Top 5 Tuesday - Vacations

I am linking up with Rachel to share my Top 5 favorite vacation spots. I LOVE to travel and hope to travel this summer after I graduate, but where to go? I am very blessed to have been able to travel so much and only hope for more opportunities in the future.  Going on a roadtrip or boarding a plane (which I will be doing in 6 days) makes me so giddy! 

5. Paris 

 I went to France Spring Break sophomore year of high school and loved Paris. It was so magical and as a naive, untraveled 15-year old, I relished in all the amazing sights! 

  

4. Cruise 2011 

Last Spring Break I went to Grand Cayman and Cozumel, and while I have been to both before, the company was what made this vacation. 

3. Rivah 

I crave going to the Rivah every summer. While I have spent my summers at the Rivah since I was 12, it is so relaxing to be away from civilization, have fun with family and friends, and eat great seafood - all right on the water. 

2. Germany 

I only visited a few small towns in Bavaria (southern Germany) but their charm was indescribable. I could probably eat pretzels everyday and walk around the town square every afternoon! 

Rothenberg, Germany 

1. Spain

I spent about 5 weeks studying abroad here and considered it a vacation everyday. I highly suggest Madrid for its great restaurants, shopping, history, culture, and adorable neighborhoods, you will find another surprise everywhere you turn! Granada is absolutely stunning and was a great combination of old world charm and modern city life!  

El Palacio Real - Madrid 

La Alahambra - Granada 

Honorable mentions - New York City, Chicago, Rome

Sister Visits

My sister is coming into town for the weekend tomorrow and I am so excited to see her! I have two younger sisters, and my "baby sister" is 6 years younger than me and I have therefore missed out on a lot of her growing up. Combined with the fact that I have not lived at home the past two summers and that I am moving away this coming summer, this is such a great opportunity for us to bond - just the two of us!

Allie and I over Christmas Break 

(we look nothing alike!) 

My sister, Allie, loves to bake and usually makes something for all her friends birthdays (it drives my Mom crazy). Over Christmas we made peanut butter buckeyes and they were so delicious! I thought it would be fun for us to make another treat together (without Mom's supervision) while she is here. She loves all things chocolate, and is not too adventurous yet so here are some ideas (thanks to Pinterest) ... 

Cake Batter Bars with Funfetti 

Oreo Brownie Trifle 

Cake Batter Puppy Chow 

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cake 

Don't these look delicious? Do you have any suggestions for a yummy dessert for sisters to make? 

Time Flies

I can't believe how fast this year has flown by! Last week I went to our Graduation Fair with one of my best friends I have known since Freshman year and got my cap and gown .... what? I cannot believe in a few short months I will be walking across the stage to get my diploma and become an alumni! 

To make graduation and the real world seem even closer, I got an email with possible start dates for my job. Yes, I actually have to start working in less than 6 months! 

With all this looming, I am feeling super unprepared. There is so much I have to do before I graduate and start my job. While I must pass my classes, fulfill my sorority requirements, buy a car, move to a new city, and all those tedious big girl things, I must remember to have fun! I have only a few more months of freedom before the real world welcomes me! I have lots of fun things planned including Spring Break (in less than 2 weeks) and am dieing to travel this summer (where should I go?). 

Within the next 6 months so many things will change, and while I am so excited about the changes and all the new adventures to come, I am also extremely nervous and worried! As I start my transition from student to working adult, I must remember .... 

  

Snowed In

Yesterday was the definition of a lazy Sunday. Considering my busy weekend, celebrating one of my best friends birthdays Friday night followed by my sorority's date function and out of town guests Saturday night, I needed some time to rest and relax before my busy school week coming up! 

My roommate and I decided earlier in the week to make a casserole and snuggle up to a Friends marathon. And even better for us, we got to snuggle up while watching the snow outside! 

We decided to go all out and make the super delicious and super bad for you potato casserole. It's a great breakfast casserole, side dish, or for us, a snowed in lunch! 

Potato Casserole 

1 (30 oz) bag of frozen hash browns

shredded cheddar cheese 

16 oz sour cream

1 can of cream of mushroom soup

1 onion (we used onion powder instead) 

1 cup of butter  

potato chips

Combine all the ingredients except potato chips in a baking dish, mixed well. Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees, add crushed potato chips on top and bake for another 15 minutes until it bubbles. Enjoy! 

Virginia Tech

Today is the graduation fair, and I am already feeling nostalgia for Virginia Tech. Needless to say I love my university. Virginia Tech has become a home away from home and Blacksburg will forever have a special place in my heart. Nestled in the Appalachian Mountains of Southwest Virginia, Virginia Tech is a beautiful campus with filled with amazing people and spirit. 

Most people are surprised at the beauty of the campus and real sense of community throughout the area. One thing I love about the campus is how well designed it is. The large drillfield (name steams from our Corp of Cadets, one of two at public university's) in the middle of campus separates the academic and residential sides, with the library, student center, and bookstore at the top of the drillfield. While we have around 23,000 students, I can easily walk from one side of campus to the other in 15 minutes. 

Fireworks over campus 

Burruss

Eggleston Archway overlooking Burruss 

Main Street 

Newman Library at night 

Pylons in Spring 

One of my favorite trees on campus, perfect to sit under! 

The Orange and Maroon is even represented in the trees!  

Torgeson Bridge (a great study spot) 

Burruss Hall and April 16th Memorial at night 

Drillfield on a spring day

UT Prosim (That I May Serve) 

A snapshot I took last week, so pretty! 

So for the picture overload but I am just feeling the LOVE for my amazing university today! 

New Additions

Friday night I expanded my sorority family, the Kappa Glam Fam, to add a Great Grand Little! Boy do I feel old! Alicia is our newest addition and is full of energy and spunk, I am so excited to welcome her into our family! 

New Family Keychain

My Kappa family throughout the years! 

2009

When I first got in! 

2010

Becoming a Big, and getting a Little! 

2011

Grandbig status, the family is becoming brunette! 

I can't believe I only have one semester as an active member of my sorority, time is sure flying by! 

Wine Wednesday

I previously mentioned that I am taking a Geography of Wine class. It is a really popular class among graduating seniors and is in our largest lecture hall that seats 500 people! Well Allie from Sundresses and Smiles suggested I do a post on some things I have learned and I think its a great idea! So far we have covered very basic wine history and gone over some information on beer also! 

General Wine and Beer 

~ Not all wine gets better with age, most wines are actually ready to drink one to two years after creation. 

~ Temperature fluctuations are very bad for wine, store them away from windows, heaters, fridges - anything that can give away from heat in a cyclical cycle. 

~ Not all sparkling wine is champagne - champagne must come from the corresponding region in France. 

Sadly Andre is not really champagne! 

~ The difference in all alcohols comes from the type plant and processing.

~ All alcohol starts as beer, just depends on whether you drink it (beer), store it longer (wine) or distill it (liquor). 

~ The color of beer depends on how long the malts are roasted, the more toast on the malt, the darker the color. 

Lots of toast in Guiness 

Hope you all learned a little! Let me know if you all liked this Wine Wednesday segment and I can do some more!