laurastudarus

[laurastudarus]

When I was first gifted a few Tula Blue pieces, my initial response was more ‘huh?’ than ‘ooh!’ I wasn’t a jewelry girl at the time—a fact that was as much a part of my identity as my dislike of Jello and Tom Cruise movies. Place something around my neck or wrists simply for aesthetic value? What if someone mistakes me for a girls’ girl?! (Don’t worry, that’s since changed.)

(via How A Tula Blue Skeptic Had Her Mind Changed ft. Laura Studarus)

[laurastudarus]

Counting down our top music moments on Grey’s is no small task. (And certainly, we’re looking forward to the debates that will inevitably come.) But from a sea of moments that whisper to the song cues that make us want to scream — or just dance it out — here are a few of our favorite times when the music of Grey’s Anatomy took center stage.

(via The Best ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Musical Moments)

[laurastudarus]

Yakushima usually isn’t on the itinerary for first-time visitors to Japan. About as far as it gets from the country's tourist-congested golden triangle (that would be Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka), the small island doesn’t offer the cherry blossoms, temples, or cityscapes visitors to Japan have come to expect. But as I float in crystal blue waters just off Isso Beach, an idyllic swimming spot that I have practically to myself on a perfect autumn day, all I can think is—“Well, their loss.”

(Read more)

[laurastudarus]

“Your reason for wanting to be in or around water is valid,” writes Laura Studarus in her piece on the healing powers of water for Service95, in which she explores the restorative effects of wild swimming (for her, that began with a mermaiding class in Tahiti). Below, she shares recommendations for five idyllic spots around the world to bookmark for your next travels, so you can immerse yourself in water and discover the benefits for yourself…

(via 5 Beautiful Spots For Wild Swimming & To Immerse Yourself In Water Around The World | Service95)

[laurastudarus]

When I first decided to take a mermaiding class in Tahiti, I didn’t expect much other than a few photo ops in pretty costumes. I definitely didn’t think that I’d fall in love the second I jumped off the boat. It was my first time in the open ocean, and I immediately felt a surreal sense of calm. As someone who has suffered from lifelong chronic anxiety, it was a shift I couldn’t ignore; one that I immediately chased post-trip with a PADI Open Water Diver certification. This marked my first time in the water at the Channel Islands archipelago in Southern California (despite growing up nearby), and resulted in a general refusal to shut up to anyone who would listen about my new obsession.   

(via “I Felt A Surreal Sense Of Calm”: A Love Letter To The Healing Power Of Water | Service95)

[laurastudarus]

I knew I’d come back to Banff the first time I saw it. The Canadian Rockies evoke fairytale levels of wonder — there’s a reason it remains one of Canada’s top tourist destinations. From deep blue lakes to trails winding through alpine forests, there’s plenty to see and do in Banff. All the more reason to book luxurious lodgings when you’re forced to return inside for the evening.

[laurastudarus]

The Stanley Hotel was born with its founder Freelan Oscar Stanley near death. In 1903, the 54-year-old inventor of dry plate photography and the Stanley steam engine was diagnosed with tuberculosis. Because it was believed that fresh air would slow the disease—or, more realistically, provide a pleasant backdrop to his last few days—Freelan (affectionately known as FO) and his wife Flora were sent to Colorado—first to Denver, and then, on the suggestion of his doctor to the wilderness outpost, Estes Park.

(via The Stanley Hotel Is the Perfect Halloween Haunt - Paste Magazine)

[laurastudarus]

Season 20, episode two, of Grey’s Anatomy featured the doctors learning a thing or two about bedside manner. Their emotional ride that is an hour at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital came to a pivotal moment of discovery, backed by singer-songwriter Luke Beling’s emotional ballad “To Never See the Light.” But while the characters were all experiencing intensely personal journeys, for Beling, watching the show was a family affair.

(via Luke Beling’s ‘Grey’s’ Moment Was a Family Affair)

[laurastudarus]

It’s 8 a.m. on March 21, 2023, and I’m in a Tokyo-area izakaya along with 30 stressed out baseball fans. We wordlessly clutch our breakfast beers and try not to hyperventilate as Shohei Ohtani, playing for Samurai Japan, steps up the mound. As he strikes out the batter and wins the final game of the World Baseball Classic, the room erupts with a euphoria that borders on out-of-body bliss. After a moment of hesitation—after all, I don’t know any of these people—I run across the bar to high-five my fellow fans. Overwhelmed by the close contact with strangers, I spent the rest of the day cooling down at a baseball-themed Buddist shrine located in nearby Higashimatsuyama.

(via Baseball Games Are Better in Japan - Thrillist)

[laurastudarus]

When Justin Kamps graduated from college, he ran into the same problem a lot of young adults face — namely, how to follow your bliss while paying your bills. He had studied vocal performance as an undergrad (and still is an active participant in choirs across Los Angeles, an activity he describes as keeping “that performance part of my brain”), but the job market felt uncomfortably slow. That is, until a bit of research pointed him toward the idea of music supervision.

(via Meet the Man Behind the Music on ‘Grey’s Anatomy’)

[laurastudarus]

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Laura Studarus (@laura_studarus)

That time I got open water-certified at the most beautiful dive spot on earth. 

(via Laura Studarus (@laura_studarus) • Instagram photos and videos)

[laurastudarus]

Twenty years ago, Jemma Gwynne Griffiths (better known professionally as Jem) released her debut album, Finally Woken. The Welsh musician is grateful to look back at the time surrounding the release, which included multiple tracks featured throughout the first season of Grey’s Anatomy. As she puts it, rewatching the show in anticipation of this chat with Shondaland gave her the opportunity to appreciate just how important that moment was for both her and her career.

(via Jem on the Power of Fate and Hard Work)

[laurastudarus]

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Laura Studarus (@laura_studarus)

Daily affirmations with Ghibli studio mastermind, Hayao Miyazaki.

[laurastudarus]

Maria Trimarchi writes the script for every episode of Criminalia. However, there’s one part of each show where she likes to be kept in the dark — podcasting partner Holly Frey’s show-ending cocktail recipe.

(via It Takes Two: ‘Criminalia’ Hosts on Their Devious New Season)

[laurastudarus]

As Jessica Capshaw and Camilla Luddington recall, it wasn’t exactly love at first sight. “She came in right after I’d had, like, my 95th child, and I was experiencing all the radical insecurities that you possibly could,” Capshaw recalls of her introduction to Luddington at the table read for season nine of Grey’s Anatomy. “Mentally, physically, everything everywhere that I could feel less than I did. And then, gorgeous pants over here comes walking in with that brand of ‘I’m just brand-new to the show, wind machines following me wherever I go!’”

(via A Peek Into Jessica Capshaw and Camilla Luddington’s Epic Friendship)

[laurastudarus]

Psapp’s road to writing the Grey’s Anatomy theme song started with a cheese grater. Or more generally, a household worth of supplies.

(via The Band Behind the ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Theme Song)

[laurastudarus]

It took hearing his music on the show for Devon Gilfillian to realize the storytelling power behind Grey’s Anatomy. The 34-year-old musician giddily describes how much pleasure he gets from writing music, his face stretching into a wide smile as describes the sheer joy of songwriting — how it’s taken him across the country and, most recently, to a writing camp in Mexico. (Despite having a sparkling social media presence, he admits it was a relief to be forced to put his phone down for a few days.) But his voice quiets as he describes hearing his mournful gospel-tinged ballad “Mercy” used in “Come Fly With Me,” a season 19 episode of Grey’s Anatomy. As Gilfillian watched as Link conquered his fears after losing a high-profile patient, while still managing to complete a multihour surgery, the moment was a strong reminder for the musician about how much bigger his songs could become.

(via Devon Gilfillian’s ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Moment Was Bigger Than He Realized)