Minor changes, blah blah blah, and something silly.

Look, look guys look!

I have decorated my blog for spring. Are you excited? I bet you are.

Wait, are you excited for spring or my slightly springy-er blog? Because my blog is way more interesting than, you know, flowers and colours and nice weather and outside things.

But, no, really, the weekend's blizzard snow is almost gone, and while I have yet to see anything actually growing, I went outside without a coat and only froze a little bit. Maybe spring is actually here? Maybe March will actually go out like a lamb?

It smells like spring at least!

Anyways, please be patient with me and my occasionally funny looking page, I'm going to be trying to make it prettier while still keeping lots of white space. Because I love white space and I love pretty things. And maybe it will motivate me to be diligent and post more, since I do not seem to be posting four times a week like I wanted to!

Actually, it seems like almost everyone is going through a bit of a blogging lull. Is this the case? Or am I insane? Probably I am insane!

Everyone, everyone, I hope your week has been good, I hope your Wednesday is lovely! Here is something that never fails to make me smile

I am thankful for.

In upstate New York it's not odd to get a blizzard out-of-season, except for the fact that there IS no real out-of-season for blizzards here. We get them in October and they knock out the power, and we get them in late March and everyone goes "NOOOOO!!" and laments the spring lost to twenty-degree temperatures and white fluffies.

But I'll tell you a secret.

 

I like the snow.

I think it's the most beautiful thing. And even though I'm probably a colder person than your average Jane (my natural body temperature rests at 96º), I don't mind the freezing weather. I like to bundle up!

So I am thankful for this last lovely snow.

I am thankful for another chance to wear my coat and scarf.

And I am thankful for my electric blanket to keep me warm at night through my almost-favorite season!

So much for productivity.

So, who here has heard of Polyvore?

I've known about it for a while now, it's really just a website where you make outfits out of whatever clothing you want. Perfect for satisfying my clothing fancy without spending any money, right?

Finally signed up for it last night after hemming and hawing forever for no reason, as I often do. Sure is fun. Yup, super good times you guys. I was totally absorbed in making my first set last night when my mom rudely interrupted me.

"What are you posting about tomorrow Amelia?"

"Idunnooo"

"I thought that's what you were doing..."

"I'm on Polyvore"

"What?"

"It's a thing."

And that was enough explanation for her, I guess. But then, an hour or so later I was once again disrupted by questions.

"Amelia, are you going to post anything tomorrow?"

"YESS. I am thinking. While I am on Polyvore."

"...because it's getting lateish."

"Yeah, I'm waking up at 5:00 anyways, I'll just do it then. LOOK AT THIS DRESSSSSS."

This is all I have to show for last night.

 So I wake up and brush my teeth and the baby comes and I put her to sleep and I sit down with my coffee and my mac and I go on Polyvore and start a new set.

This is all I have to show for this morning.

 And mom comes downstairs.

"Did you decide what you're going to do your post about?"



"............Poooooooooolyvore?"

Update in Nanny-Land

So, in the universe of baby and me, all is going well. She is basically the best child anyone could ever hope to nanny, and I love her, LOVE HER, to itty bitty tiny bits and pieces.

Being home is also the best.

Good times you guys, real good times.

Only thing is...I haven't been quite as productive as I had planned to be. It turns out babies take up all your time. Who could possibly have imagined that?! I'm getting all (well, err, most) of the things I need to get done done, but my extracurriculars are falling by the wayside. 

A few weeks ago, Diana (sweet baby Ariana's mother) called me up and told me she wanted to apply for a new job, since she was massively unhappy at her current one. Um, yeah, go for it Diana!! Why ask me? Welllll, it's only three days a week, but it's twelve hour shifts. 6:00am-6:00pm. And the days would vary, but you'd get them four weeks in advance...would you be okay with that? 

Yes.

Yes, I would TOTALLY be okay with that!!

So this was the first week of the new long shift job. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday I got the baby at 5:15 and she went home at 7:00. And I am thrilled.

I am not thrilled about waking up at 4:45. Noo, no sir. But I am thrilled about having four days off! I have the time now to really be productive, and to better keep to my plan for self betterment, and to sleep more because I love to sleep so much, and to help with Noah's school, and to actually cook dinner, and to finish and send out the two billion packages I have for people, and all sorts of other lovely things.

It's kind of amazing how God just keeps giving and giving and giving.

Oh, disapointment!

So I've already told you guys about how I love to make desserts for my church's winter dinners (Pie Pops?). And also you know that I like to make them fun. So a few weeks ago I decided I wanted to make something both delicious and pretty. Like, maybe the prettiest thing I could find a recipe for. Yes, the prettiest thing. So I found this GORGEOUS cheesecake-y tart with fresh strawberries, kiwi, blueberries, and a lime glaze.  And I spent a good time making it too. It was absolutely the prettiest. I was proud. I was the best. I was excited.

Then suddenly, BOOM. Snowstorm. I am unperturbed. This is western New York. A third of the year is a snowstorm here.

Then suddenly, BOOM. Or, RING. The phone. And church is canceled because of the snow.

So guess what we had for breakfast?

(It was very delicious!)

Something very close to my heart.

So, I had a post all planned for tomorrow. All written out, in fact. As, you know, a part of my quest for betterment of self and being responsible and posting and such. And I saved it, and I went to check my feed. And I saw that a few people I am following had posted the same thing. They aren't posting anything tomorrow, they are participating in a blogging day of silence for Japan.

For Japan With Love

When I was fifteen years old I had the chance to go to Japan with a family from my church. The husband is a Japanese teacher and the wife is Japanese, born and raised in Sapporo. At the time they had three kids and I went along, kind of as a mother's helper but mostly because they were kind enough to let me...and it was the most amazing experience of my life. Even then, my heart went out to the people there. Did you know that less that 3% of Japan is Christian? Their culture is such that it is nearly impossible to evangelize to them. I want to say more on that, and someday I will, but it's 11:50 and I only have 10 minutes left!

Anyways, this disaster affected me massively. On Wednesday, one of that family's little boys was telling me about the nuclear meltdowns and how there were whirlpools and waves and fires. And all I could think of was his family over there, all the people that I met and knew and love and pray for, and how I wish I could just fly over there and DO SOMETHING.

So, this is what I'm doing, I guess. I know I only have a few followers, but it's a start, right? And I'm not trying to guilt you into donating, but if you would just send off a prayer when you read this...a prayer for their physical needs as well as their spiritual ones. Because God is Great, and he can make good come out of the worst situations imaginable.

It's 11:57! I just made it I think!!

Today I share with you one of the reasons I love the internet.

Some vices.

Here is a picture of my hand. Notice anything odd?

Go ahead, click on the picture. I'll wait.

 

 OH MY GOSH AMELIA YOUR FINGERNAILS! WHAT HAPPENED TO THEMMMMM?

Well...the other day when I said that my main vice was buying clothing? That may not have been strictly accurate. It's very possible that my main vice is epic nail-biting.

Really epic nail-biting.

I've chewed my nails since I had teeth. This bad habit is over 19 years old you guys! And after trying every cure known to man and womankind I have been forced to acknowledge that maybe I'm never going to stop and I'm going to be a ninety year old lady who still bites her nails down to lengths previously thought impossible and who pretty much never got to use her massive nail polish collection.

There's another vice guys. I buy too much nail polish. I see a beautiful colour at Target and I just can't help myself. I follow nail polish trends for goodness sake (Gunmetal greys, baby blues, nudes, all "in" this spring). Probably this is the silliest way of spending my time, my money, and my brainspace. 

Amelia. Enough is enough woman. Just give up, your nail polish dreams will never come true. Resign yourself to your fate.

OH NOOOO, LOOK AT THIS PICTURE, WHAT ARE THOSE, KIWI NAILS?! WHAT IS THIS INSANITY.

 

 And then the lightbulb went on. Bing. Who says I have to paint my own pitiful nails? There are other people who can use my nail polish expertise. People with, you know, fingernails. Woah, I just blew my own mind.

First victim- my sister Louisa.

 

Aaaaaand she liked them!!

And I think they turned out pretty good!!

And it was way more fun than doing my own fingers has ever been. Really.

So I guess the question now is...does anyone want their nails done?

ALIVE!

Alrighty-o guys, I'm back from my unscheduled blog vacation. It seems that what was meant to be a simple 3 day weekend has turned into more than a week of writing free days. Oooooooops!

My only excuse for this is that the past ten days have had more than their fair share of comings and goings and events and crazy. A very good friend left for Boston and my beloved Casey came back from India. There have been concerts and there have been midnight trips to Denny's that may have involved the perfect veggie burger. There have definitely been many intense car rides. Emotional intensity probably was the most draining thing about these days, most of my closest friends are going through some really tough times and I am pretty absorbed in that and them. I guess that's my real excuse for my no-bloggy week.

But now, you see, I am turning over a new leaf. No, really, I am. I'm completely not joking and 100% serious. I am finally used to being home now and it seems high time for me to start myself on a schedule for self-betterment, including, but not limited to;

Waking up earlier to do my Pilates (I have passionate love for Pilates you guys)

Eating healthier (Sarah, you're my inspiration on this one!)

Eating on a more normal human schedule (No more breakfast at 4PM)

Cooking more interesting foods (Ohhh, I have some good posts on this one all set up. STAY TUNED.)

Devoting real and specific time to my art (As in, maybe an hour a day? I'm not sure about how to implement this one, but it needs to be done, do doubt, no doubt.)

Sewing my clothing instead of buying it (I buy too much clothing. It's my main vice.)

Sleeping more (If I can. Anyone have cures for insomnia here? I'd be super grateful!)

And last but absolutely not least, posting here at least 4 times a week. Maybe this means setting up my posts in advance over the weekend, or waking up even earlier to write between Bible and working out (PILATES! I LOVE IT!). I don't know. But it's really important to me, I kind of love doing this, and I kind of totally love you guys. So don't leave me! I'm still here!

Yummy.

 See? It even says so on the package.

YUMMY.

Getting things in the mail is my favourite.

Ohh, the other day I was having a Day. 

You know what I mean. 

A Day with a capital D.

Not exactly a Bad Day, but a Day nonetheless. 

So, anyways, it's 5:00 and I spot something on the dining room table. It's suspiciously package-like. Curiosity starts. Why isn't it opened? I cautiously make my way towards it, creeping soft and silent as a lynx who doesn't want to wake up the baby moby-wrapped to her torso.

I pick it up.

"What's that?" asks my dear mother.

"A package...not yours?"

"That's weird..."

At this point Noah interjects with a blindingly nonchalant "Oh yeah, that came today".  Packages are unimportant to him, I suppose.

They are WAAY important to me though, and after having the brilliant idea to actually look at the box, I find out that this one is for me.

BEST! SO EXCITED!

And it's from Ann (over at Washboard Storms), my cosmic cousin clone crazy chica. Man man man man man I'm so excited now...

  

There is a cryptic message on the outside of the envelope...what could it MEAN?!

IT'S A COFFEE CUP OR SOMETHING!!! WHAT?! AWESOME!!! WHY?! AHHH AMELIA READ THE CARD SILLY WOMAN!!!

And just in case you can't read what she wrote there, I'll type it out here. Because I wouldn't want you to miss it. Because it may be the best and most encouraging and wonderful and adorable and wise card I have ever gotten.

Dear Amelia, 

Well hey now there then! How goes it? So this is an odd thing, ain't it? To be sent a used coffee cup from someone you have never met...Ah well, don't fear, I will not send you ALL of my trash, but I saw this idea somewhere, sometime, and since you LOVE coffee, and you are a writer, I assumed you would be needing a coffee cup pencil holder. TA DA!

Here's the story: I drank this cup of coffee on a day when I didn't know if my life was going to be right-side out or upside down. You just never know with this life, and I think some of us never know even MORE than the rest of the population. Right?

What's to do? Wait with hope- not dread or fear or anxiety. It sounds all bubbly and nice, but it's really hard work and it takes guts and coffee. I think you have access to both. In my long life I have never known the Lord to fail in love or goodness, and HE is who we wait on - our hope is not ashamed because he is mighty and able and willing.

Love, Andrea (Ann)

So, Ann? Yeah, I'm waiting with hope. Thank you for making my Day right-side out~

They have been lost for seven months.

SERIOUSLY YOU GUYS.

IT'S THE BEST.

DIY weekend

Alrighty, first of all I'd like to thank SeekingMyLord for the Stylish Blogger award...so sweet♥ Thank you!

Now, on with the show :)

 ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Recently I've been redoing my bedroom. On a, um, shoestring budget. Shoestring budget here meaning Basically No Money budget.

It's pretty fun!

My walls which were once a year-2002-era lime green are now a pearly grey.

(Paint-$35)

I was given a beautiful futon frame by a family at our church and I'm currently making do with my twin mattress on it while I save for a full size futon. I did buy a lovely new quilt from Urban Outfitters ($30 ON SALE! Best!) and a white comforter from Target ($15) to replace my decrepit old neon daisy bedclothes.

My big spend though was a closet system to turn my wall into my closet so my closet could be book storage space. It was way too much. I won't even tell you. So now my shoestring budget is absolutely shot. I shamelessly stole curtains from my generous mother. I also took my generous mother's old sewing desk and ripped out the (broken) sewing machine to make room for my legs. Being tall is a curse. Now, out of things to steal from my generous mother, I had to look within my own collection of stuff and stuff to cover my bare, lonely walls.

Well, I have a lot of paper.

Bought it at Michael's with a gift card.

IT'S CRAFTY TIME.

Paper triangles...

...and ribbon, and fabric flowers...

...make flag banners!

I found the idea for this one at the Martha Stewart website, and after just a little modification ...

...I have a fantastic wreath-y thing to cover a rather, err, unsightly spot on my wall!

I love doing things like this. And honestly, I like them much better than what I could have bought at the store!

Shoestring Budget = Awesome Budget, apparently~

Missionary.

 One of my best friends , Casey, is on a missions trip in India currently.

Casey!

 Now, Casey's a courageous lady. She's there for months, and by herself! And we talk on the phone, and I say things like "I can't wait until you come home, you haven't seen my room since I painted it!", and she says things like, "Oh Amelia, next week I might be going to Calcutta to work with the Missionaries of Charity!" and I feel like a dweebo, and I miss her. She's felt called to India since she was a little little girl and it is incredible to see how God put everything in order for her, how she just happened to meet just the right people at just the right time, how there was a genuine need that only she could fill. What God is doing through her over there is amazing. And Casey is amazing!

But, here are a few of the pictures she's sent of her trip so far, I enjoyed them so much and I imagine you will too~

Cutest girl/henna tattoos

This is how babies sleep! Doesn't he look so comfy?

FIRE.

Casey took all the kids out for a play day and they fell asleep like this on the ride home. Don't you love the last little boy in the line? So not asleep!

So beautiful

Hello little girl! I want your dress!

 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him,  for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”
Romans 10:12–15

P.S. Okay guys, it's very possible that today might be awful for

me...your prayers for me would be appreciated alongside 

your prayers for my lovely Casey!!

Dessert

Sundays in winter at our church are delicious food days. 

Y'see, winters here in western New York are killer. It's cold. It's icy. It's snowy as all get out. And the driving is AWFUL. So instead of having two services six hours apart and have everyone brave the snowy-blowy twice we have only an hour or so between services. And we fill that hour with delicious food! Everyone brings two dishes. I particularly enjoy making dessert. And I thought of a fun desserty idea just a few weeks ago.

Pie pops.

Tiny pies on sticks! Like lollypops! But with tiny pie!

I'll tell you what though, those little monsters were fiddly to make. They separated top from bottom, bubbled over, slid off their sticks...took me a good hour to perfect them. But once I got them down, I was like a pie pop making machine.

Apple, cherry, and pumpkin, I made 20 or so of each. They didn't all fit in those mugs!

In the interest of full disclosure I must confess that the crust to filling ratio was all wrong. They were tasty, don't get me wrong, but I expected them to be basically the most amazing pie experience of my life! It's a flaw in the design, I guess. BUT LOOK HOW CUTE THEY ARE!

I was thinking of doing a tutorial on how to make them, since they were so fiddly. If anyone's interested?

Black Plague/Flu/Death

Some of you expressed enthusiasm for the idea of hearing about my "Everyday Adventures". So I'm here today to relate the everyday adventure of being sick.

It's like this-Baby Arianna is sick on Tuesday and, unbeknownst to us, our house becomes a virtual incubator of viral plague. Wednesday morning we are feeling a little funny and grocery shopping falls to the much more palatable idea of staying home and resting. Wednesday evening rolls around and we are feeling sick indeed, call into church, I'm so sorry I'm sick and I can't teach my class tonight, would you mind taking over for me thank you so much you're a lifesaver. Wednesday night and we're....well...the only ACCURATE way to describe it is the worst sickness that has ever happened to anyone in the history of forever (I kid, I kid!). Thursday I am too sick to watch poor baby and the day is spent laying down, feeling awful, and avoiding food. Friday, today, I am sad to report that I am still quite under the weather. But I am upright, breathing, and fit to type!

Now I think it's important to tell you that only my mother and I have gotten sick so far, which brings me to a portion of this post I am going to call

I have an awesome little brother.

On Wednesday morning he noticed I was feeling unwell, so he made me my favourite breakfast.

A grapefruit.

And even though I wasn't quite hungry, the gesture was sweet!

Thursday comes around, and the adults in his house are dead to the world.

"Do I have you take care of you like little children? Uhhhh. Okay?"

 He makes us rice. He bikes down to the corner convenience store to buy us ginger ale. We have blankets and pillows. He tells us, most gallantly, that we CAN watch "Mooshy girly stuff" on Netflix, he doesn't mind.

Moral of the story: Being sick is lame, but it helps if you're blessed with a little brother who often acts like a big one.

A big brother, that is.

Excuses, excuses.

 I promised myself I would post every day for my first week here.

Only, today I am sick. I am quite sick. I do not want to write a post, I want to sleep forever.

So, here is my lazy lazy post.

Consider yourselves enlightened to the tragic consequences of bad literature!

I'm off to sleep and/or die now.

Yesterday was the first day.

The first day of my new job.

The first day of my new job at home you guys.

I'm nannying a little girl, you may have heard of her. Goes by the name of Arianna. Quite possibly the most beautiful baby ever born.

I can't tell you how happy I am!

Now, part of this happiness may possibly be attributed to the fact that I am getting paid to love one of the most lovable little beings I have ever met. I think that would make almost anyone happy!

 Awwwwwwwwwww.....

But.

Guys.

I'm just so happy to be home.

I've been working out-of-my-home for more than two years, and I've had a few very good, fulfilling sort of jobs. My past year and a half has been spent working at a workshop program with developmentally disabled adults. This is something I like to do, this is something I am good at! Other than a looney boss and a very lazy young man I had very little to complain about. Only, it wasn't what I wanted. (Or wasn't making me happy. Or wasn't right.)

Getting up at six every morning and rushing to pull on my (mandated) jeans and putting on some makeup and pulling out my hair and leaving for eight hours to run around in circles and coming home way too tired to to much more than eat, shower, and sleep is not where my life is going. I don't think that's God's plan for me! I anticipate wifeyness and motherdom in my future, not careeritude. So when the opportunity presented itself for me to go home for good, I gave my two weeks notice and thanked God pretty profusely. 

I feel like my life is balancing out~

AND I'LL NEVER HAVE TO WEAR JEANS AGAIN OH MAN I HATE JEANS THEY ARE THE WORST I AM SERIOUS YOU GUYS SWEATPANTS ARE COOL BUT OTHER THAN THAT IT'S SKIRTS ALL THE WAY. ALL THE WAY.

Today is the first day

Amelia Faith.

Twenty years old.

Mad and passionate lover of coffee.

Okay, okay, hi guys! 

Here are some things that may or may not be important.

 About me.

 Because I know you're interested.

• I am a girl.  Obviously, you may be saying to yourself: why is she telling us this? Well, I am telling you because it is very important. I love being a girl. I am a very girly girl. Okay, yeah, my little brother has a habit of calling me his "big brother", so maybe I'm not always a girly girl. But mostly I am. I'm a big brother in a skirt.
• I live at home. Home meaning a big yellow Victorian house in a small town in New York along with my mother, sister, and brother. Yes, I'm 20 and still living at home. Yes, I'll tell you about that later.
• I love making things. I especially love making things pretty ♥
• I don't date. No way. This doesn't mean I'm a snob, or that I don't like boys. It means I'm waiting for the right man. So until God decides I'm ready for him, there are better things to do!
• I make stupid faces all the time. It's not super attractive. But it's just the way I am. Or something. You'll see.
• I am a huge fan of friendliness, optimism, and positivity. Looking on the bright side is almost always the best choice!
• I love Jesus. This is the most important one. He is my rock. I try to be like him every day, I try! I try but I always fail. That's the miracle of salvation though, every time I mess up, every time he's there to forgive me. It's always been super hard for me to articulate my feelings about my faith, but I will tell you that it is the most important thing. Jesus is the most important thing!
• I'm totally serious about the coffee. Love the stuff. One cream, one sugar, my day is made. My love can be bought with coffee almost.

What about you, anybody anybody anybody? Tell me something important about YOU. Then give me a link to your blog, so we can be friends!

As long as you're not creepy.