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In a Notebook – Life Between Pages

On carrying pockets of inspiration
Like many list lovers & neat-freaks out there, I pretty much depend on my moleskine. (Depending on the year, I might switch it up and get a different agenda or maybe just a plain little notebook!) But it is basically what my mind would look like if it were organized onto paper: a collection of internal monologues, quotes, songs, pictures, doodles, reminders…anything that goes through my little electric mind goes straight in there.

I used to write journals when I was younger, but would find myself cringing at the words years later; change in a person is especially evident through their writing, and in some ways I wanted to leave certain things that were a part of me in the past and just evolve without looking back. So taking advantage of the technology era I’ve been born in, I resorted to livejournal and online blogs. Which are per-fect, because you can put your thoughts down and be sure that any persona non grata stays away. All the neon font colors and blinking links seemed much more appealing when writing down my literal thoughts through a screen than actual paper. But not completely.

The computer became a part of me but I could not take it everywhere, and so I have always had notebooks lying around and in my bags (did I mention my stationery obsession?!) to scribble thoughts down so they do not escape me as quickly as they came to me. My preference for moleskines is based on the fact that they are so simple and plain, meaning I can use my colors freely without them clashing with certain patterns or colors of any regular agenda. I guess I should mention that I color code everything!

These little pockets of inspiration, to me, are highly personal, even if they are not literal accounts of events in my life. And most of the time they are not; these thoughts tend to take the shape of lyrics in a song I liked, an event time written down, to-do lists…

On Keeping a Notebook – Joan Didion

“That woman Estelle,” the note reads, “is partly the reason why George Sharp and I are separated
today.”

I recommend reading this short essay for inspiration, I never get tired of re-reading it!

Posted by Luana | 4 Comments

A Letter to My Body

Dear body,
We’ve been through so much in the past 20 years and five months! From excessive sun bathing, freckles, my constantly fluctuating weight, one too many alcohol units, to bi-weekly manicures, and sleep filled days…
Despite the slightly smaller than average boobage which I am sometimes frustrated by, I think you are amazing and I am so lucky to have you. Not too tall, not too short, so I can wear any kind of shoes I so please (which makes me inmensely happy because I have a growing addiction to them.) Everything is nicely proportioned, and I honestly could not ask for anything more. Over the years I may have been a bit harsh on you because I didn’t see something that I wanted, or I didn’t like what I saw altogether. I have learned now that not only are you beautiful, but you are also strong and heal amazingly (sorry for those careless bumps into doors and falling down the stairs a couple of times!) One comment I always always receive has to do with the magic of your eyes, the same eyes I hated and wished were green in the past but am now in love with – a mysterious toasty brown that reaches out to all those whom I love and all those I have yet to meet.
I am sorry our curious mind has put you through some not-so-healthy choices, but am glad we’ve both gotten past that stage in one piece! After all we only have one of each other. Do not take my ‘I feel ugly’ days too seriously, I have plenty of ‘I’m actually so beautiful’ days as well! I am going to do what I can to keep you healthy, even if my motivation to exercise is a bit on the low side – I will compensate by eating right, getting plenty of rest, and dressing up to show you off! I need you until the very end, and so you are invaluable to me.
Love,
Me.

The BlogHer initiative: Letter to My Body

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Web Gems 001

University has finally started, and so my free time to explore the internet has been reduced significantly! Still I know of some amazing gems that everyone must go take a look at :)

♥ ♥ ♥

• KRISATOMIC is quite well known for her cute illustrations, and her photography is stunning. Her blog is always sprinkled with projects, inspirational images and cuteness!
• I bumped into PERSEPHASSA, a beautiful ruby-red collection of writing, only a few weeks ago. It is impossible not to be inspired by reading her entries!
• For those of you who like jumping on callenge bandwagons, here’s a list of mini challenges you can include in your Flickr 365 project.
• A woman embarks on a year of happiness projects and writes about them! The Happiness Project is a collection of her experiences.
• Days with My Father is both beautiful and heartbreaking.
• Fashion photographer Kai Z Feng’s Flickr!
• Beautiful animation by Loish! Possibly my favorite digital artist.

Trichrome Blue from Lois van Baarle on Vimeo.

♥ ♥ ♥

Have an amazing weekend everyone! I know I will; HELLO Ikea goodies!

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Love Your -Self- and Stop Picking Up Rocks!

Sometimes, whatever it is other people think about you is their bag of rocks to carry. Don’t pick it up just because they wrote your name on it. — Via TomatoNation

This is so, so true!
Everyone deals with criticism on a regular basis; it’s human nature to be judgemental (& some people can be quite rude about it), so it is important to consider which of the following group you fall into: Group A – you heard a negative comment said about you & you can’t stop thinking, Group B – you heard a negative comment about yourself & let it go or Group C – you might have heard something but, don’t know don’t care!
It’s hard to come accross many people in the last group, people who truly have no regard for what people think of them. I think we all care (at least to a certain degree) about what our friends and family think, as well as strangers in some cases. And I’m talking beyond your appearance here. We not only put up with our own inner critic, but people’s opinion of us as well. The difference is, some know how to break away from the negative while others attach themselves to it. The first kind of people fall in Group B, and they are usually confident enough in their sense of self that they can choose to acknowledge and discard negative comments, or sometimes even choose to listen to them in order to see themselves from an objective point of view – has this person seen something I haven’t? Can I do something about it?

I think it’s safe to say that a lot of us fall into Group A, finding it difficult to detach from negative/rude/hurtful comments said about us. But we’re going to start breaking away from that, and here’s how:

We define the self as things or attributes that we associate with ourselves as individuals. Things that make Luana, Luana. Things without which you would not be you. This may include your opinions, mannerisms, style, sometimes even the job you do. It’s different for everyone. And so, the self is not stagnant, but flowing; the attributes that defined your self at ten may not define your self at this point in your life. We are a collection of everything in our universe, and sometimes it takes one comment to rip everything to shreds (or nearly). But it is just something we have to live with – some people will understand and others won’t.

• Think honestly: if you’ve ever received a negative comment, consider it for a second. (i.e. if the comment was “God look at her hair!” why do you think that was?)
• Reason through it – was the comment (although rude) true? Is my hair a mess, did I forget to brush it today or is something stuck to it? Some people can be very rude to openly criticize others like that, but their comment might have a reason.
• If there was no reason for that comment, discard it. Your hair is fine. If there was, fix it! In a way that rude person has helped you by avoiding a similar situation in the future.
• What defines your self?
• Cross out the things you aren’t proud of and add things you would like to define you.
• Learn to love your little quirks, your laugh, your voice. Compliment yourself & mean it! Learn to appreciate all the good in your self.

Confidence is key, but it doesn’t come overnight. It comes from loving your self, or at least working on it so that you come to love everything that defines you. If you love yourself it will show through. To me, there is nothing more beautiful than confidence, and although people will continue to put down those bags heavy with negativity, you now know they’re not for you to pick up!

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What to Do When You’re Too Tired to Do…Anything!

The busier I am the easier it is to multitask, the easier it is to get into the rhythm of things. Even on the busiest days I can always find a way to squeeze in little extra somethings that always seem to pop up (& of course there is always time for endless internet surfing and other pleasures in life!)

All that is well and nice, but sometimes while my mind wants to keep going and reading, writing, watching the US Open as well as stuffing my face with delicious apple tarts, my body insists on weighing my eyelids shut. What to do? Listen, of course! Listening to your body is about the best advice you should ever follow. When you’re thirsty, you drink, when you’re hungry you eat, so why is sleeping any different? The key is finding a golden mean between mind & body – here’s what I do to fit everything in a day, including rest:

1. First I (dun dun dun!) make a list of everything I need to get done in the day. I carry it around in my bag to add/cross things off.
2. Nap! And by nap I don’t mean a 30-minute power nap, I mean a full 2 hour nap. (Power naps are like lights. Turning off a light and turning it back on wastes more energy than simply leaving the light on because the circuit has to start up again. Taking a power nap means you fall into a deep sleep and just as your body is beginning to rest you have to wake up again. This would mean a big fail, as you are trying to re-energize to be able to finish everything you have set for the day. The best thing to do is to take a long nap, wake up completely refreshed and ready to fnish everything!)
3. Take a quick hot shower – yes, hot! Hot water will relax you, and as you step outside the contrast with the cool morning air is sure to wake you up a bit.
4. The rest of it just involves a lot of concentrating, apple/strawberry/peach tarts, coffee and good music :)

Music that gets me going: MSTRKRFT, N*E*R*D, LCD Soundsystem, Jimi Hendrix and some Guns N’ Roses are always favs!