Sunday, December 8, 2013

My First Vegan Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!! You're probably wondering, what the heck does a vegan eat on Thanksgiving? Weeeeeeell, since you asked, I chowed down on a Tofurkey roast, mashed potatoes (using almond milk and vegan butter) and gravy, mushroom risotto, apple butternut squash soup, balsamic brussels sprouts and raw pumpkin pie brownies for dessert. It was probably my favorite Thanksgiving feast yet. The Tofurkey roast was so surprisingly tasty, that my family began eating it and threw half their turkey in the canal behind our house.


A few days after Thanksgiving I received shout outs on Instagram from my favorite viners, Brittany Furlan and Simone Shepard!





My work is being exhibited in a restaurant (owned by two gay men) the third week of December and than my brother and I embark on a road trip to Arizona a day or two after Christmas! Eeeeek!

Tune of the day to get in the holiday spirit:
 

Sunday, November 3, 2013

Witches, Cute Guys and Art

Hi everyone!

For those of you who aren't familiar with Elliott, he's a strongman, strength coach, author, speaker, philosopher and badass. You can find him on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, etc.. He provides the most genuine, thought-out advice to struggling people who write into him. Basically, he's a sexy 21st century Socrates.

His videos give me confidence, motivation, inspiration, and encouragement to show more compassion towards others.

I finally came around to drawing him and I posted the drawing to my FB art page this evening. Shortly after I saw this...

 

If this man couldn't get any cuter, he's shipping me a free tank top and wristband as a thank you!!

 
Speaking of YouTuber's, here's a drawing I did for Mark Miller and Ethan Hethcote. Their love gives me hope.

 
Is anyone here tuning into American Horror Story Coven on Wednesday nights?? I didn't watch the first two seasons, but hot damn, this season is blowing my mind. The show takes place in New Orleans and revolves around the lives of several Salem descendants, who reside in  Miss Robichaux's Academy, after discovering their dark powers. It's a pretty intense show.
 
 
"Madison is a cold stoned bitch. She likes alcohol, big dicks and trouble. If she's dead, she probably died because she gave the grim reaper a hand job or something." -Queenie haha
 
 
I HAD to visit the Academy for Exceptional Young Ladies when I was in N'awlins!
 
As if this post wasn't scatter brained enough, I had to throw this video in here too!
 



Friday, October 25, 2013

I WENT VEGAN

Besides coming out, making this blog and pursuing art in college; going vegan is one of the best choices I've ever made. I'm finding so much happiness through healthy, vibrant foods. I feel so much cleaner and ALIVE!

My brother left his juicer at the house before he left to go travel Central America, so I've taken FULL advantage of it. It's my new favorite hobby!! I love going to the local farmers market every week and stocking up on all sorts of delicious fruits and veggies. It brings me so much joy! I juice every morning, followed by a cup of green tea with matcha and they give me such a jolt of energy. But not the jittery energy that coffee and energy drinks gave me, this is brain fuel. I feel so focused and charged. You guys gotta try it.

FARMERS MARKET HAULS

What I bought at my first visit to the Farmers Market!
 
About 2/3 of what I buy now :)

JUICES!

My go-to ingredients that I typically juice









 

DESSERTS!


 
Giant Raw Reece's Cups

FullyRaw carrot cupcakes with orange vanilla cream frosting. Attempt #1

Attempt #2
 
Attempt #3 (I juiced a beet and added it to the frosting!)
 
Here's the recipe!
 
I'll start posting pictures and recipes of entrees I've been making as well!! For now, check out this Vegan Tortilla Casserole recipe!

 
 (Recipes to all the chocolate desserts I made: http://www.thisrawsomeveganlife.com/)
 


Saturday, October 12, 2013

Social Media Shoutouts!

Remember the drawings I posted a few posts back? I got a SHOUTOUT!!!

Look at all dem likes

The night Kristina reposted my drawing on her Instagram was one of the best moments of my life. Of course no one was there to witness it. My parents were already asleep so I jumped up and down in my room and then ran outside and started screaming. And then I started crying I was so happy. haha

She started following me back too! I woke up the next morning and my jaw literally dropped when I had 500 new followers and several commission inquiries!

I got in contact with Savonn Champelle and he not only mentioned me in one of his YouTube videos, but he made my drawing his Facebook profile picture and added me! Ahhh


 
 Than I got another Instagram shout out from a BADASS Aussie fitness chick named Dani. She's so adorable.


I am so humbled by all the positive feedback I've been receiving from my artwork and the new friends I've made along the way! Being able to connect to people that I look up to is one of the most gratifying feelings ever!

MUCH LOVE!

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Finding More Zen

Here's ten things I try to do in my everyday life that keep me smiling:

1. Juicing! As soon as I wake up in the morning, I juice. Eating healthy is the way to go!

2. Stretch! Immediately after I juice, I stretch to wake up my body and get the blood flowing. You can find plenty of different stretches on YouTube!

3. Yoga! When I first started doing yoga, I thought it was this odd group fitness class that only chicks do. Now it's a daily part of my life. Yoga forces you to clear your mind of all the bullshit and allows you to focus on connecting the poses with the breath. I promise you that yoga will kick your butt. The best deals I've been able to find are on Groupon and LivingSocial!


4. Blogging :) It relaxes me and I find writing to be very therapeutic. I love interacting with you guys!

5. Working out! I bought a gym membership at YouFit. Working out and lifting weights always makes me feel like a pimp. I struggle with trying to gain weight so staying super active always keeps my appetite through the roof. Reeeeeelease the tension.

6. Evening bike rides on the beach cruiser! I just want a cute guy to go bike riding with. It's so peaceful to be surrounded in nature and admire all the beauty around us, that we all too often don't stop to appreciate.

7. Reading and listening to audiobooks. I'm currently studying The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle.

8. I drink tea everyday! Green tea really helps my skin, so I drink about two cups of that during the day (since it's caffeinated) and Yogi peach tea at night. I try to drink 75 oz of water a day.

 

9. Meditation! I encourage you all to find a guided meditation video on YouTube and allow yourself to take time to sit and relax. It helps me fall asleep, so I always meditate right before I'm going to bed. "You should sit in meditation for 20 minutes a day, unless you're too busy, then you should sit for an hour." Old Zen saying

10. Praying! Never doubt what a prayer can do.

I hope some of these things resonate with you. Much Love Guys!

Thursday, September 5, 2013

Spiritual Awakening 11:11


Recently I have felt the spiritual world opening up and trying to connect with me. When I was 19, I started transforming...
  • Coming out of the closet 
  • Restored my faith in God.
  • Received my prayer language
  • 11:11 and 3:33 followed me everywhere
When I first noticed the number synchronicities, I was seeing them about once every two weeks...than once a week...and now a few times a week. There are days when I'll see these numbers multiple times in a single day.

Finally, after three years of this, I went online to see what it meant and if other people were experiencing this strange phenomenon as well.
Much to my surprise, I wasn’t alone!

Among my research, I found this TedTalks video that I found very informative. Do you see 11:11 too? If so, share your experience, I'd love to hear it!
 

Friday, August 16, 2013

Life after College

Toto, you’re not in Kansas anymore, that’s for damn sure. I’m going through such a transitional stage in my life right now and my brain is still trying to process all of it. Where do I go from here? Shouldn't I know? Shouldn't I have a big boy job lined up, in a new city, in my own apartment?

Well I don't. It's such a shitty feeling. I was fortunate enough to have parents who paid for all my expenses in college, but now I’m supporting myself. Granted I'm living at home and not paying rent. I was living in this delusional fantasy world and had no real concept of money before this moment.

Needless to say, them cutting me off is a blessing in disguise, because it’s lit a fire under my ass to kick things into high gear. I've been working on a website, doing commissions and working on a series, with the hopes that I'll get shout outs (reposts) from these individuals, which will give me some recognition and more commissions.
Here’s what I’ve accomplished:
The series is titled 'Ordinarily Inspirational' and I drew six portraits of people who have a very large and interactive following on Instagram. Hopefully I can get some promotion and good connections out of this!

 
Rachel Brathen-International Yoga Instructor

 
Brock O'Hurn- Motivational Gym Guru

 
FullyRaw Kristina, Vegan Goddess

 
Todrick Hall, YouTube Extraordinaire

 
Mimi Kirk, 75 year old Hottest Vegan Alive winner

 
Patrick Beach, GORGEOUS Yogi ;)

 
Rachel Brathen contacted me and I shipped my first drawing out to her on Tuesday! All the way to Aruba! AHHHH If you have an Instagram check her out, she's an international yoga superstar and such an uplifting spirit.  

I’m hustling as best as I can here. An alumni student came into my senior portfolio class and his advice to us was, “hustle if you want to make it as an artist.” That stuck with me, probably partially because he was hot. Haha
After I finished that series I drew my sister a portrait for her birthday.

Than I did this baby growth chart commission for my grandma, as a gift to my cousin’s future baby.

 
My most recent commission is this giant 4x5 foot canvas for my friend to hang in her classroom. She won teacher of the year last year and I hope this painting helps her win again this year! And I hope some other teachers, parents, faculty, etc. see my painting and want one for themselves!

 
I have two commissions that I’m about to start and I’m praying that the universe continues to bring me love and success.

Love and Light

Friday, August 9, 2013

College Saved Me

It’s hard to believe almost exactly three years ago, I created this blog. As I sat in my bed signing up for this Blogger account; I had absolutely no idea what to expect, how to properly articulate my thoughts, the amount of guys I was going to connect with or how much help and advice I was going to receive. Needless to say, making this blog is one of the most beneficial things I have done for myself. It's a gift that I gave to myself. The ultimate gift that keeps on giving.

Whether my posts were serious, shallow, funny, sad or just straight up ridiculous...all of them possessed meaning at that moment in time. I remember pouring my heart out into some of these posts, while the tears were pouring down my face. Yet, the unbelievable amount of love and acceptance I receive from you guys lifted my spirits so much, regardless of how silly I felt sharing them.
I look back on college without a single regret. It was the most profound four years of my life. I partied, experienced Greek Life, survived the dorms, met the most amazing people, found my faith, met guys, found my passion for art, sought counseling, discovered yoga, beat depression, went Pescatarian, came out of the closet and learned so much about myself. It's amazing how much someone can mature and grow in a couple of years.
Whether you’ve been following my journey since day one, or just recently stumbled upon my blog; I can’t even express in words, just how thankful I am for all of your love and guidance. The fact that you take the time out of your day to read and  comment on my posts is truly touching and appreciated. 

Thank you.
I’m ready to launch my career as an artist and surround myself with the people and activites that bring me happiness! I can’t wait to see what the future has in store!
Much love guys!

Saturday, July 6, 2013

EPIC TRAVELS, FINISHING COLLEGE AND MOVING HOME!

Yo! What's up dudes and gals!?

My brother Ross and I just returned from an epic road trip! Once I flew into Arizona, the craziness began. To hear all about that and my hook up, check that juicy post out here before you continue reading this post, which is part two!


Once we left AZ, we drove to Albuquerque, New Mexico.


I wasn't too fond of this place, it certainly didn't feel enchanted to me. False advertising. Granted, we got there pretty late at night and we didn't get the full experience, but it was just kind of sketchy. We both got that vibe. No wonder why they film Breaking Bad there. (No offense to anyone who may live there!) After walking around downtown, we stopped at Tucanos Brazilian Grill and than crashed at the hotel. I think Ross ate enough food for four people.

From Albuquerque, we drove through Amarillo, TX.

 

Of course, there ain't shit to do in Amarillo, except see the infamous Cadillac Ranch!

 

 

We kept on trucking along and made it to Oklahoma!


Along the way, we stopped at an Indian Casino that my bro actually worked at. He's a CPA and he handled their finances a few years back. I went in with $5 and left with $0.42. WTF.
 
 
 
Once we FINALLY got to Oklahoma City, we checked into the super gorgeous Renaissance Hotel. The desk clerk was a HOTTIE and upgraded us to a suite for free. We got dressed and headed out.

 

It was so late by this time, so we raced over to Bricktown and the only place still serving food was Hooters. We ordered our food to-go and walked along the water to a restaurant that had TVs broadcasting a basketball game Ross wanted to watch. Ugh sports


After we ate, we checked out a club called Skky Bar, but I wasn't feeling it. It received that name because you have to enter an elevator and go up like 10 stories just to enter into the club. The vibe was weird because they were playing country music in one section and house music in another. Ross was doing his thing, trying to approach girls; I felt like I was tagging along, without any desire to be there. I people watched and observed, which is what I typically do at a club anyways.

He started talking to two very plain Jane looking chicks, so I joined the circle and started chatting with them. He turned his back to order drinks for everyone and that's when some other dude swopped in and started talking to these girls. As soon as he returned, he pulled me aside and got nasty with me, saying how much of a bitch and a pussy I was for not keeping the girl's attention.

I got PISSED and left. Fuck that. I walked around outside and went back to the hotel. I was exhausted anyways and he was giving me attitude over the dumbest shit. About a half hour later, he showed up at the hotel, after I refused to return any of his texts or calls. He apologized and it was all good.

Next up, Little Rock, AK!

 
dat ass

Discovered a secret oasis!


Once we checked into our hotel right on the main strip, we hit a popular seafood place.



After we filled our bellies, we found this awesome little hole in the wall place playing live music. The band was amazing!! We bought their CD at the end of the show but I can't remember what their name is. During conversation, we found out that they were playing in Memphis the following night, right where we were going to be!

Next stop, Memphis, TN!

The sign was on a bridge and I couldn't stop for a yoga pic :(

Ross was attending his buddies wedding, so we drove to his house and got in early evening. The entire groomsman party was shacking up at this dudes house. There was shit everywhere. We immediately got dressed and drove downtown for dinner. I felt a bit awkward because they were all really good friends and I didn't have much to contribute to the conversation at the table, so I stayed pretty quiet and observed.

Our waitress looked JUST like Regina Spektor though, so I asked to take a picture with her and sent it to Mich! The waitress said people tell her that at least once a day. Haha I always wondered what it must be like to look almost identical to a celebrity. Mich is obsessed with Regina. I told her that I was meeting up with a guy that I had met through blogging (along with the hook up story in AZ) and she texts back "you've become quite a whore this road trip" haha

About twenty minutes later, I get a text from Socrkid17 that he was outside in the parking lot, so I excused myself from the table and met up with him for the second time in over two years!! (Check out our first encounter). He is such a cool dude. The second I got into his car, I felt comfortable around him. He has such a chill and inviting demeanor.

Remember that band we saw in Little Rock? Well, I told Socrkid about it and we went to the bar that they were playing at! They have a very similar sound to Mumford & Sons. We got a little lost on the way there though and ended up in this slightly sketchy area. The bar itself was kind of sketchy, so it fit in. haha After we grabbed a beer and listened to several bands, we went back to the heart of downtown and walked up onto the bridge, which overlooks everything. It was beautiful. We talked for several hours and I had such a good time catching up with him and hearing all the things he's accomplishing. From our vantage point, we could even see the bank building that he's interning at.

It was getting pretty late, so I text my brother and found out that he and the guys were all at a strip club. My phone was at 5%, so I began to panic slightly and told Socrkid it would probably be smartest if he drove me there, so I could wait outside the titty bar until they came out. I did not want to get stranded in downtown Memphis with a dead phone...or have to burden Socrkid.

Once we got there, he was kind enough to wait in his car with me until the guys came out like 20 minutes later. We hugged and said our goodbyes and I reunited with Ross and his buddies. I really didn't want to be with these guys, because they were all so drunk and I was having such an enjoyable time with Socrkid up on the bridge. Me and the drunks all piled into a mini van cab and went BACK to the bars on the main strip.

I was so frustrated because I could have spent another hour with Socrikid. We ended up back where we were originally, at the bars, by the bridge. Ugh They were so wasted, which made it pretty entertaining though. Out of nowhere, my brother runs into the middle of the street, grabs a girl, lifts her up in mid-air, starts making out with her and they get in a cab five minutes later and drive off.

So I'm like wtf, did I just watch a scene out of a movie or something? I was left with his drunk friends, but thankfully the soon-to-be groom wasn't too drunk and he was able to call us a cab back to his house. The guys and I all talked in his backyard for like an hour so they could sober up, before I excused myself and went to bed...at like 4:00AM.

The following day, Ross and I checked into a swanky hotel, near the wedding reception and he got ready and left. I was so excited to relax for a night and just chill. I worked out in the hotel gym for at least two hours, grabbed some food and passed out.

The following day, we drove to Chattanooga and spent the afternoon exploring the city! It's such a cute little place and we had a blast renting bikes and exploring the town!



From Chattanooga, we pushed on to Atlanta, GA!


We stayed with Ross' best friend from college and his wife, who live in a HUGE house, in a gorgeous neighborhood. This friend of his is hands down one of my favorites! I call him Uncle Teej. He is so damn funny. He's always so intrigued with my life and he even did the P90X Yoga with me in his living room! After his wife went to bed, the three of us toked up on his back porch and just laughed and hung out.  

Finally, we ended the trip in Jacksonville, Florida...a day before I started Summer classes!


We grabbed dinner at a sports bar and reminisced the entire trip that night. Ross crashed at my apartment that night, before completing the remaining four hours of the trek to Boca on his own. I got teary-eyed after he left. Well actually, he partied in Orlando with some friends for a few days first.

Anyways, I took Screen print and an Independent Study with a professor I adore. For my DIS class, I was assigned to create six pieces of work that described what it was like being in the closet. The artwork is dark and I had a difficult time tapping back into that past mental state. I really want to start experimenting with fusing graphite and watercolors, which is why I suggested this.







Summer A classes ended on June 18th and my apartment lease ended on June 19th. Talk about amazing timing. It was an EXTREMELY hectic time leading up to the move, because I was trying to get projects finished, pack and clean the apartment and mentally prepare myself for the next chapter in my life. It all happened so fast. I definitely could have done a much better job on my DIS pieces, but I was trying to juggle ten things at once.


My mom drove up on Father’s Day to load up her car because there was no way all my shit was going to fit in mine. Well, her fuel pump broke on I95 and I had to take care of that in the middle of everything else. She said the cop who assisted her on 95 was 'very handsome', so I didn't feel AS bad for her. Ha That happened to be the same afternoon I was supposed to meet up with my Professor and show her the artwork, but I had to email her the photos instead. Luckily, she was very understanding. My mom ended up spending the night, so we went out for sushi and spent time together, after being apart for six months. The original plan was for her to arrive at my place, pack up all my stuff that I had ready to go by the front door and drive back home the same day. It would have been eight hours of driving total, but after doing a cross-country road trip, that sounded like nothing to me. Instead, she woke up the next morning, had the van already loaded up and hit the road as I left around the same time to attend my final critique for Screen print class.

Guys, I can’t even begin to describe the feelings I felt as I walked out of my final undergrad class! I was literally beaming with excitement and joy, yet sadness. I spent the rest of the day reflecting on my college experience.


Literally as Dorie and I were leaving the apartment to return our keys to the front office, Nikki (our third roomie) walked out of her room, which was still unpainted and full of furniture. She snuck a guy over the night before to fuck, but instead of inviting him in through the front door, she snuck him in through her bedroom window. I was relieved to not have to deal with her life choices anymore. She dated a 35-year-old Walgreens manager (she's 22) for like four months who was a total creep. I saw him making out with another chick when Ross and I grabbed dinner at the sports bar, so I started texting her pictures of he and the girl. I think she fucked this guy (some dude she worked with) as her way of getting over the hobbit, as Dorie and I referred to him.

Dorie moved into an apartment complex cross the street and got accepted into the Psychology Graduate program! Saying goodbye to her was incredibly difficult. She has been such a good friend and influence on me.

I wouldn’t give up the past four years of my life in college for anything. The people I met and the friendships I made have shaped me into the person I am today. I grew up soooooo much and truly found myself in the process. Living in Jax gave me my best friends, my identity, the fondest memories of my life and I will always cherish all of it.

I’ve officially been home for two weeks now. The first thing I did was redecorated my entire room. I threw out all the old shit from high school and anything that even remotely reminded me of my depressing days. The walls used to be gray, with a dark gray accent wall, so that was the first thing to go. It's now my little sanctuary. I still need to buy a lot of decorations and what not, but here’s a few pics of the progress...


 


A few nights after I got back home, I was in my room one night and completely broke down into tears. I began comparing myself to my friends. They all have jobs, internships or Graduate schools lined up. I don’t have any of that. I was sobbing. The safe and cozy college bubble I lived in for the last four years had exploded and I was now back in the house I grew up in with no finite plan of action.

Apparently I was crying so loud, that I woke my mom up and she came rushing in my room. I dropped to the floor and vented these feelings of doubt and worry to her. She doesn't give the greatest advice, but just talking to someone else felt nice, nonetheless. 


I don't know where my life is going to go from here. I don't have any concrete answers and it terrifies me, but the next chapter in my life has arrived. I’m scared and excited for it all to unfold. Please pray that I find guidance and opportunities!

Much Love Guys!