Sunday, November 24, 2013

'Tis the Season

Hello all! There are only about 2 weeks left in the semester, so I thought I would tell you a little about my classes for next semester. Crazy how fast time flies when you are here at SMC. I sit here now, preparing for my finals and Thanksgiving by sitting at my desk, painting my nails, listening to Michael Buble Christmas pandora, and sipping hot chocolate out of my Christmas mug. As you can probably tell, I am a Christmas freak and cannot wait for it to be here. But that is getting ahead of myself.
      Registration this year proved quite difficult for me. I could compare it to the Hunger Games. I lost. Badly. But it all worked out in the end which I am very thankful for. It was a really stressful time, but the professors here are all amazing and helped me get the schedule that I really wanted. So what am I taking next semester? Well keep reading!!

Deviance, Norms and Social Control: (Mon/Wed 8-9:35): I am really excited to take this class. I think that if I really like it, I will finally declare a minor (Sociology!) This class seems really interesting and I heard that the professor is amazing. Even though it is at 8 am, I am still super pumped for it!
     We live in a social world that is full of rules that govern our everyday actions, from formal laws about which side of the road we should drive on to unspoken rules about how and when to blow your nose. Sociologists call these rules "social norms" and the efforts to "police" those who deviate from them (deviants), we call "social control." Most of us follow the rules most of the time but all of us break the rules from time to time. In this course we will ask questions like: What is the purpose of social norms? What causes "deviance"? Why are some deviant acts considered "criminal" while others are considered "heroic"? What are some of the best (and worst) ways to reduce crime and violence? Along the way we will take a critical look at the U.S. criminal justice system and some of its most egregious crimes against poor, non-white, young males.

Communication for Social Good: (T/TH 8-9:35): Personally, this was one of my backups. But the more I read about it, the more excited I get. Yes, again, an 8 am, but I think it will be a really interesting class. Plus it helps for my major which is great!
     Various topics, ranging from women in the mass media to advanced Web design and theory to literary journalism.

Reporting for Media: (T/TH 11:30-1:05): This was one of the classes that I struggled getting into. Thankfully, they opened up another section so I was able to get it. I have this class with Professor Cleary. I love her as she is so nice and extremely knowledgeable on the topic area. 
     In this course, we begin with an analysis of several exemplary print publications and a discussion of literary and media theories that will inform the student's work in creating their own stories. Students will learn the art of storytelling, from story idea through interviewing, researching and writing and ultimately, over a series of weeks, publish their own stories in the student newspaper and online publication. Course readings explore basic concepts pertaining to nature and design of interviews, ethical concerns, validity, and role of the journalist in a democratic society. Additional exercises focus on best form writing practices with an emphasis on AP style. The course is designed to be a broad, rigorous orientation for understanding basic elements of media writing as well as skills training in reporting, writing, editing and publication of news media.

Race, Gender and Ethnicity in Media: (T/TH 1:15-2:05): This is the class that I was looking forward to the most. I am so happy that I got in and I honestly cannot wait to take this class. I adore Professor Griffith and I know that this topic is something that she is really passionate about. 
     This course is an introduction to analysis of representations of identities such as race, gender, sexual orientation , and ethnicity in the mass media. We view, read about, analyze and discuss mass media like television, film, print, radio, music, sports, news, advertising, and the web to determine if and how race, gender and ethnicity are depicted. An underlying understanding within the course is recognition of the inextricable interconnections between/intersectionality of gender, race, ethnicity, class, sexual orientation, etc. Students will write response/reflection papers, present analyses individually in class, and work in teams to produce a research project analyzing the issues discussed in class.

     So those are all my classes for next semester. As for the past couple of weeks, I have just been working on a lot of projects and basking in all of my free time now that rugby is over. I do really miss it though. We had our banquet on Friday and it was great to be back together again. I cannot wait for the spring season!
     Oh! And it snowed yesterday! Just a little, but it is still snow! Emma, Candice and I got stuck walking across campus in it. It was quite painful with all the wind and when we got back we were dripping wet. It was all worth it though! 
(l to r: Candice, Emma, Me!)
We were soaking wet! This picture does not do it any justice!

Love and its almost the holidays!
Susanna

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Sunday, November 10, 2013

Rugby Memories

When a season comes to an end, it is always sad. Yesterday was nothing different. Thankfully it was a beautiful day, maybe a little on the colder side, but we were all ready to face what was ahead. It was our National Playoff game against the University of Hartford. We did not really know what to expect going into the game. All we knew was that they had a few fantastic players, but if we worked hard, we would be able to win and advance in the National Tournament. Sadly, we were unable to defeat them. They were a great team and played with just as much heart as we did. So, now the season is over. 12 weeks of working our butts off, numerous games, what seems like hundreds of workouts and countless laughs with amazing people has come to a close. It was sad not only in the fact that we lost, but because that was our last time that we would have stepped onto a pitch with our amazing 11 seniors. I don't really know what else to say, so I guess I am just going to give you some of my favorite things that happened this season. 

1. On one of our bus rides, Q and I were the only ones that were awake. So what do we decide to do with our time? Have a photo shoot and take pictures of sleeping team members of course!
Love you ladies! hehehe
2. Getting full extension on my line outs....FINALLY. Trust me, this is a very big accomplishment.
Line out in the game vs. Providence

Line out in the game vs. Bentley
Line out in the game vs. Bryant
3. Having the opportunity to be a big rugger this year!
(l to r: Candice, Molly (our little rugger!) and me!)
Molly made us these amazing signs!
4. Going apple picking with the team during fall break! It was a great team bonding activity and it was beautiful. Plus, we got amazing apples and got to swing on a rope swing!

Line out technique can be helpful in everyday life as well!
5. My favorite game of the season had to be when we beat Merrimack 5-0. It was an incredible game and our team really showed a lot of heart out on the pitch. Also, my family was there!

6. Preseason! 
Our second preseason game at U of Albany
7. Seven has always been my lucky number. I find it only appropriate to end with the number 7. My last favorite thing of the season were the 40+ girls that I got the opportunity to play rugby with each and every day. It is hard to explain SMCRFC to people who have never experienced it. We are closer than close. Everyone loves each other. We protect each other on and off the field. One of my favorite quotes about rugby goes like this: "you can't be a champion with anything less than twenty-two players". This is unbelievably true. A winning rugby team needs an abundance of players with determination and dedication, not just one or two stars. Rugby is a game about trust. We trust when we are breaking a line and basically running into 4 girls, we trust in lineouts when we lift someone in the air, we trust on scrum downs that we will be safe, we trust that our teammates have our back. I am really going to miss playing with these girls for the next couple of months. 
     
     Our season in a slideshow: HERE

Cheesin' hardcore with Cosgrove. 
Thanks for an amazing season ladies!
**the majority of the pictures used in this post were taken from the SMCRFC Facebook page which I encourage you to check out!
***The quote used comes from an amazing article about women playing rugby. It will also be linked below!



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Thursday, October 10, 2013

That Awkward Moment When Suze Forgot to Blog

     Actually, I didn't really forget. Things here at SMC have just been insanely busy lately. Between classes, rugby, homework, and giving tours, these past couple of weeks have honestly just been more of a blur. I totally apologize for that. Anyway, it is hard to believe that this semester is already half way over. I mean, I just had a midterm today which basically indicates that I am already a quarter of the way done with my sophomore year of college. Hold on for a second while I have a mini panic attack... AHHH I DON'T WANNA GROW UP! And now we are done. So I thought I would take this time to give you a little update about my life and what is going on here in the lovely 802!



  • Classes: I am loving my classes lately. Granted, they are a lot of work and when I say a lot of work, I surely mean A LOT of work. Sometimes all I want to do is crawl up in a ball and just sit and not do anything. That can never really happen, but all my classes keep me engaged and I find them all pretty interesting.
                     Magazine Writing: (T/TH from 8:00-9:35) This is an elective class and I took it because I thought it would be really interesting. It is really interesting in the sense that I get to design, write for and create my own magazine. How many people can say that they have actually done that? I originally planned on taking this class for fun, but it has proved to be harder than it looks. This class, by far, gives me the most work. It is way harder to write your own magazine than people make it out to be. All those big, well-known publications make it look all so simple! Other than the workload, I really do love the people in my class and Professor Cleary is very knowledgeable and such a sweetheart!
        
                     Media Law & Ethics: (T/TH from 9:45-11:20) I really really really like this class. Oh, I forgot to mention, I REALLY like this class. I have always been interested in law, I guess it was all of the Law and Order and CSI shows that I watched growing up, but I find it all fascinating. I love Professor Griffith who teaches the course. You can really see her passion for the topic as she teaches and I think that makes me like it even more. 

                    Digital Media (M/W from 1:30-3:05) Again, I really like this class. Going into it, I didn't expect it to have as much reading as it actually does. For each class we either have to read a large portion of a book or we have to read about 3 to 5 long articles and write about them. There is normally an online portion as well where we are creating something on Illustrator or Photoshop. I personally really like this class. I love learning new things on the computer and love being creative. Also, Professor Swope, who teaches the course, knows a lot about the information that he is teaching and he is very enthusiastic about it which keeps us engaged and willing to learn. 

                     Physical Geography (W/F 9:45-10:50 Lab F 1:30-4:30) I am not a science person, never have and never will be. I am taking this course to fulfill my science requirement of my LSC. I actually enjoy this class, as I like the professor and I think that the material is somewhat interesting. I think the only reason why I don't really like this class is because I am not sure how I can relate it to my media studies major, but I think that will just take time. To say the least, I have no intention of switching my major to environment studies anytime soon, I just like media studies way too much! Professor Stroup is amazing though and she really knows what she is talking about and is always willing to help!


  • Rugby: as you probably already know, seeing as I talk about it a ton, I am on the women's rugby team here at SMC. I adore this team and it is one of my favorite things about SMC. The season has been going fantastic so far (we currently post a record of 4-0). We are working with a brand new team this year, which, at times, proves stressful, but we have all learned to work together as a cohesive unit to complete a singular task. This season we have a lot of away games, for example, this weekend we will boarding a bus to play at Merrimack on Saturday at 1 (if you are in the area, you should totally come!) We really have high hopes for this season and hope to keep possession of our title of reining champions of the Rugby Northeast Division 2 Women's 15 Champions! if you want more information about rugby, you should check out both the Rugby Northeast Website as well as the SMCRFC Facebook page!
Line out during the game versus Providence College. SMCRFC came out victorious with a close 3-0 win.
(picture taken from the Saint Michael's College Women's Rugby Team facebook page)


  • Tours: last year I was offered the position as a tour guide for campus. I was so excited as it was one of my goals coming into college. I love talking to people and sharing my love for SMC with them. I have been giving a lot of special tours lately (tours that run on off hours, such as Sundays, or after an information session). I enjoy talking to the families and answering questions about SMC. I am super excited to keep working as a tour guide and encouraging people to come to Saint Mike's! To sign up for a tour, click the link HERE.

  • Fall at SMC: When the autumn months roll around here at SMC, I get so happy. Why? Because it is absolutely beautiful here. The leaves change color and everything looks like it just hopped right out of a painting. The crisp air wakes you up on your morning walk to your 8am, the pumpkin spice latte just tastes better and the apples are much crispier and delicious. Basically, I love fall. Especially fall here at SMC. 

300'S Townhouses and a lovely hot air balloon.

Field Trip to the Proctor Maple Weather Center last Friday with my Physical Geography class. 


Love and being insanely busy,
Susanna

OH! P.S. There is a KnightChat TONIGHT! Starting at 7:30 pm and going until 9. If you are possibly considering SMC as a school, I would totally recommend checking it out! You can login HERE.

P.P.S: One of my really good friends here at SMC, Q, has a radio show here on campus. It airs every Tuesday from noon to 2pm on WWPV 88.7 The Mike! Here are some links for it!
    Listen          blog

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Friday, September 20, 2013

Aaron's Party

Yes. I did go to an Aaron Carter concert. Yes. It was awesome. One of the many perks of coming to SMC is its close proximity to many music venues. One of my favorites is Higher Ground. Higher Ground is amazing. It has two rooms on the inside, one bigger room and one smaller room, and it has this really cool retro vibe throughout. Tickets to see the show were only $15 and it was well worth it to fulfill one of my childhood dreams. I went with a bunch of friends and we all had a blast. It was packed in the venue and sometimes it was hard to see (because I am short) but it was still really good. Well enough of me babbling. Here are some lovely pictures from the concert!

So close. And yes, I did touch his hand. It was amazing. 

VT <3 AC.... but really.

*fangirl* *childhood dreams coming true*

Before concert picture!

After concert picture!

ALSO! Tomorrow, Saturday, is a RUGBY DAY! The Saint Mike's Women's rugby team will take on Providence College tomorrow at 4pm at Providence. So if you are in the area, come and stop by!
Come see this in real life! Yes, it is pretty awesome in pictures, but it is EVEN BETTER in person!

Love and childhood dreams fulfilled,
Susanna

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Aaron Carter of course. 





Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Things Summer Camp Taught Me

     I can't believe that I have been at school for over 2 weeks now. It honestly feels like I have never left. I love the life I live here, but everyday I miss camp more and more. I can't talk about it enough; the laughs, the friends, the memories. I was the hardest, most tiring job I have ever worked but the best three months of my life. Working at camp has also taught me a ton of stuff. Yes, there are the trivial facts, but then there are the things that I now carry with me for the rest of my college career and the life ahead of me. Here are some of the things that I have learned.


  • "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all." Yes, self explanatory, I know. But it is crazy how quickly most people seem to forget this. It is one thing that I pushed to my kids at camp and it made a huge impact. I took the time to thrust the importance of manners and being courteous on my kids. It is one thing that is so simple but yet can get you so far in life. Professors, bosses and possible friends look for people who are nice and who have manners. It is something that will follow you for the rest of your life. 
  • "Being goofy is seriously underrated." Seriously. I mean, let's be honest, how many times do you get the opportunity to dress up as the opposite sex, MC a talent show, dress up as a character from Harry Potter or celebrate Halloween in the middle of August? If your answer was never, well then, become goofier! Summer camp taught me that it is ok to unleash the crazy. It is totally normal to step out of your comfort zone and become something that you never imagined. We get so wrapped up in how other perceive us now a days that sometimes we just have to wear crazy high socks and paint our faces to step away from everything. 
  • "Help out for the communal good." I will be the first person to admit that I hate cleaning. Like really REALLY hate it. At camp this summer, we had chores everyday and I will also admit that I was right there moaning with the kids that we had to do them. Both my kids and I learned quickly that the more we work together, the faster the chores get done. If you finish your chore before the person sweeping, offer them an extra hand. When we help each other out, things get done so much faster and that allows for extra time for other things that we may find more enjoyable. This can be a great tool in a school setting as well as an office setting. There is always that saying that "two heads are better than one", I guess in this case we can modify it a little to say that "four hands are better than two."
  • "Money doesn't always equal happiness." No, I did not get paid all that much this summer. No summer camp counselor gets paid a ton, that is to be expected. I suppose the point of it all is that joy of the job does not come from the money that you make from it. The smiles you get from campers and the friendships you make with other counselors are priceless and will most likely last longer than the money awarded to you in your paycheck. I guess the take away from it all is that in later in life when I actually have to grow up and become a functioning member of "adult" society, that the job that I will have will make me happy no matter the sum of money that I am making. I can only hope that a job that I possess one day gives me as much joy as this job has brought me. 
  • "Be enthusiastic about everything." One of the best memories I have from this summer is from a campfire that me and a few other counselors had to run. I can honestly say that I have never been that enthusiastic about an event in my life. I have never been so happy about ITS P-A-R-T-Y ITS PARTY TIME AND YOU KNOW WHY in my entire life. Being enthusiastic is one of the best things a person can possess. It makes people around you get excited about a situation even if that situation isn't ideal. You should always be enthusiastic in everything you do. 
I suppose those are some of my "take aways" from camp. As you can tell, I miss it a lot, but I am so happy to be back at the place I call home during the school months. SMC is looking fantastic by the way. The sunsets are as glorious as ever and the new building is looking fabulous. The squirrels are as nuts as always, I saw one the other day trying to eat part of the construction rope, I couldn't help but laugh. Now I am just rambling. I will stop talking now. Oh! And be on the look out for a blog post coming soon about my new dorm room in Alumni!

Love and "take aways",
Susanna

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Sunday, August 25, 2013

First Day of Classes Eve- Tips for Freshman!

Hello lovelies! So, tomorrow is the first day of classes. Weird, I know right? I remember last year, I was so nervous for classes to start. Will my teachers be nice? Will I get a ton of work? Will I know anyone in my classes? Where are my classes? Trust me, all of these questions plus more ran through my head. To help settle you a little bit, here are some of my tips.

1. Take a deep breath. It will all be ok. Chances are, your professors understand that it is the first day of classes and are a little more lenient on the first day. All the teachers here at SMC are fantastic and there is nothing to worry about. They are all so nice and want to get to know you as much as possible. 

2. Expect work the first week. This is college by the way. There is work. No one said it was going to be a walk in the park. 

3. Chances are you will probably see some familiar face in your class, if not more than one. But if you don't, use it as an amazing opportunity to make a few new friends! YAY for new friends! 

4. Use today/ tonight to get your schedule out of your mailbox in the mail room. Go around to your classrooms just to be sure as to where they are. I did this last year and I believe it saved my life multiple times. It was so much easier to find the path that I would walk to classes by knowing beforehand where the classes were. Like I said earlier, professors know that it is the first day of classes and that you may be a little lost. So if you are a little late, don't stress, just don't make a habit of it! 

5. Eat a good breakfast! Don't skip breakfast. You need energy to get you through the day and you don't want your stomach to be rumbling in the middle of class. That really takes your attention away from the professor and puts it all on how hungry you are. 

6. Speak up! Professors want to get to know you. Also, some professors have participation grades, whether they mention it or not. Speaking up and volunteering in class can be the difference between a B+ and an A- in the long run. It is super important!

Those are some of my tips! I hope it helped calm you down a little bit. Just chill out, relax and don't stress. Everything will be fantastic!

Love and First day of classes eve,
Susanna

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Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Back At SMC

     Holy crapola, it has been ages since I have written. I totally apologize for that. So I am back up at school for preseason for rugby. I moved in yesterday to my new room in Alumni Hall and finally finished unpacking. It was so lovely to see all of my teammates again. I missed them all so much over the summer. It is kind of weird though. It feels like I never left. I guess it will hit me on Thursday when the class of 2017 start to move in and the whistles from the O- Leaders begin. It will be weird not being one of the "new kids". 
    
      My summer was beyond fantastic though. I worked at a sleep away summer camp in upstate CT and I could not have asked for a better summer. The people I met were amazing and I miss them to pieces being here at school. Thank goodness for technology so that I can keep in touch with all of them. The cool part was that the majority of my co-counselors came from all over the world. So for a girl that has never been out of the country, it was like going on a mini vacation all around the world. Camp had its ups and downs, but for the most part, it was the best time of my life. Who can say that they had the opportunity to work with hundreds of kids, got to dress up in all types of costumes and basically relive their childhood and be a big kid all summer? I can and that makes me the happiest person. Here are some pictures from my amazing time at camp! 
Pajama party in Shawnee cabin!

Girl Counselors!

Rachel and I before our final staff dinner!

Jordan and I got mixed up a lot. It is clearly because we look so much alike. *sarcasm*

Happy Olympics from Sam and I! (Harry Potter themed)

First night toga party!

I'm a professional at putting up tents as you can see. 

Goat Shirt day co-founders. 

The Lion King!

Skylar:)

Final staff dinner with Todd. 

The amazing staff that I had the privilege of working with all summer. 

That's all I really have to say. For now I am relaxing in my bed before my second practice of the day. Feels good to be back home. I've missed ya SMC.


Love and camp memories,
Susanna

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Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Things I Miss About School

     To preface this, yes, I am still alive. Yes, I am still at summer camp and loving every second of it. It has been a long 5 weeks, but it has all been worth it. But as I sit here looking at old pictures from school, I realize how much I actually really miss it. Here is my list of the things that I miss most about SMC.
     1. My friends. I miss being able to walk down the hallway and see 20 other smiling faces.
     2. Rugby. I miss my team beyond words and I cannot wait to get back on that pitch in August with all of them. 
     3. My classes. Even though they were a ton of work, I really do miss them and the professors that taught them. 
     4. Alliot. I miss going in at anytime of the day and seeing tons of familiar faces where ever I would turn. 
     5. The view. The view has to be my favorite spot on campus and on days like today (hot and sunny) I would love to sit on a blanket out there and look at the mountains.
     6. Founder's Society. I just miss Founder's. Plain and simple. 
     7. The squirrels. Enough said. 
     8. The word garden. The word garden is my second favorite place on campus. I love writing on the rock chalkboard when I have time. 
     9. Dunkin Donuts runs. Dunks is right around the corner from school. On Sunday afternoons my friends and I normally take a run to Dunkin just to get a break from our homework and to chill out. 
     10. SMC in general. I just miss being at SMC. It is one of those places that just makes you happy. I cannot wait to be back in August. 

Love and random lists,
Susanna

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Wednesday, July 3, 2013

I'm Still Here

     I'm still alive. I promise. And I haven't forgot about all of my lovely readers either. As you should know, I am working at a summer camp all summer long. On Monday we began the first of 3 two week sessions. I have been placed in a cabin with ten 13-14 year olds and I couldn't be happier. All of my girls are fabulous and I love both of my co-counselors. The job is exhausting but it is all worth it in the end. I love seeing the smiles on kid's faces and hearing them laugh and calling each other family. It makes everything I do totally worth it. While I am here though, I do find myself missing my SMC family. I hear from my friends a lot and it makes me miss school more and more. I cannot wait to be there in a couple months!

For now,
Susanna

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Monday, June 24, 2013

Summer Camp Swag

        It has been forever since I have written. Yes, I know. I always start my posts like this. I guess it is just my thing. But for real. I feels like it has been an eternity since I have written. To help you figure out what has been happening lately, I will give you a scene setting. I am currently writing this from the staff lounge on my time off today. I pre- typed this in Microsoft word instead of straight to blogger because I didn't have Internet access in my cabin. If you haven’t guessed by context clues, I am currently at the quintessential American summer camp. Wood cabins, bunk beds, lake front, bears and the great outdoors is going to be the life I lead for the next 7 weeks. I applied for this job in early March, I believe, and was so excited when I got it. I even had a countdown on my phone that counted down the days until it started. I am so happy that I ended up here because this past week has been truly amazing.
                
       This is a sleep away camp, so I will be living here all summer. I was quite nervous at first because I was not really sure what to expect. This past week has been staff training, so only the counselors were on the premise, which was really nice. It has been great really getting to know all the people that I will be working with all summer. The cool thing about this camp is that the majority of the counselors here are international. So I am spending my summer with people from countries like Ireland, England, Scotland, Spain and South Africa. The past week was tough. We have have learned many things about the camp, wrote lesson plans, set up our activity areas and just tried to get to know each other. With that, we added in a staff camp out where we slept in tents all night and a staff talent show which was hilarious. Last week was exhausting but it has been rewarding to see the smiling faces on all of the campers. Just the thought that I have the power to make a child’s summer unforgettable makes all of the late nights and early mornings completely worthwhile.  
      
      Friday was our last day of staff training and I couldn't have asked for a better day. I have been here for a week now and let me tell you, I feel like I just arrived here a day ago. But, to tell you the truth, I couldn't be happier. The people I work with have become my family. In this past week, we all have grown to become so close. To me, I did not expect it. Everyone here is from different backgrounds, different countries, has different stories to tell and different life experiences. In the end, we find that we all mesh and gel so well together. We are able to work as a team and have each other’s back. We pick each other up when we are in a moment of despair or stress. We are able to communicate with just the slightest hand gesture or a nod of a head. We are camp counselors. We are a family. Everyone here is so nice and so pleasant to work with. Everyone is always smiling or able to make me laugh. Basically, to sum up this entire long post, I love my job and I could not be happier.

Love and summer camp,
Susanna

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Life in Color- One Republic


Thursday, June 13, 2013

Summer {Beauty} Essentials

Hey all! I've been trying to write as often as I possibly can this summer. On Saturday I will be leaving to work at summer camp until August 16th. It is nuts to think how I won't be home all summer. 
   
  Anywho, on to what I planned to write about. I have to admit that I am a self proclaimed beauty addict. I love all things makeup and hair even though most of the time I tend to be in sweatpants with my hair tied up in a pony tail, but that is besides the point. I don't really know how it started. I always loved doing hair and playing around with makeup. I guess I just saw it as a way to extend beyond a typical canvas of paper and the typical mediums of paint, pencil and marker. I love how by using simple techniques you can change an entire look. So in this post, I plan on sharing some of my summer beauty essentials. (Sorry to my dudes that read this, it may not be all that entertaining to you. But I promise, I will have some more "man- friendly" posts coming up soon!) Anyway, on to my summer essentials!

**Also, I am a college kid. I do not have an abundance of money to spend on things like these. All of the things that I have listed down below can be found for under $15 at local drugstore like Walgreens, CVS, Rite Aid, Target and Walmart.**

1. Sunscreen: There is really no explanation for this. I think it goes without question. Sunscreen is super important, especially in the summer months, mainly to help prevent skin cancer. I am totally notorious for being all like "oh, I don't burn, I just tan." Lies Susanna. Complete and total lies. I burn like a lobster and when I burn, I peel. It is terrible. So protect your lovely skin and do me a favor and just put some sunscreen on. *Don't forget the tops of your feet, ears and your lips! They burn easily and hurt wicked bad if burnt!*
   -Suze's pick: I really like spray sunscreen. I don't know why. I think I am just too lazy to rub stuff in or what not. Plus it is easier for me to get hard to reach areas without having to ask for help (because I'm stubborn like that.) I tend to lean more towards "Sport-proof" sunscreen, which is basically just a fancy schmancy way of saying waterproof. I go for that mostly because if it is hot out you can bet your bottom dollar that I will be in a pool, lake, river, ocean, slip 'n slide or sprinkler. I'm all about water activities. 
Spray sunscreen. My favorite. 
2. BB Creams: I will be the first to admit that my skin is not perfect and I completely envy people with flawless skin. Most of the time I lean toward full coverage foundation, but in the summer, full coverage totally stresses me out. In the summer, my typical foundation routine is just not acceptable. To be honest, most of the time in the summer I wear no makeup at all. I am just far too lazy to put it on. Lately though, I have found myself applying a BB almost every day. BB basically stands for "Beauty Balm".To me, it is basically a tinted moisturizer with a little more coverage. It is super simple to apply in a hurry and really light on your skin. Also, most of them include SPF which is awesome!
    -Suze's pick: I love the Garnier BB Cream Miracle Skin Perfecter for combination oily skin. It gives me just the right amount of coverage that I look for in the summer months and feels super light on my skin. It is also really easy to build the coverage up, so if one day I want a heavier coverage, I can just add on another coat.
My all time favorite BB Cream.
3. Waterproof Mascara: We have all seen it happen. You go to a friend's house for a pool party and you see that one girl come out of the pool looking like a raccoon. I'm totally not about that. Personally, I always use waterproof mascara, mainly because my eyelashes are pin straight and waterproof formula helps hold an eyelash curl. In the summer months, waterproof mascara is good because you can go swimming without having a fear of your mascara running down your cheeks.
    -Suze's pick: I have been loving 2 different waterproof mascaras lately. I love The Rocket by Maybelline and Volum' Express One by One mascara by Maybelline as well. These two hold up in water and hold a curl really well. They are also easily removed with eye makeup remover. 
One of my most recent love affairs. I am a sucker for mascara and this one does not disappoint!

4. Cream Eye Shadows: I will be the first to admit that I love my BH Cosmetics Neutral Palette with all normal style, pressed pigment eye shadows, but in the summer those just aren't practical for me. Normally to keep my eye shadow lasting all day long I have to wear a primer underneath or else my eye shadow will crease. In the summer, I just don't feel like taking that extra step so I just eliminate it completely and opt for cream eye shadows. Most of the time they are very pigmented and hold up really well through water and heat. Plus one swipe across your eye and you are ready to go out the door. They are on the top of my list for lazy day makeup!
    -Suze's pick: Lately I have been obsessed with Maybelline Eye Studio Color Tattoo 24 Hour Cream Gel Shadow. These are literally the holy grail of cream eye shadow and they are pretty cheap in makeup terms. The only thing that I can really compare them to is MAC's Paint Pots (even though the Maybelline ones are the clear winner to me, mainly because they are way cheaper. MAC Paint Pots retail for around $20 each while the Maybelline cream shadows retail for about $6 each.) I personally own 4 of them and keep having to turn the opposite direction when I see them in stores so that I don't pick up one in every color. 
I literally want every single color. I mean, I have no idea why I would need a bright yellow eye shadow, my only reasoning is that I just want it.
5. Lip Tints: I love lip products, or lippys, as I like to call them. I like everything about them, especially if they smell yummy. I like lipstick and lip gloss, but summer is just super impractical for those products. They just tend to get all kinds of sticky and melty in the summer heat and melting lip products just is not fun, at least for me it isn't. So in summer, I love lip tints. They are so easy and WATERPROOF (I guess waterproof is my word of the post. woop!) The best thing about lip tints (besides being waterproof of course!) is that they stay on all day, they don't rub off easily (summer romance...cheeky. jk) and they are super light on your lips.
     -Suze's pick: The Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain is one of my all time favorites. They have amazing colors, they stay on all day, they are smooth to apply and they smell yummy. Plus you can find them at most drug stores and they are pretty inexpensive. 
I love these. They are like jumbo twist up crayons and they go on super smooth and they stay on all day long. 
6. Moisturizer: I am a moisturizer addict, but I have really sensitive skin, so it is really hard for me to find a lotion that doesn't make my face freak out. I love to exfoliate my face a lot. Like a lot a lot. After you exfoliate it is always good to moisturize your skin. (Basically, after you exfoliate your skin is really thirsty, so moisturizing it is like giving it a nice drink of water.) Moisturizing helps make oily skin less oily and dry skin less dry (it seems like it doesn't make any sense, but trust me, it will eventually.)
     -Suze's pick: I have recently been loving Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion. I use this on my face after I wash it in the morning and I use it before I go to bed at night. I like it because it isn't heavy and it doesn't leave a greasy residue on my face after I put it on. Another thing I also like about it is how it doesn't have a scent. I like scents, I really do, but I really don't care for overpowering smells on my face. Putting something super potent all over my face is just like me abusing the smeller that is situated smack dab in the middle of my face. Anywho, I love this moisturizer and it is pretty cheap so thumbs up for broke college kid livin'! 
You get so much for so little. I think a bottle of this is about $9 for  16 FL Oz. I have had my bottle for about 6 months  and I use it every day, twice a day and I am not even halfway done with it. So worth the price!
7. (this is my lucky/favorite number so this might be a little random) Hair Treatments: During the summer my hear tends to get really dry and not shiny. Needless to say, I don't dig dry, dull hair. Recently I have been looking at deep conditioning treatments that I can buy at Target or Walmart and they are all so expensive (I'm talking like $30 for a bottle expensive. Yeah, no. I don't think so.) So I was Pinterest-ing the other day looking at hair treatments and I found one and I was like "what the hay. Let's try it." So I did. And I love it. Here's what you do:
  -In a small bowl combine 2 eggs and 2 tablespoons of water (or if you have dry hair, substitute olive oil for the water).
  -Wet hair. (I did this in my bathroom sink.)
  -Spread the egg mix all over hair. (I warn you it kinda smells and kinda feels disgusting, but trust me, it is worth it.)
  -Put hair up in a shower cap or wrap in saran wrap and let sit for a minimum of 15 minutes. (I let mine sit for an hour because it really needed it.)
  -Hop in the shower and rinse the egg out of your hair. WARNING: rise out with cool water. Reason: you do not want scrambled eggs all up in your hair.
  -Don't condition your hair in the shower. Just use a tiny bit of shampoo to get rid of all the egg and to mask the smell a bit.
  -Style hair as you normally would. 
I did this today and immediately noticed a difference in my hair. It is super shiny and I honestly can't stop touching it.

After I do this hair treatment all I want to do is whip my hair back and forth because it is just so shiny and smooth. 


Well this was an obnoxiously long blog post, but I hope it kinda helped with somethings that I have been loving for summer. I will try to write again as soon as I possibly can, but no guarantees as to when that will be.

Love and summer beauty products on a budget,
Susanna

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