the sound & taste of summer

These Girls Know Summer Very Well, They Wait For It, Like They Wait For Love, All Winter. Summer Is Not Just A Season To These Girls, It’s More Than Holidays, Beaches, Sunny Weather, More Than Just Heat. It’s Barefoot On The Cement As You Rush Through The Sprinklers Like When You Were A Kid, It’s Bikinis On The Floor Of The Shower And Strewn Over The Hot And Cold Taps, It’s Ripping Pages Of Makeup And Products From Vogue And Pasting Them Into Large, Blank Notebooks To Share And Read Together On A Blanket In The Grass. It’s The Smell Of The Grill, Friends Laughing, Chopping Pineapple And Skewering Shrimp, It’s Stringing Christmas Lights Over The Backyard And Turning Them On At Night To Lie Under And Talk About Boyfriends. It’s Sand In The Bed After A Long Day At The Beach, Stretching Out In A Vintage One Piece On A Quilt Made From Patches Of Your Favorite Colors, Reading Weetzie Bat Out Loud And Waiting For The Boys To Come And Share The Shade Of Your Umbrella. It’s The Taste Of Salt From The Ocean As You Rinse Off Under The Outdoor Showers, Turning Your Head Upside Down And Letting The Fresh Water Pour Down Your Face.

Via // Orangie

Via

Happy Friday: Change

Today is Friday. Today is the last day of my Episcopal Convention. Last day after working 18 days in a row. I just got a mani/pedi. Today is payday! The sun is shinning, therefore today is a very very good day.

I'm just going to let my thoughts flow with this post. Originally when I started this blog I had an idea with the direction I wanted to go with it. Now not so much. I kind of just post random stuff about what is going on in my life, music I like at the time, different quotes and other things I find interesting. I feel as though I need more structure because I feel like I could turn this into something more. No, I might not be the most eloquent writer but I do think I have some good ideas and a good eye for (what am I trying to say) creativity? beauty? I don't know but just a good eye to what others would find interesting per se. That is just my opinion though. I have received some positive feedback from my blog. I just need to make it a more consistent thing.

With all that being said I am going to go off onto a totally different tangent. Just the other day I was on my way to the gym and thought to myself you are the only one who can change yourself or something you do not like. 

<--- I thought of this quote here. And it is so true. I can put up with a lot and I am a very forgiving person but it has come to a point where my eyes are open. It has finally clicked in my head that some things are just not going to change. And I cannot accept that. I am 25 years old and I do not want the next 5 years of my life to be a repeat of the past few years. Not saying I didn't have a great time. Not saying I didn't do exactly what I wanted at the time. Not saying that I didn't learn any lessons or grow up. It is just time to do something a little different.

Yes, I am terrified and sad at the same time but I more so feel indifferent yet exhilarated. Not in what I am losing but more so in what I am gaining. This is a huge stepping stone for me. It is in my nature to not let go. It is in my nature to give people and things the benefit of the doubt and keep it moving. but no. Now, today, is time for me to move forward.

I recently read Jess Graves (from The Love List) post on dating. She stated,

"We aren't always the best version of ourselves. We're all stumbling around blindly, trying to figure it out and do the best we can. Sometimes though, you can't just win and you aren't going to. You have to suck it up, buttercup. Collect yourself, forgive yourself, and move on."

This is so true. It is okay to let things go holding you back and not holding you down. And by holding you down I mean things that are progressive or have your best interest at hand.  I will cry about it. I will pray about it and just have high hopes that I am making the right decision in my life for ME right NOW!

These next few weeks I will be traveling to six different states. I will focus on turning my mindset from what it is to something better. I'm excited.

I JUST read this tweet:

"I guess I must hurt in order to grow, fail in order to know, and lose in order to gain. Some lessons in life are best learned through pain."

There is not much more I can add other than that. So LET'S GO!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

XO

"Sweet Life"

Why hello there. Happy JULY! Happy Tuesday. I have been so extremly busy right now I have had no time for myself let alone time to sit and write up a post. This is my 15th day in the office. But as my show, The General Convention of the Episcopal Church, is finally coming to a close as of this upcoming Saturday I have found some time on my hands.

Did you do anything for the 4th of July? I know I am late as ever LOL. I went out on my uncle's boat for a little while then my girlfriends, Britt & Laura, came to pick me up and we did the most! We attempted to watch the fireworks from Lucas Oil Stadium Balcony but clearly we were late. #FAIL! But we ended up going out downtown and also Broad Ripple. It was a good time so I can't complain too much. I def. regretted it the next day when I had to be up for work at 6AM! I guess this is an appropriate time to throw a YOLO in there. LOL.

I am finally on book 2 of '50 Shades'. There are so many things about this book that have been pissing me all the way off. but I guess that happens. I think the books are just okay. What do you think? They def. have my attention and I will more than likely read all three books. And I can't life that they have me feeling some kind of way... those of you who have read them for sure know what I mean. Thoughts?

July 7th was my father's 50th Birthday. His wife threw a surirpise birthday party for him at Pat Flynn's Bar. (tacky) But that is her. She asked me to make a collage for him, one of my talents, plus he loves them. But I just haven't had the time. And she decided to make one herself and cut my grandmother (My dad's mom) and I out of every picture. LOL but whatever. It was still a good evening. I enjoyed myself. I have never once had a drank with my dad. He doesn't even drink So I thought it would be a nice gesture to buy him a shot... of tequila. lol. A good way to bring in both of our monmumental years.

Have you seen any good movies lately? I recently saw Spiderman, Savages, & Ted. I liked them all. Seriously. I kind of fell asleep in Spiderman but I was just so exhausted. But it was good (the parts I did see). And Savages was really good. But I am biased because I love love love Blake Lively!

That has really been all that has been going on in my life. I leave for LA 2 weeks from Friday. I so can't wait. so today I will get back on my workout grind! I need to read this every day! 31 Ways to motivate yourself to hit the gym! But this is more like me. LOL

This morning I download Frank Ocean's 'Channel Orange' album. I am excited to go home and listen to it all the way through today! Especially after all the publicity he has had lately. Check out my friend Greg's thoughts on Frank Ocean "coming out". If you do not want to pay here is a link to the album. I just recently downloaded Maroon 5 & Chris Brown I can't wait to check them all out also. Hopefully they will be as good as Dom Kennedy's latest piece of work.

Link lovin:

- Want to know what happy people have in common?

- Want to keep up with upscale trends? here is how to not spend a ton of money!

- I have found a new love for, "The Simply Luxurious Life" blog. I have followed it for awhile but I guess never paid attention. But it is great! Here are some tips on how to uncomplicate your life.

- Twilight Saga is about to come to an end this November. Here is the preview. It honestly looks stupid. I will still go see it just because. But UGH! & WTH is the deal with Kristen Stewart being the highest paid actress? I seriously cannot stand her! ANYTHING about her!

- The Atlantic talks about why women STILL can't have it all. #hmph

- Oh wow. Here are some pretty cool photos that will help restore your faith in humanity.

- Why more people should Promote from within.

- I still can't do the smoky eye look. Here is a 2 step video. Lets see if I can get it down now!

RIP Nora Ephron-

"And then the dreams break into a million tiny pieces. The dream dies. Which leaves you with a choice: you can settle for reality, or you can go off, like a fool, and dream another dream."

Have a wonderful rest of the week.

XO, Linds



Chapter 25

I was so good about blogging when I first started. I guess life has just picked up for me in recent months! I keep saying I am going to do better but keep failing. Anyways. There are just a few quick things I want to tell you guys about. A few weekends ago I spent the weekend in Chicago for one of my really good friend, Whitney's 24^th birthday! The weekend was perfect! I got to visit with
 a lot of my loves from Purdue University. On Friday we went to this place called Mad River. It was crazy. We paid $20 for unlimited drinks for 3 hours. Needless to say the night ended very interesting. But it was just what I needed. I really miss my friends from Purdue. We always pick right up from where we left off. Whitney just interviewed for a company back here in Indianapolis. So fingers crossed that she gets it so we can continue to play!

In other news I pretty much #FAILED on my 25 things to do before I'm 25! In my head I am sitting here trying to make up excuses as to why I didn't do certain things but that is something I need not to do... make up excuses because I have no reason why things didn't get accomplished. But then again on the other hand I am proud of the things I did do. And a few of the items are kind of up in the air like I did them but not exactly to the point where I would like them to be. Even though I turned 25 this past Tuesday I will still try and strive to finish everything. My coworker, like I have said previously, is doing the 101 things in 1001 days. I might try and incoroprate that in my list or maybe I will do 30 things before I'm 30. That IS just 5 short years away. Maybe I can make that into more long term goals.                           check out the Abs ------------------------------>

< side note, I began writting this and word & I don't like the font hmph >


Here is more of an update also my coworkers and I have been doing a lot of different activites together. We had a picnic, which was on my list, we also did the wine and canvas activity. Which was so fun. But seriously I have issues. I was stressed trying to paint this painting. I wanted it to be perfect. And we all know that is not possible but I was like stressed. SMH! Here is a pic from Wine & Canvas. We had a blast!

I start writing a blog then get busy and forget where I was going next.

This past weekend was probably one of the best weekends I have had in a really long time. I celebrated my 25th Birthday! Saturday I went to Bloomington, IN (where Indiana University is located) and rented a boat with some of my best friends from high school. It was a perfect sunny day! I need for my friend Danielle's boyfriend to put up pictures from the day!

This is a picture of two of my best friends from high school. Danielle on the left is in Optometry school in Bloomington and Jenae on the right just finished the Teach for America program in LA and is now going to attend George Washington University for Grad school. Not only do I have beautiful friends I have extremly intelligent ones as well.

Sunday I had a pool party at a family friends house. It was simply ridiculous. Great food, great people & a pool. What more could you need. I had a few friends drive from out of town just to visit with me. I feel so incredibly blessed to have such amazing people in my corner. Here are a few pics from my party.

Side note: Follow me on instagram // MoreLinds

Now you know I have quotes for days and I was looking for this one that I know I have used before but i couldn't seem to find it. But I felt this was fitting. Although, I am not quite to 28 yet it pretty much sums up the feeling...

"This is the thing: When you hit 28 or 30, everything begins to divide. You can see very clearly two kinds of people. On one side, people who have used their 20s to learn and grow, to find … themselves and their dreams, people who know what works and what doesn’t, who have pushed through to become real live adults. Then there’s the other kind, who are hanging onto college, or high school even, with all their might. They’ve stayed in jobs they hate, because they’re too scared to get another one. They’ve stayed with men or women who are good but not great, because they don’t want to be lonely. … they mean to develop intimate friendships, they mean to stop drinking like life is one big frat party. But they don’t do those things, so they live in an extended adolescence, no closer to adulthood than when they graduated.

Don’t be like that. Don’t get stuck. Move, travel, take a class, take a risk. There is a season for wildness and a season for settledness, and this is neither. This season is about becoming. Don’t lose yourself at happy hour, but don’t lose yourself on the corporate ladder either. Stop every once in a while and go out to coffee or climb in bed with your journal.

Ask yourself some good questions like: “Am I proud of the life I’m living? What have I tried this month? … Do the people I’m spending time with give me life, or make me feel small? Is there any brokenness in my life that’s keeping me from moving forward?”

Now is your time. Walk closely with people you love, and with people who believe … life is a grand adventure. Don’t get stuck in the past, and don’t try to fast-forward yourself into a future you haven’t yet earned. Give today all the love and intensity and courage you can, and keep traveling honestly along life’s path.

Here are some links that go along with today's post:

- A small piece on why we should enjoy our twenties.

- 24 Lessons that can be learned from Sex & the City.

- How to break a habit

- Sun on on side & not on the other... think about it.

- 8 Ways to be more couregous.

- Living Well: Use your Intuition to Make Big Decisions

- College degrees ARE still worth it. So don't think differently!



I think that is enough for now! I hope you all have a lovely wknd! I will be at work all wknd! WOMP! But I will def be vibing to this Yellow Album by Dom Kennedy I recommend you all check it ou.

XO

Music Monday: I am the Lizard King

Good Monday Morning!!

How is everyone doing today? It is a dreary day here in Indianapolis today. I did not want to get out of bed today. I spent all weekend indulging in many forms of debauchery in Chicago for a friends birthday, more details to come.

As I have explained to you all before I am participating in #PhotoADayJune. Today's challenge is, "#Door". And when I woke up this morning I thought how boring a "Door" is. So as I thought more about it I thought instead of just doing a Door I would tell a little about myself that very few people know about me.

I am OBSESSED with Jim Morrison & The Doors! Not only is Jim aesthetically pleasing to look at and a genius. By the age of 15 Jim had an IQ of 149! I find him one of the most intriguing people I have ever researched. I would have loved to meet him and have him open my mind with his wisdom.

Granted I do mostly listen to hip-hop, rap & R&B my mother has given me insight on different genre's of music as well. I would like to say that I am very diversified when it come to music and open to giving anything a chance. A few months back I read a tumblr post from, Made in Charlie describing his interest in Jim Morrison. and this simply sums up everything I feel about this man, God rest his soul.

A former UCLA Bruin student with a eccentric theatrically imagination with a passionate love for music and poems only made him and his band The Doors legendary. From my personal perspective I still don’t understand Jim Morrison as much I thought I did. The enigma attitude of his probably took my attention obliviously once I started listening to The Doors when I was 12yrs old. Musically keeping me intrigued staying tuned was a psychedelic roller-coaster like listening to ”Not Touch The Earth” live or ”The End”. Then It hit me, his ego was his own muse.

Morrison was mentally and spiritually explorer, learning about life without limits, and thinking outside of what we ”suppose to know” to only accept that than finding out more as much we can without feeling a resentment going against religion nor disrespecting any. Not only his music with the band The Doors made me a fan, but him as a being became one of my very few idols some of us still have.

Here is a clip from one of my favorite movies, 'Almost Famous' playing Indian Summers. This is perfect!!

Below is one of my favorite quotes not only from one of my favorite people but in general.

" People are afraid of themselves, of their own reality; this feelings most of all. People talk about how great love is, but that's bullshit. Love hurts. Feelings are disturbing. People are taught that pain is evil and dangerous. How can they deal with love if they're afraid to feel? Pain is meant to wake us up. People try and hide their pain. But they're wrong. Pain is something to carry, like a radio. You feel your strength in the experience of pain. It's all in how you carry it. That's what matters. Pain is a feeling. your feelings are a part of you. Your own reality. If you feel ashamed of them, and hide them, you're letting society destroy your reality. You should stand up for your right to feel your pain."

Research the guy a little. You will be impressed. I hope you all have a great week.

XO

Don't follow your passion, follow your effort.

GOOD Monday Morning!!

Hope you all had a lovely weekend like I did. How is everyone feeling today? I'm feeling great because 

1. it is raining outside and I'm still tucked in bed. 

2. I just came across a great article a friend of mine tweeted. 

I really want to share this with you and I found it very fitting for a Monday morning. I hope you enjoy. 

This post has come from Blog Maverick, Mark Cuban's weblog. 

I hear it all the time from people. “I’m passionate about it.” “I’m not going to quit, It’s my passion”. Or I hear it as advice to students and others “Follow your passion”.

What a bunch of BS.  ”Follow Your Passion” is easily the worst advice you could ever give or get.

Why ? Because everyone is passionate about something. Usually more than 1 thing.  We are born with it. There are always going to be things we love to do. That we dream about doing. That we really really want to do with our lives. Those passions aren’t worth a nickel.

Think about all the things you have been passionate about in your life. Think about all those passions that you considered making a career out of or building a company around.  How many were/are there ? Why did you bounce from one to another ?  Why were you not able to make a career or business out of any of those passions ? Or if you have been able to have some success, what was the key to the success.? Was it the passion or the effort you put in to your job or company ?

If you really want to know where you destiny lies, look at where you apply your time.

Time is the most valuable asset you don’t own. You may or may not realize it yet, but how you use or don’t use your time is going to be the best indication of where your future is going to take you .

Let me make this as clear as possible

1. When you work hard at something you become good at it.

2. When you become good at doing something, you will enjoy it more.

3. When you enjoy doing something, there is a very good chance you will become passionate or more passionate about it

4. When you are good at something, passionate and work even harder to excel and be the best at it, good things happen.

Don’t follow your passions, follow your effort. It will lead you to your passions and to success, however you define it.

Happy Friday!

Hola!

Happy Friday & Happy June 1st! The best month out of them all (my birth month). Ever since I was little I've done a countdown until my birthday. Now that I'm getting older the countdown is smaller and smaller. Anywho, not much going on this way.

Since today is June 1st & I just joined Instagram (MoreLinds) I am going to participate in Fat Mum Slim's Photo a Day June Challenge. I am kind of excited! It started today and I posted a pic of me, stuck on an elevator this morning. This shall get interesting. I am going to post some pictures to my twitter and some on here also.

Here is my zodiac from today! #Cancer

Your private life is likely to be especially animated in June, dear Cancer. You are beginning a year-long trend that brings great benefits from helping others, volunteering, and other forms of service. Spirituality is strong and your innate compassion is highlighted. However, you could experience conflict between the demands of a partnership and the demands of career this month. Finding a balance between the two, instead of pushing or rebelling against either, is the challenge now. You should also guard against hasty or impatient actions, which can make you more accident-prone. Today, more information surfaces about the past or about a private matter. You are more inclined to talk about private matters as well.

 

Anyways, Enjoy your weekend.

XO