words to live by.

sometimes when you don't have any words of your own, it's best to lean on others'.

these three quotes get me through as of late, and remind me to look for the magic, be happy for the moment, and trust that everything is happening as it should.

i miss this space, and writing here feels foreign. it's both comforting and heart-wrenching at the same time. just know, i think about you everyday... i'll be back soon.

{quotes via love notes, a gift from a friend}.

snowflakes.

i've been hanging out by myself a lot lately. is that weird? for some reason it feels right for now, mostly while i get my bearings and kind of catch my breath after all of this change.

amidst the solo time, i watch felicity. it's usually on in the background while i put things away, hammer nails into the wall, and write a card or two. it's oddly comforting, and reminds me of college and how different i was when i watched it the first time around. however, the lessons still ring true. the ones about independence and dealing with whatever life throws your way.

i can't help but feel a bit like felicity as she navigates new york, and a new life chapter. there was a quote that rang oh so true about this city that i have to share, especially in light of alone time and our lovely it's-almost-spring-snow-fall this past weekend.

first of all, new york is the best.

thank god i decided to stay here.

at first it was sort of scary,

even walking down the sidewalk,

it was like being one snowflake in a crazy blizzard.

but then it occurred to me...

everyone is a snowflake.

and that is truly the most unique thing about this place. we are all leading our own separate, self-important lives, and yet we are all connected by our independence.

you might be thinking to yourself, is this a blog only about moving to new york? well, i guess right now it is, huh?

ps. have i ever told you if i wasn't blonde, i'd want to be a redhead?

write like a motherf*cker.

there are some incredibly rad women on this plant. many of which i've written about here... oprah, anna quindlen, and brené brown to name a few. and among them is ms. cheryl strayed. i picked up her book tiny beautiful things back in the fall and read the majority of it while i was galavanting abroad {aka on long flights}. she also writes the ever popular wild, which is on my to-read-as-soon-as-possible list.

this past sunday i was fortunate enough to see her speak in person and she was as captivating in real life as she is in her books.

cheryl spoke with such authenticity and stoicism. that's what i love about writers - especially those who write memoirs - they are comfortable with vulnerability by owning their words, feelings, and life experiences. the thing is, someone can always relate with pain and raw emotion.

i couldn't help but want to be on stage as the interviewer. do you have a writing sanctuary? what is your writing routine? how do you create titles to your work? what is your favorite part about being a writer? alas, just an audience member. someday! oh someday i'll get to have conversations with the greats.

one of my favorite {and subtle} things she did on several occasions was refer to herself as an artist. and that's what writers are, yes? beautiful and eloquent word stringing artists. may you bring out your inner artist and as cheryl says, write like a motherf*cker.

incandescently happy.

one of my very favorite movies of all time is pride & prejudice and i am thankful that this christmas eve it was the movie of choice. i could watch it over and over and catch a new line that's so easily missed in those old english accents. the humor is subtle yet witty, and i don't want to miss a beat. i find myself paying extra close attention, completely fascinated with the beauty of proper english and can't help but think how we've debauched it.

there are several moments in this movie that i think to be the greatest of all time. one is when mr. darcy's hand trembles after he helps elizabeth into the carriage. another is when they meet in the field and finally the moment she admits to her father that she is in love with him. i am a sucker for raw, vulnerable true love accompanied with big words.

i think my favorite scene of all time is the dialogue at the end when mr. darcy and elizabeth are finally married.

mr. darcy: how are you this evening, my dear?
elizabeth bennet: very well. only i wish you would not call me "my dear".
mr. d: why?
e.b.: because it's what my father always called my mother when he's cross about something.
mr. d: what endearments am i allowed?
e.b.: well let me think…"lizzy" for everyday, "my pearl" for sundays, and…"goddess divine", but only on very special occasions.
mr. d: {chuckles} and...what should i call you when i'm cross? "mrs. darcy"?
e.b.: {smiling} no! no. you may only call me "mrs. darcy"... when you are completely, perfectly, and incandescently happy.
mr. d: {chuckles} how are you this evening... mrs. darcy? {kisses her forehead}
mr. d: mrs. darcy {kisses her left cheek}
mr. d: mrs. darcy {kisses her nose}
mr. d: mrs. darcy {kisses her right cheek}
mr. d: mrs. darcy {they kiss}

swoon! we all know i go weak in the knees for terms of endearment. if you want to watch the end scene for yourself and fall in love a little bit, you can check it out here. may we all find the love we are looking for, and may it is inspired by an old-fashioned, classic romance.

most friendly.

so one time in eighth grade i won best hair. and then in twelfth grade i won best dressed. and then just the other day when i thought there was no such thing as superlatives as an adult, i won most friendly. and, can i tell you it was the best most i've ever received. thank you, sweet co-workers. being recognized for kind energy put out into the universe means more than a good hair day or a perfectly styled outfit ever could.

this most friendly got me thinking about one of my favorite quotes of all time and one i certainly try to live by. i believe it's said by ms. angelou herself.

people won't always remember what you said. people won't always remember what you did. but people will always remember how you made them feel.

this is exactly why being friendly is so important to me. let's try to make each other feel loved, shall we? because giving love to others only makes us more open to receiving it right back.

this mini award made me realize that i'm in the right place, surrounded by the most wonderful people at aol. see, being friendly is a two way street. after all, it takes a friend to be a friend. so thank you for being so easy to be friends with. love love, me.

tiny beautiful things.

i originally picked up this book when i spotted it on my girl tp's instagram {and oh thank heaven for instragram! i know you're all with me on that one}.

cheryl strayed is a bit of a luminary in my book {no pun intended}. she also wrote wild, a take of her trek up the pacific coast trail alone. she's one of those writers where you simply can't wait to get to the next word because each sentence is filled with such wisdom and honesty that you know you'll be a better person for having finished it.

tiny beautiful things is a compilation of advice columns cheryl wrote in response to hundreds of letters she received at the rumpus. yes, she's an advice columnist. dear sugar...

i'm only sixty pages in, but i knew this book was for me when i read this...

love is the feeling we have for those we care deeply about and hold in high regard. it can be light as the hug we give a friend or heavy as the sacrifices we make for our children. it can be romantic, platonic, familial, fleeting, everlasting, conditional, unconditional, imbued with sorrow, stoked by sex, sullied by abuse, amplified by kindness, twisted with betrayal, deepened by time, darkened by difficulty, leavened by generosity, nourished by humor, and "loaded with promises and commitments" that we may or may not want or keep. the best thing you can possibly do with your life is to tackle the motherfucking shit out of love. 

my most favorite writers are speaking to me, i know it. i am secretly incredibly envious of their ability to articulate thoughts, that i want to devour every single ounce of every single word they've ever written in hopes that their skill will seep into my being and enable me to do the same with my own voice. because, articulation, oh it's the hardest part of this whole writing thing. i want you, my dear readers, to feel as if i'm speaking to you, just as i feel these authors are speaking to me. i owe it to you!

so, pick up a copy today, you won't regret it. and p.s. check out one of her many interviews with oprah. in honor of cheryl's token endearment, goodnight, sweet peas.

thank you.

i heard this quote a while back during class willing myself to remember it so i could jot it down afterwards. 

if the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough.

~meister eckhart

of course, it escaped me until today when i was reminded of it while watching some lessons in gratitude. a great refresher of why i started this blog in the first place and the power of physically writing down five things each day we are thankful for.

may we continue to offer up the prayer of thank you. because it is enough.

*humbly bowing forward found here.

on blogging.

one of my favorite lines ever is... gina, i miss your posts. i think it's time you blogged. and while i feel like this blog is such a selfish outlet of mine, i honor those comments more than anything because they keep me going. they encourage me to express my voice, and that is one of the greatest gifts anyone could possibly give.

i saw this quote late last week on a cup a jo and absolutely loved the truth in it.

 "there’s something sacred about reading a blog post on someone else’s site. it’s like visiting a friend’s house for a quick meal 'round the breakfast table. it’s personal - you’re in their space, and the environment is uniquely suited for idea exchange and uninterrupted conversation. in many ways, we should be treating our blogs like our breakfast tables. be welcoming and gracious when you host, and kind and respectful when visiting." ~trent walton

 

and, while i'm on the topic, have i ever gushed over my blogger crush on mackin' ink? i mean... this woman has it all. i beyond adore her. i once sent her some fan {e}mail and she responded! to me! like personally! {i swear, if i ever made it in this blogging world, and got an ounce of fan mail i'd write you back in a heartbeat. i promise promise. because sometimes there's no better feeling than when someone is your biggest fan}.

anyhow, she said something so candidly truthful that i think of quite often.

"blogging's so funny, isn't it? better than any cocktail party for meeting like-minded friends. pretty amazing."

now i say cheers to that!

*breakfast and cocktailing found here and here.

cups of xo today.

one of my favorite moments of the morning is sipping from this homemade heart mug. i brew my peets coffee and sip it at my desk for the next hour or so.

reminds me of this quote:

"...it's the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all."

~laura ingalls wilder

i believe i made this mug one summer in college on a girlfriend outing to color-me-mine. who would have thought it would last me to my corner-office-corporate-life. i love the juxtaposition. it fits, but it doesn't really fit. serves as a daily reminder of my younger self. the self who loves mushy, lovey-dovey creativity.

very grateful for this heart edition.

divine.

i really love to chant, it's a well-known fact.

my favorite yoga teacher ever-so-kindly sent over the meaning to one of my most cherished chants. on several occasions i attempted googling what i thought was the correct spelling, but it turns out i couldn't have been more incorrect. sanskrit and i, we're not super acquainted yet. someday...

saturday morning i was secretly hoping the entire practice that anna would sing in that angelic voice of hers. sure enough, i was pleasantly surprised.

sachara chara para purna

shivoham shivoham

nityananda svaroopa

shivoham shivoham

anandoham, anandoham

anandoham, anandoham

 and here is an interpretation.

"this sutra is a powerful declaration of our own oneness with the divine.  we sing to the ultimate connection with god and the experience of truly being joyous in this moment of coming home. we are no longer isolated or alone. ever."

literal word translations.

sachara - belong to, be united to
para - another, other/ greatest, highest, supreme
purna - complete, full, fulfilled, filled with
nitya - constant, eternal, everlasting
ananda - delight, happiness, joy, pleasure, bliss
svaroopa -  consistency, kind, nature, quality
ham - i am that, i myself

this chant is so comforting, isn't it? it makes you feel as if you are never alone. and in a world where many people's greatest fear is that they will be alone {me sometimes included} this chant wipes that all away. there is something bigger. may you discover that unity.

*pinning like a mad woman here and here.

mystery.

found this great quote over on my girl, tp's blog. i miss her daily posts, but relish in the sporadic ones that magically appear in my reader. it also has an incredibly similar message as this post. i love when the dots connect.

"it is a mystery why we fall in love. it is a mystery how it happens. it is a mystery when it comes. it is a mystery why some loves grow, and it is a mystery why some loves fail. you can analyze this mystery and look for reasons and causes, but you will never do any more than take the life out of the experience.

love is more than the sum of the interests and attractions and commonalities that two people share. and just as life itself is a gift that comes and goes in its time, the coming of love must be taken as an unfathomable gift that cannot be questioned in its ways.

you need to treat what love brings you with kindness. if you find yourself in love with someone who does not love you, be gentle with yourself. there is nothing wrong with you. love just didn’t choose to rest in the other person’s heart.

if you find someone else in love with you toward whom you feel no love, feel honored that love came and called at your door, but gently refuse the gift you cannot return. do not take advantage; do not cause pain. how you deal with love is how love will deal with you, and all our hearts feel the same pains and joys, even if our lives and ways are very different.

if you fall in love with another who falls in love with you, and then love chooses to leave, do not try to reclaim it or to assess blame. let it go. there is a reason and there is a meaning. you will know it in time, but time itself will choose the moment.

remember this and keep it in your heart. you don’t choose love. love chooses you. all you can really do is accept it for all its mystery when it comes into your life. feel the way it fills you to overflowing, then reach out and give it away. give it back to the person who brought it to you. give it to others who seem poor in spirit. give it to the world around you in any way you can.

love has its own time, its own season, and its own reasons for coming and going. you cannot bribe it or coerce it or reason it into staying. if it chooses to leave your heart or the heart of your lover, there is nothing you can do and nothing you should do. be glad that it came to live for a moment in your life. if you keep your heart open, it will surely come again."

-kent nerbern

*honor.

laugh out loud.

do you ever go shopping with the clear intention of purchasing gifts for other people and {accidentally} come out with just a little something for yourself? that you neeeeeeeded, of course.

somehow i always justify.

my thought process went... i love kate spade. oh! these are so colorful. look at these cute sayings. they're on sale? only $12? i was sold in a matter of seconds.

smile at a stranger.

take a chance.

dance til dawn.

meet the kate spade coasters. i've been coaster-less since i moved to my apartment nearly two years ago.

can i tell you how many times i've heard, do you have a coaster? nope.

well, now. i. do. so there.

pick your fancy.

laugh out loud.

8,789 words of wisdom.

i've had this book on my shelf for years, traveling with me from one living space to the next. it's one of those great, quick, pick-me-up-and-read-a page-or-two kind. most likely purchased at anthropologie.

well, i haven't opened it in ages, but tonight i randomly flipped to page two hundred and sixty six. and, low and behold, lie none other than a few simple words of wisdom to share.

tell people only what needs to be done, not how 

you are part of a big world and even bigger universe 

you may regret what you say but never what you do not say 

difficulty strengthens the mind as labor does the body 

laughter and crying sound the same in all languages 

a journey begins with a single step, and a road map 

all cats look alike in the dark 

don't weight yourself every day 

good posture means better health 

a drop of ink may make a million think  

remind friends of their own worth 

life has a certain responsibility code 

there are some qualities in life that cease to exist once we realize they are happening 

learn to let go

bolded ones are my fave. happy monday, my lovers. may we have weeks full of wisdom.

positive relationships.

i heard something pretty amazing bright and early this morning.

cheat on your fears.
break up with your doubts. 
get engaged to your faith,
and marry your dreams.

i sure do hope you break up with those fears this weekend, dolls. life is too short to stay in a bad relationship. xoxo.

dive.

i'm distracted this month.

can you tell?

writing is hit or miss these days, dolls. i've been a bit of a miss lately, but i'd much rather be a hit.  just like how i would in real life. and, i do believe the way in which we feel about how we write is a direct reflection of how we feel about ourselves. no wonder i've been down and out.

such is life. with the highs must come the lows.

i'm waiting for something instead of diving in with reckless abandon.

i heard one of those right on statements tonight to share with you.

what you put up with, you end up with.

let's follow our own bliss. and dive right in.

{here}

trust.

needing some trust this week.

channeling that inner cheerleader.

may we find our way.

*inspiration found here and here.

space.

if there was ever a meaning for this blog, this is it.

spot on. right on the money, hunny.

make some space for yourself too, please.

any little something.

oh my love! do not cling to any little something. 

~rumi

i feel like i'm hanging onto things that aren't serving me.

let go. let go. let go.

*one of the many cards i live by.

she takes flight.

i hope this week offers new beginnings.


*this photo is a silly little craft project i tried. it's a picture of the fabric of an adorable scarf i received from a beyond special pal last week {such an unexpected sweet treat}. it's "instagrammed" {my most favorite photo app} and i then inserted a simple quote. it's a bit makeshift, but i've been thinking about creating this from the moment i put the freebird scarf around my neck. love me some D-I-Y. you are free to fly is my mantra whenever i wear it.

be brave.

sometimes even the smallest acts help us find our own bravery.




may you find yours, always.

sorry to be brief, loves. so many thoughts, yet so little time. be back soon. xoxo.

*words to live by.