March 31, 2011

Starry Starry Night (10)

(Day 10)
I've been thinking about a photo like this lately because of the rain we've been getting, and today I finally took it.  Of course, it required being the weird girl who went outside, put her open umbrella on the ground while it was raining, and took pictures of it before closing up shop and going right back into the dorm building.  Naturally, there were plenty of students outside smoking or coming to or from the building to witness me doing this.
That's okay though - I think the photo was worth it. :)
According to the forecast, the weather is going to be like this (cold and rainy) for the next 10 days, with a slight chance of snow over the coming weekend.  I wish it were warmer, but May is in a month, and then the days will be sunny and warm, so I'll look forward to that!
What't the weather like where you are?  Are you enjoying it, or is it gloomy and wet like it is here?
<3 Kiersten

March 30, 2011

Citrus (9)

My mom came to visit me today at my campus, and we went out to eat.  After eating at an amazing Japanese restaurant in town, we went grocery shopping at the local Wegmans.  (We've been spoiled...Genuardis, Acme, etc are no longer good enough for us)  The first thing we saw upon walking in were this amazing Clementines, a fruit which I have had a long standing love-affair with.  From the time I was a little girl, I loved the smell taste and idea of Citrus, but oranges were far too difficult to peal.  The solution?  Buy crates upon crates of Clementines.  They're so easy to peal, and in my opinion they taste better than oranges anyway.  (Did you know that they're a hybrid of oranges and tangerines?  It makes me want to try a tangerine)
Anyway, I now have a crate of these fruits sitting in my dorm room, and in all honesty, they will probably be gone within a week to a week and a half.  I had to peal one tonight, and because they're tied as my favorite fruit (with blueberries, of course.  Another fruit which I could eat an entire container of in one sitting....and have, much to the horror or my roommate)  I thought that a picture of one was fitting for Day 9 of my 365 project.
What's your favorite fruit, loves?  Is there one you can't get enough of?
<3 Kiersten

March 28, 2011

Monday Morning (8)

Hello loves, I hope you had a wonderful weekend!  Mine was both relaxing, and productive - I was able to finish up the two papers I had due this week by Saturday, as well as get to the mall and into town.  :)  What did you do over the weekend?
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Day 8
This post-it has been in the bathroom of one of our class buildings for about a month now.  I took this picture right before my 8am class this morning.  
The same bathroom also has a bowl of free candy with a sign saying "Please take some!", a couch, a fish drawn on the mirror, and multiple pictures of beaches.  I certainly like it!
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If you don't know what this is, you can check it out here, where it originated.  Basically, once a week participants will make a list of things they are thankful for, whether it be basic, silly, serious, or in-depth, to make us remember the good parts of our week.  :)
-Honey (I know I've said this before, but the stuff is amazing!)
-Warm sweaters
-Dorm-Held Blood Drives
-Hot Tea
-Good books (Right now, I'm reading Anna Karanina)
-Friends who live on my floor - I love being able to walk down the hall to see them


How about you?  What are you thankful for this week?
<3 Kiersten

March 27, 2011

Back Again (7)

Hey guys, this is my second post today, so I don't really have much to say.  So I'm just here to post Day 7.
<3 Kiersten

Late (6)

Hey guys -- sorry for not posting last night.  I got busy and never had a chance to post the photo I took, but I promise, I did take one.  So here's Day 6
A couple of my friends from my floor and I were sitting out in the lobby playing with this top last night, timing to see who could keep it going to longest.
How were your weekends?  I'd love to hear about it!
<3 Kiersten
PS. I'll post today's photo later.  Pinky swear!!

March 25, 2011

Spring Showers (5)

Day 5
These boots and my umbrella are going to be getting a lot of use out of them over the next month or so.  Hopefully May will bring warm days, and beautiful flowers!


It's finally Friday, and I think I'm ready for the weekend, although I have no specific plans other than working on a couple of reports for my classes...
What are you up to this weekend?  Anything special in mind?


<3 Kiersten

March 24, 2011

An Apple a Day... (4)

Keeps the doctor away, right?
(Day 4)
Today was freezing cold.  I woke up, and when I left my dorm to go to class, there was snow on the ground.  What's the weather like where you are, loves?
Good news though, today is Thursday, which means that tomorrow is the weekend!  I can't wait - I've been so tired for most of this week, and I don't know why.  But Saturday and Sunday mean that I can sleep in, so I'm excited for that. :)
What are you up to this weekend?
Also, Happy Birthday Alivia!!  I know this post is sort of late, but if you get a chance, hop over and wish her a happy birthday. :)
<3 Kiersten

March 23, 2011

Here Comes the Sun... (3)

Day 3
The past couple of days have been pretty rainy and cold, but my school wasted no time in planting flowers throughout campus as soon as March 21st rolled around.  I picked this one, but it broke off at the stem too high up, so instead of putting it in a vase, I cut it even closer to the top and put it in here.  
Even though they're not my favorite (Sunflowers are), I always loved these kinds of flowers when I was a kid, and my dad used to tell me they were called Easter Lilies,  (They're not...but they grow right around Easter, so the name is pretty fitting) so that's what I still call them.
I know that it's snowing in some places today, which is pretty sad considering April is in a week.  Hopefully Spring will show its face soon!
What are your favorite flowers?  Is the weather nice where you're at?
<3 Kiersten  

March 22, 2011

Preserve WCU (2)

I'm sure most of you, or at least those of you from Pennsylvania, have heard about the proposed budget cuts to public schools and state schools.  Well, I go to one of those schools, and the budget cut would mean a 30% increase on my tuition, plus layoffs for the professors, and larger class sizes.  Today there was a small rally outside of my dorm, and a friend and I went to it.  It was small, and also pretty short, but there was a news crew there, and I took a couple photos.  I also just signed the petition for it, and for those of you who it does affect (if you're interested), here's the link to sign it.  It honestly only takes about five minutes to sign it, and every person makes a huge difference!
Anyway, now that my PSA is over, that leads me to today's photo, which is from the rally. (Okay, here's where I have to admit that the photo was taken with my cell phone, but who ever said that every picture had to be taken with my fancy schmancy Digital SLR?)
The rally had a ton of students, professors, and other faculty and staff, as well as a few people from the community/alumni.  While we were there, they had students fill out post cards explaining how the budget cut is going to affect them, and they're going to send them to our specific representatives.
<3 Kiersten

March 21, 2011

And So it Begins (1)

Okay guys, last post for today.  I swear.  
I mentioned earlier that I am starting a 365 project today.  This is something I've tried a couple of times in the past, however I was doing it as self-portraits, which just didn't work out as I ran out of ideas and started to feel pretty vain taking that many pictures of myself.  This time around, I'm just trying 365 photos of anything, in an attempt to remind myself to carry my camera everywhere, and to to better my photography skills.  Wish me luck?
So anyway, here's Day 1
As I'm sure you can tell, the photo is completely unedited.  I'm going to try to not edit the photos for this project (aside from basic crop or black&white), because I have a problem with using editing software to fix problems in my photography.  As I said, I want this project to help better my picture-taking skills, and editing them won't lend to that.  
The photo was taking in the most adorable little shop in the gorgeous little town which I call home for eight months of the year.  The man who owns it fills the whole store with antiques, post-cards, and collectible-type items.  I feel so at home in that store, and can't wait to go back a hundred more times!
<3 Kiersten

Earrings and Japan

Hey guys, so I realize I'm likely overwhelming you all with posts today (that last one was crazy long, and there's still a picture to come), but I just had to let you all know about this.
I'm normally not a huge participator in giveaways, but I'm positive you've all heard about what's going on in Japan right now...it's awful.  Well, over at Rinse. Repeat. the beautiful Bethany is doing what she can to help out.
First, for every comment left on her blog this week, she and her boyfriend Gabriel are each donating a quarter to Shelter Box.
Second, she is doing a lovely little giveaway on this gorgeous pair of earrings that she found here.  30% of the profits from buying the earrings are going to Japan already, which makes it that much better!
  
So here's what I want you guys to do, head on over to Bethany's blog, and let her know you want to help out Japan and enter the giveaway!  Even if you don't win, it's helping get money to Japan's relief fund, so win-win right?
Thanks for reading, and I promise when I post later with my 365, it'll be the last one today.  Pinky-swear!
<3 Kiersten

Rain Rain, Go Away

And please, don't come back another day, not as long as it's still this cold!
Yesterday was the first day of spring, and today is the first baseball game at my school.  I had planned on going, but of the weather stays as is (cold, rainy, yucky), I think I'll wait for a game next week, or whenever it is that it warms up.
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So today is Monday, and that means it's time for my weekly thankful list. (if you don't know what I'm talking about, go ahead and check it out here)
- Spring.  Beautiful, warm, brand new, finally here spring.  I love it!!
- Fruit in the school dining hall.  I don't know why, but lately I've really been craving it!
- Honey.  My Grandmom always told me it was a wonderful substance that could work miracles, and I always told her she was crazy.  Now I believe her.
-Rain-boots and my Van Gogh umbrella
-Music.
-Lovely blogs to read, and followers to read mine
-New layout for Spring (by the way, any thoughts on that?)

How about you, loves?  What are you thankful for this week??
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And finally, one last thing today (before I post my 365) is an idea I got from Alivia and Danielle.  They listed five goals for themselves, based on five different categories, to accomplish over the next week.  Personally, I think it's a great way to start off the week, and have decided to follow suit.  So here goes :)
Nutrition:  I've never been big on worrying about healthy, which is confusing since health is my mom's favorite word.  However, I'm going to work on drinking more water and limit myself to one cup of Pepsi a day. (and I promise this is a BIG thing for me, considering how much Pepsi I drink on a regular basis)  And I'm going to try to find healthier things to eat in the school's dining hall (Lay off on the pasta, Kiersten.  Try those yummy vegetables they're serving at Lindsey's Garden)  
Exercise:  Pilates on Tuesday - I've been signed up for it all year, but I rarely actually make myself go.  I need to work on that, starting tomorrow (it's only held once a week, unfortunately).  Also, I need to start going to the gym more often, so I'm going to work on that this week.  (Kiersten, I don't care if you're tired.  Put on the sneakers, and walk over to the gym.  Now.)
Relationships:  Currently I'm single, and perfectly happy with that status.  However, I need to get myself out there and start meeting new people, making new friends, etc.  This week, I'm going to go to the dining hall by myself (scary, I know), and ask someone I don't know if I can sit with them.  (Or, if that for some reason doesn't work out, sit next to and introduce myself to some new people in my classes)
Creativity:  As I mentioned yesterday, I'm planning on starting a 365 project today.  I've also been wanting to take the snowflakes off of my door, and make some spring-themed decorations for my dorm, so I'm going to work on that this week.  And finally, I haven't been making time to work on my pillows on a while, so I went to get back to that. (just as soon as I find my thread....)
Me-Time:  Over Spring break, I started the book Anna Karenina, but since I've been back at school I haven't found much time to work on reading it.  This week, I'm going to make time each day to read. :)
How about you, readers?  What are your goals for the week?  If you do decide to join in, make sure to stop by Sometimes Sweet and let Danielle know, since this is her little idea.  And while you're at it, let me know too!  I'd love to read all about it!
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So how were your weekends, guys?  Did you enjoy the weather on Friday, or get a free cup of Rita's yesterday?
<3 Kiersten

March 20, 2011

Happy Spring

Happy Spring everybody!!
This is my 3rd favorite day of the year (1. New Year's Eve  2. Summer Solstice).  I absolutely love the feeling of a new start, and even though I wasn't able to get there today, I love the free water ice at Rita's.  
Spring is such a beautiful chance for starting over and new life!  So I hope you all got a chance to go outside today, and enjoy the start of some (hopefully) beautiful new weather coming our way!
'
"Here comes the sun, little darling.  Here comes the sun, and I say, it's all right."
- The Beatles
Yesterday afternoon, a friend of mine kept singing that, and today marks the beginning of my listening obsessively to it.  I'd have to say that the Beatles are my favorite band and of the four of them, George holds a very special place in my heart.  So it stands to reason that a Beatles song written by George Harrison would be my Spring Anthem every year.
<3 Kiersten
PS.  I'm going to try to start a 365 project, starting tomorrow, so wish me luck!!!!

March 16, 2011

The Future Freaks Me Out

(Disclaimer:  This is a long post, sans photos.  I'd love if you'd read it and such, but I understand if nobody ever does)
I had a minor breakdown today in my 10am class.
And by breakdown I mean mid-life crisis, except more like mid-college crisis.  (I think this is a topic which needs to be further researched.  I can't be the only scared college student, right?)
This can be a really long story if I let it, so I'll give you the quick version.:  
Two weeks ago I pretty much "declared" my major as Marketing, with a minor in Communications Studies.  I was honestly not ready for this, and only did it because everyone around me was pressuring me to do so.  ("You need to decide this now, Kiersten.  Otherwise, you'll never be able to graduate in time, and you'll end up alone, penniless, in a home you hate with nobody but a cat to keep you company."  "But I don't know what I want to do..."  "That doesn't matter.  Decide anyway")  
Today I realized that this is concrete, and that I had no idea what I planned on doing with Marketing.  I never even thought about it, I just declared. (very strange for me, a person who usually needs everything figured out to proceed with a decision)
Today I thought about it, and realized I like the idea of Photography, Journalism, Event Planning, Realty, and owning my own store.  (mostly event planning and realty) I didn't even know what Realty or Event Planning entailed as far as education.  
Well, I let myself freak out for a while.  Then I ChaCha'd, "what do you major in to be an Event Planner".  And guess what, readers?  You can major in a lot of things, one of the main things being Marketing.  (Que singing angels - "Hallelujia, hallelujia!")
So I'm freaking out less now, and have decided to do my career-project for writing class on Event Planning.  I think it will give me a more concrete idea of what the career entails.
(If you've made it to the end, thank you so much!  I know this was probably boring, but I needed to get it out, plus I'd love to hear from any of you who may have been through the same thing, or who know a thing or two about Event Planning)
<3 Kiersten

March 11, 2011

Flower Show

All week, the Flower Show has been held at the Convention Center in Philly, marking the beginning of spring in the city.  Yesterday, for the first time since I can remember, my dad and I went to the Flower Show.  It was beautiful, and a perfect chance for me to take too many photos of flowers.  
Tomorrow (Saturday) is the last day that it will be open, but if you get the chance, I definitely suggest going! :)





Of course, I took about 150 other photos as well, but this is all I'm going to put in here. :)

Also, happy Friday!!  Any special plans for the weekend?
<3

March 7, 2011

Thankfuls

March 7th, and I've made it to Spring Break.  It seems early, like we just got back from Christmas break, but I suppose I'm not complaining.  There're 8 weeks of classes left before finals, and then summer break!
And now, my weekly thankful list :)
-enormous containers of Irish Potatoes from the local grocery store
-free laundry 
-at least one local bookstore that isn't closing... (Borders and Barnes & Noble are going bankrupt because of things like the Kindle)
-rain instead of snow!
-a week without classes to worry about
How about you, loves?  What are you thankful for this week?
<3