NYC TRAVEL DIARIES || HARLEM CAFES + SWEETS

Since moving to Harlem, I've found a ton of really great coffeeshops, cafes and restaurants that I absolutely love and can't stop talking about. I had never considered myself a foodie, but something about Harlem's vibe and culture has really tapped into the inner foodie within me. With it being summer vacation, I've had a ton of extra time on my hands to explore the neighborhood and discover a few really awesome places. Here's a list of my top three favorite cafes so far:

Love Café - 283 Pleasant Avenue
Love Café is a really cute spot not too far from my house. When I walked inside for the first time, I fell in love with the bold orange on the walls and the hustle and bustle of the place. Being within walking distance with several elementary and high school, Love Café seems to be the hot spot with the local kids and teens. The menu is super cute and is what you would expect from a local café or deli. I ordered a vanilla chai latte with a slice of chocolate cake and it was all so delicious. Because the bar was full, I wandered to the back of the café where little tables were.

Crepe Café - 1642 Lexington Avenue
One word: AMAZING! This cafe was a bit of a walk for me... probably a 30 minute walk in platform  sandals, but it was well worth it once I walked in and ordered. Angel taught me that when going to a new restaurant it's always a good idea to ask the people who work there for their recommendations; naturally, they know what everything on the menu tastes like and have a good idea of what's popular. Just last week, we tried out an Indian restaurant and since we were both unsure of what to order, we asked the waiter and he helped us make a wise deacons. Point of the story: ask the staff for their recommendations! When I got to the cafe, I asked the girl at the front what I should order and she pointed me in the direction of something with chocolate so I ordered the Banana Nutella crepe. It came stuffed with warm, sweet and sticky bananas, and on top was a generous drizzle of nutella and a finishing dusting of powered sugar. To drink, I ordered one of their natural orange juices and sat down to do some work on my laptop. Each bite of my crepe was a heavenly experience, one I'd repeat everyday if calories and carbs didn't exist.

Evelyn's Kitchen -  2317 1st Avenue
Evelyn's Kitchen is a Harlem landmark! I mean, they were even featured in O Magazine! Anything with chocolate is always a good idea, so of course, I was all over the devil dog pudgies. Let me explain what exactly a pudgy is: it's a soft baked cookie that tastes like a delicious blob of cookie dough. I've been to Evelyn's Kitchen three times and each time, I've ordered several sweets (not all for my self of course... ) and it's a spot I'll continue to go often.

What are some of your favorite local spots? Have you ever been to NYC? Tried any of these places?

Also, I need to take more pictures!

xoxo, Kianna Rose

A FRESH START + JUNE GOALS

Life has been incredibly and completely crazy as of late! Before I go into detail about the last semester and where on earth I've been, I'd like to say "hello." This post proved to be incredible long- or should I say, incredibly detailed, and so, grab yourself a cup of coffee and read about what's been going on.

Since my last post, I've finished my second semester in college, started a relationship with a really great guy and moved out! These past few months have been a whirlwind of wild, new adventures and I've learned so much about myself. I honestly don't even know where to begin explaining everything so I'll start with my second semester of college. If you want to read up on everything college related, click here.

The Spring 2016 semester was definitely a wake up call for me. Having done so well my first semester and finishing off with a 3.98 GPA, I expected my second semester to be a cinch! I took eight classes the first time and this past semester, I only took seven. My class schedule included Old Testament Literature, New Testament Literature, Global Literature, General Psychology, Fine Arts for Educators, Health Issues for Educators and Physical Education for Educators. Most of my classes were enjoyable, except for General Psychology. This class was incredibly boring and the three hours seemed to drag on. Thankfully, Debora, Brittany, Raphe and Ali made the whole thing slightly more bearable.

Aside from taking classes, I also went out with a couple of friends for lunch and coffee and then a synagogue visit for one of our classes. It was wonderful to meet other people who love Jesus and the friendships I've formed with so many of my classmates are ones that'll last a lifetime, I just know it. 

I also mentioned starting a relationship with a great guy, Angel. Telling our entire story is a bit much for an update post, but suffice it to say, he's my favorite! We met at school, during my first semester. We never had any classes together so our initial interactions were limited to meeting up in the library, and passing each other in the hallways or elevators. Since starting our relationship, it's been wonderful going to church together, meeting each other's family's and exploring the city together! 

Also!!! I moved out! I know... its a big step, but its one I made with several factors in mind. I've always been a curious person, fascinated by the world and people around me. I've always been intrigued by experiences and hoped to have my own one day: to learn from my mistakes, to find out who I am and to discover what I was meant to do. I've dreamed of living in a cute apartment in the City with brick walls and an industrial feel and that's exactly what I got! So far, since moving out, I've explored cute neighborhoods like Soho, Spanish Harlem, Williamsburg and Ridgewood. It's when I walk though these neighborhoods that I am most happy- exploring cute shops, meeting new people and buying little mementos that will remind me of my journey are what I've longed for for so long- and now, it's my reality! Plus, with Angel as my tour guide, I'm eating a ton of really delicious food! Like yes to falafel sandwiches! 

Since life has been super crazy lately, I made a couple of goals for myself to make sure I stay focused while enjoying summer. 

• Take ALST (my first "teacher test") 
• Volunteer with the Relief Bus regularly   
• Post weekly on my blog 
• Invest in a 50mm lens 
• Film and publish a vlog 
• Study for and take my driver’s license test
• Go to Washington D.C
• Participate in marathon run 
• Workout at least 3x a week

What have you been up to lately? What are some of your summer goals? 

xoxo,

Kianna Rose

COLLEGE UPDATE VOL 2 || PICTURES + OTHER ETCS

Yay! It's time for another college update!!! Did you like the one I posted last semester? I enjoyed putting it together and basing it off of my IG account.

Last semester was a major learning experience for me! Being fresh out of homeschooling, college was an adjustment. Learning to juggle classes, making friends and getting ALL of my homework done was something I had to learn, and because of God's help, I think I was able to make it work.

This past semester, things were feeling a lot more familiar and easy to navigate. I know where all of my classes were (but don't ask me for room numbers because that, I don't know), who to ask for help (Julia is the best. hand. down.) and that I have to save EVERYTHING on my USB (because some teachers lose your work and don't remember that you handed it in... But all is grace!)

1. let's do this. first day of my FNA class. 

2. late nights + early mornings. hashtag i want to go to sleep.

3. when FNA takes you outside the classroom. #collegegoals

4. city girl. all. the. way. plus, the library has some really pretty views. 

5. #tbtuesday to this morning when i wasn't tired, achey and just "so over it." thankfully, chai lattes exist and God is so good!

6. Sh'ma Yisra'eil Adonai Eloheinu Adonai echad.

Hear, Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One.

when New Testament Lit. takes you out of the classroom and into a synagogue. 

7. ah! what am i doing? you know, spending my spring break studying for psychology. oh, and I contemplated keeping the picture in color but thought it better to spare you of ALL the pink things. #thinkpink #givemeallthepinkthings #kiannalovespink

cheezin for days with this girl.😘 late night chats about pretty much everything under the sun + laughing our way through it all. tonight's convo conclusions: cuban food is always a good idea, throwback songs need to be sung again and it's NOT our fault that PSY is so hard! 

so... we took a bus + two trains and walked almost 10 blocks in an attempt to save time on our usual route... it took 2 hours but we loved it because we saw tulips. worth it? i think so. 🌷

messy PSY notes. it is what it is. 

i'm OFFICIALLY done with my first year of college! God is so good! plus, these guys made PSY so much better! these smiles are real... we passed and that's all that matters! 

xoxo, 

Kianna Rose

WHAT MAKES ME HAPPY VOL 1

Being happy never goes out of style.

I completely and wholeheartedly agree! Being happy is always a good idea and a good choice even when your day is going *bleh* and your hair just won't cooperate. I see being happy as a choice. You don't have to be happy, but then you miss out on pretty much everything God has in store for you. 

I'll cut to the chase and say that my General Psychology class ended early and my New Testament Literature class was canceled! Since we had so much time on our hands, some friends and I decided to do our PSY homework together. One part of the assignment was to "List ten things that make you happy." Despite this question being pretty simple and self-explanatory, I mulled over writing a list that sounded "right" to my Psychologist/therapist professor. I finally came to the conclusion that writing "chocolate" doesn't make me a shallow person! (I dare you to say otherwise!) It's okay to say that little, seemingly insignificant things make you happy if they really do! You see, happiness is temporary and sometimes, seemingly insignificant. It's based on living in the moment and enjoying every minute of it. So long as my (eternal) joy is found in Jesus, I can smile when I eat chocolate and enjoy myself when I'm hand lettering.

Without further ado (perhaps about nothing...) here are some things that made me happy today:

• Getting to school on time even though I woke up SUPER late.
• A canceled class tomorrow! (Unfortunately, my professor broke his toe... )
• Feeling {pretty} confident about my PSY quiz today.
• Wheat Thins Toasted Chips Veggie flavor. (Thanks Debora!)
• A class that ended early today! 
• My PSY teaching saying how much she appreciates my punctuality. (Um... thank you)
• Making a new friend with the girl I scared the first day of class.
• Girl talks + chocolate with my PSY squad. #SquadGoals 
• Group chats with my N.T classmates. (We still can't seem to find the video assignment due today!)
• Sister time with my littlest little.
• Planning on a healthy dinner and intense workout later tonight! #LetsDoThis
• Treating myself! (TBA tomorrow on IG!)

What made you happy today? 

xoxo,

Kianna Rose

MY TOP THREE FAVORITE FACE WASHES + CLEANSERS

If we're being real, we'll all admit that we put our skin, in particularly, our faces, through a lot! Oh! Let me count the ways! Everything from putting dirty iPhone screens to our ears or pimple-popping (yes, I went there!), there is more than enough reason to cleanse, exfoliate and all that good stuff to help clear our skin.

In my experience and through much trial and error, I've finally discovered that not all face washes are the same! Some cleansers strip the skin or irritate it beyond belief, but over the years, I've found a few cleansers that I love to keep on hand. Here are my top three face washes and cleansers. 

YES TO BLUEBERRIES Smoothing Daily Cleanser
This cleanser is absolutely luscious! When applied to the skin, it is a milky consistency and when I rinse it off, my skin feels super soft and moisturized. It doesn't smell like blueberries or like anything sweet for that matter but the smell is pleasant. Though I haven't noticed it clear up my skin, it does amazing job of brightening and hydrating!

GARNIER® CLEAN+ Blackhead Eliminating Scrub For Oily Skin
MY ALL TIME FAVORITE!!! I love the little beads that exfoliate and the formulation has proven to really clear up my skin. I've noticed that my skin is much brighter and incredibly fresh after every use.

WARNING: This cleanser is strong and really good at what it's supposed to do: cleanse! I did notice that after about a week of using it, the skin around my eyelids started peeling. Even with my sensitive skin, I was able to combat the dryness with moisturizing after every use. My skin is used to it and doesn't dry out anymore.

OZ NATURALS FACIAL Cleanser
This cleanser boasts some pretty serious claims! When I received mine in the mail, I read about it's cruelty-free formula that excludes ingredients like alcohol, parabens and sulfates, making it super safe for all skin types. Instead of all of those chemicals, this cleanser is made with rose hip oil, rich ocean minerals & vitamin e that are supposed to make your skin glow!

I've been using this cleanser for a while now and honestly notice a bit if vibrancy and glow to my skin after I use it! Even though it says it doesn't have any harsh chemicals, I find that it does smell a little synthetic... Maybe it's the oils or the vitamins in it?

What are your favorite cleansers? Do you have an established skin care routine? I'd love to hear about it!

xoxo,
Kianna Rose