Girl Gone Wild: Slackline Girl Dominique Harrison

Photo by Charles Yacoub

Slacklining may just be the most challenging thing I've ever tried (if you don't know what it is, check out my post on getting inspired to try it here). Still, when I see women like Dominique Harrison walking gracefully across the line, I can't help but envision myself there. So I caught up with the well-balanced lady to learn a little more about her sport and chat about slacking with elephants and challenging the guys:

Tell me about yourself, Dominique.
I was born in Scotland and grew up in Uganda, Indonesia and Kenya (where home is at the moment). I'm 20 years old and at university in Brighton, England where I'm training to be a teacher.

How did you get into slacklining?
Someone told me about it and I went along to a session that was linked with my university, and as soon as I tried it I was addicted.

Darling Ambassador: Introducing Dirtbag Darling's Fashion Editor, Lizbeth!

I met Lizbeth while working for a fashion and lifestyle magazine in Los Angeles, and since then she's gone on to work for some major fashion publications! So who else to be Dirtbag Darling's newest Darling Ambassador and our official Fashion Editor? Liz will help you dress for any outdoor occasion with style and comfort (and convince you fashion IS important, even out in the woods.) Welcome Liz!

Tell us where you've worked and what you have going on that makes you a fashion guru?
I think what makes me a fashion guru is the fact that I've had an interest in fashion since I was a tot and have taken a variety of fashion-related classes that helped me evolve into somewhat of a guru, but a variety of other opportunities did, too. I've had a blog for a few years, worked on my knack for styling and fashion photography, was a fashion curator for Myspace, worked for a PR company in LA, interned for two fabulous fashion magazines and am currently a media intern for College Fashionista and Luv AJ.

What's your favorite outdoor activity?
Running and snowboarding when the winter rolls around. I also love Piyo and hot yoga, but that's why I love Dirtbag Darling, because I'm inspired everyday to get out there and make time for outdoor activities that embrace the beauty of nature. You'll definitely be hearing more about my adventures and outdoor activities. I'm super interested in camping (how sad is it that I've never been camping?) and paddle boarding.

As someone who balances a love for fashion with an active lifestyle, how do you build your outfits to make sense for you?
I think the best way to balance my fashion-loving life and active lifestyle is by creating outfits that are comfortable. Comfort is always key for me, especially since I'm a SoCal native. A chillaxed style is inherent, so it's natural for me to build outfits that can be both fashionable and functional. I love that these days a female can rock both and still be fashion-forward. Some of my go-to staples are skinny jeans, sneakers, chunky knits, comfy tees, pajama shorts, layers of random jewels and a unique pair of sunnies.

Lizbeth's perfect outfit for an afternoon skating around

How can we keep an element of style in our camping/hiking/surfing/climbing wardrobes?
I think it's easy to keep an element of style when it comes to all these activities these days, because so many active lifestyle brands are realizing Darlings like us are joining forces. Fashion is important to females, and we want an outfit that fits our figures and is not constricting. There are awesome prints and styles for every active girl out there and cuts that embrace our fabulous figures and femininity. We have the ability to maintain our individualized selves with chic gear, yet continue to master an activity without style taking the best of us.

When it comes to camping and climbing, you can keep as warm or as cool as you need with lightweight fabrics and pieces that not only transition from a day at work to a day of nature seeking, but look great for daily outings if you're a city slicker, too. I love the unique prints and styles of bikinis and wetsuits. It's so easy to maintain an element of style when it comes to your Dirtbag Darling self and I'm super excited to be here and help you figure out how!

Top ten must-own pieces for an active girl?
1. Unique sneakers (obsessed with my Nike Skyhigh Dunks)
2. Nike 2 boy shorts
3. J. Crew toothpick denim
4. SEE sunglasses
5. L'OREAL Sublime sunblock spf 50
6. Caudalie lip balm
7. Gaiam Grippy yoga mat towel
8. Sigg water bottle
9. Korres blush
10. Vintage or comfortable T-shirts

Want to see a cute camping outfit? Need help picking out the right pair of hiking pants? Have another style question for Liz? Let us know on Facebook, Twitter or right here in the comments below.

Practicing Tonglen To Feel Happier

Me getting my "ohm" on in Oahu. 

Today I visited one of my favorite places—the library—and picked up a book called Tranquilista by Kimberly Wilson, the author of Hip Tranquil Chick. It's a manual for doing "enlightened work" and practicing "mindful play," so that you can rid yourself of harmful habits and start living a more fulfilling life.

In it I found a section on practicing Tonglen ("Go Totally Tonglen," page 13), a Buddhist practice that's easy to do throughout your entire day.

Picture this: There's a crying baby on your airplane. Or a disgruntled businessman behind you in line at the bank. Maybe your mom is giving you a hard time about a recent career move. Close your eyes and picture yourself breathing in their pain. Visualize their suffering as a big, dark cloud. Draw that cloud in, then exhale slowly, picturing yourself sending them a big cloud of compassion.

So basically, you aren't absorbing their pain, but changing it into love and compassion. I know, I know...sounds funny, but think about how much better you'll feel trying to send that person love rather than getting yourself all upset about their behavior. I need to try this next time I get an annoying email!

What other rituals or practices should I try out? I need more of this! Leave a comment below. 

Gear Shop: Roxy

Courtesy of Roxy

There are a few brands I've held in high-esteem since I was a teenager, and Roxy continues to impress. Instead of falling into the memory banks of my closet as a brand for young girls, Roxy has stayed an integral part of my active-life wardrobe, even in my mid-20s.

I think it has to do with Roxy's unique ability to blend trends with actual performance. Their hiking boots and backpacks look cute (plaid lining, bright red laces) but instead of fraying at the seams after a few seasons of travel like you might expect, they hold up. And get compliments. Lots and lots of compliments.

Courtesy of Roxy.

So I'm sticking to my guns as a Roxy lover and spreading the word wherever I can: If you're itching for some plaid, a new wetsuit or some comfortable jeans, rethink Roxy.

Courtesy of Roxy

What other brands do you love that maybe I wrote off when I hit college-age? I want to give them another try! Let me know @DirtbagDarling on Twitter and Instagram and on Facebook. Thanks!

Girl Gone Wild: Danny Clayton of Salty Gypsy

Gripe about technology all you want, but I love the way it can connect you with someone all the way across the globe. Take Danny Clayton for example: I would never have known about her had it not been for her blog, Salt Gypsy. Now, I'm writing an article about her surf leggings and chatting with her about her life on the water and shaking our booties to some salsa music. Danny sleeps, eats and breathes surfing, a lifestyle that's taken her from the corporate offices of Billabong New Zealand to the freewheeling life of a surf guide in the Maldives. I just can't get enough of this girl!

My name is Danny and I live in the Maldives on a surfari boat. I'm originally from New Zealand, where I grew up learning to duck dive on the ferocious West Coast and to follow my passion.

Get Fed: Campfire Cones Recipe

Photo by Dirtbag Darling

I love camping for many reasons (incredible backdrops, sleeping under the stars, the smell of pine needles) but my biggest draw to the great outdoors could quite possibly be campfire treats, like these mess-free campfire cones from when I was a kid. They’re a little less sticky than s’mores and you can add other textures and flavors like fruit or nuts. Read the recipe on my guest post at Free People! 

DIY Altoids Tin Garden

Sometimes, the best things come in small packages, especially when they’re as cute as this DIY party favor idea! Succulents are an apartment or office gardner’s best friends because they need minimal care and thrive in harsh conditions (aka when you forget to care for them).

I'm the newest guest blogger over on the Free People blog! Check out the rest of this DIY project here.

Girl Gone Wild: Rhea Cortado

 I met Rhea during a summer party thrown by Insight at their Venice Beach store last year. I was there with a friend who worked at Surfer, so I figured I'd be listening to surf talk all night (not that I mind, but I was in need of a little girl talk that night). Luckily, the two of us got to talking by the bar and I realized girl talk could be surf talk, too! We chatted about our experience, the boards we wanted and, yes, her really cute shoes. By the end of the night, we were having so much fun we decided to go to another location to continue our chat. It's been a few months since then, so I emailed up my long-lost friend so she could share some of her ocean-based wisdom with you:

My name is Rhea Cortado and I live in Venice Beach, California. I'm originally from Watsonville in Northern California where I grew up learning to love the beaches and redwoods of Santa Cruz and local, farm fresh produce.

I'm a scatterbrain and can only comprehend today, in the present. I’m also a writer as an occupation and can only work for a very efficient five to six hours in front of the computer before I hit a wall and have to go outside and do something active.

I admire women who make their livelihood by pursuing their passion and love it so much that you can feel it, energetically from them. I like to call it “palpable stoke.” I love women who have palpable stoke. I also love women who are self-confident, independent, totally happy, alone but not lonely.

When I have a weekend off from working, I usually spend it surfing and sunning at the beach in the morning until I reach physical exhaustion and then trying some new cooking experiment for dinner and dessert with my favorite girlfriends and/or my boyfriend. 

My favorite place to spend time outdoors is the beach because I love the water and someone told me that the ions released when water crashes is scientifically proven to be relaxing. Even just walking on the beach or walking around mountainous areas where you can see the coastline in the distance feels like everything will be all right with the world.

Surfing has taught me patience, discipline, humbleness, payoff for work and commitment, and that whatever was bothering you in the parking lot doesn’t matter anymore when you’re floating out in the middle of the wild ocean. 

One luxury item I always have with me is my Shiseido sunscreen while I’m outdoors. And a Hermes bracelet my sister gave me for when I’m doing the city girl thing.

This fall I'll be in the southwest of France cooking up a storm as the in-house chef for Surf Sistas and Big Friday surf camps through September and October.

One thing I'd love to learn to do is commit to a yoga practice because I like how there is a spiritual and physical component to it and I always feel refreshed after class. I'd also love to learn how to get over being scared of falling from tall heights because I would love to get out to the desert and learn how to rock climb!

My favorite piece of advice for living a healthy lifestyle is to care and pay attention about what you put into your body. Many ailments and illnesses originate from poor diet. And take some time for yourself every day—whether it’s preparing your own food, doing something active outside, having a crafty creative hour or book-and-hammock time. Your work life will be more productive and your personal relationships more mutually rewarding when you’re a happy, mentally and physically well-balanced person.

Thanks Rhea! If you want to see more of the radness Rhea's putting out everyday, check out her blog TheSurftorialist.com. 

Images by Allan Nadel and Kate Czuczman

My Best Beauty Secret

Me: Messy bun, no makeup, scaly feet in Oahu.

When you live (or decide to start living) an outdoor-loving lifestyle, there are certain things you have to give up and wrinkle-free skin, smooth feet, immaculate hair and manicured nails are all on the list. Maintaining your beauty routine is just unrealistic when you're camping out on a beach in Hawaii with no mirrors, downpours and back-to-basics pluming!

That's not to say I don't try my best to look presentable when I'm back in civilization. I still trim my hair, put on mascara and pluck my brows—I am a girl, after all. There are even certain things I bring with me on the trail, like facial wipes and lip balm.

But my ultimate beauty secret? Stop caring so much about what you look like. Chances are the people you're with out there are the ones who love you no matter what, and the reason you're out there is to experience something new and test your limits. You're out there to reconnect with nature and remember what's important, and let me tell you this right now: What you look like is NOT.

So let it all go when you lace up your boots or put on your bikini—let your hair get frizzy or tie it up in a bun or braid. Wear sunscreen but don't obsess over it if you get a sunglass tan line. No one wants to worry about runny mascara when you spot a rope swing, and you can fix it all up on Monday (if it really comes down to it, there's always that lip balm in your back pocket).

Gear Shop: OluKai

Phot: OluKai.com

Hawaii is one of my all-time favorite places (duh, everyone probably says that, right?). The landscape is so varied and rugged, the people are so faithful to their home and family, and the adventure options for an outdoor lover are just endless. So it's a no brainer that I'm a big fan of OluKai Footwear, a company with values and design principles based in the tight-knit community and island-swelling lifestyle of Polynesian culture.

They make footwear for someone wants to explore the beach and the jungle in the same day, even designing the soles of their shoes to mimic the way bare feet feel on wet sand. Each shoe is made with contoured footbeds for comfort and durability, so you can kayak out to your own little island and still be able to scramble around on the rocks when you get there.

Photo: Olukai.com

I just wish I could go back in time and gift myself a pair before I had actually gone to Hawaii! Next time...

Get Gear: Made By Dawn Swimwear

Photo of my bum by Esther Choi.

Let me say this first: I'm really happy with my body because it's deceivingly strong (seriously guys!). I can lift heavy, run far and climb high without too much trouble. But I've also been called scrawny more than once and fact of the matter is, it's hard to find a bathing suit that doesn't hang off of me like a trash bag.

Enter Made By Dawn, a line of figure-hugging bathing suits for smaller girls. She recently sent me her Shell Picker bikini as a thank you and I'm in love! It fits well, doesn't budge and—get this—has little pockets for collecting shells at the beach! If you're a smaller girl, do yourself a favor and get yourself a Made By Dawn swimsuit. 

See? Pockets!

Girl Gone Wild: Jessica Cramp

Jessica Cramp is brave, but not for the reasons you might think. Sure, she swims with sharks and has her pilot's license, but she's also done something that most people will always be too scared to do: She quit a well-paying job and stable future to chase her dream.

Cramp, a Pennsylvania native (like me!), was living in San Diego working as a scientist and running experiments in search of new medicines. She loved her job and the freedom it gave her to surf during lunch and take vacations, but still she felt a gaping hole in her life. That's when a stroke of luck changed her fate. "In a strange turn of events, I won a ridiculous game show with two of my best girlfriends," explains Cramp, "and it gave me the funds to pay off college." After her big win, Cramp quit her job and began volunteering with organizations and causes she believed in. Since then, she's been to Haiti, Costa Rica and Panama, sailing to Tahiti before decided to settle down in the Cook Islands. Now she manages the Pacific Islands Conservation Initiative, an organization that runs a shark sanctuary, a turtle research effort and a conservation education project. 

"I learned to live simply in a very tight-knit community," she says of her new life. "It's been an emotional roller coaster, but I wouldn't trade a minute of it because I'm living true to the fire that burns in my guts." Studying sharks, swimming with turtles and making a difference? Jessica is a huge inspiration to me, so I caught up with her to give you guys a little more insight into what she's all about:

Girl Gone Wild: Brook Power

I met the stunning Brook Power a few months ago during a photoshoot for the magazine I was an editor at and developed a serious girl crush. The model, surfer and skateboarder is intimidating at first (after all, she’s incredibly beautiful), but as soon as you start chatting with her you realize she’s full of quirks and she makes you feel so at ease. Maybe it’s her Hawaiian upbringing, or the fact she’d rather spend money on her horse than on a new pair of shoes. Naturally, she’s the type of girl I’ve stayed in touch with from time to time.

So, I caught up with Brook to chat about her outdoor life and paying homage to her Dog Town skater dad:

Hey Brook! You grew up in Oahu, which most people dream about visiting. What’s the best and worst part about living there?

I did! It’s really one of the best places to be a kid because you live without any fear and so many aunties and uncles to surround you with love…and Spam musubi’s haha. I grew up so at ease with the ocean, even on its wild days—it’s like my baby blanket. Growing up in Hawaii you are fairly free from superficial things. I still don’t have any desire to buy expensive things and I think it’s because I grew up never even thinking about cars or clothes or shoes. All I wanted was my Roxy bikini and my Hello Kitty backpack. The down side of the island life, especially on O’ahu, is how overpopulated it’s become. Traffic is terrible and they have been constructing these horrifying plastic dollhouse housing developments all over the island. It’s sad really. I hope that Hawaii kids will never be jaded because of the malls and department stores and will stay barefoot as long as possible.

What kinds of outdoor activities do you love?

I live by a national park at the moment so I ride horses out here and hike around waterfalls and mountain bike. I can hike to the highest peak in the Santa Monica mountain chain from where I live. I’ve been surfing Malibu a bit lately, too, and in the winter we go to the sulfur hot springs. 

I remember you saying one time that your dad was a Dog Town skater back in the day. Did he try and get you to skate a lot when you were younger?

Checking In: What Makes Someone "Outdoorsy"?

That's me being "outdoorsy" in Zion National Park!

Last night before bed I read a really interesting op-ed piece about what it means to be "outdoorsy." In it, the author moves to Montana and calls herself an outdoorswoman, only to be met with some stuck-up noses: "People laughed at me, asking what experience I had in the 'outdoors' and called me things like a poser or a wannabe."

Fast forward three years later and she's learned to mountain bike, ski, kayak, and paddle board. She's taken courses in avalanche survival and wilderness first aid. It's more than most people will accomplish in their entire lives, but still, she says she feels an emptiness—she doesn't consider herself "outdoorsy" because of those original nay-sayers. 

I'm calling bull crap on those people who talked her down. Not everyone will grow up with access to world-class climbing routes or an ocean lapping at their backyard. We all make do with what we have. So if you want to start enjoying everything the outdoors has to offer, shake off those feelings of self-doubt and get out there. No one at the rock gym is going to look down on you—in fact, they'll love explaining the knots to you, remembering the day they started climbing. Invest in one piece of quality, high-rated gear that you'll be proud to show off. Spend a Saturday night sleeping under the stars with some friends rather than meeting up for drinks. 

Before you know it, people will be looking to you for advice (and few good adventure stories).

Read the article at WomensAdventureMagazine.com!

Meet the First Darling Ambassador: Eleasha Gall!

Introducing the first Darling Ambassador: my sister Eleasha Gall! Darling Ambassadors are the women I admire who truly embody the healthy, happy, adventurous spirit of Dirtbag Darling. They’ll check back in and share their adventures with us all year. Check back as we’ll be adding more inspiring Darling Ambassadors every month! 

Asking Lea to be my first Ambassador was a no-brainer. She’s the one who inspired me to start hiking and kayaking and even convinced me to love yoga (it took a while). Even when I was a little kid, she was always jetting off to some exotic country to live on a boat or visit a leper colony (yep). Get to know Darling Ambassador Eleasha Gall now:

My name is Eleasha Gall and I live in Long Beach California. I’m originally fromTrumbauersville which was a very small town in Pennsylvania with only two streets,  Main and Broad. My dad was actually mayor for a little while but that’s only because they went door to door asking if anyone wanted to volunteer for the job. I grew up learning to be self-sufficient and handy.  We didn’t have a lot of money so if something around the house broke we had to figure it out. 

For work, I’m the Director of Animal Behavior and Training who oversees the care of all of the animals at spcaLA. My team and I work with dogs with issues to help them become more adoptable and much easier to live with once in the homes.

I admire women who are kind. It’s unfortunately very rare that you meet a truly kind person, someone who—without a personal agenda—goes out of their way to make someone have an easier day or smile. I had an amazing friend, Erica,  who always made everyone feel as if they were the most important thing. Unfortunately for the world, Erica left us all way too soon but her kindness will never be forgotten and is something I’m forever amazed by when I meet the rare person like her.

When I have a weekend off from working, I usually spend it paddle boarding with my dog Monster, hiking and camping with both of my dogs, doing yoga on the bluff, reading on the beach or getting together with friends to listen to some live music. 

My favorite place to spend time outdoors is the beach or in the woods because it helps you to very much love living in the moment.  It’s important to look at this amazing world and cherish it. We should never take our planet for granted. The world is big; life is short.  

My favorite outdoor activities are sailing, diving or anything on the water. Being out there is a magical feeling. I was hooked on diving the first time I floated underwater.  It’s like flying on another planet, especially night diving when all the creatures come out. Love it!

One luxury item I always have with me are my princess-cut diamond earrings. No matter how dirty or muddy I get outside they always make me feel like a million bucks.