График Работы Рынка Форекс На Рождественские Праздники 2008 Года
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You can see boundary and address of North America and South countries.
North America consists of Cayman Islands, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Canada maps. Every state and region is available for study.
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eunic-brussels.eu map Madagascar &#; Map Of the Solomon Islands and its cities
Levi_Brackman
Levi Brackman (born ) is a Judaic scholar, rabbi, teacher, writer and religious leader who has been active in both England and the United States and whose writings are featured regularly in Jewish publications internationally and on the Internet.
Upbringing and Education
A native of London, Brackman studied at Yeshivot in Israel, America and Canada and has taught classes in Halacha, Talmud, prayer and Jewish mysticism at Yeshivat Hadar Hatorah in New York and at the Mayanot Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem. He received rabbinical ordination from Rabbi Zalman Nechemia Goldberg and Rabbi Mordechai Ashkenazi of the Tzemach Tzedek rabbinical college in the Old City of Jerusalem and has a graduate degree from University College London.
Levi Brackman comes from a family of seven boys and two girls, including brothers Rabbi Yossi Brackman the director of the Chabad Jewish Center at the University of Chicago and Rabbi Eli Brackman director of Chabad Society and The David Slager Jewish Student Centre both at Oxford University, UK.
Career
In January , Brackman was appointed to the position of senior rabbi at the Enfield & Winchmore Hill Synagogue where he become known for his inspiring sermons, thought-provoking articles, lively and insightful lectures, and effective life and marriage counseling. He no longer holds that position.
Brackman is founding member and executive director of The Movement for a Tolerant World, an organization that offers young people in Asia, the Middle East and other parts of the globe, a positive and tolerant ideology that provides them with the opportunity to make real and positive changes in their community and the world.
In August , Brackman started a Jewish outreach and cultural organization entitled Judaism in the Foothills, which serves the Foothill communities in the western part of the Denver, Colorado metropolitan area. Brackman is the executive director of Judaism in the Foothills.
Publications and Works
Brackman's weekly column, which is distributed over the Internet to thousands globally, is also published on Israeli daily Yedioth Achronoth's English-language website "eunic-brussels.eu". His writings, which cover pertinent social and political issues of the day, have been published on many other popular websites such as "eunic-brussels.eu", "eunic-brussels.eu", "eunic-brussels.eu", "eunic-brussels.eu", "eunic-brussels.eu" and "eunic-brussels.eu", among others. They can also be found on his website.
Brackman’s writings have been published in, among others, The Denver Post, The Intermountain Jewish News (Colorado), Torah Studies (New York), Etehaad (California), and The Canyon Courier. They have also appeared in the Australian Jewish News and in the UK, in The Jewish Chronicle and Hamodia. He has also appeared on TV and his work has been featured in newspapers both in the USA and in the UK. In addition Brackman is often quoted as an expert in major Jewish publications such as The Jewish Post, The Jewish Chronicle, The Jewish Journalamongst others.
Books
Brackman is co-author of Jewish Wisdom for Business Success: Lesson from the Torah and Other Ancient Texts (AMACOM/American Management Association, ). The book uses some of the world's greatest writings-the Torah and other Jewish sacred texts-to achieve incredible business results
What Is In My Camera Bag
Ever wonder what is exactly in my camera bag for a wedding day? Here&#;s a look into the professional wedding photography gear that I have and use on a wedding day. When I first was starting my photography business, I was SO freaking overwhelmed with all the gear that I needed to own to properly have the right tools for the job. I was overwhelmed by all the choices and was trying to understand what lenses were compatible with my camera, what gear I *really* needed, where to spurge and where to save.
Ok, let&#;s take a peek inside my wedding photography gear.
Below is a list of what is currently in my bag and the gear that I use. After 12 years as a professional wedding photographer, I have actually swapped out some of the more expensive gear for some more affordable options. There are lenses that I find I use all the time, so I invest in those and the lenses I only use for a part of the wedding day or occasionally, so I&#;d rather have a less expensive. (Plus, I have dropped / broken a lot of camera equipment over the years &#; so going with a more budget friendly option has saved me some $$$ over the years).
Every wedding photographer approaches the day differently, and what equipment is in my camera bag might not ultimately be what photography cameras / lenses / gear is best for you when you photograph a wedding. My suggestion is to not just buy a piece of gear because someone else has it but because you love it and need it to create your art.
Pro tip: When I was first starting out, I rented a lot of gear before I invested in it. I used to rent the Nikon f lens for the first year or two when I became a wedding photographer. That lens cost about $2, and I wasn&#;t ready to invest in it that the time, so I would rent it for $50 each time I photographed a wedding. You can check out your local camera store to rent more expensive lenses or order a lens from places like eunic-brussels.eu
*Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links that at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission. I only gush about products, companies and things I cannot live without, and it is my goal it share the best things with YOU to save you time from hunting down things that will make your life simpler.
Wedding Photography Cameras
I keep two full-frame professional mirrorless cameras with me for every wedding and shoot I do. I believe every wedding photographer (and professional photographer) MUST have TWO cameras. You never know when / if something might happen to your primary camera, so I strongly recommend that you invest in two camera bodies.
Two years ago, I made the switch to Sony and a mirrorless camera, and I have to admit, I wish I had made the switch sooner. While I loved my old Nikon D DSRL, the thing was HEAVY and when it was paired with a flash and heavy lens, it weighed over 5 pounds. Yikes! It was a lot to lug around, so when I tried out the mirrorless system with Sony, I was in LOVE. It is super lightweight, and my body doesn&#;t hurt quite the same post-wedding day after carrying around my gear all day because it is so light.
These are the cameras I keep in my photography bag
Wedding Photography Bags
I joked with my photographer friend the other day, that is it impossible to have one camera bag when you are a professional photographer. Over the years, I have had a handful of different camera bags, but these are what I tend to use the most.
If you are interested in how I travel as destination wedding photographer (I&#;ve been on nearly 40 flights in the last 3 years to photograph weddings, be sure to check out this blog post coming soon on how I pack and travel as wedding photographer).
1. Camera Bag Backpack
Introduction
Hello everyone, if you’ve visited my blog in the past, you probably know that I like to write about topics such as spirituality, mental struggles, and growth. And if you haven’t I greet you wholeheartedly.
In the few posts that I’ve written, I talked a lot about my spiritual growth and how this came about, so if you’re interested in reading those stories or want to enjoy a little refresher feel free to check them out here. Usually, these posts were very long, and I would work on them for about a week or two. I intend to change this from now on and instead want to focus on writing more posts regularly.
There are a couple of reasons for that and all of them have to do with being paralyzed by insecurity. Insecurity has been a general theme in my life which I recently decided to take head-on. It was also the primary reason I stopped writing at the time. I was feeling overwhelmed and was very insecure about myself. This is furthermore why my posts were so long because I was being too perfectionistic about it.
“Insecurity kills all that is beautiful.”
~Demi Lovato
Relapse
At the time that I was posting on my blog, I was sober and talked about my previous relationship with weed. Regrettably, after that summer I completely relapsed into my old habits. Three months after I smoked my first joint that year I was back to smoking daily. Alongside it enforced even deeper feelings of regret, shame, and insecurity. But why was I feeling so insecure in the first place?
Looking back at it now, I remember being extremely ambitious at the time. My girlfriend (now fiancee) and I just got together, and I was ready to start my dream life. At least I thought I was.
I never really addressed the problem of insecurity. I was just trying to fake it ‘til I made it, which can be an effective strategy from time to time. But it can get difficult if insecurity is so deeply rooted in your survival strategy.
You might be wondering what I was so insecure about. At the time it was many things. First of all, I had no idea where my career was going. I never completed a study and was worried that if my newly found girlfriend were to see my inability to become successful the relationship wouldn’t last. As a result, I tried extra hard to become a person of significance. And over the past 2 years, I’ve started and quit multiple entrepreneurial endeavors.
So as you can see the problem I was trying to avoid led me to my failures. Fortunately for me though, my girlfriend was very understanding of the situation. She loves me no matter what person I become.
“Only the insecure strive for security.”
~Wayne Dyer
The Root Of The Problem
Not long ago, I quit weed again and this time I made it a very conscious undertaking. I made sure to have people to talk to and aid me through the entire process. I wrote daily in my diary to make sure I never forget why I quit and which things triggered me to smoke weed. I’ll write about this more in-depth in the upcoming posts.
As I’ve been focussing on my insecurity issues it occurred to me that I’ve had troubles dealing with this my entire life. This is also presumably the main reason I never finished a study, and in more recent times didn’t manage to succeed as an entrepreneur. Every time the going got tough I felt overwhelmed and instead of breaking through this resistance I just grabbed the first thing that distracted me from this uneasy feeling. Most of the time, this was weed, but another one of my favorite distraction tools was gaming.
Over the years it has come to grow on me that this is indeed the case. I am distracting myself whenever I feel overwhelmed and need to stop doing it and start working on the things that I see myself doing in the future. The problem has been that all of this primarily happens unconsciously. And so without even thinking about it, I would already be smoking a joint or have started up a video game.
One of my favorite things to tell myself was that I just genuinely liked doing these things. The underlying frustration that came from that I simply redirected onto other things or people.
For example:
‘Why are my teammates so bad at this game?’
‘Why aren’t people just nice to each other?’
There was always a way to redirect my frustrations in some way, while in reality I was frustrated with myself for not pushing through the resistance I felt. It’s been this way for a very long time. When I was a teenager I would do the same thing.
“Sometimes our thoughts are backed by so much insecurity that they create lies we believe.”
The Solution
There are probably hundreds of approaches to fixing this problem. Chances are likely that I’ve read or have known about all of them for a while now. Which in a way further developed the issues I was dealing with. I call this Paralysis By Overanalysis. Simply put, I’d rather engage in learning about how to deal with the problem than deal with the actual problem.
This, in turn, would result in feeling even more insecure, because every time I learned a new solution another thing was added to the List Of Things I Need To Do, But Can’t For Some Reason.
This is also why being addicted to something is so incredibly dangerous because whatever reasoning I had to engage in the addiction stemmed from some kind of negative emotion. The interaction is always cyclical. In the very same way, the solutions I might find can be cyclical.
Anyone outside of the same addiction pattern would simply tell me to quit. And this is the only real solution to any addiction. The result of quitting brought up that negative emotion I had been avoiding for years now, insecurity.
Aside from writing about it and putting my insecurities on paper for everyone to read, I meditate on it every morning. I sit down and let myself get into a deep trance state. After I reach the state of being completely relaxed, I bring up this feeling of insecurity and observe it as if it wasn’t me. Then I acknowledge to myself that this is the feeling I want to overcome and that I desire to be free from it.
So far it felt like I’ve made huge progress in this. My insecurities do still arise, and I certainly have a long way to go, but working on it actively has unleashed a bunch of energy within me. I can now work on my career without feeling like a failure. I started working on art with a passion I’ve never felt before and have rekindled with the beauty of writing. These are just the first steps and I’m excited to keep working towards the life that I dream about.
“It’s only when you get beyond the emotion of fear and move into the unknown -despite the fear- that you turn your fear into passion and courage.”
~Dr. Joe Dispenza
Last Words
Thank you for reading this post, and I hope that you enjoyed reading it. If there’s anything you recognized about yourself or want to share with me, feel free to leave a comment. As I said earlier I’m making it a goal to post regularly. Some of the upcoming topics I want to write about are motivation, quitting weed, and meditation. On top, I am going to make an extra section on the blog to share my art.
Make sure to sign up your email to the email list or follow me on social media to get the latest updates.
Lowepro Pro Roller x AW Rolling Bag
I have had my Lowepro Pro RollerX AW Rolling Bag for 12+ years and this baby is still going strong. It is technically a little bigger than the carry on dimensions for domestic travel but is still great to use for a wedding day. If you are looking for something similar, I&#;d grab the Manfrotto Advanced III Rolling Camera Bag as it is similar to the bag I have.
Then there&#;s the roller bag, perfect for those who lug around heavier gear or if you have a lot of camera gear. This is also great for destination wedding photographers. This bad boy comes with wheels and a telescopic handle, so you can effortlessly glide through the wedding chaos.
Wedding Photography Lenses
Over the years, I have paired down my lens collection to what I use the most and these 4 Sony lenses + 1 Nikon lens are what I use every wedding day. Stay tuned for a full post about what lenses I use during each portion of the wedding day.
1. 49mm Close-Up Filter Set (+1, 2, 4 and +10 Diopters) Magnification Kit : I ditched having a heavy macro lens for details and instead use these for the images I take of the rings / jewelry during bride prep and put this on my Sony ZEISS 55mm lens
2. Sony ZEISS Batis 85mm f/ Lens : My go to portrait lenses especially when I want to bokeh out a blurry background
3. Sony FE 35mm f/ Lens : I mainly use this for reception dance photos and sometimes during bride prep in small spaces.
4. Tamron mm F/ Di III VXD : I use this lens during the ceremony and during toasts / first dances.
5. Sony Sonnar ZEISS T* FE 55mm f/ ZA Lens : If I had to photograph a wedding all day with just one lens, this would be what I would pick. I love this lens so much.
6. Nikon AF-S FX NIKKOR 50mm f/G : This stays on my 35mm film camera, and I love using this with my 55mm so that my film scans match my digital.
Wedding Photography Lighting + Flashes
Lighting Gear
FLASHES
+ (3) Flashpoint Zoom Li-ion R2 TTL On-Camera Flash Speedlight: My off-camera lights that I use during family portraits and during the reception.
+ (1) Flashpoint Zoom Li-on X R2 Round Flash: This is my go-to on camera flash that I use throughout the day. It triggers all my other flashes and I can adjust the off camera flash settings from the camera.
OTHER LIGHTING
Wedding Photography Film Kit
As a hybrid wedding photographer, I also shoot film throughout the wedding day. My film kit is a bit smaller than some other film photographers and has changed over the years. This is what I have in my current film kit.
1. Pentax N Medium Format Film
2. Sekonic L Flash Master Light Meter: I love this light meter. I keep the bulb in and meter for the shadows when I shoot my film.
3. VIJIM VL LED on Camera Video Light: I use this when I need a little more light on something. You can adjust the white balance / kelvin on it and the brightness. It is also great when it&#;s really dark and your camera is struggling to focus.
5. Kodak Professional Portra Film, : My go-to film stock for film / medium format film.
4. KODAK Portra 35mm Film
6. Nikon 65N 35mm Film Camera
7. Nikon AF-S FX NIKKOR 50mm f/G
Wedding Photography Gear Extras
There are always a lot of little things that I keep in my photography gear. And what I think are essential as wedding photographer.
+ Sandisk SD Cards :You can never have too many SD cards. I personally do not delete my memory cards until I deliver the gallery and backup the RAW files in 4 places.
+ Eneloop batteries + charger : My favorite rechargable batteries that I use in my flashes / flash triggers.
+ Plastic storage case for batteries : This keeps my batteries organized in my bag. Batteries that are charged stay in the case while loose batteries go in my charging bag so I know what needs to be charged when I get home.
+ Camera Battery Bag : I love having a bag like this to keep all my camera batteries organized. I flip the batteries to know if they are dead or charged.
+ Phone Camera Mount : I attach my phone to camera for behind the scenes while I am shooting.
Want to add my camera bag to your Amazon wishlist? Here is the full list of everything I need when it comes to wedding photography gear + essentials.
*Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links that at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission. I only gush about products, companies and things I cannot live without, and it is my goal it share the best things with YOU to save you time from hunting down things that will make your life simpler.
>>>>>Interested in more photography tips + advice? Be sure to check out a ton of free photography resources and education on the blog like how to determine your ideal client and which cameras and lens I bring with me when I travel out of the country for personal projects.<<<<<
Croatian Food Guide : What to Eat and Drink!
Ahh, Croatia, one of my favorite destinations….food and drink, one of my favorite things to talk about! Guess what?! It’s all in this Croatian Food Guide! How exciting is that?! I want to give you a full in-depth look at everything you should eat and drink when you are in Croatia. Trust me, bring some stretchy pants because you will need them on this food tour of beautiful Croatia!
The one thing I loved about all of the food in Croatia was that it was all fresh. Everything I ate tasted as fresh as you can get and it was oh so good. I honestly felt like I was on a cleanse when I was there and as soon as I got back to the States the food just wasn’t as good.
Before we get started, let’s get acquainted with some of the dialogue that will help you on your food tour.
Hi → Bok → “Bock”
Please → Molim → ”Moh-lim”
Thank you→ Hvala→ “Hvah-lah”
Cheers!→ Zivjeli→ “Zheevyelee”
Beer→ Pivo→ “Pee-vho”
Wine→ Vino → “Vee-noh”
Water → Voda → “Voh-dah”
All of the food I had in Croatia was simply amazing, but there were definitely some dishes that stood out more than others. The following are definitely items you should try, but obviously eat whatever looks good to you while visiting. Eating local food is definitely one of the best ways to submerge yourself into the culture of a new country.
Shopska/ ”Greek” Salad
Oh my goodness! Greek salads are one of my favorite salads ever, but the ones I had while in Croatia were the absolute BEST I have ever had. The feta was so good, so rich and creamy and the vegetables were always so fresh. This is also such an easy dish to make! All that is in it is cucumber, tomato, red bell pepper, onion, olives, and feta. Then top it off with some red wine vinegar and lemon juice if you want. So easy, so yummy. I literally had at least one of these salads every single day on my trip.
Pršut, Kulen and Pag Cheese
Both Kulen and Pršut are the two premium dried meats of Croatia. They are normally served as an appetizer accompanied with Pag cheese and bread. Kulen is a spicy sausage so be prepared when trying it, while Pršut is ham normally made from the hind leg of a pig. Both are really good and have very different tastes to them. Pag cheese is a hard cheese that is made from sheep milk on the Croatian island of Pag. When all three of these come together, it makes for a wonderful appetizer.
There are always debates about which of these meats are better so when you visit make sure to try both and let me know what you think is best. All of these in combination are so yummy, but you have to watch yourself so that there is room left for the main course.
Burek
This is the most popular street food in Croatia, hands down, and for good reason. It is so easy to eat, and delicious. Again there are debates surrounding this food item, from which country actually invented it, to if it has to have meat in it to be considered a true Burek. One thing that seems to be consistent though is the layers of dough that are flaky and delicious. In Croatia you can find really anything inside of a Burek, from meat to cheese to fruit or even potatoes. Either way, this is the easiest food you can get on the street and enjoy while walking and exploring more.
You can see different types of Burek here. Photo Credit: Kyra Baker
Soparnik
This dish is very common and easy to eat. The dough and consistency is a little different from a Burek; it is crisper and more savory. Normally the filling is swiss chard and one of the best ones we found when in Croatia had feta in the filling as well. Again, this dish is one that you can order from a food cart and enjoy on your walking journey rather easily.
Photo Credit: Kyra Baker
Ćevapi
This was actually the first dish I had while in Croatia, so it has a special place in my heart, or err stomach. When I was going from restaurant to restaurant though I found that some of the places say different things for what type of meat this dish is made of, so I am going to be safe and say it is made of minced meat. There is a little bit of a spicy kick to it and it is served with a bread similar to pita bread, together with onions, sour cream, and ajvar. Ajvar is a sauce that is close to hummus in texture and made from red bell peppers and olive oil. This really is a great dish that I had more than once on my trip.
First meal in Croatia
Peka
This is the longest dish of our Croatian Food Guide to prepare in Croatia, or maybe even the world. Just kidding! But in all honesty, it took 4 hours from when we ordered it to when it was ready to be served at our table but well worth the wait. Peka or the “Under the bell” dish is made using a cripnja which is a bell-shaped lid that covers the pot filled with any meat you choose, vegetables, and potatoes. The dish is then cooked covered in hot coals for 4 hours before being served.
This is a lot of food, so when ordering it be prepared to eat and bring along good company for that 4-hour wait while it cooks. This was by far the best dinner I had in Croatia, not just because of the food, but because of the company. We had our dish on the charming island of Mljet right on the water, and the meat we chose was fish. Yum!
Still so much left!
Risotto
Risotto is on every menu in Croatia, from mushroom to shrimp you can find it anywhere. The must-try dish while in Croatia is the black risotto. The only thing with the black risotto is you must like seafood to enjoy it. Normally it is made with cuttlefish, calamari, and doused in cuttlefish ink to give it the black appearance. There is definitely a seafood taste to it which is why I caution those who don’t like seafood before giving it a go.
If you are a seafood lover, or not, you can find a risotto that you will love while visiting Croatia. Trust me, you can’t go wrong with this dish.
Palačinke
This dish is a favorite in Croatia and is basically a crepe pancake. I was surprised on our first night out and about there are stands and restaurants dedicated to just this dish. It is perfect for a dessert or a drunken late-night snack. There are also not so sweet versions of this dish that you can eat for lunch or dinner. My favorite Palačinke was in Hvar. It was a dessert one that was drizzled with chocolate.
Pasta with Truffles
Really just pasta and just truffles are two must eats in this country, but when you put them together, it is pure magic! There is nothing fancy that they need to do to make this dish spectacular, which is why I think it is amazing. Just cook some pasta, add some olive oil, and have some freshly grated truffles on top. There you go, the best dish of your life and it is oh so simple.
Pasta with Truffles and Prawns
Oysters
Seafood in Croatia is so fresh and exquisite that you must try it! I am really not a huge oyster fan, but Croatia changed my mind for sure. They were so yummy, fresh, and simple. I didn’t get the chance to visit Ston, this is where most people say the absolute best Oysters come from. When I go back to Croatia, I think I will book a tour of one of the oldest oyster farms in that area to see exactly what makes these ones the best.
Dirty Macaroni
This is a dish that you can find throughout Dubrovnik. The title on some menus is misleading, calling it Mac and Cheese, which it really is not even similar to, except for that fact that they are both pasta dishes. The dish normally uses a macaroni noodle, and the sauce is like a meaty marinara, but definitely a different flavor. You can find this dish being served year-round, but especially around the day of the patron saint of Dubrovnik, St. Blaise. Give this Croatian Food Guide highlight a try when you are in Dubrovnik!
Photo Credit: Kyra Baker
Grilled/BBQ Squid
On the island of Korčula, there were a lot of restaurants that had grilled squid as an option. While I saw it in other parts of Croatia, it was definitely more popular on Korčula. Luckily my friend Kyra ordered it and thank goodness she did! It was a great dish. After talking to some people from Croatia they told me that Korčula actually had the best BBQ squid, so Kyra ordered at the right time on the trip. Normally the dish is served with some potatoes and grilled squash. Worth a try when visiting Korčula.
Photo Credit: Kyra Baker
Now that we have covered some food, what about drinking while in Croatia?! Well, I have you covered for that one as well!
Rakia
First on the list of drinks on our Croatian Food Guide is Rakia. It is probably the most popular alcoholic drink throughout Croatia. It is a strong fruit brandy that can really be made out of anything, even non-fruits. I came home with a lot of different flavors, but my favorite is Orahovac, which is a walnut brandy. While this drink is served in a small glass, like a shot glass, you don’t take it all in one sip. Turn it into about 3 sips, and then order the next round.
If you can, try to find one that is homemade… the quality and flavor are so much better.
Our first glass of Orahovac, homemade by our waiter&#;s friend.
Beer
Ožujsko and Karlovačko were definitely the beers that I saw most frequently throughout the entire country. I tried both and they were good. You can find beer really anywhere you go in Croatia, and most people have one or two with their meals.
The best tour director! Ingo!
Wine
I drank more wine on this one trip then I have in my whole life I think. Wine just seems to be everywhere! There are also a lot of wineries on the islands we visited, so of course to be like a local we had to try them. I am certainly no wine expert, but at dinner, I would usually ask for a recommendation for whichever dish I was ordering and was always happy with it.
We did a tasting in Orebić and it was very good. I actually ended up purchasing a bottle of red wine because I liked it so much, and normally I am not a red wine drinker at all. Definitely an important part of this Croatian Food Guide!
Photo Credit to above 3 images: Lauren Breaux
There is obviously so much more you can try, and that I will hopefully be able to go back and try while in Croatia, but from my experience, these are some items you must try while visiting. The people are nice, the food is fresh, and the alcohol is always flowing, so there is no doubt that it will be a good time. Let me know below if you&#;ve tried any of the items in this Croatian Food Guide! And check out my &#;Bri Meets World&#; series to try out some tasty recipes from all over the world!
Lowepro ProTactic BP AW II Camera & Laptop Backpack
This is like the MVP of camera bags, with its roomy compartments and comfy design. You can stash multiple cameras, lenses, and all those little extras while keeping the weight balanced on your shoulders. While this bag is far from stylish, it has been great for domestic and international travel. I love that you can only get the gear out of the bag when you put it down.
2. Camera Bag Shooting Bag Shoot Sac
I love to carry on my lenses, extra batteries, cell phone and wallet with me throughout the day so I can quickly grab things as I need them, so I have always used a Shoot Sac camera bag vs dual camera bodies. It works for me, and I love it. It&#;s great for when you need to switch lenses in a flash or grab a battery in a hurry.
4. Light stand Bag
Gus Fink is a commercial artist whose multidisciplinary work all falls within the umbrella of &#;Pop Art&#; &#; and like the Ur God of Pop, Andy Warhol, Gus works in every medium available: sculpting, painting, cartoons, film, clothing design, digital art, indie games and music.
Simply put, Gus is an all round pop art visionary!
Gus and his art came to our attention thanks to the recently released &#;Creeplings&#; series of designer toys, a collaborative effort between Gus and his equally talented wife Emi Boz &#; and just like all works that Gus is involved in, they are well worth checking out.
(Picture of some of the &#;Creeplings&#; series of blind box art toys, below)
With Gus constantly pushing his art and himself, working on project after project, now is the perfect time to get to know the man and his art, by reading the Art Talk interview below&#;
Basics/Getting to Know
Name + D.O.B?
Gus Fink
January 12th
(Some art by Gus below)
City, State n Country you currently call home?
Newark, Delaware, USA
City, State n Country your from?
Hazleton, PA, USA
Describe a memory from some stages of yr life ….basically trying to piece together your pivotal moments. Concerts, art, action-figures, romance, school, crime… ANYTHING man!
* age 5 – beginnings:
Started art around 2 and always felt a connection to it.
Around this time I was told to grab my medicine and I drank the whole bottle, not aware of how bad it was for me. Luckily my mom was able to take me to the ER and save my life.
(Picture below of Gus aged 2 with his Grandfather)
* age 10 – continuations:
By now I was overweight and had no friends.
Every day I lived in fear of getting beatings from my older brother and was a poor student &#; there wasn&#;t much hope, just hiding.
* age 15 – getting serious:
More overweight and being an outcast where I was only able to slightly fit in with other misfits that had similar or worst situations than myself.
These friends helped me discover comic books this was a pivital age for me where I realized I wanted more for my life. I decided to workout every day and prove people wrong about me.
(Picture of Gus &#; on the left &#; aged 17 with a friend)
* age 20 – young adult:
By now I fully found myself and done more with my life than during childhood, My art style was fully being developed.
I started a comic book company and let it fail at 16, graduated high school at 17 took a few months off to work at a subway till I decided to get a 2 year degree in computer animation. I graduated top of my class but realized it was a joke degree and didn&#;t want to move to LA to look for work. Instead I opened up a strange punk rock shop with a good friend and little money.
At 21 I decided to fully be an artist and my shop was closed down &#; it was a small earning but I was much happier than doing the fast food and walmart type jobs my peers were doing. I was an un-credited entrepreneur making less than my friends but with the pleasure of doing what I wanted.
(Picture below of Gus aged 20 in his old shop)
* age 25 – adult mode:
Steadily growing my art business at 26 I became a father and this stepped up my work mode and goals.
I&#;ve had several comic books published and started licensing my artwork and ideas into different toy lines including the (age 27) Boogily Heads, Stitch Kittens, Puff Dogs, SkullGnome, Boogily Bunnies &#; and did the first blind bag mini comic and sticker packs.
(Picture below of Gus aged 25)
* age 30 – fully formed:
A father of 2 by now and lived during a bad economy forced me to think up new ideas to make income off my art.
Things always change and you got to change with them. I moved around a lot and wasn&#;t with the mother of my children. Persevering through tough times and many more to come.
Still I was able to grow my brands , my art and think of many more ideas.
* age 35 – adult continuations:
I now make video games, many toys, apparel and write/direct short films and am looking to do feature films.
&#; The roads path changes all the time and every day I wake up not knowing where my next dollar is or how.
But something happens , something comes of the day and like magic it always works out.
I have the greatest person in my life and finally feel free. This freedom of creativity has me motivated to quickly take any idea and execute it.
(A recent picture below of Gus Fink and his wife Emi Boz)
Personal motto?
Every moment has a purpose, you just have to give it the right one.
Favorite band(s)?
STRFKR,The Browning, Suicide Silence, Dr. Acula, Pixies, Nirvana, Chelsea Grin, DeadMau5
I don&#;t have a favorite just like a lot of different stuff that helps the mood I&#;m in.
(Picture below of Gus aged 23 and playing in his old band &#;Bleed as One&#;)
Favorite TV show(s)?
The leftovers, The office, Stranger things,Hard Knocks, Tales from the Crypt&#;
HBO does the best TV
Favorite sport(s) + teams?
American Football
Philadelphia Eagles
(Pictures below of some art by Gus)
Favorite movie(s)?
The Shining, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, the Royal Tennenbaums, the First Nightmare on Elmstreet, Star Wars, Batman movies
Favorite books and comics?
Batman + Spawn
Art Questions
Favorite other artist(s)?
Kurt Cobain, Jim Hensen, whomever designed M.U.S.C.L.E. men toys
Worst aspect of the contemporary art-hustle?
The politics + the gimmicks
(Pictures below of some art by Gus)
Best aspect of the contemporary art-hustle?
Capabilities of doing anything, finding anyone and making it happen.
Do you consider what you are making to be ‘art’, ‘design’, re-hashed crap?
True art from my mind , from the universe.
When and why did you first start making ‘art’ (drawings, paintings, anything)?
It&#;s natural for children to feel the need to create and I never let that go. Most people let go of their child spirit and to me it was who I am, I didn&#;t want to grow away from it so I never did.
(Pictures below of some art by Gus)
What did you draw and make as a pre-teen child?
Average stuff for the most part but at 9 I decided to draw the things I saw when I closed my eyes. took me years to realize not everyone can see the things I see.
It&#;s something God given.
What did you draw and make as a teen?
Wanted to be a cool comic book artist for awhile and I did really bad drawings that nobody liked. When I was I started to find my own style and it was the same flow of creativity it always had.
Any pivotal artistic moment/influence?
Seeing the Basquiat movie made an impact , it showed me that you didn&#;t have to be a boring taught artist but could do it your own way and I loved knowing you could make it as an artist without rules.
I really hate rules to any art and letting go of all that helped me take off.
(Picture below showing the &#;Basquiat&#; film poster &#; Gus&#; pivotal artistic influence)
Why + when did you decide to go in on the art hustle?
I&#;m terrible at doing the normal things that most do and I really get depressed when I had to do it. Going to school , working for others it left me so biter and angry I decided to quit at a young age and had nothing to fall back on.
This forced me to stay hungry and work hard for every dollar so I could eat and pay rent.
Describe the process of producing your art&#;
I like to not know what I will create and let it happen.
It&#;s my favorite when I get to think up new things, new stories , new ideas and then make it happen exactly how I want to.
* Your sketches + comics?
I don&#;t do comics too much any more &#; they don&#;t give me the pleasure that they used to. But I will still write them and design&#;. I&#;m always sketching and usually don&#;t plan it just let it flow with the current feeling.
* Your paintings?
Same thing, unless its a commission &#; one thing I should mention is I like to make things that I would enjoy, not for others. This helps me enjoy the process and not worry what others think &#; usually this is my best work too when I do it right.
* Your digital art?
Digital art is my pre-planned art. Digital art is for something that needs to be correct so it&#;s my only planned art for the most part.
So for packaging, or animation projects, video games I usually start off the computer and then do the digital to enhance &#;.sometimes it&#;s all digital but not often.
Toy Questions
Describe the process of producing your sculptural creations? – from original sculpt, moulding, production, to finally holding that sweet sweet finished product in your hands&#; (dot point all o.k.)
I mostly sculpt the way I paint and draw, without much pre planning &#; just feel of the moment kind of work&#; once in awhile I&#;ll do it a little pre planned and then it will certainly turn out different.
Your ‘Creeplings’ blind box series recently had a hugely successful Kickstarter campaign – getting funded and garnering a lot of praise and press&#;
* What role do you each play in ‘Creeplings’?
I drew them out and let Emi (my wife) sculpt &#; then I had to tell her if there was anything I didn&#;t like on the first few &#; she learns quickly and does an amazing job. She can take my flat drawings and make them come to life.
She&#;s much better at sculpting my drawings then myself and it&#;s a perfect balance and combination.
* Why the name ‘Creeplings’?
I used to own a website called creeplings for these creepy photos I did &#; I always loved the name it started from a strange painting I did.
I never forget fun names I come up with.
* How do you see the series and concept developing – a cartoon, game, plush toys etc?
As big as any IP really I think all of my ideas can grow out and become something of all media and materials as long as the masses love it.
(Pictures below of the &#;Creeplings&#; line of blind box figures)
What release do you both get from collaborating, that you don’t get working independently?
Emi and I collaborate on every project in some aspect. We discuss most all we work on and share ideas constantly &#; everyday is full of priorities and things to get done.
What ever happened to your old plush toy series ‘Kreebils’?
They are still alive just taking a break for now.
We were supposed to do cool plastic toys of them but it didn&#;t happen.
(Pictures below of the &#;Kreebils&#; line of plush toys)
Are art-toys for the kids?
Yes, our toys are more for kids than adults but cool enough for adults to enjoy.
Kids are very important to me and I already seen how cool the new generations are that grew up with boogily heads and are adults now. It&#;s so cool to see that happen.
Is the rise of ‘art’ toys an indication of the changing nature of ‘art’? OR just a bunch of nerds with too much $$$ and time?
I never was part of the cool club of art toys or accepted in any way. I used to really want to be part of that little special group.
I think my toys are more for kids than adults and maybe that&#;s why, I don&#;t know but I really just do my own thing and not worry about those details anymore.
Thoughts on the rise of resin as an artistic medium?
I&#;m glad people can do that stuff, I&#;m not good at it but I also don&#;t have much energy for it.
What role did toys play in your childhood?
A huge roll &#; they are a big reason I do what I do, that and cool 80&#;s films.
Odds n Ends
Please describe your experiences growing up in the USA?
I grew up in a small town that I really enjoyed. But saw it change and grow violent. Dark and crime filled
I enjoyed spending time with my grandfather and uncle, as my father left a lil bit after when I was born.
Hazleton was mostly an Italian place. Me not being Italian I was excluded from most things but overall I look back and just focus on the good. Which was growing. And learning from experiences rather then all the bad.
Who was your 1st crush and why?
Madonna.
&#;Who&#;s that Girl&#; movie came out and I was in awe. I guess it&#;s the powerful artist and actress she was in one.
She was the 80s so it was hard not to crush on her.
(Picture below of the poster for the film &#;Who&#;s That Girl &#; featuring Gus&#; childhood crush, Madonna)
Does sex change everything?
Can&#;t say it does.
Please describe your latest dream in detail…
Don&#;t want to give good ideas out. Lots of great ideas come from dreams. But I&#;ll make one up and see where it goes&#;
The was a factory that used to make clocks. It went abandoned long ago with the owner dying inside. But when a teenage cat decided to rest inside he accidently turned the owners clock heart back on. Now all the old sold clocks are in sync with the factory&#;
Wait this sounds more like a strange movie or something &#; Sorry!
Of everything you have done what would you most like to be remembered for and why?
I don&#;t think I&#;ve done my most memorial stuff yet.
(Pictures below of some art by Gus)
Drugs – waste of time or gateway to the universe?
Huge waste of time for people like me. I never wanted to be around or get involved with them.
The body and mind should be treated with more respect and take in all the reality we perceive so we can come up with better ways to change it with good sober thought.
Please describe what you think the American Psyche/Zeitgeist is today?
The American psyche today. Hmm. So do you mean what the masses are thinking and feeling &#; And my take on it?!
Without being political. Respect at all times. Americans want it. And respect is really from love &#; The world wants to be loved and respected.
Americans are a diverse pool of all kinds from this planet. Probably the most diverse. Which is why it&#;s hated and also so loved and great at coming up with cool things. It&#;s the perfect center point to grow up poor. Be carved up and look to make it.
Probably didn&#;t answer this well. But I believe personal opinions only get people overly criticized in today&#;s internet mind set.
Which ’s era cartoon, would you most like to see in a tribute sex toy, and why?
&#;I guess this is why it&#;s called art whore? I don&#;t consider myself an art whore in any way. Almost didn&#;t do the article since it&#;s called that.
But I like what you&#;re doing over all and how we connected&#;
Who would win in a fight and why: a redneck on his way home from the pub Vs. A gang of teen art punks out on the town?
I&#;d say the rabbit with the baseball bat would defeat the clown bear with hammer.
Gus Fink – Stand Alone Questions
You have been involved in the indie game ‘Fright Show Fighter’ released by 3Fright
* who is involved and what role did you each play in the game making process?
I did all the character designs and background designs.
I didn&#;t do the 3D graphics. Jeff Brown took my designs and does what he does best as well as animating everything.
Doug K is our master mind programmer and invented his own game engine.
Together the 3 of us are the perfect video game trio and love what we do.
* why the decision to venture into the world of games?
Video games are the future. And I loved them so much growing up. It&#;s another dream come true.
People seem to be against making dreams come reality but I&#;ve always believed in them. And not giving up on any of them.
* any other game projects in the works – either independently or with 3Firght?
I&#;ve done some others and have a few in different stages but the other people I work with don&#;t get things done in a timely manner. Which is why it&#;s so delayed.
More will happen. Mostly with 3 fright.
(Pictures below of the &#;Fright Show Fighter&#; game)
I discovered you also make films when researching your interview, which was a nice surprise!
* Who is involved in the making of your films?
I&#;ve been working with a lot of people and made new friends from my new films. I now live in a great area which I wasn&#;t used to seeing people so kind to helping me with my ideas and visions when it comes to making films.
I write and direct and executive produce them and have assorted actors, Cinematographer, and loads of others helping out. Producers. Audio. Musicians. Editors.
All great people too!
* Care to explain your recent film – ‘Hubert and the Night People’?
Hubert is my first film. I&#;ve done 2 since that are near completion.
Hubert is about a lonely middle aged man that has no friends in the real world but each night is visited by the night people after he does his daily routines. The night is what he lives for. The days he dreads.
(Pictures below of Gus&#;s film work &#;Hubert and the Night People&#; in VHS format)
What ever happened to your old project ‘Dr Kinkles’?
It&#;s not an old project but still going. It&#;s more so a brand for certain ip we do. So instead of saying by Gus fink, it will be by Dr Krinkles.
It&#;s a very long story that I&#;ll talk more about in 10 years haha!
What is the backtale – both artistic and narritive – to your art toy series ‘Boogily Heads’?
For boogily heads I&#;m in a car so I&#;ll make it a lil short&#;
Artistically I wanted to produce a line direct from my sculptures. This was a time when all the smooth slick artist vinyl were out but not many sculpted them. I also wanted to do something my way. Since making them I noticed recently the design is being copied of the body shape and such with no legs
The backstory on them is they are creatures from my head and came alive in the boogily world . From creating a magical box I was able to take my original sculptures and make them real once placed in the fink box
(Pictures below of some of the &#;Boogily Heads&#;)
How did you come to have your Antique Horror clothing designs stocked in ‘Hot Topic’?
I&#;ve met some great people that sell into hot topic and we became good friends.
At first we weren&#;t sure which line to do but they really loved the antique horror line.
So it&#;s been a fun progression and experience.
(Pictures below of some of Gus&#; &#;Antique Horror&#; t shirt line)
The Future
Any collaborations on the horizon?
Films and video games are the ultimate collaboration.
I&#;m sure I&#;ll be doing more.
Most of my projects I can&#;t announce until their release so I got to keep this more brief&#;
Any major projects you want to hype?
Let&#;s see&#;. eunic-brussels.eu for sure.
Gooli monsters and Stitch kittens have brand new plush toys that are launching as we speak.
Keep an eye out for my video games release and stay tuned on my films. I suppose that&#;s all!
Thanks for the opportunity.
Links
Manfrotto LBAG Lightstand Bag
I use this bag for all of my light stands, umbrellas, styling mats and Mag Mod
4. Camera Bag Roller Bag
I cried the day I gave up breastfeeding so I took myself off and bought some new bras.
Breastfeeding is the most glorious heart melting, mothering and loving action you can share with your newborn child. That is of course if it works. The first four days I fed my beautiful little girl colostrum and hoped desperately for my milk to come in. The midwives applauded my perseverance daily and encouraged me for not offering formula, though when the feeds become every hour and my poor baby was clearly distressed from lack of food I began to question my judgement. The wearing and cracks caused by the demand on my nipples were beginning to take it&#;s toll. On the day they discharged me from hospital my daughter wouldn&#;t leave my breast, my milk had shown signs of arriving and she was there willing to take every drop without a break, the midwives literally suggested I pull her away after 3hrs straight just to get me in the car and out the door. We arrived home exhausted and grateful of creature comforts, we introduced our new baby to her home, the dogs and took our first breath as a family. We were home and ready to settle into our new life.
The following day my husband returned to work and that was when my baby began cluster feeding. With ten minute breaks throughout 8hrs my warn skin became open wounds, no amount of shields, balms or ice packs could help nor prepare me for the sight of my blood gushing out of my daughters mouth once pulling away from a feed. I had a little vampire on my hands, something I can laugh about now but at the time I was hysterical. I tried hand expressing but produced nothing but blood. I was beside myself, panicked, alone and with a starving baby screaming in my arms. Totally unprepared for the idea I wouldn&#;t be able to breastfeed I didn&#;t have a steriliser, breast pump or milk storing containers at home. Fortunately a friend had given me a sachet of formula at my baby shower and with that in mind and the tears streaming down my face I tried to calm my screaming child whilst I boiled the kettle and attempted to read the formula instructions. Once the bottle was in her mouth and devoured in only a few minutes I was able to call for help, sort out a breast pump, steriliser, bottles, teats, bottle brush, milk storage containers and formula.
I never had enough milk for my beautiful big baby girl, so for ten whole weeks I breastfed, followed up with a bottle and pumped milk in-between. I became a walking talking milking station. They say you should sleep when the baby sleeps, well clearly they hadn&#;t walked a day in the shoes of someone with low milk supply as her sleep time was my pumping, storing, cleaning and sterilising time. Hang on, I hear you say aren&#;t you meant to eat well, sleep and rest to encourage breast milk? I had little chance of that with my pumping routine. It was non stop and absolutely exhausting but I was happy to persist to make sure I could breastfeed my girl. I guess in the end it was my daughter&#;s decision that caused me to change. She loved the bottle, the ease and flow of never ending milk and her frustrations grew with my breastfeeding, never was she satisfied and quickly she knew a short suck on each breast resulted in a full bottle (containing what breast milk I had pumped and topped up with formula) She was drinking more than an average baby, she was of course an above average size and weight and continued to grow at a rapid pace. As the breasts became an obstacle to her main goal she began to show her irritation. If anyone has undergone breast refusal you will understand what it means to have full, sore breasts on offer and tears streaking down your cheeks as you plead with your babe to accept them only to be met with screams, scratches and tears on their end. I even attempted a standoff whereby I wouldn&#;t offer the bottle without her taking some breast first, but she let me know over the course of a few hours and days that her stubbornness was far greater than my will to fight. (I wonder where she gets that from?!)
I loved breastfeeding. I loved the closeness you have with your child, the nuzzling of their nose and the deep look they give you. I loved her head in my hand and the grip her fingers would offer wrapped around my little finger. But, in the end breastfeeding wasn&#;t the best option for her or me.
I persisted with morning feeds up until two weeks ago, when my daughter woke in the morning I could sneak her onto my breast and hope she&#;d get involved and take what she could get in her drowsy state. But, whether from my daughter&#;s lack of interest or my bodies response to rejection I dried up the other week and I had to come to terms with the fact it was my last day breastfeeding my daughter. I cried with her in my arms knowing I would never have that closeness with her again, that true dependence a child has on it&#;s mother. But as I popped a bottle into her mouth and she wrapped her tiny fingers around my pinky and smiled up at me I realised I was pushing breastfeeding for me, for the idea that society pushes upon you that breast is best and anything less is unacceptable, for the midwives that applauded a hungry baby over a top up of formula. Instead of helping ease my child&#;s stress and hunger I made her hold out. The decision should have been made by what she was telling me and what was and is right for her is to be full, happy and content from a bottle. I hope that if I have another child I can successfully breastfeed, but if I struggle again I will know next time not to fear the looks from breastfeeding mums when I produce a bottle to feed my child with, not to kill myself and my body every waking minute if it&#;s not the right decision. The day I accepted that formula feeding would be the predominant form of milk for my child I changed, I remember it being week 10 and I finally thought, wow, I love this gig (motherhood) my baby was full, happy and smiling during her feed, she wasn&#;t fighting me, she wasn&#;t complaining. I relaxed and enjoyed motherhood on another level that I hadn&#;t felt before. I stopped caring what others thought because I knew I had a happy baby and that made me a proud and happy mumma.
So when I was able to pack away those horrendous maternity bras last week I went out and celebrated with buying some new bras. (Bendon have a great sale on at the moment check it out here). My Nana used to say to me &#;in proud moments in your life you have to go and buy yourself a new bra&#; I remember when I was 16 asking why I needed a new bra for being proud and she responded, &#;well if you&#;re proud of yourself you&#;ll push out your chest and let everyone know it.&#; So I guess I had more than one reason for buying a new bra.
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This post is sponsored by KIWI®, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
The end of brought about a big change for me, my husband and our pup. Days before heading off for the holidays with our families, we moved into our new home, the first that we own together. I’ve lived in Los Angeles since I was 18 and chose to hop from rental to rental because I never truly accepted Los Angeles as my long-term home. I think in a way, knowing my living situation was temporary and continuing to think of Canada as my home for all the years away gave me a sense of comfort. If the big, bad world of LA ever got to be too much, I could always flee to the safety and comforts of “home” to accept me, cuddle me up and tell me it was all going to be okay. Since getting married and sharing a life with my person out in LA, my feelings towards the big, bad city have changed. Thanks to my husband and now, the dog we adopted almost two years ago, my home in LA gives me a sense of belonging, purpose and security that I never knew I could have in this land of crushed hopes and unattainable dreams.
The family I have out here makes all of those hopes and dreams seem possible and exciting and less significant to my identity any which way because I am a wife, dog-mom and now a homeowner not just one of a million lone-wolf actors trying to make it in Hollywood.
Of course, being a new homeowner means my domestication has been taken to the next level and my priorities have instantly changed. I now want to earn and save money to plant trees in the backyard or get a new rug for the bedroom instead of spending it on that pair of designer boots or loafers I’ve had my eye on for months. Shoes have always been my sweet spot for spending so my collection of boots and shoes is plentiful to say the least, but I have always been pretty careless about taking care of my things. Now, with this new major financial responsibility on my hands, I’m going to have to take much better care of that collection to keep them looking good and lasting long! My husband has always been very precious about his things and the shoes he’s had for years look nearly new thanks to KIWI Protect-All. He has always encouraged me to do the same and I’ll admit, I turned a blind eye until now, but as the new owner of a beautiful home (and major responsibility!), I figure I better keep the shoes I do have looking the part! With KIWI’s easy-to-use Protect-All spray, I can guard my shoe collection from the elements and extend their life in any weather. This is a resolution that can be made a reality super simply with KIWI and thank goodness for that!
My house is beautiful. It is truly more than I would’ve ever expected my first house to be and I love every inch of its style and construction but what gives me the most pride about it is everything it represents. To me, this house represents the milestones I’ve surpassed in this city, the woman that’s evolved from that lonely and scared year-old-girl, the sense of self I was able to maintain against all obstacles and influences, the hours of tireless work I’ve put into my job to be able to afford to do this at an age at which some of my icons lost their lives to fast living. These bricks and mortar represent the love that gave me new life just when I was starting to feel depleted and the odds my husband and I have overcome to turn our love at first sight story into a strong and lasting one. Each support beam of this house represents the support of my husband and my family back home who let me leave on my own at a young age to pursue my dreams and encouraged me to stay and fight for them every time I got scared and wanted to run away. This house is so much more than a house. This house is my home and while I may not have put the manual labor into its construction or architectural flair into its design, I created it. I created this home with perseverance, resilience, humility, love, gratitude, self-awareness and drive and I now live in it and walk through it with pride.
I wanted to share this story with you to inspire you to keep striving towards your personal goals in I hope that this year, you continue to fight hard for those personal goals and keep your chin held as high as you can muster while you do. The universe pays it forward with personal and material rewards, I promise so just do you the best way you know how, learn and grow constantly and have faith that the rest will happen exactly how it’s meant to. You are special and unique and you should #WalkWithPride every day for being who you are!
SHENAE GRIMES-BEECH
Shenae Grimes-Beech is an actor and YouTuber with a highly engaged community of like-minded women who are here to stand up for what they believe in and lean into discomfort, especially when it means doing the right thing.
I cried the day I gave up breastfeeding so I took myself off and bought some new bras.