Hamlet

Tomorrow in English we are having a test on Shakespeare's Hamlet. Shakespeare is so not my thing but I admire the amount of precision his work has and how he leaves his stories open to interpretation. That quality is really important because he makes people question things and themselves along the way.

Anyway, I wanted to share a quote from the book that caught my attention.

Act 4, Scene 3, lines 22-28, speaker: Hamlet

"Not where he eats, but where he is eaten. A

certain convocation of politic worms are e'en at

him. Your worm is your only emperor for diet. We

fat all creatires else to fat us, and we fat ourselves

for maggots. Your fat king and your lean beggar is

but variable service--two dishes but to one table.

That's the end."

Hamlet was saying that in the end we are all food for the worms and that death is the great equalizer. I think that that is really important to remember because so often in society we compare people by material things when in the end, those things don't matter it's what you've done with your life and the way you use your gifts and desires that is the most important.

(image from ffffound)

Linds

“Life is full of risks anyway, why not take them?”

-Lindsay Lohan

Okay, Lindsay is so gorgeous...

I feel like the second image is so powerful in that it portrays the negative effect that the media has on not only Lindsay and other celebrity lives but on the lives of people feeding into it. I'll admit I love celeb gossip but I do sometimes feel guilty because there is no real benefit of knowing whose dating who and whose eating where because the reality is-these people don't directly affect me and my life unless I let them.

Yes, Lindsay Lohan has issues. That's a given but so does everyone, they just aren't caught on camera and gossiped about worldwide. Everyone needs to cut her and all the other celebs a break with all the discrimination. Send them positive vibes, not negative ones!

What is the root of all evil?

Were does evil stem from on the apple tree of life?

Tomorrow in my ethics class we are discussing what we think the root of all evil is...

“I think addiction is a root problem that leads to a lot of other problems that our world is dealing with. Addiction can empty a person of their soul.”
-mom

“The root of all evil or any evil is very simple, it's self-gratification. Mankind's endless pursuit of happiness to only please themselves.”
-R. Shimoda

“Boredom is the root of all evil - the despairing refusal to be oneself.”

-Soren Kierkegaard

As I was researching the root of all evil various responses came up: money, drugs, alcohol, power, religion, starvation, terrorism, etc. I believe that the root of all evil can be a number of things. One thing is a thirst for more-never having enough (ex. money, power, land, property, things, etc.). When people desire more they tend to have negative intentions. The reasons people drink, use drugs, and smoke excessively is usually to make themselves feel better because they feel they don’t have enough. But like my mom said, it usually just empties a person of their soul and who they truly are.

I also believe that the media is the root of all evil. They set up this image of perfection and impossible standards to live up to and make it seem like the norm. This only causes people to feel worse about themselves and desire more.

I don't know if there truly is a solution but an improvement could be performing charitable services for those in need. It is still a form of self-gratification but it is overshadowed by the good deed of helping others. Yes, there are terrible issues in the world of poverty, abortion, homicide, and terrorism but they all stem from the same reason/source-the desire for self-gratification.

(image from ffffound)

Valentino Red

Sienna Miller in Valentino at Valentino's 45th Anniversary Celebration

“When you choose a dress, make sure it is really about who you are. Be true to your own style.”
-Vera wang

question EVERYTHANG

(images from ffffound)

Harper's Bazaar Russia

Harper's Bazaar Russia

(images from fashion gone rogue)

"As we grow up, we learn that even the one person that wasn't supposed to ever let us down, probably will. You'll have your heart broken more than once and its harder every time.You'll fight with your best friend and blame a new love for things an old one did and you'll cry because time is passing so fast. So take too many pictures, laugh too much, forgive freely, and love like you've never been hurt. Life comes with no guarantees, no time outs, no second chances. You just have to live life to the fullest, tell someone what they mean to you and tell someone off, speak out, dance in the pouring rain, hold someone's hand, comfort a friend, fall asleep watching the sun come up, stay up late, be a flirt, and smile until your face hurts. Don't be afraid to take chances or fall in love and most of all, live in the moment because every second you spend mad or upset is a second of happiness you can never get back."

Christian Dior Spring 2010 Couture

"Heavily influenced by equestrian wear and the alluring mystique of the early twentieth century Gibson Girl, John Galliano delivers a luxurious mix of jewel tones, ruffles and draping for the Christian Dior spring 2010 haute couture collection."

(images from fashion gone rogue)

Tats

Love these tats. I want one sometime in my life but I'm gonna wait until the phrase comes to me. It has to have meaning. I'm thinking of an inspirational/meaningful phrase on my wrist to remind to that this life is the only one I have. I don't want to make any permanent changes until I'm absolutely sure. XO.

P.S. How gorgeous does Gisele look? I could die right now.

P.P.S. LOVE Megan Fox's 'tude.

My Top 3 from the SAG Awards

Kate Hudson, in Emilio Pucci with Cartier jewels.

Lea Michele, in Malandrino with Tiffany & Co. jewels.

(*YES!)

Justin Timberlake, in Dolce & Gabbana.

Diane Kruger, in Jason Wu with Harry Winston jewels.

(images from style.com)

I Get Knocked Down But I Get Up Again

As second semester of Junior Year is starting it is sort of like a fresh start and really any moment can be a fresh start for everyone. I just wanted to take a moment and remind myself of what's important in life.

1. Live in the moment-focus more on the present
2. EAT SLOWLY. My mom always says to enjoy the company, not just the food.
3. Drink a lot of water. Water cleanses. Tea is ahmazing too.
4. RELAX: breathe, drink tea, take baths, light candles, journal, do yoga, listen to music. Take a break from technology and get in touch with my inner self.
5. HAVE FUN: gain a stronger MIND BODY AND SOUL along the way
6. Dance parties. Have them often. Let loose.

..."If it rains on my parade, I'll just dance in it."
7. WRITE thank you notes. It is such an easy, heartfelt way to show appreciation. It doesn’t take more than a moment.

(images from ffffound)

I See That Sparkle In Your Eye

Things I Love About These Pictures:

1. the nail polish

2. the tea

3. the colors

4. the everything

"Life's enchanted cup sparkles near the brim."

-Lord Byron, english romantic poet and satirist (1788-1824)

(images from the selby)

Run Away, Love

(images from ffffound)

Barbie Girl

"If Barbie is so popular than why do you have to buy her friends?"

I used to LOVE Barbies. All until 1st grade.

When I entered 1st grade I decided that I was too old and mature for Barbies, little did I know that since I made that bold statement I wouldn't be receiving basically the best Christmas gift EVER.

You know when someone asks, "What was your favorite gift you've ever received?"

Well, if I had gotten this gift it would be my answer 100%.

but NO, my first grade maturity got in the way of the best Christmas gift EVER:

A BARBIE DREAM HOUSE.

WITH AN ELEVATOR, WORKING BATH/SHOWER, AND LIT CHANDELIERS.

No joke.

A gift that I had to watch my parents give to my little cousins this Christmas.

After cleaning out our basement this past summer, my parents found a huge box labeled Barbie dream house.

UHHMM, EXCUSE ME?!

They said that they bought the $600 house on sale for $100, 2 weeks before I made the big announcement that I was too mature for the baby dolls. So they didn't give me the gift!? I'm SURE that had I received that gift that Christmas my opinions on my maturity would have changed.

Basically, I'm scarred for life. I could be going through a quarter life crisis if that's possible. Ever since I found out about the dream house I've been intrigued by Barbies. I got this book about the history of Barbie and I really think that she is so much more than just a plastic doll with fake boobs (and fake everything, actually). Barbies actually reflect history. That sounds silly but as history has changed/evolved so have they. As I've been finding out more and more about Barbie I have found inspiration in Barbie and what she stands for:

DREAMS. FANTASY. PINK. CREATIVITY.

An even less amazing version of my would-be Best Christmas Gift ever.

So I decided that since I couldn't have my Barbie Dream House,
I'm going to create a Barbie Dream House of my own.

My dream house probably won't be all pink and glittery but I want Barbie to be the inspiration for my life. Our lives really are our own personal Barbie Dream Houses. We have the power to decorate them whatever way we want and we have choices to do whatever we want. Everyone is the Barbie in their lives. We can achieve whatever we want with positivity, passion, and DREAMS. & a little pink too.

"If you can imagine it, you can achieve it. If you can dream it, you can become it."
-William Arthur Ward

“If you don’t have a dream, how are you going to make it come true?”
-Oscar Hammerstein

“It may be those who do most, dream most.”
-Stepehn B. Leacock

...........................................................................................................

I'm a Barbie girl in the Barbie world

Life in plastic, it's fantastic

You can brush my hair, undress me everywhere

Imagination, life is your creation

-Barbie Girl by Aqua

Seventeen October 1989

Totally Rad.

(image from the fashion spot)

Daily Inspiration:
*be IRREPLACEABLE:
Do what you do better than anyone else--dead, living, or unborn. Take the pride in the details, and make yourself invaluable to the process.
*PRACTICE transformation:
Explore, reach out, and form new relationships. Allow yourself to be transformed by others. Transformation is creation.
*know that you are a WORK OF ART:
You are an artist. Use the gift of life that God gave you to create, bring forth, and manifest your own personal masterpiece. Your life is your greatest work of art.
*keep it REAL:
Don't kill your dreams by overestimating the reality. To live extraordinarily, you must empower your creative mind and defy logic. Stop stifling your imagination.
*BUILD your team:
In your home, on your job, and in your personal and spiritual life, surround yourself with positive, empowering people who suppoer, motivate, and challenge you. Strengthen yourself by building your team.

Just let me dream

4 Reasons To Sleep More
Why You Need More Sleep Tonight

IT MAKES YOU...HEALTHY
Skimping on shut-eye has the potential to be deadly: "Chronic sleep debt raises your risk for high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, and obesity," says Dr. Emsellem. Your immune system is compromised too, "so you're more susceptible to catching every virus that comes along."

IT MAKES YOU...SMARTER
Though your body shuts down, your brain buzzes with activity as you sleep. That's when it sorts, processes, consolidates, and stores the masses of information you absorbed during the day. "Sleep is crucial for learning, cognition, memory, and performance," says Dr. Epstein. In fact, a Harvard study showed that adults who got a good night's sleep performed 44 percent better on a memory test 12 hours later, compared with those who stayed awake.

IT MAKES YOU...SLIM
Recent research reveals "a very close relationship between insufficient sleep and the inability to lose or stabilize weight," says Dr. Emsellem. A likely reason: Sleep debt interferes with the function of hormones that regulate how efficiently the body burns fat.

IT MAKES YOU...COORDINATED
Harvard scientists have found that after trying a new motor task -- playing a piano minuet, doing an aerobics routine -- a good night's rest solidifies what you've learned, making it easier and more automatic the next day. "Studies show that your brain replays the same sequences during the night," explains Dr. Emsellem. "The next day, you just know the moves -- it's no longer a conscious act."

Also, a few years ago my mom got me a stack of Tavis Smiley's Empowerment Cards for Inspired Living and every so often I'm gonna share some with you...

*CRY when you need to:
Whether it's behind closed doors or in the arms of a confidant--cry. Relieve your mind, body, and soul of built-up pressure, pain, and stress. Heal yourself with your tears.

*LISTEN to understand:

When you give others your individed attention, you not only hear what they're saying, but you also hear God speaking to you through them. Stop listening to respond. Listen to understand.

*create to CONNECT:

Your dream is bigger than you are. It's the creative force of God. Create your dream life, then send it out into the world to make a difference.

(info on sleep om fitness; images from ffffound)

Set Me Free

"Do you ever feel like you've been holding back? Like you haven't laughed as hard as you know you can laugh and run as hard as you know you can run and sung the true song of your soul? This is the beginning of another year. Your year. Immerse yourself in life. Have brownies for breakfast. Skate. Enjoy old people. Jump in the deep end. Work really hard. Give with reckless abandon. Paint something. Read a book you don't yet understand. Cry till your nose runs. Love with your whole heart. Lift your face to the sun."
-greeting card

That is my absolute favorite quote ever. I just wanna live my life happy with joy everyday-that is the one true thing that matters. We only have one life to live and that life is what we make it. We have the power to be the best we can become. I don't want to hold anything back.

FREE SPIRIT: a person who lives according to his or her own wishes and beliefs, unconstrained by society's conventions; nonconformist; a person with a highly individual or unique attitude, lifestyle, or imagination

"Free spirits are inclined to explore life and taste new experiences that hold true to the deepest parts of themselves vs. being influenced by what the masses around them are doing. They are often people who think freely and have the courage to hear their own voice and follow their own integrity."

“Don’t be satisfied accepting where you are when where you could be is beautiful.”

(image from ffffound)

ffffffinals

Just got back from school after my bio and spanish final.

I'm so sick of books, notecards, and studyguides I could barf.

2 down, 4 more to go...HELP.

(image from ffffound)

67th Annual Golden Globes: When it rains, it pours

Maggie Gyllenhaal,

in RM by Roland Mouret with Bulgari jewels.

Emily Blunt,
in Dolce & Gabbana with Lorraine Schwartz jewels and a Ferragamo clutch.

Anna Paquin,
in Stella McCartney with Stephen Russell jewels and an Alexander McQueen clutch
(MY FAV)

Zoe Saldana,
in Louis Vuitton with Lorraine Schwartz jewels.

Leona Lewis,
in Roberto Cavalli.


Heidi Klum,
in Roberto Cavalli with Lorraine Schwartz jewels and a Christian Louboutin clutch,
and Seal.

Diane Kruger,
in Christian Lacroix Haute Couture with Chanel Fine Jewelry jewels and a Raven Kauffman clutch.

Christina Aguilera,
in Versace.


Cameron Diaz,
in Alexander McQueen with Van Cleef & Arpels jewels, a Roger Vivier clutch, and Ferragamo shoes.


Christina Hendricks,
in Christian Siriano with a Christian Louboutin clutch and Loree Rodkin jewels.

*Some looks that interested me! XO

(images from style.com)