Pastel from Mel

Distinguished Young Women

Monday, July 25, 2016

Hello again! Up in Bakersfield, I spent the past ten days sweating, stressing, laughing, and crying. I participated in a scholarship program (it's technically a competition, but it really didn't seem like it.. so I'll just call it a program). DYW stands for Distinguished Young Women, but apparently, the title used to be called America's Junior Miss.

On the first day, I, along with 26 other girls, gathered together at CSUB to get ready for the busy week.

I remember when I first arrived on campus, I was shaking with anxiety and nervousness. But over the next couple of days, I made friends with a few girls. I stayed with my host parents, and I also had a roommate (shoutout to Molly for being the sweetest). I love my host parents...if only my parents knew how to cook like them heh.

I have to admit... the homesickness shook me hard the first couple of days, and there was nothing but tears and sadness, but throughout the week, I gradually started to gain confidence and open myself up to others.

DYW definitely rewarded me with life lessons and strengthened a few of my weaknesses:
- my public speaking skills
- communication skills
- it's okay not knowing what I want to do
- stay positive
- be yourself

I highly recommend any high school juniors to take part in this rewarding experience. It honestly was so much more than who won. It was the bond between friendship and love that all brought us together as a family.

- Mel

Cute Outfits to Try On This Summer

Wednesday, June 29, 2016

So I've spent much of my summer days on Pinterest, and I thought I would share with you my type of clothing style.
I found most of my outfit inspirations from Emma Stone, Kate Middleton, and Alexa Chung.
Although I don't have these clothing pieces, these are definitely outfits I would love to wear.

| pinterest finds + fun |

Tuesday, June 21, 2016

I'm pretty late into the summer blogging thing, but I'll make it up to you with these cute Pinterest finds that made me wish that I was chasing waves, biking down trails, and traveling with my besties.

Follow me: https://www.pinterest.com/pastelfrommel/

Thus far, summer has been great! Last week, I attended a leadership seminar at Pepperdine, and my goodness, everything about the week was amazing. From listening to motivational speakers such as George Foreman to dancing to HSM with my friends at the talent show.. it was just an incredible experience. And now I'm stuck at home, but that means MORE BLOGGING. Keep an eye out for upcoming posts!

x Mel

Trust in Him

Sunday, May 22, 2016

Three months gone. One week left to go.

Junior year isn't over for me just yet. These next few days are going to be the most stressful hair-pulling days I can possibly imagine.

I felt the need to blog right now because I've been met with a great deal of stress this past week, including this weekend.

All the crying and blaming from this past week have brought me to question my faith in God. And this is the week when my faith in God will be put to the test.

I won't go into detail at all, but right now, I am putting my full trust in Him...I must. I need to believe that miracles can happen, and that God will answer my prayers. I have been praying constantly for Him to ease my suffering for the past few days, but my prayers were not answered. And I think it was because I had some doubt in whether or not God was there for me. And so, I am praying again. I will pray over and over again because I know that God can work wonders, and He can make miracles happen.

I lift up to Him my struggles and problems. I only have a week left of school, and this is when I need Him the most. Honestly, I haven't been this vulnerable in a really long time. I usually can handle things myself, but I realize that I can't, especially now. I need God by my side to guide me in His way. All I can do right now is pray for His guidance and that he will turn my sufferings into miracles.