Hexipuffs

I teased in my previous post that I've been up to something very crafty, and here it is!

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I want to knit this Beekeeper's Quilt, which is made up of TONS of tiny, stuffed hexagons sewn together at the end.

Here are a few of my first hexagons (or, as the knitting community calls them, hexipuffs):

How many do I need to make before my blanket is finished?

...um....about 300. But we're not going to talk about that right now.

During every Olympics, the knitting community at Ravelry.com puts together something called the Ravellenic Games. The idea is that, during the course of the Olympics, you're supposed to go on a knitting marathon and make something amazing.

Last Winter Olympics, I beat my goal by making not one of these Llama Hats, but two of them.

My goal for this Olympics? To make 50 hexipuffs!!!


Wish me luck, guys. I'm going to need it!

Sunday Confessions

Once again, I'm linking up with Alyx for Sunday Confessions!



1. I haven't posted much this week because I've been boggled down with schoolwork, research and making these little guys:

I'll be writing more about them in a future post!

2. My favorite part of the Opening Ceremony of the Olympics was the Mr. Bean sketch. I don't know if that means I'm immature, or I just have a weird sense of humor.

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3. My sister says that I'm going to be like this lady for the 2016 Rio Olympics. Yes, I really want to see the Opening Ceremony in person, but hopefully I'm not that crazy?

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4. I bought my first MCAT book, and it's got me terrified. I'm planning to take my test on April 27th, 2013, so I've got nine months to study for it.

5. Is it bad that I'm done with summer? I can't wait to spend a fall Sunday at Starbucks, reading an epic book instead of a beach read and sipping on a pumpkin spice latte.

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How are you all liking the Olympics so far? What did you think of the opening ceremony?

5 Things to Do Before the Olympics!

The Olympic Opening Ceremonies are TONIGHT! 6:30 pm for those of us in the states watching on TV. I'm so excited, but trying to keep my hopes down...the opening ceremony for Beijing was so amazing that I have to keep telling myself that nothing will ever top that. But I did hear that Lord Voldemort is making an appearance...not even kidding. Harry Potter is gonna be in the opening ceremony!

I've been doing it up for the Olympics, and I made a list of the Top 5 Things you absolutely MUST do before the games begin!

5 Things to Do Before the Olympics by preppypremed featuring essie nailpolish

1. Download Olympics-Related Apps on your Smartphone
--Check out this infograph for a list of the best Olympic apps. I already have a bunch of these on my phone.

2. Write down a list of all the events you MUST watch
--For those of us in the U.S., go to NBC's Olympics website to check out the TV schedules. I made sure to write down all the nights I wanted to tune in at primetime, as well as what events I want to stream live on my laptop.


3. Paint you nails in your nation's colors!
--I'm alternating my nails in red and blue to represent the U.S., then painting my ring fingernails with white and a gold-sparkling topcoat. I'll be sure to show you all pictures!


4. Make an English meal for the Opening Ceremonies:
--I'm making fish and chips (out of a box...sorry, my cooking skills are below par) and this English trifle to celebrate the Opening Ceremony like any Londoner would.


5. Pre-program the Opening Ceremony on your DVR:
--Since the Opening Ceremony of Beijing was so amazing, be sure to record this year's Opening Ceremony as well. Odds are, it's something you'll want to see again and again.

Are you all excited as I am? Let the games begin (I want to pull from The Hunger Games and say "and may the odds be ever in your favor!")

Target Summer Beauty Box

My Target Summer Beauty Box, full of free samples, arrived! My mom got to it before I did and just had to look at everything. I don't blame her! Check out what was inside.

Cute pouch all the samples came in! I can never have enough makeup bags.

TreSemme Split Remedy Shampoo: did you guys even know there was such a thing? Incredible! It sounds like a miracle product. You use it like a regular shampoo and after three uses 80% of your splits ends will be gone. I really need this for my hair, so I'll be trying this right away!

Neutrogena UltraSheer Dry-Touch Sunblock: I love that this tube of sunblock has a high SPF, and it's sheer enough that it won't feel like it sticky on my skin. It's the perfect size for me to put into my backpack so I can go to the beach after class.

Aveeno "Living Color" Color Preserving Shampoo/Conditioner and Garnier Fructis Color Shield Shampoo/Conditioner: I love these little packets because, as a college student, I'm always trying to make my beauty products last as long as possible. Shampoo can be expensive, so it's great to branch out and try different brands by using free samples. 

Even better, both of these samples are meant for dyed hair. I get highlights, but I don't get them done as often as they recommend. I've been searching out the perfect product to get my highlights to last, but I haven't found it yet. Maybe one of these will be it!

Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butter in Peach Parfait: I've been wanting to try this lip butter forever! I actually didn't even know what lip butter is. To answer my own question, it's not as glossy as lip balm, but not as dry as lip stain. It's a combination of the two: Revlon's ColorBurst Lip Butters give your lips some color while hydrating them at the same time.

Want a Target Beauty Box? Keep checking Target's Facebook page. About once a season they offer their fans these samples. I've just been getting lucky and checking Facebook at just the right times that they release their offers!

Anybody use the Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butters? Is it worth it to go out and buy one? I'm tempted...

8 Tops Perfect for Fall

I know, I know...it feels like summer just started, and yet I'm about a month away from starting the fall semester. There is something to look forward to about fall, though: in my opinion, fall clothes are the best! Being able to go to class wearing my blazer or trench coat, switching up my ballet flats day after day, still being able to wear lighter colors...yep, fall is definitely my favorite season, clothing-wise.

I've checked out some fall tops that are starting to roll in. In this post I introduce my favorite tops and necklaces to you. Check out the full outfits in a future post!

I'm all about reusing the pieces I buy for multiple outfits, so here I show you how I would wear statement necklaces in different ways.

Fall Tops 2012 by preppypremed featuring j. crew jewelry

Starting from the upper left and going clockwise:

1. J.Crew Painter Boatneck Tee in "Romance Pink" with a J.Crew Bubble Necklace in "Navy" (similar necklaces can be found on Etsy for a great price)

2. H&M Cable-Knit Sweater  in "Coral" with a Forever 21 Shine Long Cluster Necklace

3. H&M Sweater in "Cerise" with a J.Crew Bubble Necklace in "Navy"

4. H&M Sweater in "Mustard Yellow" with a Forever 21 Elephant Pendant Necklace

5. J.Crew Painter Boatneck Tee in "White" with a Forever 21 Painted Flower Necklace

6. H&M Top in "Natural White" with a Forever 21 Rhinestone Flower Necklace (sold out)

7. H&M Shirt in "Light Blue" with a Forever 21 Shine Long Cluster Necklace

8. H&M Shirt in "Pink/Checkered" with a Forever 21 Rhinestone Flower Necklace (sold out)

Have you all started planning your fall wardrobes yet?

Review: Dark Knight Rises (mild spoilers)

I've been feeling sick all day so instead of getting a nice, tidy post you're going to get a stream of my conscious thoughts.

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It took me way too long to get this joke.

I saw Dark Knight Rises on Saturday! Who else did? Were any of you worried about going, because of the shooting? My sister was...she was planning our escape routes as soon as we got into the theater, just in case anything happened. It was quite unnerving, watching the movie and thinking about the people who died watching the very same thing.

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I think the shooting that occurred is horrible, and I can't believe that someone would do such a thing. I'm keeping everyone affected by this tradegy in my thoughts and prayers.

ANYWAY, onto my random musings about the movie. I'm not saying anything too explicit, but I still put a mild spoiler warning up in my post title just in case.

• How come Batman has a normal (well, semi-normal) voice in the first movie, but in the second and third he has to sound like he's either a chain smoker or he's just swallowed a bottle of Listerine?

• Speaking of weird voices, good luck understanding the voice of the main villain, Bane. He sounds like this tribal guy from the Simpsons.

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• If you've only seen the second movie in the trilogy, be sure to watch the first before you see The Dark Knight Rises. There's a lot of references to the first movie that you won't understand (like I didn't). Christopher Nolan said that these movies can stand alone, but the third one proves that they definitely can't. 

• My dad didn't know this was a  new Batman movie. He thought they were just reshowing The Dark Knight in the theaters. That's what you get, Warner Brothers, when you have a sequel's title that sounds almost exactly like the previous movie's title.

• The newcomers, Anne Hathaway as Catwoman and Joseph Gorden Levitt as a cop, are both great in their roles. They fit into the movie in a way that you feel like they're not A-list actors...they're just the characters you see before you.

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• Don't expect the constant action of The Dark Knight. The movie slows down a lot about halfway through the film. It's a nice pause and is the perfect time for you to take a bathroom break.

• The movie has the same political and terrorism undertones as the previous film, but in a different way. I don't want to give anything away, so I will say that this seemed more like a superhero film than The Dark Knight, rather than an Academy-Award contender. It focuses on how the special effects impact the audience, rather than emotions. You're no longer freaked out by the Joker and his creepy mannerisms...you're scared by the realism of the exploding buildings on the screen.

Anybody seen the movie yet? What did you think of it? I still don't know which I like better...The Dark Knight or The Dark Knight Rises. I might have to see both films again to compare them!

Summer Reads, featuring "The Age of Miracles"

As I've said before, summer is the perfect time for me to catch up on all the fun books I wanted to read. I wanted to read The Age of Miracles ever since I heard the premise: an 11-year-old girl narrates the year that the Earth started to slow down its rotation, causing all sorts of chaos on Earth.

Goodreads/Amazon/Barnes & Noble

I love anything post-apocolyptic or sci-fi, so I thought I would love this book. Wrong. I had so many problems with it. The actual cause of "the slowing" is never really explained, the characters are one dimension and you never feel the panic of the people on Earth. 

I wrote up a review and posted it here on Amazon. Definitely check it out in case you're planning on purchasing the book! 

The book seemed like it would be amazing, and then it was such a let-down. It was hyped up to the extreme, and I couldn't understand why. Then I saw it: the author was a former publisher at the company that published this book. 

Oh. So I see how that goes. 

In order to rectify this disappoint, I need some summer book suggestions! Here are the three books I'm planning on finishing before the fall semester starts. Has anybody read any of these?

1. Gone Girl

Amazon

On the morning of his fifth wedding anniversary, Nick Dunne finds his wife to have disappeared, and is the number one suspect. 

2. Gold

Amazon

Two longtime friends compete against each other in the 2012 London Olympics

3. Beautiful Ruins

Amazon

An Italian innkeeper finds a dying American actress washed up on his beach

--Becky

P.S. Anyone on Goodreads? Come find me here! I need more bookish friends!

New Blog Design/{Free} Blog Button Swap

Hey guys!

I was all set out to do a post about the Emmy nominations (Downton Abbey got a ton of noms, yay!) but then I somehow ended up spending hours working on a new layout for my blog. Oops. So expect things to shift around here and there! I still can't get everything to line up perfectly, ugh.

My unofficial blog mascot, Lucy! 

(Yes, I may or may not have already named the dachshund I'm going to get someday...)

Secondly, anyone up for a blog button swap? I want to eventually get rid of the blog roll on the bottom righthand side of the page and replace it with buttons. You put my button up on your blog, I'll put yours up on mine. That simple! Sorry, I've tried forever to get that nice little HTML code box under my button, and it's never worked. I think my blog is cursed or something.

Comment below and let me know if you want to swap buttons!

Have a good weekend,

Becky

Prep for Less: Red Ballet Flats

Flats are always a fall essential, at least for me. This year, I think ballet flats specifically will be big. They're casual, comfortable, feminine and are perfect to wear with skinny jeans or boyfriend jeans.

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That said, I'm obsessed with Tory Burch's new ballet flats for summer, the Chelsea ballet flat. It comes in a jade, black, mustard yellow and, my favorite, scarlet red. What I love most about these shoes is the little charm that comes attached to the laces. Still, are they worth the $178? Here are some similar ballet flats that I found:

Tory Burch: Chelsea Ballet Flats in Scarlet Red


J.Crew: Classic Leather Ballet Flats in Poppy


Gap: Leather Ballet Flats in Tomato


Old Navy: Women's Bow-Tie Ballet Flats in Red

I think the Gap version has to be my favorite. But what do I do about that charm that I loved so much on theTory Burch Chelsea flats?

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Many shops on Etsy sell personalized gold disks to go on charm bracelets, such as Stellar Light Jewelry, pictured here. I would buy a small gold disk with my initial on it, tie it onto the shoelaces, and viola! You've got yourself some blinged-out pair of ballet flats.

If I end up trying this, I'll let you all know. What's your favorite footwear for fall?

Friendship Bracelets

Want some new "arm candy" (aka bracelets) but don't have the cash to pony up for them? That's exactly the case I found myself in this summer, so I decided to whip up some bracelets on my own. There's all kinds of bracelet tutorials on Pinterest, but I decided to keep it old-school and simple: by making friendship bracelets.

(Today you get some lovely Instagram pictures, since my camera is at my home 150 miles away).

I've made tons of these since the beginning of summer, using up a kit of cotton thread at my local craft store that cost $4. That's what I love about these: they're so affordable and you can whip them up really quick!

Over the years, I've done many variations of friendship bracelets. I have some great memories of weaving these during summer camp (didn't we all have to make them?) Even though I'm in college, friendship bracelets have seemed to become stylish for the older crowd.

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I followed this tutorial from Honestly WTF, only I've been using four colors rather than six. Using less colors makes a thinner bracelet, which I like the look of better.

The bracelet on the top is one that I made by tying knots over and over again, creating a spiral staircase pattern. Why does it look so strange? Well, it may or may not have accidentally run through the wash, hiding in my jeans pocket. Oops.

Friendship bracelets are an easy way to add something to your stack, too! See how it looks with the other bracelets?

So, what do you think? Any of you going to try making a friendship bracelet again? They're not that hard, I promise!

"It's a Quote Kind of Day" + Crazy Dog T-Shirts Giveaway Winner

Giveaway winner at the bottom of this post!

Source: gthegentleman.tumblr.com via Becky on Pinterest

Today was one of those days where I spent an hour on Pinterest pinning any quote that I could remotely apply to my life. Ever had one of those days where you just go on a pinning rampage?

Source: google.com via Becky on Pinterest

I couldn't come up with anything good to post about today so you're lucky enough to get something personal from me. As you may or may not have seen, I'm working on research with a professor and some other students this summer this summer, using fish as our model organisms. It's completely out of my league, something I've never done before.

Source: thesilverpen.com via Becky on Pinterest

It's taken me awhile to get used to the lab and all the protocols, but I'm getting better each and every day. It's been tough for me because I am a perfectionist and, if I don't get something right the first time, I get a little frustrated with myself. It's definitely something I have to get over, but I'm getting better at it.

Source: arts-and-entertainment101.blogspot.com via Becky on Pinterest

So that's why it's been a quote-kind-of-day. Because all of the above quotes keep reminding me why I'm doing all this: to become a doctor. To help people. To save people's lives.

Source: 25.media.tumblr.com via Becky on Pinterest

And, in the meantime, being able to inject fish eggs with recombinant DNA is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, right?



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CRAZY DOG T-SHIRTS GIVEAWAY WINNER!

Thank you all for entering! I used a very sophisticated way to choose the winner: I wrote down all your entries in a notebook and numbered them.

I used the random number generator and it said that the winner is Jennifer Hiles! Congrats Jennifer. I'm sending you an email and you have to respond in the next seven days to claim your prize :)

Madison's Art on the Square

I took a break from Chicago this weekend and went back to Madison for their annual art fair, Art on the Square. I find it easy to stay away from my hometown during the school year, but during the summer there's just too much going in Madison on that I don't want to miss!

Once a year hundreds of art vendors set up stands all around the capitol building of Madison, pictured here.

Many of the vendors don't allow photography, so I didn't get that many great pictures. Usually I get really bored at these fairs, but this year was different. If it wasn't for the heat, I could've gone around the square two or three times, planning the type of artwork I want to have in my house someday. I think people start gaining appreciation for art the older they get--it was like that in my case, at least.

My two favorite booths?

1. Paintings by David Oleski (website not working at the moment)

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His paintings are so simple, but that's what I love about them. I can see this painting in my living room. I love the different colors he uses to portray a simple, everyday object--different shades of yellow, orange, green, and I even see a peach in there. The shadows are brilliant in a simple way as well.

2. Nicario Jimenez: "Artist of the Andes"

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What Mr. Jimenez makes are traditionally called retablos--"portable boxes filled with brightly colored figurines arranged into intricate narrative scenes", according to his website. To me, they seem like slightly twisted dollhouses! I love the story being told here: "day of the dead" skeletons, I think, are celebrating at a local watering hole. The whole piece is so bright and fun!

Have you gone to an art fair recently? What kind of artwork do you enjoy?