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Snapshots from this week: 
1 // Representing THON all the way in Southwestern Montana. 
2 // For Valentine's Day, I made Trevor homemade gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free General Tso's - I also made lots of dishes.
3 // Trevor leaves early each day, before I wake up - sometimes though, I wake up to little love notes on our fridge.
4 // An authentic Philly cheesesteak for Valentine's Day in Missoula.
5 // All three of my loves. 


Favorite posts this week: 
10 Real Talk Blog Tips  - Joy the Baker
Time. - Sincerely, Kinsey
Dear Little Moorea - Maiedae
Nesting: Ladder Display Makeover - A Beautiful Mess
Master of None - Delightfully Tacky


This week I'm... 

Eating another batch of gluten-free vegan cinnamon rolls. Sunday cinnamon rolls seem to be a new weekly tradition in our house. If you haven't made them yet, you should - they're sure to be a favorite in your house, too. 

Looking forward to an extra day off this weekend. I still haven't finished my novel from last week and I'm looking forward to having the time to wrap it up. 

Counting down for the THON total reveal in just about an hour - It's amazing to think that college students can come together to raise millions of dollars each year, don't you think? [note: this year THON raised a record $12,374,034.46 this year!] 

Feeling thankful for the great people THON brought into my life. This weekend, several of my friends stood for forty-six hours straight to raise money for pediatric cancer. At the same time, Maddie (our THON child) celebrated five years cancer free; Kasey attended THON after being taken off of her last medications. I've spent the weekend watching all of my favorite kids perform on stage, looking through old THON photos, and missing Penn State.

Dreaming of graduate school! All the stress of the last few weeks has been replaced with excitement and planning. Though no definite decision has been made, I'm looking forward to being involved with student organizations again. This week, I was accepted into the University of Montana and even received my diploma in the mail! 

Ten on Tuesday | THON Essentials

Three years ago, I was given the opportunity to stand awake and on my feet for forty-six hours straight. If you're not familiar with the Penn State Dance Marathon, you may be questioning why I call this an "opportunity." Each year, more than 15,000 student volunteers from all twenty Penn State campuses come together to make up what is the world's largest student-run philanthropy. A philanthropy that raised more than $10.69 for the Four Diamonds Fund, pediatric cancer patients and research last year. These volunteers serve a variety of functions - some serve as captains of committees like public relations or technology, others serve as members of the hospitality or entertainment committees. Other students participate in THON by joining an organization or fundraising as an independent dancer couple.

During my time volunteering for THON, it was as a student at Penn State's York campus. For two years, I gave the majority of my free time to fundraising for our organization - writing donation letters, canning on the side of local highways, and planning events. My fundraising efforts as a freshman allowed me the opportunity to dance in THON 2010, a weekend that I still consider the best of my life. Really, it's that great. Then, as a sophomore I chaired our organized alongside one of my best friends and together we were able to lead a group of students in raising more than $17,000, an accomplishment that I am still incredibly proud of.

As a junior, I could no longer afford Penn State's tuition and transferred to Millersville. While I enjoyed my two years at Millersville, I missed THON immensely and continue to miss it even now. That being said, I try to stay involved by donating to the organization and keeping in contact with several Four Diamonds families. While anyone is able to attend THON weekend, I will be unable to fly home for the event this year and so instead, I wanted to share with you what this organization is about. If you want to learn more, check out this video my organization made in 2011 or any of the videos created by the THON technology committee.


If you would like to make tax-deductible donation to THON, you can do so online.
If you choose to donate, I would love for you to credit Harrisburg or York for the amount.

This year, I have several friends who will be dancing, including my beautiful best friend and former family relations chair of our organization, Hana, who you might recognize from all the posts I've written about her (see here, here and here. Over the past few weeks, I have been texting her every time a bit of THON advice crossed my mind and so, as this weekend, THON weekend, quickly approaches, I thought a list of THON essentials would be a great last-minute packing list for her and the other dancers I know.

When you're getting ready to stand for forty-six hours in a bright, colorful and crowded gym, there are a lot of things you're going to need...

1 // Each dancer is assigned to a color wars color and for Hana that's green, a color she will likely wear for a majority of the weekend. Furthermore, dancers love to show their passion for THON and the Four Diamonds Fund and this shirt would allow Hana to do both.

2 // Sunglasses are important for dancers who will be spending two straight days under bright fluorescent lights. Between two THON weekends, I probably went through eight pairs of glasses that seem to get broken, dropped and lost every few hours. These affordable, fun sunglasses from Target would be a great choice for dancers.

3 // Fanny packs are definitely out of style except for two days of the year. Dancers are typically dressed in leggings, shorts or funny costumes - all without pockets. A fanny pack is the perfect place to keep Chapstick, gum, and tennis balls (a necessity for rubbing your aching feet!). While THON provides dancers with a small, dark blue one at the start of the weekend, having a a colorful fanny pack is definitely more fun.

4 // Great sneakers are an important part of surviving THON weekend, for obvious reasons. These bright and colorful ones are sure to fit in with the dancing crowd. 

5 // While dancers are sure to pack a real toothbrush and toothpaste for the weekend, I loved having these little Colgate Wisps. In my opinion, the hardest part of THON was dealing with the bathroom lines and that's saying a lot considering how bad your feet hurt by hour forty-six. These can be picked up at any supermarket or drugstore and help dancers feel refreshed without fighting for a sink. 

6 // Colorful socks are as necessary as colorful sneakers. And dancers should make sure they pack plenty - fresh socks feel great for tired feet.

7 // Color-wars themed shoelaces are also a fun addition. I kept bright orange laces in a pair of pink sneakers for weeks after I danced.

8 // Going a whole weekend without showering is hard especially with long hair. While dancers can wash their hair in a bathroom sink, the lines are long and the process uncomfortable. When I danced dry shampoo wasn't an option but I made sure that Hana put it on her packing list. 

9 // On a similar note, oil blotting sheets help dancers look their best without having to wait in line or fight for a bathroom sink. It's hard to look good for forty-six hours - my THON photos are proof of that. 

10 // Dealing with my hair and makeup was definitely the biggest hassle of THON weekend. I wish I had chosen my current hair style a few years ago, instead. Though Hana donated 12 inches of her hair to Wigs for Kids last week, she still has plenty & these non-tug elastic hair ties are perfect for the long weekend.

So tell me, had you ever heard of the Penn State Dance Marathon? Would you ever stand on your feet and awake for forty-six hours straight for a great cause?

"I'm gonna tell Mom!"

Tuesday, I got to spend all day with some of my favorite kids - kids I hadn't seen since February. I keep telling myself that my priorities need aligned so that I can spend more time with friends, family & Ryan but.. like usual, I simply pile more things onto my plate instead.

Sometimes it's nice to stop for a day and..

Hike in the woods.
Listen to Taylor Swift.
Drive with the sunroof open.
Play basketball.
Eat Subway.
Give piggyback rides.
Gossip about boys.

and just relax.


If you can call hanging out with Maddie, Katie & Sydney relaxing, that is.
Maybe it's not relaxing but it's definitely good medicine for a schedule filled to the brim.

A terrible picture but Syd's face is priceless.

 

The rest of the week was a little busier, even though I didn't work at the studio this week. I've been busy working on my own photography work, moving my photography blog over to blogger, changing website colors and ordering custom printed packaging supplies - I'm pretty excited about the last part. Things are looking up with a wedding to shoot in September, and family portraits to do too. 

With less time spent at work this week, I've spent my week working on Kasey's Birthday celebration, tying up loose ends with old friends, formalizing a Light the Night team, and trying to organize my room/computer.

But, it's Friday. 

Friday means working three shifts in a row. Missing Relay for Life. Not attending Niki's bonfire. And this week, Father's Day.

Hopefully your day is a little more optimistic than mine - Happy Friday.

Ten on Tuesday: Summer Goals

I feel like I often write about my life, my plans and the people around me in this little online space but I don't often write about myself directly. Though most of you are family and friends, some of you are not. Even if you are - perhaps you want to know more. A few weeks ago, I wrote my first Ten on Tuesday post. This weekend, I decided it'd make a great weekly feature and more importantly, a great way to get to know me. While some of you are here only for the photos I post, others like the words I write - here's to a happy balance and finding more time for words.

This week's Ten on Tuesday is about summer goals.

1. Make something.
Which means figuring out why my sewing machine isn't working and once I do, to create something fabulous from the pile of fabric accumulating on my closet shelf.

2. Read more books.
So far, so good. I am currently reading two photography books - one on portraiture, another on color correction. The second of which is mind-numbing. I have set a list of photography goals for myself which include reading one photography or marketing related book each month - a subset to this summer goal.

3. Find a car.
Last October, during a fight with my best friend, on what was possibly the worst day I've ever had, and on my way to Kasey's house - I wrecked my car. Rear-ended a boy my age.. splattering coca-cola over everything, being hit with an airbag, destroying the front end of my car, causing weeks of agonizing phone calls and junk yard searches. While my car was eventually pieced together, it has no working airbags and I spend way too much time driving on the highway for such a risky situation.

4. Buy a bicycle and make time to ride it.
Self-explanitory. Though, a teal bicycle would be extra fabulous.


5. Put a hammock on my balcony.
This seems like a ridiculous goal, I know but coming from the girl who never stops - it's important. I need to make time for relaxing, reading, stopping and napping. Yes, my goal is to nap. It could be worse.


6. Visit as many places as possible.
[and photograph them, too.]
While I've made one trip to Philadelphia this summer, another is in the works. Baltimore, DC, New York and Pittsburgh have all made the very-likely-going-to-happen soon list; while Texas and the Florida Keys are tossed around for work.

7.  Run. Play tennis. Play racquetball. Do not play frisbee.
I'm finally at a point in my life where thank-the-Lord, I can breathe. After years of asthma, I can finally run and I plan to make the most of it.


8. Sell my useless things.
While the fire helped take care of this problem, I still have so many things. A guitar I never play. Art supplies I never use. Clothes I never wear.


9. Paint something, anything.
Holding a paintbrush in hand at ArtsFest is a constant reminder of a past hobby, lost. My easel, paints and pallettes sit beneath my desk where they've remained unopened in over a year. Summer means the ability to paint outside and to have the time to complete a project.


10. Spend as much time as possible with the people I love.
Ryan. Aiden. My parents. Sean. College friends. High school friends. I spend a lot of my time working, behind a camera, on my computer working and planning fundraising events - I need to redistribute that mix to include a little fun and quality time.





As the summer progresses, I will keep you updated with where I stand with these goals. I hope to have them all crossed off the list by September 1st. What are your summer goals?






ps. I already started on goal number 10 when I spent the day with some of my favorite THON families. Here's a sneak preview of photos to come. You didn't think I could write an entire blog post without photos, did you?

Wigs for Kids

Last year, in the middle of my THON delerium, I decided that this year, I would be donating my hair for Wigs for Kids. I planned to only trim it (my hairdresser doesn't always understand the word "trim" though) and crossed my fingers that it would grow fast.



If you aren't familiar with Wigs for Kids, it is a non-profit organization which provides incredible, high-quality wigs to families at no cost. Better yet, these wigs are kid-proof and stay on during the craziest of activities such as gym class, sports and even swimming. For the past three years, THON has partnered with Wigs for Kids and each year, several select volunteers are chosen to have their 12-inch-or-more ponytail cut and donated on stage.

Unfortunately, my hair hasn't grown as long as I hoped and I'm doubting that I will reach twelve inches in 33 short days. (Mane and Tail?) But it's okay - Kasey said she'll cut my ponytail.

But tonight as I signed online, I lit up about a story involving Wigs for Kids and a fabulous Four Diamonds momma.

In High School, I was blessed to be friends with a guy named Scott. We worked together, actually. Always the funny guy, and my favorite to close with at night because he was great to talk to, an even better listener and well, he could mop a whole lot faster than I could. Maybe not the most typical friendship but... it worked. One day, I got an instant message from Scott. His sister Miranda had been diagnosed with Leukemia, and though Miranda and I never got a chance to meet, I can promise you that she was as great as her brother.

Tonight, I read that Miranda and Scott's momma, Tammi, registered to donate her hair for Wigs for Kids at THON this year. I've got all fingers crossed that she's selected to donate on stage because this woman is incredible. (Plus, she's going to the underneath of her new hair-do bright pink for Miranda - too cool.)

[I hope Tammi doesn't mind me sharing this picture because seriously, who wouldn't want that hair?]

Being a mom is tough enough. Facing cancer? I don't know many things harder. But this family has gone above and beyond. I often pass Tammi at Hershey Children's Hospital as she delivers gifts, "smiles", to all of our littles on 7W.

Smiles are her way of honoring Miranda's memory by bringing smiles to other teens facing cancer. This is all part of the mission of Miranda's Smile, the Miranda K. Zeigler Memorial Foundation. The organization grants mini-wishes, delivers holidays in a bag and most importantly, and most importantly brings happiness and fun to some pretty tough days for teens being treated at Hershey.

2010 Christmas Bags for 7West

I am constantly amazed at the strength of all the Four Diamonds families, parents, and siblings in my life. They are as much of this battle as our littles are and so many of them turn their battles and struggles into beautiful projects and fundraisers to help other kids much like their own. They take the hope they've learned and the love they've received and they pass it on to other families who need it too, and I don't know if there's anything more important than that.

So while I may not be able to donate my hair in 33 days (I'm still hoping for it to grow), I can't wait to see Tammi donate hers and to smile for Miranda at the thought of a momma with pink hair.

[In other news, I bought my NKOTBSB tickets today! It's honestly a childhood dream come true and on July 30th, I will be swooning over Nick Carter with Lindsey Shortt, Ry & my five year old brother who honestly knows every word to the Millenium CD. I can hardly wait.]

Puppy Love

Despite not having to set an alarm this morning, I was up bright and early as wet little noses and wiggling little tails decided to make themselves at home in my bed. Momma Pup isn't feeling well (she has Lyme Disease) and is having a tough time tending her babes, so inside they came. Somehow I got put in charge of keeping the puppies warm at eight a.m.

It's hard to complain though. I could've been in that 7:35 a.m. accounting class I was supposed to take, but no, instead I was snugglin' puppies.

They're only thirteen days old and spend most of their time sleeping, eating or cuddling. So Aiden, the puppies and I ate a big breakfast and settled in on the couch for a little play and a lot of puppy love.

It's so funny to watch Aiden with the puppies. This is Amy's third litter and Aiden is completely different with the pups. He's no longer the two year old grabbing their ears, pulling their tails and almost dropping them. Instead he snuggles them four at a time, scratches their bellies and gives them eskimo kisses. He's so grown up.

Nothing is cuter than a yawning puppy, really.

Even still, we can't help but laugh at their yawns and sneezes. And laugh even harder when they borrow in under our arms or accidently tickle our bellies as they scooch and slide, looking for somewhere warm.

And as another added bonus of our morning, Aiden got to play with my camera. After all, I needed a picture with the puppies too. Sometimes, I think he has a better eye than I do. He's been taking pictures since he was old enough to hold my iPhone and they always turn out impressive for the work of a three/four/five-year-old.

But like the puppies, we got tired of playing and pictures and settled for kicking up our feet, watching some TV and trying to ignore the puppy eyes (quite literally) from Momma who was begging for her pups back. (Who wouldn't want these cute little ones back?!)

But all good things must come to an end, and off to school we both went. It was my lucky day though, because Ry came to school with me - and... I even managed to get him behind the camera today!



We spent our time on campus filming ridiculous THON videos, taking captains pictures and showcasing the "wonderful" buildings on campus. But at least after all of our hard work we could enjoy some over-priced school coffee shop drinks, the company of Hana & Steph, and Isaac's (our favorite gluten-free stop) for lunch. I don't know what I'm going to do when he leaves again on Sunday... at least I still have the puppies.

Last Day

Short post, time crunch.

But I just had to post one more time from the city.

Last night, we went for desserts and cokes at McDonalds. It was too soon after a huge meal to eat another huge, three hour dinner and Coke is extremely expensive here, and is never served cold. And the best part? I was told that I have a "tres jolie" accent (really pretty, for those of you who dont parler francais).

Then it was off to see the Eiffel Tower in all of its glory and what I took from the experience was that I need to invest in a tripod. ASAP.

And then, this morning, we were up bright and early (okay honestly, our alarm didn't go off, so we got up around 8:05 and were ready for breakfast by 8:15) and headed back to the Louvre - the line was less than an hour today!

I took my THON pride to the streets of Paris today and posed for a photo beside the glass pyramid, classic right?

And spent my time looking for a few things I really wanted to see (NOT the Mona Lisa) like Winged Victory and Venus de Milo.



Following the museum, we had a bit of a quick shopping adventure for all the things we wanted to bring home, since we couldn't fit the city into our luggage - I'm sure we would all like to.

But, this picture really sums up the randomness that Paris is.

Yes, that is a chicken. Yes, it is laying a golden egg. And yes, its inside on of the stops for the Parisian Metro. Strange, yes, quite strange.

But now its off to our last dinner in the city and a fabulous night at the Moulin Rouge. Now I can cross that off my bucket list.

Tomorrow we catch the van to the airport at 6:30 sharp and will arrive back in America by 1:00 pm, American time. I can't wait for my boyfriend, my baby brother and an iced tea.

Ain't Been Round Since You Know When...

Christmas time is here, again.

[Disclaimer: This is a very long post because it's about a few of my favorite things: my brother, THON and Christmas]

And that means breakfast with Santa, foam picture frame crafts and five-year-old's dressed in their finest snowflake stockings.

Yesterday was the third-annual Wellsville Fire Company Santa Breakfast and Aiden, Mom and I trekked across the freezing-cold street (okay, it was only 50 feet..) to sit down for a warm breakfast with pancakes, eggs and sausage only to realize we hadn't brought any money. You know what that means? "Sissy" walking back to the house to dig for a crumpled ten-dollar-bill from her wallet.

"Aiden, were you afraid of Santa in this picture? Why didn't you sit on his lap?"
"Psh. No. My sissy wanted to be in it, and we both wouldn't fit."

It was worth it.  

Who knew that colorful pony-beads, pipe cleaners and patterns could hold his attention so long?

We also learned that if you give a 5-year-old an ornament, soon you'll need the tree, lights, train, and his best friend. Last week, Aiden and Vanessa waited patiently for the dust-covered boxes to descend from the attic and make their way to the rearranged living room. The end result.

Maybe the top is a little bare, but what do you expect for a boy who barely surpasses three-feet?

Christmas also means that Hershey turns into an even more magical place than the rest of the year. We've all heard it, you know.. "It's a winter wonderland, so full of magic, it's Hershey Christmas time again!" Then something about twinkling lights a glow and reindeer in the snow? Thankfully there was no snow. Well this year, I finally convinced some other friends to pile in my little-two-door-car in their warmest winter clothes to visit Christmas Candy Lane.

As you likely know, Hershey has another special place in my heart and a visit to the Sweetest Place on Earth wouldn't be complete without a visit to Seven West. I always forget to snap a photo of the Penn State tree, though. So after our trip up the faulty-elevator, we met Stacey for laughs and creme brulee as my little Kase got ready for chemo. And then off we went, to Hershey Park glowing with hundreds and thousands of lights and filled with the smell of the world's best hot cocoa.

Bumper cars, the Twilight Express and silly Chocolate World rides made for a relaxing night away from the world of impending finals and Christmas catering at work.