Just Keep Swimming

Moving

2011-02-07T12:43:00.000-08:00

So, in case you haven't seen it yet: This blog is moving to: The Adkins Family Blog, for the simple reason that I cannot be trusted to update more than one at a time, and I've decided that the family one is more important.

After Valentine's day, I'm deleting this blog, and will be posting exclusively over there. So, follow me or something, so you can keep up with the news, yeah?

New Look!

2011-02-02T21:10:00.000-08:00

I come before you today with a new blog layout.

Yes, yes, I've done this before. So what's so special about this one, you wonder?

I MADE IT MYSELF!! :D (well, with a little help from Blogger's Template Designer.

I made the graphics for it in PSE7.0, using a scrapbooking mega-kit provided by all the wonderful designers presenting in February 2011's Blog Train on the Blog Train Blog. I made the background, header image, cute little divider, thank you graphic, and email me button all from their amazing contributions! Then, I just tweaked the blog's css and the settings in the Template Designer until I was happy with how it looked. :)

Now that I know how to do this, I betcha this layout lasts until March. Who wants to bet me?

These Are My Kittens On Catnip

2011-01-29T09:15:00.001-08:00

Prettified Notebook

2011-01-28T19:18:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I'll be the first to admit that I love having a little notebook in my purse to jot things down when I'm in stores, from what I need to buy for this or that event, to ideas for props for EKU's Opera Workshop, to story ideas that I may one day want to write. And, until now, I could not make my cheap self buy pretty designer composition books. Are you kidding? They're WAAAAY too expensive! So, before, I was stuck with the un-stylish, boring notepad you see above.

But no longer!

How cute is that! I'm not finished with it yet, either. When I'm done, it will have a cute Journal-esque sticker on the front, maybe a monogram, and a pretty brad and elastic closure - just like the expensive ones, only cheaper because I made it myself! (Well, cheaper in the long run, because I already owned the papers and I needed the craft supplies for other things too... What do you take me for, a completely sane woman?? I know I spent more on this than I should have! Stop thinking that, right now! I won't have you ruining my craftiness!)

Can't wait to finish it, and to get some pictures of the other crafty project I have going at the moment up here. :D

A Mystery...

2011-01-28T14:33:00.000-08:00

Oh, my! What could all this possibly mean for Virginia's crafty-bone???

Kitten Spa Day

2011-01-28T09:39:00.000-08:00

Just who was it that said 'cats shed less in the winter', I wonder?

Did I mention that after thirty minutes of brushing my darling boy is still shedding? No? Okay. I just wanted to clarify.

Fashion Day

2011-01-27T18:09:00.000-08:00

Hello, all. :) I know I haven't been around here in.... a very long time. Since I'm currently gathering supplies for several projects that I'm really excited to start on, and I have resolved that I need to blog more often, I thought I would post a few fun things that I have done in the past to give you (my non-existant readers) a basic idea of the many facets of my personal style. :)

P.S. I am absolutely in love with the website Polyvore (and I have been for YEARS now) so when I'm on a fashion kick, I tend to go there, rather than retail websites. Dunno why. /shrug.

Feeling Green by Gigi's Closet

Okay, so, I don't own any of these things. And that is sad for me. But I love pearls. I love knitted things. I love trainers. I love blue jeans. And I ESPECIALLY love the color green! So, this set, pretty much sums up that part of my fashion personality. As far as the quote... It's from a stamp set. I thought it was cute, and sarcastic. And that day, I was feeling both of those things.

I will sing to you... by Gigi's Closet

I like jewel tones mixed together. And this outfit is a jewel tone masterpiece. (Also, did you notice the jeans in this one too? Yeah!!) Those shoes, by the way, look so freaking comfortable and super cute.
And I have a dream, that one day I will have a hair band ball like the one in this set. That is all.

The Audacity of Hope by Gigi's Closet

I also love the pairing of grey-blue and brown. Mhmmmm.... It reminds me of candy for some reason. So yummy. And soft. And warm. I stuck this in here just to prove to you that I am capable of coveting things that are not blue jeans. :D

Matching Sets by Gigi's Closet

Another dressy one. Pink is okay, in moderation. I don't like a lot of it at once, but maybe 50/50 in one outfit is okay. Plus, I love that skirt. And those shoes, with their little bitty heels. Pretty. The headband and the scarf - perfect! I really wish I owned this one.

Anyway, there is a small glimpse at me, and my idea of what's cool. There will be more, you know, as time passes. And, of course, you will get to see my style through some of the crafty projects. I'm really excited about what I'm planning for the next few months, and for getting the baby's room ready, and planning/implementing things for my best friend's wedding, wedding shower, and bachelorette party. In addition to planning programming things, and a formal ball, and whatever else Caitlin needs me to do for this year's Matsuricon. :)

Hopefully, I will be chock full of things to blog about as this year goes on! I can't wait to get started!

I suck at updating blogs.

2011-01-25T09:27:00.000-08:00

Yeah. I just wanted you all to know that I am in fact aware of the fact that I haven't been here since November. That's about it.

Scrappers Give Thanks

2010-11-20T20:52:00.000-08:00

I cannot say enough about how worthy a cause this is, ladies. If anyone reading my blog has not participated in this page-raiser yet, please consider doing so! Your submissions could help bring a smile to the faces of so many children!

My Pages:

Made with bits from: Kellie's Kreations

Made with bits from: Scrappy Princess

Made with bits from: Kellie's Kreations

Made with bits from: Kellie's Kreations

Christmas Decorating Plans

2010-11-20T11:49:00.000-08:00

I know it's not time for Christmas... yet... but it's never too early to start planning for decorations, right?

It's not even really that early - decorations can go up next Friday. :) YAY!

Tree:
- Retrieve tree and decorations from mother-in-law's house on Thanksgiving. Make husband carry heavy tupperware containers. Console him with lots of kisses.
- Decorate with ornaments from last year. Small collection, but pretty.
- Buy cheap ball ornaments at the Dollar Tree ($2 for like 30), so that cats do not ruin nice ornaments. Test them by throwing a few at the sidewalk outside for shatter-index. Probably buy a cheap tree skirt to make clean-up easier (No idea about $$).
- Pop Dollar Tree popcorn ($1 - three bags) and string it on leftover thread from my sewing class, make HUGE popcorn garland to lay all over tree (cats do not like popcorn).
- Cut construction paper ($1)(also purchased from Dollar Tree) into 1/2-inch strips legnthwise, then cut each strip into 1 1/2 inch pieces. Glue together to make garland. Wrap around tree. Be excited.
- Hang christmas lights and possibly ornaments from each of the three front windows. (Mini Tree Lights = $2.50 at Wal*Mart - still shopping for plastic "non-breaking" ornaments).
- Buy box of candy canes - decorate the tree & are removable for stirring into cocoa! Genius! (88¢ at Wal*Mart)
- Look at Dollar Tree for cheap, cheesy christmas-themed tablecloths - use one for kitchen table, use the other two for living room side table, and desk/entertainment center. (Assuming around $3 - considering where I'm buying them)
- Maybe table runner to put on LP player? ($1?)
- Undecided about greenery - considering the kittens, I think no this year.

Mi chiamano Mimì

2010-11-11T10:01:00.000-08:00

Sì. Mi chiamano Mimì,
ma il mio nome è Lucia.
La storia mia è breve.
A tela o a seta
ricamo in casa e fuori...
Son tranquilla e lieta
ed è mio svago
far gigli e rose.
Mi piaccion quelle cose
che han sì dolce malìa,
che parlano d'amor, di primavere,
di sogni e di chimere,
quelle cose che han nome poesia...
Lei m'intende?

Mi chiamano Mimì,
il perché, non so.
Sola, mi fo
il pranzo da me stessa.
Non vado sempre a messa,
ma prego assai il Signore.
Vivo sola, soletta.
Là in una bianca cameretta:
guardo sui tetti e in cielo;
Ma quando vien lo sgelo,
il primo sole è mio,
il primo bacio dell'aprile è mio!
Il primo sole, è mio.
Germoglia in un vaso una rosa...
Foglia a foglia la spio!
Cosi gentile il profumo d'un fiore!
Ma i fior ch'io faccio,
Ahimè! non hanno odore.
Altro di me non le saprei marrare.
Sono la sua vicina che la vien fuori d'ora a importunare.

Interestingly enough...

2010-09-10T06:05:00.001-07:00

I really have nothing to talk about. I'm going to ASL in a few minutes and I'm slightly worried that Karen is going to try to sign with me about my absence Wednesday. I just am still not super comfortable with the language, is all.
My 'receptive skills' can do with a lot more practice, and I feel like I'm having trouble getting that. I really need to get with someone who has a car and go to the deaf lunches in Lexington. And maybe to that church service in...wherever it is.
In other news, iPods are bad for your grammatical health. The spell check on here is so thorough that you never have to check yourself.
More later, probably.

Testing

2010-09-10T05:55:00.001-07:00

Blog posting app

Best Thing To Ever Be Mine

2010-09-03T19:11:00.000-07:00

Braced yourself for the goodbye, cause that's all you've ever known
Then, I took you by surprise
I said, "I'll never leave you alone."

I said, "I remember how we felt, sitting by the flowers.
And every time I look at you, it's like the first time.
I fell in love with the careful son of a careless father.
He is the best thing that's ever been mine."

The first week of school

2010-08-27T17:24:00.000-07:00

This week has just been a hot mess. Lots of things happening, and I'm a little slow to deal with them all. I had a breakdown over work, almost quit, and got a transfer-

Actually, I'm going to stop there for a moment. Oh, how I absolutely hate Starbucks. That store has just some of my worst work memories in it (which, if anyone reading this remembers my ill-fated work summer in south Florida, is saying something). The drinks are complex and did I mention coffee-filled, the store and storage area are tiny and cramped, the music is rarely worth mentioning, and the manager (well, now the manager's manager) is a nervous wreck all the time and freaks out over nothing. She's one of the least professional people I've ever met.

Anyway, I threatened to quit (no, I tried, they wouldn't let me) and instead got offered a transfer to the other coffee shop on campus, where She never is and where most people just come for a Coke or a smoothie anyway. So, I feel much better about working there. Thank goodness. I was beginning to think I was going to be stuck in The Place of Awfulness.

Kaylee and Jack discovered the empty cardboard that once housed a 12-pack of generic coke today. I wish I had pictures for you. They were super cute while they demolished it. Unfortunately, last weekend my camera's batteries decided to poop out and guess who hasn't managed to replace them yet?

Yeah, that would be me.

So, instead of pictures of kittens, I give you scrapbooking goodness.

This one was made almost entirely with Scrappy Princess' "Happy Go Lucky" and "Festival" free kits. The alpha, however, was made by K. Aragard and offered as a freebie on her website. Nathan and I took this picture in Hastings about a month ago. It's one of my favorites of ours.

4x6 Bug (+More Pages)

2010-07-08T13:39:00.000-07:00

I have been bitten, it's true. I love 4x6 layouts - they're so much more accessible: easier to print, easier to store, easier to handle. So I've done a bunch of things over the past couple days with them. :)

Here's one:

A card for my friend Alan and Katina's wedding - printed on a 4x6 with a personal message written on the back. :) And along with their present, I tucked in a picture frame so that if they wanted to, they could frame the card.
Felt Paper by Kellie
Diamonds from the ArticLicious kit by Delicious Scraps
Gold Frame by Zaza
Eternal Companions embellishment from My4PrincessDesigns
Ribbon Templates by Brandi Murray from ScrapGirls
Tag Template by Delicious Scraps

LOL This page has nothing to do with Dee. I was playing with elements from Kellie's blog freebies, and came up with this page. I couldn't find any birthday pictures to put in there, so I just grabbed a random one of Dee! :)
Frame outline by Delicious Scraps
Everything else by Kellie

A quote card for the wonderful ladies that I visit teach each month. Simple, but pretty.
Word art by Hot Pink Pansy
Ripped Edges by Amanda Sok at ScrapGirls
Everything else by My4PrincessDesigns

1 Corinthians 13:4-8(first line). Absolutely love this kit, and love those verses. All there is to it. I'm going to print this up and put it on my dresser.
Credit goes to Valerie Foster

My July Desktop

2010-07-01T07:35:00.000-07:00

Credits:
Freewheeling Alpha by Kristin Aagard
Simply World Art by Dodie V. Sarchet-Waller
Yarn Swirls #3 Summer and Curled Photo Frames by Katie Pertiet
Fabric Papers 14 by Zaza
Eclipse of the Heart Blog Train by Kellie
Memories Kit by S Bartolini

A present for my husband. :)

2010-06-30T13:01:00.000-07:00

I started out wanting to make a page using only Monti's Kit, but then, like always, I had to have those ribbons, and then I wanted to add a little depth to the page - hence the second background and the stitching. And then it just wasn't complete without the journaling. I recolored the notecard and the journaling mat was made from a DS CU Template, with papers from Monti's kit. :) All in all, a great little do to stick in a 4x6 frame and decorate our apartment.

Credits:
Chocolate Love by Monti
Straight Stitches by Kellie
California Cool by Valerie Foster
BMU_SSEMB_RibbonCurls from ScrapGirls
Layered Tag by Delicious Scraps

Another Layout

2010-06-28T12:42:00.001-07:00

I made this one from pictures of my cousin Alexandra. It's super cute! Everything, from the papers to the alpha came from KelliesKreations, a digital scrapbooking freebies site. The only thing I used that was not from her kits came from ScrapGirls.com. I am super obsessed with the Ribbon Template that I bought there, and want to use it all the time. :)
Here you go:

Digital Scrapbooking Frenzy!

2010-06-27T18:03:00.000-07:00

So, yes. If you look at the Adkins Family Blog over there, you will see that I haven't updated for a while, but the last time I did, I changed the design to scrapbooking-type stuff. I have fallen in love with it.

So I thought I would share a few of my favorite layouts with you guys. :) Links to the main page of all websites listed for creations are at the bottom of the page. If you have any questions as to what specific elements came from what kits, just leave me a comment, and I'll get back to you promptly. :)

This was the second page I ever made. I used a lot of elements from the ScrapGirls Refresh Collection, and some from ComputerScrapbook.com's huge amount of free kits - mostly by Correen Silke and J Baechtold. The cluster of frames in the upper right is a freebie from ScrappyPrincess.com. I made this layout with the pictures that I had taken in March when I took my wedding ring for a "walk" among the plants and flowers of campus. The photos turned out really well, and while I may re-do this page later (I'll probably make a 4x6 album with 1 pic a page) - I'm happy with it as it stands now.

This is a page that I made for my best friend and her boyfriend. :) Waiting with baited breath for him to propose. This was one of the first layouts I ever did with a layout template, and I'm really happy with how it worked out! The template is from the ScrapGirls Refresh Collection. All papers, elements, and the alpha come from ComputerScrapbook.com, mostly by Correen Silke, Valerie Foster, and J Baechtold.

This is the cover page of a secret project for my best friend for her birthday. Made with the same template kit as the layout above, ScrapGirls Refresh Collection. I recolored a large portion of a kit by Valerie Foster from ComputerScrapbook.com to make it fit the page, and the ribbon is from RPenn's Express Yourself Collection from ScrappyPrincess.com.

I made this page for my husband, to cheer him up one day when he was feeling down. I did not use a layout template for this one, as you can see, I'm working on being dynamic with my layouts without templates. It's hard - now that I know they exist, I'm addicted to them! I love the soft colors in this one, and the pictures. This was made almost completely using RPenn's Express Yourself Collection from ScrappyPrincess.com. I also used alphas and embellishments from Correen Silke's kits on ComputerScrapbook.com

I made this layout after seeing my mother's outfit at my sister's birthday party - imagine my suprise when it matched EXACTLY ScrapGirls Refresh Collection! I was super excited to scrap it - and to use the Bursting template that I had recently bought from Scrapgirls as well. Interesting fact about the background paper: The circle mat on the layout is actually two papers - I deleted the base color on the swirly patterned page, and used Gimp's Value overlay to fade it into the blue paper. :) Designer-style papers made easy!

Two page layout for my dad for father's day. I love him so much, and he has been so supportive throughout my life, I wanted to do something special for him, and I don't have any money, and he loves creative stuff anyway. :) I used a lot of things in this kit, so bear with me while I hit the credits. The sketch for this layout came from DebbieHodge.com. I used papers and elements by Valerie Foster, J Baechtold, Correen Silke, and R Dickson, available at ComputerScrapbook.com. I also used bits from a father's day challenge mini kit by Marie, available at FreeDigitalScrapbooking.com.

Holy wow, Batman, it's a spread! My husband wrote a poem about our youngest cat, Kaylee Jo, and I scrapped it. This spread was part of a ScrapGirls embellishment challenge - to try and use a lot of them without it looking cluttered. I'm not sure if I love it or not, but it is another of the layouts I made without a template, so I'm including it. :) I used papers and elements by Valerie Foster, J Baechtold, Correen Silke, and R Dickson, available at ComputerScrapbook.com. And, oddly enough, this page only uses their stuff.

I got married around Christmas, so at the beginning of December my family held an Ornament Shower for me, and my grandmother slipped an index card with this quote on it in my gift. I actually made this layout as part of a spread to showcase our engagement pictures, but I don't have them ready for public viewing, so I stuck some other random pictures in there so I could show it off. I really like it. Template is from SimpleScrapper.com as well as the black paper, by Jeanette Bollinger. Embellishments are by Amanda Sok, from ScrapGirls.com, and Correen Silke from ComputerScrapbook.com.

This one is of my kittens - Jack and Kaylee. Aren't they precious? I used one of Marie's templates from FreeDigitalScrapbooking.com on the right hand side, and a piece from an Amanda Sok's Tear it Up template from ScrapGirls.com. Backgrounds are from ScrappyPrincess.com, and I used Amanda Sok's Bespoke Emblem's Set, the Little Labels set by Marie of FreeDigitalScrapbooking.com, and Refresh Collection from ScrapGirls.com.

That's it for this batch! Hope you enjoy them!

Credits:
www.freedigitalscrapbooking.comm
www.scrappyprincess.com
www.scrapgirls.com
www.simplescrapper.com
www.computerscrapbook.com

New Kitten

2010-05-21T04:40:00.000-07:00

So I will admit to having had some doubts as to whether or not Kaylee and Jack would co-exist well. At least, in the early days.
Boy was I wrong. Yeah, there was some hissing and growling for a couple of hours. Jack was not happy. There was a THING in HIS bathroom. And it looked like the THING that guards the fishes in the glass of the cabinet. And he was not having it.
But then he got close enough to smell her.
Jack is a cat that loves smells. And he loves smelling girl cats. When I come home from visiting a friend with girl kittens, he loves on me like there is no tomorrow. He just can't wait to rub up on my arms, lick my hands, and sit in my lap.
And after he got a smell of her, Jack was a changed cat. He wandered around with her butt in his face for hours, trying to figure out who she was.
Kaylee, for her part, is a girl with some Moxy. She huddled in a corner for about an hour, then got adventurous and played with one of her bell-balls. That was the sound that first alerted Jack to the fact that there was a living critter in that bathroom. And then, she just kept finding high ground to view him from. At one point, they were playing with each other's paws underneath the bathroom door. And once Kaylee realized that he wasn't going to eat her, she started exploring.
Jack gained a healthy respect for her size, and claws, and she realized that this huge cat was friendly, and still a baby himself, and nothing to be scared of.
And now they're chasing each other all over the apartment. :)
Sometimes Jack gets a little overzealous - and when he does, Kaylee squeaks, and he backs off. I've never seen anything like it. He gives her this inquisitive purr/meow, and like he's saying "Oops, did I do that?" and then goes to sit down somewhere until Kaylee starts playing again. And Jack doesn't play with his toys anymore - he watches Kaylee play with them, and then plays with her.
It's like when an child finally gets a baby sibling.
It's adorable.
I love my kittens.

Kaylee Fantastico

2010-05-20T17:21:00.000-07:00

Well, you've seen the cutest cat ever (that would be Jack Bauer, pictures below). Now meet his little sister, Kaylee Fantastico!

I would have more pictures, but she crawled under our LP cabinet to take a nap. She's really annoyed that Jack keeps trying to smell her butt. :P

World of Warcraft

2010-05-18T20:52:00.000-07:00

has eaten me. Literally.

LOL I do, like, nothing else online anymore. I have a decent offline life still, but I spend all my time playing as either a pixelized gnome or a pixelized tauren.

Tina Void (Tinyvoid) is a warlock, formerly of Gnomergon, whose home residence now lies in Dalaran. She and her husband, Gervais, managed to escape the great city when the gnomes lost it to Mekgineer Thermaplugg's betrayal.

Tina, convinced that Gervais, who had been studying with the great Mekgineer, had had some part in the destruction of their home, left him, and her home country behind, fleeing to the north. It was there that the Master Jewelcrafter met with the wizards of the Kirin Tor in Dalaran. She took up the study of arcane magic for a short time, but found it an unsuitable companion for her need to avenge her fallen home city, and found herself falling in with the fel-based magic of the warlocks in the underbelly of the city.

Her training, feeding her rage and her need for revenge, was finally completed, and she returned to Dun Morogh, intent on delivering Gnomergon from the hands of the troggs. It was at this point that she discovered Gervais, on a mission of a very similar nature. The two became wary allies again, and have spent countless hours attempting to eliminate the troggs and the traitorous Thermaplugg.

Over the course of their adventures, Tiny learned the truth about Gervais' involvement with the destruction of their home city, which was none. After some time ,the two reconciled, and now live together in Dalaran, and have turned their attention from their ruined homeland to the frozen reaches of Northrend, and the destruction of the Lich King.

Nettlebloom Winterhoof, of Thunder Bluff, is a druid of great promise. From the inauspicious beginning of her father's death and her mother leaving her with tribesmen in Mulgore so she could adventure the rest of the world, Nettie (as she prefers to be called) has risen in esteem with the druids of Thunder Bluff and Moonglade, becoming quite a force of her own.

For Nettie, the world is a large, beautiful, deadly, spiritual place, filled with many races and many kinds of wisdom. While of course she reveres the great Earthmother, she believes that there is much to learn from the other races of Azeroth - both of the Horde and of the Alliance. She is particularly enthralled by the Night Elves' goddess Elune - seeing many parallels between that deity and the Earthmother.

Nettie was, of course, very glad to see her mother, Namirah, when she returned just after Nettie finished the Rites of the Earthmother. Their reunion had every possibility of being completely awkward, but the two have bonded well since Nami's return. After meeting her mother again, Nettie set out on an adventure of her own - attempting to collect and compile information from the other races of the Horde, that may someday be useful to the Tauren. Nettie has reservations about the closed-mindedness of some of her tribesmen, but hopes to find a way to convince the ever proud race that there is much to learn from the other races of Azeroth. She is currently concerned with the Bloodthistle of the Eversong Woods.

Over the course of her exploration, Nettie has joined forces with some of her Azerothian brethren in an organization called The Hand of the Flights. it's leader, Ranokal, was charged by Alexstraza, the great Aspect of Life, with protecting the interests of the dragon flights in Azeroth. Their immediate mission is to investigate and, ultimately, destroy the Lich King, whose scourge are causing such distress and decay to the land. Nettie, a healer, who searches for balance in all things, found herself immediately drawn to the idea of a world without the Scourge.

In accordance with her officer position within the Hand, Nettie found herself seeking out a Tauren who she had met, briefly, though an old friend named Palehoof. Eliath Stonecrusher is a Tauren Shaman, known for being a Spirit Walker - a being capable of sending aspects of his spirit to different locations than his physical self to complete various tasks: herb gathering, secret meetings, and surveillance being three that come immediately to mind.

What is soon to come in Nettie's story? I could tell you, but that would ruin the suspense...

Hubby's Mountain Man Beard

2010-05-14T22:50:00.000-07:00

LOL. I asked him to grow it out because I hadn't ever seen him with a beard before.

I think he's super adorable. Of course, being that I married him, I should.

Jack Bauer

2010-05-12T16:40:00.000-07:00

So yes, this is a picspam of the most adorable cat in the universe, Jack Bauer. He is a six month old gray tabby that my husband and I adopted about a month ago. He is impeccably clean, all the time, and spoiled rotten. He's also learned what it means when Mommy gets the camera out - and has started posing for us.
And yes, that is a photo shoot towards the end. He was being cute. I couldn't NOT take the pictures.

And yes, in that last one, I think he was mentally telling me where I could stuff the camera. :P

Frustration - Another Poem

2010-05-08T10:21:00.000-07:00

I wrote it in 2004. I published it online in 2007. I just keep pulling it out when I am in a position where I am overwhelmed and frustrated.

Frustration
I wish I had the words in me
To put on paper
The silly, happy kind of hope I feel
When you look at me

I hate that I can't phrase
My thoughts correctly
When my cheeks flush because of you
And I can't meet your deep eyes

I want to verbalize to you
The chronic shivers
I get when you speak aloud
And when you are watching me

In passing thought I want to scream
The annoyance that you
Bring onto me, more often than I thought true
When you catch me with a blank eye

I wish that I could wet your cheek for once
Instead of mine
With tears I've cried when you pass over me
With that apathetic smile

What I can't decide if or not
I want to affect you with
Is this quiet, creeping, pulsing despair
That I feel when you are gone

Baby Nerd-ness

2010-05-02T13:36:00.000-07:00

Guess who has a WoW t-shirt, finally?

...that would be me.

Polaroid - A Poem for You

2010-04-28T20:39:00.000-07:00

I wrote this poem in 2001. I re-tooled it in 2004. It is semi-autobiographical. And also not. Another one of those recycled things, because I really have no time to write and nothing to write about.
P.S. This poem is very meta.

Polaroid
Chesnut hair in cheery ringlets, falling
in the rosy face of a young girl
Valentine's Day
The first picture that she ever took with him
A hand on her shoulder and a smile on their hearts
Before her she holds something in her hands
The lime green bracelet that he gave her
Their first gift, small but treasured
Back when everything was simple
Captured on a polaroid
Chesnut hair - straightened now, pulled
Out of the makeup that adorns her face
Their 1st anniversary
Sitting in a photo booth, leaning against him
Her left arm raised to cup his face
And on her pale wrist
The lime green bracelet that he gave her
Their first gift, small but treasured
Back when everything was simple
Captured on a polaroid
Chesnut hair - dyed black and red, cropped short and styled
Over her almond eyes and dark punker makeup
Blink 182's First Tour
All her friends are standing in a group behind her
He's not holding up a "rock on" sigh this time
On one arm must be a million bangles, and the other
The lime green bracelet that he gave her
Their first gift, small but treasured
Back when everything was simple
Captured on a polaroid
Chesnut hair, with frizzy curls framing
Her gorgeous smile
Prom Night
He is not her date, but she stands tall in her teal dress anyway
Her corsage on her right side full of baby's breath and a white rose
On her left arm a jeweled watch, and hidden beneath it
The lime green bracelet that he gave her
Their first gift, small but treasured
Back when everything was simple
Captured on a polaroid
Chesnut hair, trimmed and pulled back messily, some strands hanging
Over her surprised face, coral lipstick shining
College
They met in a cafe, sat down together with their coffee and old times
Tears flow in her eyes as she reads his poem, "Polaroid"
His hand extended, slightly brushing
The lime green bracelet that he gave her
Their first gift, small but treasured
Back when everything was simple
Captured on a polaroid
Sealed with a kiss of coral lipstick.

Recycled Icons

2010-04-13T20:36:00.000-07:00

Some old converse icons I found on my previous blog that I thought I would put up because I have no intention of writing an actual blog entry on my birthday.

Pictures from GettyImages and Google. Feel free to use.

ASL Videos from Last Year

2010-04-02T17:09:00.000-07:00

Just thought I would stick these in here as a space filler. They aren't very good - and neither am I at ASL currently - but I'm working on it, and it's something I enjoy. And I'm going to stop apologizing for my interest now and just post the vids. XD

From my ASL 201 class - the only one that semester that I had to put online.
Summary: In the final of a very large math class, the teacher hands out the test and tells the students they have two hours to finish the test. No more. Some students finish early, a few right at time. As the teacher is gathering up his things, he notices that one student is still working on their test. Astonished, the teacher waits, and then waits longer. When the student finally turns in his test, the teacher asks him if he knows he went longer than the two hour period. the student says yes. The teacher then asks for the student's name. The student, realizing that he has not been identified, looks at the teacher, and at the stack of tests, and quickly lifts up part of the pile, depositing his test in the middle of it. He then leaves the room. The teacher is flabbergasted. The end.

From my ASL 201 Class, the last storytelling of the semester.
Summary: A husband tells his wife that she should go to the bank, and take out $100 for them to use later. She does so, and when she gets home, she hides it, so that they won't accidentally spend it. Later, her husband asks her for the money, but she has forgotten where she put it! Thus follows a great search of their house, and all of the hiding places they can think of. She finally finds it stuck into the back of a picture frame in her bedroom. Her husband tells her that she picked a lousy hiding spot. She thinks he is crazy.

Second video from my ASL 102 class. My hands aren't visible some of the time. Sorry for that. I'm too lazy to redo it.
SUMMARY: After the boy stuck the gum on the bench and went home, a man sat on the bench to read a book. When he was ready to get up, he found the gum sticking to his pants. In disgust, he removed it and threw it on the sidew2alk. A woman walked by and stepped on it. She removed it from her shoe and flung it at a tree where it stuck. Later, two young lovers came along and stopped under the tree. The girl leaned against the tress and the boy rested his hand against the trunk as he talked to her. Upon leaving, he pulled his hand away only to find it stuck to the gum. He pitched the gum onto the bench. Finally, the boy returned to find the gum in the same place he had left it. He popped it into his mouth and started blowing bubbles again. (EW!)

My first ASL video ever, for my 102 class. I was still working out how this being videotaped thing worked at this point.
SUMMARY: A man went to the airport and stood in line to buy his ticket. When he got to the ticket counter he found out that his flight had been delayed. He decided to buy a newspaper, a candy bar, and a cup of coffee. He found a seat, made himself comfortable, and started reading the newspaper. He soon noticed the man sitting next to him take a bite of the candy bar. He was astonished, gave him a dirty look, and then took a bit of the candy bar himself. The other man had the same reaction and popped the rest of the candy into his mouth. The first man was really furious, but just then, he heard it was time to board the plane. He got on the plane and sat down. After the plane took off, he reached into his back pocket to get a comb, and instead pulled out the candy bar that he had bought.

Picto-Blog

2010-03-30T09:35:00.000-07:00

Today, my wedding ring went for a stroll around campus in the sunshine.

We love our Wii

2010-03-29T13:13:00.000-07:00

When I was younger, my parents bought a Sega CD system, and it became the center of my household. We played Sonic, Wheel of Fortune, Dashin' Desprados, Lunar: the Silver Star, ECCO, and Earthworm Jim. We got hours of fun and enjoyment from matching beans together in Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine - which was, incidentally, my mother's favorite game for Sega CD.
I was 12 when my parents decided to sell the system and all of our games at a yard sale. And I didn't ever think I would find a system I liked well enough to purchase. Especially since we got our Sega system for around 20 bucks, and during my teenage years you were lucky to find one they were still making games for under $100.
But a few weeks ago, my husband and I bought a Wii.
My parents had owned one since Christmas, and had also purchased the Wii Fit game and board, and were full of good stories about it. I had played a few hours on their system, and had no major issues with gameplay - I found myself wishing at a couple points that I could play Lunar on such an awesome system and with such functionality. So when the Dear Husband came down with Appendicitis, and was going to be off work, recuperating for a few weeks, we decided that having a Wii was something we were interested in - especially the Wii Fit, as it would provide a stimulating way for him to get back into physical activity without hurting himself - and he could do it from home!
When we went to Wal*Mart to purchase our Wii, we lucked out - they had just shipped a special package for the spring, at a pretty awesome discount. The box contained the Wii console, 1 controller, 1 nunchuck, 1 MotionPlus attachment, and 2 games: Wii Sports and Wii Sports Resort, and cost $199.
I'll give you a little perspective on why that is awesome. In the past, the startup box came with the Wii console, and 1 controller, and still cost $199. Nunchucks run at about $15US. A MotionPlus attachment runs at $20. Wii Sports comes with an extra controller normally, but it runs about $30, and Wii Sports Resort normally comes with a MotionPlus attachment, and costs about $50. So, all in all, minus the extra controller and motion plus, we spent $199 on $310 of merchandise.
BUT - This post is not about how much money we saved - believe it or not. It's about how much FUN we have had with this system.
I would not have believed it. Wii Sports - tennis, bowling, and boxing specifically, are awesome. And omgoodness, a workout, too! Not that I'm terribly good at any of them, but it's definitely an adventure playing against Nathan (whose hands are much steadier than mine). On Wii Sports Resort, I am pretty good at Archery (and wow do my arms hurt after wards!) We both really like the aerial games, and Frisbee Dog - wow, though, I'm not good at popping the balloons at all!
Wii Fit Plus is crazy. I am especially fond of the yoga. I usually start with the half moon position, and move from there down the line. Though I'm finding downward facing dog very hard on my wrists. I assume it will get easier as I work on it, but I felt like I was going to pass out last time. Nathan likes the balance games. Snowboarding and skiing and skateboarding. He's also a big fan of the Kung Fu game that uses the balance board. I like it too - but he keeps beating my high score. Stinker.
Though, I think one of my favorite games is Donkey Kong: Barrel Blast. It works like Mario Karts, only flying. You are a Donkey Kong character, strapped to some pyrotechnic barrels following a track and picking up bananas and using special attacks to hamper the other racers.
The catch? You do it all by shaking the WiiMote and Nunchuck. A lot. And that's only if you're going straight. To turn, you shake one or the other in the direction you want to turn, and then when you are done shake them both a little more to build your speed back up. It's amazing. And it hurts. And I suck at it.
I was awesome at our Sega CD games. And I usually suck at Wii games.
Goes to figure, huh?

Valentine's Day 2010

2010-02-16T23:00:00.000-08:00

First one with the hubby. Love it. We went out to eat at Applebee's to celebrate, and took pictures. He got me a stuffed lion. I love it. I love him. Lots of love in the air.

Some Wedding Pictures

2010-02-05T23:16:00.000-08:00

I have a ton more - and I don't know why these are so oddly sized - but I'll replace them someday when my computer is at home and actually hooked up to the external hard drive. For now, several pictures from my temple marriage and then from the ring ceremony.

Nathan with his mother and his aunt, and myself with my mother and father.

Me with my best friend Deanna and her boyfriend Adam.

My sister and I, taken with someone's camera phone I believe.

Nathan and I at the temple.

My cousin Emily at the guestbook, and my cousin Alexandra, who was our flower girl.

Nathan, tying his tie before the ring ceremony. Also, his niece Savannah, who was his "Best Girl" getting put together before the ceremony.

Myself and my grandmother (Nannie) before the ring ceremony. She's wearing UK blue because I had the bad taste to plan my ring ceremony on the day of a UK game. :P Also myself and my Aunt Virginia, for whom I am named.

Our beautiful cake, made by Tony Douthett - who made my mother's wedding cake. Also, the flower girl's basket and petals.

My family again (plus the brand new Hubby), and all of my bridesmaids.

Nathan and I with my cousin Alexandra, who was our flower girl.
and
Nathan and I. The first one was on the church balcony, so we could have an outside shot. I love that there was snow! The second was inside, with Adam's harp - gorgeous shot!

More vanity shots - Alexandra looking adorable and myself, doing what the photographer told me to.

More gorgeous pictures - hands on the piano, and our rings in the page crease of a bible.

Some decorations from the cake table, and our card box, from the wedding present table. It's hard to believe that mom spent hours putting that together, and it was just thrown away after the wedding - but what would I have ever used it for after that?

And a very small picture of the wedding party - from left to right: Susannah, Jo, Caitlin, Deanna, Alexandra, Myself, Nathan, Savannah, Adam, and Sara.

I love my husband...

2010-01-23T01:30:00.000-08:00

Picspam. Date at Johnny Carino's and after.

Singing with your Hands

2009-12-20T18:56:00.000-08:00

I don't know how many people in the blogosphere appreciate sign language, or even have been exposed to it... But it is definitely one of my passions. It is a beautiful language (and yes, it is a language) and is a fun and artistic way of communicating.

And, because I've seen it, I've fallen in love with this song.

Just thought I would share it with you, since, you know, I don't have anything to write about except the wedding. And that's for another blog.

Hello, world!

2009-12-16T22:33:00.000-08:00

Well, it's that time, I suppose. Life changes, things happen. I seem to have outgrown my Livejournal, and my fiance recommended that I check out blogger when looking for a new tool to getting the word out about whatever it is I decided to write about today.

So, today, I decided to write about how I came to have a new blog. I'll let you chew over this while I try to think of some kind of content update for whenever I next decide I need to share my thoughts with the greater digital community.

With this, I close.

To quote from the book of Virginia:

"And she clicketh her mouse, saying: Let there be webspace. And so it was. And she saw that it was good.
And she tappeth her keys, saying: Let there be text. And so it was. And she saw that it was moderately okay - and probably not at all as funny as it was in her head.
And thus endeth the first day of blogging."