Shots of Gratitude

I've had this entry dancing in my head for a few days now -- perhaps even longer than that. There is something so nice about having Hipstamatic right at your fingertips. I often think these shots capture something that a regular digital camera doesn't. I don't know - like there's a little more art, edginess, and spirit when you just randomly take shots from your phone highlighting beautiful things that you see.

Inspired by Sarah Breathnach, I really liked recording shots on my phone especially moments that I wanted to remember and feel grateful for. It's funny. I think life just comes about at such high speeds or we end up getting so distracted that we lack the ability to take a pause, sit down, and reflect on beauty. At the very core of this blog, it's main purpose was to distill and inspire me to reflect on God's limitless grace on me and those around me.

So, below are just a few things and people that I've been grateful for lately...

My balcony view of Paris from Hotel Jules. It was just a nice sunny afternoon, and Frances and I were reflecting on what a fun time we were having right before she hopped on to the metro towards Gare du Nord. Across the way, you could see Parisians doing their normal everyday things: picking up things at the grocery, walking to the boulangerie, or just zipping through town. I've been wanting to take a trip to Paris for a long while, and it was just nice to see it actually come to fruition - actually just sitting there with Paris below me, hearing French, sketching in a museum, or wandering aimlessly along the Seine.

I'm not typically a coffee junkie, but moments that I do enjoy often involve the freedom to sit in a cafe and be still. Observe what people are doing. Read a book. I especially enjoy it when I don't have to be in a rush to do it. The cafe in Le Bon Marche had some adorable details to their coffee. First off, why does the coffee taste so much stronger in France? Yum! Also, I love the cute heart-shaped brown sugar sitting on the rim of the demitasse. Plus, there was a tiny cookie on the saucer. I like when restaurants put little add-ins like that. They make me smile.




Jacob- Yes, of course, him! I'm putting him in here because of the things he has motivated me to do. Things that I didn't think I could do, but somehow he saw those things in me. The night before I left for the Philippines he gave me a sketchbook and some pencils. He told me to draw what I see. I've really taken that to heart. When we were vacationing in Montreal and I complained about how much I wish my French was better. He basically told me I could do it - take classes when I get home, practice with my French-speaking friend, and just try. Without his support, I don't know if I would have ever really had the courage to try being a better artist or signed up for French class. Even when people criticized my decision to go to art school or study French, it didn't matter. I built up the confidence to just jump in and go. Thanks to Jacob's encouragement.

My longtime friend, Frances! Little did I know that we would keep in touch for this long (almost 9 years!) She has given me the best advice and her enthusiasm for life is completely infectious. It is so nice to have a friend in London. And our traveling adventures are often some of the fondest memories I have.


My adorable gray and pink trail runners and Lululemon leggings! So maybe I just like the way they look. I also like this photo because I enjoy walking and wandering around the neighborhood. I like how a few minutes a day exercising your body can really clear your head.



And last but not least- Bookstore browsing. I have to thank Kimberly Wilson for inspiring me to take my artist dates. This has to be one of my favorite activities. I can spend hours in the bookstore and sometimes it gives me that extra piece of inspiration/knowledge/or entertainment that a dull mind desperately craves. I took a picture of the travel section because I am already thinking about the next adventure I'd like to have.