on slacking off

I am quite possibly the worst blogger ever. I always forget about blogging. I never feel like I write anything on a daily basis worth blogging, so I haven't posted in a month. And I've realized my posts in Europe were few and far between. So I'm sorry! To all of my non-existent readers, I apologize.

That being said, let me update you on a few things!

Over the past couple weeks of winter break, I have spent a lot of time just cherishing being in a familiar place. Being in Schaumburg, Illinois has been quite nice. I know where everything is and I have a car to help me get there, everyone speaks English, and everything I need is really just at my fingertips. Spending time with my close family and best friends has been so relaxing. Yet, I feel like I was also very busy and didn't spend much time in my house. My schedule went something like this:

Finally got home after a 6 hour delay leaving Italy and a night stuck in Atlanta, I fell down an escalator, I caught up over breakfast with my parents, slept for what felts like a few days. Spent a night at my best friend's house. My boyfriend came over and I showed him around the city of Chicago a little bit and had him try a lot of our amazing Chicago cuisine. We all went to a Hawks game and we got into a little accident on the way there. I spent Christmas at home and then left just a few days later for a church conference in Indianapolis. New Years Eve I drove to Cincinnati to meet my boyfriend's family and explore a little bit. A few days later I helped him move to Cleveland and got him settled. I left a day later and got into another accident not even an hour into the NINE hour drive. Not a fun experience. Thankfully, I am OK and not hurt in the slightest. But then, I packed up my life once again and I have now moved.


TO NEW YORK CITY!!!!!


I have been here for about 8 hours and I already love it. After unloading and unpacking a little bit, my brother, dad, and I drove around in the traffic madness just to briefly sight-see. Then I went grocery shopping at the cute Westside Market. Ashley's parents took me out to dinner at, you guessed it, an Italian restaurant! So yummy!

Who knows what this adventure will hold?! I am so excited to see how it will unravel and what God is going to do with this semester of my life!

Ciao for now! xo, Mabel

all good things must come to an end

And this is true with my time in Europe and Italy. With under a week left in Florence, my feelings are bittersweet. There are many things I am desperately looking forward to at home, but I am going to deeply miss this fantastically fascinating life adventure.

My adventures in Italy have redefined what I consider a blessing or challenge as I have been constantly pushed out of my comfort zone. The lines where I once drew my boundaries are blurred. I have not only seen things that I studied in years past, but I have been able to see parts of the world I couldn't have imagined. I found myself with a new freedom that only comes when you truly abandon everything you hold on to. Being in this place with the opportunity to land in a different country almost every weekend has opened my eyes to this amazing and wonderful life I am blessed with. 

I have been able to travel around Italy; from my (home) in Florence, to Cinque Terre, to Via Reggio, to Venice, to Milan, to Prato and Perugia, to Assisi, to Pisa, to Rome, to Sorrento, to Pompeii. I have been able to explore Paris, experience Oktoberfest in Munich, and enjoy London. I have taken in the beauty of Burren and Galway and Dublin Ireland and strutted the streets of Barcelona like the true cheetah girl I am. I have revisited Amsterdam and been able to take in the city and suburbs of the Netherlands in a new light. These places hold so many memories that I will cherish in my heart for the rest of my life. I could not imagine a better fashion family, made up of all 47 of us, to experience this journey with. I have made so many amazing friends and I know that we will not only be close for the rest of our lives, but we will always look back on this semester together and relive our favorite moments. 

And, heck, since I don't blog even twice a month, please allow me the pleasure of disclosing my latest adventures with you. 

Rewind all the way back to when fall was just starting in Florence. November 7 my roommates and I (with only Cassie missing) embarked on a the scariest Ryanair flight that thankfully landed us safe in Ireland! Our travel plans were actually quite complicated. A train to Milan and a bus to the airport, a plane to Dublin and a train to Galway  adds up to about 10 hours of travel. Not at all my favorite. Yet, we made it and we all enjoyed a Guinness and I scarfed down some lamb stew. We met the sweetest woman who worked at our hostel, her name was Donna, and she hooked us up with a day tour of the cliffs of moher and Burren national park for only 20 euros! The weather was perfect and we saw the most amazing sites. It was the most breathtaking thing I've ever seen. To witness the beauty in those places made that one of the the greatest days I've had in Europe. To see Gods creation; his masterful artistic talent and his majestic design, was absolutely, indescribably incredible.

We completed our tour of Ireland by exploring quaint Gallway and spending a day exploring Dublin. Kate and I had to go on a tour of the Guinness Storehouse and it was actually quite fascinating. We are now certified perfect pint pourers and taste testers!

Barcelona was a city I had amazing hopes for. I truly am the unspoken fifth cheetah girl that no one knew about. Paige and I, along with our friends Michael, Jenny, Paulinaa, and Kari adventured to this city together November 14. Just one week after our Ireland adeventures and with a project due the following Monday, the four of us design majors that went knew this was about to be a lot to handle. We spent our days discovering and Paige and I spent our nights in Starbucks coffee shops and one night almost pulled an all-nighter with Michael and Jenny. Talk about dedication. You gotta do what you gotta do. 

Seeing the Sagrada Familia and work by Gaudi and la Rambla Catalunya was beyond breathtaking. It was also quite incredible that Barcelona is the home to the only Dunkin' Coffee in Europe. I was able to get real donuts instead of pastries!!!! 

Amsterdam was such fun with one of my best friends, Kate! We had an eventful first two days hitting up the Van Gogh museum and the Anne Frank House and lots of parks and famous markets. Since Kate's best friend from high school is of Dutch origin and her familiy recently moved back to the Netherlands, we took a trip out to Leiden and Sassenheim to pay them a visit! It was such a fun, quaint part of the trip. They treated us not only to an amazing buffet style dinner in their humble home, but they also bought us cheese and stroopwafel from the street vendors to bring back home! What a sweet treat!!! I was even able to find a few odd gifts that I could cross off my Christmas shopping list!

Other than the traditional things I miss about home (ie my family, my dog, my house, my bed, my familiar surroundings, etc.) I find myself missing an assortment of miscellaneous (and possibly strange) pieces. 

The English language. I miss being able to understand everything around me. As my Italian class this semester has proved mostly unhelpful, I haven't been able to get past "Bongiorno, vorrei un caffe espresso" in a conversation. It's such a beautiful language and I only wish that my five years of Spanish didn't confuse my brain. I also wish we would have started learning grammar instead of phrases. But that's where basic conversational Italian is supposed to take you...

24 hour electric heating. Since Italy does not produce their own electricity and have to import it from France, all heating elements are suspended for half of the day. Seriously, the heating in Italy is so controlled that we only get 12 hours. At night, it's 18 degrees Celsius. (About 65 degrees Fahrenheit) I am always shivering.

Hot and consistent water pressure in a shower. Not that you can't find that in Italy, our apartment, as nice as it is, is just a different story altogether. The water that randomly jumps to cooler temperatures mid-shower and will drop in pressure if someone is running water from the sink in the kitchen. The whole system is poorly designed.

Cell phone service. Try living your life with no connection except for limited Wi-Fi for four months. It's a hard knock life. To be able to call or text someone from anywhere and at anytime is such a blessing I always overlooked. (This is majorly satire. I may appear addicted to technology, but I do, in fact, know how to disconnect and focus on the more important things.)

My automobile. I miss being able to hop into my car and just go anywhere. I don't mind the extra steps (it's a great built-in calorie burner) but walking everywhere on cobblestones is really hard on shoes and feet and joints all over the body. Never have my hips been more out of line or my shoes fallen apart faster.

Now that I've gotten that off my chest, I have a lot to think about. I leave in three days. What am I going to do with this time? Tomorrow will be full of packing and getting organized, our final student exhibition, then going out to celebrate a birthday! Friday I'm FINALLY going to climb to the top of the Duomo with Colin! (Something I wanted to do the minute I got here but saved the best for last!) Early Saturday morning my roommates and I are climbing to the top of Piazzale Michelangelo one last time to watch the sun rise!!! Since Italy doesn't have any law against open containers, we're going to pop a bottle of champagne and walk around buying last minute gifts and souvenirs. That night there won't be time for sleep, we have to be out of our apartment and at the train station at 2:45 am!

Finally, after one more extremely long day of travel, I will be back in sweet home AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL!!! (Cue fireworks and epic soundtrack music)

I have three days. With so much more that I want to do, I guess I better get moving!

simply, remember.

Today was a hard day. Over stressed with hours of studio still left to do, major trips coming up the next two weekends that will eat up a lot of my time to get work done, and some sort of sickness developing in my body. Getting started today was not only a drag, but in the midst of the afternoon, it appeared endless. 

Yet, we made it through today. I say "we" because I wasn't alone. I have a lot ahead, but I'm gonna keep looking to Jesus to help me through this. 

That's one thing that's been on my heart lately. Jesus. Even though I've been drowning in the depths of my own misery, my own twisted, over thought, complex misery, I can still feel Him. He just wants to hold my heart completely. 

This isn't about some crazy Bible reading I've done lately. I have to shamefully admit that I haven't actually cracked the Word open in a few weeks. It's definitely been taking a toll on me.  But this is about just a feeling I have being pulled to Jesus. Like a small girl running into her dad's arms, I keep running to him over and over and over again.

It has definitely seemed helpless. I can't justify my sin. I can't do more or try harder or be better. The biggest thing I can do is humbly receive grace over and over and over and realize that there's nothing I can do to repay Jesus for His deeds. When He proclaimed that "It is finished," He didn't mean that my works needed to cover the fine print that he kept hidden. When He said "It is finished," He meant that every drop of His blood would cover every sin I've ever done, every sin I'm committing in the present moment, and every sin I will ever commit for the rest of my days on Earth. 

He is our Almighty God; who was, who is, and who is to come. If all of the creatures in Heaven in Revelation 4:8 worship our God ceaselessly, I really don't have any reason not to be grateful to Him every moment of every day. 

November, in America at least, is a month usually set aside specifically for gratitude. I know that should be every day of every month, but sometimes it's hard to see the bigger picture past what's directly in front of you. And seeing my friends post their very encouraging blessings everyday has inspired me to start counting my own. 

So, folks: My (belated) list of thanksgiving.

01. The first and the most important blessing, Jesus. He is so good to me. Truthfully, I cannot describe how grateful I am that I call Him, Savior.

02. My parents. Not only are they the reason why I'm here (in Italy) today, but they have supported me and encouraged me and pushed me my whole life. They are truly lights in my life. I am so grateful that I have parents who can really help me to not only realize myself and my potential, but to pursue the greatest this world has to offer and never settle for anything less!

03. Genuine friendships. There are so many people I am blessed to call good friends. From late night pick-me-ups to family dinners to car rides and EVERYTHING in between, I have so many amazing memories with people who are incredibly amazing. Kaylea, Sarah, Joe, Isaac, Kate, Cassie, Paige, Sam, Greg, Colin; I love all of you and am so joyful that I have the privilege of holding you close to my heart.

and 04. Coffee. Where would I be without my little mug of happiness? Coffee not only wakes me up but also warms my heart. I love you, coffee. We will never part. <3

And, all in all, that's a little peak inside my heart. It's an emotional jumbled mess, but it's mine. And I like having this space to sort it out. I want to close with a verse that I happened upon today, a verse that I have heard and memorized again and again but sinks in with an entirely new meaning this time. These words give me just a sliver of peace for my weary and restless heart.

Matthew 11:28-30

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

come follow me on instagram! @mabeljean!

Life Verse

Most people have a life verse. Whether it's in the form of an actual verse or a special quote, these special phrases can help us get through our hardest and darkest of days. As I was on the train to Perugia this morning, I really felt led to spend those two hours studying the chapter of the bible that holds a verse that is near and dear to my heart: my life verse. As love and the concept of loving has been weighing on my heart tremendously this whole week, it just seemed fitting that I would find myself studying chapter 13 of First Corinthians. 

Everyone knows this chapter as the cliche love chapter. It's the section of the bible that is most quoted at weddings and it's sold on almost every scrap of Christian propaganda you can find. But when you actually meditate on it and take each single word for the gravity it contains, it becomes so much more than a cliche. I truly do believe this is really just Paul's way of giving us another example of how to live our lives. We should live with love. I also think that rereading any passage for a second, third, fourth, or fifth time can still prove useful and show you parts that you may have overlooked before. Different words might stick out to you or have a new relevance. 

Verse 13 of chapter 13 says this: Now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. And the greatest is love. 

Why is the greatest love?

"And if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing." 1 Corinthians 13:2 b

"[Love] always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." 1 Corinthians 13:7

I cling to my faith everyday. I admit sometimes I am like a child, I need my faith. I need to know that I have the God of angels behind me. He will never break beneath the burden of my downfalls. But if I have this immense faith and I don't have love in my veins, my faith is void.

I need to have hope for the future. I feel like everyone needs to have hope in something. It's what keeps us fighting to make things better.  Hope is not naive. Love always hopes.

So if faith and hope are two of the biggest elements in our lives, love must be the greatest of all. In order to have faith, you must have love. And in the process of loving you become hopeful. You need love. Not only for these two traits, but for life as a whole. 

That's my life verse. Just over two years ago, I got those three words tattooed on my foot. I live by those words and this promise of love. I walk by faith and live by my hope, but I yearn to do all things with love. 

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13

All Bundled Up!

Fall means the trees are changing colors. Our appetite seems to crave only pumpkin. The weather is shifting. And with all of these changes, we can't help but update and refresh our wardrobe as well.

For this upcoming fall/winter, I really want to invest in or create on my own an outerwear piece that is unique. For the past few years, I've stuck by my trusty black peacoat. There's absolutely nothing wrong with a peacoat (it is one of the best investments you can make living in a city where the winters get really, really COLD). But it's just. So. PLAIN.

I'm sick of it. So don't mind me on my rant here. I'm just craving new things. New ideas. I want to drape myself in layers of wool. I want to create masterpieces. Because fashion IS indeed an art. Don't fear the art. Embrace it.

So I wanted to share some of the images that are really inspiring me this season in terms of outerwear. And, hey, maybe they'll inspire you too!

Oasis 2007. I love how the collar opens up like a flower in bloom when it's unbuttoned.

Zara 2010. A little more chic with the open front.

No brand listed. 2011. I am in love with the quilting on the front panel. And I love the epaulettes!

 

No brand listed. 2012. I love the leather trim all the way around and the big sleeves. 

Missoni 2008. Obviously edgy. Obviously my favorite. I love this whole look.

So that was a little taste of what I have in mind for this season. Ironically, my upcoming studio task is a jacket. My group's inspiration is coming from 18th century armor and men's costume. Below I've included some contemporary images I may use. 

Alaïa Fall 2012 couture. I really want my jacket to have some sort of flared bottom.

Aren't these epaulettes FABULOUS? And I found a place to buy them for only $100. Maybe this will be a splurge...

I hope you enjoyed your brief look in my scattered brain! And somehow, I hope you're able to take something away from this. Be bold and be different the season. For me, it's about learning not to buy everything in black just because it's safe and actually buy something the is original and sticks out. The goal is to make an impression. If you want your clothes to hide you, you might as well keep yourself in hiding. Because even frumpy, wrinkled tee shirts and yoga pants say something about you. So make sure that you're saying something worthwhile in that statement!

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these are the days of our lives.

Here's what I mean. 

Our days are literally numbered. We all have an expiration date. Even this chapter of your life will come to a close sooner than you think. I feel like I'm on this kick lately of "we need to take advantage of eah moment," but here I go again.

Recently, I've been in the mood for a Netflix day. I really just want to stay in my leggings and sweater (or my boyfriend's flannel that I stole and is perfectly oversized) and just watch a ton of movies and catch up on HIMYM and New Girl. And I've been debating doing this because of where I live now. Living in Europe makes me feel like I need to always be doing something. Not always something huge or overly exciting. I've learned the hard way that I have a limit and I do, indeed, burnout. I just feel like I need to always be out and about. Which, is something I really love doing. I'd rather spend all day outside, even just people watching, than cooped up in my apartment. But everyone needs a down day, right? 

I was debating this the other day with my roommate Sam. I was more confiding in her my desire to simply be lazy. And to my surprise, I was really glad to find out most of my roommates felt the same.

I always "wake up early" according to my apartment. I'm talking 9:00/9:30 am. I feel that by sleeping in, I'm wasting daylight. I'm not saying that after staying up for 3 days straight after I turn in a big project I won't sleep for 17 hours. That is definitely something I've done, and you can ask my best friend Sarah in Kent, Ohio how that went for me. Literally slept through a whole weekend without even canceling my plans. I get exhausted. I'm human. But that's not that I'm talking about. I'm saying that after going to bed at 1:00 am, 9:00 am is a reasonable time for me to start my day. So I wake up. I make myself a bomb-ass omelet. Maybe just fix a bowl of cereal. But then I do something. Of course I check Instagram and Twitter (which are usually interesting because I get to catch up on he time difference). Then it's off to whatever. 

Today, we wanted to go to a museum to not only knock off one of our site visits we have to do, but also just to do something interesting and different. Kill two birds with one stone, if you will. Instead we ended up going to Astor and getting coffee and talking until 3:30 pm, then picnicking at the Boboli gardens. And. I. LOVED. IT!!! Talking with my roommates (minus Kate, whose mom came to visit and they went off to tour Italy) is always a blast and I love getting to know them more! I so enjoy their company and I love these girls so, so much. These girls are my sisters. 

And these are the days of our lives. You don't have to do something super OTT with each day. Living this life means that we have really exciting days and some average days. I hope you have very few bad days, but some days, truthfully aren't as fabulous. 

People from home always make some sort of comment like, "How exciting is Italy?!" And honestly, it is exciting. I do not want to downplay at all how truly amazing and wonderful and incredible Italy and the rest of Europe is. But it does have it's 'blah' features. Like traffic. Annoying pedestrians who walk too slow. And there's this thing called a language barrier than makes everything from understanding my studio professors to ordering a coffee so damn difficult. I have a love-hate relationship with these aspects. 

But I really hope that you're always looking for the wonder in your city. I hope that no matter how drab any given day may seem, that you are being filled with awe and inspired by the tiniest things of beauty. I hope your ride on the subway is more than a commute, and going to the grocery store is more than just a chore. I know that there is adventure waiting just around the corner, and I hope that you see it that way. Throw on some lipstick and explore.

Here's what I mean. These are the days of our lives. And we gotta live like we're dying. Open yourself to everyone and all they have to offer. 

What if there's a bigger picture? What if I'm missing out? What if there's a greater purpose that I could be living right now? I don't wanna miss what matters, I wanna be reaching out. Show me the greater purpose, so I can start living right now. Outside my own little world. My own little world. - Matthew West, My Own Little World