Mini Road-Trip

Off to Jacksonville. Hoping for no towed cars. Fingers crossed.

Heel Yes.

One of my recent goals is to be better at wearing heels. And by better, I mean being able to take more than 2 steps without looking like I am learning to walk for the first time.

The other day I snagged these little beauties for $30 dollars (I love you, TJ Maxx) and after walking around the dorm in them for a few days and gaining my sea legs, I thought I was ready to take them out into the great, big, real life world.

So I put together this adorable outfit and started small by wearing them out to the car. Made it. Only had to steady myself once. Then, I ran a few errands-- walked down all the halls of CVS and didn't fall once. Done. And when I walked out of the market, bags in hand, just starting to feel confident and carefree, a pesky gust of wind came up and startled me causing me to back step onto an uneven cobblestone. As my foot twisted in my shoe, I made a terrifyingly awkward face and yelped a kind of "gerrsheeaaAAaa!" sound as I threw my bags in the air and fell to the ground. Picture it. And then to diffuse the terribly awkward fact that about 8 construction men were across the street staring at me, I let out a rather loud and obnoxious cackle to let everyone know that "Hey- I may be sitting on the floor next to a box of tampons and 6 granola bars, but I'm fine! Look! I'm laughing! See!? Oh, and these heels that are ridiculously tall and outlandish? ...I wear them all the time! The fact that I fell is a total fluke."

After I got up and brushed myself off, I sheepishly made my way back to Spencer's car and changed into my back-up pair of flats that I'd shoved into my purse just in case. Good call.

Moral of the story: I am going to make it there. I'm going to get to that place where I can slip on a pair of heels and rock them better than Lady Gaga.

One day. I'll get there soon.

Oh, What a Difference a Week Makes.

(no, this is not my bike and no it is not technically snowing here, but it is still so so cold!)

Last week: basking in the sunlight as I rode my back through the cobblestone streets of Savannah.

This week: Hustling to get to a car before I get completely drenched in rain.

I know it is only the very beginning of February, but come on! I'm running out of cute ways to wear warm clothes. And I'm dying to wear my new cool sandals from Target that won't be making their appearance until we're in full fledged Spring mode. I've never been so antsy for the sun in. my. life.

Blerg.

Nothing is good in this world until my art history test is done. I want to transport myself to 2:00 right now.

The Major Major Decision

A few weeks ago, the emotional girl version of Julia took over and posted this huge long rant about how hard her life is and why being at such an amazing school with so many amazing opportunities is so difficult and terrible. And when that really boring and pathetic pity party was over I put my big girl panties back on and dealt with what was really going on. Which was fear.

Essentially, the only reason I was so hesitant about something that I've wanted to do for as long as I can remember is because things are actually becoming reality and that scares me. When I really took a step back, the only thing that I was afraid of was not being good enough for what possibilities may lay ahead. This, along with the realization that I feel the need to control just about everything in my life has made the last few weeks very interesting.

On top of this, I've been recently trying to be more self aware and really observe how my attitude and actions have affects on the people around me. This is turning out to be quite the eye opening experience and quite convicting on many levels. Self improvement is proving to be very difficult but, I can already tell, very worth it.

So this leads me to my decision about my major. It's a good thing I kept putting off writing this post because my decision has seemed to evolve just about every day since the last time I talked about this. Finally, last night I think I really settled on what I want to do (for now, at least). I'm going to be....drumroll, please....a fashion major! Wow. Doesn't it feel like I already made this decision? Let me say it again for emphasis. A fashion major. No minor. No glitz. No frills. Just fashion. Lets go through the thought process here. The cycle went from Fashion Major with a Writing minor (before the mental break down of 2 weeks ago) to Fibers Major to Fibers major with a Fashion minor to a Fashion major with a Fibers minor and then settling last night on just a good old solid Fashion major (still tracking?).

How, you may ask? Wellll, the other day I was at my desk with a black sharpie, two fat highlighters and huge calendar trying to figure out a way to squeeze all the required classes of a minor and a major into 4 ridiculously fast years. I realized that the only way to do this would be taking way over a full load for the next 3 years. At first, I didn't think this would be impossible. Yes, a challenge, but something I could handle. But over the weekend, after really thinking about it and talking to a couple girls who are doing this same thing this quarter, some concerns were raised. And last night, the real deal breaker came when I sat down to map out my spring quarter and thought to myself "Wow, Julia. You are hardly going to be able to next quarter's regular load-- let alone adding extra classes. Heaven's sake, you are making quite lofty goals for yourself!" And it hit me. Why do I feel the need to do everything? I do not yet know the answer to this question but I'm pretty sure that a solution to not having to find out the hard way is to not to try and do everything. And this isn't me doubting myself and my ability to juggle tons of balls (...a-hem...). But I can still take all the classes I really want to without having to kill myself with officially having a minor in anything! I can have my fashion cake, eat it too and probably end up throwing it up so I can be skinny just like the rest of the girls! Just kidding. Seriously. I'm kidding. Why in the world would I waste good cake like that?

After making this realization silently in my head, I felt the urge to scream it out loud like I'd figured out the earth isn't flat. So that's what I did. I turned to Claire and yelped "I don't have to minor in anything! And I can still, like, learn a lot and get a job and be happy!" and she looked at me and smiled "Yes! Yay!" And that was it.

Julia Patton: Fashion Major.

I feel great. I feel capable. I am so ready to be a fashion major and rock at it. And I'm so excited to take all of my electives and use them up in every way possible in the fibers building. Wow. So great.

Before I wrap this up, can I please just say that you guys are seriously the best ever. For days after I posted the big womp womp that shall not be named, I received so many supportive e-mails, calls and comments that not only were encouraging and made me feel loved, but also were very helpful in my thought process. I have been so so so blessed with everyones reassurance that it was going to be ok. I need that. I have a tendency to freak out and its so helpful to know that I'm being heard. And allowed to freak out. Because eventually, through God and the support of those around me, I stop freaking out long enough to realize that it's not up to me. I'm just along for the ever bumpy and unpredictably amazing ride.

Final Disclaimer: I am allowed to change my mind tomorrow. :)

(Also, for those of you wondering what ever happened to the poor old writing department, I think I'm going to keep all my musings on this here little website for now. Keep all the journalism to the democrats.)

One More

Just for laughs.

Mobile Uploads

Mobile Uploads are back! Here are a few pics snapped on my phone since this quarter started.

The other day I mentioned how we changed around our furniture this weekend. Well, if you've talked to me in the last few days, I've definitely mentioned it and exclaimed "It changed my life!" And I'm serious. Our lives here are already so routine and sometimes repetitive, the layout of the room was just another thing making us (mostly me) feel so mentally claustrophobic. A change was necessary. And while we were changing, a cleaning was necessary too. This is a picture of 1 of 4 swiffer pads (all equally this disgusting) from cleaning our floor. I promise you that our room is actually very clean-- all of this disgustingness came from the places behind furniture and under rugs that we haven't been able to get to.

If you remember that post a few days ago about my craving for In-n-Out 1) No, I still haven't gotten anything in the mail and 2) I don't think this picture being my desktop is really helping the situation.

Here, Tyler Morgan and I face the bone chilling cold to make our way to the safe haven of the sub shop. And as bundled as we may be, no women's parka or hand knit blanket can stop the chill from working its way into your bloodstream and taking you over like a hostage to its bandit.

Arnold Hall. The drawing building. A place my art will never be on the walls. So, like my father always taught, its up to me to be proactive about the situation and take matters into my own hands. Work harder in drawing and maybe one day you'll get there? No, silly! Make Xerox's of your face and put them up on the walls yourself! Fake it til you make it, baby!

Ok, this picture wasn't technically taken on my phone. But it needed to be shared. Recently pursuing her art, the dear Frances Russell took to a bottle of gel to help her walk the line of femininity and masculinity. Take that, a tube of red lipstick and an androgynous brow line later and you've got yourself a color theory masterpiece.

That is all for today. I am thrilled to be blogging from bed this morning as my color theory class was cancelled due to illness. Rejoice! I am also so glad to be finished with pesky January. That month didn't know when enough was enough and frankly, I for one am glad to see it go. On to bigger and better things!