HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO ME! Livin' and Lovin' has been my baby for the past two years, and although the past few months have been so rough for me, I couldn't be more blessed to have the opportunity to do what I do and to have had the opportunities I've had as a result of my blog. I have met so many great people and had so many doors opened for me because of my blog; I could not be more thankful for the support that I've had along the way.
I did a huge giveaway last year, but with all the changes going on in my life over the past few weeks, I figured that I should just look back on some of my favorite posts and talk about what blogging has done for me, not only professionally but personally as well.
My Top 3 Favorite Posts:
Pocahontas Look
This was my first makeup look that I did on this blog, and I was quite pleased with it for my first time! I love using makeup to transform my look in general, and being able to publish this felt great for me.
Gamer Girlfriend Problems
One of the things about my blog that I think makes me stand out is my connection to the gaming world because of my boyfriend, Darell. I like playing video games, but I don't play his favorite game, League of Legends. This is the post that started all of my #gamergfprobs posts on the blog.
Relationship Tips from Every Stage: Single, Dating, Engaged, Married
Hands down, this is my favorite post to date. I wrote this post just in time for Valentine's Day this year. I shared tips from people in different stages of relationships (including singles!) that they've all learned in their own experiences. This post definitely renewed my love and passion for telling stories, and I hope to continue doing so.
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What Blogging Has Done for Me:
When I first started blogging two years ago, I didn't realize just how many doors would be opened for me and what I would learn about myself as a result. I could not be more blessed.
I have met great people, attended posh events, had great job opportunities, and just have had so much fun investing all the time and energy that I have into this blog. Blogging has also showed me that I can do more with communication and journalism than just blogging and writing. It has opened me up to the world of social media and that entire industry.
I was into social media before blogging, but after I started this blog I realize how vital it is for a brand or business of any sort to utilize it to their advantage. In the past few months I have been working on my own social media and helping out brands and businesses with their own to help them grow and succeed as well.
Blogging has even showed me things outside of blogging like the kinds of workouts I like! Through my blog I discovered my love for aerial silks and am taking classes for it weekly as a result.
I've also met great people, including now one of my really good real life friends, Raewyn from Be a Warrior Queen.
So blogging has been quite the adventure over the past two years but it has been well worth it. I'm excited for what will come up of my blog in the years to come! Whether you have been with me since the beginning or just discovered my blog, thank you for your support over the past 2 years. I appreciate you.
IT IS SUMMER!
Well for me, at least.
Summer means relaxing, getting some sun, and best of all, no homework. (Thank God cause this semester was horrible for me academically.)
So since summer means spending time in the warm heat, it also means shorts, tanks, crop tops, dresses, and just showing a lot more skin than usual. A really fun way to adorn your skin that has been picking up (even Express of all places sells them) is flash tattoos.
I think they're a cool and fun trend so Nüd Ink, a company that specializes in flash tattoos, sent me a few packages to try out for myself!
I was sent a few different styles and decided to try their "El Dorado" collection first because I love the geometric shapes and lines used in the tattoos.
Flash tattoos are so fun and they look awesome on your skin! It's also nice that they're temporary as well because if you don't like it, then it can come off. I love the idea of tattoos but am not sure if I would ever take the plunge and get a real one myself. So settling for metallic temporary ones are fine with me.
Here are two other times I tried the tattoos, and the bottom photo is actually of a bindi from their "Om" single sheet special. I had to dance to Bhangra, a traditional Indian dance, at school so I decided to use a bindi to add onto the ambiance of my costume.
Thanks to Nüd Ink, I'll be sporting flash tattoos the entire summer and I can't wait to show them off in the glimmering sun. (Summer also means I'll finally get back to a regular blogging schedule, yay!)
Check out Nüd Ink on social media @nudink or check out their hashtag #getnud to see some of their other stuff and see what other people are saying about them!
Disclosure: I received these as press samples; all opinions are my own.
Have you tried the flash tattoo trend yet? What's your favorite print or pattern to use?
I am American.
You might read that post title and wonder why I would use that for a title. Well, it's because I am.
I don't know how long you've been reading my blog or if you even know me in real life, but I felt that it was necessary to state that I am, in fact, an American. You might wonder again, what is making me say that?
Well, if you haven't noticed, I am Asian American. To be more specific, I am Filipino American. What I am trying to say is that I am a born and raised American.
However, people don't always think that.
I grew up in an area where minorities were the majority, so while I've always known that I was American, it wasn't something that I ever thought about because almost everyone around me was born and raised in America too, with the exception of a few people. And you could tell which of those people were not born in America.
However, when I came to college in a higher class area where there were much more white people than minorities, I was met with an interesting experience. For the first time, people asked me if I was from America, when I moved to America, and even when I learned English.
My American identity was challenged, and it confused me.
It sounds bizarre, or maybe you think it's a completely valid question, but mind you--English is my first language and I really don't speak with a Filipino accent. I will also add that the people asking me these questions were people that I just met.
So why is this important or relevant to you, regardless of your race? Well Asian Americans tend to have that stereotype of being the "forever foreigner," that even people who speak perfectly well English are assumed to be immigrants because they are Asian-looking.
For people who did not grow up around a large population of Asians, your only encounters are probably from what is portrayed on tv and movies as well as probably stereotypical Asian shop owners when you go to an Asian shop or restaurant. So I can't blame you for thinking that most Asians you see are foreigners, however, it probably isn't very polite to ask them if they are from America or when they learned English if you just met them anyway.
If you ask someone where they're from and they tell you, don't follow up with "Where are you REALLY from?" if they give you a place that doesn't look like a country you think they would be from. Also, just never ask someone about how well their English is, no matter the race. It just isn't very polite.
So there.
I am American. I am a Filipino who was born and raised in America, and English is my first language. I like living in America, but I am also very proud of my Filipino culture. I may not look like what people perceive to be "American," but I can definitely say that I am American.
After all, we live in a country of immigrants. That's how this country got started, so naturally, there will be a bunch of immigrant families making up America. And in that, we are all American.
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Many of you may or may not know this, but May is Asian Pacific Islander Month, and I figured to bring more awareness and to incorporate more of my passion for diversity on the blog, I figured having API Heritage Month as this month's theme for the blog would be perfect.
I hope you will read along with me and explore the Asian American culture with me! (and I hope you learn something as well!)
