Saturday, April 30, 2011

Purple Clover Book Earrings

smallbookcompany on etsy sells these adorable little book earrings. They vary in color and pattern, but each has a playfulness for the quirky accessory wearer. These purple ones caught my eye for their lovely pattern. There would differently start some interesting style conversations.

Friday, April 22, 2011

Conquring the "I Cant"



"I Can't." I say that a lot. More often than I need to and it's a lie every time. Is it habit? Is "can't" one of those things you say when you're too lazy, tired, busy to try. Does it really belong in our language after causing so much damage. We have given it so much power.

"I can't." It's not even a pair of words anymore but a force. A force to be reckoned with. And something in me wants to fight to it. I want to gauge it, tear it, stomp it down and force it out out of existence. I want to conquer it!

It won't be easy I know. It's so simple to say, so easy to believe.

Can you? "No I can't."

But if I try, if I look at it in the eye and say you, you are but a mere illusion. You have false. A lie. A remarkable clever deceit! If I can stop branding every challenge with this stamp "I can't" then I can triumph over it.

I will begin with loving the challenge. I will relish in it. Appreciate the fact that God thinks I'm strong enough, worthy enough, trusting enough to see it through.  

I will be patient with myself and others remembering that "can't" is just waiting for me to rush into its arms.

And I will boldly criticize myself when I feel myself giving into "can't."  How dare I, when God already knows I can. He's already set about my victory. I cannot disappoint him.

"I can't" cannot have a place in your life if you are to be all you want to be. Say goodbye to it now and brace the power of can

Love that life challenges you and know that you can do it!

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Unleash my imagination







Dress: thrift store
Tights: thrift store
Shoes: thrift store
Necklace: Borrowed 

I want to fling myself off the corners of my imagination into the depths of a dreamy realm to question my sanity and play with illusions. I want to supper with monsters in disguise and fairies with tales. I want to walk through misty marshes with knights who looks for princesses with crumbly hearts held together by mere hope and wishes.

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Make It Happen

FULL TILT Make It Happen Womens Top





I feel I need this t-shirt, for the sake of motivation and encouragement. If I felt distracted or unambitious I could stand in front of the mirror with this shirt on and boost my diligence. I normally do not like tops with words on them but this one would serve a greater purpose than just being cute.

Friday, April 15, 2011

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Is it a sin to be unhappy?

Have you ever been sitting in your room alone, ready to burst into tears, or possibly already in tears and no one knows it. No one even knows that anything is wrong because you don’t want them to know. You walk through your life with a smile that hides the frown in your heart, hoping that no one guesses because you don’t want to seem unhappy?



Our society has made it almost impossible for anyone to be openly unhappy. Look at the way we treat those who have come out of the “unhappy closet.”  They’re seen as bad luck, as if being unhappy is a disease that spreads to others, they are often ignored, and in many cases asked to just get happy, as if they are choosing to be unhappy. 

What we’ve been taught is that if we’re going to be unhappy, do it on our own time where no one else has to deal with it. Thus the 14 year old who is battling depression struggles on their own. The 30 year old business man who is grieving has to leave his sadness at the door and the elderly woman who feels alone has to find a way to just get over it.

What’s more, being unhappy  is thought of as so taboo that one must cure it immediately, eat something, buy something, and leave the country if you have to, but fix your unhappiness. But the problem is, if I can’t be open about being unhappy, how am I going to get happy again?

The problem with happiness is it’s become synonymous with joy. It’s not. Joy is a great spiritual feeling that sits inside of you. Happiness is an emotion. And like all emotions it comes and goes. You may wake up one morning feeling happy, but by the end of the day enough has happened to make you unhappy. Happiness is always linked with something external. We fall in love, we’re happy. We go on a great vacation and we’re happy but if we lose that love we naturally become unhappy. Because happiness is not something that is meant to be experienced consistently we as a society need to stop pressuring people to always be happy. Negative things happen that make us unhappy and allowing ourselves to just feel unhappy actually helps you to heal from it faster.

But when you are forced to grin and bear it, you actually prolong your unhappiness. For one, you’re keeping a secret that causes you stress. It would be easier to say, I broke up with someone and I’m having a hard time with it, instead of pretending to fine.

Two, you are forcing yourself to be in an unnatural state. Can you force yourself to be angry when you’re not? Probably not, and you can’t force yourself to be happy when you’re not. But when we can’t admit our unhappiness that’s exactly what we’re doing. It’s like living two lives, the fake happy one and the real unhappy one. 

Three, you become target to more unhappiness. When one thing is wrong it seems more follows. Because you are trying to suppress all that unhappiness, you’re actually very sensitized to it. All it takes it is one word or action and it all comes back up. You’re more vulnerable. It’s like carrying a large stack or plates, you’re so focused on keeping it under control, but even the smallest nudge can make it all come down.  The littlest things start to get to you, and the simple unhappiness becomes a deep depression.

Being unhappy isn’t a sin, it’s a perfectly natural reaction to negative events in our lives. It’s to help us know and understand what we don’t like and what to avoid. It’s an emotion, like anger and sadness and it comes and goes.

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Satine


One of my all time favorite accessories are hats. They can pull together a look or completely change it. I suppose one could call me a hat collector and I would love to add this mini top hat/fascinator to my collection. The print is bold but classic with a brocade theme. And I adore the added touch of the feather. This particular hat comes from Little Penny Lane, an etsy shop that offers sweet playful beauties such as this piece.


Thursday, April 7, 2011

Crying out for love



Have you ever stopped and considered how much time, energy, and money you spend on trying to love, and yet somehow you always forget someone…you.

We’re quick to defend that everyone is beautiful, but that speech usually ends at the mirror.

We’d never let anyone talk down to one of our friends, but we don’t speak up for ourselves.

We say and think “I love you” a countless number of times to scores of people, some we don’t even know, but we rarely mention it to ourselves.

Why is that?

Why is it that everyone seems so deserving of your love, affection and best self, except you? 

We say we feel good about ourselves, and yet we scrutinize our bodies like we were made in some factory and we need to analyze if we’re adequate for mass consumption.

We tell ourselves we’re proud of who we are, but take away that thing we’re proud of and we feel we’ve lost our entire being.

Could you ever look at a flower and say: you’re not good enough, you’re not beautiful, no one will love you, you’re useless, you can’t make it in this world, your ideas are stupid, you’re stupid, you’re not loveable?

It would seem pretty silly wouldn’t it? But we are bold enough and silly enough to say them to ourselves.

Why? When did loving ourselves become the greatest challenge with the biggest obstacles?

Unfortunately, someone, somewhere down the line of your life said something that stuck with you so tightly that ripping it lose has become an never ending battle. It made you question your worth. Someone else decided to determine your value. Someone who had no right! They taught you how to dislike yourself.

It may have been when you were young, perhaps it was someone who should have loved you but didn’t. It may have been a stranger someone you didn’t know very well, and certainly didn’t know you very well. When and where doesn’t matter, the fact is somewhere down the line you decided that to be loved you had to be something specific—thin, pretty, rich, tall, strong, smart, fast, talented etc. The more people you had to please, the more “features” you felt you needed to add.

When we realize we are not that specific thing that is when we decide not to love ourselves.

We become that factory product that’s missing an important feature, and hope that someone will buy us with our defects, the more features we feel we are missing, the less hopeful we become of being purchased or loved. 

But you aren’t some product for the masses! You never were and never will be. Your soul is not up for sale so no one has the right to tell you how to be, not even you.

The only one with any real judgment is God and he loves you just as you are, today, tomorrow, forever. Whoever told you you were not good enough had no right to judge; even you have no right to judge.

You have but one job on this earth, one mission…to love and cherish your soul because in loving your soul you love God.

God already approves of you. He made you and he’s the only one who can decide what is right or wrong with you. There is no need to shout out to be loved, you already are. You simply need to begin to start loving yourself, not as some product, but as a creation from God. You are like a flower, beautiful, real, true, there is nothing wrong with you. What fault can you find in a flower, none. That’s exactly how you are, perfect. 

Forgive those who made you feel inadequate, forgive yourself for buying into it and begin to cherish who you are.

Here’s an idea, be bold and tell yourself “I love you.” Right now, just say it “I love you (name)”

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Michael Antonio Studio Women's Tibor Platform








Michael Antonio Studio Women's Tibor Platform

These rather unique looking shoes caught my attention on Amazon. The first thing I saw was the purple rainbow like straps, and then then the half siding that made the shoe look like a hot dance number made for attention and compliments.According to reviews, it's very comfortable and alluring. I may have to spurge and find out what the fuss is all about.


Sunday, April 3, 2011

My first ballet slippers. A lesson in life.



Many days will come and go and many steps you’ll take, My hope for you is that you’ll find balance in all the choices you make.

Tiny feet need to be loved and these slippers are blessed, Once you learn how to dance your feet will never rest.

Dance throughout your life and your life will take your lead, When you cultivate your soul you plant a mighty seed.

Dancing is like magic. It can take you anywhere you want to go, May you find solace in a good song that taps into your soul.

A long slow ballet can find you romance. A fast hip hop beat can make your heart pound too. Good dancers dance them all. They learn to how to find their groove.

Every day is a chance to dance. You can begin at any age. You just need to make your life your stage.

When you find pride in every movement others will applaud you, Your performance will be at its best when you share what’s inside you.

Like you, your ballet slippers will change over time, As you sweat they will melt to your feet and change their rhyme.

From small pink slippers to high heeled shoes, No one can lead your life’s dance but you.

Many around you will impact your life, Some steps you take may cause you strife.

Follow the footsteps of those you admire, And choreograph your own work when others have lost their tune.

So, when life gets tough or when new changes appear, Remember this pair of slippers you hold so dear.

— Boegli, 2005
My first ballet slippers. A lesson in life. Poem by DeAnne Boegli.