let's just fall all over the place.

I love fall.

I love fall so much it's hard to put into words, but if I tried to write a book titled "Why Claire Loves Fall," it would most certainly contain these words-

crisp

leaves

yellow

orange

caramel

apple cider

chai tea

spice

sweaters

waffles

birthday

headbands

squash

pumpkins

cool

hands

leather 

journal

poetry

candles

fleece

brown

Some of these things might not make sense to you. Do not fear. We all have our own reasons why we love fall. I am, of course, assuming that you do, because you do....right? I sure hope so. 

There's something about fall that makes me feel new.  Does that makes sense? 

It's that first breath you take when you step outside in the middle of a thousand on-fire trees, the sunshine spraying across your face with the cold wind.  It's the red or blue or orange scarf that keeps thoughts of winter at bay, the steam rising into your eyes from a freshly poured cup of coffee.  It's finding that it is in fact possible to lick the caramel sauce off of the whipped cream without consuming both at the same time, and arriving at the cider underneath. 

Fall makes me feel new. Discoveries abound, small joys and delights around every corner. You just have to keep your eyes open and your heart alert--don't let any fall gift go unnoticed!

It makes me want to send letters with leaf stamps and cinnamon sticks inside.  I just might do it. Let me know if you'd like one. 

Share fall newness with someone.  Add newness to their day by speaking something true into their lives- a compliment or a quote, an encouragement.  It's just one more way we can help each other see beauty in us, on us, and around us. 

 Amazing how honoring the beauty in other people makes the honorer more beautiful as well. 

So do as fall does--reveal beauty to those around you.  

with love always,

 Claire

surround me.

I like to surround myself with beautiful things. 

 Art prints, photographs, quotes that inspire me, 

business cards from places I love, delicate perfume bottles,

colorful lamps, fluffy down comforters, lockets,

short notes that friends, poetry that has changed

the way I see the world, a simple pillow,

shirts with soft lace and delicate patterns,

the list goes on and on.

Now that I've shared my list with you, please do share with me 

and all of your fellow No Plain-Faced Girls.  

What do you like to surround yourself with? Write it out here. 

rocking my world.

I think sharing the music we listen to, the sounds that shape our days, is a really fabulous way to connect as women.  Beautiful sounds for beautiful ears, right? So I thought I'd quickly let you in on some of what I've been listening to lately, by artist and album title. Check them out!

*Greg Laswell- "Three Flights From Alto Nido"

*Owl City- "Maybe I'm Dreaming"

*Nancy Wilson-"Elizabethtown (Original Soundtrack)"

*Elijah Wyman- "Beautiful Like Words"

*Brooke Waggoner- "Fresh Pair of Eyes" 

What about you? What's playing in your ears? 

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?