Welcome to the School Year

After a very busy summer and taking a break from blogging, I'm back!

This summer was great! It was busy, productive, and fun.  In a nutshell, I was able to do summer school, go to Boston, New York, cabin lead at camp again this year, go down to LA a few times, and I also got to work.

Being back here at APU is somewhat unreal for me. I know I'm a senior now, but it still hasn't fully hit that it's my last year here.  It's hard to believe how fast it's gone by. Now with choir camp all over and a whole week of school under my belt, I have finally gotten into the swing of things. I've created my schedule for everything and I am really enjoying the classes that I am taking this semester.
I am excited for this year, and I can't wait to see everything that happens!

P.S. Keep posted for a post coming up about a little spontaneity! 

Tote Bag Organization

I love purses. I was that girl who always had many purses that matched every outfit. Whenever I clean my purses out, I always find the most random things in them.  I've come to the realization that since I'm always switching out purses, totes, and backpacks, I always forget to transfer things that I end up needing. This week, I somehow ended up finding 2 old chapsticks in one backpack!

So, to help out with my organizational skills (my goal for this year is to become more organized!), I've figured out the best way to organize my purse.

Typically, I always use a backpack or tote bag for school.  Occasionally, if I'm just running out to dinner or I can manage using one of my small purses, I usually just take my phone, keys, and wallet.  But, in my tote bag (I'll just use tote bag, because that is what I am currently using today) I have a list of specific things that I always need to have with me.

1. Notebook: I always have little notes that needed to be written down or my list of things to do or important things to remember. I love being able to have a medium sized notebook so I can pull it out of my bag easily. This notebook, I got at the end of the school year last year after my Bel Canto Tour. It is actually a gift from Bel Canto!

2. MayBook: Like I've mentioned in a previous post, I have a MayBook, and I love it! It's the perfect sized planner and I can even jot down things I need to accomplish that week, errands I need to run, and just little notes to remember.

3. Pencil Case: I got this pencil case at Barnes & Nobles. I love it because it's the perfect size and I also love the colors. Typically I usually stop using a pencil case, but somehow I've managed to really use it. It's nice because it stops me from having all my pens, pencils, and highlighters floating around in my bag.

4. Wallet and keys: I feel as if your wallet and keys are something that no one should ever forget, but somehow this year, I feel as if everyone I know has lost their wallet or keys for a few days at a time.  Luckily, my wallet and keys are all bright so they aren't too hard to loose.

5. Gift Card Pouch: Somehow, I have managed to get a collection of gift cards. And somehow, I've managed to NEVER have them with me when I really could use them. I think this is the hardest thing for me to remember to keep in my purse because it's something that I don't use on a regular basis.  However, I have found that by keeping all my gift cards in one place, it has really helped me to not loose them for a few months, and find them floating around in my desk drawers.

6. Binder: Lastly, this semester for school, instead of using a bunch of different notebooks, I've only been using a binder. So far, I really like it. All of my syllabus' are in their correct section of my binder, I don't have lose papers shoved into a notebook, and I can move my notes around or if someone needs to copy them, I can easily take it out and give it to them, instead of handing over my whole notebook.

So those are just a few things that I have come to be handy for me and my organizational skills. If any of you have any suggestions for me on how to be more organized, I would really love to hear them! I can always use all the organizational tips I can get!

Productive Saturday

Today has been a very productive Saturday. I've done all my laundry and I even washed my sheets and made my bed! I cleaned up a lot of things and organized everything as well.  I thought that I would share a few pictures of what my part of the apartment looks like.  Currently, the rest of the apartment is a huge mess, but once it all gets cleaned up (hopefully soon!) I will post pictures! I must say though, I love being able to do laundry in my apartment as well as not having to do dishes by hand.

That's my bed, with of course, all my pillows and friends.
It looks like I don't have a lot of leg room, but I probably have a good
2 feet from my bed to the bed above mine. We've tripled our beds. It looks really cool.
 I'll post a pictures once my roommates make their beds. 

I finally figured out how to keep all of my purses and totes organized!
They are now in a bin right next to the dresser and it goes under my bed, a little bit.
You can also see that my hamper is finally empty!

I put all my clothes away and they are now organized.
And yes, that is a giant storage bin of shoes.
Shoes are my weakness...

You can actually see my desk! And it is being used too.
I have photos from the past couple years at APU as well as photos of my family
and my girls that have been in my cabin at Mt. Hermon the past two years. 

Does anyone have any suggestions as to how I can continue to keep my bed, desk, and closet organized and clean?

Moving Back to Azusa

I'm a JUNIOR now! What is this?! I know it's been awhile since I've done a post, but then I realize that it's been awhile since I've really done anything on the computer. The past two weeks have just been full of craziness.  The first week, I was slowly moving into my apartment with my roommates and we were trying to figure out where things would be going. (I must admit, it did take us about two weeks until we finally did get everything cleaned up and put away.)  This past week, has been keeping me very busy. Thanks to choir camp, which I loved, I was getting up about 6:30 AM and coming home around 10 PM and falling asleep around midnight.

I loved getting to know all the incoming freshman that would be in choir and I loved just being able to sing with them all for the very first time.  My voice now, is completely tired and I know for a fact, that I am fighting a cold. Or a sore throat that has now turned into a cold.  School is starting on Wednesday, so I am trying very hard to take it easy and drink lots of fluids and get a lot of rest. However, my body just won't let me sleep in past 9 AM.  I guess that's a good thing since I will be having 8 AM classes every single day this semester. However, I am kind of bummed out when I look over my shoulder to see both of my roommates fast asleep and it's after 10 AM, and I know they won't be getting up for another hour and a half.

I am hoping to post some pictures of my apartment soon, but right now, as my apartment is for the most part dark, and everyone else is sleeping, I can't even take the pictures. So for now, I'll just include some of my favorite photos from this past week of choir camp!

95% of the returning Bel Canto ladies
(Photo Taken at Huntington Beach)

End of Choir Camp Redneck BBQ dinner at our directors home

I am really hoping that I will be able to update you more as this school year continues! Until then, have a wonderful day. :)

Packing Up

I've come to the realization that packing is just so hard for me. And I guess it doesn't help that I have a lot of stuff too.  However, I've come to realize that while packing up to go back to Southern California for college, there are some things that I just can't live without.  Of course, I'm a girl, and I've got to have my clothes and shoes and purses. But office supplies is something that I just can't live without.  I've always been that girl that loves back-to-school shopping, just for the school supply shopping. I've always loved just wandering down that section of Target or going into some office supply store with my parents.  So, I've decided that I would make a little list of some things that I see as 'back-to-school essentials'.

1. A Planner
All the time, I am trying to become more and more organized.  But let's face it, it's not easy.  I always have to have a planner. One that I physically can write things in, and yes, people have told me that it's 'old fashioned' to actually use a planner that you write in. But I like to see all my assignments written out.  I also tend to use my calendar on my phone, but I know that I need to start just using one. I love going to Barnes & Nobles or Target to get my planner. This year, I got mine at Barnes & Nobles. It's not too big and it's not too small. It's big enough to write out my assignments, but it isn't as big as a notebook. Which I love, because I know that I can fit it in my purse (Yes, I do carry a large purse. I call it my 'mom bag'.) but it will also fit with all my school things.

2. Bright, Colorful, Fun Pens
What is more boring, than looking through your notes as you're studying for a test, than seeing your notebook full of just black/blue pen and pencil. Don't get me wrong, I love using black pens, but sometimes it is just nice to add some color to my notes. I love boxing important things my professor says or writing the title of the lesson with colorful pens in different handwriting than I normally would use.  I love using the Pilot Gel G2 (05) pens. I used to use the (07) ones, but somehow I would always end up smearing the ink and it would just get all over.  Plus, I like how it makes my notes look all clean because it is thinner.

3. My North Face Backpack

I am not a backpack person. I love being able to have different totes that match my outfit, but I have come to just LOVE my backpack. Yes, North Face backpacks can be fairly pricey. Well, North Face is pricey in general. However, this backpack is the perfect size. It has pockets for everything I need, and it manages to do the job by carrying my books, binders, notebooks, and anything else that I might possibly have to carry around with me.  Plus, it even has a buckle that goes around your waist which I love to play with as I am walking to classes or just standing and talking to friends. Yes, it does start to drive my friends crazy, but playing with that buckle is just so much fun!  So although North Face backpacks can get fairly expensive, depending on the one that you get, you have to remember that North Face backpacks have a LIFE TIME GUARANTEE!  Now, I'm the kind of person that had always gotten a bright colorful backpack, but this time I got black. And I love that it does match with everything. And plus, by having a back backpack, it made me feel just a tad bit older. It was like I didn't need that bright colorfulness. But, I do have a little color on there still, anyway. Now, I've had my backpack for a few years now, but as I was looking online for a photo, I noticed that they have all these different colors! Now I kind of wish that I had a colored one... But hey, now I match with all my friends who have black North Face backpacks.

So I've narrowed my list down to 3 things. But believe me, there are so many other things that I can't live without for school. But for now, those are my top 3 things. Oh well, and of course my phone, which is attached to my hand at all times.

For style advice, and to know if your closet is "Trendy or Not" for this upcoming school year, check out my friends blog, called "Trendy or Not".  Believe me, she knows what she's talking about when she talks fashion.