What it means to be a hipster.

I'm particularly influenced to write this because of a short blurb I read today on 

Gawker.com: What a hipster isn't.

Basically yelp.com has a feature where people can identify if a bar has too many hipsters. And the problem with that, of course, is that if there are too many hipsters, you'll obviously be surrounded by the most pretentious people you've ever met.

Right?

What is with us and our obsession with creating names or yes, I'm gonna say it, labels for people that we think dress, eat, or act a certain way?

The comment in Gawker made it a point to mention how ridiculous it is to apply the term to every skinny guy wearing thick glasses. Ok, true, but that's neither here nor there. Why apply the term to anyone? Some of the most amazing people I know are considered in one way or another to be a "hipster." 

Like any group of people, you're going to find the few that embrace the label and go out of their way to act out the actions of the stereotype, which makes it harder to not label them in the first place. But come on. 

The urban dictionary definition of a hipster is really " a state of mind,it is also often intertwined with distinct fashion sensibilities. Hipsters reject the culturally-ignorant attitudes of mainstream consumers" is that really such a bad thing? 

I know this, I love to read about fashion, but sometimes the photos of thinner than life models make me feel fat, when I'm far from it. And sometimes I feel like I won't truly be cool unless I own whatever type of bag is being advertised not-so-subtly as the Spring 2011 trend. 

I won't pretend that I don't follow fashion, I find it endlessly intriguing, especially it's psychological effects, but I wear what I like, whether it's "in" or not. 

Maybe it's not such a bad idea to be a little "hipster" and stop letting other opinions affect our own. Some people are really good at this from the get-go, but me, not so much. It takes practice. 

It takes being insulted, coming home and crying about it, but then going out wearing the same thing anyway because YOU like it. 

I guess it's kind of fitting that the ones doing the labeling, the "anti-hipsters", are the people who are  judging these bars. The hipsters probably don't really care and will continue to go where they like anyway.

Hello. I am Me.

I can't be anyone else, because I've never known otherwise. Yes, I have my flaws, well I'm human in that sense. We all say or do stupid things to try and impress the people that we are impressed by. It's a game for some people, schmoozing their way to the top just to feel . . . what? Important? Maybe.


I'm not the smartest girl, but I'm proud of what I know. I'm proud that I read at least one article about the world a day, and I'm proud that I remember most of the books I read in high school. I don't know everything, but there are some things I know a lot about. I might be ditzy, but some people would say that makes me fun. 


I'm not the prettiest girl, but I love how I look. I love how my eyes are huge and that they are blue and match most of my favorite clothes. I love that I can wear my hair long and look romantic, or wear it short and look sophisticated. I love my legs, which are thin at the calf but attached to strong thighs from dance and soccer. 


I may not have the best singing voice, but I love that i can carry a tune. I love that I LOVE to sing and that music can calm and relax me or bring energy into my veins. 


I may not be a fashion expert, but I love that I know how to look put together. I love making outfits and getting complimented on them, but I really love giving advice to other people and helping them make outfits and helping them get complimented. It feels really good when someone notices that you look nice, because you tried so hard to look nice. It's not fake to give a compliment, it's just recognizing that someone took some time on their appearance and they care about themselves.


Some people may have a distaste for my personality, but you can't please everyone and you meet a lot of people in life. When the majority of these people think you're awesome, a lot of them will think you're annoying. But distaste sometimes comes from jealousy, something I try to overcome, because jealously is a wasted emotion. Instead of wishing you were someone else, or could be like someone else, try improving yourself into your own best friend. Drop jealously when you feel it and realize that the person you're jealous of most likely doesn't know it and isn't trying to make you feel that way, they are just living their life and not caring, something we should all strive to do.


I'm like everyone around me. On most days, I love who I am, but on some days I'm disappointed in myself. Sometimes this can feel like I don't really like me, but it's just a result of negative feelings running rampant. 


I listen to a fun or cheesy song to make myself feel better. Or sometimes I treat myself to dessert since i usually pass it up. 


Let's try to banish the "I'm so fat," talk because that doesn't make us feel better, and it makes  the people around us think we are self-absorbed. I do it all the time, and it's just not a nice thing to say to the body that grew up with me and the body that takes me to work, and class. This is the body that allows me to dance when I want to, to jump, to sing. This is the only body I'll ever have, so I better get used to it. I can improve it, but it will always have the same build. In my life I will gain weight, and I will lose weight. I will be pregnant, and then I won't again. I will get old. I will get wrinkles. But aging is inevitable and there are ways to stay beautiful when our youth isn't our primary aspect of ourselves anymore. 


I am Me. You are you. And I think it's really amazing how different we all are, but that we can  find things about ourselves that are almost identical.


I believe in telling people when they influence you. I believe a compliment is genuine if you really just want it to make someone feel good about themselves. And I believe that most people are too preoccupied in what's going on in their own lives than to criticize what you do in yours. 


I love fashion, but the clothes in my closet cost money. And money is something I am not in an abundance of. So I shop my closet. And I try to create with what I've got. 


I've realized that maybe we really would all be better off making the same amount of money, or not using money at all. We should care about the well fare of all people. Maybe the native american tribes had it right. Or maybe it's human nature to want more and more. I know I find myself wanting more sometimes, and I don't like it. I don't want to be that way. 


You need to be grateful of what you have before you can really appreciate anything more you might achieve. 

Trend Alert: Animal Jewelry

I recently got this little guy with a gift card @ GiltGroup, but there are tons of options when searching for the perfect animal piece for your jewelry box. 

I particularly like this crystal owl ring

and 

this snake fashion necklace.

So as you see, there are plenty of ways we can show admiration for animals without slaughtering them for their fur, leather or ivory. <3

Facebook Causes: Autism Speaks . . . a birthday wish.

So I spent my lovely snow day drinking an endless cup of coffee, shoveling my car out of a mountain of snow and . ..  creating My Birthday Cause.



I joined the causes application on Facebook about a year or so ago, and occasionally poked around to locate new and interesting charities, but this morning I received an email telling me I could create a fund for the cause of my choice and ask people to donate to it instead of receiving birthday gifts. 


First of all let me praise this amazing idea. We should always be trying to contribute to humanitarian efforts, but on our birthday, the anniversary of our LIFE, we SHOULD be thinking about others as well. 


I am so lucky to have been born without any disorders or disabilities, but also I believe I was born with several gifts. I only realized my gift of working with children in recent years, but I would never go back to being ignorant about it. When I graduated college, I promised myself I wouldn't get caught working for some corporation day after day without making some kind of difference in this world. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do, but I discovered Autism. I say that I discovered it, because really, that is what happened. It's scary to think how little I really knew about the disorder before I started working with these amazing kids. 


It makes me realize though, how little most people know about Autism. For something that affects SO MANY people know little to nothing about the disorder itself. 


So please, if you have nothing to give, that is fine, but just take the time to visit this website: Autism Speaks, and read the passage that I wrote on my birthday wish. 

Want to own a piece of Jack Johnson?

How about Avril Lavigne, Anna Nalick or Bryan Adams? 

All of these artists, plus several more participate in one of the coolest charities I've ever heard of. Wear Your Music (wearyourmusic.org) is an organization which use recycled guitar strings to make collectible bracelets you can use to make any outfit a bit more hipper. The guitar strings donated by specific artists are pricier, but the entire proceeds of the purchase go to charity. All of the artist designs are silver plated guitarstrings. The fashion bracelets, which are much cheaper ($9.99) come in an array of different colors and can be customized with sterling silver charms that have the option of being stamped with an initial. A percentage of the proceeds goes to charity with the purchase of a fashion bracelet. This is such a cool, creative way to give back, and when people ask about your awesome new bracelet you have something to talk about as well.

Officially obsessed with: TOM Shoes

TOMs have been around since about 2006, yet I just recently heard about them through co-workers this past summer. I bought my first pair of red canvas classics in November which quietly started my love affair with the shoes. Now I own a second pair in navy (Love is the new black colorways) and have a pair of black glitters on the way. 

It is not just the trendy style of the shoe itself that grabs my attention. TOM's "One for one," mission is a beautiful idea in which for every pair of shoes you buy, the company donates a second pair to a child who is without shoes. 

TOMs are available for purchase at their official store, but also at high end department stores such as Bloomingdales, Nordstrom and Bergdorf Goodman's where you can score a pair that was made exclusively for that store. 

I've found they make amazing gifts because are trendy, yet versatile, plus it's pretty cool to say that your gift is helping out some cool kids having a rough time.

Sweet little bag.

I am in love with this pretty birdy bag. And this is coming from someone who doesn't particularly like the actual animals. However, I do tend to buy a lot of jewelry and accessories showcasing birds. I suppose I agree with the basic symbolism despite my fear of them attacking my hair on a windy city day.

Although I usually opt for leather bags, I've been becoming increasingly aware of more eco-friendly materials and looking for more hipster-esque items to add to my wardrobe.