Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Weekender Getaway || Stela 9 AW 2014 Sneak Peek

It's only Tuesday.... I am already thinking about what will be in store for this weekend's adventures. This past weekend was full of hot sunshine, black sand beaches, poolside cervezas and fresh food. My newly bronzed skin and freckled nose is a dead giveaway to what I was up to this weekend.  If I close my eyes I can still imagine laying on a hammock thumbing thru my book, feeling the cool breeze off the blue Pacific, taste the salty air and feel the palm trees sway.


We cruised out of Antigua for the weekend to the small seaside town of Monterrico. Monterrico is known for its volcanic black sand beaches that locals and tourists flock to a for a weekend getaway. I packed all my itty bitty bikinis, crochet dresses and sunblock (its all you really need) in my Stela 9 Isabel Black Fiesta Weekender. This bold weekender is perfect for traveling and can easily hold all your essentials for the weekend, plus more!

The Isabel Black Fiesta Weekender will be available for purchase in April at the following:

Revolve Clothing   Cameo Nouveau    CH Woodstock    Hawthorne Boutique     Peper & Parlor

Here is a little sneak peek into what is to come for Stela 9 in AW 2014 !!























SUPER FOOD SERIES || ACAI BERRIES

Super foods, you know the deal...trendy foods with hard to pronounce names that are cultivated in far flung places of the world and end up at your local health food store. Super foods are much more than just trendy and exotic. Super foods provide a nutritional value far beyond than what you can get from your daily average foods. These foods are jam packed with antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, fatty acids... all of which help bring the body to a state of balance.
For the next 5 weeks I will feature a super food to inspire your healthy cravings for the week! The super foods to be featured are all favorites of mine and are also extremely easy to add to your daily diet.


ACAI (pronounced ah-sai-e) 
Is a popular superfood that you most likely have heard of or maybe have even tried while on vacation... I am going to give you the low down about all the crazy benefits that come with consuming this delicious berry. 
Acai berries come from the acai palm, native to Brazil. Unless you live in South America, you are are consuming acai that has been frozen or freeze dried in order to main potency.




Acai berries are packed full of antioxidants, vitamins, amino acids, and essential fatty acids. Acai helps contribute to a healthy body with benefits like -- anti-aging effects for healthy skin, improves mental function, boots energy and helps with digestion. Your skin will glow if you regularly consume acai berries. They also prevent blood clots and improve your overall blood circulation, making your heart happy! 


Eating or drinking acai berries can help slow the process of aging. Acai berries can lead to increased overall levels of energy, helping you to battle evil fatigue and exhaustion.

Acai bowls and smoothies are always a great way to start your morning and boost your energy all day long!


My favorite acai bowl is topped with bananas, strawberries, granola, goji berries and hemp seeds.  Lucky for me, I consumed a lot of acai bowls during my Hawaii hiatus,  as this berry is very popular in the Aloha state. My favorite acai brand is Sambazon, they have easy to use smoothie packs found in most health food stores. A single packet is the perfect serving size to make a yummy smoothie or an acai bowl of your choice. 







TGIF.

Hello weekend lovers, it's Friday and you know what that means.. Time to get your best outfit out of the closet and get ready for what the weekend has to offer!  Here is a little outfit inspiration to get you started, featuring our Pacaya Crossbody in black. 






BE THE ADVENTURE.

What does Adventure mean to you?
Adventure is about the gorgeous feeling of teetering into the unknown.  The opportunity of a wide-open road. The limitless feeling of diving head first into a sea of possibilities. Getting lost is essential into better finding yourself.  When put in situations where we cannot plan or control every last detail, we are forced to trust our instincts and learn more about ourselves in the process. Adventure begins when you stop knowing and start feeling. 



I am an adventure enthusiast or addict I should say. I think adventure is the purest form of rebellion. I love the feeling of having a new adventure ahead of me, even if it is a solo adventure. Adventure means stepping out of your comfort zone. It means taking a risk and challenging yourself. When I have new adventure ahead of me it always leaves me with butterflies floating in my stomach whether its for excitement or fear of the unknown. 




Exploration is apart of the adventure.  Thru exploration your mind opens to the world around you and at the same time you are able to learn more about yourself and the person you truly want to be. Be the adventure, be brave, take risks, nothing can substitute experience.



Challenging yourself to try new things is also apart of the adventure. Conquering your fear of heights or hesitation will give you an adrenaline rush like no other. Climbing to the top of a mountain, jumping off of a cliffside into the infinite blue or for the daredevils.. launching yourself out of an airplane will leave you on an adrenaline rush for days. I can detest to this, because I am someone who has a slight fear of heights. Yet, I always push myself to go higher and to leap off the ledge because I know if I don’t do it, I will regret it. 


Stela 9 Shiva Backpack


Travel provides endless opportunities for adventure. You should travel as far as you can and as much as you can! Travel across the ocean or simply across the river, walk in someone else’s shoes, even if it is just for a day. Sleep under unfamiliar stars and take advantage of the opportunity for A D V E N T U R E. 


Stela 9 bags ready for their next adventure!


Don’t sit and wait for adventure to happen...get out there, just go! If an adventure is both terrifying and amazing then you should definitely pursue it. Embrace the uncertainty and spin wildly in your next adventure. You have to leave the city of your comfort and bravely go into the unknown. What you discover will be wonderful, you will discover yourself. 
Having the courage to explore foreign lands, deepen my connection with nature, and pause long enough to take it all in – that is what adventure means to me. 



HOLA!

I am the newest member of the Stela 9 crew and I will be providing you with daily blog posts to inspire you thru the week! This blog is a glimpse of the spirit behind Stela 9 and I am excited to share the visual diary of our inspiration and creativity!
My name is Courtney or as the locals pronounce my name here in Guatemala as “Korny” (flattering I know.) I am a self proclaimed beach bum, adventure seeker, moon chaser, dreamer, wanderer, nature frolicker, sea dweller, yogini, vegetarian. Quite a combination, I know. I love practicing yoga, surfing and being inspired.  I have a gypsy bohemian fashion style. I like to mix old with the new. I am incredibly conscious of where my clothing comes from and the affect that the fashion industry can have on the environment. My love of exploration, nature, fashion and culture has deepened my passion to do something meaningful with my life.
I was born and raised on the picturesque Jersey Shore (way different from Snooki and JWoww’s Jersey Shore.) My roots began at the beach and this is something that has defined my life thus far.  I feel blessed to have been raised in the beautiful quaint beach towns along the Jersey Coast, but I am also a lover of warm sunshine. Unfortunately, lush greens and warm sunshine only frequent Jersey about 4-5 months out of the year.  In my recent years I have called places like Florida, California and Hawaii, my home.
I have a love for fashion and design, my educational background is in Visual Communications.  Upon graduating I was extremely overwhelmed and unsure of what field to pursue in the design world. I had done internships in pretty much every category you can think of in fashion and design. About a year post college my mind strayed and I got the travel and adventurous bug.  This led me to do some long term traveling thru Puerto Rico, Costa Rica & Nicaragua. 
After living the life a traveling gypsy,  I was back home for a few months and eager for another adventure. I impulsively made the decision to fly 5,000 miles away from home to the remote islands of Hawaii. I picked Maui as my landing point, a place where I did not know a single soul.  Most people do not have the balls to do this, apparently I do! It ended up being one of the best decisions of my life and was one of the craziest adventures I have ever been on.
After returning to the mainland and missing my aloha lifestyle, I was given the most amazing opportunity to intern with Stela 9 as the marketing and social media intern! About two weeks ago I began my journey down to Antigua, Guatemala. I spent the first week here brushing up on my Spanish skills and now I am in full swing of working!
After seeing the beautiful mountains, valleys and beaches of Central America and Hawaii, I need to ensure their serenity and the serenity of our world’s natural environments will never disappear. If I never chose all of the adventurous paths I went down, I would not be where I am today. As every day passes, I am feeling grateful and more comfortable with my new life in Antigua.
My passion for design, culture, new places and landscapes has fueled my love for travel and exploration, leaving me with a wanderlust for discovering the beautiful world.  Check back for daily blog posts to be apart of my journey!






OUTFIT OF THE DAY

A spring inspired outfit of the day that can take any chic woman from day to night. This outfit is the dream fit for the casual bohemian working gal. Ideal for transitioning from a workday to meeting friends for dinner and drinks or maybe to an unexpected date night with the guy that she sees every morning at the local coffee joint.
The Stela 9 Bolsa Mediana is the perfect bag to make a statement all day while holding all your necessary essentials. We paired our Red Bolsa Mediana with distressed boyfriend jeans, casual gray tee, flirty kimono, vintage turquoise necklace and black cutout "shooties" (sandal booties) to run around in all day!
Check out the featured Stela 9 Bolsa Mediana in Red, available for purchase at shopbop.com















TYPE OF GUYS YOU MEET - PART II

So I've already blogged about the “10 Types of Guys you Meet at a Bar.” If you haven't already read it, you should stop everything you're doing and do so immediately.
Now, as much as I would love to end all of our miseries and stop it there, it would just be unfair and unjust of me to overgeneralize an entire population of bar-frequenting men that we can count on just two of our well manicured hands. Well, guess what- I’m like a goody bag full of wonderful and exciting news- I've done a little extra leg work to include you or the person you're inevitably bound to meet. #ahthankyou
The Bartender
This guy… is a mixed message. He knows all the regulars by name and bra size (wait, what?) and he has the ability to make you feel like he actually cares for you and your wellbeing when preparing your adult beverage. You totally think he singles you out and rushes to your defense when the world is suddenly crashing. Aka. you've got an empty drink. He flirts with you for a minute or two, depending on how busy the night is, and you feel the butterflies puttering around in your stomach with sheer teenage girl excitement. Only to ultimately kill your spirit, and your buzz, when you hear through the grapevine that he also has a "thing" with Anita Bohn*, Fonda Dicks*, Jaclyn Hyde* and Mona Lott*. Oh, and apparently with Sheila Blige* too. #dimeadozen
*stagename used for their privacy
The Funny Guy
This guy… has the likes of Richard Pryor, Robin Williams, and Eddie Murphy in their glory days. His dance moves are probably on parr, and I don’t mean like So You Think You Can Dance style. He can be the perfect person to have around because he makes you feel silly, and whatever you do, it can’t be worst or more embarrassing than the shit he’s pulling out. #thatswhatshesaid. If anything, this guy is the perfect scapegoat to keep you entertained or protected from those other douchetards that won't get the hint and leave you alone. The only drawback here is that all the attention you’re giving him is inevitably going to lead to him thinking you’re into it. #canteverwin
The Drunk Guy
This guy... is a hot mess. And by hot mess, I really mean just a bonafide I feel so sorry for how drunk you are right now kind of mess. Really, my heart, it bleeds. We've all had our moments (that is plural for a reason), so I can sympathize with the occasional slip-ups. This guy, however, is so far past slip-ups, you can't even figure out how he gets from 0-1000 so gosh darn quickly. There's gotta be a manual out there I've never heard of. He can be the funnest (is this word in the dictionary yet?) guy in the room, or the loudest, maybe the quietest, or perhaps he’s just straight up bat shit crazy. Like, bat shit. Whatever it is, he’s bound to crash… and when he does, it’s more likely than not, to be right before your very eyes. Generally, some weird shit starts to happen right before the plunge and it’s typically so obnoxious you're giving yourself a well-deserved gold star for being what appears to be a normal sociable drinker. #kudostothat
The "Friend"
This guy… is a chameleon disguised as your platonic ol' buddy ol' pal. He keeps his safe friend-zone distance and you think all is jolly until he's on his 5th Jack 'n Coke and his eyes are so slanted you actually wonder to yourself if he's a quarter Asian and just never told you. All rules are thrown out the window at this point and he starts inching towards you like a jaguar waiting to capture and feed on it's prey. It starts slow; an arm hang here, a lingering boob graze there. Before you know it, he's puckered up and going in for the kill full throttle or he somehow sneaks into your bedroom and tries to slide himself into bed with you. Ok, the latter sounds super creepy and basically like a scene from the movie Fear, but you know exactly what I'm talking about. You'll never be able to look at this guy again because this encounter was far too unexpected and traumatic. Sorry guy. #friendzone4lyfe
The Tinder Guy
This guy… is like a box of chocolates; you just never know what you're going to get. You both swipe right (is that correct? I'm not about that #tinderlife) and you start to message. All you see are some photo’s pulled from FB, so who even knows if he’s attractive or just photographs well. Or doesn’t for that matter. This game is purely survival of the attractive. And in that survival game, is also a game of Clue. Who says game night has to be restricted to a board played in your living room? You either meet up and he's a cool 5'2" or a hot and exhaustive moron. Oh, the qualms of “mobile” dating. #itsahardknocklife
The Shy Guy
This guy... is mysterious? He knows about the game, or so it appears anyway. It can often be mistaken as elusiveness… until you’re all up in his grill and you notice him drop a couple inches in height because he’s buckling at the knees. Gross! This guy, my friends, is too shy for your own good, his own good, and the overall good of humanity. Your confidence, whether natural or with the help of my good friend Liquid Courage, has him reversing back into his shell like the snail that he most certainly is. Allow me to give you a free piece of advice that therapists often charge thousands for- a man who has the gonads to go after what he wants, is hot and just goes with the law of like nature. You know, like the hunter days? #wetblanket
The Aggressive
This guy… doesn’t understand why you’re not as into him as he’s into himself. You’re playing coy, or maybe you’re just not that interested, and the more you pull back, the more he shoves himself down your throat like those horse-like vitamins you cry taking down every time you’re feeling ballsy. Letting this guy down easy will never work and it's inevitably going to become an episode of Real Housewives of New Jersey. Might as well make it a show worth watching. #abouttogetdiscovered
The Guy that’s just…. Too.Much.
This guy… blindsides you. He can seem cool or babe-ish initially. You won’t know this guy is too much, until he just slaps you in the face with it. Figuratively speaking, of course. He tells you within minutes how beautiful and smart you are, how you have ‘leadership skills’ and are his little ‘horticulturist’ because you agreed that there are some flowers that are edible. This is a true story, in which I had the fortuitous luxury of witnessing first hand. Trust me, I couldn’t even make this shit up if I tried. He bounces back and forth from being the “Rico Suave, Over Sharer, Chatty Cathy and [often times] Wing Man” but at the end of it all, he’s in a category all on his one because obviously all of those grouped together is just TOO MUCH. #pumpdabreaks
The Double Lifer
This guy… is an A on paper. Cute, charming, chivalrous (whatever that even means in a bar setting) and he has the ability to make you feel all these incredible adjectives you didn't even know existed, let alone possess. His lines are so good, he has them believing them yourself. "Omg you're right, my eyes do have so much depth!" He tries to take you home as quickly as he meets you and you’ll later find out why. Whether it’s that first night or a few weeks to come… you realize this guy only calls/texts at specific hours, only wants to see you on his time (if it's even ever again) and the mystery behind it all is making you spin in circles like a self-entertaining dog. All this, only to find out it’s because he is straight up leading a double life. Ya, the A on paper… actually stands for Asshole. #karmaisaB
The Normal Guy
This guy… has you sighing a huge sigh of relief. You hit it off and have a night of great fun either together or within your social group. You continue drinking and he either gets cuter or just universally more fun and cool. Who’da thunk this was possible! Whether you walk away as friends, hook up buddies, or in a straight up romantic relationship, this guy undoubtedly regains your faith in mankind. #victorydance


#OOTD

For those of you who aren't on the #hashtag or acronym bandwagon... here's what it means: Outfit Of The Day. But you knew that, right?
Since the weather has been freakishly hot in February compared to even summer standards, it's only logical I dress the part. I have my maxi dress and sunnies on, got my weekender packed with some light reading, my swimsuit and a light jacket in the event it gets "chilly." Who knows where this day will take me. All I know is I'm prepared. The weekend calls for catching some rays and straight chilling out with some good company. A mojito, or two, may or may not sneak itself into the equation.
What are your weekend plans?

Stela 9 Luna Weekender in Mustard






PLACES WE LOVE: SABE RICO

It's a gorgeous day in Antigua; the sun is shining bright, the sky is an impeccable shade of powder blue and the clouds are like fluffy cotton-balls strategically placed as if it were a painting from your favorite artist. It almost feels like a crime to not take advantage of days like these and bask in all the gloriousness that is nature. Respectively, we decided it was the perfect occasion [excuse] to utilize this freely given gift the best way we could on a work day: an outdoor lunch. Naturally, it didn't take long for us to all quickly agree on one of our favorite spots in town. Sabe Rico. 
What is there not to love about this place. It's ambience is second to none with a quaint outdoor setting full of lush trees, flowers, singing birds, and color seating. Anywhere that encourages you to relax and enjoy already has my vote but it's the fresh and delicious menu that keeps us all coming back for more. All 10 pages of it. Sabe Rico is actually Spanish for 'tastes good'... and tastes good it does! Whether you're in the mood for a sandwich and cerveza (which they took the liberty of matching for you), leafy greens, carb city, or a wine smoothie (kept the best for last), there is something for whatever your heart and stomach desires. I opted for a chicken sandwich, while my two vegetarians opted for a salad and pasta. 
We talked clothes and boys (per usual) over lemon soda's and ice tea's and left feeling satisfied, fulfilled and rejuvenated. It's the simple things in life, right? Until the next time.












SPIN CLASSES

In continued effort of my 2014 bucket list, I had to honor my "find a work out I can't live without" goal and try out the spin class at the Antigua Gym. I've only taken a spin class at a yoga studio back home that combines 30 minutes of spin with 30 minutes of yoga. Although I didn't know what I had in store for me with an hour's work of it, I did know the basics. My tush was going to be very, I mean very, sore the next day. Oddly enough, this kind of excited me. You know the feeling of being sore and uncomfortable, but openly loving it because you know you just worked your butt off. 
Annie and Maria decided to join me, as Annie had never taken any kind of spin class before. Boy, wasn't she in for a treat! We arrived about 25 minutes early to ensure we had bikes next to each other... and cause we're punctual weirdos like that. Our instructor walked in, and my mind and body prepared itself for what was about to come. Did I mention the class is in Spanish?  Annie and I, being limited in our español lingo, did the best we could, sneaking inconspicuous side peeks at Maria and following her lead every time the instructor yelled something out.
Tiesto was blasting on the speakers, and we had a flat screen TV in front of us playing his actual set in Copenhagen. I just imagined I was there amongst the crowd, fist pumping and dancing away, and before I knew it, we had 10 minutes left of class and the instructor had us jumping off our bikes to do squats and the running man. My legs were wobbling and I thought for sure I was going to timber in any given direction at any given moment. Needless to say I did not, and I was very thrilled I didn't publicly humiliate myself on day 1. 
All in all, it was a great success! We've aligned our schedules and vow to go 3x per week [4-5x if we're feeling especially ambitious]. Oh and guess what, the tush-- not so bad today! Hopefully I'm not speaking too soon. Cheers all!