Day 31

Your New Year's Resolution

I don't really make resolutions. In 2013, I'm going to continue to love myself and help others to the best of my ability. 

Coalition End Rape Culture

In 2012, I participate in the Coalition to End Rape Culture. I'm glad to have participated in this great event. This was put on by the Students for a Democratic society and after attending this event, I went made sure I could help out in any way possible. I got everyone I knew to sign the petition. This whole movement that they started was meant to raise awareness of the reality of sexual assault and violence on college campuses. The goal is to educate people on rape culture and it's detrimental impact on our society. Basically, rape culture is a system of ideas, beliefs, language, and behavior that create excuses for rapists and make them think that sexual assault is okay. I'm sure we all know that this is NOT OKAY.
While I considered myself already knowledgeable on this topic, I learned two very important things.

• You can be both a victim and a survivor of sexual assault. You don't have to pick one or the other
• Rape culture is the belief that victims of sexual assault not including rape are not important and that their stories don't matter. This is NOT true. 

This movement is still going on and I'm excited to be helping out. We need to do anything we can to end rape culture. I'll keep you updated on how things go next semester!

Day 30

A gift you received 

I received this watch at a gift exchange. I instantly fell in love!

Fitsmi

During this past semester, I started an internship at fitsmi.com! Fitsmi is a website that helps girls who are struggling with body image. It encourages fun and healthy lives. There are sections with recipes, exercises, fashion/style tips, and inspiration. It really is a great community. It promotes being yourself and having fun. I talk to a lot of the girls there and they're all really sweet. I'm glad to have become a small part of their team. I was also able to write a style article for them. It was on one of my favorite topics--accessories! Click here to read it!

I love being able to help people and I feel like welcoming girls to this website will help improve their body image. Hopefully they can learn to love and appreciate their bodies more. I hope that being members on this site will help build their self-esteem. That's something that young girls really need. I feel like sometimes the world is against our teens and they need all the help they can get.

Day 29

A Gift You Gave This Holiday Season

I participated in a white elephant gift exchange and I bought this gorgeous scarf from the bookstore. I can't find a picture of it but this scarf from this website is pretty close.

Day 28

Something Vintage

Here's an old picture of me. ♥

 

Day 27

Something you made this year

Well, I like to bake so sometimes if I have a little money I'll make special treats. I made these cinnamon rolls last month and they were delicious!

My brother and sister spent a weekend at my house and my mom let me borrow her mini pie maker so we made little pies together. It was a fun activity for the kids and the little keebler pie maker works really well. These were the results of our hard work!

I also made this heart pancake! The day I made this one I was experimenting with pancake shapes and I also made giraffe. airplane, kitten, and peace sign pancakes.

I also started a Wreck This Journal this year. Here is one of my favorite pages.

 

Last of things I will show you is this super awesome tie-dye shirt that I made at coming out day.

Happy Holidays♥

Day 26

Your Favorite Winter/Holiday Color Scheme

Purple and Silver♥

 

Day 25

What the holidays/winter mean to you

This time of year reminds me of how important it is to be with my family. I know sometimes gatherings can be stressful but at the end of the day, I'm happy to be surrounded by so much love. This Christmas I even skyped with some of my family in the U.K.! It was wonderful. I haven't seen them in so long. I usually skype with my cousin Analese but I've never skyped as a group. We talked while we were having dinner so it was a great big shared experience. It was funny seeing the older people amazed by the technology.  I honestly think they were more excited to be video chatting for the first time than they were to be talking to family.

I think that this time of year is also about happiness and peace. My grandparents both died during the holiday season--my grandfather died around Thanksgiving and my grandmother died on New Years Eve. This time of year is difficult at times for us but we're still happy to have each other. We enjoy reflecting on our times with them and we make sure that we work on keeping our spirits up. I think that's the reason why I love being with my family so much this time of year. I love seeing my family grow. I love seeing the kids grow each year and it makes my heart happy to see them so happy.

Also food. The food is great. I love the food.

Day 24

What You're Reading

YOU DON’T EVEN KNOW ME: SHORT STORIES AND POEMS ABOUT BOYS 

by Sharon G. Flake.

Sharon G. Flake does a phenomenal job of telling the complex and honest stories of young urban life. I've been reading her books since I was in middle school and I've always been able to relate to her characters. One of my favorite books is another collection of her short stories and poems called Who Am I Without Him about girls and their relationships with the boys and men in their lives. When I moved after middle school I had to put the book in storage but as soon as I got my nook, I made sure I bought Who Am I Without Him so that I could read the stories whenever. After downloading it, this book popped up and I knew that this author would not let me down so I bought this one as well and I know now that I made a great decision in doing so. 

What I really enjoy about this book is that it's real. It doesn't just tell the story of one kind of young black male thug because that's not real. This world and the people in it, especially young men, are a lot more complex than that and this book does a great job at telling some of their stories. As I was reading one of the stories, I thought about Jordan Davis and Trayvon Martin and I realize that it is so important that these stories be heard. Check it out! I know it's available at Barnes and Noble!

Vote No on 6!

(The Great Mia and Myself Letting Voters Know the Deal)

"Vote as if your life depends on it."

Newsflash: It does. It did and the way things are looking, it will. I had the amazing opportunity to stand up for women's health and reproductive rights. I volunteered with the Feminist Majority on the "No On 6" campaign against Amendment 6. If Amendment 6 had passed, it would place restrictions on access for women to abortion and would have deleted a right to privacy clause from the Florida constitution.  Thankfully it didn't pass. I don't believe that there should be any limitations on the decisions people make over their own bodies.

I was able to work with some amazing people during this campaign and I got to talk to a lot of people. What I've learned about volunteering with campaigns is that not every one is going to be on the same page with you and there's nothing wrong with that. You can't change everyone's mind. The goal is to let people know why this is important to you and to all of the people that are impacted by the issue and hope that they make the best decision. Not everyone will have a peaceful and calm conversation with you but I learned that you can't let those people get you down. I had to decide in those situations that I was not letting anyone keep me from standing up for what I think is right!

While volunteering I was able to talk to voters while tabling on campus and phone-banking. The above photo was taken on campus near one of the polling centers. We high-fived so many voters that day. I was only able to phone bank once for a short period of time but it was a real memorable hour of calling voters. A lot of us phone banking spoke to at least one older woman who had already seen this fight for reproductive rights and could not understand why it's something that's still being voted on. I spoke to several older women who sent me good thoughts and praises for fighting the good fight. Messages like those encouraged me to keep going and made it easier to deal with people who aren't so nice over the phone.

This was a great experience for me--one of the best from this last semester. I believed I grew as a person seeing how my small contributions can really make a difference.

Day 23

Something Sparkly

My pretzel ring is very sparkly and unique. I love it!

Day 22

A Picture of You in a Hat and Scarf

I don't think I own a hat right now but here is picture of me in a scarf.

Day 21

What your handwriting looks like

 

Days 18-20

A tree/your holiday tree

 A tree I colored while doing arts and crafts with the kidlets.

 Our Charlie Brown Christmas Tree

Your Favorite Holiday Tradition

We go out to eat every year on New Year's Eve. I love spending that time with my family. 

Something that you're thankful of

My family. 

Fall Semester = Over

I made it! This semester wasn't as hard on me as my spring semester but I'm glad that I made it through. The last two weeks were pretty rough but it looks like I made it! I'm actually really proud of myself for this semester. It's not like I got straight A's or anything but I really do feel like I'm growing as a person and as a student. I handled my battles this semester very well. I was able to better balance my academics and my social life while still getting the hang of taking care of myself. I got work done. I experienced new things and I put myself out there. I'm trying my best to make sure that I continue to do that.

I'm getting closer and closer to graduation so I'm finding that school demands a lot more of my attention and commitment. I'm learning to prepare myself for life in the real world. It's scary but it's also exciting and frightening.

This past semester, I tried to take advantage of every opportunity that allowed me to do what I love. I spent a lot of time standing up for what I believe in while also building my resume and gaining experiences that will help me later in life when I'm helping others. I've felt really empowered doing what I love and knowing that I'm helping people. By standing up for what I believe in and what I know is good, I've been standing up for people whose voices need to be heard. I know that I still have some more growing to do. I'm still healing and finding myself but I think I'm getting better at this whole "calm and carrying on human" thing. I see what I want to do and I'm taking steps toward that. I'm going to write about some of my experiences from this past semester individually but I wanted to quickly list the amazing things that I feel empowered me this semester.

• Coalition to End Rape Culture
• Fitsmi Internship
• No On 6 Campaign
• Volunteering for the Obama campaign
• LGBT History Month internship
• Community Service

I'm learning more and more that if  focus on what I love without losing sight of the reality of my school work and how it relates, I can keep afloat. I can make a difference. My Women's and Gender Studies major reminds me of the importance of activism and advocacy and I'm finding ways to incorporate those things into my daily life and it's keeping my heart happy. I like that.

 ♥

Days 16 and 17

Your outfit of the day:

I was in a car all day yesterday traveling. I was in a t-shirt and sweats and I didn't take a picture. However, I have a picture of me in "Christmas" colors. 

Something stripped

I wore this stripped shirt to an office Holiday party a few days ago.

Also, here is a picture of the candy cane I just gave my cousin.

Day 15

Material Items On My Wishlist

Days 13 and 14

A picture of you in your pajamas

I sent this to a friend a while back for a project she was doing. It's the only picture I can find of me in pajamas. I have lots of great pajama pants that I think are cute but the clothes I end up sleeping in are just random. I usually just end up in a t-shirt.

Your favorite holiday/winter quote 

This is one of my favorite quotes the movie Love Actually. It doesn't really say anything specifically about the holidays but it's a holiday movie and this is my blog so it fits. It's also a really great quote about love.

"Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport. General opinion's starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don't see that. It seems to me that love is everywhere. Often, it's not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it's always there - fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends. When the planes hit the Twin Towers, as far as I know, none of the phone calls from the people on board were messages of hate or revenge - they were all messages of love. If you look for it, I've got a sneaking suspicion... love actually is all around."

I'm thankful for you♥

Day 12

Who would you like to kiss under the mistletoe?

The cast of Grey's Anatomy.

Day 10 & 11

Picture of Something Naughty:

 A Picture of Something Nice:

Day 9

A Picture Your Pet or a Pet You Want

 

I've wanted a black cat or kitten for a while now. I used to have a Blue Tabby cat that we named Baby but we had to give her away when we were moving. I think that they're beautiful and mysterious. I've also heard that they often need a little extra love and special help finding homes because not many people adopt them and a lot of people who do adopt them do it for all the wrong reasons. I've heard they make great pets so I would love to give one a good home.

Days 7 & 8

A Picture of Someone You Love

This is an old picture of me and my mom! I love my mom and I love this picture. I think it was taken during the winter months so I think it's a perfect picture to put up.

Your Favorite Winter/Christmas Holiday Treat

I don't know it it counts as a treat but it's my favorite thing to enjoy during this time of year. I just add half hot water and half milk to the powder mix and add a candy cane. If it's a special occasion, I add marshmallows and whipped cream! Love it!

Day 6

A Picture of Snowflakes

December: Day 5

A clip from your favorite holiday movie/film:

This is my favorite time of year so I know that I won't be able to just pick one clip so I'll post a few. Enjoy!

December: Day 4

Your favorite Holiday drink: Pumpkin Spice Latte

I even had one today. Ignore the misspelling of my name. It's actually pretty close to my actual name so I'm not complaining. My favorite part is that Starbucks has their holiday cups right now. They say, "Rekindle the season." I love it! This latte was a very relaxing part of an otherwise hectic day. This last week of the semester is always so busy. I'm just trying to take it day by day.

Today I had my gender and society class that is always interesting but then I had to recreate my resume in under an hour for an internship showcase. I thought it would be simple but it proved to be a difficult task. I had the problem most people have of getting it all on one page and highlighting only the most important and useful aspects of your skills and experience. I'm so thankful of all the help I had but with 4 different people with 4 different styles helping me with my resume, I was going back and forth a bit--a lot actually. I'm satisfied with the end result though.

Then I had 30 minutes to go home change and get back to campus which can be hard using the university's public transportation but I did it! I looked and felt great doing it too!

Now I'll be up late studying and preparing for an ASL presentation tomorrow. I wish I had another one of those pumpkin spice lattes but I can see the finish line for this semester. I hope I get through tomorrow as successfully.

December: Days 1-3

I'm doing a December challenge but I missed the first few days so I'm just going to post the first 3 days on the same post.

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Day 1: Your favorite winter/holiday song
 

The song I chose was Silent Night by The Temptations. I listen to this song all year long. It never gets old.

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Day 2: A picture of something warm and cuddly

This is the penguin I made at the stuff-a-buddy station at my school's annual winter wonderland. His name is Darren Azariah and he is so soft and cuddly. It's a really good reminder of how much fun I had that night!

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Day 3: Your favorite holiday scent

My favorite scent is warm vanilla sugar from Bath & Body Works. It smells like love.

Happy December

People say that December is the Friday of months. It really does feel that way. For lots of people out there, this month is half work and half play. This is my last week of classes and while this week and finals week next week will be very busy, I can see the finish line and I could not be happier.

I'm a bit overwhelmed with the amount of work I have to do in the next few days but I know that sometimes it's okay to step away from a moment and take a breather as long as I know that there are times to focus and times to relax.

This time of year can be hard sometimes so don't forget to take care of yourself! Do what makes you happy. Try to avoid the things and situations that don't(if possible!). Remember the tips for holiday help. 

Your body, your career, your sexuality, your love life, your life choices are all your own and you don't deserve to be badgered about other people's opinions on them. You are wonderful.

Lastly, sometimes I have to be hard on myself to get your work done. You have to do your work. It makes the relaxing all the better! You will feel very accomplished when you finally get through those final exams and papers and then you'll have more time for you.

Look at the self-care manatee. The message is super important today.