I'm a firm believer in the idea that how you start your morning will set the mood for your whole day.


That's not to say that things can't change after that, of course, but I think that if you set aside time in the morning to let yourself breathe and relax, you'll be more relaxed throughout the course of the day.

One of my favorite things to do is learn from other people's actions; their actions towards others, their actions concerning themselves, their actions towards me. I observe everything, and try to mold myself according to what traits I admire and what traits I dislike. I think that being aware of and observing other people's behavior—and your own—is one of the most important things you can do.

I'm always learning and reminding myself of new things, and these are a few that seem to come to mind pretty often.


I. There are many different walks of life; remember that, and be tolerant of it.

II. Take the time to really know people. Remember things about them, and always be kind. It matters.

III. Remember that people are different. People show love and affection differently, people grieve differently, people handle things differently. Don't hold that against someone.

IV. Things that shouldn't be considered “small talk” with people you don’t really know: “What are you doing with your life?”; school; employment; money; religion; politics. Just, don’t. It's called small talk for a reason.

V. You are responsible for making yourself be the kind of person you want to be and creating the feelings you want to have. Don’t lay that responsibility on other people.

What are some of your little reminders; things you've learned or like to keep in mind? Share them with me in the comments!

annoyingly unavoidable white tag in the back. whatcha gonna do?

Second star to the right, and straight on 'til morning.

As soon as I came up with this look, I could just hear Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada:

Anyway! I know we're a few days past Easter now, but I hadn't dyed eggs in years, and I was inspired by all of those little brightly colored little eggs waiting to be found in grassy knolls around the world.

I normally don't do bright eye makeup, so this is a little bit different for me, but I ended up really loving it. Definitely a bright and happy Spring/Summer look.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. ❤

xo A

I'd had the idea to make a post like this for awhile—making a collage of photos that represent your feelings in a more tangible way—but I didn't really know what that was, or what to call it. I have a tumblr tag dedicated to photos like this, a pinterest board, even, but I had no idea what to call it in a blog post.

Then I happened to stumble on With Dignity + Coffee's Mood Board post, and bam. Exactly what I had in mind, except now it was already a thing.

So, I guess that's what this is: A mood board, consisting of photos that feel like home to me, somehow. Things I long for, and words I've been trying to keep in mind lately. My aesthetic, (isn't that what the kids are saying these days??) if you will.

What about you? What kinds of photos feel like home to you, or what would your mood board consist of? I'd love to know!

xo A