a winner and some travel

Blogger hated my photos yesterday, and this post really wouldn't have made much sense without them. Read this post as if it were Friday, because that's when I wrote everything. I am going to ask for a Mulligan with NaBloPoMo, and you'll get 2 posts Monday to make up for it! Deal? Deal.

Well, with only a few entries, I told the Stitcher’s

guild community and Facebook about it in the eleventh hour, and drew the winner this morning. My fancy, ultra-technichal way of making the choice?

Me: “pick a number between 1 and 3.

Daniel: “3. Why?”

Me: I need a winner.

At this point, I went back to studying Hebrew. After all, it WAS quiz day. So, since number – is it, congratulations, Leann! Email me at anachronismsarah at yahoo dot com with your address.

Onto today’s topic… travel. Packing. Have you ever noticed how well/poorly you’re able to pack for trips? I tend to be really bad at it, and there's a whole school of thought as to why. So I decided to post my madness and describe it as a method.

I’m gone to a regional assembly this weekend, so I had to pack last night. The first thing to think of… What all will we be doing?

• Date on Friday
• Up really early Saturday and going all day
• possible night out Saturday?
• Sunday up early for church or leisurely day…

Being prepared for the plethora of circumstances without taking up my whole car? Hmm… I start with a really simple thing first. Black or Brown?

If I can narrow this down, I take one set of shoes(dressy and casual) one belt, and one jacket. The next thing, because I’m 22 and it’s just my go-to is a denim skirt or pair of jeans.

Then tops for all of the possibilities. Athletic stuff doubles as pajamas with the addition of an extra tee, and a great dress for a date... Only you can't see the awesome ruffle.

Today(Friday) I'm thankful for autumn leaves... Because half of my afternoon drive is on a highway and not the interstate, I get to see them!

Today(Saturday) I'm really thankful for old friends. I renewed some connections at a statewide church function that were pretty amazing, and to be reminded that God is good, all the time and in everything. I attended some pretty awesome seminars and heard a great sermon. It was great to be surrounded by people I know, and even better to do it on SUCH a beautiful day! I enjoyed it thoroughly.

Craft Night and a tour

I am actually at Craft Night right now, a tradition started by Ruth, a great neighbor who opens her home to let us hang out, laptops or crafts, to commune and un-stress. And tonight, in that process, I am going to plan, because that's what I need right now. It's a great group of people, and a great mini-sabbath from studying.

And a tour. Beth at Wee Pereas offered a tour of her studio today, and asked about the studios of others. And I have a confession. My whole apartment has been used as studio space at one point or another.

When you walk in my front door, you see the entirety of my living room. It's little and the focus is definately the kitchen table, and it's pretty central to how I live right now between homework, friends, and crafting and cooking so it's kind of accurate to have it RIGHT THERE.

I am a firm believer that the table is where we meet our family, no matter its form and substance, and that maintaining that here is okay with me.And you walk in a bit. The color scheme of walls and trim and furniture was serendipitously matching my rug, a gift from our pastor, and I love the fact that my walls are what they are: Art. Conversation starters. You'll notice the very intentional absence of a TV. And you see my painting, created at Craft Night last week, and waiting on a chance to be really finished. I am living with it and looking at it, and trying to decide what more to do. It's going to reflect more of a specific sunset that I felt really really at one with my Creator. It's definately not there yet. It will be though.

And walking into my bedroom, we have a desk, a comfy rug, and my bed. The desk is there for crafty thinking and some studying, but mostly for storing books and holding... stuff. It's the one bit of clutter left in my apartment.

The colors are nice and calming, and somewhat oppositional to all of the apartment's colors, but I'm living with it. I like it in some ways. My favorite is the little shag rug on my floor... SO wonderful to step onto on cold mornings. I'm actually blogging from there right now.

But this fun area, where all of my jewelry lives and where I've staged a vanity of sorts, actually produces a good bit of inspiration.

My clothes come out of how I look and feel, and my jewelry comes from my clothes, so here's a fun little central point in all of that!

On that last note, I am pretty excited about the giveaway that closes tomorrow at midnight. The short version: I'm a flibbergibbet, so you could win a handmade, one of a kind necklace. Click over for the long version. I want to hear from you.

And... I am really thankful for the greatest thing of all: Family away from family. I have the best family ever. Here at Seminary, we all grow together, and I love that it really is a family. Between dinner club and my life group and craft night, I have found friendships and connections in a big way. It's a blessing and I am just that.

my version of a random number generator...

The following is a conversation I had on Facebook a few minutes ago with the first person to be up on my buddy list. Or whatever Facebook calls it.
Sarah
pick a number between 1 and 12
Brandon
7
pi
scratch 7
use pi
Sarah
ok so 3
has to be a whole number...
Brandon
ok 3
Sarah
kay. Thanks.
Brandon what was it for?
Sarah
the giveaway I did on my blog. You just picked the winner.
Brandon
ooo
Awesome

So there you have it. Your winners.
And a teaser. I hope to cut out/finish drafting the first Turkey dress... I have padded my dressform so we are the same shape now... Meaning I can more effectively drape the bottom half and the bust...
Oh, and in the near future, I am buying... A PLANE TICKET! To ISTANBUL!
And finally my parting shot... A glance of SPRING! My favorite trees on campus are a big pair of trees I have heard called June Magnolias that reside in front of one of the academic buildings. They are SOOO pretty!

this weekend...

... I am gleefully outta pocket! I am taking off for the wilds and a cabin with my youth today at 5:oo. When I get back, I'll be drawing a name for my first-ever giveaway! I really didn't know what kind of response to expect, so it's been pretty cool to hear from you all about this. I know it kinda sucks that you can't see what you are getting, but all the same, thanks for dropping by.

Parting shot: Last year I went to Cumberland Falls for the same kind of Spiritual retreat with a different group... It was SO good to get away from the world a little, to back up and really think about where I am in life and where God wants for me to go. To be a little farther from the world, a little closer to God in God's creation.

We went on a hike to see great views of Cuberland Falls and the lake, and this was a side trip on the tail end of the hike to a smaller waterfall along our route, but it was just as pretty in its own way. And we got to climb up and play on the rocks, so it was fun too!

rainy days...and giveaways!

This, ladies and gentlemen, is my 100th blog post!

I guess I have come quite a way in the...oh...4 months I have been blogging... going from not knowing what to do about a lot of this, to taking it off. And I have to say, to those who read and comment and think of me as part of a sisterhood, many times y'all keep me typing away, because I know it's not to nobody. Every comment has meant tons, your words of encouragement or criticisms have helped me immensely!

So here's to you, and here's for you!

I know I have a long way to go, and my very first giveaway of my very own is one of those milestones! I am giving away handmade jewelry! One person will get a necklace and bracelet set, and one will receive a necklace. You may find other goodies in the prize, we will have to see! Small start, but these necklaces are a combination of glass beads, glass pearls, and cultured pearls. I know the winners will look lovely in them!

Kay, so here's the deal:
Anyone can enter.
One entry for commenting, that's it though.
Tell your friends!

Thanks for everything guys!

Another new thing... I am following in some footsteps and including a parting shot. For my first one, I am posting a picture of my sorority sisters right after they won Campus Sing last year! We screamed ourselves hoarse and were so happy for it to turn out as great as it did! They all had fun dancing, and we set a record for donations collected, collecting enough cans and money to make a grand total of 10,001 cans. It was amazing, and I can't help but be proud of the girls who danced, and of all of us for helping others to the tune of 10,000 cans of food!