Favorites of '14

2014 was a year of new beginnings for me. I feel so blessed to have spent it in the adventurous city of Boston with the most amazing people. From launch parties to fashion shows, I definitely had my plate full of activities, but it was all worth it looking back over all of the fun things I got to do this year. Here are some of my favorite moments of 2014 that you haven't seen on the blog yet.

Get On the Bus

In September of 2014, I attended an exclusive fashion event for Boston University put on by Macy's, called Macy's Magic Bus. Macy's brought buses straight to Boston University to take students to the store for a night of style, savings and, best of all, shopping! Hundreds of students packed the store, but Macy's was prepped and ready for the crowds. Macy's showed off their products around the store with free gifts, mini makeovers, colorful manis and non-stop giveaways all night. I was lucky enough to win a $50 gift card in a raffle, plus another $50 gift card I won prior to the event through an Instagram challenge. With classy hors d'oeuvres and sparkling beverages, the event was fit for all the sophisticated fashionistas.

Macy's Magic Bus

Party Time

November came around much quicker than I expected and with it came the launch party for the lifestyle magazine I write for at Boston University, called The BU Buzz. The event was complete with mini cupcakes, delicious mocktails and exciting raffles. I usually don't partake in raffles, but my lovely friend, Sarah, and wonderful boyfriend, Vincent, both bought me tickets. This year was pretty lucky for me because my raffle ticket ended up getting picked. I won a gift basket filled with more goodies than I count, such as Spotify headphones, a Spotify Premium account, beauty products, and a $100 spa gift card (which I will be taking full advantage of).

It was such a great night to see that all of our hard work that went into putting the fall issue of the magazine together paid off. There were lots of days spent researching topics and nights of writing sentences until they were perfect enough to make a masterpiece of an article. This year, I became Editor of the food section of the magazine, so it was great to see what my writers and I had accomplished. For this print issue, I explored the world of social media in a piece titled, "Foodstagram: Did You Really Eat It If You Didn't Instagram It?" It was such a fun piece to create, because I spent much of my time doing some of my favorite things: surfing Instagram for hours and exploring Boston's array of eateries. You can check out the magazine online at Issuu and read my article starting on page 23.

The BU Buzz Launch Party

On the Runway

Earlier in the year, I became a Print Model for Off the Cuff, a fashion magazine at BU, and had the opportunity to model for them as well as other organizations on campus. My first ever fashion show was when I was just 5 years old at Bloomingdales. I remember walking down the runway in a light pink rhinestoned shirt, flared jeans and a pink glittery butterfly hair clip (I thought it was so cool back then). I waved at the audience, struck a pose and then strutted my little self back up the runway. 

My first fashion show in my freshman year at BU made me back think of that fun childhood memory, except this time the clothes were much different and I was a grown up version of my small self. The fourth annual fashion show, Sankofa, was put on by BU's African Student Association. I modeled outfits ranging from local Boston fashions to New York designers all inspired by traditional african styles and prints with a modern flare.

ASO Sankofa IV Fashion Show

In my sophomore year, I did a photo shoot, "Le Style Moderne," with an art deco inspiration for Off the Cuff. The shoot, by Niru V Photography, did a take on the 'Gastby era' fashions of geoprint and glamour with modern twist. It was freezing outside that day in Boston, but sometimes drastic measures must be taken in the name of fashion. 

Off the Cuff Art Deco Photo Shoot

The last modeling experience of the year was in December, when I modeled for Off the Cuff's pop art themed launch party for their fall/winter issue of the magazine. The show featured outfits by The House of Findings with hand-painted creations inspired by the most influential artists and icons of the pop art era. In the show, I dressed as a modern-day barbie with a custom-made barbie print skirt, a classic black and white polka dot sweater, and hand-painted balloon animal purse inspired by artist Jeff Koons. Of course, to top off the outfit, I wore glistening pearls and sparkling rhinestones, complete with a bright barbie pink lip.

Off the Cuff Launch Party

I hope you enjoyed your year as I much as I did and have many wonderful memories this year.

Stay sweet!

DIY Happiness Jar

2014 was a great year for me filled with fun times with friends and new beginnings. In the summer, I created Boutiques and Sweets which allowed me to share my food and fashion adventures with those who share my passions. In the fall, I got my first internship in Boston as a fashion and social media intern for an internationally-known fashion website. I was also promoted to food editor of the BU Buzz, Boston University's on-campus lifestyle magazine. Throughout the year, I was able to further my love of journalism while studying as a sophomore at BU. Needless to say, it has been a busy year, filled with ups and downs but I have thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it.

With all of the great opportunities I had and moments I shared with others last year, I decided to create a happiness jar to hold all of my favorite memories in the coming year. With all of the stress that comes with life, sometimes it is nice to take a moment to think about the positive in your day. With this happiness jar, I hope to remember and cherish all the things that I am thankful for in life.

Everyday in 2015, I plan to write down one thing that makes me happy each day and save it in my happiness jar. At the end of the year, I will open the jar and read all of my happiest memories from the year.

I hope that you too will create a happiness jar to make your days in this new year a little bit brighter. The jar is very simple to create and can be personalized with your favorite colors, ribbons, papers, and prints.

I took an old jam jar that I cleaned out after making linzer cookies and decorated it with some scrapbook paper, glitter tape, ribbon, and lace. I adorned the lid with a few stick-on rhinestones that I purchased from a craft store and a button from an old cardigan.

This is a great opportunity to get creative. Find things around the house to decorate your jar and put them to good use. You'll be seeing your jar for a while so be sure to personalize it and make it however you like.

Here's what you'll need to create your happiness jar:

Supplies:
-one jar (a jam jar or mason jar works perfectly)
-scrapbook paper
-white cardstock
-ribbon, lace, glitter tape, rhinestones, buttons, etc.
-stick-on letters (I used silver glitter letters)
-scissors
-hot glue gun or super glue (I used both, but either will work)
-black sharpie
-small pieces of paper and pen (these will go in the jar to write your memories)

Directions:
1. Wash your jar and make sure it is clean.
2. Cut out scrapbook paper in a rectangular shape to wrap around the outside of your jar. Make sure it is long enough to reach around the entire jar. Glue the scrapbook paper onto the outside of the jar.
3. Glue any ribbon, lace or other decorations you would like onto the scrapbook paper.
4. Cut out a shape of your choice out of the cardstock to resemble a label. Outline your label with a black sharpie or marker of your choice. Place the stick-on letters on the label to read "happiness." Glue the "happiness" label onto the scrapbook paper on the jar. (You can glue a bow onto your label if you'd like.)
5. Cut a circle out of the scrapbook paper to fit the diameter of the top of your lid. Glue the circle onto the lid. Adorn the lid with rhinestones, buttons or any decorations of your choice.
6. Place the pen and small pieces of paper in the jar and your happiness jar is complete!

Each day, write down a memory and place it in the jar. Wait until the end of the year to read all of your memories. I hope you enjoy your DIY happiness jar and that it makes each day a little sweeter.

Have a Happy New Year and

stay sweet!