Goodbye 2009. Hello 2010.

This is my last blog of 2009. There is so much to say about this past year. It will definitely be a year of remembrance, not all in a good way unfortunately. This year was certainly a year of trials, hardships, and a testing of my faith. I learned to rely on God more than ever. In the words of Tye Tribbett, "I have no other choice but to trust You." Those lyrics, honestly, came to my mind many times throughout this year. In 2009, I was shaken out of my comfort zone and my perfect little world was turned upside down. I faced financial hardships, relationship meltdowns, loss of trust & friends, and changes beyond belief. There were a lot of tears, pain, frustration, and the constant asking of, "Why?!".

Although, I do wish all these things never happened, I can truly say that I am glad that they did. I have been blessed to have such a wonderful, carefree, and privileged life thus far. I grew up without a worry in the world and experienced many blessings and privileges that others did not. As many of these "norms" in life were removed, I found myself learning to appreciate the facets of life that really matter: my salvation, my family, my health, my true friends, and my spiritual purpose in life. I'm not saying that I was spoiled brat before, but I really did take for granted many things in life, as they were the norm in my life; I knew no other way. Despite it all, I am thankful for all that happened this year. I told myself I did not want to become bitter, resentful, or a complainer. I tried my best to remain positive and trust in God. My character has grown, my outlook in life has changed, my faith has grown, and I learned to appreciate what I did not before.

Here are some verses and quotes that really helped me through 2009:

-Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.

-The Lord will not leave you nor forsake you.

-Nothing lasts forever.

-And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

-His eye is on the sparrow.

-But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

-The story of Job.

God is just amazing and His word is true! He came through countless times in 2009. We serve a miraculous God.

There were, however, good memories this past year. For one, I graduated college! This was a huge accomplishment as I have been working towards this goal for over 5 years. It was such a relief and proud moment to achieve that. Along with graduating, I, in a way, left childhood and entered real adulthood. Leaving the student life that I had known for so long and entering the full-time working world. It has been a different experience and, although I miss school terribly, I am enjoying this transition. I also have matured and learn so much about myself this year. I have decided more or less how I want my life to proceed. I have set goals and plans that I want to accomplish within the next few years. I am excited for that! I am also thankful for the new people that have come into my life...pastors, leaders, and friends.

I am entering 2010 with a take-charge, kick-butt, accomplishing mentality! I have so many goals that I am striving to attain this year. I want to improve myself spiritually, physically, socially, academically, intellectually, humanitarian-ly, and leisure-ly (are those words?! haha.) I pray I can fulfill them all.

Thank you 2009 for everything, despite it all, but you will not be missed! Hello, 2010! I'm ready for ya! :)

Happy New Years to all!

Much love,

Sarah

Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown!

Merry Christmas to all!
Let us not forget the true meaning of the Christmas season.

As a wise man once said....
:)

Blogging Buddies. <3

I'm so excited to have new blogging buddies! There has been a new wave of Bloggers emerging and I'm happy to extend my blog's friends list. I look forward to reading and following each one.

Welcome, my friends.

Happy Blogging! <3

Green. <3

Ohhh, how I love this!

The coat, the shoes, the colors.

Best of Sacramento Party 2009.

I attended the annual Best of Sacramento Party on Thursday night and it was such a blast! I received 2 free tickets (cost: $75!) from work Wednesday evening and scurried to find a date & plan the night. I had never heard about the event before and was hearing good things about it from co-workers. I ended up going with my friend, Janet, and we had a great time! There were tables and booths from places all over Sacramento, including: restaurants, bakeries, salons, jewelry stores, casinos, grocery stores, and so much more! The event is hosted by the Sacramento Magazine, which continually lists the "Best ____ of Sacramento" in their magazines, such as best restaurants, best entertainment, best stores, etc. All of these "Best Of..." were at the event giving out free samples, raffles (I entered the "Win your Dream Car" raffle, say a prayer...cross your fingers that I win. It's for a Land Rover!) , free products, coupons, and more. We were given a tote upon arriving and it was filled to the top with goodies we gathered throughout the night. It was fun dressing up, hearing the live band, and seeing all the different people of Sacramento. All the proceeds went the March of Dimes, which made us all enjoy the evening a little more knowing what a great cause we were contributing too. I'm looking forward to Best of Sacramento 2010!

ps. I'm such a lame for taking hardly any pictures! boo...

Thankful.

For two reasons am I writing this blog. First, although I strive to continually be thankful year-round, it is a bit more prominent during this time of year. And second, I saw my friend, Brooke, blog about the same thing and enjoyed reading it. Thanks, Brooke! :) There are so many things that I have to be thankful for...where do I begin?!

1. Jesus Christ. He has given me life, salvation, blessings, protection, happiness, and so, so much more! I am thankful that He loved me so much to die for me and then care about my little, insignificant life. It's indescribable! I want to forever live for Him.

2. Family. They are my everything! I am so thankful for the parents and siblings I have been given. I really couldn't ask for better. They are my support group & best friends.

3. Friends. I am thankful for the friends I have made throughout my life. They are all so dear to me. Whether near or far, new or old, I am thankful for the friendship of each one. Someone to talk to, share with, & laugh with!

4. My health. I can really take this for granted at times. I don't realize how blessed I am to have my health. There are others who are restricted and unable to enjoy life to the fullest because of their poor health. I am thankful I can breathe on my own, walk, eat, run, speak, hear, and live life!

(I can see how this list can get lengthy, so I'll continue in bullet points.)

• My church
• Education
• Toby, my yorkie
• The Bible
• Food
• Opportunity
• USA
• Creation
• My home
• My car
• My cell phone
• My paycheck
• My ugg boots
• Hope
• You

What are you thankful for?

Hide 'n' Seek (in the dark).

Have you ever played that?

It's quite fun actually. Especially in a huge house with a group of 20 people.

Not that I would know, of course.

;)

Recipe: Spiced Pumpkin Soup

As I was browsing the Los Angeles Times website today, I found an adorable, little recipe in the Health section of the website. Of course, the first thing that caught my attention was the charming picture of mini pumpkins serving as bowls for this spiced pumpkin soup. I love all things creative. And I love the fall season - the colors, the weather, the holidays, and the food! This is a perfect starter course for Thanksgiving dinner. I just might have to whip up 6 of these little babies for Turkey Day! If the preceding statement happens, I will be sure to follow up with a post including pictures. (I'm trying to build some accountability to prevent "blogging lagging", which happens to be an unfortunate habit of mine.)
If anyone else is interested in including these in your holiday menu, here's the recipe.

Happy Holidays and Happy Cooking!

Nuts for Nutella.

Nutella: a hazelnut spread with a hint of cocoa.

Now, you would think that with a description so delicious, Nutella would be one of my favorite foods and be a staple item in my food pantry? But due to my lack of spontaneity and venturing out in foods, my first experience with Nutella was merely 2 months ago. I give thanks to my friend, Pam, for showing me the light. While out to dinner one night, she ordered a Nutella cheesecake at Burgers & Brew and shared the heaven-sent dessert. Love at first sight...err, taste. Then, to feed (literally) my new found love, she made crepes with Nutella and bananas...also delish! Since then, I have tried Nutella in a variety of ways, such as with toast, pretzels, fruit, and, of course, straight out of the jar!

Have you tried Nutella? How do you enjoy it?

:)

My new love. <3

Looks just like an ordinary iced drink cup from Starbucks? Look again! This here kiddos is my new, favorite possession. It is a "To Go Cold Cup Tumbler". Everyone in our office received one as a thank you gift from a very happy client that our graphic designer did some creative work for. I love it. I take it to Starbucks and get 10 cents off my grande iced drink, then I'll rinse it out and sip iced water from it at work. So versatile, plus I think it's adorable!

Buy your own here.

A Parisian Beauty.

I absolutely LOVE this photo.

It makes me want to move to a Paris, buy a bike, and shop for adorable dresses. One day... 

Fallen Princesses.

I found this very interesting post/photo shoot/project!
Unusual, but oh so cool!
It's entitled Fallen Princesses and basically captures famous fairy tale in today's modern reality. I know it's a bit depressing and take away from the fantasy and magic of the beautiful princesses we looked up to as a little girls. The website explains more in detail the project.

http://www.dinagoldstein.com/

Cruisin' on my Cruiser?

I've been looking into buying a cruiser bike. Working in midtown, I see locals every day riding around town on their bikes. Super cute! There's a bike shop right around the corner from where I work, so I stop in on occasion to browse & admire. They even have a houndstooth bike! I want to make sure my money will be well spent before making this semi-large purchase. I don't live in midtown or downtown and people don't usually cruise around on bikes in Elk Grove. So, we shall see... :)

Hair Trouble.

Due for my bi-annual (sometimes tri-annual) hair appointment, I was a little hesitant to book with the lady I went to last. My reason? Well, in a nutshell, I was with Luci, my hair stylist for years, following her from salon to salon as she changed jobs throughout the years. She was great! Unfortunately, the last time I went to book an appointment with her, I came to find that she was no longer at Envy Salon & Spa. Upset that she didn't call to notify she was leaving (as she did in the past), I booked with someone else. Not completely satisfied with the way my hair turned out, I decided to not go back for this last hair trim. While I was at Ulta the other day buying a blow dryer and other beauty essentials, I was given a coupon for the Ulta Salon upon paying. {Are you getting where I'm going with this??} The special was only $30 for a Signature Hair Cut at the Ulta Salon. I usually pay $50-60 for a haircut (so this deal seemed pretty good), and the Ulta Salon looked pretty legit. I was iffy, but booked anyways. Biggest mistake EVER! The novice hair stylist took 2 1/2 hours on my hair, when in the past it usually take 45min to wash, cut, and style! She moved like a snail and worked on 1/2" pieces of my hair at a time! Seriously! She left it horribly cut and styled, as the underneath roots of my hair were still damp and crimpy! I left fuming! Jesse always complains how I never try new things and how I get or do the same ol' things over and over. Well, I know why - it won't fail me! I should have never booked. My sister and other friends have the easiest hair so can go to Great Clips, pay $12 for a haircut, and look like a celebrity. Not me. My hair is extremely difficult. It's thick, wavy, frizzy - difficult. Now, I have to pay another $50 to get it fixed. Such a drag...! 

Moral of the story: When it comes to hair, stick with what works. 

McCafé.

As we often do, Jesse and I were in the drive-thru of the Golden Arches getting our post-dinner iced coffee. As we were paying, the cashier returned our receipt with something heaven-sent! A coupon for a FREE McCafé plus TWO Buy 4 Get 1 FREE! I was thrilled! Jesse, not wanting them, gave them to me. A dangerous move! I have been there almost every day getting my promo cards stamped. I'm due for my FREE iced coffee tomorrow! I love McDee's coffee. I was hesitant at first, but Jesse insisted they were delicious - and they were! I was hooked. I still go to Starbucks for black iced teas and white mochas, but McCafé has been the spot lately! You can't go wrong with a medium (which is the Venti size at Starbucks!) regular flavored iced coffee for $2.06!

I do, however, I have one teeny tiny complaint...Mr. Ronald has got to get the consistency down! Some days it's too coffee-y, the next too sweet, and the other day it tasted like pure water! I try to take a sip before I leave the drive-thru and return it if it's not right. Hopefully they get it down soon.

I'm lovin' it,
Sarah

Promotion - Pro Bono.

I am so privileged to have such talented family and friends, and will shamelessly promote their entrepreneurial efforts!

-- Bella Mena Photography
My aunt has her own photographing business, and is quite the shutterfly! Her work is amazing. She is skilled in capturing moments from families to engagement to senior portraits. She is great and easy to work with, and photoshoots are always so fun with her! (I've had 2 sessions with her.) On top of capturing great pictures, her editing skills are superb and produce flawless photos. Check out her work at: Bella Mena Photography.

-- Capital City Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
My boyfriend, Jesse, owns a jiu-jitsu gym in the Sacramento area. Although fairly new (opened in November), the place is booming! A true success. CCBJJ offers traditional brazilian jiu-jitsu, judo, kids' classes, and morning, evening, and weekend classes. The environment is positive and family friendly. The instructors are top-notch and experienced, such as black-belt Marcos Torregrossa. Come in and learn new skills, get a great workout, and meet a rockin' group of people! Check them out: Capital City Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu or on Myspace.

-- Impression Designs
My good friend, Janet, is in school studying graphic design. She is earnest about putting what she learns in the classroom to good use. She has created numerous projects for businesses, churches, friends, and much more. She has a creative mind and is willing to work with you to obtain your desired design. She is skilled in creating fliers, business cards, pamphlets, etc. View her work at: Impression Designs.

An Encouraging Coincidence.

I always love it when Sunday's message reflects a topic that I dealt with throughout the week. It's so refreshing, inspiring, and comforting. Yesterday was just that. I have been reading a book a friend bought for me called Enjoy the Silence by Robbins and Robbins. It's a great personal devotional book; I highly recommend it. One of the days, the devotion was based on the parable of the sower. Although I have heard this parable many times, it struck me differently when I read it. It challenged me to examine the "soil" of my heart and make it open and available to God's word. Sunday's preaching covered the same topic and encouraged me again. I loved it! It's such a comfort to know God is alive and cares. "His eye is on the sparrow."

Be encouraged,
Sarah

weekly post.

As much as I enjoy blogging, it has been difficult to concoct posts that will be found interesting and informative. I was thinking I could start a weekly blog post on a certain idea or theme.
Some ideas I had were: a weekly picture of something, an article review, tip of the week, etc.
I'm liking the idea of a weekly picture - I find photojournalism fascinating! I'll have to toy around with some themes. I have a great camera and have been wanting to show off the amazing photos it takes. This might be a perfect opportunity.

Your thoughts? What would you like to see as a weekly post?



-Sarah V.

A Great Recipe.

Found it. Loved it. Posted it. :)

A GREAT RECIPE.
1. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. And while you walk, smile. It is the ultimate anti-depressant.
2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day. Talk to God about what is going on in your life. Buy a lock if you have to.
3. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement, 'My purpose is to__________ today. I am thankful for______________'
4. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.
5. Drink green tea and plenty of water. Eat blueberries, wild Alaskan salmon, broccoli, almonds & walnuts.
6. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
7. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
8. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out charge card.
9. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
10. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
11. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
12. You are not so important that you have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
13. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
14. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
15. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
16. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: 'In five years, will this matter?'
17. Forgive everyone for everything.
18. What other people think of you is none of your business.
19. GOD heals everything - but you have to ask HIM.
20. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
21. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch!!!
22. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
23. Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements: I am thankful for__________. Today I accomplished_________.
24. Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.
25. When you are feeling down, start listing your many blessings. You'll be smiling before you know it.

Twitter Caution!

I don't have a Twitter page - the most current, social network craze. Not that I'm against it, I just find it redundant to Facebook and Myspace updates. No need updating my every move throughout the day three times! Two is suffice for me. Although fun to follow (and addicting!), there can be danger lurking on your next Twitter update. I recently read an article (again) in July's issue of Marie Claire that stated the risk of Twitter updates and your job. The article shared about a woman who after being offered a job "tweeted" the following: "Cisco just offered me a job! Now I have to to weigh the utility of a fatty paycheck against the daily commute to San Jose and hating the work." Someone at Cisco saw the tweet, reported it to HR, and they rescinded their offer. That sucks. Also, a British woman was fired for calling her job boring on her Facebook page! I see this very often. Between 8am and 5pm, every other update is someone complaining that they're bored at work. A word of caution: beware of your next social network update - it could cost you your job!

Graduation and on.

So, I graduated a couple weeks ago.... ;) I know I have been (yet again) absent from the blog and I don't have a legitimate excuse this time. Tis sad. But here I am!

Graduation went great! I was delighted and appreciative to see everyone who made it out to celebrate my joyous day. I have had the support of my family and friends over this academic journey, and attribute my success to their encouragement and support. I love and appreciate them all!

These are just a few of the graduation pictures. You can see more on my Myspace or Facebook.

Post-graduation has been great! I love being stress-free and being able to enjoy my evenings and weekends, as my few weeks before graduation were spent at the school library. I'm enjoying my new job and experiencing the "work-only" kind of life, which is kind of weird for me since I have always been in school, even in the summer. With all the precious free time on my hands, I certainly don't want to put it to waste. I am looking into various activities that I have been wanting to learn and develop, such as: photography, tennis, cooking, dance lessons, etc.

With my future plans not really defined yet, I have been struggling with the "unknown". It seems that my answer for life right now is, "I don't know." Of course, along with the congratulations comes the, " So what now?" Aghh! With the millions of times that I have been asked this in the past two weeks, I still have the same answer. "I don't know." Well, I mean, of course I have some idea of what I want. I know I want to go to graduate school, but the what? when? where? are still all unknowns. (And in parenthesis, literally, I find it somewhat surprising on how much a Bachelors degree isn't worth what it use to be. No offense to anyone who deem it a high honor and great accomplishment, because it certainly is, but I have been asked so many times if I am going to continue with graduate school as if it is a given that that is the succeeding. As if what I have accomplished is just a stepping stone to what's next. This is a good thing though. I'm glad to see the importance higher education in today's society.) Now back to my unmapped future... I find it uncomfortable to not have definite answers about what's next in life. I've always had my future planned out and ready to answer in a split-second what my next step in life was. I sometimes ask myself if I have been careless or lazy to not chart out my next plan of action. I see other graduates who are moving for a new job, attending graduate school immediately, taking internships, getting married, traveling, and worry why I am not doing any of the preceding. I have been praying and seeking for answers though; waiting for God's hand to open and close doors. I ultimately want His will to flow through my life and guide my next steps. I entrust my "unknown" to Him. I know my future will unravel itself and everything be put into place. I'm thankful and excited for my unrevealed future!

With that being said, if anyone is starting an interesting hobby, planning an event, or simply wants to hang out, let me know! I'm full of free time and ready to enjoy the summer! :)

-Sarah

2 weeks.

I have 2 weeks until graduation! And I am so overwhelmed! I have projects, tests, presentations, and papers due in all 5 of my classes. On top of trying to finish out my finals and last semester of college, I start my new job tomorrow! Let the stress begin. I have mixed emotions during this time. I am so stressed and anxious about trying to get all my school work done, but am also excited and happy to be finishing college and starting a new job. 

The countdown begins! 

Yippee! 

{More blogging after graduation...}

;)

Hillsong United. <3

I went to see one of my favorite Christian groups of all time last month, and it was sooo awesome! As always, since I have seen them three times! hehe. :) I love their sincere worship and humble hearts as they play and sing for His glory. The atmosphere was was thick with praise, and everyone was in unity and there for one purpose. It was incredible. My only complaint of the evening was that as soon as I got inside and pulled out my camera to snap some shots of friends and the beautiful Memorial Auditorium, my camera was dead. Bummer. :( But I did manage to snag some pictures from friends. {don't worry...I'll give credit! hehe.} If anyone is a Hillsong fan, there are a must to see live! 

That last picture is my favorite!

Thanks to: Brooke & Ruthie! 

:)

This is not from the concert, but is one of my favorite songs and I love the video. Enjoy! 

eek, germs!

I wouldn't consider myself a germ-phobia, but I still am cautious and try to avoid the little guys them as much as possible. My latest germ fear has been with my handbags. Whether a purse, backpack, book bag, or laptop case, I have been real cautious about where I set it down. I had never really thought about it until recently. I think it was my boyfriend, Jesse, who made me aware of it. When we are over at his house, he does not allow any of us girls to put our purses on his bed, the table, or sofa - we must set our precious totes carrying our most valuable possessions (i.e. cell, make-up, wallet, camera, etc.) on the floor and the floor only! At first, I would ask what's up with the purse rule and that it was kind of rude and insensitive, but he insisted that girls' purses are filthy because we set them down anywhere and everywhere. (p.s. if you knew Jesse and his abnormal fear of germs, then this makes perfect sense) After him telling us this, my eyes were open. "I do set my purse anywhere!" Now, I make sure that I don't set any of my bags on my bed, on the table, or anywhere else except the floor; and make sure that I set my purse on the side of the chair while at restaurants and use the hook in public restrooms to hang my bag (if there isn't one, I put a seat cover on the floor and set it on that). Also, every once in a while, I clean the bottom of my purses and bags with a disinfectant wipe. A good idea! (Although, best on leather and such materials, instead of cloth.) Since I have been on this purse/germ lookout, an article in Marie Claire caught my attention. It stated how women's desks at work and purses are crawling with germs! Gross! It gave the following chart showing how germy our belongings are that we use on daily basis:

-Keyboard: 719 germs per square inch

-Mouse: 846

-Handbag: 882

-Phone: 2180 (agh!)

Ladies, get disinfecting on those beloved Coach handbags!

Multi-tasking.

I am in class....

-Listening to lecture

-Taking notes

-Eating an apple

-Browsing online

-Returning emails

-Blogging (obviously)

-Reading a magazine

-Texting

-Thinking [...]

The joys of multi-tasking. :)

Graduation!

If you follow my Facebook or MySpace {and possibly a Twitter soon?}, you may have noticed my most recent update, which states the following: I purchased my graduation cap & gown today! Totally stoked about this! It seems almost surreal. I cannot believe that this moment has actually come. I have been in school my whole life; it's all I ever known. I mean starting kindergarten was just the other day, right?! My school years flashed before me eyes as I made this once-in-a-lifetime purchase. I had a mixture of emotions from: happy, excited, sad, nervous, anxious, proud, and accomplished. I am entirely, forever thankful for having this great privilege. I highly value education, and know that unfortunately many do not and will not have this privilege; I am appreciative that I did. Also, I am the first in my family to receive a college degree, and hold it a high honor to posses this position. I am thankful to my parents for continuously encouraging and reminding me throughout my life to attend college and gain an education. Oh, who am I kidding! I had no choice! Lol. College was never an option; it was a must. From as far back as I can remember, college was this afar off notion that was, without a doubt, going to happen. I was going to go college. Words cannot explain my gratitude towards my parents for this. College has been a eye-opening, extraordinary experience for me. I have gained so much more than textbook knowledge from my 5 scholarly years. I have grown as a person, gained insight from so many different perspectives, learned to be confident and comfortable in my own skin, grown in my personal faith and beliefs, and the list goes on. Although I dislike identifying myself by my education or degree {I identify myself in Christ}, it truly is an immense and significant part of who I am. It is a bit melancholy to see this grand, scholastic adventure come to a close, but joyful all the more! Years of late night studying, essay writing, and hours of lectures are routines that will not be missed! I remember the numerous all-nighters, multiple midnight cups of coffee & tea, No Doz {used with caution, of course}, and the pull-my-hair-out & quit-school-and-become-a-hooker {totally a joke I had with my mom! Haha!} moments I often had when my brain just couldn't take it anymore! Despite all my not-so-fond studying memories, I loved school. Learning is so enlightening and satisfying. And can also become addicting. I am looking into continuing and going back to school for my Masters. It's about a 95% certainty that I will. I just want some time off, give my brain time to heal, (maybe a year or two) and then go for my MBA (Masters in Business Administration). Many graduate programs require 2 years of credible work experience {along w/ the dreaded GMAT}, so I hope to gain that during my time off. Buuuttt that's too far fetched for right now! The main point is: I have my cap & gown! Yipee! :)

The big show is going down:

May 23rd at 2:30pm at Arco Arena!

Mostly everyone is invited, so I would love to have you there to share this experience with me. 

Soon-to-be-CSUS Alumni c/o 2009, 

Sarah 

{what's the deal with my obsession with hyphenated words in this post?!} Lol.

País tropical. <3

Sunny beaches, merengue music, and exotic delicacies. Oh, how I wish I was lounging in a tropical country right now! As of lately, I have been craving an escape to a Latin country. I have been to Nicaragua, Belize, Cancun, Isla Cozumel, El Salvador, and Guatemala (the latter two only briefly); and would love to continue exploring my Central American land. I was listening to some merengue-salsa-dancing music the other day, and it totally hit me... I have been way out of touch with my Latin culture! Not that I ever was 100% embedded into a Hispanic way of life. I have been pretty Americanized and assimilated into the good ol' US of A culture; but the Nicaraguan and Salvadorian are still a huge part of me. I miss the simple way of life found in these countries - along with the food, music, family, traditions, church, weather, and shopping. I hope to return soon and soak in the beauty of these países. 

The top spots on my list are:

1. Costa Rica

2. El Salvador {thoroughly this time}

3. Nicaragua {again}

4. Brazil

5. Peru

 Wishing I was here...

Sandra Cantu.

May our prayers be with her family and friends during this emotional tragedy.

Read the latest story here. 

RIP Beautiful Sandra. 

silence.

Today has been a day of silence and deep thought.

{...}

-Life

-Reflection

-Choices

-Future

-Desires

-Thought

-Life

waves.

I am pleased to say that I have mastered the S-wave curl! Okay, I know...not that big of an accomplishment, but I was never satisfied with the way my hair would come out when I attempted to do this hair style. Maybe, I'm the only one who didn't know how to do this correctly, but I never could seem to get it down. Well, thanks to an informative video tutorial {I know, I actually look this stuff up!}, I can now have boho, wavy locks like so.... 

:)

wcs.

Last night, I went to a benefit for my younger brother and sister's school. It's called Candlelight Concert and has been around since I went there. {Yes, proud to be WCS Alumni!} It's a night of performing arts, such as, choir, string ensemble, vocal & piano solos, poetry, drama, and dessert! {mmm, cheesecake...} It was a delightful evening. It was also great seeing old friends from junior high & high school. If you knew Wilton, you would know what I was talking about. It's like one big family, so of course alumni go to visit and stay in touch (others even go back to work there! something i could never do, sorry. Lol). I chatted with some former classmates, trying to get updated from the last time we conversed.  With some it had just been a couple months, but with others it was since graduation; 5 years ago! It's almost surreal to think it has been that long! It seems like only yesterday we were hanging around campus in our red, white, and blue uniforms talking about last night's basketball game and P.G.'s theology lectures. It was nice to recall on old memories - good memories. Oh how sometimes I wish I could go back to those days! When life was carefree & happy. Not a single worry in the world. Although, a 16 year old Sarah would have to disagree, since what dress to buy for homecoming and being able to nail down that cheer routine were major worries for her! I wished I hadn't been so rushed to grow up and would have enjoyed every day to its fullest. Despite that, I am so happy that I can look back and smile as I reminisce on the good ol' days at WCS. 

-Sarah 

WCS c/o 2004

salsa lessons. <3

I would love to learn to dance salsa! It seems like so much fun, as well as a good workout! I've been looking up some dance studios in Sacramento....prices, times, location, reviews, etc. Hopefully I can start soon. I am kind of hesitant though because I wouldn't want to go alone. Lol. It would be really fun if I got a group of people to join. 

Anyone interested? :) 

Let me know if you are. When I find out more information, I'll post it. 

HTML Discontent.

Does it bother anyone else that you cannot use HTML on Blogspot?? 

I guess I am so use to frequently using it on myspace and such, that it almost comes naturally when I am typing. Lol. 

Such a bummer it's disabled on here. 

Oh well....life goes on. :)

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday Karla! 

{my forever friend} 

I will post pictures from her birthday dinner soon. [...]

techy obsession.

Okay, this blog is mainly geared towards Mac users, but I am sure PC/Vista fellows can relate as well. I have had my Macbook for about a year now, which I totally LOVE by the way! I wouldn't trade it in for anything. {Okay, here comes the Macbook jargon...} For the past year, I never really used my Dashboard.  I would open it (using the nifty F4 key) once in a while to use the calculator or check the weather forecast, but nothing beyond that. But as of recently I have become obsessed with it! I use it allll the time! I have added a lot more cool widgets such as stickies, English to Spanish translator, and my ultimate favorite, the Dictionary/Thesaurus widget! I have seriously become obsessed! I find myself looking up word definitions and synonyms over and over. Whenever I hear a word I am unsure of, or am wondering how to say a mundane word in an extravagant substitute {<--see what i mean!} I immediately look it up. I am amazed on how many millions of words there are out there in the English language. I know, nerd. 8-]

And stickies, oh my! True love. Farewell paper & pen! I am an obsessive list-maker; so this is fantastic for me. I have stickies all over my Dashboard ranging from To do lists, Cool places to visit, People to call, Shopping list, Blogging ideas, and on and on. :]

In conclusion: Technology amazes me. It makes life so much easier, informative, and entertaining! 

-Sarah 

busy, busy.

Life has been hectic!

I think I am having the craziest week of my life! aghh!

School, work, church, life, planning.

*I have a "real" interview tomorrow! :)

It's at a marketing & advertising agency called Lmag.

I am super excited and NERVOUS!

Please say a quick prayer for me in the morning.*

Will blog more soon....

Twilight.

I am so "Johnny Jenny Come Lately" with this Twilight stuff. 

I have yet to see the famous movie. [Due to certain reasons I wish to not mention.] hmph! 

Obviously, I never got around to watching the movie. But I had been hearing good reviews about the book series, so due to that, and my unattainable desire to begin reading for pleasure, I purchased the Twilight book. :)

I am not very far into it, probably only chapter 1, but I find it interesting so far. I hope not to slack off in my reading.  I have a couple half-read books by my bed. I hate that I do that. I think my main reason is guilt. I feel guilty reading for pleasure when I have a stack of textbooks I should be reading! Oh the joys of school. I've convinced myself that I if I keep making excuses for everything, I'll never accomplish anything. [That goes for life all-around, not just reading.] :)

I'll post my book reviews and rants every so often. 

Happy Reading! 

:]

Happy Birthday!

Happy 10th Birthday Melina! 

Melina is my cousin. I remember when she was born, and her "oh so wonderful" toddler years when she called everyone "stinka-pot". Whatever that meant! Lol.

She has grown up into such a beautiful, smart, determined young lady. 

ps. 

We've been told we look alike. 

:]

spring forward.

I'm not too fond of "springing forward". 

Well at least not this morning. It was a groggy Monday morning. Lol. 

I guess I'll get use to it...

Busy day today:

• Work 
• Step aerobics class
• Lunch
• Costco
• Car wash
• Oil change
• Homework
• Back to work
• Finance class (6-9pm)
• Homework

Ohhh Mondays! <3

hehe.

Have a great week.

*Sarah*

Sunny Saturday.

What an enjoyable Saturday! 

+I accomplished a lot of put-off, well-needed errands.

+Had a great time w/ Jesse & friends. 

 +Relished in the spring sun.

<3

cool site.

I came across this ad online today. It's called WeightView.com. 

Basically, you can upload a picture of yourself, input how many pounds you wish to lose, and within 48 hours you are emailed your picture with "x" amount of fake pounds lost. 

Pretty cool. L0l. 

I tried it, so we'll see how my picture turns out. I might share it in a post. ;)

blogger lagger

my, my, my! 

Where have I been?? I'm quite disappointed in my lack of discipline on keeping up with my blog. Although, my reasons do justify. ;) 

I am in my last semester of college, and I am giving it 110%! I want to end my college experience with a bang! Being in my last semester and all, I have been reminiscing on life. On all that I have accomplished, and what I have yet to. I feel like a stage of my life is ending; in a sense, my childhood. School is all I've known for my 21 years of life. It is going to be a weird, but exciting adventure to face what lies ahead. 

Life in general has been pretty hectic. I have been facing situations and circumstances that I have never dealt with before. Although frustrating and hard to deal with, I can honestly say that I have grown stronger as a person. And I am thankful for that. 

I will put an effort into keeping this blog more up-to-date. Since I know all of you are dyyying to know every detail of my fascinating life! ;)

Sarah