butterflies and hurricanes...

First and Foremost

I HAVE BEEN SO BUSY! 

... and I finally have a break. Sleeping is truly a lovely feeling.

Since it's been a while, I have a feeling this is going to be a long post...

I finished up all my five of my finals and got an A on all five I hope. Then I worked 27 hours over the weekend, but at least I was able to sleep at night.  I'm so glad I've been lucky enough to get a lot of hours with the economy how it is (especially since I have a speeding ticket to pay).  

I'm really looking forward to this upcoming quarter in school. Since I'll only be going to school two days a week, I'll have more 'me' time. Time to paint, time to spend time with friends and family, time to just enjoy life really. I also have a few 'projects' I guess you could call them that I want to get started on. There's just a few things in my life that I keep pushing to the side or completely away, but I'm really determined for change now =) I'm really excited for classes next quarter too, they should be fun and interesting. I'm taking Chemistry 1B (ew!), and Violence against Women and Language, Literature, and Culture (hopefully both of those will be as interesting as they sound).

I've noticed lately how much I enjoy driving alone.  It's really the only time I get to get listen to music and throw around some ideas I normally don't have time for. I really value the time I get to myself where I can just let my thoughts flow like that. I love driving in the rain, or in the sun and listening to whatever music I feel like.  A nice drive really clears my mind.  A nice drive unless a punk cop pulls me over and gives me a ticket, like the other night. Regardless, I still lovee driving alone and the clarity it gives me. 

I got my hair done today which is good. I needed it BADLY. I had been putting it off because of school and just not having time to spare. I'm also getting extensions within the next week as a belated birthday and Christmas present from Raul.  He told me he'd get them for me and I kept putting it off and putting it off some more but I finally made an appointment for a consultation and color match! WOOOOO I'm SO excited :D

My long hair is definitely missed.

Lately I'm really into getting my nails painting fun, bright, and cute which is a changed from the usual black, dark red, dark blue I had been getting.  My first adventure was LEOPARD NAILS! Haha they were very crazy but absolutely adorable and I got compliments on them every day until I took the paint off.  I went to a nail salon near my parents' in Lake Elsinore, where I had gone quiet a bit when I lived out there.  Little did I know the owner could do all these fun designs.  She had one of those scary plastic hands with different designs, and one of them was leopard! I had just been talking to the lady that does my nails out in Riverside about them the last time I was in.

So I just HAD to get that and it was a fun change!

Then this past Sunday I picked up a ton of cute products from MAC's new Sugarsweet collection. It's one of my most favorite lines they have put out. I picked up some bright but pale pink lipstick, a Shadestick in Lemon Chiffon (sounds yummy I know!), and Seasonal Peach nail polish and my favoriteeeeeee purchase Peppermint Patti nail polish.  It's the prettiest light mint yummy green <3

Do your trick, light up the stars...

Jupiter shines so bright when you're around <3

Raul comes home from Anberlin's Australia and Japan tour tomorrow.  I'm currently baking him a birthday cake, as it was his birthday 2 weeks ago.  At the time he was still was in Australia, so I wanted to do something special for him.  I gave him his gifts before he left, but I still wanted to do something special for him.  I'm baking a classic yellow cake with homemade chocolate frosting! yum!

Here's a picture of Raul on the bullet train in Tokyo!  He took it on his iPhone and then used a super cool free app to add the polaroid frame an writing.  It's called Polarize... I recommend it to any iPhone parents ;D

...and here's a picture he took in Australia when he went to an Aquarium there.

If anyone reads this blog yet, just wanted to let you all know urbanoutfitters.com is doing freeeeee FREE shipping on any orders with shoes (that aren't already on sale).   Just wanted to pass that along...

More pictures of Norah!

Norah and My mom's arm ha... 

Visiting the dance studio

in her American Apparel Hoodie <3

Raul and Norah at Starbucks, right before he left

Don't let anyone tell you you need to be a certain way...

Right now I'm really into Franz Ferdinand's newer album Tonight.  I was lucky enough to score the deluxe edition :D  There's not just a few songs on there that are good, there are A TON! And that catchy song, Oh You Girls, on the newest Apple commercial is Track # on the album.  I definitely recommend investing in that album...

In six hours I have Psychology midterm that I just want over!  In fact I just want this quarter over... 2 weeks left today.  

After my test I have to work.  All I have to say is that work is definitely a place to practice the good old golden rule.  It definitely pays off to help people and cover their shifts when they need it, because now that I'm busy with school and need shifts covered I don't feel as bad asking people.  Especially when I've done it for them before.  And people are more willing to cover my shifts when I need it. 

Which reminds me of a discussion from my Philosophy Ethics and the Meaning of Life class this quarter... Are we good, moral people only for its consequences? Or is being good and moral enough in itself? Or are we good, moral people because of a combo of both?

Do I do people favors just so they'll do one for me in return? Or do I help them just because of the peace helping others brings me? Or both?

Well I know my answers to those questions...

It's interesting take just acting nice, good, and moral to the next level and question what drives us to act this way.  And then there's the idea that if we only make good choices based on our own selfish desires, (ex. donating money to charities to look like a good person and to boost one's reputation) does that make a right action wrong?

A lot to think about. 

On a different note... haha. I found some great stuff on ebay this week, an adorable dress and boots, and I can't wait for them to come in the mail! Plus they're both vintage SO I can completely justify spending money :D Believe or not, vintage shopping is actually leaves a positive impact on the environment. It reduces the literally 2 quadrillion pounds a year that America alone throws away in clothes (even though I'd never call this stuff trash 0_0 ), it doesn't use any sweatshop labor, no extra pesticides or being used to grow the cotton for it, and no child labor is used to harvest the cotton.  Hooray for vintage shopping and finally being able to justify shopping! It's also good to know you're not going to run into anyone wearing the same thing. I also enjoyed standing out from the crowd going up, but I've really learned to value actual uniqueness lately. Don't let anyone tell you you need to be a certain way...

Busy week ahead of me

xoxo

Catching up....

Here's some pictures to sum up the past month! 

I uploaded the pictures too big, and don't have the

time to fix right now. 

So just click on the picture to see the whole thing, sorry!

 

Went to Vegas for my best friend's bachelorette party!

Us enjoying our fancy deserts after going to Cirque du Soleil's Mystere

All of us at Mystere

Doing a good deed with Mindy, planting vines to prevent neighborhood grafitti!

In vegas again for Laura's wedding shower.  Apparently all my friends are tall and good-looking...

Laura's wedding reception

Panima's last show with Kelli and Katie

Bad picture of me but cute picture of the new puppy Norah!

All I need is a picture of Cassi and I and Raul and I, which is hard

as Raul is in Japan and Australia this month

I'm back!

I haven't blogged since one week ago, one year ago and I'm ready to do it again. It's something I've been wanting to do again but I just haven't gotten around to it.

I decided to just start a new blog because thinks have REALLY changed in the past year and so I felt like starting a completely new blog as my last blog didn't follow the changes I've undergone. 

So I guess this is my 'catching up' entry.  It's weird as it does sort of feel like catching up with an old friend.  Not quite as good as the real thing, but certainly nice. 

I began school at UCR last summer and couldn't be happier.  I didn't plan on going to school here until I received a letter in the mail saying I was one of the few kids being offered the Chancellor's Scholarship. So basically I go to school for almost free, and having that opportunity was the main factor in me choosing UCR.  I got in to 'better ranked' schools but I know I made the right choice for me.  there are things I want to change, but I honestly enjoy my time at school and taking advantage of what the school has to offer. I have a 4.00 GPA after two quarters and I'm so proud of myself!  I also joined a few clubs  and honor societies on campus to get involved and I'm happy I did that. 

When I started school I moved out of my parent's home in Lake Elsinore and moved into an apartment a few blocks from school.  It's perfect I walk to school nearly everyday and only drive when I have to be somewhere immediately after school.  I love living on my own and have become a lot more responsible and mature because of it.  I felt having my own place was more for than the dorm life, and the only reason I would've lived in the dorms was because it felt 'expected'.  But I'm not the average young student and again I know I made the right choice for me. 

Another BIG change in my life is that I got engaged! Raul proposed April 25th, 2008 while we spent the weekend at Coachella.  He romantically asked me while we were watching one of my favorite bands, Death Cab for Cutie.  We don't have a date for the wedding set actually mainly because of my education.  My parents are paying for my undergrad education and all my living expenses, and I can't expect them to keep paying if I am married.  Since I'll have 3-4 years of dental school and 3  years of specialty school to pay for, I decided if I can save Raul and I $250,000 in student loans why not?  Plus we are both young, I'm 19 and he's 22, so we really are in no hurry. So expect an invitation around 2012! Unless one of us wins he lotto....

I'm also working at Windsor Fashions in the Tyler Mall in Riverside and I really enjoy it.  Working retail really teaches ones patience! I do love helping people at work.  Whether it's just being kind and helpful to everyone that walks in or helping someone find the perfect dress for their high school homecoming or prom, it really makes me feel good!  Cheesy I know... But it does feel good when people thank you for being so helpful and nice.  And I'm kinda hoping that people that feel that way about me will pay it forward and do little things to help others. I know it's my job, but I try and do that little extra. Whenever I do have to work with a difficult customer I do try to tell myself , "Treat everyone with politeness, even those who are rude to you - not because they are nice, but because you are..."

Raul is currently working as a drumtech for Anberlin. He is so blessed to have an amazing job like this!  He gets paid to be around his passion and to see the world! He does miss actually paying music though I know, so maybe something will work out where he can do both.  He's always moving to Portland, Oregon soon to work for Truth Drums again.  I'm so proud of him!

"Kindess is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see"

Mark Twain

And on a more personal note, I feel in the past year I've really matured and become a better person.  I'm not perfect, and I still have a lot room for improvement.  I try everyday to be a better friend, a better peer, a better co-worker, a better daughter/sister, and just a better person.  I'm also the happiest I've ever been because of this new outlook I have.  I feel better being more nice and mature, and I definitely see how differently most people will treat you in return.  And I like to think me being a nicer person makes people's lives easier haha like my parent's and my friends'.  I do know I was once quite a difficult person to say the least. So thanks to everyone that was there for me when I was rude, to put it bluntly! Lol.  I'm really growing up since I began college and I love living life this way. 

I'm going to try to post pictures and more entries soon...

xoxo

Camille