7 Good Reads

With Christmas Day less than 48 hours away, things have been getting rather stressful in my house. Cooking, cleaning, gift wrapping and last minute shopping endeavors have been consuming each and every hour.

With the minimal times of relaxation that I do have in times of chaos, getting lost in a good book is usually at the top of my to-do list. Because of the limited time that I have within the next few days, here is a list of some of my favorite books that you might be able to snag soon (with schedules permitting).

1. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
A classic story of love and learning, and forever one of my favorites.

2. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
Another timeless tale written by Jane Austen, a wonderful author with even better content.

3. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
If you've seen the movie but haven't yet read the book, I highly recommend doing so. Being in high school can be a confusing and difficult time, which Chbosky portrays beautifully.

4. The Works of Edgar Allan Poe (Volumes 1-5) by Edgar Allan Poe
As a poetry snob, I have always admired Poe and his mysterious mannerisms. From "Annabel Lee" to "The Fall of the House of Usher," each piece is sure to leave you hanging off of the edge of your seat.

5. The Works of Lord Byron (Volumes 1-6) by Lord Byron
Byron's poems are not as dark as Poe's and tend to have more romantic ideas involved. As on of my favorite poets, I could read each piece again and again.

6. The Shining by Stephen King
King flawlessly writes his books with a sense of mystique that leaves readers with chills. If you haven't taken the time to immerse yourself in this classic, I highly recommend that you do.

7.  Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding
A perfect book about a girl that we can all relate to at one point or another.

Of course, the list could go on and on. Once things start to slow down and I can indulge myself with some more reads, I'll make sure to come here and share my discoveries.

Artist of the Week: Zio Ziegler

Last week, my sister was taking a look at my blog and suggested an artist for this week. She introduced me to West Coast artist Zio Ziegler, and I'm super excited that she did.

Ziegler's abstract lines and shapes come together to make phenomenal creations. By using both black and white paint as well as color, he is able to showcase his talents in an imaginative way. Ziegler typically does graffiti murals on buildings, which are splattered over the San Francisco area.

 In fact, Ziegler's work is so impressive that he has designed his own line of Vans shoes that are
colorfully and intricately created. He also decorates vehicles with paint at times.

 

(To be honest, I think the only reason my sister mentioned Ziegler's name is because she likes to think she is the biggest fan of Vans.)

Regardless, I'm thrilled that I get to start following Ziegler and his work now that I know about him, and that I get to share him with those of you who might not have known about him before reading this! 

 Here's a look at my favorite Ziegler creation to wrap things up. Stay tuned for next week's author!

How to Stay Focused On Right Now

Nostalgia seems to be my best friend. My memories get triggered by the simplest of things, including songs, quotes and pictures. I had an incredibly blessed childhood and am thankful for everyone and everything that I have in my life. Honestly, it's both a blessing and a curse.

I think back on some of my best memories, but some bad ones creep in every once in awhile, too. I understand that I can't really do anything about things that have happened, but that doesn't mean that I don't dwell on them every now and then.

As a student and a girl inching toward her twenties, the future is definitely a place that I fast forward to. I think about every possible scenario that could happen and the outcomes, and it can get me pretty stressed out. 

When I was in high school, my English teacher introduced the C.S. Lewis book "The Screwtape Letters" to my class. While discussing the book, she mentioned how it can be easy to find ourselves trapped in our past and worried about the future.

She also made a very strong point in saying that staying focused on the present is the important thing to do. I remember thinking about how difficult it was to imagine myself staying only in the present and not in my past or future.

I've been thinking about this a lot for some reason lately, and have found that maybe  took that out of context a bit. I realize now that, while we're meant to learn from the past, we aren't supposed to live in it. The same goes for the future; we can aspire to achieve goals and work towards fulfilling our dreams, but fearing it won't do us any good.

I guess that what I'm trying to say is, be happy with right now. Look around you, and think about everything that you've accomplished to get where you are right now. You've made it this far, congratulations! Now, focus on setting your future up, but be happy with now. Don't settle, and do the best you can in everything you do. Everything can and will work out in the end.

Why Wishful Thinking is Important

My personality can be best described as a dreamer. I constantly think of what I want for the future, who I want to become, and what I want to do with my life. Today's world has a tendency to say that we need to be more realistic, but I disagree.

Wishful thinking allows us to open the door of creativity in our minds. Imagination is key to success, especially when we have big plans for the future. Whether you hope to land a dream job or live in a big house with a wonderful family, hard work tends to pay off in the end. There's something magical about holding on to hope.

Ultimately, we have dreams because we want to pursue them and make them a reality. With enough perseverance and determination, we can. Regardless of the "social norm" or "realistic expectations," aiming to break this barrier is one step closer to reaching our goals.

We hope. We dream. We have faith that, someday and somehow, our wildest dreams will come true - and there's nothing wrong with that in the slightest.

Dear High School Girls

Over the weekend, circumstances brought me back to a high school. As a sophomore in college, it's been a while since I've been sitting on a set of gym bleachers, surrounded by high school students anxious to celebrate homecoming. One thing that really stuck out to me was the cliques of high school girls around me, and how I was in their place only a few years ago. It really got me thinking about how I wish someone had given me some advice while I was still there, so that's what I'm going to do now for you girls.

Stop getting yourself involved in "drama." It's petty, it isn't worth it, and it honestly amounts to nothing in the end.  When you graduate, are you even going to remember the reason why you stopped talking to your best friend for a week? Sure, you'll probably learn to laugh about it down the road, but there's no use in getting yourself worked up about something stupid.

Which brings me to my second point: boys. You don't have to try so hard to "impress" a guy that you like, and if you do, he's not someone that you want to be with. If you do have a boyfriend, make sure that you don't devote 100% of your time to him and only him. You're going to find that if you do that, you're going to lose valuable friendships along the way. You'll go through your fair share of heartbreak, but what you don't realize now is that you have a whole lifetime ahead of you to worry about relationships and finding someone that you want to be with. Chances are, you'll find him in the most unsuspecting place. For now, worry about finding yourself.

High school is one of the biggest opportunities to find out who you really are. If you want to join a club or take up a hobby that other people think is lame, do it anyways! The only thing that matters is if you are happy, not about "following the crowd." Be your own person and make your own happiness.

These four years are such a small portion of your life compared to what is to come. If you're going to college, you're going to discover that there's a whole world out there that you have yet to discover. Everything will work itself out, even if it doesn't seem like it. I promise that you will find happiness in the oddest of places. Right now, focus on your friendships and doing well in your classes. Forget the negative and do what you want to do, because in the end, it makes all the difference.

Top 10 Lazy Day Ideas

I'm a busy person, plain and simple. Between everything that I'm involved with both through my university, writing for outside sources, being with friends and everything in between, it can be hard to find down time for myself. When I finally do have a day where I don't have much to do, there's a few things that make me feel cozy and content. Here's my top 10 list to you, in hopes that you'll find them just as relaxing on your lazy afternoons off as I do:

1.) Drink lots of coffee and tea.
Ah, two of my favorite words. The first thing that I love to do is flip on my Keurig and brew a perfect cup of either hazelnut coffee or green tea (feel free to pick your own poison.) They both give me an extra boost of energy and taste delicious. Warm and wonderful, they guarantee a great start to my day.

2.) Comfy clothes.
If there's no pressing matters that I have to attend to or anywhere that I have to be, go-to outfit is generally my laziest pair of sweatpants and a hoodie. I tend to be the type of person who stays away from wearing sweatpants to class (because Lord knows I'll doze off,) so they add to putting me in a relaxing mood for sure.

3.) Candles, candles, candles.
My room isn't complete until it has a perfect scent, and neither are my lazy days. I have a million (maybe not quite, but just about) wax melt tarts that I put in a candle warmer that i bought for $6 and it works like a charm. Wildberry cheesecake, vanilla cookie crunch, apple cinnamon - you name it, I've got it. The aromas quickly fill up any room and help to relieve stress.

4.) Get a little bit of your work done.
Personally, I find myself more at peace when I've finished any pressing articles or assignments that I know I need to get done. Even if you know you only have 1 paper that's coming up within the week, you'll be happy that you got it done sooner rather than later so that you can focus your energy elsewhere.

5.) Tidy up, re-decorate, and re-organize.
I'm definitely the type of person who loves consistently changing up my room or re-organizing certain set ups I might have in my room. If you're room is a complete pigsty, I highly recommend at least putting your dirty clothes in your hamper before getting too comfortable. This way, you know that you won't have as much to do later and you'll feel less like you're procrastinating.

6.) Catch up with friends and family back home.
If you're away from home like I am, you might find yourself missing some of your favorite people miles away every now and then. With such a busy schedule, it's easy for me to remember or find the time to call friends and family during the week. What better time to share a good laugh or story over the phone than when you have nothing to do?

7.) Write.
Okay, I know we all don't love to write as much as I do. I literally always find myself writing 24/7 because A.) I'm obsessed with it and B.) it's honestly such a great outlet for any kind of emotion. Just writing down what you're feeling can make things seem a lot better if you're super stressed out.

8.) Create the perfect playlist.
If you already have one, awesome. If you don't, make one! Having a playlist of some of your favorite music playing in the background of whatever you're doing can make your lazy day even just a little better. If you don't have any music on your iTunes account, create a Spotify account through Facebook and have unlimited access through your laptop.

9.) Netflix.
You know how I said that coffee and tea were two of my favorite words in my first item on this list? Yeah, well Netflix is definitely a third favorite word of mine. So many shows and movies, so many devices, and so cheap! How could you say no to a scary movie on a chilly fall afternoon cocooned in your room?

10.) Fuzzy everything.
If you know me, then you know that I adore soft blankets and pillows more than anything. They can be incredibly therapeutic and are definitely a mood booster for any person. Fuzzy blankets, fuzzy pillows, fuzzy socks . . . who could ask for anything more!?