Sunday, October 31, 2010

a sunday smile seven.




1. go to google.com
2. type in "who's the cutest?"
3. click the "i'm feeling lucky" button.
4. smile.

You can do this.

This last week was quite the week. For me, at least.

There were far too many things for me to get done.
I believe that this is due to my habit of procrastination, but I like to look past that little bugger, and pretend as though he doesn't exist.
Each day this week was especially busy.
Every waking moment this week, there was something for me to be doing. Something important.

I realized that I do love the feeling of being busy, but at the same time, misery and I have become best pals.

I received 7 hours of sleep this week. Yes. 7. For the entire week.
I don't mean to complain, but I think you can imagine just how sluggish I was in trying to accomplish all of my little tasks.
Don't fret. I have caught up on such a treacherous lack of the greatest thing one can do with their time.
But I feel rewarded in a sense. I feel like a champion.
Because I did everything that I needed to do. And I walked out of last week extremely happy.
I received good grades, I got a nice little pay check on Friday, and I smiled a lot.
Also, if you live in Utah County, do you remember all of that lovely rain we were provided with?
That was for me. That was God's gift to me. That rain was my saving grace this week. And it was a lovely little reminder that everything will be just fine. I can hear the booming voice in my head:
"Get through the week, Mal. Get through it. This rain is specifically for you. Go dance in it for a little while. You can do this."
And I did.
I've done it.

Also, I'd just like to say that my week ended ever so wonderfully.
I made a new friend. A wonderful new friend full of lovely conversation and beautiful insights.


I love making new friends.

What a wonderful way to end a terrible/wonderful week. 


Enjoy the rain.
With love, Mallory. 

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Sunday, October 24, 2010

i don't know, i found it amusing.


i could see this hanging in the SAM.
and i would bet you five dollars that a certain boy by the name of adam would have a poster of it hanging in his room.
oh, lovers of minimalist art. you amuse me. but i am one of you. through and through.
speaking of which: i'm dying to go see some albers.
also, i've been thinking about the davids lately.
bernini's is my favorite.
does that make me a sinner? should i automatically love michaelangelo's the best?
i don't care. go baroque.
but p.s., guess what i made?
i'll tell you. i made a button for my backpack that has michaelangelo's david on it. it's my favorite thing.
i would have used bernini's, but there wasn't a photo of it on the clipart website, and captain is a copyright stickler.
don't tell her about the james dean button.
oh, by the way, james dean will be free domain in ten years.

love, han.
i love to call myself han.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

dear sweet, sweet sticky-noter:






you have made my day more than once. i walk into the seminary bathroom with the intent to sticky note it up, and then i find that you have already fulfilled the mission. and then it makes my day that much better.
thank you. we love you for it.
*edit: i found two more today! the bottom is mine, doesn't count.
i'm so impressed.
the words of mallory on the subject: I LOVE LIFE! THAT'S SO LOVELY!

love, us.

Sunday, October 17, 2010

a sunday smile six : the ferris wheel.


as hard as i try,
i will never be a simply eloquent writer. like mallory.
i write sloppily.
sometimes i wish that i could just straighten out my thoughts and write something that makes perfect sense. that really shows who i am.
my thoughts have never been structured. my mind goes around and around. like a ferris wheel, really. one thought comes to the top and as soon as it does another one is not far behind.
that's exactly how i picture the inside of my mind.
a brightly-colored ferris wheel glowing in the night.
and the things i think aren't so much words as they are feelings.
impulses. 
i don't ever fully understand things. mostly, i just know how they feel and how they fit.
it's one of those things i cannot explain. as hard as i try. i cannot explain how i feel in an art museum or when i read poetry. there is no words for it. a feeling so deep that it must have root in my soul and not only in my heart.
and maybe it's a weakness, but for me, feelings do not equal words.
and if they do, it's just a sentence fragment.
but the thing about my messy mind is that i get to explore it. the illogicality of it makes it that more fun to get to know myself.
i've been doing a lot of that, lately. getting to know myself.
you know when after something huge happens to you, and you say you've learned a lot, and then people ask you, well, what have you learned?
that question is so broad. i've learned so much. (and to echo mallory, a lesson of what love is was certainly one of them. she's brilliant, really. i never could have worded that).
they aren't lessons i can teach. only lessons i can live. life has shifted and shaped me, gradually, and i didn't even notice it coming.
so the other day, i looked at my face in the mirror as i was leaving. and i did a double take.
i thought for a second.
that girl, right there. she's really me. how weird is that?
so i proceeded to contort my face into every creeper face in the book.
yep, still me. i'm me. the only one that will ever control this body. the only body i will ever live in.
and something surprising happened.
i said 'i love you'. right to my face. out loud. there in the bathroom. 'you're pretty, even if you have a perma-zit. you're smart. people like you. i love you.'
it's funny how accepted you can feel once you accept yourself.
i thought i was perfectly self-confident. and i was, but the thing is, i'm an evolution. parts of me keep changing. i'm not the same girl i was a year ago or a month ago or whatever. i need to renew my confidence in who i am often, because who i am keeps changing.
so my challenge to you, on this rainy sunday, is to do a little renewing yourself.
on the drive home, turn of the radio. and just think. you're allowed to talk aloud to yourself, if you want to.
who are you? and once you think about it, look into the nearest mirror, and tell yourself of your love. your love for your body and your mind and your spirit. your love for what you are capable of and what you've achieved.

and then move on with your day.
you are now free.


by: hannah

Table for two, please.

I've always wondered about love. You know, that little phenomenon that our world thrives upon. It's the most thought out four letter word, and we all want nothing more than to be a part of it. Everybody just wants somebody. And not just anybody. But somebody. You know, their somebody. The somebody who means more than anything ever could. The somebody whose voice speaks more than words to you. The somebody whose eyes see beyond your face, and into your soul.

I've been doing a lot of soul searching. I've realized that I find myself through other people. Lately, I have been asking people if they are or ever have been in love. Nearly everyone I've asked has had an answer that, in one way or another, checks the "yes" box. After this, I always ask, "How do you know that it's love?" And although the answers vary, I find one common factor in each response: "You just know." These three words have come up with every single person that I've asked this question to. Every single one. And I can't help but wonder what this positive knowledge feels like.

Lately, I'm obsessed with Mumford & Sons. My dearest friend, Ari , introduced them to me, and they've been my pride and joy ever since. Every word spoken in each song is delivered with articulation and absolute brilliance. Anyway, this is beside the point. Last night, as I was attempting to get some sleep, I played their album. The first song that came on was Sigh No More. And as the song furthered into itself, I began to get teary eyed.

As I listened intently, the following was said:

"Love. It will not betray you, dismay or enslave you. It will set you free."

These words literally spoke to me. And I realized that it's not love unless it sets you free.

With this knowledge, can you honestly say you're in love? 

Because if that man that you would literally give your life for brings you nothing but grief, and if you feel locked up because you want nothing more than his approval, then you can't lie to yourself and say that it's love.
If there's been betrayal, then it can't be love. Love will not betray you.
If you've been dismayed, then don't allow yourself to believe it's love.

Love will set you free. The moment you've been "set free," is the same moment that you will know, positively, that you are in love with that man. 

And I suppose that "you just know" when you're absolutely free.


-Mallory

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Must have facial hair.

Oh, for a man at least 6 feet tall.
Oh, for a man that can make me laugh.
Oh, for a man of insight.
Oh, for a man with deep-set eyes.
Oh, for a man whose voice resounds in a baritone register.
Oh, for a man who reads.
Oh, for a man with nice hands.
Oh, for a man of brains and wit.
Oh, for a man that can cook.
Oh, for a man whose smile says it all.
Oh, for a man with wonderous hair.
Oh, for a man that can dance.
Oh, for a man of passion.
Oh, for a man who can speak with articulation.
Oh, for a man that beautifully wears a five o'clock shadow.

If you are this man, please send your love my way.

Please and Thank You,
Mallory.

Monday, October 11, 2010

much love monday: the film camera & e.e. cummings.




may my heart always be open to little
birds who are the secrets of living
whatever they sing is better than to know
and if men should not hear them men are old

may my mind stroll about hungry
and fearless and thirsty and supple
and even if it's sunday may i be wrong
for whenever men are right they are not young

and may myself do nothing usefully
and love yourself so more than truly
there's never been quite such a fool who could fail
pulling all the sky over him with one smile 
-- e.e. cummings




 visit: http://muchlove-anna.blogspot.com/ to find what other people much love.

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

j.



the letter that begins the name of every single man that mallory & i deem attractive.
interesting tidbit, ain't it so? 
we realized it today. 



then again... not EVERY man.

but a vast majority. 



& james dean counts for ten. 



Sunday, October 3, 2010

a sunday smile five: anonymous mail.





sometimes i am afraid to do quirky, kind things for others because i feel that they might take it the wrong way. it is an irrational fear; i have never had anyone angry at me after i give them a compliment. but it is still a fear. and so, i resort to anonymous kindness. in this case, i found that fear to be a blessing. because i have learned that anonymity is the best way to do things. there is a danger in being kind when one learns to rely on the recognition received in return.
it's a hard lesson to learn. i will admit that i like to be praised for good things i do. but i believe that i will only truly be rewarded if i act in humility.
brother anderson said, "tell them thank you, but that it was not you at all. it was God. you were only an instrument."
and henceforth, i introduce to you this new project. it is not large. it may not change any lives. but i think it is a small step towards becoming comfortable without recognition for your actions.


step one: find three of your favorite quotes. quotes you wish you had said. ones that make you think. i think most importantly, ones that would make you smile if you found them somewhere.
step two: unleash your creativity and decorate a piece of printer paper with each of your quotes.
step three: gather three envelopes and decorate the front of those. place your quote inside.
step four: either look up a random address in the phone book to put on your envelope, or simply write "to you" on the front.
step five: send the letter if it has an address.
step six: if you opted to not put an address, then take letter #1 to your nearest grocery store. leave it in a picturesque place in the produce section for a lucky soul to find.
step seven: take letter #2 to the parking lot. place under windshield wipers of the first red car you see.
step eight: take letter #3 with you wherever you go for the rest of the day. place it in the most opportune place you come across.
step nine: revel in the joy you feel after completing said tasks. this is when we learn that the greatest benefit service brings is to ourselves.




did you know? someone found one of mine & mallory's sticky notes in the school library, and then visited our blog because of it! (cool!)
has something nice happened to you today? if so, leave us a comment and tell us what happened. send the kindness karma back to the universe!
in my case, i was grateful for the kind people who told me i looked cute on friday. they made me feel good!
while we're on that roll, conference is the best, isn't it? in honor of our wonderful President Monson, leave a comment of what you're grateful for.
for me, it's my family, new friends, lindt truffles, the gospel, (the videos on mormon.org are fantastic. i love rose dall's,  & alex boye's),  feeling the spirit, and a brand-new book of stamps, one stamp, of which, is ready to be slapped on a letter and sent to my quinci at byu-i.
and most of all, it is the knowledge that i am a daughter of God.
with that knowledge, i cannot fail.

have a beautiful sunday!


with love, hannah.