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

Winter Tips // Living Stephen

Hello everyone!

I wanted to start off by apologizing for the lack of posts this past week! I have been working every day since Thanksgiving, and haven't had any down time to sit and write. I absolutely love Christmas and I had so many things inspire me the last few weeks, and it makes me so sad that I only have a few more weeks to share them. So keep checking by in the next three weeks because I hope to make the most out of December!

Like I said before, I absolutely love Christmas. I love to bundle up with some blankets, put Elf on, light some candles, and drink hot chocolate. Unfortunately, the worst past about Christmas is that life still goes on, and you have to go outside into the rain and endure outside life, even though you want to be inside listening to Christmas music. So today, I'll share with you guys some of my winter tips to get through the rain and sludge.

My number one tip is to not care how you look when you're outside in the rain and cold. When I moved to Portland, I had "rainy California" in my head, where you can go outside in the middle of winter in a light jacket and tennis shoes. Unfortunately, that is not the case in the majority of the world, so my advice is to not care about how you look, take care of yourself! I made the mistake of being like "I don't care! I won't wear a beanie, I don't want my hair to look a mess!" I was wrong. So wrong. When you're outside in the pouring rain, you shouldn't care how your hair looks or how many jackets you have on! (I wore three coats the other day..)
What I would say is go out and buy a travel size bottle of hairspray to put into your bag, grab one of your favorite warm scarves to wear over your coats, and don't worry about fixing yourself up until you get back into the dry indoors!

This brings me to the next tip: go places being prepared! I always bring a bag to work with all my little essentials. I always have a bottle of hairspray, an extra pair of socks, a scarf, a beanie, and gloves. (For women, you'd probably want a couple little make up things as well) I think that for people like me, I don't usually care how I look and don't expect other people to judge me based on my appearance, but I do however like to have my hair done. So have an extra hairspray or some hair product in my bag is a must. I just run into the bathroom once I get to work, throw some hairspray on, fix it up and I'm good!

My third tip is listen to Christmas music! I know a lot of people are not big fans of Christmas music like I am, but I honestly think listening to it makes being outside SO much better. I've noticed that I am in a better mood, and that I start to appreciate the cold and the winter. Plus, there is a lot of really amazing Christmas music out there from pretty much any artist (My favorite this year is Kelly Clarkson!)

My last tip is to be happy! I've noticed that a lot of people are pretty depressed and unhappy once it starts raining and feels a bit gloomy, but if you are being positive, people will feed off of it! I try to at least look not completely miserable on the bus, and I've noticed people realizing it and smiling. It's Christmas time, and people should be in a positive mood! It really is the best time of the year!

That's all I have for you guys today! I'll be able to post more pictures in the coming weeks, as I have a few big things coming up! Let me know of any winter tips you have. I'd love to hear them!

Stephen

It's about to get crazy // Living Stephen

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

It is officially the day before Thanksgiving! I can't believe it's already this far into the year. I keep thinking back to August, and how this all seemed so far away. This is the first holiday season away from my family and friends, but I feel so grateful to be able to have my boyfriend, Tyler and my brother, Robert. 

We're having a little baby Thanksgiving with a couple of friends tonight, which will hopefully help with the loss of Thanksgiving I'll be getting this year (it may be a positive, since I'm a little sad I'm not home). I've been working at Urban Outfitters for the season, so my schedule the past few weeks has been a little bit crazy. This week especially, I will be working from noon tomorrow to Friday at 6 PM, with about eight hours worth of sleep time in between.. so you could imagine, it being a lot.

This is all brings me to the topic of not really being able to get out of the house this week to take pictures, or being able to put together a post for the week. I told myself that I'd post at least once a week, and to keep a schedule going, but this week has just been too much! (It's all positive, I promise!)

So I will see you all next week! Have a great Thanksgiving, and remember to take a minute to realize what you are grateful for!

Stephen

PS. Can we discuss how beautiful the trees outside my house are?? I mean, damn!

Is it too soon for Christmas? // Living Stephen

Hello everybody!

As you may or may not know, I work for Starbucks and have the pleasure (or not) of talking to many different kinds of people, since I work in a busy part of downtown; tourists from all around the world, business people, homeless people, and all of the different kinds of people in between. Since Halloween ended, Starbucks has started to slowly start bringing in the Christmas decorations and drinks, and now, here we are, mid-November, and the Christmas has gone full force in every store across the nation.

So from my experience the past couple of weeks from customers and coworkers, I have found a very negative response to the Christmas joy coming so early. Many people walk in, roll their eyes at the Christmas music playing and joke about how we "just forget about Thanksgiving." (which is probably a little bit true.)

However, sometimes I witness the complete opposite. I'll see people walk in from the rain and gloom, and instantly become overwhelmed with excited and happiness as they see the red cups are out and the Christmas coffee is back in. I feel their excitement that Christmas is just around the corner, and that before we know it, the hustle and bustle of Christmas will be here. It really is such an amazing thing to witness and makes my opinion that much more cemented.

Lets get one thing straight; I love Thanksgiving. I love eating, sitting back and reminiscing about all of the things I have in my life that I am thankful for. It's great. However, I honestly love starting Christmas this early. Tyler and I already started decorating for Christmas in our house, and I already have three tabs opened to lists of gifts I have ready for my family and friends. Yes, I may be a little bit obsessed with Christmas, but I really don't think we should think negatively about Christmas starting. If you think about it, if we start "getting into the Christmas spirit" on December 1st, that gives us only about 24 days to get all of our excitement in. Now, for some people.. that seems like a long time, but for some of us crazy humans, it's not.

I think Christmas is a time for people to feel happy and excited, and I think that if that feeling starts a couple weeks early, why not? Work seems to go by faster, I feel more accepting of the cold, and I'm generally in a better mood!

Now that I put in my two sense about Christmas, let me know what you think! Write me on Tumblr or down in the comments, and tell me your opinion. I'd love to hear it!

I'm going to go listen to Christmas music now!

Stephen

Fall Fashion Essentials // Living Stephen

Hello everyone!

Now that we have officially gone into the fall months, and it is officially cold as hell outside, I thought I'd put together a little list of some of the essential clothing you'll need in these colder months. It's been absolutely freezing in Portland, and we actually got a little bit of snow yesterday, so I thought it was finally time to start bundling up for enduring the cold.

It's a lot colder up in the Northwest than it ever was in Southern California. The colder months got down to maybe 60 degrees, at the coldest, but up here, it's been a consistent 30.. and this is only the beginning. Luckily, the weather is still nice enough outside that you can still dress relatively cute without being completely bundled from head to toe.

As you'll be able to tell, I'll be trying to keep a consistent essentials list throughout the next few months, including winter. It's really hard to put money aside from a lot of clothing, so I always recommend recycling your clothes as much as possible, and using different pieces in different ways! Hopefully you'll feel inspired to go out and look cute.. even it's snowing.

1. Hoodies with Leather Jackets

I think this is one of the most important looks to keep in mind during the Fall time. I think sweatshirts can be really dressed up when you throw on a nice jacket over it, and it keeps you really warm as well! Also, pullovers seem to be relatively on the inexpensive side, so it's really easy to change out the sweatshirt, keep the leather jacket, and have a completely different look!

Leather Jacket: Cotton On (similar)

Sweatshirt: Urban Outfitters (similar)

2. Multicolored Pants

One of the clothing pieces I always forgot to focus on at every time of year is pants. I always feel like I end up just putting on jeans or a pair of black pants because I think it looks good with everything. This fall, I want to try and spice things up a little bit and change out the pants I wear. I've chosen a couple of neutral darker colors for this season, like greens and tan, just to kickstart this new "pant revelation" I have. We'll see how I do.

Pants: Urban Outfitters/Levis/Pac Sun

3. Fun socks

I always feel like this is the most random accessory to be obsessed with, but I am in love with socks. I think they are perfect for fall because you can wear them for warmth and for style. I also feel like I usually wear a lot of button ups and nice boots, so it always makes me feel a little bit more fancy having a fun pair of socks that ties my outfit together.

Socks: Target (same)

4. Beanies

One of the biggest struggles I face during fall is finding accessories. I always feel like I wear pants, jackets and shoes everyday, and I don't feel like I ever have an opportunity to accessorize. So I think having a few beanies at hand is the perfect way to add some extra color to your fall style. Plus, you don't even have to do your hair.. which is probably the main reason I think I love beanies so much.

Beanies: Urban/Target

5. Christmas Sweaters

Before anyone thinks anything, I know.. it's technically fall, and I shouldn't even be thinking about Christmas until December. But c'mon. I start pulling out my Christmas sweaters as soon as it starts feeling like winter time. I think these sweaters look good at any time of the year, but it always makes me feel like we're so much closer to Christmas when I put these on. I just love the designs, and they are so comfortable and warm.

Sweater: Urban Outfitters (similar)

6. Layers of Cardigans and Button Ups

So I honestly have a little bit of a problem when it comes to button ups and cardigans. I pretty much wear them at all times of the year, but I think during fall, it makes the most sense. It's just cold enough that you can't just wear a shirt, but it's perfect for when you get inside and take off your big coat. I think having multiple colors of cardigans is essential because they can pair with pretty much anything. I have a lot of button ups as well that I wear all year long, so this is just one way I wear them during fall!

Cardigan: Urban Outfitters (similar)

Button Up: Urban Outfitters (similar)

7. One pair of nice boots

I know, I know. I meant what I wrote, just one pair of nice boots. I think the worst part of fall and winter is that you don't really want to wear all of your really nice shoes when it's rainy and muddy outside. So I recommend having one pair of "go-to" boots that you can wear all season. I always feel like black look really amazing with any look, so I think sticking to a neutral boot takes away the struggle of cleaning all of your nice shoes once it gets warm again!

Boots: ASOS (same)

Well I hope you guys are enjoying the Fall wherever you are in the world! I am absolutely loving it. Just for the record, it's November 13th and I already put my Christmas stuff out.. so I think I'm prepared for the winter.

See you next time,

Stephen

Favorite Youtubers // Living Stephen

Happy November!

I can't believe that October is already over, and we're already a few days into November! This year has flown by, and it's safe to say that I'm more than ready for the Christmas season to be back.

Besides spending more than enough time sitting and thinking of Christmas, I have been spending a lot of time following a lot of people on Youtube. It's been a more recent obsession (probably within the past two years), but I have found myself extremely enveloped and interested in the people I have subscribed to on Youtube! I find myself excited to watch these people and it made me really want to delve into the world on blogging, which is where I am now!

Hopefully, within the next few months, I'll start a Youtube channel.. but lets not get ahead of ourselves.

With that being said, I thought I'd put together a little list of a few of my favorite Youtubers who I've staying up to date with recently!

1. Mamrie Hart (You Deserve a Drink/Mametown)

Now you probably know Mamrie Hart from the "Holy Trinity," which consists of Mamrie, Grace Helbig and Hannah Hart, but what you probably don't know is how fucking hilarious Mamrie is on her own. I can literally watch any of her videos and die of laughter. As well as watching HeyUSA, I've been obsessed with both of her channels. One, where she makes alcoholic drinks (YASS), and the other where she literally sits and just talks.. all the while, making me laugh like I've never laughed before. If you need some funny shit, she's the one.

2. Billy & Pat Sandora-Nastyn (BillyandPatVlog)

Billy and Pat have been some of my favorite Youtubers, since they first began making videos a few year ago. They started out with making videos about their road to getting married; may it be the fun stuff, like what they were wearing and where the wedding was going to be, to the more difficult things, like who to invite and dealing with the "gay wedding" term. Since being married, they've taken me into this realm of seeing the future for Tyler and I, and they really have inspired me. They show a different side of the gay community, that I don't think very many people see. They show a stable, mature relationship, while talking about issues that I deal with in my relationship as well. Plus, they have two cats.. so you should watch them, strictly for that reason.

3. Mitch Grassi & Scott Hoying (SUPERFRUIT)

So I'm absolutely obsessed with the Pentatonix, and ever since they started making videos on Youtube, I have been a die hard fan. So as soon as Scott and Mitch started making their own videos on their own channel, I knew I would fall in love.. which of course, I did. I think what I like most about these two is that I loved them as singers, and now I'm falling in love with them as people now. They are literally so hilarious, and they feed off each other in a way that I have never seen before. With their quirky jokes and their obsession with Beyonce, I could not be more obsessed.

4. Colleen Ballinger (PsychoSoprano)

Okay, okay.. before you assume I'm talking about Miranda, just stop. I'm obsessed with Miranda, just like everyone else, but I'm also IN LOVE with Colleen. Her videos are literally perfect in every way. She does weekly Q&As, that alone will make you laugh and cry at the same time, but also she does just random videos, from Sam and Laybia to daily vlogging. She is one of the few Youtubers that is meant to be in front of the camera and makes you feel like you're actually normal. Plus, I saw her show as JUST Colleen, and that bitch can siiiiiiiing.

5. Hannah & Stef Michalak (hannah maggs)

So to wrap up my little list of favorite Youtubers, I'd end with one of my all time favorite channel. Hannah Maggs. I'm usually not someone who really likes daily vlogging too much, mostly because I think they are done really quickly and without very much editing skills, but holy shit.. if you watch this channel, you will be blown away. The video quality is absolutely incredible and the shots are not just close ups of their face the whole time, you are actually brought into their world. They film the scenery around them, which is absolutely gorgeous, as well as bringing new and exciting filming techniques to their footage. I've actually teared up from how beautiful the videos are. As well as loving Hannah and Stef as a couple, their parenting is remarkable and watching Squeaky-G is so much fun! Also, Hannah dresses too perfection, which is always fun too!

Alright, well that's all the Youtubers I'll share with you guys today.. Trust me, there are so many more out there that I have yet to find, so if you have any recommendations or Youtubers that you love, let me know in the comments!

Until next time,

Stephen