It's the most wonderful time of the year!

I'm back!  Wow...two posts in a span of a few days? Say what???

Anyways, this post will be about my very first Influenster VoxBox, which is called the Jolly VoxBox.

Disclaimer: All the of the products that I receive from free from Influenster is for testing purposes.

Additionally, if anyone would like to part of the Influenster nation and receive free products to try out, please message me!

Hope you enjoy the video!

I feel pretty, oh so pretty!

Hi everyone!  I'm back!

I'm so excited for getting my very first Ipsy bag!  And I absolutely LOVE IT!  Check out the video below and see what I got in my very first Ipsy bag.

I know this part is going to be a bit random, but many people know how much I football (you can hear part of the NFL Sunday pre-game stuff in the background in the video) and that I absolutely love my Texas Longhorns.

As many people in Longhorn Nation know, Coach Mack Brown stated that he will be resigning after the Alamo Bowl.  For me, his resignation is bittersweet and unsurprising.  

Bittersweet in the sense that he was my very first Longhorn coach.  I've been watching football for years before I ever started paying attention to the Texas Longhorns (mostly the Dallas Cowboys due to my mother *gag*).  However, my first experience in watching UT Football was Mack Brown's very first season at UT...and I was hooked.  

I've only met the man once during my 4 years at UT, but he was, genuinely, one of the sweetest, sincere, passionate man I have ever met.  I know his last 4 years at UT was not the best, but you can't overlook what the man has done to the UT football program during his 16 year tenure.

I am sad that he will be leaving, but I am also very excited for what the future will bring to the UT Longhorn program.  

So, in final....Thank you, Coach Mack Brown, for the memories and Hook 'Em \m/ !

It's beginning to look a lot like...

And I think you can finish that line yourself.

My rule of thumb when it comes to playing Christmas music is to play it the day after Thanksgiving.  However, one of the radio stations that I listen to is already starting to play Christmas music 24/7...and it's kind of addicting.  However, they did have a small reprieve this morning.  Instead of Christmas music, they were playing some Gospel.

Anyways, I digress...

I present to you two vlogs today.  The first one is relatively old (a few weeks) and the second one is pretty recent (a few days).

Here is the first one:

And here is the second one:

Enjoy!

There are places I remember...

Okay, I lied...I know I said that I was going to update SOON...

However, school got hella busy (yes...i'm pulling the "school got busy" card...but it did!  I promise!)

Anyways, to please you people (for those actually reading this things) I decided to upload a vlog...a really OLD vlog.

Enjoy as I review my SEPTEMBER (yes...September...) Birchbox.  I swore I uploaded this on here, but it appears I have not.

Also, I want to put another plug in for a series that I ABSOLUTELY ADORE!!!

A couple of weeks ago I discovered (Not really, it was suggested to me by Youtube) another wonderful book adapted into a Youtube Vlog Series.

I would like to introduce...The Autobiography of Jane Eyre

Along with Pride and Prejudice, Jane Eyre is one of my favorite books of all time.  If you liked "The Lizzie Bennet Diaries" you'll definitely love this series, too.

It's not as "polished" as the LBD...but I believe that is what makes this series absolutely FABULOUS.  And the actors are just as fantastic.  Expect a full on review of this series once it is over.

Go check it!  

I'm currently uploading another Vlog...which I will hopefully post soon!  

Until then...TAKE CARE!

Quiet in the grasp of dusk and summer

I APOLOGIZE fellow readers (for those who actually reads this blog) for my long absence.  It's been 1 month since then and A LOT of things have changed.

First of all...I have counseled my very first client and co-lead my very first counseling group!  I'm one step closer to becoming a REAL counselor!  YAYAYAYAY!  

And it has been a busy month.  I had one week in which I represented the UTSA Grad school at Grad fairs at Texas Lutheran and St. Mary's.  I also had to work at UTSA's Grad fair, which was held today at the Main Campus.  And my first round of tests (actually...only 1) is right around the corner.  I can't believe it's already October (WOOHOO!!!  Birthday month!!!)!  It seems like only yesterday it was the 1st day of school.

But enough about me. Let me talk about the Youtube video at the top of this page.  

Remember when I talked about "The Lizzie Bennet Diaries" a couple of months ago.  Well, this is the follow-up to the series.  This is the modernized version of Jane Austen's "Emma."

Here is my two cents about the first episode:  ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!!!!

Without ruining the first episode (and the book for those of you who have not read it), I love the fact that: (1) Emma Woodhouse is not a blonde (not that there is anything wrong with that) and (2) she is a working woman.

1.  Don't get me wrong.  I absolutely would not have cared one bit if they made her character a blonde (since in the book, she's blonde).  But every single adaptation (this may be a stretch, since I may not have seen every single adaptation of the book) she is blonde.  Think about it, the Gweneth Paltrow version of "Emma," BBC's "Emma," Clueless...they have all been blonde. It's refreshing that she is not blonde.

2.  This may have to do with the changing of times, but I like that she is an independent, working woman.  In many of the adaptations, she relies heavily on her father.  She has not mentioned her father (yet) and appears to be providing for herself.  Many people may point out that she is still a predictable woman (loves fashion...if you follow her blog and twitter), however, I like to think that she works for the clothes and accessories that she has and it's not provided for her by her father.  Mind you, it's still the first episode and there is still a lot of episodes to watch!

If you love Jane Austen, The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, or even "Clueless"...go check this series out.

Just go to Youtube and search "Emma Approved"

Hopefully the next blog post is about me reviewing the first 3 books of the Mortal Instruments series (hopefully...not another month from now...).

Until Next time!

The Cuckoos Calling Book Review

Yay!!!  My second book review.

Here is my review on The Cuckoos Calling by Robert Galbraith.

I actually filmed this vlog a few days ago.  Since then, I finished reading City of Bones by Cassandra Clare.

Will be posting a review of that book in the next couple of days!

Enjoy!

Diary of a Grad Student pt. 2

A year ago, I started this journey called "Getting my Master's Degree." I'm now entering my second year as a grad student and I'm pretty much more than half-way finished with the program.  All I have left is to complete my 700 hours of practicum/internship, 9 hours of elective courses, and take my comps....and then I GRADUATE!!!

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

Now, don't get me wrong.  I'm REALLY excited about graduating and being done with my degree (well...at least for now).  What absolutely FREAKS me out is what happens afterwards, when i'm actually in the field, working towards becoming an LPC, and helping people in the process. 

Real World living, right?

*Sigh* I guess this all boils down to being a full-fledged adult.  Scary, right?  I have so many thoughts running through my head at the moment...

So, as I sit here in the UTSA DT Library, I reminisce the last year of my life.

In all honesty, it's not what I expected.  And that's a good thing.  This whole grad school business was "easier" than I thought.  I mean, I studied by butt off most of the time, which probably made things A LOT easier.  I keep telling my friends and family that I study more as a graduate student than I did as an undergrad.

All in all, this past year was rewarding.  I met many great people in the program who have challenged me and I truly felt that I grew up as a person and discovered that this profession is something that I want to do.  I know it'll be difficult, but I never expected this to be easy.  I just hope I have the inner strength to keep going.

Being accepted into this program has been a blessing. 

Look out for a couple of new vlogs coming soon.  I'm finishing up a book at the moment (Cuckoos Calling by Robert Galbraith a.k.a. JK Rowling) and my September birchbox should be coming in soon in the mail. Once I figure out how to work the camera on my new laptop (which shouldn't be too difficult) i'll be posting my review of both the book and birchbox.

See you next time!

When you're on a holiday...you can't find the words to say

Well, I did promise that i'll be making another vlog, didn't I?

I filmed this a couple of days ago, but didn't upload it because youtube was acting funky that day.

However, i'm uploading it now...on my brand new laptop!  Woohoo!

In today's vlog, i'm reviewing a new chocolate bar and J.K. Rowling's A Casual Vacancy.

Enjoy!

There's 104 days of summer vacation....

and school comes along just to end it....

Sorry about that, Phineas and Ferb was playing in the background when I was recording this vlog.

Enjoy as I go over my August Birchbox!

A sweet talking, sugar coated candy man

Yay!  Another new vlog!  (and yay for having consistent internet *knock on wood*)

I recently enrolled myself to another monthly subscription type thing.  This time...it's food!

Enjoy!

I'm gonna marry the night...

New vlog post!

See me open up and see what I got in this month's Birchbox.

Enjoy!

Video killed the radio star...

I seriously hate technology sometimes.  Honestly, I don't even know why I spend so much time on the internet anyways.  

I'm "on" facebook, but I only check it for a few minutes and then keep the page open as "background."  And aside from the occasional school assignment (honestly, I don't have a lot of times in which I have online assignments or tests), there is REALLY no reason why I'm on the internet for long periods of time.

I remember being happy to be able to spend only 1 - 2 hours on the internet.  But now (since it's not dial-up, anymore) I spend a lot of time on the internet.  

This whole tirade of post started on June 17.  On June 17, my whole apartment complex had a power outage. During this power outage, I was on my laptop and didn't have the battery attached to it, but it was plugged into the surge protector.  After about 30 minutes, the electricity came back on and then I turned my computer back on.  After a couple of moments of booting up...this showed up:

Pic. 1

However, a quick unplug, re-plug ethernet...I got this (disregard the dates on both the pictures):

Pic. 2

Sounds like a quick fix, right?  Well, just to make sure, I called Time Warner Cable and they assured me that  is normal when power outage goes out.

Okay, June 18...start up the laptop and I see pic. 2 (see above) after a few moments.

On June 19...after starting up my laptop and waiting for a few moments...I see pic. 1 (see above).  Again, unplug, re-plug ethernet and I see pic. 2.

And this is where we start having a bit of a trouble.  What happened on June 19 happened again on June 20-22, 24, 26-28, and today, the 30th.

I called Time Warner on the 21st, but the earliest they could send someone is on the 25.  Miraculously, on 25th, Time Warner system were down and the person coming over may be a bit delayed.  The guy did call me, and (sorry, i'm not high tech proficient) he said that the problem with my internet may have something to do with the switches and he was not authorized to mess with the switches?  However, he did say that a lot of  people in my apartment complex were having trouble with their internet so Time Warner were going to send someone on the 26 to fix the internet.  Well, if they did send someone on the 26 to fix the internet, it didn't fix mine.  Called Time Warner again and they were going to send someone on the 28.

So, on the 28, the guys from Time Warner came over.  They plugged in their ethernet chord into my wall and then attached it to their laptop.  They were also not getting internet connection, even though they checked the switches downstairs before they came up.  

One of the guys went back outside and did something and were, then, able to get internet.  They then restarted my computer.  However, my computer was taking a while to reboot...a REALLY long time.  After a lot of stuff (and my computer was starting to REALLY heat up with all the things they were trying to do to my computer) the Time Warner guys believe that the power outage may have corrupted some of the files on laptop and booted up my computer into a mode in which my computer can check if there were any problems and fix itself.  The guys did say that if that mode did find something wrong with my computer that it may be the reason why, but they didn't sound too sure about that themselves, it sounded like a possibility. 

At this point, I honestly hope it's not my laptop that is causing this.  That there isn't a virus or something on my laptop, because I honestly don't feel like spending money on someone to take out viruses or reformating my laptop.  

So, yeah, that's my long spiel about my internet woes.  And what is REALLY bothering me the most is that my internet problems is BOTHERING me.  And it really shouldn't.  It is such a 1st world problem and I feel like an absolute spoiled brat for worrying over something insignificant as having or not having internet.  

I mean, I can honestly just spend a few moments on internet, long enough to send assignments over the internet, facebook, twitter, and what not.  I really don't need to spend more than 2 hours on the internet.  I can spend the rest of the time watching TV or ACTUALLY reading a book.  

It's getting to a point that I feel ridiculous for feeling this way for having issues with my internet.  A bit of anxiety?

I was joking (seriously/not seriously) with my mother on the phone about seeking counseling over this.  But I told her that I may stump my counselor over this issues and may not get the help that I need.  

I'm not losing sleep over this and I'm very aware of the ridiculousness of my feelings.  

I just need to know why I need to constantly be doing what I've been doing for almost 2 weeks to just get internet!

*end rant*

Within the month of June...

Okay, I lied about starting up my writing blog again...

But, hopefully soon!

Until then, here is another vlog.

I'm DONE with  Maymester....WOOHOO!!!

Here is a new vlog in which I taste and review another chocolate bar.  I'll be returning to my regular "typing" blog next week...after the start of my NEW JOB!

Enjoy!

Just drive until this summer gives

I seriously need to start having a "typing"  type of vlog again.  But I sincerely don't have time right now, especially with my Maymester.  UGH!

Good news is that I made a 4.0 for my first year of Grad school!  WOOHOO!  Hopefully this Maymester does not ruin that!  I'm determined to keep this a 4.0 no matter WHAT I do!

Anyways, here is another vlog in which I discuss my May Birchbox.  

Tarzan and Jane were swingin' on a vine...

New Vlog post!

Edit:  I absolutely forgot that I DID do a video on the Red Velvet Chocolate bar a couple of weeks back.  Reason why I mentioned it in the video.  I thought I didn't do a review on it.

Enjoy!

Sweet Dreams are made of this...

My closest friends know how much I LOVE chocolate.  I discovered new "flavors" of chocolate at World's Market last week.  Here is me giving my review and showing other munchies that I have and will probably review later on.

Enjoy!

I'm out for the weekend, with nothing to do...

DIY No Sew, No Drilling Curtains

I wished I found this when I was an undergrad...

Okay, as students living in apartments, we know NOT to drill any holes to hang up curtains, unless we want to fork over $$$ when we moved out.

We eventually figured out ways to hang our curtains without drilling holes.  For example, getting some sort of pole and laying them over those Command hooks that can be removed.

However, I hated how you can see those hooks and never really bothered with them.  And then there were the curtains themselves.  I always had a hard time finding curtains that I actually liked at a decent price.

And then I discovered Pinterest...

This DIY No Sew, No Drilling Curtains is based off of a DIY that I found on Pinterest.  Yet, I can't seem to find it anywhere on my boards at the moment...

Anyways...

Here is what you will need:

1. Tension rods

2. Fabric (or curtains you already have)

3. Fabric glue

Special instructions
1.  Fabric - measure your window from top to bottom and add about 3 - 4 inches to it.  This is how much fabric you will get.  So if your window measures 2 yards, you will get 2 yards and 3 inches.  I kinda mis-measured my window and barely had enough fabric to fold over to make a pocket to weave the tension rods in.  

2. Fabric Glue - I'm sure any brand of fabric glue will work, but make sure it dries clear and can be washed (meaning that when you wash your curtains, the glue doesn't come undone)

3. When you finish making your curtains, you may want to finish the "not finished" end where the fabric is fraying.  You can do this by folding the ends over an inch and gluing it with fabric glue

Lets get started! (You can skip steps 1 - 3 if you already have curtains)
1.  Lay your fabric on a flat, clean surface

2.  Choose one of the sides that will act as the top of the curtain and where you will make a loop to weave your curtains through. Place fabric glue on edge of fabric.  Remember, make sure you choose the right side.  If you choose the wrong side, your curtain may be too short or too long.

3.  Now, fold the edge with the glue over by at least 2 inches (just big enough so that the tension rod can go through)

4.  Now, press down on the glue so that it sticks to the fabric. 

5.  Here comes the long part:  WAIT FOR THE GLUE TO DRY!!!  Depending on the brand of fabric glue you bought, this can last a couple of hours.  I find that if you turn on a fan (I used my ceiling fan) the waiting time is shorter

6.  As you are waiting for the glue to dry, set up your tension rods.  Extend the tension rods about 1 inch wider than the width of your windows

7.  When the glue is fully dry, insert the tension rod into the loop that you just made.

8.  Install the curtains by pressing on side of the rod inside one side of your window.  Then press so that rod shortens so that you can fully place the rod with the curtain inside your window.

9. Fix your curtains so that the rods are hidden.

10.  Ta-da!  Your own curtains!

Hope you enjoyed this tutorial and have fun making your own curtains!

All the World's a Stage...

Hey everyone!

So, here is the promised blog in which I talk about the characters of the Lizzie Bennet Diaries.  I made it into a video instead because I felt it would be easier for me to talk about it, rather than just write it out.

Warning, it's pretty long.

And now, the end is here; And so I face the final curtain

"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife." Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 1

Oh the infamous words that begin Jane Austen's timeless classic, Pride and Prejudice!  A very good friend of mine introduced this book to me when I was 12 years old.  And ever since that moment, I've been reading this story at least once a year.  I've seen the numerous adaptations, including 1995 BBC version, starring Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle; the 2004 film, starring Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen; 1940 film, starring Laurence Olivier and Greer Garson; and, of course, the modern adaptation Bridget Jones' Diary, starring Renee Zellweger and Colin Firth (again!).

This is a story that NEVER gets old, no matter how many times I've read it. Seriously, I've replaced two copies of it already because they were coming apart.

However, the most MARVELOUS thing happened that changed how I perceived this story.

THIS.

And you thought Bridget Jones' Diary was a modern adaptation!  

The Lizzie Bennet Diaries is a modern adaption of Jane Austen's beloved story.  Elizabeth Bennet, or "Lizzie" in this case, is a 24 year old grad student (this sounds really familiar...).  The story of Pride and Prejudice is told in the form of 100 vlogs on Lizzie's channel on Youtube, averaging about 5 minutes in length.

Similar to the fashion of how I was introduced to the story by a friend, a friend (who also shares a love for all things Jane Austen) from college introduced this series to me April '12.  And what a GLORIOUS journey it has been for the past year.

Unfortunately, today was the last episode.  And this is me pretty much releasing all the feelings that this show has created in me for the past year.

Story/Plot *Spoilers**Spoilers**Spoilers*
You would assume, since I've been reading this story for 12 years, that I would not be surprised by what's in store.  Oh...how wrong that assumption was.  Of course, I knew it was a modern adaptation.  Therefore, there were going to be some tweaks on how the story was going to go.  They did mix up some of the happenings in the story (such as things that happened later, were shown earlier; things that happened earlier, happened later).  

Like many viewers, I was quite intrigued of how the creators/writers of the show were going to portray the Lydia/Wickham drama.  I was highly intrigued when the drama consisted of a sex video.  Some viewers were not pleased by that and I can see their displeasure.  However, I thought it fit perfectly.  I'm sure there were other ways they could've of shown this, but I was quite pleased of with the creators/writers choosing a sex video to portray the Lydia/Wickham drama arc.  

If you have read the book, you know what originally happened.  In short, Lydia did something in which her reputation, and the reputation of her family, is on the brink of ruin.  I believe that is why the creators picked a sex tape.  A sex tape is FOREVER and can be readily available on the internet.  If the sex tape between Lydia and Wickham were ever released, it will be difficult for Lydia to find any semblance of a normal life.

While the main focus of the book and the LBD series was on Lizzie's life, the creators made several spinoffs during the progression of the series.  Lydia had her own vlogs and we got to see a different side to her and saw how the Lydia/Wickham drama developed and escalated.  Maria Lu (Charlotte's little sister) showed how Charlotte was doing in Collins and Collins, away from Lizzie.  And of course, the Pemberley Digital Domino videos, which showed how Darcy, Gigi, and Fitz tracked down Wickham.  The series not only showed Lizzie's perspective, but also the perspective of other characters and showed a different angle to certain plot elements.  

Transmedia
I sometimes forget that the characters of Lizzie, Jane, Charlotte, Lydia, and etc. were not real.  The transmedia team did a FANTABULOUS job of incorporating every aspect of these characters' lives in the modern world.  Like many people today, we have facebook, twitter, and tumblr accounts.  Similarly, these characters have facebook, twitter, and tumblr accounts...and a plethora of other accounts.

One of my favorite aspects of this story was reading the dialogue between certain characters (particularly between Gigi [Georgiana Darcy] and Fitz [Colonel Fitzwilliams]) as they happened on twitter (yes, I follow these characters on twitter...DON'T JUDGE ME).  It showed a different side to the story...and made me much more attached to certain characters that I was never really attached to in the book.  

Part. 2 of this blog post will be tomorrow (or later today) in which I give my thoughts on each (yes each) character of the show.

Stay tuned!