Showing posts with label A Day in the Life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label A Day in the Life. Show all posts
Thursday, 3 February 2011
Love is the BuzzWord: My New Year Non-Resolution
Darling Devotees,
This year I am not making any real resolutions. Instead, I am going to commit myself to one particular buzzword that I will strive to live by all this year and for the rest of my life. The word is “love”. I am going to strive to keep this as the key concept that keeps me rooted this year and from now on. I plan to take the whole idea of following your heart to a whole new level by letting love guide me in everything that I do. I am going to let the idea of doing the things I love, or doing things for the people I love to guide me in all the decisions I make, and goals that I pursue this year.
I've heard it said that if you live the way you want to be, someday you will be the person that you long to be. When I think about the woman I aspire to be some day I can and have made a list of all of the things I would like to have accomplished and the life I would like to lead, but after looking over the list I've realized that at the end of the day accomplishments, goals, awards and rewards are not what will make me happy. In fact, the person I aspire to be will not be happy, because of all of the things she has done, or all the places that she has seen. She will be happy because she has let love fill her up and radiate from her being onto all the people that she meets. I want to be someone who loves completely and unabashedly and who lets this love for God, family and friends, interests and life to be her driving force. That's the kind of woman I want to be, and that's the kind of woman that I will be, starting from now. From now on, when making decisions I will let these different forms of love dictate whether I say yes or no to a commitment.
- Love of God who is my rock and foundation and who loves me so much.
- Love of family
- Love of friends
- Love of vocation
- Love of myself as a beautiful daughter of God.
- Love of people
- Love of life.
If I cannot say I am doing truly doing something because of the love I feel for one or more of these categories I will not do it. It's not going to be an easy thing to do, because by nature I am always going to want to do it all, this is who I am. However, since love is a strong and passionate word, I am hoping that the passion behind the word will help me decide when I hit murky waters. In times of difficulty, I hope that the thought of love will spur me on. May the light of love light our path and fuel all our desires.
Love you all and Stay inspired,
P.S. So let me know what you think. What are your resolutions? Do you have any? Feel free to let me know in the comments below.
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Monday, 6 September 2010
A Day in the Life: Where I am now
Dearest Devotees,
I could make tons of excuses for not posting for the past couple of weeks and not informing that I wasn't going to be. The thing is that at the end of the day they would all be just that... excuses. I am sorry that a year in I haven't established some sort of blogging routine yet, but this is because this blog really is an extension of myself. When I write here, I give you all a glance into my mind and soul, and I pour myself into each and every post. That's why when I burnt myself out during summer school ( I know, it was too much school) I just needed to stop doing stuff. I sort of took a forced digital sabbatical because where I went, I had no access internet through my mac for 3 weeks! I did blog a little while there because I was able to convince someone else to let me use their computer a little, but the connection was really slow so I had to stay up really late (think 3 am) to blog. Eventually, I just couldn't do it anymore, and spent the rest of the time just hanging out with my siblings and parents, playing the Sims 3 on my Mac and reading amazing books like Mistaken Identity.
I also decided to take some time to re-evaluate myself and have discovered that I have changed so much over the past year, I have outgrown a lot of the things that used to define me. The original plan I had for this blog no longer suits the person I am today. When I first started I thought I would be mostly a fashion blogger with some lifestyle tips thrown into the mix, but I've realised that I see and enjoy fashion more as art and as form of self-expression through personal style. I am only interested in trends in so much as they tell me about large groups of people and enable me to understand them better through their clothes (Costume Analysis). So fashion on this blog is going to be mostly about personal style, design and fashion as a form of costuming. Also, this blog is going to continue being mostly focused on the creative lifestyle and artful living. I am really interested in lifestyle design right now, and I would love to share with you guys all the ideas I have on living life more creatively.
I will do this by writing about different subgroups of people who follow their dreams with total abandon. I will show you how to incorporate art into your daily lives and how to find inspiration everywhere. I will help you find your muse, and develop and sustain a relationship with her. I will help you see find mentors and role models, people who have been there and show you that it can be done. I will help you to gain understanding of yourself and of those around you so that you have a better grasp of human emotion for your art as well as for your relationships with people. My aim is to help you live life more fully because I've realised that having a bunch of things and a long list of abstract achievements do not make a full life. In the end it is the people you meet, the experiences you have and the relationships you build that give you true happiness.
I know it sounds like I have it all figured out, but I don't. I will be the first person to admit I don't know it all. However, I am extremely willing to devote myself to seeking the answers to every question I encounter. I want to know more and I promise that as I learn more. So really if you think about it I am taking this journey with you.
I am writing for all you lovely creative and artistic people striving to live a life full of inspiration.
This is my purpose.
Love you all and Stay inspired,
P.S. So let me know what you think. Are there any topics related to artistic living that you would like me to explore? Feel free to let me know what you think in the comments below.
Tuesday, 20 July 2010
Renovate Your life: Organising your personal space part 2
Steps on the road to an organised room:
Make a list of things you need to do to get your room organised.
Have an idea of why you want to do it, i.e. I'm overwhelmed by the mess, I cant get anything done, it's holding me back, I'm holding onto something, etc. I personally need a more streamlined lifestyle so I can travel easier. Keep this in mind or even write it down and keep it in sight as you embark on this task.
If you can, enlist a friend to help. It makes things so much easier and funner, and you can encourage each other as you work through the mess. If your friend also needs help, volunteer to help each other.
Get rid of all the trash and stuff that you do not need: Choose a particular spot and work round. Start by having a box or bag for all the stuff you definitely want to keep, one you might want to keep, stuff you want to giveaway or recycle and a bag for all the trash. Things that you initially find hard to get rid of can be kept in the might box for closer inspection later( talk about later on how after everything is done they will have to face that box and sort it into 4 places: refer to the organisation piece on sentimental clutter note if there is no space for it get rid of it. ) At this point you are not trying to put things into specific places yet. This is mostly just to get all the stuff that is not where its meant to be to where it needs to be.
Divide your stuff into categories: Create different categories in which your things can go. The best and most efficient way I've found is to divide your things based on function. Even if all you have is one room model it after a home. Keep all your kitchen stuff in one place and all your linens somewhere else. Have everything down to the smallest detail on a nice piece of paper. Write it in this way: 3rd drawer on chest of drawer on the right will have all my medication and first aid things. This paper will be your guide and treasure map.
Begin to arrange the room based on this guide. I usually suggest starting with the closet because that is the main storage unit in most rooms.
The closet
Laundry stuff, linens, and medium sized storage boxes for appropriate things should go in there.
Shoes can go on the bottom and clothes should be hung with all the hangers facing the same direction. As much as possible, when using single hangers keep the amount of clothes hanging on it down to one so that it will be easier to find what you're looking for when you need it.
If you have enough space in your closet and especially if you are pushed for space (i.e if you're major personal space is your college dorm room), keep your laundry in a basket/ laundry bag in the closet, preferably under your detergent and other cleaning items and housekeeping items.
I've found it really helpful to hang my belts, scarves and really long necklaces, so that they are easy to reach and kept in sight.
Keep bathroom items together in a shower basket in an easy to reach place
Hats and bags: Keep them together as much as possible. I keep mine in this pretty purple storage bin that is relatively light, has tons of holes that I can see into the bin through, and fits in with general color scheme of my room.
If you have a chest of drawers or something you could use in a similar manner for the storage of any clothes you couldn't fit into your wardrobe, use it in a specific and clearly outlined way. A lot of people suggest that you should only arrange keep two layers of clothes per drawer, but I have found that this is completely unreasonable for me given my current college dorm room accommodations. Therefore, I suggest that you break down your clothes into certain storage categories and assigning them to definite drawers and sides in the drawers. For example, my current system is as follows:
- top drawer: delicates/underclothes
- second drawer: tops (that I wear on a daily basis)
- third drawer: bottoms that I wear on a daily basis
- fourth drawer: first aid items, medicine that must not be kept upright on the left, and pajamas on the right
- fifth drawer: tops that I do not wear often (nightclub gear, etc) and cardigans (in the middle of the summer these can't qualify as regular wear)
The dressing table (or you could use the top of your chest of drawers)
Jewelry trees and boards:I have this jewelry tree that I absolutely love for hanging my shorter necklaces, bracelets and anklets, and storing my everyday cocktail rings. A friend of mine also introduced me to the idea of storing my earrings by poking them through a board made of foam of cardboard and arranging them in layers. Alternatively, you could keep in a wire frame for this purpose.
I own a lot of hair accessories and keep them all together in one of the drawer divider bins that I've placed on my chest of drawers. The other one contains my larger jewelry like my cuffs and small box sets of jewelry. I have about 3 or so actual jewelry boxes that have my jewelry arranged according to level of formality of the occasion it would be worn to.
My makeup and beauty care products are all arranged here as well as my health care products like my medication that must be kept upright, my cleansers and my creams.
The Desk
I have all my regular use books lined up on the shelf on my desk, with their backs facing me for ease of access.
School supplies are all in this really cute set of tiny storage drawers I got from Barnes and Nobles at the beginning of the year.
My calendar hangs by my desk and all the wires that would usually run across my room are kept out of sight with the excess in a tiny brown basket under my bed.
My laptop and printer have a pretty constant place on my desk while the drawers that come with my desk have art supplies, tech stuff and papers arranged into each of them.
Everything Else
Suitcases and boxes used for travel and storage units that take up excess space are all kept under my bed through the use of bed risers.
Final Actions and Words:
Go through the box of might keep stuff: choose only the stuff you really need, will use, like and have space to keep. If the item doesn't meet any of these criteria please give it away or throw it away. You will feel so much better for it.
Congratulations! You have cleaned house! (Clean House show reference anyone? No? okay).
Love you all and Stay inspired,
Thursday, 8 July 2010
Letter to my Body (The letter that kicked off Operation Organise)
Dear Body,
I am sorry that I don't treat you well enough. I stuff you with junk food that is really not good and that you don't even recognise as food. I don't get as much as exercise as I know I should. The amazing gym just down the street barely knows of my existence. Also, I barely sleep. Fours a night is not acceptable by any standards, especially considering how much I make you do during the day. To top everything off I stress you out to no end with needless worries and unflagging anxiety brought on by my disorganised state. It isn't right. I promise all this will change.
Love,
Aury.
One night, after realizing and being appalled at the vicious cycle of stress I found myself in, I sat down, wrote this letter to my body, and made a decision that set me on this new path to a life of purpose. I've always had goals and aims and pretty ambitious ones too, but for quite a while I'd felt stuck. I realized then that the reason I wasn't moving forward in my goals was because I lacked an organized system to support them. I like think of it in this way: My goals and dreams are castles built in the sky; without a sturdy support and foundation to back them up they will fall apart. It's sort of like my joy actually; without the foundation that is my faith in God, it would fall to the floor, and I would be swallowed by despair.
With all that is on my plate I need to organize. I really feel that I've come as far as possible without structure. Now it feels like every time I try to juggle everything, something falls by the wayside. I try to pick up the fallen item and something else falls. After high school, I wanted nothing to do with structure because I felt like it was a crutch being used to hinder my creativity but now I feel like it's the support I need to give me back the freedom needed to create. I'm aware it's a huge undertaking, trying to organize and instill structure to something as big as one's life, but in the long run I imagine it would surely be for the best. As I conquer each step I will let you know how I did it and what I've learnt from the process. I really hope I'll be able to help anyone who's looking for more structure in their lives as well.
Love you all and Stay inspired,
P.S. So let me know what you think. Have you ever felt this way? What did you do? Feel free to let me know in the comments below.
Photo from: We Heart it
Tuesday, 11 May 2010
If I Had One Wish... I would be a gypsy
From: DiscoAnimal Tumblr
Dearest Devotees,
Spinning silks in shades of light
Velvet dark as shadowed night.Whirling dancers with eyes like jet
Centuries have not tamed us yet!
Ever since I first watched Gypsy Girl when I was 10, and read all of the books in the series by Elizabeth Arnold about a young gypsy girl who lived with her gypsy family in their caravan at the end of a suburban street, I've been intrigued by the romanticized gypsy life. All the colors in their clothes and in their homes, their free-spiritedness, closeness to nature and artistic abilities, their inherent quirkiness and individuality, and familial closeness caught my attention. Our shared love of traveling and the fact that I have spent most of my life on the move, also attracted me and ever since then my style has had some romany (gypsy-related) elements in it. If you are like me and harbor dreams of being a gypsy, read on.
Fashion and Style
The easiest way to embrace this style is by channeling your bohemian leanings. The bohemian trend was largely influenced by romany style dressing. So think gypsy skirts, peasant tops, tunics, exotic prints, tons of jewelry and color (especially jewel tones).
Beauty
When it comes to the gypsy style beauty there are two ways you can go: natural or jeweled. The Natural look has to do with accenting your current attributes in such a way that you don't look like you are wearing make-up. The jeweled look has to do with jewel tone polish and eye-shadow, smokey-black eyes with black mascara and eyeliner and lightly glosses lips.
What to do
Try out palm reading.
Go thrift store and antique shop hunting. You can probably pick up some really fantastic unique pieces for your wardrobe.
Listen to "indie" type music. Think lighthearted, light-spirited acoustic style music e.g anything Iron and Wine, Blue glass by Furlough, etc.
Go horseback riding.
Take your favorite art supplies ( notebook and pen, sketchbook and pencil, paints, camera, etc) and go to your closest connection to nature. Spend an afternoon allowing nature to inspire you.
Lay in a field and watch clouds go by or if its raining feel free to play in the rain.
Have friends and family over, and have a bonfire/campfire night out. Dance around the campfire.
Go flower and/or fruit picking.
Explore a nearby town, a different neighborhood, or if you can't physically go anywhere try heading to the library and distancing yourself from reality through reading.
Don't forget to have fun on your own and with other people.
Love you all and Stay inspired,
P.S. So let me know know what you think. Have you ever desired to be a traveller/gypsy/Romany? Feel free to let me know in the comments below.
P.P.S I am in no way an expert and honestly this is all for fun, and based off fictional gypsies. I do not intend to offend anyone and if you happen to know more about the subject I would most definitely love to hear from you via email at aury4eva@gmail.com.
Friday, 30 April 2010
A Day in the Life, A flood of photographic inspiration
Dearest Devotees,
Thank you so much for you all your words of encouragements and prayers. I am almost done with all of my final stuff. I only have a one more costume design project, a paper for acting, and my piano and Economics finals left. I will probably do a post or two during the next week and as soon as I'm done I will let you all know. I have so many great ideas for posts that I can't wait to do as soon as finals are over. Until then I just thought I'd release a couple of pictures that have inspired me in the past month or so from We Heart it. Hope you are all well and good luck in all you do.
Love you all and Stay inspired,
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