I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling 22!

by sparkleandshinesami

Well, readers, I now know what Taylor Swift meant when she said that she was happy, free, confused, and lonely at the same time because I am now 22!

On Tuesday, I celebrated the anniversary of my 21st birthday, or as some would call it, my 22nd birthday.

I started the celebration on Monday, traveling into my favorite place, New York City, with some of my closest friends. There, we wandered around, took in the sights, went to a Hookah lounge, and ate at The Sugar Factory.

The Sugar Factory, known for their 60 oz. candy-themed drinks, gourmet ice cream sandwiches, and sugary sweetness, has been on my bucket list since turning 21. I decided that making it the venue for my 22nd birthday dinner would be the perfect time to cross it off the bucket list!

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1934069_10156737486710360_7341797641795996121_n The following day, on my actual birthday, I popped champagne, went out to breakfast for the infamous Jersey favorite, Taylor Ham, with some friends from both home and school, spent the day with my best friend from school, and then went out to dinner with him and my mom. The celebrations didn’t end cause the evening was filled with my favorite cupcakes and favorite wine.

And how did I spend my first official day as a 22 year old? In bed, hungover, napping, and watching Gossip Girl. Maybe 22 really is turning me into a grandma already…

While the rest of the 22-year-old adventures continue, make sure to follow me on Instagram and Twitter to see what’s happening next!

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23Mar2015

My Monday Musts

by sparkleandshinesami

Happy Monday, readers!

Hope you all had a great weekend. I sure did – I celebrated my first weekend as being a twenty one year old! I have been waiting my whole life for this weekend.

To kick off the birth-week (more like birth-month, to be brutally honest), some of my best friends and I went to Hibachi on my actual birthday, the 15th. We celebrated with scorpion bowls, saki bombs, good laughs, and tons of delicious food:

Then on Friday, I celebrated my first true night out by going to my first bar with my big and her roommates! We went to Aunt Chilada’s, known as Aunchie’s for Quinnipiac Bobcats. We celebrated my birthday and the Saint Patrick’s Day holiday. There is nothing I love more than a good theme party, so that combined with my birthday and my first bar experience with my big – I was in H E A V E N.

Finally on Saturday, I celebrated in one of the best ways possible – with my Alpha Delta Pi sisters! We had our nautical themed formal that night, so I get to celebrate with all of my best friends. Thank you to my big, my little, my g-little, and all our dates for giving me the greatest first legal Saturday I could imagine!

Plus, this week I made my first liquor store purchase! I don’t know what I’m happier about – the fact that I was being a legal adult or just got a spray tan.

Don’t worry mom, I also did homework and went to class and all that jazz this week, too…

Now someone get MTV on the phone, because I will be continuing to rest up, especially my liver, for when my friend Alyssa and I celebrate our super sweet 21st birthday this weekend! We’re ready to paaaaaarty….

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Have a great week, readers! Make it as sparkling as you are!

4Feb2015

Top 3 Instagrams of the Month: January 2015

by sparkleandshinesami

Happy February, my sparkling readers!

The first month of the year has already come and gone. Have you been following my January adventures on Twitter and Instagram? It’s been a fun-filled month thanks to being reunited with my friends and ADPi sisters for the second semester of junior year! Oh, and a whole less of fun when my computer got a virus, crashed, and had to be re-imaged, in which I lost my documents and photos. But, let’s not dwell on the negative.

A year ago, I posted my first ever Top 3 Instagrams of the month post. Since then, this monthly post has become one of the most popular posts of “Sparkle and Shine,” gaining hundreds of hits each time it gets posted! Due to the success, I decided to continue chronicling my year through Instagram and sharing the top photos of each month with you.

Without further ado, here is the top Instagram posts from January 2015!

2015 is the year that my best friends and I turn 21! Kathleen was the first of our friend group to turn 21 and no amount of snow, sleet, or sludge stopped us from celebrating and giving her a great night!

I’ve taken a step into the fashion blogging world, one cute shoe (or snow boot) at a time. In this Instagram post, I showed off my “day after” outfit for how to still look cute and comfortable the day after going out. To check out the post, you can go here.

A whole new yeaaaaar, a new fantastic point of view. No one (but my mom) to tell me no or where to go or say I’m only dreaming – except for one HUGE dream is no longer a dream, but a reality. I am continuing to work with Seventeen Magazine in 2015 as a member of their Social Club! This means not only new adventures for me, but for you, too, readers!

Continue to follow me on Instagram to see what February will have in store. I have a feeling that it will be just as exciting as January!

9Jan2015

Top Instagrams of the Month: November & December 2014

by sparkleandshinesami

Hey, readers!

So as I’m being a good blogger and planning out posts and graphics for the next few weeks, I realized I made a blogging mistake. Yikes…

I realized I didn’t share with you my top Instagram posts from November and December!

In the beginning of 2014, I started by sharing my top Instagram posts each month with you to show you what I do when I’m not blogging and how I am living a sparkling life. I realized I forgot both November and December, so without further ado, check out my adventures from November and December from my Instagram account!

November:

I took a selfie and captioned in with a Taylor Swift quote… you know, because darling I’m a nightmare dressed like a daydream. Or just your typical #whitegirl.

I was inducted into Lambda Pi Eta, the national School of Communication honor society, the day after my sorority semi formal.

December:

And I honored my guardian angel, my daddy, by wishing him a happy birthday. I’m sure he partied it up in Heaven with more cake and cupcakes than words in this post.

December:

My semi date took me to his fraternity’s Christmas themed grab-a-date. Fa la la la la la la

I filmed my last newscast of the semester, as the Entertainment Anchor, with some of my fellow Q30 gals. To check out our last newscast, you can view it on the Q30 website here.

And to celebrate the end of the semester and having to separate from each other for a full four months, my big, little, and g-little all went out to a local Mexican restaurant. Ixtapa had a Christmas tree set up in the corner, so the Bad Girls Club decided to take the opportunity to get a true family Christmas picture. Feliz navi-diamonds!

To see what other adventures I a had in 2014, you can check out the previous posts for January, February, March, April, May, June, July & August, September, and October. Plus, you can stay up to date for 2015’s adventures by following me on Instagram.

Here’s to hoping that 2015 sparkles even more than 2014!

13Nov2013

DIY Sharpie Mug

by sparkleandshinesami

To make my best friends birthday gift, I let my sorority girl/Pinterest addicted self shine through by crafting a DIY sharpie mug with our favorite “Sex and the City” friendship quote – “Maybe our best friends are our soul mates, and boys are just to have fun with.”

The quick craft came out absolutely beautiful & better than I could have ever expected. More importantly, my coffee chugging bestie, Julia, loved it!! With the holiday season now here, a DIY Sharpie mug is a great gift to make and give to any coffee or tea lover in your life.

The make the mug, the steps are:

1. First, you need to get the supplies you need! They’re all very cheap and easy to get – Sharpie markers and a mug! Most mugs can even be found at the dollar store if you are trying to keep yourself on a budget.

2. Decide what you want to write on it. As I said, Julia and I always tell each other that we are soul mates because of the SaTC quote, so it was perfect! You can write any quote you want, draw a design, or even write a note if you would like! You have complete creative freedom!

3. Once you know what you want to do, start designing! Take your time, remember you can’t undo it once you start, so do not rush.

4. Once it is finished, place it in the oven for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. This allows the Sharpie to not come off after washing it and multiple uses. Once it bakes, let it cool.