life, lemons, and vodka: throwback

Audrey Hepburn has been one of my favorite actresses for a very long time. I didn't see Breakfast at Tiffany's until my junior year of high school, and ever since I've been an avid fan. I know there are far more devoted Audrey fans out there, but her biography is on my summer reading list. And I love, love, love every quote I come across by her. She was an amazing, philanthropic woman who's life deserves to be celebrated.

Her 85th birthday would have been yesterday had she not been taken from us too soon, and I firmly believe that us ladies can take away a lot from her. Audrey was a lady who was always, always, always willing to give. I don't know about all of you, but I feel like it something not many people are capable of or want to do anymore. Giving back isn't as much of a priority as it used to be. Sad, isn't it?

Get inspired with these quotes from Audrey herself!

Some of my favorite moments in my life have been captured on camera. But I have a LOT of favorite moments, so the ones I did happen to get on camera tend to be the ones that aren't necessarily at the top of my list of "favorites." Although, the picture at the very bottom of this post of me and my best friends is definitely in my top three favorite photos (even though I'm still not over how horrible my roots were...).

I hope I'm not alone in this, but I find myself reflecting upon my favorite moments of each day right before I go to sleep. And it's nothing that I do on purpose, it's just where my mind wanders. I find great solace in that every night before I fall asleep I have something to smile about, even on my worst days. The tricky thing about moments though, is making sure that you see them. And appreciate them. And make sure they don't pass you by.

A Good Life is a Collection of Happy Moments

I don't know if I would necessarily want to capture every moment that I appreciate on camera. I love photos and I love the amazing ability they have at telling stories without the use of words. The mark of an extremely good photo is one that could move you to tears, it's so full of emotion--whether it be sadness, happiness, loss, or love. Emotions are what make a moment a moment, and it's absolutely amazing when that can be captured and held onto forever.

That being said, memories are also one of the most sacred things in the world to me. Some memories are meant to be shared, and some meant to be kept private. There's a luxury in that. My favorite moments have been spent alone, with my family, my best friends... and so on.

The moment you realize you might actually have the guts to chase after your dreams. The moment you realize you actually didn't bomb that exam, and all your hard work paid off. The moment someone you love gets some amazing news. The moment you beat your best mile time, or your team wins the state championship. The moment you come to find the person you like may actually like you back.

But moments aren't just good, and I'm thankful for that too. If we never experienced bad things, the gut-wrenching, tear-jerking, heart-dropping (or stopping) moments that literally make you feel like your world is ending. The moment you lose a loved one. The moment someone breaks your heart. The moment someone beats you out for the job that was everything you could have ever hoped for. The moment you realize that one of the friendships you've held so dear for so long is falling apart.

So here's to moments. To the bad ones that make the good ones so great, and the absolutely out of this world exciting moments that remind you just how wonderful life is. I think we all get extremely caught up in the drama that comes when life keeps throwing things at you day to day. I do wish my eyes could take photos. Sometimes I even wish they could take videos, so I could replay the moments that made my friends and I drop on the floor laughing so hard we ~~almost~~ cried. Mostly though, I'm just happy for all the moments I'm lucky enough to have; after all, they're the things that keep me going when it feels like the entire world is working against me. And we've all been there, right?