Break-up Advice

March 28, 2016 Melissa LuVisi

At the end of last year I went through a devastating break-up, the kind that ends in a pool tears on the kitchen floor-- wait, they all end that way! After a few months of licking my wounds, some adventurous online dating experiences; I’m finally feeling up to writing about it. Heartbreak is never easy and as I stand on the brink of thirty, I can also say that this wasn’t my first love and obviously, will not be my last. In my experience, everyone processes love differently. Some shutdown into silence, others invest in huge projects or “get under someone new.” For me? I’m pretty sure I’ve gone through all the phases of grief forwards, backwards and at random, until eventually landing on both my feet and cautiously moving forward. Here’s what’s helped me get through it.

Chop, Chop

March 24, 2016 Melissa LuVisi

Being the millennial hipster that I am, I usually watch the momentum of a trend before I jump on the bandwagon. I was late to the whole dyed hair movement, and had some hesitancy about cutting it short. But I did it! A little high from running 7 miles and in need of change, I plopped into my hair dresser and great friend’s chair shouting, “Let’s do it!” 10 inches later, a little touch-up and… wahla: the perfect cut.

My new do is just in time for the shift in weather. It also makes me feel like I’m embracing this new-mom thing. So many of the super-mom’s I know rock short hair. It’s also a weird emotional thing: I cut my hair short every time I seem to be hurtling towards big life changes. And that seems to be all I’ve been doing lately.

The proverbial “they” could never have prepared me for the new routine that comes with taking care of a young person. There are so many nuances that single, independent people enjoy. Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy and content with my choices and sacrifices, but it’s a difficult transition to go from boozy brunches to cooking dinner every night. Sometimes, I feel like I’m walking a tightrope -- teetering between my independence and my role as parental figure. One fall in either direction and I fear losing sight of the other. “They” also didn’t tell me that everyone and their mother has an opinion. Sifting through the noise as I try to build the family and home I want can be exhausting. Yet, now that I’ve found my stride, parenting is an incredibly rewarding road to toe.

I’m discovering how important it is to take the time to do little things for myself. Things like going running, getting a haircut or making the space I live in a pleasant place to spend my time. I’m learning that happy Lu = happy homestead.

Road Trips in Review

March 23, 2016 Melissa LuVisi

Growing up in California lends itself to driving. In one day you can go from snowboarding in Tahoe to catching the sunset over the Golden Gate bridge. Road-tripping from one end of the state to the other isn’t uncommon and this weekend I headed up to Bass Lake for a wedding. After three hours of driving I realized that while I wrote about road trip essentials before I left on my cross country trip last winter, I never put together a collection of all the cool places I explored.

ShopSaturday

March 12, 2016 Melissa LuVisi

Though the weather in New York City has recently blessed my incredibly pale face with a little sunshine, this piece is for those of you still struggling through the last bits of winter. When I wrote the first draft, I wrote it from the comfort of my best friend’s Brooklyn loft, huge glass of wine in hand, wrapped in a comforter a la Bridget Jones, pantsless. Blizzard Jonas had just hit New York late on Friday night. It was Sunday afternoon and I’d left the apartment… twice. Once for frozen pizza, and once to take photos of my street for my mom and Snapchat. Now that you have an accurate image of my chic, glamourous life… let me lay down some fashion advice.

If you live in a colder locale, chances are you're still trapped in an icy tundra of carbs and despair. I'm here for you. Fashion until April is all about finding a way to look put-together while still maintaining the fuzziness of a teddy bear and the soft heat of a pile of just-dried laundry.

With that in mind, I've pulled together a weekend-wear outfit that masquerades as trendy but is, in actuality, the most comfortably warm thing you could wear. Start with trousers and a flattering, flowing t-shirt. Pair that with a pair of errand-friendly, celebrity-approved sneakers. Throw in a fuzzy coat and a pair of sunglasses et voila! You have now achieved maximum comfort level while also managing to appear tres cool. You're welcome.

Still feeling like the frizziest, chubbiest version of yourself this winter? Turn to Garance Dore for inspiration. Jane also has a dream winter wardrobe, especially for those of you in slightly warmer locations.

If all else fails, stay inside in your ugliest slippers and make a Drake on a Cake! Winter's almost over, I promise.

Don’t forget to tune into #ShopLu, our late-night, environmentally conscious shopping hour on Twitter! 9pm-11pm PST. Every piece in this post is made by environmentally conscious companies, excluding the Adidas sneakers. Get with it, Adidas!

Mallory Brand is the social media manager at LC Media, overseeing the #ShopLu late-night shop hour on Twitter. An Atlanta native, she moved to Brooklyn at age 17. Since graduation, Mallory splits her time between traveling and living in Greenpoint, BK. You can follow her on Twitter and Instagram.

Curator's Corner

March 11, 2016 Melissa LuVisi

Iro (hana) #308, 19" x 13" paper size, $750 Framed — Iro (hana) #308, 19" x 13" paper size, $750 Framed

Art is a seemingly elusive idea to discuss. Some people, like me, are obsessed and spend hours weaving in and out of its world. Others are disinterested. I’d like to think most people struggle to understand art’s complexities, though they find the world very intriguing. As we Millennials age and begin to make more money, we are buying houses, starting families, and enjoying the finer things in life, yet, conversations around art are still approached with apprehension.

New homes and larger apartments usually have gaping, empty walls. Filling these walls is exciting. However, the prospect of buying art can be daunting for beginning buyers. In light of that, I present to you, Curator’s Corner: a new blog series dedicated to young professionals looking to affordably spruce up their walls as they discover their inner art collector.