California Take 1

Summer 2011 was spent in sunny Los Angeles, California. I worked as a marketing executive at an advertising agency that specialized in digital media and had entertainment clientele.

I consider myself extremely lucky, to have had such a strong group of friends there. Former Miss USA contestants, whom I remained very good friends with, happened to be in the same area, so my weekends were spent being adventurous with them!

I can’t say enough good things about California. The weather, the people, the fashion, the culture, it was all wonderful. I could post loads on my life there, but I’ll document my two-month time span spent there in some photos below. Enjoy! Feel free to ask any questions. 

View on my walk to work everyday to Los Angeles Center Studios

Santa Monica Pier

Hiking at Griffith Park

At the Miss California pageant cheering on Brittany Bell in Fresno

Daily view from my office window at work (not too shabby)

One of my favorite things about California is the outdoor activity. I loved hiking Runyon Canyon

Dinner with Miss USA friends!

First Experience of In-N-Out Burner

Daily cookies from the Los Angeles Center Studios cafe :)

Capitol City Records for work

Dinner date with Michael at the Grove before he left.

Between working 40 hours (or more) a week, exploring the city, traveling, making new friends and tackling an online advertising class, I didn't have spare time to blog; but I really wish I would have! Looking back at these photos make me realize how much I really miss LA. I'll post a round 2 of photos soon!

Best, 

B

Spring Fever

Although Nebraska has been lucky enough to have one of the warmest winters to date, I can’t help but count down the days until spring is officially hear. I’m ready to back up my beloved boots, coats, and sweaters and trade them in for skirts, dresses and wedges.

The muted nude, gray, beige, tan and black were all great for fall and winter, but this spring it’s all about color. With new weather brings the need for new boldness, and what better way to be bold than with color. Color combination are key to nailing this trend. Try mixing complimentary colors together, like a royal purple with a yellow, then splash some pink in the palette. Or try turquoise with a light orange. The hottest colors are turquoise, fuchsia, tangerine, indigo blue and a bright citrus. Pantone's tangerine color is the hottest off the press; I like it best paired with a bold turquoise. Wear these shades with neutral shoes and accessories to pull everything together. Also make sure the color palette you choose compliments your skin tone to ensure you are rocking out the trend. MaxMara, Jay Godfrey and Diane von Furstenberg are great references for this look.

Road Trip!

 
Right after my birthday I packed up my essentials, and early May 27^th Michael and I headed on our venture half way across country to sunny California. The trip took two days, and this is definitely something I highly suggest people to add to their bucket lists. The United States’ landscape is so beautifully diverse.

Woke up at 5AM to a rainbow. I felt like it was a message from my dad.

After crossing the boarders of Nebraska we were in Colorado! I cannot say that the two-hour drive through the mountains was my favorite, but luckily I had a great companion to take his shift during that part. Although the mountains made me nervous, Colorado scenery is always beautiful.

Next up was Utah. The red rocks contrasted so beautifully with the bright blue skies. But man oh man was that I long drive through “dead man’s ally.” No gas stations, no cell phone service, and no sign of civilization for around 200 miles. I have to say that was a little scary! Once we hit the 13-hour mark of driving, we found a dive hotel and crashed for the night.

We stopped at Wilson Arch in Utah, then decided to hike to the top. It was amazing. The photo below is a picture taken at the top.

 

Up early the next day, we made our way to the Grand Canyon! Wow, breathtaking does not do it justice. This was my favorite part of the trip. I wasn’t too daring and never made it close to a ledge without a rail, but nonetheless it was amazing and the highlight of the trip!

 

 

After the Grand Canyon we made the final stretch through the desert to California! It was a memorable trip, and one I will never forget! Stay tuned if you want to hear about my California adventures!

Best,

Belinda

Birthday Picnic

There’s something about your birthday that just makes you feel extra special. And on May 26,2011, the day could not have been more perfect. With Nebraska weather, you never know how the weather will be (one day it’s 75 and sunny, the next day its 50, rainy, and windy), but God chose to make my birthday the perfect temperature with clear skies, and boy was I thankful!

This called for one a birthday picnic at one of Michael and I’s favorite places: James Arthur Vineyard. We grabbed the pup, some sandwiches, a blanket and headed to the outskirts of Lincoln. We were lucky enough to have the vineyard all to ourselves. 

My favorite wine from James Arthur: Edelweiss

Harley was loving every minute.

I encourage you to venture out the next nice spring or summer day for a picnic. It's really easy, all we did was take some sandwiches, got some wine at the vineyard, grabbed a blanket and we were set! It's fun date idea! 


Later that night, some friends came to grab dinner. It was short notice, so not everyone could make it, but I was thankful to my close friends that could. Especially since Michael and I were taking off for California the next day where I spent the summer interning at an advertising agency! 

Cheers to 23 years old and new adventures!

Xo,

Belinda

I'm Back!!

Hello everyone!

Wow, it’s been way too long since my last blog post, and boy do I have a lot to fill you in on! Since my last post, I traveled to California for an internship, we crowned a new Miss Nebraska USA, I made my way to St. Louis, Chicago, NYC and Oklahoma, I’ve been loving everyone minute I spend with my friends, family and puppy and I’ve been finishing up my Master’s degree at the University of Nebraska- Lincoln.

You'll notice the new name and design to my blog. I had great help from my Facebook page for a new name, and my friend Misty thought of this: A Crown Worthy Life...After the reign. I loved it! And to me it has a deeper meaning. I always wanted to humanize the role of Miss Nebraska USA, and I hope this blog continues to do that. Also, I believe everyone deserves a "crown worthy life," tailored around your goals and aspirations.


Because I don’t want to leave you out of the loop, these next couple months I’ll be blogging about my life since then, along with posts from the present. I’ll later archive those blogs to their proper date.

If you are new to my blog, please check out my previous posts from my reign as Miss Nebraska USA 2010! From here on out, I’m going to spice things up and blog about some of my passions: sewing, fashion, DIY, health and fitness and more, along with my general lifestyle blog posts. Prepare to see a lot of photos, my way of thinking has always been to document my life through pictures. It may have steamed from my lack of a photographic memory, but I enjoy it!

As always, I’d love to hear your opinions and comments. Stay tuned, because my life is about as crazy as it can get as I prepare for new adventures after graduate school! Thanks for stopping by!

Best regards,

Belinda