Sunday Funday

Most weeks, I look forward to Sundays.  

Now, I know so many people who really don't like Sundays but I just don't understand how.

To me, Sundays are lounging around, grabbing lunch with friends, spending time outside, and just enjoying the day.

This Sunday my best friend, Megan, came home for the weekend from her new home in San Diego and today we decided to take a trip to Tempe with our friend Madi.

We took a paddle boat out on Tempe Town Lake and then walked around Mill Ave for awhile. It really was a lovely lovely day.

 

 

xx,  Coop

PS If anyone can tell me how to layout these pictures better, it would be much appreciated!

  

We all Suffer from Insecurities

It's a natural thing, being insecure about something. 

Whether it be a slightly crooked nose, a singing voice, or something"un-cool" that you happen to like. 

For me though, it's a lot of stuff.  & it really kills me. 

As you know, I started college this year and, usually, for most people it's a fresh start to make new friends and to do all these new things and have some of the best times of your life.

But for me, it hasn't been that way and it makes me feel pretty pathetic sometimes. 

I feel like I'm so awkward or not "cool" enough, or not driven enough...just not enough most of the time.

I don't know how to make friends; I'm shy. 

And it's so hard when I see all these people I know from high school having the best time and have so many friends, and I wish that was me, too.

But I just don't know how.

I feel like that sounds so silly. I don't know how to change when obviously I need to do and feel the opposite of how I do about myself. But it's something thats just so hard to break. 

I try to make progress, keep my head up, but then one little thing happens and I slip right back.

I'm really at a loss.

But I do not want to look back on my life and regret not taking chances or being too self conscious to do anything. I think that, that, may be my biggest fear. 

So.... if anyone has any advice, I'd for real appreciate it. 

I'd like to start liking myself. 

xx, Coop.

What YOU are Good At

"You are good at something, stop lying to yourself. You’re good at breaking down comic book plots, cooking ramen perfectly, making your friends happy, knowing the time without looking at a clock, getting the perfect ending at RPG’s, or figuring out the twist ending to movies. Don’t let society tell you your talents are meaningless because they don’t serve an economical purpose. Your talents reflect your interests and passions, and what’s important to you is important." via This Tumblr

I came across this on Tumblr the other day, and I have fallen in love with it. 

It's made me think a lot about how many people are good at things that aren't "important" in society's eyes. They're things that "don't help you get a job" or "don't help you further yourself."

Says who? 

(note, those quotations are air quotes.)

Things like what's in that quote make you, you.

They make up the quirks that make you interesting. I think the small things you're good at are the more important that the technical abilities that can land you a job because these build your personality and character.

Figure out what you're good at and embrace it.

xx, Coop.

P.s. I've been terribly busy and stressed...I apologize for the lack of posts! 

The Grammy's

Tonight, Sunday February 10th, is the night the Grammy's air on CBS. 

It's also the night that I got in a disagreement with my dear friend William over bands and musicians nominated.

I'm a big fan of the Format, but I don't really like FUN. Not even because Nate Ruess was in both bands.  I simply don't find FUN's songs to be all that good. It's just not something I like. But then he brought up the question of: do Grammy awards and nominations mean nothing? They're there for a reason.

It got me thinking... how many artists and songs are nominated that actually aren't all that good? They're popular because they're catchy and they're on the radio. For one, Call Me Maybe, is terrible (in my opinion). It's not good music. It's good radio music. 

So... does a Grammy nomination or win actually make an artist good?

I say no.

xx, Coop

Valentine's Day

In exactly one week, the sometimes wonderful and sometimes dreadful, holiday of love rolls around once again. For some, February 14th is a "Hallmark Card" holiday , or a day that just points out one's loneliness. Though, I don't see why it should be that way. 

It may be a holiday created by greeting card companies, but it has evolved into something wonderful. It's a day to celebrate love, all kinds of love.

I remember being little and walking out on Valentine's  day morning to big red balloons and candy from my momma and dad.

I also remember last year when Omar left red roses, Reeces Pieces and a Dr.Pepper (my favorite things) in my driveway before we went to dinner.

It's not just about love from a significant other, while of course it's always nice to have a boyfriend/girlfriend but it's a time to celebrate all other kinds of love as well. 

You have your family and your friends who are equally important as a boy/girlfriend.

I don't see any reason to hate Valentine's Day.

I really don't.

So this year, if you don't really like Valentine's Day...try to embrace it, spend it with your girlfriends, your "bros" or your family.

Don't dread it.

xx, coop.

February Inspiration

This month is ultimately one of my absolute favorites. I love Valentine's Day, the transition from winter to spring, and the anticipation of Spring Training.

There's just something about the second month of the year; it's not quite that bitter cold and blue January, but it's not the bright, cheery and perfectly warm March. 

It's in the middle. 

It's perfect. 

xx, Coop

Health Craze

Recently (and pretty much any other time), there are people around me obsessed with eating super healthy and working out 7 days a week. It's salads, no-carb, low-carb, yadda yadda yadda. 

I am not one of those people. At all.

I like salads, sure. & eating healthy makes me feel good sometimes, but I could never been one of those people who give up cupcakes and Coca-Cola completely.

(Image via this Tumblr)

Diets are sad. I understand becoming or being healthy, I do. What I don't understand is how someone would give up so much, just to be skinny. At least, that's usually the case.

Life is short, really short, so why would you choose to not eat a cupcake for the next year?  I'd rather have one every once in a while, and I'd rather eat good food. Food that makes me happy. 

(Salads everyday, do not make me happy.)

I'm not trying to bash on anyone here, I promise, I just don't get the extremes some people go to, just to look like how they've been told they should look like.Such as Eating not enough and working out too much, not eating at all, or extreme diets.

I want to get fit. And I've been working out...but honestly I work out and eat healthier things sometimes so I can eat yummy food any other time.

 I feel happy eating pasta and bread and cheesecake. Some feel happy eating salmon and salad. It's not all about how you look, but it's how you feel.

So to the people that love food: Eat smaller portions of the good stuff.

Eat a few super healthy meals a week.

Work in healthy sides with your delicious main dish.

Work out a little! You don't have to train for a marathon.

And seriously...eat the cupcake every once in awhile. Don't worry about it going to you bum.

xx, Coop.

All I Have, Is All of Me

Ever since I can remember, I've been one of the most self-conscious people I know. I wasn't always the smallest in size of my friends and I definitely have the worst skin, which doesn't clear up with anything. 

It's always been hard for me to make new friends. Up until high school, I had the same friends in my classes every year as well as my first year of high school. Whenever I do make new friends, it's usually through someone I already know. That makes things much easier.

So my problem here in college is that I know hardly anyone that well, and when the three people I hang out with are gone... what am I supposed to do? 

The answer? 

I know not. 

I try to remember positive sayings and positive thoughts.

I try to remember that there are people do actually like me for me, but how do I know people who don't know me will ever feel the same?

I don't know why I care so much, I really don't. I wish I did though.

It makes me mad I care about everyone else so much.  I don't laugh as much, I don't sing (terribly) as much; I don't feel like myself very often anymore.

This needs to change.

Tomorrow morning, I will grab myself some Starbucks and say "I can do better."

(p.s. thank you angelica.)

(image above via Tumblr)

Happy Birthday

I have always thought that birthdays are something pretty special. It's the one day a year that celebrates YOU, so why not make sure it's absolutely fab? It's a day to be with people that care about you and have a good time. Plus who doesn't love an excuse for a celebration? Or a piece of cake. ;)

Today we celebrated Julian's 19th birthday (check his SPORTS blog out here, which I helped name the url and design might I add). We ate at Oregano's, which is EXTREMELY delicious. Good pizza, pasta, and pizookies. It was seriously soooo good. 

Naturally, I documented our night....

It's always good to get out and have a good time with good friends. This is what birthdays should be about. 

Happy Birthday again Julian! 

xx, Coop

“Life is about doing things that don’t suck with people who don’t suck.”

As said by John Green.

 These are pictures of things and people that don't suck.

xx, Coop

(All pictures by me!)

Home

I feel as if everyone hits a point in their life when "home" really doesn't feel like home anymore.

I feel like that's starting to happen. Being home isn't the same as it was, of course. I'm in college and I'm away most of the time. I know I'm not in high school, and that things change and you lose touch with people you used to hang out with every weekend. But last semester I came home every weekend; I even came home last weekend. But tonight, as I sit in my room by myself, I can't help but feel like theres not a whole not for me here anymore, it doesn't quite feel right. I mean of course I have my family, my pup, and Omar but other than that... Whenever I'm here the only person who really cares to see me is my boyfriend (Omar). Sure I have friends but not many that would ever text me and ask if I was in town or if I wanted to hang out. So, if I'm not with Omar, I'm alone. 

Sometimes alone is okay, it really is. But being here, I feel like I shouldn't be, like I should be with friends I don't see everyday. Though, those friends don't always take an interest, and I don't always put a huge amount of effort in either, but let's face it: it's always been this way. I've always been that way.

It's been one of those nights here in my little room. Throughout the week I yearn so much to be home because my dorm doesn't really feel like home. But coming home is starting to not feel like it either. And that, is something really scary. 

xo, Coop.

(Images taken by me.)

Journalism (Noun)

As I have said in my first post on this little blog of mine, I am a journalism major at Arizona State University. Have I always wanted to be a journalist? No. Have I ever really known what I wanted to do? No. I touched on my distraught-ness of this subject in another one of my posts (here) but I wanted to talk about it a little more.

This semester I'm enrolled in my first News Reporting and Writing class and it's honestly one of the first times I have ever, ever written a news story. I was pretty worried about writing it even though my professor gave us all of the information we need. Although, it turned out well! I received a 27 out of 30 on it, which rocks in my book.

But now the problem is that I have to write an article about softball. I know softball pretty well (I played for 9 years) but writing about a team and what they need to do this season is NOT the same as just writing about a game I watched and took notes on. Now I'm pretty worried. I need this gig; I need experience.

Journalism seems so easy, but then again it seems really hard. Especially when your experience includes only yearbook. What to do, what to do...

If anyone has any advice, it would be much appreciated!

xo, Coop.

(Photo taken on my iPhone via Instagram)

MMXIII

Okay, so I know I haven't blogged in awhile (see my commitment to a real blog has failed many, many times) and this typical New Years post is almost 2 weeks late, but better late than never right? 

I feel like this year is going to be different. I feel myself starting to change. I've been more talkative with people I'm not extremely close with, I've grown real disgusted with fast food, and all I think about it getting fit. So as you can see those three things are some things I want to hit on this year to make myself a better person. I want to make a change; I will make a change. 

2012 wasn't so bad of a year; it gave me the longest relationship I've ever been in (which is now one year and 10 days in the making ;] ) and it proved to be one of the hardest fall's of my life. I had so much new adjusting to do with starting college, moving into the dorms, dealing with a roommate, and meeting NEW people. I mean, almost everyone I knew prior to school I had known for 10+ to at least 3+ years. & Let me tell you, I am NOT the best at meeting new people and making friends. 

Though, 2013 is a new year. I'm determined to never have another semester like my first semester of college. I was miserable and sad. That is NOT how it is supposed to be. So this year (and the coming years) I vow to make the absolute best of it. I need to let go of all these insecurities I have which is probably the main reason nobody talks to me, but hopefully that all will change! 

I know a lot of people hate the fact that others use a new year as an excuse to change themselves, but I personally think it's a great starting-off-point. I'm using it as a diving board and I don't believe others should be discouraged to do so.  

Here's to a year of bettering yourself, for YOU.

(2013 image via Tumblr)