Welcome

Bliss is the state of pure happiness in which you are oblivious to the world; oblivious, not ignorant. Moments of bliss come and go like spurts of spontaneous combustion filled with positive energy.  I'm talking about those connections we make, those 'ah-ha' moment that you feel compelled to share with others. You know, the little things in life that most overlook. Some call it irony, karma, or fate....but I call it spontaneous bliss.

Spontaneous Bliss is a powerful phenomenon. It ignites passion in people and calls them to think, discuss, and sometimes act.

The purpose of this blog is to express my thoughts, reactions, or concerns on a variety of topics. This blog is broken up into two main pages, Inspire Me & What Do I Know. Inspire Me page has posts of companies making thought provoking statements, inspiring authors or artists, or websites/apps worth looking at. This page covers a "hodge podge" of inspiration. What do I know consist of topics I have experience such as college life, LinkedIn,  looking for a job, traveling,  dealing with parents, and growing up. Some posts may seem to over lap because I may have found a company or movement and then personally followed up on the topic.

This blog is not a credible source to use for research. Instead, I hope you use this blog as a food for thought. If you have any comments or ideas for future posts contact me!

-SB

Admirerer

Spontaneous Bliss presents first edition, Valentines..... 
collectively called ADMIRERS.

SB has been determined to spread love to blissful friends, family, and faithful readers. 
Still abroad in the UK, SB greetings have no limits. 

Rather than receiving a standard Valentine of a teddy bear hugging roses or a handful of heart candy asking, "Will you be mine?" Love, Your Secret Admirer. 
And admirer should be someone who admirers you and seeks to inspire you as you have inspired them. So no more cliches. No more hiding behind a card. Seek to spread love this month. 

Interested in an Admirer (card)?
email me your address at spontaneousblissxox@gmail.com


                                                                                                                     SB x

                                                                                                      (yes no more xox.....in England
                                                                                                      they sign off every text with an x...
                                                                                                      or maybe just really flirty guys do)

First Impression

An American walks into a British Pub, and a red headed, scruffy bearded German asks, “What is your first impression of London?". Almost sounds like the beginning of a bad joke, doesn’t it? Truth be told, that actually happened. And how did I respond? With an intense stare off to the side, I responded with a joke about London’s love for alcohol. There was little truth to that statement. I was actually still collecting my thoughts and might have suffered a bit frorm culture shock.

That night I couldn’t sleep. Outside was loud and noisy, with cars honking, people running, and what sounded like a gunshot. The next morning, I woke up to sirens. Not uncommon for living directly across a police station. But to my surprise, the road outside my flat was closed and tapered off. I then found out that there was a fatal accident. I quickly assumed that I was right, I heard a man got shot the night before. But how could that be? Gun laws in the United Kingdom are so strict that not even the police can bear arms. Later, I discovered that morning a car hit a man on a motorcycle, and he died by the impact. A mini memorial was taped to a traffic light by the door to my flat.

The next morning, I was awakened by my fire alarm. The entire flat is marked on every wall reminding us of the procedure of a fire. A huge fire extinguisher is propped on the wall of the kitchen. Even if there was a fire, I doubt I would have the strength to lift it. Seems more like a fire hazard than a fire extinguisher. I ignored the first chirped and panicked after the second. I was armed with my Vans and fur coat, while sporting my pj boxers. I decided to ignore it and carry on with my morning. I was told later that is routine. Every Tuesday morning at 9AM. Great. 

Flat A2B

My first impression of London is different then my impression of my living corridors.

Sure, I live in a closet, but it’s my closet. It’s quirky and full of potential, like myself. As for the common area, that’s another story. I feel that I have little control of what goes or grows in the kitchen. I won’t point fingers yet, but there is only 3 out of the 7 flatmates currently moved in. What is so bad about the kitchen? It isn’t that the oven is the size of an Easy Bake, or the fact the fridge isn’t cold enough, or the grill(toaster oven) burns everything, or even the faucet that never stops dripping. The problem is the dirty dishes cannot be detected form the clean ones. They just sit there with food crumbs and sauces sitting there in water with mold bubbles. 
You can’t make this stuff up. Then the “clean” ones rest on a “sterile” surface in a puddle of their own suds. That is not presumably a British thing, that’s American. (I’m sorry about the sarcasm. I am realizing that is my charm here, aside from my American accent.)

                                                    
                                                     Not my view

Any who, my first impression of London is not tainted by the American view: the red telephone booth or red double decker buses, Big Ben, or the Buckingham Palace. And it is definitely not a reflection of ignorance to germs reproducing in the kitchen. Not that British people are not messy, but the fact that we Americans are amused by shows like extreme hoarders who live with garbage piled in every room in the house may persuade me to assume, that the Brits are not responsible. Fortunately, there is a cleaning service that mops the floors every Monday morning. But that is beside the point.

  

My first impression of London, coming from someone who did very little research before arriving, may include their proper English that reflect that of the Queen and driving on the other side of the road. It might also include their free health care and go green attitude on energy conservation. It has officially been a full week since my arrival. And all I can conjure up to say is my first impression, my second impression, and even my third impression is London cannot be defined. It cannot be branded or marketed like a tourist destination. The icons us Americans pair with them is equivalent to putting the american flag on all merchandise and states on mugs and keychains. It is only the surface. London is much deeper than that. Each part, each district, each street is a life unto its own.  From Parliament Square to Liverpool and Shoreditch, to Borough and Elephant Castle, you cannot cluster them together as London and stamp Big Ben on it. 


Where am I coming from?
Keep in touch. 

                                                                                                                                  Cheers, SB

Oh and this is Walden. She is my living breathing bliss. Always down for adventure, wanderer of London, sassy, spunky, my personal tour guide, and my favorite flatmate. xox

Picture of the Adventure so Far..... Enjoy!
(Follow me on Instagram: spontaneous_bliss)

London Calling

January 9th -June 9th 2015

SB will be UK bound. That's right, going international! This new page, London Calling, is dedicated to the experience of immersing into the culture of the UK, translating their slang, posting picture perfect moments (sometimes) and "fresh" new designs from a design intern's perspective. Too wordy? To be honest, I deleted my Facebook, and wanted to share my pictures with friends and family. I do not have high expectations, or any for that matter for the journey ahead of me. Just a positive state of mind and a blank check list to leave room for Spontaneous Bliss. While abroad, I hope to post more and be more active in my writing and design.

Keep in touch.

Xox SB

Merry Blissmas

SB sent out 40 Blissmas cards this past Christmas. First time ever, Spontaneous Bliss was shared through the simple form of a greeting card. Unlike the Greeting Bags, these Blissmas cards were sent to friends and family across the country from California to Pennsylvania, Virginia, North and South Carolina, and Florida.

The idea of a Spontaneaous Bliss Greeting is more than a reminder to keep reading, its a personally addressed SB greeting inspiring those to look for bliss and capture it.

As of the new year, I hope to make Admirer Cards (Valentines from your secret admirer SB) this coming February. If I find the time in London and a print shop, I hope to mail out 50 to 10 states!

Interested in an Admirer (card)?
email me your address at spontaneousblissxox@gmail.com

                                                                                                                 Xox SB

Bag It Up

(Handmade)

(submitted to Print Magazine in Celebrate Design Competition)

SB is proud to present it's first ever greeting cards, well bags. These bags may not look like much, but come in handy when you can't find the right words to say. Each bag is folded and packaged with 10 slips prompting your thoughts, and 10 blank slips to be used as needed. The slips are then placed in the bag and given or mailed out. The quote is a pun, personifying the paper bag in hopes of cracking a smile or getting a laugh. The truth is inside. 

They are a simple reminders made to be given; to create a spontaneous reaction of a pure moment of bliss. . .As of now, there are three greetings, unique in its kind:

<IM SORRY/I WAS WRONG>

I'm Filled with Emotion, Hear Me Out.

INSIDE:

(slips say)

You inspire me like :

You complete me like :

You know me like :

I was wrong to . . .

I’m sorry for. . .

I thought . . .

I know now . . .

To be honest . . .

We are . . .

We can . . .

<MENTAL CLENSE/RELEASE TENSION>

Fill Me Up and Throw Me Out. 

INSIDE:

(slips say)

I fear . . .

I regret . . .

I missed . . .

I forgot . . .

I hurt . . .

I left. . .

I cannot control . . .

I did not know. . .

I misjudged . . .

I misplaced . . .

<SPECIAL TREAT/SURPRISE OUTING>

Take Me on A Date

INSIDE: 

(slips say)

Don't forget the . . .

Sippin' on . . .

Sweet treat of choice : 

Leave out the . . .

Feeling saucy? Bring . . .

Impress me with . . .

Favorite flower:

I  munch on. . .

Feeling fruity? Bring . . .

Maybe wear . . .

What Greeting Bag would you send?

-SB

Worth Mentioning

This new page, Feature Me, is reserved for people. Not products, not campaigns, not advertisements or songs, but people! Lasting inspiration comes from a lesson learned, quote said, or revealed experience. Before the start of this blog, I reached out to a handful of friends on Facebook that inspired me to write. I would like to share them with you. To those I know personally, I invited them to write a post in their own words about their current thought, project, or experience. These individuals have experienced Spontaneous Bliss, whether they recognize it or not.

Brace Yourself.

-SB