When I have Fears by John Keats

When I have fears that I may cease to be 
Before my pen has glean'd my teeming brain,
Before high-piled books, in charactery,
Hold like rich garners the full ripen'd grain;
When I behold, upon the night's starr'd face,
Huge cloudy symbols of a high romance,
And think that I may never live to trace
Their shadows, with the magic hand of chance;
And when I feel, fair creature of an hour,
That I shall never look upon thee more,
Never have relish in the faery power
Of unreflecting love;--then on the shore
Of the wide world I stand alone, and think
Till love and fame to nothingness do sink.

The Journey By: Mary Oliver

One day you finally knew

what you had to do, and began,

though the voices around you

kept shouting

their bad advice--

though the whole house

began to tremble

and you felt the old tug

at your ankles.

"Mend my life!"

each voice cried.

But you didn't stop.

You knew what you had to do,

though the wind pried

with its stiff fingers

at the very foundations,

though their melancholy

was terrible.

It was already late

enough, and a wild night,

and the road full of fallen

branches and stones.

But little by little,

as you left their voices behind,

the stars began to burn

through the sheets of clouds,

and there was a new voice

which you slowly

recognized as your own,

that kept you company

as you strode deeper and deeper

into the world,

determined to do

the only thing you could do--

determined to save

the only life you could save.

[i carry your heart with me(i carry it in] BY E. E. CUMMINGS

i carry your heart with me(i carry it in my heart)                                                                                                                  i am never without it(anywhere

i go you go,my dear;and whatever is done

by only me is your doing,my darling)

 i fear

no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)i want

no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true)

and it’s you are whatever a moon has always meant

and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows

(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud

and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows

higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)

and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)

Wild Geese

 

You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
For a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.
Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain
are moving across the landscapes,
over the prairies and the deep trees,
the mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting --
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.

~ Mary Oliver ~

Yellow

See the stars, look how they shine for you

Be radiant

xo,
a. theresa

adele is great

summer crush

Our lives were interlaced for one summer. A summer of new beginnings for me, and a summer of goodbyes for you.

I know I had no chance with you, and you probably never think about me, but I feel that we had a connection. Everytime I glanced at you, you blue eyes were shimmering, as the ocean does on a clear day. I could tell that under that blue, electric gaze, there was something there. Some hidden feeling, or passion, maybe not for me, but for life. You were a quirky boy, and still are, and I loved getting lost in your quirky ways this summer.

I guess over analyzing things isn't always so bad? It's always good to dream.

Roald Dahl

“And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.” – Roald Dahl.


I completely agree with Roald Dahl on this one. Beauty is so deceiving in our world. Our society views things that are not beautiful as not worth it. But if we all took a step back and actually looked, really looked, we could find beauty, and magic, in the most "unattractive" people and places.

 Taking a step out of your own little world, expectations, and standards, can bring a boat load of opportunities and experiences. You just have to take the chance and dare to find the hidden beauty, and magic. You WILL be surprised at what RADIANT things have been hiding there all along...

xo,
Manda

Dream Place Number 4

I haven't added any new places to my dream travel list lately, so I've decided that I have to update the list today. This 4th place I want to visit is a place filled with, well, A LOT of love. It's a city teeming with glamour, food, culture, and history. My 4th dream place, is the one and only,Rome!
Ah! A Roma, c'è tanto buon cibo!

Dream Place #4: Roma, Italia


"But you don't know pleasure. You have to be told you've earned it.
You see a commercial that says: 'It's Miller Time!' And you say,
That's right, now I'm going to buy a six pack. And then drink the
whole thing and wake up the next morning and you feel terrible.
But an ITALIAN doesn't need to be told. He walks by a sign that says:
You deserve a break today. And he says, Yes, I know.
That's why I'm planning on taking a break at noon to go
 over to your house and sleep...with your wife!"-Luca Spaghetti(Eat Pray Love)

Love in 137 words

The moon shined down on the pathway leading up to Kate’s garden. Leaves fluttered in the trees and the wind sighed. Everything was still in the heat of the summer night. Nobody dared make a noise, and disrupt the peaceful reverie of the stillness that had come over the world.

 Well nobody except for the couple sitting on the front porch of an old Victorian house. They softly whispered in the humid air, talking to each other as old friends, and new lovers.

 Slowly they talked about their deepest fears. They talked about the sky and the stars and how small they really were in the vast world. Kate leaned against Andrew’s sturdy frame, her eyes glistening with wonder. She silently exclaimed to herself, “What feeling on earth can bring more joy than the feeling of love?”

By: Me

Life isn't fair

Why do people always get their hopes up, just to get them knocked down? Why do people follow their dreams, and work hard, just to have their dreams bashed and beaten? Why do people always find silver lining in gray clouds, just to have it ripped apart? Why is life not fair?

I"m not feeling very radiant today.

I want a love like this

Quotes! Quotes...and more....quotes

"If you don't go after what you want, you'll never have it. If you don't ask, the answer is always no. If you don't step forward, you'll always be in the same place."-anon

"Unless it is mad, passionate, extraordinary love, it is a waste of time. There are too many mediocre things in life, Love should not be one of them."

"I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination."-Jimmy Dean

" Try not to become a man of success, but a man of value."-Albert Einstein

"It is what it is, It was what it was."

"Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone you may still exist, but you have ceased to live."-Mark Twain

"Art washes from the soul, the dust of everyday life."

"Sometimes, said Pooh, the smallest things take up the most room in your heart."

"And then my soul saw you and it kind of went: Oh there you are, I"ve been looking for you."

"Do what you feel in your heart to be right--for you'll be criticized anyway."

"It is a risk to love. What if it doesn't work out? Ah, but what if it does."-Peter McWilliams

"Always remember, you are braver than you think, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think."-Wizard of Oz

"My head says:Who cares? But then my heart whispers: YOU do stupid..."

Obsessed

I"m absolutely obsessed with this quote.

"Date a girl who reads. Date a girl who spends her money on books instead of clothes. She has problems with closet space because she has too many books. Date a girl who has a list of books she wants to read, who has had a library card since she was twelve.

Find a girl who reads. You’ll know that she does because she will always have an unread book in her bag.She’s the one lovingly looking over the shelves in the bookstore, the one who quietly cries out when she finds the book she wants. You see the weird chick sniffing the pages of an old book in a second hand book shop? That’s the reader. They can never resist smelling the pages, especially when they are yellow.

She’s the girl reading while waiting in that coffee shop down the street. If you take a peek at her mug, the non-dairy creamer is floating on top because she’s kind of engrossed already. Lost in a world of the author’s making. Sit down. She might give you a glare, as most girls who read do not like to be interrupted. Ask her if she likes the book.

Buy her another cup of coffee.

Let her know what you really think of Murakami. See if she got through the first chapter of Fellowship. Understand that if she says she understood James Joyce’s Ulysses she’s just saying that to sound intelligent. Ask her if she loves Alice or she would like to be Alice.

It’s easy to date a girl who reads. Give her books for her birthday, for Christmas and for anniversaries. Give her the gift of words, in poetry, in song. Give her Neruda, Pound, Sexton, Cummings. Let her know that you understand that words are love. Understand that she knows the difference between books and reality but by god, she’s going to try to make her life a little like her favorite book. It will never be your fault if she does.

She has to give it a shot somehow.

Lie to her. If she understands syntax, she will understand your need to lie. Behind words are other things: motivation, value, nuance, dialogue. It will not be the end of the world.

Fail her. Because a girl who reads knows that failure always leads up to the climax. Because girls who understand that all things will come to end. That you can always write a sequel. That you can begin again and again and still be the hero. That life is meant to have a villain or two.

Why be frightened of everything that you are not? Girls who read understand that people, like characters, develop. Except in the Twilightseries.

If you find a girl who reads, keep her close. When you find her up at 2 AM clutching a book to her chest and weeping, make her a cup of tea and hold her. You may lose her for a couple of hours but she will always come back to you. She’ll talk as if the characters in the book are real, because for a while, they always are.

You will propose on a hot air balloon. Or during a rock concert. Or very casually next time she’s sick. Over Skype.

You will smile so hard you will wonder why your heart hasn’t burst and bled out all over your chest yet. You will write the story of your lives, have kids with strange names and even stranger tastes. She will introduce your children to the Cat in the Hat and Aslan, maybe in the same day. You will walk the winters of your old age together and she will recite Keats under her breath while you shake the snow off your boots.

Date a girl who reads because you deserve it. You deserve a girl who can give you the most colorful life imaginable. If you can only give her monotony, and stale hours and half-baked proposals, then you’re better off alone. If you want the world and the worlds beyond it, date a girl who reads.

Or better yet, date a girl who writes."

Emotion

I haven't written a post in a while because I have been quite busy. But today I was reading this book of poetry I got from the library, and I came across a poem I just had to put up on RADIANCE. Every time I read this poem, raw emotion jumps out at me. Edgar Allan Poe sure knew how to put his passion into words.

Annabel Lee

by Edgar Allan Poe

It was many and many a year ago,
In a kingdom by the sea,
That a maiden there lived whom you may know
By the name of ANNABEL LEE;
And this maiden she lived with no other thought
Than to love and be loved by me.

I was a child and she was a child,
In this kingdom by the sea;
But we loved with a love that was more than love-
I and my Annabel Lee;
With a love that the winged seraphs of heaven
Coveted her and me.

And this was the reason that, long ago,
In this kingdom by the sea,
A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling
My beautiful Annabel Lee;
So that her highborn kinsman came
And bore her away from me,
To shut her up in a sepulchre
In this kingdom by the sea.

The angels, not half so happy in heaven,
Went envying her and me-
Yes!- that was the reason (as all men know,
In this kingdom by the sea)
That the wind came out of the cloud by night,
Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee.

But our love it was stronger by far than the love
Of those who were older than we-
Of many far wiser than we-
And neither the angels in heaven above,
Nor the demons down under the sea,
Can ever dissever my soul from the soul
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee.

For the moon never beams without bringing me dreams
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And the stars never rise but I feel the bright eyes
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side
Of my darling- my darling- my life and my bride,
In the sepulchre there by the sea,
In her tomb by the sounding sea.

LOVE

"There was a clatter as the basilisk fangs cascaded out of Hermione's arms. Running at Ron, she flung them around his neck and kissed him full on the mouth. Ron threw away the fangs and broomstick he was holding and responded with such enthusiasm that he lifted Hermione off her feet.
"Is this the moment?" Harry asked weakly, and when nothing happened except that Ron and Hermione gripped each other still more firmly and swayed on the spot, he raised his voice. "OI! There's a war going on here!"
Ron and Hermione broke apart, their arms still around each other.
"I know, mate," said Ron, who looked as though he had recently been hit on the back of the head with a Bludger, "so it's now or never, isn't it?"
"Never mind that, what about the Horcrux?" Harry shouted. "D'you think you could just --- just hold it in, until we've got the diadem?"
"Yeah --- right --- sorry ---" said Ron, and he and Hermione set about gathering up fangs, both pink in the face."
— J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows)


The "Harry Potter" series is truly RADIANT! And I love that there are even several love stories weaved into the overall storyline...

The Trees

Why do I sometimes feel like I'm going to explode?
Why do I sometimes feel completely alone?
The trees talk to me with their leaves
but do nothing to comfort me
only when the days are cold
do I realize
maybe i missed something
maybe the trees do speak something
I just have to listen.

....

"[Never] let the fear of striking out, keep you from playing the game." --A Cinderella Story

Magic

It floats through my veins. The notes one by one beating at the beat of my heart. Soft and smooth or short and sharp. Long and loud or quiet and quick.

Music is magic. After a day of troubles, music can bring back joy. It has the power to cure, and to revive.

Singing, dancing, with the music. Then you feel a rush and realize that the music is over and has swiftly passed you by, leaving you in the warmth of the moment.

oh dear, RADIANT music

Puppy

GUESS WHAT? I'm getting a puppy!!! Pretty RADIANT right? Next week we get to take a little six week old golden retriever female home(:

Possible names:
Lily
Mia
Bella
Meg



Random pictures

Bliss

Pen & paper. I write. I write about how i feel. Happy, blue, mad, true.

I put down my thoughts and try to freeze them in the moment. But they pass by, just out of my reach, ever changing.

 I spit out stories of fairies and princesses and fantasy. Then I go on to analyze pain, suffering, and the choices that people make. I write about romance, some hopes and dreams that just MIGHT one day come true.

I write with passion. A fire in my heart sets my pen upon the page and does the work for me. All I have to do is relax and lose myself in the words.Ah, true bliss...

Heat

It is 99 degrees outside right now in Chicago (PERFECT swimming weather). But of course I can't go swimming tonight, so I'm stuck with something else. ICECREAM, aka one of the best inventions ever. So as I dig into a big scoop of mint chocolate chip icecream, I'm going to tell you my next dream place. It is a place where hidden volcanos and tropical flowers inhibit the land. With stunning beaches, a multitude of different activities, and gorgeous weather, Hawaii is the place to be.

Number 3: Hawaii, United States

There’s no place I’d rather be
Then on my surfboard out at sea
Lingering in the ocean blue
And If I had one wish come true
I’d surf till the sun sets
Beyond the horizon
A wiki wiki mai lohi lohi
Lawe mai i ko papa he'e nalu
Flyin by on the Hawaiian roller coaster ride
-"Lilo and Stitch"

xo,
Amanda

Barefoot

It is finally beautiful out in Chicago, and today I went for a nice walk to pick up some Starbucks.

I wore flip flops and half way through my little sojourn, I decided to take my shoes off.

 Oh, how I love the feeling of  bare ground on my feet! It is a reminder to me that us humans are a part of the Earth, and that we are united with nature. There are the crinkling leaves, cool shaded areas of the sidewalk, and thick, soft, grass, that make going barefoot a pleasant experience. But there is also the splintering hot asphalt, and sharp sticks that prick your feet as you go about your walk.

 This reminds me of life.

As humans, we are given the bare nessesities to journey through life. We will never know the secrets that involve why we were created, or the meaning of life. We have to walk barefoot, and enjoy the good and endure the bad. After many cuts and callouses, our feet become strong enough to endure anything.

So sometime during this summer week, I encourage you to take a walk bare foot. You might step on something sharp. Or your feet might get a little bit dirty. But that's life right? The bad things help you appreciate the good things, and suddenly that soft patch of grass seems a lot more inviting.



xo,
Amanda

Feeling the music

I'm in a musical mood today, so here are some RADIANT songs.

These are all I can think of right now, and they're all great so enjoy.

Cheers to the music,
Amanda

Originality

Just thought I'd like to share some of my original poetry. It may sound cheesy because I need more practice. But I write these at my most vulnerable times so I hope you enjoy them!

Night Light

On a dark, summer night
a little girl cries
scared of being enveloped by darkness
she asks her mommy for a light

The light flickers on
giving her courage to be strong
she now faces the night fearlessly
all the monsters, toils, and dangers are gone

On a dark, summer night
a poor woman prays
scared of being enveloped by darkness
she asks for a light, a way

The light slowly ascends,,
giving her courage to be strong,
she now faces the night fearlessly,
the Lord is right beside her,
the monsters are long gone.





Love on its Wings
The light dances through the window,
embracing me in its golden glow.
It comforts me like a mother
comforting her baby.
glimmering, shimmering, sparkling,
the light fills the room with sweet aray.
When times are hard,
I look up into that bright star of light
called the sun.
In its big sea of blue,
it holds a promise of happiness,
It speaks to me like the wind
whispering in the trees,
the waves lapping up on the seashore.
The light fills me with joy.
When darkness comes,
I feel almost overwhelmed with emptiness,
but the hope of a new dawn
creeps across my heart.
It reassures me that the light
will fight through, and will shine again
in the morning,
with renewal, faith, and life,
the light will shine across the earth,
carrying love on its wings.



xo,
amanda

Let's Get Poppin'

Buttery, salty, fluffy, a little taste of heaven. What do you think of when you hear these words? A french fry, a potato chip? Fried chicken? What I think when I hear these words is popcorn, my all time favorite snack. What can I say? It's classic, AND it's whole grain, Pretty RADIANT if you ask me. I especially enjoy microwave popcorn that I can make right at home. It's so convenient. But anyways, for all you popcorn lovers, I"ve whipped up some stuff about this savory treat, so get poppin'!!


Facts about the history of popcorn

• In 1946, Dr. Perry Spencer experimented with a new type of vaccum one day. He put some popcorn kernels next to it and turned it on, and to his surprise, the kernels popped. This eventually led him to develop the microwave oven.
• Archeologists have found 5.600 year old popcorn in dwelling caves in New Mexico.

Statistics

• 17 billion quarts of popcorn are produce each year.
• An average American consumes 60 to 70 quarts of popcorn a year.
• 1/4 of production of popcorn in the United States takes place in Nebraska.

Recipe: Popcorn balls

• Ingredients: 3/4 cups light corn syrup, 1/4 cup butter, 2 teaspoons cold water, 2 5/8 cups sugar, 1 cup marshmellows, 5 quarts plain popped popcorn
• In a saucepan over medium heat combine corn syrup, butter, water, sugar, and marshmellows. Heat and stir until the mixture comes to a boil. Combine the hot mixture with the popcorn, carefully coating each kernel.
• Quickly shape the coated popcorn into balls before they cool. Wrap with plastic wrap and store at room temperature.
• ENJOY!

xo,
Amanda

Dream place #2

Thank God that it is finally sunny again in Chicago!!! For the past few days its been rain, rain, rain, rain, rain, and more rain. Today it finally grew nice outside and I even went to the pool and got some sun. But anyways, I've decided to add another place to my list of places I want to visit someday. My friend visited this place a couple of years ago, and she said that it was absolutely amazing. Home to the Sagrada Familia, a magnificent Catholic Church, Barcelona, Spain is the next city I would love to visit someday.

Numero dos: Barcelona, Spain


xo,
amanda

Dream Travels

Well I'm starting a list of all the places I want to visit someday. The season finale of Glee inspired this first place. It is a place where artists walk the streets, performers sing on Broadway, shopaholics hit the stores, and lovers prance. People from every where across the world come here to experience the sounds and beats of American culture. This metropolitan phenomena is brimming with activity, excitement, and RADIANT creativity. Another name for it is...THE BIG APPLE!




Number # 1 on my list: New York City, New York
Concrete jungle where dreams are made of,
There's nothing you can't do,
Now you're in New York,
These streets will make you feel brand new,
The lights will inspire you,
Let's hear it for New York, New York, New York
-"Empire State of Mind"


xo,
amanda

My Day

Ohmigod. My life has suddenly gotten super busy.
My day= sleep, eat, school, study, eat, rehearsal, study, sleep
Throughout this whole day I've had this song stuck in my head, so I've decided to get it stuck in your head too(its not that bad, and is from a RADIANT musical)

Well good night! & remember that you CAN think! hahahah...

xo,

Amanda

Hot Yoga

Yesterday my life became complete. haha actually no it didn't, but I did have a really awesome experience. My friend and I walked to the yoga studio a couple blocks from my house, and we participated in a hot yoga class. It was absolutely RADIANT! The room was ninety degrees and by the end of the session I was drenched with sweat but I loved it. My Favorite part was the end when everyone was laying down worn out in Shavasana(Corpse Pose), and the instructor came around and put cool lavender clothes on our foreheads. Everything was so cleansing and refreshing! I recommend any sort of yoga if you are looking for a rewarding workout, that doesn't just tone up your body but also tones your spirit. Another factor I liked about this class was that it was FREE! Check out a yoga studio near you, they may have a free class too! But I leave you today with the motto my class focused on during our session, "Tension is who you are trying to be, relaxation is who you are."
NAMASTE!!

xo,
Amanda

Changes

I hate when people change for the worst. I hate when someone who knows everything about me, and has seen me at my most RADIANT times and my worst times, becomes a stranger. Change is life. Some changes are uplifting but some are just absolutely morbid, and I guess the fact is that we just have to deal with it. Life can be unfair.

All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another.  ~Anatole France

Love yourself

Okay so lately I've been feeling kind of self conscience. It's a pretty horrible feeling and some of my friends have been going through it lately too. I hate my legs, eww my hair is so ugly, UGH why can't he just like me?--some of the complaints. But okay I kind of want to start a new message here on RADIANCE. What is RADIANCE all about? I think its about loving yourself, and others, and being the best possible person you can possible be. It's kind of hard though when you are going through the blues. That's why here I'm going to post some pick-me-ups: Quotes, Songs, Pictures, etc.etc.etc.

“Some women choose to follow men and some women choose to follow their dreams. If you’re wondering which way to go, remember that your career will never wake up and tell you that it doesn’t love you anymore.” — Lady Gaga

Always forgive your enemies - nothing annoys them so much." - Oscar Wilde

Who you are isn't holding you back, who you think you are is-Anonymous

I believe in manicures. I believe in overdressing. I believe in primping at leisure and wearing lipstick. I believe in pink. I believe happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day, and... I believe in miracles. -Audrey Hepburn

"Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow where they lead." -Louisa May Alcott

"To me, Fearless is not the absense of fear. It's not being completely unafraid. To me, Fearless is having fears. Fearless is having doubts. Lots of them. To me, Fearless is living in spite of those things that scare you to death." -Taylor Swift

It took me a long time not to judge myself through someone else's eyes.  ~Sally Field

Do do, the pretty girl rock!! :)

 

Life is either a daring Adventure or nothing.

"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind."
-Dr.Seuss

 

I'm grateful for...

I have been sick for like the whole week. &And i figured to cheer me up I need to list some things that I'm thankful for:

**I'm grateful for my dad's homemade chicken noodle soup with soft buttermik biscuits--with butter and honey(YUMMmmmy)

**I'm grateful for cherry cough drops


**I'm grateful for reruns of America's Next Top Model


**I'm grateful for soft clean sheets and woolen blankets
**I"m grateful for books fresh from the library, waiting to be read
**I'm grateful for the dew on the grass in the morning


**I'm grateful for RADIANCE!
**I'm grateful for my family and friends who all appreciate me as a person

xo,
Amanda

summer

Summer, summer, summer, summer! I'm so excited! In Chicago it isn't summer yet, it's still a little bit chilly out(one day its 80 degrees the next it's 40 degrees). I'm pretty sure that I only have like 10 days of school left, and then FREEDOM...haha actually no, I'm doing summer school this year to get some required courses out of the way:( but I guess it isn't that bad because the classes are only for about an hour in the morning. But to get in the RADIANT summer spirit I've gathered some treats. here ya go...


It's funny how one summer can change everything.It must be something about the heat and the smell of chlorine, fresh-cut grass and honeysuckle, asphalt sizzling after late-day thunderstorms, the steam rising while everything drips around it. Something about long, lazy days and whirring air conditioners and bright  plastic flip-flops from the drugstore thwacking down the street. Something about fall being so close, another year, another Christmas, another beginning. So much in one summer, stirring up like the storms that crest at the end of each day, blowing out all the heat and dirt to leave every thing gasping and cool.Everyone can reach back to one summer and lay a finger to it, finding the exact point when everything changed. That summer was mine.(from "That Summer" by Sarah Dessen)

(Iris Studded Sandals from Forever 21)

http://www.forever21.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=FOREVER21&category%5Fname=footwr%5Fcasual&footwr%5Fstyle=&footwr%5Fsize=&footwr%5Fcolor=&footwr%5Fprice=&product%5Fid=2076738111&Page=1

 

Strawberry Lemonade!!!

*1 cup of fresh lemon juice, 2 cups of water, 1/2 cup sugar

*Add about a pint of freshly blended strawberries

*For some RADIANCE add about a cup of sparkling water, and a lot of ice.

 

 

Who doesn't love Grease? or summer nights?

 

 

xoxo,

Manda

 

 

Mother Theresa

One of my ultimate role models in life is Mother Theresa. She truly embodies every RADIANT trait that a role model and figure of peace should have.


Whenever I see the Prayer of St. Francis(shown below) I think of Mother Theresa. She lived out this prayer's message.

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury,pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen

The Royal Wedding

As you all probably know, the wedding between Prince William and Kate Middleton took place a few weeks ago. The event was extravagant, and highly publicized, with over 2 billion people watching. In Chicago's central time the wedding took place at about 4 in the morning, so I didn't end up watching it until later that day. As I saw how spectacular every aspect of the wedding was, I became fascinated with royalty. The British Royal Family (and other Royal families) are just ordinary people with extraordinary "jobs" or whatever you would call what they do. I think it is great that Kate married William. It shows us that we can all be "royal" in our own way, no matter what each of us is born into. Each and every one of us, especially on our wedding days, can be RADIANT Princesses and Princes.

Zen Moments

The other day I was on StumbleUpon and I found a website called Zen Moments. It is a collection of a bunch of inspiring stories.
Here's the link to a story that caught my eye: http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/7FbFiQ/www.zenmoments.org/the-cab-ride-ill-never-forget

Be sure to check this site out, it's pretty RADIANT!

(Picture from the story)