Sunday, November 16, 2008

The Renewed mind is the Key

for the above I have one word....youtube
look it up on youtube...you'll never regret it as long as you live

Ashley and I had a lil "photoshoot" if you will a few weekends ago. Id like to share with you, my devout readers :) our results. However, it only the ones I took of her. She took some of me but I dont like them so.....






OK i lied...maybe a few of me and her...just cause i think they turned out pretty cool...not trying to show off

Saturday, November 15, 2008

" I geeked out"

"what has two thumbs and hates Todd Packer?"
<---"This GUY!!" John Krasinski who portrays the sweet yet mischevious Jim Halpert on the Office. And if you watch it, you'll know where this quote is from. and am going to be a ridiculous girl and simply say," i love him and i think he's awesome." ok done.<3 onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW-sbSXZYDcSFfYKqdYCPkcdWs-fkMnHrkXBvLl11T1tFi8PiI4V9ACRdMri0L5W33of2cyk3Jv59iwGyIQ8ctEgWxboAzHVzkxudCrx80LTbbrXYuWGfdjpGMmKr0kNS2PCMD0n3pG6o/s1600-h/IMG_8726.JPG"> I met up with them there after class...pth. Ingrid got her a coach clutch which I hear from others that she adores it! Mom and Dad are getting her a Hope chest. Hope chests are the bug awesome wooden chests that you could store your blankets, sweaters, slipper collection, anything. They thought it would be cool for her to have when she gets her own place. I got her this white knitted sweater from Swell that has big brown buttons on it. She really wanted it so I got it! And friday night, a party was held in ashley and friend sam's honor, being their birthdays are a day apart. I made her an applesauce cake so it didn't have any dairy!! It turned out wonderfully. I got it from A betty crocker cook book.It doesn't have any frosting and a baked it in a Bundt cake pan. :) And according to the guys who took some of the cake home, it goes wonderfully with a cup of coffee for breakfast.
Ingrid had her birthday last month but she got Vanessa gift(s) in the mail the other day. My Nessa is so thoughtful. She created this sweet tradition. You can read it in her blog. But ingrid opened her box of delights and my parents documented.

and here she is opening some of her many gifts...she is obviously tickled by the thoughtful and sweet presents!!

ok now and final thing. LOOK WHAT I FOUND!

awesome huh? And where did I find it? Good question. My backyard!!
Ya. who knew you could actually find treasure chests in your backyard? I didn't! Im just as shocked as you are but much more thrilled! You cant tell very well with the picture but it has a very old-just washed-up-on-the-beach look to it. the chipped painted is a seafoamy green (its like it was made for me) and the metal trimming is very tarnished and rusted. this little number brighten my week. perhaps my month. I had to clean spider webs out of it and dust it off non the less it is now gorgeous. I have decided to use it to store my art supplies, or at least most of it. My paints, sketching pencils, watercolor pencils and most of my brushes ( my bigger ones pictured with chest have to be store elsewhere). Im so happy i came upon this.

Monday, November 10, 2008

Making its first public appearance...

so, if you didn't know, I was asked by my young adults pastor to create a painting for our series "Promises." The theme verse we are using is II Corinthians 1:20. If you look it up or read below, it a difficult verse visualize in your head, as in picture it.
I took on the task to then think of something visual to go along with this verse. I threw around a few ideas in my head and decided to play it safe with something that didn't require a whole lot of interpretation. So I picked the idea of doing a celtic looking cross, they are ageless and seem to stay around forever. Thus, the reason why I chose it. God's promises are always there and made concrete in His word, meaning if He says it will happen then it will happen. I chose yellows, golds, greens and purples as the color pallet because they are rich colors and play well together.

So without further ado....sorry for the bad lighting....


This was done with acrylics. You can't really see it in this lighting but I got this really sweet looking gold paint that looks amazing with light reflecting off of it. I used a think brush to do the background. I mixed yellow, orange and white to get the golden rod color. I drew out the cross then painted the green behind it. I really didnt like how that turned out at first but Ingrid sadi it looked cool so I kept going. As I began doing the detail work on the cross, I didn't like how it was looking, the painting in general. I felt too simple and I was having trouble trying to decide what color to use for the lettering. So i added a darker golden color, light purple and accented with gold with a fan brush around the cross to give a cloudy effect. It looked so much better and gave me a larger color pallet to use for the verse. So the verse was done in a dark royal purple that I made by combing blue and purple. I emphasized the "YES" because Trevor, my pastor, wanted me to. I did that in a darker tone of the royal purple and highlighted with a light purple and tipped it with the gold paint. And just so you know writing isn't easy at all in paint. It was prob. one of the more frustrating parts of my work.
If I could change anything about the painting would be the writing....im just not a huge fan of it. But im pretty much pleased with the whole thing. :)

Thursday, November 6, 2008

My epiphany

I think I understand why God has taken me out of Biola and brought me back home, so listen up and be intrigued!

My epiphany came to me with slow progression. Since, the summer I have been asking, nay, begging God why He made me leave my comfortable life at Biola, where I had friends who meshed with me so wonderfully and classes I actually enjoyed and were challenged in. Why did he make me go to the one school I swore to stay away from, thinking it was the scum of the educational system. And why he made me move back home, where I felt confined and restricted in my growth into the person I was becoming.
Thinking and trusting God would reveal his plan to me in time, I put up with a lot. I had the constant feeling of deep pain and betrayal that He would take from me something that seemed so perfect for me. I felt alone and depressed, being taken from my friends and comfortable environment. I have been struggling with my trust and faith in God and have taken out my anger on my family.
There's an artist I found on the radio and fell in love with how real he is in his music and how he sings his heart. I just bought his CD, which is amazing. His name is Brandon Heath and there's a song on the album called Trust You. Some of the lines say "I’m not gonna fight you anymore
Not gonna try to lock the door
You took your life and gave me yours
There’s no reason why
I shouldn’t trust you with mine

It’s never easy changing my direction
It’s so unnatural to loosen up my grip
Are you growing weary of all my good intentions
Cause I know that You don’t work that way."

I was just amazed at the simplicity but the depth of the truth in this song. I felt such shame and guilt for acting the way I have been and blaming God. I love how it says "you took your life and gave me yours. There's no reason why I shouldn't trust you with mine." After hearing this song, the epiphany completed itself in a wave of emotion. I felt relief that God really did have a plan for me. Stupid for taking so long to realize this. Joyful that my life seems to have a purpose and a hope again, my life is to serve and follow God, whereever he takes me. A priceless piece of Mother's wisdom, a phrase my mom tells me constantly, " God has a path paved for your life, its already done, we just receive new information leading us to the next step in that path."

So, and here it is!, as long as I trust God with my life, the one He has given and forgiven me, there is no need to fuss over anything. All in all have faith.

Im not who I was. Brandon Heath.


I wish you could see me now
I wish I could show you how
I'm not who I was
I used to be mad at you
A little on the hurt side too
But I'm not who I was

I found my way around
To forgiving you
Some time ago
But I never got to tell you so

I found us in a photograph
I saw me and I had to laugh
You know, I'm not who I was
You were there, you were right above me
And I wonder if you ever loved me
Just for who I was

When the pain came back again
Like a bitter friend
It was all that I could do
To keep myself from blaming you

I reckon it's a funny thing
I figured out I can sing
Now I'm not who I was
I write about love and such
Maybe 'cause I want it so much
I'm not who I was

I was thinking maybe I
I should let you know
I am not the same
But I never did forget your name
Hello

Well the thing I find most amazing
In amazing grace
Is the chance to give it out
Maybe that's what love is all about

I wish you could see me now
I wish I could show you how
I'm not who I was