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A lot of times when we describe someone as “nice,” we are doing so because there isn’t a lot of tangibly positive things to say about them… it’s a sort-of euphemism for “inoffensively boring.” But then there are the girlfriends who are just incredibly nice in the pure sense of the word, and who are there to remind you that life is good, even when you’re at your lowest. Let’s say you’re reeling in the painful few days directly after a breakup. You go to this friend and she is there with compliments about your personality, reminders of all the good that lies ahead of you, and reasonable thoughts on how to deal with loss in your life. Sure, you might not finish the night at four in the morning doing tequila shots off of the cheese-grater abs of the bartender to forget about your pain, but she is there with just the right mix of Gchat smileys and reassuring togetherness that makes you feel like your mother put a Hello Kitty band-aid on your fresh boo boo. She will leave nice comments on your Facebook photos about how you look “lovely!” and be a serene presence at the occasional lunch date where she talks about things she saw on Pinterest and makes you feel like everything is going to be alright. Sometimes, it’s good to have “nice” people around.
The respect you have for this girl is so intricately tied in with the pulsing sense of competition that you are no longer sure which is the one that drives you to hang out with her. Your friendship is a tightly-crocheted blankie of similar career prospects, subtly biting Facebook comments, and a warrior-like sense of “only she is a suitable foe.” And said blankie covers the two of you with the warmth and familiarity that only a reliable competitor can bring. You see that she has just gotten a promotion? You are going to work twice as hard this week at your job. She is dating someone you find attractive? Fire up that OkCupid, because you have some zesty messages to send out to prospects in your area. Sure, it’s a bit unhealthy. And yes, you two would probably be the best of friends if you could only get over your childish game of one-upmanship. But there is something so addictive about your fight for the Iron Throne of Life Success that you are not going to let that usurper and her red magic take over what is rightfully yours.
You two go way back — like, so far back you can remember when you used to play MASH under the glow of a flashlight long after lights-out time at a sleepover and get disproportionally angry when your destiny was determined to be “living in a shack with the ugly boy from art class.” The two of you came of age together, and remained close all the way through the tumultuous years of adolescence into the early 20s. Now your relationship is less like a delicate flower and more like some kind of Cold War-era bunker, ready to withstand literally anything that life will throw at it. You speak mostly in a coded language of inside jokes and references that you have created from your many years together, and it acts as a kind of protective coating to all the changes that you are bound to face. Sure, you might get into an argument here or there, but all it takes is one well-placed “Lol, look at this video” message to erase the damage and remind you that fighting is futile and only the two of you will ever really get each other.
Maybe she isn’t even that much older than you, but she has accrued enough life experience to make the bond feel like some kind of Kung Fu movie where you are learning all she has to teach before she evaporates into the next life in a cloud of cherry blossoms. (Also, my sole reference to Kung Fu is Kung Fu Panda, if that was unclear.) Sometimes you’re 15 and she’s 17 and she’s “gone all the way,” and thus it feels like she holds all of the mystical knowledge of the universe at her sexually experienced fingertips. Sometimes you’re still in school and she’s got a “real job,” so you are constantly trying to pick her brain for the secret code to success that will prevent your life from slipping into a debt-fueled mudslide of unpaid internships. And sometimes she really is a bit older and has gained a wealth of experience you have yet to encounter. In any case, the gifts of her friendship are many, and we must repay her words of wisdom with margaritas.
We all know this girl. And we love her, but we can’t hang out for too long unless we want to end up in the hospital with pneumonia because we got a condom lodged in our lung. But she is wonderful, and must hold a revered place in our lives, lest we ever forget the girl who lives inside all of us who longs to get on a Party Bus and do vodka shots whilst pressing her boobies against the window. That girl must never be forgotten, even as we mature into functional human beings, and it is up to party girlfriend to carry that torch. Her duty is a difficult one, but essential to the balance of the universe.
She is the girlfriend who “gets it.” Perhaps she works with you, and understands all of the condescending slights you deal with on a regular basis as the highly outnumbered women in the workplace. Perhaps she’s delivering all of the most deft social commentary in your shared college class. Perhaps you only know her online, but her ability to understand the nuances of life as a woman is more precious to you than so many of the friends you encounter IRL on a daily basis. Your conversations with her always achieve a level of complexity and consciousness that are so deeply satisfying as to sustain you through the rest of your life which is filled with: mouth-breathers who talk about how they “hate the other bitches at the bar who dress like sluts just to get attention,” catcalls on public transportation, and media which presents about one fully-developed female character who doesn’t center around her love story per century. Shout out to all the girlfriends who “get it,” you are the real heroes.
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-The best and most transformative kind of love, the real, genuine, love-you-so-much-it-hurt-and-changes-me-at-my-core-kind-of-love is a striking bliss mixed with the reality of someone unveiling who you really are– and the realization that some parts may not be pretty. We can get so ugly in so many ways after this happens. This kind of love, the kind that reaches into you and touches you at every level that anything undealt with rises is sometimes painful, sometimes excruciating, sometimes all effed up but always wonderful, undeniable and somehow, beautiful. Don’t destroy yourself over this kind of love, create yourself.
-You can fill yourself with guilt, shame and remorse that you didn’t choose a different path. That you didn’t put your best self forward. That you weren’t better. But it’s pointless, and will deprive you of enjoying today. So choose to love and accept yourself– the good, bad and the ugly. Love yourself the way you want to love someone else, the way you hope they would love you: for all your little quirks and flaws. You do not have to be perfect to be loved. Life does not have to be perfect to be absolutely wonderful– it has not and will never be.
-The future has an ancient heart. Cheryl Strayed once said that in an advice column and it always stuck with me. Your life is no accident. Things don’t come out of nowhere. You will be perplexed but amazed at where life takes you, and in retrospect, all the little twists and turns in the story will make sense. Logic will rarely get you anywhere extraordinary. Love is not logical. Miracles are not logical. Signs and messages and signals are everywhere if you just pay attention. They have been there for all your life, and as the years unfold, you will put the pieces together and see how what preceded prepared you for now.
-You will always be in an equilibrium between doing what you want to now and what will be best for the long term. But you have to learn to live in the grey space sometimes. Learn to use your heart and head in tandem, but always in that order. Sometimes your passions and what brings your income in don’t overlap. That’s okay. Life rarely comes neatly packaged. At some point, you probably won’t know whether to stay or to go– from your job, relationship, home. You won’t be sure whether or not you should give up or keep trying. That’s also okay. You don’t have to know. Life is never clearly black and white, it’s most often a masterpiece of greys that make it dynamic and complex and interesting. You shouldn’t want it any other way. Uncertainty is nothing to run from. It keeps you guessing, trying different things and going down paths you wouldn’t have otherwise. Be patient.
-People are going to dislike you regardless of how beautiful and kind and successful you are. The idea that you will one day reach a point where everybody likes you is absolutely delusional. These people, unfortunately, are being true to themselves by being aware that they don’t like you. A natural part of being human is conflicting tastes and opinions, and sometimes that applies to people. It is their problem if they choose to act on it. It is your problem if you let it affect you. Otherwise, it is nothing. It is noise. It is irrelevant because the negative opinions of others will not affect how the people worth being in your life will feel about you. That is what I’ve found that concerns people most, because we don’t really care what strangers or acquaintances think, they aren’t in our lives that much. It’s the threat of what those opinions can do to what and who is.
-We build our own cages and live within them because we think they will keep us safe. Some of us are internal about it but I think in many ways that safety net is legitimate and physical. I think we see something that threatens our being, confidence, any sense of knowing that we’re okay—and we set up a bar. We know to not go there again. But when we start living within that cage, and decorating its steel bars with pretty little flowers, we’re brainwashed into thinking that it’s the real, free universe. That’s the stuff of breakdowns. We stop building cages and start digging graves. Free yourself from the confines that bind you. Maybe you built steel bars around your heart because you thought they had to be there. You wanted to protect yourself from being hurt so badly again. Take them down. Walk out. This may be physical or it may be metaphorical. But either way, know that there’s nothing worse than not experiencing life for the fear of what it may bring.
-There is no wrong way to live. You can love who you love. No excuses or justifications required. You need not feel guilty or have to explain your choices to anybody if you don’t feel the need to. It is your body and if it leads you to your mistakes, then so be it. They are your lessons to learn, nobody else’s. Your mistakes are yours to make. Your successes and glories are yours to embrace. It is greater to be free and to make mistakes than to be caged and unable to learn and experience for yourself.
-”Tomorrow” will never come. You will always be waiting for tomorrow if you don’t start living for today. You will always be waiting for the next big thing to come: the job, the degree, the partner, the house, the time to travel, the money, I could go on. Once you get into the mindset of perpetually waiting, you’ll also fall into the habit of not being okay with things as they are. Because more likely than not, you will get most of those things, and when they come, you won’t enjoy hem because you will only be looking forward to the next thing. You may want to retaliate with, well, there’s nothing to be happy about now, but you have to learn to make it for yourself. You have to learn to see it. You have to learn to be grateful and gracious and enjoy the very simple things. You cannot expect life to deliver to you what you feel you deserve. Because everybody deserves the best and not everybody gets it handed to them, so many times, you have to go and get it yourself.
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For some in their youth, the full-length Air unit on the Air Pippen one offered an intensely interesting bit of technical innovation through various '90s performance basketball sneakers. Back to satisfy fans of the era and new ones alike, the Air Pippen 1 is set to return in a new retro+ colorway dubbed "Midnight Navy." The shoe is available now at Social Status.
Click here to view full gallery at Hypebeast.com
BEEF Architects designed the interior of an apartment in Bratislava, Slovakia.
Architects:BEEF Architects
Photography: Jakub Dvorak
Swedish sneaker retailer Sneakersnstuff cooked up a special edition of Reebok's now-iconic Kamikaze II Mid silhouette, simply nicknamed the "Polkagris." Celebrating Swedish entrepreneur Amalia Eriksson, who in the 1850's invented the international favorite polkagris candy, the guys from Sneakersnstuff ventured to an authentic Swedish candy maker to draw firsthand influence from polkagris' passed-down recipe. The sneaker itself, a revival of Shawn Kemp's second signature shoe, takes on a traditional red and white color scheme, though is touched with subtle gloss for an authentic marbling effect. Look for the Sneakersnstuff x Reebok Kamikaze II Mid "Polkagris" to release June 26th at Sneakersnstuff retail locations (12pm CET) and on the brand's web shop (3pm CET).
Click here to view full gallery at Hypebeast.com
PAD Studio have designed a house located in the New Forest National Park, United Kingdom.
Description
The replacement dwelling is set within an 18.5 acre plot, located adjacent to ancient woodland and heath, within the New Forest National Park. The massing, form and orientation of the new building has been carefully conceived in order that the proposals minimise the impact on the site and its surroundings. The main dwelling and annexe building both have low rise green roofs.
The buildings are orientated to maximise solar gain and utilise ground source heat pump technology and a log boiler for heating and hot water requirements. Excavated material from the new basement and pool area has been re-used in the earth berming to provide a visual screen to the north and help to reduce the sound impact of the nearby dual carriageway.
The proposals also incorporate rain water harvesting, grey water recycling and a natural swimming pond to further increase biodiversity within the site. The materials used throughout are sustainable, durable and in harmony with the site and its surroundings.
Design: PAD Studio
Young starlet Amandla Stenberg joined Mary-Kate Olsen, Ashley Olsen, and InStyle Editor Ariel Foxman to celebrate the launch of the Elizabeth and James Fall 2013 Handbag Collection at a cocktail party held at Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood on June 19th.
“The Hunger Games” actress attended the event with her friend, Kiernan Shipka (“Mad Men”). The two gal pals also left the event together.
Amandla recently revealed that she will be starring in a new, untitled NBC pilot where she will play a girl named Irene. Irene is an 8th grader that wants to learn to sing although she doesn’t have a great singing voice. She also joined the cast of “Rio 2″ earlier this year.
We are what we buy, or so argues a fascinating new survey from that compares IPhone usage with Blackberries and Androids. According to Atlantic writer Emily Badger, a brand doesn’t simply signify a product; the Apple logo symbolizes a lifestyle and a socioeconomic location. People who both use Apple products are more likely to share a class background than an Apple user and someone with a Cricket phone.
Where I grew up, cellphones weren’t a huge priority. People could barely afford to pay their bills, so ain’t nobody got money for an IPhone. If you had a phone, you were on a smaller carrier — often one with a month-to-month plan. Some still use pay-as-you-go phones.
When I moved from a poor, rural area to a densely populated cityscape, it wasn’t just that all of my friends had phones; they all had IPhones, a brand loyalty signifying a certain class stature. It wasn’t that I’d never seen an IPhone before, but they were a much rarer beast, like spotting a Yeti or Anne Heche in the woods.
However, the graphics show that cities break down in the same way, showing that IPhone users live in wealthy, heavily gentrified neighborhoods and Android users come from lower-income geographies. Badger tracks this by tweet usage, and the Chicago map shows IPhone users tweeting from the North Side and the Loop and along the train lines. They are signified by red dots, where as Android users are green and Blackberry folks are purple. My neighborhood, Edgewater, and those around me are red with IPhone tweets. I still have a Windows Phone, but I am alone amongst my friends. When I see another Windows phone user, it’s like we share a dark secret.
The only outliers on the Chicago map (see above) are Midway and O’Hare, the city’s airports, which are almost entirely red, speckled with hints of green. The IPhone red signifies that one at least has the moderate wealth to be able to afford a flight. I wonder what color the Megabus and Greyhound stations are. When I used to take the Greyhound bus home to Cincinnati to see my mother, I shared the bus with Blackberries, Sidekicks and flip phones along with the smattering of IPhones, the technologies of the recent past intermingling with the present. I would arrive and text my mother to make sure had gotten there on time to meet me, forgetting her Jitterbug doesn’t text.
Today she like many in her community had to shut off her cellphone to cut back during a hard economy that forced lower-income families to ask what expenses were expendable. My mother is no longer represented on these maps. She is the black space to the West of Chicago, where many of our schools are being shut down. Over 50 elementary schools will be shut down this summer, as our mayor works to build a new arena at McCormick Place that he believes will generate revenue for the city. McCormick Place is covered in red.
These maps speak to the ways in which we form communities around technology. The next time you are at a bar, look around you. Watch how people are using their phones. Are you a see of red or do you light up like Christmas? If you can, find your map below and locate yourself. You’ll be surprised what you see when you’re really looking.
New York City:
Washington D.C.:
Los Angeles:
Houston:
Atlanta:
Want to write for Thought Catalog? Email Nico Lang at nico@thoughtcatalog.com.
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There is nothing about Little Debbie Snacks that isn’t nearly religious. The Cosmic Brownies, the Zebra Cakes, the two Orgasm Cookies sandwiched together with a liberal slathering of Hope For Humanity Cream commonly referred to as Oatmeal Cream Pies — it is truly our ambrosia. All of the cakes hold hands in a delicious demonstration of diversity that even the most politically correct college brochure would be ashamed by. You don’t need a favorite, you simply need an open mind and an empty stomach. The Little Debbie world is one of no pain, only sugar and vegetable shortening.
We managed to turn something that was once relatively healthy into something that is breaded and deep fried and rendered palatable to three-year-olds who normally don’t eat anything outside of ketchup and things they find on the floor. We will never be too good for fish sticks.
The second you think you’re too good to go home and have your dad put together a bologna-and-cheese sandwich on white bread with a side of chips, because your mom is not home and the kitchen utensils intimidate him, is the day you need to check your privilege. You are getting too out-of-hand with this whole “I’m an adult who eats real meats” thing, and it’s time you remember from whence you came.
I think we should all take this opportunity to officially thank the mad scientist who decided, on a whim of sexual genius, to insert a hot dog into a luxurious cornbread batter and immediately deep-fry the results. A well-executed corn dog with a nice dip of spicy mustard is the kind of food that some Greek demigod is being brutally punished for against some giant rock for all eternity because he stole that recipe straight off Mount Olympus itself.
Stains the entire lower half of your face red and tastes like running through a sprinkler on the first really hot day of summer. We are simply not worthy.
I’m not even talking to you if you don’t still have a soft spot for Kool-Aid. If one of your favorite activities as a child wasn’t sneaking a little bit of that precious powder from the cupboard, licking your finger, and using that shit as the world’s most low-budget version of Fun Dips, we have nothing in common. You might as well not have even had a childhood.
One of the most inarguably precious things about adulthood is the ability to buy yourself as much sugary cereal as you like, and eating it at whatever time of day your lil heart desires. The fact that you don’t have your mom over your shoulder telling you to put the Captain Crunch back, because it is the middle of the afternoon and you are lucky she lets you eat that colorfully-boxed diabetes as it is, makes every cloying bite all the more satisfying. Enjoying a bowl of Lucky Charms with your Saturday night Netflix marathon is a pleasure that should be denied to no human.
Don’t even worry if they never actually make it to the toaster. That is a level of effort that Pop Tarts were rarely meant to see, and they are just fine at room temperature. Those little pairs of frosted pleasure are not here to judge you for your inability to wait thirty seconds for something to heat up, they know you have a job to get to. (Just remember to never, no matter how stoned you are, put them into the microwave with their wrapper still on. That is the Gods’ just punishment for our folly.)
Capri-Suns literally turn you into liquid metal, and trust me — you are never too good or too old for that joy.
Remember the kid who, upon opening his lunch box at school or on a field trip, proceeded to make every other kid within a two-mile radius searingly jealous because he was in possession of Lunchables, and you were stuck with your pathetic PB&J like a plebe. That kid’s parents really loved him, and cared about him looking cool, and wanted him to have those adorable DIY pizzas and a mini bag of Skittles to chase it down. (God forbid he got one of the XXL Lunchables and opened it next to you. That is a repressed childhood memory I have no intention of revisiting.)
Now, you can be the cool kid at that lunch table any day you damn well please. Enjoy.
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Earlier this year I was listening to a woman speak about her eating disorder. She said that now that her ED was under control, if a stressful life event happened like getting a flat tire she had the wherewithal to call a towing company rather than the suicide hotline. I was like, lady, how do you know my life? I once ran into my house crying because I couldn’t figure out how to start the lawnmower. I approached every event in my life with this kind of “if something goes wrong it must be because I’m a dumb person—NOW PANIC” mindset. That’s the internal monologue of a person with out of control anxiety.
The speaker told me she lifted the story from a popular saying in AA “call 411, not 911.” I researched more of the sayings. They were amazing. Like zen koans your hard-ass grandfather would say. Reading through them helped my anxiety because I realized that my biggest fear was untrue, I wasn’t alone. I wasn’t special in my stupidity and inability to figure out adult things, everyone feels that way at some point. It was real life wisdom from people who’s anxiety was a whole lot worse than mine.
I’ve shunned folk wisdom like this, because it’s often unexamined harmful thinking and I analyze shit to death. We don’t have to throw out the baby with the bathwater, however. Just because something is simple, doesn’t mean it’s not helpful. It’s nice to have a simple truth to repeat to yourself when you’re on edge.
Here are 14 of the most wise ideas I found in my research:
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It’s been awhile since our last architecture & interior design post, but I was back on 1 of my fav sites the Contemporist, and I found another Toronto project – “Beech House”. The house is on Beech Avenue in Toronto’s Beach neighbourhood and exemplifies a simple, modern design by Altius Architecture. Take a look at the photos below to get a better idea of what this house is all about.
Photography by Jonathan Savoie
via Contemporist
Previously: 360 Winnett House
Follow @1LOVETO
Sometimes you get tricked into going to a party because you were convinced that there were going to be, quote, “chill people and good drinks” there. And it’s possible that they are actually chill in some parallel universe, but they clearly reserve their chillness for one another and are not too big on the “let’s integrate the new person into our fold” front. So you basically just hang out by yourself and drink until you are the version of you which bursts into other people’s pretentious conversations and says things like “Ohhhhh myyyyy Godddddd, I totally read books, too, let’s talk about all the big-ass no-picture books we read.” At a certain point, you just resign yourself to the idea that you’ll never see any of these people again, so it’s no big deal if you just force yourself into one of their circles and just kind of wobble back and forth whilst closing your eyes for long periods of time. You’re just having a good time.
You start off sipping a little white wine and talking about how your day was with a couple friends, you end up alternating Bacardi 151 and flat Mountain Dew and crying into your balled-up sweater while muttering incoherently about how you knew you should have taken that Cosmo article about “Blowjobs That Will Make Him Stay Forever” more seriously.
This is for all those big kids earning big kid money and living their life one Paul Smith suit at a time. It’s all about dirty martinis, trying to figure out if anyone has the business card for a high-class escort service, and throwing up an entire jar of olives around 1 AM. The thing about getting Business Drunk is that everything is both available and magically legal, and if you’ve ever gone out with a few people who actually do unimaginable shit like read the Wall Street Journal for fun, you know that they can hold their own at a happy hour. Sometimes you just want to go out with your boring coworkers, loosen up your ties in some Kafka-esque metaphor of removing the noose of capitalism, and pop a reasonable amount of bottles in a vague imitation of Patrick Bateman.
You talk a big game around brunch time about how “IT’S VACATION, FUCK IT, WE’RE GOING ALL THE WAY TIL TOMORROW MORNING.” And for a solid four hours, everything is going well, and the whole world seems like a magical new place with your day-drunk goggles. The snozberries finally taste like snozberries, so to speak. Then, around 5 PM, you attempt to eat a sandwich to replenish your depleted hit points and end up falling asleep in your dinner plate, covered head-to-toe in a second degree sunburn and so bloated that someone has to carry you up to your bed and squirt an entire bottle of aloe vera over your lifeless body.
If there is something more excruciating than listening to someone slur their way through what they earnestly imagine to be a cohesive, thoughtful monologue about socioeconomic issues, I’m not sure what it is. And we have all been this person, at the expense of our friends’ endless patience. It’s that time when you think you can speak foreign languages you’ve only even heard a few times, when you feel you are at your most witty, and when everything you do is the perfect combination of funny and incisive. In reality, you’re mostly just lightly drooling on yourself and staring into the distance for extended periods of time while someone is attempting to talk to you.
There’s that moment where you’re sitting at your computer and you just realized that you managed to polish off that entire bottle of wine by yourself while watching progressively less refined videos on YouTube. You write a comment on Facebook that, in your stupor, you imagine to be incredibly deft and devastatingly witty, and you make yourself laugh a generous belly laugh with your own sense of black humor and comedic timing. You then proceed to talk to yourself a little bit as you clean up the wine you managed to spill on your shirt in your amusement.
It’s that perfect amount of buzzed that strips away every less-than-desirable aspect of your personality and leaves a slightly less green version of The Mask when he’s first hitting on Cameron Diaz. If you give yourself a few winking words of encouragement in the mirror while washing your hands, that’s fine. We’ve all been there, and sometimes you just have to admire your own sex appeal. There is nothing wrong with that.
Before everyone else is even really hitting their stride, you’ve gone from “I need to sit down for a second” to “lying in the fetal position in the corner of the couch as people pile their coats on top of you and you become increasingly unresponsive to the endless stream of friends who attempt to revive you.” You’ve partied yourself into a premature sleepytime, and you know you’ll be waking up with the overall feeling of someone drilling into concrete on both of your temples. But for now, enjoy the nest-like warmth of that coat stack.
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While we usually leave photos of people’s homes to Home & Garden, we thought you’d enjoy a NYTimes report taking a look inside Beastie Boys drummer, Mike D’s newly renovated house located in Brooklyn. Together with his wife, filmmaker Tamra Davis, and their two kids, they left their TriBeCa loft a year and a half ago and moved into the 3200-square-foot house after a six-month renovation period which had a budget of $500,000. As someone who never lived outside of Manhattan, the move wasn’t easy at first says Mike Diamond but was worth it, as now their older son can walk home from school by himself, an experience he himself missed out on as a child. “It was traumatic,” he said. “A very different city.” As to how the couple describe their aesthetic in renovating and decorating: “I think it’s kind of vernacular, sensitive, modern.”
More images below.
pic and info: NYTimes
Where: 667 Lorimer Street. Williamsburg, Brooklyn
What: A bar
Why: At first glance, this place looks like just another hipster nightmare haven in Williamsburg and I guess in some ways it is. But it saves itself from being a complete parody by having legitimately delicious cocktails AND a huge rooftop bar. On balmy summer nights, nothing feels better than sipping jalapeño infused tequila outside and being surrounded by a bunch of people who will never ever make out with you. (Seriously, the babe-watching here is intense. Get ready to stare stealthily and feel inadequate.)
Where: 331 5th Avenue. Park Slope, Brooklyn.
What: A fancy frozen yogurt shop.
Why: I never really go to Park Slope because it’s always full of annoying rich pregnant people but Culture is worth the trek. When I first went here, I thought it was a joke because it said stuff like: “We manufacture fresh and frozen yogurt in house. Our yogurt is made from specially selected live probiotic cultures and the freshest local milk, nothing more.” BLAH, BLAH BLAH, WELCOME TO FOOD FOR WEALTHY PEOPLE, BLAH BLAH BLAH. Then, when I went to order my strawberry-flavored frozen yogurt, the lady at the counter was like, “Okay, but it’ll be a dollar extra because it’s organic.” And I was like, “Can I just have it not organic?” And then she looked at me like I was some kind of monster and said, “No.” Also, all of their toppings are designed by a pastry chef and feature bourgie creations like “crystalized ginger” and something called “wheat germ”. Basically this place was the exact representation of everything I hated about pretentious foodie culture. As I went to eat my first bite, I fully expected it to taste like privilege and live free-floating bacteria but I was wrong. This fro yo was AMAZING. Like, the best I’ve ever had (and I’ve had a lot of fro yo). The texture is so smooth and the taste is so delightful. OMG, I’m obsessed with it. I just went for the first time last week and I’ve already gone back twice. Seriously, you guys need to try it. Its whole vibe is sort of ridiculous but they’ve earned that right since their product is so good.
Where: Starts at Central Park West & 66th Street. Upper West Side.
What: A PARK!
Why: Usually people who live below 14th street have an attitude about coming uptown but trust me when I say that Sheep Meadow is EVERYTHING AND MORE. I spent almost every day here the summer after I graduated college instead of, you know, applying for jobs. It’s an amazing meadow nestled within Central Park and basically you just lay and read a book or hang out with your friends and tan. I’m usually pretty gay and bring a picnic. It’s hard to find places in New York that really feel detached from the hectic rhythms of the city but Sheep Meadow manages to be a bit of an oasis. Bonuses: A man walks around carrying a cooler and will make you a Mojito for seven bucks if you’re of legal drinking age. There’s also a Shake Shack a few blocks away that you can walk to after you’re sufficiently sun-fried and starving.
Where: 33 Main St. DUMBO, Brooklyn. There’s also one in Cobble Hill but zzzzzz.
What: Desserts!
Why: Do you ever go to DUMBO? Do you even know what it is? It’s okay if you don’t. It took me three years of living in New York before I understood that DUMBO was an actual neighborhood with restaurants and shops instead of a barren wasteland underneath a bridge. The first time I went there it was for a book release party at Powerhouse and I was instantly smitten with the cobblestone streets and places like Brooklyn Bridge Park and Galapagos Art Space. One Girl Cookies is a dessert shop that makes the neighborhood even sweeter. It sells this extraordinary treat called a Sicilian Float, which is peach iced tea and two scoops of lemon sorbet. It tastes exactly like summer, it’s soooooo tart and refreshing. I’ve Googled to see if a Sicilian Float is an actual thing or just something made up by the owners of a posh cookie store and unfortunately it’s the latter. No one else sells it. So get your butt to DUMBO ASAP and get it. Then walk around and marvel at a neighborhood that’s only off one subway line and still too expensive for most people to live in.
Where: 194 Avenue A. East Village.
What: A Mexican restaurant with killer margaritas
Why: I’ve lived a few blocks away from El Camion for the past two years and had never gone in because the outside looked bleak and depressing. Finally, my friend was like, “You need to go there because the margaritas are the most delicious and strong thing I’ve ever tasted!” So I went and ordered one margarita at the bar, drank it, and almost fell down. My friend wasn’t kidding. These suckers packed a punch. Anyone on a budget knows that a strong margarita is something to be thankful for. The next time I went, I actually ordered food and was pleasantly surprised by how delicious it was. It’s rare to find a place with awesome margaritas and food. It feels like you’re constantly sacrificing one for the other but at El Camion you can have it all!
Where: 27 Grand Street. Soho.
What: A free swimming pool that’s not filled with someone’s diarrhea
Why: In the summer, us New Yorkers have no choice but to seek refuge from the heat in public pools. Unfortunately, most of the time they’re so over-populated and dripping with germs that you can’t ever really enjoy yourself without worrying that you’ve contracted pink eye. Enter the solution to all of your public pool problems; The James Hotel. Located in Soho, The James’ pool is open to the public and, most importantly, FREE from noon to 5pm! And there’s also a rooftop bar where you can sip cocktails and feel expensive.
Where: Changes every time
What: An insane warehouse party
Why: Rubulad is a long-standing party in New York that’s difficult to describe. For one thing, it changes locations with every party. It used to be held in the same warehouse space on Flushing Avenue in Brooklyn but now it hops around. The last time I went, it was held in an old schoolhouse in Greenpoint and the theme was Rock n’ Roll High School. The interiors were unchanged from when it was an actual school so you would literally be dancing in a classroom with a chalkboard and everything. There is no stereotype to the kind of person who goes to Rubulad. All kinds of people attend these parties with the sole intention of having fun and dancing their ass off. For information on their future events, check their Facebook page.
Where: 990 Washington Avenue. Prospect Heights, Brooklyn.
What: NATURE (sort of)
Why: Unless the humidity is insane, the summer is a great time for strolling and what better place to do that than an actual garden?! My sister is a member here and has brought me many times. I usually dread it because I worry that I’m going to get bored staring at a bunch of flowers but I end up loving it. The mood is super relaxing and romantic. I’ve always wanted to bring a date here because it’s one of the few places in the city where you can actually hear someone talk.
Where: 559 Lorimer Street. Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
What: Gay bar, gay bar!
Why: Metropolitan is a gay dive bar that has somehow become my version of Cheers (Queers?), except that no one actually knows my name here. Still, the mood is laid back, there’s a great outdoor patio, drinks are cheap, and when it’s the weekend, this place is one of the few places you can go to actually dance. If you’re straight and feel like making out with someone, walk a few blocks to Union Pool. There’s always someone to make out with there.
Where: On an island. IDK, you take a ferry to get there.
What: An island where things sometimes happen during the summer
Why: I didn’t get the concept of Governor’s Island. It’s like a semi-abandoned military base that only comes alive during the weekends in the summer? What’s going on here? What IS the East Coast? It’s most famous for its Governor’s Ball, which is a musical festival I’ve never been to but I’ve heard it’s fun. (Also, I think it’s moved to Randall’s Island.) I like to go to Governor’s Island when it has more low-key events. Like this weekend, for example, I’m going there to see my sister in a hula hoop performance?! Obsessed. Sure, why not? To see if there’s anything going on this summer that piques your interest, go here. 
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Singapore-based architects FARM have designed the Wall House.
From the architects
This is a tale of two houses – similar looking, yet independent and coming together to form a coherent whole. The two blocks sit on a sprawling piece of land, belonging respectively to the retired parents and one of their children.
This separation of the house into two blocks, in part a response to the sheer scale of the land, is also a requirement brief given by the clients. Programmatically, it consists of a two-storey block with the main living and master bedroom area, and a single-storey block housing the entertainment areas of the house.
What links these two volumes together is the huge central courtyard at the entrance expressed in an austere geometry of granite floor and wall, an organically shaped oculus and a minimalist planting of six willowy trees. Like a sparse yet artful Chinese landscape painting, this sets the tone for the rest of the spaces.
The landscape design, similar to the house, is also experienced in multiple correlated layers. It takes its inspiration from the philosophy of classical Chinese Garden where views are borrowed through cutouts and vistas, and where sight lines and spaces begin to overlap.
Architects: FARM
Photographer: Bryan van der Beek and Edward Hendricks
naturehumaine have recently completed the conversion of a 1920′s duplex in Montréal, Canada.
Description
The client wanted to utilize the second storey of her 1920s duplex by converting her former rental unit into 3 bedrooms and an office space. While the grey-stone front facade only required minor restorations, the back of the house was transformed completely. An emphasis on transparency creates constant visual and physical connections with the backyard.
A cedar clad volume, containing the master bedroom, punches through the glass exterior wall and cantelivers over the backyard, sheltering the patio below. The wood cladding continues through to the inside, blurring the boundaries between interior and exterior.
Architects: naturehumaine
Photo credit: Adrien Williams
I moved to NYC a few months ago from Chicago and was like, “Whoa, why are there so many hot guys here?” I don’t know why, but there just are. From tall, dark and handsome hotties to the shorties with the booties, attractive people pervade this city. With so many bachelors/bachelorettes, why not shop around? It just makes sense. I swear, when I moved here and joined OKCupid, I probably had 10 first dates in the first month of living here. No joke
Dating, that is. Like, if you’re not going on dates left and right, you’re weird. There’s nothing more reassuring than getting to the restaurant/bar early and telling the host/bartender/whoever that you’re waiting for a first date. They get it. I’m always five minutes early, so when I show up anxious with that first date anticipation, the bartender/host always knows what’s up. “Yeah, that dude’s def here on a first date.” In this city, everyone’s being set up and going on blind dates.
There are inevitably so many crazies here, but it makes for a great anecdote. Not too long ago, I went out with a guy my age who was married. He waited until after the second date to tell me his husband wasn’t doing it for him in the bedroom. Was I surprised? Not really. Because everyone here is a little crazy. Another guy I went out with told me he wasn’t gay but just went on dates with guys. Oh, okay, buddy. Check, please. However, you can then go tell your girlfriends about that guy who was oh so cute but off his rocker.
On any given day. At any given bar. NYC is the one place where people actually are drinking. All day. Everyday. And it’s socially acceptable. Like, yes, leave work early and go get drunk at 4 PM. You do you, honey! Happy hours make for perfect dating environments, because they’re super casual, cheap and instant icebreakers.
And why not do it with that super hot chick you just met? Take her to a café, Central Park, a street festival, local music gig, a museum. Just not Times Square, duh. But seriously, this is NYC. There are so many amazing things to check out, especially in the summertime. Grab a bottle of wine, get to Washington Square Park and meet your cutie there.
For reals, I’ve been on dates where I’ve hit it off with the guy, and we’re walking down the street, maybe even holding hands, and we pass another duo on a date and we all smile at each other. Corny? Sure. But it’s like ESPN or something. When you pass another couple or duo on a date, and they see you on a great date, they feel you and they’ll smile at you. And then you pretend you’re all in love and you forget about your lonely nights at home when you order in Seamless and kill a bottle of wine on your own while watching Mean Girls. Or maybe that’s just me.
Seriously. Sign me the fuck up.
Sure, they’ll break your heart eventually. But they’re sure as hell fun to date. I went on two dates with one who looked like Jason Segel and made stop-motion videos for a living. Heck, it was fun while it lasted.
Let’s be real, we all have our types. Are you into that Asian persuasion? Done. Have a thing for a nice Jewish boy? Yeah, a lot of those. Cute Euro boys? DUH. They’re here, and they’re waiting to go on a date with someone just like you.
If you go on a crappy date, don’t be upset. Because I guarantee you that you’ll have another one set up by the time you’re out of work and done with your spin class. Now go get that honey, hunny!
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It’s summer and that means wedding season. A lot of people bemoan this time of year because of the fact that there is nothing worse than going to a wedding. What with all of the forced family fun and chicken or fish meals and coordinated Electric Sliding.
I, however, love weddings. I genuinely do. Maybe it’s because I actually haven’t been to that many. Maybe that’s because most of my friends are commitment-phobe, unmarriable weirdos, present company included. But I digress. I have always had a great time at the various weddings that I have attended, be they intimate Sunday afternoon affairs, Chicken-dancing, boozy, all-night blowouts or three-day Indian wedding marathons. For those of you whose calendar is filled with upcoming nuptials, here are some personal tips on how to have fun at weddings:
1. Ditch a Date, Go Alone.
So you’ve just been invited to your cousin’s/college roommate’s/co-worker’s wedding and you need to find a date. May I suggest that you simply don’t? Half the stress of weddings is finding a date. Do you ask that guy you’ve been seeing for a couple months? Are you at the “wedding date” point yet in your relationship? Do you drag your girlfriend along to your buddy’s big day, only to get the side eye all night at how much imbibing you choose to partake in? The annoyed eye rolls at how much you do/do not want to dance? Ditch them, I say! Going it alone is the best way to practice the tips that follow. This way you can do what you want, when you want to without worrying about making anyone else happy. And if there is every a time to be selfish, it’s at someone else’s wedding.
2. Bring a Friend.
If you feel you must bring a date, bring a friend. If you’re a woman, bring a girl friend. Or a gay friend. A straight, strictly non-romantic male friend. You will not have to impress this person nor care too much if they will get mad at you if you make an asshole of yourself. The key, however, is to bring a friend who is on the same page as you and also willing to follow the following wedding guest rules.
3. Get dressed up.
When do you get to wear fancy clothes? Never, that’s when. Never, and now, at other people’s weddings. Pretend you’re on Gossip Girl and you’re a spoiled teenaged girl, or on Mad Men and you’re a vacationing ad executive, or The Real Housewives of New Jersey, and you’re a completely illiterate moron, complete with open shoulder slit blouses. Dressing up is fun! Sometimes I pretend I’m on Ally McBeal and dress in ridiculously inappropriate outfits to work. I think I just dated myself, but it doesn’t matter, I’M HAVING FUN.
4. Lie.
This really goes well if you incorporate the dressing up part, too. If you brought that friend as your date, work out some sort of scam. Assume pseudonyms. Introduce yourself as a different name to every new person you meet. Even in front of the people you’ve just met as Sarah. Now you’re Felicia! Keep going. Move, move, move! Don’t slow down. That’s key.
Now, this is harder if you already know people at the wedding. Your grandma is probably going to know that you’re not really a MBA student from DePaul. Or will she? She’s older and her memory isn’t as good. That’s easy. Your sharper, younger brother-in-law will be harder. But more fun! He might think you’ve just had too much to drink or have a brain tumor. Either way, you’ll have a good time, and fuck that guy anyway.
5. Steal.
There is so much stuff at a wedding reception that you can steal. The obvious being booze. Weasel your way behind the bar and grab a bottle or two. Stuff them in your over-sized handbag.
Stock up on the desert table like you’re in line at Old Country Buffet. Ask a waiter for a to-go box. What are they going to say? No? If they say no, start crying. Say it’s for your date who couldn’t come because he has cancer. He had to stay home and couldn’t join you to celebrate Tom and Melinda’s nuptials. And now that he’s so sick, you’re wondering if the two of you will even walk down the aisle yourselves. Should you marry him now, not knowing how much longer he has? That’s romantic, but do you really want to be a young widow? Cry harder. HARDER. Get your to-go boxes and load up on cake.
If you don’t like the bride and groom very much, or if you’re just a huge asshole, snatch up one of their gifts from the gift table. Cards seem like a good idea, but they most likely contain checks, which can be difficult to cash. Go for one of the presents, one that looks like it could have something good like a martini set or one of those fancy pastel colored mixers. Just grab one, walk out, put it in the trunk of your car and go back to dancing inside. Who’s going to notice? No one, that’s who.
Centerpieces are getting stranger and more artsy thanks to the popularity of all of those stupid Do-It-Yourself Wedding and Crazy Bride shows on TV. Eight-foot tall pedestal vase roses? A bowl of goldfish? I challenge you to challenge yourself. STEAL THEM.
6. Flirt.
Weddings are notorious places for flirting. Flirt with the groomsmen. The maid-of-honor. The Father of the Bride. The rabbi. If you’re not single, no one is saying to cheat on your partner. I mean, don’t be an asshole. There’s nothing wrong with keeping your flirt game sharp, however. Remind yourself that you’ve still got it, damn it. If you’re single, hook up with as many single people as possible. Remember: Priests are always single, so they’re fair game in my book.
If you follow these six easy steps, you’re bound to have a pleasant and memorable evening at your next wedding. Don’t take things too far, remain (relatively) ethical and remember to dance like no one is watching, you shooting star, you.
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What’s more American than binge watching stuff! Binge watching is only binging when the show is longer than 30 minutes. If you watch four 20 minute episodes of 30 Rock, that’s sort of like watching a movie. When you BINGE watch something, though, you willingly/against your will spend COUNTLESS HOURS watching a thing and it sucks you into its hole. Binge watching is so bad it’s awesome. Here are 6 annoying problems that always occur when you binge watch.
I used to go to Blockbuster (I know right?) and get the full season of shows and watch them in their entirety. That’s how I fell in love with Sex and the City. We didn’t have HBO in my dorm but we would get the DVDs and down them all with popcorn and cosmos. What is different about binge-watching now, though, is that everything is available online, on our phones, on our iPads and what not. We have unlimited access to stuff, which makes it really easy to just be all, “Yeah, I think I’m going to just stay up and watch just ONE MORE EPISODE/oh shit it’s 7 a.m. and I have to go to work in like an hour hmmmm.” You’ve been up for god knows how many hours, your bed a pit of crumbs and juice boxes.
People often ask me how I finished my dissertation. What did I do? Well, the answer is simple: I watched single every episode of 24! In case you didn’t know, there are 192 episodes of 24 across eight seasons. Each episode is like an hour long, which is like 192 hours. I remember how it all started, too. It was late Sunday night, like 10 p.m. and I was surfing Netflix for something to watch. The system kept recommending me 24 and for months I passed over it before finally giving in that night. I watched one episode and then I was like, well shit what happens next? SEVEN. EPISODES. LATER. I finally fell asleep. But I couldn’t help myself. I got so wrapped up in WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT, so I accidentally/on purpose ended up watching the entire series in basically 1 month. The thing is, once you finish the season, you have to wait forever for them to bring it back. How will you possibly survive and go through the world?
We get so attached to our favorite television shows that when they go off the air, we get so depressed and are ready to just end it ALL if the producers don’t cut it out and bring the show back already. Waiting between seasons is the worst.
When you binge watch a show, your time spent with those characters is so concentrated that the show becomes REALITY for you, it becomes the real (a la Baudrilliard) and you don’t even know how to get through society because you are absolutely convinced that somebody is going to behead you today.
When you let a week go by between shows like you’re supposed to, you don’t notice plot cheap plot devices as easily. But when you consume it all at once, you might start to roll your eyes at the plot development or otherwise you’ll start seeing the faults in the show. And is that what you want, for your favorite shows to be just RUINED?
Binge watching a show is sort of like telling yourself, “Welp, I done already dug myself a hole this deep. Might as well keep on going!” But that’s the WORST because you sort of don’t exist in the world until you’re done. You’re unreachable by phone, Internet, and you put off all your creative projects. It’s kind of masochistic in a way, like you HAVE to finish and you know it’s bad for you but whatever, there’s only three more episodes left anyway.
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Since making its debut in the spring of 2012, Nike Sportswear's Roshe Run has undoubtedly become one of the stars of Nike's ever-growing stable of minimalist footwear. Now, following the release of part 1 of its "Urban Safari" pack - featuring the Air Max Light alongside the mid-top Toki - UK retailer size? has tapped the plush, lightweight silhouette for the second installment of its ACG-inspired collection. Unlike the recently-released tonal "Safari" pack, size?'s take on the Roshe applies the classic pattern only to the upper's leather Swoosh as speckling dots the entirety of the Solarsoft-topped Phylon sole. As with the first release, the "Urban Safari" editions of the Roshe appear in Sand/Hyper Blue-Crimson and Black/Poison Green-Pink colorways. Look for both to be available in-store and online beginning Friday, June 14 for £80 GBP (approximately $124 USD) each.
Click here to view full gallery at Hypebeast.com
ASICS brings us a new edition of the Gel Lyte III, this time in white/yellow/purple. Featuring a leather and mesh composite upper with ASICS' trademark gel-cushioned sole, the shoe is distinguished by its padded split tongue and collar. The OG-inspired version does its ancestors proud with its choice of bright retro colors without overdoing it. The purple and yellow are kept to the outer limits of the shoe to balance the white and grey panels of the upper and heel stabilizer. Look for these kicks when they drop at select ASICS retailers beginning in July, but they are currently available for pre-order over at End Clothing for $115 USD.
Click here to view full gallery at Hypebeast.com
1. You feel compelled to be loyal.
2. You think of ways you will love them more than you think of the ways you hope they will love you.
3. You start compromising on things you thought you wouldn’t.
4. You’re happy when they are, because they are.
5. There is a sense of peace and ease that comes with the thought of them.
6. You feel challenged to be better.
7. You allow yourself to be vulnerable because you feel accepted unconditionally.
8. All of a sudden, you understand why so many people settle down.
9. You have a newfound understanding of and appreciation for your previously detrimental failed attempts at love.
10. Every part of this person enamors you. This is especially true in the beginning.
11. You keep coming back, no matter how hard it gets (and it will get hard).
12. You start counting the miles between you and the days between your birthdays. You remember what they were wearing the day you met them, what they said their favorite color is, and you start accounting for all the other little, beautiful things you’ve picked up about them, all in vivid detail.
13. You want to tell anybody who will listen of your newfound love (you’re not ashamed to be with this person).
14. Being with them is not about the vanity of having a significant other or an elaborate wedding or someone to talk to when you’re lonely. It’s who they are that keeps you.
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1. Even if you feel hatred, keep it to yourself. Don’t hurt other people for any reason.
2. Don’t ever give up on love.
3. Great things will happen. God is good and will bring you blessings beyond what you can even imagine.
4. Nobody else controls you.
5. Make time to cry.
6. Travel while you’re young and able. Don’t worry about the money, just make it work. Experience is far more valuable than money will ever be.
7. There is always tomorrow.
8. Don’t compare! You’ll never be happy with your life. The grass is always greener.
9. If you are embarrassed to be dating someone, you should not be dating them.
10. Do one thing each day that is just for you.
11. The only thing constant is change, so you have to learn to embrace it.
12. Don’t beat yourself up over mistakes.
13. Don’t be a cheapskate.
14. Concern yourself only with what will really matter in the long run.
15. Forgive.
16. Be honest.
17. Communication is essential, especially in making a marriage work for many years.
18. Find your passion and live it.
19. You don’t have to have it all figured out.
20. Most times things will figure themselves out.
21. Choose the right parents.
22. Enjoy your work.
23. Don’t take vitamins. You should get that stuff from the real thing.
24. Do exercise. Just go for a walk, that’s all. It’s important.
25. You will one day realize you spent too much time worrying about nothing.
26. The little things are the only things that matter eventually.
27. Don’t take life so seriously.
28. Love does not break your heart, the other crap that gets in the way does.
29. You will never cease to be amazed at how quickly life passes you.
30. Many things are never as they seem.
31. Learn to adapt.
32. Thank your parents for all they’ve done for you.
33. Take time to mourn what you’ve lost.
34. Have a pet. Life gets lonely sometimes. Pets are reminders of how we’re all living things. I believe they have souls. Some of my pets have been my best friends through the years.
35. I’m not saying you have to practice one religion or another, or not practice one religion or another… I’m just saying that you should figure out what you believe in and live it completely.
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Some days are good, some days are bad, but remember for every good day you’re having, someone else might have just stubbed their toe, spilled coffee on their shirt en route to an interview, or just woke up on the wrong side of the bed, or on the street, or…well let’s not go in a depressed direction thinking about someone waking up on the wrong side of the dumpster and move on to the simple gestures and nice things each of us can do daily.
Smile at people. Maybe it’s a stranger, maybe you’re passing by hundreds of people in rush, or it’s just someone that you’re sharing an elevator with. A genuine smile can make someone’s day. And it’s super easy, unless you have a cheek or mouth disease, then that could make it difficult, but fight through it and smile like you mean it. It goes a long way and each time you smile, it will make you feel good.
Tell someone they look nice today. Maybe they’re wearing an outfit that makes you question everyday fashion, but who cares? Compliments can truly make that persons day. Want to amp it up a bit? Walk past that person (in your office/at a restaurant/etc.) then take a few steps back and say, “Wow, I love that top; so pretty.”
Any phone based customer service is THE WORST. But you know what their job is? THE WORST. Kill them will kindness. Be concise, as helpful as you can, talk in a positive tone; make the conversation a little playful. The majority of the time the problem will be fixed with maybe a little something extra thrown in because out of the hundreds of hateful screaming trash that they deal with daily, you will be a straight up ray of sunshine.
Hold the door open for people. A man holding the door open for women is a timeless courtesy that should always happen. But whether you’re female or male, or if you know the person or not, just simply step back and hold the door open for whomever else is cramming in there with you.
Drink a big glass of ice water first thing when you wake up. I wouldn’t dare tell you to stop drinking coffee or whatever your morning fix is, but when you immediately drink a huge glass of ice water, chug style, it gets your metabolism going and makes you feel fresh. And when you feel fresh, you want to pass that freshness on to others.
Spend ten minutes with your pet. Taking them on a walk is great, but we don’t always have time for that in the morning. What I mean is ten minutes of loving on your pet that gives 24 hours of loving you back. Play with them, hug them, hold them, talk to them and just give them your full attention. You will leave with lovely thoughts of your pet BFF and start your day in a good mood.
Treat waiters with respect. You are not above them in any way (unless you eat sitting on top of a ladder) and if you are a jerk to them you are way below them. Smile, be polite, engage them, but understand they are busy. If you don’t feel like they are giving you proper attention, look around and you’ll probably see that you are one of eight tables they are catering to. Every time you eat out, treat your waiter like they are your kid, or loved one, or JUST A PERSON. Be polite. Be respectful. Be a good example to everyone around you. Oh and here’s a tip: TIP. It’s how they make a living, pay for school, get gas, and so on.
Don’t drive angry. If someone isn’t using their blinker or cuts you off or is just a jerk on the road, who cares? Don’t combat with them. Don’t let it make you mad. Just really, who cares? Smile and wave because that’s the last thing they would want you to do. But don’t let it be any sweat off your back. That’s their problem, not yours.
Don’t let negativity be contagious. It’s all around us, all the time. People love to complain, and let them, just don’t listen to them. One person’s meaningless complaint has nothing to do with you. Be positive. Let that positivity glow on you. Soon, your positive attitude will be contagious, and next thing you know you’re rubbing off on the people who drive you mad daily.
Oh and of course: Wine. Cat Videos.
image – Shutterstock
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On a recent trip out to Los Angeles, friend of Britain's a number of names* Dexter Navy brought with him a few boxes of Billionaire Boys Club in hopes of putting the progressive streetwear line to good use. He didn't need to look far as several Los Angeles personalities put the garb through its paces including Sean Lyles, A$AP Twelvy , A$AP illz, Ian Connor, Taylor/ Tyler Micheal, Rhuigi, Travis Scott, Left Brain, Domo Genesis, Anwar Carrots, Casey Veggies, Sagan Lockhart and Uzi. To see more work from Dexter Navy check out his Tumblr.
Click here to view full gallery at Hypebeast.com
Ewing Athletics, the sneaker brand launched by former Knicks player Patrick Ewing in 1989 is set to release the 2013 Ewing Focus. This latest drop follows closely behind last year's release of the Ewing 33 Hi, which was until that time the first release from Ewing Athletics in 17 years.
The Focus features a nice tall upper crafted from leather and suede with a padded ankle closure and a large ankle strap across the front with the shoes namesake embroidered on top and Ewing's signature on the side. The shoe also features select perforations along the side and toe box and neoprene near the ankles.
Available in both Knicks-inspired orange/blue or red/black color options, the Focus will hit only 33 accounts worldwide when it releases on June 29 for $120, including Wish Atlanta.
Click here to view full gallery at Hypebeast.com
An upcoming Air Max 1 Essential looks a lot like it could easily be dubbed the AM 1 Pigeons (or Un-Pigeons). Although these weren’t designed by Jeff Staple, they look just as eye-catching as if they had been. Sporting a leather and mesh upper, they are slated to drop next month but UK retailer End is already accepting pre-orders.
More images below.
pic and info: End
Craft Design have designed the interior of a contemporary loft space in London, UK.
Designers: Craft Design
Photography: Armando Elias
