Tzamia-Krystalla's Trendy Greek Gallery

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One of the finest art galleries features Greek contemporary art on the island of Santorini.

The welcome vision to Tzamia-Krystalla Art Gallery.

Fine art is of no shortage on the islands of Greece. Not only does artistry seemingly cultivate through the veins of over half its inhabitants, but Santorini itself is like a painting of its own every time you open your eyes around a new corner.

Greek for “Glasses and Crystals,” the gallery has only been around a mere 14 years, which is relatively young compared to the vast history of Santorini.

A minimalistic entrance point marks the start of the beauty to come in the Art Gallery.

Tzamia-Krytalla Art Gallery is a bit tricky to stumble upon, but well worth the venture. The gallery is located in Santorini’s capital city of Fira, a beautiful, mountainous town straight off of a postcard.

With the Aegean Sea on its opposing side, steps from the old port lead straight to the front door – step number 570, to be exact.

It doesn’t look like much from the outside, but if you turn the corner past the sign that simply reads “Art Gallery,” it’s as if you’ve suddenly entered the gates of gallery heaven.

With an outside just as beautiful as the in, an array of artwork is featured outside the gallery.

The Art Gallery came together through the love of Greek contemporary art of Nikos Grafas and leading ceramic craftsman, Manousos Chalkiadakis.

The name, translating to “Glasses and Crystals,” was born from the history of the handcraft industry that initially occupied Tzamia-Krystalla solely. The move to Santorini was only recent, as in 2008 they moved to the island from Chania in Crete, the gallery’s birth location.

The idea essentially encompasses cutting and processing glass and crystals, which the pair has been doing in Chania since 1948.

Upon your first arrival to the gallery, visitors are greeted by an outside precursor to the heart of the gallery. A gazebo-like awning and the surrounding trees block the artwork outside from any real sun damage, providing both a warm welcome to guests and a cool place to get a break from the strength of the Greek sun.

Visitors can find mostly pottery and sculptures in the front, rightfully so, as the wonders of Santorini sit beautifully inside.

A collection of hand-painted bird houses made of clay pottery by one of the gallery’s established artists.

The gallery features a select few of exclusive creative artists who’ve been collaborating with Tzamia-Krystalla for years.

The art is really up for interpretation of the eye of the viewer, but Greek contemporary art features a common trend of abstract expressionism and kinetic art produced after World War II.

Even if works of paintings and pottery aren’t particularly your thing, the Art Gallery also features music nights and theater and dance performances.

Greek contemporary art lines every wall and hallway of Tzamia-Kxystalla Art Gallery.

You can contact Nikos Grafas at Tzama-Krystalla Art Gallery by email at info@tzamia-krystallagallery.gr.

-C.M.

Hidden Treasures in the Mazes of Mykonos

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Some of the most intricate and beautiful art finds in the central town of the island.

A selection of hand-painted art hanging in the streets of Mykonos.

It was no surprise at all to find endless rows of souvenir shops and little Greek restaurants along the mazes of roads in Mykonos.

The delicious cuisine and sparkling blue waters is what everyone expects from the island, but what I was delightfully enlightened to find was not just one or two, but an entire of individual art shops.

One of the many art galleries amongst the shopping in Mykonos, which most reminded me of my favorite art shop local to the Sponge Docks in Tarpon Springs, Florida.

There was definitely a lot more than I was expecting, especially coming from Tarpon Springs, Florida, a small Greek town in the Tampa Bay area.

At home there, I have one favorite art shop with the most beautiful nautical-themed paintings, but it’s one of the only ones. It seemed that in Mykonos, almost every corner featured a new art gallery, no bigger than the size of my bedroom, each with their own authentic twist.

While there are very many to be seen, I think I’ve managed to factor out a couple favorites.

It was a bit overwhelming at first to feel like I wouldn’t even be able to distinguish one from the other, or be able to find my way back, but I noticed that I ended up continuously stopping at the same handful without even realizing I was showing clear favoritism.

Pelagos, an art shop in the heart of Mykonos featuring both souvenir-like gifts and hand painted artwork.

One of my favorite galleries was a place called “Pelagos.”

All of the artwork featured here seemed to follow a similar trend, which kept drawing me in. As some of the friends I was with would pull over to stop and look at jewelry or t-shirts, I kept finding my way back to this place.

While I didn’t actually buy anything from Pelagos (mostly because I don’t have that much room in my suitcase), I would’ve liked to have purchased the whole shop.

The colorful and intricate replication of Greek-influenced architecture made me want to redecorate my apartment with this theme solely.

A local art gallery, Eliza’s Gallery, where Eliza herself explained to me some of her most loved pieces.

Another favorite that managed to stumble its way into my artwork-obsessed heart was called “Eliza’s Gallery.”

Not only was the artwork exquisite, but the owner, Eliza, was kind enough to actually take the time to explain some of the art to me, which makes me want it all twice as much.

Her style included a similar range of Grecian architecture, like door frames or balconies with bright colors an florals, but she also featured a collection of wire-like sculptures which I found rather interesting. If you happen to be visiting the island of Mykonos, I highly recommend stopping in her gallery.

She said that her favorite part of owning the shop was getting to meet new people and share her passion.

A closer look inside Eliza’s Gallery, featuring some of the most exquisite hand paintings and also sculptures in the background.

Even if you’re not sure if art is your thing, these places just might be the thing that changes your mind.

-C.M.

The Art of Mykonos Architecture

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How the architectural design of the island stands out as an intricate form of art.

A perfect view of the sunset over the Aegean Sea from the front door of my villa, Room 342.

The island of Mykonos inherently sounds like a beautiful place; I can’t imagine anyone thinks of a Greek island as that of anything below stellar.

The beauty of it all, though, is hard to actually picture, let alone believe, even when you are seeing it in front of your very own eyes.

The postcard view from the just outside the back door to the resort reception.

The San Marco hotel stands as one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever visited, both in Greece and anywhere in the world.

Featuring luxurious private villas with classic Greek architecture and a view of the Aegean Sea around every corner, this spot is a sight to be seen.

While I made a conscious effort to explore the grounds of the hotel a bit, I found a few spots in particular that struck me as being something I could open my eyes to for the rest of my life.

The architecture at this resort, and Greece in general, is almost completely composed of bright white buildings with deep blue accents. The use of structured color and active symmetry makes for a very clean appearance of all the buildings together, making it very appealing to the eye of its visitors.

The architectural layout of the pool area features a perfect view of the Greek villas and mountains above, with the Aegean Sea (not pictured) behind me.

Now, I’m usually not much of a pool person – I’m the girl who spent her whole life growing up on boats and beaches with the ocean as my backyard, but the pool accommodations featured at the San Marco resort was one of the most unbelievable views I’d ever seen.

I wouldn’t know what else to call it besides art.

The pool is placed in such a way that it offers the least limiting views from a 360-degree angle. You can choose to either sit on the side nearest to the hotel bar and restaurant, with nothing but wide open sea and billowing mountains in front of you, or you may choose the opposing side, with the view featured above.

One of the many maze-like streets in Mykonos, featuring the classic contrast of blue and white.

Upon entering the actual heart of the town of Mykonos, that’s when things start to look like a scene out of a movie – perhaps Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants or Mamma Mia?

The streets are all lined in cobblestone, slimly turning every which way in between closely built white and blue buildings, ranging from everything to shops and restaurants to residential homes and apartments.

It feels quite like a maze once you’re in the middle of it all, but I couldn’t imagine a more beautiful place to get lost.

I’ve found the architecture is laid out in such a way that as long as you know where you are in reference to the water, you’ll be alright.

As well as the crisp blue and white, the central part of the town actually featured much more beautiful floral accents than I thought it would, most definitely adding to the artistic appeal of the city.

Floral accents can be found scattered all throughout the twists and turns of Mykonos.

Overall, the architecture of Mykonos seems to be very well aesthetically meshed.

Everyone looks coherent next to each other, which is very rare to find and has to take a lot of time, effort and preparation. The concept as a whole is something to be seen in person because it is absolutely breathtaking.

–  C.M.

The Dress that Turned a Million Heads

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Not really, but this dress is possibly one of the greatest things to ever happen to me.

It all started with an invite to prom.

As a freshman in college, the idea might’ve seemed a little odd at first.

I myself, however, never actually attended either of my own high school’s proms, so suddenly I was presented the opportunity to dress to the nines just as I’d never gotten to.

The stereotypical frantic high school girl worrying about her perfect prom night, complete with the perfect hair to match the perfect dress and the shoes and the rest of the whole nonsense.

Quite clearly, this is why I never went to my prom in the first place.

From what I’ve learned through my own personal experience, the nights with the highest expectations are the ones with the most room to disappoint, and I don’t think I saw the necessity of stressing so ridiculously over one single night.

Also, $500 or $800 for one dress? That is a little more than this college girl on a budget can afford.

So with that being said, I browsed the Internet for a beautiful alternative.

While I don’t understand all the excess hype around the idea of prom, I most certainly am a girl who’d do just about anything for an excuse to step out in something suitable for a red carpet.

I found a few solid contenders on my short-lived but intense search for a dress that would spark something magical, but none seemed to be the perfect fit (both literally and figuratively).

It wasn’t until I stumbled upon this dress that suddenly I could hear my heart singing.

I was initially drawn in because it reminded me of a recent Dior gown I’d seen on the runway, with the bodysuit-esque shape showing under the mesh, and I always love to show a good bit of leg.

The gown is a mixture of black pleating and mesh combined with a beautiful floral and a bit of nude-toned mesh to hug every curve.

To call this dress show-stopping might be an understatement.

This dress was not only everything I never knew I was missing, but it was my better half.

Slip me into this Dior-inspired gown, and I am ready to conquer the entire world; these are the little things I appreciate in life.

Paired with a black, strappy heel and a nude lip, I was even approached by two strangers asking what the shoot was for – as in, I’m the model and they wanted to know what brand I was shooting for.

Enlightened, I thanked them, but had to bring the bad news that this actually just the prom I never got to have.

“Wear what makes you feel good” is something I continuously try to live by, and this look had me living on cloud nine, even if just for a moment.

To shop this style among other similar gowns, check out the designer where I purchased from, Bebe, on their website.

–  C.M.

Lost in the Seas of Lyrics

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A collection of my favorite lyrics I’ve written to songs that never found their home.

As any songwriter could tell you, the list of songs that go unfinished is often longer than the collection of songs that reach their debut.

It’s not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, I think it is inherently part of the therapeutic process of what songwriting even means.

When I sit down to write a song, no one is forcing me to put words and melodies together with paper and pen.

Although it tends to come differently every time, the foundation of why a song comes to me in the first place is simply because my heart incessantly continues to tell my mind what it feels until I get it out of my system.

Caught browsing through my favorite guitar shop in New York City, Rudy’s Music, I am living the dream having this many guitars at my fingertips.

Songwriting is solely the most important thing I’ve ever done to make something out of the experiences I’ve had as a growing person, but that also means that some of my favorite lyrics have gotten quite lost in the song that never made it anywhere.

The songs in which the following lyrics originated from may not have attributed enough inspiration to be completed, but that doesn’t mean the words I conjured up don’t still hold their grip in the depths of my heart.

Here are some of my most treasured, lost but not forgotten original lyrics:

“The stars are aligning in ways that won’t allow me to do anything but miss you.”

“You’ll never understand how slowly time moves when you’re broken.”

“You took all I had, and then you fled like a bullet from a smoking gun.”

“Having love shouldn’t feel the way it all did. Both being together and apart alike shouldn’t feel like living in the torrential rain that wiped away any chance of a clean break.”

“In the end, there is no winner.”

“The echo of his name in the background of every beat my heart will make parallels with my needing him to live with how he bled me dry.”

“The right people fell in love at the wrong time.”

“Lingering limbs lasted for hours, as if they didn’t even know they were doing so.”

“In a blanket of you, I couldn’t imagine any other world where we were anywhere else.”

“Happiness lives in our fleeting moment of togetherness, knowingly so like a dying rose.”

–  C.M.

Harry Styles: Boyband Beloved Turned Solo?

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How the British ex-boyband star is launching his solo career.

Since the unprecedented rate of the rise of British boy band One Direction, “Harry Styles” has become one of pop culture’s biggest household names.

The boyband started to claim their success in early 2012, after placing third place in the UK’s music competition television show, “The X Factor.”

With a now whopping 19.8 million followers on Instagram and near 30 million on Twitter, Styles is on the fast track to continuously claiming more success.

Since the hiatus of One Direction, Styles’ first big announcement of a project apart from the boyband was that of his lead role in an upcoming Christopher Nolan war film, “Dunkirk.”

Now, don’t get me wrong, I will most certainly be front row at the movie theater the night of the premier, but that is actually not the most exciting recent release of news from Styles on his solo adventures.

On March 31, Harry Styles officially announced the release date of his first ever single as a solo artist, and the whole world seemingly freaked.

The last of the ex-boyband members to announce solo music, Styles seemed to keep people on their toes, waiting to see what he would do next, and that’s exactly the question pressing all of us.

Those who know him well could probably form an idea of what kind of realm of content to expect, but whatever he has planned, I imagine it will be surpass everyone’s theories.

Press releases have gone out quite globally as the world awaits the release of his new music, with Columbia Records releasing a statement that “[Sign of the Times] has been likened to Queen and other big British rock of the ‘70’s.”

As well as having a predicted similar sound, Styles’ announcement of his “Sign of the Times” just so coincidentally happened to coincide with the 30th anniversary of Prince’s classic album, Sign o’ the Times.

Could Styles be alluding the hint that his new music to come follows a similar sound of music icon, Prince?

The world will just have to wait and see…

Check back on his website or social media on April 7th for a first listen of “Sign of the Times.”

–  C.M.

John Mayer Breaks Waves of Boundaries with "The Search for Everything"

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How John Mayer is creating his own rules for creating and sharing new music

John Mayer is no amateur to major success in music, but with the release of his newest album, The Search for Everything, he’s changing up the norm quite a bit.

Most albums follow the usual trend of pre-release promotion with a set release date, and that’s that.

Mayer, the creative genius he is, is trying something entirely new when it comes to his 11th studio album.

The Search for Everything is no typical album; it’s being released in “waves.”

Wave One was the first segment of the whole to be released on January 20, after his song “Love On the Weekend” was released as the first new single.

The first wave featured four songs off of the new album, which gave listeners just a taste of what’s to come – enough to keep us all enticed without giving too much away.

Wave Two, the following release, was available for download February 24 with another four new songs.

The time drawn out between releases kept fans on the edge of their seats as they patiently waited for more, which I find riveting.

We’ve all seen artists do the same classic thing, and there’s nothing wrong with that because it works.

“Why stray from something that you clearly know works?”, feels like a logical question.

First comes the initial announcement of new content in the foreseeable future, and then the first single.

Next there may be some additional promotion followed by the full album release, and maybe even a tour.

While Mayer could’ve certainly gone by the same methods and received inherently as much success, he continues to follow his creative gene which led him to this.

With both Wave One and Wave Two now having been released, Mayer has said that next to come is the release of the rest of the full album.

As the waves come out, Mayer also released coinciding tour dates.

It almost feels like a game that way, and that keeps people intrigued.

I’m not sure this technique would’ve proven successful for a number of other artists, as it may actually lose the interest of those who would’ve rather just heard everything upon one release and be done with it.

Mayer took a risk, but I’d like to think that’s what makes great artists even greater.

He even has that nonchalant kind of attitude when interacting with fans about his music on Twitter, featuring the following responses as some of my all-time favorite:

With the impending release of the last segment of Mayer’s new album, we’re all awaiting the final step in the search he has created for his listeners.

Knowing the amplitudes of the success of his previous work, it’s definitely going to be one to look out for.

–  C.M.

When Taylor Swift Invites You to Houston…

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As the story would start, months and months were going by while the dreams of being able to go to Taylor Swift’s private show in Houston never subsided.
When Swift and AT&T first teamed up to announce this show would be happening in February months in advance, I thought I had a real shot in going, but suddenly it was four days before the show and there I was, still no invite with a disappointed heart and a lost dream.
AT&T launches their campaign advertising a special pre-Superbowl Taylor Swift event.
As she always does, though, Swift definitely had something up her sleeve, as she had her management invite me a mere four days before the actual show was set to take place.
Clearly, when Taylor Swift invites you somewhere, you go.
The Super Saturday Night show was a private invite-only Taylor Swift concert taking place in Houston, Texas the night before the Super Bowl.
That being said, airfare was inherently ridiculous, and I stood no chance of getting a hotel for even a moderately reasonable place.
I momentarily thought my dream coming true was about to be crushed by the reality of time, but with luck and Taylor Swift on my side, I ended up finding a way to road trip to Houston all the way from Gainesville, Florida (a 30-hour round-trip car ride that’s not to be taken lightly).
The road to Houston was long and chaotic, but arriving at the venue finally allowed the reality of my dream being right in front of me sink in.
You’d think being invited to a private show by the actual Taylor Swift herself would be more than enough for anyone, but, of course, not for her.
I get to the venue, assuming I’m going to wait in line like the rest of everyone, get checked in, and simply attend the show as I was meant to.
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 Myself and Liz Bissonette (right) outside the venue in Houston, TX waiting to be led into the private pre-party.
Swift left me stunned though, as not only did her and her management give me the opportunity to attend such an exclusive show, but my name was put on the guest list for an even smaller private pre-show party, as well.
 Fans enjoy free food, music and entertainment at the private pre-party while waiting to bed led to the next venue for the start of the show. Photograph by Carly McCullough.
It whole-heartedly felt like living like a rock star, and that’s exactly what Taylor Swift does for the people she loves. She takes care of them.
I enjoyed the pre-party as if I were a celebrity for the night, dancing and mingling with not only some of the other friends I’d known through Swift, but also her father, Scott Swift, who was gracious enough to talk to me and offer me a guitar pick.

Myself and Erin Steil (left) excited to be reunited after first meeting at a separate Taylor Swift event in Tampa, FL. There was no shortage of laughing or dancing as we all had the time of our lives at the private pre-party.

Basically, the pre-party felt like the greatest thing to possibly ever happen to me, and then we get escorted first into the venue.
I think the entire night had to be lined with magic because I still can’t believe these words are real things that actually happened to me.
The waiting is the hardest, of course. I hadn’t seen Taylor since October of 2015, which felt like a lifetime when missing your best friend, but she made her epic entrance, as per usual, and the emotions hit.
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Taylor Swift opens up her first and only show of 2016 with her single, “New Romantics,” while giving the crowd one her infamous smiles. Swift never seemed happier. Photograph by Carly McCullough.
I was ecstatic with the fact that I was finally getting to see her again, overwhelmed by the reality of her really wanting me right there in front, and proud of the woman I’d grown up with since I was just ten years old.
The show was incredible, but to be fair, my opinion is just a little biased.
She mixed her set list up with an array of songs from not only her most recent and successful album, 1989, but also previous records from over the years.
We danced the night away together, all 9,000 of us in that venue, and the smile on Swift’s face showed very clearly that she was just as happy to see us as we all were to be with her for the night.
 Swift shakes it off to one of her songs less than five feet away from me. We both had quite the night dancing and singing together for hours. Photograph by Carly McCullough.
Every moment of that night, February 4, 2017, is a moment I will never forget for as long as I live. I never in my life thought that Taylor Swift would ever actually reciprocate the love I’ve grown for her, and as an individual with a name and a story, not just a collective group of millions of fans.
Caught on camera, Swift gives me a glance with nothing but love in her eyes as she does her hit single, “Blank Space.” The entire night consisted of these beautiful moments, as Swift made sure to dance with all of her favorite people. Photograph by Carly McCullough.
I am so grateful for everything Taylor Swift has done to me.
Houston, Texas was legendary. I cannot wait to see where life brings Taylor and I next…
– C.M.