Thoughts & Prayers for Tornado Victims

You have no doubt by now heard about the devastating tornadoes that have ripped through the South - you may have even experienced some of the strong storms yourself.

Photo Source: Michelle Campbell, Birmingham News
We hope all of you, your family and your friends are safe and sound. Our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone affected by these terrible storms.

How to Help
As relief efforts begin, the Red Cross is asking for donations to help provide shelter and assistance to storm victims in the hardest hit areas.

To make a donation to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief, visit their online donation page.

You can also call 1-800-RED-CROSS or text "REDCROSS" to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

The Salvation Army Emergency Disaster Services is another organization assisting tornado victims throughout the South, mobilizing feeding units and providing support where needed.

To donate to the Salvation Army's tornado disaster response, visit www.salvationarmyusa.org, click on their donation page and designate "April 2011 Tornado Outbreak."

You can also call 1-800-SAL-ARMY and donors can text "GIVE" to 80888 to make a $10 donation. Checks can be made out to the Salvation Army Disaster Relief, P.O. Box 100339, Atlanta, Ga., 30384-0339.

Please be safe as the storms continue to make their way east and north up the East Coast. And please keep everyone in your thoughts and prayers as the recovery begins.

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Tailgate Recipe: Egg Salad and Cheese Quesadillas

What to do with all of those leftover dyed Easter eggs in your fridge? How about trying out a new egg-cellent recipe. :)

We found this interesting (and yummy) sounding recipe from website Kalyn's Kitchen. Might not exactly work for a tailgate, but these would be delicious for a game viewing party at home.

**And just a friendly reminder, eggs that have been unrefrigerated for more than 2 hours are probably not be safe to eat. However, hard-boiled eggs will keep safely in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Egg Salad and Cheese Quesadillas
(makes 4 quesadillas)

4 hard boiled eggs
4 small size flour tortillas ( can substitute with whole wheat or low carb
tortillas if desired)
olive oil or non-stick spray for spraying tortillas and pan
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
2 tblsp mayo or light mayo
1 1/2 tblsp finely chopped green onion
1/2 tsp. Spike Seasoning (optional, or use other seasonings of your choice)
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup finely grated cheese (suggestion: the grocery store's prepackaged Mexican blend of four cheeses)

How to Prepare
Peel and cut hard boiled eggs into pieces about 1/2 inch. Mix eggs with Dijon, mayonnaise, chopped green onion, and Spike seasoning. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Spray or brush olive oil on frying pan and on bottom side of tortillas. Spread egg salad mixture on half of each tortilla, not going clear to the edge so it doesn't fall out while quesadillas are cooking. Top egg mixture with 1 tblsp grated cheese, then fold the tortilla to make a half-moon shaped quesadilla.

Heat frying pan over medium-high heat, then cook quesadillas about 3-4 minutes per side, or until cheese is melted and they are slightly browned. Serve hot, with salsa on the side if desired.
SOURCE: Recipe and all photos in this post are from Kalyn's Kitchen.

There you have it...an easy and delicious recipe to recycle your Easter eggs. This recipe includes a very simple egg salad mixture, but spice up the recipe and try a more adventurous recipe -- a simple search online for 'egg salad recipe' will give you a LOT of options to choose from.

Do you have a staple recipe you use your Easter eggs for each year? Share them with us by emailing us at clemsongirlblog@gmail.com.

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Anna's Monday Sports Recap

Hi ladies!!

The spring season in many sports is drawing to a close, and this past week both the Clemson track and field team and the men’s golf team participated in their respective ACC tournaments.

The women’s track and field placed first in the ACC this weekend in Durham for the fourth straight year. Ranked number 5 in the nation, they scored a school record 202 points and won seven event championships. Sophomore star Stormy Kendrick won the 100 meter and 200 meter dash events. Not to be forgotten, the Clemson men had their best finish since 2008, finishing fourth.

Photo Source: clemsontigers.com
Meanwhile, the Clemson golf team placed third in the ACC Tournament and scored a team total of 861. Sophomore Crawford Reeves scored a career-best five under par 67 to lead the way for the Tigers. Georgia Tech and Duke finished ahead of the Tigers respectively. It should be noted that coming into the tournament, Clemson was ranked 6th in the ACC, but outdid the teams ranked above them- UVA, NCSU, and WF- this weekend.

Clemson baseball toppled UGA in Athens 5-2 on Wednesday, earning a sweep of the Bulldogs on the season. The Tigers beat Wake Forest at home in 2 games out of 3 this weekend. In the first game of the series against Wake Forest, sophomore pitcher Dominic Leone was most impressive, throwing for 8 scoreless innings and 10 strikeouts. Clemson improved to 25-14 on the season and 11-10 in the ACC.

This upcoming week, Clemson takes on Furman at home on Tuesday at 6:30pm before gearing up for some more critical ACC action down the stretch when they take on the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in a three game home series this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

In other notable news, The Football Writers Association of America has ranked Clemson in the top 11 for the best sports information departments in the country. The Tigers were just the 5th team to repeat the honor from 2010, joining Georgia, Rutgers, University of Southern California, and Utah.

Athlete of the Week: Stormy Kendrick

Stormy Kendrick is a girl on a mission! The sophomore track and field athlete hails from Gastonia, NC and the underclassman already ranks first in Clemson history in the 100 meter dash, third in the 60 meter dash, eighth in the 200 meter dash, and 10th in the 200 meter dash. Kendrick won the International World Junior championships in both the 200 meter dash and 4x100 meter relay this past year. This makes her only the second Clemson female in history to place at the event. Last year, she was named the ACC Outdoor Freshman of the Year. Kendrick is majoring in health science at Clemson.

Photo Source: clemsontigers.com

Hope everyone had a wonderful Easter weekend!! Check back next Monday for this upcoming week’s Clemson sports update. Go Tigers!!
-Anna
Follow me on Twitter: @annahick

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Clemson Gameday Look: Picnic in the Park

Get the look:

• Koinobori Purple Tank - Anthropologie, $78
  
• Women's Mid-Rise Denim Capris - Old Navy, $32.50
  
• Women's Floral Cotton Scarf in your hair - Land's End Canvas, $29.50
  
• Canvas Shield Sandal in Orange - GoJane.com, $14.30
  
• Ragtop Stripe Canvas Tote - Land's End Canvas, $16.99
  
• Ombre Round-frame Sunglasses - Charlotte Russe, $5.50
  
• Multi Wire Hoop Earrings - Charlotte Russe, $4
  
• Twisted Drop-chain Necklace - Charlotte Russe, $7.50
  
• Purple Agate Hinge Bracelet - Charlotte Russe, $12.50

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Anna's Monday Sports Recap

Hello everyone!!

This week in Clemson sports was highlighted by the baseball team beating Boston College in a three game sweep in Boston. The Tigers won 9-2, 7-5, and 9-2. The Tigers improved to 9-9 in the ACC on the season. On Wednesday, Clemson will travel to Athens, Georgia to take on the Bulldogs. This weekend, you can catch the Tigers in action at home in a three game series vs. Wake Forest.

Photo Credit: orangeandwhite.com - photographer Nathan Gray
This past week the Clemson basketball team also held their annual team banquet, where awards for the season were given out. Jerai Grant and Demontez Still won MVP, Zavier Anderson won Most Improved, and Jonah Baize took away the Academic Excellence Award. Head Coach Brad Brownell did a great job in his first year of coaching for the Tigers, and I’m really looking forward to next season!

The women’s tennis team, ranked 12th nationally, beat Virginia Tech on senior day this Sunday. Next week, the women will compete as the 6th seed in the ACC tournament.

Athlete of the Week: Jonathan Meyer, baseball

Clemson sophomore Jonathan Meyer earned his first career start this weekend and pitched for seven innings in the Tiger’s 7-5 win over Boston College on Saturday. He only allowed two runs on five hits, with seven strikeouts and one walk. Meyer is from San Diego, California, and is majoring in financial management at Clemson. He attended Cathedral Catholic High School, and earned pitcher of the year there as a senior.

Photo credit: clemsontigers.com

Hope you enjoyed this week’s sports recap! Check back in next week!!
-Anna Hickey

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Clemson Gameday Look - April Showers

Get the look:

• Empire Waist Dress in Persimmon - LandsEndCanvas.com, $69.50
• Patterned Merriweather Coat in Persimmon - LandsEnd.com, $53.99
• Purple rubber boots - Zappos.com, $47.20
• Clear bubble umbrella with purple trim - Target.com, $19.99

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Clemson Spring Game recap

Hey everyone!!

I hope y’all were able to take advantage of the great weather this weekend by attending a few Clemson games! There’s nothing quite like spring time in Clemson… and pairing that with sports, well it just doesn’t get much better!

This weekend was the 2011 Solid Orange Weekend, and it was a busy one for sure. Headlining it was Saturday’s Orange & White Spring football game. Death Valley was packed with over 25,000 Clemson fans eager to get a jump start on football and tailgating...evidenced by the abundance of cars, coleslaw, and corn hole!

It was also the first time Clemson fans could check out the new offensive coordinator Chad Morris. Morris uses a unique system of holding up color-coded cards that indicate to the players what their role is for each play. The idea of that this will help the offense to be extremely up-tempo.

I had a chance to listen to Coach Swinney speak after the game. He said, “People saw that we will run a fast-paced offense this coming season, but we really would like to go faster. I was pleased with what I saw in the running game today. All three of our running backs ran well. And quarterback Tajh Boyd ran well. He made some good decisions today and most importantly, he did not have a turnover.”

Boyd will definitely be the key factor in how successful the Tigers are this season. Leading the Orange to a 25-13 victory, Boyd was 8-24 for 114 yards passing and had 43 yards rushing. He threw for one touchdown to tight end Dwayne Allen and also rushed for one.

It was also great to see former Clemson stars Da’Quan Bowers and Jacoby Ford on the sidelines, joking with old teammates and signing autographs for fans.

The Spring Game concluded spring practices, but now the Tigers start an important summer workout period before they go back to regular practice the first of August.

Right after the Spring Game, you could walk right across the street to Doug Kingsmore Stadium and take part in some more Clemson sports action. The baseball team played Maryland in a three-game home series this weekend in which they went 2-1. Earlier this week, the Tigers won a pair of midweek games over Coastal Carolina and Western Carolina. Clemson is 18-13 overall and 6-9 in the ACC. Despite the Tigers' under 500 record, seven of the 13 losses this season were lost by one run.

Clemson is in third place in the ACC Atlantic Division standings, behind Florida State (9-6) and Boston College (6-8). Clemson is also in seventh place in the overall ACC standings.

Anna and her sorority sister,
Clemson cheerleader Kelsey Miller.
This upcoming week, you can check out some more Clemson baseball when they face Presbyterian College on Tuesday at 6:30pm at home, before they go on the road to face Boston College in a three-game series next weekend.

Athlete of the Week

Each week, I’m going to spotlight a student-athlete, highlighting their accomplishments at Clemson. This week, I’ve chosen Laurianne Henry, a senior on the women's tennis team. Originally from Anderson, SC, she is known for her determination and passion on the court. She has helped lead the Tigers to a number 11 national ranking this season, playing both singles and doubles. Majoring in communication studies, Henry has a passion for photography. Check out her website. (So awesome!!) Henry, the only senior on the team, will be honored this weekend when the team ends the regular home season with matches against Virginia and Virginia Tech.

Photo credit: clemsontigers.com

Hope y’all have enjoyed this week’s Clemson sports recap. Have a fabulous week, and go Tigers!!
-Anna Hickey

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McAuley's Unique Boutique Judith March Giveaway Winner

Happy Friday!! We're so excited about our Judith March dress giveaway sponsored by McAuley's Unique Boutique. We knew this giveaway would be popular, and boy were we right! Clemson Girls love their dresses...

And now for the best part of the giveaway, announcing the lucky winner!

After compiling all of your entries and holding a random drawing, let's give a big congratulations to...

Kristie P. of Wyomissing, PA

Yay! Congrats Kristie! Please email us at clemsongirlblog@gmail.com to claim your Judith March dress of your choice. You have until Monday at 5pm EST to contact us or we will draw a new winner.

Thanks to all of you who entered in the giveaway... make sure you continue to follow McAuley's Unique Boutique on Facebook to stay up to date on all the new Judith March dresses they get in over the year. It's never too early to stock up on gameday dresses.

We hope everyone has a wonderful weekend and enjoys the beautiful weather! Safe travels to all of you making the trek to Clemson for the Orange and White Spring game. Come back to the blog on Monday to get an update of the Spring Game from our new sports blogger, Anna Hickey.

At least we know which team wins the game this weekend.. Go Tigers! :)

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McAuley's Unique Boutique Judith March Giveaway

We are halfway through the week, and I can see the weekend just on the horizon. Who's ready for a fun weekend of {Spring} football and and excuse to tailgate when it's not football season? If you've been living in a box and don't know what I'm referring to, I'm talking about the annual Clemson Orange and White game. Will you be there??

And speaking of Spring...it's officially time to start pulling out your Spring dresses to wear with cardigans in this beautiful weather.

One Southern dress designer that has gained popularity in the last couple of years, and who is also becoming well-known for gameday dresses for Southern schools, is Judith March. Her dresses are so adorable and perfect with a pair of pearls and flip flops. She designs a lot of one shouldered dresses - my fave!

One of our lovely sponsors, McAuley's Unique Boutique, carries and sells Judith March dresses. They carry a wide selection in all colors and styles - even a few PERFECT Clemson gameday dresses in orange and purple.

Well, McAuley's Unique Boutique has offered to give a very lucky Clemson Girl reader a FREE Judith March dress of her choice! {jumping up and down with excitement}

The winner can select the Judith March dress at any time… it doesn’t have to be one in stock right now. Which means you can even wait until McAuley's Unique Boutique gets in the new Judith March Fall styles. However, the dress prize is subject to availability - i.e. if it's sold out, the winner will have to pick another dress.

How to Enter

1. Post a comment on this blog post with your first name, last initial, and which McAuley's Unique Boutique Judith March dress is your favorite.
2. 'Like' McAuley's Unique Boutique on Facebook, then post another comment letting us know you are a fan of McAuley's Unique Boutique on Facebook.
3. Share this giveaway link on Facebook and then post another comment letting us know you shared for an extra entry.
4. Tweet about this giveaway on Twitter - include a link to the giveaway and copy @shopmcauleys and @clemsongirl in the tweet to get an extra entry.
5. Email a link to this giveaway to two of your friends and copy us (clemsongirlblog@gmail.com) to get another extra entry.

Deadline for entries is this Friday, April 8, at NOON EST. We will randomly draw and announce the winner on the blog Friday afternoon - make sure you come back to see if you've won! The winner will have until Monday at 5pm EST to claim their prize or we will draw a new winner.

What an amazing giveaway! We are so excited! Big thanks to McAuley's Unique Boutique for sponsoring such an amazing giveaway!

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Meet Anna Hickey.. our new Sports Blogger!

Hey ladies! I’m the new sports girl for the Clemson Girl blog. I’ll be writing, posting video, and keeping y’all in the know about everything Clemson and sports.

I’m currently a sophomore at Clemson majoring in Communication studies pursuing a career in sports broadcasting. I’m originally from Raleigh, N.C. and admittedly grew up a huge N.C. State fan. However, after visiting Clemson and falling in love with its passion and its people, I knew this was the place where I wanted to spend the next four years of my life. Sports have been my life ever since I can remember. I’m such a competitive and curious girl by nature, so to me, what could be better than reporting on sports?! I believe if you find work that you love to do, you never really have to work a day in your life. There is something about being on the field and near the players and coaches and hearing the inside stories that I just absolutely live for. I respect athletes so much for what they do, and I think that really shines through in my reporting. There's nothing like taking in the action first hand and then sharing it with the rest of the world :)

For Clemson Girl, I’m going to do a weekly post covering what went on in Clemson sports. Right now, I will focus primarily on baseball and Spring football. I will also include tennis and golf. In addition, I’ll include the week’s upcoming schedule, a preview of the games, links to more information, and if and where the games can be found on TV.
I’m thrilled about this opportunity to write for Clemson Girl. Please feel free to let me know what you would like to see related to Clemson sports for this blog or any other suggestions you have for me! I want to write about what you want to read about, so I’d love to hear from you!

Go Tigers!!
-Anna Hickey

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"You might be a Clemson Girl if..." Contest

We are thrilled and very, very excited to announce a brand new Clemson Girl contest in partnership with one of our fave sponsors, Tickled Orange.

All we need you to do is finish the sentence "You might be a Clemson Girl if..." We will pick the best 10 responses, and together with Tiger Town Graphics, put them on a very cute Clemson Girl "You might be a Clemson Girl if..." t-shirt that will be sold, starting in May, online and in the Tickled Orange store in Clemson.

The best part about this contest is that all of the proceeds from the t-shirt sales will be donated to Dabo's All In Team Foundation at Dabo's Ladies Clinic, July 23rd, which raises money for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure. The funds are used to promote early cancer screening, detection and continued research.

The individuals who submit the winning top 10 responses will get the Clemson Girl t-shirt for free in the size of their choice, a few other surprise goodies and recognition on ClemsonGirl.com... not to mention being part of an effort to raise money for a very worth cause! Winners will be notified the end of April and the t-shirt design with the top 10 responses will be revealed and available to buy the beginning of May!

Deadline for "You might be a Clemson Girl if..." entries is Midnight EST, Friday, April 15th. Get creative, make it humorous, keep it clean.. but remember to keep it short and to the point - after all, it has to fit on a t-shirt! :)

Fill out the form below and click the 'submit' button to submit your entry. Scroll below the form to read the full contest rules. We can't wait to see your entries! Help us spread the word about this contest - share it on Facebook!

CONTEST IS OVER. THANKS FOR ENTERING!

Contest Rules:

• Deadline for entries to be considered for selection is Midnight EST, Friday, April 15th.
• The best ten entries will be selected and the individuals who submitted the winning ten entries will receive the Clemson Girl t-shirt in his or her size free, possible other surprise items {to be determined}, and recognition as a winner on ClemsonGirl.com at a later date.
  
• You can submit as many responses as you like - but only one entry in each form submission. To submit multiple submissions, fill out and submit the form above multiple times.
• If we receive the same response or similar responses from multiple entrants, the entry received first will be considered over the other(s).
  
• By filling out the form above and submitting your entry, you agree that Clemson Girl LLC, Tiger Town Graphics and Tickled Orange can use your response {without credit on the shirt or in sales materials} on a t-shirt that will be sold to raise funds for Dabo's All In Team Foundation. Winners will not receive any funds from sales of t-shirt.
  
• Personal information and contact information entered in the form: will not be shared with any other parties besides Clemson Girl LLC, will only be used to contact the winners and will not be stored or kept after the contest is over.
  
• The entries will be judged and the best 10 selected by staff members from Clemson Girl LLC, Tickled Orange and Dabo's All In Team Foundation.
  
• The winners' names will not be on the t-shirt or any sales materials used to promote t-shirt purchases. Winners will be given credit on ClemsonGirl.com at a later date.
  
• For any questions related to this contest and promotion or if you have any technical issues submitting your entry, please contact us at clemsongirlblog@gmail.com.
  

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