in such times, i think i need a happy list. 

a lot less calories than these truffles... :)

just 10 simple things that make me happy... 

10. a family breakfast al fresco at 8:30 in the morning 

9. morning sunrises and a cup of coffee 

8. the black and white photographs on my wall of the people i love 

7. cool sand between my toes on a hot day, oh & with a cup of froyo

6. my mother's mischivious smile 

5. my father's genuine laughter 

4. the smell of the ocean breeze as it embraces your body

3. driving with all the windows down, your hair whipping, & going nowhere in particular 

2. cities at night, where you look up and see pockets of stars framed by lit skyscrapers 

1. waking up in the middle of the night, to the silence of the world, simply to draw

xoxo

i absolutely love this blog. 

i love this blog so much, it has inspired today's entry... 

little letters, by elle. 

dear september, 

i hope you will be good to me. i will be experiencing a lot of firsts; my first time being away from home for such a long time, my first birthday without family and friends, my first time actually LIVING in a foreign country, my first time having to rely solely on my own two feet for transportation (whether i like it or not). i am scared, but i am also hopeful. 

dear red nail polish, 

why do you suck at not chipping every two days? stop it. 

dear school financial aid office, 

you guys pretty much suck. thanks for making the whole visa application AMAZINGnot. 

dear mei, 

i wish you spent more time with me, knowing i will be away for so long. but it's okay, i understand how life is from a sixteen-year-old's perspective. i hope you get into an awesome school next year (but try not to make me look bad in the process, if you can. thanks :) ). 

dear j., 

i wonder how you're doing these days. but then again, i dont think i want to know. 

dear c., 

i dont want to talk to you any more, yet i dont want to lose you. what do you want from me? please clarify, we're running out of time... 

dear fit, 

you're the most amazing car a girl could ask for. thanks for saving me from death those ten thousand times i almost died. i will wash you soon, i promise. 

dear urth caffe green tea latte, 

will you come to my house now, please? i love you. a lot. 

dear mom&dad, 

after the drive up today from san diego, i realized how blessed i was to have such great parents. i dont think i will ever know such caring and amazing people in my life. 

dear istanbul, 

i just told my parents about you and how i will be visiting you this fall. try not to let anything keep me from you, please, or i will just die. 

dear u.o. hat, 

i absolutely positively adore you. thanks for not flying away at the beach the other day. i would have been devastated. 

xoxo

sunrise... or sunset? 

there are the days of underground concerts, cigarette smoke, after parties, the lingering smell of tequila, late night taco bell runs, the seemingly long drive home, annoyingly closed LA freeways, the city lights, the high from your second wind... and then there are the days of waking up to a soft morning sunlight, breaking through your blinds and flooding linear shadows all around the room. these are the days of no alarms, the softness of your comforter enveloping your tiny body, the slow rustling of the leaves in the distance, the tenderness of your head on the pillow, the smell of freshly brewed coffee trailing its way in from the kitchen, the quiet sounds of the neighbor's wind chimes, and the final opening of your eyes to the whiteness of the early morning... 

oh to be alive. 

the best part was... it was absolutely, completely free. 

from the indie 103 show at the hammer. 

been a while since my last show, let alone my last post. 

been busy now that summer is here; now everyday is a blur. 

i think that's the best way to do it, though, don't you agree? haha 

xoxo