Pulling Weeds

 "You have made a place in my heart where I thought there was no room for anything else. You have made flowers grow where I cultivated dust and stone."

 - Robert Jordan, The Wheel of Time

If this blog is a garden, it is definitely be full of weeds by now.  I haven't been kind to it, and to be completely honest...I've forgotten about it on numerous occasions and for long periods of time.  I know there aren't hundreds of people reading this; I mean seriously - five people checking out this site would be a good day.  But, being read by others is not really my intended outcome or achievement here, and I know that sounds ironic seeing as this is a public space and not an ongoing private word doc.

I do 'journal' on actual paper at home, and I fill it with mostly found objects, photos, quotes, etc. that inspire me in some way.  In fact, it looks a lot like this site in that it's mostly a record of what I'm feeling, loving, missing, wanting, and needing, shown through the images that I choose to post plus a written thought or paragraph from me.  Having a public space vs. my tangible notebook, however, keeps me accountable to the invisible few readers who happen to stumble across this site.

So, I'm going to try to spend more time in this garden, nurturing the inspirational blooms, the beautiful, the items and ideas which provoke thought and essentially, growth.  To that same end, I need to constantly be pulling the weeds, the empty spaces, the negative energy that can slowly take over if not tended to swiftly, and let it go.

Nurturing the growth and pulling the weeds -- maybe that's the purpose of this blog.  Constant care.  Consistent inspiration and ambition.  I can wander with purpose.  I can adventure while carrying 'home' with me, refuting the idea that 'peace' means I have to stay still.    

  


 Goodnight from this blogger/soon-to-be constant gardener.

xoxo

A

Change your thoughts

It's true, ya know.  Your world is not reality.  I'm not talking Matrix-y stuff here, I just mean that how you see the world is based on your thoughts of how things are, as opposed to how things ACTUALLY are.  Your thoughts play such a huge role in your life; so much so that they produce a world.  So if you're in a rut, things aren't going well, etc., yeah it stinks, but change something.  Change something you're thinking about negatively into a positive, and all of a sudden you've taken a huge step toward changing you world!

And it doesn't mean that something upsetting hasn't happened to you, or that you should deny a major life change or setback.  It just means that you can acknowledge it, think a little differently than you would normally think in this situation, and everything around you changes.  You can make that happen.  I've always wanted to change the world someday, just like everyone else wants to change it.  I'm taking baby steps, though...I'm just trying to change my world for now. :)

Ciao,
A

Change your thoughts by asebourn on Polyvore

Think happy...Be happy!  (great sign from Altar'd State)

A sneak peek into my next post.  If you're guessing it's about an obsession with blazers, then you're right!

Give Thanks by Looking Good (Pt. 1)

My favorite fashions that give back this season (Pt. 1)

It's the season of giving, but let's be honest: this is the time of year when we spend the most money on the people we know and love and ourselves (c'mon, you want to look good in all the family photos during the holidays!).  Not that any of this spending is wrong, of course.  You sister is going to love her earrings you're getting her for Christmas, your dad is in total need of a new wallet, and your own Christmas list is probably full of gorgeous fashion that you can't afford to get for yourself.

So, let's make this shopping time a win-win-win situation.  Yes, that's three wins.  Let's see:
1) the person loves the gift you give them = WIN
2) the feeling you get after the person opens the gift and loves it = WIN
3) the charitable cause that received money after you bought the gift = WIN
You can have all three!  Buying something that has that charitable label on it no longer means having a colored bracelet with a phrase or symbol on it.  Here are some of my favorite brands and fashions that are included in this triple-win scenario:

www.altardstate.com

Altar'd State is a store with a boutique feel, but carrying mostly 'giveback' brands.  It carries charitable brands like Toms, FEED, FashionABLE, Krochet Kids, Rockwell Tharp, Jedidiah, and now it's own charitable namesake brand, Altar'd State! 

 Here are some of my current favorite pieces from the Altar'd State Brand, available in stores or online-

Peak-A-Boo Pleat Dress $69

Trinity Teardrop Necklace in Green

$22

Loose Pocket Sweater $49

(A portion of the proceeds from every Altar'd State brand purchase will be donated to feed, shelter, clothe and educate children around the world.)

Market Bag, $68

If you're a shopaholic, consider purchasing a reusable bag from Apolis x Steven Alan.  The company uses a co-op in India to create these handcrafted totes that are functional and fashionable!  This handy bag will also help you avoid that pesky bag tax (if your state has one).  Can't you just picture tall loaves of french bread sticking out, or a gorgeous scarf tied to the handle?





Next post: more triple-win charitable gifts including jewelry, scarves and more!

Ciao!

My Mixtape

  I love a good mixtape. . . 

Hello, there!

The first post is always the most difficult, isn't it?  I have to decide how exactly to introduce myself, this blog and its purpose.  Introducing myself, well I'll just leave that up to my blog.  What someone loves defines the person, or at least gives a roundabout definition.  To know what I love is to know me.  Now, on to what this blog is about: what I love.  I've always been an overly involved person.  I love watching, wearing, reading, listening to, and being with a myriad of things and persons.  It's a little bit of a problem, because loving so many things makes one exhausted at the end of the day.  I can't keep these loves to myself and they've always spilled into conversations with friends.  

Life is a mixtape; this blog is playing my tracks.

After becoming sick, I've found it harder to go out and spread the news about a new designer, an exciting book or a great nonprofit that's getting started.  What good are your loves if you can't share them?  If you love something on here and you don't see a link to where you can find it, let me know and I'll try my hardest to help.  I give credit whenever I can to the the people who are or create the things I love and post here.


For those around in the mixtape 'era,' you can understand when I call this blog my own personal mixtape.  I'm recording it for my own benefit as much as anyone (if anyone) else.  The point is in the constant recording.   

Ciao for now.


 

Retro Poster Quote art print design poster music print mixtape art for... (clipped to polyvore.com)