Name: LP
Age: 25
Occupation: freelance multimedia journalist/manager at a retail chain (gah!)
Schooling: Quadruple major at private upstate NY institution: magazine journalism, photo illustration (concentration: fashion), women’s studies and sociology; grad degree: new media
Based in NYC area
I love face-to-face conversations. I can be awkward on the phone when I don’t know someone too well. I’m not a big fan of texting, but I do it so it’s convenient to other people.I actually didn’t have texting on my phone until a little over a year ago. My employer needed to contact me that way during fashion week. I caved in.
Hobbies: DANCE, photographing/videotaping life, knitting (though I haven’t done it in some time…), watching as many films as I can before I kick the bucket, asking questions, reading, singing—this used to replace dance, but I still sing. I won’t turn down karaoke.
Giving and receiving, what kind of gifts do you enjoy: homemade ones. I typically take the time and thought to make things for people as gifts or I incorporate homemade gifts with bought ones. I enjoy being crafty and I enjoy taking the time to think what would make someone smile. This sounds so cliché I know. Here’s an example: every Christmas I bake anywhere from 15-20 batches of cookies and put them together on nicely made plates or in tins. I mail/drive/deliver them out to people. At the very least I want to make sure I give everyone I know SOMETHING to celebrate the holidays with. Likewise, I am fond of gifts with thought behind them. It comes back to listening to people and really knowing your friends/family.
Personal traits you enjoy: I have a big heart. I’m usually called the “mother” of any given group of friends. I worry about people and make it a point to check on them when I know they’re not doing well. I try to limit this when I don’t know someone enough seeing as you never know what offends/annoys people these days. I’m also a rather determined person. If I want something badly enough I go after it and typically get it. When people told me I wouldn’t get into the college of my choice I proved them wrong. When I was told we wouldn’t be able to afford that college I went out and propositioned. I found a way. Not everything I want comes true though. At least I try hard so I’ve got few regrets later in life. My passion: I’m a really passionate person. I’ve got a passion for pretty much everything I do I. You can see that in how hard I work and how I talk. I’ve been told that my eyes are the indicators—they grow really wide when I talk, especially about something I am passionate about: family, art, film, dance, politics, etc.
An interesting story to work off from that last thought: my grandmother said that when I was younger she had a dream of me being six or seven. I had pulled her into her room saying, “Abuela, I can turn the light off with my foot.” I was a tiny kid and there was no way I could extend my leg past my head and still manage to pull the switch down with my toes, so my Abuela was doubtful. Lo and behold—in her dream—I stretched my leg as much as I could and struggled for a bit, but I managed to prove my grandmother wrong. The light was successfully shut off with the tips of my toes. Abuela told me this story when I was leaving for college. In my darkest moments since then—much like my current job search—I remember this story and dream. Cubans are often known for their faith and sixth sense. I believe her dream was a foreshadowing.
Personal traits you don’t enjoy: I have a big heart; it often gets taken advantage of. Being a passionate person means my heart is usually on my sleeve and being a hardworking person means there’s always some slacker looking to use you as a scape goat. I have plenty of stories. I’ve often been advised to work less hard, learn to “slack a bit, because once you work hard you’re always expected to work at that level.” My family means well telling me this, but I think I’ll die by burning out in the end. It’s just not my nature to work under my capacity. I feel cheap. The downside of determination, by the way, is that it’s also known as being stubborn. I admit that I am a very stubborn person. I’m willing to bend, but it requires a well-backed argument. Once my mind is made up… there’s few people who can talk me out of it.
So what does this make you: a very strong woman. I stand up for myself, but I also recognize when I need to bend for others. It took me a long time to find this balance. I guess age and experience are good for something after all.
Your humor: is corny… and dirty. I make ridiculously corny jokes and I enjoy laughing… at myself. If it will make you smile and warm your day I’d rather be the butt of someone’s jokes. I love to laugh. When I was a teenager my peers told me I wasn’t mature because I didn’t take life that seriously. I always believed that maturity is a sign of knowing when to laugh and when to keep to yourself. I take life seriously when need be (if the above answers don’t demonstrate that), but it’s too short not to laugh. I also find dirty jokes hilarious and make them often (given the setting).
Children or not?: Oh Jesus. Ha. Yes, I love children and will have them someday be it through adoption or otherwise. Right now I can appreciate my life without them. Unlike [what seems to be 3/4s of] my generation I’m not in a rush. I actually take to kids pretty well—or they take to me pretty well. Whatever it is, they enjoy following me around and I have a pretty good connection with them. Maybe it’s my “wide eyes.” Ha…
Sense of style: I started as a t-shirt, jeans and sneakers girl. I’ve evolved since then, but I don’t wear things I’m not comfortable in. I think the current generation of teenagers have great style on the whole. This is partially due to the internet and the overall importance of image/the choices they have to wear to school. It’s funny though, my old public high school now has uniforms. Ew.
So fast forward to the present: I wear more dresses/skirts than pants. I’m just more comfortable in them even if it’s winter. I don’t really like tight clothing unless it’s for a specific reason. I have hips and I know how to accentuate them, but perhaps I’m still a bit of a tomboy in that I really don’t want to. I love boots and blazers as they help dress up any outfit without really trying. They also keep you warm in colder weather. A-line skirts work best for my figure and I stay away from plunging necklines on any tops. Call me modest, but I’m not a fan of showing cleavage. If I do it’s usually a wardrobe malfunction—we didn’t believe Janet so why believe me—or by accident. I typically fidget with deep v t-shirts when I’m wearing them though I do own a couple—they’re so soft!
Something I learned in my fashion magazine days: don’t wear chipped nailpolish! As someone with pale skin I can get away with reds and dark colored nails. If I cut them short (I hate long nails because I play guitar) I don’t look vampy, but the minute my nails chip I take the polish off. It just looks trashy on anyone—especially past the age of 17. I can’t afford to come off that way. Take heed. More people look at your nails than you think, especially if you’re in an industry where you’re always shaking hands.
Beauty regimen: I wash my face with good ole’ dial soap to cut the oil. I look younger than 25 probably because I had semi-oily skin as a kid—I also don’t smoke nor do I drink in excess. Now my skin’s drying so I alternate with Yes to Tomatoes, which is the Yes skincare line for problem skin. If I don’t stay on top of it, my skin breaks out. If there’s one thing I’m high maintenance about it’s my skin. I also use the following masks at least once a week: Bliss Steep Clean and Ole Henriksen Blemish Attack Purrifying Mask. A good cheap option is also Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque. If you’re seeking advice do not over-dry your skin, because that will only cause the oil to come back ten-fold. When my skin is dry and I’ve got an event to go to I use C.O. Bigelow Rice and Bamboo Gentle Dermabrasion in addition to my face wash the day of. It keeps skin soft and gets rid of any possible flakiness making it easier to apply makeup.
Let me be honest: I hate makeup, but like any girl I recognize the difference it makes.I won’t go to the beach wearing it or something crazy like that. I do have a routine however, if I’m going to work. Let’s face it—women are judged even (or more importantly) in the work environment—on their makeup or lack there of. Don’t kid yourself otherwise.
I’m pretty basic: light foundation mixed with my daily moisturizer to keep my skin evenly toned, concealer if I need it on a blemish or under my tired eyes, mascara, thin line of brown or black liner (day or night time) right on the lash line. If it’s night time I might add a thin line under the eye as well. It just helps make my lashes more noticeable (they’re blonde) and accentuates my eyes which are probably my favorite feature to play with. I’ll sweep on a little blush and a little Nivea chapstick. I’m out the door. If it’s night time or I’m going out to a party I might add a little lipstick or eyeshadow, but on the whole I keep it pretty simple.
Style obsessions as of lately: I answered this in a post somewhere, but right now they’re shoes and nail polish. I appreciate and follow the blogging of both. If that makes me a girly girl, so be it.
Your big dream: to be traveling the world reporting and documenting political issues as a way to create and inspire change. I do take life from a cultural relativist perspective though. I try not to impose my Western beliefs on other cultures—no matter how hard it is not to do that—because you can’t inspire problem solving in that way. You need to understand a culture—how do they work and why do they do what they do—before you go in trying to change it. Does it need to change? I studied women’s studies in college—it was actually the first major I declared—in hopes of using my social activism in combination with my journalistic skills. I also want to use my experiences as a way to teach others. I see myself teaching in a college environment someday.
My current goal is: to end up in communications writing/photographing about any of the following topics: politics, fashion, dance, local events (NYC) and technology. I have a wide range of interests and the capacity and passion to learn more.
Any other questions, feel free to ask me. I’ll answer you open and honestly.
I’ll be answering you back in a few. Trying to get all my equipment ready for tonight/clean my apt a bit.
Help Colin out ladies and gents. If you think you know what he needs send him a message.
Anonymous asked: What are your fashion-related obsessions?
Scarves (mostly floral prints), hats (beanies, berets, newsboy caps, cloches, etc. I look good in most hats), nail polish and as of recent: shoes.
I was just having this conversation with someone recently about how I was a tomboy when I was very young. Then in HS all I wore was jeans, different sneakers (I had a sneaker fetish) and a t-shirt with a cute saying or graphic. When I got to college I started to grow my hips so I wore more dresses rather than jeans… I started replacing the sneakers with boots to keep with the theme of dressing up after some time and once I started working in the magazine business I was ready to full out change. Now my work in fashion and in retail really affects my fashion sense and my love for “pretty things.”
I’m also 5’1” or 5’2” (it says 5’3” on my license b/c I swear I’m shrinking) so with my discovery of heals, wedges and platforms I’m enjoying my newfound height.
Anonymous asked: Do you have anything/anyone on your saved searches or "tracked tags"?
I actually haven’t taken advantage of tracked tags yet. I’ve searched for Audrey Hepburn and red hair before, but it’s led me to posts or tumblrs that I enjoyed. So many people don’t tag their posts so it’s hard to make searches in the tumblr interface. As a new media grad it gets under my skin.
As a side note I am also a culprit as of lately b/c I haven’t been tagging my posts either. I plan to use part of my day off Wednesday to catch up before it’s too late.
Do you have any good suggestions for tracked tags?
Ask away. I’m a pretty blunt person.
