Recent Reads

1. mr. penumbra's 24 hour bookstore by robin sloan
2. paper towns by john green    
3. looking for alaska by john green
4. miss peregrine's home for peculiar children by ransom riggs
5. the storied life of a.j. fikry by gabrielle zevin    

peace & positivity

I've recently hit a brick wall in my life. A lot of things that were previously taken for granted are no longer so. Making decisions for my future is a constant part of my days. Trying to find what makes me happy is a consistent weight on my person. The peace I can find in these moments, however, is that others in my situation find themselves at the same unfortunate wall. It's a part of your twenties, it's a part of moving on in life, it's a part of growing up. Friendships and relationships will begin and end, paths you assumed you'd be traveling down have suddenly dead ended off a cliff. It's frustrating and stressful.

But there's also something to be said for having these decisions to make, and for having options in life most would dream of having. So this past month, I've been trying to surround myself with people and things that bring positivity and peace into my life. I've been a conscious effort to find music that feeds my soul, to reads books that have become my friends, to spend time making my dog happy, to be there for the people who are there for me.

I've found things to surround myself with that represent a calm in the chaos. Rings and jewelry now on my person are reminders of the peace within me. Calming and encouraging essential oils and himalayan salts are now an integral part of my day. All of these little additions to my life have helped me come to terms with this transition in life and have gotten me excited again for my next chapter. I thought I would share this with any of you who are struggling as well. Find whatever it is that speaks to your soul. Surround yourself with art and happiness and calm. This life doesn't need to be stressful or heavy. It's what you make of it, so why not make it a happy one?

          

   

Happy March, everyone!

S.

An Ode To Recent Graduates

Exactly one month and 12 days ago I joined the exclusive club I worked so hard for four years to be in. The college graduate's club. (Yes, I am aware this is not a real club, but if anyone wants to start a support group, tell me when the meetings are. I'll bring the tubs of ice cream.)

If any of you reading this are in the same sinking boat as I am, then well, this post is for you. Of course I'm not pretending to be an example for everyone's post-graduation experiences, but here's how my boat's been sailing as of late. After graduation, I lived in a bit of a daze for a while. I celebrated with family, said goodbye to friends, and packed up my apartment to move back home. I thanked everyone for their congratulatory wishes and recited my broken record response to the inevitable question everyone asked - "So what are your plans now?". 

This question, in its various forms, swept past my ears so often that I could anticipate exactly when someone was about to say the words. They always made the same face. It was an almost apologetic expression - as if they knew subconsciously what the answer was. I'd make up some version of "I don't know" without actually having to say the words. Something about waiting to hear back from a few jobs I'd applied to. 

As the congratulations began to dwindle down and my boxes started to get unpacked as I moved back in to my childhood home, I started to worry that I'd never have an answer to the question. Those same job applications were still unanswered. It's not that I wasn't trying to find a plan for myself, I was - but you can only refresh Linkedin so many times in one day. 

I've started to settle in to my new post-grad life at home. I've hung up my cap and gown in the closet and caught up with old friends. I'm enjoying my time while I'm here with my family, and while I still haven't found a replacement for my trustworthy campus coffee shop, Mr. Coffee will do just fine for now. And yes, even though it's only been about a month, it's hard not to be cynical about the prospect of a job and a future with an empty email inbox.

So, as you may have guessed, my answer to the question is still the same as it was the day I walked across that stage. But today, I'll tell it to you straight. I don't know. Because you know what? I don't. I don't know where I'll be living in the next few months, or if I'll be working or applying to grad school or joining the circus. And that's okay. I've decided to take this new chapter of my life one day at a time. And today, I am grateful. Grateful to have a college education, and to have a degree in something I'm passionate about at the age of 22. I know not everyone is fortunate enough to have had the experiences I've had or to have the freedom to come home to their parents and have a roof over their head as they look for a job. I'm not writing this to gloat, I'm writing this so that maybe some of you fellow grads who are in the same situation as me can find some sort of peace in knowing you're not the only one. I've decided to take this time of unknown futures to enjoy the present. I don't know what my plans are now. Saying that is both terrifying and exciting. But I know one thing. If we could make it through those 4+ years to get to this point, we can make it anywhere. 

I am, to quote John Green, "Grateful to be a little boat, full of water, still floating". If you're in this boat with me, let's just keep floating - we'll find the answer eventually.

                       

NEW YEAR

Hello there, long time no... see? Is see the word? Read? Whatever this is. I haven't made a post on this blog in quite a few months. To be honest, I simply lost interest in it. I lacked a motivation for posting, and my notebook full of ideas seemed pointless every time I would pick it up. I decided to try youtube for a while, and took my inspiration to that platform as I had found a community I loved there. I still have some interest in it, but at the moment I feel a bit disconnected from it. As a natural introvert, I find the most joy and comfort out of mediums like still photography and writing.

So, alas, here I am. This is a new year, and with it, comes new ideas and new passions. 2013 for me was an interesting one. There were many times where I felt stuck and lost - at least creatively. I had my ups and my downs personally and professionally, as many people do. This new year for me is a giant question mark. I will be graduating from college in five months time, which is both exhilarating and terrifying. I have so much work to do before then, and thinking about the work ahead of me after I receive my diploma gives me a mild heart attack. Not knowing what I plan to do with my life after I leave this place is probably the most stressful thing I've ever had to contemplate.

But on the other hand, it's the most exciting. It's easy to forget sometimes how lucky I am. Yes, this year will be a lot of work. Yes, it will be upsetting and stressful and confusing. But I have choices. I will have a degree in my hand before I even turn 22. I know with the state of the world as it is, with the unpromising state of our economy, and with the statistics of students getting jobs being as low as it is - especially in a major like mine - that I do not have an easy, or even promised, road ahead of me. But I do have a road ahead of me. I have choices and I have knowledge and I have support to follow the path that I choose to follow, or to create.

I'm not saying any of this to gloat or to brag about my life and the hand I've been dealt. I'm saying it to remind myself. And to remind any of you who might be in a similar crossroad in your life - whatever it may be. That no matter how rocky the future may appear in the distance, it can be far better than anything we have left behind. We have the power to make our own choices in this life. We have the power to choose happiness. So this year, I'm choosing happiness. I hope you do too.

Roadtrip South

I thought I would share just a few shots from my road trip this week I'm taking with my momma to Hilton Head, South Carolina and Savannah. I'm enjoying days on the beach and the mystical mossy oaks.


P.S. Yes, that is a TARDIS I found on the side of the road in South Carolina. I may have geeked out just a bit.

swoon // prints

I've been slightly obsessed with the website shoppe by scout mob lately, and have accumulated quite the wish list. I thought I would share with you some of my favorite prints! I'm changing up my wall art a bit in the apartment, so hopefully some of these will make their way up there.

1. Antlers and Axes  //  2. Damn Fine Day  //  3. Michigan Constellation  //  4. Solar System  //  5. Viva La Analog  //  6. Yellow Hibiscus Vintage Botanical  //  7. Iamsterdam Watercolor

independence day

 

Hello, everyone! I thought I would share with you some moments from my fourth of July celebrations at home this past week. We had some friends and family over for food and fireworks. We had vintage sodas, sangria, fresh corn on the cob, and a Tennessee Whiskey cake that was to die for. There was some rain at one point, but it worked out anyway.

I hope you all had lovely 4th's if you live in the states! (Although I hope you had a lovely one no matter what).