**Cue the most cliche marriage song of the past year: Bruno Mars- “Marry You”
Many of us have read the article “Marriage Isn’t for you” floating around the social networking space the past couple days where the author, Seth, states “that marriage isn’t for you. Continue reading
Why is that women of today’s world are attracted to the assh*les, the player, the unavailable boy, the “bad” boy, etc.? Is this evidence that chivalry is indeed dead and that the next “best” thing are men who embody qualities of those titles? Continue reading
Since I’ve been on this mini- Euro trip, my playlist has been filled with nothing but (neo) soul- including Lauryn Hill, Joss Stone, Jill Scott, Floetry, and Laura Reed & Deep Pockets. I first heard of Laura Reed on the Andrea Bocelli Pandora Station (weird, right?) late last year and was introduced to her single, “Happy” (Live at Tree Sound Studios). Continue reading
Throughout the week, I’ll have friends and colleagues send along inspirational videos and this story is so good that I decided to host it as a blog post. Ginger (Alexia), a fellow colleague and amazing friend sent me this video earlier this week about a man who developed a tremor in his hand that kept him from creating drawings that he loved. Instead of giving up on his passion, he decided to embrace this limitation and transcend it. Throughout the video he displays alternate methods of art which is MINDBLOWING. Living in Los Angeles, I’ve definitely come across some unique art forms but he’s surpassed anything I’ve even seen.
How many times have you endured a moment where you wanted to quit? You often come across brick walls, huge potholes, etc., but what makes you great is when you’re able to overcome these obstacles. Sometimes these obstacles are placed in front of you to test your strength or how bad you want something. Take a minute to step back and assess how much you want something. Phil Hansen displays this strength in this video where he’s able to embrace his limitations and change his perspective to make something great. When you embrace the person within and are able to adapt to your surroundings, you can do amazing things.
First impressions are everything.
When you first meet someone, you’re never really “you”, but an ambassador of yourself. In more simple terms, you have an alternate identity that you use to represent yourself, but more times than not, that’s not actually you. Depending on who you’re introducing yourself to will dictate how eloquent you speak, your attitude, your tone of voice, the way you shake hands, an even how you introduce yourself. For example, if you’re introducing yourself to a colleague, you’re going to give a firm handshake, make eye contact, smile, straighten your posture, and probably throw in a “yes sir” or “yes ma’am” for good measure. Now if you’re introducing yourself to a friend of a friend at a party, bar, etc. you’re probably not going to be as firm with the handshake, won’t care about your posture, and lead with “what’s up man?” or “How do you know…”. This will obviously vary based on the occasion or who you’re speaking to, but the point is first impressions matter.
Carol Goman wrote an article for Forbes a few years back that I bookmarked which covers what you need to do in order to make a solid first impression in seven seconds. Based on these nonverbal cues, one can make several computations including: “Are you someone to approach or to avoid? Are you friend or foe? Do you have status and authority? Are you trustworthy, competent, likeable, confident?.” To sum up the article, here are several nonverbal cues you can do to make a positive first impression:
Now how does this translate into dating? Great question! I may not know what to do, but from experience I can tell you what not to do- which may be just as (if not more) valuable.
Although I’ve been distant from the dating scene for awhile, I think I’ve finally mastered the art of the “first impression”. This may be contradictory to the fact that I’m still single but lets imagine that my relationship status was insignificant for this topic. Whether you’re out painting the town red or this is your first date with another person, what you wear is arguably the most important thing. This is where judging a book by a cover matters- yea, I went there. Gentlemen, a dapper suit for women is equivalent to what lingerie is for us. Dress to impress: make sure you’re groomed, collared shirt (tucked in), slacks, and some wingtip shoes should do the trick. Granted, adding subtle accessories such as suspenders, a tie (bow tie), colorful socks, and a watch will let the woman know that you mean business. The goal of dressing nice is to show that you put some effort into the date. Now that you’re ready for the date, what do you do?
I came across this story yesterday before I was heading out to work and I was leaving my place I had to thank the Man above for blessing me with life (as I probably don’t do it nearly as much as I should). Zach Sobeich died on May 20th after battling osteosarcoma (terminal cancer) for 4 years and his legacy lives within the music he’s made over the past couple years. His hit single “Clouds”, which is available in iTunes and Spotify, reached #1 in iTunes after his death and if you listen to his single you can see why. See the documentary below for a glimpse of his life and how he spent the last several weeks/months of his life.
Watching this story made me question how I’m currently living my life and if I’m actually embracing what I have. If you were to die tomorrow, would you be happy with how you’ve lived your life? Chances are the answer is no. I’m sure this is due to a myriad of variables which consists of just “getting by” or being complacent, not being happy, not partaking in the events that you love, etc. The beauty of life is that you’re able to choose whether or not you want to be happy- it’s not forced upon you by any means to feel anything besides happiness. Your perspective on your life defines everything. Since opportunities are rarely offered and seized often, you need to be able to do the things you love when you have the chance. I definitely agree with the quote, “When You Look Back on Your Life You’ll Regret the Things You Didn’t Do More Than the Ones You Did”. Take risks. Fall in love. Do things you’d never consider doing. Be fearless. Be positive. Spread the love. Life is way too short to be anything but happy.
“Many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they look for a place to dump it. And if you let them, they’ll dump it on you. So when someone wants to dump on you, don’t take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. Believe me. You’ll be happier.”
Joel Osteen refers to this theory in his book, “Everyday a Friday”, which is actually a book written by the author David P. Jollay. Do you ever notice that when an argument is occurring, the person who appears to be more choleric increasingly becomes angrier because the other person is placid and collected? From my experience, I know that if you’re able to control your emotions, you’re less likely to say something that you will regret later down the road. Don’t make permanent decisions over temporary feelings. Although you might have said something in the heat of the moment, the other person will ALWAYS remember what you said (don’t you?). What do you benefit from being angry or getting upset? If you’re able to touch on subjects in a cordial and respectable manner amongst your peers, I’m sure that you’ll either reach a compromise or you might even get what you want (go figure). However, by screaming, cursing, or disrespecting the other person, you’re more susceptible to lose that battle. Put your ego aside, it’s not worth it.
If somebody drops a load of garbage on you, don’t be upset, angry, or offended. If you let them drop a load on you, you’ll make the same mistake as they did and you’ll end up dropping a load on someone else. Put a lid on it. Recycle the garbage. If you constantly are emptying the trash, you won’t have any garbage and you’ll be able to carry on with your life. If you do have garbage and you don’t think that you can take it out by yourself or recycle it, don’t be afraid to call upon a friend or a family member and help you release the garbage. Sometimes all you need is someone there that will take the time to assist you. For some people, they don’t even need someone to talk. Just listen. We let insults bother us because we feel that someone failed to show us the respect and the approval that we believe we need. Just smile, wave, and move on. They’re looking for a response and when you let them know that they got to you, you’re reinforcing their actions which is the last thing you need to light their fuel.
La Moda x 365hangers
…and if you don’t know, well now you know.
Lamodabyandriana.com
365hangers.com
I know that I haven’t interviewed someone in an about 2 months, but I promise that I’ll be back on my game.. soon.. real soon. I had the pleasure of interviewing this beauty this week and I believe it’s safe to assume that we agreed that LA (particularly the valley) is much smaller than we thought. I went to middle school with her best friend, she went to high school with my best friend, we used live around the corner from each other, and my best friend and her best friend are relatively close friends. Are you still following? If not, I completely understand because I may have lost myself as well. Any who, as a fellow blogger, Andriana has been able to turn her hobby into a part time position at 365hangers.com. Her love for fashion and “look books” is evident through her work and I have no doubt that she will exceed in any role that she chooses in her young life.
As a CSUN alumni (GO MATADORS!!) and a broadcast journalism major, she interned for ABC7 and NBC4 which gave her the initial exposure to the broadcasting world. Like many other students in college, we’re all so eager to leap into our fields but what we fail to realize is that we need to be able to crawl before we walk. By interning for these major LA networks, Andriana was able to receive a hands on experience in her field. As the sole writer and owner of Lamodabyandriana.com, she displays a portion of her lifestyle which encompasses make up tips, food secrets, season trends, and her sophisticated style.
At 365hangers.com she researches other bloggers to be featured on their website to assist with content, so if you’re an avid fashion blogger please reach out to her and I’m sure that she would be more than happy to assist. They’re actually hosting a Twitter party next Thursday (5/23) at 11AM PST, so be sure to follow along and enter to win their grand summer prize using the hashtag #365HANGERS.
Sitting down with someone that has such passion and drive for her craft is always a warming and rewarding experience. For someone that has to drive just as far (actually further. Sucker.) for her job, it’s definitely reassuring to know that it’s her passion that allows her to make those trips. For anyone that commutes from the Valley to the Santa Monica area, we feel for you. Would you like to carpool? I’m sure Andriana and I would love to take the carpool lane which should shave off around 20 minutes from our commute. I actually use the carpool lane regardless. Just kidding. But not really. Her inspiration for blogging is drawn from wanting to showcase what she loves to do but not having to attend to it on a daily basis and isn’t that what we all want? Doing something that we love to do but not having to feel committed to do it. Thanks again Andriana for vibin’ with me during a chilly summer night! See below for ways to contact Andriana and 365hangers.com and additional questions from the interview:
Andriana
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/andriana.olivares
Instagram: http://instagram.com/andrianao/
365Hangers.com
Instagram: http://instagram.com/365hangers
Twitter: www.twitter.com/365HANGERS
Facebook: www.facebook.com/365HANGERS
What do you value the most?
Family
What is one of your long term goals?
Hosting a fashion show (in terms of a television show)
What would you describe your style as?
California girl, Feminine, Classic, Old School
What is something that most people don’t know about you?
My favorite color is white (so weird- just kidding) 🙂
Shy
Loves to cook
What’s a deal breaker for you?
Men that aren’t ambitious and that lie.
If there was one celebrity that you would to play you in a movie, who would it be?
Salma Hayek- “hottest little Latin lady” or Charlotte from Sex and the City with Carrie’s style.
Why are we afraid of change? Simply put, it’s because we don’t want to go outside of our comfort zone. We place ourselves within a fenced area that anytime we step outside the fences we don’t know what to do with ourselves. Ask yourself this question, what would you do if you weren’t afraid? Think about it for a second… or multiple seconds.. or a minute.. or two. Think of the endless possibilities of what you could accomplish if you knew you had nothing to lose. Who knows, a change might be around the corner but instead of making that turn you keep walking straight in the same line that you’ve always been on course for.
“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.”
The most beautiful thing about life is that if you don’t like the state that you’re in, you can change it. We’re so blessed to have so many resources such as education and technology that we often take these things for granted. The stars do not have to align in order for you to make the best out of the situation. Like I’ve said several times before, you can’t change your circumstances but you can change your perspective. Life is going to throw curve balls at you and it is by far going to put the most burden on you, however, if you take those lessons and pull the positive out of it, I’m sure you’ll be much more happy. If you know you are better and can do better, what’s stopping you from going out there and doing so? If you know you deserve a better lifestyle, what’s stopping you from making that change? It’s only when we change and grow, is when we see a whole new world that we never knew existed.
“Change is the only constant. Hanging on is the only sin.”
I see so many of my peers caught in this limbo stage of not knowing what to do in the next chapter of the life but I steadily begin to see that they’re still hanging onto the past. We all have memories that we want to keep which we hold close to our heart, but by doing so the only thing that you’re doing is clipping your wings. Change has to come within and you cannot depend on anyone else to make that change for you. You can only change if you want to change. Do yourself a favor and embrace change and adapt to your surroundings. It’s such a beautiful thing when you let go and let God.
I’ve always been somewhat creative but that doesn’t mean I’ve been great at what I actually created. I was the sort of kid that never colored inside the lines, my art was more abstract than anything (and not on purpose), and used colors that were probably not the actual color of the drawing I had in front of me. Now that I’m older and I’m able to focus a bit more, I’m still not able color inside the lines, my art is still abstract, and I’ll choose a red crayon to make an orange (I’m special).
Well, that’s great Christian but why are other people supposed to care? I’m not quite sure to be honest but you and a date should hit up Color Me Mine. Their concept is simple. You pick any item that you would like to paint and you pay for it. You’re really able to see how creative someone is based on what they choose to paint and how they paint it. The idea of color me mine is that it’s a pottery studio where you’re able to select mugs, plates, Disney characters, pots, etc. and paint it accordingly. Once you’ve painted the item, they will tell you when to come back and purchase your new (and glossed) item. This makes for a great group date or even something intimate between you and a significant other. Bring out the creative side of you and throw paint on each other.. unless she’s wearing some sort of dress and expensive shoes. You’ll probably end up paying as much as you would for a dinner but it’s more- so the experience and acting like a child that you’re paying for. I highly doubt you wear clothes that you don’t mind getting a bit dirty. Lord knows I end up having paint on the back of my ear. Weird, right?!
Christian Liquigan
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