Challenge: it's on.

OH MY GOSH. READERS. I HAVEN'T POSTED IN 1000000000 YEARS.

Well, it's been more like 11 days, but to me it feels that long.

The sad thing is that I don't really have a legitamate excuse.. I mean, I wasn't hospitalized, kidnapped, or anything like that.... I just..... didn't know what to write about...

And that excuse is super lame for this reason: I had plenty to write about, in reality... I just.... Didn't know how, when, or where to start. Talk about some writer's block... Sheesh.

BUT! There are interesting things in the works here people! Shout hallelujah!

For now though, I would like to share something eventful that happened to me that is pretty, if not totally relevant to this here blog post.

Does anyone know who this is??

Well, if not.... Sorry boutcha. That's Ree Drummond, better known as the Pioneer Woman, and she's awesome.

*note... I get star-struck way too easily, and that goofy messy picture of me proves that. Ugh, it doesn't even look like me.... Or I look insane.. It's crazed fan syndrome. 

OKAY! Back to the point.

Well, Ree came to OU to talk about herself as "self-made media.." But before she gave a presentation to hundreds of people, she sat down with my PW class of 15ish students in the auditorium (literally, she just powwowed on the stage) and we all just talked blogging. Nerd's paradise, really.

So after an hour's worth of questions, answers, and a exchange of embarrassing stories, I left the auditoruim with many pieces of advice she left us... Several I put into action immediately, but others have yet to manifest themselves. But, after all of her stories and advice, one thing she said stuck out to me and has be eating at the back of my brain for days..

Blog everyday. Blog everyday. Blog. Every. Day.

Ugh. Yeah, I knew it was coming.... She told us in the lecture, and the same advice coupled with an explanation can be found here.

So, I'm always looking for challenges, and I think this one will be pretty perfect, considering some challenges I take on are just stupid.

Haha.

High school.

Moving on.

So it's on! As of right now there are 23 days until the end of the semester, 31 until Christmas (wooo.) and 37 until 2011 (Gah, where did the year go?!)  I want to try to post something everyday at least until the end of the semester, and if I'm successful I'll try until Christmas, New Years, and even beyond!

In [un]related news: I'm at home right now, so I'll get a fantastic running start with zero homework, classes, or work standing in my way. Plus there's never a dull moment with people like these around:

I'm hoping it will be fun for me, but most importantly I hope YOU all enjoy what I have to say as well! I think that's all for tonight.. Check back for Challenge Day 1 TOMORROW! YAY!

I put the "fan" in fanatic.

Readers, I did it.

An accomplishment roughly 4 years in the making, something so momentous and rare in my life yet so habitual and ordinary in the lives of so many I aspire to mimic.

I read a book.

Don't be dumb. I'm in college, people, I've read a fair share of books in the past 2 years and change. But many of those were read out of obligation to a syllabus or the threat of a pop quiz. Not this time, this was my idea, my doing, my fiction.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Oh yes. Here's some background:

I have followed Harry's every move since I was in the fourth grade. I've read many of the books more than once. Oh, and if you have been living in a cave for the past decade, HP is the most enthralling and magical (duh) fiction book series to hit the US and everywhere else.

Yes, better than Twilight. Suck it Edward, you were Cedric Diggory first anyway.

Back to it.

I went to all of the midnight premieres, midnight book releases, I even more than excitedly dressed up for the movies. Guys, I loved love it.

But, for some reason, that affection dissapated when I finally got my hands on the Deathly Hallows. I was so unbelievably curious in what would happen next, but as I read through the first few pages, a terrifying thought hit me:

This is it. After this, it's all over.

At this realization, I hurriedly put the book down. I was so caught up in the lives of these characters and this world that I could, and had so often, disappeared into. So I came the the conclusion that the best thing to do was just to leave the end alone. it sounds stupid I'm sure, but the closest thing I could compare this to is that old saying "if you love them, let them go."

So that's what I did. I let them go. For years..... Until about a week ago.

So, you ALL have to know that HP7 part 1 is due to hit theaters in about 95 hours and 49 minutes from right now. I knew it too, and I wasn't sure what to do about it. Do I watch it without reading the book? Do I ignore it completely? To me both of these were out of the question (really if i watched the movie without reading the book, i would never forgive myself).

So, i did the only thing a girl can do in this situation. I went home, curled up in bed, and started to read.

Readers, I was swept away. Gone from reality, and in my own little world with the character and settings painted vividly in my imagination. I haven't felt that freedom from real life, stress, or getting older in literally years.

I bet it's like drugs, or something. But way better for your vocabulary.

One week. I sucked in every world on every page. I didn't have a chance to read Wednesday or Thursday, so really in five days I read every world, cover to cover.

Now, this brief yet extreme obsessive behavior took a toll on my sleep for the week, but anyone would agree that it was worth it. There is one thing, however, that I learned about myself in finishing this last book..

I realized at about 5:30am, after reading for 4 hours and sobbing for 2 of them, that i might be a little too attached.

And it's not just Harry and his friends! My favorite shows, for example, have driven me into fits of anguish because Kurt got punched again, or that it was George that got hit by that bus (Goodness, readers, I cried for 5 days after he died)!

My point is that I'm wondering if it's good for me to be so invested in stuff like this, or if is this normal?? I mean, I'm an emotional disaster. If you know me, you know that. If you don't, there you go.

I don't know. I guess I'll just have to keep myself from just losing it during this.... 

Until next time.

The Why Game

Readers, this is Whitney.

If you know me at all, I've mentioned her probably about a thousand times. You might recognize her from the crafting we did the other night (read about that here). She's nine, but I remember the day she was born. She's not related to me by blood or anything, but she's like a little sister. Today's family members can't be solely defined by paternity anyway.

Everything I've learned about kids and dealing with them, I learned from this girl. And with all that experience I could open a daycare, easily. Don't believe me? Try my almost famous grilled cheese and chips and you'll whistle another tune. Diapers, tantrums, the "Why" game, I've got it down.

For those of you that don't know, the "Why" game isn't really a game. It's when young kids (around 4) ask a question, receive an answer, yet persistently ask why. And, to "win" he game, a person has to come up with a sensible answer to all of the child's why's. Whitney was a pro, but I always won.

The summer before I left for college, my job was to be a full-time babysitter for this girl, who was six at the time. We spent every day together. That meant a lot of fits, a obscene amounts of Hannah Montana, and even more people mistaking me for her mom. (Uhm, I was 12 when she was born. Not likely).

I remember the conversations we used to have. This girl is smart. I could carry on a peer-level conversation with her since she was four. She's funny too, and those drives around town throughout the long summer days reminded me of what it was like to be a kid.

Since leaving for school, I of course don't see her near as much as I used to, and I lose sight of that kid like nature. I mean, on a campus of thousands and thousands of students the same age as me, it's easy to lose sight of any nature other than that of a college student's.

But being home this weekend and spending even a minute with that girl took me back to third grade again. I picked her up yesterday afternoon, and she immediately stated to talk me ear off. She told me about school, her birthday party, and anything else she could fit into a sentence between breaths.

Two things she said really stood out to me and are still making me laugh.

First, she shared a little bit of Beiber Fever with me. As a surpise birthday present from mom, Whitney made a trip to OKC to see the teen heartthrob in concert. it was her first concert ever!

"We got there and it was SO loud, and he sang all of the songs... It was SOOO sweet and awesome. We stayed until like TEN O'CLOCK.... AT NIGHT....... ON A SCHOOL NIGHT.... I didn't get home til midnight, but I still got up for school the next day, no problem. I woke up even earlier than normal."


Hotshot.

It still makes me laugh. The second conversation we had really stuck with me though.... And it kind of came out of nowhere. I couldn't help but just laugh as she was talking, to which she rolled her eyes and pled her case more.

"Frances, you don't even know how busy I am. Do you know?"
"Sure don't, Whit."
"Well, I have to get up, go to school ALL day every day. Monday's and Wednesday's I have soccer, then the other days I go with Papa to let the dogs out! And basketball is starting soon! Man!"

I mean, I'm not writing this patronize the girl. She's nine. I think she is busy for being nine. But don't you miss that? Am I the only person that misses the days when the biggest decision I had to make was what flavor jelly I wanted on my sandwich?  Those days were so so so so so simple. Carefree. Fun. Without consequence...... mostly.

I think I'm coming down with a terrible case of growing up. With internships, bills, career fairs, rent, and resumés, it's hard to avoid.

I understand that it's just another part of life. But I'm terrified. Part of me, even if it is a small part, wishes I could go back to being nine. Or heck, if I could stay 21 forever, that would be great.

But the future is staring me in the face.. It's looking all of us dead in the eyes and reminding us that, no matter how hard we try, it's closer each day. I guess it's time to stand up, take a deep breath, and stare right back, remembering one very important fact:

No matter what happens, at least I'm awesome at the "Why" game. 

D.I.Why not?

I'm so close to alone in the desolation that is the coffee shop. It's so sad.

Moving on!

I've talked to you, dear readers, about how crafty [not the mean kind!] I am, or at least aspire to be... So in light of feeling extra artsy this weekend, I decided to fill you in on projects I have filled my time with on my [relaxing?] weekend back home.

These projects were inspired by this, which I follow almost religiously. Seriously, I'm obsessed. If you didn't follow the link just then, do it now, and be amazed.

I will share one the projects now, but the other is still in the works. Fear not, updates will come!

Today, we made our very own cork boards!!

Luckily, i had these two wonderful nine year olds tag along giving me an excuse to run rampant with my love of glitter, sequins, and bright, bright, colors.

We started off with just plain old boards from our neighborhood craft store which you see above.

First, we [I] ironed the girls' initials onto the fab

ric before gluing fabric to the boards (it's important to iron both side of the letters).

Then we just covered them with fabric, secured with good ol' hot glue.

Funny moment! When were were in the store buying the fabric, I commented on the girls' selection being remarkably colorful. To that, one responded, "Frances, we're both nine, what else do you expect?" Fair enough ladies.

Next, I let the girl run wild with flowers, sequins, and ribbon. On an awesome note, the ribbon we [they] chose was reversible, so it was a two-for-one, best-of-both-worlds money saver! Woo!

So, the final products looked like these!

I mean, if you were nine, you would be crazy jealous. I kind of am, and I'm 21. Oh well.

Readers, I think that's all for now. I'm going to continue my wonderful Saturday night with some old-school chick flicks, a nice book and some warm blankets.

Bonne nuit mes amis!

Seeing Red

If you like being ignorant, stop reading now. If not, please continue.

I am not a political expert by any means, nor am I really well-versed in platforms, reforms, or any other kinds of forms. On the contrary, I hate talking about politics. Hardly anything boils my blood more.

But I'm going to say this anyway because I have a blog and that's what bloggers do.

If there is one thing I believe in when I comes to voting and politics, it's that people should vote competently.

Nothing infuriates me more than ignorant voting. Like if someone plans to vote red because that's what it mean to be 'MERICAN!, or because they stand for 'MERICA! It goes both ways, if your voting blue just because you live in the reddest state in the union and want to fight "the Man", stay home.

As for me, I'm a modern-day Irving character. No, I didn't sleep through an American revolution or anything, but I do tend to let other trivial things get in the way of issues, people, and things that matter, especially in politcs. I have a lot of opinions, I'm just lazy I guess.

Mid-term elections were held today, and I didn't vote.

I knew who the gubernatorial candidates were, I knew which party they identified with, and I can loosely tell you the ideologies of each political party represented. But as far as platforms, state questions, and congressional candidates, I was less than versed in those matters, so I stayed home.

But that's not the worst of it.. The worst is that I'm at the point now where I feel like my vote wouldn't have mattered.

Take 2008 for example. I was so excited to cast my ballot for the first time in that election, but just as I dropped my ballot in the box, I overheard a young girl my age say to her friend "I'm voting Republican because my dad told me to."

Well, my vote just got cancelled out. Just like that. Boo.

I lean liberal, and I am very outnumbered in this "land of the red people" (best pun ever, i hope you take time to appreciate that). I believe Oklahoma DESPERATELY needs to pay more attention to our education system, I believe in equal rights for all citizens, and I am environmentally conscious (my roommates and I recycle!) These are all social issues, yes, but right now, as a 21-year-old college student, these things are important to me. And yes, my ideologies line up left. Sue me.

Now hold on, I'm not saying that only liberals can be environmentally aware, nor am I saying liberals have to care about these issues. I just know that I agree with much of what they stand for.

I also believe that it is okay to be conservative. I believe that if your values and ideologies line up conservatively, go for it. Shoot, if I was a mega entrepreneur I would be all for laissez-faire and free market too. ka-ching.

All I'm asking, people is that you VOTE SMART!!!!!! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE learn what you stand for. Learn who you're voting for, and get a grip!

Oh and one last thing, I still love you, Jari. Mom or not you would have been wonderful!

Costumin' and Carvin'

I love Halloween. Call it pagan, call it "fall festival," call it whatever you want. I love it.

AND IT'S ONLY FIVE DAYS AWAY!

What other day out of all 365 days in a year can you dress however you want and get away with it? Eat inexcusable amounts of candy and be commended on a job well done? Ring the doorbell at complete stranger's home and ask them to smell your feet? It's all fantastic.

Really people, I held on to the chance for trick-or-treating as long as I could. Who says seniors in high school are too old for that?! Not this girl!

However, despite my love for sweets and sugar-induced comas, the candy isn't my favorite part of Halloween. I'm split between two other holiday traditions.

Costume hunting and pumpkin carving.

I love dressing up for Halloween. Some years, I start thinking about my next costume as soon as the current Halloween is over. I also love making costumes. I can't remember the last time I bought a costume-in-a-bag. In my opinion that's just taking the easy way out, plus I need WAY more material to cover my trunk junk than any store bought french maid costume could offer me.

Also, like I've said before, I'm crafty, so this is just another way I can be somewhat creative. I also love the thrill of piecing a costume together. I'll find something here, something else there... To me finding the perfect finishing touch to an original costume is like winning a marathon. (Maybe that's a bad comparison. I can't run. Oh well.)

I'm thinking about costume ideas right now, and I think I'm stuck between two. Looks like you'll have to stay tuned and see what I choose later!

My other favorite thing to do around this time of year is carve pumpkins, and I got to do that with my roommates this past weekend.

We all bought kits and stencils, and picked out the perfect pumpkins, and were ready to go.

We made a gutting station out of kitchen floor, and after cleaning out five decently huge pumpkins, our entire apartment reeked of it. We didn't mind though, it's one of those things you get used to.

So, the pumpkins were gutted and the stencils taped and marked, so we all went to work. Carving and cutting, punching out eye holes and nose holes, cleaning up crooked lines.

Finally, they all came together. For fun's sake, here's a before and after.

Really when you think about it, these traditions of costumes and carving aren't that different. Sure, one of them is a big orange fruit, but it happens. But, look at the difference between all of the pumpkins!

They are all round and orange at first, but with a little work, they beome scences or terror, faces of happiness, or even chilling creatures of the night. It's just like us when we dress up in costume. I could be a brain-munching zombie prom queen, or I could be a disco ball, but in the end i'm still me, just like that jack-o-lantern is still a pumpkin.

That's what Halloween is. It's imagination. It's creativity. It's waking up one day and saying, "You know what, I'm going to put on fake purple eyelashes, color my hair blue, and wear a bright yellow suit today," and be totally confident in your ridiculousness.

It's the chance to be anything you want to be, or to make your jack-o-lantern smile any way you want it to.

Happy Haunting!

pressing flowers

Readers, I have been gone for what seems life forever, and i've missed writing so much. School consumes my life, and what little spare time I've been given over the last week and a half, I have used to sleep.

But isn't that the way it goes? Time is money, so don't waste it. Everything is done right here, right now. Do this, do that, as fast as you can. RSVP ASAP. No late work. Up-to-the-minute reporting. Timeliness. NO! SLEEP! TIL BROOKLYN! (reference here)

Everything we do must be done quickly and as efficiently as possible. Now, I'm not knocking timeliness and productivity for the sake of adequate and needed progress both in school and in everyday life. But...

Every now and then, we need to slow down. We should stop and smell the roses.

If you don't already know, I consider myself a crafty person. Not in a manipulative or sneaky sense, but in a much more literal one. I love arts and crafts. Hobby Lobby is one of my favorite stores, and I jump in excitement over a DIY project.

My roommate shares in this love of creativity, so we are always showing each other fun little projects we've taken on. I make collages, she paints, and so on.

Last week, we were in our kitchen admiring a bouquet of gerber daises (my favorite) that Cavner gave me for our anniversary. They were starting to wilt, so my roommate suggests a crafty alternative to just throwing the bright cheery flowers away.

"You really should press those."

I've heard of pressing flowers before, and like any crafty person, I was all for it.

So my roommate walked me through the process.

First, we cut the stems completely off.

Then we placed them between two sheets of tissue paper.

Finally, we closed the flowers into the largest book we could find in the apartment. After that, we stacked object after object on top of the book, making sure to pancake the heck out of these flowers. The end result of our efforts created a rather comical display of shelves, paint cans, and other heavy things stacked one on tp of the next in our living room.

After we balanced the paint can on top of the shelves on top of the book, I asked my roommate when they would be totally pressed.

"I'd give them about a month."

A month?! An entire month??!!! For flowers, no less! Why in the world would I wait that long for flowers? Why would I wait that long for anything??

Another thing about me is that I am a huge fan of instant gratification. If I want it, I don't really want to wait on it. But with these flowers, I'm understanding that some things are worth waiting for. Some things take time, and sometimes, those are the we remember most.

I don't know how my flowers will turn out yet. They still have to sit under those shelves for another three weeks or so. But every now and then I catch myself thinking about what next project i can use them in once they are ready. It's kind of thrilling, this waiting.