You Can Always Find Your Way Back Home

Just some photos from just a few Thanksgiving festivities! So Thankful for all my family and friends...and of course all the food .  I am so thankful for living in a country where we have the freedom to celebrate! 

                                           My sister Ariel helping mom make home made Mac and Cheese...Yum! 

 

My mom did a beautiful

job with the table top and believe it or not she got have the decor from Dollar Tree!

THINGS I'M THANKFUL FOR

1. FOOD

Food, without it we couldn't live or function properly.  Plus the kind I eat is always pretty good :) 

I work part-time at a grocery store, and I've learned from working there how hard and expensive food can be. It doesn't always come cheap and it's not free, so I am grateful that I have a job that pays decent to where I can afford to buy and eat food.  

2. FRIENDS

 Through out my college years I've meet a lot of people.  Made new friends and even lost some close ones.  During your twenties and as you grow up you learn who your real friends are and who are not.  Although it's tough to lose a friend or someone you thought you were close to at one time, there's always something better in store, and possibly there are new friends to be made. 

3. FAMILY

 Since I currently live in Edmond for school, I have 2 and 1/2 hours away from my parents.   Sure when you are growing up you hate them and think they hate you, but as you get older you start to realize they were just trying to teach you and raise you up to be the best you can possibly be.  Personally my mother and I were always down each others throats growing up and while I was in high school and junior college, but during my second year here at UCO I've learned although family is forever, my parents won't be around forever and that you should cherish every moment and time you get to spend with them while you can.  Also my sister lives in San Antonio so I rarely get to see her because of her job and her living so far away.  I've learned that not everyone is as fortunate as me to have giving and good parents who are still married and love each other.  

4. EDUCATION

I am very thankful for my education.  Not everyone can go to school or afford college.  I definitely cannot and my parents are billionaires where they can just pay off my school with a big fat check.  I feel like a lot of people get the chance and money to go to college and just waste it or don't take advantage of it.  

I could go on an on and continue to bore you about everything I am thankful for but I won't.  I hope everyone has a great holiday season and a happy thanksgiving, because I know I will :) 

That's All She Wrote- Rayven Boone 

       International Festival Held At UCO 

Today I attended UCO's International Festival that was held in the ballrooms at the Nigh Univiersity Center.  As I walked in I was quickly overwhelmed and experienced what you could say as "culture shock." It was full of excitement and tons of students and faculty.  So many booths and setups of students from so many different places worldwide. 

 These students were so sweet and happy when I asked to take a picture with them! :) 

I'm not exactly sure what country or culture we took this picture by but this is my friend Kelsey that I ran into at the festival. Kelsey also let me try some of the food she got from different countries.  I tried some chocolate thing with sprinkles that looked really good and it tasted just like chocolate pudding.  So I couldn't go to the festival and not try something.

One thing I really liked was all the photo ops at the booths! I think they are all so fun! they gave us hats and they were all so welcoming and gave us a ton of props to choose from! I think having a festival like this is great way for people to see how others live in their own countries.  It's good to know how other live and about their cultures. 

 While attending the festival I also watch the Korean students perform hip-hop dances, a pop dance, and many other performances.  You can definitely tell all the students take pride in their traditions just like we do here in the U.S.  Although we are all different we all share similar customs in some form or another. 

That's All She Wrote - Rayven Boone 

Student Feature : Shannon Taylor 

indiefilter.blogspot.com <------ This Is Her Fashion Blog Check It Out! It's Amazing! 

    At UCO I am enrolled in a Video Field Production class.  Basically it's a class where we learn how to shoot interviews and we do feature story projects.  I was lucky enough to have a girl named Shannon Taylor, (who is also in my blogging class this semester) in this class.  

     As I began talking with  Shannon I could tell she was interested in fashion just by the way she is always dressed.  For my Video Field assignment I did a feature story on Shannon about her passion and love for fashion.  She gave me many of her own fashion tips and ideas as well as an insight on her favorite magazines and designers.  Vogue and NYLON are just a couple of her favorite magazines.  

     Shannon also has a fashion blog she enjoys.  Her blog is unique in many ways.  From titling all her posts with song lyrics to all her different fashion photos, her blog is one of a kind.  As I interviewed her for this feature I immediately could tell fashion was important to her.  It was very easy for me to do a feature on her because I could tell fashion was an easy subject for her to talk about.  After shooting her feature I tagged along with her to Goodwill, and browsed for some pieces there.  Shooting Shannon's feature taught me that when you are really inspired by something go for it and make it your passion!  I guess you do learn something new everyday! 

That's All She Wrote- Rayven Boone 

 American Eagle Jeans Appreciation Post 

 

        When it comes to fashion and style my biggest thing is comfort.  
There is no better way to make jeans fashionable yet comfortable than the way American Eagle makes their denim.  With sizes for all body types and a great selection of different washes they can be worn to make any look perfect. I must say these jeans have literally "had my butt" since day 1.  I love all the different fits, and I love how long AE jeans last! I still have my first pair from my freshman year of high school and although I've grown they still fit perfect and haven't faded very much if at all.  Although I prefer sweatpants I have a lot of jeans.  Majority of all of my pants are purchases at American Eagle.  I just love love love them, and not to mention the fact at how affordable they are! I feel like everyone should have at least one pair of these babies!  
That's All She Wrote- Rayven Boone 

5 THINGS YOU DIDNT THINK YOU WOULD STRUGGLE WITH WHILE IN COLLEGE 

I read and shared this from Facebook and couldn't believe how accurate it was, so I decided to post it on here and add somethings to it. 

1. Names- As you go through college there are people everywhere.  You see yourself wondering things like whose that girl that sits behind me in that one class? Whose that guy thats always wearing that shirt? You identify people by their appearance than rather their name until you get to know them or figure out their name.  Maybe you are not as good with names as you thought. 
2. Walking- You have been walking every since you were a toddler in your early years of life.  Most people say walking is easy and you don't even think about it while you're doing it. While in college it seems like all you do is walk. walk to class, walk to your car, and repeat everyday.  But no matter how much or how fast you walk you always seem to be right on time or more than likely LATE.
3. Too Many Clothes- When you first begin college as a freshman most girls wanna make good impressions on teachers and students.  No matter how many clothes you think you have you have brought too many. (I personally think you can never pack too much) In high school the issue is always wanting to have cute clothes, but in college its do I have enough t shirts and sweatpants?  No one cares in college and I'm lucky if I even do my hair for class.  There is no motivation to dress up in college unless you have to for a presentation.  
4. Getting Sick-  Parents always told me I would get sick more than I normally do when I didn't live at home.  I have been more sick while in school than my whole life probably.  Why? I don't know. I eat, and I take care of myself best I can, but it seems like theres always something wrong rather it be a cough, cold, fever, or the plague, you always seem to get sick more when in school. 
5. Wifi problems-  Free Wifi is always advertised on campus. Let's just say there is no such thing.  Just because things are free doesn't mean they work.  Nobody ever said that your computer would connect to it.  They're are so many things to worry about in college as far as doing online homework, printing papers, writing assignments, emails, etc. You can't do any of those things on campus if there isn't wifi.  

The list could go on and on.  That's all she wrote- Rayven Boone

Eating Healthy Can Be Easy! Ugh. Yeah Right. 

My Tuesday Rant

      Eating healthy while working and going to school is easy...so they say.  Do these people who say this have a job or 5 classes to worry about? Probably not.  One of my main goals is to try and eat healthy and have a balanced diet period.  It's impossible to do so when you're a broke college kid.  When you're in college, unless you have parents who just give you money just because, you are forced to eat cheap.  Cheap almost never means healthy. 
       Rather it be ramen noodles, frozen pizza, or fast food you have to eat something.  Eating healthy requires you to eat some vegetables, fruit, whole grains, etc.  But who can afford that for every meal? I will never understand why organic, or fresh food is way more expensive than the so called "trash or junk food" we eat.  
        I both work and go to school and having to try and eat healthy in between work and school is a struggle.  Everyone says everything is bad for you so you might as well eat what you want, and workout.  Whoever said this was on point.  Everything we eat that isn't expensive or all natural or organic, is considered horrible for you.  People ate it back then and are still living good healthy lives so obviously its not going to kill you to eat a Digorno or a cookie every once in a while.  I am just so tired of hearing people say it's easy to eat healthy when your busy, maybe it is for some but definitely not for a broke college kid on a budget. The struggle continues.....

Thats All She Wrote - Rayven Boone