someone recently asked me where i go when i want to get away from it all. the first thing that came to mind was a quiet place out in nature surrounded by lush, green trees and fresh air, without a soul in sight. these mental images of my sweet escape have not changed much since i was a little girl. the wide-open spaces represent freedom and room to breathe. the trees encourage continual growth and necessary patience. the silence contains answers to questions i have not yet asked. the solitude gives me strength that can only be found within.

since leaving town for a few days is not always possible, i have learned through the years that finding this “happy place” on a daily basis is essential to my well-being. running away when things become challenging is not exactly the path to peace, nor will it bring me true comfort. what i want does not dwell in far away places. it is found in the company i keep when i am alone. a serene external environment does, however, help keep my internal environment free of pollution, so i surround myself only with those things and people of pure beauty.

even though i have a nest i call home that allows me to rest my bones in peace, it is nice to know that there is always a magical place awaiting my arrival, where time disappears and illusion is stripped of all its glory. i just planned my next get-away for a quiet retreat in the mountains, which is where my soul always encounters the tranquility it desires.

(photos via we heart it)

it’s already september. where did this summer go?

i finally got around to reading a book given to me by someone who promised i would love it. and i did. i loved it.

i pulled it off my bookshelf three weeks ago hoping to finish it within a couple of days. it took me longer than expected because:

1) i am a very slow reader. my mind tends to run wild in fantasy land as my eyes scan the white page of black letters, fabricating stories of my own or simply replaying recent events that, somehow, become sweeter the second time around.

2) i don’t want it to end. when i find something i like, i postpone its completion as long as possible.

the history of love is about a man’s undying loyalty and everlasting love for a woman that he never obtains on a physical level. romantic. real. heartbreaking. lovely.

the moment i finished the book, still wrapped up in the reins of romance, i stepped outside to find the letter K with a heart beside it in the sky. the artist eventually carved out an A, which was not captured by my camera. just another awe-inspiring gesture of someone’s immeasurable admiration for another that left my own heart swollen with delight.

photos found randomly

words by martha graham

…and sweet kisses

men are visual creatures. or so i’ve been told. but i have a hard time believing that women are less visually oriented than our male counterparts. my attention is all too often captured through the eyes with just a casual glimpse, which is enough to draw me in and evoke pure emotion, as if nothing else in the world exists. the object of my affection may not possess power over me for more than a few seconds at a time, and on very rare occasion is my interest held for more than mere moments by sight alone, but it always adds some flavor to my day that i shamelessly savor.

(photos via visualize)

1. bonnie raitt

2. artist susan carter hall

3. love letters

4. poet rainer maria rilke

5. tao te ching

morning is, and always has been, my favorite time of the day. sure, there are plenty of moments after dark that find me wishing the night would never end. but for the most part, i treasure those first few hours of my day. walking the beach just after sunrise, before it is swarmed with crowds and noise pollution, delivers a quality of awareness that usually carries me through until bedtime.

i like watching the waves hurl themselves toward the shoreline as the seagulls dive head-first into the waters that house their customary breakfast. then there are the avid surfers who make their way into the cold waters for an invigorating swim, and the affectionate lovers who display their mutual admiration for each other. during my observation, i can’t help but think of the sheer innocence that the ocean ushers each day.

yesterday, i took notice of just a few things that my eyes contentedly feast upon during my early morning stroll.

1. artist julie west

2. red mango frozen yogurt

3. damien rice

4. cardboard love

5. the waves

every season that rolls around undoubtedly appears as my FAVORITE, and summer is no exception. the desires that find refuge during the winter are aroused by the sultry sun and sensual nights. my interpretation of these next few months includes (but is not limited to) lounging with a good book, late night dinner parties, kissing in the moonlight, dancing under the stars, listening to the waves after dark, and just about anything else that tickles my fancy.

photos via visualize

last week, this secret was revealed on post secret.

in seven days, over 59,000 people have joined an online community that was created to reach out and save the life of the individual who composed the postcard. the facebook page has since been dedicated to anyone who feels alone in this world and has served as a reminder of the awe-inspiring beauty and unconditional love that continually surrounds each and everyone of us.

to see with your own eyes the act of kindness that was originally put together to salvage a single, precious life, click here.

below is a glimpse at the outpouring of love.

1. laughing

2. my girlfriends

3. apples & peanut butter

4. scent of cupcakes baking

5. john coltrane

1. rockband – DRUMS

2. polyvore

3. stir it up (for summer lovin’)

4. movie theaters

5. this cookbook

1. happy-go-lucky

2. maple candy

3. wild love

4. summertime

5. skip-bo

(photos via visualize/random)