Alana Reina

Cherry Blossom Photo Diary

Cherry Blossom Photo Diary

If you follow me on Instagram, you already read about my crazy experience at the Cherry Blossom festival a few weeks ago. If not, I will recap briefly! So what had happened was…my friend Jon and I wanted to shoot down there, but I thought it was best for us to wait until Monday or later in the week, rather than Saturday or Sunday which were the “peak bloom” days and the days that the Cherry Blossom Festival were supposed to be held. However, Jon had the foresight to predict that it would get shut down after the weekend, and since he had a shoot on Sunday (that got cancelled lol), we decided it was Saturday or never! As you can imagine, when we got down there it was HELLAAAA people everywhere!! We did our best to avoid the crowds and get our shots, but it was a struggle! You…

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How To: Stay Sane When You Are Stuck at Home All Day (Due to Quarantine, Unemployment, Illness, etc)

How To: Stay Sane When You Are Stuck at Home All Day (Due to Quarantine, Unemployment, Illness, etc)

First of all, let’s address the obvious: we are pretty much ALL miserable right now because of Covid-19 (CORONA VIRUS! *Cardi B voice*) and it really sucks, on SO MANY levels! Especially for those who are required to continue going to work despite the very real risk of catching the virus, those who have to stay home without pay or those who have lost their jobs altogether. I am one of the very very fortunate few that not only don’t have to go to work, but continue to get paid. The fact that I managed to get a full-time job in the school system – complete with salary and benefits – right before this mess started is ENORMOUSLY fortunate, and for that I am so grateful. Although I know how lucky I am to have job security and a steady paycheck, I am still losing my mind, as I am…

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March Book Review II

March Book Review II

Happy first day of March! It’s a brand new month with new opportunities to achieve new goals. If you are like me, then reading more is ALWAYS a goal – one that I am better at some months than others! In January, I read 10 books and then only about 2-3 in February. Granted, I started a new full time job in February, but we can all do better right?? It’s been a MINUTE since my last book review, and I am so happy to be back to writing them! When I first started my blog two years ago, I was diligently keeping a list of every book I read, which made it super easy to reference when I wanted to write a book review. Last year, I totally dropped the ball on keeping track of the books I was reading, and thus totally slacked on writing any reviews! But…

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How To: Be an Ally to Black Women as a Non-Black Woman of Color

How To: Be an Ally to Black Women as a Non-Black Woman of Color

Although Black History Month shouldn’t be the only time that we consciously think about how to appreciate and support the Black community, it is a great opportunity to recenter and re-energize any efforts to be a supportive ally. If you are a Black woman, this is your month to remember and celebrate all the ways that you shine and bring joy and light to our world. If you are not Black, and you even think about trying to pull the “why do they get a whole month” card, then please take several seats. Giving them and their male counterparts just a month (and the shortest one at that!) seems an affront to the social, cultural and political impact they have had on this country, let alone the struggle they have faced just to survive. This post is not intended to insinuate that BW are the only ones that have experienced…

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Why You Should Start Shopping in the Men’s Section

Why You Should Start Shopping in the Men’s Section

My style has changed a lot over the years, but one thing I have always valued in clothing is comfort. I am all about getting bad and boujee for a night out, but on a day to day basis, I just wanna be cute and COMFY! So it is no wonder that I recently discovered how many hidden gems there are lurking in the men’s section at some of my favorite stores, like Forever 21 and H&M. They have better hoodies, better t-shirts, better sweats, and better sneakers! Luckily, my feet are huge, so I can easily fit into men’s shoes LOL. Since my style has become way more street wear/athletic wear inspired in the last couple years, I would say transitioning to wearing men’s clothes was an easy move for me! I wouldn’t necessarily call myself a tomboy, but I definitely like the look of wearing masculine items with…

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