LUSH Men's Review // Living Stephen

Hey guys!

I posted a video reviewing some LUSH products! I'm in love with this company and hope you guys check them out!

And go subscribe if you'd like!

Men's Hair Products Review // Living Stephen

Hey guys!

I posted a new video reviewing a couple of hair products! Go check it out and give it a good ol' blogger subscribe!

My Mom was Here! // Living Stephen

Hello everybody!

Since moving up to Portland, I have gone into this state of dismission. I have tried my best to not really think about how far I am from the comfort of Southern California and how unreal it still feels to think that I live in another state now. Luckily for me, I have had plenty of my friends and family come up and visit in the past couple weeks.

To my surprise, it helps so much more having a little taste of California every couple of weeks. Having someone who I love come up and stay with us for a week makes me miss it, but still feel alright about it. I haven't been forgotten since leaving and the ones I love the most have continued to reach out. My biggest fear about leaving was having to make "all new friends," like all of a sudden my friends from home weren't there anymore. Fortunately, that's not the case! I've been able to keep a balance of friends in Portland and friends in California.

This is all beside the point.. (haha.) Basically, my Mom came up and visited with my little brother, Christopher, for a couple of days. It was obviously really exciting and fun to be able to spend some time with my Mom. She is so supportive and amazing at giving advice. I was able to really delve into some of the emotions that only a Mom can bring out.

We did a couple of super exciting (tourist) things! I only snapped a couple of pictures because of the rain and the cold, but hopefully this gives you a little taste of what Portland is like!

One of the mornings, we went out to breakfast as a whole family. Tyler was able to take a couple of days off, and so was my brother, Robert. We went to Cafe Du Berry, which is a little French restaurant. Although the food wasn't what you would expect, it was still super delicious. (It definitely was not American, super food.)

We then headed up to the Vista House, which is just one of the first stopping points on your way to Multnomah Falls (if you're going the right way.) As you can see, it was clearly a pretty cold day.. So ignore the suffering all Tyler's face.

I had to add a couple of pictures from the falls. It was rainy and cold, so it was pretty difficult, but hopefully these two will suffice!

We went down to Saturday Market on the Waterfront of Portland. It is seriously one of the most fun things to do in Oregon, and I highly recommend stopping by some of the shops there. Unfortunately, I was a bad blogger and didn't take any pictures of the actual market, but did get a couple of my family by the water.

It really was such a fun little stay-cation. There's something so calming and unnerving about having your Mom around. All of a sudden the stress from day to day life disappears.

Anyways, I hope you guys are having a good week! I'll be posting a video on my Youtube channel sometime within the next couple of days. If you haven't already, go over and give it look! I'm so happy I started filming and hope you guys are enjoying it!

See you soon!

Stephen

Dealing with the Portland Rain // Living Stephen

I also posted my second video! Go check it out!

Stephen

OMSI Portland // Living Stephen

Hey guys!

Sorry it has been so long since I've actually done a post on here! It's been an eventful couple of weeks, with school starting back up and my Mom coming to visit for a week. 

Luckily, Tyler and I were able to get a day off together and explore some of Portland a little bit better. Portland is known for its artistic people and its complex art venues, so we decided to spend a day checking out some of the places we haven't been to before. One of the places that we knew we had to visit was OMSI (Oregon Museum of Science and Industry), which is a huge museum on the East side of Portland.

Unfortunately for us, it wasn't as worthwhile as we had hoped. It's not that the museum itself wasn't well kept or that the exhibits weren't exciting, it was just geared towards a different generation than us.. (and by that, I mean.. little kids.) Everything was extremely interactive, which would be awesome if we had brought our little brothers, but was not our cup of tea.

The museum was huge though, and I could tell they had put a lot of thought and effort into making it useful for children. It was also spring break in PDX, and I think a lot of parents just brought their children, so that they had something to do. We still made the most out of it, and actually had a good time looking at some of the artifacts they had.

Luckily, the Planetarium kind of rounded out the entire experience and made for such an amazing ending to a hectic day. OMSI offers shows every hour in their Planetarium and it was honestly one of the coolest things to watch. It was literally like being Ross and Rachel (if you get that reference, bravo.) OMSI also offers late night days, where adults can come, grab a beer and explore the museum without children. Hopefully the next time we go, we'll have a drink in our hand instead!

It really was such a beautiful view though. OMSI sits right on the waterfront, so Tyler and I explored the area a little bit more once we left. It was a rainy day, but the perfect weather for a little walk.

Portland is seriously one of the most beautiful cities, and I'm so fortunate. Although OMSI was a little bit disappointing, I'm super happy we got to experience it. Maybe next time, we can go, drink a little bit and play with the kids stuff.

Until next time,

Stephen

(OHH.. #ARTSY)

I Posted a Video! // Living Stephen

Hey guys!

I am so excited to announce that I finally started my Youtube channel! It's been a long time in the making, and I feel really proud of the outcome.

Go ahead and slide on over to my channel, and give it a good ol' subscribe!

See you soon!

Stephen

Fast Forward a Month // Living Stephen

Happy March!

I can't even believe that the last time I made a blog post was a month ago! February came and went so fast, it's hard to even catch my breath. So many fun and exciting events happened this month, and I feel so relieved and thrilled to get back into the normal habits of life again. There are a few big things that I wanted to document for you and myself, so enjoy a little montage of snips from February.

The first huge life event that occurred during February was that I quit my job at Urban Outfitters. I had been working for the company for a couple of months, and although I loved working there (Aka, I loved the discount), it was time for me to move on. I am still working for Starbucks, and going to school full-time, so it was beginning to get a little bit emotionally and physically exhausting having three full time jobs. I'm hoping with the free-up of space, I'll be able to focus a little bit more time on myself, my body, my relationships and this blog! All very important things, but all got put to the back burner when school started! So there's that.. no more discounts for me! Back to full price payer!

Another big part of the month was that my best friend from California, Cheyenne, came up and stayed with us for a couple of days! It was the perfect timing for me, having her here. I hadn't had a day off in over a month and a half, and was desperate for some quality days off. The time I spent with her and Tyler really put my life back into perspective (which is why I quit Urban.) I was spending so much time worried about how much I was working, and not spending enough time focusing on the end goal: getting my degree and starting a career. She helped me (indirectly) get my life back in order.

We spend a good amount of time sitting around and enjoying each other's company. Staying inside, drinking coffee during the day, laughing about our old adventures when we used to live together; then going out at night, grabbing dinner and drinks. One of the days, we ventured out to the coast to go to the Tillamook Cheese Factory (We love cheese.) We spent a good amount of time there, eating free cheese and ice cream (with regrets later, ew.)

*the only picture I have from the Factory, hahaha*

As we were driving back home, we decided to take a little detour. We pulled off the road, ran down a muddy hill towards a river (I don't know which one), and took in nature. I snapped a couple of photos because of how breathtaking it was.

As for the last (and the serious, biggest) event of this month was that Tyler and I became parents! We have been going to a little adoption center, run by the Oregon Humane Society, by our house for the past couple of months, looking for cat or two. We knew we wanted a younger kitten, and a possible playmate as well. When we went in two weeks ago, we both didn't have the highest expectations, but we fell in love with two little kittens.

Introducing..

 Mia! She's a year and a half old little Princess, and one of the sassiest cats I have ever met. She has all the qualities we need for a "Haus of Gays" cat.

And also, Eugene! Our little guy is 9 months old, and one of the funniest and cutest cats ever. He has so much energy and we're obsessed.

Well it's been such an eventful month, and I couldn't be happier with how this month turned out. Hopefully from now on, I'll be able to post a little bit more often and write more on fashion and such! 

Have a good one!

Stephen

Good bye, January! // Living Stephen

Holy shit, January is already over. I seriously can't believe that the New Year has gone by so quick, and we are into February now.

I've decided that at the end of the month (or around it), I'm going to start doing a review of the month. I feel like throughout the month, I'm so busy with work and school, that I sometimes forget to enjoy the little things in life. I need to start taking advantage of the fact that I'm young and that I live in a brand new city. It really doesn't get much better than that.

This month really hasn't been too worthwhile, unfortunately. I started back at school up here in Portland, which has been taking up most of my free time. It is almost like that awkward few days when you get back from vacation and you start back at work.. and you really aren't sure about things anymore. Everything feels foreign, and like you've been missing out on so much; when in reality, it really does take a little bit of time to get back into the swing of things.

Anyways, school has become somewhat of a routine for me, and I feel like I'm trying my best to absorb as much of my education as possible. (A lot harder than it sounds.)

I've also been trying to take advantage of the surroundings in my own backyard. I live in a dense part of Portland, with a lot of trees, views and wildlife around me. I still feel like I'm in California, where everything looks the same.. and everything is dry and brown. So the other day, Tyler and I went driving up the hill by our house, and discovered one of the most beautiful views. It's almost like a portrait in an art gallery. The view of Mt. Hood.

I've actually never been to Mt. Hood, but it's almost surreal feeling so close to it. It's insane just driving up the hill to the grocery store, looking over, and feeling so enveloped in nature.

Another big part of my month (and really, my entire time up in Portland) has been the consistency of seeing one of my best friends, Meghan. We have been friends since we were in high school, only meeting because we were in the community musical, Pinocchio. She instantly became one of my best friends, and for some reason, our paths keep crossing, allowing us to stay close. She moved to Southern Oregon to attend school, and has been able to come up to Portland a few times since. (She even let us catsit for her! <3) She has been one of the main reasons why I don't feel as homesick and sad about leaving California. She's been that little feeling of home that I needed.

Sorry this month was so boring! In the next few months, we'll be having a couple of different people staying with us, so I'll be going out and doing more!

Have a good February!

Stephen

Back to The Ol' Grind // Living Stephen

It's now late-January, and now is the time that most people would still be on their "New Year's High." You know, the one where you are still kind of going to the gym enough to feel like its still worth it, and you're still not drinking as many beers as you used to. Unfortunately for me, all of those habits died early.. and now I'm just lazy and tired all the time. I've tried to keep up with the eating healthier plan, which is actually going well! I've been trying to eat more fruits and vegetables, and have been rather successful at eating less Starbucks pastries (they are just so damn good, yo!).

Although the beginning of the New Year brings significant change, with going from working out and feeling better, to the days where you just want to sleep in and binge watch Friends. (I'm not talking from experience or anything...) I think one of the things that keeps me feel better about my lack of commitment is getting ready for the day, and feeling confident. I've noticed that my biggest issue with my confidence is that I let it show on the outside, which doesn't help the inside at all. I'm starting to realize that I need to spend much more time learning about myself and making the decisions to wear what I want, without worrying about what everyone else thinks.

So the other day, I went to the Waterfront with Tyler and we snapped a couple of pictures of one of the outfits that always makes me feel good about myself. Hopefully you have a few items in your closet that make you walk outside being like.. "Damn, I'm a hot piece of ass."

So as you probably have guessed, I went for a neutral look again. I always just feel a little bit more comfortable with dark tones and simplistic layers. It has been a cold couple weeks in Portland, so layering up seems to be pretty important, especially being this close to the Waterfront.

As for my coat, I'm wearing a really warm parka from Urban Outfitters. (It's on sale right now, so if you can afford it, definitely snatch it up!) I have never been the biggest fan of anything faux fur, or any fur for that matter, but I think the color contrasts with the parka perfectly, and isn't too big or obnoxious as to take away from the rest of the outfit. Also, it lines the entire inside of the jacket, so it's perfect for a cold and rainy day.

The shirt I'm wearing is also another one from Urban Outfitters. I am a huge fan of layering whenever possible, so I think that having a simple "go-to" collection of plain colored button ups is a must. I have probably about five or six plain colored shirts, so I have a shirt for whatever I'm wearing. This shirt seems to be one of my favorites (don't tell the others!!) . I think denim shirts is so clean looking, and matches with pretty much anything. Also, (even though you can't see in this picture) it has a really good length, which is perfect for people like me who struggle with height issues.

Now, I have NEVER been the kind of person who wears very much jewelry. I usually add a scarf or hat to my outfits to add more dimension, but I honestly could not find anything that I liked that went well with this look. I bought just a plain watch from Urban Outfitters, not thinking too much of it, thinking I would possibly wear to work or to school, so I don't have to keep my phone on me. Little did I know, I absolutely fell in love. I love how sophisticated it makes me feel (Damn straight.) and I think it brings that extra something to the look.

To this day, I still have yet to find the perfect pair of pants/jeans. This pair is from Levis, and it has come super close to the kind I would want. I love the fit of Levis jeans, but I think that their variation between the "same size" is off. I'll order a pair that is exactly the same size, fit and style online, and I'll get two completely different fitting jeans. Fortunately, this pair do fit exactly the way I want, and they do fit my lengthy body pretty well!

Now onto the shoes. I have been an anti shoe buyer for the longest time, and I am slowly coming out of my hate for them now that I work for Urban. I have always worn a pair of TOMS with any outfit, and I'm trying to slowly reach out and buy more boots. Luckily, H&M has a pretty good range of inexpensive boots, that feel and look expensive. I have been obsessed with the color of these boots since I bought them and (after I clean the mud off) I'll be wearing them all the time!

I hope you guys have a good rest of your January! I'm hoping to be posting at least once a week, now that I'm back onto a normal schedule (maybe twice, if I'm lucky!)

Stephen

New Years Style // Living Stephen

So I know, it's now the middle of January and I am just now posting about my New Years look, but sometimes the days go by quickly, and I can't find the time to go out and take pictures. Luckily, here we are, half way through the month, and I have finally gotten the opportunity to sit down and post!

I decided that my first fashion post of the year should be about what I plan on wearing for the year. I was beginning to feel a little bit uninspired towards the end of 2014, and I thought that with the new year, should come a new way of styling myself. I have always been an extremely tall and big guy. I've been over 6 feet tall since high school, and I've always been a lot bigger than everyone else. Not necessarily by weight, but mostly just my body is big. It's something that I have dealt with my entire life, and something I have always hated about myself. I always wished I could be a little bit shorter, and be just a little bit smaller. With this year, I want to try my best to embrace my body. It's hard for me to find clothes that I feel confident in, but I'll be trying my best to find pieces that I like, that also make me feel good about myself as well.

So to start off the new year, I've decided to go with a pretty standard, winter inspired look. I tried to put a couple of different dark colors together, for the sole purpose that I always feel a little bit better about the way I look when I keep things a little bit more low key. I have also been working at Urban Outfitters, so I'm able to really delve into a lot of the things I've been buying, by being able to see how people style each piece and finding things that I feel would go together.

Like I said, I tried to stay pretty neutral with all the dark colors. I'm wearing a faux leather jacket from Urban Outfitters, that wasn't exactly what I was expecting. It's definitely much better made than I expected, and has a different look than what I thought. It makes me think of a fashionable biker dude.. as odd as that sounds. My shirt is from H&M; it's just a plain Henleys shirt. The only thing that sucks about it is the fact that it's see through (which is the case with a lot of the men's basics at H&M), so I'm always weary about putting the shirt on without any jacket or cardigan over it!

My biggest obsession since moving to Portland is obviously the change of climate. I'm able to delve into a new realm of fashion that I wasn't able to be a part of in San Diego; with it being so damn hot all the time! I am able to buy bigger scarves and thicker jackets, without the inability to wear them. Now, I wear scarves with pretty much everything, including this one. It's from Urban Outfitters as well. It's extremely warm and cozy, and is the best color! It matches pretty much anything, and is perfect for any day in Portland. (Don't have facial hair if you're wearing it though.. This shit gets all up in your beard!)

One of the things I've noticed about Portland fashion is their lack of TOMS. I know it's such a random trend to notice, but I honestly think TOMS is only big in San Diego because its so warm and dry, and almost never rains. Unfortunately for me, all I own are TOMS, and I've learned the hard way that you can't wear them in the rain. Luckily, TOMS has a new brand of shoes that have a pretty big sole and stay pretty dry in the rain. TOMS is also an amazing company, so I'll probably stay pretty loyal to them and continue to buy their shoes.. even if I suffer from wet feet.

I hope everyone is having a good year so far, and staying as true to your resolutions as you can!

Stephen

Welcome to 2015 // Living Stephen

Happy New Year!

I can't believe that 2014 is actually over and that 2015 has begun. It's been an insane year, and I couldn't be happier with the results. I made some huge changes in my life, and I honestly feel like 2014 was a huge milestone. I moved out of my parent's for the first time, which was a lot more emotional than I ever thought it would be. I moved in with my boyfriend of two year, which has been one of the most amazing roller coasters I've ever been on. I moved to a different state and started a different lifestyle completely, which has been one of the most rewarding adventures I have done.

Moving forward, I feel like as great as 2014 was, I need to start thinking of 2015 has a challenge. I challenged myself in 2014 to step outside of my comfort zone, and do things that I never thought I'd ever be able to accomplish. I have always loved the comfort of my own four walls, and it took a lot out of me to make so many big decisions for myself in a year. So, as cliche as it may be, I want to make a promise to myself. (I'm not calling them resolutions, maybe I will stick to them if I don't) I want to promise a few things to myself and everyone else. I want to continue to step outside of my comfort zone and experience different things.

So first off, I want to make it a point to live a healthier lifestyle. I know that this is the main "resolution" that everyone seems to make (but not me, I'm different!), but I think that it is a positive one! I'm not going to say I'm going to start working out every day, or completely cutting out chocolate and ice cream.. I'm just saying, I need to be more cautious of my body. I have had a gym membership since I moved up to Portland, I think it's finally time to start actually using it. As well, I want to start being more health aware when it comes to what I eat. I want to start making things more, and putting more time and effort into prepping and eating correctly.

My second promise is to explore more. Portland is known for it's off the wall vibe, and it's massive array of food options, and it's time that I start taking advantage of them. I want to make it a point to try a few new restaurants, and do more things that I normally wouldn't do. There is literally so many little fun things to do around this area, and I want to start enjoying them.

My last resolution is to this blog. I always love sitting down and writing a little bit about what has been going on with me, and expressing myself through writing and photography. I have already planned out the next couple of months, and I'm so excited to start blogging more. I want to start incorporating more fashion into my posts and start using my knowledge to hopefully help someone else out! So plan on seeing a little bit more detail on fashion and other men's care! Also, I have a better camera (Thanks to T Bum!) so hopefully the quality of the pictures will be better and hopefully inspire any one out there!
I'm hoping that with this idea of spending more time with blogging, I'll start gaining the courage to start a Youtube channel, and start shifting some of my ideas to video blogging! But we'll have to wait and see about that..

Anyways, I'm excited to start the New Year! It's going to be amazing one, and I'm so thrilled to see what 2015 has in store for me!

See you later!
Stephen