Cottage Hill: Making and Enhancing Children's Silhouettes

Cottage Hill: Making and Enhancing Children's Silhouettes:

'via Blog this'

Home-Dzine - Recycle pizza boxes into wall art

Home-Dzine - Recycle pizza boxes into wall art:

'via Blog this'

Dry-Erase Board Paint for the Home | Kids Room Paint Ideas | IdeaPaint

Dry-Erase Board Paint for the Home | Kids Room Paint Ideas | IdeaPaint:

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20 Cool Home Library Design Ideas | Shelterness

20 Cool Home Library Design Ideas | Shelterness

I need some feedback

I have no idea if anyone reads this blog but if you do please leave some feedback. I will no longer be taking any English classes and I need to keep up with my writing. I don't want to write about things that would not be interesting but I need feedback about what my readers (if I have any) would like to read. I am trying to be more active on my blogs and trying to build them up. If you could leave a comment or email me at southernbella20@gmail.com about any thing you would like to see on this blog I would be very grateful. Thanks very much!

Staying Organized in College

As a 2nd semester Junior I feel I have a lot of wisdom to pass onto little freshies and freshettes that are just entering their new life. One of the most important thing I learned very quickly is that if you forgot something you normally forgot it big time. To avoid forgetage you have to stay organized. I tried various methods. Separate notebooks, organizers, etc. But I finally fine tuned it down to a system that is very organized and easy to use. This is perfect because it keeps everything in view and keeps you from losing papers. I can see this working for a high-school student as well. To set up your organizer you are going to need:

• 1 large 3-ring binder. Get one in a color you will like but not too fancy. You will probably wear it out in one semester anyway. Mine looks like this:

 My brother drew this picture for me. So I stuck it in the binder so I could see it every day. 

 It is nice because it has two inside pockets instead of one. I smudged out my student ID so nasty people can't hack into my account and give me bad grades. 

• One 3 ring hole punch. This is not completely needed, you could do it with a regular hole punch but a 3 ring makes it faster:

• One pack of highlighters. Try to find a pack that has as many colors as classes you have that semester. I normally take 5 classes and was lucky enough to find a pack that had 5. You will assign a color to each class and anything that needs to be highlighted for that class is only done in that color. For example I assigned English a blue highlighter. Anytime I had research I printed out I highlighted the information I needed in blue. I did this to make sure that if my papers got mixed up I could tell which research was for which class. 

• One pack of dividers. Make sure you have one for every class. You can pick if you want them to have pockets or not. I personally chose ones without for this semester because I was doing online classes. If I was in a classroom I would chose ones with pockets and any work I needed to turn in the next class would go into that pocket. 

• One sheet protector or hole reinforcers.This is to keep your weekly schedule in or to reinforce the holes in your schedule. I use reinforcers because I am too lazy to pull the schedule out and put it back in. 

SET UP

Setting up the binder is not hard. First place the dividers in your binder and make sure they are labeled neatly with the each class like so: 

Once your class starts either print another copy of the syllabus or make a copy of the one you get from your professor (or you could ask them for another copy). File the original one way in a file box. Make sure you keep all of your syllabi. Place the copy in your binder behind the divider for the corresponding class like so:

Now your binder is set up. 

SCHEDULE

If your professors post their syllabus online on a site like Blackboard, Webtycho, Moodle, etc then you are in luck. The following screen shots show you how to make a schedule for each week:

Open a Word document 

Open the syllabus 

Copy that week's assignments 

Paste it into the Word document 

See?

Do this for the next class

The finished schedule should look like this 

Highlight each class in the chosen color 

When you have finished an assignment highlight it. That way you can tell at a glance what you have to do. 

USING THE BINDER.

Any papers you get from class or create yourself should be punched and placed behind the divider that corresponds to the correct class. Make sure to keep all your research and papers you write. If anybody wants to know what to do with the papers at the end of the semester, let me know and I will show you. 

I hope this is helpful to somebody. If you want anymore advice on this topic let me know. Good luck in the next semester. 

10 things about me

These top ten are easy for me to do and I find them interesting.
10. I always carry a knife. ALWAYS!! I own two Gerber knives. One with a 3 inch blade and one multi-tool. They always come in handy.

9. I have naturally curly hair. I don't curl it and I wear product in it, not to make it curly, but to keep it from frizzing too much. My hair goes into those tight ringlets no matter how many times I separate them.

8. I am 5' 6". Most people think I am taller but I am really 5'6" according to the doctor. I look taller because I am thinner and I sit and stand straight. Thank you mother.

7. My favorite color is...it depends. My top 3 are red, blue and green.

6. I really should not eat dairy or caffeine. Dairy makes me sick and caffeine makes me crazy. :)

5. I like football and soccer. I hate baseball.

4. I love silver jewelry (you hear this future boyfriend and hubby? lol). I really love super old (teens and '20s) silver.

3. I wear work-boots all of the time. They are the real deal, Timberlands. Worth every single penny.

2. I am a country girl. If you take me out of the country I will die. Honest. Going to Baltimore makes me very nervous and I can't wait to leave.

1. I love my family. I don't mean like just love them like normal people but love them so much that I will kill and be killed for them.

Top Ten TV shows

I am going to try another top ten list. 

10). America's Got Talent (Americans are some really talented people and some of the best entertainment ever)

9). Kitchen Nightmares. (If you can get past the language in this show, the conditions of these kitchens freak me out and reinforce the idea that I really hate eating out)

8). Glee. (I watch this for the music mainly. I really hate the petty relationships between everybody but the music rocks.)

7). Lie to Me. (I feel this is like a House with detectives. I love shows that focus more on the power of the human brain and how people interact then other stuff.)

6). Raising Hope. (A show that should be watched by people who are 16 or older because the humor can sometimes be a little off color but this show gets my vote because of the awesome relationship the family has and how much they love each other.)

5). Human Target. (Action TV show that gets me because I love action and it is based on Marvel comic books. Besides the main actor is a hunk. lol)

4). Firefly. (This is a show that only ran not even a complete season. Si-Fi like it just is funny and action at the same time.)

3). Psych. (I love Shawn and Gus. I love their friendship and the goofy stuff they do.)

2). Doctor Who. (I am a nerd and a geek and I love The Doctor. I have watched all of the seasons and I want my own personal sonic screwdriver.)

1). House. (I am House. I am not as nasty to people but I understand how he feels. If I was going to be a doctor I would be like House and be all brainy, witty, snarky and brilliant.) 

The horror

I have to complain about these items that just seriously irk me. Those would be Ugg boots or anything that looks like Ugg boots. I have nothing against the boots themselves. I think they make very comfy slippers for when you are at home or at your grandmas but not out in public. I think personally that they function as another excuse for young women not to get dressed and to walk around in their jim-jams. Girls, lets have a talk about these shoes.

1st they are not meant to be worn out in public. It does not matter that some hot starlet wears them, that is most definitely not a reason to wear them.

2nd they are ugly. I don't care how you argue it, they are ugly. Seriously, do you think guys like those things? (I know you care about what guys think, it is hardwired into your brain).

3rd they prevent you from walking like a normal healthy person. I hate winter around Maryland because with it comes the endless sound of girls scuffing their feet. Somehow because they feel like slippers, girls feel like they need to scuff their feet. That gets really annoying. PICK UP YOUR FEET or your great-grandma will roll in her grave!

4th they make you lazy. Look at them. They scream "Stay in your sweats or track suit (oooo don't get me started on the track suits) and that messy bun (I am not dissing the messy bun because I rock it at the beach and in my private home...ONLY!) and fetch the milk from the store."

We girls complain that clothes are hard to find that are comfy and easy to wear and look cute. Listen to me. There is a famous designer who really introduced one of the most comfy outfits to American. His name is Ralph Lauren and he introduced the white t and jeans to the fashion world as all American. I live in jeans and t-shirts in the summer and jeans and long sleeve t-shirts in winter. I find them as comfy as my jim-jams and I look like I tried to get dressed. As for comfy shoes try a pair of the more fancy boots from Uggs or my personal favorites Timberland. I live in my work-boots from 9 am until 9 pm and my feet never hurt and they stay warm and dry. So this is a personal plea, if you must wear Uggs wear them in the comfort of your own home. I will be personally grateful.

Washing clothes

When I came home from work today and after I ate dinner, I felt the urge to place a load of my clothes in the washing machine because I wanted to wear one of my favorite shirts which was dirty. As I was loading the washing machine I realized that I washed my own personal clothes like a 10 year old. I just sort of shake the pants to see if they jingle (golden dollar coins) and toss them in the washing machine.

I don't turn anything right side out and I most definably do not sort them by colors. I am a tiny bit terrified by the idea of sorting the lights from the darks and then having to do two loads instead of one. If I did two loads that would mean having to remember to switch the loads and that would mean extra work and frankly that scares me stiff.

So they all get tossed in the washing machine no matter color or ethnicity. I have had some loads come out strangely colored but that is decreasing as I get older. All of my clothes are mostly dark colored so it doesn't really matter. I wear mostly dark, not because it makes me look thinner (which is a nice bonus), but because it doesn't show stains as much and I am horribly vain and I have been told I look best in dark colors. I will honestly admit that I am vain enough to dress to seek complements. I am a horribly vain person and I am afraid there is no fixing it now.

But back to the clothes. My mother decided to start using these things called Soap Nuts. I kid you not when I say it is soap that grows on a bush. They are little nuts that are the size of a shooter marble. The marble that parents invariably throw away because they are a choking hazard to those who put items in their mouths, mainly small children and those who suffer from pica. They look suspiciously like very large rabbit droppings and they smell very strange indeed. They do wash the clothes however and the clothes smell fresh and clean, something I am very picky about.

After my clothes are done washing I am a little more careful about drying them. Now untangling my clothes is a little hard. Try having several pairs of 35 inch inseam pants plus long sleeve shirts with extra long sleeves and you get the picture. If I don't want them to shrink I hang them up to dry. This is normally my pants because I can't afford to buy new pants every time they get too short from shrinking. 5'6" is not very tall but when over half of your height is in your lower limbs it makes finding pants that fit difficult to say the least.

Back to the clothes, I generally untangle everything and stick it in the dryer and press the highest heat and longest dry time. Again no extra time wasted restarting the dryer because the clothes are not dry because you stuck too large of a load in there. After the clothes are dry they normally sit in a basket for a couple of days or weeks until I get around to either wearing them or hanging them up. I don't worry about wrinkles too much because I buy clothes that don't wrinkle.

I guess this whole ritual that surrounds my washing of clothes just goes to prove that I am a highly lazy person that can't be bothered. Don't judge because nobody is perfect.

Write Love on your arm!

On November 13th 2009, I would love if everyone who reads this blog would take a moment and write the word LOVE on one of their arms. This shows that you are willing to listen and give support to people who are depressed and addicted. You don't have to give money, you don't have to give time, just write LOVE on your arm. It would mean the world to me and I know it would mean the world to people who are suffering from depression too! Thanks so much! Go with God!

From the Facebook event:

To Write Love on Her Arms is a non-profit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury and suicide. TWLOHA exists to encourage, inform, inspire and also to invest directly into treatment and recovery.

To Write Love On Her Arms Day is a day where anyone can write the words love on their arms, to support those who are fighting against depression and those who are trying to recovering.

The vision is that we actually believe these things…

You were created to love and be loved. You were meant to live life in relationship with other people, to know and be known. You need to know that your story is important and that you're part of a bigger story. You need to know that your life matters.

We live in a difficult world, a broken world. My friend Byron is very smart - he says that life is hard for most people most of the time. We believe that everyone can relate to pain, that all of us live with questions, and all of us get stuck in moments. You need to know that you're not alone in the places you feel stuck.

We all wake to the human condition. We wake to mystery and beauty but also to tragedy and loss. Millions of people live with problems of pain. Millions of homes are filled with questions – moments and seasons and cycles that come as thieves and aim to stay. We know that pain is very real. It is our privilege to suggest that hope is real, and that help is real.

You need to know that rescue is possible, that freedom is possible, that God is still in the business of redemption. We're seeing it happen. We're seeing lives change as people get the help they need. People sitting across from a counselor for the first time. People stepping into treatment. In desperate moments, people calling a suicide hotline. We know that the first step to recovery is the hardest to take. We want to say here that it's worth it, that your life is worth fighting for, that it's possible to change.

Beyond treatment, we believe that community is essential, that people need other people, that we were never meant to do life alone.

The vision is that community and hope and help would replace secrets and silence.

The vision is people putting down guns and blades and bottles.

The vision is that we can reduce the suicide rate in America and around the world.

The vision is that we would learn what it means to love our friends, and that we would love ourselves enough to get the help we need.

The vision is better endings. The vision is the restoration of broken families and broken relationships. The vision is people finding life, finding freedom, finding love. The vision is graduation, a Super Bowl, a wedding, a child, a sunrise. The vision is people becoming incredible parents, people breaking cycles, making change.

The vision is the possibility that your best days are ahead.

The vision is the possibility that we're more loved than we'll ever know.

The vision is hope, and hope is real.

You are not alone, and this is not the end of your story.

Ocean?

"Sponges grow in the ocean. That just kills me. I wonder how much deeper the ocean would be if that didn't happen."

~Stephen Wright

Barcode

We were given a bar code and told to create a design around it. My first thought was of the sex slaves who are bought and sold everyday around the world. The image I saw in my mind was so clear that I had to follow it even though it was very different from the images my classmates were creating. Its a sobering thought that 1.75 million people around the world are slaves. Makes me want to go out there and change the world!

Self Portrait

This was a final project in another class. It is a self portrait.

Life and Death

This is my final project in one of my classes. It is the story of Hades and Persephone. Look it up and read this great story.

Top ten things that make me laugh!

I thought I would do another top ten and I thought about what makes me laugh every time I see or hear it.

10. Slap stick humor. OK, I can only take this so long but this is for that side of me that is strongly effected by my brothers.
9. A baby laugh. In fact, sometimes when I need a pick me up I watch those laughing baby videos on You tube. Sad? Yep!
8. Keeping up Appearances. This is a British TV show that aired in the '80s. I laugh so hard whenever I see this.
7. Little kid movies. I love little kid movies because most of the time they are clean and yet so funny at the same time.
6. Animals. They are crazy and stuff.
5. Manny from Ice Age. Let's just say I am Manny. I know what he thinks, how he feels, why he says the stuff he does, etc.
4. Stuff that happens at school and stuff that college kids think are soooo serious.
3. My friends. They are all goofballs and that is why they are my friends.
2. Myself. I am just about the funniest person I know. I do this dumb and crazy stuff that causes me so much...ugh. Thank goodness about a week later I can laugh at myself.
1. My brothers. What can I say? They always have something crazy going on and they act insane.

Logoscape

This is a landscape completely out of logos.

This is the second part of the same project. We had to do a poster or billboard.

Exciting News

Yours truly's design is one of three finalists for the t-shirt design for WYPR. Even though I personally did not like the design but it was what they were looking for I guess. :-D

My Sacred Place

My Sacred Place

In a small town not far from the Maryland/Pennsylvania border there is a house. Built in the early 20^th century it lies on what remains of a much larger farm. The old barn and pig house are now sheds and the gardens and grapevine are in the same location they have been for the last almost hundred years. The ancient walnut tree still drops its green hulled nuts every fall. My grandparents used to give me a dollar for every 5 gallon bucket I picked up. The small strip of trees at the back of the property are filled with the trash and refuse of farm life, I remember as a small child going a searching them for old bottles and pots.


 The land was a mass of hills and every so often a field rock would stick up out of the ground. Around these rocks is where the little four pedaled violets grew and I would pick bunches for my grandmother who lived in the “new” house at the bottom of the hill. 


But it was the old house that appealed to my childish heart and still does. When I was a small child my grandparents changed the old house into two apartments. My great-grandmother lived in the bottom apartment for many, many years and I used to love to go and visit her. We always came in the back door because the front door was never, ever opened. Inside the back door is a hall onside is brick and the other is siding. On the left side is a sliding door that leads to a bathroom and the laundry room. At the end of the hall is an old door with the skeleton key still in the lock. Inside the door is the kitchen and dining room. Off the kitchen to the left is the bed room with another bathroom. Oh, in the kitchens far wall is two steps and another door. Open the door and you will see a flight of stairs which lead to the upstairs or now a blank wall which closes the upper apartment from the lower. Go over to the other side of the landing and you are in the living room and off the living room is the parlor, which has siding pocket doors. I loved opening those doors as a child. 


In the hall is a door that leads down to the cellar which was always cool even in the hottest day of August. Down in the cellar is the potato cellar and the old well. These rooms are dug out of the dirt which is cool to the touch. I never liked going down to the cellar. It smells of damp and age. And the shadows were always darker and longer there. Exiting out the side door in the cellar I walked around to the back of the house and up the flight of wood stairs to the upper apartment.


 I lived here for a whole year and enjoyed it. The top half of the house has a sleeping porch and you enter through the door here into a kitchen and dining room. Again on the far wall is a door which leads to a flight of stairs. I will come back to the stairs. Off the kitchen is a hall way which leads to a bathroom, two bedrooms, and a living room. Every door is original to the house and the paint is cracked with age. In the bathroom is also the laundry room. The closets are tiny. Very tiny. 


I can look out the windows (which sadly my grandparents took the wavy glass out of) and see the flower gardens that surround the house. But back to that door and the flight of stairs, up the stairs which creak under your weight is the attic. This is the perfect attic. Large and full of wood. It smells old and like dust and old pine. The wood is all faded a dark grey and in the ceiling is a sky light. There is no heat up here. No insulation. The floor is hardwood just like all the floors under the tan colored carpet. The attic moans with the wind that whips around the roof. 


I go the one window and curl up in front of it. Looking out of it I can see the moon and the stars over the town. The wind blows through the sill and I shiver. The window is a modern one. I shake my head at the thought of the wavy glass windows. I hear the church bells that ring from the church down the road. These bells play hymns and songs. I listen and feel a peace creep over me. This is my family home and I belong here. This is a place that is sacred to my heart. It is full of family and memory. I want to keep that feeling and maybe one day I will bring my children to this house and sit with them by that window. We will listen to the old hymns and stare at the bright moon. And then I will realize I have come home.

Mid-Term

This was a Mid-Term. We had 1hr 45min to do this. I think it turned out ok. There are a few areas I would fix if I had time but...