well, hello there

packing

thinking

dying my blue and purple again

taking cold medicine

charging up my Zune, phone, 2 camera (I have a spaghetti factory of cords to bring on my trip)

got The OC on in the background because I'm just addicted

excited to spend an hour watching Glee with my friends tonight



xoxo,
Cottage Girl

on edge

I promise to share fun stories soon. My life had taken a very dramatic turn for the insane. In good ways and not so good ones. I'm thankful for reminders that the Lord is in control and not me. (I really needed to read that today, so thanks, friend!) I "know" this, but it always becomes more real when the circumstances around me force me to really believe it and live by it.

Side note of good news... I think one of my plane tickets will include the final destination: Seattle. I'm excited beyond words because it (most likely) means a visit with one of my BFF's from college and The Bro. 4 days till lift off!!!

Out of the office

And on a staff retreat for a few days. Will return promptly with a crazy "touched by an angel"story to share with you all.

ps....sometimes I just can't help but another photo of my "back yard" view even if I already have 4,047. And even if it's just with my silly phone camera.

Ren Fest fun

The Renaissance Festival is my very favorite Fall tradition. It's full of the best entertainment that $18 can buy. Amazing food, hilarious shows, crazy people to stare at. Oh, it's just wonderful. The day ended a little early because of the rain, but it was still, by far, one of the best thing I've done all year.

Top 5 (weird/crazy/unusual) for the day:

1. A woman in full costume that didn't include stitch of material covering her very large 9 month(guessing) pregnant belly. Blech...

2. A man dressed up as Willy Wonka (Johnny Depp style) complete with the huge white glasses and purple top hat. Amazing.

3. A kid selling pretzels at Hamlet show that just yelled out "buy my stuff!!!" in a fake British accent.

4. Knights in full metal armour. The bright shiny kind.

5. The shows. They are just the best thing to enjoy there aside from people watching. Hilarious, creative and fantastic. There are too many moment to describe in word form.

I'm sad I have to wait another whole year for it to come around again....unless....I can squeeze one more visit in next month. Hmmm......

Twenty inquiries?

Because I'm a big nerd and I love lists and questions. And because lots of blog friends are doing them today too.

1. Show us the inside of something pretty.

Here's a snapshot of my room, which isn't exactly pretty all the time, but kinda is today.

(click photo for details)

2. What's the last home cookin' you've had.

Well...last night was Thursday night, which is dinner competition night for me, my roomie and 4 other friends. We each take one week and make a meal for everyone to eat. So fun! Last night my roommate and I made my favorite childhood recipe Baked Spaghetti plus brownies with ice cream and whipped cream and peanut butter sauce. Oh, yeah, it was delish!



3. What do you miss?

Easy...

that may change in a week's time....eeeek!!

4. What makes you laugh often?

my friends Beth and Chaych





5. What's your favorite word?

Frak!



6. What are you trying to quit?

Complaining about the cold weather. I WILL learn to enjoy it.


7. What's your favorite commercial right now?

I get so excited when it comes on. Inspiration overload!




8. Whose style do you dig?

Elsie

The Snail and the Cyclops

9. Link to a great blog you discovered lately.

Bobby Earle (photographer) It had me at Beijing Orphanage.
Oh, and this one and this one, which I've already mentioned.



10. What's the last craft you made?

A present for a friend. I saw a photo for this project that is going to be in my online craft class. Thought it was a perfect present, but the tutorial wouldn't be out in time. So I improvised and made it anyway.





11. Photo of the last happy mail you got.

They are just too cute!





12. Something you got lately...


2 one way airplane tickets. Destinations unknown at the moment...



13. What are you looking forward to?

Using those one way tickets.
Hiking and apple picking on Monday with all my camp friends.
Going to the Renaissance Festival.




14. Recent photo of yourself.




15. Recent favorite movie?

Hmmm...it's TV, of course.

16. Something you are working on right now.

Coming up with ideas for a photos shoot. My friends are willing models and keep asking to do one one.

Figuring out Christmas presents for friends and family.




17. If a movie were made about you, who would play you?

Tough one. Maybe Amy Acker.

18. What gives you goosebumps?

Adoption stories and photos.

This one also melted my heart today, along with the goosebumps.



19. Share a new obsession.

Skirts. I wore them for almost 11 years straight because of Christian school (and college). By 22 yrs. old, I wanted nothing to do with them. Wore them only when I had to. Finally after all this time, I'm loving them. I wear them as much as I can.

Vintage. Clothes, furniture, accessories. I realized this has been a life long love after going to an antique store this week and falling in love (again) with about 20 different pieces (that I couldn't afford and didn't need). Antique stores have always been a favorite thing of mine.



20. What is the meaning of your life?

Be less of me and more of Him.
To truly understand what "you are worth Jesus to God" means.
To give it all away and live with eternal purpose.

Tattoos and other topics

(click photo for info)***one of my favorite HP quotes of all time

Was reading Pop Candy today and came upon a link to Contrariwise: literary tattoos blog. Beware...it's HIGHLY addictive. I got sucked in for way too long.

Tattoos are fascinating things. They speak so much of the person they adorn. Some of them really are a work of art too. Beautifully crafted.

Me personally...I don't think I could ever get one. I change my mind too often. I don't love the same things I loved last year. I can't imagine having something on my body for the rest of my life! Not to mention my paralyzing fear of needles. I would much rather draw on a couple stars with some bright colored Sharpies and then wash them off a few hours later. That's just my opinion.

Anyway, enjoy the blog. Here are some of my favorites...

Mischief Managed (more for it's white color than the actual words. love how it's barely visible)
Love the stars in this one and the hidden HP reference.
I Open at the Close (such a beautifully sad story behind it)
*it's not on purpose that I chose HP tattoos. Just happened.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On a totally different note: I'm enjoying TV season being back in full swing.
Gossip Girl=surprisingly good.
The Office=still haven't watched it and don't really care (kinda sad).
Dollhouse=my spot on the couch definitely reserved for tomorrow night at 9pm.
Grey's Anatomy=can't believe I actually care, but can't wait to see it tonight.
Rachel Zoe=tied for my favorite at the moment. So addictive.
Glee=tied for favorite. It's so funny and full of music!
Project Runway=I miss Michael Kors and Nina Garcia. Not the same without them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
And on one more random topic:
Major drama going on in my brain and in life at the moment. I feel all discombobulated. Nothing bad. Just crazy. Could be potentially good on all fronts, but it's a waiting game for a few days.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
One final topic:
I'm enjoying beyond words Elsie and Rachel's Autumn class. It was definitely worth the $$. I have so many ideas for handmade Christmas gifts. Sweet! If you ever get a chance to take one, do it! I've been overloaded with creativity since I took their first one in the spring.

4 years

(photo found here)

My little blog turns 4 today. Four whole years of rambling, photos, links and memories. I think I actually love it more than I did that very first day. Today I read back through the years, who I was, what I obsessed over and how different my life was. It's the best type of scrapbook I could ask for. Full of photos and links.

I started Cottage Girl because I became an avid blog reader. I couldn't believe how amazing it was to read about someone's life in real time. I didn't know these people, but it felt like I did. I wanted to have a place to record my thoughts. I also started it so I could post about my trip to Europe that was quickly approaching. Now, I'm so glad that I have all those things recorded.

Thanks for reading, everyone! Your comments and words make me feel so connected. I write for you just as much as I do for me. Thanks for letting me ramble on about nonsense and weirdness. Here's to another 4 years!

quickly randomly selected

{}I laughed so hard at some of these. Craigslist 20 most bizarre ads.

{}I adore this idea from Candi Mandi on Flickr.



{}If you like Dollhouse, you have to see the un-aired episode from season one called "Epitaph One." Holy Joss Whedon, Batman. I was glued to my Netflix DVD for a solid hour.


{} I'm fighting off some sort of weird sickness at the moment, so I'm signing off and going straight to bed. Or trying to....

Why I love thrift stores

Where else can you find a gem of a record like this?!!! No, I didn't buy it. but I sure wanted to...

Hi, there!

My Sunday has been quite lovely. I worked this morning and then crashed with a nice long nap after a CRAZY week of work. Then I weeded my flower bed (love to work in the flower bed!), chatted with friends and read the Word.
There are about 150 teenagers running around my back yard at the moment. There is a huge See You at the Pole rally going on in the field. I've been spying on them from my cottage windows, which are wide open because the weather is perfect at the moment. It's going to be nice and loud in a few minutes once the band starts up.
Ah, living where you work. It's an adventure.

(photo found here)

I saw this image a few weeks ago and can't get it out of my head. Just adore it. The colors, the mish/mash of different cakes and cake stands. It's just too beautiful.



That reminded me of this site that I have been wanting to share with all of you. I found it about a month ago by way of another blog.
Once Wed. No, I'm not getting married any time soon, but who cares! This site is jam packed full of beautiful photos and buckets full of inspiration. I can get sucked in there for days. There is a wonderful DIY section too!
This post especially caught my eye. I'm in love with all the perfect campy details.

Have a great rest of your weekend, everyone! I'm working like a crazy woman, but very much enjoying our perfect Fall weather.

pretending I'm a TV critic

Since I watch a ridiculous amount of scripted television, I often have people ask me what my favorites show are or what they should watch next.

And since I love making lists, and it appears my writer's block has finally vanished for the time being, I decided to "get it down on paper" so to speak.

Let's just pretend I have my dream job {TV critic} and I'm doing my weekly column, shall we?


Recommended viewing TV on DVD....

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Synopsis: In every generation a slayer is born to protect the world. Buffy is the slayer of our generation. She, along with her gang of Scoobies, fight to the death with some of the craziest creatures that evil can produce. And they make us laugh hysterically along the way.

You'll like it, if you like: The vampire-ness of Twilight, but didn't like how cheesy it was. The West Wing, and it's quick, witty dialogue. Firefly or Dollhouse...it's the same creator.

Best season/episode: It's a tough call. Either 2, 3 or 6. Season 1 is the worst, so don't give up until you get to 2. Once Spike arrives, everything will be alright! The episode Hush is unlike anything I've ever seen. Most of it is done in complete silence. And the musical episode (season 6) is one of the most creative things I have ever seen.

Why I love it: It's original, hilarious, highly quotable and has some of the best characters ever put on television. I still watch it over and over and over. If you get really hooked, you can jump over to Angel, Buffy's spin-off.

Where to watch it: The WB, Hulu, Netflix.

Rating: PG-13. It's NOT for kids.

gulp.

Christian Siriano. Oh my, I love his collections. Drool.

Fall Collection '09

Spring '09

If that isn't inspiring enough to pull me out of a creative block, I don't know what will.

Dr. Brown, wait!

I want to jump in, take it up to 88 miles per hour, go back to 1999 and re-live my senior year of college over again.

*** saw our neighborhood DeLorean out and about tonight. It's always a good night of running errands when I see the time machine.

contemplations

(click photo for info)

I'm currently looking at airplane tickets in fun new places. Road trip is in the works.

Deep into Ender's Shadow again (after a small side step to read Catching Fire). It's delightful. One of the best things I've read in a while.

Having a QWERTY keyboard on my phone is heavenly.

I love the Fall, but it has such a deep sense of foreboding. Cold weather is just around the corner.....Shudder...

I have major writer's block. Posting has become HARD. This is one of the most annoying things in the world to me because I know it's just a phase and it will disappear. It does drive me crazy at the moment though. Forgive my simple posts.

He's my Hollywood crush

Who's yours?

stop

(photo by The 10 cent designer)

I went to an old friend's wedding today. I've known her family for...forever. They were part of my church "family" when I was growing up. And as I sat there watching all of them (after not seeing them in quite a while) I wished. I wished that I could go back. No, I wished that I when I went back home, it was still like it used to be. When I leave, I expect everyone else to stop. Stop moving forward. That way, when I return, it will all be exactly where I left it.

It's kinda heart breaking when you realize (even if you already "know") that doesn't happen, you know?

Mini Friday Finds

(photo found here....of course)

I'm really busy right now. We've been working like crazy with a group of 95 Christian school kids. I've been guarding, belaying, chopping, icing, serving and cleaning.

Here are a couple fun links I've found this week...

This post made me tear up. What a heart wrenching story...but with a happy ending.

"Dick Casablancas" and his wife are having a baby and Tara Whitney took the photos. I don't usually like maternity photos, but these are just so fun!

LOVE these new paintings from Elsie, even if I didn't like Donnie Darko.

The Image is Found went to one of my favorite places on the planet, Cannon Beach, and took amazing pictures.


And I can't wait to see this movie in 3D. Love the book!

good TV tonight

Yippeee! I've been waiting for this one since May of last year. If you missed the pilot, you can see it on Hulu. Funny, weird and full of music. Can't wait!

TV season has begun.....

wordless

"write" it down

Last night I was writing in my journal. I've been an avid journal keeper since I was young. Pages upon pages of my rambling thoughts, heartaches, joys and lessons learned. Most of the time it's verses I've read during my time in the Word that really impact me.

So, last night, like I said, I was writing. I flipped back to the beginning to see how long ago I had started this particular one. I was shocked! It had been over a year and I still had a good quarter of the journal left to fill. This is usually very unusual for me. In the past, I would fill up one in just half a year.

I realized how much this little blog of mine has impacted my actual writing. I probably have many more memories and thoughts actually recorded then I ever have. However, they are on the computer with pictures and links rather than with a pen and paper. I am OK with this though. The most important thing is that I keep a record, right? And there are so many things that I will never talk about here that I do keep closed up in a book. But any time I want, I can click back and see what my life was like. And at the end of this month, it will be 4 years worth of memories. Kinda love that....

ps...I woke up singing this song today.

by the numbers

1. I made a bow.
2. I want to see Paper Heart so badly, but it isn't playing anywhere near me.
3. I finally got a new cell phone.
4. 3 day weekends are perfection.
5. I still love my blue and purple hair.
6. Mad Men is on tonight!
7. I still really miss my brother.
8. Catching Fire....dear goodness. I was screaming for the next one after I finished the last sentence this afteroon. SO GOOD!
9. I forgot how much I loved Michael Vaughn. {thanks, Lindsey.}
10. I wish I could have all of you over to sit on my porch and drink ice tea while we watch the pink and purple sunset.