Catchin' Up

Hello everybody! 
WOAH WOAH WOAH. It's been over a week since my last post. NOT COOL! Bad Veesass!! I've been super busy and haven't been able to post as much as I've wanted to, but I'm back on track! And so now, you're going to hear about my past week as quickly as possible! Okay, so let's rewind to last weekend...

Friday, July 12

My friend invited me to a taping of "The X Factor!" We were told to dress up in "upscale attire," so we went all out! And then we show up and realize we were the 1% of the crowd that decided to follow the "dress-code". Here we are, standing outside in broad daylight in our bandeau skirts and pumps, and everyone around us is in jeans and sneakers -___- . Lucky for us, when we got inside, we were seated right in the very front of the center section! All of the judges walked right past us to get to the stage, and the cameras were on us for the whole taping! So it turns out that our cute outfits went to use! The taping was super fun and I can't wait to watch myself on TV! 

"The X Factor" taping! 

Cow Appreciation Day

Later that day, my friend Katie and I took advantage of Cow-Appreciation Day by dressing up AGAIN--this time in cow spots--and heading to Chik-Fil-A for some free food! The guy at the counter had a cowbell to signal next orders, I blended into the wall, AND I got free fries. What's not to love! 

Saturday, July 13

Saturday, I went to a darty with some friends! It was super fun, just a great day in the sun at one of my favorite places with some of my favorite people. Later that night a few more friends joined in on the fun and we all went out to a frat party at my school's Greek Row. All around, it was a day stock full of "classic college memories," as I like to put it ;)  

 

Monday, July 15

Me and Jessi Malay!

Monday afternoon, I had the pleasure of interviewing singer/dancer Jessi Malay for my internship at Campus Circle Newspaper. This girl is super talented, and also such a sweetheart! I won't give too much away until the article comes out, but watch out for this girl, she's gonna be a star! For now, check out her new music video "Bougie," and follow her on social media! 









Sorry for the long post, but I just wanted to catch you guys up on what I've been doing for the past couple of days! And there's even more in store for me in the next few weeks! :) 

xoxo, 

Veesass

Quote of the day: "I'm an idealist. I don't know where I'm going, but I'm on my way" - Carl Sandburg

Crossroads

Hello everyone! This post has taken me forever and a day to write, and because my life is a constant struggle, right before I was about to post the blog, my internet connection stopped....and the whole draft got deleted. If this post wasn't so important to me I would have just given up, but I really want to share this with you, so here I go again. 

I've basically been pondering life all day because of something that happened to me last night, but before I get into that, you'll need some backstory....

Some friends from the Disney Cruise of Summer 2008

It all starts with a combination of two of my family's favorite things; cruises, and Disney movies. When I was growing up, my family would go on a Disney Cruise almost every year for vacation. My brother and sister and I would all hang out in the teen club, and make friends with kids from all around the world. One of the best Disney Cruises that I can remember was one that we took in the Summer of 2008. That year, I got really close to some of the people in the teen club. We hung out all the time, and I made some great memories with even greater people. However, like all good things do, the cruise eventually came to an end. At the end of the week, we hugged it out, exchanged contacts, and said our goodbyes. Then we all went home and that was it. Or so I thought. 

FAST FORWARD TO LAST NIGHT

Richard and I-look how much we've grown in five years!

Last night I went out to a frat party near my school, nothing out of the ordinary at all. I was dancing with some friends when I noticed a guy waving at me to get my attention. It took a few seconds for his face to register in my head, and when it did my jaw immediately dropped in shock. It was one of my best friends from the Disney Cruise of 2008! I spent the rest of the party with my friend, catching up on our lives, reminiscing on old times, and freaking out that we were actually having a reunion. At the end of the night, we hugged it out and exchanged contacts, but this time, instead of saying goodbye, I said "see you later." I don't know when "later" will be-it could be in a few weeks, or it could be in another five years. All I know is that it is definitely not goodbye. 

I have spent all day thinking about last night's little reunion, and every time I think about it, I start to smile and my heart feels warm. What happened to me last night made me realize that you truly never know when someone is going to fall back into your life. I have made a lot of friends from all over the world-through things like cruises, summer camps, concerts and clubs I'm involved in-and I have said a lot of goodbyes that left me wondering if I would ever see certain people again. Well I don't have to wonder anymore, because last night I got my answer. Everyone takes different paths in life, but sometimes, if you're lucky, you get to cross paths with someone you've missed (even if you didn't know missed them until they were back). And even if you don't, you just have live your life as best you can, and trust that your path will take you to where you need to be. 

Shit just got deep. 

I know this was a long, semi-emotional blog, but last night's encounter really got me thinking about life and all of it's quirks. One last thing before I sign off; I want to dedicate this post to all of the good friends that I have not, or will not see in a while. I've had some of the best moments of my life with you guys, and those memories are what keep me smiling every day. I love you guys, and just remember that goodbyes may be tough, and sometimes they suck, but goodbyes aren't forever. I'll see you later. 
xoxo,
Veesass

Quote of the day: 
“Do not follow me! Let's just be fabulously where we are and who we are. You be you and I'll be me, today and today and today, and let's trust the future to tommorrow. Let the stars keep track of us. Let us ride our own orbits and trust that they will meet. May our reunion be not a finding but a sweet collision of destinies!”  ― Jerry Spinelli, Love, Stargirl

Party In The USA

Hello everyone! I hope that you all had are enjoying your holiday weekend, and had a great Fourth Of July yesterday! I hung out with some good people, ate some good food, and played with some sparkly things! All in the name of FREEEDOM!

4th of July fun-baby you're a fireworkkkk!

On a serious note, I really do hope that everyone takes some time out of the weekend to think about what the 4th of July means to them personally. For me, this holiday is about appreciating freedom-I mean, just hearing about what's going on in different countries that don't have the same liberties and freedoms as Americans, really puts in perspective how lucky I am to live in a country like these wonderful United States. However, I also think about America's history, and the struggles we have faced in the past, and the struggles that we still face today. America has come a long way in it's 237 years, but we still have a long way to go before it's perfect. We just have to keep trying for it, day after day, until there is really liberty and justice for ALL.

God bless this country 

xoxo, 

Veesass

 Quote of the day: "Freedom is nothing else but a chance to be better." -Albert Camus

Work It Girl!

Hello everyone! 
Today, I began my new exercise regimen! I've been meaning to start working out more ever since summer started, and this morning I finally got my butt to the gym! I even busted out my lucky tennis shoes for the occasion. Why are they lucky, you ask? Well, I have had these shoes since middle school...that was seven years ago people. I remember begging my mom to buy me a pair of New Balances, because they were the "It" shoe at my school. In typical pre-teen fashion, I made the impossible promise that if she bought me the shoes, I would wear them for the REST OF MY LIFE. Well, guess what, against all odds I have kept that promise! By some miracle, I can still fit into my New Balances to this very day, which is why they are my lucky shoes. 

Anyways, back to the workout. I'm a little slower, and less flexible than I was in my golden days, but it was a good workout nonetheless. More importantly, I bet that if I keep this new regimen up, by the end of the summer I'll have my flexibility back, and I will be able to perfect my #SplitsOnTrees (PLEASE click on the link and watch the funniest video of the summer). 

After my workout today I whipped up a Green Smoothie. I am following this website's 30-day Green Smoothie Challenge, and I'm 2/2 so far (It's not much of a challenge for me because they are delicious)! Check out Simple Green Smoothies yourself, and see if you want to try their 30-day challenge, or just check out their smoothie recipes! They're so yummy, I promise! 

That's all I've got for today, I hope you enjoyed this post! If you have any fun workouts you think I should try, or any green smoothie recipes that you love, send them my way in the comment section below! I'd love to hear from you! 

Xoxo, 
Veesass

Quote of the day: "I be up in the gym just working on my fitness" -Fergie (Fergalicious) 

I LOVEEE Black Music

Hi everyone! Happy Monday!
So last night was the 13th annual BET Awards show, and I took some time today to watch the performances and see all of the winners. I wrote an article for Campus Circle Newspaper reviewing the best and worst performances of the night. I really enjoyed all of the performances a lot, but my personal favorite was the phenomenal tribute to, and performance by Charlie Wilson. Seriously, if you haven't watched it yet, you need to! India Arie, Jamie Foxx and Stevie Wonder payed tribute to Wilson in song, but Uncle Charlie stole the entire show when he got his turn at the mike. His performance was AMAZING. Like, mind-blowingly amazing. Guest performers Justin Timberlake, Pharrell Williams and Snoop "Lion" Dogg helped him bring down the house the right way (btw, my title for today's post comes from Pharrell's "I love black music" quote at the end of the tribute, in case you were wondering). For me, the best part of the tribute wasn't even the vocals, it was seeing how much fun Wilson was having throughout the entire performance. He was really just having a great time, and his energy was so contagious that I caught it all they way at home watching him on my computer.

My other favorite performances were Ciara's sexy "I'm Out"and "Body Party," Tamela Mann's beautiful "Take Me To The King," and Janelle Monáe's funky "Q.U.E.E.N." featuring Erykah Badhu. I was really groovin' during that one! I swear,  the BET Awards is the only show where I can laugh, cry, praise the Lord, get down, groove and boogie, and get ratchet all at once. After watching all of the performances, I can honestly say that I really enjoyed BET Awards this year; I just like the concept of honoring black achievement in an industry that struggles to include diversity. And who knows, maybe one day I will win a BET Award for some future accomplishment of mine-Hey, a girl can dream right? I just hope I get a tribute as epic as Uncle Charlie's.

Xoxo,
Veesass

Quote of the day: "March to the streets 'cause I'm willing and I'm able, categorize me, I defy every label" -Janelle Monáe, Q.U.E.E.N.