There dreams...

... are mountains, these dreams are true.

So I'm currently sitting home "recovering" aka being bored and my lovely friend Alex showed me this kick ass website called Stumble Upon :) Check it out, sign in with your Facebook long in and get addicted! Here are a few pictures I found along the way, enjoy! :)

I have to say this might be my favorite :)

Fact: I will have this chair one day! :)

:)

Stay inspired and enjoy this gorgeous day for me!!

PS. Tell someone how you truly feel today :)

Sometimes burdens...

... are truly just blessings is disguise.

Today I found myself feeling a lot of different emotions. This morning didn't start off as planned, and the day seemed to follow suit. People all day were constantly surprising me by their actions, now I'm not saying I never act in ways that I am not proud of but, I couldn't figure out why people were being so... cruel. Then I got home and watched the episode of Oprah from today. I had DVR'd this episode because it was about the freedom riders from the 1960s. These men and women who put their lives on the line, signed their last will and testament, and got on a bus to stand up for those who didn't have the chance to put me in tears. In the 1960s segregation, prejudice, racism, it was all still occurring in America. Martin Luther King Jr was fighting for equality. People shake their heads at me and don't want to listen when I get so worked up about things like this but, who ever said it was okay to judge someone by the color of their skin? Who in their right mind thought that someone's skin made them lesser of a person, of a human being? I can not fathom people like this. Call me crazy, call me a hippie I don't care, but I still see it today. Prejudice is still seen, racism, I saw and heard acts of just this week. I'll just put it out there because I truly care about this individual, someone I know was not invited some where due to the color of their skin. How do you tell someone, a young someone at that, that even though these people have probably never met them, they already dislike them. Not cause of normal high school stuff like rumors, but because they are simply of a darker tone of skin. It literally infuriates me. 

Freedom Riders, 1961

Tonight I was able to attend my friend Lindsey's showing and she was amazing as usual. But some of the other works caught my eye too. A certain series about love, not romantic crap, but loving each other not based upon race, sexual preference, or gender. Which naturally sent me spiraling into a conversation with Alyssa, whom I had taken with me to the show. This then went into a discussion about life. I believe in God, I believe in something, someone, having some greater influence in our lives if we so choose to seek it. I also believe sometimes we are given blessings in disguise. We might not always be dealt the hand we want in life, but God, or whomever you may believe in, wouldn't have given us anything we couldn't handle. Life isn't easy; it isn't easy for the teenager trying to make it through high school, the college senior trying to graduate, or the new mother trying to carve a path for now, not only herself, but her child too. We all have struggles, we all have weaknesses, and we all have times when we loose sight. I don't mean to preach, or rant, or anything. I don't know what I am supposed to do on this earth, and I don't where this life will take me. All I know is I love seeing people happy and I feel that to my core. I feel like there is more to come for me, I feel like I'm supposed to be a part of something bigger then myself.

I guess today my point wasn't to rant, although I did, but it was to how you that no matter where you are in your life, where you're going, or where you might have been, there is always a tomorrow. There is always a better day, it might not come right away but if you seek it, it will come. Those freedom riders who risked their lies and were beaten, they made it possible today for us to be one nation. I ask that you take some time and see what you can do to better yourself, maybe even better America. Smile and remember tomorrow is truly a new day, and sooner or later today, will only be a distant memory in the past...

The purest beauty...

... is within yourself.

Hi all :) This week is crazyy. Tomorrow is Lindsey's Senior Show and I wouldn't miss it for the world, so proud of her and everything she has accomplished. For those of you who don't know Linds this would be her...

She is amazing, and has made a huge impact on my life :)

Thursday is my last night of freedom, due to the fact that Friday is surgery. Then hopefully my weekend is full of visitors :) I don't have much to say other then right now my life is, well, a mess. I'm not sure where I am going, what He has set up for me, or who will be in my life. People tend to come and go in my life, I guess that's why I am afraid to fully invest myself in anyone. I will do anything for anyone, I love knowing that something I did, sometimes so small, can put a smile on someone's face. Beauty is so much more then looks, it  comes from your soul. I love this world we live in and I feel like we don't appreciate it, just as we don't appreciate each other. So take a minute and look at some of the beauty you might over look everyday...

(so freaking adorable, I hope I have that one day)

(love lightning)

All pictures credited to National Geographic :)

These are just a few of the pictures I've collected to inspire me everyday, I hope they gave you a little inspiration :)

Smile :) & Inspire someone.

my heart...

... goes out to you, where ever you are.

For how much I love music, you'd think I'd be able to carry a tune. Nope. Not unless you call "singing" loudly in my car at the top of my lungs carrying a tune. It's cool, my childhood dreams of playing sold out concerts were never going to truly be a reality. I love music, I love words, I love the feeling a song can give you. But most of all I love old music. I love old everything come to think about it, especially the 1940s :)  This is my favorite picture.

 This week I realized that I should have been born in any era but the 90s. I mean think about it people, America used to have so much passion, so much pride in their country. Where did it go? We need to remember where we came from, the battles we've fought, the men and women we've lost fighting to defend us. After September 11th America was filled with passion. We all came together and everywhere you looked there were flags flying. But once the shock wore off and the hysteria calmed down, they all disappeared. I love this country, and I love what we stand for. We owe our lives to our men and women in uniform. I challenge you all to thank a soldier, any soldier you see. I myself am special and will walk up to anyone and shake their hand and say thank you for defending our country when I see them in uniform, but I'm not asking anyone to be as awkward as me :) Just remember those who came before us, and that we wouldn't be here today without them.

Where is our determination?

WWII vets that managed to emerge alive after the sinking of the USS Arizona.

Speaks for itself.

God Bless America.

If you haven't listened to this song lately please take a listen and remember why you should be proud to who we are and appreciate those who defend us every single day.

Listen!

there's more to the story...

... then what you think you see.

Today sitting in school, a school full of girls mind you, I took a second, sat back, and listened. Sure I heard about hair, I heard conversations about weekends, and shopping and so forth. But what caught my attention was how incredibly judgmental people were being towards someone. Since when do we look down upon someone due to their race, sexual preference, or style? Since when do we give ourselves the right to take one look at someone and peg them with a title? I'd be lying through my teeth if I said I never did this, but hell, who gave ME any right? No one, that's the answer. No one gave us any right to categorize someone, put them into a little box, and put a cruel, demeaning, or scandalous title it to. Not only do we not have the right to do this, but maybe in turn we should look within ourselves to see if we fit into some "category" before judging someone else. I can't tell you how much my heart sank when I heard what people had to say about someone who, to me is such a kind, open, and caring individual whom we just met. He was putting himself out there and people were tearing him down because of one thing; his sexuality. I'm not asking you to believe in it or support it, but why can't people accept it it's 2011 for crying out loud. It caught me so off guard that just because this individual dressed different, had different hair, and was outgoing people were already putting him in some box and pushing it away without knowing them. This isn't just a sexuality thing, it's an everyday thing. What someone is wearing, how someone chose to do their hair, anything that could possibly give someone the chance to say something, and I bet you it has been said. 

Sorry for the rant I was literally just so angry when I saw how people were talking about this person. And of course it was one of those situations where you say something, not even with an attitude, and you're the bad guy because you were standing up for someone. Well, I have no problem taking some shit for someone when I believe in them. I had the pleasure of doing a friends mothers hair this morning who I love dearly. We had amazing conversations about re-enactments and all the amazing things she knows about the past. It reminded me why I love doing what I do. She didn't look at me as someone who was in school, she didn't talk down to me because I was younger, we just talked. And if you know me I love to talk :) I truly hope I get to do her hair again soon. 

This past weekend was Easter and I got the opportunity to finally go up to PA to visit my family. I love when I get to go up there because it doesn't get to happen often. I spent the weekend with Lex and Dev doing random stuff like helping Aunt Karen make these awesome cupcakes...

And taking pictures like these...

Lex :)

and Devvvv :)

and Nick :)

We had an awesome weekend, and ended with Water for Elephants, if you haven't seen it I highly suggest it. It is amazing and makes me want to have grown up back then more then ever!

Well maybe you made it this far I kinda had a long one today but I just hope it you at least read the beginning that you take some time and get to know someone before judging, even if it's just one person.

Stay true, stay you, and as always stay inspired :)

love, tiff.

My life as I know it.

I truly wonder sometimes if God really does have some huge plan. I know that I'm supposed to trust Him no matter what, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't sometimes wonder. Right now I feel as though I am not living to my full potential, I feel like I can, and need to do more. I am nearing the last few months of school and slowly, very slowly, greeting my future. And by very slowly, I mean running, full speed, in the other direction. This, my friends, is not like me. I used to be fun, loving, carefree (to an extent) and so ready for whatever gets thrown my way. I still am all these things, but I feel as though something is holding me back. Recently I reconnected with someone I met in New York City; Devin is an amazing hair stylist, friend, and mentor. He truly wants to help me get where we are I am destined to go...

The big apple. Though I have never really understood that expression.

I want to be where I need to be for everything to fall into place, following? Maybe I'm just lost in myself, or maybe I'm not being honest with myself. But how am I ever going to know? Is there a sign, does something magically appear? No? Alright, fine but I can't stand not knowing! I am now in the honors program at school, aka Phase Two, and I have surgery in less then two weeks. I need to begin finding a fill in job so I can save up for New York, or where ever I go, and I need to make business cards, finish my portfolio, andddd work on finalizing my resume to the best of my ability. Did I mention I need/want this all to be done by the end of July? Oh, and stay late at school so I can bust my ass and be done by the end of July. Yeah, I bring it upon myself, but I think it's safe to say I'm a little bit stressed. Not to mention this weekend is Easter and we're heading to PA tomorrow. Finally get to see Alexa! 

My bestest cousin ever :)

When I get stressed, I make lists. To do lists, to be exact. So now that is what I am going to do. I also want to make cookies :) Have an amazing Easter weekend everyone, stay inspired!

a few of my favorite things :)

It's been an eventful week and weekend, but there are a few things I want to share with you :) Lately I've been truly to figure out who I am. Big task right? You're tellin' me. Not only has to left me to make at least ten pros and cons lists, then make a five year plan, and then make a dream board for the five year plan. All to come to the same conclusion I came to before...I have absolutely no idea what I want. Then I sat down and started writing; just writing. About what you ask? Anything. Words, names, sounds, feelings, I even started drawing. And what was coming out was little bits and pieces of me. My fears, my dreams, my goals; they all are surrounded on what makes me happy, what makes me smile. Silly me could have figured it all out easier but I like to make things difficult for myself, you can ask anyone that knows me. I might not say the right thing all the time, I might not make everyone happy, but you know what I need to learn that if I'm not happy I can't make anyone else happy. I've been fighting against myself for so long that I've only been holding myself back. I might not make you all proud all the time but you should know I try really hard to. So here are some things that make me smile :)

Some of the boys from Invisible Children... they are absolutely amazing in every way possible. After learning about this insanely awesome organization I am seriously contemplating taking off some time in the fall and being a Roadie with them and help bring awareness :) Thank you for changing my life.

My new Lily Pulitzer glasses, I can finally see :)

Hayley Williams being on the cover of Cosmo :) She is amazing and her music is insane!

This awesome moo moo mug from Pier 1 Imports that I found today!

And the insane plethora of pillows they have :) 

One of my favorite 80s movies ever :)

Oh anddddd I learned how to drive a stick! I was quite proud of myself. Sadly I broke my phone it now looks like this...

:( not a happy camper!

Anyways that's all I got for now loves! I had some amazing conversations these past couple days that have really set me in the right direction, and this amazing weather made me so happy I hope it did the same for you! Stay true, stay you, and as always stay inspired! :) SMILE.

ps. Some days I think I'm a badass, today is one of those days :) hee hee.