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Bloomer in the Spotlight 🌼
Meet Grace, a talented photographer (check out her amazing work here) and thrifting queen.
The 18-year-old grew up in SoCal but moved to Michigan with her family, where she’s just wrapped up her freshman year of college. When she’s not busy with classes and work, you can likely find her running outside, hanging out with her adorable pets, or taking pics. We chat about all this below, along with her go-to conversation starters for making new friends.
How has it been making friends and finding community in a new place?
It’s definitely hard, especially as a young adult. But it's still so different from being in high school ‘cause in high school you're around the same people every day and it kind of just happens . As you're around people, you just become friends with them. But now that I'm in college, I've just found that I have to be a lot more intentional and put myself out there a lot more, which is kinda scary. But the more that I do it, the easier it gets. It's still scary, but it's getting easier. And definitely going to school helps; getting connected with people and working helps. I realized that I really have to be intentional about getting out of the house and doing things and the way I interact with people, even if it's a person I'm never gonna see again. It's encouraging to be in a community that way.
What do you do for work?
I work at a grocery store. I’m a cashier.
That was my first job!
This is actually my third job. I was a barista at a college coffee shop back in California and I'm hoping to soon get a barista job here in Michigan ‘cause I really love being a barista. But I’m actually surprising myself with how much I enjoy being a cashier as well ‘cause as much as I'm definitely on the introverted side, in terms of my job, when it's relational and I get to talk to people, I think it just makes it easier. I enjoy it so much more than being by myself at work or sitting at a desk.
I feel like I would develop a severe caffeine addiction if I were a barista.
At first I was like that, but I actually don’t drink as much caffeine ‘cause it makes me anxious. I was good about not becoming dependent on it because I was very aware of the fact that I didn't like how it made me feel. Most of the time I would just have water or I'd make a chai latte or something.
What do you like to do for fun in your free time?
I love to read. That's probably like one of my favorite things to do ever. It's always been one of my favorite hobbies ever since I was little.
I recently at the beginning of the year started running, which has been fun. It's been a challenge for sure, but it's made me more confident in myself by proving to myself that I can do it.
Do you have a certain playlist or songs that you listen to?
I actually use the Nike Run Club app. It does guided runs. That has been the biggest thing that has helped me run consistently because it makes me forget about the fact that I'm running. It gives me other things to think about and it taught me how to run correctly. Whenever I post on my Instagram Story that I finished a run, people are like, “How do you do that? How do you consistently run?” And I always recommend the Nike Run Club app. I’m like free promo for them [laughs].
What kinds of conversations are you and your friends having right now?
Well, a lot of the friends that I'm making in Michigan, it's situational. So I'm making friends at school and then making friends at my work . A lot of what we're talking about is based on our classes. And then my coworkers and I obviously talk about our jobs.
But aside from that, I have things in my mind that are my go-tos to ask people that I've just met. One of them is, “Have you traveled anywhere?” or like, “Do you plan to travel anywhere? And if so, where do you wanna go?” Because for me, that's something I'm passionate about. I really wanna travel in my life and experience other places and other cultures. It's always super interesting to hear about where people wanna visit and why. I was talking to a friend recently and I asked her where she would wanna move to, and she just said, it doesn't matter. She just wants it to be super cold.
Where would you go if you could pack up and go anywhere?
Oh my gosh, I don’t even know. So many places. I really wanna visit Europe. I wanna go to Ireland, England, Italy. I just wanna go everywhere. I'm hoping eventually down the road in my educational career to study abroad.
What's something that's bringing you joy right now?
Definitely the sunshine because I haven’t had it for a few months. It seems so silly, but I just love the sunshine so much and every single time I go outside and it's sunny out, it just makes me infinitely more happy. That one is guaranteed to make me joyful. Also, at the beginning of the year, I got two kitties. And I got a puppy.
Oh my gosh.
Yeah [laughs]. They're also the ones that are guaranteed to make me happy as well. They're definitely troublemakers and it is a lot to take care of them, but they're absolutely adorable and I love them so much. They all follow me around the house.
Do they all get along?
The cats are brothers, so they love each other. They'll sleep next to each other all the time. They love each other. The dog, Bentley, kind of chases them around and most of the time they exist with each other and they're fine. But sometimes the cats will get annoyed and they'll squawk at his face. I think it's funny. My mom is like, “Grace, you have to discipline your cats not to do that.” I'm like, “Hey, you have to discipline a dog not to chase them around” [laughs].
Do you have any siblings?
I have three older brothers.
What was that like growing up?
A lot of times growing up when I would tell people that, they're like, “Oh my gosh, it must have been so hard.” And for me it’s all I know, you know? For me, it was fun. I love all my brothers. We all get along really well. My parents were really intentional about making sure that we are friends with each other. They're like, “We're your parents, but you’re gonna have your siblings for the rest of your life. So we wanna make sure that you guys have good relationships with each other.” I mean, siblings are gonna be siblings. We get on each other's nerves. We get frustrated with each other, but at the end of the day, we all love each other. I know I am the person that I am because of them and I wouldn't change who I am.
You’re studying communications. What would you love to do after graduation?
I don't really know. It’s hard for me to make decisions sometimes. So I don't wanna decide on something and then be disappointed when it doesn't follow through. However, I do have an interest in photography and I took a photography class last semester. I feel like the career that I see myself most in is as a photojournalist because it combines the aspect of traveling with photography.
Tell me more about how you got into photography.
Honestly, I feel like I've been interested in photography for so long. When I was in middle school, I didn't have a phone, but I would ask if I could use my mom's phone and I would just go around my neighborhood taking pictures of flowers and pictures of the road and the streets and stuff. And then I literally would edit it in the camera app. It’s just so funny looking back because all those photos, I'm like, “Oh gosh, what was I thinking?” But it was fun. It was a time to be creative.
As the youngest, I feel like a lot of times I look up to my brothers and see what they're doing. One of my brothers was taking a photography class in high school and he got super into it at the time and I was like, “Oh, that's really cool. I think I would like to do that.” So that's when I started to take photos on my mom's phone. I've taken photos at gatherings, like group photos. But then I saw the photos my brother was taking and I was like, “How can I take photos like that? That is so cool to me.” So that's kinda where it started. And then I kind of just continued. I would just take photos on my phone throughout like middle school and then in high school, I would talk to one of my brothers; he and I would connect on creatives. His girlfriend at the time, who's now his wife actually, she is very creative as well and very into photography. She is the one that gave me my first camera. Talking to them and spending time with them really encouraged me to pursue it a little bit more.
When they got engaged a few years ago, they asked me to take their engagement photos. It was so fun. It was kind of non-conventional engagement photos. It was in a studio and they wore suits and did different poses. To this day, it’s one of my favorite photoshoots; it was so fun. I was just learning how to use the camera so I wasn't completely comfortable, but it really challenged me to learn more and be more creative in the way I take photos. It was awesome. I was super grateful to them for that.
How would you describe your personal style?
I think it's definitely leaning towards being more masculine or genderless. I really like that aspect of fashion. I thrift most of my clothes, so it's hard for me to narrow in on a specific style because I feel like when I go thrifting, I just buy what things that are interesting to me. But genderfluid fashion is super cool. I really like structured pieces.
I'm kind of in a little bit of a fashion rut ‘cause it's warming up. I really love winter fashion with sweaters and vests and all that stuff. I love wearing layers and now that it's warming up I'm like, I don't know what to wear. I don't know what to do. I'm like, my mind's gonna explode ‘cause I don't know how to do layers in the summertime. So I'm hoping to go thrifting soon and find a few more pieces that are more summer oriented.
Do you have any thrifting tips or strategies when you're looking for stuff?
I definitely do. When you're first starting out thrifting, go all the time because that's the only way you're gonna become familiar with thrifting is when you go pretty often. Also, when I first started out thrifting, I was so excited about the fact that everything was less expensive that I just literally bought anything. At that point, it wasn't necessarily as sustainable because I would buy things and only wear it once. I’d be like, “Oh wait, I don't actually like this like I thought I did.” And I only bought it because it was like $2. So more recently I've learned to be more strict with myself about the things that I buy. Even if it’s cheap, I still want to buy things that I’m gonna like for a long time.
One thing my mom has taught me is you either like it or you don’t like it. If you don’t like it as soon as you put it on then you probably shouldn’t get it because you’re not gonna like it for long. Also, knowing what styles you like and what type of clothes fit you has helped me a lot because it allows me to filter through pieces easier. Like at this point in thrifting, I can see a piece on the rack and know immediately whether or not I’d like it. So even if it’s objectively cute, I know that for myself I probably wouldn't wear it because I don’t like the way that it frames me.
A few of Grace’s favorite things:
The @lexie podcast. I’ve been listening to this podcast for over a year and it’s one of my favorites by far. Lexie feels like the big sister I never had as she talks about everything from handling burnout to her current favorite reads. I like to listen to it while I’m walking my dog.
Decaf chai lattes. I loooveee chai lattes so much but caffeine has never really helped with my anxiety so I would only have one every once in a blue moon. However, I recently found a decaf chai concentrate at the grocery store and I’m obsessed. It lets me enjoy my favorite drink without the fast heart rate and pounding headache. Plus it gives me something to look forward to in the mornings!
Libby! If you’ve never heard of it, Libby is essentially a library for your phone. It’s an app where you can check out digital books and audiobooks. I’ve loved having it because now I don’t have to try to fit a book in my bag whenever I go somewhere and it helps me not break the bank by buying all the books I want to read.
It’s Never Fair, Always True by JAWNY. I would argue that this is the perfect album for summer. JAWNY is an indie pop artist and ever since he released his new album back in March, I have not stopped listening to it. My favorite tracks are “strawberry chainsaw,” “death is a dj,” and “wide eyed.”
Driving with the windows down! It’s finally warm and sunny in Michigan and I’m taking full advantage by soaking up the sunshine at every chance I get. I also have a sunroof in my car that I open up and it instantly makes me feel free and full of life. Best enjoyed when accompanied with a song blasting from the car speakers (see #4).
tysm, Grace! 🌼
Beyond the Algorithm 🔮
Summer is here and I wanted to know: Where is everyone getting their swimwear these days? Here’s what you reported:
“TRIANGL or Kulani Kinis.” ––Isabella, 16
“Also TRIANGL.” ––Isabella, 16 (*Editor’s note: Yes, I spoke to two different 16-year-old Isabellas!)
“Ardene! They did a really cute body inclusive collab recently.” ––Raine, 16
“I would say Summersalt! So very cute; such great quality.” ––Natalie, 19
“My favorites are Frankie’s Bikinis and Aerie.” ––Jade, 17
“My favorite is Aurelle swim! They have super affordable swimwear and they are good quality.” ––Autumn, 20
ICYMI 🗞
Christian Bale, Gen Z Heartthrob (by yours truly)
How Three Taylor Swift Fans Are Sticking It To Ticket Resellers
In the meantime…
Here are some things I have recently bought and/or consumed:
The Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Tinted Lip Oil in “Hope.” While I am not a fan of the Rare liquid blush, the tinted lip oil is really nice. I love that it’s not sticky.
I just finished the Shiny Happy People and The Curious Case of Natalia Grace docuseries… both of which were beyond disturbing (and sad), to say the least. I also finally attempted to watch the Reese Witherspoon/Ashton Kutcher rom-com Your Place or Mine and had to quit halfway through because I was so bored. Back to RHONY reruns, it is!
These New Balance sneaks! I am 5’2 and a sucker for a platform sneaker. I got them in gray and white.
A box of these dairy-free salted caramel ice cream bars. While I will always be loyal to Van Leeuwen, their vegan ice cream is $$$ so this is a tasty (and cheaper) substitute.
And here’s a song to get ya through the week:
P.S. We wanna hear from you! 🐌
Want to nominate a friend (or yourself!) for “Bloomer in the Spotlight”? Got a brilliant recommendation for “Beyond the Algorithm” or just wanna say hey?
Get in touch at latebloomernewsletter@gmail.com 💘