::17 days left::

Hello there! Christmas is in exactly one week. I go back to freezing cold Iowa in 17 days. My birthday is in 86 days. Don't you just love the random countdowns I throw at ya? :)

It was actually "cold" today... it was a whopping 70 degrees! O. M. G. So cold, right?! No seriously, people were in sweaters... I'm like really people?!?! I layed out by the pool this morning! I kinda felt stupid in a bikini cuz apparently it's winter and winter apparel is enforced... But whatevs, I'm really enjoying being out by the pool one week before Christmas... oh how it's going to change ever so drastically...

Isn't this a cool picture?:)

Well, after laying out in the sun and getting all nice and tan, I went to the mall! I love having a Java Chip Frappaccino while finishing my Christmas shopping . Now just have to wrap a few things tomorrow and  then I'm all set for Christmas! I'm thinking another coffee will be needed as well... I'm definitely in the Christmas mood now! Although, the songs Baby It's Cold Outside, It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas, and Let It Snow still doesn't quite fit...

Yesterday, we went to the farmer's market. It's really small, just a few vendors, but it was pretty nice! A lot of fresh veggies. There were some candles that looked just like real desserts! And smelled like them too! It was a non-profit organization that helped out Veterans. I got a cupcake. They're so cool :)

Looks real, doesn't it?

Oh! I forgot to tell you... Wednesday I took my Final Exam for Spanish! It was like a ten page test. I didn't think it was all that bad though. I mailed it back to my Spanish teacher so I'll know how I did in January. Also, when I get back I have to do an oral test. I like Spanish so I actually don't mind all the tests and stuff. Hopefully I'll be somewhat fluent by the end of the school year!

Remember I said a couple weeks ago I was possibly gonna get some fireworks? Long story short... the laws are different than I thought they were... Just because there are firework stores practically on every corner doesn't mean it's legal. If it explodes, flies or lifts off, the law prohibits it. Sad day, huh? *sigh* Oh well...

I'm pretty sure that's about all that I have to say for now... OHHH WAIT!
Ummm....
Okay, I guess that's it....

Toodles!

::19 days left::

Hey hey hey! Okay, so I haven't blogged this weeek, although not too much happened. But I still should've blogged... you'd be surprised at how much I could write about doing nothing. Actually, you probably don't even wanna know... so I'll try to not let it go that far... :)

Well, yesterday I did school (One week left until Christmas break! Yeahhhhh!)... then I made Christmas cookies! Press cookies, to be exact. They're red, green and absolutely delicious! I make them every year and they're probably my favorite thing to have around the holidays... well other than my mom's Pound Cake and Pumpkin Roll. Oh goodness, I'm making myself hungry...

Ohh I colored my hair yesterday too! I've colored my hair before, and I always go with a red-ish color... But this time it's pretty red! :) It's kinda hard to tell it's colored in pictures, but you can sorta see the red in this picture....

Like it?!:)

Let's see... that's pretty much all the excitement that's happened earlier this week... But today, I went to the Mall of Millenia in Orlando again. And met my awesome friend, Amy! I've known her for awhile through mutual friends in Iowa but never met her in person. She lives here in Florida (obviously), and met us at the mall today. Her friend, Dave, came with her too. He's super nice! It was a GREATTTT dayy! I hope I get to see her again soon! :D

We tried on dresses at Betsey Johnson!:)

I guess that's about all I have to say for tonight. I know it's Friday night, but I've been up quite late these past few nights. And I think I had a cold, so I'd like to get over that as quick as possible... 

HEY! Guesss what! 9 more days until Christmas!! It's actually starting to look a lot like Christmas here in Florida, despite the 75 degree weather... but hey, I'm not complaning...

Nighty night~

::24 days left::

Hey hey! The weekend flew by awfully fast!! Christmas will be here before you know it, then I'll be on a plane back to cold, cold, Iowa... Oh, how time flies...

Every few days, I'm gonna give you a little holiday guide to what's naughty and what's nice for Christmas. So, here's the first one:

Naughty: Sure, it's the season for Christmas parties and a festive wardrobe, but unless you wanna look like a girl who might be a pro around the North *ahem* pole, dressing like a ho, ho, ho, is a no, no, no. I'm sure you've heard the saying "if you've got it, flaunt it", but imagine how less appealing presents would be if they were just hanging out under the tree, completely unwrapped. It's the mystery that keeps this family-oriented holiday so magical, so no need to jump on the Polar Express to sexy town.

Nice: Be a modest Mary and a Classy Christmas carol! Holiday wardrobes are supposed to be injected with fun and glamour. December is all about tinsel, twinkle, and everything you can possibly think of with glitter, therefore giving you the excuse to wear sequins everyday! Don't be afraid to deck yourself out like a Christmas tree, with ornaments hanging from every limb. So go ahead, pile on the bows, bells, and get your "bling" on, just keep it tasteful.

Now that you've had a little holiday advice, I'm sure you're thinking "What has Haile been up to besides coming up with all these hilarious yet true holiday tips?" (C'mon, you know that is what's running through your mind...) Well! To tell you the truth... I haven't done anything that's all that exciting. My dad got a cold (how in the heck do you get a cold in FLORIDA?!) so we've just been hanging low this weekend.

Yesterday morning, we ate at this Cuban cafe for breakfast. I had a fabulous burrito consisting of eggs, bacon, and Venezuelan cheese. Suuuuper yummy! They also have fresh squeezed orange juice, which is always good. :)

OH! Speaking of orange juice... yes, my mind does wonder quite a lot so please excuse how I somehow end up changing the subject. See, I'm starting to change the subject already and I didn't even get to say what I wanted to say! AH! Okay, okay... back to the orange thing... I forgot to tell you that Friday we went to an orange grove! When you walk into the store, they immediately give you a sample of either orange juice or grapefruit juice, both are amazing. And yes, great service too :) Anyway, we bought some oranges and *wait for it* chocolate dipped potato chips! Randomest thing ever, right?! Turns out that they're DELICIOUS and sooo addictive!!! :D

So anyway, it rained today so it was nice to just stay inside. I'm loving the rain instead of snow! When it was just sprinkling, we went and sat in the hot tub for awhile. I then proceeded to jump in the pool. I don't know why I did it, cuz it was cold. But hey, it's the little random things that I do that make my life interesting :D It actually just started to rain as I'm writing this! What a crazy random happenstance! :) I also finished my Christmas cards and decorated my room a little bit. Like the lights??

I suppose that's all I have to say for tonight. I was in a rambling mood tonight, so just bear with me please.... I have my nights...

Oh crap, tomorrow is Monday... I hope something interesting happens...

Ciao! :)

::26 days left::

Yooo :) Ahh, it's finally Friday... I love Fridays. In fact, I love Fridays so much I actually took the time to look up a poem about Fridays.


*I DID NOT WRITE THIS POEM, AUTHOR IS UNKNOWN*

Friday is most certainly the greatest of days.

The reasons it’s great are too many to say.

But with that said, I’ll try to explain

Why Friday is better than a day without rain.

You see on Friday, you can work with a smile.

You need only work, for a little while.

For the weekend is near and then you can play.

Much fun to be brought by the most generous of days.

And generous it is, as morning treats can attest.

The cream filled donuts are definitely the best.

But don’t dare forget, the bagels are good too.

If there’s none in your office, that’s too bad for you.

Friday isn’t all treats and happy things.

There is but one obstacle the day does bring.

And that, my friend, is the slowing of time.

But if you can bear it, you’ll do just fine.

So join with me and laugh and cheer.

The work week’s end is drawing near.

Join with me and praise this day.

I’ve said what I’ve said, and I’ve nothing more to say.

Isn't that just a mouthful of fantasticness?! Although I wish I could get donuts on Friday mornings... 

Alright, to get to my day... School work of course!I I just love math...having to graph problems like y=16x+4 is just boatloads of fun... mhmm... 14 more days until my Christmas break starts. The days just seem to be dragging on and on. However, that's not such a bad thing, the more days in Florida the better. To be honest, I'm not really that thrilled about going back to 10 degree weather... but all my friends make up for that! :)

I got an actual Christmas tree today (not saying a Charlie Brown Christmas tree doesn't count, but we needed a more substantial tree)! It's only about 3 feet tall but still! And I also got a strand of lights to hang up in my room. It's starting to feel a little bit more like Christmas now! The song "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas" doesn't exactly fit...

I did some photography with my lights... I think it's super cool! I love messing around with fun photography :)

You know what else I did today? I made my Christmas cards! I think I actually might get my cards sent on time and people will get them before Christmas! So proud of myself if that happens :D haha

I'm watching Monster-In-Law right now. Pretty good movie!! After this, I'll probably get to bed. I haven't been going to bed as early as I should be, and I get up pretty early. But my motto is, "Sleep is for the weak!" :) 

Byeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

::27 days left::

Y'ello! So, 17 days til Christmas. 27 days til I go back to Iowa. 99 days til St. Patrick's Day. Yes, the last countdown was extremely random, but considering I went to an Irish Pub for dinner... They had a countdown to St. Patty's Day and I had to throw that in there. Cuz I'm sure you're dying to know...

Alright, well I guess I'll tell you about my day! Most of my day was spent doing school... Some days when I do math, I can't stand it and wish that my book would accidentally fall into the fireplace (which would never happen, considering the fact that  we don't have a fire place... but it's a nice thought). Then other days, I don't mind it and actually enjoy the challenge that it offers. Today was one of the days where I didn't mind doing it. But I'd still like to strangle the person who invented all this algebra...

Anywho! A couple weeks ago when we were at the mall, I saw this kiosk for modeling. I thought what the heck, and filled out a little info card. Well, last night I got a call from the agency and they wanted to meet with me today. So of course I said yes and set up an appointment. I prepared myself and got ready, then with all my hopes and dreams seeming like they're within reach, I went! Well, nothing is ever as it seems... It turns out that it was geared more towards acting, and it was just another company that wanted money. Oh well, modeling is all about rejection! It was a fun experience and now I know. :) There's another local agency (which I know is legit) that I'm gonna look into. I'll let ya know how that goes...

This is what I wore... One of my favorite outfits!

For dinner, as I mentioned before, we ate at this Irish pub called Meg O'Malley's! I had chicken wings... really good!! Yes, I do eat chicken wings probably more than I should... but I can't help it, they're so yummy! :D haha

This was on the menu... so cool!

I suppose that's all for now... OHH! Guess what! I got a Charlie Brown Christmas tree :) It's so adorable. I love it!

"It just needs a little love"

Okay, so NOW that's all... I swear...

PEACE!<3

::28 days left::

I don't even wanna waste time saying hello, I just wanna get to tellin' ya what's been happening! It's been a FANTABULOUS week so far!! You better hold on to your seat, cuz folks, you'll be blown away by my adventures (well I hope you're at least a bit thrilled...)!

So I'll start out with Monday... we hung out with our friends by the pool for a while in the morning/early afternoon. Dr. Pepper + chips and dip + chillin' by the pool = a very happy Haile. I love laying in the sun and snacking by the pool. Seth, my dad, and I were doing cannonballs in the pool and when Seth did one, he somehow stubbed his toe really hard! We still aren't sure if it's broken or just badly bruised... But then we decided that we wanted to go to the beach! We considered going to Cocoa Beach, or Indialantic, but since we've been to both before, Seth suggested we go somewhere new... and that's what we did! And so the adventures begin...

I'm actually not totally sure what the name of the beach was that we went to. It was also a nature center... we stopped at the nature center building and while we were there, we saw an alligator! First one I've seen in Florida! What a nice little surprise... think you're going to the beach but end up seeing an alligator on the way! :)

Can you see the alligator??

Once we actually got to the beach, we were like the only people there! There were about 2 surfers but that's it. The waters were extremely rough and it was pretty windy! Definitely not the ideal day for swimming in the ocean... but if you know us at all, you'd know that we did anyway... Just as we were about to leave, you'll never guess what happened to Seth. No, he didn't almost drown... He got stung by a jellyfish, a Portuguese Man Of War jellyfish to be exact, on his ankle! :O It wasn't terrible, but it was a pretty bad sting! They say jellyfish get blown closer to shore when it's windy out... I don't think I'll be in the ocean when it's windy again. Never. :)

We have too much  fun... :)

The jellyfish that stung Seth!

That brings me to Wednesday... *wait for it*...........*drumroll*...... DISNEY WORLD! One of the best days ever! :D We went to Magic Kingdom. 2 years ago, my family went to Germany and we saw the Neuschwanstein Castle, which is the castle that Walt Disney designed the Cinderella Castle after. I think it's cool that I've seen both of them :) Anyway, I rode pretty much all the rides, excluding the little kid ones... My favorite is Space Mountain. The whole roller coaster is in pitch dark, with surprising twists, turns, and strobe lights! Out of this world (no pun intended...)! Next was Splash Mountain... now I absolutely hate any rides that have a gravitational drop, but Splash mountain is a log ride with a 50 foot drop.... I was persuaded (or rather forced) to ride. Let's just say, I won't be doing that again... :) Another awesome thing we did was called Mickey's PhilharMagic Show! It was a 3-D short film :) Really, really cool!! Overall, it was a terrific, extraordinary, marvelous, wild day!!!!!!!! :D

:D

We're so funny;D

Like my ears??:)

Today seemed pretty boring compared to what I've been doing! Seth and Alisa left this morning and I just did school for the rest of the day. My mom and I went to The Avenue and walked around for a bit. It was a nice, relaxing day though.

Well, I hope you enjoyed reading this and I didn't bore you too much :) By the way... can you believe Christmas is in 18 days?! It's almost 2012!!! Craziness!!!!!

Write later:)

::32 days left::

Hey there! Okay, so I didn't get a chance to write yesterday... It was actually a busy, busy day! I shall start by telling you about it!

Well first of all, we had to take my grandpa to the airport...at 4am. I love getting up early, but it's just not right to be up that early. 4am is an ungodly hour to be awake! But anyway... On our way to and from the airport, I put together the perfect playlist of music, consisting of 2 of my friends singing, Muse, Usher, Neil Patrick Harris, Skrillex, and some country. Good music makes mornings even better :) We got back home around 6:30am; I went back to sleep for another 2 hours. So that was my super exciting morning...

Then once I got ready and did some cleaning, we went to Orlando. There's a mall called The Mall of Millenia. It's not really all that big, but it has some awesome stores!!! Juicy Couture, Betsey Johnson, Ed Hardy... It just kept getting better and better! I couldn't buy a lot because Christmas is coming up soon... :P But I did get a cute little suit jacket from Forever 21! For those of you who watch How I Met Your Mother... Nothing suits me like a suuuuuuuuuit! :D

We pretty much spent the entire afternoon at the mall... Around 8:30 we drove to International Drive! We decided we're definitely gonna spend a day just walking up and down International Drive. There's so much cool stuff to do. And we also stopped at the World's Largest McDonald's! It's ridiculous!!! It was packed so I didn't get anything. :)

Some friends of ours flew in last night too. They live in Utah so the weather, of course, is quite a bit colder than here! They're definitely enjoying the warm sunshine! Speaking of sun, guess where we went today! Yes, Cocoa Beach (AGAIN!). I told you I loved that beach :) We walked up and down the beach and got in the water a little bit. Our friend, Seth, was running in the water and basically swimming along the waves... in his clothes!!! It was hilarious! I'm a little obsessed with Pina Colada flavored things right now... I had a Pina Colada shaved ice AND a virgin Pina Colada! Ha!

Seth, Alisa, my mom and me (my dad was taking the pic)

Seth in the water...haha

 We'll be doing a great deal of fun things while our friends are here... tomorrow we're going to... well, actually, you'll just find out tomorrow! I will tell you this: it might involve fireworks as there's a number of firework stores around here... hmm... :)

Tuesday we're going to DISNEY WORLD! I've never been there so I'm uberrrrr excited to go! And that night happens to be one of the nights when they do the holiday fireworks and all that fun stuff as well. You'll be hearing about that, without a doubt!

Well, I ought to be getting to bed now! I stayed up til 2 last night (or rather this morning!) so I'm a tad tired....

Hasta la vista!

::35 days left::

HOWDY!! Okay, so I'll start off my saying that I'm sooo sorry for not writing for almost a week!! Not cool on my part, I know. But I'll be back on schedule, I promise!

Well, since last Saturday... My grandpa came to visit so he's been here this week. When he comes, most of our meals consist of New Mexican chile, fried potatoes, and homemade tortillas! As a matter of fact, I made some delicious tortillas this morning! They were fantastic! There's nothing better than the smell of homemade tortillas cooking and throw some chile in with that....mmmm! I'm making myself hungry.....

Anyway! Yesterday, we went to Indialantic beach. It was a little bit chilly, but the water was surprisingly warm! And as we were walking further down the beach, the sand soon had quite a thick layer of broken sea shells! I've never seen so many shells. Ever. I was in the water about ankle deep and there was A TON of shells! I came home with a bag full of all kinds of shells! Including about 4 big conch shells:D Once I get them rinsed and stuff, I'll take pictures and post them :)

Besides all of my schoolwork, I've been studying quite a bit of Spanish because I have a HUGE test coming up.... And I really don't wanna fail :) Soooo in order not to fail, I hear studying helps... I guess I'll go with all this hearsay and study til my brain blows up...

On the other hand, I've been messing with Japanese in my free time! I can count to 10 in Japanese! :D haha I also love to draw Kanji :) So I've been keeping busy in the free time that I have. Usually when I'm bored at home, I play the piano. But I don't have a piano here and it's driving me crazy!!! I MISS MY PIANO!!!!!!!!!!

Lately, I've been going to this bookstore to read and do some schoolwork (and of course a coffee hehe). One of the books I'm currently reading is "Of Thee I Zing" by Laura Ingraham. It's a really good book! It's about how this world is going downhill...society, music, everything. I suggest you read it... I know you'll like it :)

It's December 1st and I layed out in the sun. In a bikini. I have NEVER done that, nor thought I ever would in December... It was just amazing! I was sitting in the pool, drinking a peach bellini (virginnnn of courseee haha) talking to one of my very best friends. I'd say it was a pretty dang good afternoon!

Tomorrow, we're gonna go to Cocoa Beach again! :D And I'm definitely going to do a little shopping at Ron Jon :) Hopefully there'll be some exciting adventures that I'll be able to tell you about...

Well, I'm watching the CMA Country Christmas Music Show right now... Then after it's over, I think I'll get ready for bed. But somehow I won't get to sleep before midnight. That always happens! Goodnesss, I have a way with procrastinating... ;)

I will write tomorrow. I WILL! :D 

Lots of love~