Child at Heart

I recently ran across an article titled "Top five regrets of the dying" via The Guardian news. (See entire article here.) According to this piece, the top five regrets of those on their deathbeds are the following:

1. I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.
2.I wish I hadn't worked so hard.
3. I wish I'd had the courage to express my feelings.
4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.
5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.

I recently lost a very close friend, and I'd be lying if I said that death hasn't been weighing heavily on my mind recently. This article surprisingly didn't provoke thoughts of death for me, though. Instead, as I was reading through the list, I began to think that each of these things is so very childlike... in the best possible way.

1. Children don't care what others think of them. They will approach anyone and befriend anyone without the insecure notions that plague us as we age.
2. Children don't live from paycheck to paycheck. They have the luxury of not having to do so yet. They DO know how to lose themselves instantly and enjoy the moment though, something that we too often forget when we get caught up in the rat race.
3. Children are honest to the point of having no filter sometimes. They definitely don't hide their feelings though. Children are the first to say "I love you" and the first to reach out for a hug.
4. Children live for their friends. They don't see a divide between social classes, race or income.
5. There is no noise greater than that of a full-bellied eruption of laughter from a child. Kids haven't forgotten yet how to be happy. They see the world with wonder and not as a place of evil.

All of these realizations struck me as common sense. It's hard to "forget" how to be an adult. It's hard to go back to a place of no cares when there are bills to pay, classes to pass, appointments to make and obligations to fulfill. Since I realize that this concept isn't just a switch that you can turn on and off, I decided to make my own list of child-like things that I'll never be too old for. Maybe these can remind me to take a minute to try to see the world as a place of endless possibilities, even if just for a few minutes.

I'll NEVER be too old for:

1. Hair Bows*

*Or puppies

2. Nap Time

3. Disney Movies

4. Dress-Up

(now it's just the more grown up version..)

5. Swing sets. 

6. Sparklers 

7. Sandcastles 

8. ICEE Cokes 

9. Catching Lightning bugs 

10. Calling Mommy or Daddy when something goes wrong... 

Displays of Affection

Be still, my heart.... Everyone already knows that I'm a sucker for anything pink, anything homemade, and anything romantic. I agree with all of the Valentine's critics that say that we shouldn't have just one day dedicated to love. We should love every single day. But why shut out doors & boycott everything heart-shaped or vaguely resembling chocolate for the next month? Whether it's romantic or platonic, we could all use a little bit more love :)

Learn how to make pretty, chic garland here and fill your home with the love that you make.

Tired of chocolate? Cut your fruit into hearts & make kabobs to dip into yogurt dip!

Recycle your christmas lights to make a pretty, romantic canvas. Poke holes in the canvas and poke white lights through! 

 Dress your beau up & add a little pink to his closet. How about a pink seersucker bow tie from Southern Beaus on Etsy?

Buy yourself an absurd amount of flowers. Then, take a note from Emmaline Bride and arrange them in mason jars. So chic & southern!

Make Valentine's M&M Samoa Blondies for the sweetest sugar rush. Try this recipe from Six Sisters Stuff.  Seriously addicting. 

Add splashes of pink and red to your decor by trying your hand at replicating your favorite Lilly print onto canvas. Or, leave it to the professionals and order your own set of 2 from mcleansa on Etsy.

Go overboard on candles! If you can't let yourself use girly decorations all year long, this one month can be your excuse. 

Random Acts.

      It's nearing the end of January now, and the glitter from New Year's Eve has long since settled in corners, joining the dust from last year. A month ago, so many people were setting goals for 2012. They would eat right. Excercise. Read their Bibles every day. Lose 10 pounds. Learn French. Stop hanging onto vices. Get a promotion. Find the love of their life. Take over the world.

     In our society, we are encouraged by these ideas, by the fresh start that begins with the drop of the ball. Too often though, these resolutions are packed away before the Christmas tree is even picked up off of the curb. We set such high standards for ourselves or we decide to change the most stubborn parts of ourselves that it becomes easy to give up the first time we stumble. It's just like addicts that are sent to rehab over and over. We won't change drastically unless we want to. We won't change unless it's by our own agendas.

     Or maybe we're just trying to change the wrong parts of ourselves. 

      The other morning I received a text message from my Mom. "Pay it forward with an unexpected kind act to someone today," she said. "I will try to also."

     I had been having a rough couple of weeks and her text message inspired me to think about others for just a few moments out of my day instead of dwelling on myself. I wasn't setting an extremely high bar or being asked to do anything that I didn't enjoy doing. She wasn't asking me to change anything about myself. She was only asking me to change my focus for a couple of minutes.
     For the next few days, I challenged myself to go out of my way for others. I didn't set out to save the human race. But I do think I might have made a few people's days a little easier. I didn't volunteer for hours in the community. But I did give out a couple hundred smiles. And hugs. And compliments. I gave a listening ear to a few friends that needed one. I surprised my brother with free dinner, and answered my phone at 2 a.m. when I needed to sleep but a friend needed someone to help mend their hurting heart a little bit more. I gave a few rides home. I practiced patience when the other person didn't deserve it. I let cars onto the highway instead of speeding up to get by them and I helped a woman older than my own grandmother get her groceries into her car. I didn't change anything about myself, either, but I have found that the best way to make myself happier is by setting out to make others happy first. The best part is that it's instant gratification.

    I'm telling this story because it is the end of January. Many, many people have already given up on their resolutions. I didn't even set one to begin with. But I tell this story because I hope that it might inspire you. That you might resolve to go out of your way for someone tomorrow. Maybe the next day too. Maybe every day. I challenge you to this low-maintenance resolution, not in hopes that you will follow through with it every day until 2013, but that you will maybe include it in a small part of your life.

Challenge yourself to be just a little bit kinder. Change yourself by making someone else's day just a little bit easier.
   

Photo 365.

iPhone users. Your attention please. The majority of you may not find this application nearly as exciting as I do, but lend me a few moments to share the little bit of joy that it brings me.

Many of you may have heard of the Photo 365 project, which has been inspiring everyone from professional photographers to amateur "mobile upload" picture snappers to take one photo each day. The picture can be of anything-- something they did that day, something that made them smile, a memorable sunset, or a picture of a delicious meal. After 365 days, there will be an entire year's worth of photos to reflect on: an entire year captured in photos! Just the idea of this project makes me smile. I recently downloaded the iPhone app "Photo 365" that makes the entire project simple and fun. The app reminds you to take a photo each day (you can turn the reminder off or never even set it if you find it annoying) and then organizes your photos into a calendar, until you complete your entire year! It also allows for you to write a caption/reflection on where you were/what was going on in each picture. SO simple, yet SO brilliant!

I only have 3 photos so far, but after I get an entire month done, I'll upload a screenshot of my progress. Have a fabulous week!

To see more info/download the app, go to the app store on your phone or visit:

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/photo-365-remember-your-year/id454629399?mt=8

Dear Freshman Me,

It's hard to believe that my little brother will be joining me in my college town in less than a week! The past two years have absolutely flown by & as I start to realize that I'm halfway through with my undergrad, I also find myself caught in restrospect of the past two incredible years. I have grown so much in all aspects of my life & I have gone through more than I ever would have imagined. Thinking back to my freshman self, I wonder how I might have reacted if someone older than me had given the thought to share their realizations with me... If I were speaking to my former self.. what would I say?

Dear Freshman Me,
It's likely impossible to imagine that this cold, tiny room will ever feel like "home," but give it a couple of days. You're already confident, but just rest assured that you are more than prepared for this huge step. Two years from now, you'll laugh at yourself for being so nervous. It's okay. Everyone is. The things that you're the most worried about-- whether you'll still want to transfer to Chapel Hill in a year, whether you'll get into a good sorority, whether you'll be able to keep your grades high, whether you'll make friends: these things will all take care of themselves. You already know how strong of a person you are. Have faith.
This doesn't go to say that you won't make plenty of mistakes, though. Dear God. You will make some mistakes. Some words of wisdom:

1. Throw yourself fully into everything that you do. If you're going to halfway do something, you might as well find something you're more passionate about.
2. You're going to get your heartbroken. It's going to hurt. Terribly. You still won't learn from your mistakes though, and you'll go on to put yourself in even more situations that will lead to all sorts of pain. Just keep your head up. There's nothing you can do. Time heals all wounds.
3. Set high standards for yourself and for all men you even consider trusting. You won't understand this one for a while... but I promise you will.
4. Cherish the friendships that are two-way streets. Forget about the ones that don't put in the effort or that only exist when times are good. This too, will be painful. Just love the one's who love you back.
5. Keep in touch with the friends who have always been there. You may be in different towns now, but they have cared through thick and thin.
6. Become as involved as possible. You won't look back at college and wish you'd slept more.
7. Remember that the company you keep speaks volumes about how much you respect yourself.
8. Learn to forgive. And equally as important: learn to forgive yourself.
9. Remember that you're never too old to call your mom & dad for advice.
10. Take care of yourself. Mentally, physically, spiritually, emotionally. This one's the kicker.

Lilly Lovin'

Yesterday, sorority girls and alum all over the country waited for the announcement from Lilly Pulitzer to hear if their sorority had been selected by the company to recieve their own custom Lilly print! You can imagine the excitement of my chapter and our sisters nationwide when the following tweet arrived:

The company has also already created prints for Kappa Kappa Gamma, Delta Zeta, Kappa Delta and Delta Delta Delta... Alpha Delta Pi is SO EXCITED to join this great group!
One of the best things about the prints are their creativity.... here's a close up of Delta Zeta's print, including their letters and their flower (the rose) featured on my FAVORITE accessory, the Murfee scarf. (I don't think it needs to be said that I fully intend on buying one for ADPi the very second it's released..)

 & here is a close up of a pencil case with Kappa Delta's print.. Lilly also makes make up bags, totes, and duffels.. they'll make the perfect gifts for my grand-little this fall!

I also have to give a shout out to Lilly for outfitting my pretty iPhone 4, and some of my favorite events of the Spring...Carolina Cup, Formal, Easter, and.....oh wait, almost every day :) 

The new iPhone 4 Cases!

Formal

Carolina Cup!

We LOVE you, Lilly!

Spring in España.

I found this quote written on the wall at a hostel in Granada, Spain. As an English major, I am used to the feeling of "falling" into quotes- that is, I am used to being stopped dead in my tracks by particular pieces of language that for one reason or another draw me into them. I can't exactly put into words the reason that these word struck so close to home for me, but I'll try to explain...

 I've always told anyone that would listen that regardless of all of the material gifts that my parents have ever given me, (I have the most amazing parents in the world & I'll be the first to admit that my Daddy loves to spoil me & my Mommy loves to shop...) the greatest things that they've ever given me have been all of the trips that we've taken abroad from the time that I was old enough to walk. Unlike most of my friends, I've had a passport since I was in elementary school, and my parents have always believed that being cultured is one of the most important traits that a person can possess. Most of our trips growing up were to Belize, Central America, which has become my home away from home. Others have included countries in Europe, and countries all over Central America and the Caribbean.

This Spring Break my parents proved again to me just how lucky I am, when they agreed to let me go on a trip with three of my best friends to the cities of Madrid, Sevilla and Granada, Spain. We were also able to meet up with another of our friends that was living in Spain for several months through a work away program. While I could write for years about all of the adventures we found ourselves on, I think I'll just share some of my favorite pictures from the trip instead.... most of them seem to speak for themselves :)