merry christmas to all

and to all a goodnight.

suggestions?

any suggestions of song lyrics and or a poem to include in my senior scrapbook project for english? they would be greatly appreciated. i find it hard to pick the right one.

love this.

"happiness" a journal entry

{a new print in my room that i got for my birthday}

Happiness...it's such a relative word, feeling, emotion. I know Kara has said you are only as happy as you choose to be and it is completely true.

In English, we are reading Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury and there is a Happiness Machine in it that only makes people sad when they are away from it. It's like watching a romantic comedy that warms your heart, but then leaves you feeling lonely or wishing for that happy ending in your own life. We discussed if we each had our own happiness machine and what we found joy in. Do we need a happiness machine? Or are we already happy and content with our own lives? Even though pain and sorrow exist, there are still things that bring a smile to our faces.

The book also focuses on finding joy in the little things in life. In the book, the little boy revels in his brand new summer sneakers, the grandpa in the mowing of the lawn, and things like the strangeness of the night. Sunsets...if sunsets lasted forever they would lose their charm.

Often times in life, we turn to our possessions for comfort. Don't get me wrong...I love my technology, but sometimes doesn't it only add to our unhappiness? Catching up on emails cause we are so busy. Sending a text cause there isn't time to talk or we are afraid to have real human interaction. Or just surfing the Internet and seeing all of the things we don't have or reading blogs, wishing we could create something like "so and so" instead of just sitting down and DOING it or trying. Switching on the TV because it is convenient to get lost in it and waste time even if you don't really care about the program that is on. What happened to entertaining ourselves every now and then with something more worthwhile...something that gives us a sense of accomplishment...something that makes us genuinely happy?

My simple pleasures? The smell after the rain. The first time in the summer when I can drive with my windows down and the music a little louder. A walk on a fall day with the leaves crunching beneath my feet. My first cup of Starbucks hot chocolate in December. Staring into the twinkling Christmas lights outside my bedroom window. The first snow. Watching people run for the TVs on Black Friday. A spontaneous stop at a photo booth. Blasting music while vacuuming. Waking up to sunshine through my curtains. Paint under my finger nails. A handful of glitter. A shared glance with a friend during school. Late night phone calls. Sitting in silence with someone. Christmas music and a fire. Rain against my windows as I fall asleep. Waking up on a snow day. Driving home late at night in the darkness. Building a pillow barricade around me as I sleep....the list goes on and on.

What simple pleasures are you enjoying this month? What makes you happy? Give someone a hug...pick up the phone and call before sending that text to catch up. DO something that makes you smile...something that makes you feel accomplished. Buy yourself a small gift to symbolize your change or your new drive... a new mug, pen, or journal. Don't regret today...make memories.

another year...another birthday

i celebrated my 18th birthday yesterday. it wasn't as exciting as i thought it would be, but the little moments made all the difference. from putting up the christmas lights to making handmade ornaments...it was special.

i get to decorate the tree this year. on saturday night we started making handmade ornaments that i saw in this post and by sunday afternoon we had 72. i plan to use them on our tree with silver ball ornaments and paper chains i made last week with old anthropologie catalogs.

tomorrow my dad and i are starting a 25 days of christmas project. we each got domo dolls and plan to do a daily photo with our doll in it. by the end we hope to put all of our photos side by side in a mini album. i am excited for this holiday season.

i want to create a list of 18 things to do before i turn 19. any ideas? i'd love some input in the comments section.

so about that to do list i mentioned yesterday.....hmmmmm.

this is what i did instead. made some owlie cupcakes.

11.24.09

today i am all about progress and tackling my to do list.

i just got the WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE soundtrack and i have been listening to it over and over and over.

making paper chains with old anthro and urban catalogs.

homework.

crafting.

happy mail plans.

reading too much into my horoscope.

MY BIRTHDAY IS ON SUNDAY!

more balloon pics



i officially signed to play tennis for indiana university a couple weeks ago...


and my parents got me a gift card to anthropologie! i cannot wait to spend it...isn't the little gift card holder adorable?!





my friends and i all got together to celebrate where we will be playing college tennis at next year!


today my little cousin and i painted some rocks with gesso and glitter.



i don't have any school this week! i hope to get organized, get school work done, and spend time with friends and family. oh and also...make stuff of course!

fall and balloons

simplifying

i am simplifying my life right now.

deleted my twitter...it was a time waster.
cleaned up my google reader with the blogs i really follow.
worked on budgeting my time for art, school, friends, and family.

feeling lost...lonely. i've turned a blind eye to it all for a long time and now it's all hitting me. i wish there wasn't pain or hurting. i wish we could all get along and that when people say everything happens for a reason...everything was just alright.


oh high school, growing up, friends, family, emotions, fears. such is life.

i loved WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE

(click to make larger)

it was much darker than i expected, but it inspired me to within an inch of my life...i really needed it! it really hit on some great points and made me think about childhood, fear, and hope. it made me feel refreshed.

film pictures...one fall afternoon

it's fall and i'm getting that weird tingly feeling as the seasons change and it grows colder. i long for those beautiful fall days when it is perfect for a sweater and a short walk. i went out with some friends in our downtown area...old disposable cameras in hand just to document one fall day. today, i made apple crisp and apple sauce with apples we picked last weekend. the house smells of cinnimon and i can't wait to toast the pumpkin seeds. these traditions just make this season feel complete and i wonder what i'm going to do this time next year when i am away at college for the first time.

i am loving my friends right now and being a typical high schooler. i need to create...i haven't made anything for the longest time. i also need change...get rid of old habits and create new ones. this new season has inspired me to embrace change.

happy fall! go for a walk...soak it in.

(pictures taken by my dad)

"when i was a little girl i used to read fairy tales. In fairy tales you meet prince charming and he's everything you've ever wanted. in fairy tales the bad guy is easy to spot. the bad guy is always wearing a black cape so you always know who he is. then you grow up and you realize prince charming isn't as easy to find as you thought. you realize the bad guy is not wearing a black cape and he's not easy to spot; he's really funny, and he makes you laugh, and he has perfect hair."
-taylor swift

journals

(sewed journal...made with anthro, uo, and toast catalogs.)
i love finishing off journals. i finished these four within the past couple of weeks. one for my more secret thoughts, one of lists and for travel, one for college tennis, and one for fun filled with little quotes.

i went over to my friend's house the other day to work on ap calc and we took a study break to reread her 6th grade journal. it was highly entertaining and i really enjoy looking back on my old journals and memories.

i had homecoming last night and it was so much fun! i am loving senior year and it is fun to see how many of us have been friends since kindergarten.

i am spending today catching up on school stuff, packaging some happy mail, and catching up on journalling.

HAPPY SUNDAY!!!

ps i kinda really want to buy on of these.

i have some big news!!

i finally made my college decision...on tuesday night i called up the coach at Indiana University and told him i want to play tennis for him there! i am so excited and relieved i finally know where i will be going next fall. these years have gone by so fast, but i cannot wait to go off to school! along with making my decision i finished my college tennis notebook! i love when i complete an entire journal.

i love this "book"

keri smith always inspires me.

sorry i have been a bad blogger

i have just been so extremely busy between school, college visits, and being a teenager :) that i have missed you all!

recently, i have been visiting colleges that are recruiting me for tennis. it's been really exciting to see what college life is all about and to have some offers to think about. it feels so good to see all my hard work is paying off and i have the opportunity to play tennis for some big time colleges! i can't wait, but for now choosing what is best for me will be really hard! i love things from each school i have visited and wish i could just take out a check list and do a create-your-own school like the create-your-own pasta at macaroni grill!

all i know is that time and life is moving fast and i need to enjoy these years and record my thoughts in my journals. i really want to grow up and be able to look back at little things in my life that i wrote about and wouldn't necessarily remember 5, 10, or even 20 years from now.

happy saturday night!