Collection of Thoughts

January 2, 2012

2012-02-14T20:26:00.000-08:00

No Longer Mine

2012-02-11T17:28:00.001-08:00

I wrote this when I was 14 and dug it up again today. I thought you might enjoy the musings of my younger self.

No longer mine

10.08

What does it mean to say I love you?

Explosive. Swelled heart and love begins to open up the seams that held it closed; that held the sleeping treasure… now conscious and alive. Uncontainable yet caught within the small confines of my heart. It is irrepressible, begging to be let out, but still in my feeble hands.

Humbled. I am not enough. I lost a piece of me that only you can find. These words are more powerful than me … ‘I love you’. Supremacy surrendered, I am yours.

Reserved. You own a piece inside my heart. Prime real estate surrounded by caution tape. The deal signed. Preserved for one. Unmarred by footsteps in the ground. Your sign is carved in stone. Can’t be unwritten. The mark is there forever for better or worse.

Suicide. My identity no longer who I am, but tangled up with you; a whole new creature. Do two deaths make life… abundantly? Yet from winter’s decay, spring flowers bloom and grow.

Promise. A debt of adoration, a commitment made to keep day in, day out. Sunrise to Sunset. Rainbow or Raincloud. Will thirsty come and find the well cracked and dry? But storms will pass and leave world crisp and new. Let not the promise fail, instead be cleansed.

Infinity. No termination in this life. And when death anew is at our doors, the end is the beginning. The death is life again.

January 6, 2012

2012-02-10T23:49:00.000-08:00

Favorite line from this video, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTFZyl7hfBw
Warning: there is some profanity, but it is hilarious.

Definitely the Glasses, part 1

2012-02-08T21:01:00.000-08:00

You'll of course remember the last journal entry I posted, a watercolor sketch of a girl in glasses.

Well, I have to confess--I have a fetish with those glasses. I've been trying to save people the discomfort of seeing me in my own ridiculous lensless frames, but if ever I find a legitimate pair of nonprescription glasses, you'll be seeing me in them, rest assured!

I now have a running collection of images and media featuring this "accessory," if you will, and I will be sharing them with you in phases as they come.

I can't trace this eclectic collection back to its original source, but I found it through this blog: http://gatherlove.tumblr.com/post/17220690837/giu-cy-oldschool-babe

Gap Model: http://www.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=76889&vid=1&pid=871057
The most remarkable thing about this picture, is that the model (I think) looks exactly like me! How many pictures of strangers make you double take, thinking "is that me??"

Love the lace and boots in this outfit from Bonlook: http://lookbook.nu/look/2163117-On-the-Rooftop

Finally, for today, is this instagram from Sucre Diaries! http://sucrediaries.blogspot.com/2012/02/sucres-first-show.html
Sucre is the music child of Stacy King of Eisley, her husband Darren King of MuteMath, and Jeremy Larson an independent musician and producer. This photo was taken of her with a fan (wearing the glasses!) at their very first live show in LA.

Let me know if you happen to have favorite images of clear lens glasses.
-Shiloh

November 23, 2011

2012-01-30T09:35:00.000-08:00

January 14, 2012

2012-01-28T10:31:00.000-08:00

On the 13th of January, I hosted a dance in our barn. It was a delightful and magical night full of new friends, old friends, dancing, singing, and laughing. Must do it again!

Janurary 1, 2012

2012-01-26T10:05:00.000-08:00

My thoughts on the first of the year:

January 25, 2012

2012-01-26T00:44:00.000-08:00

It's my birthday, I can {*insert} if I want to!

*Cry
*Wear Stilettos
*Eat Cheesecake
*Buy Clothes
*Laugh
*Imagine
*Get a Diamond ring
*Sing at the top of my lungs

November 21, 2011

2012-01-24T16:38:00.000-08:00

"Part of how I keep track of time is how many rows of knitting I've done since the last time I counted."

November 11, 2011

2012-01-23T17:19:00.000-08:00

First page of a new book.

Hello!

2012-01-23T17:16:00.000-08:00

Hello, blog world. I can feel things stirring in me, and I know there is a future presence for me somewhere on the web, maybe here, maybe somewhere new. But in the meantime, I have decided to share my real life blog with you, bit by bit. I DO journal, and I treat my journal as an open book. Thus, I will begin posting scans or photos of my journal pages in lieu of posting traditionally.
Stay tuned!

The girl becomes a woman~

2011-07-01T11:10:00.001-07:00

"The doll is one of the most imperious necessities, and at the same time one of the most charming instincts of female childhood.

To care for, to clothe, to adorn, to dress, to undress, to dress over again, to teach, to scold a little, to rock, to cuddle, to put to sleep, to imagine that something is somebody--all the future of woman is there.

via: http://www.kellehampton.com/2011/04/firsts.html

Even while musing and prattling, while making little wardrobes and little baby-clothes, while sewing little dresses, little bodices, and little jackets, the child becomes a little girl, the little girl becomes a big girl, the big girl becomes a woman.
The first baby takes the place of the last doll.
A little girl without a doll is almost as unfortunate and quite as impossible as a woman without children."
-Victor Hugo, Les Miserables

Blueberry Pie

2011-06-28T19:44:00.000-07:00

A generous family from our debate club hosted a party on their property this past week. Their business is growing berries, and some friends and I were lucky enough to pick and take home a load of beautiful, crisp blueberries.
I made a blueberry pie today, and since I have not posted in oh so long (having an invalid for a camera is not very inspiring) I decided to post the recipe even before I tried a piece!
The crust is whole wheat. The recipes used are found below.

{Pieces}

Whole Wheat Pie Crust
Adapted from Cheeky Kitchen's poptart crust recipe.
http://www.cheekykitchen.com/2010/07/perfect-whole-wheat-pie-crust-homemade-pop-tarts.html

1 1/2 C whole wheat
2 t sugar
1/2 t salt
½ c. cold, cold butter, sliced
4-5 Tbsp. cold milk

In food processor (or large bowl), stir together flours, sugar, and salt. If using a processor, add butter and pulse to form a course meal; or, cut in slices of butter using a pastry cutter (or fork, if you have to).. It’s important that you don’t touch the crust with your bare hands, no matter how tempting that mixing option might be. You want the butter to stay as cold as possible and your hands will warm it up and make the crust less flaky. Pour the milk over the mixture, one tablespoon at a time, just until moistened enough to hold the dough together. Use a fork to stir the dough after you’ve added each Tablespoon of milk. Quickly form the crust into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use (at least a 1/2 hour or up to a few days).

Note: This recipe makes enough dough for the bottom crust of a 9 in. round pie pan. I made a separate additional batch about 2/3 of this size for my lattice crust.

{Helper}

Blueberry Pie Filling

2 pints blueberries
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tb Lemon Juice
3 Tb Cornstarch

Combine and let ingredients meld.

{Pie}

Assembling Pie

Take chilled dough for bottom crust from the fridge and lay on a spacious work surface covered with a large piece of wax paper or plastic wrap. Roll out dough to approximately 1/4 in. thick. The dough should be roughly circular with a 10-12 in. diameter. Remember, it must cover the bottom of the pan and reach up all sides.
When dough is rolled, invert your 9 in. pie pan in the center of your dough. At this point, you may want someone to help flip the crust. One person grab the edges of the wax paper/plastic wrap and begin to lift it up. Another set of hands sandwich the pie pan and crust and quickly flip the pan and set it on the work space. Once flipped, peel off the wax paper/plastic wrap and gently press the dough into the bottom and sides of pan.

NOTE: This can be done with one set of hands. I have done it. The best way to do so is to be sure you have enough margin on your wax paper/plastic wrap to fold it over your inverted pan. This way, you can both lift the pan and slip a hand underneath.

Pour blueberry filling into the crust.

If doing a lattice crust, roll out second ball of dough as the first. Slice into 1/2 in.-1 in. strips. Lay every other strip across pie, and weave the remaining strips through them the opposite direction. (For video instructions, see here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Jv8BGw31Cg)

Bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees, then lower the heat to 350 for 35 minutes, or until nicely browned.

Enjoy!

Marinated Artichoke Hearts

2011-05-10T15:46:00.000-07:00

I have been quite the absentee of late, but I know the only way I will get back into posting is to
BEGIN!
Therefore, I am sharing with you what little I can at the moment. Yesterday a familyt friend brought over a bag full of steamed artichokes which he had scored at his local farmers market. The seller offered him nearly her whole stock free for his chickens since they were beginning to look too old to sell. Always adventerous and resourceful, our friend decided instead to use the abundance of hearts for a new adventure:
Marinated Artichoke Hearts.
He was generous enough to share his bounty with us, and the following is the beautiful result of our efforts.

(iphone photo)

Patterns in the Mundane

2011-03-10T23:13:00.000-08:00

Creativity is a lifestyle. Like many exercises, it tends to get lost in the mundane. Nevertheless, there are times when pleasing patterns manifest themselves in the most unexpected places, and those are moments of true inspiration.

Happy Valentines Day!

2011-02-14T23:23:00.000-08:00

By far my favorite thing about Valentines Day is the photos people take.
This adorable photo of little Breckyn found here:
http://www.auburnsoulphotography.com/?p=1716

<3

When I grow up, I want to be a ballerina.

2011-02-12T23:52:00.001-08:00

When I see pictures like this, I long for the chance to be a ballerina. I know it's a hard life, but it is disciplined and beautiful. I miss dancing.

So Beautiful.

Micro Valentines

2011-02-11T10:17:00.000-08:00

Some good family friends hosted a little valentine-card-making-get-together at their house. I never get around to making valentines unless it is so conveniently arranged. I have decided to call these micro valentines.

For the square ones, I used a scrapbooking punch that was about 1 1/2 inches in diameter.

The lollipops didn't fit on a square, so I gave them their own shape.

Making itty bitty valentines is so fast and they seem to evolve on their own! These felt like they just made themselves.

My little sisters made their own valentines as well, and Bethany gave this one to me.
Aw.
Sparkle is Love.
Family is Love.

1 John 4:8
Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

Happy Valentines Week!

A Touch of Spring

2011-02-07T21:21:00.001-08:00

As winter starts to lift its face and wave its flag,
And put a touch of spring into each brightened step--
As fairies spread a soft green blanket over all
Earth displays the warmth that she, till now, has kept.

The melodies suppressed by winter’s gloomy face
Are beckoned out to sing and dance with sunny rays,
And as the birds are singing to the waking world,
The children dance along with each rejoicing day.

How do colors intertwine and blossom here?
What art replaces winter as it melts away?
What magic brings such miracles that now appear?
Is Earth the canvas of the Artist painting over grey?

The Great Magician orchestrates each tiny change.
His breath, the breeze that dances with your hair
His ornaments, the stars that decorate the skies
His hands unwrap each bud to bring us flowers fair.

I feel the change in nature’s countenance
A permeating joy has seeped through one and all
I cannot help but feel it as I venture out
And join in praise with nature to it’s one and all.

I wrote and posted this poem in Spring of 2008. This is a repost with new pictures. CA has been beautiful and balmy this week, so I deemed it an appropriate ode to the imminent change of seasons.

Chocolate Fountain Cake

2011-01-29T15:11:00.000-08:00

This was my birthday cake this year. It was in some ways an accident; but haven't you heard of accidents that turn out simply fabulous? This was one of them.

It began with the recipe for chocolate cake linked below. It is a large recipe. This fact dawned on me slowly as I mixed everything together. (TIP: Always read a recipe carefully, all the way through, so as not to suffer such dawning revelations.) I had assumed this recipe would make two 9-inch cake rounds, but as I poured that beautiful chocolate concoction into my two 9-inch cake pans, there was an obvious excess of batter.

One Bowl Chocolate Cake
(Martha Stewart, found here)

1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder, plus more for pans
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 cups sugar
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

When I accepted the fact that my batter would not fit in two nine inch cake pans, I rummaged around in the cabinet to find a third. The only pan I found was an 8-inch pan, which I used despite the discrepancy in size. My sisters and I decided that it would not be the end of the world; we would simply put the small round on top.

Thus, my revised instructions:

Butter two 9-inch round cake pans, AND one 8-inch (2 inches deep); dust with cocoa.
Sift cocoa, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of a mixer. Combine well. Mixing on a medium speed, add eggs, buttermilk, water, oil, and vanilla. Beat until smooth, about 3 minutes.
Divide batter between pans. Bake until set and a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes. Turn out from pans. Transfer, face-up, to wire racks. Let cool completely.

The second accident was my "frosting." I scanned a few chocolate frosting recipes, and told myself I'd just improvise--how wrong can you go with chocolate frosting?

Telling myself I was just making minor changes on this recipe, I combined the following ingredients in a small saucepan:
Aprox. 1 bag of semisweet chocolate chips
Aprox. 4 1/2 Hersheys chocolate bars
Aprox. 2 cups whole milk
Aprox. 1 cup half & half

Ok. When you have that many approximations, chances are you have no idea what you are doing. That was the case with me, deny it though I may.
As I stirred this chocolaty brew, it became clear that it would never have the privilege of being called frosting; it would remain a humble chocolate syrup.
However, there was nothing to be done, except hold my course and be content with the consequences. And so I did.

My mother assembled the cake while I was busy with something else, and when I saw the cake myself it was nothing like I would have expected. But could this cake have been a more beautiful accident?

Assemble layers, pouring chocolate over each layer before stacking, and being sure to place the small round on top. Cover with the remaining chocolate syrup.

It will forever be remembered as the Chocolate Fountain Cake, with a pool of chocolate reflecting each candle flame, and rivers of syrup running down the tiered layers of moist cake.

Toadstool

2011-01-29T01:12:00.000-08:00

Doesn't this photo enchant you, and make you feel as if you were Thumbelina or little Tom Thumb?

I cannot wait to share with you the wonderful presents given to me on my birthday by such creative friends; that will come soon. But I am in the midst of trying to figure out an external hard drive, because right now I hardly have room on my computer to load the photos!
Stay tuned!

Craving Sweet

2011-01-24T16:12:00.000-08:00

I keep stumbling across sweet, melty, gooey, chocolaty, crumbly foods, and I can't help but crave something of my own, warm and melty, straight out of my own oven, crumbling in my own mouth.
Here are just a few objects of my cravings.

Peanut Butter Cup Cake
(Photo and Recipe found HERE)

Honestly, all of these things were in my bookmark folder labeled "food." I started to notice a theme, and began to query myself: "Come dear, is all this really and truly food?"

Peanut Butter Cheesecake Swirl Brownies
(Photo and Recipe found HERE)

Well perhaps it's not. But there is an obvious trend in my attraction toward desserts. It is not normal for me, really. It is an odd preoccupation.

Warm Toasted Marshmallow S'more Bars
(Photo and Recipe found HERE)

Perhaps the reason is that my birthday is tomorrow. If I could have all this on my table, and eat a bit of this and a bit of that and a bit of everything else, AND not go to bed with a headache and, well, everything else that comes with an excess of sugar...

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes
(Photo and Recipe found HERE)

I would.

Debate

2011-01-23T22:02:00.000-08:00

The exhilaration of critical thinking;
The thrill of having the attention of a room of listeners;

The satisfaction that accompanies protocol, a smile and a handshake;

The intensity of persuasion, the energy in refutation, and the sense of closure when a debate finishes;

The anticipation of competition; who will advance? Who will win the prize?

And the etched memories of tournament weekends:
All this and more has been my experience with high school debate. I wouldn't trade it for the world.

All these photos were taken with a Pentax film camera in March of 2010.

January Ocean

2011-01-22T13:18:00.000-08:00

If ever a day had perfect beach weather, yesterday did. January may not remind you of the beach, but we went anyway; my mom initiated a spontaneous trip to Santa Cruz with some good friends, and we couldn't help but marvel at the loveliness of it all.

(Little brother Nathan, and friend Chase)

It was a decidedly beachy day, not excluding hole digging, and castle building, wave jumping, and cliff climbing.

(Juliana and my sisters, Bethany & Mackenzie)

The day also included the essential thrown together sandy beach lunch. You know how it goes; it's time to leave and you remember you have to bring a lunch! So you riffle through the fridge, scan the cabinets, rummage through the pantry, and toss it in a basket.

I was, however, particularly pleased with our thrown together sandy beach lunch. Our sandwiches consisted of the following:
Homemade Bread (baked by myself)
Garlic Mustard Aioli
Cheddar Cheese
Brie
Persian Cucumbers
Purple Saurkraut (made by my mom)

Oh yes, blueberries too.

Umm, yum.

After a satisfactory lunch, my friend Chantel and I went and climbed a rock. It is gratifying to finally find oneself off the ground after at least a dozen failed attempts, you know?

The children, on their own explorations, were playing king of the ~~rock~~ mountain, when they found that evidently the ~~rock~~ mountain was already bedecked with purple robed natives.

As the sun began to set, Channy and I took advantage of the evening glow.

The sun left us with a faint green flash, but you can be sure of this--the glow hasn't left us yet.

Christmas Crabs

2011-01-19T14:42:00.000-08:00

Have you ever had a crab-fest?
This is how it happens. Your neighbor fixes your water pressure one day, and as leaves he tells you that he is going to check his crab pots! He promises that if there is a good catch, he'll bring you some fresh crab.
Sure enough, on Christmas Eve he shows up in his red monster truck and walks in with a bin full of crabs.

"Are they alive?" you ask.
Yes.
They are alive. In fact, they have torn each other limb from limb during their lengthy monster truck ride.

He picks one up to demonstrate their aliveness. He tells you to BEWARE of the claws, (were you planning on touching them?), because with one claw they can crack a pencil. Yes, that also means that they could crack your finger. BEWARE of the claws.

You try not to feel sorry for their sorry faces. Crabs are food, not friends.
He gives you your instructions:
Boil them in your biggest pot for 20 minutes.
Dig in!

You waste no time. As the pot boils and the crabs cook, you spread the cloth and pull out the hammers. Then, limb by limb, you scoop out the delicate meat and eat it, just as it is. With fresh crabs like these, you don't even need butter.
That, my friends, is a crab fest.
And let me tell you: though it may sound shocking...
it
is
delicious.

Crocheted Headphones Tutorial

2011-01-19T11:23:00.000-08:00

My latest project was inspired by these little lovelies.

I had a pair of headphones that worked, but that had lost all their padding; plus, they were just ugly. After seeing those headphones, I thought to myself, "I have yarn... I can crochet... I can do this!"

It took me a few tries to get the ear right, but once I did I wrote it all down right away so I'd be able to match it on the second ear! Each ear has about a 2 inch diameter.
Here are the instructions:

I used a fat hook--J or K--and worsted weight yarn.

Abbreviations:
Ch - chain
SC - single crochet
St/sts - stitch/stitches
Sl - slip
Inc - increase
rnd/rnds - round/rounds
tbl - through back of loop

Ear:

Ch 6; Sl first st to form loop.

SC 6 sts through center of loop. 6 sts total.

Inc every st for two rnds. 24 sts total.

SC 1 rnd. 24 sts total.

SC 10 sts tbl. Inc next st tbl. SC 2 sts tbl. Inc next st tbl. SC 8 sts tbl. Inc next st tbl. SC 1 st tbl. Ch 3. 28 sts total.

Lay disk on inside of one ear with active st at the headband. Loop chain sts around base of headband and SC in third st. Complete rnd, looping st around cord when appropriate. 28 sts total.

SC 1 st tbl. Decrease next st tbl. SC 8 sts tbl. Decrease next st tbl. SC 2 sts tbl. Decrease next st tbl. SC 8 sts tbl. Decrease next st tbl. SC 1 st tbl. 24 sts total.

SC 1 rnd. 24 sts total.

Decrease every st until complete. Tie off. Hide ends inside muff.

Repeat for the second ear.

Band:

The instructions for the band will vary according to preference and materials. Here is loosely what I did.

Connecting yarn at the base of the headband (either side), make a chain to match the length of the band. If it is an adjustable band, match your desired length.

Connect chain to the opposite ear. SC into the next st on the ear, then back across the chain.

Continue working your way around each ear and over the arch until the band section is wide enough to wrap around the band of your headphones.

Final row: SC both sides of the band section together. (Knitting two sts together, one from each side.)

If there are still gaps remaining between the band section and the ear, a few extra sts should fix it up.

Hope this works for you all! Comment if you have any questions.

Mittens

2011-01-18T23:03:00.000-08:00

This picture is old. It is a film photo. I took it spring of 2010 meaning, of course, to finish and develop the roll fairly quickly and post it on my blog. The first two steps were undoubtedly stretched like taffy over the course of the last year; but notwithstanding, I proceed now with step three, all according to plan!

Between then and now I have embarked upon a great many new yarn adventures, but I still consider these mittens to be my first great knitting accomplishment.

Bottle Neck

2011-01-17T11:59:00.000-08:00

A friend & fellow photographer initiated what he calls a "five minute creativity session."
-Go Outside
-Take Photo
-Edit Photo
-Share

His fabulous example can be found here:
before
http://www.flickr.com/photos/27487996@N07/5341422362/
after
http://www.flickr.com/photos/27487996@N07/5341419664/in/photostream/

After seeing the simple genius of his spontaneity, I followed suit and the photo and photo edit below are the fruit of my effort.

Before

After

Now your turn! Seriously, do it. And then post it on your blog, or flickr, or something. And then comment on this post with a link so I can see it!

Leaves of three, leave them be.

2010-11-30T17:40:00.001-08:00

Mackenzie and I went for a walk one afternoon early this month.

I'm always struck by the variety of leaves on a single stretch of road.

I hadn't engrossed myself in photography for a while, so it was soothing to hear the shutter *click* again.

Flaming red, somber plum, and dusty butter colored poison oak.

Rim lit Oleander.

Starch creased, ever green, blackberry bramble.

Maple.

Now fall is almost gone. Never has it flown away so fast.

The Cellist

2010-11-20T10:30:00.000-08:00

He silently draws his arm across the bow and the swish of rosin is muffled by the horsehair strings. He takes his seat, fine tunes the strings of his cello until it sings in unison with the concertmaster, and fixes his eyes on the conductor's poised stick. At the slightest movement, a vibrating chorus rises, diffusing the silence that had since hung over the the eager listeners.

Watch his face. His eyes follow the ebb and flow of the soaring melody, closing and opening again to watch the conductor's signals; emotion quivers on his lips, as if longing to escape; he sways as if moved by the undulating sound; and through his fingers, his energy escapes in complex choreography, dancing up and down the fingerboard.
The final notes ring out, and with quiet satisfaction he exits stage left with the rich harmonies still lingering in his mind like a pleasant fragrance.

Photo and Text, 11.15.10

To Make

2010-11-19T16:00:00.001-08:00

I have a million projects on queue, but this is too adorable to pass up. Combined with my love of wraps and fair isle, the adorableness of this dear deer has me captivated.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/60122277/fawn-poncho-knitting-pattern

Note to Self:

2010-11-18T23:29:00.001-08:00

–noun

1. moderation or self-restraint in action, statement, etc.; self-control.

temperance tem·per·ance (těm'pər-əns, těm'prəns)
n.

Moderation and self-restraint, as in behavior or expression.

I Heart Faces - Silhouette

2010-11-16T21:11:00.001-08:00

The Photo Challenge this week at I Heart Faces is Silhouette themed. This picture was taken on New Years Eve as we took a sunset walk through the foothills above our friend's house.

So many more silhouetted entries on the I Heart Faces website!

Toothless

2010-11-14T22:50:00.000-08:00

7-year-olds are always allowed to be toothless.

Especially when they have dimples.

Enough said.

Happy Birthday

2010-11-12T17:23:00.000-08:00

It's been twenty years since my big brother was born. Say what? Happy Birthday Jared!

In honor of his special request for something pumpkiny, his coworker made him a pumpkin waffle this morning at work, my mom bought him a pumpkin cookie, and I made a batch of miniature pumpkin muffins.

What I Wore

2010-11-02T15:05:00.000-07:00

I had free time and a journal this morning as I sat in the car during my brothers class. A while ago I saw a Flickr group where people would post drawings of their outfits, and I thought at the time that it was a creative realm far above my own. How silly. It is the most enjoyable way to pass the time on a school morning before class that I have yet come across. Try it sometime :) The key is to keep a pencil case with rainbow colors and paper to draw on with you at all times.

Collage Day

2010-10-31T09:03:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Morning my sisters and I had a paper-scraps-on-the-floor, ripping-out-magazine-pages, sticky-glue-on-your-fingers, kind of collage day! Here is my creation.

Picnic Lunch

2010-10-29T15:50:00.000-07:00

In September we took a picnic lunch to eat at a park after church. It was my dad's birthday, so we planned ahead for a more memorable afternoon than our normal Sunday. There are trails to traverse and one hill that overlooks much of Almaden.

Picnickers. Is that how you would spell it?

Homemade bread.

On top of the world.

The great adventurer.

Resting on the solid rock.

It is a beautiful park, a visit will never disappoint.

Three P Soup

2010-10-27T22:37:00.000-07:00

I think it is high time to brag on my mother. Three words: She can cook! This afternoon she made the most cozy, tantalizing, autumn soup. Three P's: Pumpkin, Sweet Potatoes, and Peanut Butter. An unlikely combination, but trust me, my tongue was in ecstasies. She cut up green onions for a garnish; it was a perfect contrast.

If

2010-10-25T09:08:00.000-07:00

(From the Rudyard Kipling poem, "If")

occasional oblivion

2010-10-23T14:28:00.000-07:00

sometimes i notice the little things that matter, but most times i am so wrapped up in myself that i forget to look around. it dawns on you, like when you start talking to that person at the other end of the room, & feel like it what you're saying is so interesting, & five minutes later you realize that they were never there at all & all those words were wasted... it helps to pause every once and a while, & simply observe.

My Lunch

2010-10-23T13:59:00.000-07:00

Salad:

my mom's homemade saurkraut
cucumber
celery
carrots
apples
vinaigrette

mm.

I Heart Faces - In the Orchard Photo Challenge

2010-10-19T15:20:00.000-07:00

Of all the challenges that I should enter, this is the foremost. I am blessed to live right on the brink of an apple/pear orchard, so I have many photos "in the orchard."

This is my entry:

Definition

2010-10-17T19:47:00.001-07:00

I have written myself a definition of gossip for my own personal reference:

Gossip:
Attempting to tickle the ears of ones listener by expounding upon facts (thereby creating fiction) which draws attention to oneself at the expense of another.

What do you think of its accuracy?

Pennants

2010-10-15T20:14:00.000-07:00

There has been a decided surge of photos in the blogosphere that feature pennant banners which I think are very adorable and worthy of my time. Late this summer I sat down to create just such a banner. Following is the result of my troubles.

The fabric came from a Laura Ashley sample book which we were given for free when a friend of my moms, who owned a textile shop, went out of business.

I hung it up in my room, and even though I hadn't measured anything beforehand, it fit perfectly wall to wall!

The simplest things do so much do perk up a room!

A Good Morning

2010-10-09T12:33:00.000-07:00

A good morning starts with warm.
Warm from a shower,
Or warm from a fuzzy blanket in an armchair,
Or warm from steamy coffee or tea.

On a different note, I had an "iced coffee" from burger king this afternoon with a friend of mine, and I asked for a non flavored coffee; just plain coffee. Well, apparently their version of "non-flavored" is "sugar flavored." I've gotten into the habit of just coffee and milk, (when I do drink it), but even when I do sweeten it I never load it with as much sugar as that! So much for plain iced coffee... I couldn't finish it.

New Kid on the Block

2010-10-08T19:32:00.000-07:00

A special announcement! My little sister has joined the blog world, and would love it if you stopped by to comment on her first post! Here is the link: http://bethanykauk.blogspot.com/

Enjoy.

Food for the Fall

2010-10-08T15:17:00.000-07:00

I am regularly shocked by the narrowness of my peers diets. I brought cauliflower and butternut squash soup for my lunch at class one day, and its warm, spiced aromas filled the air with comfort. But my fellow students, after asking what it was, could only say, "Oh. I never eat that kind of stuff." Think of the worlds of flavor they miss out on by disdaining "that kind of stuff!" Lucky for me there is a pot of squash on the stove as I type for dinner tonight. Butternut squash, however, is only one example of the many foods for fall.
Another fairly recent personal discovery is the spaghetti squash: this remarkable vegetable, when roasted in the oven, flaunts a stringy interior that can be substituted for noodles! It has a mild, sweet flavor, and thus pairs perfectly with your classic meat marinara.
Finally, I have learned how to cook up a pot of lentils with a slight tang and a touch of thyme.

After soaking 2 cups of lentils overnight, covered with warm water and 2 Tb of whey, rinse them and cover them with new water. Add a few quartered onions, a few cloves of garlic, a few sprigs of thyme (tied into a bundle), and a few grinds of pepper. This mixture cooks for about an hour or until the lentils are cooked through. Before serving add up to 1/2 cup of lemon juice, and salt to taste.

Fall also brings a finale to the garden production. Are you not blown away by this plethora of tomatos? After an incredibly abundant crop of luscious, crimson, beauties, we decided to clear off the rest of the bush. Joshua gathered them this morning. He remembers my dad making a green tomato sauce last year, so perhaps that will be the end of these as well.

Tortillas

2010-09-18T11:58:00.000-07:00

Tortillas are very much a staple in our house. Quesadillas are the catch all lunch when no one has any ideas. Now, as delicious as Trader Joe's Whole Wheat Tortillas are, it is easy to make your own delicious tortillas at home.

Tortilla Recipe

1/4 c. oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 c. warm water
2 c. flour

This recipe makes aprox. 4 tortillas, (depending on how big your like them). Double, triple, quadruple, quintuple, etc. to make more!

Mix the ingredients together to form a stiff dough; using a mixer/kneader machine always makes this easier.

Cut dough into pieces. As I mentioned above, the basic recipe makes about 4. I usually quad the recipe and make 16.

Roll each piece out to about an eighth of an inch think, (adjust this depending on your preference).

Heat on a griddle or skillet until cooked through. Watch your heat carefully! If it is too hot, your tortillas will burn before they cook. Ideally you want them just beginning to brown when you flip them.

These tortillas are best for very simple meals. I don't recommend them for burritos, as they are prone to tear. But they are so delicious, that all you really need is a pot of beans, a bowl of hummus, chopped tomatoes & basil, or any other simple topping

and...

Voila! You have a fabulous lunch.

Apple of a Different Color

2010-09-18T11:26:00.000-07:00

"Sometimes the only thing to do is to start looking at everything again until you forget what you're supposed to see

& actually see what's there."

storypeople

Some days, you can't help but look at everyone else (very objectively, of course) and decide that you are very glad that you are you and not anybody else. You then turn and look (very objectively) at yourself, and realize that there are certain things about yourself that you very much appreciate. Things that are distinctly you.
At this point you must lay aside all manner of characteristics that others have projected onto you; and look quite simply at yourself as a whole individual person, independent from all others.
You are not what-you-do. These things, rather, proceed from who you are, that mystery of soul and spirit housed by and piloting your body. Because of the way YOU are, you choose to play music, or to dance, or to write. Because YOU have likes and fears and desires and strengths, you will choose how and where and with whom to spend your future. Because the people-who-have-been-there-all-along have helped shaped that which is YOU (your spirit and your soul), YOU are now an
individual.

It is a "which comes first" scenario.
Entering in the midst of your life, one may see the space which you occupy and think they see you. They see the place you fill on the stage, at the podium, or on various teams, and say "Ah, this then is who they are!"
But with time, this same person may come to see the shape of your spirit and your soul, and the effect of those-who-have-been-there-all-along ; at this they will say "Ah, this then is who they are!" and "This is why they occupy that place in the world."

Now in the course of this train of thought, you may pause: you may look at everyone around you and think (very objectively) about how glad you are that they are them. For the people-who-have-been-there-all-along, because of their them-ness, have helped to shape your you-ness and make you an apple of a different color, shiny and unique to everybody else. You look at them (very objectively) and realize that there are certain things about them that you
very much
appreciate.
And you realize, perhaps you're not so independent from others after all.

Alone Way

2010-09-15T09:00:00.000-07:00

Cheerful morning walk
down the orchard alleyway.
Breathing chilled new air.
Illuminated
Trees and fog and golden dog;
Startled flock of quail.
Footsteps in the earth:
Someone has been here before.
(Maybe it was me.)

But I'm alone.

Squinting in the sun,
Making my alone way home,
welcomed by the cat.

The Certainties of Caring for Children

2010-09-01T17:58:00.001-07:00

If a child asks you, "Guess how old I am, four or five?"Always guess five.

If a child is taller than your waist, don't offer to spin her around. By the time she asks for a fifth turn, you will probably scrape her knees against the ground from exhaustion.

As dirty as a child gets, they can always be cleaned again, so make your decision: would you rather have happy children playing harmlessly out side making blackberry jam with their fingers and a cereal bowl and not bothering you? Or would you rather impatiently tell them not to make a mess of themselves and then have to answer their subsequent complaints of "I'm bored"?

If you pick up an adorable small child and he tells you with an innocent sigh, "My mom can't hold me anymore, only my dad." Know that he loves being held as much as you love holding him. Just be prepared to carry him for the rest of the evening.

If one child asks you to blow up one of the long skinny balloons meant for pumps and sees you succeed, take a deep breath: you will probably be asked to blow up at least five more.

(If I have missed any, let me know.)

100th Post.

2010-08-31T16:43:00.000-07:00

I thought the day would never come: 100 posts. I guess that means I've Collected 100 Thoughts? (Though I may change the name; be prepared.)

If I were to have a 100th Birthday Present~

~this would be it!
I absolutely love this blouse, and find it very inspiring. I am going to try to semi-recreate it with what I have on hand. It may look very different, but know that this was the inspiration.

I originally found this item in the Anthropologie store with Sarah Mitchell. We spent nearly 4 hours in the Santana Row location, and although we didn't buy anything we came away with a million ideas and a throbbing in our hearts for the love of Anthropologie.

Enchanted Life, (with the most innocent use of the word).

2010-08-28T18:33:00.000-07:00

I am convinced; my little brother is my enchanted prince, and little sisters are princesses.

My home is my enchanted palace, with spacious room on the ~~front porch~~ balcony to bask in the summer evenings.

We live in the midst of an enchanted forest (which is proved by the fact that it worked it's way onto a board game in our closet which you see the royal children playing), and we are free to stroll the grounds at any time.

If this is no enchanted life in my restless eyes, I would be restless in any quarter of this fragile globe on which we live.

Paisley.

2010-08-24T21:51:00.000-07:00

I finished a dress today. I made the bodice using a pattern I already had, and the skirt is just a big rectangle.
In hindsight, I should have made the skirt a bigger rectangle than I did, because I ended up having less room to gather than I thought I would.

Much of the dress is machine sewn, but when it came time to attach the skirt, I switched to hand sewing. I wasn't liking the way it looked with a machine gather, so I ended up sewing the skirt with a needle & thread making little pleats as I went. It's not perfect, but I was happier with the end result.

I also hemmed the skirt by hand. I originally cut the skirt piece with room to spare, but realized it isn't so easy to make a straight cut after the fact; so instead I made a deep hem and stitched it by hand.

Thank you little sister for taking the photos. It was a painless 2 minute snap of a "shoot". Pretty good, yea?

2010-08-24T18:01:00.001-07:00

Hello all,

I have been playing around with my blog template, and some diy techniques. Now I am learning how to post bigger pictures.
Here is the full image used behind my header.

Bread.

2010-08-05T19:25:00.000-07:00

If you go to India, "food" means rice. I also find it interesting that when ancient Israel experienced famines, they were still able to offer nuts & fruits as gifts to Egypt . Evidently, in Israel, "food" meant grain; for grain makes bread, and bread... well bread is food.

Food staples are inevitable. Though America lacks no eatables, I think it safe to say that to many Americans "food" is bread. Cinnamon toast in the morning, a turkey sandwich or pb&j come lunch, and hamburgers for dinner.The unfortunate fact is that most available bread is sadly lacking in nutrients. Most commercial flour may as well be dust; if I remember correctly, 80% of the nutritional value is lost with the 40% of each grain kernel that is discarded, (but don't quote me on that).

The main thing I am trying to say, is that I love bread. Really love bread. But not the bread I mentioned above. Not even the expensive kind, though that is good as well. I will, rather, thank my mother for my whole life for teaching me how to make yummy, whole, affordable bread worth eating, (and worth every effort to have a steamy slice fresh out of the oven). This bread is simple, it is versatile, & I love it.

Exibit A:
I'll throw this tantalizing beauty together anytime we have the ingredients on hand.

Toasted Bread with Olive Oil
Fresh Basil
Sliced (cherry or full size) Tomatos
Plain Yogurt

Exibit B:

The credit for this goes entirely to the genius of Heidi Swanson and the determination of my brother, Jared. He found her blog and has found a way to recreate more than one of her amazing recipes. This one was memorable:

Marinated Tempeh
Oven Baked Tomatos
Fresh Lettuce
Avocado

Find the complete recipe on Heidi's blog! (linked above)

So yummy. A worthy way to use a good loaf of bread.

Should I post the recipe?

You reap what you sew.

2010-07-17T10:41:00.000-07:00

Thank you to Ginny for having such a lovely sewing day at her house!

For her birthday she stocked up on fabric for all of us to sew a pillowcase; such an easy and rewarding project. The few of us who were there made for a delightful & relaxing party.

There was a beautiful assortment of blues & yellows to mix & match. The original pattern was structured such that the main body was one color with a strip of a contrasting color on the edge. Annie decided to add some pizazz by adding extra stripes to the border. Her meticulous care for details resulted in the flawless pillowcase seen above.

I chose a more subtle marigold print & a simple golden border. It is a pleasing pillowcase with a countrified air to it; the sort of thing that must have been made in the days of flour sacks & hand stitching.

I had so much fun. Thank you so much. & HAPPY EIGHTEENTH BIRTHDAY!

Sauted Zucchini Dish with Egg & Almond

2010-07-13T13:51:00.001-07:00

This creation I made a while back stemmed from my discovering the yumminess of zucchini. Yes, my mom was always right and I was always wrong about the merits of this vegetable. It is smooth and sweet with an almost creamy texture when cooked.

This particular occasion left me on my own as far as dinner was concerned, so I was free to exercise my creativity on a few zucchini sitting forlornly in the fridge. This is a loosely what I did.

To serve one:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion,
2 medium sized fresh zucchini
2 hard boiled eggs
aprox. 1/2 cup of almonds.

Chop onion and begin to saute in olive oil. Add zucchini, sliced into disks, and cook until both are slightly browned.Cut eggs into small pieces, (most easily done using an egg slicer). Add these to the zucchini and onions. Finally, coarsely chop the almonds and add to ingredients. Season to taste with salt and/or pepper and whatever other spices you enjoy.

Serve with plain yogurt as a cool, creamy, contrasting side.

The proportions are all approximate; feel free to adjust and expand to accommodate different numbers and preferences.

Fresh Eyes

2010-07-07T21:37:00.000-07:00

Today brought a visit from a girl of eighteen, here to practice her English & experience a new culture. She is from northern Europe, & so I took the opportunity to ask her,

"What do you notice most about American culture; is there something here that strikes you as different & odd?"

After quietly thinking a moment, she responded thus.

"One thing that makes me wonder, is why do restaurants give so much food?"

She was right, of course. What makes restaurants think that we could possibly eat everything they give us? Or a more pertinent question might be, how have they made us think that we (in our right minds) would want to eat such enormous portions? For clearly we are convinced more often than not, & end up staggering back to our cars with regret for each final bite.

"The other thing I have noticed," she continued. "Another thing, is why do Americans all have such big cars when they do not have such big families? Where I live we drive much smaller cars."

I began to think of feasible answers.

"Well, sometimes people fill up the cars; perhaps we tend to have bigger families here."

This led to the average family productivity: our 2.09 children hardly exceeds their 1.8 enough to warrant such drastic vehicle sizing differences.

"Perhaps many of the cars are intended for driving other kids places, like sports & music."

But let's be honest. Even I don't understand those massive trucks that fit a mere 5 people but have enough room for a living room sofa set.

"For another example, I went and bought shampoo and shower gel, & I thought why do they have to be so big?"

It seems as though we all have a bit of a super-size-me syndrome. We are so immersed in opulence that extraordinary quantities do not phase us in the least.

My belief in doggie-bags is now official.
&
(although we do fill it up)
I'm extremely tired of our mammoth car.

Modern Bird Studios Guest Giveaway

2010-07-07T14:39:00.000-07:00

Modern Bird Studios Guest Giveaway

Hello all, I just came across this fabulous artist who paints using YOUR photo as a springboard. Grosgrain is doing a giveaway for one of this striking and personal art pieces as well as offering a 15% discount on a purchase. If nothing else, take a peek and enjoy looking at these unique and beautiful creations.

{you gotta run right back to the start}

2010-02-23T12:24:00.000-08:00

i read today the words of solomon in ecclesiastes: do not say, "Why were the old days better than these?" for it is not wise to ask such questions.
when your window is lit each morning [& each morning after that] it must always be treated as if it were the beginning of something. it is rather tiresome to feel as if we were always just starting off. yet still, this is true; it is vain to say "why were the old days better than these?"
the only reasonable thing is to resolutely say "today will be the best day ever" & resolutely act upon it in trust that it will be so.

I have been wanting to make a dress... If I could only make one that looks like this.

2010-02-19T19:11:00.000-08:00

Fabulous Grosgrain. So inspiring. She is hosting a give away, and I wish she could also teach me her many tricks.
Cherry Pop Refashion Frock Give Away!

The Reason I like Chocolate

2010-02-18T10:53:00.000-08:00

A poem:

The reason I like chocolate
is I can lick my fingers
and nobody tells me I'm not polite

I especially like scary movies
'cause I can snuggle with Mommy
or my big sister and they don't laugh

I like to cry sometimes 'cause
everybody says "what's the matter
don't cry"

and I like books
for all those reasons
but mostly 'cause they just make me
happy

and I really like
to be happy

Nikki Giovani

Brownie Face

2010-01-25T13:12:00.000-08:00

Making brownies, or anything sweet for that matter, is a magnetic activity. When once you set the bowl and whisk on the counter, the whole collection of young people in the house will, rest assured, surround you in a matter of moments.
And when the batter is poured, leaving a delicious coating on bowl, spatula, and whisk, there will be a general consensus that "I asked for the bowl first." In the end all will receive their fair share of batter and , joy! There is always the pan of brownies in the oven, repeatedly forgotten, yet still to be eaten as soon as dinner comes to a close.

Behold, this precious brownie face; evidence of the aforesaid facts.

i <3 faces - photo challenge

2010-01-08T18:19:00.000-08:00

i heart faces is a blog that holds photography contests. This weeks contest is in honor of their first birthday, so it involves inserting their logo somewhere in your photos. These are my entries:

“I am submitting this photo into the I Heart Faces logo photo contest. By entering, I am granting I Heart Faces LLC permission to consider my photo for use in the marketing and promotion of their website.”

Go see what other people are doing! http://iheartfaces.blogspot.com/search/label/I%20Heart%20Faces%20Logo%20Contest

I <3 Faces Photo Challenge - Sun Flare

2009-11-24T14:50:00.000-08:00

{click on the picture to view full screen. It looks way better at full resolution.}

I love faces is a photography site where they hold contests in a different category each week. This week is Sun Flares, and this a picture of my little brother that I took on halloween.

My April Snow

2009-10-09T16:35:00.000-07:00

I recently found My April Snow's etsy shop, which was 100% the inspiration for the earrings I made, (posted this past week). I had forgotten where I found this treasure, but I just remembered that it was from this fantastic giveaway!

My April Snow GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Yay for Grosgrain. Always inspiring!

Problem... solved.

2009-10-08T14:00:00.000-07:00

I was home, holding down the fort this morning, while my dad took my mom and brother to the airport... I made a nice little lunch and the kids then had a nice little dessert of vanilla wafers with leftover whipped cream on top. Seeing that the canister was nearly empty, Nathan had the sudden urge to shoot it with his pellet gun and witness the foreseen explosion. He forthwith took his pellet gun and target outside, and all the little one watched as the can fulfilled his expectations.
The girls who hadn't liked the idea to begin with, set up a loud wail, crying "He wasted all the whipped cream!" Bethany even went so far as to say "I could have made a meal out of that!!" *sniffle* ...and believe me, they were serious... crying over spilled milk? The figurative idiom was manifested quite literally before my eyes.
I figured the best solution would be to let them burn off some steam, rather that beat them over the head with common sense. However, as the boys continued to play outside in their midst, the girls found sufficient fortitude to carry on for quite some time.

Now I thought to myself, "Is a tablespoon of cream such a precious resource? We have sitting in our fridge at least a quart of the stuff, with no immediate purpose."

I then poured a tablespoon of the heavy whipping cream from our fridge onto a pretty little saucer and called my resentful little sisters inside, saying, "Here on this plate is the same amount of cream that was 'wasted'. Eat it, then go outside and play."

Problem? Solved.

What to do on a free day...

2009-10-03T13:13:00.000-07:00

On Thursday of this week, I had a day at home with no little siblings, or parents... only free time! I sat down to make some jewelry, greatly inspired by looking through My April Snow's etsy shop, and these are what I came up with!

The curly-que is made from an unwound and rewound paper clip...
The chain is a segment of necklace chain...
And the beads and earring hooks are just out of the supplies that I've accumulated over a long time.

What do you think? Would you wear them?

An apple pie a day, keeps the doctor away...

2009-09-29T14:54:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I made a candy apple pie. And today I made another candy apple pie! They are super easy and one of the best recipes for our orchard apples. I'm sure I will make a few more this apple season.

These apples are fresh picked straight from our orchard!

Apple corer, peeler, slicer. Thank goodness. Such a time saver.

Dripping with cinnamon sugar. (measurements for about 8 apples - aprox. 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon)

Topping Ingredients:
1 cup Brown Sugar (I used white sugar with molasses because we didn't have brown)
3/4 cup Flour
3/4 cup Rolled Oats
1/2 cup Butter (one stick), melted

I also like putting some cinnamon in the topping.

Mix these together thoroughly and spread evenly over apples in a 9x13 pan.

Bake for 1/2 an hour at 400 degrees.

You will end up with just such a beautiful dish of goodness...

Though I have to add... that one of the best parts was my dad's homemade vanilla ice cream... nothing compares.

Rich & Vivid

2009-09-11T15:59:00.000-07:00

When I think of Fall, I think of breathtaking freshness and crisp clean air. But most of all I think of rich, vivid colors. This is my aunt's chrysanthemum, which is probably left over from summer, come to think of it, but the richness of it's hue is inspiring to me. I can't wait for fall...

Photos: Cloudy and Bright

2009-09-02T16:37:00.000-07:00

Yes, an oxymoron. But sometimes the days with cloudy skies (in a most literal sense, no drama implied) have a brighter sort of feeling to them! You must at least agree that the light has a whole different aesthetic.

That being said, my title was referring more directly to the brightness of the beads in comparison to the aforesaid cloudy day.

Hopefully I will do this 'photo-that-I-randomly-decided-to-capture' thing more often for you, my blog. (I really have been thinking about you, even though I was silent for a little bit of a long while...).

Hope you enjoyed these!

Tuesday Dinner

2009-09-01T21:44:00.000-07:00

This Tuesday evening, there happened to be a mere 4 Kauk's at home. After whipping up some Macaroni for the two youngers, my big brother and I got creative for ourselves. As he began to cook up a pot of couscous, I figured it would be one of the easiest things to dress up a little... like so:

I first added some lorn bell peppers who desperately needed eating, but who looked extremely handsome in our dinner...
Then I finished off a bag of sundried tomatoes, which added yet another bright color and tangy flavor...
I then spied an appetizing tin of peanuts, and beamed just thinking about the crunch they would provide...
Lastly my brother, with a taste for the exotic, pulled down a lovely looking red spice (which really didn't have any flavor to speak of, but was exceptionally pretty). After serving up our portions into nice little bowls, he garnished the top with this redness.

The product of our efforts was one of the prettiest meals seen by myself for some time. Not to mention the fact that it was delicious. You really should try it sometime.

Bobby Pins

2009-08-11T17:49:00.000-07:00

Today my littlest sister, Mackenzie, and I made colorful beaded bobby pins! She loves creativity, but its often hard to find things that are easy enough for her to learn and do without too much help. This project was perfect! She made her whole pretty rainbow hair pin with just a little bit of help and she caught on right away.
While she did an orderly pattern, I went for the random scheme (is that an oxymoron?) but now, since we used the same beads, we have a matching set!

Isn't she pretty?

Hap Birth t M !

2009-07-25T15:39:00.000-07:00

Ok, that's a ridiculous title, I know. But... It's suppose to be half of "Happy Birthday to ME!" because today is my half-birthday! lol I sort of forgot about it but, my big brothers called me into the kitchen and there was a brownie in a cup with a candle. But, oh! this cup. haha. Jared just bought it in NYC and it is a half of a coffee cup! It has a handle and one side is curved out, and one side is flat. Very Alice-in-Wonderland-esk, like someone cut it in half, and it says sarcastically on the flat side "You asked for half a cup of coffee..."
Then they all sang happy birthday, but halfway through the song Adam said "Stop, thats half of the song!"
So happy Saturday to you and

Hap Birth t M !

And, here is a couple of pictures I took the other day for your viewing pleasure:

Let not the sun be vacant from the sky

2009-07-20T23:05:00.000-07:00

The sun too quickly took its place

Behind the silhouetted peaks.

I followed it with desperate gaze

And mourned the warning late to keep:

Let not the sun be vacant from the sky

While yet within you harsh impatience lies;

For reckless words will pierce into the heart

But reconciliation grows

From pure and righteous blessings of the wise

This is a lyrical idea I laid down this evening. I already had a musical idea to work with, which always makes it easier, but this is also something I have wanted to express for some time. May it bless you.

-shiloh

Blackberry Pie

2009-07-16T20:10:00.000-07:00

Today I made a blackberry pie. We were kindly sent home from somewhere with pie crust pastry and my siblings had just picked a tub of blackberries, so everything converged into a nice round pie pan. The convergence of these ingredients is displayed below.

For Better or Worse

2009-07-07T17:52:00.000-07:00

My six-year-old sister, in a fit of the "nothing-to-do's" this afternoon, finally sat down a drew some pictures. I have yet to figure out what the inspiration was for this little assortment, but she must have been very inspired all the same.

This is the first that she showed me. It says (in Mackenzie Speak):
"WAT iz *oR FRAVET SOREE" "BiBLE" "Get"
Translated, this says "What is your favorite story? Bible, Great!"
I'm not sure exactly how even her way of sounding-it-out turned "great" into "get"... lol.

The next one is a hammer thinking about what it wants to build.
He thinks that he wants to build a church.
I think that's a great idea.
:)
He has extra nails just in case he needs them.

The last one was my favorite. It is about marriage. I love the swirlies around the edge, and the laser-blue eyes, and the cat ears on the veil. (I don't think they are suppose to be cat ears, but thats what they look like to me).

For better or for worse!

The little things

2009-07-04T22:51:00.000-07:00

Its the 4th of July, a day so like and yet so unlike all those surrounding. The small portion of my family that is home, took a little trip down into Cupertino for a beautiful fireworks display. I came home full of joy and so many thoughts that I am wondering how I can possibly process them all.
Most prominent is the reveling in small things, and not being ashamed of it. I am watching my siblings grow up and walk the paths that are familiar to me, being older. It is easy to let that become a reason for scoffing at their "silliness" but today I strove to consciously choose the opposite.
I ate a snowcone. It was deliciously disgusting. It turned my lips and tongue orange. I couldn't finish it, so I dumped it into Asher's (also unfinished) red one. It got spilled onto our blanket. But you know? That's ok!
My favorite part of the night was hearing my sisters scream. After every firework. Eventually I joined in. I was dazzled, as they were dazzled. They picked their favorite kind of firework. My favorites are the ones that go up and fall down like streamers. Especially when they do five at once! Oh yes, they were amazing.

I've always imagined the 4th of July as being such a romantic holiday. But mine was so much better than that. I didn't spend the day with one person, but 6 other extra special unique and growing and precious people! I didn't snuggle with someone who loves me very much as I gazed at the lights, but I held on my lap a little four year old cutie who I love very much and who was so very happy about the fireworks. He told me "whenever I am sad, fireworks cheer me up!" haha. And although I didn't have a strong and protecting hand to hold, I became a strong and protecting hand myself as I took a sister on each side and walked with them, tired, to the car.

I had the simplest day, but well spent and precious in its way. I sat on a lawn filled with people, and saw the beauty of it all, even while it was tinged with irony in ways. After the grand finale, I stood up and swung Asher around and around. He cried, "do it again!" and I spun the other way.
The last song I listened to on my ipod during the wait kept ringing in my ears...

"I can feel something different for the first time. Heaven makes sense. All the words rhyme."

It made sense, and it was beautiful.

Diminished Population

2009-07-03T18:13:00.000-07:00

After having an exceptional number of people here, there was a change today. This morning, early, Jared's orchestra departed for the Big Apple. They will be playing two concerts in New York City over the course of this week. So Jared and my mom left this morning and are now safely in NYC.
Unfortunate thing... Jared got sick the night before he had to leave. It was almost inevitable for he was the last kid in the family who hadn't caught it, but nevertheless it was a very un-called-for tragedy. (Praise God that there is no one left to catch the flu. The bug has hopefully been laid to rest for good now.) All that notwithstanding, my mother and brother are now occupying Times Square, leaving us all at home sorely missing their presence.
Our granddad also left this morning, headed towards my aunts/his daughters house. This brings the full house of a dozen occupants down to - imagine - a mere 9 people. Tomorrow will further diminish our population by sending Brady back to Virginia. Ah, life; you do carry on.

PS.
(if you would like to follow the NYC trip, my brother has promised to blog the week on http://words-insilence.blogspot.com/.)

Full House

2009-07-01T17:31:00.000-07:00

Monday the 29th was my brothers birthday. He is going to school in Virginia and this year for the summer he was blessed with an internship with Generation Joshua. As a result of this he is staying on campus all summer. But for this week, starting on his birthday and ending on July 4th, He is home!!! It is great to have him around again, even for this short time.
In addition to Brady, Adam is also back at our house for the week. He is living up in Berkeley at our grandparents house. He likes to stay up around there for his church, but for this week he is home.
And finally, my grandfather on my moms side is in the area for a short time! He lives in Arizona and likes to square dance. So when an international square dancing festival brought him to so-cal he opted to come and pay us a visit as well.

With these three visitors we now have 12 in the house! It is a change from just a mere 9... after all, 9 is so much less that 12... We have every bed in commission, plus two mattresses in the boys room and a makeshift bed in the family room for our Granddad.
Benefits to this setup include: Barbecue on Monday! And pancakes Tuesday morning! Movie night on Tuesday night! (we watched A Beautiful Mind.... crazy movie.)

I love my family :D

Flickr!

2009-06-16T11:02:00.000-07:00

Hey everybody,
Guess what!? I started a flickr page, for the fun of it. I have picasa and all, but I wanted a place to display my favorite pictures I've taken, rather than just document events. The link to my photostream is here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/39149477@N07/
Stop by if you will :) I'd love to hear from you.

Rock the Space

2009-06-09T12:50:00.001-07:00

Mornings

2009-05-19T16:28:00.000-07:00

When it's six o'clock in the morning and it seems like you're awake for the day, what do you do? When you don't have plans for the day and it's already warm outside, when it's bright and inviting... where do you go?
These have been my mornings of late, waking up early and bringing my thoughts outside with me.

The first of these early mornings I baked a batch of scones before my family woke up. I read outside as the sun rolled over the hill into the canyon and the breeze stirred my hair across my face.
I ate my scone in the soft morning light... it was irresistible eye candy so I ran in for the camera.

The last few days I've been back to waking up at eight o'clock, and I miss my sunrise moments. Time to re-adjust my body clock to preserve my precious mornings. Hope you enjoyed this glimpse and taste of my serenity.

My Oh! so creative Mama

2009-05-18T17:38:00.000-07:00

My mom is so creative. If you've ever been to Paper Source (wonderful store), you have heard their motto; "Do something creative every day." My mom lives up to this so well! She embarks on a project and dazzles me with her ideas.
This sweet collage is focused on a picture of her as a baby. It is a page from a mini scrapbook she made her mom on mothers day. Isn't it cute!?
She inspires me to try stuff like this... but all my efforts are dimmed next to her lovely works of art.

Creation

2009-05-13T21:33:00.000-07:00

Inspired by all the artful people in the world, and by the spring weather that keeps playing peek-a-boo with nor-cal, I decided to take a shot at a sewing project. I pulled down my moms box of patterns which was filled mostly with dated McCall's, and children's rompers... but from her small collection of maternity patterns, I came across a simple springy dress pattern that I thought would suit my whims.
I mulled on this idea. For a couple of days, actually. I don't usually embark on these sorts of adventures, you see, and am inexperienced as yet.
The main problem was that I didn't have easy access to large amounts of fabric. I mentioned fabric shopping to my mom, who would be my ticket to said fabric, but only in passing and without the necessary desperation. But finally a much more viable and exciting option set itself before me.
Kept down in our garage we have an old and sizable wardrobe, in which we store the clothes which are outgrown or unused or off season or just plain too old. I remembered seeing on a few occasions jumper dresses of my moms that she no longer wore.
"If," I thought to myself, "If I find a large jumper with fabric to my liking, it will be easy enough to alter it with my nifty maternity dress pattern."

I found one!

Unfortunately I didn't take a 'before' picture of this dress... but picture with me an x-large April Cornell, sleeveless dress, ankle length with a deep contrasting strip at the hem; the neckline bedecked with a square collar that would be large enough for a baby's bib... but sewn in a cute pink small gingham/plaid print! This was my playing field.
It remained only for me to take apart nearly every piece of this dress, cut them to resemble my beginning pattern, and sew them together again.

Behold my creation!

My Morning

2009-05-08T12:07:00.001-07:00

I threw on some clothes in the late morning and ventured out into the garden. The freshness enveloped me as I opened the door, bible in hand, to read outside. In the still shady pathway the dew felt good on my bare feet. Picking my way through the rocks and weeds I situated myself on a rickety old bench that always threatens to collapse (but never does). I sat motionless, soaking up the sun like a dry sponge placed under a faucet.
An orchestra of sounds rang in my ears; a thousand bees circled me, restlessly alighting on every flower in sight. There was gentle rustlings from the ground, as seemingly invisible creatures brushed along the plant stalks and dry leaves. The katydids clicked like castenettes on a Spanish dancer, as they whisked over my head. Bird songs from all directions meshed themselves together before reaching my ears, creating a sporadic yet harmonious melody.
But better then these sounds, was the tangle of sunshine at my feet. The orange poppies rose from the gravel walkway in hosts, tumbling over each other in their excited clamor towards the sun, swaying in the slightest breeze and nudging others to do the same. Stretching tall in solitary clumps grew yellow bursts of flowers that royally oversaw the surrounding blooms. And like tiny reflections of all this glory, baby white blossoms climbed up their own stalk like children sitting on a ladder, and brought a cheery and lighthearted variance in hue.
These colors closed me in on every side as I settled onto the old bench, pondering the words of Paul to the Ephesians.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. V3

Does that include flowers and bees?

Vs 12 ...for the praise of his glory...
Vs 14 ...to the praise of his glory...

Now... I know that he was referring to people in this, but I began to isolate those words and think to myself; if weeds and poppies can be to the praise of his glory by sedentarily sitting in the gravel... what is keeping us from consistently being the same? I don't have the answer.

Enjoy my pictures, interspersed with lyrics.
(All pictures taken by myself)

I look out the window, the birds are composing... Not a note is out of tune or out of place.

I look at the meadow and stare at the flowers; better dressed than any girl on her wedding day...
~your love is strong - jon foreman~

I am stained with dirt, prone to depravity... but a certain sign of grace is this; from the broken earth flowers come up, pushing through the dirt...
~wholly yours - david crowder band~

Creation's revealing Your majesty, from the colors of fall to the fragrance of spring... Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim; You are amazing God!
~indescribable - chris tomlin~

Lord, search my heart,
Create in me something clean.
Dandelions-
You see flowers in these weeds.
~dandelions - five iron frenzy~

You are everything that is bright and clean
And You’re covering me with Your majesty!
~wholly yours - david crowder band~

It made me smile

2009-04-26T13:12:00.000-07:00

Driving to church this morning I was kind of thoughtless, in that I didn't have any thoughts. I was statue-esk in the front seat. The morning was as beautiful as a spring morning should be, and the sun was bright and cheerful, but somehow it escaped me. I needed something to reach into my empty thoughts and plant a smile.
A child was riding in his stroller on the sidewalk and his baby mouth broke into a baby yawn as he leaned back in his stroller. As we passed, it made me smile.

Myself and Me

2009-04-13T10:22:00.000-07:00

I spend
a lot of time with myself
trying to be my friend,
sometimes listening to my apologies
often to my excuses,
occasionally to my good sense.
I know me well, but
- now and then -
find me an interesting stranger!

(Helen Harrington)

Remember When?

2009-03-06T12:51:00.000-08:00

My Friend,

Remember when we were little and we would dress up in everything we could find? Ballerina skirts and cowboy vest were compatible and cute when you put on your silly child smile. The hair in our faces didn’t matter when the photographs were shot, cause we were young and free.
Remember the channels and castles, bridges and lakes we made in your sandbox? Digging in the damp sand we would connect and intersect our tunnels until it was a maze of paths. We would bring the garden hose and send the current into the waterways; transforming our kingdom into a sandy swamp. Wading through it, our legs were coated, but we didn’t mind. We sprayed them with the cooling water and felt refreshed.
Think of all the trees that have our footprints there… the walnut limbs above the orange tree, the orange tree above the fence; the tree house in our backyard shade, where we would hide away. Remember that day you buried her in the pile of yellow leaves? I was looking down from the branches and we all laughed when she emerged.
Remember our days in the park so long ago, jumping off the wall like we could fly? It was our initiation to the fairy world (which we designed). Running through the grassy field and striving to earn our wings… practicing our magic skills… learning basic fairy things.
Remember our efforts to turn your bunk bed into a dolly home? One sleeping space cannot become three living rooms, but we didn’t know… and so we tried again. We carefully laid our dolls to sleep and sat on the floor instead to keep from knocking down the walls.
Remember the utter darkness of the basement when we were hidden there? We became the Jewish fugitives dreading the heavy Nazi footsteps overhead. Huddled beneath the staircase, our frantic whispers hushed each other up. But they would change to laughs when some one lit the room and we were faced with the cardboard boxes and cluttered storage space. We knew that the footsteps were only our mothers preparing lunch, their voices droned (discussing grown up things).
Remember birthdays on the beach? We carried the picnic lunch to the shore and we girls would dance with the water. Screaming at the cold, but plunging in all the same. We moved with the undulating waves; floating and somersaulting in their midst. Lunch was not harmed by the crunchy bits of sand; nor were our saturated bathing-suits… celebration and soda pop were our only cares.
Remember my mommy’s giant room where we would play hide and seek? Would you hide on the lofty shelves of the closet, or behind the hanging clothes? Or the time you slid behind the many pillows on the bed… I never would have found you. I waited for an eternity inside the blanket chest, suppressing giggles at my success. And I adjusted the shelves in the bathroom cabinet so I could hide with the lotion and shampoo. There was always room underneath the bed or even the baby crib for last minute spots… and then our time would slip away and you would leave for home.

When we were simply children…

Do you remember that?

(Dedicated to Ginny and Hannah)

The Way of the World

2009-03-04T16:28:00.000-08:00

Observe the bubble in the quiet inlet of the waterway,
Wishing to be thrust into the turbulent stream.
She circles closer; concentric rings like a ladder to the unknown.

Soon the current sucks her into its midst and begins to laugh.
The caressing waves soon hush her troubled scream,
Her fears allayed as she is rocked in a floating cradle home.

Then rapidly the soothing song is shattered by a rippling snarl,
The mystery becomes her only memory,
And all is lost.

Her gentle globe is thrown over the precipice,
Engulfed, it disappears.
Her numb identity is jaded as it mingles with
The Stream.

Things I have done

2009-02-25T22:58:00.001-08:00

I got this from a facebook friend. I liked it so i decided to post in on my blog! =)

Things you have done during your lifetime:
( ) Gone on a blind date
(x) Skipped school (seeing as I am at home anyway, its not that amazing...)
( ) Watched someone die
( ) Been to Canada
( ) Been to Mexico
( ) Been to Florida
(x) Been to Hawaii
(x) Been on a plane
( ) Been on a helicopter
(x) Been lost
(x) Gone to Washington, DC
(x) Swam in the ocean
( ) Swam with stingrays (my friend totally has!!! she got stung o.O)
(x) Cried yourself to sleep
(x) Played cops and robbers
( ) Recently colored with crayons
(x) Sang Karaoke
(x) Paid for a meal with coins only (I think I have... I know my brother has...)
( ) Been to the top of the St. Louis Arch
(x) Done something you told yourself you wouldn't.
( ) Made prank phone calls
( ) Been down Bourbon Street in New Orleans
(x) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose & elsewhere
(x) Caught a snowflake on your tongue
(x) Danced in the rain
( ) Written a letter to Santa Claus
( ) Been kissed under the mistletoe
(x) Watched the sunrise with someone
(x) Blown bubbles
(x) Gone ice-skating
(x) Gone to the movies
( ) Been deep sea fishing
(x) Driven across the United States (well not all the way. to Wyoming and back.)
( ) Been in a hot air balloon
( ) Been sky diving
( ) Gone snowmobiling
( ) Lived in more than one country
(x) Lay down outside at night and admired the stars while listening to the crickets
(x) Seen a falling star and made a wish
(x) Enjoyed the beauty of Old Faithful Geyser
(x) Seen the Statue of Liberty
( ) Gone to the top of Seattle Space Needle
(x) Been on a cruise (kinda? i went for a day cruise in Hawaii)
(x) Traveled by train
( ) Traveled by motorcycle
(x) Been horse back riding
( ) Ridden on a San Francisco Cable Car (I can't believe i haven't done this...)
(x) Been to Disneyland
( ) Been in a rain forest
(x) Seen whales in the ocean
( ) Been to Niagara Falls
( ) Ridden on an elephant
( ) Swam with dolphins
(x) Attended an opera (Oh yeah! I went with Ginny
( ) Been to the Olympics
( ) Walked on the Great Wall of China
( ) Saw and heard a glacier calf
( ) Been spinnaker flying
(x) Been water-skiing
(x) Been snow-skiing
( ) Been to Westminster Abbey
( ) Been to the Louvre
( ) Swam in the Mediterranean
( ) Been to a Major League Baseball game
(x) Been to a National Football League game (maybe it was college? idk =P)
( ) Been in a submarine
( ) Driven through a blizzard