Livin’ La Vida Liz

It’s Friday! Congrats, you made it through the week! As I get older, I realize how important a few days off are. Life is just draining at times. I’ve been commuting up to Fairfax, VA 3 times a week for my new job and between my chronic case of road rage and the money I spend on gas I’m just so ready for weekends.

Speaking of my new job, I’m absolutely loving it! I have great bosses and coworkers. Last night, a few of us went to an Irish pub to hang out and get to know each other. A few of us will be working remotely soon so having good relationships with everyone is key to getting things done. I definitely enjoyed getting to know people in an informal setting. I mentioned it in another post, but I’m the only girl that was selected to be on this contract. It’s turned out better than I thought it would. All of the guys are really great and are fun to be around.

I’m also really thrilled to say that I got my first pay check! It’s such an amazing feeling being able to earn your own money and rely on yourself and not someone else to take care of you. What’s even more exciting is that I’m going to start saving money for my future! My contract is up in November and I really would like to move to either Northern Virginia or somewhere in Florida. Since I would be getting my own apartment, I’d need to buy pretty furniture so I’m really excited about saving for that!

The biggest excitement of all right now, is my graduation next weekend! I have my Lilly Pulitzer dress all ready to go and fabulous shoes to go with it! The family and I will be headed down to Virginia Beach for a few days of celebration and beach time. Here’s hoping we have good weather! As a graduation present, my parents are buying me a really nice camera so I can have great pictures of the biggest day of my life and I’ll be able to share them with you! I guarantee I’ll be crying when I walk across the stage to accept my diploma. All these memories will just come rushing back of the greatest time in my life. I’m starting to tear up already. Lord help me.

Enjoy your weekend beautiful people! I’m off to finish some work and then go to the gym!

P.S. My top is from Banana Republic, sunglasses are from Aldo, Blazer is Ann Taylor, and red skirt is from Kenar.

20 Random Things About Me!

This morning I woke up and realized that as much as I write and talk to you all, you don’t know that much about me. It’s crazy how you can see a person everyday, talk to them for hours on end, and still not know the little things! I’m going to tag a few people at the end of this post and ask them to fill this little questionnaire out and share it with their followers. Even if I don’t tag you, I’d love it if you filled it out and sent me a message or comment that you posted it on your blog!

20 Things About Me

1. What’s your nickname? Tizzy
2. How tall are you? 5’8″
3. How old are you? 21
4. Birth place? A little town in Maryland
5. Ancestral home? I’m mixed. Scottish, Irish, English, German, and Swiss. Does that make me a WASP?
6. Favorite color? Pink!!!
7. Favorite verse in the Bible? Psalm 121:1 “I lift up my eyes to the mountains- from where will my help come?
8. Favorite cuisine? Either Persian or Italian
9. Favorite artist? Inslee Haynes, she’s the best!
10. Strangest talent? I can pick things up with my toes AND I can make my voice sound like Alvin and the Chipmunks!
11. Drink of choice? Mimosas at noon
12. Biggest dream? Running my own business… or running the country
13. How do you take your coffee? With tons of creamer and whipped cream on top. I want the effect of coffee but not too much of the taste.
14. Currently obsessed with? British tv show Merlin and orange/pineapple juice mix
15. Biggest fear? Other than losing my family, definitely zombies. I HATED World War Z.
16. Something you never thought you would get to do? Visit President Ronald Reagan’s ranch in  Santa Barbara, CA on a student scholarship. Best trip ever!
17. Humanitarian cause? Loving and providing for orphans around the world
18. Skill you would like to learn? Swordsmanship
19. Experience you want to have? Being immersed into different cultures around the world
20. Something random about yourself? I’ve never dyed my hair, it’s all natural

I’m tagging: Rae of Sparkles, Live Love Lindsey, Ymor Beauty, Chitra’s Healthy Kitchen, Chiara’s Room, Plus Beauty, and the Fashion Huntress!

Why Graduations are a Big Deal and Ideas on How to Celebrate

Yesterday, I read an article about how society makes a much bigger deal (and spends more money) on things like weddings, engagements, baby showers etc. as compared to other life events like college graduations or first jobs. While the author was a bit sarcastic in how she worded things, I generally agreed with what she had to say. All of these life events are equally important and it’s time we celebrate them equally.

The average cost of a wedding now is $20k (possibly more if people were honest). That was my college tuition for a year. It’s a heck of a lot of money to spend all in one day. The average cost for a college graduation party is $985. These numbers suggest what we tend to value more and as a soon-to-be college graduate, I definitely feel like my achievement isn’t nearly as important as other friends’ who are engaged.

Please don’t misinterpret my message. Weddings and baby showers are important events and certainly should be celebrated. However, a college graduate deserves the same treatment because frankly, in most circumstances, this achievement takes more intellect and time than the process of getting married or having a kid usually does.

I go to a small Christian school and there are two types of people that are there: the type that believes college is solely for finding a mate and the type who thinks you can do other things too. I have many fond memories of my school. Dealing with people (girls particularly) who are only after their MRS degree is not one of them. It really is the most expensive degree you can get. On the contrary, there are people such as myself who don’t mind if they meet their future spouse in college, but for them the point in going to school is to ensure they can afford a decent life afterwards.

With all of my griping you might be curious to know what ideas I have on how society can celebrate graduation in a more grandiose way. Here are a few things I thought of:

1. Buy a new dress- People spend thousands on “saying yes to the dress” for their wedding. I don’t see a problem with spending a few hundred on something fabulous to wear at your graduation. I’m eyeing a few Lilly Pulitzer dresses myself!
2. Host a dinner party- Whether you pay for it or your parents do, having a big, sit-down dinner that’s catered might be just the ticket for you to be able to savor the spotlight.
3. Send out announcements- When people get engaged, they send out save-the-dates. When graduation time roles around, send out your own announcements letting friends and family know that your “big day” is right around the corner. *Special note*: Usually when you send out these announcements people automatically assume you only want money. A great way to avoid this awkward conundrum is to make a note at the bottom saying something like “In lieu of gifts, the graduate asks that a donation be made to (insert charity name here).”
4. Have a photo session- Engaged couples get to have a special photo shoot and so should you! Hire a professional photographer or even ask a friend to spend an hour or so taking photos of you.
5. Go on a trip- Just like a honeymoon, you have to get away from it all and relax after all the festivities (and the last 4 years) are over. Go on vacation with a few of your other graduate friends and breathe a sigh of relief that it’s over and you’ll never have to study for an exam again.
6. Buy yourself pretty jewelry- If a bride gets a pretty ring, then so should a graduate. It doesn’t have to be lavish, but something to commemorate this time in your life is a really great idea. Plus, costume jewelry just doesn’t go over as well in an office setting. You might as well have something nice to wear with your business suits.

I hope I’ve given you a few ideas on how to celebrate your (or someone else’s) special day! Graduating from college is such an important and incredible time in life. It shows mental endurance, dedication, and skill. We should celebrate it!

Liz Morrison, BA: I Finished Undergrad

Today is a day that’s been four years in the making. Today I submitted my last assignment of undergrad. I’m done. In May, I’ll walk across the stage to receive my diploma, shake hands with the chancellor, and then continue walking straight into my future.

It’s crazy how fast the last four years have gone. I don’t know where the time went honestly. The last thing I remember is packing up my stuff to move on campus and now all of the sudden, I’m a bachelor’s degree holder. I started this journey back in August 2010 when I was just a kid on campus trying to figure out where the heck my classroom was. I can’t believe what a dork I was!

After all this time, I’ve grown so much. College turned me into an adult. It taught me how to think, write, feel, respond, engage, and so many other things. Most importantly, it taught me that no matter how difficult something is, it’s never too difficult to overcome. Some of the most challenging days were when I had to juggle my full time internship with my course load. I often wondered if that would be the day I just gave up and quit. As you might have noticed, I didn’t give up!

The experiences I have had showed me new things about myself I didn’t know. They showed me about life and how things change and progress differently than you might have expected and planned for. More importantly, these experiences created great memories and life isn’t worth living without them.

I gathered a few photos from the last four years to commemorate this day I have worked so hard for. Hope you enjoy them!

Life of Liz Update

I’m yawning as I write this I’m so tired. Life lately has just been up and down and all over the place! There’s been good and bad. Right now, I’m just trying to process everything and get enough sleep to get me through the week. I’ve stress eaten the whole time so now I better start working that off.

To give you a little look at my week, I have to work 18 hours this week (Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday). I took a part-time retail job until I graduate and can start my full-time career in the new year. I’m so looking forward to that. I also have mounds of homework to do! Yay me! On the bright side, my mom and I are decorating the house for autumn tomorrow. Its one of our favorite seasons and my mom has such a way of decorating for it. I loved coming home from college on fall break in October to see what pretty things she had done. I’ll post pictures of this year’s decorations soon!

In other news, last week I bought a few candles at Bath & Body Works because they were having a great sale (2 for $22) and I had a buy a candle get one free coupon and an additional 20% off of that. All in all, I got 3 large candles for $18! I was so proud. Vanilla Chai, Sandalwood and Citrus, and Autumn Cider are now sitting in my room happily being smelled by humans and cats a like.

As the new season begins on Tuesday, I would like to inquire to my fellow bloggers if they’ve noticed a dip in readership and “follows” on their blogs? The summer was fantastic for getting new followers, but this last month has been dragging with getting any! Thoughts on this guys? I’d love to hear what you guys are noticing.

Alright, I’ll go start my day now. I’m going to make myself a banana smoothie and then… oh wait, just spied an Oreo. Heck with the smoothie. Have a good day lovelies!