Bathiti

I have a blog to share with you guys. I thought you might find it interesting! It came about in my Senior Seminar class—we were all split up into groups to work on a final project of sorts, and this blog is one particular group's project.

I give you, "Bathiti".

Bathroom Graffiti, if you will.

"I'm writing on the wall. TAKE THAT SOCIETY!"

The purpose of Bathiti is to expose those aspects of Texas A&M's campus culture that are rarely addressed in the open.

Since I'm suggesting you guys take a look at it, I feel it's only fair to give a disclaimer. There is definitely some 'inappropriate' material. So if you're easily offended...well, view at your own risk. But I promise, not everything is wildly inappropriate. Yes, a lot of the pictures are admittedly a bit shocking—especially if you know anything about Texas A&M—but there are some straight up funny pictures, too.

Like this, for example.

"To Mordor"

It would be awesome if you guys could check out their blog, and of course any feedback is welcome! These photos are pretty darn interesting, if I do say so myself. And I do.

It's kind of wild what people say when they have the freedom to remain anonymous.

So go on! Run over and check out Bathiti! And you Facebookers, you can even 'like' their Facebook page!

What are you waiting for? :)

Homeward Bound

Can I just say, a little vodka and orange juice sure will make a three hour flight more interesting. Especially when the orange juice is complimentary and you get to keep the mini vodka bottle.

This past week has gone by SO fast. Isn't that always the way of it? Vacations fly by and normal every-day life slinks by languidly while we wait for something exiting to come up again. From last Friday to this Friday, I've done so much. I've taken literally over a thousand pictures. I've been to a ton of places I'd never seen before, or only previously seen in photographs or on television. And right now, I'm looking down on mountaintops.

It's been an awesome experience.

I've walked all over New York City, I've seen Central Park, been on top of the Empire State Building, traipsed through Times Square (both day and night!) dined at Mesa Grill, tackled the subway (and not fallen over), been awestruck at the Met, and that's not even the half of it.

I'm sure this trip and subsequent photos will end up making their way into several posts. Theres just too much to cover in only one. And if I were to attempt such a thing, the outcome would probably be much longer than anyone would want to read.

And I've got way too many pictures to fit into posts, so instead of flooding you with ALL of my trip pictures here (seriously, over a thousand), I'll be uploading them to this blog's Facebook page so you guys can feel free to browse through them there. I'll post a link once I've had the chance to upload them.

New York City
Taken from the 86th floor of the Empire State Building.

Going home is bittersweet. In many ways, I'm ready. I miss my dog, and I suppose I'm a little homesick. This Texas girl isn't used to big city hustle and bustle. But at the same time, one week isn't nearly enough time to see and do all of the things I'd wanted to. Still, all good things must come to an end, and it's been one heck of a good thing.

I can't wait to share it with you guys.

I'm also pretty excited because I have decided to finally try my hand at scrap booking. I've wanted to for some time now, and this trip seems like the perfect excuse to start. I've got a lot of photos, receipts, tickets, and knick-knacks that I think are perfect scrap book fodder. So wish me luck! It'll be a whole new endeavor.

For now, I'm going to curl up with a book (The Town That Forgot How To Breathe, by Kenneth J. Harvey, in case you wanted to know) and hope this three hour flight flies by (no pun intended) smoothly.

Maybe I'll get another vodka and orange juice.

(I did get another vodka and orange juice.)

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location: 32,000 feet above the world.

Baby, It's Cold Outside

Texas weather is notorious for being unpredictable. Snow in February? Why not!

We got a pretty decent snowfall when I visited home this weekend. I always love the snow. I attribute this to the fact that, though the South sees snow now and again during the winter, it doesn't often stick around long. Or sometimes it's more..."Texas snow"—that is, sleet.

My dog, Tucker, isn't quite sure what to think of the snow. To him it means cold, and it means something-weird-on-my-feet. I get quite a kick out of watching him tiptoe through it, doing his best to avoid keeping his feet in it too long, and taking the long way around big patches of it whenever possible.

Our other dog, Kelsi, doesn't seem to be phased by it. She has no problems walking in it or sitting in it, and she still makes her rounds on our property despite the cold white stuff.

The only real problem is the buildup of snow causing tree branches to break. And our driveway, which is basically just a paved hill. So when it gets icy, it's kind of unmanageable. (Though to that I say, what better excuse to stay indoors, watch movies, and drink hot chocolate?)

While Dad got out to try and clear off some driveway space, I busied myself taking pictures. Which of course I had to share with you guys.

So, here it is! My first Snow Day of 2011. Enjoy! I know I did.

Snowy clouds.

Pristine blanket of snow!

Kelsi makes her rounds.

The Night Santa Came

Christmas at my house is always my favorite time of year. I love the way my Mom decorates our house. It's the epitome of warm and cozy, inviting and festive.

But on Christmas morning, there's something extra-special about it. It's a little warmer, a little more vibrant, a little more exciting. And it doesn't matter where we are. It's been this way at each house we've lived in. It's not about the place; it's about the people who inhabit it, and who make it what it is. Ever since I was a little girl, the room with the Christmas tree has been the room. When the Christmas tree isn't up, it becomes the room that the Christmas tree will be in. There's something about Christmas that's just particularly special to me.

And Christmas Day 2010 will definitely go down in the books as one of the top five best Christmas Days yet.

Tucker is ready to open presents.

It started out like any other Christmas does for us. The first thing I did upon waking was look for my Christmas stocking. Because that's where the candy is! I said good morning and Merry Christmas to Mom and Dad, got Tucker all excited at the prospect of opening his presents, and ogled the wrapped boxes, gift bags, bows, glitter, and tissue paper spilling out from under our tree.

We had a relaxed breakfast, all of us anticipating the soon-to-come gift unwrapping extravaganza. In my family, the actual unwrapping takes much longer than it would if not for the fact that each of us—myself, my Mom, and my Dad—have cameras. We're like the ultimate picture-taking family. While one of us opens a present, the other two snap away. If two of us start to open presents at the same time, one will inevitably slow down, so that the actual present-reveal isn't simultaneous, thus making it difficult to capture the moment on camera.

There really isn't a downside to this unique Christmas Day tradition; at least not that I can see. It in and of itself makes the whole present-unwrapping last longer, and we never find ourselves lacking in the photo memories department.

I'd guess between the three of us, we have at least three hundred pictures*. Overkill? Perhaps. But better too many than too few. You might think I'm exaggerating, but...I'm not.

*Upon uploading and sorting through pictures for this post, I have learned that we have 354 photos from this Christmas. 

I am not joking.

I was the most excited for Mom to open the silver scarves I got her. It had been my mission—a few days before Christmas, I was frantically searching. Mom's only stipulation for the scarf she wanted was that it be silver. I ended up finding two. I bought them both. One is a more understated silver scarf. The other, a fun sequined scarf. Not only was I excited for her to open her present and find that I had managed to come up with a silver scarf, but I was also excited for her to find out she got not one, but two of them. (Fortunately, she liked them both!)

Scarf #2.

Scarf #1.

It was a great Christmas for us. We all got stuff we wanted, with a great mix of stuff we weren't expecting. None of it was unwanted or disliked.

All of us were having a great time. All three of us are huge fans of goofing off. Christmas is no exception.

When the package is just as fun as the present.

I was doubly excited when I got a brand new bottle of my favorite perfume, J'adore. I had run out a while ago, but still had plenty of some other scents, so I didn't think I could justify spending the money for a new bottle. But I'm so happy I got more! I absolutely adore J'adore. No pun intended.

I also got an adorable shirt from my Mom! A shirt boasting the Greek letters of the International English Honor Society I was inducted into last semester. I really love it. It is too freakin' cute!

Sigma Tau Delta, represent!

But more than the perfume, more than the pile of video games, the candy, the clothes, the highlight of my day—my season, in fact—was the letter.

The letter from Santa.

How many of you guys can say you got one of those?

After we had finished opening presents, and were re-examining our loot, we heard the doorbell ring. Confused as to who would possibly be dropping by unannounced on Christmas, I went to the door. It was there that I found the letter.

Apparently, Mr. Clause and Tucker became acquainted when he was entering the house through the chimney to deliver presents. Tucker, the lucky pup that he is, had a delightful conversation with Santa and he got to meet Rudolph. In all the excitement, as he was leaving, Santa realized he'd forgotten my present in his sleigh. Already running behind schedule, Tucker quickly informed him that it would be alright for Santa to leave my present in my car, and that the faithful pup would let me know to look for it there.

Sure enough, when I went out to my car, I found my last two presents!

What I found in them blew me away. Santa really outdid himself this year.

It was a brand new iPad, and a case to boot!

I was floored.

I had mentioned wanting one, but in no way shape or form expected to get one. Especially not so soon.

But my favorite part is the inscription on the back.

I may as well go ahead and admit that I totally teared up a little when I read it. My parents have always been so wonderful and so supportive of my ambitions to write, and I never cease to appreciate the fact that no matter what, I know they back me up one hundred percent.

As excited as I was about the iPad—and let me tell you, it's no exaggeration to say I was doing a happy dance and jumping for joy—I think the most heart-warming and meaningful part of it is the inscription and the meaning behind it.

I'm undeniably thrilled with all of the presents I got this year, but most of all I am thankful—so thankful—for my parents, and how much they love me, and the fact that I was able to spend this Christmas with them again.

After all, Christmas isn't really about presents anyway.

Though it's several days late—more than that, really—the sentiment is still close to my heart; I hope all of you had a wonderful and very merry Christmas.

When The Moon Goes Dark

Remember when the word "eclipse" made you think of space, not Twilight? Ah, those were the days...

I know this is a little belated, but I wanted to share some of the photos my Dad took on the 21st, when we stayed up to watch the lunar eclipse.

We almost missed it. Mom had told me it would be on the 21st, but I somehow got it in my head that the 21st plus nighttime equaled the night of the 21st. Which, looking back, doesn't make sense considering after midnight, it would no longer be the 21st.

I was laying in bed, cozy and ready for sleep. Addicted to technology and social networking, I was tweeting my "goodnight" and started to notice that a lot of the people I follow were talking about the eclipse and how they were up late waiting for it.

So I double-checked, realized I was all wrong about when it was happening, and hurried outside to make sure I hadn't missed it.

I hadn't.

When I went outside, the Earth's shadow was just starting to creep across the edge of the moon.

I went back inside to tell my Dad, and we both went out and craned our necks to watch.

About halfway through, we woke Mom up, since she was the one who'd told us about the eclipse in the first place. So then all three of us sat outside and watched. We even had binoculars, although a telescope would've been ideal. The binoculars were still good, though.

And all of us were thankful that it was abnormally not cold that night, since that would have made watching the eclipse much less pleasant.

In the end, it was a really awesome experience, and very worth staying up for.

Enjoy the pictures! All are property of my Dad, taken with his Nikon D80.

For the love of Starbucks.

As most of you know, or may have gathered, there are a few things that I consistently like. Writing, photography, Starbucks, my family, my dog. But this post will mainly focus on photography and Starbucks. Because coincidentally, my love for both cross over quite often.

Yes. I absolutely love to take pictures of things Starbucks-related. Particularly Frappuccinos, the famous Starbucks logo, and other assorted drinks.

So, fellow Starbucks lovers, enjoy!

Starbucks at night.
Taken with iPhone 3GS
1929 Texas Avenue South—College Station, Texas

Frappuccino. But tweaked.
Taken with iPhone 4—Photo effects: Best Camera
1501 University Drive E 600—College Station, Texas

Dark Cherry Mocha! Holla!
Taken with iPhone 4
1501 University Drive E 600—College Station, Texas

My favorite study buddy.
Taken with iPhone 4
1501 University Drive E 600—College Station, Texas

One of my favorite locations in College Station!
Taken with iPhone 4
1501 University Drive E 600—College Station, Texas

The perfect travel companion.
Taken with iPhone 3GS
Location: Uh...Dad's truck, Texas.

First Pumpkin Spice Latte of the season!
Taken with iPhone 4
1501 University Drive E 600—College Station, Texas

Java Chip Frappuccino. At night.
Taken with Sony Cybershot
190 North Hwy 67—Midlothian, Texas

Frappuccino + Matt Bukaty.
Taken with Sony Cybershot
455 E FM 1382—Cedar Hill, Texas

I love Frappuccinos even when it's cold.
Taken with Sony Cybershot
190 North Hwy 67—Midlothian, Texas

Dog Days

Happy Dogs Rule Day!

I'll go ahead and say it up front. This post is completely photo-related. And yes, I'm obsessed with my dog, Tucker.

And since today is Dogs Rule Day, I figure it's totally appropriate to flood you with pictures of my dog, who does indeed rule.

So, Tucker and I, we like to hang out on our balcony from time to time. I think Tucker still finds it totally awesome that he can see so far, since normally he's eye level with my knees.

The other day while we were chillin' out there, I brought my camera.

These are the resulting pictures.

Seein' the sees.

Tuck in profile.

"What are YOU doing?"

Tucker. <3

"We don't have to go back in yet, do we?"

All photos taken with my Nikon Coolpix P90.