Le Happy

sunflowers

tree houses

old cameras

butterscotch

milkshakes

Autumn leaves

sparkles

the smell of bread in the oven

sprinting across the finish line

uglydolls

my camera, Hobart

star gazing

art museums

black and white photos

picnicks

tacos

converse

today

{P.S. I got my camera charger today and it is charging THIS VERY MOMENT!!! I can't express my happiness! To celebrate, I'm going to go on a photoshoot when it is fully charged. :))}

A Book, A Dress and A Blog Header

I'm reading: Enchantment, a biography about Audrey Hepburn... :))

I'm wearing: this adorable (!!) dress I bought yesterday.  Hooray for Plato's Closet!

And I'm excited about: my new blog header! I finally put it together. What do you think of it? I'd love to know! Drop me a comment if you will. :)

Much Love,

Lou

Finally...

Hi, lovelies! Well, I have basically no time to write, but I just wanted to let you know that Lib and I finally posted on our blog! We'd love it if you'd check it out! So I guess, just take that as what I would've posted about today. :) (oh, and by the way, I'm Toots)

Much Love,

Lou

Beautiful People {September}

Hello again! I'm back for Beautiful People! I haven't found a good photo to describe Aurelia yet, but I'm working on it.

1. Do they have any habits, annoying or otherwise? Daydreaming. When she's supposed to be paying attention, she's usually writing a story, getting lost in her imagination, or putting herself in a fairytale.

2. What is their backstory and how does it affect them now? She was born in Montana but moved to Scotland when she was three. Now they live in a small, cute house with five siblings. Her dad was an olympic runner and her mother is a fantastic cook. She has five siblings. She lives in a tiny attic room, furnished with the quaintest, most adorable, and yet simple pieces. It is a v e r y inspiring place. As a child she hardly spoke and had trouble making friends. Most people stared and giggled, but didn't talk to her. The one girl she thought she could trust betrayed her. Because of all of this she tended to be cautious about who she was open with, or even talked to. This was when she started writing. She could create people and stories that were perfect; imagine herself in a place where she couldn't be hurt, where she could find love. She also had a love for animals because they couldn't turn their back on her.

3. How do they show love? Mostly through words. Sweet looks through her gray-blue eyes. And sometimes simple sketches that express the way she feels.

4. How competitive are they? Not very. Aurelia is quiet and introverted; she rarely shows her true colors around even her best friends.

5. What do they think about when nothing else is going on? She daydreams about her prince charming and new story ideas. She is NOT afraid to dream about a fairytale love story, even if she rarely shows her feelings to boys and is careful about letting herself fall into anything.

6. Do they have an accent? Yes, Scottish!

8. What do others expect from them? Her siblings expect what they've lived with for years, her parents expect perfection, and her friends expect something magical.

9. Where were they born, and when? Montana, 1990. She moved to Scotland when she was three.

10. How do they feel about people in general? There are certain people she absolutely loves being around, but otherwise, she could take them or leave them. However, when she meets someone enchanting (such as a prospective prince charming) she is enthralled to be around him.

There you have it! Sooo, I think I was kinda supposed to do these on different characters, but I'm falling in love with Aurelia Katherine so I'm going to continue with her until I am content. :)

Have a lovely night!

Much Love and a hug!

Lindsey Lou

{P.S. I ordered my charger and IT IS IN THE MAIL!!!!! :DDDD sorry. I can't contain my excitement. I think I've told everyone I've seen about this. :)}

{P.P.S. I had pumpkin pancakes with chocolate chips and pears for dinnah! (The pears weren't in the pancakes, just FYI)}

{P.P.P.S. I hope you have absolutely lovely dreams tonight! Maybe with... friendly dragons, cotton candy clouds and your prince charming!! :))}

{P.P.P.P.S. (last one, I promise!!) I thought about "coming out" like Jocee, but I don't think I'm ready for that yet. Maybe later.}

{Lately Lovely}

Good afternoon, lovelies! I thought I'd share with you some of the beautiful things I've been seeing lately!

Sunny morning sunflowers at the Farmer's Market

This adorable Dorothy necklace

This cupcake necklace! I thought of you, Jocee, when I saw it!

Some magical bokeh. I've been falling in love with Weheartit ever since I discovered it!!

Balloons. In case you didn't know, they are on my 'happy list'. I love 'em!

This dress! And that lovely model. I did a fashion sketch of this yesterday (and no, I will NOT be posting it... :P) and when you look at something for over an hour, you realize how much you either like or don't like it. I liked this. A lot.

And lastly, this absolutely amazingly cute adorable vintage bike. I considered stealing it... but then I decided that might not be such a good idea. ;)

Well, thanks for reading! I hope you have a great rest of your weekend- filled with yummy food, cool breezes, rustling leaves, family time, and a good book!

Love and many hugs to you!!!

Lindsey Lou hoo

{P.S. I tried to make the photos bigger. This is as big as I could make them- hope it's okay!}

Beautiful People- August

This is an idea I saw on Jocee's blog that came from Georgie. Basically, if I understand it correctly, I'm just going to be sharing with you about a character I created by answering questions given to me about her. Note: this character does not necessarily resemble me. In fact, this character may be very different from me... I'm not exactly sure yet. :) So, let's get going! But before we start, I suppose I should tell you her name. Yes, that would be a good idea. Her name is Aurelia Katherine. Aurelia means "golden" and Katherine means "pure".

1. What is their biggest accomplishment? When she was thirteen, she won a National Young Writers competition- first in her age category.

2. What is their strongest childhood memory? Packing up her quill pen and ink (she preferred classic pens rather than those fake, plastic ones), freshly baked honey cakes, and her ragged old sweater into her rucksack, then sneaking off to her favorite place in the woods to write. It was a perfect fallen log, enclosed on one side by the shadows of the trees on the creek bank, and facing a wide, open field on the other.

3. What is their favorite food? Without a doubt, pumpkin pancakes.

4. Do they believe in love at first sight? Yes. Aurie Kate is a dreamy romantic, with her head in the clouds at all times. But while she does believe in it, she rarely lets her feelings show. In stead, she runs away with everything in her head and dreams about love until she is sure of it so she

5. What kind of home do they live in? A small, homey farmhouse on the edge of the country, always filled with music, laughter and the aroma of something in the oven. Hot in the summer, cold in the winter, but always warmed by a wood stove.

6. What do they like to wear? Usually quaint dresses, bootcut jeans, and sweaters galore.

7. What would they do if they discovered they were dying? Aurelia would busy herself with finishing her latest novel, spend as much time with her closest friends as she could, and write a letter to everyone who meant something to her.

8. What kind of holidays, or traditions do they celebrate? Celebrations with no national date on the calendar are her favourite. Christmas is a given. During Christmastime, her house is filled with red velvet bows, wreaths made by her mother, cakes and pies, homemade ornaments, presents wrapped with brown paper and ribbons, carols being sung constantly, and the studying and retelling of the story of Christmas in the evenings.

9. What do your other characters have to say about them? Most of my other characters would say that Aurie is entrancing. Lovely. Delightful. Unique. Aurie is not loud and obnoxious, but she has a magical way of catching your attention. Although she is not a typical kind of model gorgeous, she is the kind of pretty that makes you stop and stare, look into her blue-grey eyes, study her every unique, intricate feature, and stay awake all night, trying to find the key to this beautiful mystery. That is just what she is. A beautiful mystery. Her mysteriousness is what makes her so special. She isn't the girl who is so desperate that she gives her heart away. She doesn't care what people think. She holds her secrets close. And when she is finally sure of love, she wades her way into it, being careful until she is sure that she can trust her lover.

10. If they could change one thing in their world, what would it be? She would change two things. Is that legal? I'm going to say it is. First, she would renew a love of classic literature. And second, she would share the gospel and God's love to the whole world.

Well, there you have it, folks! This was very enjoyable- more than I thought it would be. If I can find an accurate photo, I will post it soon! Thank you for reading!

Love and a hug you all!!

Lindsey Lou

A Lovely Breakfast Picnic

Hi, all! Sorry I haven't posted in a while! Here are just a few of the picnic photos I promised. Unfortunately, they didn't turn out quite as I had hoped, but here they are, nevertheless.

{pee ess: Jocee, I couldn't make them any bigger...? Help!}

The Outtakes! final take {fourteen}

Hi, all! I have very little time to write, but I needed to finish the outtakes!

Sonya, her mom, sister and little brother were here today! Today's events included:

-making cards in my studio

-packing a picnic lunch and eating it at a park downtown

-heading to a sunflower field (and taking LOTS of pictures)! (I'll post them soon)

-eating some yumlicious pioneer woman lasagna

-making zucchini bars (which were AMAZING)!!

-and finishing off the night with a movie.

Well, It's been great doing the outtakes and I hope you have enjoyed them!

Much Love and a hug to you all!!

Lindsey Lou

{P.S. Coming in the near future: my bucket list, 'If I was', and many more!!}

The outtakes. {takes eleven, twelve and thirteen}

Good evening, lovelies! Right now my hair is messy and windblown, my stomach is full but unsatisfied, and my heart is a little sore. And I am behind on the outtakes. Sorry about that! I have had a very busy weekend! Well, I have had a few adventures over the past three days, so I'll try to sum them up as eloquently as possible for the time I have to write.

Friday: Our friends came, as I said, and we had the most enchanting breakfast picnic yet! It included a classic picnic basket with red and white gingham liner, white and blue plates, classic 70s mugs, pumpkin-chocolate chip muffins, donuts, hot apple cider, and fruit. I don't have the pictures ready yet, but I'll put them up when I do! Painting class was good, and then I went to a friends house to hang out until evening.

Saturday: I slept in to catch up from loss of sleep on friday... it was much needed. Cleaning, errands, and playing with my new glittery sparkles!!! I have been wanting them for a while and I just picked them up: 30 different colors!! :D They certainly make me happy. In the evening Libby and I went out to the country to babysit, then spent the night and went to church with the family in the morning. It was eventful and exciting... I got spat upon and went to sleep smelling like barf. So lovely. quote of the day:

me: I smell like barf.

Libby: does it smell like bad barf?

me: I smell like baby barf.

Libby: oh, well at least it's not human barf.

See, we weren't babysitting any normal children; they were robots. ;)

Today we went to Sunday School, then helped set up for a lunch at our church. I watched some little children... again and they were a d o r a b l e. And wow, my cat is sitting on my lap between my belly and the keys on this laptop, making it extremely hard to type! Where was I? Oh yes, adorable children. This afternoon I had smallgroups and saw a bunch of friends. Well, this was all very blandly-written. I'm sorry. Tiredness is sweeping over me and making me unable to think clearly. Oh, and I said my heart was sore. Just a bit. The anger I was experiencing is sadness and confusion again. I will survive just fine. I don't cry or get super mopey, I just think (or overthink) things and end up getting hurt, trying to re-live the past. I'm not going to ramble any more than I have right now. I'll move on to something a little more cheerful.

I forgot to say that on Saturday I also went sunflower picking! Here are a few of my pics:

Right now Sonya is on her way to see us! Yay! I'm very excited and still need to un-pack from last night before she gets here!

Much Love and a hug to y'all!!

Toots

{pee ess: I mentioned windblown hair at the beginning and it probably sounded like a negative thing, but it's not. I love windblown hair.}

The outtakes {take ten!}

Good afternoon, lovelies!! Today is a beautiful day!!! I just got back from a heavenly, brisk walk with my dog, Penny. There's nothing like coming back with nice, rosy cheeks. And the smell. The smell is the most lovely thing

after waiting all year for it to come back around.

My day? Here goes! I woke up at 5, spit out my retainers for some reason, and slept until about seven thirty. When I woke up at five, I realized that it was, in fact, cold. Yes, cold. The chilling air spilled into my room and it felt exhilarating. I realized that it's that time of year again when I need to wear jackets and sweaters in stead of just dreaming about it. I realized that colorful leaves and pumpkins are soon to come. And I realized that hot cider, orchard apples, and bonfires are so close that I can almost smell them. And when I woke up, it was one of those days where you want to curl up in a blanket with a hot drink and a book. So that is exactly what I did. Libby made me some delicious hot chocolate in my favorite mug (with sprinkles!!), and I read my Bible on the couch as I sipped it, savoring every last drop. Everything was so peaceful, it was almost too good to be true.

Well it was too good to stay completely perfect for too long. Sure enough, my puppy came down with something in her mouth and Libby announced, sounding amused, "Lindsey, she ate your retainer!". I thought she was kidding, but unfortunately that wasn't the case. It was beyond repair. As you can see:

As the rest of the day continued, I rushed off to biology with Rosie, reviewed for our test, headed to drama, went to the orthodontist to get an impression made for a new retainer, and came home after all that. My mom took Libster to ballet and went to the gym, herself, so I got entrusted to help in the kitchen. Baked beans, the dishwasher, and walking the dog (yes, I know that doesn't happen in the kitchen :). Tonight my friend, Adelle is coming over to spend the night (on a school night! :0) because her parents are going to Hawaii on a business trip. I'm kind of uber excited!! I think we may go on a breakfast picnic (a new tradition of ours).

Well, since sloppy joes, one of my f a v o r i t e foods on the planet are waiting for me in the kitchen, I'd better go grab one! But here is one more photo for ya! (Yep, that's Libby, the little ballerina!) Sorry it's not great! I just saw her sitting there and had an impulse to snap this picture.

much Love a hug to every one of you!

Yours as ever,

Everest

{pee ess: I am really missing Hobie (my camera) right now!! It has been too long!!!!}

Le Outtakes {take nine}

Hello, everybody! Happy Wednesday! Here comes my day, full and unedited.

It began with my sister leaping onto my bed and announcing that it was... morning. As you can imagine, I was very thankful because I knew there was no way I could have figured that out myself. Then I neglected to read my Bible. A very bad decision, as it always is. School was as usual, except with some Big Band radio on Pandora today! It makes me want to go back to 1940, become a dancer and singer, and then return to 2011 after a week or two. During piano practice I yelled at my sister. Yes, I told you this was unedited. See, patience is a virtue. A virtue that I don't really possess. I try and I do my best, but sometimes I just lose it.

History class came around and I got to see Habu, Liz and Sophi. Yay! A little socialization is always refreshing after being home all day.

The afternoon came and I broke down for a ten-minute period of time. I'm just kind of feeling the weight of something and don't know what I am supposed to do. I can't say what's going on, but just pray for me and this situation. The situation more than me for sure!

My mom, Libby and I got to go to Bodypump at the gym this afternoon. It was lovely! Oh, and for those of you who don't know, Bodypump is a weight class at my gym that I LOVE!!! I realized as I was burning through some squats, that any remaining anger, hurt, or strong feelings emerge when I pump. They come back to me in a wave of overwhelming emotion, as if I need to deal with them or get rid of some problem, even if I thought it was dealt with already. There is one *person* in particular that I am feeling anger towards, while at the same time missing incredibly, wanting to ignore, mentally punch, yell at, run away from and bolt back to, all at the same time. I thought I had dealt with this, but I didn't. I had my ten minutes of anger, a few days of pondering, and then I tucked it away somewhere and tried to forget about it. I put it away; I shelved my feelings, but I didn't really do anything about it. What can I do, though? I'll figure that out soon enough, I guess.

After showering, which was painful because of my blisters, I fishtail braided my hair. And no, they are not perfect. They are perfectly imperfect. It was the two-miniute version because I thought we were watching FRINGE as a family. That didnt' pan out. Oh well.

Here are my perfectly imperfect braids:

They don't really look like they're supposed to because my hair is so thick, but I'll have to work on it. Oh, and by the way, don't get worried that it will look like this if I ask to braid your hair. :) I can do better! ;)

Anyway, I'd better be off to grab some chai tea! Libby has been saying every five minutes "come on Lindsey, let's go!", so I think I'd better go now. Blogging always takes longer than I expect.

One thing before I go. Check out these awesome fall magazines! I know it's still a bit early for this stuff, but I couldn't resist. :) (we found them at the library today!)

Much Love and a hug to you all!!

xoxoxo

Lindsey lou <3

The outtakes! {take eight}

Hola, darlings! I hope your day was simply lovely. :) Mine was close to that.

After awaking from a dream about Justin Bieber in which I was about to be the 'one less lonely girl' in his concert, I hit the books and got rolling on school. Oh, and last night was the night that the moon was full and the moonbeams fell across my bed, landing on my eyelids. So lovely. It was a relatively swift day of school, and enjoyable enough. Drama rehearsals were nice, and being a unicorn was... interesting.

Following rehearsals, I went to choir for the first day, with my friend Savannah. Oh, and it's her 15th birthday today. Happy Birthday, Savannah!! Choir practice was certainly a challenge. I was there with at least 50 college students, and having forgotten how to properly do solfege, (I don't think that's spelled right) I was just a little bit lost. I know it will be a great experience, though.

This evening I worked on raking the yard merrily. I couldn't bring out my music, but after about 15 minutes, I realized, "oh, I suppose I could sing", and I did. "The Sound of Music", "Annie", and anything else you can imagine. I also began acting as if I was Jo March, just in case Little Women is an option for a play sometime in the future. :) My mother told me to wear gloves when raking... and I forgot. So I now have some lovely blisters all over my hands.

I've been incredibly tired lately, so I think I'm going to go read, catch up on some letter-writing, and hit the hay soon. Oh, and Sonya, be expecting a letter sometime soon! One quote before I leave, though.

"This above all; to thine own self be true,

And it must follow, as the night the day,

Thou canst not then be false to any man."

-William Shakespeare

Love to you all!

Lou

{P.S. Here are a couple random photos for you.}

Yes, those are my feetsies. And yes, that is my roof. :))

The outtakes {take seven!}

Good evening, lovelies!! Ah, it feels so good to plop down and start clicking away on these keys, revealing my days' happenings to y'all! :)

Well this is day seven, so I guess we're halfway through this! yayayay! Today was... well, a little bit s l o t h i s h. Okay, okay, v e r y s l o t h i s h. I was quite tired so school took a while to complete, but the end did come eventually. I got all the way to the heel on my sock! yay! see:

so happy about that! before I left to go to the gym (where I spent 20 minutes on a bike, reading 'Audrey Hepburn: A Star Danced', and a bit doing weights), this is what I saw my cat doing:

apparently, Libby's wardrobe is her new favorite napping place. :)

Okay, this is a photo I found in the book I mentioned above. Fun fact: Audrey Hepburn had a pet faun! I couldn't believe it! It's kind of funny, she's just in the grocery store getting some graham crackers and she brought her lovely little deer with her! Imagine if you saw someone with a pet deer in the grocery today!! I don't think it would happen...

tacos were for dinner... yum. Mexican food is my favorite food...pretty much ever. Hence, I have it all the time... one time I even had a quesadilla for breakfast. :)

Anywho, this is the evening view from... my roof! I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but I. love. my. roof. It is my great escape. The place I go to dream. To think. To watch the stars. To relive old memories. To cry. And to take pictures of beautiful sunsets... like this one:

...and pictures of me introducing this lovely place to you. :) Yes, yes, I know it's blurry. It's supposed to be that way. ;) Besides, I kind of like how it's focused on the shingles.

Well, I told my sister that we would post on our blog. But it may be completely blank, or just have one post when you read this, so don't be disappointed. :)) However, you could check out our profile because we at least got started on that.

Oh, one thing before I go: Proverbs 19:11 "A man's wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense."

Isn't that a good reminder? It's a good reminder for me, at least. I've been needing patience lately :)

Well, goodnight, lovelies!! Thank you for reading!!

Love and a hug,

Lindsey lou

a.k.a. the rooftop girl :)

{P.S. have a lovely day (or night)! And if night's the case, have lovely dreams! Maybe something with cotton candy, sparkles, and neverland. :))}

The outtakes. {takes four, five and six.}

Hello, dearies! I'm sorry that I didn't post on friday... or saturday. But at least I'm posting today! The weekend has been great, so I'll share some of the highlights.

- I got the cast list for the play and discovered that my speculation was wrong... I am not Susan, not a beaver, but a unicorn. Yes, a unicorn.

- I attended a watercolour class on Friday with some friends and had a great time! Learned a bit, too!

- Yesterday I spent three hours of my Saturday morning taking a practice PSAT test... and yes, I am a freshman. Following those long hours of... loveliness, my mom, sister and I headed to the GAP, grabbed some pizza, and then, giving in to our weak spot for cotton candy ice cream, picked up a quart from our favorite ice cream shop.

- Once we got home, everyone pitched in to clean, and I got the kids' bathroom. I was quite pleased when I realized that the floor was on the agenda. See, I like to scrub the floors because I can imagine that I'm Cinderella. :)

- Following the cleaning came a movie night featuring "Thoroughly Modern Millie", a long, random, funny movie set in the 1920s.

- Sunday school and small group Bible studies started today- so fun! I made some yummy cupcakes for small groups. :)

Getting ready for school to start once again tomorrow morning. Sorry that I didn't have any photos today... still haven't found my charger :/

Well, I'd better be hitting the hay! Or at least getting ready for bed.

Love and a hug!

As ever,

Lindsey Lou

{P.S. Started knitting my first pair of socks yesterday!! I'll post a photo soon!}

{P.P.S. i checked out a couple of Audrey Hepburn books from the library...<3}

El Outtakes {take three}

Good afternoon, dears! It is a beautiful day! I could say many things about the past twelve hours, but I will just lay out the main points.

-In the early hours, I made some hot cocoa to begin the day (when I say hot cocoa, I mean the real stuff: heat up the milk on the stove, stir in the sugar, add some cocoa and vanilla...)

-I painted a little something for my bestie's sweet sixteen! (see tomorrow)

-around 10:30 I got to Rosie's house and we accomplished two lab experiments together. *high five* hurray for us! Oh, and I got to use a superduperamazinglyawesome microscope!!! Yes, yes, I know I'm a nerd, but if you were there, you would be just as ecstatic as I am. ;)

-Following biology came drama callbacks! As much as I wanted Susan, I don't believe that I am going to be cast as her. However, I am speculating that I may get the part of Mrs. Beaver. Funny thing, I was Mrs. Beaver about seven years ago in a church play--I just found the picture of me all bundled up in a fur coat with an apron tied around me, looking like a little chub. :))

-Due to that feeling that just says "I'm so tired. I don't want to do anything. Leave me alone and get me out of here," I went on a quick run. And I should be doing pushups right now... maybe later. :) Yay for procrastination!

-Feeling inspired by the glorious rays of sunshine landing on my face during my run, I snapped a few pictures. Here is one:

And yes, I know it's not good. I wasn't feeling particularly motivated. Today has been great until now. And there is no exact reason why I'm not feeling amazing right now. Maybe it's that I just want to stop the world and get off. Run away and find some solitude- read a book, sketch a scene, or just let my imagination carry me away. Daydreams can be a great escape.

Or maybe it is that I'm having a case of blogger insecurity. It's the feeling of seeing beautiful blog designs, enchanting photos, intriguing writing, and endearing authors, and wanting to be like them but not be them. Be inspired, but not a copycat. Wanting to step into their world, but realizing that I can't. Wanting to produce the same kind of artwork I see, but not even having the ability to. I suppose that is where I can grow. Oh, and the follower issue. I enjoy posting, but I would feel better if I knew that I was making a big impact... kind of hard to do when you have three followers. But maybe something I post will encourage one of you. :)

And I just forgot about something in the oven. Typical me. Oh dear. If I don't post tomorrow, it's because I ran away. ;) And no, I did not let the dog out. Or feed her. Or walk her.

To tie things up, I think that I could have been kinder, more patient, and more optimistic. But I guess that's what tomorrow is for, right?

Love to all!

yours as ever,

Maggie. Lindsey. Lou. Everest. Toots.

{P.s. Got a letter from Sonya today! :))}

{P.p.s. hahaha I just realized that I linked to you, sonya when you're probably the only one who will read this... except for my mother. :)}

{P.p.p.s. I am going to try to switch things up tomorrow}

The Outtakes. {Take two}

Good evening, friends! I'm going to try to keep this post short.

I awoke after a lovely sleep at 6:45 a.m. First came Bible reading, then berry tea. :) Math was next on the agenda, just as usual. I learned about the Hittite warriors and worked on my timeline in history. Of all the days in the week, Wednesdays are going to be the busiest. After work at home, we headed to piano lessons, writing/history class, and set-up for Wednesday night dinner at church. Following set-up, we got to play with a little girl named Susy, also known as the cutes little girl ever! :) Youth group went well for the most part, in the sense that I learned great things and saw dear Celia and Habu. However, I saw someone who I thought I wanted to see, but came to realize that the feeling wasn't mutual. I sat at the table, eating my dinner and nervously awaiting the arrival of this person. I didn't know how nervous I should have been until I saw the look on his face. The determined stride that said 'Don't look over here. Keep moving. Avoid eye contact.' My heart jumped and I frantically began rambling to Celia, something about passing the potatoes, just to appear busy and unaware of his presence. Directly following, I lost my appetite. We didn't talk. I don't think we will. Especially after hearing concerning rumors... I am currently in a cycle of sadness, apathy, anger and ignorance. I am trying to move on, though. Apparently God had a different plan than I did. But that is wonderful, because I trust Him immeasurably more than I trust myself. His plans are the best.

When I arrived home, I was joyously reminded that the mail, which I didn't have time to retrieve in the morning, was waiting for me in the mailbox. A surge of excitement shot through me. Getting the mail when I'm expecting a letter... or two... or three, is my favorite time of the day. And considering that those three letters are resting under my pillow, waiting to be opened while my suspense grows, I'd better go and crack open their secrets. Goodnight, loves!

Thanks for reading!

Love and a hug,

Everest Lynn

Confessions, ramblings, school, and the Outtakes: Day One

Hello, friends. I've been doing some thinking lately. I'm questioning my blog. I'm wondering why I post in the style I post. I feel like I try to sound like an adult... but I am not. I'm just a girl. I'm a girl who isn't perfect, doesn't have the perfect blogger life, gets jealous of other bloggers' blogs and perfect-looking lives, gets fitful because I can't make my photographs look like a fairytale, deals with ordinary teenage things, and wants the approval of others. Perhaps, even craves the approval of others. And I know that I have said this a few times before, but I think that once again I will be changing the style of my writing...and actually writing. I need a place to say the things I need to say and not just try to be impressive and grown-up sounding. So that is what I think I am going to do. I think that I've just been searching for the style that fits me- and I suppose I'm finding that style through trial and error. And now that I am sitting here and writing what I've been feeling for a while, it is relieving. So, to my few followers: bear with me as I figure this out, and I will do my best! You mean a lot to me- thanks for reading!

Now, moving on. I suppose I'll start rambling, but do it as eloquently as possible. Ah, this feels so good! Well, I have taken a challenge from Jocee: the outtakes. Writing about my life for the next fourteen days, the good and bad, general happenings, ramblings, things that could have been better, and things that couldn't have been any better. Here goes.

Well, today I awoke at 8:00 a.m. Yes, yes, I know. I should have been up earlier... but I wasn't. Remember? I'm not perfect! :) Ok, pause!! FREEZE! Right there. Let me tell you a little bit about my wonderful life first. Wow, this is depressing. I have had a blog for who-knows-how-long and I've hardly told you anything about the basics of my life. I guess that is why I'm changing it up. First, I am independently educated. What's that, you ask? It's not as crazy as it sounds (another name for it is home schooling). Being independently educated basically means that I do not:

-wake up at 6:00 a.m. and rush to school

-get a truckload of busywork dumped on me

-study for the test and forget everything I spent hours of busywork "learning" over the past two weeks

-stay up until 11:00 every night doing homework

However, I used to do that. Last year and the year before, in fact. It was not a bad experience by any means. It was simply different from the life I was used to living from kindergarten through sixth grade.

But I have returned to this lifestyle once again. And when I say lifestyle, I mean just that. It is a commitment and a labor of love. *thanks, mom!* And if you're wondering what I do do, here you go:

-I wake up between 6:30 and 8:00, get dressed (no, I am not permitted to wear pajamas during school), and get ready, just like anyone else.

-I begin with math, move on to Spanish, English, Biology, History, Writing, and so on.

-I have my mom as my teacher and my sister as my classmate.

-I get to work hard, learn a lot, and have home-ec class almost every day. :))

-Some days we finish early and go have fun: head to the nature park, have an art day, go ice skating with fellow home schooled friends, or work on a project together.

-I get to walk my chum, the Pen dog (penny, our beloved golden retriever pup) on my passing period/ break/ whatever-you-want-to-call-it. The point is, our schedule is very flexible

-I get to go to co-ops, classes, art, and drama with other home schoolers

-And probably my favorite part: on cold days I get to stay inside with a cup of tea, some kind of beloved, intriguing textbook, and a blanket and curl up beside the fire and learn. Yes, learn. I. Love. Learning.

Well, there you have it! Just a few of the benefits of learning at home. If you have questions, I can discuss the few downsides too, but right now I need to move on... wow, this whole writing thing might leave you falling asleep at your desk because of boredom, exhaustion, or tired eyes. Sorry! I'm still learning.

ANYWAY, moving on to the outtakes. Where was I? Oh, yes, I just woke up. After turning off my 6:30 alarm somewhere in my sleep, I awoke to my sister rummaging in her drawer for some big, fuzzy socks which were needed because of the recent change of temperatures (praise the Lord!) and our open window (I love sleeping with the windows open). I started by reading my Bible, then I got going on math, then spanish, and so on. When 11:00 rolled around, my lovely mother had just pulled a fresh loaf of oat bread from the oven, which called for a snack break. Then lunch. Then history timelines. Then reading together- I love it! I'm an auditory learner, so for part of our reading, my mom reads aloud. We sat outside, the cool breeze making the afternoon even more pleasant than I expected. So, feeling exhilarated by the change in weather, I decided it was the perfect time and place to climb a tree. Yes, climb a tree in my brand-new sweater. Thankfully it was not harmed, but it was a close one. Drama auditions came next, and were quite exciting! The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe is on the radar for the next two months, though I don't yet know what part I will be playing. Everyone has said that I should be Susan, I suppose due to my brown hair, medium height, and, well, I'm not sure what else. As much as I look like her, though, I'm not sure that I'm a big fan of her character. But I'll just see how things turn out. Dinner was Spanish chicken and rice (new recipe!). Yumlicious would be the word to describe it. After dinner, I checked Jocee's blog, talked to my bestie, and sat down on my sister's bed with this laptop to write this. I'm sure there are things that could have been better, but I'm too tired to think of them right now... besides, little sissa is waiting for me to make something sweet and delicious with her. Oh, but I can think of one thing. I could have gotten a text from *someone* today, but if they want to ignore me, then so be it. All in all, today was successful.

Love to my readers!

Nighty night!

As Ever, Lindsey Lou

{Post Script: My camera's battery is dead *tear* and I can't find my charger... *concerned look because I know my habit of losing things too well* what will I do?? What?? Tell me!}

{Post Post Script: Will you consider this as a start-over kind of thingy in the history of my blog? Thanks!}