don’t call me oscar.

the oscar bug is making its rounds. even cute babies can’t escape (:

the artist.

the descendants.

the help.

{see all the nominees here: don’t call me oscar}

–

happy friday.

ben rector is brilliant. don’t believe me?

so good. so very, very good.
happy friday to you!

–

welcome.

how perfect is this?

–

 

{www} open road.

open road by austin kleon.

i’m approaching the “one week away” mark of my upcoming trip to NC and the ants in my pants have started dancing. whenever it gets close to time for me to hop on a plane or hit the road i find i don’t sit quite as still at my desk (not that i ever do that too well) or form as many coherent thoughts in the days preceding a trip. i am a 5-year-old kid going to disney world. i get that excited.

i also have the propensity to start dreaming up future trips and adventures — possible trips on the horizon include: new orleans w. b (we will rock our fake glasses, guaranteed) & a springtime jaunt to the mountains w. jordan & my twin to see the fray. and those are only getting me through march and april.

ah yes, i am a nomad at heart.

total fakes.

who: miss & b (aka: madison & bernard).
what: $3 fake glasses from a street vendor in nyc.
when: sunday afternoon.
where: nashville/miami.
why: we love fake glasses. and we love each other. a lot.

once upon a time in nyc, b & i spent a solid 45 min trying on fake glasses and sunglasses at a street stand. i believe we tried on every. single. pair. of glasses twice. this weekend i stumbled across my pair of “fakes” and sent b a pic…less than 10 min later his handsome face popped up on my phone. gracious me, i love him.

and just in case you missed the obvious family resemblance: i’m his sister, he’s my brother…and there is nothing fake about that.

–

tuesday tunes: the fray.

it was a lonnnng wait for the fray’s new album scars and stories…a 3-year-long wait to be exact…but so very worth it. i’ve had the album on a near constant loop the last two weeks and it just keeps getting better. so if i told you the entire album is incredible would you believe me? because it is.

but if a had to choose a few songs as my frontrunners…

run for your life: this song is about twins. need i explain why it struck a serious chord with me?  throw in that repetitive, driving guitar line and you successfully have my heart lodged in my throat. 

munich: the contrasting vocals on this one are superb.

48 to go: where will we be in half a century? 2 down and 48 to go.

be still: the rawness of this song takes my breath away. holy smokes.
stream the full album: here.
find out the meaning / inspiration behind each song: here. (<– so good)

–

white flag.

several weeks ago i had the incredible pleasure of spending the weekend in atlanta with two of my most treasured friends, ashley and ellen. we went to an phenomenal farmer’s market, we cooked yummy food, we watched carolina basketball, we talked and talked some more…it was a gloriously simple weekend and one my heart definitely needed. simply being in the presence of precious friends is one of the greatest gifts.

while in atlanta i attended passion city church with ashley (have you heard of the passion conferences held each year? ) and we sang the song below, white flag, the main anthem written for 2012′s passion conference held back in january.

–

friends, all that i am reacted to this song. i can’t be sure, but i may have even been physically glowing. in the past two weeks i dare say i’ve listened to it again another 100+ times…such an incredible reminder of God’s ultimate victory and the precious gift of being able to wave our own white flag each and every day.

we raise our white flag. we surrender all to You…

–

quirk.

i’ve been on the hunt recently for a simple little necklace i can wear all the time…and as always, i love things with a little bit of quirk. below are a few contenders — shall we put it to a vote?

carolina lovin’: i am in no way short on state pride…why not wear it too?

find your fortune: cookie in the front, fortune in the back. love & love.

keep the music alive: in my personal opinion the harmonica is one of the coolest instruments…

call me four-eyes: yep, i do believe i have a bit of a crush on cute frames.

help me?

–

{www} the guest house.

the guest house.

this being human is a guest house.
every morning a new arrival.

a joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.

welcome and entertain them all
even if they are a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.

the dark thought, the shame, the malice.
meet them at the door laughing and invite them in.

be grateful for whatever comes.
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.

~ rumi

–

ugly love.

one of my roommates left the above “valentine” and a little treat on the dining room table for me this morning and i died laughing…and while it is clearly meant to be a laugh-inducing statement, i couldn’t help but note a lot of beauty in these funny words.

yes, this particular card is talking about a physical beauty (or lack thereof) , but humor me for a second and let’s pretend like it’s talking about our inner beauty…or lack thereof.

i have no trouble pretending, friends, because let me be honest, my heart is ugly. there are days when there is nothing beautiful about what i’m feeling or thinking…and don’t even get me started on the hideousness of days marked with self-pity or selfish pride.

i am ugly and my ugliness did indeed result in someone’s death. my ugliness nailed my Savior to a cross and let him die in my place. and yet despite my ugliness, He is the one who daily says “i love you, Madison, even though you are so ugly i had to die…i love you, i love you, i love you.”

that’s a love my heart and mind can’t even begin to grasp.
that’s a love i live in today and every day.
and that’s a love i can never return.

i am Madison. i am ugly. but that’s ok, because i am also loved.

happy valentine’s day & loads of love from my little ‘ol ugly heart.

–

–