Like a rising sun...

I went on a run this morning in the brisk winter cold.  It took everything I had to pull myself from the warm security of my cocooned covers, but it was worth everything, too. 

Every day is another chance.  Every sunrise whispers, "try again."  Listen to Mason Jenning's "Be here now" and see what I mean.

Life inspiration: Drew Barrymore

Some people (like a fine wine-ha!) just get better with age.  Drew Barrymore is one of those people. 



Is it just me, or is she simply glowing these days?  Drew is a personal inspiration for several reasons.  She is eternally optimistic, she has faced down her demons and come out the other side, she is spontaneous, she is confident, she is a free spirit, she is authentic, aware, and in touch with her heart.



I believe that as we get older, our true self shines through.  If we work at cultivating qualities like gratitude, inner peace, and love, our aura gets brighter with age.  If we spend our days filled with worry, doubt, or focus on impermanent superficiality, our aura dims.  As we get older, we look more and more like how we feel. 



Drew's positivity is easy to mock.  She has been continuously parodied on SNL and her hippie perspective is easy to impersonate.  But you know, she doesn't seem to care.  She doesn't take herself too seriously.  The fact that she is outspokenen about her dreams, aspirations, and idealistic viewpoints does open her up for criticism. Haters are gonna hate.  She just keeps forging ahead.



Drew has always been beautiful, but more and more, I am finding her stunning.  I love her spirit and what she has to say about life, art, and creativity.

Shine on, Drew!

I never regret anything. Because every little detail of your life is what made you into who you are in the end. -drew

I used to look in the mirror and feel shame, I look in the mirror now and I absolutely love myself. -drew

I've always said that one night, I'm going to find myself in some field somewhere, I'm standing on grass, and it's raining, and I'm with the person I love, and I know I'm at the very point I've been dreaming of getting to. - drew

God made a very obvious choice when he made me voluptuous; why would I go against what he decided for me? My limbs work, so I'm not going to complain about the way my body is shaped. -drew

but we lean forward to the next crazy venture beneath the skies.

(this photo taken somewhere between texas and arkansas. a family road trip is one of the best kinds.)

Sunset Musings

I thank you God for this most amazing day, for the leaping greenly spirits of trees, and for the blue dream of sky and for everything which is natural, which is infinite, which is yes.  ~e.e. cummings



When you realize how perfect everything is you will tilt your head back and laugh at the sky.  ~Buddha



There is one spectacle grander than the sea, that is the sky; there is one spectacle grander than the sky, that is the interior of the soul.  ~Victor Hugo

(photos taken in Bird Rock, La Jolla ~ San Diego)

Don't live an accident.

Be not the slave of your own past.

(Photo taken yesterday evening in Bird Rock, La Jolla. San Diego never ceases to amaze me on a daily basis.)

Be not the slave of your own past.  Plunge into the sublime seas, dive deep and swim far, so you shall come back with self-respect, with new power, with an advanced experience that shall explain and overlook the old.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

This is the last piece of my life, he said.

Saw this on Meg's beautiful blog today and it gave me chills.  It immediately reminded me of my dad towards the end of his life.  How his body became frail, his mind abstract, his touch almost non-existent.  He had previously been depressed about his deterioration, yet became increasingly light-hearted towards the end.  I imagine these words somehow touch on what he must have felt like. Yes, chills. Goosebumps.

  "The day he first told me he
was starting to disappear I
didn't believe him & so he stopped
& held his hand up to the sun & it
was like thin paper in the light &
finally I said, you seem very calm
for a man who is disappearing &
he said it was a relief after all
those years of trying to keep the
pieces of his life in one place. 
Later on, I went to see him
again & as I was leaving, he
put a package in my hand.
     This is the last piece of my 
life, he said. take good care 
of it & then he smiled & was
gone & the room filled with the
sound of the wind & when I
opened the package there was
nothing there & I thought
there must be some mistake 
or maybe I dropped it & I 
got down on my hands &
knees  & looked until the light
began to fade & then slowly
I felt pieces of my life 
fall away & suddenly I 
understood what he meant 
& I lay there for a long 
time crying & laughing at
the same time. "
Brian Andreas
Story People

I hope you dance.

My mom gave me a special book with the lyrics to the song "I hope you dance" in it when I graduated from high school.  I had been a dancer my whole life and was leaving my dance studio behind for a brand new life.  The book is now tucked away in a special spot, one of the few treasures I have still totally in tact, preserved in time. The lyrics to the song (although admittedly somewhat cheesy!) mean a lot to me and always remind me of that special time of transition in my life.  The lyrics are much needed reminders to live with courage in our minds, our bodies, our spirits.



I hope you never lose your sense of wonder
You get your fill to eat
But always keep that hunger
May you never take one single breath for granted
God forbid love ever leave you empty handed
I hope you still feel small
When you stand by the ocean
Whenever one door closes, I hope one more opens
Promise me you'll give faith a fighting chance



And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance
I hope you dance



I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance
Never settle for the path of least resistance
Living might mean taking chances
But they're worth taking
Lovin' might be a mistake
But it's worth making
Don't let some hell bent heart
Leave you bitter
When you come close to selling out
Reconsider
Give the heavens above
More than just a passing glance



And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance
I hope you dance



-Lee Ann Womack "I hope you dance"

(images:  apostrophe9.tumblr.com .  rachelswandesign.blogspot.com . wherethelovelythingsare.com . )

Tomorrow is a new day.

It takes guts.

image from here.

Don't worry, be happy.

(I got this mug over the weekend and I think I'm in love.  I put it out there that I wanted to find a fabulous mug for my morning coffee.  A mug to be part of a sacred routine.  To take things slow with, to count my blessings with, to take a moment of peace with.  "Be happy" is such a simple reminder for my heart.  Happiness is truly a choice.  Happiness is the result of taking responsibility for our lives, our reactions, our actions.  Life is tough, but there is so much to be excited for.)

The most important thing is to enjoy your life - to be happy - it's all that matters. -audrey hepburn

Friday means some Ani lyrics and a photo strip for good measure.

i do it for the joy it brings
because i am a joyful girl.
because the world owes me nothing
and we owe each other the world.
i do it cause its the least i can do.
because i learned it from you.
i do it just because i want to...
because i want to.

everything i do is judged
and they mostly get it wrong
but, oh well.
the bathroom mirror has not budged
and the woman who lives there can tell
the truth from the stuff they say.
she looks me in the eye
and says would you prefer the easy way?
no?
well,
ok then...
don't cry.

and i wonder if everything i do
i do instead
of something i would rather do more.
the question fills my head.
and i know there is no grand plan here,
this is just the way it goes.
i do it for the joy it brings
because i am a joyful girl.

-ani difranco "joyful girl"
(love this song.  applies to a lot of the times i think..."why do i blog? why do i take pictures? why do i draw? what's the point? why? why? why?)




have a good weekend. xoxo!

Photography Love

My love of taking photos has grown and grown lately!  My new i-phone makes taking artsy and vintage photos super easy.  Also, super addictive.  Here are some photos, plus quotes I'm digging lately. 



"The sky where we live is no place to lose your wings so love, love, love." - Hafiz



"Ever since happiness heard your name, it has been running through the streets trying to find you." -Hafiz



"Day by day old joy, comes back to me." -Noah and the Whale



"Perhaps all the dragons in our lives are pinrcesses who are only waiting to see us act, just once, with beauty and courage. Perhaps everything that frightens us is, in its deepest essence, something helpless that wants our love." -Rilke

A treasure trove of awesomeness.

I stumbled upon photographer Parker Fitzgerald's flickr and discovered so much awesomeness! He dabbles in digital photography, Polaroid snapping, and (my personal fave) lomography. I love his series of "365 Polaroid Quotes."