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I loooove PostSecret.

Way to give people courage to use their voices.  Freedom for self-expression is so important that I have trouble putting my feelings about it into words.  Ironic, huh?

It's interesting to sit down in Anthropologie and flip through a PostSecret book.  Some people leave notes inside.  Sometimes people remove those notes & keep them.  I suppose if the taker needs it, by all means he or she should keep it as a reminder.  I can't pretend it's a selfish act, when I myself take things out of personal need.  

When someone releases words into the world, those become free for the taking.  We may desire credit.  A thoughtful person may give us credit, but we shouldn't expect it.  

This also means we're responsible for what we say.  We need to be wise.  Nowadays our words have wider potential impact than ever before.

I'm learning to let things & people go.  They're better off in the hands of Someone infinitely more capable than I.
Worry accomplishes nothing.  My sanity is more important than potential problems or a cloudy future.  I need a sound mind for the here & now.
I ask myself, "Why mourn over something long before it's happened?  It might never happen... but if it does, don't put yourself through more pain than you have to feel."
I know that...

"There is a painful difference between the expectation of an unpleasant event and its final certainty." - Elinor Dashwood, Sense and Sensibility

... and the final certainty you cannot avoid, so control the part you can.

On that note, how about more deep quotes??  Yes-yes?  Of course!  I'm never without them!

"We cannot change anything until we accept it.  Condemnation does not liberate, it oppresses." - Carl Jung

Yaaayyy smart man!!!  You've gotta love Jung.  I think PostSecret loves him & acts on his advice.  More of our institutions should do the same.

"What is the most resilient parasite?  Bacteria?  A virus?  An intestinal worm?  An idea.  Resilient... highly contagious.  Once an idea has taken hold of the brain it's almost impossible to eradicate.  An idea that is fully formed - fully understood - that sticks..." - Cobb, Inception

"You treat a disease, you win, you lose.  You treat a person, I guarantee you you'll win no matter what the outcome." - Hunter "Patch" Adams, Patch Adams

By the way...

Then again, that's my life most of the time.  I just want people to jump on my bandwagon.  

I may live in sweltering humidity, but I like to pretend it's always the middle of autumn.

"Reality is like a fine wine... It will not appeal to children."

Here are some quotes I recently found & agreed with or thought interesting.  I might make this a weekly thing.  =)


*Title quote from Searching for God Knows What by Donald Miller... I recommend all of his books.  He has a fresh, thoroughly honest perspective.

"There is, I believe, in every disposition a tendency to some particular evil -- a natural defect, which not even the best education can overcome." - Mr. Darcy, Pride and Prejudice

"Scream from the roof.  We want justice.  We want the truth." - Thrice, "Broken Lungs"

"My sanity is essential for everything to run smoothly." - Anonymous  (This is my new mantra.)

"But you'll always be my hero, even though you've lost your mind." - Rihanna

"I think your whole life shows in your face and you should be proud of that." - Lauren Bacall  (It's good for a film actress to understand & use that.)

"Be fair with others, but keep after them until they're fair with you." - Alan Alda  (That's also good for an actor to know.)

"If God gives you a watch, are you honoring Him more by asking Him what time it is or by simply consulting the watch?" - A.W. Tozer

"I see love as a pure golden-white light that illuminates you from within and also envelopes you -- soothing, comforting, protecting, and uplifting you without faltering.  I believe it originates in Heaven and flows through you into all the relationships you allow to touch your soul.  It is eternal and beautiful and more powerful than you." - Amy, a girl I don't know on a website (wherein one can pick the exact shade *love* would be if it were a color... I forget the URL)

T Can I escape here, please? T

Makes me think of this, mostly because my roommate, our friend & I watched Anastasia yesterday.  Many aspects of the movie are downright lovely, including this song.   I looove when music box elements are implemented in a song.

Ooh, I've got the travel bug.  Someone whisk me away!!  Haha.

Mixed Bag

"Perhaps when we find ourselves wanting everything, it is because we are dangerously close to wanting nothing." ~ Sylvia Plath
(Source: heavinessinmyhead, via ipsissima-verba)


Every time I feel inclined to read Plath, I picture myself as Kat Stratford from 10 Things I Hate About You.  Not a bad person to be, if you ask me... but I'm so biased, it's ridonk.  Laughable, even.  So ask someone with an objective perspective.  Riiiight.


The award for Most Addicting Website of 2011 goes to: Pinterest.  Facebook's appeal has faded slightly in recent months, so I've naturally branched out.  I heartily recommend getting a Pinterest account; once your invite's been answered via email, a username & password are all you need.  (You can use login info from your Twitter.  That's what I do.)  Just don't be surprised if you find yourself unable to log off!  The biggest downside to Pinterest is how often it's down for maintenance.  At that point, you face two choices: visit one of the other billions of websites out there, or get up & do something in your life, in the sphere of reality.  *Shudder*  
We have to remember that words and images on a computer... are not real.  Sure, they affect us in real ways.  Any form of communication is "real" communication... but still.  Think of The Matrix (even if you don't want to -- humor me for a moment).  If everything you posted online or kept on your computer was deleted... what would be left of you, of your life?  That scares the living daylights out of me.  It probably shouldn't, but that's what our world has become.  Oh dear.  
I speak critically, but don't get me wrong -- I have a long-lasting love affair with the internet & my computer in general.  That's why I can speak from many angles.  Let's face it, this area of discussion could go on forever.  I could do a whole *series* of posts on physical reality vs. virtual reality, your identity & how it relates to both realms.  It's interesting, but it's also a headache.  A headache that Hollywood loves to probe.


Speaking of headaches... random food-related fact #2: root beer & bananas give me headaches.  Bananas I can avoid, but root beer is harder to abstain from.  Half of me is very much Southern.  
I read that bananas & potatoes are slightly radioactive because of their high potassium & magnesium content.  Perhaps that's why I get those headaches.  I could be more sensitive to radiation than most other people... right?  I certainly am when it comes to sunlight... & while skin isn't the same as a brain or stomach, they are connected.
The root beer, however -- what's with that?


One fine evening I was exploring Pinterest & came across a recipe for hummingbird cake.  It sounds quite sad at first, but upon further investigation, it looks delicious.  I'm thinking the name "hummingbird" was chosen because tropical fruit is required to make it.  
I'm just a sucker for cream cheese frosting.  I get cravings for carrot cake!  (Try Ben & Jerry's carrot cake ice cream -- even if carrot cake itself isn't your thing.  Walmart sells it, I believe.)


In other news (or not)... *guilty*  Is this webcomic the comedic equivalent of Post Secret?  Time will tell.


Haha -- I love this.  Keep on creatin', you creative peeps.


Welp, time for bed.  "SURE..." say those who know me.

Carbs and gems: ways to a woman's heart.

First of all, this amuses me greatly.  The little things in life...

Not to mention toaster rhymes with coaster.  I bet that's how the inventor found his or her inspiration.

In keeping with the topic of delicious carbs... these are fun, convenient & probably tasty.  Slap any food onto a stick - even better if the food is fried.  There, you've got the American way.  Today that particular aspect of this country is just fine by me.  

Can you tell I still need to eat lunch?

My previous post consisted of wedding bands I find interesting and elegant (also two things I aspire to be).  No wedding band would be complete without the bride's engagement ring, about which I've dreamt more than the bands.  I suppose that's natural.  

Many designs catch my eye in bridal magazines and Tiffany store windows... yes, as I daintily munch on my Pain au Chocolat (thank you, citizens of Google) and sip my coffee.  The filigrees and cushion cut stones entice me, but my longtime preference remains to take a slightly different route and wear a heart-shaped diamond.  A solitaire would be wonderful.  I think a solitaire heart would pair nicely with the first two 

wedding bands I posted, and perhaps the others as well.  The symbolism of those bands AND a heart would be perfect.  

Then again, this is mostly just a dream.  It may never happen.  It's not fair for me to demand a specific design or price, to keep that vision as my only option.  I don't know what the future holds.  My future husband, if I have one, may not have the money for this kind of thing.  That's alright!  I'd marry for love over money any day.  I'm just thinking, if this is someday possible, I would love it.  Having any amount of direction beforehand is good for me (and him, I'm sure); otherwise I'm too indecisive when the time comes.

Well, I'm going to eat something now.  What else I'd planned to write will be pushed forward onto the next post.  Stay golden, lovelies!

"This is not the end of everything. This is the beginning of everything." - Ronald Reagan

Little by little, words like those help at a time like this.  My family is currently experiencing the fiercest hurricane of emotions, issues, insults and changes.  Deeper than my negative emotions, I have a strong feeling that, someday soon, this will make more sense.  So I fix my attention on the words and actions of those wiser than I.

And whose words or actions could be wiser than God's?
While perusing the ever-uplifting blog Chatting at the Sky I read this passage, to which I truly relate...

"The thought of my suffering and homelessness is bitter beyond words.  I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve over my loss.  Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the LORD never ends!  His mercies never cease.  Great is his faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning.”

Lamentations 3:19 – 22

(Look here for her complete article.)

For all of you who've thought of me, prayed for me, or encouraged me in any way during this time... I am eternally grateful.  I send you a virtual *hug* now and hope to give you one in person soon!  I've always longed for friends like you.  You have good hearts, whether you realize it or not.

David Bowie's "Changes" is an excellent song for my life lately... and many other people's lives, of course.  That's why the song's a classic (besides its musical quality and David's adorable bizarre... ness).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVYbwpe99MM

Yes, moving on because change is inevitable... 

I may come to enjoy life much more now that things are different.  All this could be important for my personal development.  I admit I felt like a stagnant character before.

Today I start my new job.  Can I just express how immensely GRATEFUL I am someone offered me employment for the first time??  THANK YOU!!!  ♥  Yay!!!  Even if my energy wears off at some points, my thankfulness will remain!

Okay, so despite what's happened with my parents, I'm still a romantic.  It's just how I was made.  In some ways I'm very old-fashioned, too.  However, I keep up with the trends when it comes to weddings.  Some of my favorite blogs to follow are wedding-centered.  Take Snippet & Ink, for instance.  It's lovely and always inspiring.  Do I stop there?  Not a chance... I'm particularly fond of wedding shows on t.v., which are equally inspirational to the blogs, only more dramatic.  
Lately I've been extra-inspired when it comes to wedding bands.  As I watched one bride pick hers (and her fiancé's) on the event-makeover show My Fair Wedding, I realized what kind I might love to have.  For years I've randomly doodled an infinity-chain design, which looks like DNA without the bases.  It suddenly hit me that wedding bands did exist in that pattern.  Here I've compiled some of my favorite examples.

I also love how this pattern can be interpreted as an Ichthus chain.  Symbolism is grand.

Then there are more elaborate designs...

... many of them being Celtic (which I am).

This is my current favorite of the Celtic bands.

Speaking of Celtic bands, who's a U2 fan?  It seems like people love them or hate them.  I, on the other hand, like them... I have my moments of loving them, but I'm not always in the mood to hear them.

Well, I digress.

I'll close out this entry with a Celtic engagement ring.  I love the trinity symbol, as you might have guessed by now.  =)

Random, But Not Really

I LOVE the colors used in this house... so inspiring.

Who's excited for the newest Pirates movie, On Stranger Tides?  I know a lot of people were disappointed with the past sequels.  (I have mixed feelings about them, but still find them highly entertaining. ♥)  Hopefully this one turns things around.  It comes out May 20th!

Now that the semester is over, I'm able to focus on reading for fun.  Reading was one of my favorite childhood activities; I want to get back to that "place."  Lately I've been reading The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin.  This #1 New York Times bestseller is basically an autobiography/self-improvement hybrid.  One reason it's been so successful: Rubin's writing doesn't give off the kind of holier-than-thou tone found in other self-help books.  Her goals feel attainable.  The personal accounts she gives are relatable, in an emotional, if not situational, sense.  Plus, I enjoyed all the psychology facts she scattered throughout the chapters.  Reading this was like having a review session of my previous psych classes, especially my class on motivation.
I'm almost finished with the book, and I'm motivated to start my own happiness project.  Thankfully she has a website just for that, with plenty of tools to assist me in the process.  I also recommend stopping by her general website/blog.

Greetings!

Hello there!  My name is Jess.  Welcome to Bird's Eye View, my very first blog.  It's exciting to finally start doing this.

I'm kind of a free spirit, so I'll be posting according to my whims and whenever I've collected enough to share.  Random fact about me: pudding makes me sleepy -- especially Swiss Miss chocolate vanilla swirl.  This makes sense because of the high milk content, but... I don't get so tired from ice cream, yogurt, or milk by itself.  Eh, who knows?

To start off, I thought I'd take some inspiration from pop psychology.  The validity of a Rorschach inkblot test may be disputed, but its bold images make quite a statement in home decor, on clothing, and the like.  

Might as well start with my favorite.  =)

Joker inkblot T-shirt, www.swishlife.co.uk

If you know me... you know this brings me such happiness I can't even explain.  To put it rather simply, it's a wonderful idea.  I only wish I'd thought of it first!

Rorschach umbrella by Maisner, www.tray6.com

How cute is this??  Inkblots can work alone, in a larger format, or in a small-scale pattern.  Here, I think they resemble spaceships and aliens.  Maybe they'll scare the thunder away.  :)

inkBLOT table runner by Uniform Natural, www.supermarkethq.com

Here's a slight deviation from the traditional black-and-white.  Dark blue proves to be just as bold, yet more flexible in certain contexts.  I love the idea of adding some abstract art to the dinner table.  Pops of red and yellow would complement this nicely, in the forms of artsy glasses and plates.

Ink Blot pillows by Uniform Natural, www.blog.2modern.com/2010/02

I love how this company uses recycled plastic bottles for the pillow inserts.  (Another fact: recently I've become a big recycler.  You might even say it's a passion.  Wall-E inspired me in many ways, namely that.)  Plus, each pillow's print is unique.  These are like the human fingers of the cushion world.

www.starandstyle.com

Now for more fashion.  Emma Watson may be channeling some of Hermoine's academic interests in this dress.  (I'm sure Hermoine would take psychology if Hogwarts offered it, though she may be put off by the lack of scientific certainty within the subject.)  Dress by Dion Lee, Spring '11 collection.

After all this, I'm tempted to get a black-and-white cat and name it Inkblot... or Rorschach.  (Roarshock, perhaps, if it acts like a lion.  Wait... IF?  What am I saying...)