Just Hilly

I recently went on a date with my partner to a local Irish Bar in my area called Kitty Mulligans. I follow them on Instagram and was excited to see them post about having bingo nights as a weekly event on Thursdays. I'm a big fan of playing bingo, I find it to be a fun game to play while chilling and having some food. Our reservation was made the day before and when we went in our name was on a little chalkboard on our table. A very cute touch that I haven't seen before. The owner introduced himself and was a sweetheart.  The layout of the bar was separate from the large counter was a side section for tables and booths with nice big barn doors separating them. The side with tables and booths is a space that can be booked for private events which I thought was cool. The list of food and drinks on their website was actually shorter than the actual sit down menu. We took quite a while to decide on what to get. My partner and I both shared their Grilled Chicken Flatbread and their ...

One of the pros to having a healthy and active social life is being more motivated to take part in festivities and making plans. Armed with a solid group of friends, some old and new, taking part in things has been a lot less difficult to do. I was actually able to attend quite a few Halloween themed activities this year, both on and off campus. I ended up having three looks this season, and I'm super happy with how they all turned out.  First up is Pokemon Trainer. As an avid Pokemon Go player, especially during the school year, I felt it was fitting to get out this old backpack and throw a look together. I won that backpack back in high school at a costume competition my local library was having - I was dressed as Fiona (Finn's official gender bend) from 'Adventure Time'. I had both a fem and masc fit planned out, I like having options that express my identity - not knowing how I'd feel the morning of the party. Decided on a masc look due to how I was feeling that...

There is a general respect for the arts among Long Islanders, and there are quite a few spaces in both Nassau and Suffolk counties. In my town, or hamlet really, Bay Shore has been renowned as the place to go for things like festivals, parades and free outdoor activities for the community. The Westfield Mall, roughly a mile or two from main street, serves one of the main commercial hubs in the community. The Islip Arts Council, a non-profit organization dedicated to the showcasing of work by Long Island artists and authors, is located in this commercial hub right next to the Dick’s Sporting Goods.  The IAC focuses on hosting exhibits to uplift different communities within the LI greater community as well as offering a myriad of art classes year round.(Dekoning, par. 5) Like most places, the IAC suffered a huge hit during the height of the covid pandemic- their former residence closed down; the manager of the Westfield Mall in Bay Shore invited them to relocate to an open space avai...

Last Thursday night, I went out on another date with my partner at the same little bar I mentioned a few posts ago. It's called Nostalgia and is a very cute 90's themed bar in Bethpage, NY. We went for what we found out is going to be a new monthly drag show hosted by some of my friends who are drag queens along with performances by other local queens as well.  (Video shows a quick vid I took of one of the sets done by my very talented friend Gemma Tolstoy  ) The bar is very queer friendly and definitely in my opinion a safe space for LGBTQ+ folks looking to go out and have a fun time. Definitely a mixed crowd bar depending on the night, when I go tends to be more folks in their 20's with just a  sprinkling of those in their 30's and 40's. The place is totally decked out throughout with everything 90's from movie memorabilia, autographed headshots of 90's celebs, fun colored lighting, Pokemon decor around the bar, CD and comic book themed bathrooms and the r...

This summer I'm planning on being out and about as much as I can.  Anyone who wants to make plans with me, knows I'm down for almost anything as long as I have notice. I went out the other night to this really cute bar with my partner and some friends for a drag show. Supporting two of my friends who were queens in the show as well as three other local queens. I had so much fun but going home I wish I had taken more photos of the bar items because the themed decor was so good and the prices were hard to beat. (Here's a video I took of one of the sets done by Miss Rana Ssanz  - my friends are so cool (⁠≧⁠▽⁠≦⁠) lol) There's another show next month my friend is hosting at the same bar and I'm thinking of making one of my adventure/out&about posts, pinning the location and posting lots of pictures/videos. May or may not make that into a series once the semester starts if I'm able to continue being outside once classes start lol.  

This was my first time going to the Pride parade in NYC and I had a blast. I definitely baked in the subway but survived (⁠｡⁠•̀⁠ᴗ⁠-⁠)⁠✧.I was so happy seeing all the self expression, creativity, and most of all diverse representation at NYC Pride this year. The different flags, fans, signs, aesthetics and open acceptance of different gender identities and sexualities was refreshing. There was a little bit of craziness involving a fountain in Washington square park that I did not part take in (fear of ringworm and hepatitis lol). Mr Softee and McDonald's served as safe havens from the heat. Definitely got my steps in, I need to remember to wear sneakers next year. Here are some photos I took throughout the day. Thanks for stopping by on my blog :) P.S. Look it's me, Hilly! I got my photo taken by the lovely @irawilderphoto on Instagram. Definitely a highlight of the day.

  I had such a good time at ENHYPEN NYC, so many engene groups(Enha fans) went out of there way to make the experience great for everyone. The birthday banners made for Heesung were such a nice touch. There were also individual engene who gave out photocards and stickers, glow sticks, candy and some selling lightstick decor and phone charms they had made. Met up with some engene from Twitter and had a blast going to different spots around the area before the concert started. They even helped me get a lightstick when I had trouble in the merch area. Despite a few bad apples, the fan base was not only welcoming and friendly but also fashionable and creative. Can't wait to see ENHYPEN again when they come back to the US. I wish them all the best on the rest of their world tour.

Had an amazing experience last night at the KCON USA tour. This New York show was the last stop on their tour and they definitely went all out to make it memorable. The line up seen in the pick from left to right are TO1, STAYC, Lightsum and Cravity. I was most familiar with StayC but the other groups got the crowd going just as much and I'm definitely going to be bumping their discography.