I was so excited to see that Isabelle from Truly Indulgent had nominated me to receive the Mystery Blogger Award! There I was, innocently scrolling through my comments, when I saw her nomination. Thanks so much Isabelle for your sweet comments and for nominating me to receive this award.
As I just learned, the Mystery Blogger Award was started by blogger Okoto Enigma as a way for bloggers to connect with one another and extend their support. I think it's such an incredible way for us bloggers to build community, and I am so excited that I get to be a part of it!
Once you're nominated, here's how the challenge works:
- Put the award logo on your blog.
- List the rules.
- Thank whoever nominated you and provide a link to their blog.
- Also mention the creator of the award and provide a link to their blog as well.
- Tell your readers three things about yourself.
- Nominate 10-20 other bloggers.
- Notify each of your nominees by commenting on their blog.
- Ask your nominees any five questions of your choice, including one weird or funny question!
- Share the links to your best post(s).
So, now that you've seen the rules and procedures, let's jump right in!
About Me
I am one of two Associate City News Editors at the Daily Free Press.
I joined the Daily Free Press in September, when I started my freshman year at BU. As a journalism major and an aspiring writer, the paper has become a huge part of my college experience. I've met most of my closest friends there, and had the opportunity to cover some really interesting and emotional stories. For example, I recently wrote an article about the demolition of a garden at Boston Children's Hospital, and wound up having a 40 minute conversation with one of my sources simply because I was so interested by his organization!
Next semester, I'll be taking over as one of two Associate City News Editors, and will have the opportunity to assign and edit stories and develop close relationships with the writers I work with. I couldn't be more excited, since my own associates have taught me pretty much everything I know about news writing - I can't wait to mentor new writers the way that they mentored me!
I blog about fashion and beauty (because I love it), but in real life, my style is very low-key!
Don't get me wrong, I love to read and write about fashion and beauty. I'm obsessed with skin care products, I ask for makeup every Christmas, and I could easily shop 'til I dropped, if only I had the money.
But let's get real here: when I wake up in the morning and stumble out of bed thirty minutes before class, I just don't have the time for winged liner or a cute dress with thousands of buttons. Most days, my daily uniform is leggings and a long-sleeve tee shirt. Living in Boston in the winter, I tend to prioritize being warm and comfy over looking like I just stepped out of Vogue. And if I'm being completely honest, I'd rather not go through the effort of putting on makeup just to go to statistics. I wear it over the weekends or whenever I see Ryan, and that's about it.
I'm not telling you this to make you feel like I'm a fraud, but rather that to show you that fashion and beauty blogs, while super fun, don't always give a realistic portrayal of how you should live your life! I put together gift guides under $50 for Christmas because I thought it would be fun to write and make for an exciting read, but in real life, I don't even have $50 in my checking account. Chances are, most college girls don't! So, don't feel bad when you read your favorite style or beauty blogs and see all the luxurious, glamorous tips and products. Behind the scenes, I'm struggling to get up for my 9 AMs just like you are.
My dream for my Etsy store is to start offering web templates and custom design services.
Right now, my Etsy store is all about the cute, classy printables, but eventually I'd like to cover more ground by venturing into web design as well! I taught myself to code, a process that began when I was thirteen and is still in progress today, and it's one of the parts of running a blog that I am most passionate about. In fact, I designed the Blogger template I use on my website practically from scratch!
Right now, I'm in the process of building web resumes for Ryan and myself. (Pro tip for journalism majors: maintain an online portfolio of all your work!) With that project on top of finals and everything else, I'm not sure I have the time right now to devote to making my dream come true. However, it is definitely a goal I have for 2017 to get some web templates up and running in my Etsy store (and maybe another top secret project, too!), and to eventually start offering custom services as well.
Isabelle's Questions
Who is your favorite celebrity and why?
I'm going to cheat and say it's a tie. There are so many amazing, inspiring women in Hollywood these days, but I've narrowed it down to Anna Kendrick and Emma Watson. I love everything Anna Kendrick does and wears, and her bold sense of humor showed me that women don't have to be polite and demure to achieve great success. As for Emma Watson, I'm obviously in love with her wardrobe, but I just can't get enough of the incredible work she's done with the UN to help women achieve global gender equality.
What is your biggest goal in life?
I love this question - I have so many goals! (As you can see, I'm also very indecisive.) However, there are two that I've had since I was young that I would never be able to pick between:
First, as a journalist, the loftiest goal I have is winning a Pulitzer Prize. While I understand that it's nearly impossible for all the journalists out there to warrant that level of success, I want to be one of the best. More than that, I think winning that award would show that my work had risen to a level of impact and importance where it truly made a difference in people's lives.
First, as a journalist, the loftiest goal I have is winning a Pulitzer Prize. While I understand that it's nearly impossible for all the journalists out there to warrant that level of success, I want to be one of the best. More than that, I think winning that award would show that my work had risen to a level of impact and importance where it truly made a difference in people's lives.
Secondly, I have always wanted to become a published author! I'm currently working on a novel that I've been writing (and re-writing) since I was a sophomore in high school. Someday, I'd like to see my name printed on that glossy cover, just below the words "New York Times Bestselling Author."
How will you be celebrating the holidays this year?
Unfortunately, I have no special plans at the moment - besides sleeping, of course, which has come to be a bit of a rarity in my life at college. The one tradition I'll be taking part in this Christmas that's a little out of the ordinary for me is that my friends and I from home are going to be doing a Secret Santa swap. We set a gift limit of $5.00 and matched ourselves up using a generator that emails you all the info you need!
Name five things that make you happy.
- Cheesy romantic comedies
- Friendly dogs
- 50s diners
- Iced coffee
- The library
Would you rather never be able to put nail polish on your nails or your toes?
My fingernails. Despite chipping my toenail polish every time I put on my dance shoes, I never remember to paint my fingernails. When I do, it usually chips in an hour anyways. Plus, getting pedicures is one of the special ways my mom and I like to spend time together when I'm home!
My Best Posts
My Nominees
(in no particular order!)
Desire Chanteuse from desirechanteuse.com
Sabrina from studentstoolbox.com
Michelle Adams from michelleadamsblog.com
Cristina Mandujano from cristinawashere.com
Sam from smart-twenties.com
Gabby and Hannah from theswirlblog.com
Francesca from frompenniestopounds.com
Sam from samanthability.com
Alicia from betweenthepearls.com
Naomi from myfairolinda.com
My Questions for the Nominees
- What's one thing none of your readers would guess about you?
- What's the story behind your blog name?
- If everything in your life had gone exactly as planned, what would you be doing right now?
- If your blog post could be tweeted by anyone in the world, who would you choose? (my silly question!)
- If you could only keep three items from your closet, what would you keep?
Thanks again to Isabelle for nominating me for this challenge - and good luck, bloggers!