Life at Camp

 

 The best things in life come unexpected. Also known as, the next three months of my life.

This week marks week three of my new camp lifestyle and position. What a ride it has been! Within weeks, my camp experience has been filled with new faces, strangers turned into friends, Chaco tans, facing fears, personal + work challenges, overcoming mountains...literally and figuratively, exploration, long working hours and simple living. I never thought I would be living at a camp as a Digital Media Specialist, but now I wouldn't want it any other way. For all the moments of pure exhaustion, physically, creatively and emotionally, there are more moments of accomplishment, adventure and pure fun.

Our theme at camp this summer is "Defy Gravity"... meaning to overcome the weight of everything that brings us down. Whether that be our circumstances, other individuals, our personal flaws and challenges, we can lighten that load through understanding, acceptance, forgiveness and a little faith. Our hearts may break and trust may be severed, but the true test is how we handle each situation and overcome them. One thing I have quickly learned from arriving at camp was truly dealing with the extra weight in my little heart that I have carried with me. It may have hindered some healing and made facing some personal or professional fears and challenges more difficult. As fast-paced as camp life can be, it actually has slowed down my mind enough to recognize the areas I have neglected in past years and give me some moments of clarity.

This summer I plan to:

forgive

explore new territory

give work my best effort

not just meet, but connect with new friends

heal

live a healthier lifestyle - spirit, mind and body

treat myself

go beyond the surface

be the best version of myself

get an awesome Chaco tan

reflect

overcome mountains

get a stronger mind and body

have fun

drink more tea and less coffee

put smiles on kid's faces

lend a helping hand

open my heart

keep my mind open

do what I love and love what I do

learn

grow

eat more apples

have more adventures

get rid of the extra weight (figuratively and probably literally, too)

be myself

love myself

love others

challenge myself

accept others

and defy gravity.

I have had a rough time understanding and accepting some challenges I was faced with earlier in the year, but it has lead me to here. Right now. This moment. For that, I am thankful and each day my trust gets stronger for what the universe has in store for me.

Although I have internet access and (some) cell service in my office, my communication with the "outside" world is quite limited. Please be patient as I answer emails, catch up on blog life and find balance in it all. Don't be offended is my response is delayed!

Also, if you want to write to be at camp this summer, email me and I can send you the mailing address.

I'd love to be pen pals :)

Friday Favorites | Week 002

harvest records | asheville, nc

( image by melissa vega)

Welcome to another week of Friday Favorites! This new blog series may or may not be my new favorite posts to write! Actually, spending more time blogging in general has been a nice sigh of relief and creative outlet. This week I am featuring some music, advice from a notable graphic designer/blogger, a little fashion, photography concepts and another blog! Say what?

 FROM ACROSS THE TABLE | HELLO SUBURBIA

photo by Hello Suburbia

Lisa, of Hello Suburbia had a beautiful and unique concept of photographing her view from across the table in various locations. It is a view that we are all accustomed to, yet never consciously think about. After her blog post, I can now say I do. I think her series changes perspectives and makes your view of across the table a little more deep and intimate than it used to.

 ORIGINALITY ADVICE | DESIGN LOVE FEST

Design Love Fest has been one of my favorite design go-to blogs for quite some time. Bri and her team of influentially creative women also write an advice column and host Blog Shops to help us young creative folk turn our ideas into a tangible product. Her latest advice about coming up with original ideas was extremely helpful! Check out her short and sweet advice about keeping it original in the pixels of recycled ideas.

 EVERLASTING APPAREL | HANNA'S PLACES

Everlasting Apparel is a blog series by Hanna created as an alternative to the typical fashion blog. Instead of focusing on the clothes to buy and the new trends to look for, her fashion feature focus on the individual's favorite piece of clothing. This represents getting away from the trend and wearing something meaningful and for a lifetime. This is a new series, but I can't wait to see it catch fire and see it grow. I was actually asked by Hanna to put together a post so hopefully I will have mine up soon :)

 MODERN VAMPIRES OF THE CITY | VAMPIRE WEEKEND

I have been anticipating this album release for quite some time now. After Alison and I heard "Step" play in Cafe Helios in downtown Raleigh, I just knew I had to have this album. Although their days of "A-Punk" made Vampire Weekend feel like head-bobbin' and fast paced, this new album is phenomenal. Listen to it yourself!

 TUMBLR

This past week I rekindled my love affair with tumblr. Do any of you still blog using tumblr? It was definitely the original Pinterest (although Pinterest does have its perks). And yes, my URL is the Damien Rice song "Rootless Tree". There was a period of time during my high school days where this song meant the world to me. Still does, actually.

I am off on some adventures this weekend! Can't wait to to share them :)

Unplug this weekend,

spend time with your loved ones

and give yourself a break!

You deserve it.

See you guys Monday...or maybe Tuesday ;) After all, it is a three-day weekend!

PS

Did you enter the custom blog design giveaway hosted by A Girl Named Leney & I?

You should probably do so :)

Giveaway ends June 4! Check her blog for more details.

Tuesday Tunes | Mix No. 11

This playlist is best played with the city as your backdrop and dreams in your pocket ++

song list
1. Locked Out - Freelance Whales

2. Step - Vampire Weekend

3. Getting Old - Hellogoodbye

4. Get Out - Casey Abrams

5. The Summer - Josh Pyke

6. Matilda - Alt-J

7. Hold On When You Get Love and Let Go When You Give It - Stars

8. Green Gloves - The National

9. Anything But You - Civalias

10. The Light - The Album Leaf

The top ten tracks for this week are from some new favorite artists and a few forever favorites. During my road trip to Atlanta last week, my friend's car played a handful of these songs and I couldn't help but feel like my dreams were right in my pocket. I hope these songs find their way into your week!

Happy Listening.Listen on: 8tracks

Any tracks that you are digging this week?
I'd love to hear!

( photo // instagram: @mashleyvega)

Friday Favorites | Week 001

(This is obviously a day late, but let's ignore the fact it's actually Saturday and pretend it's Friday)

(photo - instagram @mashleyvega)

Inspired by Tastes Like Love's "Start Your Week Off With..." blog series, I wanted to share with my readers inspiring posts or ideas I have collected from around the internet. People are truly the root of all my inspirations and I am constantly inspired by their honesty, creativity and talent. Here are a few favorites I'd like to share this week:

 #ABEAUTIFULMESS IPHONE APP
Um, seriously can Elsie + Emma get anymore talented? Surely you know their blog, A Beautiful Mess. Well now they have gone mobile and created a photo-editing app that will add that special handmade touch to your photos. I have only edited a couple photos so far but this app seriously makes me want to go back and edit all the instagrams I have ever instagrammed.

 

 INSTAGRAM'S ENVY EFFECT
Below is a preview of an amazing article written last month about the danger of social media's well-edited, filtered partial truths and the envy effect we all seem to suffer from it. It was a great reminder that life cannot be captured in status updates and that although social media is a great tool, be careful to not use it for comparison, but rather connection.

 TO WOMEN BY THE FLOWER CHILD DWELLING
A beautifully written article by Kelly Ann taking on the topic of feminism and women encouraging other women versus berating other women for taking a different route. Kelly references the incredible accomplishments women have made throughout history and the challenges they have faced and conquered. Kelly reminds us women to stick together, support one another and believe in ourselves.

photo by Kelly Ann

 WONDERFULLY MADE SERIES // POPPY THE BLOG

Kristyn started a blog series named "Wonderfully Made" to showcase and celebrate who we are as women. On her guest posts, she asks her bloggers to list what three things they love about themselves. I am in absolute love with this concept. We as humans are susceptible to focusing on our "flaws" versus our strengths along with viciously comparing ourselves to one another. This is a great series to take a step back from our short comings and focus on what makes us thrive. Beautiful series!

 THE LIGHT // THE ALBUM LEAF
Just listen and you will understand. This song will forever remind of the tv show Scandal (any fans out there?!).  It is beautifully composed and a well thought out piece of music. Enjoy!



Anything you'd like to share this weekend?
I think it is extremely important to share and support other individual's content and creativity! I come across so many beautiful pieces of work and I can't help but want to share it with everyone :)

See you readers on Monday!

Find me at Third Floor Studios today!

The lovely Kimberly of Third Floor Design Studio has invited me to guest post today! Check out what I am loving from West Elm lately and how your space can inspire your creative spirit :)

A Book A Month | Eat Pray Love

 

 Woo-hoo! The first book for my A Book A Month Challenge is under my belt, and no better way to welcome this new challenge than with Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. Before Julia Roberts was part of the picture, my friends have been urging me to read this book. Four years, a trip to goodwill and $.50 later, I have finally arrived. As soon as I fell upon this book in the local goodwill, I just knew it was about dang time I made an effort to finally make reading this book a priority.

In my review of Eat Pray Love, there are no spoilers so you're safe if you have not read it!

Eat Pray Love was a great book to start off the year because it talks about some of my favorite things such as travel, self-discovery, love, spirituality, food, meeting new people and learning to be alone. I have surprisingly seen a lot of negative book reviews... mostly about Liz being self-absorbed, privileged, neurotic and whiny. Although she is not my favorite book character, there were a lot of things that I respected about her. I didn't find her decisions to divorce her husband, quit her job and travel to three countries as delusional, unorthodox and crazy. Instead I found them to be imperfect, indecisive, lost (like most of our own decisions) but most importantly courageous. Regardless of the whys behind her decisions, she made an executive one to change her life by traveling the world and I just can't help but respect someone for doing that.

It took me some time to get used to her writing style. It seemed all over the place, jumping from ex-lovers to post divorce scenarios to eating pizza in Italy to childhood memories with her sister. Of course I found her constant impatience as unnerving and annoying, but thing is, we all have those moments. She just wrote about it...in full detail. This book isn't per se, my favorite, but I did learn a lot through her struggles of loneliness, spiritual brick walls, getting over a lover and letting go. Through her journey, I found some peace and tranquility in my own personal chaos. Instead of falling in love with her character or even the storyline, I fell in love with her concepts of searching for pleasure, devotion and balance. Even though she complains about men the most in her book, the male characters in the book were my favorite part! (Hey Richard, Yudhi and Felipe).

Before I delve too much into detail, here are my favorite excerpts: (sorry it's lengthy)

"Il bel far niente" - Italian for the beauty of doing nothing

"l'arte d'arrangiarsi" - Italian for the art of making something out of nothing

"It is better to live your own destiny imperfectly than live an imitation of somebody else's life with perfection." (95)

"We don't realize that, somewhere within us all, there does exist a supreme Self who is eternally at peace." (122)

"Just keep throwing six months at it till it goes away. Stuff like this takes time." (148)

"People think a soul mate is your perfect fit, and that's what everyone wants. But a true soul mate is a mirror, the person who shows you everything that's holding you back, the person who brings you to your own attention so you can change your life. A true soul mate is probably the most important person you'll ever meet, because they tear down your walls and smack you awake. But to live with a soul mate forever? Nah. Too painful. Soul mates, they come into your life just to reveal another layer of yourself to you and then they leave." (149)

 "But I love him. So love him.

But I miss him. So miss him.

Send him love and light every time you think of him and then drop it." (150)

"Devotion is diligence without assurance." (175)

"If faith were rational, it wouldn't be - by definition - faith. Faith is belief in what you cannot see or prove or touch. Faith is walking face-first and full-speed into the dark." (175)

"Destiny, I feel, is also a relationship - a play between divine grace and willful self-effort. Half of it you have no control over; half of it is absolutely in your hands, and your actions will show measurable consequence. Man is neither entirely a puppet of the gods, nor is he entirely the captain of his own destiny; he's a little of both." (177)

"Devo farmi le ossa" - I need to make my bones.

"Happiness is the consequence of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it and sometimes even travel the world looking for it." (260)

"I have a history of making decisions very quickly about men. I have always fallen in love fast and without measuring risks. I have a tendency not only to see the best in everyone, but to assume that everyone is emotionally capable of reaching his highest potential. I have fallen in love more times than I care to count with the highest potential of a man, rather than with the man himself, and then I have hung on to the relationship for a long time (sometimes far too long) waiting for the main to ascend to his own greatness. Many times In romance I have been a victim of my own optimism." (285)

"Sometimes you count the days, sometimes you weigh them." (306)

In theory, I give this book:

[WEEKENDS] A SUNDAY IN CARRBORO | CHAPEL HILL

 

 

Last Sunday, my friend Melissa and I took a day trip to Carrboro + Chapel Hill to visit her sister Molly. Our afternoon consisted of walks downtown for burgers, records, book stores, coffee and just all out good company. I tried Buns for the first time and loved it. They have great options to customize your burger. My burger and I were a match made in heaven. An angus beef patty with brie cheese (yes, brie), lettuce, grilled onion, tomato, mayo and a side of regular and sweet potato fries! Can't think of a better combination.

To walk off the burgers, we first visited CD Alley, where I literally could not make stop picking up vinyl. I ended up buying Ray LaMontagne, Florence + The Machine and Iron & Wine... even though there were about 10 more I wanted. No trip downtown is complete without a book store and coffee. I had been searching for a new book to read for my A Book A Month Challenge, and we found the one I was looking for at a used book store. I introduce, My Boyfriend Wrote A Book Me: And Other Stories I Shouldn't Share with Acquaintances, Coworkers, Taxi drivers, Assistants, Job Interviewers, ... and Ex/Current/Future Boyfriends but Have. I mean, do I really even need to share our excited I am about this? In Beyoncé mode: All the single ladies put yo' hands up!

All in all, it was a great day for a day trip. I know I am supposed to be where I am right now to save money, be logical about my post-graduate decisions and be realistic, but I definitely have the travel bug pestering me. For now, I have my weekends! World, I promise you, I have some plans to explore you soon enough. Let me explore my backyard first :)

All photos were taken using my iPhone. Bottom two were taken by Melissa.

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE DORKY SISTERS

If you didn't see on instagram, here is the wonderful Christmas card my little younger sister and I mailed out this year. I say younger because she is not little anyyyyyyyy more! If you can't read the card due to the instagram quality of this photo, it says "Merry Christmas from our dorky hearts to yours." We ordered them through CardStore using this template. I seriously love this card company! This card was not glossy and really good quality. They have a HUGE selection of cards and I can't get enough of them. We got lots of compliments ;)

The photos on the card are from this blog post last Thanksgiving. They were too great not to share to all our family and friends...again. Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas break! Before we know it, it will be New Year's Eve and we will welcome 2013. I haven't thought past 2012, so 2013 should be interesting, but I wouldn't ask for anything less :)

*This post was not sponsored and/or affiliated with CardStore. I just love the cards I got and wanted to share :)

STARTING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS

Can you believe it is nearly mid December?
At times (and by at times I mean all the time) I feel as though life is FLYING right by me. I think "Oh, that's not for another few weeks" and bam, that few weeks turns into tomorrow. I always have mixed things about the month of December...and what do I do when I have mixed feelings?

I write letters.

Dear December,

You are the perfect ending before the perfect beginning. It is almost as simple as that. Aside from your holiday swag (yes, I just said swag), there is something much more deeper to you than holiday sales, higher electricity bills, ornaments, gift wrap, tacky sweater parties and Santa. Underneath the petty stresses of finding the perfect gift, finding the perfect tree or sending out your Christmas cards on time, you are the month where we want to show people how much we care about them and give them a little something for being a part of our lives this past year. You bring warmth to the colder months and you really do bring joy.

I love that you're the season of hot chocolate, snow globes, multiple family dinners, Elf, peppermint, red, Christmas cards, wrapping presents, days off, knitted everything, family time and nights by the fireplace, but I love you the most because you're the month of true reflection. When you roll around, I look back at everything that has happened these past twelve months and ask myself some important questions. It is amazing how much can happen in just one year... I reflect on the person I have become and what will become of me. Have I changed? What changed me? What have I accomplished this year? Did I say I love you to the right people enough? What are the mistakes I have made? What are the moments I need to hold on to forever? Am I where I want to be? Am I where I need to be?

You always urge me to grow, grow, grow... to give back, to love unconditionally and learn to relax. You are one heck of a month and know how to end a great year in style. For now, I am soaking up in your holiday sun and loving every moment of whipping out my Christmas music and having an excuse to spend some money on loved ones. I am always torn with whether I want you to speed up or slow down.

For now, slow down :]

It is sure starting to look a lot like Christmas.

WHEN THE LITTLE THINGS ARE THE BIG THINGS

SAT Nov. 24, 2012

Little things I appreciated this week//
knitted sweaters
time passing slowly
tea time with best friends
Thai food
when shuffle plays all my favorites
lyrics
pillows
alarms turned off
One Tree Hill
walking the aisles of crafts stores
buying presents for others
buying presents for yourself
peppermint mochas
a new [knitted] scarf
Christmas lights
Bon Iver
discovering new music
Pinterest
polka dot socks
snow globes
chalk paint
lunch breaks
creating

"Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things."

I forget to remind myself of this sometimes. I get caught up in the big picture and let my worry of the "big things", such as finances or the future overwhelm me that I forget to sit back and appreciate the little things in life. A peppermint mocha isn't just a peppermint mocha.. it is the peppermint mocha that my mother bought me while we bonded over Black Friday. The snow globe isn't just a snow globe.. it's the first piece of Christmas decoration my mother bought me that I can have in my home for many years to come. The chalk paint isn't just chalk paint... it's the chalk paint I used to make time to create something on my diy to-do list. It gave me a chance to put deadlines on pause. 

They may seem like meek or mundane things that may go unnoticed, but they are everyday sources of happiness that are right under our nose. What are the little things you appreciated this week?

top photo: (c) Melissa. Thankful card template created by Oana Befort.
bottom photos: Instagram. Follow me @mashleyvega

ON TRAVELING

FRI. Sept 28 2012
listening to: Mumford & Sons, Babel

Have you read this article yet? Converge Magazine wrote an article about traveling young and the author could not have put it in better words. Oh...you haven't read it? Well, go read the article and then come back to my blog.

Done? Good. Let's continue.

"You won’t always be young. And life won’t always be just about you. So travel, young person. Experience the world for all its worth. Become a person of culture, adventure, and compassion. While you still can."

"This is my calling! My life! I don’t want what you have. I will always be an adventurer.”

Adventure.

We all crave it. We read about it in novels, close our eyes and wish for it but didn't you know it is right in front of you? It's on that plane/train/bus ticket you have yet to purchase, in the pages of your passport, stuck between the tires of your car and right in the palm of your hand. It's that road trip you have planned on taking but just "never had a good weekend" and that international trip you just "couldn't afford". It happens when you escape your world for a little bit to discover another. It's what you get when you travel.

It is easy to find a comfortable place and stay in it. There's nothing wrong with that, but I urge you all to get out of your comfort zone even if it's just the next county over. Traveling doesn't have to cost you thousands. It is exploring the unknown. I love nothing more than visiting a new city, checking out the local places and discovering what makes the heart beat in that particular town. I think every place has a little something to offer in the world. Whether it's a quick trip to Atlanta or a month-long trip to the Philippines (I recently did both), it changes you. It challenges you to be lost in the unknown and start from scratch because only when you're lost do you find yourself.

When asked the question, "What is one thing you would love to do right now?" many people reply "Travel". If I could drop all responsibilities and had an infinite amount of money that is all I would do! Wouldn't you? Most of us want it, we crave it, we desire it, we cling to those two week vacations from work. Make sure you travel as soon as you can because one day you may not have that luxury anymore. 

Travel my dear friends.
Enjoy your life, spend a little bit of your earnings and reach out because the world really is in arms reach. You may find yourself falling in love - with a place, a person, an idea and a new perspective. Traveling refreshes you, energizes you, changes you, moves you, and makes you a better person. A person who is cultured, who understands the world around them, who breaks barriers and begins the little steps of linking us all together. We all live in this crazy world together and really should get to know one another. There's something great in all of us and traveling can help us discover that.

The feelings I get when I travel are indescribable. I wish I could capture the moments when I rode an elephant, saw the Madrid skyline, experienced the night markets in The Philippines and Thailand, ziplined through the Costa Rican mountains or swam near waterfalls with more than my camera and my stories. I wish I could describe those sensations, the scents and make you feel the wind or how the water felt, but it is merely impossible. You must experience it for yourself.

Next time you are stuck between "What should I do with my life?" or "What should I do this weekend?"...travel dearest friends. It would be an absolute shame for this beautiful world to go unseen, for cultures to be unknown and for people to stay strangers.

And this is why I travel.