"wow. i have a lot to do tomorrow"

Yeah. I was thinking that last night when i got home late from a crazy night of partying....

okay. so maybe i did watch hannah montana and a disney channel movie with steph and sara on their couch before being de-pantsed by stephanie in her kitchen. and. maybe i did get home at 9:00.... and i was exhausted. i don't know drinking, smoking teenagers do it. crazyness.

Sometimes my sheer awesomeness and maturity astound even me. I swear I'm mature, though I do have a soft spot towards Hannah Montana. That show just makes me lauuuugh. And the depantsying ordeal should teach me that I have no business where sweat pants. I know there is a reason I was made to wear thrift store dresses and umatching tights.

Anyways. I have a lot to do today.

No homework this weekend! Aw, sigh, that makes me happy.

And I'm quite certain I say that every single post. Especially Saturday posts. But, yeah, I do.

Some photos from a roof adventure on Thursday. Thursday was such a good day. The sun was shining and it was sort of warm enough to go on the roof without coats and my hair looked cute and it was quiet. The kind of quiet that you don't dare to say something because it might remove whatever magic is in the air.

Sigh. I love those days.... I love amazing friends too.

Oh. While scrapbooking recently, I've noticed the sad state of my supplies. I haven't gone scrapbook supply shopping in at least 6 months. Anyways. I want recommendations for offbeat embellishments, glitter mists, eclectic papers, anything bizarre and cool that you've tried recently and want to share. I just need to feel inspired again and having some fun stuff on hand to try would be great.

So... Link me up. Link me up. :D

Happy Saturday....

Yay-uh.

Good lovely Thursday morning to you! Actually worked quite a bit last night. Organized all my Hambly lovies. I scrapbook on the floor of my bedroom. My Hambly sits in this huge messy pile and I dig through it till I find what I need. And I have a toooonnn of it. Anyways. Last night I decided that it was ridiculously out of hand. So I organized it by rub-ons, stickers, transparencies, papers, and then from "type" on. It was epic. And now I just feeling like staring at it and not playing with it.

Then I realized that January of 2009 is almost over. And that made me very sad. Can you believe Christmas was like a month ago? Weirdness.

Blue skies! I really need to go out and take some pictures of evidence. I forgot about the sun for awhile there. Well, I didn't stop appreciating it, I just forgot the feel and the amazingess of it. Sighpants.

Wow. I really only seem to talk about my emo feelings, the weather, food, and paper on this blog....

Somebody needs to find me a life and other topics of discussion than fingernail polish.

Allright. Off to go do schoolwork, study for a math quiz, work on some Hambly stuff, practice the piano(learning Winter Song by Ingrid and Sara Bareilles on the piano... it's very pretty. Also has 5 flats. Not cool), frost some cupcakes, and curl my hair. Well.... I need to some more procastinating. I seriously schedule in procrastinating into my life now..... It's just... Blogs and then I'm like "hmmmm.... i really need to finish listening to this song". Joshua Radin a the moment...

Thrilling, I know!

Here's a little layout I made with some new Hambly. Yummm...

eeek!

allright. music obesssions. i love new music. i love it when i first discover something and i listen to it over and over again. i like silly lyrics, weird voices, i loooooove random violin. i like those lyrics that stop you cold because you get it.

i love that feeling of hearing a song and having an overwhelming desire to go paint it out and then demand that people listen to it and hope that they hear the same thing and say "oh. okay. i get it".

i like that when i think of the weepies i remember my sister and taking too many naps at my aunt and uncle's cabin and drinking too much coffee. i hear a song by tegan and sara and i feel like calling "my" stephanie and telling her that i thought of her. she loves that song. or whenever i hear justin timberlake i feel like dancing and my friend, kole, white boy dancing to it.

anyways. needed to say that. i like music.

i stayed home from youth group tonight in an attempt to "get things done".... allright. back to working on my class.

obsessed with that above song.

i like their flannel shirts and the woods and their messy bangs.

i want messy bangs, dangit.

allright. 'night.

I happened upon Florence and the Machine earlier this week and very much fell in love. "Kiss with a Fist" brings me great joy, nothing quite like violence to make me smile. :D

Anyways. Check her out.....

My "date" was lovely and relaxing and fun. I highly recommend them. :D

Let's see... Just been working on school, and my class, and trying to relish the gorgeous blue skies I got yesterday.... Back to overcast now, but hey, at least I got one day.

Don't really have much to say today. Some new Hambly layouts will be coming at you later this week. Did you see the new releases? So fun! I've been playing with them for the last couple of days. :)

I do have a couple questions for my awesomely lovely readers.

I want to find a short, "quick" devotional book type thing to read before I go to school in the mornings. Something that would take me like 10 minutes to read. I just want to find something that will set my heart on God and what's important for that day. If you have any recommendations, they'd be greatly appreciated.

And, if you have any cool lighting links or ideas, please let me know. I'm not really sure what I want, I've just had this random lamp sitting on my window seat for the last 6 months. I don't like to keep my main ceiling light on in my room at night, it's too bright. Anyways. I was thinking some type of cool floor lamp, since I don't really want to put a lamp on my desk. Maybe something that hangs? I really have no idea.

And. What do you like to see or read on my blog?

Thanks! :D

Here are some of my film photos from the last two rolls of mine. Need to start taking more and getting them developed. Sighhh. I love film....

And a song that I'm loving recently. Happy Day to you!

ummmm yeahhhh.

check it out baby!

i was so thrilled and pumped when jen and kim asked me to be their new girl.

um. dude. thrilling.

just had to say it. and smile from ear to ear.

i'm having a date with myself tonight. i had this fabulous idea earlier in the week where i decided that i wanted to go get movies that i wanted to watch and watch them by myself with ice cream and lots of blankets. (holy mother of a pearl run on setence!).

i was like "okay, kara, pick out a movie you've always wanted to see, but haven't had the chance to".

so i end up leaving with juno and p.s. i love you. two movies that i looooooove.

which i have seen both before. anyways. gonna do some quick bloglines checking, a rendevous with theraflu(stupid colds), taking a loooong bath and settling down with a big bowl of vanilla ice cream.

ehhhh. i'm excited to just ch'lax for a night. this week has been so long, and it was only four days long! heavens.

here's to disposable cameras, spiderman stickers, new blogs, coffee, crayons, grumpy phone calls to best friends, black fingernail polish, and wonderful people.

life is a good thing, yo.

clicky clicky for credits

Heavnes, I feel like I've been constantly running from one thing to another this whole week. It seems like I get home and I have lists and messy rooms and homework saying my name over and over again. Which I have promptly ignored and found myself spending e-gads of hours not doing any of those things, usually on the computer or staring blankly at random objects. Woooootnesss.

Let's see. Clearing up a lot of the fuzzies in my brain regarding my classy-class and just getting lists and the actual text part of the class down. Now onto flourishing up the class, taking photos, making more pretties, and just doing general spoofiness. Now.... There is a lot more of spoofiness needed. A lot. But, hey, that's what weekends are for, no?

My brain is seriously running in fourty five different directions. I have lists of lists and lists of unlistable things and lists of..... yeah... It's not so good. I've had that feeling all week like I'm forgetting something really important that I should be doing... Ugh. Yucky feeling.

And I have all sorts of tiny decisions that I should be making or at least thinking about, but all I feel like doing is pushing decisions off and contemplating other deep life issues, such as- "hmmmmm. how many scoops of ice cream can i eat in day?" or "huh. would my newly tie-dyed tights look strange with that dress?".

Ahhhh. My life? Is strangely pathetic, yo. Haha.

Been missing green grass like nutso, if the above mosaic is any indication. It finalllly sorta rained today. I mean.... If I'm gonna get nasty, bland, overcast skies, at least throw me a little condensation, here! Okay. Okay. Thanks. Good talking to ya too. :D

Allright, I'll stop rambling. I wanted to do a little "holy-batman-cow! this is what is inspiring kara currently" post. Because. I want too, kay?!?!

Outfit from from this tumblr from way back when. I just can't get over the pinkyness, the shiny shoes, red hair, the floral tights!!! Oh heavens... If any of you have links to floral tights, I'll love you for forever and a day.

Anything and everything by miss Kimmy. Her art journals make me siiiiigh.

Photos from here. I seriously spent 15 minutes looking throught all of these. I was stunned. So quiet and soft and dark and full of life, yet so un-lifelike....

Kristina Contes' Anthro Book. I don't know if I have words to describe how much I love this. And how I want to steal it and stroke it over and over again and whisper things to it..... Wow. I'm a creep. A cute, paper loving creep, though.

Any and all music by Holly Conlan. Her albums are on constant repeat. They just have an easy sound that sucks me in. Her lyrics are smashing too.

Some verra, verra cool news to share tomorrow night!

Oh, and, I have a little interview thing posted on the Portals Zine Blog. Check it out.

Happy Weekend! :)

just thought y'all should.

last night while babysitting we had a five minute discussion on what it'd be like if teeth grew on our heads.

and in our noses. and ears.

i decided that i'm very glad that teeth only grow in our mouths... i mean as much as i enjoy flossing....

so dang glad.

that is all.

happy wednesday.

- new prompt at taif. it's awesome. that's all i'm saying. i made this for it. it says leap. and it's soft and pretty and hangs over my mirror. a little reminder to leap into me, into weird clothes and strange hair-dos, and giggliness and... cool. stuff. haha.
-worked on my class for like three hours earlier today. well. i was distracted often. on page 9 in a word document. and i'm not even half done.... sigh.
-dude. i cannot focus. at all.
-crapdangit, i don't want to go to school tomorrow. -
i need some sunshine and a back massage.
-i think i'm getting a cold. this isn't good. um. yeah.

lame face post.

and one awkward 15 second video of being being a dork. i swear my voice does not sound like that. and i have no idea why i decided to grab my crazy cool metallic thread and stare at it. reallllly, really no idea.

since i figured out how to do this.... one o' these, i'll do a vlog.

just so i can use the word "vlog".

true that.

wootness. from Kara on Vimeo.



edited: hahahahaha. oh ma gosh. best still ever.

love it.

mmm..... tonight is one of those quiet friday nights. the very good quiet friday nights.

i have some super, super cool news to share this time next week. let's just say..... this news= happy kara. :D

listening to good music. drinking a latte my mama made for me(dude, probably the best coffee i've had in months. moms are the bestest). editing photos from a quick photoshoot with sara today. working on my class.

i'm getting really excited about this class. i'm enlisting the help of a lovely friend. working on posts and ideas and excitement.

more information and sneaks will be coming the coming weeks. class starts on february 16th. the class spots will be on sale february 9th through the 16th.

it'll be a six day class. everyday inspiration, journalling and photography prompts. random "techniques". maybe dorky video or two of me rambling about nothing. we'll be making a mini-book, a random treasure box, and taking photos all about your "life story". what's your life story? take the class and find out. :P cost- $15

i'm excited. very excited.

a few more from today...

happy weekend!

newness, yo.

everything in the little old etsy shop is on sale. i'm wanting to get it cleaned out for a new update in the next couple of weeks. and some spots for the class that i'm going to be "teaching".

so, if there is something that has caught your eye before, everything is a little more accessible. thanks so much! :D

yay for new semester, new people, new adventures, and just newness. some new things are finding me, but i seem to be discovering that i've got to find the newness myself.

newness is totally my word for 2009, people. it just is.

decisions, i tell you....

the LG enV²®?

or





the Samsung Alias?

telllll me... tellll me.

and. yes, i'd get an iPhone if I were that cool, but I'm not.

confess.

i don't want to be a senior next year. i don't want to start thinking about colleges. i don't want to make plans and lists and to have canned answers about what the cow i'm going to do with my life. i don't want people asking me how i'm going to feel when someone leaves. i don't want to be so lazy and selfish. i don't want sara to leave. i don't want to feel stupid anymore. i don't want any more questions. i don't want to grow up. thankyouverymuch.

end of silly, teenager confession.

What a blessed and beautiful Monday to you!

Those cursed gray skies..... I shall... Curse them. Or something of the kind. :D Ahhhh. The joys of avoiding studying for finals. I'm a procastinator. And much too lazy to change that.

Yay for bright purple fingernails(yes, Dani. I got some for Christmas and finally painted them. I feel so colorful... and strange. I'm so used to seeing black on fingers). Yay for two new awesome sponsors. Welcome Q Tea Kits and Mariposa Avenue!!! (ahhh. sigh for inspiring etsyians. hehe). Yay for curly hair and a messy art corner and Ingrid Michaelson and God.

I know. Quite the list.

And, yes, that's an art journal page. Don't be so surprised. :P Inspired by this song.

My ouuuuuuuutfit for today. I really like sharing what I wear, I'm just too lazy to do it often. I went thrifting with Sara last Saturday and got some cute stuff(and one creepy guinea pig painting. i find it amazing and horrifying).

Anways.... Outfitness. Click on it for more information. :D

Yep. I do think that is it for today. Thanks for the music recommendation and other photo stuff. All y'all are awesome. :)

Here is some inspiring blogs and people that I've discovered. Yay!

Emily O.- Ammmmmmazzing photography, I'm seriously in love with it and her. Check out her flickr. Be careful, it's crazy inspiring. :D

Joleen Thiesen- So, so cool.

Unicorn Diaries- Doesn't update ever, but the archives are crazy inspiring and awesome. I was blown away, her thoughts. The emotions. Beautiful.

Una Bella Vita- Gorgeous pictures and the piano music on her blog is worth a listen. A very long listen, though.

Here is one song that I am very much addicted to as of recently. (unfortunately it's album only on iTunes. silly album only songs. sigh).

I've been getting some inquiries into what camera I use and other photo related jazz and thought I'd address them in this here post, y'all.

I use the Nikon d40 with the 18-55 mm lens.

Don't get this camera.

Haha. I mean, if you ever want to go other places in photography and expand with other equipment and better lenses, the d40 is NOT the way to go. It has lens compatibility issues(most lenses won't autofocus with it. not that manual focus is terrible, but it's limiting at times).

Anyways. I can't especially recommend another camera since I don't have experience with them.

I've heard good things about the d80, the Canon 40d, for "beginning" type stuff. Find out what you need out of a camera, do a ton of research, only buy through reputable businesses(like b&h. i got my camera from beachcamera. which was a good experience), and finally decide what feels best in your hands.

But. Your camera won't make or break you as a photographer. I've seen some amazing stuff out of other students in my photo class that I have worse cameras that I do. Learn your trade.

Don't forfeit quality. Use the highest quality file sizes. Shoot in RAW.

Learn Manual. Sometimes I still use Auto to do quickie photos, but Manual is really the only way to go. Play constantly with it and don't give up! Manual will change how you take pictures.

I don't have Photoshop at home, so most of the photos you see I edit on Picnik.com. It sucks for the most part, but work with what you got. I'll be getting Photoshop on my Mac when I get in the next year, but right now I'm just working with what I got.

Film---

I use a Canon 10S. It's not a shabby film camera, it was my grandma's. I like Fujifilm, but, to be honest, I don't know much about film and jazz. I'm still learning and discovering stuff about it.

Yeah. Reading back on this, it's not especially helpful, haha. But, if you have any more questions, just ask and I'll try to answer 'em.

Kara

right now.

right now.

kara.

is wanting next tuesday at 9:20 to be over with. and wanting the blue skies to stay. and wanting to go thrift store shopping and hashbrowns and my best friend to get home. and to go to a really good indie concert.

is needing to re-dye her hair, study for finals, and paint her fingernails purple. is needing a loooong conversation with her beautiful friend, ronnie. miss her so much. is needing it to be february 16th already, so she have that dang license. and needing to reply to emails and organize her life and start doing more college research and make her new years resolutions.

is wishing she could find some new, inspiring music to listen to. and wishing that she could attend cha and that her hair would magically re-dye itself.

is hearing a lot of quiet.

is feeling at peace. is feeling sorta confused somedays, but trust in God goes so far.

is liking acoustic guitar and boots with tights and knee high socks. is liking random messages and silly conversation with friends. jon foreman. and liking someone. and liking blue skies and quiet houses and messy bedrooms.

is drinking too much coffee.

is wearing her new favorite plaid pajama pants and her batman shirt(size 8-10. little boys section in wal-mart. it... actually fits.)

is wishing you the best of a saturday possible...

happy day.

i just.

need.

a.

break.

i feel like curling up in a lacy dress and watching the scene where matthew dies in anne of green gables. i want to have curly hair and too many freckles and purple fingernails and i want a glass of lemonade.

mmmm. yes. that would be lovely. verrrrrry lovely.

needed a quick break from the photography calendar. it's coming together, i'm just sick of fairytales and paper and hand drawing every freaking calendar page(yes. i have to go the hard way).

i like this song

thought i'd share the photos i've taken for this project... here's my artist statement-

"In a utilitarian age, of all other times, it is a matter of grave importance that fairy tales should be respected."- Charles Dickens

Fairytales are the stories of the dreamers, the romantics, the children in all of us. I think they are the stories of the realists too. They tug at something inside of you, that something that makes you want to randomly break into song, dance with the fairies, and have a long conversation with a talking deck of cards.

My concept was to approach the idea of fairytale characters failing at what they do. Ariel is drowning, Beauty and the Beast are mad at each other, Tink’s pixie dust isn’t working. They are haunting, humorous, and real, most of all.

These photographs aren’t to take away from the magic and splendor that dwell in the perfect, classic fairytale. They are more of an introduction into the idea that magic and fairytales are all around us. They aren’t so much to find the bad in the fairytale, but maybe, the fairytale in the bad."

wootness-----

back to work now.

happy weekend!!!!

Mmmmhmmmm....

Tonight was one of those making a pot of coffee to finish studying for math test retakes. Not as horrifying as I first imagined it being. Pretty painful, though.

:D

Yes. Some people have real problems.

I have test problems. Yuck.

Althrough. Coffee makes it less painful. This cold weather is getting me addicted.

Anyways. How am I?

Kara is doing quite lovely, actually. Life and time is going by too fast, but I'm liking this "living in the now thing". It's good.

Uhmmm... I'm sure I have something exciting to blog about... Haha.

Let's see.

New awesome sponsors up on the blog! ------------------>

The Jillry Etsy shop! (cuuuute stuff. i love this one. so bohemian chic.)

And the ever awesome A Million Memories.

I still have one(possibly two) spots open, if you are interested in advertising, your Etsy shop, photography business, or other independent business, shoot me an email at karahaupt[@]hotmail.com and I'll get the rates and information out to you.

Thanks! :)

Starting a fun photo project with a lovely someone. Can't wait to show you something glimpes of that over the next month....

Speaking of the next month. I present to you my January Resolutions.

-Practice piano daily.
-Journal more often.
-Spend more time in my Bible. The last month has been really good for me. Been doing a lot of outside research that has inspired me to start reading more and discovering.
-Finish editing and printing photos for friends.
-Clean out the top of my closet.
-Finish TAIF on time. (Next prompt goes up on the 19th. It's awesome. Soooo excited to see where "my" little site is going.)
-Stretch every night before going to bed.
-Do some 'just for me' art.
-Survive finals.
-Finally get a phone(Yes. I'm the only teenager in the whole wide world who does not own a cellphone. Parents say if I want one, I have to pay for one. Ergah.)
-Update the shop with more pocket journals and art.
-Finish up more details for my class..... Wheeeeee.
-Sketch more.
-Use more film.
-Blog more.

Aight.

Good night.

My new inspiration wires-- :D

this is one of those photos.

y'know. that one you keep on staring at because you can't keep your eyes away.

that's scrawny. and awkward. and wrong. and kind of annoying. there is some truth in that you can't quite decide on.

yes.

i psychoanalyze photos.

i like the rufflyness of my shirt. and the tiny glimpse of my favorite yellow pants. and my shiny red hair. and my toes peaking out. and the random leaves and the green grass.

oh. green grass. i miss you.

and the way the sun is shining and creating shadows in the grass and how you know the sun is on your skin, because it's warm and kinda too hot, but still perfect. yeah.

this is good to me.

old.

Why, I believe it is time for something new, no?

What exactly? I don't know.

Worked on cleaning my bedroom and reorganzing a little bit today. Still have piles of clothes left to hang up, yuuuucky.

I do not want to go back to school. I hate stress. With a burning, fiery passion. I hate finals too.

Anyyyways.

The sun is shining today. Dannnng, I missed the sun.

I'm offering a class through a private blog probably at the very beginning of February. More information as it comes closer. :D

Some Hambly layouts for this month! Had fun with these.

Mmmm.. Crinkly is good.

I'm going to offer 3 pretty small advertising spots on the blog to create a little revenue for myself. I love the idea of supporting independant artists and business people. So, if you have an Etsy shop or whatever that you'd like to advertise here, shoot me an email at karahaupt[@]gmail.com and I'll get rates and information out to you. They'll change monthly. :D

Let's see....

Going to finish cleaning the room.
Editing and taking more photos for this project.
Working on class stuff.
Organizing stuff for TAIF.
A little alone time date with myself tonight.
Studying math crap.
A little fun project for a lovely someone.

Happy Saturday!

here is to

dramatic morning skies
only coffee and cheese for breakfast
new itunes giftcards
silly friends
really, really silly sometimes embarrassing friends
new notebooks filled with Truth
bags calling to be unpacked
mismatched clothes
dark chocolate
nerd glasses
zack in a dress and makeup
pictures taken and to take
a fresh start
trust. complete trust
curly hair


happy new year.

this one is going to be good.

and fresh.

very. very fresh.

love.