My favorite Christmas songs

#10- Boney M- "Mary's boy child"
Haha, this song... AWESOME. I love this song. Everyone thinks I'm dumb... but this song is fantastic.



#9- Garth Brooks- "Go tell it on the mountain"
Garth Brooks has a kick ass Christmas CD, but this is my fav.



#8- Vonda Shepard- "This Christmas"
So I started the list at the bottom... so No. 1, but this one is really awesome... and ranks real high up there. Vonda Shepard has an amazing voice.



#7- Robert Downy Jr.- "River"
OK, so Robert Downy Jr. is mad hot, and this song kicks ass.



#6- Bruce Springsteen- "Santa Claus is coming to town"
Fun fact: my stepmom made a sign at a recent Bruce concert and he played this song. Awesome :) And, Clarence is such a bad ass Santa Claus.



#5- Mariah Carey- "Joy to the world"
We all know that Mariah Carey has the most popular Christmas CD... This is one of my favs from it. Sure, "All I want for Christmas is You" is a good song... but it doesn't make my top ten.



#4- John Denver and the Muppets- "12 days of Christmas"
This song is usually intolerable, unless the Muppets sing it. No. 9 is my favorite. Meee mee mee mee mee meeeeeee.



#3- Kenny Rogers- "Kentucky Homemade Christmas"
I usually hate Kenny Rogers.. but this song is one of my absolute favorites.



#2- Mariah Carey- "Jesus, what a wonderful child"
This song... well, I hardcore jam out to this in my car. It's glorious.



#1- Bruce Springsteen- "Merry Christmas Baby"
I love this song... Yes, it is solely because Springsteen sings it. But, whatevs. It is my favorite :)

The Best Christmas Movie EVERRRRRRRR

Just for your viewing pleasure:
A Muppet Family Christmas

Fall 2009 -- See Ya!

Fall semester is officially over for me (not for any of my roommates though. Suckers!). That means no more tests, no more papers, no more Diamondback... No more school! It is officially holiday season. Christmas is around the corner. The new year is around the corner. See ya, 2009. Welcome, 2010. It took you long enough to get here. That's right -- it's almost 2010, which means graduation! I can't wait.

So many great things will come with graduation, and I can hardly wait. Sure, it means the end of college, the end of goofing off... the end of boozing on Tuesdays and eating D.P. Dough at 1:30 a.m. But, I think I'm ready. I'm ready to move out of my house that I share with 5 other people. I love them all and it has been a great experience. But, I am ready for a place of my own. I'm ready to not share everything and to not have to worry how all of my actions affect the people who I live with. I can't wait. I haven't had a place of my own.... well, ever! But, especially these past four years, I've lived with so many different people. So, it should be a nice change.

Also, I'm weird and I love growing up. I think it is exciting and fun.

Anyway, I am going to enjoy this Winter Break so much. I'm gonna get every last drop of fun out of living with my 5 awesome roommates before I move on to something different. In fact, this Friday we are doing roommate Christmas. Now, that might seem silly to some people. It might seem lame. It might seem boring. But, let me explain, because roommate Christmas is a tradition that everyone should envy. Everyone. You see,  we go all out at 8701. Christmas is a glorious time. For example, we have our tree. Sure, it only has one strand of lights and all of the ornaments are from the Dollar Store. But our tree is beautiful. Then, there are the birthday signs. In the past month, three of the roommies have had birthdays, so our walls are litttered with exclamations of birthday joy. Anyway, since Christmas is the birth of Christ (well, not technically... he was born in the summer), Eric thoughtfully personalized one of our birthday signs. Now, it reads: "Happy Birthday Jesus." Awesome. Still, this isn't even the best part of Roommate Christmas. Then, we have the stockings. Those are pretty awesome. There is one for everyone -- including the pets. So, I have one, Ashlely, Char, Eric, Lindsay and Kristi have theirs, and Mocha, Zinnie and Luna have one! So exciting. And, super cute. They are full of gifts that we are gonna open Friday. Our tree is also crammed with gifts. Seriously, there are more gifts under this tree than I have under my trees at home. It is so exciting. We really do go all out.

So, when Friday rolls around, we are going to dinner in Bethesda, seeing the Symphony of Lights, and then coming home to exchange gifts. I can't wait!!!! It should be a lot of fun :)

Until then. I have lots to do still. Today is my best friend's birthday :)

[Glitterfy.com - *Glitter Words*]

Here's some cute pics of us. We've been friends... forever.

Love you bff <3<3<3

22 years of being forced to be your friend ; p

Last, but not least, it is time to start the job hunt. I'm frantically searching for jobs, yet I'm not even sure when I want to start working. I might take a month or two off... That could be fun... but I also hate not doing anything. So, who knows. I'll keep posting on that when new things come along.

ThinkTalk TV and other journalistic adventures

I was stopped in the hallway today by one of my coworkers and asked to be on a show called ThinkTalk TV as a "student journalist/entrepreneur." Basically, this show is filmed out of the University of Maryland's UMTV studio. during the show, the host interviews a different successful businessperson.  Each interview is enhanced with student questions (the questions are filmed elsewhere, like the media room of the Smith School).

Next week, ThinkTalk will feature Marla Malcolm Beck, the CEO of Bluemercury. Bluemercury is beauty company.

My question for Beck: How do you balance being the CEO of your own company with being a wife and a mother. Baller.

I'll post the link to the show when it airs next week. Basically, get my autograph 'cause I'm basically famous.

In other journalism-related news, I am almost finished attempting to do an Independent Study for next semester. It would be real cool and would basically be an in-depth blog about the differences in media types. I'm pretty pumped for it, but I'm not 100 percent sure the J-School will approve it. If it gets approved, I'll be running another blog. How exciting! Woo!

And, last, but certainly not least, I'm officially the Deputy Managing Editor of The Diamondback. It's pretty exciting :)

End of the semester. Woo!

The semester is drawing to a close. Thank goodness. Some life updates:

New articles published:
http://www.rhsmith.umd.edu/news/stories/2009/GreenVMH.aspx
http://www.rhsmith.umd.edu/news/stories/2009/LaceyBrauer.aspx

I am joining the Iota Iota Iota Honor Society. Induction is Dec. 10. :) It's a women's studies sorority focused on bringing feminism to UMD. I'm pretty excited about it... made a bunch of new friends. It is pretty exciting. It seems like the perfect culmination of my Women's Studies Certificate that I completed this semester. I'll definitely post cool event were are hosting/ attending when they come up next semester. I'll put up induction pictures, too!

I'm ending my term as the general assignment editor for The Diamondback at the end of the semester. I had a great time doing it, but I'm ready to be finished. I believe next semester I am taking on the job of Deputy Managing Editor. So, that's really cool. I'm pretty pumped. My last semester should be nice and easy. I'll be taking 4 classes -- 12 credits -- and working at The DBK and the Smith School. Should be pretty laid back :)

Christmas is soon. The familia is coming down the day after, per usual, and is staying until the 30th. I'm pretty excited because my grandpa is coming down for a day or so and I haven't seen him in years. In fact, I don't think I've seen him since Brian and I started dating more than 5 years ago. So it should be really nice. And, he and Brian get to finally meet :) That's pretty exciting. Should be a low-key Christmas, which is great. I need low-key in my life.

What else... Brian and I are looking to get an apartment when I graduate. That should be an exciting new adventure. But places around here are so expensive, it's ridiculous! We are looking at the boonies of Silver Spring... so still close enough to go home and see my little brother when I am missing him.

My life for the next couple of weeks:

• Ashley's bday today
• Mom's Christmas party this saturday
• Papers due next week
• Dad's Christmas party next weekend
• Roommate Christmas
• Music thing in DC with Brian
• CHRISTMAS