Quirks

Today's Blogtember prompt asks me to give you all a self-portrait. However, I think that you all have heard quite enough about "who I am". You all know the basics. If you're new here, check out the About Me page! As for today's post, I think I can give you guys a little bit of a different kind of insight and tell you the silly little details about myself. The interesting thing is, a lot of us share those same little quirks, but we rarely talk about them! After reading this, you may find that we have quite a bit in common.

*I love Twizzlers. Like, probably too much.
*I sing loudly and obnoxiously in the car, mostly to Lady Gaga, whom I adore.
*I like peanut butter in my yogurt, and applesauce with my grilled cheese.
*I like to sing people's names when I see them.
*If I'm in a foreign place, I go to the local Disney store to alleviate homesickness.



*I snort occasionally when I laugh.
*Bridal magazines are my guilty pleasure.
*I wear the same watch every single day.
*I think my toes look like little maggots.
*I can grab things with my maggot-like toes.
*I like (real) Belgian waffles wayyy too much.



*I enjoy leaping down the hallways in my house and at school.
*I don't put butter on my bread.
*I debate downloading Candy Crush because I'm afraid I'll get addicted.
*I'm very particular about how my groceries are bagged at the store.
*I was afraid of Chipotle burritos until I was a senior in high school.

I think that's enough crazy for one day! What are your quirks?

For The Love Of Writing

I have a post on this blog about my Blogging Story. All about how I started blogging and where it has taken me. I suppose for some, blogging has had a very tangible impact on their lives. For example, the big bloggers out there have made a name for themselves in the blogsphere and have an income off their blog. For me, it's a little bit more internal than that (although one day I hope to be in their league). For me, it's about writing.

The thing is that I'm in theatre. For those of you who don't do theatre, here's something you need to know: it consumes you. When I'm not doing homework, out with friends, or on this blog, I am thinking, living, and breathing theatre, and I love it! Actually now that I think about it, I mostly go out with theatre friends, so maybe it even has a hold on me when I'm out on the town. The point is, I don't have much opportunity to get away and just chill. I don't have as much time as I'd like to read, sew, craft, cook, write, or shoot photos. This blog almost forces me to sit down for just a few minutes a day and gather my thoughts. It's therapeutic and gives me a moment of calm every day. It also helps my creativity!

My blog was especially important to me when I was in Belgium (if you'd like to read some of those stories, click here). I blogged just about every day and I recounted every little detail of my days. Since I rarely talked to people back home, it gave me a real way to connect with them. Everyone back in the States, and around the world, really, knew what was going on with me and was able to be a part of my experience. Plus, having that catharsis every day was extremely helpful for my mental sanity. Looking back, some of my posts were incredibly sad, some depressing, some hysterical, and some beautifully poetic. Even looking back at the journaling or poetry that I was writing while I was there makes me long for the days of train rides and quiet afternoons where I could take the time to dig deep into my soul and write something lovely. Maybe I will post some of those poems here one day.

Yes, I hope that one day my blog will become popular and yes, I love getting comments on my posts and yes, my heart jumps a little when I get a new follower. But it's not just about that. It's about taking the time to go to a calm place and write.

Online Shopping vs. In-Store Shopping

The more I get into blogging and following other women's blogs, I am realizing that the majority of bloggers enjoy online shopping. I can definitely understand this, since online shopping is convenient and there are a ton of independent designers online who make quality clothing. Of course we would rather support one of them than a large manufacturer.

Still, I haven't quite jumped on that bandwagon yet. I think part of it is because I enjoy shopping *way* too much. I love the feel of fabric in my hands and looking at pieces in person. I like to see the true colors in different light and look at the details of the piece, such as the stitching or buttons (did I miss my calling to be a designer??). Especially when it comes to vintage shopping, I absolutely do not trust a computer screen. I need to see that piece myself, hold it, see how it is constructed, and feel the fabric in my own hands. It's actually kind of funny to watch me walk around a store because I just reach out and touch things, even if I don't even bother to take it off the rack.

There are a couple of online stores that I frequent, however. Modcloth is one of them (duh). But then again, who doesn't love Modcloth? Even that, though, I only visit maybe twice a month. The mall, on the other hand, sees my face at least once a week. I also enjoy perusing through the Ruche website every now and then. They have some really cute styles. When I'm looking for something specific that I can't seem to find in a store, I turn to Etsy. I have never ordered from Etsy, but I do enjoy looking through and the seeing the amazing things that people can make. Being on that site inspires me to sew and design more. For those of you who don't know, yes I sew, and I enjoy making clothes. I even designed my prom dress in high school. One of my biggest concerns with online shopping is the fit of the garment. I'm sure everyone has gone through this, but I would hate to buy something and then get it and not have it fit because I couldn't try it on. That's another thing. I love trying on clothes. It's like one big session of dress-up!



Lately I have found myself really striving to get away from stores like Forever 21 and H&M with the mass produced clothing and poor construction. I don't even go into Forever 21 stores anymore. I would rather save my money and buy a more expensive, better quality piece where I know someone worked on it personally. Living in a decently big city like Cleveland, there are an abundance of vintage shops and independently owned boutiques. Unlucky for me, I live on the other side of town, so I only get over to those shops every now and then, but it's a great treat when I do. Otherwise, when I'm at the mall, I try to stick to the smaller stores with less inventory, like Francesca's. Or I will go where I know the quality is better, like Anthropologie (though I never buy anything there; one piece and I'd be broke). I still shop at department stores like Macy's and Dillard's because I have a choice of brands and can look at each piece individually to see what is worth my money.

I do think that the time will come when I do more shopping online, but I don't think I will ever stop shopping in stores. I just love it too much. What are your favorite online shops? Any advice for someone wary about quality and size control?

Broadway Bound

It's still Blogtember, but I think I'm going to start shying away from actually detracting from my posts with that fact (after this time, I promise). I'll continue to insert the button at the bottoms of my posts and you should all still check it out, but I think I'm just going to write on the prompts instead.

Day 6 Prompt: Describe a distinct moment when your life took a turn.

I mulled over this for a while, thinking about the times when I literally felt my life take a shift. There have been a couple, but I think the biggest one happened when I was in sixth grade. I touched on this lightly in my "Where I Come From" post, but I want to delve into it a tad more.

When I was in sixth grade, the big girls at my dance studio were opening the summer recital with "One" from A Chorus Line, complete with the amazing original choreography. It also just so happened that this particular musical was playing at the Carousel Dinner Theater in Akron, which no longer exists (the theater, not the city). After some persuasion, my best friend and I managed to convince our parents to take us to see it. It was me, my bestie, my mom, her mom, and my cousin. Looking back, it probably wasn't the most appropriate musical for two sixth graders and a fourth grader...

Photo by Paul Kolnik

Those actors mesmerized me. I was entranced by how they moved, the words they spoke, how they embraced the characters, and how they drew me in. Then there was the dancing. I about died, I was so enthralled with the whole thing. It was in that moment that I knew that I had to be one of them some day. I had to get on that stage and perform and be an actress. The rest is history (in the making)! From that point on, I was obsessed. I got serious about my dancing, I did way more acting, saw more shows, did my research, signed up for master classes and eventually started vocal lessons. I participated in my high school drama club, community theatre, and continued to advance in my dancing. Now, ten years later, I'm attending Cleveland State University for theatre performance and I'm a talent scholarship student. We work closely with many acting companies in Cleveland and we are in residence with The Cleveland Playhouse and Groundworks Dance Theatre, not to mention we have state-of-the-art facilities for rehearsal and performance at Playhouse Square. I am so blessed and amazed at these opportunities.

The best part is, I know I'm headed for greatness. That one moment when I was only eleven, and I knew that I was going to make something awesome from my life on the stage. This is only the beginning, that's the best part.

Blogtember, Day 5: Personality Test

It's already week two of Blogtember! I have a feeling this month is going to fly by. Although I'm enjoying writing in response to prompts and such, I miss doing style posts, so while I share with you all the results of my personality test, enjoy my latest outfit photos!

Day 5 Prompt: Take this short personality test and respond to your results.

I've taken a number of personality quizzes and assessments since I was in middle school. Everyone was always trying to figure out what kind of person they were so that they could see which types of people with whom they would best get along or choose a successful career path. In the seventh grade. However, I tend to think these tests are nothing more than glorified Cosmo quizzes. You don't need a formula to figure out who you are, you just need to be honest with yourself and take a look inside. We all know if we're extroverts or introverts, aggressive or passive. These tests never tell me things I don't already know. This one was the just the same.





My results were as follows:

Extravert(78%) iNtuitive(50%) Feeling(62%) Perceiving(22)%
You have strong preference of Extraversion over Introversion (78%)
You have moderate preference of Intuition over Sensing (50%)
You have distinctive preference of Feeling over Thinking (62%)
You have slight preference of Perceiving over Judging (22%)

Did any of this surprise me? Not a bit. Do I know who I am? I have a pretty good idea.





That being said, I think we can all benefit from a little self-analysis. I'm not saying you all need to go out and take this test right now, but maybe sometime this week, take a moment to delve deep inside and be honest. What kind of person are you? We are all constantly learning about ourselves. Every time we experience something new, we learn a little bit about what kind of person we are. There's something really beautiful in that. We are so deep and complex and you can never know everything about another person, let alone yourself.

Yesterday, I talked about the key to a healthy and happy life being to stay positive. Well, maybe the door has a couple of different locks, because I think this little piece of knowledge should have a place on your key ring as well: You need to know yourself to be happy. Once you know who you are, you can accept that about yourself and then decide if there's something you would like to improve upon. For example, if you're an introvert and you are just dying to get out there and be outgoing and extroverted, nothing is saying you can't! However, you won't be happy until you recognize that you're, by nature, an introverted person, and just be ok with that. Then you can help yourself to be that outgoing person once in a while!

We're all wonderful, beautifully designed human beings, and we get a say in what we become. Isn't that awesome?



Ok, let's take a break from the deep talk. Can we just talk about this outfit for a second? I love it, and for a few reasons. For one thing, I just love Audrey Hepburn. I can't get into that right now, but I could write pages about how much I love her. Secondly, I'm so excited about this denim shirt! It's a hand-me-down from my sister, so it's big but it's so worn in and comfy. I'm sure I'll find a million ways to wear it this fall. Third, the brass buttons on this skirt rock. Details, people! To finish off the outfit, I had to add some color with my necklace and shoes. On top of it all, my mane was going nuts! Another great thing about this outfit is how I barely spent any money on these pieces. Each one was either given to me, thrifted, or I got it on super sale. Those are the best kinds!



I think it's appropriate to combine a style and personality post because our style is such a reflection of our personalities. That's the beauty of fashion and personal style. Again, that is a whole other post to be done! What does your style say about you?

Blogtember, Day 3: Advice

Since I accidentally skipped Thursday's prompt for Blogtember, I'm going to make it up by doing it right now! I really like this one, too, so I think it's important that I actually answer it.

Day 3 Prompt: Pass on some useful advice or information you learned and always remembered.

I have a couple of pieces of wisdom that people have told me or that I have learned through my own experiences, but they all come down to this: Positivity is the key to a healthy and happy life.

Keeping a positive attitude has been one of my goals for this summer and school year and so far, it's really paying off! I am so full of energy and ambition. I feel like this is really my year. Everything is different when you look at it in a positive light. You really can control your happiness. It's pretty amazing, actually. I actually just watched a video about the science behind our happiness and it's proven that we are in control over 40% of it! Our attitude and way of looking at life is crucial to our overall happiness. Positivity creates even more positivity.

On the other end of the spectrum, negativity just feeds itself. Getting bogged down in bad moods and demeanors only hurts you more. Sometimes it's not easy, but you have to just buck up and make yourself smile. Before you know it, you won't be forcing it anymore!



I know how cliché this all sounds and everyone has heard it before, but I wouldn't be passing it along to you all unless I really truly believed it. I come from a background of anxiety and even depression. This works. Sometimes, yes, it seems unnatural, but it's completely worth it.

Here are a couple other pieces of advice I can give you all that kind of fall under this same mantra:

*There is no such thing as a crisis: Unless your life is in jeopardy, there is always a way to fix whatever it is. You can always get on the next bus, replace your stolen phone, or fix your broken toilet. Yes, someone may be upset, but it's not a crisis. Keep a cool head and stay positive!

*Everything happens for a reason. You may not see it right now, but eventually you will look back and understand why your boyfriend broke up with you, why your flight was canceled, or why you broke down on the highway. Sometimes you never find out why things happen the way they do, but you just need to trust that it's all a part of the grand plan of the world.

These are the things by which I try to live my life. What are yours?

Blogtember Day 4: Afraid

Ok confession time. I passed out on the couch last night before I got a chance to write my post for Blogtember. I'll make up Day 3 tomorrow, since we get Saturdays and Sundays off, and I'll continue with Day 4 today, since that's what I'm supposed to be writing anyways.

Day 4 Prompt: A story about a time you were very afraid.

This one is hard because in my young adult life, the only times I really get truly scared are when I think I'm going to throw up. It's my biggest phobia. Other times that hit me for being really afraid happened when I was a little kid. There are a couple of travel stories that I can think of, though, where I was frightened at the time. Nothing earth-shattering, but here goes.



This particular story happened when I was studying abroad in Belgium a couple of years ago. I was on my way to visit another American friend, and to get to her host family's house, I needed to take both a train and a bus. The train ride went smoothly, and I arrived in this big city called Liège (that's the train station above). I was pretty familiar with it, so I didn't have any worries going by myself. I had done it plenty of times before. However, I had never taken this particular bus. Well, for some reason, I didn't have money for the bus and had to withdraw money from the ATM in the train station, which was nothing new for me. This particular night, though, the ATM was conveniently out of order. It was probably 8:00 pm, which means all the shops were closed and the bus kiosk in the station was also closed for the night. I realized that I had no way to withdraw money, nobody with me, and nowhere to go. I'm also pretty sure that my cell phone was dying... I was pretty much stranded and freaking out. I even asked where another ATM was, but when I got there and tried to withdraw money, it didn't work. Finally I went up to the ticket window for the trains, shaking and scared, my voice trembling, and trying to withhold tears, explained to the ticket man what was happening. Although he wasn't very empathetic, he did make a transaction for me where he was able to do a sort of cash-back situation and gave me a 20 euro bill. I was more grateful than you could imagine. Eventually I did make it on the bus (where there was a guy bleeding out his eye) and managed to get to my friend's house in one piece.

There were a few other situations where I had gotten on wrong trains and ended up in the middle of nowhere or forgotten my train ticket at home and had to hide out in the bathroom... I even have other stranded stories. The only other instance where I can remember being truly frightened was on New Year's Eve when I was in Belgium and one of my friend's got so drunk that completely passed out and we couldn't get her to come to for a long time. I remember seeing people smacking her, dunking her in water, and her just being limp. I'm not a heavy drinker, so I'm not used to seeing these things, and I was truly terrified. In the end, she was perfectly fine and didn't feel a thing the next morning. Meanwhile I was traumatized.

There may be something else in my past that was scarier than these things that I have mentioned, but like I said, nothing earth-shattering. My life has never been threatened, I've never witnessed a crime, and I've never been injured so badly that I questioned if I would live through it. Trust me, I am grateful that I've never been through those things and that the scariest my life gets is being stuck in a train station! God has been good to me.

What are your real-life scary stories?

Blogtember Day 2: Three Months Off

It's Day 2 of Blogtember! I'm totally all about this challenge. If you don't what I'm talking about, take a peak over at Story of My Life and Jenni can explain.

Day 2 Prompt: If you could take three months off from your current life and do anything in the world, what would you do?





I had a rough time answering this one because there are a million things I would want to do! I think the top one on my list, though, would be to travel across Europe and spend the time studying dance and acting techniques from the masters. I have always wanted to take intensive courses all over the world, but of course time and money get in the way constantly, as with most things. If they were no option, then I think that is what I would want to do most. Of course, I would also take those opportunities to live luxuriously and eat decadently. And shop. Lots and lots of vintage shopping. I mean, I would be in Europe after all! It would be sinful not to take advantage of all that. If money is no option, then I would have no excuse not to take advantage of everything I could.





I would spend my days dancing, learning, and knocking elbows with some amazing people in the business. Networking! My afternoons would be spent in museums, parks, local shops and wandering through the villages and cities of Europe while photographing it all. I would spend my evenings in dark and cozy restaurants, maybe a piano bar here and there, and occasionally going out to a club or concert. It would be wonderful. I would be doing what I love in beautiful places and enjoying every moment of it. I would be free.



What about you? What would you do?

*All photos are of me, taken in Italy during my study abroad year*

Blogtember, Day 1: Where I Come From

One of my really good friends, Amy (at Remended) linked me up to this awesome blogger challenge called Blogtember over at Story of My Life. Jenni put together a whole month's worth of blog prompts for us to use every weekday in September, starting today! I decided to participate because I used to be a very avid blogger back when I was keeping my Belgium blog. This sounded like a great way to "get back to the basics" as Jenni calls it, and to share a little bit more about myself with all of you! I am still going to continue to do style posts and travel posts as I have been doing, but this is also really convenient as I kick off the school year, cause Lord knows it's been busy for the past week and it's only going to get busier!



Anyways, today's prompt reads: Describe where or what you come from. The people, the places, and/or the factors that make up who you are.

I love this prompt because I think that knowing a person's background can tell you amazing things about the person that you see today. I truly believe that our past experiences, relationships, even acquaintances, mold us into who we are. It kind of goes along with my whole "everything happens for a reason" mantra. That being said, I really think that everything that I've been through, happy or sad, exciting or boring, fun or dreadful, is a part of me and I wouldn't be who I am without every single one of those things.



I come from an extremely close and nurturing family. My parents are amazing, hardworking, dedicated people who taught me how to be a strong, independent woman who can chase dreams and be just as extraordinary as I want to be. I thank God every day for giving me the most loving parents I could have. They taught me how to be ambitious and how to work for the things that I see in my future. They taught me to help others and to be generous. They taught me how to be a true, compassionate, as well as encouraging, friend. They exposed me to art and music and culture from the moment I was born. They showed me how to be a well-rounded, smart person with a passion to learn about life. Not to mention my rockin' sister.

Of course, nobody's story is perfect. In my life, my parents have both had career changes. Once by choice, the other by lack of choices. This obviously led to difficult times where we were struggling, and we still deal with that daily. However, through it all, my brave and amazing mother worked for and received her Masters degree, showing me again that anything can be accomplished, even when it all seems like it's headed downhill. I also come from a background of anxiety disorders and depression, but I know that working through that also makes me stronger. Positivity is the key to a healthy and happy life!



Right now I'm in a happy relationship with a guy named Steve Martin (yes, his name is actually Steve Martin. No, I'm not talking about the celebrity), but like most of us, I've had not-so-happy ones in the past. I even had a long-distance relationship for about eight months. Even though those didn't work out, I know I wouldn't be where I am now without them, and they each taught me something about life and about myself. Even the friendships that I've had in the past that faded taught me things. Everyone you meet, everyone who comes into contact with you, they all affect and help shape you. I have amazing friends and I love them all.



I feel most at home, and always have, on the stage. I come from performing and the spotlight. I've danced nearly my whole life and got involved in theatre when I was very young. Performance has always been a huge part of my life and ultimately, it will be where I spend the majority of the rest of it! Seeing shows as a child (again, thank you parents for exposing me to culture at a young age) and being involved in the performing arts so young helped me to choose a career path early in life and I couldn't be happier with it! The first musical I ever saw was A Chorus Line. I was in sixth grade, and I knew immediately that that was what I needed to do with my life. I've been dancing and acting and singing ever since and I'm not slowing down now!

Other random facts: Walt Disney World and the Walt Disney Company as a whole have both played major roles in my life and continue to do so to this day. Writing has often been my saving grace. Attending Cleveland State University was one of the best decisions I ever made, even though I fought it for a long time. Although it hasn't always been, fashion has become a really important part of me. If I wasn't going into theatre, I think I would have to do something with weddings. I've lived in the same house my whole life, except for the year I spent in Belgium and the six months I lived in Florida. Being average has never satisfied me, and I don't think it ever will. I couldn't do anything that I've done and I wouldn't be able to do any of the things I plan to do without the love of God (I didn't want to get too religious in this post, but my religion is a HUGE part of me).

This is a very abbreviated version of "where I come from". There are a million factors that go into the making of me and I could go on and on. I think this is enough for now, though! Keep checking back for more Blogtember posts this month! Where do you come from?