The Spark Post's Tumblr

We are a lively online publication catering to trend-setting and independent young women. This isn't our website, our website is: www.thesparkpost.com. This tumblr will show all of our posts (from the website and across all social media platforms we are on). It will also showcase art and photography we find inspiring.

[thesparkpost]

New Band Alert: X LOVERS

Hey guys! We at The Spark Post are super excited to announce that we will be releasing an interview next month on a new alternative pop band out of Northern California, X Lovers.

  In the mean time, check out @xloversmusic for gig dates, photos, acoustic videos, and more from London, Max, and Jacob. 

[thesparkpost]

Sweater Lookbook

Now that summer has come to an end, it's definitely time to break out the knit sweaters and begin brewing up some chai tea! I've put together three sweater-based outfits that should help with your summer to autumn wardrobe transition. If you live in a warmer climate, like me, these are absolutely perfect for daily wear!  

Look #1: Sporty Burgundy

For the days that aren't too hot or too cold yet, a short-sleeved turtleneck is just right. It provides comfort and just enough warmth to last you throughout the day. This look is sporty with an edge because of the dark burgundy tones, paired with sleek sneaks and a cool cap. Finish your look with a plum lip to tie everything together. 

Look #2: 90's Nostalgia

This second look is a little more nostalgic, with the cropped Hello Kitty sweater throwing it back to the late 80's-90's. I chose a pair of boyfriend jeans to compliment the sweater, along with white Converse. This look is very weather versatile because both the sweater and the jeans can be rolled up, accommodating the "winter" weather of warm climates. Because the look is a little more soft, I picked a deep pink lip color to play off the red in Hello Kitty's bow.

Look #3: Classic Chic

A comfy knit sweater is a necessity in everyone's closet! I like to call this my "Hip Granny" look because of the pearl necklace, and high-waisted shorts. The pearl necklace gives it a classy vibe, while the shorts keep it casual enough for every-day wear. This time I wore my Mickey Mouse converse to bring the whole outfit together. 

Whether you're a girly girl or totally grunge, there's a sweater for everyone. With autumn arriving quickly, it's time to break out that comfy side of your closet. Hopefully these outfits provided some cute inspiration for your fall wardrobe. Stay warm Sparkies! (:

[thesparkpost]

DIY Bottlecap Buttons

Bottlecap pins are a unique and alternative way to accessorize your backpacks and jean jackets for school. Though they may be expensive to purchase online with your favorite characters, it's super easy to make them yourself. All of the materials came to under $10! 

To make the bottlecap pins, you of course need bottlecaps. They can be from any drink. Mine are from malta bottles. You'll also need bar pins, which can be found at any craft store. To make the bar pins stick to the bottle cap, you'll require any strong-hold super glue. I definitely recommend E6000. Lastly, to make sure the pins stay strong and are protected, Mod Podge will do the trick. Mod Podge is a waterbase sealer that gives the pins a hard protected shell.

Choosing your design is the fun part. You can print out a design and trace the bottom of the bottlecap around it. An alternative is to draw your design. I traced my bottlecap onto paper and drew Holly Golightly inside. Feel free to let your creativity flow with this step. I also took translucent glitter polish and decorated the sides of the pin. 

This is where a cheap paintbrush comes in handy. You need to lightly brush the bottom of the bottle cap with Mod Podge and stick your design in. Pour a tiny bit of Mod Podge over the top of the design and brush it across evenly. The amount of Mod Podge you put over the design will determine how long it takes to dry. The amount of time mine  took was about 2-3 hours.

Now that the design has fully dried, glue a bar pin to the back of the bottle-cap using the extra-strength glue. 

These pins are so fun to make, and the cool part is that you make them your own. I've made so many with my old Batman comic books. You can decorate your backpack with these, like I did. You could also decorate your new leather jacket with them. On top of being fun to make, the materials for these pins are fairly cheap as well, making them a perfect activity for parties, sleepovers, and even babysitting (as long as you're doing the gluing of course)!

[thesparkpost]

Keeping Up with Kylie

Over the past few months the Jenner girls have become even more infamous, quickly eclipsing their Kardashian sisters.  From Kendall’s seemingly never-ending modeling contracts to Kylie’s rumored plastic surgery, these two girls have been making headlines all over.  However, as suspicions grew surrounding Kylie Jenner’s possibly fake lips, a dangerous internet challenge went viral. 

Dubbed the “Kylie Jenner Lip Challenge,” this dangerous game involved sucking on a shot glass, a jar, or other cylindrical objects to get temporarily plump lips.  Similar to giving yourself an extreme hickey, videos of this challenge resulted in painful-looking swollen lips, blotchy red skin due to broken blood vessels, and in some severe cases, busted lips. Despite warnings and “Kylie Jenner Lip Challenge” videos gone wrong, kids all over continued to willingly cause themselves harm in the name of unobtainable beauty standards.  This challenge got so dangerous that Kylie herself felt the need to step forward and admit to getting temporary lip fillers in the hopes of putting a stop to the thick-lip mania.

Not only was this challenge physically harmful to those involved, it was also socially harmful; perpetuating cultural appropriation in the mainstream media.  Thick, full lips like the ones Kylie has been sporting lately are natural features of African Americans, a feature that is often mocked or deemed “ugly.”  I’m sure that in getting temporary lip fillers Kylie didn’t mean to appropriate black culture, but the media frenzy that followed definitely did. 

Praising Kylie for mimicking a trait of another culture while simultaneously putting down the culture where the trait originated sends a terrible message to the public.  And this isn’t the first time that the media has praised Kylie for appropriating black culture. Remember a few months ago when Kylie sported dreads?  Media called them “edgy” while simultaneously shaming Zendaya for wearing her dreads to the Oscars; a style worn by many other African American women who are also told that their natural, cultural hairstyle is “inappropriate” for the workplace.

Whether Kylie Jenner is aware of her wrong-doings or not has yet to be seen, but the societal impact of her continued cultural appropriation is enormous.  It sends a nasty message to young African Americans; that their features can’t be considered “beautiful” unless they are on a white woman.  It’s also detrimental to youth of any nationality.  Kids were literally hurting themselves in a misguided attempt to replicate Kylie’s lips, the lips that she has now admitted are, essentially, fake. And while there is nothing wrong with plastic surgery or temporary lip fillers, there is something wrong with how long it took for Kylie Jenner to admit that she’d had her lips enhanced.

She is a prominent figure in social media, constantly being criticized for her looks and style.  It’s no wonder she chose to temporarily alter a feature she felt insecure about. However, that also means there are a lot of people looking up to her, whether it be for style or beauty advice.  Denying her temporary lip fillers caused people to once again raise the bar for what is considered “beautiful.”  People were giving themselves extreme hickeys in order to mimic Kylie’s overly-plump lips, a look that isn’t obtainable by any natural means.

In reality we are all beautiful, natural or not.  We are beautiful because of our nationalities and cultures, not in spite of them.  This “Kylie Jenner Lip Challenge” should remind us all that the “standards” of “beauty” that the media sets up for us are often unobtainable without surgically modifying or enhancing ourselves in some way.  Beauty comes from loving yourself and accepting your body, not from altering yourself to adhere to society’s skewed perception of beauty.  But if you do want to change yourself like Kylie Jenner, there’s nothing wrong with that.  Get all the lip enhancers and Botox that you want, as long as you’re doing it for you, not for society.  We, as a society, need to start embracing a body-positive, culture-positive, outlook on beauty, before any more kids get hurt.

[thesparkpost]

Reflections: Leaving The Past Behind (High School Edition)

"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once a while... You could miss it"

- Ferris Bueller

And Ferris was right. Life does move pretty fast. And soon, the moments that were your present are now your past. The past is so interesting... And as I get older, I find myself breaking up parts of my past into integral parts of my life story.

High school was a whirling chapter that felt never ending and full of undeniable twists and turns; a 4 year tunnel of learning lessons both in the classroom and beside 900 kids who were doing the same thing as me... And my, did we take some of our most precious teenage years with a bang. Ha. High school.

What I think is most interesting about the high school experience is the inevitable variety of what happened in each and every one of us. Everybody has their own version of who they were. Everyone had different goals: Popularity over individuality. Doing everything to get into the university of their choice. Making the most of their "younger and more vulnerable years". Just wanting to stay out late and see the stars rather than worrying about that paper on Manatees due at 7:59 that following morning.

Not everything was dreams, rainbows, and easy-as-pie. I think anyone who has been through high school knows that. There's long nights of a thousand words on a computer screen, as your eyes turn red with the pressure of what grade you were going to get when it was all said and done. There's competition. Lots of it. At least in my specific environment. A need to feel like you needed to prove yourself to people who already had their plans for who mattered and who didn't, unfortunately. A need to check how long your shorts were and if you were wearing the right sweatshirt. But, these are the things we want to forget, I'm guessing.

This time of your life left a mark on you, indeed. Despite all the bumps you have to face, you built amazing relationship and realized what mattered and who mattered... and why it mattered. I ended up being challenged when I did get the opportunities to show what I could do; what my talents were and how I could stretch them far beyond my wide, blue eyes could see.

And those were the moments when high school wasn't just getting up at the crack of dawn, putting on a stiff uniform, carousing with friends, going to class, carousing with friends, eating a sandwich, and then going to class some more.

You learn a multitude of things when you are placed in an environment that breeds learning experiences from everything in your path: the people, the places, and the things you were immersed in with all your hopeful, angsty teenage heart.

You take in so much from the experiences around you and soak up those lessons like a ginormous sponge. And now, for me? A new adventure is presenting itself in the near future when I go to college. I'm moving to a whole new state, living on my own, and making my own decisions entirely... Hardly knowing where the wonderful life will take me next.

Here's to another four years of learning and growing.

  Be present with the present. Leave the past behind as you fly into your future... But, never forget your past. Not one bit.

Until next time, darlings.

-Franny xo

[thesparkpost]

Reflections: Leaving The Past Behind (High School Edition)

"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once a while... You could miss it"

- Ferris Bueller

And Ferris was right. Life does move pretty fast. And soon, the moments that were your present are now your past. The past is so interesting... And as I get older, I find myself breaking up parts of my past into integral parts of my life story.

High school was a whirling chapter that felt never ending and full of undeniable twists and turns; a 4 year tunnel of learning lessons both in the classroom and beside 900 kids who were doing the same thing as me... And my, did we take some of our most precious teenage years with a bang. Ha. High school.

What I think is most interesting about the high school experience is the inevitable variety of what happened in each and every one of us. Everybody has their own version of who they were. Everyone had different goals: Popularity over individuality. Doing everything to get into the university of their choice. Making the most of their "younger and more vulnerable years". Just wanting to stay out late and see the stars rather than worrying about that paper on Manatees due at 7:59 that following morning.

Not everything was dreams, rainbows, and easy-as-pie. I think anyone who has been through high school knows that. There's long nights of a thousand words on a computer screen, as your eyes turn red with the pressure of what grade you were going to get when it was all said and done. There's competition. Lots of it. At least in my specific environment. A need to feel like you needed to prove yourself to people who already had their plans for who mattered and who didn't, unfortunately. A need to check how long your shorts were and if you were wearing the right sweatshirt. But, these are the things we want to forget, I'm guessing.

This time of your life left a mark on you, indeed. Despite all the bumps you have to face, you built amazing relationship and realized what mattered and who mattered... and why it mattered. I ended up being challenged when I did get the opportunities to show what I could do; what my talents were and how I could stretch them far beyond my wide, blue eyes could see.

And those were the moments when high school wasn't just getting up at the crack of dawn, putting on a stiff uniform, carousing with friends, going to class, carousing with friends, eating a sandwich, and then going to class some more.

You learn a multitude of things when you are placed in an environment that breeds learning experiences from everything in your path: the people, the places, and the things you were immersed in with all your hopeful, angsty teenage heart.

You take in so much from the experiences around you and soak up those lessons like a ginormous sponge. And now, for me? A new adventure is presenting itself in the near future when I go to college. I'm moving to a whole new state, living on my own, and making my own decisions entirely... Hardly knowing where the wonderful life will take me next.

Here's to another four years of learning and growing.

  Be present with the present. Leave the past behind as you fly into your future... But, never forget your past. Not one bit.

Until next time, darlings.

-Franny xo

[thesparkpost]

Reflections: Leaving The Past Behind (High School Edition)

"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once a while... You could miss it"

- Ferris Bueller

And Ferris was right. Life does move pretty fast. And soon, the moments that were your present are now your past. The past is so interesting... And as I get older, I find myself breaking up parts of my past into integral parts of my life story.

High school was a whirling chapter that felt never ending and full of undeniable twists and turns; a 4 year tunnel of learning lessons both in the classroom and beside 900 kids who were doing the same thing as me... And my, did we take some of our most precious teenage years with a bang. Ha. High school.

What I think is most interesting about the high school experience is the inevitable variety of what happened in each and every one of us. Everybody has their own version of who they were. Everyone had different goals: Popularity over individuality. Doing everything to get into the university of their choice. Making the most of their "younger and more vulnerable years". Just wanting to stay out late and see the stars rather than worrying about that paper on Manatees due at 7:59 that following morning.

Not everything was dreams, rainbows, and easy-as-pie. I think anyone who has been through high school knows that. There's long nights of a thousand words on a computer screen, as your eyes turn red with the pressure of what grade you were going to get when it was all said and done. There's competition. Lots of it. At least in my specific environment. A need to feel like you needed to prove yourself to people who already had their plans for who mattered and who didn't, unfortunately. A need to check how long your shorts were and if you were wearing the right sweatshirt. But, these are the things we want to forget, I'm guessing.

This time of your life left a mark on you, indeed. Despite all the bumps you have to face, you built amazing relationship and realized what mattered and who mattered... and why it mattered. I ended up being challenged when I did get the opportunities to show what I could do; what my talents were and how I could stretch them far beyond my wide, blue eyes could see.

And those were the moments when high school wasn't just getting up at the crack of dawn, putting on a stiff uniform, carousing with friends, going to class, carousing with friends, eating a sandwich, and then going to class some more.

You learn a multitude of things when you are placed in an environment that breeds learning experiences from everything in your path: the people, the places, and the things you were immersed in with all your hopeful, angsty teenage heart.

You take in so much from the experiences around you and soak up those lessons like a ginormous sponge. And now, for me? A new adventure is presenting itself in the near future when I go to college. I'm moving to a whole new state, living on my own, and making my own decisions entirely... Hardly knowing where the wonderful life will take me next.

Here's to another four years of learning and growing.

  Be present with the present. Leave the past behind as you fly into your future... But, never forget your past. Not one bit.

Until next time, darlings.

-Franny xo

[thesparkpost]

Quiz: Who Should Be Your Next Summer Band Obsession?

[thesparkpost]

Surviving Summer with Curly Hair

[thesparkpost]

Summer Sweets: Alternatives

I, the ice cream-loving, sweet tooth savvy, indulgent-to-anything-with-frosting girl, have been trying to make a change… And a good change at that!

I’ve been trying to lead a healthier, more mindful lifestyle in what I put into my body. You know that age old saying, “Your body’s a temple. Treat it as such.” ? Or something along the lines of that. That old chestnut.

Well, I’m starting to think it’s true. I had started to get into some not-so-great eating habits the past two years and it has shown a little around the edges. I’ve been okay with that! I think it’s important to embrace your body, no matter what stages or looks it may go through. So what? You have a little pudge on the tummy or a jiggle in your thighs? Embrace that pudge. Embrace the jiggle.

Body confidence has always been key and in the time of significant change that was live in, it is especially prevalent within many aspects of the world we're surrounded with (our own lives, the media, the opinions of others). But, it is much more than just loving your body and treating it like a temple, so to speak.

I know that for me, it is not the look that I want to change the look of my body as much as the feel of my body. Every since I’ve gotten into these habits of over-indulging on the things I love to eat, I just feel a bit more sluggish, less energized, and a little uneasy. There’s just something that has caught up to me with all the sugar I was intaking. So, I found alternatives. And, who doesn’t like a good alternative? And, I think, they’re good for summer snacking, as well!

 Instead of…

A Pint of Ben & Jerry’s (Which I know we all know and love)

Try…

My pick: Jello’s Sugar-Free Vanilla Pudding (60 calories a cup)

I know this may seem completely different than a pint of ice cream, but if you get creative, you could have something totally delicious on your hands. What I like to do is to put a dollop of Cool-Whip on the top of the pudding. You could also sprinkle some cinnamon, granola, or even a little drizzle of chocolate syrup to make your own sort of healthier option of an ice cream you love. The sugar and fat within a creation like a “pudding sundae” is way less than an entire pint of Half-Baked. It will still satisfy your sweet tooth and keep everything calorie counted to your heart’s content!

Another Similar Option: Jello’s Sugar-Free Creme Brûlée Rice Pudding (has texture and tastes exactly like a creme brûlée!)

 Instead of…

Jumbo Bomb Pop (Red, White, and Blue Popsicle)

Try…

Mini Bomb Pop; Red, White, and Blue Popsicle (40 calories a pop) or Popsicle Brand Sugar-Free Orange, Cherry, and Grape Popsicles (15 calories a pop)

A lot of the times, the beach and other summer eateries/food trucks sell jumbo versions of our favorite treats. This isn’t a lesson on what else to eat, as much as how much to eat. My mother works for a very well-known nutritional company and is always very careful about what she eats. But, there is one thing I’ve taken from her advice on eating that I will carry every day with me when making choices on what to put into my body:

 “You can eat anything you want in moderation.”

                -Mama Franny (and probably a lot of other mamas too)

You could have a cupcake, but just don’t get the giant cupcake with all the fixings that may make you feel extra icky after eating too much of. This is the same for our favorite summer treat, the popsicle! Popsicles are generally low in calories, but some of the jumbo sizes can really add up when it comes to the sugar and all. So, eat a smaller version of the food you love! It will provide the treat you want without all the bad benefits of eating too much of it. When you are trying to make healthy changes, portion control is very important.

*******

Some other yummy Summer Snacks/Refreshers to try:

Orange Juice (50 calories per cup)—> Get some of that OJ, okayy? This is a drink, but it is surprisingly filling. Tropicana 50 is a great one. It has half of the calories and sugars… And, in addition, has no artificial sweeteners. It’s always nice to add a few ice cubes and put it in a fancy cup to give it a sophisticated Florida pool-side vibe.

Cherries (74 calories in one cup) —> Summer is the season for big, bing cherries! I get so excited for this because they are easy to eat and you can eat a lot of them for a small amount of calories.

Watermelon (85 calories per slice) —> So refreshing on a hot day! Pack it in a cooler and bring it to a picnic, beach day, or otherwise!

Red Table Grapes (104 calories per cup) —> Grapes have always been a staple snack in my household, ever since I was a little one. They are awesome to eat because they do have a lot of health benefits: they contain lots of water, which is paramount for hydration. They are also high in antioxidants. However, there is lots of natural sugars in grapes, so be mindful of how much you snack on if you are watching sugar intake.

Though this was focussing more on the feel good benefits of summer food, some may be wondering what it will do for diet plans. I'm on a diet plan myself- lots of lean proteins, vegetables; things that don't come from a processed bag. My diet plan is no where near perfect. I do occasionally have one too many snacks or something. But, the changes I have seen by finding enjoyable, delicious alternatives has been super beneficial to how my body feels too, in the diet respect. Making these healthy choices can give you the benefits of feeling more awake, more energized, and more ready for the day.

Listen… I know I'm not perfect and I'm comfortable with that. But, like I said, personally, just feel terrible after eating so much junk all the time. And I think sometimes that is what bothers people in a majority of cases… They just want to feel good about what they eating, while feeling good about themselves. It’s starting to really dawn on me. However, I think it is safe to say that it is near impossible to give up the things you love completely. You could try, but it would probably only lead to bingeing on 3 Ben and Jerry’s pints or breaking out those Tostidos chips and eating the entire bag- the family style one. It is okay to indulge on what you want, if you really want it. I really dislike when people say that you have to give up what you love to eat completely… It’s a treat. Treat yourself. You deserve it.

Until later, Sparkies. x

-Franny

[thesparkpost]

The F Word

About a  year or two ago, I had a very impactful moment in my life.  It was between my mother and I, as we were driving in the car, discussing what I believe was a controversial topic (bear with me, this happened years ago.)

At some point during this conversation, my mom asked for my opinion on something in particular, and I responded with “No, I don’t think that. It wouldn’t be very feminist of me.” After a brief look of shock crossed her face, my mom replied with “Don’t say that. Feminist is a bad word.”

At this point, I was the surprised one, because my mom certainly believes in equal rights for women. Naturally, I asked her to explain, and what she told me put things into perspective: When our (in which “our” refers to the current generation of teenagers) mothers were younger, some radical feminists gave the movement a bad rap by claiming that “all men are this”, or “all men do that”, and the ever detrimental “women are better than men.” Although these radical feminists in no way stood for what true feminism is about, they did a lot of damage; the word feminist meant you were a man-hater. 

So, we can see why a word that meant “man-hater” would be considered taboo, especially 20 years ago. But soon after my mom explained this to me, I began to see that people do not like the word feminist, even in this day and age.

So here’s what we need to realize: Feminism is about feminine issues. Feminine issues affect everyone.

Men are demeaned for showing emotion, or enjoying traditionally feminine activities, or for doing anything that isn’t masculine, as if being feminine is the worst thing in the world. Women are told they can’t run for president, or be successful in a STEM field, and that they should stay in and be homemakers, despite the fact that they want professional careers, just because they’re inherently feminine. Those are just a few social issues; there are also political and economic issues regarding femininity (I’m not even gonna mention the outrageous and infamous wage gap) that we often overlook. Being feminine isn’t a negative thing, and that’s what feminism is trying to combat. Each gender, and each person, whether they are masculine, feminine, or somewhere on the spectrum, is equal. 

But why is “feminism” used over the word “equalism,” or a similar term? As mentioned above, femininity is often belittled in a way that is considered oppression. The word “feminism” implies a focus on uplifting women and things associated with women to an equal status as men and masculinity, in order to erase that oppression. The word “equalism” implies that the status of men needs to be lowered while feminism is raised, so that they meet in the middle on equal grounds. Which is unfair. In other words, equalism involves tearing men down so they’re closer to the low status of women, whereas feminism is about uplifting women so they can share the high status of men.  

Often times, it’s near impossible to change someone’s mind, especially if they’re older. My mom still won’t say the word “feminism”. Some people are still dedicated to eradicating the feminist movement. But times are always changing, and with a growing number of people who care and are willing to listen, “feminism” won’t be a bad word for too much longer.  

[thesparkpost]

Franny's Summer Playlist

[thesparkpost]

Keeping Up With Caitlyn

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past 24 hours, you’ve probably seen or at least heard about Caitlyn Jenner’s gorgeous Vanity Fair cover.  Shot by Annie Leibovitz and entitled “Call Me Caitlyn”, the cover and accompanying spread feature the beautiful Caitlyn Jenner looking elegant in couture gowns and classy cars.  This cover has gone viral, people going wild over Caitlyn’s reveal and sophisticated look.  

Unfortunately, not all reactions have been positive.  Moments after sharing Caitlyn’s Vanity Fair cover on my Facebook someone commented that they “didn’t care for her much as a person” and that “Laverne Cox has done so much more.” While I understand where this person was coming from, I think that’s a very backwards way of thinking for many reasons.  First off we need to stop pitting women against each other for no reason.  Just because Laverne Cox and Caitlyn Jenner are both famous transgender women doesn’t automatically mean that they’re in competition; both can exist while still respecting and supporting the other.  And just because you may not like the Kardashians or Caitlyn doesn’t disqualify the work that Caitlyn has done for the transgender community.

Secondly, both women have furthered the transgender awareness and acceptance movement in their own right.  Laverne Cox paved the way for transgender women in television and the media with her show Orange is the New Black and her tastefully nude Allure magazine cover. Caitlyn Jenner has only furthered Laverne Cox’s work and the work of many other trans women before her. Caitlyn’s choice to make her transition in the public eye is an extremely brave one, forcing people to reconcile with the transgender movement whether they like it or not.  It’s a new side to the transgender community and lifestyle that many people haven’t seen or have been unwilling to accept. By transitioning at a later age Caitlyn has also sent a message to older trans men and women who have yet to transition; it’s never too late to be who you truly are.

Caitlyn’s Vanity Fair cover is an amazing way to kick off LGBTQ+ Awareness month by making people confront reality in a demure and sophisticated way.  It also serves as a good reminder to everyone during this month of awareness. Not everyone’s gender matches the one they were assigned at birth and that’s okay.  Not every trans person wants to make the physical transition and that’s okay.  And possibly the most important; not everyone fits into a specific label.  Sexuality and gender aren’t black and white, they’re a wonderful spectrum of self-discovery.

I stand with Caitlyn Jenner and so should you, so should all of us.  But it’s understandable to be unsure of your feelings on the matter or to be unsure of what you personally can do to help. So some ways that you can avoid accidental transphobia are: using female pronouns when referring to Caitlyn, not mentioning the physical changes that she may or may not choose to go through, and referring to her by her new name and only by her new name.

This is a beautiful time of change in LGBTQ+ awareness and acceptance.  Be a part of it.

[thesparkpost]

Summer is just around the corner and we couldn't be more excited! Here's to campfires with friends, watching too much Netflix, forgetting what day it is, playing hide and seek, eating too much watermelon, running through the sprinklers, fuzzy vision from being up too late, burning your schoolwork, living off popsicles and s'mores, cutting t-shirts into crop tops, ice cream trucks, singing in the rain, not trusting anyone else with the aux cord, long plane rides, water balloons.... The list could go on forever! The Spark Post has a lot planned for this summer so keep an eye out 🌴👙🌈🌊🍉☔️🌵🌻💖☀️ Articles coming soon: • homemade açai bowl recipe • June message • summer to do list • "What I learned from senior year" • and much, much more...

[thesparkpost]

Summer Road Tripping

Summer is the most amazing time for a road trip. The days are longer, the weather is warmer and, it feels like time is non-existent. I think everyone dreams of just packing their bags, jumping in their car with a couple of friends, and driving off into the wilderness.  For those of us who can disappear onto the open road here or for those who dream of doing it in the future, here is some inspiration for you to have a dreamy, groovy time for your amazing soul-fulfilling adventure.

Adventure Fund:

It really doesn’t matter if your road trip is for a day, a week, or a month; money is unfortunately going to be an issue.  So be prepared by saving your pennies and putting them into a cute little jar for your adventure. You could get a nice mason jar or cute little mug and set it up in your room as some groovy, yet functional, home décor.

The Company:

Spending a lot of time in a small space with the same people can sometimes end up being a disaster. Make sure to go with a group of people that you know won’t take their frustrations out on each other when things go wrong. There is nothing worse than having a negative person get irritated by everything, ruining your trip. Surround yourself with only positive, loving like-minded people, who are all looking for a good time.

Your Destination:

Where you are planning on going may be super easy to plan as you are road tripping to a music festival or an event or you could be super impulsive by just wandering into the great unknown.  Realistically though, it might be practical to have a vague idea where you are intending to go to make sure you do not run into any trouble. Get an old fashioned map and grab a marker and do a rough plan on where you want to go.  Do some research for some cute nature spots that you want to see but also give some freedom to explore in case you see something cool along the way.

Packing:

Packing is important! Do not just pack your phone and your charger, because trust me, it is better to plan than getting to the beach and realizing you forgot your bathers. Pack clothes for getting dirty and make sure to pack warm clothes if you intend on camping, because even in summer it gets cold. Pack some super cute overalls and denim shorts and a pair of bikinis and you have your entire wardrobe just there.

Here is an included essential packing list:

Food:

I know it might be tempting to just eat McDonalds every time you drive past those golden arches, but you will get sick of eating the same food quite quickly.  Grab some bread and Nutella and that’s your breakfast right there!  Watermelon is amazing and basically any kind of fruit is super refreshing and delish. Grab some soups that you can use on a portable food cooker and things that will keep like pasta and rice. ALSO MAKE SURE TO BRING AT LEAST FOUR LITRES OF WATER WITH YOU IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY!!!

Road Trip Playlist:

Your road trip mix tape is one of the most exciting parts of the road trip. If you are going with a group of friends, make sure that everyone makes their own because there is nothing worse than one friend taking complete control of the music.

Saving the Memories:

Disposable and film cameras are a super cute way to take very nostalgic and dreamlike photos! Save all your receipts and little mementos into a journal with little doodles around the page.  Maybe get your friends to write nice messages in your journal and do the same for them. 

Make sure to have an amazing time on your road trip and not get worked up when things go wrong!

Lots of Sunshine,

Kate xo

[thesparkpost]

Bedridden Bliss

Life has its little ways of making things hard. Don't get me wrong, it could make things blissful and wonderful but it does indeed take route onto that road of ''Wow, I wish this wasn't happening right now'' quite often, at least for me. About a week ago, I went on an adventure of no return; down that never ending road when I woke up feeling as though I arose from the dead. Yes, I felt like literal death. It was almost as though the the apocalypse came early and I just happened to be the first one infected.

In order to make myself feel a lil more alive in the simplest of ways, because effort is impossible when you're sick, I came up with a few sick day tricks. With winter on it's way out (don't let the door hit you on the way out, or do. I don't care) and spring rolling in (THANK YOU UNIVERSE FOR LISTENING), our bodies are bound to be a little run down at one point or another. Whether you're coughing up a lung, or as Joanna Kuchta would say, feeling ''like there are tiny little people setting tiny little fires inside my throat'', or maybe you're just having one of those ''don't talk to me, don't touch me days'' here are a few pick me up's that are bound to ease your troubled soul. 

1. Essential Oils

Coming from a family where most of us believe that natural ingredients can rid you from that miserable cold, I've experimented with essential oils in hopes of waking up feeling like a goddess.. which means that I've learned right from wrong.  

For example, when dealing with oil of oregano it's good to put a few drops on the soles of your feet then cover up with socks before bed because it's believed to pull the sickness right out of you like a magnet BUT whatever you do, DO NOT put the oil of oregano on top of your feet unless you're prepared for what feels like dragons breathing fire onto your skin. I learned the hard way which resulted in me sitting on the bathroom counter scrubbing my feet for 15 minutes with tears in my eyes while calling my mom.

2. Bubble Baths

The amount of bubble baths I've taken recently makes me feel insane. I'm completely bath bound, and I say that shamelessly. Just one step closer to being a mermaid? hell yes. One step closer to drowning myself? hell yes.

Little tip ladies, make sure to not pour in half the bottle of bubble bath unless you're intrigued by the thought of bubbles almost devouring you. Kind of funny now when I think of it, but while happening I wasn't impressed.

Some bath goodies include ANYTHING from lush, yes darlings, ANYTHING. From their bath bombs, to their wonderful bubble bars or even bath melts. You could smell like anything from ''Granny Takes A Dip'' (this granny smells delightful) to Karma (a delicious middle eastern spice market) or even Bubblegrub (a bunch of creamy vanilla bubbles). 

3. Netflix

Need I say more? If yes, then let's just start with how I've lived in a blanketed cocoon for the past 5 days, leaving only for food or bubble baths. During my time in this glory of living as though I'm a cocooned caterpillar, I've browsed through Netflix various times and have found some new fav movies and even a little tip for those who envy those with the access of the wonderful, vast American Netflix. First off, living in Canada comes with Canadian Netflix... not the best. Of course we have good movies too, but our choice of selection isn't incredibly huge. FOR ANYONE WANTING AMERICAN NETFLIX BUT UNFORTUNATELY LIVING ELSEWHERE, keep reading and thank me later: Here's a step by step guide on how to get American Netflix easily on your ipads or phones. 

Go to the app store and download the Hola app.

From there, they'll give you some easy steps to follow.

Proceed to your settings, click general and scroll down to where it says ''VPN'' then click that fancy little option. 

After downloading Hola, you'll notice that you have plenty of countries to choose from, varying from Australia to of course America. Click where you want your Netflix selection to be from and then scroll back up and turn on your VPN. 

From there, you'll be enjoying new movies that your country's Netflix might not offer!! NOW, two new movies I've discovered that I'm absolutely obsessed with are Across the Universe and Adult World. Across the Universe is great for any of those musical loving beatles fans because it'll make you want to get up and dance even if you're dying inside. As for Adult World, who doesn't love the Emma Roberts and Evan Peters duo.

4. Good Reads

Whilst being ill, sometimes it's fun to get your mind off of how much you're hating everything about everything and one way to do that is to get to reading. Some good reads I've been digging into lately have been from blogs to hard covered, hand held books.

For blogs, I've been absolutely loving The Messy Heads because with their artsy aesthetic and free souls, it's been making me feel a little more alive. (To read our interview with them, click this, written by the lovely Sasha Berman)  

80MERCER, a blog created by a girl in New York, has recently sparked my interest. She makes you feel as though you're sitting next to her listening to her adventures with each post and she gives you a little insight on her fashion favorites.

LASTLY, I've reread IT by Alexa Chung because well.... it's Alexa Chung and she's the best. Hopefully these little go to's can make life a little easier for some of you when it's just one of those days or when you feel like you're rotting from the inside out. (too much?)                                                                                                                                          yours truly                                                                Taylor McCarthy                                                            instagram: @puglytay

[thesparkpost]

Bad Suns Concert Review

A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to attend a Bad Suns concert in Orlando as part of their Language & Perspective Tour, which was one of the greatest nights of my life. For a little background information, Bad Suns is a 70s/80s-inspired alternative rock band from Southern California. Its four members are Christo Bowman (vocals) Gavin Bennett (bass) Miles Morris (drums) and Ray Libby (guitar). Their debut EP, Transpose, was released in 2014, and later in the year, their full-length album, Language & Perspective, was released. I have been to many concerts in my lifetime, and I have to say this one was definitely one of the very best, so I felt the need to share my amazing Bad Suns experience with you!

Right from the second they got on stage, the whole crowd was engaged and there was never a dull moment. They were brilliant live, maybe even better than how they sound on the album. Though it was insanely packed and people were pushing to get to the front most of the time (lucky for me, I was already in the very front) it was actually a really cool experience! Christo even crowd surfed a few times and that was just madness (in a good way, of course.) Also, being the technical geek I am sometimes, the lighting was the coolest thing ever and really matched well with the music, especially during their song Pretend. One thing I particularly loved about the show wasn’t just how exciting the music, people, and lights were, but how appreciative they were. Christo had to have thanked us at least fifteen times throughout the show. I could tell by all of their facial expressions that they really enjoyed what they were doing, and that’s why Bad Suns is a truly outstanding group and I really recommend them to everyone, especially anyone who loves chill, beachy-vibe rock bands.