'Tis to the new year.

Another year has gone, and another year is to come. 2010 has been quite an interesting year, full of highs and brimming with lows. I went through a couple of life changes and have learned a vast amount of things about myself and others. It was never pretty, but if I have learned anything in 2010, it's that everything (and really...everything) has a silver lining. Always.

I've never been one to celebrate New Year's Eve in a glamorous manner, so this year (much like previous years) I will be spending my NYE in peace and quiet, baking cookies, watching Bollywood movies, and reflecting on life.

At the beginning of every year, I usually make a list of all the things that I expect to accomplish throughout the next twelve months. I guess you could call them resolutions, but they are usually the exact same things repeated every year, so the idea of having resolutions loses its novelty. And it wasn't until recently that I realized that having all these resolutions, from losing an inch off my waist or to getting a higher GPA, adds a ridiculous amount of pressure! And thus, the pressure ends up breaking my own morale and self esteem. Definitely don't want a repeat of mental breakdowns in 2011.

So, this year I'm keeping it rather simple: be true to myself, feel confident, and work hard. With these thoughts in mind, perhaps it would be much easier to conquer those "resolutions" that have been haunting me for the last couple of years. I entered 2010 with extremely high expectations, and while some things met my expectations, I was still left wanting more. All I ask of 2011 is that I will become a happier person and will experience the world as a much wiser and knowledgeable person.

Happy new year to you all, hope you all have a fabulous year full of happiness and life!

Have yourself a merry little Christmas.

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I wish you all a Merry Christmas, and even if you don't celebrate, I hope that you were able to spend some quality time with friends and family. There are times when family can be annoying and embarrassing and just plain old miserable, but there is still a sense of comfort when spending the holidays with family. I spent a night out catching up with some high school friends on Thursday, and it was so great to see them after all these months living in my own "Philly bubble." Contrary to previous years, I am spending a very quiet Christmas at home with my parents and siblings. No big dinners, no little cousins running around the house, no mounds upon mounds of ripped up wrapping paper by the end of the night. Just the five of us, enjoying some prime rib roast and turkey and all the fixings. I miss seeing my other relatives for Christmas though. After all, I rarely see them now that I am at school, and it was always a fun time seeing my cousins and spending time with them. But I must say, it's quite nice being able to relax at home in my pajamas, not having to worry about the dangerous edges of the coffee table when my baby cousin is running around.

Every year my family goes to Christmas Eve mass, and after a crazy shift at work (the holidays make for absolute retail hell), I had to quickly change out of my red and khaki and into a glittery gold sweater dress. For many years now, I've always been extremely reluctant to go to church. I had always been forced to go, and ever since I was little, going to church seemed more like a chore than anything, and that defeats the purpose of the whole principle of it all, doesn't it? My reluctance isn't so much about my doubts about God, but rather about the church itself. And that always embittered me about going to mass every Sunday.

But anyways, that's for another time. The point that I was getting to was that despite my disagreements with my parents regarding mass, I began to make a habit of praying when in church. As I was going to pray at Christmas Eve mass, I realized...I couldn't think of what to pray for. My mind blanked (even though there are many things that I could have possibly prayed for), and then I realized that I didn't necessarily have to pray that night. I can simply just thank God for all that I am blessed with in life. I've had some rough times this year, and it was never always easy, but I am forever appreciative of how things have ensued. And perhaps I really don't need much else.

So I suppose that I never really wanted much for Christmas. Sure, there are small, menial things I'd love to have. But the gift of pursuing dreams and enjoying simple pleasures is far more valuable. And amidst all the holiday shopping and gift receiving, I can still look beyond it all and enjoy the gift of a new chapter in my life and new adventures. What more can a girl like me ask for?

Oh how times can change.

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I am currently sitting on the couch, cozying up with a chenille blanket wrapped around me, a mug of peach mango white tea by my side, Food Network turned on the TV. I suppose that I am tired, and if I were to get anything productive done in the daytime, surely it'd be sensible to just clean up and go to bed now. But I don't think my mind is fully at the point of resting just yet.

At this exact moment  last year, I was fretting over finishing all my college application essays on time, making sure that all of them were outstanding and flawless enough for the schools that I applied for. At this very moment, though, my only present concern is whether I should bake sugar cookies or mint chocolate chip cookies later.

I know that time goes by rather quickly, that so much can happen in a concentrated amount of time. But I think this is the first time in my life that this principle has been really magnified. And I am sure this will be one of many times where "time flies" will really apply to my life.

The other day I met up with my high school mentor over coffee to catch up on life and other things. When asked about how my new life is in the city, I honestly didn't know where to begin. So much had changed, I was living a new life in a new place, full of new constants and new beginnings. While explaining everything, she seemed genuinely happy that I was getting on well as a "city girl." I told her everything and anything. After all, I told her everything from my high school days, it shouldn't (and didn't) faze her too much. By the end of it all, she asked me what I should have known would be coming: "So you are ultimately happy with your decision?"

And I can say with all of my heart that yes, I made the right decision. I didn't think my current life would be written in the books for me, mostly because I just simply didn't want it to be. But as much as I believe that I am in control of my own destiny, it is extremely humbling to know that things can be out of my reach, that life has something else planned for me, even if I initially am not pleased with it. These are the instances that usually almost always work out better than had I gotten my way in the first place. And I just find that simply beautiful.

I may not be studying amongst the artsy elite in Greenwich Village, or wearing hip, trendy clothes, or even working in a coffee shop or bookstore. But that's okay. The time for all my wants will come in due time. My life has changed substantially in the past couple of months, who knows where the yellow brick road will take me in the future.

Holiday Break To-Do List

• Last-minute Christmas shopping

• Write and send all my Christmas cards

• Bake infinite batches of cookies and cupcakes

• Catch up on Misfits 

• Sign up for Netflix; watch a movie a day

• Take up knitting again

• Work for a few needed paychecks

• Learn how to make the perfect roast

• Continue French lessons

• Find the perfect sequin sweater

• Have a marathon of Travel Channel and Food Network shows

• Spend quiet nights curled up reading with a cup of citrus green tea

• (Hopefully) build a snowman

• Write about anything and everything

• Spend time with people who care 

Close, but not quite.

I finally finished a paper for my American Political Systems class. But sadly, to my dismay, all the work isn't done yet. I have hours of arduous studying for finals left to conquer. In a week, I'll be completely free of all this end-of-semester doom and gloom. It's difficult to keep an optimistic outlook in these stressful times, but I'll be trying my best to keep it together. Until then, I will have to make the best of studying with an abundance of Christmas music and mugs of Mandarin orange green tea.

Speaking of Christmas music, one of my favorite holiday songs ever is "Baby It's Cold Outside." It's a cute and fun song (I've always dreamed of singing a duet of this song with someone), and it also is quite apropos for these especially freezing days in Philly. I've been listening to the Zooey Deschanel & Leon Redbone version on repeat in the past couple of days, though any version has the ability to warm my heart. Even this funny and adorable scene from the movie Elf:

Knitted coziness

(clockwise: H&M;  Dolce & Gabbana; Marc Jacobs; Paul & Joe;)

Local radio stations are slowly starting to play Christmas music, even though Thanksgiving hasn't even passed yet. Although it may seem kind of early, there is no shame in starting the Christmas season a couple of weeks earlier than usual. Holiday cheer always adds a warm feeling in the cool, almost-Winter wind. Though it has been rather warm in Philadelphia these past couple of days, and I must say that I am a tad bit disappointed. After all, it is mid-November, and sunny 60ºF days are hardly season-appropriate!

I can't wait until the weather starts to really cool down (whilst not raining!), so I can have a legitimate excuse to buy a fair isle sweater. Usually I am not one for holiday-themed clothing, but not only are these knits comfy and warm, but they are also cute and subtly festive. Dolce & Gabbana has incorporated chic fair isle prints in their latest fall/winter collection. Unfortunately, their gorgeous sweaters are sort of out of my budget, but I'm determined to find cheaper fair isle sweaters that are just as comfy and practical for future cold, winter days. 

Much procrastinating within procrastinating.

My weekend mornings are usually as follows: wake up, clean up a bit, get breakfast (coffee + some form of pastry), and then return back into my warm, toasty bed with my Macbook up and running. That, my friends, is my preparation for game time.

If you have not gathered from my previous posts, I am a huge, huge soccer nut. I've grown up with memories of World Cups from yesteryears, and my family has always consisted of great soccer fans. I absolutely love the sport, and although there are always matches to watch on weekends, there is only so much time I could afford to spend watching soccer. After all, I'm inundated with reading and things to study. But of course, that doesn't mean that I am actually doing all the things I should be doing. I've tried to curb my procrastinating ways, but quite frankly, old habits die hard. Hours upon hours of possible soccer watching are surefire ways of procrastinating for me.

But whether I am cheering on my lovely gunners or I'm neutrally watching a La Liga match, I still find a way to procrastinate more within my procrastination! As of recently, it has been internet "window shopping." Because on a college student's budget, I surely cannot afford to buy the amount of clothes I was able to when I had a steady income. My favorite thing to gawk at as of recent is Lanvin's new collection for H&M, which comes out on November 23. Although quite pricey for H&M items, the collection is very fun and has great key pieces that are very "Alber Elbaz." With dresses going at $250 a pop, perhaps it's not plausible for me to get my holiday dress from this collection. But there are other great pieces that are cheaper and just as chic. My personal favorite is the yellow ruffled one-shoulder dress, though I wouldn't be able to buy it without crying from shopper's shock (and using my empty wallet as a tissue). Other pieces I love include floral bow pumps and a zebra print coat.

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The collection can be seen at hm.com. 

Going One Direction

Like many young girls back in the day, I was in love with *NSYNC and Backstreet Boys and would obsess over their fun, catchy songs. Although I've certainly grown up, my youthful heart still enjoys old boy band albums. In fact, I've even branched out to UK-popular boy bands like Westlife and Take That!

Another up and coming British pop group is One Direction, a group contestant of UK's singing competition The X Factor. All five members auditioned for the show solo, but were put together as a group at the boot camp stage, after failing to go through as solo acts. Since then, they've seemed to gel together quite nicely and are one of the favorites to win the competition this season. Not only are they immensely talented, but the guys (Liam Payne, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan, Harry Styles, and Louis Tomlinson) are absolutely adorable! British teenage girls are swooning over them, as well as international female X Factor fans.

Even though I am older than these guys (the youngest one, Harry, is 16!), I can't help but adore One Direction. They can rock upbeat songs like Viva La Vida and also ballads such as Total Eclipse of the Heart, and have consistently been strong throughout the whole competition thus far. The group is super talented and have a bright future ahead of them.

Perhaps their strongest performance as of yet is their most recent performance of Elton John's "The Way You Look Tonight." Their singing talent was truly highlighted in this performance, and I can shamelessly say that my heart melted upon watching them sing (just having to ignore the cheesy projections above them).

Although there are other talented contestants on the show with great chances of winning, One Direction have a fantastic shot at making it to the top. Will they be the first group to win X Factor? Their infamously fickle and blunt mentor (as well as X Factor judge) Simon Cowell seems to think so. 

Having a shot or two. Of coffee, that is.

Nothing says the holidays much like seasonal Starbucks drinks. Well, to me at least. Ever since starting school, my caffeine addiction has gone haywire. Not that I was ever put off by caffeine before, as a matter of fact, I've always loved coffee. But nowadays, having two cuppas a day is not uncommon. I suppose it is because delicious drinks are easily accessible here (there are a good handful of coffee places around campus), and perhaps also because I actually do need the caffeine in order to sustain myself during these hectic days.

I couldn't suppress my glee upon seeing that Starbucks has whipped out the holiday cups recently. Which only means that the delicious holiday drinks, which are only available for two months out of the year, are back. I frequent Starbucks quite often (waaay more than I should, really) and I'm determined to try all of the drinks available at least once. Though I can say that my preferred drink at the moment is the peppermint mocha. I'm not usually one for the mint/chocolate combo, but it is so fantastic that it's the only thing that I order now.

I spent my Friday afternoon in comfort and happiness: reading a good book and sipping on some peppermint mocha. Can't get any better than that.

Tickle Me Red

The trend has been around what seems like ages, and some could debate that the classic look hasn't ever gone out of style. I've always been rather prude with my lip color choices. However, there was something about red lips that always interested me, despite its brightness and boldness. I end up admiring the array of red lip colors in make-up aisles from afar, since I've always been too scared to give the hue a try. Not only did it seem to be too "attention grabbing" for my personal taste, but it also seems to be quite a pain to keep the pop of color lasting all day.

Lately, I've been having the urge to actually give the red lips look a go. Frankly, I am getting quite bored of my soft pinks and neutrals. A new, fun life calls for a new, fun look, am I right? But a problem arises: the right shade. Where's the balance between Halloween queen and circus clown? I suppose this just calls for a good amount of experimenting and researching, of which I will probably be doing when I'm not hermiting in my room and "trying" to study.

Away and back.

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The leaves are falling and the year is nearing its end. So much has happened this year, and yet...I couldn't find any time (or energy) to blog about the interesting things or thoughts in my life.

Much of the hiatus has to do with my hectic college lifestyle. But rest assured, I'm trying my absolute hardest to jot down my inspirations and thoughts. Exam, projects and essay mayhem is just around the corner, but of course my mind is elsewhere. How else will I procrastinate now? Bringing this baby back to life again.

The Social Network: See it!

[[photo from socialmediatoday.com]]

I seldom go to the movie theatre anymore. Not only do I have very little time or energy to go see a movie, but at $10 a pop, going to the movies doesn't come cheap. Luckily, I was given a free ticket to see it at a movie theatre just around the corner from me. Anything that is free of charge is godsend, so I would have been crazy to not go.

The verdict? The Social Network is a GREAT movie that totally met my expectations. I had only heard positive reviews of the movie before seeing it, so naturally I feared of being easily disappointed. But to be honest, it was incredibly enjoyable. Jesse Eisenberg's portrayal of Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg personified the "socially inept geek" and my new crush Andrew Garfield was an adorable and lovable Eduardo Savarin. Justin Timberlake made for a great Sean Parker, and the three together are a great movie trio.

Be sure to see this movie! It is totally worthy of a Facebook "like" page.

Busy college girl in a busy city.

Alright, you caught me: I'm not studying for my Environment midterm at the moment. But I figure that my (umpteenth) hiatus has gone for longer than it really should. After all, there are too many changes in my life that I need to update on! So a few minutes dedicated to a new blog post surely should not hurt. Ahhh where to begin...

• I am going to be decked out in my best USA gear for the USMNT vs. Colombia friendly tomorrow night! Be on the lookout for me in the American Outlaws supporters section. Maybe I'll be on ESPN2 (again!).

• I'm a beauty/fashion editor of HerCampus Temple University! I'll have articles published regularly, so feel free to leave comments if you wish.

• At the end of the month I'll be heading down to Washington D.C. with my roommate for the Rally to Restore Sanity/March to Keep Fear Alive. Crossing my fingers for a Jon Stewart/Stephen Colbert sighting!

Honestly...I feel like I've done so much in the few weeks that I've been here. And it can only get better! I'm debating on whether to continue this blog here or switch over to Tumblr...your thoughts?

Until next time,
--Jenny Crocker

Homegirl got swag

Of course, the most entertaining bits of Britain's singing competition X Factor are the auditions. Perhaps the main intrigue of the auditions is the inevitable laughs that come with embarrassing acts. Once in a while, though, a gem shines through and blows everyone away with their potential and talent. Meet Cher Lloyd, a 16 (!!!) year old girl from Worcestershire, England who aspires to be the next great pop act of the UK. Despite her shaking nervousness, her style, vocal ability, and attitude wowed the judges and she is already creating a buzz within the UK music sphere! Take a look for yourself, her pizazz and style are incredibly endearing and admirable.

Will she be the next Cheryl Cole? Who knows, let's see how boot camp goes for her first.

Annoying rings of water on surfaces.

Tip from a newbie college student: post-it pads are GREAT makeshift coasters.

(And yes, I need the caffeine in order to get through my dry and drab US History homework!)

In college and in Philly

I'm terribly sorry for the hiatus! Pre-college stress had been getting to me, but I'm now settled into my new home for the year! I absolutely love the city, I love my neighborhood, and I love my classes (for now). Hopefully this will be a year of happiness and excitement.

Back to familiar times

Much like my renewed interests in 90s RnB, yogurt drinks, and the France NT, coloring books have been making a comeback in my life, after spending a couple of years in my proverbial dusty cupboards. I blame this occurrence on my keen eye for cutesy items in Target's dollar bins, as well as my sheer boredom this summer. Add along the pre-college stresses that have been haunting my last weeks of summer and coloring books would make for great, relaxing therapy.

Gotta catch 'em all!

I gave in and ordered the 50 packs of stickers! And this is what ensued. An array of stickers which took HOURS to organize and put into the album. But oh so worth it.

I still have quite a few stickers that I need to collect, though I must say, I cleaned up better than I thought I would. I am a couple stickers away from completing a couple of national teams, and with the ongoing trades with some friends, hopefully my quest of collecting all the stickers will be deemed successful.

Though I must say, I am kind of itching to buy more packs. Perhaps not a huge 50 pack box, but I'm thinking of ordering a couple more handfuls of packs. It really is an addiction (a rather expensive addiction, at that). Even if trading, I'll still have a few more empty spots in my sticker album. So really, what else is a girl to do?

Cupcakes and sunshine

After unearthing a cake decorating kit in my kitchen, I decided to put it to good use by experimenting with the piping tips. Which, of course, gave me a good excuse to bake up a fresh batch of cupcakes, which acted as my mini canvas for the frosting.

I opted for a simple (yet delicious!) chocolate fudge cake recipe, and an amazing cream cheese frosting to top it all off. I love the subtle tang from the cream cheese, and it is also not as sweet as conventional buttercream frosting (which, for me, can be a little too sweet to handle). Cream cheese frosting is also a great choice for cake decorating, though a few words of advice: it's best to chill the frosting in the fridge for about an hour before beginning to pipe. I made the mistake of piping the frosting right after whipping it together, and thus the heat from my hands began to melt the frosting a bit as it was in the piping bag. Which also brings up another piece of advice: work quickly!! When I began to pipe out the frosting, I was a bit meticulous and it ended up taking too much time, and therefore the frosting melted even more. Swift, consistent piping will actually make better designs and also save time (and frosting).

Cream cheese frosting (from "Cupcakes!" by Elinor Klivans)

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups powdered sugar

Beat the butter, cream cheese, and vanilla together until smooth, and then slowly add the powdered sugar. I like to add the powdered sugar in thirds so it's a slow, consistent mix with very little lumps. This recipes makes about 3 cups of frosting.

Also, this frosting is VERY versatile, so it'll work for most cake recipes. I decided to dye the frosting a soft pink, which was a nice contrast to the chocolate cake.

The cake decorating kit also came with booklet with loads of piping ideas, so this will not be the last of my cupcake bonanza. I have yet to plan out my next foray into summer cupcakes, but now that I'm done with work, I can bake a batch soon.

What's just as good as cupcakes? Getting some sun! I went to the beach twice in a week and I am more sunkissed than ever. Nothing beats a warm day on the sand with a good book.

Playin' around with playsuits

I will admit, it took me a while to warm up to the idea of playsuits. It wasn't so much the aesthetics of it that concerned me, but more so its practicality (how on earth do you go to the bathroom with it on?!). But now I can't help but think that playsuits are such fun little summer pieces, fit for bright, sunny picnics and strolling on the boardwalk at sunset.

[top to bottom: Urban Oufitters, Alice + Olivia, Topshop, Asos]

There's one tiny little problem in regards to my search for a playsuit...I can't find the perfect one. I am a rather "picky" shopper, which may be a good thing in terms of my bank account. But I have yet to find that quintessential "me" playsuit that is within my price range. I will just settle for constantly checking the prices on store websites, hoping that one day they will reduce to a personally more suitable price. In close running to have a place in my closet is  romper from Urban Outfitters (top). Luckily it's already on sale, but I think that I'll wait before ordering it just yet. 

After all, I need to find some kind of occasion to wear the playsuit, schlepping around the house and going to work aren't really the perfect times to frolic in a romper! 

Long fulfilled retail therapy & bracelet mania...

With the help of the Girl Gang, "stickermania" has affected my weak soul. Not that I have never had a penchant for adhesive cutouts of fun, as a matter of fact, I've always been a sticker fiend. Instead of Hello Kitty or fuzzy scented stickers this time, I have been inflicted with the 2010 World Cup Panini sticker fever.

Think trading cards, except with a sticky back. And a special album to collect all players, emblems, and team portraits. It took a lot of debating within my psyche, but I finally decided on ordering eight packs of stickers plus a sticker album. After opening up each pack, I placed all the stickers aligned in neat columns, examining which players' stickers I had gotten, and also which stickers I was disappointed to say that I did not obtain yet. I got a lot of African players' stickers (especially Ghana...oh, the embittered irony), and I had a few stickers from England, Greece, and Portugal, among others. To my dismay, I did not have ANY USMNT stickers between the eight packs, and only one Spain sticker (Busquets...of all people!). 

I looked at my new collection of stickers with a tad bit of disappointment. Don't be fooled, I was thrilled to kick start my novice sticker collection, but I could only crave MORE stickers at this point. I've been eyeing a 50-pack box on Amazon for about $42 to appease this emptiness, but can't find the heart to place the order just yet. Part of me thinks, "$42 for STICKERS?!" and the other side of me (the sticker-obsessed side) just wants to be liberated. And now what? I've searched high and low at stores in my town and have found absolutely no stickers. The only possible choice is to order a giant box. Should I? Shouldn't I? It's killing me!

I also ordered Soccernomics by Simon Kuper and Stefan Szymanski and The Hunchback of Notre Dame on DVD. They were actually things that I've had in my Amazon cart since...December. Call them "post-Christmas presents to myself," if you will.

My soccer-less days have been going by ever so slowly, but it's less painful when I am wasting the days making soccer-themed friendship bracelets. 

I had made the Spain, Germany, and USA bracelets during the World Cup, and since then I've made an Italy one for a friend, a Germany and USA/Korea one for another friend, and yesterday I finished...wait for it...an Arsenal bracelet. Just in time for today's preseason friendly against Barnet. 

Note that the pattern is heart shaped. Because, as cheeseball as it sounds, they really are the loves of my life.

If you haven't gathered already, soccer is an ever-going constant in my life. And yes, this blog will probably be filled with soccer posts. But alas! There WILL be non-soccer posts, just wait for them. I have a few ideas coming along. 

...oh man, I think my debit card is calling for me to order things on Amazon again. Help!

Jenny Crocker Does World Cup 2010: Changing history, one win at a time.

[photo from ESPN]

And so, the FIFA 2010 World Cup came to a close yesterday, with Spain making history and winning their first ever World Cup title. The champions beat a rough-and-tough Netherlands side 1-0, thanks to an Andres Iniesta goal. From disappointing underdogs to world champions, La Furia Roja has grown significantly in the last couple of years. Players such as Xavi Hernandez,  the aforementioned Andres Iniesta, David Villa, Carles Puyol, and Iker Casillas helped personify a Spanish side with flair, strength, and heart.

Although they did not win with their usual goal extravaganzas (most of their wins being 1-0), Spain carried on without ever backing down. Despite their first loss in the tournament against Switzerland, they never let that match get them down and were able to continue on in their journey to the cup final.

To be honest, it still feels surreal. It feels like it was only yesterday that they had just won Euro 08. Is this a dream? The "let's at least make it to the quarterfinals" Spaniards actually won?? After years and years of history working against them, La Selección finally won the highest accolade in international soccer.

Many tears of joy and jumps of happiness later, I'm left very proud, ecstatic, and...exhausted. This World Cup has been a whirlwind of drama, controversy, suspense, surprises....everything that makes soccer interesting. And although there are some problems within the soccer-sphere, it's still one of the greatest sports of all time. They don't call it "the beautiful game" just for kicks (no pun intended). It's hard to believe that South Africa vs. Mexico was just a month ago. So much has happened since then, both on and off the pitch in my life. To a certain point, it feels like a blur. That all my joy and agony endured as a USMNT fan was a thing of years past. When in fact, it was just a couple of weeks ago. Even as a USMNT fan, my emotions have run amok, perhaps more so than my Spain-rooting side. But I wouldn't have it any other way. My heart still mourns for the USMNT while celebrating the accomplishments of my Spain team. And the France NT drama? Perhaps I like schadenfreude, but it still interests me as it did in the beginning of the tournament. Questions still left unanswered, and who knows for how long! There's always going to be the controversy over goal-line technology, but of course that is a debate that will live on for what feels like forever. Even though some of the big soccer superstars have been disappointments (Messi, Rooney, Kaká, and Ronaldo to name a few...), I have fallen in love with new players and have been exposed to their talent and sportsmanship, like Thomas Müller and Mesut Özil. It's the beauty of the world cup, you always find the most unexpected gems. And they could be the ones who will shine for many years to come.

I don't know what the point of that rant was. Honestly. It might be the music blasting on my earphones, the blazing heat, or the fact that it's past two in the morning. But I think that what you could gather from my little ramble was that...I love this sport. So much. And say what you want about it, soccer is one of the few constants in my life that just seems so right. And it is my escape, whether it involves heartbreak or happiness. That may seem counterintuitive, but that's just the rules of my life. That at the end of the day, soccer is what my happiness is. It's more than just my team winning. And the world cup can't be a better way to epitomize this happiness.

So what's next? As I wait impatiently for Euro '12 to arrive, I shall be busy with club soccer (Arsenal FC and Philadelphia Union). And although I am very bummed about the world cup coming to an end, there is nothing more comforting than seeing my boys together again. I have been watching the Union all summer, but in the case of Arsenal, it has been too long. I have been listening to Arsenal chants and songs all night, getting myself pumped up for the preseason.

After four years of anticipating this month-long tournament, I'm back to square one, waiting another four years for Brazil 2014. Who knows how different things will be then, but I have an inkling that things will probably be very, very interesting.

Nothing says 'America F@¢! Yeah' like Baby Momma Drama

[photo from flickr]

Happy Independence Day to my fellow Americans! May your day be filled with awesome food, endless fun, and bright fireworks.

Sadly for me, my family has no plans and thus I'm stuck at home doing absolutely nothing. My mom brought up the idea of going downtown to the Ice Cream Festival, but of course my dad slammed the idea down, citing that it's going to be "too crowded." So I suppose that my $5 all-you-can-eat ice cream extravaganza will have to wait until next year. My day will probably consist of watching Star Wars, eating Ben&Jerry's, and watching LA Galaxy vs. Seattle Sounders later on tonight.

An interesting topic on this American holiday, however, involves a certain Portuguese soccer superstar. Cristiano Ronaldo? Maybe you have heard of him...whether he was being lauded for his abilities on the pitch or his charming ways with women.

Mr. Ronaldo is apparently a father to a new baby boy. The mother is an American (who would like to be kept anonymous) and is giving Ronaldo "exclusive custody" of the child. According to sources linked to Kickette, Ronaldo was seen at Newark International Airport recently, perhaps to visit his month-old son.

I will be frank, I am not surprised that he has a child. Baby momma drama is rather prevalent in footballers. However, for some reason I find myself emotionally invested in this situation, despite the fact that I don't even like Ronaldo. Maybe it's because it just came out of nowhere? Or that I feel like a jerk for laughing that the announcement? I don't know, but what I do know is that Ronaldo will be a wonderful father, and I wish the family the best of luck.

Though I do wonder how his girlfriend is taking it...

Jenny Crocker Does World Cup 2010: Spain makin' history, Germany bein' efficient (as usual)

[photo from ESPN Soccernet]

So I haven't been updating my blog as much as I'd like to, as you can see. I really have nothing to blame for it than myself, though watching the World Cup is actually getting in the way of me writing about it.

A lot...and I mean a lot has happened since I last updated. My embittered soul watched Ghana vs. Uruguay, and eventually screamed at the TV for Luis Suarez's "hand of God" tactics and Ghana's inability to score a PK. Deep in my heart, I knew that my USMNT boys would have put up a good fight against Uruguay, and they could have won. But alas, it wasn't meant to be. Despite my endless tears and resentful swears, I was proud of my boys for all that they've accomplished. They never gave up, and I couldn't ask for more.

Fast forward to...today. The semi-finals are set in stone, with Uruguay meeting against the 'Oranje' Netherlands, and Spain against the dominant German team on Tuesday and Wednesday (respectively). I am in full support of my la furia roja, but my heart does have a little soft spot for Germany. It's deja vu all over again (hello Euro '08!) and I must say that I'm rather nervous for Spain. Germany has been dominating the World Cup thus far, and though Thomas Müller is suspended from the next match, die mannschaft will be a difficult team to beat. With Miroslav Klose, Bastian Scheweinsteiger, and Lukas Poldolski, the Germans could possibly beat Spain at their own "pretty" game. Germany has always been a strong soccer team, but I have never seen the nation play with this much heart and spirit.

Unlike Germany, Spain has never had much success on the international level. It seems like it was only yesterday that Spanish fans would sing "let's make it to the quarterfinals!" in their undying support for the "not-good-enough" Spanish team of past tournaments. For the first time in history, Spain is going to the semi-finals, and I can't be any happier for them. As much as I like the Germans, I hope that my Spaniards can kick butt, with the help of David Villa's stunning strikes and Iker Casillas's saintly saves.

And hopefully, unlike the past Spanish teams, they won't choke horribly at the last minute.

May the best team win, right?

But VAMOS ESPAÑA

Jenny Crocker Does World Cup 2010: When The Yanks Go Marching In

[photo from daylife]

If you reside in the states, I'm sure that you have already heard about the fantastic win against Algeria. The media is buzzing about this historical win, and something tells me that this won't be the last great match from the yanks in this tournament.

After hanging by a thread all match, facing the danger of elimination, Landon Donovan smacks the ball into the net with the help of Jozy Altidore and Clint Dempsey.

After all the disallowed goals, all the hate, all the doubt, all the media smack, all the drama, all the controversy....the boys did it. They won Group C and are headed to play against Ghana in the Round of 16 match on Saturday.

I can't explain my joy and relief when Landon scored. During the whole match I was in numerous fits of annoyance and panic and slowly I was giving up hope. But my boys never failed to impress me. Fighting until the end, one minute at a time. Like a lot of other fans, I was in tears, even when watching the press conference with Donovan afterwards.

Beating Ghana won't be easy, but I believe in the boys and that they can put up a good fight.

DON'T TREAD.

Jenny Crocker Does World Cup 2010: Au Revoir, France!

To say the least, this FIFA World Cup 2010 has been interesting. Very interesting. From the darkhorse upsets to the inter-team drama, neutrals and fanatics a like have been keeping tabs on what has been going on in South Africa.

I apologize for not posting as much lately, life has been a bit crazy lately. Even though I'm off for the summer, my days are now spent in front of the TV watching the World Cup instead of doing much else. I had been meaning to do a few World Cup posts, but I don't think my words can do the matches much justice. Not to mention, I'm rather lazy to write much at this moment, but rest assured that I will try my best to write more about this beautiful tournament. I'm sure my match "tweets" get the message across though. ;]

Perhaps it's a good thing that France is out of the tournament now (they lost to South Africa 2-1), since their drama has been giving MTV reality shows a run for their money! I will definitely miss South Africa, I loved their spirit and enthusiasm. With two more matches to watch this afternoon, so much more excitement is waiting to unfold.

Though I think I'll miss my French prince Yoann Gourcuff more. It hasn't been his year, really. Poor thing has been going through injury woes at Bordeaux and being the bullied one on the French team. Being sent off of the match on a harsh red card (a yellow is more plausible, in my opinion, since Yoann's elbowing was unintentional) doesn't help matters, either. Don't worry, Yoann, I don't believe that nice guys finish last!

Et bonne chance to Laurent Blanc. He will need it.

Pomp & Circumstance

My high school career (and possibly my childhood) came to a bittersweet close last night, as I finally graduated and kissed thirteen years of education goodbye.

Well actually, those thirteen years were much, much more than just simple mathematics and textbooks. I have befriended some of the most amazing people in the world (a couple of them I've known for over ten years!). And although I may have lost touch with a few of those people along the way, my memories of them will forever live in my heart. I've learned so much, both in and out of the classroom. I've faced the evils of failure and heartbreak, I've cried tears of sadness and joy. I have thought too much and then I've also thought too little. I've made mistakes, I've made good decisions.

For a good week, I had been rather...mopey about graduating. Not necessarily because I was sad to let go of my "ivory tower" life here in suburban Pennsylvania, but rather that I felt so "unfulfilled" by my high school experience. Too many regrets and "what ifs" plagued my mind and I didn't know how to feel about leaving. It wasn't until the day before graduation, when I read a little note I wrote to myself in sophomore year about what I THOUGHT high school would be like, that my thoughts changed a bit. And I smiled as I read it, since it was drenched in cynic and apathy, and I realized how my high school experience was SO much more than what I thought it would be when I was a sophomore. So now I can look back with a sly smile on my face and I'll be able to move on with ease.

I know that if I really did care about the people I'm leaving behind, I'd find a way to see them often during college. A big handful of my friends are going to school in the city with me, so pub meet-ups are definitely in the works.

My summer will be rather quiet this year, but I'll definitely keep myself occupied by doing the things I love (which I have time for now) and also preparing to move into my dorm. So long, childhood! The real world better watch out for this little girl right here.

Music Monday: Old Favorites and Fran Healy's melodic voice

Happy Monday, everyone! Unfortunately, I am sick on this sunny (albeit cold!) day, but that won't stop me from listening to some feel-good music to drown out my coughs.



An old song yes, but quite frankly, Enrique never gets old.




I love, love, love this song. It's probably one of my favorite songs ever, though that might be because I have a nostalgic, emotional tie to this song. It's a hidden song in their most recent album, and it's just such a sweet little surprise at the end of the album. You just can't help but smile after hearing it.

Seeing the world through new lenses

To my dismay, my eyesight has worsened since the last time I've visited the optometrist. My left eye is getting progressively worse and my chance to get my driver's permit will be prolonged for just a couple of weeks longer.

On the bright side, I am getting new glasses for a brand new prescription. As much as I love my old glasses, I think that a new chapter in my life calls for a new pair of glasses. After all, they can figuratively allow me to see life in a different light!

I finally decided on cute specs very similar to these. I suppose that I'm no different than an older lady in that I'm a sucker for bejeweled things.

Since I will be needing my glasses while I drive, I figured that I'd get prescription sunglasses, so I could shade my eyes on those ultrabright days. Of course, I decided on a classic pair of Ray-Ban Wayfarers. I've always wanted a real pair, so needing a prescription pair of sunglasses was just the convenient occasion!

I should be getting both pairs within a couple of weeks. Hopefully sooner, since I want to be hitting the road ASAP!

Hoot hoot!

 

The decision was far from easy, but after a deep discussion with my mom, We had both agreed that I would be a Temple Owl next year! I'm more than excited for college next year, even though it wasn't my (and also my mom's) top choice. As much as we both wanted me to go to Fordham, money made it next to impossible, and so ultimately Temple's modest tuition won in the end.

I can't help but laugh at the terrible irony of this whole situation. I used to detest the whole idea of ever going to Temple. But now that I'm fully committed, I couldn't be happier. Sure, I loved Fordham and its metropolitan allure and boundless internship opportunities, but I have a little inkling that my time at Temple would be more than eye-opening as well. My parents would allow me to transfer to Fordham after two years at Temple, but who knows, maybe I'll love Temple more than I'll ever know.

Life's a funny thing, isn't it? Regardless of how everything turned out, I am so excited for what college has to offer.

Well, except for the actual work itself...

Where do/did you guys go to school? How is/was your experience?  Any advice for an upcoming freshmeat such as me?

Homeward Bound?

Instead of studying for the AP exams coming up in less than two weeks, I am currently stressing out over what college to attend next year. The clock is ticking; I only have a couple of days to decide. Housing is extremely limited in one of my schools (and their Housing office won't answer my phonecalls!), and the other school is a little bit of a financial reach.

I haven't even made a decision yet, but I am already dreading the idea of post-college debt. My mind says one school, but my heart says another. What's a girl to do?

With any hope, I will have a decision made by the end of the week. Until then, perhaps the chance of having a lovely bedroom such as this in my post-college future is still a few student loans away.

[[photo from Decor Pad]]

Come On & Brogue

For quite some time now, I have yearned for a pair of nifty, androgynous brogues. Mixing the vintage-style shoes with my frilly dresses would downplay my usual girlyness just a tad, yet still allow me to keep a certain whimsical charm.

The problem? I can't ever find a perfect pair. And the perfect pair needs to come with the perfect price tag as well. While flipping through last month's issue of Vogue I noticed an ad for Aldo that had these adorable black and white brogues fit for a Fred Astaire-esque tap dancer. They are still a bit pricey for my liking, though with any luck, they will be on sale after a couple week's worth of pay.

Aldo has other brogues available at lower prices, although even those prices are still making my pennies sweat. Like show business, my search for the perfect pair of brogues must go on.

Style Crush: Zooey Deschanel

A few weeks ago, I bought 500 Days of Summer on a whim (partially because it was on sale for $9) and I only recently found time to watch it. To my surprise, it wasn't totally "cutesy, lovey-dovey" as I had expected. But perhaps that is why I liked it. It was a more realistic recollection of love and relationships, and there is no harm in some realism when it comes to love, right?

What I really loved, though, was the retro style Summer Finn (Zooey Deschanel) had throughout the whole movie. And come to think of it, Zooey's style in real life is very similar to Summer's, from the hair bows to the summery frocks. Not to mention, Zooey is so adorable and being the other half of the indie folk group She & Him isn't so bad either. She's definitely not your average "manic pixie dream girl."

I will admit, I watch her commercial for Cotton with envious eyes. Just look at the gorgeous clothes she wears! I could only dream of having a closet half as decent as hers.

Deja Vu?

Hello interwebz! I am returning once again.

After what seems like a spiritual and emotional rollercoaster, I think I am ready to give this blogging thing another go. The past year has been difficult on me, and now that college planning is beginning to settle down and I'm starting to assess some changes in my life, my writing motivation has been renewed. One problem still lingers...what the frack am I going to blog about?! My old blogs have always been fashion-related, with a few posts regarding music, culture, and sports. I suppose one of the reasons why I have never really stuck with blogging is that I couldn't find a particular focus to my blog and I didn't know what directon to take it. Or do I really need one? Thinking of a blog name was already difficult enough!

What do you guys think? Should I keep the fashion beat or just go with the flow? The only requirement for this blog is that I won't have it be "too personal," to a certain extent. This is merely an open forum for ideas and inspirations (for the most part).

Whatever I do write about, I hope you guys will enjoy this blog!