Rain Rain Go Away

Is anyone else sick of all this rain?! I really hate wet feet, wet hair, wet pants... It just isn't fun. As Lane would say, "April shower bring May flowers", and "you need gross days to appreciate the good ones." I like her optimism, but at this point... I just want the sun to stay out!

Yesterday I had my interview in Ann Arbor. The entire drive there was rainy, but when we arrived in Ann Arbor it was sunny and warm (almost hot!) It stayed sunny and warm the whole time we were there and then the clouds came back on the way home. What a nice break :) 

A Summit Wedding

The weekend in CO is almost over...here's some pics from my weekend.

Driving up into high country. This is on the way to Copper:

Tubing with Andrea, Jeff, and some of the wedding party after the rehearsal:

Such a cute picture! Those are their dogs, Oliver and Breezy. They were in the wedding :)

Purple sparkly shoes! She had a pair of purple converses too that had their wedding date printed on them!

Gearing up for snowboarding! She couldn't bend over in her dress so Lexie had to put her socks on for her:

My cousin, Amy, and I waiting the wedding party to come down the mountain. This is on the balcony of the reception venue, which looked out over Copper.

Here comes the bride!

Andrea and Jeff walking into the reception. Such a beautiful couple :)

More pics are on my facebook page if you want to see! 

Coffee

I have to have at least one cup of coffee every day. Most of the time my cravings come because:

1) I'm sleep deprived 

2) I need motivation and energy, or 

3) I get headaches when I don't have it. 

But, sometimes I crave coffee even when I don't have these annoying symptoms. Sometimes I need it just to get through a boring class, or to accompany me on a long car ride, because it tends to "make everything better." However, I usually drink a cup of coffee in about ten minutes, and then it's gone and I'm left feeling the same way I did before, but with $2-5 less in my bank account. I know I'm not alone in this situation. So, here's my question... has coffee become a "need" because it's delicious and warm and people have discovered that it provides energy, or because marketing has created an emotion attached to coffee? 

The interior of Biggby and Starbucks locations both have unique design and features, but they both inspire feelings of comfort, safeness, coziness, and intimacy. It's where we go to get out of the rain and read a book, it's where we go to hold meetings or to catch up with friends, but most importantly, it's where we go to relax with a cup of joe. Being a marketing major, I know that marketers sell emotion. It's one of the biggest ways to attract a customer and to keep them coming back. Coffee chains have done a great job of creating and selling emotion. Even if we don't have a moment to go enjoy the comfort of a coffee shop on a rainy day, the feeling of holding the cup in our hands has become a comfort zone. Going to the location and smelling the fresh brews and the velvetized milk, and then getting your own cup to carry around with you and hold provides enjoyment and happiness...even if it's only for ten minutes.

I know that not everyone falls into the trap. Many people don't drink coffee, some only drink it in the morning to wake up, and others make their own and don't fall into the cycle of purchasing a certain brand. However, I think many people can relate to the feeling of having a purchased cup of coffee in their hand that somebody else made. It just feels good, and somehow the coffee I could make at home, the same espresso, and the same milk I could buy, tastes ten times better. It's all about the logo and the brand. That's good positioning...and that's good marketing.

Colorado

I'm leaving for Colorado early Thursday morning to go to my cousins wedding! This is going to be a much needed break, and I can't wait to be back in the beautiful mountains and away from the stress of school.

When I was looking through my CO pics from two summers ago I stumbled across this one... I love this picture. I can't believe I actually climbed a 14,000 foot mountain, and lived! I hope I never stop traveling, exploring, and trying new things. It's always worth it! 

Adios Michigan.

<3

The First Post

I have been inspired to start blogging. Kaleigh showed me a blog that her friend's sister writes. I have no idea who she is, but I creepily enjoy it when Kaleigh reads me her posts. I decided that it makes sense for me to have one too. I love to write and I once in a while I have a few interesting thoughts to share :) I decided to call it "The Bitter and the Sweet" because graduating from college is going to bring a lot of changes my way. While change is fun, new, exciting, it's also very difficult, frustrating, and challenging ...it's bittersweet. So, here it is! Enjoy :)

Me and Kaleigh