a day in the life – The April Diaries

THE FASHION DIARIES: Black and Tan to the T in Boston

Published on September 30, 2018September 30, 2018 by The April DiariesLeave a comment

For those of you who don’t know, Boston was my backyard for 20 years prior to moving to Little Rhody. I remember how resentful I was to my parents for making my brother and I move to another state. My mom later told me, “you’ll be away from the bastards who hurt you in Massachusetts.” I was getting over a break-up at the time, so I agreed with her and never looked back — not even a glimpse of Massachusetts.

This past Friday I actually went back to Boston to visit a friend at MassArt (hi, Kira!). Everywhere we went, including Primark, I said out loud, “Oh, Boston. Oh, how I’ve missed you.” I didn’t realize that I really did miss Boston and was almost reluctant to come “home” to my small town in Rhode Island. The minute I saw the Vera Gas Tank with the “strokes” of paint on it, I said in a Snapchat story, “Boston, I’m home.” It’s true– Massachusetts is all I’ve really known, despite how well I’ve gotten to know Providence. I can’t wait to return to Boston for grad school in a year or two.

Anyway, Providence may be the “creative capital,” but Boston is home to the famous MFA, the ICA, and some of the more creative spirits (not to mention so many publishing houses — a dream!)

I had to make sure I looked my absolute best while staying comfortable at the same time because God knew we would be walking a lot. What I wasn’t really cognizant of when choosing my outfits is that I mostly packed the colors tan and black. So here we go with the outfits!

1.) Cheetah Girl or NAH:

No joke, I swear one of the Cheetah Girls wears this ADORABLE AND TRENDY teddy-bear coat in one of the movies! Here I have it paired with simple blue jeans, a black top, and a pair of black booties with a silver toe and a bit of a heel from H&M. I saw this jacket at Primark, and I knew it was something I had to have. Kira bought one, too!

2.) Black Sneaks Back ALRIGHT!

Good play on words, huh? 🤣 Here I am wearing black jeans, black sneakers, paired with a tan-sherpa vest (that actually does keep you warm in the fall) and a tan striped shirt. This picture was taken at the Prudential Center. Sneakers are actually making a huge comeback this year, and will hopefully continue because they really are comfortable! Whether they are Nike, Adidas, Yeezy’s, or even a pair from Wal-Mart, sneakers are truly fashionable.

One thing I need to learn to master is how to take the T if I’m going to be living in Boston in the near future. Growing up in a suburban town outside of Boston, I didn’t have access to public transportation. But it’s all a learning experience!

Boston, thank you for lending me a second chance to show you how much I cherish you. ❤

Here’s To The Best Summer Of My Life: A Reflection

Published on August 24, 2018August 24, 2018 by The April Diaries4 Comments

So, as most of you know, I just wrapped up my editorial internship at Rhode Island Monthly, and it’s been a dream come true.

Rhode Island Monthly is the premier publication in Rhode Island, and I’m forever grateful to have been a part of it for nearly four months. It’s almost weird not going into Providence every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

Some of the highlights include:

Best of RI Party

I wrote an entire blog post about my experience here.

2. Interviewing Maria del Carmen Mercado

via Rhode Island Monthly

Maria del Carmen Mercado is an RI fashion designer. She taught me so much in this one interview. For example, why post on social media every day when you can just post something and say “hey, this is what I’ve been working on,” or something inspiring. Read the entire article here.

3. Trying out a (free) fitness class

Photo by me

To read the full article, click here.

4. Branching out of my comfort zone and writing my own fashion blog!

At RIM, I was blessed with the opportunity to create my own “fashion plate” on the site. One of the (many) things I did was go out and take photos of young women in PVD to compile a Fashion-Forward: Street Style in PVD post. This was definitely one way of branching out of my comfort zone.

5. Throwing the first pitch at a PawSox game

I know, I have bad form, but my aim was okay! This came as a surprise for all three of us, interns. It started with a picture, then we were told to get into a single-file line onto the field and we were each given a ball. None of us knew what we were doing! When we were told to throw the balls to the catcher, Fernando, we just went with the flow and, yes, someone got a picture of us throwing the FIRST PITCH! We then had to get all of the RI Monthly employees to sign our balls. Did the PawSox win? No, but we all won a HUGE highlight of our summer internships.

6. Meeting fashion icon, Iris Apfel

Yes, this is Iris Apfel still killing the fashion game at ninety-six-years-old! I met her at RIB & RHEIN in Newport. For the full article, click here.

I definitely found fashion to be my “niche” this past summer and will continue to write about it wherever the wind takes me! Rhode Island may not be the fashion capital of America, but it certainly is the “Creative Capital.”

Thank you, Rhode Island Monthly, for the best summer of my life ☺♥

Next stop, an Editorial Fellowship at College Fashionista, my junior year at RWU, and SENIOR SEMINAR/THESIS!

xoxo,

April

What’s Wrong With Being Confident? Absolutely Nothing

Published on June 10, 2018June 10, 2018 by The April Diaries1 Comment

Someone once told me that “happiness doesn’t get you anywhere.” Well, they were so wrong. I recently shared a video on Facebook that talked about the idea of cheating and hurting other people based on your own insecurities. All I could say is, they nailed it right on the head.

In today’s society, there are so many outside factors that deteriorate our confidence. Confidence is such a broad term, and it took me a while to grasp it. I first heard the term and tried to apply it to myself in seventh grade. I’ve read plenty of Seventeen magazines prior to that year, but I was too young to fully understand it.

In seventh grade, I tried to “up” my confidence by dressing, well, not like a seventh grader, let’s put it that way. I did this because I was actually trying to hide my own insecurities, especially since I was being bullied. In reality, I was only hurting myself.

The year before, sixth grade, a.k.a one of the worst years of my life, I look back at it now and say I was completely confident, despite the people trying to bring me down and talking about me behind my back and, worse, to my face (like, b*tch, I can hear you *eye roll*).

I really had fashion to lie back on during the tumultuous years of middle school and the first half of my freshman year. When I transferred high schools, I loved the idea of being able to speak my mind and share my stories. I didn’t let anyone bring me down until I was starting to rely on what people of authority thought of me. So then, I was basing my confidence on my smarts and the fact that I was trying to be a redheaded Barbie doll.

It’s easy to say that now I look nothing like the Barbie doll I tried to be. But I read an essay in my Literary Philosophy class this past semester by Jane Hamill that was appropriately titled, “A Grown-Up Barbie.” Needless to say, I related to that story on all levels. I wanted to be in the fashion world and go to meetings in Paris and New York. Now, I’m going to meetings in Providence and I’m never going to stop chasing my dreams, even when I’m in New York one day.

My point in that last paragraph? I feel confident when I’m pursuing my own dreams, and not what people want me to be/do. If anyone is trying to tear you down, that only means they’re being insecure, and newsflash, you don’t have to worry about them whatsoever. There will obviously be people who just want the best for you, so do take their advice because who knows? It could be valuable one day.

I got the inspiration to write this blog post yesterday when I ran/walked over a mile at personal training for the first time in 2+ years, and I can honestly say I felt 10x more confident.

What is confidence? Confidence is:

1.) Believing in yourself.

2.) Not listening to others when they try to put you down.

3.) Staying away from the toxicity of others.

4.) KNOWING YOUR WORTH.

5.) Knowing what makes YOU happy.

One last piece of advice, if you’re not pissing people off with your confidence, you’re not doing it right. But really, there’s no “right way” to be confident. Do your own thang!

To pump yourself up, even if it’s just on your way to your internship, listen to these tunes:

“One Girl Revolution,” SuperChick
“Confident,” Demi Lovato
Any Destiny’s Child song
“Girl On Fire,” Alicia Keys
“All Of The Lights,” Kanye West
“Sorry Not Sorry,” Demi Lovato
“Miss Independent,” Kelly Clarkson
“Comin’ Up,” Sammy Adams

A Day In The Life Of A Blogger

Published on April 9, 2018April 9, 2018 by The April DiariesLeave a comment

7:00-8:00 AM: Wake up (and hit the snooze button a million times)

8:45-9:00 AM: Arrive at school (I commute to school)

9:05 AM: Grab a White Mocha Iced Latte at Starbucks (yes, I’m addicted), and catch up on some reading

***But first, let me take a selfie***

10:00-10:50 AM: Class

11:00AM-12:30PM: Lunchtime! I usually get a cheese quesadilla on the grill or a salad.

1:00-4:00: Tutoring — I’m a writing tutor! I usually make about 2-3 cups of coffee during my shift (I told you I’m addicted). They’re usually Nantucket Blend with half&half and two Splendas.

5:00-7:50: Yes, three-hour classes exist. I just so happen to be taking two of them this semester — yikes! But I’m not complaining because I’m loving all of my classes.

8:00 PM and after: Hawks’ Herald meeting. For those of you who don’t know, I write recipes, fashion, and fitness articles for my campus newspaper’s Arts & Culture section. Stay tuned for my article on palazzo pants!

I also use this time to do homework, eat, study, go home and pour myself a drink and say “a toast to myself, and this blessed life I was given.”

In between everything else: My trusty Pandora stations! I usually turn to my Top Hits station, Chainsmokers, Miley Cyrus, and when I really want some throwbacks, Jesse McCartney and/or NSYNC!

This is just a typical Monday schedule for me; if you’re wondering where I fit in my workouts, I work out five-four times a week. ☺

Have a great week, A(pril)-listers!