Confessions of a Bootless Texan

OK, I usually don't post twice in one week, but I absolutely loved this Christmas survey on Ashley's Starting Somewhere blog. I just had to steal it! :) 1.  Favorite Christmas Album/CD/Song?  My favorite Christmas Album is definitely Christina Aguilera's "My Kind of Christmas." It came out in 2000, and I still can't get enough of it.  2.  What do you usually eat on Christmas morning? Sadly, I eat my usual breakfast on Christmas morning...either cereal, cookies or a granola bar. I'm not exactly a "morning person."  3.  Favorite holiday or Christmas tradition? Drinking eggnog and wrapping presents! I've gotten quite good at this wrapping thing.  4.  Real tree, fake tree or no tree? Fake! Woohoo! This year to save space we put up the "mini" tree. It's cute and gets the job done. Oh yeah, it only takes 5 minutes to take down too! Ha! 5.  Christmas pajamas… yay or nay?  Nah, I'll stick to my usu...

I can't believe Christmas is just four days away! It seems so unreal! With that said, the gifts are packed, the stockings are hung, the tree is lit and the Christmas songs are playing (whether I want them to or not). Ha! Since the last time I blogged, I've... Visited The Peddler Show at the Pasadena Convention Center. It's kind of like the Nutcracker Market...just scaled down like 1000%. Though there aren't many merchants that attend, it's still really enjoyable to look at so many unique items under one roof. Not to mention, I found this amazing SFA wall decor! :) Shopped at the Cypress Premium Outlets! It was the perfect weather for a day of shopping...70 degrees in December! Yep, I didn't stutter! I love the outlets since you just can't beat the bargains. For example, the Coach store had a 40% off sale on all items. Needless to say, I bought a Coach phone cover and head wrap while I was there.  Registered to take the PPR on March 9th. Ee...

So I know it's been a few weeks since I went to the Nutcracker Market, but I thought I'd share with you my favorite booths/stores I saw while there. Since most of these places have websites, you might want to do a little Christmas shopping from your couch. :) Side note: While I enjoyed the Nutcracker Market experience very much, I probably will not be back. The admission is extremely high ($13 a person plus parking) and the massive amount of people pushing and shoving you makes it hard to stop and really look at the individual items. With that said, there are a few ways to cut your costs. You can print a $1 off coupon on their website or get half off admission if you show up 3 hours prior to closing. Personally, I'd recommend the latter because 3 hours is more than enough time to shop. Without further ado, here's the list- 1.) A Rosy Outlook -This booth was amazing. They sold accessories, shirts and so much more. I ended up buying the "Born & Raised in ...

Thanksgiving. Just the word alone makes me smile. I love everything about this holiday. I love the rest, the relaxation, the games, the family time and, of course, the food! This year I'm spending Thanksgiving with my grandparents and mom. Instead of slaving over a hot stove all day like we've done so many years before, we are having Cracker Barrel prepare our Thanksgiving feast. For just $54.99, we're getting a meal for 6! Here's the link for more info!   Cracker Barrel Thanksgiving To-Go On Sunday, my mom and I went to the Dancers Against Cancer Benefit Concert at UH-Clear Lake. The concert featured dancers from local studios and professional companies. In the end, all proceeds raised benefited Nick Linton and Aaron Pena Jr., two young men suffering from two different cancers. It was really an eye-opening experience that changed my outlook on life. I worry so much about the small stuff when I should just be thankful for every day. I hope any readers in the area c...

The past few weeks have been pretty crazy for me.  I took my dance certification test at the College of the Mainland on October 17th and......... I PASSED!  I also won tickets to the Gotye concert through a contest on the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion's blog. The concert was amazing! I fell in love with the Givers, the opening act. I highly recommend you check them out. One of their songs was featured on Glee recently! I finished all of my field based experiences! Before interning, you must complete 30 hours of observation. While this doesn't sound like much, it really is quite hard to just sit and watch a class for that long.   I took the Haberman Pre-Screener test??? Up until this week, I had no clue what this test was. Apparently, this one test has a 95% success rate of determining teachers who will stay and succeed vs. quit the profession. I should find out later this week my results. (YIKES) I hope y'all have a great week, and I...

I seriously can't even account for where the last four months went. While I was busy worrying about the most petty things, time flew by.    In the last four months, I've... -celebrated my grandfather's 80th birthday!  -started my field based observations for my teacher's certification. It feels so weird to be back in high school. I still feel like a student myself.   -studied, studied and studied some more for my dance certification test next week. -learned the beauty of Crockpots! In fact, I'll share with you my favorite Crockpot recipe to date. It's so simple and tastes so good. Hope you enjoy it as much as me! Crockpot Potato Soup -went to Trader Joe's for the first time! I'm in awe of all the unique foods there. If you're addicted to pumpkin as much as me, you'll love their pumpkin muffins, pumpkin butter and pumpkin ice cream. (I tried free samples of all of them at the store.) -read "The Girl with the Drago...

I recently read an article by The Daily Beast titled " The 13 Most Useless Majors, From Philosophy to Journalism ." If you haven't read this article yet, I suggest you do as this entire blog post was inspired by it. And let's be honest, you are curious to know whether or not your major made the cut. OK...If you are now beating yourself up because your major made the list, STOP RIGHT NOW because BOTH of my majors made the list as well. We are all in the same boat and, luckily, this boat is not sinking. When I was in high school, I spent months debating on whether to take the so-called "smart" route and become a pharmacist or take the road less traveled and major in dance and journalism. I weighed the options heavily, and in the end, I decided dealing with sick people all day just wasn't in the cards for me. My future salary didn't matter to me so long as I could pay my bills and live comfortably. ALL I WANTED was a career that would ...

So I don't know about you, but I'm so looking forward to the numerous dance television shows/movies coming out this summer.  I'm so excited about this that I've decided to devote an entire post to it. Enjoy! First Position This is a documentary that follows ballet dancers as they compete for dance scholarships. Unfortunately, there are limited screenings, so you'll have to go to the River Oaks Theatre if you reside in the Houston area. The only other screenings in Texas are in Dallas, Fort Worth and Austin. The film opens on May 18. Breaking Pointe This show premieres on May 31 on the CW. It follows the lives of members of Ballet West, a professional company within Salt Lake City, Utah.  Bunheads If you're as much of an ABC Family fanatic as I am, I'm sure you've seen the previews for this show for the past few months. Brought to you by the creator of Gilmore Girls, this show premieres on June 11. All...

Since the countdown to graduation has already begun,  I thought it would be fitting to post about the things  I'll miss about Nac. 1.) Drive-thru Subways... they really do exist 2.) Einstein Bros Bagels... The only one near Humble is in the Bush  Intercontinental Airport...boo! 3.) Banita Creek Hall I'll never forget the bands I've seen there Josh Abbott, Eli Young, Curtis Grimes 4.) Flamingo Bingo... the name pretty much sums it up. If you are imagining pink paint and older people with trolls for luck, you are so right! :) 5.) Pina Coladas from La Carreta... any place that can mask the taste of alcohol is amazing 6.) Dollar movies in the Student Center 7.) The fact that everything is a five minute drive away. 8.) How cute SFA looks at all times of the year... especially during Christmas 9.) Thinking...thinking... I'll get back to you on that one!  10.) Last but not least...  the friends I've made. :)

I graduate! Invitations have been made/sent. Cap and gown have been picked up. Graduation dress has been purchased. (Shhh...it's a secret!) To Do List Decide on shoes for graduation...comfort vs. cute Figure out my future plans On a daily basis, I'm asked, "What are you doing after graduation?" This question is one of the most difficult questions ever because I really don't know. I've turned down some pretty amazing opportunities just recently because they weren't the so-called "perfect fit." As a new graduate, I'm smart enough to know I shouldn't seek perfection, but I'm definitely not going to settle. Until then, I'm fairly certain that I'm going to move back to the Houston area, work toward my teacher certification in dance and journalism, write freelance and possibly try to find a dance teaching position at a studio. Well I guess I have more figured out than I thought...ha! Pass Kinesiology 417...hardest class ever!...

Since my last post... I've been busier than ever!           Last week , I traveled to Laredo, Texas , for the American College Dance Festival . Before I went to Laredo, I must admit I let it's reputation as a border town get the best of me. With that said, however, Laredo was one of the most amazing cities I've ever visited. The people were extremely welcoming and friendly at all times.             The festival, itself, was held at Texas A&M International University . I still can't believe how great their facilities were. While there, I had the opportunity to take master classes in lyrical jazz, yoga, creative dance for children, modern, rhythmic analysis, relaxation through imagery and injury prevention. Also, I performed in two adjudicated works . The feeling I had performing on that stage was indescribable . I felt like the months of hard work, blood, blisters and tears finally paid off in the end. It was the perfect en...

One of my friends recently did a blog post on her dreams/future goals. I enjoyed it so much that I've decided to do the same. Hope you enjoy! Places I'd like to visit: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter Walt Disney World Dollywood Broadway Rocky Mountains Grand Canyon Las Vegas Atlantis Dream Job Dance Teacher Journalist Yearbook Advisor/Representative Random Go zip lining See Lady Antebellum in concert Learn how to sew Go on a cruise Take pilates classes Make cake pops (random but definite goal of mine) :) To be continued... :)

Last week was... Extremely difficult.  I lost both my grandma on my dad's side as well as one of my favorite dogs. Since I don't see both on a daily or even yearly basis, I find this hard to believe. I just don't think it has hit me yet, and, to be honest, it might never hit me the way it should. I guess it's just another one of my weird ways of coping. All I can be certain of is that both are in a better place now. Rest in peace Grandma Butler and Angel!  "Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened."~Anatole France Yet again, difficult. I bombed my first two tests this semester. Kinesiology is just not my subject... I don't want to know and don't need to know about basketball or baseball. Rewarding. I finally finished all of my yearbook spreads. I worked months on that book,  and it just feels good to know I completed a project that  will  be  a part of SFA's histo...

This past week involved...  Going to Banita Creek to see Curtis Grimes perform :) Being envious of those who know how to country dance. Yep, it's time I learn this stuff!  A midnight run to Taco Bell! Yummy! Auntie Pasta's to celebrate my friend's b-day!  My first Bellini! Contagion movie night with friends (highly recommend) Jamming out to "You Drive Me Crazy" by Britney Spears.  And, last but not least, realizing the importance of knowing how to keep your windows from fogging up while driving. :-/