Beneffect

April 5, 2018

Those who know me well, know that I love to make up words and then casually use them in everyday conversation. One of my all time favorites is 'hometel' which can be defined as a hotel you stay at so frequently and align with the aesthetic enough that it feels like your home... home + hotel.

(Disclosure: This site uses affiliate links. All products are chosen at my discretion and promoted as other blogs promote products that reflect the lifestyle of the blogger, brand, and ethos. I only post brands and items I support.)

My newest invention is beneffect! It defines an unplanned side effect of something that has a positive effect. Beneficial side effect = beneffect. :) This little nugget makes itself known in many ways, and recently I felt its relevance when thinking about money and value. If we approach money as a beneffect of creating value in the world our focus and motivation is coming from a deeper and truer place. I'll admit this is a new approach for me, and I'm interested to see what manifests from this mindset. Never underestimate the power of a beneffect.

Eco Outfit Details

SHEER RUBY CHECKERED DRESS Marni via Rent the Runway #sharedfashion

LEATHER TIE BELT #upcycledleather #secondlifecycle #secondhand

QUILTED CROSSBODY BAG Stella McCartney #vegan #fauxleather

BOOTS #vegan

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Photos by the multi-talented Cole Buckhart.

Living Magic

March 30, 2018

Do you listen to the podcast How I Built This? When I'm roadtrippin', I just let the episodes flow from one to the next. I love hearing the inspiring stories of how people followed their passions and their drive to create something of value- not only to themselves but to many others. And the host, Guy Raz, always asks one final question of his accomplished guests: 'How much do you attribute your success to hard work and to luck?'

Most of them say it's a combination of both. That feels about right. But what I want to shed light on is the idea that Source is always bringing us what we want. Aligning the cooperative components to set us up for what we desire to experience and create. If we are a vibrational match, 'things just fall into place', which feels like luck. I call it magic. Magical moments are eagerly waiting to burst on the scene with stardust and rainbows in their wake! Well, not really, but they are ever ready, because Source is also ever ready to accommodate us- if we allow it.

I'm still adjusting the training wheels on this concept, though I have seen it working in my own life. There is living magic all around us and when we tune into it with higher vibrations and thoughts shit happens. Amazing, seemingly crazy coincidences, awesome introductions, gut nudges at the right time, etc all flow effortlessly. It really is, well... magical.

Eco Outfit Details

FAUX SHEARLING COAT Gerard Darel (similar to one shown) #vegan

LEATHER JACKET Free People #vegan

SWEATER TOP Elizabeth & James #naturalfibers

JEANS Paige Denim #madeinUSA

OVER THE KNEE BOOTS #vegan

Many thanks to Penny Lane Cooperative in Jackson Hole for supporting this shoot with their super hip wares!

Shout out to Seth Hughes who hit me up on Instagram to co-create this incredible content together while he was back in town.

Thank you to Gabe and Marie for coordinating to have us shoot at this beautiful location with these special horses. xx

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Ice Queen

March 22, 2018

Do you ever feel you have to be the strong one for everyone else? That it's your job to keep it together so you can be the pillar others lean on? I think I've felt that way my whole life. Maybe it's the caregiver in me or just my optimistic nature to always look towards the good in every situation. And I don't think it's wrong per se, but sometimes it gets in the way of allowing all that needs to be felt and expressed from coming out. Like an ice queen keeping it on lock down.

Recently I've been going through something challenging and I felt a shift in myself. I wasn't able to keep seeing the bright side. I got sucked into the 'reality of what is' and it had me gripped tight. Then I found myself in a discontented place of fear and negativity. And I was upset about that. And that made me feel ever worse. Until one night, as I was drifting to sleep I had an epiphany...

I wasn't far from myself at all. I was just going through the motions of life that reveal to us more of who we are and what we want. I was expanding. The minute I had the thought, I felt relief. I felt the judgement I had placed on myself for not being stronger or more positive lift off of me and I truly felt elated. Sometimes it is so easy to make feeling bad or uncertain or sad wrong, but I think without them we might be bored and stagnant. They move us forward by revealing the complexity of who we are and showing us more of what we want (sometimes by showing us what we don't want). It felt like a movie director pulling back to see the full scene, and I could appreciate the role of those hard feelings. So now, I remain committed to my default way of being (positive and uplifted) and hold space for the other emotions that show up too. No need to freeze them out. They're part of the bigger picture.

Eco Outfit Details

CINDY CASCADE GOWN Nha Khan via Rent the Runway #sharedfashion

PLAID CASHMERE SCARF #naturalfibers

I'm sure you've heard me talk about renting fashion before, and I can't get enough of this genius concept! For this shoot, I knew I wanted to create something more artistic and a gown in the snow felt like the perfect thing. I do have a couple of gowns in storage (one of them is my high school prom dress!), but I wanted something to fit my vision and with my Rent the Runway Unlimited subscription a plethora of gowns and designers were at my fingertips! The best part is this gown will be warn many times- not just once or twice by moi if I had bought it. Shared fashion is one of my favorite ways to participate in sustainable fashion, and it is oh so stylish.

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Many thanks to Cole Buckhart for yet another awesome shoot!

Snow Skirt

March 14, 2018

Eco Outfit Details

CASHMERE TURTLENECK #naturalfibers

QUILTED SKIRT Nohmii #ethicallymade #madeinUSA

LEATHER JACKET (similar to one shown) #vegan

BOOTS (similar to those shown) #vegan

In a ski resort town such as Jackson, we're pretty familiar with the term 'snow skirt.' Only, we're usually talking about that bit of extra fabric that cinches tight underneath your ski jacket to keep the powder from pushing up underneath. Yet, the snow skirt I'm talking about is the nifty thing you see me sporting in this post. Nohmii's quilted skirt is not only stylish, it's your best friend on a cold day in ski country. Like a puffy for your legs, it truly is a wonderful winter staple.

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Thanks to Nohmii for sponsoring this post, and to Cole Buckhart for the beautiful photos.

The Happiness Lens

January 29, 2018

Do you ever feel so many hints and nudges from the Universe trying to tell you something, that you finally have to stop, surrender and acknowledge what's being shared with you? That's exactly what happened to me this past week. 'You've got mail!'... From the Universe! The message was simple: if you want to live a happy life, choose to see life through a happiness lens. In other words, la vie en rose is a lot easier to see when you've got rose colored glasses on.

I'll be the first to admit that it's more easily said than done. For whatever reason it feels like our predisposition is to see life through the scarcity lens with fear and concerns over uncertainty attached. Perhaps this is a primal default designed to keep us safe (ie: from falling off a cliff), but I think we've leveled up. Our consciousness and ability to create and participate in this world has transcended this primal reflex.

If you're on the Law of Attraction train with me, you'll relate to this notion on an even deeper level. Because what we think about, we bring about into our lives. The Law of Attraction is constantly working in the background to manifest that which is aligned with our frequency. If you focus on what you want and tell others about what you want, you attract it to you. Likewise, if you focus on what is not wanted and speak of what currently is (versus what is wanted- even if it hasn't shown up yet), that's what's delivered. High frequency thoughts and alignment yield high frequency living. I've seen and felt this play out in my own life many times.

It's simple, and it's also a muscle that needs to be built and conditioned. Sometimes we slip out of our higher frequencies, and back into thought patterns that don't serve us or align with the life we want for ourselves. Been there done that. And, I will likely do it again and again as I move through life. The important thing is to give ourselves compassion and celebrate the awareness we have when we can see we need to adjust. And I must say, having that outlook feels pretty darn rosy.