I can sit hear and listen to this song. I hear football playing in the background, boring conversation floating up from the living room. I'm wearing my "burlap sack" dress I got from Goodwill for three dollars. My tummy is still full. I'm sleepy from the two hour nap I took after lunch. I had curled up with a romance novel and then fell asleep to the sounds of my sister watching Anne of Green Gables on the bed next to me.

Life is sometimes confusing, cold, broken, and shocking. Other times it's breathtaking and beautiful. Others it's just good and content. And quiet. Expecting nothing more.

I think I got some glimpses of that today.

Happy Thanksgiving.

My name is Kara.

And I am sick of tired of being lazy. So. Today. I have a to-do list. I'm going to work on some Hambly goodies. I am going to study for that Calc. quiz. I'm actually going to do the next TAIF (uhhhhh. the most AMAZING GD. well. i can't say the most. because all our GD's kick some buuuttt.). I am going to paint my toenails black. And finish sewing buttons onto that cardigan that's been sitting on my windowseat for.... too many months.

And I've been tagged by Elaine and Kayla.

So. Uh. :D

Six quirky things about me-

I really have no idea what quirky is. Because, I don't even know what "normal" is.... So. These are just random, hehe.

1. I really like to freeze Capri Suns, bring them to school, cut the tops open, and "eat" it with a spoon. It's a great conversation starter, lemme tell ya.

2. I randomly start breaking into dance, usually to the music in my head. I've been told that I have the best white girl moves ever. And that my dancing makes other people happy. I haven't decided if this is a good thing or not.

3. I once had a dream that Lindsay Lohan had a contract with Cover Girl and then she was caught with drugs, so they revoked her contract. It's quite humorous and I tell this dream often. Don't do drugs, kids, or you could end up like Lindsay Lohan. And loose a million dollar contract with Cover Girl.

4. When I ever I read italicized words or phrases, my voice changes that I'm reading with in my head. It's much more slow and dramatic and I imagine the writer looking at me in the eye, like we have some sort of secret connection thing going on that no one else really understands because... well, because of the italics. Like.... I really like steak tacos. See? Ahhh. That makes me happy.

5. Uhhhhhhh.... I really, really like Thanksgiving. The food. Ohmagosh.

6. I'm really good at stare downs. In the game of "Baby, if you love me will you please, please smile?". Yeah, that game. I totally always win. I am like stone. No soul.

Okay.

Yeah.

How exciting.

Have a lovely Tuesday.

And wear a beret. I think I just might.
5.

sometimes. things seem easier than they were before. other times they happen to escape you in a moment of disconnect. failing. watching. giggling. listening.

somedays are less magical than the others. sometimes. i can stop and hear the wind. and other days it's just my head. and it's silliness.

and. sometimes i feel less than spectacular. but. that's okay.

it's just okay. yes.

i need something new. i've asked. lots and lots.

sometimes i wonder if i'm the reason i can't hear.

or is hearing something deeper than i expect it to be.

i stumble. across words and emotions and failure. i stumble a lot. and it hurts.

everything is quiet. recently. everything is quiet.

i can't stand the quiet anymore.

so. maybe i'll make some noise. or i'll clip-clap across the floor in a crashing attempt to make it all my own. i don't know.

i need to stop trying to hear so bad. maybe. i don't know.

You have no soul if you don't dance to this. Fo real.

Ummm. Yeah. My friend, Kole, plays this on his iTouch and I stand there and dance to it.

I find dancing to be magical. Mainly because I look like a freaking dork.

Hey.

You.

Yeah. Dance to this. Please. For me.

Good morning.

A very big thanks to all who gave photog ideas, I finally decided on Erica Shires(oh, so very lovely). And I just want to give a thanks to everybody who comments on here, you always leave such inspiring and heartwarming sentiments. They make me smile, they make me feel that it's okay to feel things, and they always make me think. So... Thanks. :D

Listening to this song over and over.

Rediscovering my love for Rachael Yamagata. One of my favorite songs ever--




Listed some of these pretties in my Etsy shop on Thursday-

I really love these pieces, because they just feel so hopeful to me.

Hoping to get a little more proactive with the Etsy shop, because I really enjoy doing it. Is there anything you'd like to see in the next update?

Randomness--

I'm so excited for TAIF, we're venturing in different directions for the coming year and next few prompts and it's so inspiring and thrilling! Yay.

Feeling a lot more at piece with life and things. Had a very good conversation for once that solidified some things last night. Albeit, things are confusing still, but at least I know where I stand.

Freaking loving film. Sigh. I used my first black and white roll. It was very cool, but, oh, color is good!

Have a smashing weekend...

This scares me.

No matter how careful you are, there’s going to be the sense you missed something, the collapsed feeling under your skin that you didn’t experience it all. There’s that fallen heart feeling that you rushed right through the moments where you should’ve been paying attention…well, get used to that feeling. That’s how your whole life will feel some day. This is all practice. Chuck Palahniuk

Yeah. Okay. I need to walk away from quotes today. They'll kill me sometime.

Anways.

Keep the photographer love coming.

Happy Tuesday!

Sometimes you feel everything and nothing all at once. Sometimes you’ll find yourself smiling while missing someone at the same time. At times you can absolutely love a person, all the while wanting to hate them so badly. Life comes without guarantee’s, except that smiling will brighten your face, laughing will enhance your eyes, and falling in love will change your life. - Unknown

You have to do your own growing no matter how tall your grandfather was. - Abe Lincoln

via here.

give me a link to your favorite photographer. i need to do a poster and powerpoint project on one. it can be of any photographer or photographers. i also will have to an "emulation" project next week.

indulge me.
thanks.

november. november.

November is-

Finishing homework on Saturdays.
Wearing tights and socks together at the same time.
Choosing joy.
Setting a schedule for professional goals and getting them in on deadlines.
New music.
Using film camera.
Reading more books.
Way less time on the computer.
Re-doing inspiration wires.
Asking God to show me my sin.
Chipped black fingernail polish.
Taking goofy pictures.
No more ridiculous psycho-analyzing, introspective crap.
Weekends with friends.
Taking risks with photos.
Praying.
Emailing Bri more often.
Eating random food on roofs with Steph and Tom.
Keeping the room clean.
Trusting God.
Putting less silly, unattainable expectations on myself.
Journalling.
Guarding my heart.
Wearing weird clothes just because I feel like it.
Bringing happiness to others.
Reaching out to God.
Finding glimpses of sunshine in the long, gray days.
Helping Mama more often.
Drawing.
Etsy updates.
Trying to attempt a daily photo project.
Looking for joy.
Random walks by myself.
Drinking coffee.
Cherishing.
Taking more baths.
Falling in love with my Savior.

I was super excited to be the Guest Designer over at the ever amazing Work Your Soul. When Kim and Jen asked me to GD, I was so excited! They've created such a great atmosphere and inspiring blog and I was ecstatic to be a part of it. They asked me to be their "Twiggy"(uh. can we intimidating? but, oh so, inspiring!). Anyway. You MUST check it out and play along!

Here's a little glimpse of what I did, you can see more on the blog!

Have a blessed Sunday and a beautiful week!

Loves.

I thought I'd take some time and share a little Scrap for a Cure goodness. The "kit" is awesome this month because you can choose which one you want. The boy or the girl. Fun, no?
I got to use to boy kit!

Here's what I came up with!

Allright. I'm up to some weekend shenanigans with friends.

Have a great weekend!

Oh. And there will probably be an Etsy update sometime next week! Have a few things to hammer out over there! So excited.

Dude.

Happy Monday?!?!?! Kicked some butt. Good butt, mind you.

Made breakfast for my mommy--

Left a message on my sissy's phone singing the Happy Monday song really obnoxiously.

Baked some Happy Monday cupcakes--

Brought Stephanie's book to her house. She opened the door with a frown on her face and then started laughing when I broke into the Happy Monday song. I gave her the book, burned CD, and wrote a note to her family about the cupcakes.

Went downstairs and left a poem and banana on Sara's bed(isn't that creepiest thing you can think of? finding a random banana just sitting on your bed? oh my gosh. i thought it was hilarious).

I was in such a giggly, ridiculous, happy mood the whole day.

My friend, Kim, was at Stephanie's house when I showed up and noticed my Happy Monday cheer. She IMed me later and told me how much she liked my Happy Monday cheer and decided to take part in it. She baked some cookies for a friend, left them and a hand colored picture on her friend's door and ran away.

Sigh. Happy Mondays are the best. I was telling my sister about all my Happy Mondayness and she decided to take part also. It was goofy and silly and fun.

Hit every green light on the way to piano while I was driving(ah! I want my license. And I want it now).

I later had piano lessons and then to the grocery store with my mom. I talked my mommy into buying me coffee and flirted with Tully's guy the whole time. It was great fun.

Danced to Golddigger in the car when I mom stared at me really strangely.

It was such a good day.

I realized something.... That being joyful is a choice. That, really, my happiness didn't matter on my circumstances on Monday. It was a choice. I did things for others, which is way more fun than just making myself happy.

And it's weird, for the past two days, I've actually felt like myself again. Silly, dorky, bizarre, goofy. I haven't felt like this in a long time, I'd say months probably. Sigh.

The Happy Monday cheer has been floating, so far, through the week.

Anyway.

It was good.

And. I just want to say that I'm proud. For my country. Even though the person who I would have voted for didn't win. I'm still proud, because it's our country's choice.

I'm ready though. I'm ready for our country to start being the United States of America. I'm ready for our politicians to stop acting like 2nd graders and start working together. To compromise, to prepare a country that I'm ready to grow up in.

I was also so excited to see the buzz around school for this election. Seeing some of my 18 year old Senior friends getting out and voting. Seeing the "I voted" stickers around.

Anyways. No more political commentary.

Have a fabulous Wednesday! And a blessed week. I'm off to work on schoolwork, a fun photo shoot for a project that I'll share in a few days, some Etsy lovin', lots of emails to reply to, a very disastrous room.

Oh. And yay for four-day weekends!!!! No school tomorrow or Friday. Yay.

It's Happy Monday, y'all.

I wish you a Happy Monday, I wish you a Happy Monday, I wish you a Happy Mondayyyyyyyy! And a very good week!

[sang to the tune of "I wish you a Merry Christmas"]

Today is Happy Monday. What is Happy Monday, you ask? Well. If you haven't noticed, I've been in a bit of funk. Funks aren't fun, they are just... funky. Anyway, to get myself out of this ridiculous pity party crap that I've been feeding myself, I've decided to change my ways.

So. That brings me to Happy Monday. Today is Happy Monday. Yes, I know. You are still wondering what the crap Happy Monday is. Mwahhaha. Okay.

Happy Monday is all about being happy. And making others happy. So. That's what I'm doing today. And I think you should do the same.

I already made my mommy breakfast. (Thank God for waffle mix, yo). And I made a fantabulous mini-book for TAIF for the bestie, Stephie. And I'm making her cupcakes, bring her balloons, and giving her the bestest mix CD know to mankind. As we know it. (That is a quote from my sister and I. Just so you know).

Anyway. I'm taking pictures of the momentous day. Because pictures are happy. And I like being Happy.

And I look cute today, too! Yay.

So. How can you make Happy Monday so very happy for yourself?

There's all sorts of things you can do.

Like, leave messages on people's phone singing the Happy Monday song. Or emailing someone and telling them how much you love them. Or baking cupcakes. Or pies.

Or picking up Jack in the Box curly fries for your boyfriend. And only stealing a few before you give them to him.

Or bring flowers to a co-worker. Or wear mismatching socks.

Really. Today has so much possibility, in the Happiness world.

So. What has been making me happy?

This movie.... Oh. my. heavens. I saw this post and pretty much freaked out. I then rented it from the library and watched the best 94 minutes of my entire life. It's really not that funny. But. AHHHHH! I want to be insane when I grow up. Sara watched it with me and we laughed.... Way more than we should have.

Sigh. I desperately need to do an Edie inspired photo shoot soon.

"The Libra husband is reasonable. He is a born judge, and no other zodiacal type can order his life with so much wisdom." God! That's all I need: order! That's all I need: an ordered life. You know, a manager. But he's *got* to be a Libran."


Delish.

And I like Happy Music. Like Noah and The Whale and Lenka.



Things inspiring me now:

Freckles.
Dorky poems wrote for me.
The Bible.
T-shirts tucked in highwaisted jeans.
Plaid collared shirts.
Black fingernail polish.
Randomly breaking into dance in the hallways at school.
Dramatic skies.
Rain on the sidewalk.
Crunchy leaves.
Reflections.
Insane people.
The color pink.

Have a Happy Monday!!!

Yaypants.

Dude. Two posts in one day? I feel change coming on. This is exciting.

I want to share some lovelies I've been playing around with for Hambly, this month. I'm not going to lie, working with these are so intimidating! Because of the awesomeness of the product and all the other lovely DT Girls(Have you checked on the design team profiles? awwwesome). Anyway.

Onto the project that I was talking about a few posts ago. I had this idea in my head after seeing how the ever awesome Rachel had spray painted some tree branches for Halloween decor. This was super easy, cheap, and quick!

I cut a branch off the front cherry tree, removed the leaves, cut off the branches that I didn't like, and spray-painted. I used the Krylon Gloss stuff. Worked out fabulous. Used a few nails to keep it up there.

I'm pretty much addicted to the Birdcages paper. I adhered some black cardstock to the back of the paper and cut out the birdcages. I ran some black thread the the tops and hug them up.

Some cards and layouts----

That's it for today.

See you in the morning.

"I said baby you’re not lost".

I was reading this book last night. I don't really know what the intention of this little scene was for in the book. But. It chilled me.

Turning a corner, I came across the reticent, bearded man who had driven me from the station. "Maurice is what they call me," he said, reluctantly introducing himself.
"How do you manage not to get lost?" I wanted to know. "Is there a trick to it?"
"Only time," he said, without looking up from his work.

- Diane Setterfield

So I'll admit to not being the biggest Michael Buble fan. I find him annoying for the most part. But, dang, I was looking over here this morning. And found this little pretty-

Have a great Sunday morning!

I like this.

“The most important things are the hardest things to say. They are the things you get ashamed of, because words diminish them - words shrink things that seemed limitless when they were in your head to no more than the living size then they’re brought out. But it’s more than that, isn’t it? The most important things lie too close to wherever your secret heart is buried, like landmarks to a treasure your enemies would love to steal away. And you may make revelations that cost you dearly only to have people look at you in a funny way, not understanding what you’ve said at all, or why you thought it was so important that you almost cried while you were saying it. That’s the worst, I think. When the secret stays locked within not for want of a teller but for want of an understanding ear.”- Stephen King.