style - Stevie Jewel

04.08.19

Experiences: You Are Creating Your Life

If life is a painting, a beautiful ceiling-of-the-Sistine-Chapel painting, what gives it color? Experiences.

If you didn’t have all the experiences you’ve had your canvas would just be black and white. You wouldn’t have that bright yellow from the summer you graduated. Or the deep red from the first time you felt love.

Experiences are what color our world.

Which is why everything you do, everywhere you go, and everything you see will add to the depth of your life. Take it in, let it move you. Let it add to the richness of your character. This is why it doesn’t matter if you’re traveling the globe or sitting in a cubicle; it’s your story, it’s your canvas, and it’s your life. No one will see it like you do, feel it like you did, remember it the way you saw it.

This is why comparison WASN’T really a thief of joy at all, the thief of joy is NOT REALIZING your life is being created right here and right now. The comparison NEVER EXISTED, because whoever you were looking at was NEVER LIVING your life, they were never running your race. So don’t let your life pass by because you’re not living the experiences; creating the experiences, that you want.

The next time your mind drifts off, maybe it will be to that garden in Bellagio Italy, or maybe to the first big job you landed, but either way, enjoy it, because all these experiences add up to make your tapestry; your life.

So how can you enjoy your experience more?

Be in the moment – this is a big one. It comes it a lot of forms. But the best way I can sum it up, is to “be” in the moment you’re in. So if you’re eating lunch, don’t play on your phone. Enjoy the food, taste it, think about where it was grown, and how it’s doing so much good for your body.
Try new things! – small steps are the best way to do this step. Start with trying something new at the grocery store, or at a restaurant and move up from there. Then you’ll feel ready to try bigger new things!
Gratitude – this can feel simple and complicated. But it really comes down to start small again. Just be grateful for breathing, and then move up from there. Before you know it you’ll be so grateful for the food you eat, the transportation you have, the roof over your head, your family, your future, and so much more.
Recognize – recognize that your life is being created RIGHT NOW. Everything you eat, everything you do is another page in the book that is your life. SO ENJOY IT!
Action – Everything you are doing is moving you to where you’re going to be next. So if you want that promotion, start working towards being that version of yourself right now. Because only you can create your life.

05.08.18

Restoration Hardware: Brunch Edition

Brunch is such a luxury. So is Restoration Hardware. What do you get when you put them together?! One of the most satisfying, design-rich brunch experience around!

This was actually my second experience at Restoration Hardware Cafe because I just love the whole experience that much! It is SUCH a beautiful space. Thought and consideration has been put into every detail, from the view into the kitchen right down to the apparel of the servers.

Chandeliers are inherently feminine, but mixed with the right metals, fabrics, and materials and suddenly it’s not just feminine it’s a complete aesthetic. I LOVE the design of this entire space because of the way it makes me feel. It’s tranquil and luxurious, and exactly the kind of space you want to spend time in.

The menu has not been neglected in terms of details. It’s highly curated to just a few VERY WELL DONE dishes. Personally I find the scrambled eggs to be decadent and delicious. They incorporate so much more into this dish than simply eggs, and it elevates said eggs from a breakfast staple to an experience.

The tea service is my other favorite aspect besides the design. The tea is casual silver service. It feels like a tea party for one (or two, if your dining partner also likes tea)! I know there are multiple locations of the Restoration Hardware Cafe, is there one in your city? If yes, have you been? Let me know in the comments!

06.08.17

Short and Sweet

I discovered Short and Sweet Bakeshop on instagram because of their highly photographed treats, so naturally while I was in Toronto last weekend, I hunted the location down to sample some sweets for myself.

First off, the little shop on Yonge is adorable, and secondly the staff was super friendly. The treats in the display case looked good, but I was there for the mammoth milkshakes I had been insta-dreaming of since our first digital encounter. I initially ordered the “hot wet canadian summer” milkshake and the “Dr. Strange” ice cream sandwich, and what I think is called a “monster bar”.

Somehow my order got mixed up and I ended up with the milkshake and the bar, but it turned out for the best because that in itself was enough sugar for an entire weekend. I did witness the “Dr. Strange” make an appearance, and I kid you not, it was the size of my face, so I didn’t feel bad about the mix up given the gargantuan size of that ice cream sandwich and that I would have been responsible for eating it.

The milkshake is like a liquid smores; absolutely delicious, and the monster bar is a combination of over 10 different cookies, so for a cookie lover it was heavenly. All in all, I can’t wait to go back for another round of sweet treats!

05.30.17

Brunch So Hard

On Saturday we went to Toronto for a day of food. We decide to do a dessert crawl, and while researching places to try I stumbled onto Brunchfest. It was in a warehouse multipurpose space in downtown Toronto and was put on by Budlight Radler.

Multiple restaurants participated with their most brunch-worthy dishes, and we sampled a few…(read: way more than a few). The whole experience was so fun and a great start to a day in the city, the one drawback I found was the ticketing system that made purchasing the actual food easier, but I also think it overpriced the sample size dishes.

Other than that we had a great time trying several different restaurants at once, enjoying the music, and taking in the multicultural cuisine Toronto has to offer!

05.23.17

Garnier’s New Triple Nutrition

I recently started working with Garnier to talk about their new super fruits super hair collection. At first I wasn’t sure what to expect, obviously I know who Garnier is, but I’d only tried their products a handful of times over my years of haircare.

I loved the samples they sent me as a preview of the new collection, which you can read about here. When this new shampoo they unveiled arrived, I loved the consideration of hair health, not just pretty packaging. However, what the product does and how it performs is more important than anything else. The first thing I loved about the new Triple Nutrition shampoo and conditioner set is the smell! I’ve always loved a really delicious shampoo scent, but it never seems to stay in my hair past the shower, that is not the case with Triple Nutrition. I smell it on my hair and catch the scent when I’m going about my day and it smells fantastic; a combination of fruity goodness with a warm vanilla-esque finish.

The best part is how it makes my hair feel and look, I have long hair with body and this doesn’t weigh it down but it does give it a look of thickness that I love.

I’ve been adding the serum that goes with the line in before I style my hair and it gives my hair quite a bit of shine and adds to the lasting power of the scent. So far I’m really loving partnering with Garnier on this new super fruits collection!

04.25.17

Earthquake – Live

I love, love, love performing live. When I’m up on stage it’s the best feeling in the world. Recently I was able to fly back to Canada for a gig over the Easter weekend and I had such a great time playing with my band. We played my upcoming single Earthquake and it went over so well, which is such a humbling feeling; when the audience loves the music you wrote. Here’s a video of Earthquake, let me know what you think!

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Brunch is such a luxury. So is Restoration Hardware. What do you get when you put them together?! One of the most satisfying, design-rich brunch experience around!

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