What Matters Today

What Matters Today: The Fall Itch

By: Nicole August 20, 2020August 20, 2020

Blogs, Uncategorizedathlete, athletics, autumn, breeze, fall, run, running, sports, summer, temperature, weatherLeave a Comment

My internal alarm clock woke me up a little earlier than I would have liked this morning. There was a chill in the air, one that — although it has been quite cool and less humid lately — I am not yet used to. In my brain, August should still be piping hot, even at…

What Matters Today: Daydreaming

By: Nicole August 19, 2020

Blogsbest friend, blog, Europe, fly, friends, friendship, fun, Ireland, pinterest, travel, vacation1 Comment

When I was in college, I was always in search of ways to occupy my time. Whether it was getting involved in extracurricular activities on campus or surfing the internet after completing my homework for the day, I tended to look for anything that could stretch my attention just a little bit further. Music and…

What Matters Today: Rainy Sundays

There’s something about a rainy summer day. A day when a steady, soft rain falls down to the earth in the most soothing way. A day when the humidity is seemingly stolen out of the air in the quiet of such a rain, when the heat of the ground is finally alleviated and rises into…

What Matters Today: Photography

By: Nicole August 14, 2020

BlogsBuzzfeed, culture, globalization, globe, human, humanity, images, love, media, Photography, photos, portraitsLeave a Comment

I love words. I adore the act of selecting just the right combination of them to tell a story, to express what’s on my mind. I admire how deliberate words can be, thoughtfully chosen and carefully strung together to impart the exact meaning of our intentions. But while I was in college, I was introduced…

The Nest

By: Nicole August 13, 2020September 6, 2020

Creative Writingbird, birds, Creative Writing, family, home, love, nest, short story, writingLeave a Comment

Straight and tall, full and wide, a lush green pom-pom was suspended by a thick and sturdy trunk. Nestled on a sloping piece of land in a spot that was the perfect mix of sun and shade stood the tree that would be their home. The home of their nest. It was beautiful. From the…

What Matters Today: Past, Present, and Future

By: Nicole August 12, 2020

Blogsadulthood, childhood, future, growing up, life, lifestyle, living, love, maturity, past, poetry, present, quotes, timeLeave a Comment

Does it ever cross your mind that the present we are currently living was once a future that we couldn’t yet envision, and will some day be a past that we will reflect upon? It certainly runs through my mind every now and then. When it does, I can recall being ages 5, 10, or…

What Matters Today: Oranges

By: Nicole August 11, 2020

Blogsbaking, cake, family, orange cake, orange loaf cake, recipe, recipes, summer, sun, Sunday, vineyard, weekend, wineLeave a Comment

So much for saying that I would give baking a rest for a few weeks. Alas, it is true: I have quite a baking problem. My short-lived hiatus from baking was broken last week with a peach-blueberry dump cake, and I could not even make it through the weekend without summer fruit calling my name…

What Matters Today: Daisies

By: Nicole August 7, 2020

Blogsbirthday, daisies, daisy, family, fashion, flowers, fun, love, shoes, Soludos, summer, whimsical, whimsyLeave a Comment

I have a thing for daisies. The flower just seems to scream joy, as if it’s an invitation to smile that comes with petals. Their typical white and yellow hues offer a bit of innocence and sweetness, a childlike sense of whimsy that unearths with it a nostalgia for my own childhood. ‘Daisy’ is also…

What Matters Today: Impromptu Desserts

By: Nicole August 6, 2020

Blogsbaking, blueberries, cake, cooking, dump cake, electricity, family, love, peach, power, recipes, taste of home1 Comment

I have a confession to make. This may be a shocking revelation, but I must admit: I have a sweet tooth. Yes, it’s true. I love desserts. I love eating them just as much as I love preparing them. In fact, if I had to choose, I don’t know which I love more — of…

What Matters Today: Aid

By: Nicole August 5, 2020

Blogsaid, Beirut, crisis, donate, explosion, help, Lebanon, nonprofitLeave a Comment

It’s hard to avoid the heart-stopping imagery of a mushroom cloud consuming not only a city, but countless lives that have yet to be totaled. It’s hard to watch the video footage of the explosion in Beirut knowing that a city, with real lives, families, livelihoods demolished in seconds. It’s hard to sit in our…

A Love Letter to My Younger Self

What Matters Today: The ‘Who’

The Eyes with Wings

What Matters Today: Time

What Matters Today: Revisitation

The Path

What Matters Today: Power

The Breeze

What Matters Today: Childhood

Creative Writing

Photography