Make A Map of What You See

My “feelin epic” playlist. Speaks for itself. #MIA,...

Wed, 08 Aug 2012 21:02:25 -0400

My “feelin epic” playlist. Speaks for itself. #MIA, #katyperry, #M83, #blackkeys, #vampireweekend, #bestcoast (Taken with Instagram)

“just one touch now baby I believe this is real so take a...

Sun, 29 Jul 2012 19:09:53 -0400

“just one touch now baby I believe this is real so take a chance and don’t ever look back” #teenagedream #smooches (Taken with Instagram)

#dairyqueen, #cherrydippedcone (Taken with Instagram)

Sun, 29 Jul 2012 19:06:56 -0400

#dairyqueen, #cherrydippedcone (Taken with Instagram)

Self portrait: “disturbia” #self portraits,...

Sun, 29 Jul 2012 19:05:40 -0400

Self portrait: “disturbia” #self portraits, #disturbia (Taken with Instagram)

Taken with Instagram

Sun, 15 Jul 2012 23:33:10 -0400

Taken with Instagram

Sun, 15 Jul 2012 22:02:42 -0400

Taken with Instagram

Sun, 15 Jul 2012 21:52:47 -0400

Taken with Instagram

“I’m good, I’m gone” (Taken with...

Sun, 15 Jul 2012 20:35:37 -0400

“I’m good, I’m gone” (Taken with Instagram)

“I missed you” (Taken with Instagram)

Sun, 15 Jul 2012 20:34:26 -0400

“I missed you” (Taken with Instagram)

In Bloom (Taken with Instagram)

Sun, 15 Jul 2012 20:33:47 -0400

In Bloom (Taken with Instagram)

woman

Wed, 06 Jun 2012 13:19:48 -0400

woman

“When you’re in love, it isn’t like...

Wed, 30 May 2012 09:32:00 -0400

“When you’re in love, it isn’t like you’re in a dream. When you’re in love, it’s the one you love who is in the dream”

“boardwalk empire”

Wed, 30 May 2012 09:15:00 -0400

“boardwalk empire”

The Post-College Quiet

Fri, 25 May 2012 12:04:54 -0400

What happens when you go from a life that is nonstop with stress and deadlines to a life that is slow paced and quite frankly, boring? Now that all of the excitement of graduating college has passed and life has returned to its normal level of excitement (or un-excitement), it is slowly beginning to sink in that this is life when you’re not in college, when you’re in the ‘real world’.

When there are no plans and everyone is busy with their own lives and you’re away from your college friends, you suddenly find yourself asking, “Is this it? Is this what life after college is really going to be like?”

If you’re someone who has plans to go to grad school in the fall, then don’t fret. Your boredom is only temporary. But if you’re someone like me who chose to hold off on grad school for a while and enter the work force, then you might feel a little discouraged by the increasingly sparse job market for recent grads.

The several weeks after college are similar to the five stages of grief. First, there’s denial. I literally could not believe I graduated college. It seemed a long time coming and it shocked me that this was finally it. Second and third are anger and bargaining as the humdrum of daily routines began to set in. I would have given a kidney to be working on a project for a class instead of being so bored. I read, did some job hunting, went out with friends and nothing seemed to fill the void where my daily routines often took me from six in the morning until two in the morning the following day. The fourth stage of grief (and graduating college apparently) is depression. For a few days, I was just sad. I realized that it really was the end to a huge part of my life. And the final stage is acceptance. Acceptance of the loss of my college self and the welcoming the new person who will come into the ‘real world’ ready to take on a career.

Graduating college is a in a lot of ways like losing someone you love. College often times makes you the person you might be for the rest of your life. It has a huge impact on the way you think because most students are entering their twenties by the time they finish college.

But it doesn’t have to be all boring. The few months after college should be reserved for some fun, unless you’re lucky and already have a job lined up for after graduation.

The poem on the back of my Metrocard “Graduation”.....

Mon, 21 May 2012 12:13:00 -0400

The poem on the back of my Metrocard “Graduation”.. how appropriate :)

Published!

Wed, 16 May 2012 13:10:36 -0400

Published! :

Please support my little ebook on my passion- music. It’s available on Smashwords.com for most eReaders (kindle, nook, etc) and it’s only $1.99. Thanks!

Don’t let yourself be silenced.

Sat, 31 Mar 2012 18:50:00 -0400

Don’t let yourself be silenced.

Bead for Life

Sat, 31 Mar 2012 13:15:00 -0400

Inexpensive Jewelry for a Good Cause

As a college student, I can understand the struggles of not being able to afford anything. But I, and many other American students, have the luxury of having parents who help out with purchases that are needed to get by.

For people in many African countries, not being able to afford anything is a reality that isn’t going to be made better by parents who can afford to pay for their needs. Most African countries have corrupt government officials who pocket the money and resources that are supposed to go back into the public economy, which is one of the biggest reasons so many Africans live far below the poverty line.

Women, in particular, face an even harsher struggle because women have no power. Many are forced into marriages, encounter violent brutality and have very little legal rights.

Although these women struggle to meet their most basic needs, there are many organizations that help work relentlessly to help them gain access to the resources they need.

Bead for Life is a nonprofit organization that helps women improve their lives and gain independence. The organization works with women in Uganda by running their organization like a business, except all of the profits made go back to the Ugandan women.

The way it works is the Ugandan women make jewelry out of colored recycled paper. They then hand the jewelry over to the organization workers who sell the jewelry on the Bead for Life website or ship out the jewelry to people who wish to host what they call “Bead Parties.” Bead Parties are are when ordinary people who want to help the organization, order jewelry, at no cost to them, and sell the jewelry to their friends and family and tell them about the cause. They then send all the money they made and unsold jewelry back to the home office and the money gets sent to the Ugandan women.

The money helps the women get educated, including developing business skills, they can purchase or get the funds to build their own homes, pay for their own food and supplies, and take care of their children.
The jewelry is beautiful and inexpensive. I’ve purchased two of their bracelets.

These bracelets, the Sanyu (Lugandan for ‘joy’) bangles, are $5. These bracelets, one of the most popular jewelry items, make great gifts and go with any outfit.

I participated in a Women and Activism Fair on my college campus and I got to sit at a table and sell some of the Bead for Life jewelry and tell people about the cause.

It was a great feeling the expression on people’s faces when I told them the cause behind Bead for Life. They got excited that they could have the chance to help out the Ugandan women get the same opportunities that they had- the opportunities for education, and purchasing a home- all just by purchasing a piece of handmade jewelry.

All of the jewelry is hand made from recycled paper and the detail on them is absolutely beautiful.

The Ugandan women not only can make fair trademoney but more importantly, they gain confidence and independence when making the jewelry because they are essentially working to help themselves, no one is handing anything out to them. They know that the pieces they are making are beautiful and they know that through their work, they will be able to provide a better life for themselves which makes it a satisfying experience to both them and for people like myself who are just trying to help the cause.

So, if you’re looking to help a great cause and purchase some unique and inexpensive jewelry in the process, check out the Bead for Life site to get involved with the organization or to purchase jewelry and other items like all natural, handmade shea butter soap. All items range in price from $2 to $30 and a purchase of an entire collection of products is about $50 is you’re looking to get more for your buck. Having bought some jewelry myself, I can say that I felt so much satisfaction in knowing that my money was going to improve the life of another woman. To make purchases and see where the money from your purchase will go, check out beadforlife.org.

Janet, College of Saint Elizabeth, 2012

This is such a great tattoo tattoolit: “Only after disaster can...

Sat, 17 Mar 2012 11:10:27 -0400

This is such a great tattoo

tattoolit:

“Only after disaster can we be resurrected. It’s only after you’ve lost everything that you’re free to do anything. Nothing is static, everything is evolving, everything is falling apart.”
― Chuck Palahniuk, Fight Club

I live my life by this. You cannot be reborn without dying first. Let go of meaningless things! Don’t become a statistic! Pain exists for a reason. This is your life and it’s ending one minute at a time.

journalofajournalist: This is great advice for life, not just...

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 17:21:52 -0400

journalofajournalist:

This is great advice for life, not just stand-up comedy. Hicks knew what was up.