This is the view from my room/balcony:
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Irrational Fear of Bugs.
On Monday afternoon, I made the trek down to Culver, Indiana to start my fabulous Communications Internship at Culver Academies. I moved into my new abode, a "rustic" cabin that usually sleeps 12 youngsters during the summer camps. Good news: I have the cabin to myself. Bad news: No air conditioning, a mile and a half from work (my boss brought me a bicycle luckily), super dark at night, and a million bugs constantly swarming. Even though I've been careful not to open any windows with holes in the screen and am super quick to shut the doors when I go in and out, some bugs have made their way in and haunt me while I try to sleep. Through this experience, I have re-discovered my irrational fear of bugs. It started as an irrational fear of spiders after watching an episode of Xena: Warrior Princess where a half-woman-half-spider ate a bunch of people (I was about 6 and still have nightmares). Now, every time I think about a spider it sends shivers down my spine and gives me the heeby jeebies. I'm convinced that any bug, of any size, is either going to eat me alive or plant eggs in my brains. Therefore, the woods is not a great place to reside. It's also not great when it's 96degrees, no air conditioning, and one fan. But, I am only in this cabin for two weeks, until I move closer to work into a dorm, hopefully with air conditioning. Unfortunately, there I will have a roommate. I'll have to make the best of it. Until then, I consider this a "spa vacation" and getting back to nature. Psht. One thing is for sure, this is nothing like my friends paying $$$$$$$$ for a closet-sized apartment in New York shared with 6 other girls. Below are some pictures of my new home.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
My Summer Uniform
In the past few days I have done exactly nothing. Sitting around the house, packing for my impending internship, reading blogs and magazines and books. Because of this, I have been gravitating towards lazy summer outfits. My "summer uniform" has become white short shorts and loose tank tops. I'm usually barefoot, but when necessary I throw on my favorite broken-in flip flops I got from Phillips Exeter Academy in 2004.
After tomorrow, I will unfortunately trade these casual items for more polished dresses as my summer internship in the Communications department of the Culver Academies begin. Although I am super excited to return "home" to Culver and learn all about website design, I will miss laying out in the sun (note: this is possibly the tannest I have ever been in my entire life), my shorts and tank tops, and most of all reading 24/7.
au revoir sweet summer vacation, I'll miss you; but I miss working more.
After tomorrow, I will unfortunately trade these casual items for more polished dresses as my summer internship in the Communications department of the Culver Academies begin. Although I am super excited to return "home" to Culver and learn all about website design, I will miss laying out in the sun (note: this is possibly the tannest I have ever been in my entire life), my shorts and tank tops, and most of all reading 24/7.
au revoir sweet summer vacation, I'll miss you; but I miss working more.
Saturday, June 4, 2011
101 in 1001
In my month off of school and working, I have a lot of time on my hands. So I've began to read feverishly, everything. I have read 2 of the 3 Lauren Conrad books (as many of you know I'm obsessed with her), and the 3rd should arrive in Monday's mail. I have re-read the Princess Diaries series for the millionth time. I have even read Blink by Malcolm Gladwell and A Separate Peace by John Knowles, so it's not just easy beach reads. I have also taken up blog reading. I used to read only 2 blogs everyday, and now I'm up to 11, plus 2 YouTube channels. And that list is growing quickly, for every blog I add to my daily repertoire, I read at least 10 others to see if they make the cut. In one of the blogs I have recently added, I came across an entry about The Day Zero Project. You make a list of 101 things you want to do, and you have 1,001 days to do them. I thought this was fantastic. So I'd like to share with you my list of 101 (although I only have 88 things, so comment any suggestions you have!!)
What do you think about this challenge? Would you ever want to do something like this?
101 in 1001
Body
1. Workout 15 times in one month
2. Wear no makeup for one week
3. Stay up all night
4. See a chiropractor
5. Get a Brazilian wax
6. Walk, run, or jog a 5k
7. Take vitamins daily for 1 month
8. Get a massage
9. Get a facial
Compassion
10. Spend under $10 on a meal and leave a $10 tip
11. Leave notes in a Post Secret Book
12. Send flowers to my mother
13. Buy something from Etsy
14. Donate to charity
15. Buy an original piece of artwork
16. Donate to a homeless person
Finances
17. Complete a no spend month
18. Pay off my credit card
19. Save at least $2,000
20. Put away $5 for each completed task Food and Drink
21. Go to a restaurant by myself
22. Try absinthe
23. Give up pop for 1 month
24. Give up meat for 1 month Fun
25. Attend a Post Secret Event
26. Skydive
27. Go to a museum
28. Go to a farmers market
29. Apply for a reality tv show
30. Go berry/apple picking
31. Create a scrapbook of Babson
32. Go horseback riding
33. Go to a concert
34. Go on a picnic
35. Attend the midnight premiere of a movie
36. Go ice skating
37. Go skinny dipping
38. Go to a zoo
39. See a drive in movie
40. Carve my name in a tree
41. Sing karaoke
42. Go barefoot for 1 day
43. See a horse race
44. Write a message in a public bathroom
45. Go to see an opera
46. See a play/musical on Broadway
47. Perform a Chinese fire drill
48. Go to a football game
49. Own a pair of Louboutins
50. Visit an amusement park
51. Swim in an ocean
Future
52. Get a real job
53. Get a drivers license
54. Live alone
55. Graduate college
56. Start my own business
Hobbies
57. Go to a movie by myself
58. Go to a mall for two hours and don't buy anything
59. Shoot a gun
60. Watch 26 movies I've never seen, starting with each letter of the alphabet
61. See 10 classic movies
62. Go fishing
63. Take a photo of the same place every month for 1 year
Reading/Writing
64. Read 1 book a month for 12 months
65. Write a cookbook Spirit
66. Attend mass every Sunday during Lent
67. Be single for 2 months
68. Send a secret to Post Secret
69. Make a wish at 11:11 on November 11, 2011
70. Learn a poem by heart
71. Dance in the rain
72. Answer the "50 Questions that will Free your Mind"
73. Don't swear for a whole week
74. Say yes to everything for 1 week
Technology
75. Give up Facebook for one month
76. Write in my blog 20 times in one month
77. Print my digital photos and organize them into albums
78. Buy a watch
Travel
79. Go to Europe/ Austria
80. Go to Mexico
81. Fly first class
82. Go camping
83. See LA
84. Visit New Orleans
85. Sleep under the stars
86. Go on a road trip
87. Ride a gondola in Venice
88. Attend the Kentucky Derby
The blog I got the idea from is Suburban Sweetheart, I got a lot of my ideas from her. :)
What do you think about this challenge? Would you ever want to do something like this?
101 in 1001
Body
1. Workout 15 times in one month
2. Wear no makeup for one week
3. Stay up all night
4. See a chiropractor
5. Get a Brazilian wax
6. Walk, run, or jog a 5k
7. Take vitamins daily for 1 month
8. Get a massage
9. Get a facial
Compassion
10. Spend under $10 on a meal and leave a $10 tip
11. Leave notes in a Post Secret Book
12. Send flowers to my mother
13. Buy something from Etsy
14. Donate to charity
15. Buy an original piece of artwork
16. Donate to a homeless person
Finances
17. Complete a no spend month
18. Pay off my credit card
19. Save at least $2,000
20. Put away $5 for each completed task Food and Drink
21. Go to a restaurant by myself
22. Try absinthe
23. Give up pop for 1 month
24. Give up meat for 1 month Fun
25. Attend a Post Secret Event
26. Skydive
27. Go to a museum
28. Go to a farmers market
29. Apply for a reality tv show
30. Go berry/apple picking
31. Create a scrapbook of Babson
32. Go horseback riding
33. Go to a concert
34. Go on a picnic
35. Attend the midnight premiere of a movie
36. Go ice skating
37. Go skinny dipping
38. Go to a zoo
39. See a drive in movie
40. Carve my name in a tree
41. Sing karaoke
42. Go barefoot for 1 day
43. See a horse race
44. Write a message in a public bathroom
45. Go to see an opera
46. See a play/musical on Broadway
47. Perform a Chinese fire drill
48. Go to a football game
49. Own a pair of Louboutins
50. Visit an amusement park
51. Swim in an ocean
Future
52. Get a real job
53. Get a drivers license
54. Live alone
55. Graduate college
56. Start my own business
Hobbies
57. Go to a movie by myself
58. Go to a mall for two hours and don't buy anything
59. Shoot a gun
60. Watch 26 movies I've never seen, starting with each letter of the alphabet
61. See 10 classic movies
62. Go fishing
63. Take a photo of the same place every month for 1 year
Reading/Writing
64. Read 1 book a month for 12 months
65. Write a cookbook Spirit
66. Attend mass every Sunday during Lent
67. Be single for 2 months
68. Send a secret to Post Secret
69. Make a wish at 11:11 on November 11, 2011
70. Learn a poem by heart
71. Dance in the rain
72. Answer the "50 Questions that will Free your Mind"
73. Don't swear for a whole week
74. Say yes to everything for 1 week
Technology
75. Give up Facebook for one month
76. Write in my blog 20 times in one month
77. Print my digital photos and organize them into albums
78. Buy a watch
Travel
79. Go to Europe/ Austria
80. Go to Mexico
81. Fly first class
82. Go camping
83. See LA
84. Visit New Orleans
85. Sleep under the stars
86. Go on a road trip
87. Ride a gondola in Venice
88. Attend the Kentucky Derby
The blog I got the idea from is Suburban Sweetheart, I got a lot of my ideas from her. :)
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Road Trip: Day 4
Start point: Cornell University Ithaca, NY
End point: Cornell University Ithaca, NY
Clothing: Bakers sandals, 344 dress, Zara cardigan, Bracelet from Chile, necklace from Nigeria, sunglasses Ralph Lauren.
Today was Katie's convocation, so we sat in bleechers for two hours in the 80degree beating sun, we were all completely dehydrated and miserable. The brightside was the Rudy Giuliani was the speaker and he was fantastic. After the commencement we had some time to kill before our reservations at a winery restaurant, we walked around the campus a bit to see everything, stopped at the bookstore for some "Ithaca is Gorges" t-shirts, and hung out at the student center terrace for some pops and some beautiful vistas.
Road Trip: Day 3
Start point: Niagara Falls, Canada
End point: Cornell University Ithaca, NY
Distance: 167 miles
Travel time: 3:30
Route: I-90 E
Stops: Thirsty Owl Winery (to see Dubie the Donkey)
Clothing: Bass boots, Mossimo dress, Culver Girls Academy Blazer, Express belt, Four Winds necklace.
We left Niagara Falls to make the final leg of the trip to Cornell. I went to Tim Horton's for breakfast and for the third time in a row, it's been pretty disappointing; but at least they have peppermint tea, which I am in love with. On the way to Cornell, we stopped at one of the many wineries around the Finger Lakes to see the winery's (Thirsty Owl) pet donkey, Dubie. Dubie apparently is famous at Cornell and I had to meet the infamous donkey. He was surprisingly cute. When we finally got to Cornell, we ran to my sister's award ceremony, which in typical Halpin fashion, we were late. After we got settled into the lovely dorm-rooms-turned-hotels, we went out to dinner at Ithaca's famous Boatyard Grill, which was delicious. Afterwards we went to an Irish Pub for drinks. It was nice to have the entire family back together, it doesn't happen very often.
Road Trip: Day 2
Start point: Erie, PA
End point: Niagara Falls, Canada
Distance: 116 miles
Travel time: 6:30
Route: I-90 E
Stops: Presque Isle Casino (blackjack and lunch), Seneca Casino Niagara (blackjack)
Clothing: Bass loafers, Citizens of Humanity jeans, Ralph Lauren t-shirt, Zara grey cardigan
Today was my Dad's birthday, so we had a vacation day. My dad loves playing BlackJack, so we stopped at 2 casinos on our way to Niagara Falls, where we went to 2 more casinos. We love Niagara Falls because it's such a fun town (plus the drinking/gaming age is 19). My dad, mom, and I drove from our home in Chicago and met my sister and her boyfriend in Niagara. We went to Margaritaville for dinner because it was absolutely down pouring and the restaurant was right across from our hotel. It was a pretty low-eye, very Halpin-esce birthday, but it was good. :)
Road Trip: Day 1
Start point: Olympia Fields, IL
End point: Erie, PA
Distance: 445 miles
Travel time: 8:30
Route: I-90 E
Stops: Angola, IN (Lake George) for dinner
Clothing: Bass loafers, Citizens of Humanity jeans, 344 neon tank, Truly Madly Deeply (Urban Outfitters) sweatshirt
The road trip to Cornell for my sister's graduation as begun. In usual fashion, we started 4:30 behind schedule. But that didn't stop our fun. In my family, we don't go on roadtrips, we have "adventures" that usually lead us to unexpected places like Tijuana, a store called "The Pickle Factory," or mostly frequently sneaking into casinos. Today was pretty tame, but I look forward to tomorrow, destination: Niagra Falls for my dad's birthday.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Vote for me!
I entered a style contest for the shoe club, Just Fabulous, and now I need votes! Please support me by clicking here and voting. You can vote once a day, every day from now until May 31. The three winners get a weekend in New York to see a fashion show. The twelve runners up get six months of free shoes!! Basically, a sweet, sweet deal.
Thank you so much for your support, and again you can click here.
Thank you so much for your support, and again you can click here.
Monday, May 23, 2011
No Poo Challenge
I've joined the No Poo bandwagon, or simply, have stopped using shampoo. This is my day 8 update.
Outfit of the Day
So far this summer, I have done virtually nothing. Sure I've been working on my "tan," reading books (Blink by Malcolm Gladwell, and the LA Candy series by Lauren Conrad), and watching tons of Netflix (Mad Men, the Tudors, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer). But I have yet to start my internship. I am super excited about my Marketing Internship at the Culver Academies on June 6th, but it's KILLING ME to get there. I took the month of May off for what I thought was a much needed vacation from To Do lists and to see my sisters graduate, but I have become stir crazy. I have turned most of my attention towards constantly updating Polyvore and scouting out beauty blogs and photography tumblrs (I'm a little obsessed). I have learned that staying in my sweats all day makes me grumpy, and is fairly gross, so every day I wake up and get dressed for a day/night on the town, even though I rarely leave the property. Today is no exception, besides running some cookies over to the neighbors, I didn't leave, but I still managed to get my act together.
I love the way my "What's With the Cattitude" by OPI nails go with my purple skirt. The cool colors mixed dark and light look perfect for a spring day like today.
I paired a beige Steve Madden top with a skin-tight deep purple ModCloth skirt accessorized by beige JustFab wedges and gold ModCloth chain necklace.
I love the way my "What's With the Cattitude" by OPI nails go with my purple skirt. The cool colors mixed dark and light look perfect for a spring day like today.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
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