Sparkles and Fur.

Holiday season is in the air.  Tomorrow is the last day of November and then my favorite/ the most hectic month of the year begins.  December 7th is Alex's birthday, December 12th is my birthday, December 20th is my friend Alex's birthday, Christmas is December 25th, and New Years Eve is December 31st (just in case you forgot when Christmas and New Years is...).

Not only does that mean a lot of gifts but is also means a lot of dresses and outfits. And since my birthday is rarely celebrated with one event I usually need multiple birthday outfits and/ or dresses.

I have been itching for a faux-fur something for a while and stumbled on this great find (on sale at urban!):

I have been all over pinterest and polyvore trying to figure out how to wear this. As soon as I figure it out I will post some pictures! 

Additionally, I am going through a sparkle phase.  Maybe I have just missed the holidays? I did just put christmas lights in my living room and bedroom... Anyways, I am hoping to find a sequin dress for New Years! Maybe something like this:

I am also in search of a sequin skirt! My only issue with sequin clothing items is that sometimes they can be thick and frumpy.  I am not stick skinny and I am also on the short side so I cannot wear bulky things.  The sequin clothing item needs to be delicate and the liner needs to be thin. 

On another note, I was watching Gossip Girl today (I cannot believe the season finale is already next week!) and I became obsessed with the picture in Serena's room.  Apparently it is a towel, but they somehow turned it into a canvas. I have been searching everywhere for this towel but have had NO LUCK. I will not give up. 

Part of the reason I wrote this post is because I am procrastinating writing an article for my Journalism class on relationships.  Sounds easy, right?  It is so easy that it is hard.  But I need to finish because tomorrow is going to be a LONG day with my second cross-fit class at 8am. Before and after pictures to come after the after picture is taken ;)

All great things must come to an end.

So tomorrow morning we begin our 7 hour trek back down I-5. I am hoping to sleep most of the way but I think the journalism article I have due on Wednesday will keep me awake. Might as well get something done, right?

Here are some pics from our delicious Thanksgiving dinner:

 Baguette, persimmons, and bleu cheese (pre-toaster oven). Slice up a baguette and persimmons and sprinkle some bleu cheese on top. Heat it up in the over or toaster oven until the bread is toasted and the cheese is melted.

Delicious! Orange-glazed carrots, rosemary roll, mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, brussel sprouts salad and jalapeno-cranberry relish sauce (which we got from this great little kitchen/restaurant in Medford called The Downtown Market Co.). 

And some pictures from the rest of our trip:

 The BEAUTIFUL Delta Gamma house at University of Oregon. 

 Alex and I at Taylor's Bar & Grill for the Oregon vs. Oregon State game. 

Alex and I pre-food coma. 

I had such a great time this week! I had never been to Eugene before and it was such a great town with an awesome vibe. However, I have watched enough football to last me the rest of the season. Three straight days of football is a little much for me. But hey, the NBA lockout is over and I cannot wait to finally watch my Kings! 

This coming week is going to be HELL. One more week of school and then finals begin. But then my mine and Alex's birthdays will be here and the Christmas season begins. December is my favorite month of the year! Let's get through these finals first though.... Wish me luck :)

Giving Thanks.

Woke up this morning to delicious homemade cranberry-orange muffins, fruit, coffee, and cottage cheese. This is my fourth Thanksgiving with my boyfriend and his amazing family and I could not ask for more. As we sit around the comfy living room of the cute house we are staying in while watching football and scanning the Black Fridays, I can't help but to think of all the things I am thankful for. I am thankful for not only my family, but the two other families I have grown to call my own, my loving boyfriend, all my wonderful and supportive friends, and knowing that in June I will be graduating from college. Happy Thanksgiving :)

Welcome to Eugene!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! After the 7 1/2 hour drive we finally made it to Eugene! I am here with my boyfriend and his family for the Oregon vs. Oregon State football game on Saturday. Alex's sister goes to UO so the family loves the Ducks.

On our way we made a pit-stop in Medford, Oregon to visit my brother and my niece- whom I have NEVER met. She just turned two so I brought her a tutu for her birthday... and maybe a bribe to like her auntie? She is the cutest little girl with the biggest blue eyes.. I am in LOVE :)

We ran all the essential errands today for the big Thanksgiving feast and ate some lunch at this delicious thai place called Sweet Basil Thai right off campus. If you're in Eugene it is a must go to!

I got my first Ducks shirt today for the big game on Saturday.

GO DUCKS! (QUACK?)

This town is so cute and everyone is completely obsessed with the Ducks. It makes me wish I had gone to a school with a big (and good) football team and school pride! 

Alex and I had the pleasure of making dinner and went with one of our favorites, stuffed bell peppers:

 Can't forget the wine!

And of course I brought some homemade peppermint bark! It is absolutely delicious!

Recipe:

1. Line a baking sheet with wax paper. Make sure the wax paper comes up the sides.

2. Put a tablespoon of canola oil and a bag of semi-sweet (I used Ghirardelli) chocolate chips in a pot. Stir continuously until melted. 

3. Stir in a tablespoon of peppermint extract. 

4. Pour the melted chocolate onto the wax paper and spread evenly.

5. Stick in the fridge until hard (about 45 minutes).

6. Repeat steps 2-4 with white chocolate chips. 

7. Sprinkle crushed up candy canes (or peppermint candies) onto the top of the melted white chocolate. 

8. Use a fork or whisk to press the pieces into the warm chocolate.

9. Stick it back in the fridge until hard (about 45 minutes).

10. When hard, break into pieces and enjoy :)

More pics of the trip to come later! Enjoy your food coma tomorrow :)

And the Lockout Continues.

I have been subjected to football every Monday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday for too long. And before that I was subjected to baseball. Everyday. I JUST WANT THE NBA LOCKOUT TO END. Is that too much for a girl to ask? I can watch basketball. I know basketball. I know teams. I know names of players. And I actually enjoy watching basketball. It is fast paced and I can actually see the player's faces. But with this never-ending lockout, I will continue to dread watching football. I am such a good girlfriend.

I am pleased that while this lockout is going on the players have gotten together to put on charity events. I mean, why not? They love playing basketball, so why not do what you love for a good cause? So my boyfriend, Alex, and our two friends got some upper-level tickets to the charity game at UC Davis. The Goon Squad Classic! However, we did end up sneaking down to the middle-level for better viewing purposes.

Julie, me, Drew, & Alex

Most of the players were from the Sacramento Kings which was fine by me as I am a HUGE Kings fan. I bleed purple and white, as they say in the sports world. Matt Barnes, a Sacramento native, was playing. However, he now plays for the Los Angeles Lakers so he is definitely not on my cool list. Traitor. 

Julie and Drew are our friends from Kentucky and both went to University of Kentucky. Lucky for them, DeMarcus Cousins, who played for UK, now plays for the Kings. John Wall was also in attendance at the Goon Squad Classic but sat on the bench the whole time even with cries from the stands for him to play. #2coolforschool.

Jimmer is my new love. He is a rookie on the Kings this year and captured my heart when he did "the jerk" tonight at half-time. 

The score ended up being something like 150 to 160. There was no defense played but the players made it enjoyable with their drunks and three-pointers.

It was a great little double date, but now I am even more anxious for the REAL SEASON. If it every gets here. 

In the News.

University of California, Davis. In the Top 10 public schools in the country. Check. Located in the family-friendly little town of Davis, CA. Check. Environmentally friendly. Check. Smells like cows. Check. Police use pepper spray against students who peacefully protest. Check. (Yes, I said it. Check.)

If you have not heard, watch the first 2 minutes of this YouTube video.

I love UC Davis. I am a senior here and am thoroughly enjoying my last year here. I am surrounded by intelligent students, amazing (for the most part) professors, and everyone here composts and recycles. I am used to hearing about protests at UC Berkeley. That is what they do, protest. At UC Davis we get our occasional rallies and protests, most recently due to the tuition increases. (Let's just say I am glad I am graduating this Spring.. I don't know if I could afford to pay $22,000 a year in 2015 compared to the $12,000 I already pay now.)

But what happened last Friday was something I never thought I would see happen on my campus. Those were my peers. Those were my professors. They got tear gassed. For sitting and peacefully protesting. It is hard to fathom and as I watched the first 20 seconds of that video I got the chills. I still do.

The police were called in to ensure the safety of the students, faculty and administration at UC Davis. But I am pretty sure we need protection from the police. It is not safe to tear gas students. And by taking such violent acts against peaceful protestors, the police were only provoking a violent riot. But, thankfully, the protestors were kept their composue and did not allow a riot to break out.

I am currently in a History of the United States in the 1960's class. It is fascinating, by the way. I love history. Just as many African-Americans did, the people involved in this movement are protesting in a peaceful way, in order to make the police look like they are the ones doing wrong. Fox news can say all they want about the Occupy movement, but when violent acts such as these are taken out on peacefully protesting students, the police come out looking like the agitator. The police look like the monsters.

Currently, there is a petition going around calling for Linda Katehi's resignation, the UC Davis Chancellor. Students and faculty are unhappy with the Katehi she handled the situation and are feeling as if the one person who should be on their side is not.  In Katehi's two emails she is clearly playing both sides when she should be standing up for the students and with the students.

Am I going to sign it? I don't know yet. Katehi is scheduled to address the students tomorrow, so I am at least going to hold off and hear what she has to say. Someone needs to be held responsible for these violent acts taken against the students, and part of her job description is taking responsibility.