diy & the last of 31 days

go here for the diy simplest project ever, but definitely one of my favorites

I hope everyone is having a great Easter!  I had such a wonderful morning with my church family, and this afternoon I'm cranking out the homework like it's no one's business.  He is risen indeed!

March 30: What's your favorite flavor of ice cream?

It really depends on my mood.  Usually it's the chocolatiest, brownie-filled, caramelly stuff I can find, but I also like good ol' chocolate chip sometimes.

March 31: Self portrait and explain what you liked most about this challenge.
I liked the variety of the questions and that I actually stuck with it!  You all know how rare that is. ;)

sisters' day at the zoo

She sat in this chair and starting saying how she was the queen and we needed to bow down to her.

March 27: List 3 online friends that you've never met in real life but hope to soon.

I can really only list one; Bess and I email from time to time, and I've really enjoyed getting to know her.

March 28: What's your guilty pleasure?
Umm...TV series?  I really get sucked into certain ones, like Doctor Who, NCIS: Los Angeles, and The Walking Dead.

March 29: What's your favorite time of the year and why?

I love the month of October.  It always seems like such beautiful, amazing things happen at that time of year and it's definitely my favorite time in terms of weather.

52 lists : : weeks 11 and 12

list your essentials

a hairbrush

sweater

comfy sweat pants

socks

fresh flowers

good books

and good music

and earbuds that work so you can hear the good music

money's not essential but...eh, it's nice

list the things that feel like home

listening to Chloe

Ellie singing some mad opera

when my bed is made

my dad playing guitar

my mom having all the windows open

Rachel sleeping

ice water

cereal and peanut butter toast

chocolate chip ice cream  

March 23: Do you have a hobby?

Hmm...I guess you could say reading's a hobby.  And blogging.  And stressing out about everything. ;)

March 24: Describe your most embarrassing moment.

Haha...no.  That's for one person and one person alone.  But here's one that pales in comparison to the most embarrassing, but is still pretty funny.  When I was thirteen(?) I joined my church with Rachel, and after the ceremony you stand at the front and everyone comes and tells you congratulations, so you say thank you.  Over and over.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.  Well, there was a boy my age that I hadn't met yet, and that day he decided to come up and introduce himself.  He shook my hand and said, "Hi, my name's [blank]."  I smiled very sweetly and said, "Thank you."  It doesn't sound that bad, but it was truly humiliating.

March 25: Describe your location.

I'm in the living room on the couch.  My feet are freezing.  I'm getting ready to go to class, so there's a bunch of books next to me.  Ellie's dog is laying on the floor in front of me.

March 26: What's your favorite food?

Probably pizza.  I just love pizza.  Without cheese. 

31 days : : eighteen through twenty two

March 18: Where are you the happiest?
I am the epitomy of a home-body, so I'm happiest at home.  I like my little bubble. :)

March 19: List 5 blogs that you read on a regular basis and why

1. A Beautiful Mess.  I really the variety of posts I find here--recipes, diy, fashion, etc.

2. Sarah's Little Random Thoughts.  I'm sort of a people stalker on blogs, and I think this one's interesting.

3. Sarah Joelle Photography.  I really like this woman's photography.

4. S'Wonderful Photography.  And this one.

5. Under the Sycamore.  I've loved reading about this family's adoption, especially because it's a dream of mine someday to adopt.

March 20: What do you collect?
I used to be an insane collector--rocks, dolls, books, etc.  I've definitely toned it down.  Right now I'd have to say I halfheartedly collect scarves, teacups, and potted plants.

March 21: What's your biggest fear?

My biggest fear used to be that my dreams wouldn't work out, but over this past year I feel like God's really been teaching me the importance of being open for whatever He has for me, not what I want for myself.  My biggest thing is probably something happening to my family, or getting in a serious car crash.  I've only ever been rear ended, and that was scary enough!

March 22: What do you do when you're home alone?
When I'm home alone (it happens very rarely) I love to play my guitar in the living room and sing really loudly because it echoes a lot and I think I sound a lot better when I'm playing out there.  Probably couldn't hear well enough to know a bad guy was coming up behind me to kill me, but...eh.

far more abundantly

Ephesians 3:20

Listen to this awesome song!

52 lists : : week 10

list the ways you can cleanse for spring

keep drinking water...though my Lentish ways have sort of been on a downward spiral these past couple of days

clean out from under my bed and in my dresser drawers

dust

vaccuum

look back over my 2013 resolutions

start eating summery fruits and vegetables

keep going to the gym

scrub Jonah's tank

March 16: What's your biggest accomplishment?

Umm...maybe figuring out what I'm doing with my education?  This is a really hard one.

March 17: Why and when did you start blogging?

I started blogging in October 2008 because a bunch of my friends had started blogs of their own and I wanted to get on the bandwagon.  I didn't start blogging consistently about things I really enjoy until 2010ish.

spring break

Right now I'm sitting at McDs, where I have been for...two and a half hours.  Rachel's currently at a concert and I really didn't want her to be murdered walking to her car in the creepy part of town, so I'm picking her up.  Yaaaaaay.....

Anyway, I thought I'd give an update on my spring break week.  It has not been relaxing, I have to say--I have been sooooo busy.  Monday Rachel and I had lunch with one of our best friends growing up, and then we went out to dinner and a movie (Oz--don't go see it, it was awful) with some other friends.  Tuesday was kind of chill, but then on Wednesday Rachel and I drove all the way to Las Cruces and back in one day.  Eight hours of driving.  :(

I went to Las Cruces to see an academic advisor at NMSU in a desperate attempt to solidify my plans for the future.  Said plans were sort of solidified but I'm actually sort of more confused than ever now, so it wasn't actually all I'd hoped for it to be.  Hopefully I can get things figured out soon, though.  We visited our grandparents while we were there and it was so good to see them--we don't see them nearly often enough.  And then we explored the campus, walked around the mall, and headed home, all before 10 PM (pulled in around 9:59ish)!  We are insane.  Or, more specifically, Rachel is, because she didn't want to pay for a hotel.  But hey.  Our first road trip!  If I'd gotten more than four hours of sleep the night before, I might have spent the time doing a bit more than desperately trying to sleep (key word here is trying) and reading.

Yesterday Rachel, Chloe, and I had a sisters' day.  We went to Walmart to pick out nail polish, saw the Easter bunny at the mall,

and went to see Rise of the Guardians (very cute movie).  Then we were going to go to the zoo, but we didn't check the times and it closed before we could get there.  So hopefully we can go sometime this weekend!  It was so good to spend that time with her--I feel like my semester's been crazy and I haven't really seen my family at all, much less spent quality time with them.

Well, got to go.  A creepy guy just asked if he could eat dinner with me, and I think some nice tax filing will be just the thing to boost my spirits following that encounter.

March 13: Do you have regret?

Sure.  One of the things that comes to mind is not trusting God in taking more risks and having adventures in my life.

March 14: What's on your iPod?
I actually just have an mp3.  Right now there's mainly some audiobook chapters of Jane Eyre because I've been listening to it at the gym.  Also some of my favorite music.

March 15: List 10 things that make you awesome.

1. I can make embarrassing lists like this.

2. I play guitar.

3. I dropped my pick once inside a guitar when I was playing in front of my church, and kept going.

4. I am actually figuring out where I'm going to transfer!

5. I've been blogging consistently for almost five years(!).

6. I read Mansfield Park.  This is an accomplishment because that is a long book!  I loved it though.

7. I named my plant Ferdinand.

8. My mind is still desperately clinging to 1 Timothy, even though I can't seem to keep it memorized.

9. I can be ready to go ten minutes after I wake up.

10. ...

52 lists : : week 9

list the places you want to go

India

Aurora, Colorado

on my honeymoon

my own home

a place without cheese

to a cold beach somewhere in the East

wherever they filmed the newest "Little Women"

Ireland

Maui

March 9: my bucket list

March 10: my daily routine

Mondays and Wednesdays are probably my busiest days.  I get up around 8 and leave the house by 8:30 so Rachel and I can go work out at Planet Fitness.  We work out for about an hour and then head over to school, where Rachel's first class is at 11.  My class doesn't start 'til 5:30 on those days, so that's when I usually get most of my homework done for the week.  Then I have my math class at 5:30, and we're home by around 7:30.

March 11: the last book you read

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

March 12: something that you miss

I miss my dog.  Plus a bunch of people who've moved away over the years.

DIY candles + 31 days : : eight

Hey everyone!  So, lately I've been on a sort of candle kick after I bought my first candles from Bath & Body.  However, Bath & Body is so expensive!  I just couldn't justify spending $20 on one of the big candles when I could make my own for even just a few dollars cheaper.  I thought I'd share how I did that!

What you need:

- glass jars (I used some Mason jars that someone gave me this week)
- candle wax
- twine or some sort of coarse string (for the wicks)
- a few pencils

1. Start off by heating up your candle wax in a pan.  Chloe and I went to Walmart and got a couple packs of wax.  I think the brand is called ScentSationals, and we basically just sniffed all of them until we found some scents that we liked--raspberry fizz and lime margarita.  You can get 2.5 oz. for $2, so I got 8 packs.

Make sure to keep the heat on low, and don't boil the wax!  I found this out the hard way when I accidentally boiled some of the wax I had, and the candles sort of caved in after they had cooled.  So once the wax is melted, just turn off the heat.

2. While your wax is melting, get your jars and wicks ready.  The easiest way I've found to do this is to take your string and tie part of it to a pencil.  The bottom of the string should be just touching the bottom of the jar.


3. Pour in your wax!  When I was doing this one of the jars I had started making those scary noises where you think the glass is going to bust, but in the end it was okay.

I bought 8 packs of wax, so about 20 ounces, but it actually ended up being more like 28 ounces because I guess it expanded when I melted it.  So I made two extra candles!

4. Position your wicks so they're centered, and let your candles cool overnight.

5. Trim your wicks, and light 'em up!

Chloe and I had a lot of fun making these!  I think they'd make great gifts, and they're super easy.  You can save a lot making these too!  A 14.5 oz. Bath & Body candle is $20, and I was able to make approximately two of those (28 oz.) for only $16.  So I saved about $24!  Awesome. :)

March 8: Biggest pet peeve

I can never really think of these 'til after the fact, but...I think one of my biggest pet peeves if when people don't understand right away what I'm saying.  It's not their fault, of course, but I get really frustrated with them.  I also don't like when my routine doesn't go as planned.  Spontaneity kills me.