Pens & Pumpkins!

Well, it's been a very very busy past week and a half! I can't believe it's already Wednesday and that this weekend is Halloween! Despite battling the flu this past weekend (I'm feeling much much better now), I managed to have a pretty great week. The workload should be winding down after this weekend and I should be able to enjoy the last couple of weeks of the first semester. Time flies.

But anyway, last Wednesday night brought me a spontaneous visit from none other than one of my very best friends, Colleen!! Colleen is a huuuuge Pens fan, and when we found out that AE Student Rush would be giving out 500 tickets to students, we know that we haaaad to go. So, she drove on over, got super-duper lost on the way, and was greeted by Lauren, D, and myself. We woke up early on Thursday (yay for cancelled classes!) and treated her to the best breakfast in Oakland--Pamela's of course!

this time i got the crepes filled with chocolate chips, bananas, and whipped cream...mmmmmm soooo good! and Coll got an omelet!

Afterwards, I gave her a little tour of the campus and then we made our way over to the Student Rush line at the Consol Energy Center. We were about 12th in line I'd say and we got there around 12:30 for the gates to open at 6:00. Despite the totally random and awful freezing cold weather, we had an AWESOME time! We met so many cool people in line and eventually a DJ came out and started playing music for us too. But here's me, summing up all the other cool things that happened to us in line:

1. the Pen's coach, as well as their GM, came out and handed everyone in line some hot chocolate!

2. colleen got her jersey signed by Dan Bylsma (the coach!)

3. i won a $50 gift card to american eagle! -thank youuu smartphone!

4. four of the players came out and gave all of us in line, boxes of pizza!

5. ours was personally delivered by one of colleen's absolute favorite players, jordan staal.

6. i got interviewed by some sort of pittsburgh news station!

7. friends and family saw us on tv receiving pizza!

 jersey signing!

 jordan staal!

We got awesome seats. We were about 15th row and some of the first people to enter the arena it seemed like! And what was even cooler? My friend, Alexis, from back home..who also student rushed and was like, second in line, ended up sitting DIRECTLY behind us with her friends! It was crazy! And also super cool to run into so many people I knew at the game (i ran into Ruben, Marissa, AND Kaylie! and saw some people from my high school too!) It's so weird that I'm starting to recognize people when I'm out in Pittsburgh now, after only being here for three semesters...

But anyway, the game was great. The Pens defeated Montreal, and we had an aweeesome time. We even saw ourselves on the jumbotron! So THAT was pretty cool...But I think what made the whole day so incredibly awesome was the fact that Colleen was there, and that the visit was completely unplanned until the day-of. I love those kinds of things; it just doesn't get much better than that.

 our amazinggg seats!

 alexis!

kaylie!

So after Colleen left early Friday morning, I pretty much spent the rest of my weekend sleeping. Literally. I've never slept so much in my liiiife. But it was definitely the way to go. I managed to pull it together for a few hours on Saturday in order to participate in Pitt Make A Difference Day (PMADD for short). I signed up with the floor of the residence hall that I'm living in, and we were assigned Polish Hill (too bad D wasn't there!!) We spent the morning in two different lots, pulling up weeds and TREES. It was a lot of hard work (and as my mom definitely knows, weeding is not my favorite thing in the world), but I'm super glad that I was able to give back to the community. Not to mention that the people there were soooo grateful for what we were doing for them. 

There were about 90 of us assigned to this particular area, and from there we were split up into a few different sites. The Polish Hill Community actually has their own blog in which they took some pictures (photo cred) and wrote about the work that we did! You can read all about it here if you're interested! 

Once I was feeling better, I really got down to work this week and I'm pretty much caught up on everything that I need to be doing. Last night, Steph and I took a nice little trip over to Squirrel Hill in search of some pumpkins! Tis the season, right!? We found some cute little ones and headed over to a friend's house for an APO event: Pumpkin Carving! It was a blast. I really love this group of people; we ended up staying there until about 11pm just because we were having such an awesome time! (and because steph was going super hardcore with her carving). I'd say it was the perfecttt way to get in the Halloween spirit and I love lookin' over and seeing the little guy smiling that toothy smile on my desk ;)

 Kaylie and D

Daniela and Lauren's Pumpkin

My little guy!

So, I wish everyone a great Halloweekend (see what I did there??) and I hope that you all get into the Holiday Spirit and enjoy some spooky music, cool costumes, lots of candy, and even some trick-or-treaters! oh how I miss those days! I know that we will definitely be having a blast this weekend here at Pitt!

Stay Safe!

   

a busy busy weekend

I have to say, this past weekend has been pretty awesome. It felt as if I was constantly on the move...and sometimes you just need weekends like that. Thursday, I went laser-tagging for the first time ever with a few members from APO as a fellowship event...it.was.awesome. I'm having a lot of trouble coming up with an excuse as to why I've never been laser-tagging before. I've got nothin'. It was so much fun! And a really really great way to get to know some of the members better. I'm so glad that I've joined this group...the people are unbelievably nice, sometimes it doesn't even seem real!

Friday night, Pitt started off Homecoming weekend festivities with some beauuutttiiifullll fireworks! The best part though? I didn't even have to venture out into the cold to see them ;) Another great perk to my awesome view. They even set a lot off around the Cathedral, and they seemed to "travel" up the building...it was really really cool. Maggie sprinted over to my room to watch them with me...we had some OneRepublic playing in the background and we just stood at my window, taking it all in (in the warmth!) It was just grand ;)

Saturday morning, Mag, Alyssa, and I woke up early to get some good seats for the football game! We stopped for some breakfast and coffee beforehand and made our way over to Heinz field via big yellow school buses. We got there a little before 10am (the game started at noon) and found ourselves some prime time 8th row seats! By the end of the game, we were down to the 4th row and saw ourselves on the mega-tv a couple different times...it was the closest that I've ever been for a football game! I don't know if I'll ever want to sit far away again!

Once the game was about to start, Daniela, Kaylie, and Rebecca (Kaylie's friend that was visiting!) joined us in our awesome seats. Sadly, the Panthers didn't pull out the win this time around, but it was a really good time nonetheless...AND we got to experience the celebration of Pitt Band's 100th year!!! They were awesome. They brought back as many Band Alumni as they could (not to mention, cheerleaders and twirlers as well!) and put on a great halftime show for everyone. What a talented group of people...

Afterwards, after a much-deserved nap, a group of us made our way to the APO Potluck. And all I need to say about that is: Lots of delicious food. Lots of incredibly nice people. And Lots and Lots of fun! I'm super mad at myself for not having anyyy pictures of the event, but I was just too darn busy chattin' it up with so many people to pull out my camera!

Thennnnn I got word that my friends, Nate and George were here for the weekend! So of course I met up with them, and it just so happened that all of my friends thought they were AWESOME...so what a great way to end a Saturday night, right!?

We thought we would start Sunday off the right way with a hearty breakfast from Pamela's (yum yum yummm) before we headed to The Children's Institute in Shadyside. We volunteered there to play boardgames with the kids and I have to say, it was a very uplifting experience. Caroline and I played 'Sorry' with a group of three kids who turned out to be some of the most caring and grateful people that I have ever met. And so polite too! It was a humbling experience...and I'm really looking forward to going back on the first of November.

And it wouldn't be a Sunday without the mention of homework...Carol, Maggie, and I gathered in the lounge on our floor to get some work done. It was a pretty successful idea and a good start to a somewhat busy week ahead. I've got a midterm this week, a meeting with my teacher, a video project, a gigantic psychology paper due, and lots and lots of cool things to read! Two weeks left in October and it's going so fast! 

Happy fall! I hope you're all enjoying the change in colors

as much as I am! :)

  

National Dessert Day!

Cheers to National Dessert Day!

to celebrate this momentous occasion, Maggie, Kaylie, Jackie, Alyssa, Beth, and I went to this cute little cupcake shop on Craig St. called Dozen Bakery. I got a chocolate cupcake and it was rather delicious; don't you just love these random little holiday's that I keep discovering? I sure do ;)

and last wednesday night, before our APO meeting, Daniela, Maggie, Steph, and I baked some delicious cookies for the APO bake sale: Halloween sugar cookies and chocolate chip cookies! 

homecoming weekend here at Pitt; i'll be sure to have some cool pictures from the weekend for you all by the time it's all said and done! 

happy mid-october! 

  

wednesday:

leave it to my friends to find the 

ONLY picture taken of us on saturday night!

gosh, i love them.

what a good-lookin' group of people..

am i right!??

happy mid-week!

  

fall break:

This past weekend was just what i needed; it felt so good to be home and to be surrounded by friends and, more importantly, family. I feel so blessed to have the parents and the brothers that i have...and yes, a wonderful puppy too :)

It was a pretty laid back weekend; i didn't get as much homework done as i wanted to...but that's pretty typical of going home so i really don't mind. it's 'back to the grind' today and for the rest of the week...but that's just fine with me because i have some pretty wonderful friends to help keep me happy :)

some high points of my weekend (in pictures):

 making october treats with mom

shopping & lunch @ ABC!

 hangin' out with jim
(& teaching him ASL!)

 shopping with mike
(& sitting in car dealership
waiting rooms!)

 neato burrito cowboy crunch
for lunch

 playing cornhole in the backyard
on cool Steeler boards with the whole fam!

cracking up nonstop while 
playing said cornhole game...

 taking some of mike's famous
buffalo chicken dip to work with me

 eating my dad's famous french toast 
for breakfast (no, but seriously,
its the best FT around!!)

 car rides with trey & dad!

 walks around wildwood; chattin'
with dad; and getting some 
rita's italian ice afterwards :)

seeing lots of turtles!

& even some ducks...

 baking some cinnamon streusel muffins..

 and taking them back to pitt with
me for breakfast for the next couple
of days...or maybe less than a couple
of days because i just keep eating them!

playing catch in the backyard with 

this handsome guy ;)

some high points of my weekend (in words):

1. catching up over some starbucks with rachael, priscilla, and chris. (and boy was that pumpkin spice frappucino delicious!)

2. enjoying dinner at teds and ruby tuesdays with my wonderful parents.

3. 50/50 with mike and jim; i laughed, i cried...it was awesome.

4. tater tot casserole.

5. egg sandwiches and coffee in the mornings.

6. seein some friends at the reegz.

7. field of screams and a diner trip with the crew from the beach! (really mad at myself for not taking ANY pictures!)

8. laughing at all the strange people we came across with mike...and then realizing that we're even stranger...

9. grilled cheese by mom.

10. spending the last day home with dad :)

11. laughing over the new heytell app that mike, dad, & i each got :P

12. finding out that i will officially be seeing alex lewis in 76 days; i can't wait!!!

i hope that everyone had a wonderful weekend as well, even if it wasn't very long. happy almost-mid-october! (isn't that crazy??)

goodbye for now ;)

  

beautiful.

It just so happened to be one of those mornings where the blinds couldn't keep the sun out...god, i love my view. Pittsburgh just seems, extra beautiful today.

Arriving home in just

eight short hours :)

happy weekend!

  

when you're happy like a fool; you let it take you over.

my mom is the coolest. look at this talent!

A few things that have made me smile lately...

Starbuck’s pumpkin spice latte.

OneRepublic’s album: Waking Up.

My new pair of grey boots (thank you mom!)

Black jeans.

Green tea in the morning.

New friends from the APO Service Fraternity.

Learning little health tidbits from all of my nursing friends...and getting to be their practice patient!

The new season of The Office.

Late night phone calls from Alex Lewis, telling me all about his wonderful new life :) 

Playing hide-and-go-seek in the Cathedral of Learning for my sign language class (no kidding). 

Cheesy Lifetime movies on a rainy Saturday.

Letters from friends back home.

The giant ketchup bottles at Heinz field.

A free dinner at Chipotle.

Finally owning a pair of rain boots.
Skype dates with friends and family.
Yummy treats at The Milkshake Factory (see previous post!)

The thought that, at the end of this week; I’ll be on a bus back home to the burg…
  

waking up

Is anyone else finding it incredibly hard to believe that it's October already? And with it, comes the wonderful fall weather! (well, let's hope...it seems like for the time-being that we've skipped right to winter). But tonight was beautiful. The air was crisp. The streets were damp. The leaves are starting to stick to the sidewalks. October is probably my very favorite time of the year. Throwing on a pair of boots and a sweatshirt, and always--always!--carrying an umbrella (at least in pittsburgh, anyway!) 

This past weekend we said goodbye to September, and hello to October. Not to mention, we really really wished that all this rain would just let up! Of course it didn't. But it's okay...because a little rain never stopped us before, and it certainly did not this weekend either! 

 Just hangin' out with the school mascot!

 Kaylie. Goop. Steph. Laur. Me. D. Kimmy.

 so close; we saw ourselves on the big screen!

Goop! :)

Hooray for the Pitt Panthers on Thursday Night! I know I may not be the biggest football fan ever, but there really wasn't any other place I would have rather been on Thursday night. Through the rain and all four quarters, we screamed our lungs out for our school and showed our Pitt Pride as we sang along to 'Sweet Caroline'...if you've never been to a Pitt game, you gotta go sometime. The school pride you feel when you're there is unbelievable...

 Steph & Ash; deciding on some flavors!

 Lauren and the Banana Split

Mocha Meltaway 

In other extremely awesome news: Ashley paid us a visit this weekend! I'll be honest, I was pretty bummed that it rained during her entire visit, but it also went to show me that true friends don't need to have a million things planned to do on a visit; in fact, she, Steph, and I spent the entirety of our Saturday inside watching movies, painting our nails, and chattin' it up while Mother Nature hated Pittsburgh outside! It was great to all be reunited again like that...

We did manage, however, to take her to two of my very favorite spots in Pittsburgh. One: The Milkshake Factory (of course!) It was a long adventure to get there...but so so worth it! I love how cute and quaint that little place is...pictured above: Lauren got the classic banana split (yumm!) and I got the mocha meltaway (is it any surprise that I got something to do with coffee? yeah, I didn't think so either..) 

Ash at Pamela's! 

And of course Pamela's! Which was beyond delicious. I think, if I could (and if it wasn't super unhealthy), I would eat breakfast for every single meal of the day. Any breakfast food; all of it! I love it. We all actually ended up ordering different omelets, and we even met a very nice football player while we were there...man those guys can eat!

Me. Kimmy. Laur.

Overall, it was a pretty great weekend. The perfect way to say 'see ya!' to my birthday month. It's seriously STILL blowing my mind that after NEXT weekend we'll be pushing mid-October. Where is the time going!???? 

And speaking of next weekend; it's Fall Break! So of course I'll be taking the opportunity to go home for the first time since the summer. I am beyond excited. I can't wait to see all of the fall decorations that my mom puts up. and to eat tons and tons of delicious home-cooked meals (hint hint mom). and for my dad's famous (or maybe infamous??) french toast. for starbucks dates with countless friends. lunches at ABC. walks around the neighborhood with trey! and just hanging out and being goofy with mike while he visits for the weekend too! So many small, relaxing things to do; it will feel so good to be home for an extended-weekend. Unfortunately, I'll be working on two rather large papers while I'm there, but I won't let that bother me too much ;)

And one final thing; I hope everyone took notice of National Coffee Day last week!??? If not...I am terribly sorry. There was free coffee everywhere! It 'twas glorious! ;)

Wishing everyone a wonderful wonderful first week of October!