Getting carded.

Hey, so guess what?
I'm a legal adult.
Like exactly right now.
Craziness!

I'm pretty sure someone is pulling a prank on me.
Like my father is going to run up the stairs and yell, "Ah! You aren't really a legal adult yet! We have been pulling a prank on you for all these years!"

And I will yell and slam my door, but secretly think that it makes sense. . .

I mean, think of it! Only two years away from my second decade.

A decade seems like such a long time. I suppose it's not though.

So, I was thinking: "Self, what have I learned these past years?"

Here's some information I find important...things I've lived through to learn. "Important" things, aye?

- Friends are like duct tape, they can fix anything, hold you together, and can make the prettiest and awesome things.
- Tea is better when the water is heated in a kettle, not in the microwave.
- Keeping a fish alive more than a week seems to be a miracle for me.
- Never through away your VHS player, because there's nothing like a Disney movie with friends.
- When you fall down, pick yourself up off the ground, laugh like mad, then put on a band-aid. Always in that order.
- When you lose the remote, just get off your butt and press the buttons on the actual television.
- Mirrors are meant to be used sparingly.
- Always try to follow the rules, except when painting and playing checkers.
- The darkest lettuce is the best.
- The best safety net isn't made out of rope, but good relationships with people who love God more than you.
- Locking your door doesn't lock out the bad things, just like keeping your mouth shut doesn't hold the hurt in.
- "Being faithful in the small things shows God that you can be trusted with the big things." -Gary Spear.
- Photography is wonderful and lovely, but you have to learn not to live life through a camera lens.
- Sunshine is a wonderful thing made to make people happy. Use it!
- People all over the world are the same in the way that they all just want to be loved.
- You don't have to travel a million miles to find someone to help. But that doesn't mean that you shouldn't travel a million miles to help someone, either.
- Although overpriced on Itunes, music is always worth it.
- There is nothing like a cabin full of girls to make you feel truly happy and loved.
- Hold hands with everyone.
- Find places you are truly happy in and hold onto them, and don't think that it will be somewhere obvious.
- There is no greater blessing than colors.
- You see the trend of the importance of having a critical mind and a skepticism toward everything. But, amidst this questioning society and the heartless plundering through books and thoughts. . .try to find a light in everyone you meet and everything you do and everything you do. That little light, that outlook is worth more than a million books and websites and questions. It has the power to rock worlds, make people smile, and turn dark days into happy days.
- In everything you do, do it for more than just you.

Once upon a time. . .

Fairy tales are something I've always been latched onto.

When I was little I watched all of the Disney movies. When I got a little older I read the gloomy stories of The Brothers Grimm or Hans Christian Anderson.

I like the dark ones, the ones in other languages and cultures, and the ones that make you feel warm inside. I like happy endings and princes that save the day. I like shadows, things that lurk in the woods, and fauns.

I've always secretly wondered what it would be like to fall into a life like that, an exciting one.

I'm watching Pan's Labyrinth right now.

I don't get disturbed easily. It really does take a lot.

I watch scary movies like they are going out of style.

But, something about Pan's Labyrinth haunts me and stirs up that feeling of wanting to be apart of an adventure. This movie is in no way a happy one. It's dark, cryptic, murderous, and creepy. The ending is death.

So why is it that I can't get enough? What is it about me that grabs onto these stories and holds on for dear life?

I read a book called Captivating a year or so ago. It's by Stasi Eldredge, the wife of the popular author, John Eldredge.

I remember that she wrote about how a woman is driven by three needs: the need to be romanced, the need to unveil beauty, and the need to be a part of a great adventure.

Is this true? Is this the adventure-some part of me?

The part of me that drives my need to travel and explore? Is this the part of me that drives my desire to do missionary work?

It's funny how fairy tales and real life adventures are so different. How to me right now, my dragon that I am battling is high school. My prince coming to save me is Lipscomb University. My crown is my camera. My evil step-mother really kind of was my evil step-mother. And, instead of singing to animals. . .I sing in the car.

It's just funny.

The day is young.

Another Friday, another lost football game.

Just saying.

Tonight, Darci, Lindsay, and I terrorized Starbucks (yum). I hadn't been in a long while.

Tomorrow, we (by we I mean Darci, Lindsay, Rebecca, Alli, Jocelyn, and I) are getting up bright and early and going up to Bloomington for the 4th Street Art Festival. Then, we are going to eat at Moe's (double yum), and head off to BestBuy to get a new camera for my birthday!
Ah, I'm super pumped.

Tonight at the football game I shivered. I shivered.

It was cold enough that I shivered. And needed a sweatshirt.

Hallelujah. Just saying.

I love sweatshirt weather.

I've started my year long Bible reading on Youversion.com. Each day you get "assigned" so many bible verses to read. I'm doing it for discipline and to learn to love the bible as a piece of literature. I feel like I acknowledge the fact that it is a wonderful and important piece of literature for my life, but I don't appreciate it for what it is: a great book. It's so interesting and deep and twisting and just as entertaining, if not more than what I read.

I want to fall in love with it.

I am so excited about tomorrow, but I should really go to sleep now. Darci doesn't sleep, so she will be up for another 6 hours. I sleep more than I should sooo. . .stay classy San Diego.

Over and out.

It's all tetrisey.

My brother got in a moped wreck.

He looks like he got out of plane wreck.

He has roadburn under his nose, his knee is nasty, and his elbow is gross.

I walked into the kitchen after church and saw the bloody mess of my dumb brother and my jaw dropped.

"Dirtbike?" I ask.

"Moped." he says.

"You better come up with a better story." I laughed. But really, for that much damage he needs a more manly story.

I should be doing anything but blogging right now.

Okay, then. Wish me luck on Calculus and summaries for Lit/Comp.

Cold Coffee.

Yesterday and today I have been so tired, so I just curled up and took a nap.

I wish I was good at napping, but I'm not.

So those naps turned into two hour naps.

Which means tonight my sleep is also going to turn into a nap.

Fail.

I'm not an expert on politics, or even remotely devoted to watching and learning and caring. . .but I do watch the news every morning.

And I have been seeing so much Glenn Beck it makes me angry. First he pulls "the president's a racist" stunt, and now a overly religious "honor restoring" rally? I know that Glenn Beck really likes Glenn Beck. And now Glenn Beck really loves Jesus too. And this whole thing just feels wrong. Is that fair? Who knows.

Ugh, whatever. I never get fired up about political stuff. . .but this guy really grates on me.

I'm done ranting. What is ranting worth without action or help attached anyway?

I have more time consuming ACP homework, I suppose that I should start on.

But, I won't yet.

Just so you know.

Moo.

Hey girl hey.

I woke up about thirty minutes ago.

Just so you know that would be 8:00.

I rolled out of bed, the light just pouring in. . .and thought to myself, "Man, I really slept in."

The clock tells me otherwise.

Then I appropriately say, "Fail."

Last night was the away football game at Paoli, and we got killed. 32-0. Mind you, Paoli is 6th in the State right now. It was really depressing, let me tell you.

I started doing this European paper cutting called Scherenschnitte. It's German for "scissor cuts". It's paper cutting art. You cut very very intricate silhouette designs out of paper with really small scissors and craft knives. It's tedious and makes me want to scream every once in a while, but I really love the end product.

I'm just finishing my first one, it's a tree and at the base is a bench on either side. On one side sits a little old lady knitting and on the other a little old man reading a newspaper. Schpretty cute. And, of course I couldn't do the normal black paper. . .I did yellow.

You know what I hate, loathe, and abhor? When a friend is going through a difficult situation, that must happen. . .but there is no action you can take to make it any easier for them. You just have to sit back, be there for them, and pray.

I want to Superman spring into action anytime something bad happens to my friends, but sometimes it's not my place. Sometimes, it's only God's place to take action. And sometime's that makes me really mad.

Just wanted to say that.

Doubt it's worth much to say.

Volleyball tournament today, go jackets! (Especially the senior girls and Jocelyn!)

I'll know my name as it's called again.

Isn't Jocelyn beautiful?
I love her.
If you don't know her, you should get to know her. . she's so sweet and real.

I just found this photo and wanted to share it.

It's probably my favorite one I have ever taken.

I just finished my two and a half sections of Calculus homework. Oh, school. . .

Right now, I'm about half-way done with writing a page about Mortimer Adler's artile. I have to state his assertion and to what extent I agree with it.

His assertion (thesis) is this: "Full ownership comes only when you have made it (it being a book) a part of yourself, and the best way to make yourself a part of it is by writing in it."

I actually like this article, suprisingly enough. It is called How to Mark a Book. Doesn't sound too exciting, aye? Mind you, it is much better than the articles from Writing Analytically (our wretched textbook, one of two for the class).

Adler talks about how the only way can really connect with a book and understand what it is saying is if we "converse" with it, write in it, mark it up and down. I mean, I agree to a certain extent. When I am reading one of my non-fiction books (usually a religious one) I keep a journal along with it and highlight the things that seem the most important to me or puzzle me.

But, I think some people are just so intuned with reading that it isn't necessary. I know people like that.

I am not one of those people.

I don't have a very good attention span.

I accidently took a nap, I'm never going to fall asleep tonight.

You should listen to Mumford & Sons- The Cave. Ah, it's way too good.

You can call me Al.

I have very exciting news! And by exciting, I mean I want to scream. . .so here it goes:

I MIGHT BE GOING TO ENGLAND, FRANCE, AND SWITZERLAND FOR TWO WEEKS THIS UPCOMING SUMMER!

Ah, yes.

Two teachers from school are leading a trip to Europe this summer. . .the only problem. . .we need at least thirty people signed up in two weeks or we will not be going.

And the day we know whether we are going or not is on my birthday. I would hate to be told, "We don't have enough people, so we aren't going. Happy Birthday."

This would be my ultimate dream if this actually happened.

Ultimate.

And I feel a little silly saying this, but pray! Pray that it works out. I know that there are a million more important things going on right now. I know it may be a little selfish, but this trip is on my heart. It would be so amazing if it worked out .

Europe! Can you believe it?

Hey, I've got a social disease!

Snap.

Snap.

Snap.

I'm watching West Side Story.

"When you're a Jet, you're a Jet all the way! From your first cigarette to your last dyin' days!"

This past week of school wasn't as bad as I originally thought it was going to be. I really love my summers, so I was really, insanely, nail-bitingly, dreading giving up my summer.

Part of me likes having the routine and the schedule back.

I just need a good project to always work on or I start to feel useless or something. Well, that's a little melodramatic. But, I do always like to be working on something.

Today, Lindsay, Jake, and I went to Goodwill. I bought some old...rather matronly...more like grandmatronly dresses. The fabric is really cool and vintage looking though...

I'm making them into high-waisted skirts. I have one down, two to go. That's my project for the week.

I love to sew.

"Why do you kids live like there's a war on?"

Do the Cupid Shuffle

Today was my last first day of high school.
I'm wiped. . .I forget how much I can't stand high school.
And how much I don't care right now.
At least I have Art, Ceramics, and Textiles to make my life a little less miserable.


Merr. . .179 days and counting.

Feliz cumpleanos a ti!

Okay, I have some very exciting news!

Are you ready? Okay here it goes!

This is my 100th post!

Wait, that's not all! This is also the one year birthday of my blog! The 100th post on the one year birthday of my blog, how exciting is that? Ah, I'm so excited!

I feel like I should be offering prizes or something! You know how they do at stores and things? Are hugs okay? That's about all I got right now....but who doesn't love hugs?

And I feel like I should do something special for that Tanmoy kid, who got me started on this whole blog business. And for Tanmoy I have got...gratitude! Thank you Tanmoy!

Anyway, on with life, aye? But really, this is exciting.


Yesterday was the youth group boat trip! Great fun to be had. Well, for some people anyway...you will understand if you go.

We load up in the church van and head to Patoka Lake at 7:30 A.M.

We rent what they call a Party Barge (which cracks me up). It's a two story pontoon with a slide. And a jank bathroom no one uses.

Some people swam, we grilled, and played Apples to Apples. Good stuff, I'm telling you.

I put on enough sunscreen to kill a woodland creature....mehhh...the downfalls of a pasty complexion. You can see my white light for miles, it's true.

Amazon has a ton of free music right now. Good stuff too, like Sister Hazel, The Benjy Davis project, A Merge Records compilation...and soo much more. There's nothing better than free stuff, especially free music that is actually good.

You really should jump on this opportunity.


I'm about to head to Bloomington with my brother and his silly friend Ryan to do some school shopping. For Avery, this consists of American Eagle tee-shirts that all look the same to me, Underarmor socks and undershirts, and Hollister cologne.

It cracks me up how different girls and boys are.

When I shop for clothes it is definitely billboard advertisement shirts from over priced places and sportswear....

Okay, I'm gonna head out.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BLOG!

Wazzup Diary?

I've been collaging and mod podging my binders and my planner all day.

I put a collage of photos from my summer, especially Honduras, on my locker door.

I'm convinced that if I make all my school supplies and my locker and things look happy and remind me of summer then I might not be as miserable when I'm there.

Rebecca spent the night last night and we pulled out my 5th grade journal...ahhh it was muy hilarioso.

Not only was I boy crazy, but I was majorly A.D.D.
I will write some of the entries, because they are too good not to share.
Okay here's a good one:

February 28th, 2005 (I was in sixth grade.)

Today was an okay day. Kinda boring. I love writing in a diary. It gives me a chance to tell my every thought but no one hears. Like I can tell a secret like I used to be scared of the fat dalmation, Rolley, on 101 dalmations.

-Melissa

Okay here's another fun one:

May 3rd, 2005

Wow, I haven't written in a month! Well, here it goes- I'm writing a book, it's about 1/2 way done, my choir concert is coming up really soon, we are moving into a house in town at mom's, school is out in two weeks, we went camping, I watched that new movie Finding Neverland with Johnny Depp and it made me cry in front of my family, Chad Michael Murray got married, we opened up our pool and it was green, our cat had kittens, I got sea monkeys, well I've had them for a while and they are really cool, and that's all I can think of right now. Oh, well.

-Melissa

Yes, that was all one sentence.
Oh, the things that are important to a twelve year old.......
I was a really deep sixth grader.

I know, right?!? WHAT?

I went school shopping today with the Slone women. We left at eleven and got back home at eight thirty. We conquered I think.

I bought a pair of knock-off Birkenstocks and they made fun of me. Said that I dress like I am a grandmother.

It's funny because it's kind of true.

My favorite cardigan used to belong to Katie's grandma.....I really love it.

Okay, I have been really dumb the past two days. It is like my brain has completely turned off....and I'm not kidding.

Yesterday I was sitting on a couch and Aaron Taflinger flopped down next to me and completely crushed me. I screamed and he looked at me and said, "It was only half of me, like 80 pounds. That's it."

And then I replied, "Aaron Taflinger, you do not weigh 120 pounds."

Fail.

I hope you get it, because if you don't then you are like me.

Welp, this is a pointless post. That was all I have to say.

I'm going to go watch The Golden Girls and paint my toenails, it's an exciting night....

Diamonds.

Today is Saturday.

Last night was a girl's night...oh how I love girl's nights.

To boys who read this: one of the things we talk about most are weddings. Yep, we even look up our dresses on the internet. It's almost an obsession. Why is this?

I really don't know. Nor do I care that much.

It's romantic I guess.

This morning when I walked into the house on the dining room table were many many perfume and cologne boxes. And not just anything but Armani and Yves Saint Laurent and Diesel...oh my.

My dad gets them for free, they are like the tester ones they put out in the stores. I am smelling so good and I am so happy.

I have this weird thing for smelly good stuff. Like, I really adore smelling good. The Diesel smells so good, I don't want my brother to wear it. When I look at him I feel like he is still a little kid...not a teenage boy. It's kinda sad.

Educational Material Fee Invoice

I don't even know what day it is...it's either Thursday or Wednesday, aye?

Summer is eating at my brain, and I love it.

I got my class schedule:
1. Advanced Art
2. Advanced Psychology
3. Ceramics
4. English 12 Lit/Comp
5. Economics/Government
6. Calculus
7. Textiles/Fashion

Ummm...yeah. The first three classes and the last I'm all over it. I wish I could just skip 4, 5, and 6.....especially Calculus. Mr. Kearns is a wonderful teacher and he really cares but I really don't care about Calculus. I'm fully aware of the fact that I'm never going to use it. Some people will, but I'm not that person.

Yesterday I was talking to my mother on the phone and we were talking about how much I can't stand high school and how I don't feel like I belong there blah blah blah. . . .then we got to the subject of math and how much I abhor it also.

Then my mom says "I have a secret. I used to always convince you that math was fun and girls could do math...but in high school I read books during math."

She said it in a tone like she was about to tell me she stole the Statue of Liberty or was confessing she was a serial killer. I told her I read during classes too....and then I proceeded to crack up.

I still don't understand the whole thing about how "girls can do math too....". My mom is kind of a feminist. It's true. She wants to change Mother's Day to Women's Day because not all women have children and they work hard too.

I'm such a dissapointment because I'm not a feminist at all......my mom is hilarious. I love her.