a word for wednesday

oh boy, has it been a long week so far or what??  today is just a good reminder to keep your head up.  this video literally made me tear up real good when i first saw it.  she makes me believe that there are really better things ahead – and there really are – but sometimes it's hard to see past current circumstances + challenges.  i hope all of you catch a good glimpse of sunlight this week and remember to keep pressing on!

a word for wednesday

oh, trust me.  i know some mornings are like this.  you're laying in bed a little less than eager to get up cause it's cold outside, cause you're thinking of everything you have to do, cause you feel sick to the bone, cause you just don't want to deal anymore.  but everyone's felt this before and chances are you'll feel this way again at some point...just remember to get up and go get 'em.

image via danielle in pursuit

a word for wednesday

it's been a very busy {but fun!} week thus far, the highlight of it being styling some soon-to-be-launched holiday product – here's a little sneak peek.  but aside from work, i've honestly been pretty overwhelmed by the amount of things on my personal to-do list and feeling just physically exhausted from the every day hustle + bustle.  it feels like after one "problem" is solved, another arises and it's this endless cycle.  this can get easily take a toll on your work / personal life / health / you-name-it if you don't have the right mindset + attitude.

i need to remember to...

rest well • take breaks • focus on my spiritual growth • BREATHE daily • drink more water!

ask myself, "does this really matter?" in the grand scheme of things and, from there, move forward

take some time today to think about what really matters to you.  does your life reflect that?

just a little word for wednesday – we're halfway through the week, y'all!

xoxo, m

quote from iheartinspiration

on what's next

as of late, i've been dreaming a lot.  yes, albeit some of my dreams may be farfetched, but some are very much attainable.  i've been setting goals (thanks, val) for myself, brainstorming, and aiming high – not because i'm confident, but because i can.  for a while, i felt stuck in this limbo of part-time's just so i can figure out what my niche is and what i should do full-time, but i realized quite quickly that this all comes with time at the good Lord's pace.  there are only so many comparisons you can make to others' lives/seemingly quick successes until you realize you've been depressed about your life for days, when all that time you could've stood up and done something about it.  it's okay to not have it all figured out, but don't just sit there – do something to get your wheels turning again!

i recently received my lovely copy of blog inc. in the mail and have already read it cover to cover.  it is full of some amazing insights about the blogging world from the design to financial front.  needless to say, i am very excited about what's to come of my blog life (stay tuned for lots of changes in the coming months!).  i have been deeply inspired by joy's work and have so many things to share with y'all! 

so, my dear friends, please be encouraged to find out & do whatever it is that you're passionate about.  i am all about dreaming big.  perhaps it will start with just a pen and paper, but who know's what it will become.

happy monday, ya'll!

on friendship

who are you spending your time with the most?  are they the types of people you want to be more like, the types of people that inspire you, tell you like it is even when it's hard?  i've come to find that true blue kind of friends are a rarity in life, and keeping them when afar is a hard thing to do.  but those kinds of friends won't forget you or leave you in the dust.  when you find a gem of a friend, keep them close – cause after 20 they're one in a million.

“In your entire life, you can probably count your true friends on one hand. Maybe even on one finger. Those are the friends you need to cherish, and I wouldn't trade one of them for a hundred of the other kind. I'd rather be completely alone than with a bunch of people who aren't real. People who are just passing time.”

- Sarah Ockler, Fixing Delilah



top image via flickr

on being brave

image by Katie Sokoler

words by Katharine Center for mom 2.0

on introversion & creativity

If you've got 20 minutes, watch this TED talks video about the power of introversion.  

on worrying

There's a harsh reality in life we all have to face (well, at least I hope we all face it).  This reality embodies itself in many ways - the bills we have to pay or facebook timeline (btw, not a fan!) revealing to us how long it's been since <insert nostalgic moment here> or in my case showing me how many of my friends are engaged/married, haha.  No, but really...there's a reality that hurts -- like knowing someone dear to you is in pain and you can't physically do anything about it, or realizing that people, even friends, will pass judgement on you, gossip about you, or perhaps leave you.  I don't mean to get so depressing, but let's face it - life is hard, y'all!

on discouragement

Trouble has no necessary connection with discouragement.  Discouragement has a germ of its own, as different from trouble as arthritis is different from a stiff joint.
{F. Scott Fitzgerald}

{via le dilemma}

on taking risks

There's something terrifyingly thrilling about taking risks.  No, I'm not talking about eating brussel sprouts or going on a rollercoaster.  (Although I greatly despise rollercoasters.  They make me nauseous and no, I do not want to pay ~$50 to be in such a state "for the fun of it".)  I'm talking about real life risks - putting something on the line you're scared to lose, like your checkbook, your convenience, or your reputation.

Since I've entered this post-grad world, I've come to find that this world is not for wimps.  To survive you have to be bold, you have to be brave - or at least appear that way at first impression.  You have to be real and true to yourself and to others; all phonies will be found out.

{source: palm papers}

whoa, it's 2012.

I can hardly believe it.  The end of last year went by like a whirlwind, and now it's the beginning of another. I know it's been a while, so here are some highlights from the last few months:

• I got the wonderful opportunity to start working at Holly Chapple Flowers with some of these amazing ladies (and man!).  On a side note, I am so sad dahlia season is over.
• I experienced the most gorgeous autumn ever!  I also hiked at Shenandoah National Park for the first time.

currently

It's a bit overcast today, but I'm here again at Northside Social with my chai latte. The past few days have been particularly eventful. My hands are a bit worn from dealing with thorns and floral tape at Holly Chapple's floral shop, my feet a bit sore from running around the beautiful grounds of Airlie from this weekend's wedding. This week ended well as I hit some major milestones like watching Bad Boys II and The Matrix for the first time (yes, yes, I know...cue jaws dropping). And though I'm not the biggest sports fanatic, Texas pride definitely runs in my blood. Go Cowboys! What else is new?

"texas love" by rooted in paper

{quote} elizabeth kubler-ross

So here's a late night thought: think of the most beautiful people you know. What makes them beautiful?

Perhaps you'd throw out a few name's from People's Top 100 Most Beautiful People list - nothin' wrong. But there are a number of things I believe, and this is one of them. I ran across this quote a few nights ago...probably on tumblr or pinterest, and it made me remember some of my most cherished relationships.

I've been graced to know many beautiful people so far in my short lifetime, but I'm not talking about the best dressed or the ones with the best smiles (though some of them do overlap as part of the more aesthetically pleasing population). The beautiful people who I'm reminded of are those who bear the burden of their families' struggles with a heart of hope; they're the ones who come back soaring after hitting rock bottom. They're the ones who persevere when the whole world tells them they can't; they've weathered through storms of physical pain with a smile on their faces and in their hearts, even till death. These are the people I admire and think are the most beautiful in the world. So, who's on your list?

On a side note -- crap, it's almost September!

these are a few of my favorite things

(1) If you couldn't already tell, I love quotes. Witty. Sentimental. Genius.
By smart, seasoned, respected people, children, and comedians alike.

(2) Music from Audrey Assad, Drew Holcomb & the Neighbors, and Sara Bareilles.

 

video: ira glass

I love kinetic typography like this.

Ira Glass on Storytelling from David Shiyang Liu on Vimeo.

{quote} w.b. yeats

Since I graduated from undergrad, I've realized a lot of things. Things about life, about the way things work out, about myself - my weaknesses, my faults, and also about school. Before I began college, many people told me that their jobs were nothing like their major in college. I remember being confused at why they didn't choose to do what they love in college, but now I kind of understand why.

I also remember my last semester of college. Quite clearly, in fact. I remember the anxiousness and fear I had of the unknown, of being so unsure of myself, of what God wanted with me, and even why He would want anything to do with me. And now, seven months later, I live some 1500 miles away from where I call "home", working on weddings with My Simple Details.

I didn't go to school to do weddings, neither did I think I'd actually ever pursue a career in it. And it's not that I didn't learn anything in college worth doing or pursuing, it's that through my education & experiences I found (or remembered) that I had other passions worth giving a shot. Granted, mine are riskier choices for sure, but perhaps it'll be worth it. And I figured I'd never know if I never tried.

So if you're one of those blessed ones that joyfully use their 4- (or more) year degree daily - congrats! That's a happy day. But if you're on the other side, it may not be all that bad of a thing either. Your education is (or will be) a stepping stone for all that's on the way, so be of good courage and faith. Maybe there's a fire starting.

thursday therapy

I love to smile. But the truth is I'm typically one to take life a little too seriously sometimes. When I let my situations and worries define my day, it never ends up well. So this is where smiling is important -- it's not only contagious, but it's a friendly reminder to yourself and to others that you can still be joyful no matter your circumstance. So next time you make eye contact with a random passerby or to a friend who recently got engaged (wink wink), just smile. (:

And laughing. Though I don't personally believe that laughter is the best medicine (Someone else is), laughter sure does help you lighten up. Call up a friend that always makes you laugh, or if you're like me, sometimes you can make yourself laugh. Whatever the case, my theory is the more it hurts, the better.

k weav

{quote} mother teresa

If I had a list of people that most inspire me, she would be on there. And no - I'm not talking about Mother Teresa (gasp). Don't get me wrong, Mother T is incredibly inspiring, but I'm talking about Lara Casey. Most of you (and by you, I mean, my friends - the faithful few primary readers of this blog) probably have a deer-in-the-headlights look right now, so click the link. Go ahead. Lara is one of those creatives who is not only a woman, but a passionate go-getter with a huge list of credentials. What's more is that she is head over heels for Christ and isn't afraid to show it, especially in her blog posts. Though she wears many hats, her footprints never change. They leave imprints of Christ as she encourages others - Christian or not - through the corporate world via Making Things Happen.

And so this is where I got the inspiration for today's post. Though I don't expect or dream to do big things like Lara has (I have other dreams, which will not be mentioned at this time), I hope to do small things with great love no matter where I am or what my job is.

"By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." John 13:35

5 things i love

(one)
a cute & comfy pair of flats

{photo by bodor bander}

(two)

quotes, like this one by e.e. cummings

{photo from jswright}

(three)

suitcases & traveling...not that you couldn't have assumed that from the title of this blog

{photo by jesy}

(four)
ferris wheels!


{photo by rebeccar118}


(five)
quirky design nerd things, like these pantone chip cookies designed by kim neill
shown to me by my friend, catherine, whose birthday is today! (: