Queen B Nails it

Here comes Mrs. Carter. Bow down to her supreme singing voice and booty shaking skills. She IS Hollywood Royalty.

When you see Beyonce, you just love her. Adore her. Admire her.  You want to be her, or at least look like her. Ok. be as talented as her.

I admire Beyonce because she has taken her fame, and done wonderful things with her Goodwill campaigns, Get Fit campaigns, lower income housing projects, and political support.
But today, I am here to talk about her concert in ATLANTA.

Since last night, all I want to listen to B's music. Thank God for Spotify because I got B-fever worse than before the concert!

So, without further ado, the concert of the year!

It all started out, with the outfit. A very important moment on my part: I wore a black lace top, peplum skirt, gold sandals, and a melon colored belt for some added color.   I felt so vampy- but it was totally appropiate for Beyonce! For once in a very long time, I felt HOT! (where were the boys?)

Then, I picked up my friend Michelle, but it started to rain. So we ate dinner at her house waiting for the rain to stop. It did, making the drive to Gwinnett Arena, relatively easy.

We park.  We walk in. Get distracted by the Radio Station giveaways. Meet (fake) Justin Timberlake.  Get disgusted by the price of a t-shirt. Settled for a poster.

It gets better from here. I was in Section 100, which was right next to the entrance and smack dap across from the center of the stage! We wait, we wait, we wait. Some guy named Luke James comes on to play. He eventually leaves the stage with his shirt unbuttoned. That's ok.  Actually, that's great!


Then, Beyonce came on stage. She is a powerhouse.  The crowd went wild as she did some signature moves and sang her poppy hits.  Coming out seeing all my favorites and some so-sos.

Here is Beyonce's set list. I've hi-lighted my favorite performances!

1. 1. "Run the World (Girls)"
   2. "End of Time"
   3. "Flaws and All"
   4. "If I Were a Boy" / "Bitter Sweet Symphony"
   5. "Get Me Bodied"
   6. "Baby Boy"
   7. "Diva"
   8. "Naughty Girl"
   9. "Party"
   10. "Freakum Dress"
   11. "I Care"
   12. "I Miss You"
   13. "Schoolin' Life"
   14. "Why Don't You Love Me"
   15. "1+1"
   16. "Irreplaceable"
   17. "Love on Top"
   18. "Survivor"
   19. "Crazy in Love"
   20. "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" / "Movin' on Up"
   21. "Grown Woman"
   22. "I Will Always Love You"
   23. "Halo"

   It was a crazy, fun energy packed 2 hours.  I wouldn't trade a moment of the evening for anything else!  Beyonce is the Queen. Queen B for the record. 

   If you ever get the chance to see B in concert, jump at the opportunity. She's got sass but she's got humility. She's beautiful, inside and out. She smiles, you smile. Her energy is infectious. 

   
   

   
   

   

   
   

   
   

   

   
   

   

   
   

   

   
   

   

   
   

   

   
   

   Beyonce puts on a show you won't forget.  Lights, costumes, music, PERFORM! 

   
   

   Now, everyone go get your freak on AND LIKE ALWAYS, shine bright loves! 

   
   

I don't know what to think. honestly.

Shout out to my ALPHA DELTA PIs cuz this one's for YOU!

I can't decide what to think of this music video. It scares me just, well, a tad. It just seems so random. Especially the girls in pearls chorus.  But, hey, I guess my sisters are just having some fun!

So throw your diamonds to the sky and let 'em know you ADPI!

Now, I like this video better!  It's a rap.  It'll get your head banging. 

Alpha Delta Pi, Alpha Delta Pi, Alpha Delta Pi.

Day 4

Keeping it short!

It's day 4. I deserve to be able to hire a purse holder. My arms are going to fall off.

I hope to see results soon! I'm excited to take my first rest day (Sorry Emily and Dustin who want me to workout 7 days a week- I'm sticking with 5)

In approximately 18 hours, I am seeing the BEYONCE CONCERT!

WHO RUN DA WORLD? BEYONCE (and maybe me, because I say so)

nah, really. I do. Dont get all J has a big ego or something. I have taken control of my life and am trying really hard this time to lose weight! See! I'm blogging about it, which is PUBLIC!

shine bright loves,
Jaclyn

Day Two

My abs ache.

My legs wobble as I stand.

My arm's sore.

It's Day TWO!

My trainer told me I need to cut out DAIRY!

And need to eat 6 small meals a day....  Like, how is that possible.

I love to eat...LOVE to eat, but what constitutes a tiny meal.

Meanwhile, since I'm pulling and stretching and bending, and squating, I feel like some progress is actually happening. However, I hear that waking up on day three is the worst.

Don't let me quit this exercise routine.  Shoot me comments. Give me diet tips. I want to get healthy, and I want to lose weight. I want to see my abs SPARKLE!

Ok, maybe not. I'm no vampire.

Time to study for my Spanish Exam en la mañana.

See what I'm doing there? Eh? Eh?

Oh well,

Shine Bright Loves,
Jaclyn

Today is the beginning

To whoever feels like reading this,

Today is the beginning. I am taking control of my life again and am going to commit myself for the rest of the summer to be healthy and try to lose weight. During freshman year, I let school and my social life come before my health. I didnt care. I chose food and tv over doing what I should be doing. Not going to lie, I HATE WORKING OUT. I ACTUALLY HATE IT. THE IDEA NAUSEATES ME.

But it is time. I am taking control of my life and going to try to work out, to put myself back on track. Who knows, maybe by the time school rolls around, I will like working out, or at least being a little active. Cuz to be honest, I hate it. As you can see from my past posts, that I am lazy. I forget to post. I forget to workout. Most times, I dont even think about it. Exercising has never been part of my routine, but I guess that it's time that I make it my routine.

So, here's to trying to get in shape.

Wish me luck.

Oh and if anyone has any cute workout gear ideas let me know. Right now, I hear spandex shorts are in. However, fat girls like me probs shouldnt be showing everything, so i might opt for the longer bike shorts.

Now, yes, I know this post isn't reflecting much self appreciation but maybe with time, I will accept my weight, and be comfortable in my own skin and not call myself "fat." But, I'm facing the facts, I kind of am.

Swimsuits scare me more than the idea of eating sushi!

Shine bright loves,

Sweet Summertime

This summer, has sparkled.

Well, the first month and a half of it that is.

Since you've last seen me, ok, it has been a lonngggg time.  That goes for the whole "I'm gonna start a regular blog and become super popular online," phase. Guess that didnt happen. Neither did my whole, I'm gonna start journaling kick that I had yesterday. That lasted 3 sentences until I got pulled away todo chores. It didn't get interesting. I just wanted to join the Lonely Hearts Club... oh wait, my new journal doesnt know that part yet.


So in between my new jams of summer, i.e Blurred Lines, Come and Get it, Get lucky, it's been a busy summer.



I've been places and done things ;) I've never thought that I would do.
I've been to a high place on Earth and I've been to the lowest. I've been to one of the hottest places,  and one of the coldest- which somehow hit 85 degrees when I was there. I was in the Northwest when Kim Kardashian debuted North West.

Pause- That is such a tragic name. Like,  come on, play on names are never a good idea. I remember from my middle school  days when the characters in the math book would have names like Mary Goround or Brandon Down.  Perhaps this baby will aspire to go to Northwestern. Her name-a mater.  Or maybe she'll be all spoiled (of course, she's a kardashian, she'll be spoiled) and want to take over the airline!


Sorry, so many jokes.

Bottom line,  its been a great summer of travel- Israel, Alaska, Seattle...possibly NYC in the future.  Now, the fairytale is over. I must take a spanish class, do my internship and take over momma's eBay
 business.

It has been a crazy month and a half of dog mushing, camel riding, hiking, and taking in the views. Oh the views!

Here are some views:

Shine Bright Loves,

Jaclyn 

Terp Thon's got SPARKLE

Have you ever heard of Terp Thon?
What about Penn State's "Thon?"

Ok. Ok. Children's Miracle Network? 
There you go! 

Children's Miracle Network associates itself with colleges to raise money for its childrens hospitals through dance marathons.

Last Saturday, over 1000 University of Maryland Students stood on their feet for 12 long hours and danced for the kids who can't dance for themselves. 

20 kids impacted by the Children's Hospital came and shared their stories of cancer, and genetic birth disorders, and accidents. 

The child who stood out the most is this little Rockstar, Amanda. She had her leg amputated, but that doesnt stop her. She will be the next big thing.

She got on stage, no ROCKED THE STAGE to Kelly Clarkson and Miley Cyrus with her sister and friend as backup. She had so much energy and was fun to watch!  I will try to  post the video later. 

Best PArt: We raised $306,735. 45 in Terp Thon's 4th year in existence. Thats a record! 

The money raised goes to the following:

• Paying for expenses not covered by insurance - things like medicines, therapy, hearing aids, wheelchairs, travel to stay with hospitalized children, formula and diapers.
• Providing support services like scholarships to special summer camps for kids and help for parents grieving the loss of a child.
• Helping hospitals and other health care facilities purchase important equipment they could not otherwise afford, like emergency pediatric resuscitation carts, infant car seats for safety, specialized hearing equipment, or playroom toys

So you're wondering why Terp Thon sparkled? It broke fundraising records, kept the fun going all day and night, and the committee worked so hard to make this the best Terp Thon Yet!

If you want to donate to Children's Miracle Network, do so here!  

Shine bright loves,
Jaclyn

How does page view work?

I always wonder how this whole page view thing works. How do people find your blog? How do people come back to it?

I truly want to know. The art of blogging is difficult. Thinking of blog ideas is just as difficult as finding readers. Have any of you had this problem.

I have this unrealistic expectation that my blog views and readership will take off like wildfire. I guess not though, because I'm often too lazy to track down pictures, especially if I can't think of an image pertinent to a blog post. So perhaps, I will randomly showcase this one of take out cheesecake on a snow day:

 Or this lovely photo op from Terp Thon- FTK!

In case you are dance thon illiterate, FTK stands for For the Kids! 

The song that should be your anthem!

"Say I am, Say I am, Say I am wonderful."

You are wonderful. The song "Wonderful" is such an uplifting song. It reminds you that you are worthy.This song just makes me feel good about myself. Don't Ever lose your sparkle because someone thinks you are wonderful.

Shine Bright loves,

Jaclyn 

Whoops, its been a while

How has two months passed since my last post?

I have no clue. and honestly, so much has happened.

Namely, I joined the wonderful sorority Alpha Delta Pi!

Their stone is diamond which is funny because this blog is about sparking.

"Shine bright like a diamond" y'all!

It's a match made in heaven, don't you think?

Since Jan 31, my birthday has passed, I've been a little sleep deprived and I've started doing a little photography again. I'm pretty happy.... and SPRING BREAK IS NEXT WEEK!  Don't ask me what my plans are because I have no clue, but it shall be filled with puppy love.

Oh, and the 500th song of Glee is being performed tonight so thats a pretty big deal!

Shine bright loves,
Jaclyn

P.S: just thought of my new tagline. hope you like!

Why is American Idol still here?

Hey everyone,  please don't hate on this post, but I'm sure youre all thinking the same thing. Why is American Idol still on? It's like one season after the other, and most of the time the artists dont become much of anything except Kelly and Carrie.

And we see so many train wrecks who are just embarrassing themselves. And  the judges keep changing. The show is just lacking. Maybe Mariah and Nicki as judges will make it better but who really knows?

Dreary Day Thoughts

So, I'm sitting on the cold marble of a bench in the Hornbake Library of my school, waiting for class to start. It is a dreary day and as I sit here,  I am unsure of the state of my life.

I began the first week of rush last weekend and that was hella stressful. I want to tell you all about it, but more details will come eventually.

I'm nervous about what will happen in the next week. Next Monday could be the happiest or the worst day of my life. Rushing a sorority is like applying to college. You get one shot with each house. The second they dont like you, or think that you would be a better fit somewhere else, you're cut without a second thought. This is not like a bad grade on a test, THERE ARE NO APPEALS.

Well, as you can obviously tell, I am worried. I just want to find the perfect sorority, is that so much to ask for?

Anyways, for lunch i just had the amazing comfort of this massive chocolate m&m cookie, but now i am feeling the consequences. Lesson learned: dont eat massive cookies. There is no stopping point. I seriously have to hit the gym tonight or something.

Finally, I want the sun to come out and be warm so i can wear my new riding boots. Yup, that would be perfect.

Don't ever lose your Sparkle Falcons. RISE UP!

Ok, so the Falcons lost.
The world now knows this. I now will be rooting for the Ravens along with the rest of my classmates, most of whom are from Maryland. I was hoping for the Falcons to beat the 49ers, but due to some poorly timed timeouts, the Niners ran the clock in the last minute.

This was frustrating to watch, since the game was so close. However, we all know that the Falcons is a wonderful team. A football powerhouse backed by some stellar fans. Perhaps, the Falcons will make it to the super bowl next year. In the meantime, don't give up. Keep cheering on your local team and keeping rising up Falcons to the occasion!

Despite the loss, i am so happy that I got to attend the NFC championship game. It was a special, once in a lifetime event and I am ever grateful that I got to attend.

Last Sunday was such a busy day for me. After the game, my dad and I went to the midnight showing of Zero Dark Thirty. Now that is a serious film. Jessica Chastain gave a Oscar worthy performance with her die-hard perseverance to find Bin Laden. It is a completely different role from her ditzy role in the Help. I like her versatility in the roles that she can play.  My dad and I had the entire theater to ourselves and we didn't get home until about 3 am. This resulted in about 6 hours of sleep before I had to go on a plane to Maryland to go back to school.

Whoopee!

Don't Ever Procrastinate (like I'm doing right now)

In approximately 48 hours I will be back in college.
And what am I doing now? Blogging of course!
I should actually be packing, which is not so easy. Some how I am going back with more than I came with!  My room looks something like this: 

I have issues where I start a blog and don't go anywhere with it. Or I just forget to edit it, so on, so forth, excuses, excuses, excuses.

I've decided if I want to be a writer, (ok aspiring editor in chief of some glitzy magazine like Vogue, or Glamour, or  Marie Claire) I need to have a blog. I really hope that you, my followers will join me as I blog about my life, people who interest me, fashion trends and current events.



Some events to look forward to: my attendance at the Falcons Championship Game, the challenge of rushing a sorority, and the Oscars! (Rooting for Les Mis!)

If you want to read some articles I have written, check out HerCampus.com! This awesome site is designed for college girls, called Collegiettes. The articles about anything and everything!

I guess that I should get back to packing. I'm just drowning here. Or ,maybe I'll just go hang with my dog. ;)
Have an amazing weekend!