About Me Section

My name is Darla Pitts and I am a senior at UNA in Florence, AL. I am a hardcore Auburn fan (even though they were HORRIBLE this past season!) until the day I die! I only have one semester left of college before graduation. I only lack 6 hours or 2 classes to graduate and I am beyond excited but scared at the same time to enter in the real world as a "grown up"! This social media class I am currently enrolled in is a lot of fun and very interesting. I have learned a lot more than I ever expected coming into this course and I plan to take everything I learned with me as I try to get a good job in this downward spiraling, ever-changing economy.

Dead Car Battery

I have owned my Nissan Xterra for almost three years now. It is a 2010 model and only has about 35,000 miles on it. This being said, you wouldn’t think much would be going wrong with the automobile since it’s not old and is in fairly good condition. However, I learned differently this past week.

My Marketing Management class is the only class I have face-to-face on campus this semester. We ended up finishing the class a little early so this past Thursday was our last class day.

This was a class that I knew under no circumstances I could afford to miss. I decided to leave early for class that morning just to make sure I got a parking spot and made class on time versus potentially being late. As I get in my car and try to start it, my car makes an awful screechy/scratchy noise- MY CAR WAS DEAD!

I being to panic remembering that my roommate is already in class and my neighbors already left for work. Then, I realize that Thursdays are the days my brother doesn’t have class until the afternoon. So I reluctantly call my brother, wake him up, and beg him to come over and jump my car off. He is half asleep but decides to be the best brother in the world and drive over to my house and, instead of jumping me off and taking the risk of it not starting again once I leave school, agrees to let me temporarily borrow his car and return it after class.

Luckily, I made it to class on time. After class was over I went to my brother’s house to pick up my car and see that my brother is still asleep. I felt bad for waking him up earlier so I did something I almost never do- I TRIED SOMETHING NEW! I had paid pretty close attention when he jumped my car off earlier that day and decided I would try my best to do it by myself instead of waking him up. Needless to say, IT WAS A SUCCESS!

I drove my car straight to the Nissan dealership to get a $100 new battery installed so I could make it back to Madison without any problems. I just wonder why the car battery died in the first place since no lights were left on or anything to drain the battery, so I’m still not exactly sure what caused it. I’m just happy it’s fixed and I ultimately made my last class on time!

Honeymoon DISASTER!

Although the wedding was gorgeous, Natalie’s honeymoon was a VERY different story. Natalie and Ben had booked a flight and reservations to the other side of the world- St. Lucia! This was their dream honeymoon and they spent accordingly; every last dime of their savings they spent on this trip, but they thought it to be well worth the memories. They could have never been more wrong.

After the wedding, the new couple hopped on a plane just as excited as they could be. They had the whole trip planned out with a packed itinerary for every day full of fun adventures and sightseeing. They get there in St. Lucia and have just enough time to rest off their jet lag before Natalie starts feeling ill. My sister began to have terrible stomach pains and got to where she couldn’t even eat which made her even weaker. She ended up in bed the WHOLE TRIP! Poor Ben stayed in the room with her constantly like a good husband. Natalie thought about going to the Emergency room but tried to stick it out until they got back home. She was pretty sure she had ulcers in her stomach.

They took their first flight back to Miami where they were supposed to catch another flight to Birmingham from which they would drive back to Madison. But that didn’t work out and Natalie found herself in the Miami hospital still extremely far away from home because she was in so much pain she couldn’t even walk onto the plane! The hospital admitted her for THREE days and still did not find the problem.

When they finally arrived back home, they thought the nightmare of a honeymoon was over just to find out that insurance wouldn’t pay for her E.R. visit and that they would have to pay out of pocket- lots of money they didn’t have! Needless to say, I have never heard such a horror story of a honeymoon in my life! They are still trying to catch up on their finances but they say they want to redo it the right way in a few years! I sure hope it goes better next time around!

Natalie's Wedding: A Success!

So, my sister Natalie got married November 10^th in Pisgah, Alabama. Haven’t heard of it? Neither had I. It was basically in the middle of nowhere, but that made it all the more beautiful. Her wedding was breathtaking and the ceremony went fairly smooth minus a 4 year old flower girl meltdown right before going down the aisle! Even the food was amazing; my favorite part was the mini s’mores bar where you could toast your marshmallows yourself!

After the dinner, the guys shot off fireworks as my sister and her new husband drove off happily ever after. Natalie had purchased a ton of fireworks right after the 4^th of July this year when they were dirt cheap; it made a beautiful show!

The whole wedding party stayed in these huge cabins all close to each other in the middle of nowhere. I never realized how bright the stars can get out in the country where there is not a street light for miles and miles! It reminded me how much the Huntsville area has grown since I can remember being able to see the stars like that 20 years ago!

All in all, the wedding was a lot of fun and my sister is happy and that is all that matters! I am so happy for her!

My Sister is Getting Married in a WEEK!

So, everyone that knows me knows I'm not a huge fan of weddings. However, my sister is getting married in a little over a week and I'm stoked! I have only attended a few weddings in my entire life and I have definitely never been a PART of the wedding. This time, I am.

 

When my sister asked me to be one of her bridesmaids, I reluctantly said "yes". However, I had no idea what I was getting myself into! Recently, I have learned that accepting the invitation to be a bridesmaid automatically means you are accepting many responsibilities that come along with it. Showers to throw, gifts to buy, planning to do... the list keeps going! It's a pressuring, stressful, yet exciting job all at once!

 

My main concern is making sure I do not let my sister down. I already failed to attend her bachelorette party in Nashville last weekend because I had so much homework that I just simply didn't have time. My sister, Natalie, is getting married November 10th and I want to make sure she has the best wedding a girl could ever dream of! I really need to make it up to her and step my game up when it comes to helping out at the wedding. I have been putting school in front of so many important events/people lately, I need to make sure that day is all about her- NO excuses!

P.S.- here is a photo of her ring... isn't it beautiful?! :)

I Think I Hit That Lady's Car...

 Two days ago I was leaving Panera Bread in Madison after eating a nice lunch with my mom when I got in an accident. A small one, but an accident.

I was sitting at a red light with one car in front of me waiting to turn right. She started to hit the gas and seemed to start pulling out so I started going and looked to my left to observe traffic when... BOOM! I hit her bumper with my car! It all happened so fast that I was just in shock for a good 20 seconds or so. Finally, I got out of the car, asked the lady if she was okay, and started to assess the damage. The front of my Xterra was practically scratch-free, but the bumper of her car had a few scratches and cracked paint. We decided to move our cars to the nearest parking lot to where we weren't blocking traffic to discuss the situation some more. That's when we discovered we had not only the same insurance company, but the same agent as well. We got each other's information and decided we would be in touch.

Later that night, her husband called my dad to tell him that he thought his wife would not only need a new bumper, but possibly new shocks- Oh, and the frame might be messed up as well! Ok, I completely accept responsibility for the accident, but I BARELY hit that lady's car! There is NO WAY it could have that much damage with a simple bump! Plus, her car seemed brand new and well made. My dad responded with, "Just get an estimate". It really seems to me that these people are really trying to take advantage of the situation and get more money than the damage is worth. They have yet to call us back with an estimate, but when they do I can guarantee it will be expensive!

Online Classes

I got lucky with my schedule for classes this semester. I really like taking online courses but at the same time, there would be no point in me paying for a place to live in Florence if all of my classes were online; I could be living at home for free with my parents in Madison. So my schedule ended up consisting of 3 online courses and one face-to-face class, which I was happy with. This schedule has worked out really well for me so far this semester with the one on campus class giving me a bit more structure and reminding me not to fall behind.

At the beginning of last week, my on campus teacher announced he would be going to China to teach for several weeks. This meant our class would change to online temporarily until he returned. Needless to say, I was super stoked that I didn’t have to be anywhere any certain time- that I could be halfway across the world If I wanted to and still get my work done. Well, it has only been a week and I feel like I have begun to slack off, forgetting about small assignments and due dates. My time has not been managed well. I’m especially afraid that when my teacher returns from China and we have to return to campus, that it will seem like much more a struggle than before, although I’m really hoping this is not the case. I will definitely remember this situation when I schedule classes for next semester! It seemed like such a great idea to begin with… not anymore!

Caviar Nails

I came across the coolest idea for nails in a long time; it’s called “caviar nails”. The reason for the name is because when you are done with your manicure your nails resemble fish eggs! (Sounds gross, I know). But it is actually very pretty and cool looking! This is what the finished product looks like:

 

The “fish eggs” are actually microbeads that have been sprinkled over a base coat of polish. The way to achieve this look is as easy as 1,2,3! First, apply a base coat of polish (a color that matches your microbeads you will later apply). Second, twist a piece of paper into a cone shape and pour your microbeads down the funnel onto the desired nails. Third, press the microbeads down gently with your fingertip and finally apply a top coat to keep it in place! What makes this look even cooler is that you can buy these microbeads for extremely cheap either on ebay or I just went to my local craft store Michaels and bought several colors for just a few bucks! Now I can play around with a variety of colors and designs and not have to worry about having to run out and buy some more since the packs I bought will do my nails many times over. Some people may think this look is ugly but I think it’s creative!



Gross Snacks

My boyfriend Troy has two huge dogs- one Japanese Akita and one bull mastiff that weigh 120lbs and 150 lbs. They look quite intimidating but they are secret sweethearts. For the past several weeks they have been oddly barking at the grill in the front yard as they circled and smelled it. Troy looked inside the grill to see if there was an animal trapped inside or figure out what was triggering them to act that way but found nothing. The dogs continued to bark at the grill for several weeks. It was kind of hilarious, actually.

Finally, one day this past week Troy had had enough of the barking and opened the grill and removed the racks to find a whole FAMILY of MICE!!! I was on the other side of the backyard at this point so I had no idea what he had found but Troy was freaking out which made me freak out! The parent mice fled the scene and the babies were left behind. The dogs started going insane; the Akita ate them, the Bull Mastiff just gulped them like a quick snack! Even thinking about it now makes me sick to my stomach so if you're reading this and feel sick, I apologize! Just something out of the ordinary that happened this past week, that's all. Here is a photo of the culprits:

My Sister's Fairytale

Several months ago, my older sister’s (Natalie) boyfriend proposed to her! They had been dating for a few years and fell madly in love.  They set the wedding for October 10^th and Natalie has been wedding planning ever since. My sister is very much into fashion and loves being creative, so naturally, she is living for her wedding and enjoying every step of the planning process in the mean time.

Natalie has not always been the self confident outgoing person she is now. About two years ago, she underwent gastric bypass surgery and lost over 100 lbs! This stemmed from being overweight her whole life but eventually it became a serious health issue and the surgery seemed to be her only remaining option at the time. The surgery was not only a success, her results are nothing short of a miracle. Since the surgery, Natalie has come out of her shell, made new friends, picked up healthier hobbies, and ultimately fell in love with a nice man named Ben that treats her the way she deserves to be treated.

Natalie’s engagement was the icing on the cake. She was even lucky enough to be able to design her own ring (which is GORGEOUS)! Natalie and Ben were eventually chosen to be featured in our hometown’s (Madison) magazine called Madison Living magazine! The couple went for a 50’s theme and Natalie enjoyed every moment channeling Maralyn Monroe, her idol. The magazine chose them to be occupy a several page spread instead of a single page that every other couple received.

 

The story of Natalie’s life is a real life fairy tale and she is truly an inspiration whom I admire and look up to as a role model. I love my sister and she deserves everything positive that has happened to her. <3

Momma Banana Spider Continued!

It has only been a week since my last post and I have a very interesting update on the infamous momma banana spider!

I went back over to my friend’s house 3 different times since my last post. The first time I visited, we noticed the lady spider (last time I checked, non-pregnant spider) was HUGE again! This time, even BIGGER than before when she was pregnant at her biggest! Her legs were even longer; she seemed like she had a mini growth spurt or something.

Anyway, my first guess was that she was pregnant again, but we immediately disregarded that assumption since it had only been less than a week since she was last laying her eggs. My friend and I came to the conclusion that she must have grown simply from eating a lot considering my friend feeds it moths off his front porch pretty often (ew, I know).

The second time I visited, we went to go check on Ms. banana spider only to find ANOTHER huge egg sack!!! We were in disbelief... twice in one week?! Here is what her new egg sack looked like:

 

This girl was working hard at having babies! As much as I hate insects, it was really hard seeing that egg sack knowing my friend would eventually have to destroy it just like the last one. Anyway, the third and final time I visited, the time had come. My friend was afraid if he waited any longer, they would hatch and take over his porch where his kids play. So he decided instead of smashing it with a shovel like last time, he would cut it open with a knife to actually see what the inside looked like...boys, sigh.

 

As weird as it sounds, I personally think that is a really cool picture and I'm glad I got to capture it to show all of you. What we found was amazing! There was a bright red colored webbing that made up a sack within the outside sack. Inside of that, there were hundreds of bright yellow colored eggs! It was very interesting; definitely not what I expected.

I also just got word that Ms. Banana spider is currently back down to her regular weight and size. I really hope she doesn't decide to get pregnant again or else I will have to convince my friend to relocate her somehow because I am definitely not getting close to that thing! I guess we will see what happens...

Momma Banana Spider

This past month, I have been keeping up with a spider I found in my friend's front yard garden. I first found it about a month ago when I came over to hang out. It scared the life out of me as I spotted it to my left in the garden as I walked up my friend's font porch. It was a huge yellow scary looking spider; a kind I have never seen before. I told my friend about it and we were quickly intrigued. I quickly researched it on my phone and figured out it is a garden spider commonly referred to as a "banana spider". This is what it looked like:

It became a ritual of checking on the spider every time I came over to my friend's house after that. I started referring to it as our "pet". My friend would even feed it moths sometimes. So when I saw the spider about a week later and it was really fat, I just thought it was because it was eating well. Little did I know, the banana spider was pregnant! This is what she looked like pregnant (look at the difference in size!):

About a week after that is when we actually came to the realization that she was pregnant, not just fat. The way we knew this was because she had not only returned to her natural size, but she had laid a HUGE egg sack with millions of babies! Check out how big its egg sack was (compare it to the size of the spider):

As much as I hate spiders, it was really cool to witness the life cycle of this momma banana spider. I am sorry to say, but this story has a sad ending... my friend had to destroy the egg sack with a shovel so his kids wouldn't have to worry about getting bit by tons of baby spiders every time they walked up the front porch. Needless to say, the momma spider still lives there to this day.

CatDog: My First Pet

I have never owned a pet in my life. My family has always had one pet cat but we have never owned any dogs. About 3 years ago I decided I was finally able to take on the responsibility of owning my own pet. A friend of mine was getting rid of a puppy that I fell in love with, but when I decided to commit she had already promised the dog to someone else. Needless to say, I was devastated.

At this point in time, I lived in Auburn. Another friend of mine knew I was in the market for a pet so he let me know he had found an abandoned kitten that had already been neutered, declawed in the front, and potty trained. Even though I had previously had my heart set on a dog, I told my friend to bring the kitten over to my house. As soon as I laid eyes on the cat I was in love! To make it even better, my friend informed me this was no ordinary cat; not only did the cat have dog tendencies, but he knew how to FETCH! This, to me, is the best of both worlds- having a cat that acts like a dog.

How could anyone ever neglect such an awesome cat? I ended up naming him Fitters (odd, I know). Over the last 3 years, Fitters has become like a best friend I never had but always wanted. We play fetch quite often; he chases the ball, picks it up in his mouth, totes it back to me and drops it at my feet. He also begs for table food just like a dog my meowing at different weird pitches. Every time I use the restroom he has to watch the toilet flush. (I have been thinking about purchasing the kit that teaches your cat how to use the toilet and flush but I just haven’t gotten around to it yet). Those are just a few examples of his dog-like behavior.

In the end, I couldn’t have asked for a better pet. And the fact that I rescued him makes him even more special. He is the sweetest loving animal that acts appreciative for everything he has. I know one thing for sure- I will always be appreciative of him! <3