The Path

Photo: Here

"How do you find your path? she said & I shrugged.

Mine has a lot of chocolate on it, I said,

otherwise, I'd be as lost as everyone else."

-Brian Andreas

Freeing

photo: here

the other night, right before i laid my head down, after all my prayers were sent out, i decided i needed to write down a few lines. i haven't written any poems in quite some time and this moment of realizing i had something that needed to be said was completely freeing...

so i took out my ipad and wrote...

my mother used to warn me

of the evils of this place

she said listen to these words

and you'll know what to face.

hold on daughter as tight as you can

hold on to the promise land

hold on to what you know

and hold on to what'll never show.

there's a great world upon us

we want to take it in one hand

do what you can to stop us

we're gonna roam this land.

these words enter my mind in darkness

yet they'll act out in the light

i'm gonna rise up from the thick fog

and i'm gonna win this fight.

the world's mine to grasp

it's just a matter of removing it's mask.

i don't often share poems on here. yet this one brought upon such a freeing feeling that i felt it needed to be shared.

thanks for reading.

Life is Funny

life is funny sometimes. and instead of getting angry over little instances that are easy to get annoyed over, sometimes you just need to laugh. a big, obnoxious laugh. oh, and talk to the strangers next to you that are in the same boat. even if they give you a weird look for talking to them (hey, just wanting a little conversation here!) it's all worth it.

i heard the storm coming and i got excited. so i quickly put on my cute flower sweater, some jeans, and decided i needed a hot cocoa. i then exited the building on my way to the market when it started sprinkling. no big deal i can handle some raindrops.

but then on the way back... the Heaven's opened up. Hellloooo rain.

i stood there for a few minutes debating whether or not i just sprint back to my dorm with a hot cup of cocoa in my hand or wait a little bit. (i actually did my hair today. it was a big deal.)

i decided to run.

and wouldn't you know it, i got soaked. but it's all good! it's a funny story and it's not like i'm going to melt from some rain. even if it feels like i just showered with my clothes on. :)

Obsession: Bookshelves

Lately I have been looking all over the cyberspace for bookshelf ideas because I get to decorate my room when I head back home in November and December. I am extremely excited about this and have already come up with a sketch of how I want the room to look like. :)

Here are some pictures of beautiful bookshelves I found on Pinterest. Enjoy!

I'm definitely going to color coordinate my books. LOVE this look.

Such a unique idea!

Pinterest is great for inspiration!

Also, just a side note but in case you're interested in what I'm listening to (and because I want to promote this band because they are incredible), it is currently Needtobreath's new album called The Reckoning. Go get it now!

This Week...

Photo: Here

This week...

I will appreciate what God has put in my path.

I will be a better and more positive person each day

I will not procrastinate... a least not as much. :)

I will look for subtle signs of fall.

I will put a smile on someone's face each day.

A Perfect Day

yesterday was wonderful. the kind of day where i forgot how old i was and that, oh yeah, i am in college. i was able to rest my head on my mom's shoulders and be a total goofball with my dad. we had heart-to-hearts and the day was ours. if i haven't said it before, i love my parents.

we went to Mt. Lemmon and reveled in God's beautiful land

watched as my dad (yeah, that little white speck) climbed

huge rocks while we panicked a little

ate some of the best gelato i've ever had

and watched the wildcats lose to the ducks but it was

still a blast

honestly, we left at half time because it was obvious who was going to win (ducks) and my mom and i went and saw Abduction. good movie. i'd recommend it. :)

now they are heading home soon and i'm back to collegiate life.

Leaves

I love Fall. Probably more than I love Spring. There is something about the changing of the weather from almost unbearable hot to something cool and cozy. Because I love it so much, I thought I'd share some pictures of beautiful leaves. So without further adieu:

Hope you enjoyed these pretty pictures of leaves as much as I did. I won't be seeing any of these types of pictures in my day-to-day life since I live in the desert so I have to indulge in these.

all pictures are from tumblr.

The Walk Down the Street

"stop living life for what's around

the corner, and start enjoying

the walk down the street."

-Grant L. Miller

(a picture taken from my normal Wednesday walk.)

The Kennedy's

i recently watched the kennedy's miniseries. (if you follow me on twitter, you are fully aware of this) after finishing all 8 episodes, i have reached a few conclusions.

1. i'm not a big fan of JFK. (at least from what i saw in the mini series) he didn't respect jackie and their marriage enough and to me, that speaks volumes.

2. jackie kennedy was wonderful. and her clothes were absolutely beautiful.

3. bobby kennedy is my favorite kennedy. he is my current obsession. this may sound horrible, but when they showed the scene where JFK was shot, i didn't shed a tear. didn't get emotional at all. but when they showed bobby being assassinated, not only were the flood gates opened, but i was furious. i guess i realized he died but i was crying like a baby when they played it out on screen. plus, his and ethel's marriage was just too good. love her.

i would recommend watching it, even if only for the clothes. :)

A New Edition

our room is slowly coming together. we still have changes that we want to make in order for it to feel more like our home but for now, we are content. kylie bought a tree decal from target yesterday and we were all giddy to put it up and then, to name all the birds that came with it. so without further adieu, the tree:

i also drew the three of us.

meet don draper. (yes, that don draper)

meet bobby (yes, bobby kennedy. the obsession continues)

meet georgia (my future childs name)

and meet noah (another future child's name)

each and every one of the birds are named and it puts a smile on my face to see this tree every time i walk in the room.

Comforting

sometimes there are things you find on the internet that just strike a chord with you. on the website, here, I found this passage and I wanted to share it with all of you.

let me know how it resonated with you. i thought it was beautiful.

Go HERE.

Have a wonderful day.

What I'm Loving...

Clothing Edition:

A bright bag like this one.

A perfectly elegant dress that I have no idea

where I would wear it to. :) Plus the

color is beautiful.

This coat. I love coats.

This bag needs to be added to my closet...

now. Immediately.

These shorts are just too cute. The bow?

Amazing.

These were all found on Modcloth. Check out this website.

I've bought a few things from there before and I've

never been disappointed.

Artsy Game Day

before i left for college, i bought an "A" "H" and "K" for Allie, Hanna, and Kylie. We have been saying we were going to paint them since the first weekend here yet they just stayed on top of the TV and not painted. So I started the painting of the letters...

before (Hanna's since I forgot to take a picture of mine before)

Blue coat on

finished!

today is game day (beat the cardinals!) and I also made a headband out of the bottom of my shirt. I guess I was just feeling creative. :)

Have a great Saturday!

The Plans I Have For You

Photo: Here

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Jeremiah 29:11

I could use some prayers right now. If you are the praying kind, it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you. :)

We Shine

today my heart felt heavy. i walked around with not my typical smile on my face. instead, an impostor frown seemed to replace it. it wasn't ok with me... but i couldn't change it.

but then those tests were finished. put in the drawer and tucked away until i receive my grade. but that's another time. for now they're tucked away safe, away from me.

so i went to dinner. off campus. it's better out there. the food, the atmosphere, the people. and my friend paid for my dinner and there was laughing and all was good with the world once again.

and that's how this works. we fight and we push through and we live. and perhaps because of the trouble, we shine a little brighter. our war wounds are signs of pride and we flaunt them.

and that's what i did. i stood up from the stress of this week and i smiled. i got through this. amen.

Grateful

Photo: Here

lately, ive been feeling very grateful. grateful for this restored faith in God, new friends that make me a better person each time i see them, old friends that bring tears to my eyes every time i think of them, and little things like Arizona sunsets (see picture), thunderstorms, the brick walls of my dorm and coffee.

this week is hectic. crazy. the kind of week any college kid could tell you about. pile all of that on top of the insane amount of things i signed up for (overachiever in the house) and that i'm taking a language i've never taken before. (ciao italiano!) one could say i'm barely hanging on at times.

but then i go to youth group and feel renewed. then i see people from retreat and feel this warmth. i see beautiful cloud patterns and i pray. i pray for me, for you and for the people i'll never meet of this world. and i can breathe. even if just for a second.

or i'll get a letter from one of my best friends or a facebook wall post from another and these tears build up. good tears. "i miss you" tears.

so i'll be ok. of course i will. i know i will.

"when she was just a girl,

she expected the world.

but it flew away from her reach,

so she ran away in her sleep.

dreamed of paradise."

-coldplay paradise

The Fall

Photo: Here

"Life starts all over again when it get's

crisp in the fall."

-F. Scott Fitzgerald The Great Gatsby

Weekend Round-Up

i'm hesistant to talk about this past weekend. in some ways, it feels like i'm holding this bottle beaming with love, light, and energy and if i release it, it'll be hard to contain all of it once again. so i'll be brief.

have you ever had one of those spiritually enlightening weekends? the kinds where you meet tons of people who are loving, caring and share your same faith? the kind of people who hug you a lot just because they look at you and know you could use a hug. where you come back, a changed person?

that was this weekend.

first, i was able to escape the desert heat and head up to the mountains of Arizona (breathtaking) and then i was able to share my faith, that i often keep concealed, with people who understand where i'm coming from.

then today, as i'm walking around campus i saw at least 5 people from the retreat and i was able to call out to them and in each other's eyes, we understood one another. no oral communication needed. that, is powerful stuff.

let me know if you've experience something like my weekend. :)

Song of the Day:

Restless by Audrey Assad.

(listen to it with the lyrics in view. the lyrics are the most powerful part.)

A little video for you

Scenic World from allison hackett on Vimeo.

The song is Scenic World by Beirut.

This is a small video of my trip to Newport with my momma. :)

Little things...

after reading Meg's post over at The Wild and Wily Ways of a Brunette Bombshell, and she was listing those little things that make you happy, i decided to share some of my own little things.

first off, Nutella. there is nothing better than coming home from school after walking around in the heat and then proceeding to devour nutella. nothing.

the prospect of traveling abroad. (sophomore year, second semester it's happening)

cheerios. they bring me back to my childhood every time.

a good quote that swoops in and grabs you.

pictures from home that always bring a smile to my face.

compliments. giving them and receiving them.

a good smile. never underestimate the power of a good smile.

love actually, the family stone, and when harry met sally.

Meg's blog. i feel empowered every time i read her posts. they're beautiful.

best friends.

new friends.

the smell of fresh laundry.

chai teas.

those are just a few. i could keep rattling them off... but i'll stop. for now. what about you? anything that makes you happy?

What I Wore

On the day of the Chai hunt, I decided to do the no heat curl again. This time it came out a little differently. The curls were tighter and very 1950's. So I decided to play it up a little bit and wear my high waisted skirt.

And I even wore a little red-ish lipstick.
Perfect cafe hunting attire. :)

I need some advice?

has anyone done any studying abroad while they were in college? I am deciding on whether or not I should study abroad in Italy for an entire spring semester next year or if i should do a semester at sea? Any suggestions? comments? have you done either of these?

i would really like some feedback on a semester at sea. was it enough time in each country? do you feel enriched by the experienced? let me know, please! :)

I Feel So Blessed

I feel so blessed to have the people above in my life right now. I feel like we've created a comfortable little family away from our real families. I still miss certain friends like crazy (*cough cough* Katie) but overall, I'm happy with my little group of friends here.

I see people with all these acquaintances that they've met here and sure, I'll get jealous that I haven't met more people myself at times, but then I remember how lucky I am to have met these people and tell my inside self to shut up. :)

Also, football games are crazy fun.

The Search for the Best Chai

My friend Seth and I are hardcore chai tea lovers. We won't settle for anything mediocre. Especially since we are poor college students. :( So we decided to go on the hunt for the best chai in the area. Here was our day:

The day began with brunch at this adorable place called Wilko. I got their tomato soup. Best tomato soup I've ever had.
Then the hunt began. We went to 4 different cafes, 2 being a 10 minute bike ride away. You could say I was exhausted after visiting those two. But one of them, Cartel Coffee Lab, reminded me of Bloom back home and therefore has a little piece of my heart. But the other, was not very worthy of our money. Except for their to die for midnight chocolate cake. Swoon!

Then it was off to Time Market, where they have pizza named after F. Scott Fitzgerald's books (therefore I'll be going back) and Epic Cafe, which was the WINNER of our hunt.
On our way back from Cartel Coffee Lab and Raging Sage, we stopped by Bookmen's. Apparently this place is big in Arizona, but I had never been to one. It is now my favorite place to buy used books. It's basically heaven.
And look what I picked up?? F. Scott Fitzgerald's short stories for $9! I guess you could say it was a Fitzgerald type of day. :)