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Dear Students,

14 August 2015

I'm not ready.


I am in no way ready for school to start. I'm sure you all feel the same way. I'm sure we're all still recovering from last year, I know I am. I'm not ready for the stress, anxiety, tears, frustrations this year will bring.

Sometimes I think that all the bad stuff outweigh the good parts of school, but then I'll hang out with my friends and we'll have a great time, then I think maybe it isn't so bad. High school is not going to be the best four years of your life. Most likely anyway.

High school is going to feel more like an audition for college. It's going to feel like too much all at once. I know that that's how it felt for me. I know its scary. I'm still scared. I am absolutely terrified of my senior year of high school. I'm scared about not getting into the "right" college. I'm scared about messing up in the last home stretch. I'm scared that maybe everything I've done isn't enough. I think the last part scares me the most.So to my fellow seniors, we can do this, we can survive it. We're almost done. We've had a 100% survival rate so far. College apps, crazy schedules, friend drama, it's all survivable. I have to remind myself of that. So I'm reminding you of that. Because sometimes all we need is someone to tell us that we can. And trust me you can do this. Don't let stats get you down, don't let grades make you feel like your less of a person. You are you. That can't be defined with numbers and grades. My advice to you, and myself, is that you are in charge of your life so take control and steer yourself where you want to go. Don't let someone tell you that you can't do something. Don't let people tear you down, or try and tell you what you should do. At the end of the day your the one who has to live with the life you create, so create an awesome one. Don't apologize for making choices that make you happy and will help keep you happy for years to come.

 Maybe you're scared about starting high school, maybe you're scared about taking your first AP class, maybe you're scared about making new friends, maybe you're scared about not fitting in, maybe you're scared of disappointing someone. Let me tell you right now that no matter what your anxious about, you'll survive it. It might suck for a really long time.But that doesn't mean you won't survive, you will and you will go on to better things. If you stay organized, you can survive AP classes. If you work your butt off, you will get the grades you deserve. If you put yourself out there, chances are you will meet people who are like you. Don't be angry or sad if you don't find people at first or if you can't find a "real group" of friends. You'll find your people eventually. Try some new things, you might be surprised at where your happiest. That's the other thing, surround yourself with good people.

You'll need good friends, not flaky unreliable people, in your corner. If you don't fit in because your "weird" or "nerdy", fuck everybody else. You just need to be yourself and happy in your skin. High school sucks, its terrible, but don't let the people and the place force you to change. The things people might think are "uncool" now, are the eccentricities someone else with think are awesome, are the things that will make you stand out. After all who wants to be boring carbon copy, leading a boring, vanilla life? Not me. If there's one thing I wish I could have told myself as a freshman is that "You will survive and be okay. Maybe even better than okay". So i'll tell you guys that. Somewhere down the line you'll realize that you turned out okay and that your life will turn out okay too.

Mental illness is a thing that a lot of people struggle with. I can't count how many people have talked to be about depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, etc. They were all afraid to talk about it and I hate that they felt so afraid to talk about it because of the stigma attached to it. Mental illness is a disease. Not something to run away from, or pretend doesn't exist. From my experience music is a great help when things suck and when they don't. It's okay to have bad days, and sometimes your going to have more bad days than good ones. It sucks but remember that the sun at some point will come out and because you've survived dark nights, scary nights, lonely nights, you will appreciate the sun. Talk to someone if you can, and if you don't have someone, talk to me. If not there are plenty of online resources that will help you out: 7 Cups of TeaIMAlive.

School will most likely get crazy. The people in it are little bit bonkers. And that's okay. But this year I want all of you to take care of yourselves and remember to make yourselves a priority amidst all the chaos. I know I'm going to make more of an effort to do that this year. I always start these open letters with an idea of what I want to say but then I write them and the just end up being mini rambles. As per usual this is also all over the place, but I really want to wish you guys luck this year.

Here's what I've learned from surviving three years of the crazy jungle that is high school
  • It's not worth it to be "cool"
  • Don't apologize for who you are but accept when you are in the wrong.
  • Don't be afraid to make mistakes and try new things. 
  • Put the work into school. It's your ticket out and your key to open doors to places you want to go. 
  • Education is one thing that no one will be able to take away from you. Take advantage of your classes and learn as much as humanly possible. 
  • Playlists will be the soundtrack of your experiences. 
  • Being alone is not a bad thing. It's important to know how to be alone. 

Remember that some days are going to suck, but hold on to the ones that are amazing. Pay attention to the moments you feel on top of the world. Those are the ones that count. Remember and enjoy the little things because those small details can make your memories and life all the more richer. Keep in mind that education is important even if you decide not to go to college ( and if you do want to go to college it's helpful to start looking into the application process early).


Here's to us. Here's to a new school year. Lets be awesome and kick ass this school year.


Stay Gold,

Cute Back To School Hair Styles

13 August 2015


Because I have back to school on the brain I of course started to think about the first day and how I would look on the first day. I was planning to actually have a hair tutorial up today, but alas yesterday was a little bit too hectic. Hopefully I'll be able to have a hairstyle tutorial up at some point. Anyways I thought that if I couldn't share my own hairstyle I could show y'all my favorite hairstyles/ tutorials.

Updos:

For when you want to where your hair down (or mostly down):

Half Up- Half Down:

Braids:



Goals for the 2015 School Year

12 August 2015


So I've been thinking a lot about school. I've been thinking about how crazy my life gets, how crazy I get. Then I get really, really nervous. While I'm super psyched to start my senior year i'm plagued by my fears and anxieties. Then I decided that I needed to stop being so scared about what tomorrow was going to bring and just enjoy today. I needed to learn to let go and just breath. There are a lot of things I need to work on this school year.That got me thinking, why not just start a list of goals and things to improve or change this school year. Here are my goals for this school year.


  1. Stop being so apologetic and just be fearlessly me. I'm a shy person and that is probably never really going to change but I don't have to be sorry about the way I am. I'm proud of who I am, I'm the first to fangirl over Harry Potter and freak out over my latest OTP. But I feel like I need to take that confidence and bring it to a bigger scale. I need to be unafraid to be myself in a world that asks me to be small and quiet. I am tired of making myself smaller for other people, toning myself down because I'm afraid of being too much. So this year I'm done trying to cater to others and just be loud and crazy (if I feel like it)
  2. Talk to people more. It's not going to kill me to strike a conversation with someone in class. It's not going to be the end of the world if someone doesn't like me. I'm going to try and talk to people more, try and make some new friends while I'm it. Though as a shy girl, i'm probably going to take baby steps with this. 
  3. Take care of myself more. Lately I've talked a lot about practicing self care, about putting yourself first. I'm the first to admit that I tend to want to take care of other people before myself. I know that I have a bad habit of putting school ahead of my own needs. I'm a work in progress and while I am taking care of myself I know I could be doing a much better job at it.
  4. Get grades I'm happy with. Every year I set the bar high. I want straight A's and I'm going to work my butt of to get them but if the best I can do is a B i'm going to be happy with that. Over the past year I've learned that we are more than the value we assign to a red mark on a test. I've learned to be okay with the best I can do instead of beating myself up because I'm not good enough. 
    • This includes AP tests and SAT scores. 
  5. Wear outfits I feel great in. This means different things to different people. For me it means putting in extra effort into outfits. I've made this goal every year since freshman year and I think I've done a pretty good job at fulfilling this goal. This year is going to be no exception
  6. Volunteer more. All of my high school life has been spent pouring my heart and soul into my school work. That doesn't leave a lot for volunteering so I want to make more of an effort this year.
  7. Drive. I'm 17 and I still don't have my licence. I need to get on it!
  8. Make an effort to hang out with my friends.This is it. This is my last year of high school I want to be sure I make a ton of memories with my friends. I want to spend my time laughing with them, planning out prom together, freaking out over college apps with them. 
  9. Finish college apps two weeks before they are due. I just need to be sure that everything is the best it can be. That means finishing early so I can fix any last mistakes and I don't have to be worries about my application not going in.
  10. Stay organized!!! I always start off the year really organized and I usually falter a quarter of the way in. I want to make it more of a permanent thing. So I decided to start a bullet journal because I've heard great things about the system. So here goes nothing! (click here to find out more about bullet journal)
  11. Make more time for the things I love. Sometimes school gets in the way of me doing things for fun. So I want to make more of an effort to write and read and dance and taking pictures. I want to have time to watch 3 movies in a row and binge watch my latest obsession on netflix. 

What are your goals for this year?  Let me know in the comments below!

Go Check out the rest of my back to school series so far!

Student Survival Guide

11 August 2015


School can be the source of a lot of stress, anxiety, and other not so pleasant emotions. School can become crazy and that craziness can be a defining part of your life as a student. Since I am a senior this year I figured I know a thing or two about dealing with all the crazy. So here are some tips and tricks to help you survive school, maybe even thrive. Today I'm going to talk about tests, friends, orginization and other random stuff.

Back To School Series:
Day One:Back to School: Books and Movies
Day Two: Mixtape Monday + Organization
Day Three: Student Survival Guide
Day Four: Goals For the 2015 School Year
Day Five: Cute Hair Styles
Day Six: Open Letter To Students

Random Tips:

  • Don't try and be cool and fit in. It's not worth it. Just be you and find people you can be you around. That "cool" circle is not as awesome as it seems. 
  • Makes lots and lots of playlists! Trust me it's cathartic and helpful. Plus they're awesome when you do have to work late. 
  • Dress in what makes you feel comfortable and happy. 
    • For me that means dressing up, wearing skirts and dresses and all that jazz. If you feel like you look good, you'll feel good. What you wear affects how you act. 
  • Takes a lot of pictures. Trust me when you feel nostalgic you'll want to look through some pics.
  • Say yes to going out with friends. Even if you don't feel like going out, it usually ends up being worth it. 
  • Follow some Studyblrs on tumblr (if you have one). They post a lot of helpful things plus it's motivating to see other people get so intense about studying! Plus they have lots of stuff to help you get orginized. 
  • Always have perfume and deordorant handy. Trust me this is just a necessity.
  • Don't be afraid to put yourself out there. A lot of the memories that make me smile or laugh started because I decided to ignore my shyness and anxiety and just go for it. 
  • Youtube has a lot of tutorials for everything you need. Use 'em.
    • Crash Course is crazy helpful!
    • You can often find power points or outlines for textbooks here. I find them really helpful!
  • Don't join a billion clubs because you think it looks good for colleges. 
    • Join a select few that you feel the most passionate about.,
    • Maybe even start one.
  • Always have a person you can talk to.
    • I can not stress how important this is. There are going to be days that suck so much thats it's impossible to bear it all on your own.
    • It can be a friend, a sibling, a parent, or a therpist. It's important to have someone to listen to you vent and offer some advice without being judgemental
  • Priotoize your health first,then your relationships, then school. 
  • How to be a Happier Person
  • Let's talk about health
    • This post has some meditation stuff for those of us with anxiety! It's super helpful!
  • Have lazy days.
    • These are vital for mental health. It's important to set aside time for yourself.
    • Reward yourself after a test or at the end of a project or just because.
    • Watch some movies, read a book, eat some brownies, bake some cookies, stay in your P.J's all day,

Staying Organized and Creating a Blogging Schedule

06 February 2015


Perks of Being a Reader: Staying Organized

 Trying to stay on top of things can prove to be one of the harder things in life. Especially when life is hell bent on being cray and not really giving you a chance to breath. Staying organized is definitely a challenge for me, being a student and blogger. But the thing is the busier you are the more important being organized is. In order to keep up with school and make sure posts go up, schedules and calenders are KEY! I know a lot of these things aren't really new ideas but this is just what I do.
Perks of Being a Reader: Staying Organized


  1.  Priorities! It's important to have an idea of what comes first. Like for me school comes first, which often means laboring over homework before even thinking of trying to get a post done. It's important to know what your priorities are before anything else because that way you can build around it. 
  2. Have goals. I'm trying to make it a goal to have 4 posts up a week. Every Sunday and Friday while alternating some memes through out the week. That's my goal. While it's important to have these goals, it's also important to know you can't always reach them. Don't beat yourself up if it's 1 in the morning and you are way to tired to blog and you have school/work the next day. These things happen...
  3. Be strict but go easy on yourself. Try to stick to a rhythm or schedule but if it's not possible that day. Don't fret. 
  4. Creating a Blogging Schedule will save your life. Okay the best way to do this is to do it monthly. That way you have an idea of what and when things need to go up. Its always best to have a consistent blogging days (mine are Sunday and Friday). Try to pick days that are easy for you to work with. (Shout out to my friend who helped me make my new blogging schedule)
  5. Perks of Being a Reader : Staying Organized
    • Pick things you'd like to write about that month. Posts ideas are important to have beforehand to avoid the flustered blogging, bad posts, and the "fuck it i'm not going to do it" experiences. Not everyone works this way I know, but it's useful for me.  
    • Now you might have a Calender handy and you could use that, or you can make your own. Like I did :) 
    • So once you have your days set, try to organize your posts to fit within those days. Like For me, Sundays are Book Talks, Fridays are whatever days. It's nice to have some venting/tutorial/tips posts. 
    • Don't be too overzealous and try to bite off more than you can chew. It's important to be be consistent and so it's important to know what you can handle. I know that two solid days are in the realm of possibility for me. I know it's possible to do some memes during the week 
    • Now if you have pictures to take for posts, or pictures to edit. It's a good idea to work that into your schedule too. Because that can take a while, trust me. 
    • Do your best to stick with the schedule
  6. Have a planner. I know it gets tedious but trust me it's helpful! This way you have an idea everyday how busy you are and what you need to get done. I usually write down homework for the day, try to put the approximate time I'll spend on it and schedule time for my blog if there;s a post that day. If not I try to make sure I'm active every day on my social media because I love you guys :)
  7. Pick days that you can work ahead. For me I use the weekends as time to work, time to get things done before Monday comes and homework comes piling on. So I'll try to carve some time out for blogging, taking pictures, editing them etc. (end of thinking capacity lol). By working ahead you are able to give yourself an edge for the week/month. 
  8. CARVE OUT TIME FOR YOU. If you are stressed, tired, absolutely done with everything,you are NOT going to function correctly. You are NOT going to be organized and probably going to fall behind. It's so important to take care of yourself and get sleep, watch some T.V. Read a book. Whatever is relaxing and fun for you. That way you can stay on task, stay organized and stay on top of things.
Hope I was helpful! Those are my 6 tips. Comment below if you have any strategies or tricks!


Perks of Being a Reader : Staying Organized

Happy Friday!! DFTBA

Letter to December #10

19 December 2014

Dear December,

Sometimes all you need is a nice big breath, a cup of tea, and an afternoon of nothingness. Now, I've always been one to keep busy. I like running around doing errands, making plans, scheduling things etc. But for a moment, just a tiny one I sat down, tea in hand, and just relaxed and surprisingly enough I enjoyed my moment of nothingness. 

Of course, December, it didn't last long. I went to target not soon after to go Christmas shopping. With finals done, school on pause, I finally have time to get presents and make them. This is my favorite time of the year and it almost makes up for the head splitting-ness of finals week. But it got me thinking, maybe it's time for me to take a deep breath and look around me. I don't think I do it enough. 

People are always doing things. That, I think sometimes, we get so focused on tasks, that we forget the big picture. We forget that we are living breathing people who are living their lives. I know it's cliche but I don't think anyone really stops to smell the roses anymore. And then at random moments, we'll just think "Holy Shit, This is my life". For me it hit me yesterday. With a mug in hand, and nothing to do, it hit me that this is actually what i'm doing with my life, my time, my energy. And I wish I would have stopped more and just taken in the moments, instead of living life on super speed, busy as a bumblebee. 

I guess what I'm trying to say is that, I need to be more in touch with the big picture of it all. I focus to much on the tiny details that won't matter in ten years. I focus on the small things so much I forget that I need to take a breather sometimes. But better late than never, right December?

Love Always,



Letter to December #9

15 December 2014

Dear December,

There's a certain something that comes with the end of things. It could be that you just stop caring. It could be that you're in a rush to prove yourself. That's pretty much what finals feel like. This week, December, so many students embark on a journey that can pretty much leave you dead;finals week. Not fun. You see as much as I love you December, you bring around one of the most stressful times of the year. 

Okay so in my defense the internet is a pretty distracting place, but I've been majorly procrastinating on my studying. Maybe it's the Christmas-y feeling in the air, the inebrating amounts of junk food, or the Disney music i've been playing non-stop, but i'm not worried yet. My finals start on Tuesday so i'm waiting to notice the walls closing in on me. I'm waiting to freak out and have the "Holy Shit" moment. You know the one. The one where you're dumbfounded by you're a) own stupidity b)the pressure to do well. This is where some people just have a fuck it moment, and where others, like me cram, 

I know cramming doesn't help, but It's my comfort blanket. I can't not cram for things. Thankfully Disney music has kept me calm (for now) and somewhat happy. I mean you can't not be happy when you'r listening (and singing) "Zero To Hero" or "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" or "Hakuna Matata". You just can't. That probabaly why I listen to it during finals. I have to keep myself somewhat content and together. I can lose it after. I should take a hint from Timon and Pumba and just chill out. But I doubt that I could ever just live by Hakuna Matata, I worry to much. 

I worry. So I plan and plan. But then I don't stick to that plan so I worry and try and plan some more. Usually by like the third circle I got it, and I somewhat know what i'm doing. It just takes some last minute pressure to get me to that point. Which is pretty much where I am right now.

December wish me luck, I'll need it.

Love always,


Letter to December #6

09 December 2014

Dear December, 

It's currently 11:30 pm and i'm very tired. It'll be tomorrow by the time you get this. I'll be at school, trying not to fall asleep, desperately clinging to my consciousness because I have in class writing, tests, and last minute teaching going on. 

School is crazy and quite frankly i'm really done with it. I know I have Winter break in less than two weeks, but right now amid all the cramming and bad teachers, I'm starting to freak out and wanting to just stop and take a breather. But as my APUSH teacher said this morning, "Now is the time to push yourself".

So here I am with no tea, not on my bed, and with no blankets or sweater near me. I'm not happy. I know it all be over soon, and I'll look back at this and just be glad I was able to say I survived. But until then I'm stuck in a circle of procrastination, going to bed late, napping, procrastination. Fun.

As much as I love you December, you also tend to bring the hardest weeks into my life. With finals and dealing with relatives on Holidays. But I just have to remember that some rough moments have to balance out all the hot chocolates, candy canes, presents, and all around festive cheer. I guess it's like they say, December, you need to have some bad to balance out the good. I think it's a good trade off, or at least I do once i'm on break. 


But for now it's time for me to go to bed and try to not hate myself in the morning for my poor life choices. Thankfully I have Christmas music on repeat and working on my master playlist! You can't ever really be sad while listening to christmas music, you know? 


Love Always, 


Dear Students,

14 August 2014

      School. For a lot of people the word alone is enough to make us upset, angry, nervous. I get nervous. I'm about to be a junior and i can't tell you how nerve wreaking it is to even think about what school is going to be like this year. This is the year that counts the most. The year that I'm betting everything on. And if it doesn't go well i can kiss going to my dream college goodbye. Maybe I sound melodramatic and whatever but the thing is there is so much pressure on every student to do well, because college. And it's crazy to think that we're living our teen years in our room, locked away from the world outside because we have tests and projects and let's not forget the drama the inevitably comes with having friends.For my brother, he's going into high school with no friends, and that's tough. I went through it and it's not something i would wish on anyone. But you're never the new kid for long, and you will find a good group of people you like or at least can tolerate.
       It's a lot for anyone but we deal with it because we have to. I know that school sucks sometimes and it's stressful 99% of the time. I just wanted to let you know that it's okay to stress cry and have panic attacks and freak out. I know what it's like to feel like your drowning and your stuck and oh so lost. I get it and it's a terrible feeling. I'm sure you've been through it to. Let me just tell you this. If you honestly feel like this, then please stop what your doing and please take care of yourself. One bad grade isn't going to define you, one mistake isn't going to hold you back unless you let it. You have to remember that even when you feel like the ground is coming apart at your feet that you are more that whatever is going on at school. You are who you want to be. School plays a part in you life but it doesn't define you. If it's one in fucking morning and your tired and your sad go eat chocolate, or sleep, or read. Do something for you because trust me as important as school is, your health and well being is more important. Remember that for me.
       High school sucks and it's not something the majority of us look forward to. But  please try. It'll all be worth it when your doing what you want to do with you life. And if you don't know what it is you want to do, it's okay. I'm about to get cheesy. Not that I have't been cheesy, but i'm admitting it right now. Life is about molding yourself into what you want. I sound like a walking hallmark card, but it's true. I hope that you understand that everything you do helps build your character. If you mess up, you learn to not mess up so bad next time, if your sad, then you learn how to cope. If you try new things, who knows you might discover you like apple pie more than a vanilla cupcake. So try everyday, because you can't regret it. The worst that can happen is a bad day.  Also don't let anyone make you feel bad because your bad day isn't as bad as someone else because you will still feel the way you feel regardless. Every one has their own problems so respect that you might not always know what someone else is going through. And in the words of the very wise Eeyore"The nice thing about rain is that it always stops. Eventually".
      For those of us who don't like school because of the people there, just remember that at the end of the day their words are just words. Don't give those horrible utterances power, because the words or the people who say it don't deserve. If it helps, remember that they will probably serve you fries in the future. Or better yet you'll have such a great life after high school you won't even remember their names. Embrace your weirdness. My sister told me that your weirdness is ultimately what makes you, you and not just another carbon cut out of what everyone else wants to be. So be you. And if you like wearing all black, go for it, if you like having hot pink hair, go for it, if you like girls, awesome, if you like boys, awesome, if you have no idea, you'll figure it out I promise. Real family and true friends will love you for whoever it is you are and will accept you regardless.
     I probably sound like dramatic or over the top, but the thing is I know so many people who just hate school and hate what comes with it and all i want is to help or let you know that no matter what you need to put yourself first and be good to yourself. For me I have really bad panic attacks, and I have to deal with it every day. Granted that has to do more with me than with school, but school doesn't help. And i just figured that if somehow someone read this and was like "i get this" and feel better about themselves or things they've done than I've done something good. Whether you feel nervous or angry or lost or unsure or whatever it is your feeling its okay because somehow things will work out. You will make things work out for you. So yeah.
       All in all good luck to you, my friend. Be awesome and be who you are because you can be. It's that simple. people just like to complicate things. So study hard, take care of yourself, and have a good school year and remember you will survive and you can do this!

All the best,
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