amanda highsmith

2009-05-20T17:59:00.001-07:00

www.pandora.com my new secret obcession

Monday

2009-05-18T16:53:00.001-07:00

Well I drove back from Boone today after my short weekend visit there. The weather was perfect today which made for a beautiful drive back. I went running with my dog and painted her toe nails bright pink..which looks super cute with her black fur. I don't have to work @ Old Navy until Wednesday so I have tomorrow to relax. Relax meaning, I'm going to the UNC Charlotte library tomorrow to work on some portfoilo stuff because I got a second/sit-down interview with the marketing firm that I applied to for an internship(Fullwebcircle). I really hope it goes well so I can get an internship and put my foot in the door...wish me luck. I'm bout to eat some dinner now, go shopping, and rent "The Reader" to watch tonight with my mom & sister. It's been pretty relaxing lately and I can't really complain.

School's out for summer!

2009-05-11T14:24:00.000-07:00

Whoa! My last post was at the beginning of spring semester. Time really flew by and this past semester was honestly the hardest semester I have ever had in college. I always heard that your junior year is the hardest, but now I can truly say "I KNOW WHAT YOU MEAN". Despite the lack of sleep and basically living in the library, I got really good grades and I'm proud of myself. I'm currently in Charlotte right now taking some time away from school and from Boone. I'm at home with the rentals for now, but I'm working at my job with Old Navy making some extra money and saving some as well for when I graduate! It's absolutely crazy to think that I only have one semester left of college, but its true. This semester I made it my goal to be more tech savvy so I have officially been twitting on a regular basis and trying to social network myself as much as I can. I have no major plans for this summer. I'm going to Emerald Isle for a week with my family, and I'm planning on taking some second semester summer classes in Boone. For right now, I'm enjoying the warm weather and being able to go on my daily runs with my doggies outside in the beautiful Charlotte weather. It's a lot more warm than Boone here, but for now, that's O.K. with me! My goal is to post to my blog more as well. I know I always say that, but this time I'm for real. It's part of my tech savvy challenge!

Spring Semester!

2009-02-05T17:26:00.000-08:00

So I kinda sorta forgot to blog towards the end of last semester. I just got so busy and would always put blogging at the end of my "to-do" lists. Anyways, it's a new year and a new chance to start fresh and update this blog once and for all! So far my classes have been great. I have my first two tests next week ( one in my environmental geology class, the other in my marketing class). I'm currently in a media publishing class which has been a lot of fun so far. All we do is create different advertisements for our portfolio and we are graded on them. It's similar to an art class but even more interesting. I still am involved with the Advertising club as well. We just had our first meeting of the semester last Monday. Unfortunately I decided during my Christmas break that it was in my best interest to quit my sorority membership. It just took up a lot of my time and my parents thought it was a good way to cut back on unnecessary spending. I don't have a job here at school so I can't pay for it myself. It has given me more time to focus on other things that I enjoy doing. I've been going to my yoga classes at the gym about 4 days a week and I love it. The classes have been full with students this semester which is good for them, but you have to make sure you get to the class way early to get a spot. I think we need another gym on campus :) I'm also an Appol Corps coordinator for the school this year and I have been going to weekly meetings for that as well. We will be interviewing potential leaders in the upcoming weeks...so it will be busy..but so much fun and well worth it.

Halloween!

2008-11-03T11:43:00.000-08:00

This past weekend was Halloween and my friends and I had a wonderful time. It was awesome because we had a Football game on Friday night so it was crazy and everyone dressed up in their costumes and showedd them off at the game. A group of my girlfriends and I decided to all go as different "party animals". We all dressed up as different animals and wore party gear like balloons, hats, streamers, etc. The picture at the top of the page of me in my Cheetah party animal costume ( gotta love the shades).

The weekend before was Black Saturday( which is when everyone dresses up in all black and goes to the football game). Here is a picture of my friends and I from that weekend as well.

Besides that, school has been going well. This coming week is actually not very busy for me which is surprising considering how busy most of my weeks are. I have my sorority's chapter meeting tonight at 7pm, so I have to get dressed up and go for that. I have an ad club meeting tomorrow and then next week I'm traveling to NYC for an AAF conference. I super stoked about this trip! I also have to work on my application packet for international internship opportunities because all of that is coming up as well. I'm also thinking about applying for an Appol Corps coordinator position for next year since I have already been an Appol Corps leader for two years now. I have to make sure I have enough time to make the time commitment that comes with the position.

Other than that I'm just trying to stay warm, healthy , and keep my grades up. Have a good week everyone. Here's a picture of the pumpkin I carved .

Refreshed!

2008-10-20T17:12:00.000-07:00

Well I just got back yesterday from my Fall Break in Charlotte (my hometown). It was so nice to just leave the college scene for a couple of days and completely relax with my family. Now I'm ready to keep truckin through this semester. I have two tests this week. One on Wednesday for my Media Publishing class and one on Friday for my Geology class. I also have a case law brief due on Thursday for my Communication Law class. Besides those three main assignments, I don't have that much more than usual to do this week.

There is an Ad Club meeting tomorrow night and it is a Resume Clinic. I'm going to work some more on my resume tonight so that I can get as much feedback as possible about it tomorrow. I really want my resume to be the best it can be by the time I go to my N.Y.C. conference.

I finished my art project before fall break and it has been on display in the art building. I already have to take it down though! I'm just glad to be done with the wood shop. Our next project is all about volume.

The weather here is getting colder by the day. It's chilly! I went shopping for some more warm clothes during my break because It's gotten to be that time of year where you have to bust out your scarves, gloves, long johns, etc. so that you do not freeze your rear off on the way to class. I love the cold weather though and the crispness in the air around this time. My roommates and I carved a pumpkin and it's outside our apartment. We roasted the pumpkin seeds for a healthy snack.

I'm looking forward to this weekend because we have a home football game and it's Black Saturday. I'm sure it will be a lot of fun. I'm also trying to stay on my workout routine and I'm trying to go to my yoga classes and to the gym as much as possible this week because I've been trying to be more healthy. wish me luck!

On a lighter note... Boone is seriously so small compared to other schools but I absolutely love it. I randomly ran into one of my fellow Appalachian bloggers ( Abbie) while I was out in Boone. Everywhere you go in Boonetown you always run into someone you know and chat it up for awhile...and I feel like everyone I meet knows someone I know or etc. etc. etc. That's one reason I love this town so much! Everyone is so close and comfortable. It's like a little boonetown family :)

ALSO....

EVERYONE GO VOTE!! EARLY VOTE! @ Appalachian go to the Student Union anytime this week to cast your vote. It's time to make a change and we are the future so take this election time seriously and remember that every vote counts! Support this country and all that we stand for....

that is all..have a splendid week

stressing

2008-10-07T14:14:00.000-07:00

OK..so I haven't updated in awhile..once again. I am just too busy and my computer battery died as well as my power strip that goes with my laptop. Soo..I'm computerless and frustrated that I have to keep going to the computer labs on campus until I find the time to take my computer into the tech support place. Here's what is going this week....

1. Met today with the international internship advisor for the communication department and got all the info that I need in order to apply for a summer international internship in Ireland, Panama, or Poland. I REALLY WANT TO DO THIS!!! It is for a whole month and doesn't even cost as much as my study abroad session to France that I took this past summer. I hope it works out and he told me that he thought I could get accepted for it. The process is kinda of intense because positions are so few..BUT..if I apply this year and do not get accepted..I will def. get accepted senior year he said.

2. Art project: I'm making a 4-5 foot high wood sculpture. Due on Monday fully installed in the art building. Everyone stop by Wey Hall and you can see my sculpture hanging!! I love it but I have so much more work to do in the wood shop and not enough time = stressss

3. Big/ Little Week: My little in the sorority is taking a little so I need to help her make gifts for the new addition to our family

4. TEST: Communication Law on Thursday..I am freaking out because this class is so hard and I have to do good on this test. I am in the library right now as I type this taking a break from studying for this test. Intense is all I have to say about it.

5. Ad club meeting tonight: I have to actually stop posting this blog because I have to walk to the meeting. We are making buttons to sell for a fundraiser. Hope it goes well.

Besides this I am fighting off being sick and I have had a very bad cough and sore throat for about half a week.

On the bright side of things I have no geology classes this week or geology lab because all of the professors went to some conference..this is good because I NEED this extra time.

I have to go but will update soon soon soon

"So don't knock it, don't knock it, you've been here before"

2008-09-22T08:21:00.000-07:00

So first off, the title for this blog is a verse from the song notion. I'm listening to it right now on my itunes as I write this entry. It's one of the songs on Kings of Leon's new album. They are one of my favorite bands. Anyways...much to tell about what has been going on lately.

On Saturday the 20th, all of the sororities on campus had bid day. We now have 32 new members in our chapter. We call them our "baby owls" since our mascot is the owl. They're all such amazing girls. We all met at Legends and spent the day getting to know all of the new girls. We went to a nearby park and had a cookout and stuff. It was a perfect way to end a long week of recruitment. This formal recruitment wasn't as stressful as others have been because our Chi Omega National Consultant (Payton) came into town for the whole week to help us though the entire process. She made the whole thing go sooo much more smoothly. I'm just glad to get back into my normal routine now!! Here are some pictures from bid day:

My Little (Amanda Jones) and I

Chi-O's are Red Hot! Our new "Baby Owls"

This past week has been tiring as well though. I've had three different tests. One in Com Law, Art, and Geology. Thankfully they are all over now and I think I did well on them. On Tuesday I was so stressed out and sick of studying that I took a mini get away trip with my friends Torie and Rachel. We drove up to the parkway and went hiking up to the top of Raven's Rock and we went bouldering on the rocks. We totally just were able to get away from everything. At the very top it was so beautiful. It was kinda foggy but it was amazing because we were like inside of clouds. They would blow over us and we could feel the moisture and coldness. The view was still amazing even though we couldn't see as far out as we could have seen if it had been clearer out. We sat up at the top for awhile and just relaxed before going back down before the sun started to go down. I also found a very nice log that I pulled down the mountain and I'm using it for my first wood sculpture in my art class. Needless to say I got a major workout, and an even better break from schoolwork.

My sorority also had our first mixer this week as well. We had it with all of the new girls and with the PIKE fraternity. The theme was jungle fever so everyone was dressed up in their safari get up. It was fun, but I didn't stay too long because I had to get rest and study for my test the next day. It was good to see all of the new girls having fun though.

Other than that I have been trying desperately to get a job because I am broke and need money. I tried this whole week to go up to the Broyhill Inn to get a job on the banquet staff. Finally when I was able to talk to the manager she said that she wasn't looking for someone who could work nights. She needed me to work mornings and I have classes then. OH WELL....maybe I'll have better luck next week.

Last night my roommates and I threw a party for our other roommate Hannah and her boyfriend Nate. They have the exact same birthday! How crazy. We had a double party for them especially since Nate was turning 21. We had a Beatles/Hippie themed party at our friend's house. Everyone dressed up so funny and we had a blast jamming to The Beatles all night. Some of the girls even got super long wigs to wear! It was lots of fun.

I'm looking forward for this weekend because we have a nighttime football game, my brother is coming to visit me from Charlottesville, and my parents and the rest of my family are visiting on Sunday because my sorority is having a parents brunch @ Meadow Brook! Hopefully I will be able to post again soon.. Until then...peace out!

Update... Finally!!

2008-09-15T14:49:00.000-07:00

O.K. well first off, sorry for not updating everyone in over two weeks. I have been so busy that it isn't even funny. I'll do my best to fill you in on everything...lots has happened.

I had my first ad club meeting on the 2nd and we had a really nice turn out. A lot of new students attended and were very interested in getting involved. I took minute notes and got everyone to sign up for our e-mail list. I'm responsible for taking minutes during our meetings and posting them onto the Ad Club website. I also am in charge of sending out e-mail reminders and stuff like that. I also recently made an Ad Club sign that goes into the ground outside. We are planning on putting it outside of Walker Hall ( the communication building) on our meeting days. This way members and nonmembers can be reminded that they should come. I actually have to put it outside tomorrow since we have a meeting. Hopefully it doesn't rain tomorrow or else I will be stuck carrying that huge sign in the rain all the way across campus...which is like a 10-15 minute walk from my apartment. Wish me luck!

I've also been extremely busy these past two weeks with recruitment. We had recruitment practices up until the 13th pretty much every other night if not every night. We had our first round of recruitment on this past Saturday. So far it has been very exciting. I have seen and met so many wonderful women going through recruitment this year and it isn't even half way over. The Greek community here is amazing. I'm really proud to be a part of it. Each year when recruitment comes around you realize why you joined the fraternity or sorority that you did. It's like your second family here at college. The ladies in Chi Omega have helped me through so much and have definitely made me a better person. It's exciting to know that in a few days we will add more great girls to our chapter. I can't wait for bid day and to know who will become a part of the amazing sisterhood found in Chi Omega.

Besides all of this I have been working hard at school. I've already had one test and I have another in Geology next week. My geology lab started last week so now I have an extra class every Tuesday. Hopefully I can pull through with a good grade because science is not my best subject...haha...mom you already know this. I've also had a few quizzes and a mini project in art. It's crazy how fast you become bogged down with school work. One week it's the first day of class and the next week I feel like I'm living off of coffee and lack of sleep because I'm so busy all day and night.

After this week hopefully things will wind down some so I can breathe a little better and relax more. The weather here is already getting colder. Today I actually needed a jacket on campus when I was already wearing jeans and a shirt. Some of the leaves are already changing as well. Sept. is well on it's way and so is fall..which is one of my favorite seasons. esp at a place like Appalachian.

On a lighter note...today in my art class/ wood shop class I was learning how to use the drill press. Amanda, screwdrivers,drill presses, drill bits, and radial arm saws just do not mix. The instructor showed us how to change the drill bit from the drill press and we then had to do it and drill through wood. I couldn't get the drill bit to stay in the hole and tighten and when he tried to help me I twisted the latch key and almost got his finger stuck in the teeth. I almost died from being so scared and I said "OMG" so loud. He definitely looked scared too and I definitely realized I need to be more careful around such hardcore machines. ew

Back to School

2008-09-01T15:54:00.000-07:00

Well school is officially back in session. I finally got my books and everything that I need for all of my classes. I think this semester is going to be awesome. Busy..but awesome. My classes all seem really interesting and fun. I'm taking Media Publishing, Communication Law, Foundations II, Internet Studies, and Geology. I'm so glad that I didn't have to buy too many books for my classes. I waited until after classes started to get my books and ended up only waiting in line for like 10 minutes.

So far I am extremely happy to be back in Boone town. I missed this beautiful city while I was home this summer. I forgot how amazing it is to live in a place like Boone North Carolina. I can look out my bedroom window and see Howard's knob. It's perfect. The weather has been so refreshing. When it's nice outside I have been trying to do as many outdoor activities as I can before it starts to get to cold.

On Saturday my friends and I all decided to go tubing since we were bummed about the LSU game. We went to a place on the new river and tubed for about 2 hrs. It was nice because the water was high due to all of the rain we have had recently. Today I went to a swimming hole off of Winkler's Creek. We hiked there and went swimming for awhile. There was a rope swing to jump into the water with. The water was super cold. But after awhile I got used to it. Some other people were chilling there too so we met them and chatted for awhile before leaving.

Tomorrow I only have one class which is really nice. But, I have a lot of things I need to do tomorrow before the first Ad Club meeting. The kick off is tomorrow with free pizza and drinks to students that come to find out about the club. Hopefully we will have a good turn out. I also have my first chapter meeting of the semester for my sorority tomorrow night at 7pm. We also have to stay after to practice for recruitment. It's starting in about two weeks and we have A LOT of stuff that we have to do to make sure that recruitment goes smoothly and successfully. Recruitment means that the next two weeks are going to be intense and very busy. In the end it is all worth it though and we will have new girls to add to our Greek family here at App State.

I will be trying to update the blog once a week if not more. Please feel free to comment.

View from Howard's Knob

" Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined." ~ Thoreau

some pictures

2008-08-26T12:25:00.001-07:00