snowflakes are weapons

This might look like an ordinary, even innocent, teapot. But those little white decals masquerading as a snowflake are pure evil. I have the battle wounds to prove it. Okay fine, I spent a good five minutes trying to decide which finger it was after the attack was over.


Moral of the story: don't trust teapots with snowflakes. 
They try too hard to look innocent.

I'm home!

Only problem is that means all of my stuff is in one place for the first time in four years.

The first night I was surrounded by all of my stuff. I felt like I was sleeping on an island of commercial products. I cleaned all day yesterday, and thankfully I can now see the floor!

Free books!

My aunt and uncle get the old books after the library has a sale. They let me look through them and pick what I wanted. I am beginning to understand why my mom has so many books. How could one resist such an offer?

Hard-cover books!

Grammar books

The Unemployed Gypsy

As you may have noticed, I have a lack of excitement in my life lately. I'm still trying to remain patient. I changed the background on this blog and re-did the header, but that didn't take long. So, in an attempt to keep myself from boredom, I created a new youtube channel.

The Unemployed Gypsy

Patience is not an easy virtue

I graduated college.

Did I forget to tell you? Oops.

Right now am waiting to hear on a job. I really hope I get it. I would be able to stay in the area, and I would be able to keep doing photography (and actually get paid for it!). While trying to have patience waiting for a phone call, I am relaxing. Right now I am focusing on getting back on a normal sleep schedule (I became nocturnal the last week of school) and taking pictures for the fun of it. I have a couple projects in mind, but first I want to just get back in the habit of taking pictures on a regular basis again.

Alas, patience is not something that comes easily to me. I am off to distract my impatience with some brilliance by Hitchcock, courtesy of Netflix.

Maybe I'll even watch his version of Easy Virtue.

my family makes me smile

...

Hollins U.

Roanoke, Virginia. 

Screenwriting and Film Studies.

I might want to do grad school after all. 

Hurting and jealous

It hurts to know that I will never see you again here on Earth.
It hurts to know I wasn't there to say goodbye.
It just hurts.

I'll miss you Linda.
I will miss your fellow love of chocolate.
I will miss your kindness and love.

I'll miss your laughter.

I'll miss your stories.

I'll miss camping with you.

I thought you could pull through.
I've seen miracles before.
I don't understand why God didn't heal your cancer.

I just know that you aren't hurting anymore.
I can hardly wait to see you.
In the meantime, I'll just be jealous of all the time God gets to spend with you.

silence

During prayer today I realized how many horrible things are happening in the lives of my friends. I see so many people every day, but I rarely know what burdens they are carrying with them.

The death of a grandpa.
A grandma going into kidney failure.
Coming back from a missions trip and not quite sure how to deal with this new information.

What's going on with this world? Has it become more insane lately, or have I just opened up my eyes? Cancer, genocide, modern-day slavery, child soldiers, earthquakes and tsunamis. I was so overwhelmed  tonight that after chapel drama, I decided to go to the prayer room. And I couldn't even pray I had no words. So I sat there in silence. I can't help these people. How can I? I'm only a girl with a smile, and sometimes a half-hearted one at that. What can I do?

hair decides work level

Once I put my hair up, and decide to work at my desk instead of reading in my bed, you know that I mean business. It's time to do some serious homework.

awkward

defines my life. I just can’t help it, just seems to radiate off of me. And when I try not to be awkward, it just makes it worse. Have you ever witnessed an awkward nerd try to not be themselves? It’s not a pretty sight.


Disclaimer: I love being awkward. Also, doesn't the word awkward even look awkward?! It never had a chance. 

I have come to the conclusion that I am forevermore doomed to be awkward. Care to know why? I like awkward boys. Michael Cera? Jesse Eisenberg? I thoroughly enjoy their interviews solely for the reason with how awkward they are. Maybe one day I’ll get lucky and get a cross between Cary Grant and Urkel.

sick

bronchitis + fever + chills + deep coughing + searing pain in throat  = ouch

What I Learned In School

Well, today at least.

Creativity is required to have self-confidence in your work. Without it, you probably just won't make anything. And if you do, it won't be something you are incredibly proud of. However, once you have creativity you will actually WANT to do work. When you have that grand idea, all you want to do is just that and not be bothered by other little things...like eating or sleeping. Hey, if the idea is great enough, I might even skip a meal [food is a great passion of mind]. But once that creativity is flowing and you create work you are proud of, you want to make more. And of course your confidence is boosted.

Creativity à Self-confidence.

Took me 4 1/2 years of college but I finally found the key.

Pride

I have been so incredibly prideful.

I haven't read the Bible consistently in, well I'm going to be blatantly honest....I haven't read it on a consistent basis for about a year. Horrible, right? How could I put God on a shelf? What right do I have to do that? NONE. Yet, all this time I have considered myself a pretty humble person. I read a book on humility once. That should be enough, right? Oy, the longer I live the more I realize I have to learn and re-learn.

Will I ever figure out life?

How I Brought Bread Into Existence

I learned how to make bread today! I was about to make my amazing carmel rolls, had the yeast done [i still don't always get it to rise properly] and had the milk scalded. Then, the unfortunate happened. There were no eggs in the fridge! I had checked all the ingredients aside from the obvious things a kitchen should have before I started, because well...let's face it, there isn't a grocery store for at least 30 miles. I frantically searched for two eggs. I dashed to the fridge downstairs with hopes high. No eggs. I called neighbors looking for donors. [really i just dialed my aunt but she wasn't home sadly] I resumed my quest for eggs. Oh, how I wish we still had chickens!! I even looked in the freezer. By this time, I was mad with cooking fury.

Then I gave up. Took the pot off the burner. Went back to boring dishes. "My day is just RUINED," I thought. What a terrible way to start the day! But then Betty Crocker started whispering ideas to me. I looked up bread recipes. I had never made bread before. Rolls, sure, but BREAD?! How intimidating. All I could think of was Grandma's Bread and never being able to measure up to that standard. But I was desperate. What could I lose? I already had the yeast done, and the milk scalded. Might as well put it to good use.

And VOILA!

Two loaves were born.

I promise it was two, but I didn't take pictures until after the boys got back from school and basketball practice. I'll let you in on a little secret. Teenage boys like to eat. A lot.

Ah, this is the life.

Lazy afternoons and chai tea.

I Don't Feel So United

It was an early morning, fraught with excitement of going home. The crisp air bit at my cheeks, but I didn't care. I was able to go home. When I arrived at O'Hare, the excitement grew as I saw the terminal for United Airlines. I love traveling, especially being in the airport. Then, my troubles began.

sidenote: I was quite jealous of my roomie who arrived home sooner than me. [she lives in The Netherlands, whereas I am just a two hour flight away from home]

My flight is delayed....hm. Well, that's not a big problem. Only by 15 minutes.

See all that yellow? CANCELED flights.

I had to go in a separate line for delayed and cancelled flights. I soon found out why they were bunched together. I got a text from my lovely room-mate saying that my flight was cancelled. [There is only one flight to Bismarck a day, mind you.] As well as the flight to Fargo. Despite the odds, I remained hopeful.

Perhaps, I can fly to Denver, and make a connection there.

Wrong.

After an hour and a half of waiting in line, and talking with John Greenford and his wife who were on their way to Green Bay, I was able to tell an agent my dilemma. He searched, but nothing was found except for the following schedule: O'Hare to Seattle, to La Guardia (New York), to Denver, to some other city, to Bismarck. I was not willing to take that much risk of a) losing my luggage and b) of not having a place to sit for every flight.

And then I realized I would be coming back in less than 24 hours.

Will the lines be better tomorrow?

To which the agent slightly laughed. However, he reprinted my boarding pass and I will be waiting in a much shorter line. 12 hours from now I will be back in O'Hare. I am keeping my fingers crossed until I get through security.

TOMS!

My first pair of TOMS came in the mail today! I was so excited =) I was wanting these shoes, but they were all sold out in my size. So I went with a classic :)

lifehouse, scouting for girls, daughtry

music from bands that I could listen to over and over. I could listen to anything from these bands all day. Most artists I just like a couple, but these guys are all phenomenal. In fact, as I was writing this post, I finally bought the one album of Scouting for Girls that is on iTunes. [come on guys, get it together, put more up!]

lifehouse

scouting for girls

daughtry

in one week....

i will be home
i will be freezing my face off
i will be practically trampled as I get hugged by my family at the airport
and i will be loving it.