Life's Classic moments...

When we’re in the moment, do we know that it’s going to be one of the memories that sticks? 

Prompt #14: Take a black and white photo of a “classic moment” in your life. 


This picture was taken when I flew to Chicago for my 25th birthday. I went to the Slamaganza, met some Starkids, and finally got to meet Julia in person (after Skyping for 6 months!). This trip gave me so many wonderful memories that I want to capture as "classic" moments, but the one that sticks is this. After Skyping with Julia, and talking about reaching for dreams and not sitting around waiting for life to happen...I was inspired to fly to Chicago and go on an adventure! I'd never flown alone before, stayed in a stranger city by myself, or planned to meet someone in person for the first time like this before. 


After this experience, I've now also taken trip a trip to New York and plan to again travel on my 26th birthday. I'm even thinking of making it a birthday tradition! All because of this lady, this weekend, and this moment. Classic indeed. 

To my mother

Prompt #13: Write a thank you letter to your Mother, or the most important woman in your life.

I love my mom for a variety of reasons. She’s always been there for me, she loves me, and gives more of herself than pretty much anyone in my entire life. She’s caring and funny, silly and comforting…but the biggest reason that I love my mom is because she has been the only example in my life of purely selfless & unconditional love. I’ve seen her give everything she has for my brother and I on a pretty constant basis. When we were little, it probably went unnoticed because she never made us feel bad for asking things of her. She just made it happen, even if it was physically impossible and then went about her day without condemning or shaming us.

As I continue to grow up and see just how self-sacrificing she is, I’m amazed. In all honesty, I grew up thinking that’s how people treated each other and didn’t think much of it. When the harsh reality that that is not true slapped me in the face, my eyes were opened to see how sacrificial her love was/still is for us.  I know growing up we didn’t have very much money, but what little we had, she would use on our needs and desires and instead of her own. We still have to beg her to use the gifts/money/gift cards we buy her on herself and not on us (it’s OUR gift to YOU mom!).

Also, the most amazing thing about unconditional love is that it cannot be manufactured or falsely created. To me, it’s the most genuine expression of love that exists. Typically, I’ve only heard of this kind of love coming from God. I rarely hear about unconditional love in other relationships because we’re all humans and fail one another constantly. Now, my mom isn’t perfect and there are definitely things that we have done to one another that have caused harm/hurt feelings between us…but she continues to display a real-life human example of unconditional love. No matter how much I hurt her or say something wrong, she loves me. I’ve never ONCE questioned her love for me (in my entire life!). And those who know me, know that I’m constantly questioning how other’s feel about me and doubting that anyone really cares about me. But not her.

I’m so lucky to have YOU as my mom.

Thank you for teaching me how to treat others with respect and dignity, how to love unconditionally, and how to be a strong woman in the face of life’s trials and tribulations. I wouldn’t be half the woman I am without your guidance, patience, and strength.  

I will love you forever and always.

Creative Artwork: Movie Stub

Prompt #11-  Make a creative art piece with a ticket stub based off of how the show made you FEEL.

I've posted about this film before, in this post, but it's one of the first movies that came to mind when I thought about films that moved me emotionally. I've read reviews and not many others enjoyed this film, but it really spoke to me on so many levels. Again, see the post to read more details, but I couldn't think of a better film to use in this creative way. The film broke my heart and left me sobbing once the credits rolled. The love lost, the missed opportunity, and the sadness that couldn't be expressed due to the cultural constraints placed on him made it move me emotionally.

Charlie OUT!

FAIRY DUST

Prompt # 9: And you thought fairies weren’t real __________ (finish the story.)

Life can be dark and lonely. You've believed so many lies about yourself, about your friends, about your life. You believed that no one loved you. You thought that you were invisible to the world around you. You thought no one could love you.  And you thought fairies weren't real until you saw one for yourself. You were caught off guard at first. Told yourself that you must be imagining things, because fairies aren't real. You kept repeating to yourself "You live in reality and fairies don't exist" over and over. Blinking your eyes because you told yourself you were seeing things. But that spark wouldn't go away. In fact, as you continued to look towards the sparkling figure in the distance, the larger it seemed to become. It was as though it was flying slowly towards you. 
Then, suddenly, the spark, the glitter, the fairy...was in the palm of your hand. You were captivated by it. Couldn't take your eyes away from it's beauty. Looking deeper into the light, you see into the soul. You see a longing for justice and kindness. You see compassion and love. You see forgiveness...but you also see wounds. She has some scars that are healing slowly. She has some past hurts that she carries on her heart. You see strength in her wings to continue flying even when the weight of her heavy heart seems to be keeping her down. Power. Wisdom. Love. They are all there, beneath the multiple layers of her dress and woven into the fabric of her soul. 
You look again and details begin to form out of the glittery figure you hold in your hand. You begin see her eyes, her beautiful wings, and her smile. You look closer still, and you see that it's you. 
You are that beautiful fairy, who is seen from miles away. You are captivating and those around you can't help but notice your glow. You are filled with love, beauty, compassion, and a longing for justice. You just needed to open your eyes to see all that is within you. Now that you've seen yourself and the magick & mystery you hold, don't easily let her fly away. Keep her safe and protect her glowing light because that is the source of her strength. She is all you are and together, you can overcome the negative and rough world you both exist in. Together, you can accomplish all things. Oh what a beautiful fairy you are. 

This is a story that came from the prompt listed above. It began as an outward fictional experience in storytelling and eventually it turned into an inward fictional experience.


 I hope that we all can see the light and fairy that is within, no matter what your personal description of your fairy may be. It's there, within you, waiting for you to find it. Today, and everyday after, I pray that I find my fairy and never let her go. 

Charlie Challenge: Magick Room

Charlie Challenge Day 8: Magick Room
[Note: this is yesterday's post...]

I don't have an actual room that I regularly go to physically, but I often visit this room in my mind when I write, when I sing, and when I need a "safe" place to be. My room has hanging lights from the ceiling and around the room, filled with pillows and comfortable places to both sleep/rest and sit up to write/draw.

The BEST thing about my room is the outdoor button. I often find my creativity heightened when I'm outside with the gentle breeze blowing through my hair. So my room also comes with an "Outdoor" button that allows you to bring the lights and pillows but sit below a large tree on the grass. Nothing gets dirty and no bugs are allowed to enter my magick room. There are speakers hidden throughout that connects to all the "users" favorite music. The sounds are arranged like they are at Disneyland, where they blend into the environment and add ambiance to fill the room with life. The air smells fresh and clean and natural. You can feel the sun when it's shining and see the stars when they are their brightest. Welcome to my Magick Room.

Challenge Day 6

Prompt #6- Write a short story about the time you got lost. 


Disneyland 1992. I was 6 years old and my attention was locked on a toy kiosk towards the entrance gates. I remember being so excited to be at Disneyland and ride the rides, see the characters, and have a great day! Thankfully that was the case for majority of the day. 


My family would bring homemade lunches when we went to Disneyland to avoid paying such high costs for meals within the park. They had this picnic area to the side of the park (which I'm sure no longer exists) where we would "exit" the park to eat lunch and then re-enter once we were done. After we had eaten, we were getting ready to head back in, when the kiosk immediately grabbed my attention. As we walked towards the gates, I stopped to look at all the toys that were on display. I totally assumed that my mom was right behind me the whole time. I honestly don't remember how long it had been, but once I lost interest (or realized that I would never own one of those toys) I turned around to find my mom so the fun could continue. But she was no where to be found. I looked around again for my dad or SOME form of a familiar face. Nothing. I immediately panicked and walked around looking for them. 


Thankfully, there weren't THAT far away (around the corner leaning on the wall) so I found them pretty fast. But for a little kid, that felt like too long to be "lost" in such a huge place. 

Charlie Challenge Day 5

My first Charlie fail. Yesterday I had every plan to write this out and then was sick in bed all day. So here's my makeup Charlie prompt. 


Prompt #5: Pen and Paper: Then I felt my cheeks turn rosy pink________ (finish the story.)


My personality is one that avoids embarrassment at all costs. So this prompt is pretty difficult to write. While I haven't had too many dating experiences, I had one that did leave the good kind of blush on my cheeks. I went out on a date expecting for it to be a normal dinner and chatting as it had been the few previous dates that we had gone on. But this wasn't just your average date. While it did consist of chatting and some pretty tasty food, it also included a DTR (Define The Relationship) that I was not expecting. He said things that were very flattering and then asked if we would be officially dating. "Then I felt my cheeks turn rosy pink and I said that I would love to". 


Ultimately, it didn't work out and we are no longer dating. But I'll never forget that conversation and the rosy feeling it left upon my cheeks. 

Charlie Challenge Days 3 & 4

Whew, this is going to be a long (but AWESOME) month of challenges. Already Charlie is pushing me out of my comfort zone! The 4th challenge is:
 Sing along to your favorite song on YouTube. Bonus: Learn how to play AND sing it.  

Well, no bonus for this challenge BUT I did get some courage and decided, "Just go for it!" and recorded myself singing. The camera shakes because my hands couldn't NOT shake. Let's just get to the video, shall we?

This was a challenge for me personally because, while I've always loved singing, I've never really had the courage to share it with anyone. I'm just now learning the proper technique in my singing lessons and gaining more confidence as the journey continues. So, thank you Charlie! For helping me overcome my vocal insecurities!

ALSO! I didn't post this picture yesterday on this blog, but the challenge was:
Recreate a scene from a fairy tale, using any materials you can find. Take a photo and share below . 


So here is my "fairytale" recreation:

Can't wait for what tomorrow will bring!

I had the pleasure of going to Gotye's April 19th show at the Nokia Theater. If the name doesn't sound familiar, I'm sure you've heard his mega-hit "Somebody That I Used To Know". It's been covered by nearly every other artist, including the cast of glee (of which you all know how much I love!).

Anyways, I can't fully remember what pushed me towards listening to his full record on Spotify but I'm so grateful for whatever it was. I remember enjoying the music at work and having it be great background music to work to throughout the day. Then, I found this performance/article from NPR and I was sold: http://www.kcrw.com/media-player/mediaPlayer2.html?type=video&id=mb111115gotye

Now, it's time for the gushing. Here's why I love Gotye as a musician and artist; He's so different than most of the acts you'll see at the top of the charts now- a-days. I've watched some performances on YouTube and I've noticed he isn't really a "performer" but he's a complete musician and fully engages himself in his music at each concert. You can tell that he's comfortable playing his music and physically moves his body just as the fans in the audience are to his beats. There's something to be said for a musician who loves the work he has created and shows that night after night on stage.

He's a bit awkward when talking to the audience, but not lacking confidence. I could tell he just would prefer to play music than tell stories. And I kinda like that. Here are some YoutTube videos I took of that night:

Heart's a Mess (my favorite!) 

In Your Light

Lastly, the lyrics to "In Your Light" constantly point me to my faith. I have NO idea what his faith background is or if he even has one, but God uses this song to remind me of the truth of His love and power in my life. "In Your light, all of this is clear. If only I could always be just as I am right here". 




Peace & Love

Shifting Perspective: Charlie Challenge Day 2

Above & Below

You, Me & Charlie Challenge Day 2: 

Working 37 hours a week at this desk can make the "view" all too familiar. For today's challenge, I wanted to see if I could view my boring desk from a new perspective. I tried MANY different angles of the computer screen and even from another desk! But this seemed to be the best way to shift perspective. I never sit above my desk nor below it. Fresh perspectives allow us to see our world differently and approach life with a deeper appreciation of the varieties/differences that flavor our days. 

30 Day Charlie Challenge!

You, Me, & Charlie. I've written a bit about them before on here, but get ready for a whole new month of posting! They have created a 30-Day Challenge to push creativity and challenge ourselves to explore new ways of thinking, producing, creating, making, living. And I'm totally on board. 


Prompt #1- Write your personal manifesto. This could be an essay, a sentence, a word… the beginning of your novel. Get creative. What are you about?
I'm the type of person who is always thinking about the people around me, in my life, that I care about...almost more than myself. I believe that God created each and every human being and that His immense love is so overwhelming that our brains cannot begin to comprehend what that means for our lives. I believe that we should be kind to one another and compassionate towards those who are "different" or "other". I believe in music. I believe that an open ear can heal most wounds. Trustworthiness is essential. Money should NEVER be a goal to attain. Suffering is almost as important as joy; how can you know one without the other? Pursue justice in all ways possible. Getting married shouldn't be the goal/fix-all for your problems. Single people MATTER. And lastly (stolen from one Mr. Criss) Be good to one another, because nobody likes an asshole. 


Looking forward to tomorrow's challenge!