The Simple Things

“A morning-glory at my window satisfies me more than the metaphysics of books.” 
― Walt Whitman

                        I, for sometime, somewhat imagined that I could be perfectly happy. no tears. no anxieties, no insecurities and no fears... but then I realized that, well,... that's not reality... but merely something one picks up from fairytales. And no! I'm not saying that there's no such thing as happiness, only... I don't suppose it's always as magnificent as one imagines. 

Maybe, throughout the years... we've set standards for this so-called emotion that are far from attainable. Perfect happiness, and although I devoutly believe in the whole idea of happiness, or at least my definition of it... doesn't exist. Perhaps the world has been in search of a nonexistent gem for all these years, 

only to find that it's existence has been nothing but a mere farce and that we wasted all these years seeking has been right before us all this time!

Through the passing years of my existence, however, life has taught me to redefine "happiness". My personal definition of happiness... that's an ornate and seemingly endless list. I shall, however, narrow it down, in hopes that I shouldn't bore my valuable and very dear readers.

                     First-off, I'd like to start by saying that... well, a lot of us fail to recognize the connection between happiness and sadness, anger, melancholy, frustration,

 and the many rough patches life fancies to throw at us from time to time. And although their relativity has become lost due to their diversity, however... we must realize that the negative emotions, though a vibrant clash in comparison to happiness are a great contributor towards the formation of this positive attitude/emotion that we all like to refer to as "happiness". 

“Behind every exquisite thing that existed, there was something tragic.” 
― Oscar Wilde

When it comes down to it, at least in my experience, with every passing heartbreak, struggle or trial has been bred a sense of enlightenment and understanding in regards to life and all of it's complexities that immediately strikes up a sense of bliss inside of me. 

In that sense, I suppose one can say that the rough patches mankind is forced to face in life can be credited to encouraging happiness. I suppose you can say, figuratively, that the tears nourish the flowers in the garden of one's soul in preparation for the episodes of joy and happiness that we are all blessed so magnificently with from time to time. And with this perspective in regards to the connection between troubles and joy... I'm able to content myself (far from saying I enjoy it) with every tear I shed... at peace with the realization that my rainbow has yet to come. 

And that it's contrast with my previously faced hardships, this token of happiness will be all the greater appreciated! And although we'll never find that jewel of happiness... the everlasting and unchanging kind, that is... that these little moments of joy are just as precious and ought to be cherished instead of being disregarded in one's search for the perfect kind... the unending sort of bliss, like they so typically tend to be. Set aside and forgotten whilst one waits for something better.

“The two hardest tests on the spiritual road are the patience to wait for the right moment and the courage not to be disappointed with what we encounter.” 
― Paulo Coelho

*SIGH* and I promised not to ramble! We have just a little more to go in this post, unless you've already lost your attention span, that is! Anyway, I was saying... in my passing years... 19 that is. Perhaps a span interpreted as a great deal to some and very little to others, but still enough for me to have found and decipher the important things in life... those hidden happinesses that we all take for granted, and here they are! And although they may not match the listings of others, the worldly shallow sort anyway... you know, your typical list that consists of money, power and glory..

MONEY,

POWER,

GLORY.

I suppose my list might be considerably dull to some... however, in my life experience... I find that it is the most accurate depiction of this cherished emotion. You see, my definition of happiness consists of 

1. Acts of Kindness/ Love of Neighbor

The power to give... I feel, provides an enormous quantity of one's own happiness. I suppose it's in helping one's neighbor that we find that sense of achievement, that sense of self-worth that automatically tends to lead to bliss and unconditional happiness. After all, when you do things for others, you're doing things for God... I can't think of anything else that could offer anymore happiness than that! 

2. Family and Friends

              Meaning, that instead of working our lives away in hopes to achieve that shallow form of happiness that we all like to refer to as money... we ought to take the time to cherish and spend time with the ones we love. Our family and friends should hold one of the most vital parts in our lives, and of course and most importantly we must offer at least a moment or two to God. He deserves so much more than to be ignored and forgotten from the distractions of life's temporary and meaningless pleasures, after all, He IS our greatest friend!

3. Gratitude and Appreciation

That is to cherish and take in all of these precious moments, to treasure them and to never forget them. With gratitude and appreciation do I find my true source of happiness, after all... in order to decipher a moment of joy... one must first appreciate it! I think that's something a lot of us cease to remember in life, to cherish and to be thankful for the blessings God sends our way. As soon as we start to regard them, I feel that we should then begin to know them. 

And that, my dear readers, concludes my post on the realization of happiness and learning to cherish the small things. In short, that is... to know happiness when it comes your way, something that we must all remember to do as well as to find happiness in even the most minuscule of things! I hope you enjoyed this post and look forward to hearing your feedback! My love to all of you! xoxo

"Dwell on the beauty of life. Watch the stars, and see yourself running with them.” ~ Marcus Aurelius

~ Erin <3

Glamorous

"Beauty and femininity are ageless and can't be contrived, and glamour, although the manufacturers won't like this, cannot be manufactured. Not real glamour; it's based on femininity.”~ Marilyn Monroe 

Throughout the years, "glamour" has provided a considerably bankable commodity for the producers of Hollywood. Think; Greta Garbo, Jean Harlow, Gloria Swanson, Rita Hayworth, Betty Grable, Marilyn Monroe, Jayne Mansfield, Brigitte Bardot... the list goes on. 

However, as most come to realize in the end... becoming something "bankable" eventually graduates into becoming somewhat of an object. The Hollywood producers will feed off of you as if you're some kind of commercial object... they'll advertise your assets to the public and sell plenty of box office tickets to their own selfish advantage. 

Despite, however, just how glamorous the flashing lights of Hollywood may seem, the beauty... the glamour and the riches, in the end... fame and glamour are far from worth the hardship. I suppose it's about time that society redefines glamour. Of course, I'll always have a fondness for that Old School Glamour, the glamour donned by the ravishing screen legends from yesteryear, I think true glamour resides in far more than just the rouge one paints upon their cheek, the diamonds that dangle from their ear lobes or the furs that dangle over their arms... that glamour and beauty are far less important than the inner beauty that one is capable of offering society. That is, the beauty that the camera is far from capable of capturing. The type of glamour that can't be marketed for cash, but for the winning of hearts instead. 

"A symbol becomes a thing. I just hate to be a thing."~ Marilyn Monroe

If only a great majority of the world could realize the importance of inner beauty in opposition to the glitz and glam of Hollywood's so-called "glamour" how much better off would society be!

So, in conclusion to this post, let us all strive to focus on the inner beauty and  that we are all capable of offering society in opposition to the so overly renowned depiction that Hollywood has created of what most like to call "glamour". After-all, we all know that despite its' surface... is something far from capable of offering a person true happiness. 

~ Erin xoxo <3

Stop, Drop and Roll!

Ah! Yes! Those perfectly rolled curls, the ones that, during the 40's, indicated a woman of both elegance and sophistication! I remember envying the perfection of each ornate roll as I'd gaze upon the coifs of the leading ladies that graced the silver screen back in the 40's.

 

 So perfect, so polished and so elegant... and so up to date, as they're making a comeback on the heads of current models gracing the runway,

countless actresses...

and musicians have also been spotted donning this chic and classic look, proving it to be perfectly appropriate for modern day style.

So, what are you waiting for? Ready to give this trendy yet classic look a whirl? Here's a tutorial below with both a tutorial on that perfect 1940's/50's Pinup hair/ Victory Rolls + the makeup tutorial for that rockabilly look by the lovely Miss Kayley Melissa as well! Ta da! Everything you need to achieve this gorgeous look right in front of you! Enjoy!

Until next time, Lovelies! xoxo ~ Erin

Happiness

Ah! happiness, one of the rarest gifts in the universe. It comes in passing moments every now and again. You know what I'm talking about? Those little moments where you get this outrageous burst of blissfulness and that smile that just won't go away! Those are moments I wish I could hold onto for an eternity... but then, I suppose the value of happiness would decrease should we become accustomed to it's presence in our lives. Like diamonds for instance... would "real diamonds" make us all that happy once we been blessed with an unprecedented access to them? No! They'd be as common to us as paper plates once were and we'd begin to take it fore-granted. I suppose that's why we need those little tunnels of darkness, to show us just how valuable those little spurts of happiness really are. Will we every be completely satisfied as far as happy goes? I can't say. Maybe happiness comes in the final hour of one's last breath, their crossing between the dimension  of the earth all the way to Heaven and all of it's indescribable beauty and wonders. I suppose in that sense, we can most assuredly say we're "finding happiness".

"I want to be happy" or "My only goal in life is to be happy"... how many times have we heard such phrases? And I suppose to some, happiness is the discovering of temporal pleasures, the having reached wealth in a financial aspect, or perhaps even the adoration from others for one's outer beauty. The other day, being as self-centered as I (a meager human) being can be, I carelessly placed on hold a $98 dress. I suppose it's incredible that something so little could spark such a deep sense of wonder inside of me. First-off, however, my mind began to race with all sorts of shallow thoughts. "Well, I'll need expensive shoes to go with the dress..." I muttered to myself as I drove home from the boutique where my exquisite sundress awaited me. "And then of course, I'll need a new handbag. The one I have will just look tacky with my new dress!" I clutched by finger between my teeth depicting my inner state of anxiety. The anxiety of... "where on earth am I going to get all the money I need to afford these things?" And then, today (payday), I clasped my crisp paycheck between my fingers, opened it to my reality. The reality that any girl with the meager benefits of what a minimum waged paycheck could possibly offer. "Well," I justified. "the dress will probably be worth it!" I reassured myself as I cashed that check and recounted my money, trying to make sense of the outrageous purchase I was about to make. "But, just how happy will this dress make me? after-all, it's only a mere piece woven with fabrics! it's not going to change my life for Pete's sake!" I dismissed and let go of the thought of that $98 dress and all of the temporary pleasures it could offer and you know something? I was relieved! I think it was with this bout faced with reality that I was able to finally realize the minimal happiness that a mere purchase has the ability to offer one. And instead, I found true happiness with the shopping for gifts for others. Father's Day of course and my sister's Birthday. Even if gifts may only be a token of just how much you care about another person... it makes me happy to think of their face expression when they pull apart the tissue paper and find the gift that I so carefully picked out for them. I could live my life giving what I can to others, whether it be: comforting them, being there for them during depressions, aiding those who are injured or struggling and even take a moment to buy someone a card or a gift to show them just how much you really care about them.

A little piece to show them of my love and affection for them. I also realized that it makes me happier shopping for others than shopping for myself. I find that I am much happier shopping for what I hope will bring happiness to my neighbor in opposition to myself. And I've found that being granted the two hands that God has given me... 

I am more than capable of helping my less fortunate neighbor. and with every passing year have grown to realize the true merit found in kind deeds or acts of charity. Or like I said, just doing simple things to make a family member or friend happy. So, no more frowning, no more contemplating on "your" troubles, selflessness is a destroyer of depression so I've found. A happy girl who gives her all to the helping of others, is by far the prettiest girl one could ever aspire to be. In opposition, that is, of any girl who wastes her time away, caught up in HER and HER OWN life, spending money on the bettering of superficial things like her outward appearance... those girls hardly compare to the woman who gives herself entirely to acts of kindness and sacrifice as well as selfless love for her neighbor, God being her # 1 priority, a woman who doesn't waste time on powders and cosmetics, doesn't spend her time cooped up in hair or nail salons and expensive boutiques to prove her beauty but lets her heart do all the talking. A beautiful soul, I think, shines through both the eyes and smile of a person and reveals far more beauty than any mascara or lipstick ever could!

So stop the focus on yourself and how you can, through cosmetics, perfect your outward appearance but focus instead, on the helping of our less fortunate neighbors. Focus on both loving and giving as much as possible. Give as much as you are capable! That's when you'll discover true happiness! Selflessness is the key, I think, to genuine happiness. 

Everyone of us needs to show how much we care for each other and, in the process, care for ourselves. Princess Diana - See more at: http://www.verybestquotes.com/princess-diana-quotes-35-best-inspirational-and-touching-quotes/#sthash.Z1NFqnz7.dpuf

Everyone of us needs to show how much we care for each other and, in the process, care for ourselves. Princess Diana - See more at: http://www.verybestquotes.com/princess-diana-quotes-35-best-inspirational-and-touching-quotes/#sthash.Z1NFqnz7.dpuf

Everyone of us needs to show how much we care for each other and, in the process, care for ourselves. Princess Diana - See more at: http://www.verybestquotes.com/princess-diana-quotes-35-best-inspirational-and-touching-quotes/#sthash.Z1NFqnz7.dpuf

"Everyone of us needs to show how much we care for each other and, in the process, care for ourselves." ~ Princess Diana

Labels

“Labels are for filing. Labels are for clothing. Labels are not for people.” 
~ Martina Navratilova

Princess Diana on the Royal family's reaction to her postnatal depression...

"Well, it gave everybody a wonderful new label is, Diana's unstable and, Diana's mentally imbalanced.' (Diana expresses) 

'And unfortunately, that seems to have stuck on and off over the years."

Martin Bashir (her interviewer) asks: "Are you saying that that label stuck within your marriage?"

to which Diana answers:"I think people used it, and it stuck. yes."

Why do people feel it their write to file labels for everyone who crosses their path? Why do people feed off of the weaknesses of others, their struggles, their vulnerable aspects? They eat them up, so merrily while composing those labels. Ah! how some people just feed off of other people's blunders... I suppose why they rejoice has primarily to do with the fact that they've indeed discovered yet another label to paste over you. Yes! those narrow-minded, one worded and usually negative means for describing their kin... those are the ones that are most given. I suppose it's those sorts of people that are able to deem themselves as somewhat of a superior being in comparison to their brother. Are they free of all imperfections and have they perhaps been given the right to "label" others with such cruel and, like I said... very narrow-minded, very limited descriptions... "labels"? In my opinion... labels should be left for jars of pickles and peaches... and like the quote above states "not for people." 

Names hurt! And I feel that one of the most untrue sayings ever made reside inside of these very words, the ones we used to echo as children, trying to pretend that the cruel names others called us... didn't bother us. "Sticks and stones may break my bones but, names will never hurt me." But in reality, names do hurt and are in fact probably one of the most painful parts of growing up. Learning to drown out the labels others will eagerly thrust upon us. 

"They feel that it gives them some sort of privilege to walk up and say anything to you!" ~ Marilyn Monroe

and I don't mean to sound bitter towards people... but it's true! And yeah, yeah... well, perhaps not everyone is cruel hearted like that, but in my personal experience... I've, I suppose had the misfortune of crossing paths with several of them! And it's sad... it's truly sad, just how bad certain people can hurt you... and for that matter, the fact that they have such an ability, such a power they have to make you cry. 

I suppose a lot of us forget though... that we and we ourselves alone are the only ones capable of granting them that right, that privilege. In time, I've found that some of the closest people in one's life... will hurt you. I suppose in the end, and through these experiences, I have learned that God is all Who really matters. Human nature is constructed a great deal by weakness. Why do you think we make so many mistakes? We're only human! I just think it's sad that certain people enjoy so much, pointing out the mistakes that others make, the imperfections that infect their brethren, especially when they too have just as many and sometimes even more!

to which her interviewer, Richard Meryman, an esteemed journalist, would elaborate with "I think she felt that, on some level, she was being treated as a joke"

^^^ A feeling that I think all of us can relate to.

 I feel that one of the greatest species of hatred exists in such expressions, in labeling, or in such demeaning behavior. Not only does it make us feel ill of our whole being, our character, but it also seems to infect inside of us, a sense of feeling unloved.

And I don't mean to feel sorry for myself (Heaven knows how fortunate I am in comparison to the many suffering people around the world) but, I know the effects of such demeaning behavior. I've suffered with it for years. I'm fragile and I'm not afraid to admit it... not anymore. It caused a great deal of insecurity which later conjured up a sense of disdain towards myself. I know now, however, through a series of empowering moments that I've experienced in my life, that is... that I am indeed stronger... a lot stronger than I could've ever imagined myself becoming. And I feel that I am beginning to grow fonder and fonder of myself with each passing day. I suppose I'm starting to see the beauty that at one time, the words of others had indeed drowned out.

And, I suppose, my fear of what others think of me, how they label me has lessened, lessened greatly for that matter! I've been called all sorts of names. One of the worst by certain people who I had at one time thought of as some of the closest people in my life, and behind my back too! It was a horrifying label... and it was, needless to say, very disheartening to have been deemed with with a word conjured by such a lewd interpretation of myself, and who I strive to be in life. Yes! It hurt, very badly and still hurts as a matter of fact but, deep down inside... I know that their perception of me is wrong. I don't believe the words people label me with anymore. I brush it off my shoulder like a leaf and don't let it shroud over me like a raincloud anymore. 

I'm much happier now! Able to see myself in my own perspective, my eyesight no longer blurred by the harsh and crippling words of others. As for the people out there who still get a kick in belittling other people, they can take their labeling skills to the Pepin Pickle Factory! Cans of food, clothes, etc., are meant to be labeled... and again I quote; "Not people". 

~Erin <3 xoxo