open

i just finished reading Open, Andre Agassi's autobiography and I loved it! it was recommended by a good friend who thought it might inspire me, which it totally did. at a point in my life when i have no less than a million thoughts swimming through my head at every moment, none of which make sense or seem connected - the book provides some relief in knowing everybody has similar struggles, the hardest one always seeming to be with oneself. i hope this helps me sort out some of the mumbo jumbo crowding my thoughts.

i especially enjoyed the opening quote:

One cannot always tell what it is that keeps us shut in, confines us, seems to bury us, but still one feels certain barriers, certain gates, certain walls. Is all this imagination, fantasy? I do not think so. And then one asks: My God! Is it for long, is it for ever, is it for eternity? Do you know what frees one from this captivity? It is very deep serious affection. Being friends, being brothers, love, that is what opens the prison by supreme power, by some magic force.

 - Vincent van Gogh, letter to his brother, July 1880

the times

some pics from my latest trip to vegas for amy's bach <3  i had much more fun than anticipated, which i think is always the best - pleasant surprises =)

truckin

currently jamming out to: passion pit - album: chunk of change

the past couple of weeks have been a whirlwind ride for me. to keep it short and sweet, and as TheDailyLove put it - the universe has shaken you to awaken you. i've always been a strong believer in living and learning and always growing, but sometimes i get complacent and forget. and so, from an undesirable and difficult situation emerges a better ME. and fully knowing that you are always your harshest critic, i continue to remind myself to not take myself so seriously. and to take each day for what it's worth - a true blessing <3

on a much lighter note, i picked up some little things a few weeks ago at bcbgeneration that bring a smile to my face. and at 50% off with an additional 30% off, the price was right!

fun nailpolish and cute creative keychain monsters =)

my preciousssss

i started a painting project six months ago with the largest canvas i could find at michaels. the idea came from domino magazine - which featured a stenciled painting hanging above a banquet table. i feel in love instantly with the pattern and looked into obtaining the stencil to recreate the look. unfortunately, i found the stencil but it came at a hefty price - nearly $150 for each panel of the stencil (there were 3 panels used!). so i decided to do the next best thing - i printed the super-low resolution images of the stencils (i could only enlarge it enough to barely fit on a single sheet of paper). and i hand-painted the pattern myself! its been a long time in the making, but i finally finished and am so glad i kept with it! its going up in my formal dining room which we've converted into a seating area for more functionality.

have a lovely weekend all! <3

color in the lines

was surfing the web for new desktop wallpapers the other day and came upon this site. jon burgerman colour in wallpapers and cards - so coool! actual wallpaper that you can color in yourself with markers or paint. im considering it for my study which im trying to redesign into a funky creative cave =)

http://www.jonburgerman.com/Work/comments/colour_in_wallpaper/

XXXO!

oh WHALE!!

just finished reading kelly cutrone's 'if you have to cry go outside' - and i must say, there is much more to her than meets the eye.  which is not surprising, being that her character was built around appearances on 'the hills' and 'the city'.  some of my fav quotes from the book:


'after all, you cant truly be happy if you've never known pain. you cant truly feel joy if you've never felt heartbreak. you cant really know what it's like to be filled unless you've been empty. and here's the other thing: sometimes in life seasons dont come in order; instead of fall, winter, spring, summer, we get three winters in a row. (by my second winter i tend to feel like a cave-woman frozen in a glacier.) but that doesnt mean spring wont come eventually.'


'if you dont let what you dont know stop you from doing your best in every situation, you will surprise yourself over and over in life, as I have.'


'there was so much i'd missed by indulging the lower energies of my mind: greed, ambition, insecurity, self-doubt, guilt. as i became conscious of something greater at my core - i couldnt prove it, and still cant, but i know it - a huge weight lifted off me; i experienced the wonders of the world with something akin to childlike awe.'


'but as you move through your career and life, you will have to learn that if youre not what you do, then what you do has no business keeping you entertained at night.'


'there is also a garden metaphor: your negative thoughts are weeds strangling the progress of your soul; you must find a way to kill them. killing the weeds wont keep them from growing back, but it's like waxing: eventually, if you keep waxing, your hair growth just becomes less and less.'


'if you allow fear to live inside of you after you've already put it to any possible good use - if you allow your mind, instead of your soul, to drive your car - you risk more than finding yourself on a hamster wheel. you also increase the possibility that youll manifest that fear and negative thinking outwardly.'

there are about a half dozen more i have earmarked, but i'll save those for another time =)

big mac

my new beauty from the hubbs!!! So excited - it's one of those things i've always eyed but could never justify buying for myself. my bro also installed the newest version of photoshop (CS5!!!) and got me a magic mouse - cant wait to play around with editing some photos on it.

happy humpers! =)

sure enough

"I wish that life should not be cheap, but sacred. I wish the days to be as centuries, loaded, fragrant."

-emerson

la la land

currently taking it back old school with: gwen stefani - the real thing.  love this song, brings back so many memories <3

back from hong kong, beijing, and ho chi minh city with a teeny bit of a tan, the accomplished feeling of surviving the "wild", and a new appreciation for life and the opportunities im blessed with everyday. it affects you in such a powerful way when you are there and living it and seeing it. i hope i continue to remember and am not easy to forget.

on another note, tomorrow is my 28th birthday!!! this year, i found myself a little more optimistic, versus past years where i would use my birthday as a stopping point to evaluate my life and nit-pick at it. i thought i had escaped it this year, but am finding myself constantly thinking about life in general today. with no conclusions of course - just my head in the clouds and rotating thoughts. geez, my specialty it seems =)

more to come soon

journey it

currently listening to: parachute - all that i am

snapshots from san diego.  gorgeous weather (although the chilliness in the shade/at night takes a little getting used to).  the ocean and crashing waves - the sound is so calming, and the sight so humbling.

and a pic of my new treasures from a discount warehouse here in dallas - love the yurman looking rings, and the price was right!

happy tuesday loves =)

MIA in may

jam packed weekends this coming month - about to catch my flight to san diego!  austin next for miss thao's bday, then off to china and vietnam for what im sure will be a very memorable (and humid/hot) experience =).  will try to squeeze in posts in between.  been having serious brain farts lately - where i just think and think...but i never seem to come to any conclusions nor do any actions come of it =(.  in serious need of some motivation, inspiration and ambition. 

on another note, discovered an awesome jewelry wholesale place here in dallas (thanks to some savvy gfs here).  will post some of my finds later - such a steal!

today is the new today

emerson is one of my favorite philosophers and poets by far:

Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year. He is rich who owns the day, and no one owns the day who allows it to be invaded with fret and anxiety. Finish every day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities, no doubt crept in. Forget them as soon as you can, tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely, with too high a spirit to be cumbered with your old nonsense. This new day is too dear, with its hopes and invitations, to waste a moment on the yesterdays.

ralph waldo emerson

the classics

since recently finding myself free of the 9-5 hustle and bustle, i also dont have my usual cash flow that proved so convenient when shopping, eating, etc.  My new plan of attack has been to cut down on shopping, only making purchases that are less trendy and more worthwhile.  Simple, classic pieces that I can wear over and over and will still be of use to me a year(s) down the road.  

My latest find: Sam Edelman black ballet flats.  I wear flats more than any other type of shoe - and well, my current pair of black flats is reaching the end of its shoe-life.  A great deal at $44 (nordstrom rack!), and it has a cute leopard print lining =)

you called me sugar

currently listening to:  pink - glitter in the air
so mellow...

my sweet tooth has grown considerably since meeting the hubbs.  some of my favorite sugary delights in dallas - rest assure if im anywhere in the area i'll stop in to grab a couple:

sprinkles cupcakes - the sugary icing kind. they also have the cutest, modern, posh bakery. shown here: lemon coconut, red velvet, carrot, strawberry (my fav)

nothing bundt cakes - super moist with cream cheese frosting. my fav - red velvet (they have chocolate chips in it!)

la me flan - super light, airy flan. not too sweet, and with a rich expresso syrup at the bottom. SO good

lillian bassman

i discovered lillian bassman's work at the dallas art fair, where peter fetterman gallery was showcasing some of her photography.  i fell in love! lillian was a fashion photographer in the 40's and 50's for harper's bazaar - known for her high contrast and somewhat blurred photographs. i think her photographs are gorgeous and the epitome of class and elegance.  a few of my favs:

penny for your thoughts

currently jamming out to alicia keys - how it feels to fly

(chorus)
I am running
I dont wanna come down
Hope my wings dont fail me now
And if I can touch the sky
I'd risk the fall
Just to know how it feels to fly


empire state of mind (part II) is also beautiful

i love thinking songs <3

headquarters

some quick snapshots from roaming around the house:

broke camera

argh the hubbs accidentally dropped my slr while we were vacationing in new orleans =(.  it's not auto-focusing and i have a sneakin suspicion it's the lens that might be damaged - possible $400 down the drain.  off to the camera shop this week to find out - crossing fingers!!

lately:

austin shennanigans with thao and doah <3

beignets at cafe du monde - YES, they taste as good as they look

i love aquariums! - aquarium of americas

cheers 2010 <3

"I must be myself. I cannot break myself any longer for you, or you. If you can love me for what I am, we shall be the happier. If you cannot, I will still seek to deserve that you should. I will not hide my tastes or aversions. I will so trust that what is deep is holy, that I will do strongly before the sun and moon whatever inly rejoices me, and the heart appoints. If you are noble, I will love you; if you are not, I will not hurt you and myself by hypocritical attentions. If you are true, but not in the same truth with me, cleave to your companions; I will seek my own. I do this not selfishly, but humbly and truly. It is alike your interest, and mine, and all men's, however long we have dwelt in lies, to live in truth. Does this sound harsh to-day? You will soon love what is dictated by your nature as well as mine, and, if we follow the truth, it will bring us out safe at last."
         - Ralph Waldo Emerson