On Top of My World

A few weeks ago I went on a little hike in (legitimately) my own backyard. There’s a peak above the house with trails leading up to it and it is quite the workout. My mother and my friend Whitney were along with me although I did not include pictures of them below.

The views were stunning when we reached the top and it really felt refreshing to look over not only my neighborhood, but for miles beyond it to the beautiful Colorado horizon. Personally, I always find a sense of peace when I’m on top of a mountain. The feeling always leaves me a little speechless, but I like the capturing the moment through pictures to help get that sense again later.

I had been debating posting up pictures of my hikes but have decided that sharing these might bring others serenity so here we are. I hope you enjoy!
  
  

I know, “selfies” are pretentious but LOOK AT THAT LAND.

Have an adventurous weekend.

CS

P.S these photos are unedited and owned by Courtney Shea.

Micellar – Just Expensive Water?

New trends are not only interesting but sometimes, if they’re good enough, they can change your daily routine. I’m talking about all accounts here; good tech can change how you work, a new outfit can change how you want to dress, and even new food trends can change your diet. Although a lot of the time some of these seem like “fluff” just to get some larger corporation better sales, I cannot deny I love to look into trends anyway. Today, I want to talk about a skincare trend.

It may seem trivial, but over the past couple of years micellar water has gained quite a bit of popularity. However, the French have been using this water as a cleansing staple in their skincare since the 50’s (blame their awful plumbing systems). Over here in the US I notice a lot of ladies talking about making the switch from washing their faces with tap water, to simply grabbing a cotton pad and their new favorite micellar water to get the job done. Naturally, I was curious and gave it a go.

In sum, I have found that using micellar water is a great deal more gentle on my skin. It’s clearer, more soothed, and clean without being stripped. Here in Colorado the weather can be unforgiving and dry, but the water can be harsher in some areas as well. As I move around from one spot to another I like knowing that my cleansing is constant. Enough babble about my face washing – here is a micellar product I have come to love and it’s not expensive compared to others like Caudalie that I have tried. I want to be an informed citizen…obviously.  

The Frenchies knew it all along.

CS

Do Not Be Ashamed

There are lots of things in this world that people are ashamed about. Things that range from serious matters to petty things that (really) don’t matter – or shouldn’t at least. I’m here to give some advice on not being ashamed about a certain aspects of life, and I’m not talking about the boy band CD in your car.

Simply put; do not be ashamed of not wanting what other people want. Now this might seem a little confusing at first, but bear with me. Think about things like certain lifestyles, jobs and career paths, and even vacation spots. Have you ever seen a trend that you were confused about, a job that seemed utterly impossible to sit through, or perhaps a frequent abundance of photos from a place you really have no desire to visit? Well that happens and it’s OKAY.

Not wanting what everyone else strives for in every aspect of life is what keeps this little planet of ours diverse. Recently, with all my newly graduated friends and family I can see this stress sinking in more and more. People feel left out for not partaking in the traditional internship or sporting the latest fashion. It’s upsetting to see people feel so out of place when really they needn’t feel left out at all.

I’m not saying that we cannot all enjoy certain sports together or family vacations to a tropical location, because those can sometimes be the things that bring us closer together. However, if you’re someone who feels shunned or hurt from not loving what’s “hot right now” or doing things the “traditional way” have no fear. You are not alone. Perhaps you’re just more quiet than others…

Now get that CD out from under the seat and turn up the volume!

CS

Past Travels: Egypt at Night

I was lucky enough to visit Egypt long ago and from the moment I left I was heartbroken. The culture, the sights, the obligatory monuments to visited, and the people I conversed with along the way were amazing. I realize that I was younger and a lot of the times was in unsafe areas or situations. However, I won’t lie when I say I made friends with a guard who carried around an AK47 on the bus when I traveled. A simple head nod and a smile and I knew everything was going to be fine. Whether that be naive or not that was my mindset many years ago.

One of the memories I constantly come back to is not seeing The Pyramids or The Sphinx, although they were wonderful and even more glorious than I expected, but I miss the night when we left port. I left the room, when down a hall, and found a spot to sit while I watched Egypt disappear into the night. The sounds of the mosques were echoing and it was perhaps one of the most peaceful moments of my life.

The lights were golden and the breeze was light. Even with all the chaos inside the city of Alexandria everything seemed so serene. I was sad to see this country off but hoped that someday I might see it again.

If not, I’m happy for the memories regardless.

CS

Another New York (Video)

Day two was a blast and although it was cold at some points we ended up seeing some really cool sights.

You can check the video out here! Please feel free to subscribe and pass it on to your friends – thanks guys!

What would you do on your second day in NYC?

CS

Observe vs. Record

This spring break I took a trip to the east side of the country and I can say that I genuinely have been missing it since I’d seen it last. New York was my final destination and I had seen it long ago through the eyes of a fifth grader. I remember (most) everything about that trip and was ecstatic to get the chance to see it again. How wondrous is it that you can fall in love with a place and think that someday you will see it again? Like a lost puppy returning to a buzzing home of lights and sound I could barely contain myself.

I had made a mental note to myself that going into this trip I would keep everything updated; social medias, my friends, my family, my fellow bloggers and youtubers altogether. However, as it sometimes turns out I did not keep up with all of my activities and devices at the same time. This is not to say that I wasn’t savvy enough or driven enough to do so, but the fact of the matter was that I wanted to observe, record, and then later update everyone. I knew it from the first night of exhaustion. My mother came with me and this was a time to really soak up the experiences we had planned along with the culture of New York as a whole.

One can imagine where I am going with this post and yes – essentially these next few writings will be about my time in New York but have no fear! I took many photographs, notes, and videos to make sure I kept it all straight. This city is not one to waste a single moment on and while I was walking over ten miles a day to see everything I wanted (and to save change on cab rides) it was a trip I’ll never forget..but aren’t they all??

I hope you all enjoy these experiences and share some of your own ideas/thoughts if you so choose. I realize some of the things I did were cliche but let’s be straight with each other – there are just certain things that need to be done and seeing Balto in Central Park was on the top of my list.

I love NY.

CS

Arizona Horseback Riding (Video)

Winter holiday is always a time for exploring, checking out new areas, and rushing around to get everything done that you had hoped for. In my personal experience any winter holiday, fall break, spring break, summer – you name it – I never really give myself a time to sit back and relax. On that note I would like to tell you all that I have another video up from this past winter holiday containing another activity that I got to cram into my break.

Horseback riding is not something that is new to my channel so if you want to check out other videos on my home page click here. If you want to get right to my most recently posted video you can click here.

Again, please subscribe if you want to keep up with my activities and videos. I hope you all enjoy!

CS

Tom’s Thumb (Video)

For those of you who were interested in my Tom’s Thumb post I am happy to announce that my video is up on my channel – and I think it turned out well! I had a lot of fun on this hike so hopefully while you all watch it you have some fun too. It was a beautiful sunset paired with a challenge to get to the top.

If you would like to go to my channel to check out all of my videos and adventures click here. If you want to go straight to the Tom’s Thumb video click here. Please don’t forget to subscribe for future adventures – there are some really exciting things happening in the next few weeks! Thumbs up for Tom!

Hope you all are having a lovely Sunday.

Don’t forget to change those clocks…

CS

Breakfast Worth Waking Up For

To perhaps lighten the news from my last posting I want to bring attention to one of my favorite breakfast places in Centennial Colorado. Known for their long lines Snooze can deter a lot of people. However, I will warn you that once you get a taste of Snooze, no wait time will matter ever again.

Ok maybe I am going a little overboard because I love it so much. Here’s the thing – as someone with weird food allergies I have NEVER gotten something lacking flavor. What could possibly make it better? The fact that the staff are incredibly kind, funny, and lively without being too bubbly for those that aren’t into mornings.

What lovely plate do I have pictured here? Well it’s called “OMG French Toast,” but I get it with gluten free pancakes because of a allergen in the french toast. It has caramel sauce, a vanilla cream sauce, coconut shavings and fresh (seriously FRESH) strawberries. I have gotten other dishes in the past such as; an egg plate, their hash browns, multiple coffee drinks, etc. Time after time I go back to these lovely flapjacks, and I’ve even turned on a few friends and family members to the altered plate. In sum, it’s a great food spot with good energy and killer portions (in a good way).

Dig in, you won’t be sorry.

CS

A Stanley Substitute

There are those that are curious about the paranormal and those that simply stray away. Whether you’re on one side of the fence or the other there is probably one place that you have at least heard of – The Stanley Hotel. A place where many can take tours, simply look upon, or even stay the night for a pretty penny in the haunted chambers where Steven Spielberg once did. Whatever your fancy may be it should be noted that there are alternatives and hidden gems much like the Stanley within the reach of anyone who is ok with haunting stories and wants to spend the night. One I had the pleasure of looking into is called The Brook Forest Inn, and it did nothing but captivate me during the entire visit.

The Brook Forest Inn, all haunting stories aside for the moment, is a really nice inn that has fine dining, a pub, and of course lodging. It’s tucked away back in the mountains near the small town of Evergreen. Upon arriving you can even get a packet with historical dates and information on the establishment – should you want more information without asking too many questions. However, I was interested in the rumors of hauntings and lucky for me a young woman named Ali was just wrapping up a tour and gladly answered my questions while showing me around and telling me even more stories than I could have hoped for.

There are a total of 16 rooms that one could stay in here at the inn. All of them have names that hold some important to the place, mostly, which are Italian and French. Interestingly enough Ali told me that a president had stayed at The Brook Forest as well as “the lady from the titanic”. I chuckled as I walked the chandelier lit halls, I couldn’t believe how lucky I got at getting a “guide” that was so casual and open. Ali had lived across the street for 13 years before picking up a job at the inn. Before that, as a child she explained that she was always curious about the grounds and exploring them was something she regularly did. Her and I shared the same past of exploring intriguing places when we were young, but then again I guess nothing much has changed since then…

The dining area was very beautiful and the rooms upstairs were even more unique than I had imagined. Each one different from the next and decorated either according to the name (i.e. the Princess room being pink and flowery) or just based on what seemed to be a color scheme. Personally, I thought the Parisian was stunning with purple, but was even more drawn to it after hearing that an actual death had occurred in it. Apparently, there were four known deaths that had happened at Brook Forest. People claim to see Clark from the Livery, a little boy on the third floor, and an older woman in the attic who seemed to be the protector of it all.

I wanted to hear more about the area and couldn’t get enough. If you’re like me and you have an interest in this as well I will add that you need not fear these haunting rumors. Of all the information I was given nothing was mentioned as being threatening or scary for any of the staff or guests. However, there is word that Nazi members used to meet in the building and somewhere there is a Swastika underneath the carpet – but no one is jumping at the chance to rip that up anytime soon.

For those of you who are interested in grabbing a bite, staying the night, or even booking a wedding you can always visit their website www.thebrookforestinn.com. I do hope that you all enjoy it because it really is an alternative to the more trafficked Stanley with allure and comfort to make it all worth it.

Who knows, you could be the next Spielberg here.

CS

P.S. The fries at the bar are exceptional.