Coffee

Coffee

If you know me, you probably know that I am obsessed with coffee. 9/10 of the times someone talks to me, I will probably be holding a nice cup of it. Its amazing. So, I thought id share with you what I think are the best places to get coffee in Michigan, Chicago and New York. Oh, and a place in Ohio. Ohio? I know right. 

1. So, of course one of my favorites is Dunkin Donuts, very generic right? But, its cheap and on my way to school and its very good. I usually get a dunkaccino or a medium iced coffee with unsweetened hazelnut. Try it, you ll never be the same. 

2. I am such a sucker for cute places that go somewhat unrecognized but secretly have the best coffee in the world. I guess their just humble. I want to take this coffee to Vegas and marry it. Not even kidding. This coffee shop is in Plymouth Michigan called the Plymouth Coffee Bean. The inside I think is the coolest part and they have live music on selected dates. I got a caramel macchiato. Usually simple but this was just exquisite. 

3. Uptown Coffee House in Downtown Howell. This place is my go to. Honestly this past week I have been working right next door and I got two coffees a day. A lot of my friends/people who know me work there so I always love to go there. And they know my order, so trust me I am not complaining. They have their signature drink there called the Uptown Mocha which is usually my go to. Its white chocolate and caramel and a whole bunch of yummy goodness. But, recently I have been getting the white chocolate mocha which I like because you can really taste the coffee in it. So so so good. I spend all my money here, its actually starting to become a problem. 

  

4. The wormhole coffee in Chicago is amazing. (Or so I hear) I personally have never been but my cousins who live there highly recommend it. And it looks so cute inside too!! Just look at it, who wouldn't want to sit here with a nice book and nice cup of coffee?

5. I have only been to New York once and had coffee 5 times when I was there. This place isn't a coffee place but rather a cafe type place. To paint this picture in your head imagine a nice warm (but breezy) August day. You're walking down a smelly back street right outside of Times Square. It smells terrible. Got that image? Now imagine seeing old wood french doors and windows open with lace curtains swaying in the breeze. Then it hits you: the sweet smell of honey and espresso fill your nose canceling out the nasty sewer smell. I looked at the sign and it reads, "Saju Bistro". Okay I know I know cheesy right? But this place has the best coffee I have ever had in my life. Also, the best french toast. I cried with every bite. 

So enough I know I am sorry, but please try theses places out, you wont regret it. I PROMISE. 

Xoxo

Anna Wintour

Anna Wintour

Anna Wintour a.k.a one of my biggest fashion icons. Anna is the editor-in-chief of Vogue in which this is the position she's held since 1988. She is also known for her extreme eye for newer fashion trends. She is such a big role model in my life because she inspires young designers and helps them to achieve their goals. I love her and allow her to be a role model in my life because she takes risks in believing in people. When she hires people she says, "I am not sure why, other than their inspiration". She doesn't look at you based on social status or the accomplishments you make but by the way you inspire. She inspires me so much.





One thing I will always know is that I am 16 and she is 66 and she will always, and I mean always be cooler than me. Maybe its the fact that she is always wearing her signature black sunglasses or that she is honestly the most amazing person who walks the earth. Anna was also named the 39th most powerful women in the World by Forbes magazine. I mean talk about girl power!

And lets just take a moment to appreciate her office. This picture is from a video of Vogue's YouTube channel that Anna was featured in and oh my goodness. She is a goddess just look at her.

I could on and on about my biggest idol in the world but I wont... Just remember;
"Wintour is coming".




Xoxo

Writing

Writing

Writing for me as you have read is very beneficail in my life. But, as most writers can relate we sometimes find ourselves in a situation where our minds are completly blank of ideas. (Crazy I know) Along with writing comes a whole lot of creativity, but we all need a little help sometimes so I thought I would help by making a list of my personal top twenty topics to write about!

1. The time you met your best friend

2. Your childhood dream house 

3. The best day of your life

4. Your 8th Birthday

5. Starting with the sentence, "Letters and numbers were all swirling in my mind". 

6. A peaceful place

7. The couch from your first home

8. First love

9. A time you overcame your first fear

10. A TV show that impacted your life

11. A time you first discovered you hated something

12. The first time you felt hatred towards someone

13. A time you felt broken

14. A time you felt utterly happy

15. Starting with the sentence,"Love is not a way of life".

16. A tragic event you make up in your mind

17. About the first ice cream cone you had this summer

18, The first time you discovered your talent.

19. Feeling lonely

20. Using the words put, togetherness, joyous in 3 sentences. 

Chasing Life

Chasing Life

It is summer time so that means its time to binge on a new show on Netflix. I just recently finished Chasing Life. Grab your tissue box because this show takes you on an emotional rollercoaster.

One of my favorite thing about this show is that everything in it is completely unexpected and unpredictable. You don't predict how things will turn out. I also love the title, Chasing Life, because in reality aren't we all? We are chasing our lives around just waiting to get to the end. In the show it is quite ironic because the main character, April Carver, has cancer. Having cancer you go through many emotions. 

1. You give up because you feel as if your life is completely over. 

Then:

2. You live your life to its fullest capacity and what happens well it happens. 

Towards the end of the show April lives. She lives so much that she does everything she's ever wanted to in her entire life. She says, "I don't want to stop living my life, I just need to start living it differently". 

Take risks and life your life because you never know what happens an hour after you are reading this you may receive the worst news or the best news, you just need to live life to the fullest and not just survive. 

This show honestly changed my perspective on how I live my life. I live life to the fullest every day. 

Besides the empty box of tissues that laid next to me after I finished this show I was overwhelmed with so many emotions. This show is about living your best life, loving even when its so hard to, and just having a better perspective throughout your life. 

Sadly the show was canceled after the second season, but it ended perfectly. I like the mystery to it.

Xoxo

Writing

Writing 

Writing as many things in my life, is very beneficial to me and helps me through everything. I wrote this in seventh grade it was extremely important to me and that point in my life so I figured I would share it.

Love

Natalie Cortez

I was in love with the idea of being in love. I was so caught up in myself and him that I lost track of what I was doing and why I was doing it. I've realized over time that love is a strong word. But yet people misuse it everyday not fully understanding the true meaning. Like that boyfriend who told you he loves you but says it to a thousand other girls at the same time. Or your husband of five years but he ends up leaving when you need him most. Love means forever, something that will never break. People are using the word love like your grandmas most fragile plate. It sits in an open cabinet swinging back and forth until it falls and shatters on the floor. But real love is like a bullet proof window. Impossible to break.

You see love is tiding each other through the bad times. When I needed him most he left me. My mother was dying and he gets scared packs up his things and leaves me.

Love is waiting. He didn't wait for me. He got impatient and threw everything away. Including me.

Love is sacrifice. The only sacrifice he made for me was staying with me for that one day that I was fine. But, when I wasn't he was miles away.

Love is giving up fear and finding courage. I had more to be uncourageous of and afraid of but yet he acted more scared because he didn't have enough money to buy a plane ticket to fly away from me.

Love is looking past the flaws. Waking up in the morning with a bun on my head made him angry. He said that I needed to fix my hair. My mom, he thought she was some carry on package that didn't matter.

Love is telling the truth. Tell that to all the other girls that he fell in “love” with.

Love is giving up your old ways of living. Didnt give up anything for me besides him leaving. That was for himself.

Love looks beyond class and status. I was just starting out in life and didn't have a lot of money. To him I was classified as poor and worthless.

Love is believing in each other's dreams. Just like when I wanted to audition for that one show. He said I wasn't good enough.

Love changes you for the better. It seems like he's only gotten worse. I have tried to make him love me but nothing worked.

Love is letting go. That is exactly what I am doing.

Happiness

Finding Happiness

Happiness is key to living the life you want to life. I recently found my happiness in something completely normal yet out of my comfort zone. Without going into to much detail growing up I lived a very normal and scheduled life. Everything was based off of day-to-day activities. Each day was planned out even to the finest detail. I wasn't really living my life, I was just along for the ride. I was only breathing in this gated community with little adventure or life. This was all until recently:

1. Find someone who is there for you no matter what

Growing up I had always somewhat struggled finding a good group of friends. I would find some and then slowly diminish away, it started to become a problem. Freshman year I met my best friend. This word was a sly word in my vocabulary... Used too often but never was really true. When I met her I knew that it was true.

2. Take risks, don't over think everything you do, live with no regrets. Adventuring is now my favorite thing to do. Whether is going to Colorado and hiking up a mountain or going to 7-11 at 11:30 and buying Slurpee's, it will always put a smile on my face and leave me with such a high.

3. Let music lead you through every single question(unless its Kanye)
Music is such a big role in my life. Whether its singing, playing or listening it brings me immense joy. None the matter if you're on stage playing your heart or doing your own cover of Justin Bieber when you're alone on a long drive it makes me insanely happy.

4. Laugh and act like a complete idiot no matter who is watching
I am known for saying the absolute most random things. At times it may be in a wrong situation, but my favorite thing to do is to laugh and make others laugh around me. Life is too short to be stuck up and judge other people for having fun .


5. Laugh at everything
LAUGH. Learning how to realize the beauty in laughter is the best thing I have ever done. Laughing is a sign of happiness and that is what I am getting at here right? Laughing is almost a passion of mine, every time you see me, I am probably laughing. You need to laugh at every single thing like its the funniest thing in the world. My goal when I die is to have a six pack, not because I am fit but because I spent my life in utter happiness because I laughed.


6. Prove people wrong
Going against negative people and being able to prove them wrong is such a liberating feeling. For all those people out there that say you cant do something, you need to show them you can.


7. Break the rules (Legally)
Most of all, have fun. Don't worry about judgment or rules. Sometimes you've got to reach out and not be the prim and proper person you're used to being. It is the best feeling in the world... It feels like you're flying on an ultimate high of happiness.

8. BE HAPPY

Bye Loves,

Natalie Grace

Suede

Suede

Recently going into stores I haven't been able to pick anything up unless it is suede. Suede shoes, suede shirts, skirts, dresses, jackets, purses, you name it, it was on my radar. For those who don't know suede is a type of fabric most commonly used for jackets, shoes, shirts and bags. It is very soft the touch and is originally a tan color but is sometimes died into different colors. As you can already tell from reading this, I am just a tad bit obsessed with the right now. 

Last night I went shopping first at TJ Maxx then to Marshalls. Two very similar stores but I had the most luck at Marshalls. I left with two new suede dresses and am going back tonight to buy a pair of suede shoes... oops... I am scrunching my face while typing this just thinking of how crazy obsessed I am right now. 

Along with the two suede dresses I also bought a simple lace dress with a high neck that buttons in the back. I liked this dress because it was fancy yet not too fancy which was the look I was trying to go for. I forgot to take a picture of this but I hope my description painted one for you. 

My first suede dress made me dance around to the music in the dressing room. It is very comfterable and I fell in love with it. This color is a color I have always tried to be careful with as I have blonde hair and olive skin it could wash me out. It is a darker mustard yellow, usually I hate this color and always avoid it. I think that the cutouts in the dress help take the color away a little bit, but overall, it worked! I absolutely love this dress.

The second suede dress is more of an eggshell color. I love the design of this with the high neckline. There is also a zipper in the back so you can fit your head through comfterably. When I wear this dress I pair it with a short jean jacket and brown half boots with laces. I love this because you can make it casual or dress it up depending on the accessories.