Clouds

For thousands of years, clouds have captured people's imaginations. These ever changing forces of nature are always around, and change as we do. Clouds represent many things. They can be menacing in a huge grey mass, or lighthearted as they drift across the sky. Our perception of clouds changes as well. Clouds can be a source of dreams for younger children,a source of worry for adults as a storm approaches, or a spectacular array of colors for everyone that takes the time to look up. Clouds are always there. Take a picture outside and most likely there will be clouds in the background. And when the sky is bright and clear many people notice immediately and say, "Look. There aren't even any clouds in the sky today." These beautiful masses of air and water are part of the many things that we as humans take for granted. So the next time you step outside, take a little bit of time to look up and watch them float by.

The Letter

There is something different and almost magical in writing a letter to someone. And I don't mean sending a Hallmark card and leaving it at that. I mean a real letter. The kind that is filled to the brim with slanted, messy script detailing your life, your family, maybe even your pets.

Sure, today we have a much better way of communicating. There's Facebook, Twitter, Instant Messaging, Texting, and e-mail. And of course, these have their many advantages that many people can't imagine living without. But when we decided to embrace these new standards of communication, we lost something as well. We lost intimacy. It used to be, when letters took weeks, sometimes months, to arrive at their destinations, people didn't just send information. They sent hopes and dreams and love. A shortage of letters from someone usually meant something drastic had happened. And today, with thousands of e-mails reaching their targets in less that a minute, there is I suppose a sense of assurance, but less of a personal contact between two people.

And this is why letters today mean so much. In a world that is moving at an accelerated pace, where the lines around the edges are blurred, receiving something that a loved one took the time to hand write simply so that you could feel it's weight on your finger tips is that much more powerful than reading it on a computer screen.

If you enjoy letter writing and receiving as much as I do, click on Letters of Note and Today I Saw in my blog roll. Thanks for reading!

Share the Joy!

I'm sorry I haven't posted in a while. Things just got way too busy, with school and Christmas approaching fast. Anyway here are a couple photos of the things I made for my family. Unfortunately I did not take pictures of them before I gave them away, so there are only two that I can show you.

This is a shadow box that I made from scratch for my mom. I painted a cardboard tray black,and put in rolling green hills. Then I cut out a tree, painted it gold and glued it into the box. Finally, I cut out pictures of the whole family and decorated the tree with stars and presents underneath.

This picture is the inside of a box filled with office supplies for my Dad and "A book of Office Encouragement" (below), with quotes about the office and work. (The camera on my computer makes writing look backwards, so its kind of confusing.)

Hope you enjoyed!

A Chronicle of Ordinary Things Continued...

Here are some more pictures. Scroll down for the original post...

Parakeets!

Veggie Bowl

Shelf Life

A Chronicle of Ordinary Things

This is a group of photos that I took this afternoon. Welcome to my chronicle of ordinary things...

A Dog's Point of View

A Bracelet

A Winged Heart

Day of the Dead Shrine

Me!

The Magic of Sleep-Overs!

Didn't you love when your parent's went out of town and you got spend two or three days at a friend's house? Wasn't it great having fun with your friend and getting to see a little slice of what their life was like? Well that's what I got to do this weekend! My parents went out of town on Thursday so I went of to my friend's house. We danced, played video games, and of course, did homework. Today we got to go to the park and enjoy the nice cool weather(even if it was a little cloudy) This is a picture of me,my friend, and her little sister, (left to right.) It was taken with a phone so it doesn't have the best resolution. Don't worry though, better pictures for my blog are on the way. We get our new camera sometime next week!! Anyway, thanks for reading!

Fall Picnic

Sometimes life rushes at us so fast that we just have to be swept up in it all and don't have time to get off the highway and slow down a little bit. To me seasons are symbolic of slowing down because their change is so gradual and constant. Nature changes every day, but it's life is not like ours. Ours is constantly filled with rushing here and there, working late and getting things done as quickly as possible. Nature is a rhythm, a constant background to everything we do. It grounds us. It keeps us from floating away. We feel comfort to know that the sun will rise tomorrow morning and will set in the evening. The wind pulls at our clothes, whispering songs that fill us with emotion, but never quite speak loud enough for us to understand.

Out of all of the seasons the two that mean the most to me are summer and fall. Summer tells of freedom. It means long, blistering days of tranquility and sleepy happiness. Fall, however, is a different thing entirely. Fall is cool and soft. It's change and clear skies and bright colors. It's that feeling of coming home and taking wing all rolled into one. It's twilight and magic. Fall is belonging. And this is why I try to take time out of my busy schedule to go outside and enjoy the nice cool breeze and the pretty golden tint that seems to light up the earth during the autumn months. Believe me, it's worth it just to relax.

So Much to Do, So Little Time!

Ever since high school started it seems like I haven't had enough time to do anything besides homework. I'll finish one thing only to remember that I still have more work to do. Many times I try to stay on top of things and the get overwhelmed by them almost immediately.This post is to help those that need it figure out how to manage their time. It may seem hard at first, but once you create a system and stick to it, the process should get easier. Since I am still learning as well, I am probably not the best person to teach you this. Here are some of the links I found helpful:

Study Guides and Strategies

This is good for middle schoolers, high schoolers, and even college students. It offers valuable information as well as strategies like a place to fill in your schedule to see where your time goes.

Time Management Guide

Another site about using your time wisely, this time mostly for adults.

Remember the Milk

Remember the Milk is a site for easily managing your to-do's. They are still working on it so it may take a little bit of time to learn, but it is all worthwhile. The goal is to write everything you can think of down so that your mind is free to pick which things are most important.

Well that's all for now. I hope you found these links helpful!

In the Garden

Wandering Jew Plant

Rusty Garden Fairy

Pretty Butterfly

Pretty Butterfly

Hello everyone! This morning I decided to go out and take some pictures. In Houston it is still cloudy and wet, but a nice cool front has blown in and it's beginning to feel like fall. Of course, no one knows how long that will last. While I was outside a little butterfly showed up and began fluttering between the

bushes in my front yard. It landed on one bush and stayed for a long time, resting

it's wings. The little creature even let me get up close w/ my camera and I got some

really nice photos. Enjoy and please comment!

ps. click on the pictures to see a bigger version!

In the Tank: MANY More Arrivals!

Well, you won't beleive this, but we have 22 new baby fish in our tank! The older females are now in their new home and are doing fine. Above are pictures of the two baby fish containers floating in tank #2. If you would like to adopt a fish (or 5!!) please call:

713-668-5452

High School Schedule

I have been inspired by friend's blog to write this post. In the post before this I talked about how I loved sameness when I was little. Well, I still do. Here's my daily schedule:

6:30 AM: Wake up, usually I'm out of bed by 6:45

7:00 AM: Shower, eat, get ready to go

8:00 AM: Drive to school with my mom and my dog Scout riding in the front seat.

8:30 AM: School starts

8:35 AM: PE

9:38 AM: Geometry

10:31 AM: Spanish

11:24 AM: Art

12:12 PM: Lunch

1:06 PM: English

1:59 PM: Biology

2:52 PM: Geography

3:40 PM: School Ends!

4:30 PM: Arrive Home

5:00 PM: Do HW

6:00 PM: Do HW

7:00 PM: Eat Dinner

8:00 PM: Finish HW

9:00 PM: Free Time (?)

10:00 PM: Get ready for bed

10:30 PM: Sleep

As you can see I have a busy schedule. Of course, it fluctuates depending on how much homework I have. Anyway, that's all for now!

The World of Toys

When I was younger and I still made up stories for my stuffed animals, dolls, and little plastic figurines to act out, I was obsessed with the idea of sameness. One of my favorite characters was Wing, a tiny (about an inch tall) orange, plastic bear with wings and a tail with a white tuft on the end. Every morning he would wake up and drive to work in his beat-up pink VW Bug. At five o' clock he would arrive home and (depending on my decided storyline) would start working on his hobby, which was usually playing the guitar loud enough to annoy the neighbors or reading in a chair made out of building blocks. Many times wing had several prize possessions and the Statue of Liberty was always in his living room (yes, he was that rich). Wing would eat at 6:00 sharp and go to bed at 8:00 under a small plastic palm tree. Inevitably, his sacred schedule would always go awry because of the other townspeople, which were ingeniously played by my friend and her sister.

Eventually the games I played with my toys wormed their way into stories when I started getting into writing. I remember when I made a little dragon out of clay I wrote a story about how he selfishly ruled kingdom until something happened that made him change his ways. (I was 8 or 9 when I wrote it so I can't remember everything) When I was a little bit older I wrote a story about a little wooden snake I had gotten that day and a princess. Now that I'm in high school, and pretending has faded away into the past, I still think about all those unwritten stories and how wonderful it would be if we could write them as easily as we acted them out when we were

younger. Pretending is such a wonderful pastime for the little ones because it gives

them so much creativity. Maybe if we tried to re-teach ourselves to enjoy pretending instead of sitting in front of the computer or TV every free minute we would be alot

better off. That's right, you have an excuse to sit on the floor and play with your old stuffed animals! Go for it!

In the Tank: Octuplets!

That's right everyone! I have eight little baby fish sectioned off from the rest of the tank in a measuring cup.(see above)They are all happy and healthy. :) We don't know if they are boys or girls yet. If anyone out there wants some Guppies, and has the means to take care of them, PLEASE CALL!!! We need some adopters!

713-668-5452

A Message from Ohio

Hello everyone! I'm at the library in Minerva, Ohio. I can't make this too long since we're only allowed 30 minutes. Chritine and I have been having tons of fun. We finished a totally awesome fort made out of big sticks and hay. We got to visit her grandparents and we saw Harry Potter 6. I was majorly impressed! It was awesometastic! Tonight we're going to the Carol County fair for rides and greasy food! Anyway, best wishes to everyone! oh, and comment! I want to know whats going on in yalls life...

Belated Anniversary Post

Yesterday was the one year anniversary of this blog! I was inspired by my friend indigo who's blog was made on the same day. And so...to celebrate my blog and all who read it, I'm going on a quest to post some of the coolest links I can find!

Harry Potter Moving Pictures

This tutorial will tell you how to make a moving picture, just like all the photos and portraits at Hogwarts!

Burda Style

If you've ever even dabbled in sewing this is the site for you. Buy and print patterns or simply learn from the many how-tos. Also get lots of inspiration from other people's work. Perfect from beginners to experts!

Site Meter

Track the number of people visiting your blog or site every day with easy to understand statistics and lots of useful features.

Lost Button Studio

A really cool blog with awesome crafts and recipes.

Spirit Cloth

The little blurb says it all:

"it seems i might be able to communicate something through cloth making. i hope so. this blog is a personal journey into gift giving and story cloth. one step at a time. and diversions along the way."

Blurb

A site that allows you to design your own book. Just download the software (it only takes a few minutes) Prices start at 4.99 but the hardcover, full color book is about $22. Check it out!

Writers on Writing

A complete archive of tons of articles written by authors about writing. They are fascinating...read them!

Apple Movie Trailers

Apple has movie trailers for every new movie! In HD, too!

This one has been mentioned several times, but it's awesome so:

Seeds of Imagination Game

Plant a seed and type encouraging words to make it grow. It's one of the only games I go back to again and again not only for fun, but for the simple beauty of the site and for inspiration. VERY CALMING...

Well thats all for now! I hope this blog will continue for many years! *holds up glass of sparkling grape juice* To Blogging! :D

How to Properly Look Forward to Something

" Me being overly excited"

It doesn't happen often, but sometimes life confronts us with something we can look forward to. Be it a long awaited chance for a vacation or a reunion with an old friend, these exciting events give us something to think about in our spare time. In this post I will give you a step-by-step guide on how to look forward to things in a way that leaves you in a good mood for days on end.

Step One: Find something to look forward to. It doesn't have to be an extremely important event but it helps if it's something big or out of the ordinary.

Step two: As part of your daily routine begin thinking about your event. (As an example we will use mine which is that next week I'm flying to Ohio to visit my friend on her farm.)I try to think about my trip at least twice a day. Whenever I have a free moment, such as when I'm laying in bed before I go to sleep or when or when I'm feeling lazy in the afternoon, I travel to Ohio in my mind. I see my friend's face and I imagine all the fun things we're going to do together.

Step three: Create a countdown. Figure out how many days are left until the fun begins. In the evening you can cross it off and and say to yourself, "Only ___ days left!"

Step four: Plan and Prepare. One of my favorite parts of going on trips is packing. I make a master list of everything I need and check things off as I go along. Since I'm flying by myself for the first time I read a lot about how to handle going on a plane alone.I also learned about ways to get over my fear of turbulence and bought peppermints to settle my stomach, just in case.

Step five: Brag! It's ok to talk to friends and family about your special event. Just be careful not to rub it in their faces too much or you may have a grudge (or several) to deal with!

Step six: If you are sick with anticipation and can't keep yourself from bouncing up and down in excitement, you can figure out the specifics of how to make time "go faster." Should you do things faster? Like working harder on a project and finishing dinner in 15 minutes? Don't choke! Or should you draw everything out? This usually works best if your event is only a day or so away so that you won't be changing the speed at which you do things for weeks on end.

Step seven: Enjoy yourself. These steps don't have to be followed exactly, but if you do most of them you are bound to have almost as fun looking forward to an event as you are when it actually comes. And when it does come, take in every minute of it! :)

Well, thats all for now, but thanks for reading! If you have any more suggestions on how to look forward to things please comment.

In the Tank: It's a Girl! (I think..)

Well, ladies and gentlemen, just the other day I found a tiny little baby guppy in our fish tank.To keep it out of harms way we put it in a measuring cup that hangs into the water from the side of the tank. i haven't decided on a name for it yet... if you have any ideas, please comment!

I say and you think....

The first one I got off of a website and the second one I made up myself.

Hockey ::  game
Twirling :: skirt
Montreal ::alabama  
Better ::  good
New :: paper  
Rally :: cheerleaders 
Stanley :: higgins 
USB :: cable 
Scouted :: dog 
Cough :: hurt  

computer:: cord

banana:: bandana

lamp::bright

Mary::Poppins

understand::not really

write::poetry

dog::loyal

random::fun

From Kaki to Wacky!

 Ever since school ended I'v been in denial about wearing kaki. To tell you the truth, i don't want to see anything kaki for the rest of my life! So, my mom and I decided to do something about it! Yesterday we took a pair of kaki pants, put them in blue dye and miraculously changed them from kaki to wacky! Lol. I know its cheesy but whatever. Instead of using traditional tie-dye we did something called Low-water Immersion Dyeing. For a tutorial click here.

Also check out Dharma Trading Company for dyes, and all kinds of clothing to dye.

In the Fish Tank: New Residents!

(left to right)Jenna,Toni,Alexander,Eve

After the unfortunate death of my carnival gold fish my tank sat vacant. The friendly humming of the filter was gone, and no light fell through its glass walls. Until, that is, today. My neighbor generously offered to give me some of her guppies and now my tank has four beautiful residents. See picture above. I found a website with the most popular fish names on it, along with their meanings. Here is what i've decided to name them:

Alexander: meaning "defender of mankind," dark grey and white with bright orange fins and tail

Eve: meaning "life," dark grey and white with an orange tail that has dark specks on it

Toni:meaning "priceless," mostly white with iridescent specks and a double tail

Jenna:meaning "smooth and white,"all white

Even though I'm being very optimistic in this post, I know that fish keeping is hard. In the professional fish care world deaths are common place. Hopefully I will have better luck and these fish will live long and happy lives.  

 

Third comment on Shannon Hale's Blog!!

Hey everyone, this is just a short little new flash. I want you all to check out Shannon Hale's blog and read the comments because mine is the 3rd one! I'm so glad I finally commented soon enough to be the 3rd and not the 28th or something like I usually am. Also if you haven't read Shannon Hale's books, u need to. They are fantastic!

ps. You can find the link to her blog on my blog roll.

Go Green!

As most of you know, summer is just a few days away. If you want to do something special with your free time, why not try to save the planet? For most of us, going green means dong the little things: recycling, riding our bikes or the bus in stead of in our cars, using cloth grocery bags instead of plastic. Well, here's a bunch of links that will help you do more to help the environment-

TreeHugger

This site has a bunch of things to look at including games, quizzes, and information on how you can do your part!

Green Basics

This article will tell you everything you need to know about the green movement, from teaching you about locally grown foods to explaining how solar energy works.

How to go Green

This is a guide that will tell you how you can help the environment in every day situations.

Well, thats all for now. Enjoy saving the planet!

Poems

Here's a couple poems that I wrote at the spur of the moment not too long ago. Tell me what you think!

Untitled

Black and white

leading nowhere

we stand tall

stiff and erect

like statues

Shadow and light

moving in boxy patterns

chasing each other

but taking careful steps

Stencil

like the letters on a page

words almost unknown to us

and yet we follow blindly

A pool of Water

A pool of water

awakened by silence

Only to find a simple

bird flitting around its banks

and seeing a deer

goes back to sleep

to await spring

How to Plan Your Summer!

Before getting into the heart of what I want to bring up in this post I'd just like to share a picture (right) of a drawing that I made with fabric paints yesterday. I'm going to add a border, along with a fringe at the bottom and a ribbon at the top so i can hang it in my room like a miniature quilt.

Also, please follow the link below. I found an interesting website full of articles written by writers. Its a nice read if you need something to keep you occupied the isn't numbing brain cells like TV.

Writers on Writing

And now onto the original topic: How to Plan Your Summer.

Summer's on its way. And with it comes freedom, tall glasses of iced tea, plenty of sun, and the usual laziness. But what if you want to plan your summer? You may have some ideas, but don't know how to put them into action. Here's some tips and tricks to help you plan the perfect summer!

• Set goals: what do you want to get done this summer? Any projects you want to start? Maybe you'd like to improve a skill or expand a hobby.
• Plan certain events over the course of the summer that you can do alone or with friends
• If you want to go to a camp enroll early
• Plan a back-yard party and invite all your friends
• Don't fill up your entire summer with things to do. You don't necessarily want every day to be busy.
• Finally, remember that summer is supposed to be easy and relaxing. Plan things you really enjoy doing, and have fun doing them!

Well, thats all for now! Please comment. Your support is always appreciated, and without you I would be "blogging" to myself.

In the Fish Tank: A Death in the Family :(

Isi/Ani

Date of Birth: Unknown

Date of Death: May 5, 2009

Family and Friends: Gerick, Enna, Razo, and the Mills family

You know, I've had many gold fish over the years. Many say fish are surprisingly easy to keep, but experienced fish owners know this isn't true. Looking after an aquarium is a big job. You have to change the water numerous times, check the ph level, keep track of nitrates and nitrites (which are in fact two different things. Look up the nitrogen cycle if you must...) and watch out for over feeding. During this time you get very attached to your fish, and it is always painful when losing one of the pack.

Isi/Ani was only in my tank for a short time. She was short and always a little smaller and chubbier than the others. I loved her orange and white splotches and I had been partial to her in the beginning.It is sad that she had to leave us so soon. I had hoped to be able to give her a better life. One that had not been in an over crowded tank at the pet store or the bazaar where I got her. She only got a glimpse of that better life, but I think she enjoyed it. She was a strong little fish that kept fighting till the end and though she will be sorely missed, she will also be long remembered.

*raises imaginary glass* To Isi! (or Ani) 

In The Tank: Fish Names

Well I decided to name my fish after characters from my favorite book of all time, "The Goose Girl." Here's a list of the names as well as descriptions:

Isi or Ani: Orange and White, slightly smaller than the others

Enna: Orange and black, biggest of the four

Razo: All White,same size as Isi, kinda hyper at times

Gerick: All orange, between Enna and Razo in size 

Over the next few weeks if any new changes arise "in the tank" I will be updating and adding more pictures. Well, that's all for now!

Fish! :D

Breaking News!

I went to a bazaar today and won 4 goldfish! We bought a new, 10 gallon tank, with gorgeous deep blue gravel.

I haven't decided on names, but I'll post them as soon as I decide.

ps. Sorry this post is so short!

Spring is in the Air! (With before-notes)

Before I talk about spring (see title) I must include a few before notes (also see title).

Before Notes

- Poll Results!

Purple: 1 vote

Pink: 3 votes

Green: 2 votes

Blue: 2 votes

Pink won! Runner up is Green and Blue (a tie) and lastly comes purple. Sorry purple, better luck next time! :)

Also don't forget to vote on my newest poll!

That concludes my before-notes. Coming up next; Spring is in the air!

Spring is one of the most unique seasons. The flowers bloom and the trees bust out into brilliant shades of green, but at the same time chilly winds blow and warm rain falls. Spring has also known as a time to start fresh. A time to begin again, wether it be completely altering your lifestyle, or just clearing away some clutter sitting on your bookcases a home. For gardeners, spring is the perfect time to plant flowers. I just planted some in my own garden, even though my little patch of soil has a nasty reputation for being uninhabitable to any kind of plant except a few weeds.:) So anyway to celebrate the season, here's a few links to get you into the spirit of spring!

Seeds of Imagination 

This is a great little game, especially for those who don't have a garden of their own or want to stretch their creativity. Just type in encouraging words to make the flower grow! Also, the music and graphics are very relaxing. 

Spring Quotes

Great quotes about spring!

Flickr Pics: Spring

Self explanatory. You may be surprised by what you get!

Don't forget about those holidays....

St. Patrick's Day

March 17th

April Fools Day

April 1

Passover

April 8

Easter

April 12

Earth Day

April 22

Now you will never miss out on a spring holiday. Well, thats all for now, folks. Tomorrow morning bright and early I'm headed off for El Paso, Texas! Yeeehaaa!!

Colortastic! I explore the amazing uses of colored pens in everday life.

Hello friends! As the picture suggests, I got four brand new, beautifully colored pens from Texas Art today! I have always loved pens, and I have been always been fascinated with their interesting and diverse colors. So follow me into to the world of colored ink, and discover how you too can use them in your every day life.

A List of Uses for Colored Pens:

•  Just because you can't write in green or pink on school assignments, doesn't mean you can't use them for note taking! For a truly colortastic notebook,get into the habit of writing your notes with brightly colored ink.
  
• Bring your pens with you on airplanes or during road trips and doodle away!
  
• Writing letters can be much more fun when using cool purple. You will want to write thank you notes all day!
  
• Customize your journal by writing in your favorite color
• Use a color that reflects your mood

Now that you know just some of the many uses for colored pens, you may want some of your own. But where to begin? The search for the perfect pen is never ending, but below are some tips for helping you get on the right track.

Choosing the Right Pen:

• Make sure to pick colors that you like
• The pen should fit easily into your hand and you should be able to write smoothly with it
• If you are left handed,make sure it doesn't smear or you will get ink all over your hand
• Try not to pick something that is too bulky or heavy
• brands aren't all that important, but if you must know, mine are "Le Pen" by Marvy
• finally, you want the ink to "pop" off the page. Just because the color of the pen is pretty doesn't mean that the color of the ink is the same

Now that you have read all about these wonderful pens,I hope you will be compelled to get a few or use some you already have at home. At very least, I hope that by reading this post you have learned that: Colored Pens Make our World Colortastic!