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!