Monthly Musings - February
Art
Saskia Wariner is a German artist that has illustrated and designed for Vans, Urban Outfitters, Cosmopolitan, and many other large companies. She uses simple line work and color to personify her illustrations, which gives each piece individuality and voice. View and shop her work here!
Music
This month I was reminded of this self-titled album by Darwin Deez. I first heard this album about three years ago and I quickly became addicted to listening to it. His music is both upbeat and melancholy. His thought-provoking, metaphoric lyrics paired with his catchy hooks and melodies create the perfect balance of cohesion and contrast throughout the entire album. Every track is written simplistically and maintains individuality among its peers. The album is bright, fun, and completely unforgettable. Listen to the song “Radar Detector” and tell me I’m wrong.. I dare you.
Books
Lydia Davis’ Can’t and Won’t is a collection of short stories that observe the nuances of everyday life. She uses careful inspection, form, and wit to convey meaning and feeling that makes each story an entity of its own. Between her hard-hitting one-liners and stylized articulation, this read is captivating and revealing. Her voice is unmistakable and her humor unmatched. Davis’ writings are something to be experienced and pondered upon. Go with her to the subtle and strange places of the ordinary and begin to see the peculiarities in everyday life. Spoiler alert: there are many.
Film
Vertigo is one of those films that had been on my “Films You Should Watch Before Publicly Claiming to be a ‘Movie Buff'” list for way too long, so I sat myself down and gave this film the watch it deserves. This film startled me, confused me, but most of all intrigued me. I found myself visiting my dear friend Google to learn more about Hitchcock and the creative process that went into making this film as psychologically disturbing and beautiful as it is. If you’re into films that confuse, discomfort, fascinate and require additional viewings and research, this might be the perfect film for you and your off day.
Media
This month I found myself craving new fashion-focused social media accounts. Through a series of searching, clicking, and scrolling, I came across Harper Slate. Harper’s take on 1970’s fashion in a 2017 world is thoughtful and evocative. They use imagery and style to bring out a sense of nostalgia and fluidity that I have yet to come across elsewhere. Each photo highlights not only the clothing but the person wearing it in a way that allows for certain transparency and feeling to transcend the phone screen. For photography, fashion, and feed inspo., throw ’em a follow!
Self-Care
This month I chose to really focus on my sleeping habits. Sleep is one of those things in life that is easily disrupted. It affects every part of our life, whether we are conscious of it or not, so this month I decided to try to give myself at least 30 minutes of chill time before bed without my phone or computer. Because I have become so accustomed to checking my phone every two minutes and scrolling through Instagram until I fall asleep, this task proved to be more difficult than I imagined. To make my evening routine before bed feels less forced and restrictive, I traded phone/ computer time with reading/ tea time. As I look back at the past month, I realize that this was such a small and obvious way to clear my mind and get better sleep at night, but it truly changes my perception of sleep and how much more I should be valuing and protecting it. So, for March, I encourage you to give your brain some time to calm down before going to sleep and see how it affects you. If you are anything like me, you may become angered that you didn’t listen to all those Pinterest posts telling you to do this earlier 🙂
xoxo,
Lexi Jade