Few things are as charming as receiving snail mail. No matter the influx of texts, emails, or even snaps, the sweet sound of tearing an envelope beats them all. And today we take it one step further with handcrafted cards as inspired by A Cup of Jo. No gadgets needed, this is a DIY of purely household goods (and forgotten beauty products) to personalize and marbleize stationery.
Social media challenges periodically take over our feeds, some leaving us feeling empowered and determined and some leaving us annoyed. Whether it is an ALS ice bucket contest or obtaining Kylie Jenner’s pout via suctioning glass, social media challenges are usually viral but short lived. The newest challenge is causing quite the media stir and instead of leaving followers feeling simply determined or annoyed, it is causing legitimate concern.
The latest trend, #A4waist, involves females (and some males) demonstrating how thin their waists are by covering it up with an A4 sheet paper. If concern didn’t jump out at you immediately, maybe knowing the width of this standard sized paper will.
A true explorer in every sense of the word, Rachel Rudwall has been to six continents, lived in three countries and has visited almost 60 nations. She’s an EMMY-nominated camera operator, a TV host, producer and social media influencer who has worked with top clients including National Geographic, Travel Channel, Fodor’s Travel, A&E and ABC, merely to name a few.
With the weather warming and our sense of adventure sprouting, we thought of Rachel as the perfect go-to for chatting (and inspiring) all things travel. We’re excited to share more of our conversation with this woman conquering the globe — including what’s the hardest and greatest part of traveling so much — with you, below.
Think back to when you were a kid. Remember how amazing it felt when the first real day of spring had arrived and you could finally go outside and play?! There was nothing that could hold you back, the energy you’d kept pent up during the cold winter months was practically bursting out of your arms and legs.
Wasn’t that feeling just the best, ever?
Spring is officially here and with that the chimes of wedding bells envelope the air. This year’s bridal season is all about tousled hair — whether it’s thrown in an updo or a fashionable deep part, we can’t get enough of this effortless trend.
As a master hair artist who’s been creating wedding looks for over 12 years, I’m happy to teach you how to hack the perfect tousled look for your big day. Best of all, these easy-to-DIY styles work for both straight and curly hair, so read on and share your thoughts on the trend below.
Reaching for protein when it’s snack time is a sure-fire way to stay nourished and energized when the mid-day slump would otherwise kick in (I’m talking to you, 3pm donut-craving). Focusing on protein and fat provides longer lasting fuel than all of those pre-packaged, carb-centric snacks that are readily available for gals on the go.
Aim for whole, unprocessed and organic foods whenever possible. Be wary of things that come in wrappers or have ingredients you can’t pronounce. Remember, snacks can be smaller portions of foods that you normally eat during mealtime!
Here are 18 ideas for healthy snacking.
While we wish it were otherwise, most of us don’t have the luxury of pursuing our creative passions as a full-time job. Whether we love painting or pouring candles, writing or dancing, event planning or photography, the truth is that we don’t often make a living from those passions. Instead, we find pockets of time to shadow those desires on the weekends, the evenings, and often, when we could be sleeping. We read articles and books about our hobbies, and spend our money on the passion we love so dearly. But we aren’t waking up every morning to head to a studio or the craft room or the keyboard. Instead, we get up and work at jobs that don’t set our hearts aflame.
There were a lot of years where I bemoaned my lack of time to pursue my passion. I’m a writer at heart, a woman who comes alive with the tap of keys on the keyboard, a woman who could spend hours each day whittling down a paragraph until it sings with the vibrancy of power and precision. But for most of my adult life, I’ve been a writer in the margins, pulling out my laptop in the evenings or on the weekends, taking twenty minutes over lunch or an hour after work to finish an article or pen a chapter.
Nashville, Tennessee is the center of the music industry where budding artists and professional musicians alike often share the same stage. It’s a place that fosters support for the arts, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that a collaborative and highly creative fashion community has been quickly growing in the heart of this city.
PopNod and Nashville-based singer-songwriter Leah Edwards have recently launched Good City Guide, beginning with Music City itself. The following helps discover several innovative makers and designers that are the soul of Nashville, along with products that have global impact. Here are the top 11 picks of cultural trailblazers and local pioneers that are shifting the way we do and think in the city of music:
Many of us dream of making a big change one day. Whether we envision a career change, a relocation, or changing how we’ll spend our personal time, we imagine happier and more fulfilling futures for ourselves. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to feel connected to these imagined realities. We allow them to feel far off in the distance, safely tucked away under “someday.”
Too often, we de-prioritize our long-term goals and tell ourselves that we will make a change or learn a skill “when the time is right.” The actual tangible steps that need to be taken in order to create our desired fate take the back burner, and we allow ourselves to give into the comfort of staying put. Most often, telling ourselves that it’s just not the right time yet is how we grant ourselves permission to avoid taking risks. By allowing ourselves to believe that there will be a time when everything is perfectly aligned for us to make that life change, we ignore our intuition and neglect our happier, future selves.
Before Instagram refreshes
We are out the door—ourselves
Refreshed in the lavender chill,
Headlights feeling their way to coast,
To the crest of the sunrise.
I think it started around 1995, when the Oasis album (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? was released, and I became obsessed with everything England. Something about the culture, the creativity and the history spoke to me. I knew that I wanted to spend time there, and I also knew that a vacation wasn’t going to do it. I wanted to live there.
Over the years my desire to live in England waxed and waned as I went to university, got married and started my career – but it never left me. I remember bringing up the idea to my husband and his less than enthusiastic response. He initially didn’t share my desire to live abroad, but over the years he warmed up to the idea and eventually became the driving force, applying for a work transfer that allowed us to make the move.
As troubling as it is, it’s not uncommon to hear someone negatively refer to another as being “so bipolar.” This term can be used as a way to conceptualize your boss’ behavior after he looses his cool during a meeting (no way it could be due to the recent missed deadlines … right?) or to describe your partner during a relationship dispute (again, I did nothing wrong … he is “bipolar”).
We all have that friend who is emotionally unpredictable, impulsive and just plain moody (we all know the type ), but does that mean they are suffering from the serious mental illness that is bipolar disorder? Not only can the incorrect and lax use of this word be offensive, but it also infers that those who are living with bipolar disorder have a choice in the matter. That could not be further from the truth.
What exactly does it mean to have (yes, have … not be) bipolar? Below, the common myths of this very serious disorder are discussed.
With April’s arriving it might be time to replenish those items you curated out of your closet as a part of spring cleaning with some new summer staples, so we’ve partnered with HerCampus and Keepsake the Label to help you revive your wardrobe just in time for warmer temps. Enter here for a chance to win a $500 Keepsake the Label shopping spree and a 2-year subscription to Darling Magazine!
Read more, below …
There are so many ways we can spend our time waiting these days – we can catch up on emails on the bus heading to work, we can browse through our Instagram feed while waiting for our turn at the hairdresser or we can check our calendars and set more plans while waiting for a friend to join us for lunch.
These are all instant distractions that help make time pass, but rather than using our phone in this way, why are we not using these pauses to give ourselves a dose of inspiration?