I'M ENGAGED!!!!

Thomas proposed and we're getting married and it's so exciting and feels so right. God is so awesome and we're so blessed to be where we are.

While we're so happy, there's a lot of planning to happen, and there's already been enough conflict. With all that there is to do, including graduating university and finding jobs, we're planning on May 2013. It should make for a nice spring wedding.

I'm sorry I've neglected my journal here. I'm hoping to resurrect my blogging, and perhaps even start a "proper" blog separate from Livejournal. With my degree in English, I'm hoping to go into publishing and editing, and perhaps something with writing, so this could be good practice for a potential career. Part of me loves the idea of becoming a writer while the practical side of me shrinks from the discipline that it might require. I question if I have the passion and drive for it, but I would like to at least keep writing as a hobby.

Needless to say, 2012 is looking to be an exciting year!

Winter Sun II by Philipp Klinger (via Flickr)


I hope you are all having a lovely January. In my corner of the world we have snow which is especially lovely when it decides to stay, blanketing the grounds of my campus. School started too soon for my taste — January 3rd — but I like the new start of January and the relative calm of the beginning of term. ("Relative" since it's easy to become overwhelmed with all the readings, nevermind the midterms and papers that are looming in February and March.)


New layout @ ingenu0us

(Codes by milou_veronica)

One of my goals is to write more, especially in this blog. With that in mind, I first wanted a new look. I had this layout by riseoverrun that I never quite polished up, but I've been looking for a new one for awhile. I finally found the perfect layout made by milou_veronica that I am using now. I think it has a winter-y feel to it, with a punch of colour — especially with the lovely red icon of Amy Pond (made by absofruitly).



January 2011 Desktop Calendar by Christiane Engel

If anyone is looking for a new desktop wallpaper for your computer, I highly recommend these cute calendars made by Christiane Engel. I started using them at the end of last year and she's luckily started anew for 2011! It's a fun way to start each month.


And here's a peek of what I got for Christmas: ( &c.Collapse )

I think I had too much to squish in to one post — and I certainly didn't touch on everything. I have to admit, I've been better at skimming blog entries right now so I assume other people feel the same (therefore — pictures!) Ironically this does nothing for writing, but I will certainly have things to write about.

Again, for those of you sticking with my sporadic entries, I hope you are all enjoying the start to 2011!

I've been meaning to do this for awhile now, but at least I'm posting before fall is over! I think fall is one of my favourite seasons. It's hard to compete with summer — warm sunshine and no schoolwork — but otherwise fall would be my top pick, I think. I've been enjoying it more this year — the colours of the leaves around campus are gorgeous, and I love the transition to sweater-weather before it gets too cold. (Here in Canada we enjoy the nice weather when we can get it!)

On another note, I've enjoyed reading various blogs that I've found. Most of them are design blogs with a wide area of interest — designing whole rooms to small inspiration pieces, craft tutorials, gardening tips, recipes... Everything is so pretty! So I thought I'd make my own list of fall inspiration for you to enjoy.


Autumn Dancing, a Fine Art Photograph by JudyStalus


( &c.Collapse )


School is getting busy. I've been doing a lot of reflecting and self-analyzing over the summer (since it wasn't the "break" I was hoping for) and I'm trying to find a balance in my life right now. I sort of see why I am like I am, but I'm not so great at the changing my way of thinking. I keep thinking of that verse written by Paul in the New Testament (Romans?) about "being transformed by the renewing of your mind" which is exactly what I need...

You'd think I've been crazy busy with my lack of attention to Livejournal — specifically, writing in my own. The sad thing is that the summer is almost 3/4 over for me (maybe not quite) and I feel like I've done nothing. It's rather depressing.

Just this past week I underwent the "coming of age" ritual of having my wisdom teeth removed. Last February is when the dentist caught that the bottom teeth were growing in crooked, so summer seemed like a good time to have them out. I'm glad to get it over with, especially because I didn't want to wait for them to cause me pain, but it's all been... a pain. I hate surgery and I've had more than my fair share! Everything went well but my mouth is still sore. It feels like I've got a bunch of cankers now, though it's probably just the healing process.

And because I'd like to leave you with something interesting.... Jenny & Tyler!

"For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven... God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart.."
Ecclesiastes 3:1,11a (NLT)

I'm afraid I'm finding it very hard to enjoy the here-and-now and it's making me a little miserable. How does one keep perspective in the midst of midterms and papers and exams? Sometimes I wish I could skip the next couple of years... though I know I have a lot of learning to do during them.

Random updates! We'll see how this goes.

I'm slowly transitioning back into work. It's mostly good since I have a tendency of turning into a couch potato at if I'm left at home. Why is it I never have energy no matter how much or little I sleep? Anyway, it'll be good to be in a routine — except that I wish I was getting more hours at the daycare. I'm only working there five days this month, so it's back to the farmer's market for me! Seriously, I can't escape that place, but it's nice to work with my mom, and I'm really grateful I have any kind of job at all right now.

I need the money! I definitely bought those two Penguin Classics books that I posted about previously. I had to hold myself back from getting them all, but I did decide (and it wasn't a hard choice) on Sense & Sensibility and Jane Eyre. Next, maybe Tess of the D'Urbervilles, Wuthering Heights... eventually Pride & Prejudice of course. I'm so excited to even have the two considering I thought they were lost to me forever! Seriously these are the top "collector's items" to me, methinks.

With moving back home, I've been organizing my room a bit and upping the decorative style. (This is, of course, completely coincidental with my deepening obsession interest in design blogs and shows.) Unfortunately I can't do as much as I'd like with my bedroom because it is partly a storage space for my dad's stuff. My family has always been poor at living "lightly" and now that Dad has moved his office home, there's even more random stuff. Like two or three old computer monitors that, really, no one is going to use. Anyway I've still made progress and I love the little touches that at least I can see. Pictures to come (if only to show off my lovely books and other favourite things). I found a handkerchief that my mom embroidered and put it in a cream frame that has been sitting on my desk (empty) for years. It looks really cute! And I've moved my Grandma's Royal Daulton figurine to a place of prominence on the end of my display shelves where it stands out. I always loved her "girls" and she gave this one especially to me. (Her name is "Heather" — lovely.) It was given in secret, sort of... so that makes her even more special.

Click here for an awesome review of Twilight (the books).

When someone reads Twilight, it is the literary equivalent of eating a circus peanut. There is nothing there but pure guilty indulgence. You want drama, you want sex (but we're Mormons here so its very tame...err...did someone just hear a headboard crack?) and you don't want anything to get between them and you. Especially not big words or fancy, thought-provoking ideas.

Now I don't mean this to be offending — just interesting. And possibly entertaining. ;)

soteria recommended singer Lisa Hannigan. She's got such a pretty, natural voice and whimsical style. Check out her MySpace!

That's all for now... I'm watching Grey's Anatomy. Who the heck goes to work — especially at a hospital — on their wedding day?!

Tags: books, journal, journal: work

New layout! ingenu0us

It's by minty_peach again — I love the pretty simplicity of her layouts. I've also used one her userinfo codes. I just replaced blue with green, and I love how it matches so well with this picture. It feels wintery to me. Not in an outside snowy kind of way, but a cozy up by the fire in your favourite knitted things way.

I've had so many things to post about that I think you'd find interesting but I never know where to start and I never have the energy. That sounds silly but lately — especially today — I haven't felt like doing anything. There's almost an anxiety, a looking forward to something good that's coming. Logically it's silly, because I don't have much to do and I can take the time to do some fun things right now but I don't know what to do, let alone what I feel like doing.

That being said, I'm staying at school this weekend and my good friend from camp is coming for a sleepover on Friday! So I am looking forward to that. The problem is this week is rolling by so slowly...

Christmas:
- Busy Christmas Day with my family Christmas, then my dad's family's Christmas, and my mom's family Christmas on Boxing Day
- Thomas was with me this Christmas — he didn't go home to England — so it was different but nice
- Had two retreats at camp (the same camp I work at) which were fun
- Lots of good presents, one of my favourites being the "Sleeping Beauty" DVD!

School:
- Only taking four courses instead of five because I never got into the writing course I was trying to take, but I'm not too disappointed 'cause I don't want to write right now anyway
- I'm taking two religion courses and in philosophy we're debating the existence of God, so my classes are exhausting emotionally as I argue in my head, and attempt at saying things aloud in philosophy
- The new course on "Paul" is frustrating as the prof exaggerates the problems with the Bible as a copied manuscripts and says that Paul's letters were only for certain groups at certain times. (Like we can't get anything out of them? They're no less true or valid! It's like giving advice to a friend — the letter could help others even if they're not in the exact situation, and the truth won't change in a few years.)

Me = terrible at posting. I read my friends list regularly but there's not much to post about. :S

Right now life is probably about the same for me as it is for a lot of you — craziness it finishing up university term work and finals, and getting ready for Christmas. I'm so excited, though! I finally get to go and stay home this week. An entire week in my home bed — ah, luxury. :D

Not that I've been away from home lots. I've been home practically every weekend, so I can't complain. Still, I'm so glad for the break from school and this campus. I love it here, but it's small and I don't get out much, and break = very good.

As of this morning I'm done my crazy week of tests and papers. I'm halfway finished my courses for the term. Now I only have my writing assignments to hand in in a couple of days (speaking of which, anyone feel like looking them over if I post? Maybe I will. At the very least you might be interested in my short non-fiction stories about me, haha) — as well as my two exams on the 15th and 16th, Judaism and Greek Mythology respectively. I have to admit, I'll be sad to be finished those courses. They've been interesting.

BUT YAY I'M ALMOST DONE MY FIRST TERM OF UNIVERSITY, I'LL HAVE A FULL 1.5 CREDITS, AND CHRISTMAS IS ALMOST HERE!

I still have so much to do. I've made some homemade Christmas cards, but nowhere near enough for all the people I want to send them to. I also have to get presents for everyone. I've got most of my mom's, but I still want to get her one other thing. Everyone else in my family is elusive about what they want. Except Bryan — all he wants is "The Lion King II: Simba's Pride." Of course, Disney is stupid and it's not in stores. :S Any suggestions? Any tips for Ebay/etc?

In other exciting news: Fiction Family has released their first single! And their CD is being released January 20th!!!!

Who are Fiction Family, you ask? None other than Jon Foreman from Switchfoot and Sean Watkins from Nickel Creek. What could be more amazing than that? I've been looking forward to this for ages, back when they only had a "coming soon" website. You can go to their website now to get a free download of their song "When She's Near." It's really sweet and catchy. I've listened to it at least ten times since yesterday.

I just bought my first songs from iTunes, which is a little intimidating, heehee. I don't like buying virtual songs, because if I pay the money I want to have a physical object, you know? Plus iTunes is so strict with where you can play songs, but anyway... Bethany Joy Galeotti has been releasing so many great songs, but unfortunately, they're only mp3-released. It's only $1 a song, plus I want to support her (and help her get a flipping record deal, come on, people!) so I got the duet "I Want Something That I Want" she sang with Grace Potter. (I also got the other Grace Potter song for the full "album".) Bethany's got the most amazingly pretty, natural, full voice. I honestly can't wait 'til she makes a real CD that I can go out and buy and physically have. I hope it happens soon.

Hope you're all doing well! Have a great holiday season and don't get too stressed. ;)

Thank you all soooo much for your best wishes on Friday. :D They must have worked because I am now an officially licensed driver!! It's so exciting. Unfortunately I can't get insurance 'til tomorrow so technically I can't drive at the moment... I still have to take my first drive by myself! Strangely this all makes me want to drive more, haha.

AHHH. So we'll see how that goes. I think it could go either way, really, which is saying something for the relatively little time I've practised, and that last week or so I would have said I would fail. But yeah — I'm going to go and do my best, and if I fail, I'll at least know what I should work on for next time.

After that, I'm going to spend the weekend with my grandma. (Wow, I started writing "grandpa" with that...) My aunt and uncle are going away for the weekend so they don't want her left alone. It will be nice to have a quiet visit. :) We mostly read, heehee. And maybe we'll watch one of my period dramas...

(P.S. I know it looks kind of creepy, but I just love this P&P icon! The blue is so pretty, and I love the unique blending... Made by burymyregret @ watered_faith)