Passionate Style

So I was reading this interview recently with John Mayer where he discusses his style choices with GQ. When I first started reading the interview I kept thinking, oh man he's taking this so seriously. It was almost comical how intense he was about his sneaker collection, but as I kept reading that intensity became more admirable. Here's someone who makes a living as an artist and clearly living an artist lifestyle. John Mayer has completely accepted his evolving wardrobe choices as a part of himself. It's refreshing to hear someone actually taking their clothes seriously in a way that is relatable. He's not Lady Gaga defending her meat dress, he's just defending his desire to wear tibetan robes as a part of his every day wardrobe. He's not even ashamed of being called "worst dressed."

Some days it seems the whole world is taking itself too seriously while other times we're all too busy being sarcastic to genuinely like stuff anymore. Then here's John Mayer being ridiculously passionate about clothes he puts on his body and you just think, "why not?" Why are more people not passionate about the type of clothes they wear every day? Why do we obsess over what we look like on special occasions but act like we don't care on regular days?

I'm not saying people should always go out looking perfect and that no one should ever go to the grocery store in yoga pants and a sweatshirt, but it would be nice if our wardrobes were a better reflection of our personal styles. Of course I realize this type of thing takes time and our tastes, like our personalities, are ever evolving. Maybe people should just start wearing what they like more often than what they think other people like. Wardrobes should be built on an individual not on a societal norm. That way any time you put on jeans and a t-shirt or slip into a dress you feel those items comfortably represent what you're trying to say or the person you're trying to be.

So be passionate, if not about your wardrobe, about something.
Be daring. If you see something you like don't be afraid to try it out.
And most importantly, be yourself. Whoever that is.

-S

Hello Spring!

Hello and happy Spring everyone!

Spring is such an exciting time of the year. The snow is melting, the weather is getting warmer, the flowers are blooming, and the air just smells different. Typically in Michigan the first day of Spring is just another day of winter but this year we had green grass and sunshine to welcome the new season.

I don't know about you but I've officially caught Spring fever. I can't wait to get outside and my to-do list is getting longer every day. Here's a few things I'm looking forward to this season.

-Fresh flowers

-The farmers market

-Spring cleaning

-Bright colors

-Sunshine

-No more tights

-Lighter jackets

-The Dairy Lodge

-Saturdays in the park

-Fresh starts

-A wedding!

-S

February Favorites

Hey guys,

I hope everyone had a very happy month of February. Although February is the shortest month of the year it always seems to last the longest. Luckily last month was actually a lot of fun. Since there were so many things in February that I wanted to talk about but never did, I thought I'd write about them now.

I recently tried Garnier SkinActive Micellar Cleansing Water for the first time and fell in love. I honestly don't know what is in this product besides water. Is it just filtered water? Whatever it is, using this makes my night time routine so much easier.

My favorite way to keep my skin moisturized throughout the drying winter months is SkinCeuticals Hydrating B5 Gel. I've used this gel for years and it always leaves my skin smooth and refreshed.

The perfume I reached for most last month was Elizabeth and James Nirvana Black. Wearing this perfume always makes me feel good. I personally love the smell of Nirvana Black so having something good to smell on my wrist while I'm at work is also a plus.

Can you believe I hadn't read To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee before last month? Even though the book gets plenty of praise it was much better than I expected. The story is incredibly accessible and relevant to today's society.

I wrote in my Moleskine Journal almost every day in February. I've kept journals off and on in the past but always enjoy the act of daily writing.

I can't tell you if Olly Women's Multi Vitamins are really doing anything for my overall health but compared to other multi vitamins that have been left sitting in my drawer, these daily vitamins have been the easiest to consume.

On our trip to Detroit I purchased a pair of High Waisted Skinny jeans from Madewell. These are one of the best fitting jeans I have ever owned. When I tried them on in the store I couldn't believe how well they fit. Honestly if I had more money I would buy a pair in every color. The high waist is not only flattering but surprisingly comfortable and the cranberry color makes them great for work.

In early February my whole family drove down to Detroit for the weekend to go shopping and watch a Red Wings Game. The weekend included a trip to IKEA, multiple days perusing Somerset Mall, a stop at a local record store, and of course the Red Wings. My mom stayed at the mall while my dad, brother, future sister-in-law and I went to Joe Louis Arena for the afternoon game. The hockey game was a ton of fun especially since the Red Wings won! Overall it was an extremely enjoyable weekend.

-S

What are some of your favorites from February?

Catching Up

Hey guys!

This past week has been a busy one. I worked a few hours with my dad tearing up carpet and a couple extra at my normal job. Every time I sat down to write for the blog nothing seemed to come out. I don't know if it's a type of writers block or what, but my brain is always busy with ideas until I sit down to write. In an attempt to get the juices flowing I thought I'd write about what's been going on lately.

First of all, I am never prepared to tear up carpet. Somehow my body always forgets how difficult the task of carrying carpet rolls seems to be. I almost always strain a muscle, whether it's in my leg or my back or my arm, and I am sure to scratch myself with the edge of a roll at least once. You do what you gotta do.

I watched Jen Campbell's January favorites video last week where she mentioned Our Changing Climate by JacksGap. I somehow missed this video when it was released on Jack's channel so I'm glad she pointed it out. Whatever you believe, the Earth is where we live and we need to start taking care of our home.

One project I've been dutifully working on since last year has been organizing my iTunes library. When my computer crashed I realized my external hard drive was a complete mess. Ever since then I've been slowly chipping away at the unwanted music and unusable files. Last Sunday I was finally able to back up my new iTunes library and it felt a huge weight life off my shoulders. Maybe it seems silly from an outsiders perspective but digital clutter is just as detrimental to productivity as physical clutter. My music is a big part of who I am, so having it a certain way is important to me.

I'm only slightly embarrassed to say I've been obsessively listening to One Direction lately. I blame it on my love for James Corbin and this Carpool Karaoke videos. One Direction music makes for the greatest dance break music. I jump up and down. I whip my hair back and forth. I sing along at the top of my lungs (most likely out of tune). It's wonderful and I don't care that it's cheesy pop music.

Also in an effort to simplify my life I have started to realize that having so many television shows to watch has made me more anxious than excited. I think I've talked about this in the past but feeling behind and knowing I can't watch everything really brings me down. Television is there for entertainment and unless it's your job, watching TV shouldn't be stressful. To relieve some of that stress I've decided to let a few shows go. We'll see what happens but I think it'll be a good change in the end.

Remember that post I wrote about the soft opening of Elsie's cafe? They actually shut down their original location and are moving in with Georgina's. Elsie's will be open Friday through Sunday for breakfast and lunch with the same great menu they served before.

I met a friend for coffee and breakfast on Friday morning. There's not many people I'd meet at 7am on my day off, but she's definitely one of them. I can honestly say I never mind getting up early on days that we meet because catching up with her puts me in such a good mood. She is always busy but she still makes time for me. I'm incredibly grateful for her friendship.

I'm currently suffering through a reading slump at the moment. I've been very critical of books lately and not enjoying or wanting to read anything. Hopefully this goes away soon. Normally I can read right through a slump with no problem but none of my usual cures are working. Anyway I did still manage to read more books than expected in the month of January. Last week I posted a video of January mini reviews and there are more videos coming soon.

-S

Literary Love

This Valentine's Day I thought I'd celebrate by sharing a few of my favorite literary couples (in no particular order).

We'll start with the book that's probably the most unexpected one on the list, The Book Thief. There may not be a specific literary couple that jumps out from this book but the story is without a doubt about love. Familial love (Liesel, Hans, and Rosa), friendships (Liesel and Max), and even a little of the romantic kind (Liesel and Rudy).

I know everyone chooses Elizabeth and Darcy but they're a classic.

Part of me thinks this couple trumps over all the others, Jamie Fraser and Claire Randal from the Outlander series. I'm currently in the middle of Dragonfly in Amber and I never want their love story to end. My love for accents, kilts, and red headed men only continues to grow.

Speaking of time traveling couples who are 1/2 named Claire/Clare; Clare and Henry from The Time Traveler's Wife may be unconventional due to the weird age differences throughout the book, but they still get my vote.

In terms of cheesy/tragic love stories, the couple at the top of the list would have to be Hazel and Augustus from The Fault in Our Stars. I mean it's two cancer ridden kids falling in love, you know it's going to be tragic and heartbreaking and tear-worthy. I love John Green's writing and there's so many good moments in here. Hazel and Augustus forever.

Celia and Marco from The Night Circus are the ultimate star-crossed lovers (yes, they trump Romeo and Juliet). Their love is so strong it overcomes their doomed fate. Can this book be a movie already? Or a real life circus?

Finally, Anne and Gilbert from the Anne of Green Gables series. Should we talk about what a crush I had on Jonathan Crombie as Gil in the Canadian series growing up? Like hard core crushing it. Anne and Gilbert made a perfect pair even when she didn't know it yet.

-S

Saturday Snowshoe Romp

A couple of weeks ago my dad and I went snowshoeing along the Empire Bluff Trail out in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. The sun was out and the air wasn't too cold, so it was a beautiful day for a hike. We weren't the only people who took notice either because there were plenty of other people to talk to along the trail.

Even my two left shoes couldn't get me down. I hadn't been snowshoeing in years and was a little worried the trail would be too much for me. Luckily the path is only about a mile and a half long round trip and nothing too strenuous.

The views along the trail are breathtaking. Sometimes I forget how beautiful the area is since it's so close to home. Part of the reason we wanted to go out was so I could get some practice in with my new Nikon camera. I took a photography class in college using an old film camera but there was a lot of basics that needed refreshing. Unfortunately I had to drop out of digital photography after two weeks due to my workload in other classes that semester. I don't regret that decision because there was no way I could have done everything, but the extra knowledge would come in handy now.

Photo credit to my dad for this one

The sun went away for a bit and these next photos all turned out a little dark but they're also my favorite of the bunch. I was going to edit them but I didn't want to ruin the mood. It was fun to check out all my photos afterwards and try to pick out what was wrong with each one. Being able to identify the problem is the first step right?

I love getting outside and spending time with family. Sometimes it's easy to forget how beautiful nature is, especially the nature in your back yard. People come from all over to see the Sleeping Bear Dunes in the summertime but it's just as beautiful in the winter (and even more so in the fall). I can't wait to get out again.

-S