Hazel
Warm autumn day
Open November skies
Sunrise whirling with whisking leaves
Captured in your eyes
Author: Nicole DiGiose
Green Bride Guide
An article I wrote for Chilled Magazine.
Green mixologist, Kate Harrison, provides eco-friendly drinks for brides. She planned her own green wedding in 2007 and founded greenbrideguide.com two years later. Her goal is to help couples use their weddings to promote social and environmental change, as well as support the local organic economy.
The inspiration for the guide sparked from Kate’s engagement. She and her husband Barry got engaged in 2007 when they were both in graduate school at the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies.
“We were trying to plan a beautiful budget-friendly event that was in line with our values and beliefs and I thought it was much harder to find the resources we needed than it should have been,” said Kate. “I wrote The Green Bride Guide: How to Plan an Earth-friendly Wedding on Any Budget to help other brides navigate the process.” Kate launched greenbrideguide.com after her book became a best-seller in the wedding planning category. Read More
Ways to Express Yourself
Keep a journal. It’s a great way to let your emotions flow, whether you write about your day, jot down some poetry, or just doodle in it. It’s a place you’re sure to stay true to yourself, as well as a place where you can see how you’ve grown.
Be yourself. Trying to express yourself doesn’t mean acting like a different person. Find something that is you, whether it’s gardening, drawing, or cooking and go deep within it.
Find a place that inspires you. Maybe you like a calm, peaceful place outside where you feel free to let go of the day and think. Maybe you have a colorful room that gets your creativity flowing. Or maybe you like sitting on a bench watching the happenings of a busy place. Wherever it is, lose yourself in it.
Decorate. Having your own room is the perfect place to really make it yours. Bright colors, neutral colors, posters or paintings on the walls. An open room or a room with shelves cluttered with knick-knacks. It’s even better if you have your own house or apartment to really get expressive. Go crazy. It’s yours.
Dress. Your appearance itself can have a lot to do with self expression. Be comfortable in the way you do your hair and wear your clothes. This is you.
Music. You can play it, sing it, or listen to it. There’s nothing like a good song to let out how you’re feeling. There are songs for any kind of emotion.
Art. Draw, paint, sew, mess around with clay. Create something from your mind. There’s nothing else like it.
The History of the White Russian
An article I wrote for Chilled Magazine.
Made with vodka, coffee liqueur, cream, and served over ice in an Old-Fashioned glass, the White Russian is a sweet and simple cocktail enjoyed by people who drink often and those who rarely do.
The White Russian was originally a variation of another vodka drink that first became known in the late 1940s as the Black Russian. It became a White Russian with the addition of cream. Neither drink originated in Russia, but both are named due to vodka being the primary component. It is said that the Black Russian originated in Brussels, Belgium.
Its potency and smooth flavor was most likely the cause of the White Russian’s quick rise to popularity, along with the fact that it’s easy to make. It was a top pick for both alcoholics and beginners in the 1970s, but fizzed out with the rest of the disco fads. Years later, the cocktail regained popularity in the 1998 film, The Big Lebowski by being a favorite of the movie’s protagonist, Jeffrey “The Dude” Lebowski, played by Jeff Bridges. America’s restored appreciation for coffee may also be bringing the White Russian back into style.
Mirrors
Shells for Friends
I doodled on some shells I collected at the beach for my friends. These two are my favorites.
How I Spent the Youngest Days of My Life
My life is still unraveling, but here are the little things that once made my big world go round. Read More
Things to Never Forget
Author Unknown
I cut this out of a local paper a few months ago and kept it on my desk so that I’d be reminded of the important things. This is something worth reading.
1. Never laugh at anyone’s dreams.
2. Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt, but it’s the only way to live life completely.
3. Don’t judge people by their relatives.
4. Remember that everyone you meet is afraid of something, loves something, and has lost something.
5. Remember the three Rs:
Respect for self,
Respect for others,
Responsibility for your actions.
6. Don’t overlook life’s small joys while searching for big ones.
7. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.
8. Be the first to fight for a just cause.
9. Remember that no time is wasted that makes two or more people better friends.
10. Never say anything uncomplimentary about another person’s dog.
11. Don’t think expensive equipment will make up for lack of talent or practice.
12. Memorize your favorite love poem.
13. Do the right thing, regardless of what others think.
14. Judge people from where they stand, not from where you stand.
15. Life will sometimes give you a magical moment. Savor it.
16. Don’t confuse comfort with happiness or wealth with success.
17. Be the first to forgive.
18. Spend some time alone.
19. Be an original. If that means being a little eccentric, so be it.
20. Open your arms to change, but don’t let go of your values.
21. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
22. When you say “I Love You”, mean it.
23. Watch your attitude. It’s the first thing people notice about you.
24. Remember that the more you know, the less you fear.
25. Be humble & polite, but don’t let people push you around.
26. Don’t let weeds grow around your dreams.
27. Remember that how you say something is just as important as what you say.
28. Read between the lines.
29. Don’t think you can fill an emptiness in your heart with money.
30. Remember that the shortest way to travel anywhere is to have good company with you.
31. Take criticism and praise with equal grace.
32. Remember that what’s right isn’t always popular & what’s popular isn’t always right.
33. Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
34. Never risk what you can’t afford to lose.
35. Remember that ignorance is expensive.
36. Learn the rules, then break some.
37. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.
38. Don’t confuse foolishness with bravery and kindness with weakness.
39. Life is too short. Eat more pancakes than ricecakes.
40. Follow your own star.
41. Remember the ones you love.
42. Follow your dreams.
When I Was A Kid In The Summer
Buzz of the pool, barbeque’s glossy air
Swaying beneath painted skies
Drops of chlorine slipping from the ends of my hair
Splattering around prune-like toes, mixing with the popsicle raining down my sticky wrists
Family and neighbors laughing with food in their mouths
Dog’s eyes scurrying up the table
Chicken lathered in sauce, bread stuffed with meat, butter melting into corn on styrofoam plates, sheltered under umbrella
Brothers and cousins chasing me up the slide as I snatch the first firefly, only to release it to the first twinkling star
Tips To Make A Bad Day Good
Exercise. This always works for me. Go for a run, ride your bike, do yoga, walk your dog. Endorphins can reverse a bad mood in no time!
Go to sleep early. It’s true that things usually get better in the morning. It’s a fresh start for a new day.
Talk to somebody you’re close with. Vent to someone who understands you for some comfort and good advice. Getting negative thoughts off your chest will help clear your mind.
Do something for someone else just because you can. This will automatically make you feel better about yourself. It’s magical.
Make a happy list. Remind yourself of everything that makes you smile. There’s nothing like triggering positive memories or goals you know you can reach.
Get fresh air. Sometimes all you need is a step outside to breathe and collect your thoughts.
Change up your look. Buy some new clothes or style your hair differently. When you look good, you feel good.
Snuggle with your significant other. Being reminded that you are loved and cared for will brighten up any lousy mood.
Nicole DiGiose 