joy.

peony

“If you suddenly and unexpectedly feel joy, don’t hesitate. Give in to it. There are plenty of lives and whole towns destroyed or about to be. We are not wise, and not very often kind. And much can never be redeemed. Still life has some possibility left. Perhaps this is its way of fighting back, that sometimes something happened better than all the riches or power in the world. It could be anything, but very likely you notice it in the instant when love begins. Anyway, that’s often the case. Anyway, whatever it is, don’t be afraid of its plenty. Joy is not made to be a crumb.” // Mary Oliver

viva sweet love

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sweet spring is your
time is my time is our
time for springtime is lovetime
and viva sweet love

(all the merry little birds are
flying in the floating in the
very spirits singing in
are winging in the blossoming)

lovers go and lovers come
awandering awondering
but any two are perfectly
alone there’s nobody else alive

(such a sky and such a sun
i never knew and neither did you
and everybody never breathed
quite so many kinds of yes)

not a tree can count his leaves
each herself by opening
but shining who by thousands mean
only one amazing thing

(secretly adoring shyly
tiny winging darting floating
merry in the blossoming
always joyful selves are singing)

sweet spring is your
time is my time is our
time for springtime is lovetime
and viva sweet love

// e.e. cummings

shine on…

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“This is the year I will choose a word.”

That’s what I decided when 2104 rolled around. You know, the whole, choose a word, live the word, BE THE WORD. I liked the idea, this phenomenon. But you want to know what I did? When I first started this project, this idea of a word, I scoured the internet for hours. I googled “New Years Word”. I scrolled through all my instagram, pinterest, twitter. I looked at my friends’ words, I looked at strangers words. I looked to everyone else for my word, but you know what? I hardly even looked to myself.

So then I stopped and took a deep breath. Because I’d literally gotten myself in a tizzy over picking a word. Because this sort of thing— this sort of comparing, and measuring, and looking out into the world for the answers? This is the thing we do now. All of us. Definitely me. And this is the thing that I try so so hard not to do and not to be.

I am constantly telling myself and trying to believe in myself {succeeding in believing, and failing to believe}, that just being me is enough.

JUST DO YOU. BE YOU. YOU YOU YOU.

And so,

Shine.

That’s my word.

And I’m not sure exactly what it means for me just yet, but it’s the single word that I thought up myself, and it spoke to me, and I feel something for it, and best of all, it just seems right. I don’t want to overanalyze it, or beat it to the ground. I just want to bring the light to my life, keep the light, shine the light. That quote up above? That’s the kind of life I want to live this year. That’s the kind of person I want to be.

Shine in, Shine out, Shine on.

a song, a book, a quote, a look. // 3

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Haven’t done one of these in awhile, but I’m a big fan of SBQL {started by Jenna!}…

For your Friday. ♥

A song. // From this Valley, The Civil Wars

A book. // This History of Love, Nicole Krauss

A quote. // I saw this on Pinterest and it spoke to me.

A look. // Her. Love me some Natalie Holbrook.

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I feel like I’ve sort of got my life together lately. In a more-together-than-two-weeks-ago kind of way. I’ve been feeling good vibes at school. I’m mastering the meetings and feeling settled into my routine. Second grade is so UP and DOING! Like, let’s do this everybody! Math and Reading and Science and Social Studies! Yes, let’s DO THIS! {Also, WE GOT THIS!} At home I’m keeping up with the laundry and dishes. Picking up the house more often, which inevitably keeps me in a better mood. AND I already have the coffee pot all set and ready to go for tomorrow morning, so there’s that, too. It might seem like such a little thing, but to me it is HUGE.

Outfit? Picked out.

Lunch? Practically packed.

Just all around more on top things and feeling pretty solid about it. Not perfect, but who is?

Are you up to anything special this weekend? I’m just going to be enjoying fall in Boston. FINALLY. DREAM! The weather has been just my cup of tea. Remember the end of the fall last year? Snowy disaster. This sort of October is much more my style. This is the kind of fall I could look forward to. But of course, this IS new England so I better not hold my breath. Who knows what’ll happen over the next few weeks. {I dread.}

I think on Saturday I’m going to check out this place, most recently toured by Rachael.

And maybe another round of esplanade fun via my two wheeler. Could be awesome.

Weekend, weekend, weekend! I have been waiting for you!