Where Have I Been?

What a great question! My mind has been flooding with potential blog posts and adventures I'd love to go on! A quick recap may help clear up why my site has been inactive lately.

-Finals week: It's over now, thank goodness, but it had me up a wall with stress. By the way, I finished the semester with 2 As and three Bs.
-Closing Week: Funny thing, this actually happens the same week as Finals.... Its where RAs from across the campus check out all of their residents for the holiday break and then we do a series of closing tasks that ready the building for the month of quiet un-occupied-ness.
-Going Home: That's right, I went home for the holidays. I'm spending the month in beautiful Bartlesville, OK and working at Bartlesville Radio through the month of December. Not much goes on here but I've been enjoying holiday time with my family.

Hopefully, that cleared things up. Like I said, I have plenty of posts coming your way. Here's a sneak peek to tide you over until I can get them up.

Weigh-In Wednesday

I've been keeping diligent on this long and trying adventure (Well, mostly. Finals week lead me to stress eat a few times.) I've been trying out new phone apps to help me along and it's going well. I weighed myself a week ago and it read 183 lbs. Woo! Already making progress! The challenge now will be getting through the holidays without over doing it. I can't wait to get back to my scale (I left it at school) and see how my progress is going!

#TBT Washington D.C. part 2

I haven't forgotten, part 2 is coming with photos galore! I have also been thinking that this adventure may take more than two parts. The trip was two weeks long and I'd hate to leave too much out.

Vaughn Family Portraits

My first attempt at capturing a family, and what a great family this is!

Homecoming

No, not like in football. My real-life homecoming here. I haven't lived with my parents in 3 years and it has changed so much. Stay tuned for the Wayward College Student's long awaited return and everything that comes with it.

Hopefully I can get a few of these out soon. Happy Holidays!

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A Whole New World: Trying Out Pageants

A little over a month ago I made a post titled "Diving into Slam Poetry" and I mentioned that I had a surprise reason for trying out the art of slamming. Well the reason I decided to pick it up was because I wanted to try something new for the talent portion of the Miss University of Central Oklahoma Pageant.

Me and My Little After the Pageant

I was never really a pageant girl. I was more climb-a-tree-and-scrape-my-knee kind of girl, but it's my senior year and I wanted to make sure I didn't miss out on any experiences before my time in college was over. So I applied to be a contestant in the pageant back in October.
My application was accepted and before I knew it I was practicing walking across stage in heels with 19 other beautiful young women. It was nerve wracking because they were all so pretty and talented, and in the time leading up to the pageant everyone kept warning me that the girls might be stuck up or mean.
I'd never done a pageant before so I was legitimately concerned. Turns out, the other contestants were some of the kindest, open-minded, most inspiring and encouraging women I'd ever met. I'm a little shy and they managed to get me out of my shell in just a few days!
Our pageant was broken up into 5 sections. For times sake I'll tell you what they were and a short blurb about how I felt about each one.

1.) Interview: I feel like I did alright in this category, because I got to be myself and talk honestly with my judges. Obviously some things could have been better but all-in-all it wasn't too bad.
2.) On-Stage Interview: I was very nervous about this part. We didn't know anything about our questions, except that they would be centered around current events, until we approached the mic. I was honestly hoping for a question about the presidential elections or the Syrian refugees. Unfortunately I was saddled with a oddly worded question about social media.
3.) Swimsuit: The favorite of men all across the audience. I was so uncomfortable during this portion. I had glue on my butt, a pound and half of make-up on my face, and I didn't feel confident with how my swimsuit looked on my body. Much room for improvement.
4.) Talent: I was oddly calm during this part. I had my poem and I rocked it. I do feel like I could have been more prepared. It may have been more powerful if I had memorized it beforehand.
5.) Formal wear: According to the coaches thesis the "easiest part". While I agree that it was easy to walk across the stage and feel beautiful, at this point all of us were hating our shoes and we were ready to be finished.

After the contest portions we all stood in our formal gowns for crowning. I didn't win and that's OK with me. It was my first pageant and I am so happy to have been able to participate the way I did.
Our Miss UCO was Chelsea Smith. I met her my freshman year in a class. We weren't best friends but  knew of her and she seemed nice enough. During the pageant we got to know each other better and I can say that she is truly kind and talented and an amazing woman who deserves to wear the crown for our University.

Participating in the pageant was such an honor. I learned that the pageant community isn't all like Toddlers and Tiaras. It can be a welcoming and nurturing environment. I'm so happy I had the opportunity to do this, and I am going to continue competing in pageants for a while. I think it's fun.
Thank you to all of our directors, judges, coaches, and to my fellow contestants. You all made this an amazing experience for me. And Chelsea, Good luck at Miss Oklahoma! You'll do great!
-Allie

My Biggest Adventure Yet.......

So I'm starting a new adventure. It's one I have started before and not seen all the way to its finish. It is my never-ending journey towards a healthier lifestyle.
Fun-fact: in the Summer of 2014 I weighed in at 204 pounds. I got freaked out by the fact that I had reached that 200 pound threshold and decided I wanted to make a change. I started eating healthier and going to the gym nearly everyday. It was nice because I had put together a great schedule where I went to the gym at 5AM, work at 8AM, my second job at 1PM, and then back home by 8PM and in bed by 9PM. It was busy but actually really nice. That summer I got down to 183 pounds.
When classes started I fell of the wagon for a few months and gained back 10 pounds. I started back up in November, using MyFitnessPal and running with my boss. It was a lot of fun and we really got to know each other better during that time. I got down to 175 pounds and I felt amazing with my healthy lifestyle.
I wanted to continue but I fell off the wagon again when I moved back home and didn't have a gym to my disposal. Combine that with not eating very well and I was back up to 185 pounds.
Fast-forward to today. I've started working out again. For the past few months I kept telling myself I would but I had no motivation. It's hard to remind yourself of how amazing you felt when you were healthy. I was inspired after doing the Miss UCO pageant this past month. Some of the girls there had been to points in their lives where they weren't always healthy and some were even overweight like myself. It was inspiring to hear their stories and reminded me of what I used to strive for.
So here I am again. Ready to start back on the long journey to looking and feeling healthy and amazing. I want this to be an experience I share with my readers so I've decided to start doing Wednesday Weigh Ins. I'll update you on my status and how I'm progressing every week in addition to sharing my normal adventures.
I know it's the holidays and it's the time of year when people struggle to stay healthy, but I'm determined to succeed. My current goal is down to 165 by February 20th. Wish me luck!

A few Health Blogs I'll be following along the way!
Healthy-Ish
blogilates
Fit Bottomed Girls

#TBTAdventure: NSLC in D.C. part 1

First off: Happy Thanksgiving!


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When I was in High School I received a letter in the mail inviting me to attend the National Student Leadership Conference in Washington D.C.

My first reaction was "Oh my Gosh! I'm a leader and they want me to go!"
Then I thought "This is probably a scam...."
Then I did some research and thought "Oh this seems really legit and I want to go."
Then I thought "Oh it costs HOW MUCH?!?!?"
Then "Well it was a cool thought while it lasted."

I brought it up to my parents later that day, telling them exactly those thoughts, and they came to a similar conclusion but also mentioned that if I really wanted to do it I could probably find a way.

That was enough for me. I set out to make it happen. At this time I was a part of a program called Give Back America in my hometown that worked to give educational opportunities to students in low-income families. We met every week to study and prepare for exams and college applications.

In this program, each student was paired with a "Silent Angel" that would support them and help guide them along their journey. I would like to point out that I would have never gotten this opportunity without the help of this organization or my Silent Angel. They donated $1,000 of the money I needed and the company they worked for donated another $1000 and I only had to raise $1,500 on my own.

I was also helped by my friends and family. I didn't have much in the way of professional attire so my family helped donate and find me items to wear to the conference. Lastly, I had a friend whose father worked at Southwest Airlines and they were able to get me my plane tickets on standby for free.

When I was finally set to go I pulled an all-nighter packing and went to the airport the next day. I had never flown on an airplane before so I was mildly anxious and extremely excited. I spent the whole time looking out the window and talking to flight attendants.

When we finally arrived at Dulles International Airport in D.C. the real fun began. I couldn't afford a cab so I had to learn the bus routes and find my way to American University alone. Unfortunately my dad's girlfriend, Tiffany, had to leave me at the airport because she was set to fly back to Oklahoma. I got on a bus and waited anxiously for my next bus stop that would lead me to a subway station that would lead me to Tinley Town nearby the University. From there I simply had to catch a shuttle that would take me to the residence hall I was to stay in.

Finally rain drenched and watery-eyed I arrived at the residence hall. I was a couple of hours late for check in, but the office assistants checked me in anyway and even ordered me pizza. The other students were on a boat ride and wouldn't be back for a few hours.

From there I sat in my room, eating and setting up my things, and I waited to meet my roommates and for what the next day would bring us.

Stay tuned for Part 2!!!

A Radio Farewell

Aryn and I on our final show

As you may know, I'm a college student (shocking I know!) and I've been studying the last three and a half years to work in the world of Mass Communications. When I tell people that, they always respond with "Oh, what are you going to do with that?"

Hahahaha..... I don't know.

BUT! I do know that I enjoy working on the radio. I interned last summer at a radio station in my hometown, and this semester I was a personality on 99.3 Ucentral Radio in Edmond. It was our first semester having a low-power FM station and I was honored to be the first voice heard on air.

As the semester went on I worked on Wednesday afternoons with my co-host, Aryn. We talked about a variety of things from Halloween costumes, movies, food, and the world around us. It was amazing because we worked well together and I think we both learned a bit talking to each other.

This was my first time being a large part of a show on an FM radio station. Unfortunately our last show was this past week. We talked about how we are preparing for the holiday season and said our final good-byes on-air.

I think I'll continue to work with radio. It makes me happy and I've gotten so much more comfortable in front of the microphone. I am glad I got to have this experience, and I hope that my future in radio is full of exciting experiences to come.

Essentials to Get Through Finals Week

I can't believe its been so long since my last post. Such is life i guess, you get busy and stop thinking about things that you actually enjoy. I don't expect my life to get any less busy in the next few weeks, but hopefully I can finish out this dragging semester with my sanity intact.
That being said, I've got finals week right around the corner. This week is nearly half over, next week is Thanksgiving break, then we have Dead Week, and then Finals week! I'm ready to wrap up this semester and begin my final stretch towards graduation.
But.... Before it's all over we've got to get through Finals week. It's a dreaded time in every student's life whether you're in high school or college, so here are a few things that help me get through the test-ridden time of torture.

1.) Spotify

I was reluctant to try Spotify at first. I kept telling myself "No Pandora is where it's at and I don't need Spotify." I ended up giving in after I got hired as a Resident Assistant. We work desk from time to time and the Spotify app was already installed on the desk computer. I got bored; I started listening.
Now I don't used Pandora at all. I have playlists for music I like and the pre-created playlists help me discover new music, while being able to focus on my homework.

2.) Legal Pads

I know many people use notebooks the keep everything organized, but for some reason I do so much better with legal pads. Maybe it's because I don't have to worry about the spiral cutting into my hand while I write.

3.) Pacifica Tuscan Blood Orange Lotion

Again, this may just be me, but after hours of studying and sifting through piles and piles of papers, my hands get dry and I hate that feeling. I first tried this lotion in an Ipsy bag and I loved it! It smells amazing and it does a great job moisturizing without making me feel all greasy.

4.) Softlips Cube

This is another product that I absolutely NEED this time of year. Fall Semester finals happen closer to Winter and the last thing I want to worry about is chapped painful lips while I'm knee deep in my existential quarter life crisis.

5.) Coffee

No one should be shocked here. One of my favorite Finals week pastimes is going to IHOP with a few friends, drinking 6 cups of coffee between midnight and 4AM, and catching up on everything I've put off for the last 2 weeks. Granted, I generally end up with a messed up sleep cycle and shaking hands but I really enjoy the time to spend with my friends and it gets me away from campus (I get stir crazy).



I'm ready to get this semester over with. Let me know what your favorite finals week essentials are! Maybe I can shake up my routines this year. Enjoy your finals and Study hard adventurers!
-Allie

I Did Another Photo Project

I've mentioned before that I dabble in photography a bit and I've actually been taking a class on the subject to make my work look better. This past week we've had to complete a portrait project that not only shows a person in a pretty photo, but also tell a little about them in the process.

 I originally decided to shoot my boyfriend while he was out shooting his guns (which is where last week's post came from), but before I had the chance to back up my work all of the files corrupted and I had to format the card. Luckily, my best friend, Alison, loves when I take pictures of her.

So far I've taken pictures of her in winter, spring, and now autumn. Summer still hasn't happened yet, but we'll get there.

I had her bring "Betty", her ukulele, along for the shoot. Fun Fact-She is a very talented singer and songwriter. The ukulele was her instrument of choice and I've heard her produce amazing work on it. She is such an amazing person and being her friend has been one of the greatest adventures of my life so far.

Keep on Adventuring.
Allie