dear friends,

Tonight was one of those nights where I realize how lucky I am to have certain people in my life.
I really do have some of the best friends I could have ever asked for. Despite distance, despite jobs, and school, some people will always be in my life. If I need to talk to someone for 2 hours about nothing, they are just a phone call away, or living in the room right next to mine. Sometimes it's easy to feel lonely and out of place, but lately I've felt so comfortable and content and it's because of the friends and people I have in my life every day. Who knows what next year will be like, or even next month, but I do know that I hope my friends are still there, like they have been for years, because they are pretty much the reason why life is exciting and new each day.

New discoveries.

The Swell Season

Park. Turn up the volume. Get out of the car. Grab the hand of someone. And slow dance in the street.
That's what this song is made for.

hair remedy?

"OH MY GOD my hair is so dead."

If you lived with us, you would hear this practically every day, 5 times a day.

We all do a lot to our hair. It's blown down with hot air, has ceramic irons taken to it, curling irons, 20 different sprays and shampoos, leave in conditioners and heat resistant whatevers. Basically by the end of the day girls have done just about everything possible to the hair in the attempt to make it look like some celebrity's that has a team of people work on it.

So Lauren and Danielle decided to look up all those DIY hair masks and try one out. Who knows if putting   olive oil and honey in your hair will actually help it but we now know it definitely will make your hair sticky, moldable, and then super soft once everything is washed out.

Oh and you'll get a few, actually a lot of laughs since your hair has to be wrapped in plastic for 30 mins before washing it out.

Dear boys,

Please grow up.
We are tired of trying to figure out what you want.
9 times out of 10 you make the first move, tell us amazing things, and leave us to figure out what exactly to make of everything.
Be honest for once in your life.
Actually try to care for more than 10.4 seconds.
If you don't like a girl, don't kiss her.
If you see things between the two of you going absolutely nowhere, don't talk to her for hours on the phone before you fall asleep.
We understand a hookup.
We know that something moderately serious scares the shit out of you.
We know the second you have a girl friend you feel tied down.
Stop thinking so much about what other people are going to think, how hard it might possibly be, and think about how it might actually be one of the best things you could have done for yourself and the girl.
If you care about someone, if you like someone, go for it.
Tell them.
Mean it.
Tell them again two days later, a week later, a month later.
Fight for a girl you want to be with, make it happen.
Just don't waste our time.
We really do not ask for a lot.
Just a real conversation, a kiss on the forehead, a nice text message at night, or an ice cream binge.
Stop making everything so fucking confusing, lighten up, and be real.

Aerobic Dance anyone?

Do you like late 90's early 2000's music?
Does Rumors by Lindsay Lohan, Hey Ya! by Outkast, or Crazy In Love by Beyonce get you pumped?
How about jumping on top of a stepper at warp speeds, or doing crunches until your neck wants to fall off?
Does the original frosty pink iPod Mini you have stuffed in your drawer still work and hold awesomely terrible music you danced to in middle school while  awkwardly glancing at the popular kid with spiked blonde hair?
Do you wish these things were still part of your week?
Well you're in luck.
Apparently when you sign up for Aerobic Dance on FSU's campus you not only get one credit hour, but are blessed with all that is mentioned above.
Who knew nearly tripping over yourself while following super speed stepper lady, being forced to listen to such classics as Hollaback Girl and having a dinosaur present in the shape of a large Mini iPod would not only give you one credit hour towards a college degree but also be the perfect workout for any student wishing they had back those days where a half-lit room, bowls of chips, watered down punch, chaperons  watching you uncomfortably dance with lyke totally the cutest guy in lyke the 8th grade and a creepy DJ leading it all was the highlight of the month.
Florida State University Jenny and Lauryn thank you for this biweekly Now That's What I Call Music worthy 50 minutes.

Restless Rambling

Ever feel like all you want to do is run in the opposite direction, towards something that is so far from what you are doing now?
Sure your life is great...
you are at the university you always dreamed of attending 
the only responsibility you have is keeping your grades up 
you live with three amazing people 
good friends are all around you 
and your family is healthy 

So why is it so difficult to be completely happy with what you have going for you in the moment? Why is there a constant need to break free and do something completely unexpected and outside from what you are in right now?
All I want to do is start taking dance classes again, read every book in sight, travel to a different city or country, apply for culinary school and a million scholarships, learn how to surf, and be with someone who is honest and willing.
But would doing all of that even really make me happy, or would new ideas and wants just keep popping up.
In the grand scheme of things I am doing exactly what I should be at this time in my life. I am on track in school, working toward a college degree, experiencing new things, meeting new people, going out, making goals, and learning..... but is that what's supposed to make me happy? I'm surrounded by people doing these exact things, and everyone I have talked to feels as if there is something missing.
It seems like there's so much more I'd rather be doing, people I want to be with, why is it so difficult to turn that moment of happiness into a greater moment, one that doesn't really see an end or plan on one.
I guess it comes down to expectations and expiration dates.
Expectations are placed on us all depending on our age, gender, everything. They are easy to follow for the most part since it's the norm. Obstacles are generally easy to overcome and reaching that college degree wasn't as hard as it seemed 4 years ago.
Expiration dates are increasingly common. Relationships, flings, friendships, the food in your fridge, even years are sitting there with a glaring stamp on them pointing toward an inevitable end.
Just when you feel stable, or like something may last it's ripped out from under you and we're expected to react accordingly.... practically.
It's exhausting but we continue to buy into it and fear what is different. Fear what might actually be worth spending time to work on, or what might actually be the right thing.

2010 is going to be a different kind of year. 
Make a list, clean out your room, clean out your life. 
Fight for something. 
Work toward a passion, not just something practical. 
Tell someone how you really feel. 
Cut out the bullshit. 
Gain some sort of clarity. 
And then enjoy it. 
Check things off the list that's been pushed aside and forgotten. 

Geekin' Out

What happens when we go to All Saints, sit around a too-small-for-four-people table, and drink coffee?
Apparently Lauren decides she wants to bake carrot cake, Grandma suggests some potato stew, I offer to make the cream cheese frosting, and Danielle whips out the blackberry to discover recipes.
What's missing.... nothing because we also decided to watch Lord of the Rings while eating this feast.

Publix adventure ensues, and soon we are home cranking the HilDuff slicing vegetables, peeling carrots, and convincing Lauren that she will fall in love with the shire and cry when she sees Orcs being birthed from mud. Well at least that's what our reactions typically are.

End results?

• The carrot cake decided to expand past its little cupcake walls BUT was still delicious.
• The icing thinks its a good idea to remain thick, not creamy and spreadable BUT we forgive it. 
• The PO-TAY-TO stew is perfect - mad props Grandma 
• Lauren loved LOTR and is ready for the adventure to continue. She also felt a special connection with the Orcs and apologized to the rest of us for their behavior. 

Themed nights of the future?

• Italian night with Chocolate Ganache Expresso Cheesecake. 
• Cheeseburgers, milkshakes, and french fries; featuring some American movie. 
• Chinese takeout with a gaylord chick movie 
• 
  

True Life: ....

• MY HAMSTER IS A CAGE DANCER
• MY EX IS STALKS ME AND MY ROOMMATES
• "DAD??!"
• I'M OBSESSED WITH NAIL POLISH
• I HAVE AN EATING PROBLEM
• I'M IN A CULT (aka interior design)

FINALLY REUNITED

It has not even been a complete 12 hours since we were happily reunited, but if this is any indication of how our next semester is going to turn out, all I can say is look out FSU.
Of course we would love to be dancing in the streets of Tallahassee, like those young fellows....






however since it is literally freezing outside. Yes it's a lovely 24 degrees, we have opted to hibernate. Which basically just means we decided binge eating Tyler's cooking/baking was a better idea than looking cute in a parka.

New Favorites

Things we are doing in the new year

1. finding karaoke

2. dancing until our feet want to fall off

3. actually cook something out of our cook books

4. lose that 5 lbs we've been talking about

5. road trip it somewhere (atlanta? -D, anywhere with a beach? nashville? san antonio....mapquested that shiit)

6. see dear john

7. read

8. watch every season of The L Word

9. hang out with our lovely neighbors

J: aww i miss eric dylan fahim and mike

10. find something new to do with the A

the accidental cabbage.

It's pretty pathetic. Not even a week has gone by and I already miss you guys.
I watched SYTYCD and all I wanted to do was make fun of Ryan's tiny head, and how ridiculous the dance he did with Ashleigh was. I basically wanted to kill myself.
Oh! I was reading Martha Stewart Living, I know I'm 40 years old with 3 children and a pearl necklace on at all times, but that's besides the point. The January issue wasn't filled with festive ideas for New Years parties or how to bedazzle an entire dress to wear to these outings, oh no. There was however an entire 8 page spread devoted to the cabbage.
How to cook cabbage, what to cook it with, all the pretty colors it can be. There were pictures of it sliced, in wedges, stuffed with God knows what. Someone seriously sat there and tried to figure out what lighting would look best on the cabbage, how to arrange it, where to lightly drizzle some strange sauce and place a random spoon on top.
All I kept thinking about was our taco night and how for some reason I grabbed a head of cabbage instead of lettuce, and then we let it sit on our counter as we stared at it trying to figure out what exactly we could make with it.
Well apparently Martha has a few hundred ideas. If only we'd known.

You know it's finals week when...

1. You show up to your 7:30 a.m. exam with your shirt inside out - Lauryn

2. You can't keep track of the days because you go to sleep at 4:30 a.m., wake up at 7:30, take an exam, come home and sleep until 2 in the afternoon and start studying again.

3. Seeing people on campus in reindeer printed PJ pants and hair that looks like it hasn't been washed in 2 days is normal.

4. You go to a coffee shop to quietly study, not talk about the fun things you've done in the last week, and people playing cards and laughing is annoying.

5. Your brain literally hurts, as in it decides to stop working and all you can do is mindlessly stare at trashy television.

6. Getting fresh air only happens as you walk from your house to your test.

7. Setting your alarm for 6:30 am happens at least twice in 5 days.

8. Things that are normally amusing are HILARIOUS because you are delirious.

9. Selling your books back for $2 seems like the best thing ever.

10. Even though you don't have to go to any classes, it's the worst week of the year.

Dear finals week, we hate you.

too much food on my plate... psht jason mraz has never met us

As Lauryn and I were trotting across campus traveling to every possible bookstore trying to get cash money for the torture we were put through all semester due to these books, our thoughts naturally fell upon food. We were hungry. We wanted to feast.

Brainstorming and trying to think of what we had in our refrigerator we decided the best idea was Italian night with pizza and angle hair.

We bust through the front door looking for Danielle, find her in my room - right where we left her - working on endless interior design flash cards. Right away we state that tonight we are feasting, to which she joyfully exclaims something along the lines of, "YAY FOOD I'M SO HUNGRY YESSSS".

Promptly at 6 p.m. we put on our french music, boiled water, heated the oven, and within 15 minutes were eating our Italian "major munch" (check it at thesaurus.com .... no seriously type in feast and look at the genius literary suggestions that pop up).

Of course we finished that in 2 seconds and were thinking about what we could make for dessert.

What does one make with pancake mix, blueberries, cream cheese, powdered sugar and butter?

Oh we made crepes with cinnamon batter, filled with blueberries, and orange cream glaze.

Literally no recipes involved, Le Cordon Bleu is knocking on our door.

How did we make this orange cream glaze?

Well first we put some butter in the mixing bowl,

then we opened the cream cheese and this is where it gets interesting....

THERE WAS A 3 INCH PIECE OF WHO KNOWS WHAT THAT LOOKED LIKE IT JUMPED OFF A SHARK AND INTO OUR CREAM CHEESE PACKAGE. Thanks Publix.

We screamed, we poked it with knives and threw away the package, luckily we had another one that a shark fin hadn't decided to form inside.

So then we added cream cheese, and vanilla extract, whipped it together, then added powdered sugar and orange juice until we had the thin, smooth, creamy texture.

Ever had an Orange Julius? yeah, it definitely tasted like that.

Mission make a delicious 3 course meal: Accomplished.

forged knot.

In attempt to avoid any studying for finals, we decided this was the perfect time to create our own blog. We are four girls attending Florida State University, randomly assigned to live with each other; who had no idea that within about 4 months we would meet, live with, and do just about everything with our 4 new best friends.

It's true. People look at us and wonder how one of us isn't the weird roommate. You know, that one that loves anime to a creepy extent, or talks to their stuffed animal like its alive, or has the tendency to never shower and eat nacho cheese that kicks the gag reflex into high gear at 3 a.m. while you're trying to sleep.

Somehow we got lucky enough to be assigned four clean, sane, crafty, fun girls that love food no matter what time of day it is.

So as we were sitting here killing our brains with spanish powerpoints, interior design index cards, and the thought of our final exams within a few hours we figured documenting our random college experiences from this year sounded like a much better idea.

This is us... we're Jenny, Lauren, Danielle and Lauryn (Grandma)

you might find us delirious, but we just find it funny.