The Princess, the Bride, the Dress.

As talk about the royal wedding has been the prime topic of conversations these days, there were many articles written about who will attend the royal ceremony to referring back to Princess Diana’s wedding. I have found the royal wedding to be very intriguing, it has opened the doors to researching about the royal family history, which I found to be very interesting. From the impacts they have made to the jeweled crown’s the women wear, it is all so different then just hearing about celebrity tabloids.
The article I’ve found to be unique and appealing was the talk about now Duchess Catherine's designed wedding dress. Duchess Catherine's dress was inspired by Grace Kelly's 1956 wedding dress. Catherine had a lot to do with design of her wedding dress, it was a Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen gown, and from the different fabrics to the imprints and buttons it was elegant and graceful.
Catherine’s dress brought talk about many of the previous royal engagements and the gowns the past brides have worn, mainly a comparison to the late Princess Diana. The royalty have a very traditional and elegant since of style, the walk with poise and grace and it is shown through their wardrobe.
Wedding dress have changed through out the decades, and now that it is wedding season, brides are looking for the newest trends in the gowns, from being more spontaneous and edgy to keeping it class and traditional, brides are trying to find the perfect dress for their perfect day.
Catherine found that dress, the perfect wedding dress to be able to show the world not only how much in love she is through her eyes but through her dress. Her dress outshined all expectations, and left people speechless with just has she was when she married Prince William. The wedding was not only a royal statement, but also a fashion statement for all the fashionistas out there.

Link to article: http://unveiled.blogs.cnn.com/2011/04/29/was-catherines-dress-inspired-by-grace-kelly/

Gas on the rise

Gas prices, something just by saying those two words make me cringe. It is remarkable how much gas prices have gone up throughout the years. I mean where has time gone that gas prices are almost hitting four dollars. Yet, there is no way around it, it is a necessity that the one’s with cars are unfortunate enough to have to buy. In this article “Libya crisis sends U.S. gas prices up 33 cents in two weeks” it talks exactly what the title says, up 33 cents in two weeks! Did this really happen? It is said to be the second biggest two-week jump in the history of the gas market. And the funny thing is, this is the time where must of us are in need of refueling, how ironic that works out.
There was a Lundburg Survey, publisher Trilbey Lundberg on Friday, that took place in many cities to see how it has impacted the difference in gas prices.It showed that the average price of self-serve unleaded gasoline at $3.51, which I s an increase of 32.7 cents from the last survey that was taken two- weeks prior. This has been the biggest increase in gasoline since the 38-cent hike between August and September 2005. Which was due to Hurricane Katrina and the damages that was caused by this natural disaster. But this time around nature is not at fault, Libya being one of the countries that is the U.S. suppliers, is having this “civil war” which is created this problem. It is the fight between opposition forces and the Libyan leader, Moammar Gadhafi’s troops. Lundeberg expects that the gas prices will continue to rise.
Libya is not one of U.S.’s top suppliers of oil but global economics link this event to the damages that are happening to us in the gas market.
The current average price for gas right now is at $3.51, which is 61 cents below the all- time high in July 2008. But today’s prices are 78 cents higher than a year ago. And the gas demand being one of the reflections of U.S. economy, this is not a good sign.
Our economy is at its lowest point and with the gas demand being so high how are we able to move up from this. Our jobs, our everyday living are being affected by our economy and this seems to be an issue that will remain for a while.
This is a time were we need to act responsible and not careless with our money and our gas and think of different ways we can make things work for the best.


http://www.cnn.com/2011/TRAVEL/03/06/gas.prices/index.html

JRN212 FINAL BLOG- Go Green and Cut the Card

Shopping is bittersweet, it consists of a love hate relationship between you and your wallet. Not to mention your credit card being your arch nemesis.

You may feel this way all the time, but lets face it it does take a toll on us during the holidays. We all must be prepared to over these challenges during the holidays. Brace ourselves and control our shopping persona to not go overboard on the merchandise.

As I was reading this article, http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/10/business/10shop.html?hp ( Our Christmas Shopping List, No Credit Slips) it really made me think how much using your credit card during the holidays can really ruin your credit long term. Not just ruining your credit but also putting you in debt.

The article was talking about a woman, Liz Gonzalez,40, who had problems with debt and paying off her credit card bills starting from two christmases ago. She kept charging all the gifts and it escalated into madness where she is currently still paying it off. She went through a divorce which brought more problems financially.

She decided to use cash this year so she can stick to her budget.

This is the time of year where stores and credit card companies are trying twice as hard to issue their credit cards. They are competing with each other and trying to give the consumers the best rewards, better than their opponents.

But the best way to stay clear of debt and ruined credit is to just use cash. The article was saying that cash would be the best way to stay clear of that for many reasons.

One being that you are staying on your budget, you don't have to worry about paying any interest, and of course going into debt and be paying for these gifts two years from now.

So as the holidays come closer, go into it with a specific budget, open an account specifically for those holiday gifts. It will steer you away from any later surprises in the mail.

The most important thing about the holidays isn't the gifts, even though that is what many of us are guilty for thinking about. It is the time to give, not physical gifts but the gift of yourself and your time. That would be the best gift of all.

The Ultimate Beat.

I already love fashion; I love every aspect of it. High fashion, street fashion, the old, the new, I love it all. It is something that if God willing I can further pursue in my career as a journalist. But what really got me thinking was going international. I’ve always wanted to travel, explore the rest of the countries and admire the beauty from a different light. This got me thinking about learning more about the fashion in other countries and how different yet similar it is to America. After getting the chance to interview the girls from different parts of the world, it really made a big impression in my life to really get to know and learn more about different cultures and their fashion. I’ve grown such an appreciation for other cultures that I hope to someday see for myself what they have to offer.

As a fashion guru, or at least hope to someday be, I love following fashion blogs. I realize I can spend hours just looking at pictures and reading about what is the next biggest trend and who wore what. My two favorite blogs would be LookBook http://lookbook.nu/ and Who What Wear http://www.whowhatwear.com/website/home.php?p=1 . Who What Wear has to do more with the celebrity fashion and seeing what is “in” for the season and what is the next big thing. They give you styling tips, and where you can find similar clothes to what the starts are wearing. I love this blog because its just shows you the fast forward of fashion and what is happening in the entertainment industry.

I have to say that LookBook is my favorite, because these are blogs of real people all around the world putting up pictures of their fashion sense and blogging about what they love, and that’s fashion. This is what also inspired me to go forth the whole international aspect of fashion, because you get to see these people of different ages all having the same love for clothes and wanting to show the world how they are different and unique. That is the thing about fashion and clothing that I love, they way you can express yourself, what sets you apart, or what makes you feel comfortable.

I know most people think of fashion as for the high-class snobby rich people or celebrities that can afford everything, but when I think of fashion I think of the way it makes other people feel. The way that one girl can change the way she feels about herself just from putting on a beautiful dress. The way that your self-esteem just boosts up from finding the perfect outfit that fits you and your personality.

Sometimes I feel that my dream of working for a fashion magazine completely out of reach, im 19 years old with no experience, just wants to do something that I love, but who knows if I’m possibly good at.

But if I just leave it in the hands of God, I know he will help me and do what is best for me. For once I don’t want to give up a dream, and especially this that I decided to put what I love and make into a life for myself.

Fashion is more than just a trend for me; it is a way to help people be comfortable in their own skin, giving them a way to express what they can’t say out loud. For me it’s fashion, but for someone else it good be sports, or the news, or big dreams, but I feel that if it is something that you love that you shouldn’t think you can’t do it or that its impossible and out of reach. Just believe in yourself a little and work hard for what you want because at the end of the day nothing in life comes easy, but then you have God to help you along the way.

Just BEAT it.

Having to chose a beat isn't always that easy, especially for me. I have so many things that i enjoy and have a passion for, i love music, reading, entertainment, and more. But one thing that will always be on of my passions is fashion! I love everything about it, high fashion, street fashion, everything. I find it so interesting what is in style and what is going to be the next big trend, even if some thing are so outrageous. What is fun about fashion, it is a way you can express yourself through what you where. Everyone has their own fashion sense, and everyone is unique. I think what got me love writing about fashion is Carrie Bradshaw from Sex and the City. Not only is it one of my favorite shows, but the amazing fashion on the show and all the columns that she writes about inspires me in every episode, because it's real life and she talks about real women issues and that is what I love. Also another inspiration is Louise Roe, a television presenter and fashion journalist and stylist. Her career is everything i hope my career to be, she started as an intern for Elle magazine in the UK then worked with E entertainment, and recently had her own show called Plain Jane, which is a show great for women's courage and self esteem.

I have a passion for fashion, but also a passion for women issues and that is what I hope to some day write about in a magazine someday, just like Carrie Bradshaw and Louise Roe.

Sorry blog for neglecting you!

IM SORRY!

Poor blog has not been written on in ages! sooooo i'm in my room looking at my messy floor piled with clothes ( as i'm supposed to be packing at this very moment) and I much rather write a little update of whats going on.

So i'm leaving in less than 10 hours to D.C. and my suitcase is still empty lol.

I am going for National Police Week and its going to be soooo awesome! I've been going for 11 years and have made the best of friends! National Police Week is where they honor all

the fallen police officers that have died in the line of duty. They specifically honor those who died the previous year, with ceremonies throughout the week and seminars. Sounds kind of sad I know, I lost my father in 1998 and have been a part of Concerns of Police Survivors ever since

So I have gone to many of these occasions and it helps the grieving process but it has also brought me the best of friends! I don't see it has a sad time, but a time to all come together and have a good time and enjoying everyone's company. I'm so blessed to be part of such a great organization. I am now a C.O.P.S. mentor, and i mentor kids from the ages of 6-8 ( the same age I was when my dad died) and I love getting to spend time with these kids, and not only is it fun but I feel that I am able to help these kids because I was in their shows and I have experience things that they will experience. So even though I lost my father, I have gained a wonder family, a C.O.P.S. family.

It's not how these officers died that made them hereos, it's how they lived.

...Comming to an End

Wow to believe that this school year has come to an end, and in a short amount of days we will soon be juniors is mind bobbling

I remember the countdown we had of how many days ‘til move in day! The excitement that my best friends and I were going to be living together in the cottages made us want to go back to school. That is a scary thought.

So much has happened this school year that it saddens me that it is now over. The new friendships I made, the new experiences I’ve had, and all the events along the way have made this year epic.

I’ve changed my major twice this year, started new great friendships, ended some unnecessary friendships, and have gone through an emotional rollercoaster along the way. But never would I change how this year has gone. Maybe for it to be a little longer, but it has been one great year.

This was definitely a challenging year to say the least, and I am nerves to see what junior year has in store. I’m excited yet scared to think our college years are soon coming to an end. Having to go in the real world and look for a job… wooo tooo scary to think about right now.

Having to leave my best friends for the summer will be the hardest, not being able to see them everyday, not being able to share the bathroom in the morning, or going to the caf for lunch and dinner. Especially now that we won’t be living all together next school year is the worst, I know it must happen at some point, but I don’t think I am ready for it. Some of us will be in UP and the others will be in Lancer Arms, yah I think a bike will be necessary for next year.

But that won’t stop us from seeing each other, our friendship isn’t something that will just be thrown away or lost. All these girls have a special place in my heart and I expect each and every one of them to be at my wedding.

I will have to say, this school year has given me remarkable memories that I will definitely have stories to share in the long road. Can’t wait to see what the next year has in store.