Also, to my surprise, I was featured in this season FP Me... where the Free People team choose from fan photos on their facebook page to have them featured on their website!! YAY!!
Before the year began, like literally 'New Year's Eve' before, I said a prayer asking God to bless me and make 2011 my year. Prior to that, the thought of turning 20 always seemed odd to me, like I would be stuck between being a young girl and growing into a mature woman. This year I have begun to recognise the things that are of value and importance to me in my life as well as the behaviours and situations I need to disregard to become the person I want to be.
The most important change for me this year is how much more closer to God I feel & my strength in faith. If it wasn't for my family, cousins, my friend Esther, and the family and friends I met in the US I probably wouldn't have grown spiritually as much as I have now. For that, I am so thankful for their lives its indescribable. Like I once read before, 'it is not the love happening in your life that matters, but the love happening in your heart."
Even all the negative attitudes I have faced or witnessed have proven to me how that mentality can hinder blessings in life... It has also shown me the type of people I need to associate with and put my trust in, in order to become the person I want to be.
So, I have returned from the US after visiting family & I already miss it dearly. In fact, I should say them; all the family and friends I met, and the experiences we shared.
I've always wanted to visit the US. I've had this notion set in my head for as long as I can remember of blue skies casting different hues at sunset and long stretches of fields & endless rivers. Though I didn't find ALL of that, I found another side of my family I wasn't all too familiar with. They say 'blood is thicker than water' and that is exactly what I found... my heart is overjoyed right this very moment. Though I am glad to be back in the craziness of my London life & family here who I missed though my trip to the US, spending time with family there was like I never left home...
As I like to say: 'It is not the place but the people you are with that make you call it home.'
My good ness, I'm such a family-orientated person!
Of course I will definitely be going back!
As for the rest of my summer... we'll see.
love & light, always...♥
"It is not the love happening in your life that matters, but the love happening in your heart." - Anon.
It has been an absolutely beautiful year so far with so many good things coming my way. No amount of 'thank yous' will suffice to express my gratitude to God for the first half of this year! I was deeply touched by my last nursing placement which was on an intensive care unit. The kindness shown to me was overwhelming and the amount I learnt from this placement, not just about Nursing but an essence of life will always be in my heart. This has definitely been an inspiring, insightful placement for me and has helped shaped my career path in nursing. One experience I will never forget; it pushed me to my limit and for that I am thankful!
I've also managed to see my favourite band, Hanson, SIX TIMES this year! I've met not only the band but some amazing people/fans who made this experience an unforgettable one! Here are just a few pictures (I've come to find, I'd rather watch and listen to the music than take pictures) from the February show 'Meet Me In The Middle' and the 'London 5of5' concert series! Enjoy :)
I leave for the US (Virgina) tomorrow. For the first time I will touch down on American soil! Ha! A mixture of feelings are running through my mind as I have no idea what to expect. It will be my first time flying alone too... here's hoping all runs smoothly!
I need to find a way of letting it go, when everything falls apart."
If you are a fan Dave Matthews Band, you'll love Alpha Rev. First heard these guys doing a short performance on SxSW4Japan and fell in love with their music. Putting aside the Dave Matthews Band comparison, their music and words are just so inspiring, motivating, moving and beautiful, especially for me right now. I've been in a bit of dilemma with some friends and trying to find a balance without angering situations or compromising in a way that doesn't benefit anyone or allow me to stay true to myself and I feel their music is one of the few things that is really helping me through that. For that, I thank Alpha Rev. Check them out! I hope their music touches you as it has done to me. :)
On the 19th March '11, SXSW along with the band Hanson teamed up to raise $100,000 to donate to the Red Cross for relief efforts in Japan; which they successfully succeeded in doing and beyond. They did this by hosting a 12 hour live stream marathon where nothing but music was played to raise these funds. Also, a benefit album from the event was made which is being sold on Amazon (as well as iTunes) & ALL proceeds made from this benefit album go towards Red Cross & Japan.
How to live your life.
Live life to the full.
39 ways to fully live your life.
etc, etc, etc.
If you think this is going to be one of those "How to live life" guides or blogs, then I think you'll find, in the top right hand corner of the screen, an "X"; click it.
This is an itch I've been wanting scratch for quite some time now. I've been questioning myself as to whether I have been living my life fully (so far) and in all honesty, in some aspects yes, in others no. The only reason I've come to this conclusion is because I know... I know what I want from this life and what I need in this life. I know what moves my soul and what stirs my heart; there are times I feel I don't get enough/a healthy dose of this. Mostly due to the environment I'm in, some of the choices I make or financial reasons... hopefully all that will change this summer, or at least the end of this University year.
Everybody has a different temperament and the only way to live YOUR life fully is to suit that temperament. There is no point living it or measuring it up against someone else's ideals as they will never be able to fully fulfil your own.
Take travelling for example, there are people in this life who have hardly been anywhere in the world yet have seen, felt, experienced so much. Then there are some who travel endlessly and blindly, yet they are the one's who see, feel and experience nothing. Unless you have a soul purpose, a driven reason, why bother?
Life is there to live your own experiences not to re-live somebody else's. Live it for you, in ALL possible aspects; relationships, friendships, family, music, art, performance, health care... change. Anything and everything. Live it full of beauty and passion.
love & light...♥
Currently listening to: Sunday Lane (Check out her song 'Heavy Heart, Heavy Hands' on her website!)
Those is the named title are two ideals I've felt (for a while now) compelled to, and aim to support it's cause. Also, as a person who jumps at an amazing opportunity to help is a natural given for me, but to look good while doing so is always a plus. I figured I would share the little I know about the topic and it's effect on me.
My first encounter with Fair Trade/Organic Fashion was circa '09 through the sustainable fashion pioneer People Tree. The beautiful signature embroidery on the majority of their garments first attracted me to the brand & I later found that there was more of a purpose to this brand rather than just pretty patterns woven in cloth. I did some digging, read around the brand and became hooked on their ethos & wanted to support it in anyway possible, and till this day I still do. The empowerment of people in less privileged countries, through work and livelihood, as well as providing healthy and stable work sectors and to know that somebody else's hard work to put clothes on your body and shoes on your feet was so moving and touching, there was no way I could turn my back on it.
I had loosely been following the works of the fashion model, Summer Rayne Oakes (best name EVER) who is an eco-friendly, sustainable fashion activist so ideally and in fact, VERY recently I felt it appropriate to get her book 'Style Naturally' based on sustainable fashion and beauty. I don't know why I waited so long to get it, it is very insightful. Though her book is solely a guide into shopping sustainably, she expectantly creates awareness of sustainable fashion whilst highlighting some very important causes within her book. There is so much possibility that lies within fair trade and to do it while feeling good about what you wear and in a way that renders you eco-conscious in what you buy is, to me, so inspiring.
I hope in this life I myself can make some sort of an impact through this initiative, even if it is just to encourage at least one person to be more eco-conscious of some of the things they buy and to know who suffers or in this case benefits from their choices. Who knows, maybe one day my dream will come true; I'll be an amazing Nurse who somehow manages to run her own boutique selling beautiful organic & fair trade garments. Hopefully, not all at once!
"If there is no passion in your life, then have you really lived? Find your passion, whatever it may be. Become it and let it become you, and you will find great things happen for you, to you and because of you." - T. Alan Armstrong
How to live your life.
I had loosely been following the works of the fashion model, Summer Rayne Oakes (best name EVER) who is an eco-friendly, sustainable fashion activist so ideally and in fact, VERY recently I felt it appropriate to get her book 'Style Naturally' based on sustainable fashion and beauty. I don't know why I waited so long to get it, it is very insightful. Though her book is solely a guide into shopping sustainably, she expectantly creates awareness of sustainable fashion whilst highlighting some very important causes within her book. There is so much possibility that lies within fair trade and to do it while feeling good about what you wear and in a way that renders you eco-conscious in what you buy is, to me, so inspiring.
