Summer Update

Happiness is a form of courage...As most of you know, the last time I posted a blog it was about being sick. Well, shortly after I posted that blog, I found out I have hyperthroidism. Basically, that medically means my thyroid is producing too much of the hormone TSH, which regulates metabolism and bodily functions throughout the body. If you want to know what symptoms I've been experiencing, click this link:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001396/

Some days are worse than others. Despite my symptoms, I'm choosing to think positive and every time I'm overcome with the experience of a symptom, I say, "This is a season and it will pass." Then I confess my healing in Jesus' Name.

Since I've been sick, I've had to cut out caffeine out of my diet and drink more alcohol because I'm in so much pain and I have a throbbing in my head. Also, I have been having a lot of muscle spasms or cramping pains in various places on my body.

Despite that, I'm trying to overcome it and make the most of my summer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kh1sD9TrVXI Posted a new VLOG and finally sang even though I was a little nervous to post a singing video but enjoy it anyway. ♥

My sister won the contest. Even though it was a rough fight my sister won. Most thanks goes to Dakota Hodge and Mike Gincel. Both guys helped immensely. Mike skyped with me for three hours during the last leg of the contest and fiercely messaged people until Jayde was declared the winner. In celebration, we drank Mike's Hard Lemonade and my mom baked a cake:


My sister is actually at the concert right now as I write this. Hope she has fun watching the spawns of Satan...err, I mean One Direction. :P
 So far this summer, I've seen both the Three Stooges movie and What To Expect When You're Expecting. This movie was funnier. I don't know why. I guess people hitting each other in the head with rubber tools never gets old.
 I've been reading a lot since I've been sick and have stopped exercising.
Elixir by Hilary Duff is the best book I've ever read. I finished it in a day. Clea Raymond has felt the glare of the spotlight her entire life. The daughter of a renowned surgeon and a prominent Washington DC politician, she has grown to be a talented photojournalist who takes refuge in a career that allows her to travel to the most exotic parts of the world. But after Clea’s father disappears while on a humanitarian mission, Clea’s photos begin to feature eerie, shadowy images of a strange and beautiful man—a man she has never seen before. When fate brings Clea and this man together, she is stunned by the immediate and powerful connection she feels with him. As they grow closer, they are drawn deep into the mystery behind her father’s disappearance, and they discover the centuries old truth behind their intense bond. Torn by a dangerous love triangle and haunted by a powerful secret that holds their fates, together they race against time to unravel their pasts in order to save their lives—and their futures.
 The other book I've started reading is
 Power Thoughts by Joyce Meyer. This book has really helped me stay positive despite the setbacks I've been dealing with. So far I've learned:
 I can do whatever I need to do in life through Christ.♥
 God Loves Me Unconditionally.♥
 I will not fear. I will not be afraid of men because God is with me.♥
 I am difficult to offend.♥
 I love people and I enjoy helping them.♥
 Yet, the most fun I've had all summer is when we went to the Skatepark of Tampa on National Skateboarding Day on June 21.  The best part about going to the skatepark is seeing sexy skaters and a lot of them were checking me out. When your sick and guys still check you out, it really makes you feel beautiful.
Also on June 21, I texted all my close friends to see who really was my friend and asked them to remember that time or tell me their favorite memory with me and I only got two responses. Just goes to show how real people can be. Before I leave you, here's a picture with me and Justin Bieber's newest album, Believe.
 Until next time, remember: Hate may win some battles but love wins in the end.-Ludacris♥

 Love Times Infinity,
 Chelsea
xoxo
God Bless!
 ~Just Keep Swimming~

One Big Blog Full of Juicy Deets: Eight Things I learned in my Third year of college♥

Happiness is a form of courage...I'm sure you've all been distraught without any updates from me. I've been distraught without anything to blog about if that makes you feel any less alone. :)

Here's what I've been up to:
1. I posted a new VLog to try out my new software. Works great but I will learn as I go. And yeah, I know my intro is too long. I'll shorten them from now on. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9KOkqII2QA
2. I saw the Lucky One and got my "first kiss" from Zac Efron

♥ As you can see, I didn't really get my first kiss from Zac Efron (I wish). I got you there for a minute, didn't I? lol. The Lucky One was a great movie but the book was much better. I recommend it though if you haven't read the book. I read all the books first, and it always ruins the greatness of most Nicholas Sparks movies except in the case of The Notebook, I think.
 3.I celebrated my best friend Geniveve's 12th bday♥ Here she is. The birthday princess and she doesn't look a day over two.♥

She got lots of cookies from the fam and as her best friend I know how much she enjoys sipping wine so I set out to get her dog wine but they were out of it so I got her non-alcoholic dog beer that of course, tastes like chicken :P   Her boyfriend even came back to town just to give her a birthday kiss so I know she had an awesome bday! We're still going to take her to the beach some time this summer...

Ok, now you know what I've been up to the past month time to tell you what I've learned this year in my third year of college♥

1.Friendship is a gift from God♥
 My past two years at Saint Leo, I spent most of them with about a handful of friends but I was still lonely. I didn't really have many friends that I could just text or call anytime of day or night and they would come hang out with me. That changed this year. This year I met my roommate Genevieve and she became one of my best friends. I'm so thankful God sent her into my life because she came just when I thought I would spend another year without a roommate who was also my friend.

A lot of the friends I made this year are going to live near me or in the same building next year. :))))


 2.People are going to talk about you whether you're doing bad or good♥
 Fall semester this year was a really dark time for me. It was a learning experience but I really got to see how evil people can be. People will talk, sabotage, use, and abuse you until you have nothing left but the beat inside your heart and the air in your lungs. One thing I almost lost was my friendship with one of my best guy friends. Thankfully, he came back into my life at the beginning of this semester and our friendship is stronger than it's ever been. If I learned anything during this time, it is that although people can leave you high and dry without a goodbye; they can never steal the joy of the Lord and the love he has for me. Jesus loves me and no matter what, I will never be without him, and in that, I win♥


 3.Something new about first kisses♥
 How come nobody told me a first kiss was a peck. I've been deceived by books, movies, and tv to believe a real first kiss is a kiss that is hot, tongue-heavy, and passionate but in fact that is a lie. A first kiss is more something like this:

And yes, that's me at four with my first "boyfriend" George. Technically, he was my first kiss but because it was so natural and we were young, I didn't think that it counts but in fact it does because we were young "lovers" since we were babies.

He was such a good boyfriend he would even come to my ballet recitals and bring me flowers.

So don't let anyone tell you that young love isn't real because I've just proved that it is. :) Of course, I didn't love him then because I didn't know what love is but I can say I remember always wanting to tell him stuff and wanting to play and hang out with him all the time so yeah, it was love in a very naive sense of the word. ♥

 4. Love Comes Around Unexpectedly♥
 This year I didn't even resolute to not focus on love because I've been doing so well not worrying about it since December of 2011. This year though my daily life has been extremely love filled and in as few words as I can use, I can honestly say that I finally found love in a hopeless place and I couldn't be happier that it turned out to be with the person I've loved for a while. If that person is reading this now: I can't wait to see what God has written in the pages of our love story. I'm so thankful that you realized how you felt and you came to me, and poured your heart out. I love you. Now text me♥

 5. You really can stay healthy and fit in college♥
 It's all in the choices you make. Some healthy choices you can make daily: 1. Getting enough sleep every night. 2. Eating healthy foods(healthy foods are any food that is colorful and filled with life when you look at it; it also has great nutritional value) 3. Drinking enough water 4. Limiting intake of sweet foods and foods that are fried and high in transfats 5. Exercise (Shake that ass ;-)) This year I was a little more lax on my workout regime but my eating habits were much stricter. Overall, I can tell you that I've lost weight this year and I'm happy about that. :)

 6. Invest in a to-go box♥
 Did you know it's ok to eat alone? It's actually good for you to do things alone. This semester none of my friends had lunch when I did so I went to the cafe with my to-go box and got my food and left and it was probably another reason I lost weight because there is only so much you can fit in that box but so much you can overindulge in when you eat in the cafeteria. Another reason I enjoyed having lunch with myself is because I got to do some things before I went to my afternoon class. I have always enjoyed doing things myself because if you can't have fun with yourself, how do you expect to have fun with others? Happiness and adventure all starts within. A to-go box at Saint Leo costs three dollars the first time you purchase it and then at the end of the year, you can save it and bring it back next year to avoid having to pay three dollars again.♥

 7. Changing your major is ok♥
 When I first started at Saint Leo, I believed that if you had no idea what you wanted to do then you shouldn't be in college. You realize that isn't true when you become someone who stands at a crossroads between what everyone wants for your life and what you enjoy doing. I've officially changed my major now from accounting with an English minor to Marketing with an IHT minor. I'm so excited for this coming year because I can't wait to start taking my marketing classes. So, if you are entering college or a college freshman still unsure of what you want to do in life, look at what hobbies make you the happiest. And go from there. You can turn a hobby into a career. For example, I really enjoy managing people's campaigns and designing posters for them, as well as making Youtube videos to raise awareness about a specific issue or cause. Now I've realized all that is marketing and I can now do those things as my career and get paid to do what I love. Winning!♥

 8. Financial aid will actually help you♥
 My first two years at Saint Leo were challenging and one of the reasons for that was because affording school was something I could barely do. I finally realized that all those times I could have just went to financial aid and they could have found loans or scholarships I qualified for. This year I finally took advantage of it and I can tell you I am finally debt free of Saint Leo. I have my roommate Genny to thank here because since she worked in financial aid, she was able to tell me what they could do for me and who to go talk to. For the first year ever, I will be living not in a dorm but in an apartment with my own room and a bathroom that I will share with Genny. These apartments are brand-new and come with a flat screen tv in the living room. Talk about living the life!

 I'm so excited for this coming year at Saint Leo because I'll finally have friends, a major I enjoy, and living amenities that are high-quality. I am so blessed and all I can do is thank God for giving it all to me to enjoy, and to turn around and bless others with♥


 Of course I'm sure you all are curious what I have planned for this summer so here goes:
 Summer 2012 Plans♥
 1. Learn Albanian
 2. Re-learn Spanish
 3. Learn Italian
 4. Study marketing books(That's how mad I am about marketing)
5.Read a bunch For instance, I recently bought this book:

It's by Grammy award winning singer Rebecca St. James. What I enjoy about Rebecca's books is how real and honest she is in them. In her devotional entitled Pure, she admitted that sometimes she was unsure if God really had a plan for her to be married one day because she hadn't really dated many guys much of her young life but she knew she had a desire in her heart to be married and raise a family. In the acknowledgments of What is He Thinking which was published last year(2011), she thanks her husband of just a few months Jacob. She's 34 so it provides me hope that not only the information in the book is genuine but that even though love seems like it will never find you, it will at the right time, in the right place, with the right person. So don't give up just because the beginning is the hardest. For all you know, the person you've been waiting for could be right there existing in your life right now but you don't even see it ♥

 Another book I'm looking forward to reading:

I enjoy reading Nicholas Sparks books not only because I also am a writer of romance but because they are exquisite pieces of literature. You can tell what kind of man Nicholas is just by the words he writes. So beautiful. This book is about two first loves who find each other later in life, and realize that they still love each other.♥

 6. Write a lot
 I haven't written a novel since I finished the manuscript for my third novel. I guess I'm just on hiatus novel-wise until it's published. I still have been writing. I've been working on a short story collection since last summer, and of course I've been writing lots of poetry so I'm just going to keep on writing this summer. Right now, I'm working on a short story entitled Foreseen about a teenager who foresees the future in her dreams and helps solve a murder that takes place in San Clemente, California. I've also started another short story entitled The Haunting of Saint Leo Abbey based on all the haunting stories from Saint Leo University's history.
 7. Study the Word
 Something I enjoy like nothing else, not even writing, is strengthening my relationship with my Lord and Savior. I do that through a daily reading of the Bible but at least once a week when I'm home, I spend two or three days locked in my room with a Bible, a pad of paper, and a pen and I literally spend time with Jesus. I listen to teachings from preachers and just take really good notes and when I finish I go back and read all the Bible verses aloud, and I pray. I pray and ask God to use what I learned and help me apply it to my life. The Bible is the best book ever written, and I know I say that from a biased view but I mean it. It has instructions about any problem this world can and will throw at you. One of my major dreams is to one day become a pastor and preach the Word full-time. Just waiting for God to lead me to the right place.♥

 8. Learn to bake
 9. Cook some more
10. Have adventures 


Well, that's about it until next time. Sorry this was so long but it was long overdue. :)
 Until next time remember,

Love Times Infinity,
 Chelsea
 xoxo
God Bless!
 ~Just Keep Swimming~

God calls the weak so they may become strong♥

     Happiness is a form of courage...Have you ever felt like God calls you to do something? You just know it in your heart because everywhere you look, the path of your life reflects that talent or that field of study or that passion. That's the reason I'm a writer. I knew from a young age that there was something supernatural happening every time I would write. Even now, people are amazed at how talented I am as a writer. I can't explain it other than say, it's all God's doing. He's given me this gift to reach people in ways I by myself could not.
      As most of you know, I have been an accounting major minoring in English here at Saint Leo University.
I recently sat down with my advisor, and even though what he told me I already knew, it still hurt to realize that I'm never going to be successful in accounting. I've tried my hardest and I just couldn't comprehend it.
So, as of Thursday at 10:45 am, I am officially a marketing major with no minor.

     As a marketing major, I will be able to use my creativity from my talent as a writer and work to come up with slogans and design advertisements to entice consumers to buy the products I sell. I already have experience in Marketing, though because as a self-published author, I already market myself and tell people why my books are the best.

    I have already gotten two people elected on my school's campus for student government positions just because of my persuasion and voice alone.

Some of my best marketing I've ever done was in this video for my skater friend, Ryan Sheckler when he was up for a Do Something Award back in 2010.
Here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3MXmw2M8R0

My first marketing class I took here, I really enjoyed and I even got an A in the class. I am finally excited about my career studies and my future career in marketing. The only bittersweet fact about the whole thing is that I will not be able to graduate with most of the people I started out with as a freshman here at Leo. Even though it makes me sad, I'm actually going to get another year to prepare for my future career. It's as if God knew I wasn't ready for it all to end. :)

God doesn't just call you to a career to reach people. Every day, God calls you to love. God calls you to be a friend, even if that person hurts you. Remember Jesus said to turn the other cheek, not so you can be burned again but because it's the only way people in this world learn the depth of real love the way God intended it. God intended love to be a circle of acts of forgiveness and love.♥
Until next time, 

Love Times Infinity,
Chelsea
xoxo
God Bless!

~Just Keep Swimming~

Tampa Pro 2012

Happiness is a form of courage...The smell of cherry cigar fills the air. Drunks yelling out about someone being a fag. Bimbos dressed in barely any clothes saying they want to "get it in" with Ryan Sheckler. Skateboards thrashing against the complex as Mike Vallely finally lands his gnarly trick. No, this isn't a normal day in Tampa Fl.

This is Tampa Pro.

Tampa Pro is a professional skateboarding contest that is world-renowned and it takes place in my backyard at the Skatepark of Tampa in Downtown Tampa, FL.

The contest consists of a qualifying round where 30 guys make it into the semi-finals. The semi-finals consists of two or three heats of ten to fifteen skaters. Each skater does two runs. The top ten of the semi-finals compete in the finals against the top two qualifying skaters from the qualifying round.

This year, everyone decided to attend Tampa Pro, including Hollywood VIP and rapper Lil Wayne.


Usually I get there early enough that I can socialize with the skaters when they arrive but this year, no such luck so I didn't get any pictures with any of the skaters.

Here's some gnarly stills of the athletes during open skating before the semi-finals:

Chaz Ortiz who I met last year, was in the building, sporting a new tattoo. Guess most skaters get the tatted bug.

My old friend R. Shecks penning his signature. This guy goes all out for the fans, still. He even had some kids calling out to him by the stairs below the complex and he jumped about eight to ten feet down just to sign autographs for the kids. Good to see he still cares that much. :)

My skater crush Sean Malto even came this year! I was freaking out because I never seen him in person before. I was totally fan-girling every time he looked in my general direction. Too bad I didn't get a chance to meet him. I wouldn't have said anything but I would have grinned from ear to ear. :D Maybe next year!

I never realized how blessed I am to have met this guy. Today when those bimbos wanted a piece of him, all I could think was, "He's met my dog," and it made realize just how truly blessed I am. So many people just wish for a chance to see Ryan skate in person and because it just seems like my backyard to me, and normalness because I've known him for so long, I didn't realize I took it all for granted.


I took the reality of the fact that Ryan knows my family and I by face and by name. He even knows and has met my dog. Not many people can say that. But I can. :)

And I have God to thank for it!


Here's an interesting one of Nyjah Houston rolling by, and Shecks steezing in the corner♥

Chris "Cobra" Cole is in the building!

The Shecklebunny still has a few tricks up his sleeve. :)

Sheckler still definitely has talent but today, I noticed that he's not crazy anal about his skating anymore. He's more chill and laid back and if he doesn't get first, he doesn't badger himself anymore. Although, after Ryan's first run, I watched Ryan and he was scolding himself about missing one of his major tricks. It's funny how even after a year has gone by, I still can tell what Ryan's thinking by what he does and how his face looks.
Yes, I know that makes me sound like a stalker but with any performer, if you watch them consistently for long enough, you see all the little things they do and don't do and know exactly what they are about to do, what trick they have up their sleeve, etc. It would be the same if I watched football and followed Tim Tebow, or basketball and followed Kobe Bryant. For me, Ryan Sheckler is that athlete.

I guess Ryan Sheckler still is my favorite skater even though I don't really follow him as much anymore. :)

Look at that ass. ;-)

Sheckler didn't end up making it to the finals but the top 3 winners of Tampa Pro 2012 were:

3rd: Sean Malto

2nd: Chaz Ortiz

1st: Torey Pudwill

Overall, it was a great time had by all, and of course, I'll be there next year!

Before I leave you with a final thought, I must remind you that at midnight tonight Justin Bieber's new single, "Boyfriend" is officially released so please go out and get it! From the teasers I've heard, it's going to be swagged out!

Until next time, Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don't be impressed with yourself. Don't compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing your creative best with your own life. -Galatians 6:4-5, The Message♥

Love Times Infinity,
Chelsea
xoxo
God Bless
~Just Keep Swimming~

Spring Break 2012♥

Happiness is a form of courage...Every year Spring Break seems to get better and better. This year was no exception.


It all started on Friday where I was greeted by my BEST FRIEND and she wouldn't leave my side. She even danced for me...it's always nice to be missed most by the people you care the most about♥

On Saturday, we visited the Big Busch aka Busch Gardens, and I just happened to see two of my Leoland friends.<3
We went to see the new ice show, Iceploration. It was really good.
Of course, we had a small photo shoot at the Big Busch♥







On the way home from the Big Busch, we blasted Unbroken by Demi Lovato with the sunroof off and the windows down. Totally Legit♥

On Sunday, I enjoyed my mother's home cooking when she made me steak for dinner. :))))


Earlier that weekend on Saturday night, God opened my eyes to something new♥

I turned on the tv and was immediately captivated by a certain 20/20 documentary.
This one was about 3 particular young girls and watching them, they seem like typically little girls who get excited about everything, big or small. Yet, these 3 girls have an aging disease called Progeria. Progeria is a rare condition caused by a genetic mutation that is not hereditary that occurs in young children. It is a premature aging disease where the child's body appears to be old starting two months after birth and causes early death. The child could start having heart attacks and strokes at the age of five. Most children with this disease only live into their teenage years, some into their early twenties.

One of the little girls Haley Okines, at the time of filming, was 12 years old. Today, she is 14 and still living every day to the fullest. She even wrote her own autobiography and because I wanted to support the cause and I also know what it's like to be a young writer, I bought her book.


See, while I was watching the documentary, I was not only captivated by the three young girls with this rare disease. I was also in awe of how beautiful they were. Physically, they may look a little different but their spirits were lively and full of joy. It was amazing how happy they were about life.♥

In that moment, I realized that I waste so many precious minutes of my life letting the little things get me down. Now don't get me wrong, I have been choosing happiness much more this year than any year I've been alive, but I'm not going to lie and say that the choice itself isn't hard. Sometimes life really is hard but just think how hard it is for young Haley. She lives knowing she is destined to die young. She can't do as much as other kids because her body and bones are weaker than normal kids. Yet, she lets none of that affect her. She lives every day with joy because she realizes she got another day.

I vow from this day forward to cherish life for each day just because I got ONE MORE DAY♥

You can help benefit Progeria Research by visiting the Progeria Research Foundation's website. To donate now or just to learn more about Progeria, click the link under Donate Now to the right of this blog----->>>>> (scroll back up).

Monday, I finished all my hw in one day so I could enjoy the rest of my break. This is the first accounting exam that I'm ready for.
Tuesday and Wednesday were filled with blessings and happiness, and of course, lots of relaxation and rejuvenation for the soul.
Thursday, I woke up and had my Dunkin Donuts coffee and when I took it out of the fridge, this is what I found:
Do you see it?
So, I knew Thursday was going to be a great day filled with love♥

It did end up being a very BLESSED day mostly because Demi Lovato was on American Idol.She was amazing, yet again♥

On Friday, I went searching for a local summer internship and found one company thus far:
I felt so accomplished and proud of myself, not to mention, BLESSED♥

The rest of the weekend was one big party.♥

We broke out the alcoholic beverages:♥

The party animal was in attendance:♥

Saturday, my mom and I went to Indian Rocks Beach.

I've owned this book for two years:

After two years, I finally finished it. After I finished reading it, I just sat there on the beach and I realized how much God really loves me. He created this Earth as proof of his love, and as if that wasn't enough, he uses the people in this world to show me how much I am loved. In that thought, all I could do was smile:


Being that it was Saint Patrick's Day and I'm Irish, my mom made me corn beef and cabbage for dinner:

Then I sat down and watched:


Then:

It was a great end to my Spring Break. I can ultimately say that God loves me and he's leading me to great OPPORTUNITIES that I'm looking forward to♥

Until next time, remember:“Just when you think it can't get any worse, it can. And just when you think it can't get any better, it can.”-Nicholas Sparks, At First Sight♥

Love Times Infinity,
Chelsea
xoxo
God Bless!

~Just Keep Swimming~