Honestly... I envy clothing store mannequins. And now you're thinking "Wow. We waited two months for another 'Karleigh Michele' post and she's gone bonkers." Stay with me. I promise it gets good. I walk by Chicago's iconic Macy's building (formerly Marshall Fields & Company) every day on my way home from class. The Christmas displays have vacated the windows and the 2019 trends are in. I can't help but stare and think as I see these perfect porcelain figures under constant public scrutiny and, a few weeks ago, I decided that I could learn from them. I wasn't envious because of their perfect skin and designer outfits, but when I saw the one in a purple Adidas sweatsuit (my go-to outfit in 2006 - the height of my tomboyishness) I realized it was because they don't give a f*@$ - about what people think of their outfits, their job, or how many instagram likes they get... They can't. They're inanimate (and don't have Instagram). Obviously. Now, here's an idea: What if we all used our social media for our own enjoyment? What? You say. Don't I already do that? Eh, maybe. But how many times a day do you check your "Likes"? A mannequin wouldn't give a f*@$ about how many "Likes" last night's dinner or today's #OOTD got. What if we committed to social media being our digital scrapbook (because who has time to make a real one), for our own entertainment, to look back on and cringe, laugh, cry and smile, like I do when I go through photos at my parents? Now, I'm not hating on social media... I love social media and believe it has a HELLUVA lot of value in keeping connections with far away-family and friends, being a free marketing vessel for nonprofits and small businesses, and acting as a primary outlet for news for Millenials and Generation Z. Moving onto my envy... When we first moved to Chicago, I had about a dozen different brands ask me to model for them on Instagram. For a former tomboy turned self-proclaimed fashionista I jumped right on it. It was a chance to expand my following and hopefully get more people to read my writing, which is all I want. I thought this was a start so I used the private discounts each brand gave me to buy their product, took high-quality pics and posted them and a quick praise of the company to my account. I'd email my photos to the address they asked and wait anxiously for it to pop up on their account too - with a dream it would boost my followers and increase my web traction. It was a long wait because they never did. But they posted other girls. I guess my photos just wouldn't get enough "Likes". But what if, instead of putting money into brands who, more likely than not, are the epitome of fast fashion, I invested in believing in myself? What if instead, I worked my ass off, gave my blogs and my writing my time and had faith the rest would work itself out, because I gave everything I had to give? What if I could do this, instead of relentlessly checking for new "Likes" and followers? What if, like the mannequins, I confidently stand up, dress to impress, and put my writing out there without giving a f*@$, without worrying about how many "Likes" it gets, but knowing it's going to impact somebody and reach the people it needs to reach. I don't want to worry about whether I get 5 "Likes" or 500, as long as my writing reaches who it's supposed to reach, like when the Macy's mannequin I passed every day for weeks convinced me to buy her white Calvin Klein sweatpants. I challenge all of you to embody the mannequin as well - get up every day and do you - shamelessly and unapologetically - and throw those cares for "Likes" out the window. As always, thanks for reading! Love, Karleigh Michele
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Honestly... 'Tis the season! The season to be jolly, to be thankful and to give. But, before you give, you have to shop. So, why not combine the two? Over the last year, Peter and I have started purchasing products that benefit a cause. Check out the list below for what I recommend and read up on each company's story: 1. 4Ocean: Buy a bracelet, pull a pound - that's 4Ocean's mission. Every bracelet is made from recycled ocean plastic and when you buy one, 4Ocean's crew takes a pound of trash out of those beautiful blue waters. Each month, they pick a different sea-worthy cause to support and every one is worth it! But if you're just starting out, you can buy 4Ocean's signature blue bracelet. Peter got us started with these last Christmas - the perfect stocking stuffer! We also chose March's coral reef and May's whale conservation bracelets too. I'm hoping Santa delivers on December's Dolphin bracelet this year. https://4ocean.com 2. Tentree: Another one of Peter's great ideas! He surprised me with the maroon shirt pictured here and not only is it so cute (and SO soft), but it's a great conversation starter. So, let's talk about Tentree and its kick-ass goal to plant 1 billion trees by 2030. With every purchase, they plant ten trees. And thank god someone does, because climate change is a bitch and if human beings would like to survive past ummm... next week, more trees would serve us well. Support this goal and get yourself everything from hoodies to hats, to sweatpants and t-shirts. Check them out here: https://www.tentree.com/pages/company 3. Mittens for Detroit: Is a nonprofit committed to outfitting both children and adults in need with new mittens and gloves. You can donate product, however, if you'd like to follow the theme of this blog and donate money WHILE doing your holiday shopping, Mittens for Detroit sells THE softest red mittens, t-shirts, coffee mugs, bracelets, reusable straws and calendars. All purchases help fund new mittens/gloves for the homeless. I have the t-shirt and it's one of my favorites - so soft and it promotes a great cause! http://mittensfordetroit.org/shop/ 4. Yoobi: "When you buy, Yoobi gives" - that's their motto. This is your one-stop shop for that "creative-type" in your family. Just the design and colors of Yoobi's journals and planners, office supplies, and backpacks are enough to bring out the next "Harry Potter"-like series. The best part - for every item purchased - Yoobi donates a school supply item to a classroom in need in the U.S. I bought all my grad school supplies here. I'm hoping for the cactus planner for Christmas (*cough, cough Kristin!) And, let's be real... Who doesn't want a box filled with the cutest pencils, notebooks, staplers and stickers?! https://yoobi.com 5. Rice Love: Founded on the premise of this Mother Theresa quote, “If you can’t feed a hundred people, then just feed one,” with every product purchased Rice Love gives 1 kilo of rice to a family in need in India. If you didn’t know, rice is one of the most important foods in Asian countries. For low income families, it’s the primary source of daily calories. Additionally, Rice Love purchases the rice they give from India’s local markets, furthering its efforts by supporting that economy. Now, I don’t have a Rice Love bag yet, but it’s on my Christmas list! I’m hoping for the hip pack for my February trip to Argentina. From the moment I heard about this organization, I connected with its mission AND check out their bags (*Insert 100 heart-eye emojis here)! In my life, I'd use it for travel, the beach, hiking… you name it. Did I mention MANY of the products are RECYCLED?! https://ricelove.org 6. Wholesome Culture: Ahhhhh... the phrase I wish I could take credit for, "Skip a straw, save a turtle," printed across what appears to be the world's greatest t-shirt. (Another item on my list.) Wholesome Culture's founder, 24-year-old Audrey, is committed to inspiring a plant-based, cruelty-free lifestyle and so, she gives 15 percent of profits to animal rescue organizations. AND, as if her message wasn't amazing enough, Wholesome Culture ethically creates its products with water-based ink and ships in recycled packaging. I'm pretty sure I need to work here... So, if this message inspires you than help spread it by having your family and friends walk around with it displayed proudly on their person. https://www.wholesomeculture.com 7. Arm The Animals: Oh I love animals! Evident by my three-animal zoo at home. So PSA: ANIMALS ARE SWEET, LOVING and FLUFFY so DON'T be mean. Hoping to don my "Anti-Animal Cruelty Club" crew neck post-Christmas to send a message to the rest of the world. While I'm a big fan of this simple crewneck, ATA has so many fun options when it comes to clothing and accessories - clever, comedic and cute graphics - it's all there, supporting over 100 animal welfare organizations. Check out the list at the link below. Celebrities like Jessica Alba, Jorge Garcia (Lost, Hawaii Five-O), Jayma Mays (Glee, Paul Blart: Mall Cop) and Taylor Kinney ( Chicago Fire, The Other Woman) support as well. https://www.armtheanimals.com/pages/about-us Hopefully this gives you some ideas to think about as you shop this holiday season! I'm not paid to endorse any of these brands, I just like them and their missions, and I LOVE helping where I can.
Happy holiday shopping readers! And as always, thank you for reading! -Karleigh Michele Honestly... Have you ever been at the point of realizing a lifelong dream and then found it to be different than what you expected? Like dreaming of a four-year starting spot on a collegiate sports team only to realize you have to pay your dues and work your way up? It's different than you expected right? Well so far, my dream of living in a big city is different than I imagined. It's different than my internship summer in New York and different than the movies and TV. We moved to Chicago a month ago with wide eyes, excited hearts and the vision of a dream coming true. But at first, I didn't like it. In all my life, I never imagined disliking something I'd always wanted, to move to a city. I felt down and depressed... why? Living in the city full-time is different than a three-month stint for a summer, a weekend getaway, an episode of Sex and the City. But over the last four weeks, I've realized that it's a lot like working your way up to a starting spot on a collegiate sports team - you have to have an open mind, a positive attitude, patience and the ability to see wonder in the opportunity you ARE getting. Here's my expectation versus reality: You can't go out and explore ALL the time How is it that characters with ordinary jobs in movies and shows that take place in big cities afford elaborate nights out, big apartments with a view and shopping sprees? Well, they don't... Or wouldn't if it was real life. And when you have a time limit, like a 10-week summer or a long weekend, it's much more feasible to pile on activities, drinks and shopping EVERY day, but that's not real life either. So here we are with a year lease in Chicago and, despite being in a vibrant city, we can't go out every day... What's the deal with that?! If you know me, you know that when we're traveling, we have to be on "Go" every minute - there's not a moment to waste, especially when you're traveling in a big city. There's too much to do, too much to see and too much to eat to be sitting around and relaxing! So, in the beginning of our move to Chicago, anytime we were stuck in the apartment unpacking or choosing to relax and watch TV instead of hitting up a Windy City hot spot, I felt unsettled knowing that we were in such a hopping place with endless things to see and I was sitting inside. My internal battle between my need to be out exploring and realizing that as a resident, taking time to live a "normal" life is necessary, raged on, stirring up feelings that made me down and confused. Then, it hit me. It's such a blessing it is to live in a big city and NOT be a tourist. To NOT have to constantly be on go because WE LIVE HERE and the city is here every minute of every day and we can explore it at our leisure without feeling tired, rushed or pressured... How awesome is that? But even better than that, is the quality time I get to spend with my husband cooking and grilling. Back home, we were notorious for taking our foodie selves out to eat and drink almost constantly, but now, since we can't afford that, we are forced to cook at home on a daily basis and it is SO rewarding. We have a deck at our new place so we purchased our first grill and we both agree that spending time grilling together is the best part of our move so far. We can't see tall buildings from our apartment So, we moved to one of the biggest cities in America with a gorgeous skyline (minus that one building, Trump Tower I think it's called... ewwww), but we can't see a single skyscraper from our apartment windows or on the street when we walk outside. I mean, I knew this would happen since we saw our apartment before we signed the lease and I was all like, "cheaper is better, it's fine," but I didn't realize how frustrated I would get when "living in the city" meant living in a neighborhood with chickens, a view of the highway, lawns and very short, spaced out buildings. HOWEVER, what I needed to realize from the beginning is this: Instead of agonizingly waiting for our once-a-year pilgrimage to a concrete jungle, all we have to do is hop on the "L" for $2.50 and take a 25-30 minute ride into the heart of the Windy City. We can do it EVERY DAY! Besides, cheaper rent is better because of the 10.25 percent sales tax, $15 glasses of wine and endless, expensive "must-do" activities. Also, I'm becoming more and more excited about the area we live in. Like the brimming culture and diversity that surrounds us in our new neighborhood, I've realized that different sections of the city have their own unique vibe and that's what makes a big city so special. With authentic Mexican food galore, sweet bakeries and uncrowded, chill neighborhood bars, Logan Square is really growing on me. Plus, I actually love our neighbor's rooster. Pigeons To add in some comic relief, I'd like to talk pigeons. Maybe it's just me - a wannabe city child obsessed with every little detail about them - so I thought pigeons were cool. They play a pretty big role in "Home Alone 2: Lost in New York" so they have to be awesome right? Wrong... so, so wrong. Living near pigeons is nothing like the bird lady in Home Alone 2 makes it seem, it's definitely more like Kevin's face the first time he sees her. Their poop is everywhere, it smells and on my way to the gym on Friday, a flock of them almost attacked me on the sidewalk so I ran into the street. I could have been hit by a car but ANYWAYS... Takeaways We now live in a place where public transportation, walking everywhere and reusable shopping bags are a norm... WIN! And with each passing day I am more and more excited to assimilate into the culture in Chicago that surrounds me - to bring my own unique perspective and lifestyle to it, but to also be a part of this big, bright city. The best part though is taking on this adventure with my best friend and husband. We've talked about living in a big city since the beginning and now that it's finally happening- let the adventure begin! Thank you for reading! I'd love to hear your thoughts on Chicago, a big city move or anytime it took a while for you to feel "at-home" in your dream, so leave a comment! - Karleigh Michele Today, I marched. I marched with people from three years old to 80. I marched with parents, grandparents, students and teachers, and also with people whose profession has nothing to do with schools. I marched with men and women of all races, sexuality and age, because gun violence affects everyone. I had chills, the good kind, because I marched in a sea of hope for a better future. Today, I wept. I wept as I listened to a first-hand account from a survivor of the Las Vegas shooting. I wept as I realized we live in a war zone, something I thought I'd never have to say. No, it's not your typical war zone. It's not visibly in shambles and the military isn't marching through the streets. But this survivor recounted having to hide in the vault of a casino with many others while a villainous individual let gunfire rain over a music festival. Today, children fear for their lives when they walk out the door on their way to school, and going to a concert, club or movie is basically risking your life. Merriman-Webster defines a war zone as an area of extreme violence. With the amount of mass shootings, the number of lives lost and the fear for life when you walk out the front door to partake in a normal activity, I think we can call this extreme violence. Today, I felt pride, pride to be considered a millennial. It's a something I've shuddered to be defined as in the past. Millennials have a rap for being lazy and self-entitled, as well as having a lack of empathy, persistence and focus. But to everyone who believes this, have you seen the news lately? Do you know who's making strides and changes to our current, corrupt political climate? I am millennial and today I marched with other millennials and guess what, we are courageous, strong, educated, willing to fight for change and ready to speak out for peace. Millennials are the ones who will "make America great again." Today, I need all of the right-winged, gun-loving people to hear this. I marched with hundreds protesting gun violence, as both a reporter and an activist. I asked each person I interviewed what they would like to see change with gun laws- a ban all together or gun control? Every single person said CONTROL. They said that banning guns all together isn't the answer, that people have the right to own a hunting rifle or protect their families with a pistol, but that no one should own military-grade, semi-automatic weapons. They (we) just want commonsense gun laws that make it harder to obtain weapons so we know guns are in the hands of responsible owners who won't take innocent lives. So to every NRA-supporting, bought-out Republican politician-loving gun owner, no one wants to infringe on your second amendment right. No one wants to take your gun away (unless you can't handle it). What we want is to make sure America is no longer a place where mass shootings are the norm and the loss of young, innocent lives is part of daily newscasts. We just want our freedom. Our freedom to feel safe in school, on the street, at a concert or out with friends. Is your gun more important than any life? Today, I marched. And it was an honor. Honestly... it's an identity crisis. I read somewhere once that every athlete dies twice. It was shortly after my softball career came to an end and as I read it I remember thinking to myself how true those words were, how powerful, how spot on, because if you were blessed with the opportunity to not only play a sport, but to have it fill your soul, light a passion inside of you, and teach you some of life's most important lessons, you surely know that it's true... every athlete does die twice. I'm pretty sure that if you looked at my heart you'd find red stitches in the shape of C lining the sides of it. I'm also pretty sure that you'd find crack or a break, like you hit the crap out of a softball and the outer shell began to rip off. Like that, but not as cool. It's been almost two and a half years since the day my favorite thing in the world, a beautiful bright yellow, red-stitched ball, turned on me and soared over my head, over the fence and ended it all. This may sound dramatic to some, but those who know me and for so many athletes out there, you know it's real. Two and a half years and I'm still struggling to figure out who I am, a feat I certainly had NO problem with when I could identify myself as an athlete, a softball player, a centerfielder. WHY am I struggling? When that grand slam flew over the fence, it grabbed my confidence and took it with it. Never in my life have I been more infiltrated with the feelings of self-doubt and insecurity, leaving me to question who I am and what I'm doing. All my life, well from ages 5 to 22, I prided myself on being a softball player, and a good one at that. On the first day of class when a teacher would ask us to describe ourselves or anytime I was introducing myself to someone new, it was always, "I'm Karleigh and I play softball." It was always the thing I wanted people to know about me, above all else, the identity I wanted people to pair me with. It's who I was, always wanted to be, and hopefully still am somewhere inside me. It's a void left to be filled. I do have the best husband, family and friends a girl could ask for, but the void left is not something fixed with personal relationships, it's something I have to find in myself, something that I do for me, something that I can pour my heart and soul into, the way I did with the game I loved so much. In my heart, I'll always identify myself as a softball player, but now, I need to find an identity where I can go up to someone new and CONFIDENTLY, HAPPILY, and PASSIONATELY say, "I'm Karleigh and I'm a..." Lately though I've been thinking a lot about it, and perhaps it's not necessarily the loss of softball itself that's causing me this asinine identity crisis. I mean yes, I'd obviously give just about anything for one more at bat, to stare the pitcher down and know that I'm going to hit the ball hard somewhere (preferably a triple down the right field line) or to breathe in the fresh air out in centerfield, anticipating where the ball will go and make a diving grab. Even though I wish I could do all of this again, every day, I know that's it's all still inside me and the memories will last a lifetime. So what's causing this identity crisis is instead? The loss of the intangibles the game gave me: my confidence, my passion, my security and a feeling of "being home". I will never forget when, on one of my college visits, my dad told the coach, "No matter what, Karleigh's most at-home on a ball diamond." There were no truer words, it was my identity. Softball was the one thing I could get behind 100 percent (well Softball and Christmas that is). It was the one thing I could pour my passion into, my work ethic, my love for life, everything I had and now... I don't have something like that. Throughout college I imagined I'd find something similar with work. I dreamed of a career that I could get behind in the way that I could with playing softball, that I'd have a job I could dedicate myself to 24/7 and pour my heart and soul into the same way. Well guess what, the working world's just not that fun. It's not like playing a sport at all... misjudged that one. Since I graduated college, I've quit 3 jobs, none of which were jobs in the field of my college major. I tried to force myself into loving Event Planning because I thought it could be my next passion, well... I was wrong. Three strikes and you're out, right? So here I am, working part-time for Sweet Dreamzzz, a nonprofit dear to my heart, and part-time from home as a Freelance Journalist and Blogger. I think I'm getting there. I love to write, always have, and I'm starting to think this is something I can get behind. So maybe, if this blog takes off, if I write a best-selling novel, or if I become the next Arianna Huffington, I'll be able to look someone new in the eye and confidently say, "Hi, I'm Karleigh and I'm a Writer." Until I solve my life's identity crisis, I'll continue to make the most of my time and enjoy every moment, because even though I'm struggling to know who I am I can tell you this, my life is beautiful. Thanks for reading, Karleigh Michele Photography by: Melanie Elaine Photography Hair and Makeup by: Megan Simmons Honestly, even as a college graduate I don't know what I want to "be when I grow up" and I definitely don't have my shit together. And honestly, that might just be the best thing in the world right now for a girl like me- a Type A, control freak, obsessive planner- because my guess... we become who we are supposed to be when we step out of our comfort zone, face what we're afraid of, and let go of every bit of anxiety and compulsion to micromanage our lives and just LIVE IT. When I quit my first job after college back in December- the world once again became my oyster. In that moment I felt like I could be anything, do anything and go anywhere to find myself and what I truly wanted out of my career. I was scared though. With my wedding less than a year away and therefore, an impending move out of my parents home, I needed to save my money like crazy, and at that point, I was not making anything close to what I needed to make. But I was HAPPY! I worked on freelance writing projects, continued to work part time for Sweet Dreamzzz, FINALLY founded the site you're reading right now, and began to dream about a kick ass career again. Despite the fact that the fear of uncertain income and instability constantly played in the back of my mind, I actually loved how I felt. It was like an adrenaline rush not knowing what would be next or where money would come from. I loved feeling free to mold my own life. But unfortunately, fear won out, not my faith in my dreams. Instead of believing I could land the writing or PR job I so desperately craved, I rushed into another events position, leaving me with no time to write and in my mind, setting me back to exactly where I was one year before. The walls weren't the same, but the atmosphere, the weekends, and the chair covers were. Honestly, I feel disappointed in myself. Disappointed that I couldn't find it in my heart to believe enough in the dreams I have for myself to make them happen and that I settled into something else so fast because I was SCARED of where I would find $20. Is a paycheck worth sacrificing what you love? Isn't there some romance, some wonder in letting go of fear and risking everything to get your break? Isn't there something to be said, a beautiful story to be told in allowing yourself to have nothing to get your everything... I think so. I now realize that I'd scrape money together every day if it meant that one day I'd be writing for The Huffington Post, Vogue, ELLE or The New York Times. I'd take that over my paycheck any day. So honestly, maybe I should? They say talk is cheap and it is. I can sit here and bitch about what I want, but none of that matters until I make myself do something about it. Maybe we should all just live our lives, stop worrying so much about the "smart" choice and make the "dumb" choices like taking a pay cut to work toward our dreams. If we let go of the reins for 5 minutes and just see what life has to offer, if we put in time each day to work towards what we really want instead of settling, maybe we can all get there. And just think of how happy we'd be if we weren't too scared to do it! With that being said, it pushes my comfort zone. I was that girl in college who completely had her shit together. A solid 3.91 student, collegiate softball player, President of Madonna's Red Cross Club, and a resume full of impressive internships and awards... but 12 minutes after college spat me out into the real world, my perfectly put together life (or so said my resume) got lost and now, I'm guessing "Karleigh Creighton" doesn't have the same meaning on paper as it did back then. But honestly, I DON'T CARE! Here I am, in the LIONS den every. single. day. and presently, I am NOT living the dream. But I think I'll start now... so I'm, making the claim, that today is the day I get back on track to pursuing my dreams and doing what I love. If you're where you want to be right now, I salute you and I am proud of you. I do not envy you. Our journeys are each our own and my convoluted, seemingly directionless, pain in the ass start to my working life is mine and I'm happy to claim it. If you're like me- struggling to find yourself, embrace your passion, and do what makes you happy, I challenge you like I challenge myself to take a leap of faith today and start on the path to your dream. Do one thing each day that scares you and honestly, I bet that one thing could unlock everything you've been searching for. This blog is mine. Thanks for reading! -Karleigh Michele |
Karleigh MicheleIt's me... Authentic, Real, and Honest. Because I believe that's the only way to write it. Archives
November 2018
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