We began to walk toward the beach at around 6:45pm, there was a slight breeze, it was warm against my skin and felt quite comforting - there is something about that nighttime summer breeze that has always filled me with peace, and this night was no exception.
The walk to the beach wasn't long, it probably took us about 10 minutes to arrive, but as we approached the ocean, the sun began to set. Slowly, it was getting darker, and, to my absolute astonishment small flickers of light started appearing at the waters edge.
Tears swelling in my eyes, I looked at Emily and back at the ocean. You would expect everyone burst into chatter in absolute surprise, but what happened was much opposite - everyone became silent and slowly walked toward the light. The flickers turned out to be hundreds of fireflies, a rare sight on a beach, as they generally navigate toward lakes and rivers, but nonetheless, it was one of the most beautiful things I have ever witnessed.
Imagine a beach, small and secluded, the waves calmly swallowing the sand as though it were it's only job, and hundreds of beautiful, soft flickering lights. Imagine your friends all filled with the same joy as you, imagine being at peace with a moment - that was that night.
It's hard to describe how you feel in those moments of absolute awareness, nothing mattered at that time, I was filled with warmth and comfort as we walked through the flies into the water. We had all dealt with so much pain throughout our lives, but this one night of purity reminded every single one of us that live can be truly beautiful if you seek out the simple pleasures.
I'm not trying to give this story a happy ending, but I'm trying to tell you to hold on, for god's sake, hold on - because those moments do happen and they are so worth it.
Thursday 4 September 2014
Sunday 24 August 2014
At 20 years old, I think I have finally found a place in my life where I am truly content with where I am. I might not always be the happiest person, but I have constantly tried throughout my life to be a positive and kind person. I am incredibly empathetic, and although this may make things hard for me sometimes, I believe it's one of my favourite qualities about myself.
It took me a long time to realise the importance of being kind, not only to others, but also to yourself. I put myself in a relationship for too long with a person who treated me like I came from the pits of hell. Pointing out every one of my flaws, calling me fat just to see my reaction, telling me I was basically nothing for so long - and I took it, because, deep down, I thought I deserved it. Maybe if I was in the same situation now I would say something, then again, maybe I would take it again. When you really, truly believe you love someone you believe anything they tell you.
I'm stronger now though, I'm probably at the strongest point of my life at the moment - throughout all of that I didn't turn back to old habits, I kept pushing and I kept a positive mindset. I have broken down various times since then, it basically pushed me to the point of having anxiety attacks almost every day, so I took the initiative to quit my job and find something better suited to me. I finally found the strength to completely cut that person out of my life, and although sometimes I still find it extremely hard to love myself, I am pushing myself every day to do so.
As bad as life can get, I do truly believe it can get better. I have found someone who treats me right, who wants to be around me and who basically treats me like I'm almost perfect. Every time I talk badly about myself he will answer it with something positive about me. I don't know how I did it, but I am so glad I did.
Love yourself, love others, and love the world you live in, because it can be truly beautiful.
It took me a long time to realise the importance of being kind, not only to others, but also to yourself. I put myself in a relationship for too long with a person who treated me like I came from the pits of hell. Pointing out every one of my flaws, calling me fat just to see my reaction, telling me I was basically nothing for so long - and I took it, because, deep down, I thought I deserved it. Maybe if I was in the same situation now I would say something, then again, maybe I would take it again. When you really, truly believe you love someone you believe anything they tell you.
I'm stronger now though, I'm probably at the strongest point of my life at the moment - throughout all of that I didn't turn back to old habits, I kept pushing and I kept a positive mindset. I have broken down various times since then, it basically pushed me to the point of having anxiety attacks almost every day, so I took the initiative to quit my job and find something better suited to me. I finally found the strength to completely cut that person out of my life, and although sometimes I still find it extremely hard to love myself, I am pushing myself every day to do so.
As bad as life can get, I do truly believe it can get better. I have found someone who treats me right, who wants to be around me and who basically treats me like I'm almost perfect. Every time I talk badly about myself he will answer it with something positive about me. I don't know how I did it, but I am so glad I did.
Love yourself, love others, and love the world you live in, because it can be truly beautiful.
Wednesday 5 February 2014
Elizabeth Olsen x Frances Tulk-Hart
I'm a big fan of Elizabeth Olsen, yet, like I'm sure many others were, I was unaware of her existence until the recent years, but as soon as I saw that beaming smile of hers I was captivated by her beauty.
Recently I was exploring various tags on Tumblr and stumbled upon a photoshoot of her I had seen before but never really taken notice of, I searched a little more and found the photographers name - Frances Tulk-Hart. As soon as I saw the rest of the photos I fell in love with the complete set.
The images give us an intimate look into Lizzie's life, the light makeup and lack of glamour is refreshing, making her seem more human. It's marvelous to see Elizabeth grow older and form a name of herself, nowadays I hardly think about Mary-Kate and Ashley when she's mentioned, and, although I'm sure you'd be very proud to call yourself their sister, that must be relieving for someone who spent her childhood slightly in the shadow of her sisters.
This photoshoot has quickly become one of my favourites and I will be sure to keep an eye on other projects of Frances Tulk-Hart's - if you want to check out some of her other photography go to her website at www.francestulkhart.com/ - you won't be disappointed!
Be sure to see Elizabeth's new movie, In Secret, directed by Charlie Stratton - set to hit theatres Februrary in the US and probably sometime around September for the rest of us (I know, annoying).
Love,
Hannah
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Monday 3 February 2014
London Grammar
I'll be the first to tell you that I jumped on the London Grammar train a little bit late, I had heard numerous great things about the band, but never actually decided to give them the time of day.
This year, on Australia Day, Triple J's hottest 100 hit our radios, and, at number 10 my ears recognised a familiar tune - never had I sought out this song to listen to, but upon truly listening, I decided this was definitely a band I needed to check out, stat.
The band is fronted by vocalist Hannah Reid (the name Hannah may not be the most original, but it still excites me that we share ours), guitarist Dan Rothman and Dominic 'Dot' Major on the keyboard, djembe and drums.
The band was formed whilst the three were together at University. The songs have a sound quite reminiscent of The xx, although, in my opinion, they're far less boring (I have never been a big fan of The xx, I have tried to listen to them on many an occasion, but consistently found myself bored by their music).
Hannah's voice is strong and soulful, yet suits the modern vibe that their lyrics and tunes ooze. The music holds the ability to both be played while you're lying on bed, eyes closed, headphones in, reflecting on life and everything that you have to be thankful for/scared of/to look forward to, yet also when you have friends over maybe for dinner or pre drinks with your friends.
Upon visiting their Spotify page, you will stumble upon a High Contrast remix of one of their most popular songs, Strong. I have never been a huge fan of remixes, but this one in particular gives the already great song a new vibe - something to listen to when you're feeling great or something to play at a party and is probably one of my most played songs at the moment.
So, before you go back to what you were listening to, I suggest you head over to London Grammar's Spotify page or Soundcloud and give them a moment - before you know it you'll be obsessed just like me.
Love,
Hannah
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Karen Walker Visible
Karen Walker is no stranger when it comes to using unconventional models for her campaigns. In her Forever campaigns, Walker used both "older" and "younger" models.
Although many designers and their teams wouldn't consider the possibility of straying from the socially acceptable models that are displayed everywhere nowadays, Walker has refreshed her audience with models that are uncommonly used.
In her newest campaign, Visible, Walker worked with the United Nations' ITC Ethical Fashion Initiative. The Initiative's aim is to create work in rural areas of Kenya, their motto being "not charity, just work", thus hoping to create work that can be sustained rather than aid being needed in such places.
It does not stop there, though. One step further, the Masaai artisans are used as the stars of the campaign - the models. Not only is this step refreshing, but it is interesting - it gives us, the people who are buying her eye-wear, a look into who is creating those sought after sunglasses for us - it gives a face to those people whom we never really consider.
Photographed by Derek Henderson, this campaign both provides it's viewers with happiness and excitement in the lead up to the release of Walker's new line. The sunglasses will be available around the 10th of February, so all those who are as excited as I am, I hope you've got a little money saved up so you can get your hands on a pair of these ASAP.
Love,
Hannah
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Sources: Karen Walker Facebook Page, images collected from Miss Moss
Sunday 2 February 2014
Advice
I am 19. The first person to tell you that I know hardly anything about life is me.
Throughout the years I have attempted to claw my way into a slightly sound mind, and, on many occasions, failed miserably.
Constantly I find myself laying in bed confronted by terrifying thoughts, and along with those thoughts, a little voice in the back of my mind telling me all the things that are wrong with me.
The majority of people I know have struggled with self esteem issues throughout their lives, thus, I found my struggles were just something normal, something that would go away when I settled into myself. The mental battles of my friends were absolutely nothing to be shrugged off - anyone who feels like they're less than what they are needs to be given the adequate love and attention to make them believe they are as great as the moon on a clear night, and although I am aware of that, my struggles manifested in me harming myself, starving myself, ruining myself.
It all comes down to how we, as individuals, deal with things. My coping mechanisms were more harmful than the actual thoughts inside my head - but that is not the point - the point is that the thoughts inside my head became so strong that they flushed out like water in a newly-smashed glass.
What I've learnt from my various attempts at trying to free myself from negativity, is that you cannot allow the harshness of the universe convince you that you are worth nothing. Every person in this universe is worth something.
Throughout your life you will encounter people who want to drag you down, people who will continually point out those little things that make the world ugly. I have found it is important to be aware of these things - being willingly ignorant is not a way to live, but they are going to try and keep you unhappy - the negativity inside your soul will latch onto them in order to louden their voice, and so it is important to stay optimistic in spite of such situations.
Keep yourself occupied.
Writing has such an immense effect over my life, recently I traveled to Europe for 5 months and hardly wrote at all, but, whenever I was having a particularly harsh night, I continually found myself opening my notes and typing away on my iPhone. Getting everything down, coherently, was such an escape for me and really helped me see the light, per say.
Find what suits you and embrace it, if that's playing video games, play the fuck out of that Playstation/Xbox/Wii - until the rubber wears down, but invite someone to play it with you - don't lock yourself away from society.
Breathe in fresh air. Go for walks - fresh air is so important, not only for our body, but for our minds and our souls - I find if I'm locked in the house all day I find I feel sluggish and angry when the sun goes down.
Get up before 10am - I know that sleep is very important, but losing half the day really can have such a negative effect over your attitude in day-to-day life. When I get up at 10-12, there is no doubt I'm going to feel unfulfilled by the end of the day. Go to bed earlier and wake up earlier - trust me, if nothing else, you will feel more productive.
Write a list of things that you like about yourself - these things do not have to be physical, they can be anything from the way your mum looks at you when you smile, to the fact that you like chocolate. Be kind, be gentle with yourself, when you are feeling run down by the world, take out this list as a reminder that you are really great.
"Fake it 'til you make it" - when I first heard this line all I could think was that it sounded like a ridiculously redundant coping mechanism - but this has been one of the major strengths I have held throughout my recovery. Fake fake fake, I know that sounds wrong, but after a while you start to believe the things you thought you were faking. Fake that you believe your worth everything, fake that you believe your gorgeous, and one day you might really start to believe it. As you should, as it is true.
There are so many more things that can be helpful, such as finding a friend to confide in, and I will probably do another post on this subject, but for now, try and do these things.
Keep the negative thoughts at bay (it's okay to be negative sometimes) and the positive stronger, you are worth so much.
Love,
Hannah
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Throughout the years I have attempted to claw my way into a slightly sound mind, and, on many occasions, failed miserably.
Constantly I find myself laying in bed confronted by terrifying thoughts, and along with those thoughts, a little voice in the back of my mind telling me all the things that are wrong with me.
The majority of people I know have struggled with self esteem issues throughout their lives, thus, I found my struggles were just something normal, something that would go away when I settled into myself. The mental battles of my friends were absolutely nothing to be shrugged off - anyone who feels like they're less than what they are needs to be given the adequate love and attention to make them believe they are as great as the moon on a clear night, and although I am aware of that, my struggles manifested in me harming myself, starving myself, ruining myself.
It all comes down to how we, as individuals, deal with things. My coping mechanisms were more harmful than the actual thoughts inside my head - but that is not the point - the point is that the thoughts inside my head became so strong that they flushed out like water in a newly-smashed glass.
What I've learnt from my various attempts at trying to free myself from negativity, is that you cannot allow the harshness of the universe convince you that you are worth nothing. Every person in this universe is worth something.
Throughout your life you will encounter people who want to drag you down, people who will continually point out those little things that make the world ugly. I have found it is important to be aware of these things - being willingly ignorant is not a way to live, but they are going to try and keep you unhappy - the negativity inside your soul will latch onto them in order to louden their voice, and so it is important to stay optimistic in spite of such situations.
Keep yourself occupied.
Writing has such an immense effect over my life, recently I traveled to Europe for 5 months and hardly wrote at all, but, whenever I was having a particularly harsh night, I continually found myself opening my notes and typing away on my iPhone. Getting everything down, coherently, was such an escape for me and really helped me see the light, per say.
Find what suits you and embrace it, if that's playing video games, play the fuck out of that Playstation/Xbox/Wii - until the rubber wears down, but invite someone to play it with you - don't lock yourself away from society.
Breathe in fresh air. Go for walks - fresh air is so important, not only for our body, but for our minds and our souls - I find if I'm locked in the house all day I find I feel sluggish and angry when the sun goes down.
Get up before 10am - I know that sleep is very important, but losing half the day really can have such a negative effect over your attitude in day-to-day life. When I get up at 10-12, there is no doubt I'm going to feel unfulfilled by the end of the day. Go to bed earlier and wake up earlier - trust me, if nothing else, you will feel more productive.
Write a list of things that you like about yourself - these things do not have to be physical, they can be anything from the way your mum looks at you when you smile, to the fact that you like chocolate. Be kind, be gentle with yourself, when you are feeling run down by the world, take out this list as a reminder that you are really great.
"Fake it 'til you make it" - when I first heard this line all I could think was that it sounded like a ridiculously redundant coping mechanism - but this has been one of the major strengths I have held throughout my recovery. Fake fake fake, I know that sounds wrong, but after a while you start to believe the things you thought you were faking. Fake that you believe your worth everything, fake that you believe your gorgeous, and one day you might really start to believe it. As you should, as it is true.
There are so many more things that can be helpful, such as finding a friend to confide in, and I will probably do another post on this subject, but for now, try and do these things.
Keep the negative thoughts at bay (it's okay to be negative sometimes) and the positive stronger, you are worth so much.
Love,
Hannah
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I have decided to continue on with this blog. At the moment I'm trying to figure out what I want to focus on. I may just write about day-to-day events that have taken place in my life, general advice that I can give to people, and things I love. Along with reviews of other things.
Follow my blog with Bloglovin
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