I was looking to get a new pair of shoes, and discovered TOMS. This is probably one of the most impressive organizations I have seen in a very long time. For those of you who haven't heard of them, for every pair of shoes that you buy, they send a pair of them to a child in need. It's called the One for One movement. Many children in different countries grow up without even owning one pair of shoes. This is the leading cause of diseases and shoes helps prevent them.

Once a year, they do an international One Day Without Shoes. This video really inspired me to participate in this national event, and I encourage you to do it also! It's for a really great cause. I already got about 5 more people to participate with me in it. You might be thinking, "How can this help?" It raises awareness that we know what people less fortunate than us are going through and that we are willing to know what it feels like for one day to not have shoes, when those children have to live with it everyday. Come on everyone :) lets do this!

Here's the website if you would like to register.http://onedaywithoutshoes.com/splash


Every thought counts. Just imagine what your actions can do in this world.

Love,
Tabs <3

feels amazing. We all know this is true. The moment you hit that couch and kick off your shoes after a long day is the best feeling there is. Even if it's just for a few moments, you can feel yourself calming down and smiling. Then either the phone will ring or someone knocks on the door. Typical relaxation breaker. I remember a few months back when I was swamped with AP classes and after school programs. I'd get home around 6:00 PM and wonder if it was all worth it. Then I'd unlock the door to the house and just completely collapse on the couch, and think to myself, man this feels great. I'd lay there for about 10 minutes and then realize that I had about 6 hours worth of homework too do and dinner still needed to be cooked. However, those 10 minutes were always the highlight of my day. 

I thought I would get a few words in before I headed out to church tonight. I've been working on homework that I procrastinated on for the past 2 weeks, and my brain feels tired. However, I know that it will be worth going to church and that I can have a few hours to myself with God before I come back to the real world. Then back to homework!

I don't know if I have ever shared this quote with you guys, but I fell in love with it as soon as I read it. It describes me a lot and I hope you like it :)

"The philosophy of mine, Earth can be summed up as this: sunshine creates happiness and I create myself. Nights are long and life is predominantly good. Wind is refreshing. Tea is wisdom. Do the best you can, and be good to yourself so that you can above all be good to others."

Ciao,
Tabs <3

Possibly one of the most amazing places known to mankind. Whether in cold or hot weather, this place holds so many memories for me. I remember going there when I was about 7 years old, and just charging right into the water, even though it was freezing cold. I can still hear my mom frantically yelling at me to come back and put on a sweater, but I didn't care. There was always something different about that place, and I still can never put my finger on it. I go there every year with my best friend, and I always feel 7 again when I do. Bodega Bay  is somewhere that I will always hold in my heart forever, and I most likely will move there some day.

As you can see, I've been thinking about the beach like I always have been, except even more. I can here it calling my name. It's saying, "Tabby...Tabby! Come play in the warm sand! We miss yoouuuu!" It's taunting me and I'm becoming really close to giving in. The only thing keeping me away is no car. Phooey. Oh well, I will end up going sooner or later. For now, enjoy the wonderful picture that is Bodega Bay :)

I figured out that the more we grow up, the more that we tend to miss the things we've done in life. I mean some of you have probably already figured this out a long time ago, but I'm just now starting to realize it. I'm turning 18 in July, and officially becoming legal. Yeah, regular teenagers would be extremely ecstatic and are planning some huge events for their big day. I'm not to sure if you've figured it out by now, but I tend to pull away from the regular crowd. They are way overrated and tend to talk a little to loudly. And some even smell. Instead, I've been looking back on my past 17 years. Through the good and the bad, I really can't believe that I made it this far. Yes, there are some things that I probably wish I could have done but everything that I have done, has made me who I am today, and honestly I'm rather proud. Wow that is a really bad run on sentence, but it's okay. Run on sentences are usually the most fun to read. However, have you ever looked back upon your life and thought about all your accomplishments? Or maybe even the things you wish that you didn't do? Maybe your sad and feel as if you didn't live your life to it's fullest potential. This is the time when you go through all those memories that have been locked up behind that dusty door. You know, the door behind all the bad memories? We usually tend to look more upon the bad things that have happened in our lives, instead of the good. Some of us have been through our bad memories so much, that the door handle is even polished from how many times we've turned it. Today, push past those bad memories and wipe away the cobwebs from the good memories door. Blow away all the dust and enter through it without any sense of fear or doubt. You will honestly be surprised at how much happiness and joy you have actually experienced throughout your life. That's where your faith lies also. Have faith, and you can get through any aspect or facet in life without even a hesitation. You can do it, I know you can. 

Believe. Cherish. Love. Hope. That's all we can ask for! Time to go make something to eat. My stomach is yelling at me. Enjoy the coldness and try some pineapple soda. You'll like it =)

Ciao,
Tabs <3

These things are the biggest life saver. They are candy and an amazing type of medication rolled into one. My cold decided that it wanted to make a fierce comeback, so I'm technically living off of them until my coughing and sneezing decide to subside. When that will happen, I have absolutely no idea. Until then, my closest friends will be my humidifier and a box of tissues which I have already taken the liberty to doodle all over the box. Ah, the joys of being in bed most of the day with nothing to do.

How did you guys do with the spur of the moment task that I mentioned yesterday? Hopefully everything went well and none of you got arrested :) that would have been very bad, but it also most likely would have been worth it. My task was to go to Walmart and buy the first thing I saw (something I kind of have always wanted to do, but I was sick and didn't have very many options so give me a break). So there I was, walking through the sliding doors, tissue in hand with a stuffy nose! I was looking at the ground until I was all the way in the store, then I looked up and the first thing I saw was...hair ties. I know, not as exciting as you were probably expecting, but it really was the very first thing I saw. They were on one of those long plastic things with hooks on them, that hang on the sides of the isles. You know, those things you can never get anything off of. So I stood there for about 10 minutes fighting with this plastic thing because it wouldn't give me my hair ties. Eventually, with much effort and grumbling, it came loose. In the end, I rather think it was worth it.

Today just seems to be a wonderful day besides the fact that I'm sick. Has anyone noticed that when the sun rises on a clear morning, the sky just seems even more blue than it usually does? I watched the sunrise this morning and that's what seemed to happen. It was absolutely beautiful. The sun was barely peaking over my neighbor's trees, with a little bit of orange around it, and the sky was just a burst of bright blue. I don't think I've ever experienced a sunrise like that. It just made my whole entire day. Today is the kind of day that is just absolutely amazing because of that one little thing that happened. That one little thing that just puts a smile on your face. That one little thing that makes you say to yourself, "Maybe this life has more to it than it seems." That one little thing could even change someones life forever. No matter where we are in our lives, we should always find a way to cherish those little things. They are the things that bring substance and ambition into the things we do. Substance that we can't get from anything else, and ambition that keeps our minds healthy with thoughts of happiness. Happiness that keeps us smiling. Smiles that warm the hearts of the ones that we love. All of this, could come from that one little thing. Make each day count, and live for every moment.

Have a wonderful day!
Tabs <3

filled with new wonders and possibilities as far as the eye can see. We can do whatever we want, when we want to. Of course, some of you may be thinking that this is in fact not true. That we are restricted by certain duties in our lives that keep us from doing these thing. Yes...and no. Our mind set is the only thing restricting us from doing things that we think will get us into trouble, or that we believe that we don't have the time to do. Acting on impulse I think is something that everyone in this world seems to be afraid of. We tend to think before we act. However, what if we just DID? What I mean is that every once in a while just drop everything and do something that you've always wanted to do. Do something that you need to do, but never did since you've always been thinking about the consequences. Just do it. Don't think about it (I'm not talking about murder or anything, just basic stuff you've always wanted to do). Go buy that surf board you saw the other day even though you know you will never use it, go sky diving, bungee jumping, take a trip to China and learn Kung Fu, eat a bug, eat your very first hamburger, go do it! You might or might not like what you did after doing it, but you'll always know what it was like to do it. 

Sadly, kite flying was out of the question yesterday. It got way colder than I thought it would and I was practically dying from sickness which makes doing things even worse than they usually seem to be. I barely even remember what I even did since I slept most of the day. All I remember was The Mask of Zorro and tea. I like the tea part the most out of the both of those. I'm doing better at the moment, just a small headache and a couple of small coughs. Other than that, I'm right as rain (I never understood that statement yet I hear people say it all the time)!

One another note, I would just like to let everyone know that acoustic music is better than any other type of music out there in this world. Everything just sounds better with just a guitar and a great voice. I literally mean EVERYTHING. The sound those guitar strings make are just indescribable. Anyone can argue with me on this, but I'm not giving in to anything else. Currently, a great acoustic song to listen to is Collide by Howie Day. I lost count how many times I've listened to that song, and it seems to never get old. If you guys aren't acoustic fans, try out Nothing Left to Lose by Matt Kearney. Both amazing songs, whichever way you put it <3 I need to get back to math homework. I hope you all have a wonderful and musical day!

Ciao,
Tabs <3

Stuffy nose, and look completely train wrecked. I'm beginning to think that I've caught a cold. I also have no idea how I might have caught it. So I'm left utterly confused with a tissue in hand and with a scratchy voice. I'm pretty sure that every month so far I have caught some type of illness that gave me these symptoms. The cold weather is completely going against me and I'm really not liking it. However, I know that I will get better soon as I always do.

I'm sad that the holidays have passed. I remember falling in love with them when I was little. Whenever we passed by a house with Christmas lights on it, I got this feeling. This feeling felt like unlike anything else in this world. I felt like I could do anything that came my way. As if I was superman, or Santa Clause himself spreading joy to the world. It felt just absolutely amazing. Just from those little Christmas lights, that's what I felt. This also happened at Thanksgiving, except not with the Christmas lights. I guess I could just always feel when the holidays came. When I can't stop smiling and I start laughing more than usual, I know the holidays are here :) how was everyone's holiday's?

This weather is just making me so incredibly happy, even though it got me sick. Actually, I probably shouldn't blame the weather. That's absolutely terrible of me. It's more like the fact that I refused to dress warmly. So, yes, I admitting I got myself sick. You know those days that are completely sunny but it's absolutely freezing outside, and there just those moments in the afternoon when the weather finally turns absolutely perfect? That is how it's going to be here for about the next two weeks. It has me feeling all fuzzy inside! Just feeling that cold wind on my face, and the sun's rays hitting my skin, it's enough to make me jump for joy. Hopefully you all are having wonderful weather!

Today is one of those kite flying days =] go out and buy one of those kites from the 99 cents store that are only good for a one time use. Then drive up to your neighborhood park or school football field, and fly it for hours on end. Trust me on this, I know you will all have fun. What could be better than that?

Ciao,
Tabs <3 

It is three days past New Years, and I am still pumped! No, I did not party or partake in any type of social gathering in which regular teenagers usually do. I actually watched movies all night and did absolutely nothing. I can already see your disgusted face and your probably thinking, "Wow, this girl has absolutely no social life and I feel incredibly bad for her." Sadly to say, my social life pretty much sucks so feel free to be disgusted. I don't mind at all. I also haven't blogged in over a month (gasp) and I feel ashamed. Bad me. So I will proceed with the update.

As I said, my New Years Eve I spent watching movies until about four o'clock in the morning and practically spent all of New Years Day sleeping since I didn't get any sleep the night before. Independent Study is indeed taking it's tole on me. I now no longer am able to wake up before eleven o'clock, and stay up until about three. This is not healthy and I realize this. However, if I am meant to stay up this late, then so be it. I love the dark way better anyway for some reason. How was everyone else's New Year's Eve and Day? I hope they were all wonderful! 

My stomach infection is still here; however, it isn't as bad as it was. I'm dealing with the nausea pretty well and the pain only comes every once in a while. I'm praying that God will help me get through this, and I'm patiently waiting for the infection to go away. Life tends to be unfair sometimes, but what would life be if we didn't have any pain every once in a while? It reminds us that we are indeed alive. 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

I know I'm saying these a little late and I sincerely apologize! I tend not to be able to get on the computer very often anymore but I will try as hard as I can. I wrote a little something. I hope you enjoy it.


2010...It was a year full of laughter, joy, sadness, friendship, and of course love. The days seemed to pass by in a blur, but we always made each one count. Some were spent in happiness, and some were spent in tears. The little things always seemed to matter the most for us, and we held onto every moment that seemed to take our breathe away. The summer seemed to pass by the fastest, which leaves us only with memories of long cool nights and hot days in which the heat couldn't be escaped. We witnessed millions of colors pass before our eyes, and every new color sparked something new in us. Each one of us met that one person that changed the whole entire course of our lives in some way, shape, or form. We all have some regrets, and we all have some things that we wished we could have done. We turned to faith when we ran out of hope, and fell to our knees when life brought us through trials and suffering. However, we kept our heads up and we should be proud. Let's make 2011 an even better year, let's have no regrets and love until we just can't stand it anymore. Make each thought a happy one, and fill the air around us with laughter. Smile when life brings you to your knees, and thank God for each new day. Be determined, grateful, inspiring, shocking, excited, faithful and trustworthy. Just be. Happy New Year's everyone :)


Ciao and Good Night,
Tabs <3