Reading is Cool

"Read, learn, work it up, go to the literature. Knowledge is power!" Joan Didion

Last week my little cousin Cord was visiting from Oklahoma. He is 7. He is 7 and sat on my couch perturbed that I was interrupting his reading of Moby Dick. The kid is amazing. I didn't know wether to be embarrassed or inspired. So I chose both. The next day I finished writing my summer book list and started The Impossible Art.

America is Awesome!

I love 4th of July! It's always been one of my favorite holidays! It makes us all stop and really consider the blessing of Liberty that we all have and can so easily take for granted. There is something amazing about having a country to love. We should regard the blessing of freedom with deep gratitude and always be mindful of it's cost. This country was built on incredible courage, great imagination and unbeatable determination and bravery! We are so blessed and we should celebrate it! We are Americans! We are yankees and cowboys and firecrackers and patriots and we are lucky!

So have fun at your cookouts and pool parties or baseball games and beach days and make sure you think about all the reasons you love this country!

and here are some little 4th of July designs I made! You can pull them from here and print them as a 5x7 for a card or to decorate for your celebration!

Have I done any good in the World today?

“the needs of others are ever present, and each of us can do something to help someone”.

Made another freebie of whats on my mind...

There is so much you stand to lose when you withhold sweet expressions of love

why not people how wonderful you think they are?

You afraid your supply of compliments to give out is gonna dry up one day?

and it could be just what they need to hear

Attitude Check

So here's a little food for thought-

There is great power in the attitude you outwardly reflect. Not only is it the key to making the people around you feel loved, and supported and awesome- But when you have a happy outward demeanor you will truly find more happiness in the little things and see more good in the world and in people. Its like the awesome ongoing circle. You put on your happiest smile and your perception of the world will be a little sunnier.

It's up to you

It's about perception. It's your life and it's your choice whether its a happy one or not.

Just something to think about...

Sometimes...

Life Stings a Little.

We don't get the answers we want. Things don't work out or go our way. Sometimes life happens and hurts our heart a little (or a lot). But the beauty is that it's ok. Heavenly Father is listening and there is honey to be had. The sting will fade and we will come out on the other side a little stronger for having gone through that. In the past few days I've spent a good amount of time with just me and my thoughts. And while thinking (and over thinking) doesn't ease the hurt as much, some realizations do come. No one said growing pains are super fun. But I've decided that it is these times that help us become exactly who the Lord needs us to be. I've just been trying to remember...

"Keep your face toward the sunshine and the shadows will fall" -Walt Whitman

My sunshine has been sweet friends (and cousins) and surfing and reading and sleeping and taking pictures and running (a lot of running). It's all gonna be ok and if it wasn't for times like these I wouldn't truly appreciate the sweet and wonderful times. I guess all I'm trying to say is even when everything stinks, life is still pretty great.

It's Gonna Be Ok

This is the week before midterms and It has totally solidified a lesson for me. Life gets so overwhelming. Things have due dates, people rely on you, and sometimes things don't go according to plan, sometimes even despite adequate planning or good intentions youre in a rainstorm.

But These Times are the test of a

True Optimist

Its easy to be happy when life is great. But when the rain pours, you really do have to CHOOSE to be happy. Make the choice to say "it's all going to be ok- I can handle this-life is still rad".

Choose to worry and stress less.

and guess what?

Life is so much happier when you do!

Look what I made

Thanks to the lovely Lori Larson Ive been practicing making these cute little 5x7 desgins. This was my first one all by my self!

simple but wonderfully true....

Some of the most powerful secrets to a happy life, you know those answers that people search their entire life for, are something a kindergartner could have told you. Thats why I love kids so much. The world is so simple in their eyes.