mariposa – 7.06 pm

Many quotes have been written on the concept of a caterpillar turning into a butterfly.

“Everything will work out more beautifully than you can imagine,” they say, nodding knowingly at the miraculous transformation. One of nature’s finest works.

“You may be a caterpillar now, but someday you will be a beautiful butterfly.”

Someday. Someday. Someday….

We often romanticize the thought that everything is going to be okay – we simply recognize the beginning and the end, without giving thought to the middle.

Everyone fantasizes about turning into a butterfly, but very few realize that we have failed to take note of the most important part: the transformation within the chrysalis.

While the caterpillar is in the chrysalis, its body begins to break down and dissolve. All the organs that sustain the little caterpillar disappear. They are turned into liquid, and the caterpillar becomes no more than a helpless puddle.

Similarly, on our journey, we will be broken down. We will be dissolved into anxiety, constant fear and insecurities, and shattered dreams. Seemingly everyone that had ever given us hope will fade away, leaving us helpless and hopeless. The transformation itself is not a concept to be taken lightly.

After the caterpillar is turned into a puddle of liquids, it starts to rebuild itself. Slowly but surely, antennae and wings form perfectly, barely visible through the glistening chrysalis. In the same way, we need to rebuild from our ashes. We need to create a new outlook on life, a new love for others, a new patience.

But, as the caterpillar finally emerges from its chrysalis in the form of the butterfly, its struggles aren’t over. Adjusting into its new life isn’t easy – they have to patiently wait for their wings to unfold.

Just like the newly formed butterfly, we must be patient with ourselves. Don’t rush yourself, because if you do, you will find yourself back at square one. And eventually, as you become stronger, you’ll see your glorious, sun dazzled wings rising above you.

So be patient. Wait a little longer. Trust a little more. You may be a helpless puddle of brokenness right now, but I promise you that everything will not only be “okay” in the end, it will be better than you could ever have imagined.

remember, it is the journey, not the destination.

Not That Simple

hey guys! sorry I haven’t posted for a whole month ahh – life has gotten way too busy! so, to reward you guys for being patient, here’s a little story for valentine’s day :)

she loved him, and he loved her…but it wasn’t that simple. nothing ever was. and nothing ever will be.

she was the sun — an endless ball of fire, energy, and passion, blazing into infinity. a bit on the wild side.

and he was the sky, calm, steady, and reassuring. ever present. holding her up. accepting her flaws.

it seemed like they had been with each other since the beginning of time – no one really remembered when they met. but they were quite the dynamic duo, fearlessly pacing through each day and night – she was always in the lead; he was always at her side.

“opposites attract,” everyone said knowingly of the pair.

“peanut butter and jelly.”

“fire and ice.”

“sunshine and rain.”

“peanuts and popcorn.”

“we’re just friends,” they responded, laughing. but everyone knew they existed only for each other.

they thought they would be together forever…but it wasn’t that simple. you see, life has a tendency to pull apart the most committed and dedicated of lovers.

— eventually, the sky became too distant from the sun, who in turn, became too fiery and unmanageable without him to keep her in check. no one could handle her; no one could reach him.

so they faded from existence, each completely lost without the other. the universe cracked at the seams, and their story was gradually forgotten.

never to be relived, and never to be told again.

 

 

 

Day 25: heyy

*guilty cough*

It’s been like 3 weeks. I’M SO SORRY T_T Life got jealous and tried to take up all of my time, but here I am! Back and ready to go :)

Quick update: I’ve been working on my Instagram lately, and you should definitely check it out! You’ll find it in the sidebar of my blog. Midterms and exams have also been the death of me lately, and I’ve been desperately trying to keep up with a social life and music classes, all the while trying to stay fit and reach out to Him. Honestly I don’t know how I’m still alive haha x)

ANYWAYS. here are some fall pictures of these past two months. I’ll be back soon with a quality post, and maybe some DIYs :o stay tuned!

this is more of a summer picture…but neverthless. it was taken during fall so it counts ^-^

apple pickingg

I’ll be back very soon!

Day 23: How to be a Basic Girl in Fall

oh hey. the title is basically me. here’s your step by step guide to becoming a basic autumn girl. you’re welcome.

Step One:

Get a chunky sweater. Charlotte Russe has some pretty cute ones, and so does Urban Outfitters :3

Step Two:

You better fake your feelings (and taste buds) and drink that Pumpkin Spice Latte. I don’t care how gross it is, you gotta drink it u.u

Step Three:

Pumpkin/Cider/Fall flavored/scented everything. That includes candles, soaps, shampoo… hand sanitizer…pumpkin spice for food…canned pumpkin for the vegan pumpkin bread…

Step Four:

Buy a cute mug for those future aesthetic pictures for Instagram. Actually wait no, buy three.

Step Five: Long fuzzy socks <3 okay, I will admit it I cannot wait for Christmas (hence the Christmas-themed socks)

Step Six: If you don’t have fall foliage, buy it. (hint: Michaels) No one will ever know ;D

ahah, you guys, don’t take any of this seriously. please. if I left anything out, feel free to add on in the comments below :D I love reading your feedback!

Storytime: It was a dark, stormy afternoon…

The Friday afternoon had started just like the past four days at camp had – with warm, golden sunshine, the bluest skies, and glassy waters. About 15 of us had jumped into our respective canoes and started the 1 mile long voyage across the river to enjoy the afternoon.

But on the way back, trouble hit.

Hard.

    Heavy, gray clouds soon covered the sapphire sky, mercilessly raining on us as we dragged our canoes into the water and clambered in. Sydney, Summer, and I strained at the paddles, but by the time we were halfway across, our muscles were already exhausted from 4 straight days of canoeing.

 

“I need to take a break,” panted Sydney, laying down her paddle and slumping over on the seat. Summer and I agreed. Our canoe began to float aimlessly across the seemingly calm waters. In a few seconds, they were forming into threatening-looking waves. I screamed as one wave hit, causing the canoe to tip dangerously to one side.
“Paddle left!” ordered Summer. Sydney and I hurried to obey, but it wasn’t long before she yelled, “Paddle right!” Suddenly, a rumble of thunder vibrated through the heavy clouds, closely followed by a streak of burning lightning. The rain that had been pelting us this entire time instantly hardened into icy balls.

I ducked instinctively, shouting, “HAIL!” The waves responded by rocking our canoe even harder. The three of us desperately prayed for God to save us as our little canoe bounced about on the waves, but I was ready to just lay down in the canoe and let the waves pound us.

We were helpless. Stuck in a storm with seemingly no way out. In the middle of paddling, I realized that this was the same situation with our daily lives. We are all fighting our personal storms – full of rain, thunder, and lightning. Sometimes we want to give up. None of us can ever make it through the tempest, unless we give Him permission to take control.

And at that moment, the waves stilled, the hail stopped, and comforting sunlight illuminated the once again peaceful (The three of us were screaming with gratitude and joy) lake.

tbh, we can’t fight our battles by ourselves – that’s basically pointless. Enlist His help, and then watch the miracles unfold in your life.

by the way, I kissed the flowers out of happiness to be back on terra firma again :P

The Huntington Library

A few days ago I visited the Huntington Library in LA! It is largely famous, not only for its books but also for its gorgeous botanical garden. Yup, we are continuing the LA theme from The Broad Museum :) If you haven’t read it yet, you can click on the link right here: The Broad Museum. Enjoy the pictures I got with my trusty Nikon! Also, I tried a new photo formatting – do you like it?

 

{ Beautiful and dangerous }

 

Lush bamboo grove at the Chinese Garden

at the Children’s Garden u_u

 

Chinese Garden (again)

btw, the Chinese Garden had a bunch of places with food…that might be the reason why I was there for quite a long time u_u

Look closely at what this person put as their dream job in the 1910s :)

I hope you liked this post, and I definitely recommend going to the Huntington Library whenever you’re in LA! They have a variety of gardens and exhibits that could take all day to enjoy. It’s a great place to get away from the city and yet be in the city at the same time lol..It’s also a really good way to get exercise *cough* I walked about 5 miles in a few hours. If you go to the H, tag your post with #AtTheH so I can see them! Love you all~

 

That Girl Over There

Diamonds

“Like a diamond, the more I’m cut, sliced, and hurt…the more I shine.”

I know, I know. You’ve been told all your life that that your “good” wasn’t “good enough,” that your “best” wasn’t enough. Nothing hurts more than giving your absolute best and being told that it wasn’t “good enough.” But you know what? That should only inspire and motivate you to prove them haters wrong. We are all more than “good enough” in God’s eyes. We’re all diamonds. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve thought that I didn’t play violin or piano “good enough.” But you’ve got to pick yourself back up and keep moving. Run, walk, or crawl – as long as you’re moving forward.

 

scroll down for some rebel pictures I got during a makeshift photo shoot ;)

~shaking off my troubles like~

And in the end, we’re all diamonds. You just have to believe it.

That Girl Over There

Ordinary Life Doesn’t Interest Me…

hiiiiii! I felt so guilty for not blogging….you guys don’t know this, but I have this ache in my heart when I’m not here on WordPress. That’s how much I love you guys <3

Often in life, I get bored with the everyday routine. It’s school, music, school, music, school, music, etc… Lately, I’ve been realizing that I’m missing something. I haven’t been content with my ordinary life…I want something better.

I need to let go and allow God to guide my life.

I need to surrender myself and let Him take control.

I need to stop trying to be someone I’m not to make people love me…because only the true friends will love me for who I am.

No one on Earth could love me more than God could. If all the fraternal love that ever existed in the history of the world was added up, it would only be a tiny tiny stream compared to God’s love for me. Isn’t that mind blowing? Like seriously. Just try to imagine it.

And so I’ve come to realize….God is the missing piece in my life. I’ve fallen out of touch with Him, and I want to get connected again. All the worldly pleasures I’ve been trying to attain will only leave me empty and unsatisfied. Trying to be someone I’m not isn’t going to make Him happy. He created me in His own perfect way, and trying to be someone else is only trying to go against His will.

Just remember, you’re perfect just the way you are. You and I were created for a reason, and we are living this life for a reason. Every piece of your life that seems like it has “fallen” in place has not simply come to be. God has a special interest in you, and He is planning your life, detail by detail. ~hugs~

That Girl Over There

 

 

Real Beauty

Hello lovelies! It’s a beautiful day today where I live and I hope it’s equally beautiful where you are! So, I was out visiting a friend on a Saturday afternoon and spied some gorgeous, pink flowers.
Of course you know what came next….
I enlisted my friends’ help to photograph the blooms, and the lighting was perfect! The clouds in the sky helped create a soft glow that illuminated these beauties. I literally took so many pictures in my excited bliss. I don’t know the name of these buds o_o but if any of you recognize them comment below!

Live the life you think you deserve.

~Imperfection is beautiful~

God makes no mistakes – you are amazing just the way you are :)

Love,

That Girl Over There

Time Traveling

I look at the date and it is December 31st, the last day of 2015. This year has gone by so fast; I feel that I have jumped into a time travel machine and have somehow been transported from January 1st to December 31st in one ZAP!

I cannot wait to take on 2016.

I am eager for 2016’s adventures and I am ready to achieve its goals.

I will refuse to give up. Life cannot make me, because I have Him on my side.

I will press on to the very top until victory greets me. I will refuse to be daunted by challenges.

And above all, I will find delight in the little things. Like these beautiful flowers.

2016, you better watch out.

Yours truly,
That Girl Over There

I’m Still Alive.

HELLOOOOOOO!!!! Ahem. *clears throat* Hello. I’ve been somewhat “dormant” the past few weeks and I’m so sorry. I have been gathering inspiration for my blog (“yeah sure, ‘gathering inspiration’, really?”)and I have some cool posts (at least I think they’re cool) in my drafts begging me to publish them. I promise you I will!
Anyways, the fall/near winter weather has been good to me for photography! There was a pretty sunset today and I dragged my sister outside to be my photographer *wink wink*

taking a risk and doing a jump picture on top of a 15 feet tall rock. yup, that’s how I roll.

I will see you very soon with a Christmas post! Christmas, by the way, is my one major obsession right now. Have a lovely morning/afternoon/evening, wherever you are!

That Girl Over There

Goodbye November!

Well, here we are. The last day of November! I cannot believe that 2016 looms up ahead, sooner than I have expected! (I didn’t expect my biology class to start up so soon either. poo.)
Here are some artsy pictures we captured on a recent hike~

The 990 feet long bridge we walk across to get to the trails. I managed not to get run over by any bikers.

windswept hair. grand mountain. perfect day.

// jumping on the bridge // no, it didn’t break. I’m not that heavy.

God’s handiwork is pretty awesome. 

Have a great Monday!

That Girl Over There

Photo credits: my little sister, photographer in training

Dressy Fall

Hello lovely readers! Can you believe it’s November already? Fall has only one more month to display its glory! And I don’t mean just in autumn colors:)
Starbucks is coming out with some delicious sounding flavors {Chestnut Praline, Salted Caramel Mocha, Toasted Graham?! Yes please!}, and burgundy beanies, cream-colored cable sweaters, and long boots are seen pretty much everywhere. I’ve also fallen in love ;) with poring over pictures of comfort food on Instagram…
That being said, I think fall is the most fashionable season; even the trees get all posh and dressy!

Here are some photos of our own maple trees that have been patiently waiting on my bucket list!

|| The lovely fall leaves ||

• birdhouse among the leaves •

{{ fall blast — the leaves look like salsa }}

•|| the perfect red leaf ||•

~ you bright beautiful thing ~

{{ one last picture, no? }}

Ahh, taking fall pictures has finally been checked off my bucket list.

Yours truly,
That Girl Over There

**all photos have not been edited**

Wishing I was a Mermaid

I was at the beach today…

Embracing the ocean’s power

Throwback Thursday – Pictures from the Past

When you feel nostalgic…post pictures.

The ants are marching one by one, hurrah, hurrah…

Droplets of rain