Once again, life has gotten in the way and it’s been WAAY too long since I have taken the time to sit down and work on any new posts for you guys. Since taking a bit of an unannounced hiatus, I have finished up my first year of university and moved back home with my parents. I am currently in the process of looking for a new job, but hopefully with summer here I can set aside some time every week to brainstorm and get creative again. It’s been a hard couple of months for me mentally and emotionally, but I intend to stay positive and turn my life right side up again. Thanks for all of your support, readers; the humans behind these text posts really appreciate you for still sticking around.
You’ll definitely begin to start seeing more activity on Freckhled and hopefully see some more expansion as well. As always, please let me know if you have any post suggestions, comments, questions, concerns, what ever! I love hearing feedback from my readers! Also, if you are interested in becoming a contributor for Freckhled, please contact me and shoot me an email with an example of your past work! I’m sending so much love out to the universe, tonight. Thank you so much, readers. It’s good to be back.
Hey folks!! I’m really sorry I haven’t posted anything in a while, my life has been super busy with college work and stuff, but I figured I’d put up a playlist with some great songs that I’ve been listening to recently for you lovely people to check out.
At the beginning of this year I decided I’d set myself a few informal new year’s resolutions for the first time in my life. Most of them were pretty standard things like – eat healthier, don’t leave deadlines to the last minute and blog more frequently. Needless to say it’s now March and I have pretty much failed all of them. But that doesn’t matter because there’s still one pretty big resolution I’m trying to stick to, and that’s SAY YES MORE OFTEN. I know this probably sounds pretty straightforward (“it’s only 3 letters – how hard can it be?”), but for a massive over-thinker like me this was a pretty big deal 🙂 However, I have to admit doing this has been one of the best decisions I have made this year! In the space of a few months I have made so many great memories and met so many likeminded and positive people. I even managed to get tickets for me and a friend to see Radiohead later in May which should be really awesome and is something that I would’ve never done before. I guess what I’m trying to say is that you’d be surprised at just how many amazing opportunities will open up by simply saying yes every once in a while.
All of the songs on this playlist have either been recommended to me by friends or are new bands which I have discovered so far this year. These vary from acoustic stuff to indie-style remixes (as well as a really great remix from Radiohead’s last LP in preparation for the new album!!). There should be something for everyone and I really hope you like it! If you have any songs, bands or pretty much anything you’d like me to check out let me know in the comments or on my Tumblr (I love hearing from you guys!).
After being more than halfway done with my first year at university, I have learned a lot of things (both good and bad) that I don’t think I could have learned from any other experience. Here’s a list of the things they don’t tell you about college.
Distance is hard. Even though I made a post about Long-Distance Friendships a little while ago, I’ve learned that no matter how hard you try to speak to someone once a day, let alone once a week, people get busy. It’s possible that this lack of communication can put a strain on your relationships, as it has in my life, but in other cases distance doesn’t change a thing. All I can say is try to set aside a few minutes every few days to shoot your friends a gratitude text, or even a phone call if you get the chance. Growing apart from your friends who are your family is devastating, but just remember that these things happen for a reason. Make peace with the situation.
Odds are, you’re really not goingto run out of money for food. No matter how much you worry about your budget, whether you have food money set aside on your Student I.D. or if you pay for food by yourself, you probably won’t run out of money. I’ve spent the past two semesters stressing and trying to do math on how much I should spend on food each day, and I always have change to spare. On a more serious note, if you run into the situation where you choose to spend your last $1.50 on a load of laundry instead of a bowl of microwavable ramen, there are many things you can do in order to get out of the situation. I recommend doing research for local food banks (1,2), getting a part-time job at a restaurant (odds are they’ll give you discounted or even free food), and asking around at fast food places if they have any food they need to get rid of. I know Jimmy Johns sells the loaves of bread that they don’t use for .50 cents. Many places throw away a lot of food daily simply because it’s passed the “expiration” date. I assure you, none of this food is expired, but they simply need to date the food in order to keep their product fresh.
It’s okay to take some time for yourself. As someone who has two jobs, goes to school full-time, and has a boyfriend they see everyday, it’s easy to forget to set aside some alone time in order to gather your thoughts and reflect on your life. I can’t reiterate enough that although you may be young and active, you still need to rest. This past month I over-extended myself so much that I got sick for about 5 weeks. If I had taken a few days off my crazy schedule to sleep, I probably would have gotten better in a few days. I didn’t, and ended up getting worse and prolonging the sickness. Please, please take some time out of your day to do something for yourself. Whether it’s watching Netflix, reading a book, meditating, writing a blog post (lol), or even taking a nap, DO IT. You will feel so much better, I promise.
No matter how selfish it seems, it’s okay to cut out negative people from your life. This has been a concept that I have always been very torn over. After having many friendships with people who are constantly negative, it’s very easy to be effected by that bad energy. I have always been easily influenced by my surrounding environment, and as an Empath, it’s common for me to feel what everyone around me is feeling. If you notice that you are being negatively influenced by other people’s attitudes, say something. Communication is key is every situation and confrontation, and if you very cautiously bring up how you feel to your friend, they could possibly change their mindset. Remember, don’t cut anyone off without any reasons, and always be mindful of other people’s feelings. If you see that your friend’s negativity hasn’t changed, it’s more than okay to eliminate that damaging energy from your life.
You get lonely. Even though I go to a school that has over 15,000 students, it’s common to get lonely sometimes. The first month of school was brutal, but I found a lot of comfort in my roommates and classmates. A few tips I can give you is to just set aside any shyness or insecurities you may have, and try to make new friends. Odds are, everyone is just as lonely as you are. Talking to the person next to you in line when you’re waiting for that extra large vanilla latte makes a huge difference, trust me.
It’s easy to forget to call your mom. Sometimes life gets really busy, and it’s understandable, but remembering to give your mom or dad a call when you have a minute is super appreciated. They miss you a lot, and hearing from you will probably brighten their day. They did make you, after all.
Eating healthy is a lot more manageable than you think. Although its super easy to be tempted to eat a bags of chips instead of that cup of mixed fruit, always choose the healthier choice. Not only will you feel more energetic as the day goes by, but your body will be grateful for the healthy choice. It’s a lot easier than you think to modify meals at restaurants to be healthier than your average meal! For example, my university has a Panda Express (for those of you who aren’t familiar with Panda, it’s a fast food Chinese restaurant), and I always get a bowl with steamed white rice, steamed mixed veggies, and teriyaki chicken without the sauce! Opting for the healthier options is life-changing, believe me!
You will have problems with your roommate. This is almost impossible to avoid, and it’s your choice whether or not to confront roommates about things that are bothering you. I suggest that if you have any problems with your roommates-even things as simple as them using your belongings without your permission (which is NOT okay)- make sure to say something. Once again, communication is key. Bring up the problem in a neutral way, not jumping to accusations. After something is said, it probably won’t happen again. I am super lucky to say my 2 roommates and I have never fought, and although I am very close to one roommate, we sometimes bump heads with our other roommate.
You’re on your own, and that’s okay. As someone who lives on campus which is located about a half hour from my mother’s home, I thought I would still be going home all the time to eat homemade dinners and do laundry. Truth is, after getting over the initial month or two of homesickness, I don’t visit home very often. I feel terrible about it, but it’s easy to get super busy and not have the time. Embrace the independence, it’s truly a chance for you to explore yourself away from the people you’ve spent your entire life with.
Over the past year, I have learned a lot about how I live without my cats and own room, and I think the experience has been great. I realized that although there were many things I wasn’t prepared to handle, like going to the doctors by myself, it’s all easy to figure out. I’ve learned to love my own company, and I hope that all of my readers feel the same about themselves. Spending some time by yourself is great, and I think college really gave me the opportunity to become a more independent person. Keep an eye out for my next post about taking risks. Thank you so much for reading, I hope you all enjoyed. Feel free to comment about any of the things you learned in college! Best of luck.
Valentine’s day is slowly drawing near, a time where we tell the people we love just how much they mean to us (As if, somehow, you’re not supposed to do that all year round). Every couple wants the special day to be perfect; chocolates and a fancy meal are usually a safe bet. But why not mix things up a little bit this year. Here are a few of my picks that are sure to make your valentine’s day something to be remembered:
Gifts: Subscription Boxes
When it comes to a cute valentine’s day gift, subscription boxes really are the gift that keeps giving (If you get what I’m saying 🙂 ). As such I’ve done some trawling through the internet and found some really interesting subscription boxes that’ll deliver something special to your door every month.
http://vinylmeplease.com/ – For the retro lover in your life, Vinyl Me Please is one of the most interesting subscription boxes I’ve come across. Each month they personally pick out and send you a limited edition record – which is pretty awesome! Normally I’m quite picky with my music and wouldn’t really trust someone who I didn’t know picking music for me. However, if you look at the vinyl’s that have previously been on offer it’s safe to say the people have great taste. You can either sign up for a regular delivery or arrange a gift subscription which enables the person to have a few random Vinyls, as well as select a Vinyl from their pretty expansive collection. If you love music, then you should totally look into this!
https://www.trytheworld.com/ – This subscription box is a real must have for foodies of all shapes and sizes and offers you and your loved one a chance to explore the various foods and cultures from around the world. Every 2 months they send you a box containing various ingredients and goodies from a particular country for you to try in the comfort of your own home. This is great, as they are often foods that very rare or obscure and quite hard to find on their own. It also comes with a fun little booklet telling you more about each country and the culture, with facts, information about popular songs and films to check out.
https://thecravory.com/ – For the people who have more of a sweet tooth, The Cravory is well worth looking into. Every month, depending on which subscription you pick, they send you a variety of delicious cookies to your door for you and your partner to chow down on. These would be absolutely perfect for when you both just want to chill together and can’t be bothered to cook anything. They’ve got a really cool selection of flavours so I’m sure there’s something for everyone.
One of the staples of valentine’s day is the inevitable romantic movie night. So I figured I’d throw in a few more unconventional suggestions that should (hopefully) be a nice change to your standard Rom Com with the huge celebrity cast for you lot to watch.
Her
Simply summing up what makes Spike Jones’ “Her” so utterly incredible is rather difficult, it has great cinematography, the script is genius, and the performances are fantastic. But, that isn’t why I love it, it just makes me feel so emotionally attached. Joaquin Phoenix plays a shy, reserved man who falls in love with his Siri-like operating system (played by Scarlet Johansson) and through their love begins to come out his shell. Now, a man falling in love with his phone may sound a bit weird, however it really works! Their relationship just seems so genuine and authentic as if we are watching a long distance relationship from one perspective.
Scott Pilgrim Vs The World
Not only is this film probably in my top 15 favourite films ever made, it’s also a perfect date night film if you and your significant other are slightly nerdy or pop-culture obsessed. Based on the awesome books by Brian O’Malley, Michael Cera (who’s just so loveable) plays Scott Pilgrim a bassist in a band who falls in love with a girl called Ramona flowers. However, all is not as it seems and Scott has to fight his way through Ramona’s “7 evil exes” in order to win her affection. Packed full of hilarious gags and obscure references; if you haven’t seen this film yet you totally should!
Juno
Juno is one of those incredibly rare feel good films that never gets old and pretty much invented the Indie-comedy genre. Ellen Page plays Juno, a smart and sarcastic teenager, who all of a sudden finds herself pregnant. Following the reveal, she faces a lot of trials and tribulations as she decides whether to put the baby up for adoption, or look after it with the father (Michael Cera – who just seems to have a knack at these types of comedies). The film is absolutely heart-warming, witty and just generally hilarious.
The Lobster
The Lobster was one of my favourite Indie films of last year and is absolutely perfect for the kind of person who’s a bit cynical of the whole dating thing. This is the first English Language film by Yorgos Lanthimos and is a wonderfully unique dark comedy. In a strange alternate future, Colin Farrell plays a man who has recently become single and is forced to go to a hotel where if you don’t fall in love in 45 days you get turned into an animal and released into the wilderness. This film offers an incredibly unusual take on the dating world and is probably the strangest film on the list but is well worth a watch if you’re into artier comedies or independent films.
So, there we have it! Those are my tips for switching up your valentine’s day. I’ve also attached a playlist full of interesting songs exploring the theme of love in some way or another (I hope you enjoy them!!). Thank you so much for reading, whatever you do this weekend I hope you have an absolutely incredible time. If you have anything you want me to look at or post about in the future let me know in the comments and I’ll see what I can do!
Hi there, guys! Here’s a small update of what’s been going on in my life recently. This past month I got a job at a restaurant called Flower Child and have been working like crazy in order to help open the new location.
I have also been in touch with many people in hopes of getting some co-writers and contributors for this blog! If any of you are interested, please email me at stephy11000@hotmail.com, with your name, what subjects you’d like to write about, and a short piece/essay/blog post that you have written in the past (optional but appreciated!) I look forward to hearing from all of you!
I will be updating again soon, and my next post will be about Fall & Winter fashion trends for 2015 so stay tuned! Sorry again for not posting as much as I would like, but I have many different posts outlined and in the works. Happy Fall. Thanks for everything. xx
As some of you may know, I just started college about two months ago, and saying goodbye to a few of my closest friends who were going to college out of town was bittersweet. I was excited for my best friends who were leaving Phoenix, because it’s all I’ve dreamed of for the past 5 years, but I was also going to miss them infinitely. So this is a post of how I’ve been coping being away from some of my friends, and a few strategies we have come up with to stay in contact even with our busy schedules.
Ashlyn, one of my best friends, a contributor for this blog, and probably the most influential person I got to meet my senior year of high school, just started college at Seattle Pacific University. With Seattle U being my first choice of college (and not being able to attend due to financial reasons), I was both extremely happy and devastated to see Ash go. I know that’s the perfect place for her, and I’m lucky because I’m able to live vicariously through the pictures, Snapchats, and videos she sends me- which is totally awesome. Last week I was scrolling through a Buzzfeed article on apps to use when you’re in a long-distance relationship, and I found this app called Sesame, which sends themed, hand-crafted gift boxes to your loved ones. I thought sending Ash one would be a nice little surprise, so I sent her a small house plant that came packaged with the plant, a small glass bowl, some pebbles, and a little spray bottle. The package was sent to her in 3 days, and I’m super happy to say that she really liked it, and immediately sent me pictures of it as soon as she opened it. Care packages are definitely something I will be sending more of, especially hand-picked ones. My next post is also going to be about how to put them together and some cute ideas to include, so stay tuned!
A picture of the note I wrote for Ashlyn’s package
The items included in the gift
If you wanted to buy someone a Sesame gift, use this free $10 code!
Another one of my best friends, Brianne, and the one that I spend the most time with, moved up to Northern Arizona University, which is a two hour drive. In my Last Weekend of Summer post, I had mentioned that my friend Sarah and I had driven up to pick up Bri in the middle of the night. I’ve been lucky enough to still see her at least once a week, with her coming back to Phoenix on the weekends, and our last minute decisions to go pick her up, but that doesn’t stop us from calling each other on the phone at least twice a day (which may seem a little excessive, but trust me, we have a lot to catch up on). Bri and I are constantly in touch, either through tagging each other in some of posts from our favorite art Instagram, IMessage, or calling each other while we walk from class to class and even when we eat. We are incessantly updating each other on the situations we get ourselves into, like spilling our coffee on ourselves, running into cute boys and girls, and asking for advice on whether or not food is still safe to eat. Obviously it’s still not the same as being together at all times, but it’s definitely the best alternative to when we can’t see each other in person.
In conclusion the best advice I can give to you about a long-distance friendship is to simply let your friend know when they are on your mind. For example when you hear a song they might like, watch your favorite movie, or see something funny/cute/silly. Small reminders that you still think and care about them are easy to send, and definitely means a lot to the person on the receiving end. Care packages, letters (pen pal style), scheduling a time to FaceTime or Skype, texting, talking on the phone, and Snapchatting are a few things you can do with your friends when you don’t see them for weeks at a time. We are lucky enough to live in a society where the internet and social media are extremely advanced, and we should definitely take advantage of the technology we have to stay in touch with friends that we otherwise wouldn’t be able to talk to. I hope you and your friends are doing well and still keeping in touch. Thanks for reading. xx
I write this while I eat the last of what’s left of my Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, with a raging headache and operating on only 12 hours of sleep for the past 4 nights. This past weekend was the end to one of my favorite seasons, Summer. In honor of this, Phoenix hosted it’s second annual Summer Ends Music Festival, which ran 4 days this year: Thursday through Sunday. I only bought a daily pass for Thursday with Cold War Kids, Brandon Flowers (the lead singer of The Killers), and Hozier.
This was my second year attending Summer Ends, and it grew tremendously in size to say the least. I made a last minute decision to skip my only class on Thursday, frankly because it was 105 degrees and I was too hot to walk to the opposite side of campus. I met up with my friend Nick before the festival doors opened at 3, and waited an hour and a half for the doors to open at 4:30. We were one of the first people there, so we got an awesome spot in the shade while everyone else stood out under the sun in the sweltering heat. Once the gates opened, it was every man for themselves as people shoved each other out of the way and sprinted to the barricade. In the midst of all the commotion, I lost my favorite necklace, a chakra balancing crystal, which I bought only a few months ago in a market in the heart of Mexico City. Because of this I was a little bummed, but Nick and I had made it to the front of the barricade so it was worth it. The sets were amazing, and I was singing along at the top of my lungs and dancing nonstop. Brandon Flowers put on probably the best set, (I had already seen the great Hozier at Coachella so I wasn’t as excited) and he played a couple Killer’s songs that the crowd went crazy over. I experienced “Mr. Brightside” performed live, and with the entire crowd singing along and absolutely loosing their cool, it was the highlight of my life. By the end of the night I was starving, covered in sweat and tears, and was absolutely exhausted. Nick and I were planning to go to IHOP when I got a call from our friend asking me to drive with her to Flagstaff (a town that’s a little over 2 hours away) to pick up our best friend from Northern Arizona University for the weekend. Of course I said yes, and after dropping Nick off (he has a curfew), Sarah and I were on a road trip by midnight. The drive was nice, and we listened to some killer party jams and talked the entire way. We got there at about 2:30 AM, and our friend, Brianne, was more than happy to see the both of us. We then stopped at Denny’s (which is in my opinion not as good as IHOP but we had to make do) but we had some delicious nachos, sriracha burger, and hash browns, and started our trip back home at around 3:30 in the morning. We made it back into Phoenix at 6 AM, and I had an 8:30 class so I went back to my dorm to shower and get ready.
Nick & I at Summer Ends//photo by Phoenix New Times
Cold War Kids at Summer Ends
Brandon Flowers at Summer Ends
Me, Sarah, & Brianne at Denny’s
Out of focus photo from the backseat
It’s safe to say that I tried to go to bed pretty early on Friday after I finished up with all of my classes for the day, but couldn’t sleep because my roommate had a lot of people over. Saturday morning I woke up and did all of my homework, and that night I went and had dinner with Brianne at Phoenix Public Market, one of my favorite restaurants in Central Phoenix. After that we grabbed a coffee at Lux Central, and once there we got a call from a friend that they wanted to go to a frat party at ASU and meet up with Sarah, so we reluctantly agreed mostly because we wanted to make sure everyone would get home safely. Surprisingly enough they let us in the party, with me rocking some pretty clutch, vintage mom jeans and felt completely out of place surrounded by blonds in high heels and mini skirts. We left pretty quickly, and went to spend the night at Nick’s with a few other friends. We watched “The Adventures of Sharkboy & Lavagirl” whose special effects, acting, and cinematography thoroughly offended me, and we fell asleep at around 4 AM after I played a little round of karaoke by myself. I dropped Brianne off at her house at 10 in the morning on Sunday, and that night I ended the weekend with another concert. Nick had gotten us tickets to see The Lighthouse and The Whaler, so we spent the night listening to some phenomenal music with a not-so-phenomenal opening local band, and went our separate ways after trying to catch a glimpse of the blood moon, but sadly we missed it.
The Lighthouse and The Whaler at The Rebel Lounge in Phoenix
It’s a bitter sweet ending, but was by far the best way I could’ve possibly concluded my summer, and I’m so happy I got to share it with people I love. Thanks for reading about my adventure; I hope your last weekend of Summer was just as swell as mine. Happy Autumn xx
P.s. Sorry for the crap quality of my photos, I was having too much fun to snap some real gems!
A few days ago I got the opportunity to be photographed by an old friend who I have recently lost touch with. I was more than willing to accept the invitation, and the shoot was so much fun. My friend, Unofficialmi, loves candid photos, so we spent the entire night walking around Central Phoenix, swapping our goals and dreams, and just hanging out. Most of these pictures are indeed candid, except for the few where i am looking at the camera. Keep an eye out for some more collaborations, because we definitely will be working together again soon. Don’t forget to follow my friend on instagram or like his page on facebook! I hope you enjoy! xx
Hi there everyone! I just wanted to write a quick post about what’s been going on in my life recently, and mostly what I’ve been up to that’s been keeping me from writing as much as i’d like. First off, I attended the first weekend of Coachella a few weeks ago, and that was SUPER RAD. I have so many pictures to come, and once I get some of my film developed I will be able to scan those and post them here! (so keep an eye out for those) Secondly, over this past month I have been to California 3 times (Indio, LA, and San Fran) and two of those times have been because I have been touring Universities to see which one I will be attending in the fall. I just saw Matt and Kim this past week and will be seeing the gorgeous Lana Del Rey for a second time in about 2 weeks. I’ve been super busy with school, finals, and AP tests that I’ve hardly had enough time to sleep, but I promise once the summer comes I will be updating much more frequently. I have a lot of things to post so once May ends I will be posting like crazy.
In the meantime I will post this month’s playlist, which like always I will be updating daily, so I hope you enjoy! Don’t forget to follow me on twitter and soundcloud to stay updated with my life- @stephylove13! Thank you! xx
Hi Everyone! Sorry it’s been so long since my last post, but my life has been so crazy between work, school, and stress over colleges I hardly have any time for myself. Anywho, I did get around to finally finishing my video on my trip to San Diego, California with my best friend from last summer! Set to the song “This is the Life” by one of my favorite bands, Two Door Cinema Club, the video is compiled of short, and frankly, messy, clips that I managed to salvage from the little footage that I have! I tried to be as creative as I could, and I hope you enjoy! Please leave any comments down below and don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel to see some more of my videos! Thank you! xx
Freckhled 