december dreams

D E C E M B E R    D R E A M S

invest in quality: relationships, moments, health, what I choose to fill my mind with.

quality music time: work on those guitar skills

do things that make my heart full, happy, overflowing: photography, learning, reading, talking

write: bring pencil and paper together, write & don't stop

love: strangers included. hospitality, openness of heart, freedom of friendship

enjoy: the ordinary, the exciting, the marvellous, the normal 

less material, more eternal

 

thank you, brownies

I had this crazy thought for this past week: No sugar for seven days. For an entire week I was going to hold back the treats and eat them fruit and vegetables. Some may consider this normal, but for sugar-loving-always-baking me, the thought of a DAY without caving into my sweet tooth seems, erm, strange.

I've done it before. I recall a day in the Summer when I restrained from eating any sweets. And I survived! It required some major self-control, but I struggled through. Yet honestly, not a day has passed since then that sugar hasn't entered my mouth.

I have a thing for taste, for chewing, swirling around food on my taste buds.

I KNOW! Again, strange.

So, on Monday when I embarked on my lofty journey, I really believed it was possible. I went to school, snacked on cashews and peppers and cucumbers and fruit. I came home, drank tea, ate a filling dinner. All was well. And then I started studying for my third and final calculus midterm. And one thing led to another and a few brownies made their way into my mouth, consoling me oh-so well.

Thank you brownies, for your care. Sugar free week? Next week, friends, next week!  

a jumble of sorts

You may have thought that I fell off planet blogger. Or maybe that I began a long journey of far too much math homework. If you guessed the latter, you would be correct. My friend Shelby and I had a long chat today about finding balance. The load of University can make it hard to remember to relax, breathe, and do something other than schoolwork sometimes... In the middle of our chat, she told me something so wise that I can't help but share. It went something like,

"We wake up to enrich our lives, not to get rich in life."

I want to enjoy these crazy University days, to let go of the goal of perfection and embrace the fact that I'm just human. There is only so much calculus one can do. There are only so many textbook chapters one can read. And you know what? We weren't made to only work, work, work until we collapse. We were made to live abundant, blessed and victorious lives. God doesn't want us working ourselves so hard that we never stop to think about what he has already given us. I'm making it a goal to do more "self-care" things this month; I'm going to exercise, start painting my nails again, invite friends over for coffee, and wake up in the morning thinking today, I am going to do something, big or small, to enrich my life.

There was my little schpiel.

p.s. I made pumpkin cookies today and they are SUPERB.

they call it Autumn

leaves

light 

&

love

Much love, Vivi 

 

when I was ten

When I was ten I doodled on every paper I could find. I wrote stories in messy journals, made mini booklets on everything my ten-year old mind could muster up. I played my recorder to my heart's content, loving the tunes I would play out of my imagination. My eyes and heart were always fixated in a book, finding out new and captivating words I could use in my next sentence.    

When I was twelve I discovered the magic you get when butter, sugar, and chocolate are combined. Baking became my first choice of relaxation. I sketched cartoons on cream coloured paper, writing stories in the form of cartoon fashion divas. My recorder molded into the alto saxophone. Music made me tick, gave me joy, and brightened my twelve year old heart.

When I was fourteen my nails were never to be lacking in a fresh coat of shiny polish. I would write children's stories and give them to my parents for Christmas. I spent hours in my room colouring each page and bringing life to the story being told. I started asking bigger questions. Like, why am I the way I am? Who exactly am I, and is who I am okay? How do you know anyways? Fourteen was a tearful age, yet not a bad age. It was a hill that needed climbing over. It was full of many bite-sized chocolates (coffee crisps to be specific), awkward crushes and continuous doodling.

When I was sixteen I joined the school choir. Twice a week the voices of sixty people alongside my own lifted my spirits and brought a lot of joy to life. I quickly became the primary user of Mom's camera, snapping pictures of flowers and new baking adventures. I fell in love with classic literature, beginning with Jane Austen. I discovered that it's a good thing to be picky, to guard your heart, and to forgive. I decided to invest time into excelling at school, and in the process fell in love with learning.

Right now I am eighteen. I still bake, eat bite-sized coffee crisps (although a box of Purdy's hits the spot really nicely), dive deep into Jane Austen whenever I have a moment, and scribble into  journals. Listening to classical violin and piano music makes up for over a year of no saxophone playing, but the itch to pick it up again remains. I love to drink tea while studying, to photograph something wonderful, and to laugh with fellow humans.
These years, people; these are molding years.

An apple, for you, for me

It's Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada! Time for turkey and pumpkin pie in abundance and little pumpkins sitting on tabletops. Even amidst the constant rain, Autumn is much loved in BC. Burnt oranges, rich greens and ochre yellows fill each window pane. Every once in a while, the rain takes a break and we rejoice by spending time outside in this Autumn wonder. It's a beautiful time of year indeed!

Happy Thanksgiving friends!

Much love, Vivi

In every season

As I write this, warm fuzzy socks cover my feet and a light pitter patter of rain hits the concrete outside. Each morning the lawn wakes up to new crunchy, rich-coloured leaves on its surface. Chilly air means big scarves are brought out and Summer tees are packed away. Clearly, it's autumn! With my assignments and studying out of the way, I decided to share a few snap shots of my favourite "creative endeavor" of the moment. Watercolours, watercolours! Whether it be on cards or in my sketchbook, I can't get away from it... ;) On another note, pumpkin pie really needs to get into my belly sometime soon. Decorative pumpkins are great, but you can't eat them and douse them in whipped cream and cinnamon. Ya feel me?

Much love, Vivi