My Completed May Photo Challenge.

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Excuses to take pictures.

I came across this photo challenge on the lovely Instagram and decided that I needed an excuse to take pictures. If you would like to find me on Insta, my name is sincerelyella. This post is a compilation of what ensued!

May 1: I bought this.

May 2: Morning ritual (Star's blog HERE).

May 3: This is really good!

May 4: In my cup.

May 5: paper.

May 6: Something broken.

May 7: Something beginning with F (Foliage by the Front window).

May 8: Shapes.

May 9: A snack.

May 10: Stars.

May 11: A smile.

May 12: Mother.

May 13: Sunrise/Sunset.

May 14: Need.

May 15: Seven o'clock.

May 16: Mailbox.

May 17: Season.

May 18: Want.

May 19: My favorite view.

May 20: Light.

May 21: I care about this.

May 22: Change.

May 23: Pajamas.

May 24: Go!

May 25: Us.

May 26: Favorite thing to do on Sunday.

May 27: Can't live without (infinity).

May 28: What I'm doing now.

May 29: Kiss.

May 30: Tool.

May 31: Four things (fountain, tree, building, sky).

Thanks for reading!

***

Sincerely, Ella

The Wandering Mind of a Final Savasana

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Some yoga.

When the final savasana shows its beautiful sunset colors on the plane of my yoga practice, there are a few possibilities as to where my mind will fall. Sometimes my thoughts surprise me with beauty and I commend myself on a mind well-deepened. Other times... Well... Here are a few things that come to mind:

"Why is my brow still furrowing?"

"I should have had something to eat before coming here."

"I shouldn't have eaten right before coming here."

"Why is my breathing so loud."

"My nose is too stuffed for a proper yoga breath."

"How is everyone so quiet?"

"I need to clear my throat."

"Hehe, I just opened my eyes."

"Why do my arms feel so heavy?"

"I'm literally sinking into my mat! It's eating me! Ok stop that."

"I could fall asleep right now but I don't want to so I'll keep talking to  myself."

"la la la (songs)."

"It smells like the sushi restaurant next door."

"I really love sushi."

"Is everyone in this room totally relaxed except for me?"

"My shoulder blades aren't sitting right."

"Brow, stop furrowing!"

And on like that.

I really do enjoy yoga!

Thank you for reading.

***

Sincerely, Ella

 

In Love With The Breakfast Club

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If you think you've seen The Breakfast Club already, WATCH IT AGAIN! 

March 24 marks the anniversary of the detention in The Breakfast Club! Seeing as I'm completely obsessed with this John Hughes film, I've decided to share my favorite quote from the movie:

[opening narration immediately after the title sequence]
"Saturday, March 24,1984. Shermer High School, Shermer, Illinois, 60062. Dear Mr. Vernon, We accept the fact that we had to sacrifice a whole Saturday in detention for whatever it was we did wrong. What we did *was* wrong. But we think you're crazy to make us write an essay telling you who we think we are. What do you care? You see us as you want to see us - in the simplest terms, in the most convenient definitions. You see us as a brain, an athlete, a basket case, a princess and a criminal. Correct? That's the way we saw each other at 7:00 this morning. We were brainwashed." -Most amazing movie ever (The Breakfast Club) 

 

I'm simply in love with this film.

Any other Breakfast Club fans out there?

***

Sincerely, Ella

Tips for My Teenage Self

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Don't look too harshly on your past self; you didn't know then what you do now.

A while back I discovered this tag floating among other bloggers and I decided to join in with some advice and fashion DOs and DON'Ts of my own for my teenage self . It would have been pretty cool if back then someone (who may or may not have looked vaguely like an older version of myself) would have dropped off some sort of memo with these things attached:

A piece of advice: If you don’t come out of that rock you’re under, you won’t enjoy your teenage years.

DO wear at least some makeup.

DO pay attention to what you look like in those clothes.

DO watch some YouTube videos to help you with your style.

DON’T pluck your eyebrows that thin.

DON’T wear that just because it still fits.

DON’T, for goodness sake, ever wear your hair like that again.

A tip for school: Pay attention so that you won’t feel dumb later. And actually read the books!

A tip for friends: It’s ok to talk to people.

A tip for fun: Discover creative writing please.

 To put things in context, this is who I'm addressing:

If you're a blogger, feel free to keep the tag going!

***

Sincerely, Ella

Winter Self Portraits with Favorite Winter Lip Products

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Let us love winter, for it is the spring of genius. 

-Pietro Aretino

Sometimes, on mornings when I like my makeup or hair or if I'm just feeling like it,  I take pictures of my face. There's no particular reason. I think it may stem from my obsession with portraits. I love browsing through tumbler looking at different artistic portraits, among other things, and whenever I draw; my go-to choice is always a portrait as well. So I've decided to compile my recent self-portraits from this Winter:

I'm also quite obsessed with lip products, as you can see by some of these portraits. Here are a few I've been using a lot this winter (some of them are not available anymore but I've given descriptions for if you'd like to look for a similar shade):

Burt's Bees: Lip Shimmer in Watermelon; a light plum shade that smells delicious

Covergirl: Temptation Tentation (285); a medium orange with gold shimmer

MAC: A deep red-pink lipstick with a FROST finish that I'm pretty sure is part of the Viva Glam collection but the name is completely worn away (it was my first ever MAC purchase)

Maybelline: MAUVE-ULOUS (455); a deep plum shade

Rimmel: Lasting Finish by Kate Moss Lipstick (11); a medium-deep shade of classic red

I hope you are having a nice winter season (even in the cold)!

***

Sincerely, Ella

A Writer's Strife.

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Keep on keeping on.

Here is my little stream of consciousness that I go through all the time while trying to become a writer:

 

love to write. love to write. don't want to do it right now though. maybe later. or over winter break.

this is an amazing idea! o wait, it.'s taken. o wait, there's a huge chunk missing in order for it to make sense and i can't figure out how to fill it. o wait, when looking back on it, this idea is really stupid and cliche. 

slight headache, a little fatigue, still too light outside.

i can't just start writing, it feels so unmomentous.

all that thought and it's only half a page.

i'll never be as good as them

who would want to read this shiznit?

am i even a writer? where's the distinction? it's like the in-between phase where you're unsure of whether it's a boy or a man or a girl or a woman. when do you become a writer? is it a mindset or authorship?

my mind just went blank

i had that dream that one time that would have been a great story. but i forgot it.

why can't the inspiration just come?

why does the inspiration have to come at the most inopportune times. during my midterm? please.

if this lady sees me staring at her one more time i know she'll flip... but she's just so interesting. i wonder if i could base a character on her...?

the pen is too far away to write this idea down. i'll just remember it. oops, forgot it.

this is such a great idea! this is such a great idea! i have to tell someone... o wait, their reaction wasn't that great... maybe i should rethink this.

there are too many ideas swarming around in my head! i can't pick just one. i'll just do it later... what were those ideas again?

this is amazing this is amazing! i love this! i sound way too conceited... but this story i just wrote is amazing!

Oh wait, it's not that good.

Good luck to all you writers out there!

***

Sincerely, Ella

Into 2013.

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Be willing to modify your goals

Seeing as it's almost a week into 2013, I think it is definitely time to follow up on the post I wrote in September on my 'Four simple Goals (Before 2013)' - click the title to check it out. 

Here is a little refresh of what I set as goals for myself:

1. Begin drawing again. I used to be an avid (self proclaimed) artist, always looking for inspiration in the mundane. That has somehow been lost over these past few years and I would like it back please.

2. Take walks at my own pace. Whenever a walk arises it takes quite a push to get me out of the house. I somehow always forget I like walks. I don't, however like walks in which I'm rushed. I tend to always be rushing out the door to walk to work or if I'm walking with another person I don't like having to keep their pace. I do however enjoy my own stroll; without time constraints (well, apparent ones anyway) and without the pull of another person's longer legs. I would like to set aside some time to walk and enjoy my surroundings, and although it may make me sound like a loner, I would like to do it by myself sometimes.

3. Create. I have a large box full of clothing that I've set aside to alter into various things. I have old ties in there that could potentially be headbands, old men's shirts in there that could be tunic dresses, and scraps of interesting patterned material that could embellish something that calls for embellishment. I have the materials, now all I need to do is create.

4. Keep my motivation. The problem I've had with goals in the past is that whenever I would start to see results, I would fall back into my past routines. I want to keep my motivation with the simple goals I've set for myself this year.

*Dramatic voice* And the results are...

1. Begin drawing again.I haven't done anything as elaborate as I've done in the past, but I did create a series of doodles, featured in my 'Between the Lines' post (check it out). They may not exercise my precision when it comes to drawing but I always get really excited when I think up a new concept. Conceptual doodling is definitely rewarding.

2. Take walks at my own pace. I have successfully been able to expand the time I have to walk to work by managing my time that I have for getting ready for work. Managing that time a little better means I get out the door faster and I can meander instead of power walk. I also found that the lighting outside is great for capturing photographs and I now have more time to do so!

3. Create. I have not exactly created in the way I was expecting when I had set this goal. The thing about goals though, is that you have to be willing to modify your goals. You need to be happy with whatever you HAVE done as opposed to what you were expecting to do (unless you really are just slacking). I have created in terms of my creative writing. I even added the 'Bit of Writing' (link to the first one) section to my blog to showcase my efforts.

 4. Keep my motivation. I really think these simple goals have helped me keep my motivation. Simple goals can be modified and achieved in ways you may not have seen coming. Even now, as I wrap up this set of goals, I'm thinking about what my next set will be. Something has been set in motion and motivation has been found.

I wish you all a happy new year and the inspiration to create your own realistic and simple goals.

***

Sincerely, Ella.