Thursday, December 31, 2009

2009-A Year in Review

2009 was a year of many new things for me!


January 2009 also brought about fun travels! I went to Cabo San Lucas with a leadership program sponsored by St. Edward's Student Life. It was absolutely one of the most defining moments of my college career and I learned how to step outside the boundaries I set for myself and learned to take risks...one step at a time!





February 2009 was the greatest Mardi Gras experience EVER. Spending the weekend in New Orleans, going to the Endymion Ball, Eating PoBoys for every meal except the king cake we ate for breakfast, walking barefoot home from the bars, the parades, beads and friendships, sewing Kristie into her Dress, Cougars, Kid Rock...every part of the weekend was absolutely unforgettable! I simply cannot wait for mardi gras 2010...the countdown has begun!


March 2009 meant spring break in Conroe Tx, with my dear friend Austin Wood. It was one of the most relaxing and enjoyable weeks I had in a long time. From spending time in the hot tub every night, going to the Houston Zoo and accidentally finding ourselves at a free Ben Kweller concert at Rice, Spring Break 2009 was absolutely everything I ever needed!


April brought about Easter and Miss Kristie and I did our usual hang out, watch baseball, and spend time with random St. Eds people. It was a lot of fun but did not include our usual impromptu trip to Houston!


May 2009 meant the end of my first senior year, the last event I worked with UPB, driving to Nebraska for Lucy (my sister's) graduation, and enjoying the first part of the summer. Leaving UPB (university programming board, where I had worked for two years) was an interesting transition for me. It was like leaving my home, and it was exciting to know that I left having made a difference but was hard to let go.

June meant my 22nd birthday which was spent working orientation at St. Edward's. I did get a wonderful cake and a pineapple, and beautiful flowers from my best friend! After my birthday I worked orientation and it was a lot of fun. The beginning of the summer is always such a fun time for me, and this year was no exception!


July 2009 started off with a wonderful weekend trip to Houston to spend the 4th with Sara's family. We had wonderful drinks, fireworks, food, and friends. The rest of July meant orientation and spending time at the pool. However, I did have to move out of my apartment in July and this was just so inconvenient! I moved onto campus for about 2 weeks until I could move to my new apartment, which I love by the way! As July ended the weather was as hot as ever, but life was good!

August brought about a family trip to Denver to visit my great grandmother on her 98th birthday! This trip was absolutely amazing! We hiked, ti-died t-shirts, cooked meals together, toured DT Denver, played tennis and went to a water park! This vacation was simply Amazon. The end of August was also the start of my last semester of college as an undergraduate student. This time was so strange because I knew that everything was coming to an end, but I still had so far to go!

September meant I had started to get into the swing of things! School was a challenge because I was so excited to be done with everything. One class in particular was killing me! Strategic Management seriously caused me immense stress! But I did end up making and A in the class, so I guess all of the stress and hard work paid off. The end of September meant a trip to San Diego to help my sister move into school. I had never been to San Diego so it was a wonderful trip and it was so exciting to see my sister go off to school, to a place that she absolutely loves.

October was an epic month for me because my 12 year dream to see Hanson in concert was finally fulfilled. On October 31, I got to see Hanson in Houston on Halloween with Hello Goodbye at the House of Blues. It was SO AMAZING!!! The show was so fun, we had such a good standing location, and the pictures I got were fun! October 2009 will be remembered for a long time to come!

November 2009 meant the first year I did not spend Thanksgiving with my family. I had one lunch with my boss/mentor/friend and then another dinner with Sara's Family! It was nice to be included with other families but still strange to not see my family. November also meant Sara's 21 Birthday. Her parents came and took us (sara, erica and me) to dinner to Perry's Steak House in Austin. It was one of the best evenings I had ever had. The food was exquisite, the company was wonderful and the atmosphere was amazing! That dinner will be forever dreamed about.


December 2009 will probably remain one of the most important months of my life to date! December held my graduation, which was then followed closely by applying for graduate school. I forgot how miserable filling out applications and writing essays really is! But, I finally sent in my first application to Colorado State, and now the waiting begins! Graduation was so amazing and it feels so accomplished to be done. However, now my friends can introduce me as their unemployed friend, because of my lack of a job!

2009 was filled with many laughs, tears, travels, memories, friends, relationships, accomplishments, new beginnings, and fun! Sitting in the kitchen of a dear friend and writing about the past makes me really excited about the future months to come!

I hope that your 2009 was as wonderful as mine, and that your dreams and accomplishments come true in 2010. HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Samantha

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

It's That Time of Year


As all of you are aware it is the Christmas season, which means lots of shopping, pictures, and family time. All of this also means so much to write about. I have been brainstorming some ideas for new entries and I cannot wait to share! Be excited for a new book review, stuffwhitepeoplelike.com, recipes, dancing Christmas Trees and MORE!


I hope that your holiday season is off to the right start and that the stresses of this time do not hinder your merriment or joy. Smile, sing Christmas music, eat delicious food, and stay up late, there is not better time to let loose a little... so just do it!


Remember also it is the season of giving...just a friendly reminder to give back for all you have been given. I wish you the most Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Graduation Day-December 12, 2009

Well I have officially graduated from St. Edward's University!! It was a wonderful day filled with family and friends. As you can see, my family came to celebrate with me!


We had a wonderful time, and thank you to everyone who helped me celebrate such a joyous occasion! It feels so strange to be done, yet very accomplished. The last four and a half years has been simply amazing!


I also had the pleasure of celebrating this day with my lovely roommate Elyse. Our families laughed, talked, cried, and shared our joy together. She is so amazing and being able to celebrate with her was so special. I think our picture is quite cute as well!


On a related topic, my dearest friend Kristie will be graduating on Friday from LSU. I find something so amazing about the celebrations leading up to the moment of graduation. The late nights, drinks, friends, family and planning that goes into graduation is so exhilarating! I cannot wait to see miss kristie walk across the stage. She joined my for my day and I could not be happier to be in Baton Rouge celebrating with her!

Monday, November 30, 2009

The Buttoning of The Cardigan

So the other day I was trying on what seemed like thousands of outfits for two presentations I had to give. I was so frustrated becasue it was getting cold, and I wanted to be warm but did not just want to wear pants. I tried on a black pencil skirt with a blue top, and wanted something over the shirt...so I pulled out my ever trusty Cardigan! Well, I thought intially it looked great, then I decided to get ambitius so I buttoned the top button...immediately I could hear the "grandma" and "Momma Sam" comments come screaming through the mirror. So I quickly changed the button to a few from the top...still something did not seem right with this look...this is when I experience my revelation.

The chosen button on a cardigan to be buttoned completely says if you are going with the grandma look... or the chic teacher. That day I really tried hard to be chic teacher, and I really think I succeeded.


Plus, pair any great cardigan with some chunky jewlery in a contrasting color, and a scarf for an aditional layer and you are set! (The Cardigan in the Pic is a perfect example of aweome buttoning and great jewlery!) Anyone can wear a cardigan and look great. How can you wear your cardigan and create your own style???

Friday, November 27, 2009

Black Friday

Today i decided to venture out into the madness of Black Friday. My first stop was Target. I looked at the clothes, the jewlery, and then home furnishings, and was absolutely unimpressed! I thought that for sure there would be a great deal, on something...but NO! So with my money still unspent, I went to DSW to see if there were any great shoe finds....and NO GREAT SHOES. I was completely diappointed and then thought jewlery could cheer up my mood. Charming Charlies was right next door so I went to see if there was any jewlery I couldn't live without. I looked at a few rings and some bracelets but then decided that there were no amazing deals so I left.

Shopping on Black Friday was a complete waste of time for me, I hope that your experience was much better! But I did want to talk about a great find...considering it is Fantastic Finds Friday!

I was shopping at the Hill Country Galeria and found these amazing reusable shopping bags at Bath and Body works. Not just grocery shopping bags, but shopping bags. They are totally cute, very earth friendly, and only $2!! They fold up and button so they are easily packed into any purse or bag, and are made of nylon so they will not rip or be ruined. This was my fantastic find of the week!

I used my bag and got a compliment! Be responsible, save the earth, and look great while doing it!

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Tasty Tuesday: Chocolate Chip Cookie Style

This weekend I was totally in the mood to bake, so I decided I wanteto try my hand at chocolate chip cookies. I came across this recipe and it was fantastic. It makes the softest, greatest cookies I have had in a long time! And they are HUGE! A perfect recipe for the holidays! I hope you enjoy!!!

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips


Directions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.
Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon. Drop cookie dough 1/4 cup at a time onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart.
Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Roomorama?? Yes Please!



I am hoping to move to Washington DC after I graduate to intern at the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities. Housing in DC is crazy and so I was researching some different options for a cheep room. I came accross Roomorama and Air Bed and Breakfast. http://roomorama.com/ http://airbnb.com/

These two websites are listings of rooms or even just beds in people's homes in hundreds of cities across the world. You can search by price, location, room size, amenities, and more! A great way to travel inexpensively and meet interesting people!

Wanna go to London??? You get the tickets, I will find us a room! LETS GO!

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Trendy Thursday...Haagen Das Frozen Yogurt

So, I had my wisdom teeth out on Monday and wanted something tasty and cold, and I remembered my roommate had gotten this frozen yogurt from Haagen-Dazs: Vanilla, honey, and granola (See Delicious Pic to understand the pure amazingness of this yogurt)
This stuff is simply amazing. 3.5 servings per container, 200 Calories, and enough fat to be delicious!
If you haven't tried this stuff you must! It is definitely one of my new favorite trends, one which will make me a lot more poor and probably a lot more round!
But on the upside it is frozen yogurt and not ice cream...or so they say!
I hope you enjoy and become addicted like I am!

GLEE!!!

If you did not get the chance to see Glee last night, it is quite imperative to your happiness as a human that you see this show. Anyone with a best friend, a special person in their life, a group where they find their happiness, I encourage you to watch the last 10 minutes of this outstanding show! It will truly make you smile, and will make you miss your someone.

Speaking of someones, I want to share a little about my best friend Miss Kristie Dugas. Kristie is the most generous, open, loving, funny, creative, willing, talented, and beautiful person that I have had the great chance to grow close to. We have been good friends since our senior year of high school, and have been inseparable ever since.

Freshman year of college we lived together at St. Ed's and I have so many funny memories with her. From parties, to boys, families to friends, and everything in between. Kristie and I would stay up way past our bedtime, laughing and talking in the dark of our cosy room. Those are the moments that I will not soon forget. From those moments until now, Kristie and I have a friendship unlike any other. I don't know how much I believe in meant to be's and fate, but I truly believe that she was put in my life for a reason, and for that I am eternally grateful!

Watching the show last night, and hearing the last song "Lean On Me" was so perfect. We all need someone to lean on, someone who we know will always be there, and someone who knows we are there for them too.

I hope that you will tell your someone how much they mean to you, and that you are ALWAYS THERE FOR THEM TO LEAN ON! I know that most of us have many people who we count on and who we will always be there for, and for those people, in my life you know who you are, and THANK YOU!

The link below will take you to Glee's "Lean on Me," and I encourage you to listen, then make a phone call or send a text message!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OsBkoCirrk

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Free Holiday Decorating Class with Potter Barn


Click the link below for a great opportunity with Pottery Barn and Co- Sponsored by Real Simple Magazine.
FREE Holiday Decorating and Entertaining Classes!
Sunday November 29th or Sunday December 6th.

Hope to see you there!


2 Free Issues from Real Simple Magazine


Check out the link below for your two free issues of real simple magazine! What a great way to recieve Holiday decorating and recipe ideas! Hope you enjoy!










Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Its Totally Tasty Tuesday


I found this recipe online because I had purchased Swiss Chard and wanted a great recipe. I loved this dish. I was spicy, but fresh and a really quick meal! It made great left over too! Hope you enjoy!


RECIPE

Greek Greens Penne(Serves 2)
Ingredients:
1 pound Swiss chard
½ pound penne pasta
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 cloves thinly sliced garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup water
salt and pepper
1 cup canned tomatoes
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions:
Separate the Swiss chard stem and leaves. (The leaves cook faster than the stems.) Rinse and drain each. Cook pasta in boiling, salted water until al dente. Drain.
Prepare chard mixture while pasta is cooking: In a large skillet, over medium heat, stir together red pepper flakes, garlic and oil until garlic is golden. Add chard stems and ¼ cup of water. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Add chard leaves, ¼ cup of water, and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook for another 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and cook covered for 3 minutes.
In a large bowl, toss the penne with the chard mixture and Parmesan cheese. Serve with additional Parmesan, if desired.

Happy Birthday Max!




My little brother turned 21 today! Happy Birthday Max!! Stay Safe!

Monday, November 16, 2009

A Theme?

So, I think that during certain days of the week I want to follow a theme. For example:

Sunday -- Simple Sundays
Monday -- Mad music Mondays
Tuesday -- Totally tasty Tuesdays
Wednesday -- Wacky, weird Wednendays
Thursday -- Too Trendy Thursdays
Friday -- Fantastic Finds Fridays
Saturday -- Sweet, Sultry Saturday

I think this adds a completely new dimension to this blog about me!

My Family




I want to start this session of thoughts sharing with introducing my family. I am the oldest of 5 and would not want my life any other way. Each of my siblings is unique and loving and special to my life. I live in Austin with my brother Max (21), but my sister Lucy(18) is living in San Diego, and my youngest siblings, Gabrielle(16) and Simon(14),are in Lincoln with my mom, Martha.

Being from a large family is simply amazing! I have so many funny memories of camping trips, halloween costumes, vacations in the van, and christmas seasons playing mario kart racing and eating nachos. you could say our family is unique and quite eccentric, but we wouldn't be the Bruckners if it was any other way.

I think that pictures are such an amazing representation of our lives. I hope to include pictures from my life that will add some color and help express who I am!

Getting back to the thought at hand, my family is great! They are all coming to Austin for my graduation, which will be a future post, and I could not be more excited. As I grow older and live away from them for longer, I have learned to appreciate the people they are and what they mean to my life.