Take a Trip Every Now and Then

"Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear. The brave may not live forever, but the cautious do not live at all. From now on you'll be traveling the road between who you think you are and who you can be. The key is to allow yourself to make the journey."

Judge, Judgement and being Judgmental

Being non-judgmental is something that I sincerely value in others and personally, have been striving to improve in myself. I don't consider myself to be judgmental, but I know that I am guilty of it at times. I believe that continual work is a requirement for life-changing reduction. It takes a mature individual and strong sense of self to be able to accept others fully without questioning one's motives or gossiping about information that is not a known fact.

"Loving without judging" Those three words become more and more meaningful to me each day. (And this isn't a blog about loving your partner, boyfriend, husband, etc. but all relationships that matter). Being open-minded is a characteristic that I desire and am trying to obtain. I've realized that being open-minded (even when I don't exactly agree with an initial idea) has led to a lot of great personal insight. Its made me recognize that I need to look at the bigger picture sometimes rather than being so narrow-minded. Let us all work to love one another and before we cast judgment on others, learn to accept them as the person that they are and the experiences that life has thrown at them.

“If you judge people, you have no time to love them.”
-Paulo Coelho

Wisdom from the Seuss

You have brains in your head.

You have feet in your shoes.

You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.

You're on your own.

And you know what you know.

You are the guy who'll decide where to go.

-Dr. Seuss

Native Fashion

As we slowly transition from summer to fall, we begin to see Native American inspirations in clothing, shoes, and accessories. I, personally, am in love with this fashion trend being, that I am part Native American. Growing up my mom would dress us in moccasins and my grandmother was always buying us jewelry with feathers and turquoise in it. This was fun when I was a little kid however it wasn't very "cool" in middle school and high school. BUT now I'm wishing that I would have held on to those things... vintageeee.

More ethnic inspired garments are appearing in Hollywood. North American Indians originally wore moccasins. Little did they know how trendy they would become!

Some designers and collections that show how the native have stimulated their creativity include Michael Kors, Proenza Schouler, Dolce & Gabanna, and Emporio Armani, just to name a few. The call of the wild was received by Michael Kors as he showcases fur covered vests, boots, and even fur bags.

"Kate Moss knows how to make it in the industry- you must stay on top of the game. She was spotted in London with an armful of fashion mags looking like a modern day Pocahontas. Genius for the supermodel to twin her knee-high Minnetonka moccasins with a pair of denim cutoffs. While she bares skin on her bottom half, a nubby sweater and signature fur jacket keep her warm-up top" (Celebrity Style).

"An ethnic look can also collaborate with a more modern, waist length, leather, Burberry jacket with a wool covered collar. Native Americans were smart in using everything the land had to offer, to not only survive or keep their bodies warm but also to adorn their bodies. This fall expects rings, bangles, necklaces, and earrings in the form of feathers, tusks, rocks, and even different shades of stones" (The Examiner).

So go wild this fall, adorn yourself with gifts from the earth, throw your hair in an effortless side braid, be exotically natural, "paint with all the colors of the wind" and as always embrace your beauty no matter what you are wearing.

Even People on Acid can't get Down like this

I use to go to powwows when I was young and loved it. I would fearlessly walk into the arena to dance and sing, but my favorite part was staring at all the beautiful performers and watching them dance. It's not a typical event of course, but, whenever we had the opportunity to go - it was always a good time. Something about the atmosphere - it made me feel free to do whatever I wanted whether it's singing, dancing, or even dressing in bright colored feathers. We all knew that no one would judge. Native Americans take pride in their dances and dancing is the norm, standing on the sidelines watching, is not.

Thinking about it, powwows are similar to modern-day music festivals. Native Americans ventured for these events and lodged in teepees, today people travel from all over and stay in tents. Native Americans used fire and smoke for their "light show," today smoke and lights are used in similar (more advanced ways). They used drums for bass and dance for hours - we have many different forms of "bass" and dance for hours (with our hands in the air like we just don't care). It's a bit of a stretch, but I feel like there are a few similarities. However, when people see stuff like the video above many think that its weird and uncivilized and that is their opinion to make.

Personally, I think it's really beautiful.

My Friends

"Truly great friends are hard to find, 

difficult to leave, 

and impossible to forget."

Be sure you don't forget that.

Smile

She smiled at a sorrowful stranger.
The smile seemed to make him feel better.
He remembered past kindnesses of a friend
and wrote him a thank-you letter.
The friend was so pleased with the thank-you
that he left a large tip after lunch.
The waitress, surprised by the size of the tip,
bet the whole thing on a hunch.
The next day she picked up her winnings,
and gave part to a man on the street.
The man on the street was grateful;
for two days he'd had nothing to eat.
After he finished his dinner,
he left for his small dingy room.
(He didn't know at the moment
that he might be facing his doom.)
On the way he picked up a shivering puppy
and took him home to get warm.
The puppy was very grateful
to be in out of the storm.
That night the house caught on fire.
The puppy barked the alarm.
He barked 'til he woke the whole household
and saved everybody from harm.
One of the boys that he rescued
grew up to be President.
All this because of a simple smile
that hadn't cost a cent.






It's a little corny I know but it's a poem I've remembered and loved since I was little. It always reminds me that I should never judge a stranger because you really never know what they are going through. So SMILE!

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."

-Mark Twain

Dance

I'm completely obsessed with Kate Jablonski her choreography is beyond amazing! Her dancers are always extremely talented and I haven't found a dance that I wasn't impressed with. So if you love to dance or love to watch others dance then i recommend you check out anything by her.

my to do list

"I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day."

Each day is a decision. We wake up with thoughts of school, jobs, and all the other stresses of life that encompass our minds and we make decisions that plan our day. However we (or at least i) have those little thoughts throughout the day of how nice it would be to take a trip somewhere, spend a day in the sun, enjoy a good book of choice, to have a movie day with a friend, or whatever else it may be. Those little desires are often tossed to the side with a sigh and the things that we are "expected" to do are placed at the top of our to do lists. From this it seems that what is expected is desiring to improve the world. However the puzzling question is whether our decisions are actually improving the world or are we just living a life of "un-enjoyable" expectancy? Perhaps the better question is whether or not there needs to be a dividing line between improving and enjoying. Maybe we should awake each day with the desire to be happy, the desire to accomplish the things that we want, to attain the goals that we choose, and to do what we love.

a little life motto

laugh loudly

pray often

 feel deeply

express fearlessly

play hard

work joyously

commit totally

touch tenderly

live consciously

Don't Knock It Until You Try It...

My theory is that everything is fine in moderation.

However, the question is, are we capable of moderating?

Food
Oxygen
Carbon Dioxide
Religion
Work
Love
Drugs
Relationships
Water
Fear
Money
Information
Music
Control
Power
Sun
.
.
.

"We"

Because I bring out the best in you

and you the best in me

I guess it takes the two of us to make the perfect "we"

Dogs

Dogs: how is it that shedding hair, wet noses, and slobbery kisses can bring about so much joy? My first loyal being of the furry kind aka Porky came into my life at the age of 3. It was love at first sight. Porkey was the runt, and I was the youngest of our family. He was round and chunky, as was I. He had a  mischievous streak; chewing and breaking things and well, as you can see there were a lot of similarities. He immediately became the little brother that I wrote to Santa Clause about each year. However, after his journey to doggy heaven, I never felt the desire for another furry companion, because I just knew that none could ever replace my Porky.

Well much to my surprise and seven years later, I’m now completely in love with my new little furry friend, Pey Pey (however he prefers to be called Peyton in front of company). He’s my boyfriend’s dog, BUT he was a birthday present from me, so, if it ever came down to it, I think I would win the custody battle. Peyton is similar in stature to my belated Porky (luckily I no longer share this in common with the two). However, this is not the only thing that Peyton and Porky have in common as it was evident when my boyfriend and I returned home after only leaving him alone for an hour to find an entire couch ripped to shreds! (This was before we had purchased his bedroom aka kennel aka time out area aka where he spent most of his time the first month of his adoption). We thought it would be okay to leave him in the spare bedroom since it only consisted of a couch and a desk. (boy were we wrong). So, after this and a few incidents later we nicked named him Marley after the dog in the movie "Marley and Me."

However, after many pee and poopy cleanups, countless wake-up barks and whimpers in the wee hours of the morning, multiple vet trips, and several drenched clothes from doggy baths later the nickname began to fade, and we now consider him the best dog in the world! Even though it's almost a year later, it still takes me by surprise when I turn over in the morning and find a dog all cuddled up in my bed. It’s just so amazing how much his slobbery kisses bring me so much joy.

-in loving memory of the spare bedroom couch.

First day of School...

I felt like a little kid all over again as I laid awake in bed at 10:17 am when I didn't have class until 2:00 pm. Yes I know 2:00 pm sounds pretty lazy, but my day only consisted of two classes. Laying there with my boyfriend and our dog Peyton who at the time were both lying on their backs snoring in song, John being the rhythm with his long, deep breaths and Peyton, the melody with his short, quick breaths (please take a minute to picture this). As cute as this sounds and as much as I love both of them their little song quickly lost its appeal in my desperate desire to fall back asleep. After multiple failed attempts to push, roll over and even wake them up. I gave up on sleeping and grabbed my computer, and here I am.

Laying here all I can think about is the last time I was in bed awaiting the adventures of my first day of school. The first thing that comes to mind is my first day of middle school. I’m not sure about you, but for me, middle school was quite an experience. Everyone was going through puberty; acne, voice changes and the world of one to two-week relationships (if it was serious). However, at this point, I lacked the experience and knowledge of what I was getting myself into and was excited about middle school. I was ready to meet new people and make a name for myself. Which is why I'd broken up with my 5th-grade boyfriend, I told him I wanted to be single for middle school because I needed to explore new people and I didn't want anyone from elementary school holding me back. Yes, I thought I was so mature. Anyways, I remember laying there imagining all the new friends I would make and how cool being in concert band was going to be (ha). I remember looking over at my vanity where my new "outfit" from the oh so cool Abercrombie laid already planned out and ironed, with my new L.L. Bean book bag (with the initials on it) sitting propped up beside it. I just couldn't wait to begin my new life as a cool middle schooler.

Looking back, I have to laugh at myself and be thankful that those years are over. I'm so glad that I’ve come such a long way since then (not rockin’ Abercrombie). However, now that I'm in college I feel that there is an overwhelming similarity between college and middle school. In college, we leave the safety net of our hometowns and venture off to live with complete strangers, in hopes to make new friends and a new name for ourselves. Everyone in college is going through so many changes; we are trying to decide who we are, where we fit in, and what we want to be. It seems as though we are going through puberty all over again. We are in an in-between stage of teenagers and adults; we live on our own, but we still look to mom and dad for support whether it’s emotionally or financially. Like middle school, the pressures of social life and school work can make you feel that your life is completely over. However, we now have the comforting knowledge and experience to know that no matter how bad it seems life will go on.

Looking back on those middle school days all I think about is the friendships, the experiences, and the maturing that took place in those three years of rollercoaster-like ups and downs. I’ll never forget the day of my first mixed sleepover (girls from different elementary schools), or the day I decided to grow out my bangs, or when I quit basketball to become a cheerleader. I also remember the times I thought my parents were going to kill me and how my social life would be completely over. However I can’t tell you one specific reason for feeling that way, all I know is that I did get through it. And with that said, I know that in college I will have/do have those moments of doubt and stress. But I now know that those are not the moments in my life that define me, it's the friendships and the experiences that do and will.

-lylas Kellie