Hey everyone!!

THANK GOODNESS IT IS FRIDAY!! Let me tell you, the week before a vacation is the LONGEST week ever!! I am soo excited that I get to go home soon for my favorite holiday! Since I am from New Jersey, my trips home are limited to major breaks/vacations (Thanksgiving Break, Winter Break, and Spring Break basically). Because of this limited travel, I usually have about 2-3month intervals without seeing my parents. Since this is my senior year, it has become a little easier to manage because it is just part of the routine. However, freshman year it wasn't as easy. My sister and I had each other which helped feel like a brought a piece of home with me to New Hampshire but it just wasn't the same. I am very close to both of my parents and it means the world to me when I get to see them. So my advice to any of you SNHU hopefuls who are from out of state (or WAYY out of state like me) is to make sure you take advantage of the time you get to spend with your families before college and during college. It also helps to establish friendships at school to combat the homesickness that is inevitable during the first couple of months freshman year. Believe me, I LOVE my school family and wouldn't know what to do with myself without them. However, getting to go home and spend quality time with my mom and dad and the rest of my (biological) family is probably the best feeling in the world! I can't wait till Tuesday!!! :)

Aren't we cute??? :)

Until next time,

Liz :)

Posted by Elizabeth White at 10:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Hey Everyone!!

Happy (belated) Halloween!!! I'm a big fan of Halloween so I figured even though it isn't technically October anymore I can still get away with wishing you all a happy Halloween. I had a great time on Halloween this year but it was also a little sad because it was the last one I got to celebrate at SNHU with all of my amazing friends.

That's the thing I'm learning about senior year. It is filled with really happy times mixed with sad "lasts" like "my last first day of school" or "my last Halloween at SNHU". Make sure that you live everyday at college as if it were your last because believe me when I tell you that it FLIES BY!!

I have been super busy lately because it happens to be midterm season here at Southern New Hampshire University. I was lucky because most of my midterms were spread out over two weeks so I had plenty of time to prepare and study. Make sure you do not wait until the last minute to study for big tests like this though. Studying a little everyday definitely helps you retain information and makes it wayy less stressful when it comes time to take the test.

Well it's back to doing work for me. I can't believe I only have 5 weeks left before the end of my last fall semester at SNHU :( As you can tell, I'm not exactly happy about it lol.

Until next time,
Liz :)

Posted by Elizabeth White at 2:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Hey Everyone!

I know I haven't blogged in an exceptional amount of time but due to some technical issues I wasa unable to access the website. Thank goodness all of that is fixed and I'm back to blogging!

Ok a LOT has happened since I last talked to you all. First of all, I had the most amazing summer EVER! I am lucky enough to have a job that I absolutely love!! I have been working at Carlo's Bakery in Hoboken, NJ for the past three summers (which I've probably mentioned like a thousand times during my "Co-op jobs are sooo very important" rants haha) but this summer was special. My boss started filming a reality show in January of '09 and it continued to film throughout the summer. I was lucky enough to be a part of some of the episodes of the first and second season (which airs Monday 10/26 on TLC). The show, entitled CAKEBOSS, was an amazing experience for everyone at the bakery and especially me. Who would've thought that I would be part of a reality television show about my career of choice when I was only 20 years old??? I simply wouldn't trade the experience for anything in the world.

Other than working 5 days a week, summer for me always involves the Jersey Shore. I spent as much time there as I possible could because I knew that this was the last summer of freedom so to speak. It's scary to think about but it was the last summer I would ever say "I'm going back to school in September". The real world is beckoning and I'm just hoping I'm ready!

Senior year has been a whirlwind so far. I have been working very hard in all of my classes so I can finish just as strong as I started. I think it's also smart to maintain a sort of balance during your senior year between your school work and your social life. This is your last year (unless you are planning on continuing your education) to spend time with your "school family" aka your friends so I always make sure that I make time to do all the things I'm going to miss once we graduate in May. I've already been to Vegas and Maine on trips with friends and its only October! :)

Well thats pretty much whats been going on recently. I'll try to blog as often as I can (depending on how much my schedule allows). Thanks for reading!!

Liz :)

Posted by Elizabeth White at 3:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Hey all!

So I know I haven't blogged in a while but I have been seriously swamped! Just because the weather is getting nicer does NOT mean school gets any easier. I have been up to my ears in final papers, projects, and tests in order to prepare for the end of the year. Speaking of the end of the year, I can not believe that it is the end of my JUNIOR year here at SNHU. Its exciting and terrifying all at the same time!

Even though I am totally looking forward to being done with school work and going back to NJ for the summer, there is one thing I'm not looking forward to: PACKING! I seriously hate to pack and you really do accumulate quite a bit of stuff while you're at college. Here's a tip: if you are like me and are traveling more than two hours to get to SNHU, make use of a storage unit! My sister and I rent out a storage space for the summer so that we don't have to lug our tv, heavy winter coats, or any other school incidentals back home. It definitely makes the trip home wayyyy easier.

Anywho, I plan on continuing to work at Carlo's Bakery in Hoboken, NJ this summer. My boss just signed his reality show deal with TLC! The show is called Cake Boss and should air at the end of May. Not sure if I will be a part of the filming yet, but it's still pretty cool to watch so definitely check it out!

Well I'm off to continue hitting the books.....and enjoying the beautiful weather as much as I can! (It's definitely a balancing act that I am getting better and better at!)

Talk to you soon!
Liz

Posted by Elizabeth White at 4:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Hey all!

So when you hear about Spring Break in college, most people (parents especially) have seriously bad thoughts emerge that have been influenced by personal stories, experiences, or bad Lifetime movies. Let me tell you something though that may help with the horrible connotations that go along with "Spring Break". If you have a good head on your shoulders and know how to handle a situation maturely and responsibly, Spring Break trips are an absolute MUST! Let me explain..

A group of 6 of my closest friends and I decided in SEPTEMBER (yes, planning is everything!) that we wanted to experience our Spring Break '09 in a warm, tropical climate. We decided on the Bahamas and spent the next few months working very closely with a travel agent (which I HIGHLY recommend especially if you are going out of the country...it takes some of the stress off of you and your friends and definitely eliminates any sketchy hotels or situations you might encounter if you simply google a country and type in your credit card number (please please PLEASE dont EVER do that!) )
After all that planning the Bahamas trip happened and it was seriously one of the best times of my life. I used to be one of the nay-sayers about Spring Break because the only influences I ever had regarding it were the scandalous movies and MTV shows. Spring Break can really be a great experience if you know how to handle it. I'm going to end this blog with a few Spring Break tips that I believe can really help make your Spring Break a great one!

Tip #1 -- Use a travel agent!! It may cost you a little more money in the beginning but believe me when I tell you the pay off will be that much better.

Tip #2 -- Travel with people you trust and can be trusted. You don't want to be their mom the whole time you're trying to enjoy your vacation. Make sure they (and you) are responsible enough to hold your own passport and travel information.

Tip #3 -- DON'T BE STUPID! I know that may seem harsh but it's the truth. If a situation looks, feels, even smells bad, DON'T DO IT! It is wayyyy easier to avoid a bad situation altogether than it is to get out of one.

Happy Travels!

Liz :)

Posted by Elizabeth White at 1:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Hey all!! SNHU Bloggers are back!! Clearly we have been missed :)

This year has been soo busy, crazy, and amazing. Every year just seems to be getting better and better. However, when it comes to school work, if anyone tells you that college gets easier when you're an upperclassman, they are wrong!! Junior year isn't all fun and games at all. The only way that I am even getting through is because I learned fabulous TIME MANAGEMENT skills really early on in life. They are definitely worth while and if you take anything away from my blog, please take the importance of good time management.

In other news, Spring Break is right around the corner and I couldnt be more ready! My friends and I are heading to the Bahamas for 5 days for much needed fun in the sun! NH winters can be tough so the promise of 80 degree weather is definitely nice to look forward too. Spring Break is definitely a time for rest and relaxation as long as you are able to complete all of your assignments before then (you see how time managment plays a part in everything!!)

Well that's all for now!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

Liz :)

Posted by Elizabeth White at 4:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

All I have to say is...PHEW!!!!!

I am finally able to relax a little after a very stressful couple of weeks. Living with four other girls has allowed me to see how although I don't need to work on a final art project, or prepare for huge presentations, or get ready for an event that I helped plan, my final projects are just as stressful and exciting.

As a Baking and Pastry major, my final project for my Advanced Pastry class is to make a Wedding Cake during class time. My internship played a HUGE part in my being more excited than terrifid to do this. I worked as an intern at Carlo's Bakery in Hoboken, NJ all summer last summer and worked on A LOT of wedding cakes. It definitely allowed me to create this fabulous cake (sry I'm pretty proud of myself :) )

Great huh?? OK OK I swear I have a point and here it is...

Internships are an amazing way for you to not only have a job during the summer but also get fabulous work experience in the field of your choice. My advice would definitely be to research and choose an internship that you believe you can get the most out of. BELIEVE ME..its worth it!

Well that's all for now. TTYS!!

Liz

Posted by Elizabeth White at 9:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Spring Break is finally here!!! As much as I love school, I desperately needed a break from all the work and drama that comes with living with a bunch of 20-somethings.

When Spring Break is discussed earlier in the year, everyone has very high expectations. This happened to us this year. My 4 roommates and I were so excited about planning a trip for the week we had off. We had all the ideas and plans in the making and then we realized there was one thing we didnt plan out....where all this money was going to come from. Spring Break plans really put the funds in your bank account into perspective. We finally decided on going to the only place that we could all afford.........home. Even though we were bummed that we couldn't go away for Spring Break, I am absolutely thrilled to be home in NJ. I haven't seen my parents since Christmas break so I am very excited that I get to spend some quality time with them before I go back to New Hampshire.

My Spring Break plans aren't very exciting but they consist of work, being with my family and friends, and making sure that I have a job for this summer. Not all that thrilling I know, but it's still nice to be able to be in my own town again even if it's only for a week.

Easter was amazing this year because I was actually home for it. Last year, since Easter was so late I ended up having to go to my friend's house in NH. I had a lot of fun last year but it wasn't the same because I wasn't with my family. So this year, even though I had to work on Easter sunday and the day before (I work in a bakery...it comes with the territory), Easter was traditional and really heartwarming. Being with my entire family just makes it feel even more like a holiday :)

Well that's all for now. I'm definitely going to enjoy my Spring Break at home. Hope all is well with everyone.

Liz :)

Posted by Elizabeth White at 10:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Ok..so when people tell you that college is going to take up a lot of your time......they aren't kidding!! It's the middle of my last semester of sophmore year and I have literally not had any time to stop and think.

This past month has been filled with work, school, and my friends. I am a Teacher's Assistant for one of my chefs in the Hospitality building so I help out with one of the freshman bakeshop labs every Monday morning at 7am (Believe me, if your thinking about being a culinary major, you get used to the waking up at 7am thing). I have also been spending a lot of time focusing on my schoolwork so I can keep up the amazing GPA I got first semester.

Now don't get me wrong, even though I've been working hard doesnt mean I've set up a tent in the library. My best friend, Ash's, birthday was this past weekend and we had an amazing time! I made her a pink gift box cake (I will put a picture up as soon as I can get it to work ) which she absolutely loved and we all took her out to dinner at a Japanese Hibachi Steakhouse which was soooooo good!

As much as I love being at school, I do miss home at this point. I haven't seen my parents since winter break which is a long time for us so it's a little difficult but I'm going home on Friday for Spring Break so I'm pretty excited. I just have to get through midterms and I'll be home free!

Well tomorrow is ST. PATRICK'S DAY!!!! I'll definitely post again tomorrow because I'm Irish and I have to represent :)

Talk to you all then!
Liz :)

Posted by Elizabeth White at 1:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Hey everyone!

So I can't say I've ever been an avid "gym" person. I could never get motivated to actually go for a long enough period of time to get any real workouts accomplished. However, I have found the best alternative ever! Some of my really good friends live upstairs from me and have become avid rock climbers. There is a indoor rock climbing and bouldering place right in Manchester in the Mills. I got invited to go a couple of weeks ago on a Tuesday because Tuesday and Thursdays are half price for bouldering for college girls. I thought I was going to be HORRIBLE at it. (I'm not exactly what you would call an athletic girl) Well, let's just say, IT'S AMAZING! I loved it. I wasn't as horrible at it as I thought I was going to be and it was a way better work out then a bunch of ill-placed crunches at the gym. Don't get me wrong, the gym at SNHU is great. Fully equiped with plenty of machines and places to do all kinds of workouts. (Actually there is even a small rock climbing wall right in the gym) But if you want a different atmostphere, at least go try it out. I love it!

Basically that's the most interesting thing thats been happening to me over the past couple of weeks. Hope all is well with all of you. Talk to you soon.

Liz :)

PS. I'm going to a Secondhand Serenade concert tonight. It's a really good band. You should definitely check it out :)

Posted by Elizabeth White at 12:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

ok so first off i HAVE to start out by saying

NY GIANTS ARE SUPERBOWL XLII CHAMPS!!!!!!!! :-)

sorry i have to represent my New Jersey roots!!

My days back at school have been a whirlwind. I have been getting used to 7am classes again after being able to sleep late over break. (Remember not everyone has 7am classes but culinary/baking majors definitely do.) It's kind of weird but I actually think I missed my set schedule when I was home. Getting back into the swing of things has been taking up most of my time recently (well other than watching the GIANTS WIN THE SUPERBOWL [sorry i had to do it again])

Its really unbelievable how the friends you make at school really do become like a second family. I never realized how much I was going to miss everyone until it actually happened. Its really a strange feeling but its pretty fabulous when you think about it.

Well thats all for now. Talk to you all soon!

Liz :)

Posted by Elizabeth White at 5:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Hey Everyone!!

I hope you all enjoyed your holidays as much as I did. One of the best things about being in college is that right at the time when you really DESPERATELY need a break from living away from home and doing homework and projects and papers, you get a FABULOUS winter break that lasts for an entire month. Now don't get me wrong, I love being at SNHU but after first semester classes and finals, a break is really something u look forward to.

Christmas was amazing!! I actually had to work Christmas eve eve, Christmas eve, and Christmas day which wasnt so amazing but the rest was great. Working in a bakery basically means that you will be working on holidays so after the last four years of doing it, its kind of become second nature. However, when I wasnt at the bakery I was home with my entire family and thats honestly my favorite part about Christmas. My little cousin LOVES Christmas so her enthusiasm definitely rubs off on us. We have a huge buffet and eat until we are too full to sit up straight and then its present time! I'm not the biggest fan of Christmas but I am a fan of being around my family.

New Year's was just as fun in my hometown. I got to spend it with all of my high school friends who I dont get to see or even talk to very often during the school year. It felt like old times and sometimes you really need that when you get back from college. I definitely miss all of my friends that I have at SNHU but there's something about rekindling old friendships at home that help give you a reality check. We had a really great time just reminising and catching up with each other's lives. I definitely recommend hanging out with your old friends when you are home for break (even though I know the temptation of sleeping and lounging around doing nothing is very very strong).
These girls are my friends from home. I've known them for a VERY long time!!

My next big adventure over the winter break was taking one of my friends to New York City. He'd never been there before and I just couldn't let him go through life without experiencing it. I've lived about 30 minutes by train (20 minutes by car) from the city my whole life and really take advantage of it. I dont go nearly as much as I should but when I do I LOVE IT!! The lights, the sounds, the places, the restaurants, the people..everythin about the city is definitely an experience and if you haven't been my advice is GO!! and if you can go when the tree is up in Rockefeller Center...it's definitely a cool thing to see. I'll even put a picture up of it just as a preview...

I get to go to the city again at the end of this week which i'm VERY EXCITED about. My family got free tickets to any Broadway musical for Christmas so we are going to see the newly opened The Little Mermaid. Its going to be amazing. I've loved the story since I was little and i'm kind of a sucker for Broadway shows. (Don't judge me until you go see one...they really are amazing)

Well I believe that's the latest update in the life of Liz. TTYS!! Byezz :)

PS....GO SEE JUNO!!! the movie is sarcastic and new and hysterical. Pay close attention to the conversation Juno has with her dad at the kitchen table towards the end of the movie..what her dad has to say is relatively insightful.

Posted by Elizabeth White at 1:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

HEY EVERYONE!!!

well i just finished my last exam of '07 and I am THRILLED!!! I have been working really hard this semester in hopes of maintaining my grades from my freshman year. So far it has been working :-)

This semester has been filled with homework, friends, and more homework. I had tons of projects for all 6 of my classes that took a lot of time and effort. I also was part of a gingerbread house competition team. The team, which included 4 other girls plus myself, worked really hard on a MASSIVE gingerbread castle for a competition that was held in NYC. All of the other competitors houses were beautiful..and we got 4th PLACE!!

This year I live in one of the apartments on campus with 4 of my best friends in the world (one of these girls just happens to be my sister). Our apartment is great. We decorate it for every season and it actually has quite a "home-y" vibe. If you get the chance at one point in your SNHU career, you should definitely try to keep your grades up and get into the apartments. Although the dorms are definitely a nice place to live, the apartments give you a sense of home that you dont have with a dorm room.

Well, it's that time of year where I pack up most of my stuff and make the long drive back home to Jersey for CHRISTMAS and winter break. I hope you all have a great holiday and I'll definitely keep posting so KEEP READING! :-)

That's all for now! Cya!

Liz :)

PS here's a quote from one of my favorite songs...it has a relatively good message and I'm just in love with John Mayer :)

Walkin like a one man army
Fightin with the shadows in your head
Living out the same old moment
Knowing you’d be better off instead
If you could only
Say what you need to say

Posted by Elizabeth White at 2:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Hey all!!

Sorry I haven't updated in a while. I have been SUPER busy with school work. It seems like I haven't done any huge projects or papers all year and then all of a sudden I have had one or the other due in the past week. Again procrastinating is definitely not a good quality but I believe everyone falls into a rut every once in a while. Finals are in two weeks so studying is definitely happening!! My advice to you guys....DO NOT wait until the last minute to study for finals!! It will not be worth staying up till the wee hours in the morning studying the night before exams. TRUST ME!

Although I have to get through papers, projects, and exams, there is one thing to look forward to....

SUMMER TIME!!!!!!

I am such a summer girl! My birthday is in August and I spend every free minute I have at the Jersey Shore. Now some of you may have skewed views of the Jersey shore because of a certain "True Life" special on MTV. The Jersey shore is an absolutely FABULOUS place to be!! Its a definite lifestyle! lol If you meet anyone from NJ, they will definitely be as obcessed with the Jersey shore as I am. Here's a picture of where I spend my summer vacation...

As you can probably tell, I am EXTREMELY excited!!

Anyway, I hope that that picture of the beach heightened your excitement for summer. But, on a more serious note, exams are definitely a big part of the college experience. As long as you don't procrastinate and get all of your work in on time, you will avoid the "stressed out college kid" stereotype. I PROMISE! :)

Well, thats it for me today..I'll keep you updated on how those exams go :)

I'll leave you with a very exciting tidbit of information...well exciting for me anyway...I'm going to a John Mayer concert this summer!! He is soo amazing at the guitar and his voice is pretty good too. If you ever need a relaxing CD to listen to, invest in John Mayer "Room for Squares". Its fabulous!

Talk to you guys soon! Cya! :)
Liz

"The college undergraduate is a lot of things--many of them as familiar, predictable and responsible as the bounce of a basketball, and others as startling (and occasionally disastrous) as the bounce of a football."
- John Sloan Dickey

Posted by Elizabeth White at 4:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Hey everyone! :)

Happy Belated Easter!!! So I actually got to go home to NJ for Spring Break which was absolutely fabulous...Its nice to go home every once in a while. I do really miss my parents but I have learned how to separate school time and parents time so that its wayyy easier to get through the first year of school and not be ridiculously homesick. Spring Break consisted of a lot of quality time with my parents for 2 reasons: 1) i actually LIKE hanging out with my parents because they are amazing people and 2) all of my friends back home had a different spring break from my sister and i so they were all still at school.

The only draw back to Spring Break was that I couldn't spend Easter at home with my family :( Not cool at all!! I did however get a home cooked meal because I went to my friend Ashley's house with some friends. It was fabulous there (not the same as home) but still fabulous nonetheless. Easter Crew!!!!

The girls I went with and I got to go over a day eary and make desserts and dye eggs which was tons of fun. We all felt like little kids again and of course I made a cake. We had soo much fun.

Most recently, the most exciting thing thats happened is that my friends and I r all playing Intramural Volleyball. We aren't horrible but we're by no means good lol. Intermural sports are a great way to play a competitive sport on campus (ie. basketball, volleyball, flag football, etc) without actually have any athleticism whatsoever. lol
I'll leave you with some of the most recent pics from our first game ( we won once match and lost two match)...

Well thats it for me this time...Ttys!!

Liz :)

PS here's my favorite quote of the past week...I've made it an away message a BUNCH of times
"Life's too short so kiss slowly, forgive quickly, forget the past, but remember what it taught you!"

Posted by Elizabeth White at 6:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Hey everyone! Well I'm back at SNHU for my final 5 weeks of my freshman year! I cannot believe how fast this year has gone by. I've had an AMAZING TIME so far so I guess thats all that counts, right??

Spring Break was filled with simple relaxation. I basically went back home to Jersey and hung out with my parents for two reasons. 1. because all of my other friends were still at school considering we have different spring breaks and 2. because I actually LIKE my parents (I know hard to believe considering i'm an 18 year old girl...what can i say i'm FAR from normal lol)

I actually did do two pretty important things over spring break. I interviewed (and GOT!!) a Co-op job (which is required during the summer after your freshman year for all culinary majors fyi) in Hoboken, NJ. www.carlosbakery.com--check it out!!!

I also made a cake for my mom's friend's sister's 30th birthday party.

It took me 2 and 1/2 hours to do but I was sooo proud of it :)

Well now i'm back to regular life at SNHU...but i will leave u with a helpful hint if your looking for an AMAZING movie to buy....HAPPY FEET!!! i know i know it may seem like a kids movie but its FABULOUS!! definitely worth seeing

Well thats all for now....
Byezz :)

Posted by Elizabeth White at 7:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)