Goodbye 2016...Hello 2017!

oh 2016, you have surely been a good one! I do this thing at the end of every year where I reflect on all of the amazing things that happened during that year and there were so many in 2016! it's weird to think that just this year, I graduated high school, went on a trip with seventeen magazine and moved to a completely new state for college in between having a job for the first time, going to school, and making memories with family and friends. boy, I need a nap after all of this! but, honestly, SO MUCH HAPPENED THIS YEAR!! I will forever be grateful for all that God has blessed me with - good health, good people, good food. a girl couldn't ask for more if you ask me...

FALLing for Apples & Pumpkins

hello everyone!!

last weekend my friends and I decided to take a little road trip to new jersey to go to an apple and pumpkin farm and it was so much fun! coming from california, I am used to my pumpkin patches consisting of hay and pumpkins in a grocery store parking lot so it was so much fun to go to an actual pumpkin patch. also, I forgot how fun apple orchards were! I have been once before to oak glen in california, but the one we went to in new jersey was so big and there were so many apples haha

Life Update / November 2016

hello everyone! long time, no talk...I realize that I didn't post anything for the month of october, which makes me a little uncomfortable if I'm being honest haha but I thought new month means it's time to get on some sort of routine and catch you all up on what I've been doing this past month so here we go :-)

first, school is going great. hofstra is treating me really well, I love my friends and classes are going great too! believe it or not, I had to sign up for spring classes already (too soon!!) and I am really looking forward to taking this "fashion writing for the new millennium" course! I think it will help me a lot and an entire class based on fashion? not too bad if you ask me hehe

also, I am now a writer for her campus! I am finally starting to go beyond this blog and I cannot wait for all that's in store :') If you want to check out my first article, you can check it out here! (sorry it's halloween themed) I am also the graphic designer for the hofstra chapter and I have had so much fun playing around and letting my creative juices flow again!

second, I was able to go back home for my cousin korey's wedding and it was so beautiful! plus, I had so much seeing my friends and family again, it was definitely refreshing :') t-6 weeks until I'm back home! the funny thing was when I was in california, it was surprisingly cold and then as soon as I left, the weather went back to hot again, it seems that the cold weather follows me everywhere now haha

speaking of weather, it is so nice on long island! I love walking to my classes and seeing all of the leaves changing colors and finally being able to wear sweaters and not have to worry about sweating all the time, I love it! back home, 60 degrees would have been freezing for me, but now I get excited when it's 60 because that's technically warm! although please do not mention winter to me because I am definitely not ready for the snow and am still in denial it happens here haha

overall, everything is going really well over here and I am so happy rn :') I have a couple posts already lined up for the upcoming weeks so stay tuned!! have a lovely november x

Until next time...

#HofDebate16

in case you were not aware, on september 26, 2016, the first presidential debate was held at hofstra university. also, if you were not aware, I attend hofstra university, which means that by the transitive property, I went to the debate. although I was not able to go into the actual debate hall, I never would have imagined that I would have the opportunity to experience a presidential debate firsthand. 

News Outlets & Their Stories

With a wide range of media sources, news outlets prioritize what is considered "news" based on their values, which leads to a problem if readers rely on only one news source.

WLNY News, New York Times' front page, Facebook, BuzzFeed News—all sources for one's daily information. Yet, if one were to look at the NY Times, the first thing they would see is an article on the Chelsea explosion in addition to stories about Trump, a Chicago shooting victim, and the Syrian president. Since they have such a large audience, the NY Times focuses on important events and stories that pertain to everyone.

On Facebook, the trending stories are much different. With headlines about Mel Gibson, Miley Cyrus and a 12-year-old winning America’s Got Talent, the stories are more about celebrity and entertainment news, especially since only 2 of the ten trending stories were about world events, such as TNT traces found on EgyptAir debris.

BuzzFeed News does offer light-hearted stories like Facebook, but they tend to focus more on national and world events. With stories regarding Brexit and an Iranian cyclist dying during the Rio Paralympics, BuzzFeed News offers a wide range of news to peruse through, ones that are funny and serious.

WLNY broadcast news station focuses on important news occurring throughout the country, such as the Minnesota mall stabbing, but they also focus on more local stories, such as Long Island schools doubling recess time.

Every news source focuses on two key values—proximity and timeliness. They want to be the first source on a specific event and they want to make sure their readers would be interested in the stories, especially if they are occurring nearby.

Each news source offers a distinct array of stories, but a problem occurs when individuals only read one news source. Someone who only reads the NY Times will have a very different outlook on the world than one who only goes on Facebook for their news. With writer biases as well as outlets curating stories to the specific reader, it creates a narrowed view of the news and unless the reader looks at other options, they will go about believing the world is the way their news source thinks it is.

Bronx Zoo

if there is one thing that I enjoy doing in my free time - it has to be going to the zoo. I remember back when I was touring fordham last november, I saw that there was the bronx zoo and when I got the opportunity to go a couple weeks ago, I couldn't pass on that chance! although the bronx zoo did not match the experience as the san diego zoo, it was still fun to go into the city and explore a new area of new york!

18 Things I Learned by 18

18: the age in which you can purchase lottery tickets, be considered an "adult" & as my dad would say, "go to big girl jail." (honestly he scared me with that one)

The Broad

as I have begun to settle into the college lifestyle, I now have some down time to catch up on all of the content that I have been meaning to post! first off, I think I have been talking about the broad pretty much all summer and the fact that I was able to visit the week before I left california, makes it practically fate.

LA Adventure III

the countdown has gone from months to one week and I couldn't be more ready to embrace college life and start anew. after saying goodbye to some of my best friends as they embarked on their college adventure this past week, it's now starting to hit me that we are all starting new adventures in our lives and I cannot wait to see where all of my friends end up, I know they're going to do great :') 

lab + camp

hello to you all!

as the number of days I have left in california dwindles down to a mere fourteen, I have been trying to cross off as many things on my bucket list as I can before I head off to the east coast. my friends & family know that my extensive bucket list has always been a reference for activities or food places that I suggest when we go out and luckily my best friend Christine was up for a day in the OC to try and knock off as many things as we could (along with her fancy new camera hehe)

août // 2016

I am in disbelief that today is the first day of august...where did the time go!? It's crazy to think that this month I will be packing my bags and heading across the country for college!! I still don't know how to do my laundry and I suck at cleaning so this should be fun *upside down smile emoji*

NY Trip | Week 2

It has been a little over a week since I returned from my trip to New York and I am starting to have post trip depression SOMEONE TAKE ME BACK PLEASE!! Although it has been nice to not have to worry about humidity or dirty subways, I do miss the city and the girls that I met, especially Emmy, Carly, Katie, Camila, Madison, Samanda and Sidney (miss you guys so much!!) Overall, I learned so much and as someone that hopes to work for a magazine one day (specifically Seventeen hehe), I couldn't have asked for a greater opportunity like this one! Learning the ins and outs of the publications world has ensured me that I am choosing the right career path :') ANYWAYS here is the second installment of my New York trip themed posts! If you haven't checked out my one for Week One, then click here! If you have, then yay :) Once again, I am so grateful to my parents for letting me go on this trip as well as Westcoast Connection and Seventeen Magazine for putting the trip together! I hope you guys enjoy Week Two! Here we go...

NY Trip | Week 1

Hello everyone!

I am currently spending the most incredible two weeks in New York (if you didn't already know haha) I have learned a lot, laughed a lot, ate A LOT, and walked A LOT (37.61 miles so far!) and I am so excited to see how the next week will pan out. However, I do have to admit that it is not fun smelling like a subway and not being able to breathe without the fear of getting secondhand smoke (seriously! there are so many smokers in NYC!) This trip has been incredible so far and I am so grateful for the opportunity thanks to Westcoast Connection and Seventeen Magazine!

TRAVEL ESSENTIALS

Since I am leaving for New York today, I thought it would be fitting to talk about my travel essentials. Going back and forth between California and New York has taught me a couple things about what is necessary to bring.  However, this time I will be flying by myself for the first time so I am a little nervous, but I am really excited to spend the next two weeks in the Big Apple!

VITAMIN SEA

Hello everyone!

Despite living 30 minutes away and it being summer, I have only visited the beach once and that was for this shoot! I have always wanted to do a photoshoot at the beach and luckily my friend Ryan was up for a day in Laguna!

NEW ME, NEW BLOG

Hello everyone!

I figured that since I will be moving to New York and beginning college in a few short months, my blog should get a little upgrade! New logo/look for a new me hehe :-) I have to admit that it was so fun trying to find a new font/aesthetic that would perfectly sum me up and I am so glad that I did! I hope you guys like it! Shoutout to FearneCreativeDesign on Etsy for the beautiful layout! If you want to check them out, you can click here!

I am so excited for the events planned this summer, in a couple weeks I will be leaving for New York with Seventeen Magazine so you can definitely expect posts from my adventures while there! Wherever you are, I hope you are all enjoying your summer! Stay safe x

Until next time...

LA Adventure II

Back again with another LA Adventure post for you! I think the older I get, the more I look forward to going to museums hehe This time I went museum hopping with my godmother and it was such a fun day! My godmother really encourages me to bring out the creative side in me and I couldn't be more grateful to have her in my life! If you are reading this, I love you Auntie Dom! 

BW & WTM

In honor of it being almost a month since my friends and I attended the Walk the Moon concert in Santa Barbara, I thought it would only be fitting to FINALLY post these photos. Yes, yes, I know I promised you these photos two weeks ago, but I have just been so busy! With orientation and work, this summer has proved to be a certainly packed one! BUT this blog shall be looking a little different in the next couple of days (or it already is different by the time you see this post!) so get excited for that!

MAMA I MADE IT!

As of May 26, 2016, I can no longer consider myself a high school student because I officially graduated! WOOHOO *party horn emoji* I remember at the beginning of my freshman year, my mom made a comment to me about how quickly the four years would go by and at the time, I didn't believe her, but like always—she was right.

PROM 2016

Hello everyone! I just experienced a quintessential moment that every high school movie has documented throughout the history of time, and yes, I am talking about my senior prom! I cannot believe that my SENIOR PROM was last Saturday! It was such a fun night and one that I will cherish the memories forever and ever! Shoutout to everyone in my prom group for the incredible memories and most importantly, shoutout to Jacobzen for being a wonderful date!

LA Adventure

For post #3 (or #1 depending on how you started), I have photos from my LA Adventure with Sabrina and Alina...honestly when am I not with them hehe... I love to visit LA, but driving in LA traffic for the first time was NOT enjoyable. The entire time Alina kept saying that there are way too many people in LA and now that I think about it, she's right haha

DAY TRIP TO SAN DIEGO

For post #2, I am coming to you with photos from my day trip to San Diego. This has been on my friends' and my bucket list for the longest time and I am so happy that we were finally able to cross it off! Also, it was my first time driving longer than 30 minutes so I was pretty proud of myself for coming back home in one piece hehe

THE ARTIC

Hello everyone! I am back with a few posts for you today! This is number 1/3 (or 3/3 depending on the order in which you start) of my spring break adventures from this past week! I am unfortunately back to school now, but I only have 7 more weeks, which is pretty crazy to think about. 7 more weeks and I will no longer be in high school...wow time has definitely flown by! This spring break was pretty awesome. It was the perfect combination of going out and staying in for me, which is something I try to achieve whenever I go on break. Also, by the end of the week, I was able to knock five things off of my bucket list, which I find pretty impressive (self-five!)

International Women's Day

What does it mean to be a woman? If you asked someone 70 years ago what it meant, they would give you an answer such as, "A woman is meant to be at home. She should take care of the children and cook and clean, while the husband is off at work bringing home the bread." Fast forward 70 years and society has changed. Now if you ask someone what it means to be a woman, you'll get answers such as: Being a woman, in this day and age, can mean being an engineer, a scientist, a doctor, a lawyer, a journalist, an actress, a mother, becoming president, finding the cure for cancer, helping reduce climate change—whatever that individual woman wants to be.

MARCH 2016 PLAYLIST

Happy March everyone! 

With a new month comes a new playlist! I started making monthly playlists this year and it has been so fun! My music taste is kind of all over the board, from indie to top 40 to rap, but there will definitely not be any country music on my playlists (sorry not sorry) To make a playlist, I usually choose songs from my go-to artists (aka One Direction, Ed Sheeran, Shawn Mendes & John Mayer) and then some new ones that I've heard and can't get out of my head. If you want to listen to my playlist on Spotify, then you can check it out here!

LACMA

For my second and final 3-day weekend of the school year, I spent the day at LACMA with some friends! I had been to LACMA before, but this time I actually saw more than just the lamp posts :-) I always love going to LA because you never know what you're going to see and even though I did not miraculously bump into Harry Styles or Shawn Mendes, I would still say it was a day well spent!

DISNEY DAY

I am slowly but surely getting out of my creative funk! It had been five weeks before I posted on Instagram and even longer on this blog, but I can feel my mojo coming back so YAY These past two weekends were my last 3-day weekends of my high school career (I think) and this whole graduation thing is starting to hit me and I am not okay with it. A little over three months and then I can say peace out California, which is so surreal, exciting, scary, etc. 

BWxGALENTINESDAY

In this day and age, where it seems that relationships have succumbed to calling each other "bae" and couples "Netflix and Chill" instead of go on an actual date, it's no surprise that young women have decided to embrace the love for themselves and choose their gal pals over a boy. That is why I love Galentine's Day so much! As Leslie Knope says, "Hoes before bros, ovaries before brovaries, uteruses before duderuses." It's true! I have no idea what I would do without these five girls, they are all incredible and amazing in their own ways. I love them sooo much and am so happy to have them in my lives! (Sorry for the sappy moment)