State of Transition

So just barely qualifying for working in the entertainment business, work and stuff really has slowed down. It;s strange looking around and seeing things not as busy as it once was, for things like, comedy shows, live concerts, and other types of events and things. These all basically defined the summer, going to festivals, going out to random vacations and clubs, and just simply traveling not even that fall, even just a town away. 

At least now things are a little bit back to normal, or the seasons are coming around where we become more and more antisocial. Like the transition from summer to winter definitely is steady, but these things we still can do with corona and stuff. 

1. Apple Picking (Apple pie, apple cider, apple sauce, and apple orchards. Oh and the pumpkin patch stuff)

2. Wine Tasting 

Actually I don't think I have ever been to a winery or anything but I keep seeing more and more people doing those random photo shoots there besides like weddings and stuff

3. Bar Crawls/ Halloween 

So now I kind of have to toe the line with this because I am not in college anymore but I am not an old townie who everyone knows your name so I still look like a child next to others. And Halloween also is done definitely different from place to place, clubs are fills with just barely 21 year olds dressing slutty and bars are just funny costumes and nostalgia.

 

4. Hikes (I do the bare minimum with this as well but it is definitely perfect because most of the vacation traffic has left the parks and it's just mainly retirees walking their dogs and such)

5. Drive-In movies (This is another thing I haven't done in a hot minute and actually went on a cute date at the drive in at a Judd Apatow movie, I think Trainwrecked. Love Bill Hader, go watch Barry on HBO)

Everything is definitely different. Just looking back to last year and all the random things I did, or even in college it's drastically different. Best shows of last year were definitely these, but if I'm honestly I wish that I got to see the 2020 line up even better but I guess all those concerts are being postponed to next summer where I would have to pay for them. damn. Either way, looks like things are on the ups and looks positive, once the election and riots are finished I feel people will be less hostile and stuff.

1. Jonas Brothers

2. Shawn Mendes

3. A Day to Remember

4. The Chainsmokers

5. Jesse McCartney 

***So basically these artists were all separate parts of my childhood growing up and they all sang well live and stuff. From 90's karaoke songs, to preteen angst songs, etc. 2019 had some gooood concerts.

From The Big Bang Theory to Game of Thrones

I kind of love that all these dorky nerdy things have sort of become mainstream and it really has been a slow build. And honestly now there really isn't as hard of a cut between more mainstream shows than the ones that would typically shown at like a Comic Con.  

Marvel made bank off of they dozens of comic book characters from box office numbers to toys due to the Disney virality. According to Time, they found that there have been seven Marvel blockbuster hits that have made over $1 billion in ticket revenue world wide, and many more with hundreds of millions for others in the franchise. Thinking back to the stereotypical high school tropes, the popular kids were the jocks and the dorks/nerds were just an outlier who were obsessed with superheroes and comics. 

Harry Potter was an example where the story revolved around wizards and had dragons and ghosts and such. The Big Bang Theory kind of a show that introduced  this different point of view show that interested me, like a Freaks and Geeks and such. As was like Glee, where it was atypical yet had the same stereotypical story of temperamental high schoolers but just followed the outliers. Heck every show, they sang like 3-4 top 100 list songs.

Things honestly started becoming mainstream and was passed around digitally with like sites like Reddit and Tumblr which just feed into the moody and melodramatic feelings of preteens that slowly transitioned from Myspace. Fangirling and all that was a thing too with like fictional characters too like Marvel and stuff. They weren't even that much of a hard hitting plot but the cinematic and movie production just went up movie after movie after movie. After all, these story lines coming from the comic books from way back when, sometimes I would wonder if the old vintage fans resent the popularity and mainstream idea of everything. 

Comic Con I don't remember when it started but was always seen as like a bunch of dorks dressing up like action figures and role playing and stuff. Everything has slowly transitioned to mainstream, with panels and famous speakers and even do live trailer premiers. Like Game of Thrones just goes to show how much popularity can affect a show. 

The viewing was 19.3 million for final episode and 2.2 million from the first episode, there was a massive jump in viewership and even eventually eclipsed George R R Martin writing, moving past the books. Along the way it was noticeable how word of mouth and social media really has changed things where now there would be live streams and Twitter livechats, and Reddit after-show discussions and theories where a movie or a show becomes more than just that but an experience, bringing sort of a community aspect for all these hard core fans. 

Actually,  the community thing is why I really enjoy going to a movie theater. Like things such as The Hollywood Reporter's The Round Table, where actors and actresses deconstruct the production aspect of movies and shows kind of gives a second point of view. They are interesting to me as someone not routinely involved in production and sometimes they become a bit pretentious. I forget acting and movies and such are just people who are paid to pretend, kids to adults. 

I think that is why I kind of enjoy things now a days because there is just another avenue and access for creativity.  Netflix and streaming services have also given more opportunities and more variety. Like I loved Harry Potter, Marvel movies, Silicon Valley, and I loved Game of Thrones. Of course now things are almost over saturated and already moving away but the variety is nice now a days, as long as the quantity has quality. It's just interesting how what was categorically nerdy or dorky has changed and adapted. 

Earlier 2000's Movies of our childhood

 

13 Going on 30 (2004) I think this movie is probably every girls dream, maybe just accidentally fall in love with your best guy friend. I do think however I want to be 30 flirty and thriving..but if I had one wish it would be to live in like early to mid 20's where you kind of don't know where you are in life but sort of have money without adult responsibilities....

Devil Wears Prada (2006) I'm not even going to lie, this movie makes me want to work at like Conde Nast or any other publishing place in the city because it looks so chaotic...But I 1000% believe I would make it, but I would think all my coworkers are my friend and that would be my downfall. 

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2005) So I never really saw myself as being any one person in this group and maybe a little of everyone of them, but I wanted to be Bridget soooo bad. Tibby went through way too much trauma, Lena had the perfect love story thing but was shy and Carmen was like the mom. This movie totally encapsulates how everyone used to dress. 

Princess Diaries (2001) Just typing out that this out makes me feel extremely old because I loved this who series and this is one year after my sister was born...But seriously Julie Andrews and a before and after transformation of Anne Hathaway, Perfect. Just Perfect. And Chris Pine...

Mean Girls (2004) If I'm being honest there really wasn't that much of a plot really in this movie but just reminiscing old Lindsay Lohan and this definitely hits home. The jingle bell rock bit was actually preformed at my high school holiday show outfits and all. If you're from Africa, why are you white?

 

She's the Man (2006) Amanda Bynes used to be so cool... and a love Channing Tatum. This movie made me want to go to a boarding school as well as Zoey 101. and I remember going to blockbuster and renting out this movie and I miss those times...Netflix should buy blockbuster...

Step Up series (2006) This movie totally made me believe that I could dance and could move like them. I still can't believe they sort of switched out Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan but the new people were also hot too. Moose was a preteen crush for sure. 

Dodge Ball (2004) I think this was one of the few movies that was shown at school for when I'm assuming the teachers were hungover or whatever reason we randomly were shown movies. Definite classic movie. If you can dodge a wrench...

Superbad (2007) I think everyone has this friend group, the one who wants to be apart of the popular group, the one who is just okay being average and the kind of dorky one who thinks he's the coolest guy. Also I kind of think none of the actors were acting...like this is genuinely how they are..

Hangover: (2009) I remember old softball sleepovers and this is where I think I first saw how drunk people could get. and I think nudity...I think this was where I like knew I wanted a close group of friends like these

I could totally write a whole list on Judd Apatow movies in itself...One day I will cuz literally All of his movies are a hit, they all may follow the same formula but I'm not mad about it. Honestly, there are probably a million other comedy movies I forgot too. 

People are moving out of NYC

 

So Honestly right now this inspiration is because of how many people from new york are moving out of NYC. Random stuff I've heard about is that it's just pricey to live there, the corona pandemic thing has make many more jobs remote and no necessary to go into an office and just things are closing down. 

Now I know that everyone is saying that New York is not going to be what it once was but in reality, I feel like this is a good reset. 

Prices have been climbing forever starting in Manhattan with Billionaire Av. and everything and slowly the outer boroughs climbing as well. Hell, even New Jersey is getting more pricey....I think this might clean up New York. The steady inflation might be reset and there now may not be as much as jump between living styles and stuff. 

I have never lived in New York yet that is one of my dreams even now. I  understand it is very different than the quiet out in the middle of no where suburbs that I live in the middle of CT but as a mid 20's kid, I just feel there is still so much opportunities. Just like how all the baby boomers are slowly retiring and stuff, more jobs are opening and the pandemic has brought along new options to innovate and reinvent how some businesses are run. People are going to more patio restaurants, there is more live business, at the start of this whole corona thing, there were so many pictures of people out walking and riding bikes and stuff. I think after everything is through, we are all going to be okay. 

Anyways...here are pictures of apartments that I one day want to have. 

Here's a list of things to do distanced-ish at college

I get that college is not as lively as it would be any other syllabus week but I can't believe my sister is coming home for a bit until class starts...

I feel she isn't giving college enough of a chance. I get that college isn't what things should be, people aren't hooking up with everyone and parties aren't happening on every street but I don't think my sister should be back home. 

I get that she is going to live on campus by herself for the first time but I feel right about now is too soon to give up on living on campus. 

So, I am just going to write a list of things that people can do on campus that is sort of socially distanced and maybe things will soon colleges won't be so boring with every campus trying to keep their students from getting covid. 

1. Create a drive-in movie on campus lawn
2. Do yoga out on the weekends with students
3. Host a food truck festival type thing
4. Go to comedy shows in open areas
5. Have a game night or poker night with others
6. Advertise for live bands to preform on a lawn or open court area
7. Create a trivia night 
8. Go hiking
9. Go shopping or buy food
10. Start a pick up basketball or whatever sport game
11. Go play frisbee on the campus lawn
12. Have a painting night with friends or roommates
13. Make cookies or bake something 
14. Do a tie dye night
15. Go to the beach
16. Go create Tik Toks
17. Learn how to juggle 
18. Go work out at the gyms and get gains
19. Go on Tinder and look for guys who are also bored
20. Paint your nails or dye your hair

And if you can't do any of those I guess start studying for your classes I guess...Idk...I feel like being at college it's easy to preoccupy yourself. I'm sure there are other ways to spend your time, but this is a time in college where you are surrounded by others your age and interests. 

Like after college you have to pay more for all these things and look for them happening around town. College you can walk down the hall and meet a new person. College is the perfect place just to try new things. 

Connecticut's rich and famous

 Honestly there's no reason why to write this but right now there are a lot of formative people in our culture from CT and it really makes you believe, believe that you can make it out of here lol. Just to preface, I love CT. Like a Connecticut born and raised person does where they kind of love it as a kid then in high school they want to leave and never go back then slowly come back around to liking it. 

So right now I am just wanting to look up inspiration and just examples of people who worked hard and succeeded and made something of themselves. These are 8ish people from Connecticut. We're tiny but we rep some big people.

1. Justin Long: Dodgeball, He's Just Not That into You, Herbie Fully Loaded, and in New Girl. Honestly my perfect preteen crush.

2. John Mayer: Slow Dancing in a Burning Room, Gravity, Your Body is a Wonderland, Waiting on the World to Change....Literally perfect songs, Like perfect date, feel good music. 

3. Stephanie Meyer: Ummmmm Twilight. Team Edward or Jacob? I was totally team Jacob. and Taylor Lautner.  Sharkboy and Lavagirl literally had the best collection of people 

4. Seth Macfarlane: Family Guy. Ted. Just all around funny guy. Who doesn't know him

5. Camille Kostek: Two words:Sport Illustrated. Literal body goals...I guess also her bf is Rob Gronkowski and us Patriots fans will miss him, 

6. Kevin Nealon: I guess people from CT can be funny/talented, get on SNL and be in a million movies  

7. Charli and Dixie D'Amelio: First things first, be a good dancer, next get Tik Tok, then get famous

8. Casey Neistat: Step one, grow up in New London, step two start on Youtube, step three profit

Honorable mentions: Dylan McDermott, James Van Der Beek, Jenna Dewan, Nicholas Braun.

Dylan McDermott is honestly a definition of a zaddy and even through there are other Dylan's I love, like O'Brien and Sprouse, he has aged perfectly...  I do always get mixed up between him and Dermott Melroney, who is another perfect man.I agree with Leslie Jordan. King Daddy Ruler. 

James Van Der Beek is another perfect guy, I'm honestly too young for Dawson's Creek but he looks like someone I would have a poster of on my childhood bedroom walls and stuff. He is would look perfect with the salt and pepper. 

Jenna Dewan because I wish I could dance and those movies Step Up were perfect. Her and Channing were perfect, Moose I had a massive crush on and Alyson Stoner I wish I could be her and I wish I could have a group of dancer friends who would invite me to a dance off where we defeat the other dance group and live in a movie. Being able to dance makes you 1000x hotter. 

Nicholas Braun was another awkward kid I had a little teen crush on way back from Sky High, Minute Men, and The Perks of being a Wallflower. Like Succession might make me go back and start paying for HBO because it was that good. I ditched it when Silicon Valley, Game of Thrones, and Barry kind of plateaued.  

*****These people make me want to believe all CT people are semi attractive and successful and I pray to god everyday I'll grow up to be both. 

Everyone Thinks They're Funny

 I need to figure out my shit and like seriously figure out my shit. Like I need a better job, I need to be more passionate about things and I need to change things up. I feel burnt out and all that. I need a cube job and I know I'll hate it but I just need stability I think right now. 

Like I have tried the nonconventional job for like 3+ years and it really hasn't panned out super well and I have tried so much random jobs that I didn't know if I would like, then I immediately don't like it. I'm a pro at customer service though when I want to be. Like I work at the casino and when working with high rollers and stuff for events I can laugh and entertain everyones random thoughts and everyones generic responses...that either means I'm like the funniest person ever or I just know how to be a basic conversationalist. Either way I pat myself on the back...Sometimes I think I could be a comedian or be a singer or just basically more successful working around entertainment and stuff, then I realize I have subpar talent. Today I went to Comix at Mohegan Sun and saw Mike Feeney and Brendan Sagalow. I'm literally writing their names in case they get big and I can say I saw then before they got big. 

But yeah I am okay at karaoke and can be funny every once in a while, but sometimes I get a random spurts of confidence where I think I am better than I am. I wish I could work in a creative environment for like a job, that's kind of a dream. Like to work at like an SNL or like a comedy show or something. 

I think the most that I've done is like be an entertainment person for random shows which is just a fancy not fancy job for be a production assistant from load-in to break down. Which mainly means I am grocery shopping and doing laundry for 10+ hours. I'm not even lying slightly but I miss it and loved it. Like As much as I am a zombie by the end of the day, I wish I could do it still and work my way up in entertainment, even on the production side. 

Like I believe concerts aren't going to happen really until spring of next year and that's awesome for safety for everyone and things but it bums me out. I want to move to new york and try to do comedy maybe...maybe...Although I completely suck at public speaking even though I am a communications major (which I get is the most basic college degree ever) and I feel I would have stories to tell and stuff...who knows...I guarantee in like 10 years time, I'll be working in a cubical and living a basic life with the 2.5 kids living a basic middle class lifestyle. I hope not though, I kind of want more in life than just another person. 

Starbucks vs Dunkin’ Donuts

 To be honest, I don’t absolutely love both of these places but they are absolutely necessary if you want like an actual breakfast with options, and in New England, you don’t have to drive very far to find either of them. Like from me right now writing this, there’s a Starbucks 5 minutes away and a Dunkin’ 2 minutes further down the same road. And both of them are constantly busy. 

Both very popular, that’s if you don’t count our local bakery which has the best home made pastries that neither of the mentioned coffee spots count replicate. Family run/homemade just hits different. The rainbow sprinkled ones are the best.

So I feel like going to Dunkin’ and going to Starbucks are two different types of trips, like Dunkin’ is more of a breakfast kind of place for me, with their bacon egg and cheese on a bagel paired with an iced coffee no matter the temperature out. 

Except a good pumpkin spiced latte, and by good I mean subpar drink that’s made fast, as it should be, same with the breakfast sandwiches, nothing fancy but they hit the spot. Controversial but in the winter I don’t really enjoy their hot chocolate, that’s more of a Starbucks job for me.

So heading over to Starbucks is when I want a very specific kind of thing, from paninis to hot drinks and cold. Their turkey and pesto hot panini is a perfect almost grab and go food as well as the ham and Swiss, like if you forgot to bring lunch into work or like just need a mid day snack. 

For like drinks they have all the basic and the fancy drinks that are perfect for winter and summer, like the Frappuccino and the refreshers or just a basic hot chocolate or iced caramel macchiato. One day I’ll get those fancy drinks you see people posting on Tik Tok or whatever, I just don’t want to be one of those coffee snobs even slightly...

Anyways, so yeah, for the actual functioning adults either is good Dunkin’ or Starbucks if ya want to spend $10+ on a subpar meal. I probably should stop drinking coffee and stuff and I’ll save a lot of money. Maybe I’ll eat more cereal, or do a smoothie, or a yogurt parfait or be healthy. 

I really need to start working out more too. I miss like high school and stuff where they basically force you to work out 2+ hours a day. I used to be so fit.   

Daily Mail Makes Me Hate the Kardashians

 I serious think this is the truth...Like Honestly I never was super into reality shows, like honestly I never really was a movie type person to sit in front of one forever but my parents always put me in sports so I guess I just never had time to watch anything. 

the first ones I really watched were those singing shows like American Idol and like the Voice and random stuff like that..Like Oh! So You Think You Can Dance was awesome because I kind of always wished I learned how to dance as a kid...

The American Idol was the same really kinda wish I could sing, and also enjoyed listening to new people sing and be discovered compared to those same 5 singers that always are on the radio or even Spotify is doing the same thing. 

I mainly now don't even listen to music besides what is downloaded on my phone and really I should dig out my old ipod for all the throwback music I used to love. Now its all those Tik Tok songs and I don't really even know what else, there are like a million commercials and ads all the time now...

But anyways, yeah I never watched the reality shows really because I feel they all just have champagne problems and really don't do anything I'm interested. Like now honestly I feel all the drama is manufactured because barely anyone does cable anymore and does all the streaming stuff...

Like now I fully believe the huge streaming boom or whatever you want to call it streaming push, is reverting back to what cable was...a million different channels for different things AKA different streaming services for different things. Like Netflix is no better than Hulu or Amazon Prime..

they all have just about the same quality of service and I still fully believe that HBO is the only one that has done the best out of all of them quality wise and quantity. Like they don't have thousands of movies and shows and documentaries like the other ones but the production is good, the plots are good and not cheesy, and is entertaining, They have good movies that rotate out every month too...Dang, I may have just talked myself into wanting to start paying for HBO again...

But yeah, just like any other millennial or generation z or x or whatever the kids are now, I start off my day looking at the Daily Mail tab thing on SnapChat..like a freaking drone..I know...I used to read the tabloids mainly for the new fashion and hair styles the gorgeous actresses and models used to wear but now eh. I hate the fashion these days, it's just so lazy, I mean, I'm lazy, but I don't want to walk around like a bum...

I'll give the Kardashian's this, they can do business...sometimes the clothes they wear are nice, sometimes it's fashionable ad sometimes they all individually aren't crazy and look kind of pretty and not totally crazy, when you look past the photoshop or the botox and plastic surgery. 

It must be nice though honestly, to like be paid for all that stuff, promoting random companies, being paid to wear stuff, and like public appearances and stuff...They all do have a million cars and huge houses and stuff so I guess they are doing something right I guess. But seriously Daily Mail, can you not put like 5 articles a day just on them? like what ever happened to new news, and new actors or new artists? everything now is more of the same...

I didn’t know how to dress myself

 I was ahead of the style trends (by like 6 years) for today’s fashion. First, it was athlesure with fabletics and lululemon then it was sweatsets with matching sweats shirts and pants and now it’s like bike shorts and or spandex with oversized shirts and sweatshirts or mismatched sweatpants. Now like I guess tiedye is a thing or something too.

Did your parents used to dress you growing up? Like so you would look good in pictures or visiting family or to wear even matching outfits out on vacation? Not my parents. They were either super cool and like super lax for letting me and my siblings dress ourselves lol. I remember as a kid wearing argyle socks and checkered knee lengthened shorts at one point. Not great! Anyways.

 Sports like soccer and basketball brought me to the athletic style stage with less style, basically I was just wearing my sports uniforms to school because my parents told me I could wear anything and I probably was either lazy or didn’t want to stand out or simply didn’t care what people though... paired with circle purple Harry Potter glasses and later braces and bangs... Later transformed to holister/Abercrombie and Fitch trend and sprinkling in Aeropostale with simply basic T-shirt’s with Jean shorts or jeans like every other middle schooler.

High school I wore I think sweatpants everywhere and sometimes leggings I believe. I got used to wearing sweats before and after games and just loves being cozy and casual. Then I got into this random phase of not wearing jeans at all but didn’t know how to style...my mom didn’t want me wearing jeans and stuff too church and I tried to see if I could do that at school too.

Same still still went into college as well and pretended I was still athletic and trying to dress a little better but didn’t really achieve it. Honestly who knows but I’ll look back at pictures to see what my style was in college.

Now it’s more of a beach vibe for summer and spring with light jeans and tank tops or dark jeans... not quite lily pulizer but more grays and tans. The salmon shorts  and that vibe I low key wish I could wear but it feels too stuffy and stiff. Ultimately I was to dress like I’m from nyc now cuz I feel like they have the coolest style...I’m just trying to dress like a functional adult without looking too young like I’m still in college not do I want to look like a shluppy boring working adult who wears boring work clothes and doesn’t know how to dress themselves when they aren’t at work. I’m still trying to figure it all out. 

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Style Inspo on Instagram

 These are my favorite on Instagram to follow and just spend way too much time. Mainly outfit ideas, workout routines, and memes. Also like former Bachelor contestants and models I wish I could be or be with. Just some post examples of stuff I like I guess. Meme pages I just found out are like modern propaganda with like companies paying for posts so that’s new I guess... I need to follow more hot guys on insta too, everyone’s an influencer these days...

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Which look would you add to your shopping list? Credit @leylaell_ #americanstyle #ootd #style #fashion #onlineshopping #summerlook #summeroutfit #outfit #looks ❤️ #asaqueen

A post shared by American Style (@americanstyle) on Aug 16, 2020 at 4:07pm PDT

 

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Woooo today’s leg workout was so tough 😅 my quads were on 🔥 the entire time!⁣ ⁣ 1) Barbell squats (4x6)⁣ ⁣ 2) Walking lunges (3x10/leg)⁣ Box jumps (3x8)⁣ ⁣ 3) Heel raised goblet squats (3x12)⁣ Jump squats (3x20)⁣ ⁣ Don’t forget to save it for later if you want to kill your legs 😉⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ -⁣ #womensbest #fit #fitness #fitspo #fitnessmotivation #gym #gymmotivation #workout #workoutmotivation #girlswholift #gymshark #gymsharkwomen #fitspiration #fitnessgoals #fitfam #fitlife #fitnesslifestyle #fitnessgirl #fitnessfreak #goals #bodybuilding #becomebetter

A post shared by Caitlyn Ruggiero (@caitlynr_fitness) on Aug 13, 2020 at 12:21pm PDT

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Summer days 🌸

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