When life gets clumsy, find grace.

There is no easy way to talk about how much is going on right now. I can't divulge details, but I still need to find a way to deal with all of this.
There's a saying that "God never gives you more than you can handle." I think it's complete crap. Sometimes you get a lot more than you can handle. Sometimes things are off-the-charts difficult and unfair. You don't get a choice, you adapt and learn to handle it in a new way. You fall, and maybe you fall again. Eventually you have to find some sort of grace to get you through.
I couldn't have asked for a better time to start my weekly quotes/inspiration post. This week there are 3: one I've made up myself, one by Ruth Renker, and one from my favorite musical: Spring Awakening.
So wherever today takes you, I hope you're able to find the grace in it.

Poetry Feature--- The Time Around Scars by Michael Ondaatje

To preface this poem, I wanted to talk about why I'm doing this. I love poetry. In a way that my family will never understand, I love to read the way poets defy and create structure to bring out new meaning in words. It is my personal recommendation that everyone takes an intro to poetry class during their college career.
I searched through "The Cinnamon Peeler," an anthology written by one of my favorite poets, Michael Ondaatje. I wanted to discover something new to present to you tonight. I came across my old favorite and decided it might be better to start there. So here's a poem. Read it a few times. Let me know what you think.

The Time Around Scars- Michael Ondaatje 

 

A girl whom I’ve not spoken to
or shared coffee with for several years
writes of an old scar.
On her wrist it sleeps, smooth and white,
the size of a leech.
I gave it to her
brandishing a new Italian penknife.
Look, I said turning,
and blood spat onto her shirt.

My wife has scars like spread raindrops
on knees and ankles,
she talks of broken greenhouse panes
and yet, apart from imagining red feet,
(a nymph out of Chagall)
I bring little to that scene.
We remember the time around scars,
they freeze irrelevant emotions
and divide us from present friends.
I remember this girl’s face,
the widening rise of surprise.

And would she
moving with lover or husband
conceal or flaunt it,
or keep it at her wrist
a mysterious watch.
And this scar I then remember
is a medallion of no emotion.

I would meet you now
and I would wish this scar
to have been given with
all the love
that never occurred between us.

In With the New.

While I've blogged on tumblr for a while, I haven't had a legitimate blog before. I've been brainstorming ideas and here's what I've come up with.

• Makeup posts. This is easy for me, because I absolutely love buying and trying new makeup. 
• Magazine Reviews. I've always wished someone would read magazines every month and tell me which ones are worth buying and which ones aren't. So once a month, that's what I'm going to do.
• Personal Posts. I've got a lot going on and I want to share
• Quote Inspiration. I'm thinking once a week I'll do some inspiration. Maybe Wednesday nights. We'll see. 
• Book Posts. I'd like to informally review everything I read. Keep track of it all.
• Education Posts. These will likely take off when I'm back in school. Right now I'm not thinking about my career so much.
• Poetry Posts. Once a week, a new poem (not by me.) This way I'll read more poetry! 
• Miscellaneous Posts, because you can't plan for these things.

I'm also hoping to photograph my life more for this blog.
Anyhow, that's what I'm thinking. Feel free to add to the list.

Kiss and Makeup.

I'll readily admit that I am a makeup junkie. I live less than a mile away from an Ulta and it has become a serious problem.
I've always liked makeup. Sure, there was that awkward learning-to-use-black-eyeliner phase, in which I looked like a raccoon, and the unfortunate really bright colors phase, but I have since refined my style and continued to spend tons of money on makeup.
Today's purchases included some necessities: I needed foundation for winter, and new chapstick (they were out of Lipsmackers in bubblegum, can you believe that?! I got strawberry instead...) but then I ran into this. This gorgeous palette full of pretty pinks and nudes paired with grays, plums and the perfect green. I needed it. So... I splurged.

For $35, I got this lovely palette. I needed something to get me out of my awful eyeshadowless rut! The nice surprise is that I got a free Too Faced Lash Injection Mascara! I'd head to Ulta pronto if I were you...
I also picked up a CoverGirl Lip Perfection Lipstick in Delight. It's the most perfect coral-y pink. The texture of this new lipstick is fantastic too, which is great for a drugstore brand.


Anyhow, I thought I'd model the makeup a little. I promise to drag out my good camera soon and stop using photobooth. This is just the beginning, though.

Close-up of my eye wearing the "Day" Look. The palette comes with cards with inspiration for looks.

The whole look, including the aforementioned lipstick.