ONE YEAR RAW ANNIVERSARY PARTY

My 1 year raw anniversary party was a success.

A couple people slept over the night before because they live pretty far away and we were all at my friend's awesome party until a little after 1am the night before. As soon as I woke up, I started cutting and preparing the fruit. My friend's woke up and immediately started helping. My cousin came over and started making the kiwi people. One of my other friends came over early to help prepare everything as well. Preparing and creating the food was the best part!!!

We had lots of giant bowls of chopped fruit including perfectly ripe strawberries, extremely sweet pineapple, and juicy ripe oranges. There were also grapes, cherries, blackberries and blueberries. My cousin made a watermelon shark and my friend made a watermelon catfish. There were veggie platters with delicious guacamole (avocado, tomato, cilantro, lemon) and dill dip. Not to mention, there was a zucchini pasta dish with raw marinara sauce. Tim made a yummy corn salad with corn, sage, basil, tomatoes, avocado, and lemon. Another friend brought a kale salad and a vitamix to make smoothies. My cousin made a smoothie wheel for fun. There were a lot of people who had a green smoothie for their first time!!! They were all sketched out at first and quickly admitted to loving it!!! I also made two delicious pies, both 80/10/10! One was a banana-carob-mint pie with a date crust and the other was a mango pie with bananas with a date crust. They were both scarfed down very quickly and the mango pie is still being talked about!!!





















I never had a set ending time for the party... I just let it go until it naturally died down. After everyone was FULL of food, they couldn't stop PLAYING with food. It was great. We moved outside and started a fire. After a while we went inside and everyone helped me clean up! Then I asked if anyone wanted banana icecream... a few people were a little skeptical, wondering how I could possibly make banana icecream. There was some naysaying going on!!! I made everyone a bowl and they were ecstatic and quickly asked for more!!! It was a big hit and a nice ending to the day.

After the icecream, a bunch of people swam in the pool and hung out in the hottub. We ended up staying by the fire until around 11:30pm. Everyone wanted to sleep over and stay longer but unfortunately a few things came up. The fact that it was so late and the party was still going was awesome!!!

You know a party is awesome when you go on facebook and everyone's status is about how awesome the party was!!! Many people told me that I inspired them to eat more fruit and create new things. The brothers who spent the night the night before were 100% raw the whole day! I was proud and they were psyched!!!

It was an amazing party. Everyone keeps asking when my next party is!!! I can't wait to do this again. I've made it over a year on fruits and veggies and i've never been happier in my life!!!

GRADUATION

The last couple weeks have been absolutely incredible.

I feel like I am on another level.

Yesterday was my graduation. It was a dream.

It took place in the Grand Old Opry. I go (went?) to an art school so our graduation is a tad bit different from normal graduations. Scratch that, they are COMPLETELY different, like night and day!

I attended Father Ryan for my first 2 years of high school. It is a private Catholic school. I went to private Catholic school my whole life until junior year of high school, when i transferred to the school of the arts. It was a hard decision and I wasn't sure if i made the right choice. It is true that i fit in better at NSA, but at the same time I missed the people who I grew up with. For both years I went to NSA, I kept wondering if I should have stayed at FRHS. I just had many mixed emotions.

Last night was the reason I went to NSA. I incredibly glad that I transferred! Graduation depicted the essence of Nashville school of the arts. Normal graduations are usually strict and boring. Ours was different. Ours was RoWdY and very fun! We had a couple AMAZING dance performances, spoken word theater skits, and lots of music and singing. There was also a slideshow of artwork on the large screens by the stage. The pop ensemble was absolutely amazing! It was truly a celebration! It was a SHOW! Everyone was getting up and dancing, clapping, and shouting. The speeches were pretty funny and it was really laid back. I was so giddy... so high... I was dreaming. It was like a hallucination!

NSA: where the boys are girlish and the girls are boyish. A place where people are dancing through the hallways. A place where kids break out into song in the middle of class, even in the moment of silence. A place where kids are playing their instruments throughout the school and where artwork is hung up in every direction. A place where you can be who you are, even if it is considered "weird" to society. NSA is like no other place. I am very thankful for the lessons i have learned, experiences that i had, and the friendships that I made. It treated me well.

So... I'm a high school graduate. UNREAL. What happens next???



THANK YOU SO MUCH to the people who came to my graduation! (and all of you who have supported me along the way!)

Mahala, my best friend at NSA (congrats girl! i couldnt have done this without you!)


Hannah, my beautiful and amazing cousin. She has been here for me since day one. I never thought my cousin could also be a best friend! I love you.


Ms. Poole.... my art teacher! Thanks for everything. I couldn't have survived NSA without being in the art room for HOURS everyday!


Max... what can i say.... you have been there for me, always. climbing... school... life experiences... SPRING BREAK! I love you, man.


my parents, OF COURSE, thank you so much for supporting me... wow... thinking about this made me just tear up!


Brandi Diane Colorigh, my best friend at FRHS. Thanks for everything. I couldn't have survived FRHS without you!!!


Josh... my best friend.... my brother.... i would be no where without you. Thanks for teaching me about climbing and about life. You mean the world to me!


Steve and Nicole.... for getting me into raw foods! You guys changed me life. Completely. I owe you so much! Thanks for everything, guys... i love you!

update update!

WOW, it's May already? Where has the time gone!?

5 days of high school left... how crazy is that? When I think about it I get the chills. Images from the past 4 years race through my head. Am I really GRADUATING?




SENIOR WEEK

Last week was senior week. On Wednesday, we went to Shoney's for a senior breakfast. I got a pancake with sausage and eggs on the side........... haha. Just kidding.... I ate 9 bananas before I went! (most of them were blended in a banana smoothie.) Then I left, went climbing at the gym, and headed back to my 2 art classes to finish my portfolio.

On Thursday we had the senior picnic. They catered hamburgers, hotdogs, mac N cheese, and beans cooked in pork fat! YUMMY!!! I ate 6 mangos instead. =)

Friday was senior skip day! I was supposed to go camping with my friends but it was POURING so we ended up having a little party at my house. We stayed in the apartment above my garage and it was a lot of fun!!!




I will post pics later.