out of office...

{The look}

Coffee, walking gps, & a cute bag and wardrobe. Love.

morning cup of......

My ideas & experiences are the coffee beans. My writing is the brew process. My final post is my morning cup of coffee.

It starts my morning. It starts my week, in a way that a cup of my fave java would do.Let it allow you to sum up what your morning cup would be filled with as well.

Morning Cup of...................

Passion.

Tomorrow, I will be starting a new job. I will be following my passion of Prop & Photo Styling, that I have become so in lust with. Though, this is a career that is merely invisible to most, I found a love for it and followed that love into a position with an up-and-coming Seattle based company.

I am so anxious to learn as much as possible, put in a few of my own tricks, and take this passion to a whole other level.

If you want something, create it.

Aj

memorial day.

This weekend I will take time out from working, barbqueing, and boating to send love and respect to my family members and friends that have helped this country gain freedom and strength, that have now passed.

My grandfathers, my uncle, my friend.

Gone. Not forgotten.

I found this article interesting about Memorial Day. Just a little reminder of what it's all about.
http://www.usmemorialday.org/backgrnd.html

reinventing.

After watching a recent (& super awkward) clip of Lady Gaga on the David Letterman show I found some inspiration that I, myself, would like to start in effect as soon as possible.

Her concept of going into a space (in her case, the infamous egg-like "vessel" seen during her entrance at the 2011 Grammy's) and reinventing herself each time. To continue to grow and be a better person, artist, lover, friend, humanitarian as the day before. Taking as much time as needed to reflect on life and dream of bigger possibilities. Maybe this happens at yoga class. Or maybe it happens on my way home from work every day. Either way, I like it.

I only wish, I could be as creatively free as her. She is not concerned with judgement. She dreams a dream, and the creates it. Inspiring.

live it. love it.

Some amazing words to live by from Oprah herself. Enjoy. Love.

Prepare for Opportunity
"Nothing about my life is lucky. Nothing. A lot of grace, a lot of blessings, a lot of divine order, but I don't believe in luck. For me, luck is preparation meeting the moment of opportunity. There is no luck without you being prepared to handle that moment of opportunity. Every single thing that has ever happened in your life is preparing you for the moment that is to come." — Oprah


Run Your Own Race
"The way you step up your game is not to worry about the other guy in any situation, because you can't control the other guy. You only have control over yourself. So it's like running a race. The energy that it takes to look back and see where the other guys are takes energy away from you. And if they're too close, it scares you. So, that's what I would say to my team all the time: Don't waste your time in the race looking back to see where the other guy is or what the other guy is doing. It's not about the other guy. It's about what can you do. You just need to run that race as hard as you can. You need to give it everything you've got, all the time, for yourself." — Oprah


What Is Real, What Is Lasting
"Everything passes in its time. It doesn't matter how much money you have, how much power you have, how high you sit on the Forbes list, how many times you make the Most Influential list—all of that changes. All of that changes. But what is real, what is lasting, is who you are and what you were meant to bring. What is the gift you were meant to give? And nobody can take that away from you."
— Oprah


Surrender
"God can dream a bigger dream for me, for you, than you could ever dream for yourself. When you've worked as hard and done as much and strived and tried and given and pled and bargained and hoped...surrender. When you have done all that you can do, and there's nothing left for you to do, give it up. Give it up to that thing that is greater than yourself, and let it then become a part of the flow."
— Oprah

Oprah. Inspiration.

After the big finale of the Oprah Winfrey Show this evening, I flipped over to her network to watch her series "Oprah presents Master Class". It turns out, that it is an extended series of all that she said on her last show.

Can I just say...."wow". I have never been enamored with Oprah like most women, but of this series she has created ..... it says everything I believe, think, and dream.

Quotes of inspiration, words of affirmation, and motivation for life. THIS is what I am talking about. How could you not want to take what you have been given, and make your life and yourself the full potential you can be?


I am definitely looking forward to receiving inspiration from this wise woman! Check out the tools and series on her site.

http://www.oprah.com/own-master-class/Master-Class-with-Oprah-Winfrey

name sake.

I live in a small city. The same small city I was born in. I know, boring right?
Though I grew up about 15 minutes north of this small city, I havent lived anywhere else outside of this county. Even more boring.

The thing I do appreciate about this small little area that I live, is that I can find so much beauty that has so much history for the city, my family, and myself.

As I spent the day snapping shots of things that inpsired me around the city, I drove by the inspiration behind my name. As this little floral shop sat quaintly nesteled inbetween houses from the early 1900's, and large draping trees, I sat and imagined that day my Grandma ordered a bouquet for my (not quite, yet) parents for the birth of their daughter, some 28 years ago.

The way my name is spelled is the masculine form, which I despised growing up. I now love it. It's simple. It's semi-unique. It's me.

www.flowersbyadrian.com
photos by me.

Aj

Work it, NO, really. Work it!

I love working!

Yes, I said it! "I love working!"

If you don't, then it's your own fault.

I remember thinking back in highschool, when you are expected to figure out your career of choice, that I LOVE magazines but there is no way that I could ever be published in one, nor work on the pages or photos of a "glossy" on the newstands. BUT, I loved the images. I loved the dreams they created for me.

So I got into an Interior Design program and learned more about myself than actual interior design itself. I met amazing people, had amazing instructors that all supported my dream of doing something different than I originally set out to do.

I revealed to myself that if I love something, I can create a job around that and "work" can be a favored 4-letter word in my vocab.

photos via: pinterest.com

Aj

are you a procrastinator?

I found this great article on Tesh.com (a fave site for self inspiration), about procrastinating.

It's a simple-must read.

The 3 reasons why we procrastinate:

• All-or-nothing thinking





• You want it to be perfect





• You think you are doomed to procrastinate

See the full article at
http://tesh.com/ittrium/visit/A1x97x1y1xa5x1x76y1x2455x1x9by1x245ax1y5x1fdc6x5x1

Aj

Rain vs. Sun

{rain}

no thanks.

{sun}

yes.please

{this small town girl's

"what's hip" list}

{"pics"}
just dont do it if you're over 17.

{"photos"}

yes!

{perfectly prepped hair}

nope.

{tousled, havent-brushed-it-in a few-days hair}

yes please!

{flats}
always a NO for me.

{platforms}

yup!

{spending $$ on drinks at an over-priced bar}

not this season.

{soda water with a lime on the front porch/back deck with your girls}

of course!

{drinking soda pop}

you're kidding, right?

{making your own fresh-squeezed juice}
a big-fat- YES!



{silver & gold}
yup.

{brown & black}

yes, yes, yes, let's mix it up!

{buying newbooks}

no thanks.

{spending time in the library and used book stores}

of course!

*sorry for the big gaps. still trying to figure this all out. :)

Aj

think of all the beauty.......

Today I took a little adventure as I said I would. That is why I love writing this blog. I feel if I type it, and people see it, I need to actually follow my word. Isn't it funny how we don't think twice about breaking promises to ourselves and not follow through with things when it comes to our self worth? But when other people are involved, we are more opt to following through with things?

So, I did it. I took a little adventure. The quote that echoed in my mind the entire time was

"Think of all the beauty still left around you, and be happy"

Anne Frank

I didn't go far. I stayed in my little city and explored the crevasses of buildings and streets. I was on a search for great places for photo shoots for photographers in my area (and for myself of course). It gave me more appreciation for this place I call "home".

Once I got home and looked at the photos and started editing, I thought it would be fun to break them into a rainbow-photostream. You can see this on my Facebook Album here: http://http//www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2022802497578.2123913.1469455677&l=98a79e9bb2

Totally fun!

This day inspired me to go out and explore all the other beauty around that I just pass by everyday.

Aj

"food" rules.

I am casually reading... (yes I said "reading")

Michael Pollan's "Food Rules. an eaters manual".

If you havent picked up one of his books about the food we eat, you must! He tells you straight out that the "food" you are supposively eating, is just not food.

There are 2 "rules" that I enjoyed reading

• If your "food" is being advertised on television, it's most likely not really food.





• "The more you eat white bread, the sooner you are dead". Harsh reality.
  

Makes perfect sense.

For more info on Michael and his books, check out his clean little site
http://michaelpollan.com/

growth spurt?

After a discussion with a friend, about people that we encounter in our lives, I came to the realization that not everyone strives to be a better person as they grow older. I guess I thought that everyone "wants" to be better, but do not actually push themselves to be better than they were the day before. She made me realize that some people are content with the way they are. I think that is great, but just not for me.

Life is about growing. Why settle for the cards you were dealt? Why not push yourself to the limit and evolve with humanity and self worth? We also discussed the fact that I am never "content" with the things I do and accomplish. I feel as if I do become "content" I will not grow and become stronger. Is this crazy?

Aj

morning cup of........

My ideas & experiences are the coffee beans. My writing is the brew process. My final post is my morning cup of coffee.

It starts my morning. It starts my week, in a way that a cup of my fave java would do.Let it allow you to sum up what your morning cup would be filled with as well.

Morning Cup of...................

Adventures.

I have been desperately needing an adventure in my life. Though of course, everyday is a new adventure for me..... I need a REAL getaway. It may just be a day or (even better) an entire weekend, which either would be fine.

Idealy, the ocean or sound would be great. Being near the water is very "Zen" for me. I don't need to dive into it, nor do I need to lay in the sand next to it (though of course I wouldnt turn it down). I just need to be in the presence of something so large and powerful for inpsiration and beauty. It's so heavenly to me.

Where would you take your adventure? If you had just a few hours, or just a few days? Somewhere to just clear your mind and have it hit you over the head that this is what life is all about.....

Aj

a rainbow of books.

I was so excited about the books in my last post, that I instantly found a place to display these amazing little treasures I found. I knew that they had to be displayed with the covers exposed. So after a little trial and error, I found an interesting way to present these without hiding their true beauty!

(i apologize for the lack of quality in the photo....)

Aj

judge a book by it's cover???

OF COURSE!
Look at these beautiful pieces of art that I scored at the Goodwill for just $2.99 each ,over the weekend. I mean really?
Why wouldn't we judge a book by it's cover?

Of course only being in my 20's these were so fabulous to me. However, mom passed them right up and muttered

"oh, those old Reader's Digest books....."

as she shrugged her shoulders like she often does when I find some little treasure (that she usually had in her house growing up).

The disappointing thing was, they were totally covered with aged- Readers Digest covers! I rescued these gems from torture!
Aj

what garnished means to me

When I first decided to start blogging, I felt the name was the second most important thing that needed to be decided on, coming in just shortly behind the concept. "Garnished" came to me as I would lay awake in a dark room with my head fluffed in between 2 pillows and my eyes glazing wide-eyed up to the ceiling. With the sound of "Zzzzz Zzzzz" next to me, I thought about my life. How I react to life. How I take on life. How I live life.

The thought first, naturally, came along with how I cook and prepare meals. I am not an extravagant chef, and my finance will vouch for that. The more simple the better. BUT, that plain ol' dinner salad may be "garnished" with 3 thinly sliced apples sticking up as if if were an accessory. It's something amazing now!

Then I went further into "garnishing" and the meaning behind it.

Garnish: to embellish. to decorate.

DUH! I garnish my life with beautiful things everyday and in every way! Have it be a shiny gold over-the-top watch, a way I decide to spend an afternoon alone, or maybe just choosing the most beautiful people to be in my world.

THAT is what garnished means to me. I decorate my life in more ways than a physical sense. I garnish something that is just plain and simple into something that is so much more!

I garnish my own life and I make it something so spectacular.

Aj

beauty can be everything.

With times being tough for so many these days, how can you not want to help others out? I am not "loaded" by any means, nor do I have more free time than the next 20-something gal, and I definitely feel like I am in need of help at times as well. These are the times that everyone should pull together and at least do one thing to help out someone less fortunate (and I dont mean just financially).
I was honored to be asked, to do makeup for a girl that would be going to prom this weekend. There was no way that I would miss an opportunity to help this girl out. Of course, I love anything super girly.... so doing makeup and talking about girly things.... I would not pass up!

This girl really deserved the experience we gave her. I loved watching her transform into a girl who knew she looked great when we were done.

How can you donate your time to make an impact on someone? Do you have a special art or skill? Do you have resources that can assist someone?

Sometimes the moments you create go further than a dollar amount.

Aj

May Day love.

Today is a special occasion!
It's my 60th blog post
& it's on May Day!

(& I love spring!)

60 posts.... wow.

I actually followed through with my plan to start a blog and continue to learn more and more about myself through it. I had started 2 blogs prior to this one in the last 2 years, but I guess my heart was not quite into those ones. I love writing posts, I love hearing and seeing the support behind me and my passions, I love the contentment of finding photos, that fit into my ideas, and most of all I LOVE being able to express my thoughts in an unfiltered way. Awww.....


Happy May Day to all and thank you for your support.

Aj