pure.

kerrilycatherine{gresham}

 

the story: kerrily and family moved to montgomery the summer after my sophomore year of high school. she joined my church and roomed with me at camp. the first time i met her i knew she was no typical teenager. we clicked pretty immediately, and we've been kindred spirits ever since.

your {soundtrack}: "on the sunny side of the street" by louis armstrong, "c.s. lewis song" and "shadowfeet" by brooke fraser, "everything is magic" by angels and airwaves, "crush" by david archuletta, "my girl" by the temptations.

your {rough draft}: any of c.s. lewis's and mark twain's writings, the wooster and jeeves series, the hitchiker's guide to the galaxy series, irish fairytales... and hundreds of other books.

your {shade}: purple! because the best sunsets always have purple in them.

your {inspiration}: to be old someday and have lived a wonderful, thrilling, important life.

words to {live} by: what does the Lord require of you? to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. {micah 6:8}

for we are not long here. out time is but a breath, so we'd better breathe it. {brooke fraser}

to be a christian means to forgive the inexcusable, because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you. {c.s. lewis}

you {love}: quirky people (such as alex wolf), sunshine, toddlers, taking the perfect picture, scarves, people-watching, nursing, LIFE.

you {hate}: that awkward moment after all the small talk is done when you can't decide if it's appropriate to ask: "how are you doing, for real?"

you {believe} in: God's ability to bring good from situations that i've royally messed up.

your {escape}: running, dreaming, singing.

your {origins}: nowhere, honestly. i love it because i have nothing holding me to any particular place but people, and people can travel.

your {fondest} memory: my entire childhood all over the place. i adore my family, and how my parents raised us.

your biggest {challenge}: recently, making time for anything other than school.

you {wish} you could meet: p.g. whodehouse, douglas adams, celtic woman, groucho marx.

you want to {be}: amy carmichael. and look like katherine heigl. 

your {wildest} dream: to build/run an orphanage in a third world country.

your {pet peeves}: when people argue just for kicks.

your last {purchase}: phineas and ferb soundtrack.

your {location}: college... majoring in nursing.

your {childhood ambition}: to be a physical therapist overseas. and to be taller than my mom.

your most {embarrassing} moment: i was 13 and buying a train ticket and the machine decided to break on me and out gushed three euros worth of ten-cent coins, spilling out onto the floor, going everywhere. then i had to pick them all up and try again. the people in line behind me hated my guts for those three minutes.

{surprise} us: i really, really hate icing/frosting. nasty.

{describe} yourself: focused.

 

 kerrily, you are a jewel. beautiful, precious, and rare. you are an old soul, and you share your wisdom so freely. you are compassionate, level-headed, mature, joyful, genuine and you teach me something new every time we talk. your will life will save so many people. keep sparkling, you gem. 

you are {delightful}.

little blessed one.

cameronbennett{gray}

credit: allye durr

 

 

 

the story: cameron and i share lots of mutual friends at school. i'm not sure exactly when we met, but we have shared many a breakfast together since. cameron founded a celebratory society called freedom fridays, and i am honored to be a member. he is one of samford's cooler inhabitants.

your {soundtrack}: this is hard because it changes all the time, but... "c-minor" by mewithoutyou, "the funeral" by band of horses, "time to pretend" by mgmt, "who knows, who cares" by local natives, "manhattan" by kings of leon, "amazing because it is" by the almost, "i'm safer on an airplane" by copeland, "little secrets" by passion pit. there's just too many.

your {script}: fight club, lonesome dove, v for vendetta, butch cassidy and the sundance kid, blow, wedding crashers, ferris bueller's day off.

  

your {rough draft}: the giving tree by shel silverstein, survivor by chuck palahniuk, a million miles in a thousand years by donald miller, the reader by bernhard schlink, lonesome dove by larry mcmurty, the great gatsby by f. scott fitzgerald, the road by cormac mccarthy.

 

your {shade}: green because i love being outside.

your {inspiration}: music, nature, airports, road trips, unconditional love.

words to {live} by: whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. {1 john 4:8}

don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity. {1 timothy 4:12}

pain is God's megaphone to rouse a deaf world. {c.s. lewis}

consistency is the last refuge of the unimaginative. {oscar wilde}

face the facts of being who you are, for that is what changers what you are. {soren kierkegaard}

don't forget to love yourself. {soren kierkegaard}

you {love}: bicycles, guitars, traveling, reading and writing, art, architecture. i love people even though i don't always act like it. i love creation. i love Jesus. i love love.

your {escape}: playing guitar and writing songs.

 

your {origins}: atlanta, georgia. hip-hop capital of the world!!! but seriously, it's a big city with plenty of diversity and culture, but still some southern charm. there's so much to do, and there's always new venues, restaurants, and shops to be found. not to mention, the music scene is PHENOMENAL.

your {fondest} memory: probably anytime i went to my grandparents' house in louisiana as a kid. four wheelers, bb guns, cousins, plenty of land to run around on, and my grandpa giving me coffee if i woke up early enough.

your biggest {challenge}: accepting everyone for who they are. i've gotten better at it.

you {wish} you could meet: jack white, freedy mercury, john f. kennedy, robert kennedy, abraham lincoln, john lennon, zooey deschanel, king david.

your {proudest} moment: i guess being the captain of my high school's first winning soccer team in history. we had a winning season, and we won our last game at home. i was proud of the team most of all. they worked hard for years to get there. it should be a disney movie. 

or the time keighlee mcaslin told me i look like jude law. 

you want to {be}: myself.

your {wildest} dream: being a touring musician and having a farm in franklin, tennessee, to call home. or to be a cowboy. or to be a chef and have a show in the travel channel like anthony bourdain. i have lots of wild dreams.

your {pet peeves}: when people complain about things, but don't do anything to change them.

your {site}: http://cbgp-and-d.tumblr.com/

your {location}: samford univeristy, but currently home for christmas!!!

your {childhood ambition}: to be a rock star. some things never change.

{surprise} us: SURPRISE!

{descibe} yourself: intentional. 

 

cameron, you recently told me that you tried to live your life according to the idea that God is love. i think you are accomplishing that goal every single day because you have treated me, as well as everyone else you encounter, with love. you are joyful and inquisitive and winsome. but best of all, you look like Jesus. can't tell you how blessed i feel to know you. keep being free, wonderful boy.

 

you are {delightful}.

 

beautiful woman.

carolineemma{mortensen}

the story: i was helping my friend olivia do a last-minute facebook search for roommates this summer. we messaged a few prospective girls, including caroline, about rooming with olivia. caroline and olivia ended up rooming together (and living happily ever after). caroline thinks we met on move-in day in august. but she doesn't know that i wrote the first facebook message for olivia... 

your {soundtrack}: "the wind" by cat stevens, "lullaby+exile" by m. ward, "river" by joni mitchell, "who loves the sun" by the velvet underground, "a rose for emily" by the zombies, and any tune uttered from the lips of bob dylan.

your {script}: chaplin, lars and the real girl, an education, almost famous, pride and prejudice, the darjeeling limited, moon.

 your {rough draft}: franny and zooey  by j.d. salinger, the picture of dorian gray and the importance of being earnest by oscar wilde, jane eyre by charlotte bronte, the sun also rises by ernest hemingway.

your {shade}: any shade of blue. a lot of my clothes are blue, the sky is blue, the ocean is blue. why not blue?

your {inspiration}: watching clouds, reading, listening to joni mitchell, walking around and taking in my surroundings, visiting new places.

words to {live} by: always be kind and true and try to smell the good. {m. lee toothman,  my grandfather}

keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flows the springs of life. {proverbs 4:23}

you {love}: walking barefoot, going on bike rides, sleeping during thunderstorms, the smell of thrift stores, vintage bicycles, plastic cameras, coffee shops.

you {hate}: miley cyrus, wearing pants (i just prefer to wear skirts or dresses), and when people try to control other peoples' lives.

your {escape}: taking a long, hot shower and reading f. scott fitzgerald short stories in sweat pants.

your {origins}: tampa, florida. i love it because i am very close to the beach and the weather is splendid.

your {fondest} memory: it was my sixth or seventh birthday, and my parents took me to tweetsie railroad in boone, north carolina. i got to ride a train, i sat on a plastic horse, rode a ferris wheel, bought a tomahawk, and ate a chocolate puppy.

your biggest {challenge}: daydreaming. i get distracted very easily. also, spelling.

you {wish} you could meet: BOB DYLAN, oscar wilde, napoleon bonaparte, and matthew ward.

your {proudest} moment: on the first day of drawing class when we had to draw a chair with a sheet draped over it, and when class was finished what i drew looked like a chair with a sheet draped over it.

you want to {be}: a combination of phoebe buffay, summer flinn, and kristen wiig.

 

your {wildest} dream: to travel to india and soak in the culture and take a lot of pictures.

your {pet peeves}: when people make too much noise when they eat (i will tell you this), and when people have nasty fingernails.

your last {purchase}: bonsai tree from a roadside stand in way north florida (christmas gift for my brother).

your {location}: i am in college at samford university.

typical.

your {childhood ambition}: to be a cartoonist.

your most {embarrassing} moment: i have way too many to even think of one. but once a girl on my hall did walk in on me in the bathroom making funny and weird faces in the mirror.

{surprise} us: i can't step on cracks in the sidewalk. if i do i have to stop on a similar looking crack in the same manor with opposite foot.

{describe} yourself: comical.

caroline, you are a rainbow. you have so many incredible facets to your soul -- hysterical, creative, sensitive, smart, sarcastic, stylish -- but they all come together to form one insanely vivid person. you are dauntless when it comes to being yourself, even when that means doing the robot in the middle of drawing class. thank you for providing constant entertainment and sweet friendship. i'm so glad you messaged us back. keep popping and locking, brilliant girl.

you are {delightful}.

admiring.

ameliamaile{markham}

the story: i was at a conference called passion last year and spotted this really awesome girl in my "family" group (smaller subdivisions of the the 22,000+ passion crowd). i met her on the last day of the conference, and she told me she went to this really small college in a town that i'd probably never heard of. turns out, i lived down the street from that college. we instantly connected over our hatred of social injustice and "radio rock" and have been declaring our love story to the word ever since.

your {soundtrack}: "roll away your stone" by mumford & sons, "semi-charmed life" by third eye blind, "99 problems" by jay-z, "the warmth" by incubus, "grace" by hoyle, "ashes and flames" by john mark mcmillan.

your {rough draft}: to kill a mockingbird by harper lee, blue like jazz by don miller, tuesdays with morrie by mitch albom, ephesians by paul, the giving tree by shel silverstein.

your {inspiration}: stories of redemption.

words to {live} by: when i get honest, i admit i am a bundle of paradoxes. i believe and i doubt, i hope and i get discouraged, i love and i hate, i feel bad about feeling good, i feel guilty about feeling guilty, i am trusting and suspicious. i am honest and i still play games. aristotle said i am a rational animal; i say i am an angel with an incredible capacity for beer. to live by grace means to acknowledge my whole life story, the light side and the dark. in admitting my shadow side, i learn who i am and what god's grace means. as thomas merton put it, "a saint is not someone who is good but who experiences the goodness of god." {from the ragamuffin gospel by brennan manning}

you {believe} in: restorative purposes.

your {origins}: destin, florida. a lot of people come there and they have fun and think it's pretty, but then there's this whole secret side that you can only know when you drive down old 98 in january with your windows down, blasting the heat and screaming yellowcard and dashboard confessional song from middle school. the salt air is subtle, far from crisp. but it's holy.

your {fondest} memory: surfing all day with my dad and buying quarter pound burritos and that lavender rain-flavored gatorade from tom thumb afterward.

your {sites}: post secret, brooke fraser, to write love on her arms, lila dillon.

your last {purchase}: a two-dollar meal deal from taco bell. always classy.

your {location}: oh, having my earth shaken by the great winds of mercy and undeserved favor as i beebop around columbia, south carolina. my major is intercultural studies at columbia international university, and i work with a super special group o' middle and high school hooligans at a church up the interstate. 

your {childhood ambition}: sonya (my sister) and i got a drum machine and microphone for christmas one year. we wrote songs and did rap performances for my mom. our singles didn't quite make it out of our basement, though.

your most {embarrassing} moment: in second grade i would run my sweatshirts and jeans through the dryer before i'd go catch the bus in the winter. one particular day there were already clothes in the dryer, but, pressed fore time, i threw my sweatshirt in there anyway. i went to school and after running around rampant in p.e., we came back inside, i took off my sweatshirt, and from my sleeve dropped my little mermaid panties. needless to say, i was mortified.

{surprise} us: i have thought about and prayed for britney spears literally EVERYDAY for the last five years. i believe in a thing called love and one called hope, too. 

amelia, you are the sun. of course you are half hawaiian and of course you play guitar and of course you hop trains to salvation mountain and of course you speak spanglish constantly because you are amelia. you are the definition of a free spirit, but you are also the definition of a bondservant to our jesus. i've never loved someone so instantly as i loved you. keep burning bright, mi amelita.

you are {delightful}.

grace; favor.

hannahbarbara{ward}

the story: this summer before coming to school, my friend who was at a samford orientation texted me that she had met the coolest girl ever -- short hair and glasses and vintage clothes and a "chill vibe." hannah was that girl. when school started, we met and started hanging out. she's met my dad, so our relationship is pretty official.

your {soundtrack}: "crash into me" by dave matthews band, "dramamine" by modest mouse, "collie man" by slightly stoopid, "fast blood" by frighted rabbit, "coastal brake" by tycho, "mount wroclai" by beirut.

your {script}: into the wild, brick, amélie

your {rough draft}: siddhartha by herman hesse, call of the wild by jack london, ender's game by orson scott card.

words to {live} by: if we admit that human life can be ruled by reason, then all possibility of life is destroyed. {leo tolstoy}

your {origin}: ormond beach, florida. i love that i can ride my bike everywhere and that the beach is my backyard. plus, i love that it never gets colder than t-shirt and jeans weather.

your {escape}: long walks and surfing. when i'm at home, i go surfing everyday. the ocean is the one place that makes me feel closest to God and at peace with my mind and spirit.

you {love}: being barefoot, bike-riding, nintendo 64, gnomes, vinyl, seinfeld, playing piano, camping, circuses, missions.

you {wish} you could meet: my grandmother. she died a year before i was born, but i feel as if i have always had a strong personal connection with her, and at times i feel as if much of her has been embodied in me. 

your {site}: http://drawhannah.tumblr.com/ is my blog. it's really just a picture compilation of oddities that i think are interesting and random streams of thought.

your {wildest dream}: the world race. it's a mission trip backpacking for eleven months in eleven countries all over the world. i love relationship evangelism and just being able to share experiences with individuals from different walks of life.

{surprise} us: i'm on the crew team at samford. it was just started this year by a bunch of freshman you wanted to row. come check it out!

{describe} yourself: footloose.

hannah, you appreciate life. you love the diversity of this world. you love to ask questions. you love conversations with new people. you're an avid discover, and that's what makes you so refreshing. i love your peaceful nature and your soft voice. keep discovering, chica bella.

you are {delightful}.

peace.

maryolivia{blackmon}


the story: olivia and i have shared mutual friends all our lives, but didn't become close until the summer before eleventh grade. she was visiting my cabin one night at camp. i sat down beside her and we started talking. and we talked...and talked...and talked until about four a.m. she's now my beloved friend. we celebrate our anniversary every july.


 your {soundtrack}: "ehh suo gan?" by the vienna boys choir, "age of adz" by sufjan stevens, "elephant gun" by beirut, anything by first aid kit (duh). 
*song of the season: "christmas canon" by trans-siberian orchestra (thanks to you, al).


your {script}: candy, bright star, any wes anderson film (darjeeling limited, rushmore, the life aquatic, etc.)


your {rough draft}: extremely loud and incredibly close  by jonathan safran foer, the picture of dorian gray by oscar wilde, running with scissors by augusten burroughs


your {shade}: green, the color of nature.






your {inspiration}: nature. experiencing God's creation. mountains, in particular. and music, of course.


words to {live} by: consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking in anything. if any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and i will e given to you. but when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. {james 1:2-6}
i don't care about economy. i don't care about astronomy, but it sure does bother me to see my loved ones turnin' into puppets. {bob dylan -- my senior quote}


you {love}: yard sales, string cheese, cranberries, being outdoors, antiques roadshow, concerts, traveling, mountains, mountains, mountains.


you {hate}: writing papers, insincerity, living in a dorm, impatient people.





you {believe} in: the power of (good) music.


your {escape}: reading outside. or surrounding myself with the wilderness (in the mountains, of course) while doing nothing.


your {origins}: montgomery, alabama. besides all the amusement parks and music venues, it's a pretty peaceful place.


your {fondest} memory: we used to do thanksgiving with my mom's side of the family at my cousins' farm. but that included all my cousin's cousins, etc., so it was typically around fifty people. they're the most down-to-earth people you will ever meet and incredibly interesting.






your biggest {challenge}: presently, to keep from getting stressed out. a brilliant young lady by the name of cassie sizemore recently taught me the real meaning of COMPLETELY trusting in God's plan. i've never seen anyone walk so faithfully with the Lord and never doubt Him. i owe her a lot.


you {wish} to meet: abbie cornish, devendra banhart, dakota fanning, sufjan stevens.


you want to {be}: klara soderberg.


your {wildest} drea: to live in the mountains for at least part of my life. maybe overseas for a couple of years. preferably switzerland.

from olivia's recent trip to switzerland.

your {pet peeves}: when people are loud for no reason... or for a reason. 


your {location}: samford university for a few more days. montgomery for christmas. maybe new orleans for new years and hopefully jackson hole for the summer.


your {childhood ambition}: i wanted to be an architect for a very long time. i went to architecture camp at auburn the summer after my tenth grade year and hated it. so pharmacy it is.


{surprise} us: when i'm at my house in montgomery, i have to check my closet and under my bed before i go to sleep. after i check my closet, i have to shut it and hear a certain click. if i don't hear the click, then i have to start over. 


{describe} yourself: simple.

olivia, i just really like you. you are filled with life and beauty and love. you appreciate the Lord's creation and His creativity. you have impeccable taste and perfect style. you are nonjudgmental and open-minded and kind. keep blazing your trail, olive.

you are {delightful}.

serene.

kirbyadelaide{durr}

the story: adelaide (aka, allye) and i met through mutual friends at samford. i decided we were soul mates when she told me that, like me, she wanted to be an art therapist! i hugged her many times and thought of names for the clinic we will open.

your {soundtrack}: "heart of gold" by neil young, "beside you" by van morrison, "that's the way" by led zeppelin, "landslide" by fleetwood mac, "bald as love" by the jimi hendrix experience, "america" by simon and garfunkel

your {script}: almost famous, the virgin suicides, knocked up, into the wild, lords of dogtown, the cake eaters, (500) days of summer

your {rough draft}: absolutely anything and everything by anne lamott. eat, pray, love, a room called remember.

your {shade}: robin's egg blue. it reminds me of birds and oceans and all things peaceful.

your {inspiration}: authenticity. people who aren't afraid to show their God-given gifts, but also their deepest sorrows and struggles.

credit: olivia blackmon

words to {live} by: mostly what God does is love you. {Ephesians 5, the message}

when hope is not pinned on wriggling onto a shiny image or expectation, it sometime floats forth and opens. {anne lamott}

here is the world. beautiful and terrible things will happen. don't be afraid. {frederick buechner}

you belong among the wild flowers, you belong in a boat out at sea. sail away, kill off the hours, you belong somewhere you feel free. {tom petty}

you {love}: those certain songs that dig up deep emotion, whether it be gladness or sadness of laughter or freedom.

you {hate}: katy perry.

your {purpose}: to always seek truth, no matter how ugly it may be.

you {believe} in: people who don't have it all figured out.

your {escape}: watching my favorite shows on hulu a few days after they've aired on tv... modern family, glee, cougar town, community.

your {origin}: franklin, tennesse. i love it because there isn't a single thing not to love about it. it's absolutely the most lovable place.

your {fondest} memory: backpacking through europe with my family. every moment from that trip is and always will be a fond memory.

your {challenge}: i want to sit and relax and enjoy conversation -- i rarely want to do. i can be very lazy!

you {wish} you could meet: janis joplin, john lennon, sufjan stevens, dave matthews.

your {proudest} moment: any time i made a good grade in high school. it was a rare occurrence.

who you want to {be}: lucy pevensie from the chronicles of narnia -- she's bold and courageous, yet so innocent and trusting. i want that.

your {wildest} dream: to live at the beach, preferably in sea side. i know that isn't that wild, but there's nothing i'd rather do.

credit: cameron gray

your {pet peeves}: people who chew their gum loudly or, even worse, play with it.

your {site}: i'm ashamed to say that i regularly check up on people.com.

your {location}: college. samford university... for the next four years!

your {childhood} ambition: i've always wanted to have lots of babies, even when i was a little girl.

your most {embarrassing} moment: that i can't say in a public forum, but i did trip going up the stairs to my dorm a few days ago.

{surprise} us: i could eat fried pickles all day. my go-to karaoke song is "man in the mirror." i wish i could be kristen stewart. 

{describe} yourself: understanding.

credit: cameron gray

allye, you are one special person. you radiate peace and emanate beauty. you are genuinely interested in others, and you own who you are. i dedicate this project to you because (first) you kind of suggested it in the first place, and (two) you are an inspirational human being. keep shining, lovely girl.

you are {delightful}.