California Love

The majority of our society really under estimates the power of social media. It allows us to connect with people and companies, simply via a few typed words. Opportunities can be created, jobs can be found, and networking can be made fairly easy! Twitter has been my best friend over the past year or so. I just hit the two year mark of my @SoleilBeez account which is my personal account, but I also created a second account @SoleilBarros intended for networking. Luckily, I have learned to use Twitter & other social media outlets to my advantage. 

I could talk about Twitter all day, but this post isn’t about me. Well, maybe a little bit, but it’s mostly about Andrew Agustos or @_droop on Twitter! I came across his Tumblr a few weeks back and decided that he would be a good follow on twitter. It was a good call. Andrew is very inspiring and his tweets are really great. One day sometime last week Andrew tweeted a photo of his inspiration wall, which is only important if it inspires the person that looks towards it for inspiration every day. I really liked it so I mentioned it to him in a tweet, he said thanks. Nothing too exciting right? WRONG. I looked into his work a bit more and discovered what awesome talent he has. Andrew REALLY inspired me so I asked him if he would sketch me up something for me to add to my inspiration wall.

Today I had a message from the front desk asking at me to come pick up an unexpected package that was delivered. Assuming it was a parcel from my dad, (sending my roommate & I more junk food for our dorm room) I was surprised to find a fairly big box that felt like it had nothing in it, but a small tiny package that kept rattling around inside the box. The first thing that I noticed was the box cost $12 to ship & was coming from San Jose, California. I have a few pals from Northern California with creative streaks, but none that would think of sending me anything from their companies during the dead of winter!  The return address was from Droop, with a perfect sketch of his Droop logo on the opposite side of the package. I’m really big on details, I have a huge appreciation for the small things, so these factors lead me to configure Droop had set me in for something special.

Andrew sent along a sweet little note, an exclusive screen print (only 25 made, I’m lucky enough to own #24) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Screen_printing), a few stickers (one now on my laptop & a few will be anonymously placed all around the city) ,and a nice little gift from brand/website (Droop) that show cases his work. This package served its purpose and was a huge inspiration to me. I love Andrew’s pieces and definitely have developed an appreciation for his work. Also very grateful for his generosity, it means a lot. It doesn’t take much for one individual to influence another.

Check out Andrew’s work :)

http://andrewagutos.com, http://dreamdroop.com

♥ Soleil B

WOW!

There aren’t too many experiences that you get as a freshman in college that out you on a WOW factor. Every Friday I dedicate the late afternoon and early evening to my John Wilpers internship, but this past Friday in particular happened to be extremely special. John was able to host the class portion of the internship at Mullen advertising agency, which happens to be about a fifteen minute walk from my room. It was a bit of an adventure to find but luckily my dear pal Angela lead the way. It happens to be in a part of Boston that was still a bit foreign to me and without her it would have taken me a few days to find the Mullen building.

The building was beautiful! The interior design was what blew my mind first. The colors displayed were various shades of green contrasted against white and a few wooden pieces. Very nice design, it definitely complimented the WOW factor of Mullen. We had the privilege of having our class in one of their meeting rooms because Alex (former editor in chief of the Suffolk Journal) happened to be in John’s internship a while back. She mentioned that John taught her everything she knows. It was pretty cool to see Suffolk Alumni doing well and working for Mullen. From my understanding she is now the Editor in Chief to http://www.thenextgreatgeneration.com/ or TGGN, which is a blog written by generation Y for generation Y. It is some pretty cool stuff, check it out if you get a chance! 

Not only were we introduced to Alex, but we were also introduced to Edward Boches (displayed in the photo above) who stopped by for a few moments who happens to be the Chief Creative Officer for the Mullen agency. WOW! It felt very special to have the opportunity to meet Alex and Edward through this experience and it was only the second class! Next week we are taking a field trip to Hub Spot in Cambridge which also happens to be a big deal with the social media here in Boston. 

After the internship, Angela & I met up with a few friends at Uburger, very special Friday. WOW :)

♥ Soleil B

UBUGER! 

I’ve been mentioning on Twitter (@soleilbarros) how much I’ve been anticipating the grand opening of Uburger. Being from California, the past few years I have only been able to spend summers here in Boston. Uburger happens to be one of my favorite Boston experiences and the idea that we have a location so convenient to Suffolk students now is perfect! The only location I have been to is located in Kenmore Square outside of Fenway Park. I am a huge fan of the Boston Red Sox and I was lucky enough to attend a few games over the past two summers. I was also lucky enough to have an Uncle that loves good burgers! A few times before the game my Aunt Jeanne would treat me to Uburger, it almost became a tradition and something to look forward to when going to sox games. 

The new location is located on Tremont Street, about a block down from our 150 Tremont dorms. Uburger is a bit expensive for the average college student budget, so it isn’t really an everyday thing. Although, when you do get your hands on a Uburger it’s quite fantastic. I was studying with Gianna, when we decided that we needed some food in our stomachs before we could continue any more work! We were also both up for a study break, and were looking to take a short walk too. I told her all about Uburger and the summer adventures in Kenmore square. We decided to treat ourselves! 

For some reason I affiliate Uburger with the summertime and the Red Sox, mainly because this is where and when I discovered it. So the idea of eating in a new location and eating during the wintertime was a bit odd for me. The food was great as usual! They give you way too much food, I have yet to have a visit where I finish my entire meal. I ordered a plain and simple cheese burger with a side of french fries. Gianna had the same but she threw in a chocolate frapp to accompany her meal. While sitting at the bar looking out into the common, we waved at the Suffolk students we knew as they passed by on Tremont Street. Overall it was a great study break experience. If you get a chance, load up a group of friends and swing by Uburger!

PS: If you plan on getting fries, share with someone else because they give you a TON!

♥  Soleil B

Happy Tuesday!

Not sure why, but for almost as long as I can remember Tuesday has always been my favorite day of the week. Maybe because it marks the day before the halfway point in our school week, but then that may also be a bad thing because I have a lot more work due later in the later days of the week. I am currently trying not to overwhelm myself with school work and the internship work. Sadly my bad procrastinating habits won’t aid me through this semester! I am going to have to develop a productive system and work effectively on my school work along with the internship work at the same time. I feel as if I will be spending a lot more time in the library this semester! Which isn’t a bad thing, our Suffolk library is a really comfortable study environment. 

Last night I invited my friend Corey over to watch movies and spend some time just hanging out! I met Corey a week or two ago while out on a Cambridge adventure with my lady friends. He decided to make a playlist for Morgan before she headed out to the library because we all seem to have the same ear for good bands and tunes. After deciding on  a long list of great songs perfectly picked for Morgan we decided to take a few photobooth pictures. The features and funny faces led to a lot of laughs, which made for a good time. 

We then decided to watch Lords of Dogtown. This being one of my favorite movies because I love so many different aspects of the film. I love Santa Monica and the Venice beach area, and the entire film takes place all over different cities in Southern California during the 70s. The film is about Zypher skate team/shop and how the members developed and found their way into different lifestyles. The most well known of the Zypher team, would be Tony Alva. I remember one of the staff at Johnny Cupcakes in Los Angeles had the opportunity to meet to Tony Alva, and he flipped out! For some reason regardless of what i’m blogging about, I always find a way to relate it back to Johnny Cupcakes! :)

We watched the film, enjoyed a few hours together hanging out. Sadly it was a school night, so I had a bit homework to do before the next days classes. Making new friends is really important. I feel like without good friends in your life, it can be very easy to get lost in the world or feel alone. If you think about it, the majority of the friends that I have now are all new friends! Most of them being Suffolk students from all over the country, it gives me the opportunity to develop an appreciation for different things outside of the Boston area. It’s funny to think about. I’m grateful to have met such wonderful friends so far while being here in Boston! :)

♥ Soleil B

Finally, you can meet my roommate Morgan!

She is from Bridgewater, Massachusetts, a cool little town about thirty minutes or so outside of Boston. She has brought me back home to visit a few times and has introduced me to a few of her Bridgewater friends here in town. She also introduced me to the best sushi (Chattabox) & breakfast place (Brianna’s) in all of Bridgewater. These adventures and many others have brought Morgan and I very close together! She is one of my best friends here at Suffolk, and it’s just ironic that I happen to live with her! We like to think that we compliment each other very well because we have the same sense of humor, taste in music, and outlook on most things in life. Very outgoing and kind young lady I have for a roommate! If you see her around campus say whats up & tell her how much you love her boots! 

Anyways, I plan on posting so much more about Morgan over the next few weeks due to the fact that we spend a lot of time together. This post is simply to show you how adorable her outfits are! She has a great sense of style and it’s very inspiring. Most days she is wearing something floral, or when the sun is out she will even put a flower in her hair. Today she looked too cute not to dedicate a post to her outfit in it’s entirety. 

Today Morgan wore:

• H&M floral shirt
• H&M grey cardigan
• Urban Outfitters denim
• Urban Outfitters boots
• curly hair (she usually blow dryes it)

I know a lot of people seem to be having roommate issues and uncomfortable living situations. Honestly, I like to think it’s what you make of it! I try my best to respect Morgans space and she does her best to do the same. With this in mind, we have been getting along quite perfectly! We try to work around each others schedules to find time to hang out and go on adventures! My best advice would be to try and make an effort to get to know the people in your life Suffolk! Roommates, people in your classes, your professors, and even kids that you may just run into at an event! Having friends and building memories with these friends, is also a huge part of the college experience. Have fun with it! Most people in our Suffolk community are very friendly, a simple hello to a stranger is all it takes! :) 

♥ Soleil B

(Source: meld-this-world)

There’s always a first time for everything! 

My Aunt Jeanne gave me a call early this morning asking if she could stop by to say hello. Of course I had to toss a few piles of clothes in the closet and make my bed for once to make our dorm room look somewhat presentable. She called a little later in the evening and decided that she just wanted to grab a bite to eat. To be honest I was a little disappointed because I had cleaned up, but it was satisfied because I meal out with my Aunt Jeanne is always a good time! 

She wanted to go to a small place in the north end that she had heard about. To make a long story short it took us about an hour to drive .8 miles from my dorm to Prince Street because her “Tom Tom” was a bit confused. Once we arrived at this place, just our luck it was all booked up for the evening and there were no open tables. We then decided to try this place on Newbury Street “the Cafeteria” which ironically happens to be right next door to JOHNNY CUPCAKES (279 Newbury St.) so that was pretty cool. After talking about it for a few minutes we decided that wasn’t a good idea either due to the idea of parking on narrow Newbury Street. All these small details that I never consider about traveling in the city, seeing that I walk everywhere! When you walk everyday, you learn routes via walking or public transportation as opposed to knowing where to park or which streets are/aren’t one way. 

By this time, in the midst of trying to figure out where we should settle down for dinner we got lost somewhere in Somerville, ran into a crime scene at a major intersection, which led us into a detour that we sat in for about 40 minutes or so. While sitting in the detour route behind a huge Uha truck, we decided that we would be better off finding some place to eat dinner in Cambridge. Not sure how, but Legal Seafoods came to mind. I had never been but i’m always up to try something new!

My Aunt Jeanne told me that they had excellent blue fish, which I love the way she makes it with a mustard sauce. I was hoping the Legal Seafoods would be able to prepare it just as well! So i was excited about the Blue Fish, we called ahead to make reservations because as we learned from earlier in the night, they make a big difference! The menu at legal seafoods looked great, but I already knew what I was all set for. I ordered a cup of fish chowder to start, which was very creamy and delicious! When it came time to order, we learned that they were out of blue fish due to the season. It was a major disappointment, but I was open to trying something new. I decided to settle with the grilled Haddock with a side of Jasmine rice and broccoli (can’t forget the veggies!) To my surprise it was fantastic! When you have the taste for one thing, your expectations for what you settled for sometimes can be very low. 

Our waiter was adorable! The fish came out perfect! Once again I forgot to snap a photo of my plate before I enjoyed it, but trust me it was great. If your ever looking for a treat, take your self out to dinner (or maybe ask your parents to take you) to Legal Seafoods! It was an overall adventure to get there and a great experience upon arrival.

Congrats! I have landed my first internship ladies & gents! My good friend Angela told me about the position for a new media intern for John Wilpers over at Emerson. The idea that she is taking it for a second time had a pretty big influence. So far from my understanding our duties include searching the web (about 15 hours a week) for different international & global blogs about different topics. Unknown bloggers from other countries that are blogging just to blog! My favorite example that John showed us was a taxi driver in Dublin that decided to start a blog about the different fashions on the streets of Dublin! No one is aware of what this man looks like, so every time they see a cab pull over & a man with a camera jump out… every one strikes a pose! It’s amazing to think how huge the world is, and all of the undiscovered creative people that fill it.

These blogs that we find are for clients of Johns. The topics are for the clients, so they are things that I have no interest in (technology, politics, etc.) In return for spending the time working for John Wilpers, we are able to take a class on new media! Every friday we have a 3 hour class on the Emerson campus. We will be learning how to use new meida (twitter, tumblr, facebook etc.) to help our careers, build up our resumes, and stand out from other kids that I will be competing with for jobs sometime in the near future. Angela already scored a marketing job for Rise nightclub thanks to this internship, which she completed over the summer. 

Only in the first class i’ve already made a few new friends and learned so much information! It seems so simple, like you don’t need a class to learn about Twitter right? WRONG! We are learning how to use these outlets to better ourselves and stand out from the crowd. Also pretty excited that I was able to work my way up to be an intern! I am the only freshman in the class which is pretty cool as well. Going to be taking on a lot this semester, but I am totally ready for it. Hope your semester is also off to a good start!

♥ Soleil B

(Source: queenofdominance, via soleilbeez)

(Source: eiknarf)

May be a bit difficult to believe but it’s been just about two weeks since we have returned from Winter Break & I am just now finding my way back down to Pinkberry. I suppose you could factor in the freezing cold weather, or the snow/slush all over Boston into the equation to make a bit more sense. Lasting an entire month without a Pinkberry fix isn’t too bad. It was a little rough to resist due to all of the postings & updates displaying this new “Bloody Orange” flavor of the month all over Facebook and Twitter. Seeing that Newbury location is the only Pinkberry in all of of Massachusetts, I had to hold off until I returned back to school. 

Shortly before we were dismissed before winter break, I discovered the most affordable to indulge in my Pinkberry fix! The average pricing for a decent size treat is between $4-$6 depending on what your order and what type of toppings you enjoy on your frozen yogurt. I learned that if you order an original CONE with a small topping (fruity pebbles, chocolate chips, granola, etc.) it only cost $2.09! This way you have a small treat, and it is just enough to waive your craving. Also you get a stamp on your loyalty card, which will eventually lead you up to a free fro you of your choice after ten purchases! If you buy ten cones at $2.09 that equals to you paying $20.90! It may seem like a lot of frozen yogurt, but if you think about it over time…. you’d only be getting about half or so of the stamps if you were ordering the larger sizes. Being a college student, every little dollar counts! When it comes to free things, (especially food) you have to be well aware of what your getting yourself into! :)

Last night, my pal Gianna & I took a walk down to Pinkberry to grab a treat. It was freezing, the ground was very slippery and wet but it was well worth the trip. She ordered the new Bloody Mango flavor with cereal and fruit for toppings. Apparently a Bloody Mango is some type of hybrid real fruit! It wasn’t too pleasant in my opinion, so I decided to indulge in a medium size cup of simply Mango frozen yogurt. Decided not to go with the cone size this time only because it’s been so long since I’ve had! Definitely had to make up for lost times right? 

We were so over whelmed with the Pinkberry goodness that I almost forgot to take a photo for you guys! Apologies for the half eaten display, but only goes to show you how fantastic this frozen yogurt is! If you have yet to visit, please do before summertime rolls around. Trust me you won’t regret it! :) 

♥ Soleil B