Battlestar and crafts

After an ultra, amazing episode of Battlestar last night, I couldn't just couldn't go to sleep even though it was 11pm. I was too excited.

Soooo, I dove back into my crafty-time. Here's a sneak peak at the next project from my class. I'm lovin' this one!

More to come....

I'm wearing Superman's colors

Maybe it's cause I had a dream about Clark Kent(my CK always looks like Tom Welling) on Tuesday night.

Maybe cause I watched Smallville last night.

Maybe cause I'm tired of wearing the same painting clothes every day for the last 2 weeks and needed a change.

Maybe cause Superman has always been my favorite superhero.





On a completely unrelated note....
I'm excited for a fun weekend ahead.

• Craft-time. Elsie's newest project is one of the coolest ever! Can't wait to try it out.
• A visit with old camp friends. Yipppeee!
  
• Watch my mom and dad and their missions trip team do a little presentation about their adventure to Ecuador.
  
• Baptism service at church Sunday night. It's SO amazing to hear people's story and how they came to know Jesus. I love the way our church does this service!
• Listen to Slumdog soundtrack a few (20) more times.
• Friday night TV goodness: Battlestar (down to the last 4 episodes {sob}), Friday Night Lights (this may be the best season ever), Dollhouse (I'm totally intrigued).
  

Mmmmm, hello wonderful weekend!

paper drool

Sometimes browsing through Two Peas paper is the perfect way to be INSPIRED.

(click on each picture to get more info)

Now, who doesn't want to create something after seeing those pretties?!!
btw....which one do you love?

5 things

i love:

Slumdog won't leave my head

Been humming Latika's theme since Sunday.

And seeing these little faces.

Loved this clip of them all together. Seems like they are so untainted from the Hollywood craziness. This clip is super cute too.

So cool that they all got to be there for their big night. One of my favorite moments was when they all got to the red carpet and Dev scooped up the youngest little one that played him in a big hug. Excitement all around.

*****ps.... Jai Ho and O Saya stuck in anyone else's head? Anyone?
psss....Millions is another great example of why Danny Boyle deserved that Oscar. He is a wonderful story teller.


Ok, I'm done. Just had to get that out of my system...

Crafty goodness

About a month ago, I did something completely unusual for me. I made a snap decision and decided to sign up for this....

Elsie had done a class a few months before and at the time I couldn't justify spending the money to try it out. This time, when she announced the class, I threw caution to the wind and decided to do something that would hopefully help me get out of this creative block I've been in for a while.

I found Elsie's blog (the old one is now gone, but the new one is just as wonderful)...wow, it's been about 3 or 4 years ago now. Don't even remember how. But I instantly fell in love with her style. She was a scrapbooker at the time and was writing her first book. Now she has created quite the little corner of the world with her paintings and other amazing works in her little shop called Red Velvet Art.

I found Rachel through Elsie. Her blog and Flickr page are FULL of incredible handmade goods (LOVE this journal). And her home design style is simply fantastic. She has an Etsy shop, Pony Party, filled with delightful vintage items as well. Plus, she is another part of Red Velvet Art.

I just couldn't pass up the chance to learn from these two amazing woman/artists. I'm already behind on all the projects (there are 30 projects over 8 weeks!), but am loving all the creativeness that is coming out of each little thing I work on. Here's one of the first things I've done....



I guess sometimes it's good to do something that you know will help you. Being creative has always been a big part of who I am. My mom is one of the most creatively talented people I've ever known and she always had us doing crafty type things when we were kids. My sister is an amazing sewer and knitter. I guess it got passed down to us. I always feel so content and happy when I'm being creative whether it's photography or felt or sewing or paper.

I am loving this class!

oscar night

Watching the Oscars.

Favorite moment so far....


The ADORABLE kids from Slumdog Millionaire. Did you see them?!! I loved seeing all the cast together. All the generations that played each character. Oh, dear goodness, how adorable those little ones were.

Again, you MUST see this little charming movie.


'night, everyone!

fashions galore

My head has been swimming with fashion images lately. Maybe cause I haven't bought new clothes in such a very long time. (budget conscious girl, that's me!)

I dream about vintage pieces, fancy over-the-top pieces, and just plain old fun pieces. I think that fashion is one of my favorite art forms, although I am the first to admit that I am TERRIBLE at it for myself. I do love drooling over the things that other people wear. And I even have a few friends that are true artists when it comes to their wardrobes. I'm so jealous of them!

Here are a couple images that I love...

Audrey, of course. The collar on this piece is to die for. And the hair! Oooo, I love...

From Bleubird Vintage, which I found today (thanks, Elsie). If only, if only money grew on trees and I didn't feel guilty spending it on things I don't need: I would shop here till the cows came home.

Christian Siriano's first collection. I think this collar was my favorite, but then again it would have to compete with that hat which is equally delicious. His new stuff debuted at Fashion Week this past week. I just love his style.

A Flickr Fave. The Snail and the Cyclops. Love what she puts together.

Also:

Wardrobe Remix is always full of beautiful things.

I LOVE Elsie's outfit in this photo. That cardigan.

This shirt and cowl are too adorable.

Keira Knightley's feather hairpiece in Love Actually always gets me. LOVE.



And finally:

These photos melt my heart. It doesn't get any more beautiful than little girls playing dress up. Be sure to read the post too!

random images are fun

They have no rhyme or reason. Just found them on my camera today. Sometimes it's freeing to have no explanation other than "why not."

My sister made me these totally fun produce bags for Christmas. Now I don't come home with 15 little plastic bags that get thrown into the trash. These have pretty ribbons too.

Cottage sweet Cottage. I have no idea when this was taken, but it was somewhat recent cause the trees have no leaves. This is what I see when I walk home from The Bro's house or any of the other houses that my camp friends live in across the field. Isn't my view just amazing?!

Don't remember where we were when I took this one. Oh, wait, this may have been Thanksgiving. I was sharing it with my camp friends since my parents were in the land of cold waiting for my niece to be born. This little peanut is too cute, isn't she? I love reading to hear and making her laugh. One day I'll get her to say my name.


Have a happy weekend, everyone! I'm excited to NOT BE SICK!

Listen here, mister

The river was acting very teenager-ish today. Grumpy. Angry. Dark and brooding. I thought I would remind it of what it should be instead.

Grand. Calm.

Glowing. Docile.

Peaceful. Colorful.

Now, let's keep this in mind, my little friend, and have no more of these crazy windy days with white caps and howling. A little attitude every once in a while is fine, but let's not let this become the norm, agreed?

Young's "The Shack"

You all need to read this book.
It will put into words things that have probably been rolling around in your head but you didn't know how to express them.
Wow.
It's beautiful.
And it really makes you think.
In a good way.

updated chart

Thursday: Sleeping on the mat at death door.
Prescription: lay on bedroom floor moaning. crawl from bathroom to bedroom. repeat.

Friday: Cooking from the inside out. Brain included.
Prescription: pile on the blankets. curse self for not having a thermometer. watch Battlestar Galactica (frak, it was good) and Dollhouse to dull the pain.

Saturday: Imagine running 2 marathons in a row and then staying up for 48 hours straight. Prescription: do nothing. repeat. lay in bed. repeat. lay on couch. repeat.

Sunday: Living inside a jello mold. The world feels wonky and kinda wavy most of the time. Prescription: wander around cottage bored out of mind. read. lay around. sit at computer for short amounts of time before getting too tired and dizzy. Drink pint and pints of water.

Monday: Jello mold is beginning to melt, ever so slowly.
Prescription: sleep. sleep. sleep. Watch Chuck. Laugh. Swoon over adorable Zachary Levi. Watch Jack Bauer do his thing.

Tuesday: Awake to feel almost like a human again.
Prescription: Back to work. So I hear it was a holiday for everyone else? Shucks. Missed ALL of it....



ps...my friend Beth and I were in this one together. We moaned and groaned our symptoms in unison over the phone. Misery really does love company. It makes it much more managable.


psss....I missed you all. Really I did. Glad to be back.

blech

home, sick, bed all day. will return when the plague is gone.

preview thoughts

I am working on a post that will explain a little bit about what God has been teaching me as of late.

It's not quite ready.

Still rolling around in my head.

It has to do with giving, money and stewardship with what God has given me in this world.

It has to do with orphans and the poor.

It's something that began a few months ago and has been popping up everywhere in my life. Blogs I read. Church sermons. Small group. My time in the Word.

It seems to invade my life at the most unusual of times.

I LOVE when God seems to overtake everything.

Love, love, love.

More to come soon.

Tired brain = Camp story

My brain is really tired tonight. I was busy sanding and refinishing furniture all day. I think some of the paint and 50 year old wood shavings sucked the creativity out of me.

So, instead of me rambling nonsense for 20 minutes, I'm going to ask you to do something more fun. Spend a few minutes with Ira.


I found the "Notes on Camp" episode (click on Full Episode to hear for FREE) this weekend. For those of you who wonder what why I love my job at camp so much, this will be a great way to explain it. For the rest of you that share in my love of camp you will totally get this. And for those of you who went to camp as a kid and still look back on it as one of your fondest memories, I'm pretty sure you will have a "yes, exactly!" moment.

I can't even tell you how perfectly this described so many things that happen here. Minus the Ouiji boards, of course....

ps...it was recorded in 1998. Some things don't have to change to still be amazing.

Goodbye, sweet wall

It has been absolutely amazingly gorgeous here. Like over 60 degrees yesterday. I almost ran outside after church just to soak up as much of the perfect weather as I could.

In fact, I pulled out my Holga and took an entire roll (12 exposures) in about 30 minutes. It's kinda fun to go back to film. I have no idea how these will turn out until the roll comes back (as soon as I can find a place to develop 120 film).



After my picture taking was over, I ended up here. My favorite place on the entire planet.


I've sat/laid/just been on this wall for hours upon hours of my life. My first summer at camp, I would sit here almost every night just enjoying the cooler air and watching the sailboats go by.

Tragic news....it is getting torn out this spring. Gone. No more. "The wall" as we call it was built in the 50's. It is in dis-repair. It's not doing such a great job of stopping erosion at the moment. A new structure is being built, but it won't be a wall. It will look more like this....



....a giant rock pile wall. Much more effective, but not quite as charming nor conducive to lounging. I am mourning the loss of our old wall and soaking up as much time as I can. I mean, just look at the perfectness of water and concrete.


Yesterday, I was laying on the wall looking out over the water noting how the "blue" water and blue sky touched, melting into a perfect blue world. There were even a few sailboats/catamarans slowly going by on the still waters. It was just amazingly beautiful.

Prayer is always so easy there, too. It's like the world opens, and God is right there with me. I so enjoy talking to Him in that spot, thanking Him throughout the prayer for the beauty before me.

I shall miss you so desperately, front wall. You will be greatly missed. And don't think for a second that a giant rock pile will take your place in my heart.

If Winnie and I were superheroes our business cards would look like these

stories trapped in time

My favorite part of The Commons is imagining the stories behind the photos. These are photos that are pretty much unclaimed. They have very little, if any, history left with them.

So I like to make up stories for them. For instance....




Eleanor, as I have named her, is very distraught over having to come to this horse race with Andrew. He doesn't really make her happy, but he is handsome. All her friends are jealous of her relationship. They flaunt over the dresses he buys her, the places they go, how handsome of a couple they are.

Eleanor's heart belongs to another. He left her 2 years ago. He kissed her goodbye as he boarded the ship to fight in the war. He cut a piece of her red curls to keep in his pocket. He handed her a beautiful letter that she still to this day carries in her handbag everywhere she goes. He promised to marry her when he returned. He promised that time would pass quickly and that before she knew it he would be walking down that gangplank again to sweep her off her feet in a big embrace. His face was kind and full of excitement for the future. She had laughed at his joy and felt exhilarated by the knowledge that his love was for her. She waved her white gloved hand slowly as the boat pulled away. When he was far enough away not to see, she let the tears run down her face. She stood on the dock until the boat slowly slipped out of view. Then she sat down on a wooden box by the water's edge, not able to leave the spot that he had left her.

Her heart lept when his first letter arrived. He was in Paris. He told her of all the beautiful buildings and bridges. "I so dearly wish that you were here with me, my Eleanor, to share in this city of beauty. My heart is dreaming of you every second." She wrote back praying that he would actually receive his letter.

His letters slowed. Time stretched between each one. Each time another arrived, she rejoiced in the fact that he was still alive and safe. She held each letter next to her chest and closed her eyes remembering their last embrace.

Then one day, she was in town getting her mail at the post office. She quickly flipped through the letters, but there wasn't one from him. She gathered the stack and headed out the door. A couple passed her in the doorway and she over heard their quiet voices saying,"yes, it was just last night that they were informed. The officers came to their door. So sad. He was such a lovely young man." Her blood ran cold as she turned and looked at their retreating figures. "Who?" she was barely able to vocalize. The couple turned and realized who she was. They gave each other a knowing look. That was all she needed. She didn't want to hear them speak his name. She stumbled out the door and gasped for breath, leaning against the glass windows. The sun was so bright. The day so normal just a few moments before.

It has been 13 months since that day. She's not sure how, but life went on. And now she found herself with Andrew, knowing that she will never love him. She will never love anyone else. Every time she is with him, she feels desperately lonely. Her heart breaks again each morning as she wakes up from the dream that her love is back in her arms.

So this day, she does her duty. She dresses in the beautiful dress and buckle shoes that he bought her just for this day. She chats and smiles at his friends and their wives. She reaches out her gloved hands to greet new acquaintances. She sits and cheers for the horse he has bet on. She lays her hand on his arm as he talks sweetly of her to the couples that pass by them.

But inside, her loneliness is suffocating. She longs for the moment that Andrew drops her off at home and says goodbye. She longs for the moment that she can pull out the letters again. She can see his handwriting again. She can imagine his voice reading his words of love to her. For in that moment, the loneliness will fade. And love will fill her broken heart. She will fall asleep with his name on her lips and his face in her dreams, hoping to never awake again.




ps...this post is for my sister who asked for more stories like I used to tell her when we were younger. Thanks for the suggestion, Sis!

psss....the picture above reminded me of the couple in this picture. Doesn't Andrew look like Billy Zane?

Friday finds

Just a few...

You all need to listen to The Super episode of This American Life. Act One is one of the best stories I've heard in a long, long time. ps...I'm official addicted to TAL.

I found a blog this week that went straight into my "fave" section. I'm sure after reading my post yesterday you will be able to understand why.

Thought this was cute. I remember when I first started listening to SCC, Caleb was still in elementary school. Now look at him.

Got sucked into The Commons again this week. Old pictures fascinate me. Quite a few made it into my fave's folder.

Speaking of Flickr faves....check out this one. Oh, the colors and light!

Saw Revolutionary Road this week. It's not a happy story, but I still really liked it. AMAZING performances all around. The colors/sets/costumes were strikingly beautiful.

Red Velvet Art opened this weekend. Good thing I don't live near the actual store. I love these vinyl stickers.


Have a great weekend everyone! I'm super excited to enjoy our spring like weather that's supposed to be here tomorrow.

for the love...

I've been tagged about 15 times on Facebook to fill out the silly 25 random facts about me. You know the "fill this out and then tag 25 people" thing. Since I'm hardly ever on Facebook, I decided to do it here instead. I can't imagine that there are things that I haven't said before, but here goes...


1. I love my blog way more than Facebook.

2. I have more headbands than jewelry. I'm not a jewelry type of girl. I made myself stop buying it cause I just don't wear it very often. Headbands though....I'm addicted. Most of them are just ribbon from random packages or clearance bins.

3. I don't like to cook, but I really, really wish I did.

4. I haven't printed out pictures since 2006. Digital has killed my photo printing.

5. I haven't gotten a haircut since May of last year.

6. I think I was born in the wrong era because I adore 1940/40/50's clothes, music and style.

7. God is teaching me to give sacrificially lately. And it is one of the most freeing things/terrifying things I've ever done.

8. I think about orphans about 50% of the day. And they are always from other countries. Mostly Chinese.

9. When I dream of having a family, the kids are never white, American kids. They are a rainbow of nations. Africa, China, South Korea, India.

10. I don't enjoy talking on the phone. Don't take it personally if I don't call you. It's not you, it's me.

11. I'm an incredibly shy person. Always have been. Working in this environment (camp) has forced me to be more outgoing, but it's still extremely hard for me.

12. I love young adult fiction. It's my favorite section in the library to browse.

13. I've always wanted to have a Great Dane. I think they are adorable.

14. I'm taking an art/craft class from two of my favorite artists. It starts in 2 weeks. SO excited! More details soon.

15. I dream about living in Hawaii at least once every day. If I could transplant my cottage to anyplace, it would be on the North Shore of Oahu.

16. My cottage was built in 1963. We think the only insulation it has is a small bit in a section of the ceiling. None in the walls, nor the floor. Brrr-rrrr.

17. I have a fear of tests. I'm a terrible test taker. Yeah, college was rough.

18. I've seen Julie Andrews, John Williams and Will Smith in person.

19. I've been an avid journal keeper since high school. I have notebook upon notebook full of my thoughts, dreams, heartbreaks and lessons.

20. I love mayonnaise. I could eat it by the spoonful.

21. My first job after getting my degree was washing dishes 3 times a day for 150 people. God changed me forever during that summer. I saw Him more clearly than I ever had before.

22. My favorite time of day is twilight when the sky and the water melt into each other. I never get tired of staring at it.

23. When I was 22, I never thought I would reach the age of 25. For some reason, I had this feeling that I would die young.

24. I eat sandwiches every day for lunch. I LOVE them.

25. I get almost giddy excited when I fly/drive home after a long time away. I LOVE where I live. love~love~love. We used to visit this town when I was growing up, and I would dream of living here. And now I still can't believe that I actually do. It's one of the coolest places I have ever been in the entire world.

Fred in '38

I have this picture on my desktop as my background at the moment. I just noticed the date. Had to post it.

Are you wondering why I have this picture at my background? Well, I have no other logical answer other than I like Fred Astaire. After finishing up the Audrey Hepburn biography, I was wistful for old movies. Funny Face being one of my favorites of his. But my absolute favorite is Holiday Inn.

I loved Grauman's and all its old Hollywood magic.


ps...my friend, B, shared this with me today and now I'm passing along it's hilarity to you. Oh.my.goodness.

Copier Olympics Champion

(yes, that's me. Gold medal winner)

Oh, yeah. It was Office Olympics day today. We wanted to tell our fearless leader that we appreciate him. What better way than to play games like Best Scary Copier Face (this could be one of the best games ever), Shoot the Rubber Band into the Bucket or Who Can Kick the Highest on the Kick Chart (that my roommate made for an other co-worker and has been used several times before this).
I've said this before, but my job is never dull. This is what happens in our "slow" season. Just imagine when we have 200 kids to play with. We often say that this job has ruined us forever. How can we ever have a real job after this? There is something about working at a camp that gives you the freedom to act like a kid. And it's wonderful. Simply wonderful.

So, what did you do at work today?

Happy Birthday to my little heart stealer

As my sister and I were saying the other night, I can't believe he's two! Wasn't he just born, like, last week?!!

This is his first birthday that I'm not there to give him a big hug and kiss, and let me tell you, it's not easy. I miss that little munchkin somethin' fierce! I wish so much that he lived next door and I could run over whenever I needed to squeeze his little cheeks.

So instead, I will wish him a very happy birthday here and post some pictures of him that I love. Some I took. Some I stole from my sister and mother. But each one is so adorable and special.

Lukey, I wuv, wuv, wuv you!