Month: September 2017

Inspiring Articles

“It’s a Business and You’re a Product”- The powerful Journey with Singer/Songwriter Emily Hatton

by alyssahotrumLeave a Comment on “It’s a Business and You’re a Product”- The powerful Journey with Singer/Songwriter Emily Hatton
“It’s a Business and You’re a Product”- The powerful Journey with Singer/Songwriter Emily Hatton


Hello my beauts, I hope you guys are all doing well and having a great day so far!  There are always things in life you wish or dreamt you could do. I know for a fact I always wished I could sing or dance. I envy people who have this talent, it’s so beautiful, peaceful and relaxing listening to someone sing. One fact you beauts didn’t know about me was I used to be able to sing! I was actually in theatre for a couple years when I was younger and were in two plays called, “Joseph and the amazing technicolour Dreamcoat’,  and also, “Not just another variety show”. In Not just another variety show, I had to sing a duet with a young girl and it was amazing. You really felt all eyes on you, and we took over the stage. But then something happened…. you guessed it…. puberty. Gotta love it that’s for sure. I stopped singing after that because I could not sing as high as I used to anymore. But hey that’s okay because there are other people in this world who I can listen to and admire. But there is one girl in particular that stood out to me and has for a while. I never have done a collaboration with a singer before, but I thought, “hey... why the hell not?”. This girl resembles a Disney Princess, as her friends like to call her, is a qualified teacher, and is trained in Advanced Wildness First Aid. Sounds legit right? This girl is everything, let alone one of the most beautiful singers inside and out that I have ever heard of. I had the absolute privilege and opportunity to collaborate on a blog post with the gorgeous Emily Hatton.


Emily from Melbourne Australia, calls herself a daydreamer, she smells like “Pink Sugar” (the perfume she has been wearing since she was 16 years old),  likes baking healthified treats, and loves coffee. She sounds like my kind of friend I need in my life!  Emily enjoys going to the gym 5 times a week and would rather spend a day hiking than watching a movie inside, even though she adores movies! In fact, her most recent favourite movie is “The Edge of Seventeen“. Hey, Emily, this is also one of my favourite movies as well. I absolutely am addicted to it!  Lately, though, Emily has been collecting succulent plants. One thing you need to know about her is that she is a deep thinker, she appreciates sarcasm and is someone who believes in kindness. Emily states, “ the most common thing observation I hear when someone meets me is, “you’re tall for a girl,” and so now my typical response is, “Thank you. Now that you mention it… my face is further from the ground than other people.”That’s me in a nutshell. (I’m the nut.) “. HA! I absolutely love this, this sounds like we are going to get along already!

Moving onto Emily’s singing I began to ask her basic questions leading into it. I asked Emily at what age did she start singing. She replied, “literally when I was born. My mum tells me she knew I was going to be a singer because my cry was so clear.I also have a VHS of me when I was four, sitting on a couch, singing a whole bunch of songs to the camera for about an hour and a half. Because that’s all I wanted to do. Mum also told me that as a kid, I perpetually sang in the bath, so she always knew I hadn’t drowned. She would only run in if I stopped singing”. That’s a perfect idea! You knew from a very young age then Emily! I was also curious if Emily knew any instruments or not. This has always been a dream of mine as well, to play instruments especially the piano. I would’ve loved to have done this. Emily states, “I learnt cello in school. I don’t play anymore though. My mum taught me the piano. I stopped lessons in about seventh grade, but I’m still pretty fluent, though I’ve always been better doing stuff by ear, rather than sight reading.    My main instrument now is guitar. I’m self-taught. I picked one up for the first time when I was nineteen and became obsessed with it. It’s the first thing I go to when I’m writing songs.  Oh, and I know four chords on the ukulele. Next on my list is the banjo”. That’s amazing Em! I am so proud of you for being so engaged in musical instruments, that’s great! That is a true talent that’s for sure.  Self-taught is crazy good! That’s unbelievable, I don’t know if I could ever do that but koodoos to you!! Keep on going girl!


I also wanted to know if Emily wrote any of her own songs at all, and if so who inspires her to write her songs. Emily explains, “I sure do. My songs are like my therapy. My inspiration is my emotions. I’m a very positive, happy person, and when something affects me in a negative way, the first thing I turn to is music. For example, when I’m feeling really sad about something that’s happened in my life, and I’m trying to sort through thoughts in my head, writing is the best way to figure things out. It makes me concisely express what I’m conflicted by in that moment, and stops the spiral of confusion. It clears my mind. If I feel like screaming for whatever reason, I’ll incorporate that into a belt (a loud, long, high note) in my song. If I’m super angry, and I don’t know how else to get the frustration out, I write lyrics that I would want the other person to hear, but I try to make them smart. Not just making fun, or whatever. It’s like being able to yell everything you’re feeling, but people actually listen until you’re finished. It’s great. And I try to not be mean or vengeful, but sometimes, a song can literally be the initial, emotional reaction that in reality, that only lasts for a few hours. But writing helps dissipate that, and I can actually get over things very quickly nowadays. On the other hand, if something really strikes me with joy, I’m likely to write a song about that too. For example, meeting my American relatives for the first time. They welcomed me in so warmly and made me feel so part of the family, I had to write a thank you letter, in the form of a song. I played it for them and ended up making some of them cry. I think if you can make someone cry with music, you’ve done something right haha”.  That is for sure Emily, that is so amazing, you should be so proud of yourself!  Touching people in that way is absolutely beautiful and so nice to see and watch.


I know that Emily enjoys country music so I had to ask her who inspired her to get into country music. Emily replied, “Oh my goodness. A great mix actually! One of my dad’s favourite artists is James Taylor, and we did a lot of long drives together when I was younger, so I have many memories of Dad singing along to the CD’s in the car. My favourite of his is “Copperline.” I love, love, love Shania Twain. My dad can vouch that there are a few songs I played ad nauseam when I was younger, much to his annoyance, and, “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!” and, “That Don’t Impress Me Much,” were two of them. A few years back, I discovered and fell in love with The Band Perry and absolutely adored their style. Kimberly Perry reminded me of the Dixie Chicks and their beautiful tones and I always aim to emulate that super smooth, perfectly pitched way of singing. From then on, I started actively looking for other bands in the genre. I also had a singing teacher in high school tell me my voice was suited to country, and back then I actually laughed. Now, I want to hug her. My other biggest country influencers are Lady Antebellum, Rascal Flatts and Faith Hill”.  I also wanted to know what types of genres Emily sings when she is in the zone. Emily stated that she sings mostly country and pop music, in fact, that is how she loves to write her songs. Emily also explains, “I love the melodic elements, the poetic and metaphoric style, and how it can have contrasting sultry ballads as well as boppy, fun tunes. But I am also known to sing along to musical theatre and Disney, of course”.  You know who Emily reminds me of when she sings? She reminds me of Taylor Swift, I can hear it in her voice, what do you beauts think? Emily was so kind as to send me the newest song she wrote just for me to listen to. I was absolutely honoured and could not express how generous that was of her to do! What a sweetheart. She reminded me of T-Swift the whole entire time, I had goosebumps! What a true talent she has. It’s unbelievable.


I know we are all dying to know if Emily has performed on a stage before and what not! I know I am dying to know! With a talent like that, it needs to be shown off for sure! Emily states, “Small stages, yeah. Not counting high school, I’ve done a couple of gigs around Melbourne. It’s my goal to play on a stage somewhere like the Grand Ole Opry, someday. Or the CMA’s. And around the world on my own headlining tours, of course”.  That’s a great goal to have Emily, I know you can do it if you put your mind and heart to it, you got this!

Besides singing, what are your other hobbies? “I love trying new things, so generally I’ll have a new obsession every week. Recently, random things include sewing, gardening, and colouring. But the recurring things are cooking, camping and hiking, yoga and kettlebell classes, reading, and patting my pet rabbit. I also watch hours of F.R.I.E.N.D.S, and lately, Gilmore Girls, because who doesn’t want to loiter in an idealistic world every now and then? Before I started giving everything to music, it was acting. So that’s another hobby now. I would easily commit to either, and ideally both, for the rest of my life”. 

“It’s a business, and you’re a product”- Emily Hatton


I also wanted to know if there were any of Emily’s family members who were involved in music and enjoyed music. Emily expresses, “My mum is a music teacher, and mostly listens to classical music. My dad has always, always had music playing constantly. Namely Phil Collins & Genesis, Sting & the Police, James Taylor, Pink Floyd, Leo Sayer, Eric Clapton, Elton John and ABBA”.  Wow, so music runs in the family Emily! That’s amazing! That really does help a lot that is for sure!

Did you know you always wanted to be in the music industry? “Oh, yeah. It wasn’t always crystal clear to me in which capacity I wanted to pursue it, but I always knew I had to sing. I tried musical theatre for a while. I love it, but I love performing my own songs more” . That’s great! You are really going far Emily, keep up the great work!

I was also curious as to how long Emily practices singing for within her daily schedule. With a voice like that, I was very curious! Emily states,”literally all the time. I practice shamelessly in the car, in the shower, while I’m cooking, and even quietly on the train, while people are staring at me. Sometimes I’m singing, and I think it’s in my head, until someone comments on the song, and I realise it’s out loud”.  That’s hilarious! Good for you! It takes a lot of confidence to be on that level and it seems like you have a ton which is amazing. I only strive to have that much like you Emily!


Who are your favourite musicians? “Oh my gosh, so many. There’s a massive variety of humans who inspire me, whose albums I’ve listened to so many times I’ve lost count, and also have influenced my style. Off the top of my head: The Band Perry, The Dixie Chicks, Shania Twain, Avril Lavigne, James Taylor, Lady Antebellum, Billy Joel, Maroon 5, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Bobby Darin, and Hunter Hayes. I also, in general, love 80’s pop & rock. It’s my favourite era for music because of its expression of vocal harmonies, drum beats, chord progressions, and general energies of the music, including the creative risks artists took”.


While summing up this interview and questionnaire, I wanted to ask Emily some more intense and personal questions! I began to ask Emily if there was a piece of advice she would give to someone just starting out in this career path. Emily explains, “Stay positive. It’s so easy to lose motivation, feel like you’re getting nowhere, or take rejection personally. One of my favourite quotes that I live by is, “get comfortable with being uncomfortable.” It’s a life thing. It’s when you grow, and become better. To get where you want to be, you have to work hard, accept failure, try and try again, and if things still aren’t going the way you planned, try different methods and be open to broader ideas of making your dreams a reality. Like, other ways you can still be involved in the business you love, just taking the long way ‘round to reaching your destination. If you really want something, if you can’t stop picturing it, if it fills you with joy and vibrancy, give it everything you’ve got. Learn from people who are where you want to be. And then help others up to where you’ve progressed. Network, share, love what other people are doing, and be grateful for where you are. And be there in person. It’s a process. There are milestones, but there’s not really a point when anyone’s “made it.” In reality, you’re just doing the same thing you’ve always done. Just the stakes get higher. The stage and the audience get bigger. But everything is an ongoing effort and commitment”.  I think I am going to go to Emily for advice from now on! She pretty much summed it up and that was beautiful to read. I am sure someone will benefit greatly from these words of advice, so thank you for sharing Emily!

Lastly, I asked Emily where she sees herself 5 years from now. “I see myself very clearly on tour, having released an album, wearing some sort of sparkly dress, smiling. Because I get to call what I love my job”.  That’s amazing Emily! How talented is she though? If you have not checked Emily out and her amazing voice be sure to head on over to her Instagram page at “Emhat”, and check her out! Her videos are amazing, and her voice is stunning. I have been hooked on Emily for a while now and knew I had to reach out to her to share her talent and story with you beauts that’s for sure. So please go show her some love!


I want to personally thank Emily from the bottom of my heart for agreeing to collaborate with me on this blog post and opening up about her singing and music journey. Emily you are so so talented and deserve the best in life. Emily was such a sweet girl to work with, so pleasurable and nice! I know you are going to go far one day and when you are on stage, think of me 🙂 So be sure to go follow her Instagram page and check her out, she would love that! Also be sure to follow my other social media sites located on my homepage for upcoming blogs in the near future, thanks again!

As Emily Hatton says it! “Much love ” xo.


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Dear Letters, Inspiring Articles

Dear 23-Year-Old Self 

by alyssahotrum3 Comments on Dear 23-Year-Old Self 
Dear 23-Year-Old Self 


It’s me again, I hope you beauts are having a wonderful Tuesday so far! Last time I wrote to you it was for my 16-year -old self which I found rather refreshing. Of course, if I had to go back in time, or tell my daughter in the future about my 16-year-old self I would remind her of a bunch of things, the do’s and dont’s of life, the ups and downs, the yeses and nos of life and so forth. But I don’t think I have touched on the later years in life that are shortly down the road.  I think it is so important to write dear letters, especially to yourself, it allows you to see things from a different perspective and get all your thoughts down on paper. A lot has happened since I was 16 to now 23 and I feel that I need to remind myself a lot of things, with regards to the struggles I went through to the great memories I cherish.


Dear 23-year-old self,

You made it. You’re here. In fact, you’re almost halfway to 30, so take a step back, pat yourself on the back and congratulate yourself. This wasn’t easy I know, in fact, if I had to do it over again there are things I would do differently and change, but unfortunately, we cannot turn back time, just keep moving forward. 23 is a big year and a lot of things are happening in your 20’s. You most likely are almost done school or decided to maybe continue education like yourself and I am proud of you for doing that. I know you did not want to go back to school again, 4 years of university is a lot, and I know you get really down and hard on yourself. School was not easy for you. You had a controlling boyfriend over the years of university who reminded you how dumb you were and laughed at your ideas. But you proved him wrong. You walked across that stage proudly and accepted your diploma and got your degree. You met another young man who accepted your flaws and would remind you how creative and smart you were, you did good kid. So you did it. You completed that phase in your life, and when another opportunity came up years down the road you took it. That is one thing I want to emphasize the importance of 23-year-old self. When opportunities come your way grab them. Do not be afraid of what’s going to happen next, but take advantage of things coming your way. And your opportunity was social work, and being accepted into a college to continue your education. I am so proud of you. I know a lot more opportunities will come your way after receiving this diploma. But aside from school, there are other changes you are experiencing right now. It’s a word that starts with an “A”. You guessed it. Adulthood. If I had to explain adulthood in one sentence, it would not be easy. We all experience things at different speeds in life, but if I really had to say something I would say this, ” Adulthood isn’t easy”. I wish I was prepared more. But nobody really informed me what was coming my way. I have never really shared a house with someone, especially my significant other before.  If I had to give you one piece of advice 23-year-old self, it would be that you made the right move. Sure you had your fights here and there but you tried something new. You had to accommodate and adapt to living with someone else and that is never easy. You really learn a lot about someone once you live with them. Overall, it was a great step and a big one at that. I think you made the right move.


Dear 23-year-old self, 

Mental illness runs in your family, we all know that. In fact, I think everyone suffers a bit from mental illness in their life, the severity of it depends on the coping skills you know and the strategies that work for you. You found out after 23 years that you developed social anxiety and you never knew you had it. I think you secretly knew something was up, but never thought anything of it. I am so proud of you for doing something about it. You challenged yourself and took it on.  Some people struggle and just keep struggling but you wanted to do something about it which is amazing. Not only did you attend meetings every Wednesday for two hours, but you blogged about your journey to share with others and that takes courage. I know you love helping people and that’s why you chose to do that. You are an inspiration to others and I am not too sure if you see that just yet. Don’t worry, one day you will take a step back and notice the little things you do in life that are amazing, like yourself. Not only have you improved on your social anxiety but you have attended several interviews since then. This was not an easy step for you to accomplish and do. You hate interviews. It’s the fact of not knowing what will come next, or what if you say something stupid and they look at you funny. It’s all these “what-ifs”, but for some reason, in these last few recent interviews, you did not ask those in your mind. You focused on how well you were going to do and believed in yourself. You trusted yourself. If there is one piece of advice I would give to you 23-year-old self it would be to trust yourself and to give yourself a chance in life. Have some faith and hope and use your coping statements, you got this. You are improving every single day, did you notice that? Did you take a step back today to notice your accomplishments? You should do that just to remind yourself. 23 is not an easy year nor is ageing into your 20’s. I honestly wish they had a pamphlet to tell you the do’s and don’ts but then again, you wouldn’t learn from your mistakes. 23-year-old self you have made so many mistakes in life, but you are still here, learning from them, and doing better the next time. That’s all I can ask for. So thank you for making this a not so hard letter for me to write, sure I could write down all the things you did wrong and let you know how badly you messed up but where is the positive in that? I know 24 is going to be the year for you, I can feel it. Thanks for making 23 a good year for me, you have come a long way, as Tom Delonge would say it, “Life’s just waiting to begin”.

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Inspiring Articles

Dear Girl Afraid of Falling Behind

by alyssahotrum1 Comment on Dear Girl Afraid of Falling Behind
Dear Girl Afraid of Falling Behind


Dear girl afraid of falling behind, 

You’re not alone trust me. There are days where I look around me and wonder “Why don’t I have a big girl job yet?”, or how come I can’t seem to find a job in my field. Sure I have had babysitting and nanny jobs in the past but it’s not the same. I did not go to Brock University for 4 years to come out and apply for waitressing jobs. I am behind, everyone is going forward without me, and I am stuck. I want to scream for the world to slow down so I can quickly move up and not be so far behind. I am almost 24 years old, I should have my life together by now, I should be out of school, having my career dream job, starting a family in the next 5 years but somehow I feel so behind. Why? Don’t you hate that? Your thoughts in your head that won’t shut off even when you close your eyes to sleep and turn off the world around you? There are some days where I feel on top of the world as if no one can get on my level and bring me down. Other days I drown in my thoughts and wonder why I am moving so slow through life when others around me are running through it. It makes me feel like a failure. Welcome to my negative side. She often comes out when there are too many thoughts strolling and wandering through my mind. She’s terrible but doesn’t know it. I hate when she comes out, it’s as if everything I do is not good enough, that I need to try harder in life to succeed. But what if I let her win? What if everything I did I considered a failure in life? I would be miserable. I would hate who I was as an individual and I would be so burnt out from trying too hard. I am not going to let her win. She can’t and doesn’t deserve to. She’s miserable and that’s no way to live. What if I told her to look at things from a different perspective? Then what. 


Dear girl afraid of falling behind, 

Did you tell her? Let’s take a second to break down those things you see as “failures in life”. So you don’t have a big girl job yet, so what. Sure you want one, but how did you get that degree in the first place? By studying, by sleepless nights, by breakdowns, by endless amounts of presentations and assignments, and by four years of hard work. Now take a step back and ask yourself, “Do you really see that as a failure?”. Or those of you who have tried school and can’t seem to find the right program for yourselves. That’s okay because guess what. I thought I was going to be a teacher since I was 5 years old, and I found out that just wasn’t the right career path for me. So I tried a new route and love the program I am in right now. There are so many different programs out there that how the hell are you supposed to narrow it down and just chose one? It takes time, and I feel like everyone thinks time just runs out like that. Sure we grow older and get wrinkles eventually but that’s years down the road, not tomorrow, not the next day, or the day after that. You have TIME. And we need to reassure ourselves that we do. Even if we take a second out of our days to remind ourselves about this, that’s okay. I have to remind myself that I am not behind in life, that I am not falling behind. In fact, I am taking my time. I am not rushing, I am simply waiting for opportunities to come and find me as if it’s a game. I have been hiding for so long, that I think my hiding spot is too good for opportunities to find me. But then again, everything happens for a reason, and I truly believe in that saying and live by it. So girl afraid of falling behind, you’re only 2 seconds behind, not a year, not 2, not 3. It’s okay to not be on the same route as everyone else, and it’s okay to take that extra time for yourself to figure out what you truly want in life. Decisions are difficult. And it’s okay to take time for them.

Dear girl afraid of falling behind, 

Focus on you. Focus on which plan you want to do next and stop worrying about the speed around you, you’ll get there. I know it feels like your miles behind but you’re not. Don’t let her win. There are times she’ll try to make you feel like you’re nothing, that you’re a failure, but you are far from that. Look at your accomplishments and everything you’ve done in life, it was not easy to get there, you worked for it. Even though time does not stop and people are continuing on with their lives around you, you go at your pace. Jobs will always be there, school will always be there and you’ve got nothing but time, endless amounts of it. You go do things at your own speed and life will accommodate you, trust me. I believe in you, and you’re never far behind. Things happen for a reason and always remind yourself of that. 

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Inspiring Articles

The meaning behind ” It’s the Little Things in Life that Matter “

by alyssahotrumLeave a Comment on The meaning behind ” It’s the Little Things in Life that Matter “
The meaning behind ” It’s the Little Things in Life that Matter “


Hello, beauts and happy Saturday! It’s finally fall and I couldn’t be any more excited that it’s finally here. Fall is my favourite season in the whole world, I just love everything about it! From being super cozy , to pumpkins, to plaid and to blanket scarves … it’s just perfect. So I have been pondering and wondering what blog post to do this weekend for you beauts and it came to my attention that I have never shared with you the reason and meaning behind my blogging name! When starting out with blogging, I had to think of a name for my blog and trust me it was super hard. I sat there thinking and thinking and wondering what I was going to name it because I wanted something that screams ” me ” and is something I valued and treasured. Then it hit me. Honestly, I am a very happy go lucky individual and often the littlest things make me happy. I thought ” hey … it’s honestly the little things in life that matter in the world “. It could be looking forward to that coffee in the morning in your favourite mug that makes your morning. It could be throwing on your favourite cozy PJs before you go and watch an amazing romantic movie before bed. It could be receiving a ” good morning beautiful ” text from your significant other. It could be receiving that support from your mom before writing a final for your class. It’s honestly the little things in life that matter.


I used to take things for granted. I thought that everyone was privileged like I was, that everyone got things like I did and was blessed with certain outcomes. But that wasn’t the case . When my stepmom got into a horrible car accident a year ago everything changed. The fact that she was an innocent bystander and passed away two times on the operating table was unimaginable. I really thought to myself “ wow, how could this have happened ?! “. This could have been me. So now at night, I hug my boyfriend a little bit tighter, I make sure I say I love you to my parents through a text, I check in on my sisters every now in then cause you never know. These things are so little yet they matter because you never know if you are going to have a tomorrow. I truly stand by my name even more now and am so grateful for a today let alone a tomorrow if it comes.  I am so blessed to be here, to be alive and I cherish every moment I get being here on earth. I am thankful and proud.

“…enjoy the little things”


I am so thankful to have so many supportive people in my life and never thought my blog would have taken off like it did today. I never thought I would have been given so many opportunities to collaborate and meet so many beautiful kind people. I love reaching out to people to know their stories and their background information. That’s why I chose to start interviewing people. I love hearing about their talents and their amazing careers and goals. It’s the little things that matter in life. So make sure you thank those who are supportive in your life. Tell those you care about how much you love them. Hug those who need a hug and laugh a ton when things are messing up. Just laugh it off. Be happy and proud you’re here that you get to experience new things in life and treasure the great memories you have. Remember, it’s the little things in life that matter in this world.


Be sure to check out my other social media accounts located on my homepage and subscribe to my blogging channel for more upcoming blog posts to come in the near future. Thanks again for all your love and support! xo

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Fashion Finds

Collaboration with “theboxingmongoose!”

by alyssahotrumLeave a Comment on Collaboration with “theboxingmongoose!”
Collaboration with “theboxingmongoose!”


“Cute little things that pack a punch ” 

Hey my beauts , hope you all are doing well! As you may know, I recently started doing blog collaborations with individuals from literally all around the world! I absolutely love doing these and I am glad I started! Why I didn’t start doing this sooner I have no idea but I get so meet so many kind-hearted individuals who are absolutely amazing. One person, in particular, was Amy!  Amy learned how to knit when she was nine, but did not start making hats until her teen years.

Amy sent me these wonderful hats she made by hand which are absolutely breath taking and you can tell she put a lot of work into them that’s for sure ! Fall is coming and you know what that means? One word. Beanies . I absolutely live for beanies and when I saw that Amy made them I had to reach out to her! She made me these two amazing beanies, one in white the other in grey. First I am going to show you guys the grey hat, this one is called “The Maxine Wavy Rib Slouch Hat” and you can get it on Amy’s Etsy shop for $25.52, which is an amazing deal considering the hat you get and the quality!


I absolutely love this one and if I had to pick a favourite out of the two it would definitely be this one for sure! I would pair this hat with a plaid shirt and some rippedjeans!!



“Ah September, you are the doorway to the season that awakens my soul “




The second hat that I am going to show you guys that the lovely Amy made for me is called “The Lejla Chunky Cable Slouch Hat” which retails for $25.52 in her store. Again another deal! Guys this hat is super cute and I find it looks cute with a more preppy outfit! I paired it with some ripped jeans a plain black shirt and some boots.




I absolutely love this hat with a classy scarf, it looks absolutely adorable and would for sure wear this in the fall along with the other hat! Be sure to check out Amy’s store located in the link within her bio on Instagram at ” theboxingmongoose”, and check out her wide selection of homemade hats! So beautiful.



I wanted to thank Amy again for the collaboration! What a kind soul, and she was so pleasurable to work with, always upbeat! Make sure you go share her some love on Instagram!


Be sure to follow my other social media accounts located on my homepage for upcoming blog posts! Thanks again beauts and Amy!

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Home Decor, Inspiring Articles

“How The Rustic Feather Came to Be”, Sharing Rustic Home Decor & Furniture by Jennifer Hewitson

by alyssahotrumLeave a Comment on “How The Rustic Feather Came to Be”, Sharing Rustic Home Decor & Furniture by Jennifer Hewitson
“How The Rustic Feather Came to Be”, Sharing Rustic Home Decor & Furniture by Jennifer Hewitson

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Hello my beauts and welcome to my channel if you are new! My names Alyssa , I am a beauty/ fashion/ lifestyle blogger and I am extremely passionate about what I do for my hobby. If you wish to know more about my blogging channel and hobby, I have done a previous blog post way back in the day that discusses how I got into blogging and what not. One of the most popular questions I get asked is ” Why do you interview or send people questionnaires and reach out to them”? Two reasons. One,  I love searching for people who inspire me and love to share their hard work on my channel. Two, I get to know my guests on a more personal level, learning and taking in new information that I did not know about before. I absolutely love what I  do, and love reaching out to people. I had the absolute pleasure and honor of working with someone who I have looked up to and admired over the past year, and her work is stunning. You can tell she puts so much dedication into her work and takes her time ensuring every order is perfect. I had reached out to the beautiful Jennifer Hewistson form, “The Rustic Feather” located in Simcoe Ontario, and she agreed to collaborate with me on this blog post, sharing her story behind her crafts and products. I was more than happy once she reached back out to me and happily responded with , “that would be absolutely amazing”. Even though I am a low key blogger, and some people have never heard of me before, that does not stop me from reaching out to beautiful souls like Jennifer and showing off her amazing talent to you beauts!


Jennifer is a wife and a mother of 3 beautiful children, two sons ages 20 and 5, and a daughter age 2.  She was a single mom for a lot of years who had struggled with trying to make ends meat. She spent some years working 2 or three jobs to support herself as well as her son at the time. Jennifer expresses, ” I was a welder for 8 years, until the company I worked for went out of business. I decided to take the opportunity and go back to school. I went to college for Policing. While in my final year of college, I found out I was pregnant with my second son. I have an extremely supportive husband and we decided that I would stay home and raise our children. Because I am a hands on person, and cannot sit still, I had to get back into the workforce. When our 2nd son turned 2, I applied for a job at a Pharmacy for a cosmetics manager position. There I excelled at customer service. I built lasting relationships with customers and maintained sales. I was in that position for just over a year when my husband and I found out I was pregnant with our daughter”. 

While on Mat leave with her daughter Jennifer felt lost. She had moved to a beautiful farm and there were so many birds to look at. Jennifer states, “I asked my husband if he could teach me how to build a bird house so that I could watch the birds build a nest and have their own families.He taught me how to use the saws and other tools. It was awesome! I felt at home in the shop! So once I built one birdhouse, other people wanted bird houses. That’s how it all started. A bird house”.


I was really curious as to what inspires Jennifer when it comes to her crafts and products. Jennifer explains, “Honestly, I get inspired by the most random things. Most of the time, it’s from “proving a point” to my husband. He is always trying to burn my scrap wood or throw out my “junk”. So I like to come up with creative ideas on how to use all my scraps or junk. Hence, why I started making my rustic feathers. He swore that no one would be interested in them, but little does he know, I have 62 orders for them…lol”. I find that hilarious and such a married thing to do, to “prove a point”, but hey Jennifer, you’re point was proven, you are one talented lady!

I think one question that lingers in our minds is how Jennifer learned to make her crafts. Personally, I am great at making stick figures, but that is about it! So tell me, Jennifer, how did you learn? Jennifer explains, “My husband taught me. He also has a brilliant creative mind. We feed off each other most times when it comes to designing. Although he’s a horrible teacher, I watched him. Learned his tricks and tried to do them myself. With a lot of practice, I’ve finally started to impress him!”. There you go! Practice makes perfect!


I know a lot of crafters can not live without certain craft essentials and I was super curious to know what Jennifer could not live without. Jen expressed the importance of her mitre saw, table saw and sander. Jennifer says, “When I first started doing this, I bought the cheapest tools possible. Then I learned very quickly you get what you pay for. I saved up my money and bought better tools. Better tools equal better products. So when it comes to quality, always spend the money!”. Great words of advice to follow for fellow crafters out there that’s for sure! I need all the help I could get if I were to start crafting, so better ask the expert here beauts!

“…I like the shabby chic look mixed with rustic of course”

How could you describe your style besides “Rustic”? “I love clean. Clean lines, clean décor. I like the Shabby chic look mixed with rustic of course”.


I know a lot of people always look up to someone who maybe inspires them or people who we admire their work. I know as a beauty blogger I have my certain admirers that I look up to and follow on social media sites. I then asked Jennifer who she looked up to. Jennifer says, “I follow a few builders on Instagram like Mac N Wood and Queen B Home. I love them both”.  Going off of this question and the concept of being inspired, I also wanted to ask Jennifer where she creates her beautiful crafts and products. She emphasized “everywhere!”. “Well I used to do my work in the dining room, then I moved my son to college and took over his room….sorry Jake! My husband also had a man cave in the garage. Well now, the wall has been taken down and the shop is now in full production….sorry hunny!”. Looks like you are working hard everywhere Jennifer!

When do you feel the most creative? “In the mornings. I love to sit in my favourite chair in the morning and look over my day. What I need to get done, what I’d like to do, etc.”. I wish I could strive to be that morning person like you Jen but it is super hard for me not going to lie. I would absolutely love to be considered that morning person… I am going to have to take some tips and methods from Jen that’s for sure!

Do you work by yourself when making your crafts or do you receive help? “I use to do it all by myself, but now I have such an amazing group of people that help me. My husband, of course, does still help with the big builds. My good friend Amanda helps me with scheduling orders and keeps me on track. My mother in law comes and helps me with sanding and staining. And my friend Brittany will come over and help me with stenciling. Also if I need him, Cody who is my husband’s friend will help with building/framing.So yes, I am truly grateful for all these people. They know when I am stressed and they step up and help out whenever I need them”.


Jennifer goes onto explain that her job can be very stressful at times, but she does enjoy what she does. Jennifer emphasized that she is the type of person who hates saying, “No”, to people. Jennifer goes on to states, “but with this business and being in high demand, I tend to take on way too much. I stay up very late, sometimes until 2 or 3am and wake up at 6am. Being a home business everyone thinks it is sunshine and roses, well sometimes it’s more like a dark and overcast day. People constantly coming to your home for pick ups or to place orders. I do enjoy speaking to each and every one of my customers. I have established numerous friendships over the last 2 years because of my little business. I just wish that some people would understand that I am a Mother first. My children always come first. Just recently I closed my custom orders for Christmas because I did not want to be up late Christmas Eve working on orders. I need to spend more time with my littles”. I think that is super important you stated that Jennifer, it is crucial that we don’t forget who we are as individuals when we are caught up in our careers or hobbies.

I know everyone has been dying to know what Jennifer sells at “The Rustic Feather”, and I am dying to know more about the products myself! So please go ahead and share Jen!


“I mainly do custom work. Pinterest is so hot right now. So my customers usually send me pictures from there. I always say to my customers, yes I can make that but it will not be exact. Out of respect for the maker, I need to make it my own. I will not copy.”

I heard that you were selling some of your products are some stores in Port Dover called The Back Shed, and Ty-Kobee Tea &Coffee co, do these stores sell similar products to yours, and how did you make this decision? “Rhonda, owner of Ty-Kobee Tea & Coffee contacted me asking if I knew of any local artisans that would be interested in putting their products in their store. Because of the business, I am in and because I have held craft shows on my property, I have quite a large amount of connections with people in the business. With much thought and what she offered me, I decided to jump all over her offer. Their shop is in a prime location in Port Dover with a lot of foot traffic. So I decided it was time to step away from my normal “custom work only” and branch out into more of creating items that showcase my talents. My items will be available for purchase in their store starting October 1st. Although Rhonda has already contacted me saying people are asking for my items!”  That’s amazing Jennifer, I am so proud of you and all your hard work. Everything is paying off for you and that makes me so happy to be. From a single mother who was struggling, to being known throughout different cities, you go girl!


For those beauts out there who are curious as to what her most famous product is, you guessed it! Her maps! Jennifer explains, “I posted a giveaway back in January for a map. That giveaway hit over 164 thousand people. Because of the HUGE response, I gave away 2! Since that giveaway, I received 97 orders to date for that map…..INSANE!! I am having a giveaway right now on my page, which is showing the same results”. That’s amazing Jennifer! I for sure entered the giveaway so fingers crossed! Jennifer’s work is absolutely stunning, so make sure you enter the giveaway before it ends! Be sure to check out her page on Facebook, “The Rustic Feather”, and follow the steps in order to be qualified!


I think one of the most intriguing and interesting questions that I had come up with was how did Jennifer come up with the name “The Rustic Feather”, and her story is just beautiful. Jennifer expresses, ” When I was a little girl, my father and I would always sit outside in the mornings and listen to the birds and drink our “coffee”. My “coffee” was a mug with milk. My father would sit and sing to the birds. Call the cardinals in. I too would try and call them, but I wasn’t as good as him. My father past away in my arms 4 years ago. It was such a huge loss to me, since he and I were inseparable.When my husband and I moved to the farm, I found myself always sitting outside in the mornings with my coffee (which was actually coffee now) and watching the birds. Singing the Cardinal song and bringing them in. When I started my little bird house business I knew the name had to have something to do with birds. So I came up with “The Rustic Feather”. How interesting is this! I would have never guessed this story and I absolutely love the background information behind the name. Absolutely beautiful.


So by finishing up this blog, I wanted to ask a few remaining questions to Jennifer to sum up our collaboration!

Where do you see your work and “The Rustic Feather”, 5 years from now? “As my husband would say “GLOBAL”!! Lol. I’m not entirely sure.I hope I’m still doing what I love 5 years from now”. I hope you are still doing what you love too Jennifer! Your business is blooming and you have over 7, 000 followers on Facebook which is amazing! You are going to be global in no time that’s for sure!

“The items you are creating for them are items that they will love and cherish, and hang in their homes for years to come”

Lastly, I love gathering some words of advice from people in their profession and words of wisdom they can pass on to others who are starting out in the industry. Jennifer states, “Honestly, take it slow. Take the time to listen to people. Do not think of them as dollar signs. The items you are creating for them are items that they will love and cherish, and hang in their homes for years to come. Take pride in your work. Never compromise quality. If it takes you a bit longer, people will wait”.


I just want to take the time to personally thank Jennifer, for sharing her personal and informative words of advice to us about her beautiful work from “The Rustic Feather”. You can honestly tell a lot about a person through their questionnaire, and I can honestly say Jennifer is a truly humble and kind soul to be around. Hoping to keep in touch in the future! Be sure to check out her Facebook at, “The Rustic Feather”, and check out her items that are present in the stores listed above in Port Dover. Also be sure to follow her Instagram page at “The Rustic Feather”, for beautiful posts that may spark your interest! Thank you so much for taking the time to read this blog post, I hope you learned a lot about the Rustic Feather! Be sure to follow my social media accounts located on my home page for more blogs to come in the near future! Take Care!

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Beauty, Makeup

Autumn Evening Makeup Tutorial 

by alyssahotrum4 Comments on Autumn Evening Makeup Tutorial 
Autumn Evening Makeup Tutorial 

Good morning my lovely beauts ! I hope you all have a fantastic Monday today ! I know I am going to try to even though I have class from 8-6 today … fml majorly. Hey that’s school though what can you do! So today’s makeup tutorial is going to be a step right after my copper makeup look! So if you haven’t checked out my last makeup tutorial, check out that one cause after your finished look from that one, you are going to do a couple more steps to achieve this beautiful copper evening makeup look for today! I love experimenting with fall colours and came up with this gorgeous look for autumn! Let’s get started!

So the finished look from the copper tutorial looked something like this!


You are then going to take that same Morphe 350 shimmer palette and go in with this stunning dark brown shade. I am applying this over top of my copper shade, focusing on the outer corners of my eyes and dragging this colour into the crease as well. Since it is a dark colour , you want to ensure that you blend it well and be patient with it!


I then am grabbing this same colour and putting a little bit underneath my lower lash line, just to make my eyes pop! I grabbed my NYX Cosmetics liquid lip lingerie in the shade Embellishment and applied this to my lips. I added some fake lashes to create a more dramatic autumn look and voila! You are done!




“On a bad day, there’s always lipstick”


I hope you beauts enjoyed this continuation of my last makeup look! This is perfect for date night or a night out! Be sure to follow my other social media accounts located on my home page! Happy Monday!

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Beauty, Makeup

Everyday Fall Copper Makeup Tutorial 

by alyssahotrum3 Comments on Everyday Fall Copper Makeup Tutorial 
Everyday Fall Copper Makeup Tutorial 

Hey, my beauts ! I hope you all had a lovely weekend, I knew mine flew by which was crazy ! But I had a great time ! Was wondering what to do this Sunday and I thought why not capture the fall copper makeup look I promised you guys on insta ! If you are not following me on insta yet be sure to do so, thatothertwin_xo. I am going to be using my lovely and beautiful morphe 350 shimmer palette for this look ! Literally bought it in the mall for $40.00, which was fantastic! I haven’t used it in a while but the colours are fantastic for fall so I might as well take it out and play around with it! Shall we begin ?!



I first am taking this beautiful white shimmer from the palette and applying this to my inner corners of my lids. I love how pigmented each of the shades are!

Next, I am going in with this gorgeous copper shade and applying this to the other half of my lid from the middle and carrying it to the outside of my lid. I am ensuring that I am also blending this in my crease with a fluffy brush.



I am then taking this slightly darker copper shade and applying this into my crease as well! This is a beautiful transition shade that looks absolutely stunning with this look! I applied a tiny bit of this shade underneath my lower lash line as well. I then am going in with my black liquid liner and applying this to the top of my lash line, also going in with my mascara as well. I applied a nude shade to my lips to create a more everyday look that’s gentle for fall! And voila!




“She has fire in her soul & a killer set of brows “



I hope you beauts enjoyed this stunning and gentle makeup look that’s appropriate for everyday wear! Be sure to follow my other social media accounts located on my home page to stay in the loop and stay updated! Take care guys.

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Beauty, Makeup

Fall Makeup Tutorial 

by alyssahotrum8 Comments on Fall Makeup Tutorial 
Fall Makeup Tutorial 

Let the grunge begin! Hello my beauts , welcome to my Channel if you are new ! My names Alyssa and one of my hobbies are doing makeup and sharing my ideas with you beauts !  My favourite season is fall mostly because I love pumpkin flavoured anything really! I’m that “ basic bitch” as some may call it, but I don’t mind one bit.  I am going to be using my Modern Renaissance Palette by Anastasia Beverly Hills for this look, and let me just say, it is is super easy to achieve.  Let’s get started!

First and for most, I ensure that I have a nice clean face before applying all my face makeup such as my foundation, powder and so forth.

I am then taking the shade, “Antique Bronze” and applying this all over my lid with a small eyeshadow brush, and blending this shade out into my crease as well using a fluffy brush. This is a very pigmented shade, so be sure to blend thoroughly and have a lot of patience.

Yes, you are going to look a bit like a racoon here but I promise you, the finishing look will be worth it! Next, I am going in with the shade “Burnt Orange” and applying this to my crease as well as underneath my lower lash line.  Then I am going to apply some black liquid liner to my lids, and apply a tiny bit of mascara to my top and bottom lashes. I then applied some false lashes, and voila! Your eyes are ready for that fall weather! I absolutely love this grunge look and it’s perfectly acceptable for this kind of weather. I also applied the shade “Velvet Teddy” onto my lips to tie the look in altogether.

“And all at once, Summer collapsed into Fall…”


I hope you beauts enjoyed this fall makeup look that I have created and try it out for yourselves. Be sure to follow my other social media accounts located on my home page for more blog posts to come in the near future, take care!

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Home Decor

Rustic Decor- Welcome to my home!

by alyssahotrum4 Comments on Rustic Decor- Welcome to my home!
Rustic Decor- Welcome to my home!

Hey there beauts ! I hope you all are having a wonderful first day back at school or work! I had only a short half day ... not even a half day .. which was great! I thought for this blog I would show you guys parts of my home now that the decorating is slowly being done! I absolutely love the rustic feeling and love that look in general. I am always on the hunt for new things to add to my home, but I will show you beauts what I have so far and you can let me know what you guys think! Let’s begin!

I absolutely loved these tree lights that I purchased at Walmart a little while ago. I think it gives the home a real rustic feeling and looks great next to my salt lamp! I absolutely love how they look in my home!


My grandma gave me this adorable buggy! How cute is it ?! I am completely obsessed and am probably going to place a plant in there or something ! I keep this on the ground by my fireplace.


I purchased this table from Leon’s a little while ago, love the barn look to it, it really completes the living room! I then added a beautiful center piece that I made up with things I found from different stores.


You can really place whatever you want within the center pieces!


A lot of these pieces I found from Urban Barn.


When it comes to decorating the walls I have my grandma to thank! She put together these beautiful rustic looking pieces for me , with some horse shoes she had lying around ! How amazing do these look?!


I absolutely love using these boxes for holding things such as pictures and candles. I think they look so great lying around, again, you can place whatever you want in them.


I featured this sign in one of my previous blog posts before , and again can thank my grandma for being so talented and artistic! This sign means a great deal to me , and states me and my boyfriends anniversary date on it .  We hung this above the door entry and it looks so cute !


I absolutely love this picture, it screams rustic! We purchased this piece online from society 6 and it looks fantastic in our dining room. It was a little pricier, but I think it’s completely worth it . There’s so much to look at on that site! Highly recommend checking it out!


I got these next two beautiful pictures from the Winona peach festival in one of the craft tents. As soon as I saw it, my heart dropped. I thought the saying was absolutely adorable, it states:

Sit Long , Talk Much

“Sit with me, talk with me 

Share your sorrows and your joys and all your hopes and dreams  and I will share mine with you and we will grow our friendship “


This is by far my favorite sign that I bought at the peach festival. It’s made out of wood and has the saying ” we decided on forever “. This hang above my couch and I love just glancing over at it, makes me happy!


We got this beer opener from Urban Barn , I think it looks super cute in our kitchen! Great rustic touch! 


You guys have probably seen this amazing piece before that we purchased and got custom made on Kijiji ! It looks super cute when you first walk in , and really sets the mood and feel when you walk in our home.


I hope you beauts enjoyed seeing a sneak peak of my home and the rustic feel /vibe I have going on in it ! Let me know what you guys think , be sure to follow my other social media accounts located on my home page for upcoming blogs to come in the near future!

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