Monday, August 25, 2014

Week in Photos


Hope everyone had a great day! Just wanted to share some of the photos I took last week. Warning: about 90% of them involve food.



Last week, my friend and I went to Molly's cupcakes before she heads back to school in New York. If you are ever in Chicago I HIGHLY recommend making a stop here. They are some of my favorite cupcakes in the City.


On Wednesday, I ended up going to The Blind Bet Comedy show at the Pony Inn. My friend got free tickets, and I have to admit it the comedians were actually very good. 


I finally finished moving in! It still hasn't hit me that this is my last year of University.  


Over the weekend my Rome friends and I had a little reunion at Eataly. I had Taglitelle al Ragu followed by a Nutella and banana crepe. I thought it was very good! In the upcoming week I'll probably write a more in depth post. 

And thats it! Have a good rest of the week!

Thursday, August 21, 2014

What to Wear on the First Day of College



This Monday will be my last first day of school. Given all the years of figuring out what to wear at the start of a new school year, I feel that I have developed some level of expertise on the subject. I see so many what to wear on your first day of high school posts online but what to wear during your first day of college posts seem a little less popular. Thus, I wanted to share some of the knowledge I’ve gained on how to make your first day fashion the least stressful part of your new life at college.

Be comfortable. Trust me when I say the last thing you want to be thinking about on your first day is if you can walk to class in your 6-inch heels. Try to refrain from wearing anything that you have to constantly pay attention to during the day. That goes for the jeans where the zipper can never seem to stay up and the shirt that often rides down causing the occasional nip slip. Don’t let your clothes be the main thing on your mind. You’ve got enough to worry about on your first day.

Bring a jacket or cardigan. Do yourself a favor and pretend that your first day of school, let alone first month, is April 25th. (Miss Congeniality 2 reference? Anyone? Bueller?)  Even though it may be boiling hot outside, it could be a vastly different story inside. I’ve found that when it’s warm, Universities like to crank up the AC so that every building on campus feels like you are in Antarctica. Or, your school could be like mine where the buildings are all on menopause and every other floor, let alone classroom, is having a hot flash. A jacket or cardigan will allow you to be prepared for whatever temperatures you may face on your first day. Furthermore, if you see some poor unfortunate soul shivering in their seat because they didn’t bring a jacket, you can offer yours, and BINGO. You just potentially made a friend/study buddy. Congratulations.

Be you. This isn’t high school where you are socially obligated to wear what’s in.  You’ll soon find that college is about being open to new places, people, and things (including someone’s wardrobe). If wearing sweats and a top makes you feel good, then go for it Glen Coco. Wearing an outfit that makes you feel good about yourself will enable you to set the year off on the right foot.  

Good luck starting the semester! Remember, you got this!


Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Strawberry, Banana, & Tea Smoothie


How is summer 2014 almost over?! It seems like it was just yesterday I was out of school and ready for my three months of semi-relaxation. Although, my mind sometimes still thinks it’s 2007 so there’s that.

This past week has been spent with me running around all over town in preparation for me to move back into my apartment at school. I’ve been constantly splitting my time between reorganizing my room, packing, going through boxes in storage, and meeting up with my high school friends for last-minute summer shenanigans before we all head off to school. Needless to say, I’ve been relying on a lot caffeine boosts as of late.

In Chicago, Argo Tea, a local tea cafĂ© (think Starbucks but for tea) has something called a smootea, which aside from the fabulous pun usage, taste’s great and gives you a natural dose of energy. It’s basically a smoothie with the added bonus of tea.

Since I’ve been trying to lessen my coffee intake, as well as trying to make the summer weather last a little longer, I thought I would try and make my own smootea and share it here.  So, if you’re looking for an easy way to kickstart your day, look no further!

Time: 10 Minutes                              Serving size : 1

What you will need:

1 cup of frozen strawberries

1 banana

1 cup of iced tea (or tea of your choosing)

1 blender (duh.)  

1 glass (duh.)


 First, add in the iced tea. I use Pure Leaf Lipton Ice Tea because it’s all natural and unsweetened. You’re welcome to use whatever tea floats your boat, however. Once the iced tea has been poured, add in your fruit. (Optional: add in a teaspoon of chia seeds or some protein powder if you’re feeling extra healthy)


Blend on medium to high setting. If your smoothie is too thick, just add more tea until you reach your desired consistency.


Pour into a glass and enjoy. If you’re REALLY going for it, you can garnish the rim of your glass with another strawberry.



 Happy final days of summer!


Sunday, August 17, 2014

An Introduction

Welcome! For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Benita Gingerella. I am currently a Senior at Loyola University Chicago majoring in Journalism and minoring in Photography. My interests include fashion, Youtube, theater, traveling, cooking, music, movies, and books, just to name a few.
Here is a picture of me and a french bulldog for reference:
Screen Shot 2014-06-09 at 5.38.25 PM
In January 2014, I started a Wordpress blog documenting my study abroad experience in Rome. I fell in love with the idea of blogging (duh, I’m a Journalism major) and now I want to continue writing about my daily life and loves with a personal blog.
Since my little “get to know me” questionnaire worked so well on my study abroad blog, I’ve decided to do the same here.
Name: Benita Gingerella
Favorite color: Blue. If we’re getting specific- turquoise.
Favorite Season: Fall
Favorite candy: Reeses
Favorite store(s): H&M, Old Navy, Madewell, Urban Outfitters
Favorite TV shows: New Girl, Breaking Bad, Lost (yes I finally finished it), Supernatural, Orange is The New Black
Favorite Youtubers: Shaytards, Grace Helbig, Mamrie Hart, Hannah Hart, Vlogbrothers
Major/minor: Major- Journalism,  Minor- Photography
But isn’t journalism a dying art form? Why would you want to major in something that doesn’t make any money? You should go be a lawyer.
Yea, I’m well aware of the challenges related to my major, but writing is what makes me happy. So, what can you do? I would also be the most disorganized, neurotic, indecisive lawyer ever, so no.
Do people ever mix-up/mispronounce your name?
Yes. Once, the Citi credit card lady lovingly referred to me as Ms. Gorilla while on the phone. It was weird. Another time, a person once magically transformed Benita into Fanida. That was weird too. She wins the creativity award.
Did you pick up any Italian while studying abroad in Rome?
Si. Parlo un po’ d’italiano.
Do you know any other languages besides English and a little Italian?
The fact that I’m answering this in English should tell you the answer to this question.
What will we find on this blog?
Fashion, travel diaries, things to do in Chicago, photography, DIYs, rants, cool things I find on the World Wide Web, puppies, etc. It’s basically my little place on the Internet.
Aren’t there a lot of personal/fashion/entertainment blogs on this website? What makes you different?
Not a clue. I would like to say that I have a unique perspective on a range of different topics. Furthermore, my mom thinks I’m pretty cool and I trust her opinion on everything.
Is this the end of the questionnaire?
Yes.
Oh, and for those you who want to go read my study abroad blog you can do so by clicking here. =)