It's been awhile...

But here, have a good video:

Moisturizer, Gurrrl

I'm trying out this whole moisturizing thing this month as well. So far, I am in LOVE with the smell of cocoa butter and this big ole bottle was a little over $2. The Aveeno facial moisturizer was, uh, zu teuer, but I think it is helping and I haven't even had weird allergic reactions or anything. Who knew?

Yeah...

Its been that kind of weekend. Some fun was had with a round of Never Have I Ever, but other than that, its been a blur of editing, writing, and more editing. Oh, and some Moby Dick. Always some more Moby Dick.

Product of Canada

Who knew?

Makes Me Want to Floss

The current show in the gallery makes me want to touch it so bad. A sign of good art perhaps?

P.S. Please pray/send good thoughts to the families of the Ft. Hood soldiers. Its such an awful tragedy and it is, sadly, only beginning for many families.

Hawthorne is my boyfriend

Well, this week Hawthorne is my boyfriend anyways. We just finished up a selection of short stories and, of course, the Scarlet Letter in my American Lit I class. I'm writing a paper over "The Birthmark" right now; only 357 words to go!

It is nice revisiting Hawthorne. I enjoy his themes of sin and redemption, and could that boy ever use some color symbolism. However, I am too swamped to really enjoy anything this week. I have a major paper looming in two weeks, a 4 page paper for my advanced composition class, a psychology exam, AND my last creative writing assignment all due before Thanksgiving. It is crunch time and I am really looking forward to picking up a book just because over Christmas break. I miss reading at my own pace like a fat kid misses a cliche baked good.

So Good, So Bad

I developed a deep love for Cranberry Grape juice a long time ago when my kidneys were mad at me. Since then, I have explored my love, branching out to the AH-mazing Naked juices. However, no Naked juice is to be found out in the wild here, so I go back to my past love of Cranberry Grape.

However, when I read the label, my heart breaks. For one thing, the first juice listed is apple. Even worse, before we even get to the juices, there's water and sweeteners, like high fructose corn syrup. Now, I really love this juice, don't get me wrong, but I don't thing it loves me back.

Is it really so much to ask for healthy juice available in a vending machine?

Sigma Tau Delta, Ya'll

Well, I made it in to the English honors society, the oldest honors society on campus. I am super proud of myself, not going to lie. However, being an English major has its negatives, like not having ANY time to work on NaNoWriMo. Instead, I am going to try really hard to blog every day this month. I don't promise it to be deep thoughts, but maybe it will be fun.

Wish me luck! (I'm going to need it...)

Taylor Swift Concert

A couple of weekends ago, I went on an epic two concert tour of Arkansas. I saw The Fray in Jonesboro and Taylor Swift in Little Rock. I really enjoyed both shows. The Fearless tour is flashy, epic sets, hours long playlist of top forty hits; think Garth Brooks in the nineties with more chicks. The Fray show was just some guys from Denver rocking out on a set that included lights that occasionally blinded the audience and a couple of screens.

Possibly the best part outside of the music is what type of person came to each show and what they were wearing. At The Fray, it leaned towards college aged to mid-thirties, emo/hippie types. At Taylor Swift? Well, there was some women in their early twenties, but there was a lot of forty-somethings with their babies and preschool kids. Everyone had big hair, short dresses, and boots. Well, not everyone...

Me and Daniel at Taylor Swift

Microwave Friedly Cookies

Package of butterscotch + 1/4 cup of peanut butter + chow mein noodles (melted * mixed)=simple no bake cookies. Fast fun for every dorm room!

Service Day

Every fall, my college cancels classes for one day and sends students out into the community to volunteer. Its usually just in the morning, but this year there was a blood drive and a tug of war competition to raise money for the American Red Cross. My group cleaned mildew off of a chapel for the local children's home. Not exactly life saving, but I think we left the place much cleaner than how we found it.

My Sunday Evening

Stir fry with the gals. I brought back a rice cooker and the rest of the goodies came from the cafeteria salad bar. Not a bad dinner, if I do say so myself. ^_^

New Stuff

Hair Monster

I cut off about 8 inches of hair less than a week ago. It never ceases to fascinate me how little shampoo I need now. Besides the hair, did you notice the new banner? I'm working on reorganizing and spiffying up around here. It might take a few days, but hopefully it will be much more useful when its all said and done. Stay tuned!

Demi Lovato Concert

Over the July 4 weekend, I went with my friends Daniel and Casey to see the Demi Lovato concert at Altell/Verizon Arena. We are all in our 20s and felt very old at this concert.

We had awesome 4th row seats. That's Daniel's hand and Demi.
David Archuleta and KSM were the opening acts. The 12 year old female population of Arkansas loves them some David.
First "real" concert (not Christmas or orchestra related) was pretty mild. I mean, the hearing loss didn't even last all night.

Pineapple

I had no idea what a pineapple plant looked like until I stumbled onto this beauty in the college's greenhouse. I personally am not a fan of the pineapple. How about you?

Dad

I don't think he appreciate having his picture taken. Oh well. Love you, Dad.

Healthy Goals: Warming Up to Excercise?

Wiki Commons Photo Credit

I suppose most people set goals to be healthier on Dec. 31 or Jan. 1 (my actual New Year's Revolution is going swell, thanks for asking), but I'm planning on setting some healthy goals for my 3rd year of college. I'd particularly like to focus on food and exercises.

I am not as interested in loosing weight (though that would be great) as much as toning up, eating less junk, and improving my general health and mood. Right now, I'm trying to prepare legitimate goals and figure out some of my personal roadblocks so I can fix them now. One of my potential roadblocks is that most exercises routines feel goofy, isolating, or boring for me after a few sessions. I don't see much progress, am bored, and generally give up.

However, I recently read a series of Wired articles on Exercise, Biometrics, Nutrition, and Nike+. I've thought about switching to an iPod (I currently have a clunky Zen and a tiny USB player) and was really impressed by the Nike+ system. However, there are several other tech-y systems that are also interesting as part of an exercises program, including a new pedometer system for the DS and the very popular Wii fit.

Equipment	Pros	Cons	Cost
Nike+ System	multi-use; Easy to organize/set goals; Mobile;	Cost; iTunes; Running or Walking only;	Shoes: $60-$120 iPod: Nano: $149 Touch: $229 Nike+ System: $29
Wii Fit	Fun/Easy; Multi-Player; Good for foul weather; Records several biometrics; Play other Wii games	Cost; Would I use it? BMI a good measure?	(Amazon) Wii Fit: $84.99 Wii: $200
Nintendo DS Pedometer	Simple: easy to use	Simple: just records steps made	(Amazon) $45.99

My Fabulous Orange Chair

I'm not sure what to call it, antique-ing or flea marketing, but whatever it is, Mom and I have spent some serious quality time doing it. This is the fabulous orange vinyl chair I haggled for in Paragould. I've just dumped it in my room for now, but I have big plans for this chair. The seat is in decent shape and could easily be reupholstered, but I really love the architecture of this fabulous little chair. Its just so simply pretty and functional.

Perhaps even better, on our way home from purchasing it, we stopped to check on Dad in the hay field. We took the chair down from my truck bed, and Dad sat in it while eating lunch. We got some strange looks from bypassers.

A Woman, A Plan....

A dress?

I've fallen in love with 1950s styles lately and would love to kick off the school year with a classy outfit. This might just be the candidate. Dress style A (far left) in brown and blue. This pattern says its "very easy," but I guess I'll find out.

Caving: A Post!

On my day off last week, I went into a cave with a UBMS (Upward Bound Math-Science) class, Dr. Thomas, and Melissa. Wow, what an awesome work out! The cave is full of these massive boulders with lots of little crevices and holes. I had a blast crawling all over the place with my neat helmet + light combo. Very awesome way to start a day off, I've got to say.

Hand Washing

Since laundry is $1.50 to wash and $1.50 to dry here, I've decided to make it a personal goal to avoid doing laundry on campus this summer. I broke down and hand washed some underwear and my uniform shirt last night. I've done it before, but I always feel like I'm not doing it right. Woolite does produce a lot of suds and smells refreshing, so hopefully this system will work out on the cheap.

Super Amazing Soap of Awesome

I know its *just* dial soap....but it smells amazing. Its cheap, it makes me happy, and it looks fabulous hanging out with my new (and very unseasonable) scarf. Basically, perfection in a bottle as far as I'm concerned.

Life of Pi

I've finished the third book in my Bonus Book Project, Life of Pi. I read this book for the first time my senior year in high school as part of Katowich's Philosophy of Film and Literature. That class was one of the best classes I've ever taken, and I really think that Katowich's class and Dr. Ruehle's classes/office time changed my life. Its a part of my life that still makes me warm and fuzzy whenever I think about it.

Life of Pi always brings me back to that time and place. Its a great story that manages to be poignant, funny, and philosophical. I love the rich descriptions of setting in particularly. All and all, its a great story with a beautiful message. I'd definitely recommend it.

Are there any books that you associate with a specific time in your life and why? Have any of you read Life of Pi? What did you think about it?

Raining

I had to talk to the financial aid director on Thursday afternoon, and of course I didn't bring my umbrella. While I was talking to him, of course it started pouring. The wonderful lady at the front desk let me borrow her umbrella for the afternoon. It didn't rain very long, but I was really glad not to get soaked. I had fun taking pictures of her pretty umbrella after the sun returned.

Spring!

Its not the April showers, and its not the happy birds outside my window early in the morning. Nope, its a new, bright, and happy purse! Its official: its spring now.

Housekeeping + OMG Books (Edited)

These are all* of the books I have to move out with in less than a month. Um....I should get on that. I have this really intense love of books that always makes my frequent moves, well, interesting at best and horribly painful most of the time. Oh well.

The Bonus Book Project continues, but I'm still on book 3 (Life of Pi), which is a re-read. I really enjoy savoring it (its so amazing....) but I have so many books and I just bought 9 more! So many borrowed books too! So, here is my intended list of reading, roughly in order. It's probably going to take months, but I've got to start somewhere, right?

1. Ida B 5. Lord of the Flies

2. Good Omens 6. 1984 and/or Animal Farm

3. Moby Dick ** 7. Flowers for Algernon

4. Selected Shakespeare + The Inferno** 8. A Thousand Splendid Suns

* I've lost the Good Earth! OMG! I love that book. If I let you borrow it, or you're holding it hostage, please let me know. I'm rather attached to it.

** Moby Dick is a requirement for American Lit and Shakespeare and the Inferno are two I feel like I should have already read a couple of times. So, strictly speaking, they aren't "bonus" books, but if I read them before they are assigned, I guess they count.

P.S. My library thing books can be found here. I'm very slowly working at entering all of my books on to this nifty website. If you are interested, feel free to stalk my reading habits there.

Alchemy

I like coinage alright. A lot of people (*coughTheBoycough*) loathe coins. I think they miss the point completely. Change is one of those things that slowly accumulate in your life, ratting around your purse or your change dish, until one day you count it and find out that you actually have purchasing power.

Organizing change is fun and satisfying to my inner neat freak.

But even better than counting coins is turning change into books: 1984, The Origins of Species, Let The Northern Lights Erase Your Name, The Pull of The Moon, Rabbit Run, Memoirs of a Geisha, The Jane Austen Book Club, The Silmarillion, and Encyclopedia of Urban Legends. As part of Scottish Festival, the library on campus sponsors a fantastic book sale, and I happened to have change. Life is good.

Easter Math

Eggs +

dye + time =

Really adorable eggs. I'm a sucker for dyed eggs, I suppose.

Spring-ish

I found these mysteriously beautiful wild hyacinth growing in the corner of our yard last weekend. They were so deepy purple, even though they look blue in the picture. Anyways, I picked a couple and found a shot glass for a vase.

This weekend? It dropped 20 degrees between 2 and 5 pm and is currently spitting sleet. Oh well. One week it will be consistently spring, and then immediately summer. Welcome to Arkansas!

Bono Antique Tractor Club

Over spring break, my dad and I stopped by the Bono Antique Tractor Club show. They had several old retired tractors that had been pampered by some really amazing guys (and their supportive wives). Everyone was super friendly and fun to talk to, including the boy scout troup selling 50 cent hot dogs.

I really love these old tractors. They are so cute and petite compared to the monster tractors of today. These guys really love their tractors and are so willing to pull a pile of junk out of a fence row and make it look like new.

If you could restore anything at all from the past, what would it be?

The Following of the Spoon

As previously mentioned, I recently found myself with a selection of MREs due to the epic ice storm of doom. I'll admit I was pretty sceptical. I mean, they could have been produced years ago and just been magically preserved; there's no way something so preserved could taste good, right?

Boy, was I wrong. I guess the massive amount of money and research put into developing MREs really paid off. I had the MOST AMAZING POUND CAKE ever in my entire existance and it came out of those creepily preserved brown bags. Speaking of packaging, the above HOOAH! bar makes me positively giddy with happiness. The bar itself is unusual, first ingredient is dried plums and date mix, but not bad at all (and I don't like chocolate very much). All the food is filling and pretty good to excellent. My dad even tried new foods simply because the military pre-approved it.I did some googling to find out some more about these curious meals in a bag and discovered there are some civilian specific brands for camping and such. The website I was reading said they just weren't the same, however, and one reason was the spoon. Huh? It is a pretty amazing spoon as far as spoons go I suppose, but is it really the reason these off-brand MREs aren't as good? I guess for some people, the brown packaging and spoon are part and partial of the experience. Who am I to judge?

Anyways, I think I've found the answer to terrible college food and dorm room concoctions. What do you like to snack on?

Bonus Book Project

As part of my resolution project for this year, I'm hoping to read a total of 12 non-assigned books. I was originally shooting for strictly "classics" that I hadn't read before, but I think I'll be flexible on that rule.

My second book of the year I happened to finish over spring break.

Image Courtesy of Harper-Collins

Population: 485 is an honest memoir of living in a small town in Wisconsin. Michael Perry is humorous, philosophical, and dark all wrapped up in one volunteer firefighter package. I really enjoyed this look at small town life, having grown up in a town that doesn't even have a population sign. There's a lot of deaths, but they are handled excellently, including the heart-breaking final chapter. Its not simple minded or a sweeping epic, but just a good quick read. I'd definitely recommend it.

Even better, Michael Perry will soon be releasing a third book (the second being Truck: A Love Story which I'd love to read) next month titled Coop: A Year of Poultry, Pigs, and Parenting. I'm interested in this book because in Population, he was decidedly single and happy about it. However, in the meantime, he's gotten married, and in the new book, he delivers his firstborn at his farmhouse. I think there will be a good story there.

For my next book, I may be cheating a bit: I'm rereading Life of Pi. I absolutely love this novel and am enjoying rediscovering it, so I guess it will still count. A good book is a good book.

What are you reading? Anything good?

Oops?

Well, I fell off the posting wagon, and then I accidently posted with just the title "oops." Sigh. Okay, enough with the epic fail.

It snowed a bit over my spring break. I should have known better than to just take sandals home, but alas. It was still pretty, I just didn't get to wear my sandals. My fantastic puppy continues to be fantastic. He's adorable, and so far, really well manered and healthy. I think he's particularly amazing.

He's basically perfect. Even when licking at the snow.

Almost Spring Break

Link!

My spring break starts as I'm finished editing/citing a paper. Thankfully, that shouldn't take too much time tomorrow morning. Then its just packing, one class, lunch, and off to the Homeland! I thought I'd share some awesome coloring sheets I happened to find. I've printed several of them and hope to unwind over the break with some colored pencils and refrigerator-worthy artwork. 

Hope everyone enjoys their week, whether on break yet or not. Posting might be rather late around inklingspot, as I will be in the wilds of DIALUP land. However, I'll try to take some good pictures and maybe there will be some surprise postings! ^_^  

Reveal Time

So...I started this mini-scrapbook in November in the hopes of giving it to The Boy for Christmas. Um. Yeah. Apparently, I don't work well with crafting deadlines. Oops? 

What I learned from this little project (other than I suck at deadlines), is the only way to escape uber-preciousness while scrapbooking, and this is not a sure thing either, is to use random things for the background. Above, I used part of a San Francisco Bread Company's print catalogue, a Woot t-shirt bag, and a sale add from an Asian grocery store from our trip to California this summer. (Yes, I am a pack rat.) Its cheaper (if you don't count the cost of the airline ticket) and its recycling. What's not to love?  

I also made the Boy a braclet with some embrodiery floss. I don't know why I didn't think to take a picture of it in full, but you'll just have to believe me that it is rainbow goodness incarnate.

Anyway, that's what I've been up to in the crafty department as of late. Feel free to comment and let me know what you've been up to, you know, if you want to share or whatever... ^_^