A CELEBRATION OF LOVE*

Love has many faces

Obviously I'm not the first to make this observation...but, isn't it funny that there is only one word in the English language for love?  Really, just one? 
There are so many kinds of love...romantic love, parental love, love of chocolate (which definitely deserves its own word!), sisterly/brotherly love, love of beauty, nature, food, pets...I mean come on, the list is long, yet only one word.
In celebration of love, and I do believe all love should be celebrated, I found some lovely examples.

Because I never get tired of cute animal pictures.

This may just be PMS talking...but this is exactly how I feel about chocolate right now.

This one made me cry...he is seeing his three week old daughter for the first time.

Awwwww!

This reminds me of my girls.  Sisterly love.

Those of you who are mothers...remember when you were pregnant with your first?  You were probably worried about a million different things...will I be a good mom?  Will I be able to breast feed?  Will I ever fit into those jeans again?  When you held your baby for the first time you knew it would all be okay because at that moment you fell hopelessly in love...and you've carried that with you ever since.

When I said earlier that I thought all love should be celebrated...I meant all.

Happy weekend everyone!  Hope it's filled with love.
yancey


*Sorry if I made you think you were being invited to a wedding.

LOVING YOUR JOB

Do what you love...love what you do!

 Several years ago, Braxton and I had lunch in a downtown food court which was close to his office.  With our trays of falafel (or whatever) we searched to find an empty table.  Once seated, Braxton looked at me and nodded his head over there..."check this guy out".


We spent the rest of our lunch time witnessing the joy of a man who loves his job.  The young man was working his way through the crowd, clearing and washing tables, throwing away other peoples trash, carefully lining up chairs...with the grace of a dancer, the concentration of a surgeon and a beautiful smile on his face.  He took one of the dirtiest most thankless jobs on the planet, busing tables, and turned it into...art.


Think back on your favorite teacher, your favorite coach, waitress, the bus driver who has a kind word and a smile for everyone...you know what they have in common?  The all love their job!  I can't tell you how many times over the years I've thought of that bus boy at the food court and been inspired all over again.  People who do what they love and love what they do make the whole world happier!

 The first step toward doing what you love is knowing what you love.  When I was a kid, my mother decided I had an aptitude for science.  She encouraged me to apply for Governor's School for Math and Science, I was accepted and hated it.  Later as a teenager, she decided I should be a dentist "it's a perfect job for a woman with small hands" Huh?  Do you have any idea how much I don't regret not being a dentist?


Like many people, I went to college not having a clue what I wanted to do with my life.  Fast forward a few years, or decades, and now with age and a certain amount of wisdom, I know.   I've actually always known.  I am a creative person who gets excited just thinking about art, design, fashion, cooking...and I want to be a designer, or rather I am a designer. My soul has always known, I just didn't listen until now. 

If you are searching to discover your dream job...listen to your soul, it's trying to tell you something.  When we get excited about something, can't stop thinking about it, do it in our spare time, read about it, dream about it...that's our soul telling is it's what we should be doing.


Steve Jobs put it best..."Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice.  And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.  They somehow already know what you truly want to become.  Everything else is secondary." 

 "If you can dream it, you can do it"  
Walt Disney

 "So often times it happens that we live our lives in chains and we never even know we have the key"  The Eagles


This is one of my favorite quotes, and one of my first and favorite art projects as a kid...I made a poster of this saying and it hung on the back of my bedroom door, where only I could see it, for years.   It has meaning still.

If you are uncertain what your dream job should be...know that you are not alone.  Take your time and listen to your heart and soul, it will come.


Have a beautiful day.
yancey

THE ART OF LOVE

"Some people like to paint trees, I like to paint LOVE"  Robert Indiana

 One of my favorite artists, Robert Indiana, is famous for his LOVE art.  What began as a simple Christmas card became an iconic piece of American pop art.
I love his work so much, I've decided to scatter Mr. I's LOVE all over this post.


What you're about to see is sometimes cheesy (romance novel art) sometimes beautiful (decide for yourself)  sometimes kitchy (poster art) and all about LOVE!

 "You know you are in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is better than your dreams"  Dr. Seuss

 "You can't blame gravity for falling in love"  Albert Einstein

 "Falling in love is hard on the knees"  Aerosmith

 "Lay all your love on me"  ABBA

 "Can't get enough of your love babe"  Barry White

 "All you need is love"  The Beatles

 "Everybody loves somebody"  Dean Martin

 "You can't hurry love"  Diana Ross

I have no idea what these three are up to, but I think a good time was had by all.
BTW:  this is by the artist "shag"...love his work!

Do you have a favorite work of art depicting love?
Have a day filled with LOVE.
yancey

GOING TO THE CHAPEL

 In honor of St. Valentine, the Roman Priest who was imprisoned for marrying christian couples,at a time when aiding Christians was considered a crime....I have found these most gorgeous wedding chapels and a few lovely dresses as well.

 "We are all born to love.  It is the principle of existence and its only end"  Benjamin Disraeli

 "It is only with the heart that one can see rightly;  what is essential is invisible to the eye"  Antoine de Saint-Exupery

 "Paradise is always where love dwells"  Jean Paul Richter

 "One word frees us of all the weight and pain in life.  That word is love"  Sophocles

 "Love is friendship set on fire"  Jeremy Taylor

 "True love begins when nothing is looked for in return"  Antoine de Saint-Exupery

 "There is only one happiness in life, to love and be loved"  George Sand

My favorite of the bunch.  If I were getting married today, this outdoor chapel in the smoky mountains would be my idea of heaven.

 Happy Valentines everyone!
yancey