As of Late

I figure I should do something to keep all you people updated.

It's been the usual for me...a ton of stuff going on but at the same time nothing going on.

I started drivers ed a few weeks ago, officially.

Went and got my learners permit and signed up.

I'm taking it with one of my best friends, Savanah, so that's a plus.

But aside from that, I'm definitely ready to be done!

Don't get me wrong, I've learned a TON (had only driven a couple times before class started) and the teacher is good.

The thing is, its three days a week for six weeks, in a town about 50 miles away, over the curviest mountain pass I've ever been on in Washington.

Yeah.

Have I ever mentioned I used to get car sick a lot when I was younger?

'Cause I did. Quite a bit. And going over those curves day after day is nausea city for me!

Though luckily I have yet to actually get sick. Only feel really ill.

Officially half way done with drivers ed though! Few more weeks to go and we'll be done!

I haven't officially started school yet. I'm working on math but my college classes don't start until the end of the month. Ironically, (and thankfully) they start with only a few days of drivers ed left.

Works out nicely!

Other than that, fall has come to my little neck of the woods.

And. I. Love it.

Fall is my favorite season by far. I'm not sure why, maybe because I'm an autumn - born child, but I absolutely adore autumn.

The smell, the breeze, the changing colors. Ah, love it. Makes me feel alive.

Hope you're all well...even if school has started ;-) 

instagram

Anyone heard of Instagram?

It's a lovely little app for your iPhone or iPod Touch where you can upload pictures to a "social" if you will but are able to change the pictures with several different choices in filters.

Me?

I started this morning and am officially obsessed!

And the cool part?

My iPod touch barely has a megapixel of definition, only two of those pictures are from an actual camera...can you tell which ones?

I can, and actually the 'be original' picture isn't mine, but other than that all the others were taken by me.

Anyone interested in getting the app, its free and I rate it a full 5 stars! {click here for iTunes store}

Which two do you think are actually captured with a camera?

I'm a terrible blogger.

Really, we all know it.

I never really post.

When I do post its short, not really interesting, and never what I said I'd write about.

Sure, I'm always taking pictures and writing down little things and having ideas for what I can post about.

Heck, I even start what looks to be great posts only to plummet into writers block and laziness.

Those posts sit aimlessly in my draft box.

Pining away for the day when they will be completed and have a chance at being seen.

But then I look at them as chores.

As something thats hard.

Therefore, something I don't really want to do.

That's what happens with me, you see.

I love blogging, I do, very much so indeed.

But when I say I will post about something, then I feel as if I absolutely have to and then I'm obligated and its not just something fun anymore.

Its a chore.

And I don't want it to be like that.

I don't want it to be that way.

So somethings got to give.

I know there's a few promised posts never published.

Like the review of Apples 4th Generation iPod Touch. RIOT screen protectors. My lovely wonderful TribalStyle earrings.

And then of course the conclusion of the posts about camp this year.

Maybe someday you'll get those.

Someday maybe they'll be written and I'll post them...if anyone cares to read them by then.

But I'm afraid I find myself to busy to write them.

At least thats what I tell myself.

You see, I need to return to the day when I don't look for something else, anything else to do other than writing the posts I've promised.

Sorry for the terribly uninteresting, boring blog post readers...sorry I can't seem to do this right...

So I'm kind of taking a hiatus I guess. I'll still be here to moderate comments and check the blogs I'm following. I may even post should something full blast inspirational come my way...but I'm not going to make promises.

Until then, I'm starting to get busy with school and oh yes *gasp* drivers ed.

If anyone wonders, I'm almost too old to take drivers ed now, but I didn't have the money to be able to take it until this summer (as I was working last summer to pay for it) but camp interfered with me taking the early summer class and so I'm taking early fall elsewhere.

'til then bloggie friends :)

{via weheartit.com}

oh summer

{image via weheartit.com}

{image via weheartit.com}

{image via weheartit.com}

{image via weheartit.com}

where have you gone?

Camp ::The Recap:: Part 2

Camp is only 5 days long (those who wish to be extremely technical would say only 4 but whatever), and I wish it was longer! Though...I'm not quite sure if I'd be able to survive any more than the five days!

Basically the schedule at camp is like this:


8:30am Breakfast
9:15am Cabin Clean Up
10:00am Silver Lake Live / Morning Service / Small Group Time
12:00pm Lunch
1:00pm Activities
2:00pm Free Time
5:30pm Dinner
7:00pm Pre-Service Prayer
7:30pm Evening Service
10:30 Late Night Snack
12:00am Lights Out


It almost goes without saying, if you want a shower in the morning, you wake up at 6 and thus...well...sleep isn't something that you get a lot of! hahaha

Cabin clean up is something that we're required to do (we're teenagers, so its with good reason!). And during Silver Lake Live the camp deans, (one female leader, one male leader) inspect the cabins for cleanliness. Cleanest cabin gets prizes...dirtiest cabin - "pig cabin" - get some chore or something done to them typically. Last year the dirtiest guy cabin got a ton of water dumped on them.

Silver Lake Live is basically a game show every morning while waiting for the cabin inspection to be finished so they can announce the results. Every year there's usually a pretty good prize for the winners too.

Its a volunteer to play thing.

The first year I went to camp, the game was Don't Forget the Lyrics which was absolutely entertaining. The prize was a ton of iTunes and Visa gift cards.
Second year (2009 - the year I met my best friend, Lauren) the game was something of their own devising called Friends or Best Friends. Friends or Best Friends is one of those game shows where if you get a question wrong, something nasty is usually fed to you or dumped on you...eew. The prize was a laptop computer.
Third year (2010) the game was one most of you may be familiar with: Minute To Win It. And the prize was Visa gift cards.

Usually, its something different every year. But this year it was once again Friends or Best Friends. The prize? $200 in Visa gift cards.

Basically, its a game where you have to have a lacking gag reflex, and knowledge of weird facts about your friends. A couple friends of mine, Amanda and Sierra, who had just met decided they wanted to play. Lauren and I who had already come to camp for a few years, and seen this particular game once before, knew better than to volunteer.
 The first game (that Amanda and Sierra competed in) the object of the game was to complete the task in such a time. The task? To place a gold fish (a real goldfish. it may be live, it may be dead) in your mouth, run to the line, spit out the fish and throw it to your friend...who much catch it in their mouth.

I told you it was nasty!

Sierra and Amanda got the least amount of points and were pretty bummed about being disqualified...until the next few days / rounds of the game.

The next day, one friend would fill out a questionnaire and give it to the host of the "show", then the person who filled out the questions had to go and sit on a chair, in a kiddie pool. Then, the other friend would have to correctly answer the questions about their friend. Should they answer incorrectly, a leader on a lift above the friend in the pool, would mix and pour a nasty, slimy concoction of all kinds of nasty stuff and dump it on the person.

Oh yes, it still gets nastier. And yes, we all wonder how they get away with this! hahaha But its entertaining, AND they did volunteer!

Then, on the third day / round it was rather similar. But instead of having nastiness dumped on you, it was more like Will It Blend.
One friend fills out the questionnaire, and the other must answer correctly. Should they answer correctly something edible and nice tasting will be added to their personal concoction in the blender. Should they answer incorrectly something not-so-nice tasting will be added to their concoction.

I'm pretty sure you can imagine just what happens at the end...they have to drink their lovely blend.

Then for the last round of Friends Or Best Friends was basically an obstacle course with challenges (like "eating" a spoonful of cinnamon) that had to be completed in a specific amount of time...the team with the best time won.

{stay tuned for Camp ::The Recap:: Part 3!}

Stuck

I really can't decide.

You see I absolutely ADORE my earrings I purchased from TribalStyle back before camp.

And I definitely need another pair. A different style of course!

But I'm stuck...between these two lovelies...

Camp :: The Recap :: Part 1

So I'm sure you're all wondering...about camp I mean!

Camp, as those of you who follow my twitter (@The_Siriana) would know, was EPICALLY AWESOME!

Since it was so epic, this will be the first of a few posts (so that its not one LONG run on one) recapping this years awesomeness. 

Way back last year, a friend of my friend who had only ever heard about camp started calling it the Jesus Party of Awesome, and the name has stuck! Stuck so much that on twitter I even made it its own hashtag / topic #JesusPartyOfAwesome.

Want to know just how epic camp is?

See for yourself!!


YouTube, gotta love it!

Rachel Joy Scott

Some of you may remember a post about my blog design waaay back in December about the quote I had featured in the header of my blog.

I write
NOT for the sake of glory
NOT for the sake of fame
NOT for the sake of success
but for the sake of my soul

That was written by Rachel Joy Scott, the first victim of the Columbine school shootings.

When I was at camp a couple weeks ago, after morning service, during small group time. It was asked of us "who inspires you?". My answer? Rachel Joy Scott.

But I never really got to explain why.

Though I'm not sure what it is I would've said anyway.

I am NOT a beer chuggin', pot trippin', drug dealin' Christian
I AM a God lovin', satan slammin', Jesus freakin', world changin', Christian.
I AM A WARRIOR FOR CHRIST
--Rachel Joy Scott

You see, her story, her journals, her writing and life have inspired me in so many ways.
Helped me to grow in my walk in Christ and God has spoken to me through her words.

Something I want Him to do through my words someday.

Some people would say that her life was wasted, she was so young when she was killed.

But in fact, its rather the opposite.

While her death is tragic beyond words, her life and what it meant is so worth celebrating.

Her life wasn't wasted.

“And as Christians, we need to remember to walk our talk.”--rachel joy scott

Her memorial service was broadcast to people all over the country, all over the world.

And because of her story, thousands of people came to Christ and still are.

Teens stepped forward to "pick up the torch" that had been dropped at her death. (check out the book(s) for more info)

God had has a plan for it all.

He's got this.

What if you were to die today? What would happen to you? Where would you go? Tomorrow is not a promise, but a chance. It may not be there for you. After death, then what? Where will you spend your eternity? Will you have eternal life with your loving Father? Or will you be ripped from the arms of your Savior. Eternity is in your hands; change it!
-Rachel

Do you know what was written on the cover of her last journal?

"I WILL NOT BE LABELED AS AVERAGE"

“I am not going to apologize for speaking the Name of Jesus, I am not going to justify my faith to them, and I am not going to hide the light that God has put into me. If I have to sacrifice everything…I will.” --Rachel Joy Scott {1 year before her death}

Today would have been Rachel's 30th birthday.

Happy Birthday

Oh Browser!

Hey everyone! I'm sure there are quite a few of you who are wondering just where I've been! Not to mention the question "how did camp go?!".

Unfortunately, no, thats not actually what this post is about...camp I mean.

Those of you who follow me on twitter (@The_Siriana) will know that camp (aka the #JesusPartyOfAwesome) will know that camp was EPICALLY AWESOME!!!

But that whole story is being saved for a later post.

Basically I've been back (home) since the 26th of July and yes, I know...haven't posted.
This is my apology post.
My not-the-recap-but-still-something post.

Yes...I'm realizing now how this is a strange work harder, but not smarter type of procrastinative laziness...

---

On a blogger-related note...I'm currently using Internet Explorer because I'm having browser issues.

You see, the browser that was usually my pal is Firefox.

But then, waaaay back earlier this school year Firefox failed me (*sob*) and I switched to Google Chrome.

You know how Google Chrome is "SO FAST". Well, as it turns out, its SO FAST because it basically HOGS the bandwith and sucks it away from everyone else. So really it was making it near impossible for anyone else in my family to actually be able to use the wifi.

So, Firefox and Google Chrome was out AND I didn't like Internet Explorer.

I turned to the only other one I knew.

Safari.

Which, I fell in love with!

Until I got back from my camp and escapade and it as well as iTunes evidently didn't update right (ugh) and so I was back in the "what do I use now" phase.

So here I am, using Internet Explorer because its been updated, I like the look a lot more now...and well...its the only thing thats working for me *facecomputer*.

And I'm noticing that the font for my post titles is really squished and weird looking!

UGH

I think its kind of interesting how this has turned into a tech rant!

What browser do you guys use, and why? I'm interested to see what you guys think the pros and cons of certain browsers are...its the number one thing I have an issue with on my computer.

And I think that is where I'll leave you all this evening...with you all wondering about my sanity, how much of a tech geek I really am, and just when I plan on actually posting about camp.

toodles! :D

Super Duper CRAZY EXCITED'

How many of you have had experience with the synonymous-with-the-smart-phone "auto-correct"?

For those of you who aren't familiar with auto-correct its name pretty much says it all.

Like when you're in Microsoft Word and it automatically corrects " i " to " I ".

Yep, pretty much the same thing...

But the auto correct that's found on smart phones (and Apple products such as the iPad, and my iPod Touch) is the Energizer bunny on crack version of auto correct in comparison to auto correct in Microsoft Word.

For example if your fingers hit the key you don't want when trying to text "love" and you end up with "lovr" or even "locr" it'll correct it to "love".

Pretty cool eh?

Yes, it definitely has its pros...but it also happens to have some cons.

Such as legitimate words auto-correcting to things you definitely don't mean. 


At this point I'm pretty sure all of you are wondering where this is going, and why on earth I titled my post what I did.

The other day I was using my iPod touch to message my friend Lauren on facebook.

We were talking about how excited we were for camp being only a few days away. Camp is something we both look forward to for the whole entire year. Its just that awesome. 
In fact, we call it the "Jesus party of awesome". 'Cause that's what camp is about. Jesus. 
whoop!

Anyways, we were talking, and here's what I meant to say: 


"I started having random noticeable bouts of excitement today"


Have any of you even been so excited about something that you'll just be doing some everyday thing and then suddenly remember said exciting-thing and just be crazy giggly happy? Yep, that's what I'm talking about.

But the thing is, auto-correct got me.
Instead of it reading "bouts of excitement" it said "butts of excitement". 


It was actually pretty funny...neither of us really noticed til later. I of course had to call her to laugh about it. Hilarious!


And of course, because that was oh...five days ago...CAMP STARTS TOMORROW!!!!!

Thus my SUPER DUPER CRAZY EXCITEMENT!!!!

So this is where I have to take my leave and bid you all farewell because I will be gone for a couple weeks...and so there shall be no blogging from me until I return.

Thank you my dear bloggy friends, I will post when I return!

Pooky Across the Country

One of my best friends and her family have been driving all over the country for the past couple months. 

And guess what?? They even let me help them set up a blog to keep everyone back home updated. 

You can check it out: The Covered Wagon - The Christman Family from West to East

Last year when they started planning we jokingly discussed that I should come along...but that just wasn't possible because of a few different things.

First, they departed before I was done with school.

Second, I had a lot of commitments in the month of July: fireworks booth and OH YEAH, of course camp.

And third...I get carsick...

So all that aside, I was kind of bummed I wasn't coming along.

But, to make up for the fact that I couldn't join them, I sent along someone in my stead. Someone cute, furry and very important to me.

My key-chain teddy bear...Pooky. 

(yes, I am a Garfield fan)

Of course, I wanted pictures. Lots of pictures. Pictures of Pooky everywhere. 

I'll caption what I can and the rest, well you can figure out where he's at! 

{ pooky at pioneer thing? }

 Now, I'm not sure but I think this is a pioneer trailhead / memorial thing.

{ pooky & mercy }

 A few weeks before they left, Angi (my friend Savanah's mom) had the baby, little girl Mercy!

{ pooky at the rest stop - pretty self explanatory }

{ pooky...somewhere...I'm thinking maybe Yellowstone }

{ pooky at the creamery in montana }

 While they were in Montana, they discovered a really great homemade ice cream shop. Apparently, best ice cream ever. {click here for the post}

{ pooky hitchin' a ride }

{ pooky at old faithful? }

{ pooky at yellowstone }

{ pooky and the skull }

 I'm not entirely sure, but I believe the pooky and the skull pic is from Yellowstone as well...though it may possibly be from the ranch the visited in Montana.

{ pooky on the yellowstone map }

 Pooky ON THE MAP. {click here for the post}

{ pooky at yellowstone }

{ pooky hitchin' a ride }

 From the looks of it, this has been Pooky's mode of transportation during the trip! Hitchin' a ride on Savanah's belt loop.

{ pooky at st. pauls cathedral }
{click here for the post}

{ ? }

 I happen to have no idea where that picture is taken! haha
Though I guess if I googled the zoo I'm sure I could find out...

{ pooky and floyd }

 Now this picture...where do I begin...
When I first received the e-mail with the pictures I looked at most of them on my iPod.
Including this one.
And at first glance, I was wondering why they had sent this as a Pooky picture. I couldn't see him anywhere in it.
Then, why my mom wanted to see the pictures I pulled up the e-mail on my laptop, hooked the computer up to the tv and started the slideshow.
Needless to say, I didn't miss it the second time!

{ pooky at lake michigan }

{ pooky and jesse }
{click here for post}

{ pooky at lake michigan }

{ still at lake michigan? }

{ pooky at...NIAGRA FALLS }

 When I sent Pooky off with Savanah and her family, I warned her to be very careful with my bear, as he was special.

You can imagine my squeal at these pictures!! {click here for post}

{ pooky dangling over niagra falls }

{ pooky dangling over niagra falls!!! }

{ pooky at Niagra falls }

 I think this is my favorite picture out of all of them. So pretty!

{ pooky hitchin' a ride }

{ pooky - somewhere in new york }

 I'm not sure but I think this is Liberty or Ellis Island...because I  know the pictures are from their excursion to the Statue of Liberty.  {click here for post}

{ pooky in new york }

{  pooky at the statue of liberty }

{ pooky at the statue of liberty }

{ pooky ON the statue of liberty }

{ pooky the destroyer }

Thanks Christman family! Love and miss you guys! 

{ family picture - with pooky }

Etsy Lovelies

As many of you may know by now - from all my different posts about Etsy - that I absolutely adore Etsy. You never know what you're going to find. Its just full of crazy, talented people with a vast array of skills.

And on Friday I found a shop to add to my favorites: Tribal Style.

These Organic Earrings are all handmade for regular pierced ears.
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TribalStyle is a place where cultural tribal adornment meets modern day life. I have taken earrings that were originally made for gauged ears, split them and inserted a sterling silver post. Making them available for people who have always admired this tribal style, but could not make the commitment of stretching their ears.

The materials used are all natural and eco-friendly.
The earrings are made from wood, coconut, and salvaged bone and horn. The bone and horn used to hand-carve these tribal earrings are from a domesticated water buffalo used for cultivation and food. To minimize waste, they are respectfully used for this form of art and income.

How COOL is that???

Personally, I love them. And if there's any doubt in your mind about the awesomeness, just wait 'til you see some my favorites!!!

Originally when I saw all of these I was going to purchase the first pair pictured.
I'm kind of allergic to metal and can really only wear earrings with gold hooks / studs (I do wear other earrings, and surgical steel isn't too bad but I can't wear other metals frequently) so I'm excited to try a wood alternative.

But sadly, someone snatched that pair up before I could click 'buy' and so I settled for my second favorite, that, while slightly more expensive, I am just as excited about!

They should be coming in sometime this week. Full review coming soon!

(though the review may be a bit delayed depending on just how close they arrive to when I'm departing for camp)