Author: Maleigh Crespo

Today, I’m taking you on a trip through the closet of one of MSA’s own fashion icons: Victoria Jerde!

I conducted this interview similarly to the last post in this series with Stephyne Weathersby, in which I asked her to choose some of her favorite outfits and I asked what the inspiration behind each ensemble, her process of putting together an outfit, and other relative questions. Here’s what Jerde had to say about her notorious wardrobe:

“Well, with all the things that I wear, it kinda stems from just looking and matching bc I’m a really big color-coded like I can not mix match.”

With this first look, she says, “So, I think with this one, it was coffee house night, and I was like, ‘Well, I wanna dress in coffee house attire.’, so I was like, ‘A turtle neck is essential.’ and then I was like, ‘Let’s mix it up a bit, and I put on, um, this like “granny gown” or whatever. And then, the skirt.’ I was like, ‘Oh, prints— let’s make it floral’, and then I added the belt…  The black boots kinda just went with it, so yeah.” 

“This was like when it was in winter, but it was like fall going into winter, y’know. It was cold, but not too cold. And um, I really hate winter. It is like the worst season, in opinion. (Ditto!) But spring is like my favorite season, so I made this outfit because I had the headscarf, but it was still cold outside, so I put on this cute sweater, but still wanted to make it spring-like. I just kinda dressed it up a bit. But I guess my love for spring inspired this look— I missed spring. (Don’t we all.)

I interrupt this fashion blog to give you insider tips about Jerde’s skincare and how she gets the flawless skin we see her rockin’ every day.

She says, “Um, usually, I try not to put foundation on my face. My skin breaks out so easily.” (IDK about y’all, but Jerde has DEF been fooling me. 2020 Goal: Have skin so flawless, it looks like I’m wearing some 24-hr full coverage foundation when I’m NOT!) “Um, I used to do a lot of product and then it messed my skin up, but now, I use an exfoliator, like a natural one every night, with some fash wash. Then, I tone; toner has saved my life because I have really red skin. And then, I’ll do like a sheet mask every once in a while. And then, I also have this other stuff, that I stopped using because it’s such a long process— it takes like an hour. But, it’s, um, Indian healing clay, and I found it through TikTok, and it works!” (LOL) “I swear by it. It heals a lot of my acne, and um, it’s like $10 at Walmart, and you mix it with water. ” For all you out there who have sensitive skin, or even if you don’t, I highly recommend trying some of Jerde’s skincare regimens because I see her on the daily, and they WORK! 

Okay, with this outfit, I HAD to know how she rocks such chic looks without being dress coded! Here’s what she said, “So, I’m just like naturally kind of a rebellious type person, so what I like to do, I’ll stay in dress code, for the most part. Unless it’s like a simple thing where no one really cares, like maybe, a tiny bit off of my fingertips, but what I’ve noticed is that, if it looks classy, sometimes it can slide… sometimes. Not all the time though, but if you’re not flashing anything or doing anything too bad, y’know, it’s okay.”

So, I was scrolling through the ‘gram not too long ago, and I came across this picture of Jerde, and I was like, ‘Another fabulous look by the Queen’, but then I zoomed in and saw that my girl had on SOCKS with HEELS. I was shook because that’s not a trend right now, that’s not what’s poppin’ right now, but I liked it! I knew that I could never pull it off, but I was not mad at it at all! Jerde says this about that outfit, “So, I really love trying new things and experimenting because you’re never gonna know what looks good on you unless you try it. And I— this is my favorite color, that baby blue, so I, like, I got that headscarf, my favorite of all time that I got from a thrift store in Columbus. And I paired— okay, so I used to hate that button-up so much because I didn’t know how to style it, like it was so hard for me. And then, I was playing around with it, and I was like, ‘Huh?’ so I put it on over this basic tank top and jeans. And I was like, ‘This is okay… it’s kinda baggy.’ So, I grabbed a silver, chain belt, wrapped it around it, instead of under it. And it gave me, like, Princess Cinderella vibes. And then, with the sandals, I was like, ‘Me wearing just high heels with my toes out and everything, it just doesn’t do it, y’know. So, I just tried some socks, y’know. And a few people said some mean things to me about it or gave me mean looks, but at the end of the day, it was really experimental. I mean, I knew that people would look at me weird, but I got out of my comfort zone, which is always good.”

Although this is one of Jerde’s simpler looks, it’s one of my personal faves because everyone knows that to create a great ensemble, you need accessories! And I really loved how she chose to pair this cute, girly hairstyle that frames the face, the little dainty necklace, but with the really masculine, camouflage pants. In response, she says, “These pants, I don’t know why, but every time I see them, I think of Bratz dolls. So, I wanted that sort aesthetic and vibe, but with my hairstyles, I’m kind of limited because I don’t have the longest hair. But, with everything, the best accessory is confidence. I’m serious, all you gotta do is have confidence. And if you don’t have confidence, fake it ’til you make it. It works! And people respect you because we stompin’ on necks.” (PERIODT!)

I LOVE this look! It’s very 90’s vibe, it’s layered, it’s pink, she’s got the Filas; I mean, this is a ‘FIT! AND, Jerde confirms, “Polly Pocket was the inspiration” behind this look! Iconic!

Contrary to popular belief, Jerde is only 5’3, guys! I mean, you probably could NEVER tell from looking at this photo, but it’s true. And with this particular look, I noticed that Jerde pairs some of the same few items in many of her outfits, but just like her height, you can’t tell! She says, “So, you have like your basic pieces, and then you have your statement pieces. Those are ones you don’t want to wear all the time.”

Closet of a Butterfly Girl

Jerde has another blog outside of her literary blog called, Closet of a Butterfly Girl, where she focuses on fashion. I am a loyal and proud subscriber, and you should be too; it is well worth it! Click the link above to support Jerde through her endeavors as an up and coming fashion journalist.

Speaking of which, Jerde is also working on a fashion magazine, which I am SUPER excited about. She spoke a little about that to me, as well. Here’s what she said, “I started my blog in late September/early October. It was a spur of the moment type thing. I’d always wanted to do it, but never committed to it. So, I said, ‘Alright, let’s do it’. Then, I was planning on posting every week, but then I didn’t because about a week later, I realized that I needed to be a fashion journalist. I was like, ‘That is my thing. That is what I love. That’s what I’m good at.’ And that’s when I was like, ‘I need to make a magazine,’ not for anything else, but just for myself. It’s a big goal to complete, y’know, it’s gonna take 7 months. So, I started it and it’s been a really long process. It’s a really big commitment, and I’ve gotten a lot of support from it, and I’ve never gotten that before. And that kinda stuff really pushes me and keeps me going. I mean, if I didn’t have support, I probably wouldn’t still be doing it because I’d get in my head and think that it’s all for nothing. But, it’s going good; I’m 15 pages in. It’s very busy. It takes up all my time, but I love it. And it’ll be out April 20th, which is also my showcase, so come to that! I’m sharing it with Morgan Crosby, so come see her too. But I plan on starting up my blog for real, doing it weekly, after the magazine because I’ll have a lot more time on my hands, so yeah, definitely look forward to that. So just wait and see; I promise the magazine is not going to disappoint because I have been working so hard on it!

I hope you enjoyed a peek into the closet of Miss Victoria Jerde. Make sure y’all subscribe to her fashion blog and get her magazine on April 20th, on the day of her showcase. The theme is Lepidopterology, which is the study of butterflies and moths, definitely fitting for this butterfly girl!

And read next week’s blog featuring Michael “MJ” Coleman Jr.!

At the beginning of each new year, everyone is usually making a new year’s resolution, vision board, or setting goals to better themselves. We often hear the phrase “new year, new me,” but in actuality that rarely happens. Those people are not actually setting goals to become their so-called “new me,” or are setting goals, but not following through with them. Is it really a new you if you are continuing with the same bad habits or not achieving some sort of growth? I mean, I tell myself I’m going to lose weight EVERY year, but as soon as January 2nd hits, I’m downing pizza and soda. Losing weight has been my new year’s resolution for the past 5 years of my life— that’s 5 years of failed promises to myself.

I knew that my goals were not being fulfilled, but why? What was I doing wrong? When I asked myself these questions, I realized that even though I made a list of goals, I put no actual effort towards achieving them. So, this year, my number one goal: FOLLOW THROUGH WITH MY GOALS.

“A Goal Without a Plan is Just a Wish.”                                                              -Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

After my realization, I asked myself how I could fix this problem. Why wasn’t I putting in any effort to do something I’ve wanted to do for so long? Then, it hit me. I didn’t have a PLAN to succeed. I mean, how could I achieve something without preparing to do it? So, I made a list of everything that I needed to do beforehand:

• Vision Board

I usually make a vision board on a big foam poster board every year, but after the first week of January, it goes into my closet until the next year when I think about looking at it again. But I think for the vision board to really fulfill its purpose, you need to look at it often, to remind yourself and motivate you to reach your goals. So, I decided to make my vision board in my everyday planner:

• Planner

The vision board helps in reminding me of my goals. One of my main goals is to lose weight and get healthy, so I thought about what would benefit me in achieving that goal: a fitness planner. I have an everyday planner that I am OBSESSED with because it allows me to stay focused but is also a creative outlet. In a fitness planner, however, you simply track your eating, calories, steps, exercise, or whatever you need to track as far as fitness and health. Yes, there are apps out there that do the exact same thing, but for me, personally, physically writing down my progress and reflecting is really beneficial. Here is an example of a fitness planner:

• Taking Out Extra Time

Currently, I have a 23 on the ACT with sub scores of 30, 25, 22, and 17. The 17 is my math sub score, which is preventing me from reaching my current goal of an overall 25 on the ACT, so I am taking out extra time in my week to work in my Jumpstart Test Prep in the math sections.

• Practice Tests

This May, I will be seventeen (), and I STILL don’t have my permit, driver’s license, nor do I know how to even drive a car (LOL), but I am done making excuses. It’s time for me to get behind the wheel (hehe), so I am taking these online permit practice tests. Y’all just better watch out (literally, haha) because I’m about to be DRIVING!

• Asking For Help

Okay, so I have a reeaallyy bad habit of over-committing myself to things because I have some sort of need inside myself to have to do everything and help everyone. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great quality to have, but it has its downsides. For example, I get super overwhelmed sometimes, and I feel like I have to everything on my OWN, but I am learning that I DON’T. It’s taken me way too long to realize, but this bad habit was really taking a toll on my mental health, but not anymore! This girl is asking for help from now on 🙂

• Let Go, Let God

I also have tendency to care and worry about things that do not concern me. I put so much on myself and jeopardize my mental health for NO reason.  I cannot fix everything and everyone, and it’s not my responsibility to try to do, so I am giving it up and giving it to God.

• Believing in Myself

I cannot tell you how much pressure I put on myself to try to be this perfect person who has their life together all the time when really my life is NEVER together. I am constantly trying to do so much to overcompensate for my own insecurities, but I am good enough, and I need to start believing that and in myself.

• Finding Time to Decompress

Before coming to MSA, I had no problem with this, as I didn’t have roommates or any distractions. However, being here has proved to be a challenge to really take a break and decompress, but I am going to carve out time to really just focus on myself.

• Writing OFTEN

Writing is my number one passion, and I know I go to school where my discipline of study is writing, but I never write unprompted or because I want to anymore. It’s usually an assignment, which I have no problem or dread doing, I just miss writing for fun. One of my goals was to grow in my writing and in literary, and I think I am succeeding (with the help of Ms. Sibley), but I really want to get back to writing just because.

• Self-Reflection

Recently, I had a lovely conversation with my friend, Hannah Hays, and we were talking about our blogs. I asked her what hers was about— y’all should go check it out. She told me that each year she has a sort theme, such as: self-love, self-discovery, forgiveness, etc., so I wondered what my 2019 theme was, and I concluded that it was self-reflection. I did a LOT of that last year; I guess that’s why I have so many new year goals (haha). Anyway, I really want to carry that over into 2020 because self-reflection leads to self-awareness, and that’s really good to have.

• Mindset

Finally, I believe that having the right mindset is key to doing anything. If you don’t have a good mindset, you’ll never succeed, so I am going to maintain a positive, driven mindset all 2020! 

All in all, it’s a new year, but it’s not a new me; it’s the same me, just with new goals. Goals that I am going to achieve because I have a plan and I’m going to put in the work. I hope that my new year’s resolution inspires you to achieve your own aspirations. I hope that my explanation of my goals resonates or relates to you and incites a change in you. You CAN do this! A new year is great motivation to become your best self, but anytime is great day to start, so take the leap!

This blog is bittersweet because blogmas is coming to an end! It went by so quickly because we only post on a weekly basis, but I had still had loads of fun creating this content! So, without further adieu….

What’s on my Holiday Wishlist?

Shoes

  I LOVE Converse, so when I saw these super cute monochromatic,  low top, gray Converse!, I was so excited! I don’t have a pair this color, so I can’t wait to pair them with some cute outfits 🙂

DYMO ColorPop! Label Maker

I already have a handheld DYMO label maker, but this one just recently came out, and it’s got way more features! There’s more emojis, borders, and it prints on different colored tapes! I am really excited about this gem 🙂

Colourpop Going Coconuts palette

I have been on the hunt for a really cute, simple nude palette, and when I saw Colourpop release this palette, I had it have it! And, it only retails for $12!

A 2020 Happy Planner

I am a Happy Planner girl! I first started out with Recollections planners, but last year, I got the Miss Maker planner, which is a Happy Planner, and I fell in LOVE. So, I opted to get one this year, as well.

The Happy Planner Paper Puncher

Happy Planners are customizable with their disc-bound system, so they sell a hole puncher that allows you to hole punch anything you want and add it to your planner. They come in baby blue or hot pink; can you guess which one I want?! 😉 They can be kind of pricey, but luckily, craft stores always have sales and discounts.

500 Tips for Fat Girls

This is Mary Lambert’s debut poetry collection. I purchased her recently released book, Shame Is An Ocean I Swim Across, this summer, and I fell in love. However, this book is sold out EVERYWHERE, and where it isn’t, it’s ridiculously expensive :(. So, I hope there’s a restock in the near future.

Toilet Paper

Okay, listen. MSA is a residential high school, so we live here, and we need necessities- like TOILET PAPER!  And I don’t know about anyone else, but we run out of TP so fast; it’s crazy!! So if you see me over the break, stocking up mind ya business!

This was my 2019 Christmas wish-list; I hope you enjoyed! I decided that since it’ll be 2020 (crazy to say that, right?) when I return to blogging that I’ll do a New Year’s Resolution post, so be expecting the fashion series to continue after that!

If you are reading this, you are beautiful, loved, and worthy! Happy Holidays!!!

xoxo

What’s in my bag this holiday season?

• Chapstick
  • It is a MUST with this cold weather!

• Peppermints/Gum
  • For the stress-inducing situations this busy season brings.

• Earbuds
  • To listen to all my holidays jams

• Lotion
  • Because no one likes ashy hands

• Money
  • To purchase all my holiday gifts for friends & family.

• Hand Sanitizer
  • Specifically, Vanilla Bean Noel by Bath & Body Works

• Extra Earrings
  • You never know when you’re gonna lose an earring or maybe you want to go somewhere, but you need to dress up your outfit first. Just throw on some hoops and get going!

• Cough Drops
  • To soothe my sore throat if I get sick.

• A Beanie
  • It usually starts out on my head, but once I’ve reached my destination inside a cozy, warm building, I no longer need it on my head. So, I just shove it in my bag for later.

• Gloves/Mittens
  • Just like with my beanie, they end up in my bag.

• A Notebook & Pen
  • What’d you expect? I’m a writer , but I do like to change them out depending on the season. Currently, it has a reindeer on the cover.

• Keys/Badge
  • So I can get into the buildings I’m going to

• A Mini Makeup Pouch
  • For touch-ups, you know…
    • As for specifics: a lash curler($1 @ Dollar Tree), L’Oreal Lash Paradise mascara(waterproof) in shade, blackest black ($10 @ Walmart), Believe Beauty eyeliner in shade, Caviar ($4 @ Dollar General.. this product is Jeffree Star approved ), Maybelline BrowDrama sculpting brow gel in shade, deep brown ($8 @ Walmart), a mini nude palette ($5 @ Walmart), Maybelline Fit Me foundation (matte + poreless) in shade, 332/Golden Caramel ($7 @ Walmart), a beauty blender($1 @ Dollar Tree), a couple E.L.F. brushes, a couple lip products, and a handheld mirror.

** Does anyone have any good recommendations for blush? Preferably one that’s affordable and very pink 😉 Comment below!

• Perfume
  • Right now, I am using Snowflakes & Cashmere by Bath & Body Works. I really like it because it’s a nice holiday scent, and it’s also travel size, so it fits perfectly in my bag.

• BOBBY PINS
  • I am very picky about my bobby pins, especially with all my hair. I use Modesa 2.75in., and I can ONLY find them at Family Dollar. They’re cheap, only costing a $1 for 50, but I can NEVER find them. They are underrated, but hands down, the BEST bobby pins.

• Scrunchie(s)
  • Okay, before you start calling me a VSCO girl (sksksk), I have been using scrunchies since I could put my hair up— so a LONG time. I only use Scunci brand in large black. I also only get the mesh kind, not the cotton fabric ones because those don’t have the good stretchy elastic. BUT, I can only find them at Dollar General now because everyone has jumped on the scrunchie train and only want the pretty ones. What about us OG scruchie users who need the practical ones with good, long-lasting elasticity, huh??

That’s all! I hope you enjoyed seeing what’s in my bag this holiday szn! See ya next week when blogmas continues!!

I hope everyone had a fabulous Thanksgiving, and that they ate lots of food and got lots of rest! I sure did 😉 But now, it’s BLOGMAS!! I love Christmas so much. It’s just a happy season to celebrate the life of Christ, friends, and family. I can also be merry and full of joy, which I am every other time of year, but especially, during the holiday season.  Each blog this month will be themed around the holidays. But don’t worry, my fashion series will continue next year 😉 Let the fun begin!

DIY Christmas Gifts

Christmas Care Package

This is a cute care package box for someone! You could take an empty box laying around your house, and take construction paper or wrapping paper to cover the insides. For the tree, you could paint over black construction paper, and use stickers for the ornaments. You could make it as fancy as you wanted, or not at all. In the left photo, the person used printed out photos of the Grinch, but if you don’t have a printer, you can just use stickers purchased at the Dollar Tree! You could get everything to fill up the box there, as well.

Here’s some ideas of what to put in the box(all can be found at your local Dollar Tree):

There you have it! A great Christmas gift for a friend for only $10.

Christmas {Tea} Tree

Have a friend who enjoys tea?? Find out their favorite kind, and make them this:

All you’ll need is a tea packets, foam cone, and an adhesive (I recommend tape and not hot glue because we want the tea to be used), and an empty paper towel or 2 toilet paper roll. If you can not find a foam cone, The Dollar Tree has rectangle foam blocks that you would simply need to shave into a cone-like shape.

First, you’ll take the cone, and glue or tap the tea packets overlapping row by row. Once you are done, cut your paper towel in half, unless you are using 2 toilet paper rolls. Take one roll, and cut it down the middle; cut off the excess side that fold in. You will then draw a star to go on top of your tea tree. Color the star yellow (if you want, you can take some Elmer’s glue and put gold glitter on it). Cut out the star you have just drawn, and glue it in place on the top. Then, take the roll, and cut it until it is about 2 inches tall; glue it to the bottom of your foam cone for your base. And you’re all done, your favorite tea drinking friend is about to get the best gift!

Want a simple gift that’s cheap, thoughtful, and requires minimal time or effort? I’ve got you! Here’s some gifts that follow all of those requirements:

Hope this helped you create the perfect gift without spending a ton of money! Read next week’s blog for the next Blogmas post. Happy Holla-days!

Here it is… the moment you’ve all been waiting for: the continuation of my fashion series 🙂

Due scheduling complications, I could not get Emmie Legget, but I found another style icon’s closet to dive into: Stephyne Weathersby. I met up with Weathersby and asked her to tell her inspiration behind the clothing she wears in some of her iconic Instagram photos.

“That outfit, actually, I was supposed to wear that to school then I missed my bus, and so, I just took some Instagram pictures. Um, the pair of pants are thrifted… I was in Biloxi and I got them from a thrift store… Goodwill, I think. And they were actually, like, 3 times my size, so I had to alter my pants.”

Similar to my fashion, Weathersby thrifts and upcycles a lot of her clothes, as well. Except, she can sew. She explained to me that many of her clothes are too big, but she takes them in or alters them to fit her body. Personally, I’d love to  go thrifting with her. I would really love to see what her process is when thrifting and upcycling her clothes to create these bomb ensembles.

She continues debunking her outfit saying, “That shirt is *NSYNC… I got that from Forever 21, that actually was a plus size shirt, so I just took it in. I don’t know, I just love big clothes on me. I didn’t really have inspiration, but, um, the color scheme, actually, you see like how… the navy blue fits with the white and now, I know you can’t really see it, but like, the shirt has blue writing, y’know. The color scheme just fit a theme.

“That was when I went to Jamaica, and I really wanted to go for a little island girl type style, so that’s why I paired the tube top, which I got from Romwe, and my, um, flair pants, which I got from Old Navy, I believe. I really wanted to feel native to the land, even though I really wasn’t. I didn’t look like nobody there, but y’know, I just really felt comfortable wearing it. My inspiration was just an island girl and free like the wind.”

“My birthday outfit, yeah. Actually, I wanted to go for, like, a little different style. I wanted to go for, like, really delicate and kinda a goddess, type thing, but like— not goddess, that’s the wrong thing. Just really delicate and sweet and soft, y’know. That’s why I paired the bell bottoms with the crop, the cropped shirt. That was my inspiration. And y’know, then with the YSL, because I knew I was not gonna be wearing the same purse for my seventeenth birthday.”

“Oh, yeah. I was on a cruise ship at a captain’s dinner, so we had to dress formally. I just liked how it paired together. It’s a two piece, and my inspiration was just that we had to look nice. We had to show out. I wanted to pop out, but not be too much.”

I hope that you guys are enjoying this fashion as much as I’m having fun creating it. Have a safe, happy, and blessed Thanksgiving!

I know you’ve seen my title, so I hope that you do not feel that way when you see that this blog is not the continuation of my fashion series. I was unable to produce that in time due to scheduling conflicts, so I interrupt my fashion series to review this movie:

This past weekend I watched the movie, Harriet, which was based on the story of Harriet Tubman. My mother and I had planned to go see it on the 2nd of November, the day after it premiered, but it wasn’t playing anywhere near us. I looked into 4 theaters and of those 4, it was only playing in 1! Can you believe that? I was honestly shocked, but my mom said she wasn’t surprised.

The film featured Cynthia Erivo as Harriet Tubman. Erivo is most known for her role in the Broadway production of The Color Purple as Celie. (Fact: I have actually never seen The Color Purple, but I REALLY want to!! My mom tells me GREAT things about it… I say this to say: if you have it, can I borrow it?!) William Still was played by Leslie Odom Jr., who was the original Aaron Burr in the Broadway production of Hamilton. The film also featured singer, Janelle Monáe, as Marie Buchanon, a fictional woman who helped Tubman in the movie.

With this cast, I knew going in that it would be a good movie, but it exceeded my expectations.  And, as of November 10, the film has made $23.5 million in the box office. Kasi Lemmons (Eve’s Bayou, The Caveman’s Valentine) directed, and co-wrote the film adaptation with Gregory Allen Howard (Remember the Titans, Ali). Because the film is a biopic, or biographical film, while it is based on true events, some or most of the plot has been dramatized. I believe that Lemmons and Howard did a wonderful job with the film. However, others who saw the film disagreed and felt that the film did not do Tubman’s legacy justice. I will include a link to an article by Buzzfeed News that delves into the reviews of the movie instead of explaining them myself because I do not want to spoil it for anyone, but after you watch, you can come back and look at the reviews 🙂

Also, I’ve been doing daily affirmations, and it’s been going great so far. I am such an optimist, but even I sometimes struggle, so as soon as I wake up: before my alarm, after I’ve hit the snooze button 12 times, or even on those unexpected days when I wake up the first time my alarm goes off, I say just one positive thing. It can be off the top of my head or I’ll look at my Pinterest. Here’s a list of morning affirmations that I have been using lately- enjoy!

Hey guys,

I missed y’all last week, but I hope everyone had a happy Halloween and are ready for this month of giving thanks! I love Thanksgiving, by the way. I think it is an underrated holiday and is only appreciated for the food. Some people just skip right over it and go straight to Christmas, but I am so blessed, and I use this month to really count those blessings and to be thankful for all that I have. I try to be very grateful in my everyday life, as well, but I especially am in the month of November. Anyway, let’s get to the blog!

If you follow my Instagram, you may have seen my recent post about the new series I’m starting  on the blog. Well, here it is! It’s a fashion series. It’s my first of many* series on my blog, and I am very excited about it. Each week, I am going to feature a person and their unique fashion sense. To start, I am going to do myself. I have been told many times, mainly by Hannah Hays, that I have a “grandma” style. And, it’s true. I’ve learned to own it. I never wanted to, at first, but when I was having to remove shoulder pads from most of my clothing, I realized that I truly do have “grandma” style.

Upcycling

Attached above is a brief video of Disney star, Dove Cameron, explaining what upcycling is and what it means to her. She describes upcycling as “taking any article of clothing and making it your own” and that is sort of what I do to my clothing. However, most upcycling requires sewing, if you want to add more detailed, extravagant changes to your clothes. Unfortunately, I do not know how to sew, so I can only do minimal changes. Attached is a pictorial of how I upcycled a sweater.

For those who know how to sew, upcycling goes way more in depth. Here’s a video from Youtuber, Madison Fay, who uses sewing to upcycle her clothing.

Thrifting

Most of the items that people upcycle are thrifted. This is mainly because clothing from thrift or consignment stores have cheaper prices than retail prices or because most of the clothing that end up at thrift stores aren’t necessarily on trend with the style, so people transform them into something that is in style. This is kind of what I like to do with my clothes. Below is another pictorial of how I usually go thrifting.

Styling

To style something means to make it trendy or fashionable.  How you style an outfit can make or break it. Youtuber, Sierra Schultzzie uploaded a video in which she styled clothes given to her by grandmother and made them cute, modern day outfits.

After trying on an outfit she styled using her grandma’s sweater, Schultzzie said, “It’s very my style, and I also think it’s very on trend. Sometimes my style doesn’t always match up with what’s like trendy at the moment.”

Below is a pictorial of how I styled a “grandma” shirt that I thrifted.

Fashion

Fashion is subjective. Fashion is whatever you want it to be. It doesn’t matter if you wear “grandma” clothes or only designer brand clothes. It only matters that you feel good and confident. Tune in next week for when I dive into the closet of MSA visual, Emmie Leggett.

I know I usually do a casual blog post in between two topics, but since I was late with the blog on white privilege, here’s the topic that won the last poll— enjoy!

Can art students have a practical job in their field?

A contributor for accreditedschoolsonline.org, Kelsey Brow, wrote an article entitled, Practical Art Degrees That Challenge the Starving Artist Myth in which she creates a guide that combines the artist’s life with a viable career.

Brow writes, “Many people envision an art graduate as the struggling painter or frustrated sculptor who is living on noodles and crackers. This vision of the “starving artist” is far from the reality of those who choose practical art degrees. Those who want to be able to find a good job and make a living upon graduation can choose degrees that allow their artistic side to shine while giving them a good paycheck and job security. This guide focuses on those degrees that offer aspiring artists the best of all creative worlds.”

In the guide, she describes what makes an art-related degree practical and provides different jobs in the art field, as well as pros and cons to those jobs. She focuses on visual and fine arts, so for those of you going into that field, you should definitely read the article.

However, for those of you, who are going into theater, writing, film-making, instrumental, or a different art form, there is a project called Strategic National Arts Alumni Project (SNAAP).

SNAAP is an online database created by the Indiana University Center for Post-secondary Research that surveys arts alumni on their field of study. The project provides research that dispels the “starving artist” myth in that many artists actually have successful careers.

SNAAP works by teaming up with arts high schools and colleges and administering their surveys to graduates.

According to their website, “SNAAP defines “the arts” and “arts alumni” broadly, to include the following fields: performance, design, architecture, creative writing, film, media arts, illustration and fine art.” Here is a chart that displays the results of a survey SNAAP took of arts graduates within the last 5 years. They surveyed 17, 000 graduates.

The survey showed that finding a job was not as hard as people make it out to be. They also provided a survey that showed whether the arts graduates were happy in their jobs.

Thoughts from an art school student

As a student at the Mississippi School of the Arts, and as I prepare to go to college, I have this HUGE fear that I won’t be successful in my career. Writing is such a competitive filed to go in to, and my whole life I’ve been told: “There’s no money in writing,” “It takes so long to make it big… most writers die before they ever receive fame,” “Have you thought about law school?” or “You’d make a great teacher; there’s no money in that either, but at least you’ll have job security.”

People often fail to realize that the “starving artist” stereotype began in the Romanticism era of the 18th and 19th centuries. It’s 2019, artists are doing more, and there are more opportunities for us to thrive, so it’s time to get rid of that myth.

People also often assume that to be successful in the arts industry, you have to be well-known or famous. That is absolutely not true! There are so many talented artists out there who many have never even heard of, but are not starving, in debt, or struggling financially. However, if fame is what you seek, it is harder to do that nowadays because everyone’s trying to make it big, but if you are pursuing a career in any arts field, as an arts students, I would just tell you to just hang on to your passion. That is what drives you even after things fall through or big breaks don’t happen. You really do have to have some tough skin to go into the arts, and be ready to face criticism, but never let that discourage you from doing what you are passionate about; let push you to be better.

If you want to write, write. If you want to sing, sing. If you want to dance,  dance. Do what makes YOU happy. I mean, don’t throw practicality out of the window completely, but don’t be disheartened by the misconceptions.

Poll time!

The next blog post topic choices are:

• Feminism & Equality of the Sexes
• Fashion
• Should Trix Stop its Discrimination and Make Them for Everyone?
• To Kneel or Stand: The National Anthem

Comment below!

There’s a color in the 24-count box of Crayola crayons called “apricot”. However, when I was growing up, we called that “skin color”. It didn’t matter what your race was. That is what we all called it. Maybe it was because we didn’t know how to read yet and apricot wasn’t on the list of colors we had to learn, so we just associated it with the most common of flesh colors. We were blinded by our ignorant innocence. We saw no flaws in this, and while it may not seem like a big deal, looking back, it was. I mean, we called the color white, white, and brown was brown and black was black, but apricot was always “skin color”. I don’t know why I never stopped to question the fact that it didn’t look my skin color. Now, it is something that I think of often, but I bet none of my white peers even remember that.

What is white privilege?

The Washington Post did an article on this in 2016. They also created a video explaining in depth what it is. I strongly recommend reading the article, but also, watching the clip. It is very informative and really delves into the meaning of white privilege.

Having white privilege means that people who are Caucasian get advantages simply because they are the majority race, and most of the time, don’t even realize they have it, which is a big reason why people need to be educated about topics like this.

In 1989, professor, Peggy McIntosh wrote a piece called White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack.  In it, she describes examples of the daily effects of white privilege in her everyday life. Here are some of her examples:

• I can turn on the television or open to the front page of the paper and see people of my race widely represented.
• I can be sure that my children will be given curricular materials that testify to the existence of their race.
• I can swear, or dress in second-hand clothes, or not answer letters, without having people attribute these choices to the bad morals, the poverty, or the illiteracy of my race.
• I can easily buy posters, postcards, picture books, greeting cards, dolls, toys, and children’s magazines featuring people of my race.
• If my day, week, or year is going badly, I need not ask of each negative episode or situation whether it has racial overtones.
• I can choose blemish cover or bandages in “flesh” color and have them more than less match my skin.
• I can take a job with an affirmative action employer without having co-workers on the job suspect that I got it because of race.

Those are just a few of the 26 McIntosh listed. The fact that she could list 26 is astonishing to me. Since then, many people have spoken out about white privilege.

Rapper, Macklemore, released a song in 2016, titled “White Privilege ll”. You can find the song on any music media app or on YouTube. I recommend looking at the lyrics as you listen. The song explores themes of police brutality, white supremacy, and the social movement, Black Lives Matter. In the song, Macklemore struggles with his own white privilege and his in place in the BLM movement. The song switches between various artists, narrators, news reports, sirens, gunshots, and chants.

White supremacy isn’t just a white dude in Idaho
White supremacy protects the privilege I hold
White supremacy is the soil, the foundation, the cement and the flag that flies outside of my home
White supremacy is our country’s lineage, designed for us to be indifferent
My success is the product of the same system that let off Darren Wilson – guilty
We want to dress like, walk like, talk like, dance like, yet we just stand by
We take all we want from black culture, but will we show up for black lives?
We want to dress like, walk like, talk like, dance like, yet we just stand by
We take all we want from black culture, but will we show up for black lives?

In these lines, Macklemore addresses white supremacy, which is the belief that white people are the superior race. He says the system of his success is the same one that didn’t indict Darren Wilson for the shooting of Michael Brown Jr. in 2014. He then goes on to explain how this is cultural appropriation because many white people have gained from the culture of black people, but aren’t willing to support them in their times of need. He assesses this and then relates it to the famous Black Lives Matter movement when he says, “We take all we want from black culture, but will we show up for black lives?”.

In 2012, the Black Lives Matter hashtag began in response to the acquittal of George Zimmerman for the shooting of Trayvon Martin. The campaign is used in protests to speak out against police brutality, systematic racism, and racial inequality/discrimination. There is much controversy surrounding the campaign. However, the most common is the similar hashtag of “All Lives Matter”.

Cartoonist, Kris Straub, published a cartoon depicting an analogy to clear up the misconceptions many people had about the original movement causing them to want to create new one that promoted “true equality”.

Straub compares the movement to a burning house. If a house is on fire, you wouldn’t hose down every house but the one that’s on fire. He says this is the case with Black Lives Matter vs. All Lives Matter, not that any race is any more important than the other.

Colorism

Colorism is similar to white privilege, except it only affects people of color. It is a type of discrimination in which lighter skinned African-Americans or multiracial people are treated better or more favorably than African-Americans with darker skin.

When I was thirteen, my mother took me took me to an art gallery in New Orleans. There was a piece that stood out to me. I don’t remember the name of it, but it was just a brown paper bag sitting upright. There was shadowing and shading, but no context to the significance of this brown paper bag. Of course I was curious, so I asked my mom why there was a painting of this bag, and what was so good about it that it hung in this gallery. That’s when she told me the paper bag story.

Between 1900-1950, African-Americans would host parties and hang a brown paper bag on the door. If you were darker than the bag, you weren’t permitted entrance to that event. It was also this way for acceptance into any HBCU.¹ If you had a lighter skin tone, that was your ticket to the top schools, like Howard. Black people had created their own form of segregation. The closer your skin color was to that of white people, the more European you were said to have been which was understood as a higher social standing. The paper bag test may no longer exist, but its basic principles still linger in modern day as colorism.

After my mom told me the story, I immediately felt sick to my stomach. My mother is darker than me, and because I am mixed and have lighter skin, I would’ve gotten more rights than my own mother; things that she could not get based solely on the color of her skin and not the content of her character. It shook me to my core. While they say ignorance is bliss, sometimes it’s just not. I’m glad my mother told me about the paper bag test because it’s not something that’s taught in everyday history classes.

Now, I don’t take my advantages for granted. I can’t change them nor can I change society, but I am aware now. And I think that’s a big part of it— for people to just be aware of the privileges that they have for whatever reason that they have them.

Affirmative Action

According to Teen Vogue, “Affirmative action is a policy used in areas such as education, employment, and housing to improve the opportunities for minority groups (including minority races, genders, and sexual orientations) that are commonly and historically discriminated against.”

In my fifth grade English class, we were asked to debate if affirmative action was effective or not. At the time, I was dead-set against it. I thought that my skills and excellence should be my only ticket into any school or job I apply for, not my race. I was only 11 years old, but I was very solid on my stance.

One afternoon, I decided to ask my mom what she thought, and I just knew she’d agree with me on this one. When she didn’t, I was shocked. I couldn’t believe that my very own mother would agree with affirmative action because she always taught me to work and earn the things I want and to never accept free handouts. But she told me that some people need help getting their foot in the door and affirmative action was, sometimes, their only way. At the time, I had no idea what that meant.

Affirmative action is a hot button issue, especially right now. Many people believe that is needed for the sake of equality while others think it’s unfair and outdated.

Some say that it is unfair to the majority and causes reverse discrimination. Peter Cookson, senior researcher at the Learning Policy Institute, says this, “If there are two students with equal qualifications and one happens to be African American and one happens to be Caucasian, the African American will have an advantage over the Caucasian. There isn’t really much evidence of this, but that’s the argument that’s made.”

Adversaries believe that it’s not necessary anymore; that it once was needed, but now is not.

People like Grant Jefferson, a student at NYU, disagree, “I don’t think we’ve reached that point in our culture economically or socially where we can afford not to have affirmative action. I think a lot of people will miss out on a lot of really important jobs and educational opportunities.” Similarly, Ama Codjoe, who holds a bachelor’s degree from Brown University, says, “Stripping away affirmative action is violent. And it impacts people because they won’t even be able to get in the door. I know that I deserve to be where I am. I also know there needs to be a system in place to address systemic racism, a system to ensure that people who are smart, capable, and willing to work hard can have a place in higher education.”

While some believe that it gives minority students an unfair advantage and that schools don’t really care who is admitted as long as their diversity quota is met. Although there is no evidence to support this claim, many people swear by it.

Honestly, I still don’t know where I stand on this issue. I want to still be that 11-year-old girl who had this false sense of reality that racism was over and that white privilege didn’t exist, but it does. Therefore, I do have to consider that without affirmative action, because of my race, I could get passed over even with whatever qualifications I had. It’s really something that I really think we shouldn’t have to have, but do because of circumstances in our country right now.

No matter what you believe— white privilege, colorism, and affirmative action are 3 things that are very real, and I don’t see them going away anytime soon. So, talk about them, research, try to understand something that you may not have even known about before reading this blog post. Educate yourself, and take from it what you will.

¹ Historically Black College or University