Hey guys!
A while back I was joined by my good friend, Veronica Stapleton, for Cooking with the Coffey’s. To say the least, she’s a ton of fun and we had a blast putting together our Stone Soup Brunch. Join us for a good laugh! Enjoy!
Peace, Love + Sunshine ~Chelsea
Let’s connect! IG/Twitter: @TheCoffeyBreak
Hey guys!
This week’s Coffey Break Chat touches on a topic that has come up a million and one times over the last 4-5 years, online engagement. The original title for the post was 5 simple ways to show love without coming off like a fan… groupie, etc.
And this is something that I attribute especially to the digital space. There are conversations I have in person or via text that I express differently online, and what I’ve come to realize is that every time I do that, I’m essentially watering down the beauty of a sincere moment by overthinking my response.
One day, I rolled my eyes after spending more time than I’d like to admit overthinking the right response, and I was just over it. I said to myself that from there on out, I’d choose to respond, comment, post and show love as authentically as possible. It’s a good thing haha
I pulled the following quote from Show Your Work and serves as the inspiration behind this post:
“If you want fans, you have to be a fan first. If you want to be accepted by a community, you have to first be a good citizen of that community. If you’re only pointing to your own stuff online, you’re doing it wrong. You have to be a connector. The writer Blake Butler calls this being an open node. If you want to get, you have to give. If you want to be noticed, you have to notice. Shut up and listen once in a while. Be thoughtful. Be considerate. Don’t turn into human spam. Be an open node.”
Encouragement is all about empowering whoever those kind words are intended for. Enough with the cool antics. I’m too old for that. Life can be tough, and the world could use a lot more a lot more cheerleaders.
Nonetheless, there’s a sweet spot for just about everything.
Check out my video blog below on 5 Simple Rules to Showing Love:
Have a great weekend guys!
Peace, Love & Sunshine ~Chelsea
Hey guys!
So my friend posted an article earlier today, 20 Things Only Highly Creative People Would Understand, and it literally made me feel like someone read my diary OUT LOUD. A few lines in and I knew I had to share. I could go on and on, but like I said, the article is basically my sentiments on a platter.
Check it:
Facts will never move the human heart like storytelling can. Highly creative people, especially artists, know this and weave stories into everything they do. It takes longer for them to explain something, explaining isn’t the point. The experience is.
Steven Pressfield, author of The War of Art, writes:
“Most of us have two lives. The life we live, and the unlived life within us. Between the two stands Resistance.”
Highly creative people wake up every morning, fully aware of the need to grow and push themselves. But there is always the fear, Resistance as Pressfield calls it, that they don’t have what it takes. No matter how successful the person, that fear never goes away. They simply learn to deal with it, or not.
Curious to see the remaining 18? Read the full article, here + http://goo.gl/MSKpki
Thank you Josh for the share, and thank you Kevin Kaiser for the great read. Let’s see what Ken and Bren have to say about all of this haha Maybe I’ll go by the house, and act out all the numbers for them. Comedy and drama always seem to be the best form of communication with those two haha God bless my parents. They’ve been so patient over the years lol Hope you enjoy!
Good night you guys!
Peace, Love & Sunshine ~Chels
Hi guys!
Chelsea Coffey here. It’s a crazy awesome feeling to look back and see how much time has passed since my very first New York Fashion Week back in 2007. I know the experience can be a little intimidating, so I wanted to take the time to put together a guide to offer any pearls I’ve picked up along the way. Hopefully they will be of assistance to anyone in need of a little boost in confidence on how to approach things!
For starters, it’s important to understand the dynamic behind the production of events. This year the major New York Fashion Week venues will be at Skylight at Moynihan Station at 360 West 33rd Street and Skylight Clarkson Sq. at 550 Washington Street. For five years the major venue had been at Lincoln Center, and before that, Bryant Park. There are shows happening all around the city, and that leads me to my first point:
1. Be Intentional-
You may not be on the list for any of the shows around the city, but there are plenty of free events to take part in. Refinery29 celebrated their 10th Birthday with their 29 Rooms event, and it was completely free to the public.
Photo: Refinery29.com
Essence Magazine hosted a Street Style Block Party. It was chock full of vendors, fantastic looks, fashion show, the whole nine, all under the Brooklyn Bridge in Dumbo:
Photo: TheCoffeyBreak.com
2. Be Present, Build Genuine Relationships-
During this time, you’ll most likely meet A LOT of people and it may be tempting to feel the urge to want to bounce from person to person in an effort to not miss out on meeting as many people as possible. My recommendation is simple, be present when you’re with someone and focus your energy on making a sincere connection with the people you genuinely like. Quality over quantity. Always.
3. Trust The Timing of Things-
Serendipity, one of my all-time favorite expressions: The occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way. In other words, trust that whatever is meant to be will be. Everything happens for a reason, embrace that. As far as I’m concerned, the law of attraction is real. Speak those things that you want to see happen into existence, and watch God work. It will take a lot of the pressure off of you to be in the “right place” place at the “right time”. If it’s meant to be, it will come to pass. Focus your energy on enjoying the ride.
Below, Aimee Son of Song of Style. I just loved her look, and stopped to get a picture. Little did I know she’d become one of my favorite style bloggers.
4. Be Ready-
As much as I love the idea of serendipity, one can’t discount preparedness. Take the time to research like CRAZY. If you’re going to take a free spirited approach to life, life my self haha, you can at least make a point to know of as many events, shows and so on as possible. A few years ago, I was at a natural hair event. We were about to leave, and I saw this guy across the room wearing a fabulous two-piece graffiti print outfit. Not only did he happen to be from Houston, but it turns out it was Beyonce’s stylist Ty Hunter! I can honestly say that he is the sweetest person, and he couldn’t have been any nicer. The same can be said of June Ambrose. Only I knew exactly who she was when I saw her, and she greeted me with such a warm reception. I was even fortunate enough to interview the both of them.
In addition to being informed, it’s also smart to have general info cards made. Picture a business card, but personalized and tailored to whatever you would want people to know about you: your social media info, blog/website, contact info and so on. Be as direct as possible, so people know exactly who you are, what you do, and how to best connect.
5. Confidence Is Everything-
At the end of the day, people are people. Social media can make things a little tricky because in a few short years, we’ve gone from meeting people by chance to recognizing a large number of faces due to platforms like Instagram and YouTube. Nonetheless, perception isn’t always reality. Give yourself a pep talk, and push past any apprehensions about approaching someone you’d like to connect with. Be willing to walk up to someone, regardless of who they are, and introduce yourself. You’ll vibe with the ones who were meant to be, and if you’re anything like me, you won’t even remember the ones who weren’t 😉
With June Ambrose
Fashion Week in and of itself is just such a special time. Remember that comparison is the thief of joy. Own every inch of your being, and go forth with your head held high. There’s no substitute for a beautiful spirit and good energy. We attract what we put out. Hope this was helpful!
Happy Fashion Week!
Peace, Love and Sunshine ~Chelsea
Here’s a head start:
http://nymag.com/fashion/fashioncalendar/fashionweek/
http://nyfw.com/
