when you want a good hair day.

I cannot tell you how many times I have gone back to this blog post from A Cup of Jo. Such wonderful variations of braids, buns and twists to change up mundane, everyday styles. Spring has been wonderful here in the city, but there are times when the fog and mist in the morning do not bode well with my brunette bangs. I hope you are enjoying the surplus of rain and flowers.

Currently Listening: "Sleep" by Azure Ray 

invisibilia: npr

  I have never taken a moment to think about all of the things that I do not see that end up having a great impact on my life. Okay, so maybe I have noticed these things subconsciously. For instance, I brush my teeth not only for good hygiene, but also so that people won't judge me for having bad breath. I might feel more insecure in large group settings, so I talk a little faster and end up making oddly terrible jokes. If no one guessed it already, this only makes the situation worse. 

  NPR explains this podcast as such:"Invisibilia (Latin for all the invisible things) is about the invisible forces that control human behavior - ideas, beliefs, assumptions, and emotions. Co-hosted by Lulu Miller and Alix Spiegel, Invisibila interweaves narrative storytelling with scientific research that will ultimately make you see your own life differently."

   I find this explanation interesting and one to really set the tone of what is to come. There are so many things that I do because of those four listed features of being a human. I cannot count the number of assumptions I make, and even more so assumptions I accept as truth, throughout my day. I actively work against those thoughts that leech onto my brain in hopes of putting off a behavioral shift. The scary thing about these stories is that they are real. They are disturbing. They also can happen to anyone. Our thought life is a very powerful realm. We can be swept up into a fake world of emotional thought drama and without realizing it act out of fabricated reality as opposed to what is actually happening. 

   Listening to this podcast has driven me to focus on what thoughts are streaming through my mind, to consider if those thoughts are helpful or harmful, but ultimately to strive to be more present and not be consumed with the said thought life. People need people. We thrive when we experience healthy relationship. There are some uncomfortable pieces of the stories they tell in this series so consider yourself warned. Also, what are you thinking about right now? 

Listen to the podcast here.

a beautiful home.

  I don't know about anyone else, but if I had a shower that looked like this I might never leave. Peruse the beautiful photos of this home via Miss Moss blog here.

Wishing everyone an inspiring and warm spring.

spring in the city.

  Most of the time this city is bearable. You walk places all of the time. In the winter, you make it a point to bundle up and carry your layers and try to hop on the subway to get out of the cold. In the dead of winter, you have almost decided to transplant your life to a sunny place when more piles of snow continue to dump onto the streets assuring you that South is the only good cardinal direction. We have swiftly stepped out of our winter boots and landed in our sneakers, welcoming the warmer weather where we see the sun.
  I would agree with anyone that too often us New Yorkers talk about how awful the winter is here. There is no doubting that the freezing temperatures and constant snowfall can weigh on someone, but there is such glory in living somewhere that experiences all seasons. Being from the South, I only felt slightly chilly days of winter before the sun warmed up the state and we were back to t-shirts come early March. The beginning of this March, and even up to the first day of Spring, we experienced snow in the city. Now I would not say that New York's winter charm is embedded in the number of days we experience snowfall, but the point is that I have never looked forward to the springtime more in my entire life.

  The day I saw sixty degrees on the weather report, I was sure that heavenly realms were rejoicing alongside us as we prematurely wore dresses on Easter morning. Overwhelmed by the excitement, I failed to notice that the temperature would drop a fair amount throughout the day and I would experience the cool breeze on my translucent legs. Regardless, the day was glorious and enjoyed with a brunch at The Grange surrounded by sweet friends. Everywhere I walk now I see flowers. Beautiful bouquets of pinks, greens and yellows lining the outside of supermarkets. Chocolate is now not the only thing I have to say no to when making a quick stop. But more than the curated bouquets, the city comes back to life. Just today I saw the tables of restaurants being swept off and brought outside to enjoy the breeze. French doors have swung open and people have made the walk home an enjoyable experience again.

  There are some things you just don't realize that you missed until you catch a glimpse of their beauty unexpectedly. The buildings on the Upper West Side never looked so ornate before being set against the blue city sky. And even though I will most likely forget this fresh feeling of Spring when winter comes again, I look forward to being reminded.

encouragement via rudyard kipling.

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too:
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;
If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim,
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same:.
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build'em up with worn-out tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings,
And never breathe a word about your loss:
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much:
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And—which is more—you'll be a Man, my son! 
—Rudyard Kipling

a year in review.

   Most beginnings start with reflection on what recently ended. Not that the ending always has to be bad, but usually there are joys and possibly some remorse over what takes place. 2015. It has begun and without a warning we have been swept into a new year. Maybe it is the lack of events, or the sub-par television broadcasts that take place, but the new year has never felt like a special event. My memories are summed up by time with family or friends and banging on pots and pans when the clock struck 12 AM. I cannot lie and say that I never think about attending glitzy parties and wearing the fanciest dress I own for New Year's Eve. My experience with these parties even leads me to believe that they only happen in the movies. More than a fancy dress, a New Year's kiss, more than anything, a new year brings opportunity.
  In reflection upon the past year, I am overwhelmed by the events that have passed. The beginning of this year provided Jason with the opportunity to work on music full-time. He played shows, completed his second full-length album and had a successful album release show in Atlanta, Georgia. We were able to take fun road trips to Asheville, NC and Nashville, TN to see some of our favorite bands play. We packed up our belongings from nine months worth of marriage and said goodbye to our first apartment to make the move up to New York City. For the past five months we have been juggling four part-time jobs, one internship, and a classes at The King's College. What can we say about where we are now? We feel absolutely blessed by the gift of living in such an amazing city with the hope of budding friendships and growing knowledge of our neighborhood. I have been working on being more mindful lately; mindful of things I have, things I have been given and things that surround me daily. Instead of becoming angry over missing a bus and another not coming for a half hour, I chose to walk most of the way to work and found myself so full with the beauty that accompanied me that morning. A lot of this life is making a choice.
  So this coming year, 2015, I choose to live well with days full of joy and adventure. I choose to work on something so simple as calligraphy, yet travel with my husband throughout the NorthEast. Cheers to a happy and healthy new year.


Currently Listening: "Bold" by Mountains and Valleys

autumn.

  As almost every young lady across the nation has already proclaimed, it is fall and thus begins the most wonderful season of the year. I am quite biased on this opinion and there are plenty of good aspects of other seasons, but without fail, this one is my favorite. Autumn hold memories of baking and pumpkin patches. I remember the beginnings of my relationship with Jason and the cool air that met my face on a morning run with my sister. I think of my first time in the city and how glorious the season was because it saved me from New York's unbearable heat. I get to re-watch You've Got Mail for the hundredth time and fall in love with Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks' banter all over again. I think of the preparation that began in March of last year and continued until the most beautiful day I have ever experienced when I married my best friend.

  So many wonderful things about this season. I look forward to celebrating the end to my first year of marriage and also the start of working at In Earnest Magazine as an Intern. It is always good to pause and reflect. I think I spend to much time dwelling on the negative so I am trying to make it a priority to focus on the beautiful aspects of my life that surround me daily.


Currently Listening: "Lost in My Mind" by The Head and the Heart