2019 Christmas Gift Guide: For Him

Happy Cyber Monday! I'm starting my gift guide series with the perfect gift ideas for every man in your life!
One // Herschel backpack
This backpack from Herschel is $44.99 and is perfect for any guy who's on the go! This would make a great plane carry on, bag for school, or for overnight trips! It can easily fit a laptop, water bottle, umbrella, and more. It also comes in 24 different colors.

Two // Passport Holder 
This passport holder is perfect for a jetsetter! It's super slim and will easily fit in a pocket. There are multiple card slots as well as the passport sleeve. It is $84.99 and comes in brown and black leather.

Three // Quay Sunglasses
These aviator glasses are super trendy and only $60. They come in black and golden brown. 

Four // Comfy Pullover Sweatshirt
This pullover hoodie comes in 11 color options, going from sizes Small to XX Large. This is perfect for any guy that wants to be comfy and stylish all day. They are on sale right now for as low as $39.99!

Five // Human Made Beanie
This navy beanie by the brand Human Made, is super stylish and will you keep you warm all winter. Human made is the latest venture from street style brand, BAPE. It retails at $45.

xoxo

2019 Best Online Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! I hope you're keeping warm because it's starting to get really cold now. I always try to start my Christmas shopping around this time because I have a big family to buy for. I'm traveling a lot this holiday season so I need to make sure my shopping's done even earlier! If you're like me, you want to avoid the lines at the mall on Black Friday, without missing out on the sales. Well you're in luck! I've found the best Black Friday and Cyber Monday online deals from some of my favorite stores! I've included some items I'm going to be buying as well!
Everything is 30% off site wide at Joie! I've shopped at Joie for the longest time. Their jeans fit me like a glove. 

I'm obsessed with this pair!
If you know me, you know I have a very bad addiction to buying sunglasses. I have an entire sunglasses display in my closet. A girl can never have too many! Quay is giving away a limited edition zip case with any purchase over $75. My favorite shape of sunglasses are cat-eyed just like this one. 

Peets Coffee is having a 20% site wide sale! This wood tumbler would make a great Christmas gift for a dad! 

Shein already has great prices, but they're having an even bigger Black Friday sale. This will be my first time shopping on Shein and I'm really excited to see the clothes in person. Let me know if you want a whole Shein review and haul. Here are some things I've been eyeing online. 
This frayed sweater looks super cozy for studying for finals!

I love this skirt! I'm going to style it with a black turtleneck, black sheer tights, and black booties.

Society6 is giving everyone 30% and free shipping! I've worked with Society6 before and they have everything you need for your home, at super affordable prices! They have a great gift guide for everyone you're buying for!
Stuart Weitzman is having a huge sale up to 60% off! Stuart Weitzman is one of my favorite stores and I talk about them on my blog all the time. Their shoes are a bit pricey so this sale is so exciting! These gorgeous heels were originally priced at $400!

What are you most excited to buy on Black Friday? Happy shopping! xoxo

How to Get Into Your Dream College

Junior and senior year of high school are extremely stressful! Applying to college while keeping up with grades, extracurricular activities, work, relationships, and more seems like an impossible task. I'm going to break down every part of the application process to make your life a little easier. 
For those who are new to my blog, I'm a sophomore at Harvard University. After going through the college application process twice (once for undergrad and another time for the professional graduate program I'm in) I've gotten to know the application process very well. Here is what I've learned...
Colleges want a well-rounded class, not well-rounded students. Most colleges, including Harvard, want you to be an expert in your field. This is also referred to as your "spike." You don't want to be good at everything, you want to be great in your field of study. For me, this meant writing, fashion, and business. I made sure all my extracurriculars, awards, and internships showed that I was truly passionate about what I'm going to study. I also brought these three interests in my college essays. 
College Tours
College tours are a great place to start when applying. A current student will be your tour guide and you can ask them any questions you may have. This is a really helpful way to get a feel of the campus and find out more information. I took notes when I was touring schools, so that I could include details in my essays about why I wanted to attend. 
When I was touring Columbia University, my tour guide told me that Columbia takes note on interest. In other words, they notice how often you're asking questions and talking with admissions officers. This is important if you're certain what school you want to attend. Otherwise, college tours are great to see if you can picture yourself on campus. You might be surprised! When I visited one college that I thought I wanted to go to, I ended up not liking the campus and didn't apply at all. 
SAT/ACT Scores 
When I was a junior in high school, I took the SAT for the first time. I was absolutely terrified for this test. Personally, I think this test is not a true indicator of anything but unfortunately your scores do matter when applying to college.
I started studying my freshman year of high school, and took an SAT prep course my sophomore and junior year. I took the SAT twice and I would recommend taking the test as early as possible. Do not wait until your senior year to take the test! It will just put added pressure on you to get the score you want. There isn't a limit on how many times you can take the test, and there are seven testing dates throughout the year.
A huge part of the SAT and ACT is learning how to take the test. The test does have a time limit for each section, and it's very easy to get stuck on a question and then not finish your test. There are a lot of great SAT books to study from as well as online practice tests. I used this one. Taking practice tests really helped me be comfortable with the amount of time I needed to take on each question. If you don't know the answer after a minute or two, skip it and come back to it later. I would also recommend looking up the test scores of the previously admitted class of the school you want to go to. This will give you some guiding numbers of the score you need to achieve. Once your score falls in range of the school's averages, I wouldn't suggest taking the test anymore. 
The test is four hours long, which really got to me when I was taking it. I recommend eating a filling breakfast, getting lots of sleep the night before, and trying to take one question at a time. Try not to think about what the other test takers are doing. 
GPA
Once you figure out what schools you might like to go to, I would suggest looking up the average GPA and test scores of the students. You should apply to the schools where your scores are similar or higher. This is a pretty good indicator that you will be accepted. However, it's very important to apply to a couple backup schools. Backup schools are ones where your scores are much higher than the previously admitted students and you are very likely to get in. 
AP's
I took a lot of AP's in high school which meant I graduated with a 4.5 weighted GPA. I would recommend taking advantage of the AP classes that relate to what you want to study. You don't have to be great in every area, focus on your best subjects. 
Letters of Recommendation
Your letters of recommendation need to show why the college should choose you over someone else and what you can offer to the school. College Admissions Reps are reading thousands of applications a day and they read the same things over and over. Your letters need to be more descriptive than you're "hard-working." They need to expand upon your story and why you'd be a great addition to the school. One of my letters was from my English teacher who talked about how I was able to go to a high school while working full time as a model and actress. I was able to study in all different parts of the world when I was on set, and I was able to expand my education through traveling. My work experience is what made me different. 
Awards
There is a section on the common application for you to list your awards. The five awards that I listed were for my charity work through my non-profit, Small Acts Big Change, that I started when I was 12. These awards should relate to your "spike."
Internships and Work Experience
I started working at the age of 6 when I signed with Ford Models. Being able to manage a busy work and travel schedule, while getting good grades in school was a huge part of my story. 
Throughout high school, I participated in three internships. One was  for a fashion company called SAbel, one for a magazine, and the third was marketing for Nordstrom's. This allowed me to apply real world knowledge and show how passionate I am about business, writing, and fashion. In my essays, I expanded upon how much these internships impacted me. I would suggest getting an internship or job in high school that relates to something your passionate about. This is a great way to see what kind of career you might be interested in.
Extracurriculars
Get involved in a variety of activities in and outside of school. Choose the activities where your interests lie. These make up some of the most significant part of your application. These can range from sports to charity work to clubs at school. Once you pick your activities, you should go deeper by holding a leadership position. On the activities section of the Common App, you will need to explain your experience and what you learned from each extracurricular. These should relate to your "spike" as well. 
Essays
Think of your essays as a way to get the admissions officers to get to know you. Every essay should be telling a different part of your story or "spike." You should expand upon things that aren't completely covered in your application. You should expand upon your background and passions. For me, I expanded upon my high school experience and how my self directed learning allowed me to achieve my goals. I also expanded upon some of my internships and work experiences and what I learned from them. 
I would suggest starting to write your essays in the summer of your senior year. You should rewrite and edit them up until the deadline. One of my writing professors at Harvard, says that the writing process is "40% writing and 60% rewriting." I think this is really great advice. I would suggest having as many people as possible read and edit your essays. 
Applying early to college can be really helpful because you are notified of your acceptance at an earlier date. There are two options when applying early, early decision and early action. Early decision is a binding agreement that if you are accepted to the school, you will go. This means that you can apply early decision to one school. You will also have to withdraw all other college applications if accepted. Early action is a non-binding agreement where you are notified earlier whether you are accepted or denied. You can consider all your options and make your decision by May 1. This can take off a lot of pressure because you will already know that you got into at least one school. 
Just remember that the schools you get into doesn't mean anything. College does not define you. Try to enjoy your high school experience and not get too stressed out. Everything will work out and you will end up at the school that's right for you! 
I hope this was helpful and I hope you get into your dream school!  xoxo

Last Minute Halloween Costumes

For Halloween weekend, I flew to Dallas to visit my best friend at college. We pulled together some super cute costumes an hour before the parties! If you procrastinated your costumes for tonight, I got you covered!

For the first costume, we dressed up as In n Out workers! (A west coast favorite fast food place). We wore white skirts and white tops that we already had and got a red apron from a restaurant supply store. Party City and other costume stores would probably sell it as well! We went to In n Out to get our hats and that's it! Super easy!

I loved our Swat Cop costume! We bought the handcuffs, badge, and hat from Party City. You can use any black shorts and top that you already have, paired with some fishnet tights and black boots. They sell the fishnets at Party City too, but I will warn you they rip really easily. My tights ripped before we even got to the party, but a lot of people thought I did it on purpose! My handcuffs kept snagging them all night. For putting together a costume, literally an hour before the party I think it turned out super cute!

Some other quick costume ideas could be a cheerleader if you have an old uniform, a devil, or an angel. As long as you have the horns or angel halo, you can just wear all red or white!

I hope everyone has a safe and happy Halloween!

xoxo

Airport Style

Good morning, you guys! I've had a crazy week of traveling (four flights in 5 days). I've gotten to be pretty good at managing to keep up with school while working, but it's been an overwhelming week. On Sunday, I was invited to the Las Vegas Nascar Race. I'm going to do a whole blog post about it! I wore this outfit to the airport and it was super comfy! 
Now that it's fall, I'm loving all the fall drinks from Peet's Coffee. I ordered the pumpkin latte to take with me on the plane. It's the only thing keeping me awake with all of these flights!
Shop my look:
My earrings are from my store.   My jacket and pants are from Bloomingdales. I wasn't able to find my exact pants online, but these ones are similar if you want my outfit! My cami is from ASOS. My sneakers are by Tommy Hilfiger. My backpack is so perfect for traveling. It's small but it holds everything I need for the plane, besides my laptop! It's by Marc Jacobs. 

xoxo

Huge Announcement- Model Off Duty Style

Today's post is the official announcement of my online clothing store!!! It's called Model Off Duty Style and you can shop all the looks by clicking the link or the shop tab on the menu bar. I couldn't be more excited. This has been one of my biggest dreams since I was a little kid and I can't believe it's coming true.
Growing up, I've always been in love with fashion. From an early age, I knew that my career would have something to do with fashion. 
A good outfit can give you the confidence to take on the day. Through my clothing brand, I want every girl to feel like the best version of themselves. Model Off Duty Style has trendy pieces for every girl to feel like they are just getting off the runway.
All of the items are hand-picked by me and new items will be posted weekly. Having the brand be inclusive was super important to me. I've worked really hard to make sure all the pricing is very affordable. I also am continuously working to get the sizing in a large variety of sizes. I want everyone to feel comfortable and beautiful in the clothes.
I'm so excited to keep expanding the brand and to see you guys wear the clothes and accessories. Make sure to follow the brand on instagram and facebook. Tag me in your photos!

xoxo

IT Chapter 2 Premiere and Movie Review

On Monday night, I went to the IT Chapter 2 World Premiere. I'm a huge fan of horror movies so I was so excited to see this highly anticipated movie! 
When I arrived to the venue in Westwood, hundreds of fans were already lined up waiting to see the red carpet arrivals. I met my handler, Kayla, who escorted me to the red carpet. I walked the carpet and had my picture taken at each of the backdrops. They decorated everything so well and incorporated different props from the movie everywhere. The carpet was separated by two different rooms with press and paparazzi. The first was outdoors, and the other was in a tent that I heard people referring to as the "tunnel". The tunnel was much darker with red ambient lighting. 
After I finished with photos, we went inside the theater and were seated. There was popcorn and water waiting in everyone's seat. I sat with my handler, my dad, and a bunch of other people that I had met earlier that night. The director and cast came to the front of the theater and thanked everyone for coming. We also sang happy birthday to the director of the movie! Pretty soon, the lights went off and the movie started playing. 
For someone who hadn't seen the first movie, I was pretty shocked. Without giving away any spoilers, the movie is pretty graphic and the first scene depicts a brutal hate crime. If you're sensitive to extreme violence, I would say to watch a different movie! I like horror movies but it was a lot for me. It was also three hours long. The cast was incredible and you can absolutely tell how much time went into the making of the movie. Overall, a lot of people seemed to really enjoy it but it was a little too much for me.  
When the movie ended, we headed next door to the after party. The party was unbelievable and was decorated like the carnival in the film. There were games, fun houses, tons of food, and even a green screen where they put you into the movie trailer. You can watch mine below! 

By the way, I had to film this trailer in front of everyone which was so embarrassing! 

Overall, I had so much fun and am so grateful that I was invited to the premiere. IT Chapter 2 comes out September 6, in theaters everywhere.  #itends xoxo

An Inside Look at Disneyland's Club 33

Whenever I'm sad, I know that a Disney movie can cheer me up. Disneyland is known as the happiest place on earth and after spending so much time at the park, I can definitely attest to that. 
My parents are members of Club 33 at Disneyland, so I grew up spending a lot of time, as well as having so many amazing memories, at the park. Today I'm going to be writing about what it's like to be members of Disney's exclusive club! 
For those who don't know, Club 33 is an exclusive member only club at Disneyland. It's located in New Orleans square, near the exit of the Pirates of Caribbean ride. 
Reservations for dinner can only be made by a member, but you are allowed to make reservations for guests. The menu consists of a five course meal accompanied by drinks and pallet cleansers. The chef will provide you the best dishes and can accommodate any allergies or dietary restrictions. They even have a vegetarian course list. On the menu, you choose between three to four options per course. Lunch and dinner are served everyday, as well as brunch on weekends. Courses on the dinner menu change weekly, but usually range from soup and salad to steak and seafood. 
In addition to the restaurant, there is a jazz lounge and bar. Club 33 is the only place in Disneyland (not including California Adventure) where you can be served alcohol. In the jazz lounge, each booth is decorated related to New Orleans Square, including the Haunted Mansion. 

With your membership you also get valet parking at the Grand California every time you enter the park. You get admission to the park with your Club 33 member cards, as well as an allotted number of tickets that come with your annual membership dues. 
Another perk of being a member is that you get immediate fast passes for every ride. There are events that take place every month and members have first access to new parts of the park. This year, I got to go to the new Star Wars Galaxy Land a week before it opened. They  put our phones in bags to make sure we didn't take any photos before opening day. However, the photographers there took some hilarious photos of my boyfriend and me. 

 I still get the same feeling every time I walk into Disneyland and I'm sure I will forever. Disneyland is the place where everyone gets to be a kid again!

What's your favorite ride at Disney? Mine's Indiana Jones.

xoxo

Apartment and Dorm Decorations #DormGoals

It's almost time to head back to campus! One of the best parts of going back to school is decorating your dorm room or apartment. It can be tough to move away from home so you want to make your new space feel as homey as possible. I'm going to show you some decorations that I'd love to have with me on campus this fall!

Society6 has the cutest decorations for your bedroom, bathroom, workspace, and common area! You can shop the back to college collection here! 
The best part of Society6 is every purchase you make goes towards the artist. They have thousands of decorations that are updated daily. I love traveling so some of the pieces that stood out to me were ones that reminded me of good memories. When you're decorating your new space, make sure you surround yourself with things that make you smile.

San Diego Art

New York Pillow

Floral Notebook

Soft Pink Backpack

Puppy Laptop Sleeve

Ace your classes with these adorable notebooks and backpacks.

You can also find cozy duvet covers and wall art for your space. #dormgoals

As you can tell from the pieces I picked, I love to decorate with colors like blush and grey. My little puppy, Millie, never leaves my side. She travels with me wherever I go, both for work and school.  
I'm going to make a room decorating series this year on my blog! What are you most excited for this semester?  xoxo