"0 is not a size"?

So, it's been a hot minute since I've posted on here! I have noticed an article circling around Facebook for a while now, and I thought I would just share some of my thoughts about it. 

http://www.mtlblog.com/2013/09/sophia-bush-declares-war-on-urban-outfitters/

The article is about Sophia Bush, an actress from One Tree Hill, and her war against Urban Outfitters over a shirt that said "Eat Less." (You can find out more about the story and the picture of the shirt through the link I posted underneath the picture!)

Now, while I agree that a shirt saying "Eat Less" is incredibly stupid...and not to mention an incredibly ugly fashion decision...I have to say, I was instantly annoyed by this picture that Sophia posted in retaliation.

"0 is not a size."

Actually it is.
Because I wear a 0.
And actually, I wear a 00 to be correct.
I am 22 years old, 5'1" tall, 98 pounds, and I wear a 00.

As women, we all know that we are constantly berated with images in the media of the "perfect" female body. There have been a million articles about the effects of these images and the unrealistic goals we put on ourselves. "The women in those pictures don't actually look like the women in those pictures." We all know this, we've all learned this, we've all realized this. Does it make it any easier? Absolutely not! In the end, we still want to look like them! My roommates and I sit around and talk about how fat our arms are on a routine basis. True story.

Am I against a shirt that says "Eat Less"? Heck yes I am! Like I mentioned above, not only is it downright silly...but I honestly want to know who went out and bought a graphic tee that actually said that. (I mean really, the issue is that people are still wearing graphic tees...but I digress.) Curves are making a come back, and women are sticking up for their bodies against the media. And to that I say, 'You go, sister'! So what Sophia Bush is trying to say is 'love YOUR body'!

...Unless you're a size 0?

One day I was working at my retail job, and I was helping a woman try to find a pair of jeans for her daughter. Unfortunately, we didn't carry her size in the store. I was telling her how we actually carried it online, and she could order the jeans and bring them back to us if they didn't work out yada yada yada, and this irritated her. She blurts out at me "Well not everyone can look like YOU!"

God has given us our body types. Some will struggle with weight issues, and some will not. I am not going to lie and say I have struggled with my weight my whole life, because I haven't. I have always been pretty small, and I certainly don't "Eat Less" to be that size. However, every college girl knows the feeling of looking at yourself in the mirror and realizing you don't look like you did in high school anymore. Every woman faces self-conscious body issues, and news flash: us "skinny" girls face them, too. I'm a size 00, and you think I don't look in the mirror and wish I had more curves? And I have trouble finding jeans that fit me right too, lady! Do you know how frustrating it is when you can hardly buy anything without having to get it tailored? Do you know how embarrassing it is to buy dress pants for a job interview from the juniors department? You may read this and say that my problems aren't problems, but don't judge a person until you've walked a mile in their shoes, remember? We each have our own unique struggles!

So I guess what I am trying to get at is that 0 is a size. It's my size, and many others' as well. I understand it's not the "average," but I already have enough body image issues without being told my size shouldn't even exist. What Sophia Bush is sticking up for is a noble cause, and kudos to her! But don't promote "loving your own body" if you're going to make us little girls feel less than welcome to join along. If I want to be fit, healthy AND a size 00, then that is the size I feel comfortable with and I'm not going to feel guilty about it!

Quarter-Life Crisis: The Ramblings of a College Senior

Well, it's been a while since I have posted....a very long time, actually. Once summer school was over, the fall semester started up very quickly! My sorority had recruitment in our beautiful new house, football season began, and my senior year classes are already overwhelming me! It is crazy to me that it is already the middle of September. Time has been flying so fast, I have been having so much fun, and I know that it is going to be Christmas before I know it!

So I went to church on Sunday at Sacred Heart Cathedral, close to campus. The priest's homily gave me a lot of food for thought in terms of what is going on in my life right now, so I figured it would make a good blog post!

Recently, I feel as though I have been going through somewhat of a "quarter-life crisis". Yes, I realize I am only twenty-one. What could possibly be causing this "quarter-life crisis" I am referring to? What problems could I possibly have?

Well, here's number one: I am staring out at the horizon, looking at my glorious future...except the only problem is I lost my glasses, my contacts are old, and it's foggy outside so I can't see a dang thing. Each phase in life I have known where I would be going. After elementary school, I would go to middle school. After middle school, I would go to high school. After high school, I would join the family and attend the greatest university in the United States...the almighty University of Tennessee, in the glorious city of Knoxville...but I digress...

So here I am, a senior in college, and I am realizing that I have absolutely no idea what is going to happen. Where will I live? Where will my friends go? When will I get married? Where will I work? When will I have children? Are my best friends and I actually going to live on the same street, and will our children all be best friends, and will they marry each other one day so that we can all be in-laws like we have so earnestly planned....? It's all very stressful.

Yes, of course it is exciting! Part of me cannot wait to walk across that stage in May and accept my diploma and enter into the world of adulthood. But at the same time, it is absolutely horrifying...and the other part of me wants to run home and have my mom buy me a Halloween costume and eat my dad's chili before heading out for a night of trick-or-treating with my brothers and neighborhood friends. (I know that there are some T-Swift haters out there, but she knows exactly how I am feeling in her song "Twenty-Two". It's miserable and magical, oh yeah.)

Recently I have been seeing people who seem to have their futures unfolding...engagements, jobs, babies, you name it! And even though I am sure they are as overwhelmed as me, I can't help but sit here and wonder where I'll eventually fit.

So bringing it back to the homily from this past Sunday. He was talking about the "lost," and we read the Parable of the Prodigal Son. He discussed different ways of becoming "lost" from our faith. Sometimes we become so preoccupied with school work, studying for exams, group projects, boyfriends, friends, our jobs, sorority functions, football games, interviews, job fairs, worrying about our futures...everything that my life seems to be consisting of at this point. I have gotten so caught up in everything that I have had going on, that it has a left a void. I assume that if I can "just get that job," or "just get that dress," or "just go on that trip," that these things will fill that void and I will finally be happy. When in reality, what will fill my void is simply happiness in just "being". He said that we must try and fill that absence with our faith. After mass, I sat and thought about what the priest had said. I have thought more about it as the week has gone on, and after an awesome talk today with my best friend Lauren, I have finally figured out what I am going to do. Every day, I am going to try and fill this void with hope and faith. Hope and faith that my future will turn out how it is supposed to be. Hope and faith that everything will happen when it is supposed to, even though I am incredibly anxious. And hope and faith that my senior year will be a year that I cherish with my friends and family, one that I will look back on with no regrets, just happiness.

Don't you love it when stuff like that happens? It was like he was talking to me! I know that it is going to be a struggle, but I definitely want to give it a try.

But anyways, this is just a random Rachel ramble....love the alliteration, right? I don't get much time for writing in all of my accounting classes, so my blog is where I can get a little creative.

Easy Chicken Caesar Wrap!

Here is a super easy, super quick, and super yummy dinner for one (or more if your friends get jealous)! 

Total time it took me to prepare this meal: 20 minutes or less..No joke!

Here's what you need:

- Thin Sliced Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

(It doesn't HAVE to be thin sliced, but it's much easier to cook)

- Romaine Lettuce

- Lite Caesar Dressing

- Shredded Parmesan Cheese

- Tortillas

- Olive Oil

I warmed up my non-stick skillet for about 5 minutes, and then added olive oil. I do not have any specific measurements for really anything that I cook, so I just "eye-ball" it. You only need enough to cook one piece of chicken, so definitely don't go overboard. A little bit is plenty! I let the olive oil warm up for about the same amount of time. 

Next, I threw a slice of chicken over in the skillet, and let it sizzle away! It doesn't take much to cook through these thinly sliced pieces, so make sure you keep an eye on them. I would say I let each side cook for about 3 - 4 minutes.

( To add a little bit of flavor, I threw some salt and pepper on the chicken as I cooked it. )

Once the chicken was done, I cut it up into thin slices/pieces. 

Next, I threw the chicken pieces, lettuce, parmesan and caesar dressing into a large freezer bag. I shook it all up, adding in more dressing as I saw fit! 

And as hilarious as this is going to sound, I got so excited about trying it out that I scooped it out onto a tortilla, wrapped it up and started chowing down before I realized I had forgotten to take a picture! But I think you get the idea...

The beauty part about this meal is that it can be cooked for one person. I have noticed that this issue becomes a problem being in college. I want to eat yummy food, but I do not want to make a large meal when it is only me eating it! I only used one slice of chicken out of the package, so I put the rest of the slices into those large freezer bags and threw them into the freezer to keep for the rest of the week! 

It was super easy, super cheap, and pretty scrumptious if I do say so myself!

Here We Go!

First post, here we go!

Hi everyone! I decided to start this blog because, honestly, I am bored and it seemed like a fun idea...

No, but in all seriousness, I'm starting my senior year in college a little early by attending summer school, and what better way to procrastinate school work than to try to get a blog up and running? (Did I just say senior year in college? Oh, bless.)

A little bit about me...I am majoring in accounting with a collateral in finance, and it's about as fun as it sounds. But I have always been good with math and reasoning, and accounting is a lot like trying to fit together pieces of a puzzle. It is definitely a challenging major, but it will definitely be worth the struggle once I (hopefully, fingers crossed!) have a nice job when I graduate. 

I work part time in retail to help pay my way through college. I have lived a very blessed life, but college has taught me the meaning of the word "struggle". I am very lucky that my parents help me, but unfortunately going to college is kind of like a very long, expensive trip. 

About my blog...

I have decided that I am going to dedicate my blog to various subjects. I want to write about my family, friends, experiences, ideas, and anything in between. Hopefully my blog can give some other poor college girls some ideas and inspiration! 

Check out my "Little Ole' Me" page to learn more about me! Now it's time for class...wish me luck!