.a PiCtUrE a day.

{02.10.2011.}



beautiful women of God.

{02.07.2011.}



window smudges make for amazing 5am good morning messages.

{02.05.2011.}




pear blossoms. oh hey spring.

.a PiCtUrE a day.

sincere apologies are in order, i know. i haven't been taking as many pictures as i'd like lately, but a lot of the things that have me smiling the last few weeks can't really be captured in a picture anyway...but to those who care, here you go:

{02.26.2011.}



miyamo boutique on 4th street. the raddest knick knacks. so tempting.

{02.25.2011.}



birthday brownie pazookies...pazownies? delicious either way.

{02.24.2011.}



roscoe's chicken & waffles. so good, who knew?

{02.23.2011}




God blesses me with the most beautiful drives home.

{02.22.2011.}



coffee dates never ever get old. especially with this lovely friend.

{02.19.2011.}



most luh-git rainbow find. thank you God for your beautiful promises.

{02.14.2011.}



pavement heart. perfect valentine's day find <3

{02.13.2011.}



room 320 shenanigans. have i mentioned i love them?

to love & be loved is to see the face of God.

saturday night. iron & wine is streaming. popcorn is popped. tea is boiling. room has been cleaned and organized. & while the roomie and friends hit up lala land for the night, i'm thoroughly content to simply enjoy a nice night in.

this week has been non-stop. between cramming for school, commuting, juggling friends, and staying out scandalously late, i feel like my brain hasn't had time to rest & my eyes are staying open by sheer force of will. i can't complain though; i've brought all this on myself, and i don't regret any of it. of all the things that have been rolling through my mind and laid on my heart this week, there is one thing that keeps resurfacing, one thing i wish every girl & boy could know - romance is real.

girls: you are worth fighting for. please don't give yourself to the first boy who smiles at you or shares his secrets with you. give it to the boy who will wait for you, pursue you, and cherish you. whether you're 12, 20, 35, or 60, you are designed to love and be loved. you were created to be romanced, to be prized. you were created with a heart that can't help but pour love out, a heart that is fragile & tender, and a beauty that is incomparable. those stories you hear of the girls who have met their prince charming, the ones about the precious acts of kindness, the butterfly texts, the late night phone calls, the stories that make you puke as you head to the grocery store to buy ice cream and rent the newest chick flick? those stories are true, and your own story is just around the corner. i was one of those girls. maybe a part of me still is. but i can promise you, i can relate. i was the girl who rolled her eyes at the couple saying good night at the door, the girl who would swoon over her friend's stories while secretly dampening the jealous monster inside of her. i was the girl who could only dream of one day being that girl. i think that maybe now i am her. and that's scary and wonderful all at the same time. guard your heart. be cautious, but don't be afraid, because those good guys? they exist. wait for the one who will speak to your heart and prove your head wrong.

guys: just be one of those guys we've been waiting for and dreaming of k? thanks so much. in return, i hope that we can be that girl you'll be proud of, that you'll pursue not because she's asking you, but because you just can't help but romance her. i hope you'll find the girl you've been waiting for. she's out there too. she just needs to know that it's ok to fall. you'll be there.

big & bold.

#1

we have to choose to let people in, to allow butterflies, to include someone else in this crazy ride. our life can be ours, content & alone, or it can be shared, and breathtakingly unforgettable.

#2

i wish i could give 100% to everything i'm doing. everything is just getting done, not necessarily done well.

#3

spiritual gifts assessment results: hospitality, exhortation, administration. thanks God, i think i agree.

#4

i think i'd need 3 days of straight sleep in order to make up for the major lack of sleep so far.

#5

it's hard to juggle life, you know? to juggle all the friends, make all the phone calls, respond to all the texts, schedule the coffee dates. i mean, i love people; i couldn't survive without them. but sometimes it feels like a balancing act. i wish i could kidnap my favorites and have a solid week of coffee dates & adventures, uninterrupted.

#6

i hate to see people restless & discontent. i think we could choose to find a flaw in everything or everyone. that's the easy part. but to choose to only see the best is the most beautiful thing.

#7

i love surprises. surprise notes. surprise gifts. surprise adventures. surprises period.

#8

God knows what we need, and He'll blow your mind revealing it to you.

#9

i love church. i love people who love church.

#10

i seriously need a tan. pasty-ness got to go (sorry, sometimes i'm shallow too).

#11

i miss my best friend. i hope you have one, because they are the most wonderful thing God can gift to us. i miss photoshoot days and silly laughing and lazy movie days. i can't wait for summertime.

#12

i want to write a song. i need more time to play the guitar. i adore music.

#13

thirteen just feels like an awkward number...moving on.

#14

i miss home. i miss a big green yard and the porch and hercules and the tall shady oak trees. i miss the unending love in a home, late night mom chats, and random sister sleepovers. i miss seeing the mountains everyday and smelling the air and seeing the stars.

#15

confession: n.y. resolution to stay on top of class readings? fail. professors are beyond ridiculous.

#16

only 4 more months til simon & ash's wedding. i love weddings. i'm going to cry like a baby. i'm going to take pictures galore. i'm going to fall in love with love all over again.

#17

emily haven, i miss waldo.

#18

sometimes you just have to indulge in mindless entertainment. sparingly. but hello fashion magazines and one tree hill.

#19

responsibility is a nuisance sometimes. i wish i could stay out all night, and have pillow talk, and go on spontaneous road trips.

#20

i'm afraid of letting busy-ness get in the way of people. so don't let me let it happen please God. i want to see their hearts and love on them and forget about myself.

[i wish i had more time to do this]

[february 14th]

that date is a funny one. some people dread it. some people love it. for some, it's a reminder of how alone they are. for others, it's a reminder of how much they're loved. if you think about it though, there are so many different kinds of love. there's family love, brother/sister love (hate?), "i love shoes" love, friend love, romantic love, and above all, God love.

i think it's silly to think that we're alone, because we aren't. it's impossible. some people choose to be alone; i firmly believe that. others, open their hearts, allow themselves to be vulnerable, and invite others in. the latter is scary, the first is safe. but it's lonely. and God didn't intend that. and i'm not only talking about "romantic-butterflies in your stomach-jump, then fall" love. i'm talking about love. pure, untouched, uninhibited love for others, for the homeless man on the curb, for the friend you miss, for the ones who may have hurt you.

if you're reading this, know that i am thankful for you...no matter how well we know each other or not. out there, someone loves you, and if you don't believe that, know that God loves you, unconditionally. that's something to celebrate any day of the year.

hallmark cards, pink roses, heart shaped boxes of chocolates, and goofy teddy bears have taken away from the point of this day - a day dedicated to love. love self, love others, love life.

i'm overwhelmed by the people in my life. often it's easy to simply forget them, to cherish them, to be grateful for them. and so i urge you to take this day to remind your mom that you love her, your big brother that he means the world to you, your best friend that she's well, the best, and your sweet friends that without them, you wouldn't be the same person. and tell God that you love Him...He wants to hear it too.

happy valentine's day <3

" Heal my heart and make it clean
Open up my eyes to the things unseen
Show me how to love like you have loved me

Break my heart for what breaks yours
Everything I am for your kingdoms cause

As I go from nothing to Eternity "

.a PiCtUrE a day.

{02.02.2011.}

a night of firsts. meet my beautiful losal girls (well, half of them):



{02.04.2011.}

every girl needs a pair of red shoes:

.a PiCtUrE a day.

it's been too long:

{01.29.2011.}

southern california coast from the sky:




{01.30.2011.}

beautiful sunsets. beautiful norcal:



{01.31.2011.}

i adore this girl:

saturday morning.

{one}

fill your life with music.

{two}

we could spend our whole lives finding reasons to be unhappy; find happiness in every moment.

{three}

sing with reckless abandon, especially in the car.

{four}

be honest, be open, communicate...always.

{five}

it is unfair to hold something against someone & leave them in the dark about it. don't avoid
confrontation.

{six}

swearing is unnecessary. nothing about it makes you sound educated or attractive. expand your
vocabulary (excuse the brevity; see #4).

{seven}

don't let your emotions rule you; don't let other people's emotions rule you.

{eight}

incorporate writing into your life: write letters, to God, to your future someone, to your best friend, to yourself. blog. journal. e-mail. just, write.

{nine}

find balance, in everything: friendships, school, work, to-do lists, relationships, food, exercise. obsessions can be dangerous.

{ten}

you have a talent, you have a gift. use it, share it.

{eleven}

don't let money control your decisions. do what you love. go after what you love.

{twelve}

travel. there is so much world to see. this is not it; this is not everything. and when you travel? leave behind your culture, your opinions, your routine. immerse yourself into something new.

{thirteen}

fill your life with people who encourage you, inspire you, & challenge you. comfort is a rut.

{fourteen}

do not settle.

{fifteen}

girls: buy a pair of red shoes.

{sixteen}

take pictures often; they are the only glimpse we have into the past.

{seventeen}

appreciate your parents; they won't be around forever.

{eighteen}

take everything one day at a time. no one knows what the future holds.

{nineteen}

respect yourself, and others will respect you.

{twenty}

love.