Laundry

Washing 4 loads of laundry - Tiring

Folding and putting away all of it - Boring

Staring at all the clean clothing - Mesmerizing

Having virtually every stick of clothing you own clean (all except the clothes you're wearing) - Priceless

*huge grins* This is quite satisfying.

6 o'clock in the Morning?!

I was asleep, having a nice little dream, when all of a sudden I realized I was awake and the phone was ringing. I groaned.  Who would be calling at this time of day?!  After sitting in a foggy state for a minute, I remembered that my mom and dad might be calling from the marriage conference they're at. So, I got up to go look at who the missed call was from (the phone had stopped ringing by this time).  I looked at the clock and it was 6 AM and I realized that my parents were still home and it was someone else calling.  Then I remembered, it was probably my sisters calling! It turns out it was them, and they are TOTALLY on their was home right now! I can't even explain how excited I am.

On the note of the phone ringing... Last night at about 11:50, I was texting someone.  I had just sent a message and was about to brush my teeth when the home phone started ringing.  Who calls someone at midnight!?!  So I ran to look at the caller ID, by the time I got there the phone had been answered.  Tim asked me why I was calling the house, and I thought, huh?  Well all of a sudden I hear a voice coming out of my pocket! And it's not that annoying voice that talks when I accidentaly push the voice command button, it was my MOM! So, I figure I must have accidentaly ca;lled my home phone when I put my cell in my pocket.  It's certainly a good thing I didn't call someone else, cause who calls at midnight!?!

Well, time to start finishing cleaning the house.  There isn't much to do, so I think as soon as I'm done I will make cookies to take to the contra dance tonight and for us to snack on WHEN THE GIRLS COME HOME!!!!! By the way, they are also bringing two suweeet! people from school home with them. BAM and Heather. Soooooo excited!

Lyric Love #1

I've been listening to Pandora and my iPod on shuffle on and off today.  Here are some of the lyrics I heard that I liked in particular.

#1 "A tinkling piano in the next apartment, Those stumbling words that told you what my heart meant...These foolish things remind me of you" - These Foolish Things (Remind Me of You), by Michael Buble

#2 "You're gonna miss this, You're gonna want this back, You're gonna wish these days hadn't gone by so fast" - You're Gonna Miss This, by Trace Adkins

#3 "She had on a new dress and she curled her hair, She was looking too good not to go somewhere...Sit up on the hill and watch the sun go down, When the fireflies are dancing and the moon comes out..." - Big Green Tractor, by Jason Aldean

#4 "This night is sparkling, don't you let it go, I'm wonderstruck, blushing all the way home, I'll spend forever wondering if you knew, I was enchanted to meet you" - Enchanted, by Taylor Swift

#5 "For love may come and tap you on the shoulder, Some starless night!" - Catch a Falling Star, by Go Fish

#6 "Thank you Lord for my family, who show me Your love by the lives they lead." - Thank You Lord, by This Hope

#7 "It's sunny then Rainin' But It's Alright!" Just Wanna Be With You, by Troy and Gabriella (HSM)

#8 "I wanna walk and not run, I wanna skip and not fall, I wanna look at the horizon And not see a building standing tall, I wanna be the only one For miles and miles, Except for maybe you And your simple smile" - Cowboy Take Me Away, by The Dixie Chicks

#9 "True love is not the kind of thing you should turn down, Don't ever turn it down" - January Wedding, by The Avett Brothers

#10 "My paper heart is Yours now, I have landed in Your hands, Come so far to find out, My life will never be the same, Since you wrote, Your name On my paper heart" - My Paper Heart, by Francesca Battistelli

#11 "Today was a fairytale, I wore a dress, You wore a dark grey t-shirt, You told me I was pretty when I looked like a mess, Today was a fairytale" - Today Was a Fairytale, by Taylor Swift

"Delights of De Day, Man!" *said in Jamaican accent*

Delight #1 - Reading God's Infallible Word.  Amazing.

Delight #2 - Drinking a cup of espresso cocoa WITH whipped cream, suweeeeet!

Delight #3 - Getting some cleaning done.  Although I didn't finish, I got a good start.

Delight #4 - Getting an Etsy account set up! (mostly)

Delight #5 - Watching the rain fall down heavily and being thankful for our dry house.

Delight #6 - Looking forward to the fact that we might get snow tonight! (but hoping that it doesn't snow too much so the girls can have a safe drive home on Saturday)

Delight #7 - Made earrings for Sam!

Delight #8 - Watching Tim and his team play tonight.  They lost. They tried hard though!

Delight #9 -  Eating popcorn with salt and pepper on it.  <3

Delight #10 - Watching a home video from when I was about 5. We were all so cute back then!

Today's Loves

Love #1 - My Bible

Love #2 - Looking forward to freshly washed sheets

Love #3 - A clean room that is ready for Aimee and Caela to come home to!

Love #4 - Delicious pasta and salad for dinner. Yummmm!

Love #5 - Chocolate Milk

Love #6 - The most amazing best friend ever.  Happy birthday Kally Anne! I love you. <3

About Burned Popcorn (among other things)

Last night I made myself popcorn, and to make a long story short... It burned. *sighs* Half the package smelled burned, and the other half WAS burned.  I decided not to waste it though, and ate most of it.  The strange thing about this whole experience was that I actually enjoyed it!  The popcorn had an interesting taste, not so much burned, but it just tasted... brown.  It was the strangest thing.  Anyways, that was that and I hope I never burn my popcorn again.


Yesterday I spent a long time working with my Polymer clay.  I had fun! Here's what I got done!

I thought that Mr. and Mrs. Potato head would be cute, so I made them! They turned out pretty well, but they took forever!

Meet the Mister...

And the Misses!

I also made the "minions" from Despicable Me.  I'll do them a tiny bit differently next time, but I think they turned out to look really cute!

I also made little robots (Contrary to popular belief.  Nick thought they were toast and I don't know what Tim thought they were.)  The one with the pink bow is a girl and the one with the black top hat is a boy.

I think they all turned out very well!

Oh, and by the way, I won a huge long game of Settlers on Catan on Sunday.  Mr. J, Rebekah, Tim and I were playing from 9:30pm-3am.  It was seafarers of Catan with cities and knights and we played the fog island version.  It was a very close game, but I won! That was amazing.

It Was a Wonderful Weekend

Last night I went with my family and watched a wonderful performance of "The Fiddler On The Roof".  They did an amazing job!  I got to help with some of the makeup, and that was really fun. I could have watched it again and enjoyed it very much.  Or friend Matt stayed with us and today we all hung out quite a bit.  I got a few earrings done and took pictures of a few pieces I made the other day.  Here they are!

A pair of purple flowers that I made.  I love how they turned out, and they remind me of Mary Engelbreit flowers.

Here are a couple little monkeys.

These ended up looking like lily pads, but they are just supposed to be green circles with flowers on them.  I think I'm going to make them again and make them actually look like lily pads.

I made these cute little guys yesterday.   I love love LOVE how they turned out! The little bow in the girls hair and everything.  I just love them.

This is the first pair of earrings that I made for myself.  They are a variation of peacock feathers.  I wore them last night and it was so strange wearing earrings! But I enjoyed it and I'm glad I made them for myself.

These were an experiment, and I like how they turned out, but I think I'd do them differently next time.

I saw a pair of earrings that I liked, and so I thought I'd try making them.  I'll probably make them smaller next time, but they are pretty cool.  It's hard to see them in the picture, but they are hearts.

Well, there you have it! My earrings from the last couple days. :-)

Joys of Today

#1 - God's Word. 

#2 - Getting random text messages.

#3 - Coffee (even though we didn't have any whipped cream)

#4 - Hearing the beautiful rain flying against the window panes.

#5 - Skype chats.

#6 - Putting on a sweatshirt hot from the dryer.

#7 - Listening to music.

More Earrings!

Well, I spent a while yesterday and today working on some Polymer clay earrings.  I'm really happy with how they turned out!

Here is the first pair.  Bob and Larry from Veggie Tales!  They are actually pretty cute!

Here are a couple little strawberries that a friend of mine requested.

One of my favorites.  Silverware! Analea requested these.  I think they turned out really well!

Here are a couple of little penguins. They have rather vacant expressions on their faces, but cute none-the-less.

"This little piggy went to market, this little piggy stayed home..." Little pigs! The lighter colored clays are hard to work with.  they seem to pick up lint and dirt from nowhere! But they're pigs, so it's okay right? ;-)

These little guys are inspired by Spanky, Josh S.'s sock monkey!

I enjoy coffee.  these little guys are coffee beans! (I hope you could tell without me telling you what they were, but I figured I should say what they were anyways.)

Last, but not least, we have these little dangly cylanders.  I think they're pretty cool, and they are neat colors.

And that is the last of the jewelry I've made in the last couple days. Hope you like it!

Two Times Disappointed

Disappointment #1:  When I have a text conversation, more often than not I was the one that started it.  So, last night when my phone vibrated I jumped.  I wasn't having a conversation with anyone, so it surprised me.  Yay! I got a text message! Well, I stopped what I was doing and was VERY disappointed when I found out that the text was from Verizon wireless telling me something about my PIX/FLIX account being inactive.  As if I didn't know that.  THAT text was a letdown.

Disappointment #2: I was checking my e-mail.  You might not have ever noticed this, but when Outlook Express is checking your account for e-mails it has a little progress bar that gets filled up with green.  It fills up most of the way and then falls back when it's actually receiving an e-mail.  Well, today it started filling up, then fell back.  I thought "Oh nice! I got an e-mail!"  Well, I did not actually receive one.  Talk about annoying.  Oh well.

Oh the other hand, I have had a very un-disappointing day as far as my jewelry goes.  I'll try to post pictures later! :-D

"I'll Never Grow Up"

I'm not sure why, but I've always like this quote from the book "Peter Pan" written by J.M. Barrie.

"She was a lovely lady, with a romantic mind and such a sweet mocking mouth. Her romantic mind was like the tiny boxes, one within the other, that come from the puzzling East, however many you discover there is always one more; and her sweet mocking mouth had one kiss on it that Wendy could never get, though there it was, perfectly conspicuous in the right-hand corner."

I also like this quote that I found.  The source is unknown.

"I hope your dream takes you... to the corners of your smiles, to the highest of your hopes, to the windows of your opportunities, and to the most special places your heart has ever known."

A Productive Day

As you may have noticed in the title of this post, I had a productive day! Or at least I feel like I did.

I got up this morning and did a few random things, like eating a piece of amazing sour dough bread toast for breakfast and checking my e-mail (nothing interesting in case you wanted to know).  I then did my Bible study, which was good as always (being able to read God's Word is wonderful).  After Bible study I did all the dishes I could find (except for that one pan that I realized I missed later... oops).  Afterwards I tidied up the kitchen and vacuumed.  Then I (this part actually isn't productive) played Mario Party with Tim, Nate, and Sean (I suppose this could count as bonding time?) and I lost terribly.  I haven't lost that badly...ever.  Then I did a few random things before I finally got to my jewelry making!  I only made a couple Polymer clay items, but at least I got SOMETHING done.  I'm now watching (while I write) a guy movie.

I'm hoping to take pictures of my Polymer items tomorrow, but until then hopefully pictures of stuff from yesterday will tide you over. *grins*

On Valentine's day I made a heart necklace committioned by my Mama.  It's not super easy to see in this picture, but the blue beads are hearts.

I also made these earrings for my mom as a present.  They are supposed to look like peacock feathers, and I'm REALLY happy with how they turned out.

I decided to make cookies last night too.  I was trying to reproduce some cookies I got at Raleys once.  They were amazing. I used the recipe for short bread cookies in the America's Test Kitchen Baking cook book.  They turned out surprisingly well.  If I did them again I'd do them a little differently, but they tasted very good. I decorated them with dark chocolate and white chocolate. They do not look amazing, but again, they tasted good.

I also took a couple pictures of our cats while I was looking at the sunset.  It was so pretty! There were shafts of sunlight coming through the clouds.

Cute kitties, huh? Well, I suppose this post is long enough now? Mmhmm......

Love

1 Corinthians 13

¹ Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. ² And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. ³ And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned,^[a] but have not love, it profits me nothing.
⁴ Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; ⁵ does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; ⁶ does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; ⁷ bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
⁸ Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. ⁹ For we know in part and we prophesy in part. ¹⁰ But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.
¹¹ When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. ¹² For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
¹³ And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Happy Valentines Day!

Get 'er Done

Well, I've been trying to make jewelry, but it's hard when I'm doing other things, AND lack inspiration.  Well, yesterday and today I was a little bit inspired, so I got a couple pieces done.

A friend of mine recently had a birthday, so I made these brown and orange earrings for her.  I'm not sure if they're her colors, but I know she'll like them.  she's one of those girls that likes interesting earrings.

I also have some fun verigated thread that I thought I'd try out.  They are a little busy, but I like them.  they're inspired by the lovely Tie Dye of Tina Rice. Tina's Tie Dye

I also made this necklace.  It's not all from scratch.  I suppose this would be a repurposed necklace?  I took a ornament that I got at Jo-Ann's Fabric store a while ago and made it into the pendant.  I also took a pretty bead that I've liked and voila! A new necklace.

Well, there's my work for the last couple days.  I think I'll do some more Polymer clay work soon.

There Were Never Such Devoted Sisters...

"A Sister is one who reaches for your hand and touches your heart." - Unknown

God has blessed me with 2 very dear sisters.  right now they are away at Jackson Hole Bible College, but that doesn't mean they are any less important to me right now as when they are home.  We share a room when they're home.  Three girls in one little room, and we love it.  I never really knew how different it was having a room all to myself, not even last semester while they were gone.  My parents and younger brothers went with the girls to drop them off and my family was gone for a week.  So I was used to having the room alone within minutes really, cause everyone was gone, not just the girls.  When they left again this winter, it was way different.  One night the girls were there, then the next they were completely gone.  It was weird.  I've missed them so much more this semester than last semester.  We've really only been seperated for 2 weeks all together, and maybe that's part of why I miss them so much.

This past Summer while we were on our cross country trip, Cael, Aimee, and I got ahold of the camera on one of the boring stretches of road.  I've decided to share a few of those moments with you. (I hope Aimee and Caela don't mind) Hehe

"We are the piiirates, who don't do annnnything..." Or maybe we're just angry little dogs.

We are all making different faces in this one, how'd THAT happen?  Somehow I feel like this captures a tiny bit of each one of our personalities. Aimee obviously didn't chose one of her usual personalities. <3

And here is a picture of the three of us in our sweet shirts.  Thing 1, Thing 2, and Thing 3!

Thank you God so much for blessing me with such dear sweet sisters. I love you girlies!

This Is My Father's World

This is my Father's world,
and to my listening ears
all nature sings, and round me rings
the music of the spheres. 
This is my Father's world: 
I rest me in the thought
of rocks and trees, of skies and seas;
his hand the wonders wrought.

This is my Father's world,
the birds their carols raise,
the morning light, the lily white,
declare their maker's praise. 
This is my Father's world: 
he shines in all that's fair;
in the rustling grass I hear him pass;
he speaks to me everywhere.

This is my Father's world. 
O let me ne'er forget
that though the wrong seems oft so strong,
God is the ruler yet. 
This is my Father's world: 
why should my heart be sad? 
The Lord is King; let the heavens ring! 
God reigns; let the earth be glad!

This is a Sea Dragon.  One of God's amazing creations that just shouts glory to God whenever I see it.

(Photo Taken by Myself at the Monteray Bay Aquarium)

They Look Good Enough To Eat

Yesterday was a beautiful day, about 68 degrees, with a blue sky like no other.  This beautiful day was followed by an amazing sunset.  God is so good.

Due to the fact that I was sick, I stayed inside all day.  Sad, I know. At least I was productive! I made quite a few pairs of earrings using Polymer Clay.  It took me a little while for each one, and they didn't turn out perfect, but I still like them.  

Feel like a little snack? Why not have a banana?

I personally prefer my milk and cookie though. 

Here are a couple little hamburgers.  They are about as big around as a penny.

 Who likes their hotdogs with ketchup and mustard?! 



Nothing tops off a BBQ like a couple of s'mores.  I love those little guys!

If you prefer something a little less... outdoorsy, you can always have a delicious cupcake instead.

Well, I don't know about you, but I'm hungry. ;-)

Spiral Craziness

AB inspired me to try something new over Christmas break.  She mentioned a pair of earrings that one of the other students had, and described them to me.  They were tear shaped, and they had thread woven accross them to create a web-like pattern.  I thought they sounded interesting, so I tried making them with my own variation.  I used beads around the edge instead of the spring-like spiral that the originals had.  They worked alright, but they didn't look as good as I wanted them to. I felt like they had failed.

Fastforward to three days ago.  I had an inspiration! I did a little experimentation and I came up with my own variation of the wire! I'm so happy with the way these turned out.

This is the first pair I made.  I think the colors are pretty and they turned out pretty well.

This is the second pair, and I made it today.  It reminds me of a peacock's feathers a little bit.  *Inspiration* I will have to try making peacock feather ones! We'll see what happens.



I'm offering to sell your own version of the earrings pictured above-

Create Your Own Earring - $12 (plus shipping if required)

If you are interested in buying a pair, please comment and I'll get back to you as soon as I can.

Earring dangle is approximately 2 inches long. Earring hook is made from sterling silver.

You choose the 3 colors you want and in what order you want them to appear.

Color Options - Pink, Magenta, Dark Purple (lowest color pictures),Yellow (pictured), Lime Green, Green, Peacock Blue (middle color pictured), Dark Blue, Light Orange, Medium Orange, Red, Black , White, Light Brown, Chocolate Brown

Creativity

Oh look, a blog title that doesn't start with a "B", how interesting. :)

I've always been interested in making jewelry.  When I was younger I bought a package of plastic beads from Toys 'R' Us and made a bunch of random necklaces and bracelets like any normal 8 year old girl would.  At some point my designs actually started looking better, and matching, and I started buying glass beads. 

In the fall semester of 2008 I took a jewelry design class at Sierra College.  I had no idea what I was getting myself into, but it sounded like a lot of fun!  Here I am, 3 semesters of taking the class and one semester as a teacher's aid later, and I love jewelry making.  I learned so many interesting techniques, and I have fun with what I try (most of the time).  I'm hoping to start an online store sometime soon, so I'll let you know when I do.  I haven't made any jewelry in a while, so I got out my "truck" of jewelry making supplies and started messing around yesterday.  I had seen a picture of "Two Peas in a Pod" that I thought would make a really cute friendship necklace.  I decided I'd make one for myself and see how it went.  It went well, and I love it!  I made a matching necklace and bracelet set...

I also made one that has three peas in the pod, which someone mentioned would be a sweet gift for a mother of 3 children.  I liked her idea.

Hope you enjoyed seeing some of my work!