Come Into Our Room

Last weekend I moved into my new dorm room! It is pretty fabulous. Actually, when we got here, and began moving into our room, they told us that we had once again been switched. At the time, I was really annoyed, and I complained a lot. I just don't handle sudden changes like that very well. It actually turned out to be for the better, because our new room has been re-modeled. We have a section of tile just inside the door as well as in the kitchen, and new cabinets. The other rooms have ancient carpet through the whole apartment, and crusty cabinets.

It is a lot more spacious since there are only three of us sharing it. Which is a really nice change. I feel much more like a grown up now that I am in an apartment, as apposed to feeling like a camper on a youth group retreat.

Check out how amazing this oven is! My new red pots and pans look adorable with it!


I would love to show you more pictures later, once we are really settled in.


(The M's)

Birds

We released our indignant little friend this morning. My dad woke me up to tell me it was climbing up the sides of the box. I picked it up with gardening gloves on and took it outside. When I lowered my hand to the ground the it just sat in my hand, so I slid my hand out of the glove, but it continued to sit on the glove. Finally we went inside and I watched from the window as it began to stretch its wings and flap, then fly, quite low, into the bushes, fail to grasp a sturdy branch, and fall to the ground. I rushed out to check on it, sitting in the bushes, and looking as though it were glowering at me. The dark band across its eyes gave it this perpetual scowling appearance. All the while we had it, it seemed very unamused.

I have not really seen it around since. I guess a night of rest was all it needed.

(Kate Nash)

Strange Bird

Our house is beginning to feel like a nature reservation. In addition to our happily hibernating caterpillar, today we found this beautiful creature.





It was frantically flapping its wings in our front yard, not going anywhere. We were concerned about it being out in the open, totally vulnerable to predators, so we put it in a box and brought it inside. After spending a lot of time in a dark room with a blanket over the box, it has calmed down quite a bit. There seems to be a scrape on its wing and leg. We were unable to talk to anyone at the local wildlife reserve or animal shelters. Perhaps tomorrow I will purchase some wild bird seed, while we wait for a response from somewhere on what to do. It is currently puffing itself up a bit and sleeping. He looks so unhappy. I wish I knew what to do.

(Bobby Bare Jr.)

Song of Alice

Tim Burton is re-making Alice In Wonderland?!

YES!

For Disney?

What?

Entirely CGI?

NOOOOO!

I have so many mixed emotions about this. Apparently it is going to have 3D elements too. As said before, no more 3D for me after seeing Journey to the Center of the Earth. My heart can't take it. I had heard rumor a while back about a movie called Phantasmagoria, all about Lewis Carroll, starring Marilyn Manson. What came of that? I was so intrigued. Perhaps those were early rumors of this movie....

Well, I just checked on it, and apparently they are two separate movies. One to be directed by Manson, and probably be a more horrific portrayal of things, the other to be directed by Burton, who knows what direction it will go in. I am just surprised to hear that disney would want to re-make Alice...

Oh dear. This could be such the disappointment...

(Keren Ann)

Platinum Blonde Life

See more Paris Hilton videos at Funny or Die

I never thought I would say this, but good job Paris Hilton.

(No Doubt)

Anywhere I Lay My Head

It has been a long and difficult journey but the living situations are sorted. The boys were assigned a new room, and apparently it just hasn't shown up on their student records because it is the weekend. ::shrug:: The important thing is that we have homes, in our desired buildings, and just a few rooms apart! Last year Chris and I were at polar opposites of campus, which was soooo not fun in the winter. This also means that we will be next door neighbors with Ashlyn, Hannah, Lela, and Kym! How exciting!

I am so relieved to be in the apartment style housing this year. I will have a kitchen that I only have to share with 3 people, and the bedroom and living room are actually separate rooms! I am so looking forward to counter space, room to store food and dishes, and a regualr sized refrigerator. I can freeze more than just a hot pocket!

The funny thing is that each year I move into a bigger room, but the bathrooms get smaller.

Along the subject of new homes, the girls discovered this little critter today:



Apparently they found this caterpillar who was in the process of making his cocoon when his web broke and they decided to bring him inside. He was fidgeting about with that cocoon for most of the afternoon and evening, as you can see in the photo, but when I came home tonight it looked like he had finally finished it and found the right place to hang it. I wonder what sort of butterfly it will become.


(Scarlet Johansson / Tom Waits)

Time Is Running Out

I simply must tell you the saga of the dorm room, as condensed as I can.
There has been a lot of stress surrounding the dorm room situations this year. This stress began way back during last semester trying to determine who would room together. By May it was finally determined : My room would have Barb, Nancy, & Stephanie; Chris's room would have Adam, Jameson, & Jimmy.

Then July rolled around and we received e-mails saying that housing assignments would be sent out by the end of July. Chris received his room number, but August 1st came and went and I still had none. Then as of yesterday Chris, Jimmy, Adam, Stephanie, Barb & Nancy had all received their housing assignments - IN THE SAME ROOM! Now, Judson is a private Christian school, where we only get to go into the opposite gender's rooms during specific hours, and must abide by strict rules while there, so the idea of a coed living arrangement is definitely not OK.

In between all of these events there has been numerous exchanges of e-mails, much frustration & stress, and of course, too much having to deal with incompetent staff members. Over the course of 4 months, 4 people have not been able to figure this out? Wouldn't be that big of an issue if it wasn't for this schedule:

August 9 - today
August 16 - Nancy moves in
August 21 - Stephanie & Barb move in
August 26 - First day of classes

If it isn't sorted by next Saturday, there will be problems. Oh, and did I mention that the dorm building we are supposed to move into is currently housing a softball team that won't be leaving until after the 19th? It would appear that Chris and Nancy might have to move twice within the next two weeks due to these softball players.

I just want to relax and enjoy the rest of my summer break without having to worry about this.

::sigh:: Well, that said, I have been working on some really fun projects lately!


I'm making my own cookbook and loving how it is coming out.






Also, Ryan and I are moving ahead on our fabulous plush project. His name is Sid, and soon he will be very cuddly, like my telephones.




(Muse)

Different Names For The Same Thing

The suggestion was made to me recently that I should consider changing the name of my business. The person who brought it up definitely had good points, and the experience to know what she is talking about. She worries that people will automatically think of Disney, and that I should try to come up with something more original so that I am not associated with someone else's creativity.

I don't really know where to begin with that, but I welcome your feedback on the subject. If I get a lot of response maybe I can even set up a little poll or something.

(Death Cab For Cutie)