pink and denim // outfit

Skirt: gift {$0}

Pink Tank: Walmart {$3.99}\

Chambray Shirt: Khols {$19.99}

Belt: Thrifted {$2.99}

Hair: Side braid, with bangs braided to the side as well. ;)

I'm not really sure if this outfit "works" or not... but I love this chambray shirt, and wear it basically all the time. :) The skirt has become a favorite as well, it's cute, and seems to go with a lot of my clothes, which is a huge plus. ;) {side note: smiling for camera's is so awkward. i may or may not have mentioned that before. but seriously, "i'm now smiling at a black box for no apparent reason." AWKWARD!} Also, my make up... I waited until just a few minuets ago to get my brother to take a picture for me, so my make-up has lasted all day and doesn't look that great. But I was determined to get this up without procrastinating any more. ;) I'm really good at procrastinating... 

xx,

life is a grand adventure// but sometime it disguises itself in the everyday

i. lately life has been exceedingly normal; school, babysitting the littles, and lots of laundry. I've spent a lot of my time reading and journaling; two perfectly normal occupations, especially for for me, but ones that make my heart sing. I finally hit the 1/3 mark for my reading challenge, (50 of 150. :)  and I am quite content with the odd assortment of books I filled my head with so far. Right now I have a stack of eight or ten books, mostly biographies I've been meaning to read, awaiting me, and more coming from the library. I've decided that right now I don't have much going on in my life, I don't have a job, a significant other, or priorities pressing from every side, and this is a season of my life that I can devote to reading like a mad woman, because who knows, sometime in the future my life may change and I won't have time to work on my reading list.

ii. my hand hurts more and more as time flies past. (I tore/pulled a tendon in my thumb whilst playing piano over a year ago.) i have good days, where I  don't even notice pain, and those are the days I make myself happy by playing piano and working a little on some of the sheet music that's been staring at me for months. but i generally pay for those days for a while afterwards with even more pain than usual. I realized about a month ago that I've lost a lot of mobility in my thumb. I used to be able to reach over nine keys on the piano comfortably, with even room to spare. now I can barely reach an octave, and even that is stretching it. i'm hoping to begin treatment for it soon, but we've made no definite plans yet. 

iii. we're working on watching Cranford right now. mom is letting all kids watch it, and they are determined to watch all 458 minutes, even though every single one of them is bored out of their minds, because it's a "big kid movie." (anything they aren't normally allowed to watch, for various reasons, is so titled "big kid." :) we finally had to send the three littles outside this afternoon, because they were soo bored. :)

iiii. the weather is weird here. seriously. last week was gorgeous, with sunshine and high temperatures. and the out of the blue Sunday was stormy, and poured forth rain so hard I've never seen anything quite like it. 

v. one of my goats had twins two days ago. they're cute. (and I'm sure photos will end up on here before long. :) And they look almost identical so it's going to be a little hard to tell them apart at first. :)

so, how was your weekend? :)

Bleak House // Book Review

 Bleak House is a satirical look at the Byzantine legal system in London as it consumes the minds and talents of the greedy and nearly destroys the lives of innocentsa contemporary tale indeed. Dickens's tale takes us from the foggy dank streets of London and the maze of the Inns of Court to the peaceful countryside of England. Likewise, the characters run from murderous villains to virtuous girls, from a devoted lover to a "fallen woman," all of whom are affected by a legal suit in which there will, of course, be no winner. 
The first-person narrative related by the orphan Esther is particularly sweet. 
Readers must pay close attention in order to keep up with the multiple narratives and cast of curious characters, including the memorable Inspector Bucket and Mr. Guppy. Fortunately, the publisher provides a partial list of characters on the inside jacket.

Where to even start with Bleak House? First, it's massive; So huge it's mind blowing occasionally. Second. it's amazing. I watched a movie adaptation before I read this, (it's eight hours long, but oh so good! It's totally worth it. Do yourself a favor and go watch it!), so I knew what was going on, and it did make it a little easier to keep track of characters.

      Esther is so sweet and lovely. It's hard for me to pick between her and Amy Dorrit, for a favorite Dickens heroine.  

     Bleak House was full of twists and new plotlines, and constantly bringing forth new ideas and bizarre characters. Perhaps that is what I enjoy most about Dickens novels;his unexpected, different and strange characters that all work together to create a massive storyline. The more I read Dickens' novels, the more I am able to recognize his sense of humor, and his books make me laugh. (and cry!) It has taken cultivating the recognition that he is cracking a joke, but once I got used to his sense of humor, I have found his books extremely amusing. ("Mrs. Bagnet, tell him my opinion..."  probably my favorite line in the book, and he say's it all the time! :) I don't think I could pick a favorite, amusing character. I loved Bucket, Mr. Guppy, the Bagnets, George, Jenny, Jo,  Judy and Grandfather Smallweed, (and Grandmother Smallweed for that matter. She was exceedingly amusing.), Allen, the list could go on and on. 

     So basically my thoughts on this beautiful, complex book is this: It's huge, and can be hard to read at times, due to descriptions and long narratives, but it's worth ploughing your way through. The story and characters are amazing, and so much fun. It's beautiful. :)

my rating: * * * * * {five of five}

Have you read this? If so, I'd love to hear your thoughts, insights, favorite lines or characters. :) let's talk!

xx,

thirty-nine days

       

  it's been thirty-nine days since the move. thirty-nine days since I heard my horse nicker a greeting as I stepped outside on the porch in the morning; since I walked barefoot to the mailbox, and ran all the way back; since I grabbed a white mocha at Cornerstone; thirty-nine days since I stopped by the library on my way home from the grocery store really quick to pick up a stack of books to burn through. 

          here's the thing: i expected moving to be hard. i expected the loneliness of living in a completely new city, with a completely different pace, habits and schedules,  and not having normal people and places around. I expected the sadness (missing people, my beautiful mountain, mentors and especially the sweetest, gentlest horse in the entire world, whom we had to put down due to health issues.). I expected it all. And it hit me between the eyes, full force. there are days when the only thing I want to do is curl up and cry. (I don't, because crying is weird. ;)  

          but the thing i didn't expect was that I know it'll be fine. i'll adjust, i'll find people to hang out with, people to love. i'll find a job, and someday in the future i'll have a busy schedule. someday i'll fit in here. i also realized that probably i won't ever live in Goldendale again. it feels weird to say it, but there aren't opportunities there for many young people. there aren't jobs, schools, or any way of a future. (unless you're a farmer... which i'm not presently.) i probably wouldn't have said it when living there, because it's the city that has my heart. but i realize that my dream of becoming an EMT/Paramedic most likely couldn't have ever been fulfilled there. 

           so i guess what i'm saying is, that i miss Goldendale, and I miss my life there, my friends, Mt. Adams, (because let's face it. I am. in. love. with. that. mountain.), but I can see how this move could turn out to be a good thing.

but. enough about me. what's new with you. (I really want to know. comment and tell me what your life has been like, and the new experiences you've had this year.)

xx,

r a m b l e s

link

i.     this morning was gray, dark and gloomy. i've been told that the forecast predicts more of the same for the next two weeks. i've also been told that we can expect much more of the same all the way until july.

ii.     i have a cold, (thanks to my annoyingly super low immune system.) basically if i get exposed to anything i will get sick.) so today i have been drowning myself in tea, water and kombucha. (it's nasty stuff, really.) in hopes that i shall feel a bit better presently. i am also consuming large amounts of honey and cinnamon,. because they both have amazing healing powers. (according to my mom.)

link

iii.     this morning i read 1 corinthians 13 again. can you imagine if the whole world loved like that. everything would change drastically- it makes me think of Heaven. lives would flip 

around completely; we wouldn't be consumed with hate  and bitterness. it would mean that people really care about each other. that perfect love is what I should strive for every. single. day.

iv. yesterday my mom walked to the neighbors to introduce herself. they weren't home, but Sunny, (our eight-year-old yellow lab) found her special toy that had been missing, in a pile of doggie toys. they have two yellow labs  that visit us constantly, so there are always a lot of dogs running around.

v.     soundtracks are amazing. lately i've been enjoying ones by Hans Zimmer, Rachel Portman, Harry Gregson-Williams and John Williams, (and various others.) They are perfect for days when you just want something soft and amazing on in the background.

vi. i apologize about the pinterest photos... i really feel lousy, and didn't want to go through my photographs to find some, or to bother running around to take some... :)

North and South // Book Review

North and South

by Elizabeth Gaskell

North and South tells the story of Margaret Hale, a southerner newly settled in the northern industrial town of Milton, whose ready sympathy with the discontented millworkers sits uneasily with her growing attraction to the charismatic mill owner, John Thornton. The novel poses fundamental questions about the nature of social authority and obedience, ranging from religious crises of conscience to the ethics of naval mutiny and industrial action. Margaret's internal conflicts mirror the turbulence that she sees all around her. 

I was so excited to read this book; I've seen the BBC mini series several times, and it has become one of my all time favorite movies. (*cough cough* Richard Armitage may or may not have to do with that fact. :) The story is so beautiful and interesting, and I was curious to see if the movie followed the book at all.

     For the most part it kept my interest and made me extremely happy. I was already in love with the characters, but reading the book gave me even more insights into their thoughts and actions. I like Ms. Gaskell's writing style, although she does ramble a little bit occasionally. Other than that, the story was wonderful, the characters well developed, and while the ending wasn't at all like the movie, it was just as sweet, adorable and wonderful.
     Margarete is amazing. She has her faults, of course, (and Thornton seems to be able to find them! :) but she is so sweet, and eager to learn. She has such a big heart for everyone, and is gentle, and loyal. Thornton is... Thornton. He may just surpass Darcy in my affections, (again, Richard Armitage may have  a little something to do with this fact. :)
     This book will definitely be on my re-read list! (in fact, I'm planning to buy it to add to my collection as soon as possible.) I would recommend it to those who don't mind a little wordiness when it comes to a sweet, adorable love story. 

* * * * {four of five stars}

t o d a y

2:00 am. my morning has already begun. one of my *darling* brothers thought it would be extremely amusing to set my alarm and wake me up in the middle of the night for absolutely no reason at all. he has since discovered that doing so is not at all amusing, and it gets one in trouble. 

8:45 am. i have already spilled coffee, pear juice and water all over the front of my pj's. if this is any foretelling of what the day is going to be like, i should have just stayed in bed!

 11:00 am. i am already fifteen minutes late for my eye doctor's appointment...  not used to this "city" driving!

11:06 am. i am wandering aimlessly around costco in big circles hoping the employees don't notice i'm not doing anything at all while i wait for my mom to come. being the cook/country-kid/weirdo i am, i spend most of the time standing in front of the tiny kitchen knife display, wondering if the plastic lettuce knives actually work or not.

12:46 pm. we are finally home from running errands and eat a scrumptious lunch of leftover everything. left-over meals are great, because you get a little bit of a ton of different delicious foods. 

2:30 pm. i am watching a lecture on "how to be an effective reader."  it's pretty interesting, and i am looking forward to implementing the technique into my reading in the future.

3:03 i start my eighteenth history lecture; chinese dynasties... not my favorite lecture by him, but interesting enough to keep my attention. :)

4:04 pm. my puppy gets a bath. she is starting to smell like a dog, and cuddling with her isn't nearly as enjoyable. She smells much better now. :)

4:30 pm. I start to work in the yard and garden, cleaning up all the branches and dead leaves that have been there for ages, and weeding the abandoned raised beds.

5:00 pm. mom and I work on unpacking more boxes out in the pantry. i'm getting a little tired of boxes... :)

 just little every day moments from my day so far. over all it's been pretty good... how's your day been? 

toddlers // a photo documentation

this is what happens when you request a two year old to look at you and smile so that you may photograph their adorable face. once a child notices a camera in your hand, all sense of cooperation and dignity fly out the window as they sprint around acting crazy and insanely cute. these are out of focus, imperfect and most of them are cropped off funny, but they capture James' personality perfectly.  

pink and girly // outfits

i went for a drive this afternoon, to take some photographs of Mt. Adams, and since I was wearing a pretty cute outfit, I decided to snap some pictures. many thanks to my brother, John, for getting these for me. :) I wore it two different ways, one for church and the other for driving around in the country snapping photos. ;)

(And of course my darling little girl had to make an appearance. :)

Country Versions:

Jean Shirt: Kohls (Clearance, $11.95)

Dress: Hand-me-down (It was my mom's prom dress. :)

shoes: Kmart ($19.95)

Necklace: Modcloth (8.99 it's more expensive from them... i found it in an antique shop. :))

~     ~      ~

Church version:

Shrug: Kohls ($30.99)

Dress Hand-Me-Down 

Pumps: Kmart (Clearance $4.99

Necklace: Modcloth ($8.99)

happiness is mocha flavored

this morning an elderly neighbor called and woke me up at 7:20, announcing that a semi had crashed last night, and the gleaners group had cleaned it up, getting somewhere around 30,000 pounds of lettuce/fruit. She asked if we wanted some. i think i said yes... my brain wasn't awake yet. ;) and five minutes after i had gotten off the phone with her, another neighbor called, with the same announcement and question. she announced that she was dropping it off sometime this morning. i figured she'd be over around 10-11:00.  nope. she was over here at eight-fifteen. i was in a ridiculous pajama outfit, (picked out specifically for warmth and comfort last night while watching War Horse. ;) still laying in bed and highly unpresentable. it was wonderful though, because i didn't have a clue what I was going to fix for the kiddo's breakfast... i hadn't thought ahead that far yet. ;) (mama's always good about figuring out what she's going to make for breakfast ahead of time, but since she has been out of town for a couple days, it was left up to me.)  there were five huge platters of fruit, with a yogurt dip and already cut up and everything. so we ate gobs of fruit and leftover biscuits from last night and the most heavenly apricot jam my mama made last spring.  I fixed mocha's for my ten-year-old sister and I. the whole breakfast felt decidedly British. {I suppose mocha's aren't extremely British. ;)} It was wonderful. ;)