According to Alyssa

First of all, I just want to say thank you to everyone who took the time to read the last article that I posted and leave me so many lovely comments!  It means the world to me that you all are interested in what I'm doing at work.  I just wanted to leave a quick note to let you know that I've been published in Maniac again!  Though this article is much shorter, I am still so proud of it and hope you guys enjoy it!

This time, I attended an event (thrown by Maniac) that celebrated the grand opening of the cutest little chocolate shop!  I started out wearing a white dress and ultimately had to change because I ruined it with chocolate...surprise!  Haha, but it was a really nice time for me to be able to relax with my co-workers and make some new friends!  Please check it out below and let me know what you think!  (If it's too small to read, you can check it out here!)

Though my year has been one of the most exciting ones yet, I think this announcement may be the best of all!  I am so very pleased to share with you that I am writing and self-publishing a children's book!  HOORAY!  I can't believe it is actually happening.

If you are new to my blog, then you should know that I write about beauty, fashion, music, and life for Maniac Magazine which is so much fun!  I truly love every second of it.  But, I've been wanting to do some more fictional creative writing to stir up the pot.

I am also a HUGE fan of Christmas.  I have been watching the past few years of Zoe Sugg and Tanya Burr's vlogmas videos every day for the past month (I know it's early!) and listening to Christmas music in the shower.  MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HOLIDAAAAYS! (Anybody know who sings that?!)  My boyfriend is extremely annoyed with me, but whatever!  It's the most wonderful time of the year, and it's only 5 months away!

So with my mind full of ideas and high on the thought of Christmas being so soon (lol), I texted my friend Katherine, who is an AMAZING artist (YES, SHE DID THE REINDEER PICTURED ABOVE.  ISN'T HE GORGEOUS?!) and half-jokingly said "let's write a children's book".  Her response was entirely serious and 100% for the idea.  And that was it.  We got to work right away and are now so pumped to be writing a children's Christmas book!

The story follows a retired reindeer far past his glory days who is searching for a way to continue to bring happiness to children!  We've launched a Go Fund Me campaign in the attempt to raise some of the money that we need to publish this book in time for Thanksgiving!  If you're interested in learning more, PLEASE don't hesitate to check out the campaign and make a donation!  We've included some pretty awesome rewards for anyone who helps us out, so we think it's definitely worth it!

Also, if you can't afford to donate, don't worry!  You can always just share the link to the campaign and help us spread the word!

Thank you all in advance!

xx

          One thing that I am incredibly thankful for is the fact that all of my friends are so creative and talented.  I'm constantly surrounded by filmmakers, photographers, musicians, and actors.  (What a blow to my ego! Haha!)
          Last semester, my friend, Lindsey, invited myself and our mutual friend, Michelle, to model in a photo shoot she was doing for her editorial photography class!  The day was a complete dream come true.  We had been given permission to use the empty penthouse apartment in one of the classiest apartment buildings in downtown Pittsburgh and we spent the day laughing and having some real girl time!  It was a blast and I felt like I was in Serena van der Woodsen's Upper East Side apartment!  Our wardrobes consisted of vintage nighties and men's suits.
          Let me know what you think of the photos I've chosen to show!

          For the longest time, I've wanted a pet of my own.  My family has two dogs and a cat, but since I no longer live with them, my need for a fluffy companion has greatly increased.  Enter my friend Alli.  Her cat, June, had kittens about two months ago and guess who got to take one home a couple of days ago?!  That's right, ME!  I am so overjoyed with my new little lady.  She uses the litterbox and doesn't dig her claws into any furniture!  She also loves to snuggle and play.  (Now if only I could get her to stop waking my boyfriend up at 4 a.m.!)  Ladies and gentlemen, meet Sloane!