Iota Chai Barn Bash 2012

This week was full. Stressful, tearful, coffee-full; full of tests, projects, party planning, and very little sleep.
But also, joyful. I wasn’t sure Friday would ever come, or that I would ever see the light at the end of the tunnel, but by Friday at 5:30 PM, I had finished midterms/projects, chili and cornbread had been cooked for an autumn party of 50 people, tables had been set up, lights had been strung, and the pumpkins were ready to be carved.

My co-activities director and I (for our social club Iota Chi) themed it “hipster” and served chai lattes, hence the title Iota Chai. We’re clever, you get it. We also had a pumpkin flavored dessert contest—my idea, since pumpkin anything is my favorite.

And what’s a partay without a photo booth?

 

I am thankful that the weather was perfect, that the chili turned out wonderful, that people had a good time, and mostly that it’s over and I can breathe.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to make some chai tea now.

I-OTA CHI, Pink & Black Until We Die!

It’s Pledge Week here at the HU, which is basically the private christian university’s version of rush.

Usually this week is a lot of fun (for those not pledging) because well, we get to be bossy and make our pledges “earn” their sisterhood.

Nowadays, hazing laws have changed all’a that and it’s basically Friendship Week, 2011.

Like, yay! You made it into Iota Chi by doing absolutely nothing!

I’m not bitter at all…

Oh well, I’ve still got my Pink & Black sPiRiT!

Check out my cute Little Sister:

She’s awesome and we pretty much just talk about HUG a lot because she went last year.

Tonight is ROUGHT NIGHT! I mean “Unity Night.”

Good luck my little Iote babies.

 

 

I amand I got my awesome shorts at Goodwill. Hollla!

Dressing To The Nines

Friday night found me at the swanky Arkansas Arts Center for our annual Iota Chi spring formal.

Good gravy on biscuits, I love formals.

The dresses, the fancy dinner, the dates; girls eat that stuff up.

This formal was no exception. I had a cute dress

…and a very awesome date.

Don’t even get me started on the chocolate cake we had for dessert. Seriously, don’t ask about it, because then I am going to want some. But it was good. There, that’s all I’m saying about it.

Of course, friends make formals all the more fun. Especially if you have awkward friends like I do.

 

Then we went to an after-party and got really drunk.

I’m kidding obviously. What do you take me for? Some state school student?

Psh, no. Us private school kids got TCBY and then went to the movies.

It really was a lovely evening.

On Embarrassment at Formal

“Why won’t you tell him what your blog is?”

The million dollar question of formal night.

“Because I’m embarrassed.”

Look, don’t ask me why I’m embarrassed because I don’t know. I get flustered whenever this blog is brought up.

It’s not you, it’s me.

I’ll say it again my precious little reader, it’s not you. It’s definitely some sort of chemical imbalance in my brain.

I would have been glad to eat my chicken and mashed potatoes without ever talking about this place.

Then someone (Barrett) said, “It’s aldtalks.blogspot.com” and I wanted to die. Roll me under a truck. Set me on fire.

And feelings of death usually put me into defensive mode, so I said “No it’s not. What does ‘ald’ even mean?”

Not the most solid argument I’ve ever made because then at least three people said “Autumn Lindsay Dixon” and somehow I still defended that aldtalks.blogspot.com was not my blog by saying, “That’s not my name.”

Since I detrimentally failed to convince anyone that that was not my blog, Ali said “My mom loves your blog! She talks about it all the time!”

I let it go then. Cool, people read my blog. Isn’t that why I have it?

Some part of me believes that you want to hear about tornadoes in Arkansas and my obsession with Utah, so I keep writing. And you keep reading.

That’s nothing to be embarrassed about.

…right?

Annual Barn Bash

Rainbow!

Tonight was our annual IX Barn Bash.

Picture it: a field on an old dirt road in the country with orange and green lights lining the fences, and a fire for roasting hot dogs and s'mores.

When we had our fill of marshmellow and Hershey smashed between graham crackers, we loaded onto a hay-stacked trailer and were pulled through the black night.

It was so nice.

We laughed and relaxed and tried to find out which star cluster was the Big Dipper. (Which I'm still unsure about, if we're being honest)

Then we had a costume contest. Personally, as a participant of ROY G BIV, we should have won. Or at least placed.

But what can you do?

I'm not bitter Couple Who Dressed Up As BP Oil Workers. I guess you deserved first place.

It was a wonderful autumn night spent with friends!

(Plus, we got long-sleeve tshirts, and who doesn't love a long-sleeve tshirt?)

October Memories

October has always been my favorite month.

This year it has been extra special. I have made some amazing memories.

A few weeks ago the girls and I went to a pumpkin patch and corn maze. It was my first experience with a corn maze and it will not be my last!

The night was kind of magical. Crisp air and warm apple cider.

Another fun part of October?

Rush (dubbed 'pledge week' at HU).

It was so much fun to be on the other side of things this year. I grew so much closer to my Iota Chi sisters and made a lot of new ones!

The girls in pink are my 'little sisters'. They were precious.

And then of course, my birthday celebration which always starts days before Halloween!

Last night some friends and I ate at ZaZa, smoked some mango hookah and went to see Saw 3D.

My 20th birthday is tomorrow!

My mask on rough night. I scared some Iota Chi pledges!

Happy Halloween!

Monday Misc. on Wednesday

I. It's pledge week (induction, rush) here at HU. I love being on the other side of it this year. And I won't lie, I love the power too. That's Miss Autumn to you. (Sorry, pledges, that we made you slip-and-slide in sardines, ketchup and mustard.)

II. I skipped chapel Monday so I could guy buy the new Taylor Swift CD. Terrible? Yes. Dedicated fan? Yes.

III. I'm having to Google the roman numerals for these numbers because I never learned them in my elementary days.

IV. Sorry this blog has been quiet this week. Pledge week is sucking all of my time and energy! I promise to share funny stories (and pictures) when I have extra time!

Pumpkins are a girls best friend

Nothing ushers fall in more for me than pumpkins.

Pumpkin smells, pumpkin foods, and

pumpkins.

On Saturday night the girls and I loaded up in the car and made the 30-minute drive to a corn maze and pumpkin patch. My roommate and I picked out this bad boy...girl:

On the back we painted 'IX' which stands for Iota Chi, the sorority/social club we are in. Iota Chi translates to Jesus Christ in Greek.

Isn't she the cutest spiritual pumpkin you have ever seen?

I wish we could have carved her but that smells, especially when it's confined to a dorm room.

Painting was fun though and it seems like a lot of people are painting pumpkins instead of carving them these days!

Do you paint or carve?

Misc. Monday

1. Mark 16:15

Every year during spring break, Harding gives students the opportunity to serve Jesus by planning week-long mission trips. The locations range from Alaska to Nicaragua and activities include working in homeless shelters, starting food banks, and going door-to-door to tell people about Jesus. It's not a question of if I should go- Jesus calls us to serve in Mark 16:15 when "He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation." It's a question and prayer of where I should go. I am leaning towards Vancouver, Canada where we would be volunteering at a homeless shelter/food drive and door-to-door evangelizing.

Plus, isn't it gorgeous?

2. Productivity

My day goes so much better when I have been productive. Today I have done laundry, washed dishes, completed homework and of course, went to class. I feel accomplised.

3. Football

I signed up to play flag football with my social club/sorority, Iota Chi. We have our first practice tonight and our first game tomorrow. I am a little nervous- some super competitive girls are probably going to get mad at me when I duck from the ball. I'm just trying to be a good club member by playing! Maybe no one will notice I'm terrible at football if I just run around. Right?

4. Addict

I don't need to get addicted to any more television shows. I feel like I already have so many that I love to watch. Alas, I added Pretty Little Liars to the list. Do you watch it?

Happy Monday folks!

Letter to a: silky blue & black dress

Dear silky blue & black dress,
tonight I wore you to an Iota Chi formal function.

You accompanied me to The Starving Artist Cafe in a quaint North Little Rock area.

Several compliments were given to me (this is because of you, I'm sure)

I'm sorry that I had to place a cloth napkin over you during dinner, but I couldn't risk getting the roasted chicken breast, mashed potatoes, or mixed fresh vegetables on you.

Or the decadent chocolate cake.

I won't lie, you were uncomfortable during the murder mystery game we played. I kept having to pull you up so I wouldn't reveal any body parts. We couldn't have that, now could we?

But in the end I forgave you, because look how good you look in these pictures.

Thank you for a night out on the town silky blue & black dress.

PS. I didn't appreciate you blowing
up in the wind and revealing my upper thighs.

Spring Sing - Day 2 & 3

Friday was our second day of Spring Sing.
It was also the day that my amazing besties (in no particular order!)

Kaylee
Katie
Morgan
Emma (+ Kyle)
visited!

I was very, very excited. After the show (which they loved) we went to Ihop where we ate cold food and talked for hours.
It was a good day for Spring Sing!


****

Saturday we had 2 shows. One was at 2 and the final show was at 7. The show at 2 was a fiasco. See, we have a CD of us playing in the background (we still sing, though) that keeps us on beat. Tech didn't have it turned up enough, so we couldn't hear ourselves or the beat. Needless to say we got off beat for a few seconds. But like true rockers, we fixed ourselves pronto.


My family ventured to Searcy for the 7 p.m. show. My sister, my parents, my aunt Mel and her family, and my aunt Sara. We ate at Casa Brava, I showed them campus, & then it was time for me to get ready.

They of course loved the show!
& guess what....

WE WON!

Spring Sing was such a blessing in my life. I met so many amazing people and came to love Harding even more. I actually very sad that it's over.

Always next year, right?

In the room after our last show, which we
ROCKED! We were SO excited!

Spring Sing - Day 1

It's here, it's here!

I can't even believe it.

We started practicing in January and this day seemed light years away.

Today, we had a matinee show for elementary school kids.

They were the best audience. I could feel their excitement!

They screamed and cheered and clapped and made us so enthusiastic!

Afterwards Jill, Shelby, Beth and I went to Mi Pueb to chow on some mexican foods.

In our get-ups, yes.

They quite enjoyed our 80's rock look I'm sure!

Our first REAL show was at 7. Oh the nerves!

You would think I wouldn't have nerves after performing this show

so

many

times.

It went very well.

It's bittersweet that Spring Sing is happening and will be ending.

Memories to save:

Sweet Jill-bill (pledge sister). We bonded today and planned to have "dunch" soon.
(Lunch + dinner = dunch)

She did my hair tonight! Diggin her star!

*Doing the Cupid Shuffle in the Rhodes
*Club chants!
*"Double this double that double double this that!"
*Chapel was only 10 minutes!
*"DICTION!"

p.s. Listen to 'If You're Out There'
by John Legend

p.s.s. FRIENDS
visiting
TOMORROW!