20 FUN FACTS ABOUT THIS REBEL

Wow, you actually want to know some random shit about me? Awesome! Well, here’s a few things people don’t know about me:

1. Sarcasm is my life’s blood. I survive through my sarcastic nature, just FYI. So if you ever think I’m being mean, or too serious, chances are you’re not understanding my sarcasm. Consider this a PSA.

2. I make my own beauty products. One day, I was looking at the ingredients in my body wash and literally couldn’t pronounce half of them. It freaked me out so much to think of the sheer volume of chemicals in all of the things I put on my skin. So I decided to invest in my health and make my own products! I recently launched my Etsy shop, Love Yourself 1st Goods, in August 2017 and couldn’t be more excited to share my products with the world.

3. The only reason I want to be rich one day is… dogs. I’ve always had this dream where I had unlimited money so I opened a dog farm and adopted all the stray dogs in America. Animal rescue is a huge passion of mine, so any way I can make that happen would be, you know, a dream come true. (ps. if you’ve heard of that anywhere else, they stole the idea from me. #justsayin’)

4. I am super into aromatherapy… One day in TJ Maxx, I stumbled across a diffuser. The box said you could use it to help you sleep through the night – something I always struggled with. Original price: $22. I bought it for $12. I’m a sucker for a bargain on something I don’t need. I had this bottle of lavender essential oil in my home for months, not knowing what to do with it, so the opportunity felt perfect. That night was the first night I slept all the way through without waking up once. That was a year ago. Now, I never go to sleep without it.

5. … which got me super into spirituality and meditation. Naturally, as I got more and more into essential oil therapy, I started looking for new ways to use my oils. One afternoon on Pinterest and I had a new obsession: meditation. Trust me: it is easily the best thing you can do if you’re under a lot of stress. I meditate every day before bed in front of the alter I made.

6. I once was an aspiring actress. When I was living in New York, I did a lot of background work. I’ve been on camera for a lot of things, but my favorite was being on Gossip Girl, mostly because they ended up basing a character off of me: Alessandra Steele.  Behind the scenes, Ed Westwick sat in my lap and Penn Badgley complimented my shoes. He also let me wear his jacket to keep warm. Oh and I ran into him about a year later in front of the bank. We’re basically best friends.

7. Speaking of celebrities, I’ve “met” plenty. I used to live in NYC, and living in New York, you run into random people all the time. Sometimes those people are celebrities. I almost got hit by Liev Schreiber on a bicycle and Josh Charles in a van. I’ve stolen a cab from Scarlett Johansson and spotted Serinda Swan in a deli. I’ve walked into Chevy Chase’s cloud of smoke, waved at Diego Klattenhoff, swooned over my 90’s crush Lance Bass and watched Steven McQueen have the worst first date in all the world. More recently, in DC, I reminisced with Gabrielle Union about Bring It On, hung out with Miles Teller, and held Rosario Dawson’s jacket and bag for her – after becoming best pals. Oh, and I literally ran into Ryan Gosling in front of Home Depot. Face first into the chest. That one is my favorite.

8. I have never been to the continent of Europe. I have been to European territories. In fact, my absolute favorite place on earth is Cayman Islands. One day, I hope to get to Italy and Sicily, though, to see where my ancestors grew up and learn more about the origins of the culture I grew into.

9. I have a serious love for Starbucks lemon pound cake. Guys… if you have never had this, you are seriously missing out. Easily their best pastry. I’ve tried multiple times to replicate it in my own kitchen and of course it’s never as good. But I will keep trying because my wallet cannot afford my pound cake addiction.

10. Pinterest has changed my life. Honestly, it has. In terms of my organization and bullet journal skills, I learned a lot from Pinterest. I’ve also transformed my home from ideas I got from Pinterest and made my own. It certainly sparks my creativity, and it has awakened my love for crafting, cooking, home decor, and journaling.

11. I love to cook, but I don’t do it often enough. SO many possibilities. I’ll say it again: seriously, God bless Pinterest. My recipe game is strong, ya’ll. So much so that I was compelled to make my own recipe anthology because I’ve changed recipes so much to make them my own. Now if only I can just force myself to cook when I get home from work…

12. I’m on a quest to read WAY more. I was an English major in college and a creative writing minor. I love books, but not books they force you to read for class because WHO actually ends up liking those? (SHHHjkIdo). This year, I’ve already read about 10 different books and counting.

13. I basically live in Michaels. I’m surprised they haven’t set up a cot in the back room for me at my local store. I am in there EVERY weekend, gathering supplies for my next home decor project. They need a better loyalty program. Like if you spend $200 a month, you get a free credit of $50 or something. I’d easily make this every month.

14. I geek out hard when San Diego Comic Con is happening. Seriously, it’s the greatest thing alive. Watching the panels, seeing casts interactions, trailers, interviews, etc. GAH I LOVE IT. I would LOVE to go to this convention someday, but it’s SO flippin’ expensive.

15. I have seen every episode of Friends at least 50 times. And I can recite full scenes line by line by memory. If I could make this into a career, I’d certainly be a millionaire by now.

16. I’m an INFP. I’ve taken the MBTI test like 20 times and can finally say this with certainty. INFP is “The Mediator,” always looking for a compromise and trying to see the good in every situation. INFP’s are also known to be creative, passionated, open-minded and hardworking.

17. I’m very in touch with my star sign. I believe in astrology, and I certainly embody the traits and qualities of my sign: Libra. I find it difficult to trust people, and when I give my all I expect that same treatment in return. I constantly crave balance and hate it when things are off kilter.

18. I’ve got four tattoos and counting! Growing up, I was deathly afraid of needles, but I always wanted to get a tattoo (even though my parents hate them). It took 28 years but when I finally got my first tattoo, I was addicted. That said, I’m still a wuss so the ones I have are somewhat small and minimalist. I have the Libra symbol on my left wrist, paw prints on the inside of each middle finger, and the Hamsa hand behind my left ear. I love them all and I cannot wait to add more.

19. I most definitely have a travel bucket list. One of the first pages I did in my bullet journal was create my “Places to Travel” list. Some of them are pipe dreams while some are a bit more realistic. A small sampling: Bali, Maldives, Madagascar, the Galapagos Islands, Santorini, Curacao, Trinidad, Barcelona, and New Zealand.

20. I was a “published writer” at age 12. After September 11, I went through a really tough time. Losing someone close to you in a tragic way, especially when you’re in middle school (aka one the toughest times in a young girl’s life), is devastating, so I took to writing to express my feelings. I wrote a poem about that day, and it was featured in my local newspaper. That was my first real taste of writing, and it’s when I realized that writing was my passion.