Take Me to Pedicure Heaven :)

As embarrassed as I was to put a picture of my feet online for the world to see, I felt that it was necessary...The semester is coming to an end which brings with it a ton of stress and pressure.

finals = stress
and

pedicures = stress relief

All the things that I put off all semester long seem to be haunting at this point, causing me major stress and anxiety.   So that I don't drop dead from the mile long list of things to do, it is important for me to take a few moments and try clear my head.  For me, personally, there is only one thing in the world that will allow me to do just that and it is getting a pedicure.  It can literally take everything off my mind, and although they only last 60 minutes, it's enough time for me to relax and recoup.  Soaking my feet in warm water, getting a leg and foot massage, listening to tranquil music...there is no better way for me to unwind.  Also, having beautifully groomed feet afterwards doesn't hurt.  I am literally in heaven during the whole process.  A scrub here, a file there, paraffin wax making your feet as soft as a baby's bottom---it's simply w.o.n.d.e.r.f.u.l.!

Good Ad's

I am a HUGE fan of this Kia commercial. Not only is it funny and unexpected, but it is gets the message across. Recently, in one of my advertising classes, we had gone over the differences between good and bad ads...this one is definitely qualifies as a good one! The standard car commercial will usually have some type of scene in nature where they can show the vehicle driving really fast and smooth (somehow never getting dirty); it has all become so typical. But this Kia commercial is like a breath of fresh air! It has creativity and originality, which is probably the number one reason it took home the Nielson's Automotive Ad of the Year award. These hamsters are making waves in TV advertising and have shown to be very beneficial for Kia, because the car is doing very well in the market.

I wish every TV advertisement could be as entertaining as this one; it would make for the perfect remedy for boring commercial breaks. That, I think, should be the goal of every creative team; make something that viewers want to stop and watch as they are flipping through channels. Not only will it benefit your clients, but it benefits everyone having to sit there watch these commercials.

Making A House A Home

...or in my case, making my apartment my home.  When I was a freshman in college I began to look for an apartment.  Things like space, security, and proximity to campus were up there on the list of importance.  Over the years though, I have come to realize that it's not those things that make my apartment my home.  I have learned now that the following are the things that are must-haves wherever I live:

1. A big kitchen- I cook ALL the time!!!  I need a lot of extra space in the kitchen because I want room to cut, chop, bake, fry, mix, grill, and the list goes on and on....If I don't feel comfortable in my own kitchen, odds are I won't feel comfortable anywhere else in the house.
2. Warm colors- especially having spent 2 falls (my favorite time of year) here in Dallas, I need warm colors to make me feel cozy and comfortable.  I want to be surrounded by oranges and reds...colors that scream fall!!!  It makes my apartment feel like a place where I can retreat and get away from all of life's daily stresses.
3. People I love- I live with my twin sister, and although we have our differences sometimes, it means more than anything to me that I can come home to family after a day at school.  Wherever I live, I need to be surrounded by family and friends.  I don't ever want to live by myself or with people I don't get along with.  If your not comfortable with your roommates, you will never feel comfortable in your home.
4. Pictures-  This is a must!  No matter what corner I turn in my apartment I want to be reminded of all the great times I have had over the years.  These are the things I can look at to make me smile and laugh; little reminders of how lucky I have been to have had such a great life.

Add all these up and thats how I make my apartment my home. 

Is Chivalry Dead?

If its still alive can someone please send it my way?!?!  No longer are doors held open for women, no longer are ladies first...I find something way wrong with this picture!  I am an old fashioned woman living in a world of modern men.  My question is "when did it start dying and why!?!?"  Somewhere in history things must have went terribly wrong...are fathers not teaching their sons how to treat women?  Are mothers simply letting them get away with it?  Some might say that we are perfectly capable of opening our own doors and paying for our own meals...well, that may be true but it doesn't make it right.  The fact is, its those little gestures that make women feel special and secure.  We want our men to take charge and really "treat us like ladies".  


I can't put all the blame on men...women did/still do have something to do with this fatality.  I have to address all the feminists out there. We say we want to be treated equally, but are we really ready for that to happen? Yes, we are capable of doing anything and everything men do and yes, we need to stand up for our rights as women, BUT there are certain things men SHOULD do for us!  Just because we are able does not mean that men shouldn't be willing.  Sometimes I think women put men down for trying to take care of us (i.e., open doors, pay for meal, ect.).  It's not right, and, frankly, when you get mad at them it's unfair to the rest of us girls who appreciate those gestures.


I don't want chivalry to die, so my solution is simple---Men need to be chivalrous and women need to accept it.

Rewind

What if we could rewind time to go back and watch the ways we interact with people?  Those who have been on reality shows, who literally have this opportunity, always admit that they didn't realize the way they came across to other people until they were able to watch themselves on TV.  What if everyone had this chance?  It might be hard to see things about our personalities that are different from the views we have of ourselves, but in many ways this could be a good thing.  1) You could see yourself overreacting, jumping on people, being impatient, being unreasonable....and then you can work on changing those qualities about yourself.  2) If you have an argument with someone, you can go back and try to see both sides of the story instead of just your own.  3) Maybe we would start noticing the little things people do for us that get overlooked...the list really goes on and on...Picture it as if your seeing a movie for the 2nd, 3rd, 4th time...you see something different each time you watch it.  Same would go for getting to see yourself over and over, I would think.  This would be an amazing gift, because it would allow people the chance illuminate the things they like and dislike about the ways they interact, making it so much easier to become our "best" selves.

A Life Without Holidays

Somebody once told me that holidays are milestones that get people through each year.  If you really think about it, they were right.  How often do we look for the next "break" in our lives? and how often is that "break" a holiday?  In a sense, these special days are what get us up and keep us going every morning we wake up.  In January, after we celebrate New Years, we start looking forward to Valentines Day, then St. Patrick's Day, Easter, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and throw birthdays into the mix too---without all of these, what would we ever get excited for?  Holidays are something everyone in the world no matter how rich or poor you are, no matter where you live can celebrate.  They bring people together---it's really special if you sit down and think about it.

With Thanksgiving just having passed and Christmas right around the corner, its most peoples favorite time of year!  It brings with it joy, fun, and excitement.  Take this completely out of the picture and what are you left with?  November and December would just be like every other month...no presents to look forward to, no huge family reunions, no reason to bring everyone together....to me, it would be sad and quite boring.  I guess if we never grew up celebrating anything or having no concept of what a "holiday" is, it would make no difference, but the fact is that I do.  And I would be devastated if holidays up went MIA for the rest of my life.  I know that nothing like this would ever happen, but thinking about it sure makes you appreciate the whole thing :)

What Not To Say To...

1. Someone whose pet just died...
• "It was just a pet."
• "Just buy another one."
2. The person interviewing you for a job...
• "My boss was a jerk and my last job sucked."
• "What does your company do?"
3. A cop...
• "I pay your salary."
• "Sorry officer, I didn't realize my radar detector wasn't plugged in."
4. A pregnant lady...
• "You look like your about to pop!!!"
• "Was it planned?"

Now to most people, this is common sense.  I don't know what it is recently though, but I have heard more inappropriate comments than ever before.  Whether it be on T.V., just walking to class, or at the mall, people just seem to has lost the ability to think before they speak.  We are all taught what is right and wrong when we are younger, and you would think that some things would have become second nature to us by now--like not telling a cop to go eat donuts...not kidding, I actually heard people say this to a cop one night!  When I was checking out at the mall the woman in the dressing room next to me was pregnant...the lady helping her out asked her how far along she was and whether it was a boy or girl...I guess she got too comfortable because the next thing she asked was "Was it planned?"  I couldn't believe I had actually heard a grown woman asking another grown woman that question!  The reality of it is that we all need to learn to edit ourselves.  Sometimes we get to comfortable and blurt out the first things that pop into our heads...what we say and how we say it can make a huge difference in the way people respond to us. ***Basically, be respectful and think before you speak***

Today is your last day!

...not really, but if it were, how would you spend it?  I used to think about this question a lot when I was little and had the entire day planned out, but now that I'm older I look back at it and realize how much my priorities have changed.  See, when I was 7 the most important things to me were playing with my dog and catching Gula Gula Island on TV when I got home from school, but now things are different and its nice to know that more important things now rank number one in my life.  Number one thing for me is spending time with the people I care most about--it would be impossible for me to spend the last day of my life by myself.  There are so many people that I am close with and I know I could count on to keep me smiling until I take my very last breath.  On my last day I would make sure do the simple things in life that I love to do too like cooking, hanging out with friends, going for a walk...it would make my final day seem less final.  I would want that day to be similar every other in my life--thats what would make this one special---because it would allow me to relive all the good times that I have had and remind me just how great of a life I lived.  I don't think I would actually say goodbye to anyone because seems too permanent, and I don't know if I could face that reality head on.  The thought of never seeing my friends and family again terrifies me, so I think the actual act of saying goodbye would be impossible.  This is just a rough sketch of how I would spend my last day, but, who knows, I might look back on this 13 years from now and see that once again my priorities have changed.

Elevator Rides

They are known for being awkward and uncomfortable.  Usually your riding with complete strangers, sometimes with people you barely know...no matter--they are awkward.  Do you try to have conversations with the people you are in such close quarters with?  Do you avoid eye contact?  Do you hold the doors for someone you see running towards the elevator as its closing?  So many situations can arise in those few minutes you are on the elevator.


For me, the most universally awkward moments associated with elevators is in fact when the doors are slowly closing.  You think quickly, should I run for it or should I wait for the next elevator?  Crap, you just made eye contact with someone inside--now they know you want on.  Do you they hold it open for you or do they awkwardly stare at you as you run towards them?  Most importantly, do they care?  Now its probably a good idea to play it safe and catch the next one because if you do get on, there is bound to be tension...after all, that b* didn't want you on in the first place.


A few days ago my psychology professor posed the question "What if a guy walked into a crowded elevator and faced towards the back for the entire ride?"  How odd, right?  But it really got me thinking what would happen if this were a real situation...

I think we are now talking extreme discomfort. Imagine being the person standing right in front of him...you look him in the eye or avoid eye contact at any cost?  Would you think he is crazy?  Would you get off at the next stop?  After all, he must he insane if he is facing everyone; why would he want to look at strangers the whole ride?  I feel like there are a bunch of unwritten and unspoken rules for riding an elevator, but they’re inherited as a kid and some people never really catch on.   Failure to abide by these unspoken rules will no doubt result in awkward situations.


Either way, the social atmosphere created by elevators is inherently weird.  It can’t be changed, it can only be observed and studied because no matter what, elevator rides will forever be the home of awkward situations.

Girl Talk

Women live for it and men shriek at the thought.  Ever wonder what is really being said during those trips to the bathroom? or the whispers to each other at the bar? or what's being said when we are in a huddle?  Well I'm here to give you the 10 things women are most likely saying:

1. Do these jeans make me look fat?
2. Is there anything in my teeth?
3. How did she get him?
4. This strapless bra is driving me CRAZY!
5. I started a new diet...
6. I have cramps.
7. Do you think he likes me?
8. You have to get me away from this guy---QUICK!
9. What is she wearing?
10. Why didn't he text me back?

                

Breakup Songs

...some make you feel empowered, some make you cry, some help you say f*** you, they can make you feel like you're better without them, some make you even more pissed off, some make you say "omg, that was so me and my x", they can make your heart skip a beat, make you want them back, make you wish you had never dated them....these are the songs you put on repeat for hours, the ones you fall asleep to for days....i think you know exactly what I'm talking about.  We all do it...even if we don't want to admit it.  Music has the power to put you in any kind of mood you want to be in, which makes it the perfect remedy for breakups.  If you want to say f* you, turn on and turn up "F* You" by Cee Lo Green.  You think crying might help? Put "Make You Feel My Love" by Adele on repeat.  Want to say "bye, bye" to a bad relationship?  Nothing is better than "Bye Bye" by Jo Dee Messina.  My point is that there's a song for everything now-a-days so, why not use them to help us through a break up?

Some of my favorites!

• Big Deal-LeAnn Rimes
• Its Alright, Its Okay- Ashley Tisdale
• Bye Bye- Jo Dee Messina
• F*** You-Cee Lo Green
• Make You Feel My Love- Adele

I have this friend

lets call her Mishap because she seems to attract bad situations.  I love her to death, don't get me wrong, but the universe might not feel the same way about her....


My friend makes a great effort to be on top of everything in her life.  She rows for SMU, is involved in so much on campus, and always makes time for her friends, yet somehow bad things seem to happen to her at least once a day.  For example, a couple months ago her refrigerator in her apartment broke (for the 3rd time since she moved in) and so she called her landlord to get a replacement.  After weeks had gone by with her and her roommates living out of coolers, she finally called him again....this time with more complaints...see the ceiling above her shower was coming down and one of the pipes was dangling so low that she was practically hitting her head on it.  THIS IS DANGEROUS! and she let her landlord know....yet for some strange reason she is the one who gets cussed out at....ya, her landlord decided not only to cuss her out on the phone, but to physically walk over to her apartment and yell at her as if this whole thing was her fault!  So unfair....but like I said, typical for a day in the life of Mishap.


Another example was when she wanted a coke...sounds simple right? Well not for Mishap.  After dinner one night she told me that her stomach was hurting so she wanted to go back to her room and rest for a little bit....next time I see her she has this story for me.....


Apparently she wanted a coke to help her stomach and remembered that she had bought a liter and put it in her mini fridge the day before.  She went to pull it out and it was frozen solid.  Not wanting to pay a dollar to go buy one out of the machine, she decided to wait until it melts, but that was taking too long....SOOOO her next brilliant idea was to take her blow dryer to the bottle....well everything was going fine and the soda started to melt, good right? Not for her, because it kept melting, and fizzing, and fizzing, and fizzing until it started to explode!  She looked around for cups that she could fill up before it started going all over the floor but it was too late, it was overflowing!  And it continued to overflow for a good five minutes in her trash can....let's just say her room smelt like coke for a long time after that.


But its situations like these that make Mishap Mishap.  If her days weren't like this, I don't know what she would do with herself.  Every time I see her she has a new story, each one better than the last.  There's only one person I know who can handle constant chaos and its her! 

...a day in the life of a dog and cat

The Dog's Diary   8:00 am - Dog food! My favorite thing!   9:30 am - A car ride! My favorite thing!   9:40 am - A walk in the park! My favorite thing! 10:30 am - Got rubbed and petted! My favorite thing!12:00 pm - Milk bones! My favorite thing!   1:00 pm - Played in the yard! My favorite thing! 3:00 pm - Wagged my tail! My favorite thing!   5:00 pm - Dinner! My favorite thing!   7:00 pm - Got to play ball! My favorite thing!   8:00 pm - Wow! Watched TV with the people! My favorite thing! 11:00 pm - Sleeping on the bed! My favorite thing!

The Cat's Diary Day 983 of My Captivity     My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and I are fed hash or some sort of dry nuggets. Although I make my contempt for the rations perfectly clear, I nevertheless must eat something in order to keep up my strength.     The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape. In an attempt to disgust them, I once again vomit on the carpet. Today I decapitated a mouse and dropped its headless body at their feet. I had hoped this would strike fear into their hearts, since it clearly demonstrates my capabilities. However, they merely made condescending comments about what a "good little hunter" I am. Bastards!     There was some sort of assembly of their accomplices tonight. I was placed in solitary confinement for the duration of the event. However, I could hear the noises and smell the food. I overheard that my confinement was due to the power of "allergies." I must learn what this means, and how to use it to my advantage.     Today I was almost successful in an attempt to assassinate one of my tormentors by weaving around his feet as he was walking. I must try this again tomorrow, but at the top of the stairs.     I am convinced that the other prisoners here are flunkies and snitches. The dog receives special privileges. He is regularly released, and seems to be more than willing to return. He is obviously retarded. The bird must be an informant. I observe him communicate with the guards regularly. I am certain that he reports my every move. My captors have arranged protective custody for him in an elevated cell, so he is safe. For now ... Words can not describe how long I laughed about this!  It was posted on my sisters wall on facebook and I HAD to share it!!  There are some things in life that need to be passed on and I felt like this was one of them.   I am a big time cat lover and have one of my own back home...If cats could really write, I have no doubt in my mind that this exactly what my kitty would say.  I love her to death, but she always seems paranoid about something...what if she really does think she is being held captive :/ ?!?! I guess we will never really know, but it sure is fun guessing!

Well Said

The best piece of advise I was ever given was by a classmate in middle school.  I was in 7th grade and had just broken up with my boyfriend at the time and basically my life was over (or so I thought).  I was online later that week and one of my classmates IMed me so of course I took that as an opportunity to spill my heart out...gosh we are so overdramatic in middle school aren't we?!?!  Anyways, after talking to him for a while he said something to me that I have and will continue to take with me until the day that I die...he said "Gina, in the end it will all be okay, if its not okay, then it's not the end."  Now, at the time I didn't realize that this was a common phrase, but nevertheless, I took it to heart.  This doesn't just relate to relationships, but to every hardship we ever face in life.  How often have we all said, "I can't take it anymore, This is just too hard, or My life is over"?  But in the end everything seems to work its way out.  

No matter how daunting my weeks look, no matter how impossible my homework is, no matter how much my heart breaks, I always live through it--it always gets better.  Every time I start to think these things, I just repeat that phrase over and over in my head.  It might sound corny but it truly has helped me get through some of the hardest parts of my life so far. 

Dance? I can cannot.

When it comes to dancing I have white people syndrome; rhythm is something that I have yet to master.  Something tells me though that I am not missing out on too much...I look around at people my age at clubs and think to myself "my god, are they dancing or do they need to get a room"?  

Example: I was at a formal recently where I thought I just might have walked into the wrong kind of party if you know what I mean.  People were up against walls and doing the "booty grind" on steroids.  It was intense to say the least.  I looked at my date and put it to him simply, "I can't/will not do that."  Not only because I have no rhythm but because I did not want to be added to the list of trashy girls at the party.  Now I don't want to sound like a goody too-shoes BUT literally what would their parents think!?!?!  Its like dancing is now an excuse to be as inappropriate with your date as possible...I'll pass, thanks.

If dancing were like it were in the "old" days, my story might be different.  I mean I can rock the white girl point, the shopping cart, and I've been known to do a great mashed potato.  But if I were to pull out these moves at a club in dallas, I might as well give up on talking to anybody of the opposite sex for that night.  

So for now I will continue to keep my moves under lock and key, but one day I will bust them out and you best know that I will show up all those booty grinders...I just need more people to join my side :p!

VOCAB LESSON

DEFINITION:

• the feeling that accompanies an experience of being thwarted in attaining your goals
• an act of hindering someone's plans or efforts
• a feeling of annoyance at being hindered or criticized

SYNONYMS: 

• annoyance, blocking, drag, resentment, setback, defeating, everything that is my CSE professor

ANTONYMS:

• aid, assistance, cooperation, help, support, everything my CSE professor is not

USED IN A SENTENCE:

• My CSE professor is frustrating me.
• I feel frustrated when I think about my CSE professor.
• My CSE professor's goal in life is to frustrate his students.

QUESTION-What have we learned from this?

ANSWER- I REALLY DON'T LIKE MY "FRUSTRATING" CSE PROFESSOR!

Over It

Everyone I talk to always says "you're going to wish you were back in college once you get out into the real world."  I, of course, can't speak from experience, but a part of me thinks they are way wrong.  We all work so hard in college to become accountants, managers, psychologists, and the list goes on and on...so why wouldn't you want to get out there and do what you have studied so hard for? 

I look around and see people who have jobs, a family, bigger responsiblities than turning in your homework on time and I want that.  Put simply, I'm over being young.  But try talking to adults about that...
"Don't rush it." "Enjoy it while it lasts." these have become the phrases I get told at least twice a week from people who I complain about this to.

This is how I picture it....would you rather own a house, have a husband and family, go to work doing something you actually like doing?  OR would you rather live in an apartment, date boys just because you can't find anyone better at the momment, and wake up to go to classes that you have no interest in taking?  If you are sane, you'd go with choice A.

End. of. story.

Diets

...one of the scariest words known to females.  We don't like them, and they don't like us.  And I, my friends, am no exception.  Ever since I graduated from high school I have been concerned with my weight. I used to be an athlete...exercising at least 3 hours a day 5 days a week, but once I got out of school, that all came to a screeching halt.  I had no plans to be a college athlete so why work out that extensively?  Well my cute little figure, thats why!!!!  

Since I had never had to worry about my weight, I also never had to worry about my diet.  I didn't grow up eating junk food everyday, but you could definitely say I was taking in more calories than I needed...but I was an athlete so none of that mattered.  So habits ensued after high school and I continued eating the same amount without all that exercise....see where I'm getting at???....yeah so can I, because it seemed to appear week after week on my thighs.   Long story short, I was gaining weight and was saying adios to my tight little body sooner than I had hoped.

So, me along with millions of girls out there turn to dieting!!!  (grrr, I hate that word!) The problem with that is you can't stay on one the rest of your life; they're only temporary solutions to your weight loss goal.  This is what I have come to realize after 2 years of trying multiple diets and yo-yo back and forth between my goal weight.  It's important for all girls to make life-style changes if you want to keep the weight off.  So, while trying to make a permanent change, I am beginning to venture down the path to finding a life-style that works for me. It's time to kick all those diets to the curb and get back to the fit me!

*updates will be posted, don't you fret