Burn It Down With Love

 Anyone who knows me knows how much I love Catherine of Sienna. I tend to talk about her...muchly. Today, her feast day, I am going to write a little bit about why. 

 She spoke Italian, so her really famous quote can be translated into English a couple different ways. My favorite is "be who you were created to be, and you will set the world on fire". I sometimes can't get over how much I love this quote. It is the screensaver on my phone. It really just sums up how I feel about life and love. 

 

 I believe in souls and God. I believe that he created each person's soul with loving kindness. He breathes life into our souls and ignites a flame of love. He gives us this little burning. We carry it around all day, slowly growing into amazing people, feeding this flame. Eventually, we find our place. We find that one thing that makes the flame erupt into an inferno, consuming everything around us. 

 It is amazing to see people who have found their path. You can see the love they are pouring out and it makes you love them back. They care so much about what is important to them. 

 So, I guess....do what you love, and love will be what you do. 

 Thank you, St. Catherine for just being totally awesome :) 

Happy Birthday!!

 Today is my wonderful mother's birthday!! She is the loveliest and most incredible woman born to this planet!

In honor of that, here is a photo of all of us at the Vineyard this weekend!! She is the gorgeous one, far to the right! Best looking of us all!

Love and Hugs <3

Breathe It In, Guys

 It is safe to say that am pretty addicted to Pinterest. It is basically a search engine where all the results are awesome. Do things get any better? No, they don't.

 I always seem to find these really great, inspiring quotes and sayings while I am scrolling through. They just fill me with the most amazing thoughts and notions. Some of them are just for me, but some I like to share. So, here you go!

 This is a meditation mantra I found. And, even though I don't really do meditation (I have prayer to calm me down) I found this to be incredibly soothing. Peace and love go hand in hand. Anything wrong or malicious can be fixed with kindness. Breathe out love, and you and everyone around you can enjoy the rush of peace that surrounds you. It is a chain reaction. Your love will create an environment of peace for someone else, and then they will be able to spread their love with the people around them.

 Let yourself be caught up in the overwhelming waves of love. It is a juggernaut, ready to plow through hate and insecurity.

Well, This Is Just Awesome.

 All of my life I have know one thing for certain about myself. I love sleep. So much. It is just the best thing in the world. I just like being asleep. Apart from being incredibly comfortable, nothing bad happens while one sleeps. It is just perfect.

 The reverse of this is that I hate waking up. It just makes me sad and cranky. Usually I can't function at all for the first 3-5 minutes that I am awake (things like: can't remember who I am/where I am/where Gabrielle is. ha)

BUT....

 Sloan and I have done some Freaky Friday swippy-swappy. Suddenly, I am up hours before I need to be and it feels wunderbar!! And Sloan now sleeps like the dead. Let us hope it continues this way. Well, my part any way. Sloan can do what she wants with her short end of the stick. But, I think I am going to like being a morning person. :)

Everything Will Be Ok In The End...

...if its not ok, it is not the end.

 I guess, I take this to mean that happiness is the goal. Nothing else matters until you get there. And once you get to the end, and you're basking in a world of happiness, the little things that were terrible will just be stepping stones on your way to happiness. Think about that...everything happens for a reason, and the headaches will eventually become a part of what makes you happy. In the end you will be happy. So happy. And it will only be because of the things you had the strength to stand through.

 Hope your day is as awesome as mine is going to be :)


Behave yourselves! Love always,
Alexandra

P.S.
I am not sure who that said the "ok" quote. I've heard it before and it stuck with me. I tried asking the internet and it came up with a dozen different answers. To whomever actually said it though, thank you!!!

If This Isn't Nice, I Don't Know What Is

 I like to try and live my life so that I am happy as often as I can be. I want to be so happy that I make other people happy just by being around me. It's just good business! I've found the only way to accomplish this is to focus on the tiny things that are wonderful; make them so important, let it fill up your day. Then the terrible stuff (its always going to be there, no matter what) will be overshadowed by the lovely things.

 Another key is surrounding yourself with amazing people. Fortunately for me, that is no problem. I have a truly incredible family, and friends whom I love dearly. For the most part I think they share my outlook on life. We depend on each other, and help one another grow.

 Recently, one of my closest buds showed me a quote by Vonnegut. It really just encapsulates what I want to say:

      "I urge you, please notice when you are happy and exclaim or murmur or think at some point, 'if this isn't nice, I don't know what is'"

 What an awesome sentiment. During busy, crazy, hellish days it can be hard to find something worth exclaiming over. But when you find it, the small teeny thing that makes you smile, let the world know. Put a smile on your face and wear your happiness for everyone to see.

 Today, I am happy for the loving support of my family and friends. Also, BBQ.



  Hugs and love,
Alexandra

Gotta Get Down On Friday

 When she orignially preformed the song "Friday", I feel that Rebecca Black had a distinct message she wanted broadcasted to the world. Many might speculate as to what her message really was; we may never know for sure. After deep thought and reflection, I have come to the conclusion that what she really wanted was for us to "get down on Friday." To honor her wishes, I myself will be getting down this Friday.

 About to go see get some delciouso BBQ with La Gabrielle. It is about to be a crazy day, guys. Get. On. Our. Level. Fo. Real.

Shit We Say

 My life would make for hilarious, prime time televisioning. Between hilarious family antics and my crazy friends/ coworkers...I feel a solid program of entertainment could emerge. BUT, so does everyone else. Really, who doesn't think their life is awesome? Everyone thinks their friends are hilarious. You hear people say they should have their own TV show ALL THE TIME. Most people who say this live lives that would not make for good television. There really has only been one person who's life made for great television, and that was Jerry Seinfeld. I am no Jerry Seinfeld. Sadly, my friends are not George Costanzas.

 But the shit we say is golden, Ponyboy!! Perhaps a twitter feed of all the random stuff? Perhaps. We shall see.

 In other news, there is Vineyarding to be had this weekend. My friend Ashley turns 21 and we are going to get classy smashed drinking wine and such :) Ha...smashed with Ashley. Smashley. Ha.

 In other vineyard news, I got a job a summer job at a vineyard!! I start on Sunday and I could not be more excited.

 In other news on excitement, listen to this song. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-64CaD8GXw It should excite you.

In other song news, I may have decided to start a band. Probably not. But, maybe. We'll see.

 Oh! And perhaps most importantly of all... I heard today that there is a Bill and Ted 3 in the works. You may be doing a happy dance (or some other form of rejoicing) BUT apparently, it is still years away, so stop happy dancing. It was a nice sentiment, but getting that excited this early on is just sad. We will all get excited together when the trailer finally comes out. Ok?

  Have a good day. Carry on.  

Well, that's gonna leave a mark!

I loooove crew socks!! They are the best socks. They're the only ones that don't slip off your feet when you walk. Plus they are super cute.

Le problem is, though, I know I'm getting a sock line/tan line. Sock tans can be cute, right?


Also, Django Unchained comes out on Redbox tonight!! I know what we're gonna do today, Ferb!! :)

That Happiness Is Mine

 Treat people with love and compassion. Every single person in this world has suffered in a way that you couldn't handle. Everyone is fighting a battle that is unimaginable to you. When you consider what you have gone through, the terrible tragedies you have suffered, remember: everyone suffers. Have compassion, even when it is hard.

 When you use your own love to look at people, you begin to see their own goodness and merit. See the goodness and love in everyone, because often they don't see it themselves. Love is a fire, it catches from one person to the next. When you find love in another person, they will find it also. It will spread and cover a multitude of hate. 

 In wake of the bombings in Boston yesterday and the 6th Anniversary of the Virginia Tech Shooting, spend time today promoting love. Rather than mourn the state of the world, take and active step toward making that world better. Show a world of hate that you are a lover. 

 "I've decided to stick with love, hate is too great a burden to bear" -MLK

Promote Love

I believe in Love. Above all things.

Every single person has pain. It is what makes us human. It is what binds us together in this crazy, mortal world. To look with love upon another person's pain teaches them to do the same. Love is a flame, waiting to consume the world. Pass love on. Every single day...be a promoter of love. 

Prayers and Love to the victims and families of the senseless killings in Boston, today! <3 

I'm Sprung!!

 I am about as un-gangster as a white girl can be, BUT I do like to use random ghetto terminology. I also like to use it ironically. Thus, the "sprung". If I am remembering T-Pain correctly, sprung mean that you are super duper in love with someone/something.

I guess that means I am sprung for spring? Anyway, that't the point of this post. It's FINALLY spring, guys!!! Winter really just sucks. Anyone who says differently is lying or crazy. Probably.

 Anywhoo...here is a picture of my baby sister, her best friend, and myself enjoying ourselves on the river this wonderful, gorgeous springtime!! If you are smart, you will get out and soak up some sun, too. Provided,of course that it is as lovely where you live as it is here :)

stay golden :)

Blogs, am I right?

Blogs, am I right?

 So, basically everyone has a blog. It seems like they are used for a lot of passive-aggressive complaining about life and they people involved. What a waste of internet! If people wanted to hear about the shitty-ness (shittiness? shittyness? who knows?) of your life...they would ask you about it. I promise not to get that way. Probably. If I get too whiny on here please just throw me a "No one cares. Not even in the slightest. Move on and get past it". I'll probably stop after that. Or maybe write a passive-aggressive post about you. But, probably not.

 The main reason I am starting this silly ol' thing is because a super awesome chick gave me the idea. She wanted to start one, but seems unsure. We will monitor the progress of that. Ironically she is the one off having adventures in foreign countries, doing things worth blogging about.

 I on the other hand just go to community college and hang out with my hilarious friends. Still, I think my life should have a television show. (it really is that awesome) But, mind you, not an awful Jersey Shore type television show where everyone is terrible and looking at their lives makes you feel like a better person. My television show would be about how hilarious and awesome my friends and I are.

 Also, my family. They are incredible. But, more to come on that.

You stay classy, San Francisco! :)