Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Pole Fitness

First off, I'm just going to say that I'm not an Athletic person. For the longest time I had an Athletic build for the sheer fact that I was active. But not in the sense of running everyday (that was only during the winter in high school) or going to the gym daily. I played tennis and taught tennis until freshman year of college. Gained two jobs and worked my butt off until I had that glorifying desk job. THAT was when my hips decided to come in. Of course it is. Like the time my wisdom teeth started coming in and I was studying abroad, my life is all about timing.
 
 
 
But I digress, a couple years ago I started doing Pole Fitness. FOR THE RECORD, it's not the same as pole dancing. You learn the same moves not in the hopes of showing them off, but rather to get fit and toned. The first half of the class is dedicated to getting fit and working on your core, while the other half is dedicated to learning a new move on the pole. You meet some truly amazing women who love their bodies and just like me, wanted a workout that was unconventional. The thought of running repulses me and the idea of a gym just makes me want to cry. I haven't been going for a while now but thought it would be a great time to get back on that pole and bust a move ;)
 

Thursday, September 25, 2014

"Hey Your That Girl That Sang Shania Twain!"

 
Do you guys have a go-to karaoke song? Every Wednesday I meet up with my friends from high school at a local bar and sing karaoke. Since I work a lot, I always look forward to my Wednesday jam sessions and a couple of beers. My friend and I sing Mr. Brightside by The Killers, no exaggeration, every single week. It's our go-to song. Not only have we mastered that song, it's always a lot of fun when the crowd joins in. We also have a couple other songs that we like to sing like, Dirty Little Secret by The All American Rejects, Africa by Toto, and Your Love by The Outfield. Currently trying to get the DJ to get Shake It Off by Taylor Swift on the board so I can stop singing it in the car or in the shower :)
 
 
 
 
You can actually buy the picture above as a print here!

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Planetarium

 
At the end of August in Buffalo, there is the Elmwood Festival of the Arts that spans a good portion of Elmwood Avenue. The restaurants on the strip have specials and local artisans, as well as ones from across New York and Pennsylvania, come and display their goods. I have gone to a few dozen of these festivals in my lifetime and I always look at everything in the hopes of something catching my eye.
 

Low and behold I stumble upon Planetarium Textile Design Studio. Created by Esther &  Ofir Yaloz, a textile designer and product designer, they both graduated with honors from Shenkar College of Engineering and Design in Israel. After working in the design and fashion industry for several years, they followed their dream, and opened their own print and design studio.
 
 
Esther: "As a textile designer specializing in silk screen printing,  I carried my childhood fascination with wildflowers to botanical images. They have become a central motif in my textile design. I delight in details and textures, and am passionate about printing and creating patterns. I love  transforming raw materials into a unique final product. It’s all part of a magical process, accenting the uniqueness of each and every item."
 
 
 
"Everything is hand-printed, dyed, and sewn in our workshop with much passion and attention to detail. We design our products in small series, just as we prefer to purchase items for ourselves. Whenever possible, we source our raw materials from manufacturers in the USA."
 

I absolutely love everything that Esther has created, especially that scarf and those pillows! To look at more of Esther's textiles, check out her website :)
 
 

 


Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Investment

 
I'm usually not a handbag girl (keyword: usually). However, every once in a while something will catch my eye and this would be the case for the Coach Rhyder 33 Satchel in Nubuck. At first I couldn't decide which I liked better, the Pebbled or the Nubuck. But thinking it through, the investment on the Nubuck (THAT RED) surpasses that of many current handbags this season. [I'm especially depressed with every single female in this small town of mine carrying a Michael Kors bag. Loved his Spring 2015 show but hate seeing his bags everywhere!]
 
Stuart Vevers did a fantastic job with his first collection as the new Creative Director at Coach (F/W 14) and I cannot wait to see what else he has up his sleeves.
 
Go to Coach and check out the rest of the Fall/Winter Collection!

Monday, September 22, 2014

Weekend Musings

 
You know that song, "Everybody's workin' for the weekend..."? Well last week was one busy week. As I've said before, I'm a Jess-Of-All-Trades; currently I'm the store manager for my family run art gallery, as well as jewelry merchandiser for Chloe + Isabel. My father and I attended a local business expo to meet with other local businesses, as well as promote a new service we are offering called painting parties. Basically for $40 you get: 11x17 canvas, pallet of paint, brushes, instruction from a local area artist, as well as, a glass of wine and finger foods. It's such a fantastic time with girlfriends on a Friday night or if you want have your child's birthday party with us, just swap the wine for cupcakes :)
 
On top of making many connections, we were also preparing for the grand opening of our new Artist-in-Residence. Every once in a while we get a local artist who wants to show/sell their artwork in our gallery and we allow them to take residence for two weeks at a time. Last Friday and Saturday were days to meet and talk with the artist so after the expo last week we were getting the gallery all set up for the new artist.
 
 
On Saturday, my guy and I went up North to Old Forge in the Adirondacks to just walk around, relax, and take a couple photos of the leaves changing (though the leaves are going to be absolutely perfect in about two weeks time). We aim to go when it's not crowded and touristy but apparently there was a bit going on and it was as crowded as it would be during the Summer. Some of my favorite places to go to on the main strip are: The Old Forge Hardware Store, a new place called Oil Well (Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar Tasting Boutique), and Ozzie's Coffee Bar (above).
 
Sunday is always the day of rest + football. I go to my grandmother's every Sunday for brunch and then this past Sunday my guy was in town so we went to watch the 1pm game at his buddy's house. Pumpkin beer + pizza + football = good time :)

Monday, September 15, 2014

September [ Musings & Playlist ]

 
It's that time of year again... back to school, crisp air, and the leaves changing. Most people think the beginning of the New Year is the time for making changes, but for myself it has always been September. I've been making some changes in my life here and there. My grandfather passed away almost two weeks ago and so I have been home spending time with my father and grandmother. Helping out at the family store and planning on growing my own business (more of that soon!) It's hard because I'm about 3 hours away from my significant other, but it sure doesn't beat living abroad back in the Fall of 2011 (picture above is fall at Versailles).
 
Now for the playlist.. some popular songs, some off the radar, every single one is equally addicting :)
 
Shake It Off - Taylor Swift
Black Widow - Iggy Azalea ft. Rita Ora
Hands In the Air - Miley Cyrus ft. Ludacris
Strip Me - Natasha Bedingfield
Glory and Gore - Lorde
Best I Ever Had - Gavin DeGraw
Cowboy Boots - Macklemore & Ryan Lewis 
Needle and Haystack Life - Switchfoot
Raging Fire - Phillip Phillips
Supernova - Mr. Hudson & Kanye West