Happy New Year!!

Welcome to 2012 earthlings!!!!

May this be the best year yet....may it be a year filled with happiness, new experiences, and awesomeness for all!!! :)

With love,

-C-

Merry Christmas To ALL

Merry Christmas to all!! 

 

 Since there is a vacancy of Christmas tree in my house right now, I thought I would entertain myself, and subsequently everybody I share this with...pictured is the dynamic duo in their own Christmas attire.  I hope everybody has a wonderful and safe Christmas. :)

Some Thanksgiving Pictures

Thought you'd like to see how my Thanksgiving was for me. :)

You can't go to Memphis without going to Graceland!!

You have to LOVE this house...absolutely gorgeous!!

St. Jude statue...that whole facility is amazing!!

Last time we had a family portrait, Biohazard shirt had hair and the tall fluffy haired one was going into the army...and therefore loosing his hair...oh how things change in a few years...

I figured ya'll would like to see some of this trip through my eyes...and inadvertently through my camera lens.  

I hope everybody has a wonderful and safe Christmas and a Happy New Year. :)

-C-

Happy Thanksgiving...and other stuff too

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!!  I hope your days been as awesome as mine has.  I got to eat dinner with my entire family and my best friend.  I got to sit around and watch Punkin' Chunkin' with my brothers and my dad.  I got to talk with my mom for more than an hour about my upcoming plans that I am super stoked about and I finally got to visit St. Jude's!!  

I am in the heart of the music capitol of the country, Memphis Tennessee, with my family and loving every minute of it!

Though the drive was intense, being around the people I love has brought a renewed hope and feeling to what's been going on.

Before this trip, I never knew how much texting a picture of my dogs to my brother or getting him an autograph would mean to him.  My mom told me that when he found out I got him Jamie Farr's autograph, he was SUPER excited!  She also told me that two days after, he waited in line to get me a signed copy of Kellie Pickler's newest album.  If you knew my brother, you would understand how strange this is for him...he does not like country music....at ALL!  He is in pain most of the time and he stayed in line to get an autograph of an artist that he knows I like, but that he doesn't.

When it comes to my brothers, I'm not very "lovey dovey" at all...we kind of have this unspoken "thing" that we have...it's actually quite hard to explain now that I actually try to explain it...

It's things like this that help me see exactly what I have...and it makes me more and more thankful everyday for everyone in my life.  They've all been so supportive in all that I've done and all that I want to do.  All of my friends and family have been there for me in fun times and stressful times too.

I want everybody to be thankful for what they have and who they have in their lives.  I know that I wouldn't be where I am today if my family wasn't by my side.

Happy Thanksgiving to all...and to all a good night! :)

Fun Fun Fun!

It's been a wonderful week this week.  I've been having an awesome time in my classes and I have plans for the next several weekends.  Nick, my brother, is getting an awesome surprise on Monday.  My brother, his girlfriend and I are going to Tennessee for Thanksgiving which will be epic for pictures.  All I know is that everything's falling into place a lot easier than a couple months ago.

Lesson here: Be excited about spending time with your family! :)

It's All Good

I am finally back in touch with the world!!  My laptop is back where it should be and now I can keep up with posting more blog posts!

On another note, my little brother's surgery was yesterday and very successful!  You gotta love the wonderful doctors at St. Jude's!

I'll update ya'll on anything else that happens.

-C-

Quiet....

It is as I watch my fellow college students go about their free time activities that I write this...it started with hesitation and is moving onto something.  But what that something is, I don't know.  My music fills the empty space that resides in my head whenever I'm working.  It helps me concentrate in ways that the silence doesn't.  Sometimes it seems like the silence oozes from every wall of my parent's house and most of the time, I hate it.

It was only when my Mom and brother came back home that I realized JUST how quite the house was with just me in it...and how much I missed the noise.

But I am slowly learning the art of being surrounded by silence.  I don't always HAVE to have the radio on all the time anymore.  Sometimes it sucks but slowly but surely, it's changing into something more pure than anything I've encountered.

Sometimes it's the little things that count.  Until next time, "Just Keep Swimming" :)

A Weird Day Plus an Epic Play

I woke up this morning feeling less sick than I did a couple days ago.  I only had one class to go to on campus and then I could do whatever I wanted.  All I did was go through my usual Friday routine of visiting my old middle school where my Mom works.  While I was visiting a friend of mine, she invited me to come to the Alhambra Dinner Theatre tonight for a show.  I didn't even know what was showing when I agreed to go.

I ended up spending about 5 hours eating, laughing and talking with three friends about whatever came to mind.  The play was "Lend Me A Tenor" starring Jamie Farr.

For those of you who might not know, Jamie Farr played Maxwell Klinger on the 1970's show M*A*S*H.  I practically grew up watching M*A*S*H.  He is as funny now as he was back then!

All I know is that it was an honor to see such a memorable and legendary actor in person....AND in a play in Jacksonville of all places!!

After the play, I went to the front podium to ask if it was possible to get his autograph...and HE DID IT!!!  He signed two programs for me!!  The young woman who went back and asked for me said that she caught him just as he was leaving!

My original plans for this Friday night was to go home and watch TV until I couldn't stay up any longer.  Instead I got:
a) A wonderful night out with some awesome ladies
b) To laughed incessantly at an awesomely funny play
and c) To see a legendary actor in person...

Oh yeah and don't forget the icing on the cake: Getting his autograph!!

So until next time, I bid you good night.  Oh and every now and then, be sure to throw your schedule out the window and be random every once in a while...you never know what might happen or what experiences you might have! ;)

-C-

Day 1 of Year 2

Today is a momentous day for me.  One year ago yesterday, I started on a project that some have done before but few have finished.  One year ago I started taking one picture of myself a day.  Some days I look terrible while some I look decent....oh the joys of being a college student.  Over time I started including friends and family members in my pictures.  Once I get around to editing all the pictures together, I will share with whoever would like to see it.

Starting a month into my freshman year of college, my project has continued through family holidays, birthdays, midterm and final exams. and many other events.  They capture only a snapshot of what my first year of college was like, but any reminder is as good as any.

So of course there HAS to be some kind of "lesson" here, right?

When you start something, you might as well finish it...kind of harsh, but that's just how I am :).

September 30, 2010....my very first picture in my project.  I look so excited, right?  A college library can do that to you.

September 29, 2011....Daily picture from this pas Thursday...yet again, in the library.  

August 29, 2011 Even my dogs make appearances in my photos.  

This is just a sample of the pictures I have accumulated on my computer over the past year.  Hope you enjoy.

-Christina

It's all right...with the world

Soon everything will be all right in my world.  But for the time being, I thought I'd splurge about my week...which has been surprisingly awesome.  It may not seem awesome to anybody outside of my own little universe, but it certainly interests me.

It's been tough but I've been getting to classes via a friend of the family and my weekend was spent with people that I love and care about.  But for me, these past two weeks or so have been really good "art weeks" for me.

Ok...to explain: I'm a Graphic Design major and I have to take oodles of prerequisite art classes before I can apply for my major.  In these art classes, numerous projects are assigned...it's basically the art class equivalent of homework and classwork.  But these last two weeks have been awesome!!  I did a wire sculpture for 3D Design and this weeks it's a stamp for my Basic Computer Images class (pictures to come eventually).

So...this little rant has to come to a point right?  I am extremely content with where I am at in my profession of being an art student.

There is, of course, a lesson in all of this: Take pride in what you do and get excited about the little things.  This helps keep your moral up even when you feel like poo.

So to you, my dear reader,
I bid you good day,
I hope that it all becomes clearer,
By the end of the day.

Update

So as an update to my previous post mentioning my broken memory card reader, I would like to say that I have found another way to upload pictures!!  I have found the usb cable that goes with my camera.  I am now able to upload the other Artie pictures...but not right now because I'm on campus without my camera.

This may be an insignificant thing to some but it is (somewhat) monumental to me.  The cord in question has been lost in my somewhat messy and steadily getting messier bedroom.  Though I still find it funny that it was hiding on my bookshelf...under a book.  I think I checked everywhere BUT there...figures.

I might as well attempt to draw a "lesson" from this.  Let's go with two: 1. always keep your room clean (sad face) and B. always keep your camera stuff in one bag or one place.

There have been a few close calls when I thought I misplaced some of my camera equipment.  That's a horrible feeling for anybody to have.

I promise I will upload those Artie pictures when I get home.  Might I add that they are super cute!!  We're going to see a few new faces and maybe one or two repeat visitors.

Good day to all and have a wonderful week.

Musings

Lately I've been in a funk, which is understandable at this current time.  I didn't realize anything was bothering me until I couldn't talk to either of my parents without getting mad.  Well enough about that!

I still haven't figured it all out.  I thought I did but I'm just getting started.  I had a plan and God pretty much said NOPE...you aren't doing that just yet!!  You know that old saying, "If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans?"  Well it's true.  I had the most picture perfect plan I could come up with...and he decided to poopoo all over it.  I know that sounds gross but what the hey...it gets my point across.  

Even though He hasn't let my plans go the way I originally wanted, He has opened up other possibilities that are far better than my original ideas.  There's another frequently used quote that comes to mind here: "God works in mysterious ways."  Which is very true in every sense.

Since my plans have been tweaked a lot lately, they will be, I guess you could call it inspiration, for the lesson for today.  

Today's lesson could also be considered advice...but here goes nothing!  Always try to have a plan but also expect for those plans to change at any moment.  Expect the best but plan for the worst...if someone knows the author of that quote, by all means tell me in a comment.  

To all that came and went,

I hope that this was time well spent.  

I hope to see you another day,

But if the weather's nice,

Please...go outside and play :)

Sad Face

Another problem of the really-not-cool variety has come to my attention.  Sometime in the past two weeks or so, one of my usb jacks was accidentally shoved up into my computer.  It ticked me off but I didn't let it bother me because there was another available.  About 2 minutes ago, I tried to put a camera memory card into my computer to upload some pictures...and it wouldn't fit.  Upon examining the port in question, I found out that the messed up usb jack had also messed up my memory card reader!!

Super sad face :'(

I was going to wait to get this fixed but now it's just taunting me with it's horrible brokenness....you could say this is a Troll Face kind of situation.

So since my computer has waged war on me not once, but TWICE, I will do everything in my power to right this horrible wrong....and mainly because I need to upload pictures.  You can't be a photographer and NOT take the pictures of your camera right?

Because of this little snag, I will not be able to upload the Artie pictures any time soon.  But if I do figure out another way, then I will post them quicker than you can say floccinaucinihilipilification.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/floccinaucinihilipilification <----the link if you're curious as to what  that word actually means.

So this is where I say,
I bid you good day.
You'll somehow find the time
To try and figure out this rhyme.
But what's the fun in that? I ask,
To simply confuse is my main task.

A Weekend Full of Thinking

It was a long weekend this weekend because of Labor Day, so of course I'm going to enjoy myself as much as possible.  Because I currently do not have a car (it tried to take on a pickup-truck last Wednesday with me in it), fun was to be had....whenever I could get a ride.  Relying on other people for a ride everywhere sends me right back to High School...when I didn't have a car.  But now I'm in college...and still without my own car.

Sad face :(

I do have to say though that I really am blessed.  No one was hurt in the accident (except the car) and I had several people that came and helped me.  It was then that I realized just how many awesome friends and family members that love me and that are willing to help me....I mean I've known this all along.  This fact was just solidified even more in my mind.

So...the lesson here: Never drive normally in the rain...always be SUPER careful (aka - paranoid).

Oh and since I haven't updated in a while, you get a bonus lesson...and it is as follows: always upload the pictures from your camera as soon as you get home AND back them up on another disk.

That piece of advice will make more sense in the context that I have lots of pictures of Artie the Target Dog...and they've been inhabiting my camera for about two weeks now.

So since I am of the human variety, I have decided to continue on with my week...by way of sleeping until morning.  As Edward R. Murrow once said, "Good night, and good luck."

I am...

I am truly blessed...even if God decides to show me in a really crappy way.

It's just like any other day...

That pretty much sums up today...well except maybe the concert I went to after classes...hmmm.  Ok so no the concert wasn't like any other day but my school day was.  I had my Basic Computer Images and Art History classes today and loved them both!  In BCI, we started learning the basics of Adobe Illustrator...who knew learning how to make a star on a computer would be so exciting for me.

This past summer, I took summer classes...and hated 1 of the 3 I took.  It was only until I had 2 weeks off that I noticed how much I missed having classes...I mean I actually MISSED going to school!!  So how the heck does THAT work?!

For some reason, I ended up figuring out the answer to this conundrum of mine.  I realized that if I don't have a schedule or anything to do, I pretty much waste time by doing absolutely nothing.  And believe me when I say that when you do nothing for 2 weeks straight...you go crazy with boredom.  And that's a fact that I've personally come to learn!

As I thought about it though, something more came to mind.  I realized that I just love learning new things.  To be able to come home and be excited that I learned how to make a star on my computer makes driving to campus everyday totally worth it.

So...what is the lesson for today, you ask?  Be passionate about what you do or are doing.  It comes in handy when you have to spend 15 weeks with whatever subject your working in.

Man I am just on a role here so ya'll totally get a BONUS piece of advice!!!

So here's your bonus: find someone to talk to and tell them about your day.  I talked to my boyfriend after the concert today and I noticed that my day was actually pretty awesome.  What I needed was a way to hash everything out and look at it from a different perspective.  It always helps to have an ear to listen and a shoulder to cry should you need it.

So now that I have bored you to pieces with my little rant that most likely won't  be read, I actually have a short essay that I haven't even started on...yay for getting back into the grind!!

Groupie?

I was in my Social Science writing class earlier today and we were required to write a short essay.  We had to describe one of the "groups" that we are in.  Not exactly clubs and stuff, just what group describes you best...Jock, Nerd, Outcast, etc.
As I sat there staring at the blank page in front of me, I realized that it's impossible for someone to belong to just one group...it's a multitude of groups that we all belong to...and all of those groups make up the many facets of our personalities.  I ended up writing about the artist side of my personality but that's not the end all, be all of who I am.  I mean it is a big part of who I am but it's just one of my many sides.

So where do you fit in?  Where's your little niche?  What makes up your personality and who you are?  

Artie goes to school

 Even though it was my second day of classes, it was Artie's first.  I was to stressed out to bring him and my camera yesterday, but today he came with me to campus.

Of course Artie's a Mac guy! ;)

Artie in front of a sculpture on campus.

Artie meets Ozzie! :)

Artie LOVES Mochi!! :)

Artie pictures

So this is the day that I upload the other Artie pictures...I couldn't last night because it was midnight and I was falling asleep at my computer.  So here they are for your viewing pleasure.

I took a couple more today while on campus...some of which involve a certain mascot...stay tuned!!

It started on a Sunday...

So I don't journal except on my own computer in word...you know, the usual private journal.  I thought I might share with whomever reads this, just why I started a blog of all things.

About 3 to 4 weeks ago, my little brother was diagnosed with Sarcoma cancer in his left leg.  He's now in Memphis, TN with my Mom which leaves me at home to watch the house and the dogs.  This is how I am helping my Mom...it gives her a peace of mind that she knows that the house isn't just sitting there empty and that the dogs are being taken care of.

After settling into my whole routine at the house, one of Nick's friends and his dad stopped by the house to drop something off.  It was a little bag full of cool stuff that Nick had saved for me and he had sent it home with his friend's dad.  Out of all that was there, one thing really stuck out.  It was a little stuffed animal...it was the Target Dog...you know, like the one on their commercials!!  I was just happy as can be and I named it Artie.

So that is the back story on how I got Artie the Target Dog.  It was on a random Sunday that I decided to bring Artie to church with me.  I brought my camera with me as well and so the adventures of Artie the Target Dog began.  I am going to bring Artie with me to as many places as I possibly can and take pictures of him with as many people and things as possible.  Think of him as "Flat-Stanley" but in a stuffed animal doggie kind of way.  I'm going to post my pictures here so anyone can see them and so people can enjoy them.

I mean pictures are pointless if they only go from your camera to your computer and nowhere else, right?

So enjoy the little things in life and tell everyone that you know just how much you love and appreciate them.