The art of Halloween: college freshmen

Questions you may ask yourself:

In highschool: 

When is my mom going to drop me off? Who is going to throw a party?  What should I wear from the costume store? 

In College:

Which frat party should I go to? Which bra is the prettiest to wear without my shirt? Slutty cat or just slut? When should I start drinking? What is the least amount of clothes I can get away with?

Now, for me, I'm somewhere in between high school and college still.  I'm not quite comfortable bearing all, nor do I want to wear a costume from Party City.  

Here are some of the ideas that I actually consider good costumes.

 beanie babies

social media icons

And what Caroline and I were last year...

Trailer Trash and Lumberjack 

 Cat and Mouse

Baby Juleigh

Slightly wishing I was at home trick or treating with Juleigh Jeanette, but I'm gonna make the most of my first college halloween!

What are you being for halloween?

xox

Char

Let Freedom Ring

It's been a while. I know, I know, I really should update more often.  But I'm still getting the handle on this whole college thing. 

College is a blast.  

Everyone always says how fun it is but you can't even begin to understand it until you're actually in college.  The parties, the friends, the spontaneity.  All combined, who needs sleep anymore? (me actually) But there is also a lot that you have to keep track of, especially without your mom to tell you to do your homework.  You have to watch what you're eating, stay on track of school work, figure out a balance between missing home and loving your new home.  It can be a lot.  I only just recently went home and realized how much I missed my family and friends.  

Also, boys. 

Unfortunately, my ex and I go to the same university (Let's be clear... I committed first). And naturally we thought it would be good to try again (never a good idea). If you are in the same situation ever, just don't do it. For your own mental health.  But I've finally sorted it out, and all I can say is I'm so thankful for my friends, new and old, who supported me throughout that hot mess.  It ended amicably and I'm happy it happened, but I'm slightly relieved to be done.  I've grown a lot in college and I like where I am now on my own.  

Oscar Wilde always says it best

What's on your mind today?

xox

Char

Progress

I ran!

That sounds really sad that I'm so excited but it's the first physical activity I've done since my shoulder surgery in early July.  I ran 1.7 miles through campus and my shoulder didn't hurt once! 

So I've passed the first hurdle.  I finally got around step one of recovery and reached my goal to be able to run and I'm just so dang happy about it!  

I am definitely the girl that takes things as a sign of what's to come, like the stars and good omens and all that nonsense.  So the fact that I was able to run the majority of 1.7 miles opens up my mind to more and more possibilities! My next goal is to not gain the freshmen fifteen...

8 short weeks ago... || insta ||

What's your goal?

xox

Char

Just Say Yes

my current motto, because what's better than being able to say yes?

I'm quite the OCD control freak, so saying yes and just going with the flow is a very difficult task for me.  But I'm working on it, step by step, and I'm so happy I'm allowing the college experience to take me for ride!

Things that worked out because I said yes:

Roommate invited me to dinner? met a group of people I love

Professor wouldn't let me drop a class? learned I actually can speak french if I try

Said yes to try being friends with my ex?  realized I can take care of myself (I don't need no man)

Accepted a bid to a sorority? found a group of women that aren't petty, mean girls

Applied for freshmen council? asked back for the second round interview (fingers crossed!)

Invited on a spontaneous beach trip? spent the day with a siberian husky puppy

Everything is working out in its own way, even if it's not how I planned it.  I've honestly been so blessed with new people and new experiences in the past two weeks, I can't wait to see what the rest of the year has planned for me.

SO, all in all, just say yes. Try new things. Be spontaneous.
Put the OCD control freak away.

 || Brianne and I at a soccer game ||

 || Amazing new sisters on Bid day ||

  || Fellow new members, baby turtles ||

 || First frat party with my girls ||

 || Athena, aka the cutest husky puppy I've ever seen ||

What have you said yes to lately?

xox
Char

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Three Choices, Pick two

At some point in time, we have all come across this image.  Whether it was posted to pinterest or tweeted on twitter, I always figured I could do it all.

Obviously, as an overzealous freshman, I want to have it all.  I want to meet everyone, go out all the time, study hard, and nap all day.  

Ha. Okay Charlotte.

Half way into my first true week of classes, I'm realizing that that is not actually possible.  My sleep is definitely suffering, but I'm enjoying my new friends and classes too much to give them up!  I'm starting to get strep throat, in which case I'll be forced to actually sleep so it's a blessing in disguise.

Hopefully, I'll get more time soon!

Which two would you choose?

xox

Char

Happy Birthday Juleigh Jeanette!

So yesterday was this little angels birthday

Juleigh is only four years old, but she's so much more than a four year old to those of us who spend time with her.

a year ago on her third birthday || insta ||

It's truly incredibly how much children can affect adults.  I've always loved working with children, playing, teaching, babysitting, all of it, but never in my life did a child have this affect on me.  

I was 14 when my neighbor and second mother, Joni, told me she was pregnant. I thought she was playing a mean joke on me, in all honesty.  Joni already had a 17 year old, 14 year old, and a 7 year old, so I really didn't think it could be possible that she was pregnant again.  But what a blessing in disguise Juleigh Jeanette turned out to be. 

|| What Juleigh has taught me in four years ||

1. Cherish innocence.  So often we spend too much time wanting to grow up, but then you realize you're an adult and have responsibility.
2. Learn to say no.  Saying no to a cute kid is quite possibly the hardest thing you could do, but it teaches you how to say no in life.
3. Take pictures. Every moment, the good, the bad, and the ugly, all should be remembered.

xox
Char

Embrace your downfalls

So today was my first day of college classes! (ahhhhhhh) It's still so unreal to me, I feel like I'm at summer camp.  I barely have time to think, much less miss home at this rate. 

Anyways...

College is all about finding yourself and all that stuff they tell you but it's also about opening yourself up to new things.  There are so many people from all over the country, the world here at USC and I'm loving meeting all of them! I was so excited to get out of the bubble I lived in back home, so I say hi to every person I see.  I tend to be kind of talkative and very eager when it comes to school.  Today I met the first person I was not a fan of here at University.  Playing the name game comes with every first day of school, from kindergarden to grad school, but no matter how many times I'm told someone's name, I'll probably ask ten more times.  I thought I'd write down names today to try to commit them to memory in my visual arts computing class, and the girl next to me just looked at me and told me I looked like a freshmen.  Well, guess what, I AM A FRESHMEN.  

and I'm a-okay with being a freshmen. 

I may be eager and over talkative, but I'm embracing it. 

No upperclassmen can get me down. 

Okay, my rant is over.

Courtney and I embracing our 8:30 class

Just remember to be yourself, and love who you are, because there is no one else out there that can be a better you.

xox

Char