"Halloween is Cool!"

With Halloween being less than a month away, I figured it was time to finally bust out the "spooky" movies! My number one pick? Halloweentown, of course!

If you're questioning my age, think again. Halloweentown is probably one of the best Halloween movies...aside from Hocus Pocus, that is!

And no, it has nothing to do with the fact that both movies are Disney movies! I'm not a fan of horror movies, so these two frequent the list of holiday classics. Plus, how do you turn down the Cromwells and the Sanderson Sisters?!

In addition to movies, it is time to start thinking about costumes. I've been searching for creative costumes for the past week with very little success for something different. I have a few ideas up my sleeve, but generally dressing up is a specialty of mine (thank you Greek life!), so it's unnerving I can't decide!

Some of my favorite past costumes

Tool Academy vs. Charm School Greek life social (Team Matsuflex!)

My friend's "TuTu" 22nd birthday

Great Gatsby Event

Army Girls (and a very special Christian Ponder... go Vikings!)

Clearly dressing up is one of my favorite pastimes. By these photos you could probably assume that I spent more time shopping for events and socials than school.. and it's hard to disagree!

Day of Play

This morning I woke up bright and early, and by bright and early I mean 8:30, to head to the gym. (Shocker!) I decided it would be a great idea to have my butt handed to me in kickboxing.

Let me preface this by saying at the beginning of the summer I went to kickboxing classes religiously. However, my schedule lately has not allowed for this sort of torture, and I've had to find other means.

Anyway, 45 minutes later, I was dead. I mean can't feel the arms, legs, heiny, abs, dead. I guess this is what happens when you go on a two month kickboxing hiatus, and I LOVE it. See ya next week, torture!

Now, I'm going to go enjoy the rest of my day off at Universal and try to get over my extreme fear of heights. I love roller coasters because they're over so quickly, but the Dr. Doom ride has always paralyzed me with fear. With the help of a few overly enthusiastic friends it's time to tackle the challenge... or go hide in a corner.

Relaxing Weekend

This past weekend, my friend, Siedah, and I traveled about two hours south to Vero Beach, Florida to the Disney resort. It was by far one of the most relaxing, much needed weekends that I have had in quite some time.

We arrived Friday afternoon, and immediately went to a local hot spot, Riverside Cafe, after check-in. Riverside was a small restaurant right on the water that served one mean margarita. :) It was the perfect way to start the vacation!

Saturday morning we woke up bright and early, and rented beach cruisers to find breakfast. Cast members kept assuring us it was a far ride, but we were ready for the challenge. Luckily, it was only about a five mile ride to the nearest cafe, Coco's at the Village Shops. 

The menu hit the spot, and we each ordered the mini frittatas. YUM! The frittatas gave us the push we needed to complete our five miles back to the hotel without feeling too heavy, and held us over til lunch by the pool.

Sausage and mushroom frittata on a wheat English muffin

The beach and pool was the perfect combo to relaxation. We may have been the only single girls in the whole hotel, but we definitely had a great time lounging, swimming and people watching!

After getting a very deep, dark tan, the clouds rolled in and we decided to shop, eat, and drink! We didn't shop and eat anywhere special, but it was definitely needed!! And after speaking with a few locals, we were told to make our way over to the Driftwood Resort, where apparently none of the buildings were built with blue prints. This "unique" resort was home to a very local bar, where we found ourselves spending less time than we thought. However, next door was the Costa d' Esta, aka a very posh, Miami-eque hotel owned by the Gloria Estefan! The hotel was absolutely beautiful, and we somehow managed to get a tour. Yay, hospitality!

Out front of Costa d' Esta

This morning, I was sad to depart the hotel, but ready to get back as I have a busy week ahead!

Beach!!

Guess who's going on vacation today?!

Forgive the makeup-less face, it's vaca day!

THIS GIRL!

I'm stoked for it to finally be the day! Disney + Beach = Best vacation ever! ...Now let's just hope that the weather holds up, as stupid Ophelia is off the coast. Grrr.

Anyhow, the next few weeks are going to be full of mini vacations and fun... and I can't wait!

• Next Week - Epcot Food and Wine Festival Preview
• First Week in October - Friends are coming to visit! Yay!
• Oct 16 - Tallahassee Trip! Friends, family, and celebrating my birthday!
• Oct 20 - Sugarland concert!

HHN and Cupcakes

One of the perks of my job is having a Universal Studios ID badge.

So what? Well, the preview of Halloween Horror Nights 21 was last night! Unfortunately, I had to work late last night, and only made it through three houses (The Thing, Holidays of Horror, and Saws N Scream). The houses we hit were definitely great, especially Saws N Scream (yes, I did scream)! The event had great reviews, even for a dress rehearsal!

This morning was a bit lazy after a late night, yet I woke up ready to bake some cupcakes. A few weeks ago I promised a friend I would find a way to bake her lactose-free cupcakes for her birthday, and bake I did!

Red Velvet Oreo Surprise

I may not be the best baker, but I promise the taste is ten times better than how they look!

To make the cupcakes, I used a box of red velvet mix, and placed an oreo on top the batter before placing it in the oven. Once completely cooled, I piped the cupcakes with cream cheese frosting and oreo crumbs!