Change is Coming

Change is in the air.  As we near the first day of Fall I can't help but find myself getting excited! There is a huge grin on my face as I wave goodbye to summer - scorching hot heat, unbearable, not-so-fun, impossible-to-enjoy heat, and, yep, more heat. Maybe I'm exaggerating just a bit.  Truly, I had a wonderful summer, but I'm so thankful for change.  I'm thankful for cooler days, for routine, and for pumpkin spice Latte's.  That's the real reason right there, mmm, pumpkin spice, need I say more.

With the season of Fall fast approaching (the first day of fall is this Thursday!), the season when we celebrate change, I can't help but look back over the year and see all the change in my life as well. I am not the same person I was back when I first started this blog.  So much has changed. I have improved in many of the skills I'm passionate about (Photography, Sewing...), and I have pursued many new interests (Hand Lettering, Water color..),  but most importantly I have grown to have  a closer and dearer relationship with my Heavenly Father.

Keeping with the subject of change,  you may have noticed that I  changed my blog design.  It is my hope and plan to post more frequently.  I know that this has always been my aim with this blog but I'm going to really try this time. One thing I would like to share more of on this blog is my photography.  Another thing I would like to start posting about is my new found love and obsession with Hand Lettering.  If you want to see some of my Hand Lettering, I post most of my art on my Instagram account (@UniquelyHis4ever).

I'm looking forward to the change that is to come, but I'm especially looking forward to having my first Pumpkin Spice Latte of the season!  I hope you enjoy your last few days of summer.  I've already said my goodbye's to summer, I'm ready for Fall!

You Can't Get Fresher Than This!

Hi all! I'm so sorry it's been so long since I've posted anything. These last few weeks I have been trying to find activities to keep my summer busy and you know what, it's working. I've been so busy I can't seem to find the time to write a new post.  But that is going to change soon. I have so many new projects planned for the next few months and I can't wait to share them all with you.

Last weekend my Mom and I went to our local farmer's market and we came home with so many healthy goodies. You can see all of the delicious and FRESH food we bought in the picture above. YUM!  Also, it's a hint about what a few of my upcoming post will be about. I'm hoping to share with you all some of the ways I used the yummy food we picked out.

Have you ever gone a farmer's market? What's your favorite fruit? Or vegetable?

Investing in the Lives of Others

"Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God." Ruth 1:16

I want to share with you all my most recent purchase. For the longest time I have been seeing so many post on Instagram about a new type of Bible. It's called a Journaling Bible and it's a special type of Bible that has extra room on each page for notes, or art, or whatever you are inspired to create in the blank space. I've been having a lot of fun learning new hand lettering and calligraphy techniques and the idea of using this new pastime to help you study God's Word seemed like such a wonderful idea.



Last week I finally bought myself this beautiful Journaling Bible. I love with the vintage cover! All my siblings agreed that it fits me perfectly. I can't wait to express myself creatively in the pages of this Bible. Already I have been able to create my first hand lettering art in the pages my Journaling Bible (as you can see in the pictures below).

This past week God has been teaching me a lot about what I, as a Christian girl, can do each day to bless those around me. God has put on my heart the need each day to take the time to invest more in the lives of each of my siblings. I'm really close to my sister and I have decided to start a weekly Bible study with her. The book of Ruth kept coming to mind and I knew God wanted us to go through this book together. Today we read the first chapter of Ruth. We had such a blessed time together.



I wanted to make this time together very special for my sister so I made a quick trip to Starbucks (my sister LOVES Starbucks) and got us a special treat to sip on while we dug into God's Word together.

I actually pre-read the first chapter of Ruth and wrote down in a notebook questions for her to answer to help us draw out the chapter. I also taught her one of my favorite ways to study the bible; The SOAP method:

S: Scripture (choose a verse that spoke to you in the passage you read)

O: Observation (What is that verse saying, what's the context around that verse)

A: Application (How can you apply this verse to your life, what can you learn from this verse)

P: Prayer (Ask God to help you to apply what you learned to your life)



Each day I see how God has blessed me in so many ways. I have such a wonderful family and I am so thankful for my sister. I'm so excited to see what God is going to teach us as we continue to spend time with Him each week.

Lastly, I want to encourage you to take the time each day to invest in the lives of those around you. God has put certain people in our lives for a reason. Are we actively seeking to help those people grow in their walk with God, or are we just around them to have fun? Who has God put in your life who needs that extra word of encouragement each day? How can your example bless those around you?

Lord, help me to bring You glory in all I do. Show me how I can invest in the lives of others. I want to make the best use of the time, Lord. I want to point others to You in all I do.

What ways have you invested in others? Has anyone ever taken the time to invest in your life? Are you currently in any Bible studies?

For Everything There is a Season

"For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven," Ecclesiastes 3:1

I am saddened to think that the short season when my family works for Rock-N-Water, a christian living history camp, has come to an end.  But looking back on these past few months I am filled with only good memories.  Memories that make me laugh, and memories that will always bring a smile to my face, even when I know that I may not have been able to smile when that memory was being made.

I have learned so much through working at this special place.  Not only have I grown in more ways than one over these past two months, but I have made so many wonderful friendships that I know will last forever.

Below are some of the highlights from the last month of Rock-N-Water (May).

 We dressed up as Indians for the Maidu trip

Setting up stations for the Maidu trip 

 

 Taking a break after a day of hard, but fun, work

This was my attempt to create an outfit that was half Indian and half pioneer

 Cutting leather for one of the stations

Lots of hands helping to restock the gold vials for gold panning

My brother all ready for his trip

My brother being silly, no actually, he's just being himself

 

Doing candle station with my group

My dear friend Sarah on the Indian grinding rock 

I'm going to miss all of these wonderful people

I'm so thankful for the wonderful season we had at Rock-N-Water these last two months. Now that it has come to and end, I am looking forward to an even better season next year!

If any of my Rock-N-Water family sees this post I just want to tell you all thanks so much for an AMAZING year!  

It's That Time of Year Again!

I'm so excited and I just can't keep it to myself!  If you remember in many of my previous posts, I refer to a camp my family works at during the spring called Rock-N-Water.  Well, spring is here, and we are busy preparing for the next two months which will be very busy.

Rock-N-Water is a camp where 4th Graders come to learn about the Gold Rush.  Not only do these kids get to learn about the Gold Rush, they get to travel back in time.  As a guide at Rock-N-Water I get to dress up as a character from the Gold Rush and tell these  kids about "my time" (1854).  

One of my habits has always been to keep a journal to record the highlights of my life.   I don't write in it everyday (who does).  I probably write in my journal about twice a month.  A few days ago I was reading some of my writing from last year while I worked at Rock-N-Water. I thought I would share a bit!

April 12, 2015
I love Rock-N-Water so much! I love being at camp and getting to know all the other guides.  I love the feeling of being a part of the Rock-N-Water family.  Below I'm going to list the reasons why I love this place so much.

1. I get to share God's love with others and make a difference in the lives of others by working there.
2. The staff is Amazing! I love being a part of the Rock-N-Water family.
3. I love history and I LOVE dressing up.  There is something magical about dressing up and traveling back to the past to teach the 4th graders about the Gold Rush.
4. I get to work alongside my family.  Often times my mother and brother will be on the same trip as me.
5. It forces me out of my comfort zone.  It's true! I don't feel shy when I'm at Rock-N-Water.  I feel like a different person.
6. I've come to realize I love to work with kids and teach them about history.

And I could keep going on and on...

(the above picture is my brother and I at Rock-N-Water in Spring 2014)

May 2, 2015
I've never laughed so hard in my life! Being one of the staff at Rock-N-Water is truly one of the most wonderful things.  I'm starting to get to know a lot of the other staff at Rock-N-Water and form new friendships.  Rock-N-Water is the best thing ever...

May 27, 2015
Yesterday I had so much fun! We were at Rock-N-Water and there were so many staff at camp.  We all loaded up into the vans and went out to get frozen yogurt.  Afterwords we had tons of camp clean-up to work on, but I've never had so much fun while working...

May 31, 2015
The end of Season party was today.  It was fun but bittersweet. The worst part was saying goodbye. I can't wait for next year's season...

And now Rock-N-Water is here again.  I'm looking forward to seeing my friends from last year and making new friends. But most importantly, I can't wait to serve the Lord and share God's truth with others!

Focusing on the Year Ahead

“Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth. Sing to the Lord, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.” Psalm 96: 1-3

It feels like 2015 was just yesterday, oh wait, it was. 

Once again, the year seemed to have flown by. I can't believe that we are now in 2016 and 2015 is the past. Looking back on 2015 I can confidently say it was a good year. I had ups and downs, good times and bad times.  Many of my dreams come true, but many of my dreams still remain just dreams.  It was a year of new friendships and painfully watching old friendships fade.  A year full of laughter and tears.  But through it all God has always been by my side.  That is why I can say 2015 was a good year, and I know that each lesson I learned in 2015 was to bring me closer to Him.

Briefly taking a look back over the past year I would like to share with you a few of my highlights:

• In March my mom, my brother, my sister, and I went on a road trip to visit our relatives in Illinois. It seems so long ago that we all piled into my brother's car and drove, drove, and drove until we finally reached my aunt's place in Illinois. We had a wonderful visit and made many new memories.

• In the spring my family worked at a Christian living history camp called Rock-N-Water. I learned so much and made so many wonderful friends during the two months we worked at Rock-N-Water. I'm looking forward to working there again in 2016 (this year).

• My biggest accomplishment of 2015 was making my Astrid Cosplay (you can find information about my cosplay on my cosplay page - My Cosplays). I took my sewing skills to a new level. Cosplaying Astrid has long been a dream of mine and it's truly an amazing feeling to make a dream of yours come true. I hope to make many more cosplays this year.

• In November I turned 20. To me that is a big deal because I'm no longer a teenager. On that day I created a list of goals for my 20th year. (you can find the list here - Twenty and Blessed)

Looking back I am also reminded of the many sad and difficult times I faced in 2015.

• Saying goodbye to my best friend as she left to go to college in Texas was difficult for me. I'm thankful that I can still communicate with her but it's hard not to be see her as much as I used to.

• Watching my brother enter the Coastguard only to come home with a medical discharge was a trial for my whole family. Seeing someone you love so disappointed wasn't easy. We prayed that God would heal him and I'm still trying to understand why God sent him back home.  But we take comfort in knowing that God's plans are always the best.

• Continually doing my best to trust in God and be content is always a constant struggle for me. I want to find my purpose in life but each day I have to learn to surrender myself to God and trust in Him for my future. 

I know that many of the struggles I faced in 2015 I will also face in 2016. But I know that just like God was with me in 2015, He will not leave me in 2016.

But enough about 2015 - I have decided to focus not on the past but on the year ahead. I can't wait to see what lessons God will teach me this year and what new skills I will be able to learn.

If I were to come up with a list of resolutions for the new year, it would sound a lot like the list I made on my 20th birthday. I have thought hard about it and have decided upon three main things I hope that this year brings:

1. To learn how to sew a dress without a pattern and and how to make my own pattern (this skill will be so helpful in making cosplays)

2. Become a better sister and daughter. God has made it clear to me that my place of service is to my family. I want to be kind and loving to my siblings and respectful to my parents.

3. To grow closer to God. I want to reach a point in my walk with God where nothing else matters. I want to 'fall in love' with God.

I'm looking ahead with a hopeful heart, thankful for the year that is past, and ready for the year to come.

Happy New Year!

Christmas is Almost Here!

Today happens to be a wet and rainy day.  We've been getting so much rain and snow these last few months and it makes me so happy!  The weather forecast is even predicting possibly a white Christmas this year!  That makes me even more happy.  

I really don't really have anything in particular to say but today just seemed like the perfect day to sit down and write something.  I'm going to share with you some of the projects I have been working on this Christmas season.  

Christmas is a time for giving.   This year I decided to put together something simple for my friends at church.  My mom found some adorable yet simple gift bags at Joann's and she decorated them with paint, a potato and glitter.  She carved a holly leaf in the potato to create a homemade stamp. She also used carrot to make the red holly berries.   The glitter I think is what really makes these bags perfect for Christmas.  She sprinkled the glitter on the paint before it dried.

I filled the bags with a small jar of homemade pumpkin butter and a small bag of candy.  Lastly I added added a candy cane because it's not Christmas without candy canes, right?

I was meaning to take some nice pictures but I've been too lazy to get my camera out (meaning run upstairs to grab my camera that is sitting on my desk).  Fortunately, my Mom took some pictures with her camera or else I wouldn't of had any pictures to share.

We have also been busy baking cookies.  Cookies for us to eat and cookies to give to our friends and neighbors.  Last night we made sugar cookie cut-outs and frosted them.  We had fun seeing who could make the most creative cookies.  

Today I made ginger cookies and dipped them half in white chocolate. There's a tutorial for making these cookies here: http://www.cookingclassy.com/2014/12/white-chocolate-dipped-ginger-cookies/ 

I took the easy way and I used 'Betty Crocker's Gingerbread cookie mix' that you buy at the store.  These cookies are surprisingly easy to make yet they look very festive and yummy.

So that's just a little summary of what's been keeping me busy these past few weeks.  I can't believe Christmas is only three days away. I'm really excited and can't wait, but at the same time, I'm not ready for Christmas to be over.  

Oh, I almost forgot.  I have officially started making my second cosplay.  It's not actually for me, it's for my brother.  I plan on making him a Hiccup cosplay from How to Train Your Dragon 2 eventually.  We may go to a Anime/Cosplay Convention in January and since Hiccup's costume from the second movie is so complicated I decided to make him a cosplay for Hiccup from the first movie for the convention.  I'll have pictures and a tutorial on my blog once I finish it.  

Merry Christmas!

Enjoying Life

"Don’t try so hard
To move past the moment
These days go by
And they’re gone before you know it
So come on, open your window
Let the light shine in
This is life don’t miss it"
~Francesca Battistelli

Today I have been busy working on one of my sewing projects; I'm making a Christmas blouse to go with my prairie skirt for an upcoming event we are going to after Thanksgiving.  When  I spend long hours in the craft room I like to listen to my music to keep me company while I work.  Lately I've been trying to listen more to Christian songs because they are always so much more uplifting and as I sing the lyrics and contemplate the words I find them to be so encouraging.  

I listened to the song "Don't Miss It"  by Frencesca Battistelli and I have to say I just love that song. It is a wonderful reminder to take time each day to go outside and enjoy life.  

It is so easy to get so caught up in social media that it's all we think about. I've been there and I find it is still a constant struggle for me to just put my iPod (since I don't have a phone) down. Or maybe we get overwhelmed by working ourselves to hard. We need to remember life is too short to waste on things that don't matter in the long run. I want to make each day of my life count.  

On Monday my family (well everyone minus my Dad who was working) went on a short trip to Monterey to visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium.  We've been to the aquarium so many times before so it wasn't anything special.  What made this trip special to me was being able to spend time with my family.  We made many memories that day and I am so blessed because I could not have asked for a better family to share life with.

I took plenty of pictures as well since, as I've said before, photography is one of my favorite hobbies.

Everyday I'm amazed at Gods amazing creation and I think Gods creativity is best displayed in the creatures of the sea.  I feel so privileged to have been able to take pictures of such amazing creatures.

My camera was driving me crazy the whole time because of the low light conditions and the fish never staying still but I managed to get quite a few pictures that I'm really happy with.

  

  

I found Nemo! and he actually stayed still enough for me to get a good picture.  I also found Dory!

This picture is my favorite.  The special exhibit at the aquarium had octopuses, cuttlefish, and squids. I was able to capture this picture of a squid and I'm so happy that it's not blurry.  I'm spellbound at how big and intricate the squids eyes are.  Gods unique design is clearly seen in this creature.  

I know this is not a "Fish"  but this puffin (At least I'm pretty sure it was a puffin) posed so cute for me in this picture that I had to share it. I also really like the picture below of the same puffin because I think it gives a completely different story to same subject.  I love how you can see the puffins feet underwater and how you can see the water drops making it clear that the puffin is behind glass and living in captivity.

Anyway, with Thanksgiving just around the corner it's time for me to start counting my blessings.  I have so much to be thankful for and my family is at the top of my list. 

I'm doing my best each day to find the little blessings of life, ones that are often overlooked, and thank God for them.  

I hope you enjoy these pictures ;)

Twenty and Blessed

A sore throat and a pinched nerve in my neck that hurts whenever I look to my left greeted me this morning when I woke up. But I was determined not to let it bother me or take any joy away from this day. I pulled myself out of bed, jumped in the shower, and put a smile on my face because today was my birthday. I turned twenty years old today (No longer a teenager, Yeah!).

Unfortunately the smile I put on my face didn't last long. This year my birthday was on a Sunday and I was planning on wearing one of my favorite dresses to church today. The dress I really wanted to wear didn't work out and I found myself rushing around like crazy trying to put an outfit together and do my hair and make up (and my once clean closet is now in need of cleaning again).

I wish I could say the rest of my day went perfect and met all of my expectations but I'm just gonna be honest and say that I didn't have the perfect day, and things didn't go exactly how I wanted them to.

But Instead of focusing on all the things that "went wrong" I'm doing my best to choose to focus on the things I can be thankful for in my life. I'm twenty and blessed. So blessed. I have the best family who loves me very much. Each one of my siblings is very dear to me. My friends all wished me a wonderful day, and I have a lot to look forward in this next year.

My day may not have have gone exactly how I wanted it to go but that's not what matters. I'm learning that if I take the time to count my many blessings my disappointments vanish and I'm left feeling blessed and happy once again.

I've been thinking a lot about the next year of my life. I have decided that what I really hope for in this next year is for it to be a year of learning. I have come up with a list of things I want to either make, improve upon, or teach myself;

• Improve my cooking skills by making a new meal at least once every two weeks and trying new dessert recipes. 
• Learn how to make a dress without a pattern and learn how to make my own pattern. 
• Read for at least 20 minutes everyday 
• Make a hiccup cosplay for my brother (because I got an Astrid cosplay, but I kinda need a Hiccup cosplay now) 
• Draw more, Write more, and take pictures more often 
• Make a promise Box (If you want to know what this is check out this wonderful blog post from A Lovely Calling: http://alovelycalling.com/2015/10/20/promise-box-future-husband/) 
• Most importantly grow closer in my walk with God 

I will most likely add to this list, it's still what you can call "an idea in progress". My goal in this list is to help me stay focused and not always fall into the habit of wasting my time. In the end I know that my plans are nothing compared to God's plans and I know his plans are always the best for me.

I'm excited to see what God has planned for me in this next chapter of my life. Twenty is gonna be a great age, I just have this feeling. I'm warming up to it quick and am ready to take my first steps of life in my twenties.

Welcome November!

November is finally here.  I love November!  It's my favorite month (I do have a particular reason for liking this month so much, hehe, but I'm not gonna tell yet).  

I can't believe that Thanksgiving and Christmas are just around the corner. I'm getting excited just thinking about how happy I'm gonna be when Christmas music is all I listen to and cuddling up in front of a warm fire with a warm drink in my hands is an often occurrence. 

Today is a beautiful rainy day and rainy days are always a good day to stay inside and clean. I have a closet full of costumes and the funny thing is I don't even store them in my closet. I've had my costumes hanging up in my parent's closet the past few years.  

My mom said she wants her closet space back so today I packed all of my costumes into bins and labeled them.  It always feels so good to get some cleaning and organizing done.

Last Saturday was Halloween and I wanna share some pictures of our fun outing that night.  

I've always wondered if celebrating Halloween and trick or treating was bad.  My family used to never called Halloween, Halloween.  We always called it Harvest Day.  We used go to harvest festivals at our church but the past few years we haven't really done much at all.    

Yesterday my family went to a local Halloween event in town.  We walked around town and it was really fun to see everyone in their costumes.  I decided to wear my Astrid Cosplay since I've never worn it in public before.  

My sister wore her airsoft gear and my brother dressed up in a military uniform from the Vietnam war that we found at the thrift store.  The last time he wore the uniform it was huge on him because he used to be so little.  I don't know what happened.  Now he's so tall and grown up.

People kept complimenting me on my costume and asking for a picture of my costume.  I loved how the little kids would recognize me as Astrid.  To them I really was Astrid.  I even found a little girl who dressed up as Astrid from the first movie.

They had a costume contest that was fun to participate in.  I was bummed my costume didn't get any of the places but all the compliments I got made up for my disappointment.

Anyway, I hope you're enjoy these pictures and I hope your just as excited as I am about Thanksgiving and Christmas!  The best time of the year has finally arrived!

My Bible Study ~ The Book of Job

It feels like it's been awhile since I last said anything on this blog. I'm just really busy (I always am it seems).  I don't have the time to just sit down and write something because when I do I realize there is something more important I need to do.  But, however busy our lives get, one thing that is very important to me is having my personal quiet time with God in the morning.  

More often than not my mornings start right off being busy and I can't always find the time to read God's word. Sometimes all I can do is set aside 5 minutes to read a psalms or proverbs.  

In spring I decided to do my own study of the book of Job.  Just last week I finally finished reading through Job. I chose to study Job because it has always been one of the books in the Bible that I find hard to understand.

My approach to studying Job was to read one chapter and then in my notebook I would take each verse and rewrite it in a condensed way (I learned this method at a Bible study I took years ago and we called it "Think and Shrink").  I also read a study guide to go along with my reading in Job. Lastly I wrote out a summary and application for each chapter of the book of Job.  I found this method of studying to be very helpful and was able to actually pull out a lot of truths to the book of Job.  I want to share with you some of what I learned...

In the first part of Job (chapter 1-2) the text is pretty straight forward.  What really stuck out to me is the fact that Satan could not harm Job without God's permission.  It's a comfort to know that God is on our side and Satan can't harm us.  If we are God's children, Satan has no power over us.

The second part of Job (Chapters 3-37)  the writing becomes more of prophecy format and...well, it's lot harder to understand.  Job doesn't know why these things are happening while his friends, who think they know why Job is suffering, plead with him to repent of his sin.  

I tried to imagine this in a more modern day situation.  If I had a friend and all of a sudden she lost everything despite the fact that she is a strong believer in God and didn't do anything to deserve what happened to her. If all I did was tell her that she messed up somehow and she needed to repent I would not be a very good friend.  Yet, that is exactly what Job's friends were doing.  

Jobs friends are a good example of how not to comfort a friend who's hurting.  What Job really needed, and what those around us who are suffering really need, is not someone to criticize them and tell them what they have done wrong, but someone to be a shoulder to cry on.  Someone who knows to be silent and to just be there for their friend.  When we criticize and try to tell our friends what they did wrong it puts us in a judgmental frame of mind and it is very selfish because we end up thinking we are far better than 'that' friend who is suffering.

I hate to admit it, but often times I get caught up in this mindset. When  I have friends who are struggling I feel like I have the answer and I can help them by telling them what to do.  I'm slowly learning that at times it's best to be quiet and bite my tongue instead of always have to share my opinions and advice.  

In Chapters 38-41 when God finally speaks to Job I noted that God never does tell Job why he suffered. Sometimes we aren't always given a reason either when we suffer.  The whole point that God was getting across to Job was that He was God and that was enough. God is always greater than our trials and hardships.

Finally, the last part of Job (chapter 42) when Jobs suffering finally comes to an end and God richly blesses by restoring all of his fortunes and more.  In the long run Job ended up better off after his suffering.

I learned that we can trust God when we go through trials and sufferings knowing that He is growing us to be closer to Him. It says in Romans 8:28 "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose."  

Lastly, I just want to share with you my favorite chapters in Job;  I love Job chapter 28 because it talks about mining the earth for its precious metals and how none can compare to wisdom. I love it because it reminded me of the gold rush and I love the gold rush in particular because of an awesome living history camp I work at in the spring.  I also like Job 41 when God talks about the Leviathan because I believe the Leviathan was a dragon/dinosaur and that there were dinosaurs in Job's time.  The Leviathan truly does sound like an amazing creature and was fascinating to read about. 

I can now say that I understand Job a lot better than before, and I'm looking forward to the next book I shall decide to study.    

"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,  for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." James 1:2-4

Exercise Two: Your Reflection

The other day I realized something.  There are only three more months in this year. September is almost over and then comes October, November, and lastly, December.  The first official day of Fall was only a few days ago.  I can't believe how fast this year is flying by!

To be honest though, I'm so glad summer is over and am really looking forward to cooler weather (so I can wear my boots and scarfs!).  Summer is my least favorite month because I don't like the hot weather and I just can't help but get excited at the fact that it's over until next year.

I figured it's about time I got around to another post on this blog.  I have been meaning to get to the next photography exercise in my book but I just haven't had the time. At the moment I currently have two seasonal jobs so I have been busy with work and as soon as I get home I just want to relax. Today is actually the first day in awhile for me that I have, for the most part, been home the whole day and have been able to get things done that I've been wanting to do.   

Anyway,  for the second photo exercise I am supposed to take a picture of my reflection.  I have taken pictures of my reflection multiple times before so I am just going share with you those instead of waiting until I find the time and inspiration to take pictures.

This picture is from a few years ago.  We were at the zoo and this picture was actually my friends idea so I can't take full credit for the creativity. The mirror is part of a carousel that was at the zoo. That's why there's a pole in front of the mirror.  The only thing I don't like about this picture is it's really grainy.  

I actually stumbled upon this picture the other day.  Last year my family went on vacation to the San Juan Islands in Washington and we visited a manor house from the late 1800's to the early 1900's. It was called Rosario Resort. It had a little museum but it was also a resort that people would stay at on their vacation.  I saw this weird mirror set up in one of the rooms.  I believe the idea behind the strange design of this mirror was so you could see more than one angle of yourself at the same time.  I really like this shot because it looks kinda deceptive.  Not only did I capture my reflection, I captured the reflection of my reflection as well.

Last Christmas I found the perfect ornament.   It was so red and shiny.  I opened up my Bible to the Christmas passage in Luke and took a picture so that you could see my reflection in the ornament.

I don't know if this one really counts, but I took a picture of me taking a picture.  It's kinda is a picture of my reflection but not really because it's my iPod's camera.  I really like this picture a lot because it's not your typical self-portrait picture.

*UPDATE*

I have to add my newest reflection picture!  It's my absolute favorite picture to use as profile pictures.  I took this picture at a really cute candy story in Monterey Bay.