Well, that’s it. My sophomore year of college at Fontbonne University is over. Grades have been submitted and there is nothing more I can do. I have to say, I’m pretty pleased with how this year went.

Packing up was an ordeal to say the least. The weekend before I moved out of the dorms, I loaded everything of my closet I possibly could into my VW Beetle. When I came back to Fontbonne I brought a larger vehicle, thinking I could handle the rest of my stuff on my own. My family was all busy that day with work or something like it, so I wanted to handle everything on my own. Independence! Last Tuesday morning I began packing everything into the car loading the biggest items first. Right away Carly and I knew we had a problem. My mini fridge and winter shoes were put into her car, and because of time we had to load the rest of my things into the hallway so I could “check out” on time. It was then that I realized there was absolutely NO WAY that the rest of my things were going to make it back in my car. I called my sister, who was with my Grandfather (Papa), and told them to come on over to STL when they were finished with whatever they were doing. Thankfully, the rest did fit in his truck and everything made it back safely. My anxiety was eased while waiting on the truck when Carly so thoughtfully went to Trader Joe’s and grabbed lunch for the both of us. I would not have made it out of there that day were it not for her! Procrastination caught the best of me, because after unloading everything back home into the early evening I still had to write a paper for one of my classes due by midnight. Let’s just say I emailed that paper around 11:40 that night, but hey, I got it done right?

Coming back home to small town Southern Illinois is a big change from St. Louis, but nice all the same. With the corn fields, barns, and neighborly “charm”, it’s a great place to be in the summer months. As of right now I’ll be nannying and reconnecting with family and friends. I was able to just this past weekend when I went to my little brother’s last baseball game of his school’s season, where I received quite the sunburn. Ouch! Later that evening I went back to my high school to see one of my dearest friends graduate. She makes me feel so old!

That’s all for now. Thanks for reading!

Well, my sophomore year of college is almost over. I cannot believe how fast it has gone by. This time next week I’ll only have one more final to go, but there is still plenty to do before then, including “Fun Week”.

Fun Week is the finals week of Fontbonne where my roommate and I incorporate something fun to do each day. We’re pretty busy with finals and projects and other school work, but we’re still going to fit some fun things in! We’re planning on checking out a lot of retail places we’ve never been before. Soft Surroundings, CLR MSTR, ReFresh, and The Limited are on the list. We even have coupons for a couple places. A little retail therapy between tests will be nice! We’re also planning on going to a burger place downtown called Bailey’s Range for dinner. It was highly recommended by a friend. There’s a fashion exhibition in the Loop we’re going to look at one day. For an afternoon snack we’re taking a trip to Trader Joe’s. I’ve never been. There’s lots of fun happening during fun week!

On a side note, last Friday’s Springfest concert was a great time. Fontbonne isn’t as boring as you might think on the weekend!

Thanks for reading..

Today is Springfest at Fontbonne. I spent most of today helping the fashion merchandising promotions class with their fashion show. I did odd jobs and helped dress models. Although I was backstage for most of the show, I think it was pretty amazing! I know I have a lot to live up to when I’m in the class next year!

After the fashion show I went and mingled with some of the incoming freshman for next year, and watched the Live Band Karaoke. After a brief dinner break, I’m about to go back for the concert tonight. Ryan Cabrera and Tyler Hilton are performing. I have never heard any of their music, but it will still be an experience!

It’s hard to believe that there’s only a couple more weeks left until summer. I have so much to do until then. It’s a little overwhelming. It will sure be nice when summer arrives and I don’t have to worry about homework or studying! I’m hoping for warm summer weather soon. I just have to make it until May 13th!

Thanks for reading..

Here at Fontbonne, we have a “Fontbonne Day” devoted to service. It’s a day where classes are cancelled and students have the opportunity to volunteer for numerous community service activities. I did not get involved with “Fontbonne Day” last year, but I was quick to register for a activity this year and volunteer last Friday.

The day began early for me (8 am) with coffee and a quest speaker. After about an hour each group broke off and went to their volunteer site. There was everything from gardening, cleaning, preparing for events, and washing dogs. I volunteered for something near and dear to my heart: animals. My group went to Open Door Animal Sanctuary in House Springs, MO. It is a no kill shelter that is the home or temporary home of more than 300 cats and 100 dogs.

While at Open Door, I loved and comforted the new-born kittens, as well as groomed some of the older cats in their “Cat Heaven”. All the cats were really inviting, frequently brushing up against my leg or meowing for attention. The dogs were housed in kennels, and we had the opportunity to give them their exercise and take them for a walk. Although it was more of a glamorous volunteer opportunity, I still felt good giving attention and love to the animals that need it most.

After visiting Open Door, I think I’m going to go back a few times this summer to volunteer and donate. They are in need of food and other supplies for the animals. I might even make a cat blanket or two! I will definitely be participating in Fontbonne day again next year. A day devoted to service is truly a good day!

Thanks for reading..

It’s Spirit Week at Fontbonne this week, so there’s many special events to attend for us students. My favorite event of the week had to be the Cardinals game this past Tuesday. Throughout the year, Fontbonne provides us with the opportunity for discounted sports tickets. We got these tickets to the first night game of the season for just $12!

Going into Tuesday, I was so looking forward to the game. I was pretty much sleeping during any “free time” in the days prior, so a night of baseball was much needed! After some stressful complications with my car (don’t ask), my roommate and I finally made it to the game.

Our seats were in right field, so we had a pretty good view of everything. I sat back, relaxed, and for the next two hours watched my favorite team win. There was even a home run by Matt Adams, just the third of his major league career. I love the atmosphere at Busch Stadium, and really enjoyed being at the game. We left during the ninth, and had just made it outside the stadium when the winning fireworks went off. It’s such a sight in downtown St. Louis!

I am lucky to go to a university that provides its students with such perks. Last night Fontbonne hosted Dueling Pianos, and that was really entertaining. Spirit Week continues tonight with a movie in the DSAC, and tomorrow the Griffin Girls are performing during the Mr. Fontbonne competition.

Thanks for reading! Until next week..

Here we are with just six weeks of school left and there’s so much still to be done. However, I don’t want to blog about the future this week but about the past. Last week was Fontbonne’s spring break, and I spent some time in New York City with the lovely fashion merchandising program!

I spent six days in The Big Apple, and had a blast! Our days during the week were full of rewarding and inspiring study tours, while the nights and weekend were free for whatever we wished. Prior to the trip, my roommate and I planned out pretty much every detail of our stay, so we knew what our free time would consist of. We did so much in those six days and it’s so difficult to say what I enjoyed the most.

My favorite morning activity had to be walking the Brooklyn Bridge. On Sunday morning, my roommate Carly and I took a stroll from downtown to Brooklyn. The weather was absolutely beautiful with clear skies and lots of sunshine. We could even see the Statue of Liberty from a distance. It was nice to begin the day with a peaceful activity, and to take in the sights that the city creates from a distance.

Saturday afternoon was dedicated to museums, and I think that would be a my most memorable daytime activity. We went to the museum at FIT and saw exhibits on boots, fashion and technology, and shoes. Later we went to the Museum of the City of New York, which had a “New Housing for New Yorkers” exhibition as well as one on fashion. The Metropolitan Museum was next, where we looked at “Fashion, Impressionism, and Modernity”.

One of the most memorable study tour visits was with Elaine Gold, a woman who has been in the business for 70 years. She gave the fashion merchandising students a lot of useful knowledge and advise! Carly and I also took in a Broadway show Friday evening, which we both loved. This trip was the experience of a lifetime. I cannot wait until my next visit!

Today is the first day of Spring, and coincidentally happens to be the first day of my Spring break! I will be leaving for New York soon, and am so anxious to finally be in the city. I’ve been counting down the days and planning nonstop over the last couple weeks, so I can’t wait to do all I have planned! More blogging to come about New York City after I get back.

Once I get back from my trip I still have a handful of days left of Fontbonne’s spring break. I am looking forward to spending that time relaxing. These last 3 weeks have been immensely exhausting, both physically and mentally. I cannot wait to have some spare time to just relax and “catch up” on some sleep. I love college life, but it sure can be tiring sometimes. I won’t get a complete break from academics however, because I have two papers due when school resumes and other assignments to be working on throughout my break.

Even with items on my to-do list, it will still be nice to be at home. I plan on attending a lot of my younger brother’s baseball games next week. I am a huge fan of baseball, especially my brother’s teams and the St. Louis Cardinals. Opening day is fast approaching and Fontbonne did sell us discounted tickets for April 9th, but I’m too excited about New York right now to think about that!

Until next week..

Tonight, like every Tuesday night, between 9 and 10 I am always in the same spot. That spot is glued in front of my television watching one of my favorite shows “Smash” on NBC. I put aside all homework and cozy up with a cup of coffee. My roommate and I are captivated for an hour with the show each week. “Smash” follows the life of theatre in New York City. There’s three musicals to follow this season, but the main is a musical about Marlyn Monroe called Bombshell.

I love watching the show because I love Broadway and drama. The show features stars such as Anjelica Huston, Debra Messing, and Katharine McPhee. There’s something big that happens every week, so I’m never bored with the show. They act, they sing, they dance. Can it get much better than that?

The show is set in New York City, which reminds me that I will be there in just 7 days! While in New York, I’ll be seeing a Broadway show. I just bought my tickets today. I’m so ready for this trip. There’s a lot to do but a lot to be excited for!

Today I was able to incorporate the two things I enjoy most in my life: dance and fashion. As a fashion merchandising student in HES205: Apparel, Production, and Evaluation, I got the opportunity go to Weissman. Weissman is a dance costume and dancewear company with headquarters located right here in St. Louis. My class used today to visit Weissman, and offer a real-life application to what we have been learning in class. I have worn Weissman costumes in the past, and own a few pieces from their dancewear brand Balera.

I have been dancing since I was five years old, and continue to dance today on the Griffin Girls dance team. I am used to dancing year round, and absolutely love it. I was initially so excited to visit the company, but did not know exactly what to expect.

My excitement for Weissman’s only grew upon visiting the company. I cannot express how I felt. It was a perfect combination of what I love most, and really got me thinking that this is something I could do with my degree. I have often thought of how sad I will be when I do decide to stop dancing, but working with a dance costume and dancewear company like Weissman would fill that void in my life. I thoroughly enjoyed hearing about their inventory and design departments, and touring the headquarters. I was able to see meeting rooms, photoshoot locations, the warehouse where they sew and cut garments, and the place where they evaluate finished sample garments. All the colors, sequins, and textures kept my eyes busy the entire time. I was really interested in learning that not only does Weissman go to competitions to gain inspiration, but also to trade shows. A dance costume/dancewear company combines everything I love about fashion and everything I love about dance!

This visit really got me thinking that I might try to intern at Weissman in the future. They have marketing, merchandising, and product development internships available. If I could live my life with both dance and fashion I would be so incredibly happy. I think that this is definitely an area I understand and have experience in. I left the visit so elated, but only time will tell if this is really for me. If not, today was still an experience I will cherish.

Until next week..

I have yet to announce this in my blog, but I will be going to New York City soon! Actually, very soon, 20 days to be exact. My roommate and I are going along with other fashion merchandising student here at Fontbonne, and have been counting down since the beginning of the semester. It’s great that Fontbonne University gives us these wonderful opportunities to see and experience our major in the workforce.  It just feels like yesterday when Carly was saying to me, “57 days!”, and I would think, “Okay, I’ve got plenty of time to prepare”. I have to say it’s 20 days until NYC and I have a lot of preparing still to do.

I am an organized person, and because of my previous travels where my mom would map out everything we would do the entire trip, I feel that I have to know everything Carly and I will be doing during our massive amount of free time. We plan on visiting a lot of museums, parks, and other sights of New York. Contrary to what some might believe, we are more interested in the sights of NYC than the shopping, but will be stopping by Michael Kors’s favorite restaurant and Tim Gunn’s apartment building!

Anxiety over this encroaching deadline is taking over, but I cannot seem to find the time to research and plan our trip. I’ll be in NYC in 20 days and I couldn’t tell you the first place I was planning on going. Yikes! Twenty days is still enough to get sufficient preparation done though, and I think that 20 days from now I will be ready to be NYC bound!

I cannot wait for this trip. I have never been to New York, but have always wanted to go. The fact that I get to spend 6 days in NYC with one of my best friends is also a plus. We are going to make so many fabulous memories together exploring the city. New York City, see you in 20 days!

Until next week..