Feature Friday with Michael Garcia

Happy Friday y'all! How was your week? What do you have planned this weekend? We're continuing our search for a car for Thomas today, and cleaning the rest of the weekend. We may POSSIBLY be going to Atlanta tomorrow for the March for Our Lives, but we have to make sure we get everything done that we need to!

This week's FF discusses dealing with criticism and why it doesn't affect him, his favorite some at the moment (YES Chris Stapleton), and how you can create your own family who love and accept you for you. We loved reading his responses and going through his pictures and we think you will, too. Take a look below...

Where are you from? Denver, Colorado 

Where do you live? I live in Denver Colorado but I will be moving to California in September! Yay! 

What’s your Instagram handle? @__MichaelGarcia 

Age: 21 

Relationship Status: Single. I’m a romantic person and I believe in love and I won’t settle for something that is there to pass the time. I think if a relationship comes I’m not oppose to it but I’m also not looking. I’m focused on my career and building a future for myself. 

What is your favorite place you have ever travelled to and why? New York City because it is such a magical place. The environment and energy is amazing! I remember first going there and it was just a whole new world! There was so many different types of people and everyone was so accepting and happy! 

Who is your favorite artist at the moment? Cardi B is my favorite! I listening to a variety of music, from country to rap! Haha 

Favorite song? Tennessee Whiskey by Chris Stapleton

What is your proudest accomplishment? Proving the haters wrong! The best revenge is success. I would get bullied most of my childhood/teenage years and having those people that said I would never amount to anything see me succeed is the best feeling because I’m able to say you didn’t break me and look how far I have got in life and you’re still stuck in the same place. 

How would you describe your home décor style? Modern very simple. I love white with accent colors! 

What is something you wish you would’ve known when you were younger? I wish I would’ve known that God is Love. I believed for a long time that God didn’t love me because I was gay. Luckily I made friends with one of my best friends now who taught me that God is love and now I know that I can have faith and trust in God and myself! 

What is one thing still left on your bucket list? Going to visit the Eiffel Tower because it’s such a romantic place. Well I heard it was. Lol

How old were you when you came out and what was your experience like? I was 14 years old and it was a pretty traumatic experience. My family wasn’t accepting. It was hard to deal with that at such a young age. 

What did you learn about yourself in the coming out process? I learned to love and take care of myself and you are who you surround yourself with. Although my family wasn’t accepting I learned that I can create my own family. Family isn’t blood but it’s the people who love you for you. 

Have you faced any backlash or criticism since coming out? I have. As I share my story and make it more known I constantly get hate or criticized. But I think there will always be people out there to try and tear you down. I personally don’t let it affect me. In the past it would. I would think to myself why are they saying that? Why did they make up this rumor? Why aren’t they accepting. But I live my life for me no one else. I love myself and I’m proud of who I am. :)  

Who is your biggest inspiration and why? I have two people that inspire me everyday. 

My best friend Olivia. She is super women! She taught me to not only love myself but to love others. She taught me what family really meant and I can never repay her for that.

Also Shane. He has been such an inspiration to me and teaching me to love myself and embrace my story instead of being embarrassed by it.

Feature Friday with Erik Markewich

Happy Friday! How has your week been? We've been adjusting to Thomas going part time and being home more and we gotta say, we're absolutely loving it. Thank you for the well wishes regarding Thomas' wreck. He's doing fine, but his car isn't, so we are looking for a new car as we speak!

We took a couple of months off from Feature Friday but FINALLY we are back with a brand new feature and we are so excited to share it with you. Erik talks about the moment he came out to his parents, what he's learned about himself from coming out, and facing your fears head on. Get to know Erik a little more below...

Where are you from? Brandon Manitoba, Canada

Where do you live? Toronto Ontario, Canada

What’s your Instagram handle? @erikmarkewich

Age: 25

Relationship Status: Single… and slowly coming to terms with it. I wear my heart on my sleeve, so it's sometimes a hard thing to come to terms with.

What is your favorite place you have ever travelled to and why? I started overthinking this way too much, thinking I needed to choose a place like Barcelona, Dubai, or Shanghai (I worked on a cruise ship for 7 months) but then I stopped to think: what is the one place that makes my heart beat like none other? It’s easy. NEW YORK CITY. People ask me why, why do I love it so much? It's not a simple one word answer. I could say it's because of my passion and love for theatre, and yes that has a huge part of it, but something happens to me the minute I step foot into NYC. The passion and love that city has in it is like none other. I have visited many times; for long and short periods, and it's now my favourite place to bring friends and family as I believe it's the one place I can truly be myself. I have always said my heart lives in New York, I am just trying to find a way to go and find it.

Who is your favorite artist at the moment? Favorite song? I am such a late comer, I know, but I was just recently introduced to Troye Sivan and I literally cannot stop listening. So at this moment in time Troye is at the top of my most played on my iTunes list (Beyonce you will always be number 1 in my heart).

Something about Troye's style and his openness in all of his songs is so powerful, especially coming from a young gay man. The acoustic version of “Youth” is my go to on my commute to and from work. I connect so much with the truth behind it and I truly feel it hits ‘love’ directly on the head. As a huge lover of love, I find it refreshing to hear a song that just says it like it is.

What is your proudest accomplishment? I think I would have to say when I got hired for my first professional musical theatre show (which was CATS) at Rainbow Stage in Winnipeg, Mantioba. I started dancing at the age of 9, and as you will read a little farther down, it wasn’t easy for me being a male dancer in such a small city, but I never once thought of quitting. I loved it so much. I loved the dedication of the art form, the energy and adrenaline of being on stage. I felt like I was on top of the world whenever I danced. So to work for so many hours and days, to have it finally pay off to book my first professional show, and that show being CATS, was a huge accomplishment for me. Also to be working in a theatre that I grew up going to as a child, and wishing and wanting one day to be on that stage, was a surreal moment for me. I have now gone on to work in 14 professional shows and my heart still tells me never to give up.

How would you describe your home décor style?  As a musical theatre performer who travels constantly for work, I long for the day that I can finally call a place home. Currently I am subletting and kind of living out of a suitcase here in Toronto, so my home decor style (at the moment) is either my 3 piece luggage set, or whatever is in my storage locker haha. That being said, I daydream about what my place will look like. It will be clean and modern. I am a big fan of midcentury stylings, and I believe every home should have touches of yourself in it, so I will find a way to bring my love for theatre and film into my home with art.

What is something you wish you would’ve known when you were younger? I know that this may be cliche or sound like a broken record, but the thing my younger self needed to hear was “it gets better”. These three words were circulating at the time of my grade 12 year in high school. Just as I was coming out, the ‘It Gets Better’ campaign was also starting. But at that adolescent time, I didn’t believe it. I am a hands-on person, I needed to know for myself that it was going to be okay. So looking back on those younger years and those feelings of doubt, shame, and fear I had, I wish older me could show a quick 30 second video of how great life is going to be in the years to come. Obviously I am young, and have so many amazing things to come, but I am also so very proud at where I stand today. [I think] that 17 year old me would smile through the pain knowing that only good things, and good people, are on there way!

What is one thing still left on your bucket list? This may come to a surprise to my close family and friends, but one thing I have always wanted is a tattoo. The reason why I don't have one yet is because I don't know what I would get. I believe permanently placing something on your body should have a good reason behind it. So, I will wait until that day comes and when something happens or hits me and says, “place me on your body in writing so you can remember this moment always.”

How old were you when you came out and what was your experience like? I was 17 and living in Brandon, Manitoba, which has a population of 50k. Small town prairie vibes and I was a male dancer. They weren't the easiest teenage years for me, but I was not gonna give up my passion of dance just because it was not the normal thing a guy should do. My coming out experience was beautiful though, and still means a lot to me to this day. I had told a few close friends prior to telling my family, but it was the day I told my parents that I believe I faced the fear that comes with coming out, and it couldn't have been a more life changing moment for me. When people ask me how I knew the moment was right, I say that I really didn’t, it came to me out of no where. I picked myself up, wrapped myself in my childhood blanket, and walked downstairs to my parents sitting in the living room and said I needed to tell them something. It was at that moment when I faced them and said the words “I’m gay”. We talked and cried and laughed for about an hour, hearing stories from them about friends they had that were gay, and how much they love me, and want nothing but the best for me. It was because of my parents that being able to say that I am gay became so easy, because I realized that I am surrounded by so many people that love me for ME, and my sexual orientation doesn't matter, as it doesn't change who I am, just who I love.

What did you learn about yourself in the coming out process? Everything. Simple as that. If I didn’t come out as a gay man, strong and proud, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I would be living in fear, back in that closet, wanting and wishing for so much more. I have learned that facing fears can be one of the most rewarding things you can do. It opens so many new doors that you may not have been able to open without looking that fear in the face and concurring it. There are so many people out there that let a fear stand in the way of doing something they’ve always wanted to do, or completely changing their life for the better. I have realized that in order to live and learn, you are going to make mistakes along the way. You are going to be faced with fears and doubts, but facing those fears has truly made me the happiest I have been in my life. I admire those fearless and risk-taking people.

Have you faced any backlash or criticism since coming out? I believe that in some sense, everyone who comes out will face backlash or criticism. For me, I didn’t really face any head-on. I was lucky. I was bullied behind my back in high school, but I had a group of friends that I stuck close with and they helped me through those 4 years. Then after coming out, I moved from small town Brandon, to big city Toronto. It was then I realized I could be whoever I wanted to be. Living in a big city, with so many people living their own lives, being too busy to care about your own, was a huge help for me to truly find myself and be me. Working in the musical theatre industry also allowed me to be with like-minded people, and obviously with more gay people than in any other industry haha. In that business, I am critiqued daily on my eye color, my height, my body type, and so on. I have had to grow a thick skin, so when it comes down to being criticized for being gay, I simply brush it off and keep moving forward. I know that some people don't support me being gay, and that's fine. That is their view. But those people are not a part of my life. The ones that I call friends and family are my true loves, and love me for who I am!

Who is your biggest inspiration and why? My parents. It would be silly for me not to choose them. As I said before, I wouldn’t be where I am today without them. From them driving me to and from dance class, all of my school play rehearsals, the amount of money they put into my training, and dealing with the annoying teenager I must have been. On top of it all, they have been and always will be my biggest fans. They have not missed one performance of mine. They are the ones that always pushed me to keep going, to never give up, and to follow my dreams. So yeah, they are my biggest inspiration. The love they show for their 3 children is beyond words, and the amount they have given to us, I could never thank them enough. It wasn’t until this year and becoming an uncle for the first time, that it showed me what a beautiful thing having a child is. I look forward to the day I have my own child, and I can raise them the way my parents did to me. With the love and support, to the moon and back.

Feature Friday with Ariana Offray & Hannah Glover

Happy Friday! What are you up to this weekend? We will be finishing up this presentation we've been working on nonstop and maybe find some time to work on the rental house, too. It's our last weekend home before we leave on a big trip out of the country. It's our first time traveling out of the US so wish us luck! We are so excited!

This week's FF is SO FUN, y'all. They seem like the most down to earth people that we wished weren't all the way across the country so we could actually hang out with them. Ariana and Hannah's style is unique, seemingly effortless and so California cool. And don't get us started on the look and feel of their Instagram and blog. Swoon. As if that weren't enough, what they have to say about each other is pretty darn sweet as well. Take a look below to see what we mean...

Hannah (left) & Ariana (right)

Where are you from? Ariana was born and raised in Pasadena, California while Hannah was born in Savannah, Georgia but moved around. Hannah spent her childhood primarily in Atlanta, Georgia, and finally settled in San Diego, California when she was around 12 years old. 

Where do you live? We currently live in Pasadena, California and we couldn’t be anymore obsessed with it!

What’s your Instagram handle? Y’all can find us on Instagram @theangelinos_

  Age: Ariana turns 23 on January 30th, and Hannah turned 21 on November 21st. 

Relationship Status: We’re two women in a happy relationship. Although Hannah loves to say that we’re married!

What is your favorite place you have ever traveled to and why? We haven’t had the opportunity to travel much. Honestly, it’s tragic to say the least. Ariana’s favorite place she’s traveled to is New Orleans. Her entire family is from New Orleans, so Ariana grew up with creole culture. New Orleans is like no other place. The food is amazing, the culture is full of life, the architecture is original and it’s diverse. Hannah’s favorite place she’s traveled to so far is New York City. In 2016, Hannah spent New Years there visiting her best friend. It was probably life changing. New York is pretty much the opposite of LA, and she loved the experience of visiting a city like NYC. But, it made her realize all the reasons why she lives in California (like the lack of seasons/snow)! We both love traveling and wish we could go more places. 

How did you guys meet? Who asked out who? We met on Tinder. We need a moment of silence for this one…like, guys… Tinder! Who knew an online dating app would match the two of us so perfectly. After about two weeks of chatting on Tinder, we met in person in May of 2016 and hit it off right away. We just knew it was right. In November of 2016, Hannah asked Ariana to be her girlfriend in her dorm room on the night of the 2016 presidential election. We kind of laugh about it because we won’t ever forget our anniversary date because of the significance of that night. 

How did you know each other was the one? I think we both kind of knew the day we met in person. Something felt different. Ariana knew during our second date. We stayed out talking until 2 AM in Hannah’s car in a random parking lot after seeing Deadpool at the movies. Hannah knew for sure during our third date at a museum, which was also the first time Ariana wore her glasses in front of her. (she was insecure about wearing her glasses for the first two dates)

Any big plans for the future? Where do you see yourself in 10 years? Our goals are so in sync! In 10 years, we see ourselves traveling a lot more, getting married, having children (we hope for a boy and a girl) and buying our first home and renovating that home (if it isn’t picture perfect already.) We want to make our home truly ours, so we’ll probably be ripping apart a few things to make sure we’re satisfied. 

How would you describe your home decor style? Our home decor style is a blend of mid-century, traditional, farmhouse and modern. We especially love us some original hard wood floors *faints* 

What is the last show you binged watched? So, let's talk about this. We binge watch shows like there’s no tomorrow. It might be a problem. The last show we binge watched from start to finish was Broadchurch on Netflix. We’re currently binge watching Law & Order SVU. We clearly have a thing for crime and medical tv shows. 

What is something you wish you would have known when you were younger? Ariana wishes she knew everything would turn out alright regardless of any difficulties she was facing at that time. Knowing everything would be okay probably would have saved her a lot of anxiety. Hannah wishes she knew she was gay sooner. This also would have saved her from a lot of everything. 

How old were you when you came out and what was your experience like? Ariana was 17 when she came out. Honestly, her parents reacted in a calm manner. They’re Christians so the terror was real before coming out. They listened, asked questions and then didn’t mention it at all until she was about 20 years old. Considering how it could have gone completely wrong, Ariana’s coming out experience was better than she could have seen coming. 

Hannah was outed by her ex boyfriend when she was 18, but she thought she came out when she was 19, until her younger sister confessed that everyone knew for months before she officially came out. Their reaction was more negative than expected, and the experience was a lot more difficult than she expected, but after a year or so everything turned out alright. 

Have you faced any backlash as a couple since coming out? How do you deal with that? We’re fortunate enough to say we haven’t faced any backlash as a couple. Especially as an interracial couple. We get stares from some people in public, but we mostly ignore it. No one has directly said anything to us, so we continue to live our lives and mind our bidness. 

We love the look and feel of your Instagram! What made you decide you wanted to share an account together? It all started with Ariana. She has always wanted to start a YouTube channel, but her anxiety held her back for years. Around April of 2017, about a year into our relationship, Ariana felt confidant enough to start her YouTube channel and that was the beginning of our online presence. A few months later, Ariana randomly suggested starting a blog together and we jumped right in. Creating a joint Instagram seemed a lot easier than maintaining separate accounts, so we joined forces. Honestly, it’s probably one of the best things to happen to us!

What is your favorite thing about one another? Wow, the list goes on and on, doesn’t it? My favorite thing about Hannah would have to be her crazy good planning skills. I’m not talking planning our dates or what we’re eating that night, I’m talking planning her life, our life. She pictures where she wants to be in a year, 2 years, 3 years down the line and she plans what she needs to do to get there. It has to be a talent or something. I’m not a planner at all so I truly admire this about her.

I love so many things about Ariana, but my favorite is how genuine she is. She’s so grounded about who she is as a person, and she literally could not be fake if she tried. She’s always completely true to herself, and I really adore that about her! Her therapist once said she’s like an island, and I really feel like that's true! She really grounds me and keeps me centered on the present and on what’s important. 

Feature Friday with Andy Mientus & Michael Arden

Hey you, happy Friday! What do you have going on this weekend? We plan to work on an upcoming project that we can't wait to tell you about in the next week or so. Also, there will most likely be hours of binge watching Shameless. We are so obsessed with it, we are watching close to 3 hours of it a night. It's becoming a problem.

We are so excited for this week's Feature Friday because they're two friends of ours and their relationship is so inspiring. It's likely you are already aware of Andy and Michael's relationship, but they've opened up about how they make their relationship work while both being in the entertainment industry, their cool new house, and their favorite trip they've ever taken together. Take a look below to see what we mean...

Where are you from? Andy is from Pittsburgh, PA, Michael is from Midland, TX

Where do you live? We split our time between a tiny apartment in the West Village of New York City and a big old Catholic church upstate in the Hudson Valley.

What’s your Instagram handle?  @andymientus and @michaelarden 

Age: Andy is 31 and Michael is 35.

Relationship Status:  Married.

How long have you been married? 8-ish years

What is your favorite place you have ever traveled to and why?

A: We took an amazing road trip once from Portland all the way down to San Francisco, stopping whenever we saw something interesting. We slept at a creepy old mansion in Eureka, drank wine in the Russian River, and took a million photos at the Multnoma Falls. Totally magical.

M: We just had the chance to work together in Tokyo and visit Kyoto. We both fell in love with Japan. I would say it’s a tie between that and our Pacific Northwest Road Trip. 

How did you guys meet? Who asked out who? We met years before we would start dating at the opening night of a short lived Broadway musical Michael was starring in called The Times They Are A-Changin. We became friends and talked often for probably 4 years before we became more than friends.

You both have very demanding careers. Is it hard being away from each other so much? How do you make time for one another? We knew early on that we worked well as a couple because we were both as invested in our own careers and artistic pursuits as we were in each other. We like to think that we go through life side by side, looking in the same direction rather than looking at each other. Thus, whenever our work keeps us apart, we focus on being excited that one of us is getting an opportunity to further his own dreams and try to do what we can to support that rather than be sad about what that means for our time together. We have a whole lifetime to be together. Some apart time to focus on ourselves is good too.

How would you describe your home decor stye? Ecclectic. We have very different interests but we are both collectors, so we both bring lots of strange objects into our house that have to all coexist. We also have picked up a lot of memorabilia over the years from various artistic projects, as well as souvenirs from all of the travel we have done independently and together. As for furniture, we both lived apart for many years and then together in various spaces, so there are pieces from all of those eras thrown together. I think what brings the whole mess into cohesion is that nothing is just for show- everything either has a purpose, a story, or both.

What is the last show you binged watched?

A: British Baking Show. We can’t get enough.

M: Abstract on Netflix. It’s an incredible series about design and designers in all forms. Get into it!

What is something you wish you would have known when you were younger?

A: That things never go according to Plan A. Plan A is a fantasy. 

M: That struggle is part of life. It will always exist. But it will seem insignificant in the long term. Take a breath, have faith and courage. It’s all gonna be okay.

How old were you when you came out and what was your experience like?

A: I was 24. Michael was actually the first guy I was ever with, so my queerness was more mysterious before we got together and thus I didn’t feel the urge to come out before then- I wasn’t quite sure if I was bi or just a really open minded straight person before that. Getting together really made me confront and embrace my queerness for the first time. Luckily my family and friends and even my ex-girlfriends were amazingly supportive, so it was really no big deal. 

M: I was a Freshman in High School, so a BIT younger than Andy. On the first day of school, my English teacher, Shelly Wright, asked us to write an essay about what we learned about ourselves over the summer. I felt compelled to say that I discovered I was a gay man. For some reason, I never hesitated. She pulled me aside later that day in the hallway to thank me for my honesty and to tell me I always had a friend and ally. I think that first interaction shaped my whole coming out experience. I was given room and support and a sense of pride because of her gesture. It’s something I’ll never forget. 

We see that you've recently purchased a not-so-typical house. Tell us about it! Yes! We bought a church! Steeple and everything. In the summer we had a conversation about selling a house we owned in LA which we didn’t use much anymore and either buying an apartment in New York (we rent) or getting a country house upstate. Michael started looking casually and found this church and we just fell in love with it, so suddenly that abstract conversation was a very real decision and we had to work very fast to sell and move so that no one snapped up the church before we could. We spend Christmas there with friends and it was so worth it.

What is your favorite thing about one another?

A: I love the scope and scale of Michael’s imagination. Whereas most people would see the church online and say, “wouldn’t that be cool,” before closing the window and going back to their day, he springs into action and makes it reality. The same is true when he dreams up a creative project or a fun night out. Most people settle for ordinary and safe but he strives for what seems impossible, which is a great way to live your life. 

M: Andy is the smartest and most insightful person I have ever encountered. Every good idea I have comes from him. His mind is constantly working on or revising a thought or notion. And so many times his ideas are sprung from his sense of humor and play.

Feature Friday with Steven Pham & Steven Jones

Happy Friday! What are you up to this weekend? We are in Atlanta until Saturday at the AmericasMart January market and we are having a blast. We’ve met so many cool people and finally got to meet Brian Patrick Flynn in person, one of our good friends that until yesterday we’d ony we met online. He’s the one who actually set this all up for us to be able to come, so thank you again Brian!  

This week’s FF includes not one, but two Steven’s who met in college and, five years later, recently got married! Their story is honest and beautiful, especially their proposal (so cute!!!). Read on to see what their favorite thing about each their is and how they knew each other were the one. BRB, we have tooth aches from the sweetness 😍.  

Steven Jones (left) Steven Pham (right)

 Where are you from? Steven J is from Springfield, Massachusetts and Steven P is from Long Island, New York

Where do you live? Louisiana, as Steven J is stationed here for the time being. 

What’s your Instagram handle?  @vinhtpham @muthalovajones

Age: Steven J is 24 and Steven P is 25

Relationship Status: Married 

How long have y’all been together and how did you two meet? We met in college. My (Steven Pham) twin brother put a post on Facebook asking for a third roommate to live with or freshmen year and Steven responded. We checked his profile and thought he’d be a perfect fit with all the similar interests we all had. As roommates from the start of our college career we became friends in 2011 but our relationship started the year after, so we’ve been together for about 5 and a half years.

Congratulations on your big day! Who proposed to who? Steven P proposed to me while we were on vacation with my family in upstate New York. I had no idea it was going to happen. We played college volleyball and he had a ball outside and asked me to go get the ball from the ground. “Will you marry me?” was written on it and at first, I thought he stole someone else’s ball because it had something written on it haha. I didn’t put two and two together until I turned around and he was kneeling with a ring. 

What is your favorite thing about each other? Steven Jones - It is hard to choose when you love everything about someone. So one of my favorite things about Steven is his mannerisms. In public or out with others, he can be a little more reserved. When we’re together, you can see these quirks here and there that just make me smile. It’s very small things whether it’s a certain way he laughs or smiles, the way he gets excited about random things, or even how he has these slight twitches just when he is about to really fall asleep. Those quirks he has makes him who he is and I love that about him.

Steven Pham – There are so many things to love about him but if I had to choose it would be his sense of humor. He always has a way of making me laugh and look like an idiot. It is one of the reasons I love him. I tend to take life too seriously and he makes me laugh at myself.

How would you describe your home décor style? In terms of our home décor style we are still figuring that out. We have only recently been living together although we enjoy modern design with a rustic charm.

Any big plans for the future? Where do you see yourselves in 10 years? With Steven being in the military we may be moving here and there. But I can definitely see our family growing whether it’s getting a pet or two, having a child, or both! 

​How did you know he was the one Steven J – For some, it hits them all at once. For me, it was simply a general realization that he was the one and I couldn’t be any happier. I always find myself looking at him, whether he’s sleeping, watching TV, or if he’s on his phone, and I smile. He is the reason why I’m happy.

Steven P – My feelings for Steven were strong from the start. After knowing him for a year as close friends it wasn’t until I came out to him my sophomore year when it all started. Unaware that he had similar feelings I was caught off guard. Within the week that we spent from that moment was all I needed and I knew what I had in front of me. I said “I love you” in a short period of time without any expectation of hearing it in return. He is passionate about his life goals and supportive and caring to the people in his life. Loving him was easy and I knew he was the one.

What is one thing still left on your bucket list? We still have to travel around the world. It’s tough sometimes since Steven J has to be stationed in a certain places and he deploys for 6 months here and there. We both have are responsibilities that make it tough but traveling to other countries and exploring the world is something we still have to do.

How old were you when you came out and what was your experience like? Steven J – I never really had a coming out story. There wasn’t a single moment in time where I let the world know that I felt a little differently than others. In high school, I told my twin brother and really close friends. In college I told my parents, other brothers, and more friends. It wasn’t until Steven and I got engaged when I told a lot more of my family and friends because I wanted to share how I felt about him, with them.

Steven P – My coming out is not much different from Steven’s. Sharing the part of me I kept a secret for a long time was made easier when I found Steven. Together as we grew we came out to those who mattered to us, whether it was family or friends. It was the support we had for each other that never made it hard to do. However we were fortunate enough to be surrounded by loving friends and family that supported us and helped build us up and celebrated our news.

Have you faced any backlash or hardships as a couple? The main hardship we had faced was when we were together but not living with each other. With Steven being in the military, he has to go to certain places or deploy to different areas and we can’t always be with one another. We were accustomed to being together every day of our college career and it made dealing with different time zones and long distance hard when you just want to be with the one you love.  

What have you learned about how to make relationships last? Communication is such a big deal, especially when a big part of your life is away for training or a long deployment. A relationship can’t work if you don’t talk to each other. Thoughts and feelings can be understood only so much through nonverbal cues or actions. You have to express yourself through your voice to your partner for them to fully get you and I feel we do that more and more every day.

Feature Friday with Nick Perez

Happy Friday! It's the first weekend of the new year and 2018 is already shaping up to be a good year, but man is it freezing. Seriously, this bomb cyclone is absolutely no joke. Please stay as safe and warm as you can this weekend. We plan to stay in and work on our rental house. The finish line is in sight!

This week's FF shares his inspiring coming out story and how his parents took it. Nick talks about how surprised he was by his family's reaction, what he wished he would have known when he was younger, and his favorite artist at the moment (she's on of PJ's favorites too!). We think you'll enjoy learning about Nick as much as we have. Take a look below to see what we mean...

Where are you from? Pembroke Pines, Florida. I am Cuban American. 

Where do you live? Orlando, Florida

What’s your Instagram handle? @nickperez18

Age: 24 (but I turn 25 on Saturday) *Happy Birthday Nick!*  

Relationship Status: Single 

What is your favorite place you have ever travelled to and why? My favorite place I have ever traveled to is probably St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands. I am fortunate enough to have visited most of the Caribbean do to where I live, and my families love for going on cruises. So this island is particularly special. I vividly remember the beach we found called Trunk Bay and it had the most pristine snorkeling site that I have ever been to, it was truly a hidden paradise. We spend the whole day exploring the reef and the beach and the edges for the forest, it was a great adventure. It was always an adventure to get to these more hidden places and I remember the great family memories we had on the island whenever we would visit. 

Who is your favorite artist at the moment? Favorite song? At the moment my favorite artist is Dua Lipa. And favorite song of her's is New Rules, I will always jam out to it whenever I hear it come on. 

What is your proudest accomplishment? My proudest accomplishment has to be graduating from nursing school and passing my nursing boards and getting my dream job in the PICU all within 5 months. 2017 was crazy for those reasons but it was truly amazing seeing all my hard work pay off. 

How would you describe your home décor style? I would say my decor style would be Modern Rustic style. I like clean lines, brightly lit rooms, whites, grays, and blues, and all accompanied with older or cozy accent pieces that can bring a home or space together. Basically anything Joanna Gaines designs I love. 

What is something you wish you would’ve known when you were younger? I wish I would've known not to be scared to be who I was. That your true friends and family will love and accept you no matter what. 

What is one thing still left on your bucket list? Travel and backpack on my own throughout Europe. I have still yet to travel across the ocean so I would love to spend time in my home land of Spain and experience what my ancestors once have in those ancient countries. And to do it alone and just take it all in on my own time and meet new people along the way seems like a great adventure. 

How old were you when you came out and what was your experience like? I came out to friends when I was at college when I was about 20, and they were extremely positive and supportive and I honestly had a great support system. I came out to my family when I was 23. That was much harder for me. I never really came out to them at first because I was truly scared of what their reactions to having a gay son would be. Growing up in a Cuban-Catholic family, being gay was never really an option and never talked about. But one day I was talking to guy for a few months and something deep down told me that I needed to just come out clean to my parents. And so on October 20th, 2015 I came out to my mom and dad. And it was the best decision I have ever made. They were extremely accepting and loving and I was truly shocked by their reaction. They even apologized to me for making me feel scared to talk to them about that or anything, and that I can always come to them and talk to them about anything. They told me all that mattered was my happiness and they would stand by me no matter what. It was truly the greatest feeling in the world. 

What have you learned about yourself in your coming out process? I have learned that I have truly the greatest family and friends who support and love me in all that I do. I learned that I can express myself more and communicate ideas more freely because I am no longer scared of being judged. Yes being gay is very important to me and is part of my identity but it doesn't define me as a person because there is so much more to me that just that, and I think that more people need to understand that, but I am lucky to be surrounded by people who do. 

Have you faced any backlash or criticism since coming out? Honestly I am blessed to say that I have not faced any backlash or criticism in the coming out process. Everyone has been so loving and kind and supportive. And frankly we live in a time where many people just see me for being me and that is what is truly amazing. It was great to see people I meet or friends not even care about it cause that isn't what defines me and as long as I am the happy go lucky guy that I am nothing else really matters. And for that I am blessed

Who is your biggest inspiration and why? My parents. I can't just pick one of them. My dad because he has taught me so much, I am the man today because of him. His drive and determination to support his family is something I have never seen before and I want to be like that when I am a father. My mom because she is such a fun and loving person. She has a passion for everything she does or wants to do. She also never gives up, no matter what obstacle is thrown her way she always preservers. They are my rocks and together I want to be like them. 

Feature Friday with Ron Hodge

Happy Friday y'all! The last Friday of the year! Do you have any big plans for New Year’s Eve? Every year we have a small get together at home with snacks and family. Last year we spent it with some out of town guests which was a blast, but this year it will just be us and the family.

This week's FF is a deeply personal one. Ron opens up about his coming out process and how his kids took it. He has a thing or two to say about living authentically and his writing makes him seem familiar, like you've known him forever, probably because he's hilarious and so very relatable. We found a lot of truth in his words and we think you will, too. Read on to see what we mean:

Where are you from? Born and raised in the Detroit metro area. Totally changed scenes my senior year of high school when my family moved to rural Indiana. I spent some time in Tennessee and Alabama during and after college and now I'm back in Indiana. 

Where do you live? Terre Haute, IN is a small city west of Indianapolis almost all the way to the Illinois border. Our biggest claim to fame is a mention in "A Christmas Story" - "The line stretched all the way back to Terre Haute!" 

What’s your Instagram handle? @ronwhodge

Age: 34

Relationship Status: My guy, Alex, and I have officially been together 10 months as of the day after Christmas. 

What is your favorite place you have ever traveled to and why? I'd have to go with Lake Michigan. It's not the most extravagant or exotic trip by far but since my kids were young, it's been an annual trip to travel up the west coast of Michigan and explore new little beach towns. It's been a way to connect them with my birth state, enjoy nature and make great memories. It's also where I committed to coming out three years ago. 

Choose a song for the story of your life: Todrick Hall's 'Wrong Bitch', lol, not really but I have been obsessed with it lately. Although this changes with my eclectic music tastes, I'd have to go with 'Secrets' by Mary Lambert - love her

What is your proudest accomplishment? I get itchy when I think about bragging on myself but pretty freaking proud of the two awesome kids, Madi & Carter, that I've helped raise. They are growing to be caring, loving and empathetic little people and I love them absolutely.

How would you describe your home décor style? I'd call it an interdenominational modern retro comfort look- I like modern, I like retro, I want to be comfortable and I'm open to how those religions mix. 

What is something you wish you would’ve known when you were younger? Living authentically is worth the repercussions- any other kind of life will leave you regretting time sacrificed on the altar of other people's convictions.

What is one thing still left on your bucket list? Really want to take Alex and the kids on a huge adventure to see the national parks out west

How old were you when you came out and what was your experience like? I was 31 when I finally uttered the words for the first time. It was at times excruciating for me and the people closest to me. Overall the most nightmarish scenarios that I had used as excuses to my hesitation for years did not come to past. I did lose most of the community I had known since I was in a deeply religious community as a part time pastor. I did receive many ugly notes and phone calls, and I endured some uncomfortable conversations and scoldings during some reparative therapy that I agreed to attend in an attempt to ease into the new reality with my soon to be ex wife. These things along with the months of uncertainty that followed the big decision have paled in comparison to the new freedom found in living authentically. Life still has its challenges and living out is not always as fabulous as I built it up to be in my mind, but I'm so very thankful.

What have you learned about yourself in your coming out process? When you live life compromising your true self and hiding from those closest to you, you don't realize how thoroughly that affects everything you do. The insecurities I had nurtured into these big monsters took a while to recognize. I didn't realize how much I struggled with my body image or with the idea of trusting someone. Also, I have emotions! Dad always called me the ice man growing up. I hated showing emotions. Since coming out I'm crying during those damn ASPCA commercials.

We see you have kids (they’re so cute!), how did they take it? The kids grasped most of what was happening much quicker than I expected. In spite of the fact that I was changing the makeup of their home and completely flipping over much of the moral structure that I had taught them and espoused my whole life, they were quick to see the reality of the choice I had to make. They are so sincere in how they see people that they were able to see past the opposition they were hearing from other sources and recognize the happiness and contentedness I was experiencing by being me. There are still times they feel conflicted and confused by the opposing viewpoints in their lives, but the majority of the time is spent simply being active little kids. They absolutely love Alex and the new home we've created together. Our community has grown to replace what was lost and the future is exciting. 

Who is your biggest inspiration and why? This is something that jumps around but at the moment I would have to say Dr. Maya Angelou. "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" was a crutch when I was coming out. When she said, "there is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you", I cried. Here was this deeply religious and spiritual person that was not ashamed to be herself and excelled at it. She was a person who really lived her life and was still compassionate and loving- I want to be that. 

Feature Friday with Matt Jones

Hey y'all! TGIF because only three more days until Christmas! What do you have planned for the holidays? We are hosting Christmas this year and it will be the first one back in this house for Thomas' family in 9 years. We plan on staying up late, eating Christmas fettuccine, and drinking lots of wine with the family.

We were able to relate so much to this week's Feature Friday. He loves design, dogs, and has a thing for goal setting. AND! His Instagram is filled with tons of coffee mugs and cute dog pictures, so be sure to check it out! More on Matt Jones below...

Where are you from? I grew up in Odessa, Texas.

Where do you currently live? I am a senior at Texas A&M University and live in College Station, TX. I graduate in May and plan on moving somewhere else… just don’t know where exactly.

What’s your Instagram handle? @FieldAndLane

Age? 21

 Relationship Status? Single… dad? Haha. To my 8 month old Goldendoodle Marmaduke of course.

What is something you think people should know about you? I have always been a nerd when it comes to houses. The construction process, the design, the finishes, the furnishings… anything and everything basically. I’m getting my degree in Business with minors in Creative Studies and Art & Architectural History with plans to get my real estate license in the coming year. Eventually I want to get in to home renovations and staging… and have my own TV show. I know, I know…  a far-fetched dream. But even one of my business professors yelled out to me on the last day of class, “Don’t forget me when you have your own home TV show!”

Choose a song for the story of your life: This is a tough one. I’m one of those guys that listen to anything and everything. Spotify is my jam. If I had to name a couple, these are at the top on my current playlist: Congratulations- Post Malone, Don’t Let It Get You Down- Johnnyswim, Rock and Roll- Castro, Bad at Love- Halsey. I know… I’m all over the place.

What is one thing you would tell your younger self right now? “Keep your head up, set goals, be yourself, go for it, push the limits, do what everyone says is impossible. You’re going to go through some low times, but the end is so much greater than you can imagine.”

How would you describe your home décor style? Oh man, farmhouse, modern farmhouse, minimal, sort of modern-rustic? I live in a small, 623 sq.ft. Studio apartment and everything I have I either built myself or bought at estate sales. I love contrast and clean lines, but still warm and inviting- not too modern but not too farmhouse.

Any big plans for the future? Where do you see yourself in 10 years?  Big plans, big plans…. Of course I have big plans. 10 years from now I see myself renovating homes and putting my eye for design to work, most likely owning my own business, and…. having a TV show. I mean why not dream big, right?  

Tell us your favorite quote and why: “The truth is that most people never start because they don’t want to be seen starting at the bottom. Don’t be most people.”

This is my current favorite quote because I know I’m going to have to work to achieve my goals. I’m going to wake up one morning and have everything handed to me- even though that would be nice. I know I’m going to have to start at the bottom and work my way to the top. Not only will I know I worked to get there, but I’ll know that I earned every bit of it. Ask, believe, receive.

What is one thing still left on your bucket list? Most people would say they would want to “travel the world” or “vacation to some far away place,” but one thing that is yet to be marked off on my bucket list is to go skydiving.

 How old were you when you first came out and what was your experience like? I came out when I was 20, so just about a year ago. It was rough to say the least, but it has let me realize who I truly am and whom I don’t want in my life. Overall, coming out has been one of the best decisions I have ever made. I have made so many new friends, experienced the world from a different view, and have a new lease on life. 

Have you faced any backlash or hardships since coming out? Yes and no. There are obviously going to be people that won’t accept you, but the group of people who do accept you and love you for who you are is SO much greater. It’s going to be hard for a while, and I knew that, but once you’re past that point the world is a new place.