The Unread Library

When it comes to books, I have very little willpower. I love everything about them: the covers, the pages, the words, the fonts, how a book from the 50s or 60s looks nothing like a modern one, and of course, the actual stories. Getting lost in a book is a lifeline for me. A refuge from the world, from things that drain me, and from technology. It is ironic to me that technology and media are part of my top five favorite things to do, and also my current livelihood, and yet I love leaving it behind for a world of ink and paper.

That being said, I have amassed an ever expanding library - primarily made up of thrifted and vintage books (because hey, I'm working with a budget!). I love perusing the shelves at Goodwill and Savers looking for a classic I've never read, a great cover to a book I already love, the occasional chance book that may end up being a keeper (or not), and anything in between. But lately, I've noticed I have a stack of books marked "to read" that grows faster than I can read them. I also realized that the money I'm pouring into this pile can be used for much more impact than my library. So I've committed to not buying another book until I read every last unread book. And the money I would normally spend is being put away (it's not much, but it's something) into a savings account for a yet-to-be-revealed project that will impact many lives.

All these thoughts had started stirring in my heart and head when I read a post on a blog I follow, Pancakes & French Fries, about The Unread Library. This post was a confirmation and encouragement to me, so I decided to follow suit with my progress. Here is My Unread Library; as I finish a book, I will update the list.

1. Aeneid, The | Virgil
2. Candide | Voltaire
3. Cannery Row | John Steinbeck
4. Christmas Carol, A | Charles Dickens
5. David Copperfield | Charles Dickens
6. Dombey & Son | Charles Dickens
7. Dubliners | James Joyce
8. Great Short Works of Herman Melville, The | Herman Melville
9. How to Read Literature Like a Professor | Thomas Foster
10. Kidnapped | Robert Louis Stevenson
11. Lady Susan | Jane Austen
12. Mansfield Park | Jane Austen
13. Moby Dick | Herman Melville
14. Moon is Down, The | John Steinbeck
15. Much Ado About Nothing | William Shakespeare
16. Nick Adams Stories, The | Ernest Hemingway
17. Oliver Twist | Charles Dickens
18. Othello | William Shakespeare
19. Painted Bird, The | Jerzy Kosinski
20. Pearl, The | John Steinbeck
21. Pilgrim's Progress, The | John Bunyan
22. Red Pony, The | John Steinbeck
23. Robinson Crusoe | Daniel Defore
24. Silmarillion, The | JRR Tolkien
25. Uncle Tom's Cabin | Harriet Beecher Stowe
26. War of the Worlds, The | HG Wells

And there you have it.

Summer! part 2

This is my first whole year out of school. It's my first summer in 20 that nothing has really changed in my daily schedule. Okay, yes, I am going to lots of camps, but I am still working and have the same responsibilities as the other times of the year. So it's a little weird for me that all of the students are out of school and I'm not. Good reason to start my MA? Maybe!

I do actually miss school and I think some of that has inspired my summer expectations. So without further ado, my list of summer lessons/learning/hopes:

**Adobe Premiere Pro classroom in a book: I use this program every day and I'd like to know the ins and outs of it. A friend loaned me this book and I'm hoping to work through it so I can feel more confident training my team as it grows.

**Adobe InDesign C.I.A.B: I need to learn this program! I don't think it's unbelieving children that kill off fairies, it's unsuspecting designers who open this program without knowing what to do. :)

**Calligraphy: I love handwriting and I love sending handwritten notes. I have a few tutorials bookmarked along with some good tools priced out. It's also something that seems like it could travel. I could do my ABC's while ZJ naps at camp. :)

**Sewing machine: my mom and I both had sewing machines that needed work (hers is pretty old and I think ignorance broke something in mine *oops*) so we got a quote for repair and it was $90 for each plus any repair/parts for mine! So we decided to take the $200+ and just buy a new one. Nothing fancy, but it works and it has a lot more options than our older ones. So I'm hoping to get comfortable with it and begin altering vintage/thrift clothes to fit better! :)

**I also have an ongoing list of books that I've picked up, have yet to read, or want to buy. I'm hoping to make some good progress on those while I'm traveling/taking it easy. :)

Summer! part 1

I am always so excited for summer! And it seems every year, I have a list of expectations for that summer. This year, summer kind of crept up on me - my birthday is in 5 days and summer can officially begin! - and so I'm just now settling into my expectations. But let me tell you, I am getting more and more excited as the days go by.

For the last 2 years, NorthShore has planned and led our own summer camp at Camp Cedar Crest in Running Springs, CA. This year, we are running camp again but also are including churches throughout the district! We have 7-8 other churches coming with us and that is very exciting! Summer camp will be amazing. I LOVE camp, like love, Love, LOVE camp :) so I know it's going to be a great week. We'll be at camp June 13-18 and we'll be posting daily on the camp website: www.wearefoursquare.com - feel free to check it out now and then too for updates.

The week after We Are Foursquare camp, we'll be heading to Carlsbad, CA for a week of camping on the beach for family camp. I haven't been in 2 years, and I'm missing it. It's the best. :)

On top of all that, my best friend in the whole world is leading creative arts workshops and classes for all of the Southwest district camps - which is 3 straight weeks back up at Camp Cedar Crest. And I am so happy to be going with her for 2 of those weeks! I'll be helping her out with the theatre stuff but for the most part, I'll be gallivanting with my favorite 1-year old in the woods! OK, maybe we'll be slowly walking around the paved/carpeted areas of the camp, but I'm still looking forward to extended quality time with 2 of my favorite ladies! :)

Then (whew!) in August, my sister and I are spending a week with my Grandma in the Bay Area. She and I haven't spent a whole lot of time together recently and I think it will be a fun trip and a good chance to hang out with our Noni as well. :)

 

My grandma's house

So, Part 1 of my summer plans are all the trips I'll  be taking! :) I'll be back soon with Part 2

Diving Horse

I have a soft spot for vintage children's books. So when I saw this book recently, I knew it would be a great addition to my small collection.

 

Isn't that the best title ever? I also love library memorabilia so when I saw that it came from the Phoenix Public Library and was marked with the DISCARD stamp there was nothing I could do to resist rescuing it. :)

The poor thing.

It is now happy at home with me where there is no fear of discard. :)

Vintage Kick and Vintage Kicks

I've been on this vintage kick for awhile and I love mixing in vintage pieces with my normal things (either in outfits or accessories or in decorating). I found some amazing vintage pieces in the last few days.

On Friday, my brother and I had a date. I waited for him at Goodwill and I found this skirt for half off.

Someone had already started altering it, the bottom is roughly cut and frayed, but it's long enough all around to re-hem it and I'm excited about that.

You can see from the side that the back panel is a few inches longer than the front. :) (oh and yes, I'm standing on a chair!)

And it's even worse on this side!! But I love the print and I'm looking forward to fixing it up.

Then today, I found the most amazing shoes and bag ever!

I spent more on this bag than I usually do (haha $18) for a few reasons. It's leather and is also the perfect length for me. And also because of this:

Can we just let that sink in for a minute?

I also think my heart was looking for a pair of shoes like this because I saw them and knew that the search was over. They fit when I tried them on and they were $5! (Also, leather and the stamp inside says "Made in Brazil")

They are completely different than what I would expect for myself. (that's a weird way to put it) But I just love them and they are comfortable - and vintage, bohemian, scholarly all at once. :)

And to end this post con photos (hooray photos!), I finally collected enough prints for my little gallery wall.

What?

Oh my goodness. I blinked and it was almost May.

I finally have a rhythm with my job. No longer is it my "new" job, I'm no longer trying to get caught up, and Easter is over, so everything is normal - as normal as it can be, working simultaneously with people and computers/equipment. :)

I'm really excited to be in a groove and ready to take on some new challenges. Maybe I'll actually learn what all the buttons on the camera do or how to actually use some of the programs I'm so fortunate to have on my computer.

Side note: this post will not have pictures because I lost the cable. Oh, the irony.

I posted my SOAK (devotion) on the NorthShore website last week (you can read it here) and it was really convicting. I have never been very vocal about what I believe. For the most part, I am shy and soft spoken; a peace maker and a people pleaser. But I realized that that isn't an excuse to not be vocal, but rather a strength to create deep meaningful relationships with people, and conversations about God will come from how much I care about them. Does that even make sense? Well, either way, I've been able to be more candid about what I believe with more people in the last few weeks than I ever have in my life. I admit I haven't shared my faith ala GOSPEL acronym and said "Do you want Jesus?" but I think the small seeds that I'm being faithful to plant are just the beginning. I'm excited that God is changing me and I'm realizing, even more, how important prayer is in my life. It's a place that I'm happy to be discovering and challenging at the same time.

I am a freelance designer now! Well, if you count one freelance job! It was a great learning experience and I'm looking forward to figuring out how to possibly make something of it. It was so fun to deposit that check, haha.

This is possibly the most sporadic post, and for that I apologize. If you want to see what else I'm working on, visit The Springs Church and NorthShore Student Ministries sites. :)

Birds & Flowers

I found this little guy at Goodwill today in a bag of things for $1.99. He came with a glass encapsulated doily-thing, a candle snuffer, and some tea light holders. A pretty good deal, I think. Although I wasn't totally sold on the terracotta finish he had. The color wasn't too bad, but as you can see he was marked up and a little dingy.

Armed with my trusty $0.10 acrylics, I went to work. I went for a coral, peachy color to tie in with a few pieces I have around the room.

See? Almost the same, just a little cleaner and a little lighter. But I like it much better!

At home, on my cabinet.

Looks like someone is ready for a cup of tea and a good read!!

I also have been making fabric flowers whenever I need an easy, mindless pursuit. I made some from a blue print, a maroon pillowcase ($0.25!), and today I bought a few napkins to try: coral and a shiny deep puce color, which is a lot prettier than the name suggests.

What is better than an apothecary jar full of flowers? Maybe chocolate. Maybe.

:)