Finals Weekend

Alright, I know that I haven't written in a VERY long time, so I thought I'd take a break from studying and write a little.  It always seems as if the second you get back to school after Thanksgiving break, you go on auto-pilot.  Believe me, I loved being home for 4 nights, but at the same time, I was ready to get back to school so I could finish the semester and put it behind me.

My parents and I at my 20th Birthday Party!

Here's a little rundown of why my life has been crazy the past two weeks.
When I get back to school late on Sunday night after a wonderful few days at home, I had to hurry and finish my bibliography for a huge paper and submit it that night, before 11:59pm.  Luckily I had finished the paper a few days before it was due.  Even if that meant I worked on it for a few hours while at home.

That Monday began the craziness of "Celebrate Christmas".  My school's School of Music puts on this huge production with many of the ensembles and it runs for a whole weekend.  Well, we had crazy rehearsals starting Monday, and Wednesday and Thursday were the long ones, where we would be at the church where we were performing for 5-6 hours, both days.  Friday was the night of the first concert. We had a total of 3.
That concert my whole family was there.  They took up the first two rows in one of the front sections.  It made me so happy that my family had come out for it. Some had traveled about an hour (okay, maybe two with this LA traffic. And the rain.) and some had traveled six plus hours!  It was great to just spend that weekend with my family going to Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles. And if you haven't been there, you NEED to go.

My roommates & friends celebrating my birthday with me!
So blessed by them all!

The following day was my 20th BIRTHDAY! Weird, I know. I'm very young for my grade. Aside from wandering Downtown Pasadena while the Apple store worked on my computer, it was one of the best birthdays ever.  My parents treated my whole family, my roommates, and a few other friends to the Universal Hilton Buffet. I don't think I've eaten that much in such a long time. In fact, right now I wish I had that food in front of me.  It was a wonderful evening, having my friends and family surrounding me.





Of course, Sunday was a very long day, since we had two concerts and we were at the church from 12:30pm-8:30pm.  However, although it was a long time just sitting and performing, I did get the opportunity to talk with people I haven't talked to in a long time.

My awesome D-Group and I at
Celebrate Christmas rehearsal.

Well, after that crazy weekend, it began the final week of classes. And let me tell you, I am exhausted already.  Yesterday, I studied for 13 hours. With maybe a few occasional food breaks. I honestly am very ready for the semester to end and start a new semester.  I'm excited for new classes, and new schedule, and of course, new school supplies!  I love that it's like the beginning of the school year, without having to move into a new apartment or adjust to anything.  It's a new fresh start, and of course, by the end of the semester, we'll determine if it was a good semester or not.

Alright, enough procrastinating from me. Good luck to everyone else out there who is busy studying for finals! Let me know if you have any tips to surviving the week of finals... I need it!

Week Before Thanksgiving

The week before Thanksgiving always seem to be so crazy. It seems as if all the professors cram all our work into the last week and a half before Thanksgiving break.  Everyone I know barely gets any sleep, and they're living class to class, just trying to get everything done right on time.

As crazy as this last week and a half will be, I know that I will be so grateful when I get on my plane to fly home for Thanksgiving break.  I honestly will probably not be thinking about school at all while I'm home, even though I know that I really should because once we get back to school, it'll be non-stop go-go-go!

I do love the holiday season though. I love that the leaves are changing (barely!) and that it is much colder. I also love all the family time I get to have and of course, all of the good food. I'm pretty sure I will be in food coma for the rest of the semester starting with Thanksgiving dinner.

I think one thing I love about the holidays is giving gifts. I love making cute little things or finding that perfect thing (that I can afford) for my friends and family.  Although, it does take me a really long time to figure out what to give to people. I honestly spend a lot of my free time on Pinterest, and I just love finding cute gift ideas. Well, everything on Pinterest is really cute... It's probably the most addicting website I've ever found.  Facebook and Pinterest are the two websites that I am on the most.

So, I really need help here. I need good gift ideas. So if you have any ideas, PLEASE let me know!

UGGs??

I will admit, I am a fan of Uggs, no matter what people say about them being ugly. They are so comfy, and they definitely keep my feet nice and warm. However, I am only a fan of the classic Uggs, as well as the ones with the buttons. I was on the website this morning, and realized they have some crazy looking Uggs that I just really don't like.

So what's your thought on Uggs??

Crock Pot Meals

As a college student, I find it so hard to find time to go to the grocery store and actually cook my own meals.  I would eat on campus, but I don't have a big meal plan and after awhile, I get tired of eating the same food, over and over again.

My mom has always made crock pot meals, and I think they're perfect on cold nights! Today, I had a good amount of homework to do and I also had a choir concert this evening.  That makes it hard for me to prepare dinner for my friends who come over every Sunday night for dinner. So, tonight I made one of my mom's crock pot meals. It's super easy to prepare too!

What you need:
1 Chuck Roast
1 bag of mini carrots
3 sticks of celery
1 package of French Onion Dry Soup Mix
2 Large cans and 1 Small can of Cream of Mushroom Soup (More or less depending on the size of your crock pot)

Preparing it:

1. Place the chuck roast flat on the bottom of the crock pot.
2. Sprinkle the French Onion Dry Soup Mix on top of the chuck roast.
3. Thinly slice the celery and throw it into the crock pot.
4. Add half of the bag of mini carrots, or enough to cover the majority of the meat.
5. Put the Cream of Mushroom soup to the top of the crock pot. 
6. Set to cook for 6 hours

I personally like eating this stew over white rice.  Here's a picture tos how what it looks like. It tastes better than it looks.

The Patch: Season One

If I had to pick a season that is my favorite, I would have to say that Fall is my favorite time of the year.  Of course, I love winter because that's when Christmas is, but there is just something special about the fall time.  I feel that Fall is wonderful because it is when school starts and so you can get all your school supplies.  The weather is just cooling off, but it's still warm. Fall slowly starts to lead us into the "Holiday Season".  The leaves start to change (Well... in other parts of the country. Not in LA.). You can pull out the boots and scarves. You can go to Pumpkin Patches. Thanksgiving comes and you can eat as much turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy as you can fit in your stomach. And then once that is over, the Christmas season has arrived!

Well, yesterday, my friends and I decided to go to a pumpkin patch and all get pumpkins! There was just something about being able to go out with friends and dress up in boots and scarves and enjoy the fact that fall was here.

Doesn't this kind of look like a "How I Met Your Mother"/"Friends" type photo? 

Couldn't resist to not put this photo up of the two couples. Aren't we just adorable?!
Oh, here's a little side note. Kelley and I have been friends since the first day of Freshman year at choir camp!
We still remain great friends and we're even roommates!

We found our "perfect pumpkin"!

We took over the hay stack.

So what are all of your favorite fall activities? And your favorite parts about fall?

Planning

I know in one of my previous posts, I posted about how I am a planner. I seriously have 5 different planners. I love knowing what is going on and I like being able to see what is coming up. Well for this post, I decided to share about how I plan out everything going on in my life.  Who knows, maybe you could get a few tips and incorporate/modify for your own life.

iCal: I love iCal because it syncs up to my phone so if I'm out and about and I need to see if I am busy on a certain day, I can just pull it up on my phone.  In iCal, I also have the times of every class as well as major events, such as flights home, choir concerts, and things like that.  Each section is color coded, as you can see.  That way, I know if it's light blue, it's just a class, but if it is something important, it is in a different color.

Wall Calendar: I also have a wall calendar, which I made on Shutterfly.  I love how I can add my own photos to my calendar, and it adds some nice decoration to my walls in my room.  I am also able to add my friends and families birthday on my calendar.  (If I wanted, I could even put their picture on their birthday!) On this calendar, I mainly just have all my major projects and papers written out on here.  Everything class is color coded and if it is just a reminder such as days off of school, it's in black.

May Book: I seriously love my May Book! On the left side, I have birthdays, and again, major things that are coming up.  That way, when I'm in class, I can see what is coming up.  On the right side, I have my "Things to Do" list, which I put down major homework assignments, as well as little things that I just need to do, such as sending an email to someone.  Under it, is my "Errands to Run".  This past week, there were no errands that I needed to run, however occasionally there are a few written down under that section.  Lastly, is my "Oh, and Can't Forget!"section.  This section is just for my little reminders that I can jot down when I think of them during class or something like that.

Homework List: This homework list is a place where I can not only decorate and doodle on every week when I make it, but it's also a place where I can see which class I need to focus on the most.   I used to use a planner, but I liked writing everything out and just having to carry one sheet of paper in my notebook.  This homework list has all of the details for everything, such as materials I need to study for a test or quiz.  

To Do List: Lastly, is my very detailed to do list.  I can't remember when or where I got it, I actually think my mom may have gotten it for me, but it's a notepad.  I love it because I use it for my mouse pad as well.  This one has the break down of everything I am going to do for that day for every class, from starting papers to reminding myself to send an email, this notepad has it all. 

So yes, many people may think I'm crazy for having this many planners, but it's the only way I can be focused and on top of what needs to be done.  I'm always interested to hear how other people stay organized, so if you have any tips, ideas, or suggestions for me, I'd love to hear them! 

#FirstWorldProblems

APU has chapel, three times a week.  The other day in chapel, we watched a video of people living in Third World Countries, reading tweets with the hashtag, First World Problems.  This video really makes me take a step back and think about how fortunate I am. So take a minute and watch the video and I encourage you to think about how much we all have that we take for granted.

My Fake Longchamp

I've always heard that Longchamp bags are amazing, but when I finally looked on the website, I was shocked to see the prices! The one I was looking at, the Le Pliage was $145. I was NOT going to pay for that.

Anyway, I happened to wander onto Amazon.com, and I one just like it. And let me tell you, I absolutely love it! The price was reasonable and even though I fill it up so I can't even zip it, it doesn't feel heavy at all. Sometimes I forget I'm even carrying my laptop in it.  I love that it zips and is also waterproof.

Does anyone else have any bag that they just absolutely love? I just can't understand how people can pay so much for purses or bags that will only last for so long... Are there any brands that you would recommend?

Fall Time in LA

I've grown up in Northern California and had lived there up until I moved down to Southern California for college a few years ago.  There's no way to pick which part of California is better, because they both have their pros and cons.

As of right now, obviously Northern California is better because:

1. The San Francisco Giants are just doing AMAZING right now.
2. It's actually cold enough starting in September to wear boots, jackets, and scarves. 
3. There is no smog.
4. It rains there a lot.
5. It's home for me.

However, I really do like living in Southern California because:

1. I'm at an AMAZING school that I absolutely just love!
2. I've made some really great friendships since I've been living down here.
3. It's warm so I can wear shorts in the middle of October... sometimes up until the beginning of November.
4. Disneyland is near and I get to go for free every year when my choir sings.
5. I can go to the beach anytime I want from March - November. 

Right now though, I really do being able to wake up, put on jeans, crazy looking socks (right now, my dinosaur knee high socks are my favorite!), a nice warm pair of boots, a cute top or sweater, and a bright colored scarf. This past week, it was nice and cool. I did even pull out the rain boots and the North Face fleece jacket and rain jacket, however somehow it has managed to get back up in the high 80's, low 90's!  I really just wish that the weather would cool off, that way I'm not sleeping with the fan on at night or having the AC on during the day... in the middle of October. 

What's not to love about wearing an outfit
like this when it's chilly outside?

Fall is definitely my favorite season, because it's when the holiday season begins.  I can't feel like the holiday season is approaching because 90 degrees does not equal fall time for me.  

Saying No

For some reason, I have the hardest time saying the word "no".  Because of this, I somehow find myself overcommitting and loosing sleep. However, this year, I've slowly started saying "no" more often.  For the first time in college, I've been getting about 7-8 hours of sleep a night during the week!  Of course I am sad sometimes because I do miss out on hanging out with friends late at night, but I'm able to manage my time better because I wake up earlier.  For school, I'm waking up between 7 and 7:20 AM.  On the weekends, I usually sleep until 9 or 9:30 AM.  Usually I would say that waking up at 9 is just horrible, but because I have been getting up so early during the week, 9 AM is officially sleeping in.  However, when there is a choir concert in the morning, I do sometimes have to wake up earlier than I normally would on a school day.

Does anyone have any other strategies to control yourself from overcommitting?? I'd love to hear them!

Cake Batter Pudding Cookies

Last year, before Shawn and I started dating, we would bake different things together.  We've made Chocolate Overload (I've changed the name to something a little more appropriate!) and Cake Batter Pudding cookies.  We have yet to try some other recipes, but this one is still my favorite of the two.  I am the kind of person who loves to lick the bowls clean after putting the cupcakes or cookies into the oven.  These cookies, give me that same cake batter taste, but it's cooked! 

Cake Batter Pudding Cookies

1/2 sticks (or 3/4 cup) butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1 (3.4 oz) package instant vanilla pudding mix, dry
3/4 cup yellow cake mix, dry
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
2-1/4 cups flour”
1/2 tsp salt
rainbow sprinkles

Preheat oven to 350 F.
Stir together flour, salt and baking soda and set aside.
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars together.
Add in pudding package and cake mix and beat until well blended.
Add eggs and vanilla and mix until smooth.
Add flour mixture slowly until well incorporated.
Mix in lots and lots of rainbow sprinkles.
Roll into 1″ balls and place on greased baking sheet.
Bake at 350 F for 10-12 minutes.

*Note: It is just the powdered pudding mix inside the packet you use.  Just open it up and pour it in.  It is in a box like this:

Hope you enjoy these cookies as much as I do!

Like Mother, Like Daughter

Something that I've come to realize the past year or so is that I am a lot like my mom.  I never thought that this could be true because growing up, I would always hate cleaning my room and planning things out.  I always thought that it was a little crazy to be 5-10+ minutes early for something.

However, being away at college, and more so now that I've been living in an apartment for over a year, I've come to realize that I am a lot like my mom.  I love the feeling after the apartment is nice and clean and clutter isn't all over the place.  I love when my space in the apartment (desk and bed) are clean and organized.  I love knowing that everything has a place.

If people know me, they know that I'm obsessed with having cute school supplies. I've always loved going to the office supply section of Target. I love bright colored pens and having cute notebooks and folders, and planners.  I've noticed that I am definitely more of a planner, more so than I already was.  I have now moved to having about 3 different calendars! I have my wall calendar, which has major events. I have my planner, as well as my calendar on my phone. I don't use the one on my phone as much though. Call me old fashioned, but I like things written out and printed out.  I found out about these planners called May Books and I just absolutely LOVE mine. They are customizable planners and they are also just super cute.

This is what my May Book looks like!

If you choose to get your own May Book, use this promo code "MONOFAB" and get your free monogram on it!

Apartment: Part 1

So I know that I promised that I would post pictures of my apartment once it got cleaned up, and today the living room and patio were actually clean for once. I hurried and took pictures of the living room and patio before it got dirty again. And good thing, because things have spread back out onto the couches right after I cleaned up!

I love our living room because it is so comfortable and there is so much space for everyone to sit and just hang out.  I love just parking myself on the couch (can you see my stuff on the red one?) and just working and whenever someone comes into the apartment just talking to them for a little while. It's also the perfect walking distance to the kitchen to get a little snack!

The patio is probably my favorite part of the apartment, but it's been a little too hot lately to really enjoy it. It's been nice to study out there in the evenings though and we've had dinners out there as well as game nights.  I especially love that we have little white Christmas lights hanging. It makes it just seem nicer and also puts some light outside too.

So what is your favorite room in your home? And do you have any suggestions as to how we can make our living room more homey? We're still trying to work on it. We have some pictures up but the walls still seem fairly bare.

Must Haves!

Everyone has those few items that you can't leave the apartment without! For me, that includes 5 things that I can't survive without. For some reason, it always seems as if I need those things whenever I go out. 

eos Lip Balm

Disney Princess Laynard 

Vera Bradley Key Chain ID Holder

Emi Jay No Crease Hair Ties

iPhone with bird case

eos Lip Balm: I seriously can not live without this! I used to use Burt's Bee's, but this chap stick just makes your lips nice and smooth. I have tried the Strawberry (pink), Summer Berry (red), and Lemon (yellow).  My personal favorites are the Strawberry and Lemon.  My roommate loves her Sweet Mint (light blue), but I personally am not a huge mint person, so I've never tried it. 

Disney Princess Lanyard & Vera Bradley Key Chain ID Holder: When I'm running out the door, I love to know that my keys and my school ID card and a little bit of spare cash is with me.  It's nice to not have to take my purse and everything in it if I just want to run to a friends apartment. Plus, who wouldn't want a Disney Princess lanyard and a very cute Vera Bradley accessory?

Emi Jay No Crease Hair Ties: Okay, I seriously LOVE these things! I love how you can buy them in such cute colors! They even have animal print, sparkily ones, everything you can imagine. They have different sets for each season on their website. And each hair tie lasts for a very good amount of time.  I try to only use one at a time, but I currently am using two. I have a spare one just in case.  

iPhone with bird case: I really can not live without my iPhone.  It is wonderful because I can do everything on it. I can check my email, check Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and everything else.  I also just love the case. It's cute, happy, and the birds are just adorable. I'm not a huge bird person, but I couldn't pass up on not getting this adorable case. I've actually dropped my phone for the first time this week on cemente (well, 3 times to be exact), and my case has done an amazing job at protecting my phone. It just bounced right off the ground!

So, what are those few things that you can't ever leave the house without? 

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?

Vera Bradley

So, this past week and a half has been a crazy week trying to get everything organized for the school year and really getting my routine solidified. Well, anyway, last night I was reading one of my favorite blogs, The College Prepster, and started getting ideas of how to organize my life. I somehow ended up wandering onto the Vera Bradley website and found out that they have a 50% off sale on one of my favorite patterns! So, if any of you like Vera Bradley or don't even know what it is, go look at her website! She has some of the cutest things.

This is the laptops sleeve that I ended up getting for $19.99.
I'm so excited for it to come in the mail.
It's cute, it's my favorite color, and there are little flowers on the inside. 

The Vera Bradley duffles have been standing out for years!
Now that it's in a pattern that I love and it's 50% off, I'm really debating on if I should just get it or not.
It's a great price on sale...

So what's your favorite brand that you can't pass up on when there's a huge sale?

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. :)

At a Bookstore

I started writing this post as I was sitting in Barnes & Nobles at the Pruneyard. However, I am posting it a day later. Hehe, whoops!
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There is just something about being inside of bookstores that calms me. Maybe it's the fact that bookstores are quiet and you can actually hear yourself think.  I love just wandering through every aisle of the bookstore, even if nothing really ever changes. I love looking at all the different sections and seeing if a book pops out at me.
The two sections that I stop and look at, without fail, are the Christian Inspiration section and the Children's Section. I love seeing if there are any good Christian books that I think I would like to read and I also love looking at picture books. In my room at home, I have a huge bookshelf, just of picture books. I don't look at them often, but when I do, they smell the way I remember them smelling as I was a little kid and they bring back memories of my mom and dad reading them to me. Some of my favorite picture books are Miss Bindergarten Goes to Kindergarten, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, Love You Forever, Jesse Bear, and so many other ones. I think that if you haven't heard of these or read them, you have to go to a bookstore and just sit there and read them. They are just wonderful children's classics!
What were some of your favorite children's books while growing up?

Feeling Good with my Summer 2012 Playlist

Have you ever woken up just not feeling like you can take on the things that life throws your way? I know that I personally learned that I have to have my morning routine to make sure that I have a good day. I learned that this past year, it can be hard to feel good and also be productive if you don't look like you can make it through another day. I can totally see a difference in the way I feel and act if I don't follow through with my morning routine.  

1. Get out of bed (Probably the hardest thing to do!)
2. Shower
3. Put on a cute outfit that makes you feel good. 
4. Do your hair and make up
5. Put a big smile on. A smile can make your day as well as someone else's day even better. 

Oh, and of course, you can't forget about the music! I love music. I always have to have music playing in the background while I'm doing homework or just cleaning up my apartment. I have to have music when I'm driving around in my car running errands. It's just something that makes me feel good and happy.  I love all different kinds of music. From Christian Worship music, to Pop Music, to Country Music, to Soundtracks. So, what's been on my "Summer 2012 Playlist"? 

Some of the songs that have been playing nonstop on my computer and iPhone are the ones listed above. Now, when I find a songs that I just absolutely love to listen to, I listen to them nonstop. I'm pretty sure that whoever is around me, gets tired of my music. I will listen to one song on repeat until I get tired of it, which usually won't happen until about a week or so later. (My poor roommates who have to deal with that!)  

So what songs have been on your Summer playlist? Any good songs that I should listen to? Maybe add them on since summer doesn't end until school starts! And what things do you do to make sure that you have a good day? Any tips? I'd love to hear them all!

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.