Books Galore!

Step 1: Organize into piles by categories

Step 2: Take out the books from bookshelf number 1 and then re-shelve the books.  Then reexamine your piles and organize accordingly.

Step 3: Fill bookshelf number 2.

Step 4: Fill bookshelf number 3.

Step 5: Go back and make sure all the books are organized correctly and then leave the remaining books in the piles on the floor since bookshelf number 4 will be coming in a couple of weeks. 

Step 6: Go through all of the books one more time and move them around now that you have moved bookshelf number 4 back home.

Step 7: Attempt to pick out books to bring to South Africa.

Step 8: Get teary eyed about how you won’t be able to bring many books and how you have to leave bookshelf number 1, 2, 3, and 4. 

Step 9: Remember that people can ship you books.

Step 10: Bring lots of books anyway.

p.s. for those of you who were wondering (Tam), if you look closely you can see some of my pottery!  I’ll take some more pictures sometime soon, but I moved most of it home already so you’ll have to wait a few weeks.

Just Another Day in Paradise

Here’s what happens when I can’t decide what to pack and then I remember that I should take pictures of my awesome new sleeping bag…

10 Things That Make Me Smile

1. My puppy–especially when I haven’t seen him for a long time!
2. Receiving a text message, e-mail, or letter from someone
3. Giving gifts
4. Buying a new book
5. Christmas lights
6. When little kids come up behind you and wrap their arms around your legs
7. Finding a happy skirt or dress especially when it’s cheap!
8. Mountains and seeing sunsets
9. Walking on the beach and seeing sand castles
10. When something I made out of clay comes out of the kiln after it has been glazed (and if it’s pretty…which it isn’t always!)

-Courtesy of Tam.

Visa in Hand

22 days 2 hours 33 minutes 22 seconds until I leave for Africa!  Yikes!  Although, I am happy to say that my visa has arrived and is safely in hand.  Everything still seems far away (even Florida which is only in 4 days 0 hours 1 minute 30 seconds).  But I am starting to get things ready and buying a few things here and there.  Here are some of the things on my list to do/buy/or find at home:

1. Sleeping bag (able to withstand temperatures to 10 degrees)
2. Backpack 
3. Converters and adapters
4. Books for the internship
5. Trail running shoes–or another pair of running shoes
6. Conservative swim suit (boo…I like my swimsuits)
7. Flashlight
8. Rain jacket
9. Laundry bag
10. Pick out some books, games, dvds to bring
11. Calling card (to be used from Africa)
12. New watch?
13. Gloves, hat, scarves
14. Batteries
15. Journals, notebooks, etc.

I’m probably going sleeping bag shopping tomorrow afternoon so I will keep you updated with how that goes!  Anything random that you think I should bring for a year-long trip? (oh and I didn’t include some of the obvious things on the list such as clothes….so, yes, I do plan on bringing some!)

What To Wear

The holidays are over (kind of).  Christmas came and went.  Snow came and stayed.  The shopping deals called my name.  I’ll admit that I found a few things, but in all honesty, I still have absolutely no clue what to buy.  Let alone pack!  How do I possibly pack clothes for a year?  Especially when the place that I’m going to will be both cold and hot.  I’m at a loss. Thank goodness I have a few more weeks to procrastinate before crunch time happens.  Plus, next week=Florida!  Another pleasant distraction and opportunity to put all of these packing thoughts out of my mind.  Until then I’ll keep looking and thinking…

I bought this cute little red comfy thing a few weeks ago, but it’s my favorite wintery purchase.  I bought a super cute (and cheap! $6) dress today and maybe I’ll wear it in Florida.

White Tea

I’m loving on the white tea lately and heard that they were made of “baby tea leaves.”  I thought that was a joke.  Then Wikipedia informed me that, “White tea often contains buds and young tea leaves.”  Sad day, I’m killing the baby tea leaves!

p.s. I’m still going to drink white tea…

Hot Chocolate + Kettle Corn + Happy Movie = Happy Night

Mint

Peppermint

Candy cane

Cinnamon

White Hot Chocolate

Swiss Miss

Nestle

Made with Water

Made with Milk

Add marshmallows 

Topped with whipped cream

Happy night=hot chocolate, kettle corn, and a happy movie.

1 Year Ago

A year ago:

• I started blogging.
• I graduated.
• I did not have a job yet. 
• I was living with Carrie and Keely (and Abby the dog)
• Liz and I took pictures after graduation

A few things from this past year:

• I kept blogging.
• I got a job. 
• I started Seminary.
• I learned about friendships, relationships, heartache, community, church, God, hope, myself, faith and so much more.
• I moved into a different house with Amy and Mandy.
• I got a Mac.
• I helped start a church. 
• I bought a bike. 
• I accepted an internship.

I could go on, but you get the idea. What a year!  I definitely cannot say that I would have ever guessed that I would be where I am today a year ago!

Christmas-y

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?  I hadn’t thought about this until this question….Wrapping paper is more fun to open, gift bags are easier to give so it depends on how much time I have. 

2. Real tree or Artificial? Real! Yep. That’s all. Real.

3. When do you put up the tree? After Thanksgiving. Really kind of depends at our house for when we can go get one
4. When do you take the tree down? Whenever.
5. Do you like eggnog? I do. 
6. Favorite gift received as a child? Probably my American Girl Dolls 

8. Easiest person to buy for? Mom

9. Do You have a nativity scene? Not that I’m aware of…
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail.
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Not sure. 

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? A Christmas Story aka “Ralphie”—merely for the numerous times it is on tv and making fun of it. 
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Oh, I don’t know…whenever I can!

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Yep.  I’m pretty sure I have.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Dessert.

6. Lights on the tree? Colored lights. 
17. Favorite Christmas song? Baby It’s Cold Outside or the one where it’s like “Last year I gave you my heart….”

18. Travel for Christmas or stay home?  Both.

19. Can you name all of Santa’s reindeers?  No. I can’t say that I can.
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? STAR.  no other options.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas morning

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? traffic?
23. Favorite ornament theme or color?  hodge podge–I don’t like themes, I love the random homemade, fancy, everything you got.
24. Favorite Christmas dinner? Mashed potatoes. That’s my only requirement.

25. What do you want for Christmas this year? I have no idea. Stuff for Africa?

Thanks, Heather, for the fun list!

Rhett Butler’s People

I’m already lost in the world of Rhett, Scarlett, Melanie, Belle, and so many more.  ”Gone with the Wind” swept me away into another world however many years ago when I first read it.  Now, I’m back there again with “Rhett Butler’s People” by Donald McCaig.  Even now, I can conjure up images of beautiful Tara with Rhett and Scarlett in the backdrop.  What I wouldn’t give to live in a house with a wrap around porch!  Gone with the Wind has so many memorable quotes including:

“No, I don’t think I will kiss you, although you need kissing, badly. That’s what’s wrong with you. You should be kissed and often, and by someone who knows how.”

Yet, here’s my favorite from “Rhett Butler’s People” so far:

“More often than we care to admit, inconsequential decisions change our lives.”

I’m only about 200 pages in so there might be more.  But this one leapt off the page and captured my heart.