Elements Chicago

Elemental living - Chicago inspired. 

[elements-chicago]

One of the best screen printers in Chicago!

So more than several weeks ago, our company was in search for a screen printer that fit our criteria both budget wise and quality wise. Although we narrowed down our list via some google searches, we took our search to Facebook to see if we could narrow things down even more than before. Just so that we could get a competitive list of places, so we could ensure that whomever printed our shirts would fit all our needs. After substantially long phone calls and questions related to reviews and samples, we found our list decrease all the way from 55 potential printers to 1. This printing company claimed to be one of the first screen printers in chicago, although they didn’t have any proof to validate this claim, we could tell that their experience truly trumped others we had contacted. They said they’d beat any of our competitors prices right out of the door, and print with only the highest quality of inks and use the best shirts that would fit both our budget and our needs. Although this sounded too good to be true, we jumped on the opportunity to see if there was any way we could obtain a couple samples of their work. Just to see if their claims could be backed up with evidence. And needless to say, we were astonished at our findings.

Not only did they use one of the most durable inks we had ever seen, but it was extremely lightweight and felt as if it were part of the shirt it had been printed onto. The shirt was soft and extremely lightweight/flexible. They claimed that this shirt was 100% cotton and was on sale for only $1.67 A SHIRT. Which was not only unheard of, it was astonishing. We quickly called them up to schedule an appointment to talk more about the job. Although they worked out of their home, it was a very welcoming environment with little to no pressure – instead of treating us like another invoice number, they treated us with dignity and respect. Something that a lot of other screen printing businesses failed to do when obtaining quotes.

Once we finalized the order and put 50% down on the project, they quickly sprung to it and completed it within a weeks time. The shirts themselves looked amazing, seeing our logo on a tee shirt was not only satisfying, it really helped advertise our cause. So now when people ask about our website or ask where they can follow our blog, we tell them to look at our shirts to find out. This in itself has helped our business tremendously and we can’t thank Quality Screen Print enough for their amazing work!

We truly with them the best and will definitely be coming back to order more shirts when the time comes around. Maybe next time, we’ll order hoodies. We’ll see.

Big shoutout to Qsprint though – they’re truly one of the best screen printers in Chicago.…

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[elements-chicago]

Console games are dying.

There are many elements in the things we do. From shopping to browsing the internet, everything small forms into something much larger. I’d hate to involve video games, but that’s another PRIME example of many elements coming together as a whole. From the textures that are pasted onto the 3D models to the animations that are created for every PED and other in-game object. Video games can be a great example of several elements coming together to form something badass. And if you aren’t aware of how much effort, time and dedication goes into creating a video game, then this blog article isn’t for you.

However, video games themselves have been on the down lately as far as consumer interest goes, especially console games. Which is no surprise at all, considering the fact everything is slowly being replaced with mobile devices and mobile gaming.

You go to the store – there’s phone cases at the checkouts.

You go to any shopping mall – A majority of people will have smart devices.

You go to any social gathering and you’ll see swarms of millennials on their smart devices, either texting away or playing a game on their phone. As much as I’d like to argue about how bad this is for the population, I might as well save that rant for another post of mine. Or, if you so desperately would like to read anything related to how technology addicted our generation is, you may this here.

Back onto the topic. We’ve driven by video games, especially mobile games. I myself play a variety of games, from Clash of Clans to Racing Rivals. There’s a list of games I would consider to be dominating the charts so very much, that they’re completely eradicating the console gaming industry.

There are perks to console gaming though. From the extremely optimized frame rate and images to absolutely no presence of lag. Add the ability to optimize internet connection speeds to drastically reduce lost packets and wasted bandwith and you might begin to wonder why we ever turned to mobile gaming? The sad truth is, it’s because console games are extremely hard to hack.

For instance, if I wanted to hack Forza on my Xbox One, I would need to have a modded Xbox in order to do so. And that alone can cost in upwards of several hundred dollars to do the CORRECT way. More so, even after the console is modded, you have to buy the proper firmware to use in correlation with the mod, which makes modifying a console extremely tedious, difficult and expensive.

Whereas, if I were wanting to hack a mobile game such as racing rivals, all I would have to do is log into the game, open up a browser on my PC or mobile device, navigate to a racing rivals hack like this one and utilize their online tool to generate whatever amounts I currently require. IT’S THAT EASY.

And the sad part is, it’s not going to get any easier for console gamers either, as the companies creating these consoles are creating more secure ways to prevent hackers from modifying game data. Which not only makes it harder to reach that desired level you’ve always wanted to reach – it makes it a stretch from impossible.

To sum it all up, I personally believe that console gaming is dying at a rate much faster than first anticipated and mobile gaming will eventually take over the market it once saturated. More so, I believe that once this happens there will be more transitions into creating more secure games on iDevices and Androids alike. So for those currently using hacks and cheats to get ahead in the game, I highly recommend using an alternative method!

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[elements-chicago]

Thoughts are worthless without action

There is a true pandemic in this world, and I’m not referring to infectious disease either. On the other hand, it might as well be. Because the subject we’re crossing into today is not only infectious, it is cancerous. Something that’ll affect every single decision you make, as well as the life you choose to create for yourself. It’s funny how something so destructive lurks in our everyday lives and goes completely unnoticed. It’s even funnier how simple it is to change and eradicate the pandemic from the source. So before I go any further into this subject, allow me to explain what I’m referring to…

Laziness and Worry

I would be a liar if I claimed that these exact traits aren’t prevalent in my life or any of my friends lives, which is the precise reason why I choose to refer to these two things as a pandemic – because they’re seen everywhere and inadvertently affect the lives of many and cause dreams and effort to go to waste.

Now that we’ve instilled this “pandemic”, allow me to explain the methods I use to counteract and ELIMINATE it’s effects in my life and the lives of those around me.

#1: Set your goals

This is quite an obvious tactic to counteract Laziness. Not only because it presents more than several things you wish to achieve, but because it’ll spawn a constant-impending thought in your mind, which is something that’s VERY hard to get rid of. By setting your goal, your chances of following through with whatever goals you have are significantly higher than if you hadn’t set a goal in the first place.

#2: Try and try again

Every circumstance you encounter will present you with either success or failure, depending on whatever circumstance it may be, you might be presented with failure more commonly than success.

By using failure as a motivator to keep trying, you’ll begin to construct a solid path to success.

#3: Less research, more application

You can research a topic for months, but that won’t make you an absolute expert in it. If you don’t apply your theories into the real world, results will never be seen. Thus, completely affecting your chances for success. By applying the tactics you learn in whatever materials you read, you’ll break through barriers nobody else wants to.

#4: People will hold you back

There will always be individuals that seek to take time away from you. Maybe not intentionally, but for their own benefit. These are the kinds of people you should absolutely avoid, especially if you’re wanting to move ahead and progress in whatever tasks you have at hand.

#5: Thoughts are worthless without action

No matter how much you want to wish your thoughts to life, nobody has the ability to bring them to reality other than YOU. You can think about success or think about achievements, but thinking and doing are two very separate actions. By applying your thoughts to actions, you’re breaking the comfort zone and extending outward into unknown territory.

Achievements are obtained by those who work hard and step out of their comfort zone. And as avoidable as this might be, it’s one of the greatest tactics you can use to get ahead in whatever tasks you have.

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[elements-chicago]

Best Restaurants in the city of Chicago.

There’s a very large list of places you can visit in Chicago. In fact, I’d like to consider Chicago to be the absolute center of America’s food industry. From our creative dishes to our delicious treats, we’re THE powerhouse of all things food related.

Check out ZAGAT’s list of the best restaurants to visit in Chicago:

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[elements-chicago]

Chicago’s darkest places.

Ah yes, sweet home Chicago. It can be a great place to visit, especially if you’re here for school, a business meeting or on a vacation. But as shiny and optimistic our landscape may seem, it is full of many interesting and DARK places that I believe everybody should be aware of, whether they live here or are just visiting. I know this blog is usually about more inspiring things, but we decided that it’d be a nice break from our usual posts to talk about something more… Interesting?

Here’s our top 3 creepiest places in Chicago.

  #1: The Cullerton Hotel

Al Capone left a legacy when he died, and we’re not referring to his offspring either. Supposedly, there are cursed objects in the form of bricks that linger since the time of the St Valentines Day Massacre. According to nearby store owners, this site has been known to cause bad luck. Not only for the business owners, but for the unlucky customers as well. Many paranormal investigators and psychics claim that this area has an extremely high activity of spiritual presence – it’s no wonder considering this place used to be a hotspot for illegal gambling, boot legging, prostitution and peep shows.

There were plans to destroy the original site and replace it with something less creepy. However, it’s been decided that it’d be best to replace the bricks instead, for historic preservation reasons.

  #2: Murder Castle

This place is so iconic, even American Horror Story decided to create an entire SEASON after it called “Hotel”. From it’s trap rooms to it’s gas chambers, this place is both historic and absolutely creepy. Located in Englewood, Murder Castle is known to be owned by the most terrifying serial killer of all time – H.H. Holmes. It’s been said that there’s no actual count on the amount of lives H.H. Holmes had taken over the years. However, it is known to be one of the most paranormal active sites in all of Chicago. Numerous accounts claim to have seen apparitions so clearly it’s as if they’re a real person. People often stand in the street to see if they catch a glimpse or maybe even a picture. Most people get scared away by the explainable noises that radiate out into the street. If you visit this place or even remotely come within 500 feet of it, make sure you bring extra tighty whities.

#3: Resurrection Cemetery

  If the first two stories weren’t enough for you to jump out of your seat and begin running in the opposing direction of your screen, then this should do the trick. Resurrection Cemetery is known to have a young female apparition travel alongside of Archer Avenue, primarily questioning males if she could have a ride somewhere. There are more than 12 dozen accounts of her being spotted, alongside of having given a ride to a young female, only for her to vanish out of thin air. Folklore says that Young Mary had gotten into a fight with her boyfriend and was left to walk back home, only to be killed by a hit-and-run driver on her walk back. The really creepy fact about this story is how many people have spotted or driven Young Mary in their cars, only to be abandon by the girl.

There’s lot’s evidence of supernatural occurrences. Does that mean Me, Jimmie or Sebastian are believers? We don’t exactly know yet. On the other hand, stories like these are enough to get our hearts thumping.

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[elements-chicago]

You’re only as good as you try.

There have been many questions related to personal success lately, which is why I decided to put together a small post related to success, achievement and work ethic. If you follow along, you might find some golden nuggets in this post. The suggestion of diminishing the mindsets we’re presenting might sound extremely brutal for those who fall susceptible to them. However, what I’m saying is in the best interest and means absolutely no harm to anybody. Again, if you are to follow along, I’m sure you’ll begin to understand. So sit back, relax, grab yourself a cup of tea and enjoy the ride!

Failure is the pathway to success.

We have the tendency as humans to avoid things that cause us harm – especially failure. It’s common for people to separate from a path if they feel as if they’ll continually fail, no matter their efforts or due diligence. But what if I told you that failure is one of the only paths to finding true success? That if you endure the pain, the struggles, the sorrow and the fog you’ll see clarity, and every step you take from then on will be successful? Well, that’s precisely the case. So if you’re willing to change your mindset and pain threshold, I can gauruntee you’ll find success in whatever you do. Break free from the laziness and the worry – be different. As Warren Buffet said “Price is what you pay. Value is what you get.”

  Money = Success

Money has and always will be the number one way to calculate a persons success. But in doing so, you’re lessening the chances of seeing the big picture, as well as how that individual got to where they are. Never use Money to calculate success! Use experience, judgement and motivation. Because a person can have all the money in the world and be financially literate or mentally well-off.

  Passing classes means you’re successful

We all see it on a daily basis. In fact, it’s even extremely prevalent in the work force. Passing classes doesn’t mean you’re successful, it means you’re an intelligent thinker that grasps certain models and has a sharp memory. I’ve seen some of the most intelligent people fail in certain areas, whereas those who are less intelligent succeed in others.We’re all unique in our learning abilities, alongside of our personalities. So being just as smart as the next person isn’t exactly expected, nor does it equate to success.

  You are what your friends are

This is more than a sad truth, it’s disheartening. Some of the people you hold dear might be the precise ones holding you back from achieving the things you want. Not because they intend to see you fail, but because they’re not in the same category as a free thinker. I’m not saying you should cut it off at the source and cut ties with your beloved friends, but you should choose your friends wisely and who you hang around for prolonged periods of time. Because as sad as this is to say, you are who you hang around. Just as much as you are what you eat.

  Sometimes it’s best to give up

I know how contradicting this is to say, considering the first piece of advice I supplied, but in certain situations it’s BEST to give up. For instance, I’m working towards a major I know I’ll never be happy in and I have enough credits to apply in another major I’m extremely passionate in. The best thing for me to do is allocate all that effort into what I’m passionate in instead of wasting my hard earned money, time and effort into something I know will inevitably fail.

Take this advice with a grain of salt or hold them dear. Your perception is the only thing that’ll decide whether these small pieces of advice apply to you or not.

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