Not Allowed to Walk to School

I live in Hillcrest which is right next to the school. Everyday I used walk to and from school using the pathway next to the Hillcrest community pool and it would only take about 7 minutes. Trust me, I timed it. I loved walking. It was peaceful and gave me time to myself or to talk with friends if i walked with them. There has been a history of problems with this according to the Whitney Oaks Association. Yeah, I understand that they don't want people coming in from outside of the community to use it as an entrance to the school and that they don't want cars parking by the pool but am I really doing any harm by simply walking to school? My mother has been to board meetings and even made a petition but the Association looks pretty set on keeping us from walking. Now, they have a security guard and plan on closing off the gate. So, I have to waste time and money and take the lazy way by driving to school.

Senior Portraits - Finally!

Finally getting my senior portraits done this saturday :) I'm soooo excited to have it over and done with but I'm most excited for the actual experience of taking the pictures. I don't know how the whole process of changing clothes will go, but i'll figure it out. BUT now I have to worry about what outfits to use and how many and what accessories, and nail color, hairstyle, etc. Gah! I don't like having to deal with details like that!! And lets be honest here, Im not super photogenic in the way that I only like one out of every 20 pictures of myself. Granted, that's mostly probably just me being a self-conscious teenager, but its all the same. I have three outfits set so far, but now for hair.... my dad only wants my naturally wavy hair, but I want some straightened hair ones too... so now does that mean i try to bring my straightener and do it in the middle of the process?? blehh, that's probably the biggest problem/most stressful aspect right now (My dad wanting only wavy, but my mom and I wanting straight...)

A little frivolity

This is definitely less serious than the rest of my blogs, but something I've been contemplating as the warmer weather has been taking over the constant frosty mornings and snowy feel. Here are a few things that are going to keep me from going insane waiting for graduation, summer, my roadtrip with my cousins to my cousin Allison's wedding and Chicago, and CAL POLY! I officially accepted to Cal Poly SLO last week and can't wait to attend there in the fall and meet new people :) These pictures come from my favorite blog site, cupcakesandcashmere.com

{Shop-A-Matic gives diverse outfits for any occasion}

{Light and flowy outfits like this are so adorable and easy to do when sleeping in has become more important with senioritis}

{Blush colors are so easy to match and are becoming really popular (and for good reason)}

{Instead of the heavy holiday treats, opting for light and semi-healthy yet sweet desserts is perfect for spring and summer seasons}

San Diego

This past weekend I went on a journey to the wonderous, marvelous land of San Diego. On Friday afternoon I went to SDSU for the honors students reception. I didn't quite know what to expect from it, but it ended up being very beneficial. I felt that it was a unique experience to be able to hear from the actual students, advisors, and professors, instead of trying to learn everything from the web page. On Saturday was Explore SDSU, essentially an oppen house of the entire campus. I didn't expect that to be extaordinarily helpful and surprisingly it was! The whole campus was covered with tents, booths, and tables representing some of the clubs and programs on campus. I got to explore around some of the buildings and lecture halls and decided to sit in on a Biolgoy presentation. As of now that is my intended major, but after this weekend, seeing all of my options, it could change. SDSU has been one of my top choices since I took a tour of the campus spring break last year. As a student who has always been on the UC track I never expected to be considering a CSU so strongly, but there's just something about that school that pulls me in. Now to make a decision...oh brother :)

Senior Ball

I believe that most girls at RHS have their dresses already picked out. The thing is, I don't have my dress, but I have it drawn out. Yes, it is going to be custom made by my mom and I. I just love the fact that no one else is going to have my dress and I don't have to worry about any dress looking like mine or anything like that. It is going to be a short dress at the knee. I can't stand stepping on people's long dresses when I dance, and I wouldn't want to worry about people stepping on mine. The inspiration for my dress came from a designer called Alyce. She has her own website, and the category I saw my inspiration dress was under After Five. It's a whole new 2010 collection for prom/ball dresses. So, if you are still looking for a dress, look her website up and find where they sell them. Yes, they are really expensive, so that's why I am making mine. What you guys should also think about is making your dress too. It would be a problem if no one in your family knows how to sew, so I guess this doesn't apply to you. But, it will be a lot cheaper than getting a dress at nordstroms. But, if you are still looking for a dress and can't make one or find one that is inexpensive, try looking at Nordstroms Rack, Forever 21, and JC Penney. Other stores also have dresses that were styled in 2009 or earlier, so they should be less expensive as well. All of my dresses I have bought for dances in the past have been $35 and under, so listen to me!!! It also helps if you already have shoes or jewelry so you don't have to go out and buy any. And to prevent that from happening, just pick out your shoes and jewelry and pick out your dress based on the accessories you already have. I could go on and on about what to do for Senior Ball, but ask me if you have any questions, I'll help you out. But, don't ask me about finding a date, I can't help you there. :)

I am going to Cambodia!!!

50 school days left until graduation! And this summer, my mom is turning 50. So the combination of these two events, my graduation and my mom reaching the big 50, made us want to do something special to celebrate! Our first idea ended up not working out. We had decided on doing a triathlon, but my mom started having back and hip problems so we can't do that anymore. But, an even better opportunity came our way.

This summer (June 25-July 11), my mom and I are going to Cambodia. We are going on a mission their with a team from our church. Every day while we are there, we will be doing a kids camp for children in Svay Pak, Cambodia, a hot spot for child sex trafficking. These children are as young 4 years old and they have to go through horrendous sexual abuse every night. It is really unfathomable. But amidst all of the horrific things they must endure, there is an organization their called Agape International Missions that is working to bring hope and change the lives of these children. Barb Wilson, the leader of the team we are going with, went last year for the fist time. She said one of her big fears was not being able to handle getting to know girls that are so abused. But now she can't stop talking about the children and how their lives are being changed. I can't believe I get to be a part of this! And then the last day we are there, we get to throw on a party for the girls in ARC, a high-security house for girls rescued from the sex trade. Wow!

Retirement Home Party!

Last Friday, we had our CSF spring project at Casa de Santa Fe. We did a St. Patrick's Day themed party. There was live music, cookies, games and socializing time. It was overall a huge success. All the people there truly enjoyed the string quartet and piano.

This was a great experience, as it was something I've never done before. After music and cookies, everyone broke for either games or to stay and talk to some of the CSF volunteers who helped. I sat down to talk to a man sitting on the couch alone. At first, he did not really feel like talking, but after a few minutes, he started telling me all kinds of interesting stories from when he was younger and about his children and grandchildren. We ended up talking for about 45 minutes, and I really enjoyed getting the opportunity to talk to him. It was so interesting to hear what he had to say, and I hope I will be able to go back sometime!