Senior Week: Event 1 Philadelphia- Revisit

I just uploaded all my pictures and my friend just shared her photos with me so I have some additional photos from my senior week trip to Philly!

 ^ In front of the Art Museum

 ^ In Love Park. This and the one under it are two of my favorite pictures!

College Educated and Graduated!

A day this important can't go by without crazyyy amounts of photography going on! First up is a picture of my college buddies:

 My parents and I (don't they look proud?):

 ...and in front of the building where I spent about 96.7% of my time:

 The graduating psychology majors:

 ...and again with the professors:

My charming boyfriend & I:

Another college buddy E, we used to be roommates at one point:

 My two FAVORITE professors: Dr. Pretz (Yale graduate!), me, & Dr. Lemley

 My best college buddy and I:

 My sister S, brother M, & I:

 ...and to illustrate the seriousness and importance of a graduation ceremony:

Yeah, perfectly fitting. I looooved my dress by the way!

After all is said and done...

After 4 years full of trials, tribulations, sleep deprivation, smiles, tears, sweat, changes, fights, laughs, memories, fun, and...well...studying (LOTS of studying), I can finally say: I did it. I made it through and I have earned my Bachelor's Degree:

I am officially a college graduate!!

Senior Week Event 6: Baccalaureate

Tonight was the Baccalaureate celebration for the graduating seniors and their families. The night began in Leffler Chapel (a huge space we have on campus with a stage and two levels of seating) with speeches and musical offerings performed by graduating seniors and ended in a hors d'oeurves smorgasbord out by the lake. It was a very nice event and I can't see I didn't loooove what I was wearing! (Yes, it's a zebra dress!) As for some pictures: We've got a very charming one of my pops, younger brother, me, and my older sister.

 A much better photo of my dad, brother & I:

 The ladies (my mom, sister, & I):

 They included this one part where everyone lit candles and the seniors had to stand up and recite their commitment to going on with their life yet not forgetting that we are "Bluejays always." It was really special. I snapped a picture:

 And me and my best friend from college:

Senior Week Event 5: President's Dinner and Class Toast

Tonight the senior class had the most delicious dinner ever. It was a beautiful day and catering set up a giant tent to keep us cool so we could enjoy the company of our friends and classmates and munch on the scrumptious food they had made for us: steak, baked potatoes, salad, chicken, mushrooms, and one huge "Class of 2012" cupcake! The food was seriously the best I've ever eaten here at college.

Also, the entire class had a champagne toast after some lucky seniors got to pop the bottle open. Of course my friend Allie wanted to do it and I could have sworn I was going to lose an eye because of it. Everything was alright though and the champagne was actually really really good. I'm not a big drinker but it was tasty.

Cheers to the Class of 2012!

Senior Week Event 3: Bube's Brewery Tour

Tonight the seniors went to Bube's Brewery for a tour and such. It was really neat because it goes all underground and they were there during prohibition so there's a bunch of history with it and all. They made a drink called the Blue Jay (our school mascot) and it was delicious!

Senior Week Event 4: Shady Maple Smorgasbord

Alrighty everyone. I know that I started this blog a fanatic about health and fitness and working out and eating clean...so please ignore this post because it is in line with none of that. The senior class went to Shady Maple Smorgasbord for breakfast/lunch today. Oh. my. god. It was so good! I'm talking a toooooonnnnnnn of food. I tried my best not to overeat (overeating is honestly my biggest problem) but it was really hard when you kept walking by a bazillion yummy options.

Graduation Nails!

Hey everybody! Graduation is coming up on SATURDAYYYY!!! Wahoooo! Also, in an amazing trick of scholarly awesomeness and academic success: I have received all As for this semester! That's right: 5 classes. 5 As. 4.0 GPA for the semester. BAM! I'm so ecstatic! And I'm talking REAL classes not a mix of 2 hard classes with 2 gym classes or easy crap. I'm talking 5 legit classes (minus Sign Language maybe but really I totally count it!)

Here are my graduation nails for Saturday morning: I hope they stay nice! Our school colors are blue and gray so I thought this could be simple but still fitting.

Class of 2012 baby!!!

EDIT 9/2012: There's nothing like photo evidence right?

Senior Week Event 2: Inner Harbor

Today was the trip to Inner Harbor in Baltimore, MD. The bus ride there took literally 550 years but once we were there we had a pretty good time even with the drizzly weather. We had some lunch and went in some of the stores around the harbor....then spent the majority of the day taking pictures. More pictures to come once my friend puts them online!

I have one more though: We went to this really old lighthouse and inside there were all these really neat wooden model ships.

edit/The pictures didn't really turn out so well but I'll still add some in.

We tried to get a jumping picture if front of the harbor. Obviously, I'm really skilled at getting air in pictures :)

Senior Week Event 1: Philadelphia

My college handles graduation in fantastic fantastic ways! First, we finish with finals and get to relax AND THEN we spend the entire next week just hanging out, having a blast, and going to any of the events they plan just for seniors. No wonder it's called Senior Week!

For Saturday into Sunday they had planned a trip to AC but my friends didn't really want to go. Instead, Kristen wanted to go to Philadelphia since she's never been there. After a huge blowup about leaving Friday (my birthdayyyy by the way) versus Saturday we ended up heading out on Saturday and spent the day in Philadelphia. Of course, we had to do the tourist-y things since it was her first time there but my boyfriend tagged along (he lives in Philly so he guided us)...and I loved having him around.

Like I said, I have been to Philly about a bajillion times to visit Andrew...but oddly enough....I have never made him march us over to Love Park for the touristy and very cliche LOVE sign picture:

It was great timing too! Some random lady with a microphone and bullhorn started protesting something or other RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE SIGN right after we finished with our picture! Crazy Philly.

Liberty Bell...I haven't seen it since my 3rd grade class trip probably. My friend said it was under some sort of box....yeah...wrong. I knew it wasn't!

Then we went to the Philadelphia Zoo.

I hadn't been to the zoo in a very long time and it ended up being a lot of fun. I got to check out the giraffes, lions, tigers, bears (oh my!), African Wild Dogs, but my favorite had to be this cat. I have no clue what it's actually called but...it just looks like a giant kitty to me. I wanted to take it home!

Happy birthday to meeee

My parents are coming to visit meee and take my out to dinner for my birthday. Ahhhh 22....I feel very old.

Squeezed a mile and a half in today for my workout :( I had like no time because I'm suuuuper busy today!

Workout Completed!!

Workout Completed!!

Today was another great workout:
Cycle - 20 minutes - 6.52 miles
Bodyrock - May 30 Day Challege - Day 2 - Hot Yoga (posted video earlier today!)
+ random abs (10 reverse crunches + 8 oblique V-ups + 12 pendulum)(X3)

Also, I have gone one month without straightening my hair! My hair is so much healthier!

BodyRock May 30 Day Challenge - Day 2: Can I just say how much I love the new BodyRock host? I loved Zuzana and I think Lisa-Marie is doing a good job, but Teesha (I have no idea how to spell her name) is amazing! I'm so thrilled to see BodyRock branching out and including some yoga. Whoooop! Bodyrock Yoga! I'm so excited to be bodyrockin me some yoga! Haha :P

I'll be doing this laterrrrr :)

Lunch

I didn't end up eating the refried beans. I only had maybe a spoonful.

Spinach salad with tomatoes, chickpeas, and crumbled cheese.

Half a flatbread sandwich with provolone, turkey, lettuce, and tomato. Yummm!

I know this is totally out of character for me since I have kept this blog strictly nails galore for the most part BUTTT I have some exciting news :) I celebrated 2 years with my adorable boyfriend April 24th! Unfortunately, I had to wait to actually celebrate until I got to see him this past weekend but still...totally worth it. This photo is where we officially became a couple! Yes, I say "officially" because he literally asked me to be his girlfriend. I know, he's old school...and I love it! This picture is an overlook near the college and since he's into nature and being outside and all those shenanigans (just kidding) I took him there once. He really liked it so we went there again and apparently that's where he thought it would be best to ask me to be his girlfriend. Thinking back on it now...it may be a good thing I said yes! :) Being that we were in a cliff...it could have ended pretty badly ;) Just kidding! Anyway, every April 24th since 4-24-2010, he has asked me to let him be my boyfriend for longer. Of course, I always say yes! I love him so much <3

Don't mind the picture behind it at the top. I always crop these in paint and I obviously didn't pay enough attention to the borders on this one. Ugh!


And how beautiful are these roses? Andrew surprised me with them when he came from the train station. 24 roses for 24 months! I wonder how long he'll match the roses to the months...that has to be expensive! I love my boyfriend so much =)

And a picture of us....just for good measure:

Now you got to know the Nikki behind the nails a little bit. 

See look, I'm more than just Miss Manicures over here!

Work hard. Train hard. Play hard. I think this will become my new mantra.

Welcome May!

May.is easily.my.favorite.month.ever. This May, to be exact, is going to be an all new level of amazing. Reasons:

1. My birthday is May 11th! 22 baby!!
2. I graduate May 19th.
3. I have no finals pretty much so stress of finals week = minimal.
4. I have an entire week to spend with my friends during Senior Week. This week will be filled with exciting outings such as visiting Philadelphia (my one friend has never been there), Inner Harbor in Baltimore, cookouts, movies, adventure sports outings, bowling, pig roasts, dinners, etc. Sounds like an amazing time and there are no classes to interrupt! Whooop for being a senior!
5. I move back home May 20th for the last time before moving into my new apartment in July/August.
6. I start my NEW JOB May 21st! Whoooop...I usually have to settle for late night hours at a diner but NOT ANYMORE! Now I have a full-time legit 10-6 day job that I'm going to loooove!

As always, a new month comes with new goals! My goals for May are:

• Workout at least 4 times a week. At least.
• Eat cleaner and more consciously. If I could cut down my snacking, I think I'd be in a great shape!
• Complete the BodyRock May 30 Day Challenge....even if it kills me.
• Start including more pictures of my actual meals! I've been told that if you write down what you eat or take pictures of what you eat, you're less likely to overeat/eat poorly.
• Complete a C25K program. Legit.

BodyRock's New May 30 Day Challenge

I was SO EXCITED for today's workout! Reason #1: I had a very stressful day (it's just about finals time here so everything is coming to an end--final papers, final presentations, even my senior psych research study) and working out always helps me release my frustrations. Reason #2: I wanted to wear my new-ish black Nikes. Reason #3: BodyRock started their May 30 Day Challenge! I know, I know, I said I would do the February challenge but that totally didn't work out. I'm sticking with this one!! In fact, I'm going to promise myself to only miss....3 BodyRock 30 Day Challenge workouts!

Anyway, my workout for today:
   - run: 2 mi (23ish minutes)
   - random abs (13 Butterfly + 12 Side Jackknife + 18 Twist. [X3]
   - Bodyrock May 30 Day Challenge - Day 1

This Fit Test was so much! 10/50 interval. 3 rounds of 4 exercises. Go!

Round 1: 15, 16, 22, 30

Round 2: 22, 13, 20, 28

Round 3: 20, 14, 21, 23

As for food: I'd give myself an A today.

   - breakfast: half a bagel with a tiny bit of cream cheese, eggwhite, tomato, broccoli, & mushroom omelet
   - lunch: pizza :( I knowww
   - salmon, steamed broccoli with soy sauce, and steamed sesame green beans