Shopping 101; Hollywood Style

Celebrities have a strong impact in the media beyond our recognition, which influences various fashion styles. Socially acceptable outfits are mostly determined by what is being portrayed in the media at the time. Styles are subject to change and do so frequently. Each season is all about a new, fresh look. People get ideas for their unique wardrobe choices from popular, publicized sources. Sources such as magazines and the television are impossible to escape because they are everywhere around us. People will often imitate the styles they see and like, just because their favorite actor or singer is wearing it. It is amazing how much celebrities have taken over the fashion world. They are able to make a statement from what they wear that has the power to spread so rapidly and become the "it" look for everyone else. I get my style from a mixture of looks that I see and select from in the media. Everyone has their own style, which is based off of their personal preferences. I do not like to attempt to replicate an exact outfit that I have seen in a magazine, but I always take tips and enjoy mixing and matching to create my own custom look. This video is something I would normally watch on television and remember the next time I'm out shopping at the mall.

To Give Is Better Than To Receive

Same Cafe has their own blog which I have been following (http://news.soallmayeat.org/). All that they are doing to help the community is truly amazing. They have been becoming more well-known by publicizing themselves on the internet and through flyers dispersed around the area. They are growing, showing their full potential and are going to be in the Green Route Restaurant Tour, which is great progress and yet another great way to get their name out to the public. Raising awareness will bring them in more donations and hopefully, eventually another cafe like itself. What these volunteers are doing is inspirational and shows everyone to never give up even if you are down on your luck. I believe the idea behind this cafe is to spread equality and hope. Food is a necessity that should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their economic status. Financial issues can be devastating and no one should be deprived of a basic need, especially if there is nothing they can do about their situation at the time. I am glad that I found this idea and that I am learning more about it. My dream would be to open a Same Cafe of my own after college, but until then, I am going to find a place like Same Cafe to volunteer at.

Real Change Not Spare Change

I saw a homeless woman on the street while I was in Fort Lauderdale this past weekend holding a sign saying the same thing as the one in the picture above, "keep your coins, I want change". I had to reread it a couple of times and really think about it before I understood its deeper meaning. I realized that I completely agree with her because she is trying to show that giving her some spare coins is only a temporary solution to her problem. Giving someone in need some extra change is always a thoughtful and generous gesture that helps out a little bit in the moment, but the problem is, not in the long run. Seeing this made me go back to thinking about my idea of owning my own Same Cafe in the future. I believe my plan is what she is trying to express to people. She wants everyone to help in changing the world as a whole. By creating more places like Same Cafe it will allow this dream to be possible. With the economy still struggling, it makes it hard to find a decent job. Without a decent job, people can get into such financial binds that they end up living on the streets unable to feed themselves or their family. Places like Same Cafe allow homeless people to work in exchange for food so that they feel equal and not like they are just accepting handouts from the community. Many less fortunate people feel embarrassed or ashamed to accept handouts, but Same Cafe makes it possible for anyone to work, eat, and maintain their dignity.

Better Luck Next Time

This past week was such a slow week for me. I have to admit that I have not given my idea much thought since my last blog post. I have had a lot of things going on in my personal life this past week that have consumed my thoughts. I feel guilty for not thinking much about my dream of creating my own Same Cafe recently, but I am determined to get back to further planning it this next upcoming week. I am hoping the issues in my life will settle down as soon as possible because they are driving me crazy. I want to go back to my normal self and not let these problems hold me back from doing what I want to do. All this stress lately has been taking me away from thinking about the things that make me happy and I really cannot stand it. I am going to focus more on keeping everything positive and not letting these negative situations get the best of me.

Reality Check

As most young adults in the Miami area already know, this past weekend was Ultra Music Festival at Bicentennial Park. Although I did not goto Ultra Fest itself, I was in Miami saturday night with my friends to check it out. While there, I realized that people were paying around $200 to goto a concert for the weekend. Don't get me wrong, Ultra Fest looked like it was amazing and everyone said it was worth it and it was their most fun weekend all year. I would have loved to have gone, but unfortunately by the time I had tried to buy my ticket, they were already sold out. I was disappointed at first, then I realized this might not be such a bad thing. As we were walking down the streets of Miami, I noticed there were homeless people everywhere, I felt so guilty that there was nothing I could possibly do for all of them at the time. A random homeless man came up to us and was so friendly, he started telling us jokes and we bought him a hamburger so he could sit and eat with us while we all kept talking. He was so grateful that we had gotten him the hamburger and now I can say that I know 100% that it is the little things that do count in life and in true happiness. It is better to give than to receive. It made me appreciate even more how blessed I am to have the life that I have. Meeting this man and seeing how unfortunate his circumstances are, yet how happy he can still remain, makes me think even more about how I can pursue my dream of opening a Same Cafe of my own someday.

More information on Same Cafe: http://www.soallmayeat.org/

To Each His Own

This past week I tried telling some of my friends about this dream of mine and I have very mixed emotions about the reactions I got in return from them. It seemed like no one was as into this idea as I was and I did not understand why. When I would tell some of my friends about wanting to own my own Same Cafe someday they would just say something like, "oh yeah, that's cool, you should do that", which was a disappointing reaction for me. They would act semi-interested, but not ask questions to find out more about it, the problem with that was, I desperately wanted them to show more interest and ask me more about it. I wanted them to be more encouraging and maybe even want to help me further this idea. Everyone has their own way of giving back to their community, but I feel like this idea would be truly beneficial to the less fortunate people all around us and has a lot of potential to grow and become a more popular trend. Whether my friends take me seriously or not, this is still something I would love to accomplish. I'm going to keep learning more about this unique cafe and I hope that I will be able to find someone with the same passion about this that I have to help me with my goal.

A New Twist

This week my new twist is to stop shopping and start helping. The second I watched this news clip I knew this is something I want to do in my life. This video went straight to my heart. I have always known that I want to do something non-for-profit to help those less fortunate than I am, I just didn't know exactly what that should be. When I thought less fortunate, I did not realize how extreme that could really mean. It is so hard for me to imagine what it would be like to even go a day without being able to eat if I am hungry, much less having no idea where my next meal will come from and when. I have been sitting here writing blogs about what I have been buying at the mall when there are people out there who can't even afford to buy enough food to live off of? This was a wake up call for me. It is something I have to admit that I have always known, but don't keep in mind nearly as much as I should. I feel like it is that way for a lot of fortunate people though, which is a shame. It would be an amazing dream come true for me if I could eventually open my own "pay what you can" cafe just like Same (So All May Eat) Cafe. Hopefully someday it will be possible. Until then, less shopping and more helping.