sweet release.

{source}

the idea of letting go and release has been on my mind and heart lately. and it's shown up in "secret messages" in quite a few places. {i love that}.

she shared an incredible art journal page with this caption, "in the release you became."
and one of the prompts for the art journaler was "i'm letting go of..." and "i'm embracing..."
then there was this post, some of the most powerful, raw & incredible poetic stanzas i've ever read on fear, freedom and redemption.
and i've seen the quote in the image above too many places to count. 

so i started taking notice.

{source}

i sat in my "studio" on friday night and thought to myself, i can't imagine my life without art journaling. what took me so long? it's one thing to have thoughts & even conversations about your life, your emotions, things that piss you off, make you cry, cause you to jump up and down. but there's something so tangible & satisfying about writing it down. putting it on the page. it brings my thoughts to reality, gives them a shape and a color. i've found such a sweet release in "getting it out."

so on that note, here's my response to the art journaler prompt:

{if you are new to style of a songbird, i art journal in a method called "altered books." i buy old books at goodwill & use them for my art journal. it's so fun to incorporate some of the phrases from the book into the page.} 

some of the key phrases:

i'm letting go of...

are we there yet? {needing to know exactly where i am on the journey and what's around the next corner}

voice of opposition {could be others or my own voice}

i just wonder if i'm enough {i think every woman faces this. in so many aspects of our lives} 

must-do {as much as i love making lists, they can be so daunting and guilt ridden}

too late {it's a lie}

skin perfection {may sound incredibly vain, but my moods have been determined by the blemishes on my face.} i'm letting it go...

the words incorporated into my page from the original book: 

don't go too far

worry

storm blowing 

dry season

go to sleep

shut up

quite black

i'm embracing...

the freedom to be vulnerable {admitting the "letting go's" is a good place to start}

yes {three powerful letters spell one life altering word}

paths less traveled {may be lonely, but i'm never alone}

mystery {this takes incredible bravery}

breathe {a deep inhale & slow exhale can make all the difference}

unlimited {taking the limits off of myself, my expectations, and my dreams}

the words from the original book: 

one of the gang {it feels so good to belong}

laughed so much

my life was worth

she sat smiling

flowers in her hair

it was romantic

this past week has been a time of  reevaluating. knowing what's mine to carry and what i don't have to accept merely out of habit. 

what are you letting go of? embracing? {i'd love to know}.

with so much love, 

i am beauty {guest post}.

hope your weekend is off to a great start! i went on a long walk by myself this morning to the beach. my legs are burning and my heart is happy! <3

in other news, i am thrilled to be guest posting today on chickadee road {a kindred soul party} hosted by liz and kelly. head over and fall in love with their website full of inspiration & beauty! 

and if you haven't linked up sharing bits and peaces of joy from your week, there's still time. {this is a new feature that will be posted every friday-sunday for you to share your posts!}

lots of love! 

bits & pieces.

my week was filled with breath taking beauty. some weeks it's a struggle to find five images or moments to include in these posts. not this week. {abundance...}

one // been so drawn to rich reds lately. {my toes matched the leaves!}

two // this moon was so captivating. light breaking through.

three // treasure hunting at low tide.

four // so many feathers have been appearing before me lately. this one was extra long!

five // the most delicious & beautiful meal. {rubamba for anyone near the new haven, connecticut area).

i am so excited to announce that now you can link up here to share your bits & pieces of beauty too! i truly believe life is art. {sometimes it just takes a reason to notice it all around us}. so i am encouraging you to look for beauty. i'm inviting you to find joy & refreshment in moments captured. 

your bits & pieces can be be a meal, a smile, a tree, a color, a cloud, an outfit. there are no limits. there are no rights or wrongs. we are just simply documenting beauty.  because i believe one day, we will look back and realize it was the "small things" that meant the most after all. 

the only "rule" is to share some images & words describing them. quite possibly you may only want to share one image for a week. but the next it could be a handful. i stick to five for consistency, but by all means, do whatever you find most meaningful & feasible. 

i can't wait to connect & see how this grows over time. 

feel free to share your link with your bits & pieces post here.
{there will be a link up every friday}. 

happy weekend! <3

youtube gurus.

do any of you find yourself getting sucked into the the wonderful world of youtube? do you search for one video and then twenty clicks later, you have learned how to peel an avocado, curl your hair and are an expert on the latest revlon lipstick product? i have learned so much from youtube "experts" and now subscribe to quite a few channels to make sure i don't miss out on the latest trend or technique. 

today, i wanted to share a few of my favorite ladies on youtube. 

emily from the beauty broadcast

after watching one of emily's informative & fun videos, you will quickly realize she is a news broadcaster. she has an incredible on camera presence; her videos are the most professional beauty youtube videos i've ever seen. she covers both high end and drugstore products. i guarantee if you have a question or product you are wondering about, she has a video for it! some of my favorite videos are:   

my favorite revlon lip products, emily awards 2011: face, and top ten elf products. and you can see her beautiful heart here with an interview with one of her make up role models. emily also blogs here. 

kandee j from kandee johnson

kandee is bubbly, joyful & so sweet. just warning you, once you start watching a few of her videos, you will not be able to stop. her smile is infectious. she is a celebrity make up artist and shares her favorite products, techniques, DIY beauty treatments & fun hauls of her outrageously awesome outfits. i have used so many of her videos in my everyday life, but here are a few on my "must watch" list: perfect skin for cheap, the skin doctor: lemon trick, and how to make eye make up remover. kandee has another more "personal" youtube channel here and she blogs here and here.

mr kate

i was first introduced to "mr.kate" from alison's youtube round up post. she has some amazing DIY ideas. her channel is so professional & unique. she features a lot of nail art, clothing tutorials and fun, random crafty ideas. a few of my favorites are: DIY boho boots tutorial, painted purse tutorial, and DIY studded shorts tutorial.

judy from it's judy time

she's gorgeous, right? she is another beauty vlogger who shares reviews, tutorials and other fun tips on her youtube channel. she is incredibly classy and relatable! some of my favorites are most worn summer things 2012, affordable drugstore makeup tutorial, and top favorite neutral lipsticks.

i would be delighted to hear of any other youtube gurus that i'm missing out on! any tips?    

fall fashion // metallics.

i've been having so much fun with this fall fashion series. if you missed the other posts, check them out here and here.

today's trend is something i'm drawn to all year round. i love to throw in a pop of metallic silver or gold to a neutral outfit for an extra sparkle or shine. if you love metallics as much as i do, you are in luck! they are a must have for this season.  

another trend that is hot this season is spikes {seen in the necklace and on the flats}. is that too rocker for you? do you prefer a bow or more geometric shapes? 

have a wonderful day everyone!