hinds || chili town

hinds is so hot right now. and rightly so. they won my award for best album name in 2015 with their very awesomely named "very best of hinds so far." they're also super fun to see in concert. and on top of that hinds is comprised of four super cute spanish chicks. time to come on down to chili down if you know what i mean. what do i even mean? just give them a listen instead.

beauty routine

funny how the year before turning thirty i'm finally starting to care a little bit more about my skin. i feel like a total hypocrite writing this post because up until recently i really haven't done much to take care of my skin and i haven't tried a million different products. all i know that there are some beauty products i have been using recently that i really like:


milky jelly cleanser || glossier
there is something about the consistency of this cleanser that is just perfect. it does a stellar job at removing makeup but doesn't dry my skin out. this is crucial during these brutal winter months.

coconut oil || cocovit
i can thank my recent trip to colombia for this discovery. after returning home i was on a total coconut kick + decided to finally test out the wonders of coconut. i put a small layer of this stuff every time i get out of the shower or wash my face. i got to bed smelling like yummy coconuts + wake up with the softest face. you can also use this on your cuticles and as a hair mask but i haven't really tried that out yet.

instant comeback facial serum || benefit
i believe the team at benefit refers to this stuff as "liquid face lift." while i'm not sure i would go that far i do feel like this product does a good job of keeping my skin hydrated. i feel like i'm a teenager again when i add a small layer of this after the cocovit coconut oil.

rapid age spot + pigment lightening serum || murad
this product isn't in my every day or even weekly rotation any more but i have to give a head nod to it based on how well it did at removing sun spots from a vacation in cost rica. i thought i'd be stuck with polka dots on my face forever but after some consistent use they completely disappeared. totally worth the slightly more expensive price tag.

gypsy water hair perfume || byredo
i'm not much of a perfume girl so byredo's hair perfume is a nice alternative. i love the gypsy water scent + since it is sprayed on my hair as opposed to my skin directly it doesn't seem as overpowering as some perfumes.



lately i have been much more aware of all of the magic potions + products out there so there are certainly more i'd like to try out. i have been eyeing grown alchemist, la mer, aesop, + bali body products. i also really want to try out biologique's lotion p50. that stuff is supposed to be a miracle worker.

are there any others i should be trying? again, i'm no expert in this arena so would love to hear any recommendations.

read || 1.27.16

watch david bowie's unaired interview with '60 minutes' || cbs news
"searching for music is like searching for god -- they're very similar."  he also talks about music being a way to communicate with others despite any personal feelings of loneliness or isolation. david bowie sure does speak my language in these unaired clips. they're worth taking a peek at.

traveling with a golden retriever || fubiz
meet aspen. he's just about the luckiest pup in the world. aspen has been traveling the world with his owner, a photographer. this basically sums up all of my life's hopes + dreams.

my home intentions for 2016 (that might work for you, too)  || apartment therapy
"find the right balance between spending + saving" really hits the nail on the head for me. this is one of my number one goals going into 2016. additionally, i think this article finally convinced me to check out the life-changing magic of tidying up by marie kondo.

my biggest design regrets + what you can learn from them || emily henderson
once i finally balance spending + saving i'll for sure take emily's advice into consideration. dining room lighting, curtains, + accent walls are three items in the condo i want to eventually tackle + emily's design advice is always spot on

meet the most pampered vegetables in america || npr
interesting read on some of the most ivy-league veggies out there + how a family farm in ohio started dominating this market. this place is less of a farm + more of a scientific food lab as they work to develop the best produce for some of the top chefs in the world. they usually make to to their finally destination within 24 hours of coming out of the ground. really impressive work here.

body painted woman in the infinity split installation || fubiz
photographer alex markow turns the female body into a a beautiful work of art through the use of paint on both their bodies + the installation background. the result is something magical.

luh || i+i

remember luh? they're the pair that keeps impressing me over + over. just yesterday i was thinking to myself that there hasn't really been any music recently that has moved me (because i'm a weirdo + think about things like that), but this track does the trick. almost makes me want to be a morning person.

luh will be making some tour stops in europe in march. i would love to get them state side this summer.

the range || florida

First single from The Range's new album, Potential, due out on on March 25th. This song is beautiful + has me very excited to hear the rest. Definitely one of my more anticipated album releases of the year. The back story on this album is pretty incredible too. You can read more about it on Pitchfork.

anderson paak || come down

i just recently stumbled upon anderson paak's album + was very pleasantly surprised. this song reminds me of a modern day james brown.

seen || 1.20.16

so i'm about to commit the blogger cardinal sin. i had this excellent idea to start sharing all of the beautiful + inspiring snapshots i have found on instagram but i screwed up. i have quite a collection of images but unfortunately did not capture all of the sources. i promise to do a better job of citing my sources moving forward!

dwell

january definitely puts me into nesting mode. these negative degree temperatures just end up keeping me indoor + dreaming about ways to decorate my home. i would kill for those little monkey lights at the bottom.

@the stellabluegallery | @westelm | @anewalldecor | @schoolhouse | unknown | @heavythreads

make

 i would like to start drawing again. and no i am not interested in adult coloring books. naked women + fishing lures are more my style.

@leah_ball_handmade | unknown | @sfgirlbybay | unknown

wear

colombia left me dreaming of warn weather + future beach adventures. my next trip will definitely call for a new swimsuit + cool choker necklace.

@prismboutique | @acaciaswimwear | unknown | @bikinibird

celebrate

i could really use some frozen champagne in my life.

@pennyweight | @local_milk | @thecoolhunter_

sweet music

oh bowie. you will be missed.

unknown | @freepeople | @glitterguide | @garancedore

holidaze

 even though the holiday season is long gone i'm going to want to remember these ideas for next year

@joslyntaylor | @asraigarden | @local_milk

jennylee || boom boom

i really hope men everywhere don't take these lyrics literally because i personally don't want to get "boom boomed" the next time i move my body. aside from that, jennylee of warpaint looks to have a pretty promising solo career ahead of her. looking forward to hearing more + possibly checking out her february 23rd show at the empty bottle.

update: tickets bought.

heard || 1.13.16

pitchfork guide to upcoming releases: winter 2016 || pitchfork
i'm going to try to make a conscious effort to listen to a lot of these. some of the ones i am most excited about are: james blake, m83, chromaticsfrank ocean, polica, animal collective, kanye west + beacon. hoping there are a few hidden gems in there as well

tame impala announce tour || pitchfork
as excited as i am to see tame impala again i'm probably equally as excited to see what new music opener m83 has in store for us. their 2011 lincoln hall show was one of my favorites. both bands will be coming to chicago on june 9th at uic pavillion. i wouldn't be surprised to get one or both of these acts for festival season too.

moderat announces third album, iii || resident advisor
in addition to the album moderat will also be making a stop at concord music hall in chicago on may 21st. i have never seen moderat live before so i snagged some tickets for it. they're on sale now.

explosions in the sky || disintegration anxiety
explosions in the sky have a new album, the wilderness, coming out on april 1st. based on their first single from it it sounds like it will be an album to look forward to.. 

kanye west announces swish release date || pitchfork
i know i'm not really one to talk about hip hop much but i am pretty excited for this album. i haven't totally decided how i feel about kanye the person, but kanye the musician is pretty legit. read more about my feelings on yeezy here.

2015 readers' poll || pitchfork
i am always curious to see who ends up on this list each year. while i did not vote myself this year i am spotting some similarities between this list + my own. i'm also spotting a few albums that i never checked out which may be worth a listen.

moby || sunday (the day before my birthday)

In my lifetime there will be a handful of deaths that will feel truly unbelievable to me + David Bowie's passing is one of those. How can a man so larger than life be releasing an album one day + gone the next? As a read though the news this morning I knew that I had to pay my respects but how do I even begin to choose a song to say goodbye + thank you when the list to choose from is truly endless? "Rebel, Rebel," "Rock'N'Roll Suicide," "Heroes," "Life On Mars." I could never begin to pick just one.

Last week David Bowie was reintroduced into my life with Black Star but there was one other legend whose music popped backed into my music rotation thanks to Spotify radio. "Sunday (The Day Before My Birthday)" by Moby came on + it kind of stopped me in my tracks. It seemed familiar + I have likely heard it before but I guess I've just never really listened before now. It was beautiful.

Like so many other artists out there, Bowie was definite inspiration, collaborator, + friend to Moby. They wrote music + toured together so it seems appropriate to choose one of his songs as a memorial of sorts. Although Bowie left us incredibly too soon at least he left on a high note. I only regret never seeing him perform live. Rest in peace you fabulous angel.

curated || juz kitson

Sometimes this crazy, technology-focused world scares me. At times, I find myself completely guilty of checking Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, REPEAT. It's times like that that I really question what mine + younger generations are really doing to ourselves. Is it harmful? I don't know. But then other times I see this world of mine as a place for so much more discovery. Without falling down the Instagram rabbit I was have never come across the stunning work of artist Juz Kitson.

Kitson is a ceramicist living in Sydney who creates beautiful (+ sometimes a bit sexual or creepy) using ceramics, feathers, wool, + other made or organic materials. Her work often alludes to the female + male form as well as other more animal-like traits.

Her work primarily takes the form of wall sculptures or hangings which require quite a bit of time + detail to prepare:

 I'm personally a fan of her all-white porcelain works like these two below. I would kill to have something like this in my front entry.

Allow yourself some Instagram indulgence + check out her feed HERE. 

colombia

I scored the jackpot 4+ years ago when I started dating my Colombian/Ecuadorian boyfriend. Over the years I have gotten glimpses of his culture with invitations to awesome authentic meals + endless talks of soccer. I try to recall those two years of Spanish class I took in high school but I think I've jut accepted the fact that I have a my own personal translator who can cover off on that for me. Going back to the motherland was obviously something he had been wanting to do for a while + I was more than willing to be his travel companion. Sunshine + good food? How could I say no to that?

Our 10 day adventure in Colombia started with a two night stint in Medellin. Medellin was the biggest city we visited + it was also the perfect start to the trip. It was the most modern + there were even times that I almost fit in as a native thanks in part to a new hair dye job I got just before the trip. For those of you who didn't watch Narcos on Netflix, Medellin sits with in a massive valley with the wealthier neighborhoods at the bottom + the slums to the top.  Medellin is nicknamed "The city of eternal Spring" + very much lives up to that name.

We arrived later in the afternoon so just walked around the El Poblado neighborhood, grabbed some typical food, + watched a soccer match at a bar while sipping some cheladas.

The next morning, we woke up bright + early to make a two hour drive to El Penal (the Rock) + the very colorful + nearby city of Guatape. We hired a driver named Sebastian to take us + he was the best tour guide we could have asked for. He knew all the spots to stop along the way too. The panoramic views from the top of El Penal were also pretty incredible + totally worth the two hour drive + 750 step climb.

For our last day in Medellin we took about a $4 metro cable ride to the very top of the valley for some spectacular views of the city. The ride up took us right above the slums which was a bit sad but the overall view was breathtaking.

After Medellin we took a short flight to Cartagena for 3 nights, one of which was my birthday. We woke up early the day of to spend the day on the Islas del Rosario. There were several islands nearby but this was the one our hotel recommended + it was absolutely beautiful + very secluded. I've never had such a warm + relaxing birthday in my life!

The next day we took a break from all of the running around + spend the day at our very beautiful hotel pool. Thankfully I love heat but for those of you who don't Cartagena is HOT! I pretty much had to be in the water or in the shade the entire time.

After some R+R we ventured into the walled city. This was definitely the most touristy part of my Colombian adventure, but it was still a million times better than something like Navy Pier. I'm a sucker for bright exteriors + elaborate doors so I really enjoyed walking through the cobbled streets. Inside the walled city felt very safe to me + although there were many vendors selling souvenirs no one really bothered you about it unless you expressed interest yourself.

On day four in Cartagena my boyfriend's relatives came to pick us up + take us to his mom's hometown, Barranquilla. It was a quick stop + we didn't do a whole lot more than eat some really great Colombian food but it was a cool little detour.

From Barranquilla we continued up the coast to Santa Marta. This was another relatively quick pit stop but we did luck out + get one more beach day out of it. We took a short boat ride to nearby Playa Blanca. Although this beach was only really reachable by boat it was still fairly crowded. This crowd was pretty much all locals though. I was the only gringa in sight!

The next day we made our final stop of the trip to Tayrona. We started our trip with Medellin which was the most modern + definitely ended the trip on the completely opposite spectrum. We stayed in an amazing private bungalow overlooking the jungle + had no television or wifi. You really had no choice but to relax + take things easy. One of our favorite activities at the hotel was watching the twenty or so hummingbirds fly around within just a few feet of us or walk to the nearby Playa Los Cocos.

Playa Los Cocos was beautiful but a bit turbulent. For the really good stuff we had to do a two hour hike through Tayrona Park in order to end up at the most beautiful + pristine beaches Colombia has to offer. For most of the hike you're completely covered by jungle climbing up + down these crazy pathways. In some spots it was hard to really even know if you were on the right path + we even saw a few monkeys overhead. But then, when you least expected it, the path would open up + there would be the beach. 

We passed two beaches along the path before settling at the third + most beautiful beach, Cabo San Juan de Guia. I've been to beautiful beaches before but never any that had as beautiful of a backdrop before. It was well worth the two hour hike to get there. We got lazy + opted for a mostly unaccompanied horse ride back (after being given my instructions in Spanish!). Thankfully, my horse was a total gentleman + we made it in one piece.

I got one more hammock hang in the next day + that about wrapped up our trip to Colombia. It was such a beautiful country + I really feel like we did a good job planning the trip + seeing a lot of different places in a short amount of time. The other thing that I would add is that it is really affordable once you do get there so definitely a good budget-friendly option. We stayed at some really beautiful hotels (most notably, The Charlee in Medellin, Casa de Isabella in Santa Marta, + Villa Maria in Tayrona) that I would 100% recommend. Aside from an accidental lost phone (not mine, thankfully) the trip was totally seamless. I'd love to tell you more if you are interested in making a trip there yourself!