Grapes!

When things go wrong, it's hard to understand why, or how, you got there. Sometimes there are no answers. Nothing comes easy. Everything you knew, or thought you knew, all of a sudden is turned upside down. It becomes hard to distinguish right from wrong, and whether the decisions you made along the way would have made any sort of difference in the end. 

At times like these, there's not much else you can do but to go with the flow. Ride it out. Get away from everything you're accustomed to and let the world refresh you. How can you face your problems when 1) you don't know what your ideal outcome would be, 2) you aren't motivated to do anything about it (because of number 1), and/or 3) you just are so lost in life that you don't even know what the problem is to be able to solve it? It'll be tough for the first few days/weeks, but in the end, it's better because you have your head straight and can again differentiate right from wrong, and now know how the steps you take will eventually lead you to your desired outcome or goal. 

How long it'll take for life to reboot and refresh you again? No one can say. It's all just a matter of being patient, examining yourself, and following what your heart desires. Don't get strung up on the mistakes you think you made. You learn from them. Don't worry about how each action led to another, and wishing you made a different choice. Instead, focus on what really matters -- the steps that lie ahead. 

"Life is too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, so love the people who treat you right, forget about the ones who don't, and believe that everything happens for a reason. If you get a chance, take it. If it changes your life, let it. Nobody said life would be easy, they just promised it would be worth it."

-Harvey Mackay-

wow. it's been awhile.

So it's been a few long months since my last post. Sad. I really wanted to keep up to date with this thing. Oh well. Things got busy. 

Anyway so here's a brief update...in list format.

- I have a new favorite pair of sneaks. Undftd 24k Puma Mid's. Sick. I love the silhouette, n the materials they used are filthy.

- NYC this July!!! Yay for Parsons Design+Mgt! Super pumped.

- I am now a huge fan of 5 panel caps. Although I still heart fitteds, it's always nice to switch it up every once in awhile.

- I want a Nikon D90. 

- The fam jam moved to Troy, MI outside of Detroit. Hmm.. Detroit WHAT! haha..right. I will visit soon.

- I have a blank skate deck that needs some designing. Get on it Mar10. 

- Barkada = Student Organization of the Year. Eat that suckazzzz!

- my coop sucks.

So that's it for now. I'll try to keep this updated more often. Lo siento friends.

Christmas time is here!

Yay! Christmas!! woot!!

I'm in Florida. Shorts and flip-flops during Christmas...kinda odd. I'm not gna lie.

Ok that's all I really have to say. 

Mr. Cupcakes!

So last week, Johnny Cupcakes came to Northeastern to speak some words of wisdom to his fans n a bunch of business majors. I missed it when he showed up a couple years ago, so when I heard he was coming back, I knew I had to go. 

I showed up early to get a slice of pizza, a cup of soda, and a nice front-row seat. I also saw Mr. Cupcakes' people setting up their little booth to sell shirts n things. In true Cupcakes fashion, they kept the doors to the auditorium shut until one of the professors/assistant/pizza organizer person started to get angry and made them let the students in. Sad. I knew he would have had an awesome entrance. Oh well. 

Anyway, we were starting late and the professors cut into his time even more by doing some announcements and stuff. Lame sauce. 

So the show got on the road finally. Mr. Cupcakes discussed how he started his business, things to stay away from, and some of the concepts behind the brand. While I was listening, it dawned on me that I completely related to what he was talking about. Whenever he talked about that idiot that notices the details, keeps random stuff cz of the details... THATS ME!! I'm not some sort of psycho junk collector, but I really do like keeping things randomly. Tags, stickers, fliers, packaging... As long as I find it cool, I keep it. They're my source of inspiration.

This is my dream. To have my own company, so I can go in to work, wearing whatever I want, and running it however I want. Have people buying my products. It's me doing things for fun and for the love of it. So, as he went on about creating a memorable experience and putting cupcakes on t-shirts, I began to think... What can I do that's different and random? Sneakers? T-shirts? Backpacks? A restaurant? There are so many ideas. I just need to find my niche. I need to figure out what will be innovative. What will give the brand/product(s) a cult following? How will I have a brand that is memorable and unique?

Only time will tell -- What is my cupcake?

Be cool.

Go visit h(y)r collective! Click on "columns" and then click on "archives" and look for "(u.o.) the rape of cool." Good stuff. 

So while looking through that e-zine, I also was inspired to do a photo art project. Very similar to the Sarah Kahn designs. (under "features" on the h(y)r collective website.) 3D self portraits perhaps. Or if you have a cool face, lemme know and I'll use you. (But wait, what is cool?!?) Anyway, hopefully I actually end up doing this. I had wanted to do this back in high school when I was in photo class so...I'll let you know how it works out.

On Shuffle.

October has come and gone. The Red Sox lost Game 7 of the ALCS after an exciting 3-1 comeback in the series. The Bengals are a dismal 1-9. (Oh and a tie with the Eagles...) Sad in the world of sports. But all is decently well with me. The release of the final installment of the adidas aZX Consortium Project, a new Bodega fitted, the Bodega x Saucony sneakers, and the outcome of the election has had me pretty fired up as of late. Woot.

So aside from the typical sneaker news and random purchases, there have also been a few things that have really inspired me. (Obama is a post all to itself so I won't include that here...) While going around Urban Outfitters (which I now hate btw...) in Harvard Square, I saw and flipped through Post Secret. Post Secret is an art project where people send post card-sized artwork confessing their deepest and dirtiest secrets. This book I looked through had some funny things including.... 

Check out their blogspot too! Pretty funny stuff. What should I do as an art project?? hmmm. 

Anyway, so to the real reason why I'm writing this post...

My friends and I saw Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist last month or something and I thoroughly enjoyed it. This is why... The movie is about these two kids, Nick and Norah (obv), who go on an urban adventure around New York City in search for their favorite band. Along the way, they find themselves looking not only for the band, but also what makes them happy. And this is why I really enjoyed it. How often do people run around the city to listen to a band? to do and take in something that genuinely makes them happy? Nowadays, we're so busy getting drunk. And I'm not knocking that, cz that's usually a good time. But is it real? Is it what makes us smile and feel all giddy inside? (Okay I know some will say yes to that, but you kno what I mean). But those moments...those real moments... those are the memories that stick out ten years from now when we look back at our "college days." So let's try more of those. :)

Furthermore, (haha) Nick and Norah are in these f-ed up relationships. Nick had his dream girl. Norah, well, just had some idiot. But anyway, this is what I'm talking about when I said that they end up looking for what really makes them happy. Because they realize that they're perfect for each other and they end up leaving their respective significant other to begin their relationship. In life, we always try to plan our lives. Thinking that we know what we want based on society's standards. The steady job, a nice house, 5 cars, etc... We set schedules to meet our goals. We give up things we enjoy to streamline our lives in order to get to where we need to go. Or where we think we need to go. We aim for these things not looking at our "periphs." As we do this, we fail to realize that what's right for us, what makes us giddy, and what makes life worth it, is right there. We just don't take the time to appreciate them. So don't give things up. Do what makes you happy. Do what you love. Cuz that's what makes you who you are. 

Take life step by step. Song by song. Set an agenda so you're not a complete bum. But don't forget to take life in. Enjoy it. Let it whirl you around. You can make a playlist, but life is on shuffle. So make the most out of it.

"Life is too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, so love the people who treat you right, forget about the ones who don't, and believe that everything happens for a reason. If you get a chance, take it. If it changes your life, let it. Nobody said life would be easy, they just promised it would be worth it." - Harvey Mackay

Traveling Pants!

So we're closing in on a month of school. But what happened this summer?!?

As a Northeastern student, my schedule typically only allows for a couple weeks of summer vacation every year. This year was more exciting/exhausting than years past, as I was able to hit 3 cities (Sorry Columbus, you didn't count) in less than a week. After going home to see la familia, I had the luxury of moving to a new apartment one day after getting back to Boston, and then leaving for Miami 3 days later with a flight at 7am to top it off. But in the madness of it all, traveling always provides for some of the best experiences and most interesting of sights.

So let me begin with Cincinnati, OH... Being home is always a treat since I get to see my parents and my sister. Spending time with them after 8 long months was refreshing. Seeing some high school buds was also a plus.

Here are some fun pics (special thanks to my iWaste for these lovely pictures):

Claw game prizes at abandoned mall.

cincinnati museum ctr.

Ceiling at Cincinnati Museum Ctr.

Yummy breakfast!

O-H-I-O!

Bengals city.

Treasure!

fuzzy picture of me n the sis

A week and a half was definitely long enough for me in Cincinnati. Spent a lot of time with la familia, visited my sister in Columbus, almost convinced my parents to get me a car, hung out pool side at my parent's new apartment complex, ate good food (First Watch really needs to expand to Boston so I can eat there for breakfast at least once a month), rummaged through our storage, visited a couple of malls and that was home. Always relaxing, but also always reminds me of how much I love Boston and that I can't ever live in Cincinnati again. Sorry. It's just not for me.

And then I got tired of the weather and left for Boston.... No pics here, since I was in a complete state of disarray while moving for two days. 

Then I was off again for MIA!!! It was a fun time and if you ask anyone who went, it was packed with crazy situations. Hotel accommodations were insane, drinks were good (and expensive), and the weather was absolutely spectacular. Our timing was perfect since we caught the very end of one hurricane and left right as the next one came. Lucky us! Oh and I got a new backpack. Everything was great, except the MIA airport really blows. That is all.

Fun Pics from miami!

storm. (aka lexi)

wonderland.

view from hotel suite.

me on the way back to boston... notice that the party shirt is still on.

Sadly, the summer is over. 'Til next year my friend.