Love this new look!

Ralph Lauren Inspiration

 For the fall season 2010 we just had new product sent in at work and I absolutely LOVE the fall line at H&M. It's so trendy but stays with the brand image. My favorite item this season is definitely going to have to be loose pants with heels, it has a unique and creative urban look while still looking chic. I can't wait to buy a pair! I know that sweats and heels are an absolute NO but these pants stay dressy and comfortable. (Fashionable and comfortable is definitely two things that aren't found together a lot but this is definitely a trend worth picking up.) I love the colors this season, the shiny pearl pink is my favorite of course. I have found that even though more basics (loose shirts, leggings, jeans, flats) are filling in stores, the product for trend is increasing a lot as well. More people are starting to dress with fashion- thank you innovators for making such a good impression :)

Birthdays

Today is my sister Melissa's birthday & my niece Shelbie's 2nd birthday! I woke up & skyped with Shelbie this morning, which actually made me feel better about not being home on their birthdays. Missing  important days is the hardest thing about living across the country but it also makes me respect my family & love them even more!

goal setting

I love setting goals & achieving the goals I set for myself is the best feeling I have ever felt. Junior year in highschool I made the goal to move out to LA and attend FIDM, now that i'm comfortable in Los Angeles I believe it is time to make my new goals for the next few years. As I move closer to my 20th birthday, I will no longer be a teenager anymore and getting my future planned out for the next few years is important to me. Some long-term, some short-term but either way moving towards making my dreams come true is always a top priority of mine.

So here are my top 7 goals for the next few years:

1) Graduate FIDM on top (June 2011)

2) Have a top position in New York City with H&M (Fall 2011)

3) Open my website selling apparel, shoes, & accessories. (Spring 2012)

4) Start the process of opening a boutique in New York (Summer 2013)

5) Have an apartment over looking the city (Winter 2014)

6) Move my mother in with me :) (Winter 2014)

7) Meet the man I will marry & start a family (in 5-10 years)

"Arriving at one goal is the starting point to another."

- John Dewey

A day at the beach with my bestfriend

Lately I have been feeling really stressed out and with Katie & myself having the day off today we went to Laguna to spend the day. It's so amazing what a difference spending the day clearing my head and laying by the ocean makes, I feel so much better now! I'm ready to focus on why i'm here, no matter who tries to get in my way- i'm making it. I'm so blessed to live in California, sooo blessed.

Bills, Bills, and more Bills.

As you know, I recently started working part-time so I have promised myself that I will save more and start paying my tuition off! I moved to LA knowing that I was going to have to be 100% independent with my tuition payments, housing payments, car payments, etc. I have found that paying off a bill at the beginning of the month instead of waiting till it's due is less stressful and makes me personally feel better about myself. My parents raised me to understand that "money doesn't grow on trees" and be responsible with how I manage my money. Last week was my first paycheck at H&M and I payed my car payment & put money towards my tuition right away- so proud of myself :) I am determined to pay off most of my first year tuition before I graduate (I can only try my hardest). I admit at first I was a little upset that my parents weren't going to help pay for my education but FIDM is NOT a cheap school and I knew that going in that my parents wouldn't be able to afford it. As I begin paying my tuition back I have realized how much I am learning from this process and how mature I am becoming from it. Everything my parents do for me has been so helpful and have made me become a better person. A lot of people at FIDM rely on their parents and even though sometimes I wish that my parents would just randomly send me money for absolutely no reason at all; I am 19 years old and live on my own and don't need mommy and daddy to give me everything anymore. I am the one building MY future and learning how to succeed today has everything to do with the way they have raised me. I am more successful today because of them. Growing up if I wanted money, I had to earn it myself by doing chores around the house. My sisters and I would always walk to the nearby gas station to get candy or icees and in order for us to have money for something as simple as that we still had to earn it. I love my parents so much for the way they brought me up, I can't wait to teach my children the same.

Love you mom & dad

<33

“If you want children to keep their feet on the ground,

put some responsibility on their shoulders.”

-Abigail Van Buren quotes

well, only four more weeks to go!

This quarter is slowly coming to an end & my last quarter of this year is approaching me. I can't believe how long I have been attending FIDM, so crazy. I am going home to see my family on break and then my mom, katie, and myself are road tripping my beautiful car out to LA. I am so excited to be able to drive places out here and really see LA & not just downtown! This summer is almost over and with summer ending brings a new season, new people, and new beginnings. I love changing with the season and my goal for fall is to meet as many GOOD people in LA that I can to spend the holidays with.

Also, for fashion we have new colors & designs to pick from. My favorite fall trend that inspired me was:

With Fall 2010 shown in New Yorks fashion week, designers like  Tory Burch introduced us to "Graffiti Pants." This new trend has a art modernity that consumers are obsessing about! Right, from left: Diesel Black Gold; Proenza Schouler; Tory Burch; Proenza Schouler.

Eight Months in Los Angeles

8 Months Ago: I can't believe that I have lived in LA for eight months now, it seems like yesterday I was opening my apartment door and meeting complete strangers. A lot has changed since I first moved here in January, at first people would tell me I was so nice and everyone could tell that I wasn't from LA.. I haven't heard that in a while. haha. People have came into my life but more people have left, I gave up a few things that were negative in my life and it has truly made me stronger.

Being Independent: When I said I was going to move to Los Angeles and leave everything back in Kentucky that brought me down, I meant it. Leaving behind my high school boyfriend was surprisingly the easiest thing I have done, it was the right time and the right move for me to be independent here. I have learned how to rely on myself and only myself. Now, eight months being single and I am stronger than ever. In high school I was the girl that always needed someone to be with and now I am at a place in my life where I don't even want to date until I am 100 percent comfortable with me. 

Home: Most people told me before I moved that I would probably be back, but I have a home here with a true bestfriend and go to the best school in the world. It's hard to take in how much god has given me, I am so blessed and grateful.  This is where I am meant to be, I feel like for the first time I am home. I miss my family every day, but being here couldn't feel better. It's weird that when I go home I feel like I am on vacation now, sorry mom haha. I am settled in with a part-time job in my third quarter at FIDM and I am completely happy. I have spent the last eight months learning who I am and making changes to make myself better. I have learned when to cut someone from my life and when to let people in. I am only 19 and know that I have a lot to learn in the future but for now I am happy with what I know and who I know.

“Nobody can go back and start a new beginning,

 but anyone can start today and make a new ending.”

- Maria Robinson quotes

An update on what I am up to

I'm sorry I haven't posted anything in the last week, LA is a busybusy place to live & now that I have a job part-time & classes full time.. it has been busy times ten. Where to begin... well in the last week I have been working on my trend midterm that is due monday. I had to make a source binder, rehearse a presentation, & write an essay. It has been a lot harder than I imaged, especially because this is the first time that my teacher has given me this assigment & I'm honestly not even sure she knows what she wants. (I have been having troubles with my teachers, I picked older teachers & I am pretty sure they lose their memory every 2.5 seconds. :/ oh well) With work things are going amazing, I am finally out of my training/shadowing (which seems so pointless considering I knew it when I was told day 1..did not need 3 weeks) Everyone has been extremely nice to me so I think this job is a keeper. Even though working is taking up ALL my free time that I had when all I did was school... I love it! I feel back to normal from the way I was in Kentucky- I was always known as the girl that was always at work haha. Well, besides that all I have been doing is hanging out with my roommate katie (always fun!)

Midterm week, ouch.

As midterms are approaching us at FIDM in the next week everyone is starting to feel stressed out and rushing to finish projects due to not having enough time. I recently started working more than I planned at h&m (I do love it though) so it's hard for me to get used to the work load when it's around midterms- not smart on my part. With speeches, powerpoints, projects, & merchandise math packets on top of studying for midterms.. it does make you feel like you can't do anything. My advice is to take one day, spend it with your friends & feel good for a day! Whether it is going shopping, the movies, dinner, or just spending the day at the pool- take the day for YOU! It gets you back on track & more motivated because you let go of some of the stress you had before. Thank god I have my best friend to talk to everyday, or I would be a mess!