this little brown book couldn't have come to me at a better time. twenty-twelve is quickly coming to a close + a new year is hiding just around the corner. twenty-thirteen. a year that will [ hopefully ] be filled with many new adventures. countless laughing fits. good food + even better music. many long conversations with close friends accompanied by a hot cup of tea. a year where i accomplish lofty goals + dream bigger than i ever have before. a year captured through the lense of my camera. filled with happy, sunshiny days + cozy, rainy mornings. days of great joy, where i can't help but smile. and, inevitably, days of sadness where the only thing left to do is cry. i hope to relish in the simple, sweet moments. moments that make me realize that, although it can be rough at times, this life is so very beautiful. i look forward to many more late nights filled with ideas + sparks of inspiration. i hope the pages of this leatherbound notebook will be overflowing with all of the above - beautiful words that explain my life, my heart + my God oh so perfectly. as this notebook gets battered + bruised, let is serve as a reminder of the countless adventures it has endured + the many adventures still to come. 

BLESSED. 

i feel so blessed to have been able to spend christmas with some of my favorite people! My cousins, Megan + Maddi [ along with my auntie, uncle + my other cousin, Josh ] came up to spend christmas day with us. it was such a delight! i love these girls to bits. since we were young, we have always been incredibly close to one another, being born so close together. me, megan, maddi + emily are inseparable - always together, always laughing at some dumb thing another is doing haha. there have been times when we roll around on the floor, laughing until our stomachs hurt. there have been times when tears have been shed + fits of rage have been exchanged. but through it all, i believe it has made us stronger. as each of us grows older, there is a bittersweet feeling in my heart. each of us are trying to find out who we really are, what we want to do in life + are chasing our ever changing dreams. there is a part of me that wants to time travel back to the days where we spent hours making plays for the parents. back to the days when we would spend an entire day roaming + getting lost on our grandparent's farm. back to the times when our curiousity + longing for adventure sometimes got us in trouble. back to the days when we would walk to the conveint store down the road + buy candy to gamble with. at times, it feels as though the hardest thing to do is accept the fact that we are changing + growing up. it is my hope that our unconditional love for eachother will keep us together and will keep us close for the rest of our lives. its so hard to find the words to express how much these girls mean to me. to sum it up, i love love love them. 

much love,

rachel

[ p.s. please please please excuse the not so quality pictures. my camera is broken, so i have resulted to iPhone photography haha. fingers crossed it will be fixed + running in no time! ] 

merry christmas, everyone! i am finally off school for the holidays [ YAY! ]. i am so stoked for a relaxing christmas break spent with wonderful family + friends. stockings are hung, lights unraveled + trees so carefully decorated. this is my absolute favorite time of the year - everything just feels so warm + joyous. i hope you all are enjoying all the exciting christmas festivities. now, it wouldn't truly be christmas without some  christmas tunes to go along. i know, i know. some hate it, some love it. and i just happen to love it. so, for all you  cheery spirits who appreciate some good [ + sometimes cheesy ] christmas music, here are just a couple of my favorites:

she + him // baby its cold outside + christmas waltz [ this entire album is a must have.]

the civil wars // o come, o come, emmanuel 

michael buble (with shania twain) // white christmas 

mariah carey // all i want for christmas [ my guilty pleasure haha ]

now that im off school for a couple of weeks, i hope to blog [ hopefully ] each day until christmas, so stay tuned : )

much love,

rachel 

(Photo created/ taken by me)

today was a very productive day, which is strange because sunday afternoons are usually consisted of naps + lazying around the house. but today, laundry was done. rooms were cleaned. crocheting was completed + reading was enjoyed. all of this was accompanied by the sweet sound of the smiths. oh, and i can’t forget the delicious breakfast of waffles topped with caramelized pineapple. so good.