Jory

So, life really isn’t feeling real to me lately.

I didn’t have any finals and I graduate in four days. Instead of living at the art building, slaving away on calligraphy homework, and walking around our beautiful campus, I’m going to be finding a job and paying off my loans… and probably still watching Desperate Housewives on the daily, so at least there will be one constant in my new life.

I have so many memories here at Iowa. I have no regrets. I am so very happy with all of the people I’ve met and all of the experiences I have had. I wouldn’t change my college experience for anything.

I truly hope that all of you are making the same amazing memories and enjoying your time in college, because it truly does fly by.

Shout-out to all of my friends from the Arts Floor, all my Alpha Chi sisters, my fellow graphic designers, my Diamond Cut and Dance Club babes, all my friends from the hundred jobs I worked throughout my college career, the Starbucks staff, and everyone in between.

This has been the best four years of my life so far.

I hope everyone is having a fantastic last week at school for this year. Good luck on all your finals and future endeavors.

GO HAWKS.

Oh, hey. Remember me?

Kind of ironic my last blog was titled “M.I.A” and I haven’t posted since then. THAT WAS NOVEMBER YOU GUYS.

Before I had this blog, I used to post in a personal blog (bet you didn’t know that!). It used to really help me de-stress and prioritize and keep me sane. After I got busy enough to forget to keep up with my blog, and started this one, I forgot how therapeutic this can be. So, I’m sorry for neglecting you blog! Here’s to a fresh Spring (almost-ish) start.

Now that my art show is over (shout out to all of my friends who have been SO supportive) I can finally breathe. I’ve been applying for some jobs, but I don’t really know what I’m doing. I don’t know where I want to be or what I want to do. I thought that after I was done with my show I’d be A.) relieved (check) and B.) have some job options for after graduation. Now that my show is over, it feels like everything is over. College, academics… my very last time performing on stage with Dance Club… it’s all so bittersweet.

There are a lot of things that get taken for granted while you’re in your own little bubble of trying to balance school and jobs and relationships and whatever else you’re able to fit into your schedule. I have such a long list of things and people and experiences I’m going to miss #SENIORITES.

I usually try to communicate some form of advice in these things so here it is before I get even more emotional: don’t take anything for granted. Time goes by so fast, enjoy every single second. I might have given that advice before, but it’s really important. So, take it.  

HEY THERE

Sorry I’ve been so MIA this semester but, honestly, if I told you all of the things that have happened to me so far this year you probably wouldn’t believe it.

I’m going to tell you all about it anyway.

I started the semester off with a broken foot, so that was awesome. And almost immediately after my foot healed I became very sick and missed almost two weeks of school. And almost immediately after I recovered from my deathly illness, I had major car troubles and was without transportation for about two weeks. And then IMMEDIATELY after I picked my car up from the shop I was in a pretty bad car accident. (I had been trying to make up a photo shoot for my photography class that I had missed, because I didn’t have a car) and it was dark on Hwy 1. My sister was with me and I lost control of my car and the next thing I knew we were upside down in a ditch. I’m not going to go into any more detail with that story so, MORAL OF THE STORY: DON’T VEER FOR ANYTHING ON THE ROAD EVER.

Even though it seemed like my life was just on a downward slope to all things bad, a lot of good things have happened too. Now that my sister and I are sharing a car we get to live with each other next semester! In the midst of this craziness I also managed to put a portfolio together and get cleared for my BFA degree as a graphic designer! AND I get to go home for a whole entire week for Thanksgiving and spend time with my family and my friends and I couldn’t be more excited.

I guess in a round about way the purpose of this post is to remind everyone that even though bad things happen, good things happen too. Just because your life is a downward spiral (like mine was) doesn’t mean it won’t get better, and it doesn’t mean that the good things that DO happen are less important.

Be happy and be thankful, always.

TTFN

…………. I don’t even know where to begin.

I guess I’ll just start by saying I was having such a good day until I had to call Campus Towing to rescue me.

It all started when I was on my way to class at 4:30 and realized I had left my phone at home. I didn’t go back for it because I was already running late (of course) plus we had a sub so I figured class wouldn’t run the full 2 hours anyway. After class I decided to run a few errands. I was almost enjoying the freedom of not having my cell phone with me! I went to Target and did a little shopping at the mall and when I was done I went out to my car to drive home when I put my keys in the ignition ANDDDD my car doesn’t start. The engine doesn’t even turn over. This has happened to me before and all it needed was a jumpstart so I went back into Target to see if I could use their phone to call my sister who lives in Coralville. Knowing my sister, I wasn’t expecting her to answer a call from a number she doesn’t know so I make a few more phone calls and finally reach my parents in Okoboji. Not that they could do much from 5 hours away but luckily they were able to reach my sister and she was soon on her way to jump my car.

After about 25 minutes of two girls trying to perform mechanical magic on a ’97 Doge Intrepid, a kind gentleman named Todd came to our rescue (we thought). Todd tried jumping/fixing my car while his beautiful family of 5 patiently sat waiting, watching, and laughing at our expense. After another 20 minutes or so Todd suggested we call a tow truck.

THANK GOD FOR AAA. And for Todd. And for kind Target employees. And for my sister who thought I was going to try to walk from the mall to her house and was driving around looking for me.

… and now I get to wake up, right?  *sigh*

Hey Hawkeyes!

I hope everyone had an amazing summer and easy transition back into school this last week! Time flies by so fast, I can’t believe we’re already back in Iowa City.

I spent my summer back in Okoboji after my unpaid internship (complete with a four hour daily commute!) in Chicago didn’t work out. Luckily I was able to continue doing work for Customizo while at home, but I was also EXTREMELY lucky to be blessed with an awesome family who just so happened to take me under their wing at their marketing and web design company. I learned so much and was given a lot of great opportunities to really expand my portfolio. I truly do not know how I would have gotten through the summer without them, especially since I wasn’t able to visit my boyfriend/best friend, Tyler, as much as I wanted to. I also broke my foot while I was at home at my friend’s swimming pool. Blame it on the Turks- they dared me to stand on a floaty raft (no joke).

Now I’m back in Iowa City, anticipating Sorority Recruitment this weekend, mentally preparing myself for my senior year of college, and still recovering from my 22nd birthday last weekend. WOO. And did I mentioned that I tailgated with Keenan Davis and Micah Hyde? ON MY BIRTHDAY! I don’t know if you all remember my 21st birthday… but my 22nd was truly the best yet, and I got A LOT of love on my 21st. My 22nd birthday weekend was spent tailgating with Hawkeye royalty, and then yesterday I spent the day in Cedar Rapids with Tyler and his family jumping on their trampoline and playing with his siblings.

I totally cannot wait to see what great things are still yet to come.

It’s good to be back.
Go Hawks.

I can’t believe it’s been over a month since I’ve blogged. YOU GUYS. You’re suppose to help me be accountable.

Anyway, SO much has happened so I hope you have a snow day today and have nothing better to do than read my blog 🙂

If any of you remember, over winter break I applied for like a HUNNID internships… not really thinking I would hear back from any of them. But I did! TWO of them. I ended up with a phone interview for one and a skype interview for the other. Both were pretty interesting experiences, but long story short I got a summer internship with Izo Brands in Chicago!! Not only do I get an amazing experience working with them, but I also get to live with my bff Lucia this whooooole summer (can you say partie tyme?! (good thing I’m not an english major…)). I’m still waiting to hear back from my other internship, which is with Victoria’s Secret PINK during the school year starting next Fall. I’m supposed to hear back from them in March…. and March seemed like a really long ways off but, here it is! So I’ll keep you posted!

What else? OH. I went to Planet X in Cedar Falls for the first time. It was my first arcade experience and I went with my sorority for a sisterhood event. It was actually really fun despite the 8 year-old birthday party we were competing with 😉 I ended up winning 2,096 tickets (because I’m a BO$$) and won a plethora of prizes including a slinky, silly putty and a tiara, among other things.

After Planet X, since I was already in Cedar Falls, where my boyfriend is from, Tyler picked me up and we went to hang out at his house with his family (hence, ‘Meet The Parents PT. 2). It was really fun and he has the coolest cat named Prince. He’s super large and soft. Also his sister drew me a picture of a kitten playing with a ball of yarn so I’m pretty excited about that. I have it hanging on my bulletin board and everything! But I really enjoyed meeting his family and I am looking forward to spending some time with them again!

I think this is all I’m going to through at you right now. Turns out 17 semester hours, 3 jobs, and a active sorority member are three things that are really hard to balance. I’m planning on blogging about my sorority’s philanthropy event, but that’s going to have to wait a couple days because I am up to my EARS in homework right meow.

Talk to you soon!

Hello my gorgeous popsicles!

WELCOME BACK!!! I hope all of you have had a smooth return back to Iowa for our second semester this year. Between 17 semester hours and 30 hours of work split between two jobs I’ve been a little busy and not very fun, BUT lucky for YOU I spent the weekend back in Okoboji for Winter Games.

For all of you that don’t know, every year Okoboji celebrates the season with Winter Games. This just means that everyone spends the day out on the ice participating in intramural sports, eating contests, drinking, and laughing at all the kids silly enough to sign up for the polar plunge. I was extra excited to venture home for these events because this time I brought my super awesome boyfriend 😉 Even though I was a little nervous for him to meet my crazy family, we had a lot of fun and were able to let loose after a hectic first week back at school!

… and when I say I was nervous for him to meet my family, I mean I was nervous for him to meet my two year old niece, Emerson… AKA the light of my life and my most favorite kiddo in the world. OBVI her approval was the most important. She was a little shy at first, but before we knew it she even had her own nickname for him (Uncle Jim … his name is Tyler, haha) and they were bff’s for the rest of the weekend.

It was such a great weekend! I was even a little sad to leave home … until my mom started yelling at me for wanting to take some PS2 games and movies from the house and saying that I was going to lose them blah blah blah … then I was ready to come back to IC 🙂 ANYWAY here are a few photos of Winter Games! Yes I am drinking a beer and yes I am 21, don’t worry guys 😛 Until next time …

Cheers!

Twas three days after Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring ……….. not even my dog cooper.

I seriously tried to figure out a cool Christmas rhyme there, but I couldn’t. Clearly my brain is on ‘break mode.’

4 and 1/2 hours later I finally made it home to spend a fun filled holiday week with my family! I know you all are probably dying to know what I’ve been doing since I made it home …………. but actually what happened was that I just ended up sleeping and watching a lot of movies. So far I’ve watched Pitch Perfect (twice), Justin Bieber: Never Say Never, The Vow, the fourth season of The OC, four episodes of New Girl, three episodes of Glee, and the last two episodes of American Horror Story. Whew. Needless to say I’ve only left the house three times: once to get hot chocolate at Hey Good Cookies, once to meet one of my very best friends for a lunch date, and once to go shopping in Sioux Falls.

This Christmas wasn’t as extravagant as previous years, but I’m learning that the things that were once very important to you may not be as important anymore. When I was younger I would write a two or three page list of things I wanted to see under the tree Christmas morning. This year I only asked for two or three things. Period. Not because there weren’t things that I wanted but because I was just happy to be able to be home and spending time with my family (aaaand also because my mom got me the Fossil watch I’ve been dying for and an iPad mini). I’m very grateful for the things that I got this year, but I’m even happier that I got to share it with all of my favorite people!

I hope everyone is still having a fabulous break and a magical holiday 🙂 Until next time, peace & blessin’s

It’s WEDNESDAY.

I hope everyone has been enjoying their break so far. Personally I’m starting to miss my crazy hectic schedule, but I’m definitely  going to appreciate these next couple weeks of freedom and relaxation.

It hasn’t even been a full week, but I’ve already done some pretty exciting things!
Friday was my friend’s 21st birthday (shout out to my girl Lucia Leone), so I drove her home to Chicago and went out to dinner with her family for her birthday. Unfortunately I was only able to stay a couple hours because of work, but it was still a really fun road trip and her gram sent me home with some blueberry bagels, so that was pretty awesome! Saturday and Sunday I had to work … nothing exciting … until last night I went to see The Hobbit. It was super long and I almost fell asleep but overall it was a good time. Okay, so not exactly a thrilling break yet.

Now I’m just hanging out watching my boyfriend play Grand Theft Auto, living the dream.

Next time I blog I promise it will be about something cool like skydiving.

On an unrelated note, here’s a video to really get your holiday spirit going!

(Dubstep Christmas Light Display Video) WATCH IT 🙂

Finals week is finally here. I can’t believe this semester has gone by so fast!

As you are all preparing for your final exams don’t forget to take some time to relax. Studying is very important, but there IS such a thing as over-studying. Be confident going into your tests and may the force be with you.

Safe travels over break and happy holidays everyone!