Five On Friday: Relay and More

Happy Relay For Life Friday! Today is the day! We have prepped and raised money all year and today is the big event! I am so blessed to be a part of such an amazing organization and I am so proud of our accomplishments this year. Before I go any further, you should come out tonight for at least a few hours. We have tons of music, food, and other performances and all the money goes to fighting cancer! That being said, here is today's Five on Friday:

1) Why Do You Relay?

I realized that I somehow never blogged about this. I guess I was so busy doing Relay stuff in my "real" life that it slipped my mind to include anything on my blog. I Relay in honor of Grandmama, Lauren, Sandy, and Olivia. I Relay in memory of Linda, my Grandfather, and sadly, I am adding Toss Cline to my list this week as he lost his battle with cancer on Wednesday. Mr. Cline was a beloved teacher at my High School and the community will miss him dearly.

I also just relay for a world with more birthdays. Let's fight to blow out those candles every year and to have the word "cancer" be a thing of the past.

2) 22 Reasons Rory Should've Stayed With Logan

I have posted the Gilmore Girls "Which Guy" quiz before, but this just solidifies that Logan is the greatest. And if you're a Jess lover, there is a list for him too. He is pretty great, I'll give you that, but I will always choose Logan over Jess. Oh, and if you prefer Dean...who are you? no...

3) Lilly Pulitzer Accessories Sale

Did you miss the Rue La La sale the first time around? Looking for some cute desk accessories or gifts? Well RueLaLa is having a Lilly accessories sale at 3pm and I am sure they will have lots of goodies for you to swoon over!

4) How to Jump a Car

Huge shoutout to Christy for helping me jump my car on Sunday. I had never actually jumped a car before because I have AAA so keeping this little guide on hand is worthwhile. Thank you Pinterest (typical).

5) 10 Best National Parks to Visit this Spring

I love hiking and being outdoors this time of year (note: I said nothing about camping...). I love spending a day hiking, eating lunch, or, as finals season rolls around, studying outside. It is that perfect time of year for these adventures because it still isn't too hot to spend the day outside around here. Oh, and Shenandoah National Park is featured on this list...yay for my home state!

Bonus: 2048

Since this is probably the best way to describe why I've been MIA, I figure I should include it. I have since beaten both the regular and UVA edition of this game so I should probably be back to blogging full-time ;) oh and hint for this game: keep the big number in the corner!

Have a fantastic weekend!

xoxo,

SSP

From America with Love

This Alex and Ani craze reminds me of those rubber Livestrong-esque bracelets that characterized part of my wardrobe in late elementary school. Do you remember this trend? Seriously, I had to have had like 20 of these bracelets that I would pile on my wrists before school every day because it was just the thing to do.

Fortunately, these Alex and Ani bracelets are chic and will not cause your wrists to sweat and never see the light of day like the piles of rubber bracelets. Honestly, I thought Alex and Ani had some cute products and I liked their designs, but I never thought about actually investing in any of their pieces. I don't really like charms and I prefer for my bracelets to be tighter on my wrists when I am going to class, but now I hooked on these bracelets.

The simple designs of Alex and Ani products allow you to express yourself in a subtle way. Think of it like a grown up charm bracelet, but instead of adding charms, you can add bangles to your chic arm party. Personally, I started with one of their really simple "Sacred Stud" bangles, but I am already coveting some other pieces. It's not about whether or not I believe that a bracelet will give me good luck, but it's nice to look down at my bracelet and think "Strength. Motivation. Knowledge." because sometimes that is just the reminder I need.

So, here is what I would get if I were to make a "charm stack" of these bracelets. Of course, there are tons of other options, so y'all should stop by your local store or check out their website to find bracelets that speak to you!

the first one I bought, the symbol is
"path of life"

Chi Omega

Claddagh Charm: it matches my ring!

October's Birthstone: the Opal

wahoowa!

would it be complete without including my favorite team?

lost something? say a little prayer

buy this and some of the proceeds go to fight cancer,
plus this is a great life motto.

These have no meaning, I just think they make a great stack addition

Do you have any Alex and Ani? What is your favorite bracelet?

xoxo,

SSP

World Cancer Day

"I run for hope, I run to feel, I run for truth and all that is real"

-Breast Cancer Survivor, Melissa Etheridge (I Run For Life)

Today is World Cancer Day. Today is a day where we remember those who have lost their battle, support those who are fighting, and honor those who have beat cancer. Today is a day of purple, of life, of living, and of hope. One day we will be able to say that there is a cure for cancer. We will be able to say that we celebrate more birthdays. Guess What? We will be able to say that we helped make that dream a reality. I may not be a doctor or a scientist in a lab working towards this goal, but I can raise money so that they can do so.

Every year since the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life came to my hometown, I have participated in Relay for Life. Here at UVA, it has become an integral part of my everyday life. Not a day goes by that I don't have a conversation about Relay, or a brainstorming session on the side of my notes page. I believe so wholeheartedly in this cause that nothing can stand in my way of doing it. This year, I have the honor of being one of the Recruitment Chairs for our school's event. I am so lucky to be a part of the Exec family I have found in this program. 

Grandmama and I

Every year, I relay for my Grandmama, my Grandfather, Linda, Lauren, Sandy and Olivia. This year, I have added another to my list. While selling tickets for a Relay benefit A Capella concert this fall, I got a phone call from my dear friend and sister in Chi Omega, Laura, telling me that her mom was going to be with God after a long battle with cancer. There has never been a time where I have been more keenly aware of why I relay. I am so honored to stand by Laura and everyone else as we raise money for the American Cancer Society and cancer research and patient care. 

Well, now you know my story, but how does this affect you.

Laura and I are Down to Fight. Are you?

First, Purple Your Profile. Chevrolet will donate $1 to the American Cancer Society for every person who participates in this campaign. It is such an amazing way to raise money and awareness for the organization.

Secondly, find your event and get involved. We can fight cancer together. Make a team, join a team, volunteer at an event, do whatever it is that you feel comfortable with. Together, we can find the cure.

And finally, donate. Donate whatever money you can. Buying a piece of pizza at a late-night bakesale on Beta Bridge even sees that money going right back to Relay for Life. If you're looking for someone to donate to, I would be honored if you would donate to my personal fundraising goal.

We can do it. We will beat this, together. Let's work towards a world where World Cancer Day is a celebration for finding a cure.

xoxo,

SSP

Comforted by God

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God."

2 Corinthians 1:3-4

I have been so blessed to have this opportunity at UVA and to make wonderful friends and connect with amazing women that I get to call sisters. Yesterday an alumni of my Lambda Gamma chapter of Chi Omega and the mother to one of my dearest friends, and sisters, at UVA was called home to God.

Please send up thoughts and prayers for Laura and her family. I was never lucky enough to meet her Momma, but I know that to have raised a daughter as wonderful as Laura, she must have been pretty incredible herself.

Also, please continue to join me, Laura and so many others in the fight against Cancer. I relay for a world with more birthdays, and I hope you will too. If you'd like to donate to Laura's Relay for Life page in memory of her mother, here is the link: http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR?fr_id=60216&pg=personal&px=34828844

Laura, you are my sister in Chi Omega, a sister in Christ, and the best Arches buddy a girl could ever ask for.

College Commitments

"The secret of happiness is: Find something more important than you are and dedicate your life to it."

-Daniel Dennett

Have you ever heard that it is better to stretch 6 inches wide and 2 feet deep than it is to stretch 2 feet wide and 6 inches deep? Well, that is the jist of what my high school counselors and other mentors have always told me. It makes sense, why be barely involved in a dozen things when you can really delve into 3-4? 

I believe that college is both one of the best opportunities to explore what interests you, and the final chance to do so before the responsibility of the real world comes crashing down post-graduation...okay, that might have been a bit dramatic but you get the idea. 

Do what you love and love what you do. Don't do something because it will bolster your resume...if you hate it that will show and it will affect you in other ways. Yesterday I had 4 classes and 3 discussions and all I could think about was how excited I was for my Relay for Life meeting that night. And guess what? After my meeting I went to the Chi Omega house and spent another hour brainstorming with one of my sisters about Relay. I love Relay and I love working on things for the organization no matter how exhausted I am.

lovely Chi Omegas take Relay (indoors because of dumb rain...)

It isn't too late to get involved. Write down a list of things you love and look at flyers around campus/grounds. Ask friends what they do and stop and talk to people who are tabling. Just find something and get involved now. You will find that as you pursue a passion, it motivates you to achieve. I believe in hard work, but I also believe that without passion, hard work is just an empty shell with little reward to show. 

This should translate into other aspects of your life. Pick a major that inspires you, that is why I study Foreign Affairs! Find a summer position that exposes you to an interest. I am so lucky to be a fellow of The Perfect Game Foundation. I got to work on an amazing internship this summer and while working 2 jobs plus an internship sounds crazy to some, it wasn't for me because I reveled in the time I got to spend working for a sports-related company.

Pick a passion and pursue it. It sounds so simple, yet it took me 20+ years to really understand it.

xoxo,
SSP

P.S. for all my Hokies out there, Ut Prosim might be the phrase with the single biggest impact on me throughout my life. I guess you really do bleed maroon and orange once you touch that Hokie Stone...