Addiction

I have one week left at the newspaper. This year, at least.

I am officially next year's editor, as well.

I think this year has aged me a good decade. Soon I'll post about what I've learned over the past year (and it has been a big year, in more ways than one.) But for right now, I have other things to discuss. Important things.

Things I love right now:

1. Green tea. That would be the addiction mentioned in the post title. It wakes me up and makes me think really fast. And talk really fast. It's kind of fun.

2. Buying myself flowers as a "Congratulations, I can't believe you survived this year" present. 

3. Purple Essie nail polish in "To buy or Not to Buy." It makes me think of spring time.

AND now back to my scheduled Sunday night duties. Have a good week, everyone!

Absentee.

Hello there!

I have been M.I.A. for a bit around this here blog.

Well, there a few reasons for this:

1.) I lost my camera charger. So WHEN I find it, there will be lots of old pictures to put up. They will be all mismatched, but that's okay.

2.) The past few weeks have been horrendous. As will the next two weeks. But after that, things finally settle down. At least for a short while.

So, in short, I will be posting a few things here and there, but after all this nonsense I will be back! [Hopefully with photos.]

If only.

Happy almost finals time, everyone! If you have them, that is. If not, happy almost tax day!

To hell and back.

Hello, and happy April!

I'm a big fan of April. You're so close to summer, but you still have some time left with your friends (for us college folk.) But it's also not quite may, so you're not quite into finals season yet.

SIDE NOTE: AS I WRITE THIS, THERE IS A SCREAMING BIRD IN THE TREE RIGHT BY ME. IT'S ACTUALLY SCREAMING. IT NOW HAS THE ATTENTION OF THE ENTIRE QUAD. PLEASE BE OKAY, LITTLE GUY!

Anyway. So this past week was absolutely, without a doubt, one of the hardest weeks I have ever lived through. Ever. One of those weeks that forces you to sit online for two hours finding inspirational quotes.

I liked this one, btw. I wrote it in huge letters on my dry erase board:

"Success is not final, failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts."

Word, Churchill. Word.

To give you an idea, one the many things I survived was a major project that was due yesterday. And by major, I mean it took our group an hour and fifteen minutes to present–we even had to rush it–and we started working on it in early February. Killer. But that's done, and I am THRILLED.

Also, I got a new haircut! With bangs!

So...that made me happy. Every year, around the first of April, without fail, I chop my hair. Every. Single. Year.

So now a question for all of you: I am not the best at relaxing. Absolutely cannot do it. How do you unwind after a horrific week? 

Happy Spring!

:)

Blast from the past

It's the strangest thing, visiting a place where you once spent years of your life, but no longer being a part of it.

It's like an old friendship or relationship.

You see that person and think, "Wow, once upon a time, you were the first person I would call in the morning, and the last person I'd talk to at night."

I think that's kind of what it's like visiting your old high school.

You spent a chunk of your life living in those hallways, with all the drama and the stories and the ghosts that came along with it, and suddenly you go back and need a visitor's pass to come within a block of the place.

And new students are in your classroom, your desk, hiding leftover food in your locker.

That's how it was last night, when my boyfriend showed me where he went to high school.

They were putting on a musical, so even though it was a Saturday night, we were able to sneak in. And we roamed about, looking at the photos of his friends, parents and grandparents hung along the wall.

I went to school a couple hundred miles away from him, but it felt just like being back at my own high school. Long hallways, bad lighting, awards proudly displayed. 

It was nice to hear the stories about who he was in high school, long(ish) before I ever met him.

We also walked around the park.

And then I went out with my roommates for food and ice cream. Hilarity ensued. 

P.S.-We drove past the Bartonville mental hospital, AKA one of the most haunted locales in Illinois. See the story below, if you dare....

All in all, it was a splendid weekend. I just love early spring.

Hope you have a great week!

-H

Check out Daisy's blog!

Happy Wednesday, everyone!

Today I'm guest posting over at Daisy's blog, who is currently on her honeymoon.

FYI, her blog is fantastic. I've loved her wedding posts. Head on over and say hello!

Here :)

Shameless Addiction

This may or may not make me sound like a middle aged woman, but if so, then middle aged women have great taste in books.

Anyone read these babies?

Nora Roberts, The Bride Quartet. I read all of them over break, and they were fantastic! 

And while I may be used to constantly reading hard news, gloom and doom articles, I am still a girl. Kind of a girly girl, actually. 

And I love a good wedding story.

These books were as indulgent as triple chocolate cake, as sweet as buttercream frosting and as nourishing as...something that's good for you.

For real, though. You know those books, the kind you finish reading and literally hold to your heart and sigh? Because it was just that wonderful? These are those kinds of books.

The perfect little escape.

Totally made me want to plan weddings for all of my friends. Even the single ones.

<3

A jolt of adrenaline, and we're live.

I have this thing.
This problem.

You know those things most people don't want to do, they back away from? They say no to? Not dangerous things. But like, extra work people ask for help with. I can't say no to those things.

I am scared to do pretty much everything, but if somebody says, "Hey, I need a volunteer for this stressful thing..." I automatically offer myself up. I figure it'll be a good experience in the long run.

Case in point? The 17th District of Illinois Congressional Debate. I volunteered to be the student journalist on the board. Which meant I had to be on TV, asking congressional hopefuls questions I knew pretty much nothing about. Oh, and if I screwed up, everyone would be tuned in to see it.


BUT, I didn't screw up. Thank heavens. It was a remarkably exhausting hour and a half, but I did it. And I'm kind of proud of that.

Proof:
(If you're really interested, I show up at 18:50, 20:00, 29:47, 54:16, 1:05:21 and 1:17:46 and 1:27:05)

Watch here

Mind you, it was 80 degrees that day. My hair was poofing, I hadn't eaten much at all, and I had been a bundle of nerves all week. I do this to myself.

But on the way to that interview, I nearly died.
Ok so the station is literally a five-minute walk from my apartment. It's based on our campus. But the following happened to me on that short trip over:

-A spider crawled out of my portfolio. I threw it on the ground, screaming. Also, this was right in front of the police station. No one came out to save me.

-I wiped out in my heels in the parking lot. Swore a little. Pretended no one saw.

-A giant bug flew at me. It was just a ladybug, but it seemed much more giant in my peripherals.

-This truck drove by, and this strange man yelled, "You rock your shit, girl!" Excuse the language. But for whatever reason, that gave me an added boost. Thank you, strange man.

But anyway, I'm sure that will make for a very colorful summer. A successful, busy spring break indeed. Have a lovely weekend!