Forever My Friend by Ray LaMontagne

Who am I to tell her

Who am I to play god

Who am I to think I can go it alone

Something tells me girl this is bringing you down

Something tells me this is bringing me down

We've been through some changes

Always seem to hold on

Lately it feel like you can't take anymore

---

Who am I to tell her

Who am I to play god

I don't know just what's for real anymore

Something tells me girl this is bringing you down

Something tells me girl this is bringing you down

Maybe I'm wrong, maybe I'm right

Maybe it's the last thing you want to hear me say

10 Inspirational Quotes

1. Start now. Start where you are. Start with fear. Start with pain. Start with doubt. Start with hands shaking. Start with voice trembling but start. Start and don’t stop. Start where you are, with what you have. Just… start. -Ijeoma Umebinyuo 

2. Well, let it pass; April is over, April is over. There are all kinds of love in the world, but never the same love twice. - F. Scott Fitzgerald, “The Sensible Thing”

3. Be fearless in the pursuit of what sets your soul on fire. - Robin Williams, "Dead Poets Society"

4. To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

5. Someday you will look back and know exactly why it had to happen. "

6. For what it’s worth: it’s never too late to be whoever you want to be. I hope you live a life you’re proud of, and if you find you’re not, I hope you have the strength to start over again - F. Scott Fitzgerald

7. You do not owe yourself to anyone. not your body, your mind, your attention, or your time. you do not owe them your thoughts or your affection. you do not owe them words. no matter what, no matter how long you’ve been together, or how many drinks they bought, or how much they love and need you, you do not owe them sex or to pleasure them in any way. you do not owe anyone even the smallest bit of your comfort. you do not show love by bending your own will, by pushing your boundaries, by submitting. proof of love should never be your own ruin, not for anyone, not ever - that isn’t love, that’s conquest. -Marina V.

8. I understood myself only after I destroyed myself. And only in the process of fixing myself, did I know who I really was. — Sade Andria Zabala, Thought of the Day: Self-Discovery

9. 연필은 쓰던 걸 멈추고 몸을 깎아야 할 때도 있어. 당장은 좀 아파도 심을 더 예리하게 쓸 수 있지. 너도 그렇게 고통과 슬픔을 견뎌내는 법을 배워야 해. 그래야 더 나은 사람이 될 수 있는 거야. — 파울로 코엘료 

10. You know, sometimes all you need is twenty seconds of insane courage. Just literally twenty seconds of just embarrassing bravery. And I promise you, something great will come of it. -Benjamin Mee, We Bought a Zoo

x Sola

Inspiration / Mood

^ soft, light, and neutral tones

^ minimalist accessories

 

^ clean finish designs

^ delicate, romantic details

^ comfortable classics

^ more specifically, distressed denim

^ lastly, fall season attire. I'm eagerly waiting for autumn...my favorite time of all.

x Sola

Favorite Films

I truly enjoy watching movies. It is my all-time favorite downtime activity. I can't say I've watched a ton of movies, but among the ones I have watched I've created a narrowed down list of some I found worthwhile (and available on Netflix).

1. Sleepless in Seattle
A legendary movie of the past starring two of the best actors in romance films: Tom Hanks and the gorgeous Meg Ryan. The similarity of both characters in this film reminds us of the magical, hopeful side of love we all long for. It highlights fulfilling dreams within, by taking risks and trusting fate. Despite having most of the movie filmed in different locations and without actual interaction, the film beautifully demonstrates the characters' identical desire for deeper, more radical love.

Favorite quote: (last line) "Sam...It's nice to meet you." (Annie)

2. Copenhagen
A heart throbbing film that leaves one mesmerized by the authenticity of the film and the one-of-a-kind, breathtaking character representation in the story. This film completely brings me back to my childhood days filled with sweet innocence, a hunger for truth and knowledge, and a free spirit willing to journey anywhere that life takes you.

Favorite quote: "I'm like a leaf falling from a tree, wherever the wind blows, I'll go." (Effy)

3. Stuck In Love
A modern film about experiencing life, love, sorrow, comfort, and relationships. Personally, I was so drawn to the father's character and his relentless pursuit for his lost love. And like most of us, we find commonalities with Samantha and Louis' connection as well as Rusty's heart as a young teenager.

Favorite quote: "My biggest mistake was thinking you could fix me. Only I can fix me." (Kate)

4. Breakfast at Tiffany's
I couldn't leave this one out. It's a classic film set in New York City featuring the one and only Audrey Hepburn. She is a doll, and her endless chase for the best things in life is matched by her poised, graceful character.

Favorite scene:
"I love you." (Paul)
"So what." (Holly)
"So what? So plenty! I love you, you belong to me!" (Paul)
"No, people don't belong to people." (Holly)
"Of course they do!" (Paul)
"I'll never let anybody put me in a cage." (Holly)
"I don't want to put you in a cage, I want to love you!" (Paul)

I'll be back for more. 

x Sola

An Empire State of Mind

Over the winter break, I took my very first trip to the Big Apple! For seven days, the six of us roamed through the city, not-minding the freezing cold weather of mid-December in New York.

^ beautiful alley near Wall Street

^ Drinks at our dinner place

^ Unbelievably tasteful Italian dinner at Adrienne's Pizzabar

Every street was exciting, and each neighborhood told a unique story of its own. My favorite were those located in the southern region of the map: Soho, East Village, Little Italy.  If I ever visit again, I'm definitely coming back to these sites.

Central Park was too much to grasp in one visit. It's honestly breathtaking. Every entrance and angle of the park has different highlights and specialties. We entered from the side of Museum Mile, so we passed by lots of food trucks and pedestrians. Once we entered the park, we saw rows and rows of engraved benches marked with confessions and memories: "For my love, Jane."
We even witnessed a wedding with a total of 5 guests taking place right across the Turtle Pond. To say the least, it was both relaxing and heartwarming- just what we needed in this big, busy city. 

^ The six girls taking on NYC together!

Shopping in New York is something else! An entire section of the city is dedicated to upscale shopping, so it's nearly impossible to leave the fashion districts without finding a few things to buy. Additionally, a lot of the stores adhere to no (or low) sales tax, meaning duty free shopping!

^ A memory I'll never forget, NYE in Times Square

The finale of our winter trip had to end at the famous Times Square. We spent our last night waiting for the ball to drop and confetti to fall. It was a little overwhelming, not due to obvious reasons like the crowd and long waits, but because I knew this was our last night in the city together. I didn't want to leave just yet. So this, by far, was my favorite memory in New York. Greeting strangers, making conversation with the NYPD, and being a part of this delirious crowd. It was simply incredible. I'm amazed we were able to catch our early bird flight back to LA within the next hour - just minutes after counting down to 2015!

Cheers to our wonderful 7-day trip and until next time. I <3 NY!

x Sola

Look of the Day

Here's what I felt like wearing today:

^ blouse & skirt: Dina's closet, transparent clutch: DIY, shoes: ZARA

What I love about pencil skirts is their silhouette. It gives a more fitted, proper look while still maintaining one's figure. This skirt in particular is made of soft silk material, which makes all-day comfort a given.

See what inspires me: sallylee.tumblr.com

x Sola

Venice, CA

Photos courtesy of Anna Park, my best gal for life. (www.retronaproject.com)

Venice, CA

x Sola

Land of Cool Cats and Cut-Offs

<Photo diary of my visit to 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica, CA>

^ Kitson store art in LA, saying "Greetings from California - The land of cool cats & cut offs"

^ Free People Santa Monica

x Sola

Year 20

<IVY's first photo shoot in Beverly Hills, CA>

Celebrating Becky and Anna's turning 20!

Sola

Pier, Promenade, and People

This weekend, Justin and I took a break from the dreadful heat waves in my hometown and cooled off at the Santa Monica beach in California. Despite having overcrowded streets and notoriously dirty shores, SM city is one of my favorite places in LA.

^ feelin' a little groovy with my outfit today, heh.

^ Checkered shirt American Apparel, denim jacket & backpack thrifted, pants Forever 21, All-Star Chuck Taylor's (sneakers) Converse, beanie Forever 21

^ Santa Monica always has street performers during the weekend. Here's my favorite street performer of the day - his voice reminds me of the artist Jason Mraz.

^ PUMA Santa Monica

^ Fortune cookie, dream catcher, and locket necklaces at Urban Outfitters

When the sun went down, there was the most beautiful sky I've seen in awhile. Check these out:

^ Still in awe of this photo...how beautiful does LA look?

x Sola