SENIOR YEAR

Three years ago, I was just getting ready to start classes at Western Washington University. At times, it feels like it was just yesterday. Other times it feels like it was ages ago.

Yesterday was my first day of my last year of school. I know, I know, it's so stereotypical, blah blah blah, but I'm so thankful for the opportunities that college has brought me. As a first-generation college student, I didn't really know what to expect out of college, but I'm so glad I came here.

When I was young, I wanted to be a doctor. I didn't know what kind of work that entailed until I got older, so eventually I switched my goal to be a nurse. In high school, I went through a phase where I wanted to study photography and go to art school but realized that wasn't exactly doable. Then, I came to Western thinking I wanted to study environmental science (boy, was that short-lived) and eventually switched back to biology, with the hopes of becoming a nurse after school.

I took chem classes, bio classes and math classes and my grades suffered. I sucked at chemistry, biology was interesting (but really hard) and math is just... math. I couldn't picture myself graduating with that degree but I also couldn't picture myself graduating with anything else.

Then my dad got sick. Really sick. I dealt with this during school, and again, my grades suffered. Finally, before the second week of winter quarter of my sophomore year (and what was going to be my hardest quarter yet) I got a phone call from my mom saying I needed to come home immediately because dad wasn't doing well.

Two days later, I dropped all of my classes for the quarter. I knew what was going to happen. My dad was going to die, and I wasn't going to be able to focus on class. I was right; he did die. That's easily the hardest thing I've ever had to go through in my life, especially as a 19-year-old college student.

However, in the weeks that I sat at home recovering, I realized something needed to change. I couldn't continue with these classes that made me unhappy. I had adopted a new perspective on life — you've gotta do what makes you happy. My dad had always engrained that in me, but balanced it with a "as long as you can make a living" mindset. I signed up for a few easy classes that seemed to be more in my niche for the quarter that I returned to school; art (well, technically visual dialogue), art history and newswriting. I heard all these classes were pretty easy to get an A in, so I was excited.

I didn't expect what would happen next. Newswriting became one of my favorite classes. It was interesting and I was good at it. I searched through the journalism department website and noticed that one of the options was a visual journalism major.

Visual journalism had everything I wanted in a major. It had the writing aspects and the artsy aspects. This was everything I never knew I wanted.

Now, a year and a half later, I'm nearly done. I've yet to take a class within the major that I didn't like. I don't expect that I'll dislike any, but for now, I'm enjoying every second. You know how they say that doing work that makes you happy isn't really work? I'm finding that it's true.

Fall quarter 2011

Fall quarter 2012

Fall quarter 2013 (and my first published story!)

Aaaand there's me on my last first day of school (Fall quarter 2014). It got a ton of likes on Facebook. I felt pretty proud.

Side note: I was scrolling through old emails a few months ago and found that in response to an email of me whining about how hard chem was, my dad suggested I switch to journalism before I even realized I wanted to do that myself. Funny how that works.

In nine months, I'll be done with school. I have no idea what I'll do then, but I guess that's part of the adventure. Maybe I'll move across the country. Maybe I'll move across the world. Maybe I'll stay in my cozy little Bellingham bubble.

For now, I'll just take life as it comes.

xo,
allie

#TOY2014

A few weeks ago, my good friend Kari shared with me that she was heading to Vancouver on an all-expenses-paid business trip for Seattle Magazine. I was super excited for her, but then she called me and invited me to come along with her, and of course I said yes!

The trip included a one-night stay at the Opus Hotel, restaurants, manicures, bike rides and other activities. The only thing we had to do was tweet when we went anywhere, and write about it when the trip was all said and done. Kari will be writing about it on her blog and on Seattle Mag's website (I'll link it once they're up!) and this is, as you could probably assume, my recap of the trip.

Next month, there is an event called Taste of Yaletown. I don't know how to describe it, so here is how yaletowninfo.com describes it:

"From October 16th-30th, Yaletown kitchens will offer featured menus, special tastings and innovative pairings to tempt the most adventurous foodie. With a fresh approach to fixed price menus of $25, $35 and $45 restaurants will offer combinations of food and drink or even special in-house events."

For this, we got to test out a few of the restaurants that will be participating.

On Sunday, September 20 and Monday the 21st, Kari and I headed to Vancouver. She flew up, and I drove since the drive to the airport would be longer than the drive to our location from where I live. I took out enough cash to pay for parking, only to pull up to our hotel and see Kari outside, who then told me "don't worry — your overnight valet parking is covered!"

I got all my stuff out of my car and headed inside. My first thought as I walked into the hotel was holy crap; this is amazing. 

Warning: This is going to be a very long and photo-heavy post.

5 THINGS | SEPTEMBER 2014

1. End-of-summer sunsets.

Could that view get any better?

We're so lucky to live in the town that we do, with the view that we have.

2. Day trips with Isaac.

Sometimes the stars cross and we both get a day off work. The same day, even. So on those days, we like to do silly things like drive to the mall (one we don't work at) and just shop.

Also, that part of the sidewalk was sparkly, hence the feet photo. My legs look weeeeeird. 

3. Wavy hair.

Lately I've been trying to get my hair a little healthier (I use heat almost every day.... heat plus bleach do not a healthy head make) so I've been letting it air dry. My hair is naturally... indecisive, as in some days, it's curly, some days it's just frizzy, but lately it's been the kind of beach-y waves that I love. Thanks, hair. You've got my back. Er, head.

4. Candles.

I'm all for super fall-y scents, including my favorite — Flannel by Bath and Body Works. This candle will make your room smell like a sexy man just walked through it and blessed you with his presence... and scent. If I don't have a boyfriend, I might as well have a candle that smells like one... right?

5. Converse shoes.

I had my first pair of Converse shoes when I was 13. They were white and had penguins on them. Penguins. Now, I've grown out of my "I'm so random! I love penguins! xD" phase, but Converse are still just as much of a must-have today as they were seven years ago. I'm currently wearing the life out of my white pair and have yet to love my grey ones as much. When fall comes around, I'm sure they'll get a fair amount of wear.

xo,
allie

GOODIES!

Lately I've been finding myself either in the company of people who like to spoil me (thanks mom!) and having a little extra cash from working a ton. That being said, I've been spoiling myself a little more than usual lately and here's what I've been spending my $$$ on.

BEAUTY 101

In my last post, I was sitting in the Radisson next to SeaTac airport preparing for Benefit Beauty school.

The hotel that I stayed at was also the place of training, so that morning I just had to get ready to go and then head downstairs. All I knew was that breakfast was at 9:30 and training started at 10, so I got up around 8 and took my sweet time. I didn't know if I was supposed to wear all black, if I was supposed to wear makeup and have my hair done (coworkers had told me we'd be doing each other's makeup) so I chose to wear a black polka dot dress and pink cardigan. I did some minimal makeup and curled my hair and headed downstairs with absolutely no idea what I was doing.

I'm one of those people that is always early, so I sat down in the lobby at around 9:10 and played on my phone for a little bit. Eventually, I saw some other girls who were wearing all black and also looked lost and we kind of gathered together and started awkwardly small-talking about "oh, so how long have you worked at Benefit?" etc.

At this point, we'd been up for more than an hour (some people had to drive in that morning) and we were hungry so we gravitated toward the food in a room nearby. We saw a sign on the wall and some nametags that had pictures of Benefit products on them, so we decided that's where we were supposed to be and grabbed some breakfast and some coffee.

Eventually we were led into the training room, which is where the photos above were taken. There were three tables, each with six chairs, and at each chair there was a cute little notebook, pen and some other sheets along with lots of makeup and skincare in the center of the table. After some icebreakers, we all learned about Benefit and talked about our objectives for the day and got started.

I won't go into specifics, but we did a lot of activities where we learned makeup techniques (mixology and brow mapping) and at the end of the day we got some gratis (free goodies!) I got a bag that had a lot of good stuff and the one shade of eyshadow that I don't like (blue. bleh!) but I'm still totally stoked that I got the stuff I did.

Overall, Beauty 101 was an awesome opportunity and I'm thankful that I get to have fun with work. I love that I work with other makeup geeks and a lot of the people who come in are also makeup geeks so I get to gawk out. Benefit is a great company, and I'm happy to work for it.

xo
Allie

— LET'S BE FRIENDS! —

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FANCY LIVING

As I write this, I'm currently on a bed in the Radisson hotel next to SeaTac airport.

No, I'm not flying anywhere; I'm here for my job.

When I started at Benefit Cosmetics at Macy's in July, I was told I would be heading to 'school' in mid-September. I didn't really know what that meant, but hey — that sounded fun!

Now I just know that I have to be downstairs by 9:30 and that we'll be learning about Benefit and doing each other's makeup; I'll update more with what I did on Monday!

For now, here's a little peek into the hotel room I'm in and what I brought.

My room! I was supposed to have a roommate, but she never showed up. #score

Macbook Pro | Case: Etsy | iPad Mini | Makeup bag: Forever 21 (similar) |  #GIRLBOSS | Backpack: Target

xo

Allie

AUTUMN TAG

Autumn is only weeks away!

I have always loved autumn and everything about it. When I saw the autumn tag going around, I knew I had to participate!

--

1. Talking about coffee, what's your favorite drink from Costa, Starbucks, Cafe Nero etc?
I'm allllllll over the salted caramel mocha. I've had like, seven already this year.

2.Accessories: what do you prefer - scarves, boots, gloves, anything else?

Scarves and combat boots! I also love beanies but find them hard to wear.

3. Music - what's your favorite tune / band / singer to listen to during Autumn months?
Anything acoustic/slower. I tend to listen to more moody music when the weather starts to get colder.

4. Perfume - what is your favorite perfume during Autumn?

I don't really have a specific one to be honest; right now I'm loving Benefit's Ring My Bella and smother myself in it every time I'm at work!

5. Candles: what scent you will be burning this Autumn season?

Flannel by Bath and Body Works. This candle smells like a man. A really, really good smelling man. If I can't have the real thing, I guess I'll have a candle that smells like a man, amirite?

6. What do you love most about Autumn?

My birthday! Pumpkins, candles and darker makeup. So p much everything.

7. Favourite makeup look?

I just like to go a little darker! Dark bronze eyes, dark lipstick (although it's high maintenance).

8. What are you looking forward the most in Autumn?My 21st birthday! And halloween. And pumpkins. ALL OF IT. #fallforeverpls

I tag everyone who loves autumn! Comment below with a link after you've posted it so I can read!

xo

Allie

A LITTLE ABOUT ME

Photo: Kari Lutcavich

I've noticed that I've got a few more followers from Facebook, Bloglovin and Twitter recently! Hiiiii! Thanks for following!

You may or may not know these little tidbits about me. I tag anyone who wants to fill this out to post it on their blog with their own answers!

THE BASICS
Name: Alexandra/Allie
Age: 20 (21 next month!)
Height: 5'7"Hair Color: BlondeEye Color: BlueReligion: NoneEthnicity: French and a whole lotta other white
Status: Single

FAVORITES
Color? Pink and blue
Hair Style? Beachy waves or straight
Food? Teriyaki
Soda? Coke
Alcoholic Beverage? Wine or cider
Store? Sephora, Torrid
Mall? That I've been to? Southcenter mall
State? Washington? Not entirely sure.
City? Seattle
Animal? Peacocks
Movie? Across the Universe
Tv show? Doctor Who
Anime? Uhh
Book? The Pact by Jodi Picoult
Music? A lot of different stuff
Song? Blackbird - The Beatles
Band/Artist? The Beatles, Muse and Green Day
Website? Bloglovin and Pinterest

THIS OR THAT 
Soda or Juice? Juice
Music or Internet? DON'T MAKE ME CHOOSE PLS
Rock or Rap? Rock
Cats or Dogs? Either
White or Black? White
Cell-Phone or IPod? Cell phone (Spotify, hell yeah)
Curly hair or Straight hair? On me, curly
Lap top or Computer? Laptop
Mountain Dew or Pepsi? Pepsi
Phone or Internet? Internet
Summer or Winter? Winter
Going out or staying in? I like both!

RANDOM
What do you do on your spare time? Internet. Play with makeup.
What do you wish you had more time for? Getting organized and going to the gym
What's your usual clothing style? Lately, black, black, black.
What's your usual hair style? Top knot
What are you wearing? Work leggings and black shirt
Are you single or taken? Single
Who would you die for? My family and friends.
What do you think of one night stands? You do you.
Who's your Bestfriend? I'm lucky enough to have more than one
Do you have any pets? Nope
Do you plan on getting married? Eh.
Do you plan on having kids? Also eh
How old do you wish you were? 21 PLEASE
If you were to be anywhere right now where would it be? Sleeping in my bed.
Ever gone camping? Many times
Have you ever gone skiing on a mountain? Snowboarding, yes.
Ever gone to church? I was in Christian school for 3 years
Ever gone to a famous water park? Yep
Ever gone out of state? Yep
Ever gone out of the country? Yep
When was the last time you left town? A while ago
What year were you born in? 1993
What do you do in the summer time? Stay inside.
Are you naturally tanned? Not at all.
Do you live in a house? Yep, I live with four roommates
What do you have on your mind? Chocolate chips.
What time is it? 10:28 p.m.

That's a little about me! If you fill this out, leave it in the comments so I can read it!

xo

A TOURIST IN MY OWN TOWN

This weekend, I had the privilege of having my good friend Kari, who had never been to visit me in Bellingham before.

We had fun driving around, catching up and having some much-needed girl talk all while I showed her around Bellingham. I never quite know what to show people who have never been here before, so I had some fun being a tourist in my own town.

WHY I STARTED BLOGGING

I've always loved to write.

When I was young, I would sit at home and write stories on Microsoft Word on our home computer. I would sit there for hours, trying to find the right font for the story, the right names for the characters and of course the best title. Most of these little stories were loosely based around my life (which was actually very boring in reality.)

Aaaand eventually, my love for writing stories on Word was replaced with love for the internet. MySpace took up most of my time. If you remember MySpace, you'll remember that there were "bulletin" features and "blog" features.

I don't remember too many people that utilized the blog feature, but I used the bulletins like they were about to go out of style. (They did.) I would write about my day, chronicle my thoughts and post random quotes that matched my moody teenager self. I deleted my MySpace years ago, but now I wish I could go look at it again just to see the kinds of stuff my 13-year-old self would post.

Eventually, I made a blog. My first blog was actually a weight loss blog that I made when I was 17. I would post about my ups and downs of healthy eating and exercise and injuries. When I stopped trying to lose weight, I stopped writing.

Less than a year later, I moved to college and made another blog. The blog has since been made private and deleted so only I can see it and there is some pretty embarrassing stuff on there. I started that blog as a way to write about my college adventures so that I would remember them as I got older, and so my dad could read what I had to say since he didn't have facebook. Again, I lost all motivation and stopped blogging again. 

Finally, last summer, I started Short for Alexandra. First, it was called "Allie Tries to Blog" since I couldn't come up with any fun names, and I had the intention of using this blog to write about plus size fashion and college life. 

My early posts are mostly about how excited I was to visit Europe and what I would wear while I was there. They also included thoughts about how I had no idea what I wanted to do when I got older (I have a clue now!)

It's been so amazing to see myself grow as a person and a writer using blogs and Short for Alexandra.

I've used this summer to take Short for Alexandra more seriously (mostly because I was home alone for nearly A MONTH) and the work has paid off! Last month, I hit 10,000 page views (mostly thanks to this post which went kinda viral on Pinterest) and I bought a domain. 

I'm terrible at keeping my blogging schedule steady, especially during the school year, so the next few weeks I'm going to try to get myself in the habit of getting posts scheduled and written. In fact, I'm currently writing this on Tuesday and it will be posted on Wednesday. Another one will be posted Friday, too. THINKING AHEAD.

Who knows where Short for Alexandra will take me if I keep it up! I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

Why did YOU start blogging? I love reading other people's stories!

xoxo

A DAY AT THE BEACH

I am not a summer creature.

I live for the days where I get to layer up in a sweater, jeans and combat boots. Sitting in my room with some candles going and listening to the rain hit the window is my idea of a good time. But for now... it's summer, and it's hot as balls outside.

Yesterday, my little sister, Riley; my roommate, Paige and I decided to brave the heat and go to Locust Beach in Bellingham. Locust isn't a super water-y beach, if that makes sense. The tide was out when we got there, so if you wanted to actually swim you have to walk to freakin' narnia to get to water that was deep enough.

We took the small 5-minute trek from the parking lot to the beach and set up our little perch.

As soon as we laid down, we realized that it was about a million degrees hotter on the ground than it was if you were standing up. Probably because of the rocks or something. I decided this was a good time to not sit there and get all sweaty so I got up and started snapping some photos.

FIVE THINGS MAKING ME HAPPY

Hi friends!

I've seen this kind of post all over other blogs I follow and I figured I'd give it a shot.

I love looking into people's lives and seeing what's making them happy and what they're up to lately. Is that weird? I hope not. In particular, I love seeing weekly "things making me happy" posts, so here's my attempt at it. In a perfect world, I'd actually keep my promises about making this weekly, so for now I'm not going to make that promise because I don't wanna break it. (I have such high hopes for myself.)

Also, before I get started, I'd just want to say THANK YOU to everyone for all of the positive feedback I got on my last post about my struggles with accepting my body and learning to love it. If I can inspire just one person to love their body unconditionally the way I'm trying to, then I'll have made a difference. But why stop at one?

Without further adieu, here are five things making me happy this week.

 1. This weather. 

HOW I STOPPED HATING MY BODY (AND WHY YOU SHOULD TOO)

I remember being in a car with my best friend and her mom when I was about 13 or 14 years old, and her mom asked us both, "what is a part of your body that you love?" I immediately wanted to say "my eyes" or something like that, and she continued "not your face. your body."

I thought about it for a minute. What did I love? I'd always had hate this, hate that thoughts. I didn't love my too-big belly. I didn't love my thunder thighs. I didn't love my too-small boobs or too-flat butt. My skin was pale and covered in acne. Was there a part of me I actually liked?

All my life, I've been chubby. As I got older, I crossed the line from chubby to fat. This was hard for me to accept and I always resented myself for it.

Since I was little, I've wanted to change how I looked in some way or another. I've always wanted to be skinnier. I can't remember a time when I wasn't chubby and didn't want to lose weight. I've always been this way, and until recently, I haven't even bothered to accept that this is the body I will always live in and that I'd better come to terms with that.

Finally, one day I decided it was bullshit.

This isn't a post about losing weight or getting healthy. It's about the disordered thinking I've always had, and chances are, you've always had it too.

Why is it okay for us to think of ourselves — and others — so negatively? Can you remember a time when you thought wow, that person has really let themselves go in terms of their weight? I know I can. You probably can too.

Hating fat people hasn't moved society in any direction but backward. Hatred of fat people doesn't get rid of fat people or make them lose weight. It just imposes a standard that it's okay to hate someone and shame them simply because of their body size.

Oh, and if you think it's okay to be fat as long as you "eat healthy" and "exercise," that's not exactly helping, either. The idea that it's only okay to be who you are "as long as" or "if" you are a certain way is equally as toxic. That person's body size does not affect your life at all. So stop caring about it.

My body is my business. Your body is your business. 

If I gain 50 pounds, that is nothing for you to comment on. Conversely, if I lose 50 pounds, that is nothing for you comment on. As I said before, my body is my business. Commenting on someone's shape or size is likely something that will resonate with them and make them overthink. 

Stop shaming others for how they look. Whether they are 100 or 500 pounds, who they are is their goddamn business and has nothing to do with you.

Let's cut to the chase.

One day, I decided I was going to stop hating myself. I was going to love every inch of my damn body and not give a shit what anyone else thought.

It has taken a while — and while I am certainly not 100 percent comfortable with who I am — I am exponentially happier than I was five years ago, one year ago and even a month ago.

I stopped hesitating to shop at "plus size" stores because I realized that the people working at them were so understanding and kind and truly there to help you. Chances are, they're thinking a lot of the same things as you.

I stopped looking at junk food as "the bad guy" because it's fucking delicious and 99 percent of the population eats it. I stopped feeling guilty for enjoying it.

I started thinking about the things I loved about myself.

I kept my awkward chest bumps and double chin and not-white teeth because
they are a part of who I am and if you can't accept that then gtfo.

I love my too big belly because it keeps all my insides together and I don't really want those pouring all over the place. 

I love my thunder thighs because they are strong and help me go from place to place. 

I love my curves, every single one of them. 

I love my pale skin, even if it doesn't love the sun quite as much as I'd like it to. 

I've never been thin. And I probably never will be. And that's okay.

It's okay for everyone to exist, regardless of their size, race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation or anything else that may make them different from you.

And when you stop hating yourself, and start to love yourself, it will show. I cannot stress this enough. You will start to love others even more than you already do. It will not happen overnight. It's a process. (You know that Roald Dahl quote... "if you have good thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely"? It's like that.)

Loving myself is by far the most rewarding thing I've ever learned to do. I am so much more than what I look like. I am made up of my passions, my hobbies, my experiences, the things I love to do and the way I carry myself and so much more. 

When people talk about me, I don't want them to say "Allie, the fat girl." I want them to say "Allie, the one who loves makeup" or "Allie, the pseudo-Canadian" or "Allie, the one who is obsessed with peacocks, coffee and the Beatles." If fat is all that you see me as, then you need to change the way you look at the world. 

I will change the world one day, one radical thought at a time. I want everyone to know how beautiful and deserving of love and happiness they are. 

So far, I'm pretty damn proud of where I've come.

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Some websites that helped me change my thinking:

The Militant Baker — Jes is a blogger who isn't afraid to say exactly what's on her mind. She's one of the first bloggers I encountered and introduced me to fat acceptance. I don't know if I would have come as far as I am today without her.

F Yeah Body Positive — random art and quotes and photos of others who are also learning to luv themselves.

Redefining Body Image — from their description: "RBI focuses on using expressive writing, design-oriented work, photography, media, research, and community input to fuel fat positive, body acceptance, discussion, and outreach. Our goal is to redefine the way we view and think about body image, size, fat, discrimination, health, fitness, wellness, mental/chronic illness, stigma, and other related topics."

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My previous post about body positivity 

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xoxo,

JOURNALING

When I graduated high school, a family friend (who is very near and dear to my heart) gave me a journal.

I'd tried keeping diaries when I was younger, but they would only last a week and I would lose all motivation. I thought the same would happen with this journal.

I brought it to college with me when I moved and it sat in a drawer. Then, one day, I figured out that I could use it as more of a memorabilia keeper than a journal.

getting sentimental

I've always been transparent about my excellent creeping skills.

A while back, I was sitting on the couch with my roommates and for whatever reason I decided I wanted to hack into my dad's old email and see what his thoughts were. Things that he had said that I wouldn't have otherwise heard.

I got into the account and found something that hit me hard. He had recently gotten back in touch with an old friend, who asked how his family was doing. This was his response to her:

My family is doing OK.  Struggling to keep up with me of course but healthy and moving forward.  My middle daughter Sarah and her two children Dylan and Kylie are still living with us.  The reconciliation never happened and she’s piecing it together slowly, but at this point I’d really miss these guys if they left.  Coralie and family are doing really well in Canada and Allie is starting her second year at Western Washington University in a few weeks.  She’s pumped…  She really likes the Bellingham area.  She actually stayed the summer there with a friend, found a job and took a course in Anthropology over the summer quarter.  She’s since moved into an apartment with three others, has maintained the job part time and is progressing quite well.  Right now her biggest challenge is going to be hard coursework.  She started Western as a Running Start student and they accepted all of her credits which gave her a Junior standing.  She is now at Senior standing.  All good stuff as she gets high on the list for courses that are hard to get that she needs for her degree but she is dealing with the fact that having accepted all those credits she has little wiggle room with any electives.  I think she may be in there for more than just this year.  One of my only hopes is to be there when she does graduate.

All it took was that last line and I was in tears. One of my only hopes is to be there when she does graduate.

I'm not an overly emotional person; yes, I have feelings, but I've never been one to talk about them. It's not that I try to close myself off... I'm just used to it this way. I'd rather silently be sad than talk about it. I know it's not for everyone, but that's how I am. But at that moment, I was suddenly bawling my eyes out in front of two of my roommates (who are beautiful and excellent and didn't shun me and instead offered support and hugs.)

I guess the point of this post is just to serve as a reminder for how far I've come nearly a year and a half after my dad passed away. It doesn't get easier, but you become more accustomed to the pain, the nonchalant references, the random memories.

My dad may not be able to see me graduate (hopefully this spring!) but I know that if he were there he would be so. incredibly. proud. of everything I've accomplished not just since starting college but also since his death. And that's something I can live with.

SUMMER

I'm not sure where it started, but all my life I've heard that summer doesn't officially start in Washington until the 4th of July. This is a reference to the weather, I suppose; normally, June is still pretty dreary with the occasional hot day, and July is when the weather starts to heat up. Well, this year is an exception. Yesterday we celebrated the fourth by barbecuing on our deck while it was raining outside. Today is pretty grey and dreary. It rained on my way to Starbucks this morning. How Washington is that?

No matter the weather, summer is in full swing. I've officially started my summer class (I'm a reporter for our campus newspaper, The Western Front) and although it's only been two weeks I'm already ready for it to be over. Luckily it's only a six-week course, so I'm almost halfway done. Weird.

Here's a short update of what I've been up to since the end of the school year.

10 SONGS I CAN'T STOP LISTENING TO

Hi, friends.

It's 11:16 p.m. and I'm home alone and I've finished my work for the day, so basically I'm lying in bed, listening to music and casually browsing the interwebs (as per usual) so I thought, why not make a blog post?

I've done a few "favorite songs" playlists, but it's been a while since I've done one, so I figured I'd do one again.

Basically, here's 10 songs I've had on repeat for the past few weeks.

1. Matilda | alt-j 
I heard this out of the blue on Spotify radio and I haven't been able to stop listening to it. It's been stuck in my head for the past few days, and so far I'm not sick of it.

2. papaoutai | Stromae
My beautiful roommate Paige listens to French music as she studies and sends me weird songs she thinks I'll like. This is one of them.

3. Alexandra | Hamilton Leithauser
"I don't think back, I don't need to / But I'm always thinking of you, Alexandra"
Umm, helloooooo, they're literally singing my own name into my ears over and over. Thanks, Hamilton!

4. Crown On The Ground | Sleigh Bells
Makes me feel like I should be off somewhere causing trouble.

5. Take Me to Church | Hozier 
I've been listening to this for a few weeks, but I just watched the haunting music video for the first time. God damn.

6. San Francisco | The Mowgli's
Just a random, happy, driving-in-the-summer song.

7. Wait | M83
I first heard this in the end credits of The Fault in Our Stars movie. So good. Now, it makes me wanna cry because of the emotional trauma that movie causes.

8. Matches | Koji
Another good driving song, but more of a "I'm in my car alone and want to sing along" way.

9. Sun | Two Door Cinema Club
The chorus of this song is so catchy! This is another song that gets stuck in my head really easily.

10. Twin Size Mattress | The Front Bottoms
"With tears in my eyes, I begged you to stay / You said, 'Hey man, I love you, but no fucking way.'"
Angry music. So good.

What are you listening to? I want to know. Help me find new music, plz.

xoxo,

10 THINGS YOU (PROBABLY) DON'T KNOW ABOUT ME || TAG

Hello, world!

While looking for inspiration, I stumbled upon Mandy Leigh's list of "50 Blog Posts Ideas." Blog-writer's block is a real thing and I'm definitely feeling it.

So, I looked at this list of 50 ideas and the one that stuck out most was to write about 10 things your readers don't know about you. (P.S. — Mandy, if you read this, thank you for that post! You're great!)

I love reading about other people's quirks and other things that the world may not know. Part of the challenge is also to tag other bloggers to write the same post! So, without further adieu, here are 10 things you may (or may not) know about me.

My hair isn't this color anymore. Don't be deceived.

LIFE UPDATE | 10 THINGS I CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT

Hello, world. It's been a while since I've posted anything of substance. Sorry about that.

I've been up to a lot lately. The quarter's almost over and it will finally be summer again. It's been almost a year since I started this blog and I really don't have too much to show for it. I say again and again that I'll start blogging more, and I never do, but hey — at least this blog still exists! I have a good number of drafts and unfinished posts; I just never actually get around to finishing them or posting them. I changed my banner from "big. blonde. beautiful." to "short for alexandra" (I'm learning things like InDesign!! I CAN DO THINGS) and tried to clean up my layout a little bit to make it a little simpler and prettier. Can u tell????

Since I last posted, I've been a pretty busy lady. I was hired as a features editor for my school newspaper which has been a 24/7 job, but I love what I do and I genuinely have fun doing it. The people I work with are great and I couldn't ask for a better team. As I said a few posts ago, I was also on the Relay for Life committee this year — the event was last weekend and it went so well, I can't get over it. Seeing everything come together was totally worth all the work put into it.

The point of this post was to be a little bit of a life update as well as a more blog-y post. I found a list of writing prompts and found "ten things I can't live without"and thought it seemed cool, so without further adieu, here are ten things I luuuuurve and can't live without.

1. My computer.

It's pretty terrible that this is my number one item I can't live without, but I don't even care. I love my computer. The 15" screen is absolutely stunning and lets me make pretty things with InDesign and Photoshop and also lets me browse tumblr for hours on end. Oh, computer. You are so versatile. You've always been there for me. Thanks for dealing with me as I type way too loudly and bring you everywhere with me. I love you, computer.

2. My iPhone.

Without my phone, I feel naked. I need it on me at all times. Similar to my computer, I can use it for work purposes (email on email on email), but I can use it to send adorable ugly selfies to my bff's, check the twitterverse, facebook and all that jazz. What did I ever do before I got an iPhone? I don't even know. I can't imagine not having it now.

3. Makeup.

Call me superficial — I. love. makeup. I can go from feeling "meh" to "haaaay" within 20 minutes with the stuff. Not only does it make me feel gr8, but it's fun to put on. I literally look forward to spending time in front of the mirror every morning and putting on my war paint. Plus, makeup gives you control over how people see you, which is aaaaaaaawesome. I could gab about makeup for hours.

4. Candles. 

You have NO IDEA how obsessed I am with candles. This fall, I started a collection of Bath and Body Works candles and the addiction has only become worse with time. I literally bought four candles this weekend alone. As I write this, I've got three burning in my room and it's a trifecta of fruitiness.


5. Coffee.

I don't know why I didn't put this up higher —I'm addicted to coffee. I have a cup every morning and usually buy at least one a day (the newsroom happens to be conveniently close to the campus Starbucks — ooooooops!) and I have no intention of quitting this addiction. Usually I just grab an iced white mocha americano but lately I've been enjoying just some plain iced coffee with cream. Plus, it's beautiful to watch the cream and coffee blend together. Is that weird? I hope not.

6. Food. 

Duh. No need to explain.

7. Music. 

Pretty cliché, I know, but still. A day without music is a day wasted. My family engrained a love for music in me when I was little; I remember going on long drives and jamming out to my mom's, uh, eclectic mix (sorry, mom!) and my dad's blues-y/rock-y CD's that he would burn me. Nowadays, I definitely get my money's worth with my Spotify subscription. My roommate and I will 'share' songs with each other frequently. It's pretty neat when someone hears a song and thinks "Wow, I thing Allie would like this" because a) it made them think of you, and b) they're usually right. I love hearing new music, listening to old music and yelling "THIS IS MY JAM" ten times a day whenever I hear a song I like. (Side note: currently obsessed with "Battles" by Hudson Taylor and "Wait So Long" by Trampled by Turtles.)

8. Clothes.

Again, cliché but clothes are just another form of expression. In the fall/winter months, I find myself wearing nothing but black, olive and leopard print with the occasional mix of grey or denim and I'm trying to get out of that little pattern. I've been a little more risky lately — AKA, wearing my Forever 21 pink maxi dress at every possible occasion — and trying to incorporate more color into my wardrobe for spring and summer... but I'm going to have to ignore the fact that I did a haul at Torrid today and bought only black, olive and white.

9. My friends.

Seriously. My roommates and friends mean the world to me and I don't know where I would be today if it weren't for them. I'm lucky enough to have kept friends that I made so long ago I can't remember a time without them (Stacey! Carley!) and have made new ones along the way. Luv u all. <3

10. My family.

Hanging Out with the Holzmans

Ever since my dad passed away last January, I've learned to not take family for granted. This group of goofballs is my family, and I wouldn't trade them for anything.


Well, those are 10 things I can't live without. That was a hard — but fun — post to write.

What are 10 things you can't live without? (I bet my blog is one of them. Ha!)

xoxo,

allie

January 2014 Playlist

Sup?

For all of you curious souls who have been losing sleep over this, I've made a little playlist including some of the songs I've been obsessed with this month.

The majority were introduced to me from my dear friend Nathan while I was visiting after Christmas, but some I was introduced to in other ways (Forever 21 played it at work, or Spotify radio).

I recently signed up for Spotify and absolutely love it. I would pay about $10/month for new music on iTunes, but with Spotify I'm able to listen to as many songs as I want, new and old. I have yet to not be able to find what I want to listen to on Spotify, plus I can make playlists and listen to my friends playlists as well. However, at the end of the month I'll be making the switch to rdio- as long as you are a student, it's only $5 a month, and I happen to be a student.

Lo and behold, here are some songs I've had on repeat for the past few weeks. This month's is a mix of slower, acoustic songs and some upbeat ones that make you feel like a supermodel even though it's just windy outside and you're walking to class.

Look! You can even give it a listen here! Yay Spotify!

This post has not been sponsored by Spotify, rdio, or any other companies. All opinions are my own.