Travel Archives - Stevie Jewel

11.23.18

The 10 Best Songs of Christmas Music

Today I want to share something that I love so much. Music! Specifically, CHRISTMAS MUSIC.

Music has been my life for so long, and just like anything in life – we’ve had our ups and downs. But that doesn’t mean that anything has changed about how much I love music. Or how much it moves me.

When I was a child I was part of a group of children who got to perform all over our city throughout the year, but ESPECIALLY at Christmas! Which means that I’ve listened to A LOT of Christmas music, and usually from about August through to January 1st. Because of this, I feel like I just HAVE to share my favorite Christmas songs with you! Having listened to so so so many, and so many versions,

throughout the years – I consider myself a connoisseur of Christmas songs.

Here is my top 10 for Christmas songs – including my new favorites and my all time favorites, and some instrumentals!

Angels from the Realms of Glory – The Piano Guys
Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy – Lindsey Stirling
Christmas Canona – Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Ave Maria – Celine Dion
Snow – Danny Kaye, Trudy Stevens, Bing Crosby and Peggy Lee
Santa Baby – Eartha Kitt
Cold December Night – Michael Bublé
Night Divine – Josh Groban
What Are You Doing New Years – Karen Carpenter
Carol of the Bells – David Foster

11.21.18

3 Day Guide To Las Vegas

I love Las Vegas, but not for the reason you would think.

I love Las Vegas because I grew up there. I went to high school there, I know the city as more than just the strip, which is why I can give you guide that only a local could.

Las Vegas is a city that you can’t fully see in three days, but I’m going to give you some of my most memorable favorites.

Day 1

Drive the famous Las Vegas Blvd. at night. It’s why you came to Vegas right?! So do it. Indulge in the touristy part! Drive the whole strip and start with the famous ‘Welcome to Las Vegas’ sign.

After your drive there are a few things on the strip that are totally worth seeing.

The fountains at Bellagio
The atrium at the Bellagio (and make sure to note the multimillion dollar light fixture in the main lobby)
The canals at the Venetian
The Forum Shops at Ceasar’s Palace

Day 2

Get off the strip. Go out and see some or all of these, but at least see one. Las Vegas has too much natural beauty to spend all your time right on the strip.

Red Rocks
The Valley of Fire
The Hoover Dam
The Grand Canyon (yes, I know this isn’t technically IN Vegas, but it’s a short helicopter ride away and helicopters go out every hour or so!)

Day 2: Night

Option 1

Go down to Fremont Street Experience. It is crazy, and you will see the whole gamut of what Vegas can be. But it’s also where Vegas started, and although it’s not the glitz of uptown, it used to be and it’s worth seeing. It’s also had a revival in the past few years with a lot of historic elements restored.

Option 2

See a show. Almost every single resort/casino has a show inside. The big casinos have Cirque De Soleil shows, and the smaller casinos have their own smaller shows. Several musical artists have residency at one of the casinos as well, so make sure to see who is playing during your trip!

Clubbing

Vegas is full of nightclubs. While it’s not my favorite part of Las Vegas, if you like clubbing this is the place to do it. Especially for ladies, who typically get in free AND drink free.

Day 3

Shopping. If you like to shop, this is the day to do it. You have seen everything and you know what you want so you don’t have to tote it around with you all day. Here are my shopping recommendations:

The outlet mall – it has all the usual stores and then it has some high end stores as well
For designers shop at the big resorts. Vegas has so many designer stores that you’re bound to find that bag or pair of shoes that you couldn’t find anywhere else

Day 3: Night

Go to one of the restaurants overlooking the strip. The view is amazing especially at night, and the atmosphere in most of these restaurants is electric.

There is so much to do in Las Vegas that you really couldn’t do it all even in a week. There’s natural beauty, museums, history, shopping, RESTAURANTS (so much good food!), and sights to behold. The important thing is to try and pick a few really memorable experiences and if you do that, you’ll have a great time!

10.31.18

What’s Your Mission Statement and Why You Want One

Napoleon Hill called it your “definite purpose” and now we call it a mission statement.

It’s mostly used by business to define the mission of the brand or business. I recently started reading a book called “Principles” which is what it sounds like – a book about principles. It essentially touches the same idea – that humans work well with a guiding mantra for their life – a mission statement.

It sounds DAUNTING, I know. “How do I define my life and what I stand for in one short sentence?!” But it’s actually somewhat simple. It’s a statement built around your:

Beliefs
The kind of person you are/want to be
Principles
Priorities

Why a mission statement for your life can be so helpful is because it is a guidance system by which all decisions can be measured.

As I mentioned business have them. Starbucks’ is “Our mission: to inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time.” What I like about mission statements is that they transcend goals but they can change! It’s like having a compass in your pocket to pull out when you start to feel confused or overwhelmed.

It allows you to define the terms on which you will live your life and it will make decision easier because you have defined who you are and what you stand for.

10.24.18

“Am I Doing It Right?” and Why It Doesn’t Matter!

I know I’ve asked myself this, and I’ve definitely asked this in school, in art classes, and in many other scenarios I’m sure…”Am I doing this right?”.

But I recently came to a wonderful realization – IT USUALLY DOESN’T MATTER. Occasionally it does – if you’re a doctor, your cooking raw meat, or it’s life or death, or you’re driving a car; but those situations are different because it’s a legitimate concern. In day-to-day life or in creative endeavors it’s not actually about whether your doing it right or wrong – it’s the FEARof making a mistake or the FEAR of being wrong. So what does matter?

Are you doing your best?
Do you have good intentions?

That’s usually all you need to be focused on. It’s not about getting it right. It’s about learning to enjoy the journey, the experience, etc. Save yourself the stress and stop worrying about “right”, what does that mean anyway? That your wine and painting class masterpiece will look exactly like the instructors? Does that matter? It will you uniquely yours and it will be because you didn’t worry about being “right” and just enjoyed the process!

We can all give ourselves a little more grace and compassion when we’re learning and trying new things. A good measure stick is to say, “Does this have serious consequences if I get it right or wrong?” and if the answer is “no” then you can stop worrying about being RIGHT.

09.28.18

Following a Dream to Paris – The Long Way

We went to the Louis Vuitton Time Capsule in Toronto to celebrate the anniversary of Louis Vuitton coming to Canada! What I loved about this more than all the beautiful items was the story behind Louis Vuitton’s journey to success. He left his small hometown at 13 years old and set out for Paris. It took him over two years to get there are he worked to earn money and accommodations and then traveled a little farther. Finally making it to Paris and becoming a boxer’s apprentice at age 16. He then opened his own boxing business and then introduced luggage – as they say – the rest is history.

Here is what I love about this. He followed a dream. From that dream he set goals, took action, and created a magnificent legacy. What is most wonderful about the story of Louis Vuitton though, isn’t that he set out to become a famous luggage and handbag designer, but that he followed his dream of going to Paris, and from there found something he was good at and enjoyed and it resulted in a brand with more than a century of history. I believe this occurred because of his passion – that’s what built a legacy that still exists today.

You don’t have to enjoy Louis Vuitton to appreciate his journey and the effort he put into succeeding. There are stories like this from many facets of the world. What I love is when people discover their passion and they pursue it. It creates magic. This story is inspiring because it reminds us that even if we have to walk over 300 miles to achieving what we want, it’s possible.

Anything can be possible with some creativity, imaginative thinking, and the willingness to say “this is what I want” and to then go about doing it!

09.07.18

The Inspiration Trick

What is inspiration to you?

As a songwriter, inspiration is something I’ve spent time studying and learning about. I’ve found that inspiration is one of my favorite things because of what it can do for us as humans. Inspiration motivates us to set GOALS, to reach for goals, to try something NEW, to be our best, INSPIRATION is something we all need.

I find inspiration in nature, travel, art, goals, daydreaming, music, conversations, ideas, really anything can become inspiration and you never know when it will happen! To me, that is so fascinating and exciting! Sometimes alone time can be inspiring – I know that can be the case for me. Or maybe looking at people you admire on instagram is something that inspires you to dream and then set goals.

One source of inspiration that is particularly interesting is how we as people have found inspiration in other people. You can be inspired by someone’s lifestyle, the things they overcame, and the things they achieved. The BEST THING about this kind of inspiration is that it can occasionally masquerade under another name…jealous. But instead of letting that envious feeling take hold, just look at it as inspiration. Don’t let yourself fall into the trap of comparison, or letting yourself think, “well if I had that advantage I could be a _____ too!”. Instead just look at what they achieved and let it inspire you to be the best version of yourself and that you can achieve what they have and even more.

If you can reprogram your mind to see something that you normally would envy as something inspiring you can STOP the comparison cycle. It will help you make the jump to APPRECIATING something that once made you jealous, because you will start to think of yourself achieving something similar. Change your thoughts…CHANGE YOUR LIFE.

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