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Category: Quotes

Favorite Quotes of the Week

I am a very quote-oriented person. Call it cheesy, but I really love motivational quotes, especially since I love reading and writing. Words can be transformative, and can give people the courage to make a change, inspire them, or just make them feel good. This week hasn’t been the best because of stress, and I’ve been in this weird funk that I’m trying to get out of. Whenever I feel like this, I always turn to quotes to make me feel better, so I thought I would share some that’s been helping me a lot this week!

It’s really easy for me to get caught up in the stress of life and consequently forget about living in the moment. This quote really puts things into perspective, and helps me live each day to its fullest! When I was at the beach for my birthday weekend, I really felt like I was living in the moment, and because of that I ended up having the best time. I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately, so I think I’m going to do a whole post about it soon!

This is a very important quote for college students. Sometimes it feels like we are suffering through classes for no reason, but it’s really important to keep in mind that all of these hardships we are going through now will result in incredible futures! Keep this in mind when it feels like you are drowning.

In media today, shaming people is something that is huge. Oftentimes people are spoken badly about, and things get way out hand, and it’s completely unnecessary. I really love this quote because it’s so true; when you try to be kind to people and show them compassion, it makes it that much less believable when people are putting you down. This is really similar to the whole “kill ’em with kindness” mindset. It’s really important, though, to not do this in a fake way. Be your genuine self, and try to be kind; however, on the other hand, never let anyone put you down.

Alright, those are three quotes that helped me get through this long and difficult week! It wasn’t even bad or anything, I just have so many things going on that I’m feeling very overwhelmed. Plus, we’re getting close to the end of the year, so all of my classes have been kicking it up a notch. Hopefully I’ll be able to relax this weekend!

What are some of your favorite quotes?

Thank you so much for reading, and have a wonderful weekend! 🙂

Disclaimer: None of these quotes are mine!

Why Tinder Isn’t For Me (And Other Introverts!)

Tinder has been around for a while now, and I had yet to try it out until this past weekend. I wasn’t really interested in the whole aspect of it; I am more traditional in that I want to meet someone in real life rather than on a dating website. I understand the draw of it, because you are (theoretically) matched up with people who share the same interests as you. However, I like the spontaneity of meeting someone in real life and forming a connection by talking face to face. This is difficult for me, though, because I am very much an introvert, and it is hard for me to get out of my comfort zone and actually talk to guys who I’m interested in. So, I decided to try out Tinder just to experience it, and also I was curious about the obsession my generation has with it right now.

I went over to one of my best friend’s apartment while we FaceTimed our other best friend (Joycie and Rachel, as I’m sure you all know), and we made a Tinder account. This was slightly awkward, because it was like I was screening myself. I couldn’t post pictures that I loved because they weren’t “Tinder” enough: pictures have to be attractive, but not look like you’re trying to hard, smiling but not too much or too little, and you can’t post too many group photos, because apparently that is a bad thing in the Tinder-verse. I was already uncomfortable at the thought of potential dates perusing through my photos. It kind of freaked me out that guys who I had no idea even existed could look at my profile, and see a side of myself that takes me a long time to show to people. I am a shy person, plain and simple. It takes a while for me to completely open up to people, so it made me feel so strange to know guys were able to find out so much about me just from an App.
I think part of the reason why this made me so uncomfortable was because I knew guys would be initially judging me only on looks. If they didn’t think I was pretty enough, most likely they would just swipe left without any regards to what kind of person I might be. That’s one of my least favorite parts of Tinder, because it makes people super focused on others’ looks, when there is so much more to people than just how they look. I noticed myself just judging guys on their looks too, and it made me feel bad. It bothered me that guys were judging me, but I was doing the same thing! I tried to become more conscious about actually reading through a guy’s profile before I decided which way to swipe.

Back to the actual creation of my profile, there was a lot of pressure to make my bio punny (I’m sure you all know by now how much I love my puns), witty, and let guys know my interests. I kept mine pretty broad, made a Parks and Rec reference, and listed three of my interests – dogs and Harry Potter among them, of course. After that my profile was complete, and I could start swiping. This was very strange at first, and there were a lot of different kinds of guys. There were the studious ones, hunters proudly displaying their fish they had caught, and those who “weren’t looking for anything serious.” When I made my first match it was exciting, because yay! Someone liked me! I didn’t like that I had to be validated by a guy to feel good, but it was exciting knowing that there was mutual interest. Some guys messaged me, and some didn’t. The ones who did usually sent a cringe-worthy pick-up line, and then would ask me about my interests, etc. One guy asked me what my ethnicity was with no introduction, which bothered me because why should that even matter? If I didn’t give him the answer he wanted to hear, would he stop talking to me? I ended up not messaging him back, because he didn’t even send a simple hello. At one point, Joycie and I matched with the same guy and he ended up messaging us both the exact same pick up line. I mean come on use some more originality, man. There was another guy who sent a Parks and Rec pick-up line, which I thought was hilarious so I sent another one back, and he didn’t even watch the show.
While I was messaging guys, I was extremely uncomfortable. Like I said earlier, I am an introvert and extremely shy, so it felt so odd to message someone I didn’t even know. I like to know who I’m messaging, so it was really weird to be talking to a guy who I didn’t know in person. Basically, everything about actually messaging guys on Tinder was odd. It felt forced, and oftentimes the guys wanted to meet up after talking for all of thirty minutes. I of course did not meet up with any of them, especially at 9 o’clock at night.
I kept Tinder for a couple of days, and ended up deleting it three days after I had created it. I didn’t feel any regrets about deleting it, because the whole experience made me too uncomfortable. I was stressing about it far too much than what it was worth, and I did not enjoy the experience in the slightest. I was also super worried about seeing these guys in real life, or meeting someone who saw me on Tinder. Not that this would be a huge deal, I just felt like it would’ve been really awkward and a situation that I didn’t really want to be in.
Tinder is right for some people, and not for others, which is true for most things in life. I personally was not taken with it, but I have friends who absolutely love it and are able to meet people on there. I really like the concept behind Tinder, but at the end of the day it just isn’t for me. I don’t even know if I’m at a place in my life where I have time for a relationship, so the best thing for me to do was to delete it. I felt like I had to try it, though, before I could really have a valid opinion of it. The saying “don’t knock it before you try it” is definitely true for a lot of things, so I knew I should at least try it out before I wrote it off.

Have you ever used Tinder?

Thank you so much for reading, and have a wonderful day! 🙂

Why I Stand With Kesha

I have been sick now for the last couple of weeks, and somehow got worse again this weekend, so I’m finally going to the doctor tomorrow. Winter is definitely the worst season for health! I hope you are all powering through this rough flu season with plenty of orange juice.
Today I wanted to talk about something that I am sure you have all heard about: the Kesha court case. I think it is so horrible that in today’s world, a woman still has to work with a man who abused her after she spoke out about it, and made it known to a judge. The fact that our society gets to “judge” whether or not a woman actually got raped is scary; we should never make a woman who was abused in any way feel like her experience is not valid. The way some women are treated after they are raped is horrible, too. They should not be looked down upon in any way, be blamed for what happened to them by another person, or lose any of their merit in regards to their professional life or career.

It is heartbreaking to hear sayings like “she was asking for it,” or “well, dressed like that, what did she expect?” Women should now be blamed for actions that are done to them without their consent. It does not matter in the slightest what they are wearing, no means no. Just because a woman is wearing a mini-skirt and a tank top, as opposed to head-to-toe clothing, does not in any way constitute them being asked to be raped. The fact that I, and every single woman, have to question our outfits as being “acceptable” or not too risqué, shows just how wrong our society is in the way in which women are viewed, and have to act in order to protect themselves.
It is also incredibly sad that women do not feel safe while walking home alone in the dark. It is natural for us to have at least one other person with us in order to feel safe, and even then, will cross the street if there is a group of guys making sexual remarks to us, just to be safe. My parents never had to worry as much about my brother being raped, or assaulted in any other way, as much as they did (and still do!) about me. The fact that their worries are extremely valid is the most sobering part. When I went out in high school, it was expected that I would send them quick updates throughout the night telling them where I was, my expected time of arrival back home, and if I had any problems with anything. Their concern comes out of a place of love, which I appreciate greatly, but it is also sad that they had to worry so much about letting their daughter go anywhere only with friends. Even my older brother (read: overprotective older brother) worried about me going out when we were younger, and still does with me being at college. My parents were also super anxious about me going to college, because they wouldn’t be there to constantly know my whereabouts, but we talk everyday which allows them a little (tiny) bit of relief.
Back to the Kesha case, it is tragic that she is going to be forced to work with a man who abused her, and that she can’t do much of anything about it. No woman deserves that. The fact that a judge gets to decide whether or not she can break her contract after she was sexually abused by the man is also terrible. It should not be up to debate; because she was abused by this man, Kesha has every right to break it.

I have never posted anything like this on my blog before, but I think it is a super important topic that everyone should be talking about. The Kesha case is just one of many, and though it is really well-known right now because she is a celebrity, it is bringing a lot of awareness to the disparities women still face today, especially in regards to rape and sexism.

Do you stand with Kesha?

Thank you so much for reading, and have a wonderful day! 🙂

DIY Dorm Room Decor: Quote Canvas


With school coming right around the corner for some people, I thought it would be perfect to share with you guys a DIY that’s great for motivation. We all have those days where we feel inadequate for various reasons: a failed test, rejection of any kind, or you just feel down because of stress. I find that when I feel like this, motivational quotes, however cheesy, can really help to get me out of a slump. Making some kind of art piece with the quote is even better, since arts and crafts are so therapeutic. Does that make me sound ninety years old? Probably. But as long as it helps me stay motivated throughout the year, sign me up!

Here’s what you’ll need for this project:

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Some sort of paint tray (cardboard will do just fine).

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Either watercolor paints or acrylic paint. If you’re using acrylic paints like I did, you just have to water them down a ton, which is super easy to do!


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A mug, cup, or bowl of some sort to hold water.


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Paintbrushes of any kind.


And you’ll also need watercolor paper!


The fun part is next, because you can literally do any quote and any design you would like! I used my favorite quote, “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.” First I just used a white crayon to write the quote, and then I painted the background as a galaxy. It was really easy and I am so happy with how it turned out! Although I had to repaint the words with white paint, I’m glad I used the crayon first as a reference. Here’s how it looked before the white paint:


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I also added some more point after this point to darken in some areas, and I also added the “stars.” After I did all of that, it looked like this:


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I’m so pleased with how this came out! This is one of my favorite quotes because it really helps me when I’m feeling unmotivated. One of the scariest parts of college is the fact that your dreams may not pan out the way you thought they would; however, you should never let a “may not” or a “possibly so” keep you from trying your hardest and shooting for the biggest dream possible.


So go on and do this DIY and also achieve your dreams! This has been an nice DIY and life lesson all in one from Kendra! Let me know if you guys try this out by tagging me on social media (my handle is @stnkrbug on both Twitter and Instagram), and leave your favorite quote in the comments! 

Thanks for reading, have a wonderful day, and dream big!

Imperfections

I have always been a perfectionist. Ever since I can remember, everything that I’ve done has had to better than just “good enough” which has always pushed me to try my hardest. Because I had to do everything perfectly, I’ve often held myself to those very same standards and have found it difficult to accept imperfections.
Imperfections are very tricky things; we all have them, yet try our hardest to deny them. Society today makes it seem as though you have to be perfect in order to be successful, and the person with the least amount of imperfections is automatically thought of as the best. We reject these parts of ourselves because we believe they make us weak and not good enough, when often times they are the very things that set us apart and make all of us unique. If we were all perfect human beings, the world would be an extremely boring place because everyone you meet would be the same.
I have many imperfections – I’m extremely stubborn, indecisive, self-conscious and I worry way too much. It’s hard sometimes to accept these things because I hate to feel weak, but they’re also the things that make up who I am. As humans we’re of course way more than our imperfections, but they are fundamental to who we are. The people who love us have to accept our imperfections, and even come to love those too. I think it’s really important to accept them ourselves as well. When you love every part of yourself, life gets a lot easier to handle. And when you accept every part of yourself, it’s a lot easier to be comfortable with yourself in every situation.
I was tagged on YouTube for the Imperfections tag, and I’m so glad I was! It was so cool to think about my own imperfections and how they make us all so human. I think it’s a really good idea to think about our imperfections and accept that they are a part of us. It helps so much to accept them because once you accept the “worst” things about yourself, the good things are so much easier to notice! One of my New Years “resolutions” was to start loving myself, so this was such a cool thing to think about. So let’s spread around some much needed self love!

What are your imperfections?

Thank you so much for reading, you are all beautiful, and have a wonderful day! 🙂

How to Deal With Rejection

One of the things that undeniably, and to put quite simply, sucks about the human experience is rejection. Everyone can relate to it and has been through it; be it through a job you didn’t get, a dream role given to someone else, or in your love life. Rejection cuts right to the core and makes you question exactly who you are, and more often than not your self-esteem takes a huge blow. While it does indeed suck, what sucks even more is letting it keep you down and doubt what kind of a person you are. I’m someone who has always struggled with rejection – my self-esteem has never been the greatest, and I often let other’s opinions of myself bother me way more than they should. It has taken me a long time to realize that the only opinion about me that matters is my own. It really doesn’t matter how others see you – it matters how you see you.
Since I’ve faced a lot of rejection in my life (who hasn’t?) I thought I would share with you guys some tips on how I get over rejection.
1. Give yourself time to simply cry it out.
Crying is such a great therapy sometimes. I actually hate crying in front of others (I was a huge crybaby when I was younger), but it can actually be very therapeutic. I think it’s important to accept your hurt feelings after rejection, and simply give yourself time to say “You know what, this isn’t what I was hoping for, and I’m really sad about it.” The important thing, however, is to not get stuck in this stage. Just give yourself a couple of hours to do this, a day if you need it, and move on.
2. Do not let the rejection define you – it does not have anything to do with who you are.
It took me a long time to realize this. My first instinct after rejection is to start questioning and blaming myself. I was rejected because I’m not pretty enough, smart enough, strong enough. Those thoughts pass through my mind over and over and I have to literally tell myself that it has nothing to do with the person I am. The way you deal with rejection defines who you are. If you let it knock you down and stay there, you are only doing more harm to yourself.
3. Don’t be afraid to reach out to friends.
If you’re having a hard time with the rejection, don’t hesitate to reach out to friends for advice, or simply just a shoulder to cry on. There is no shame in asking for help, and your friends will be more than happy to do so. Talking and having someone listen can be really helpful and make you feel less alone. You’ll probably be feeling really insecure after rejection, so having someone there for you can help you feel a lot more secure about yourself.
4. Get your mind off of it.
Go out and take a walk, read a good book, or watch a movie. There are literally hundreds of things you could be doing instead of dwelling on the rejection. It’s not at all healthy to sit at home and think about the hurt all day because you’ll never get over it. Getting your mind off of it helps you realize there are other important things in your life, and that you eventually will get over it.
5. Don’t let it make you afraid.
Sometimes when we face rejection, it’s easy to say “Well I’m never trying that again!” It’s important, though, to get right back on the horse. Don’t let one rejection – or twenty – make you afraid to try your hardest at something, or be too afraid to try it again. So what you didn’t get that one job? You’ll find another one! That guy doesn’t like you back? You will find someone even better. Rejection isn’t the end of the world, but something to learn from and apply the lesson next time. 
It’s so important to learn how to deal with rejection, because you’ll probably face it a lot in your life. A bleak point, I know, but if you realize it doesn’t make you a bad person, you’ll be able to handle it a lot better. It’s a part of life, and something that everyone has to go through before they get a simple “yes.” You will hear “no” more, but once you get that “yes,” it’ll all be worth it.
How do you deal with rejection?

Thank you so much for reading, and have a wonderful day 🙂

A Word About Stress

I can’t explain how stressful this week has been. I have had multiple midterms and a mountain of homework to conquer – I guess I didn’t fully realize just how stressful college can get, since I haven’t been this overwhelmed yet. On Wednesday, I had to just sit down and force myself to take a break from homework and studying because I was driving myself insane. I know that I push myself too hard sometimes, and it’s so difficult for me to take a moment and realize that it’s okay if I need to take a break in order to continue doing my best. I am a perfectionist to the core, so doing something with only half of my effort is never an option. While that isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it can be unhealthy when I literally force myself to power through homework and studying to the point where I am in tears.
I have never dealt with anxiety and stress well, and being at college, it is only intensified. I worry about the littlest things, and when I’m stressed I am just a ball of nerves that gets worse and worse until I inevitably break down. I envy people who don’t have anxiety; to go a day without worrying about every little thing would be a dream. Sometimes it’s difficult for my friends to understand how I fixate on little things and have trouble making decisions because I worry about every single outcome possible. What if I make the wrong decision? Or what if this happens, or that, or even something I didn’t even account for? I think about it all, and it makes me so angry with myself because I wish I could just easily make a decision and just be done with it.
All my life, my dad has always told me “It ain’t nothin’ but a thing” when I’m really worried about something, which helps put everything into perspective. Like the quote above, the way you deal with stress and anxiety is more important than the actual thing that is stressful. I know that I don’t deal with stress and anxiety in the best way; I just try and focus on other people and never talk about my own stress with others because I don’t want to be a bother to anyone. I love helping people and listening to their problems, but I just don’t like to draw attention to myself since I’m a very shy person. I’ve slowly been realizing, though, that it’s really important to talk about your troubles. Loved ones are the people you should be able to talk about anything with, and for me, that is my parents most of the time. It helps me when I get other opinions and advice, and to also put things into perspective. A big thing to me could be something small to others, which helps me realize that my worry just might be magnified in my eyes, or that I’m making something way bigger than it needs to be
I don’t want this post to be just totally depressing, haha. Writing this is just a sort of therapy for myself after the week I’ve had. My blog is a creative outlet in which I can write about anything, and that sometimes includes things that are troubling me, or struggling with. I want the majority of my blog to be about all of the things that make me happy, but sometimes I need to talk about the hard things in life. I don’t think it would be fair to myself or anyone else if I didn’t share my own struggles, because we all have them and need to talk about them sometimes. So while I had a brutal week, I also know that it’s finally the weekend and I can do nothing and just wind down from all of this stress!
How was your week?

Thank you so much for reading, and as always have a wonderful day 🙂

What Are You Waiting For?

On the drive home today from school, I found myself thinking about how much more exciting my life will be once I’m out of high school and in college, but then I thought, why do I have to wait? Don’t get me wrong, I love my life right now and I am so thankful for everything and everyone in it, but I do wish I got out and just lived more. It seems like my life is just engulfed with homework, studying, applying to college (well that part is over, now I’m just waiting for the decisions from these colleges) and scholarships, and just general mundane, everyday-life-stuff. Why do I have to wait until after high school to “start” my life? Am I not living now? I want to have crazy stories for my kids about the adventures I went on, but those adventures don’t have to wait until I’m 20-something. 
I think it’s in our nature to be afraid of immediately starting something; there are always excuses as to why we have to wait to go out and do something great. Of course, sometimes there are legitimate excuses, but for the most part, I think as people we’re afraid to drop everything and just go. It’s understandable, since routine is comfortable and change is scary, but I think we would be a lot happier if we actually went out and had some fun. I want to do so many things: travel, see the sights around me that I have never bothered to see, hike, sleep under the stars…the list goes on and on. And really, there isn’t a reason as to why I can’t start doing those things now. I don’t mean that tomorrow I’m going to go out with reckless abandon and go for a thirty mile hike, but I want to start with baby steps maybe, and try to at least “go on an adventure” (If you’ve read/seen the Hobbit see what I did there…I know, it was cheesy, but it’s my favorite part) a couple times a month instead of staying holed up in my house stressing over things that I cannot change. 
I challenge you to do the same! Go out and do something you have always wanted to do, even if it scares you. Go outside and talk a walk, or maybe face a fear. I don’t know, just live. Relatively speaking, we don’t get too long on this earth, so you should make the best of the time that you do have. You don’t want to be 80 years old, wishing you had gone for that hike or jumped in that lake. Try new things and find the good in everyday. Why wait?!
I don’t know what has gotten into me, maybe it’s spring fever, but I am just rearing to go out in the world and explore all it has to offer. This has been on my mind a lot lately, so I just wanted to share it with you guys (: I really hope it has inspired you!
What is one thing that you have always wanted to do?
Thank you so much for reading, and have a great rest of your day! (:

What Are You Waiting For?

On the drive home today from school, I found myself thinking about how much more exciting my life will be once I’m out of high school and in college, but then I thought, why do I have to wait? Don’t get me wrong, I love my life right now and I am so thankful for everything and everyone in it, but I do wish I got out and just lived more. It seems like my life is just engulfed with homework, studying, applying to college (well that part is over, now I’m just waiting for the decisions from these colleges) and scholarships, and just general mundane, everyday-life-stuff. Why do I have to wait until after high school to “start” my life? Am I not living now? I want to have crazy stories for my kids about the adventures I went on, but those adventures don’t have to wait until I’m 20-something. 
I think it’s in our nature to be afraid of immediately starting something; there are always excuses as to why we have to wait to go out and do something great. Of course, sometimes there are legitimate excuses, but for the most part, I think as people we’re afraid to drop everything and just go. It’s understandable, since routine is comfortable and change is scary, but I think we would be a lot happier if we actually went out and had some fun. I want to do so many things: travel, see the sights around me that I have never bothered to see, hike, sleep under the stars…the list goes on and on. And really, there isn’t a reason as to why I can’t start doing those things now. I don’t mean that tomorrow I’m going to go out with reckless abandon and go for a thirty mile hike, but I want to start with baby steps maybe, and try to at least “go on an adventure” (If you’ve read/seen the Hobbit see what I did there…I know, it was cheesy, but it’s my favorite part) a couple times a month instead of staying holed up in my house stressing over things that I cannot change. 
I challenge you to do the same! Go out and do something you have always wanted to do, even if it scares you. Go outside and talk a walk, or maybe face a fear. I don’t know, just live. Relatively speaking, we don’t get too long on this earth, so you should make the best of the time that you do have. You don’t want to be 80 years old, wishing you had gone for that hike or jumped in that lake. Try new things and find the good in everyday. Why wait?!
I don’t know what has gotten into me, maybe it’s spring fever, but I am just rearing to go out in the world and explore all it has to offer. This has been on my mind a lot lately, so I just wanted to share it with you guys (: I really hope it has inspired you!
What is one thing that you have always wanted to do?
Thank you so much for reading, and have a great rest of your day! (:

What Are You Waiting For?

On the drive home today from school, I found myself thinking about how much more exciting my life will be once I’m out of high school and in college, but then I thought, why do I have to wait? Don’t get me wrong, I love my life right now and I am so thankful for everything and everyone in it, but I do wish I got out and just lived more. It seems like my life is just engulfed with homework, studying, applying to college (well that part is over, now I’m just waiting for the decisions from these colleges) and scholarships, and just general mundane, everyday-life-stuff. Why do I have to wait until after high school to “start” my life? Am I not living now? I want to have crazy stories for my kids about the adventures I went on, but those adventures don’t have to wait until I’m 20-something. 
I think it’s in our nature to be afraid of immediately starting something; there are always excuses as to why we have to wait to go out and do something great. Of course, sometimes there are legitimate excuses, but for the most part, I think as people we’re afraid to drop everything and just go. It’s understandable, since routine is comfortable and change is scary, but I think we would be a lot happier if we actually went out and had some fun. I want to do so many things: travel, see the sights around me that I have never bothered to see, hike, sleep under the stars…the list goes on and on. And really, there isn’t a reason as to why I can’t start doing those things now. I don’t mean that tomorrow I’m going to go out with reckless abandon and go for a thirty mile hike, but I want to start with baby steps maybe, and try to at least “go on an adventure” (If you’ve read/seen the Hobbit see what I did there…I know, it was cheesy, but it’s my favorite part) a couple times a month instead of staying holed up in my house stressing over things that I cannot change. 
I challenge you to do the same! Go out and do something you have always wanted to do, even if it scares you. Go outside and talk a walk, or maybe face a fear. I don’t know, just live. Relatively speaking, we don’t get too long on this earth, so you should make the best of the time that you do have. You don’t want to be 80 years old, wishing you had gone for that hike or jumped in that lake. Try new things and find the good in everyday. Why wait?!
I don’t know what has gotten into me, maybe it’s spring fever, but I am just rearing to go out in the world and explore all it has to offer. This has been on my mind a lot lately, so I just wanted to share it with you guys (: I really hope it has inspired you!
What is one thing that you have always wanted to do?
Thank you so much for reading, and have a great rest of your day! (: