Fashion Obsession of the Moment: Crochet Headwraps

In 2008 when headwraps came out, I was a skeptical. The faux-turbans were only seen on particularly daring fashionistas and celebrities.

Kourtney Kardashian

Ashley Olsen

The roots of this tread were clearly Middle Eastern, but Europe and America have taken their own perspective and morphed the headwrap into an everyday accessory. Instead of covering the entire head like Kourtney's sea green wrap, now they are usually the thickness of a typical headband. Though, the different shape isn't what convinced me that this trend was going to be the newest addition to my closet. Nope, it was the crochet that sold me.

Kaboodle.com: Crochet Trellis Headband

Polyvore.com: Swell Bundle Crochet Headwrap

Cozy Couture: Bella Custom Headwrap

(The last site, Cozy Couture is one of my favorites. I discovered the seller on Etsy and everything she does is Amazing, capital A.)

This trend is perfect because you can dress it up or down. Wear it with a blazer and jeans with some flashy pumps or if you're in a colder part of town, pull on your Uggs and Northface with the confidence of knowing that your head at least looks sexy.

My only recommendation for wearing this is do it with your hair down. Loose, care-free bohemian curls are the way to be. If you wear it with a pony, you run the risk of looking like you're heading off to shovel snow. 

Now I'm off to go buy at least 3 of these little beauties on Etsy ;)

Top 5 Reasons to Visit Seattle

In the 6 months I've been here, I've noticed a reoccurring conversation when introducing myself:

"Nice to meet you, Stephanie. Where are you from?"
"Washington State, not DC"
"Whoa! Seriously? That's so cool!"

Essentially, as a UCB student who's not from California or China, I'm a mythical anomaly on par with unicorns and Tupac. And while I love Berkeley, Seattle will always have my heart. So this post goes out to all my California friends who think Seattle is the bomb, because it really, truly is.

#5) Exercise

Whether you live in the heart of Seattle or the outer edges, biking and walking is pretty much the best way to get around. Somehow, Seattle missed the boat on the mass public transportation (unless you want to count the light rail, but no one really does). So, thankfully, there's tons of trails that take you as far as your little legs can carry you. The Burke Gilman trail is the most famous because it's one of the longest bike trails around, and it also has the most beautiful views you can get on two wheels.

But, if walking is more your thing, have no fear, unless of course you're scared of hills. A lot of non-Washingtonians learned through the recent weather reports that Seattle is one of the hilly-est major cities in the country. They weren't lying. We're talking hills where drivers stay a healthy distance away from the car in front of them during stop lights, just in case that little '86 Subaru junker has a temperamental stick shift. So, it's safe to say that while you're strolling around the city, your calves will burn. And it feels so good.

If the weather keeps you indoors (you are from California after all), go climb the Pinnacle at REI. This gargantuan indoor rock wall will get your heart pumping and reward you with the best view around once you get to the top. Having done it 4 times, I highly recommend it.

#4) Theo's Chocolate Factory

After all that exercise, you need to reward yourself with some world famous chocolate from Theo's. This relatively new company prides itself on Fair Trade, delicious chocolate made from the world's best organic ingredients. Founded in 2006, the shop and factory are one building in North Seattle. If you get there early enough, you get the honor of taking a tour through the factory and tasting all of its scrumptious goodies. But, even if you're more of a late arriver, there are still free samples of every type of chocolate they offer.

While you're there, don't forget to mark your hometown with a pushpin in their world map, posted in the store. Visitors from Argentina to the Arctic have joined the ranks of hundreds of little pushpins, making you feel that much tinier in this 7 billion person-filled planet. Also, important note! Don't think Theo's is just for girls. I took a couple (skeptical) guy friends there, where they bravely faced the Ghost Chili Salted Caramel. As for me, I played it safe with their Pink Salted Vanilla Caramel. So this is definitely a destination for everyone of all ages and taste buds. Just as their website proudly states, Theo is the only organic, Fair Trade, bean-to-bar chocolate factory in the United States. But beyond that impressive claim to fame, they make some darn good chocolate.

#3) Art

Seattle may not have the impressive art of Paris or New York, but we do have some really fantastic modern art, both professional and amateur. By professional, I'm of course talking about the Olympic Sculpture Garden that sits right on the edge of the water, outside of the Seattle Art Museum.

Personally, I'm not a huge modern art fan myself, but this is definitely worth seeing. If nothing else, to just watch the ships pass in and out of the Sound.

There is also Gas Works Park, albeit a little ways away from the heart of Seattle. This park is an abandoned (you guess it) natural gas plant. The plant itself is closed and barricaded, but some light-hearted politician created an adult-sized playground full of colorful faux machine bits and pieces.

There are benches everywhere to sit and cuddle with your honey on those moderate 60 degree days, or you can be more adventurous and climb all over the displays. After all, what's art without audience participation?



Which leads me to the amateur side of Seattle "art." In the back alley of Pike Place Market (which is awesome, but not on this list), there is the infamous Gum Wall. Exactly what it sounds like, this 50 foot wall, named one of the Top 5 germiest tourist attractions, has collected gum from thousands of people since 1993. Once upon a time, the wall connected to the Market Theater, who refused to let the gum-chewers in. In an act of defiance or laziness, they mooshed their gum onto the outer wall. Hence, a legend was born.

So join the ranks of Russell Brand, Nirvana, and myself and go stick some gum on the wall. It should be noted that some claim Bubblegum Alley in San Luis Obispo has the Seattle Gum Wall beat, but I honestly have my doubts.

2) Bars
As far as quantity of bars go, Seattle is definitely not even close to the top, unless of course you're counting pubs. Seattle has a range of bars, from the glitzy appletini-style bars to the underground, beer-only pubs. The U-District is the place to be for college students due to its proximity to UW, but it also has some little known Irish pubs, such as Flynns. This bar is mainly college students, but it has a raised wooden platform known as the Treehouse where groups of 10-15 can oversee the entire bar with an air of buzzed superiority. These are the places where you can get the largest selection of microbrews in the country. A friend went to the East Coast, where he quickly learned that "microbrew" is a foreign word in that side of the country. California is pretty decent with their selection of microbrews, but for a truly novel beer taste, you gotta go to Seattle or Portland.

If flashy is more your drinking style, Capital Hill is the place to be. Known for its parties and liberal lifestyle, Capital Hill is the place to be for a hot and crazy night on the town. There's been a bit of talk about Seattle's Red Light District, all centered in Capital Hill. But to get more of a history on that, you'll have to take the Seattle Underground Tour. (Yep, its a tour of old Seattle, which is underneath the Seattle streets we all know and love)

#1) Music Music Music
Perhaps some Seattlites disagree with me on my #1 choice, but honestly, I couldn't think of anything better suited for this position. The land that brought the world Bing Crosby, Pearl Jam, Fleet Foxes, Modest Mouse, Brandi Carlisle, Dave Matthews Band, The Foo Fights, Jimi Hendrix, The Postal Service, and of course Nirvana, does not disappoint in an abundance of quality live concerts.



The selection of venues really can't be beat. Whether you want a larger than life experience at WaMu Theater or the Tacoma Dome...

Or you prefer the intimate setting at the Showbox Market or The Triple Door, Seattle has the venue for you. I've experienced it all, from the reserved Snow Patrol concert at the historic Moore Theater to the rowdy Flogging Molly concert at the outdoor concert stage, Marymoor Park.

It all depends on your personality, but if you're adventurous enough, there is always some music just around the corner. While our large venues are nothing special in comparison to others, our small venues are popular enough to put some envy in other cities' eyes. A lot of popular bands choose to play at small pubs and bars. Last year, The Wombats played at The Crocodile, a tiny, indie 21+ club. At the time, I was 1 month from 21 and heartbroken, so fingers crossed they come back soon. It's these types of venues that shape the music culture of Seattle, and I think the musicians know it. For the megastars, it reminds them of their early days and reconnects them with individual fans; for the up and coming, it's a great way to solidify a loyal fan base. But either way, its an opportunity to bring the artist and the audience together to appreciate the art of music without the busyness of strobe lighting and giant TV monitors. The greatest quality of Seattle concerts is that they bring everyone back to the basics.

That, boys and girls, is Seattle in the tiniest of nutshells. Hopefully, I've given you one or two reasons to brave the rain and visit the best city in the world, my home, Seattle, Washington.

Curse of the American Dream

Yesterday, I was looking at decals to add to my schedule. For non-Cal people, decals are 1-2 unit student-led classes on anything. This year, we have James Bond: Politics and Pop Culture, Quantum Consciousness: The Large, the Small & the Human Mind, and Whiskey: History and Culture, to name a few. Whenever I look at the list of courses I have to consciously tell myself to only take what I can apply to my major or a future career. So instead of taking Learn to Play the Sather Tower Bells, I am taking Berkeley Fiction Review: Small Press Publishing. It's not that I don't want to take this class, but there are decals that are much more interesting to me right now. However, interesting and important are not synonymous.

This isn't the first time I've stumbled into this conundrum. As an English major, the first question people ask me is "So what are you going to do with your degree?" I'll be honest, it's a fair question. The obvious answers are teaching or law school. The subvert answer is waitress. But why is this answer not ok? Why is it stigmatized?

Perhaps it's because after a person pays thousands of dollars for a degree, they don't want to get the same job they could have had in conjunction to those thousands of dollars. Understandable. But that should make the issue an individual one, not a socially frowned upon one.

Then again, maybe it's because these jobs (waitress, retail, barista) don't pay as much as people assume a college graduate should make. But that raises the question of, well, how much should college graduates make? How much should an individual with, oftentimes, little work experience earn? In my opinion, it's not nearly as much as college grads think they should. These jobs are oftentimes fantastic. Some of my best work experiences were at Starbucks. A lot of people want jobs that are challenging, creative, and make a difference. Starbucks baristas have all of that. Clearly, it's not the job itself, it's the money.

So why should society care if I don't make as much money as Mr. Engineering Major? I think it stems from the American Dream. The story that "grandpa came to America with $2.00 in his pocket" is known to many American families. America is a mutt, so it makes sense that everyone has their own version of "Back in the day..." Obviously, that generation had qualities that this Occupy generation doesn't understand--determination, diligence, patience. All of those things are fantastic, it's what made America. But, what is the backlash of that mentality? This current generation is having such an issue with inequality because it is no longer ok to be anything less than a millionaire. As an English major, I've gotten my fair share of "English? Oh so you're going to work at McDonalds?" So what? McDonalds offers healthcare, dental, vision, and life insurance among other fantastic benefits. Simply because great-great-grandpa Thomas earned thousands in his day, doesn't mean I have to earn millions. It's no wonder the middle class is disappearing when middle class jobs are so scorned. Now, I'm not saying this is the entirety of this generation's issues, but I think it is a relevant. This generation has been pushed so far forward that we can't even think about filling in the gaps behind us. The American Dream has backfired because dreams aren't made of spatulas and aprons.

Final anecdote to make my point...a friend of a friend was recently protesting at the Occupy Seattle camp. She had been laid off for months and was living on food stamps. That day, the secretary of a near-by company quit, so the VP walked to the camp and told everyone who had their resume and wanted a job to line up. Along with a handful of others, she lined up and upon giving the VP her resume was offered the secretary job. She asked for 24 hours to think about it. This woman who was living on food stamps and Occupy freebies had to think about it because the salary wasn't high enough for her. Ultimately, she took the job.

Scholarships: Socially Encouraged Gambling

As a poor college student, scholarships are a necessary part of my life. Last semester I spent a good portion of my free time applying for scholarships. During that time I didn't think twice about the large amount of time and money I put into these applications. Every organization wanted my life story and verification. To be fair, it's free money, I would want to know where my money was going too. But, when it gets to the point that financially-disabled college students are required to pay hundreds of dollars (no, not an exaggeration) all in order for the chance to get some money, I start to get a little confused.

To apply for a certain scholarship, I needed to supply the following:

BC Transcripts: $9.60
HCC Transcripts: $6.05
UCB Transcripts: Free (because Berkeley is awesome)
High School Transcripts: Free (once again, awesome)
SAT Scores: $9.50
SAT Subject Scores: $9.50 (each) = $19.00
ACT Scores: $8.00
FAFSA Report: Free

Total: $52.15 (and that's without having to pay for my current college or high school, which a lot of students have to do)

Taking into account the odds of most scholarships, I just paid to have a rejection email sent to me in the next 6-8 weeks. Now, I know that we're all suppose to take those odds into account. Because of the horrible odds, students are encouraged to apply to dozens of scholarships. Odds are you have to get one right? But what if that one is $500 and you applied to ten scholarships? If you're me, you just lost money. In the end, no matter what scholarship you pay to apply to, you are still taking a risk, and according to the dictionary, that is gambling. 

Courtesy of Free Online Dictionary:

gam·bl

v. gam·bled, gam·bling, gam·bles

v.intr.

1.

      a. To bet on an uncertain outcome, as of a contest.

      b. To play a game of chance for stakes.

2. To take a risk in the hope of gaining an advantage or a benefit.

3. To engage in reckless or hazardous behavior

The only definition that might not work is 3, but I'm sure someone could argue it.

The point of all this isn't to change the way it's done, just to point out another way that the academic system sucks money out of students. I will still continue to apply to scholarships because, in the end, what else can I do? Do I think that transcripts should be free? No. That'd be way too expensive for the schools. Do I think that it costs too much to apply for the chance at winning money? Yes. Solution? Forget scholarships and play the Lotto. But then again, now that the connection between gambling and scholarships has been made, maybe the hyper religious will stop applying. Better odds for the rest of us.

New Years Resolution

I always hate blog introductions. I mean honestly, no one cares why you're writing a blog, they just care if it's entertaining. In lieu of that, let's move on.


This is the first year I made a resolution that has nothing to do with my weight. The subtext of that statement means that this is the first year I might actually keep my resolution. Instead, my 2012 resolution is to know what career path I want to take by the end of the year. A few older people that I've told patronizingly smiled at me. One even replied, "You're a college student, you don't know what working for a living is even like." I thoroughly enjoyed telling that idiot that I had worked three simultaneous jobs right out of high school so I could pay for college and I've been working every since. It was the verbal equivalent of the triple snap. (Ex: Snap Tutorial.)

So I have one year to figure my career out. I don't plan on a big epiphany, let's be honest, this isn't an ABC Family movie. But, I do have a lot of opportunities this year. I am lucky enough to go to a fantastic school packed with amazing professors. So, Step 1, I plan on making use of their knowledge by actually talking to them. I learned in high school that teachers are a valuable asset, not for what they teach you in class, but for what they tell you outside of it. Step 2 is interning in D.C. with an amazing program on campus. Finally, Step 3, keep my eyes and ears open. Obviously, I'm not one of those people who has always wanted to be a doctor or a teacher. So, it doesn't make sense for me to blindly sprint through my college career focusing on some hazy goal.

There you have it. My three-step process to career nirvana. 
1) Talk to professors
2) Intern in D.C.
3) Be open

I expect great things from you, 2012.