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Living Life With More Compassion

life 21.8.18

Becoming a more compassionate person requires change; when we have an open mind, when we practice empathy, listen to others, and show gen...

Becoming a more compassionate person requires change; when we have an open mind, when we practice empathy, listen to others, and show genuine concern, it enables us to grow into the person we want to be. How we become a more compassionate person is by starting to change the small things that lead to living a more considered life.

When I watched The True Cost documentary, it changed my life. It was the catalyst I needed to stop buying fast fashion and to start learning about who made my clothes and what they were made out of. The things we change in our lives have a rippling effect. I doubt I would have watched that documentary if I hadn’t adopted a minimalist lifestyle a year or so beforehand or gone vegan in my late teens. Since then, I’ve become increasingly more aware of my impact on our shared planet and have adjusted my habits to live a low waste lifestyle.

Making changes, resetting our habits, and adopting new ways of doing things isn’t always easy but if it carries us towards a more compassionate, more considered, more sustainable lifestyle, then it’s worth it because together we can make a change.

Eat More Plants

Whether you’re upping your plant-based meals or you’re moving towards veganism, eating more plants is good for your health, kinder to animals, and more sustainable for the planet. Learning about what we eat, where our food comes from, how it was produced, and the impact it has on our environment, can help us live a more compassionate lifestyle. Animal agriculture and fishing is unsustainable while avoiding meat and dairy is the single biggest way to reduce your impact on Earth; a plant-based diet is also better for your health. Going vegan or at the very least committing to a mostly plant-based diet, is the most compassionate choice you can make if you care about our environment, your personal health, and the lives of others. If you’re unable to go vegan, here are some cruelty-free changes everyone can make and a frequently asked questions for the vegan-curious.

Give Up Fast Fashion

When it comes to clothes, many of us are drawn into a vicious cycle of buying cheap and buying often. Fast fashion relies on a system where items are designed, produced, and sold in an unsustainable and unethical way resulting in manufacturing methods, which threaten the safety of the garment workforce and greatly harm our environment. We buy these clothes because they are cheap not because we love them, which means in a few weeks they’re discarded for something new. Adopting a slow approach to fashion leads to thoughtful purchases made in a respectful and considered manner; taking into account how something was made and by who, whether it was designed to last, and if owning it will enrich our lives rather than just add another thing to our lives only to be discarded later. Giving up fast fashion signifies the compassion and respect we have for garment workers and our environment. Your choice to buy ethically and sustainably made clothing says: “I don’t believe people should die to make my clothes."

Make Low Impact Habit Shifts

Small changes can make a big difference. When we shift our habits to be more eco-friendly we signal to our community and the businesses in it that we want better options. These shifts don’t have to be dramatic or even big, they can be as simple and small as using your own reusable cup to get your morning coffee or taking your own bag to the supermarket to carry your groceries in. Making a conscious decision to change your habits helps lessen your impact on the environment by avoiding unnecessary purchases and reducing the waste you create. Starting with manageable low impact changes means these habits are most likely to stick and it becomes easier to make more sustainable and compassionate choices. This is how you can get started with low waste habits and implement sustainable swaps at home; these tips will help with avoiding waste when you’re on the go.

In what ways are you living with compassion? Share with me the habits we can all adopt live a more compassionate lifestyle.

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Source: http://www.aconsideredlife.co.uk/2018/08/living-life-with-more-compassion.html

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Simone Biles Just Made History at the World Gymnastics Championships

It’s been quite the winning streak for record-shattering gymnast Simone Biles: Last month, she became the first woman gymnast to land a certain kind of super-difficult vault in competition—and now, the 21-year-old has just made history two days in a row at this year’s world gymnastics championships in Doha, Qatar.

On Thursday night, Biles became the first American woman to win four all-around titles at the world gymnastics championships. On Friday, she broke another world record when she took home a gold medal on vault (though she didn’t perform the historic "Biles vault"). That decision led to her 13th world title, which is more gold medals than any gymnast, male or female, has ever won in the event's history.

Watch her record-making vault routine below:

As if that isn't amazing enough, Biles also took home silver on the bars. Despite making history in more ways than one, however, Biles isn't what you'd call ecstatic: As she wrote on Instagram, “Although I still placed 1st and MADE HISTORY I’m not entirely pleased with my performance. I’m still trying to find my confidence. But I won’t give up.”

But stay tuned, Biles fans: She might leave the competition with even more medals as she is set to compete in floor exercise (she’s the reigning Olympic champion) and balance beam later today. There's one more record she might clear, too: According to NBC, if her winning streak keeps up, Biles will become the first woman to medal in every event since 1987.

Related Stories

Simone Biles Just Dominated the World Championship Qualifiers—After a Trip to the E.R.

Simone Biles Called Out USA Gymnastics President for an Anti-Kaepernick Tweet

Source: https://www.glamour.com/story/simone-biles-world-championsips

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Winter Sunrise Wedding with an Evergreen Brunch Reception

To say this winter sunrise wedding has captured our hearts is to put it quite gently. This elegant manor wedding exudes an ethereal energy with its glowing natural light and rich evergreens – and can we give a shoutout to the total majesty of bridal capes again? Caroline Grace wears her pearlized accessory like it was made for her, and from the tartan scarf favors to the sugared donuts to the all-white bouquet with magnolia leaves, you’ll find the entire wedding was too. Congrats Caleb and Caroline Grace! We’re pretty enamored with every thoughtful wedding detail of your day.

Fawn with us….

From the photographer, Hannah Bjorndal: When Caroline Grace & Caleb started planning their December 30 wedding, certainly didn’t expect that it would be outside, or that they’d have their portraits taken at sunrise! However, as plans developed, this unique winter wedding format became the detail that made the wedding the most special.

Being that it was December 30 – not New Year’s Eve, not Christmas, but definitely winter – this sweet couple planned a wedding that totally embraced the winter without being cliche or holiday-themed. Caroline Grace chose a gorgeous, understated champagne wedding gown from BHLDN. She planned on adding a veil, but then she found the PERFECT topper from Jenny Yoo. The simple, elegant addition completely transformed the look. And her navy velvet heels were the finishing touch!

The ceremony was outdoors (YES, in Virginia, in December!) right after sunrise, so as a wedding favor, the couple gave each guest a beautiful scarf wrap to cozy up as they said their vows (and lined the aisle with heaters!). The bridesmaids also wore grey wool wraps, which were much needed on the 30-degree morning!

The family was an especially important element of this wedding day. Caroline Grace & Caleb had a wedding party entirely composed of brothers and sisters (they have a big family!) and this made the morning extra-sweet and family-centric.

The reception was everything you’d dream of for a wedding brunch – chicken and waffles, a mimosa bar, hot coffee, and, best of all, a donut truck! Rather than having a DJ (which felt a little weird at noon!), the couple chose to have a string quartet play a variety of classic and modern music all throughout the meal and into dancing.

One of my favorite details was all the evergreen-ery. The railings were lined with garland, and in the reception space, the couple brought it a bunch of live Christmas trees as decor. While this is typical of Christmas decor, this couple made it distinctly wintery without being holiday festive. I’ve never been to a wedding that so perfectly transformed the rustic into elegant!

Wedding Vendors:

Photography: Hannah Bjorndal Wedding Planner: Alexandria of Purposefully Designed Events Florals: Ash to Oak Floristry Venue: Great Marsh Estate Ceremony & Reception Musicians: Classical Strings Quartet – MSE Productions Hair Stylist & Makeup Artist: Salon Emage Donut Truck & Wedding Dessert Donuts: Carpe Donut Invitation Designer: Danielle Bleuse Wedding Dress: BHLDN Wedding Dress Topper: Jenny Yoo Men’s Formalwear: Indochino Bridesmaid dresses: Jenny Yoo Catering: Savory Fare Catering Officiant: Father Morgan Reed

Source: https://ruffledblog.com/winter-sunrise-wedding-evergreens/

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Nike China Hoop Dreams Apparel Preview Fall 2019

The Nike SB x NBA Collection draws from basketball’s enduring influence on skateboarding. Highlighting classic silhouettes, the collection unites two cultures with distinct crossovers in style and function — a fact skaters themselves know well.

“Growing up in Southern California in the '80s was what got me into basketball,” says Nike SB skateboarder Eric Koston. “I was getting deep into skateboarding in high school, but having the Showtime Lakers as my home team was so exciting to watch. They were at the peak of their championship wins, they had their rivalry with the Celtics – it was compelling, competitive, flashy basketball.”

The collection’s two pieces of apparel — the Nike SB x NBA Satin Bomber and the Nike SB x NBA Hoodie — are adorned with an oversized Association logo, an iconic symbol of style, individuality and fandom.

Classic basketball silhouettes compose the footwear assortment, including the Nike Bruin, Blazer and Dunk. In the shoes’ earliest forms, key features like padded ankle collars and flat soles were a natural fit for skateboarders who needed protection and tight boardfeel while riding.

“As a skateboarder, I’ve always looked at those early basketball shoes from an aesthetic standpoint — because the style was always cool — but also from a technological standpoint, because of the similarities in our need for impact and support,” says Koston.

The Nike SB x NBA Collection releases October 13 on nike.com and at select retailers. The pink Nike SB x NBA Bruin and pink Nike SB x NBA Hoodie release December 1 on nike.com and at select retailers.

Source: https://news.nike.com/apparel/nike-china-hoop-dreams-apparel-preview-fall-2019

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A Mother, a Daughter, and Grieving through Anger

Photo courtesy of Maya Beano

By Danielle Pergament

Here at goop, we prize intimacy and honesty. We talk about issues that are important, affecting, and often highly personal. It is with that in mind that we will occasionally feature essays and letters from writers telling their own stories. It is our hope that these first-person pieces resonate with you, move you, and even make you think in a new way.

Dear Mom,

It’s hard to know where to begin, so let’s start with this.

Remember the time you told me that I would never win a beauty contest compared to K? Or, for that matter, to my other two sisters either? Do you remember when you said it? It was my wedding day. Funny thing is, we weren’t even having a fight. It was just delivered as fact. I’d like to tell you that this was the most hurtful thing you ever said to me. But I’m not sure that it was. There are just so many to choose from.

I remember when I was little, reading all these books and seeing all these movies that had the same underlying message: Mothers are sacred! The love of a mother reigns supreme above all other loves! It is from their very body that we are born. They sacrifice for us, they do anything for us, their life’s mission is to keep us safe and warm. I would see that stuff, even as a kid, and somewhere inside I’d think: Huh. It would take years for me to figure out why those mothers-are-hallowed stories never sat right.

I was the youngest of your four daughters. I think I was about five or six when I first remember people comparing us to Little Women. Looking back, I think King Lear would have prepared me a lot better. At least then I would’ve known that families could be torn apart by greed and money—or that love could be quantified by diamonds.

I don’t think you wanted to be my mother as much as you wanted to be a friend. But the kind of friend you became wasn’t the kind I could share my deepest fears or dreams with. It was the undermining kind—the mean-girl friend whose approval you crave but who also makes fun of your clothes. I was in high school when you called me “chubby” (to you, it was a fate worse than death). And I was in college when you told me I was too skinny. There was the time you said my natural part was “so ugly” that I should brush my hair to hide it. And the time you told me to flex my biceps to see whether I was as fit as my sister. You had a whole quiver of those verbal arrows, all crafted to injure and weaken but never actually kill.

And holy Christ did you want me to get married. It wasn’t like the “any man would be lucky to have you as a wife,” kind of thing. The way you put it was more “If your boyfriend doesn’t propose in six months, you need to move on.” It was like selling a car before anyone had a chance to figure out that it didn’t have tires.

I thought it was only me. But really it was all of us. As M, your son-in-law, who liked and loved you as much as anyone and was a far better child to you than any of your actual children were, said: “It’s as if she casually tossed hand grenades into every relationship in our family.” Not early on, and not all at once, but for half a century, you really perfected this skill until every last one of us was left smoldering in the ashes.

For a long time, the concept of forgiving you was foreign. It was foreign to our entire family. I had to learn it, the way a blind man would have to learn what “blue” means.

Just as I realized how very much you and I needed a real connection, that I needed to forgive years of hurt and pain and shitty comments, it was then, a year and a half ago, that you died.

To the outside world (and yes, to me, too), you were a diminutive, blonde, blue-eyed Swedish farm girl with an opera singer’s voice and a small child’s shyness. You saw art everywhere and tried to instill in all of us a love of Mozart and Verdi. You were soft-spoken, elegant, and incredibly sweet. It wasn’t an act; it was real. You loved my father, you loved us (in the way that was available to you), and you were unfailingly compassionate. Especially to abused animals and suffering children in faraway lands. It was enough to make me wish I were an abandoned racehorse.

It took me years to reconcile that someone so adorable, someone who, because of her accent, could never learn to say “three” without it sounding like “free,” could use that same charming Scandinavian lilt to tell me that I would never be as successful as one sister or as artistic as another sister or as good a gymnast, horseback rider, you name it.

I do not hate you. I have never hated you. We were symbiotic. For years, you were either the last person I spoke to before bed or the first person I called when I woke up. Right up to my thirties—and at least a few times a week after that. You always answered the phone—and to a child, that is so very important, that consistency so valuable. It was the actual conversation that usually left me shaking with rage or stained with tears or hanging up when I could take no more. But I’d always go back. And you’d always answer. Ours was a singularly painful codependence—but you were the only mother I had. And I knew that, even though you could hurt me, sometimes deliberately, you loved me.

You were beloved by so many people—and I could see why. You loved parties and champagne and dancing and laughing at men’s jokes and being a bon vivant and acting like a 1970s wealthy Westchester hostess who wore Halston (which was kind of what you were). People adored you, including and especially your children. In your own, often misguided way, you wanted to connect with me. It’s just that you ended up comparing me to my sisters (probably not such great parenting), and more often than not, I’d feel as if I had to defend my own worthiness against such a star-studded roster.

It would take decades for me to understand the extent of the damage. I was so young when I learned to compare myself to other women—to my own sisters! And when I found myself falling short (which I usually did), when I felt lost or alone or unloved, I’d break down. Your suggestion was as simple as it was impossible: “Stop being so sensitive.” Not: “What’s wrong?” Not: “Talk to me, sweetheart.” But: “Stop being so sensitive.” (Remember when you offered me a dollar every day I didn’t cry? Kids cry, so that didn’t work, though the Do Not Emote message was pretty clear.) Of course, your prescription backfired: My sensitivity, maybe it’s called hypersensitivity, is probably my defining characteristic.

I tried to do the sensible thing: I tried to repress the pain—bury it, push it down, lock it shut, and wipe my hands of every last hurtful remark, snide comment, gut-wrenching put-down, or unanswered cry from my childhood. It worked pretty well. Occasionally the anger would bubble up and I’d have to really muscle it down again like a suitcase that can’t…quite…close.

But then I had a daughter. And two years later, a son. I learned to be a mother—a highly imperfect, fiercely adoring, obsessively in love mother. I became so curious about my kids—who they are, what they like, what they dream of—that it made it all the harder to understand why you never seemed to care about that with your own children. Well, except for one, your favorite. If only you could have been dismissive of us all equally.

Then came a very dark day.

It was late afternoon, and there was a party at your house. We were all there, and someone casually asked you about your eight grandchildren. And you quietly slid the pin out of the first grenade: “Well, L’s daughter is my favorite.” There it was: Your verbal confirmation that you had a finite amount of love. Apparently, by the time you got to your youngest grandchildren, my babies, well, they could dig for scraps. That’s the part that makes me vibrate with anger: that you didn’t see, that you didn’t care to see, the beauty of my children. That was like an elephant sitting on that suitcase. Years of baggage seemed to zip pretty firmly shut after that.

Then you got sick. I couldn’t toss my baggage and run away. I was denied my escape route. Angry and resentful as I was, I faced the miserable task of sorting out your finances and your estate. Seems pretty clear that it’s a daughter’s duty, even an injured daughter. But one sister—let’s call her Goneril—the one you always said would win the beauty contest, didn’t seem to care all that much about you once you were sick. She didn’t contribute a dime to taking care of you. (I’m sorry to tell you, but she didn’t even come to your funeral. You were hardly perfect, but you didn’t deserve that.) So she peaced out. Grenade two.

In the long, difficult months before you died, your little women had dwindled to three. The bills piled up, and we sold things—your furniture, your crystal, your Halstons. We sold our things too—watches, artwork, treasures you’d given us as graduation and wedding presents. You were living in a mansion you could no longer afford to heat, I was buying your groceries every week, and we had sold valuables to pay your property tax.

Then that phone call and those six chilling words: “A lot of money is missing.”

I’ll cut to the point. You gave one daughter not just more love but more cash. Like: all of it. We asked you about it, and after days of denial, you admitted that yes, you’d given the last money you had to one of your children while the rest of us struggled to pay your bills.

Funny thing is: I’m not even mad about the money. I’m mad that you lied to me for years, and I’m even madder that you let me buy your food with my own money—money I would have liked to save for my own children. But you did. More grenades.

God it’s hard to forgive you. I shouldn’t be mad at you because you’re dead. Because it’s over. Because the last time I saw your body, it was the morning of your death—you were no more than a frail husk; everything alive had fled from you. You were so tiny, wearing that threadbare nightgown.

I know that it’s healthy for me to find forgiveness. The Dalai Lama says so. And I work at goop, the first church of the power of gratitude. And rage and grudges are probably not the shortest path to feeling grateful. But I’m still mad. I’m mad that you never wanted to know me. I’m mad that you never asked—not a single question in forty-three years—how I felt or what I thought. You never wanted to see the world from my point of view.

But the thing that I’m most angry about is that you dismissed my pain. You were Teflon—everything glanced off of you. You were so terrified to leave the tiny shell that you had built around yourself, so terrified to leave the comfort of your own house or your own frail point of view, that you never ventured out to where I lived.

I know it’s hard to forgive people who are dead. But the truth is I said it all. I spent the last decade of my life trying to explain my feelings to you. Sometimes it was more flame-thrower than olive branch. But sometimes I was pretty grown-up about it. It never worked. You got angry, you got defensive, you got hurtful, you got passive aggressive. (“Oh, well I guess I’m the worst mother who ever lived,” you’d say. Which, you know, did not make me feel understood.) I was going to you for the one thing a daughter needs from her mother and can’t really get anywhere else—unconditional understanding, acceptance, love. And I was turned away.

Remember what you said to me a few months before you died? I thought you were asleep but then, almost a whisper: “I never appreciated you.” It’s not the kind of thing you long to hear from your mom—it’s more like the last thing you want to hear. But maybe, in a weird, clumsy way, you were saying sorry.

So I forgive you. Of course, I don’t actually forgive you, but I’m saying it. Like how people say that if you smile when you’re miserable, it will make you happier. I forgive you. I love you. You gave me life. I think inside, you were no more than a terrified child yourself, the seventh of nine. You barely had access to your own parents when you needed it most. And you were so young when you fled—over an ocean, to a new country. You must have been scared to death for so much of your life. I know you were terribly insecure—those sad, quiet retreats to your room, overcome by loneliness, having no sense of self-worth. I’m so sorry. I could have been a lot more compassionate about many things.

We never made peace in life, you and I. We came pretty close to approximating it, but we were always hurt or angry or both. If there is one dream I have for us, it’s that I can give you in death what I couldn’t give you in life: understanding; forgiveness; true, unqualified love.

So: I forgive you. I forgive you. I forgive you. It’s still not working, but I’ll keep trying.

I promise.

Source: https://goop.com/work/relationships/mother-daughter-forgiveness/

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What Serena Williams Told Naomi Osaka After The US Open Final Will Warm Your Heart

The U.S. Open final garnered a ton of attention over the weekend, for several controversial reasons. And unfortunately, along with all of the drama came a rather boisterous crowd, which booed loudly when it was time to hand out the final trophy. Undeterred however, what Serena Williams told Naomi Osaka during the award ceremony was gracious and encouraging.

On Wednesday, Osaka revealed on The Ellen DeGeneres Show that she wasn't entirely sure why the crowd was booing when she arrived to accept her trophy. She had purposefully chosen not to pay attention during the match wherein Williams, her opponent, clashed with chair umpire Carlos Ramos, resulting a national media storm.

"At the time, I did think that they were booing at me. I couldn’t tell what was going on, because it was just so loud in there," she told Ellen. "It was a little bit stressful."

But veteran Williams seemed to take notice of Osaka's apprehension, and she leaned in to embrace her. Ellen asked Osaka what Williams had said during that embrace.

"She said that she was proud of me and that I should know that the crowd wasn’t booing at me," Osaka told DeGeneres.

DeGeneres appeared slightly surprised when Osaka said that she hadn't known, at the time, why the crowd was booing. But Osaka told her that when tennis players are young, they are told not to physically turn around when there is a confrontation on the court.

"In my mind I was sort of, like, I really wanted to know what was going on... I couldn't hear and I was looking away," Osaka said. "I heard a lot of people in the crowd and I really wanted to turn around, but I didn't."

Since her win, Osaka has become known as an extraordinarily gracious victor. A lot of this had to do what what she said after winning, including taking a moment just to thank the audience for watching at all.

"I know that everyone was cheering for her and I’m sorry it had to end like this," she said. "I just wanted to say thank you for watching the match."

On the TODAY Show on Monday, Osaka explained why she had felt compelled to apologize to a crowd that was booing during the trophy ceremony.

"I just felt like everyone was sort of unhappy up there and I knew the ending wasn't how people wanted it to be," Osaka explained. "I know that in my dreams, I won in a very tough, competitive match so, I don't know, I just felt very emotional andI felt like I had to apologize."

Williams, for her part, asked the crowd to stop their behavior.

"She played well and this is her first Grand Slam," Williams said at the time. "Congratulations, Naomi! No more booing."

The 2018 U.S. Open will undoubtedly go down as a significant event in athletic history, for reasons both positive and unfortunate. But at the end of the day — and the days after — Osaka's earnest, genuine response to the onslaught of attention was certainly just as noteworthy.

Source: https://www.bustle.com/p/what-serena-williams-told-naomi-osaka-after-the-us-open-final-will-warm-your-heart-11898485

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Beyoncé and Blue Ivy Wear "Lion King" Inspired Outfits at 2019 Wearable Art Gala

With the release of Disney’s live-action reboot of The Lion King just over a month away, it’s only natural that Beyoncé would pay homage to her character, Nala, for this year’s Wearable Art Gala, held on June 1 in Santa Monica, California.

This year’s theme, “A Journey To The Pridelands,” was actually inspired by The Lion King, and Queen Bey went full-force in a gold sequined bodysuit with a gold-embroidered lion’s face featured front and center.

This wasn’t just any old lion, though — in true royal fashion, its stately mane was worked in gold-toned feathers that exploded off of the bodysuit, skimming her shoulders and torso. Adding in a gold cape with one serious train, Bey looked every inch the queen we’ve come to know and love. Real talk, where can we get one, and will it be ready in time for the premiere?

Bey also blessed us with a video of Blue Ivy lip-syncing to “Circle of Life,” one of the movie’s most iconic songs. Possibly taking inspiration from the Broadway iteration of The Lion King, Blue’s own outfit was fit for a queen-in-training; she chose a sunshine-yellow dress with intricate beadwork that formed an epic collar and continued down the center, paired with a matching beaded headwrap crowned with gold plumes. She’s got wearable art down to a science, people.

This isn’t the first time that Beyoncé and Blue Ivy coordinated their outfits for the Wearable Art Gala; the mother-daughter pair was seen at the 2018 event sporting matching gold dresses with corresponding headpieces.

Now in its third year, the Wearable Art Gala, founded by Beyonce’s mom Tina Knowles-Lawson and her husband Richard Lawson, benefits the WACO Theater Center in Los Angeles, the couple’s non-profit performing arts space, as well as their mentorship programs, Tina’s Angels and Richard’s Warriors. Beyoncé has always supported her mom’s charitable work, in addition to her own impressive philanthropic programs through her BeyGOOD initiative. With two more Netflix specials reportedly in the works, hopefully accompanied by new music, we just can’t wait to see what Queen Bey will unveil next.

Want more from Teen Vogue? Check this out: Be Prepared! Beyoncé's Makeup Artist Is Debuting a Lion King Makeup Collection

Source: https://www.teenvogue.com/story/beyonce-blue-ivy-lion-king-2019-wearable-art-gala

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"Looking to VENT" with J.Crew

This is the weekly "Looking to VENT with J.Crew" post, a place to share our not-so-stellar experiences with J.Crew.

If you have recently experienced a frustrating situation with J.Crew, maybe you might be willing to share that information with us in this post.

Please feel free to share your story on almost any topic— including poor experiences with purchases & orders, promotions/ offers, in-store visits, transactions with store associates, etc.

Source: http://jcrewaficionada.blogspot.com/2018/09/looking-to-vent-with-jcrew_5.html

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One Year After Surviving the Las Vegas Shooting, they Said I Do. And more.

I've been sitting here, trying to find the right words to introduce this beautiful story. But not matter what I write, it doesn't seem to really define the day and this amazing couple in the way that they themselves, and their amazing photographer Amy Golding have done. From Amy..."There is something beautifully different about Kimber and Dana. Kindness and compassion radiate from them. Their story is one of fierce love, a tragic event that could easily break the strongest, and a renewed perspective that relationships are what matter most in life."

A little less than one year before their wedding date, this madly in love, newly engaged couple went to the Route 91 Harvest Country Music Festival in Las Vegas with members of their soon-to-be bridal party. The night began as festivals they'd attended always had—with fun, laughter and good music. But when a gunman opened fire, sending Kimber and Dana fleeing for their lives, their perspectives would never be the same again.

Kimber shared, "I will count my blessings each day that He kept us together and kept us safe and I vow to do more good with this life. To live each day to the fullest and to show love at the face of hate. I am forever grateful He gave me you, Dana.” She continued, "My heart still feels broken from the tragedy we endured, but at the same time feels more full than it did before this night. It has been filled with love, kindness, compassion, and strength thanks to this unbreakable community, and for this I am grateful.

I am grateful to have survived, to be able to live my life with a more distinguished purpose, and to spread kindness wherever possible. Unfortunately, tragedy will continue to show its ugly face in our world—so I choose to focus on the gratitude I have for the beautiful souls around me and for the chance to survive another day.”

Desiring to center their wedding day on their gratitude and unbreakable love, they chose Temecula Creek Inn in Southern California for an enchanting and whimsical wedding. Nestled against the Santa Rosa Plateau, this venue is filled with beautiful California oak trees and a dreamy stone cottage.

Heidi Villa crafted a romantic, fairytale-esque braid for Kimber to adorn her gown with the most subtle sparkle. Watching this gorgeous wedding day unfold, it was clear what priority was strongest for Kimber and Dana—ensuring their family and friends feel and know the love they have for them and for each other.

Source: https://www.stylemepretty.com/2018/10/25/one-year-after-surviving-the-las-vegas-shooting-they-said-i-do-and-more/

#read more #see more #check it out #interesting #learn more

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hookfrance6-blog · 5 years

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Electronic and Conductive Inks Conference to Focus on Smart Packaging

The first-ever Electronic and Conductive Inks Conference will be held October 11th and 12th near Chicago — at Pheasant Run Resort in St. Charles, Illinois.

The event, which will focus on smart packaging, is hosted by Beauty Packaging’s sister publications, Ink World Magazine and Printed Electronics Now. It is sponsored by the National Association of Printing Ink Manufacturers (NAPIM) and Rodman Media.

Consumer goods companies, RFID experts, conductive ink manufacturers, and researchers will highlight the potential of conductive inks, discussing this growing field.

Major brands such as Ralph Lauren (check out its Team USA heated jacket), L’Oreal and GE, to name a few, are successfully incorporating electronic and conductive inks into their products. Electronic and conductive inks and materials are found in a wide range of flexible and printed electronics applications, from photovoltaics and flexible displays to sensors, wearables and smart packaging.

The potential applications for the flexible and printed electronics industry appear to be virtually endless, and electronic and conductive inks are essential to this fast-growing technology.

Among the highlights of the upcoming conference is a panel discussion featuring consumer brand companies moderated by Roy W. Bjorlin, commercial and strategic initiatives director, Sun Chemical, Advanced Materials Group, as well as a talk by Michael Fein, senior product manager, RFID, Zebra Technologies.

Conductive ink and material specialists offering their insights include Vahid Akhavan, Ph.D, global applications engineering lead at Novacentrix; Dene H. Taylor, PhD, president, SPF-Inc. and Dan Harrison, PhD, EVP, IIMAK; Frank Wallace, technical director, NANOGAP, Inc.; and Ajay Virkar, PhD, co-founder and CTO at C3Nano.

Presentations will also be given by George Fuchs, director of regulatory affairs and technology for NAPIM; Dr. Rachel Ma, assistant professor, Department of Graphic Communication, Cal Poly; Liam O’Hara, associate professor, Department of Graphic Communications, Clemson University; and David Savastano, editor, Ink World and Printed Electronics Now.

Find more details about the full conference schedule here — and attendees can register online by filling out this form.

Photo: (bottom right), courtesy of Sun Chemical

Source: https://www.beautypackaging.com/contents/view_breaking-news/2018-09-07/electronic-and-conductive-inks-conference-to-focus-on-smart-packaging/

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hookfrance6-blog · 5 years

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#Horror Review: Cold Revenge by Catherine Cavendish (@Cat_Cavendish)

We've all heard the proverbial saying, "revenge is a dish best served cold," but nowhere does that ring so true as it does within the pages of Cold Revenge.

Catherine Cavendish invites us to an odd sort of dinner party, a cold, quiet affair consisting of just a few couples, none of whom know one another, overseen by a mysterious woman, where mingling is certainly not encouraged, despite the unusual seating arrangements once dinner is actually served.

Dark, creepy, and unsettling, Cold Revenge is as much about the telling as it is the tale. We know early on that one half of each couple harbors a terrible secret, with Cavendish teasing those stories out over the course of the evening. What we don't know, not until the big twist, is how those stories are connected, or how those couples have come to their hostess' attention.

The serving of dinner itself is a nice touch, with each guest finding their favorite appetizer before them, but it's that first bite that pulls story and backstory together, serving just deserts upon them in surprising ways. I do wonder whether the story might have been stronger had it simply ended with those fateful bites, instead of explaining everything, but it does allow for an interesting exploration of guilt and remorse that . . . well, it doesn't dull the cruelty, but perhaps turns the blade, just a bit.

ebook, 94 pages Published July 8th 2018 by Crossroad Press (first published October 25th 2011)

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this title from the author. This does not in any way affect the honesty or sincerity of my review.

Source: http://beauty-in-ruins.blogspot.com/2018/08/horror-review-cold-revenge-by-catherine.html

#read more #see more #check it out #interesting #learn more

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hookfrance6-blog · 5 years

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Style Your Budget: Style Challenges Fall 2018 Capsule Wardrobe

Today we are diving in to a very exciting version of Style Your Budget. If you’re new around here, Style Your Budget helps you shop smarter by showing you one outfit prompt styled at five drastically different price points.

One of the things that makes Style Challenges work so well is that we don’t provide you the clothes. That may sound like a bad thing at first, but we promise it isn’t. By providing you with a style prompt rather than a box of clothes, you get to decide what the outfit ultimately looks like (and how much it costs).

If you already own all the pieces in the prompt you can shop your closet for a free outfit. Woohoo! However, if you need to fill in a gap in your wardrobe you get to choose which store, and more importantly how much you are going to spend, to fill in that gap.

This look is the Day 5 outfit prompt from the just released Style Challenges Fall 2018 Capsule Wardrobe. Rich fall florals are the perfect transition pattern into cooler temperatures and this outfit is finished out once again with classic closet staples. We say this a lot around GYPO, but truly, investing in good quality closet staples will serve you well season after season. Knowing you have a closet full of solid basics you love makes deciding what to wear fun and affordable!

Denim Jacket + Floral Top + Black Bottoms + Ankle Boots

Now let’s Style Your Budget!

Option 1

Denim Jacket $34.99 / Floral Top $24.99 / Black Jeans $19.99 Ankle Boots $39.99 / Earrings $5.99 / Necklace $7.99 / Purse $17.99 Outfit Total $151.93

Option 2

Denim Jacket $22.98 / Floral Top $25.97 / Black Jeans $16.94 Ankle Boots $44.99 / Earrings $14.99 / Necklace $20.99 / Purse $13.97 Outfit Total $160.83

Option 3

Denim Jacket $54.07 / Floral Top $22.99 Black Jeans $59.50 / Ankle Boots $27.99 Earrings $12.99 / Necklace $10.99 / Purse $11.99 Some prices may vary by size. Outfit Total $200.52

Option 4

Denim Jacket $118 / Floral Top $89 / Black Jeans $179 Ankle Boots $119.95 / Earrings $19 / Necklace $59 / Purse $149 Outfit Total $732.95

Option 5

Denim Jacket $98 / Floral Top $128 / Black Jeans $110 Ankle Boots $325 / Earrings $28 / Necklace $58 / Purse $138 Outfit Total $885

We always recommend investing in the best quality that your budget allows when it comes to your closet staples. However, if you are trying out new trends, fluctuating between sizes, or need a more budget conscious option we hope this post has helped you see that you truly can feel confident in what you are wearing no matter where you shop or how much you can afford to spend.

It’s Your Turn: What version of the outfit was your favorite?

You’ll have access to this outfit plus six more immediately upon signing up for the Style Challenges Fall 2018 Capsule Wardrobe. Make getting dressed this fall the easiest thing you’ll do all day! Check out how the Style Challenge is changing lives here.

Source: https://getyourprettyon.com/style-your-budget-style-challenges-fall-2018-capsule-wardrobe/

#read more #see more #check it out #interesting #learn more

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hookfrance6-blog · 5 years

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The Importance of Thinking Time & Tips to Get Started

THINKING TIME. This may sound strange but bear with me.

Recently I was listening to a podcast with Keith Cunningham, who wrote The Road Less Stupid. I became OBSESSED & did a deep dive with Keith. He had so much sound advice within this small podcast ( the podcast is The One Thing ) & I loved his stoic approach to business. I found myself listening to it over & over. One thing he talked about that really resonated with me, is the power of thinking time.

So when Keith ( who has made millions of $$ by the way ) was young & cocky, he went into a business meeting with a huge oil guy. In the meeting the oil guy told Keith that he sets aside an hour for thinking time every day- from 4:30-5:30 am. He just sits there & thinks. Keith thought this was so strange & didn’t understand it. Waking up at 4:30 am was not Keith’s thing, so he set aside 5-10 minutes a day for thinking time with an exact strategy of what he would be thinking about. For instance, he would say “where are the holes in my business?” & sit there with a journal ( or not ) & just think.

In doing this for 5-10 minutes everyday for a year, Keith became a happier person & had a huge realization that thinking time was non-negotiable.

As I was listening to the podcast I realized that I spend a lot of time thinking & I haven’t done a post on it- so I thought it would be interesting to share this with you guys.

Thinking time is non-negotiable for me too. I need time to think & wrap my head around things. Whether it’s making a big business decision or thinking about my reaction to a problem, I spend time thinking. The way I think is to clean, & focus on that one problem.

Through Keith, I further realized the value of actually sitting down with a pen & paper to think. & I’ve been using The Morning Pages as extra time to really think with an actually strategy. What I mean by this is I’ll write down what my goal is. So if my goal is to find ways to improve The Skinny Confidential, I sit down & do a 3 page brain dump. Writing it out is very different than talking it out. You don’t have to write it out, you can just think, but the point here is to CALENDAR your thinking time. Start with 5-10 minutes & go from there.

If you’re just reacting to everything & not being proactive then cracks start show. I know this because for a long time I was very reactive.

For anyone not familiar with The Morning Pages:

It’s known as one of the most profound and empowering tools for cultivating creativity, personal growth, & change are the Morning Pages- this is a stream-of-consciousness style of writing that helps you basically purge your thoughts before you start your day.

Think of it as getting all your thoughts on paper before you need to tackle your to-do list.

I’m the type of person that will be legit distracted if I don’t do this in the morning. My thoughts are so chaotic & I want to get everything done that I literally can’t form sentences if I don’t write them down in the morning.

When I first started a business I did this thing ( which I still do in my Morning Pages ) called TOP 7. TOP 7 is your top 7 priorities that NEED to get done for the day. Again, I still do my TOP 7, I just do them within my Morning Pages.

You can really write whatever you want in your Morning Pages- the only catch is this: YOU HAVE TO WRITE THREE PAGES AND YOU CANNOT STOP. My pages include my to-do list, TOP 7, what’s bugging me, where I want to take my business, what I am grateful for ( I do this one everyday! ), ideas, visions, dreams, quotes, funny sayings, things my husband says to me, etc. You can have your three pages be anything you want really.

Anyways, after researching this a bunch I found that tons of successful people spend at least 10 hours a week just thinking.

Warren Buffett is a great example- if he has time to think, anyone can find time to think.

My tips are:

♡ schedule time in your calendar.

♡ don’t think in your office; do it at home where you can be alone.

♡ bring a journal.

♡ evaluate the time you spend on meetings & cut it in half.

♡ ask powerful questions to encourage deep thinking.

Would love to know if you guys put aside thinking time & as always share your tips below!

x, lauryn

+ More posts like this can be found in the TSC Business section.

STALK THE POST:

Source: https://www.theskinnyconfidential.com/the-importance-of-thinking-time-tips-to-get-started/

#read more #see more #check it out #interesting #learn more

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hookfrance6-blog · 5 years

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Why Most Acne Spot Treatments DON’T Work—But What Will

Whenever a blemish appears, the goal is to use acne spot treatments get it to go away as fast as possible with the least amount of scarring. However, the way most people use their spot treatments is actually making a blemish stick around longer. This leads to a prolonged recovery time with increased scarring. I’m here to tell you that much of what you have been doing may not be giving you the best outcome.

Here are several reasons why your acne spot treatments aren’t working, along with my expert solutions for getting a better result for your skin.

You’re not understanding what your blemish needs to do to heal itself.

Blemishes, like pustules or papules, have an infection within the pore which is why they are painful and red. The natural process is for the infection (pus from dead white blood cells) to come up and out through the skin’s surface. Your skin acts as an excretory system and this is your skin’s natural way of healing itself. This is the most important thing you need to understand in your quest to help a blemish go away fast. Without acknowledgment of your skin’s healing process, you’ll won’t be able to work in sync with your blemishes.

You’re applying acne spot treatments too quickly using the wrong type of products.

The slow-down of the natural healing process of a blemish occurs when a spot treatment is applied the moment it appears. Understandably, you’re attempting to quickly dry it out, but I can assure you this practice is backfiring. It’s so important to understand that the infection WANTS to come out. If you dry it out on the surface with a spot treatment, you’re creating dead, flaky cells, which stops the infection from coming out. This now traps the infection under the skin longer which is not helpful. This is why your blemishes are sticking around a lot longer than they should be. The longer the infection stays present in the skin, the more of a red, dark discolored scar you will have.

The best solution is to leave it alone the moment it appears (without the application of a drying spot treatment) to get rid of it faster. Or, you can use a non-drying acne spot treatment like Anti Cyst Treatment in the early stages (days 1-3) to facilitate the healing without drying out the skin’s surface. I’ll explain more about this in a bit.

You’re not applying acne spot treatments at the right time in your routine.

When is the right time to apply an acne spot treatment? Assuming you’re using the right acne spot treatment at the right time in the blemish’s life cycle, it should go on last. This means at the end of your skincare routine.

Perform your normal nighttime skincare routine. (This might include cleansing, masking, toning, applying a serum and followed with moisturizer and eye cream. Be sure to use products exclusively for your skin type. Take the Skin Type Quiz.)

Dampen a cotton swab or tissue with water and wipe the blemished area to remove the skincare products that were just applied.

Apply the acne spot treatment and let it dry. Done!

The goal is to get the spot treatment to work directly on the blemish and not have any other product interfere with the performance. Learn how to apply a spot treatment in the morning.

You need to learn how to use acne spot treatments the right way.

When a blemish first appears, here is how to make it go away fast.

Step 1: Apply a non-drying, soothing, anti-inflammatory spot treatment.

Step 2: If and only when a whitehead comes to the very surface of the skin, you can gently squeeze it out.

Step 3: Once the whitehead is removed, you can then apply a powerful spot treatment to dry out any remaining infection in the pore.

Step 4: Once it’s all healed and any scabbing is gone and you’re left with a discolored scar, use Post-Breakout Fading Gel.

Okay…I’ve made your life super easy by creating this best-selling Zit Care Kit. While all the products are sold individually, it has the four best spot treatments and tools to make a blemish go away fast. If you follow the step-by-step instructions included in the kit, I can assure you that your blemishes will go away so much faster than ever before—with much less scarring.

You’re spot treating something without the presence of infection.

Sometimes people will get a blocked pore for a variety of reasons that appears as a bump. If no pain or redness is present, this means there is no infection and your usual acne spot treatments won’t work. The best course of action for removing blocked pores are through manual extractions.

Learn how to treat cysts, pustules, whiteheads, milia, papules, blackheads and closed comedones.

You need to accept that sometimes an acne spot treatment just won’t work.

My #1 best-selling product is Anti Cyst Treatment. I have been selling this product for 28 years now which means I have sold thousands and thousands of them. Our customers swear by its effectiveness. Does it work for 100% of the people? No. It just means that the type of inflammation that this product is targeting is not in sync with the type of bacteria you have. When it comes to any type of products, It’s never a one-size-fits-all—and this certainly includes acne spot treatments.

In summary, you can’t always control a blemish from appearing but you do have control when it shows up. I encourage you to be patient and let the healing process run its course without too much interference. Your skin will be clearer and less scarred because of it. Always work with Mother Nature, never go against her.

Source: https://blog.reneerouleau.com/acne-spot-treatments-dont-work/

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