LA Day Four

Hey everyone! It's been a while since I've caught you up with my LA travels, so I wanted to finally tell you about my last day in LA.
On my last day, my roommates Monica, Jene and Jessica and I went across the state. We got a tour from Monica's friend Jessica around Beverly Hills area. Sadly, we didn't see any famous celebrities.

The Grove sign.
We went to the Grove, where many celebrities would hang out and have coffee. I had my first crepe, and honestly, it was delicious. We also got to walk around a bit, and they had a lot of really cute shops.

Me with the Beverly Hills sign.
After the Grove, we went to Rodeo Drive where we saw the Beverly Hills sign. (and took a TON of pictures) We then walked around a bit, and I even got a picture with the Tiffany's sign. (Dream job, honestly.)


Me with the Tiffany's sign. 
After that, we met the rest of the newspaper staff for dinner at a Mexican restaurant to end our final day in LA. I had such a great time there, and the opportunity was amazing. I am so glad that I got to spend it with some amazing people, such as Monica, Jene, and Jess. Since coming back, we actually have been hanging out, and will be doing the Big Event at our campus together at the end of the month.



Me with Monica, Jess, and Jene! 
So, I hope you enjoyed my LA recaps! :)

Photo Diary...What I've Been Doing..

Hey guys!
So I haven't really been doing too much. But I like to do these kinds of posts, because they are fun and I really enjoy taking pictures for them. Here's what I've been up to, since a picture is 1,000 words, right?
I've been drinking a lot of coffee! My personal faves are Panera's Pumpkin Spiced Lattes, and Dunkin's new sugar coffee coffee!

My dog stole my heating pad cause she wanted to be cozy.

I've been crafting a lot. Here's two of my recent creations.

Fall foliage! #basic

Fall Fest 2014

Last weekend, I attended Fall Fest at Elisia's school. What is fall fest, you may ask? Well it's a free concert event where there's food trucks. So naturally, I was there. And it was amazing, even though we only watched like one part of the concert. Plus, it was fun to walk around someone else's school that wasn't my own. (I also took a lot of pictures..sorry for blowing up everyone's Instagram feeds!)
From the food trucks, I got a grilled chicken avocado wrap thing (which was amazing, let me tell you; just a tad bit more spicy than I wish it was), and a vanilla ice cream cone with rainbow sprinkles. Elisia got a chocolate one, with chocolate sprinkles.

                                                         Chicken wrap was amazing! 

                                                         Ice cream cones with sprinkles are the best.
After eating the really good food, we walked around for a bit. I got to see Quinnipiac's wonderful campus, which was an amazing thing to see. The campus is really pretty, and had a lot of wonderful spots to take pictures. (I did the whole taking pictures while walking thing--I probably looked like I wasn't actually going there.)

                                                               Library.

                                                          This school is so pretty..
Overall, it was a great afternoon spent with one of my closest friends. I really liked that I had the afternoon to do something that was really fun, because I feel like I've been spending too much time at work, at school, doing school work or just hanging with my dog. Therefore, a fun day with my homegirl was what I needed! Thanks Elisia for inviting me! I had fun. (and also, for putting up with the massive amount of photos!)

Elisia and I! 

   Some river I found. 

"I Don't Know About You.."

Music is something that takes us to a different realm. Sometimes, a song is something that takes us to a certain place and time. There's some music and songs that once you hear them, you go back to that certain place in time. The memory is something that can either put a tear in your eye, or a smile on your face.
Here's my songs that bring me back to a certain place.
 
Alessia and I-July 2013
22 by Taylor Swift This song brings me back to last summer with Alessia. We danced to this song at the Fourth of July fireworks in my town and it was amazing. Whenever I hear this song, I am instantly transported to the Fourth of July with Alessia. It also makes me sad because I really miss seeing Alessia.
Super Bass by Nicki Minaj This song reminds me of homecoming 2011, when I was dancing with my friends. I also got really sick that night, and Griffin was really nice to take care of me. Whenever I listen to this song, I often get flashbacks from that night.
Dance With My Father by Celine Dion This song reminds me of my grandfather, because I considered him to be my father figure. If he were alive, than I would be dancing to it with him when I got married.
Some Nights by fun. Whenever I listen to this song, I think about my senior year in high school. It was really popular back then, so it would constantly be on the radio. I loved this song before it was popular, because I liked fun. before they were a big hit.
 
Gabriel and I-August 2014 
I Wanna Get Better by Bleachers This song reminds me of Gabriel and I. Gabriel was the one who introduced me to this band, so naturally I would think of them as I'd listen to them. 

Cheers to My Teen Years.

 Last Saturday was my 20th birthday. I had an amazing birthday filled with great people, cake, Starbucks, and of course the beach. It was a long day, but it was exciting from start to finish. I got to spend it with Gabriel (naturally), Griffin, and Elisa. We first went to the beach, which is my favorite place on the planet. Then, we went out to eat a local diner. After that, we headed home to do all kinds of birthday stuff, such as open gifts, eat cake, and play a cardgame. (I actually won one!) After we were getting attacked by the bugs, we went to Starbucks, where I had a strawberry frappucino. (Which was so good)
Overall, I had an excellent birthday. I enjoyed spending time with the people who are nearest and dearest to me. It means a lot because once fall hits Gabriel and Griffin will be going off to college, however Elisa will be staying here because her school is actually in my hometown. I am so grateful to have such awesome friends in my life, and I thank all of them for making my birthday as awesome as it was.
Below are some pictures that I've taken through out the day. What is your favorite birthday memory? Let me know!  
Starbucks, yum!
 
Best Place to spend a birthday, is it not?
 
My main girl!
 
The whole Motley Crue! (Elisa; Griffin; Me; Gabriel)
 
Gabriel smiling.
 
Elisa and I getting dinner.
 
Griffin hugging a rock?
 
Gabriel casually wearing my sunglasses...
 
Last, but certainly not least, my cake! 

Travel Tips From Emma!

Hey there everyone. I'm currently maxin relaxing (jk I'm at work) but I would like to introduce one of my fave bloggers out there on the blogging scene. She's got style, she's got grace, she's Emma!
You know you love me,
Natalie

Hello Finding My Voice Fans,

I’m Emma from The World According to Emma! I’m a college blogger who writes about my college life (and the happenings of this summer), movie/book review (Like this one), and about my love for TV especially Big Brother! (#TeamCody #TeamDonnie #TeamJoey #TeamChristine #TeamNicole) Basically I write about anything I feel like!

When Natalie asked me to guest post for her I immediately knew what I wanted to write about. What you may or may not know about Natalie and I is we are real life friends! She’s actually my editor on our school paper!

 

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When we first started talking about her new position she asked me if I’d be willing to write a lot of articles about travel because she knew I loved to travel. So, when she asked me to guest post I thought why not write one about traveling as a college student.

I have 3 upcoming trips! Two of them are family trips but one of them is a friend trip that I’m planning with friends and saving to pay for myself. So, here are some of my tips for pre-during & post travel for college students!

1: If you’re paying for the trip by yourself, start putting money aside ASAP, trips aren’t cheap!

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2: Very few weeks put aside all the change in your wallet and bring it to coinstar a few days before your trip. Last time I save for a month before my cruise and I had $10. And my mom did it for a year and had over $50.

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3: Make packing list before going to stop yourself from over packing. I know I have a huge problem with that.

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4: Make sure you bring a camera so you can document your trip!

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5: If you have are going with friends, make sure its people you think you can spend an extended period of time with because you will be spending multiple days together non-stop.

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6: Make sure to put the phone down sometimes. As much as you might want to share your fantastic time with your friends on facebook/twitter/Instagram but you don’t want to miss something.

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7: Remember to save for the little things (i.e. – tips, parking, etc…) because those things can add

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8: Have some plans but for the most part go with the flow. You never know where your adventures will take you!

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9: Find some way to doctument your trip! Write blog post, make a video scrapbook or vlog the whole thing.

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10: Take risks and have adventures! That’s the best way to have fun!

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So wherever you may be going I hope you have a fantastic time!

Happy Travels,

Emma.

What do Graduations and Birthdays Equal?

Hi there everyone! I've decided to join Rachel and Lisa this Monday for their Weekly Wrap Up! Basically, I'm going to tell you about all of the crazy stuff that I've been up to this past week, when in reality it's not that exciting. 
My Mom's Birthday!
On Saturday, my mom turned 53. Originally, I was planning to give her a gold Mom Alex and Ani, and take her out for lunch. However, that didn't happen, because Maggie, our Rhodesian Ridgeback got really sick. So we had to take her to the emergency pet room, where luckily she was diagnosed with a stomach bug. Unfortunately, it ruined any places to go anywhere, but we're planning to celebrate it on another day.

My Best Friend Elisia's 21st! 
Also on Saturday, my best friend Elisa turned  21! (It was a hard decision choosing between her and my mom, but I went out for lunch with my mom, and dinner with her) We went to Olive Garden, where she ordered her very first legal drink! Happy birthday girl! I am so happy that I got to celebrate with you!
Griffin graduated high school! 
For those of you who don't know, Griffin is one of my best friends. Naturally, I wouldn't miss his graduation from high school for the world! Since our town graduates in a football field, that made it even more possible. I'm glad that I was able to make it. Congrats, Griffin! I am very proud of you! Keep up being awesome! 
(Griffin and I)

Day At The Beach!

Okay guys, it's time to get your thinking caps on. What's the best thing about summer? Is it no school? Well, yeah. Is it the fact that you can wear next to nothing in public for three months and it's socially acceptable? Yeah, that's fun. Is it the fact that there's no snow on the ground? Well, who likes shoveling snow? No, it's the fact that you can go to the beach for hours on end!
Gabriel and I went to my beach house on Monday. My family is lucky enough to own some property on the oceanside, so we hung out there. I love going there, because not only does it bring back memories of childhood, it's a good way to make life, well easier.
We spend the day pretty much chilling by the ocean, and it was a blast. Here's a few of my favorite photos from our beach day! I hope to do it again soon!

                           Gabriel's shell city.

 Us!

 Seaside Cosmo! 

  #artsy

 Another picture of the water.

Us! (My fave)

"Walking On Sunshine"

Recently, Gabriel and I went on a hike for a few minutes in a local park. The view was simply amazing, and with Gabriel is was of course fun. One of the things that Gabriel and I do a lot is go on long awesome walks. We always have an awesome time talking about pretty much whatever. And of course, we take selfies. Here's some pictures from one we took last week!

But first let me take a selfie...

 

Or two....

 

 The view was amazing!

 We take yet another selfie...my doing naturally.

Gabriel!

 

*The pictures have been taken by none other than myself, and have been edited using the app Picfx.