Happy New Year!

2012 has already been quite eventful and full of many exciting moments for me including the following:

• I got to recover post New Years Eve festivities on the beach in Santa Monica with some of my wonderful friends from the U of O
• The Ducks are the 2012 Rose Bowl Champs! I got to go to the game, sit (or should I say stand) in row 9 of the end zone, reunite with many Oregon friends, and watch my team beat Wisconsin!
• I just joined Pinterest and it is so fun and addicting.  I can't wait to pin more things and I think it will give me a lot of great ideas when it comes to fashion, beauty, and crafts.
• I paid my first month's rent of my new apartment! I will come to appreciate this on Sunday when I finally move in! This is my first real apartment as a college graduate so I couldn't be more excited.
• My skin is finally seeing sunlight for the first time in about 3 months.  It was 85 degrees in San Diego yesterday and I am trying to appreciate this weather as much as possible before I head back to the freezing east coast.

Can't wait to see what else the new year brings!

Only 364 days left until next Christmas!

So I tried to give my blog a bit of a face lift, but I'm still trying to get the hang of it, so bear with me as I gradually make some changes.  I had a wonderful Christmas day with my parents filled with delicious food, fun presents, and quality family time. I got some great new jewelry, accessories, and makeup that I am excited to debut in the new year!  

In other news, I am officially moving back east in early January!  I got an amazing apartment on the 15th floor with my friends Shaun and Bri in Arlington, Virginia.  It's on the outskirts of Washington DC, across the street from the metro and a mall, has a huge gym and rooftop pool, and despite paying twice as much rent as I did in Oregon, we got it for a really good price.  Plus, I finally have my own room again! As of now I'm still working at the restaurant while I search around for my first real "big-girl" job.  Now that I won't be working 7 days a week, I will have more time to search for jobs and really put myself out there, and I'm going to be super aggressive about sending out a certain number of job applications every week.  I'm thinking 20 applications/week, since let's be real, 15 of those will probably never even be reviewed...but I might send out even more if I can!  I'm not excited about still working in a restaurant as a college graduate, but I am so thankful for my job and the wonderful people who work there, and am grateful for any source of income at this point.  I'm so ready to know what I want to do with my life...I love journalism, but I also want to do something that really helps our youth or less fortunate individuals, and I also have a passion for our government and criminal investigation...is there any way to combine all of these passions I have into one rewarding career?

Nevertheless, I have a feeling 2012 is going to be an eventful, life changing year, and I am looking forward to really finding my way into the real world and transitioning into financial independence (which I'm sure my parents are looking forward to as well!)

$39 spent well

So finding a job has been really stressing me out, not to mention my current living situation.  Groupon had an awesome deal for an hour-long Swedish massage for $39, so I decided to treat myself.  I think I deserve it!

21 days until an hour of pure relaxation and bliss after a 9 hour workday at CBS.

One month left!

So now that I'm about a month away from heading back home to San Diego (either for a while, or just for the holidays...depends on if and where I find a job!), I've decided to compile a list of things I like and don't like about Washington D.C.  Some of them aren't even about the city, but rather my experiences here.  Here goes.

Likes:

• The public transportation system is really easy to use and makes not having a car not as bad.
• There is so much history here! So many free museums, national monuments, and great photo opps.
• My internship with CBS is awesome--I've met so many interesting people, had so many great experiences, and I really love the people I work with.  I've learned a lot, to say the least.
• I enjoy my restaurant job...$12 an hour plus tips as a hostess? I can't complain there.
• There are so many restaurants and bars out here.  I'm never at a loss of where to get happy hour or go out on the weekends.
• Happy hours in D.C. are what people out here live for.  And I'm down to have a few drinks earlier in the night so I can still abide by my new grandma bedtime of 10 PM.
• It's surprising how many people from high school and college I've seen out here.  It's always fun to reconnect.
• It's fun living in an area so focused on politics...it's definitely an exciting time to be out here with elections less than a year away, and I'm learning a lot more about politics than I ever have before.

Dislikes:

• Catching a metro can take forever on the weekends.  I miss my car.
• Intern housing.  Sharing a bedroom is difficult enough at times, but even harder when it's with three other girls and bunk beds are involved.
• Everything is SO expensive out here.  It costs me about $5 to get to and from work every day on the metro, and don't even get me started on the cost of meals.  Let's just say McDonald's doesn't even have a dollar menu here because D.C. must have some law against cheap food.
• People out here can be quite uptight.  Won't apologize when they bump into you, have no concept of customer service...it's definitely a change compared to the laid back vibe of the west coast.

Regardless of all the pros and cons, I've still had a great time out here, and even though I work weekends, there's something about Fridays that always make me eager to let loose.  Only 3 days to go till the weekend!

Beauty on a Budget

I love trying out new makeup and skin care products, but I've been true to a few products since before I can even remember.  After browsing Lauren Conrad's website today, I was inspired to share some beauty tricks of my own, all of which are affordable on a recent college graduate's budget.

The most important part of a makeup regime is lotion, lotion, and more lotion.  I put on Olay's Anti-Wrinkle Eye Cream (it's never too early to start preventing those bad boys!), and Aveeno's Ultra Calming Moisturiser right after I wash my face in the morning.  I always make sure to buy moisturizers with SPF...it's important, even in the winter!

 

I've found that cheap mascara is way better than anything you can buy at Sephora.  Maybelline's Define a Lash is less than $10, and has been true to me since high school.

As for eyeliner, I use a dark brown for my top liner and a light brown for my bottom liner...black is sometimes too harsh for lighter eyes, and I find that this gives me a more natural look while still providing enough definition for my eyes. For eyeliner, I stick with Revlon Colorstay in Cocoa and Brown.  It goes on really smoothly, stays on all day, and is only about $8.

Now my facemake up is a little more pricey than the rest, but it's absolutely amazing and can make anyone's skin look radiant.  Bare Minerals provides coverage while still looking natural, and has a lot of color options to fit everyone's skin tones.  I start off with Bare Minerals in Medium Beige, then use their bisque product for my under eyes or any blemishes.  Then I swipe some Bare Minerals bronzer and blush on my cheeks, and finish off my face with Bare Mineral's Mineral Veil.   A good tip: Buy these products on Amazon for much cheaper prices!

Finally, I'm completely addicted to chapstick and have to have one on me at all times.  Nivea's Hydrating Lip Care as well as Aquaphor's Healing Ointment always seem to do the trick, and I like to top it off with a tinted gloss to finish up the job.  Right now I'm loving my Lancome Juicy Tube, which was the "it" lipgloss to have in middle school...and apparently still gets the job done.

 

My last tip is to always wash your face at night before you to go to bed.  Even though it's tempting to pass out with your makeup on after a long night, it's important to wash off your make up and put on moisturizer before you let your face hit the pillow! I recommend using Olay's Anti Wrinkle Eye Cream again before bed, as well as Aveeno's Positively Ageless Night Cream.

I also swear by Proactiv's Renewing Cleanser, but you have to find a face wash that works best for your skin type! I hope some of these products help save your skin as much as they helped saved mine!

Let's Hear it for the Boy

So last night after a long day at CBS my roommate Lauren and I went to see the new remake of Footloose.  It was as cheesy as expected, but I absolutely loved it.  I thought the acting was great, the dancing was fun to watch, and the soundtrack is amazing.  I currently have Ella Mae Bowen's remake of "I Need a Hero" stuck in my head and have been listening to it on repeat...I'm definitely downloading the soundtrack when I get home.

I think it's safe to say that Kenny Wormald is my new celebrity crush.  With that sexy Boston accent, his amazing smile and his awesome dance moves, it was hard not to completely fall in love with him after watching him on the big screen for two hours.

Go see this movie in theaters--I promise you, it's worth your money.

I can sleep when I'm dead...right?

So I've been crazy busy lately but loving every minute of it.  My internship is amazing...my boss really tries to give me every possible opportunity to get exposure to the news industry, and I've been able to do a lot of research on stories that air on the national news.  So far I've seen or met John McCain, Hermain Cain, Newt Gingrich, Scott Pelley, and a few national news correspondents, all of whom have left me a bit starstruck.  It's funny how the "celebrities" out here are politicians, but I guess that's D.C. for you.  Anyways, I'm going to the opening of the MLK Memorial bright and early tomorrow morning and will get to see Obama speak, so I'm really looking forward to that (and a strong cup of coffee), since I haven't seen him speak in person since he visited UO in 2008.

My restaurant job is good and is helping me pay for a lot out here, and I know once the weather gets colder I will start making way more money doing coat check.  It's not a lot of money by any means, but it's enough to get me through my new habit of online shopping, happy hours, and take-out lunches when I don't have enough time in the morning to pack my own.  I really miss my friends and family back home and in Oregon, and although I have great roommates and awesome co-workers, it's definitely hard not being back in a college environment where I am constantly surrounded by my best friends, my sorority, and familiarity in general.  It's also hard working weekends since it doesn't give me much of a social life, but I do like that the weekend news crew is smaller, as it allows me to help out a lot more.

The two main things I really really miss: my own room and my car.  One of my roommates is one of the nicest people you'll ever meet, but quite possibly the noisiest in the morning (as if it's not bad enough having bunk beds).  This morning she was leaving our apartment to take an early flight, and she answered her cellphone at 4 AM in our bedroom, left both doors open with the lights on, and was slamming around below me like she was searching for lost treasure.  Long story short, this is a frequent occurrence, and while we've all discussed multiple times about being quiet while others are sleeping, she doesn't seem to realize how loud she is being.  So basically, I have constant dark circles under my eyes from being exhausted, and even when I do get the chance to sleep in (which is about 8:30 AM for me on a good day), I still get woken up abruptly before my alarm even goes off.  As for my car, walking to the metro and back in the rain is miserable, and I don't enjoy having to lug my heavy groceries for 4 blocks on the walk home from the grocery store...so a car would be nice right about now.

But that's enough complainging for now...overall, I'm really loving D.C.  I don't know if I'd ever want to settle down here for a long period of time, but if I got offered a job out here I'd definitely take it.  I need to start looking into jobs, and at this point, I'd take one anywhere...I'm mainly interested in finding a job in New England, Portland, or even Texas, but I know I have to take any opportunity that comes my way.  I've loved living with my parents and I am excited to visit San Diego for the holidays, but I don't want to live at home again after the internship.  Fingers crossed that I find a good career somewhere, preferably in the news industry!