Appreciating the moment

This weekend, one of my lovely friends had an awesome birthday party. There was a fire pit and live music (all provided by friends). It was super low key and great. We sat around the camp fire, talked, celebrated Katie (the birthday girl). Knowing I'm leaving the state soon to venture somewhere completely new and alien to me makes me extremely thankful for these moments. 

I love the way Atlanta (the south) smells in the summer. It's a sweet and earthy smell. And the sounds of the cicadas greets us every night. We caught lightning bugs once they came out at dusk. A three-year-old had a lot of interest in this, and we got him a jar and caught some. His mom said those were his first lightning bugs ever. There aren't lightning bugs where I'm going. That's so weird to me. I've had them around me every summer of my life. 

A few of the trees in the yard were covered in lightning bugs, way up high. It looked like the trees were sparkling. It was magical beyond anything I've ever seen. I wish I could've gotten a picture of it, but it wouldn't have come out. 

The live music around the camp fire in the darkness of the night was awesome. Katie danced around and played the fiddle (I didn't even know she played). The whole night was magic and I'm so very thankful I got to be there. These are the memories I'll cherish once I move away.

BSTW vol. 17

1. Amazing illustration using crayons as the rain. I can't find the original source, so if you know if, please email it to me!

2. Adorable little sheep made of cotton balls! I collected sheep as a kid and these make me squeal!

3. This amazing make up artist creates scenes on her eyes and nails.

4. Disney in fashion. You have to check Disney Bound out!

5. Sophia Grace and Rosie have a music video.

6. A great DIY on how to paint cross stitch on your wall. I love it.

7. All I want right now is to go to the beach. 'sigh' I love the beach.

Have a great weekend!

Being a friend

Yesterday, a friend of mine was having a rough time and she called me to have coffee so she could vent. While, this seems like a small matter, for me it's huge. 

The past year has been full of many changes, including learning to be a friend. Before this past year, I only knew how to take and take and take and suck the life out of my friends. I felt that I owned my friends (not in a Single White Female way) and I was very intense about them. I now like to refer to them as my "hostages" because I was a tornado ripping through people's lives and causing drama and draining them emotionally. After so much of that, of course my friends eventually couldn't handle me anymore and moved on with their lives. 

But, I've changed. So much, in fact, that people now call and ask for advice and want to talk things out with me. I used to be the one talking things out constantly, never shutting up to listen to what anyone else was going through. And, if I'm being honest, not caring.

I think I've said it before, but the amazing life I've created for myself in the past year is what I've always wanted. It took much heartache and a lot of growing pains to get to this point, but I couldn't be more thankful of where I am right now. I've always, always wanted to have an abundance of good girls friends, genuine relationships and now I have it. I didn't have to suck the life out of people and be an emotional vampire to get it, either. I had to shut my mouth and open my ears. To have good friends, I learned to be a good friend. And I really couldn't be happier (unless I get a job, of course).

Take a Chance

The only times I've ever taken real chances on myself were in the 9th grade when I joined the summer swim league (I'd never competitively swam a day in my life) and going to the school I just graduated from (it was expensive and I had to put my whole life on hold).

Now that I'm looking for a job, I can either play it very safe and just look for jobs in Atlanta, or look for jobs in another city. While I haven't found a job yet, I have the opportunity to take a small chance on myself with a company in New York. Long Island, to be exact. They're not offering me anything permanent right now, just a chance. And while New York City itself would be a major chance, Long Island is even more of one. It's not too close to the city. It's a suburb. Something I claim to hate. I haven't been offered anything yet, and I'm already freaking out about the whatifs. What if I hate it there? What if it's too expensive, or cold, or shitty or boring? What if the people there don't like me? But what if everything goes right? What if I don't try it out and take a chance on me? I'll never know.

I'm so excited and scared at the same time. I worry (for any job) I'm going to get there and I'm going to blow it. I'm going to realize I don't know what I'm doing, I'm a horrible designer, an impostor  They're going to say, "we made a huge mistake, you'll never make it here. Get out, go back."

The most important thing is that I try. Because I might just be amazing. I might love it. It might be something so wonderful and right for me, I didn't know it was missing until I got there.

BSTW: The Postal Service

Instead of the normal Best Stuff This Week post, I'm going to share about seeing one of my favorite bands, The Postal Service. I went to their show last night and it was so wonderful. I've been waiting for them to go on tour together for 10 years. I've seen five Death Cab For Cutie shows in the meantime (which were great, I loved them for many, many years) hoping they'd play a Postal Service song. Never happened. So, last night was like a dream come true.

My friends and I appropriately kept it weird:

The nice girl who drove just happened to have these masks in the car (for occasions such as this) so we brought them in. Which was great because we also used them as fans and to ward off the body odor and constant farting that was happening in front of us.

In the actual theater, the bass was way too loud and the acoustics weren't great, but I loved it. I was having major nostalgic flashbacks the whole time and I couldn't have been happier. I'm overjoyed they finally toured as a band.

If you were there, what did you think?

New things

I've taken some time lately to change up my blogging subscriptions. Many of the blogs I follow, I no longer read. I have just been reading them for years and years and have relationships with the writers of these blogs and couldn't let them go. But, having a reader full of loooong blog posts I don't want to read stresses me out. So, I did the unthinkable (to me anyway) and deleted them out of my reader. People and relationships change over time. And that's ok. I mean, I've changed. I changed so much I started a new blog and left my old one to die.

Today was the first day I've realized how excited I am to open my reader and see posts from my subscriptions. I feel like a baby blogger again, when everything was new and exciting and new posts felt like catching up with friends. It's a great feeling. I'm seeking new blogs that cater to my interests and am interested making new relationships. I love the friendships I've made through blogging and can't wait to make new ones. Here are some of my new favorites:

Silly Grrl

Wonderful, inspirational and positive person and blogger. She's a freelance designer and shares her experience and tips.

Lucky Lucille

A sewing blog that includes way more than just sewing. Her contagious smiles alone are a reason to check her out

& Kathleen

Another freelance designer. Except Kathleen and her husband tend to drop everything and travel the world. Fascinating.

A Fine Day For

Elisabeth is actually a friend of mine from school, but I didn't know she had a blog until the lovely Katrina over at Pugly Pixel (who I've been reading for years but and recently having a renaissance with) featured her. She's an amazing illustrator and has lots of interesting things to say and share.

What are you reading lately?

BSTW 16

1. A wonderful post from Miss Gemma Correll about her love of coffee. Complete with her adorable illustrations.

2. This is freaking hilarious! It's a video of a grown man responding to someone with the actual conversation of a 2 year old. My description might have made it sound weird, but it's really funny.

3. Signfeld, an etsy store, has pretty prints with Seinfeld quotes. So funny :)

4. A student's final project combining illustration and beautiful photography. These are amazing images.

5. 15 year old me screamed when I saw these rings, they're engagement rings that each correspond to one of the Sailors from Sailor Moon. Eeek!

Offline BSTW:

1. My toilet and the ability to flush it as I please. If you're confused by this, please see this.

2. Having several great days in a row

3. My wonderful friends

Have a great weekend!

P.S. I won a blog giveaway from Madalynne and Delezhen! I can't wait to see the beautiful ring I won, I'm so pumped!