March Madness Turned into Sadness

Big 12 Champs 2007

During my four years at KU, we only made it to the Final Four once, but that one time earned us a spot in the championship game. Thinking back to March Madness, I can remember my exact location for our three Sweet 16 appearances, two Elite Eight, one Final Four and one National Championship. These memories are permanently ingrained into my memory because I often think back to just how amazing the KU basketball tradition is. My freshman year, March Madness started early with a road trip to the Big 12 tournament. As the team cut down the nets after their overtime win against Texas, KU was awarded a number one seed for the tournament. The crowd went wild, and you could visibly see the excitement on the players’ faces. Unfortunately our run ended with a loss against UCLA in the Elite Eight.

Mayhem on Mass Street

Sophomore year, our run ended with a shiny trophy and run to Mass Street. Besides graduation, this continues to be my favorite single day at KU. My friends and I ran the mile and a half from my sorority house down to Mass Street. The energy was pliable. The win united every single KU student and Lawrence resident. Forty thousand people crammed onto Mass Street that night. The scene could easily be described as a mob, but a very friendly mob. Thinking back brings shivers down my spine; it is a night I don’t think I can ever forget.

The next year after losing five starters, no one picked KU to go far in the tournament. Some critiques even speculated if KU would even make the tournament, but did KU prove its critics wrong. With no returning starters, KU lost only seven games. We came into the tournament guns blazing but eventually fell to Michigan State in the Sweet 16. Now should I even mention last year? After our untimely exit from the tournament, the mood at KU was more than a little depressing. Not only had spring break ended, but also so had March Madness. What else was there to look forward to except summer, which was months away?

While this year felt similar to last years exit, I am still proud of my Jayhawks. Yes we might have had a prime opportunity to win a championship, but KU will always be KU. There will be more championships down the road. KU has a legacy which is unmatched by any other program. I mean come on we invented the game! I have a deep pride for my alma mater and can’t wait to see what happens next year.

Casting in the Wrong Direction

I love reading as many of you might know by now. I also enjoy reading books that I know are going to be made into movies. While the movies rarely live up to the books, most I still enjoy. It's not exactly the movies fault either. Turning a 400-page book into a two hour movie is easier said then done. Scenes have to be cut or reduced in length, sometimes at the cost of fully developing the plot. The main plot usually shines through, but it can be shallow without the charm or intensity of a books. The moviemakers are faced with another challenge of turning descriptive words into real places. Words can be rich with detail, while in a movie many of these details are overlooked. With all that said, in recent years I feel the biggest downfall in the transition format print to film is the casting. For some reason casting directors often use their own ideas of what characters should look like instead of following the descriptions given by the author.

In so many cases, the movie loses an element by not casting the right person for the character. People have already connected with the characters through the book so what is the reasoning behind the changes. The most recent casting oversight was announced just this week. Jennifer Lawrence won the lead role in the upcoming Hunger Games. The Hunger Games is the first of movies inspired by a trilogy of books. Yes I know these books are geared toward a younger audience, but I wouldn't consider their material only for teenagers. In fact, I thought the gruesomeness of the books would be a little daunting for 12 year olds. Anyways, Lawrence is set to portray Katniss, a 16-year-old with olive skin and dark hair. Obviously the hair can easily be dyed as for the skin who knows, but my biggest problem is her age. At almost 21 she looks nothing like a 16 year old.

The casting director defended his choice by stating they want the movie to appeal to an older audience because teens will show up regardless. Wow- ouch. Sorry teens, your demographic doesn't matter at all here even though you are supposively the target audience for the books. The author also backed this choice stating Katniss is really a young woman not a teen. Umm, but she is a teen. Isn't the point of the book to show the cruelness of the country's government? I wouldn't exactly want to live in a place that found kids murdering each other entertaining. It's a sick concept, but why try to downplay the fact that it indeed features children killing each other. The casting director and author's reasoning simply doesn't make sense. They are losing a major concept in the book by casting older actors. Katniss isn't supposed to look like a likely opponent to win the games. She comes from a poor district and is basically skin a bone. At 16, there are still competitors who can be as much as two years older than her. With Lawrence's age, she looks to be one of the older competitors when she is not. To make matters worse, they are considering casting an almost 24-year-old as the male lead who is also supposed to be 16.

Another reason their defense doesn't work is Harry Potter. Those were books set for a young teen audience, but they didn't cast 15 year olds for the three lead roles who were supposed to be 11. Instead they took a risk and cast three relatively unknown 11 year olds, and I don't think its audiences have suffered. They captured the essence of the books by casting actors that were actually they right age. The three actors grew with their characters, and audience were able to relate to them no matter their personal age. In the movies you saw the innocence of the actors and felt a realness to their struggles to overcome the odds.

Okay rant finished. You might be wondering, well who would I pick for the lead roles in The Hunger Games? Haliee Steinfeld for Katniss. Yes, I know she is only 14, but she would be 15 by the time shooting started. She had the right skin, hair and obvious acting chops- hence her best supporting actress nomination. For the male lead I would love to see Josh Hutcherson from The Kids Are All Right. While he is 19, he has a very young face, which also happens to resemble the character. He is not just a pretty face either, which the casting directors have been leaning toward. Maybe I should consider a career in casting haha, you never know.

 

They Don't Celebrate St. Patty's Day in Iceland

Oh St. Patty’s Day, how I have enjoyed you in the past few years. Thankfully this year was no different. My expectations for the holiday have been set pretty high after my sophomore year. My friend Emma and I spent the day sipping margaritas and tequila shots on a beach in Mexico. I realize these drinks might have a more Cinco De Mayo flair, but what can I say we were in Mexico! Our day was made sweeter by the fact Happy Hour starts at 11 am in Mexico, and what is not to love about 2 for 1 drinks? Junior year only amplified my St. Patrick’s Day expectations. The holiday again fell during spring break, which I was spending in Colorado with my roommate, Juliana. We started drinking around 2:30 pm at her boyfriend’s duplex with a large group of his friends. This was probably a recipe for disaster but ended being yet another successful celebration. We started things off right with Irish car bombs followed by shots of Jameson. You can’t get more Irish than that! Fun fact- don’t order Irish car bombs in Ireland because they find it offensive. Obviously this is an Americanized St. Patty’s Day tradition. Oh well- the shot is delicious as long as you drink it fast. If not, enjoy your curdled drink. The rest of the day was filled with beer pong, more Irish car bombs, Sunshine Wheat bottles and lots of Irish music. As if carrying on the tradition from the previous year, the night ended with tequila shots at an Irish pub. Ironic yes.

After these two amazing celebrating, I knew my senior year St. Patty’s Day had a lot of pressure to top the past two years. Senior year had a major advantage on the previous two years, I was with a group of friends in Gulf Shores, Alabama. Unfortunately it ended up being rather cold on St. Patty’s day. Not wanting to let the holiday pass without a celebration, we decided to celebrate post-St. Patty’s Day. Since St. Patty’s Day isn’t exactly a real holiday (the post office doesn’t have the day off), we figured there is some leniency in its celebration, and we were right. The next day the beach was a sea of green. My friends and I started the day off with piña coladas to wash down our breakfast. The day consisted of ladder golf, laying out and of course more drinking. Somehow tequila shots made their way into our drinking repertoire. Yes, the tequila tradition continued. Needless to say, post-St. Patty’s Day definitely lived up to its expectations.

This year I was a little nervous about St. Patty’s Day. It fell on a Thursday, which isn’t exactly a prime time to celebrate now that I’m not in college. Luckily my roommate got out of work early, and we headed to Santa Monica where there is a variety of Irish pubs. The first pub had a $10 cover, so we decided to follow this random lady who mentioned she was heading to another pub down the street- O’Briens, sounded legitimate enough to me. Thankfully this pub had no cover and a fairly large crowd on its patio. Heading start for the bar, it seemed with found a gem of an Irish pub. Live traditional Irish music resounded from a back room as people of all ages sipped their Guinness in green getups. I ordered a Strongbow, which is a delicious hard apple cider Juliana introduced me two after studying abroad in Ireland. We headed back outside to enjoy the sunshine and our drinks. After a couple of minutes, a nice surprise headed our way. A bagpiper was making his way down the street in front of the pub. He stepped into the patio and started to play for the crowd. Everyone got really into it, and he was actually very talented. I guess this is the one-day a year you can showcase your bagpiping talents so you better make the best of it. The crowd exploded with applause after he finished his songs.

A little later, our stomachs drew us back to the other pub, which was serving more enticing food than O’Briens. Unfortunately we weren’t the only ones with this brilliant idea. Fin McCools (yes this is the name of the pub) now had a line down the block. A line usually signals the bar is the place to be so we decided to wait it out. Once inside, we were quickly seated at a community table. This bar also had live Irish music, and some people were actually step dancing. Sipping a Magner’s, we were introduced to a variety of new tablemates. From two possibly Australians in scantily clad outfits to a group of creepy old guys, finally two normal people were set at our table. One was a UCLA grad student, and the other a guy from Iceland. Yes, Iceland. Evidently they don’t celebrate St. Patty’s day in Iceland, so we were all trying to explain its novelty in America. Basic definition on how you celebrate St. Patty’s Day- drink. This just topped off my day. I met my first Icelander ironically at an Irish pub in California. No tequila shots this year, but I’m fine with that tradition coming to an end. I hope I never get too old to celebrate St. Patty’s Day. There is just something fun about the combination of wearing green and drinking festive beverages. It’s a small reminder of my college years, once a year for the rest of my life.

Benefits of Being a KU Alum

At Sharkeez in Huntington Beach

While living in Lawrence, I always knew I made the right decision to go to KU. Now as an alum, my decision is only further confirmed. Moving to California though I wondered how many alums would actually be in Los Angeles. Would any attend the watch parties? My first taste of how small the world is happened when I found out my fellow intern graduated from KU. We had no idea either of us went to KU, but it was an instant connection. This encouraged me to check out a watch party with my roommate. During football season, we settled on the Hollywood location to watch the KU verse Georgia Tech game. Unfortunately the turn out was merger, but the game was early on a Saturday. Also KU had just lost to North Dakota State, which was embarrassing. I didn’t go to another watch party for the rest of football season because our team just wasn’t very good. Yes this might seem fair weather but watching your team get pounded in public isn’t my type of fun.

I decided to give the KU watch parties a second chance for basketball season. This is one of the best decisions I have made since moving to Los Angeles. Much like basketball brings a different type of excitement in Lawrence, it brings out KU alums in California. A girl from my sorority invited me down to the Orange County alum watch party in Huntington Beach. While this is about an hour from my apartment, I wanted to check it out especially since it was to be followed with a pub crawl. OMG. This is what was missing from the other watch party. At least 60 people were clad in blue and crimson all mingling with each other. I had been transported back to college. Everyone wasn’t simply there to watch the game, but also to meet new friends and hang out with other KU alums. 

Befriending a lone K-State fan

 Since I have been pinging back and forth between the Hollywood and Huntington Beach watch parties. If I want a more laid back environment, I head east to Hollywood. If I’m feeling more in the party mood, I weave south along the 405. The bar, Sharkeez, in Huntington Beach is very welcoming of KU alums. KU’s fight song can be heard over the speakers as the crowd sings along. When we are winning, everyone is high-fiving and cheersing, but it is dead silent if we are behind. I sometimes forget I’m only a block from the beach not on Mass Street in Lawrence.

Kansas is as middle America as it gets, but KU alums scatter across the United States. Even way out in Los Angeles and Orange County, the Rock Chalk Chant resounds from the walls of watch parties celebrating a KU win.

Styling My Closet

On a bored day last week, I decided to revamp my closet a little. Over the past few months, I have had a select variety of go-to outfits. For how extensive my closet is, I definitely needed to think of some new outfit ideas. I was also inspired from a marathon of the Rachel Zoe Project. I started putting together possible spring looks new outfit combinations. To help me remember my new styles, I started taking pictures of my looks. I was really getting into this. Is there a possible stylist career in my future? Doubtful, but I’m going to share some of my outfits with you.

For my first look, I paired a white t-shirt dress with a bright, floral scarf and western boots. I added an extra pop of color with an oversized-yellow handbag and a gold necklace. This is the perfect outfit for strolling around on a sunny weekend or brunch with friends.

(White dress from Target. Scarf from Gap. Boots by Steve Madden. Necklace from Express. Purse by B. Makowsky.)

My second look, I layered a ruffled, floral dress under a cropped, khaki trench. I used the same bright yellow bag to draw out the yellow in the dress and matched it with a vintage, yellow necklace. For the final burst of color, I topped the outfit with a pair of textured, dark red heels. I can imagine myself wearing this to a casual job interview or a casual, chic dinner with friends.

(Dress from Francesca. Trench by Michael Kors. Pumps by Gianni Bini. Necklace, vintage. Purse by B. Makowsky.)

My third look, I decided to style an outfit around my favorite pants. These black stretch pants are absolutely amazing, and I recommend everyone should buy a pair. I matched my pants with a horizontal-striped shirt and a pair of knee-high, black motorcycle boots. To add a touch of femininity, I layered on two strands of pearls and a white, small handbag. I could see myself wearing this on a rainy day in Los Angeles or a cool day in the Midwest.

(Pants from Nordstroms. Shirt by Juicy Couture. Boots from Macys. Purse by Coach.)

My fourth look is for the casual Los Angeles interview. Unlike the Midwest, most companies in LA prefer you to sport a more laid-back outfit. I again used my favorite pants. What can I say? They are very versatile. I layered a light grey, fitter blazer over a simple, white tank. I added a necklace with floral detail for a touch of femininity. A great neutral print is actually leopard. It adds a print without being overly distracting, especially if worn on your shoes. I added a bright red purse for a needed burst of color. 

(Pants from Nordstroms. Top from Gap. Blazer from Banana Republic. Necklace from Juliana. Shoes by Linea Paolo)

There you go. I might post some more ideas later. Hope you enjoy and maybe inspire you to make some new outfit combinations.

Parental Units in Los Angeles

If you have ever met my parents, you know they can an interesting crew. Since my dad’s pseudo-retirement, my parents have been jutting off around the world on a moments notice. Most of the time I find out they are going on an extravagant vacations the week before they are supposed to leave. This time I got two weeks notice, but only because they were coming to be visiting me! Even though they helped me move out to Los Angeles, they didn’t really get to see the city since I didn’t know my way around.

Two weeks ago, they called me up saying they would be in California for the National Hot Rod Anniversary event. Huh? Ok random. They went on to explain some of our good friends of our family’s dad was being honored at the event. Evidentially he is one of the five founding members of the Hot Rod Association, and it was honoring him with a parade. Initially the plan was to meet my parents in Pomona for a quick visit; however, last week they called me up to inform me they wanted to stay in Santa Monica for a couple of days. This was a win, win for me. First, I didn’t have to drive an hour to the middle of nowhere. Second, I would get to show them all my favorite LA places. Needless to say, I was more than a little excited for my parents to visit.

Sunday night, the gauntly crew arrived! I gave my parents a variety of dinner choices, but the second I mentioned a delicious burger place the decision was made. My dad is something of a burger connoisseur. I always get a little nervous sharing my favorite places with my parents because my mom is very vocal if she likes the food or not. Thankfully The Counter was a hit! I wouldn’t be surprised if my dad looked into franchising just so there would be one closer than California.

While I was at my internship Monday, they went to the Getty Villa and then drove around Malibu for a while. Searching for the cheapest gas, they also took a little detour up to Topanga Canyon in the Valley. Evidentially it doesn’t look so far away on the map, when in actuality it is about 45 minutes away. Oh well. Thankfully they made it back in time to pick me up and watch the sunset off the Santa Monica Pier, which I had never done before. It was beautiful watching the sunset into the ocean just left of the Malibu Mountains. The only problem was the wind. Burr. It was around 52 degrees outside, which is very cool for Los Angeles. It was an interesting sight watching the sunset over the ocean wearing my winter coat and wishing I had some earmuffs. After a little perusing on the 3^rd Street Promenade, we headed in for the night in preparation for our long Tuesday. 

Sunset off the Santa Monica Pier

The crew picked me up bright and early for breakfast at The Griddle. I have mentioned this place before because I am absolutely obsessed with it. It has pancakes the size of small pizzas and a rustic dinner feel. I warned the group of its huge pancakes, but only my mom seemed to heed my warning. She smartly only ordered one pancake, while my dad and his friend ordered a stack of three. I decided to branch out from my sweet tooth and ordered the huevos rancheros. This ended up being the perfect choice because neither of my parents finished their pancakes, and I got to take home to sweet leftovers. After we were stuffed to the brim from breakfast, we took a walk along the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Saw our favorite stars, took some pictures with the Hollywood sign and checked out the King’s Speech new Best Picture tile in the Kodak Theater. 

After we had our fill of Hollywood, we set off for the La Brea Tar Pitts. I had heard of the Tar Pitts, but I never realized I drive by them twice a week. I definitely recommend seeing these for anyone who wants to see something absolutely unexpected. Right in the middle of Los Angeles, millions of fossils have been found preserved in tar, which is actually assault. I can’t really describe the experience because there was just too much going on. Needless to say it was very educational, and I will always think about all those fossils when I drive on Wilshire. We topped the afternoon off with a stroll down Rodeo Drive and a cupcake from Sprinkles. I really need to stay away from Rodeo Drive. The fashion is so beautiful and artfully crafted; unfortunately it’s all above my H&M price range. We ended the evening with dinner at the restaurant at my parent’s hotel.

Mother Mammoth Stuck in the Tar

Upon arrival to FIG, we were met with a delightful surprise. If we ordered before 6 pm, our entire bill would be half off. This gave us exactly seven minutes to decide and order. We hurriedly ordered, but I was the only one to read the menu extensively and select a variety of appetizers for the table. One of my best decisions was the honey-roasted dates filled with goat cheese. OMG. I will be back just to have another order of these delicious dates. I also ordered a cheese plate for the table that was met with mixed reviews. For me though it was a perfect mix of strong and mild cheeses paired with candied tangerine rinds, apples, fresh honeycomb and assorted breads. I might take some of your suggestions and write a whole post about my restaurant critiques because I could go on forever about this restaurant.

The final day of their visit, we went to the famous Venice Beach. My parent’s friends had never been and wanted to see what all the hype was about. Even on a cool day, Venice Beach didn’t disappoint with its variety of weirdos. No offense if Venice is your scene, it is simply not for me. You can’t go two feet without someone trying to sell you juke or to sign up for your medical marijuana license. Thankfully we only stayed for a short while. The highlight of our trip to Venice was lunch at Lemonade. This restaurant is a fun mix of cafeteria-style food in a modern environment. Three words: Blueberry Mint Lemonade. Get it. It does not disappoint. We ended the day driving around Century City with me pointing out the buildings of businesses I want to work for. All in all it was an extremely packed visit. My parents and their friends had a great time, and my mom already wants to come for another visit. After being very homesick the week before, it was the perfect remedy to get me out of my funk.

New Topic in My Blogosphere

Since my blog’s inception, I have been writing about my personal adventures around Los Angeles. While my family enjoys hearing about my day-to-day activities, I'm not sure everyone else does. I'm considering a little redirection of my blog, but I need some feedback from people who actually read my blog. First do you like what I currently write about? Would you find my blog more interesting if I started blogging more about fashion and styling different looks? What about me attempting to learn to cook?

I need your feedback! Seriously, please leave me comments! I love writing and blogging, but it is definitely nice to know you are entertainment people who are reading your work. So a small recap: do you like my current blog? Would you like more fashion and/or cooking? Or feel free you make your own suggestions!

PS: I know I have been slacking over the past week because my parents were in town. I’m sure I will write a post about all our adventures.