colors – The April Diaries

2019: The Year of (actually) Following Resolutions, Graduation, Purple, Lions, and ME

Published on January 4, 2019January 11, 2019 by The April Diaries1 Comment

Happy New Year, everyone! It’s hard to believe that one of the best years of my life has gone by so fast. I’m not going to do one of those cheesy “year in review” things (mostly because I did that on my Instagram story — LOL.) However, this year, like the last one, has a lot to offer me — everything from a thesis due in May to graduation in December. Then we start all over again in 2020 with graduate school!

For those of you who don’t know, I am extremely superstitious in terms of colors. I have been oddly attracted to the color purple recently. I also strongly believe in signs and tarot readings. I have additionally been attracted to the lavender rose-quartz crystal. With that being said, I am taking matters into my own hands and pioneering a MAGAZINE called the Bold Lips and Coffee Talk.

My thing about New Years Resolutions is they can have meaning if you’re willing to put in the work to make them come true. Some of mine include the following:

Graduate with the highest honors (if not Magna Cum Laude)
Make my vision of the Rose-quartz Lens come to life
Get a job in writing/editing, or take part in a residency this summer

These are just some, but my list is certainly not limited. But one thing is for sure, is that I may not have a ton of support, but in the end, I have the support of myself because I have the abilities, power, and potential to make my dreams come true.

There isn’t really much to say here except KEEP CREATING. Be as fierce as a lion, and never stop going after what you want in 2019. This is your year as much as it is mine.

THE FASHION DIARIES: A Mid-Summer Fashion Dream | ZARA and Discounts

Published on July 20, 2018July 20, 2018 by The April DiariesLeave a comment

Long time no fashion updates! (Well, except on Instagram, of course). But, as promised, I will be doing a ZARA AND a discount haul! I’ve been so busy with my internship, work, and even an org retreat. To follow my bylines at Rhode Island Monthly, click here.

But let’s get down my business (a.k.a my blog) and talk about what I’ve bought recently/worn this week:

P.S. sorry that 3/4 of these are selfies, but I just wanted to get ~the essentials~ in the pictures.

This first outfit I wore on Monday to RIM, and I really wanted to wear one of my new tops from ZARA. I thought of wearing these shoes that I got for my birthday (from TJMAXX) for a pop of color. This outfit is perfect for a work environment, an interview, or even school if you’re feeling fancy. These rounded sunglasses are from Francesca’s. The top can also be paired with a dark-wash jean.

This is (another selfie) but it’s also a printed top that I also purchased from ZARA with mixes of yellows, oranges, browns, lilacs, and pinks. The sleeves are poofy with babydoll detail, which you can also see at the neck with almost a neck-tie keeping the shirt together. This adds a more sophisticated look, but this can be worn anywhere, although it does have a bit of deep neck (hence the tie). I wore this with a pair of red jeans and beige-gold kitten heels.

Exhibit C: a pinstripe peplum top I wore on my little excursion to Downtown Bristol. This is an example of a more sophisticated makeup look. I usually don’t wear eyeliner, but I used a powdered brown eyeliner from bareMinerals to create a subtle cat-eye. I didn’t want the cat-eye to be too strong because it was only a nice summer day by the water at one of my favorite coffee shops.

This outfit was actually inspired by one of my favorite YouTubers, Erin Noelle. Believe it or not, this outfit (and the earrings) were from Wal-Mart! So, of course, I bought them both for decent prices! The earrings I actually featured in my blog post, THE FASHION DIARIES: Summer Colors and Patterns. I paired this ensemble with classic white jeans, the original Sperry Topsiders, and a classic gold ALEX AND ANI bracelet.

You know what they say, everything is better with pockets! At least, that’s what some people say IDK. Truth be told, I didn’t even realize this dress had pockets until I put it on! This is another discount outfit I wore to RIM. In case you haven’t noticed from previous blog posts, I love blue, bold earrings, cute shoes, and vertical stripes.

If you look closely, my earrings are hot pink with pom-poms, and my shoes have bows on them! Also, I’m sporting a new pair of retro sunglasses from Urban Outfitters. They remind me of the pair of sunglasses that Carrie Bradshaw wears in “The Carrie Diaries.”

THE FASHION DIARIES: Summer Colors and Patterns

Published on June 2, 2018June 2, 2018 by The April Diaries1 Comment

It’s officially post-Memorial day (and my birthday), which means one thing: TIME TO WEAR WHITE… and other things. I’m not going to lie, I’ve broken this rule one too many times, but do I care? No, not really.

You can check out my very first published Rhode Island Monthly materials here.

Anyway, I’ve been bringing out the summer colors since I got out of school last month.

Exhibit A: Colorful earrings. Orange, especially, is the color of conversation. If you’re going for simple jewelry, however, I recommend choosing gold. Gold is paving its way into the spotlight this season, and as you can tell from these photos, so are chambray and white.

In both of these photos, I’m also rocking the beachy waves. My hair is naturally straight, but sometimes when I sleep on it weird (when it’s still wet, that is), I just let my hair do its thang, and if I like it, I like it.

White is especially popular for the summer because it’s 1) a neutral and 2) a light-reflecting color that will be sure to keep you cool for the summer *insert Demi here.*

Exhibit B: Military green. Military green was a popular color during the springtime. But, I’m escorting it into my own personal summer style guide. Military green can be paired with any neutral color, like gold, white, pale pink, silver, and black. In this case, I paired my military green “birthday suit” with a pale pink chunky, platform heel and a rose-gold, gold and silver statement necklace (and, of course, a birthday crown).

Last, but not pictured, are stripes. No matter if they are black and white or navy and white, but this pattern screams #nautical. And with the nautical aspect in mind, anchor prints will also be coming back for the summer season.

Stay tuned for more Rhode Island Monthly articles! ♥

THE FASHION DIARIES: Spring Fashion Mambo

Published on May 7, 2018May 7, 2018 by The April DiariesLeave a comment

Once again, I’m taking a break from the millions of things I have to do before finals to bring you another FASHION DIARIES. No, I am not in finals week (yet), but I will be next week. Thus far, I have finished 2/5 of the things I have to do. Like Nelson Mandela once said, “It always seems impossible until it’s done.” (I should be saving that for when I do my senior sem/thesis next year).

So, without further ado, here is what I like to call the spring fashion mambo for any event/occasion!

1.) Carnival Cutie (photo taken by my dear friend, Francis — hi!)

My school hosted a carnival/block party a couple of Saturdays ago. I wanted to look cute, yet comfortable because I would obviously be going on rides and eating greasy food (Francis and I waited about an hour for Frisky Fries — so worth it!). So, I brought out the gingham print shirt and the red pants (carnival and barbeque patterns/colors). The one (or two) things missing in this picture are my classic beige Sperry Topsiders. One other essential is my cat-eye sunglasses. P.S. see my gingham blog post for my take on the trend!

2.) Sunday Studious Style

One classic piece to wear this spring/summer season is a denim jacket — no matter if it’s a dark wash or light wash or distressed or embroidered! In this case, I appropriated my mom’s embroidered dark-wash embroidered jacket. I recently bought this off-the-shoulder red-striped dress from rainbowshops.com (that’s where I also got my gingham top from above). Regardless, a denim jacket I believe is essential for any wardrobe. You could pair any pair of casual shoe with this ensemble, but I decided to sport my trusty Sperry Topsiders for this Sunday outfit. This outfit is perfect for studying at your local library, coffee shop, going to church, or walking by the bay (for those of you who don’t know, I live seaside!).

3.) The Maxi-Dress… ‘nough said.

First of all, my campus is beautiful — I thought I’d just throw that out there ☺ Again, I bought this dress at Rainbowshops.com (where else?) and I am actually wearing this dress right now as we speak! I decided to bring out a bold, statement necklace to complete my maxi-dress and sandals look. The necklace is a combination of gold, silver, and rose-gold. Sandals are from TJMAXX and they are nude and gold thong sandals. This dress also has a bold slit (I’ve been so tempted to do the famous Angelina Jolie slit stance). The vertical stripes make me look taller than I actually am and the belt/cinching is in the perfect place. This outfit is a perfect business casual outfit and perfect for any occasion, really!