Practicing Painting

Last weekend I gathered with my NCL friends to paint a picture for community service. We had a wonderful time chit chatting and catching up and we especially enjoyed getting to paint! I never realized how much I enjoy partaking in art!

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UCLA vs. USC

Earlier this summer I visited UCLA and USC- all in the same day! My mom and I have been going on many visits this summer and we have enjoyed them all. UCLA and USC were both beautiful campuses and I am planning on applying to them both. UCLA was such a large campus- I felt like an ant there. However, the architecture was absolutely stunning and it has the ambiance of the classic college. USC was equally impressive; especially their film program, which is #1 in the nation. It will be an exciting year no doubt!

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ASB Training

As the new ASB President it was my responsibility to host and plan ASB training. Our theme this year is to "Get into the Game!", so it was a sports theme which was perfect considering the Beijing Olympics. My mom and I bought amazing decorations and the room looked great! We played a ton of fun icebreakers. We played tug-of-war, quad kickball, huggy bear, the toilet paper game, and the water bucket carrying game. That probably sounds like gibberish to anyone who's not in ASB- but it was a ton of fun! We had a great business meeting and everyone was really focused and respectful. I am working with an amazing group of students who are hard working, funny, and kind. I am in for a great year!
After the "training" portion of the event (which included poster making and project planning) we had even more fun! We played sardines, Murder in the Dark (it's not violent, I promise), and freeze tag. Later that night we all headed over to my house for a pool party and sleepover. I couldn't believe that I had 25 students in my home! I didn't mind, but I'm thankful that my dad was okay with it! We were up till 4 am so I'm a little tired. I'm grateful that the event was such a success and I'm looking forward to a great year!

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California International Pageant

Last weekend my mom and I traveled to Palm Springs to watch the annual California International pageants. It's always fun to see my "pageant sisters" and catch up. We also went to cheer on my friend, Hilary, who was competing for the title of Miss California International. She wanted to win so bad and we were so proud of her when lo and behold- she won! We were cheering, crying, and hooting for her and it was such a thrilling moment for all of us. I'm so glad that we could be apart of it. Although it was 110 degrees outside, we still had a great time!

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Gracie's 1st Birthday!

Last weekend we celebrated sweet Gracie's first birthday! She is so adorable and she is already walking so much! It was a wonderful reunion with family and we all had fun talking and catching up. I got Gracie her first Barbie doll- you have to start them out young! It was a great event and I loved hanging out with everyone!

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Beach House

It has always been a yearly tradition for my family to spend a week out at the beach house. It is always an opportunity for me to just relax and have fun- I only wish that I could stay longer! I enjoyed just watching the waves and sitting out in the sun- although I got way too sun burnt! I went boogie boarding while Evan went surfing-though the waves were pretty lousy. One of the nights, I had my friends come out and we had a fun taco night. We played the game of life and sat by the campfire. Sitting by the campfire is one of the my favorite parts of the day because it is a chance to wind down, have some great laughs, and get back in touch with my family.
My friend Alexis also came out to visit and we had such a great time catching up and remembering old times. We are both going to be debutantes and I'm so excited to share that experience with her!
On our last day, a pelican came onto our patio and relaxed for about a half hour. I thought he was sick because it looked like he couldn't fly- we even called Animal Control! But of course, as soon as I called, the bird flew away. I named him Earl. Go figure.
I spent much of my time painting (okay, it was a paint by number, but a painting nonetheless). I truly loved my time out at the beach and I can't wait till next year!

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Kevin Costner Visits!

Last weekend, Kevin Costner made a visit to Ventura! He grew up in our city and went to Buena High School. He had a special premiere at our theater for his new movie, "Swing Vote". My mom has a friend that knows Kevin personally, so she got to go to the premiere and attend the special cocktail parties with Mr. Costner. I even got a special magazine where he signed it and addressed it to me! To celebrate the new movie, Kevin Costner's band, Modern West, played in the middle of California and Main Street. There were a ton of people there and they put on a great show! I got to sit in the VIP section because my mom had the connection- that was awesome. It was a great night- thank you Kevin Costner!

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Project Understanding

My mom and I volunteered earlier this summer at Project Understanding. We helped sort cans and give food to the poor in the food pantry. It was a humbling experience for me and I felt privileged to help. We also donated birthday party bags for children that can't have a birthday party because their parent's can't afford it. I hope to volunteer at Project Understanding again in the near future- I love helping others.

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Chapman University

My mom and I also visited Chapman University in Orange County. I loved this campus- especially since it's so close to Disneyland! The campus looked so clean and beautiful. The library is five stories high and I loved the environment. Unfortunately, it is three people to a dorm which is something I'm not so crazy about. I'm hoping that I could work at Disneyland as a princess if I get in- that would be so much fun! I'm definitely going to apply so we'll see how it goes!

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Loyola Marymount University

Earlier this summer, my mom and I visited Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. The campus was quite spacious and very beautiful. I was very impressed with the layout and I loved the general atmosphere. The school is Catholic, which is okay, but not quite up my alley since I'm Protestant. They had an amazing gym and fitness center- it was huge! Students can have personal trainers, a massage therapist, and a nutritionist- I thought that was awesome! The dorms are newly renovated and they look great! I loved the cafeteria with a Jamba Juice next door! It was a great campus and I will be sure to apply there. We'll see!

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Pepperdine University

It's been awhile since I've written! I've been busy taking an online statistics course while taking SAT training sessions. All in all, it's been a pretty relaxing summer- although I want more time! Earlier this summer, my mom and I went on a bunch of college campus visits. Our first tour was at Pepperdine University, which I absolutely loved! Of course, it was a spectacular campus in terms of the view- who doesn't love Malibu? They have an amazing overseas program; over 60% of their students study abroad. I would love to learn in Florence, Italy- I have always wanted to go there. I'm still not sure about what I want to major in, but they have a fantastic business program if I decide to go into that. The dorms are spacious and clean and they have plenty of programs to get involved with. I love the Christian influence on campus- students are required to attend chapel every week. I'm definitely going to apply to Pepperdine- I hope that I get in!

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