Merry Christmas!

Hello, everyone! :D Merry Christmas! How has you holiday been? Ours was very busy, but even that is an understatement.


It all started yesterday--which was eventful in more ways than one. You see, I injured myself all day long. The first thing I did was ram my small toe into an eight pound dumbbell--behind which sat another eight pound, two five pound weights, and then two three pound weights. My toe is now a nasty shade of maroon--no pictures will be forthcoming. So, limping through the remainder of my day--I discovered that Shark Week had arrived, which rendered me practically useless even with the added pain killers and caffeine. Seriously...can't Mother Nature just text me instead? :( Later in he evening I burned my hand on our fireplace. I decided after that, that maybe I should avoid all dangerous activities--like being awake.

We had endless cleaning and cooking before our Christmas Eve dinner with our family friends. My dear friend Jessie was even there with her mother, Mrs. Stacie. It was a great night! We exchanged Christmas gifts and I discovered that my lovely friend had made me a scarf! I absolutely love it and I can't wait to wear it out in public! :D I will post a picture as soon as I find and outfit that compliments it! :D Mrs. Stacie also gave me a jewelry box with my aunt's favorite Bible verse on it. Haha, I will have to keep her from stealing that! ;)

I gave her an infinity scarf, a pair of sunglasses, and some Bath and Body Works stuff! :D No really good pictures of last night, sadly. When you are running like a chicken with it's head cut off you don't really have time for pictures. :( Today we did get some good pictures though. I was exhausted though, I woke up at what I thought was 5:30--but it was actually 4:30 because my little desk clock can't be set back. It did give me a chance to shower and clean up early though. :)

After having Christmas morning breakfast with my grandparents and family friend Mrs. Cynthia, we opened presents to each other. I gave my mom an MP3 player with my brother, I gave my dad a gift card to one of his favorite stores, my sister a jewelry making kit, and I gave my brother an Imagine Dragon's CD. :) In return, my brother gave me the first season of Gomer Pyle USMC, and my sister gave me "Mrs. Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children"--a book that I have been wanting to read for quite some time. So far it's really good and very intriguing. I'm nearly halfway through it already! 0_0 I must pace myself because I will need a book to take to college with me this semester.


I have a distinct feeling, however, that this book will get a bit scary before too much longer. Now I really wish I had gotten that Castiel I asked for, for Christmas.

After Christmas breakfast we went to my grandparents house, where all the 'adults' play a Dirty Santa game--where basically everyone brings a gift and you all steal gifts from each other. I'm not a big fan, but this year I did manage to snag a Bath and Body Works kit that was even in my scent! :D Very happy about that.

After Christmas there it was off to my aunt's house (my mom's sister) where we had some light snacks before opening even more presents! There I got a pair of black, chandelier earrings, a aqua infinity scarf, and an iTunes gift card. :) The gift card was great, considering the fact that today I got my very first iPod!

My sweet and very generous parents got me the iPod 5 for Christmas this year, and I am SO excited! They also gave me a gift card to Radio Shack so I can get a case for it--which it desperately needs because I don't want ANYTHING to happen to my new baby. I believe I'll try to hit the store in the next few days, as soon as the craziness wears down.

I also got "The Fault in Our Stars", more Bath and Body Works goodies, a Union Jack/British mug set (tea included), a sketch book and some beautiful new colored pencils. The movie "Hotel Transylvania", aloe socks, a wide assortment of candy, and a sweater with a really cute owl on it. Over all it was a very generous and blessed Christmas! :D


But now that Christmas is over, it's time to focus on going back to school. Books have to be ordered, and new supplies bought. The truck's due for a good wash and vacuum (I basically live out of it during the semester). One good thing is that I have already gotten my official paperwork in order (months ago) so I don't have that stress on me or my mother.

I've excited to go back to school, but I'm also nervous. But we've gone over this song and dance a million times already haven't we? So let's break out of the loop for a bit. School is coming--no more shall be said until the actual first day! After that I'm probably not going to shut up, either because I'm complaining or I'm a little too eager to tell any and all good news I have.



But I hope that everyone has had a wonderful Christmas, and that you have all been blessed! :) Now it's onto the New Year, and I hope that God blesses every one of you!

Merry Christmas, Lovely Bloggers! :D

Eating Up Christmas Time!

I love Christmas time! 

It's one of my favorite times of the year, even if I have to share my abode with sometimes cumbersome decorations. :) 

Currently I'm enjoying the Christmas tunes and the new photography opportunities. Christmas always posed a problem to me with photography--even back when I was just snapping candids for the family. My camera never wanted to 'digest' the lights correctly, and I usually ended up with a blurry mess--unless of course I submitted to the flash, in which case I got an overbearing, overly detailed, glimpse of everything. Trust me, flash on people isn't always great. 

I've also been happy because I got my final grades back for the semester. I was blessed with all A's--shocking considering that one of them was in Physical Science, which I had been expecting a B in. Wonderful, blessed feeling there! :)

But I'm loving this season so far! :D It's so great to have family around for the holidays. :) I've got almost all of my shopping done, which is a relief! All of the big gifts are bought; I just have a few last minute gifts to get.

We're not in the cooking part yet--but once it gets here I'll be making chocolate fudge, pecan pie, and a vast assortment of cookies. There are usually a lot of sweets around for us during the holidays. I'm going to gain so much weight over this holiday season! :( That's okay though, I'll lose it all over the Spring semester. Stress does that to you...grrr.

I've also--finally--finished my Christmas list! About time too, considering the fact that Christmas is next week. 

iPod,(Yes I still want an iPod.) 

Loki t-shirt from Hot Topic,

"The Fault in Our Stars" by John Greene,

Tardis Necklace from Hot Topic,

And that's about it for this year. I mean, asking for a new iPod is a big deal, so I'm keeping my list simple. :) I really want an iPod.

In other news, I also wrapped a dinosaur...

I got my cousin, Michael, a dinosaur toy for Christmas--more specifically a T-Rex toy. 

It was not so much I had to wrap the dinosaur--as I wanted to see if I could wrap a dinosaur. I'm glad to say I succeeded, though his tail was sticking out. 

Don't worry, he's nicely put in a bag now--this was more of a random idea to use up the bits of wrapping paper I had left over. Fun idea I guess, though kinda messy. 

Today, I also babysat my cousin Michael and my little sister Joanna. We had a great time riding around on the golf cart while belting out Christmas carols--albeit the wrong words. 

I also survived a ten year early driving lesson. My sister has already learned to drive the golf cart--but my cousin was a newbie. So I let him drive a little on his own--basically I let him steer the cart while I handled the pedals. He really enjoyed it, and was thrilled with himself afterwards. Yep, ten years from now I'll be the cool cousin that lets him drive an actual car. 

I also finished a lot of the editing on my aunt's Christmas card photos. I don't do much with editing, I just adjust a few things and then leave it be. 

This is one of my favorites. 

This is a really fun shot, fun for Michael anyway. Haha, now he can bargain for better Christmas presents! 

Well, now I've got to head out! :D 

You Rarely Think About Where You're Going, Until Someone Asks

Yesterday I finally got to take pictures of my friends up in the warehouse! I was absolutely thrilled! 

Taking pictures of the cool objects up there was fun, but my favorite area of photography is portraits!

Our trip was short, and we only spent about thirty minutes in the warehouse. We got there later than I would have liked because we had a lot we had to do first. One of them was actually opening our Christmas presents to each other, which was really fun. I gave Hannah a Downton Abbey shirt, Clara a scarf and cameo, and Hannah gave me a photography book! I haven't given Jessie her present yet because she'll be joining us a week from now on Christmas Eve. Can you believe that it's a week till Christmas? I can't, I really can't. It's flown by so quickly I've barely had time to digest it all. And to believe that after that I have a week and a half until my school starts back. Yikes is an understatement! 

When we got to the warehouse we had a lot of fun taking pictures, but we had to be really REALLY quiet because they were still running the business downstairs and the sound travels. We didn't cause any problems though, so that was a blessing.

I also met a very nice young man who was running the store yesterday. We talked about photography and it turns out he modeled for a bunch of really big league clothing brands in New York a few years back. He said he was trying to get back into the photography/modeling business--and he said if I ever needed a male model he'd be happy to oblige! I reminded him that I was not a professional, but he said that he liked the pictures I'd already taken and that he was looking to add to his portfolio. It's a great opportunity, and I have his number now. :) But when he asked me about my photography and where I wanted to go with it..it made me think. Where do I want to go with it? 

I mean, it's a hobby, yes...but I don't know the first thing about making money with it or actually photographing a real model. 0_0 It's a scary proposition in the sense that I could fail miserably at it. There again it's a great opportunity if I want to actually go somewhere with my photography. Question is...do I? 

IDo I want to take on that responsibility, along with the rest? School, personal life, declaring a major this year, and my main hobby--writing...all of that is very important to me right now, so do I really need to be adding yet another thing to my list? Then there's the fact that I've only been in this game a short little while, and to a lot of professional photographers who have been around for many years--my suddenly declaring photography as a viable part of my life  might seem a bit premature and silly. They've seen people come and go in that, with only the truly dedicated remaining to slog it out. I don't like to be a quitter in anything, it makes me angry, so I guess what I have to decide is--how dedicated am I? It's a burning question alright..one that I will have to answer soon.  

Hannah by the window

This is one of my all time favorite shots of Clara! :D I think it's actually one of the best ones I've ever taken of her!

Jessie! 

I also got to show them the scary mannequin room! This is a very blurry pic, I know, but it captures the moment pretty well. Hannah actually jumped when she saw the Lady of Death, standing in the back--and we were all freaked out when we actually went into the room. Though to be fair, I wasn't really creeped out so much, I was just sitting back and enjoying their reactions. Needless to say, none of them liked that room at all...and I don't blame them. The back part of the warehouse has all of the scary stuff like the rabbit and Headless Henry--plus some jack-o-lanterns that were hiding in a dark corner and that I had somehow missed. Hannah waded cautiously back through the carnage by the light of her iPod--there were many times we were sure she'd never emerge again. :) That place is horror movie central.   

Here's a picture of us when we were opening our presents. There was wrapping paper carnage everywhere! :)

I think everyone had a great time though, and I look forward to going back up there again to take more pictures--and possibly going to Dairy Queen afterwards, which is something we wanted to do this time but because of our late start we couldn't. Besides, when we got home we found that the moms had baked a TON of goodies (including brownies! Yummy!). 

Cutting off Caffeine at Christmas

It seems to me, that as a child, the Christmas season eeked by slowly--mainly because we were so desperate for our presents--but we were able to savor and enjoy it to its fullest. Now it just flies by, no time to sit back and relax.It's just part of growing up, and it's not a bad thing necessarily. I like to be busy. When I'm idle I'm miserable, though I will admit I like a good lazy day every now and again. 

But with the Christmas season flying by, I am constantly reminded that my new semester of college is coming at a pace! I'm taking four classes, like before, but one of them is a Biology class--and I'm very nervous about that. My first day of class is actually a lab, and while it will probably be choosing lab partners and discussing lab procedures--I'm still nervous. I've only dissected an earth worm...so how well will I manage with something as substantial as a frog or pig? Personally, I'm going to look for a boy in camo--if he hunts he will know how to field dress a deer and that can be very useful when it comes to dissecting things. I will label, make notes, and let him handle all of the gross stuff. Praying for a good lab partner! 

So, what did I do today? 

Today, after church, I went to my aunt's house to take her Christmas card photos--which was great! I love being able to take pictures for people, it helps them out and it's great practice for me.

Afterwards we went to my favorite antique store and I tested taking pictures of people up in the old warehouse. In a few days I hope to take some pictures of my friends up there; it'll be like having our own studio! Today was a great trial run because I needed to see what the lighting would do to an actual subject. Turns out, the natural lighting (of which I am not a fan) was perfect, the old style window provided a good filter. 

This is an angle for a shot I really want to try with my friend Clara. Problem is I was trying very hard not to actually sit on the chair because it's so old--and also not mine. 

When I came home I got to visit with my grandparents before wolfing down three eggs. I was starving.

With the busy Christmas season coming to it's peak--I have decided to wean myself off caffeine. I know, stellar time to pick, but I believe that I really should do this before the stress of the new school year begins--during which time I know I wouldn't limit my soda/coffee intake. Caffeine is really bad for your heart, adrenals, metabolism and so on--so I'm trying to limit it. However, limiting ones caffeine--limiting MY caffeine--is a dangerous occupation. Yesterday I was doing good, until my friend came over with soda. I was still good and refrained from having any...though it was a struggle not to knock her out with my tennis racket and steal it. Today, I did have caffeine--as I am shooting for one day clean and then the next with only limited indulgence. However, I did noticed the decrease. I had only a little soda, not even a full cup full, in the middle of the day--to sooth the with drawl headache. It didn't work. I still have a headache, but it got a little bit better. Tomorrow I will have to go without my precious caffeine, my strategy: Get more sleep and try not to morph into an over-sized Smeagol. 

Well, that's my two cents, so I'm off for a movie night with my family! I hope that your Christmas season is going well and that you have an awesome holiday! :D 

This is one of my favorite shots from my shoot with my aunt. Little Michael behaved perfectly! 

There are Even More Decorations, and It's Raining

Hello! 

As predicted, my family decorated for Christmas today. This has actually been the first 'free' day I've had since this week started. I will have at least three more really busy days before I get another quiet day, so I'd better enjoy this while it lasts. 

But today....okay....

Started out slowly because I slept in. That was my fault though, I stayed up until one thirty txting. 0_0 That is late by my standards. I'm a night owl, but not that much of one. And no, I will not tell you who I was txting. ;) And yes, I'm being coy. 

My mother's Christmas decorations are of a primitive style--very rustic and country which suits us perfectly, seeing how we live on a farm.  I really like them, and that's saying something because my mother and I have totally different tastes. I like a lot of shabby chic stuff, and she likes rustic/country style. Nothing wrong with either style--it's just we rarely agree on decorations, clothes, or accessories. 

We haven't gotten our tree yet, but I believe we will do that this coming Wednesday. :) I can hardly believe that Christmas is 17 days away! For me, this year has just flown by so fast! Especially this semester of college. A lot has happened, and while some of it wasn't pleasant, I have really enjoyed the learning process!  When I say 'learning' I don't just mean school. I've learned a lot about having a job, and dealing with sometimes difficult situations. I'm grateful God has put these experiences in my life, and that he has guided me and helped me learn from them. Now I'm excited to see what's coming in 2014. Again, still not used to 2013--am I the only person still writing 2012 on all of their papers?

After about an hour of work, we were done cleaning/decorating. Then I was left to retire to my room in peace. Seriously, I'm exhausted! I think that's just the staying up too late talking, because honestly I've done very little today. I went to the store, but that was a fairly quick trip. Maybe it's the weather, I mean look at how gloomy it is.

This is what we have been looking at all day. :( Very gloomy, there are actually supposed to be mountains over to the right! The mist has covered them up. All day rain (and the temperature) has been falling. Yuck, very gloomy.

But while I was out I did snag this cute little owl hat. I can never resist anything with an owl on it. :) I don't mean to keep posting pics of me, sorry. Selfies are very annoying--trust me I know--so after this I will limit them.


I am also perfecting my Christmas list. I had a previous draft of it, which I believe I posted a pic of, but now I'm working on narrowing it down to things I really want. Always start broad, then whittle it down to specifics. So far I'm looking at an iPod, and a bunch of stuff from Hot Topic. Not to mention books, I've got several of those that I really want. One of them is "The Fault in Our Stars" By John Greene. I know, I will cry my eyes out, but I want the book none the less. :) I'm already running very low on books now, so I definitely need to get some more!

What else, what else....hmmm, well tomorrow I have another final. 0_0 This is my second one, but it's supposed to be easy. Why? Well it's for Physical Fitness, and all I have to do is show up and do a few push-ups and sit ups. Easy right? Well, let's hope so. ;)

I'm going to miss some of the people I've met in my classes, which is different from last time. Last time I don't think I knew anyone in my classes, I mean I don't even think I spoke to many of them. I was so nervous and out of my element that I didn't really focus much on talking. This year I was more comfortable with classroom life, and with the load of work I was expected to carry--so I was a little more relaxed. That's something I didn't even really notice. Apparently, when I was nervous before, I seemed very hostile--even though all I really wanted was to just adjust and start talking to people. Because I was so scared and self conscious, I actually gave off a very angry, and hostile vibe. I seemed distant and probably a bit snobbish. Now that I'm more adjusted, I've noticed that I've made more friends and have become less nervous about talking to people I don't know. What I mean there is this: before I would NEVER start up a conversation with anyone I didn't know--which meant I didn't talk to anyone. Now, while still exercising caution, I talk more and can chat with my fellow classmates about a variety of subjects. This is a huge break through for me because I'm not very social. I'm shy...okay more like extremely shy, so chatting with anyone I'm not intimately acquainted with has always been a challenge. However, God has blessed me and now I feel a bit better about it. Still learning, but better than before!


That's basically my day in a a nutshell, I know very little to really talk about, but there it is. :) Tomorrow I'm going to take my final and then spend the afternoon hanging out with my lovely friends, Hannah, Jessie, and Clara. :) It's a great way to spend a day really.


Until next time little bloggers!

So What Have I Done Today?

Hmmm, let's see, besides being severely dehydrated and tired---the very fact that I didn't just roll back over in bed and hide under the covers until the fever eventually made me a walker--speaks volumes. 

So what did I do today? 

I went to the store, yes, it was needed so it had to be done. 

I wrote five chapters of my book. I'm back on it now. :) That's a big plus. Praise the Lord! :D 

I sat on my butt and watched Supernatural and Doctor Who--yea, that was yesterday and today. Nothing like having a fever and waking up believing you are trapped in the Tardis. I'm NOT joking here, I mean, my room looked like the Tardis. I had also just watched The Black Spot, so I was waiting on the siren to come and take me to the sick bay. 

My favorite episode of ALL time has to be "Vincent and the Doctor". I cried SO freaking hard during that one. Vincent has to be one of the best people they've intertwined into that show. Loved it, and that episode really redeemed the show for me. I hated--and I am under using the word so much--"Let's Kill Hitler". I hated that episode on so many levels. Loathed it with every fiber of my being. For the sake of internet etiquette do NOT ask me why. 

As for Supernatural, I'm still watching and loving it. Dean Winchester is one of my favorites. His internal battle and character development really is one of the highlights about this show. He's a very fascinating character, and he really gets you invested in the show. You become attached to these characters, you know, and you want to see them to the end of their journey. I'm not saying this show doesn't get really weird sometimes, but hey, I survived Doctor Who--so I can pretty much weather nearly any weirdness. Right? 

Almost. There will always be an exception. I actually pause the episode here and just put my hand over my face. It took a moment to process, and for those of you who haven't seen this episode--trust me, it takes a while to process the awkwardness. 

I watched newest The Walking Dead episode. 0_0 The Governor OH MY GOSH! 

Oh, I knew he was coming back. Trust me, but these past few episodes oh my goodness! How much does it take to kill this guy? I mean, he is pretty hard core. I haven't really seen this hardcore since Merle....man I miss Merle. :'( Anyone else with me on this one?

He is the ultimate version of "Every villain is a hero in his own mind." (Tom Hiddleston by the way...can I get some Hiddles love here?). I mean, he is a very complex character with a LOT of crazy going on. I mean, just when you think you've gotten to the bottom of his crazy he's got a crazy underground, zombie prison basement! I mean seriously, dude? How many levels of nutso do you have? :)

I also bought and watched the entire first season of The Legend of Korra! 

Don't judge. The last time I was sick I watched the all of Aang The Last Airbender and loved it. The Legend of Korra was the natural next step. I love both shows and I really loved the new tone that The Legend of Korra brought to the Avatar series. It's much darker and a bit more mature than the first one. I miss some of the more humorous aspects from the first one, but I believe in order to keep the gritty feel, TLoK had to remove the more 'kiddish' elements. Though, I will confess, Aang had me in stitches. 

My favorite character is Asami Soto. She is so amazing! 

I love how she is such a strong and independent personality. She's kind, compassionate, smart, brave, and a quick thinker under pressure. If anything I like her better than I like Korra. She's had some real struggles in her life, some times much more so than Korra, and each time she has shouldered the load with incredible grace. Asami Soto is my favorite, hands down. 

I also got some online Christmas shopping done. :D My friend Hannah will be pleased with her present! I always love it when I buy a present for a friend that I think they will really love! :D I will not tell you what I got her, because she still reads my blog. Sorry, no hints, Hannah! 

What else did I do today?

Well, I thought of some really good stuff to do but I lacked sufficient energy to do them. Story of my life, but I'm pretty sure that today it had something to do with yesterdays vomiting. Thanks for the prayers and get wells there guys, it means a lot to me! ;) 

I decorated my blog for Christmas, yes, I know....I said I wouldn't do it until after Christmas. But I didn't want to wait any longer. As for my room, however, I'm still wanting to hold off there. I don't really want to share my abode with a tree yet. Yea, a big dusty tree that my cat (C.C.--the cat I'm pretty sure I can't throw holy water on.) likes to climb and knock over. 

But hey, everyone can use a little Christmas cheer can't they? It was fun, but I'm still not ready to listen to Christmas music yet. Yep, I'm to busy listening to Imagine Dragons. Love them, they've been my music obsession for about a year now. :) My brother has even started listening to them. Haha! I have corrupted another mind! :D He's also watching Supernatural and Sherlock now! Hehehehehehe, all that's left is Doctor Who and he'll be SuperWhoLocked and be completely insane like the rest of us! 

There has been very little productivity here in these past few days, but I've been sick and it's been a tough week. I'm just grateful I haven't turned into a walker yet. Again, the strength required to fight that off is highly underestimated. 

But I have loving friends and a loving family--duly noted by the fact that they haven't used my illness as an opportunity to kill me. Of course, that may have been because they were too afraid to get near me--the threat of me vomiting was quite high after all. 

Mainly they've just been like,

Lord love them. 

But yea, it hasn't been a really interesting day, but there it is. I'm just trying to be thankful for all that I've been given and all that I still have with me. :) God is good!

So Happy Thanksgiving to all of my lovely followers, I hope you all have a wonderful day. :) And no matter what your traditions may be, I hope you have a love filled holiday. :)

This Love is an Addiction

Okay, I'll admit it. I have an addiction. Photography has been a growing interest for me in these past few months, and while I still have much to learn, I'm completely in love with it! 

I've always enjoyed photography, but it was not a serious interest. I only used a point and shoot digital camera, which is still a pretty awesome little camera, and I would only do pictures when I had to for a class. My 'real' interest started when I was working with Mrs. Johnnie. She explained photography tricks, terms, and basics to me and really sparked my interest. I took a few more pictures, and a friend of mine suggested I submit a few photos to a magazine she knew of. The entrance/acceptance to the photography magazine encouraged my interest and ever since then I've been taking pictures of everything. 

Now my camera bag serves as my purse, and my converse and boots have been through quite a beating as I climb and hike all over our land just to snap a few pictures. A camera is becoming my sole accessory, and I feel empty if I don't have it with me. My friends are probably the most photographed people for miles, and with each shoot we improve more and more! :D 

I've even had people asking me to do photos for them and if I'd like to team up with them and go out to take photos! :D It's really exciting. I'm meeting more and more people each day, and my friends have had their interest in photography grow! Every time one of us learns a new trick, we share it and compare notes! We even have photo editing parties at my house! It's so much fun to share this new interest with my friends! 

My mother has been really sweet to let me use her Nikon J2 for my photography. It's such an amazing camera! It constantly surprises my with the amount of detail it can capture. 

This is also one of the hobbies that I can really fit into my busy schedule. The stress of my schedule and this past week is also eased by having such a relaxing hobby. With photography, you go out to capture the beauty of the world, and with that comes a sort of blissful contentment. That might sound silly or dramatic, but it's true. This hobby is one of my BIG stress reliefs.

Today, I went out for about an hour and here are a few of my favorite shots. 

I actually took this picture AFTER these thorns dug into my hoodie. :( Not cool plant....not cool. All the same, thanks for the picture and for not making a hole in my new jacket...or me! 

Can anyone else believe it's nearly Christmas? I'm having some trouble with that! 0_0 I mean, wasn't it just Halloween? Can't we slow down a little!? I'm not ready yet! I don't want to share my house with a dead tree or give up my 'regular' music for repetitive Christmas tunes! Not YET winter! 

Look! It's your friendly photographer/blogger! 

Yea, I bundled up really good because it was pretty cold out. I look like an Eskimo though. 

I also do NOT approve of the weird bump thing my pony-tail makes in the top of the hoodie. Oh well, the genie hairstyle doesn't always work with hats, hoodies, or bandannas.