To Live or Not To Live

That is the question." ~ William Shakespeare <3

               
                        Ah! Life. What a peculiar thing. A peculiar thing with endless folds of unexpected journeys and unsolved mysteries. A journey that will bring you a variety of emotions. Sadness, melancholy, excitement, joy, bliss, laughter, amusement, excruciating grief, vast and seemingly never-ending confusions. In life, well... you ought not count on making it out alive... we both know that this journey must come to an end at some point in time. We busy ourselves with plans of things that will most likely never happen. We fancy our hearts and minds with fantasies in hopes that someday they'll come true. Yet, in the meantime, we tend to fail to live our life for what it was meant to be, the journey that God has already composed for us. It'll be a beautiful one, one that hardly needs tinkering with. Of course I'm not saying that one ought not dream, set their hopes on shooting stars, imagine that one day find ourselves living our fantasies out, no... I'm not saying that at all!

 
As a matter of fact, it's important to have dreams! To set goals four ourselves in life. Simple things like that are a vital component to our motivation to keep on trudging onward through life's sometimes jagged and winding road.

But then, we ought not distract ourselves from the endless beauty that God is presenting us here and now whilst losing our focus to the future and what we hope to one day make of it. Life is a beautiful thing and one ought not forget to live while allowing themselves to become imprisoned behind what he/she wishes should someday occur. For example, I can waste my time yearning for a meadow vastly blossoming with scarlet and milky white roses instead of taking a moment to appreciate the beauty of the field of vibrant lavender and honey-stained wildflowers that already surrounds me!

 What a waste that would be! So, to sum up my point, I encourage you, my dear reader, to take a moment to truly cherish and savor each passing moment of the day... after all, every day is a gift and once it's passed, you can never get it back... that moment immediately vanishes deep in the midst of the past. Take the time also, to love and appreciate the people in your life... the ones that we all tend to take for granted whilst yearning for the favor of some other individual. Life's short, and before you know it... God will have called that person home and their radiance will become nothing more than a memory. 

~ Erin <3

Our Own Starring Roles

It's a mutual desire that we has humans tend to have. The desire for fame that is. A burning desire for admiration from our piers. But... in the end, the public grows to expect a sort of impossibly attainable image, one inaccesspible to all of mankind. As a matter a fact, this ideal begins to infect our mind, hounding us constantly, influencing us into regarding ourselves as failures should we crumble in the midst of endeavoring to obtain this idealistic image. Of course, we all want to be wonderful...

and well-liked by everyone around us, but... wordly adoration offers nothing but heartache and despair in the end. Fame isn't as glamorous and wonderful as it may seem from afar. 

And of course, one must always keep in mind that the most important admiration comes from none other than, well firstoff and most importantly, God and then ourselves. Yes! In order to succeed and reach all of your highest goals in life, you must first earn a sense of pride and admiraiton from yourself. In the end, other's comments (although they can affect you in both negative and positive aspects at times) won't matter nearly as much as what YOU make of yourself. Don't aspire to do anything with the prime intent of obtaining, fame, you'll end up unhappy and discouraged. Strive to do what you want, and cherish the world's reaction once you've reached your goal in either singing or acting. 

"The basic essential of a great actor is that he loves himself in acting" ~ Charlie Chaplin

The press will devour you. Faced with fame, it is said that you begin to find yourself gradually growing perceived as somewhat of a machine, a sort of item belonging to the public. 

The public will break you down... if you let them. Of course, I only use fame as an example, not because either of us has ever experienced it, but because we each seem to have our own starring roles. And no matter how big and famous we may be, we still struggle with the viscious observations of our critics. We grow discouraged by the negative words of others when really... we don't have to let ourselves be broken by them. We must keep afloat, strive for our own goals. You'll never obtain anything without having failed at least once in your life. 

                            It's merely up to you how you use critisicm. Whether you choose to improve from it or not. It will break you down if you let it, it is beyond capable of doing so. But you can't, you have to learn to value and celebrate yourself as a person. You must learn the depth of your self worth. 



~ erin <3

Grace's Fashion Evolution

                 

                 "Emancipation of women has made them lose their mystery"~ Grace Kelly 

                The legendary director and "king of suspense" adored her while Monaco's heir to the throne fell deeply in love with her. The world applauded her cool ice blonde persona, often cast as the leading lady in Hitchcock's films. For her generation, Grace differed greatly from many of the other actors that made up most of Hollywood. Although not like the voluptuous blonde bombshells that seemed to rule the era in which she was in, for example the flamboyant blonde screen legends such as your Marilyn Monroe and Betty Grables that Hollywood had been so accustomed to delivering to that silver screen 

Grace seemed to radiate in an entirely different way. Although dignified and classy, your typical good girl as opposed to any girl you'd find at some casino in Vegas, a head full of glossy platinum curls, flashy jewels adorning her and some low-cut and tight-fitted dress, Grace seemed to light up that screen like a firework even in the midst of her subtle and buttoned-up way. Hair pulled back, dress buttoned up and white gloves on each hand, Grace still managed to portray to the public a sense of both glamour and outlandish beauty while keeping it both cool and classy! 

And along with her flawless performances on both Broadway and in film as well as her memorable position of royalty in Monaco, this beautiful movie star/princess has proved to be just as noted for her elegant style. The way she dressed, the subtle elegance of her glossy pearls and slicked back curls, Grace has offered an undoubtedly vital influence in the fashion industry. Her appearance offered a sense of femininity while depicting a sense of both subtleness and mystery. 

So, in the article, I wish to both celebrate as well as commemorate Grace's unforgettable mark in the fashion industry by putting together a couple of the perfect Grace-worthy outfit choices, both outfits especially suitable for spring with their whispers of pastel hues and countless strings of glossy cream pearls. 

First-off we have a very casual yet elegant look. Very feminine, no trousers or comfy tennis, bringing you to the point of being neither underdressed or overdressed. Very subtle yet both elegant and feminine. Very Grace and simply perfect for a nice walk in the park or a simple luncheon with a group of friends!

Debenhams-J by Jasper Conran Designer pearl and crystal navette necklace and earrings: $17.00

Monsoon-Charleston Cutout Peeptoe Shoe in Nude: $84.00

Sephora- Amazing Grace fine perfume: $25.00 

Modcloth-Grape Ice dress: $58.00

And now, here's a formal look that Grace would most undoubtedly approve of. The long and flowing white evening gown seems to offer a flawless sense of pristine elegance, very like the kind that Grace so effortlessly offered and while not being overly gaudy, the accessories seemed to offer the perfect dose of glamour to this formal look!

Raoul- Velda embellished silk-chiffon gown: $312.00

Isabella Collection 18k Gold and Silver 1/4ct TDW Diamond Bracelet: $102.00 @ Overstock.com

Moyna- Beaded Fold-Over Clutch Bag in Light Pink: $95.00

Box Boutique- KALLISTÉ Embellished Pump: $387.03 @ Farfetch.com

And there you are... two Grace-reminiscent outfit choices! Now, before I conclude this post, I must first share with you this hairstyling tutorial for achieving that perfect Grace Kelly-inspired hair look! 

I hope you enjoyed this post and are inspired to incorporate a bit more of Grace's flawless elegance into your own wardrobe! xoxo 

~ Erin <3 xoxoxo

Rediscovering Happiness

Even while caught in the richest storms of gloom, never cease to lift your eyes towards the glistening sky of hope that shrouds the seemingly hopeless world in which you are bound. No matter how seemingly irreversible the pain you may be experiencing may appear to be, there is indeed hope, hope for a new beginning, and the series of unknown possibilities that await you! 

So, wipe away your tears, chin up... look towards the positive in life... and smile! Never stop smiling, laughing, joking... having a good time! It's pointless wasting your time plagued with sadness... after all, how are your tears going to help matters? Of course, I'm not saying that one ought not cry, it's good to cry every now and then... let it all out, but never allow yourself to become imprisoned by sadness!

After these painful storms, lift yourself back up from the ground and begin to relearn the beauty of life, learn to celebrate it, learn to be happy again, learn to let go of all of your obstacles, all of your excruciating heartaches! Try and be happy even when you're sad... eventually the happiness is sure to take over! Replace your ash-dusted lenses with rose-colored ones. Learn to look at the world through rose-colored glasses. Learn to love, to cherish and to savor the beauty of life!

 You can be happy if you want to be... it's up to you and you only!

~ Erin <3 ;) xoxo