improving a little

I don’t blog enough. There. I said it. It’s the sad real truth. I love writing even though I’m not that great at it, but there’s that 10,000 hours rule that says if you do something for over 10,000 hours then there’s a high chance that you’ll become good at it. And I want to become good at writing. So in order to do that, I have to write.

And here we are. Here I am…. writing.

I’m challenging myself to write at least one post everyday for the rest of time. It’s something I really want to do, and I’m pretty good at following through with things if I want to do them enough. Some of these posts might be sappy some sad some weird some boring some short some extremely long. I’m not sure, but I want to write more so I’m going to. 

For today’s post I want to share a little detail of my day. 

I had my photography class this morning and we did the first round of critiques for the first draft of our first project. A lot of firsts if you didn’t pick that up. That being said, I didn’t really know what to expect from the feedback or from other people’s projects. I was pretty confident going into the critique but I left feeling pretty defeated. My project was essentially eaten alive in the most respectful way possible. I’ll share the photos below, but what I got out of this critique today is that it’s important to be beaten up. Maybe not physically (definitely not physically), but it’s important to feel destructible, to feel like you're at the bottom, to feel eaten alive. These feelings should push you to move upwards. It’s also important to know that your bottom, your worst possible situation might not be someone else’s. In fact, your worst case scenario might be someone else’s best efforts yet. You have no where else to go but up and that’s amazing. Sure, I felt defeated after class, but I thought about people’s comments and now I’m inspired to create something better, something people will have nothing but great things to say about. And even if other people don’t like it, because they most likely won’t, I’ll have improved my work just a little. 

That little improvement is what we should all strive for in every aspect of our lives. 

So let’s all improve a little together.

Thanks for reading.
xox
Chloe 

College Gift Guide

I feel like all I ever write about these days is college related. But you know what? It’s pretty relevant to my life as a, wait for it, wait for it…. college student. 

So, that being said, here’s yet another college related post. However, this one has a holiday spin to it. 

I think one of the best parts of the holiday season is gift giving. It’s so fun to pick out that special gift for that special friend that you know they’re just going to love. It screams “them” to you. And when they love it as much as you think they will, ugh, it’s just so rewarding. 

I also think one of the worst parts of the holiday season is gift giving. As much as I want to buy every single one of my friends the most perfect and dazzling present, I can barely afford a hamburger for myself. 

How do you show someone you care about them without spending your entire life savings? I’m not really sure to be honest. If you want that question answered, I’m sorry, I won’t be the person who does that for you. 

But, don’t you worry. I have a solution. There’s this dope website called UncommonGoods that’s essentially an online marketplace for artists to sell their products. Not only do you purchase a product, but you’re supporting an artist and buying a story. They also were created in harmony with the environment without harm to animals or people and have non-profit organizations. I think the one I’m most passionate about is RAIN which is the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization. Pretty cool if you ask this college student. 

That being said, they sent me a few of their products from their already created (amazing) gift guides and I decided to go with the college student theme: alcohol and home decor. Obviously fitting for a 21 year old. 

Whether you're in a house, apartment, or a dorm, there's nothing quite like having a doormat to make you feel like you're back in your childhood home. I know that might sound so wacky but for real, they really make your place cozier (and cleaner if you actually use it to wipe your feet and not just as decoration.)

My friends and I drink a lot of wine. A lot. A lot. Hence the empty bottles -- it's hard to find a closed bottle left so excuse the photographs. That being said, this wine rack is phenomenal. It can be used as a holder for pretty much any number of bottles. Definitely a great gift for the college gal (or guy) if you ask me. 

My friends always poke fun at me for being the "rainbows and unicorns" kind of happiness. I see the positives of every situation almost to a fault. But I thought this stamp was a great way to liven up any piece of paper. It's just so cute and I haven't had anything like it since I was much younger. I feel like it's a great stocking stuffer or a gift for a basket type deal. That pink tho. Amazing. 

Home decor is tricky in college, especially when you live with other people. I have five other roommates and while we all get along, we definitely have very different styles (clothes, music, home decor, etc.) However, this light box is super cool because it changes color (aka aesthetic) and you can constantly change out what it says, Having a holiday party? Perfect, change the words. Someones birthday? Perfect, change the words. Inspirational quote? Yeah, you know, change the words. 

If you're struggling with the holiday gift scene, definitely be sure to checkout Uncommon Good's remade guides. They have one for pretty much any occasion you can think of.

What are you giving to your friends this year?

Thanks for reading! 
xox,
Chloe

INTERNET ROUND UP

READ 

I read this short passage on Tumblr the other day and my mind was blown. I always think about getting into ruts with what I physically do each day, but I’ve never really thought about the ruts we’re in with things we don’t think about as often — especially when it comes to words. Toc-Tic is just wrong. 

WATCH

If I could choose any famous person’s sense of humor to take for my own it would, hands down, be Steve Harvey. He’s hilarious and I always find myself watching his “best of” videos on YouTube, especially when I’m in need of some cheering up. This video is one of my favorites, and that little boy.. SO CUTE. 

Confession, when I looked up the link to this video I got distracted by all of the Little Big Shot videos so watch all of them haha. 

LISTEN

In honor of my friends going to his concert this week, I decided to share RUFUS DU SOL. I love his song “Sundream” and think you guys should give it a listen. It’s kinda bumpin’ but also chill. The perfect summer night song. 

SHOP

I’m working at Anthropologie this summer and it’s dangerously awesome. I want to spend my paychecks on literally everything in the store and it’s taking all of my will power not to purchase one of each. However, a lot of my co-workers have been purchasing this jumpsuit and I’m dying to try it on. Jumpsuits never look that great on me, but I’m convinced I need it. 

SEE

Something about this photo illuminates summer. Maybe it’s the fleetingness of it — summer is here and then gone in the blink of an eye. Maybe it’s the black and white. Maybe it’s the bare feet on the pedals. All I see is summer.

Be Adventurous

What was your New Years resolution this past year?

Mine was to be more adventurous. To do more things that make me second guess. To do more things that push me outside my comfy little circle of safety. I want to be more spontaneous. To not make goals for tomorrow, but instead make accomplishments for today. 

I want to get out there and do things. 

And you know what? This past weekend I did just that. I have lived in Colorado for about three years and have so many things that I want to do here. I have a little bucket list for Colorado itself and hope to accomplish just half of it during my time during college.

I have always seen photos of the Sand Dunes and I have always wanted to go, but it’s kind of far, out of the way, and inconvenient to get to. 

This past weekend I stopped saying I want to go to the Sand Dunes and actually made it there. 

It was seriously one of the most amazing experiences. Two friends and I woke up at 4 in the morning and made it to the dunes. We spent a few hours just taking in the beauty and feeling alive. We all had things (aka homework) we needed to get done but getting out of our little college bubble and experiencing life made me realize how sometimes homework can be forgotten (like really really forgotten) and life can be enjoyed. 

We were out in the sun and sand for a few hours and we were all a little nervous of getting sun burnt so we made sure to pack my Hawaiian Tropic® Silk Hydration® Weightless Face Lotion  so that we’d all stay hydrated and protected. Seriously, if you’re in the market for a new sunscreen you have try Hawaiian Tropic® Silk Hydration® Weightless Face Lotion . It literally has Shea Butter in the formula so it leaves you feeling hydrated and pampered — and we all know other sunscreens leave you feeling the opposite. You can find it in mass grocery and drug retailers and also online! 

So next time you feel like you’re in a slump of responsibilities and repetitiveness get out there and do something. I know for a fact that you all have something that you’ve been dying to do — whether it be something as small as trying a new restaurant or exploring your state — GO FOR IT. 

I’m sharing Hawaiian Tropic in my life as part of a sponsored series for Socialstars™
Thanks for reading! 
xox
chloe

FAILING

Let’s talk about failure. 

FAILURE.

The word kind of makes my heart beat faster, my palms clammy, and my head feel a little fuzzy. It’s not something I enjoy talking about, let alone feeling.

I hate failing. I mean it’s not like I know anyone who actually enjoys failing, but it’s the worst feeling in the world. And the weird thing is that everyone’s definition of failure is a little different. 

I just failed a test. Like failed failed. The second I got out of my class I ran to the nearest empty place on campus, called my mom, and cried. I didn’t even know I needed to cry but the second I told my mom I failed I just lost it. 

photo scan taken by my amazing amazing amazing mom 

And you know what she said? She said life goes on. She told me that there are ups and downs and everything in between. She said that currently, I’m having a down but it’s not the end of the world. Life. Goes. On. 

I might have to drop the class but I’m not a failure. One test, one class, one semester doesn’t define who I am as a person. I still have so many gains in front of me — maybe failures too, but those only make the good things seem even better.  

So if you’re ever feeling down or like you’re a failure, know that you’re not. It might seem terrible and irreversible in the moment, but even a day later life can seem so much better. You are amazing, and your grades don’t and shouldn’t determine your self worth.

Thanks for reading! 
xox
chloe

Art Progression

I think I’ve mentioned this pretty often, but I’m majoring in Strategic Communications and minoring in Technology, Arts, and Media. This semester my classes are very creative based. 

We’re talking Film, Photography, and Web Design along with a Crime and Society and a branding class. While these classes are at the peak of my interest and they’re the stepping stones to my future, they’re hard. Really, really hard. I don’t know if it’s because art is a tricky thing to get a grade for or if it’s just the idea of learning and honing in on new skill sets, but my grades this year are lower than last year when I was taking mostly core classes. 

I’ve always been the kind of person to make good grades. I’m not saying it came naturally, but I studied and made the grades I wanted to. My school work felt like it was in my control all the way until this year. My photography class is super fun, don’t get me wrong, but I just got a 70% on a project I thought I did well on. 

It was a little heart breaking because I feel like when your art work is graded lower than you think you deserve it’s a personal thing. Math is a yes or no answer, but art is like a yes, no, maybe, sometimes, here and there, up and down, left and right, all around kinda answer. It’s hard to grade and even harder to hear the grade. 

This year especially I feel like I’ve gained a deeper appreciation for art and all of the thought and hard work that go into it. I’ve decided that I’m going to start sharing a few of my projects on here so you guys can see the progression of my artwork and thoughts and feelings. Also so I can look back and see the progression, but I’m trying to not be too selfish. 
Kidding, but not really. 

So for my photography class, the first project we had was to photograph a series of three with the theme of “life, in-between, and death.” I first thought about what represents our lives as humans and then I thought about how each year to celebrate another year of life we celebrate through cake. I then thought it would be cool to photograph the life, in-between, and death of cake itself and this is what I came up with: 

The next project we had was to take an old family picture and put ourselves into it. I decided to take a picture of my great grandmother and her friends and put myself on one of her friends faces. I then placed us into the quad at my school so it was like me in their lives but also them in my life. A weird little project. 

The next one was on the topic of surveillance and how we, as humans, are always being documented even without out knowledge. We had to go out and take pictures of random people and then put them into a snapshot that we took from google images of the same place where we took our “stalker pic.” I then edited mine to look a little more “surveillance-y” and here’s what I came up with: 

Thanks for reading! 
xox
chloe