I just started listening to Kelly Clarkson’s latest single, “Stronger,” because Taylor will be covering it this Friday at her show and I haven’t ever listened to the entire thing. It feels SO good to be blogging this morning and to be back on schedule. I have almost officially survived midterms week. Technically, I’m only halfway there, but the last half is kind of no sweat.
Readers,
I’ve got so much news to tell you! First off, I managed to do a Space Girl photo shoot in the midst of this hectic week! I also attended an event last night that I’d like to tell you more about. In addition to that, I will be introducing a new original post to all of you very soon with help from my senior friends here at school and from my high school. Other than that, life is busy as always and I am “surviving.” – the same response that I got whenever I asked, “How are you doing?” to someone this week.
I am so so proud of my friend John! Not even a week ago, John reached out to his friends and family to ask for donations for an extracurricular baseball program that he wanted to bring to his students and today he has finally reached his goal. With the help of his friends, he was able to raise $1,085 for students and now they will have all the equipment they will need to play baseball.
I am very lucky to have someone like John in my life. His dedication to his students and kind heart are just two of the many qualities that I am impressed by. Readers, I am very glad that I have had the opportunity to introduce him all to you.
Congratulations John! I hope you know how much everyone here in the community cares for you and how often we are thinking of you!
To continue following John’s adventures in Detroit, check out his blog here.
I am not attending a Super Bowl party today, but I will be watching as I furiously take notes on my own study guide! Oh yeah – that’s the way to do it. Multi-tasking. I bet all of you are actually doing more exciting things for the event though so enjoy it!
On another note, my VueSociety collaboration giveaway is going on UNTIL the 8th - I’ve since changed the question from yesterday, but please leave a comment and be automatically entered to win. I will be selecting a winner at random. I love free stuff and I love giving things away so don’t miss out on this opportunity because it’s a good chance that it could be you.
I am so excited to share some news with you today – one that includes a giveaway and promos! A few years back, I was introduced to a blog called VueSociety covering news in fashion and style from over on the Eastside. I’ve been a fan ever since. Today, the blog has been transformed into VueSociety – a full-fledged online boutique showcasing some incredible up-and-comers in the fashion industry. The pieces highlighted in the boutique are beautiful. So let’s show both the designers and Rachel, owner of VueSociety our support!
Giveaway!
VueSociety and Yow Yow believe these dresses would be a great fit for your Valentine’s Day plans. Tell us what you are doing for Valentine’s Day this year in a comment below by Wednesday, February 8th and one winner at random will receive a $25 gift voucher to VueSociety sent to them!
Promotions!
VueSociety is currently holding a promo for Blaque Label sequin dresses(like the one you see above). Snag yours from now until February 10th for $20 off the original price. To read more information, click here. If you order something by the 10th, it will arrive just in time for Valentine’s Day.
I hail all the way from Baltimore, MD where I am currently a full-time volunteer through Jesuit Volunteer Corps. I am a caseworker at a homeless day shelter where I meet daily with an average of 10 clients. The services I aid with through casework include financial assistance in obtaining identification, shelter referrals, mental health and substance abuse referrals, handing out needed clothing, and helping clients find housing along with many other things that situations call forth. I’ve done something as simple as stick a band-aid on a cut of a man’s forehead to as complicated as finding assistance for a woman and her two children who were living in an “abondominuim”.
This work is tough and emotionally demanding, especially since there is a huge need from the homeless population and Baltimore City doesn’t offer enough resources. It’s especially tough as stories of homelessness are personalized for me; I see it in the faces, emotions, mannerisms, personalities, and hearts of each one of my clients.
I’ve come to dislike the term “homeless.” It lacks human dignity for a population that most needs it. With that term comes impressions of what that person is like- alcoholic, drug-ridden, mentally ill, dirty, lazy or even simply just out of luck. Yes, there are clients I see who are “chronically homeless” and may encompass one or more of these features, but the majority of my clients have potential for obtaining housing and simply need a leg up. They need someone who will advocate for them, assist with their needs when they don’t have the finances or spirit, or simply listen to them. Instead of “homeless”, and although it might not be the best solution for defining this population, I’ve thought of “without a house/apartment/a place to stay.” For me, this phrase indicates more of a transitional period in a person’s life when times are tough. It signifies that there is hope for that individual in moving forward in reclaiming stable housing, even if it might take a while. Moreover, “without a house/apartment/a place to stay” also signifies a lack of owning something tangible that society sees as almost necessary to being a “quality” citizen; something also defined by having a valid ID, a clean record, and able-bodied enough to work, all of which many of my clients do not possess.
After being discontent with the amount of tags in the tag cloud below, I decided to re-evaluate the purpose of Yow Yow! With the help of Vue Society’s Rachel Kim, I narrowed down the tags to turn the most popular ones into categories, which is now what you see written under “Leave a Comment.”
The main categories for Yow Yow! will now be:
Culture
Design
Life
Music
People
Style
The tag cloud will still be there below, but now you have easier access to seeing posts under these categories.
On another note, I have finally decided to utilize my Twitter account much more and will soon be tweeting out posts for the day or at least my favorite. Later tonight, I will be announcing a new collaboration so stay tuned!
It’s been over a year since I first introduced all of you to Euna and in case any of you have been wondering what she’s been up to – it’s EVERYTHING! This talented young woman is a master in design and is accomplishing way more than I am – and we’re the same age. Her latest work can be found in David Guetta’s newest music video, “Turn Me On.” YES it’s that mainstream song you keep hearing on the radio! Euna helped to composite many of the mannequins from it.
I absolutely LOVE Valentine’s Day and am so excited to bring out some V-day themed posts to all of you in the next couple of weeks leading up to it. I’ve always enjoyed the holiday first off – because I love “love,” (just like my dear friend Jeanette,) and secondly because Valentine’s Day has the best candy!
Another reason would be because we are well on our way towards spring with this month and spring is the best season of all!
Also this looming reality that my senior friends and I are four months away from graduation as of right now is terrifying!
Hello readers! Another reason why I am so glad to have guests posts on Yow Yow! from my dearest friends is so that I can keep all of you informed when they are doing awesome things in their lives! My dear friend John is currently in the Teach For America program teaching physics to 11th graders and has decided to create a baseball team for his students as part of their extracurricular program. The school that he teaches at in Detroit is lacking sufficient funds to make this possible so he is asking for help from all of his friends and family. Donations will go towards all of the basic equipment needed for his kids to be able to play baseball. Check out his donation page here.
When Katie sent me the email asking me to write a guest post on Yow Yow, I was incredibly hesitant. Unlike everyone who has written before me, I don’t actually like most people or things, and the highlights of my day include pooping and eating abnormal amounts of Mexican food. I loved absolutely everything I’ve read so far with the guest posts, but when Katie asked me to share something witty and insightful I blanked. Me? Wise? I thought that word was only for old dudes with beards like Dumbledore or Socrates. So I picked my brain and tried to think of something, absolutely anything, that would make me sound like a funny and intelligent 22-year old who’s getting her act together. Sadly, I’m not in a Scott Pilgrim novel, and all I could think about was my existential crisis: why is my love of Zooey Deschanel disintegrating? WHY?
The real fact of the matter is, I suck under pressure. I am an incredibly opinionated person who actually never keeps her mouth shut, yet if you ask me what my favorite book is, or what music I like, the only answers that pop into my brain are the Insane Clown Posse and Eat Pray Love.
But then it hit me: I’m going to write about a person who inspires me. So simple, right? When I re-read the email Katie sent me, she talked about how she’s lucky to have me in her life, and that I have helped shaped her experience at SU, and that she wanted to marry me because I’m so attractive and amazingly good-looking and sexy (I know, she won’t keep her hands off me). However, I kept thinking, “Does Katie realize she does the same thing for so many others?”
Unfortunately, I think the answer is no, therefore today I’m going to confess why I’m in lesbians with Katie.
Picture me at 18 years old. Actually put some valiant effort into that, because I was much skinnier then, so this will be a more flattering place to start.
At 18, I live my entire life in practicality and reason. I approach things as a realist, sometimes to an alarming degree. I don’t like breaking rules. I don’t like the idea of getting into trouble. I don’t drink or try any drugs through my entire childhood and rambunctious teenage dome. You get the picture—I wasn’t the kind of kid to paint graffiti on the sides of buildings or get caught making out in the closet at somebody’s house party. I was never good at being indulgent or a risk taker. Don’t expect me to be the first to jump into the deep end of the pool. Hell, don’t expect me to be the first one to suggest going into the pool. Me in a bathing suit? In public? Do you want an entire collection of people to be simultaneously horrified and blinded at the same time? I didn’t think so.
Now, let’s move on from those chilling thoughts and settle into the now. The present Maddie, who is 22 and thought she knew exactly what she was doing. Thought she had created a practical college plan to follow and is instead staring into the future like it’s a San Francisco fog. I declared my business major at Seattle University because I thought it was a responsible step. I knew one day I wanted to own my own business and become an entrepreneur.
Now I’m two quarters from graduating, and on paper, I’m satisfactory for the business world. I’ve had work experience, two internships, and a handful of leadership experiences. I even have a leadership and mentoring position at the business school. In fact, to my current employer, who may be fully willing to hire me after graduation, I look fancy and clean-cut and like I’m ready to take on new responsibility.
So whoop-de-doo, put a cherry on top. The pie is baked, decorated, and ready to go, right? Wrong. Here’s where I hit the road-block.
What if instead, I took all that practical planning I’ve been assembling, molding, perfecting into the damn Mona Lisa, and, well…threw it out the window? What if I based my future goals on the one part of my life where I’m impulsive and indulgent: singing publicly.
Why would I do that? Well, here’s some context: Ever since I was about 4, I’ve been singing. Now, I’m fully aware that EVERY performer you come across will say something like that. Something along the lines of “I’ve basically been performing since the day I was born.” Oh sure, you came tap dancing out of your mother’s womb. I get it. What I mean by starting like that is to say that ever since I was young, it’s been one of the only things I felt good at. My first solo was in the 5th grade musical, where I tested out my a-bit-mature-for-my-age big voice. Later, I performed in middle school talent shows and watched tiny pubescent heads turn from the audience to try to figure out where that loud (not yet very controlled) singing voice was coming from. As I got older, I tried so hard to sound like famous pop stars and divas of soul and rnb. I sang at talent shows and sporting events in high school. I joined the choirs. I pretended like I knew how to write good songs and recorded demos when I was 15. That was and remains my identity to most people. I’m Maddie Cary: the girl with the big voice.
When I first had the idea for this project to feature my friends on Yow Yow, I had no idea what it would look like. I sent an email to a select few. I told them I was interested, but I didn’t gave any requirements or topics really. I barely gave them a deadline. As soon as the posts started rolling in, I knew that what I had just received to my inbox was special. These posts are unedited and are published in the raw form that you see them in.
I haven’t been able to express how much these mean to me though, because the only part that I write in the guest post is the bio and I try to make it all about them. I have to say though, that I feel incredibly lucky to have these people in my life. These friends have been there right next to me in that classroom, have become my role models, and my supporters. They have helped shape the four most memorable years of my life here at Seattle University and I am at times in disbelief that I have this opportunity at all to share them with you. For one post, I get to let you into their lives and my friends, for one post get to sum up their hopes, their emotions, their humor, and their passion. This project means a lot to me. As I write this, I am listening to a video recording of my dear friend Maddie (the very person that inspired this project,) pour her heart out into a song that I will be sharing with you very very soon and surprisingly, it is guiding me swiftly through writing this post. My hope is that you are able to take away from these posts a new perspective, a refined perspective, and the security of knowing that you are never alone. Whether you are countries apart, miles away, down the street from this guest post writer, the distance should not be a factor and neither should the age difference.
Readers, thank you for your continuous support and interest in reading their posts. I get the biggest grin on my face every time I see them as a top post. If you like what you are reading in their text, just imagine what they are like in real life.
My goal is to try to put out a post from them on a weekly/bi-weekly basis. Need to catch up? Please check out our first two guest post writers below.
On my end, the news front has been awfully quiet today! Although we are having a school-wide snow day, I strangely have not been using this time to blog and that’s actually been extremely nice. Two of the blogs I read on a daily basis – Ohnotheydidnt and Gawker are completely blacked out as well as the front page of WordPress. From 5AM-5PM today, Yow Yow! was also under a complete blackout opposing SOPA. Those that were unaware of what was going on and attempted to use Wikipedia were not quiet at all. You can see their responses here. That’s just what happens when you aren’t informed. Sucks, doesn’t it? Can you imagine how people will respond if SOPA and PIPA actually pass and others have not heard a thing about it?
Mayhem.
My hope is that all of you have at least taken some time to enlighten yourselves on what is going on – and what is at stake. It’s your freedom to create and to express on the line here. And if you are OK with giving that up, then please – feel free to go ahead and call the Congress offering them your support.
If you don’t agree with SOPA and PIPA, please take the time to sign the petition. It took me two seconds.
If you still are not sure what is going on, and don’t worry I won’t judge you for it…(that much) then let me simplify the situation for you with this gif from The Oatmeal. It’s got animals, Oprah, and Jesus. How can you say no? Continue to stay informed, please.
Every so often, I’ll get asked from someone who reads my blog the question of how I decide what goes on Yow Yow. Well, that’s a very interesting question that comes with a full circle answer. I read the news everyday from a number of sources across various topics. Generally, I like to stick to things that I’m genuinely interested in, but other times, I’ll write posts based on what I think my own friends would like to read. Before starting Yow Yow, I used to run into this disconnect with some of my friends in a group setting when I would always say to them, “Oh! Did you hear about…?” (probably something related to what I write on the blog now) and they either didn’t care for it or had never heard about it.
Yow Yow was not only an expressive outlet for me and a past time, but it was something created for my friends that was relevant to my generation. It was something that they could read or relate to while they were in class, being distracted from homework, or reading on their own time.
With that, I happened to stumble upon three pieces this morning each reminding me of three of my friends.
My dear friend Megan, who you will seeing a guest post from next week, used to make these beautiful handmade journals for herself and for her friends as presents. This journal, pictured above, was constructed out of vintage materials by Odelae. This one was made out of leather, but she also seems to have another journal bound between oyster shells! [Source]
During our recent snowy Sunday, Veronica invited me to trek through the snow to share a cup of cocoa with her. I never made it, but I did come across this simple, but adorable way of making hot cocoa and gifting it to friends and family. How chic, right? It’s so modern, but makes perfect sense. Making hot cocoa has never been so easy. Check out the recipe here.
Lastly, my friend Bree loves cats. Every time I see cute cat-like things, I am instantly reminded of her. She doesn’t have one right now, but I think she would love these “cats as human hipsters” pillows. Or…maybe she’ll be creeped out by them. Either way, they’re too stinkin’ cute. This Boyfriend Girlfriend Pillow set was made by graphic designer and illustrator Nicola Rowlands. [Source]
