Just added these great sets of hair ties to my shop! I absolutely am in love with all the new prints that I have - they are so preppy, sweet, and hipster!!
Also check out the copy I wrote for my galaxy set - I'm pretty proud of it!
Eric looked over his shoulder as he was walking out of the gym, and was struck by the sight of a shock of beachy blonde hair pulled into a ponytail with a hair tie that appeared to be printed with the outer space. Eric's inner hipster couldn't help but be intrigued so he turned around and said hello. It only took moments before the girl with the galaxy print hair tie and Eric planned a coffee date and were chatting about art.
When we aren't stretching and challenging our minds, they grow stagnant and aren't able to be as inspired or successful as easily.
When we open our choices to include something that challenges us, we give ourselves the power to think about things in new ways and to view things outside of the box.
When you think about things in new ways, you are able to curve the trends and stand out in a crowd.
Apply the knowledge that you acquire working on things that aren't part of your main plan - to your main plan - and you will be able to come up with more ideas and have more creativity that fuels you to move farther than you would be able to otherwise.
::Challenging Pieces to Think About::
I love this film, Adore, which was released in 2012.
Adore makes you question everything you thought was right or wrong about love.
It is about two mothers who are best friends, living on an island with their two sons who are probably around the age of 19 or 20.
The sons fall in love with each others mothers and the mothers likewise fall in love with each others sons. They are all extremely happy and feel so loved.
Whereas a love like this would usually be frowned upon, when we are given the first hand look at the love that is portrayed between these people, it makes you question whether or not their are exceptions to the standards society has placed on relationships.
Challenge yourself by asking - does love conquer all? Is it right for the
"moms" to date each other's young sons? Is it fair to anyone or is it fair to
everyone?
The next on my list is "Lolita" Which is a classic book about a man (a pervert) who falls in love with a 12 year old girl.
he then marries the girls mother and the mother ends up dying in a tragic car accident - when the man goes to pick up his stepdaughter - Lolita, she makes sexual advances on him which results in a love affair that honestly makes one question the line between love and obsession, and whether or not a 12 year old has the capacity to realize what is happening.
I was definitely influenced by this review on Yes and Yes Blog to read "Lolita." It looks like quite the challenging book in terms of right or wrong.
P.S. Have you watched Adore or read Lolita? How did they challenge you?
Im sitting here in Arizona right now blogging, the sky's are clear blue and the trees are a pretty shade of green (as green as trees in the desert can get) - my window will be open in a few hours letting the warm air flood into my room.
In Minnesota, where I live most of the year, it was Negative -40 degrees yesterday. NEGATIVE 40 degrees.
If you don't love cold weather - there's definitely more than that. Avoid the things you hate - do the things you love.
Even so - I'm going back to Minnesota on March 18th, which hopefully will mean SLUSH not snow.
And I'm in LOVE with these Posh Joules Wellies, the red pair with red bows, gorgeous! I haven't been able to find the other colors, but the Joules website does have the Navy Pair with the red bow and I'm swooning over them.
I also have this pair of rubber boots from Banana Republic which I get major use out of every springtime.
They are lined inside and look so fancy to wear with little skirts and jeans with cute socks peaking up!
I have surprised myself with falling in love with this sweet trend - denim overalls. I love the short version, like a sweet little romper!
I think it's important to feel something positive when wearing a piece of clothing. What is the point of dressing pretty if you aren't dressing for yourself?
P.S - What is your opinion on this trend? Leave me a comment letting me know what you think! xoxo
I come from a family that likes to break the - ahem - normal rules that our society neatly and sneakily pressures us to follow.
My brother and I were homeschooled and every winter our family (I mean - they were in their 30's and my brother and I where very young - this started in 4th grade) would pack up our camper and ditch Minnesota for warmer climates - Texas, Florida, and California kept us warm for many winters.
I mean - this wasn't a "trip." This was full out living in a camper. Our family would sit down on our little camper table every night with our tiny purple plastic bowls we ate out of every day filled with green salad leaves and fruit.
My brother and I learned to hate those purple bowls with a passion - we still grimace when we see them.
We lived in our camper at state parks and 75+ (AKA elderly) campgrounds.
When we stayed (which always was SUPER exciting) at 75+ campgrounds we made friends with the elderly and played shuffleboard, alligator hunted, and bingo for hours. They loved us. Those where some of the most fun hours spent in my life.
::The Weirdness of the whole thing ended up Paying Off::
My Mom - she was also so patient with the small living spaces and desolate places with no humanity for miles. - She taught me how to be patient and understanding even in the oddest situations.
My Dad - Always striving and pushing for more than the basic - more than what's given to us easily. He always believes there is more to life than what is handed to us easily. He taught me that there is more to life than what we are led to believe by society.
Most of all though? They taught me that rules are made to be broken. That our culture has expectations and rules that they form on their own - but that doesn't mean they are always the right road to travel down. I learned that the best things come from breaking these "rules" and "expectations" that culture tells us is right.
::What Guidelines Define a Successful Blog?::
When you look into the guidelines for becoming a successful blogger - one of the first things you'll no doubt stumble upon in almost every tutorial and resource is that you should find a topic and stick to that.
Maybe it's photography. Maybe it's fashion. Maybe it's your favorite Uncles car repair journeys.
And following this results in some truly amazing results. Alex Beadon for example, or Alexandra Franzen - both beautiful ladies that inspire me to know ends with beautiful blogs and businesses to boot.
::Where do Lifestyle Blogs Fit in?::
However - that has gotten me thinking about LifeStyle Blogs which is what I feel is the category my blog fits most naturally into.
Some of the most famous LifeStyle Bloggers (AKA some of my favorites) that come to mind include:
All of these lovely ladies write about many different things. All on the same blog.
*Note - all on the same blog!
But what exactly is a lifestyle blog? I typed "Lifestyle" into trusty google in hopes of a clearer answer.
This is what Google Whispered into my ear:
life·style
ˈlīfˌstīl/
noun
1.
the way in which a person or group lives.
"the benefits of a healthy lifestyle"
synonyms:
way of life, way of living,
::Lifestyle Blogs are just Straight up Bad Asses I guess::
Lifestyle blogs focus on just that - day to day life happenings. The things that make us tickand want to live another day. The struggles that make us want to turn the clock back. The hopes and dreams that make us pursue different options.
Lifestyle blogs are truly rebels. They break every rule in the book for being a successful blogger - but they work. They are one of the most successful genres of blogging there is. Lifestyle blogs have a niche yes - the niche is everyday life. And what fits into everyday life? Everything! Lifestyle blogs are the most unfocused - focused type of blogging to exist.
How can breaking a rule result in being so successful and popular? It's simple:
It's easy to be caught up in the rules and the guidelines - the step by steps that have worked for everyone else.
But if we only confine (Hint: this is in red because it's a bad idea to confine yourself!) ourselves to whats already been done and worked in the past - how can we make a bigger difference? How can we improve upon what's already been done if we don't take chances and break the rules?
Steve Jobs broke the rules.
Mozart Broke Rules.
The Guy that solved the Rosetta Stone mystery did some epic rule breaking of the status quo.
You must break the Rules - whether it be the rules you place on yourself or society's rules as a whole - to become next better you.
Starting this week of good, reading my favorite book - "Mastery" by Robert Green - which is full of SO much information for living an extremely successful life that I literally want to start reading it all over again the second I finish it.
I've been adoring this butterfly dress hanging in my closet all week - I must find a reason to wear it soon. And the whale picture? It just makes me smile every-time I wake up in the morning, it's amazing what a $12 picture frame and a pretty greeting card can do! :)
This little girl dress is the sweetest! Found it in this Etsy shop....can't. handle. the. cuteness. - makes me wish I had a little girl ;) Plus it comes with that absolutely adorable headband. Omg.
I drew this little picture of a ballerina girl the other day - thought it turned out precious. I wish I drew her standing more upright - but ya know - what happens happens.
Links I'm in Love with:
Student of the Month Scholarship - For any age and good if your in college, in highschool, or a transfer student! My kind of scholarship.
I always love coming across images photographed in a location that I recognize from my travels. This set of photo's by Ann He, who creates such stunning work, looks exactly to me like the beaches of Northern California by San Francisco.
I wonder if there's any better way to see a place that you are already familiar to in a new way by seeing it through someone else's eyes?
Remember the feeling of living somewhere new, or traveling to a new and beautiful place? For the first few weeks it is lovely and fresh and unique.
Everything you see is in a different shade that you haven't seen before.
The People are new - they wear different clothes, talk in a different way, and speak of different things.
Then however, something happens. We become neutral to what used to be so beautiful and exciting.
The beautiful becomes normal.
the exciting becomes average.
You have the power to reverse this. Open your pretty little eyes and begin to see the world around you with a fresh outlook.
Snap photos and edit them using different lighting and exposures - force yourself into seeing things in a new way.
Go on long walks and observe what's happening before your eyes rather than thinking deeply about your everyday tasks. Bring a small journal and write down what you see.
Make your life less boring, and more exciting by taking advantage of what's laid out before you eyes.
Please, for yourself, Imagine you are a traveler visiting your own world.
What would you be seeing that you aren't seeing now? Be inspired by that and your life will be more interesting and you will have richer conversations, richer stories, and a richer life.
Photo Credit: Ann He create's such stunning work, I'm always so inspired by her!
How frustrating it is when your flipping through fashion magazines such as Vogue, finding gorgeous dresses, shorts, swimsuits that you adore, only to glance down at were to buy them and see that the hat you fell in love with is $700. You know that feeling? Happens to me on...pretty much a daily basis (pinterest problems!)
While some people might be able to afford vogue fashions (Maybe...Taylor Swift? Keira Knightley?), most of us shy away from these prices. However, here are some tips on getting the bang for your buck while still looking Vogue ready.
1) Look through your favorite fashion magazines and blogs (Sarah Klassen's blog is amazing) and upon coming to a look that you love, take a moment and stare at it......
Are you staring?
2) Ask yourself, what do you like about it? Is it right for your body type?
Photography is made to make an article look beautiful.
Texture is actually added to the photo - flowers, interesting walls, and other elements.
All these things - these textures - tend to add dimension to our eyes and actually tricks our brains into believing something is prettier or better looking that we otherwise might believe.
Of course, you also have to remember that the models in the photos are also chosen because their body types will look good in the dress, pants, or blouse. They are perfect. Photoshop makes everybody perfect!
BUT GUESS WHAT! You are perfect inside out and out just the way you are! Just saying.
Now as you have answered those questions, do you still want it? If yes, that's great!
3) If you still love the outfit, and wish you were wearing it at the moment, well...
take another look.
Look at the lines, the design. Many times, the designs are actually quite simple and basic, made to look fabulous by the uber slim models and the gorgeous photos.
However, there's a good thing about this.
It's easy to find very similar pieces at much cheaper stores, such as:
Urban Outfitters
GAP
Anthropologie
Etc.
While the quality might not be as great as the $700 piece and it might not be "exactly" the same, you will be coming out way ahead when you pair it with the right pieces to get the spreads look.
4) Take inspiration from the spread. Maybe you have a skirt that is very similar as the pleated golden one above, but you can never seem to find anything that looks right with it - or you pair the wrong things with it and you feel like your personal style is being thwarted.
Do you love the outfit above with the three quarter length sweater paired with the skirt? Since you already have the skirt, it's easy to find a similar sweater for cheap, even if it's not 3 quarter length! You can use this trick for any outfit!
5) The last idea is one of my favorites. Sew it! If you know how to sew, it is so easy to re create many expensive pieces that you love. Sometimes it can be hard to find the right fabric, but now with Spoonflower you can design your own (I literally recommend SpoonFlower SO MUCH) which really helps give you more options. Don't know how to sew? Now would be the perfect time to start!
Will you be using any of these ideas? Or have any to throw in? I'd love to hear them!
Ballerina Photos:#1#2#3Essie Nail Polish Colors:#1#2#3
There is something about a beautiful tutu that can make a girl light up. I don't think that even the most Prima and Principal ballerina's loose the affection of wearing a beautiful tutu during a show.
And ummm, seriously, how can a girl resist a pretty PINK tutu this time of year? She can't. And I figured that if we can't have the tutu's - at least we can have the nail-polish to match!
This Christmas when I was dancing in The Nutcracker Ballet, the Professional ballerina we hired was too tiny for the (old and slightly dusty) costume that we already had on hand. The night before the final rehearsal, a new tutu was created for her, it was stunning and the prettiest shade of pink. When she put her new tutu on, her face lit up and she giggled, saying she never wanted to take it off - it was her childhood dream come true.
What is it that is so magical about tutu's? They sure are pretty to look at though!
And because I know you know at least 2 people that would love these tutus as much as you!
I definitely feel that Winnie the Pooh has made the world a better place for everyone.
I remember watching the Winnie the Pooh as a little girl, my Uncle used to buy me a Winnie the Pooh movie for every one of my birthdays because he said "every little girl needs to watch Winnie the Pooh." And It's true!
There's just something so magical and whimsical about the books and the show, that still get me today. The little characters are so innocent and naive and because of that they are able to teach such strong lessons about loving each other and loving ones self, just the way you are.
The other day I watched The Tigger Movie on Netflix, and I laughed and smiled and enjoyed it more than any other show I've watched in a long time. Any of the Winnie the Pooh shows or books are truly magical - even in the colors and graphics themselves.
Funny story - My mom has a pink-ish robe and every-time she wears it, I instantly think of Rabbi, and always tell her she's wearing her "rabbi" robe. I never could really pinpoint why it made me think of Rabbi though because the robe is a light pink and rabbi is yellow. When I was watching The Tigger Movie though I realized why her robe always made me think of Rabbi!
In one of the movies my Uncle gave me - "Season of Giving" the little birdy get's stuck in a snowstorm and rabbi is depressed and sitting on a little wooden rocking chair wearing a robe! I need to watch the movie again to verify this - but I am nearly positive!!
So -here's the thing...umm...welll.... I'm super obsessed. Obsessed with Ballerinas, ballet, and of course - photography.
But guess what I'm even more obsessed with? A little mathematical equation that goes like this:
Ballet + Photography + Open Freezer Door + Self Timer = These Photos
Important Life Lesson #1: Refrigerators aren't just for eating purposes!!! Who knew?!
I shot these two portraits last night by turning off all the lights in the downstairs portion of our house and opening the freezer door.
At first I tried the refrigerator door - but it just wasn't right. The glow of the freezer cast a much better appearance.
I set my tripod up to be at a slight angle facing the refrigerator, I then focused it on the cracks in the tile and quick ran out and posed. My aperture was at a 2.0 and my ISO was at 650 - which is higher than I typically like, but I think the slightly grainy appearance worked well for these portraits.
I love the slightly imperfect feeling that they have - very representing of my imperfect ballet skills (I joined Metropolitan Ballet Academy last September - now I'm starting to dance at Tuscon Ballet Academy!).
P.S. - this quote by Mitch Hedberg definitely relates to the ironic refrigerator theme of this post (right?!) - "Rice is great if your really really hungry and want to eat 2,000 of something." hehe
P.S.S. or is it P.P.S? Anyways - Have you ever tried using unconventional lighting in a photo? Did it work out? Let me know - I'd love to try your tips!
It is easy to "do" things to "do" things - write a blog post, make breakfast, work.
*Personally I am awed by the ballet dancer in this one! I may be biased though ;)
Without passion though? What is the purpose?
In these two commercials the first by Volvo the second by Mercede's Benz - holy cow can you see the passion and the thought and the belief in their vehicle emitted in every aspect of the commercial!
These commercials are representing a CAR! A car that our friends and us drive everyday and probably don't think twice about!
The first commercial - the Volvo - was shot in one take. That is so mind blowing to me - anyone else get a little scared that the trucks might separate just a little too far?
And they managed to inspire Millions of people!
Because they believe and are passionate about their product - their cars - it is emitted through their work and we, as consumers, are able to see that and be WOWED. Really though? If you can be inspired by a car commercial - they must be doing something right.
The point is -
When you are PASSIONATE and BELIEVE in what you are doing - that passion and belief will emit in your face and your work and it will shine a little brighter than everyone else's and it will inspire yourself as well as others.
And I'd LOVE to hear from you, you Stunning Person YOU! What gives you that little bubbly feeling of passion? Any ideas on how you can emit that into your work MORE?
I also feel like you probably know at least 2 people that would love to be inspired by this passion! Share it with them and you win a special spot in my heart forever!
My wonderful Mom sewed me these super wonderful pajama shorts! Who doesn't want to sleep with the Little Mermaid or have a nightly reminder to do yoga? She revised the pattern that she used as a base for the design by shortening the waist (the waist was WAY to high before hand!), and adding the little satin bow (but it doesn't slip out because it is sewn on ;) ). They always make me smile!
Today I decided to try my hand at jewelry making, and was inspired to make this dainty little bracelet. I thought it was fitting for Valentines day, and I love how sparkly it is. It also looks lovely being worn as an anklet! One of those satisfying sunny day projects that make you smile!
Pinterest, Facebook, everything is spitting at us those little inspirational quotes. "Make Today a Happy Day" or "It's Time to be Happy Again," they are everywhere reminding us to smile or giggle or change our attitudes.
Sometimes though? Sometimes it's nice to just accept that you can't always be 100% happy.
Sometimes things go wrong. Like when your colleges admissions office tells you who your advisor is, you work with that advisor, a few days later that advisor tells you that she actually isn't your advisor and gives you the email of your actual advisor - who doesn't respond back whatsoever, so you call the admissions office again, and they tell you that the first advisor you had is actually your advisor - by this time the semester has already started and you don't even need an advisor anymore because you can't register for classes, as it's too late!
Or maybe you lost your free culver's kids meal ice cream coupon.
Or maybe your boyfriend forgot to call and wish you happy anniversary.
Or maybe you just wake up on the wrong side of the bed!
It's ok to not be happy all the time - life happens. And really? It's the moments that aren't happy that make the really good moments, really really great - and even on the worst-est of days - take a moment and reflect - you can always find something beautiful in the day that gives you a reason to keep going.
