braver than we think we are.

Sorry for the delay in posting!  Moving in has been crazy, and I'm only now getting settled back into the routine of classes, classes, classes! That's right, it means I'm back at school, as I'm sure many of you are as well!

To freshmen, welcome to the crazy world of college.  I hope it holds many adventures and friendships for you.

To all others who have already been through a year or more of college, or are way past college, I also hope all is well.  Keep remembering that life is new every day, and that beautiful things are happening when you keep your eyes open.  I know sometimes it's hard to remember when the same thing happens day after day, but try. You'll like it, I promise.

A quote for you beauties, today:

"We have to be braver than we think we can be, because God is constantly calling us to be more than we are, to see through plastic sham to living, breathing reality, and to break down our defenses of self-protection in order to be free to receive and give love."

 --Madeleine L'Engle, "Walking on Water"

If you were more brave, what would you do?

this is actually the proust questionnaire. for serious.

It's answer more questions about yourself time! I love these times... :)

I love to hear what you girls say! Please comment with your answers. 

To begin, some background on the Proust Questionnaire: 

The Proust Questionnaire is a questionnaire about one's personality, first popularized by the responses given by the French writer Marcel Proust. When Marcel was at a friend's birthday party at the age of 13, they were instructed to fill out the answers to these questions for fun! Pretty deep stuff for such an occasion, and at such an age!  Proust did not make up the questions, but he is known for answering them- both at age 13, and again at age 20, to note the differences.  If you'd like to see all of the questions and both answers from Proust, at both ages, check out this site: http://www.chick.net/proust/question.html.  These questions are now used in every issue of the magazine Vanity Fair, where famous people are asked the Proust questions so readers can learn more about them.

I'm going to post some of them here and answer them myself. Bear with the questions if they seem confusing, they were answered in 1884 and created sooner!  Please do as you did with the "Getting To Know You" questions.  Repost with your own answers! 

1)Where would you like to live?  *Wherever, so long as I'm with those that I love. Oh, also, I want to avoid anywhere that can be labeled "the middle of nowhere."        

 2)What is your idea of earthly happiness?*Knowing the joy and abundant life that comes from Christ. Loving someone and being loved by someone who loves God, and seeks to love you out of that, Love itself. 

 3)Who are your favorite heroes of fiction?*Atticus Finch

 4)Your favorite musician?*I can’t pick one.  The Weepies, Eastmountainsouth, Caedmon’s Call….

 5)The quality you most admire in a man?*Kindness

 6)The quality you most admire in a woman?*Passion and outspokenness, but not at the expense of others.

 7)Who are your favorite poets?*Neruda, Rilke

8) What are your favorite names?*Chloe, Elle, Isaac, Isaiah

9) What is it you most dislike?*Mean-spiritedness

10) What is your present state of mind?* Calm, but a little achy from missing someone. 

 11)What do you most value in your friends?*A positive outlook. No Debbie Downers, please.

 12)What is your principle defect?*The fact that I can have a hard time admitting to them.

 13)What is your favorite occupation?* I’m going to agree with Proust on this one. “Loving.”

 14)What would you like to be?*Truly known by those I want to be truly known by, and by myself. A person who is continually growing up in God’s love, sharing that love with others. 

you girls are commentphobes. but i love you anyway.

Seriously, beautiful women. Let's use our voices and talk to each other.

Regardless of your lack of comments :) (and thank you to those of you who have been so faithful to!! You're the sunshine in my blogging days!) , I hope you are reading, and thinking about the things that I've been posting.  I do it for you ladies, but I realize that it helps me too.  Words are kind of beautiful that way.

* * * So today, an excerpt from something I wrote a few weeks ago, just sitting in a cafe thinking. 

 Comment if you want, if you agree, if you disagree, if you've felt the same things, I want to know. I promise. I do.

"What does it look like to be how I was made, and what do you change about yourself when you know you are not everything you could be?

And how does loving who I am help me love other people better?

If I was completely comfortable with myself, what would I do?

If I started doing all of those things, would I more deeply understand what it means to be free in my own skin?" 

It's not a Proust Questionnaire.  It's just honest questions I realized that I'd been asking myself long before I wrote them down that afternoon at Fusion Brew.  Ask yourself the same questions, beautiful.  See what you find. 

with love. always, 

Claire

the home of mickey, and epcot, and...high school musical. oh yeah, baby.

Tomorrow I will be leaving for Disney World with my parents. It's going to be great.

So dish:
If you could be leaving tomorrow for anywhere in the United States, where would you want to go? Why?

Hello! It's Tuesday, and we're BACK ON....

Beautiful, glorious ladies!

It is good to be back in the swing of No Plain-Faced things, although I dearly miss all of the other beautiful ladies I counseled at Masterpiece. Many of you wanted to know how my week went, and I have so much to say, but put simply- God happened, art happened, love happened, beauty happened. I realized more than ever that my talents and gifts, what we do, what we give to the world, to God, is what makes me feel the most beautiful of all.

For that reason I share with you a poem that I wrote yesterday, in the beautiful aftermath that was Masterpiece Arts Camp. I hope you enjoy it. Please do not hesitate to comment.

"An Ode (How You Made Me)"

by Claire Taulbee

I say

let the sun pour in the windows

liquid happiness on wooden tables

shining halos of hellos, strewn from

truth to fables, and back again.

Let the birds wind their melodies

in grassy strings woven around my hair,

green life in a mass of inconsistent curls,

every blooming bud speaking to my wings.

I am learning not to hesitate, when they ask

earnestly, to be unfurled.

And the world becomes new again,

when you affirm that thing in me that

is spinning on without

my consent, making things beautiful.

I see now how I would much rather

watch it grow alongside you,

as you bring meaning to my madness.

This is an ode to the way you touch my life,

seamlessly. This is how I know You are a poet

who wrote me into worth. I want to

praise You with my words, fearlessly.

Lord God, this is how

I say

yes

to how I was made.

___________________

How were you made? What are your gifts?

I'M BAAAACK!!!

And I'm so tired that I can't stand up. Quite certain nothing intelligible can be shared at this point, so I will post again soon. Camp was more fun than ought be allowed... lots of art, love, and God. That's seriously good stuff.

Please post a comment to let me know you're checking this still! I plan to post again Tuesday, so just let me know you're here. Even just type a number out in the comments section, or something.

Love you, beauties. Glad to be back with you.
Let me know you're hearin' me. <3