26th Company Dining Out

Friday, I went to Gerred's last 26th Company Dining Out and had an great time seeing everyone and cracking jokes all night.

Dining Outs are formal dining events for midshipman and their companies to form camaraderie by relaxing, joking, and drinking. Midshipman can invite their significant others and show them off before the dinner comprised of a bunch of silly rules, like one must not utter "bro," "broski,""broseph," or any other variant of the word bro during dinner. When midshipmen slip up, they are called out and sent to the grog (a messy concoction of gross stuff like tabasco sauce, orange juice, or whatever else they find around the yard) as punishment.

This dining out was great since it was at the Marriott and Katie and Phoenix weren't in France this year, so I got to hang out with Katie all night. We both wore some pretty classy black dresses that fit the formal cocktail attire of the night.

We all sat at a table and ate some good food, saw some dance offs, a man carry another man on his back across the room, limericks, drunkenness, and a power point presentation on how to be an effective SWO Officer.

At the end there was a slideshow of each class that showed off goofy pictures of everyone. Gerred's class had a nice one that showed off pictures of them all through the years as well as a few engagements at the end.

In all, I have to say this Dining Out just showed his graduation is coming up and I am absolutely proud of him for all that he's done and will do in future.

Shannon

iPhone Apps

I've noticed a few of my friends have turned to iPhones and iPads recently and I thought I'd share a few apps I have and love thus far.

Shazam

This is great for when you hear a song on the radio and want to know what it is. You just hit the button and tag the song and it'll tell you immediately.

Instagram

I only really got into this recently (I was really into Hipstamatic before) and I love it. It lets me send the pictures online straight away and have them in fun designs that aren't to cheesy picnic-like.

Temple Run

Everyone seems to be obsessed with this. I began playing it this weekend with my cousin Brian and it's pretty addictive. I'm not good, but I like jumping for coins.

Heytell

Heytell is basically a walky-talky for your phone. You send speech texts to friends instead of having to text. Definitely use this if you don't have unlimited texting or if you need to say something that you just can't explain in a text.

IMDB

I find I use this app a lot. I'm always pulling this out when I see a movie to check if I have seen an actor before in another movie or if I want to know trivia about the movie.

Draw Something
This always keeps me busy. A game of Pictionary against anyone else in the facebook world. 

Remember you can also make this blog a shortcut link app on your phone or iPad.

P.S. Follow this blog on the side even if you don't have a blog, you can follow by e-mail.

Shannon

Blog Lovin'

I follow a ton of blogs on the blogosphere from the fashionistas of almost every capital and even a few blogger friends I know. The best way to keep up to date with each post is with Blog Lovin'!

Blog Lovin' is a site that compiles all your favorite blogs into one place where you can check up on all your blogs and news. They also send the posts out by e-mail too.

This video explains how Blog Lovin' works!

Go check out the site and follow Shenanigans Rose via bloglovin.

Shannon

Hunger Games

 

I saw the Hunger Games midnight premiere and it was a complete adrenaline rush. I was on the edge of my seat with each action in the arena and had goosebumps the whole time.

What really kept me connected with the story were the quick shots that followed Katniss's sight of crowds and the competition. I felt like I was there with her and it definitely got my heart beating with nervousness for her. The slow breathing archery shots really did it too.

The Districts, the Capital, and all the characters were artistic and definitely similar to what I had pictured in my head, but even better. I was blown away by the uses of wild color in the people of the capital, juxtaposed with the people of the districts.

Though like any book made into a movie, I have my own projections of what should have happened. I believe that Peeta's real love for Katniss should have been more evident since it came off as if he were just acting for the camera and that was it. And likewise, Katniss should have fought his love and the Capital a tad bit more. 

And of course, I would have loved to have seen more brutality. I will say though, the blood bath at the beginning of the games was blood thirsty fighting at its finest.

All in all, the movie certainly held up to my high expectations.

Shannon

Memorization

Memorization is generally a hard thing for me to do and is probably one of the reasons I did not pursue acting even though I love performing. Everyone has a different tactic for memorization based on what type of learner they are. My friend Aileen, for example, is a tactile learner and has to block out her movements as she memorizes and that works for her. I happen to be a auditory and visual learner, so I have a different approach to memorizing passages.

I first read the page aloud about five times so I get a grasp of what it is I'm trying to memorize.

I then break the passage into different sections, trying to write them down half by memory and half by sight.

I then make the section that appears to be the hardest in a different color, so when I read it off in my head I know it has been "flagged." Then I go through each card and memorize them one by one.

After I've gotten a basic memorization from each section, I recite them all off in order. For the parts that I stumble on I highlight them to serve as a second flag on words that I have trouble on.

At that point I just run through my lines, take a break, and start up again.

Middle English is fun, right?

Shannon

March Birchbox

After returning from Spring Break I finally was able to pick up my March Birchbox from the mailroom. It was like a special incentive for me to come back to college and definitely cheered me up on my return.

Look at all the awesome swag I got! This Birchbox was full with six great sizable finds.

The little package details get me every time. The card is talking about the online Birchbox Magazine that comes with each box. It's great for how to's on the product you're using. 

Annick Goutal Eau d'Hadrien

I am in love with this French fragrance. The citrus hints make the perfume a definite warmer weather scent. This scent may just have become my all time favorite scent. 

AHAVA Essential Day Moisturizer, Normal to Dry

Meant for dry sensitive skin this day moisturizer is certainly nourishing. It's a little more oily than I'd like in a moisturizer, but with dry skin it's nice to add a bit of oil. However, I'd stick with the Clark's Smoothing Marine Cream from the Janurary Birchbox before picking up a full size of this.

Juice Beauty Blemish Clearing Cleanser

This cleanser works like a charm! It doesn't irritate skin and is completely organic since it's made of cherry, lemon, and aloe. I definitely recommend this because it's hard to come by non-irritating clensers for dry sensitive skin. After I'm done using the Juice Beauty cleanser I try to use the Dermalogica Daily Microfiliant from February's Birchbox since I have a full bottle sample. My skin feels so soft.

Color Club Nail Lacquer in Jackie Oh!

Jackie Oh! is a great neon pink for Spring. The Color Club's neon collection is named after different iconic things from the 1960s, so obviously style icon/ first lady, Jackie O, was chosen. I was afraid at first the color would look weird against my pale skin (as most nail polishs do,) but the color definitely worked and gave my hands a much needed Spring pop and a few compliments around campus.

Kerastase Elixir Ultime

Great for second day hair, just dab a little though and you've got a nice dry shampoo. My hair feels so good I might be addicted.

Tea Forte Skin-Smart Teas

March's lifestyle extra is perfect duo of a treat and skincare in one. You simply drink the delicious tea and then when the tea is on you place the tea bag on your eyelids. I've only tried Cherry Marzipan so far and it really tastes like almonds.

Remember you can sign up for Birchbox too for only $10 a month.

Shannon

Cinnamon Sugar Pull Apart Bread

Pinterest is an evil place of temptation that I just love. I showed Gerred the site the other day and he and I searched through the food category for awhile until we found a recipe for Cinnamon Sugar Pull Apart Bread. It was too sinfully delicious.

We immediately went to the store and got all the ingredients we didn't have already (flour and yeast) and gathered the rest onto the counter.

Whisking the eggs for the dough.

Baking with the iPad is so practical.

The dough before it rose.

Rolling out the dough.

All that cinnamon sugary bread stacked on top of one another.

Final product. Warm. Soft. Delicious.

Shannon