{ words for your week }

I know I can't be the only one who gets so focused on an end goal that I miss the beauty of the in between. I've realized that I almost never fully appreciate things in the present, I only see how wonderful it was when I'm looking back at it.

Here's to learning to enjoy the journey!

One other thing I plan to try to be better at this week: turning the computer off after 8pm. I want to be more productive during the day so that my nights can be spent more with my loved ones. Yes? Yes. 

Hope you all have a wonderful day. Do something fun for yourself. Some of my favorite Monday treats? A warm croissant, or chocolate milk in a wine glass. Today, I plan to engage in Happy Hour.

Thanks for stopping in! I'll see you all tomorrow.

lovelovelove.

-C

image via

{ words for your week: don't discount yourself. }

Tomorrow morning my home is being featured on The Everygirl. 

You know that REALLY surprised face that Taylor Swift has every time she wins an award? 

(By the way, this is not me making fun of Tswift. I totally love that lady.)

Well, that was pretty much my face when The Everygirl told me they wanted to feature my little ol' apartment. I have been a huge, huge fan of both Danielle and Alaina's blogs for quite some time now. Receiving a compliment like that from two ladies who I've admired for so long had me literally leaping down the hallways at work. 

No, seriously. There was lots of leaping.

I just want to be honest with you guys because it's just not me to play it cool. I'm not cool at all. This is such a surreal experience for me, and I'm still not sure I'll believe it until tomorrow. Either way, I just wanted to remember this day because this process has reminded me that you should never discount yourself. Crazier things have happened than your dreams coming true.

Thank you, The Everygirl.

I hope you all will stop over tomorrow for a peek into my home.  Sending lots of love your way this week.

-C

{ words for your week }

Don't be the one that stands in your way.

Hey, everyone! How was your weekend? I spent mine hanging low. Yesterday was my first Sunday off in a long time, so even though I didn't do anything particularly Easter-like (my family is all in a different state) I did get to spend some quality time with the boyfriend, which was wonderful. And I did lotsa relaxin'. 

I have quite a few things on the to-do list today. You know that feeling when you  keep seeing the same things reappearing because you keep putting 'em off? Yeah. Thats me right now. Trying to force myself to bite the bullet and get it all done. 

Have a wonderful Monday, everyone. Treat yourself to something fun today! Mondays are hard enough. My treat of choice? Chocolate milk in a wine glass with my breakfast. ;).

Thanks for stopping in! lovelovelove.

-C

photo via GlitterGuides tumblr

{ words for your week }

A wonderful past acting teacher used to say this in his classes, and I can't help but continue to refer to it long after I stopped acting. Especially in blogland, it is far too easy to look at other entrepreneurs or bloggers and become discouraged that you are not as far down a certain path as they are. We're only human, so I imagine these feelings won't ever completely subside, but I do imagine if we focus our energy on where we currently are and just continue to do our absolute best one day at a time (instead of constantly looking ahead at some mystified goal that we have created for ourselves) we will find that soon enough, we surpass our own expectations. 

Thanks so much for stopping in today, guys. I can't wait for a wonderful week of catching up with and being inspired by all of you. lovelovelove.

-C

{ words for your week }

The only real new years resolution that I set for myself this year was to stop apologizing for myself and the things I wanted. I'm a really easily embarrassed person and I really started to notice that this was causing some major compromises for the things that I wanted in my life. I started blogging in 2009, but it was really only this year that I started stepping outside of my comfort zone and tweeting/regularly commenting with other bloggers. Before then, I had told myself that if I tried to reach out and interact, I would look like a doofus. I just felt really insignificant and timid, which is something that I think many bloggers can relate to. But it wasn't just with blogging. There have been countless posts, tweets or advertisements about job opportunities/internships that I talked myself out of even applying for. Every time I saw something that sounded like a great opportunity I would silently and sub-conciously apologize to myself. "Sorry to disappoint you, I know that sounds amazing, but it's just not going to happen."

As I'm writing it out this all sounds rather dramatic, but it's really the truth of the matter. I just didn't realize it for so long because these thoughts and apologies became so habitual that I started not to even notice them anymore. But my frustration grew and grew as I continued to watch opportunity after opportunity pass by. Finally, I became tired enough of feeling like an audience member in my own life that I decided to change my attitude. I knew it wasn't going to be easy, but at the start of this year, I made it my goal to stop apologizing, and start trying. 

I've surprised myself with how much this new thought process has changed my life. I take my goals and aspirations more seriously instead of just dismissing them, and whaddya know, because of that, it seems that others do too. A few weeks ago I applied for a summer internship with Jess Constable, designer and founder at Jess LC, Makeunder My Life and the Business with Intention Workshops. Interning with Jess was something that had been floating around in my head since I first discovered her in 2009, but I honestly never, ever thought it would happen. But it is. I'm going to Chicago in June to be her intern. This, coupled with a couple of other exciting things coming up, makes me feel like I must be reading someone else's blog or looking in at someone else's life. To some people, these opportunities may not seem monumental, but they are to me. They remind me that the first step to getting what you want is stop apologizing for it. 

{ Words for your week }

Good morning, everyone! I'm about to hit the road to Baltimore for Spring Break. Hopefully the eight hours of driving will go by quickly because I am so anxious to get there to see my sister and friends!

I love this Monday's "words for your week." We're all going somewhere, folks :).

I hope you have a very happy Monday. Be sure to check by the blog again for more goodies this week. Thank you all so much for stopping by. lovelovelove.

-C

Photo via Patterson Maker by Ben Watts Photography

{ Faith }

Remembering this as I embark on my day. Go visit TheEverygirl to see the full feature. 

Enjoying breakfast, getting dressed, and marking things off of my to-do list. Hope you all have a beautiful day. Thank you so much for stopping by. lovelovelove.

-C

{ Words for Your Week & an Upcoming Project }

"It's always darkest before the dawn,
shake it out...and it's hard to dance with a devil on your back, so shake him off."

I was having sort of a crummy last couple of days last week, mostly just feeling frustrated with work and school and wishing opportunities would blossom just a little faster. As I was driving to work on Saturday, "Shake it off" by Florence and the Machine came on and lifted my spirits. So this week, instead of being anxious, I'm just gonna do the best I can and shake it off. Who's with me?


In other news...
The Everygirl posted a new feature today sharing the art of styling an entryway and left me feeling all sorts of inspired. My entry is an area that is always a work in progress. Currently, I'm on the hunt for a good coat rack, and as The Everygirl confirmed, a large mirror. Here's how it's looking now:

Here's whats on the agenda:

-find a large mirror
-a coat rack
-spruce up the plain jane white lamp shade


Sounds like fun!


Thanks for stopping by today, everyone :)

lovelovelove.

-C

photo 1 via, photo 2 from my own camera

{ words for your week }

"What happens when we lose the things that anchor us? What if, instead of grasping at something to hold on to, we pull up our roots and walk away? Instead of trying to find the way back, we walk deeper and deeper into the woods, willing ourselves to get lost. In this place where nothing is recognizable, not the people or the language or the food, we are truly on our own. Eventually, we find ourselves encumbered by the past or the future. Here is a fleeting glimpse of our truest self, our self in the present moment. After that, maybe we can finally go home--or maybe not."

"What I found on the road was a tiny piece of myself, the one I kept unknowingly shuttered for so long in order to play the many roles I thought were mine. It was no cyclone, but these past few years I had survived my own personal disasters and realized I was strong enough. I was on the other side. In this new place, I could hear the whispering voice inside my head growing louder, my voice--not those of my parents or teachers or Carly or Muriel, even--telling me to live my life without fear or worry or doubt that nothing was going according to plan, as though such a plan ever existed in the first place."

I've been reading a memoir by Rachel Friedman called The Good Girl's Guide to Getting Lost, and when I read these passages I knew I had to share them with you. They tugged at my heart strings, as I'm sure they will yours. It's a really inspirational story and I'm glad I picked it from the book store.

For now, I'm off to get dressed, grab some coffee and a croissant (sometimes I treat myself to a croissant on Mondays because it makes me feel French and puts me in a happy mood) and will be heading into work for a little bit. Monday's are supposed to be my day off, I'm not sure how I ended up going back into work during them. Le sigh.


Thank you all so much for stopping by today. I hope these words help start your week off right. lovelovelove.

-C

{ Inspiration for your day }

It's Thursday! Here's what is inspiring me today:

{Imagine working from your desk with a view of the Eiffel Tower}

{Pursue any goal}

{light. textures. patterns.}

{simple is best}

photo 1, 2, 3, 4

Today I'll be doing some Christmas shopping and preparing for my early flight to Baltimore on Friday morning! Lots to do. Thank you all so much for stopping by. I hope your week is going wonderful, and that Thursday brings you smiles and joy <3

lovelovelove.

-C

{words for your week}

"Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary." -Steve Jobs

image via

{ Words for your week }

We need some light.
First of all, we need some light.
You can't sit here in the dark.
And all alone, it's a sorry sight.
It's just you and me.
We'll live, you'll see.
Night after night,
We'd sit and wait for the morning light.
But we've waited far too long,
For all that's wrong to be made right.

Day after day,
Wishing all our cares away.
Trying to fight the things we feel,
But some hurts never heal.
Some ghosts are never gone,
But we go on,
We still go on.

And you find some way to survive
And you find out you don't have to be happy at all,
to be happy you're alive.

Day after day,
Give me clouds, and rain and gray.
Give me pain, if that's what's real.
It's the price we pay to feel.

The price of love is loss,
But still we pay.
We love anyway.

And when the night has finally gone,
And when we see the new day dawn,
We'll wonder how we wandered for so long, so blind.
The wasted world we thought we knew,
The light will make it look brand new.

So let it shine.

Day after day We'll find the will to find our way.
Knowing that the darkest skies will someday see the sun.

When our long night is done,
There will be light.

- Light from Next to Normal


Such a beautiful, inspiring song, and one that is touching my heart right now. 
I'll be spending today cleaning my apartment, catching up on work, making blog posts for the week, and soaking up the last day of the weekend. 


Thank you very much for stopping by. lovelovelove.


-C 

photo via Patterson Maker