Ever since I moved into my new apartment in the
city, music has become a larger part of my life in ways I never would have
expected. I now have access to so much more live music without ever having to
drive long distances, and even when I do have to drive to another city, I
welcome it so much more since it’s something different than seeing live shows
in my home city.
Music isn’t just a hobby of mine. That’s what I
think sets it apart from some of my other interests. I don’t ever refer to
music as a hobby since it’s so much bigger than that. It’s more of a lifestyle,
a way of being, in my eyes. And I don’t try to make it sound like I’m some sort
of music snob, because I don’t look at my preferred music as the best or as
someone else’s as uncouth. I just make music such a big part of my life. I try
to listen to something new each and every day and to even explore a new album
in its entirety every two weeks or so.
So, it probably comes as no surprise that I’m
pretty big on collecting vinyl records of only my favorite albums in their full
glory. I enjoy sitting down and really getting into a full album, not just
putting it on for ambient music or for just a few tracks. To me, collecting
vinyls is so much more than that.
I’m quite lucky to have come into possession of a
classic record player, thanks to my girlfriend’s dad. He had the entire audio
setup and even came with a few cardboard boxes full of old vinyls from the 70s
and 80s. So, getting us started on collecting those was all it took for us to
go out and grab more of our own favorites.
I’ll be honest, it was exciting to dig through
those cardboard boxes in hopes of finding a few classic gems that we love.
While we didn’t keep everything, it gave us enough to start off with around 30
or 40 albums. Since then, we’ve added at least 10, and I figure we’ll add about
10 more each and every year at that clip.
Vinyls have fortified my love for music and I
don’t foresee my interest and lifestyle changing anytime soon, because the more
I discover and enjoy, the more I find myself craving more and more.
With April showing showing its face and spring
finally in the air, there’s one thought on a lot of kids’ minds: Easter.
And with Easter at the forefront of a lot of
kids’ minds, parents everywhere are starting to think of what they’ll fill
their children’s Easter baskets with this year. Perhaps it’s a few candy boxes,
some fake grass, and a video game. Maybe they’re choosing to give something
more nontraditional like a plant to take care of or tickets to a music or
sporting event.
However you choose to celebrate Easter, whether
it’s for the religious aspect of it all or more from a seasonal standpoint, you
almost definitely celebrate it in some fashion in America.
I remember growing up and always getting a basket
full of different candies, sometimes apparel, and always some eggs with cash
and other candies within. While I don’t consider myself an atypical child
growing up, I definitely wasn’t about all the kinds of candies that came with
Easter. Rather, I was more interested in what my parents (i.e., the Easter
Bunny) would put in my basket that was unexpected.
I think one year I ended up with a video game
that I’d been wanting for awhile. That was pretty unexpected, as I always
looked at my Easter gifts as something below 20 bucks. Another year, I ended up
with a spring jacket that was warm enough to ward off bitter winds and rain yet
light enough to wear when the temperature began to rise.
No matter the reasons I celebrate Easter down the
road, though, I’ll be sure to make it a fun event for my children. While the
abundance of candy boxes and chocolate eggs won’t ever leave the tradition, I’m
quite excited to put things like books, accessories, and useful items in their
basket to show them that it’s more than just about the candy.
Of course, I don’t think I could ever forget the
egg hunts I participated in growing up, so I want to make sure that I keep that
tradition going for my children someday, too. That’s undoubtedly the best thing
for all kids every time spring comes around: who can find the most eggs and how
much money is within all of them.
While Easter means one thing to others, it’s
always signified life and regrowth to me. More than anything, I’ve learned to
appreciate the holiday as a celebration of the new season and new plant and
animal life after winter’s long stay.
Cardboard gets a lot of use when it comes to
moving things, shipping items, and putting items away in storage. And to be
honest, this all makes complete sense considering that corrugated cardboard is
actually made for shipping things. So when it comes to the other tasks,
cardboard boxes get the job done handily.
But have you ever had cardboard laying around the
house that was once used for those things and you no longer thing you have a
use for? While recycling it is your best bet (instead of throwing it in the
trash), there are still other uses yet for the cardboard you think you don’t
need. All it requires is a little bit of creativity and you’ll be reusing it
like a master.
Part of the problem is we look at everyday
materials like cardboard as expendable and worth next to nothing. While both of
these viewpoints aren’t far off base, we don’t do nearly enough to reuse these
materials, recycle them when we’re sure that we have gotten the most out of it,
and reduce our overall consumption of more of those materials. The three Rs of
recycling really do go a long way when trying to erase our carbon footprints.
It’s just that most people don’t try and consider it too much effort (in which
it really isn’t).
Shims.
Cardboard that’s been broken down makes for great
shims when something is unlevel. All you’ve gotta do is cut it down to size to
fit under whatever table leg, piece of furniture, or other thing it is that you
need balanced out. Beats the heck out of fixing the dang thing sometimes,
doesn’t it? It’s quicker, free, and makes use of your leftover cardboard boxes.
Recycling
containers.
Seems fitting to use cardboard boxes for
containers in which you recycle items, doesn’t it? I would advise not putting
bottles or cans in cardboard though, simply because the liquids within may
eventually seep out into the cardboard, soaking it and making it all soggy.
Instead, put those in containers that you can reuse and won’t break down from
the liquids. However, any plastic that you can recycle that has lids and all paper
can go in your cardboard boxes set out for recycling!
Dividers.
When you need to compartmentalize items in your
garage but don’t want to buy some brand new cabinet or storage box, look to
cardboard for a quick fix. You can break the box down, tear off a piece of
cardboard, and slide it in between items to separate them.
Going to the theater has been an American pastime
for over a century now, and the film industry is still going strong. In fact,
I’d wager that it’s here to stay solely because that’s where a lot of films
make their most revenue, thus actors and producers and directors get paid. If
it were simply up to releasing DVDs and content on streaming devices, they
wouldn’t make nearly as much. The whole idea that new films are “exclusive” to
theaters is what drives such large turnout and keeps the film industry going.
It’s funny for me to think about, though. I can’t
say I go to the movies but one time a year. So, from my own perspective it
seems as if the film industry isn’t nearly what it was when I was a child. But
there’s really no truth to that thought whatsoever simply because I’m merely
going off of my own experiences with the theaters.
I think part of the problem with me not visiting
anymore has to do with my waning interest in newer films. The more I watch
Netflix, the less I take interest in shows that are live on TV and films new to
theaters. It’s a natural occurrence to me, especially because so much of the
cost to going to a theater is calculated in the gas, the tickets, and the
snacks there alone. I could save far more money by sitting on my couch, cooking
up something for myself, and watching something on my streaming service. The
“newness” of something doesn’t excite me like it used to, as I find I greatly
enjoy older movies just as much as I would anything newer.
But cost really is a big reason why I just don’t
go any longer. I know there are film junkies out there who love seeing a
premiere release of something and are the first in line to get there. I’m sure
it’s an experience they love and wouldn’t give up, a sort of hobby of theirs.
But when I see the prices of candy boxes and popcorn at the theater, it makes
me realize how much money those businesses are making on people who are seeing
a 2 hour long film that I can see for practically free in just a few months. If
I want my own candy boxes, I’ll go to the local grocery store and pay 10 bucks
for 10 different candies.
The Film Industry’s Money-Making Model
Going to the theater has been an American pastime
for over a century now, and the film industry is still going strong. In fact,
I’d wager that it’s here to stay solely because that’s where a lot of films
make their most revenue, thus actors and producers and directors get paid. If
it were simply up to releasing DVDs and content on streaming devices, they
wouldn’t make nearly as much. The whole idea that new films are “exclusive” to
theaters is what drives such large turnout and keeps the film industry going.
It’s funny for me to think about, though. I can’t
say I go to the movies but one time a year. So, from my own perspective it
seems as if the film industry isn’t nearly what it was when I was a child. But
there’s really no truth to that thought whatsoever simply because I’m merely
going off of my own experiences with the theaters.
I think part of the problem with me not visiting
anymore has to do with my waning interest in newer films. The more I watch
Netflix, the less I take interest in shows that are live on TV and films new to
theaters. It’s a natural occurrence to me, especially because so much of the
cost to going to a theater is calculated in the gas, the tickets, and the
snacks there alone. I could save far more money by sitting on my couch, cooking
up something for myself, and watching something on my streaming service. The
“newness” of something doesn’t excite me like it used to, as I find I greatly
enjoy older movies just as much as I would anything newer.
But cost really is a big reason why I just don’t
go any longer. I know there are film junkies out there who love seeing a
premiere release of something and are the first in line to get there. I’m sure
it’s an experience they love and wouldn’t give up, a sort of hobby of theirs.
But when I see the prices of candy boxes and popcorn at the theater, it makes
me realize how much money those businesses are making on people who are seeing
a 2 hour long film that I can see for practically free in just a few months. If
I want my own candy boxes, I’ll go to the local grocery store and pay 10 bucks
for 10 different candies.
I never really knew what it took to reinvigorate
a home until I finally moved in with my girlfriend this past year. Before, I
was aware that my parents’ house was nicely decorated and “put together”, but I
probably couldn’t have told you why.
Now that I’m on my own and we buy our own
furniture and decorations, though, I’m starting to realize what it takes to do
it all and really put a place together thematically. And let me tell you, it’s
really not as easy as it would seem at first. Even deciding on a theme can take
awhile to do, and other times, the theme doesn’t really present itself until
you’ve already got mostly everything together. It’s a lot tougher than
imagining in your mind that you want a rustic living room and that’s that. What
makes it rustic? What would be too much rustic and what’s too little?
Obviously, putting something like cardboard boxes in a specific room as art (it
happens!) may not fit a rustic theme,
but if you’re going for a more industrial look to a room, having cardboard
boxes stacked strategically really could work.
Overall, it’s trial and error. I’ll share a few
of my style tips below.
Succulents.
I’m a huge fan of live plants in the house. It
makes the air more refreshing, oxygenated, and a little more humid to help
combat that dry skin during the winter. Succulents, in my opinion, are the most
gorgeous indoor plants you could take care of while also being some of the
hardiest around. While one species to the next will differ in how you take care
of it, succulents are pretty self-reliant for the most part.
Open space
and minimal decor.
One problem people run into when they’re trying
to bring a theme together in a room is cramming too many things into a small
area. If the room is big, it may require bigger pieces of furniture and decor.
If it’s smaller, it’ll require smaller things. No matter the size of the room,
though, you don’t ever need to cram too many things in at once. While I will
admit that part of our place is still open or barren compared to others and
could use some decor, I’d rather have that for the time being than too much stuff.
Liquor
bottle display.
This one is dependent on your home, the type of liquor you drink, and where you place it, so be careful about putting too much on display in an ill-fitting spot. I just recently got into finer tequilas and mezcals in the past month or two, and I wanted a way to show them off as decoration rather than having a liquor cabinet specifically to dive into for drinks. Our home entertainment system has a lot of shelves and other similar decor, so I figured putting the tequila bottles next to one another on top of the home entertainment system’s bridge would show off my collection well. I wasn’t disappointed in my choice to move them there and they really don’t seem out of place whatsoever.
All I’ll suggest is shying away from cheaper liquors, as no one really cares to see your bottle of Captain Morgan or Jose Cuervo on display above your TV.
