truth is Real Simple

my favorite magazine is Real Simple. actually, it's the only magazine i've ever read religiously. i'm not even sure why i have one but i just noticed i had a my monthly ritual as my subscriptions arrive. perhaps it's a reflection of me.

i read every article, every advertisement, and examine every photo. funny thing though, i literally rip out the excess ads before i jump into all. it's how i like to see things. straight, clear, to the point, and let's cut the crap. it saves time and keeps things relevant.

the name of the magazine is even how i want to live life. i have always had an interest in the complex nature of things because it's been kind of an adventure to try and understand it. but i must admit, the most beautiful things in life lies in its simplicity.

truth is i want to be in paris!

dear paris,
i'm dreaming of you.

what is it really about paris? the glamour? the food? the architect? the language? i think it's ALL of it and i wish i could live there in another year abroad.

ps i cant pull my eyes away from the beautiful lighting captured by elizabeth messina of kiss the groom. wow.

looking for my truth

there are so many ways to be inspired. people have always been interesting to me. we write, we sing, we play, we take pictures, we decorate, and we cook all in the name of creativity spurred by inspiration.

lately, i've been looking for a lot of inspiration because i need to know where i stand in life is the right place to be. i'm a recent graduate, i just spent an entire year traveling and learning a new language in hopes of discovering the truth inside of me, and now i'm back home on a flop. it's a deathly dry spell i'm experiencing and i can't claim to be the only one who's ever questioned sanity in a time like this.

luckily, the internet has evolved to a level that allows me click and find smiles:

"The main thing in one’s own private world is to try to laugh as much as you cry." -Maya Angelou

(via papertissue)

"A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous." -Coco Chanel

(via zooeydeschanel)

i loove love love zooey deschanel. she's got that beautiful spunk and is extremely classy.

(via PianoBenchDesigns)

ahh... if only i could have cloud 9 floating around me always.

(via Rollei)

Please teach me the art of photography.

truth from family

we haven't spent many days together like we did this weekend. i'm so excited about the idea of doing things with just us. i mean, in all honesty, the core of me comes from what i know as family and that includes mama, daddy, and nancy. (the pup is a new addition that truly adds to the character of our family. meet cody!)

so instead of planning some fancy family trip to some where far, far away like we did as kids, my sister and i took our parents to the Montage Resort in Laguna Beach for a photo day in the sun.

then, we turned around and went north to eat at one of the best vegetarian restaurants out there: One World.

it occurred to me on our lovely beach day that as we grow up, the world flips itself upside down. the car always had specific seating arrangements in our house. my dad was the driver, mama sat shotgun, i took the back seat behind him, and nancy sat on the left window. it's funny to see now that we've gotten older, our household had a change of arrangements: nancy drove, i navigated, daddy was behind me, and mama fell right asleep on the right window. rules that used to govern our lives as children just broke down in place of new regulations to keep life in check. the truth is, being born into a bubble just helped us find our place in a new larger one.

so aside from all the craziness that occurs in my life, going back to family gives the comfort from childhood. especially now that it's come around to finally spend time with family again, i think it's incredibly rewarding to have nothing but the smiles in our photos to match those in our dusty albums. enjoy!

truth is,

so i've come back from an entire year abroad and i've discovered that settling back in is a new adventure of its own. the people are different though the place is the same. "familiar" has lost its familiarity.

my new self has found a way to be less noisy, less nosy, and less complicated. i've been reading a lot of blogs that seek to inspire and truth be told, i'm inspired to start my own. i'm making this a blog of what happiness means for me. let that include creative artsy things, wedding planning posts, photos i like, and ramblings i type.

i'm all about smiling to start a wonderful day. this is going to be a collection of lots of smiles from me to you.

always, sometimes, never

i always:

• smile when i see a friendly face.
• dip my food into the sauce (never like it soggy!)
• want to plan my next travel.
• say hello first and then put the phone to my ear.
• have a sweet tooth.

i sometimes:

• put too much on my plate.
• pretend i'm busy just to stay at home.
• wish i am truly passionate about running, reading, and current events.
• wish i'll fall in love and get married.
• want to be superwoman.

i never:

• liked cheesecakes.
• lose my temper without feeling guilty.
• sit on the outside end of a table.
• worry enough about my skin.
• was athletic.

(truth from Elise Blaha + Danni)

ps. it's my first post! i just had to say:

"Never miss an opportunity to be fabulous." -Tina Seelig