Friday Favorites: January's Friday Five

I absolutely love my Friday Favorites posts and I can't begin to tell you how wonderful it has been to feature, interview, and meet some pretty fabulous people. As a result, the majority of my "Friday Favorites" posts will continue to   showcase interviews with my favorite stores, companies, authors, bloggers.. and all other types of people I adore. In fact, I am very excited to share with you the "Friday Favorites" I have lined up in the weeks to come. I mean, can we just take a second to talk about the upcoming "Friday Favorites" post on  Kym Douglas, Ellen, and the Oscars in March! 

Now that I have gotten that off my chest, I wanted to announce a new "Friday Favorite" series called "Friday Five" where once a month, I will feature the 5 current products & things that I can't get enough of for that particular month. So let's get January's "Friday Five" on a roll...

1. Ashley Sofia's Love & Fury CD

You may remember Ashley as my very first "Friday Favorite". Well, Ashley's debut CD has officially become available on iTunes, as of late last night; and I have to tell you, it's pretty amazing! This is that magical CD you can keep in your car on replay, without skipping  over any tracks.

2. Apple-MacBook Air & Etsy-Case

I recently got the Mac Air and absolutely love it! I have definitely noticed a significant difference in the resolution quality when designing the website, making photos, etc. Definitely is a blogger's dream! The laptop weighs just 2 lbs, making it the perfect travel companion for flying to Indiana. I certainly do not feel like I am missing out on not having a cd compartment, as all of the programs & apps come pre-installed. The adorable case in which I store my laptop in is from Etsy. I call it my "meeting clutch". 

3. Madewell Jacket 

I don't think I've ever been to Indy & not gone shopping with my cousin Kristin while there. During our second shopping adventure of my trip (the first day we went straight to the mall from the airport), I fell in love with the store Madewell. I found this amazing jacket on the clearance rack for $65 & I know that it will be a staple, prized possession in my closet for many years to come. Hopefully February's "Friday Five" can include some kick-butt pants & sparky jewelry to pair with it. 

4. Frozen...yup the Disney Movie!

My cousin and I, who are two grown adults, went to go see this movie at 1pm on MLK day (when kids had the day off from school).  Needless to say, we were the only people in the movie theater without kids. I hesitantly waited for the movie to start thinking a movie rated higher than G may have been a better choice. But from the first moment i started, I was captivated. My feet tapped along as I listened to the song "performances" and found myself sitting at the edge of my seat when the castle did in fact become "frozen". And you better believe I clapped along with the 6 year old sitting next to me when the credits rolled.   

But don't just take my word for it, go out and see the movie for yourself! The songs remind me of the ones from Broadway play "Wicked", and Kristen Bell gives Kristen Chenoworth a run for her money as the cutest princess on the block (even if it is just her voice in the movie). 

5. 1-inch Curling Iron

While in Indiana, my cousin curled my hair one day with her 1-inch curling iron. I was genuinely shocked by just how much longer my hair looked than normal  (hey, I'll take every inch I can get). Typically, I use a 2 inch barrel & while I love the look of my hair curled, it's tough to have to see it "shrink" before my eyes. Therefore, when I got home, I ran out and bought a 1-inch curling iron for myself. This little baby has definitely been added to my daily routine. 

...Kind of a random bunch of favorite things, but then again that's how the Creatively Lu blog, in general, rolls. A random assortment of thoughts that all comes together to create a beautiful and more fulfilling life!

And like always, I'd love to hear what you all think. Maybe you have an item that you think I may like for February's "Friday Five" or a suggested "Friday Favorite" featured person or company. I'd  love to hear from you all; just email me (creativelylu@yahoo.com) or send me a message on the Creatively Lu Facebook page. 

Below is your daily dose of inspiration, inspired by one of my forever favorite's: Miss Maddie May! Maddie is the daughter of Creatively Lu's new weekly contributor, Heather Rose. Auntie Lu loves you very much, Miss Maddie!

Maddie May, 16 Months
Photo Courtesy of: Heather Rose

Create a Fabulous Friday everyone!

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Friday Favorites: J Lye

One of my favorites as of late is the incredibly gifted Julien Paul. Julien goes by the artist name J. Lye and comes from the Boston area and is a graduate of Boston University.

 I discovered J. Lye thanks to the beautiful & talented Ashley Sofia, who was last week's Friday Favorite. Julien sang on the track "If We Really Try"with Ashley and they filmed the music video here in Boston.

"If We Really Try" is one of my all time favorite songs. There is just something so easy-going and pure about the song that you find yourself naturally moving along to it, only after coming to realize that you have been continuously hitting replay. 

My ears definitely perked up the first time I heard Julien rap. As his first verse begins, you can feel his words unfold into a story so crisp and controlled, while he still manages to spit some serious game. Since then, I have been listening to J. Lye’s other songs from his YouTube Channel and loving everything I've found.

One of my favorites, "City on my Back" might as well be Boston's anthem. I dare you to listen to it, without finding the need to turn it up and cruise with your windows down. I definitely find myself going harder on the elliptical when I hear "I got a city on my back, I'll never let it fall. We riding to the top and Ima never let it stall. Put the city on my cap. Boston on the map. I bring it to the light every single time I rap…” The lyrics can’t help but make you want to put on a Boston jersey and maybe even rap a little, as evidenced in my Tweet that I sent out while listening to this song the other night...

While I've decided to remain "Creatively" Lu for now, Julien is quickly making waves on the Boston music scene and beyond. This past summer, J. Lye was featured in Tosser Magazine as "One of the Top 50 People to Keep on Your Radar." His most recent accomplishment is winning a video contest in which KarmaLoopTV shot a music video for his song "Where'd You Go" f. Lisa Bello. And let me tell you, the track is out of control.

 "Where'd You Go" takes you on a trip down memory lane of lost love, which I think is  something everyone can relate to in one way or another. I guarantee you will be singing along to the chorus, and at the very least melting over Julien's smile in the video. 

Julien is an incredible rapper with an incredible soul and in just the few minutes I spent getting to know him, you can tell he is the real deal. So take a listen for yourself because believe me no one will be asking J. Lye where he went. His music is definitely here to stay.

*Reach out to J. Lye via his  website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram