Joie de Vivre

today.

2010-12-29T20:41:00.000-08:00

was full of light.

metro?

2010-11-15T13:27:00.000-08:00

Ronalynn and I found this advertisement walking around Palm Springs one day. I had to take a picture. I'm glad I did, because today I needed laughter. Maybe you do too. Hope this helps. :)

in motion

2010-11-12T23:02:00.000-08:00

These were forgotten. They have been sitting on my point and shoot since I took them the last night in Quebec. When I found them yesterday, I couldn't stop looking. The color, the motion, the stillness within the photos. They are completely imperfect, yet so full of life and beauty, just what I love.

portraiture: erin

2010-10-30T11:56:00.000-07:00

Our moms were pregnant together. We were each other's first friend. We had a few hiccups along the way, such as Erin's frustration with my tendency to say lellow instead of yellow at the age of 2 and my permanent jealousy of her perfectly coiffed hair by the time third grade rolled around. But one thing has always been the case, we've always been best friends. Erin is the best friend whom I will unabashedly snoop in her closets - as I did last weekend - and most likely enter her home without knocking for the remainder of my life. Because really, she's more like a sister and represents home in the true sense of the word when I'm with her. She accepts me - crazy and all.

One thing about Erin that you will notice quite quickly is that she is GORGEOUS. She did me the favor of modeling for a portrait shoot a few months ago and here are a few of my faves.

and i fell in love with this last "in between" shot.

newport sundays

2010-09-19T11:51:00.000-07:00

Sundays are slow days for me. They call for waking up to sunlight instead of an alarm, a mug of coffee and the newspaper or a good book. Recently, I've taken to driving down to Newport after my slow morning with a friend a few hours before church. Last Sunday, I had the delightful company of Erin who allowed me to do a portrait session with her. I'll be posting a full post with photos from the session, but here are a few photos from the day — reminders of a lovely slow Sunday.

happy slow sunday!

peace

2010-09-01T19:41:00.000-07:00

In the midst of a tumultuous week, there have been moments of grace, allowance for tears and places for joy. This photo was an accident and I fell in love with it. It reminds me of peace. So I leave you with this for today.

Peace be with you as I seek peace alongside you.

beach party weekend: january

2010-07-22T10:50:00.000-07:00

It was January. The sky had every right to be gray. But it chose to be blue. And I’d like to think it was just for us – the few hours we sat on the front porch of a beach house and sipped coffee and played volleyball on the beach. Then just when we went inside to make lunch, the sky turned gray and little teardrops started to fall from the sky. It had waited for us and I was thankful.

This past January, a group of us first year ISFers took to Newport in comfortable clothes and warmth at our friend Drew's family beach house. It was definitely a blessed weekend and for me, a great getaway from my Old Testament class.

it's a process

2010-05-31T20:34:00.000-07:00

It was early. A saturday morning and slightly overcast. Kacey called and I hurriedly gathered the rest of my things to meet her at her car. We were going on retreat. My heart was a little flustered at what to feel. My mind knew this would be good. And my body so looked forward to sleep.

Late that evening after napping and walking briskly — without a need to — about town, I realized something. It had taken me the entire day to finally desire to begin processing life, my spiritual walk, and possibly the comfy bed I was lying in, with God. And I still couldn't.

My life often runs on a level equivalent to the high heat level of a hair dryer. I continue to live my life until it gets too hot, too heavy and I have to take a break, turn on the AC. Unfortunately, in life, that AC should be God, but it's often not. Through this realization, I also realized why I hadn't blogged often the past few months.

Writing is a process for me. It's a place to think about life, contemplate issues, take time to delight in the small things. And the last few months when I sat down to blog, it was as if my mind and soul said, "yay, it's time to process." And my body said, "now, I'm too tired to write and type." I didn't make space to process in between, hence my being overwhelmed every time I attempted to create space — in a too small of space.

As Kacey and I drove home two days later, I came home with a realization, not an entirely spiritual high experience, but a sense that God was revealing to me how much I really need to process with Him, to spend time with Him and to allow Him to work in my life whilst me processing. My mind was right — retreat was good and my heart eventually found a place to sit, the hard part is keeping it there.

Here are few photos from our time in Ocean Beach...

procrastination

2010-05-27T19:57:00.000-07:00

it looks like this.

and by 'this' i mean texture, mind wandering and possibly taking random photos with my iPhone.

so happy to say that procrastination will not be needed for at least another week when my summer class starts. lovely...or not so lovely. but for now, lovely.

happy california day.

well, hello there

2010-05-18T22:57:00.000-07:00

folks, i may be back.

with a vengeance.
and some beauty.
in words and photos.
and short sentences.

short and sweet. love, j

with friends

2010-03-16T22:36:00.001-07:00

Nights like tonight remind me why friends are so important. They refresh our souls, they love and carry joy with them and give without expectations. With no pressure to look a certain way or be a certain person, I was able to just be me tonight. And without fluid discussion, I simply sat with a few friends this evening and as we snacked, chatted and crafted with each other, I was able to soak up our friendship and felt washed with love by the time they left, refreshed.

One of my professors has been asking if we have a community who loves us, accepts us, forgives us and models Christ's love to us. Tonight, I was able to taste a bit of that community and why it is so important. It encourages us physically, emotionally and spiritually. And it is one of the most refreshing tastes you can experience.

the photo is a blurry snippet of our crafting tonight. more to come on that.

oh yes, the last month

2010-03-14T18:34:00.001-07:00

February, where did you go. You seemed to be here for so long, yet I seemed to be somewhere else...trapped in a time warp, perhaps? Or maybe under a pile of books? Or in Wonderland? I wish the last was true. Or the second too. Well, wherever I was, which I probably will uncover for you in new posts, I have found myself here wondering about my lack of blogging abilities in March. Never the less, I have returned.

If this was nonsense, know it is not you.

Happy Sunday, blog folks. Jenna is back. Yes, in third person too.

ps. i took this photo on my iPhone while driving and kind of love it. dangerous or victorious?

give a damn?

2010-02-24T21:00:00.000-08:00

Listening, breathing in and experiencing a person's story is one of the main reasons I became a journalist. Dan Parris' story is one of those that forces me to listen, breathe in and experience life in a new way.

The first time Dan and I talked about his documentary project was in a house filled with people a few days before his graduation. Amidst the chatter, I sat in a chair across from Dan who had perched himself on a coffee table and he told me his idea. I had graduated a year earlier and wondered what my life would look like if I took the approach to life as he was. This past November I spoke with Dan again for more than two hours on the phone sitting states away and heard a new story. One filled with adventure, fulfillment, tragedy and hope. Again two weeks ago, I was able to hear yet again where he was at and once again hoped that I approach life with the same approach he does, seeking what God has in store for him and truly following - no matter where that takes him.

Today, Relevant Magazine's Reject Apathy site published an extended version of Dan's story that I had the honor of writing — the original shorter version was published in Biola Magazine. I must thank him for his honest, openness and vulnerability as he told me the story of Give a Damn? and where he is at today after surviving a plane crash during filming. I invite you to read his story: Planes and Perspectives.

rejecting apathy

peering in

2010-02-12T17:04:00.000-08:00

on the home of a mushroom.

I saw them on the way to my apartment door. So I promptly set my things down, grabbed my camera, went back outside and photographed their home for a bit. They may be fungi, but they're cute fungi.

happy friday!

pink post-its

2010-02-06T20:06:00.000-08:00

Exactly one week and one day ago, I finished my dubious Old Testament class by officially handing in my 20 page research paper on the corpus of poetic and wisdom literature in the Old Testament.

I didn't touch my books or research remnants again, except to return the books loaned to me from the library, until today. And I couldn't help, but laugh, because it seems as though I wrote my entire paper on pink post it notes as I scoured my books for bits of knowledge and wisdom to include in the paper.

Thank goodness it's all over. I gladly tossed those post-its in the trash today. However, not without a bit more knowledge and wisdom bestowed upon me of course.

butta'

2010-01-27T15:49:00.000-08:00

Spread on bread. Used instead of mayo. In the pan for almost anything I cook. That would be butter.

I seem to have a love affair with this creamy, smooth, extra delicious substance. The health effects may not escape me in the future, but this substance only well defined as buttery is a little too delectable to ignore. I may sound like the next Paula Dean, but I’d rather refer to myself as the next Julia Child who like any good French cook knows…more butter is never an issue.

So when I saw this as I reached for my favorite healthier butter spread, Earth Balance, I couldn't resist. Mendon Creamery Butter in Roasted Garlic hand churned from fresh sweet cream, roasted garlic and sea salt. My mouth may have dropped a little bit. Followed by a bit of drool as I saw they also had cinnamon sugar butter.

And here it is in all it's glory and adorable packaging from Whole Foods sitting in my fridge. And I can tell you, I've already come up with about 100 new recipes (or maybe 3) that require a few tablespoons of this delightful butta'.

food, faith & fitness

2010-01-23T20:03:00.000-08:00

So for the past three weeks I planned on writing my guidelines for 31 days of ideal living. My whole idea was not to overwhelm myself throughout the year with unattainable New Year resolutions and to wholly live healthier.

Well, I'd agree I have lived healthier. Yet each time, I'd set out to write the guidelines I was keeping oh so carefully in my head they didn't seem eloquent enough in writing or description. I actually overwhelmed myself by my own writing standards. Slightly ridiculous. So without further ado, here are the guidelines I set — simply stated with no eloquence or detailed descriptions. If you'd like more of an explanation I have significant reasoning behind each of the following.

food

- Avoid Fast Food
- Cook fresh, organic meals whenever possible
- Drink one bottle of water a day (actually a stretch for me)

faith

- Spend time talking to God daily and giving each part of me and my day to Him.

fitness

- Work out three times per week.

And lastly, no T.V. I can watch movies, however, I'm trying to avoid watching them by myself as an escape as generally watching T.V. is a negative influence in my life and time-waster. I've already seen positive improvements in my life because of this.

And some photos from this lovely rainy week:

Again, impressed by the iPhone camera.

this morning

2010-01-20T14:59:00.000-08:00

I pulled into my parking spot at work, stepped out and saw this.

Not bad for my iPhone camera.

Happy day.

life giving

2010-01-12T21:00:00.000-08:00

Creativity is how I live. How I get through a day. How I manage life. When I don't exercise my creative mind, I become dull, tired, restless. Someone told me recently that after a day is over, I should ask myself "What in my day was life giving?" and "What in my day was life draining?"

I have two answers for today concerning the latter. Facebook and T.V. Facebook can offer a connection with friends, but once stared at for longer than ten minutes looking through friends of friends Facebook albums for no apparent reason, I call that life draining. Television can offer an escape, but also cause lethargy and possibly apathy. Despite the good TV can sometimes prompt, it is mostly life draining.

What is life giving? For me, creativity, writing, doing something well. If I'm using the right side of my brain, I usually have a more productive, happy day. Eating a good meal, talking with friends and making things are life giving to me. So tonight, when my brain was tired and my body was exhausted, I sat down to eat dinner, opened to Facebook and my eyes glazed over. My roommate turned on House and after being sucked into two episodes, I wanted to go to bed. Life draining. Entertaining, but very life draining.

Now, obviously for others this is not the case and the fact that I'm still getting over a cold and overwhelmed with homework could contribute to me being tired, but the fact is this is what happens when I allow myself to be sucked into life draining activities, I feel the effects. So as decided a week ago, TV is off limits — a part of my 31 days of ideal living. I obviously ruined my streak of following my guidelines and was tempted to not admit I had slipped up on here, but in all honesty, where else will my accountability be and I want to be honest about my experience. So now you know and with that, finally, I will post my guidelines for 31 days of ideal living tomorrow.

Now, I'm off to find a creative outlet and spark some neurons.

old testament

2010-01-05T19:18:00.000-08:00

I have three more weeks to read the entire Old Testament, read a commentary and write a 15-20 page research paper for my Survey of Genesis-Malachi interterm class. Thus far, I actually don't mind the 8 hour Saturday lectures and with having one complete, I am technically a quarter of the way through the class, however, I am here...

...at Deuteronomy. I think my point is visually demonstrated, soo...

Goodbye blog, helloo Old Testament.

my resolution theory

2010-01-04T18:48:00.000-08:00

This may not be revolutionary and it may very likely appear in one of the many self-help books published each year, but it hasn't been encouraged in my life to re-think New Year Resolutions, so to me, this is a grand new idea.

Coming quickly to the age of 24, shouldn't I be able to keep a resolution by now? Shouldn't I be able to set a goal and meet it? Why yes, I should...at least that is what I tell myself. But the truth of the matter is, a New Year Resolution is often made to only be forgotten a few months into the year. And although it is for the hopeful who wish to reform and change their lives with the inspiration of a new journey, a life transformation can occur at anytime. And really, the new year often isn't inspiration past January. Not to say, people don't or can't keep a resolution, but the majority of the time our human nature squeezes into our lives and to-do lists and resolutions become burdens and the guilt pushes us to give up whether it be conscience or not.

So I have a theory. A New Year Resolution is too overwhelming. A year encapsulates 12 months, 4 seasons and a whole lot of life. I have no idea what my circumstances will be in 11 months from now, let alone two weeks. Life moves fast and either our resolution can't keep up with us or we simply can't keep up with it. Or neither. You pick.

Therefore, I have decided to not make year-long specific resolutions, not to say I don't think goals are important. Last year, I even tried to give myself a few general resolutions in hopes of grace that I'd be able to fulfill them (some I did, others not so much). This year, I have decided to live a healthy, balanced life in the month of January.

You may be thinking a healthy, balanced life is extremely general. Well, it is, but I do have specific goals within them which I will outline. Here is my thought process, 30 days is much more manageable than 365. Once more, they say it takes approximately 21 days to create a habit. And resolutions usually are surrounded by living a healthier life, such as to work out more, quit smoking, follow a diet, etc. So I set a number of goals for myself which result in the ideal healthy, balanced life I wish I could follow throughout the year, but often lose amidst my busy life style. At the end of the month, I will reevaluate my resolutions, decide what is reasonable to continue on with and hopefully will come away with a few healthy habits, and a good sense of what I truly am capable of. Because in the end, it's more likely that breaking resolutions is not about how we simply can't keep a commitment or that we are not disciplined, it may be that we overwhelm ourselves with too many pressures to really commit to even one.

In my next post, I'll outline my resolution breakdown.

dressed up brussel sprouts

2010-01-02T22:13:00.000-08:00

My new year resolutions post will have to wait until tomorrow. I broke ground today and must share the news — brussel sprouts aren't that bad.

By the age of four I had a distaste for the small green rounds known as brussel sprouts. And if ever offered them, I politely have said no since...until tonight. I couldn't resist when I went grocery shopping this evening. They were all sitting there piled high and looking cute in their perfect circular green jackets. And on top of that Deb from Smitten Kitchen has posted numerous recipes for brussel sprouts in the past few months which seemed to de-mask them as awful.

So I did what any good cook would do and bought 2. Yes, only 2. I didn't want a lot of them lying around if I really didn't like them. I adapted a recipe from Smitten Kitchen and they actually made a wonderful addition to my dinner.

In case you too have had a fear of the little greens, this recipe is quite easy and delicious. (I only made two so you will need to significantly increase the recipe if you make more.)

Dressed Up Brussel Sprouts

1 tb bread crumbs

1/2 tsp thyme leaves

butter

extra virgin olive oil

1 tb minced shallot

garlic powder

salt, pepper

Mix bread crumbs, thyme and 1 tb of evoo in a small bowl. Spread mixture out on a cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 min. at 350 degrees. Melt 1 tb butter with a tb of evoo in a small pan. When melted, toss in the brussel sprouts, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and saute for approximately 10 minutes. Add in shallots and a tad bit of garlic powder. Saute for another three to five minutes. Remove from heat. Place in bowl and sprinkle with toasted bread crumbs.

Bon Appetit!

happy new year

2010-01-01T21:38:00.000-08:00

Happy January 1, 2010. Two thousand ten seemed to sneak up on me. Not that I didn't realize last night was New Year's Eve or that it obviously comes a few days after the more prominent Christmas, but I was a little shocked when I woke this morning and realized it's 2010. Perhaps it is because I made it through 2009 easier than expected or truly, I may have just been too preoccupied with life to contemplate a new year.

However, there is one thing I've been thinking about in terms of the new year the past few weeks and that is the concept of New Year resolutions. I spent today thinking about resolutions whilst early "spring cleaning" my life and home. Tomorrow, I'll update you with an exciting (hopefully) new theory on New Year Resolutions. Until then...

You may be asking what on earth is this a photograph of? However, what it is lacks importance...the importance of the photos lies in the hopeful, white slate image edged with warmth and hope. At least, that's what I see it as...and light is pretty.

baked

2009-12-31T19:32:00.000-08:00

It started with boysenberry pie. Then brioche rolls. And especially the cinnamon bread. Her hands...how they so easily moved with grace, precision and the perfect amount of recklessness. My grandfather was an artist. He painted. My grandmother was an artist. She baked. In the kitchen, she moved effortlessly and without a recipe in hand, she knew exactly what to do. Once her baked goods made their debut from the oven browned, sugared and risen to perfection, our mouths watered until they were cool enough to savor their goodness.

One summer before she passed, I made the drive to Fresno to learn how to make her pies. Her boysenberry pie was my favorite. We would always take a few frozen home with us to bake throughout the year. And oh how I licked each plate clean. Truly the best pie ever. She showed me how to make the perfect crust and I watched in awe how she could measure exactly one cup of flour in the palm of her hand. I forced her to pour the flour in a measuring cup because I didn't believer her at first. Sure enough, exactly one cup. (I'm still trying to master this, I figure it must take a life time.)

It was watching her and most likely tasting her dishes growing up that instilled in me a love to bake. I simply can't go a week without making some sort of dessert, dinner or breakfast in the oven. And I love it. I love the feeling that I inherited a desire to bake the way she did. I love being covered in flour and sugar and of course, licking the mixing bowl clean. I love sharing my love through baking too. Just like her. I still feel a sense of home, warmth and love whenever I make her dishes. And I hope one day people will feel that way too when I share one of my dishes with them.

This Christmas I made her brioche rolls for the first time. They turned out almost as delicious as hers. Brioche are fairly easy to make as long as you have patience. They take 11 hours to make, but are well worth the wait.

Thanks Grandma!

merry christmas

2009-12-27T15:58:00.001-08:00

The presents were wrapped all under the tree, the table was set with genuine care and the ham in the oven filled the air sweetly while sugar cookies were frosted and sampled greedily. Christmas day was filled with family, love and good food.

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas time as well filled with sugarplums and friendly gatherings!

Merry Christmas!

This is Sabrina. She says Merry Christmas too.

flat land, illinois

2009-12-17T11:40:00.000-08:00

I wish I was here today. Peaceful. Calm. Gray.

Lovely. Even with my cold sniffles.

breathe

2009-12-16T22:17:00.000-08:00

I stepped outside the classroom door and slowly took another step forward breathing in. A breath that felt like my first in four months. A breath that felt like relief. It was a relief. It reminded me of stepping off a plane at the Long Beach airport into open air. Fresh, movable air. I felt movable.

The past four months were a flurry of nervous questions, late night cups of coffee and stress. Now, it wasn't all that bad. In fact, it was fun. It was exciting to be back in a classroom and I now have 30 or so more people to love. And people who love me. And have loved me, well.

Monday afternoon, I handed in my final exam, walked outside and chatted with now friends and approximately five minutes into the conversation exclaimed, "we can drink again!" I completed my first semester of graduate school at the Institute for Spiritual Formation, something I wasn't sure I could do four months ago. And after looking into my heart for four months, digging around and surfacing unknown thoughts and feelings, I could use a drink...or two (maybe not three) while off contract.

Working full time and going to school is hard. Something seemingly obvious and known before I entered the semester, but I think I was a bit surprised. And I was more open. It wasn't like senior year when I was well over my head, but could be a 'survivor' (to an extent). Being in ISF is almost a calling to not be a 'survivor.' I was required to sit with God and think about my heart and life, something I desperately wanted and yet was sometimes so difficult.

I am extremely thankful for this last semester. I never thought of myself as 'protected' in life. But I now more than ever realize how much God, not anyone else, but how God protected me growing up. And even how He was gentle with me this semester. I am the woman I am today solely because of Him and couldn't be more thankful.

I will breathe a little lighter through Christmas without the burden of prayer projects and books and working extra hours to make up for class time, but with a heavy knowledge of how much I owe, a good knowledge, one that I want to continue to learn to breathe with and for.

cabbage

2009-12-13T00:21:00.000-08:00

I feel like this today. A little fuzzy. Perhaps a little blurry even. Hoping my cold will magically disappear over night...

But Happy Rain! You, please stay.

quoted

2009-12-07T23:27:00.000-08:00

This may be completely self-serving, but I thought it was a bit fun when I googled my name tonight (admit it, you've done this before too) to see that I was a "Quote of the Moment" on this person's blog. Although, I do owe the fact that I was quoted at all to my friend, Brett, due to his article, Short Attention Span Faith, published in Relevant's September issue. I'm glad someone thinks I have something intelligent to contribute to this changing world. I'm usually quoting others in my own articles. :)

And for more fun, I was quoted as Biola's spokeswoman in this article published Saturday. Too funny. And since posts are always better with pictures, here is one of Wheaton's chapel, Brett's alma mater, from my trip to Illinois.

(You should definitely check out Brett's most recent post on hipster Christmas gifts...even if you have no hipster friends to buy for, the list is most entertaining.)

quarry imperfection

2009-12-06T00:25:00.000-08:00

I have a love for imperfection. I like when things look a little handmade and when the flaw in something is actually why you love it. In actuality, imperfection actually resolves into perfection. It's really a choice of the mind, because when they meet in the middle, it's quite beautiful.

When I was in Illinois, Megan took me to the quarry. I say "the" because it is rightfully that wonderful and special. Here are some perfectly imperfect photos from our time there.

family

2009-11-28T13:32:00.000-08:00

With Thanksgiving passed, I want to say I am thankful for family. I have been blessed with grandparents who live across the street and aunts and uncles who I grew up with taking me out on dates. I may say I wish I had a big family, but truly I wouldn't trade my family for the world. I am lucky we are small enough to be close and big enough to fill a dining table. And Thanksgiving only reinforced my love for them and family gatherings.

Here are a few photos from our fun Thanksgiving.

Half the spread...
My parents destuffing and carving the Turkey.
"The kids" chipping in on helping with the dishes.
My grandmere and I. I can't tell you how much I love her.

photo of the day

2009-11-22T13:26:00.000-08:00

So I've never done a photo of the day before, but I really wanted to post one today. This is one of my favorites from Chicago. I don't even know why I love it so much, but to me it's very prettiful. And yes, I am well aware that is not a word. :)

Have a lovely day!

out of town...

2009-11-20T15:57:00.001-08:00

The last few weeks were a bit of a daze and I finally have landed back on my feet after giving myself a few nights of rest this week. But in more exciting news, the reason they were a daze was because I was out of town, first for my ISF retreat which I hope to write more about and second — I went on vacation! Better yet, I went to Chicago and visited one of my best friends. Here's a photo teaser, and I'll be back with more to say, especially in photos.

the cake

2009-11-04T20:49:00.001-08:00

My Dad turned 60 years old on Halloween. He doesn't act or look like a sixty year-old in my opinion, but I knew he should at least have the kind of cake grand enough for a sixtieth year birthday, so I searched and Deb from Smitten Kitchen as usual had the perfect cake - Chocolate Butter Cake with Raspberry Filling and Bittersweet Brandied Ganache. If your mouth isn't watering already, here are some delicious photos of the baking process and finished highly acclaimed (by birthday party attendees & my Dad himself) finished product, pretty much the best chocolate cake I've tasted in a long time.

I affectionately call this cake dust, which often occurs when you press mix without patting the flour, sugar down a bit. Oops.

The recipe called for a cup of freshly brewed coffee so of course I used it as an excuse to go to Starbucks - a cup for the cake & a cup for me.

So I really wanted to decorate the cake, but I began to run out of time and my attempt to move the cake from my "frosting board" to cake platter wasn't looking too successful so I ended up just decorating the frosting board. Good learning experience?!?

oh my starbucks

2009-11-04T20:03:00.001-08:00

And the holiday season has officially begun. Starbucks Christmas cups are out and I was overjoyed when I got mine this morning. Lovely red cup, how I love you. And the theme this year, Wish, is quite bright and nice.

portraiture

2009-10-28T21:12:00.000-07:00

My dear photographer friend Lehua lovingly spent an entire day with my family a few weeks ago. It was my grandmere's birthday and I wouldn't dare show you the last portraits my cousin and I took for her (years ago), so we decided upon the perfect gift: cousin portraits for her, new ones where we are not wearing pink, fluffy dresses.

Lehua is not only a wonderful friend to me, but an extremely talented photographer/artist and I'm not going to lie, she had some tough subjects. My cousin is a little camera shy and I'm not exactly photogenic, but Lehua did an amazing job and I know my Grandmere will love the photos. Here are a few, but sneak over to her blog to see more and check out her other work.

we walked around the tide pools for a bit. im really just a kid at heart. i love sea anenomes.

I highly recommend Lehua for any event, wedding or portrait session!

the haunted victorian

2009-10-20T20:57:00.000-07:00

Excitement, costumes, crisp air, sweets and becoming someone else. Halloween isn't simply about hallows' eve and ghouls and goblins, it's a day everyone in the world can be whoever they choose. I love almost every holiday, but Halloween always brings so much joy and excitement to me, ironically, considering the holiday should probably evoke fear or eeriness.

A weekend ago, my good friend Nicole invited a few of us to her house transformed into the Haunted Victorian for a night of chic halloween fun. It was a fun night of celebration, spooky in its own right and definitely chic.

Faith lighting the candles. Nicole actually glued the rhinestones onto the pumpkin in a pattern. Talented? Yes.

Ronalynn took the last photo of me, which I subsequently stole from Facebook. (Thank you Ronalynn!) Do I pass for an Audrey Hepburn?

rain

2009-10-14T20:37:00.000-07:00

It rained today. Little drops fell from the sky and it made my heart happy. I woke up to the repetitive droplets sounding off in our courtyard pond. My roommates had left for work and I jumped out of bed and opened the curtains. Sigh.

There is something so comforting by the soft sound the rain makes when you are inside a building letting you know it's still there. And something enrapturing about the loud rhythm the water creates as it hits pavement.

I couldn't stop smiling today. The rain enclosed my heart and despite the cold, I was very warm.

*photo from my Maryland trip

boats and boats

2009-10-06T22:27:00.000-07:00

Before summer officially ended, there was one last happening needed to be had. The weekend before last, before the official start of Fall, my Dad and I set sails (figuratively, since we no longer sail over) and spent a weekend in Catalina on our boat.

My first sail trip was before I could walk and it was love at first sight because I still can't get enough - the open sea, smell of salty air and dreamy waves enchant me still. (This is assuming I can remember my first trip when I was merely one.) Here are a few photos of the last strings of summer spent on our boat.

last, but not least, Hermie, who we found on the ocean floor, not the beach.

crisp change

2009-10-04T14:48:00.000-07:00

The weather and I became friends again today. After walking outdoors and not feeling as though I needed to strip in the heat California has bore the past months, I figured it was time to make amends.

The crisp cool air of Fall finally whispered against my skin and I was able to breathe freshly, leave summer behind and let go of unfinished plans. The holiday season is on its way and with it, pumpkin breads, spice cakes and caramel apple cider. And of course, friendly gatherings.

I'm not one for change. I don't handle it well. However, when the world changes its climate, I'm some how more open to align myself with the winds and accept whatever transition comes. September was full, too full really. It burst with transition.

Transition at work, home and oh yes, becoming a student again.

Although, I'm still adjusting to life with homework and friends in other places, the crisp winds of Fall make me feel as though everything will be all right. And there is only joy and peace to come.

absence

2009-09-30T22:33:00.000-07:00

I've been absent. Just a little too long.

September was a busy month and therefore I was a busy bee. I have a lot to tell, but for now:

I am excited to be re-entering the blogosphere.

I've missed you.

(if that's physically possible).

(i think it is).

the Ws: my mamma made it

2009-09-09T19:37:00.000-07:00

With my old/new found love of sewing, I was extremely excited when I found out my friend Alyssa took up sewing recently. Which means, another sewer to share resources with (although I'm not really sure what I've shared with her, except excitement.) Well, to make this a shorter story, she blogged about the blog "My Mamma Made it!" and I love it! Voici this week's W!

What I love about the author, Alexis, of the blog and the blog itself , is though she has quite a few readers and does custom orders, the blog is not a business or for publicity, it is just a really great resource that she has created. A resource for other sewers - people like me, who don't exactly know what they're doing yet or just want fun ideas.

A portion of her blog is new designs she has created, however, a large portion is posts on "refashions." In other words, she takes old clothes she already owns and then adds or tailors them into new fashionable pieces. Can you say fabulous?

One of the best things about the blog is that she loves Anthropologie, which means lots of cute clothes with Anthro inspired style, which means my kind of clothes. If you don't like sewing, at least check out how amazing some of her ideas are and be inspired to do something else crafty!

Sew fun!

french...check!?!

2009-09-07T20:08:00.001-07:00

In Junior High, at the start of each trimester we would turn in our top three choices for electives and then the school would choose which class we took. My top three choices were French, Industrial Tech., and then Spanish. Spanish was my last choice. It was more to make my parents happy if anything, since as they said, it was useful.

So of course, first semester, I did my time. I was placed in Spanish class. You would have thought it was the death of me at the time. I had an entire three to four months of Spanish, but I think I remember maybe two words from the class — the ones I knew before I took the course.

The next semester I was placed in Industrial Tech. Although I loved the course, I was starting to fear I would never be able to take Intro. to French, meaning I wouldn't be able to spend the next full year in French 1, losing my chances of taking French 2 freshman year of high school. Well, to my avail after a fun few months of "playing with the boys" in Industrial Tech., I finally met my destiny third trimester.

To my relief, I went on to take French 1 in eighth grade and French 2 my freshman year of high school, continuing to French 4 my junior year. Well, here I am, ten years later, and I'm still placing "French" as one of "my options."

I made it to France my junior year through Biola's art department after years of wondering if I'd ever make it. Now, I'm wondering when I'll make it back. I keep selecting France as one of my options. I looked for jobs in Paris after college to no avail. And now, I'm starting Grad. School, which again closes the French doors for a while longer. But one day, I really hope, I'll be able to check France off as a place I've lived. For now, I'd like to take sewing, arts & crafts, and oh yes, French please!

the Ws: sunset

2009-09-07T13:42:00.000-07:00

So I completely missed the Ws last week, so in an effort to make up for the mishap, here is a "W" on a Monday. Although, today's website isn't necessarily something you have never heard of, I think it may be overlooked. And it highlighted my last week, lots.

Without further ado, I welcome you to explore Sunset magazine's website: Sunset. Although, you may already read the magazine, you can find most of the same content online, and look forward to new content daily. If you don't read the magazine, here is a little taste. The magazine outlines "how to live in the West." Think coastal vacations, beach side meals and outdoor party ideas — a.k.a. delicious.

So if you live in the "East," this may not sound like the best W for you, but it is chock-full of delicious recipes, places to travel and other things you can obviously still do in the East, like decorate.

And of course, what you can do everywhere: cook. (which is the part that highlighted most of my last week.) Although, I was extremely busy, I was on a cooking kick. So I printed off some of Sunset's most recent recipes and started cooking. Sunset has easy, delicious recipes that are perfect for the end of summer right now. I would suggest trying their marinated, heirloom tomato salad and their huckleberry cobbler.

I love their travel section since it is geared towards the West,obviously, it is a great resource if you want a vacation, but don't have the resources for a full week's vaca. I've never been to Yosemite, so I'm hoping to use their one-day Yosemite guide soon and I'm actually going to their number one hideaway by the sea in a month's time.

Also, I plan on using their 4 foot veggie guide to make myself a veggie garden as well. So if you are like me and don't have a lot of space, this may be your perfect quench to gardening in a small space.

So with that, this week's W is delightful in multiple ways and the perfect companion if you are a Westerner...or want to be one.

Go Explore!

the Ws: smitten kitchen

2009-08-26T12:51:00.000-07:00

So you may have seen today's W website previously on my blog, however, it is too good to not include in part of the Ws series. And that is Smitten Kitchen. If you are the least bit interested in cooking, delicious easy-to-find ingredients and surprising tastes, you will like Smitten Kitchen.

From the basic, but most delicious cinnamon buns to the perfect recipe for hamburger buns, Deb updates her blog like website with new recipes every few days only to reader's happiness. Cooking from her tiny kitchen, she tells small tales of how she came to find the current recipe du jour and her husband Alex photographs the loveliness of it all.

Smitten Kitchen is a wonderful website to find new and interesting recipes to spice up your life — your eating life in particular. One of her newest recipes that I am dying to try is her peach cupcakes with brown sugar frosting. I'll let you know how that goes when I attempt to make them!

Until then, have fun cooking (or at least looking) with the Smitten Kitchen!

Bon Appetit!

id cards

2009-08-23T17:35:00.000-07:00

I was wearing my favorite orange tank top, the perfect fitting boyfriend jeans and my rainbows. I had just cut my hair short and made sure every strand was straightened with a little flip at the end. With my freshly washed VW Beetle, I drove an unfamiliar route that now feels like home to me.

Waiting in the parking lot next to Alpha Chi dormitory, unusually early, I sat nervous. I double checked myself and wondered if I should have chosen my olive button up jersey instead. I reapplied my lip gloss five times. I prayed. And then they arrived. My new roommates. At the time, strangers.

I paused to get out of the car until I saw their car doors open. Kolbey got out of the car first, then Jen. I remember seeing Kolbey standing at 6 feet tall and just thinking, she is so pretty. And of course, Jen was just as gorgeous. We introduced ourselves and quickly found that we all didn't drink soda, but loved Shirley Temples. And it was obvious from the start, that we all loved to laugh!

We walked around campus and found our dorm, the one we would share in just a few weeks. We got our ID cards and then went to lunch. I learned from the get go, that Kolbey loved mustard and Jen was allergic to nuts. And mostly, learned that I didn't need to be nervous. I could be myself around these girls that I'm now proud to call friends even after 5 years.

I went and got my ID card as a graduate student this week. I couldn't help but recall the first time I went into that office and the three of us girls stood in line and insured each other our ID pictures looked great. And I couldn't help but thank God.

I had no idea that I would be here, in this place that I am today. That He would be so instrumental in my life and use so many different people in the last five years, two of those being Kolbey and Jen, and so on with the amazing women I lived with and the wonderful Hart RDs, the Lows. I had no idea when we walked into that dorm, that it would be a place that would foster so much growth, friendship and love. Nor did I realize Biola would be.

As I start a new journey, although in a now familiar place, I hope I am just as astonished when I finish graduate school, at the places and situations God has brought me into and out of. Although, I write this nervously similar to how I sat in that car double checking myself and praying, I know that what awaits me is nothing to be nervous about, it's something to be excited about.

the Ws: The Pioneer Woman

2009-08-19T09:12:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the second edition of the Ws! You are in for a treat if you have yet to stumble upon today's W website: The Pioneer Woman. If I could sum The Pioneer Woman up in one word, incredible, delicious and downright country would be in the running, however there isn't one justifiable term to describe this wonderful website (and I think downright country is more of a phrase).

The Pioneer Woman is Ree Drummond, a woman who loved the city and married, as she says, a cowboy and now lives in the middle of nowhere.

It seems as though nowhere has served her quite well and is now serving her website readers quite well. From her own delightful recipes to her amazing photography and even down to her journaling and home and garden tips, she knows her stuff. And she shares it with the world - even better! Considering, I'm not a master at any of the above, but am interested in every tid bit of being a woman, artist, baker, chef, plant person, etc, etc. I am every bit interested in this website and I think you may like it too.

Enjoy!

our backyard

2009-08-16T12:15:00.000-07:00

It's been a little more than two months that I left our house in La Mirada to live in an apartment. And I love it. I haven't written much about our new apartment since the week we moved in. However, it has been wonderful. Between the amazing facilities - pool with cabanas, outdoor lounge areas and 24 hour fitness center - and having a fridge where my strawberries aren't fighting over space with my roommate's fish is quite a good experience.

One of the things I was not looking forward to about living in an apartment was the lack of a backyard. Or a front one for that matter. I loved our backyard at the last house. It was really spacious and perfect for laying out and reading in the grass. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find that our new "backyard" was a beautiful courtyard complete with a coy pond. I am so glad we are on the first floor! I love opening the sliding glass doors out to our patio in the afternoon to listen to the waterfall. We have two patios and I was really excited when I found out Christy and I got the room with the attached patio.

The above photo is our "view." However, we currently don't have any patio decor. Therefore, my current project is fixing up our patio so we can actually sit outside and enjoy our "backyard" without actually being in the fish bowl of the courtyard. :)

the Ws: DesignSpongeOnline

2009-08-11T21:08:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the W's. Today, I am introducing my new favorite daily read that Deannah recently introduced me to: designspongeonline. You may as well leave my blog right now and start reading the wonderful columns and articles on everything design.

Each day, there are 8 to 12 posts on topics ranging from entertaining, art, interior design and even a recent column on how to write a book. Although, it works as a blog, it is similar to a website in the sense that you can search for past projects and posts on specific topics. So if you want to cook something different for dinner, browse through their recipe tab and for your weekend trips, check out their city guides for fabulous places to visit with style.

Today is my favorite day for designsponge, as it is DIY Wednesday, aka: they post DIY projects all throughout the day. I like to call that inspiration.

So go, now, and be inspired!

oh, and i hope you have a lovely day.

hand sewn

2009-08-09T17:20:00.000-07:00

I had a date Friday night. With my sewing machine. (I live an exciting life.) Unfortunately, I got stood up because the Singer couldn't wind his Bobbin or something of the sorts, so he sent his wing man - second best, but just as fun. Fortunately, we hit it off pretty well. His name is needle and thread.

*****

I've always loved the idea of sewing. In seventh grade we had Medieval Day and I remember coming up with this grand design and pulling out old sheets and to my parent's dismay, try to sew myself a costume. Unfortunately at about ten o'clock the night before I sat in a heap on the floor frustrated and my Dad convinced me to find something in my Mom's closet. Thankfully, since then I've learned a bit more about sewing and I have a little more patience.

I tend to go through phases though. I'm sure Megan, my old roommate, will never forget coming home to the dorms after classes and see me attempting to sew an apron for a week straight before I realized I didn't have much time to sew and hold two jobs and oh yeah, be a full time student.

However, I'm pretty sure my sewing phase will stick this time. I've been crafting a lot the last few months, which I will soon have a fun announcement going with that, but I also really want to learn to sew...like really know how. So I'm taking a class in a few weeks for how to use a machine. Hopefully, one of my sewing machines will be back in commission soon. Until then, I am loving hand sewing. As I said before, my date with needle and thread went pretty well and this is the result, a new purse! I'm pretty happy with how it turned out since I wasn't really sure what I was doing when I started.

Up close and personal. I slightly puckered the top under the ruffle.
Back of purse and inside of the strap.
First lined pocket. I double lined the purse and love how sturdy it feels. Also, notice the light silvery gray floral design on the lining. I love the simplicity of it.
Second pocket — the perfect size for my iPhone. :)

kitchen things

2009-08-06T18:59:00.000-07:00

Our kitchen has lots of things, as most do. And by things, I mean decorative pieces, fruit baskets, blenders, coffee grinders, etc. At one point after moving in, one of my roommates finally found a home for everything. We now keep our spatulas in mason jars which I love and our blenders under the kitchen counter, which I also love. The one thing or things we did not have were nice kitchen towels.

Oh yes, we had an abundance of pink died and bleach spotted kitchen towels. But I found this unacceptable for everyday decor. So when I found these on sale at Sur La Table, I decided it was fate.

Most things involving green, stripes and matching yellow-green lemons are.

series: The W's

2009-08-05T22:16:00.000-07:00

Dear Blog Readers (all five of you),

Beginning next Wednesday, I'll be starting a new "series" delving into the world wide web...and my favorite parts of it. Over the past year, I have just fallen in love with browsing through websites, be it paper goods shops or a photographer's website. I think you deserve to see just some of the wonderful people and things I've seen over the last year and continue to. Therefore, come back next Wednesday and I'll share with you a lovely new site that I'm sure you will adore as I do.

To start "The W's" - wednesday website wonderfulness - check out Cristina's blog and see what I was up to this past weekend in Northern California.

Much love,
Jenna

ps. Thank you for reading! And...While I'm addressing you directly, always feel free to comment on posts. Don't be shy. I like to feel loved. :)

because of Him

2009-07-30T09:42:00.000-07:00

It’s not because the novelty of no homework has worn off. Or because I’m excited about sacrificing my weekend trips to reading text books. Or because there is just too much money in my savings.

It’s really about learning more about myself and God. It’s becoming the person I really want to be and am not quite sure how to be right now. It’s learning to have an overflow of love for others. And it’s about loving God and my relationship with Him.

I don’t have grand expectations, because I’m not quite sure what to expect and reality is always a little different. But I am excited to start Grad. School. Though it was a journey in itself and took a bit of patience, I was accepted into the Institute for Spiritual Formation. In the Fall, I will begin working toward my Master’s degree in Spiritual Formation and Soul Care!

Thank you to those who have prayed for me through this time. I can’t wait to begin this new journey. I know it will be difficult, thus I am a little scared. But I have confidence that good is the result of hard situations and emotions. So here is to homework and deepening my knowledge and relationship with the Lord in an exciting new way!

les fleurs

2009-07-28T18:27:00.001-07:00

I visited my grandparents this weekend and not only did I return home with cake, but with these beautiful roses. She planted them earlier this year and they are in full bloom. I was in awe of their gorgeous color that this photo does not do justice to. They certainly add a touch of happiness to my office.

retreat

2009-07-27T11:29:00.000-07:00

I stayed here last week. My mom and I went to visit family in Maryland and had a wonderful time. As you can imagine, it was hard leaving this beautiful log home of our cousins in the woods to return to concrete abundant California. Instead of returning to my apartment this weekend, I continued my vacation at my parent's house prolonging my return to responsibility. Unfortunately, it hit me hard this morning after a freezing cold shower because me nor the other four girls had successfully transferred our gas/electric accounts over to our new place. Oops! Thankfully, the "gas man" was scheduled to come this morning so tomorrow I should have a hot shower again.

the librarian

2009-07-15T12:25:00.000-07:00

I was told I looked like a librarian today.

The last time I was told I looked like a librarian was in sixth grade. My friend Deanna was turning 12 and her parents took us to Las Vegas for a weekend to see the Backstreet Boys. It was my first concert besides The Beach Boys and local concerts at the fair. I was, needless to say, excited — even though I couldn't tell the difference between N'Sync and the Backstreet Boys at the time.

The day of the concert we went back to the hotel to get all dolled up. I had brought the new pale blue crocheted sweater my Mom had bought me at Nordstroms. I got dressed and with butterfly clips intact asked how I looked. I was consequently told I looked like a librarian. I remember being slightly horrified because in sixth grade, it was obvious that a librarian was soo un-cool.

Today, I didn't really mind being called a librarian. In fact, I'd take it as a compliment.

*Deanna and I are still good friends and laugh about this now. Just to note.

talking about green

2009-07-09T21:51:00.000-07:00

I've never liked to spend much money. Well, that may not be completely truthful. I love to spend money, however, I strongly dislike seeing it leave my pocket.

As a kid, when my parents would give me spending money, I would use as little as possible and then store the rest away in my piggy bank. I loved the idea of saving. I think I get it from my penny-pinching father. However, the idea even transferred over into food. When we had parties at school, more often than not if there were cupcakes or brownies or some sort of sweet of the sort, it would be stored away in my desk until later...when I thought I would enjoy it more.

So last week when my friends and I played "Would you rather?" and I got the question "Would you rather have someone give you one million dollars now or ten million in ten years?" Of course, I said ten million in ten years.

Well, now when I see something and say "I could make that." I'd rather take the time to make it, than spend money and get the instant satisfaction. In the end, I've found I always get more satisfaction from blood, sweat and tears...or rather, time, craftiness and art, then just purchasing something someone else made. Although, I'll admit, I think some of my projects and "I can make that" ideas turn out to be more expensive than the store bought piece. But to me, it's worth more.

The photo at the top is a sneak peek of a project I'm working on right now. More to come soon!

the fourth

2009-07-05T15:03:00.000-07:00

Summer was a time of happiness, barbecues, family get togethers and ultimately celebration growing up. My family would host a block party every year when we first moved into the neighborhood. We would pass out flyers a few weeks before and on that hot summer day of the party we would pull out lawn chairs, the ping pong table, basketballs and every other "toy" we had. My dad would set out ice chests full of drinks. One for the kids with soda and juice. One for the adults with beer and Coronas, only complete with a plate of sliced limes.

All the kids on the street, which there were a lot back then since it was a new neighborhood with lots of young families, would bring their bikes and roller blades and we would all ride up and down the street racing each other, sometimes almost in parade fashion. I remember loving those parties. And sometimes we would have everyone in our backyard for a pool party splashing every adult that dared to come near the pool, fighting for the rafts and noodles. It was a time when we were carefree, nothing could hurt us. Me, the other kids, nor my family.

As time went on, as it does, the kids grew older and families changed. Some parents on the street divorced, some of the kids grew too old to play with the younger ones and we all became very self aware around junior high when you just couldn't all be friends with everyone for some odd reason. The block parties eventually stopped and summer friday happy hours that another one of our neighbors hosted ended too.

I feel as though Fourth of July is kind of like New Year's Eve, it's always a great time if you have some fabulous party to go too, but if not, you end up home alone with your parents - something I found horrifying in high school. Yesterday, I was tempted to go to a few parties, but in the end, I realized I really just wanted to be that kid again with my family at a summer neighborhood block party. The problem was, that wasn't possible because there was no such thing yesterday in my neighborhood. But there was my family.

So I didn't attend a great exciting fourth of July party or even see an amazing fireworks spectacular at the lake or local park, but I did get to spend the day with my small family, however much its changed over the years. And last night after barbecuing burgers with my Dad and sitting in my grandparent's back yard next to my Uncle watching about five different fireworks shows across Orange County - only extremely small in the distance - hearing that boom, boom, boom far off, made me feel a bit like a kid again. I wasn't with a lot of people nor did we have a huge food spread or even lay out by the pool, but I spent the day with family on a hot summer afternoon and evening - the people that love me the most and the people I want to love the most.

cabin life

2009-06-24T10:34:00.000-07:00

Instead of taking a full week of vacation this summer, I am taking quite a few weekend trips. Three weeks ago, summer began with a lovely trip to Camp Nelson for Carrie and Justin's wedding. Cabin life was fun, although, we didn't necessarily enjoy sharing our weekend home with the resident rats. We made the most of it. Here are a few photos from the weekend and what cabin life looks like..always quaint, always homey, and always full of friends.

happy anniversary

2009-06-11T15:56:00.001-07:00

As of Tuesday, June 9, I have been working full time for one year. It is hard to believe that it was just over one year ago that I graduated from college. I love that one year later, I am still enjoying my job, still learning and still "molding" my position.

One thing I've learned since I've been in the work force is not about work at all, but about life - it is constantly evolving. When in the academy, everything is based on the academic year, holidays and breaks. Although I am still on a similar schedule because I work at a university, my life no longer revolves around the academy. I no longer have a schedule for my life in terms of school. I have no idea what the following year will hold or where I will be. Yes, I plan on staying at my job, but essentially that could change in an instant.

The wheels in my mind are constantly turning to what is next (something I am always keen on) and now in the work force, I have the resources to take action on many of the actions those wheels "turn out" and the time. With that, my life plan is always changing as I take action on new ideas and happenings. I no longer have a planned academic year. My life is mine, well God's - to do with it as he guides. And although, this was the case when I was in college, I am now much more aware of it.

So Happy Anniversary to me and another year of learning, loving, and taking action - in life and at my job!

goodbye house

2009-06-06T16:27:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday, we sadly said the last goodbye to "our house." Of course, we couldn’t drive off without taking a snapshot of the place we lived in for the past year. However, we left ourselves out of the photo seeing as we had just driven 4 hours from the mountains and looked wretched. Here is where we lived. See why I’m sad to leave?

moving week

2009-05-26T15:20:00.001-07:00

It's that time of year again. I am moving. This year I am saying goodbye to a house that has been extremely good to me. And for the first time, I will be living in an apartment. It will be odd moving from a house with 9 girls into an apartment where there will be 4 of us, but I am excited about more fridge space and granite countertops.

things I will miss:
- living with so many girls, surprisingly it is a lot of fun to live with so many people (esp. coming from an only child's perspective)
- the sea of green outside my window in the current house, we were so blessed to live in such a gorgeous house and location this year
- living with more of my best friends than I knew what to do with
- usually there was always at least one other person home (this may not change)
- my commute: right now, it is a mere 5 to 10 min. drive with only two stoplights to work = amazing
- having a CVS, gas station, Starbucks and grocery store a very short distance away
- living in a house in general, i think an apt. will be an adjustment in itself with living so close to other people
- and last, but not least, megan, who is moving and who i have lived with for 3 years..i could probably write a whole blog post on this one :)

things I look forward to:
- more fridge space and still living with friends
- the coy pond and waterfall outside our patio
- living somewhere brand new and right off the 5 will be convenient
- living closer to my parents' house
- the extravagant pool and fitness center at the apt.
- having fun in a new place and getting to decorate!

I'm excited for the transition, even if it does mean some goodbyes, it also means some hellos.

reaching out

2009-05-12T16:30:00.000-07:00

My night was going to be restful — eat dinner, relax and turn in at a decent time. Most importantly, I was making my night free by skipping Bible Study. I called my friend Erin to let her know I was most likely not making the drive to Orange County for small group that night. She understood. But as I talked to her, I realized it wasn't rest I needed. It was Jesus.

Sometimes I want God to meet me in the place I am without doing any work. I want him to just keep reaching out to me. However, until I reach out to Him, my relationship will be hindered. God loves us more than we can imagine, however, until I reach out to Jesus, I will continue to seek rest as false hope. Resting in Jesus is the most strengthening rest we can achieve. Sometimes that is as simple as going to Bible Study when we'd rather stay at home.

attempting to fly

2009-04-30T15:53:00.000-07:00

I recall sitting in a class and my professor asking me to write a piece for a book she was publishing. It was a compilation of different student’s life lessons learned in their time at college. I contemplated the idea and was frankly excited.

I don’t believe I ever turned in a final article.

This last Fall, the book was published and of course, no article by me was written in it. However, the 60 entries published written by students from more than 20 universities are an insightful look into college life.

This leads me to ask a few questions. What is an opportunity if it is never taken? What is the path not taken if it is never really taken? And what is the point of networking if you never really use your network?

With that said, I’m applying. The fingertips of my mind have found different paths laid out in front of me and I decided to not only be excited about the fact that there are those paths, but to actually apply myself and take one. Because really my main excuse for not doing things (busyness) is a horrible one. And an endless one at that.

So I had my year of restoration. It was a year of transition, a year of challenges and new adventures and figuring a little bit more about life. I think each year will be similarly a time of transition if I really do embark upon new things and take up these opportunities. But that is exciting and I am embracing change.

With that, I’m applying with courage (and a touch of nervousness) to Biola’s Institute for Spiritual Formation. They receive approximately 80 to 90 applicants and accept approximately 30 so my chances are slim. Therefore, my trust is in God in this process. And if I am not accepted, at least I applied and trusted.

Like I said, what is an opportunity if it is not taken or attempted. And what is a path not taken if it really isn’t ever taken?

out of my league

2009-04-11T00:39:00.000-07:00

As I walked through the baby aisles and counted the number of different types of bibs, binkies and blankies, I realized I was way out of my league. I know nothing about babies — at least not much in comparison to the average woman.

My eyes scanned the cute little shoes, but I was perplexed. "Would a one-year-old wear size 1,2 or 3? Or are these way too big in the first place? Will a one-year-old even want a pair of shoes? Am I getting them more for the cute factor than for her? It's not like she will remember what I gave her."

I called my mom. "What do you buy a one-year-old?" I wanted to get something for her she would like, not just something I thought was adorable. "Well, a baby would want a toy most likely." I agreed.

So at Kylie's first birthday party, she received a toy, bubbles, butterfly sand molds and a book. I wrote an inscription in the book so one day, she may know I gave her a book at her first birthday. Although I really wanted to get her those cute shoes, I think she'll have more fun with the toy...And I really have no idea what size shoe a one-year-old wears.

twenty.three

2009-04-01T19:34:00.001-07:00

I turned 23 last week! TWENTY THREE! Still sounds slightly old (remember, people, I work at a university with youngin's), but I'm getting used to it. I had a fantastic birthday. Things like this amazing J cake made my birthday fabulous!

Lehua was the creator of this creative, beautiful J. And she gave me the pretty vintage cake platter as my present! Such a fun treat for when I came back to work after I took my birthday off.

(Also, Lehua does more than make cool cakes in her spare time. Check out her website and hire her for your wedding invites or photography! *Bonus points if you find me on her website.)

i dream

2009-03-18T20:47:00.000-07:00

Aloft a vibrant tree, I sat amongst the branches in quiet contemplation. It is here where I dreamt. The rain would trickle down through the monotone greens and softly fall around me. The harmony of the weather with my thoughts clouded over anything troublesome in memory. I would build large 3 story houses with decorated attics full of treasures. Walking through the neighborhood, I'd cuddle up in my coat in 70 degree winters in Southern California and pretend I was walking miles in 2 feet of snow. My feet would walk the thin wall behind my house and I'd imagine I was playing follow the leader with my 5 brothers and sisters.

If there is anything I learned from being an only child, it was to dream. When friends couldn't come over or it was dinner time, my house would become an imaginary play house in which I dictated the characters and colors of events. In some ways, I'm sure I could have built better tents with more people, but similarly I didn't have the competition of other children or the arguments over which sheet should be used. As an only child, I was free to dream in any which way they chose to flow no matter any concern of anyone else.

Because of this, I think I am a bit more idealistic, optimistic and ambitious than most. I see almost any positive mark as a sign of continued success no matter how small it may be. I see optimism in often sometimes awful situations. Some see this as a weakness, however, I see it as a better way to dream. So with that, I dream.

I dream of a time completely different than what this world is like now. I dream of owning multiple businesses. I dream of being a published author. I dream of completing multiple masters programs. I dream of being more beautiful than I am now in twenty years. More so, I dream of a day where I find peace - where this world finds peace and evil does not exist. And I dream of the day that I will finally enter heaven and I hope that my dreams will not necessarily be accomplished but that I at least dreamed. And knew that there would one day be a better day because huddled in the tree while rain falls around, there is a greater knowledge that the troubles of our world now really will disappear.

i guess i wouldn't mind being a bear

2009-03-10T20:22:00.000-07:00

I realized last week I will be moving once again this summer. When I moved into our tiny room this year, my closet became full quite quickly. And I have continued to outgrow my closet, and my room, for that matter. My stationary desk serves as a night stand and location for newspapers and magazines I wish to read in the near non-ending future and my bookcase serves as a place for my jewelry and miscellaneous decorative pieces that I seem to collect.

But even though I continue to outgrow the space, as I've grown into my little, what I like to call, cave, I have grown to love the smallness. My joy of climbing into bed underneath the bunk bed above me, which has become a home to prayer requests and reminders (similar to my bunk bed freshman year at Biola), it's a place of warmth that I love. I like my little space where everything must fit just so, otherwise, the room will look a mess. And with this also comes creativity in arranging furniture, tidyness and comfort with a candle and mug of coffee.

So although, I will be moving again this summer which makes me sad, I will continue to enjoy the smallness of my space and know that when I look for a new home, bigger does not necessarily mean better. So, with hope, I will be in search of another endearing, quaint and cute cave.

I guess I wouldn't mind being a bear...

paree, anyone?

2009-03-01T22:11:00.000-08:00

One of the many perks in living with 9 girls is the house is bound to have a few resident Martha Stewarts. Saturday morning, Meg and I found ourselves in the kitchen making a delicious breakfast, thanks to Megan's great thinking. Cooking an elaborate or simply delicious breakfast has become a somewhat new trend on Saturday mornings to my great delight and this weekend's delight, chosen by Megan, took us to Paris. We made crepes, which turned out to be easier than expected. Megan perfected the crepes while I hand whipped whip cream - talk about an arm workout. The end result was well worth it though.

les crepes:

the toppings:

Unfortunately, we ate the finished product before we could take a photograph. However, you should try making your own, in Megan's words: they are easier than pancakes.

Meg, the Model

2009-02-26T22:06:00.000-08:00

She normally shies away from the camera and doesn't enjoy being in the public eye. In fact, many times she told me to put away my camera when people were coming our way. However, my roommate Megan, who I convinced to be a model for a day, turned out to actually be a bit of a model.

It's been at least one year since I last really used my Nikon SLR, which is sad to say the least, considering I love photography! And I am completely out of practice unless you count my point and shoot. After viewing photography blogs, like Jasmine Star's and Shannon's, religiously the past six months, I decided it was time I pulled my own camera out and relearn how to use the beautiful piece of equipment. I enlisted Megan for a "portrait" session so I could test out lighting and not be horribly embarrassed if the photos turned out awful. I would say it was a success for my first time shooting in a year, although I do have a long ways to go. Here are some I liked.

sundays

2009-02-22T22:31:00.000-08:00

The early morning glow and overcast skies of Costa Mesa near Newport Beach greet me Sunday mornings as I drive to the 9 a.m. service at RockHarbor Church. I love Sundays. There is something about waking early when half the world sleeps and driving to worship. This morning at church, the worship set was longer than usual before the sermon and I was able to fully let go of my surroundings and bask in the love of our Father.

I recommit my life almost every Sunday. I've been doing this for as long as I can remember. I ultimately become more grateful and realize, in a deeper sense, what it really means to be a Christian. It makes me, hopefully, a better follower of Christ. However, I wish everyday was like Sundays.

I want to recommit my life to God each and everyday. I want to take time to know Him and worship Him more each day just like I do on Sundays. Everyday should be like Sundays since I am a follower of Christ seven days a week, not just one and sometimes being a Christian the other six days doesn't mean I'm following Him directly each moment. Here is to treating each and every day like my Sunday drive to church — quiet, reflective and worshipful.

missing

2009-02-07T19:45:00.000-08:00

As I sat comfortably on a settee in my own corner at Corner Bakery Cafe with a mug of coffee and plate of chocolate chip cookies on Thursday night, I felt a bit like a student again. I'm not sure if it was because that was how I became accustomed to study in college for four years, but I think I got more work done in my two hours at Corner Bakery than I do in half a day at work. This could be because I don't have people interrupting me at Corner Bakery, emails coming in constantly, and a phone ringing every once in a while, however, I was focused nonetheless. And I don't doubt a good cup of coffee, the rain, and jeans help me work more efficiently. Not to mention, the cookies.

On that tone, I miss being a student. Sitting and studying. Constantly learning. Late nights and no classes or work on Fridays. I sincerely miss sitting in lectures and being a sponge, soaking up information and hearing from people that are more intelligent than I may ever be. I'm hoping grad. school is in the future. Until then, I will enjoy working and I'll admit, I do love not having homework hanging over your head constantly and being able to sleep in on Saturdays.

*Photo taken by Faith Martinez at Associated Collegiate Press Conference in D.C. last year.

february & the kingdom

2009-02-03T23:03:00.000-08:00

I'm in slight shock that we are already one month into the new year. Sheri, who I work with, told me the years go by quicker as you get older. This makes sense as I vaguely remember the time period of waiting to turn 10, 12, then 16 was incredibly long. Now, it seems like months go by as weeks.

Remember when you would start planning your birthday party three months in advance and it would seem like forrevverrr until you would actually get to eat your birthday cake at your 9th birthday Zoo extravaganza or whatever the theme may have been.

I'm not going to lie. I turn 23 in less than two months and it kind of scares me. I'm getting older. I know I'm not older. But I'm getting older. And if I'm perfectly honest, I don't view 40 as even being old, barely 50. In fact, the idea of being 80 sounds great. But it's all relative. When I'm actually growing deeper into the double digits of my twenties, it scares me. (When someone else is, I am excited for them.)

God, I'm good now. I have a full-time job, great friends and I'm 22. Do we really need to deal with aging, more bills, and the whole less time to live thing?

Unfortunately, I don't think God is going to stop the aging process and really I am working towards Him, not for myself. Therefore, if time is going to go quick, I better start using my time wisely, make stronger decisions and do my part in furthering the Kingdom everyday — not in the mindset of 'in the next year', because apparently that's comin' quick.

my absence

2009-01-29T10:42:00.000-08:00

My absence from blogging is really my addiction. An addiction to remembering high school, the cliques, the good kids, the Christians, the jocks, the drinkers, my love/hate relationship with my high school boyfriend, being a cheerleader, the ups and downs, and the list goes on. Really, I don't like remembering high school all that much. I loved high school when I was in it. I cried at my high school graduation because I didn't want to leave — remember I tend to become attached to places. But all that changed after I left.

The summer after I left, it was no turning back. I had good times, but that part of my life was over. In fact, I don't even like driving by my high school unless I have to. I think a lot of that comes from the fact that high school was such a different time and a different mind set, a slightly less developed one.

However, I can't help but laugh with joy and cry with resonance (and enjoy it) when I watch Friday Night Lights, the NBC television show which I quickly embraced as an addiction after two episodes a week or so ago after reading Brett's post. I actually ignored life to a slight extent last weekend so I could catch up to Season 3 (Thanks to Hulu).

Friday Night Lights is a great rendition to what life was like in high school. It's not the everyday high school drama broadcast on television. To me, it actually depicts what life was like in high school — everyone competing for something, wanting something more and in a sense as much as there are cliques and stereotypes, there are always those breaking them. The one difference is this small town is obsessed with high school football and I can tell you from watching the last two seasons I think I understand the sport more now than I did in two years of cheering for a bottom of the barrel losing team every Friday night. So even if I am spending my time watching television, at least I'm learning something about football, remembering high school positively or receiving wisdom from the high school guidance counselor, Tami.

one more thing...

2009-01-16T15:33:00.000-08:00

I want to blog more!

So expect more to read because I want to make this blog more of a priority than I did last year. Not to mention, I wrote the same amount of posts in half the time in 2007. Think I was a bit busy last year? Yes!

lookin' up the road

2009-01-13T22:41:00.000-08:00

With the new year comes a renewed state of mind and also a new set of personal goals...or renewed goals! :) I wanted to make sure my New Year resolutions were practical, realistic and fun! Here is what I came up with, hopefully, they stay resolute.

1. Journal every day for one year: Journaling and documenting one's life is very important to me. It's not only fun, but is also a great writing exercise. I actually started this back in November. So far, so good! Also, yes, I use an actual journal. As much as I love blogging, I'm a paper person.

2. Create a habit of working out: This is something that has been inconsistent in my life since I quit cheer in high school, unless I was in a PE class in college, but I can't really do Gospel Aerobics without an instructor, can I? So, my plan is to start with twice a week and move on up after that. And my goal isn't to lose weight, just to feel healthier and be in shape.

3. Freelance for a magazine: Really, I would like to be published in a magazine by next year. I've been published in the Whittier Daily News, but besides that stint, I have not been published outside of a student publication. I want to branch out as a writer and have something to build my career upon besides my current job.

4. Brush up on my French: I've taken approximately 5 years of French classes and have never been fluent. A main reason: it is uncommon to find someone that speaks French! However, I want to brush up so when I move there in the next few years, I'm not completely lost.

5. Talk with God everyday: This is something I went to spend more time doing. Most people call it quiet time. I just want to take time and talk with God or sit quietly and make an effort to grow in my faith and more towards being Christ-like each day.

6. Have more craft time: Last year, I spent barely anytime making cards and doing crafts. I used to never give a store bought card, now I find myself always giving store bought cards - which are great and fun for the occaisonal note to someone, but I want to make sure I spend more time doing crafts and what I like to call art therapy. :)

refreshed

2009-01-11T22:11:00.000-08:00

The photo above of the Potomac River at Mount Vernon is from my vacation in Virginia. It makes me feel calm and reminds me of my current state of mind - refreshed.

That is how I feel - refreshed. Ready for a new year with new challenges, new adventures, and new happy moments. Usually starting a new year is bitter sweet to me. It is a time that is exciting but both sad that the year is over. I think this past year was one of the longest years I've had and because of that, I am ready for a new one.

As is every year, my life was full of many trials and adventures that produced growth in my life. I finished college, adjusted to life as a graduate who is financially independent, saw many friends walk down the aisle or get engaged, and join the working force - full time. 2008 was filled with many, many memorable moments - one's with more joy than explainable and one's with more sadness in the same token. It was a good year and it was a hard year.

However, unlike many years before, I am fully ready for the new one. I am ready to say goodbye to the challenges I faced last year and I am ready to start my life again as it feels as though it stopped at some point in the fall. I hit the restart button on the computer and now I feel refreshed. I feel as though I can look back on last year and truly say I know who I am and 2008 was good for me, but I want to step forward in a new pace with a refreshed spirit and mind.

a little late on a rainy day

2008-12-15T23:01:00.001-08:00

It's eleven p.m. and I really should be tucked warm in bed, but the house is just a bit too warm with the heater on and the Christmas tree was just a bit too inviting. Christy and I decorated the house for Christmas this weekend and it looks absolutely lovely.

The charlie brown tree we have turned into a beautiful masterpiece..well, almost masterpiece, after we adorned it with extra ribbon, garland, bows and baubles. The mantle is now decorated with garland and Christmas bulbs and there is a green wreath hanging on our door with lights - lights that took half Saturday evening to figure out how to plug them in and resulted in the use of lots of duct tape. Nonetheless, the house looks too pretty to not be appreciated on a late evening with a hot cup of cocoa topped with whipped cream.

I think part of me doesn't want today to be over. I woke up to the pitter patter of rain on the roof. That is a sound we don't hear often in southern California and something I wish I heard everyday. I'm one of those people that can grimace when the sun shines through my window rather than lovely gray clouds. I enjoy the sun, but the silvery cloudy skies energize me. I may be one of the few that would love to live in Seattle or Oregon.

One day, I will move to a place with different colder weather that makes me feel warmer. And one day, I will most likely return and say it was nice but that California really does have the best weather. I would never admit that to anyone in person, but I think, deep down, I know it's true.

harvest party

2008-11-28T17:11:00.000-08:00

Home is an important thing to me. Home used to be a house to me, a place I slept, lived in and ate at. However, I've realized that home has become more of a feeling. I feel at home walking through Biola and driving through the canyon near my house or eating french toast on a Saturday morning.

October is a month that feels like home to me. I love the crisp Fall air, that unfortunately is still developing in California, and the leaves that start to fall to the ground and especially the anticipation of holidays. Two weeks ago, my house hosted our second annual Harvest Party. We invited friends to come and bring some of their "harvest" and we provided yummy cornbread, chili, and Amish friendship bread. Here are some photos of the event and the house. ( I didn't take too many. Megan took the role of photographer for the night.) It felt a bit like home to have everyone dressed warm and lots of friends in one place on a Fall evening.

Welcome to our house!

The Dining Room.

The Front Room (my favorite.)

Yummy Food

Lindsay, Megan and Court finishing up before everyone showed up.

A few of the first people there.

Kyle and Rachelle stopped by for a bit. :)

ps. sorry the photos are so small!

oh, to be Alice

2008-11-24T21:34:00.000-08:00

I woke up to a purple door on the left bordered by pastel green paint and a pale blue door on the right bordered by a shade of cream. Which door do I pick? The red pill or the blue pill. In this case, I was either to be led into a closet or a living area, so it didn't matter much.

A few weekends ago (more like a month ago) I visited a good friend from high school who lives in this adorable house in Santa Barbara. She actually lives on the second floor that has been converted into an apartment. I couldn't get over it the entire weekend. I kept walking through the apartment marveling at the different pastel colored walls, mismatching doors, glass and brass door knobs...it was all quite charming and a bit like Alice in Wonderland if you ask me.

Oh, would I give to wake up in a house like this. Not that I'm not blessed as is. :)

phone home

2008-11-13T13:19:00.000-08:00

The first two weeks of college, I disappeared to the outside world. That is, the world outside of Biola. My little universe had launched itself into an entire new galaxy of orientation events, late nights, meeting approximately 50 people every day and classes that lasted three hours sometimes.

After about two weeks, my phone rang and the not-so-little three letter word MOM showed up on my cell phone's screen. Oops...! I hadn't called my mom in two weeks, the person who raised me and had lived with since my parents brought me home from the hospital. I answered the phone to a somewhat disgruntled mother, which is never fun, but to this day, I commend her. The fact that she held out for two weeks is more respectful of me than I ever thought was possible. I know she most likely wanted to call the day after she dropped me off to hear about every minute of my night and my plans for the next week, but she waited. And waited. And waited.

Unfortunately, I never called, not because I didn't love her or respect her, but my little universe had expanded and was still adjusting to the multitude of little stars in my eyes. She accepted my apology after a few minutes, and then I delved into my life at the time and everything that had happened in the two weeks time.

I left home that Fall of 04 not expecting much. I knew college would be "exciting and fun," but I had no idea what it was really going to be like. I was actually fairly naive about the whole thing. Those first few weeks were a good sign that I had been thrown into an entire new place of learning and activity. My eyes were opened and I realized I could be who I wanted to be, I had a fresh start from high school but with the knowledge of a high school graduate.

The past few weeks I have been writing a series of features on four new freshman students titled The Journey. Each of them remind me a little of myself those first few weeks - overwhelmed, eager, young and inspired. God is so present at Biola and it is so evident in new freshman. Their eyes are opened and they are thrown into a new universe full of stars and new places to explore that they didn't know existed.

Though I do regret not calling my mom those few weeks, I am grateful she let me live in my new little universe for a while and then brought me back home when I needed to be. Eventually, the two universes collided and I could live in my new universe and call her multiple times per week.

writing a wave

2008-11-11T21:32:00.000-08:00

I've found writing to be an emotional thing for me. I think it is like that with a lot of writers. If they don't feel a certain way, it is difficult to write.

My emotional tie may root to my initial desire to write poetry along with the ups and downs of my life in junior high, which developed into a love for creative writing and then journalism in high school. Time is also sincerely involved. I am not a hasty writer. I take time to sit and drink in thoughts and then pour them out hoping the two resemble each other.

So, as much as I would like to pass off my neglect for this blog in the past month on me being busy, the truth is I didn't feel like posting anything nor did I really have time to sit and drink. I know — horrible for me to have broken the number one rule of blogging. (Taken from the Official Guide for Blogging 101; Rule One: Blog frequently or else lose your readers.)

Writing comes in waves and every once in a while they slow and then another set will come in. Thankfully, the dead waters are alive again and I brought myself to write a post (even if it is about my lack of posting.)

Therefore, expect quite a few more since all waves come in sets.

berry cool

2008-10-16T19:21:00.001-07:00

This is my Blackberry. My office bought it for me about a month ago. I still have yet to master the tiny full keyboard and Cheesecake Factory size menu of options, but I am slowly learning. Since I was still attached to my pretty white slider phone at the time, I still have two phones. However, I came to the realization that I wouldn't have to pay a phone bill which would save nearly $1,000 per year if I solely used the new black contraption given to me - for free.

Tonight, I went onto my Cingular account to see how much I was actually paying and if it was worth it. How much was I spending and how much was I using? Well, I found I was spending too much. I have 4,812 rollover minutes!!! 4,812. I didn't cancel my plan (still in love with the angelic white phone and number), but I did lower it so I'm paying $20 less per month.

It's a start and I'll grow accustomed to the berry soon.

see jenna work

2008-10-15T21:25:00.001-07:00

I stumbled upon the website See Jane Work when I was looking for new office furniture and can't help but visit often now. See Jane Work has some of the most adorable office accessories and neat ways to spice up your office. Here are a few of my favorites:

a silver pencil holder like this adds a sophisticated stylish charm to any desktop.
And I love adding patterns into normally dull places.
And this is on my Christmas list..I know, a tad bit early, but how cute are those tools? I'm a single woman, I need to learn how to use them sometime so as mine as well make them cute, darn it! :)

when i get crafty...

2008-09-30T20:23:00.000-07:00

Photographers have dark rooms. Mechanics have garages. Artists have studios. And me? I have the floor in my bedroom. When I scrapbook and make cards, it is usually uncontainable. There is paper, adhesives, embellishments, paints, etc. spread almost to a 360 degree angle around where I sit.

So when barely anyone was home this past Sunday night, I decided to set up shop and take over the floor of my room. I hadn't been crafty in a while so I decided to challenge myself with limiting my materials and have some sort of theme since I wasn't making the cards for anything in particular.

What I was allowed to use: 1 piece of patterned paper, the brown fabric ribbon I salvaged from some store's bag, 1 other form of embellisment, paint, metallic rub-on paint, and adhesives

Theme: I attempted to incorporate different forms or shapes of a flower on each card.

Here is what I came up with!

Not the most creative cards in the world, but I had a lot of fun making flowers out of different materials. :)

twilight

2008-09-28T15:19:00.000-07:00

I searched the entire store walking through each lovely aisle, pausing every once in a while to scan covers and read first chapters, but in the end, it wasn't there. It had to be, I thought. I took one final lap around the store before finally giving in. I knew I must have blindly slipped over it.

The salesman could tell I had a question. I shyly moved toward him, made eye contact and with the largest attempt at being casual (as if it wasn't for me) asked where I could find the Twilight series books.

"Ah, yes," he said immediately. He walked me over to a stand I swear I had circled, but there they were. All four in their glory.

"Thank you," I said. I think he could tell I was shy about it.

"You are only on the second one?" he said.

"Yes, have you read them?" I asked grasping for some hope that other people my age read young adult fiction still.

"I had to for the release party," he said. I responded with a knowing nod. He continued though. "At least, that's my excuse."

Then I relaxed and may have delved a little too much about how I am absolutely in love with the books despite the fact that they were written for "young adults." I guess I'm a young adult still, I'm only 22.

This past week I have been all too enthralled by Edward Cullen and Bella Swan. I finished the nearly 500 page book in a matter of 5 days and most likely will be making another trip for the third book in the next week. There is something about fiction and fantasy tied together that draws me (and thousands of others based on the ratings) in. Although, I may be slowly sinking away from reality more and more and fall deeper in love with the protagonists, I find reading a perfectly acceptable form of doing so.

to tweet or not to tweet

2008-09-21T15:55:00.001-07:00

Twitter has taken the nation by storm, at least it is trying to. Bloggers and social networking buffs have taken to it like wildfire, however, the rest of the media world is still skeptical.

My good friend Michelle nearly sold me on it this summer. I decided to wait and see how many people would actually use the status-update like media to find out when "Jack is eating cereal" and "Jill is at the zoo." It didn't strike me as utterly enticing to let people know when I was getting ready for work in the morning or walking to lunch.

I found the humor in it though when my friend, Michelle, started "tweeting" updates like "In the company of hundreds of glazed eyed, Mickey-ear-wearing tourists" instead of simply saying "I am at Disneyland." I have began to view Twitter as a challenge. A challenge to create an interesting spunky sentence out of mundane moments in less than 140 characters. What really sold me on Twitter was this video. Pretty soon you just may be able to see me "tweeting."

abstinence university

2008-09-16T17:04:00.001-07:00

'Weekend Sunrise', an Australian television show similar to America's 'Good Morning America', featured two Biola students this weekend. I had the pleasure of coordinating the short interview that was broadcast live across Australia Sunday morning (their time) with the producers of the show.

Saturday, I drove the two students, Josh and Lindsey, to the show's LA studio for the interview. We had a bit of an adventure finding the place and between making a few u-turns, illegal maneuvers and pulling into an odd circular drive, finally decided to park and walk. Luckily, we had parked right next to the appropriate building. Even more so, I didn't have a parking ticket when we returned.

Josh and Lindsey did a wonderful job and were eloquent in their answers regarding the community standards agreement at Biola involving abstinence - sexual and substance. View the video here.

Although it is humorous that we were referred to as Abstinence University, this was a great avenue for the university's message and the students' beliefs to be shared. Also, I would love to work with this show's crew again. Besides the fact that their accents make me swoon, they were incredibly courteous and simply put, nice people.

my pen stopped today

2008-09-15T22:35:00.000-07:00

The pen is the pulse of a journalist's thoughts, the mind's object of affection where thoughts flow and turn to prose on paper.

Today, my pen stopped.

Often I am able to suppress my emotions and remain focused. It's not that I don't have a heart, it is that I am a survivor. I continue to survive through difficult situations and ignore the way I feel to move toward a more important cause. Today, I couldn't allow myself to do that. As I learned about a professor's husband who is in the ICU after surviving the Metrolink crash Friday, I had to put my pen down. This distant tragedy was no longer distant, but close to home and to my heart. It was close to my pulse, which had to stop. I didn't allow tears to flow, although I wanted to, but as I read the news stories and gathered information about the professor, I broke out into hives.

I realized since I wasn't allowing myself to react, my body was going to without my permission. It may have been stress or simply the saddening feeling of someone in pain, I'm not sure. I eventually picked my pen up again, but it made me wonder why I had such a hard time doing so. When does the pen turn from a warm heart of telling a person's story to a cold shoulder towards emotion? Or, out of respect, should I tell the story at all? This doesn't apply to the nature of this story alone, but it made me wonder today.

Please pray for the professor, her husband and their three children.

be still

2008-09-10T21:22:00.000-07:00

The concept to be still is a tale as old as time, but something completely new to me. My efforts to be still are often far and few between because of my busy life. However, with that has come a lack of attention towards my creator.

On Sunday, Mike Erre described being still with the image of a child after a day at Disneyland in their father's arms - allowing yourself to be complete dead weight, no effort to hold your head up, comforted by arms that hold you tightly, and arms that you can trust to carry you home. That image resonates with my mind, but it is a concept my heart is still grasping.

RH dedicated this week to pursue God as they look to the holy spirit to guide the church into the next year. The week, called Awakened, has woken me up each day at 5:30 to travel to church for a "service" from 6 to 7 a.m. I only intended to attend the Monday service. I figured one day would show I was committed, but would not interfere with my schedule. Needless to say the week has interfered with my schedule more than I thought it would.

Each day, it is harder to get out of bed, but easier to make the decision to do so. The week has been a time of being still in the mornings, listening to God. When I arrive at the church, I speak to no one, but sit on the floor of the sanctuary alongside other church members. Two staff members lead the morning times. The best way to describe it would be contemplative prayer and worship. I'm not sure if to say that I have fallen in love with God again is a good way to comprehend what I have been learning, but this has been a week of rediscovery. It has been a week of deepening my understanding of my relationship with Him, my love for Him and His love for me. It has been a week of awakening.

I need to rip up my planner and allow interference in my schedule more often.

Civil Forum: Senator McCain and Senator Obama

2008-08-16T16:41:00.000-07:00

Since I won't be updating the Biola website until next week, I will use this as practice as if I was writing for an online newspaper, but will also have some personal elements that I wouldn't normally post for obvious journalistic reasons. Each post will be posted at the time designated and I will republish the blog each time I add something. This will be like a Twitter feed, not an actual article.

*So I did the above spanning the time I arrived on campus (3:00) to when I left the media room to go the "spin" room (7:00). If you saw my blog during that time, it read like a timeline and was awesome. However, it took up the length of a football field. Therefore I will edit and condense my notes in case anyone actually wants to read them and republish this post tomorrow.

ps. Being part of the media at this event was amazing! I loved it and can't wait to write about it. God handed me a gift without me realizing it.

lemon-aide

2008-08-15T17:36:00.000-07:00

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade...right? But what about when everyone else has imported mangoes?

I worked the past three or four weeks to get tickets and media credentials for the civil forum tomorrow night with Obama and McCain. I was approved for media credentials and two VIP tickets, however, I will not be in the sanctuary. I will be with media in another venue with a live feed...just like I could watch from the comfort of my own home. Two others will be using the VIP tickets and it is not possible to get a third.

Then ABC eyewitness news wanted to interview me outside the church. I politely said they may not want to interview me because I am part of the media for tomorrow nights event. They smiled and agreed. Who does that? Who suggests they shouldn't be interviewed (besides South Dakotans*)! I was kicking myself for that. I could have been on national television and I said no. Ridiculous. Not to mention, this could have been a publicity tool for the university.

Then to top it off, I got an email from my Mom who said her friend had an extra VIP ticket so she will be attending the civil forum tomorrow.

God, I need some lemon-aide right now, because I am not very happy with my lemons. This is starting to become funny. Or not funny at all. I think God is teaching me to be grateful for what I have. He's still working apparently.

*The South Dakota reference is thanks to Michelle. :)

*updated to add: I saw today as a group of lost chances. However, after thinking a bit more intelligently and a bit less emotionally, I decided today was not a group of lost chances at all. It is simply a group of other opportunities. Therefore, I will take my lemons and find my other opportunities. Who likes mango nectar anyways?

the pink plaid said it all

2008-08-13T14:04:00.000-07:00

When I turn 55, I earnestly hope that I do not have a mid-life crisis. I never really thought about this before today, however, that was before I saw the man in pink plaid.

This morning as I drove along the 5 north, a silver 2008 BMW convertible whipped past me going well over the speed limit. The top was down revealing his balding head and pink plaid button down. He looked around 55 and as I continued to watch him skip through lanes cutting a few people off, I had three thoughts.

1. That's interesting to have the top down at 8 in the morning when it's still overcast.
2. Is that pink...and plaid?
3. MIDLIFE CRISIS.

fight or flight?

2008-08-12T13:22:00.000-07:00

I wish I said I chose to fight in dangerous situations, rather than flee. However, as much as I try to fight, my instinct to flee kicks in way too fast to even think of holding my fists up and say 'bring it on!'

I'll never forget the church party I was at in seventh grade when the bounce house I was in began to deflate. As I saw my impending doom of suffocation, I dove - literally - head first out of the entrance sliding past my friends. Did I stop and ask them if they were okay? Oh no. I just made sure my flight from the scene was swift. Although I made it out safely (as everyone else did too), I was also laughed at for my fear of the deflating bounce house was a bit exaggerated.

So when the 5.4 magnitude earthquake hit a week and a half ago and I felt the building shake, what did I do? I fled. However, remembering the bounce house incident, I told everyone in my path to 'get out' of the building to safe ground. (Yes. I know they teach you to go under your desk, but I have my own tactics.) I also walked instead of running. I see this as progress.

Although I was quiet enough to not embarrass myself, I did feel slightly bad when one of my co-workers tripped on his way to the door after I told him to leave the building. That is a story that will be retold for quite some time. The next day he was asking people if they had seen me shove him to the ground. I promise I was a full three feet away from him and his shoes had no traction. Unfortunately, I tend to laugh too much in order to defend myself since the idea really isn't that far off.

sweet kylie

2008-07-24T17:34:00.001-07:00

I was finally able to meet Kylie Capri Wood a few weekends ago when I went to visit Cristina and Brian in Northern California. Kylie was born in April so I was so excited to finally meet this precious baby girl. The trip was extremely fun. I always enjoy getting to see Cristina and Brian's life in NorCal and catch up in person rather than through email and the phone. Here are some photos of sweet Kylie and my trip. I had a hard time choosing, as you will see, Kylie is always adorable and photogenic!

I couldn't get over her tiny hands and feet.

I love this.

Beautiful Half Moon Bay. We took a picnic lunch and walked on the beach.

Jacob being cute.

Cristina graciously let me hold her most the weekend.

In downtown Danville.

reflections on restoration

2008-07-22T22:35:00.000-07:00

"Gosh, you look gorgeous!" she exclaimed.

I was a bit taken aback and shocked at her statement, but I politely said thank you rather than say my thoughts of "No, I don't!"

She then asked, "What have you been doing?" I took this as a compliment. However, I must reflect upon the fact that at the age of 22, this is not a common question. Why? Because normally at 22 you are young enough that you don't need to "do things," or add face creams and such to your beauty diet. I figured this was a question that would be asked of me at age 55 when I finally lose my baby weight and have money for clothes after all the kids are out of the roost. (That is assuming, I find a rooster.)

I graciously accepted her compliments and we finished lunch. But I knew. I knew why she said those things. She hadn't seen me since graduation. I don't think I had realized either before today what has happened in the last few months.

I don't think I can fully describe what happened the last month and a half of my senior year at Biola, nor can I fully explain what I was feeling during that time, except to say that I was highly emotional. Between finishing some of my most difficult classes, working nearly 30 hours a week, preparing for graduation, grieving the idea of leaving Biola, trying to keep my friends, attend social events, be a bridesmaid, taking 18 units, dealing with family crises, my irrational fears, and attempting to keep my room clean so my roommate wouldn't kick me out (thankfully she would never do such a thing) was one of the hardest times of my life. It is an experience I never want to experience again. I learned a lot those weeks, but there was no stopping point, no time to breathe, no time to just sit and relax. It was go, go, go and GO! Or else..I felt as though I would die because there was not time to not go. I wanted desperately to stop and breathe. I wanted to just sleep and not do anything. And yes, there were a few Saturdays I was able to sleep in and maybe a few nights of relaxing, but for the most part relax was not in my vocabulary. For about three weeks straight, I was constantly on the verge of tears. There were quite a few people who experienced those tears as well and I am thankful for those who listened and for those who looked away when they knew I needed to silently cry because I was too tired to do anything else for a bit.

Today when Roe told me I looked gorgeous, I don't know how much of it had to do with the way I looked, but I know I feel different. My body and soul feel restored. I have energy and to be honest, smiling is so much easier now than it was a month ago. It's not that I didn't have fun at some great events the last few weeks of school, but it's that I have time to breathe. I have time to talk to my friends and really listen. I have time to talk to God and sit with him.

As I am finally processing these things, there will probably be a few more posts on this. Thanks for reading if you actually reached this sentence. :)

the maples

2008-07-16T10:28:00.000-07:00

My good friend Megan married her prince charming, Craig a few weeks ago. I was honored to be a part of the wedding party and it was one of the best weddings I have been to. She had the lovely colors of persimmon and a deep red which adorned the reception and ceremony in bright gerber daisies, our bridesmaid dresses and other details. Triplecord Photography did an amazing job and was so fun to work with. One of the photographers actually goes to Biola so it was fun to see him as well.

Here is a link to the slideshow Triplecord put together. Megan looked absolutely gorgeous.

the culprit

2008-07-08T16:22:00.000-07:00

I had blamed Disneyland. That is where I ate Thursday night so it seemed completely logical to file a claim with the happiest place on earth for my case of food poisoning. Then I came to work Monday and it seemed that an odd amount of people had food poisoning over the weekend. Five of us to be exact. And that was in my department alone!

After some CSI work, we had all eaten cheese on Wednesday or Thursday at the Cafe or Talon. I won't be filing a claim, but I'm definitely taking my lunch to work with me this week.

IVs, the ER and GI Cocktails

2008-07-06T14:43:00.000-07:00

I took my first steps into the ER as a patient this past February after being in a car accident. I walked in with some whiplash and walked out about an hour later with some vicaden. I was happy.

I took my second steps into the ER as a patient this weekend. I'm not sure if steps would be the appropriate word since I really wanted to crawl. Thursday night I came home with a full stomach and a mild case of food poisoning. I thought I was simply really full..until I wouldn't stop throwing up and the nausea didn't leave me. I called my mom and bless her heart, she came over to take care of me at 2:30 a.m. By Friday morning, I had enough and she took me to the ER.

I was not expecting a pleasant experience - hospitals usually make me feel faint and the idea of a needle makes me dizzy, but I can proudly say I love the ER. They gave me anti nausea medicine as soon as I walked through those lovely doors to the back, stuck a needle in my vein which I barely felt, I didn't even know they took my blood, and gave me a GI cocktail which made me all numb and needless to say happy that I wasn't curled over a toilet. Not to mention, the nurses and doctor were all incredibly nice. I can't say I want to go back soon, but I am definitely thankful for IVs, the ER, GI cocktails and friendly nurses.

just say Yes!

2008-06-26T19:00:00.000-07:00

I have a tendency to say yes - to everything. I have an innate desire to be a social butterfly.

I'm in a wedding this weekend and today was the bridesmaids luncheon. It was held at the delish Crepes de Paris on Birch Street in Brea. I definitely recommend this cute little crepe cafe for brunch, an afternoon sweet tooth craving or a late night snack. Anyhow, after lunch, the girls were all going to get pedicures and manicures and I had to say no. I had already been gone from work and had to get back to finish some projects. I've always had a job that I've been able to maneuver my hours easily, however, in a sense I do work 9 to 5, although they are flexible with me.

I shouldn't complain, but I was definitely sad at having to say no today. The little mouse in my pocket kept squeaking, just say Yes! Skip work! Fortunately, I didn't listen to it, but he continued to scream at me as I walked to my car. :)

On a happier note, I do get to take the day off tomorrow to be at the rehearsal and spend the night with the bridal party, etc. I'm extremely excited for my dear friend Megan to marry the love of her life this weekend. I think weddings are becoming one of my new favorite things, if they weren't a favorite before, that is.