The End of The Beginning

In seven days, I will graduate from college with a Bachelor of Arts in English. I'll be twenty-two years young.

While I can't imagine what the future holds, as bright and beautiful as it is sure to be, I can tell you about the things in the past that have brought me to this moment right here.

I stepped out of my comfort zone to go to a school four hours from home. I took classes that broadened my world views. I met people who were like me. I made friends with people who aren't like me. I read, a lot. I traveled to France. I learned about social injustice. I became an activist for the things I cared about. I broke up.  I went to China. I danced, a lot. I lived with awesome roommates. I fell in love. I saw the beauty in the Chinese language. I laughed, a lot. I took pictures of everything. I made mistakes. I learned to be a better navigator. I served people. I fell in love with mankind. I learned from people older and wiser than me. I went to Catalina Island. I prayed.  I started to understand people better. I cried. I learned the importance of obedience. I got a good job. I lived in four different dorms. I put 40,000 miles on my car. I saw my brother grow up into a real man. I learned things the hard way. I got a sister-in-law. I was afraid. I ate some unbelievably delicious foods. I was happy. I took the risk, even when it seemed hard, or foolish, or just plain scary.

And here I am.

So now, as I count down the days to my graduation and savor those last moments that make this experience one that I will never forget, I want to tell you what you should do. Not just for graduation, but for every day of your life.

Get out of the box. Learn about this beautiful crazy world we are living in, and I promise you, you will fall in love with all the beautiful crazy people around you. Travel: go to the places that you dream about, that call to you in a way you can't explain. Learn from the people in your life, old or young, weak or strong. Read, laugh, pray, cry... a lot. Be present in the lives of the people around you, especially the ones who really matter. And just do it. Don't make excuses, don't find reasons to say no -- because that's always the easy way out. Instead,  just say yes. Leave your excuses at home and step into the next biggest adventure of your life.

I'm doing it. And I'll be honest, I have no idea what that looks like, but in so many ways, that's the beautiful thing about it. Jumping, diving in head first with no idea what the bottom looks like.

Are you living it?

Halloween 2010: Spooky Scenery

Since the date is fast approaching (and my fete will actually take place the day before), I have my nose to the grindstone for the decoration portion of this hoedown. (Did that sentence mix metaphors? I'm not sure.)

After rounding up some ideas for you all, I've narrowed down the things that I would like to put into practice at my party. First, let me share some purchased items:

At my local Savers, I picked up this fun glittery candelabra (and for less than you can get it new on Amazon! Ha!):

And these creepy handprints are up in our dorm until I head home:

These will be accompanied by some glittery spiders, those stretchy faux spider webs and other such things. I will hopefully also get some black crepe paper to use around the house.

But for DIY (which I imagine you love as much as I do) here are a few selections that I can't wait to put into practice.

Martha (are you surprised?) has a bunch of great resources like these rat and mice templates to scatter around your floorboards and cabinets. Easy and very inexpensive, I might whip them up early! One of her other ideas is to transform a wine bottle, or in my case a 2 liter bottle of Dr. Pepper, into a convincing mummy:

Some eerily black poms a la Martha should also make an appearance. But the final touch that I am especially proud of? Let me tell you about it. (Perhaps this excitement stems from studying a chapter called "Uncanny" in my Literary Criticism class...)

On a site that I just recently stumbled upon, called Vintage Printable, you can print any variety of images free of charge and copyright restriction! Conveniently, many of the images are strange hand-drawn botanicals and even portraits. The best way to use these bizarre images? Replace your regular photos with something like the particularly detailed Hawaiian octopus study:

All in all, I expect a frightening but simple set up. I want it to look cool in the background, but you should know I'm not gonna slave over it!

Any ideas you know I would love? See anything that you are gonna try or have already? Fill me in!

Halloween 2010: Brainstorm

Still don't have a costume picked out? Baffled by the array of scandalous interpretations of your favorite childhood characters? (I'm looking at you mini-skirt Little Red Riding Hood.)

My friends, your time is running out! So, in light of that, I've gathered together some of my favorite costumes with the hopes that if I can't inspire you to choose one, you can at least get a running start on your own idea!

A couple of nerdy ideas to start you off with: how about going as Calvin and Hobbes?

(photo borrowed from wikipedia)

Not only is a pretty simple costume, but you can choose to either go solo or as a pair -- either you carry a stuffed tiger, or your have a friend dress up as one! Fun, right?

Or there is this fantastic option:



And it comes with a "Dress Like Flo" instructional website! Click on it to see exactly what she is wearing. Slick, eh?

One of the costumes that I have wanted to do forever is Marie Antoinette, with the costuming based on the movie starring Kirsten Dunst. The whole movie is beautiful, and the look from the masquerade is one of my favorites:

(This photo comes from Yahoo!)

And of course, you can be just about anyone if you throw a zombie in front of it.
My current favorite would be a Zombie Waldo! Whenever someone walked up to you, you could yell "You found me!" and give them some candy.

I just think I am soooo funny...

Any other ideas? We're getting down to crunch-time people! And I'm now working on two costumes! It's gonna be a wild ride.

(PS: Can someone be a brainstorm, literally, for Halloween? I just love the idea.)

Guest Post: Geeked Out!

Are you looking for a new blog to read? If you haven't already checked out my Regular Reads yet, then I would strongly to encourage you to head over and check out Geek in Heels to read my guest post!

(image borrowed from geek in heels)

In preparing for the birth of her very adorable little girl, Jenny at Geek in Heels put out a call for guest bloggers and I was more than happy to oblige! I've got a series of three posts about geeky Halloween ideas (right up the RFP alley, eh?) coming down the chute.

So check out my first post on geeky Halloween costumes, and stay tuned for the next two!

Obsession: Dainty Rings

While I'm well aware that I may be the last person to jump on this band wagon, I just thought you all should know I'm obsessed with delicate jewelry, and especially rings.

"But, where would I find rings like that, Stephanie?" You may in fact be asking. Fear not! I have corralled some beautiful rings for you to enjoy (and maybe buy, the prices aren't bad either!)

For the kind of girl whose favorite outfit is jeans, a cute top and a favorite pair of shoes, this most simple band from favorJewelry is perfect:

For the girly-girl (the kind who loves headbands and matches her shoes to her belt?) this set of three with an itty-bitty heart from etsy seller GoldenSilver is ideal: (that set might be on my personal wishlist...)

Oh, you like the heart? Well you can also snag a more delicate heart, your initial or any combination of letters you like on these rings from catbird. They have some gorgeous stuff.

Does it make you a glam-hippie if you are in love with these reclaimed gold rings from beyondtherockz? Is that a bad thing?

I couldn't resist people. I just love rings -- something I inherited from my Grandma. She had good taste. Anything pretty caught your eye lately? Tell me so I can drool in my (internet) window shopping!

(all images copyright to the owners, linked above each image here! i ain't no thief!)

A France! - Jams Pt. 1

While I could easily write an entire post about jams and jellies, I won't do that today. Music - and let me tell you, the french like their music. They are always singing or whistling, and they don't care if other people hear!

Here's the lowdown from me on French music:

The French love a good beat, on the two big music stations we've listened to, nearly every single song is upbeat and fast-paced, regardless of the language. Some examples that I hear very often are Pyromania by Cascada and In My Head by Jason Derulo (cheers to Steph Barber!) for the English speaking side of things, and Désolé by Sexion D'assaut (which I love) and Je Veux by Zaz, both in French.

They appreciate thoughtful lyrics, also regardless of language. An example of a song that does not have that quality? California Girls by Katy Perry (Slightly questionable video, but kinda funny). It is still played, because its really catchy, but lyrics... everytime it comes on, Christelle and I mock Katy Perry's perky head bob.

The best combination of these songs is one that is upbeat with an uplifting message. A current hit is Shakira's Waka Waka (This Time For Africa). It doesn't hurt that it's the official song for the FIFA World Cup this year! The first goal they show? The French team! Another classic (which has been covered in French by Julien Clerc) is Let the Sunshine In from HAIR! It's a personal favorite of mine, and I love the French version too.

Want to know more? Listen to one of the popular stations here: NRJ, which I prefer, or Radio ISA, which plays a larger variety and more French music (They have a Shania Twain dance remix!).

Voila! But before we go, French phrase of the day!
Today the phrase is je ne sais pas, which means "I don't know!"
It's pronounced as juh nuh say pah, with that first j very soft, almost a sh.
We say this a lot. :)

Allez!
Stephanie

Obsession: Octopus

Octopus, those friendly and mythic sea creatures have always been a favorite animal of mine. In fact I think of a lot of marine life is awesome, things ranging from beluga whales to manta rays, but my favorite marine animal is the octopus.

[personal photo, rocky point!]

Luckily for me, the rest of the world seems to think they are pretty cool.
So today, a brief round up of octopus and the trinkets that are in their image!

First, fulfill your need to know more about the octopus and its elusive underwater lifestyle on Wikipedia: Octopus. (hey! I can cite that as long as this isn't a research paper, calm down.)
Then see if you can watch live octopus video at the Hatfield Marine Science Center's Octocam!
(I'm particularly excited for that one.)

In need of some octopus accoutrements?
Find yourself an Awesome Gold Octopus Necklace, or the slinky black Octopoda, or have the sweet Baby Octopus Necklace dangle from your neck.

Not so much for the jewelry? Oh, there's more my friends.

Clothes to reveal your love for the octopus? (And my friends who love bicycling, you're welcome!)

Maybe a bag or a nice purse?

Or I'm a fan of home decor...

And, voila! None of these people asked me to feature their items, I merely chose cute things as I browsed Etsy. :)

So I hope you enjoy, and perhaps have a desire to at least check out a real live octopus, if not wear a replica around your neck.

Before I go, french phrase of the day!
Today's phrase is ça va? Which means "How is it going?" Or "Doing alright?" Though directly translated it literally means "It goes?"
This one has a fun letter with a tail, called a c cedille, and is pronounced very simply: sah-vah?

Until next time!

Regular Reading

As an English major (who recently made the Dean's List! Sorry, gotta toot your own horn once in a while) I am most definitely a reader. Books, magazines, and with the advent of blogs, I'm hooked. In that case, I thought I would share my (recently organized) list of regular reading links.

So, I'll drop a link here, and then give you a quick blurb about why it's a good read. They are sort of ranked by frequency of posting. You may notice I also updated my links on the right there, so you can click them even after this post is long gone. Here goes nothin'!

Young House Love: John and Sherry's blog is very well written, gives great money saving ideas and tips on home decorating that you can use even if you are living in a dorm. Plus, their new baby is ADORABLE.

Melissa Jill Photography: I'm a lover of great photography, and I came upon this blogger while trolling the 'net for some beauties. Not only is she a fantastic photographer (and a great writer), but she uses her blog as a platform to aid in Autism research and awareness.

Geek In Heels: Probably the funniest blog on my list. Jenny writes with a smart hand and enough sarcasm and wit (and geeky content!) to make anyone laugh. I love the writing, and especially her honesty and willingness to share her faith.

Steph Barber: The blog of a friend from school, Steph is a talented and improving photographer. I love reading about her recent shoots, and especially her posts of recent design projects, like invitations and other paper products.

In Color Order: Though this blog is a recent find, I'm sure it will stay on the list. Covered in delicious photos of quilts and pretty pyrex, I love the hands on approach to crafting here.

A Cup of Jo: Certainly well known in the blog world, Joanna Goddard's blog is always full of handy links to some of the neatest things on the internet, plus she's just adorable.

Stephanie Fay Blog: Another photography blogger (now you believe me that I'm obsessed!) who repeatedly posts images of people who just glow. Quite the writer, too!

Well, that about covers it. Minus the random blog I get sucked into about once a week.
Am I the only person who feels compelled to read EVERY POST the person has ever written when you find a good blog? Hm.