Another Week Down!

Hey everybody!

Thought I'd get this post in before I get back to my busy school life during the week. This past week was full of exercise, hanging out with friends, homework, and work. I don't want to go into a lot of detail, but I've been having a rough time lately.  I've been feeling lonely--like I'm the only Christian in my group of friends. I'm trying to keep my conversations less crude and more edifying, but it's really difficult for me. I struggle with my desire to be funny and well-liked while maintaining decorum (not the exact word I'm looking for, but close enough). So, I'm going to write a list of goals for this week. I know, me and my lists again. They help me and maybe you guys will hold me accountable...
So here it is:

1. Keep conversations appropriate. Minimize the use of crude humor
2. Go to CRU on Tuesday night (it's okay to go to things alone, Anna)
3. Maintain a positive outlook.
4. Exercise and make healthy food choices when possible.

I'll let you know how this goes.  If praying is something you do, I'd really appreciate your prayers.
And for your viewing pleasure, I close with a picture of me and my friends, Jacob and Flannery, crammed in the back seat of our friend's car.

Our cute faces...?

Thanks for reading!
Love always,

Anna

First Week of Classes...Check!

Hey guys!

I've missed blogging this week, but I've been busy with classes and my social life (I know, can you believe it?).  Classes started on Tuesday.  So far, so good.  I'm taking 18 credit hours and working only weekends.  It seems like a nice setup so far.  I'm enrolled in 18th Century Counterpoint, French I, Criminology, Wind Symphony, Aural Perceptions III, Piano IV, Music Technology I and II,  Woodwind Quintet, and Applied Instruction.  It's going to be one busy semester!! This week, I've spent a lot of time chillin with my best pals Shannon, Beau, Emily, Flannery, and Jacob.  On Wednesday, I made my very best friend, Emily, a decoupage collage of pictures from throughout our friendship.  We've been friends since junior year of high school.  I took some pictures during the process. Here they are:

Before assembly

During assembly

Complete!

Hope you guys had a great week!! I'll keep you updated on all the super cool (right...) things that happen in my life. 

Love so very much,

Anna

Friends just make life better

This past week has been awesome!  I've gotten to hang out with my friends so much! I'm really going to miss this crazy social life by Tuesday (classes start on Tuesday).  Here's how this past week went down:

Monday--shop in Tulsa with Mom
Tuesday--get hair fixed
Wednesday--Calzone Night
Thursday--Kosmos/Orange Leaf/Puppy for Flann's birthday
Friday--Scary movie night with Em and Mary
Saturday--work and Taco Bell with Jacob

This break has been so great! It's exactly what I needed to recuperate from a rough semester and refuel for a new one.  I'm so excited for this semester!  I just need to move back into my dorm room tomorrow and buy my French I textbook and I'll be good to go! 

Here's some pics from this week's activities:

Tastefully decorated cupcakes for Flannery's birthday

Beau's MEGA calzone

Birthday girl and Dustin

Oops! Forgot to take pictures at Kosmos and for scary movie night!  We watched Insidious--fyi: scary stuff.  Demon possession creeps. me. out. 

Anything fun going on with you guys? Hope you guys had a great week too! 

Love,

Anna

New 'Do

It's finally finished!!!! I can now say that I have dyed my hair at least once!  I'm going to go step-by-step with pictures through this experience with you.  I know, thank me later. 

Step 1.  Have mom assist squeezing foul-smelling dye all over head and wrap head in saran wrap

Step 2.  Make silly faces while waiting 20 minutes for dye to do its magic

Step 3.  Rinse dye out for, like, 20 minutes and use amazing shine-creating conditioner

Step 4.  Wake up the next morning after sleeping on wet hair, screech, and then straighten hair

Step 5.  Realize you missed a million spots and frantically text stylist for appointment next day

Step 6.  Spend 2 hours in salon getting your hair re-dyed and cut

Step 7.  See what hair looks like when up in a ponytail

Step 8.  Voila! A new hairstyle!

My stylist is Kara Cornett at Freshair Salon if anyone is interested.  She's awesome! Can't wait for all my friends to see my new cut tonight!! It's calzone night at my house!  We're having a bunch of my friends over, making personalized calzones, and celebrating Flannery's 20th birthday!! I promise to take lots of pictures (like I even have to promise) and post them sometime soon. 

Anyone else have a new hairstyle?

Have a lovely day and lots of love,

Anna

One Week Later...

Okay, so maybe I won't write, "I'll tell you about it tomorrow." ever again.  Instead, I'll just say, "Update on *activity mentioned* coming soon!" Anyways, last week a lot of fun stuff happened.  On Monday, my dad, sister, foreign exchange student, and I went ice skating and to Crystal Bridges and the Walmart museum.  The ice skating in Bentonville is NOT fun.  The rink is tiny and there are too many people there.  Plus, it was frigid.  We ended the ice skating early and headed around the corner to the Walmart museum. It's at the site of the original Walton's Five & Dime.  They've done a really nice renovation and now it's super fun to walk through. If you're ever nearby, go visit! Lots of fun facts about Sam Walton and his amazing visions!  Then we went to Crystal Bridges. Words cannot describe how awesome seeing all of that American art is! I took SO many pictures!  The architecture is INCREDIBLE! The art is PHENOMENAL!! Aghhhhh!!!! So much culture! 

Crystal Bridges from the outside

A Mary Cassat original

Ana, me, and Claudia at Crystal Bridges

On Wednesday, I left at 8AM for the Cotton Bowl!  Armed with coffee and enough cookies to feed a small army (four different kinds of cookies, one batch of each kind), we headed on our 6+ hour ride to Dallas, TX.  I know I'm weird for this, but I love band bus rides!  All of my friends and I are super goofy.  One of my friends, Jacob, colored pictures while my best friend, Emily, and I wrote a diary entry channeling his thoughts.  Needless to say, Jacob almost wet himself when he read "his" diary entry.  I won't embarrass him by publishing it on the World Wide Web.  We also played a few games of MASH.  Man, that game will NEVER get old! 

Cookies for Cotton Bowl trip

The picture Jacob colored (mad skillz)

The Cotton Bowl was a BLAST! We ate at P.F. Chang's the first night. Delicious stuff!! The next day we went to the Galleria Mall and I bought a bunch of new tops, camis, a new necklace, new bras, and a new dress.  I am such a bargain hunter!! That evening we went to the Main Event, an arcade/laser tag/bowling/billiards place.  Our chapter of Sigma Alpha Iota met with some of the members of the K-state chapter.  It was nice meeting some fellow sisters!  On Friday, the Hogs became 2012 Cotton Bowl Champions!! Also, it was quite possibly my last time performing with the RMB. Sad day :(

Tuba dinner group at P.F. Chang's (from left: Dustin, Bekah, me, Emily, and Austin)

Sigma Omicron (our chapter of SAI) with some of K-State's chapter

Me, post-Cotton Bowl, with Dustin and Jacob

This past weekend I mostly caught up on my beauty sleep because we didn't get back from Dallas until 7:30AM on Saturday. However, I did do one exciting thing yesterday--dyed my hair for the very first time!!! I bought a semi-permanent dye in "Darkest Brown: Espresso." Man, do they ever mean "DARKEST."  It's almost black, guys!!  I missed a bunch of spots, but luckily my stylist is available tomorrow to do some touch up and give me a much-needed cut.  I'll post pictures of the new 'do soon! (see, I can follow my own advice)  Also, I bought two new pairs of shoes today (so I have a shopping problem this break...we'll get to that some other time).  A cobalt blue suede flat with rosette embellishments on the toe and a pair of satin leopard print flats with a zipper on the toe.  Something different and fun! And on SALE!!! 

Anything fun happen this past week for you guys?  Hope you guys watched the Cotton Bowl! 

Much love,

Anna

Goals for 2012: The Concrete List

Hello again!

So, rather than make a million resolutions that I'm not likely to stick to the entire year, I'm going to make a list of some goals. This, of course, excludes the resolution I made in an earlier post. Still want to lose 20 pounds.  I realize that goals and resolutions are remarkably similar, but goals work better for me. So here's the list:

1. Run a 5K in March. 
2. Train for a half marathon in the Fall/Winter of 2012
3. Drink more water (I have an aversion to consuming this liquid)
4. Eat healthier
5. Be a better listener
6. Grow closer to God
7. Find the right church for me
8. Compete in at least one flute competition
9. Blog more often

These are just a few goals that I'd really like to accomplish in 2012.  What are your goals for 2012?

I hope you have a lovely day. I'm going ice skating with my family and we're visiting the brand new art museum in Bentonville called Crystal Bridges. I'll take lots of pictures and talk about the experience tomorrow!

Lots of love,

Anna

How I spent my NYE

Hi guys!

I hope you had an awesome New Year's Eve!  Yesterday, I worked from 9-3:30 and it was great. I love my coworker, Payton.  We have a good time serving customers, chatting, joking, and cleaning.  When I got off work, I realized that I hadn't made any NYE plans!  I wasn't really surprised by my lack of planning (I like to think of myself as the spontaneous type).  So, I called my family to see what their plans were.  Imagine my surprise when they all had plans. All of them. Traitors.  So, I texted a bunch of friends to see who wanted to have a little shindig.  I was feeling kind of like a desperate loser, but one of my best friends replied.  One person came over. I am not a loser! Yay!!

It was actually really fun!  I made homemade broccoli cheddar soup (recipe http://www.thecomfortofcooking.com/2011/12/creamy-broccoli-cheddar-soup.html) and whole wheat garlic bread (it was all gone, so it must have been good).  Then we played Scrabble while listening to Frank Sinatra and joked about being old people.  One of my friends made an appearance and helped me get a 34 point word--amazed! Then we watched Honey, I Shrunk the Kids.  That movie is pure cinematic genius, guys.  I mean, really, all those awesome special effects and witty one-liners are pure 80s-90s glory.  My friend Flannery came for the last hour and we watched Dick Clark's Rockin' Eve 2012.  We made fun of Justin Bieber and counted down the last 10 seconds while watching the ball drop.  Then we toasted 2012 with gingerale.  Cool kids right here!  It was great! I couldn't ask for better friends!  If you guys finally discover my blog name, then I hope you read this and know that I love you guys for coming to my lame party and making it awesome!

Here's some photos from the festivities:

Me and Flannery mastering the "duck face"

Group duck face!

Scrabble and homemade soup! 

I am so thankful for all my great friends, good food, and this new year! Happy 2012 everyone! Hope it's your best year yet!

Love so much,

Anna