Skype

Me & My Lil Bro

I really love Skype.

I first started using Skype two summers ago when my brother was studying abroad in Europe. We are really close so it was hard for us to be apart for so long. After we had spent a small fortune on worldwide calling, we started using Skype! It was really nice to talk to him for free and be able to see him when he was thousands of miles away!

As a fifth-year senior in college, I am realizing that the majority of my close friends are no longer a 5 minute drive away. From New Jersey to Arizona, South Carolina to South Florida, it seems we are all growing up and moving somewhere new.

As sad as it is to not be able to see my best friends the way I used to be able to, I am grateful for the technology that allows me to see them in a way that would have seemed unfeasible 10 years ago. I love being able to turn on my computer, hang out, drink a glass of wine, and laugh with my long-distance friends.

I try to Skype my friends as much as possible! When going out to lunch isn't an option, it's nice to be able to take the time to "virtually" catch up on what's going on in each other's lives. When in a rush, a phone call is always nice, but it doesn't allow you to truly interact with the other person - be able to see their facial expressions, understand how they are feeling and really enjoy their company.

This week I've been Skyping a lot - partly because I'm obsessed with my Macbook Air (sounds like another blog post lol) but mostly because I miss laughing with my closest friends.

Skyping with Jarrod, my Greek-Life Little Brother

Shout out to my long-distance biffles: Angie, Ashley, Brittany, Cat, Chloe, Dawn, Erica, Jarrod, Jen, Sara, and Steven.

A good friend once told me, "You find out who your true friends are after you graduate college."

Well, most of my friends have already left and the one's I still talk to are definitely going to be my friends forever. For my Orlando friends that I will be leaving in a few months from now, I hope we Skype as much as I do with my current long-distance friends. 

Progressing from a world in which you write "K.I.T" (keep in touch) in your friends' yearbooks, to a virtual society in which you can interact from thousands of miles away, makes it so easy to stay in touch with the people that matter most. Thank you Skype, for keeping me so close to my friends that are so far away.

I hope you have enjoyed this and can share in one of my LOVES - Skype.

Greek Life

I really love Greek Life.

As a freshman, I decided to rush a sorority not really knowing what I was getting myself into. During recruitment, many girls asked me the question, "So what made you want to join a sorority?" I didn't really have a good answer for this. I guess I had always known I wanted to be in a sorority in college, maybe because of the girly stereotypes or because my mom was in a sorority. Either way, my answer was not well established.

So, I asked them in response, "What made you want to join a sorority?" They had amazing answers, that at the time I thought were wildly embellished. After my first year in my chapter, I had to go through recruitment on the other side. When the girls going though asked me why I joined my chapter I had amazing answers...

I joined a sorority to make new friends. What I got were sisters. My sisters are the best friends I could have asked for, they are my family. I chose my chapter over the rest because they were real girls - silly, fun, and genuine. But they are more than just an awesome time and tons of laughs. My sisters are inspiring. They push me to become a better person, to want more from my life and to achieve goals I never thought were possible.

Here's a closer look at the chapter I joined and a peak of how my 4 years in Greek Life went:



I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to be a part of such a wonderful organization. Furthermore, I have had mentors (an amazing big sister and big brother) that have helped me to the make friends that have shaped my college experience. When I was sitting in my dorm on a boring afternoon, my Big Sister came to rescue me - she took me to everything from IM baseball games to 6 am tailgating. She was there for me through my the passing of my father and through my most difficult homework assignments. She introduced me to my best guy friends - the kind of guys that will pick you up from the bars at 2 am and be there to talk you through any problem you could imagine. I am so grateful for these friendships.

Greek Life has also given me the opportunity to give back philanthropically. I had the opportunity to work with my sisters to raise money for cancer research, literacy, Boys and Girls club, Children's Miracle Networks, and many other incredible causes. These are all causes that affect people's lives and being around people that truly care has been an amazing experience.

I am now an alumnae of my sorority but this weekend I got to attend part of our initiation ceremony. This experience reminded me how grateful I am to be a part of Pi Beta Phi. Overall, I have had the best four years of my life. I have made friendships that will last a lifetime and memories that I will always remember.

I hope you have enjoyed this and can share in one of my LOVES - Greek Life.

Pop Up Videos

I really love VH1's Pop Up Video.

If you grew up in the 90's you probably remember the music video show that featured little pop up bubbles, filled with fun and funny facts about the video and the artist. Well about 10 years ago VH1 cancelled the show, leaving us all with fact-less music videos.

This month VH1 rereleased Pop Up Video!

Since I am so excited about the comeback, I decided to use my wonderful gift of DVR to record all of the new Pop Up Video episodes (there are 2 a day)!!! Today, I was joyfully entertained by my recordings.

Allow me to share one of my favorites:

Get More: R. Kelly, Pop Up Video, Same Girl (Pop Up Video), Free Music Videos

See what I mean? So funny and fact-filled! It's cool to revisit the past decade of music videos in a way that I had almost forgotten about.

So if you want to relive your childhood, or just discover a few interesting facts about your favorite artist, set your DVR to 12 o'clock noon every day.

I hope you have enjoyed this and can share in one of my LOVES - Pop Up Videos.

"Liking"

I really love "Liking."

I enjoy expressing my positive statement of approval to my Facebook friends via the "Like" button. Honestly, one of the reasons I enjoy "Liking" so much is because you can express many different feelings in one "virtual" action.

A "Like" is so much more than pressing a button. A "Like" expresses your appreciation for another's opinions, actions, and even friendships.

Today, I noticed a picture of two of my friends, Courtney and Dawn. Courtney is an old friend who went to elementary school with me and Dawn is one of my best friends who I have known since high school. For me, "Liking" this picture was me expressing my excitement that they are friends! Within 10 minutes, Courtney "Liked" my status. Her "Liking" my status showed that she acknowledged my "Like" on her picture.  

With advancements in Facebook, you can "Like" almost anything! As one friend told me, "it completely replaces the need to comment." And who doesn't like doing things faster? One click, many meanings.

On that note, can "Likes" be inappropriate? Absolutely. What about an ended relationship? A depressing status update? Sometimes I see statuses, like, "Just want to go to bed and sleep until next year... </3" and I think, "Wow! That's pretty sad."But then I look down and realize that 2 people "Liked" it! What?!?!?

So, keep on "Liking" folks! But don't use your power to be rude or hurtful to others :) We all want to be "Liked." Let's keep those little red notifications full of positive, meaningful "Likes!"

I hope you have enjoyed this and can share in one of my LOVES - "Liking."

Red Bull

I really love Red Bull.

... Sugar-Free, actually. It seriously gives me wings. Why do I love it so much?

1) It tastes delicious.
2) It is liquid energy.
3) It goes great with vodka.

In my opinion, Red Bull makes people happier. It is filled with Vitamin B6 and Taurine (whatever that is). I don't know if it actually makes people happier, but it sure seems to. Also, I have never seen anyone upset and drinking a Red Bull.

Today I went to Red Bull's Flugtag event in Tampa, FL. There was not a frown in the crowd! Wondering what Flugtag is? Basically, "Red Bull Flugtag challenges teams of everyday people to build homemade, human-powered flying machines and pilot them off a 30-foot high deck in hopes of achieving flight!"

Free Red Bulls. Watching people in costumes plunge into water alongside their "homemade flying machines." The beautiful Florida sun. What could be better that that?

Did I mention there were FREE Red Bulls?

Normally I drink wayyy too much Red Bull. I've been known to drink 5 or 6 in one night (I know it's bad!) Those nights I end up staying up till 5 am jumping on couches with my friends, listening to music "all the way turned up," and having an overall awesome time. Today, I probably had close to 9 or 10 Sugar-Free Red Bulls. How was my day? ..... it was UH-MAY-ZING! I love Flugtag and I love Red Bull.

I hope you have enjoyed this and can share in one of my LOVES - Red Bull.

Being Trendy

I really love being trendy.

The dictionary defines trendy as, "very fashionable : up-to-date." To me, trendy is something that is new, popular and exciting.

I enjoy following trends because it allows me to try new things and decide whether or not they work with my personal style. Though I enjoy being trendy, I do not think it is appropriate to follow all trends. As a good friend once told me, "If you don't like the trend when it first becomes popular, then don't follow it - even when everyone else is doing it."I try to stick to this, because I believe that trends are not about peer pressure or conforming to the majority - they are about having fun, getting to experience new fads, and being stylish (in my own way).

That's me, rocking a peacock feather!

Some of the trends I LOVE:
- BIG sunglasses
- Jeggings (jean leggings)
- Summer scarves
- Cross-body purses
- Hair feathers



Trends I don't love:
- Ponchos
- Rompers
- Gladiator sandals





Though there are a few trends that don't really work with my style, I would say overall I enjoy most trends. I mean, hey, they became popular for a reason! For me, it's fun to dress up and try new things :P

I hope you have enjoyed this and can share in one of my LOVES - being trendy.

Parks & Recreation

I really love Parks & Recreation.

I had always heard good things about the show, but never took the time to watch it -  until this summer. With not a whole lot to do and my brother's subscription of Netflix, I thought, hey, I should check this show out. I began at Season 1, Episode 1.

I watched the entire first season in one night.

The next night, I watched half of the second season.

Before I knew it I was watching the last episode of the third, and most recent, season. I couldn't believe I had made it to the end so quickly.

Parks & Rec, or P&R (as my mom and I nicknamed it this summer) is a hilarious show, similar in nature and in film technique to The Office. The best part about P&R is that it is literally filled with comedians. Three really incredible comedians that help make this show so gut-splitting are Amy Poehler, Aziz Ansari, and Nick Offerman! Each character has their own unique humor to them and a great bond to each other as a family. Tom Haverfors is by far my favorite character. He is so funny, overly confident, and definitely quirky.

Here is a clip of Aziz Ansari, as Tom Haverford, in Parks & Recreation:

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Also, here is the link to Aziz's blog so that you too can read what he does when "Aziz is Bored:"

http://azizisbored.tumblr.com/


If you have some free time, I encourage you to start watching Parks & Recreation. To really understand the characters, you must begin at Season 1, Episode 1. I will caution you to be careful, because the immediacy of the 20 minute episodes keep you wanting to watch more.


I hope you have enjoyed this and can share in one of my LOVES - Parks & Recreation.

Acoustic Music

I really love acoustic music.


The main reason I enjoy it so much is because there is such an intense focus on the artist's pure vocal abilities, coupled with a deeper comprehension of the lyrics, and the smooth acoustic melody to tie it all together. When I first listen to the acoustic version of a song my attention is captured by the simplicity and beauty of what the artist is trying to portray. Two artists that do justice to acoustic music are Ellie Goulding and Jason Mraz. Experience the dynamics of the two versions, both acoustic and original, that Goulding and Mraz portray in their music.


Ellie Goulding is an incredible artist that truly embodies the essence of an acoustic song. Born in the UK, Goulding has a beautiful voice and a unique musical style.

Here is the acoustic version of her pop hit "Starry Eyed":

Take a look at how it differs significantly from her original version of the song:

Another one of my favorite artists, and an incredible acoustic performer, is Jason Mraz. 

"Butterfly" is one of Mraz's hits that is just downright sexy. In the acoustic version, you can really pay attention to what he is saying and get to experience the depth of his vocal ability. 

Listen closely as Jason Mraz strums his guitar and strips his song down to vocals and simple instruments: 

To compare the different styles, here is the original and more upbeat version of Mraz's song:

After listening to these, I feel as if I could spend all night listening to acoustic music. The steady, mellow flow, repetition of the guitar, and comforting sound of a real, unaltered, human voice is what draws me to acoustic music. 

I hope you have enjoyed this and can share in one of my LOVES - acoustic music.