Well, Hello There

New Orleans' rich history made for the perfect setting for season three of AHS, Coven. From Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau to deranged mass murderer Delphine LaLaurie, these figures weren't just characters in a TV show, they were real people who lived out their days in The Big Easy and who left their mark on the city forever. Now, AHS did take a few artistic liberties, for example, Laveau and LaLaurie weren't sworn enemies, in fact, they weren't even alive during the same time period. But AHS also got some things right, in addition to crafting Gris-Gris bags for healing and good luck Marie Laveau really was a hairdresser and Delphine LaLaurie was indeed as dark and sinister as portrayed. If you find yourself in NOLA and want to do some Coven-inspired sight-seeing here are a few stops you won't want to miss.  Marie Laveau's Tomb  Nestled in the famed St. Louis Cemetary No. 1 , you'll need to join a tour group to experience this piece of living history as it...

I was inspired to write this post after seeing a similar article on Buzzfeed a while back. The challenge is simple, have your s/o choose your outfits for one week, take some pics and reflect. My everyday style tends to be pretty business casual and consists of a whole lot of black. I also own an abundance of warm colors like red and orange and have a soft spot for military greens. I used to take a lot of pride in my fashion *lewks* when I was younger but I'd definitely say my everyday style choices have gotten a bit more basic over the years. That being said, I still like to spice it up with an edgy outfit every once and a while. Here are a few pictures to give you an idea of my normal outfit choices (also, sorry for the lack of good outfit pics, looking through my photos I realized I never take full body/outfit shots.... maybe I should have planned for this better 😋). Day 1 - For the first day of the challenge Jake chose a tan v-neck t-shirt, a blue cardigan, and some skin...

It wasn't until I began giving a friend oodles of self-care and wellness tips that I realized I have a lot of knowledge to share. My mental health journey has been in full swing for a few years now and I've tried a lot of different things to see what works best for me. Wellness is different for everyone, but here are a few things I found work especially well for me.  https://bit.ly/2FwkVHx Meditation  The Headspace meditation app has been a literal godsend in my life. Forming a daily meditation practice continues to prove to be difficult, however, when I take the time to commit I can truly feel meditation change my life. Since starting my Headspace journey a little less than a year ago I've learned how to observe my thoughts for what they are and how to live in the moment. I've felt significantly less anxious and I've conquered mental roadblocks I never thought possible.   Fitness Nothing banishes a bad mood like a killer workout. I signed up for a...

“It’s made out of real goat hair,” said Izzy Jaecks. “And this year I added 121 bells.” Huddled around a circular table within the cozy confines of the Riverwest Public House, Jaecks’ colleagues listened attentively. “It totals about 40 pounds, but it’s attached to my body so it’s not a big deal,” said Jaecks. Dark matted-fur, twisted wooden horns and glowing red eyes, the group had been perfecting their costumes for months. The group was preparing for Krampusnacht, the one night of the year that St. Nick’s ghoulish partner has his fun. Good boys and girls will wake up to toys and treats in their stockings while those on the naughty list are met with dread. “Krampus puts a switch in your boot if you’re bad,” said Cast Member Kael Starr. “He either whips you with a switch or throws you in a sack to take you to the underworld where he keeps you in a cage until quite frankly, he’s ready to eat you.”  The story of Krampus isn’t exactly the feel-good tale of Christmas cheer we’re...

B.O. Let's face it, we all have it. On my quest to go cruelty-free I've tried natural deodorants aplenty. Some made my skin get rashy, some made my pits feel like a raging river of sweat and others, well, they just didn't get the job done(if ya know what I mean). So, after failure upon failure, I was beginning to have my doubts about natural deodorants. I thought maybe my pits were just too powerful for my own good. However, that nagging feeling persisted as I reached the end of my stick of Old Spice Amber, I still wanted to go natural. Enter Aromaco. Aromaco is a solid natural deodorant sold by Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics. Hesitant to give into the hype, I asked a sales associate for a sample of this bad boy near the beginning of summer. They paired it with one of their powder deodorants, the Greeench, and promised me my wild pits would remain under control even on the most dreadful of summer days. As a novice Lushie at the time and as someone who felt failed by nat...

Somebody call Lush-a-holics anonymous because ya girl is an addict. Walking into a Lush store is like walking into a gloriously scented Candyland for beauty lovers. Colorful products line the walls as sales associates happily greet you. The workers are quick to strike up a conversation about your cool hat, new tattoo, or your luscious locks and before you know it you feel as if they're your long lost BFF. Deciding what to touch, smell and sample first can be overwhelming because you find yourself literally wanting to see it all. Luckily, the sales associates are there to help, offering product demos and plenty of advice to help you discover which products you want to take home (and if you're nice they'll throw in plenty of samples to sweeten the deal). Almost immediately after entering the store for the first time I had a feeling I'd be hooked. Luckily, Lush is a store I can feel good about supporting because all of their products are made with eth...

The Sound of Music didn't lie, the hills are alive in Salzburg, Austria. Famous for beautiful scenery, high-end shopping and of course, a little someone named Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Salzburg is a destination worthy of anyone's European bucket list. While we only spent two nights in this medieval mountain town, we enjoyed our time dodging rain clouds and exploring the city. Here were some of our favorite experiences. Getreidegasse  Shopping and souvenirs, check. Adorable, totally instagramable streets, check. A big a$$ castle perched atop a massive hill, check. Getreidegasse is a Salzburg hotspot for tourists and locals alike. Get lost exploring the winding cobblestone roads, grab a bite to eat at an outdoor plaza or check out some local history. Composition fans rejoice, Getreidegasse happens to be the birthplace of one of the world's favorite composers, Mozart. Being Mozart's hometown is not a claim to fame that Salzburg takes lightly. If you take a look a...