Archives for March 2016

Dreaming of Crystal Cove

03/29/2016 By Sarah 1 Comment

By now you’ve probably seen photos all over the web of this beautiful tent we constructed on the beach. I’d had this idea for a while now, and wanted to bring my vision to life on the perfect beach. In California, it can be hard to find more wide open beaches surrounded by nature, and more or less void of people. I’d done some research and exploring of the coast, on the hunt for the dreamy location to finally make this shoot happen.

It was after much searching that I remembered the backdrop to one of our campaigns, that pictured a tiny beach in the background beyond the cliff we shot on. I was stoked to find that though it used to be a private beach, it was now open to the public, and few people know about it. Mostly because you have to park across the highway within the El Morrow Canyon park, then walk through the tunnel under the highway to the beach. I always believe in sharing locations with fellow adventure seekers, but I’m sure the locals would appreciate keeping this little gem on the down low, as most their secret beaches have become overrun by tourists! So keep this magical place close to your heart if you visit.

So here is just one of the 4 outfits styled for this shoot, and the photos are so lovely I’ll probably end up with multiple blog posts. I’m trying not to spam everyone on instagram with the photos, of beach tent goodness, but I can’t make any promises! Stay tuned for more soon!

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Lost in Light

03/23/2016 By Sarah 2 Comments

Have you ever had a moment of clarity where you decide that you know what you want to do with your life? I spend a lot, I mean a LOT, of my time taking in imagery and gathering inspiration. This morning I saw a gorgeous photo of a place I never knew existed. It was so beautiful and whimsical I could have only dreamed it, never guessing it could be real. The place is Lençóis Maranhenses National Park in Brazil. Queue your Google searches and prepare to be amazed.

I flat out knew in that moment what I wanted to do in life… I suddenly had the biggest desire to jetset around the world in search of places people hardly know exist. To experience the hidden magic of this earth, and get to share an exclusive first hand look into these mysterious places through beautiful photography and journalling.

I always knew traveling was part of my passion, but it became clear in that moment how I wanted to translate this into something bigger. To tells stories with our adventures and create memorable experiences that inspire. There’s something in the soul of a wanderer, it’s almost inexplainable.

“There is a great moment, when you see, however distant, the goal of your wandering.
The thing which has been living in your imagination suddenly becomes part of the tangible world.
It matters not how many ranges, rivers or parching dusty ways may lie between you;
it is yours now for ever.” – Freya Stark

There is something that happens to the mind and soul when you travel to distant and new places often. I think not seeing new places allows the spirit to become lazy. There is nothing wrong with wanting the comfort of a familiar place, but I know that even when we settle during our travels in one place for a month or more, I start to get more tired. I get bored, and therefore settle into the routine of mundane daily life. When you drop everything and travel, nothing can distract you from the grandeur the world and it’s boundless culture has to offer. It grows you and you get to take a little something away from it and keep it for yourself. I believe we are meant to interact with the world in this way, to sort of be in a relationship with life- and love it, so it can love you right back.

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Laguna Baby

03/21/2016 By Sarah 2 Comments

There are few places I’ve been where the the coast is so colorful that I wonder if I’m dreaming. Laguna with its many beaches made up of tiny coves, blossom with color from flowers to cactus, to blue skies and turquoise waters. It’s a little slice of paradise that I just keep coming back to, eager to explore a different beach every time. I get a feeling of bliss from walking beneath the tall palm trees, and it’s the closet feeling to being on vacation I’ve had in months.

You may wonder how I could say such a thing when I’m constantly traveling from place to place! As much as I’d love for my career as a lifestyle blogger to be one big vacation, it’s one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. I’ve poured every ounce of myself into our beloved blog and business, making a life out of what most deem a hobby. I’ve never ever been one to follow along with what people deem a safe and secure lifestyle. I never “got a normal job” or believed we all had to learn the same things the same way everyone else does. I especially didn’t want to spend all my precious time, either as a child or young adult, working towards a life I didn’t want. So naturally, I took off after my dreams the moment I had the freedom to. And I don’t give up easily when I start down the path towards my dream.

This is how far we’ve come, and the hard work never really stops. Full time travel means you never have a stable life. It’s as simple as that, really. And it’s definitely not for everyone. But I want to stress the fact that I believe EVERYONE should travel, near and far, during their life. In this, one loses their self, and finds who they really are. Outside of influence from people you have spent your whole life around, outside of schoolmates and family who might stunt your growth as an individual by treating you the same throughout your life, and making sure you remember your “obligations, limitations, and proper place” so that you can fit neatly into their box and that of society’s. People constantly discourage you from taking risks or making investments into your future that go outside the norm, from fears based on the ones driven into them, and those before them, and those before them.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that being stagnant kills your spirit.

There are so many people in this world, that you CANNOT fail going after what you want! The illusion of failure is really all that exists. Because if something goes wrong, you learn from it and you keep on going. There is no end in sight when you have the freedom to just… keep… going. Chase that dream as soon as possible, before it becomes too hard to get out of that cookie cutter life.

I’m always so grateful that as a child I was encouraged to chase after my passions. Because of that, I developed my photography skills at the age of 16 when I began that part of my artistic expression. I had also been writing poetry and books, and developing myself as an artist in more ways than one. It was because I got to experiment in my youth that I could discover who I was and what I truly wanted from life. I developed my passions and talents into what became my first job and actual career at 18 years old. It’s safe to say that because of my 10 years of experience and self teaching, I got the jumpstart on anyone who started down the same path later in life.

This is why I SO passionately believe no one should ever stop chasing their dreams, and you should start as soon as you can. Let children and teenagers do what they love, and help them find that. Never let anyone scare you with that concept of failure, we are ALL failing on a daily basis, there’s nothing to be afraid of! If you fall on your ass, laugh at yourself. Even laugh with those laughing at you, but get back up and surprise the hell out of them when you keep on going and actually get somewhere. You really can, us human beings are capable of such amazing things when we free ourselves from our own limitations and those of others, and just GO for it!

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zen and graciousness

03/17/2016 By Sarah 1 Comment

Beauty comes in many shapes and forms. But I’m talking mostly about inner beauty. I think graciousness is an important factor when striving to be someone who stands out from the crowd. It is something that takes lots of practice. You may seem easier to hurt when you’re kind and choose to be gracious, over defensive or offensive. It may be the harder path to take to always remain positive, to not jump to the defensive, to not just simply cuss them out. But it’s the road less taken, and I end up more proud of myself when I can remain light, instead of letting that darkness well up inside me and fall to anger and frustration.

Getting upset is always the easier choice, trust me I know! But oh how much stronger you become when you practice your zen. Literally breathe out the toxic vibes from those people, releasing it and simultaneously forgiving it. It’s not about making them hear you, because they simply won’t. Sometimes you just need to shut them out, and keep shining your light. Nobody wins an unfair game, so just don’t play it.

The first step to inner beauty that shines without is this. But graciousness isn’t just about good manners. It’s compassion, kindness, and courtesy. Never putting yourself above someone else.

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Badwater Basin Film

03/16/2016 By Sarah 1 Comment

I’m so excited to get to release this series and video. It’s not often I get to play fierce model in a location as ethereal as this! Anyone else getting GOT vibes from some of these outfits? #motherofdragons

See the whole series post for outfit details!

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