A few of my favorite things

1. Going off Campus As seniors we receive the special privilege of going off campus for lunch. During my fall semester, I hardly ever took advantage of this. Now I try to make it off campus everyday. This and going to spouts for the sandwich special has become one of my new favorites.

2. Popsicles I totally forgot how much I love Popsicles till one of the editors brought a box to yearbook one day. The coolness of a yummy Popsicle is truly unbeatable. It was the best part of my day when the staffers compared the change of color on their tongues.

3. When other people fall I have been known to fall, trip, and stumble from time to time so it's refreshing when my follow clumsy friends take the big fall to the ground. It's nice not to be the only one who trips over nothing while simply walking.

4. Church camp "This one time at church camp.." now that that's out of the way. I love church camp, I compare it to family vacations. This year was my last one and it was one of the best. It was most likely the most calm weekend I've ever had at camp and it was also the perfect get away from the craziness in my life at the moment. It was also strange to think that just four short years ago I was afraid to get into the van to go to my very, first camp. As camp came to a close, it made me more and more sad to know it was my last camp ever. Hopefully, I will be running one of those camps sometime soon.

5. Mini me Meet one of my best friend's little sister, Kendall. I swear this cool kid is trying to be the next Melanie. When I went over to Kaylie's house for our usual Gossip Girl night her sister only did something if I did, had soda if I had soda, and desperately wanted to sit next to me during diner. She actually only put on her PJ's when she saw I had mine on as well. Yes, it's always nice to be admired and copied.

6. Best friend time My best friend Dahlya has a history of being kinda busy. Whether it's travel, school, or auditions Dahlya has a full load. For this reason, when she has a free moment for best friend time I take it. She makes my days better and brighter so spending time with her is a must. Honestly, these past couple weeks she has been the best possible friend ever and every time I spend even a ounce of time with her I become more thankful for her presence in my daily life.

7. Dance parties Every year at church camp we throw a dance party. Last year, it was 80s themed and this year was neon. It got a little crazy and the best part was at the end when all the seniors got into a huge huddle to spend the last song together. My youth group is cool.

Looking back I'm not sure where the past two weeks have gone. I was thinking about it earlier today and I had a lot of fun but my business has consumed me to the point where I don't remember falling asleep. But, I wouldn't trade my life for anything. I was reading my journal the other night and I came across a paragraph I wrote on December 19, 2010, "I feel so lucky sometimes. Even when I'm really stressed I am still loved by God, I still love others, and I am still loved by others. Even when I have a lot of problems going on I am still forgiven. I have faith." This still rings true in my life today. As my best friend once said to me, "Life is too short to be sad about anything."

How to plan a tea party

Even though the day of love has come and gone, celebrating is from over. This past weekend I hosted a Valentine's day tea party for all the staffers on Yearbook. Like most situations in my life this came about because someone else mentioned the idea. For example, when I made my first dry ice bomb it was only because someone else mentioned I should buy dry ice for my 18th birthday. So, when a couple of girls in my yearbook class said they have never been to a tea party I thought, "I've thrown tea parties before why not have a Valentine's day themed one." Thoughts became words, words became actions, and actions turned into one of the best parties I've hosted. Throwing a tea party is really simple and fun at the same time. Each time I host a tea party I follow I couple easy steps to ensure the party turns out lovely. This is the first in my "How to" series.

Always hand make the invitations. Every time I have a party I make sure each invite is different. Also, everytime I make my invites I seem to forget to leave all the proper information on the paper. So don't forget address, date, when, and where. Without fail I forget something each time.

Find special  items to serve or showcase at the party

Always, I mean always, go shopping after a big holiday. For instance, if you were to host a Easter tea party set the date for the party after the actual holiday. That way you will save big on decorations and supplies. I got these adorable heart napkins for only 50 cent.

Add small touches when decorating the party room. Believe it or not when adding hidden pieces I've found at least one of the guests will notice and remember.

At each of my parities I love hanging pieces from the ceiling. I actually do this when I decorate my house for holidays as well. Using different ribbons and lengths is important.

Make sure the table flows. It's key when you have an entire staff of more than 20 yearbookers coming over. Flow is esstinal for any party.

I love flowers as a certain piece. It's fresh and beautiful at the same time. Luckily, easy flowers like daisies are cheap. I found these for only five dollars and they just happen to be my favorite flower.

When having a tea party don't forget the tea cups. It's as simple as that. Also, having many different types of cups makes it more fun.

Planning a menu can be tough. I've learned to trust turkey sandwiches, fruit, and veggies. No one can go wrong with universal taste buds likes. Also, if for some odd reason if a guest doesn't like tea I serve a sherbet and 7up punch and that's my biggest crowd pleaser.

Cupcakes are important; in life in general but also in tea party menus. Cakes are for birthdays, pies are for picnics, and cupcakes are for tea parties. This year one of the female staffers brought pink colored cupcakes for the valentines themes. They were really cute and yummy.

At each of my tea parties I have one requirement, must wear dresses. It's so fun to see how excited the girls get to pick out their cutest dresses and show out their love for skirts at the party. The fashion is truly the best part of the party.

Have back up activities planned. This is not a sign of a  Jr. high party when there's games, it's a sign the hostess thought ahead.  This year my friends and I came up with many funny questions about each others love life. Such as, "Who was your worst kiss," or "Who do you think is the cutest boy in yearbook," Every girl got a different question and whoever had the best story won a box of candy. Everyone loved this game and the best part was it was themed. Whatever the party you're throwing make the games themed. Also having the Wii handy works as well.

Ladies, boys are not the emeny at tea parties. It's actually an opportunity to have them dress up as well. For this party, I set the first part of the party just for the girls then the second part for both. I'm sure a group of boys would not pass up a opportunity for free food.

Continue to have music playing in the background no matter what stage the party is at. In my past tea parties I rely on Matt Nathanson, Jose Gonzales, and Joseph Arthur to set the mood. However, for my love party I did my research and found a lot of songs that helped keep the love in the air.

"Everybody" by Ingrid Michaelson

"Hey Na Na" by Katie Herzig

"The Girl" by City and Colour

"U+ Me=" by Dan Black

and tons of Sara Bareilles

All the staffers seemed to have a lot of and it was great playing hostess for the night. My last bit of advice when throwing a party is to write all the guests thank you notes. Don't miss this; writing thank you notes is so important. It's not a big gesture, it costs nothing, and it's feels good to write and receive them. Also all classy women write thank you notes.

I vote this being the best valentines day/ tea party ever.

A few of my favorite things: Valentines day edition

1. Giant Cards Last week my best friend Kaylie and I found a giant valentines card at the gas station. To her it was Christmas and it was a great way to kick off valentines day mode.
2. Not so secret admirers On the special day of love I went to my first class a little early to talk with my physics teacher. I left all of my stuff at my desk and went up to the front of the room to make up a quiz. When I came back a boy from another class came in just leave me a candy sucker. It truly made my day and it made physics a little bit more bearable.
3. Candy It was hard to even walk through the high school hallway without friends handing me candy left and right. I didn't mind one bit, can we make this an official part of my day?
4. Marriage Proposal I was asked for my hand in marriage and by totally accident. Kaylie hand made her valentine cards and randomly gave me the "Marry Me" one. It's always lovely to know someone wants to marry you.
5. Tradition My best friend Dahlya and I have a traditional gift for valentines day. Dark chocolate covered fortune cookies. yum. It is a must eat and inside each cookie there is a quote about friendship. Two years ago she gave me a box and this year I gave her one. I'm positive we will be mailing our cookies to each other next year.
6. Yearbook Parties I knew that I would be having tons of treats on v-day, especially in yearbook. For this reason, I skipped breakfast, lunch and all real type of food to save room for my massacre of sugar. This was a great plan till I left school early sick.
7. Cheesy Valentines I recall in elementary school making a home made mail box and patiently sitting at my desk as I watched classmates place valentines in my box. I miss this. So when my friend AJ gave me a cheesy valentine it was the icing to the perfect valentines day cupcake.


Even though Valentines day has come and gone I must say this year was the best yet.

A few of my favorite things

1.Ihop I think Ihop tastes better in the late hours of the night. I would never pass up an opportunity to go have a plate of fries at midnight. I partly feel like I'm cheating on Village Inn but sometimes those chocolate chip pancakes are too hard to ignore.
2. Strange Obsessions I feel a little less crazy when I meet others who have strange obsessions. I mean the whole infatuation with frozen yogurt comes to a smaller extent when I see people talk about their "can't live withouts." A very good friend of mine in yearbook is in love with orange soda and not just any brand but Crush. So when we went to Walmart and we saw that a four pack was on sale for an dollar he flipped. It was the same reaction I would have when discovering a new frozen yogurt place and I don't feel alone anymore.
3. Aprons I believe aprons are one of the best parts of baking, besides eating yummy treats of course. I once found a apron in an antique store that had a soft color of pink, little Eiffel Tower pattern, and two big, black bows. This apron screamed Melanie and when my mom bought it for me for my sixteenth birthday, my collection began. However, my best friend Jenelle has a beautiful hand made one that I've had my eye since Jr high. Every time we bake at her house that apron is first and foremost.
4. Fun people There's a girl in my youth ministry with the same name as me. At first, I hated the thought of another Melanie walking around on my turf. So when this younger version of me walked into my life I couldn't bear the thought of a second Mel. However, Melanie is such a positive force of energy, my life would be dark without her. She is such a fun, open women of God and I'm so thankful for her and her willingness to try new things. Such as, my Zumba class, that she was so open to try with me. She makes experiences and situations better.
5. Quality time this past Sunday after church a couple of the females leaders and I sat outside one of their homes and talked. Talked about past camps, funny stories, and life lessons. It's refreshing to spend time with the women whose words, lives, and actions impact my relationship with Jesus and myself on a weekly bases.
6. Surprises I love, love surprises so much. Well I don't like them so much when I know when they're coming but a good surprise is the best. I always subconsciously feel as if a surprise is around the corner that's how much I love them. Once again my good friend Kavita surprised me with a tiny box with a cupcake inside. It's awesome to have such great friends who have good taste in cupcakes.




It's been such a fabulous week full of fun, laughter, and growth. Lately, I've been working extra hard on improving myself and working on my 2011 goals. I've learned a lot about myself and I really love where my life is heading. I know for a fact that things are about to get crazy but if I've gained anything from this past week is the knowledge that no matter I go in life God is moving in all directions.

A few of my favorite things

"if you can't heal yourself first, then you can't heal others."





1. Naked Juice I'm not sure why, but I could drink Naked Juice all day long. It might have do with the fact it's really healthy and yummy at the same time. However, it's expensive and for an unemployed girl, it's not in the budget. So during this week when my mom texted me saying that she bought me some, I squealed for joy a little. I was sick for the first part of a week, which is weird since I never get sick, therefore a cup of Blue Machine would be just what the doctor ordered. However, when I opened up the fridge and saw that my mom had bought a gallon of Naked Juice I instantly felt much better.
2. Watching Gossip Girl and Pretty Little Liars with Kaylie Every Monday I look forward to going over to my friend's house to watch two of our favorite shows. If life were a Gossip Girl episode, I would be Serena and she would be Blair. We are a perfect match and our Monday tradition helps me get through the week.
3. Red Velvet cupcakes First of all, yum; red velvet cupcakes are cupcakes at their finest. I am very to lucky to have Kavita, a good friend of mine, who knows that when I'm upset a cupcake can make up for the tears. It's also a lovely surprise when a little tiny box that contains a cupcake can help you realize how cool your friends are. As Kavita puts it, "Wherever I am, I will always bring you a cupcake. Just saying it again because it's fact and I will, because I love you and who doesn't like a cupcake once in a while!?"
4. Yearbook I will always be thankful for my ybk class and the people in it. In a way, this past week it has been a great therapy session rather than a class. Even though we found out that the school blocked Tumblr from us, I've never laughed, talked, and learned more in a class before. I couldn't picture my school days without these kids and their humor and love in my life.
5. Ice cream for lunch I'm shocked that I didn't have frozen yogurt, but sometimes I cheat and go back to my first love. I'm even more shocked that when I suggested to my best friends that I thought we should get ice cream for lunch that they actually went along with my idea. I'm not shocked even the tinniest bit that when I was getting ice cream my best friends got sandwiches instead and I was left to eat the yummy treat. At least they humor me.

I fully believe that the theme this past week was healing and friendship. I've been watching Sex and the City season six and what is even more fabulous than the clothes on the show is the friendship. Carrie Bradshaw, the main character, has three best friends, Miranda, Charlotte, and Samantha that through all her problems and situations are her soul mates. By the end of each episode, I realize more and more how great my group of close friends are. I'm grateful that I have people in my life who are my safety net when problems occur. Thank you Dahlya, Jenelle, Daria, Kaylie, Chelsea, and Kavita for being my Miranda, Charlotte, and Samantha. There's quote at the end of the last episode said by Carrie that states, "Later that day I got to thinking about relationships. There are those that open you up to something new and exotic, those that are old and familiar, those that bring up lots of questions, those that bring you somewhere unexpected, those that bring you far from where you started, and those that bring you back. But the most exciting, challenging and significant relationship of all is the one you have with yourself. And if you can find someone to love the you you love, well, that’s just fabulous." As I grow and learn more about life and the woman I'm becoming, I know for a fact that my support system loves me no matter what. Even through they can say they will be there for me, more importantly my best friends show through their actions that they will be there for me.

To end, there is one more Carrie quote that I will always carry with me, "They say nothing lasts forever. Dreams change, trends come and go…but friendships never go out of style."