I'll Be Home For Christmas

My brother, who is training to be a Navy SEAL, was able to get leave for Christmas and will be coming in tomorrow. It has been such a long time since I last saw him and got to spend time with him. While he was home for a weekend this past summer, I think I saw him twice during the two days because he went out with all his friends and was rarely home. This time though, he'll be home for two and a half weeks and he'll be coming down to see me in Corpus before we both go back to San Antonio for the holidays. It should be a wonderful time and I can't wait to see my baby brother.


Here's a picture of my brother, sister, and me from the last time he was able to come home:

I am so happy that he is able to come home for Christmas and I know that it will be a while before we get to see him again. Earlier this month, he sent me a quote that I love: "Distance is not for the fearful, it is for the bold. It's for those who are willing to spend a lot of time alone in exchange for a little time with the one they love. It's for those knowing a good thing when they see it, even if they don't see it nearly enough..."

I wish that the men and women of the armed forces were able to be home with their loved ones during the holidays, but I know that isn't possible. Still, I wish all of them and their families a very merry Christmas and a happy holiday season. God Bless our armed forces for without them, we would not be able to enjoy all the freedoms we have.

Happy Belated Thanksgiving

While this post is a few days late, I want to wish all of my readers a happy Thanksgiving. I hope your holiday was more relaxing than mine. I went Black Friday shopping with my sister and mom for the first time in several years.

Let's just say, I was very disappointed with the greed of people.

My sister wanted a stand mixer and I wanted a set of frames from Wal-mart and when we got there, both of those items were completely out of stock, but people were going around the store with carts full of those items and were completely unwilling to let anyone else have one. I honestly wish that Wal-mart would put a max on the number of the sale items each person could get, so more people have an opportunity to get what they want. According to my aunts, there was a fist fight at another Wal-mart over a silly toy car that kids can drive. People like that should be ashamed of themselves. Do you really need that TV so badly that you're willing to punch someone out for it?!?

After the chaos of Wal-mart, shoppers in Target were a lot more civilized and organized and I was relieved that I was able to get things on my list there with little problem. Also, the employees were a lot more friendlier than Wal-mart employees. It annoys me when employees are extremely rude to customers, especially when a customer is nice to the employee and low maintenance. I realize that it was a busy day, but biting a customer's head off can make your employer lose customers and money.

Let's just say that by the end of the night I was exhausted and ready to sleep for a week. I do not know if I will go Black Friday shopping again next year, it was so much more stressful than past years and I am sick of people's greed when it comes to special sales on Black Friday. I think I'll just stick to the safety of my own home and the virtual wonder called Cyber Monday.

Once again, I wish my readers a very Happy belated Thanksgiving and remember to be thankful for the things in your life every day of your life, not only once a year.

1 Year Anniversary!

Well today is the one year anniversary of this blog. Yay! Well, although this isn't the most popular blog out there, I still love doing this and will post more in the future. Thank you to all of my readers and I hope you'll stick with me for the next year and the many years to come.
I'll end this quote with one of my favorite quotes:
"Life is not measure by the number of breaths we take, but by the number of moments that take our breath away."

Isn't that the way they say it goes...

Well, it's been awhile but I'm back. School has kept me extremely busy and next semester isn't going to be any easier since I'll be taking 18 hours. I have a project and/or paper and/or presentation in all of my current classes and they're all due in the next three weeks.

On the topic of school, I have been contemplating what I want to do once I graduate from college. I was talking to a friend the other day and they were talking about life after college and how important it is to do something you love. That made me pause because what I love has nothing to do with the major I am in or the possible career choices I've thought about. I realized that the jobs I was thinking about pursuing are interesting, but not something I see myself doing long term and that the jobs I would truly love either do not pay well, require extra schooling, or are impossible to get in to. While I will stick with this major and career outlook until I graduate and can afford to look into other job opportunities, I still want to end up doing something I love.

My family all support my current major and career choice. One side of my family thinks that my "loves" are a foolish waste of time and money and that if I try to do these jobs, then I should look for a husband who will be able to "take care of me" and the bills. It frustrated me and wanted me to tell them off, but if I did that, then I would have estranged myself from an entire side of my extended family.

I was listening to the Jim Croce song "Operator" and the first line of the chorus really stood out to me: "Isn't that the way they say it goes." I realized that life goes on, regardless of our wants, needs, or desires and often  things end up how they usually do, no matter what we may do to try and change them.

Life may be out of our control in our eyes, but I know that God is in control of everything. I hope your week goes well and I will post again on the one year anniversary of this blog (Sunday, November 20).

Homemade Earring Holder

A few days ago, I was frustrated that I did not have enough room for all of my earrings in my jewelry box, so I decided to improvise and make my own. I think it turned out really well, so I thought I'd share with you readers how to make one of your own.

Step 1: Gather Supplies

For this project you'll need:

• Plastic Canvas: any size or shape you want, but I used a rectangular sheet since it seemed the easiest to do (you can get this fairly cheap at any craft store)
• Fabric: again you can go for any type and color you want, but make sure that you can completely cover the plastic canvas
• Scissors: so you can cut the fabric and thread
• Thread: it looks nicer if it matches your fabric, but really it's up to you
• Pins: to hold the fabric together
• Sewing Machine: so you can make a pocket for your plastic canvas (you could also use some sort of no-sew stuff--like glue or fusible fabric tape, but I sewed mine)
• "Coat Hanger": basically something to hang your earring holder off of (I used a coat hanger but you can use virtually anything)
• Fasteners: so you're able to attach the earring holder to the "coat hanger" (I used safety pins, but once again, it's up to you)

 Step 2: Prep the Fabric

Next you'll need to measure the amount of fabric you'll need for the project by wrapping the fabric (wrong side facing out) around the plastic canvas so essentially, the fabric creates a pocket around the plastic canvas with a 1/4in seam allowance. Leave one end long (about 3-4 inches) so you can create a tube in which to insert your hanging tool. After you measure and then cut off the excess fabric, pin around the canvas so you know where to sew, leaving the long side open so you can take the plastic canvas out.

Step 3: It's Sewing Time

After you have your fabric ready, take the plastic canvas out and sew the fabric pocket for that canvas. Be careful not to sew too close to where you marked with the pins, otherwise you won't be able to put the plastic canvas back in.

Step 4: Sewing Part 2

After you finish the first part of the sewing, take fabric pocket and turn it right side out. Then slip the plastic canvas back in the pocket. Pin where the plastic canvas ends on the long side and sew the plastic canvas into the fabric pocket. The last sewing you'll have to do with the machine is to hem the long end so there are no loose threads.

Step 5: Finishing Touches

When you're done with all the sewing, take your earring holder and wrap the long end around the tool you plan on using to hang the holder. I used a coat hanger and brought the long end to where the plastic canvas ended at the top of the fabric pocket, essentially creating a tube. Then you'll need to close the tube with some sort of fastener. I chose to take the easy way out and use safety pins so I can change how I hang it up.

Once you're done with all of that, enjoy hanging all of your earrings up. :)

Here's what your earring holder should look like in the end:

My Birthday

July 17th was my 20th birthday and to celebrate, my boyfriend manned up and took me to the San Antonio Museum of Art. I was so happy that he was willing to take me, since no one else in my family or friends in San Antonio were willing to do so. We spent 4 hours in the museum and I enjoyed every minute of it (and I think he did too). While we were there I was able to take tons of photos in the permanent exhibits (they would not allow any photography in the special exhibits, but I was okay with that since all the stuff I really enjoyed was in the permanent collections).

Here's a small selection of what I took that I thought my readers would enjoy:

Outside of the Museum-The San Antonio Museum of Art is housed in the former Lone Star Brewery.

Horus Falcon (Ptolemaic Period)-The fascinating thing about this bird is that while it was originally carved to represent the Egyptian god Horus, the Romans later took it (and others like it) and turned it into the Roman eagle.

Vessel in the Shape of a Parrot (Mochica Culture)-This was one of my boyfriend's favorite works of art (he had a strange liking to all the bird and animal sculpture and paintings that day)

The Lansdowne of Marcus Aurelius (Roman)-This was one of my favorite pieces of sculpture in the entire museum.

Noah Sacrificing After the Deluge by Benjamin West (Close-up on Doves and Rainbow)-This is part of a larger unfinished painting by Benjamin West. I took this picture because my mom loves the story of Noah and ark, particularly God's promise that He will never flood the earth like that again and how He sent the rainbow as a sign of that promise.

Charity the Teacher by Lorenzo Bartolini-This was another one of my favorite pieces of sculpture.

Oklahoma 4 by Luis Cruz Azaceta-The fascinating thing about this work of art is that it is built out of rubble from the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing

This is a picture of me standing outside of the San Antonio Museum of Art in front a work of art that was installed on the side of the building that was next to the SAMA parking lot.

All Alone in the Wild Blue Yonder

This week has been one of my most lonely and eye opening weeks of this summer. I have spent a lot of time at home and with my thoughts and while I've been home (alone on most days) I've been thinking about my friends and the relationships I have with them. There are some people in my life who I know I will be friends with for life while a majority I probably won't see or really speak to (save for facebook) for quite some time. While it frustrates me and makes me sad that these friends are not as close as we once were or as I hoped they would be, I am so grateful for those friends who are there for me and who will (God willing) be there for me during the roller-coaster of life.

My best friend Roxanne is like a sister to me and even though we don't get to see each other very often, I can go to her with any problems or questions and she helps me, guides me, and comforts me--and I do the same for her.

My friend Nick is the funny man in my life and I can always go to him for a laugh and a good time, but what many people do not realize it the wisdom and kindness that emanates from him and how good a friend he is. My boyfriend and I have spent several summer evenings just talking with him in his driveway for hours on end.

The last friend of mine who has always been there for me would be my boyfriend. When my aunt died last week, he rushed over with flowers and instead of volunteering at the hospital, he spent the whole day with me; when her funeral came around, he was there holding my hand or holding me in his arms as I said goodbye to another member of my family.

While I do realize that some friends left my life because of me and my actions and because they weren't really good friends to start off with, I do wish I had more contact with those friends that I don't see or talk to as often. My personal goal for next week is to try and re-establish a connection with one of my friends and I suggest all of my readers to do the same.

Oh Where is My Hairbrush

The second weekend I was home from college I decided to take the plunge and donate a foot of my hair to a organization called  Children with Hairloss. If you are considering donating your hair, please consider this company over Locks for Love or Beautiful Lengths because they are in desperate need of hair donations. I have already donated my hair once before and will continue to do so until it becomes impractical. I scheduled a hair appointment with my wonderful hair stylist Fiona. She loves working with my long hair and doesn't charge me a ridiculous price like Fantastic Sams and Great Clips has done. My boyfriend went along with me to be my support as well as take pictures of my big change.

Here's a picture of my hair before the cut:

After the first cut:

 The final result with my hairstylist Fiona:

I'm still waiting to try curling my hair since prior to my haircut, when I would curl it, my hip length hair would shorten to above my waist. Once I do that, I will post pictures of it.

Long Time No Speak

My Dear Readers

Me and those two wonderful girls

I apologize for taking so long to post a new entry. My life has been so busy and complicated that I have neglected you readers. I survived my last semester at Roanoke and the trip home. I said goodbye to two wonderful girls who were my singing buddies in choir and I hope to see them sometime in the future. If I don't see them before we graduate from our different colleges then I will be sure to invite them to my wedding--whenever that day may be, though I can guarantee that it won't be until after I graduate college.

Speaking of weddings...
A good friend of mine is getting married in the fall and my cousin in marrying his lovely girlfriend this July. If you know me, then you know I love weddings and I am so glad my friend has asked me to sing at her wedding. What I'll be singing, I do not know but it is an honor and a privilege to be asked to do so. I wish all the couples getting married this summer all the luck in the world.

On to my next topic...

My brother's Naval bootcamp graduation

This past weekend, my brother came home on a short leave from SEAL training. It was wonderful to see him and actually be able to talk to him face to face. He has gotten so much tanner and looks amazing in his dress whites. My sister and I took him up to our mom's school to surprise her when he first got in and when she saw him she burst into tears. It was the most touching reaction I had ever seen and I wish I had had my camera to record it. Even though I didn't get to spend much time with him, it was still great to have him home. I can't wait until he's home again.

Well, that's all I have for now. I will write again soon. Hope your summer is going well. :)

When You Feel Like You're Living In A Bubble

Lately I feel as though I'm living in a bubble vainly looking at the outside in the hopes that someone will rescue me from it. While I have an amazing boyfriend and some great friends who are kind enough to relieve this feeling, whenever I'm alone it creeps right back and at times it is overwhelming. I suppose it can be helpful when I have tests to study for or papers to write, but lately all it's been is frustrating.
I guess the main reason behind this post is the fact that I was sitting outside thinking about my family and I realized that I have no clue what's happening in any of their lives-including my own sister's-except from what I find out via facebook. Do you have any idea how frustrating it is to find out that your family has all these things planned and yet none of them bothered to take into consideration the fact that I might like to know about these things and even participate in them if I'm home for them? I do understand that I am over 1000 miles away at school but that doesn't mean that I've completely disappeared.
Another question is why is it that I have to be the one to initiate everything-from phone calls to emails to chats on facebook? And why is it that it seems like the only thing some of my family have to say to me is to lecture me about the "mistakes" I am making in my life? Is getting good grades, being secretary for 2 clubs on campus, going to several bible studies, and singing in one of the choirs on campus a mistake? I honestly don't think so, so why do people in my own family constantly belittle me and my dreams?
I know this may sound like I am complaining, but my patience with the world is slim to none. Hopefully next time my post will be more positive. Thank you for putting up with my rant.

A Late Valentine's Day

      Regardless of your beliefs about Valentine's Day (also known as Single Awareness Day), I personally love it. While I do believe that if you have someone you love in your life, you should tell them everyday and do little things for them to remind them just how much you care about them. I don't need a fancy gift or my boyfriend shouting from the mountain top--although I do love roses. This Valentine's Day, Denis and I were apart which kind of put a damper on the day, but we spent 4-5 hours chatting on Skype and  beating each other at the games we played. It was the highlight of my month and I cherish the time we spent talking. When I go home for Spring Break, he and I will celebrate Valentine's Day and go on an awesome date. Having someone to love and being loved are (at least to me) the most precious feelings in the world. I am so lucky to have such loving people in my life and I truly believe that I am blessed. I would like to wish everyone a belated Valentine's Day and I'd also like to tell my readers that even if you feel like you're alone in the world, I believe that everyone deserves to have someone who cares about them. I'd also like to send my regards to the men and women of the armed forces who don't get to spend Valentine's Day with the people they love; thank you for your dedication and for protecting our country.

What Is His Plan for Me?

    As I have been applying to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, I have been contemplating what I want to do with my life. One downside to going to TAMU-CC is that they don't have an Art History major so I will have to change majors and my options are Education, English, and History. So far I have decided to go with an English major and then getting my teaching certificate through the alternative teaching certificate program in Texas. But the downside is that majoring in English will put a damper on my ideal plan to work for a museum after getting my Master's in Medieval Art, so I must decide if I should go with something that I love or something that I would like but not necessarily love or want to spend my entire life doing.
    Since I was a little girl, I have been told that I should become a teacher and now faced with this complication in my life I have been re-examining the possibility of me becoming an elementary school teacher and then getting a Master's in Library Science (online most likely) so I could become a librarian at an elementary school. I do love children and would love to instill a love for reading in even just one child.
    In my education class I have been assigned the task of either mentoring or tutoring a student who has a high chance of dropping out of school in order to gain experience with children while truly deciding if teaching is what we want to do with our lives. I have chosen to work with an elementary school aged child and will find out what exactly what I'll be doing in the coming weeks. I believe that this opportunity will give me the chance to re-evaluate my life and help me decide whether I want to become a teacher.
    One good thing about transferring to a school in Texas is that I will be closer to my family should any emergencies occur or should problems arise. I am tired of my family never telling me anything and me having to find out about things on facebook--like my baby cousin having to have emergency surgery over the weekend. Also, when my dad was in the hospital, I had to survive on phone calls to know what was going on and even then I rarely got updates on his health status. When I transfer back to Texas, I will be able to come home in a short drive and won't have to rely totally on infrequent phone calls and facebook for important things going on in my family.
    With everything else going on, I was dismayed when I was told that my aunt was diagnosed with cancer and she'll have to go through lots of chemotherapy in order to try and eradicate the cancer. Only a few years ago my grandmother died of cancer, so I know just how difficult it is to deal with watching the one you love deal with this disease that has killed millions and will continue to kill until we find a cure. So I am asking for your prayers for her and my family.
    In the midst of all of the things I have been dealing with, I have been trying to figure out what God wants me to do with my life. As I continue to contemplate, I keep remembering my confirmation verse (Psalm 46:1- God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in times of trouble) and how true that statement is; even when the storms of life seem to appear that they will swallow us whole, God is there by our side. So as you're going through this week, think about how God has helped you through any challenges you have faced or with the difficult decisions you've had to make.

Why Is Saying Goodbye So Hard to Do

Of all the things in the world, my least favorite thing to do is to say goodbye.  This ranks above flying, packing, and doing homework.Why is saying goodbye such a hard thing to do? Last night I had to say goodbye to my boyfriend after getting to spend a month together. As a typical girl, I cried while we said our goodbyes. Even now as I'm writing this, tears still well up. Anyway, my month with him has been one of the best months of my life and I can't wait until I get to see him again. With God's help, I know we'll be able to survive the nights and days apart and our relationship will come out even stronger.
Going on with the topic of goodbyes, I found out over this break that I have to transfer schools and come back to Texas for the rest of my college education. On the plus side, I'll be reunited with my boyfriend and we'll get to see each other more often. On the other hand, I have to say goodbye to dear old Roanoke and all of the things I love there-including my friends and my choir. In the upcoming month, I need to start arranging everything to make the transition as smooth as possible. Hopefully I'll still keep in touch with my friends there. I will miss all the wonderful individuals there and I wish my situation was better so that I could stay at Roanoke, but things change and I see this as a opportunity to grow and that Denis and I are meant to be together and that we've done the long distance relationship long enough.
I hope your Christmas and New Year's were full of love and growth, I know mine were.