Weekday Roundup – Goodbye July…

HOLY CANNOLI! How is it August? Seriously, July flew by.

In July my freelance hours went up, my full time job hours went down, and thankfully I was able to squeeze out two post on this blog. I also interviewed the owner of my new favorite tea company. But between managing my new work flow and flying to New York (it was my first time) I haven’t found the time to write my intro/outro and send it off to Hello Giggles (or other websites open to contributor submissions). Though the interview is in my top 3 things to do tomorrow morning, it’s my frog.

Yes, I just said my interview was a frog. My good friend Liz, and fellow blogging sister at casualconerns.com, sent me this article on the morning routines of successful people. One of the tips was to conquer your top three objectives (the frog) in the morning, when you’re most focused and motivated. The routines of successful people varied. Though my favorite share of the article was that of Mr. Benjamin Franklin. I printed it out as a guide for myself and have it perched on my desk. I liked the way he focused his energy, and broke up his day in sections. Although he goes to bed at 10:00pm, and that is completely unrealistic for me. My goal for August is to develop a discipline of waking up, exercising, showering, clothes, makeup, breakfast with my beau, and coffee in front of my home computer working on my own thoughts and projects. Even if it’s just 15 minutes. I need to find a little slice of time for my own projects to progress.

Here is the full article if you want to refine your morning routine for success.

On my list of “pending blog articles” to write was to share my favorite documentaries. I’m a documentary junkie.  They feed my voracious curiosity, and need to be inspired or stimulated. I watch movies to check out, but documentaries make me feel plugged in. I especially love a good documentary about obscure people or events, people that in some way have made their pure existence on this planet a work of art.  Paste magazine just came out with a list of the 50 best documentaries on Netflix in 2014. I’ve watched 10 of them and have debated watching 7 of them, but they didn’t include my most recent favorite documentary, The Institute.

Here are the documentaries on the list I have watched and my 2 cents in two words:

Jiro Dreams of Sushi = Work Harder

Muscle Shoals = Soul Music

Room 237 = Conspiracy Theories

Exit through The Gift Shop = New Warhol

20 Feet from Stardom = Sing It

Jesus Camp = Crazy Christians

Tabloid = MUST WATCH

Who is Harry Nilsson… = The Point

Queen of Versailles = No Debt

Shut Up and Play the Hits = Curtain Call

Lastly, my July playlist was so incredibly weak I have no words or enough music for a #SOTD recap. But I really like these songs! Here is to a more consistent August. July was awesome, amazing, I saw Katy Perry and Mood Indigo. It was filled with art, music, friendships, food…but I didn’t report any of it and that’s important to me too.

Basically until next time… Sprinkles make the world a more colorful place.  Love, Bekka

Weekday Roundup!

I started off this week with a 2 year anniversary! My boyfriend and I hit the 2 year mark, which is  pretty surprising as before him, my dating life had a 30 day expiration date.

He prepared an amazing prime rib-eye steak dinner and bought me the most amazing candle. I love candles, but I’m particular about the scents and unfortunately most of them tend to make my throat itch after being burned.  Knowing how picky I am, the fact he picked the perfect scent all on his own…well that means we are soul mates, right? Plus no allergic reaction after being burned!

Sydney Hale C0. – Grapefruit + Orange  Candle 

I also made some progress on planning the road trip, oh yeah I’m planning a roadtrip…but more details about that later. I’m a whiskey, bourbon, scotch drinker. The boy even bought a 15 year old scotch to celebrate our anniversary. So I’m excited to  say say I discovered there is a Whiskey Museum in Kentucky! Also there is a bourbon tour, where you visit all the distilleries in Kentucky. I swear in my past life I was an aspiring country sing who died of a broken heart.

DesignInspiration

And since I am planning an epic road trip that means I am committed to cut my spending and save money. Do you ever find when you start trying to save money, you come across a million items you must own. Followed by the craziest explanations and justifications for why that item has to be in your life.  This backpack from Filson is one of those items. Fortunantly at $290 it makes it easier for me to just say no. But seriously I’d look adorable wearing this in Colorado or down in Texas. Just imagine me trotting along with my moleskin and disposable camera… a girl can dream.

Filson Rucksack 

Finally I saw this makeup tutorial on Alex Chung. I have expressed my love for her before, and not just because she is perfection personified, but she has a personality to boot! Warning watching a nearly flawless women have makeup applied to her…god damn…oh yeah that f*d up my self esteem.  Had to hold myself back from purchasing the nude lipstick mentioned in the video, it was $5.50 and that is just money I don’t have to waste. If you are brave enough…ugh….

But like all things in life, comparing yourself to others is quickest path down personal dissatisfaction and depression. So I leave you and end my week with this image!

Comparison is the Thief of Joy – Art Print

Wishing you a fantabulous weekend!

 

Weekday Roundup

Most call it Friday Favorites, but I’m thinking Weekday Roundup is more my thing. Sharing  my weekday finds from wandering around the web. A collection of  products, pictures, videos, etc that excite or entice me enough to share with you.

 

R+Co Dry Shampoo – Death Valley

I’m a bit of a dry shampoo snob, I’ve only used some of the best. Call it a product (small pun intended) of my day job. I stumbled across this brand as I was looking for hair care beauty tips, and I’ve completely gone gaga over the packaging. Which basically was all the articles were talking about, they love the packaging  but when it came to performance not much detail. But its made by some Rockstars of the hair care industry, so I’m thinking its a win.

 

Mini Arc Opal Ring

I’ve never been a massive ring person, although I’ve always admired the trend on friends. Yet now my fingers feel bare, and I’m thinking I want to get into midi rings. I have no idea how I came to find this gorgeous opal piece, but I love the unique structure of the ring. Now if only I could have $350 just magically fall into my lap I can spend on this ring. To later be pictured on instagram with me holding a shot of whiskey at some cool downtown bar.

see picture of potential manicure below

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Tutti Frutti Flat Sheet – Castle and Things

I’d like to think that ones’ dreams are sweeter when they take place under really adorable sheets, case and point the above.

I’m a little late to the party, but how amazing (and on point) is this Funny or Die sketch for Sofia Coppola’s Little Mermaid!

Chandelier Tree from Colin Kennedy on Vimeo.

When I first saw this tree, I thought it was staged for some sort of filming. Little did I know it is an actual fixture of the neighborhood. I try to see a bit of magic and whimsy everyday, but admittedly its easier for me on the weekends. This just reminded me that, we as people, are the greatest creators behind our own wonder and beauty. That a 9-5 should never get in the way of our art or our passions, just integrated into it somehow.

Rabbit Hole Discoveries

One neat discovery leads me to another, and I end up clicking link after link, a process I like to call my journey down the rabbit hole. Here is a short tail…

I love the artist Timothy Karpinksi, his work possesses a cozy whimsy I fell in love with instantly. His piece, “Ready to see my Sweetheart” is the first piece of art I ever bought.  Funny how the man I’m madly in love with, kind of looks like the boy in the piece.

I was searching Thinkspace’s website to see what available work they had of Tim’s and think I found a piece I want to get for Bowerbird and I. But I won’t share that.

On Tim’s site there is a video of him being interviewed for Jackass Television created by a Lauren Graham. The art show featured in the interview is where the piece I purchased was first shown. Poking around Lauren’s Viemo channel I can see she has grown into quite the professional creative director since then. I loved looking through her “live action” look books, but more so I got sucked into following the adventures of her and a friend in an short web-series made 3 years ago.

I’m seriously addicted to her channel and her talent!

An article I read about Instagram Envy lead me to my next discovery,  an intriguing lady name Ms. Stephanie LaCava. She’s a notable voice in the world of Fashion, writer, and knows multiple languages. Having worked for magazines around the world, she definitely gives an air of mystery. I think imagining Stephanie’s life is more magical than possibly having it. I mean she is real, and undoubtedly lives a life of luxury and glamour. But from my little corner of the inter-web she is only a character, and characters really get to be dolls to your imagination.  She wrote a book I’m very interested in reading, on a cloudy day wrapped in a green cardigan and oversized t-shirt, sitting on a nook with warm tea by my side.

I found the above photo on the Sophist blog, looks like a site I could wander around in.  

Oh did you know model Jessica Stam has a Spotify playlist on SkullCandy’s website? Yeah, neither did I, and I haven’t checked it out yet. Only found it cause I need new ear buds, well I don’t need them but I really want new ones.

So that’s it, those are the highlights of this rabbit hole adventure. Although you will probably see my other finds sprinkled across social media. I do seem to find quite a bit that amuses me.  But here I’ll narrate their tail* to discovery.

*please realize I am purposely misspelling tale!*

FRIDAY FAVORITES! (at 10pm)

Its technically still Friday in California and I have 1 hour and 30 minutes to post my Friday Favorites.

I used to be against ribbon hair ties. My hair is thick and I always felt they didn’t hold, and lacked the right tension. But I met the sweet husband of Perfect Hair Ties creator/owner Marlo, at the Renegade Craft Fair and he was quite the sales man. Giving me a glitter hair tie as they have more “hold”, little did he know I am a huge glitter fiend. I’ve loved my little turquoise hair tie ever since, even using it to cheer up a glum day.  I love this colorful Kaleidoscope set and can’t wait to get my own! $24.00 on Perfect Ties Etsy Site 

FANCY TREE HOUSE blog and vintage shop.

I came across the Fancy Tree House blog through a Beautiful Mess post and recognized the featured model (store owner/ blog writer), I felt strangely familiar with her features and then her husband as well looked incredibly familiar. How did I know their faces? Maybe its because they were both in my favorite 2009 band, and first My Favorite MAOI band interview Castledoor.

Cory and her husband Gabe moved to Tennessee and she took her amazing sense of style off stage and into an online vintage store. I loved looking through the outfit of the day post, and its one of the better curated e-vintage stores as well.  Haven’t found anything I MUST have yet, but I’m sure I will.

My coworker showed me this video, and I quickly knew it was a joke based on the VERY simple lyrics. Then with the line “What does the fox say”…well I knew this was my  kind of ridiculous humor. It just makes me smile and made my mom completely crack up. Laughing out loud is not something she does often.  “I loved it” – MOM

Lastly today was the end of Forty Days of Dating. It ended how I thought it would,  Jess and Tim didn’t seem like a perfect fit.  Dan and I have talked about how we think a lot of people settle for the “almost but not quite” partner. They aren’t “the one” but are close enough. I don’t want to say anymore about it, but Tim sort of is dead on in his explanation. Except I could kick him in the shins for saying he’s “in love” with Jessica. Really dude? No you aren’t, wrong words!

My First Friday Favorites … YAY!

F* dating shows when you have a dating experiment! Forty Days of Dating

READ:
30 UNDER 30 – Refinery 29
I read about every person instead of skimming over it and picking the ones I auto-liked. I’m really glad I took the time to learn about all of them.

favorite quote from article
What’s the best professional lesson you’ve learned?
“Probably the most useful lesson I have learned is one I taught myself the hard way: Don’t work with people you don’t respect or people who don’t respect you, no matter what the incentive. It’s better to be surrounded by authentic support and intellectual stimulation and be broke than to make more money through situations that are a drag.”