quotes

here are some of my favorite quotes from the past couple of months:

"but who cared what they thought? none of them had ever had their hand licked by a cheetah."
-from the glass castle by jeannette walls

"i was confident that nothing could get any worse than it had been, and that thought made me smile a lot."
-from a long way gone: memoirs of a boy soldier by ishmael beah

"i knew i could never forget my past, but i wanted to stop talking about it so that i would be fully present in my new life"
-from a long way gone: memoirs of a boy soldier by ishmael beah

"if you are alive, there is hope for a better day and for something good to happen."
-from a long way gone: memoirs of a boy soldier by ishmael beah

"are you alright? yea, you're alright. you're alive!"
-from "garden state"

"think of someone who makes you smile"
-from a dove chocolate

"i imagine that one of the reasons people cling to their hates so stubbornly is because they sense, once hate is gone, that they will be forced to deal with pain."
-from "notes of a native son" by james baldwin



have you ever read the perks of being a wallflower?
i recommend reading it if you haven't. i recommend reading it again if you have.
i have read it four times through, and i have a lot of favorite quotes from that book, but i will share only a few with you here.

"what's the point of using words nobody else knows or can say comfortably?"

"then, i turned around and walked to my room and closed the door and put my head under my pillow and let the quiet put things where they are supposed to be."

"five minutes of a lifetime were truly spent, and we felt young in a good way."

"and there it was. downtown. lights on buildings and everything that makes you wonder...and in that moment, i swear we were infinite."

"the sky was overcast with clouds, and the air felt like a warm bath. i don't think i've ever felt that clean."

"if you listen to the song 'asleep,' and you think about those pretty weather days that make you remember things, and you think about the prettiest eyes you've known, and you cry, and the person holds you back, then i think you will see the photograph."

my favorite things

my friend lyndi has a journal, and she has all of her friends list the things that make them joyful in this journal.

here is my list of things that make me joyful. i add to this everyday, so keep in mind that this is not everything:


the smell of candles burning, going home after not being there for a while, mountains, sunrises, hope friends, home friends, clare and mom and dad and natalie and the rest of my extended family, reading, trampolines, freeze pops, warm rainy days, my big comfy bed, bamboo, sharing music with my friends, big cities, blowing bubbles, sunsets over lake michigan, sitting and listening to my friends play guitar, bonfires, bike rides, cold showers, running, the beach, audrey hepburn, libraries, hope college (especially in the spring), picnics, lighthouses, airplanes, the first snowfall of winter - but also the first warm day after a long winter, crunchy leaves, the color red, fruit snacks, harry potter, sleeping with thick socks on, dressing up, dancing, going out to eat, dad's cooking, springhill, pictures, tea, coffee, white hot chocolate, the smell of flowers, grand haven, ann arbor, olivia and ella and their beautiful smiles, babies/kids in general, driving with the windows down, playing scrabble with mom, camping, roller coasters, mac n cheese, milk and cookies, handwritten letters, annie wannie, dresses, sandals, mowing the lawn, baking, seeing the results of hard work, painting, drawing, art museums, history, zoos, sleeping in (especially being able to wake up and just lay there), hearing my grandma's life story, not knowing what the future holds, GOD - His amazing grace and ability to somehow always make me happy, face-to-face conversations, bomb, caramel, moose tracks ice cream, putting on lotion, the smell of laundry, post cards, ice cold water after a long run, saunas, hot tubs, old family photos, just sitting and listening to everyone sing in chapel, unconditional love, children laughing, puppies and kittens and letting them lick my hand, mix cds, naps, cuddling, memoirs, dancing, running when the sun's out, running early in the morning, running in the rain, friday night beds, napping in the pine grove, talking about God with my close friends, dad's christmas cookies, making eye contact with someone and feeling a deep connection with them for a brief moment, watching movies late at night, surprise visits, road trips, going on dates, knitting, discovering new places, traveling/exploring, trains, sleepovers, waking up and not feeling tired, holding hands, Jamaica, sign language, trena/michelle/and casey's voices, napping on the beach, sweating from doing hard work, having my hair played with, giving head rubs...



what are some of your favorite things?

dancing around the world

an introduction

hello hello !!

i am starting this blog because there are a lot of things that i find beautiful and a lot of things that bring me joy, and i want to share these things with the world.

i will post quotes, pictures, videos, thoughts, dreams, movies, lyrics, etc etc


enjoy!