A Glimpse of Glam

Hey everyone!

It’s definitely been quite awhile since I’ve last posted. And I have the best excuse as to why I’ve been gone for so long. I’m currently in Rome. As in Rome, Italy. As in Europe. I still cannot believe it. It’s honestly been a dream come true to be here.

The past month and a half I’ve been residing in Rome, studying abroad through University of Washington and living in the center of the city. I arrived in Italy full of wonder and excitement for the months to come that I would be here for. Back in the early spring, I applied for this study abroad opportunity in hopes of flourishing my skills as an artist in the city that holds much of the world’s most famed works of art. The rich culture and history of the city that I’ve experienced thus far has continued to enlighten me, helping me grow not only as an artist, but also as a person. Three months living here and then back home to Seattle I will go. I’ve already hit the halfway mark, as I just finished up my midterms. In a blink of an eye I will be back home, and it’s crazy to think that.


As part of our program, we are required to take the Italian language class. This has helped me tremendously to learn some key phrases and words that allow me to get through the day without feeling like I’m incredibly lost. Back in middle school and high school I spent years learning French, and knowing another language of similar origin also came in very handy when learning Italian. My fellow friends and classmates who knew French or Spanish also found it way easier to pick up Italian. One of my friends, however, found it incredibly difficult to learn because he learned sign language for his language course requirements, and without that Latin based language background it was harder to understand the rules and rhythms of the language. It’s been so fun taking on another language, and I never thought I would have the opportunity to pick up another language. I’ve learned so much Italian in such a short time, and the biggest reason is because I’ve literally been immersed in all things Italian.

One of my favorite trompe l'oeil works in the Chiesa di Sant'Ignazio di loyola

Each and everyday that I’ve been here has been an adventure. Whether it was trying to find that one art store that has the copper sheets I wanted for my art project, or it was rushing through museum after museum for class, or getting lost in a huge park that seemed to never end. For the study abroad program, we have five days of the week scheduled with many activities, more to do than I would on a typical day at university back home. Here on the other hand, we’ve had so much to do that it’s gotten to the point where my classmates and I feel eternally exhausted yet continuously captivated by what the city has to offer. There is so much to see and do in such little time.


After having spent some time here, I am now neither a tourist nor a local. I reside in the Campo de’ Fiori with six of my fellow classmates, now friends. Literally living in such an iconic piazza. Nights are filled with laugher and music and good food. There’s never a dull moment. Or at least that I have experienced thus far. I do admit that life has not been all rainbows and unicorns. Each of us in our program have gone through our moments of depression and exhaustion and anger and frustration. I’ve certainly gotten quite annoyed at many and all things quite a number of times. It’s frustrating to live with six other people, spending every day in such close proximity to all my other classmates and my professor. It’s a learning experience. There have been days when I’ve wanted to just sit in Tiber Island facing the calm rush of the water, and get away from everyone. I’ve certainly gotten homesick for the food back home, and wished there was a Trader Joe’s to shop at here in Rome. I hate how there isn’t an Ulta here or a Target. I get annoyed when people walk too slow, or when the pigeons can’t leave me alone. But, those small bits and pieces are things that I know I will remember and miss when I return home. I don’t ignore those bad days and those mood swings, I integrate them into my experience of Rome as a whole. Those ups and downs are what makes my time in Rome different and special and unique and mine.

I love walking by buildings and seeing the really interesting doors. Every building I pass by has such aesthetically pleasing architecture.

Looking through the fence down into the basilica of Saint Peter from up high in the dome

So far, we’ve visited a few other cities and towns outside of Rome as well. This has given me a better view of Italy, and of Europe. Prior to this, I’ve never been to Europe before. At all. The fact that I have three months to learn and live in this city is such a dream come true. It allows me to see more of the city beyond what one would see as just a tourist. Three months is not enough to fully learn a city inside and out, but it’s enough time to dip our feet into the water and get a vague understanding of how it is being in the city.

The one downside to this is the lack of stable wifi I’ve had. My apartment has wifi, but I can only get good signal in the kitchen and living room area, whereas my bedroom has such weak wifi I can barely use Snapchat or Instagram. At the Rome Center for my school, the wifi logs us out in hour intervals. I also have had such a busy schedule that I haven’t gotten a moment to really sit and relax and blog. I’ve certainly missed out on a lot in the blogging world in the past month and half, but I’ve also experienced so much in my time abroad thus far that I anticipate to share.

My apologies for being so absent from the blogging world. I really will try to keep you guys updated, and continue to share more of my experiences as I go. I know that I can post about it when I return, but that’s not the most fun, because I would be recounting my travels afterwards when they’ve had time to sink in. Whereas sharing as I go would allow me to look back and see how my perspective’s changed over time. It’s difficult to find the time to actually sit and blog, but I will try to when I can. I do try to post on my Instagram Story the highlights of my day, whether it be the food I eat (as most Instagrammers love to do), or the weird activities my classmates and I do throughout our days. Don’t hesitate to follow me on Instagram and reach out to me if you happen to be in the Rome area!

To all of you out there who have continued to stop by here despite my lack of updates, thank you for your patience! I really appreciate all your support, and I am definitely looking forward to posting more about my time in Rome.

Lemme know in the comments below if you have ever traveled to Rome before! Or if you are from Italy, comment down below! If you haven't been to Rome before, where would you want to visit?

Thanks for stopping by and reading! I wish you all have a lovely day!

Til next time,
~A

Hey everyone!

Summer has come to an end already, which is quite unbelievable. After those months of partying with friends, late nights out, and lots and lots of negligence towards our beauty routines, it’s about time to buckle down on it once again. While it’s totally understandable to slack off a bit during the summer, we gotta get back into our routines and show our skin some love. Replenish and refuel it for the coming winter. Where better to start than your nighttime routine? After all, as the summer winds down you will be getting back more time to get ready for bed.

So I’ve never really been big on eye creams before. I do have an extensive and lengthy nighttime skincare routine, but I haven’t found THE eye cream yet. Coincidentally, I recently got the chance to try out an eye cream, and surprisingly I quite like it. Granted, it’s also difficult to tell if a product is truly working, or if it’s just the placebo effect. But, I think it’s actually doing something. This isn’t just a nighttime eye cream, but can be used during the daytime as well. But I mean we all tend to have more time for pampering at night, so it is easier to use eye creams at night. Even though your eyes do need some love during the day too.



This product I’m talking about is the VIIcode the 2nd Oxygen Eye Cream O3. VIIcode is a brand that specializes in luxury skincare for the eyes. They offer a variety of eye masks and eye creams to choose from to help with anti-aging, dark circles, and moisturizing. VIIcode is currently a US based skincare company that originated in Austria.

Before I get into the details about this eye cream, let me give you the rundown on what you need to know about my skin. It doesn’t all apply to my use of the eye cream, but it does explain how my skin reacts to products, and my whole thought process when choosing skincare products.

I have combination sensitive skin. Meaning some areas of my skin are dry, while other parts are oily. Usually the outer edges of my forehead like closer to the hairline will be dry or feel drier, while the center will be a bit shiny. The areas on my cheeks around my nose and near my smile lines will get shiny too. Usually the area that really stands out with shine and oiliness are the areas of my cheeks by my nose. Like it’s a sharp highlight on camera when taking selfies… and not the good kind of highlight that you want either. The areas around my eyes do get a bit dry too throughout the day. Usually right under or near the inner corners. The hard part about wanting to moisturize mid-day is when you got on a full face of makeup that you don’t want to ruin. So I like to spritz on a facial spray to refresh my face when I need it. Truthfully, I used to think those kinds of facial sprays were just a scam and a waste of money (like 8 bucks for a bottle of mostly water? I can grab a spray bottle and fill it with water at home for free). While you can just spritz on some water to freshen up your face, something about facial sprays makes it actually work better than just feeling like you walked too close to the sprinklers in your yard.

I also got sensitive skin, which I’ve had to deal with pretty much all my life. It’s not sensitive to the point where it will break out in hives if I go near something. But, my skin will react to a product. And if there’s no reaction (like nearly no difference if used), then typically it means that it’s working. Basically if it does something it’s usually a negative reaction, and if it doesn’t do anything it’s probably because my skin is okay with it and the benefits are so subtle I can’t tell because angry red allergic reactions are louder than subtle and slow healing. Usually I will know within a day or so if a product isn’t working with my sensitive skin. I have been dealing with eczema my whole life too, so coupled with sensitive skin makes me really wary about trying out new products.

That being said, I was a bit skeptical to try out this product at first. But, after reading the ingredient list, and seeing that it was marketed for all skin types I decided to try it out. My skin isn’t super sensitive to the point where “for all skin types” won’t work; the sensitivity usually has to do with products that have harsher ingredients like acids and such. Also, because it claimed to be moisturizing and to help in repairing skin cells, I figured it would work well with the dry areas around my eyes.

This product in particular claims to:
Instantly feel moisturized and youthful
Minimize the look of fine lines and wrinkles
Absorbs well with no residue

As indicated by their website, it offers key ingredients such as elderberries which provide antioxidants to maintain skin cells, jojoba oil to firm and hydrate the skin which will reduce the appearance of skin wrinkles, and evening primrose to boost blood circulation and remove wrinkles.




I received the eye cream quite fast. As it is US based, it only had to be shipped within the country, and was thus faster. That’s something to keep in mind depending on where you live. The eye cream came in a small black drawstring bag, and had an activation strip with it. The black bag the cream was stored in wasn’t of a cheap, disposable material. Rather, it is a convenient yet chic way to travel with and store the cream. To be honest, I might even end up using the bag for other purposes too.

On the packaging itself there is a downside. What I don’t like about the container is how the words barely show up. It was a bit difficult to read the jar itself due to the way the jar was made. Because I was able to find the information online, that wasn’t too much of a burden to me to not be able to read it.




The activation strip is what set it apart for me. I didn’t expect it to come with an activation strip, and I didn’t really know what to make of it at first. It came in a small plastic bag, and I wasn’t sure how to use it. I was confused if it was a single use thing, or what. To save you guys the trouble of figuring it out, it’s something you use prior to applying the eye cream in order to help with activating your skin cells and massage the area. I honestly had no idea what it was at first. I thought it was one of those anti-moisture packets that come in bags sometimes, or that it was some kind of wipe or whatnot. Thank god I didn’t just toss it.

According to the instructions, you take the activation strip and run it along the curvature of your eyes to basically massage that area and activate it. As the description details, it will help your eyes to be better prepped for the eye cream.

I haven’t gotten to use the eye cream during the day yet, mostly because in the morning I don’t have a ton of time. I’m usually scrambling to get ready and out the door on time. However, I’ve really enjoyed using it at night. I like to pamper myself a bit when I get ready for the night, and really take the time to allow products to absorb. A couple times I also tried putting it on in the afternoon because I wasn’t wearing makeup that day, but my face really need a pick-me-up. I liked how that helped to perk up my skin once more.






When you first apply it, it feels very cool and creamy to the touch. It’s lightweight, and not super watery. With it being a creamier consistency, I was worried about it being too heavy. But, just a small little dab was enough. Like barely even a dab, as once you smooth it in one little dab proves to be enough. A little goes a long way. I’m not sure if it was just me, but when I first put it on it almost tingled just the slightest bit. Barely even noticeable. It went away once I massaged it in.

So far I don’t know if it’s really anti-aging or not because lucky me I’m barely in my 20’s so that’s not super evident for me yet. But, I have really noticed it helping with the dryness under my eyes. Perhaps it could be due to the placebo effect as well, but when I applied it at night the following morning my skin still felt quite hydrated.

Overall, I think that this eye cream was pretty good. I do plan on continuing to use up the rest of the container. Will I buy it again? Maybe not. It is on the pricier side. Perhaps in the future once I am settled with a good job, and not just a part-time job, I might consider it. For the time being I don’t see myself repurchasing it. Mostly because of the cost, and as a university student that is not in my budget! However, that is not to say I didn’t think it was was good. I definitely recommend giving it a try yourself, perhaps it could turn into one of your holy grail skincare items.

~~~

BUT WAIT THERE’S MORE!! 

Haha did I sound like some kind of late-night commercial? If that caught your eye and made you stay, then I did my job.

Before you scroll and click away from this page after reading an intensive review about a product you may or may not purchase, I wanted to let you guys know I have a giveaway to share!

Sunglasses and magazine not included in giveaway (I just added them to make the photo more interesting haha)

I wanted to clarify that the winner will be chosen based on how detailed and well thought out the answer is. Not whether the tip is truly the best effective tip. Just wanted to clarify that part. 

If you want another chance to enter the giveaway, head on over to my Instagram and comment on THIS post! Same rules apply! What is your favorite beauty tip for eye skin care? 

This giveaway will end on September 18th! 

Have you ever tried out this eye cream before? What is your favorite kind of eye cream! Lemme know what you think in the comments below! 

Thank you for reading! I hope you are all having a great start in September so far!


Til next time,
~A

Hey everyone!

Everybody knows that dogs are great companions to have around. I mean, there’s a reason why dogs are known as the most loyal friend ever. A dog would never betray you, or go behind your back. Not only are dogs the perfect best friend you could ever ask for, but also they can help and benefit your life in other ways as well.

Unfortunately for me, I don’t have a dog. Or any pet for that matter. I only got some plants, namely my aloe vera plant I’ve dubbed Bella. I’m thinking of getting a mint plant to grow too, and maybe even a eucalyptus plant too just because.

But that’s all besides the point.

I may not personally have a dog, but I can definitely speak for how beneficial they can be for our overall health.

I remember one day I was feeling quite down. I was in the worst mood ever, and I can’t recall exactly why, but it was just one of those days where I literally felt like crap. Every bad thing from weeks prior accumulated, and weighed me down with a heavy pit in my stomach. I didn’t want to talk to my friends because I knew that my bad mood would mean a lack of filter in what I say. However, out of the blue, one of my friends sent me a photo of his puppy, Snickers, and it literally made me feel ten times better. Keep in mind, I didn’t actually tell my friends I was feeling like crap that day. I led them to think I was busy. Although I do wonder if they could sense my bad mood through the very vague short phrases I sent in response to their messages that day. Regardless, that one photo of my friend’s overwhelmingly adorable puppy did manage to cheer me up.

My friend's insanely cute Instagram-worthy puppy Snickers. I am so obsessed with Snickers its borderline crazy.

Just look at Snickers' face!! How can you not love him? I wish he were mine.

But here’s the thing. It wasn’t just Snickers’ adorable face that cheered me up. It wasn’t simply because of appearances. No. Rather, the sight of such a pure, joyful face is what helped to bring me out of that crap mood just a bit. A face that’s full of innocence and joy, caught up in the moment and not dragged down by life’s ups and downs. A puppy who clearly lives in the moment, and ready to see the world for its beauty and charm, rather than the scratches and dents we ourselves tend to focus on.

You might argue that a baby could provide that same happiness too. Which is true. To some extent. When I see an innocent, adorable baby sure that may warm my heart a bit. But then I start to view that untarnished, pure soul in a vaguely maternal perspective. The thought of that kid growing up in the world we now live in starts to drag me down yet again. In a way, I start to view that baby as if he/she is the younger version of myself, and all of that drives my mind to run wild with crazy thoughts that brings back the crap mood. Can any of you guys relate to that?

On the contrary, it differs when I see a dog. Dogs can truly improve our health in more ways that I would have thought. In honor of National Dog Day coming up this Saturday, I wanted to share with you all the benefits of having a dog.


I was kinda able to put two and two together and understand how dogs can benefit our physical health in terms of exercise. Dogs obviously need to be walked, and having a dog in your life requires you to be more active than simply a life as a couch potato engaged in a demanding relationship with Netflix. Having a dog forces you to get up, and move your limbs more than reaching into that bowl of popcorn.

Of course, you can say you have a FitBit and a workout buddy to keep you on track. But honestly, how many times have you called and canceled on your workout buddy? How many times have you dragged your lazy ass out of bed to go to the gym, and painfully went through those repetitive movements praying for the workout to be over with? Everyone knows that the gym CANNOT compare to real life exercise. I’m talking about moving your body with exercise that doesn’t feel like exercise. That’s something having a dog could provide.

However, I wouldn’t have thought of how beneficial dogs are for our mental health. Until I reflected on my own experiences, that wouldn’t have been my first thought. Dogs are known as man’s best friend (and woman’s because we are living in the 21st century and equality is a thing) for a reason. I mean, you can probably argue that if you got a human best friend you can confide in them all your life’s troubles. Sure. But, it’s entirely different when you have a dog. That simplicity in affection and unconditional love from dogs are never put to question, unlike what could be said in terms of human best friends. Just read my post on Toxic Friends. That would never have happened if it were a puppy best friend.

I also remember reading somewhere before that dogs are used when helping those with autism and social behavioral disorders. (Disorders? Issues? Problems? I have no idea what the correct term is so apologies if that’s the wrong choice of word, don’t get offended) Dogs can bring people out of their shells, and provide a means of social interaction in a more wholesome way.

Something that I also didn’t know of was how dogs could be trained to do so much more. Dogs have the ability to gain many skills, such as detecting allergens in foods, or identifying when one is experiencing a seizure, and other crazy things that make me wonder if dogs are actually the superior species.

My friend Monique with her adorable puppy Kai. Kai loved the water at first and wanted to get in, but then got super freaked out after actually getting into the pool we filled up one hot summer day.

We often look down on dogs, and do not give them as much credit as they deserve. Dogs aren’t usually seen as the smartest or brightest, but honestly I think we just aren’t as aware of their capabilities. We are just narcissists living in a human-centered world, unaware of the ongoings of other species around us. Harsh, but true.

I thought I'd share with you all a few videos of my friend Monique's adorable dogs, Kai and Kahlua. I am especially obsessed with Kai, because he's still a small little puppy who loves kisses, cuddles, and attention. Every single time I hangout with Monique, I love visiting Kai and Kahlua as well. Their energy just fills the room with a positive vibe. There are times when my friends and I get together, and we start having intense, emotional conversations to catch up on everything that had happened in our lives. Having the dogs around definitely help to lighten the mood when we get emotional.

They are also super fun to have around in general. This past Fourth of July, we got together at one of my friend's backyard and filled up a little kiddie pool with warm water and added a bath bomb. Yes, I know. We used a bath bomb outdoors in a kiddie pool under the hot sun. We are weird, it's an established fact. Anyways, her dog Kai ran over to join us, and kept vacillating between wanting to get into the water with us and making an escape for dry land. It was so adorable and hilarious.

The fact that my close friends have dogs makes me like them more. Yeah I only stay friends with them for their dogs. Sorry, the truth is out guys! Haha just kidding.

The videos I've added in were from Snapchat, when my friends and I were hanging out and playing with her dogs. Apologies for my squeals and such because we were clearly a bit hyper and giggly that day.


As clearly mentioned above, I do not own a dog. Or any pets. Sadly I have to rely on mooching off of my friends’ pets to reap the benefits. I currently live at home with my parents and my sister, and both my mom and sister are allergic. The struggle is real guys. #FirstWorldProblems.

But that doesn’t mean I don’t go scrolling through Instagram stalking every single account with an adorable doggo. If you wanna stalk cute puppies too, check out PuppySpot, a site that helps puppies find happy, loving homes to go to. When you check out their page with all the puppies to choose from, you will literally spend hours on this page scrolling through all the eligible bachelors and bachelorettes. I hate to admit that I’ve actually given some of them personalized nicknames, as I feel like I have truly connected and bonded with them through the hours I’ve spent staring at their photo like a freak.

Obviously all the photos my friend sent me of Snickers I’ve saved on my phone for easy access when I need a mood booster. (I am fully aware of how odd I sound, like some kind of puppy-obsessed stalker haha but I KNOW I’m NOT the only one!) But, I gotta have my options. I gotta be able to dream of the day when I will own my own doggo.

If you own a dog, I am super jealous of you. Also, can we be friends? It’s not just so I can hang out with your dog, and not you… maybe. Am I that transparent?

Are you a dog or cat person? What are some of your favorite stories regarding a special puppy in your life? Do you agree with any of the points I brought up, or any of the info mentioned in the graphic? Comment down below! I really would love to hear any stories you’ve got!

Thanks for reading, and I wish you all have a lovely weekend!


Til next time,
~A

Hey everyone!

As we all know, summer is the season for all events and ceremonies to take place. It’s the time of year when we all fill up our calendars with event after event to attend. I am literally thinking of season 4 episode 1 of New Girl, when their whole fridge was full of wedding invites. Sounds familiar?

Of course, weddings aren’t the only type of event you may be invited to. I recently went to my friend’s younger sister’s quinceanera. Wedding or not, this is the season with fancy events where you get the opportunity to glam up. Especially now that it is heading into mid-August, as the weather starts to cool off a bit from the full-on sweltering heat of the summer, this is when everyone tries to squeeze in all their events before the summer is over.

And the question remains… What shall I wear? How fancy is fancy? Is this enough, or too much? You obviously don’t want to outshine the birthday girl, or bride, or whomever is supposed to be in the spotlight. That would just be rude on your part. You’re a guest, after all. Have some consideration! It’s one thing to show up fashionably late; it’s another to steal the spotlight.

With that, here’s a few mood boards of outfit inspiration I put together to save you the time of having to scavenge the depths of Pinterest for ideas. Because we all know once you start scrolling on Pinterest, you won’t stop. And soon that whole event you were trying to shop for would have long passed before you've even gotten off your phone.


One thing I want to tackle is wearing black to a summer event. It’s commonly thought of that black is not a summer color. Or shade (if you are getting technical). But, if styled and worn properly, you can certainly rock black during the summer for any and all events. Who said you had to introduce color into your life?

To prevent looking too serious and somber for a summer event, I suggest going for a flowy black that is a bit looser-fitting, and low-cut or has cut-outs. If you opt for a tighter fitting, clingy, body-hugging black number, you might end up looking more like you are dressed for a winter cocktail party. Whereas something that is a bit looser, with maybe even a low-back, makes the dress perfect for the hot summer weather. Above, I chose a few black options that have some unique details such as a criss-cross low-back, and a flowy fit. This makes it feel more appropriate for the warm weather. Paired with a bold lip, and you’ve got yourself the perfect outfit.

What I love to wear with outfits that have a low back is pulling my hair up and away. Doesn’t have to be sleek and slick, but an updo definitely amps up the glam factor. Doesn’t have to be a low-back, but a low cut dress or jumpsuit with an updo works so well too. Remember my black jumpsuit I wore to a summer wedding last year? I paired it with a curled ponytail, and I felt so boss the whole night. I was slayin! Who said you HAD to wear a dress and have a complicated hairstyle for summer events? Of course a more boho braided hairstyle is the popular go-to style most people choose for the summer because it practically screams summer. But, you can always try out something different. You'd be surprised at how awesome you feel once you break out of the norm.


If you do like wearing color in your life, and you like floral prints and other summery patterns, here are a few options that you may like too. This is more of the bohemian outdoors sort of wedding look. But it can also work for a more black-tie summer wedding too. It's all based on how you accessorize. If you paired that maxi dress with sandals and a messy braid, that would work perfectly for a casual beach wedding. But slip on those stilettos, and add on some delicate jewelry and you are ready for a more formal occasion.

I personally adore wearing bright, bold colors during the summer. It adds to the mood, and suits the summertime perfectly. However, with so many people around you dressed in similar tones and styles, it can be difficult to find a way to differentiate yourself.

The key here is to pair that summery outfit with a bronzy makeup look. Something that most people would not choose. When you think of summer, you obviously think of a bright lip color, perhaps a coral or red. Maybe a light and simple makeup look with less on the eyes and attention on the lips? That’s pretty much everyone’s definition of a summer makeup look.

However, if you try out having a bronzier look, with a sharp contour and poppin highlight, you got yourself a look so on fleek everybody will be asking who your makeup artist is. Especially when you go for a more neutral lip color. That is what really sets the difference between you and the other guest sitting next to you. The balance between a bronzy look and a floral dress keeps the outfit from looking to cliche “summer”.


Of course, I had to add in a few style inspirations for the men out there. If you are going with a date, or with a friend, you don’t want anyone to feel left out.

While it always seems like women have it easier for dressing up because of the vast amount of clothes, accessories, shoes etc. to choose from, men probably feel a bit limited in their options. It may seem like it’s a bit more difficult to personalize, and differentiate the outfit from the sea of men in suits. However, with a few key accessories your summer style will also be on point.

Here, I chose to focus on sunglasses and printed ties as the key to accessorize. Let your personality show through the perfect pair of sunglasses you choose. While everybody is wearing a boring monochromatic tie, you can choose a fun print like a polka-dot tie. Match with your date through the colors you choose. Personally, I think that when men wear a light grey suit, it looks SO good. You see so many people wearing dark blacks, browns, and navy suits, but when a guy wears something lighter and brighter, that is so eye-catching and unique. I also really like how watches are such a simple way to finish off an outfit. When you coordinate your watch with the color of your shirt, this brings together the whole color theme of your outfit. A few accents here and there definitely can showcase your personality.

Floral Jumpsuit

As mentioned above, I recently got the chance to attend a friend’s quinceanera, which is a birthday event popular in the Hispanic culture when a girl turns 15. It’s the coming of age girl-to-woman kind of event. I chose to wear a floral jumpsuit with high slits from Zaful, which you may have seen if you follow me on Instagram. This definitely made me stand out from the crowd of short bodycon dresses out there. From afar, it looks like a maxi dress, but it’s a jumpsuit. Simple yet chic.

What would you wear to a summer event? 

I created this post in collaboration with Bonobos, which is a clothing company that caters to men. They have clothes ranging from activewear, to dress shirts, to casual sweaters, to accessories. This can definitely come in handy when it comes to finding the perfect outfit for all occasions, especially if you got some summer weddings and events to plan for.

Plus, if you are into the whole mens style for women, no matter your gender you can find something that works. Check out one of my past blogposts where I styled a men’s shirt! You don’t need to limit yourself to contrived societal norms when it comes to crafting your personal style. It’s all about how you choose to style it and make it work.

Comment down below your favorite outfit for a summer event! Would you prefer wearing a flowing maxi dress? Or is a shorter dress more your style? Bright, printed and colorful? Or perhaps a more monochromatic look? Lemme know down in the comments below! 

SIDE NOTE: I recently created a Facebook page for my blog! I know I can procrastinate a ton, and slack off. But I finally got around to making it. I’m still figuring out how to manage it and everything, because a Facebook page is different from a personal account. But don’t forget to Like my Facebook page! I will try my best to update on there as well. I find it easiest to update and post most frequently on Instagram, so luckily I linked the two accounts. Killing two birds with one stone, ya feel me?

Also, thank you all for your lovely comments on my last blogpost regarding The Future of Design. I really enjoyed writing that post because it speaks of a topic that is something I'm quite passionate about, especially being an art major. While I do love fashion, beauty, and style, I am also an artist. I am a creator. I loved reading your comments, and getting to know some of your insights on that topic as well.

I'm actually considering sharing some of the art I've been creating on this blog too. Expanding the range of topics I discuss. Considering how I am a lifestyle blogger, I wanted to share more about that aspect of my life with you guys. I always talk about how I am an art student, but I haven't really ever shared much of my work with you guys. In that last blogpost, the photography was all done by me for some projects I worked on. Generally, all photos I take for this blog are all done by me or directed by me. I've very rarely used stock photos, but the photos from that last post were specially done and edited so I did think of them differently than typical blog photos. Lemme know what you think! Would you like seeing some of the art I've done, and sharing more of my university life with you guys? Perhaps talking more about art, and the art world in general? Comment down below! 

Thanks for stopping by! I wish you all a wonderful day!


Til next time,
~A

Hey everyone!

Today I wanted to discuss with you all about design, specifically about designing in the future. This post is a part of the Design Blogger Competition organized by CGTrader. The style of this post is quite different from what I typically post here on my blog, and I am excited to share this with you all.

The term design is quite broad and general. It can refer to a multitude of things, whether it is fashion, graphic, or interior design. Design and art go hand in hand, and are interrelated, but not the same. Art can encompass a wide array of arrangements, and anything can be justified as art. Take Duchamp’s Fountain for example. Duchamp literally took a ready-made urinal, and manipulated its placement to create the argument that it’s art. Art is heavily based on its context, whereas design is a component within art.

Design refers to all the little intricacies within a composition. It is what makes us look and reconsider. It is everything that goes into making and creating a work. 

With our world as it is now, what would the future of design look like? A photo I took several months ago for a photography project that I thought captured one perspective of our entanglement with technology and obsession with the future.

In our present day, much can be said and done in attempts to predict the future. While we can guess what design will be like in the future, none of us are psychics, and we can never truly know what will be in store for us. Our past has happened, and there’s nothing we can do to change that. Our present is taking place in the here and now. As for our future? There is only our past and present to guide us into the unknown. Although our future has yet to come, much of the answers lie in our past and present. Sorry to sound all cryptic, but it’s true.

And before you even say it, no. In terms of designing for the future, this is not just a post about hover boards and the DeLorean. (Comment down below if you got that Back to the Future reference!)

In accordance to the topics I typically discuss here on my blog, fashion design has much to be considered for the future. While some may argue that fashion is merely a frivolous topic for those who prefer to focus on consumerism, fashion surprisingly is very intertwined with our daily lives in how it reflects the social, economical, and political happenings of our time. We can see the ups and downs of society through the way fashion undergoes its subsequent changes. In the 1920s-1930s, the feminist movement spurred and women began to join the workforce. This was clearly shown in the prevalence of the shorter hemlines and boxy silhouettes of women’s fashion during that time. After World War II as America recovered, there was an increased preference for nuclear families to create a semblance of a perfect, happy family after the horrific years of war and the creation of the atomic bomb. As a result, women’s hemlines dropped back down, and curves and frills were played up to emphasize women’s femininity. The proliferation of the stiletto heel corresponds to the technological innovations that made the extremely high, skinny heel possible to create. Fashion is clear evidence of history.

Fashion has a way of cycling, with styles returning in new and improved ways Remember a time when halter necklines were a thing of the past and not trendy, and it was all about low-cut plunging necklines?

Everything within the fashion realm revolves around seasons. Things go in style for a season, and are then cast aside for new styles to have their turn in the spotlight. But as we all know how history has its way of repeating itself, fashion too will as well.

We already see this evident in the return of the ‘90s. High-waist light wash denim, oversized jean jackets, choker necklaces, brown and bronzy colored lips, off the shoulder tops. Simply by scrolling through Instagram we can see how much of our current trends are reminiscent of the past. The other day I wore an oversized jean jacket that was actually my mother’s jacket from many years ago. And fashion has cycled back to allow that vintage piece to work with our current trends again.

However, not everything is exactly the same as before. While it is true that history repeats itself, and fashion reflects the ongoings of our lives, it is not an exact replica of the past. Rather, we look to the past in order to create our future.

Our current trends may take a lot of inspiration from the ‘90s, but it is not an exact return of the past. We shape our future with consideration of what has happened before. The past provides us with what was successful, and what needs improvement. In terms of the future of design, I believe we will see much of the past cycling back into the realm of things. Along with looking back at the past, the idea of returning to a simpler time accompanies that.

There is only so much innovation and advancements a society can handle. We have come so far in creating and inventing. History and fashion has its highs and lows, reflecting its golden ages and its periods of recovery. Perhaps the time has come to simplify. Embrace minimalism. Why else has there been an increased interest in minimalist styles? There is a beauty in simplicity.

We don’t need to layer fifteen gold chain chokers to complete an outfit. We don’t need bolder, brighter, louder prints to make a statement. We don’t need taller, longer, higher boots that go so far above the knee to create almost a pant-boot hybrid.

The future of design will entail more of a focus on the small things. Little details that makes things whole. Beauty in simplicity. Another photo I took for a photography project. Capturing the beauty in light refraction. Simple objects that have the capacity to hold so much and tell so much without needing so much.

The future of design will be in embracing the beauty in simplicity. After all, it's the small things that count.

I believe the future of design will entail looking back on what was successful, taking what we have, and reshaping it for the better into an improved product. Except, it will be about minimizing the excessive, unnecessary elements to focus on the details that matter. A look at the proliferation of natural "no makeup" looks, and minimalist wardrobes demonstrate examples of such already beginning to happen.

Due to all the political turmoil that keeps occurring, fashion holds its subsequent response. I believe the future of design will entail taking aspects of the past, and adapting them to accommodate our current needs. Looking back to a simpler, happier time for inspiration. It’s not always about the go, go, go, and the do, do, do. Life has become too fast-paced, too much about progressing and advancing and innovating. We need to take a step back, breathe, and live in the moment. Live knowing that we should be enjoying the present.


This is certainly a lengthier, denser post than what is typical here. I really hope you all enjoyed reading this, and that some of what I discussed stuck with you somehow.

Please do comment down below your thoughts on this topic! What do you think the future of design will look like? What are your thoughts on design? Comment down below, and lemme know! I would love to read what you guys think!

Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you all have a wonderful day!


Til next time,
~A

Hey everyone!

It’s no secret that when the sun is shining in the sky, a slight summer breeze is drifting in the air, and you are out lounging with your friends, having a drink and snacks within reach would be the perfect way to round out the day. I know that for me personally I always love to have some food and beverages nearby for any and all hangouts. Chilling with my squad just isn’t the same when we don’t have something to nosh on.

And usually that something for me is preferably popcorn. It’s one of my favorite snacks that are on the “healthier” side. I love a good kettle corn, a chocolate drizzled popcorn, or even just a plain ol’ buttery movie theater style popcorn. There are so many popcorn flavors to choose from it can be overwhelming.

With every snack and every popcorn flavor there is always an ideal beverage pairing to sip on while snacking. While you can go the boring route of just choosing water, a soda, juice, or just a beer, it’s fun to mix things up every once in awhile and really kick things up a notch. The perfect popcorn and drink combo in my opinion should be so great that it creates flavor explosions, like that one scene from Ratatouille when Remy paired random food together into a flavorful combination. That is the one scene from the movie that I reference to literally All. The. Time. Comment down below if you remember that scene!

Of course, to really make a snack and drink pairing good, spiking it with some alcohol couldn’t hurt. I mean, Olivia Pope has her wine and popcorn and she’s has a super successful career. So we can’t go wrong following in her footsteps, am I right? 

While you can just scroll through Pinterest to see which drinks would work well with which flavor of snack you are going for, it can be tough to narrow down the choices. Today, I have with you all a helpful little guide for some easy popcorn and drink pairings to try out, thanks to SkinnyPop Popcorn. 


I have to confess something to you guys. I am not the best at making drinks. I don’t even have a shaker. I just pour a little bit of this, and a little bit of that. Take a sip. Add a little more of this and a little more of that until it tastes BOMB. There’s no real method to my madness. Just a ton of madness. Trial and error, if you will. I’m a barista, not a bartender. Lemme know in the comments below if you guys are the same way!

But, because I am a Starbucks barista, I do like to create some wacky drink combos based on Starbucks drinks. You know those customers ahead of you in line who rattles off a long, complicated order that ends up taking ten years to recite? Yeah.. I'm kinda guilty of doing that too. But in my defense, it's because I am trying out new flavor combinations beyond the boring basics you can get off of Buzzfeed or all those trendy Instagram ones. My weekend go-to after my shift at work is to create a different drink combination that I can later spike with some alcohol. Who needs to go to a bar when you can just make your own "drinks"? I'm certainly no professional, but the combinations are tasty and endless!

Much like in the SkinnyPop popcorn and drink pairing guide, I love to have a tasty fruity beverage with cheese-flavored popcorn. I am addicted to popcorn, and white cheddar has got to be one of my all time favorites. White cheddar popcorn is such a classic salty cheesy flavor that works so well with any light, tangy fruity drink.



One drink I highly recommend trying with a white cheddar flavored popcorn is a strawberry açai refresher with lemonade instead of water, a couple pumps of mango syrup, and both blackberries and strawberries from Starbucks. I posted this drink on my Instagram Story a couple months ago. It is the perfect combination of sweet and tangy. When I got home, I added in a couple shots of rum to give it that extra kick. The rum doesn't take away from the overall taste as much, but does kick it up a notch. All you need after that is to add a pretty little umbrella, and pretend you are relaxing by the beach.

Another drink concoction from Starbucks I've started ordering a lot is a cool lime refresher with coconut milk instead of water and a few pumps of mango. Then I add in some Malibu coconut rum to it, and it literally tastes like a piña colada. I kid you not. Something bout the combination of the minty lime and the sweet tropical mango with the coconut flavor I guess. It's so bomb I've gotten my friends into it as well. We all call it the Starbucks piña colada drink. This drink would go VERY well with a sea salt popcorn. The drink itself is creamy and sweet, and the saltiness of the popcorn won't be too overwhelming for your tastebuds. It's a win-win for salty and sweet.

I swear those were not just Starbucks ads. I'm not sponsored by them, unless you count getting my paychecks from them because I work there. I just like not having to buy a bunch of cocktail ingredients from the store to make drinks at home. It's easier to get a base drink, and add in alcohol later on at home. I'm a lazy girl. We all know that by now.

Now, we've all established the fact that I am not professional. I just like having weird drink combinations. And trying out new things. I may not be the most classy, sophisticated go-to-wine-tastings kind of person out there, but at least I can say I am adventurous and experimental with my drinks. That disclaimer has already been said and done. So don't go complaining that I'm ruining drinks when I tell you bout this next drink.



Recently, my sister bought a bottle of rosé that was really tasty, but a bit on the dry side. I like my drinks to be a more balanced sweet. To combat that issue, I decided to add in a bit of Mountain Dew to my rosé. That literally made the drink SO good. All it took was two parts rosé and one part Mountain Dew, and that made the drink perfect. A drink like that would go so nicely with a pepper flavored popcorn.



I definitely recommend trying out some of these drink and snack combinations from the SkinnyPop guide, and the ones I suggested too! Lemme know what you think! 

Sometimes it's easy to fall into a rut, and simply eat what tastes good. But when you got a great drink and food pairing, it can really enhance and bring out the flavors even more. There's less of a need to wash and cleanse your palate with water when you got a good pairing going on. Although, there is nothing wrong with drinking water. That ain't what I'm saying. Do remember to drink water and stay hydrated. That's very important if you wanna stay healthy. You can't just live off of vodka. I mean, it looks almost like water... but it ain't haha

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you find this helpful! Please comment down below if you try out any of these pairings! Or if you have some suggestions of your own! I would love to have more ideas to try out!

I wish you all a lovely week!


Til next time,
~A

Hey everyone!

It’s officially summer! Now I cannot say I’m looking forward to summer anymore because it finally is. Sunny skies, hot weather, cold drinks, and endless days. Lots of time to create many happy memories. Time to make Summer 2017 worth it. What better way to document those great times than through photos? And taking that a step further, and printing them with Printiki?

Oh yes. Sign me up. My walls will soon be looking like an actual Instagram feed.



It’s been a month since I’ve last given you guys an update. Apologies.. as usual. I am on Instagram at least several times a week updating things on my story, so definitely follow me on IG to keep updated more regularly haha. I post random things that happen in my life on my story. It becomes almost like vlogging in a way with how long my story can get with the random snippets of my life that I share.

As mentioned before, summer is the time to make the most of your days. The best way to document that is through photos. Whether that be through Snapchat, Instagram, or simply taking some photos on your phone. I literally take so many photos when I’m out with my friends it’s like I am documenting every single moment. My photos library is constantly bursting with photos from a day’s adventures.

Lately, as you may have noticed the whole Polaroid prints and vintage aesthetic have been trendy. Polaroid cameras used to be a huge thing back in the 90’s. It was common to capture a moment through that small camera, and have it instantly ready for viewing on a slightly blurry print. Nowadays you can go to your nearest Target or Best Buy or whatever other store, and still be able to purchase a Polaroid camera.

I really love the idea of having printed photos even if it wasn’t trendy, as having a physical series of small prints is a completely different feel than simply having everything digitally available. While I may have thousands of photos on my computer, my Instagram, my phone, I barely have any actual printed photos. For one, it is not always that convenient to go and get photos printed. For another, it can cost quite a bit for good quality photos. I think the last time I bought actual printed photos was when I went on the New England cruise last September. Before that I think I last purchased print photos for my high school graduation. When did you last get photos printed?




While I love the Polaroid photo aesthetic, I sadly do not have a Polaroid camera myself. I'm also not planning on going to buy one either! Sorry, I'm not made of rubies. Or diamonds. Even if diamonds are a girl's best friend. Nor do I have the time to get my photos printed out at Costco or Bartells or some other drugstore. I am a busy uni student! Ain’t got time for that! If I don’t have the time to wash my makeup brushes (oops yes I am well aware I should be doing that more often instead of buying more brushes to avoid washing, hahah who else does that?), I certainly don’t have the time to drive somewhere to get photos printed. Why, I could be using that time to do other “important” things like watching more Netflix, or getting sucked into the blackhole of Grey’s Anatomy fandoms. Oops did I just admit that? Haha who am I kidding? We all have our quirks. Tangent aside, there is a super simple and easy way to actually get your photos printed without having to actually leave your house!

Recently, I got the chance to get my photos printed through Printiki. Printiki is a company that prints photos. They offer a ton of customization for your prints.  You can choose from different types of borders, adding in captions to your photos, and changing up the size of your prints. It’s all done online, and you basically upload your photos to get them printed.

For my prints, I chose to get a set of 30 prints in the 4” by 4” Retro Square format, with captions added onto each photo. The result resembled almost like Polaroids because of the square format with the captions. I really love how that turned out. I added in the date for each photo, along with a short little phrase to accompany it. I really like how there were so many fonts to choose from when adding in the captions. I didn’t know which to choose because I liked how they all looked, but I wanted them all to be more or less uniform so I chose the same one for all. However, you can vary the font and format of each photo if you wanted. For instance, if you were printing a set of 30 and half were to go to your friend, you could change up the format of some and keep the rest in a separate style. It’s super easy to customize.




You can see from all my photos that I chose to include from various times of my life. What I really like about this is that I could connect my Instagram to Printiki to import photos from my Instagram account. It makes it really easy to choose a photo I like from my Instagram, without having to find the original on my phone or computer. You can upload photos in a variety of ways, and it’s super easy to do.

I am planning on arranging my photos in a collage of some sort to arrange on my walls. I like how the ones I got are in square format, so it almost replicates an Instagram feed.

Photos featuring some of my close friends and I Evidence of my nearly unhealthy Snapchat addiction

If you wanted, you could also choose larger sizes. They offer sizes such as 6” by 4”, 7” by 5”. You could even choose poster format and get them larger at 12” by 18”. I’m actually considering getting some photos printed larger to put up on my walls.

As it is all online, once you order it all you gotta do is sit back and wait until it arrives in the mail. You literally don’t have to leave your house if you don’t want to. Mine arrived in the mail pretty fast. It shipped within the United States so it was fairly quick. Of course the shipping time would definitely depend on and vary based on where you live.

The time I was in a Youtube video with my friend Jake from Thatsrightitsjj

All those memories from when I graduated high school.. can't believe its been so long already!

Me and Justin from that time I featured Men's Style in my JORD wood watch post This was also the day we took the photos for the Styling a Men's Shirt post

I’m really satisfied with the quality of the prints as well. I chose to have them glossy, rather than matte. The feel of it is not cheap, and the paper is sturdy and of good quality. I definitely recommend this to everyone!






In case you guys are still hesitant of this, I do have a CODE for you guys to use when ordering your prints to get free shipping! I know that you guys live all around the world, and shipping can end up costing just as much as if not more than the actual product itself.

Use this code at checkout for free shipping:
3WA2GPC2

This will definitely help you out a lot! I know I’m personally planning on getting more printed because my walls are so sad and empty. I need to transfer all my digital memories to print. Once my walls resemble to chaotic camera roll I will be happy. Just kidding, not that extreme. Maybe.

Also, definitely go check out Printiki on Instagram for some other cool ideas for your photos! They share a bunch of inspiration for photography and things of that sort.



Have you ever printed through Printiki before?

How do you guys arrange and display your print photos? Do you prefer framing them individually, or just arranging on your walls? Lemme know in the comments below! I would love to get some ideas and inputs from you guys!

Thank you all for stopping by and reading! I hope you enjoyed this post!

I hope you all are having a wonderful June, and an amazing summer so far.


Til next time,
~A