The Blossoms of Autumn

These are the faces of the changing season, peeking out at me from very many places. Summer has yet to release her grasp fully, sending her flecks of color out into Autumn's still-green territory. 

I do not know what type of flowers the littlest pink ones are, but they are certainly lovely and perhaps my favorite wild flowers in this transitional time.

The shadows play in the meantime, and the figs and muskedine grapes find new life between the dance between light and simple darkness.

I feel different today. In a good way. Almost as if it is not just the season changing, by myself as well. I'm having a personal season change that I cannot yet see the colors of. 

Off to work now. Have a wonderful Friday, all! Go out and enjoy the earth a bit before heading out into routine! ♥

These Are the Last Days of Summer

Dearest Readers:

Many, many apologies for not posting here in such a long time, but life has gotten to be quite busy once more! Between work, four online classes, and now teaching a choir, my free time is spent sleeping or eating at designated times. It has been a wonderful -- albeit exhausting -- experience that I am still a part of!

Today, though, I am resting. Homework is done, I don't work this Sunday, and the family is planning out the day for my little brother's birthday. After this week, I am quite ready for some time to relax... even if it is for but a day.

I did manage to get some pictures not too long ago, and just this morning decided to take some time and touch them up so they were pretty enough to post here. I went out in search of the traces of autumn, and let me tell you that there are certainly more today than there were when these pictures were taken. It is rainy most days now, here in the South, and the days have just suddenly stopped heating up. The wind is rustling the trees almost constantly, and the clouds race across the skies forever. The sunlight is dancing. I have come to find that sunlight in particular shows the first signs of fall coming, for it turns more of a white than it is in the summer, and it seems to be cooler than normal. It is refreshing to the skin, and I often love to sit and just stand in the path of a stream of this particular light. Summer light is exhausting and the creamiest yellow, but fall sunlight is a creature of its own, most certainly.

Fall has pretty much gotten into my veins and I pine for the mountains now. I speak of going there almost every day because I miss the places there so greatly. Beaches are beautiful, but I am a mountain girl through and through. I crave the trees and the winds and the rocks. I have been telling my family to go up to one of the mountains I love to visit in particular and then just leave me there. "I shall become a wild person!" I'll tell them. They don't quite seem to get the same amusement out of it that I do, though.

But, alas, I am not in the mountains. I am at my computer among a cluttered desk. I find myself utilizing weekly planners and calendars now more than ever, and I have moved a small table my grandmother gave to me beside my desk simply to hold all of my school books. I really need to take some time in between homework and tidy up this room of mine. It looks like a college student lives here! ...Wait.

I miss posting here so badly! I don't know when I'll be able to really get a chance to sit down and write here again, seeing as I am running two presentation groups in my classes, working on three different projects alongside weekly work, working in the salon (I have color stains on my arms! Haha!), and just spending a few short moments here and there mentally recuperating. It's exhausting, my friends! I thought this semester was going to be less stressful than my last one, which I am sure you remember, but it has not been so far. The only nice thing is I don't have to sit in a classroom all day. I sit at my computer all day, which, in truth, is nothing new to me. I just do it far more often now. Hah.

I'll continue collecting material to share here! Even if I don't post, I am always thinking about things to share with you all. I shall have quite the collection of pictures and writings to share with you all soon, if not some stories from my ever-changing life in general.

Thank you for being loyal readers and wait-ers. 

Have a blessed -- AND COOL -- week! ♥

A Bit of Verse!

 "Second Glance"

An original poem by Elizabeth Brown

08/04/14

If there were a time and place
When I could cast my gaze upon your face,
Yet never once feel disgrace
For seeing you clearly without
Any biased information in mind,
Regarding such thoughts minimally
Blinking twice, noticing completely
How features unnoticed prior
Have totally shifted, an outlook skewed
Before now, corrected sheen
Reputation fresh, replenished, clean
With affection growing inside
Heart beating, ringtone-like
Constant, bold, true sight
Still, ashamed to let eyes wander

We again, lost at sea


* * * *

Wrote this today for an online group of artist friends and decided to share it with you! No word is used more than once, which was a challenge! I also did not use a thesaurus, as the group said I should try to do without just for the fun of it!

That essay I promised will be done soon! Back to school season has hit the salon and I have been running around nonstop while at work and sleeping soundly when I get home. This aside, family things have been happening at the same time, shortening my free time. So you shall see this essay from me soon! I keep thinking about it and feel so bad that my time ha kept me from really getting it busted out, but it can't be avoided.

Please enjoy this poem in the meantime!

Have a lovely Monday, everyone! Miss you all!

DIY Paper Trays

Yes, another picture! Don't worry, I have my essay-post in the works! It should be here soon! 

In the mean time, I have too many loose papers on my desk. And after a random spurt of organizing brought on the other day, I have rediscovered that I have a desk. The papers can't stay loose, however, so I knew that I had to do something to wrangle them and make them look at least a bit more tidy than they were when they just sat on my desk, tucked into each other at weird angles.

Inspired by something I think I saw on Pinterest (can't remember, honestly), I hocked a cereal box from the kitchen and chopped the thing in half! These halves of cardboard then became destined to be painted, Sharpied, and beautified before sitting on my desk and organizing my endless sheaves of papers!

It was a great way to occupy my time today, and I got to feel like I made something pretty useful out of nothing. Upcycling for the win!

Now, back to that essay blog post!

Have a great Tuesday, my friends. ♥

Creating Creativity!

I've decided to shake things up a bit with the topics of my blog posts, which I have honestly been looking forward to for quite some time, and shall begin a series of new topics quite soon! I have been looking over many premade lists of things to write about, and while I was about to start following that list today, I held down backspace and decided to do something a bit more creative, a bit more me, for this sort of thing.

Firstly, I post a lot of pictures. Lots. I'm a happy photographer. But I am also a writer and wish to write MORE on this blog. I want to discuss my thoughts and feelings more, and I know that journaling such things is supposed to be healthy for one. I've never been a diary-keeper, and I don't plan on writing anything that personal here, but I want to write more about my views on this wonderful world I capture in pictures!

Secondly, along the lines of me being a writer...I'm one of those people who like to write essays. I could be paid to do it and I would be happy. This is pretty self-explanatory here and goes back to the point above. Though worry not! I shan't be posting huge, lengthy slices of my brain. I may do some other things to shake up my posts, too.

So I've got some plans for this blog right now, plans that will help me get rid of the creative energy building up in me. In this process, I do hope that I can inspire others to be fearless and break free of any molds they think they have fallen into. Go forth and be creative, my dears! It feels quite lovely and certainly helps to make a day bright with imaginative cheer.

Wish me luck in the planning of these new ideas! 

Have a lovely Tuesday, all!

Fish and Fruit Fondues & Fireworks! (Happy Fourth of July!)

What a wonderful 4th! Started the day out fishing with my mom and sister, then had two wonderful fondues (fish, veggie, and cheese fry in one, chocolate in the other -- superbly done by Mom) for dinner, ending the wonderful day with family fireworks in the front yard. 

Simplicity abounds, and I love it that way. I don't like complicated get-togethers; just laughter, love, and family. Simpler things are so precious, and those are the things I adore and treasure most. The Lord has blessed me and my family so much. Life, even if rough on us sometimes, really is good! These times prove it! Now I shall tuck myself into bed and listen to the fireworks boom in the distance!

Happy 4th, everyone! Love you all! God Bless America! ♥

A Rainy Morning

It has been so overcast and rainy lately. When I finally did get a chance to get outside and get some pictures of the world around me, the flash on my camera refused to turn off, so I got some really rainy-looking shots....Which, truthfully, is what it looked like. The flowers are thriving, the fruit trees are thriving, and our sprouts (above) don't quite know what to do with the amount of rain we're getting at the moment. They should perk up soon, though!

Work has been going great. I love being in a salon and cutting hair and whatnot. Even the slow times are fun. It seems to rain every day that I'm there, and one time a car even caught fire in the parking lot and we watched the fire department come out and put out the flames. The dull moments aren't ever really dull, truth be told. I'm quite happy. 

These aside, I have finally finished a series of books. It's been two and a half years since I have been able to finish several books in a row, and this starts out what I hope to continue through the summer before college starts back up again. I'm trying to read as much as I can these days (especially since I keep acquiring more books!), and am actually sacrificing computer time for it. I rather like it. As far as crafting goes....I haven't made much of anything lately. My desk is a disaster and laundry needs to be rescued quite badly, and I shall get to them soon. I need some organization to go on here! Maybe some shelves! I should channel some creativity that way.

* * *

I woke up a bit grouchy this morning. Not sure why, but we all know the feeling. I skipped breakfast and started listening to songs that I could relate to in my grouchiness, or songs that would let off my steam for me so I didn't snap at anyone. There's a set of songs I go to for that, and I listened through all of them. I was still grouchy afterwards and considered relistening to them just to try to feel a bit better...but I realized it wouldn't work. I can't fight a bad feeling with things making me continue to think about my bad feelings. Sure, listening to sad songs while you're crying may help you feel a bit better as you're sobbing your eyes out and busting out a chorus into the ceiling to show how you're feeling....But after a while it gets kinda counterproductive, doesn't it? 

I went down that route this morning and decided that I was going to make a conscious effort to stop listening to the grouchy songs and click over to some gospel. Boy what a difference! It was music I have to learn for choir anyway, but it has made me feel so much better. I have been listening to the words while I do things here for the past hour and a half and I can feel my day being better already. I still have a bit of grouching going on, but I feel blessed. God's given me another day. I'm going to try to not spend it grouchy...even if the little ones are nagging me. But I'm going to try! He didn't give me this day to complain. He gave me this day to work for Him, even if it means just being happy.

I'm going to try and do that. And honestly, I like being happy more than I like being grouchy.

Have a great Tuesday, everyone! ♥