change around the corner.

Grateful for: change. I love that I can switch up the "Listening to" column if I want. Truth be told, usually I only listen to music while I blog so that I can fill that column. So, I'm changing it up for now. Today, I'm thankful for change. Thankful that I have this huge education opportunity, and that I can do something different with my time. 
Quote love: "Once upon a time there was a boy who loved a girl, and her laughter was a question he wanted to spend his whole life answering."

Tomorrow is going to be a big day.

Last week, I was accepted into a dual credit program at Taylor University. Annnd, after receiving my text book, going on an unsuccessful hunt for art supplies, and a visit to the college, I'm ready to start tomorrow.

Drawing 1 is a pre-requisite for a lot of graphic design diplomas. If I do decide to major in some sort of graphic design, it'll be great to get it out of the way now. Plus, it's only $25 a credit hour (!) and I get dual credit. It's a win-win. And another plus: the art department at Taylor is so beautiful! There's great light coming from everywhere, and they have so much equipment...I can't wait.

American Lit looks like fun; just a little overwhelming. The textbook (pictured) is huge, with teeny-tiny little print and see-through thin pages.

The only downside is how long I'll be gone. The classes are Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays until early afternoon. If the posting drops off a little, that's why.

Wish me luck for tomorrow! :)

using different words.

Listening to: You Gave Me a Promise by Fireflight.
Quote love: "I have decided that maybe I want to write when I grow up. I just don't know what I would write." 

The other day my mom finished reading my most recent post, turned to me and said, "You know, you can only write about the weather and coffee so many times."

I sighed and couldn't agree more. Lately I've been feeling that I have nothing to write about. I feel like I write about the same thing over and over again, using different words. It's getting repetitive. If it's repetitive for me to write, I can only imagine how it is to read.

So. Is there anything you want to see more often? More photos? More writing? More about what's going on in my life?

I actually have a post-it note with seven or eight things I was going to write about, but I have photos for most of them on my camera. The cord has disappeared, and I haven't been able to find it, even after two hours of looking. Sooo, sometime this week you can look for a long, rambling post full of photos and updates about what's happening in my life, and a few randoms that don't have much to do with anything.

Until then, off to look for my camera cord!

the one that speaks for itself.

Listening to: Waving Flag by K'naan. (the World Cup anthem!) 
Quote love: "It was that kind of a crazy afternoon, terrifically cold, and no sun out or anything, and you felt like you were disappearing every time you crossed a road." 

This is my new favorite picture ever. I'm listening to my running playlist as I type (which is slowly convincing me that running a mile with my brother on that snow covered road is a good idea). If you haven't heard this song on any of the World Cup/Coke commercials this summer, you should definitely listen. It's a keeper! What music have you been loving lately?

dark chocolate and cinnamon coffee.

Listening to: Everybody by Ingrid Michaelson. 
Quote love: "If the moon smiled, she would resemble you. You leave the same impression of something beautiful, but annihilating." Sylvia Plath. 

It's springtime in my house. I have Paradise Falls above my bed, and a rainstorm & umbrella to the left of my dresser. But outside, it is wicked. I'm really not such a fan of snow, cold weather, wind, and icy roads. Show of hands: anyone else sick of snow? Me too.

A day like this begs for dark chocolate, cinnamon laced coffee (which is really delicious, but the cinnamon makes the grounds all slimy, so it's not so much fun to clean that one up), and books.

Any book suggestions? I'm currently out of reading material because a) our library card is gone until Friday with my dad, and b) both of the books I have coming in the mail won't be here until Tuesday-ish. I have an old BookSneeze book of my sister's that I could finish if I must, but so far, I'm not really into it. Any suggestions?

A few weeks ago I asked for blog URLs from followers. Since then, I've gotten more (100! I love you guys!) and some of you, it just doesn't show up. So please send me your URLs. If I already follow you, don't worry about it. If you've given it to me before and I was terrible and never commented/followed, please send it again! I would love to check out your blogs.

Have an amazing Friday!

the rainy day post.

Listening to: One More Time With Feeling by Regina Spektor. (I adore having iTunes money to spend. :)

Quote love: “The tragedy is not that things are broken. The tragedy is that they are not mended again.” Alan Paton

I woke up this morning and almost immediately (give or take fifteen minutes) began smiling.

I won a book. The sequel to a book that I've read, and loved. AND I won this book from Ally Condie, the author of Matched. When I checked my email and saw her name in my inbox, I was beyond words. (God has blessed me: I've won so much in the past six years.) Today has been good.

And to top off my good-day feeling, it rained. And because of the way my school is divided up, I had mainly Dutch and French today, both my favorites.

A good way to spend the day? I thought so too.

we're an artsy bunch.

Listening to: the Cave by Mumford & Sons.
Quote love: "Adventure is out there!" from UP.

This weekend I:

Painted) Last year I dug up two old canvases I had painted years ago, and reused them, painting quotes on both of the canvases. (I wrote about it here, if you want the whole story.) Yesterday I took a canvas my best friend had given to my sister, who, in turn, gave it to me. Previously, it had a painting of a few dolphins and other undersea creatures. It was beautiful, in its own way, but not what I wanted. And eventually, I decided to paint the same picture Ellie paints in UP. It's the house she and Carl live in, sitting at the top of Paradise Falls, a painted promise that they would go there one day.

Last night my beautiful sister Anna (she's in three of the above pictures, and it's a common mistake to think I'm her) and Ali, my best friend, helped me paint Paradise Falls on the old canvas. It looks amazing.

Knotted) You know those friendship bracelets? The round ones? We made those. We made them with rainbow embroidery thread, while we watched Prince Caspian.

Pictured) I took pictures of two of my lovely sisters. They're so photogenic...the photos turn out well no matter what! (by the way, if you missed the photo blog last time I linked to it, here you go: anewkindofstory.blogspot.com)

What have you done this weekend?

all kinds of happy.

Listening to: By Your Side by Tenth Avenue North. 

Quote love: “She believed she could, so she did.”

Happy thing 1) Sisters who let me take silly pictures of them. 

Happy thing 2) When I tell them the pen won't wash off, and it does. 

Happy thing 3) The photoshoot planned for Saturday morning.

Happy thing 4) The way my camera processes light.

Happy thing 5) The way coffee is always delicious, even after it sits out for half a day. 

Happy thing 6) Somehow getting an ARC of a book I've been waiting to read. 

Happy thing 7) Said ARC being hilarious.

Happy thing 8) When my sister decides to play my favourite song just because she knows I love it.

What's happy in your life?

a narnian snow day.

Listening to: Rollerblades by Eliza Doolitte. 
Quote love: "Yes, when I get big and have my own home, no plush chairs and lace curtains for me. And no rubber plants. I'll have a desk like this in my parlor and white walls and a clean green blotter every Saturday night and a row of shining yellow pencils always sharpened for writing and a golden-brown bowl with a flower or some leaves or berries always in it and books . . . books . . . books. . . ." 

The wind is blowing little flurries of snow back and forth across the fields and yard. I swear, it's Narnia outside. Any minute now, a faun will come clipping down the road, cross the bridge around the corner, and invite me for tea.

Because I would hate to disappoint a faun, especially a Narnian one, I would gracefully accept. After I wrap a scarf around my neck and stick my beret on my head, we would link arms and trot across the snow-covered fields.

At this point, our noses would be cherry red and our fingers numb. But because it would be Narnia, we wouldn't notice it, and we would proceed with a cozy winter tea.

Because this isn't Narnia, and it's highly unlikely (and terribly sad) that I shall ever find the door to Narnia, I'll just drink a cup of coffee and read the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, pretending that I'm there. I'll take pictures of snow bokeh and huddle by the fireplace.

When I'm through pretending I've gotten to Narnia, I'll begin to pretend it's spring. I'll listen to Beatles songs and pretend I'm on a yellow submarine in spring. I'll pretend that the trees outside are turning green, and winter is finally over. And then, maybe, I'll go build a snowman.

cupcake.

Listening to: UP. I want to work at Pixar when I grow up. :)
Quote love: “Love does not begin and end the way we seem to think it does… love is a growing up.” 

Today: I slept in till 10:30, baked cupcakes, watching UP, and I'm still in my pajamas. Could I have, like, a year of Saturdays? And because it's Saturday, and I've done nothing all day, this is all I've got. What are your weekend plans?

friday.

Listening to: New Drug by Thousand Foot Krutch. 

Quote love: "For me, the camera is a sketch book, an instrument of intuition and spontaneity." 

Today was a striped socks-and-plaid pajamas kind of day (also, a bad lighting kind of day). And photography. So very much photography.

To begin with, I started my photography blog yesterday (I'd totally love it if you'd follow me/comment. you make my day!) and I've been thinking about that a lot. Of course, the day I start a 365 project, I have nothing to photograph.

For a large part of the day I researched film photography. I know absolutely nothing about it, and I'm starting next week. For my photography course, that's the project for this month. I'm slightly scared that I'm gonna screw it up and end up with a whole roll of terrible prints. We shall see.

I planned out my photography course for the rest of the year, basically assigning a project every month. I'll keep you updated about that. Maybe it's something you want to join me with? 

And just because, I learned how to make a pinhole camera. This is definitely something I'll be attempting this year.

Happy Friday!

(PS. Sunday begins the week-long Paperdoll blog party! Don't forget to stop by.)

just because everything's changing.

Listening to: The Call by Regina Spektor. (title credit.) 
Quote love: "It isn't Narnia, you know," sobbed Lucy. "It's you. We shan't meet you there. And how can we live, never meeting you?"
"But you shall meet me, dear one," said Aslan.
"Are -are you there too, Sir?" said Edmund.
"I am," said Aslan. "But there I have another name. You must learn to know me by that name. This was the very reason why you were brought to Narnia, that by knowing me here for a little, you may know me better there." C.S. Lewis (The Voyage of the Dawn Treader) 

After tons of hype, years of waiting, and frantic reading in the theater during the previews, I saw the Dawn Treader. I kinda loved it. They radically changed it from the book (which, I managed to finish before the movie began) but in a good way. I missed Peter being there, but it was good to see Edmund step out a little. Susan...well, she was never my favorite character. Lucy and Edmund were always my favorites, and I loved a movie where they were the main Pevensies. Eustace was fantastic. I can't wait till he comes back in the Silver Chair. What did you think about it?

Today was amazing because:
1) I used my favorite mug. A Christmas present, my photos on it, with the quote "Every leaf speaks bliss to me."
2) I wore my new Beatles shirt. It's long enough that I can wear it over my jeggings, which are the most comfortable legwear invented, not including sweatpants.
3) It's snowing outside, and I'm inside.
4) We took a roadtrip to Ohio just to visit Ikea, and had an epic game of hide and go seek throughout the store.

Question: what happened to all the comments? I miss hearing your thoughts!

new.

Listening to: Heaven Forbid by the Fray.
Quote love: "All my years to this moment. All my roads to this wall. All my words to this silence. All my pride to this fall." Catherine Fisher.

So it's the fifth day of the New Year. I have a few goals, or hopes (or whatever you've decided to call them this year) for the year floating around in my head, mostly small stuff. Some of them involve stuff like, read the Voyage of the Dawn Treader in the next four hours before I go see the movie today. Stuff like that. On the top of the list is documenting the books I read this year. I've failed to do that in the past, and my dad suggested I start.

I've been toying with the idea of starting a 365 blog, and to prepare for that, if I do decide to start one, I've been making sure to take at least a picture everyday. Yesterday's were a lot of fun because 1) My sister is gorgeous and incredibly photogenic, 2) I got two new lens filters for Christmas that I think are for portraits, so using them was fun, and 3) I don't generally take portrait shots, and I like it.

If I do start one, I think I'll call it something similar to a New Story. Reasons: 1) I've always used words to communicate stories, mine or others. Telling stories has been something I've done ever since I was little, but always with words. I've recently realized that photography is another way of telling a story. 2) This summer I wrote about individual stories, and how people have a story to tell, and 3) Someone recently told me that my photos tell stories. That's such a powerful compliment.

Yay or nay on a 365? I'm leaning towards a yes. I just created a photography course yesterday for this semester. The course requires a website of some sort, to display photos, advertise, ect., so I may combine the two. What do you think?

the highlight reel.

Listening to: at the moment, nothing.

Quote love:  “Whether a girl is 8 or 80, I think her heart flutters when somebody calls her beautiful. Because sunsets are beautiful. Yellow flowers are beautiful. Art is beautiful. Music is beautiful. You grow up hearing the world beautiful associated with those things. And when someone says that you are also that way - that you are beautiful - there's a particular kind of confidence that swirls up in your heart.” Natalie Lloyd.

 

 

January: our family trip to Washington DC, a city I'd never been to before.
February: ...not such an outstanding month.
March: A few friends and I went to an Acquire the Fire conference...tons of fun.
April: Birthday!
May: Left on the 23rd to the Middle East, got an unplanned day in Paris.
June: Short vacation in the south to the Red Sea, and got to snorkel there.
July: Spent a week in the UAE, went to an archeological dig, and made some friends.
August: Came home after almost three months overseas.
September: Bought my camera Darcy, a Pentax K100d.
October: Thoroughly enjoyed our short fall, and read the Hunger Games series.
November: My family pressed cider, and it is delicious.
December: Took a trip to Colorado for Christmas with my mom's family.
Today: Had two best friends over, took pictures for a long-unused frame (hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil, smell no evil. We needed a fourth), cuddled with some lazy cats, and (not so much a highlight) braved the cold.

What stood out about this year for you?