The perks of writing

Throughout my entire education I have always been horrible at tests and good at writing. Whenever I was assigned a writing assignment I found it as a way to express my opinion and I knew I wouldn’t be criticized about it because that’s what my teacher wanted. Taking tests its all about memorization but with writing you’re allowed to show some creativity with word choice and the different styles you use.

I think one reason why I like writing so much is because growing up I also loved to read and those two go hand in hand. Writers have created whole different worlds for their readers and that’s one of the coolest jobs I think someone could have.

Writing can be a hobby for people, a profession, a creative outlet, or a way to cope with stress. When people have lots going on in their life they are usually suggested to write a letter, not necessarily send it to anyone, but just as a way to clear their heads.

Whenever you listen to a song think of that as a story the artist wrote. All the lyrics were cleverly placed together to make sense and can make the listeners feel different emotions. Movies are the same way, someone wrote the storyline and script and then it turns into a movie. So even if you think you don’t like writing or reading and like music and movies you wouldn’t be able to enjoy any of it without the writer.

Everyone at some point is a writer. Whether it’s the tweets you post on your Twitter or the caption on your Instagram picture, you are using words to express yourself and that, is writing.

Social Media Guru: Lauren Conrad

Lauren Conrad, who many people might know from reality TV shows such as Laguna Beach or The Hills has taken her fame from those shows and built up a brand of her own. She now has two clothing lines, Paper Crown and Lauren Conrad for Kohl’s, has written six books, grazes the cover of magazines and runs her own Website: laurenconrad.com. This lifestyle website gives advice to women of all ages for fashion, beauty, fitness, food, home decor, crafts and even has a book club. In addition to her Website, she reaches out to her fans and followers on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, YouTube and even Bloglovin’. By using all these different social media platforms she an reach people in every way possible making it convenient and easy for there to be more readers.

Whenever there is a new story posted on laurenconrad.com it is promoted on all her personal social media that has millions of followers, a tactic that is sure to drive readers to the website that will then share on their social media. All of her different social media accounts have the same image and same mantra which I believe helps build the fan base she has. They are the types of accounts that will want you to read more about it leading you to the Website and soon you’ll be reading all the different stories weekly.

The beauty of social media in this case is that if you are on her Twitter, you can read a headline and if you want to read more the link is right there. If you are on her Pinterest and see the same story but want to try it later you can pin it and o back to the link. You can also do these steps in reverse. If you decide to go straight to her website and read an article you love and want to share with your friends you can by the click of one button at the end of the article.

Without social media being involved the Website would most likely not be as successful as it is. The material she posts about is an inspiration to me and I hope my blog could be as successful someday.

Top o’ the mornin’ to ya!

I hope you are reading this while wearing something green because it’s St. Patrick’s Day! You’ve probably guessed it, yes I am Irish so this is one of my favorite holidays throughout the year to celebrate.

Whether you went to a parade in your town, ate some corned beef and cabbage, drank a Guinness, listened to some Dropkick Murphy’s or are just simply wearing green I am glad you are celebrating as well.

In case you need some visuals of The Emerald Isle or would like to hear a good Irish brogue, here are a list of movies to watch.

The Departed

Leap Year

The Boondock Saints

Waking Ned Devine

P.s. I Love You

Once you’ve watched these and have your accent mastered you’re ready to meet your friends at the nearest pub and grab a green beer!

This is Troy.

I write this post from Spillin’ the Beans coffee shop in Troy, NY. This is just one of the many local thriving shops you can find downtown. This week I am on spring break and even though I wish I could be somewhere warm and tropical, it’s good to be home.

Troy is just 13 minutes away from the state capitol of Albany and located on the Hudson River. When you walk around downtown you get the feel of a smaller Brooklyn. With brownstones side by side, cobblestone streets and old architecture, it’s a beautiful place to be apart of.

Downtown Troy is made up of locally owned businesses, restaurants, cafés, bars and breweries. Every season there are events that take place to get people wanting to be apart of. The last Friday of every month is Troy Night Out, where businesses will have special hours and stay open later and have special sales.

In the spring, summer and early fall the riverfront farmers market will take place. There you can find homemade goods, fresh produce and other unique trinkets.

In the summer every Wednesday is Rockin on the River which has live cover bands, food and beer vendors. In the fall there is the Chowder Fest where you can try all kinds of chowder from local restaurants and vote for your favorite.

The first Sunday of every December is the Victorian Stroll (my favorite). Going back to Troy’s victorian age people dress up from that time. Stores have hot drinks out for people and live music and caroling goes on all leading up to the tree lighting in Monument Square.

And no matter what season it is Saturday is small business Saturday when I like to go shopping and support the local businesses rather than go to the mall with chain stores.

Every time I go back home there is a new delicious café or business that has opened that I have to try and it makes me very happy to see that Troy is building and growing as a community.

Soldiers and Sailors Monument (Monument Square)

Banana and Nutella crêpe at The Whistling Kettle with a pot of tea.

One of my favorite stores in Troy, The Botanic Studio. Here they have everything you need to get stated on building your own terrarium, or just any unique plant in addition to candles and jewelry.

Hot dogs at Famous Lunch in Troy.

Wood fired pizza at Bacchus.

These pictures show just a few of my favorite places to shop and eat at.

If you ever find yourself in the upstate area I highly recommend stopping through and exploring Troy for yourself.

Summertime Sadness

Well by now I’m sure like me, you are sick of winter. Sick of the bitter cold, ice, snow and chilling winds. Everyday my mind wanders off to summer with sunny days and hot weather. I particularly think of my past summer vacation when I went to Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

For one week in July my two friends and I stayed in Hyannis, right on the harbor, or as the locals would say hah-bah. All around us were restaurants with the freshest seafood you could find. Just a short walk up the street was the main street with all the cute little boutiques and tourist shoppes and a short drive away there were many different beaches, all beautiful.

Everyday we pretty much had the same routine: wake up, make our lunches for the beach, go to the beach, go back to the hotel and then jump in the pool to get the sand off us, shower, go eat some amazing food and then end our night by sitting around the bonfire at our hotel … and repeat.

If you go to Cape Cod and don’t like seafood then I feel bad for you. For me, it’s one of the best parts about going on vacation. Every night I would try something new but I always made sure to get a side of clam chowder, or, chowdah.

Fried clam roll with a cup of clam chowder.

Stuffed salmon with lobster filling … amazing.

Steamed clams with butter.

If you need a break from seafood … wood fired pizza with pesto, arugula, and lemon zest. To die for.

Luckily, we had perfect weather the entire week so going to the beach was a must everyday. Even though the Cape Cod waters are notorious for being cold it felt so refreshing to dive into with the hot sun beating on you. When laying out in the sun would get boring after a while I would walk up and down the length of the beach to look for seashells and other ocean critters. 

Jetty rocks along the water.

Sand dunes lead the way to the ocean.

Shopping on the main street was fun because there are very unique things that you wouldn’t be able to find anywhere else. Lots of nautical inspired clothes, jewelry and home decor were to be found everywhere which I loved. Some cool things I got to remind me of the trip was a ring shaped as a whale tail, a gorgeous blue and white tapestry, and a simple shirt that said Cape Cod.

While I’m unsure if I’ll be going back to Cape Cod this summer, wherever I am, I am hopeful that it will be warm. I hope all of you stay warm as well and keep dreaming of summer.

As Henry David Thoreau said, 

Always maintain a kind of summer, even in the middle of winter.