me, currently

So this face sums up my life right about now. 

With constant bags under my eyes and crazed curls flopped around my head due to no time for a good hair day, I just don't know where my life has gone.  See that scarf I'm wearing in the picture?  I made that this time last year!  It truly blows every part of my mind to even think that there was a point in my life where I had time for hobbies other than school-related and work-related.  My hobbies used to be knitting, crocheting, drawing, painting, blogging, resting and reading, but now that list has drastically changing into emailing, organizing my iCal, booking, promoting, publicizing, Adobe-ing, writing, resume building and oh yes, more emailing.

I'm okay with it though.  I mean, other than the odd twitch my right eye has developed due to overcompensating for my lack of sleep with heavy doses of caffeine, I'm doing pretty alright.  I think I'm past the point of feeling like bursting into tears every time I get "stressed" like I used to be.  I'm definitely proud of myself for learning how to manage the pressure and I'm definitely disgusted with myself when I realize just how much I love working under the aforementioned pressure.

I guess in the end this post is simply a little update reminding everyone I'm alive, just working hard.  And what have I been working on, you ask?  Well here's a few events coming up that could give you a little idea of it all:

11/13:  Mix and Mingle with UAB PRCA/PRSSA
11/17:  Desert Island Supply Co.'s (DISCO) Grand Opening
11/26-9: Wiggio Week @ UAB
12/6: United Cerebral Palsy Christmas Benefit
12/15: Dylan Leblanc w/ Belle Adair @ Bottletree Cafe

So as always, stay tuned, Birmingham (and keep all of the above in mind). You know I've got big things in store for you.

why having school spirit isn't as lame as you think

I'll be honest with you, I wasn't always the most school-spirited one in the bunch.  "School spirit" is commonly associated with beefed up jocks bumping chests and star spangled cheerleaders waving their pom poms, so I chose to play it cool in high school and keep my "spirit" under lock. I feel like a lot of students who come to my college were a lot like I was in high school.  Simply sickened by the football-crazed militia surrounding our day to day lives, UAB seemed like a small state's big city oasis where the emphasis wasn't as much on sports as it was on education.

As time went on I began to realize how much I truly loved my school.  With almost 18,000 enrolled in undergrad and even more in graduate schools, UAB provides a quality education to students from all over the world.  Not only that, UAB is the state's top employer as well as a leading medical research center. Do reading those simple statistics not even make you just a little proud? So it dawned on me recently that having "school spirit" doesn't just mean you have to be a sports fan.  Having school spirit means you are proud of the opportunities your school provides you with.

I have school spirit because neither of my parents had the chance to have school spirit.  College wasn't an option for them like it was for me.

I have school spirit because I think my school deserves just as many die hard fans as UA or Auburn.

I have school spirit because one day I'll get a job that will give me a paycheck larger than 3/4 of the world could ever dream of receiving.

I have school spirit because of my school boasts people like Dr. Sarah Parcak and others who are at the top of their respected fields. 

I have school spirit because now my little brother is getting a college education at UAB too.

I have school spirit because of all the amazing friends and unforgettable memories I've made over the past two and a half years.

The list could go on and it will only grow larger over the next year and a half as I finish my undergrad. You see, to me having school spirit isn't lame at all.  Having school spirit is actually an honor we forget we have because less than ONE HUNDREDTH of a percent of people in the WORLD have a college education.  

If you attend UAB, I hope you are just a little more proud of our school after reading this post.  And to everyone else, I hope this post serves as a reminder of how proud you are of your school. 

And with that I'll close with a simple Go Blazers!

sunday tunes and a pretty view

Fall is here, ladies and gents, and I couldn't be any happier about it.  Has the weather started to change in your neck of the woods yet?  Because we are in complete crisp-air, boots, scarves and cardigan bliss down here in the South.  I hate to think that it won't last much longer until the cruel winds of winter come right through to make every day a bad hair day and every night one for layers of fuzzy socks. 

Recently it dawned on me that it is my third year living in Birmingham, but I have yet to enjoy so much of what this city offers.  One Birmingam staple is the way too awesome statue of Vulcan that overlooks the city.  He's kind of like the town's watch guard, keeping his mighty eye on us at all times. 

Vulcan Park and Musuem offers so many cool activities for the community throughout the year, but one of the neatest might be the Fall concert series, Vulcan AfterTunes.  From serving up food and drinks from local restaurants, the event serves as a great way to support Birmingham culture.  Yesterday my dear gal pal Hollie and I decided to venture up the little mountain to see our city's beloved landmark and listen to one of our favorite gals, Jessica Lea Mayfield.  I don't know if you guys have ever listened to one of your favorite musicians while overlooking your favorite city, but it's a pretty surreal experience. 

It's also a pretty windy experience....

So if you're ever in or around Birmingham, you really must check out Vulcan Park and Museum.  It might just be my new favorite place in town. 

I mean, how could you pass up an opportunity to miss a view THIS good?! 

for UAB, for birmingham, for you and for me

So yet again I've been letting cobwebs collect on this little blog of mine.  It's just so crazy how quickly school work and extracurriculars and maintaining a semi-decent social life can pile on top of each other within mere moments.  I mean, the phrase "there aren't enough hours in a day," barely cuts it for me.  Honestly, there aren't enough days in the week.  But the crazy, horrifying, totally disgusting part about it is that I absolutely love it.  I know, it's ridiculous, but I am not lying.  From successfully executing a Fall Concert to planning a Homecoming Comedy Show and from selling clothes to developing client crisis communication plans, this semester has honestly been a blast.

But you want to know what's recently made it just that much better?

I've been selected as a Top 5 finalist for Ms. UAB!!!

What whaaatttttt!  I'm so excited for this opportunity, you guys.  It means the world to me that I am seen a gal worthy enough to be in the running to carry such a title.

For the past few months I've been trying to brainstorm various ways on how to restart this blog of mine.  And lately the amount of people telling me how much they miss my posts has motivated me even more.  I've wanted my blog to have an increased emphasis on this great city of Birmingham, but I had been struggling to find the perfect reason to begin posting once again. Well my wonderful friends, I don't think I could have found a better topic to start with than the one stated here.

I am able to call Birmingham, Alabama my home because of UAB.  Though I hate to sound cliche, I do not lie when I say attending this school has been the greatest decision I have made so far.  Since moving to Birmingham two years ago, I truly believe I have the potential to make a difference in this city.  I have the passion and the drive to become a great innovator for the Magic City, and I believe my time to do so starts here with this opportunity at UAB.

So join me on my little journey!  I'll be blogging about all my adventures throughout the next week and a half until the big Homecoming game on October 6th.  But don't worry, I won't abandon this blog after all of this- I PROMISE!  I want Casual Bedlam to become a guide for anyone who loves to call this city, the city that I like to refer to as the true heartbeat of the South, their home.

birmingham's burgers

If you could give my littler brother a final meal, I'm sure it would be a bacon cheeseburger.  Whether it was fast food, Mexican or fine dining, no matter what restaurant we would venture out to growing up, it was his go-to order.

And I must admit, I've never really been a burger lover....

 Call me un-American, but there was just something about a plain ol' "hamburger" that usually seems painfully unappealing to my appetite. But recently I decided to take a page out of my younger brother's book and embrace the burger, and boy, have I been missing out!

In the past week alone, I ate THREE burgers at different restaurants around town.  All were different in taste and price, but all were incredibly delightful for my burger-less tastebuds.

Turkey Burger @FLIP Burger Boutique in The Summit

Cheeseburger @ Sam's Super Samwiches in Homewood

Lamb Burger @ Avo/Dram in Mountain Brook

These photos do not do the taste justice! My entire life I've believed a burger was nothing special, but I am a changed woman now.  Burgers come in all shapes and sizes and I am ready to give them all a chance! 

Birminghammers- what's your favorite burger in town?  I know there's some other good ones I've been missing out on. I want to compile a Birmingham burger bucket list and try them all! 

trailer tuesday >> 1

I had to figure out a way to incorporate my love for films back into this blog, so I present to you with my first Trailer Tuesday (because we all like alliteration).

The other night I went with my film-loving friend and coworker Matt to see Beasts of the Southern Wild.  Matt saw the film back at Sundance in January, but I had never seen or heard of it until that night.  I was going into the movie completely blind, something I've never done before.  Not sure of what to expect, I sat and watched a little girl named Hushpuppy down in a bayou area somewhere steal my heart over the next 90 minutes.

This was one of those films where at first I had a few tears, but by the end it got to the point where I simply could not hold myself together.  I'm a total sucker for father/daughter relationship stories, they get me every time, and this is one of the grittiest ones I've seen.  Hushpuppy, though a six year old fictional character, represented so many things at once to me.  She represented a love for independence, but a longing for companionship;  She represented leadership and bravery as well as the ability to remain vulnerable while holding on to that brave face.

 From the strong setting, to the powerful performances and the moving score, Beasts of the Southern Wild might just be one of the best films I've ever watched.

dissecting my recent 'busy trap' neurosis

You guys, it's bad. Remember Tim Kreider's NY Times article last month, The 'Busy' Trap, that sparked all sorts of introspective blog posts from people all over the world? Well, I think it's finally time I added mine to the bunch.

I haven't had fun this summer.  Well, that's actually way too broad of an overstatement. I have had fun, but not like I should.  I have limited myself due to this perceived notion of success I feel as though I have to achieve.  I have to be the dependable girl.  I have to the be the girl with the well-rounded resume.  And I have to be the girl that forgets about her friends because she's too busy be someone else's errand girl, or social media strategist, go-to blogger, graphic designer, etc etc etc.  This summer, I didn't go anywhere.  This summer, I didn't get to see my family.  And for what?  To make the LinkedIn profile I hate updating seem just a little more impressive?

I've fallen into the busy trap- the trap that makes me check my email like a neurotic fool and neglect the world around me.  The trap that makes me forget why I do all of this in the first place. I'm tired scheduling every moment of my life.  I think it would be crazy to assume that at 20 years old I have lost the ability to be spontaneous, but I feel as though it's happened already.  I'm having to decide between seeing a friend, getting a haircut, or seeking vendors for an event.  It shouldn't be this way, should it?

A huge pet peeve of mine is people who complain about how busy they are (because you choose what to take on yourself), but I'm not complaining- I'm reflecting.  Okay, maybe I'm complaining a little, but it's all so I can come to this.....How do you do it?  How do you, other young professionals in the making (or just professionals in general) manage your time? Or are you caught in the same boat?  Is it wrong to say no?  Is it wrong to feel absolute guilt towards yourself for saying yes?  I'm caught between doing what I love and forgetting why I loved it in the first place.  I just need to figure it out because I am too young to be THIS drained.

In case you're wondering, this is me depicting my white girl probs as best as I can. 

Okay, now enough of that.  Go enjoy your Monday...only 4 more days until the weekend, right?! There's always something to look forward too.