Why I Started a YouTube Channel

HEY YOU GUYS! I AM SUPER EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE THAT I HAVE STARTED A YOUTUBE CHANNEL!!🎊🎊🎊🎊

Oh my word! I am so happy I can finally tell you guys about it! This has been a LONGGGG awaited thing that I have been organizing and creating secretly since I think around September or October. And boy was it hard for me to keep this little project a secret! Whenever I am working on something exciting, I just want to tell everyone I know, BUT I kept it a secret (I'm honestly proud of myself!) so it can be a fun & unexpected surprise.😊

What Are You Thankful For?

I don't know about you guys, but I AM SO EXCITED FOR THANKSGIVING!! I have literally been waiting for Thanksgiving Break and the actual holiday since Fall Break ended. Thanksgiving is my 2nd favorite holiday right after Christmas, which I am even more excited about! And don't even get me started on the food. Oh my word! My mouth is watering just thinking about my granny's cornbread dressing/stuffing with cranberry sauce😍 Honestly, it's not a true Thanksgiving if you don't take a nap after your first plate, so you can replenish your energy for a second plate. Can I get an Amen?

Okay enough blabbering about how excited I am. Besides the obviously glorious food that we consume on this glorious occasion, I want to take the time to recognize what things I am thankful for in this current year of 2017. You guys know me. I love making lists--hit me up if you need me to write up a grocery or packing list for you😜--so of course I made a list of things I am thankful for.

So without further ado...

Life Update+It's Almost Thanksgiving| November

Hey Classy Crew!! Happy HUMP day!! lol🤣 I hope you've had a good week so far! 

Alright, I'm going to be honest. I totally wanted to upload a blog post today about the pros and cons of taking 8ams in college, but I couldn't quite convince my brain to work properly right now. All I really want to do is lay down and watch a movie. BUT...I won't do that. Or at least I won't do that right now. I promised a blog post today, so I'm going to give you guys one! So today's post is going to be chill because I just want to share with you guys what I've been up to lately😊.

So without further ado...

8 Easy Back To School/ Lazy Day Hairstyles

Hey CLASSY crew! I'll admit, I have been a little MIA from the blog for a bit; I've decided to take a mini hiatus from blogging in order to focus on transitioning into college life and tackling the workload and activities that come with it. I knew college homework would be more demanding than high school, but I had no clue how much reading and annotating would be required of me practically every single night. Despite the workload, the rest of my college experience has been a little overwhelming but mainly fun and eye-opening! I have met so many incredible people from diverse backgrounds and different states and my professors seem very passionate and knowledgeable about the subjects they teach. Overall, I have been enjoying my time in college and I am looking forward to the rest of the school year!

Sweet Summer Memories//2017

Oh my word! There's no way summer is slowly coming to an end; it felt like it was just yesterday that we were bursting through the school doors and embracing the sweet summer break air. What's even more mind-boggling is the fact that I will sadly be leaving the place I called home for many years and move into my new "home away from home". It's crazy to think that this time next week I will be an official college student!!🙈🙈 It's truly something to sit and think back to how many years have gone by and all the little moments that I have experienced that has brought me to this next important stage of my life.

Just simply humbling. 

Now in an effort to reminisce the sweet memories from this summer (even though summer hasn't officially ended yet), I have compiled a little list:

Only a 100 Words!?!

What's up Classy Crew! It's officially August now and school is about to start very soon😐-unless it has already started for you, then I am sorry. I know I mentioned this in the last post, but it honestly feels like mother nature took a pair of scissors and cut summer in half. Anyone else?

Anyways, I hope this week has treated you well. Overall, my week was decent. I got a chance to celebrate one of my friend's birthday by attending the Shawn Mendes concert and let me tell you... IT WAS AMAZING! The concert is easily one of my all-time favorites now. Even though the venue was filled to the brim with about 10,000 fans, he somehow managed to make it feel like everyone was part of a big, happy family. There were even moments where it felt like he was singing just to you.

 I will definitely be listening to more of his music and you may even say me and the group of girls who were also invited might have an itsy bitsy crush on him now😍😍. Like legit, we spent the whole car ride home fan-girling over pics of him from Google!😆😆

I also had a chance to reconnect with my friends whom I graduated with. It was so great to hug and catch up with them after not seeing most of them during the summer, especially since we are all going to separate colleges😢. Nonetheless, I think we all have a friendship bond that will hopefully last through the long distances and I believe it's really something special when you can be away from your friends for a period of time and then reunite and act like nothing has changed:)

Alright before I get to what this blog post is all about, I want to take a second and share something near and dear to me. I like to pride myself in being personal with you guys by sharing my growth and journey through life as well as providing content that is positive with good vibes. But sometimes you have to get raw and deep in order to truly connect with your readers because you can't have sunshine without rain.

Although this week was filled with some fun, it didn't start out that way. This past Monday, I received word that a co-worker of mine had unfortunately passed away. I have experienced some deaths in my family in the past, but I have never experienced one of a close friend. He was one of the sweetest people I have ever met in my life and he supported my blog from the very beginning ( something that means a whole lot to me). He will be truly loved & missed and I know heaven is happy to have another angel.💜 I wanted to share this with you guys because I want you guys to know-including myself- that life is short and it is important to make the best out of the time we have here on this Earth. The legacy that Adam left was one of love and kindness and I think everyone should strive to do the same (love one another as you would love yourself) because there is a lot of evil in this world, but good can override it!

Okay...time to lighten the mood a bit.

Recently, I viewed the post of a fellow blogger, Grace from "Totally Graced", that challenged her readers to write a memory they had in only 100 words. SO consider this challenge ACCEPTED!

                                                                                   So without further ado...

Q and Ayeee w/ lovetlhayden

Happy Sunday Classy Crew! I can't believe August is almost here! Where has the time gone?? It felt like we just got out of school yesterday. Please don't leave us summer break!! 😢

But before we say goodbye to July and hello to August, I want to throw it back to the beginning of July when I went to Chicago. During my trip, I had the opportunity to meet one of my sister's friends, Tamika Hayden.  She is a branding creative/ girl boss who owns her own business where she not only blogs but sells home & office decor, dorm room bedding, and inspiring accessories. The items on her online shop are super cute, especially the throw pillows.  *Click her name above to see her website!* Of course I had to make the most of the visit, so we ended up doing a little Q&A about blogging and being a modern-day female entrepreneur.

                                                                                  So without further ado...

Friendship Reunions & Thrift Shopping

                                                                                   Hey classy crew!😊

Confused? Don't be. Welcome to the SQUADDDD!  (Do people even say squad anymore!?!😅) Oh well! I wanted to give you guys, my lovely readers, a name so we can feel more like a cute, little family instead of a random group of individuals reading words created from my brain. Do you guys like it? I do and I hope you do too. :)

Anyways, I practically spent almost everyday this week hanging out with friends and I am definitely grateful for it. The week started out with reconnecting with two friends from middle school; we discussed the past four years with each other and relived past memories over toasted Panera Bread sandwiches. Towards the end of the week, I ate lunch once again with my Stats girls (food is always a great way to bring people together😋) and later that day, I, and my counselor aid chicas, satisfied our sweet cravings with some much needed fro-yo (this summer heat is no joke!🔥🔥) And to finish off the week, another friend and I decided to do a little thrift store challenge.
       
                                                                        Check out our finds down below!
                                                                                               ↓↓↓↓

Travel Diary: Chicago

Hey lovelies! It has been a hot minute since I have updated my blog. I know. I know. In the beginning of the summer, I said I would upload every Sunday, but I feel like it's more important for me to post content that I am proud of sharing and have spent quality time working on versus creating content to just have something up. So yes, I have missed 2 Sundays in a row, but let me tell you why. For the past week, I've been in Chicago spending some much needed quality time with family especially my older sisters. It's not often I get to "play" tourist and explore a city that's so rich in art, culture, music, food, and countless other things that would involve way too many commas for this sentence😜. Of course you know I had to take of advantage of this opportunity, so I decided to make another travel diary video. If you haven't seen my 1st travel diary video, click this link: Travel Diary (Hawaii)

Now sit back (or stand up/it's a free country😆). Relax (maybe in a recliner?) And enjoy!(preferably with some popcorn 😄🍿)  Let me know down in the comments below if you like these travel diary style posts:) and most importantly, don't forget to "stay classy".😊

                                                   

My College Orientation Experience

Hey lovelies! Happy Sunday to everyone:) Today I am writing a weekly update about experiencing my first ever college orientation. How crazy is that? I have scheduled my classes for the fall semester and in about 2 months I will be an official college student. I am so excited and nervous at the same time; this is such a BIG change and I hope that great things will come of it. Okay, enough of my blabbering😆.

                                                                           So without further ado...

All Thai'd Up

Happy Sunday everyone! I hope you guys have had a fun and productive week. Today I have another food-related post for you, but it's not a recipe. Think of it like a mesh between a food review and a restaurant recommendation with lots of pictures. Originally, I was planning on posting something more inspirational but the restaurant has inspired me to dedicate a whole post about it. And you know the restaurant is pretty good when you and your family try it for the first time and go back for more the next day.

                                                                                     So without further ado...

Honey Roasted Plums

                                                                

OH MY GOODNESS...I absolutely LOVEEEE food!!! I could seriously talk about food all day! I have always had a true passion and appreciation for food since I was a little girl. Everytime we had free time at after school care, I would immediately gravitate to the kitchen play set area and pretend to cook meals for the dolls and my friends. And don't even get me started about my discovery of Food Network ( I think it was around 5th or 6th grade)! Bobby Flay. Emeril Lagasse. Giada DeLaurentiis. My list of my favorite Food Network chefs could go on forever, but maybe I'll save that topic for a future post.  Anyways...the intro above is basically my way of geeking out about my first ever food post!!! I am so excited to share this recipe that I have improvised for you guys. But before I share the recipe, I need to give proper credit to Mimi Ikonn on YouTube for her "What I Eat in a Day" video, which featured a scrumptious-looking roasted plum dessert that inspired me to make my own simplified version! Above is a short instructional video of the recipe ( I recommend playing it in 720 for better quality). You can choose to follow the recipe via the video or the written instructions down below!

                                                                                      So without further ado...

10 Tips To Help You Survive High School

Hey lovelies! It's been a hot minute since I have added new content to my blog, but I am officially back and it feels good to be writing for my blog again! Last semester of senior year for high school is no joke. Senior week, prom, final testing, GRADUATION, sending final transcripts to college, and lots more will grab your attention and forget to give it back. Thank goodness I have succeeded in gaining some of my free time back.😉 Another thing worth mentioning is the fact that I am an official high school graduate preparing to take on the wide world of college!! IT'S CRAZY! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT EITHER! I didn't believe people when they said four years of high school goes by fast, but I truly believe them now. Time sure does fly by! So in honor of celebrating the end of one chapter in my life and the beginning of a new one, I have compiled a list of 10 tips to help you conquer high school.

                                                                                 So without further ado...

Travel Diary: Hawaii

Hey guys! I am so excited to share with you my travel diary video of Hawaii from this past November. It was such a fun trip and I am so glad I got a chance to make incredible memories with my band family. Before you watch the video, here is a little background story:

My marching band had the wonderful privilege to perform in the Waikiki Holiday Parade as well as commemorate the 75th anniversary of Pearl Harbor by playing in front of the USS Missouri Battleship. It was such a humbling experience and an honor to participate in alongside my friends. Those are definitely moments I will NEVER forget! The video above is basically highlights of the fun activities we did while in Honolulu, Hawaii. Last but not least, I hope you enjoy the video (I wish the quality of my camera was a little better but "oh whale"😃). This video was fun for me to edit as well as a pain sometimes, but without further a do...

**PICTURES DOWN BELOW**