Winter Outfit Basics

Winter is typically a time where you can throw on some sweats and an oversize hoodie and call it good. But, if you feel like dressing up, it is sometimes hard because you cannot usually wear a skirt and tee shirt due to the climate. In this post, I am going to show you how to dress for winter while keeping warm.

For a feminine style, there are a few recommendations from Liliana Vazquez, the author of the previously mentioned book The Cheap Chica's Guide to Style, Vazquez mentions that a statement necklace and a cashmere sweater are a necessity during winter (Vazquez 134). Statement necklaces or earrings can be found for low prices at places such as Forever 21, Charlotte Russ, and Icing. A statement necklace/earring can elevate a look from basic to dinner chic with a simple piece of jewelry. Along with that, a cashmere sweater is a classic winter basic that is stylish while keeping you warm.

 In this picture, I styled my friend Emilee in black jeans, a black top and a statement over sized jean jacket for a winter photo shoot.

For the masculine style, the style can range from super high end to basic street style. Necessities for someone with more of a masculine style include dark blue slacks, a dark red button down collared shirt, and a quality down coat. Investing in a high quality down coat can save you money in the future. Think about it this way: would you rather buy a new $50 coat every year or invest in a $250 coat one winter and use it every winter for the next 10 years? investing in clothing that is essential is the smartest way to be a savvy shopper.

For both style types, I would recommend a black vest along with either a creme, navy or red quarter zip sweater. These two articles of clothing are staples in outfits when you have nothing to wear. They will also keep you warm during outside events or a nice dinner party.

I am wearing a creme cashmere sweater along with a black vest, ripped jeans and black boot heels for a holiday dinner party.

Winter colors typically include burgundy, dark navy blue, black and creme white. throughout the winter time, stores that sell apparel such as Target, Macy's  and Nordstroms advertise these colors, making them iconic colors that are fit to wear during the cold season.

This is an advertisement from Macy's winter collection, showing how the colors of winter can be influenced by marketers 

Overall, winter is a great time to express yourself in a new way and the only way to find your personal style is to experiment with new things and switching up the basics every once and a while.

If there is anything that sparked your interest, comment! What is your favorite winter go-to? When do you typically try new winter outfits?

Source: Vazquez, Lilliana. The Cheap Chica's Guide to Style: Secrets to Shopping Cheap and Looking Chic. Gotham Books, 2013.

How to dress for an interview

At the age of 15 and 16,  not many of us are working blue-collar jobs in a cubical from 9 to 5. But, it is important to know how to dress for a job that requires a dress code, even if it

As I have mentioned in past blog posts, Lilliana Vazquez wrote a book called The Cheap Chica's Guide to Style, a book about how to save money and style yourself on a budget, something that applies to my age demographic due to being in high school. In a core section of the book, Vazquez mentions "More than 70 percent of your wardrobe should be office appropriate." (Vazquez 82). To apply to a younger age, office appropriate, would translate into being able to wear to school. Out of that 70 percent, I would recommend around 30 of that, you should be able to wear that for an interview or presentation. Dressing for the occasion is very important for job interviews and occupations, something we will be discussing throughout this post.

These are some outfit choices for an upscale job due to their classy and sleek look

If you work in a very upscale environment, dressing sleek and non-distracting. Black, grey and white are always easy and safe options to go with. They instantly give off a professional and business look to whoever you are talking to. Vazquez also states, "Mature Blazers add a major sophistication to my wardrobe." (Vazquez 133). Just like she said, blazers are always a nice touch to add to an outfit to automatically make you look sophisticated. You want to reflect yourself off as what the epitome of the job its self, be what they're looking for.

These are some outfit choices for a casual or laid back working environment 

If your work is a more laid back or street style job, you want to dress for the part. Such as if you worked at Pac Sun or American Eagle, they sell street style clothes, so you want to dress like what they sell. Now is when your ripped jeans, jean jackets, graphic tee shirts, and stylish hoodies all come into play. The customer wants to see that you are like them, you are both in this store or establishment because you are alike, which can be seen through clothing. Job-applications.com is a website that gives tips to those who wish to work at specific establishments and what they should do when applying, this one is a tip on what to wear to an American Eagle interview. "Interviewees should consider wearing an outfit made up of the dressier apparel sold in stores to show a personal connection with the brand." (Garcia). A customer wouldn't want to be sold a hoodie by someone in a blazer or slacks. They would want to buy that hoodie by someone who is wearing something in the same style category as that article of clothing.

Here, I am wearing a jean jacket, black sweater and black leggings. This would be an outfit for a very casual everyday job working as possibly a sales associate.

The overall message to take away from this is to dress the part in order to get the part. I'd love to hear what you think! Have you ever been on an interview? What job would you like to apply for? What would you for me to write about next under the subject of style?

Sources:
Vazquez, Lilliana. The Cheap Chica's Guide to Style: Secrets to Shopping Cheap and Looking Chic. Gotham Books, 2013.

Garcia, Maria Fernanda, et al. “American Eagle Interview Questions & How to Get a Job Tips.”Job-Applications.com, 26 Sept. 2017, www.job-applications.com/american-eagle-outfitters-job-interview-tips/.

JavaScript: Style

One of the most important things to remember when writing code is style. Style, in comparison to the real world is simply making the program better and easier to read. Although it can be a small part in the code and how it executes, it makes a huge difference in how the programmer/computer can read and interpret it. There can be many types of styles depending on the programmer, with no true "correct" form. Learning how to properly style your code can be extremely confusing and difficult, but is necessary for successful coding.

Because I am new to programming, this can be one of the most difficult things for me to master and  learn. I often made minute mistakes that cost me quite a bit of time. "Code that appears to mean one thing but actually means another is likely to cause bugs" (Crockford 96). I practiced on SoloLearn and tried to find and fix some of my errors, and see if any of them had a "hidden function" that would interfere with the function I wanted it to run.

Original Code with error

Error code's real output

While searching for errors, I found one of my errors, as the original code on the right was programmed incorrectly, and resulted in the one on the left. It was because I put the brace symbol "}" in the wrong spot, causing the program to misunderstand what you were writing. This can often be confusing, because in JavaScript, the way you write code is extremely important, and even a seemingly insignificant mishap can detract from the code's function.

Style is nearly everything you write in the program to make it easier to read, which includes comments. Code in the form of comments, or lines with two backslashes in front can give readers more information on the program, such as what the programmer was thinking or leaving important to-do messages (Crockford 96). In my code, I often use comments such as these to help me remember what I did with the code, or its functions. As a new programmer, it can be confusing for me to look back and remember what I was thinking/doing. These have helped me greatly, since I am busy with things other than coding, and I spread my programming time over a large period to prioritize other tasks. I often forget my thoughts during the coding session, especially after being away for long periods of time. Comments, however, refresh my memory, so using them can set me on track to finish my code.

Creating a comment in green

Comments do not affect the code, but they can be part of the backbone of the code, since they are there solely for the purpose of clarification. Making effective and useful comments can greatly improve how easily the program can be understood by programmers, and thus play a large part in the code's style.

Through my trial and error, I have learned more about how to style my code to make it as easy as possible for the machine to understand what I am inputting. It may not seem important at first, but as you start creating more advanced programs, it becomes clear how crucial it is to have proper style and formatting.

Question: How does style play a role in your life? Does the way you perform your tasks or work affect its outcome? 

Works Cited:

Crockford, Douglas. JavaScript: The Good Parts. O'Reilly Media, Inc., 2008.

Summertime Outfit Basics

Summer time is a core time for Fashion, which means its a prime time to choose your outfits for vacation, outings with friends to summer night dinners. Throughout this blog post, I will be explaining options for summer outfits that are great go-to's.

Me and My friend Olivia are at the State Fair, where I wore a creme crop top with a dark green button up top to layer it, along with some black ripped jeans and Vans skate high shoes. 

First of all: shorts. Shorts are so essential for the summer time, as most know, but it's the type of shorts you chose that can make or break a look. In your wardrobe, you should have at the least, two pairs of shorts. Lilliana Vazquez, the author of The Cheap Chica's Guide to Style, says in her section of necessities that "Modest shorts (for weekends) is needed as a basic" (Vazquez, 104). Whether its mid-thigh or short-shorts, you should keep some at an easily accessible place at all times during the hotter seasons. along with that, a pair of ripped jeans are a nice keeper to bring out if it's a colder summer night and you'll be going out.

Here I am in Pac Sun trying on Shorts with a Def Leopard shirt I wore that day. I chose these shorts because they were a basic pair that I didn't have at the moment.

Next are tops. Just because its summer, doesn't mean you only have to wear tank tops. Vazquez states in her seasonal shopping list that " An open-weave sweater (in cream): I love to layer these under vests, and worn as swimsuit cover-ups in the summer." (Vazquez, 131).  Like she said, you can use this for multiple purposes such as a swimsuit cover-up or a non-bulky top that still keeps you covered. Due to the hot weather, tank-tops and tee's are needed. I find that graphic tees and band tees look best in hotter weather. They're easy to throw with a pair of shorts and skater shoes and go. Also, open back and cut up shirts are nice because they are cooling, but may cause weird tan lines if worn in the sun for long periods of time. Finding your best colors is an important step in the process too. I personally look my best in dark/Forrest green, mustard yellow, creme and crimson, so most of my closet are those colors. I find that in the summer, the hippy vibe clothing becomes more popular, along with Boho chic. Most of these styles can be found at clothing stores such as Urban Outfitters, Forever 21, Pac Sun, and many more stores during their summer collections.

 In this picture, I wore a high-neck shirt along with a white bralette to compliment the white background in the shirt. This shows how layering different elements help make an outfit look bolder.

Recently, rompers have become a popular OOTD (Outfit Of The Day) for younger generations. They're a one piece jumper that is like a dress, but with leg holes. A long sleeved patterned romper is nice to have during the summer because you can wear it to semi-formal events such as a family gathering or a banquet.

Clothes aren't the only thing that you'll be needing this summer, shoes are important too. For summer, basics in the shoe department include a pair of nude sandals, strappy wedges and breathable tennis shoes for a feminine style. For masculine styles, boat shoes, flip flops and dress shoes should be in your closet. "Nude flat sandals: I wear them with everything, so i can never have enough pairs" (Vazquez. 132) says Vazquez in her summer necessities section of her book.

In the summer, there are lots of job opportunities for people at seasonal places such as water parks, ice cream shops, and anywhere with a pool or resort. If you're going to be earning more money, you need somewhere to spend it. During this time of the year, many stores will be starting to sell their fall clothing to start to get a feel for the market. this would be a good time to start looking at fall clothing to get a head start on everything that appeals to you. In her savvy shopper chapter, Vazquez states that you should be saving around 25 to 40 percent of your money on clothing. "Summer sales are in full swing, so scour the racks for anything you can still get a good wear out of - shorts, sundresses,a  flirty romper, or those sandals you've been lusting after will be heavily discounted. The first fall items will be starting to hit the racks, so begin browsing for inspiration and think about what items you have in storage that you'll want to keep around for another year." (Vazquez, 159)

Summer time seems like it's forever away, but it doesn't mean that you can't start looking at what you can find for the upcoming season. Are you excited for summer shopping? What do you tend to see your summer style being? What are your predictions on the 2018 summer trends?

Source: Vazquez, Lilliana. The Cheap Chica's Guide to Style: Secrets to Shopping Cheap and Looking Chic. Gotham, 2013.

How to Keep your Closet Clean and Organized

I've always been interested in fashion. Not directly the sewing part, but the part where you put outfits together. Recently this year, I've been more into my style. The only issue is, I need room to put everything. But due to my new findings of The Cheap Chica's Guide to Style by Lilliana Vazquez, I have learned how to effectively organize my closet and my style, along with many other useful tips and habits.

Today, I will be focusing on how to keep a clean closet and buy only what you need for your wardrobe.

Now, when I first read this book, Lilliana talked about how "Twice a year- during the winter-to-spring and summer-to-fall seasonal transitions I'll outline in this chapter, I'll purge my closet" (Vazquez, 94). Due to it being that summer-to-fall transitioning time, I decided to clean out my closet.

At first, It seemed like an impossible challenge. I used to stuff everything in my closet that didn't look good in my room, so this would take some work. I started with clearing out any trash, ripped clothes and random items that didn't belong in a closet like miscellaneous boxes, socks and trinkets. This already cleared out a lot of room for opportunity.

The "keep" pile when sorting 

Next, I took all of my clothes out of my closet and set them in piles of need/like, don't need, and donate. In the book, Lilliana explains what you should discard. "Anything you haven't worn in a year... anything that doesn't fit you anymore... anything that was once trendy but isn't anymore... and anything that isn't flattering or makes you feel anything but fabulous." (Vazquez 98). This all made perfect sense to me "Why would I keep anything that I'm never going to wear?" I thought to myself. This and some music made the process go way faster than I expected.


I ended up having a good amount in each pile. I continued by taking my donate pile and putting it all in a trash bag to let my sister look though. She ended up finding some things she liked before I donated it to a Value Village near by along with my don't need pile.

My jewelry storage organized by type, mostly earrings 

The next step in the process was to put everything back. This was the easy part. I divided up my remaining "keep" clothes into what i needed to hang up and what could be put in a drawer. Vazquez talks about on pages 216 through 221 that you should fold sweaters in a drawer, store shoes in a shoe rack, loop belts through a hanger, place scarves in a bin, hang purses on a wall hook, necklaces on a decorative wall hook and rings on a small ring holder or cute display, I took all of these tips into consideration when re-putting-back-together my closet.

My closet put back together arranged by use and necessity 

In the end of the final process, I donated and cleared out around 2 full garbage bags full of clothes and other things I didn't need. It felt good that i cleaned out my closet, knew how to properly store everything, and possibly gave someone a new shirt or coat that was once mine. I hope that you can benefit from my learning experiences and prioritized your closet too!

Have you tried to ever clean out your closet? What are some things that you could've changed or gone better? Will you use these tips the next time you do a spring or fall cleaning?

Source: Vazquez, Lilliana. The Cheap Chica's Guide to Style: Secrets to Shopping Cheap and Looking Chic. Gotham, 2013.

Smart Defenders and Base-running

FIELDING

I've been playing baseball all my life and still haven't perfected the art of catching a fly ball. To me, judging where a fly ball is going to land is the hardest thing to do as a defender on the field. Although my main position is in the outfield, I can tell that an outfielder gets a much larger applaud from their team when they catch a fly ball than infielders do when they simply field a grounder. Adair agrees that a ball hit straight to a player is the most difficult to judge and balls that are hit at different distances can look fairly similar initially (148). If you've ever played on a baseball team for more than a year, you've definitely heard the overused phrase "first step back". This line is said by almost every team to express how you must make stepping back your first instinct the moment the ball is hit because you can cover more ground running forward than you can from behind. "If he waits a couples of seconds to start running, he won't cover the 50 feet he needs to in order to catch the short fly that lands after another 3 seconds" (149). Outfielders have to make judgments, calculate distances, and maintain certain fundamentals in the matter of seconds while under the pressure of catching a ball. Unlike the infield, outfields don't have someone behind them to back them up if they make a mistake.

Basic fielding techniques for ground balls

Infielders have more plays to handle during a baseball game than outfielders do. I personally have not played a lot of infield recently and still struggle with fielding even an easy ground ball. There are many complexities with fielding and throwing a baseball during one single play. "A ball thrown 135 feet by the shortstop or third baseman to the first baseman's glove will take about 1.09 seconds. A player who throws a ball 5 mph slower will allow the runner to travel 2 feet farther" (155). This two foot difference will play a big role in an umpire calling the runner safe or out. To practice strengthening my arm and fielding tactics, I find it effective to throw a tennis ball against any large surface to practice basic fundamentals. The more comfortable I feel when I field a baseball, the greater the chance that I will make a better throw during a game. So, consistently practicing allows me to stay in my comfort zone even during pressure-filled moments.

Outfielders provide a strong line of defense that their entire team depends on during a game. Infielders are consistently pounded with plays that they must routinely make. Which position do you believe has the harder job during a game?

Adair, Robert Kemp. The Physics of Baseball. New York: Harper & Row, 1990. Print.

Chic Easy Hairstyles Part 2

Welcome back to my blog! In my previous post I asked how you would personalize the Full Fishtail Pony, because in this post I will continue off of that braid. In the introduction of the book 5-Minute Hairstyles by Jenny Strebe, she talks about how the braids in the book look great but it’s even better if you add your own special touch (Strebe 6). Meaning to be creative and add your own twist! 

                 After reading Strebe’s introduction, I began to look at the hairstyles and thought of ways to make them unique to me. On page 66 I had found the Braided Bun, looking at the picture steps I found them to be similar as the Full Fishtail Pony. I added my own unique touch to the Braided Bun by combing the hairstyle with the Full Fishtail Pony. Taking off where the Full Fishtail Pony ends, all I did was wrap the fishtail around in a bun and there I had a Braided Bun. The only difference between the two hairstyles was that the Braided Bun was a regular braid and you just wrapped the braid around into a bun. 

Images 1-3 Braided Bun modeled by Angela

                By making a little change in the hairstyle, I had made it personalized. The hairstyle was still quick and easy but it looks totally different. As Strede says on page 6 “Weather its adjusting the style of braid you use, or adding a special accessory, you can make each of these styles your own.” So get creative and have fun with your hair, it’s all whatever you think looks good on you.  

                How do you like your hair? Add a little twist and see what happens. Read my next blog to find out what hairstyle is next!

Pitching Forms and Techniques

This position is known as "The Windup" because
it's motion is a multiple-step procedure of twists
and turns before throwing the ball.

If you ask any baseball player what is the most important job while playing, they will say pitching. Pitching is considered one of the hardest things to do in sports. "The pitcher must not only throw the ball so that it passes through the strike zone, he must throw so that the batter does not hit the ball squarely" (Adair, 48). Constant decisions are being made by the pitcher from when he looks at the batter to as soon as he throws the ball. With the potential of the game being on the line and everybody focusing on you, pitching can build stress when your whole team relies on your decision making.

This single motion pitching position is called "The
Stretch" where the pitcher takes multiple pauses
before deciding when to throw the ball.

The speed of a pitcher is one of the first things that is noticed when anyone looks at the person on the pitching mound. A 95-mph pitch will reach the plate in 0.41 seconds after release, a 93-mph pitch will be around 1.5 feet from the plate after 0.41 seconds, and a 90-mph pitch 3 feet (Adair, 60). A small difference such as a 2-mph slower pitch can cause such a large effect where the batter can be thrown off by a one and a half foot difference. I can't throw a 90 mile per hour pitch just yet, but to utilize what I can do, I make sure to throw fastballs and change-ups frequently.

Typically, a trained pitcher finds that when throwing a fastball, throwing it high and inside the strike zone is the best way to utilize it. If a change-up is thrown, you'd most likely find that pitchers locate it low and away from the batter (71). Although, a pitcher must mix things up while on the mound because he/she doesn't to throw a pitch that the batter is already expecting. When I first started pitching, I was around 11 years old and just threw the ball to get it over the plate. Now that I've practiced consistently and frequently, our coach wants me to focus on hitting certain locations while pitching because he truly believes that it will be my most deadliest pitching trait.

I personally love pitching because I enjoy finding new ways to throw off the batter. I look for patterns in the batter's swings and make sure I don't fall into patterns myself. If I'm facing a team that we've never played against, I usually pitch with the same comfortable patterns that I normally use. But, I wouldn't do the same with a team that I normally face because they can easily pick up routines that I might fall in.

What do you think will throw a batter off his game more effectively, changing the speed of a pitch or changing the location?

Adair, Robert Kemp. The Physics of Baseball. New York: Harper & Row, 1990. Print.