A sequined skirt for the new year

A sparkly skirt for the New Year.  On New Years we all piled in the van and drove to Denver for a day of Van Gogh at the Denver Art Museum.  It was a wonderful exhibit, portraying his entire life and the way he grew through his career.  If you're not familiar with the dutch post-impressionist painter, you must become so.  His raw emotional works are intense and beautifully done.  It was incredible to see his ten year journey as an artist before his untimely death by what was probably an accidental shooting while he was out in a field near his home.  His ten years of works at the show that we were able to see showed his journey so well.  We saw his beginning in black and white inks and charcoal, with rough workmanship portraying rough, raw life, through his exploration of japanese-style painting and the introduction of color into his works.  There were stories behind his paintings, and emotion, and real life, and I really enjoyed seeing the product of the life of this now-famous painter.

After the museum, we were all starving and drove around looking for food, but I saw the beautiful light and made everyone climb out for some family photos (coming later) and an outfit picture.  Then we ate greek food.

Happy Friday!

LISTENING and LAUGHING 

lillian rachel

Hey dude.

So I have a friend and she's pretty cool.  We watch ridiculous movies featuring predictable cheerleaders, board game characters, and ax murderers.  We go grocery shopping and eat lots of Doritos.  We make cupcakes and swim and talk and have photoshoots and play the ukulele.  I steal her clothes and take pictures of myself.  We go to youth group, explore abandoned houses and talk about boys. 

So yeah.  Friendship is a cool thing.  love you dude.  

l.

Happily lonesome

{Outfit Post Details: Top-Marshals, Shorts- Thrift, Belt- Thrift, Shoes-Marshals, Necklace- f21}

So.  I thought maybe today I would write some thoughts on things.   This feels kind of stupid, but whatever.  I am an introvert.  You might not realize it when you hang out with me, and it's not really something I focus on a lot, I just am, but it's true.  I love people, and I'm usually pretty outgoing and quite talkative.  I sing in public and dance and tease people incessantly, sometimes too much.  I am not shy, but I need my "alone" time, or at least down time with people who don't care if I smile or not.  

SO FOR THOSE DAYS YOU JUST DON'T WANT TO SMILE:

1.  Music.  I don't know about you, but when I plug in my music, I feel happily invisible, and usually people ignore me because they think I can't hear them.  And sometimes, I just plug in my headphones without even listening to music.  Is that weird?  I feel like I'm in my own little world then, it's nice.  ;)

2.  Reading, baking, drawing.  Something that keeps you busy: you're doing something, not just lazing around.

3.  Journaling.  Whether you need to write out your feelings, or just write, or maybe more creatively you want to cut out pictures and words and assemble with care, just do something. 

4.  Make sure the people around you know that sometimes you just want to be left alone(or whichever).  Sometimes I don't communicate so well, and now we have this little joke around my house.  I will sometimes just not smile.  If I'm tired or in a bad mood or just don't feel like spending energy- basically any time that a smile wouldn't be genuine- I just don't waste my facial muscles, and I kind of have a frowney face.  But if someone asked me what was wrong and I didn't feel like telling them, then I would just say "this is my normal face" i.e. nothing's wrong.  So my family makes fun of me sometimes, they tease me when I frown, and if someone asks if something's wrong my siblings will answer for me- "oh, that's just her normal face." 

5. Go do something.  No matter how small, get out and do something, even if it just takes a few minutes, and no one even notices you're gone, feeling accomplished is nice.  If that means walking around outside for a couple minutes with your camera, or swinging on a swing, or maybe even doing some random task you've been meaning to do, just do it.  Dissapearing for a few minutes can fix my mood. 

6.  Go "do" something #2.  I'm kind of a lame person, and I regretably waited waay too long to get my permit, and so I still do not have my license.  As a result, I cannot run my own errands, but I can accompany my mother.  I'll just sit in the car and doodle sometimes but still, it's nice to just be pretending to do something. 

7.  Be friends with your family.  You may be able to avoid other people, but you cannot avoid your family.  They're probably the people who know you best and love you best.  Cherish them.

So.  Yeah.  Have a happy thursday.  

l.

Apricot Stone

l.

A wrinkly green shirt

{Outfit Details: Cardigan: Buffalo Exchange, Top: vintage, Jeans: F21, Moccasins: Marshals, Purse: Thrift, Necklace: Thrift}

I wore this the other day.  My brother took approximately five pictures for me before he got bored.  Then we went to youth group.  And we ran around looking for farm animals and flash mob-ing and singing.  It was pretty eventful.  I like youth group.

The End. 

forked lightning

Old age should burn and rave at close of day; 

Though wise men at their end know dark is right, 
Because their words had forked no lightning they 
Do not go gentle into that good night. 

Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright 
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay, 
Rage, rage against the dying of the light. 

Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight, 
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way, 
Do not go gentle into that good night. 

Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight 
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay, 
Rage, rage against the dying of the light. 

And you, my father, there on the sad height, 
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, 
I pray Do not go gentle into that good night. 
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Dylan Thomas.

♥

Something about poetry.

 

SHE walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies,
And all that's best of dark and bright
Meets in her aspect and her eyes;
Thus mellow'd to that tender light
Which Heaven to gaudy day denies.
One shade the more, one ray the less,
Had half impair'd the nameless grace
Which waves in every raven tress
Or softly lightens o'er her face,
Where thoughts serenely sweet express
How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.
And on that cheek and o'er that brow
So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,
The smiles that win, the tints that glow,
But tell of days in goodness spent,—
A mind at peace with all below,
A heart whose love is innocent.

Lord Byron. 

I've had this on my wall for a while, and I smile every time I read it.  Such lovely words, no?

Lillian ♥

Look at the stars

Chasing Rubies

The Ballad of Love and Hate

the wind + my hair in the second picture = supes attractive ;)

Home

Little Talks

Some songs I've been listening to lately.  And an outfit I wore. 
♥

I like the cold.

I AM… Lillian.

I WANT…  to live my live to the glory of God and be the woman He wants me to be.  

I HAVE… more than I deserve. 

I KEEP… tickets and letters and photos and stubs of things.

I WISH I COULD… fly {like peter pan}, and visit far off lands.  

I HATE… goodbyes, labels {not clothing labels, people labels}

I FEAR…  losing my family.
I HEAR…  the rumbling of my stomach.

messing around in photoshop.  I am just so clever.

I DON'T THINK…  that I am grown up yet.   

I REGRET…  every time I've let down my parents.
I LOVE…  my family, my God, mounded up comforters on a cold morning, cold apple cider, hot tea, knitting, reading a good book at two in the morning, organizing things, getting dressed, thick socks, yummy smelling body spray, hair ribbons, taking pictures in the quiet, laughing, playing guitar all alone, singing loudly til someone tells me to stop, listening to powerful music, wind in my face.

I AM NOT… fluent in french… yet. 
I DANCE…  everywhere.
I SING…  all the time.
I NEVER…  seem to be thouroughly satisfied with any artistic endevour.

I RARELY…  hang up all my laundry.
I CRY WHEN…  my friendships are rocky.

I AM NOT ALWAYS… awake.       
I'M CONFUSED ABOUT… most things, most of the time, especially math things. 

I NEED…  Jesus' patience and love. 
I SHOULD…  get off the computer, and go to sleep.  Like, now.

Goodnight.  ♥




{"I AM" post idea taken from the lovely Hannah over at Aspire}

I still don't get it

I do love it when people notice my outfits.  It's something I have fun with, and I like feeling special I guess.  But when the focus is so obviously on me, like it is when I make a post like this, I don't know what the point is I'm trying to make.  I like getting dressed, and apparently other people like seeing my outfits, so that's what I do, but maybe the problem is the focus is on me.  I don't know.

God has made me who I am, with a love of color and a taste for patterns.  He's the one who's orchestrating this beautiful life he's given me.  So when I question what the purpose of sharing my outfits is, I'm searching for what God wants me to do with this gift he's given me.  My getting dressed and posting it, isn't bringing glory to Him.  I need to find that way to use this as a God-glorifying outlet, not just a self-centered one.  Any thoughts?

And my little sister is super cute, by the way.

Lillian ♥

P.S.  My lovely coral necklace is made by my friend Josie.  Thanks Josie! :)

An Outfit.

This is what I wore to school today.  No biggie, I just like getting dressed.  

{Outfit Details: Top- Forever21, Tunic-gift, Leggings- Old Navy, Boots-Marshals, Belt/Necklace-Thrift}

I've felt very self-conscious when sharing outfits lately, because I almost always feel like it seems superficial when I publish it to the (small portion of the) world (that reads my blog).  But I like getting dressed, so I'm going to share it here.  So there.


Happy Friday!

Lillian ♥