Calling Madison Home Again

I haven't disappeared, I promise! I apologize for the month long hiatus I took from blogging. Between family matters, moving back to Madison, and starting the busiest semester of my college career so far, I have found little time to blog.

As of a little over a month ago, Madison, Wisconsin is finally my home base again. While I already miss my family and my home-cooked meals, I am ready to be back in my favorite city. 

For most people, hearing "back to school" conjures up negative emotions fueled by thoughts of late nights at the library and meals that consist of Easy Mac and Fruit Loops. I, on the other hand, get excited when going back to school is mentioned. Partly because I enjoy learning (yes, you read that correctly), but for other reasons as well. Here are my reasons for being excited about being back at school:

1. Most importantly, I get to see all of my friends who don't live in Milwaukee. 

2. I can justify buying new clothes because it's a new school year...duh.

3. Everything is in walking distance again. I have learned I enjoy the life of a pedestrian much more than that of a driver. Rush hour traffic is not for me.

4. There is an end to my boredom. I finally have things to do with my life again, even if it is school work.

5. The stress of school gives me an excuse to watch endless episodes of Grey's Anatomy in my free time (season 11, here I come).

6. I can justify napping during the day again.

7. Two words: football season. 

8. Back to school means fall is coming. Who doesn't love sweater weather?

9. Being back at school means I get to be involved in my clubs again, which ultimately means I get to continue my passion for communications. 

10. Finally, I get to be back in Madison a.k.a. the best place on Earth. 

You probably think I'm crazy for being so excited to be back at school that I felt the need to blog about it. Come back to me after midterms and see if the enthusiasm has stuck. I am hoping that I will be able to carve out time more frequently to blog - no promises though.

Have a great day. Get excited to be back in school. Relieve your stress by catching up with Meredith Grey. As for me, I hear a strong cup of coffee calling my name!

Things My Grampa Taught Me

Ever since my Grampa passed away, I've often found myself engulfed is silence, nearly drowning in my thoughts and sadness. I think to myself I'm sad because I'll never get to see his goofy grin again. I'm sad because I'll never get to hear him yell at the TV during a Packer game again. I'm sad that I'll never get to feel the warm embrace of his hug again. I could go on with a list of things that make me sad, but I know that is not what Gramps would want.

Instead of succumbing to the silence and looking at what I’ve lost, I have decided to look at what I’ve gained – and yes, I now realize there has been much I have gained over the past nineteen years because of my grampa’s presence in my life. I was able to compile a list of things I have learned over the years because Thomas Sedivy was my grampa.

1.     Hallmark should really start spelling Grampa the right way so people like me don’t have to use a Sharpie to cross off the ND in Grandpa and replace it with an M.

2.     Hat collections are a real thing, and my gramps had one of the best ones.

3.     Loyalty to the Green Bay Packers is a must (as well as the Milwaukee Brewers and the Wisconsin Badgers). If you’re a real Packer fan, your house better include a ‘Packer’ wall, complete with Title Town rally towels.

4.     A good life is earned through hard work. You have to put in the work to see the results. Gramps worked hard as a sprinkler fitter for many years to be able to retire in his dream home in the Northwoods.

5.     An 83-year-old man can indeed wear Gucci glasses and make them look good. Laugh if you want, but Gramps rocked those glasses.

6.     Marriages can actually last 60 years if two people are truly in love. 

7.    A grampa's love for his grandchildren is unlike any other. There was never a time I felt unloved when I was in his presence. His constant love and unwavering support for everything I have done thus far in my life has made me feel like one of the most loved people on the planet. I always felt so wonderful when Gramps told me he was proud of me.

8.     Life is better by the lake, especially Booth Lake. Some of my earliest memories include being out on the boat in the summer or ice fishing in the winter with Gramps.

9.     The Northwoods isn’t a travel destination. It’s a place where countless birthdays are celebrated, Fourth of Julys are spent on an extremely steep hill, swim trunks are lost in the lake, sand is shoved in babies diapers, plays are performed on fireplaces, and most importantly, memories are made to last a lifetime.

10. And lastly, the Sedivy Clan is a force to be reckoned with. Even in the toughest of times, the family of Thomas Sedivy knows how to pull together and support each other. I wouldn't trade being a part of this family for anything in the world.

While the pain seems to be unbearable right now, I am truly blessed to have had Thomas Sedivy as my gramps for almost twenty years. The memories I have made in that time will stick with me forever. To one of the toughest, most determined, caring men I have had the opportunity to know, I’ll be seeing you.

 

Sometimes I Can Be Crafty - Checking Another Item Off My Bucket List

In between spending weekdays with the kiddos at work and floating in my pool on the weekends, I’ve slowly been able to cross things off my summer bucket list. One item on the list that I’ve been spending a decent amount of time on is creating DIY crafts that I’ve found on Pinterest.

Being the broke college student I am, but also being completely obsessed with decorating my apartment I’ll be moving into at the end of August, I’ve found myself in quite a predicament. I’ve realized that décor is not cheap, so I’ve taken a few DIY décor ideas off of Pinterest.

One of my favorite projects I've done is my DIY metallic letters. This DIY project is perfect for bringing a little style to any space and does not threaten to break the bank – which is always a good thing in my book. I made my metallic letters to spell out "EAT." The letters will go in the kitchen of my new apartment!

Materials You Will Need:

·      Wood or pressed cardboard letters of your choice

·      White acrylic paint

·      Metallic acrylic paint (your choice of color)

·      Modge Podge

·      Sponge brushes

·      Command hanging strips (optional)

1.     Paint one layer of the white acrylic paint onto the letter. If it does not dry opaque, paint one more layer of white. This coat will act as a primer, which will allow your metallic paint to show better.

2.     Once the white is dry, apply a layer of the metallic paint.

3.     Once the metallic paint is dry, apply one to three more layers. Less layers of the metallic paint will create a brushed metal look, while more layers will appear more opaque.

4.     After all paint is dry, and you have the desired effect, apply a layer of Modge Podge to seal the project off.

5.     Use the command strips to hang your letters anywhere you would like. Letters could also be leaned against a lamp, or even used in a wall collage.

This is an easy and fairly cheap DIY project that can revamp any space. The entire project only cost me around $10, and it was an item I could check off of my bucket list! Who knew décor could be so simple? Happy crafting!

Have a fantastic day. Enjoy the summer sunshine. Tackle a few DIY Pinterest projects of your own! As for me, I hear a strong cup of coffee calling my name!

How I Plan to Spend My Summer

Image Courtesy of Unsplash 

So, I've been home from school for a little over two weeks now. Currently my life has consisted of working full-time as an assistant teacher at a local preschool and binge watching alternating episodes of Friends and Grey's Anatomy. While I do love my new summer job and my television shows, I've decided I don't want waste my entire summer doing just those two things.

To avoid the vicious cycle of work and Netflix that I seem to be caught up in, I've complied a list of things I want to do/accomplish before I go back to Madison at the end of August. Here you have it - my official summer 2015 bucket list.

1. Finish the Friends series. (Okay, I know I said I don't want to watch TV all summer...but I'm not going to cut it out completely. Plus, I'm almost done with it anyways!)

2. Go for a run along the lake.

3. Go to North Beach. (Alissa, you better be joining me on this one).

4. Take a road trip somewhere.

5. Go hiking at Devil's Lake.

6. Read a book - hopefully more than just one. (My current "to read" list includes Still Alice, Gone Girl, and The Longest Ride).

7. Play rummy with my grandma, Melissa, and Nicole. (Rita rules of course.)

8. Make at least one the million DIY projects I have pinned on Pinterest.

9. Clean out my closet. (Mom, you should like this one).

10. Have a bonfire - mmmm s'mores.

11. Go to a local farmer's market.

12. Re-watch the Harry Potter series. 

13. Tailgate at a Brewer's game.

14. Go to Summerfest.

15. Have a family movie night.

16. Try baking using new recipe. 

17. Go to Culvers. (I still haven't been there since I got back from school - I'm having withdrawls).

18. Find a place to volunteer.

19. Get a tan. (I'm currently Casper).

20. And of course get student season tickets for Wisconsin Football. (Everyone keep your fingers crossed for me. Trying to get tickets is EXTREMELY stressful)!

I hope this inspires you to think about how you will spend your summer. Feel free to steal some items on my list, or if you're feeling really daring, make up your own. Either way, I hope the warm weather comes quick and lasts for all of us!

Have a marvelous day. Make it memorable. Go create your own bucket list! As for me, I hear a strong cup of coffee calling my name.