Valentine's Day

So I have to say that Valentine's Day 2011 wasn't so hott after all...

Twiny Twin Twin

Well, I was able to see my twiny twin twin, and spend the morning with her and Betty, and then Jamie and I went to Earth fare for snacks and Block Buster for a movie. All of that was great! Except a I woke up with a fever Monday morning...low grade so I was going to muscle through it...but I didn't, and by 8pm Monday night it was a full fledged shivering, aching, sinus head ache, fever. Whoop dee do. I spent all day yesterday in bed. Thank you Jesus for antibiotics because I am now feeling SO much better. But still...that did put a damper on things.

Betty took us out to Breakfast!

Don't you Like my heart pin?:)

Valentine's Day Eve though was super fun!:) Jamie experienced Boone Michaels for the first time!!  So we stocked up on glitter! Then we found "The Holiday" on TV which was just the perfect mood-movie haha. For those of you who haven't seen it, it is such a cute movie! Not to mention Jude Law... whew! And he's a family man in this movie so he seems that much more attainable! haha But personally I like Jack Black the most because he's hilarious! Every time I watch "The Holiday" I always crush on Jack for the duration of the film. He's just so like-able. But we created a whole spread of homemade valentines day cards! They're cute, and Jamie is so much more creative then she gives herself credit for! Most of her cards were classy... most because well... there's always a dud(or two) in card making. haha And I definitely had my own duds.

The Duds. J-left, K-right.

Jamie's Beautiful creations!

Then! What's Valentine's day without a oversized heart pillow!? Betty gave that to me last year and I Love it! Many people have hugged that pillow and shared lots of heart issues with me and Eliza. It's very therapeutic!:)

Has any one literally gone swak! when they've kissed someone? Well we saw a lot of stickers that said "Swak" with lips and stuff... I personally have heard of MUAH! yea that's normal...but swak... 

Muah!

Eliza sent me a big package with lots of Goodies! Some of which were heart shaped curly straws! ahh! love! They're so fun!

Chillin Man

I also took care of Libby Lou's Cute little Charlie Saturday night. We're buds. He watched SALT with me and comforted me when the gross, awful spiders popped onto the screen. Those things were terrible...I have had way too many night mares about spiders to even tolerate a 30sec frame on one little spider. AH!
I did put a bow on him.

He looks like he's about to hurt me badly for doing that to him.haha

Well, Valentine's day is over...it's always so anti-climactic. In  elementary school is was so much more fun buying 50 valentine's cards from walmart and hand selecting which ones went to your best friends, the kids you never talked to...and the boy you thought was super cute! I think I gave him two Hershey kisses instead of one. The "secret admirer" cards were so thrilling! Coveted, almost. Any girl who got one was soooo lucky. It was a big deal to me,even though I was 9. Now a days I am conscious of a greater love. God's love is a big deal! His extravagant, merciful, life giving love. Now that is something truly thrilling.
Yesterday I read in Psalm 33:
²⁰ We wait in hope for the LORD; 
   he is our help and our shield. 
²¹ In him our hearts rejoice, 
   for we trust in his holy name. 
²² May your unfailing love be with us, LORD, 
   even as we put our hope in you.

Glitter, Glitter-glue, Glitter stickers..

 It's almost valentine's day!! The bless-ed little holiday landing in the middle of the New Year and Easter. Sandwiched between those obscure Martin Luther King Jr. day and President's Day "holidays." Jamie and I will be making a trip to Michaels VERY soon. I am planning on stocking up on glitter and glitter-glue and glitter-stickers...and well glitter!! I'm excited. So is Jamie. This is a good photo to capture how i'm feeling inside about this crafty crafty holiday...even though it looks a little like she stubbed her toe. Everyone...expect obnoxious, cliche, gushy, mussy cards. And glitter.

 The Joys of this heart warming day. Cupcakes, and dove dark chocolate. Even if I don't have a valentine, and I have to buy these things for myself... I'm a girl and still completely love the day Feb. 14.  One day I'll have a hot date.

I went to Bald Guy Brew this morning. Go there when  you have a chance. It's got a different feel from other sedated coffee shops. I love it, especially because I love Rachel. And Rachel works there full time now..so go, she her and drink the coffee she made from the beans she grounded from the green coffee beans she roasted herself! 

I got a lesson in roasting today. The San Franciscan machine works real hard, he definitely earns his keep. I really don't know why I'm referring to the machine as a friend...I didn't even "meet" him.. but I admire his work anyway....OKAY 

Well! Here she is, and San Franciscan, hard at work.

Cooling the beans

Adding more beans for Roasting

Such a pretty little coffee shop keeper.

Woo! In action!

 BTW: Dad has a new job... He works at Blue Ridge Mountain Rentals. I helped him today. We worked at getting the hang of their email system, and how to write them, and send them. The space bar wasn't spacing very well. He's so adorable though! He didn't very much like me saying that. :) He felt as slow as a snail...but his fingers are big and strong from hard work outside...they just have some adjusting to do. Momma would be proud. She wrote thousands of emails. She would think he was adorable too, I know it. Wish she were here.

1:59 PM

Oh my ordinary life…

This is a phrase I just blurted a few days ago. Off-handedly, talking to Jamie, I continued to ramble about activities for the next evening, or something, but “ordinary” stuck in my brain.

I didn’t like it. I don’t like it! It’s not a repulsion to the routines of my life, just to the word: ordinary. I am totally un-interested in being ordinary. I’m not, I know that for sure. But even though I am living a simple existence right now doesn’t warrant it ordinary.
Well, I feel better! haha I think I needed to write this out for clarity,you know, for myself. I don’t have gatherings and dinner parties and roommates and homework or major weekend plans through the middle of July. Nope, I am enjoying my peaceful mornings, my coffee shop afternoons doing a bit of work for Sam, and my simplistic dinners along with an occasional movies to wrap it all up. Good thing Jamie lives 1.25 minutes away! That is fun, esp since she’s on a cooking kick because it gives me a reason to spend the evening talking, and eating pie!(see A-OK, Brazilian or American?)

I am surprisingly content. To God be the glory! I have ceased fretting and stressing over preparing for the future. God, I have finally been able to trust you and leave Monsieur Worry in the dust! There is something about leaving my mind completely open, my week completely open, my month, and my year free from my over analytical, for-the-sake-of-feeling-secure plans. I know that glorify my savoir at this point in my walk with Him is to: enable Him to move drastically, at the last minute, and place me somewhere, anywhere! with perfect timing. It is so liberating! I am supremely content to leave it to Jesus. It took a LONG time for me to get here though. Whew lordy, I held on with all my might and worked so hard to provide myself, and inquisitive others, a plan for where I’m heading. But, my spiritual upper arms got weak and couldn’t support my weight. Once God finally pried my fingers, one by one, from the ledge and I fell… the landing was soft. Surprisingly that free fall provides more security than muscling through everything on my own. You know why? It’s because I fall into the arms of Jesus.

Amen.. and Amen!

 Some shots from a past few simplistic (not ordinary) days :)

A-OK... Brazilian or American?

Oh just an ordinary day in my ordinary life.
An evening with J, that's all.
Hmm, but for heaven's sake don't forget the pie!
The gluten free/dairy free chocolate slice of divine perfection!

Valentine's Day Blend Coffee...from our favorite small town Bakery!

Let's begin with dinner shall we?

Our gluten free/dairy free pizza! yum yum yum

Time to make the best dessert since sliced bread.....ahh haha

First the crust...

Then the mousse

And finally chocolate shavings!

Face during the three hour wait..

IT'S READY!!!

photo-grapher

Slice

Lick

Drool

Melt

Don't forget the vanilla almond milk hehe

Devoured! 

Don't you wish you could have some??

And she's a cutie!

PS: Lizzy won Chubby Bunny. ;) BAHA

Ingrid Michaelson - Far Away

I

I love this song. I've been jammin to it a lot lately.

668: Everybody deserves a birthday cake.

THE COMPLETE - Life's Little Instruction Book by H. Jackson Brown, Jr. was sitting on my shelf and I randomly happened to open it up yesterday.
These were the instructions for my life:

#661. Never buy anything electrical at a flea market.  OK good to know.
#664. Learn the bake bread. Yea, I should, I love bread.
#666. Stand when shaking someone's hand. That is very polite and old fashioned and I like that. My mother already thought me that though Mr. Brown Jr.
#667. Be an original. If that means being a little eccentric, so be it. Amen! I so enjoy meeting original individuals.
#668. Everybody deserve a birthday cake. Never celebrate a birthday without one. Oooh more baking!Yay
#669. Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values. I agree with that. But change only really concerning what God has for me. Other change.. superficially not so much...you know, not transplants or tatts or huge botox lips.

Then I just flipped to the 500's:

#512. Believe in love at first sight.  Aww that's sweet.But, I don't think I will. Someone needs to speak to me, in order to confirm the love i think i see at first sight. ha.But! That is cute to believe in.
#513. Never laugh at anyone's dreams. So, on one hand that's a very good thing not do, but on the other hand... literal sleeping dreams, at least mine, are hilarious! So that only partly applicable.
#514. Overpay good babysitters. AMEN
#516. Accept a breath mint if someone offers you one. Ooh, that's embarrassing. ha!
#517. When you feel terrific, notify your face. I have that problem sometimes...but smiling is my favorite!:)

SO then I turned to the 300's:

#360. Never eat the last cookie. Hmmm...Don't know if I support that 100%.
#363. Don't flush urinals with your hand- use your elbow. Well! that has never been something I've had to ponder about..ever. But thanks Jackson Brown Jr. I will store that for later. ha


Well I feel very informed now...There is 1,560 instructions so I've got a ways to go.

Warm original glaze doughnuts-nothing's better!

This past weekend Betty and I had an adventure...down to Winston! woo! We had to make our pit stops at Starbucks and Krispy Kreme. YUM

Hot, Fresh, Now!

Yes  - we got a dozen.

I also go my hair cut. I love it. It is short though.

I chopped my hair off!

Currently I am working on a three different art projects. Love love love. And I got an Impressionism art book for Christmas so I am reading through that. Gustave Courbet said something that hit home: "Beauty exists in nature and is encountered in the most varied of forms. As soon as one becomes aware of it, it belongs to art, or rather the artist who is capable of recognizing it." That is the ultimate challenge for me when I do art. To capture beauty is my goal.

This is an ink picture I did for a black and white-foreground/background-contrast assignment, in 2D design. It was the first time I tried ink washes. It was hard, but I managed to produce this at midnight the night before my critic. Yea-ah! It is one of my favorites from that class.

Well....Ta ta for now!

Or I'll Paint

At the mall today there was a pet adoption going on. Right when you walked toward the entrance there was no escaping the cuteness, the pitiful, abandoned creatures staring right into your soul! ha, I avoided it though.

 Physically yes, mentally no.

 I resisted even peering through the window as I entered Panera, but that didn't stop me from thinking about it! I knew if I went over there I would fall in love with a big fluffy, fat cat. Just like my childhood pet. 

Kleeo was her name. She was huge, lazy and caring. You laugh! But let me tell you, many a nights she would sleep right beside my pillow and lick away the tears I shed over my mother's terminal cancer. Yes, it's ridiculous to imagine.. and plumb, de-clawed, hair ball tenderly comforting me,haha but I tell you the truth! Her daily routine would be, food, my parents bed, litter box, food, my sister's bed, litter box, food, maybe a turn around the kitchen, and back to my bed to end a perfect day!

She was SO cute. 

Ironically she died of cancer one month after my mom...I wrote her a ulogy but my Dad had to read it because my aunt and I were bawling. RIP kleeo!:)

 Now don't go feeling all sorry for me...as tragic as that was! ha I know one day I will have another cat just like her. I'm sure of it. This is a big thing to confess though! Earlier today I discovered something about myself: I would never ever admit to being a cat lover. I don't want to end up like a balding spinster wearing sweatshirts that say "Books, Cats, Life is good." Somehow, my strange progression of thoughts spiraled down to that image as the way I would spend my 40s...50s...60s....and beyond!

 Now, repeating this to you has clearly shown me that I would and well, will never end up like that. But somehow I feel as if I will be jinxed if I even utter the words "I love cats!" I will be doomed to a crazy cat lady life style, adopting dozens of kitties, wearing old raggedy hats and spending my money on cat litter and air fresheners. It was frightening to even let myself look at the the kitty cages sure that in doing so it would diminish my changes of meeting the One man for me by 500%!

Of course...that is silly.

 But! Still yet, I know I will never adopt another fat, fluffy cat until I have been married for well over 10 years (just in case). 

Gosh...This confession makes me laugh at myself!

"Take my hand, I can teach you how to dance..." I'm listening to a new band my friend recommened and they are very romantic. This is an opening line for one of their optimistic songs. It's taking me back to New Years when all I wanted to do was sit at peace and admire everyone else as they danced.

Lizzy is an amazing dancer!

 I know from experience that I can hold my own on the dance floor...at a begininger level. Trust me! All my friends through highschool are excellent, beautiful dancers...beside them all I do is laugh at myself and apologize profusely to my partner.

Take no pity! It's a fact... but New years everyone and their father thought they should ask me. And since I was 12, and my mother put me in Cotillion classes to learn manners, I have never been able to refuse a partner! Alas! The one good memory out of those 2 years of humiliation and extreme awkwardness was the dance cards we wore at the formals. Whew that took the pressure off! You'd just place yourself in the vacinity of the cute little boys and, since they considered it a competition to fill up their cards the quickest, I would usually grantee at least three enjoyable dances. But really, I'd much rather watch...like Dancing With the Stars! Good show!

I'm feeling Artsy!

Well, I keep praying and pondering and moving forward with my decision making for the year. I do pray the Lord will provide lots of fellowship soon.  I need to be alone at times, but I usually prefer some constant companions. Tonight though it's God and I again! It's wonderful! I feel like every time I'm alone in the evening God and I are on a date. I'll read, watch "Say Yes to the Dress" or "Best places to pig out" haha or some dude movie and He's there. Or I'll paint.

 Sometimes I go with another song lyric thinking to myself: Author of the moment...can You tell me... what's next? What is it gonna be like? Is this the right path? I feel a little in the dark about all this.. No direct answer? Ok! I trust you.

Liquid Comfort

Yum

Tonight I decided to make a cup of hot cocoa. Nothing is better to cheer you up than hot cocoa and a heart shaped mug! That's a fail proof remedy! :)

Lou Lou

PS: meet Loella. Lou Lou for short. Eliza painted her and gave her to me for Christmas! She gets fatter every week! She is inspiring me to save for my college fund...well really for my dreams in general. She's very amiable!