I created a new blog yesterday. Poetry of Presence. Here is what I said about it in my "About me:"

"I feel called to write. The question then always comes, "What?" I usually take the cop-out of 'fantasy,' but what I really mean is much more than that. I want to write stories that are birthed from the Spirit, that touch peoples' hearts and change something deep inside of them. I am called to the broken and hurting, and I know that writing will be a tool the Lord uses to bring healing and strength. So, how do I get there?

I am a Junior, about to declare my English major with a creative writing emphasis. I am dedicated to my studies, but I feel lately that there is a new level of preparation. This blog is an outlet, for my writing to begin being read (and criticized)...and I hope it begins to leak revival in it's readers. Please let me know your thoughts and responses"

The url is: www.poetryofpresence.blogspot.com and you can follow the link down to the right(in my "Sites I Frequent" list). I'll be using this blog for developing my writing, therefore you will find the different things the Lord been dropping in my Spirit, short or long, poetry or prose, as well I suspect you will find several quotes and stories from other authors which greatly impact me.

Please take the time to comment when you do read it, as that is one of the major purposes of this blog (the other purpose being it birthing something in you, the reader). Thanks guys, and that blog url is free to pass around (unlike this one which I have kept among close friends and family).

So yes, please read, comment often (and honestly), and feel free to pass it around. I have a couple fun ideas which will make this blog pretty fun for you all to read (I hope!).

Love you all :)

Bathroom Update.

So, this is what I spent Friday doing.



This little piece is what inspired the whole redecoration. I found it in a little eclectic store at Alderwood Mall. I loved it!

I love springs and fountains. At first my family might think that it is hereditary from dad (and maybe it is), but it flows from a number of words I've heard the Lord tell me. A couple yers ago (in MCs) the Lord first told me I was a garden fountain. Since then, many times He has drawn on that image in our special times where He tells me how He sees me. Furthermore, one of my "life mottos" (I guess you could call it that- I usually don't) is "Taste and see that the Lord is good" they kind of go together, my life is a spring, a fountain, for the weary to come drink from- to come drink of the Lord's goodness. I want my life to say, "Taste and see that the Lord is good!" :) I wanted the bathroom to be a place of finding real rest. It's the first thing you see in the morning, and the usually the last. I'm going to write something around the top of the shower as well....where we'll read it first thing in the morning in the shower, or in the evening in a bath. And that is pretty much what is behind this bathroom.

I also happen to think it's pretty cute :)

There are a few more details to be done- touching up the edges, and building two boxes (mom and I bought the wood Saturday and had it cut. We also picked up new light shades, I put those in yesterday....it's all coming together rather nicely. I want to go get these specific hooks for the back of the door as well.)

The beach pictures are finally up! Woohoo! They are making me sad though, because I'd really much rather be at Waverly, with these people, even in the ugly weather we have at this moment, then be sitting at my desk dealing with the stuff I am...with the person I am :(

This really was one of the best days so far this summer. We were all so sad later when we didn't get any pictures of our bonfire. It wasn't your typical bonfire either...it was our first at the Ungers. It was pleasantly backrounded (I just coined that phrase) by the crooning of Nat King Cole, and it was full of so much fun and so much peace. I loved it- we all loved it!

But after all this fun in the sun, and BEFORE we decided to head to the Ungers' we first went to CeFiore (which morgan appropriately pronounced and made me so much happier than she knows, haaahaa). This stuff is good! I think I need to branch out more though. I always get the same thing- Green Tea frozen yogurt, with granola and raspberries. However, last friday Morgan P. and I went there and I mixed green tea frozen yogurt, with the acia berry, and it was pretty tasty- PLUS I added bluberries to my usual granola and raspberries! YUM-EE!



We took at least 5 different takes of this jumping pic (notice Todd is in a different place from one to the next) and we were sooo tired by the end of it! But it was so fun! And the weather was incredible- the perfect summer temperature!

I am praying for many more days like this one, before summer is over and we all head back to school- and some of us head to MCs :) Rosie and I made a trip to the mall yesterday so I could grab anotehr can of paint (I finished the bathroom- but more on that soon!). I couldn't beleive it- school stuff is starting to get displayed- still lots of great dresses, but they are a little more fallish- and tights accompany them- also, rainboots and umbrellas were shown! (I think I might go back for the rainboots- I'd get a lot of use out of them at UW in the fall- the campus floods!) But no more talk of school, summer is still in full swing! Bonfires and beaches, bonfires and beaches...

That's right, my favorite (living) author is about to release his 14th book! I can hardly wait! Its been just about a year since his last. Not only that, but they created another screenplay from one of his older books, which will be in theaters this fall. I don't know how excited I am for it, because it's one of my less favorites of his, plus its staring Richard Gere and Diane Lance (and James Franco). We'll see I guess. I am waiting for them to create a film from his book "A Bend in the Road", I remember I LOVED that one. That, and The Wedding are two of his best books which have yet to be adapted to films. In case you are somehow unaware (I tell most people this at one point or another), Sparks also wrote "The Notebook", "A Walk to Remember", and "Message in a Bottle" which all became films of the same names. I've saved my Barnes & Noble gift card from Kim (from my birthday back in January!!), so I can use it to buy the new Sparks book. I used to love buying books, but as of late, I've realized buying books is complicated. Because once you've read it, even if you enjoyed it, you likely wont read it again (at least not anytime in the near future)....so, you don't really want to buy a book AFTER you just read it. At the same time, when I just buy books that "look good" I often end up not even liking them and wishing I hadn't. I absolutely still love to wander used book stores- dusty and crammed. But when it comes to B&N or UW Bookstore, I spend enough money buying school books I hate for ENglish classes...I now hold off on buying random books there for pleasure.

EXCEPT for favorite authors- like Sparks. I LOVE having hardbacks of his books sitting on my shelf. And same with Shakespeare, or MacDonald, and books I'll want to digest (like Bill Johnson's and Eldredge's and others). :)

Bathroom Update:


By the end of the night I had finished one entire coat of the bathroom. This was taken close to the end, as I cut it all in. It is DARK, but I think it will look great as I get to pull off all the tape and all the white trim comes out sharp :) I am excited!! I'll need to buy another can before I can finish, which is frusterating since that will be next week when I get a chance! :(

No beach today-

I had a great lunch with one of my favorite ladys, Kim Rankin! :) We meet downtown Kirkland at one of my favorite cafe's. Then, I met up with Heidi and we went to ANOTHER coffee shop. We are sitting at a table in the open window, drinking our ice tea and typing on our matching white macs :) Oh how I love this girlie across from me!!!

I still feel a little sick and am debating whether to go to my soccer game in an hour or not...oh how I HATE decisions, awwwwrrrrrr. :(

Waverly, oh Waverly!

As of late, the weather has been incredible here in Washington- and I DO mean incredible! Weeks of clear skies and warm sunshine! I have yet to make it out on a boat, but the beaches have become my second home. Today might be day 6 straight that I head to the water (pool or Waverly!). I mean might, because I have been feeling sort of sick the last couple days :( I think its the warm sunshine, which is stealing my appetite, which is then leaving me weak...which makes me want to eat even less...you see the pattern?

This weekend was so incredibly fun. I have been waiting to post about it until I could steal pictures, but since miss heiders is taking a while, I decided to use the ones on my phone.




A very exciting thing that happened this weekend:
Kristin Hale got engaged Sunday!! We were at her engagement party last night...it was all done very kristin-style :) Love her!


ps. the bathroom is still unfinished...oops.

Current Project: painting the bathroom

I bought the paint back during spring break and I finally got around to getting started yesterday. All the white has been painted, now comes the brown (hopefully in the next hour, when the spakling is finished drying.) I've decided painting the bathroom maybe the most fun, because it is small and you are done before you get tired of it, plus I get to use a brush rather than a roller on most of it.

Today I had a great few hours with my dad, a special treat for him and I these days. We got to take one of our favorite walks, through Edmonds. We first stopped in downtown Edmonds and got coffee, then we drove through some of our favorite streets. This giant white house is one of my all-time favorite houses. (I planned to post the pictures, but I cannot find the cable for my camera- I will have to add them when I find it and can upload my pics, sorry.) I have dreamed for several years about buying it someday. Sadly, they tore down the stables at the bottom of the hill and are preparing to build some houses where it once was. No one is living in the house right now (so we think), so we looped into the beautiful circular drive to take a closer look, and for me to capture a few pictures. This house has the best of everything, it's in Edmonds, it has an incredible view of the Puget Sound and the mountains, a LOT of property, it is incredible and beautiful and huge, an old Georgian style mansion with beautiful proches and big white pillars, and it used to have stables for horses- this is my dream house, or so it was before they tore down the stables and decided to cram houses at its foot. :(

After our walk we stopped at a coffee shop and got drinks. The coffee shop is in this little shopping area, that looks like an old-fashioned town. It's one of the places I remember from my youngest memories- sitting there with my dad and kris eating ice cream cones.

Then, I washed my car, wandered Fred Meyers some with my mom, and came home and folded and put away all the laudry in my room. I actually accomplished my goals for the day- cleaned my car and room- and it feels great! I even went through all the papers and mail I've been putting aside for months! I threw away a bunch of school stuff...wow, feels good.

So, on with the accomplishing of my goals...Here are some favorite pictures from our trip to Oregon... the Kite Festival, OddWater Aquarium, around the beach house, on the shore, and around town...







(that's me on top in the light grey sweater...Scott caught me taking a pic of myself with my camera, lol)

So, random thought that just reoccured...

I was updating my facebook profile for summer and I started things of all the things I love about summer- at the top of the list is ice cream, and frozen yogurt- DELICIOUS!

This led me to my next statement,

CeFiore is not pronouced "say"- it is CHAY. It is Italian. In Italian, "ce" and "ci" both are pronounced like we pronounce "che" and "chi". And in fact, they pronounce "che" as "ke" (like the beginning of 'ketchup') and "chi" as "key".....the 'h' makes the 'c' a hard 'c'.

That is all. CeFiore [chay-fee-or-ay], and yes, it is absolutely delicious!

OKay, so I have still not added the photos from the trip (they are up on my facebook). I will get them soon, but right now I do not have them on this computer.
So, in the meantime...Here are a couple photos I have stolen from friends. The last few days I have gotten to catch up with friends. Pool days with Ty and Morgan, lunch at the park with Kyle, a tour of Rob's new place, movies, and dessert made by Bryan (fresh mangos are my new favorite I think!!), and coffee with Bianca
...and I have not yet finished unpacking and washing from Oregon. :/ whooops. Well, tomorrow and friday will hopefully give me a chance to catch up on laundry, cleaning my room, and washing my car....at least that is my hope.

Tonight I have another game. Our last one was actually enjoyable, so lets pray tonight's is too!

(this pic was taken in Oregon one night- I joined Heidi and her fam for a bonfire on the beach)

home again. pics and post to follow soon :)