Not Me Monday!

This is my 1st time participating in MckMama's Not Me Monday! I'm so excited! If you haven't checked out her blog, you definitely need to.. she has an amazing story and 4 amazingly cute kiddo's! So anyway here are some of the things I did not do lately: I did not spend almost the entire day in bed on Monday after the unfortunate event, and I did not skip my classes so I could sulk and feel sorry for myself. Not me, that would be stupid! I also did not let my friends talk me into going out with them that night... to his fraternity house. I also did not have to excuse myself to go to the bathroom and cry once I got there and someone informed me they didn't know where my boyfriend was, and I had to inform them he was no longer my boyfriend... not me. I also did not let my same friend talk me into going over there again the next day... where I did not have an awkward run-in with him. Nope. I did not start talking to this guy again this weekend... not me, that would be a bad idea. I also did not tell him to leave me alone only 2 days after we started talking because he was creeping me out hardcore. (There will not be more on this later, since this did not happen) I did not pay $30 at the airport this weekend for a book and a magazine... that's crazy! I did not eat like there was no tomorrow all weekend, not just Thanksgiving... I would never do that! I did not spend Friday night with friends drinking at my house... I would never do that in my house! I also did not steal borrow a few alcoholic drinks from my parents, not me! I did not break down and cry tonight when I got back to my room because of the incident... not me, I'm over it already. I did not sign up for NaBloPoMo and then ditch it 2 days later... not me! I did not stay up until 4 in the morning tonight enjoying the reunion with my friends and then writing this post even though I have class at 9 AM... that would just be stupid! So, hope you enjoyed reading about what I haven't been up to... sorry for the lack of posts this week, I'll update you guys soon on what's been going on.

WWWAT- Beginnings & Endings

It's WWWAT time over at Rachel's place! If you're new to WWWAT, it's a monthly fotofest.. it's like Wordless Wednesday except with a twist... you can be as wordy as you want and there's a theme! So this weeks theme is Beginnings & Endings. How appropriate since this blog is about ending a chapter and opening a new one! So of course, my ending is graduating High School! Here are the pictures I could find from it: Me & some friends at Baccalaureate Mass. Then for my new beginning, since I don't really have any pictures of getting to college, I decided to pick Bid Day of my sorority (for those of you that aren't familiar with the whole sorority system, Bid Day is the day your chosen sorority gives you a bid, which means you are accepted to join that sorority.) At my school because it is so small, we get to move into the sorority house right away, so these are my pictures of Bid Day, the beginning of my new life! This is some of our new members (pledges). We were making the ΑΧΩ, (Alpha Chi Omega) symbols with our hands! This is our entire pledge class (except for 2 people who came later)! This is everyone, our entire house! There are like 60 something of us, I think?! Ha Finally, I know it's not the best picture, but this is the moment we all became sisters. This was outside on the lawn as soon as all the bids were handed out. This is our first family photo! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed my ending & beginning! If you wanna join, go over to Rachel @ American Mum Alien & link up! Happy WWWAT!

Quick things

I'm back!!! Did you guys miss me? lol so I wasn't really gone, I was still reading your blogs as much as I could, but I just didn't have a lot of time! I still don't have a lot of time now, but I just want to let you know that you need to come back because I will finally start writing on own blog... the thing is I've been so busy reading your blogs that I run out of time and forget about my own! lol So just a few quick shout outs and notes:

• Thank you to Dana, Tyne, Rachel, and Jen for all the amazing guest posts last week! I was certainly entertained reading all of them! Great job, all of you (Not that you really need my approval, but you get it anyway!) If you haven't already, make you sure you check out their awesome posts.
• As I mentioned, I'm loving college. I was sick yesterday with a stomach bug, and that was awful. I really hated being away from home when I was sick! And I almost missed my preference parties for Sorority Recruitment, which would have been bad. Luckily, I made it.
• I made in to a sorority and I'm SO HAPPY with my decision! I spent the whole day getting to know all my sisters and I really couldn't be happier! Stay tuned to find out which sorority I joined!
• I promise I will update on everything this week! Tomorrow is my 1st day of classes, so I will definitely have to let you know how that goes!
• Oh, yeah I almost forgot! Chelle gave me my 1st ever bloggy award the other day & I've been so busy I haven't even gotten a chance to pass it on! But I'm so excited to put my bling bling on my blog & to pass it on to you guys.
• Also, I'm playing in Wendi's favorite things swap! So head over there and join and we can swap our favorite things! (click the picture for the link!)

Well I guess that's it... hope you're enjoying keeping up with the latest stuff!

I'm Having a [Barking Mad] Dinner Party!!

In case you haven't heard Auds at Barking Mad is hosting a dinner party for all of us bloggers in an attempt to bring the community together! Brilliant, right? Yes, indeed. So I am officially announcing I, Patrice, am hosting my very own 1st dinner party! Now, you'll have to come back and check in because the location is T.B.A. seeing as, well, I'm moving out of my parents home in about a week, and a college dorm is just not a suitable place for a dinner party. So once I get settled in and get to know my new home a little better, I will find the perfect location for the dinner party which will be nothing short of fabulous, because I do not take this responsibility of planning a dinner party lightly! Now as for the guest list... I am fairly new to the bloggy community, and while I have managed to make a few bloggy friends here and there, I'm no Madonna of the blogging community, if you will. So, sit back and listen (read, whatever), because the following people are cordially invited to my 1st ever dinner party: Jen E @ Momma Blogs a lot (and she does!)- my 1st bloggy friend! I could never leave her out. She's my top commenter, and almost always the 1st to comment and offer up advice! She's full of wisdom and pretty darn funny, too! She's currently seeking a new design, so WP gods, help a girl out! She will come to the dinner party with stories of her "MM" (her son) and "SB" (her son's besty!) and she will probably come with stories from the latest books she's read. She may even assign us books we must read before her own dinner party, because this girl loves books. This girl loves a good meme, too, so if you've got one, send it her way! Plus, she's got this blogging thing down- she has like 5 posts a day! How does she do it?!? She'll be sure to contribute greatly to the party! Chelle @ Creative Momma- my amazing bloggy friend who I've only known a short time, but don't know what I would do without! She's a bookworm, too, and she will probably tell us about her awesome book swap. Plus, she'll have great stories to tell about her adorable daughter Bella! I may have to make her help me cook for the party because she's full of great recipes! She's from Missouri, which is so cool, so she may even be able to help us out with the location! If you need anything, or you just need to talk, Chelle is a great person to go to. She will always have something nice and uplifting to say, and can make you smile even when you don't feel like it! Sue @ Happy Meals & Happy Hour- Sue is a blogger who I barely know, but she will undoubtedly be the comedy of the night. Even her comments are funny- she donned me her "youngest commenter ever" (which I consider an honor!) and she even offered me her words of wisdom, so she may have some wisdom for all of us! We can bond over her love for the Jonas Brothers (which is seriously one of the funniest posts I've ever read! So funny I quote it in daily life- not kidding!) She will probably bring drinks, too (even though I'm underage- we don't have to tell anyone! shh!) because she knows how to have a good party! If I have any dead critters to be removed before the party, Sue will be the one to call! She will hopefully bring BG, who also knows how to have a good time. I really hope she accepts this invitation because I would love to get to know her better and I'm sure she will show us a good time! Dana @ Supernanny, Where Are You?- Dana's hosting her own dinner party, but I'm sure we can arrange to schedule our events on different days so she can attend mine! She always has great stories to tell, about her adventures as a mail-carrier, or about her 2 kids being mischievous! She also brings our attention to very important causes such as adding your e-mail address to your blogger account, and my favorite, drunk dialing. Yes, Dana is funny, creative, and she's a great advice-giver as well! She hosts Top 5 Tuesday, which she let me be the 1st ever person (other than her) to pick the theme this week! Thanks, Dana!! She could also help us all out with some new make up since she showcases Mary Kay products. I would be honored to have her as my guest! McMommy @ The McMommy Chronicles- McMommy is what I refer to as a blogging goddess! She amazes me. Her ability to turn something like shaving cream or gum into something hilarious! She claims she isn't funny in real life, which is why I'm inviting her to the dinner party. So we can all see for ourselves how "unfunny" she really is... I'm willing to bet she's a lot funnier than she gives herself credit for! She makes us all feel special with POW, we get to show off our "best" work! She's very popular, she has quite a few fans, so she doesn't always have time for little fish in the blogger- sea like me, but hopefully she can spare a little bit of time to attend the dinner party and entertain us all with her presence! Carol @ Siswick Construction Zone- Carol is quite popular, as well, as she's already attending at least a couple dinner parties, but I think we can all schedule our parties so they don't interfere with one anothers! Carol's one of my newer bloggy friends, but we quickly bonded (at least I think so!). We've bonded over our love of Jodi Picoult books, and she gives great advice like the other bloggy mommy's! She's really funny, too! Hopefully she will leave the stories about poop & poop art out at least until after dinner, but surely she'll have some good stories of her bad parenting! If you click over to her site, be prepared to laugh a lot! Rachel @ Adventures of an American Mum Alien- Rachel is a great photographer, so I would done her the unofficial picture-taker of the dinner party! She was an American Mum, living in England with her 2 cute kiddo's & her hubby. However, aforementioned Hubby is away from them for awhile learning to Scuba, so they are currently back in the U.S. (thus the alien part of her title). I know Rachel's having a hard time with the separation, and who can blame her! So, I'm guessing a night out may be just what she needs to get her mind of it! Rachel is so smart- she designs blogs, she is (like I said) an amazing photographer. She's super-active in the bloggy world- hosting WWWAT & Photography lessons- Get Your Click on! I'm sure Rachel will have great stories to tell, too about being an ex-American Mum! Amanda @ Lifelong Playdate- Amanda gives really good advice as well. Also, her daughter, Beans, is so cute! Amanda will come to the dinner party with stories of all the adventures her and Beans went on that day, and maybe even tell us more about her super-fun bloggy playdate with Heather and Ella! She's so funny & smart, too. She even came up with a bloggy code in case we run into another blogger in real life! I wonder if the bloggy code applies to the dinner party... Jenny @ Happening's of a Little Bubba- Jenny is someone who I've only exchanged comments with once or twice, and we don't know each other all that well. However, I love her blog. Her son is too cute, and she is too funny! I feel from reading her blog that she will contribute greatly to our dinner party. She will warn us of dangerous shower products (her and McMommy will have that in common!) and tell us about the terrible drivers in her neck of the woods. I would love to get to know her better, so I would be thrilled if she would attend! And of course Auds @ Barking Mad- She's hosting this wonderful event so we couldn't dream of leaving her out! I'm sure she will be very busy since she is the guest of honor at so many dinner parties, but hopefully she can make the rounds and make an appearance at all of them! I've only started reading her blog recently, but I love it. It's so honest and very funny!!! She has a daughter my age which is amazing, I would've never guessed she was old enough! She also has a very cute 2 yr. old who is apparently a very good singer. Anyway, so far just within the week that I have been reading Aud's blog, she has been able to make me laugh and make me cry. She's also extremely kind judging by the great advice and encouragement she gave me when I was feeling down. I would be honored to have her attend my party, since after all it was her inspiration that led me to have this party! I love cute little kiddo's, so feel free to bring them! I won't charge for my baby-sitting duties, I swear! RSVP by leaving a comment on this post! Now, like Jen pointed out, it's not a party without crasher's, and there were several more of you I would've loved to invite. It was very hard to choose. I hope that you all will attend, even you crashers! Now head over to your blog and create your own dinner party, then link up at Aud's place.

Top 5 Tuesday

Yay! It's time for another edition of Top 5 Tuesday over @ Dana's place..! Love this! This week's topic is Favorite places to shop!! I am a shop-a-holic, so this is perfect for me! Listen & Learn, people (or read whatever):

1. Nordstrom's Junior Dept. (A.k.a. BP)- They have the cutest clothes and they are cheaper than the rest of the store (obviously). They can still be kind of pricey, but nothing crazy! I always go here first when I need a special occasion outfit that is not too fancy, but dressy. I also bought a ton of cute clothes here to start off my work wardrobe at the beginning of the summer!
2. American Eagle- I know it's really typical like preppy girl stuff, and sometimes I hate it because so many other people have the same outfit. But there clothes are really cute and it's the only like "preppy store" that I can fit into.. I hate hollister & Abercrombie because their sizes are not realistic & it makes it so frustrating to shop there when everything is tiny.
3. The Impeccable Pig- It's a local store as far as I know, and this is the only website I could find for them, and you can't even buy anything from it. It's a super cute store with lots of cute dresses and tops. It's pretty expensive (like up to $100 for a top or more for a dress), but it's so worth it. I'm in love with everything i've gotten from this store. I bought my graduation dress from here, and I bought a bunch of cute summer tops, and recently some more dresses to wear to work and during rush and stuff.
4. Forever 21- This store I love because it's so afforable, and yet really, really cute! It can be overwhelming to shop here because it's packed with clothes, but if you look for the right stuff, you can usually find some really cute stuff!
5. E-bay- Admit it. You know you love e-bay. They have great deals and actually have a lot of cute, expensive clothes for less. I've bought everything on e-bay from perfume to keychains to purses to clothes. I also use it to sell stuff I don't want anymore. It's great!

Well that concludes today's addition of Top 5 Tuesday! If you want to join (and you know you do) head over to Supernanny Where Are You and link up!

Top 5 Tuesday

Ok, so Supernanny Where are You (that blog title cracks me up!) is hosting Top 5 Tuesday. I actually saw this last week, and really wanted to participate, but I was at the beach and the internet was so slow that blogging was pretty much impossible... it was a miracle I got my WWWAT post up. Anyway, basically every Tuesday she posts a theme and we list our top 5 something. This week is Top 5 Favorite Movies of All Time. Ok, so without further ado, I present my top 5 favorite movies...

1. The Notebook- How could you not love this movie?!?! Rachel McAdam's and Ryan Gosling were so cute and I was crushed when they broke up in real life. This is, in my opinion, the ultimate love story. I cry everytime I watch it. So, so good!!!
2. Breakfast at Tiffany's- A classic. I love Audrey Hepburn and I love her style in this movie. It's a great romance story and a great story about finding yourself, which I think everyone struggles with sometimes. This movie always makes me cry at the end, when the cat is lost, oh gosh....
3. How to Lose A Guy in 10 Days- By now, I think it's pretty obvious I love romantic comedies. I'm a huge Kate Hudson fan and I think she is amazing in this movie. Plus, I really want her job [in the movie], and it makes me so mad that she doesn't like it! ha This movie is just a classic romantic comedy, its funny, romantic and it's just great. What else can I say!
4. When Harry Met Sally- Such a good movie! Ugh. It really makes you think about relationships between opposite sexes and it's a classic romantic comedy. It shows the struggles of being in a relationship and finding that one person. So good!!
5. Father of the Bride pt. 2- This movie is another one that always makes me cry! It's such a far-fetched (in my opinion) story line (Mom and daughter pregnant at the same time), but it is hilarious! And in the end, when Steve Martin is holding both his baby and his grandchild, I just lose it! Even though I can't relate, I love the story and it's just so sweet!

Ok, well I guess that's my list... I revised it several times and there are still quite a few movies I would love to add, but I'm going to stick with that list. I will however, mention a few I left out: The runners up were Never Been Kissed, 27 Dresses (this scene makes the whole movie for me-- see video below), Sleepless in Seattle (A classic how could you not love that movie!). Anyway, you get the point... I could go on forever. This is what makes 27 Dresses such a good movie: (I couldn't resist posting it) Thanks to Supernanny Where Are You for hosting.

WWWAT!

Ok, so as you maybe can tell, I love fun blogfests like this! I think it's a great way to meet new people and it's just really fun to share something about yourself through the use of pictures. Anyway... I had heard of Wordless Wednesday, but I was lost as to what to post.. like anything? That's just too... open. Anyway, I digress. When I came accross American Mum's Wordless Wednesday With A Twist.. I couldn't resist participating, but never got the chance until now! Basically, it's the same concept as Wordless Wednesday except with a theme && a winner!! Perfect! So this weeks theme was Summer Fun... a perfect theme for a week spent at the beach. So here goes, enjoy! First what's best about summer is swimming!! This picture is of my cousins and I after getting out of the ocean! Of course, summer fun is not complete without a good game of soccer on the beach. (These are all the cousins at beach week, excluding me of course because I was taking the picture). And, of course, me being the oldest cousin and all, my summer fun (at least while at the beach) includes wrestling my 5 yr old cousin. Summer fun for me definitely includes quality time with my little sister... especially since I'm about to leave for school so soon. Then after a long day of playing in the ocean and such... we crash. So, not quite wordless, but that's ok, right ?! Hope you enjoyed! Make sure you check out everyone else's summer fun here.

It's Real Life #4

It's that time again! Already, can you believe it? I will admit I have been looking forward to this all week! Thanks, of course, goes out to Jessica @ Farm Fresh for hosting. As if she doesn't have enough going on (what with having a baby soon plus 2 little kids) she still made time for us to share our real lives! So, I'm really glad this isn't limited to wedding pictures because I would be crushed if I couldn't participate! ha Anyway, today I am sharing my "real life" with pictures from my graduation. Unfortunately, these pictures aren't the best and they are limited since the occasion was so recent, but I will share with you what I can. So I will start you off with me and my diploma!My graduation was in the gym at my high school, I graduated with about 97 students, and not to brag, but I was one of 27 students that got a scholarship! (More about that later) Anyway, it was a big ordeal and lot's of family came in town so here are some pictures with family members: This is my great aunt and uncle.. they live here in Dallas, so we get to see them quite a bit and they are huge supporters and just great people all around!This is me with my maternal grandparents. They drove all the way from Illinois to be with me on my special day! They were journalism majors, so they were thrilled to learn that was what I'm planning to study. This is me with my paternal grandparents. It's actually my grandfather and my step-grandmother, because my dad's mom passed away before I was born, but I was named after her and am proud to carry on her memory. (Her name was Patricia, my parents decided they liked Patrice better so it wouldn't be shortened).This is me with my sister, Anna. She's 3 1/2 yrs younger than me, and we definitely fight a lot but really she's a great friend and I'm lucky to have her. I am really gonna miss her next year because she's finally getting to the age where we can hang out and I feel like I'm missing so much of her growing up. Next, we have a picture with friends. It's not the best picture but it will work: This is me with 3 of my good friends (my best friend is 2nd on the left). I met these girls through basketball, and we spent countless hrs. together and they became really great friends. To see my parents and I at graduation, go to this post. I have more at home... but I didn't get a chance to stop by and pick them up so maybe I'll add some later, but I think this does it justice, don't you ?! Update: So upon further review, i have decided to add some pics from my Senior Prom. It was definitely a momentous occasion because it really marked the end of Sr. year, and how close we were to graduating! Ok so, there's a lot and I just can't choose! So, taking an idea from the fellow posters, I decided to post a slideshow of prom pictures! I'll give you one big one, though, because I can't resist! Here's the slideshow! Enjoy:

It's Real Life #3

It's that time again...! Thanks, of course, go out to Jessica over at Farm Fresh for hosting this super fun weekly event! This weeks theme: Where the Magic Happens... a.k.a. The Bedroom! #1: Under the bed... As you can see, there are several water bottles and tons of water bottle caps... nothing super exciting. Next up, #2:The dresser!It's real life right? Well there you have it... my very messy but real dresser. On top lays my ipod speaker, radio/Cd player, My hair straightener, Dry Shampoo (very handy when you haven't had time to wash your hair!), A smoothie left over from breakfast, and some other random stuff. As you can see, my dresser is pretty full... what can I say? Here's a better view of the inside: So to the right is my undie drawer, then to the left is the tank top drawer (I have alot of those, half of them I never wear), then underneath is the jammie drawer. The 2 bottom drawers on the right don't work for whatever reason, so they don't have anything in them. #3: My bed table:So on my night table, you will find a lamp, my clock (which projects on the wall- very cool and also acts as a noise maker!), face moisturizer, water bottle, headbands, hair tie. Usually you will find a few random pills too, because I always take medicine for random stuff before bed, and usually a few of them get left over! Next, #4: Pictures/decorations These are photo collages my mom put together for me... here's a close up view of each frame: The blank ones are for future pictures! These are definitely my favorite decorations in my room because they are a perfect display of my life. The people in the frames are the people that mean alot to me, and next year when I come back from school to stay @ home, I want these pictures to remind me of the good times I had this year with my friends! Another favorite decoration of mine are my homecoming mums: Recently, a friend from Georgia came in town, and she was very confused by the concept of Homecoming mums, so I don't know if its just a TX thing? But for those of you that don't know... a mum is like a decoration you wear it around your neck at school the day before the dance and at the football game... your date buys it for you.. hopefully you get it. Wikipedia doesn't have a page on mums... bummer. Finally, 1 more decoration (sorry I feel like this is taking forever!) This is a picture painted by my very talented friend. Unfortunatley, my friend and I had a falling out and no longer speak... but she remains dear to my heart. This picture is beautiful, and very good I think. The picture in the bottom corner is an ad from a magazine I gave to my friend and she used it to paint the picture. She is very talented obviously, she's going to Parson's art school next year. Ok moving on: #5:What I love about my room: What i love about my room is that its pretty much huge. I'm not gonna lie... its really big and I'm really lucky. It actually took me several pictures to capture the room in its entirety. This is the first half of my room... its the main part with my bed and all that. It's pretty much what you see when you walk in. This is my alcove... it's off to the side and it's the only part of my room that is red- which I LOVE! It really makes it pop! #6: What I Hate About It. I honestly have no complaints... I love my room. It's a great room. It is always a mess, which can be a pain, but that's my fault! #7: What Makes it Uniquely Me This is one of my favorite parts of my room... My closet.Yes, it's a closet, and yes it is written all over! It was actually my mom's idea to do this at one of my birthday parties a few years back, so my friends and I wrote all over it. It's mostly used now as a storage closet for my mom (I'm not even moved out yet and already she's using my room for storage!), but it will always be written on as long as we live in this house! Most of the writing is just I heart so & so, but there's actually a corner (I meant to get a picture of it) where I wrote down names I like for my future kids someday, and I used to use this list to name my baby dolls! Anyway, I'm pretty sure I'm the only person w/ a closet full of writing. And last, but not least: #8- What I sleep in! Nothing special... just your basic Old Navy p.j. pants & a T-shirt.. this one happens to be my prom t-shirt. So there you have it! My "real life" Go here to read more about my real life. And make sure you head on over to Farm Fresh, and join the fun, and go check out everyone else's real lives.

Make Me Laugh Monday

Ok, so I am all about these fun little blogfests! So I couldn't resist participating in this Make Me Laugh Monday blogfest!
So, I wanted my post to be something I can relate to...so when I came across this facebook break up over at GiggleSugar, I knew it had to be my Make Me Laugh Monday post!
So here it is, the story of Kevin && Jennifer:

hahaha I hope you enjoyed! And I sware, this blog won't be all blogfests- they are just too fun to resist!