Orange You Glad I Didn't Pick Banana

What Ever Happened to the Easter Beagle?

So, I have been putting off posting for a while because I wanted to finish my bird pillow and post a pic of it. Have a finished the pillow yet? No! I decided to go ahead a post anyway. This weekend was Easter Weekend! I have been brought up in church my whole life and decided to follow Christ and let Him be my Savior when I was seven. Because of this, the whole Easter story is familiar to me and sometimes can get "easy on the ears", so to speak. I thank God for breaking me the other day when I got the realization that with Jesus' last breath, He thought of me. I know Christ loves me and died for me...but, He THOUGHT about me. He died saving me and when that stoned rolled away Easter morning and He was resurrected, He thought of me. I know that I already knew this but it became so clear this weekend. My Savior was being beaten and killed and with His final breath, His thoughts were of me. Amazing love that I can not understand. Praise God for His love and His Son who loves me so. I do have some pictures of my many adventures lately. Enjoy :)

I visited my home friends.  They are hawties!

Meet Jessica. (a.k.a. Fellow Traveler/My Cup)

Meet Sarah.  She likes chicken.

Every mature college student takes funny pics in Dairy Queen.

I'm embarrassed.

We made Strawberry Cookies. yum

We smelled all 81 scents offered from Scentsy.

The Easter Bunny brought me candy!

Everyone know I love white chocolate reese's but now I am falling in deep like with dark chocolate reese's.  Sorry milk chocolate.

We went to my grandmother's and I got to wear the heirloom bracelet.

It will be mine one day (very far from now hopefully)

My grandmother drove us around the farm.

Loving the ride. (excuse the skin problems)

True Bliss.

I saw honey suckle on the side of the road.  I pulled over and my sister and I got some. :)

My dad took us out to eat.  I got this delicious meal.  Chicken fresco with butter sause, grilled asparagus, and garlic mashed potatoes.  Sounds swanky!

Then I hung out with my friends some more.  This is one hawtie!  She's single guys.

So, all in all my Easter was great!  I don't have pictures of me staying with my aunt and uncle, visiting my newlywed cousin, or staying with my other grandmother.  I am so excited that I will be in Australia in 25 days!  I am super ready.  I still need a thousand dollars though.  I know the Lord will provide like He already has.  On another exciting note, I will be moving out of college in less than a week!  Amen.  I need everyone to pray for my gpa though.  This has been a rough semester for me but that is another post for another day.   I am also thinking about starting my own product line of homemade goods.  The company name?  Confessions of course.  I need to get my business plan all straightened out as soon as possible since I will be gone this summer.  Lets see how long it takes my friend, Jessica, to see these pics of her here. :)  I'll post you guys later if she doesn't kill me.

Forever 21

I have seen blogs titled 21 by 21.  I decided to copy them and have my own version.  This post is giving you the 21 things I want to do before I'm 21.  I suggest everyone do this and if you're over 21 do 30 by 30 or 25 by 25 or 65 by 65.  Whatever floats your boat.  I will try to update you when I complete a task.

start date: 4/20/2011  end date: 8/15/2012


Forever 21

 1)   work out 5 days a week for an entire month
 2)   make a quilt
 3)   spend the night with a homeless person
 4)   have tea (or beignets) with a stranger and share life stories
 5)   go to Africa
 6)   make a dirty chocolate souffle
 7)   make my own bead curtians (psychedelic)
 8)   have a booth at the Ole Brook Festival selling my art
 9)   re-read Redeeming Love
10)  see a friend get married (be a bridesmaid)
11)  have an old fashioned picnic
12)  live in New Orleans (for atleast a short spell)
13)  make atleast 10 recipes out of my french cookbook
14)  get an adventurous haircut
15)  make new life friends
16)  start my own business selling my art (i'll call it confessions or something)
17)  make and drink exotic tea for afternoon tea
18)  have a herb garden every spring
19)  bond more with my sister
20)  dive deeper into God's word and meditate and memorize like never before
21)  grow closer to God  


There you have it!  Please hold me accountable.

Night of the Twisters and Other Various Flying Objects

There is alot to catch you guys up on since we last spoke...er..wrote.  First of all, there was a monsterous tornado that hit my second home...a.ka. Clinton.  The tornado touched and destroyed many homes and businesses.  Thankfully, no one died.  The Lord was truly watching over Clinton.  Here are some disaster pics:

This is a cabin at the camp I have worked at for two summers, Camp Garaywa.

This is my American Lit teacher's childhood home.  Her mother was in there when it turned over and came out with only a broken nose!

These pictures are from the Camp Director of Camp Garaywa. She took amazing photos of damage. Yes, God was really protecting us but I was not in Clinton at the time. I was in Tupelo with my friend Amanda. I stayed with her in her apartment Thursday night and Friday we left for Destin to celebrate her sister's bachelorette party. I won't comment on that but let me fill you in on Thursday night. We went to eat at this fast food Italian place and it was awesome.

This is my amazing pizza.

This is Amanda being dramatic as usual.

I do love good times with great friends though!  I leave for Australia in 31 days!!  I am actually facebook friends with some of the awesome aussies already.  I just know that they a great people and I can't wait to (officially) meet them.  Yesterday I did some art projects with my friend Jessica and I also went to a painting studio for my cousin's birthday.  Here is how my works turned out:

Australia, coffee bean style, and a stitched heart over East Fremantle :)

An owl for Swannanoa.

I am very please with how they turned out.  I am also working on a pillow with Jessica and Sarah Friday.  We are stitching birds on them :).  I will have to show you how they turn out.  Cross your fingers.  Here is my finished journal for Australia:

I love it!  Stay tuned for more crazy adventures, crafty projects, and boring mundane life.
(is that how you spell mundane?)



If It Makes You Happy..

I know that I haven't blogged in a while.  I had an orientation for Australia last weekend.  God is working in my life.  I have no idea where to begin writing so I decided to just give you guys some wonderful pics to look at.  I call it my life lately:

faux flowers make me happy.

wearing my new head band makes me happy.

Supper and shopping with friends make me happy.

Collections make me happy.

My messy art filled futon makes me happy.

Books and oragami make me happy.

My friend Tracy makes me happy. (missyou)

Diet coke makes me REAL happy.

Working on my picture box makes me happy.

A new journal makes me happy.

The Word makes me happy and fills me up like no other.

Growing in Christ and falling in love with Him makes me happy.

Making nest rings makes me happy. :)

Snobby Hobby

Today has been a better day.  Thank the Lord!  My weekend offcially started a little after twelve this afternoon.  I am so excited for the weekend.  My mother and sister (and two of my mom's new friends) went to Hobby Lobby today and asked me to meet them there.  My answer?  Duh!  I'm come!!  Hobby Lobby has become sort of an obessesion.  I could go there for a year and buy something every day.  My mom bought me a photo box that I want to take to Australia for photos, letters, and stationary.  She also let me pick out scrapbook paper for me to cover and decorate the box.  I am really excited to use my creativity again.  Soon as I finish this box, I will but a picture here to show you.  This weekend, I will have a friend coming to visit.  My friend, Jessica, is going to the same conference as me.  In fact, she is also doing missions this summer in South Korea.  Pray for her also.  She is going to get feathers in her hair tomorrow and then we are going to craft together.  I love crafting!  I also get to see many other friends tomorrow.  A bunch of my Garaywa girls will be there.  I do have some pictures for you.
Recent Happenings:

Bored in my car.  Waiting in a parking lot.

Stick your feet out the sun roof!  I'm just surprised I could do it in the driver's seat!

Some old buttons my grandmother gave me.

Pretty retro paper :)

Till next time..

A Hard Day's Night

Today has been a hard day.  It has been one of those days that makes you want to shower till you feel like your skin has fallen off.  Sorry if that is morbid but that is how I feel.  I am mainly feeling ashamed when that need for cleansing comes in.  Thank the Lord that He cleanses me and makes me new.  I haven't been the Christian that I should be lately.  I have fallen from reading the Word and jealousy, bitterness, and lack of self-control have crept into my life.  I need healing from God.  So, I am asking you..whoever you are, to hold me accountable.  That being said, today did have some happy times.  I was able to have supper with my awesome Swannanoa family.  We then proceeded to get on the roof of one building, attempt another, and then climb trees.  My night ended with an Independent Film Festival held by our school.  I also got feathers put in my hair!  My only problem is that everyone is getting feather extentions at my school.  In fact, alot of boys are laughing about it.  I really wanted to stand out with these feathers, not be laughed into a trend.  Also, my best friend passed out twice and was rushed to the hospital.  I can't wait to escape to Australia next month.  I sound like Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.  I do have some pictures for you guys.  What I'm in strong like with:

My new feather extentions.

My wonderful friend, Cassie, bought me this cute book that has an owl finger puppet.  She is the best.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Snack!

A great reminder.

My Favorite Things: This and That

I really didn't want to have a specific catergory for my favorite things today.  So, these are my favorites of the moment.  Before I get into all that I would like to mention and bring your attention to my new links down the right side bar.  These are links to the blogs of some of my favorite people.  My friend Amanda is the only odd one with a Tumblr.  That's okay because she is cool.  One other person that I would like to call out is my friend, Jessica.  She is too creative to only have one post.  Updating is in order, Jessica.  She wants to be a career missionary like me.  She wants to own a coffee shop in Asia and is going to South Korea this summer.  She has lots to talk about.  Speaking of Jessica, she is coming to visit me this weekend and we are supposed to work on an art project then.  I haven't mentioned it yet because I want to see how it looks before I share it with you.  I was inspired by some clip-art and we'll see how it turns out.  Hopefully, I will have a beautiful picture soon.  I also want to mention that I have an http://www.etsy.com/ account and I really want to be able to sell some homemade items soon.  You guys let me know what you would like to see and what you think would sell.  That all being said, here are my favorite things of today: (besides God, His plans, family, friends,)

My red shoes from Urban Outfitters.  Dorothy never looked so good.

Encouraging cards my mom gave me.  They are from A Purpose Driven Life.

Great reads. The bottom one is a crochet magazine.

                                  

I love how this picture turned out.

I am looking forward to the possibility of a night in tonight.  I might be a nerd but I really love being cozy with my blog.  I don't really think many people actually read this but it is still therapeutic.  Lately I have realized that I am blogging more about my life than actual "artsy" subjects.  I like the transformation though.  This is the confession of the art major.  All of them.  Well, not ALL of them.  Just what's on my mind.  On a different note, I am really in love with my God and His plans for me.  I have known since the age of nine that my God wanted me to be a career missionary.  Wherever He leads, I'll go.  Speaking of going, I think it's time we parted.  I have two things to part you with.  One is a delicious recipe and the other is a video.  This is a video that I just love and recommend you watching the whole thing.  The only full version I could find has Spanish subtitles so please bear with them.  This recipe is one that I found in a book that I hope to post more about.  It is called Lunch in Paris: A Love Story with Recipes.  I strongly recommend it.  I have never tried this recipe but, I can't wait!  I have a mint plant waiting for me at home.

Fresh Mint Tea

2 teaspoons loose gunpowder green tea

1 bunch of mint on the stem (7-8)

4-5 sugar cubes

2 cups boiling water

Place the loose tea in the bottom of a teapot.  Add a bit of boiling water over the leaves.  Place the mint in the teapot, along with the sugar cubes.  Fill the pot with two cups of boiling water and let steep for 5 minutes.  This recipe serves two.