this and that

Okay, I know I've blogged a lot today but it's my day off, and it's not that I have nothing better to do, it's just the fact that I like to write and there's sometimes a lot to say.

Look at this colour-me wallpaper. It's a brilliant idea. As a 20-year-old that likes to be creative I would love to spend a couple hours chatting with a friend or two and decorating the wall at the same time. The only downside would be when you've colored it all up.

I've been all inspired by home-decor lately. Too bad I don't have a home to practice on. I use my room though and hopefully my room at school will be amazing. Anne and I have some pretty cool ideas. Perhaps I can somehow impliment this, because I like it:


Once again my mind has returned to the same old, same old... I really want to get paid to write. If only it were as simple as that. I don't even know where to start.

Last, not because it's least, check out this mystery house on 5th Avenue -- New York, of course.

a hot tin roof

"Family crisis tends to bring out the best and the worst in people..." -Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

Sometimes I think families, friendships - relationships of all kinds need to have more crisises because there are things that need to be said, words held back and stored for a long time. Feelings are felt, wounds are healed. Maybe we don't need a crisis though... maybe that just tends to be the easiest way to be raw and open.

one weekend, two girls nights

We had a wonderful spa night at Alyssa's appartment Friday night. Very relaxing and lots of fun!

Oatmeal and yogart face mask... it made a great dip for the cucumbers. Yeah, I did eat a little off my face. YUMMY!

This candle smelled weird... thus the label

Supplies

My drink with a cuke on the glass... elegant! heh

Around 12:30am we went out on Alyssa's deck and MaryAnna led us in some yoga and the guys next door asked us if we needed beer to do that and then invited us over to do shots. lol We politely declined.

***

Sunday MaryAnna and I went on a shopping trip that was lots of fun. We wore some of her Creep Repellent. We're showing off our Creep Repellent in the picture below...

cashier rants...

I was going to post about the awesome girly party we had at Alyssa's last night but I think I left my camera with the pictures on it there so that post will have to wait until I get my camera back.

Anyway... being a cashier at Wal-Mart is not really that bad, if things are busy. But today, today I just got fed up with stupid, rude and mean people.

Tips for those being waited on by a casheir:

• Remember that we are people too. Yeah, we're not a machine, we have feelings.
• If we make a mistake... it's a mistake and we feel terrible. We didn't do it to ruin your day.
• We appreciate NICE customers, more than you know!
• We are serving you BECAUSE we are being paid, we're not here because we especially like you or anything.
• If you are over 30, don't flirt with us... can you say creepy??? We're not interested.
• If you are mean, you WILL make us cry. We just hide it well. (p.s. stay at home, don't come out in public and hate on us. go back to bed.)
• Just because we wear the uniform doesn't mean we know all of the inner workings of the entire company! Stop asking complicated questions, we're just cashiers. And for those of you that come to the pharmacy, I'm a freakin' CLERK, NOT a pharmacist. Stop asking me about your drugs, insurance and dosage ammounts!!!

Okay, so it was a frustrating week but I feel a little better now. And I've got two work free days stretching out in front of me... they will go fast I know. :-(

give him honor

The Bible says to honor God in all things. I am sure I am not the first person to be like "umm... okay, sure. But how???" So I was thinking about it the other day on my way to work and it suddenly dawned on me. I have my job only because I chose to honor God.

Back it up - When I first filled out an application for Wal-Mart I left all days open and free to be scheduled to work except Sunday. I mainly did this out of habit. You see, when I came back from school I had some ideas about church and maybe not needing to go every Sunday, I mean, if I needed to work, then I needed to work, right? Wrong...

So whether it was out of habit or from the fact that I knew my parents would flip if I went to work and skipped church, I marked Sundays as the only day I could not work.

Two weeks later... I get a call from the Wal-Mart Pharmacy. The first thing they say when offering me a job. "We thought you would be great to work here because your application said no Sundays and the pharmacy isn't open Sundays!"

Somehow I feel like that tiny decision to honor God and choose church over work enabled me to get that job. I didn't even do it with much conviction at the time but God is amazing and still blessed me. I am not saying that people who work on Sunday are terrible people, I believe that we are not actually called to go to church on Sundays but we ARE called to continue fellowship with other Christians (do not foresake the gathering together...) and to take a day of rest. If some people choose to do that on another day then I think it's okay, but only if it's done with the right motivations.

1950's housewife

As I've been collecting dishes and silverware lately, and while I was cutting up fruit for a fruit salad last night I was thinking... I think I would like to be a '50's housewife. I find the idea charming. Fiesta ware, little checkered aprons, hair curlers, waffles in the morning, kissing my husband good-bye when he goes off to work, vacuuming the house and watering my plants while listening to Dean Martin. How quaint... lovely.

weekend

Busy weekend. I took some fun pictures so I guess they can tell their story.

Saturday was Abbie's graduation party but I didn't take any pictures there because I was running around and forgot. After her party a bunch of us headed over to Starbucks for their summer long music on the patio thing. Alyssa and Brent were playing so that made it extra special! They were wonderful and the weather was perfect for a lovely night outside.

Brent and Alyssa performing one of Alyssa's songs














Troy and Sara happily engaged and in L-O-V-E!














My green tea frappuccino with Alyssa in the background


















Lili and I having a good time (my frappuccino makes another appearence...)


















Devin Broderick, he played after Alyssa. Mostly did James Blunt and Beadle like songs along with some original songs. I enjoyed him a lot, he was funny as well as talented.


















Sunday afternoon we went to the park. Aslan is a nut and I just needed some evidence that I accidentally ended up playing at the part in 2 1/2" heels. lol

alone time

WARNING:: I shall be posting a couple times today because for some reason the fancy to do so has seized me.

Alone time is something that I have come to value very much. Perhaps it was the constant companionship at college that taught me how precious is time spent alone or perhaps my introvertedness is finally asserting itself more strongly. Whatever the reason, I find it very hard and quite trying, to go days at a time without the refreshment of solitude.

My favorite is when I am all alone in the house and I can read, enjoy a movie, wash dishes and listen to my music or just sit outside on the steps. But when that is not avaliable I also like to be in my room or I even delight in just driving places by myself.

I know that being alone is not always possible and I do not always desire it, but there are days that I know I will go crazy if I am forced to be with one more set of people. Whether it be a set agreeable to me or not, I don't wish to see any more people.

I think others tend to find this hard to understand. They think I am being mean by avoiding even those I love, or stuck up or afraid. But that is not generally the truth. The truth is that if I do not spend time alone then I will turn into a very miserable person, hardpressed to bring any joy to those around me.

I am utterly grateful to have most of today alone.

soundtrack this week

This week the soundtrack of my life consisted of various songs, these were among my favorites. They either inspired me, made me think, delighted me or just stuck in my head...

Carry You Home - James Blunt

Whatever You're Doing (Something Heavenly) - Sanctus Real

Dead Man (Carry Me) - Jars of Clay

February Song - Josh Groban

Pocketfull of Sunshine - Natasha Bedingfield

Amazing Because It Is - The Almost

Apologise - Timbaland ft. OneRepublic

Realize - Colbie Caillat

Breathe (2a.m.) -Anna Nalick

Whatever It Takes - Lifehouse

Lose Urself - Family Force 5

(Those are all links to the songs or music videos incase you would like to hear them...)

pop up friends

Lately I’ve been feeling alone. Not alone from God but alone without friends ever since I’ve been home. God is amazing though because people have suddenly started popping up in my life. A few days ago I mentioned that phone call from my friend, who was visiting California, and then yesterday an old friend stopped by and we talked for an hour or so and it was lovely! And last night I talked with another friend on the phone for 4 hours. Again I repeat; we were never meant to be alone. And God is helping me to realize that if I am feeling alone, it’s probably by choice or lack of effort.

I do not need to have quantities of friends but I do insist on quality. And my friends have quality. I love them so much.

Disclaimer: this post is not meant to offend family or to suggest in anyway that family members cannot be friends. It’s just that in this instance I am talking about friends outside of my family.

phone call

One phone call has completely changed my day...

Work was awful, a long boring day where I messed up a customers order not once but THREE times and then I also banged up my bad knee pretty badly on the side of a counter. It still hurts. And as usual my feet hurt. But I was sitting on the couch tonight following the emotional adventures of Miss Emma Woodhouse when a dear friend of mine called from California to share some exciting news with me. Her happiness and joy (not to mention her usual bubbly personality) lifted me up and refreshed me. She was exactly what I needed.

The more I experience in life the more I realize that we are never meant to be alone. I always think I have a grasp on this concept until something pulls me in deeper and shows me I have even more to learn.

When we are down sometimes we need others to lift us up, and when we are happy sometimes we need others to share in our happiness. It's beautiful really. We all need God but we also need other people.

buried treasures

I went to town with my mom today and we had lots of fun. We went to some antique stores and I got some lovely things! I've been thinking quite a bit about homes recently and what I want mine to look and feel like. So far the basic requirements for my future home are; comfy, classic, random, tasteful & colorful. So pretty much anything goes as long as I like it!

lovely mismatched spoons - the start of my cutlery collection

I'm guessing this china is from the '30's or '40's but I am not certain














I found some plates and bowls

I could not pass up this plate and sherbet dish because I fell in love with their color!

















This fork was also too unique to pass up

the enticing charm of Grant and Russell

As of late I have taken a fancy to the idea of becoming a journalist. I would love to start out working on a college paper or small town newspaper, working my way up to something grand. The problem is that my dreams are doused in an unhealthy dose of images and witty lines from His Girl Friday. I’ve begun to believe that this is the reality of a New York newsroom.

Don’t laugh, but my addiction to Gilmore Girls at the end of last semester actually inspired this new direction of thinking, plus a few people have also planted the idea in my mind. Being a journalist is actually something that I’ve never considered doing before. But it consists of writing, researching and questioning people, some of the things I am interested in and best at.

One of the things that bar my way is the ever present and hateful degree. Why must we muddle through years of college to get a degree for something we already practice? In the old days if you had talent and the stamina to prove yourself to a rough, yet kindly editor you could work your way up in the world of journalism. Now it’s all about degrees and certificates. I just don’t understand why we’ve chosen to accept a slip of paper to be the proof of a person. It’s ridiculous. It doesn’t prove anything except that you wasted four years or more of your life studying this and that at some institute of “higher learning”. Almost everything I’ve learned at school I could have eventually read in a book. Where do you think the professors get their information, hmm…?

So, will I ever become a journalist? It all depends on who I meet, where I’ll be and certain other variables… but I know one thing. I shall always love to write.

snapshots of freshman year

I was looking through pictures from college today and it was so strange because it seems like another world. I'd already forgotten that some of those things had happened. I'm so thankful for
pictures. Here are some of my favorites, the people I've lived, loved and laughed with...

a fresh start

You may be wondering, (or maybe you aren't) why I've moved from my old blog www.xanga.com/raeofthelord. I do not have a definite reason other than I feel like it's time for a fresh start. My old blog was just that; old. I had been blogging on it for almost four years, I've held off "moving" because I am sentimental and didn't want to leave my years of thoughts but I've decided that I need to move on and start something new.