Wurlitzer!

 

Just a few of the pipes!

 

This is the organist that played on Saturday night!