New blog!

As promised, here is the link to my new blog!

http://annasfavs.blogspot.com

It still needs some work, but you can see what I've got of it so far.

ALSO, if you read my blog, please go ahead and "follow" me-- I'm debating whether or not to make it private, and if I do, then it will be easier for me to give you access to it if you're a follower. We'll see... thanks to my friends at Google Analytics, I was able to keep track of who read this blog, and it was mostly people I knew/ was facebook friends with, but I did have a few random people. ANYWAY, hope you enjoy the new blog, and hope everyone is having a fabulous summer!!

xoxo

The end.

Well. I've been putting off writing this post because it is just so sad to me that my senior year is over! Graduation was Saturday, so I'm now officially an alum. WEIRD. I'm not going to lie, leaving A3 was pretty sad. It's just so crazy to me that I'm not going to be moving back into PC housing in the fall with my best friends!!

Night before graduation

Oh, but before I graduated, the whole fam came to see me be inducted as a teacher!

Anyway, I think that PC has the best graduation ever. Just like I think that they have the best everything else (bid day, etc.) It's outside, and all the graduates come out of Neville, following behind bagpipes. I'm pretty sure that everyone who has gone to PC gets chills whenever they hear bagpipes now.

Thanks for the picture, Liz, although I'm pretty sure you stole it off the PC website. PS- sweet blog!

One last diamond fam pic! Kate's the oldest now!

Well, it's been fun, PC. Thanks for the best four years that I could have had! Despite the fact that leaving/ graduating is terrible, I know that I've made friends that I'll have for the rest of my life! Can't wait for homecoming :)

Also, as my senior year/ college has come to an end, this is also sadly the end of my blog! Thanks to all my loyal readers (all 20 of you, ha!) that followed me through my senior year! If I get any great future blogging ideas, I'll be sure to post the link here. And now, to quote Lupe Fiasco, the show goes on... If you know anyone with public school connections in SC, please tell them what a fabulous teacher I would be. And that I'd seriously do anything for a job right now. Really, anything. Peace and love, followers. And to the PC class of 2015, get excited for four years that are going to surpass your expectations! I hope you love it half as much as I did!

Oh my goodness

A3 is done, done, done with college FOREVER! Our house is so lonely and empty. Most of our stuff is packed up, with the exception of our bedding and our Lil Wayne poster in the laundry room. The cute curtains, all the frames, Nancy's huge bed is GONE! So sad.

Anyway, with one week and two days til graduation, here are some junior year pictures:

Junior year was fun because it was the year that SARAH came to join me at PC. Here we are moving her into 4th floor Clinton. Special times and short hair...

That time we dragged our (pumped) diamond families to the ADPi house at USC.

KG especially loved it.

As much as these two hated on my bump-its, they were more than willing to wear them. Y'all look pretty :)

Now here's a random picture that I found that really has no explanation. Roommates before Dukes of Hazzard. Not sure what all is going on here, BUT it does feature our sweet adjoining rooms in Grotnes!

(Normal one)

So much excitement for Sarah to join ADPi!

And my protege, Callie, became an ADPi as well. Exciting!!

A few things to say about this picture: 1. That's a LOT of brown and blue. 2. This picture is the only reason why I know that Nancy owns/ has ever worn a pair of khakis. 3. That face!! (and 4. Sorry.)

Spring break. Also, as I was going through my SB10 pictures, here's something I noticed:

Note how Nancy's white button down that she wore on the first day evolved into her jacket for the entire trip. SPECIAL.

Lots of Lilly at Carolina Cup

MD Tea

Black Diamond. I did Link's hair. I prefer this picture to...

The ebony and ivory-ness of this picture. Although the quality's not as good on the blog, rest assured that Sarah's 30234908 trips to the tanning bed made me look pretty pasty at the function. Obnoxious.

To everyone whose current facebook status is something like: "DONE with junior year! Not ready to be a senior!!" or "Junior year's over :(" or "Not liking the fact that I'm a senior" all I have to say is, at least you have one year left!!!! So, I'll leave you with this:

Here's to our prettiest year at PC! Happy beach week everyone!

Blog stalking

So who doesn't love a good blog to stalk? Especially if it's funny. I thought I'd share two that I appreciate, and I'm sure you will too.

First of all, Cake Wrecks has been one of my favorites for awhile. This blog basically consists of pictures of terrible bakery cakes. I promise it's really funny. I guess I can especially appreciate this blog as a former cake decorator myself. Ha... that may be a stretch, but my first job was at Nestle Tollhouse Cafe, and I did decorate cookie cakes for a little over a year. So I know how tricky it can be to spell things (like "birthday" and "congratulations") correctly and draw good pictures (such as NASCAR cars and assorted pokemon characters) with icing and all.

Also, I just found Chelsea Handler's Blog at E! This one's pretty self-explanatory. She's funny, and so are her comments on this blog.

Hope that this helps everyone waste some time during exam week! Happy Almost Easter!

Normal

Sooo my family went to the TCBY drive thru tonight (I'm pretty sure we're the only people who do that... as a family) and naturally, my dad got raspberry yogurt in a cone. You know, despite the fact that he was driving. And despite the fact that we had to stop for gas. But don't worry, the whole getting gas thing didn't stop him from enjoying his cone!!

Tis the season!

So, as most people know, Easter is by FAR my absolute favorite holiday. I love everything about it... I love church on Easter Sunday, with lilies lining the front. I love all my memories of Easter Sundays-- the years that I was in youth group and had to get to church at 6:00 (which, at the time seemed ridiculously early) to help make the "Sonrise" (haha) breakfast. I love Easter dresses, the ability to finally wear white (yes, I follow that rule very carefully), and the promise of summer just around the corner. I love all the flowers that are in bloom. I absolutely love Easter Egg hunts. Sarah and I have been known to do them at other times throughout the year, just for fun. And, I really, really, really love Easter candy. Seriously, the way to my heart is through Easter candy. Luckily, my roommates have consistently provided me with these treats throughout the weeks leading up to Easter (until the Easter bunny brings me some on Easter morning) all four years at PC. There's a reason right there why I'm going to miss them all so much!!!

Anyway, I just figured I'd share a few of my favorite Easter treats (I have lots):

1. Cadbury Mini Eggs. I have Megan to thank for these becoming my favorite Easter candy!

2. Reese's Eggs... amazing.

3. Peeps. I know lots of people think they're "gross" but come on... marshmallows and sugar? Sounds like a great combo to me. Plus, they're fat free.

mmm... this is what I found when I googled "peeps." Not going to lie, my ideal husband would totally go for this...

I also enjoy the normal Cadbury eggs (you know, the ones filled with whatever that stuff is, as well as the caramel ones), Sour Patch bunnies, and Starburst jelly beans.

In case anyone is wondering, I was not able to follow through with my hopes of giving up sweets for Lent. Maybe next year...

Also, who doesn't love a good Easter story? (No, this isn't "The Easter Story" although it does involve church.) So, as everyone knows, my dad used to be the pastor at our church throughout my childhood and until I graduated from high school. Everyone who has been around my father for at least 5 minutes also knows that my dad has a flair for the dramatics. Well, this dramatic flair used to flourish around Lent/ Easter. Every year, he would get into character before the "Sonrise" service... i.e., he would wear his hooded robe and paint his palms red (I'm assuming to channel Jesus) and walk up from the graveyard to perform the service. As if the Easter performance weren't enough, one year he decided to do a series of monologues for our Lenten services. Instead of a sermon, he dressed up and delivered a monologue that he had written himself from the perspective of a certain Biblical character involved in the Easter story. My personal fav was the week that he dressed up as a Jewish tax collector (I think?) and he put on lots of bracelets/ jewelry, wore his robe and this headdress thing, and GLUED these curled tendrils (who knows where those came from) to his temples. Well, he got so into his monologue that when he shook his head, one of his curls fell off. I really thought my mom was going to kill my sister and me for laughing so hard. Tears were just falling down our faces as we tried to stay serious. That is probably by far my weirdest Easter memory... anyway, hope everyone has a good Holy week and a FABULOUS Easter on Sunday!!

Live your life

You're gonna be a shinin' star

Fancy clothes and fancy cars

And then you'll see you're gonna go far

Cause everyone knows just who you are

I figured it was appropriate to start my sophomore year flashback post with one of my fav songs from sophomore year. Yeah, I know it's weird for someone who wears cardigans every day and loves monograms and OPI's "Isn't It Romantic?" to also love TI as much as I do, but whatev. With GRADUATION only 18 days away, I figured it was appropriate to relive sophomore year in photos... enjoy.

Trusty HOSE leaders out at the houses after orientation

Our first Mallard Ball! Probably my one of my fav ADPi parties ever.

The year Emily was the lion for Bid Day... her red hair just blended right in with that Lion suit!! Good times.

Ohhh, Biker's Ball...

This diamond fam has always loved a good tier pic at functions... sophomore semi!

At the townhouses before the infamous Buffett Bash.

(That time I thought I could pull off the braid) Getting ready to go out for...

Emily and Nancy's birthdays, where, not surprisingly, Nancy demonstrated her love for karaoke and made some of the "regulars" mad by stealing the stage the ENTIRE night.

And, of course, who can forget the time that all of my best friends went to IRELAND for Maymester?!

(They all hated me that day for bringing that umbrella on our tour of the castle, which, in retrospect, was probably a little big and obnoxious and in everyone's way. But that cute blue spring coat does not have a hood!)

Sophomore year was probably, definitely, our most eventful year at PC. Not pictured are the vampire pictures (you're welcome, Nance!), ADPi's and Polo Guys (you're welcome, everyone) and the Miyabi's birthday pictures (you're welcome, Emily.) Sophomore year was mine and Megan's first year as roomies in CLINTON, which means that it was also the year that our room was infested with spiders so large that even Megan could see them without her contacts in! (Which, if you know Megan, is saying a LOT.) Sophomore year was the year that we all got little sisters in ADPi...

... and made quality crafts, such as the one pictured above. (Thanks, Nance!) It was the year that most of our pledge class lived on one floor, which always made for interesting times. It was the year that Nancy got her car stuck on top of the fire hydrant and had to get a bulldozer to pull her off of it. It was the year that the majority of my friend group made at least one visit to the ER in good old Laurens (hives, broken bones, etc... never again.) It was the year that someone mistakenly put some of Nancy and I in charge of directing the RMH Fun Run, and we accidentally added like 1.8 extra miles by directing the runners in the wrong direction. Oops. But for real, sophomore year was so much fun, and pictures like this one

will always make me miss that year and PC!

Update

With all my newfound free time since I'm DONE student teaching and DONE with college, I just figured I'd update my blog a little! First of all, may I just say how awesome it was to sleep in this morning after waking up at 5:15 or 5:30 for the past 15 Mondays. It was also wonderful to sit out on the beach today knowing that I had no responsibilities waiting for me whatsoever! While I REALLY REALLY want to find a job, I'm not going to lie, it's kind of nice to have nothing that I feel like I need to do or prepare for. I know that once I find a job, I'm going to busy myself with finding a ton of stuff for whatever grade level it is, so right now I am enjoying the downtime. Speaking of teaching and jobs, Friday was my last day of student teaching. I hated to leave those kids and the school that I've grown to love over this past semester. I know now, however, that teaching is absolutely what I want to do and what I'm supposed to do next year. When I worked at camp last summer, the counselors each had to tell "grace moments" at campfires throughout the week-- times in our lives when we have felt the grace of God. Well, on my second-to-last day of student teaching, I definitely had a grace moment thanks to one of my students.

In our classroom, the students had to move their number when they misbehaved or forgot homework or whatever. There were like 3 different levels that a child moved his or her number down, and each level entailed something different (laps at recess, time out, etc.) Anyway, during like my 2nd or 3rd week, when I was just starting to teach for extended periods of time, my cooperating teacher told me that I needed to set my expectations and move numbers any time a child didn't follow my instructions in order to make a point and show the students that I was serious when I told them to do something. So one day, I was teaching, and I let the students work in groups. When I tried to quiet the class and bring it back to whole-group instruction, one girl didn't stop talking right away. Since I had just told them to be quiet, I told her to move her number. Well. At this point, I had never seen what happened when the number got moved all the way down to the last level (appropriately labeled "Ohhh no" on the board.) I found out quickly, as she began to bawl. I hadn't even looked at the board to notice that her number was teetering on the 2nd level already. So I told her to move her number and the whole class gasped a collective intake of air. A few of the boys said "ooooooo" under their breaths, and every child in that classroom looked at me like I had just killed someone. Of COURSE the first time I have to learn what happens when a child moves their number all the way is the time that I inadvertently do it while just trying to "make a point." So anyway, after she stopped crying, reading was over and it was time for indoor recess. The child whose number I moved was the helper that day, so I asked her if she wanted to call a game of 4 corners. Bad idea. The tears started again as she said, "I can't call any games because my number is moved all the way!" Crap, crap, crap!!!! It was never ending! I really did feel bad about the whole thing, although I did have to make her move her number kind of a lot throughout the rest of my time teaching. Anyway, so on Thursday, the kids all started talking about how my last day was the next day. This same child who I'm sure disliked me at several points throughout the semester, came up to me and gave me the biggest hug and said, "Miss Derrick PLEASE don't leave! My life is going to be terrible when you're gone!!!!" First of all, dramatic. But second of all, I was kind of shocked to hear that come out of her mouth, and I was appreciative of the redemption that had obviously been granted to me by this child who I had spent a lot of (not so pleasant) time disciplining.

So now that I'm done, I'm job hunting. I'm looking/ am in the process of interviewing with 4 different districts across the state and PRAYING that something works out. I know where I'd choose if I had the choice, but I don't want to put that on my blog in case it doesn't work out. I know that my plans are nothing compared to God's plans and that in the current job market, I'll be lucky to get any job, period. As I was told in an interview today, "The door doesn't open too wide for early childhood majors right now." However, I KNOW that this is what I'm supposed to do, so I can only trust that the right door will open up for me. I'm praying that I can put my desires aside and focus on where I'm being called and where I can be best used.

Sorry this has been so long! Have a fabulous week; only 6 days til EASTER!!!

Freshman Year Flashback

First of all, sorry for being such a slacker on the blogging lately. I've been super busy with school, which by the way, is ending in ONE WEEK. In just a mere 7 days, I will be done with college and student teaching. CRAZY!!!!! Graduation is one month from yesterday, which is odd, because in a way I feel like I just got here. It seems like I was just moving all of my stuff into Smyth, the dorm that I lived in freshman year, which is where I met all of my best friends from PC. Thanks to its hall baths, spread apart rooms, and general lack of community, Smyth was/ still is the dorm that most freshman girls DON'T choose to live in at PC, but somehow all of us ended up living there (some of us by choice, and some of us not). Although it's one of my favorite college-related things to complain about, I'm so glad that I lived there because I don't know who my friends would be today if I hadn't!

First mixer... Biker's Ball. Please note Nancy's "I heart my baby daddy" tat... very biker-ish.

First date function: freshman year semi-formal. I debated putting this picture on here, but it was too funny not to. I'm pretty sure those boys don't read my blog anyway. Emily... sorry.

Another mixer. Vegas Night, playing cards... diamonds, get it?

First mother-daughter tea

First Carolina Cup!

We were all such babies!! I didn't have a camera freshman year, which explains the randomness of these pictures. While college did go by really fast, I'm not going to lie... all of this stuff seems like a pretty long time ago. For more where these came from, see Nance. She has all the terrible ones, which I feel certain will be viewed by everyone at senior dinner this weekend. Have a fabulous weekend!!

They say...

that when one door closes, another opens. Recently, a door closed for me that I've been praying about for some time. I knew that it was not the right thing for me, and that was confirmed for me last week. I'm really excited to see what doors are going to open now though...

Anyway, I have 4 weeks left of student teaching/ college! This really sank in the other day when I was talking to Sarah about what stickers to put on my new car. (oh, yeah... did I mention I got a new car?!?!) Anyway, she said, "Why don't you just wait four weeks and get a PC alum sticker!" WEIRD!!!!! Still haven't decided... part of me wants to get a normal PC sticker and continue to pretend I'm still in college. And THEN there's the whole "letters/ no letters" debate... guess I should probably be mature and not put them on there? Important decisions, I know.

Also, the following conversation that I overheard between two male students at lunch made me laugh today (keep in mind... THIRD grade):

First student: What are you doing this summer? I'm going to Canada... in Canada the seasons are opposite! Like it's going to be snowing there even though it's summer. Because it's their winter during our summer! (ehh... not exactly)

Second student: Really? Well I'm going to North Carolina! I'm going to go to the beach and then come home and spend some time with my girlfriend.

Me: Girlfriend?? (Keep in mind, 3rd grade boys are not usually quick to admit to even liking girls) You have a girlfriend?!

Second student: Yeah, just in the summer...

First student: I heard she likes someone else in another class! That's what she told a girl on my bus!

Second student: Yeah, she said she doesn't like me. But my dad said that when girls say they don't like you, it means they really do. RIGHT, Miss Derrick?

Me: Uhhhh... I don't really know about that...

Poor kid. I feel like this logic is potentially setting him up for some future disappointments... After this conversation I kind of wanted to organize a class viewing of "He's Just Not That Into You." Except I guess it would be She's just not that into you.

Have a terrific Tuesday!

Until I have more time on my hands...

Sarah is ready for my lesson on the Civil War!!!!

Also... this Union soldier hat (and the Confederate one that BETTER get here tomorrow) + the 2 kids' Civil War books that I express shipped from Amazon set me back $53. Can't wait til I actually get paid for this!

Lent, etc.

1. I gave up facebook for Lent. Blythe changed my password and everything. No fb for me for 40 days!

2. I tried to give up sweets, but I ate 3 girlscout cookies earlier. I'm going to try again tomorrow.

3. PLEASE email sociallyyours@lillypulitzer.com and vote for ADPi to be their next sorority print. Despite the fact that I'll be an alum by the time it ever comes out, you better believe that I'll be buying one of everything! (fingers crossed that I get a job/ paycheck to do it with)

4. I'm fulltime teaching now, and it's taking over my life. List of things I SHOULD be doing: making schedules, updating my portfolio, coming up with some sort of cute radius/ diameter activity (maybe involving cookies?), and reading Pepita Talks Twice. Whatever that is...

5. Due to #4, I've been lying in bed since 8:15, and I don't think I can get out.

6. I've got a really funny/ slightly inappropriate story from school that I probably shouldn't post on the internet... but if you ask me I'll tell you in person

7. TG (tomorrow's) F! Seriously....

SPRING BREAK!!!!!! NOT...

I'm trying to tone down my jealousy of all my fellow PC classmates who are enjoying a nice week of spring break this week. Typical PC... spring break started on Feb. 26th. Thanks to our weirdly early spring break, my friends and I always enjoyed some not-so-warm spring breaks.

Freshman year, aka the warmest year, my (current) roomies and I went to the beach in SC. That year, we got mediocre tans. That year, I also learned that you can't put dish soap in the dishwasher. Twice.

Sophomore year, it snowed during our spring break. Again, we went to Charleston.

Note the turtlenecks, jackets, and scarves. It was COLD.

One of the most awkward photos that my friends have ever taken...

By junior year, we'd learned our lesson about SC temps in March and decided to outsmart the weather by taking our spring break south on a cruise. As you may have read, that didn't work out for us. Again I say, freshman year in Charleston was the warmest.

Well, it's PC spring break time again, and what do you know... the one year that I'm not getting PC's spring break, it's almost 80 degrees outside on February 27th! So all you pc students who are enjoying this nice week of no school and freakishly warm weather... enjoy it! And bring me back some sunless tanner please!