You Are Special

Today I just wanted to share one of my favorite books with you. It's called You Are Special by Max Lucado.




In this story, there is a town of little wooden people. Everyday the people give dots or stars to one another based on talents, looks, etc.




Punchinello tries so hard to receive stars, but all he gets are dots. Soon he has so many dots he didn't
even want to go outside.

One day he meets a girl named Lucia. Lucia didn't have any dots or stars. It's not because she wasn't given any, because people would try to give her stickers. The fact was, they just didn't stick.

Lucia advised Punchinello to go visit their maker Eli who lived on the hill. When Punchinello asked Eli why the stickers didn't stay on Lucia he replied, "Because she has decided that what I think is more important than what they think. The stickers only stick if you let them. The stickers only stick if they matter to you. The more you trust my love, the less you care about their stickers."

After talking a little more, Punchinello starts walking towards the door. As he is leaving Eli says, "Remember, You are special because I made you. And I don't make mistakes."

I think sometimes we just need a reminder that we are important and perfect the way we are.


xoxo

  - Bri

Roadtrip Playlist

Summer vacation is coming towards us at over 80 mph. And what always accompanies summer vacation? Roadtrips.

Now, we all know you can't have a good roadtrip without an amazing playlist. So I thought I'd share some of my favorite "on the road" songs with you!

1. Nothing but a Heartbeat // Say Lou Lou

2. Higher // Amber Lynn  ............... (because we all need that inspirational "pick me up" roadtrip song)

3. Face the Fire // Michelle Chamuel

4. All of You // Betty Who

5. Listen to the Man // George Ezra

6. Pretend // Tinashe ft. A$AP Rocky

7. Say My Name // ODESZA

8. Oath // Cher Lloyd ft. Becky G  ............. (perfect if you're cruising with your girls)

9. Storm Warning // Hunter Hayes

10. I Wanna Get Better // Bleachers

11. Lost in the Light // Bahamas

12. Fall // The Vamps

13. Lullabies // Yuna

14. Jealousy // Tove Lo

15. Wild Heart // The Vamps

16. Shine My Way // Sheppard

17. Waiting on the Day // John Mayer

18. One Day // Matisyahu

19. Drowning In You // Pascaål

20. Love Like This // Kodaline

21. Upside Down // Jack Johnson

22. Why Georgia // John Mayer

23. Alcoholic // Common Kings

24. Better Together // Jack Johnson

25. All The Time // Bahamas

26. Mr. Almost // Meghan Trainor

27. I Want Crazy // Hunter Hayes

28. No One // Aly & AJ  ..................... (throwbacks never hurt okay)

29. The Climb // Miley Cyrus  ............. (It's a great song, admit it)

30. Stolen Dance // Milky Chance

31. Lemonade // Jeremy Passion

32. Don't Wait // Mapei

33. Real // Years & Years

34. From Eden // Hozier

35. Velvet // The Blue Aces

36. America // XYLO

37. Habits (Tove Lo Cover) // Vintage Gypsy Jazz ft. Haley Reinhart ...... (discover obsession)

38. Say // John Mayer  ...........  (the ULTIMATE travel song)




Okay. I'm forcing myself to stop.... can't give away all my treasures at once.

Enjoy kiddos!!



xoxo

  -Bri
     

Hipster

This is the official music video to my first single "Hipster"!

Buy the song here! https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/hipster-single/id804287810

A Huge thank you to Rich Parkinson (producer), Joshua Hall/H&H Creative (videographer), Anjanette Mickleson (vocal coach), Becca Tremmel (Cowriter), and everyone else who has made this possible!! I love you all!!

xoxo
    -Bri Ray

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SX9sJA7R4yY

Home sweet home

I am glad to announce that both my parents arrived safely in SLC Thursday night! I got to visit my dad in the hospital Friday afternoon and it was absolutely incredible. He is such a strong man and such a good sport!! I love him so much. He is such a rock in my life.

{stay golden}

Pure perfection

I would like to share a little moment I had today.

I was feeling really low. I just really was feeling down on myself and honestly feeling like a failure in every way possible. But then I got on twitter (not like that's out if the ordinary) and I saw an amazing tweet posted by an amazing girl.

 "Think to yourself that god may be looking down on you and saying, 'What do you mean you don't love yourself? I worked so hard on you.'"

That hit home. I may or may not have literally started crying. Because we are constantly surrounded by a world telling us what we should look like, act like, dress like, and even laugh like! We are raised being told that we are good enough, but being taught by the world that we are not.

So many people say, "oh but in the end, none of that matters."

But what about the in beginning?? What about all the hard work god put into every single one of us?

Perfection is possible and very real. We were all made to perfection, each persons' perfection is just different.

The purest perfection, however, is found in truly learning to love yourself and others. None of this fake a smile until you make everyone believe it's real. No. Pure perfection and beauty is in accepting, loving, an enjoying who you are. Is it one of the hardest things to do? Definitely. But it's so worth it.

xoxo

  -Bri

Just Keep Swimming

I'm sure we have all seen the movie "Finding Nemo."

And well if you haven't.... It's time you treated yourself. Grab a blanket, some popcorn, and watch it tonight. (I expect a full report.)

I don't know about you guys, but my favorite character of the movie has been and always will be Dory (Well aside from Crush of course. Rock on dudes).

I love the endless determination and trust Dory gives to life. This could be because she is subconsciously forgetting the trials life has sent her, but there is still so much to learn from her "press forward" character.

So often we will feel like we are drowning. It feels like we are swimming against the current or caught in a riptide. It's hard to find the strength to keep going.

But we have to "Just Keep Swimming" - Dory

In the wise words of Shane Koyczan,

"There will be bad days. Be calm. Loosen your grip, opening each palm slowly now. Let go. Be confident. Know that now is only a moment, and that if today is as bad as it gets, understand that by tomorrow, today will have ended... Be diligent. Scrape the gray sky clean. Realize every dark cloud is a smoke screen meant to blind us from the truth, and the truth is whether we see them or not - the sun and moon are still there and always there is light" (Instructions for a Bad Day).

In honor of Dory I bought a fish yesterday.

Swim on darlings.

 

xoxo

  

  - Bri

Songs and stuff

Alright! So today I want to share my favorite songs with you!!


1. Clown ~ Emeli Sandé
I really don't know why I am so obsessed with this song, maybe it's because sometimes I really do feel like a "clown" on display. But it is a fabulous song!


2. Hello Fear & Smile ~ Kirk Franklin
I guess you could say these are my two gospel jams... I love their uplifting message!

3. Breathe me ~ Sia
We all have points in our lives where we feel like we've hit rock bottom and there will literally be no tomorrow... Sometimes I don't even want a song that makes me feel better, I just want one that matches the mood and this is the song I go to!

4. Titanium ~ David guetta ft. Sia
This song is seriously such an influence in my life. You may think that's weird, but I'm totally serious. The whole overall message of this song is so empowering. It reminds me that people will try to tear me down, and sometimes I'll fall. But in the end it's my decision to stay down or to get up and be "titanium".

5. Born to be somebody ~ Justin Bieber
I love this song. I probably listen to it everyday. I just feel like I really was born to be somebody! I always feel encouragement after listening to this song, so I always listen to it whenever I'm discouraged.

6. Can we dance ~ The Vamps
Ok. The Vamps have to be my absolute favorite boy band!! I am in love with them!! So check out this song and you probably will too!!

7. Like Me or Not ~ Ryan Beatty
Haha this song.... I adore it! It is just so straight up and sums up my whole love life!

8. Fly ~ Luna Lune
Guys, this song is just absolutely incredible. That's all I have to say!

9. Anywhere, Anything ~ Gabe Bondoc
This is possibly the sweetest song out there! If a boy ever played and sang this song for me I would marry them then and there.

10. All in my head ~ Tori Kelly
Everything about this song is perfect. But you have to listen to the ACOUSTIC version!


xoxo
 
  - Bri