Liebster Award from PL

Thanks to Princess Leah for this amazing award! You should totally check out and start following her blog. This is the third time I've done the Liebster thing, so we know the drill...

 

 

1. What is your biggest fear?

Not being good enough at insert-current-obsession-here.

 

2. Who is your favorite Author?

Jane Austen.

 

3. Do you like rooms to be super bright or do you prefer dim light? (I know, weird question)

Super bright. A la Hemingway, I prefer a clean, well-lit space.

 

4. What is your biggest pet peeve?

Gossip sessions &/or general cattiness.

 

5. What is your hidden talent?

Being able to recognize any Taylor song within a couple bars.

 

6. Did you change a lot since you were a child? If so, how?

I'm even more of a perfectionist (although that wasn't supposed to be possible) and I guess my interests have segway-ed into different things. You know, binge-watching Netflix &etc. But I think my core personality is more or less the same.

 

7. Are you sarcastic, deep, sweet or undefinable?

Hm. Sweet with people I don't know that well, deep with people I do.

 

8. When you raise your eyes from this computer screen, what are you looking at?

Several different poster-board size magazine collages... I guess that's another hidden talent :)

 

9. What is your realistic/unrealistic dream job?

Senior Editor at a fashion/lifestyle magazine.

 

10. What was your first job?

In tenth grade, I got my first paying job,  working as a Childcare Assistant at Generations Church.

 

11. Do you have a tan right now?

Um, no. The only tan I ever had came out of a bottle, and that was forever ago. Here's to SPF and skin-saving in the 2010s and always :)

 

 

I nominate whoever wants to participate! Make sure to leave me your link so I can check out your blog.

 

Here are your new questions:

1. Favorite color (humor me)?

2. Song you have on repeat?

3. Your five favorite words?

4. If you had to define yourself using four adjectives or less, which ones would you choose?

5. How would you describe your approach to healthy living?
6. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

7. Are you saving up for anything right now?

8. Biggest splurge to date?

9. Would you rather grace the cover of Entertainment Weekly or Forbes?

10. Favorite kind of dessert?

11. Do you like rain?

 

Love! Happy summer!

 

xoxo,

Ireland

 

 

It's the End-of-the-Year Again

I just finished my eleventh grade year of high school! Some highlights in the link below...

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.361709353989743.1073741832.100004520433826&type=1&l=880f93a555

I couldn't possibly capture every amazing moment in this album. There are a special few that come to mind, that I can only wish I had photographic evidence for. But while this album can't wrap up my eleventh grade year into a nice little box with a neat little bow, it does offer a glimpse of some really cool people that I've met. Here's to a beautiful summer!

xoxo.

Ireland

Book Review(s): Wonderland and Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass are undoubtedly classics, but they have never been the kind of books that let me lose myself within their pages. I held out hope that by reading Wonderland a second time (I read that one once several years ago), it would become more enjoyable. But alas, while I gave Carroll my best effort, my main incentive to finish the books remained the same: simply to say that I had. The Alice stories are such an important part of our culture that I felt it my duty as a book lover to experience them first-hand. And sure, there were amusing moments, but only when taken out of context.

While I truly do appreciate Carroll's style of storytelling, the nonsensicality of it all was a little too much for my taste. What can I say? I'm more into plots. And while countless arguments have been made about the hidden complexity of these two books— from philosophies regarding everything from self-discovery, to miscommunication, to madness— Carroll's original intent was simply to entertain, and I just wasn't feeling it.  Anyway, I'm not sure I'll ever care to understand the Matrix.

By reading Wonderland and Looking Glass, I had wanted to expand my literary comfort zone, but I'm afraid that's not exactly what happened. (*they are chock full of excellent quotes, however... see above*) I guess I still have hopes of falling in love with the Alice stories one day, like so many seem to have done, but until then, I think I'll cut my loses and just go read some chick lit.

 

Your thoughts?

xoxo,

Ireland

Here's to Us.

I woke up this morning with a to-do list about five miles long, a to-do list so extensive that even if I found the motivation to attack it with every ounce of my being, I'm not sure if would even finish. And anyway, who really wants to sit down and bust through five or more consecutive hours of mind-numbingly boring work? Umm.. I'd rather watch Netflix.

I'm blogging today not to fulfill some responsibility, or to check something off my list (since it's been two months since my last post, I think it's safe to say that that ship sailed a long time ago), but because I needed to. I needed to connect with you guys.

They say that social media doesn't really connect us to people-- it makes us feel connected, while we isolate. On a surface level, that's something I agree with: simply scrolling through feeds and liking different posts doesn't constitute as human interaction. But blogging is different. Blogging lets us express who we are, sometimes even down to the recesses of our souls, and lets connect with other people who go through the same things.

At least, that's what it does for me.

My word for 2015 is connect. I was deciding between connect and trust, but connect came to me first, and I'm told it's better to choose the "wrong" word than not choosing one at all.

Connecting is important. Because people need people. And... I guess today, I just want to take another step forward in making it a forever-part of my lifestyle.

So here's to connecting. Here's to loving our neighbors as ourselves. Here's to rejoicing with those who rejoice and weeping with those who weep. Here's to fighting for what is beautiful, and never forgetting to share what we find with each other. Here's to family canoe trips and sunny days and shared memories.

Here's to you, me, and we. Here's to us.

xoxo,

Ireland

Vous Etes Mon Coure // Outfit Post

 

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone! I don't know about you, but I love this holiday. And not just because of the candy hearts and chocolate roses and little stuffed bears. Today is beautiful because it is dedicated to Love.

 

The amazing thing about Love is, it is our bottom line. 1 Corinthians 13:4-13 (MSG) reminds us of that:

 

"If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don’t love, I’ve gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love."

 

Just something to explore and embrace, especially today, on this day of love.

 

xoxo,

Ireland

 

Outfit credits:
Fit-and-flare dress: Forever21

Pumps: Worthington (JCP), borrowed

Ring (right hand): jewelry shop outside of Dublin

Ring (left hand): gift

 

Title credit:
"Vous Etes Mon Coure (You Are My Heart)"  by Gungor

 





Book Review: Anne of Green Gables by LM Montgomery

{Source}

This childhood classic came to life in my hands for the first time when I read it last year. As I delved deeper into each chapter of Anne Shirley’s formative years, her character became a part of me, and until I finished the very last sentence of the book, her story was also my story. Excitable and imaginative, Anne was the perfect heroine of Avonlea, and she had this undeniable ability to captivate both her readers and her fictional friends. She was far from perfect, and she made a lot of mistakes, but she was relatable. In her, I found a louder, bubblier, red-headed version of myself, and she inspired me to hold onto my childhood, because it will not last forever. When L.M. Montgomery created Anne Shirley, she gave life to a character that I connected with on a deep level—one that made me laugh, one that made me think, and one that made me better. In my opinion, discovering characters like that is the best part of reading fiction.

Click here to check out Anne of Green Gables on BN

I'm so glad everyone liked the book review idea! Hope you like this one too. Keep me posted...

xoxo,

Ireland

P.S. All the reviews I'm doing are for the sake of you, me, and the blog. I receive no compensation for them, and the opinions are purely my own. Feel free to leave your recommendations or requests! :)

Book Review: Kisses From Katie by Katie Davis

The honesty and vulnerability with which Katie Davis writes her first memoir has made a significant impact on the way I view and handle life. Within the first few chapters, I was immersed in her beautiful, courageous story, and I felt myself being transformed by her example of what it looks like to truly be a follower of Christ.

{{Source}}

At age 18, upon graduating high school, Katie decided to take a gap year and spend it teaching young children at a school in Uganda. The degree of poverty that she was suddenly surrounded with was beyond anything I had ever imagined: babies infected with HIV and AIDS, women turning to prostitution to feed their children, and starving masses of people with distended stomachs, various diseases, and no hope of life getting better.

Katie realized then that God was calling her to Uganda permanently. So she “said yes”, and by the time she was twenty-two, she was in the process of adopting thirteen orphans into her home and had founded Amazima Ministries, an organization whose goal is to feed, educate, and empower the people of Uganda. In fact, the entire premise of the book is summed up in Katie’s consistently “saying yes” to God; Davis argues that while she is just an ordinary woman, she serves an extraordinary God.

Her message is not for all so-called Christians to become exactly like her—leaving home, selling her possessions, and moving to a third-world country where she lives as a single mother to thirteen girls— but to simply say yes to whatever God is asking of them. It is a stunningly simple way of living, but it has a truer purpose than any other.

Click here to check out Kisses from Katie on Amazon.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


This is my first book review on the blog! If you would like to see more of these, let me know in the comments. Have a great Friday!


xoxo,
Ireland

thursday.

Remember this: behind the skinny actress with the Oscar win; behind the joke you think is stupid; behind the girl with reputation that is falling apart in public; behind the tears of the girl being bullied and the harsh words of the mean girl who bullies her; behind the woman at the Food Lion who scans the cereal and the man sitting in the Oval Office—behind all of those images that people craft for themselves, there is a person, seen by God, created in his image, and longing to be loved and accepted. Just like you. No matter what their reputation, no matter what image they so desperately want to show you, there is a person. Don’t forget to see them.

--Emily P. Freeman, Graceful

I'm back from my unannounced, self-imposed blogging hiatus, and wanted to share this beautiful excerpt from one of my favorite books with you. Hope you have a beautiful Thursday.


xoxo,

Ireland

Happy Thanksgiving! 2014

Food for thought:

“I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.”

--G.K. Chesterton

Hope you all had a wondrous holiday, complete with all the beautiful people and delicious food your heart and stomach could hold. 

If you want, please leave one special thing you're thankful for below. I'll go first...

This year I am thankful for YOU-- all twenty-two of my fabulous followers. You bring a spark of happiness to me with each one of your comments. I love doing this blog, and you guys give me motivation to keep going.

xoxo,
Ireland

The Road Not Taken // Outfit Post

Happy Tuesday, everyone! The title of today's post comes from a famous Robert Frost poem about a man who, coming to a fork in the road, must to decide which one to take. Neither road is more worn than the other, but when the man is relating the story later on, he says he took the one less traveled by.

 

 

 Overall, I think it's a lovely, melancholic poem. It makes me want to gently sway back in forth in the fresh, sweet-smelling air of late spring. But I think it's sad that the man feels the need to say he took the road less traveled by-- the road not taken-- when he didn't. Sometimes we make decisions that we aren't 100% sure of, but God's hand is always guiding us. We only need to pause... and listen.

Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.

Psalm 119:105

xoxo,

Ireland

Styling Credits: Karen Headrick

 

Outfit Credits:



Halloween 2014 Photoblog

Rusty black gate down the road: perfect photo op for Halloween! As you can see, Jeffrey was a skeleton and I was a pirate (again).

 

Here he is with one of his friends from kindergarten. Oh, to be six years old again! :P



There is no way to properly caption this picture.

 

 I know it's a little late, but here are some pictures from Halloween! After having a mini-photo-session near a spooky-looking gate at the end of our street, we took my brother Jeffrey to a trunk-or-treat at a nearby church. He had a blast, and he and I spent a good four minutes trapped in a hamster wheel together. We also played a game with chocolate- and lemon-cupcakes as prizes and took a hay ride across the Wrightsville Beach area. Jeffrey said it was the best Halloween ever, and hey, I got a cupcake out of it, so I'd say it was a win-win scenario!

Now that Halloween is over, I can't wait for Thanksgiving and Christmas! What kind of plans are you making for the holiday season so far?

xoxo,

Ireland



Saturday is Girl's Day.

Yesterday my mom and I got to spend several hours doing girly things together, starting with hair and makeup. For some reason, it can start to feel like a chore to do it myself every morning. So, when my mom or a friend decides to make me over, I'm more than happy to oblige. And I'm also reminded me why I put effort into my appearance in the first place...
 

Because it's fun. Because it makes me feel like a teenage girl. Because it helps me see how I am becoming a woman. It's a confidence boost and a pick-me-up, and while it's certainly not the end-all-be-all of life, I love that I get to do it. It's also nice to think that one day, if/when I have a daughter, I'll get to show her how to put on mascara for the first time... how to curl her hair without creasing it... and how to how to shop and have fun without spending a fortune.

But even if that never happens, I'm so thankful that I have shared those experiences with my mom. In a world desperately in need of female role models, she is mine. Not every girl is so lucky, and I'm learning to never take her for granted.

xoxo,
Ireland

Popular Culture

I find it saddening that so many celebrities today are exploiting their bodies and acting as if it's cool.

These people are at the forefront of popular culture.

They have enormous influence.
 
And they're wasting it.

Love Is The Movement // Outfit Post

Bonjour, mes amies! I hope this week is treating you well so far. Today, I got to watch some upper-level drama students at my school perform a parody-play of Little Women. It was very interesting... but if I had to choose, I definitely prefer the book. LW is my all-time favorite work of fiction, so unfortunately, they were hard-pressed to impress me today :) Theatre has been a really cool experience for me this year; I hope to continue with it through high school, and maybe in college, too.

These outfit pictures were taken last weekend, and I liked how most of them turned out. (Just please excuse the squinty eyes... I was looking directly up at the sun, you know how it is.) I think this look has equal measures of cool and professional. As you can see in the pictures, the skirt can be dressed up with a black flyaway cardigan or toned down with a denim jacket. Personally, I like the cardigan better... it adds more class to the look. But that's just me. What do you think?

As always, feel free to leave as many comments as you want. I love reading every one of them.

xoxo,
Ireland

Outfit Credits:

Blue tee: ?, via Marshalls

Flyaway cardi: BCBGMaxAzria via Marshalls
Denim jacket: Old Navy

Skirt: Raefaella, borrowed

Heels: Colin Stuart, secondhand

Earrings: gift

Today Will Soon Be Gone // Outfit Post

Happy Monday, everyone! I hope your week is off to a great start. I am already knee-deep in homework and AP Theory, but this is one of the weeks where I don't mind that much.

I wore this outfit last weekend, just a few days before the temperature completely dropped and I had to dig out my winter coat. Here's the thing: I live at the beach now. When we lived in Tennessee, I expected cold weather, to a certain extent. But the beach... Doesn't it make sense that the beach would always be 85 degrees and sunny? Why do I still have a need for coats and sweaters and scarves and boots?

 

Not that I mind the coats and sweaters and scarves and boots. I don't. Some of them are quite fun to wear. But the cold...

 

Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining; I'm just feeling pensive. Either that or I should have worn thicker socks today.

 

What do you think about fall and winter (I know they have a lot of pluses)? What's your favorite season?

Xoxo,

Ireland

 

Outfit Credits:

Sweater: Hollister

Maxi skirt: Charlotte Russe

Charm bracelet: gift from my great-uncle, from Paris

Headband: ?

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween everybody! As you know, I am a big fan of costumes, so I find Halloween a very fun holiday. We have made tentative plans to go to a trunk-or-treat tonight at a church near Jeffrey's school, and I'm looking forward to seeing him experience Halloween like only a six-year-old can. I think I might throw a costume together last minute, or I will be a pirate for the third year in a row. Either way, once I finish my AP Music Theory homework (which is inconveniently due online at 11:59pm tonight), I'll get to start prepping for the festivities.

I know I've been a little MIA this month, but I want you to know I've already got some stuff in the works for November! Hopefully I'll get back into the blogging swing-of-things and we can end 2014 with a bang. Wow, I just realized there are only two more months left in 2014! That is such a crazy thought. So much has happened in the last year, everything is swimming in my brain!

Let's toast to a fun, candy-filled weekend... Love you guys!
xoxo,
Ireland

P.S. The picture above is from last year. From left: me, Jeffrey, my cousins Millie and Everett, and my mom.

Fifteen // Music Monday

Well, today is a very special day for me... it's my fifteenth birthday! And because of this, I feel I have no choice but to flashback to 2009 and post Taylor Swift's "Fifteen" video.

There is a sweetness about this song that always makes me feel good inside, even when I'm having a rough day. And while my story is a little different from hers, the song is still so relatable and comforting. I love that. And I hope you do too.

xoxo,
Ireland

The World Was Young // Outfit Post

It's hard to believe that it is the 11th and this is only my first post of the month! I have been under so many school-related deadlines that I haven't had time to take outfit pictures or blog lately, but I'm going to be more regular in the future. Starting in May.

 

Just kidding.

 

Sort of. ☺


 

Anyway, for my first formal speech this year on Tuesday, I had to dress "professionally", so I channeled my inner businesswoman and matched my dress to my jacket and my belt to my shoes. When I got to school, my hair was clipped up (as you can see in these pictures), but one of the girls in my theatre class French-braided it for a performance, and I left it up for the rest of the day. I LOVE having my hair braided, and I can't do it myself, so whenever someone offers, I'm like YES.

Happy weekend-ing.

xoxo,

Ireland
 

 Outfit Credits:

Dress: Cynthia Rowley

Flyaway sweater: BCBGMaxAzria

Belt: Kenneth Cole Reaction

Shoes: Vince Camuto

Watch: grandmother's jewelry box

 

Title Credit:
"Beautiful" by Ben Rector

I Can Just Be Me // Music Monday

 "I Can Just Be Me" by Laura Story speaks to me on a very personal level. I don't know what was going through her mind when she wrote the song, but I know that when I listen to it, I think about all the areas in my life where I just don't feel enough, and I remember that God is already enough for me. And then I can breathe a little bit more.

 

Laura Story- I Can Just Be Me- Live Video

 

 

 

Laura Story- I Can Just Be Me- Lyric Video

 

 

Watch the videos and let me know what you think. I love hearing from you.

 

 

xoxo,

Ireland

Coming to you from Wrightsville Beach...

 But not actually the BEACH, of course! These pictures were taken at a cool little spot right past the Wrightsville bridge, which, incidentally, has some of the only free parking around. I loved the pictures and just wanted to share them with you!

xoxo,
Ireland

P.S. I just noticed that this a rather short post. Eh, that's okay. It's mainly about the photography anyway.