We're Back!

Dear Friend,

Wow, long time no blog! Sorry we haven't written in nearly 5 months, but we're back!

Exciting things that have happened while we've been away:

1. We both decided on a college: Saint Mary's College of California
2. We graduated
3. Catherine bought more J-Crew swag
4. Kylie passed biology
5. We were officially deemed the "Middle School Social Committee"

We have re-evaluated our blog, and we're going to go to a more sporadic posting schedule... We'll post as much as possible, but hopefully this way 1) Our posts will be a bit more meaningful and 2) We won't feel the stress or pressure that comes from a daily blog.

"Find something you're passionate about and stay tremendously interested in it." -Julia Child

Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine

8tracks

Dear Friend,

You probably know by know about our love (or rather, obsession) over music. We love, love, LOVE  music. We enjoy almost any genre of music, and we love sharing our music with people. We've made a variety of CD's for our friends, and many of them wonder how we discover songs. We usually hear about songs from other friends, movie soundtracks, and internet radios.

8tracks is perhaps one of the best internet radios out there. We love this internet radio because it is very personal. Members pick at least eight tracks to form a playlist to share with other members. As a listener, you are able to listen to music according to the mood you are in. The categories include: study, happy, feel good, dance, sleep, summer, indie rock, etc. You can listen to basically anything. You may find a mix with some of your favorite songs or even better- you'll be introduced to new music!

We highly recommend 8tracks, so next time you are in need of some fresh mixes, check out this internet radio. Enjoy!

Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine

Favorite 10 Things: Purple

Dear Friend,

We noticed that we skipped purple as one of our favorite ten things posts (we went straight to black). We can't forget purple! Purple is a mix of our favorite colors combined. However, fun fact: Kylie cannot deal with the colors purple and green together. Anyways, here's our top ten favorite purple things:

1. The OneNote icon
2. Grapes
3. Orchids
4. Eggplants
5. Dora's backpack
6. Yams (yes, there are such things as purple yams)
7. The Purple Heart medal
8. Fuchsias
9. Lavender
10. Bishop's robes

Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine

Be the Miracle: Lesson 1

Dear Friend,

We could explore Barnes and Nobles for hours. From the best seller's list to the classic novels, there are so many books you can choose from. There is nothing like the feeling of opening a new book and reading the very first page- with a cup of tea by your side (of course). The two of us are making the effort to read more often because we believe you can learn so much from simply opening a book. The most recent book that Catherine bought is called Be The Miracle: 50 Lessons for Making the Impossible Possible by Regina Brett. In the intro, Regina talks about miracles being extraordinary actions that people take and that it's okay to not be perfect. All she says that we need to do is "make a beginning" in order to make a difference in this world- or rather, be a miracle. So that's what the two of us are going to attempt to do. Along with our Being Peace series of posts, we thought it would also be fun to share our perspective on these fifty lessons on our blog as well. We don't know where these two books will take us, but hey, we'll probably learn a thing or two. It doesn't hurt to gain new insight on life, now does it? So let's begin...

Lesson 1: Start Where You Are 

In the first few pages of this book, Regina tells the story of a little girl being kidnapped while she was a newspaper reporter. Thankfully, the police were able to find this girl and her kidnapper with the help of Regina's coworker (who wrote about the missing girl), a convenience store worker (who first saw the girl and the kidnapper), and a gas station attendant (who called the police to arrest the kidnapper). These three people were just doing their jobs, which lead them to saving a little girl's life.

Regina continues to say that the way she looks at people she passes every day has changed because this story has taught her that anyone has the ability to make a difference. The two of us definitely agree with this idea- you don't need to be well-known or have all the money in the world to impact someone's life. There will be times where you may never even know you were a significant part in someone's life. One little daily action can yield a huge effect and the best part is that we don't have to wait around for opportunities to come to us because there are already so many around us. We just need to take the time to recognize these possibilities and act upon them.

"If you want to change the world in a big way, you do your small assignments with greater love, greater attention, greater passion." -Regina Brett

Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine

Reasons to Love Kate Middleton

Dear Friend,

If you are not a fan of the Duchess of Cambridge, we suggest you stop reading because this post sends lots of love to her. Let's face it- Kate Middleton rocks. Here is a list of reasons why she's one of our favorite people ever.

Reasons to Love Kate Middleton 
-She is absolutely stunning
-She is the epitome of class and grace
-She is actually the perfect princess
-Her real name is Catherine
-Her sense of style exudes confidence and poise
-She always takes time to greet crowds
-She is an ambassador for Britain's Olympic and Paralympic teams
-She is domesticated and enjoys cooking
-She has lived in Amman, Jordan
-She is very charitable

"He's so lucky to be going out with me."- Kate Middleton

Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine

Being Peace

Dear Friend,

This semester, the two of us are taking a World Religions course. Well, in Kylie's case, she has an independent study where she's watching videos through an online course (due to a class scheduling ruh roh). But in Catherine's class, in order to introduce the unit on Buddhism, a class period was devoted to beginning the book Being Peace. 

Being Peace is a collection of teachings on peace and meditation by the Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk and peace activist, Thich Nhat Hanh. After reading the first couple pages, you are immediately captivated by this book's message. While the book itself is easy to read, the many lessons intertwined on each page hold concepts that can lead to great reflection. The two of us have always been interested in Buddhism- in fact, Kylie considers herself a Buddhist (she went through this whole conversion process awhile ago- we'll save that story for another time). We consider many Buddhist teachings very valuable and relevant to the way the two of us want to live each day.

So as we continue to read Being Peace, we thought we'd share our experience in hopes that we are able to make sense of complex ideas as well as share some meaningful messages. In upcoming posts, we'll be sharing what we've learned- chapter by chapter. We have a really good feeling about this book, and we hope it turns out to be just as eye-opening and special to all of you as it already is for us.

"Enlightenment is always there. Small enlightenment will bring great enlightenment. If you breathe in and are aware that you are alive—that you can touch the miracle of being alive—then that is a kind of enlightenment." - Thich Nhat Hanh 

Yours truly,
Kylie and Catherine

Favorite 10 Things: Black

Dear Friend,

Although there is controversy regarding the legitimacy of black actually being a color, we've decided to include it. No one should ever feel left out, and that includes black!

1. Adele 21

2. Black sunglasses

3. Leggings

4. Little black dresses

5. Black labs

6. Limos

7. The night sky

8. Black Friday

9. Silhouettes

10. Tire swings

"Women think of all colors except the absence of color. I have said that black has it all. White too. Their beauty is absolute. It's perfect harmony." -Coco Chanel

Yours truly,

Kylie and Catherine