mayflowers

"Do you know what I think Mayflowers are, Marilla? I think they must be the souls of the flowers that died last summer, and this is their heaven."
 anne with an 'e'

may days

Spring is strong and virtuous,
Broad-sowing, cheerful, plenteous,
Quickening underneath the mould
Grains beyond the price of gold.
So deep and large her bounties are,
That one broad, long midsummer day
Shall to the planet overpay
The ravage of a year of war.
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson --


My May so far has consisted of weekends spent out in the warm, yet delightfully breezy, weather. As I am still trying to finish of my school year, I try to content myself on weekdays with an open window and the delightful scent of lilacs in full bloom. It encourages me to push on, just a little longer.

Amid soaking up all the sunshine I can & my busy schedule, I have neglected this little blog of mine. It is not that I have nothing to say... it's just that all my thoughts are jumbled up inside my head. At the end of the day, when all is quiet I have a couple of moments just to myself, I am just too exhausted to start untangling them. I have so much to say & yet I feel I can't.

When words fail... photographs take over. It is amazing how much of my emotions and feelings go into my photography. I want my blog to be real and, for the time being, if the only way I can share what I truly feel is with photo essays, then so be it. I am tired of writing posts full of words but empty in feeling.

For the following month, I will be sharing my heart in photographs, quotes, & handfuls of words. No lengthy paragraphs, just captured emotions & words that inspire. Just me & my heart.

hugs,
e

forgotten winter frames

“What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness?”

--John Steinbeck--

p.s. The winner of the Kinfolk magazine is Hannah Beasley. Congratulations! I will be contacting you shortly. :) Many thanks to everyone who entered. I'm seriously craving ice cream right now, & I might just decide to host another giveaway soon! ;)

dear winter

I like you. I really do. You are full of beauty, the still & silent kind, the kind that makes people want to stare in wonder. I like the pink roses you paint on cold cheeks. I like cuddling up in a blanket with a cup of hot cocoa & watching as you cover the world outside in brilliant white. I like snow days, building snowmen, racing down snow-covered slopes, & breathing in your fresh, icey scent. You are a wonderful, glorious season.

My dear winter, there is something you should know. Today is the first day of spring. I know you like overstaying your welcome here up north, but really, just this once... please make way for spring. Please. I beg you with all my heart.

sincerely,
e

portraits of my sister || the beauty of stories

Once upon a time there lived a girl who loved books. She loved hearing the crackle of a book's spine when she opened it for the first time. She loved the feel of the pages & the simple joy of turning them. But most of all, she loved the stories. She loved them so much in fact, that she spent many a moment wishing... wishing they could come to life.

But as she was gazing out the window one day, thinking about all the characters she had come to know over the years, she realized... they were real. She thought back to all the times she had laughed when they laughed & cried when they cried & rejoiced when they rejoiced. Yes, they were real. They had always been. Even after their stories had been told & even after she had long closed the back cover of their books, they still lived on. They lived on inside her head. Her imagination brought them to life & that made them real.

She realized that as long as stories were remembered, as long as people cared, characters would live on. Brought to life simply by the fact that there was someone left who cared enough to remember them. That is the enduring beauty of stories. They live on even if there is only one person left who cares... you. And they can always be passed on.

fifteen

And so February gives way to March, & March, after putting a rosy tinge on the flower buds, slips into April. April brings with it spring showers & then turns into May, with the scent of freshly-cut grass lingering in the air. And May rapidly rolls into June & July & then August, all full to the brim with delightful sunshine. And following swiftly on silent feet come September & October, with fall breezes, a delightful palette of autumn colours, muddy boots, & cinnamon goodness. November, rainy & dreary, but quiet & understanding, passes by. December arrives. Glorious, wonderful December. With hope, joy, pink cheeks & noses, evergreen broughs, powdery snow, & much laughter. And then January steps in again, full of promise as always. And today, January 10th, is my birthday. The day I turn fifteen.

Many, many things have happened over the past year. I'm thankful for them all - the happy & the sad. I'm thankful for all the lovely blogger friends I got to know (you guys are so sweet. all those birthday wishes on my timeline... I'm so incredibly blessed! <3). I have grown & changed, & I still have a long ways to go. This is just another bend in the road. A new, untrodden path, twisting & turning ahead, beckoning me onwards. I can't wait to start on this new adventure.

many, many hugs to you sweet friends!! <3
fifteen-year-old me