Short Stories

If I write short stories, I can kill two birds with one stone.
1. My creative writing class will have another exercise done!
2. I can put them on here for feedback before I hand them in.
Smart, right?
Here it is... numero uno!

Sarah had waited nearly her whole life for this moment, it is something she always wanted to do. Now, at the age of 25 the moment was finally here, but Sarah couldn’t understand why her legs were frozen to one spot. With her long, frizzy, brown hair flying behind her, her petit body lost in her bright blue jumpsuit, and her face covered by massive safety goggles, Sarah looked like the perfect picture of a sky diver. She was so close, standing poised on the edge of the plane with door thrust wide open where all she could see was clear blue sky for miles. The clouds looked puffy, full, and white, the sky a brilliant shade of powder blue seemed ready for her to jump in. However, with the whirl of the airplane engines making a loud and obnoxious spinning and cutting sound, it was hard for Sarah to center her thoughts. The guys on board the plane kept yelling, “Jump Sarah, jump!” There voices all mixed together sounded like a giant crowd hooting and hollering above the plane engines. Sarah realized it was now or never, and with the fresh air whipping her face, she spread her tiny, delicate arms, closed her large chocolate brown eyes, and flung herself into the wind.
Her body, flat as a saucer, was halfway down before she realized she could open her eyes and enjoy herself. When she did, it was bliss. The only noise was the wind lightly tapping at her eardrums, and the houses looked like tiny ant specs below. When Sarah opened her mouth to smile, she tasted nothing but fresh, crisp air. The time came to open her parachute, and Sarah pulled the string hard. The parachute made a whoosh as it flew open nearly three times her size. Sarah could see the edges of it, bright pink and blue, as it flapped about above her head. The warm glow of the sun reverberated off Sarah’s face as she slowed down, and jutted her petit legs and feet out, ready to land.

what do you think?!

xoxo
Ali

Week One is Done!

So I have been slacking in the blogging world lately, and for that I am deeply sorry. However, a nice voice came along the other day and gave me a little reminder that I need to keep up. So... I'm back, and here to tell everyone about my first week of school this semester.
OH MY! WHAT A WEEK IT HAS BEEN!
We start with a multitude of problems buzzing around my daycare from pink eye to ringworm to the flu, just to name a few. With all of these diseases surrounding me everyday I was bound to get sick sooner or later. Unfortunately, the sickness had to creep up on me at the most inconvenient of times. When did it start? Well, just a few hours before I was due in my first class. What a way to start the semester, right? I had to email my teacher and tell her I wouldn't be able to make it. :(
On top of that, my Kindle BROKE! My love, my baby, my savior during breaks at school, just wouldn't take a charge. I called Amazon and sat on the phone for hours only to find out they would "put my complaint to technical support and get back to me." WHAT?! Well, my mom wasn't standing for that and she got right back on that phone to call for me. Apparently, they didn't take me seriously enough (perhaps because I sound like a 5 year old on the phone?) but they got my mom's complaint and were suddenly eager to help. So, the old Kindle got all packed up and shipped back, and after a week of withdrawal I just got my new one in the mail today. Hooray!
Well, other than that I made it to school all the other days. I have one professor I can't understand worth a darn, one who seems clueless, and one who is older than the hills. Also, I got assigned 2 "short" 2 to 3 page papers from every class. That's right, EVERY SINGLE CLASS. That's 6 classes times 2 papers from each times three pages for each assignment, which equals about 36 pages due next week. Oh, hello homework!

So, did I start it yet? NOPE!
And you wonder why I haven't blogged... ha.
Six classes and working five days a week will keep me very busy, but I will try my hardest to keep up.
And if I slack? A lil reminder will get me going again :)

In other news, my sister brought a "Baby Think It Over" baby home this weekend for school. She named it Dexter... after the serial killer on TV. LOVE IT! I'll let you know how this baby filled weekend goes!
Wish us luck as we take it shopping tomorrow.

xoxo
Ali

Fashion Friday 2!

Guess what today is? Everyone's favorite day of the week because it includes pay day, the end to a week, and my fashion Friday blog post (duh!) haha. This fashion friday is another everyday outfit more suited toward fall, but I still wear it in the winter just fine. The colors are very fallish, but it keeps me warm all the way through January too.

The key pieces to this outfit are the boots and hat. They are the solid brown pieces that pull it all together. However, there is also the orangeish shirt that adds the pop of color. It is important to mix the dull with the bright colors for the best most put together look.

xoxo
Ali

PS. In totally unrelated news, does anyone with an iphone know a good app for blogging from? I have so many pictures on my phone that I don't feel like putting on the computer, and without that you'll never be able to see them. Also, since my phone is practically permanently attached to my hand it would be super easy to write on the go and just edit when I get home. Any ideas?
And... just to ask every question at once, does anyone know how to get the customized backgrounds? They just will not work for me. Better yet, does anyone make background or layouts who would like to help me out? Thanks!

Scary Summer!

Certain things are starting to creep up on me and let me tell you, they. are. SCARY.!!! Want to know what is frightening me so? Okay, how about the fact that I walked into Target to see the bathing suits are out and about. Then, just yesterday, my Victoria's Secret Swim catalog arrived in the mail. EEK!! I can't even get away from it at work, where the girls are all discussing the newest swimsuits. Please, it is only January, my diet has only begun, and I am not ready for these bathing suits. Jeeze! The only good thing is I have secretly scoured the magazines for possible Jamaica bathing suits. However, I will not buy ANY until at least the end of February.
The 30 day shred is going great as well. Level one was easy and I didn't really feel the burn so I upped myself to level 2 a little early. However, level 2 is killer and I am sore all over... have been for about 3 days now. Good job Jillian, you are kicking my butt big time with that DVD! haha

Se you again in about 5 months summer..

(Summer 09)

xoxo
Ali

School Is Just Aound the Corner :(

Sorry for the delay from the last post, but I have been busy, busy, busy. This is mostly because school starts next week, and this break seemed to go so fast!
So, in order to prepare for the start of a fresh semester I have been cleaning out my folders, organizing my new books and notebooks, hanging out with my friends who will soon go back to school far away, and working ALL THE TIME (to help with Jamaica. In the mist of my hectic schedule, I haven't even had time to take down my small pink Christmas tree that I keep in my room. I know it is only Wednesday, but what I need is the weekend to get caught up!
Onto other school related news, I also feel the need to share the story of my morning. So, my younger sister had a two hour delay today, and my mom and dad were both at work. Since no one else was home, I got delegated the duty of taking her to school. Naturally, it being winter break, I decided to relish the last couple days of sleeping in and get up at the last possible moment before we had to step out the door. The night before I thought, great idea... anything to sleep longer! However, this morning my idea went all wrong when the alarm went off. First, I set the alarm for only 3 minutes before we had to leave so that didn't even give me time to brush my teeth or comb my hair. Picture a girl wearing this, Coach furry brown shoes, zebra pajama pants, a big brown Rowan University sweat shirt, make up streaming down her face (grossly unwashed from the night before), hair all askew sticking out every way, and glasses to hide my tired half open eyes. Got that hideous picture in your head? That was me this morning. Eek!! Talk about a fashion disaster. However, when I stepped out of the house I thought it was no problem. I mean,m I graduated 3 years ago so who do I still know at the high school anyway? Well, I get to school, pull my sister up, and as she jumps out I see my friend's sister (who is a senior and sorta my friend too). Well, I immediately duck to hide and push my sister out of the car. Unfortunately, the hiding didn't work and she spotted me. Rats! Now from there, the story just gets worse. Then I go to pull out of the parking lot and see two more people, both guys. One is my friend, the one I'm going to Jamaica with, whose sister is in the same grade as mine. Well, I am driving in as he is driving out so he spots me and waves. I begrudgingly wave back before turning the corner. Upon turning that corner I see a man crossing the parking lot and stop so he can get across. This man is my old band teacher, and he looks my way to say thank you for stopping. Well, don't you know he recognizes me and tries to come over to say hello. With smelly breath, crazy hair, and a make-up dunked face I chatted with him for as short as possible. Wow, of all the times to run into EVERYONE. Well, I drove home in peace confident that was the end of it. That is, until I turned on my street and saw the young, friendly mail man was almost at my house. Certain that he knows my car, I couldn't just keep driving. So I stopped, pulled out my cell, and pretended to send a text as he dropped off the mail and kept walking. When I thought he was gone, I got out of my car and ran into the house... but not before locking it! Which, of course, sent off a giant "Beep! Beep!!" Naturally, just my luck, the noise caused the mailman to turn around and look right at me. UGHH!! This situation would only happen to me and my horrible luck.
Well, lesson learned, NEVER EVER leave the house looking a mess again. Isn't it just the thing, whenever I leave the house not wanting to be seen I see everyone. FIGURES! I need to always remember, Fashion First! haha

Kinda still related to the topic of school, I actually got a start on the book I am trying to write. Of course, if you mean by start I have the plot down, then yeah! I know the characters, plot, and I started on the first couple of pages. Here is a hint, it is a love story (obviously), will hopefully involve a dog, and has a mailman as a main character. Intrigued? More to come shortly!

xoxox
Ali

I'm So Excited, I Just Can't Hide It!

Today is the best day. Why? Because in exactly 62 days I will see nothing but sunny skies, blue water, colorful fish, and white sand. That's right, today we scheduled and finalized our spring break trip!
On Saturday, March 13, I will be off to... Montego Bay, Jamaica! We searched long and hard for the perfect place with the best deal. Being poor college students, we wanted a good price. First and foremost, we were on a budget to save money. Next, we wanted beautiful beaches with snorkeling. Lastly, we looked long and hard for an all inclusive package so we would not have to worry about food or drink.
Nothing seemed to be working out for us as deal after deal went flying out the window. Our first option of Cancun, it turned out to be way too expensive. Two of my friends only work in the summer, so although Cancun sounded beautiful in theory, it just would not work for us. Next, we went to see a travel agent because we thought they would be able to steer us in the right direction budget wise; however, boy were we wrong. The travel agent pretty much dismissed us on the spot saying there was nothing, anywhere, within our price range. She told us of one deal in Jamaica that was $900 for only 3 nights. LAME! The next day of searching brought what we thought was the perfect option, a cruise. How perfect to be on a boat where everything was taken care of. However, when we went to pay for our cruise a warning popped up saying, "You must be 21 or staying in a room with someone 25 years of age or older." Ughhhh, why 25? Our perfect dreams were squashes, and we spent the next 3 days looking at website after website until our eyes were so sick of seeing prices that we could practically divide the total by 4 in our heads. We were about to settle for the Dominican Republic when just today we stumbled across the perfect deal in Montego Bay Jamaica. We booked it, and I am beyond happy!
March 13 until March 18 I will be away soaking up the sun with my friends.

{a picture of the trip goers from Christmas} :)

xoxo Ali

Fashion Friday

Every Friday I will literally give you "A Peek of Chic" with the new.... Fashion Fridays!
I will include an outfit of the day, and a peek into why I love it so much.

Okay, picture this... It's a Friday, you are ready for the week to be over, but you still have one last grueling day left of school, work, or in my case usually both. So, you look in your closet and think, "What do I wear today?" You want cute and comfy paired together, and your thoughts stop at sweat pants! Some jobs don't let you wear sweat pants, therefore this option is out. However, if you are lucky enough to be allowed this luxury, you may just go for it. I have fallen for the sweat pants too many 8 am classes to count, and this is what always happens. I get to class all comfy and cozy, look around, and become instantly depressed. I start to think thoughts such as, "She looks adorable!" "Look at that shirt!" and "WOW! Love that outfit." That is when I get a giant burst of energy to wear a great outfit, and it is too late because I am already sitting in class. BOOOO! Major bummer!
That is why every girl out there needs to take my new trick, and learn from it. One key word will solve all your lazy day blues.... LEGGINGS!
They are comfy and cozy like sweat pants but when paired with a long sweater or dress they look adorable and fashionable. Viola, cute outfit in a snap. In the above picture I paired mine with a simple scarf that just added something further to my outfit without making it uncomfortable at all.
Also, you know what the best part is? Leggings are SUPER CHEAP. Mine come from Target, Kohls, and Forever 21 and all were under 10 dollars. You can't beat that.
So ladies, go dig through your closets, grab all your boyish sweat pants, and give them away! Splurge for leggings!
I know many people out there do not like leggings. For instance, I have a few friends who refuse to wear them. WHYYY??? I am at a loss for words...
A girl at my work showed me she even found flower leggings a few days ago. I need to see where she got them because they would look adorable with a little sweater dress.

Okay, so enough of my rant. I hope I got my point across to go buy leggings. Wear them loud and wear them proud. Get them in every color of the rainbow if that suits your fancy.

xoxo Ali

PS In the above picture, do you see my dog Eva? HAHA! I didn't see that when my sister first took the picture. Apparently, Eva wanted in, and she sneakily popped out from behind the couch just in time.

I'm Outta Here

Good bye! I will soon officially be a traveler and may never want to stay in one place again.
Tomorrow, I am going to get a.... PASSPORT!
You see, my friends and I are trying to plan a trip during spring break to a tropical location. This is something we have talked about and saved up for a while now. However, we are students... so we are definitely not rich.
This is why it was so disheartening when we went to a travel agent today (just to see what they would say) and we were pretty much just dismissed.
I mean, we gave her a certain price range and said there was NOTHING, NO WHERE that we could go for that kind of money. For real?? Jeeze.
So we went back to online, which is probably cheaper anyway but we wanted to keep our options open. That is when we came across this little gem of a website that gives realllyyy cheap flights and hotels for STUDENTS! As long as you have an id that proves you are under 25 and a student, they will give you a deal.
After plugging away at some numbers, we were astonished to find out what we could possibly afford.... CANCUN or LONDON
Wow, just wow. How do you pick between these two? We may end up going for Cancun because it is a tad cheaper, and two of our friends don't even have jobs.. therefore, they are planning to send every cent they have. It will be so worth it though, right?
This trip idea has slowly formed in my mind for a while now, and I am so excited it may actually happen!!
However, both Mickey and I know this will lead to one major thing.
1. We will be hooked and want to travel whenever we can save the money... We already started planning our next trip, which would be to Europe.

I didn't even discuss this passport idea with anyone yet, but I am going for it. I know we will use it in March, and I plan to make good use out of it from then on. (fingers crossed)

In other nontravel related news:
My teacher took my MAJOR paper, which is worth 25% of my final grade on vacation... and he left it in the hotel. Now it is lost and no one can find it. Not just mine might I add, but the whole class. I just got the email today where he said everyone has to resubmit their papers.
NotFairNotFairNotFair. We should all get automatic A's :)
Also, lt's just say Day 1 of the Shred was horrific. Killer. I did it with my sister, and we both almost died from the intensity and the dog licking our faces and jumping on us the whole time.

It is officially 2:30 am. EEK!
Night Night.

xoxo Ali

30 Day Shred

Just the name if it... "The 30 Day Shred" sounds intense right? We will see if it does what it promises by shredding away up to 2o pounds in 30 days. I don't even need all that, but if it works I'll be happy as a clam.

"The 30 Day Shred" is a workout DVD by Jillian Michaels of "The Biggest Loser". After researching online, I found a lot of users that claim this workout really kicks your butt! There are three levels, and I think you increase a level each week? I'm not exactly sure how this all works quite yet, but I'll keep you updated.

Tonight will hopefully be Day 1 of the shred. This, with the 30 minutes on the treadmill this morning, and eating healthy will have me as skinny as my babies at work :) haha just kidding... let's not go that far.

I'll update you next week when I know more about how this is all coming along.

xoxo Ali

So Chic

I recently stumbled across a new favorite website of mine. I found it through Twitter, and since discovering the style shown on the website, I have become mildly obsessed. The website is www.chictopia.com

Once you sign up you can upload pictures of the stylish outfits you wear, comment on others style, and even put your two sense into the style forum. The best part is, once you really get going you start to earn chic points. When you get enough chic points you can redeem them for clothes, shoes, and accessories.
The idea is genius, and I'm genuinely hooked.
Now, if I can just start uploading some pics I could get the chic points rolling.
I'll put some pics up on here as well if I can get good ones. I have a new black sweater from forever 21 that should work well.

We shall see. Have a great rest of the weekend :)

xoxo ALi

Fashionable Photography?

It may just be me, but I think Mickey takes some pretty good pictures. Some of the ideas come out great. Here are two of my favorites of me, taken by Mickey.


The girl popped out of the brush,
and the park seemed to hush.
The kids stopped playing,
Even the trees stopped swaying.
Everyone waited for the girl to speak,
But what she said sounded greek.
She came from another place,
But she had a human face.
So the people welcomed her with peace,
And never again did the park noise cease.



The girl looked cold she shivered like mad,
But at the end of the day she would be glad.
It was a sunny day she couldn't waste,
When she saw the sun she had to get a taste.
With her tin foil she would get a nice glow,
Her skin would be tan while everyone looked like dough.
Thats why she got out her beach chair,
And exposed her skin to the frozen air.


Yes, I know the poems may be dumb. However, I figured I could not post the pictures without making up mini stories. In reality, these pictures were both taken for a photography class. However, isn't it fun to make up a story to go with the photo?

xoxo Ali

Sunshine Days with Yellow

The color yellow is sunshine. It means joy and happiness. I never gave it much attention in my wardrobe, until recently that is.
Did you ever think how many other colors look fabulous when paired with yellow?
An example? Blue or gray. Both look superb.
Since figuring this out, I have become mildly obsessed with the color. Buying everything yellow from a raincoat, to rain shoes, to a winter jacket, and even shirts.
{Me, my sister, and Eva the dog} see the yellow?

{my family recently went to NYC. This was us on a billboard! See how the yellow pops?}














Yellow makes me happy. Wearing it makes me happy. Therefore, lets go from there to some other things that make me smile :)

1. The boy. Who will just be Mickey from now on.

Whatever we do together always turns into an adventure, and we always have so much fun.




















2. The beach!!!! One of my favorite places.
{a picture of me frolicking on the beach with my friends last summer}





















3. My pomchi, Eva. OOOhhh she can be bad. And ooohhh she can have a temper. But nothing compares to how sweet and lovable she is. She makes me smile every day.







Finally, I'll end with number 4, books. I am currently reading "Schooled" by Anisha Lakhani. Let's just say this is a must read for any future teacher who wants a fun take on what they are getting into. Sure, the book may be a tad dramatic and overboard at times, but it kept me laughing so far. Plus, a bonus if you are into fashion, since the main character gets very into her style at one point.






















xoxo Ali

Ringing In the New Year

So recently on New Years Eve a trending topic of Twitter dealt with where you were 10 years ago, to ring in the year 2000. This got me thinking, to the fact that I was a mere 10 years old. I rang in the New Year at home, banging pots and pans outside. Well, guess how I spent this New Years Eve?? THE SAME WAY AS 10 YEARS AGO! haha Yup, I was invited to a party and yup, I didn't go cause at the age of 20 my boyfriend and I still play fun games and bang pots and pans outside at the stroke of midnight :)
So, yesterday after work, we got fun snacks and a fuunn new game to play at home.
{a pic of me and my smoothie}








Also, due to my lack of mobility on New Years Eve I saved my fun dress for New Years day

The fun game we got? It's called JUST DANCE! My mom picked it up at Target after hearing good things about it and boy is that game F U N You dance, pick from a large variety of songs, and it gives you a great workout while having fun. You can do multiplayer, and when everyone dances together it makes the game hilarious.
If you are looking for a fun new workout/game I totally recommend you check it out.









So this brings us to New Years day. The whole family made the trek over to my Uncle's house in Philadelphia. We got to watch the Mummers for a bit, and then go back to eat and get warm The Mummers parade, being there and experiencing it, was an experience in itself. Let's just say the people get CRAZY, and I got to witness some interesting events while waiting for the parade.
My Uncle also got us our own New Years paraphernalia to wear throughout the day. And yes, I'll post the pics but yes, I do look ridiculous. Hey, it was fun though and that's all that counts.
Here is a sample of my sister, my mom, my boyfriend, and I. Please excuse my slipper socks, I promise I was wearing cute shoes.

We ended the day with some yummy dessert.











I hope everyone had a "Rockin' New Years"
The Holidays are over.. booo. That means back to work for real, and almost back to school.
Let's enjoy what's left of the break though, shall we?
xoxo Ali