I must make something with this

Free pattern!

I'm dying to stitch these on some really random fabric and hang it in an embroidery hoop on my wall.

Who's with me?!

beach = love

(found here)

I love the beach. It's always my first choice for vacations. I love the hot sun, the sand, the ocean waves, the crystal blue water. It's soothing and meditative for me. I can write there. I can breathe easier there. We just fit together well, the beach and I.

That being said, I'm leaving you for a few days. My mom and I are taking a trip to the beaches of the Caribbean. Warm weather in the midst of this horrid winter....it's magic, I tell you.

I'll try to pop in by cell phone posts when I can. I did write some posts that will go up while I'm gone, too. Other than that, I'll miss you....but I'll be quite happy at the beach!

~

(A shelf in my room that holds some dear things.
My Harry Potters, yarns in pretty colors, my Holga, a vintage glass given to me by a friend.)

Sometimes a blank page is just so very intimidating. What to write? What do I need to say today? Where is my brain today?

Hmmmm....

How about a list? Lists always work, don't they?

• the Olympics are almost over. I'm happy to be able to go to bed before midnight, but I'm already sad it's about over. I'll miss the nations competing and athletes having the moment they have always dreamed of.
  
• I'm working on some posts so my blog won't be so empty next week while I'm away from my computer.
  
• I need a new purse. I've had mine for almost 3 years now and it's falling apart. Etsy hunting and finding cool stuff that I can't afford.
• This family inspires me. I think I could love living in a camper and following the summer weather.
• New music is needed. I haven't bought any in months.
  
• The wind was so loud last night that I woke me up several times.
• I'm procrastinating packing my suitcase. It's a life long bad habit.
  
• I'm planning my flower garden and dreaming of warm weather and springtime picnics.
  

That is all.

nighty, night

(source)

Turning on my bedside lamp.
Snuggling down into my warm cozy bed as the wind howls outside.
The Olympics are on the television.
Ladies figure skating finals.

Ahhhh.....
Nighty, night everyone!

I'm reading this...and have random things to share

It's actually quite intriguing. A whole new world to discover. We'll see if it ends as well as it began.



I bought this at the thrift store the other day because a friend has recommended it several times. And who can say no to a cheap, used book? Not me!


I also found this on the shelves of Goodwill between 15 copies of Marley and Me, The Deep End of the Ocean and What to Expect When You're Expecting. 50 cents! This one is by the author of 2 of my favorite books last year: Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow. Sci fi? Yes, please!



Random things to share:
I forgot my lip balm this morning when I went to the office. Torture! I'm severely addicted.

I'm cooking up a storm the next two days to prepare for my heritage dinner (I should explain that sometime, huh?). 3 new recipes. Cooking makes me more nervous than speaking in public, so this should be fun!


I didn't do so well in our office olympics yesterday. Only 1 silver. Last year I won 4 medals.

That's ok. It was still a great time. Ah, the camp life. It's not for the faint of heart. It's HARD work and equal amounts of fun too.

tempted

I'm not a tattoo person. I'm too indecisive to pick something to have on my body for the rest of my life. I can barely pick a pair of shoes at Target, for goodness sake! Plus, I've never seen any design that I would love that much.

Then I saw these....love, love, love.

(source)

I adore this one. So small and sweet. Would be so pretty with a strappy dress, don't you think?

(source)

confessional

(source)

I really don't like talking on the phone.

I just don't.

Not my thing.

This isn't necessarily a good thing though.

And I apologize here in this public arena that I am truly sorry if I don't call enough. Don't take it personally. The only people I really talk to on a regular basis are my sister, brother and parents. And even then, I'm terrible at doing it regularly. Again, forgive me. I do love you. I do.


.....end confession.....

the ends of the earth

(source)

God blesses us so the ends of the earth will know Him.

Ps. 67:7

God has been impressing this thought upon my heart for about a year now. He is showing me how to use these blessings He has given me. And using them isn't to buy myself a new this or a better that. It is to sponsor another kiddo in Uganda or China. It is to give my time (one of my most treasured possessions) away to someone who needs it in an act of service. It is letting go of what I think I am entitled to. Then, when I am empty, the ends of the earth will see HIM.

The funny thing is that the more I give away, the more I find that I have to give. Shouldn't it be the opposite?! Not only that, but it becomes a greater joy each time. Living with the mindset that "nothing is really mine in the first place" is forever changing me.

I'm no where near perfect. I still mess up so very often. I'm still so selfish and self-focused most of the the time. But God is so patient with me as He continues to teach me what it is like to live with eternal perspective and open hands.

randomness

Remember when I went to Sundance a few weeks ago? I sure do. I've been re-living it in my head over and over. It was one of those almost out of body experiences where you pinch yourself to make sure it's really happening. It exceeded my expectations. I had the best time.

Anyway, I decided to watch Serenity today because #1: it's one of my favorite movies #2: it has one of my favorite ensemble casts of all time #3 I've watched all the Firefly episodes a few bazillion times and needed the end-cap again #4 I just finished the series finale of Dollhouse and needed a Joss fix. It could have also been that I saw Alan Tudyk at Sundance.

See...proof....

He was so adorable. My roommate and I (she's a Joss fan as well) wanted to go and talk to him so badly, but we chickened out. And he was talking to this little camera crew for a while too.

Here's a little bit of the fun and quirkyness that is Alan Tudyk aka "Wash." I still can't believe that I saw him in person. He may have been my biggest "oh, my gosh!!" moment of star spotting.

I heart The Commons

I don't think I'll ever get tired of hunting around The Commons. You just never know what you'll find. Here's the latest gems....


People used to mail their kids. Seriously! It happened a couple times before the postal service put a stop to it.


Speaking of mail carriers, check out this crew. Feels kinda like Young Riders. I wish men still wore hats....




Palmer's Mystery Hike. I love the real joy and fun in their smiles. ps...those mystery hikes sound like one of the coolest things ever. Wish I could have been there or find something like that today.


That mustache looks exactly like my mustache stamp. Perfection.



The Walcott family camping trip. Details to love...the girl peaking around her mom. The tablecloth on the make-shift table. Those mountains in the background.



I'm fascinated by the American Indians. Tragedy in epic proportions. Imagine seeing the Americas as they did. Without cities or cars or houses or pollution.



Ethel and Mildred about to throw down. There is just too much going on in this one that I love. The hats. That large cup in the bottom right. The window almost covered in ivy.



This artist, Francis Davis Millet, died when the Titanic went down (scroll to comments). Learned that in The Commons. It's a treasure trove of wisdom and facts.



And finally...the award for the best facial hair goes to Peter Cooper. He built the very first steam locomotive. Love those sweet glasses, too.


***the weekend is here. What to do? Olympics (half-way over...so sad), get out the warm clothes for an upcoming trip (!!), find a hotel for NYC trip next month, knit, catch up on Friday Night Lights, church, random adventures.

sleeeepppppyyyyy....

The Olympics are getting the best of me. Each night I say that I'll get to bed before midnight. Each night I fail miserably. They suck me in and I can't turn it off.


Last night was pretty amazing, wasn't it?! Joy-filled and exciting!



This was my favorite moment. I am in awe of what this kid can do.



Tonight, it's more figure skating. I already know I'll be struggling to keep my eyes open because I was shoveling snow for a few hours today. I'm worn out.



But once it's starts, I'll be unable to give in to sleep until I know who won the men's ice skating medals.

And how cute are Peggy Flemming's skating outfits! I wish that girls still wore ones like these.


***** in other news....I may get to park my car at my house this weekend. This is excellent news because for the last 2 weeks, I've been following a LONG ice path to my car. It's not fun. I fall often. Did I mention that I'm done with winter?!!

snow jumpers

The day after the second part of the giant blizzard of 2010, the sun came out. It was glorious.

The day before looked like this.....

But now, the sun was out and the world didn't seem so dark and scary....well, minus the 5 ft snow drifts that looked like the Grand Canyon in miniature form. And the icicles that could kill you.


Anyway, as I was walking around in the waist high snow, I started snapping photos. When I reached the Lodge, which is where my office is, the boys were there. They decided to jump off the parking posts, that were pretty much covered in snow, into the HUGE drifts. Just for funsies.

Careful....careful. The ambulance can't come and save you if you break something. And we can't leave to get you TO anywhere either.



Ready.....Set......




......Leap!



Here's the next one. Ready....


......Steady.....


....JUMP!


Or fly. Which every you chose.


I sang this song the entire time I was creating this post. As soon as I typed that title, I couldn't get it out of my head. 90's classic. Sing along. You know you want to....

Austen valentines and a Lost side note

I had so many fun ideas for Valentines for the girls who work at camp with me. Cool, fun ideas. But then I tried some of them and they just didn't turn out like I wanted. That or they were too complicated to complete several by Valentines day.

Remember I watched Bright Star the other night? Well, the letters that John Keats and Fanny Brown were so pretty that I decided to use those as my template for the Valentines I would make. I researched Regency style letters a bit and came up with these. (I also got some great ideas here.)


First, I printed out what I wanted to say in a Jane Austen font. The left side was Sonnet 116 by Shakespeare, one of my favorites. The right side was a personal note to my friend.



Then, following Regency style, I folded the letter in half.


Then folded a small fold on the opposite side.



Fold it in 3 unequal parts so it looks like this.



Then cut out a strip of pretty paper in a small rectangle. Put some type of adhesive on the back.



It will add a pretty pop of color to the seal of the note.



And the best part, use an old fashioned wax seal to add some Austen-ey flair.


I've had one of these for years. Don't remember where I found it.



Finally, I wanted to add the address to the front like the custom was for the mail back then. I didn't want to spend an hour trying to figure out where to place the words, so I cheated. I just printed it out on another paper and cut it out. (address is blurred for identity protection).



Glue address on to note and...



Voila! Done and done.


I loved the way they turned out. Simple and cute. I wish I could make one for all of you!


****TV side note...I'm totally bored with Lost. I gave up watching during season 3. Then I decided to watch season 4 and 5 after they were over just to see if it redeemed itself. Ehhh. It's ok, but nothing more than that.
This season I decided to watch it like everyone else on Tuesdays. Gotta say, I'm really disappointed. It was so fun season 1. I don't get how people say it's the best thing ever. If it's the last season, give us some freakin' answers and stop dragging it out already!
Comments??

For the presidents...

from one of my favorite artists. Yes, I know it's quite normal American, but I just love Norman Rockwell. I love how his painting tell stories.

Yesterday, I spent a little while in The Black Hole (Barnes and Noble) and I came across this book.



So fascinating to see how he posed his subjects exactly how he wanted to tell the story. Imagine being one the of the people he chose to forever immortalize in one of his paintings.....





****confessional side note: I've teared up more than a few times watching the Olympics. Anyone else?