Wreck This Journal: 0

Today, after weeks of between-the-line complaints from my sister that I wasn't blogging enough, I bought a Wreck This Journal by Keri Smith to maybe get myself posting more.

If you don't know anything about it, it's a journal with instructions on every page that end up giving you a pretty beat up book and lots of creative energy unleashed! Just by looking through it today, some of my favorites include "rub here with dirt," "sew this page," and "draw lines with your pen or pencil. Lick your finger and smear the lines."

My new, pristine journal next to Raychel's partially finished one.

I'm really excited to do some work in it and that it's going to get me posting again! I really do miss it when I can't post, but there are so many things that feel like higher priorities right now, not to mention I rarely even get on the computer during the week since I'm at work all day and too tired when I get home to do anything but veg out. Hmm. I thought that would be marked as a run-on sentence, but it wasn't! (Grammar queen, much?)

I'm counting on it!

You don't get to know my address and phone number. #Sorrynotsorry
I made my name illegible by writing all the letters on top of each other.
I'm awesome at writing backwards

I don't think I'll be following rule one, but that just means I am following rule four ;]

The materials I'll need. Lists: spontaneity, grass, and saliva among other fun stuff

I added in that 0 :]

Ash Wednesday

I love Easter. I love that it brings my family all to the same place. I love the pastel colors. I love that my mom always gives my granma (yes, that's how she spells it) a bouttenire (really, spellcheck? You can't help me out with that one?). I love the baby animals. I love the symbolism it has for me as a Christian. I even love the smell of vinegar when making Easter eggs. This love affair with Easter then leads to my love for Lent and Ash Wednesday.
I hear the Gospel all the time. I'm active in multiple Christian organizations. I study my Bible. The belief that Christ suffered on the cross for my sins, died, and then rose again three days later, giving me eternal life is an omnipresent idea in my world. In fact, it gets a little old hearing about it all the time. But somehow, every spring, Easter comes around and I am so excited to hear the message again.
One thing that I really loved as a youth member was an "activity" we participated in when I was in 8th grade that made the message even more powerful. This year, I decided to pass on the practice to my Phi Lamb Phamily.

I brought three different materials to make black bracelets out of. The one that's triangular in the above picture is some braided leather cord. The lacy-looking strip is just some trim I picked up in the ribbon section. The last one is a strip of bandanna. I remember making bracelets out of bandannas all the time when I was younger. You cut a strip on the bias, get it damp, twist it until it curls itself together, then let it dry. I used this same concept to make them again. 

I told the girls that the black bracelets they were wearing represented sin. Every time they looked down and saw the black, or took a shower and noticed that their wrist wasn't getting dry because the bandanna was still wet, or felt the bracelets as they took notes in class, to remember their sin.

The leather one didn't stay tied. This picture is after the leather on came off and was added instead to my...

Keys! Now I'll remember my sin and why I am celebrating observing Lent when I drive, too.

More to come on what to do next. Not until Good Friday, though. Until then, share your experiences with Easter! Also, what are you giving up (or taking on) for Lent? I've gotten pretty lax about taking the Lord's name in vain, so I'm working on taking that out of my vocabulary. I already messed up once today, so I'm definitely going to need to find a rubber band to snap on my wrist when I catch myself doing it.

Short tutorial coming up soon!

Happy (?) Ash Wednesday! Have a great rest of the week! If you need a reason to smile, you should head over to see Clara Rose, Dana's newest addition :] Such a precious bundle!

Leave your tips for giving up something over the next 40 days to help me out!

♥L

Cardigan. . .refashion?

It's not really a refashion because it's the same idea, and definitely still a cardigan, but I couldn't figure out what else to call it.

Anyway, I have this gray cardigan:

I bought it about a year-and-a-half ago when the grandpa/boyfriend sweater was popular. I thought I could handle how long it was, but I've worn it only a handful of times since my mom bought it for me.

Soooo big!

Makes me sad :[

But, I have this awesome brown cardigan from the Gap that I absolutely love!

It fits perfectly and is really soft. . .not wool. Whatever it's made of, it's really comfy :] So I used it to change the length of the gray one!

Here's a little tutorial for ya:

First I turned both cardis inside out and buttoned them. The gray one I did in that order, and it was difficult. The brown one I buttoned, then turned inside out. Much easier.

Then I laid the brown one on top of the gray one, with the buttons on the floor. The only thing I wanted to change was the length, so I didn't pay any attention to the sleeves or the difference in width towards the bottom.

It turned out that the length of the ribbing at the bottom of the gray was the reason it was so much longer, so I was able to just cut off the ribbing and reuse it as it was.

The gray sweater has pockets on it that just so happen to be right where I wanted to put the new seam. Boo. But I cut a seam allowance about 3/4 inch away from the bottom of the opening of the pocket.

Then I unbottoned the sweater and turned it right side out to lay flat. I unbottoned the ribbing section and laid it face down on the sweater lining up the seams (and making sure the buttons and buttonholes were on the right side), and pinned it.

See? The buttons are all together! :]

I also pinned the pockets up so that they wouldn't get caught up in the sewing and then not work as pockets anymore.

Then I sewed it up!

You can't see it really well in the picture, but when cutting off the ribbing, I cut halfway through a buttonhole, so I lined up the sewing machine so that the seam would be just above that point.

I tried it on and was happy except for a bulge right where the seam was

Also, I did make sure the buttons were on the right side, but I didn't give them equal spacing. . . Oh well.

So I moved on to. . .

My serger!! I haven't used it on a project since receiving it for my birthday from my parents! They wanted to get me something big since it was my 21st birthday :] At first, I was actually a little disappointed and thought I may not really ever use it, at least not while I'm in college. Now that I actually had a project to use it on, I'm so glad I didn't let myself tell my mom to take it back!

So happy to use my serger! :] Sorry for the whole immodest thing going on in this picture. I was wearing the camisole under the cardigans for pictures and since I was trying it back on every once in a while I didn't bother putting a t-shirt on and off in between.

I didn't take a picture of it, but I loved the little pile of cut off fabric the knife on the serger left behind. It looked like a little pillow or something. Haha.

After serging it, there was still a little bulkiness right where the closures were, so I trimmed off the serged part there at a diagonal to reduce future fraying. That helped a bit.

And here it is!

Much better :] I don't have an iron at school, so I haven't ironed the seam yet, which I know is a vital step to making your sewing projects look less homemade (thanks Dana!), but it'll do for now. You especially can't tell if I button up the cardigan, so maybe I'll just wear it like that until I go home in a week-and-a-half, I suppose.

Sorry for the extreme lack of posts! Today was my one month singleversary, so I've had other things to deal with. Today I was thinking about needing to post something, though, and just the thought of being able to post a tutorial made me so excited to find a project to do! I should feel obligated to post more often, then maybe I'd have lots of cool projects to show ;]

Since I've been gone, I had a comment on this post from someone who I don't know in real life! It was so exciting to have another reader that I posted about it on Facebook :]

How has the first month of the new year been for you? Have you been trying to live up the last 356 days of your life (now we're down to 326!)? 

My favorite troll about the world ending on December 21 of this year:

http://cafewitteveen.wordpress.com/2012/01/03/keanu-asks-all-the-deep-questions/

Whether we're nearing the end times or not, I hope your January has been wonderful! In two days, I'm going to take the lead of Bethany and go all out on Valentine's Day decorations and clothing! For some reason I am pumped up for the month of love, even without a boy to share it with :D

Have you put up any decorations? Are you one of those people who calls it Single's Awareness Day? More about what I've been doing while I was away from the blog next time!

♥L

Jason Mraz

I really don't want to be that blogger who says to much personal stuff and is all self pity all the time, but this is a turning out to be a really difficult season in my life and writing has always helped me sort out my feelings. For some reason, though, I haven't been able to bring myself to write the way I usually do (in a plain composition notebook, addressed to "Mr. Me" and signed "Miss You" based on a book I read in junior high-I Can't Tell You by Hillary Frank). Maybe I don't want to sort them out yet? Soon.

Anyway. . .

I am amazed at how many things in "the media" (ya know, TV, music, movies, etc. I think it's a silly grouping term, but it's the one I know, so I used it) seem so relatable to me now (why does Word trust the word "relatable, but blogger doesn't?). I have already thought about getting back together with David and ending our break before the semester long hiatus even starts, but I know that that is not the right decision. I'm used to being a "we" now, and it's hard to remember what it's like to just be me. I keep reminding myself that I'm the same person I was before, but I still am not doing a very good job of moving forward. I know this was (mostly) my decision and that there were a lot of things I wanted to do with my time away, but now that I have all this time to work on myself, I really don't know where to start alone. So I can't wait for some of my normal school year activities get started again and I have a schedule and other people to help me put the pieces back together and remind me how I wanted to be the better person I've been thinking of. 

Basically none of that has anything to do with this song except that it's new and relatable to me. I am the girl being sung to, though, not the person singing. I am the one who wanted to do some "navigating." It's good to hear Jason was waiting at the end of the journey to hear all about it. I hope I can expect the same from David.

When I look into your eyes
It's like watching the night sky
Or a beautiful sunrise
There's so much they hold
And just like them old stars
I see that you've come so far
To be right where you are
How old is your soul?

I won't give up on us
Even if the skies get rough
I'm giving you all my love
I'm still looking up

And when you're needing your space
To do some navigating
I'll be here patiently waiting
To see what you find

'Cause even the stars they burn
Some even fall to the earth
We've got a lot to learn
God knows we're worth it
No, I won't give up

I don't wanna be someone 
who walks away so easily
I'm here to stay and make 
the difference that I can make
Our differences they do a lot 
to teach us how to use
The tools and gifts we got yeah, 
we got a lot at stake
And in the end, 
you're still my friend 
at least we did intend
For us to work we didn't break, 
we didn't burn
We had to learn 
how to bend 
without the world caving in
I had to learn what I've got, 
and what I'm not
And who I am

I won't give up on us
Even if the skies get rough
I'm giving you all my love
I'm still looking up
Still looking up.

I won't give up on us (no I'm not giving up)
God knows I'm tough enough (I am tough, I am loved)
We've got a lot to learn (we're alive, we are loved)
God knows we're worth it (and we're worth it)

I won't give up on us
Even if the skies get rough
I'm giving you all my love
I'm still looking up


So, it's totally cheesy that I put the words in dark red, but I wanted to make sure you knew that this was me talking and those were the lyrics. I really like this song already and bought it immediately after watching the video the first time. I don't think I've given up on anything at the moment, so maybe these words will be true from my perspective at the end of the semester rather than me being the person they are being sung about.


Thanks Mr. A-Z for the wonderful music. I'm sure there's at least one other person out there who feels like they are on the same side of the situation that I am and that this gives them hope that the person they are venturing away from for now will still be there for them later. I pray he is. I don't think he's the "give up" type :]

-L


P.S. It's still doing that thing where the last couple of paragraphs are triple spaced instead of just double. I seriously need to figure out how to fix that.

On Resolution

res·o·lu·tion

   [rez-uh-loo-shuhn]  Show IPA

noun

1.

a formal expression of opinion or intention made, usuallyafter voting, by a formal organization, a legislature, a club,or other group. Compare concurrent resolution, joint resolution.

2.

a resolve or determination: to make a firm resolution to dosomething.

3.

the act of resolving or determining upon an action or courseof action, method, procedure, etc.

4.

the mental state or quality of being resolved or resolute;firmness of purpose.

5.

the act or process of resolving or separating into constituentor elementary parts.

I think the two that mean the most to me right now are definitions 2 and 3. I think that when you resolve to do something (definition 2), then there should be a "course of action, method, procedure" to deal with the choice you have made. 

There are a lot of resolutions (type 2) being made today and probably throughout the next 24 hours or so, but very few people who make those goals come up with a way to reach them. They say they want to be healthier, but have no idea how they will make it happen-they don't switch from a candy bar to an apple at snack time, they don't switch from Gatorade to water at the gym. . . they don't go to the gym. They say they want to do better in school, but they don't learn how to study and don't resolve to talk to professors and make study groups. 

I think we learn a lot about making goals in school--we did when I was in elementary and junior high. I think that was still a point in time when going to college was a sure-fire way to get a good job and make a life for yourself, so we basically were all forced to have goals of attending college--but we weren't necessarily taken under someone's wing for that to actually happen. Of course, coming from a city with low crime and low poverty, it wasn't hard for most of us to achieve that goal, but it does still irk me that no one told us how to get there. And that leads to not knowing how to make future goals happen.

My last post is my resolution this year-at the least, this semester. That one boy and I are separated for the time being because I am very intent on completing this goal. I want to hide my heart in the Lord and let him write my love story. I want to figure out who I am, and what I want, and how to "bring good to [my future spouse] all the days of [my] life" (Proverbs 31. . .a bit of a paraphrase). I think that taking care of myself and

 working on me and my heart is one of the greatest ways I can bring good to my future husband. For this whole semester I am going to do just that-answer the question "who am I?" (thanks Janina!) and just focus on me. Sometimes it's necessary to be selfish, I think.


I hope everyone knows that the post about David really was genuine-he doubted it for a while when we were talking and trying to figure this stuff out between us. I really care about him, and I truly want him to have the best and happiest life possible, it just isn't evident to me yet if that life includes me as his wife or just as his friend. I know we'll be a part of each others' lives in the future-the capacity of that is the only question. 


Back to resolution-I resolved to be single and work on me this semester and I have a plan for how to do that. I have a great group of girlfriends at school who challenge me constantly to be a better me. Also, the Wesley Foundation at OSU is having a girls' group this semester with Janina that is all about who we are as women of God. With these two groups and some alone time just thinking things through, I know I am going to accomplish the goal I have set and I know I will come out a better person and with a better understanding of what I'm looking for in life.


What are your resolutions? Do you feel they are cliche? Are they specific ("no Dr. Pepper all year") or general ("I'm going to drink more water!")? Do you have a plan to carry it out?


I honestly hope you reach your goal and that this is more than a usual New Year's Resolution that gets tossed by the wayside within the next month. If you need support or accountability-find it! Ask me :] I could probably use a reason to be somewhat confrontational by keeping someone accountable. . . 


Good luck in 2012 and Happy New Year!! If you go by my mom's way of thinking (mom-"Odd numbered years are bad years." Raychel-"Sooo, every other year?"), this should be a good year for you :] Enjoy it!
L


P.S. I cannot, for the life of me, figure out why half of this has that extra space between paragraphs. It's really bothering me, but if you're at this point, you read it anyway :] Thanks! And if you know what's wrong, please let me know!

Day 28: Anything You'd Like

Hello friends! How was your Wednesday? I feel like I should call it 'hump day,' but I really don't like that term. How 'bout hill day? Or bump day? Anyway, how was it?
Mine was a little interesting. I haven't had a lot of homework this semester until recently. And now all of my professors are going crazy with assignments thinking they haven't given enough and it's more than I can handle along with my regular social gatherings. I always think this diagram illustrates the conundrum perfectly:

I thought I could handle choosing social life and good grades, but it turns out that getting enough sleep is essential to getting good grades. . . Basically, I stayed up late working on some homework, not even finishing it, and ended up sleeping through my alarm this morning. I have done this once already this semester-at that time I appreciated it and knew it must mean my body needed more rest. The first time it happened, however, I didn't miss a quiz because of it. I missed another boring lecture from a professor who reads off the powerpoint presentation. One of the homeworks I was working on last night was studying for a quiz in that awful 8am class that I ended up accidentally missing. So I'm now missing a quiz grade in there.
Then, since I didn't finish all of my homework last night, I planned to get back from my early class around 9 or 9:15 and have two hours to work on the rest of it before getting ready for my afternoon classes. But no. I woke up at 10:15. I had to watch a 56 minute video for one of my assignments, let alone read two chapters of a novel I have little-to-no interest in, then answer the questions in my textbook with answers synthesizing all three sources. Then I needed to take a shower and get ready and not have wet hair so I didn't freeze when I went outside. . . long story long, I had a long morning and still didn't finish everything-at least not in the way I generally like for it to be done.

My afternoon was much better! I couldn't focus in my 12:30 class because I still had some adrenaline from the morning, I believe, but once I got out of there and took a deep breath, I was able to calm down and keep working on some stuff. Then I had just one class left, which is usually pretty laid back, and non-stress inducing whatsoever. Then I met Dylan and had a double feature-he brought 500 Days of Summer since I didn't like it the first time, and I put on Despicable Me because he hadn't seen it before. It's been fun getting to know him! I haven't had any guy friends in college, so it's nice to remember how loyal men are in their relationships and just make a friend :]

Sorry for the tangents, but on a day where I get to share a drawing of anything I'd like, I figured I can talk about anything I'd like as well. But here's the drawing!

It's nice and springy! I miss warm weather already. I wish there was a season in this part of the world where I could wear boots and sweaters without a jacket on top. I think that mid-October through mid-November could have been like that here, but it's just so windy in Oklahoma. That's probably my least favorite thing about living here. The worst times is when it's been dry and the wind blows dirt everywhere and you get it in your eyes, or your mouth if you try to talk. . . gross.

I really hope your Wednesday wasn't as strange as mine felt, and that you enjoy these last few days before the world ends because of the Bedlam game! No matter who wins or loses, there are going to be some angry people in Stillwater, and I pray I'm not one of them. But maybe the earth will shake again to celebrate a Cowboys win!

See you tomorrow for the second-to-last post of the Drawing Challenge! I can't believe we're to this point already! I've got to start finding other things to post about ;]
Leave me some things you'd love to see on here in the comments!
L