Stephens is my Valentine!!

Yay!!! Valentines Day was so sweet this year! Stephens took so much care of me this year- and it's a good thing too because this might be my last Valentines Day alone for a while- graduation means a big girl apartment in the same town as my boyfriend! 

Also- don't know if you guys knew this or not, but it turns out the real meaning of Valentines Day (especially at this girl's school) is cookies.

Yep. Cookies.

Well, plus these amazing cupcakes we decorated ourselves thanks to our baker, Micah. He spoils us, can't you tell?

Also note the genius of Carolyn. She filled chocolate...with chocolate...genius.

Also note the majesty of Arianne's cupcake decorating skills!

And then after cupcakes I was gifted with cookies from the camera supply closet! 

BUT OH MY GOSH THEY WEREN'T JUST COOKIES WERE THEY?

NO THEY WERE NOT! 

THEY WERE DR.WHO COOKIES! 

WITH TARDIS'S ON THEM!

And then we had bubbles in class! 

And then, well, did I mention cookies?

Yes. Yes I think I did. 

Happy Valentines Day to all of you lovely ladies!! 

(and to George, who reads my blog more regularly than I do! I miss you!)

love, rudi

Distractions

This month's lesson is about distraction.

Which is probably the worst timed lesson I've ever had, because this is my last semester in college and there are things to do. All of the things to do. All of them. And I have until the fourth day in May to do them.
But I tell you what's odd. For the past three years I've been so focused, so channeled onto goals and working and the future that distraction has been a very small concern in the past, and I'm not exactly sure how to deal with this.
But also never before have I been newly 21 with way too many friends inviting me to way to many great parties and game nights and gallery openings and 'hey let's go grab a drink and brainstorm' date nights.

Hey, that counts as practicing networking skills, right?

On the positive side, I am carpe-ing all the diem Columbia seems to offer. On the negative side, I maybe didn't finish that diagram of the anterior torso exactly on time. Another semi-plus side, though, is that I never turn in late work. I'm just cashing in my 'bad student' chips while I'm still a student.

love, rudi

Goals: Accomplished!

Before pulling together my new years resolutions, I thought it would be wise to go over those goals that I set for myself at the beginning of this semester. Remember that post?

1. Keep up the good work!
    I think I've done a great job preventing myself from burning out, and I came out of this semester with several portfolio-worthy pieces! Not to mention I conquered three of my biggest fears- learning Photoshop, drawing, and attempting to paint. Not too shabby at all!

2. More pictures!
   This goal may never truly be accomplished- you can never take too many pictures- but I do think that I could still do a better job. I have been really good about carrying my camera around everywhere I go, so that's a solid start. I give myself a B for this one.

3. Watch less TV.
   Okay. This one was going to be the hardest from the beginning. In fact, I'm watching an episode of Portlandia as I type this. I'm still addicted to TV (starting Dr. Who didn't help), but the reason I wanted to cool it on the Netflix in the first place was to make sure I got out of my room and got a good start on goal 4, and since goal 4 was accomplished despite my TV watching, the addict inside me is wondering if I could just keep my vice.

4. Find my people.
    Totally accomplished this one! I've really connected to people that I wanted to be closer to, and I've taken some big efforts to get to know my acquaintances better. I've even got a weekly girls night tradition started up!

5. Lose the cynicism.
    It's amazing what a change of perspective and a few new people can do for you. My headspace has been so much more positive since the beginning of the semester, and it happened at just the right time. Who wants to graduate and start life with a bunch of gunky, negative thoughts in their head?

I'll be back soon with some updated goals! Do any of you have suggestions or resolutions of your own? Please leave me a comment about them!

love, rudi