Blog – Page 21 – Holly Whittlef

August 11, 2015 — Comments are off for this post.

Behind the Scenes

We're in the thick of August. That means we're enduring Midwest humidity ( big hair, don't care ) while trying to squeeze in the last bits of summer into a far-too-short 31 days. Endless glasses of rosé, weddings, trips to the sunflower fields + farmers market, ice cream cones, breezy evenings at the Union Terrace, walks around the neighborhood at dusk, kale caesar salads, weekends at the lake, sunroofs open and all that sweet, sweet summer stuff.

There's also a lot going on behind the scenes over here that's making summer extra busy, most importantly—a new website! I wouldn't be able to accomplish this project without the array of talented women in my life. If I can offer you one piece of life advice, it would be this: befriend women who are authentic, lovely human beings AND make you feel good.

My friend Anda took new headshots of me last week. She's infectious—the kind of person you feel happier just being around. There's no one I'd rather have shooting me than her ( because let's be real, getting photos taken of yourself is already awkward enough ).

These headshots are for the new site, which I'm in the beginning stages of concepting ( !!! ). As always, designing for yourself is the WORST. I swear I've asked myself, "Is this me? Does this feel like me? Is this reflective of my design aesthetic?" far too many times that I feel dangerously close to an artistic existential crisis. Luckily, my friend Jamie is building + developing the site while also acting as life coach. She's keeping me sane by thwarting my artistic indecisiveness and reminding me that, perhaps, making my site mobile friendly is the most important priority.

So like I said, surround yourself with good people. And enjoy these last bits of summer, friends.

P.S. You can see a preview of all my headshots over here.

P.P.S. My summer anthem on repeat right here.

Published by Holly Whittlef in life, process

July 27, 2015 — Comments are off for this post.

Slow Down

I've always felt the "where does the time go?" question is overused in conversation, and yet...

Can you believe it's almost August 1st? Where has this summer gone? And why have the mosquitos turned my ankles into ITCHY RED CANKLES?!?

I find myself saying this over and over to friends, family and random strangers who will listen to me. It's a very uncomfortable feeling for me, the quick passing of time. The only way I've been able to ease the terrible daily anxiety it gives me has been to slow down.

This, however, is not an easy task when you work for yourself. I've found if you let freelance life control you ( as opposed to you controlling it with appropriate boundary setting and organizational skills ), it swiftly becomes a neverending to-do list. That's why I just resigned from working with my biggest client. It still feels slightly insane to me that I've given up a steady, monthly paycheck, but my gut knows it was the right decision. Not only will this free up time to take on work I'm super passionate about, but it will make it easier to create time to relax. Yoga, cooking, reading, running, being—all the things I've relegated to the bottom of the priority list for the past few years.

Poorer but happier? I'll take this better balance.

Slow down with a few of my favorite recent links, and make it a lovely week, friends.

I've been eating this salad on repeat.

Science proves these eight things can make us happier. I'm finally going to commit to #8.

After spotting them at a boutique in Portland, these gorgeous earrings are on my wish list. And speaking of wish lists, these, this and those*.

The Myth of the Ethical Shopper. A depressing but necessary read.

An interesting article on gut bacteria + mood. As a result, I'm back on my daily probiotic.

The Low Information Diet. I'm finding this more important than ever.

This Netflix documentary is on my to-watch list this week.

The manfriend and I have decided this country is our next travel adventure. Eeep! That blog post makes me soooo excited for January 2016.

Best. GIF. Ever.

*Rachel reminded me to get these before the inevitable winter-long waitlist.

"What you seek is seeking you." Rumi

Published by Holly Whittlef in life, Random

July 21, 2015 — Comments are off for this post.

Portland / Top 5

It should come as no surprise that I absolutely loved Portland and would move there immediately if my life wasn't so established in Wisconsin. The food, the nature, the people ( I'm talking about these kids ), the weirdness—everything is right up my alley in the City of Roses. I was planning to do a full photo blog post and travel guide for the trip, but then I arrived and decided to enjoy a week-long vacation without my DSLR camera weighing me down.

But I couldn't go on vacation and not come back with at least a few recommendations! So here are my top five Portland favorites with a little photography help from my iPhone:

( 01 )

We stayed at a cozy AirBNB in the Northeast neighborhood, and loved our location. Our friends informed us that it is, indeed, the up-and-coming area of Portland. We know, we're pretty damn hip. We ate breakfast at Bushel and Peck Bakeshop nearly every day ( best breakfast sandwich ), and devoured the farm-to-table pizzas + homemade malted milk ball ice cream at Lovely's 50-50. Ink and Peat is a lovely home + floral store on Williams Street that's also worth checking out.

( 02 )

Giving the entirety of downtown Portland one spot on this list is overtly broad. Let's go with it though, because one of my favorite parts about this city is its walkability. You can cover serious ground in just one day.

Start on the PSU campus at the Saturday farmer's market, preferably with a cardamom latte from the central coffee stand. When you're done browsing, head north towards Pioneer Square to find a litany of food trucks. Stop for some grub, and head west up Alder Street to stop at Canoe and Alder + Co.—two impeccably curated stores. Cross 12th Street to Heart Roasters if you need another java hit. It's the most beautiful coffee shop.

Here's where you can choose your own adventure: ( 1 ) walk north on 12th Street then cut east on Burnside to visit Powell Books, the largest independent new + used bookstore in the world. A good place to get lost in for a few hours. ( 2 ) Keep walking north on 12th to arrive in the Pearl District, the land of shops, restaurants and general cuteness. ( 3 ) Head north on 12th, then west up Burnside for a massive glute workout and arrival at the International Rose Test Garden and Japanese Garden. Both are a nice reprieve from the city.

If your legs aren't tired yet, circle back east for a late day stroll along the riverfront. Here, you're guaranteed to spot homeless vagabonds and random weird things. Portland at its finest.

( 03 )

Confession: I wanted to eat at Pok Pok because Anthony Bourdain is friends with the chef. And whoever Anthony Bourdain says is cool, is cool. While we waited for a table, we ordered Thai chili peanuts and pumpkin fries in a curry batter with peanut sauce at the Whiskey Soda Lounge—the Pok Pok-owned bar across the street. At Pok Pok, we ordered the vegetable curry and larb ( one of my favorite Thai dishes ). Everything was delicious. Surprisingly though, my favorite part of the meal was my multiple tamarind whiskey sours. Holy hell, so good.

( 04 )

Since we ate a lot in Portland, it was only right we balanced it with some activity. My favorite of the entire trip was venturing into the Oneonta Gorge. It's less than 1/2 mile hike, but the trek along the way is hilarious. First, you have to traverse a 20-foot-long log jam by crawling over a jungle gym of fallen logs. Next, prepare to wade through water upwards of waist high ( warning: the temperature is dangerously close to freezing ) before arriving at the falls. When you arrive, you'll have to yell YOLO to a bunch of 13-year-old girls as you cliff jump into the freezing water to solidify the fact that you're definitely much older than you feel.

( 05 )

Located more than an hour outside Portland, Mount Hood is a must see. We rented a car for the day and stopped at Multnomah Falls, Oneonta Gorge ( see above ) and Hood River before driving to Mount Hood. The entire area is stunning and offers a multitude of hikes, walks, swims and lookouts to enjoy the gorgeous views. We drove to the Timberline Lodge, a national historic landmark and working mountain lodge that sits about halfway up Mount Hood ( at an elevation of almost 6,000 feet! ) for a few beverages with a view. Next time, we're definitely staying longer than one day.

Published by Holly Whittlef in Travel

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