The Beauty of Life

Today marks the 39th anniversary of one of the most destructive cases against human life: Roe v. Wade. It's hard to believe that we live in a society that has accepted the killing of the most innocent human beings: the unborn. We are living amidst a culture that has accepted this but we cannot become complacent. This weekend I joined 10,000 Americans in the fight for life. We began the Dallas March for Life at the Cathedral and concluded at the courthouse. What an experience! To be surrounded by thousands of people defending the sanctity of life. Let's start this year with a respect for the unborn and stand up as the Pro-Life generation that stands firm in our protection of life. 

Dallas March for Life 2012

Washington D.C. March for Life 2011 

Jane-a-day

This past Christmas I stumbled into a secondhand bookstore where I found my lifesaver. Meet Jane-a-day, the most creative way to journal. There are 365 pages with Jane Austen quotes on each. There are 5 lines to fill in what you did on that particular day for 5 years. Just starting off it doesn't seem to be all that exciting, but just think how wonderful it will be to page through it years from now. Who wouldn't want to keep track of all the little day-to-day things that keep making us smile?

This is just another one of my New Years resolutions that I really hope to continue.

Welcome to a World of Tradition

I will never forget the day I was introduced to the wonderful world of Old Mill. It was a Saturday evening my freshman year when a van pulled up to me, little Laura (Papania) Sercer sticking her pixie head out the window told me to hop in! There we went! That night her and her four wonderful roommates, more formerly known as 'The Pixies' introduced me to Old Mill. We began our journey wandering through the art village, where Chelsea was working diligently on her exquisite senior project, while sipping on a corona. It was at that moment I fell utterly in love with the carefree artist she is. We then continued our journey through Old Mill where I was introduced to the humble Pixie abode. I was immediately told to sit on the couch, while handed a tall glass of wine and a stack of Rome scrapbooks to peruse. What more could a girl ask for?

The Playful Pixies 

After hearing bits & pieces about how each of the Pixies met, I was taken to the apartment next door, more formerly known as the 'PB & Js.' It was as if I had been introduced to a whole new dimension of UD... the upperclassmen! As I looked around at the new faces, my excitement grew. At this point in the night I just kept thinking to myself "How on earth could UD get any better?" But then came the really UD aspect of the night... playing games & talking for hours and hours about Rome. It was such a wonderful experience, almost like that of a dream. Yet it still remains vividly alive in my memory. 

The Photogenic PB&Js

To think that I live in that apartment where I was taken to that night my freshman year is not a coincidence at all. Those two generations of girls welcomed the underclassmen into their lives with eager arms. It was the little things that bring such joy to my heart, like Anne's homemade biscuits after a big night or Katie O'Keefe's bed after an eventful Progressive. Both apartments of girls truly helped start a tradition. It was Apartment 1118, now more formerly known as 'The Womb,' where it all began and where it continues to grow.

The Wonderful Wombies 

My four wonderful roommates or wombmates as we call ourselves, thanks to Paul Spring & Andrew Esherick's coining of our abode as 'the womb,' now occupy apartment 1118. Why the strange nickname you may ask? Well, if you've ever visited our apartment it is very red, very warm and very homey...need I say more? Katie, Adrienne, Kate, Sara & I each have tried to continue the legacy left before us by hosting the Long Island Iced Teas on Groundhog, spontaneous dance parties, open couches (and beds) to all those that aren't fit to make the walk to campus and a very open door policy. The five of us have had such an incredible experience thus far, especially this past fall with my sister, Julia, and Kate's sister, Andrea, joining in the family legacy. We're all looking forward to a wonderful end of our senior year and plenty more lasting memories with those we love. 

Cheers to the spirit of tradition that rests in the hearts of UDers!

Miss America

So many words come to mind when I think of my dear friend, Liz Santorum. Steadfast, virtuous, eloquent, refined... the list goes on. I met Liz my sophomore year at UD and was immediately drawn to her friendly southern charm. I don't know if it was her pearl earrings, dirty chai or beaming smile that drew me in, but I knew we'd be instant friends. And we were. I'm her Ethel & she's my Lucy. We spent nights laughing and crying as we looked to our memories from the past to help guide us into the infinite abyss. We talked of film, fashion, love, cuisine, and travel. Once the giggling started, it wouldn't stop. The sight of us was like that of young schoolgirls, careless and free. 

This year, much has changed in the life of Liz Santorum. Her father, Senator Santorum, is running for President of the USA. Yes, PRESIDENT!!! I will never forget the phone call I received from Liz last summer that I had dreaded for so long: that she would not be returning to UD for the fall semester. I rejoiced at her decision to help her father with his campaign but worried what effect it would have on our friendship. Despite the distance, our friendship remained intact. In fact, it improved. It was as if we both knew exactly what the other needed (not always wanted) to hear. We each were the other's link to sanity. 

Poised. Sophisticated. Elegant. Eloquent. Stunning. 

I can only imagine the many memories we'll have over the years. I often like to imagine the two of us sitting on our rocking chairs, sweet tea in hand, with our husbands tending to the grandchildren. As we sit, basking in our memories, we'll enjoy these priceless times in our youth. Cheers to timeless friendship!

Meet the soon-to-be President's daughter, everyone! She's quite the catch in her white mustang convertible & that scarf around her head. Here she comes America!

The Beginning of the End

As we welcome in the new year, it is not uncommon to initiate resolutions, hoping to challenge oneself to improve and grow throughout the year. Beginning the last semester of my final year in college, I hope to do just this. Share a glimpse into my life and those who have had a tremendous impact on my journey thus far. Cheers to a year of adventure and an encounter with some of God's most beautiful creatures.

Exotic. Simple. Joyful. Artistic. 

Meet one of my closest friends, Lia. She is a true, Turkish beauty. We met years ago while venturing through the jungles of Florida (our backyard) and boating through the inlets of the eastern coast. In recent years we've reconnected and found so much joy in one another's company. I think everyone would agree that Lia is a gem of a friend, one who brings the most pure happiness to all. This Christmas break I spent nights caroling, playing bananagrams, predicting our futures around a campfire, sipping wine and soaking up the beauties this world has to offer with Lia. Isn't it the simplest of things in life that bring such tremendous happiness to our hearts? Lia is now off teaching in Hawaii, bound to fall in love with an exotic Hawaiian surfer. But she will never forget her roots in our small town and those she has brought such joy to.