My Inspirations

These are all things that inspire me endlessly.


1. Zooey Deschanel.



My style icon! She is so quirky, offbeat, and charming. I love that she is a celebrity who remains true to who she is and stays under the radar. Confession: I google "Zooey Deschanel style guides" all the time.

Can I just take a minute to sound obsessive? Just listen to all these similarities we have (these are things I did before she even became my icon!): We both wear bangs and cat-eyes, we both like dressing up, we both like dresses and tights, we both like red lipstick, we don't drink, we both drink tea, we both like to read books and watch old movies, we both like to go to the movies, we both like to sing...I know right. It's crazy.

2. Pushing Daisies

This show...is genius. It's all bright colors, quirky characters, sharp dialogue, and fabulous fashion. I could go on and on. The acting is terrific, and the whole cast is just a breath of fresh air. The creator, Bryan Fuller, says it's all about people coming to life...if you haven't watched it yet, I recommend it like I recommend breathing oxygen. It's a necessary experience.

3. Kristin Chenoweth.



I loved her before, but this summer I checked out her book A Little Bit Wicked, a memoir of her early years, her ascent into showbiz, and just behind-the-scenes Kristin, from the library. It's fantastic. She is so optimistic and joyful and has such a down to earth attitude about the whole business of show business. You can tell she absolutely loves what she's doing, and I liked that she discussed dealing with depression despite her chronicly happy persona. I also like that she's a Christian, but she only focuses on Jesus and not all the extra stuff--she supports gay rights, she posed in a bikini shoot for FHM magazine--she's just a cool gal!

There is a Kristin Chenowith quote I discovered in my junior year and I've always tried to live by it (paraphrased): "When you learn to love yourself, with all the flaws, then you can learn to love other people; and that just makes you so happy!" It's not a beautifully crafted saying by any means, but it's simple and fresh and makes so much sense when you learn to actually live it.

I've always been a naturally happy and optimistic person, but there are so many times where I feel like I hit a rut and can't climb back out--an "emotional rabbit hole" as Kristin puts it. I felt that "soul sista" connection when I read her book and she just makes me happy!

And my god, what I wouldn't give to wear that dress!!


And of course, there's Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, old movies, The Beatles, Katy Perry and my family...all great inspirations, but this post would be obese if I tried to write about each one! But of course, my biggest inspiration comes from being myself. I'm in the process of figuring out who I actually am and what I'm made of, and it's exciting and wonderful but also really friggin scary. But as I get closer to figuring it all out, I become endlessly inspired to keep moving forward and doing the things I love to do.