Sister of the Week: Taylor

This week, I chose Taylor for Sister of the Week!

We're both elementary education majors, and we met last year right before recruitment. We had a class together on Monday and Wednesday mornings, and all throughout the recruitment process, we discussed how we felt about everything. Which sorority did we like more? Which girls seemed the nicest? Where would we fit in? She helped me get through the crippling fear that I had throughout the whole thing, and the best part was that we ended up choosing the same sorority! I can remember being so glad that we were going to be sisters.

Me and Taylor on Bid Day!

Taylor is the sweetest person in existance. She's bubbly, and one of the most fun people to be around. If you've just met Taylor, it only takes about three seconds to see how adorable she is. She talks with her hands and she's animated no matter what she's talking about. She's the kind of person that can get people excited about anything!

Plus, she's super crafty. I thought I was crafty until I met Taylor, but I was wrong. I can remember her giving this care basket to her big last year, filled with bows and pink and glitter. Taylor had crafted an entire basket full of cute things! She even made this family tree with buttons representing the members of her new family. I know that as soon as I get a little, Taylor will be the first person that I go to when I need help crafting!

Taylor is always put together, looking awesome. Her nails are absolutely perfect every time I see her, and she is always dressed in the nicest brands and well-planned outfits. Her mom is a nail tech, but Taylor has an amazing talent for it, too!  Plus, she is an incredibly hard worker. Even when she doesn't like what she's doing, she will always give it her all.

Taylor, Emilee, and I on the Fourth of July this year!

Taylor is the sweetest girl that I know, and she is going to be an amazing teacher someday. Her sweet, caring personality will win over anyone she talks to, and she'll succeed in everything she does!

Thank you for being a compassionate, caring, and incredible sister, Taylor!

Until next time,

Hayley :)

Summer Adventures: Date Night

Over the last week, Gary has been trying to move all of his stuff out of his old place, so things have been quite stressful. On Saturday, we decided to take a break from all of the chaos and have a date night (or a date day, I suppose)!

First, we decided to take a trip to the Flint Farmer's Market! The new one opened up over a month ago, and it was killing me that we hadn't made a trip up there yet. I got to try the new vegan cafe that opened up, and Gary got to buy some craft beer that he hadn't tried yet.

After that, we decided to make a trip out to the mall. We stopped by Barnes and Noble first to see if they had the new Chuck Palahnuik book for Gary (they didn't), and I got to browse all of the cool new age books with my chai tea from the cafe there. After that, we made a trip to Gary's favorite store-F.Y.E.! We were hoping to buy a copy of The Fall, but they didn't have it. Instead, we took advantage of one of their movie deals, and ended up getting a total of eight movies for $20.

Afterwards we went out to dinner at Taboon, a Mediterranean restaurant by the mall that neither of us had tried before. It was fantastic! I got cabbage rolls while Gary got some sort of sandwich with lamb. We had to ask the waitress so many questions about the menu, she was probably quite irritated with us by the time we left!

We ended our "Date Night" at my apartment, watching some of the new movies that we bought. Overall, it was a pretty amazing day!

Until next time,

Hayley :)

Beauty Awakening: Out with the Old

When it comes to makeup, I have always been stuck in my ways. I tend to use the same products every day, and when they run out, I run to Walgreen's and get whatever is similar and cheapest. I don't even care if it's the same brand, I just hate spending a lot of money on makeup. But lately, I've been wanting to try some new stuff. I walk through Ulta or Sephora and I just have this need all of the sudden to buy everything that I can see! So, this is the beginning of my beauty awakening. I'm going to discuss what I usually use, so maybe I can begin to move on to bigger and better things!

1. Foundation

I know that this foundation is from Ulta, so it seems like I care a little bit about where my makeup is from, but in all honesty, I only got it because it was two for ten dollars. I love me some cheap makeup. My favorite brand is E.L.F., which I usually get from Target (and the only reason that I like it is because of the price). But, since trying some nice brands, I have come to realize that my favorite brand actually doesn't work that well. The feeling of nice makeup compared to my cheap stuff is not comparable.

2. Eyeliner

My eyeliner is always random; whatever is cheapest at the time. I only usually wear black, and it has to be the crayon type. I have this horrible habit of stabbing myself in the eye with the pencil eyeliner, and the only liquid eyeliner that I've ever used made my eyes water all day (although this could be the result of buying a cheap brand...).

3. Mascara

I actually do have a favorite brand of mascara-Great Lash by Maybelline. I think that this is really only because I can remember my mom using it a lot when I was little, so I assumed that it was the best when I started wearing makeup. I will always love this mascara, but I really do need to branch out and try some new things!

4. Eye Shadow

I actually own a lot of eyeshadow. When I was in high school, I used to experiment with my makeup a lot. I used to use all of these different colors and match them with my outfits. But now, all of my eye shadow sits at the bottom of my makeup box, lonely and forgotten. I do like my eye shadow, but I'm usually in such a rush in the morning that I forget to put it on, or I don't have the time to match it with anything. I want some high quality eye shadow so I can feel amazing every time I wear it.

5. Concealer

I usually use a liquid concealer to touch up a few spots before I put my foundation on. Did I mention that no one ever really taught me how to put makeup on? I still don't completely understand in what order I am supposed to put things on, or even if I am using everything correctly. But, I do know that I was NOT using my concealer correctly. I got really lazy and didn't have time to drive to the store to buy more, so when mine got low, I put some water in it to make it last longer. I'm sure that it was awful for my face, and it is one of the reasons that I have vowed to be better with my makeup.

6. Makeup Brush
So, I know that there are tons of makeup brushes out there for me to use, but I just have one. I got it for my birthday a few years back, and I have been using it ever since. I don't know how to clean it, but I know I should be cleaning it after reading a few articles recently. None of my stuff is gross, I swear. I just had no idea how much more maintenance I should be doing on my tools until recently.

So, I have a lot of fixing up to do when it comes to my makeup. I need to buy better brushes, find a way to clean all of my stuff, and start buying higher quality makeup in general. I have my eye on a few eye shadow palettes, and I know it's going to take me a long time to save up all of the money it's going to cost me to get what I want. But, I'll keep you all updated on my journey to a higher class of beauty!

Until next time,

Hayley :)

Summer Adventures: New Orleans

This summer, I got to go to New Orleans for my sorority's 50th National Convention!

And even though we were cooped up in the hotel most of the week, going to workshops and such, we did get to have one really fun day out on the town!

I went to convention with three of my sisters, and two of them went out with me on our last full day there! We walked all around the city, and at the end of the night, we went on a haunted tour of the city! It was fun, but unfortunately we didn't see any ghosts, and it was insanely hot. 

I still got some pretty cool pictures from it, though!

Before we went out on the town, we had a week full of helpful information at convention! Plus, they fed us great food...

Needless to say, this is why I wasn't vegan that week...

We were able to meet other sisters from all over the country! Plus, I found out a ton of things that I didn't know about our sorority before. I actually had no idea that each chapter had their own flag.

Beta Lambda's flag! 

Overall, I would say that we had a pretty awesome time! New Orleans is amazing, but I can I can now check off Louisiana as a place I would like to move to after I graduate. It is way too hot for me down there!

Making a wish in the fountain! The fountain that was in the
square where they used to hang and shoot people...

She charged one dollar for three photos with her, and she was making bank.
You can see her hand full of money!

There are actually beads in the trees down there...

Until next time!

Hayley :)

Sister of the Week: Stephanie

Stephanie and I on her birthday this year!

This week, I decided to post about one of my good friends, (and my neighbor) Stephanie!

When I first joined my sorority, I was a little bit afraid of Steph (affectionately called Bruma by many sisters)! Now, I can't even remember why. She is one of the most approachable people you will ever meet. Whenever I go over to her house, I find myself venting about my life, and she is always there to listen to me and provide advice.

Stephanie has been through a lot in her twenty one years. Yet, through it all, her spirit never wavers. She gets down at times, and it would be hard not to when you have been through so much, but she always bounces back from it. I was just spending some time with Stephanie this week, and while we were driving to dinner, I was wondering about the way that she must think. She's a deep thinker, always looking at the bigger picture. She sees right through many people and has this amazing ability to read others. Whenever I talk to her, I am reminded of how strong her empathy is; she knows what people are truly feeling despite what they may show on the surface. I can talk to her for hours about anything at all, and I feel like she is always able to pick up on how I really feel about a situation.

I like to think of myself as a spiritual person, and that is definitely a trait that I would associate with Steph. We can have deep, philosophical conversations, and it isn't weird at all. It's a basic part of our friendship. We're both a Taurus, and we're both "old souls", so I feel like we really understand each other.

Although she has many good traits, I would say that the one that stands out apart from the rest is her passion. When she truly loves something, she fights for it. She pours her heart into it and dedicates herself completely.  This is one of the reasons that Stephanie makes for such a great sister to have, she has given her heart to our sorority and will fight for it until the end!

Stephanie is overall just an amazing person, and an equally amazing sister to have!

Getting a picture together after we won Mock Rock this year!

Until next time,

Hayley :)

Vegan Update #5

Probably the healthiest thing that I had on vacation this summer, even though we ate ALL of the hummus!

Vacation is always the hardest time to be on a diet, and I have found this to be the same situation as a vegan on vacation! As difficult as it was years ago to find food when I was calorie counting or keeping my carbs down, I realized that vacationing while on a no dairy, meat, eggs, or animal byproduct diet was about a thousand times worse. So, I decided when I first started this way of eating that I would simply be vegetarian while on vacation.

Beignets, my new favorite dessert!

And while I still feel bad about eating the stuff that I normally wouldn't touch, I am able to write it off in my brain because "I'm on vacation!". That is, until I cross the line. I don't eat as healthy as possible, I embrace the dairy.  When I think back to it, it makes me a little sick. Instead of trying to stay somewhat healthy, I bury myself in cheese, chocolate, and ranch dressing. Now that my vacation is over, I'm feeling the effects of such reckless eating.

I just got back from New Orleans last week, I was there for almost a week with some of my sorority sisters for our national convention, and there was no way to be vegan while I was gone. Vegetarian was even a bit difficult to find food for at times. So, I ate everything in sight that I couldn't normally eat, because my stomach knew that I wouldn't be eating like that again after I got home. There was a dessert after every meal with some sort of chocolate on it, and I slathered egg- and dairy-filled dressing on every salad that I had. I had the option of a vinaigrette, I just didn't want it.

I so wish that I had just eaten the salad with vinaigrette or gotten nachos without cheese at the airport on the way home. Because now I have to pay for it. I'm finally getting over the massive breakout all that dairy gave me while I was away, thank goodness. But, I've been bloated consistently since I started eating all of that crap again, something that I hope will stop once I get all of it out of my system.

As much fun as I had on my trip, I am just happy to be home to my veggies and my vegan mayo, trying to return my body to its pre-vacation state!

I'll be posting more about my summer adventure to New Orleans soon!

Until next time,

Hayley :)

Summer Adventures: Houghton Lake

When Gary and I first started dating almost four years ago, we realized that his grandparents and my grandparents had houses right down the street from each other up at Houghton Lake. This was where we had both spend our summers as children, playing in the street and running to get ice cream from the Custard Cup. Somehow we never met up there as kids, although I have to imagine that we probably saw each other once or twice. Apparently he used to go running and he would always pass my grandparent's cabin, and he told me that he always wondered who lived there. Small world, right?

But as cool as this was to find out, the best part is that it has made our vacationing in the summers far more easy. We always try to make it up to Houghton Lake for at least one weekend every summer, and we both already have somewhere to stay! This summer, we went up for the fourth of July weekend!

I was so excited, because this was our first real adventure of the summer. We made our way up on the fourth and got there by the early afternoon (it's only a two hour drive from my apartment). I went to my grandpa and grandma's cabin, Gary went to his. I ended up spending my afternoon talking to my grandparents while we all ate ice pops (a tradition when up at the cabin), and we finally went to Gary's grandparents' house for dinner.

The turtles after we let them back into the canal!

We don't do a lot when we're at Houghton Lake, and that's perfectly okay. We spend a lot of time around bonfires, or in the paddleboat trying to catch turtles out of the canal that's next to my grandma's cabin. Gary's younger cousins came up north for the same weekend that we did, so we caught two turtles for them so that they could race them back into the canal.

I'm a horrible shot...

Gary is a lot better!

My attempt to aim...

The last day we were there, my grandparents took us shooting up at the local shooting range (where they are very active members) and we were able to shoot bow and arrow as well as some of my grandpa's guns. I enjoy archery more than shooting, but I think that's mostly because it makes for cooler pictures!

Until next time!

Hayley

Sister of the Week: Meghan

For my first week, I wanted to talk about one of my best friends in the sorority, Meghan.

Me and Meghan in the Loft at school one day!

Meghan and I met briefly during our Honors classes our freshman year, and we actually started talking during recruitment last year. Since we went through recruitment last fall, I feel like we've grown into amazing friends! Meghan is one of the only people that I feel truly comfortable talking to about anything. I think this is partially because we are so crazily similar! We have so many common interests, as well as similar personalities.

Meghan is nerdy to the point of being utterly awesome. She knows way more about Lord of the Rings than I do, and we can talk about books, movies, and video games until our hearts are content. She has an amazing singing voice that I can honestly say I'm really jealous of. She has gorgeous ginger hair and a pale, freckled complexion. I can always count on her. If I ask her to come to something, she never lets me down. If I need to talk to her, she is always right there for me.

At Founder's Day this spring!

She is one of the few people in this world that can make me feel really stupid, which isn't a bad thing! I'm pretty sure that she's just a natural genius. She destroys Gary at Words with Friends, which amuses me to no end. All he does is complain about how he can't beat her, and it's hilarious.

Our selfie in Honors class :)

But above all else, I love Meghan because she is completely true to herself. She embraces who she is, both the good and the bad, and she doesn't pretend for people. She is sweet, kind, and funny. She's honest about herself, and because of that, I greatly admire her. Very few people have the power to accept who they are, and it is a quality that all people should strive for, because they will never feel the need to change for others. I hope to be half as brave and accepting of myself as she is one day, because she is an amazing, beautiful person, inside and out.

Vegan Update #4: Vegan Mac and Cheese

I'm following through on my promise to post pictures of my mac and cheese experience!

When I first tried the dish, I only thought that it was okay. The nutritional yeast flakes that I had to put in the "cheese" smelled a little different, and I didn't know how to feel about it. But, I soon realized that this was the best dish that I had made so far! It is mostly because my heart yearns for mac and cheese on a regular basis, I think, but I was still pretty impressed with this dish. I'm not going to lie and say that it tastes like actual cheese, but it is close enough to the real thing that I am one happy camper!

I love the shell noodles!

The sauce looked/smelled a little gross...

But the final product was delicious! 

I finished off the rest of my mac and cheese for lunch today, and I'm quite sad that it's gone now. This is most definitely something that I will be making again in the near future!

Hopefully my fettuccine alfredo will go well tonight, too.

Until next time,

Hayley :)

Sister of the Week

So I feel like I don't mention my sorority sisters enough on my blog, which is a huge shame. Since I joined a sorority, it has really taken over my life. But, in a good way. I have made a ton of new friends, and I feel like I have finally found a place where I belong.

A sorority is just an idea without some amazing girls as members, though. They're what make it worthwhile. My sorority is as diverse as it could be, which is something that I absolutely love about it. Our chapter has a little bit of everything in it. We have girls who are serious, smart, funny, outgoing, free spirited, goofy, nerdy, and everything else that you could think of. No matter what I need, there is always a sister that I know I can turn to. I have found some of my best friends in my sorority, and I know that joining was the best decision that I ever made (despite the drama that comes along with putting 40 girls in a room together at any one time!).

I have decided to do a series on what makes my sorority the amazing thing that it is: my sisters. Every week, I'll be posting about another one of my sisters and what makes them the spectacular women that they are. I hope that everyone will get to see them in the light that I do.

From Bid Day 2013!

Until next time,

Hayley :)

Vegan Update #3: Vegan Lasagna

I just wanted to update everyone on how the cooking is going this week!

So, as I expected, things did not quite go as planned. I wanted to make the fettuccine alfredo on the first night of cooking, but I forgot to buy the noodles, which threw my entire week's schedule off. But, it worked out! So far, I have made the zucchini fries, zucchini chips, and mushroom burgers ( I didn't take pictures of any of them, but they all turned out beautifully). Unfortunately, though, my raw tortilla soup was simply awful. It looked like poop, and neither Gary nor I will eat it. It is in my refrigerator right now, but I have the strong feeling that I'll end up dumping it out pretty soon.

On the bright side, my vegan lasagna was amazing!

The tofu/spinach mix!

Then cooking the noodles...

The filling all wrapped in the noodles, ready to go!

The finished product!

 Gary and I had a TON of leftovers, so I got to eat it for lunch the next day, too! I know that the spinach and tofu sounds really disgusting, but I promise that it was delicious. I honestly forgot it even had tofu in it. The filling was such a small part of the meal itself that everything else overpowered it. I have never thought of myself as much of a cook, but this meal was so easy to make. It was just as good as it looks!

Hopefully tomorrow I will be able to upload my pictures of the vegan mac and cheese that I made!

Until next time,

Hayley :)