Bouquets of Sharpened Pencils

i heart school supplies. 

 

 

I know, sounds weird, but the writer and designer in me LOVES freshly sharpened Ticonderoga pencils, RoseArt colored pencils, a new box of Crayola crayons, clean college-ruled notebooks and rainbows of highlighters. The combination of these supplies just screams out for creativity!!

 

To me back-to-school wasn't said with dread, it was an exciting opportunity to find that new backpack and stuff it full of new supplies. When I was in elementary school the school that I attended had a teacher meet-and-greet night where we got to go with our parents and meet our teachers, and take all of our supplies and put them in our desk. I loved that chance to put all of my new, shiny supplies in my desk. I'm sure I was a bit OCD about it-each item had its place, in order of need and accessibility. Every now and then throughout the school year the teacher would announce that it was time to clean out and organize our desks!! I LOVED this day! It meant the opportunity to re-organize (did I mention I'm a bit of an organization freak?), and to rearrange (and obsessive about shows like HGTV Design Star?). Perhaps my OCD for organization actually just grew from my love of school supplies? As I grew into high school I would spend an ample amount of time putting my notebooks in binders, or labeling all of my notebooks for their specific class usage, putting my pencils and pens and erasers and TI85 calculator in its respected pocket in my backpack and locker. 

 

Another weird quirk is that I love to study. I love to pour over writing out notes-there's an art to handwriting, and I loved filling notebooks full of notes in an attempt to perfect my handwriting over the years. I think that the love of studying is a marriage between my love of all things having to do with school supplies and the using of said supplies. Perhaps it's just me, but I knew I could remember that random biology fact for the test if I just used that pink highlighter! And that attitude still hasn't changed since my days of schooling. Is it just me, or is the message of a note on a post-it somehow communicated more clearly with bright Sharpie markers as opposed to the everyday black ink pen? Is it just me, or is it boring to resharpen a dull pencil than to use a fresh crisp-tipped one straight from the package, because we all know that our sharpest thoughts come from the pencils with the sharpest tips(!), with full eraser life still intact? Is it just me, or is a new blank journal, preferably with some amazing graphic pattern or soothing and serene organic cover, more inviting to journal in, just begging to be filled with thoughts, sayings, verses, inspirations and quotes than one of the other old and worn out journals? I swear I can save money on the grocery bill if I write my grocery list on a brightly designed 3" x 7" piece of magenta lined paper with happy little orange and aqua watermark swirls than on an average piece of torn out notebook paper! (I confess by the way that as a musician, I have been known to use staff paper for grocery lists!). 

 

Even still when I make that "quick" (let's face it, it's NEVER a quick one) run into Target, I find myself perusing the notebook aisle. The other day I was in Target looking for a binder to organize some music lesson activities for a new piano student, and found myself gazing at this really cool graphically designed three ring binder. My mind started spinning about just what I could organize to put in it, the hours I would spend neatly handwriting or designing and printing the possible contents for a clean and organized final product. I already had a binder for recipes, for gift ideas, for general craft and sewing project ideas. Hmm...what to use that binder for??? But then I realized that I didn't have a NEED for that fun bittersweet orange and burnt red ornamented and paisley binder...even though it's beauty and organizing ability beckoned me, I just couldn't think of a need deserving enough to spend money on it :(. It would have to wait for another project at another time. 

 

I think what my husband has yet to learn about me is that for reasons unknown to me, other than my love of writing and design, is that I would be more excited about a bouquet of sharpened colored pencils and a sketch book, or a new journal and set of Ticonderoga pencils than a bouquet of red roses and a Hallmark card :)...

 

 

Hey there, missed you!

Ah, my classical music, how I have missed you. How I didn't realize how great it felt to soak you in today and listen to your every note! So I used to think Spring was my favorite Vivaldi Season, but after listening to Winter...it's a tight competition. I love how Winter just feels like it's a snow storm hitting, then slowly melting away, the strings so short and sweet, almost like that bite of frigid air against skin. 

 

I've realized lately how I'd like Isaac to listen to more classical music with me, and when I put on Vivaldi, he absolutely LOVED it! He started giggling and moving around, 'dancing' so to speak! 

 

Having been a music major for nearly 3.5 semesters, I'm realizing that although my passion now is graphic design and photography, that music, those melody lines, the movements...it's still in my blood. When I go back and listen to classical (or Baroque, or Romantic, or Renaissance...the list goes on), I can feel it again. IT. The music. It's still alive in me, and I love that! I love that even though I don't have time to play {piano} as much these days, merely teaching lessons but not learning new pieces/playing the old ones I learned to love {and hate as well at times}, that I can still just listen and enjoy. 

 

He was right, Dr. Brown, my old college piano professor who, when I sat him down and told him I was switching my major to communications, looked at me directly in the eye and said words that still ring true to this day, "Jodie, you will ALWAYS come back to music. No matter what you do, what your degree is, what you will learn, you will ALWAYS come back to music." And he was right. 

Hey there, missed you!

Ah, my classical music, how I have missed you. How I didn't realize how great it felt to soak you in today and listen to your every note! So I used to think Spring was my favorite Vivaldi Season, but after listening to Winter...it's a tight competition. I love how Winter just feels like it's a snow storm hitting, then slowly melting away, the strings so short and sweet, almost like that bite of frigid air against skin. 

 

I've realized lately how I'd like Isaac to listen to more classical music with me, and when I put on Vivaldi, he absolutely LOVED it! He started giggling and moving around, 'dancing' so to speak! 

 

Having been a music major for nearly 3.5 semesters, I'm realizing that although my passion now is graphic design and photography, that music, those melody lines, the movements...it's still in my blood. When I go back and listen to classical (or Baroque, or Romantic, or Renaissance...the list goes on), I can feel it again. IT. The music. It's still alive in me, and I love that! I love that even though I don't have time to play {piano} as much these days, merely teaching lessons but not learning new pieces/playing the old ones I learned to love {and hate as well at times}, that I can still just listen and enjoy. 

 

He was right, Dr. Brown, my old college piano professor who, when I sat him down and told him I was switching my major to communications, looked at me directly in the eye and said words that still ring true to this day, "Jodie, you will ALWAYS come back to music. No matter what you do, what your degree is, what you will learn, you will ALWAYS come back to music." And he was right. 

Pretty Sure This Isn't a Good Sign...

cleaned out the fridge a little while ago...

and found something disturbing...

a can of Squirt left over from last summer

when I was constantly craving them while preggers with Isaac,

until my cravings suddenly changed and I haven't

had a single one since about last August...

which means this...is REALLY old...

and apparently about to burst.

LiFe...

Seems like forever ago that I last posted. It's been a crazy roller-coaster of the last couple months. I've been debating even blogging again simply because I feel so far behind on it that I'm not sure exactly how to catch up. 

 

I think the most important thing I should do first is thank everyone for their prayers, words of encouragement and love regarding Alan's dear uncle who passed away the day after my last post. His uncle meant so much to us, and was loved by so many, and although he hadn't been doing well because of cancer, we were all shocked at how quickly it took him, but we are resting in the hope of heaven right now and knowing that his uncle is in Glory with our Lord. 

 

I think everything that happened with his uncle's passing has caused us to kind of stop and take everything in...take a deep breath of life and know just how precious every day, every minute, every moment really is, and to try to soak them up as best we can. And it's also reminded us of not just a reminder that we need to live life, but Who we're living it for. Are we living for us, for ourselves, selfishly, or are we living for the Lord? Are we continually scheduling this and that and filling up our days with mundane tasks and appointments, or are we making time for the important things-for relationships with each other, with our friends, with our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ and for those who are still seeking Him? 

 

I could spend this {re}entry into the blogging world catching up on all the activities and things that have happened in the last two months, but instead I'm just going to leave it at this...to let us all ponder just how precious life is, and to let it be a reminder that every day, every second is a gift from God and we are to cherish it and use this time wisely.

To Quilt, Or Not To Quilt

For my birthday/Christmas I got a new sewing machine from my mom. I previously had my grandmother's machine, though it is now in bad shape and in need of enough repairs that it was cheaper to get a new machine, which is exactly what my mom did! :)

I've been itching for awhile to start a new project, but am tired of scrapbooking, have no desire to learn knitting or crocheting (sp???), can't really have a garden at this place, and want a project that will be challenging and rewarding. 

On a previous post this week I posted pictures of the new $5 garage sale find quilt rack that I repainted. It got me thinking about my grandmother's quilt, and great-grandmother's quilts that hang on it now. My grandmother LOVED to quilt and sew, and was involved in a quilting group at her church for many years. She made enough quilts (and one for each granddaughter) that at her funeral they were draped over all the pews/benches. There is a legacy in her quilts...something I'd love to attempt to protect and preserve. 

Since we just got this new table (garage sale find!!!) that means our old one can be used for projects downstairs. Spare table + new sewing machine + itching for a new project that'll take me awhile = to quilt or not to quilt???

...I'll keep you posted on my decision ;)...

Memorial Day & Other Pics

This year for Memorial Day we did something new-we went on our first family picnic out to Tuttle Creek and relaxed by the lake (...er, uh, creek?). That evening we headed to the Weddle's for an evening of games and BBQ'ing fun!

looking cool, dude, but the lake is the other direction :)

chillin' in my lazyboy while mommy and daddy read. i LOVED watching the wind in the trees!

Go Salome!!!!

Yeah, I get all the attention ;). More cute pics of me:

Like father....like son.

All the essentials for a full day's work.

my gang and i ;)