of drafts and decisions

In my Draft box for Concrete & Grace, I have exactly 40 posts.
40, unfinished, not entirely written, mostly forgotten, drafts.

It's been nearly a month, since my last post. Half hearted and rambling as it was.
Since then I have started a handful of updates, just more writings left behind in the draft box.

Because I haven't been feeling that inspired about it. Because I suppose I've lost the point of why it is I'm doing Concrete & Grace.
I've never really had a specific reason, a purpose, just that I wanted to. I want to. That's enough.
And it still is, I find. It just complicates things when I am feeling so entirely uninspired. And without inspiration, typing up a post that doesn't sound completely insane, a post that maybe someone will actually read and maybe even, in some small way, care about, or like; has turned into a chore.

And here's the thing I've been trying and starting but not finishing to post about: Fine Arts.
I keep going back and forth on how to let anyone know. I mean, does anyone I need to tell actually read this? Who do I really need to tell? Does anyone even care to know? How much of the story of the decision making process, how it is that everything came about, do I tell?
The fact of the matter is,  I don't know. I don't know how to tell everyone this, I don't know how to make everyone understand. So I will but I won't.
I will tell the outcome, flat, straight and true.
How the realizations and decisions came to be as you see before you, I will not explain. Because I will just ramble on, hoping to make everyone happy, make everyone understand.
And that, is most definitely, never going to happen. You can never make everyone understand, and you can most surely never make everyone happy.
So here it is, the final, straight up, no strings attached, news.

I am not doing Fine Arts this year.

Let's go to Orlando!

Dear friends, family, and fellow wanderers of the internet,

As I have gotten older, I’ve learned the respect of earning my own money and working for the things I want and need. I’ve come to understand and commit to the importance of investing in things that will be tools not only to my education, but also to my work.

Every year I participate in a gathering of other kids, grades 6-12, who come together to be encouraged in various art forms that can be used in ministry.

Fine Arts Festival.

It’s something I enjoy immensely, and not only is it a fantastic event but it’s something that at a national level could open doors for colleges, scholarships and job opportunities.

In the two years I’ve attended District Fine Arts Festival, each year I have received ‘Superior With Invitation to Nationals’ in a few categories; the main being T-Shirt Design.

However, due to limited funds and the distance a trip to Nationals would require I’ve never been able to attend.

This year is my last year to participate in Fine Arts Festival as a high school student.

I’m writing this letter of sorts, to announce something many of you have expressed interest in: my t-shirt designs.

I’ve miraculously found a talented screen printer who can produce my unique designs.
And I’m very excited about it.

Thus I am starting to sell t-shirts sporting my out of the ordinary designs.

The idea is for this to be a way for me to raise the money money to make it to National Fine Arts.

This not only means the cost of registration itself, but gas, food, plane tickets, car rentals and all the materials I need.

And Orlando, Florida is a long ways away.

Now I want to present all of you with the opportunity to not only support me, but find yourself with an amazing one-of-a-kind shirt designed by yours truly. So buy one for yourself, your friends, your kids and every single extended member of your family!

My goal is to sell 888 shirts.

Shirts are $22 each and available through Etsy.

Those of you who live in my area are welcome to forgo Etsy and the shipping cost by getting in touch with me through my phone number and picking up the shirts when they become available.

I look forward to this adventure and thank all of you for your support!
Both prayerful and monetary.

The idea behind this shirt design comes from Hebrews 10:24,

“And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and good works."

The word "provoke" isn't often used in relation to encouragement and love.
Think of the angriest you've ever been, of what provoked you to that anger.

Now imagine someone being provoked like that, but to make a difference; to love.

Like encouragement on steroids.

Grey V-neck with blue, half-tone dot splatter, wrapping around from front to back.

Shirts are available on Pre-Shrunk, Combed, 100% Cotton, Adult Unisex V-Neck.
Sizes Small through 2X.

Printed in batches of 24 shirts, pre-order now!!

goodbye October

oh October, where have you gone?

My favorite month is almost gone in a flash of brilliant orange and the freeze of the mountains above.

Fall is my favorite season you see.

And October is the epitome of autumn.

Seated between the end-of-summer September and the holiday-beginnings of November, October is the very-fall-fall-ness of autumn.

Like I said more eloquently, it's the epitome of fall.

It's writing and magic and changing.

The 2013 Fine Art's theme is "Finished".

Fall is a time of finishing. It's an ending.
But endings are just beginnings wrapped in strange packages.

Fall is like a phoenix, going out in a blaze of brilliant orange and leaves the shades of fire. And from this "death" comes the rebirth of spring after the time of freeze.

Autumn is the time of birth, for me, beyond my philosophical ramblings.
October first marks my birth.

I love temperate, chilly weather.
I'm not a tropical, hot weather type of person.
Sure, I like summer, but it's far from my favorite.

I'm sad to see the passing of October. It's ending coming on Wednesday.
But such ending breaks way for the beginning of winter.
Snow boots and frozen earth. Snow and frosty trees.

So here's to October, raise a glass of tea with me.
I'm going to drink it, wearing my Avengers t-shirt and my Elmo pajama pants; in celebration and toast to the wonderfulness of this ever passing October.

Fine Arts Trip Day 3 & 4

Next day is Fine Arts at a rather big (thought not as big as last year) church.

I canceled my Short Sermon entry as I felt my sermon wasn't ready etc...and my Spoken Word performance wasn't until after lunch.

Originally there were 4 girls and 2 guys doing spoken word, though it looked like it came down to only 3 girls and two guys. The guys went first and were really good. One of them was the same guy who received Superior with Invitation to Nationals and the Merit Award last year. Then I was up.
Now, I think it's worth mentioning, that part of spoken word, or any performance art really, is feeding back off our audience. This wasn't hard for the first two guys because they had HUGE youth groups as well as family and friends that packed the room. People who shouted things like "AMEN" and "tell it" and things like that. Supportive. People they had been practicing in front of for months (since September).
I on the other hand, had only had since January when I finally found out the theme. Not very long. Not only that but it is really hard to feed back off your audience when the only other people in the room are 3 judges, your mother, a random dude and the next girl and her leader. Yeah...
So, after both the other girls dropped lines halfway through their performances, surprise surprise the guy that won last year got the same this year. But, the other guy also got Superior with Invitation to Nationals.
And none for Siriana. *sigh*

Ah well, wasn't in my favor to begin with. Whatever. I still don't think the judges know what spoken word is...thus they responded better to the rap-like stylings and deeper voices of the guys.

But, I did pretty much the same as last year in T-Shirt Design and Poetry. Superior with Invitation to Nationals in Poetry, and Superior as well as the Merit Award (highest scoring) in T-shirt design.

Some of you may be wondering about if I'm going to National Fine Arts Festival. Well, the answer is no. I would need about $2,500 in the next two weeks...money that if I had I probably would spend on something more like a new computer and web design software so I could do that for work.
You see, Nationals is in Louisville, Kentucky. Which is on the other side of the country. Think 3,000 miles.
Which to go would mean, registration and ticket costs, finding someone to go with me, plane tickets, car rental, gas, food, and a hotel for a week. Craziness and lots of money.

Fine Arts Trip Day 1 & 2

Reading other blogs always makes me want to come and write something on my own (blog)...right now I am so enjoying Oh Restless Bird, Thoughts of a Shieldmaiden as well as the lovely stylings of Roz over at Clothes, Cameras, and Coffee.

And so I felt it was due time I posted again, and definitely about my district Fine Arts trip this past weekend!
Alright-y...where to begin where to begin... Well, we left on Thursday morning, (the 12th) and while originally having planned to leave home at 9am we barely made it out by 10am. This is, I will admit, mostly my fault because there were last minute things I needed to do but I needed help or something with so had waited for everyone else then they all had to wait for me...yes, confusing, I actually have no idea...yes moving on.
Obviously Thursday was a confusing, frazzling morning for me. I didn't really sleep much the night before, lots of tossing, turning and waking up in the middle of the night. Not restful at all. Thank goodness I didn't have to navigate.
Now, last year it was just my mother and I and so I was the person with the maps as we had never been to where we were staying and needed to watch for exits and continually consult the google maps prints.
We arrived at our destination about 6ish after approximately 6 hours in the car (not counting the stops).
Yet another fitful night, though this time because of sleeping in an unfamiliar bed...
Next day, attempt to sleep in but to no avail. Decide we're going to the aquarium...
Google maps our way to the aquarium, have enough to pay for two hours of parking...rush through aquarium (super cool!), mumble yell at the lacking not working camera a lot, and finally get a bunch of pictures:

Exit through aquarium shop, I of course buy a shirt (it's a weakness of mine). Though it is a pretty epic shirt. Tie dye with some cool floral digital printing on it and a classic collegian logo placement


Meanwhile, mum has gone ahead to the car to make sure her baby *cough* dog is alright.
Oh, did I mention we took our chihuahua with us? Yes...on the whole trip. She's too adorable to leave home. Don't believe me? She has a tumblr: http://therealspec.tumblr.com/.

P.S.
That was Pooky in all my pictures! Something I do is take pictures of him all over the place...kind of like people do with that gnome.
Last summer Pooky got to travel all across the country!...without me...obviously this bear is much better traveled than I!

hey everyone

I know, I know...no posting.

Last week was abuzz with the fact that I was trying to finish one job, to start another job, while doing school, doing finals for college classes and trying to have some semblance of Fine Arts entries done...ish.

Basically, Fine Arts Festival is in a couple weeks, I've entered in the categories of Poetry (writing), Spoken Word (speaking poetry essentially...click here or here to see what I mean), T-Shirt Design, and Short Sermon Sr.

And as of this moment...I actually have none of them done.

I've been working on all of them for months, have bits and pieces, many ideas for each of them...it's just that nothing is working or coming together yet...nothing feels right. So I'm still working on it.

Thus I am busy and stressing and just haven't had the time to blog. And believe me, if I did, it would be some deranged, rant-y, I'm-so-stressed-I'm-going-to-explode, type post. Which really isn't good for anyone...*nervous laugh*

Anyways...in my defense, I actually have a few post-ideas and bits lined up that I just haven't had the time to finish that should hopefully be making an appearance before, after or during Fine Arts. (I think that just means "whenever"...)

to my family, friends and bloggie readers, hope you're all well

Hopefully I shall be returning soon...with inspiration.

blessings,

-Siriana

working weekends

For some people, weekends are a good time for that craft project and some nice relaxation.

For me anymore, weekends are when I'm either sick or working...though there are a few in which I find myself abnormally craft-productive or on a couch potato binge.

Like the weekend I super cleaned my room...that was two days cleaning that came out of nowhere.

This weekend, well, I got to sleep in this morning! But this afternoon and evening I am going to be working.

Fine Arts is coming up!!! Which means I'm working for gas money.

I have some money left over from last year that a family friend generously gave me to put toward Fine Arts. But I've also been doing some house cleaning on a job site of my dads.

Now, this weekend I have painting a room at the church (last year I painted the basement) and have already lined up more work painting much of a house.

Which is pretty much all an answer to prayer! Praising Jesus for the work.

Hope you all have a relaxing and productive weekend!
blessings~

here we go again...

So, I've updated the look...and I'm liking it. 

Here's just a few tidbits of lately, hopefully I'll keep it short.

NEW BUTTON!

  It's at the bottom of the page, and on the 'about' page. Go put it on your sidebar! :-)

Fine Arts

is coming up! April as a matter of fact. Mailing in my registration next week! Meanwhile, thanking Jesus for a place to stay and work to do to earn money for gas. The whole family is coming this year as we're staying with some old friends of my dads. Family road trip! Also, instead of having to drive an hour from where we're staying to the church where FA is, it's at a different church and it's 20 minutes from where we're staying. PRAISE JESUS. He's bringin' it all together.

School

is as school-ey as ever. I will be very glad when my English Lit class is over. Very, very, very glad.

This

in HD + full screen = 15 minutes of epicness.

I cleaned my room

. As in seriously cleaned it...and I've somehow managed to pretty much keep it that way. Miraculous, I know.

I've had my learners permit for six months now and as soon as I have more driving hours done,

I can get my license

. This makes me happy.

Movies

There are a few I'm pretty excited for. Brave and The Hunger Games just to  name a couple. I get goosebumps every time I watch The Hunger Games preview when Katniss volunteers in place of Prim. I actually get teary. And that's unusual for me. I highly suggest HD.

Pinterest

is still a serious obsession for me. There needs to be an AA for pinners.

May It Be

by Enya is awesome. LOTR soundtrack epicness. 

ILL

Yeah, I keep getting sick. Really don't like that. Apparently my immunity needs built back up...I was actually told I need to get out more the other day. By someone who can't remember the names of their neighbors. And this town barely has 200 people in it.

Validation

is a YouTube vid I discovered. It makes me smile. And, for any Bones fans; yes, that is TJ Thyne who plays Hodgens. 








Thanks to being sick...I've gotten hooked on a couple new

tv shows

Mainly Supernatural, which I wouldn't suggest for you more hardcore no witches-evil-sorcery-fiction type Christians...but for those who like a good story and take it as it is, I enjoy it. And when it comes to laughing I definitely suggest Last Man Standing. It's on Hulu. Tim Allen. Hilarious. What more can I say?





supernatural

This

made me laugh very, very much.






I think that's just about everything...I do believe I was successful in keeping each tidbit relatively short and sweet. 

Hopefully I'll post again soon...we'll see! Don't want to completely disappear again. Blogging is somewhat therapeutic. 


blessings to all of you, and to anyone who wants to contact me just leave a comment (I see each one) or email me at: the.siriana@gmail.com

Oh and for more on any of these subjects, just check my lables at the end of the post!

As of Late

Hey everybody!

How're all of you? I know I haven't been posting...well very much ever I guess.

But I'm blogging again! haha

Its the last couple weeks of school for me.

Well, being homeschooled it never really ends (I'm doing math over the summer to get ready for starting Running Start college in the fall...).

I'm working really hard to finish up my web design course by the 9th.

Rather difficult seeing as I'm two weeks behind from the combination of being sick, having computer troubles, and having trouble downloading software the course required I have so...its been hard but I'm in the home stretch now!

A couple of rather exciting things since I last posted though.

As some of you may remember from my last post, I decided for various stress, time and monitary issues that I wasn't going to be entering in National Fine Arts this year.

Well, within days of that decision I actually received an answer to prayer.

Some lovely family friends had heard about my struggle with money for Nationals, and gifted me $120 to cover registration.

But, they didn't know that I had stepped down from doing that.

I was so extremely touched and thankful for their generosity, but I couldn't keep the gift.

I went to return it, but they insisted I keep it, "for whatever comes up".

I made the decision to set it aside for Fine Arts Festival next year, so I already have a head start!

Basically its just school, school, school for me the next few days!

Hope you're all wonderful :-) whether you're on summer vacation, or eagerly awaiting the days of summer like me.

Blessings!

No Nationals for Me

Things and things and things today I guess...

Making decisions.

Choices.

Things that are going to effect the rest of this year...the rest of this summer...more? I don't know yet.

I guess this is me letting everyone know, I am not going to be doing national fine arts.

Though I qualified (see earlier post) I have made the decision that I am not going to go through with my original plan to participate in the national festival.

You see, national fine arts festival is in Phoenix, AR.

Since I barely made it to districts (thank you Jesus!) actually going to nationals was rather out of the question...well, really outside of being realistic.

Don't get me wrong, I was totally open to something (God-thing) happening so that I could go, but thats just not how things went down.

However, there was the option to register the entries I got invited to nationals for and hopefully finding someone from another church who was already going to take my entries down for me. You see entries that need displays (for example, like my t-shirt design) are required to be checked in at the beginning of the festival, and then checked out afterwards.

At first after receiving Superior with Invitation to Nationals I wasn't going to do that at all. But my mom encouraged me to go for it.

After having been home for almost a month after district fine arts now, I have been working to try and earn money to pay for nationals when I read up on everything again and realized that registration was actually more than I thought it was going to be.

I knew registration was $80...however, I thought that covered the first entry, so if I were to just enter my t-shirt design it would only be $80. Not too bad.
However, I discovered that that doesn't include the first entry, after that each entry is an additional $20.

Ouch.

I thought, "well I'll get through it somehow...maybe I just won't enter my photography that I haven't heard back about yet."

But then I continued thinking about everything it would entail just to enter my t-shirt design.

Not only is there registration, there is proper mounting/display for it and of course my time to set it all up.
Then there's figuring out a way so that whoever I get it to can either fit it in a suitcase easily (its rather large) or that it'll have its own bag. In all likeliness, it would have to have its own bag.

Which would mean, extra luggage that I would have to pay for.

Oh and then theres the little detail of getting the display to whoever would take it for me.

Shipping costs.

Did I mention I still hadn't (haven't) heard anything about contact information for people already going? Yeah, thats definitely no small detail for this plan.

And of course there's the fact that when I do things, I like to do them right and would be fretting about how my display was being cared for, set up...all that stuff.

And so everything kept stacking up.
Time...money...lack of cooperation from people...

It just wasn't worth it.

In the end, I'd be putting out at least $200 in time and money (mostly money...) with the final registration date barely a month away.

I couldn't handle the stress.

Trying to make sure I finish all my school on time, having to worry about doing math over the summer.

With worrying about nationals on top of that, it just wasn't worth it.

I would pour so much into it, but for what?

I mean really?

Another certificate on the wall?

Bragging rights?

*shrugs*

Just didn't seem at all worth it.


But you know what?

Next year, I am planning ahead.

As in, as soon as I know what the theme for the 2011-2010 year is going to be, I'm going to be writing my spoken word, sketching that t-shirt design, rhyming that poem into being and snapping those pictures.

Oh yeah, and earning the money.


Thank you everyone for your support, I love you all for it.
To the friends and family who offered to help me pay for stuff.
To the wonderful people who opened their home.
To everyone who gave me a job.
To all the people who were sad I was backing out but respected my choice.
For everyone who had a smile and a word of encouragement along the way.

Thank you so much and God bless!

(lets kick some butt next year, eh? ;)

Fine Arts Trip Recap Day 3 FESTIVAL

So, I have failed my dear bloggies.

I started recapping the Fine Arts Trip almost two weeks ago (or is it more?) when the trip itself was already almost a month ago (wow...).

So here's the final day of the Fine Arts trip...the festival itself!

Saturday : FINE ARTS FESTIVAL

wake up same time (super early in other words)
shower
get dressed
practice spoken word in my head
do hair and makeup(sounding familiar, no?)
stand in front of large mirror and quietly practice spoken word
actually have time to eat something before leaving
relieved to realize its Saturday and therefore traffic won't be as bad...
get on the road
drive
point out my lack of navigation skills
drive
drive
drive
consider sleeping this time since hopefully we won't get lost...
not much traffic
feeling sleepy
decide to practice, practice, practice my spoken word
drive
practice more
drive
make it to the church with time to spare
stand in line to get my schedule
schedule acquired
find single, unoccupied table
see white binder on table, ignore it
look through info
find out my spoken word presentation is at 9:53am
practice spoken word in my head
try to figure out how the book works (the one filled with who's doing what, at what time, and where)
sit in the foyer reading the info book
go and set up my t-shirt design
go find a place for my photography entry
find out that the poetry entries are shown somewhere in the foyer
try to figure out where the poetry entries are
find out that the book chapter entries are shown somewhere in the foyer
try to figure out where
randomly take a glance at the white binder
read that the white binder says 'BOOK CHAPTER ENTRIES'
feel really stupid
discover I'm the only one who entered book chapter
find where the poetry entries are
avoid reading poetry entries while random guy has the binder
wait 'til random guy leaves
read other poetry entries
randomly run into one person I kind of know from camp
talk for a while
run into another person I actually know from camp
have nice chat
find out what she's performing in
decide to attend some of her performances after mine
go and watch the only band that signed up under 'christian band'
clap (great job NOVA)
decide to find the room where my spoken word presentation is
almost get lost trying to find the room (in my defence, the church was massive)
point out my lack of navigation skills

make it to room right after the door closes (they close the door and don't open it 'til after each presentation is over, no distractions that way)

listen to the guy before me perform (through door)
wondering why he entered spoken word (he was rapping)
thinking "wow that guy was good...but why didn't he enter in the rap category?!"
go into the room
wait for judges to finish scoring rapping-guy

find it very comforting (<--haha sarcasm there)that the judges are talking about how "well at least I think I know what spoken word is now..."

think "great...."
get nervous
practice spoken word in my head
get really nervous
practice even more in my head
pray I don't miss part of it
my time to perform comes
judges still writing forms on last guy
getting more nervous
practicing more
judges finally finish
still nervous I stand up to go to the front of the room
announcer announces who I am...
prepare myself and step to the front of the room
start speaking
realize that I'm talking a bit too fast
keep going

wish that they were using a timer that I could SEE because I broke my presentation into 45sec. intervals (there's a 3min limit)

keep going
finish presentation
people clap
guy that went before me looking not particularly happy (just had to include that...even if it wasn't a competition ;)
know I talked too fast but ah well
totally stoked I didn't forget anything
receive a compliment from some judges
they ask if I composed that entirely myself
I reply yes (of course)
receive compliment from announcer
watch the only other two entries
leave
go back to foyer
mum gets coco I get a ginormous chocolate muffin (there was a starbucks IN the church. yes.)
I head off to find my friend's presentation
clap because she did really good (songwriting...)
head to the foyer
chat with other girl I know from camp
decide to go catch last of the human video performances
LOVE LOVE LOVE the human video performances after I realize what they are
(click here for a good example of a human video...some people think they're skits when in fact they aren't because there is no talking, its set to song)
wish I had thought to get the camera out for the human video performances
realize I should get it out and try to get the last one

while waiting I take a picture of one of the epic chandeliers in the senior youth room (the church was so huge, they had a whole building for kids, a room for teens, and an even bigger (like almost large church on its own) size room for the senior high teens)


last few performances
lunch!
head over to the caf to pick up my sack lunch
first one! whoo
enjoy my sandwhich...
mum gets her lunch
foyer once again becomes rather loud, and filled with people!
enjoy lunch
talk about everything happening
decide to watch the drama performances after lunch
watching the drama performances
fantastic jobs to EVERYONE who participated!
loved, loved, loved the skits!
things start wrapping up as there is little time before the celebration service!
sit in the foyer for a while
decide to get our seats for the celebration service
service starts
congrats to everyone who received Superior with invite to Nationals!!!
they announce spoken word results
rapping-guy received merit award (highest scoring) and superior with invite to nationals
performances like choir, band, songwriting, etc.
they announce POETRY WINNER

GUESS WHO WON MERIT AWARD AND INVITE TO NATIONALS?????

MEEEEE!!!! xD

heart stops beating

random people clap for me (I'm assuming to be polite or people who actually recognized my name because they read my poem)

super giddy
can't wait to find out about t-shirt design
more performances
more clapping
they announce T-SHIRT DESIGN WINNER

GUESS WHO GOT SUPERIOR WITH INVITE TO NATIONALS??????

ME! xD

Funny story though, for some reason my name was registered as Sirina insead of Siriana so I was being announced as Serina basically and so when my name was called for my t-shirt design (which I worked so hard on! and ended up loving it!) and my mom yells out "SIRIANA!!!!"
So it was kind of awkward but funny and okay at the same time.
I was so happy!!!!!

Anyway, so afterwards there were a bit more performances like the drama winners, and it ended *sigh*.

headed back out to the foyer
got on facebook and posted to tell everyone!!!
went and picked up all my score sheets
met the super-nice lady (good job Mrs. Huff!!!!) who directs Fine Arts
had my name on all my certificates corrected (thank you!!!)
was super excited
decided to go to the movies again
went and saw Hanna (dunno if most of you would like it...I did, though there was a couple scenes it could've done without other than that it was an action/violent girl who kicks butt kind of movie lol)

and continued to be super stoked all weekend!!!

And then there was day 4...which wasn't terribly interesting considering it was merely driving back home!

And that friends, family and bloggie readers, is the conclusion to my Fine Arts trip.

Right now I'm trying really hard to earn the $120 I need for registration (thats due in a few weeks) for National Fine Arts.
Of course I won't be going, I barely made the gas money I needed to get to districts so unless there's some awesome God-thing miracle, I'm not going to have the money to go to Phoenix, Arizona.
BUT! If I can find someone from another church that is already going with their group to take it down for me, that'll work because someone just has to check in and out my entries...so hoping that works out!

Prayers for the whole thing would be greatly appreciated, and if you guys would share my etsy shoppe with everyone you know (and maybe some people you don't!) I would love that!

thanks everyone, blessings!!!

Fine Arts Trip Recap Day 2

Friday : College Visit

wake up super early
shower
get dressed
do hair and makeup
hopefully try not to forget anything
kind of sort of make some food before hitting the road
leaving
driving
traffic
make mom a bagel for breakfast (yes...while in the car...it was interesting...)
traffic
driving
traffic
sitting in traffic for way too long
realize I forgot to put the camera in my purse
driving
traffic
driving
take wrong turn
I once again point out my lack of navigation skills
driving
make it to college just in time

chapel - the college gets some EPIC point for definitely comfortable chairs in the chapel, no pews here people, oh yah

campus tour - it was all around small, green and had THE most lovely trees EVER (I adore trees ^_^) loved it! and the student store? ah I just love books and pajamas! lol

dorm tour - only part of the college I didn't like...it was like a MAZE...and I don't think I could survive communal bathrooms for two years *shudder* (freshmen and sophomore's have to live in-dorm...juniors and seniors can live off campus)

lunch break!
get lost looking for caf
realize that its the building labeled DINING HALL on the map
feel rather incompetent

eat lunch - great food! we're talkin' they had a salad bar, a sandwich bar, a taco bar, a pizza bar, a juice tea and soda bar, a dessert bar, a fruit bar, they even had a place where you could wait in line and have a guy make some asian stir fry right there!

visited a ministry internship class was really interesting, enjoyed it...MORE comfy chairs

decide to go to the pentecostal spirituality class while mom goes to the parent Q & A

really interesting class...good thing it was otherwise I would have fallen asleep (remember the lack of sleep the night before?) MORE comfy chairs

stay in the same room waiting to meet mom for financial aid meeting

turns out mum actually fell (snoring) asleep in parent Q & A...and isn't feeling well

too tired to stay for rest of visit
leave college
drive
realize that I didn't print directions FROM the college BACK to the place we were staying
once again point out my lack of navigation skills
drive
decide to go to the mall
drive
take wrong turns looking for the mall
finally find the mall...it got easier once we realized it had its own road and highway off ramp...seriously...
end up deciding to go to the movies
see Soul Surfer (BTW IT WAS AWESOME!!!!!)
movie ends
its getting dark
try to find our way back to where we were staying
drive
get lost
drive
wrong turn
drive
drive
traffic
drive
wrong turn
drive
I once again point out my lack of navigation skills
get back tot the house we're staying at
ssslllleeeepppppp

Fine Arts Trip Recap Day 1

So, I'm sure at least some of you are wondering what all went down during the epic district Fine Arts Journey (for more about FA click here!) a few weeks ago (wow...has it really only been a few weeks??) and I realized I needed to post...so here we are!

Basically the trip was lots of driving...and traffic...and tiredness.
So during the whole thing I was really tired, but pretty stoked at the same time (quite the combination, eh?) and in all truthfulness, didn't really have enough rest to process everything as it happened.
So if you asked me what I thought of things and if I was excited during the trip my answer would have been along the lines of "shhhh. I'm sleeping..." whereas after I had some good sleep and time to process everything that happened (twas a seriously fast paced trip) my answer its "IT WAS TOTALLY AWESOME!".

When I say the trip was fast paced, I mean there wasn't much time when we weren't doing something!

Here's how everything went down trip, day 1...

Thursday:

get up
get dressed
eat
load car
leave
lunch
spend 2 - 3 hours looking for things I need (art board for my t-shirt design, prints of my photography etc. etc.)
back on the road
drive
see this oddity driving on the highway...

drive
drive
stop for gas
drive
drive
drive through a snow storm?!





drive
drive through a rain storm...





still driving, sun comes out...beautiful despite the highway!






and it gets even prettier as we go!!!








drive
get lost looking for the house we're staying at
I again point out my lack of navigation skills
drive
find the house we're staying at
meet the lovely people we were staying with for the weekend
share a meal
unpack
get ready for bed
try to sleep
try to sleep
try to sleep
roughly 2am realize haven't slept and sometime thereafter finally, actually fall asleep