Why I Love My Parents’ Love…

I love that my parents’ love is unassuming, like a John Prine song. It is soft and simple and real. Their love has no façade built by money or objects or worldly possessions or anything that cannot be expressed in the form of a deep kiss and tight hand squeeze. I love that they still find pleasure in taking a trip together to the gas station to fill up the car on a Tuesday night. I love that my mom knew she wanted to marry my dad the first minute she saw him from across the room.

I love that my dad promised my mom he would show her the world and that today they sit in a small café in Paris drinking champagne for lunch. I love that my mom wanted to see the world with my dad, not so she could spend his money on fancy Italian clothes, but because she wanted to bike with him through the French Alps and visit the heritage that built our family.

I love that my dad will look at my mom on any given Saturday morning and tell us kids how funny he thinks she is. I love that my parents kiss randomly, just because. I love that my mom still writes my dad silly “I love you” notes and wants to rub his old, swollen feet while he watches hockey. I love that my parents dance, not just slowly and sweetly, but fast and drunkenly. I love that my parents laugh together.

I love that my mom started taking golf lessons so she could spend more time with my dad, doing something that he loved. I love that my dad bought my mom a paper shredder for Mother’s Day six years ago and that she still loves him.

I love that my parents beat the odds, not because they were lucky but because they work hard. They fight and the fights are not always pretty or fair or based on the most reasonable argument, but the make-ups and “I’m sorrys” are. My parents committed to a life together twenty-five years ago today. They said vows and I love you and I do and never strayed from those words, those promises. I love that I walked to work this morning with a tear in my eye and a smile on my face thinking about them and that people looked at me with pity when really, I am one of the luckiest girls in this entire world. I’ve seen real love. I’ve seen real love be tested and grown and shaped by the commitment of two amazing people. I’ve seen a love so real and intoxicating that now I know I will never settle for a love that isn’t as unassuming and perfectly simple as the love of my parents. And those people, my mom and my dad, in their oneness as a couple, are what I love most of all.

Happy 25^th Anniversary, Mom and Dad. I love you each and I love you as a whole.

Infinite x’s and o’s

Chicago Week One

Ahhhh, do you hate me?!

Finals, packing…..Chicago. All in ONE month! Don’t hate me. I’m back, who knows how often or for what reasons, but as of now, Miss Emelia has returned….and with pictures no less

1. When one lives in a studio with limited funds, one must learn to improvise. Champagne is drunken and bottle is reused. Bravo.

2. Sea & city all in one gorgeous, rooftop view. I may never make it the office with a scenery like this.

3. I get regular updates about Figaro. Still a diva. Still miss him.

4. First Cubs game of the glorious summer that is 2012. And yes, I put ketchup on my Chicago Dog. Sometimes, you just gotta learn the hard way.

5. Unfortunately, I was not able to bring my jewelry armoire to Chicago, for packing purposes and cozy living circumstances. Fortunately, a dash of Pinterest inspiration helped me create jewelry organization that is both fun and functional. You never disappoint, Pinterest.

6. Oh. These candles. Mmmm, these candles, these candles. Heaven sent Earth the most divine gift. THE most intoxicating scent. Tamarind Leaf & Lime from the Artisan Collection at Target. I have a leaf- and lime-induced, cheshire grin on my face. Take one whiff, you will too.

Before I sign off, I want to tell you my summer plan. Maybe not exactly….

You see, I’m not sure what my summer entails professionally, socially, personally, etc etc etc. But for my blog, I am least sure of all.

I don’t have my mom’s fancy camera or my mastermind Kitchenaid mixer. I don’t have my entire wardrobe or the funds to buy an entirely new one. BUT, I do have an amazing city, filled with wonderful people, streets upon streets of restaurants, new stories, new discoveries, new adventure. Bear with me. I’ll share with you what I learn about myself, this world, and this lovely city called Chicago. Not my ordinary routine, but sometimes a change of pace is good. This summer will be no exception. I’ll be in touch

Infinite x’s and o’s

Girls Who Read Books

“Don’t date a girl who reads because girls who read are storytellers. You with the Joyce, you with the Nabokov, you with the Woolf. You there in the library, on the platform of the metro, you in the corner of the café, you in the window of your room. You, who make my life so goddamned difficult. The girl who reads has spun out the account of her life and it is bursting with meaning. She insists that her narratives are rich, her supporting cast colorful, and her typeface bold. You, the girl who reads, make me want to be everything that I am not. But I am weak and I will fail you, because you have dreamed, properly, of someone who is better than I am. You will not accept the life of which I spoke at the beginning of this piece. You will accept nothing less than passion, and perfection, and a life worthy of being told. So out with you, girl who reads. Take the next southbound train and take your Hemingway with you. Or, perhaps, stay and save my life.”

—Charles Warnke

High Hopes

I strive to be an optimist. More often than not, I’m an idealist. But lately, I’ve been nothing more than a debby downer.

On Monday, I was invited to the second round of interviews for a highly competitive internship program in Chicago. Highly competitive equates to 2500 applications in just the month of March. Odds are not in my favor, or any persons, for that matter. So I’ve been sweating and obsessing and worrying myself into the most ridiculous ball of stress. Did I make a great impression? Were my answers clever? Was I bland compared to the hundreds of other interviewees? Was my thank-you sincere enough? Was my outfit too dressy? Was my briefcase too flashy? Was my hair too brown? Yep, one big ball of stress.

I expressed my concerns to a close friend, otherwise known as Mister Happy, and he was full of encouraging words. A great friend, indeed; but Emelia was in no mood for ass-kissing.  I told Mister Happy, “Stop getting my hopes up.” His response was beyond wise:

“Em, that’s where your hopes should be.”

Up high, the highest of hopes. With big expectations and even bigger dreams.

He was right.

Within the same few days, I also ran across this thought-provoking statement:

“For most of us the problem isn’t that we aim too high and fail – it’s just the opposite – we aim too low and succeed.”

Having big thoughts, bold ideas, and daring to act on them — it’s not a crime. In fact, this is exactly what I should be doing. And to all my twenty-something friends, so should you.

We shouldn’t settle now, today, ever. But especially now. Right now, we should be hungry for opportunities, thirsty for adventure. We should take risks, fall on our faces, go dirt poor chasing our biggest dreams. So what if we don’t succeed every time. We shouldn’t punish ourselves for taking a chance, we shouldn’t keep bitter thoughts and bitter feelings. In the end, it won’t be failure that we hold in our hands. It will be experiences, life lessons, relationships, and gratification. We never stopped. No matter how high of a mountain, no matter how small the odds, no matter how great the risks, we gave it our all.

I know I’m not the only person who is sweating an interview. Or maybe it’s a final exam, a job prospect, a new relationship, your future, post-graduation? Whatever it may be, do me one favor: keep your head up, your heart open, and your hopes high.

Infinite x’s and o’s

To Live With Open Heart; To Grow Up Through The Common

“To live content with small means;

to seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion;

to be worthy, not respectable,

and wealthy, not rich;

to study hard, think quietly, talk gently, act frankly;

to listen to stars and birds,

to babes and sages, with open heart;

to bear all cheerfully, do all bravely,

wait occasions, hurry never.

In a word,

to let the spiritual, unbidden, and unconscious,

grow up through the common.“

- William Henry Channing 

 

Never a Slave of the Ordinary

“Be Daring, Be Different,

Be Impractical, Be Anything that will

Assert Integrity of Purpose

and Imaginative Vision Against

the Play-It-Safers, The Creatures of

The Commonplace,

The Slaves of the Ordinary.“

-Cecil Beaton

A Life Lesson From The Sun

Even after all this time the Sun never says to the Earth, “You owe me.”

Look What happens with a love like that, it lights the whole sky.

-Hafiz, a Persian poet of the 1300

14 Ways To Love Yourself

Nothing could be more unattractive than a girl who feels sorry for herself on Valentine’s Day. Yep, we know your single. But so what? (and yes, this is coming from one single girl to another).

A February 14th filled with over consumption of ice cream and accessible amounts of wallowing in self-pity is SO 2000s. It may be a day based on romance, but more importantly, it is a day all about love.

Do you know anybody that deserves a little extra TLC today? That’s right. YOU do. And don’t be fooled. This doesn’t just apply to single ladies. Plenty of girls have boyfriends who, welllll, to put it simply, suck. Sad flowers and stale chocolates doesn’t exactly scream ‘Most Romantic Day Ever’. Don’t let anybody else determine your happiness but you. So here you go ladies, fourteen ways to love YOU this holiday:

1. Take a bubble bath. A long, hot bath with a little company from Mr. Tony Bennett and Ms. Diana Krall.

2. Grab lunch or breakfast with a friend. Great food and even better company without the awkward surrounding of lovey dovey couples you most likely would see at dinner.

3. Take a class. Develop an interest of yours, whether it’s cooking, photography, French. The world is your oyster.

4. Mani/pedi. Happy toes for a happy girl.

5. Get a massage. You’ve been working hard. You earned it.

6. Wear your favorite bra and panties. Wearing your prized lingerie pieces will give you an extra boost of confidence throughout the day. Plus, a girl should never need a reason to feel sexy.

7. Workout. In the words of Elle Woods “exercise gives you endorphins, endorphins make you happy.” Feel good in your skin today.

8. Tackle an item on your to-do list. Organize a book shelf, the spice rack, or your closet. The sense of accomplishment will do wonders to your ego.

9. What’s your favorite dessert? Creme brulee, banana cream pie, tiramisu? Eat it. You deserve it.

10. Watch a documentary or read a non-fiction book. Learning about the world can give you perspective and help clear your mind. Enlightenment nourishes your soul more than a commercialized holiday ever could.

11. Take a half day. Your co-workers will think you are just another girl headed home to drink unforgivable amounts of wine, watch a pathetic sob story, and eventually pass out. In actuality, you are opening up your entire afternoon to conquer this list.

12. Get a makeover. Learn to do your hair or make-up in a new way. It’s good to rediscover what you find beautiful about yourself. Sometimes it’s just easier to start on the outside and work your way in.

13. Take your dog for a walk. If you don’t have a dog, offer to take a friend’s, family member’s, or neighbor’s. There is a reason college student’s cling to pictures of puppies during final’s week. Only dogs can bring out a desperately needed level of happiness and cheer.

14. Surround yourself with people who make you laugh. Life is too short to waste away an entire day. Don’t commiserate yourself, love yourself.

Infinite x’s and o’s

Playgirls of the Universe

{via}

I like women who haven’t lived with too many men.
I don’t expect virginity but I simply prefer women
who haven’t been rubbed raw by experience.

There is a quality about women who choose
men sparingly;
it appears in their walk
in their eyes
in their laughter and in their
gentle hearts.

Women who have had too many men
seem to choose the next one
out of revenge rather than with
feeling.

When you play the field selfishly everything
works against you:
one can’t insist on love or
demand affection.
you’re finally left with whatever
you have been willing to give
which often is:
nothing.

Some women are delicate things
some women are delicious and
wondrous.

If you want to piss on the sun
go ahead
but please leave them
alone.

-Charles Bukowski  ”A poem for swingers, a poem for the playgirls of the universe”

State of Happiness

{via}

I’ve been in a weird, reflective place for about two weeks. This past year has brought on an unprecedented amount of change in my life. A new school, new job, new opportunities, new people. New. Different. Revamped. That’s what my life is, an improved version of what it was a year ago. I think that is how every year should be, a little bit better than the last.

These changes have been a complete blessing, but they’ve also kept me busier than a pregnant Rachel Zoe during Oscars. I’ve been in one mode: Go. Go. Go. Like many of you, I’ve been chasing dreams, goals, lifelong ambitions, and in this race I’ve failed to just stop, breathe, and smile. I smile at a lot of people in a lot of places when I need to, but I don’t catch myself laughing alone or smiling just because. That, my friends, is stupid.

We chase fancy careers and aim to furnish our homes with lavish decorations, with the justification that those things will one day bring us unparalleled happiness. Sure, we’ll be happy when we get these things; however, once we have them, we’ll set our sights on something new – and the search for happiness will continue, just as it always does.

This year, I plan to better my life by filling it with more happiness. You see, being happy is a state of mind as much as it is a state of being. Each day, I am surrounded by reasons to smile. My family, my health, my friends, my home, good food, good books, funny people, funny jokes, and the list goes on. There is so much to be happy for, so many reasons to smile. Remember, we will always find happiness when we are looking for it.

Infinite x’s and o’s