my summer life

This summer, I am doing to something totally different (for my camp job at least). I'm not leading games. I'm not answering phones. I'm not painting or gluing. I'm not washing dishes. Nope.

This summer I will be doing this...




And breaking up some of these...


Watching the campers do this...


Hopefully our beachfront will NOT end up looking like this...


Because the campers will want to do lots of exploring like this...

As our counselors watch over their safety like this...



Ah, summer. The wonder and fun you shall bring. Come, come quickly!


***all photos from The Commons, one of my favorite places on the entire world wide web. And yes, I will be wearing 1920's dresses complete with black tights on the beach all summer.

lost in time

I got sucked into this book tonight for a while. I LOVE stories of old houses and the stories behind them. I'd love to be able to happen upon some of these and even see them in their old ruined state. Steamer trunks full of early 1900's dresses and gowns. Old books and furniture. Don't know how perfectly accurate the tales are, but my goodness they make for a wonderful read.

strawberries and mint leaves

...because I don't have a photo of me and my co-workers/friends using a boat with broken steering to chase our sailboat that has no engine up and down the windswept river.

You'll just have to close you eyes and imagine that hilarity.

Narrow pier misses and a 18ft sailboat spinning in circles while we tried to wrangle it.

This is my life.



Bet you all wish I took my camera to work every day, don't you?

I love this photo.
Johnny Depp....swoon....

And I love Veronica Mars Season 2 on DVD whilst I paint and sew.
Sigh..... I still miss that show...

Seeing Jesus

This picture from Katie's (not my sister) post yesterday is just so beautiful. This is how I imagined Jesus was followed around when he walked from town to town. Surrounded by children who just wanted to be near him.
You can read the amazing story behind these photos here and here.

really fuzzy pictures from my night at TAL LIVE

As I told you, I went to see This American Life LIVE on Thursday night. Ira Glass was beamed into my own (or nearby) town for a live, fun evening. I snuck some photos with my crappy phone just to prove I was there and to remember what a fun time it was.
I must say, that I think it was much funnier than a lot of movies I have seen in the theater. It was great to SEE what I usually only HEAR. Quite a cool experience.


I arrived 30 minutes early to get a good seat. To my great surprise, the screen was full of fun things to look at like the beautiful art work that was created for the event.

Then there were funny word games to figure out.

And hints of what was to come. Joss was, of course, a BIG deal for this viewer/listener!

Then, showtime. Ira showed up and did his whole opening. Reading his script. Hitting about 15 buttons at once. One guy in our studio yelled "IRA!!" Dude, he can't hear you! He's in NYC! But I totally get it. It really did feel like we were there too.

Then Mike Birbiglia took the stage. I must say that seeing him perform instead of just hearing him was a treat. Hilarious...

Then Starlee Kine and an artist who does little comics on post-its for her writings.


And the man, the myth, the TV superhero Joss Whedon. His contribution was great. He was the brains behind Dr. Horrible's Sing-A-Long Blog (hilarious!!). He decided when it was put out on DVD that he would sing all of his commentary. He performed part of it LIVE. I've said it before, but I think he's just TV greatness.

Then Ira wrapped it up and everyone was sad to get up and leave.
A super fun night. I had such a great time and am so glad that I went ahead and bought those tickets.

photo inspiration

(from designspongeshop)

(by Elsiecake)

My Flickr faves are now total over 1,000 amazing images.
Check them out here.
The perfect spot for inspiration.

Have a great weekend everyone. I'm off to a Celtic festival with the parentals, praying I won't be in the depths of despair without my brother on Sunday and enjoying every second of our proposed 80 degree sunny weather ALL weekend. Spring is FINALLY here!

Sometimes I take the long way home,
just so I can drive by my favorite house
and dream about living in it.




****I'm off to see This American Life LIVE. Super, giddy excited!
This week's episode was so good. Interesting conversation on religion.****

reflections of me

(photo by yyellowbird)

I turned 32 a week ago. Hard to believe. Anyway....I want to remember who I was at this time in my life. Here we go...

Hear:
Bear McCreary - the Battlestar soundtracks on constant repeat
This American Life - After 1 listen, I was officially, completely addicted.
Brook Fraser - Albertine album. It's the go-to music at the moment.
Harry Potter #7 - Jim Dale can tell me this story every year for the rest of my life.
Maddie and Luke saying my name - it's the sweetest sound in the world.
The Bro's voice on the phone - it makes him seem not so far away.
Salvation Club and Viva La Vida - my car CD constants


See:
TV - the addiction hasn't wavered in all these years. Right now its Gossip Girl, Chuck, 24, Scrubs, 30 Rock, ER, Dollhouse, Friday Night Lights and Battlestar Galactica. Plus old episodes of The OC and Smallville.
Tim Riggins, Lyla, Matt Saracen, Eric and Tammy Taylor, Grandma Saracen, Landry, Tyra - I miss them over their long summer break. Season 3 was the best yet.
The Galactica - I miss it already
County General - Archie Morris, please report to your own show. Pronto. I'm going through withdraw.
Flickr - my inspiration wonderland. I can't say LOVE enough.
Elsie's Flickr - yumminess overload.
Kelly's Tumblr - a new discovery that I can't stop staring at. It's everything I would pick too.
The Image Is Found - I can't use words to describe how much I adore their photos.
Tara Whitney - those two words describe it all. And this one....magic.
My photos in Photoshop - Actions are my newest addiction. Totally Rad and PW being the fave at present.


Words:
Entertainment Weekly - My $20 subscription is silly, yet fantastic.
Blogs - My reader is so full that I can barely keep up, but I can't stop adding. One Roof Africa, Pioneer Woman, A Beautiful Mess, The Journey, My Happy Little Life, A Place Called Simplicity, Hula Seventy to name a few.
Young Adult novels - I prefer them over any other type of fiction at the moment. The Hunger Games, Twilight, Harry Potter and anything by L.M. Montgomery.
Buffy Season 8 - which comes in comic form. Never thought I would love comics, but I LOVE this one.


Taste:
Water - from my Sigg (or the Bro's 'cause we switched) or a wine glass.
Iced Tea with a hint of honey - I could drink a gallon a day.
Eat out - Squasito's, Cheeburger, Giolotti's, California Tortilla.
Chocolate Sheet Cake
Carrot Cake
Veggie sandwiches
Honey Crisp Apples
Cabot Extra Sharp Cheese with Flax and Onion Pita chips - a gift from J and B for my birthday.


Experience:
Sunny, warm days outside.
Walking barefoot in the cool grass in the evenings.
Travel - I'm dying to go somewhere.
Giving sacrificially - never thought something so hard could be so amazingly wonderful! It's addicting.
Amazima and Maria's Big House of Hope - would hop on the next plane to either place if I could.
Living with less - I re-think every purchase now. I finally get the over-consumerism. So poisonous.


Move:
Swimming - the one exercise I love and wish I could do more of.
Boats - driving, riding, being on them.
Nissan Versa - I still can't believe it's MY car!
Bike rides on warm spring days - especially in parks!


Smell:
Fresh cut grass
Rain from an incoming storm
Hints of chlorine in my hair after doing laps at the pool.


Bonus:
Today, I can't get enough of the song Dream by Priscilla Ahn. It's featured in this video which I have watched about 10 times recently.

summer evening music

It makes me think of palm trees
and sunny beaches
and leis around my neck
and surf boards
with the smell of pineapple in the air.

She and Him "I Should Have Known Better"


***I apologize for my lack of posting yesterday. I actually had to take my computer out of its home and set it up in another place. Little crazy, but so fun to see my "monitor" be a huge screen in my living room. My roomie and I watched Chuck via Hulu on the "big screen" today just for fun. Btw...Chuck was soooo good this week. Anyone else see it? Anyone else so sad that it will probably be cancelled at the end of this season? I'm so sad!

score of the decade

This is one of my very favorite photos I have ever taken. It was taken on a film camera. An old Pentax that my great aunt left to our family when she died (and I abscondated in college). The scene is an old Quaker church that was one street away from my college apartment.
My senior year, one of my roommates and I took a photography class. The old fashioned kind. We took black and white photos on Ilford film. Then we got to go into the dark room and develop the film and the photos.
It always seemed like magic to me. Watching the images appear on that white paper. The pitch black of the room where you had to get the film into the canister. The red light in the enlarger room. Oh, how I loved that chemical smell and the constant sound of water running.
My roommate and I spend HOURS there. We took 100's of photos. She sang me the entire soundtrack of Les Mis while we waited for the film to develop. Any time I hear those songs now, I instantly transported back to that darkroom on LU's campus. (ps....I'm sure you've all seen this by now, but I just loved it.)
After that class ended, I was so, so sad to say goodbye to the darkroom. I knew that I would never be able to afford to have one of my own. Not to mention a place that would work for a dark room in a home. I missed developing so much. I would go online sometimes and price out what it would cost me to try and set one up myself, only to once again be disappointed by the amount of cash it required. Oh, well....

Anyway...this week, something truly magical happened. I scored the find of the decade on Freecycle. I had unusually been on it much of the day because we/camp were trying to get rid of some tables. Up popped a post for photgraphy equipment. An enlarger and other things, it said. I immediately sent an email to ask about it (you have to move fast in Freecycle!). Low and behold, I was the first person to respond. I hopped in my car and picked up my treasure less than an hour later.
After getting home, I realized I had truly scored. The lady getting rid of the equipment had no idea what it was or how much it was worth. The enlarger appears to still work. Plus there were lots of other amazing things that pretty much set me up for my own darkroom minus the paper and chemicals. ALL FOR FREE!!!! Not only that, but I live at camp where we have a 70+ year old building with a giant, dark basement!

Can you tell I'm super excited?!!!

in awe of Tim Walker

And this one, one more time because I'm totally inspired by it at the moment.

****all photos by Tim Walker.

Signing off to be-moan my sad, sad photography skills.

This photo popped up on my screen saver today. I stared at it for a while for several reasons...

1. It's in Alaska. Alaska is the new home of one of my very favorite people on the planet.
2. I'm holding a Luke. Not my nephew Luke, but another adorable heart stealer with the same name. He's much bigger now, by the way.
   
3. I was visiting one of my dearest friends at the time of this photo. She's also going to be separated from someone she loves dearly for the next few months as well.
   
4. Alaska is really just so very beautiful. The mountains. Oh, the beautiful mountains.

I realized something yesterday. One of those God moments. Or "duh, God is working and I just noticed" moments.

I've been super sad about The Bro leaving. I'm kinda attached to my brother. My sister, who I also love dearly, moved away a couple years ago (taking with her my nephew and niece). Her leaving wasn't quite so tough because she lives much closer than Alaska and I get to see her at least once every 2 or 3 months. Not ideal (ideal being right next door with the possibility of window shade signals {like Anne Shirley} from house to house), but manageable. It's just hard not having either of them nearby.

Anyway....
I was just so sad when he left, knowing that I won't get to see him for at least 6 months. No Sunday church with lunches. No Gossip Girl nights. No hugs or yells or "come on over" phone calls. Sad, you know?
Then I realized....I have several friends for which I have been praying. Praying because someone they love is leaving, or has left, for at least 6 months or more. God has me in a similar situation as them. It's something that I can identify with and pray ever more earnestly and specifically about. What a joy to be with (even if only through email or phones calls) someone who understands! I'm so thankful that this situation in my own little life can be shared with friends. And now, more than ever, I will be praying for them.

Hear that girls...*you know who you are*. I'm praying for YOU. And I'm ready for the sad emails and phone calls. I'm right there with you.

It's amazing to realized how God's love is so much bigger than I realize. His arms of love are surrounding all of us. Sometime we get to be those arms in human form. What a privilege.

ps...I'm not sad and mopey. I'm truly ecstatic about my brother having this awesome adventure. He totally deserves. I just miss him. Just like a girl, as he would say....

I got a golden ticket

This American Life.
Ira Glass.
Special Guest: Joss Whedon.
LIVE.

Happy Birthday to me. From me.
Amen.

Summer movies

While I drown my sorrows brought on by The Bro's leaving, I leave you with a list I made last week.

Here are the movies that I want to see this summer.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Is it July yet? Seriously. Can't freakin' wait. This was one of my favorite books of the series. Harry and Ginny, yes please! And Ron and Hermione?!! July, July, July.

Star Trek. Although I've always been more of a Next Generation fan, here's hopin' that JJ can do for Star Trek what he did for the Mission Impossible movies. Bring on the Vulcans.

X Men Origins: Wolverine. Two words describe my reason for seeing this one. Tim Riggins.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. It has the potential for disaster as every summer blockbuster sequel does. But I'm banking on Shia and Michael Bay to bring it.

Away We Go. John Krasinski is the only reason I'm still watching The Office. This looks so sweet.

500 days of Summer. I'm sorry, but how can you NOT want to see this movie after watching that preview.

Is Anybody There. I love Michael Caine. And magic.

Public Enemies. (((cue angels singing))) Johnny Depp. Enough said.

New York, I Love You. No release date yet, but I'm hoping for this summer. I LOVED Paris je t'aime.


And these are just the ones I know about. $10 each @ the theater. Gulp.

Maybe tomorrow I'll feel more post-y.

I hate goodbyes

Today is THE day.
6 whole months without him.
Happy birthday to me.
Aren't your siblings supposed to be your neighbors for the rest of your life?

Easter

(it's just a pretty photo.)

It's a day to celebrate above all others. I can't even imagine what my life would be like without the cross and the empty tomb.

"I see His love and mercy,
Washing over all our sins....

Heal my heart
and make it clean.
Open up my eyes
to the things unseen.
Show me how to love like you,
have loved me.
Break my heart
for what breaks yours
Everything I am
for your kingdom's cause
As I walk from earth
to eternity.

Hosanna,
Hosanna
Hosanna in the highest."

Off to church for the last time with The Bro. Hope you all enjoy your Easter Sunday!

Wish I had been there that day...

Anyone else get chills and tear up?


***found on Tara's blog.

New blog: One Roof Africa

Got hooked on another cool blog the other day. Don't remember how I found it. Just clicking around from blog to blog. Love finding "people" that way.

It is the story of a family who was in the midst of adopting a little boy from Uganda. After many set backs, they decided to pack up and move to Uganda to be with their little one who wasn't able to come home yet. And they love Jesus.

photoshop practice

Paris, 2005.
My first (and only) trip to Europe.

listen

Don't believe all the nay-sayers. Paris is absolutely beautiful. Even on a rainy, cloudy November day. I would go back in a heartbeat.

tattoos and blue hair

Spur of the moment this weekend, my roommate, The Bro and I pulled into the movie theater on the way home from church and went to see Sunshine Cleaning. It was entertaining. Not fantastic, but entertaining. A renter.

Couldn't get enough of Emily Blunt's amazing blue and purple streaks in her hair. I want some like that, pronto. (hi, Chloe! it's weird to see you without Jack Bauer.)

And she had great braids too. The colors peaked out. Subtle, yet totally awesome.

But my favorite was her star tattoo on her hand. I'm not a tattoo person, but I LOVE these.

I think I liked her styling/costumes better than the movie. She was very Urban Outfitters.
And I really do want those blue streaks....