5/365

4/365

 I have no #3 currently because I'm having issues with the memory card that it was taken on. But I DO have one. I haven't skipped already. Here's 4 though.

2/365

1/365

Decided to start taking a picture a day. It's never the wrong time to buckle down and just do something so simple yet beneficial.

My beautiful dog Minni. She's actually giant. A newfoundlander. They are crazy. But she's pretty dang pretty.

Mr. Priorities

 Dear Priorities,
 Would you promptly tell me exactly what you are and which of you rank highest. I'm kinda confused at the moment which things you are and which you and not. Sometimes, when I think something is you, my parents beg to differ. Some times thing that my parents think are you, are not to me. Would you please come out with an objective description of exactly what you are?
 Love,
   Olivia

Ello Again

To my few, hopefully faithful readers, hello once again.

It's been a crazy few weeks and my posting has suffered greatly from it. 

But never fear! Coming up I have some deep posts, crafting projects, and announcements all in mind. Plus some good ol' ranting about syfy shows. *happy sigh* 

Up until this point, I've been sharing my computer with my entire family, but thankfully, my own computer is now in the mail. It's not super fancy, but it's what I could afford and will serve my purposes. I'm taking 12 college credits from the local community college, plus 2 other high school online classes, so a laptop was a must. So I'm anxiously awaiting the UPS truck.

That's basically all for now. Yup. That's it.

Time - Poetry Slam

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Sitting there, chilling out

There’s not really much to it

Day to day you go by with stereotypical coolness

We check our facebook - download music on itunes

Text our friends go through the movements

There’s not really much to it

How much thought do we give to anyone outside our loop

How often to we do we do a double - take a second look

I don’t care what you say about you’re fine this way

But this world is falling and it’s not okay

There is more to this life than just getting by

When every second 1.8 people die

Do we stop to think? 

Do we really care?

When it’s someone we don’t know - someone way out there?

But then death comes knocking

Comes right up to our door

Asking for someone we didn’t think it would come for

That’s when we realize that life isn’t just about getting by

That at any second we could be the one to die

So step back just for a moment and reevaluate this life

Because it goes by, goes by, goes by, it’s gone 

And when you’re done you have no second chance to right your wrongs

So are you living with false assurance that you always have today?

Or are you living a life that will not fade away?

Chaotic Debrief

 As of Saturday, I am home from counseling at a local Bible camp for a week. It was a fantastic experience with some amazing girls and ultimately, just a great time. But my body has issues. So currently I'm on a crash from a long week of early mornings and working hard. Plus I'm working on an organizational project that I'm trying to get done before Thursday... when I head back to the camp for a college weekend that my father is speaking at.

 Life is busy! But I really, truly love it.

Anthony and Rosalynn - A Fairytale

Once upon a time there was a boy who was obsessed with the Muppets.

When he grew up, he went away from his home in the Dakotas and ventured to Missouri.

There, with the help of the internet, found his Camilla.

She was a outgoing preschool teacher who was as awesomely quirky as him.

On June 16th, they committed themselves to each other for life.

Lighting the unity candle

Greeting their guest

Mother of the Groom - Aka, one of my favorite people ever!

His grandmother's corsage.

His niece cooling down in the 95 degree heat

Groom's brother and soon to be fiance. Made the day more magical to have an engagement on top of a wedding.

The center pieces at their reception. I was in love!

Brothers :) 

Soon to be father and daughter in law. My favorite picture from the wedding.

Gotta have a thriller dance!

The bride loves sparklers, so they exited to them instead. Loved the unique idea!

Yup, they are pretty darn cute.

My cousin was the groom and we traveled 700 miles for this wedding, which was so worth it!  I wasn't the official photographer, but I just shot some candids for fun and family. It was seriously amazing and I'm so excited for the next wedding coming up.

Live in Concert

Black or White

I've fallen in love with shooting in black and white. I know that many would never dare do it for it's so much easier to make pictures black and white but you can't add color. Yet I love the feel. It's unique. It's also a more forgiving form of shooting and you can do some really interesting things. 

 Simply - I love it.

My poor ugly feet. I have high arches, long toes, not a huge polish fan, and always gets cuts and scrapes. :(

TARDIS Cake

Do you like it??

Why yes, it is a TARDIS. And while it didn't turn out quite as good as I had hoped, it's still pretty flipping awesome if I do say so myself. The best part was that one 2 people that came to my little casual party actually understood the epicness of the fact that I have a TARDIS on my cake. 

Sadly, it wasn't all edible. 

The TARDIS was made out of a cardboard box covered with frosting (which was a pain to make, I'm doing fondant covered rice krispie bars next time) and the little things (me and my weird interests and loves) were made out of clay that was baked.

Next time, you'll be able to eat everything.

But one of my awesome friends still requested to lick the TARDIS.

And I totally said yes.

For that's a Whovian's dream come true.

Sixteenth Birthday

Today is my sixteenth birthday, an odd day in my mind.

 It's that "coming of age" birthday that I remember looking at as a little child with wonder and excitement. Not being able to wait until that day was finally here, and here it is. For me, I feel like I'm finally growing up. Being someone who generally got along with people much older than I, I'm used to being the baby in my circles of friends and acquaintances. This birthday is seriously the first that I haven't been somewhat ashamed of my age. I'm sixteen. I can soon drive(alone). I'm taking 12 college credits plus 2 VHS classes. I'm going to start working. I'm preparing my art portfolio for college. I'm a big kid!

 After a rather rough year, I'm excited for this fresh start and new adventure. Excitement for this next year is at a super high. Something inside of me simply hopes for an amazing year. Last year was the toughest of my life and there was so much in it that was brutally painful. But this year is a clean slate. It's a gessoed canvas just waiting for me to put my strokes upon it.

 But beyond my plans, there are One who's plans are infinitely better. Christ holds my itty bitty life in His hands and He knows my year from today through 365 days from now. He's my author and perfecter. Nothing He does is in vain. And even as much as I disliked many things in the last year, He taught me so much and made me so aware to the simple blessings in life. 

 As I've pondered the past year and the year to come, these verses come to mind. 

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

   neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.

 For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

   so are my ways higher than your ways

   and my thoughts than your thoughts."

        Isaiah 55:8-9

He's above. Above all my plans, hopes, dream, the future, the past, the present. He is perfection and even though sometimes I can't see what in the world He's doing, somewhere I know that it's good. It's very good. 

 So here's to a good year. The past and the future one. Because as long as God is the one writing my life, it's going to be a crazy adventure and all I can do is hold on tight.

On the Road

As I speak, err, write, a game of hide and go seek is breaking out inside of our car. Oh the things that eight hours in the car can do to you!

This last week has been busy with all the last minute things that go with vacations, but now we are on our way to St Louis for a wedding. We are decked out with the technology required to keep peace between toddlers and special needs children. (aka, an iPad, laptop, DVD player with wii capabilities.)

I also have everything that I need with my lap desk, DSLR, bag of pencils, sharpies, sketch book and notebook, and my book and movie collection. Books of choice are Emma, Jane Eyre, and The Shadow of the Almighty. For movies I have a splendid Audrey Hepburn trio, The Two Towers, and Amazing Grace.

I'll post pictures when we get to the hotel and along the way.

Goodwill Finds - 1940s or the Royal Wedding

 A week ago I was at Goodwill with a good friend and we saw this delightful vintage hat sitting in the window. We casually remarked that it was cute, but then moved on. Then, I returned today and found that the hat was now 1/2 off, only $2. So I bought it and had fun trying it on with different outfits in my closet. Below was my favorite combination.

Hat - thrifted $2

Dress - thrifted $4

Shoes - also thrifted $3?

Grand total of.... $9

Yes, I'm a fan of this kind of crazy hat. Now... just tell me, does it remind you more of 1940s vintage or modern British royalty? Or something totally different?

Paper People

I grew up making paper dolls that I spent hours upon hours working on. Fifth grade was my most intensive year as I would work on them basically every day for months, modeling them and their shoebox houses after the characters in my favorite books.

 Now I've been inspired to use the same old concept, in a folk art sort of style. I wanted to find a way to make things out of paint color samples, and this was the result.

They need some perfecting... I need to figure out how to get cleaner cuts and less glue remnant on them. But overall, I'm a very happy girl about my little paper girls.

Raw Shots - Flowers

I love Aperture and I love photoshop, but there's a certain essence that raw, unedited photos have that is lovely. Here are a few recent raw flower shots for your viewing pleasure.