Lake George, NY

Living in Upstate, New York there are so many beautiful places that are just a short drive away to see. For me, one of those places is Lake George. Being so close to here makes it one of my favorite places in the whole world. The mountains that line the lake, the crystal water and the steam boats that float along, not to mention the village thats lined with quaint shops and restaurants.

One of the restaurants, Christie’s On The Lake, I hold dear to my heart due to the fact that the building used to be my dad’s summer home and attached was my Grandfather’s restaurant. But the family history isn’t the only reason I love it there so much.

My friends and I love making there drive to go there. We go swimming in the lake, kayaking shop in the village and make some new memories every time we visit.

My most recent trip, we drove up to the top of Prospect Mountain, yes drove, it was too hot of a day to hike. From this view you can see most of the lake and where the steam boats, as well as other boats are docked. A view I highly recommend seeing if one decides to visit.

From there we went down to the village. Before we could do any shopping we stopped at Pizza Jerks and had the best pizza one can find in Lake George. When it was finally time to shop we went in all the usual shops making some spur of the moment purchases, while also stopping along the way to capture the lakes beauty.

After going in every place we could we hopped back into the car and drove down the lake to Bolton Landing, another town along Lake George. This town also holds a cute little village with shops and restaurants to go into.

We struck gold at an antique store finding some Polaroid cameras that were good as new for only $25 (film not included). And after we shopped around for a bit we made a stop at on of my favorite places on the lake: The Sagamore Resort. Even though I have never stayed at this resort I usually will just walk around when I visit Lake George simply because it has one of the best views around. And someday, maybe, it would be my dream wedding spot.

We couldn’t stay long however because a storm was rolling in, but that also meant it was a great photo opportunity so I couldn’t leave without snapping a few pictures.

So, before the storm got too bad we headed home but it was a day well spent, as always when we go. If you live in Upstate and haven’t gone, well, shame on you and fix that. If you aren’t from the area I still say the trip is worth it, because it will be one you never forget.

Light painting

So for a while now I’ve wanted to try out using sparklers to “paint” in pictures. Yes, this might sound crazy but it’s a real thing. All you need is a tripod, sparklers, lighter and a DSLR camera or you could find an app that slows down your shutter speed on your phone.

I waited until it was dark out so that the sparklers would have a really good glow. Making sure your camera is on the right settings is very important as well. On mine I had an ISO of 100, f-stop of 5.6 and kept it on the bulb setting so I could keep the shutter open long even to capture all the writing.

Once the camera was all set up it took a minute or so to get the hang of writing with the sparklers and making sure I didn’t go outside the frame, but after that it was a blast.

At first I started writing the words backwards but then realized I could always write them normal for me and flip them on an app later, (I used Afterlight).

Here are some of the results:

I really recommend anyone trying this!! It was a lot of fun and seeing the results were so worth it!

Until next time,

Saratoga hot air balloon and craft festival

This past weekend I experienced something incredible. On Saturday morning I woke up to my alarm set at 4 a.m. grabbed my camera and drove up to Saratoga County Fairgrounds for the hot air balloon and craft festival.

The balloons were set to take off with the sunrise and the view did not disappoint. Over 20 different colored and patterned balloons filled up and were let up into the air. By the time they had all gone up an hour had passed. It was a very quick process so I was on my toes the whole time trying to capture some cool pictures and I’m very happy with the results. I would love to go to another one of these events again and I recommend you all do the same. Yeah, I was tired the rest of the day for being up that early but it was soo worth it.

Check it out for yourself:

        

Saturday mornings mean Farmers’ market

Every Saturday morning in Troy, NY local farmers put up their stands and sell their goods to locals who come out to enjoy some fresh air and fresh goods. Not only can you look around at all the stands but all the local businesses are open as well.

Some of my purchases this week included a fresh pressed lemonade, a delicious seared tuna and avocado salad from The Illium Cafe, a new air plant at The Botanic Studio and a rug for my new apartment at Funcycled.

I love going to the Farmers’ Market because the purchases you make can help give back to your local community and also contribute to the local economy. Even if you don’t make any purchases, it is still a fun time and a chance to see new things and get out of the house. So if you have one by where you live I encourage you to go!

Summer Lovin’ (in May)

So it’s that time of the year again that I can breathe easy. I have finished my sophomore year of college at NU. Finals week was filled with stress and sleepless nights as well as endless days in the library. Now that I am back home in Troy, half unpacked, I patiently (and frantically) await my grades to be posted online.

I have already begun unwinding and sleeping in late to catch up on my sleep. This will be short lived however until I begin my new waitressing job. This will be new to me so let’s hope I don’t mess up.

Besides this new job I have many adventures planned for this summer. Living in upstate New York there are so many beautiful places to go that are just a short drive away. Drives up to Lake George to go swimming, sight seeing or just shopping in the village will be a regular trip. Visiting Saratoga to not only bet on some horses but also get some delicious food and stop at one of my favorite shops, Saratoga Sundress. Another event in Saratoga I will be looking forward to all be the Hot Air Balloon Festival.

Of course my birthday is in July, two days before our country’s birthday (July 2nd for those of you who couldn’t figure that out) so I am always looking forward to that. I am especially looking forward to that week because I will FINALLY be seeing one of my favorite singers, Kenny Chesney in Canandaigua, NY!!!!

Of course there will be many more spontaneous trips with my friends to water falls, hikes up mountains, and just simply laying by our pools.

And lastly I will be VERY busy getting prepared to move into my new apartment for next semester. My Pinterest board is growing by the minute so I have lots of crafts to get started on.

I will keep you posted on all these things throughout the summer, yes I realize it’s only may but with this 80 degree weather it sure feels like it, so stay tuned!

Stress less & conquer finals week!

Well it’s that time of the year again. The end of the semester is approaching and that means papers to write, presentations to create and finals to study for. It may seem like you have a lot on your plate but take a deep breath, you can do this!

These next couple of weeks there are some things you need to keep in mind.

Step one: be organized. Make a to do list and number what needs to be done first so everything can be handed in on time and you leave enough time to complete all your assignments.

Step two: give yourself a break. While this may seem crazy because there is so much to do you need to give your brain a rest at some point or you really will go crazy. Make yourself a cup of tea, rub on your favorite face mask and relax for a while.

Step three: set some goals. Give yourself a little motivation to get all your work done. Tell yourself if you work really hard on all your papers and study for all your final exams you can buy yourself those new pair of shoes that you’ve been eying.

And lastly: HANG IN THERE! You can do this and shortly you will be able to take a sigh of relief.

Earth Day!

Happy Earth Day folks, I hope today of all days you’re treating our lovely plant with care — even though we should be thinking this way everyday. However if you think your life is too busy to help save the planet here are five very simple ways to help reduce your own carbon footprint:

1. Recycle. Don’t throw your water bottles and empty boxes in with all your other garbage, separate them into their separate bins so the materials can be reused, this will take you five minutes, tops.

2. Turn off that leaky faucet. Whether it’s in your home or in a public restroom, if someone left the water dripping turn the faucet all the way so the water stops completely. Just by doing this thousands of gallons of water could be saved each year.

3. Invest in reusable shopping bags. Usually found in any store these days for around $1 each, buy a few and they’ll last years while helping reduce the use of plastic and keeping them out of landfills and the environment. Once you have them, don’t forget them at home!!

4. Cut up the six-pack rings around your Coca-Cola cans. You know the things I mean, even if you throw them in the garbage they can end up floating around and have been known to harm animals in the ocean and on land. So take 20 seconds out of your day and snip them with your scissors.

5. Lastly, shut off the lights when you’re not in that room. Try to save as much electricity as possible and this is the simplest way to start.

Creator’s Remorse

rəˈmôrs/

noun

deep regret or guilt for a wrong committed.

All writers are taught that anything and everything they publish but be read over with a fine tooth comb and should be fact checked over and over again. Having to retract a story and publicly say you are wrong can destroy your credibility. Once that is ruined it can take a very long time to recover. To avoid this happening, check your facts, do the extra work to make sure you’re using the correct information.

However, if you do find yourself having published a story that is now in the public world and has false information or something that is insulting to a group of people, you need to make a formal apology and admit to your mistakes. It can happen to anyone, we are only human, but let it be a lesson to learn from so it does not happen again. Rather than keep making the mistake focus on building up your credibility again. Don’t worry it is possible to recover if you take the right steps in making all things well.

 

The blog with a funny name

A few weeks back I discussed Lauren Conrad’s blog, one which I am very fond of. Another blog I love to visit, which is a similar lifestyle blog is goop, yes that’s the name, goop. Started by another celebrity, this blog is curated by none other than Gwyneth Paltrow. The actress/singer/author/mother launched the website in 2008 and with her fame there obviously was no problem having reading find the content. What started as just a weekly email to subscribers has turned into this popular sites that anyone can go to.

On goop you can “shop”, “go”, “be”, “do”, “see”, “make”, “get” as well as browse city guides and recipes.

The reason I love this blog so much is because the majority of the articles are focused on making the readers feel better about themselves. The recipes are mainly healthy dishes if you’re looking to diet, in addition to recipes there are exercises and detoxes. If you are looking to have a more adventurous life there are thousands of suggestions on where to go. If you want to try a new look for you or your home, look no further than shopping right on the website. You can find new music to listen to, movies to watch, books to read and so on.

According to goop:

We know who we are; our words and actions are aligned; and we take a curious, unbiased, open-minded, and service-centric approach to the work we do. We test the waters so that you don’t have to. We will never recommend something that we don’t love, and think worthy of your wallets and your time. We value your trust above all things.

In addition to reading all the wonderful stories on the website you can follow goop on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, Spotify and of course sign up for their email subscriptions so you know when new articles are posted.

I highly recommend this blog to anyone but beware, you can spend a whole day, maybe week straight on this site!

The perks of writing

Throughout my entire education I have always been horrible at tests and good at writing. Whenever I was assigned a writing assignment I found it as a way to express my opinion and I knew I wouldn’t be criticized about it because that’s what my teacher wanted. Taking tests its all about memorization but with writing you’re allowed to show some creativity with word choice and the different styles you use.

I think one reason why I like writing so much is because growing up I also loved to read and those two go hand in hand. Writers have created whole different worlds for their readers and that’s one of the coolest jobs I think someone could have.

Writing can be a hobby for people, a profession, a creative outlet, or a way to cope with stress. When people have lots going on in their life they are usually suggested to write a letter, not necessarily send it to anyone, but just as a way to clear their heads.

Whenever you listen to a song think of that as a story the artist wrote. All the lyrics were cleverly placed together to make sense and can make the listeners feel different emotions. Movies are the same way, someone wrote the storyline and script and then it turns into a movie. So even if you think you don’t like writing or reading and like music and movies you wouldn’t be able to enjoy any of it without the writer.

Everyone at some point is a writer. Whether it’s the tweets you post on your Twitter or the caption on your Instagram picture, you are using words to express yourself and that, is writing.