everything is illuminated.

"He awoke each morning with the desire to do right, to be a good and meaningful person, to be, as simple as it sounded and as impossible as it actually was, happy.

And during the course of each day his heart would descend from his chest into his stomach.

By early afternoon he was overcome by the feeling that nothing was right, or nothing was right for him, and by the desire to be alone.

By evening he was fulfilled: alone in the magnitude of his grief, alone in him aimless guilt, alone even in his loneliness.

I am not sad, he would repeat to himself over and over, I am not sad.

As if he might one day convince himself. Or fool himself. Or convince other-the only thing worse than being sad is for others to know that you are sad.

I am not sad. I am not sad.

Because his life had unlimited potential for happiness, insofar as it was an empty white room.

He would fall asleep with his heart at the foot of his bed, like some domesticated animal that was no part of him at all.

And each morning he would wake with it again in the cupboard of his rib cage, having become a little heavier, a little weaker, but still pumping.

And by midafternoon he was again overcome with the desire to be somewhere else, someone else, someone else somewhere else.

I am not sad."

~Everything Is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer

~Photos from Matilda Irene Linnea, Angela, weheartit, and Betsey.

WOW! So many things to say...

...Let me start off with this:

I have gotten two awards (blushing).

One is from the ever so sweet Tina who I love so much for introducing me to Piksi:

I'll pass this on to:

Isabella

Amelia

End of March

La Femme Chic

The other award is from Textile Voltaire, owner of an awesome blog you guys should all check out:

It's the Unique and Chic award!

I've never seen this award before, which makes it extra special. I'll send this off to:

Betsey

Mila

Marisa

Sam

Please check out this video. This girl named Connie from the UK is only six years old and what a voice she has! She is sure to melt your heart, she is so cute. Don't you wish you could just reach into the computer screen, pluck her out, and put her in your pocket?

Also, this video is equally as lovely. It was on Intimate Vignettes (awesome blog, by the way) and I loved the video so much, I just had to share it with you guys. Such a clever idea.

Mila requested that I share my collage hanging on the walls of my room, so here they are:

(Sorry for the huge awkward shadows and low quality and darkness-I took these at night, when my one lamp was the only light. I might take better ones later)

The last one came out the best. You really have to look at better photos to see the collages better. They just look kind of crappy now. They look a lot better in person, I swear. These photos do no justice for them. Oh well...

And these are two collages I just finished:

I think I like the second one better...

While I was perusing through End of March's blog, I found these precious gems of beds. I'd like to have one of these, any one would be just fine with me...

This one reminds me of tents I used to make out of chairs and bed sheets when I was a little girl.

I just love the floral bedding and the gingham curtains. This room reminds me of the French countryside.

I love all the lace in this room. It reminds me of the 40's or else the Victorian era.

I think this is the coziest room ever.

I am in love with that mobile.

This might actually be my favorite picture. I love how the book is in the foreground and really clear, and everything is a bit foggy and blurry behind it. It reminds me when I used to stay up all hours of the night reading.

The last one is pretty cool too.

I love how not everything is perfectly in place. The messiness is what I find beautiful about all these. The covers and pillows are wrinkled and some of the beds aren't even made, but that makes it all the more pretty to me.

Which is YOUR favorite?

Also, as you all know if you have read my most recent post, I'm trying to execute my idea of taking all these photos and quotes from this blog and publishing it as a little book of inspiration. Since I get most of my photos from weheartit.com, you guys suggested I choose a couple of photographers and use their photos so that I can more easily keep track of all the people I have to credit. So...my dears. That's where you darlings come in. What are your favorite photographers that are my sort of style that would match really nicely with the whole theme of this blog? Something similar to Eleanor Hardwick, Sarah Hermans, that sort of thing. I'd appreciate you all to please help me out here and give me the name of at least one photographer. And if you are an amateur photographer and you think your photography would match nicely with my style, please contact me either through a comment or via my email, which is located on my sidebar.