A GREAT Weekend!

Even though LSU lost on Saturday, it turned out to be a great day, because my boyfriend took me to our favorite restaurant, Chianti, and proposed! It was so sweet; I'm really excited, because we've been dating for over seven years, and I thought the day would never come! Here's a picture of my ring:

I want to get married in October, so hopefully I will graduate in August (like I'm trying SUPER hard to!), so I will not have as much on my plate after that.

Besides that excitement, I really haven't done much since then but lounge around and show off my ring at every opportunity. I'm gonna have to kick my butt into gear starting tomorrow! I hope everyone has a great week!

November already!

This week has been very hectic so far, and won't be any better until Saturday! It just seems like every time I finish one thing, another thing is looming. At least there's only 5 weeks left in this semester (I can't wait)! The weather has been amazing this week, and I am glad that the rain seems to be over (for now).


My Marie Antoinette costume was a big hit at the Halloween party; I had a lot of fun! The wig actually stayed on very well, considering how tall it was (I was a bit worried it would fall off!). A couple of my girlfriends came over and helped me bake some festive treats (ALL day!!). Here are a few pictures from the night:

I'm about to eat dinner and finish up on some other assignments...I hope everyone has a great week! 

 

"Live Unbuttoned" out, "Go Forth" in...

The Slate article I chose is titled, "Walt Whitman Thinks You Need New Jeans." The article talks about how Levi's (the jean company) has changed their ad campaign from "Live Unbuttoned" to "Go Forth," in light of the economic downturn in the past year. The company changed its ad agency and image with the new slogan and commercials. The previous campaign featured attractive, young people dancing and having fun. In contrast, the new campaign features the voice of Walt Whitman reciting a poem while the screen shows images of people (very young to old) in Levi's jeans watching fireworks and kids playing together, just simply living the American dream. I think the new ads are about hope and looking/moving forward and are good for the current times in America.

 The rain is back and I can't say I'm too happy about it. My yard was still wet from the continuous pour we had for the past couple of weeks and now it's probably going to turn (back) into a swamp. Gross! 

I'm very excited about Halloween on Saturday and can't wait to dress up into my Marie Antoinette costume and wig! My friend Amber and I will be baking cookies, cupcakes, and other treats all day and decorating them for my friend Kate and her husband's party. Yummy! I hope everyone has a happy and safe Halloween! 

Second half of the semester...GO!!

Well, the second half of the semester has started and I'm somewhat relieved...like "there's light at the end of the tunnel" relieved! My grades are looking great (with the exception of one class but I think I can swing a B by the end of the semester) and I've been working my butt off this semester! It'll all be worth it though when I have that diploma in my hand! 
I'm anxious to register for Spring classes because what classes and times are available determines whether I graduate in August or December ('10). I'm really, really, really hoping August is possible, but even if not, there's still (you guessed it!) light at the end of the tunnel! =)
I'm going to apply to grad school here at LSUS to get my MBA, so hopefully that works out as well. The sooner I can begin that program, the sooner I will be finished with school and that thought is exciting. I'm not sure how much more information my brain can hold! 
I hope everyone has a great week!

 

FALL BREAK!!!

Rain, rain, go away...it is pouring right now and I'm just waiting for my satellite to go out. It never fails! My yard is already a swamp, and now it's going to be a lake. Oh, well.

I took three midterms today, and I know I did great on one, but the other two were pretty tough. Hopefully, I'm just being a little too hard on myself and really made As on all three (yeah, right)! I was exhausted after the tests (all in a row) and was dreading my fourth class of the day. Luckily, my last class was canceled and my fall break got a little bit of a head start. =) I'm looking forward to relaxing (with my dogs), reading John Grisham books (love him!), baking treats (my specialty), and watching a couple of movies (with my boyfriend). 

There goes the satellite. Better light some candles and grab my book before the electricity goes too. I hope everyone has a great fall break and weekend! 

the best time of year...

I can't believe that it's already October and midterms are next week. This semester has been flying by for me and I am really happy about that!  

The past few days, the weather has actually been fall-like and cool, and I'm getting in the mood for the end-of-the-year holidays. This is my favorite time of year. My good friend and her husband have a Halloween party every year, and this one is no exception. I have had my costume ready for over a month now. I am going as Marie Antoinette, huge wig and all. I'll put a picture up next month.Thanksgiving and Christmas are coming up soon as well. I love giving people gifts and baking goodies. I'm getting really excited just thinking about it all!

I mentioned in my last blog that I had either a salivary gland infection or a stone in it, and I am happy to say that the antibiotic my doctor prescribed did the trick! My lump is gone, so it must have been an infection.

I am still having joint and back pain from the Accutane, but I have my dry skin and lips a little more under control, which I am thankful for. Five more months, five more months, five more months...

I swear, I almost had a heart attack while watching the LSU-Georgia game last Saturday. I was so nervous! I'm so glad that the Tigers won but they need to step it up for this weekend's game. Florida is playing great this year, and I think that LSU has the talent to win IF they play consistently, which they haven't thus far this season.

Anyway, I hope everyone has a great week!                                                                                              

falling apart...

About a month ago, I started taking the medicine Accutane. I took this before, in high school, but only had mild side effects, like dry skin and chapped lips. It was manageable. This time around, besides the dry skin and chapped lips, I have also had joint and back pain. Sometimes I feel like I'm 70 years old! The pain comes and goes, but is anywhere from moderate to severe. When I was at work this past Sunday, I literally almost couldn't walk because my feet/ankles were hurting so much. I can't get comfortable at night in bed, because either my back or ribs or feet are hurting whenever I change positions. I only have five more months left on the medicine, so hopefully the side effects won't get any worse and it will be worth it!

On Tuesday, I went to the doctor because I have a small lump on the bottom of my jawline on one side. It has been here for a couple of weeks and is somewhat painful. I thought it might be a cyst, but it turns out I either have an infected salivary gland OR I have a stone in one of my salivary glands. I didn't even know that could happen! The doctor prescribed me an antibiotic to take for a week, which will take care of the problem if it is an infection. If not, I have to see an ENT doctor to open up the gland for the stone to pass. It's so weird! Hopefully, it is just an infection and the medicine will get rid of it.

Besides my body falling apart, I have had a pretty productive week. I'm ahead on most of my school assignments, and my grades are looking good. Semester is almost halfway through, and I'm so glad! =)

the weekend...

My weekend was a lot of fun! The Race for the Cure went well on Saturday morning, and I only had to carry Snuggles about half a mile (so he wouldn't get stepped on). It always feels good to do something for a good cause.

The Britney Spears concert on Saturday night was an absolute blast! My friends and I had floor tickets, and since it was standing only, we got to the CenturyTel Center three hours early. I'm sooo glad that we did, because we ended up standing in the front row! Whether you like Britney or not, you have to admit that she puts on a great show. Here are a couple of pictures that we took at the concert (and we were so close they aren't even zoomed!).

 

UPDATE on "Card Girl" AKA Danielle Bartlett

UPDATE: Danielle has received over 9,000 cards and counting! She has a Caring Bridge site:

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/daniellebartlett

She has just finished another round of chemo and it seems to be working, as her tumor has shrunk by a lot. I added a picture of her from her page, and I hope that y'all will take a few minutes to send her a card. =)

Mail cards to:

Danielle Bartlett
260 Country Club
Richwood, West Virginia 26261

Original Message:

My mom got this from a friend at work and I thought I would post it in case anyone would like to send a card also.

"This little girl is eight years old. She has cancer. Her request from the "Make a Wish Foundation" is that she can receive at least 1,000 get well cards. Will you please help her wish come true, by sending her a get well card?"

looking forward to a fun weekend!

I'm enjoying this rainy Friday so far, mostly because I know that I can be lazy today. I did hours and hours of homework yesterday to get a day ahead so I don't have anything due today which is sooo nice. Besides relaxing, my mom and I are going to our weekly lunch and movie. We're seeing Love Happens, which is a chick flick but I'm a chick and love that kind of stuff!

Tomorrow is a busy day for me. I have to wake up early (on a Saturday!) but it's for a good cause. I'm doing the Race for the Cure with two of my best friends and Snuggles is coming too. We did it last year and it was a lot of fun. Afterward, we went to IHOP for a celebratory meal which was very tasty after walking/jogging a 5k!

And tomorrow night is BRITNEY SPEARS! I don't care what anyone thinks, because I am soooo excited (like pre-teen excited)! Two of my great friends and I  are going to eat (and drink) before the concert and then we get to go to our floor seats which is really cool! I went to her concert the last time she came here (I was 16) and sat on the second balcony. It was a lot of fun, but I'm thinking that being so close tomorrow will make it even more fun. I can't wait.

I'll post a couple of pictures from the weekend on Sunday or Monday so look out for those. Hope everyone has a great weekend also!

P.S. GEAUX TIGERS!!!

mondays aren't so bad (this semster at least!)

Well, we certainly got rained on at the LSU game but still had fun and were relieved that the Tigers won! We're gonna need to practice a little more before we get to the big teams like Florida and Alabama though! Geaux Tigers!

Even though I'm taking 21 hours, I only have to go to class on Tuesdays and Thursdays plus my online courses. It's hectic on the "T" days, but nice for MWF. Today I went to the Rotaract meeting and it sounds pretty interesting and worthwhile. I'm excited to be a part of that. I then came home and made cupcakes for my friend's birthday and went to lunch with her. We had a lot of fun and some delicious food.

Now I'm in the middle of homework and have to study for a Business Statistics test...oh, so much fun!

Until next time...Christie

looks like rain...

It looks like it's going to rain any moment now...I just hope it doesn't rain in Baton Rouge this weekend, because I'll be watching LSU beat Vanderbilt! My mom and I went and saw the new Sandra Bullock movie, "All About Steve" today and it was pretty cute and had a lot of funny moments. We always go in with low expectations so we don't get disappointed. It usually works out pretty well for us!

I can't believe it's been 8 years since September 11. I still remember where I was at that moment and know I will forever. I am very thankful for all of the men and women who risk their lives for our great country and am very proud to be an American!

I hope that everyone has a great weekend! =)

friday

So the second week of school has come to an end and it's gotten easier to figure out how to divide my time between each course's assignments. I'm actually enjoying school this semester!

My Dell laptop FINALLY arrived yesterday and so far, I am loving it. It's pink (my favorite color), lightweight, and easy to use. Thanks mom and dad! It's my Christmas and birthday present in advance. 

That's pretty much all that's going on in my life right now...school, laptop, dogs. =)

thought I would pass this along...

My mom got this from a friend at work and I thought I would post it in case anyone would like to send a card also.

"This little girl is eight years old. She has cancer. Her request from the "Make a Wish Foundation" is that she can receive at least 1,000 get well cards. Will you please help her wish come true, by sending her a get well card?"

Mail cards to:

Danielle Bartlett
260 Country Club
Richwood, West Virginia 26261

Friday...

Today was my day I could have slept in but of course I woke up at 8:30 and couldn't go back to sleep. Went to lunch with my mom (a Friday ritual) and then we went and saw "Inglorious Basterds." We both enjoyed the movie and it actually had a lot of funny parts. One thing I do hate though is how the movie trailers are for next March or Summer 2010...I get excited about seeing some of them and then it's like, not until next year!

On the way home we got to use the Jimmie Davis Bridge because it has been re-opened and I cannot express how happy I am that they didn't lie and actually finished the project on time. It still looks rusted and horrible but I don't even care because I am sooo sick of having to detour when I live so close to the JDB. My gas tank will be happy too!

I have had bad luck with technology lately. Last night my iPhone started acting crazy and my apps all turned to gray boxes. I went to apple.com and couldn't find any information on the problem so posted a question in one of the forums. I got a few responses of things to try and nothing worked. So my phone is still acting crazy.
My dad ordered a new laptop for me in July (my current one is six years old and very outdated) and it was supposed to arrive before August 18. I was excited because that was perfect timing for the new semester. Of course, that didn't happen! The FedEx tracking information had the package scheduled to be delivered on August 14 and that day came and went. My dad called FedEx and they said the package had been "lost." We think someone probably stole the laptop. My dad called Dell and got someone who could barely speak English and said that they would ship a new computer and we should have it in one week. A week went by and it didn't arrive. Dad called again and got someone fluent in English who said that they hadn't even shipped it yet and the other person my dad had spoken to didn't know what he was talking about. So, last we heard the laptop is scheduled to be express-shipped on Sept. 2 and arrive that Friday. Hopefully this time I will actually get my computer! This has been such a pain.

I'm glad it's the weekend and will hopefully have a relaxing day tomorrow (after finishing my Diagnostic essay, of course!). Alright, well it's time for me to Kirby the house and bathe the doggies.

my babies

 

Since I talk so much about my doggies, here they are! =) Snuggles is the 4-year-old Bichon Frise and Isabella is the 1-year-old Black Lab.

First week of school...

So the first week of this semester is coming to an end and I have to admit it hasn't been all that bad. I'm taking 21 hours (the first time for that) and even though I spent close to seven hours doing homework yesterday alone, the week hasn't been as bad as I expected. I'm so relieved that there is finally a light at the end of the tunnel and I can see a graduation date! If everything goes as planned it will be August 2010 and I can't wait! Even though I'm a little burnt out on school I am going to apply to LSUS's graduate MBA program for next fall. It wouldn't hurt on my resume when I get out into the professional world. =)

Recently, I've gone from working 4-5 days a week to just Sundays. It's weird, but I can definitely see that I need all of that extra time to work on my school assignments! I'm so glad to have the opportunity to only work once a week (thanks J). After a few years of changing schools, changing my major, and just being unmotivated I am definitely the opposite of that now! I've been planning out my spring and summer semesters to a T and even the graduate classes that I haven't applied to yet. My boyfriend even said I was a little obsessed! Hopefully everything works out the way I have planned.

Well, my dog Snuggles (Bichon Frise) is taking a nap next to me and I think I'm going to do the same...