December is a contradictory month for me. The impending new year introduces a sense of renewal but, essentially, another year is expiring at the hands of time. I always feel overcome with holiday cheer and tradition as we all inhale the scent of fresh pine
It’s that time of year again, where gratitude is in abundance as we’re reminded and inspired to count our blessings. But, do you ever feel like there’s only room to appreciate the joy in life? That we automatically lean on the bright side of things
The holiday season is here; lights flicker on trees and in windows, friends and family feast together, and the sense of excitement — even of joy — rests on these days. What is it that makes these weeks so special, so transcendent? The parties? The food?
If you break it down, "fashion" is by very definition, impermanent. The word is often bookended by others like "latest", "craze" and "trend" - implying that no matter the current popularity of the subject, it too will soon be replaced. If you're like most women, it’s
Recently, I sat across my friend at an outdoor cafe in a trendy L.A. neighborhood. Beneath the twinkle lights in the trees, we plowed through fancy burgers and shared an unspeakably delicious slice of praline chocolate cake. As the food settled and the sun set,
Sometimes, things work out. You get a job, you get promoted, you score a date, you win a client, you hit the jackpot. Other times, well, things don’t go quite as planned. This past summer I signed up for a half-marathon training group. I had it all
Knights, martyrs, soldiers, activists, and daredevils. Titles like these remind us of bravery. As a caricature, courage might look like a hunting, smoking, whiskey-swilling Hemingway. But what about the modern woman? How do you learn a character of bravery, you who seek a life of
The past couple of months have been an interesting season in regards to the pace I’m living. As an exercise scientist and a division one athlete, I've been raised and educated on the importance of being active. I thrive on the feeling of completing an early
The inspiration behind this shoot came from the desire to explore our inner dialogue and create a visual representation of the transitions we often experience. So often, our physical surroundings have an impact on how we are feeling and perceiving ourselves and the world --
Take a minute to think about how you view the world. What are your desires? What are your fears? What are your prejudices? Why do you have these thoughts and emotions? Your worldview has likely been molded, in part, by the media you’ve been exposed to
Shame is the intensely painful feeling that we are unworthy of love and belonging. —Brené Brown To experience shame is to be fully human; to at times feel inadequate, insufficient, inferior, unworthy and even unlovable. While guilt is the feeling of doing wrong, shame is the feeling
With colder months ahead it’s only natural to start hoarding our belongings and stockpile what we deem necessities. It’s a season of safekeeping, bundling, and holding close. But, as I recently packed my life into boxes to move across town, I couldn’t help but notice the
As a child I imagined adulthood almost as if it were a destination, believing that once I got there I would have the dream job, the dream husband, and the dream home. I would have accomplished every item on my bucket list and would just
NARKISSOS (or Narcissus) was a young man, a son of the river-god Kephisos and the fountain-nymph Liriope. He was celebrated for his beauty and attracted many admirers but, in his arrogance, spurned them all. One rejected admirer became distraught, and called on the goddess Nemesis
I recently spent a week in the backcountry of the Eastern Sierras and it was in those few days that my type A personality got the best of me. The night before my friends and I left for the trailhead (South Lake, Bishop Pass Trail),
It was dark, but the air was clean and the evening was fresh. As we sat on a rickety wooden bench beside the moonlit lake, I began speaking candidly with my boyfriend about an old friendship. It was one that had been so enriching and
American women have a long held fascination with French women. We tend to assume — and book sales reflect as much — that French women have it made; they enjoy relaxed relationships with food without ever worrying about putting on an ounce, they keep elegant
It can be difficult to talk about a broken relationship -- that investment of your heart that's taken a hard turn resulting in pain, confusion, and questioning where it all went wrong. It can be even more difficult when it seems like your history is
I’ve always been competitive. I never understood why anyone would want to play a game or sport “just for the fun of it.” My philosophy is that if I’m going to lace up my sneakers and run around for a while, then there had better
Brooke and Becky Jo are the girls behind the Wild Love Tour, an unscripted journey of two women traveling throughout Europe filming a documentary about love. They are best friends and life enthusiasts, passionate about people having seen the power of love shift hearts and empower
For the second year in a row, my sisters and I have taken a sisters trip. Our mother and aunts have done so for years, and we have been giddy to be old enough to start the tradition ourselves. Laura just graduated from undergrad, Caroline
“All children, except one, grow up.” With this oddity of a statement, James M. Barrie begins his widely adored story of Peter Pan, the eponymous tale of the boy who remains to be the one exception to the proven law of aging. Wendy Darling, Peter’s lovely
These days being a debt-ridden 20 or 30 year old seems not only acceptable, but a rite of passage in many circles. We bond with strangers over beers, pizza, and a mutual experience with Sallie Mae. We chuckle at buying that expensive purse or the
With social media crowding our field of vision, it’s easy to miss what is right in front of us at times: real human beings. We care so much about feeling connected to the world by constantly updating our status and commenting on others’ photos, yet
As one of nine children, I'm never short of a sister to call for advice or a brother to hang out with when I'm bored. There are several other perks of having a lot of siblings, too, but the best part is just the sheer
An oasis from the bustling and burgeoning city limits, it was one of 12 parks that Los Angeles owned in 1899. It was known for its palm tree lined walkway, cultivated rose scented gardens, and artisanal well. It quickly became a communal place the people
Fires again. The Santa Ana winds have swept through California and four different wildfires have burned across the city. Californians, of course, are used to seasonal fires and the evacuations and general disruption that accompany them. When I was in high school, my family evacuated our
As a non-profit director and social media manager I currently oversee five Instagram accounts, so I spend a lot of my time in the world of hashtags and Instagram feeds. I have this theory of late: sometimes if we want to know some of the unhealthy patterns, or
When was the last time you experienced a random act of kindness? Last week, I received a call from an old friend out of the blue and it was such a pleasant, unexpected surprise. We hadn't caught up in awhile and he just wanted to
Five words are all it takes to shatter your self-esteem. Five words that every single person has thought at one time or another: I am not good enough. This feeling of unworthiness can show up in many places. It can show up by the pool when