LifeStyle

Staycation in the Hamptons

LifeStyle

After being stuck quarantined in my 1 bedroom apartment, I really needed some time away from the city. My parents were kind enough to lend us their house in East Hampton at the tip of Long Island. Its a cozy place that is super close to both the town and the beach. My parents have had the house since I was born, but have added an addition and some other upgrades to the house since. This is honestly one of my favorite places in the world.

How to feel grounded in a crazy world

LifeStyle

I’ve struggled a lot with my mental health over the years. After struggling for a really long time in my late teens and early 20s, I’ve now been on the same prescription cocktail for several years now. My longest lasting relationship is my therapist and I would probably never leave the east coast because of her. I struggled for years trying to find “a magic pill” to make my minor problems (which seemed like huge emotional hurtles) go away. I then found Dialectic Behavioral Therapy (DBT) and I found a logical way of dealing with my illogical problems without making myself feel invalidated or “crazy.” 

In times like these, when things seem so out of control and crazy, I like to fall back on some basic DBT skills to cope with all the insanity. These are very difficult times for everyone right now, but especially hard for people of color and people affected by covid-19. Using these skills may help you feel more grounded. Please read this link for more detailed information, but below is my interpretation of the essential DBT skills. 

  1. Mindfulness
    • Mindfulness is essentially living in the moment. Don’t worry about what could happen in the future, just focus on how you can help yourself in the next 5 minuets.  
  2. Distress Tolerance
    • DBT has a “Do What Works” policy for distress tolerance (obviously without harming yourself). Let it out, scream, cry, smash something! Your emotions are temporary and you will get past this. 
  3. Interpersonal Effectiveness
    • One of my favorite worksheets from this section is called “D.E.A.R. M.A.N.” and it’s about how to ask for things you need in a way that will get you what you want. 
  4. Emotional Regulation 
    • This is the hardest. This skill focuses on regulating your internal emotions by learning where they come from, validating that they are a real emotion coming from a real place, and then learning to get past it and let that feeling go. 

More reading on DBT:

Dialectical Behavior Therapy on Psychology Today , Mind Well NYC, Overview of DBT on Psych Central

Quarantine Home Decor – Part 2

LifeStyle, Shopping

I realize I make a lot of ridiculous purchases, however, this one I think takes the cake. I bought a hammock chair with this huge indoor hammock chair stand. Totally ridiculous, but also totally completely relaxing. I put the chair in my bedroom which is far away from my computer desk. I don’t want to even think about a computer when I’m in the hammock.

Once I sit in that chair at the end of the day, and the sun is exactly in the right place to engulf the entire chair in sunlight, it creates a magical experience that helps make you feel like your outside. I open my window to get a nice breeze and to hear the birds. I recently got a little wind chime bell that will help create a calming environment. All of these things put together really help me relax at the end of the day.

All Dressed Up with Nowhere to Go

Fashion, LifeStyle

So after several days in sweatpants and hoodies, I had enough! It’s friday, and I need to figure out a way to make it feel like the weekend, even though all these days are blending together like a fruit smoothie. After taking a hot shower, I put on these wide leg pants (yes, they where still stretchy) and a short, almost cropped, striped shirt. then I went all out on my hair and makeup just to make me feel special.

My boyfriend and I then put on #coach lands streaming on Twitch. We shut off the lights and turned up the volume on the great stereo system that is in the house we are staying in during this pandemic. After a couple of drinks and several hours of shuffle dancing, we felt like we were at a concert.

My boyfriend also ordered this huge bluetooth speaker because he thinks large events like concerts and festivals will be postponed until fall of 2021.

This speaker is load and powerful enough to create a concert-like “main-stage”
experience. We are planning on testing it next week.

Escaping Corona

LifeStyle

I’ve escaped NYC to head out to Long Island, where there are still lots of sick people, but this way I can be quarantined with my boyfriend and out of a hot spot in Brooklyn near lots of corona cases. My parents are staying put on the Upper West Side where the number of cases are smaller but there is already a person who tested positive in their building.

Because I have psoriasis and take an immune suppressant called Stelara, so I have to be extra careful and cannot get sick. I also have asthma and a history of bad upper respiratory infections. Corona for me would not be “just another flu,” getting sick is actually a matter of life and death for me.

It shocking to me that people are still not taking social distancing seriously. One of the reasons I left the city is because when I would go running in prospect park I saw lots of people out exercising, taking pictures, playing with their kids, or even just trying to pass the time while either working from home or not working at all. “Its no big deal”, “Its just the flu”, you say … or you’re thinking “I won’t actually get ‘sick’ sick”. This is type of thinking is what will kill me, my parents, and even maybe your parents. #stayinghomesaveslives

I’ve had to stop taking my skin medication Stelara to enhance my immune system. Before starting Stelara I had flaky, itchy plaques of psoriasis all over my body. I even had pustule psoriasis on the palms of my hands which was a negative side effect of another medication I used to take called Enbrel. Since starting Stelara over 5 years ago, I barely have skin breakouts anymore. However, now that I’ve had to stop taking my medication, my skin is seriously suffering.

I’ve purchased a narrow band UVB therapy light, and I have steroid topical creams I can use, but I can’t take my medication until this pandemic is over. If we all collectively do what we are supposed to flatten the curve, we can all go back to normal soon. Don’t think that you’re stuck at home, you’re actually safe at home. Stay healthy, and stay home!

Keeping in Touch While Social Distancing

LifeStyle

New York City has been hit hard by the covid-19 virus and New Yorkers are held up in their apartments working from home. My friends and I have been coping by doing weekly video chats with each other. Hopefully this will help us all stay sane. We are all trying our best to reduce the curve and practice social distancing until this all blows over, but you also have to do what’s best for your mental health. I have been doing solo runs in Prospect Park and spending some time on my rooftop for some sun exposure, but I have been very careful to avoid contact with people.

Crafty things you can do inside

LifeStyle

Make Jewelry

Like most girls, I loved making friendship bracelets at summer camp. Now I use upscale beads like moonstone, rose quartz, and cubic zirconia to make jewelry. I always buy my beads from https://www.firemountaingems.com/ .

Adobe Creative Cloud is free for 1 month! 

Use this as an opportunity to learn a new program or get back into photography. 

Scrapbooking

Have you been collecting concert tickets or wrist bands? Saving precious memories? Polaroids have made a comeback, I bet you have some laying around. Why not put them all in an album? Buy some washi tape and go crazy! 

Brew your own kombucha or beer

There are many companies that sell kombucha or beer making kits for inside your house. Its like having a living science experiment in your home, until you drink it haha. Here are some beer making kits from the Brooklyn Brew Shop: https://brooklynbrewshop.com/collections/beer-making-kits .

Dye Your Hair! (Not permanently)

Why not go a little crazy? I know I did! You won’t be going to work for a little while, why not mix it up a little by changing up your look. There are several color depositing conditioner on the market now, overtone being the most well known. These conditioning hair masks deposit color pigments onto your hair and the color will come out after a few washes. This also means that to achieve the best results, your hair should be on the lighter side. I’m blonde and I sometimes highlight my hair and I really like using these products. KeraColor on Amazon & Overtone.co

Diner en Blanc

Events, LifeStyle

This exclusive event was started by a small group of friends in Paris, but has now grown into a worldwide sensation. Diner en Blanc, which literally means dinner in white in french, is a sophisticated outdoor picnic where everyone wears all white. The big catch is no one knows where the event is going to be held until the day of! When you buy the tickets you select a departure point and you have to get there at the exact scheduled meeting time and thats when the location is revealed. Then your table group travel to the location together as a group using public transportation.

Kick Axe Brooklyn

Events

For my birthday, I took my friends to throw some axes! I’ve been to Kick Axe Brooklyn twice before and its a lot of fun. I always have such a blast! It’s also a spot for a date. It’s actually a lot easier than you think and I’ve never seen anyone get hurt so don’t worry about that! There is an instructional safety demo for the first fifteen minuets and they explain everything you need to know. Trust me, you won’t get hurt and its so much fun!

http://www.elegantelite.blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/img_0242.mov

Color Factory NYC

Events

I had a really rough week at work so my boyfriend and I decided to stay in on Saturday night. On Sunday, I really wanted to do something but wasn’t really sure at first what to do. We finally decided to visit the color factory in nyc . This interactive popup exhibition is an immersive color experience. 

Diner en Blanc

Events

Diner en Blanc is a mysterious event that started as a french tradition among close friends. A few friends decided to have a sophisticated picnic in Paris. Tables, chairs, plates, and cutlery were all brought to the location by each attending member. To recognize each other, they all wore white. Each year this picnic got larger and larger, but because the group was always known for being curious and clean, they were able to grow their tradition to many other cities all over the world.

Thank you Stelara!

LifeStyle, Skincare

As the saying goes, “You don’t know what you got ’till its gone.” When my Psoriasis began to appear on my body, I went into a deep depression. I thought, “Why me?” I covered my skin and hid from everyone, even my friends sometimes. I would get questions like, “What is that?” or “Are you ok?” from close friends and family members who were just worried, but it made me feel embarrassed and I just wanted to hide even more.

My skin started to clear after using Stelara for only 6 months, and I started to feel positive again. I found some skin oils and lotions that helped keep my skin moisturized and healthy. I started to play around with makeup more and learned to cover the red and flaky patches that were on my face. Finally, my skin completely cleared up and I haven’t felt hindered by Psoriasis at all since starting Stelara.

One day, I noticed that I had completely clear skin, and that I was looking at a strong, but also beautiful person. I have a nice nose that some people would get a nose job for, but I’ve never considered it a noticeable feature or special. I have beautiful straight blonde hair that I get compliments on a lot, even though I sometimes think its flat and boring. I have ample boobage that creates difficulties shopping, but that some people would love to have.

Everyone wants what we can’t have. But sometimes when something you take for granted (like clear skin) gets taken away from you, you learn to appreciate the things that God gave you. I know really appreciate simple things now, things that some people take for granted. Like being able to shave your legs without worrying about a scaly rough patch that you will cut yourself on. Or wearing a skirt or a dress in the summer without having to worry about people staring at you or asking, “Are you ok?”

Thank you Stelara, you changed my life. I feel satisfied with the body I’m in, I feel free to wear and do what I want, and I feel happy to be able to live my life without having to worry about my skin.

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