Quote of the Week: {July 28, 2014)

"Deep Summer is when laziness finds respectability." 

-Sam Keen

It's summertime and it's easy to find things to do, but sometimes, when the weather's so warm, all you want to do is walk on the beach or lay out in the warm sun. I have definitely been indulging in both of those things, and enjoying it profoundly. Being lazy in the middle of Summer is not something to be ashamed of, it's expected. Relax a bit, find somewhere that you like and enjoy just being there. 

What are you doing this Summer?

xoxo

Quote of the Week {March 10, 2014}

"She stood in the storm, and when the wind did not blow her way, she adjusted her sails." 

-Elizabeth Edwards

Happy March, everybody!

Sorry I've been missing-in-action: with work and school, along with workouts and my attempts to have some semblance of a social life, I have been too busy to post! 

Life has been handing me a lot of things to do, to consider, to work on, and I will accept the challenges life is handing me and try my best to work past it all. 

I will do my best to update more, but I can't promise too much with all of these challenges I'm facing at the moment! I hope that you are all having a wonderful month so far & learn to adjust your sails, too, when the wind does not blow your way.

xoxo

Quote of the Week: {Feb. 17, 2014}

"We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch - we are going back to whence we came."

-John F. Kennedy

Happy President's Day!

I hope that you are enjoying the day, remembering some presidents of the past and, if you are lucky enough to have the day off, enjoying the ocean! If you don't live close to an ocean, and have the day off, I hope you are finding something fun to do!

I am going to the beach after I finish an essay that I have to write, and I can't wait! It is gorgeous outside in California today, so I am very excited to go soak up some of that sun. 

Have a wonderful president's day, everybody!

xoxo

Happy February! & {Quote of the Week}

Happy February! 

Wow, where did a whole month go?

I have been crazy-busy with work and school (three-hour long classes that don't end until 9:40pm... ughhh). But other than that, I've been doing homework, reading some amazing books, and attempting to get some time to relax in there. 

Which leads me to the quote of the week:

"It's not the load that breaks you down, it's the way you carry it."

-Lena Home

This quote serves as a reminder that you are strong enough to handle what life sends your way, and if it seems like too much (which it often does), find a different way to carry it. Take deep breaths. Pick something manageable to start with, and everything will be okay.

I'm a really big list-person. I love lists. There's something so rewarding about being able to check off something, and when my list is done, I feel so relaxed! 

I make one big list for my week and divide it up into the days, and you know what? If it doesn't all get finished, it is not the end of the world.

Make sure you add some de-stress time to your list or your life!

It helps, I swear. 

xoxo

{Quote of the Week} 1/27/2014

"There is only one way to avoid criticism: do nothing, say nothing, and be nothing."

-Aristotle

Life is all about the messy parts - it is the ups and downs of life that keeps it so interesting. Criticism from others does not feel good, but it is also a part of life, and unless you do what Aristotle said - do, say, and therefore be nothing - you cannot avoid criticism. And if you do nothing, you fail by default because you have not lived your life. 

So today I am telling you to take chances. Make mistakes. You may get some criticism along the way, but you will have lived a better life and hopefully become a better person for it.

xoxo

p.s. I start my night classes tonight! I won't be out of class until 10pm three nights a week- gah! Wish me luck!

Quote of the Week 1/13/2014

"It's always summer somewhere."

-Lilly Pulitzer

I'm enjoying what I've nicknamed "June"-uary here in Northern California - it's been 70 degrees and sunny for most of this year! Pictured above is a photo I took on a jog Thursday evening  - such a beautiful sunset, no? So, while the weather or your mindset may not be the best, just remember what the great Lilly Pulitzer once said,
"It's always summer somewhere."

It will be your summer at some point, too!

Enjoy the day, whatever the weather!

xoxo

P.S. Announcements to follow!

Quote of the Week 1/6/2014

 

"You are the piece of the puzzle of someone else's life. You may never know where you fit, but others will fill the holes in their lives with pieces of you."

-Bonnie Arbon

 

I love my friends and family, but despite all of their love, I am in a new place and I'm looking for a new friend group to fit into. Sometimes I need to remind myself that someone will come into my life when they are meant to - I will make more friends and find people who will become part of my family. And even when I feel unnecessary, I remind myself of this quote - I may not know how important I am in the lives of those around me.

 

Even if you are feeling unimportant, think of this quote and remember that others may see the beauty and importance of your soul, even if you are blind to it.

You are important.

 

xoxo,

Caryn

Quote of the Week 12/16/2013

"Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful."

-Norman Vincent Peale

Christmas is just nine days away and I am so excited! Decorating my house for the first time, fun holiday crafts at work, catching up with friends and family ... It really is the best time of the year. 

There's so much in store for the next week and a half, I hope to be able to update enough so that I can share everything! I've been having a great time since finals ended; the best time of the year is here!

What is your favorite thing about Christmas?

xoxo

Quote of the Week 12/9/2013

"Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly..."

-proverb

This quote is really inspirational; your life may feel like it is falling apart, but you will find that your struggles often make you a stronger and more beautiful person in the end. This past year has been a great struggle for me, and instead of letting it make me upset, I am trying my best to do one thing at a time, take things in stride, and use my struggles to my advantage. 

Happy Monday, everyone!

xoxo

Quote of the Week 12/2/2013

"If the whole world was blind, how many people would you impress?"

-Boonaa Mohammed

In a world that is constantly bombarding us with images, ads, etc. that have been altered to be more beautiful, more thin, more something, and having been raised in that world, it is hard not to think that beauty - or lack thereof - is the only thing our society cares about. I've been struggling with image issues since before my teens, but whenever I am having a really tough day loving my body, I try to remember that I am so much more than just a body. 

I have a mind that loves to learn, I aim to be kind to everybody even when I don't feel like it, I work hard and focus on doing the things that I love rather than the things that will get me money. Money and beauty are not the whole world, just two small parts. 

Today, and everyday, I aim to be a better person. To be a kinder, loving, educated, witty, person. That's what inner beauty is, and that is the kind of beauty that I admire most. 

Happy Monday!

xoxo

Quote of the Week 11/19/2013

"I realized this week that I cannot do it all. So I will choose to do what I can, fabulously." -Clinton Kelly

These past few weeks have been tough: I have attempted to be a good student in classes that are not of much interest to me, I work my butt off at the preschool, and I still want some semblance of a social life, although making out-of-class friends has still not happened, really. I have been in a rut, and it's not like me at all. So I am taking some advice from Clinton Kelly, and realizing that I really cannot do it all. There are so many precious hours in a day, and I should not waste the precious hours of my life doing things that I hate. 

So I am choosing a different path for myself. 

It will be different and semi-unconventional, but that's fine with me because it is my life. 

You only get one, so live it in a way that makes you happy.

xoxo

Quote of the Week: 10/28/2013

"Your cadaverous pallor betrays an aura of foreboding..." 

-Disneyland's Haunted Mansion

It is soon to be Halloween, and that means trick-or-treats, b-rated horror films and all things spooky. This quote just fits perfectly in the "spooky" category, if you ask me. 

Disneyland is in the midst of their Halloween theme, and while I haven't been during October yet, I'm hoping to next year! They add huge mickey pumpkins all around the park and transform the Haunted Mansion into the Nightmare Before Christmas (which is super cool - they keep that up until New Year's and it's a great add on to the Christmas decor). Anywho, I'm getting all caught up in my Disneyland withdrawals.

The Haunted Mansion starts off really spookily, you enter a room where you are introduced to your "ghost host" and then you choose a gallery room which stretches. Most people think that you're still in line at this point, but it is technically a part of the ride! My favorite part, too... It's much spookier than the part in the ghost buggies. One of the very first things that our "ghost host" says, though, once the doors to the gallery are shut and the rooms start to stretch, is: "Your cadaverous pallor betrays an aura of foreboding, almost as if you sense a disquieting metamorphosis..." 

Spooky, yeah?

Enjoy your Hallo-week!

xoxo

Quote of the Week 10/21/2013

"Not all those who wander are lost."

 -J.R.R. Tolkien

 I have been a bit MIA lately, and it's not just been on here; school had me completely stressed and it was horrible. I was on the verge of just dropping out entirely. However, I talked to a friend who has been through this before and she told me to look over all of the majors my school has to offer, pick out a few, and she will help me decide on one. Unfortunately, while I loved learning Italian at my community college, it did not translate well at university: the language is all-of-a-sudden way beyond my grasp. 

Anywho, I'm wandering right now... I thought I was lost, beyond help; it was just the situation I was in. I let it take over my life when in reality, it is one small part of my life. So that is my advice this week: step back from a problem that has you entirely stressed, and ask yourself if this is really going to matter in the grand scheme of your life story? Sometimes it is, and I'm sorry for those times, but they make us stronger. But other times, you will come to realize it's not that important. 

It's okay to wander. 

xoxo

Quote of the Week 10/14/2013

"Keep your face always toward the sunshine and the shadows will fall behind you." 

-Walt Whitman

It's hard to be optimistic sometimes, really hard, but I would rather strive to live my life as happy as possible than be miserable. Sure, some days I just want to sit in my bed and wallow, but usually I have too much to do and am unable to do that. So instead, I take a little bit of advice from Walt Whitman and find the sunshine in my day. I keep this quote in mind often and it usually reminds me to think positively and live my life to the fullest. 

Happy Monday!

 xoxo

Quote of the Week 10/7/2013

"Don't compare your beginning to someone else's middle."

 -Jon Acuff

Life gets rough sometimes, but you have to teach yourself to keep your head up and to tough it out. You cannot compare yourselves to others; we are often our own worst enemy and comparing an idea you have of someone else's life is not going to make your life any better. 

Do not look at the lives of others to figure out how to make yours better.

Look only to yourself.

Then you will find what it is you are searching for, and it is your job to find a way to make it happen.

xoxo

Quote of the Week 9/30/2013

"Find something you're passionate about and keep tremendously interested in it." 

-Julia Child

I have found things that I am passionate about. Many things. But usually they do not keep my attention for very long. My passion for the last two years of my studies has been the Italian language and culture. It fascinated me; I was always wanting to learn more.

But as of late, my passion for not only the language but the culture, too, has grown weak. I am taking two history classes related to Roman culture and so, Italian culture. And I am also taking a class, taught in Italian, about opera. And I am falling apart a little bit. I feel incredibly behind already, and I am at a loss. I want so dearly to love my major, to regain that passion, but these classes (especially the opera class) are making me detest everything I once loved and wanted to know more about. 

So, I will remind myself that it is only a quarter: ten weeks of my life. Then I can hopefully find some better classes, like Italian art history, or something to do with Italian literature that doesn't bore me to tears. 

Until then, I will attempt to listen to Julia Child. I will try my hardest to keep tremendously interested in my passion. 

What is your passion and what are you doing to keep it interesting?

xoxo

Quote of the week: 9/23/2013

"Fall has always been my favorite season. The time when everything bursts with its last beauty, as if nature had been saving up all year for the grand finale." 

-Lauren DeStephano, Wither

Ahhh, Fall. It is here at last, seeing as yesterday was the official first day! Oddly enough, it rained all of Saturday, the last day of Summer, and was bright, sunny, and warm for the first day of Autumn. But I am so ready for leggings and big cozy sweaters, scarves and hot cocoa. 

So this quote is for the second day of Autumn, and though I have yet to read the book, Wither, finding this quote will motivate me to finish my current readings and try to get my hands on Lauren DeStephano's book. 

Happy Autumn, everybody!

xoxo

Quote of the Week 9/16/2013

"She did not need much. Wanted very little. A kind word, sincerity, fresh air, clean water, a garden, kisses, books to read, sheltering arms, a cozy bed, and to love and be loved in return."

-Starra Neely Blade

The quote above essentially sums up all that I want in life. I do not mind the thought of a simple life, so long as it is full of love and joy. I would love to travel the world, but even more than that, I want to build a life with someone I am ardently in love with, who feels the same way about me. 

I haven't found that person yet, nor have I been able to travel the world, but I'm hoping that those things will come in time. 

Currently, I'm just enjoying my fresh air, clean water, books, my cozy bed, and my garden.

What are your hopes for life? What are you grateful for having?

xoxo

Quote of the Week, 9/9/2013

Found here

"Always be a little kinder than necessary." -J.M. Barrie

Kindness is a quality that truly deserves admiration. It is needed to have friendships and relationships, and these days, it is not seen quite as much as it should be. 

So today, and hopefully other days as well, remember to be kind, even if you do not really want to. It may make all the difference in the world to the people who surround you.

xoxo

Quote of the Week, 9/2/13

Found here

"Always be a first-rate version of yourself instead of a second-rate version of somebody else."

-Judy Garland

Sometimes, we need a reminder to always be true to ourselves rather than trying to become someone else. Sure, their life may seem wonderful, but there is no way to know what they are going through unless you step into their shoes. Since that isn't possible, you should take your life, what you have been blessed with, and work to become the best person you can be. It is the best way to live your life. 

xoxo