Welcome back for part 2 of Lost In Thoughts!
Last Friday, April 17th, Jess shared a commencement speech by Anna Quindlen on her blog. Jess wasn’t able to confirm the time or place that the speech was given, but it’s the words that matter. Here is an excerpt that I find particulatly relevant:
All of you want to do well. But if you do not do good, too, then doing well will never be enough. It is so easy to waste our lives: our days, our hours, our minutes. It is so easy to take for granted the color of the azaleas, the sheen of the limestone on Fifth Avenue, the color of our kid’s eyes, the way the melody in a symphony rises and falls and disappears and rises again. It is so easy to exist instead of live.
That’s a great sentiment and one that I think about often. I’ve always been one to find pleasure in little things (the way the sun comes through the clouds, the color of an apple, laughter). It’s easy to get wrapped up in daily life and to-dos; it’s good to be reminded to pay attention. In the words of Ferris Bueller: “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”
I am loving the the recipe ideas and food photos over at fresh365! It’s a blog of vegetarian recipes, and everything looks delicious. However, I selected this photo because I’ve been thinking about green a lot lately, and these limes are just right. I must be longing for green because winter is over, everything is blooming, and the grass isn’t brown anymore. I’m sure some of my upcoming designs will have some green in them somewhere.
“a quirky couple” from Oh Joy!
I’m practically drooling over this beautiful photo! The white on white and the pops of color! This is my idea of lovely. The flowers are raununculus, one of my favorite varieties. They’re just so cheerful that I can’t help smiling when I see them. Plus, great name, right? The adorable vases are by j.mendicino and can be found in his Etsy shop.
London (harder, better, faster, stronger) from David Hubert on Vimeo.
The photography in this video is wonderful. In college I spent a semester studying abroad in London, and this video brings it all back. It was my first time living in a city, so it was very exciting. I lived in a flat with 2 roommates, cooked my own meals, and took the underground to my internship. I’m reminded how thrilling it was and I’m looking forward to putting some of that energy into my work. I’m thinking about going through my photos and using one or two for some new design projects.
Alright, that’s all for now. Don’t be shy about sharing your inspirations in the comments! I’ll be back next week with part 3 of the series!
-April
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“It is so easy to exist instead of live.”
So true! I needed to read this today. Thanks for always being a source of inspiration for me!
April,
It was an absolute treat to be included in your new series! The very best part of blogging for me is seeing how something I’ve written impacts someone else so I really appreciate how you shared the section of the speech that spoke to you.
This is an excellent series and I’m so excited for the ones that are yet to come.
Jess
P.S. Love the quirky couple, great find!
Hi April- Thank you so much for including me in this post! I really enjoy seeing what inspires designers! I love that Ferris Bueller quote- I used to watch that movie every time I was home sick as a kid. Great movie!
love this series! i just want to eat the flowers they are so gorgeous.
what i nice idea this series is. Thanks!