December in Ipod Pictures

There was a lot of crafting, cooking and celebrating.
I am so incredibly grateful for all the people I got to spend it with. =)

-Sarah

Update on the Last few days.

Hehe, I love this picture.

1. Sleeping in!
2. My first final was much easier than expected! (Especially considering how much I studied)
3. A friend in one of my classes told me that my enthusiasm for graduating was encouraging. It made my day.
4. Oh yeah, I graduated!
4.5. I found a friend to stand by in graduation
5. Celebrating Graduation with cool people. I love the bear and flowers.
6. Phone conversations with friends. I'm loving how many people I've been talking to lately. (I used to hate the phone)
7. Setting my mom up with a pinterest account, haha...oh man
8. Music- it absolutely always puts me in a good mood.
9. Being all smiley on finals week, for once I am not stressed out.
10. Getting things done ahead of time. (who would have thought that me, the procrastinator extraordinaire would be ahead)
11. Productivity time with the roommates.
12. Christmas Shopping!
13. Renewal.
14. Looking forward to thursday/friday and the wonderful people that I get to see then!
15. Family and Friends

So maybe it's because my new computer has a pretty awesome graphics card (It does!) But suddenly videos are super epic. So I'm going to share them with you. I should really be doing homework right now....

The Mountain from TSO Photography on Vimeo.

Okay, So I recently got a new computer and I am still getting used to it. So, This is my first official post from it. Therefore there is no pictures today, But anyway, Here's a post of ten things that have made today pretty epic.
1. New computer! I like it!
2. Piano, Too bad my apartment doesn't have one of those.(My roommates might hate me)
3. I graduate....Tomorrow.
4. Doing things last minute.
5. A nice fire in the mantle, chilling with a beer.
6. Christmas Music.
7. Any sort of music really.
8. OK GO videos in HD
9. Crafting Ideas for after next week.
10. The idea that after next week. I don't have to go to school tomorrow. Weird!
11. Lists.

Okay, well that was 11...hah....

<3

Get those birds Gus! Why is this dog so photogenic!

Okay, I know that I'm a week late, but I've been CRAZY busy lately. Like, so busy, that I've hardly had time to even just be anywhere, without going a mile a minute. So Thanksgiving was last week, but i still want to make a list of things that I am grateful for, because I love lists, and I am so grateful for so many things. This list can't even begin to cover it.
 On another note, over thanksgiving break my brother, and his girlfriend's dog stayed over. Gus. I've posted pictures of him before, but I'm basically in love with him haha. He was a fantastic cuddler, and he took me for walks, and we went running together. I might steal him. Regardless, Gus has made me realize what kind of pet owner I'm going to be some day, and in the FAR future, what kind of mom. 'Oh hey, look at my dog/kid, aren't they so adorable, aren't they awesome, don't you love them?' Please, oh please stop me before this happens. <3
Anyway! The awaited list. Things I'm grateful for this thanksgiving:
1. A family that Loves and Supports me.
2. Good Friends that are always there for me.
3. That I have gotten a college education.
4. That I have a roof over my head, and things that are mine inside of it.
5. Music, Books and Photography
6. Emotions, although they can be a pain in the but sometimes, they make memories so much greater.
7. Weather. I dislike snow, but it makes me appreciate the warmth so much more.
8. Animals, I don't know how this wasn't earlier, especially with my rant about how awesome Gus is earlier. But really, animals are awesome. Hang out with one, you'll know.
9. Nature. There is something to be said about living in a city, but I will always prefer nature, wilderness to the city.
10. Food, imagine not being able to taste anything! now think of all the amazing flavors out there! Yum...

Okay there are many more things i'm thankful for, and I honestly kept that list pretty light, but if you are reading this, then chances are, I am thankful for you. =)

Happy Late Thanksgiving, I hope it was amazing!

Happy thanksgiving!

Looking back, literally, to some of the things that I am thankful for. <3

Just wanted to take a minute away from family, to say happy thanksgiving to everyone! There are so many things that I am thankful for, and I am so happy to be able to celebrate them!

I hope that your turkey day is amazing!

<3 Sarah

1. when pandora and common ground are playing favorite songs at the same time.
2. The following quotes.
    a. Me: You don't have to pay me, just buy me a drink.
        Response: Bitch, i'll buy you a bottle
    b. mom: Okay first, bring a pot of salted water to a pot.
    c. Me: Hey! Now, what did your fortune cookie say last night.
        Mom: Don't do today what you can put off tomorrow. Before you die!
   d. What is this communist bull?
 response: no not communist bull, communist cow, she gives milk to everyone.
3. Conversations with strangers at coffee houses.
4. Reaching 50,000 words in my Novel. Word. (This means I won that competition thing I was doing guys)
5. Overhearing a limerick at the coffee shop. It had Nicholas and ridiculous. It was super funny. I wish i remembered it all.
6. How Lindsay and I have 'a place' haha. We are regulars and get the same food there.
7. Texting people that I havn't seen in a long time, and telling them that we NEED to hang out. Like...pronto. (Seriously, if you are one of these people reading this, lets hang out.)
8. Having head phones in your ears, and not realizing that your music ended probably around a half hour ago.
9. 22 Days until Graduation. I CAN DO THIS
10. Making your bed with new sheets. I can't wait to go to sleep tonight.

I do homework? You get a video

I'm writing a paper on deceit in nonverbal communication. I found this video really interesting. Maybe you will too.




http://www.ted.com/talks/pamela_meyer_how_to_spot_a_liar.html

The most spectacular thing I've seen all day.

Animal has an awesome vocabulary!
<3

Break from the norm

So I guess lately I've been kinda bad at updating the goings on of my life, And I would like to explain why. I don't know how many of my friends really know, that I kinda have always been an avid writer, and not just papers and journaling. I mean, that it has been a dream of mine since I think around middle school to write a book. A year or two ago, I found out a website called NaNoWriMo, and I immediately fell in love with it.
   The basic concept behind it is to write a 50,000 word book in the month of November. That's right, in about 30 days, you will start a novel from scratch... and then finish it in the same month. Now I'm sure all my friends are thinking that I'm completely crazy right now. Who in their right mind would decide to start a 50,000 word novel the month that they are writing their senior thesis, have major photography stuff to turn in and about 400 papers to write. Well, I guess I'm not quite in my right mind. But I decided that I didn't want to do the logical thing and wait an entire year to start.
    NaNo is fantastic because it forces you to not be concerned with quality. One of the biggest problems that a writer has is losing patience for the story, or going back and editing before they are even close to finishing. The premise of NaNo, is that you aren't allowed to edit. The concern is not about quality, for once in your whole writing career. It is about quantity. It is about giving yourself a deadline and accomplishing it.
     You can write about anything, everything, NaNo's website states that "If you think you are writing a novel, we do too." There aren't any specifications on what you write about, as long as you are writing, as long as you start from scratch and as long as you don't go back and edit. But they can't really regulate that. Especially since you can write on anything. Type writer, laptop, pen and paper...stone tablets? Whatever media floats your boat, or if you get enough stone tablets I suppose, sinks it.
     And so I'm writing a novel. And.... I have to brag for a minute and say that I am 25k words in. Yes, I just tonight reached the half-way mark and it feels amazing. It explains why I've kinda been a shut in lately, but it also is such a rewarding experience.
     There are events in the area for writers that are participating , there are forums and chat rooms for people that are struggling. There are weekly pep talks, sent to your inbox, there are comics and ridiculous statements, and in this event, community really is a big deal. Because honestly, if you decide to be crazy and write a book in a month, who else would better understand then someone in the same boat. Who else recognizes that you are struggling to meet a certain amount of words a day, that your novel is constantly on your mind in the shower, in the car, in class....
    My brain will essentially be fried come December. But I wholly feel, now, if I don't then, that this experience was very much worth it.
<3 Sarah

P.S. If you are curious about my progress, I've added a little status bar to the right side of my page, come see how i'm doing!

Ten typical tuesday Triumphs

Ten aweome things that have inspired me this weekend/ Monday

1. The beautiful weather in november. Seriously, 60s? How awesome! I wish it was spring already.
2. The amount of time that i've spent with one of my fantastic roommates, I love it. Really. Lets do this more often Linds.
4. How insanely productive i've been lately. Thesis writing? No problem.
5. That Common ground plays such awesome music, and has awesome productivity environments.
6. Planting tulips. I can't wait to see them in the spring.
7. Community. I've been feeling a lot of it around lately. I will explain more on this point later.
8. FINISHING draft one of thesis! YESSSS
9. This joke from Friends.
10. 16,360! Hehe <3

Awesome things that make differences!

Sometimes driving to school early is worth the sunrise.

I've been pretty busy lately, so sorry about the lack of updates, but here's a list of things that have been good about the last few days!

1. Spending time productively, I've gotten so much done lately!
2. Dinner and Coffee shop time with Lindsay. I swear its some thing that we will remember in the future.
3. Funny texts and messages. In case you didn't know, I know some pretty awesome people.
4. Getting a great start on my thesis. I feel like the whole thing is kind of a rant on technology.
5. Heating Pads. So legit.
6. Fredrick Meijer Gardens, Dinner and Shopping with my mom. Great way to spend a Wednesday.
7. Taking Mom shopping at Forever 21 and having her buy more then me. You are trendy mom.
8. Writing for fun. I've forgot how much I enjoy that.
9. Striving (and moderately succeeding) about trying to map out my time, and spend it productively. Even procrastinating from homework was cleaning my room and showering.
10. Water. I'm kinda a big fan of the stuff.
11. The weather so far in November! Sunny days, I'll take you over the looming snow any day.
12. Daylight savings weekend, Extra HOUR of sleep.

10 Tuesday Things

Photo Project!

1. Finishing my first ever knitted scarf!
2. Having my photos which I thought weren't the greatest, critiqued as being good!
3. Having a really productive day yesterday, which already caused me to relax more today
4. Texting conversations, with certain people especially.
5. Using usually busy lights as four way stops. It's amazing how suddenly everyone pays attention and we all problem solve. But really, poor Mr. Squirrel
6. Hanging out with the roomies and Halloween snacks courtesy of Hollie (again!)
7. Being inspired to eat healthily and work out more! (I'm already feeling those ab and thigh works outs) Not for the sake of any one person, by myself!
8. Coffee and Cooking in Clean Kitchens
9. Phone conversations with my dad. He's the cutest.
10. The pack of 6 new glue sticks I got on monday! (Aren't school supplies the greatest!)
<3

Ten pretty cool things about the weekend/ Monday

1. Awesome people came to visit! <3
2. Deep girl talks, silly moments, and everything in between.
3. Delicious food.
4. The leg/thigh/butt work out that has me super sore.
5. Choosing instead to hang out with people then doing insane amounts of homework.
6. Cleaning the whole kitchen and then Cooking in it
7. Printing in the dark room on Saturday and Monday
8. Looking through Julie's London trip book (which you left Julie!) Do you want me to start writing in it?
9. Phone conversations with sisters across the country, that remind me that I wish I had the ability to teleport
10. Making playlists of songs for the fall of 2011. (List to come, of course)
11. Already listening to Christmas music!!!
Love!

Ten things that I have done today that was not the massive pile of homework that I have.

Courtesy of Last years Spanish Video

1. Doodle
2. Look at cookware and recipes (Williams-Sonoma is boss)
3. Window shop at urbanoutfitters, jcrew, anthropoligie, and REI websites
4. Watch two episodes of Criminal Minds
5. Prepare Quinoa Salad.
6. Contemplate cleaning my room
7. Go back to doodling
8. Actually clean my room
9. Knit (i'm getting better)
10. Make a list of all the things i've done instead of homework.

Whoops better get to it.

Ten things that were good about Monday and the weekend!

Well I thought that I posted yesterday, But I'm not entirely sure what happened to it, So therefore, I'll try to remember to the best of my abilities and re post said post today!

Kinda creepy eyes, but oh so cute, peeking over the counter and saying "Oh hello."

1. Dinner and Card playing parties.
2. My mom singing "I'm too sexy for my shirt" while brushing her teeth.
3. Inside Jokes with my dad.
4. Reading a whole book....for fun....in one day....(it was around 700 pages too)
5. Fall things, Football games, Fall food, Nature Walks, Apples!
6. The following story:
My dad (Ron) can never seem to remember the name of Serrano peppers. We grow them. We canned some a few days ago. And my mom told him, "Just pretend you were knighted, Ron-o" So in the fridge, on top of the Serrano pepper jar, it is labeled (by him). "Sir Ron-o." Yeah, from now on, I think that's how I'm going to
spell it.
7. Puppies.
8. Baking and cooking!
9. Extending my weekend by a day.
10. Looking forward to things ahead.

Twelve things that were great about Monday AND Tuesday

1. Thinking like a photographer
2. Editing Pictures
3. How out of control our photoraphy class is.
4. How simple things suddenly become epic when they have a soundtrack
5. Making Playlists
6. Old movies
7. Every time my phone rings I smile, due to the fact that "Mr. Blue Sky." By ELO never fails to put me in a good mood.
8. Long phone calls with people I love.
9. People watching at the mall
10. Drinking coffee at 8:00 pm, because I feel like i havn't drank it in a while. I may or may not regret this decision tonight.
11. Taking Pictures of Dogs!
12. The realization of how many awesome people are in my life.

From Seattle last summer. I love her so much!

10 awesome things about today!

1. Texts and calls from my bestest friend in Seattle.
2. Realizing how well I finally know Grand Rapids roads.
3. Waking up super late, and somehow getting to class early.
4. Leaving Lab to get tea with Tina.
5. Goofing of with Hollie in the kitchen.
6. Eating delicious fall treats. (courtesy of Hollie!-because she's awesome)
7. Youtube videos when I should be doing homework
8. Guitar Playing when I should be doing homework.
9. Anything at all when I should be doing homework.
10. Make resolutions to cut down on my sugar intake!

Ten Fantastic Things about today:

1. Sleeping in til 10am!
2. Making plans for the future.
3. Dinner with Abby at Greydon's Crossing
4. Crafting with Tina and Disney Music!
5. Making Oreo balls with Hollie!
6. Spontaneous dance parties in the kitchen.
7. Deep talks that occur, even through text messages.
8. Plans to print in the darkroom tomorrow with Tina
9. Roommates.
10. Music, Sorry I am so addicted guys.

Cuttlefish

Warning, despite it's name. You probably shouldn't cuddle with this fish.

<3

Eleven things that have Made today a good day.

1. Being able to wear tank tops and kapris on Oct 12.
2. Productivity time in the library, with Pandora Radio in the background.
3. Taking the time to photograph daily. (Including climbing onto the roof of my house to do so)
4. How music can completely change your perspective of a day, a mood, everything.
5. One of the readings for my Senior thesis as well as the songs i was listening to coupled with it, randomly inspired memories from the last few years.
6. Good talks with thesis advisers about technology and communication. It got me motivated to write my thesis.
7.Texts from my mom and brother throughout the tigers game. We're all fans you know.
8. Punny humor and jokes. I'm on a roll  tonight(like butter!)
9. Friends that will bring you back ice cream from their Dairy Queen Run. <3 you guys\
10. Snuggling in my bed, and listening to music before I go to sleep.
11. Family and dreams of teh future.

<3

I should probably try this right now.

This is so awesome.

(Even if you are not a baseball fan, or a fan of sports at all, you should really watch THIS VIDEO of the tigers win last night. It never fails to make me smile!)


Ten things that have made all the difference today:

1. Friends that will bring things that you forgot to school for you. HOLLIE IS MY HERO!
2. Forgetting notecards for a presentation, and then not getting called to present! What a relief
3. Someone brought in baked goods for their presentation, coffee cake and cookies are an excellent breakfast.
4. The Sunrise reflecting off of the buildings of Grand Rapids as I drove to school.
5. The end is in sight for the cold that I had all weekend. Now to get rid of this left-over cough.
6. Maybe it's the weather, but I have been in the greatest mood lately.
7. Developing in the Photo lab with Bon Iver and Future of Forestry
8. My last class today was cancelled!
9. Dinner at Brick Road Pizza with Lindsay
10. The Tigers beat the Yankees and are still in the play offs!!!!!!!

(photo from Artprize)

Ten Spectacular Things About Today

1. Awesome Photo-hikes through the woods
2. Laying in the Sun in kapris and a tank top on October 5th and being hot!
3. My productivity level this evening
4. Magic Laundry day. I had the perfect amount of hangers (that never happens!) and all my socks have matches!
5. Cleaning my room! (I get so much more done when I feel organized)
6. Being inspired for gift giving.
7.The forecast for 80 Degrees this weekend
8. Spontaneously deciding to go camping this weekend.
9. Making TO DO lists, and then being able to cross things off. (I admittedly put some things on just so I can cross them off)
10. How music almost always puts me in a great mood.

<3

 10 things that were awesome about today

1. Seeing this week's forecast (70 today!)
2. Today's Sunrise was gorgeous
3. The Tiger's won last night!
4. I didn't get randomly picked to present today on a presentation that I wasn't really ready for.
5. One of my midterms was pushed back until next week!
6. The knowledge that I can sleep in in the morning!
7. Playing Guitar
8. Craft books, gluesticks and scissors.
9. Reconnecting with things I've been missing out on.
10. Seeing both the sunrise and the sunset in one day.

10 things that made this weekend Fantastic:

1. Julie Visiting! <3
2. Art Prize with the girls, Grand Rapids is the Coolest
3. Letters to and from friends
4. Starting to craft my Halloween costume!
5. Sunny Fall days
6. Photo Labs
7. Tigers games (regardless of the score)
8. Remembering my love of tea (See, sickness can be beneficial)
9. Deep talks with awesome people.
10. Realizing that there are 2.5 weeks until I'm graduating...scary!

<3

Ten things that have made today awesome:

1. The rainbow that was across the whole sky driving home
2. Going to my parents and driving through fall colors
3. Breaking into musical numbers with my dad in the kitchen.
4. Figuring out my Halloween costume! (it involves crafting!)
5. Appetizer Party for the first Tigers play off game.
6. Hot tea on a cold day.
7. Finding the most random things in the backpack I take to school everyday. An apple, ruler, bar of soap, a box of assorted screws and nails.....
8. Talking my mom into talking my dad into getting a puppy when they get back from Florida in February.
9. Rain-outs mean an extra day of play off games. <3 Tigers
10. Random Texts

Some things that have made today lovely!

1. The picture (above) that I took this morning with my phone (If only I had a real camera),
2. International Coffee Day! (Yes I've celebrated)
3. Driving to school through the fog.
4. The sun that cleared out this morning's fog before the rain.
5. Skipping class to take a nap.
6. Making a blanket fort in my room.
7. Hiding from the rain in a blanket fort with coffee and a book.
8. Driving in the rain. (When it's not too bad!)
9. New Beginnings. 
10. Chocolate Bars and Apple Pie.

<3

I've tried to start a blog about 200 times before today. "Sure- It'll be okay!" I think I'll just update the world (aka my friends) on the goings on of my life. I'll post cool photographs... look around for things that I like and write about things. It would usually last a few days, a few weeks, maybe a month on and off. And then, cut off- without warning.

Maybe that was too ambitious for an undergrad student. I felt challenged to constantly think of new and exciting things to say. I struggled with writing about what was going on in my life, and finding new and exciting things to share. I would give up before I really started.

So, I decided to start out simply. Ten things a day (Or around 10 anyway), that have in some way made the day wonderful. Maybe some days there will be a photo, maybe someday, I'll branch out, maybe they'll be two things, or 25 things. Maybe some days there will not be a post at all. Or seven posts in one day. The point is, that there are no rules. Focusing on the positive is encouraging and is much for me as it is for the people that I share this with.

<3