twofer DIY post--cake and travel mug!

I swear this is my last DIY post for a while as seeing I'm going back to school in few days (see my previous post about the road trip)! I did two completely different DIY posts in the last few weeks. The first one I couldn't blog until it was completed, some kind of a secret mission if you would call it! ;)

starting a new chapter in few weeks

And this new chapter is.....? My third year at RIT! It's also the chapter that I will finally get my AS degree, start taking BA level classes and finally be on track towards graduation. It is the chapter where I will experience Rochester to the fullest, I finally have a car and finally am 21 years old. This is the chapter where I stop letting little things get to me, and start living for myself.

But how am I starting off this chapter?

Updated Bucket List

control -- |kənˈtrōl|

Summer Loving

Whew! I've been on the go ever since I finished the spring quarter back in Rochester around two months ago, I hit the Californian ground and started running. I got an amazing internship offer that I couldn't reject. I started the internship day and half after I got home from Rochester, and have been working furiously ever since.

The internship with Convo has been both exciting and boring at the same time. Every internship has their down points, and especially since that Convo is a newly growing business--there's not much for me to do. I've been doing a lot of Customer Services training, and I recently took over the Customer Services lines for the past two weeks while the regular guy was on vacation. I learned how different each of our customers were, sometimes I'd have to adjust my approach or how I interact with people to accomodate that person. Every call would be someone new, and a new experience.

Having this experience has really benefited me for future calls I'll be making, my approach towards them should be friendly and polite--if I don't do this, I won't get the help I need. When customers are mean towards me, I usually give them what they need and close the conversation right there. With the ones who are friendly and happy, I allow them more time with me, I give them more details and help them out a little more than usual. It's incredible at how their attitude affects me and the call. But it does. The representative are just as frustrated as their customer when something does not go their way. So the next time you want to give attitude towards the customer services representative, think ahead--put themselves in your shoes.

I had a mini vacation the weekend before I turned 21 in June, I got to visit my boyfriend up in Seattle, Washington. It was exactly what I needed as seeing that week was one of my worst--still was. My dad and I almost got hit by a car, ended up damaging our driver's door--if you're friends with me on FaceBook, you have seen the pictures. So the Prius is done, no coming back, it's at a junk yard right now. Then few days later, the gardener shattered one of our sliding door's glass. (That didn't get replaced until maybe two weeks ago--suffered for few weeks with that shattered!)

With that long week, I was eager to see Taylor and just relax the whole weekend. Of course, it's always exciting to see your boyfriend after few weeks. So when I got to Seattle, all I wanted was to hug and kiss Taylor. I met his family and his dog, then the few days after that--I got to know them and honestly? We all got along very well. In the short weekend I was in Seattle, I went to a Seattle Mariners vs. San Francisco game (we won, naturally). I got to go up the Space Needle, and walk around the Pike's Place. Taylor also took me to University of Washington, we went on a GORGEOUS 75 degree weather day, so it was absolutely perfect. We got to see Mt. Rainer in the background while walking around on campus. The next day was super rainy and a bit cold, we were at a picnic. I loved this weekend because even though we were out doing things, sightseeing and all--I was extremely relaxed.

Getting back to California was another story though, I lost my ID at the Seattle airport on the way back, and that weekend was my 21st birthday. I decided not to have an extravagant party or to go out and get smashed, but instead a relaxing BBQ in the backyard and have friends come over. It was exactly what I wanted, later that night--I went out for few drinks with a friend. It still feels super weird to be able to flash my ID and get anything I want. Officially unlimited to do whatever I want....safely, of course.

Then Taylor came to California a week after that, in those short two weeks--I missed him so much. When he was here though, I was so busy working Customer Services between 8am-4pm so when I got home, I was pretty much always exhausted. Thursday night, we went out to the San Francisco game with my brother and his girlfriend. Friday, we met my aunts from Texas, they were in town for a retreat. Saturday we spent the day in San Francisco checking out Alcatraz and other must see locations. We were both exhausted by 4pm though, we both were up since 7am to catch the ferry to Alcatraz at 9am. So when we both got home, I went to sleep very early. Sunday, we got to catch up with my aunts before they went back to Texas and headed down to Napa Valley for a dinner with my grandparents. The whole weekend was stressful, but at the same time relaxing. I think this boy relaxes me the most.

He left to go to Kentucky for the NAD convention and to play in the College Bowl--and guess what? RIT won! That night, I just wished I was there for Taylor and for my fellow RIT people. But I got to Skype with Taylor after his sweet victory, so that wasn't too shabby. While he was wallowing in the 107 degree weather in Kentucky, I was busy working the Customer Services (still!) and organizing some details for the Deaf Expo trip to Las Vegas at the end of this month! I'm really excited for that, I get to see my best friend and the place she's been working at for the last few weeks (Caesar's Palace!). But not only that, for some mini vacation--even though I'm working, but it's working in a different place. So I'm pumped for that.

This whole journey with Convo has been what I wanted, and not what I've expected. I expected to do more Public Relation things, but instead I'm working Customer Services most of the time. Needless to say, I'll cherish this experience for the rest of my life. The things I'm learning everyday is incredible. I'm bringing this experience with me to Rochester when I complete my road trip with dad the last week of August. We're making a stop in Austin, Texas! You can only guess where we're stopping exactly...University of Texas, of course! We're both taking turns driving my new car, Eve. So it's really something else that I'm looking forward to in August.

For the rest of the summer, I'm gonna try grabbing every chance I have to hang out with my friends before it's too late. And of course, soak up the gorgeous Californian sun. To relax as much as I can, but at the same time--go all out and have fun.

It's definitely a summer to remember, and a summer much better compared to last year. I've grown so much, and I've finally found where I need to be. I've realized how some things don't make me happy, and I've gotten rid of those. I'm exactly where I need to be now, finally.

another DIY post...

I know you all are wondering how in the world a college student has all this time to do several DIY posts... Truth to be told, I did several DIY stuff in the same night but I never got around to posting them, so here they are!

Painted and jeweled canvas square. Not the most fanciest or the hardest DIY I have ever done, but it makes a really good wall art. (Saving this for my new apartment room next year!)

DIY glitter heels!

Yes, you read that right...DIY glitter heels! I thought this would be really tough to do, and never wanted to spend that ridiculous amount of money on expensive glittery shoes. (I have an obsession with glitter, but always am broke.) So when I was helping out the Alpha Sigma Alpha sisters, Britnee's sorority, for their event this Sunday--Heel Violence (psst, go check the website and the Facebook page out!). It's an event showing our support for victims of domestic violence, co-hosted with Advocacy Services for Abused Deaf Victims (ASADV).

We were coming up with ways to make our NTID president, Gerald Buckley, and Robb Adams' heels pop out from the crowd on Sunday....we came up with the idea of glittery heels--but that sounded so hard and so time-consuming. We were sorely wrong.

Find out below! (Edited at 7:01 pm with pictures of Gerald Buckley in the heels!)

Week 5

I've been so busy since I left home around five weeks ago! I went back to Rochester to complete my spring quarter after a long LOA at home. Ever since I arrived Rochester, I've been on the go. The weekends are spent with me being exhausted like crazy.

Trying to keep up with the pace of my friends and the homework load that just keeps piling on has been really tough, but since it's the fifth week (I'm half-way done!) it's been much easier. I've got back in the zone when I need to do homework, I'll do it instead of sleeping. I figured out my problem....my bed. People always told me not to mix my homework/studying with the place where I sleep because that would just cause problems. It really does. Lesson learned: Never study or do your homework on your bed, because all it does is to make you too comfortable and makes you want to go to bed.


April has been crazy busy so far, I started dating someone amazing and I've been trying to multi-task that between everything else and my other friends. I hated being that left out friend who wasn't dating anybody--so my whole goal is not to leave someone out. SO hard, but in the end I'll appreciate what I did to prevent any drama around me.

I've been so busy, I haven't had the time to miss home. (Except for when my mom told me we got new mattresses!) I'm more looking forward to what summer has to bring me--I more likely have a Public Relations/Marketing/Customer Services internship with Convo, it's a deaf based VRS relay service company. The people there are AWESOME! Go to the web to get information, or shoot me a question about them here! So pumped. This summer is gonna be one of these summers I'll always remember. It's my 21st birthday, I have a summer job, I'm surrounded by the people I love and the guy I'm dating is coming down from Washington to California for a weekend!

I'm doing few more DIY posts, they'll be up in a second! I owed myself a DIY treat!!!

<3

Bucket List

DIY Rhinestone Bowl

So, today I did my first DIY project for the first time in a long time. I stumbled across this blog through Pinterest. I fell in love with the glitter vase. I just HAD to have one, or even better--make my own! I thought about it for few days, and today being a super-lazy Sunday. I asked my mom if she wanted to come with me to Michael's and give me some 'mommy-input' in my crazy shopping habits. She did want to come. Once we were there, we had another DIY inspiration--a couple of silver gems/rhinestones. You'll see what we did with my DIY projects below.

Valentine's Day

"Don't forget to love yourself." -- Soren Kierkegaard

Sometimes, on days like Valentine's day, we forget the most important person to love is yourself. I forgot that until somewhat in the afternoon when I treated myself to a self-done manicure, a couple of shows on Hulu and lots of candies. You don't need anybody else to make you happy, all you need is yourself. I spent years thinking that I needed a boyfriend to really enjoy Valentine's day, but now I realize...you just really need yourself. Of course, someone else who loves you is a bonus, but you have your family who loves you just as much.

This is my brother and I at our valentine's dinner at Round Table Pizza!

I spent the whole day yesterday pigging out on candy, later on pizza with the brother while our parents went out on a date. If I was in Rochester, I would be out with my girlfriends and having a crazy night. You really don't need a guy to be completely happy.

Someday someone will come and your life will be even more complete, but who says it's not complete right now with friends, family and the love for yourself!

Mono

"Maybe it's not my weekend, but it's gonna be my year." -- All Time Low; Weightless.