My Name Is Not King...

Wanna help me out with a school assignment? SURVEY TIME!

2012-01-26T13:21:00.000-08:00

Hey all, this is probably like the most random post I will ever be posting upon My Name is Not King but...humour me.

The short of what is more of a long story is this: I have a survey project due for my math class on Wednesday (involving surveying like 60 people, the survey results, a pamphlet I create based on them, and a presentation to the class) This survey involved 26 campus students (completed that part!), but now I need responses from 26 non-campus people. And I though perhaps some of you would like to participate (/I am desperate and don't want to spend all weekend hunting down people to survey).

The survey, which I am doing on people's view of the existence of God, is directly related to my World Religions class. (and yes, I did have the most complicated survey question of the class. The others involved cars, ice cream and Lebron James. Of course mine took the longest for people to answer...typical sneaky Bella move...)

QUESTION 1:

DO YOU PERSONALLY BELIEVE THAT THERE IS A GOD?

QUESTION 2:

IF SO, DOES THAT BELIEF, OR INDICATED LACK THEREOF, HAVE A DIRECT EFFECT ON THE WAY YOU LIVE AND THE DECISIONS THAT YOU MAKE?

IF you would like to help me out, leave a comment *AND PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR INITIALS.* I understand many of you go by cutesy blog names, but first and last initials are required if I am going to be able to use your response in my project.

It would be helpful if you formatted your comments sort of like this:

Q1: Yes
Q2: Yes
-IKC

(or whatever your yes or no answers may be).

I have gotten quite intriguing answers so far (I am baffled by the number of campus students who answered both yes and no to their belief in the existence of God...?). Obviously, the answers are all a little vague (What do they mean when they say "God"? Which one? Why? Etc...), but I think this survey will be really interesting nonetheless.

If you could help me out with this it would be wonderful! Perhaps I will share the final results on here next week! THANKS!

On Nicknames...

2012-01-25T13:13:00.000-08:00

I was just thinking the other day about nicknames and in my near 21 years of life I have had a LOT of them. All of which were pretty weird.Obviously, Bella is what I usually go by, but I have answered to a good many of other things too. Some inside jokes, some endearing, but mostly just nonsense. I thought it might be interesting to share some of them (the ones I can remember!) with you.

My NICKNAMES, in no particular order...

Scooter
Bellachka
Bell
Buddha Belly
Belly Button
Bellarussia
Baby Bella Mushroom (and anything else sounding remotely like Bella)
Frog
'Shroom
Fungus
BuhIsPig (my cousin, based on a long story, referred to me as a pig as a baby...)
BelaKiss
Chris
JimBobJo
Scarpacci
Tom
Jacky Isa Rogue/Jro
Aisling
Nutella
Newt
Maeve
Queen of Heart-Breakers
Ms. Scarlet Ramone
BellaBing
Thrella (because I sign my name like 3ella. B without a line)
IKC (I have super unfortunate initials)
Baby Sea Otter
Ardent....

...There are probably like 3 trillion more which I am forgetting. I just know it.

Currently I only go by a few of those (not because I necessarily want to but because people insist on calling me them. Like Newt. Do I like it? Maybe not. But out of habit, I respond).

The only thing (well...there are more but...) people CANNOT call me is Izzy/Issy. It simply is not acceptable. And only JoJo can get away with calling me "Little IKC".

Feel free to comment and share your nicknames with me! Or just feel free to laugh at mine!

Passionately Curious: Quote-ables from Albert Einstein...

2012-01-23T07:00:00.000-08:00

SOURCE1, SOURCE 2.

I think I am going to begin a new series on this blog. Sort of a remake of my old Quote-ables posts.

Everyone knows who Albert Einstein is. The fellow with the wild hair and the previously- impossible- to-solve math problems. E=mcsquared...whatever that means...

He is basically the first person to come to everyone's mind upon mention of the word "genius." But he was also horribly witty and said ever so many highly intelligent, well phrases, and dry-humoured things. Which makes ME really like him.

He (up there with Churchill and Rev. MLK) is one of my favorite people to quote. So, without further ado, I give you my first "Passionately Curious" quote post from dear old Al...

As my first quote (not counting the one above), I wanted to post this. Someone said it at my youth group (MERGE AHEAD!) this past Sunday and I really liked it.

SOURCE 1, SOURCE 2.

In other news, and also having to do with education and intelligence, I FINALLY WENT BACK TO SCHOOL! I only had one class so far, American Literature II, but it seems like it will be a good one. My one complaint thus far is that the Prof is going to make us study The Great Gatsby. I really hope that it is better the second time around, cause I sure didn't like that book in high school. But other than that, seems like it will be a fun and challenging class! Hopefully my other 3 (Digital Photography, World Religions and Math for Liberal Arts...whatever that is?) turn out as well. I was just so happy to be back on campus again. I do complain about college sometimes, but secretly I LOVE it. I thrive on structure and challenges. Really excited about this semester!

Possibly/maybe/perhaps Final New Blog Look!?

2012-01-21T09:12:00.000-08:00

So...I think I have done it. I think I have created a new layout that I like and a header that I LOVE. The one thing I may mess with now is the text font. But other than that, I may actually be happy. What you are looking at right now my friends is what may very well be the NEW look of My Name is Not King.

I am using just the blogger SIMPLE template, with a barn wood background image blogger provided as an option. I was really liking the wood part, but obviously the plain text and beige background was makin' for a real boring header.

As it has been snowing here nonstop and I have nothing better to do, I decided to do a little messing around with header designs.

I went a googlin' for designs that would match my wood background and I was able to find this header from the Background Fairy site.

It was cool to begin with, and it had the vintage feel I like. Plus it had a crow (*which we can just pretend is a raven to make me happy.) But it wasn't QUITE what I wanted. The colors were a little off and obviously the whole blog title need to be worked in there.

I am no pro, and I no longer have photoshop, so I stooped to the picnik level, but I am actually quite pleased with how I things came out. Photoshop is much more elaborate and has many more options, but picnik is quick in simple (but unfortunately will no longer exist when April comes around.).

The final product is what you are looking at right now:

A darker, more stained, embellished, and with text version of the original. And I am actually really pleased and I don't *THINK* I will be changing it again. But still, I would love to hear your thoughts on the matter. And check out the previous post to see the other designs I was playing with.

And also, up for grabs I have this NEW and IMPROVED blog button! I use a tutorial over at the blog (Live. Love. Craft.) of my new bloglandria buddy Alyssa, as I had forgotten how I had done it the first time (ohh HTML, you're so silly...). Feel free to take it off of here, or over on my sidebar, underneath my "who I am pictures". I will be working on one for my photoblog- Sometimes I Shoot Things- next!

I've got a brand new pair of... BLOG LAYOUTS!

2012-01-20T15:24:00.000-08:00

So...as you can see, things are looking drastically different over here at

MY NAME IS NOT KING.

I was messing around with blog templates, backgrounds, fonts, layouts, the whole 9...and the widths still need some tweaking.

I did like my old black and red scheme, with the dark, E.A. Poe feel but...it had been that was for around 3 years so it was time for a change.

How do ya'll feel about this one?

This is what you are seeing now obviously...
Then there is this one, also papery, but with more black...

I am not sure I am sold on it yet. I do like the "writing" sort of theme but...I think I want something more colourful, vintage, bright or unique. I love bright colours, but for the variety of colorful stuff I post on this blog, I think it would be visual overload to have some wild vintage pattern as a background? The amount of random stuff (military, writing, crafting, humor, photography and everything else) I post on here is probably overwhelming enough!
So perhaps simple is better?
Or something. Thing is, I don't actually know. I've tried to redo this blog so many times, and I never like anything that I come up with!

Also, there is this. Old barn wood. I like that too.

There will probably be more changes in the future. Obviously the headers are just text and need to be redone in some fabulous way. Any ideas, friends? Know of any great free blog background sites? I've used hotbliggityblog before, but I am sturggling to make their backgrounds behave on my blog. Either has to be reverted to the old template settings, or somehow in the picture window template, but for one reason or another it isn't always showing up...so...help!? If you have any ideas/suggestions I would love to hear them!

Humour me people, humour me.

If I had lived in the 60's...

2012-01-18T11:00:00.000-08:00

I would have wanted to be HER.

Francois Hardy: singer and actor. I had previously never heard of her, but upon finding this picture, I decided I like her very much...

As I am living right now, I still am kind of wishing my hair and eyebrows looked like hers.

But she is like 70 years old now...so...I will stick with my current singing and acting icon. Zooey Deschanel. Excellent eyes and husky voice, but her eyebrows are of no comparison to Ms. Hardy up there...

DIY Elbow Patch Sweater

2012-01-16T09:31:00.000-08:00

In my last post you may have me noticed me modeling my new chair in a fantastic elbow patch sweater. Or maybe you didn't notice at all...but now you have. Well, I am pleased to say I put those patches on that sweater and I am quite proud of myself.

I have been wanting a patched sweater for quite some time now. But all the ones I was finding online or in stores were like $50 at the least. And I, Isabella Kiss, will not pay $50 for a sweater with ovals on the elbows. Ludicrisness, really.

So, I instead decided I would just do it myself. And other than the fact that sewing onto the sleeves of an already made garment is a pain, it was easy. And cheap: total of the project? Around $10.

I started by scouting at Savers for a nice, tanish sweater in my size. It took me a while to find one in my size and without wool (I have a bit of an allergy to it). But I did! A nice, thick one made by Land's End. It is loose on me, but that is the way I wanted it. And a good price too: $6.99!

Then, I found some leather/suede scraps (like 8 by 10 inches) at Joann's for about $3.

I gathered some pins, a big, thick needle and some brown thread. I just free-handed some oval-y elbow-y shapes out of the light brown suede I had found, but I am sure somewhere online there must be some sort of pattern and template for making proper elbow pads. I am just not the chick to tell you where that is. Free-handin' is the way for me.

I pinned those elbows on there and finagled them around to get them even and on my elbows. Then I simply sewed them with a triple strand of brown thread.

Little tricky (probably could have punctured nice neat holes into the leather first and made my job easier and then adhesived them on there instead of pinning, but again...I make this up as I go). Took me a little while, but in the end I had a sweater with patches (EVENLY PLACED TOO!) on my elbows.

And I am now happy. The end.

*sidenote: I realize my hair looks dreadfully uneven in this shot. but trust me, its just the position of my head here. hair is great. and getting realllly darned long.

$41 of stripe-d gloriousness: WHY I SHOP AT THRIFT STORES

2012-01-13T09:31:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I gave mention to a new chair that I bought. And yes, buy a new chair I did.

I now have a green lether love seat/couch, a orange fuzzycozy chair and a sage vinyl/leathery green chair, along with this new striped chair and ottoman in my room. I think I have the genetic "we cool collect things, especially furniture that we don't really need, but want gene" that my Kiss family possesses. Oh darn...
But all is well. Because the total cost of all this furniture? $46 dollars. The couch was (and technically still is) my moms. The green chair was $5 at Savers, and orange chair was free and the striped chair? Well that is what this post is about, my dear friends....

About 3 weeks ago my mom and I were out doing some thrifting. We stopped in at a new Salvation Army. Generally, I don't like the Salvation Army. The one closest to me is sort of in a sketch location and it is like...dark and dirty. Not my favorite. I am more of a Savers, and sometimes Goodwill type of girl. But this new one was pristine and smelled like cleaning products. Good sign.

I told my mom I wasn't buying anything. She was. I was just wandering. Until I wandered into the furniture section, found a fantastic chair and ottoman, sat down in it, fell in love, and then went and got my mother.

"Mom, talk me out of it. Tell me I do not need a striped circusy chair. Tell me I have enough chairs. Tell me I don't have room for it. Tell me that, even though it is one of a kind and $50, that I don't need it."
"No! I love it! If you don't buy it, then I will!!!"
"...Thanks for the help, mom...."

I'm telling you, I bear the Kiss-curse. And I am beginning to be okay with it.

Long story short, I talked to the manager guy about my $50 chair.
He said "Are you a college student?"
"Yup!"
"Do you have an ID?"
I didn't have it on me. I am on break and my ID was in my abandoned backpack at home.
"That's fine. I can tell you are a college student. You get 25% off!"

So my beautiful, one of a kind, circus chair and ottoman came to a total of $41 and went out into my durango to come home with me. After careful analysis we concluded that the chair itself is older and someone had paid to recover it in the striped fabric. It is lovely, clean, flawless, and doesn't smell a bit (for those of you who might be worried by used furniture). As far as I can tell it was never even sat on once recovered. My guess is someone dropped it off, but never came to pick it up from the re-upholstery place. Pity for them. Win for me.

Before I drove home I texted a picture to JoJo (who, by the way, is fully supportive of my thrift shopping. Praise God, I can live a happy life!) : "Um...I hope you like striped chairs. Because I just added one to my furniture collection. But only like 40 bucks...."
His response: "Bella, you are silly, I love you, the end."

Boom, here we go uhgaiinnn...

2012-01-09T04:53:00.000-08:00

<p>&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.countdownr.com"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Countdownr&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;</p>

Me, JoJo's mama and two little sisters are taking a plane trip.

McChord Air Force Base/Airman Tonski, here we come.

In just a little over a month I will be seeing my JoJo again! This will be my first time going to where HE is. This will be my first time on an Air Force base. This will be my first time in the big, beautiful state of Washington. And I am so, so, so excited.

Let the count-downing begin!

**positive thing... 238...(yes, I did just make up that number) about long distance relationships: being able to make little countdown widgets and get yourself all excited days/months in advance!

SIDE NOTE: Due to unfortunate flight booking circumstances, will be my first time flying alone. The four of us leave the same place at the same time, and get there within an hour of each other, but I wound up on a plane by myself. I have flow many, many, many times, to many, many world locations, but never all by me onesie. Little apprehensive about the quick flight change I have to make in Chicago. So...pray for me.

"When you're in over your head, I'll be there with you. "

2012-01-06T14:04:00.000-08:00

Isaiah 43 is one of my all time favorite bible passages.
This is the passage I read over and over again when JoJo went off to boot camp.
This is the passage I cling to when I am overwhelmed and uncertain.
Verse five is on an orange index card hanging next to my bed. It was the first thing I saw this morning. "FEAR NOT, FOR I AM WITH YOU."

I need to know it especially now, just like I need to know it always.
I am between rocks and hard places, as well as several other uncomfortable, scary locations.
But I have been bought with the highest price. I have been called and redeemed.
I am made to know that He is I AM and who He is.
I am chosen. I will not fear.

Bit of a long passage, but...ladies and gentlemen...

Isaiah 43

The Message (MSG)

When You're Between a Rock and a Hard Place

^1-4 But now, God's Message, the God who made you in the first place, Jacob,
   the One who got you started, Israel:
"Don't be afraid, I've redeemed you.
   I've called your name. You're mine.
When you're in over your head, I'll be there with you.
   When you're in rough waters, you will not go down.
When you're between a rock and a hard place,
   it won't be a dead end—
Because I am God, your personal God,
   The Holy of Israel, your Savior.
I paid a huge price for you:
   all of Egypt, with rich Cush and Seba thrown in!
That's how much you mean to me!
   That's how much I love you!
I'd sell off the whole world to get you back,
   trade the creation just for you.

  ^5-7"So don't be afraid: I'm with you.
   I'll round up all your scattered children,
   pull them in from east and west.
I'll send orders north and south:
   'Send them back.
Return my sons from distant lands,
   my daughters from faraway places.
I want them back, every last one who bears my name,
   every man, woman, and child
Whom I created for my glory,
   yes, personally formed and made each one.'"
^8-13Get the blind and deaf out here and ready—
   the blind (though there's nothing wrong with their eyes)
   and the deaf (though there's nothing wrong with their ears).
Then get the other nations out here and ready.
   Let's see what they have to say about this,
   how they account for what's happened.
Let them present their expert witnesses
   and make their case;
   let them try to convince us what they say is true.
"But you are my witnesses." God's Decree.
   "You're my handpicked servant
So that you'll come to know and trust me,
   understand both that I AM and who I am.
Previous to me there was no such thing as a god,
   nor will there be after me.
I, yes I, am God.
   I'm the only Savior there is.
I spoke, I saved, I told you what existed
   long before these upstart gods appeared on the scene.
And you know it, you're my witnesses,
   you're the evidence." God's Decree.
"Yes, I am God.
   I've always been God
   and I always will be God.
No one can take anything from me.
   I make; who can unmake it?"

You Didn't Even Do the Minimum

^14-15God, your Redeemer,
   The Holy of Israel, says:
"Just for you, I will march on Babylon.
   I'll turn the tables on the Babylonians.
Instead of whooping it up,
   they'll be wailing.
I am God, your Holy One,
   Creator of Israel, your King." ^16-21This is what God says,
   the God who builds a road right through the ocean,
   who carves a path through pounding waves,
The God who summons horses and chariots and armies—
   they lie down and then can't get up;
   they're snuffed out like so many candles:
"Forget about what's happened;
   don't keep going over old history.
Be alert, be present. I'm about to do something brand-new.
   It's bursting out! Don't you see it?
There it is! I'm making a road through the desert,
   rivers in the badlands.
Wild animals will say 'Thank you!'
   —the coyotes and the buzzards—
Because I provided water in the desert,
   rivers through the sun-baked earth,
Drinking water for the people I chose,
   the people I made especially for myself,
   a people custom-made to praise me.
^22-24"But you didn't pay a bit of attention to me, Jacob.
   You so quickly tired of me, Israel.
You wouldn't even bring sheep for offerings in worship.
   You couldn't be bothered with sacrifices.
It wasn't that I asked that much from you.
   I didn't expect expensive presents.
But you didn't even do the minimum—
   so stingy with me, so closefisted.
Yet you haven't been stingy with your sins.
   You've been plenty generous with them—and I'm fed up.
²⁵"But I, yes I, am the one
   who takes care of your sins—that's what I do.
   I don't keep a list of your sins.
^26-28"So, make your case against me. Let's have this out.
   Make your arguments. Prove you're in the right.
Your original ancestor started the sinning,
   and everyone since has joined in.
That's why I had to disqualify the Temple leaders,
   repudiate Jacob and discredit Israel."

Little Sweden

2012-01-01T13:34:00.000-08:00

On Friday I went to Little Sweden with two lovely ladies.

When I say "Little Sweden," I mean IKEA. And when I say lovey ladies I mean M and B. (They have full names, but those are not important...). M is JoJo's...cousin...in ...law...or something? And B is M's best friend. She is bound by no laws.

We drank soda made out of mythical berries, squished lots of pillows and made up several dance moves throughout the day.

2 words: LINGON. BERRY.

3rd word: SODA.

Response: OH HECK YES.

I loved these pillows, but they felt like they were stuff with....swedish elephant dung.

All lumpy and gross!

If the chair matches your tights, you probably should buy it

(but I didn't. But good thing too. Posts to come on the chair I bought the next day!)

I tell them to look natural and this is what they do?

At the end of the day I spent only $20 (couple little glass jars, some orange storage boxes, and a small rug), but had lots of fun. I shall visit Sweden again soon.

Most Christmas songs don't make me cry but...

2011-12-16T12:38:00.000-08:00

...This one, as of lately, does. I have to quickly skip the track on the CD before the recordings of the military members serving in Iraq and their family at home start playing. This song has nothing to do with Jesus birth and it is usually not one of my favorites, but the way that this version in cooperates the military is beautiful.

JoJo is only in Washington state and hasn't yet deployed, but... still.
I'll be home for Christmas, but he won't and it is...hard. I would like to hope for next year but...who knows where either of us will be. That is sort of a difficult way to have to live life, but, as always, it is so worth it. For right now I am just making the best with what we've got and counting the days until we (his mom, 2 sisters and I) fly out in February!

Though they never thought it was possible...

2011-12-05T15:35:00.000-08:00

Sometimes it is scary how alike JoJo and I are, especially in the way we think and in our absolutely bizarre sense of humor...

During our mini-photoshoot my mother says something along the lines of "You need to stand up straight!"

Seeing as she directed her comment at neither of us in particular, we both stood up straighter. And I mean straight to the extreme, complete with shoulders yanked up awkwardly, necks extra extended, eye brows up, and weird faces to match. At the exact same time.We didn't coordinate or pose this. We both happen to be odd enough that this is what we thought "stand up straight" should be acted out as. This is simply how our minds work.

A moment later, after capturing this shot, my mother goes
"...I cannot believe there are somehow
two of you in the world..."

And she is right. My whole life I never imagined anyone could be as strange as me. Ask anyone who knows me at all, and they will tell you, I am pretty...unique. But JoJo somehow is as strange (and/or sometimes strange-er), and it is utterly perfect.

Bolton Notch "Flag Rock" Hike

2011-11-18T11:34:00.000-08:00

Around where I live there is a highway. And over, off to the side of that highway is a park/hiking area. A large rock formation there is kind of a local symbol. Shortly after 9/11 someone went up there, to the well grafittied cliff area, and spray painted a massive American flag where it can clearly be seen from the highway route. It's pretty cool.

When JoJo was home, he and I hiked up there (with the intention of adding to the graffiti, but the local hardware store was closed). Normally it is a quick, easy, like 15 minute hike up the trail that leads to the rocks, but due to the snow storm and a lot of downed trees it became more of a wild, slippery, bush wacking type hike. Interesting indeed.

*photo source*

I hauled my camera, remote, and tripod up through the snow so we could take some pictures amongst the rocks, foliage, and graffiti. That too turned into an interesting experience, but I did get a couple of good shots. Playing photographer and photo subject on rocky terrain isn't as easy as it sounds, folks.

*JoJo gets photo credit here, as I was still setting up.

JoJo makes a lot of fantastic faces (as do I, as you may know).
I term this one the "I'm Horribly Polish and Sarcastic but still Awfully Cute" face. Facial expressions such as these run in his Polish family.

Apparently we can't look at each other and be serious...which isn't really a problem, as we like laughing.

Besides being cute, I really enjoy these pictures. I was going to edit out the black graffitti behind our legs (just distracting, not bad), but as I was looking at it closer I realized it says "Adrean- San Antonio, TX". Now I don't know any Andreans, but I know I sure addressed a lot letters headed to Lackland AFB in San Antonio, TX during JoJo's months of BMT ("boot camp"). That strange coincidence made me smile, so I left the graffiti there.

View of the highway, lake and trees below.

Since we wound up lacking in spray paint (and by the way, were this a building or location of grand importance, I would NEVER spray paint it. But this rock's main purpose is to be graffited. And its only a rock. I don't think its really vandalism in this case...) we improvised.

Obviously, the next best thing to spray painting your names some place is doing it old school and carving them somewhere. And seeing as this was a life long dream of mine, I wouldn't allow us to miss his opportunity.

At times like these, I am very glad he always has a knife in his pocket.
Names carved in a tree.
(another check on my "things to do before the end of forever" list. and yes, I do have one written out. And yes, it is called that.)

We would have hiked around more, but the fallen snow and trees made it a little bit treaturous. But I am glad we got to at least do a little bit of woodland exploration. I cannot wait to get out to Tacoma to see him and get some REAL hiking and outdoorsy stuff done there!

STILL more pictures of my time with JoJo to come! Hopefully you all aren't sick of us yet! If somehow you are, just humor me, its a once every few months experience and I cherish the time I get to spend with him.

Boston is...for lovers?

2011-11-15T11:23:00.000-08:00

Finally, now that school has calmed down just a little (the huge week and a half power outage we had over here in New England left on really behind), I would like to post more about JoJo and I and our adventures for the 10 days he was home.

One of the things we were able to do (the day before Albert the Freak Nor'easter) was take a day trip up to Boston. Boston is one of my favorite cities, mostly for the history and the beautiful building (and the Italian North End) and he had never been outside of Fenway, so a trip was certainly necessary.

We mostly just wandered around, taking pictures and enjoying each other's company. It was a bit of a chilly day, but overall we really enjoyed it and had a lovely time. The worst part ended up being the 3+ hour trip home in severe traffic (it would have normally taken us just over an hour and a half).

Anyway, Here are some pictures:

We ate lunch in the Boston Common's Public Garden.

(he is sort of mid talking/chewing in this photo, but I think he is still cute. And so is his hat, which I clearly made)

Then we pretended we were innocent tourist who didn't know about the DON'T FEED THE ANIMALS AND BIRDS RULE.

Rules are overrated anyway...

Come on...you haven't lived until you've fed some critters from your hand.

We encountered the park's fattest squirrel and he and JoJo became fast friends.

After the squirrels we moved onto winged things...

Once we had gathered a crowd of about 50 ducks, pigeons, swans and otherwise we quickly remembered the rules and then walked away before we were seen as the guilty bird gatherers.

Then, leaving the Commons, some Asian tourists though we were so cute they offered to take our picture!

Then we wandered around the Quincy Market area and I kept taking angled photos of buildings

JoJo was very supportive of my architectural photography interests and would say "You CAN stop walking to take a picture, you know. I'll stop!"

The middle photo was actually a building he noticed and he didn't find it at all odd when I got down on my knees to take the picture. He is so great.

We walked along/sat down at the harbor for quite a while and watched this huge boat appear.

Then I took him into the North End- "Little Italy."

He got a real kick out of seeing "Real, live Italians." I got a kick out of his realization of just how true some stereotypes can be. The two of us have a very odd (and freakishly similar) sense of humor. Do not be concerned.

Before leaving, I made sure to take him to my favorite spot- aka Cannoli HEAVEN- Mike's Pastry, on Hanover Street.

We came out of there with 3 cannolis- one for each of us, and one to share later. (Peanut Butter, Espresso and Strawberry.) So. Good.

After a fair amount of wandering and assessing almost every restaurant in Downtown Boston, we settled on eating dinner at Max&Dylan's, in the theater district.

Customary "I'm looking at the camera and this is my excited face" look.

He is such a goof. A goof who makes me very happy.

After all this we drove home in the aforementioned traffic and went to a bonfire at a friends house. Very nice day. Boston is such a great, clean, beautiful city and I love the mix of the old and the new.

I highly recommend it for day trips (much more so than New York City. I think people like one or the other, and we are Boston people over here). Any recommendations from you guys of fun stuff to do in the Boston, or even in the Mass, CT, New England ish area? I would love to hear suggestions! JoJo and I are always looking to cram in as much fun stuff as possible whenever he is home on leave.

More pictures of our adventures to come!

Happy Veteran's day.

2011-11-11T10:25:00.000-08:00

Thank you all for your service and sacrifice.

At this point in my life, I appreciate you and what you are doing or have done now more than ever.

I know the military and those who have served don't always get the credit or the treatment they deserve, and people's blog posts, facebook statuses, or free lunch at a local restaurant do not in anyway make up for that, but please know you ARE appreciated. Whether Veteran or Active Duty or anywhere in between, what you are doing/have done and what you stand for is incredible. You deserve honor and respect. So, thank you so very much.

Special thanks goes out to this guy right here. Thank YOU for your sacrifices and all you do. Thank you for all that you do for me. I am so proud of you. It's an honor to stand with you through this.

Here I am again...more in love than ever...

2011-11-06T12:06:00.000-08:00

Dear Bloglandrians,

Here I am, back on blogger, after my wonderful (and very...unusual) visit with my Airman, JoJo.

After graduating from Tech School in Gulfport, Mississippi he came home on leave for ten days. No matter what time they give him, it is never long enough. But still, spending time with him, no matter what we are doing, is the most fantastic thing in the world. I picked him up at the airport on the 25th (there is nothing quite like jumping into the arms of a man in uniform whom you have been missing for 6 months), spent a great 10 days with him, and then returned him, teary-eyed to the Airport early on Friday the 4th. He is now settling into his new base, McChord AFB in Tacoma, Washington. He is very happy with the location and cannot wait to begin his career in Civil/Structural Engineering. Other than the fact he is now 3 time zones behind me and about 3,000 miles away, his new place sounds wonderful and we are both very excited about it. I cannot wait to get out there to visit him! Distance is hard, but believe you me, this man is worth it.

I will post more about our adventures (such as being without power for a week, due to a freak Nor'easter in October) and also share some of the pictures we were able to take.

For today, now that I finally have power and internet, I just wanted to give you a quick little update on how things were going and share some pictures of my incredibly handsome man with you.

Love,
Bella

ps: I completely love this guy, in case you cannot tell.

Not like I am excited for anything...

2011-10-18T14:03:00.000-07:00

#1 - yes, I am still alive, and I do realize I have a blog. I just also realize that I have an education to get and work to do
#2- JoJo, the super fantastic Airman boyfriend comes home in one week. I haven't seen him in six months...it's not like I am excited or anything. I guess I have nothing better to do than count down each individual second until the time I pick him up at the airport next week. With this countdownr. No big deal
<p>&amp;lt;a href="http://www.countdownr.com"&amp;gt;Countdownr&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;</p>

#3- I was lying. I am pretty much excited out of my mind for the 10 wonderful days I will get to spend with him. There will be pictures, I promise!

I'm hopeless...

2011-10-05T09:10:00.000-07:00

My mom's family is known for a couple things:
They are ALL artistic. They are all into plants (excessive gardening, which I refuse to ever start). They are all strangely humored. And they all PICK UP FURNITURE PEOPLE PUT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND BRING IT HOME (and usually there after paint it, if it is at all paintable.)

And I, though I am my mother's daughter, my grandparent's grand daughter, and my uncle's niece, have mocked them all for the furniture scavanging.

No, it isn't like they take garbage off the side of the road, or nasty, smelly, dirty, gross furniture. Just sometimes people put out stuff with "FREE" signs and if it is nice, vintage, or able to be painted, they typically grab it. (the catch is that usually they don't need the stuff. They just like it. It is usually cool, but they just need to find a place to put it.)

But now, I am eating my words (as my boyfriend would say "How does that Crow taste?").

You see, Sunday at 4:16 pm I sent my mother this text:

"it's official. I'm a Kiss. I just got an orange chair off the side of the road. Ur people have ruined me and I am hopeless. :p "

Response

"Laughing. The gardening is coming next."

Yes. I did. I did it. The deed I said I would never do. And this is the post I claimed I would never subsequently make. *BUT I WILL STILL NEVER GARDEN!*

I saw a family putting out a bunch of furniture (they said they were remodeling their basement). Sitting on the curb was a deliciously orange, fuzzy, squishy vintage chair. I did not need a chair. I already have a chair and a couch in my room, along with my obvious bed. I am not lacking in seating. But it was ORANGE. And ever so fuzzy and squishy. And Vintage (and in good condition)! I think it was also calling out my name, but I am not sure...
How do you say "no" to that!?

So I threw it into my Durango and off I went, feeling completely beaten in my fight against my genes. But as soon as I got it home and realized it rocked and swiveled, and that it was the right fit for curling up in (i cannot and will not sit with my feet dangling. ever.), I didn't care anymore. I knew it was the perfect chair for me. It is so incredibly cozy, and don't worry. I washed that cushion and then MADE room for that lovely chair in my bedroom.

The chair is cozy. "Crow" is sort of tasty. And I am happy.

The end.

BIG SWEATERS

2011-09-30T10:51:00.000-07:00

Maybe you think they are ugly. Maybe you think they are outdated. But I think nothing quite says "I'm an artsy college student and I shop at thrift stores" like a giant, vintage sweater.

I love big sweaters. They look adorable paired with messy hair, skinny jeans and converse. They are every so cozy (I do not like tight clothes. I avoid them as much as possible). They feel like warm, comfortable fall. And there are multitudes of them @ your local thrift store, in all sorts of colors and patterns. Everything from wild Christmas sweaters (which aren't adorable) to artistic looking ones with bold patterns. Some are horrendously ugly, but others are quite charming.I find ones I like quite often. But I have one problem. I am allergic to wool. Maybe not 100% allergic, but very sensitive. Anything with more than 10% wool makes me break out in red swollen hives and that ruins the adorable outfit big time. Sigh. Woe is me.

Here's some cutesy ones that make me want to snuggle up with an afghan, a notebook/reading book and a cup of tea.

*SOURCE*

I have one just like this, minus the red and yellow.

Vintage, bought at Savers, but originally from Gap like 30 years ago.

*SOURCE*

I like this one a lot. Black and red are my favorites!

*SOURCE*

A large sweater and a walk in some beautiful woods? Mmm, yes!

*SOURCE*

See? How wonderful!

Lot of people wear them with leggings, but I think Skinny Jeans are much better. Tights are a no. I've seen them with flowy skirts too, if you want go for the all around loose and comfy look.

I need to specify one rule, though. DON'T WEAR IT AS A DRESS, no matter how big it is. That is no longer artsy, it is just trashy. Pants, please and thank you. Strong suggestion: feel free to wear shorts that cover your posterior as well. Much obliged.

Golly royGbiv Willikers...

2011-09-27T01:43:00.000-07:00

Please. Please someone just buy me this shirt.

It is like they made it for me. For $12.

Incredible.

{Reading} Nooks & Crannies...

2011-09-26T11:53:00.000-07:00

Last week I bought a horribly cute vintage chair. At Savers. For $5. Yes.

It was green vinyl. I obviously needed it. When you already have a green vinyl (cucumber)couch in your room it is hard to say no to any other pieces of green vinyl vintage furniture. Especially when they are only five bucks.

The problem was my couch was right at the top of my staircase against the wall, between a keyboard and a dresser. Meaning no room for my new chair. Which in turn meant I had to rearrange my whole room to accomodate my find, and I ended up liking this new layout better.

Welcome, one and all, to my new READING NOOK!

Much cozier than before! It makes me really happy to snuggle up, buried in pillows and blankets, and read a nice book. Now if only I had time to do that...

Awesomebella (who is an awesome girlfriend) "cooks" -PUPPY CHOW

2011-09-23T11:22:00.000-07:00

This week I "cooked" (using that word lightly as this only involved measuring, melting and mixing) my Air Force boyfriend some Puppy Chow.

Okay. I know it sounds gross. But it's not. Trust me. Dog food isn't involved.

He has one month left of tech school before he can come home for a couple weeks (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) and I figured some tasty snacks would help him in his final stretch of studies, labs and tests. Tasty snacks don't fix problems or make people stop missing each other, but they are helpful in one way or another in just about every situation. Or so I think.

Lets be honest people, if I created my own religious philosophy it would revolve around snacks (or dishwashers...but that is another story for another day). I love snacks. So much. (But creating your own religious beliefs is way bad so...I don't. Eternity is a long time) I walk into my kitchen at least twice a day, throw open the pantry and forage. Usually say "I NEED SOME SNACKS!" Sometimes this is followed by a made up snack song. Nothing unusual there.

Anyway, this is puppy chow:

I promise, underneath there isn't any dog food type product. It is all humanly edible and all delicious. And super duper easy to make. The entire production takes maybe 10 minutes.

All you need is some Chex* cereal (or something of the like), Chocolate Chips, PEANUT BUTTER, butter, vanilla extract, powdered sugar, 2 bowls and a microwave.

I followed THIS RECIPE here, only I added extra peanut butter.

I've heard it said that "the way to a man's heart is through his stomach."
I am not sure that this is true, but I do know that JoJo sure likes spreadable peanut product.
The more peanut butter that can be in cooperated into food, the better.

*megaplus to this whole thing: puppy chow is very easy to stick in a plastic zip bag and send to anywhere. Always a plus when your favorite person in need of snacks is 1,400+ miles away. Easiest thing I have made and sent so far. So why not send some delicious coated munchables to your favorite long distance relation/military member/whomever?

Christians only...sinners need not apply...

2011-09-22T15:01:00.000-07:00

Today it was "club day" on my college campus. All of the clubs (outdoors club, art club, anime club, PRIDE club, etc) had set up little tables in the main foyer and were trying to get new members.

Smack dab in the doorway, separated from the masses, was one table that caught my eye.

"CATHOLIC CLUB."

On the table were some archaic looking pictures of Jesus with one of those orbs of utter holiness coming from his head. A little box with a slit in the top was labeled "prayer requests." The only person at or around the table was the woman behind it. I couldn't help myself. I had to talk to her and try and figure this out.

"So...are only Catholics welcomed in your club?"

"The majority of the attendees and members are Catholics."

"Why do you have a club?"

"It is nice to have a group of people who share the same beliefs as you on campus. It is a good way for us (Catholics) to get to know each other. It is always nice to gather together, pray and spend time with other believers. If you would really like to check us out you could though."

"Oh, I'm a Bible-believing Christian. I was just curious, that's all." and I walked away.

The woman seemed nice enough. But something bothered me. I was bothered by the location of her table. She was so separate from the rest. The gays, lesbians, Hispanics, African American, culinary arts people, outdoorsy people, artists, military, writers, science majors and everyone else were grouped together, tables forming lines or semi circles. But the Catholics had their own table, off by themselves. I felt like they needed a sign that read "SINNERS NEED NOT ATTEND."

Now, I am not saying bad things about Catholics here. Really. I am also not against gathering with believers and praying. Not all at. It's Biblical. It is good and wonderful to build up each other and share in one another's lives. In fact, I am about to go attend a small group meeting with girls within my church. This is more me feeling let down by the "religiosity" we pin onto Christianity, though it shouldn't be that way.

People stereotype Christians. The horrible thing is that people are usually right. So many Christians come across as religious, "Holier Than Thou," and too good and clean for sinners. Instead of loving people, they judge them. Church gets portrayed as a place for the holiest of holy people who can manage to follow all the heavenly regulations without fail and filthy, rotten sinners need not attend.

Hold up. Maybe your church is fully of saintly perfect people, but I know mine is full of sinners. Lots of them. About 900. *GASSSP* As my pastor would say "there is no such thing as a perfect church and if there was, you'd it up when you start coming."

Church is practically a sinner club. Sounds awful? Not really. We are all sinners. Yes, I am saved and made clean by the blood of Jesus, but I do not live a spotless perfect life. Only Jesus did that. Church isn't supposed to be a place to protect Bible-believers from the big bad world. In fact, the Bible says BE IN THE WORLD, but not of it. Not hide from the world in your clubs and churches until Christ comes back to rescue you.

Jesus loved sinners. He hung out with them and liked it! He didn't do it to condemn them to eternal damnation in hell, but to show them the love of His Kingdom. He hung out with them far more than he did with the "holy" religious leaders of the time. Jesus hung out with the unlovely. The rejects of society. The people no one liked. And he loved them.

Jesus didn't attend community college, obviously, but if he had I don't think he would have joined a group promoting religious beliefs alike only to His. He wouldn't have joined the Jewish/Pharisee/Holy People Only club. But he probably would have gladly joined all the others.

In his book the The Irresistible Revolution, author Shane Claiborne (He is amazing, btw) says this:

What would twenty-year-old Jesus have said if they asked him "What are you going to do when you grow up?" I don't know, maybe something like "I am going to turn the world upside-down. I am going to hang out with prostitutes and tax collectors until people kill me."

I think this view of Jesus loving the unlovely is wonderfully portrayed in the Relient K (a band I once loved, but no longer would recommend) "Failure to Excommunicate." The chorus contains these lines...

"Jesus loved the outcasts. He loved the ones the world just loves to hate. And as long as there's a heaven, there will be a failure to excommunicate."

I want to love the one the world just loves to hate too. Because Jesus is the one I want to model my life after.

Maybe this is all an unnecessary rant. Maybe there is nothing at all wrong with Christian clubs. But I would feel a whole lot better if Christians as a whole stopped segregating themselves from the world and just got out there and did some loving. Real, Jesus-style.

It's that time of year- CUSTOM KNITS AND CROCHETS!

2011-09-21T08:55:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone. I generally try and avoid posts like this on my blog, but now that I am no longer trying to run an etsy and am only doing custom orders (and am a broke college student who drives a gas guzzling SUV) I wanted to do a post about cozy knitted and crocheted items I would happily custom make for anyone who is interested!

Crocheted Animal Ear Flap Hats!

I can do whatever sort of eared animal you desire, with or without felt/button faces. Or simply a ear flap hat, sans animal characteristics if you would prefer. Adult or child sized.

Below are a panda, fox and a sock monkey.

Knit or crocheted BEANIES and BERETS!

Any size! Any color combo!

KNIT HAND WARMERS/FINGERLESS GLOVES

These are great alone, or layered over fingered gloves. I have only made adult sizes, but I would be able to alter the pattern to a child's size. You pick your colors! (Perhaps to match your favorite coat. Or a fabulous above pictured custom hat!?)

And these aren't wearable really, but are equally as cozy...

Crocheted AMIGURUMI STUFFED ANIMALS!

Pretty much any animal, in colors of your choice.

I've done bears, dogs, cats, bunnies, elephants, turtles, pigs, birds, pandas...

Usually around 8-12 inches in height.

Fun stuff, eh? Great for fall. Wonderful for winter. Also, all of these things make great gifts!

Comment, or send me an email at call(DOT)me(DOT)ardent(AT)gmail(DOT)com if you are interested in discussing a custom order or pricings! Thanks everyone!

Fairs=Fun

2011-09-14T10:46:00.000-07:00

I am anti-amusement park. I am anti-fried food. I am anti-crowds of people. But for some reason, I love, love, love fairs. I think because I associate them with fall? There is something uniquely fallish about them.

In the last week I went to two different fairs; a larger one by a local town (to watch a friend compete in a demolition derby) and one little, tiny held-in-a-parking lot one with my boyfriend's wonderful mom and sisters, along with 2 sister of my own. Both were fun.

The other great thing about fairs is they provide some unique photo ops. Enjoy!

*this reminds me of the "world's best coffee" scene in Elf...

you know where my loyalties lie...

KG's chicken car. and no, that guy leaning on the car is not our friend KG...?

Why would anyone send their children into a "fun house" with this sort of face painted on the front. Oh I think NOT!

JoJo's lil sister and I were pros @ the Fun Slide (note to anyone who wants to run a children's fair. Insert the word "Fun..." in front of all your ride names and you will be all set).

In a galaxy far, far away on my fingernails...

2011-09-08T13:00:00.000-07:00

Oh hey there. Maybe you can't tell from the bad laptop webcam photo but...

I have a galaxy on the tips of my fingers.

I am also the proud owner of a Star Wars lunch box.

Hmmm. Yes.

sidenote: bella needs to do math homework. bella does not really want to. so instead she put like 9 layers of nail polish and glitter on her fingers and hummed Star Wars tunes to herself. Yes, yes she did.

Hello, Hurricane (Irene)

2011-09-06T11:15:00.000-07:00

Collection of shots from Hurricane Irene, as promised:

In Summation: Power outages, fallen trees, downed wires, gas outages, leaves, leaves, leaves, and generators, generators, generators.

Everybody is safe and sound now and our house is just fine (thank God!). I think at this point most of, if not all, of the state has its power restored and crews are hard at work restoring the millions in damages.

Not the best pictures I have ever taken, but I at least sort of documented the chaos that was going on during Hurricane Irene (which by the way was the worst storm in our area within the last 26 years).

*for the more artistic view of the whole scenario, check out my photo blog: Sometimes I Shoot Things.

What really happened last week...

2011-09-05T07:51:00.000-07:00

I told you I was going to school. But that was a lie.

Sort of.

I was supposed to begin my college course load on Monday. My family was supposed to be at a Rhode Island beach and I was going to pop back and forth and visit between class times. But that isn't what really happened. Because Saturday destruction came to town. And by Sunday, Hurricane/Tropical Storm Irene was creating a full blown power outage in most areas of our state.

700,000 homes in our state had no power. We were one of them.

My family was supposed to head out Saturday, but held off on the drive because of the heavy wind and rain. By Sunday we were waking up in a dark house. After some consideration (and a lot of whining and talk of apocalypses from me) my family packed up and went to my grandparents farm. They live an hour away but they had a generator. We stayed with them, in their well lit, complete with running water house from Sunday to Tuesday.

Classes were canceled Monday and Tuesday. My family couldn't go to the beach even if they wanted to because of flooding, loss of power and evacuation of the beach area they had planned to go to.And back at our house we still had no power.

FINALLY by Wednesday they were able to get down to the beach and settle in. The beach house was safe and sound, save for some driftwood in the lawn and sticks in the yard. I was able to go to classes (I was getting antsy!). Power came back on at our house. I drove back and forth from the beach all week going to classes, going to beach, coming back. We had a really nice time. Even with the chaos, it all worked out in the end.

This is the point where you must be thinking that the storm must have taken away my camera, because WHY would I not have photos of this?

Well...Chaos never sleeps, my friends. I returned home to a computer horrifically infected by a rogue antispyware disease. Not sure how it got there, but it is so bad that we don't know what else to do to remove the horrificality from it, so it is going to see a doctor for a little while until it is healed up all nice and proper. Until then I am on my dad's laptop, sans photoshop. I think it will only be a couple days, so be patient with me. I will share my hurricane damage and beach fun shots with you as soon as possible.

Until then... I have a lot of homework to do to recover from those canceled days. Delicious.

Back2School4Me

2011-08-29T04:00:00.000-07:00

Classes started today. I'm super excited to go back (yes, I like college!) but I don't so much like that it eats all of my free time and gas money.

I'll be in school full time, as well as working and all so that probably means you will be seeing a bit less of me. But fear not, I'm just off gettin' me some education.

*those are not my glasses, just heads up. They are just those trendy fake no lens type things, useful only for photos where I want to look fabulously geeky.

Camping at the beach.

2011-08-24T08:48:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I joined my aunt, uncle and my two cousins in a tent for some camping. Also along for the adventure were my "other family" (long story short: my mom's best friend married my mom's brother and we've "adopted" all of my aunts family as our own. And I love them). We camped on a site just off of a nearby beach. Good times ensued, including campfires, hammock swings, midnight bike rides on the beach (and being kicked off said beach by authorities), Starbucks trips, ocean kayaking, jumping off of rocky islands, dropping my purple aviators into the briny depths, and creepy old men in speedos.

I didn't take many pictures at the actual beach, as hauling around a D-SLR isn't really beach friendly, but here are some..

Jeep with kayak all ready to go.

My face distorted in jeep window. Interesting.

Literally no words for my love of this wee child.

Hammocks. What pirate doesn't love 'em.

The smaller Isabella. So cute.

My cousin let me use his bike for the midnight escapade.

He is younger than me by about nine years, but I had to lower the seat to reach the pedals.

Sand and sun.

Mmmm. I love the beach. And there is nothing quite like waking up in a tent.
Great way to end my summer. School starts Monday, people.

I'm a granny again...

2011-08-16T12:19:00.000-07:00

This is what my bedroom floor looks like at this time.

I'm at it again.

Because I am an afghan making addict. I am a granny square hoarder. Yes, I have a problem. But the first step in getting better is admitting there is something wrong...addiction is the only disease people don't admit to having...all of that stuff.

Actually, I like making stuff and ~~granny~~ wee squares are no exception.

And look! THEY ARE IN RAINBOW ORDER! Every single one of them. Totally RoyGBiv. We all know how I love that. Seriously people, what is not to love.

Now comes the fun part of sewing them together and making all the little bits of yarn tails disappear. I am determined to finish before school starts up again in...oh...12 days. (Wow. What an ugly number.)

In other news, check out the other afghans. THIS one I made.

This one (on my sisters bed) I bought at Goodwill last week for only $2. I kind of love it.

Yup. Definitely an addiction in the making. I'm sorry, I just love colors, yarns, and cozy blankets. Fall is coming. I will be ready!

Now, this is a story all about how my life got flipped-turned upside down...by an Airman.

2011-08-09T11:22:00.000-07:00

Yes. This is such a story. But not one that relates to any guys in Bel Air. This is a story about an Airman.

This a a story about the most intense, adventurous and amazing year of my life.

Approximately one year ago we did this.

JoJo's going away party, August 7th, 2010. (I would be the chick with the rebellious head of hair. JoJo would be the one burning all documentation of his past, pre-military life)

August 8th I hugged him goodbye for the last time.

August 9th I cried my eyes out (...continuously...) as he called to say one last goodbye before weeks and weeks of silence.

August 10th he started ~~earthly hell~~ Basic Military Training in Lackland, Texas.
While I was here, still crying my eyes out. Totally confused and terrified that I had just lost my greatest friend and the most amazing person I had ever met. Just trusting God and crying my eyes out like everyday (ps: I am not a crier. Really. I just care about him THAT much.) One year sounded agonizingly long. 4 years sounded impossible. BMT alone sounded longer than I could ever manage. But I did. We both did.We made it through basic and several months of tech school, until he was able to come home at Christmas for 10 days.

Though, of course, that ended too. Commence with more crying.

But one magical day in February my amazing friend JoJo made a phone call to my dad and became my incredible boyfriend JoJo. Best thing ever, I tell you what.

Then, two months later, that crazy boyfriend of mine lied to me for three weeks and surprised me by coming home for Easter. See video here! 7 Days of absolute incredibleness. Obviously he had to return to his military life, but this I knew he would come back. For me. I would never lose him again. Ever.

Just as some background, I, Isabella Kiss, never really planned on winding up in a long distance relationship with an Airman in the United States Air Force. Of all the hoping and praying I did for my teenage years, that was never really what I was imagining. I had incredibly (almost impossibly) high standards. Compromise of any kind wasn't an option. From 14 years old on I was regularly praying for the right guy and I stubbornly stuck to my standards to the point of other people thinking I was crazy. I've always been interested in the military and I've always been strong and able to handle a lot, but now all of that makes sense. When, at 17, I became friend with JoJo my life from that point on changed. But I never would have imagined that all of that would bring me HERE.

(Also, as background, JoJo never really planned on being in the Air Force. Just out of the blue he felt like that was what God wanted him to do, and though it scared us both, he did it. And as strong and stubborn as I can be, JoJo is even more so. By far.)

Let me just tell you, a long distance military relationship is hard. It is without a doubt by far the most difficult thing I have ever done. But God is faithful and I know this is all His doing. He answered both of our prayers in really surprising ways and now here we are, one year into this adventure, with something like 3-5 (or...more) to go. It is unbelievably hard, and statistics like to tell us we are going to fail. But the will of God isn't defined by stats, and people as hardcore stubborn as us don't quit.

Yes, this has been the craziest year of my life, but it has also been the best. Any relationship done right and to Godly standards is hard. A relationship done right, with the Air Force and distance thrown in there isn't for the faint of heart, as it is more than enough to totally break you down and ruin you. Sharing he whom I love with the US Military isn't always a lot of fun. I do not recommend such craziness, UNLESS you have a lot of faith and trust in God and unconditional love for the person on the other end of the distance. If you have those things, then it is completely worth it.

There is so much I could write in this post about the last year, but I wouldn't know where to start or end. For the last 365 days I have seen JoJo for 17 of them, but those 17 of 365 have been THE BEST. In one years time, and about 6 months of this long distance courtship we have been through so much and still have so much to go through. It's certainly an adventure and be are both quite possibly insane for being on it together. But I love it. WE love it. Needless to say, we are in it for the long run and we are ever so happy about it.

*also, on the topic of love and anniversaries, today is my amazing parent's 25th wedding anniversary. Pretty awesome, eh? They are incredible and I love them!

Remember that scene with the elephant graveyard?

2011-08-08T03:00:00.000-07:00

You know, the one where Simba says "danger? I laugh in the face of danger! hahahah".

Well, I remember it. It's the very best part of the movie. ( I'm quoting the Disney classic The Lion King, for those of you who are lost. And I can quote it like a pro as my sister watched it like everyday of her childhood.)

You see this? This is what I would call my personal elephant graveyard. I love this stuff. This is the aforementioned laughable danger. This is one of those moments where forbidden looks all too inviting. The very fact that is tree is eating the sign and ensnaring it with vines is a sign of adventure and a good time.

But really. Can you read what that says? Yeah, me neither. I think it says something about trespassers will get to take really awesome photos and will be rewarded with delicious canollis. Or at least that is what I THINK it says.

What's that saying about being ignorant? Something about bliss, I believe it is?

This location is an abandoned factory about 15 minutes from my house. I have been DYING to do a photoshoot there, but I am smart enough to not go too close alone. But unfortunately no one wants to go with me. Bummer.

But I couldn't resist taking some roadside pictures as I drove by it a few days ago. Innocently parked on the main road, in clear view of the world, snapping pictures of a broken down building and a no trespassing sign. Please, oh please, someone be brave and volunteer themselves to come closer with me! OH PLEASE! I had to use all the common sense and self control within myself to keep from jumping over a fence and peering in windows.

Guys, don't even tell me that doesn't look fun. Do you even see what I see here?! This is ...perfect.

ALL I want to do is take pictures. No shenanigans. No trouble. Just artsy photos. And this is the perfect location. Old. Brick. Broken down. Abandoned. Graffitted. Rusted. Destroyed. This is the stuff I dream about! This is me is a beautiful adventure!

...And I am not even going to mention what great aerial shots I could get if I climbed that water tower. No, I am not going to mention that at all. Not like that thought is consuming my mind or anything right now. Nope. Not at all.

On philosophy and throw pillows...

2011-08-06T03:00:00.000-07:00

"The success and happiness of a person can be measured by the amount of throw pillows they possess."

I'm pretty sure some philosopher type dude said that. Or then again, maybe I just made it up. I can't seem to remember...

But regardless, I have have lots of throw pillows in my life. And I love them. A couch and a bed are not a couch or a bed unless they have like 40 pillows to squish yourself into, and about 19 blankets to snuggle yourself under. Yes. I have an addiction. To pillows and blankets.

And this week in my sewing fury I made more. Yup, I have issues. I know.

This is my couch. With five really comfy pillows. The striped one was an extra from my bed that fit the color scheme. The two geometric ones are from Ikea. The two in the front I made. The swirly New Grange-looking one (the back is big polka dots!) was a creation for this last week. It is my new favorite!

My bed. 3 regular pillows.Throw pillows: 2 red ones made by me, also the fuzzy 70s looking one. Brown one in back was a vintage purchase, as was the embroidered one in front. That's 5 in total.
And my bed is only a twin size.

But it is a very, very comfy twin. Thanks to my philosophy on pillows. And yes, I am very happy about it.

ps: LOOK! I used an iron to make sure the fabric for the pillows was all flat. My sister (an iron addict) saw this as a sign of Christs second coming.
For anyone who knows me, you are celebrating this miracle right along with me. For those of you who don't know me: I don't iron. Ever. My wardrobe is iron free, and perhaps wrinkly, but I am happy about that too!

Quest for Cowboy Boots? Complete.

2011-08-03T06:59:00.000-07:00

My quest: Cowboy boots, brown, plain, comfortable, size seven and a half, that look good with dresses?

Mission. Accomplished.

Vintage Dress Restyle

2011-08-02T10:26:00.000-07:00

So as you know I am in a sewing mood as of late. In the boxes and boxes of fabric in my house I found a handmade, vintage, crazygreenpattern dress. A big one. I think my mom bought it a looonnng time ago, probably at some thrift shop, in hopes of bringing it down to size, but she never got around to it.

So...I did.

Oh hey there, mama, yes, I did jack your dress and am now shamelessly posting about it. Don't worry. You can borrow it! I just did the dirty work for you.

Dress as I found it:

(hard to gauge what size it was, but clearly too big for me. Too long, too wide, and had ginormous amounts of room for my armpits.)

*check out my awful tan. It is like some variant of a farmers tan, only my arms and shoulders are like four colors instead of two. Can you tell I haven't been to the beach all summer? Yes. Also I look abnormally SnookiOrange in these shots. Bad camera settings, I promise.

RESTYLED DRESS, after taking in the seams a couple inches, shortening the straps, putting in some darts and shorting the hem about 4 inches.

Awful photos, but the dress does look better, no? I have a friend's wedding to attend this weekend...this dress is now on the "possible things to wear" list.

Oh hey, I have free time...

2011-08-01T06:45:00.000-07:00

This week is my first real week of my 3 week summer.
What does one do on the first day of their first week of summer, in their first moments of true free time?

Step one: Paint nails in ROYGBIV order, to show you and everyone you glances upon your fingers that you have time to spare.
Step two: webcam it. then post about it.
Step three: get off computer and do something productive, else people think you are a summer bum.

hmmm. yes.

Pattern: Easy Skirt WITH POCKETS!

2011-07-29T09:38:00.000-07:00

Guys, I love pockets.

So incredibly much. I don't feel quite right without my cell phone and chapstick close to my left thigh. It is just how I am. So when I was thinking about making skirts I wanted to be sure to include pockets. But I didn't know how to do that, so Google helped me out. Funnily enough the pattern I end up liking was from a blog I already follow- Tania, from What Would a Nerd Wear.

THIS PATTERN that she posted as the one I followed. And yes, I FOLLOWED a pattern. PRECISELY *well, I still didn't measure but...*. This is a huge deal for me. I have NEVER followed a sewing pattern of any kind on my own, but this one I did start to finish all by myself.I sat there at my sewing machine, laptop open in front of me, and step by step I followed that pattern! I feel like such a big girl.

Yesterday afternoon I made not one, but TWO cute skirts, one bright/playful, the other more dressy/classic, but both with pockets. Functional pockets!!!! I may or may not have seam ripped the first skirt 3 times, but eventually I did get the hang of it.

And then I obviously did a photoshoot.

Skirt #1 finished product:

Outfit details:

Tanks: Target. Belt: Gifted. Necklace: Thrifted. Shoes: Bongo, via Goodwill. Colorful bracelets: Dandelion Cottage (a local artsy gift shop).Hobo bag: I made it.

Skirt- red flowers and dots fabric $2.99 from Savers. Blue pocket lining was scrap from another project. I already had the thread and elastic, so basically the whole project cost me $3 and a little bit of time.

Skirt #2:

*please feel free to ignore my awkward bird face and how short this skirt looks when I pull it outwards thus revealing my gym shorts underneath, and instead check out the legitimacy of those there POCKETS!

*also feel free to ignore the awkward lint situation ...3 cats people. It's a losing battle.

Details: White Button Up: LOFT, via Savers. Jacket: H&M. Belt: Savers. Heels: Target. Earrings: Charlotte Russe. Bracelet: A Renn Faire (yes. truly.).
Skirt: once again, fabric $2.99 at Savers. All other material I already had.

Currently wearing: black polka dot skirt, skull and cross bones button up, leather jacket, black belt, black leggings, polka dotted heels, black hoop earrings. It's versatile!

I'm pretty pleased overall with how they came out. Pattern was easy to follow and the project took less than one hour. Black one got hemmed a bit too short, and the red one's waist is a little lumpy... but hey, good effort. Mistakes happen when you don't measure, but measuring is math and I am on summer break here! BUT I made pockets. That's all that really matters.

Now back to sewing. Not something I normally do for long periods of time but I am feeling inspired, particularly after the season premiere of Project Runway last night. I just gotta got make more STUFF. Potential photo documentation to come.

We are such stuff as dreams are made on...

2011-07-28T11:50:00.000-07:00

DREAMS DO COME TRUE!!!!!
I'm living proof right here. (and fifteen points to anyone who can, without Google, give me the source of the quote used in the title).

Dream that came true #1- I FINISHED MY SUMMER CLASSES!

Now I get 3 weeks of summer to myself before I am back to school full time! Thank God Almighty, I'm free at last!

Dream that (sort of) came true #2- COWBOY BOOTS!

But by sort of I mean they are not the ones I want. I really wanted plain brown ones, but due to a lot of tomfoolery in the store (such an aggravating story I don't even want to type it out!) I had the brown ones I wanted taken away from me and has to settle for black ones until another pair of brown ones can be found elsewhere. But s'all good 'cause they were cheap on clearance!

Even though these are the wrong color they still make me ever so happy. I do not care if it is July in New England. I am thinking about how country roads are going to take home to the place that I belong, my Sweet Home Alabama, and how there I am wanted, Dead or Alive.

And yes. I just combined 3 songs. And sang them out loud all medleyfied as I typed. Yes I did. Get at me.

*if the painting THE SCREAM was set on a farm it would look like this... no?

In other news, my dress was a tablecloth until earlier this week. I felt that my boots needed a plaid cowgirl-esk dress. So I made one.
If I were a good blogger I would have posted a tutorial but...it was a very spur of the moment creation and I am clearly not a good blogger, so...
But basically it is a tube with straps. Not much to be told.

Tomorrow I am making skirts (with pockets!) and I will be a well-behaved blogger and put up a tutorial. I promise. Maybe.

Final Stretch...

2011-07-26T08:24:00.000-07:00

...al...moooost....th..er..err...errreee....(*pants super dramatically*)

Almost to the end of my summer classes that is. Today I have to edit to papers and then simply show up to school to drop them off today and tomorrow and then FREEDOM SWEET FREEDOM! ...for like 3 weeks.

(I feel like THIS PHOTO perfectly describes the college situation I have gotten myself into.)

What am I going to do with my three weeks of glorious liberty from education, you ask? Well....

*MAKE STUFF.

Like anything at this point. I just need some unrestrained creativity in my life. Immediate plans would be making some skirts (as mentioned in the previous post) and stuff such as that (I started yesterday by making a dress out of a plaid tablecloth...). Going to look all over the internet for inspiration and over priced things I can recreate and then do it. Mental release for me.

*WRITE STUFF

What exactly I am not sure. But I can tell you it will NOT be research papers. I will be research free for 3 weeks. I need some good old venting blog posts and some crazy imaginative fiction right about now. And NONE of it will have a works cited page. NONE I TELL YOU!

*HARASS LITERARY AGENTS

As much as that is not a fun game it is a necessity to my life. Huzzah.

*MUSIC.

Mostly involving my keyboard and my voice. I need to play. I need to sing. I need to bang keys and release notes. I don't care what it is. I just need to make music.

*PHOTOS.

I plan on doing a couple photoshoots with friend or inanimate objects. There is an abandoned mill that has been beckoning to me for months now. I can only keep myself away for so long...

*OUTDOORS.

I need to be outside. As nice as my air conditioned school and nice cool bedroom are I need some nature in my life. Last week in August my family is going to spend a week at the beach, but until then I need to frolic in the woods and roll around in some grass or something. Being inside is horrible awful.

*GYM.

It is hard to motivate myself to go when I have papers to write. But now I have no excuses and I refuse to be the college kid who sleeps all day in the summer. PRODUCTIVIIIITTTTYYY!

* THINK ABOUT REALITY.

Yeah...yucky stuff. But required to being a functional adult. I need to get texts books for my classes in the fall. Also need to think about another part time job. Dust Assassining is great, but you can only clean houses for so many hours in a day. Don't know where I am going to try and work, but I think I would prefer retail over a restaurant. I refuse to do that because extensive people skills are required and I extensively lack those. Or maybe I can be a roofer. That would be the most fun.

That is about all I have for now... but I think that is enough to keep myself busy for the time span of three weeks. I will for sure be doing SOMETHING as relaxation is not something I really enjoy. Posts on my progress to come, I promise!

What's wrong with this picture...

2011-07-19T04:00:00.000-07:00

Save for the headlessness of it all, does everything look to be in order? Well, let me give you a clue. My shirt is a shirt, but so is my skirt.

Meaning, yes, I am wearing a shirt as a skirt. What is even better is that I made the shirt a couple years ago.
When worn properly it looks something like this:

(fantastic armpit shot by my mom, on last year's beach vacation).

(shot from Awakening Conference 2011- me and my friend Rachael doing vocals.
Credit to Danielle Crosby)

So not only am I one of those "weird" people who makes their own closer, I also do things like wear them on the wrong part of my body. Apparently is functions as lower body wear as well when I slap a belt on it. Good stuff, eh?

outfit details: gray tee= target. skirt=shirt I made with fabric from JoAnn's. belt=gift. monstrous wooden heels=bongo, but bought at goodwill. necklaces=handmade from bullets and vintage keys.

As soon as I am done with school for the summer (oxymoronically paradoxical, yes?)- NEXT WEDNESDAY- I am going to be making stuff. Skirts (real ones, not shirts) are on the list. Wicked easy too. Tutorial to come!

Britishness. And humor.

2011-07-18T11:27:00.000-07:00

We all know I have an affinity for all things British...so obviously I found this to be funny.

*Dagsson, via A Cup of Jo

And for the record? I love tea.

This is what love and acceptance looks like....

2011-07-14T07:41:00.000-07:00

Example 1: Customary kiss attacking ritual. 2 little girls and their big brother.

(someone might not have wanted me to post this photo but... I love it. It is quite possibly one of my favorites ever.

Sorry JoJo)

Example 2: same two little girls and ME!

*I am very proud of this moment. It took me about 8 months to get a kiss from the littlest sister, but now she does so voluntarily. And I'm quite happy about it!)

happy birthday to...

2011-07-13T06:00:00.000-07:00

happy 22nd, JoJo!

love, Bella

what to do with horrendously blue frosting...

2011-07-11T14:24:00.000-07:00

Step 1: first you must obtain the ghastly blue stuff. Yup. It comes this way.

Step 2: make some cupcakes

Step 3: find some children (such as your boyfriends adorable little sisters!) and taste test the frosting while the cupcakes bake.

Step 4: frost 'dem cupcakes (adding sprinkles required!) in honor of the my boyfriend/ their brother's up- coming birthday!

Step 5: them consume the sugarydeliciousness that is the cupcakes, as mailing them to an Airman in Mississippi is very tricky. It's the thought that counts, right?

Can you wear cowboy boots in New England?

2011-07-07T11:26:00.000-07:00

Who cares? I am going to. I am on a quest.

This is what the goal looks like...

*click for sources*

Brown, size 7.5, cowboy/girl boots to add to my expansive boot collection.

(believe it or not, finding cowgirl boots in a small New England state in the month of July is harder than one would think...and one would think it is hard to begin with. Can't find a single reasonable looking pair. Instead I found rubberized rainbow leopard ones. Of course I did. Blarg. I WILL find some. Imma rock this look all fall.)

Maxi Dresses for Teapots...

2011-07-01T02:00:00.000-07:00

Whats a maxi dress? One of those long, typically jersey fabric, spaghetti strapped summer dresses.
What's a teapot, other than the obvious? I am. Well...no, not really. But remember the nursery rhyme? "I'm a little teapot, short and stout?" Yes. I am short. (barely five three!) Not truly stout, but I have incredibly stubby, not so long and model like legs.True fact: I'd be be like 4 feet tall if I didn't have a long torso. (This is fine, unless I want to wear something long. Then it's a problem.)

Anyway. Maxi dresses. I thought they were cute, but I had been avoiding them for the last couple years, due to the fact I am not 6 feet tall, even with my tallest heels on, and I figured I would just look horrendous in one. But today after school, in celebration of finishing my math final and being done with mathematics for the summer, I stopped at a store I like that was having a 50% off sale. And I came out with this dress for $4.

Apparently I don't look that short in it. I was skeptical of the horizontal stripes (notorious for making you look broader than you are, no matter what size).With heels, a belt, and my hair up I actually look ...like...TALL. Or ...Close enough.

It's a miracle, I tell you what.

A little story for you...

2011-06-23T11:38:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time an overachiever, whose name we shall change to Allebasi Ssik to protect her (still obvious) identity, decided to take 3 college classes over the summer- an 8 am math class and 2 late evening English classes. It all seemed like a good idea at the time of registration. She would get ahead and knock some of the more boring, general and required classes out of the way. Yes, she would have more or less no social life, and no summer fun but... life's not fair anyway. Gotta have priorities, right?

All may seem well in EducationLand, but like all good tales, this story has an antagonist to go alone with the protagonist. This story actually has 3 antagonists. Prof G, Prof C and Prof L (The triplets of educational doom we shall call them. Or the triple torturers, if you'd rather).

Those three fiends decided to schedule all of Allebasi's large term papers and major tests on three consecutive days. Probably because they hate Allebasi with all of their highly academical hearts and souls, but more likely that they just didn't take her personal school, life (and sleep) schedule into account when they planned the assignment/test dates. On top of that Prof C decided to make her analyze a (near, but heighly exaggerated) ream of poetry, which she greatly dislikes unless it is Edgar Allen POEtry, but this is all besides the point. The point that is this: what selfish, evil triplets of education, torture and doom bestowance!!!!! The world of young adulthood is an unsafe, or at least very overloaded on assignments, place while people such as those still roam it.

Anyhow, also upon the time that was once (a time very much like this one) Allebasi wondered why she decided to take these classes and sell her summer-soul to the life sucking goblins of education that are her professors.

One day she showed up to school and they had shut it temporarily due to a teeny tiny mini-fire going on inside. She secretly hoped that the building would burst into flames, thereby preventing her from taking classes ever again. Or at least that math class would be cancelled for the day. But alas, it was not. Apparently firefighters take sides with the wicked professors/oppressors and they saved the school and Allebasi's morning math class. Oh huzzah.

So then upon returning home to face her Kilimanjaro of homework, poor, whiny Allebasi sat down at her computer and wrote a totally pointless, altogether unacademic blog post to make herself feel better.

The end.

...now if you'll excuse me, Isabella (who really does like school, but also likes dramatized venting), I need to help my dear, summerless friend Allebasi write some papers...

Blarg.

Restyle: Boy Shirt ----> Girl Shirt.

2011-06-20T03:00:00.000-07:00

I have a lot of guys clothes.

People who have only known me a couple years are often surprised to find out that I used to dress almost completely in guys clothes. For like...4 years at least. Complicated story, but basically from age 11-15 I dressed more like a junior high school boy, than I did a young lady. It was...a problem. I was a seriously weird kid. I didn't start wearing girls clothes again until I was around 15, and that was only like jeans and tshirts. I didn't actually dressy in a girly way until 17. I never bought a dress (for myself, by myself, without being forced) until I was 18. I never wore a dress/skirt outside of church or a formal event until...a few months ago.
Now I look, dress (and even act!) like a girl!!!! I wore skirts almost every day last week. Pretty much a 180, people.

But like I said, I still have a lot of guys clothes. I'll still whip out some ginormous cargo skater pants to do yard work in, and I am still a little bit partial to bumming around in guys tshirts and hoodies. I'm sorry, they are just COMFORTABLE. Bloody unattractive, but I don't care.

However, I am working on the whole "girly" thing. Guys clothes are not really conducive to looking like a woman so...
Also, "the boy" happens to think girls should dress like girls and guys should dress like guys. Contrary to my prior belief, I now agree with that whole first part (never disagreed with the second. Don't get me started on that rant).

But that leaves the matter of what is to be done with my teenage boy wardrobe...

I've been noticing that wide necked, baggy shirts are in style. Forever 21 sells like in like every color. I am liking this style, because I'm all about wide, loose and baggy (as long as they aren't see-through or inappropriate in anyway). Also "boyfriend tees" (and jeans) are popular; cut for girls, but made to look like you stole them from a boy. These are styles I can work with...

When going through my clothes I found a gray guy's tee I hadn't warn in years. It was just chillin, all waded up and wrinkled in my drawer. I thought about throwing it away. But instead I made it look...more feminine...so I can still get away with wearing it!

How I did it: Basically took the shirt, grabbed some scissors and cut a good portion of the collar off, making it wider. Easy as that!

Before: SUPER WRINKLY boy tee, skinny jeans, and converse= .5 on the girlishness scale. 97 and a half on the "looking like a 13 year old boy" scale.

After: skinny jeans, my "Westley" (Princess Bride anyone?) boots, vintage keys on necklaces (I have quite the collection!), black tank and the same tshirt only with collar wider and sleeves rolled.And dangerously red lipstick, just for the effect.
Cuter, right? Other than the wideness of it, it's hard to tell it's a guys shirt, yes?

And yes. It is still just as wrinkly. Were I more classy I would iron it or put it in the dryer or something before doing photoshoots. But...really, what do you want from me!? Who do you think I am, Martha Stewart? Ma Ingalls? Princess Kate?

Now if only there was something cute to be done with my collection of camouflaged, baggy as baggy can be pants...

Yeah no. Not going there. They shall remain banished from the public eye and only come out for yard work. Because I am a girl and I plan on dressing like it. At least the majority of the time.

*ps: 2 words- CAMERA. REMOTE. Expect more narcissist photos. I know you are all sick of the couch, but it was too dark and rainy to go outside with the tripod.

LIGHT

2011-06-17T09:30:00.000-07:00

I'm a fan of The Rocket Summer. Quite.

Lately I've head the bridge lyrics to "Light" (off the album Of Men and Angels), so out of lack of other posting material I am going to put them up here.

I am Yours, do what You wish
I am Yours, I am Yours
And I know this
Whatever happens next
Is in Your hands, in Your plans
Nothing less
Every day there is a choice
And through the joy
Through the pain
I will rejoice
I am Yours, do what You wish
I am Yours, I am Yours
And I know this

Good stuff, eh?

This is my therapy...just call it what it is.

2011-06-11T08:28:00.000-07:00

To quote Capt'n Jack Sparrow, "Where's the monkey... I need to shoot something."

(*title quote: RelientK- Therapy)

Idolatry, Adultery and Me...

2011-06-09T11:27:00.000-07:00

*trust me, the title WILL make sense eventually. No one panic yet.*

Oh here there blog that I don't write on anymore because of many reasons. What's up? I haven't posted in a long while, so this post will be a sort of conglomerate of things stirring inside my brain. Things that relate to the above title.

I've been thinking a lot lately. I've been thinking about my life, my priorities, and my relationship with others as well as with God. It's a complicated situation, I tell you what. Most of this thinking was prompted by something one of my small group leaders say a few weeks ago. She was giving a workshop and said something that really hit hard with me: "YOU WILL NEVER LIVE A GODLY LIFE WITH A CLOSED BIBLE."

Wow. True, but heavy. Particularly heavy at my time of hearing it as my bible had been closed more so than it should have been. My excuse? I've been busy (...worst...excuse...ever... when talking about the God of the universe and the time I spend with him.). Too busy for God apparently. That is a scary place to be in.

After hearing that I began thinking about why I was letting busyness get in the way. What was so important? Simple conclusion: IDOLS.

No, I'm not talking about spending my free time with shiny golden figurines. I'm talking about the things that I was given my attention to instead of God. What you focus on, you worship, I've heard it said.Anything that takes you attention from God is an idol. And I realized I had quite a few of them hoggin' up my focus. Some of them bear resemblance to people in my life. One has green and gold eyes. Sometimes one looks like 52 white keys and 36 black.One is branded with the letters EOS60D. One's name is fourpointoh. One of them is called ME.

Idols can be sneaky little buggers. All the stuff I was letting take my attention away from God were (are) good things. Like school. School is a very good thing and doing well in school is good stuff too. But being so absorbed in school and reading assigned textbooks that I cannot open up my Bible and read that? Well...that is a problem. A stinkin huge problem.

Which brings me to my second point. ADULTERY.

Yes, I confess. I have a problem with that too.

(What whoa? Stick with me people while I explain).

God is my first love. He is supposed to be the center to all of my life. Anything else is supposed to be below him. He loves me desperately and is jealous for my attention. Which, as aforementioned, I am too busy giving to idols. In essence, I am a dirty, rotten adulterer again my God. And I'm a repeat offender. Daily I give other things the attention that should be His. Every day I find some way to tell Him He isn't important enough. At least not important enough to make time for. Over and over again I cheat on Him with stuff which is so much less important than He is-awesome stuff, great people, good grades...but all things that fall short of being the one true God. But still He loves me and is waiting for me to run back into His arms and spend time with Him. That to me is...amazing. Somehow despite my failings, my cheating, my short comings and all my mess my God loves me. Jealously. Always.

Thinking on this topic brings to mind the book of Hosea (in which God has a prophet go and marry a prostitute to prove a point about Israels relationship to their God.), the story of the Prodigal Son, and also a song by Derek Webb (the guy who used to be in Caedmon's Call, if that rings a bell...). It is called Wedding Dress.

Honestly, Webb isn't my favorite and musically the song is not that great, but LYRICALLY it is one of the most powerful songs I know. The lyrics tell of how we chase other things and in doing so, whore against God. Repeatedly. But His jealous love still never fails. The song is a bold, but true, statement. Every time I hear it I get pretty messed up.

Listen.
Read...

If you could love me as a wife
and for my wedding gift, your life
should that be all i’ll ever need
or is there more i’m looking for

and should i read between the lines
and look for blessings in disguise
to make me handsome, rich, and wise
is that really what you want

(chorus)
i am a whore i do confess
but i put you on just like a wedding dress
and i run down the aisle
i’m a prodigal with no way home
but i put you on just like a ring of gold
and i run down the aisle to you

so could you love this bastard child
though i don’t trust you to provide
with one hand in a pot of gold
and with the other in your side
i am so easily satisfied
by the call of lovers less wild
that i would take a little cash
over your very flesh and blood

(chorus)

because money cannot buy
a husband’s jealous eye
when you have knowingly deceived his wife

That chorus has been ringing through my head for weeks. I look at my Bible as I absorb myself in other things and I hear my God say, though I am a adulterous idol worshiper, "Bella...I miss you."

My new stance of priorities? I am NOT too busy for God. Because out of all the things, places and people in my life, only God can satisfy. Then and only then everything else falls into its place.

On wings like eagles...

2011-05-30T13:53:00.000-07:00

Go check out my photography blog for the highlight of my weekend in Vermont. It involves a birds of prey loving girl with a camera (me) and one very, very special, very beautiful, very rare bird of national importance.

http://sometimes-i-shoot-things.blogspot.com/2011/05/eagle-spotting.html

Small Group Cultural Dinner Party...

2011-05-23T12:50:00.000-07:00

Last week my youth group's 3 Young Adult and High School girl's CREWs (small groups) met for a potluck dinner. Each of the college aged girls brought a dish from our culture or family heritage. And then we chowed down.

Mine. Good old Italian Garlic Bread. Yum.

IT SAYS CREW!!!!

Group shots (are hard)

Good times. Most importantly good food. :)

Hooyah/Hua Air Force...

2011-05-19T11:28:00.000-07:00

"People break down into two groups when the experience something lucky. Group number one sees it as more than luck, more than coincidence. They see it as a sign, evidence, that there is someone up there, watching out for them. Group number two sees it as just pure luck. Just a happy turn of chance. ........See what you have to ask yourself is what kind of person are you? Are you the kind that sees signs, sees miracles? Or do you believe that people just get lucky? Or, look at the question this way: Is it possible that there are no coincidences?"-Graham Hess (Mel Gibson), Signs.

I watched some chunks of the movie signs last weekend and it got me thinking about "coincidences" and how I don't believe they exist. I can think of a great many examples to illustrate that from within my personal experience, that but I am thinking one thing in particular today.

It involves me. And a particular guy in the Air Force.

Ever since I was...about 10...I've had an inexplicable obsession with the military. For years I wore camouflage and tshirts reading ARMY, MARINES, etc. My entire wardrobe was shades of green, with a spattering of black and brown. I thought being a Marine might be a good idea. (Yes, I was a complete weirdo. Not the point of this post). The first watch I ever remember having I set to military time and have run on that ever since. When I go somewhere overnight my clothes get packed in a ruck. I've never been to a Army Navy store I didn't like. I own so much military related stuff it is just ridiculous... I could go on and on here...

This obsession carried on for years. I've stopped wearing camouflage everywhere (now I dress like...you know...a girl), but I still run on military time and other weird things like that.

I have no idea where this obsession came from. I didn't really know anyone in the military. Never grew up with that sort of lifestyle or anything. It just was an obsession that seemingly came from no where.

But now, a good 10 years later it is all making a little more sense to me. And I don't think it was a coincidence. At all.

I've known JoJo for almost 4 years. For about 2 and a half of them he had no interest in anything but civilian life. Then out of the blue (literally) one day he mentioned that he felt that God wanted him to join the Air Force. I didn't actually believe him, because that was so unlike him to say such a thing. I honestly thought he was kidding.

But he did join the Air Force. And I know it was God. Because there is no other explanation that would make sense.

Anyway, he left for Basic Training back in August. Somewhere in there I became the proud Air Force girlfriend. And I think I enjoy this more than an average chick would. I'm so proud of him. I am so proud, despite that fact that long distance is hard, painful, and rough, that he is in the military. I think it is so incredibly cool.

AND I really, really like that I now have ~~an excuse~~ a reason to go into Army Navy stores and buy stuff.

Like my new favorite hoodie that I bought on Saturday from a local store called "Army Barracks."

It is awesome. And while it is not all that fabulous looking, it is incredibly comfortable.(and it matches my room. Seriously? Destiny.)

A text sent to the Airman the day I took these pictures read: "...what would you think if I wore this hoodie everydayfortherestofmylifealways? I might. I love it. And it looks good with my red skinny pants. What more could I want? :p "

Response from Airman T***** on his lunch break: "No. I don't think I would have a problem with that at all. :) "

Does that sound like a coincidence to you? No. Me neither.

*hooyah is technically a navy thing. long story. just go with it. or insert your own favorite military war cry.

Creativity (part 3)- Church is boring?

2011-05-18T08:19:00.000-07:00

As promised, here comes part 3 of my creativity rant (see part 1 here) (part 2 here).

Somehow someway there is a very unfortunate stereotype out there that Christians are boring. Hey, maybe I am wrong, but I am a Christian, and great deal of my friends are Christians, and we are for sure not boring. (Religiosity, now that is boring.) If any Christians out there wanna disagree with me and declare that they are, in fact, very boring please leave me a comment.

It is also popularly believed that Church is boring. Again, maybe yours is. But I know that my church is anything but. My church (and youth group, Merge Ahead!) is amazingly awesome. We are passionate. Our worship is vibrant. And believe it or not IT'S FUN! We're crazy about God and crazy about life. No boring to be found. (If you're church is boring it might be because well...you're boring. God is never boring. But people sometimes are...)

"Ok hold up" you're saying. "I thought we were talking about creativity and now your just endorsing church."

Listen, just follow this rabbit and I on this trail and we'll get back to the point I am trying to make. Stay with me, people.

Why do people think church is boring? Why do people assume Christians are boring?

Because unfortunately some are. I'm not downing any type of denomination or music or anything. I love the body of Christ as displayed by His church. But sometimes we (me, you, any Christian) can be boring. Stagnant. Routine. Religious. Which doesn't really appeal to the rest of the world. When church becomes about rituals and routines instead of the presence and love of God people lose interest. That's just the truth...

We live in a modern, technology and media driven world. Our generation is so highly ENTERTAINED it is just ridiculous. Everyone needs constant stimulating input. Entertainment. This comes from music, movies, the internet, video games, technology, you name it. If it doesn't catch there attention and keep it there they move on mighty fast to something else.

"Whooooaaa Bella, are you saying the church needs to be entertaining? No. I am not. Stop arguing. Just stay with me here.

What would you say is the purpose of church? I'd say the purpose of the local/global church is to expand the Kingdom of God. Grow the body of Christ. Reach the lost.

But the lost aren't going to want to come in if it is boring. Reasonable, I'd say. So this is where we need to get creative. Not so we can entertain people and give them a good time in church, but so that something not so important can catch their attention and then they can experience the love of God, taste and see that His goodness, and they can be so captivated that God keeps their attention.

I'm going to use Merge (my youth group) as an example here. When setting up each week we try and make the building LOOK really cool. We get pretty creative when we do this (see! see!)We set up the lobby with crazy art work. We roll out rugs, put out couches and set up cafe tables. All of our first time visitors ("guests") get freshly baked cooks and a warm welcome. Music, sometimes a DJ, plays in the background. In the sanctuary we hook up all sorts of lights and lasers and blast our instruments through amps. When we worship we jump around ("mosh"), dance, and get undignified.

Why? Because rugs really help to invite the presence of God? Because cookies are very spiritual? Because the Bible says to make sure you set up a couple couches before meeting with each other and God? Because God needs a fog machine and laser lights in order for Him to show up? NO! not at all! ( Trust me, the God of the universe who created the stars in the sky is not impressed with our Scorpion Laser Beam machine.)

We do it because it gets peoples attention. Youth come in and like what they see. And then they get blown away in worship and the word, not because there is so much fog their lives are changed, but because they encounter the love of God! THAT IS WHAT IS ALL ABOUT!

If crazy lights and loud music get people saved then we wouldn't need a church. We could just go to a club and be fine. Were that the case our whole generation of youth would pretty much be saved already if it was about lights and music. But that is not the case.

We try and make it appealing on the exterior so we can catch their eyes. Then we expect that our amazing God who loves us, the lost, and the whole world so much, to catch their hearts. That is why we do what we do!

I think this concluded my creativity series. Maybe. (do you guys have any more thoughts on the subject? Comment and let me know!) Obviously I have a lot to say about the topic. It's my passion. God created me and I love to be creative because of it. How about you? Go do, think, or make something that has never been done, thought, or made before. Go bring God glory. Go change the world.

Create.

Creativity (part 2)- or our lack there of...

2011-05-16T11:18:00.000-07:00

"Jesus answered them, "Healthy people don't need a doctor--sick people do."- Luke 5:31 NLT

That verse right there is what I base a lot of my life on and also my view of Christian creativity on. That is what I base my writing on. That is what I base my opinions of Christian music, literature and all else created by Christians upon.

There is a lot of Christian music out there. There are a lot of Christian books out there. There are even Christian movies. I fully understand that we are called to be in the world and not of it and we shouldn't be filling our heads with what the world says is ok, but is so wrong by God's standards. I get that. Really. But I also think we are called to reach the lost.

Jesus didn't come to earth to save believers. He came for the lost. He hung out with liars, cheaters, whores and theives. He hung out with filthy rotten sinners. Jesus hung out with the sick. Not just those physically sick, but those terminally sick spiritually.

Christian resources are great stuff. I read lots of Christian books and listen to a great deal of Christian music.But I have to say, I don't know a lot of unsaved people, who are living like hell until they get to it, who wake up randomly one day and decide to walk into a Christian book/music store to make purchases. That may happen once every so often but...not usually. That isn't an effective way of reaching the lost. That is an effective way of protecting Christians from the big bad world. Sometimes so much so that we forget that there are lost people out there literally dying to know what we know.

Again, I do listen to Christian music. I do read Christian authors. But I'm sorry, some of it is...lame.

Yes. I said it. LAME. No worldly person would want to hear or read it, instead of what they already have. I am not going to list any band/books in particular or anything, but some of the stuff out there is so...cliche...so unoriginal, so UNCREATIVE that I feel embarrassed to associate myself with it. Pretty much a dumbed down version of the worldly stuff. Knock offs, minus things like swearing or sex, so it can be considered Christian. Lame, lame, lame, lame.

This may get controversial here, but I think sometimes people in the world do a better job of being creative than some Christians do. I've said it before and I'll say it again; I think Christians should be the most exciting, most creative people in the world because we know THE CREATOR as our Father and creativity runs in our spiritual DNA! But honestly, we're not sometimes. There are nonchristians out there who are using a gift given to them by God to glorify themselves instead of their Creator and they are doing a good job of it.

An example I use frequently to illustrate this point is the well known Lady Gaga. God gave her such a creative mind. She is so talented. She is influencing my generation in a huge way.

*and all the holy people gasp.*

Yes. You're reading correctly. The creativity that Lady Gaga uses blows me away.

I'm not saying I like her and I don't actually listen to her music (once I hear any song more than twice I memorize most of the lyrics. I have to be careful about my input) or call myself a fan. The stuff Gaga sings about is dirty, perverted, pornographic, liberal and all together everything I am against. The way she dresses (or...doesn't...) is also awful and totally inappropriate and beyond. But she is, no doubt, creative. She thinks of stuff no one else does. She preforms in a way that is totally unique. While the way she dresses is not okay at all, she does create most of the stuff herself. And she gets people's attentions.

One of her most popular songs right now is one called Born This Way. The first time I heard it I was really, really confused. And really, really caught off guard. She is so, so, so, so lost and confused. The song is about being whoever you are and making no apologizes. A lot of it has to do with sexual orientation and equal rights, but one part of the song (pre chorus, chorus) goes like this:

There’s nothing wrong with loving who you are
she said, cause He made you perfect, babe
So hold your head up girl and you’ll go far
listen to me when I say

I’m beautiful in my way
’cause God makes no mistakes
I’m on the right track baby
I was born this way

She says God. She acknowledges Him as the Creator. Lady Gaga, like everyone, was in fact created by my God. God gives everyone gifts and talents. She is definitely gifted in creativity in relation to music and preforming. She is just using the gifts in a self-glorifying way. What God created in her to bring him glory, she is using in a negative way to bring herself glory. Which always leads me to thinking "What if Lady Gaga got saved? What amazing stuff could she come up with? She could change the world!"

People sometimes tell me that is a really weird way to think. Lady Gaga is filth, according to them. But my Jesus hung out with people like her. And he LOVED them.

Lady Gaga is gifted. What could have been a huge asset to the Kingdom is instead being used to influence my generation in a negative way. But she is at least using her gift.

In the first post I talked about the creative potential inside of us all, given to us by God, just waiting to be used. Why does it seem that she is more creative than Christians? THAT IS NOT RIGHT! Where are the Christian Gagas? No, I don't mean we need some Christian musicians to get on a stage half naked, to wear a dress made of meat to make a statement, or sing about things that clearly do not please God. I mean where are the people in the church using their God-given creativity to influence my generation? Where are the creative people who are using their talents to change a lost and dying world!? For the good, not the bad!?

We don't need more Christian music or Christian books. We need some radical Christians who will step outside the church and reach the lost! Being in the world and not of it implies we have to...be in the world! That is why I want to write books. Not Christian ones, published by Christians publishing houses and sold to Christian book stores for Christians to buy and read. No, those are the healthy people. I want to write amazingly creative books (that glorify God and do not compromise what I believe!), get 'em published by a secular publisher and have them sold in big name book stores right next to the big name secular authors who are perverting my generation! I wanna reach the sick.

I could list off amazingly creative worldy people all day long. They are out there and they are changing the world. For the bad. What are we, those called to change the world and extend the kingdom of God, doing? Lady Gaga is not more creative than me. Or you. Stephanie Meyer isn't more creative than me either. Because I know where my creativity comes from and I know to whom the glory goes. You should to.

Start thinking big, people. Start thinking bigger than the four walls of our (safe) churches. Start thinking broader. And once you do, think bigger. Think up stuff so big, so wild, so crazy that there is no way you can get it done without God. And then think some more. Because God is able to do more than we can ask, think, or imagine.

You were created to do something. Now get creative in whatever way you do and do it. The world is waiting.

*part 3 of the creativity post is coming on Wednesday. Stay tuned to hear about creativity and church.

Creativity (part 1)- Do you Know What is Inside of You?

2011-05-13T10:46:00.000-07:00

*Alternative title; "NORMAL IS ONLY A SETTING ON A WASHING MACHINE"

I'm done with school now, at least for a week, and I finally have time to write on here. This will be a long post as it has been a long time coming, brewing in my head for weeks.

This post will be about creativity.

Isn't almost every post on this blog about creativity in one way or another? Probably yes. If my middle name wasn't already Kiss, it probably be Creativity. I am a very creative person. Anyone who has known me for more than 5 minutes knows that (dang, anyone who looks at me for more that 5 seconds knows it!). Without artsyness I go crazy. Truly. My constant rebellion against normal is a huge part of who I am.

But I have been thinking about creativity more so than normal lately. A couple weeks back we were talking about it in my psyc class and I had to give a presentation on people who display amazing amounts of creativity. The presentation could only be 5 minutes long, but in creating it I did a great deal of thinking about creative people.

Who are the creative people in the world? YOU are. That's who.

This is where you will begin the mental argument with me that not every one is creative. Blah blah Blah. I disagree. I didn't say ARTISTIC. I said CREATIVE. I believe that very human being has some amount of creativity in them because we were created by and in the image of a creative God. He who created me created the whole world from scratch (ever thought about that? Whenever I make something I have to start with something else. Some supply or material. When God created everything He started with absolutely nothing. That amazes me! If I had been charged with creating the world with nothing to start with and nothing to base my ideas on I would have not come up with much. Or anything. ) He is my Father and THE CREATOR; I am His daughter, so I create. Creativity is in my spiritual DNA.

You're arguing with me again, aren't you? You are. I just know it. Stop it. Just stop.

I'm not talking about creativity and everyone having it in the sense that we all can paint, draw, and had an A in high school art class. I'm not sure what the actual definition of creativity, but I don't think it is synonymous with artistic. Creativity, at least to me, is the ability to think outside of the box. Better yet, to refuse to acknowledge there is a box. Creativity is not acknowledging the "normal" as acceptable. Creativity is that which does not fit in. Creativity is looking at something that anyone can look at, and seeing it differently.

If you give me a blank page of paper, I am likely to write something, because that is what I do. Might not be good, but I will write anyway. If I give my little brother a piece of paper he will fold it into an elaborate paper air plane. If I give my friend S.L a piece of paper she would likely draw on it. Some of my friends would be more likely to write song lyrics on the page. What would you do with it?

I have several friends who are passionate about painting, and find their artistic expression on canvas. (Me? The only painting I do is that which involves splattering). Anyone can look at a canvas. Anyone can pop into an art store and buy one. The creativity is what a person DOES with the canvas. If I gave a canvas to my friends T, L, A, or S (initials) they would take some paint and make something beautiful, because their creative minds see not a blank canvas but a potential piece of art.

But if I gave the same canvases to a group of mathematical, analytical, entrepreneurial, business people they probably wouldn't have the same vision to create something with paints upon it. So are they just not creative?

No.They are creative. They just are not painters.

Scientists are creative. Science wouldn't be useful if people weren't constantly coming up with new things. That is called history.

Mathematicians are creative (I know... I know...). But the use of math within science, or something like engineering requires creativity.

Any entrepreneur is creative. They have vision. They see a problem, or a potential-holding business venture that no one else see, and they make it happen. They think outside of the box.

The most successful business people are those who think outside of what has already been thought; who dream bigger dreams and think greater thoughts than the less successful people. Their success has come because they did something different. Those who aren't willing to think creatively and instead keep doing what everyone else is doing are very likely to get the same result that everyone else did.

I think each of us has the ability to be incredibly creative, but in different ways. (I write and make stuff. What about you?). I think each person, Christian or not, is creative. Look at some of the people in the media living like hell. They are sure creative, just to their own glory and not God's (more on that later). Personally, I think Christians should be the world's MOST CREATIVE people, because we know who are Creator is and we know that we are made to be like Him!

Each of us has such potential. There is so much creativity inside everyone that is never being released! People are so caught up in the "normal" that often they don't think broadly enough about what is possible if "normal" is challenged. I'm not just talking about uses for paint and paper (which are fantastic), but how long are things like cancer going to be "normal?" Are gas prices climbing towards $5 "normal"; oil crisis, what about that? Are children homeless and starving in other countries "normal"? What about sex trafficking, is that just "normal" too? How about how perverted and filthy (secular) music is? Movie content? I don't think the books being written for young adults are "normal" at all!

So many pieces of art, so many inventions, new business ideas, solutions to worldwide problems, things that have never been done or made before are INSIDE OF YOU!

I don't know about you, but that gets me fired up and inspired to make something. Do something. Be something.And in doing that and releasing that creative potential we are glorifying God! We are being who He made us to be and becoming more like Him!

To keep this post from being 19 miles long I'll stop here. But I've got more coming. In the next part of this rant on creativity I want to talk about it specifically in relation to the Kingdom of God. How we can use it...or how we aren't. That post coming soon!

*phew. It felt so good to write something that wasn't academic, didn't need MLA citations, and wasn't going to be graded!

So this is what it feels like to have free time?

2011-05-11T12:00:00.000-07:00

I have nothing to do.

I haven't had anything to do, or at least needed to do, since 9:00 am.

I don't even know who I am anymore. Bella doesn't typically have free time.

I am more or less done with my first semester of college (yes, I started in the spring, and yes I am 20 but a freshman. Don't bother yourself with the minor details of my life.) Today, at 8:00 am, I took my final exam for psychology. All I have left to do is an in-class write evaluation of myself paper for English on Friday. Then I am done, done, done! I have to say, I ended up liking college more than I thought I would. The...environment...is a little iffy at times but I like to learn and I love to excel in all that I do. So this was a good semester.

But now I am done. I now longer have homework to do. I don't need to study pages and pages of psyc notes. It is a freeing feeling.

I got home today after my exam (and ate nachos. I ate cereal @ 6:30 am, but by 10 I was hungry again and nachos are good at all hours) and went into super productive mode, since I had nothing else to do. My bedroom and laundry hamper have been suffering from about 3 weeks of neglect (projects, papers, presentations and studying leading up to finals, plus a couple conferences had my full attention) so I went on a cleaning spree. Now that my 4 loads of laundry are done (obviously I put good grades as a higher priority than clean clothes), my entire closet is reorganized, my room is dusted and vacuumed, and I can again see the surface of my desk I feel much better about myself and my life. I love order.

Now this is the point where you ask me about my summer plans? And to that I will say "ha", if given half a chance or maybe even less. I pretty much do not have summer. And if I do it is this week, and then 3 weeks in August. What is that about? Well, in a week and a half I started *SUMMER CLASSES.*

Yes. I am crazy. And yes, I did do this to myself. Thank you.

Long story short I only took 2 classes this semester due to registration issues. So now I am trying to make up lost time and get ahead before the fall. So I will be spending my summer doing the math class I missed getting into this last semester, as well as 2 English classes (because I love English). Good times. Or potentially really not good times, but let's be optimistic...

Hopefully you will all see more of me in the next week or so. Sorry I have been a little lax about posting. Again, grades are a priority of the most highest. And hopefully I will not completely disappear after that until August. But no promises.

Sometimes being lied to for weeks is great fun...

2011-05-03T07:50:00.000-07:00

Hey guys. See yesterday's post for an explanation about this video.

In summary this is me being surprised out of my mind by my most favorite guy, who decided to come home on leave from the Air Force, but not tell me he was showing up.

Fair warning, it is a bit of a tear jerk-er. I didn't cry at the time (as my brain had stopped working. The crying you hear is his sweet mom who helped make this all happen by having me show up at her house to "babysit"), but every time I watch it again I kind of get overwhelmed.

the best (and only) surprise of my life from MyNameisNotKing on Vimeo.

Yup. That is surprise at its BEST. I am so blessed.

Let me explain why I have been absent from your bloglandrical lives...

2011-05-02T12:47:00.000-07:00

Oh hey there. Remember me? Yes, I still exists. Good stuff.

I do realize I had you worried for a bit that I was lost and gone forever (dreadful sorry...). I feel like I owe you an explanation. There are several, so lets get started.

Firstly (but not as important) I have been busy with school. Coming to the close of the semester and I have had lots of papers due and exams to take and what not. Going out like I started: great! Only about 2 weeks left! Then SUMMER! (but only not really because I am taking extra classes all summer long. Hooyah education...)

Secondly, and far more worthy of a blog post- ly, is what I was doing last week- April 18th-25th.

April 18th I got up, went to school and when about my life as usual. In the afternoon I headed to a certain person's house to babysit some certain kids who I like ever so much. Normal sounding scenario, eh? But when I knock on the front door and it swung open, it wasn't the mother or one of the little girls, who answered the door.

It was the oldest son.

As in the oldest son who happens to be my boyfriend.

The boyfriend who is an Airman in the US Air Force, is in tech school in FL, and isn't supposed to be allowed to come home.

The boyfriend who lied to me for 3 weeks and then showed up and surprised me like I have never been surprised before. (Actually, I have NEVER been surprised before. Honestly.).

By some miracle of God (literally) he managed to get leave and come home for the week leading up to Easter. He also managed to keep it totally hidden from me. Though his family and 2 of our friends knew (buncha lil sneaks...), I was left totally in the dark until he was standing in the doorway. It took me like an eighth of a second to leap at him and sort of tackle him joyously into a wall. Then I was speechless. Then, when I started breathing again and was able to form words, I yelled at him.Typical. I think normal girls cry and shriek "OMg" fourty six million times? Yeah...not me. (*by the way, his sister got this is all on video, and hopefully I can load that for you guys later this week). I cannot even tell you how amazing it was. Just....wow. I am so incredibly blessed to have such a wonderful (and conniving :p ) fellow in my life.

Now I know some of you are rather surprised and had no idea I even had a boyfriend. I understand your shock. Anyone who knows me knows that I haven't before, but now, for the first time ever, I do.

When I was 14 years old I decided I wasn't going to be one of those girls who dated and went around testing out guys until, after going through as many dudes as she could and having her heart broken and crushed over and over again, found the one. I wasn't doing that. I was crazy enough to be totally convinced that if God had a plan for my life I didn't need to search for the perfect guy. He would show up. I stuck to that decision all throughout my teens and I am glad I did. Little did I know but there was a guy who, when he got saved in high school, made that same decision to do things differently than what the world said was normal. And I am so glad we did decide that early on. Because, though it wasn't easy being different, it was totally worth it for both of us. What we have now is phenomenal and beyond.

As to how this all came about...I met him at my church about 3 years ago when we were both playing on our youth group's worship team. He played bass, I played keys. We started talking when we realized we both loved to write. We became friends--> good friends-->best friends. He joined the Air Force. There was a loooootttt of praying and seeking God. And back a few months ago he made a phone call to my dad an asked if he could "court" (meaning not dating just for the emotional heck of it) me. That all being said...

Dear everyone...meet my best friend/boyfriend JoJo.

Dear everyone...get a load of US!
We apologize in advance for being so incredibly cute that you just don't even know what to do with us. Sorry.

We had an amazing week together. It was so great to see him again. I hadn't seen him since December, and even then it was only for a few days. We got to do lots of stuff with each other and our families. It was great. It only lasted a week and the following Monday I drove him to the airport and watched him leave. Not so great...

Whatever you've heard about long distance relationships being hard I am here to tell you it is all pretty much true. It is HARD. If you don't have a whole lot of commitment don't even bother trying. And whatever you've heard about long distance military relationships? Yeah, he hasn't yet been gone a year (first left in August 2010 and is in for 4 years at least) and has been within the USA so far, but I can tell you that is hard too. Super hard. But for us it is super worth it. Since I met him we have never done anything by "normal" standards so doing this is really quite fitting for us. We believe that God is in control of our individual lives and at the center of this relationship.We believe that He has a plan. Maybe we are crazy, abnormal, radical freaks for thinking that, but I am totally okay with that. I know I wouldn't trade this, or him, for anything. Because is it is easy, it ain't worth doing.

*all adorable pictures accredited to my paparazzi extraordinaire mother.
The same awesome mother of mine has been blogging up a storm about the whole week of surprisedness situation. If you are interested in hearing/seeing more about that see here, here, here, and here.

Once again, we're AWAKENING.

2011-04-14T11:12:00.000-07:00

Or we will be at AWAKENING, actually. Awakening is a youth conference in the New England area which my youth group, MERGE AHEAD, goes to each spring. *SEE PROMO HERE.

This year not only will my amazing youth pastor "Rev" Eric Peoples be speaking, but our worship band (of which I am a part-vocals and keys!) will be doing a couple of worship sets. SO EXCITED! We were privileged to do it last year as well and it was an amazing experience.

For those of you who can't come to the conference (the last weekend in April) I will be posting up links later on that you will be able to watch the conference streaming live on the internet or on GodTV. It is great stuff. Really check it out.

Anyway, last night our band practiced. Unfortunately we decided to practice after our Wednesday night church service which meant we didn't even get started until after 9:30. And we went until after 11. Normally we have a rough time not goofing off during practice but get us all together late at night and the experience becomes very...special. For a good while our 2 electric guitarists were working on intro parts so I grabbed my camera and decided to take pictures instead of sitting there silently holding my mic. Here's what that all looked like...

More pictures to come!
Go explore the Awakening site and get ready to tune into the conference April 28th-30th!

*sorry about the grainy pictures. we only had some of the lights on and it is an already tough to take pictures in room. But you get the idea...

Quoteables.

2011-04-13T12:20:00.000-07:00

I'm currently writing a paper on Just Causes and Justice for English class. This involved a lot of research reading and that reading appropriately included Henry David Thoreau's "Civil Disobedience."

Now, some of Thoreau I like. Some of him I don't. He and I have very mixed feelings in our relationship towards each other. But this quote I LOVE. This quote is a great summation of how I feel about rebelling against normal and refusing to accept the commonly accepted just because it is common to do so. This quote is about knowing what you stand for and then standing. This is what I aim for.

"LET YOUR LIFE BE A COUNTER FRICTION TO STOP THE MACHINE."- h. d. thoreau

I can't get it out of my head.

I liked it so much it even got stuck to my computer monitor via yellow sticky note. As far as quotations and my treatment of them go that is a high honor.

Avi was a little girl...

2011-04-11T09:05:00.000-07:00

My littlest sister LOVES books. This kid (as I frequently tell you) is amazing. Her favorite book, titled "A Mother for Choco" is a story (with an adoption theme) about a lonely little bird named Choco. He looks different from all other animals and he can't find himself a mother who looks just like him. In the end Choco is adopted by a mother bear. It's pretty cute.

But what is REALLY cute is my sister has the entire book memorized. And when I say memorized I mean MEMORIZED.

She cannot actually read yet, but it you hand her that book she will be begin at the title page ("A Mother for Choco" By: Keiko Kasza) and work page by page, word for word (and there are like 3 sentences to a page) up until the very end.

"Choco was a little bird who lived all alone. He wished he had a mother; but who could his mother be? One day he set off to find her..."

I'm telling you, she has it DOWN. At first we were doubtful, but then we realized she didn't even need the book or the pictures to tell the story. Any one of the people in our family can say, anywhere, anytime, "Choco was..." and she'll recite us the whole book. The child is a freak. And I love her.

Yesterday was her third birthday. She is a special little girl who deserved a very special present. I, being the creative chick that I am, thought it would be fun to make her an amigurumi (crocheted) Choco. I made very sure to copy him as best as I could. the book very specifically mentions that he is yellow, has stripey legs, wings and big round cheeks. I gave him all those things. I was rather interested to see if she would recognize him out of his book context and made of yarn.

I hand her the gift bag. She pulls out my creation and instantly, with no hesitation whatsoever, exclaims "HIS NAME IS CHOCO!"

Needless to say, I was thrilled. I had successfully created her favorite story character in such a way that she found him recognizable. She also said it was her favorite birthday gift. Major points to big sister Bella!

And I said how about breakfast... The Cosmic Omelet

2011-04-09T11:11:00.000-07:00

Last weekend my friend Jeri took me out to her favorite local breakfast restaurant-THE COSMIC OMELET- for some Saturday morning eating. It is a cute little place with a very...unique...atmosphere. The walls are covered with local art, old concert posters, and sarcastic signage. And the eggs themselves are quite scrumptious too (and also all have fun names).

When I go to cute places like that I generally like to take pictures, but now that I have a D-SLR people get a little freaked out. I come in with a big camera on my neck and people get all weirded out and think something special must be going on.

Nope. Just a college kid wearing a camera as a necklace. Nothing weird there.

My breakfast: hashbrowns, 2 pieces of rye toast, and a cheese/tomato/spinach/mushroom/jalapeno omelet.
(No ALL the food isn't mine. That's Jeri's blueberry pancakes and scrambled eggs.)

I tried to get some good pictures of the place, but it is very tiny and I could tell I was creepin' people out. So eventually I just started taking creepy shots with the camera at my waist and my finger inconspicuously on the shutter butter. Good times.

Awesomebella Cooks- BRICK CHICKEN AND ISRAELI COUSCOUS

2011-04-06T11:11:00.000-07:00

*yes. it is Wednesday. yes I cooked this last Thursday and am just getting to posting it now. oh well...other priorities...

~~This~~ last week I cooked some BRICK CHICKEN AND ISRAELI COUSCOUS for dinner. This whole meal stemmed out of the fact that my mom had purchased a bunch of Israeli couscous (basically like couscous only like 4 times the size. More like small pasta balls?) and we wanted to use it in a recipe.

This recipe from Tyler Florence actually called for just regular couscous but we made a substitute. I more or less followed the whole recipe. Few changes were made along the way when we forgot to buy scallions and instead of buying dried apricots we bought dried cherries/cranberries/blueberries. But in the end it all worked out and a tasty (and colorful) meal was cooked!

roasting cinnamon sticks and cumin seeds before grinding (used already ground coriander)

Chicken (I used thighs, not a whole chicken like Tyler did.) marinating.

Israeli couscous is rather like frog eggs...only it is not...
Looks like it though when it is cooking!

Roasty toasty almonds.

One would not have thought at first looking at the recipe that all that snazzy stuff in couscous would be good. But let me tell you from me and my taste bud's experience: IT WAS DELICIOUS. And pretty. Win win.

Yogurt sauce for the chicken. This was the 2 year old's favorite part.

"brick" chicken usually involves cooking chicken under a heavy object, such as a foil wrapped brick. This however is totally impractical. Obviously when one wants squished chicken a WOK on foil is the way to go.

All plated up pretty...

Another week, another meal cooked. What will I cook ~~next week~~ tomorrow? Well...I'm not actually sure yet. I will now go and consult google on the matter.

My {NEW} Photography Blog- SOMETIMES I SHOOT THINGS

2011-04-01T10:47:00.000-07:00

YES! You read correctly! There is something exciting underway!

This post is announcing the launch of my new photography blog, called

SOMETIMES I SHOOT THINGS:

http://sometimes-i-shoot-things.blogspot.com

A lot of it is still in the works, but I thought I'd let you all know so you can go and read the story behind it and consider following. I am going to use it to focus more on my photography.

Hopefully it will motivate me even more to improve my skills!

My goal is to post pictures (taken with my beautiful new camera!) on a semi-regular basis.

For the amount of pictures I take I figured they deserved their own blog.

Go check it out! Happy weekend all!

Me and my baby giraffe

2011-03-30T17:00:00.000-07:00

My little sister is the cutest thing ever. She will be three in a couple weeks and she is really set on being a "big girl." I've called her my baby giraffe little squish/a zillion other things for the longest time, but I now have to beg her to respond to it. She wants to be a big giraffe and big squish. Not a chance.

Last week I was baby sitting her. She got her self dressed because big girls have that power. She was so incredibly proud of her outfit that she wanted me to take pictures of her. She thought it was really amazing that she had found polka dotted leggings and a polka dotted shirt, paired them together, and put them on "tag in the back." She threw in some leg warmers -"warm legs"- and handmade slippers from my gma to top the outfit off. It was spectacular all right...

Just look at that style! Doesn't it just scream "I'm a big girl."?

Totally cool though. Rebellious, dressing- them-self little girls turn out to be the cute, stylish (maybe also narcissistic) ones.
Exhibit a) me

And apparently she also thinks my camera is "magic" because it can take pictures when I'm not touching it. Whoa.

Okay. Really. How could you NOT love her? This cutie will always be my baby giraffe. Sorry kid.

Awesomebella Cooks-LO MEIN

2011-03-29T09:08:00.000-07:00

*Yeah. I still cook on Thursdays and post on Friday. Yeah today is Tuesday of the following week. Just go with it...

Last time I made Chinese-style food it was a big hit. My family actually wanted Chinese yummies weekly (uh, no.) But I figured this (last) week it had been long enough and it was time for some more. This time- BEEF and VEGGIE LO MEIN.

I did some internet browsing, gathered some recipes, and then made my own, like I tend to do. Here it is in all its tasty glory:

It all started here. One very hot wok (which by the way is a beast. If I were a magical ninja I would somehow carry this as my concealed weapon. Maybe a katana as well, because who doesn't like swords. Serious damage could be done. Just be happy I am not a ninja...).

Also needed: lots of Sesame Oil. Goes into hot wok for the ...woking...stir frying...whatever it is called...

You'll be coating the bottom of the wok in it.

Then you will need some vegetables for your stir fry.

I used 2 packages of snap peas (I love them. I could eat them uncooked all day every day).

Carrots (I think I used like...5 or 6), cut into thin, thin strips.
Onion (I used one small red one. Yellow would have been better, but I was working with what I had.)
Scallions (one bunch).
Pepper (I used 1 orange).
Frozen broccoli was also involved, but it didn't look pretty stacked in the bowl. Peas would also be a nice addition.

3 cloves of garlic, chopped. And a whole lot of ginger, chopped. Goes into wok for like 30 seconds before everything else.
All the veggies go into the sesame oil-coated super hot wok.
Add soy sauce. Like...a ton. Until it tastes and looks like the Chinese food you are accustomed to.

Added in teaspoon of sugar (makes it shiny?), some salt and...
Also added this in. Figured it was worth trying. Easy and MSG (which my mom and I are allergic to) free.{and I know it says Chow Mein. What is the difference? Chow mein noodles are fried and crunchy. Other than that, pretty much the same. See. Bet you didn't know that! You learn all sorts of things when you read my posts!}

One package of pre-cut stir fry beef goes into the wok with stir frying veggies. Probably should have added it and THEN the veggies but...it all got cooked and no one died so it was okay.

Conversation between me and the grocery store's butcher:
"How can I help you?"- butcher
"Uh....this is awkward...I don't eat meat...so...I need a lot of help."-me
"Okay...what do you need to know?"- butcher
"I'm making stir fry. With beef. What do I use."-me
"Let me make this easier for you! There is some pre-cut over there *points*."- butcher
"Oh. Good work, sir!"- me

*I made two batches. One with beef and one without.

finished product. Super delicious? Check. Looks legit, tastes legit? Check and Check.

*served it all with these. You can't do it without 'em

Another week, another cooking success.

What will I cook ~~next~~ later this week? I already know, but I'm not telling!

FASHIONABLY FEATURED!

2011-03-26T07:20:00.000-07:00

Me and my June Cleaver self got featured for fashionable cuteness over at the lovely blog of ever so fantastic Victoria the JUSTICE PIRATE.

(Check her out! Her blog is amazingly inspirational. She dresses super cute in all her vintage clothes. She is passionate about her faith, and she is also a modern day slavery{sex trafficking} abolitionist. And she likes pirates! How would I NOT love her?)

See the post here:

http://tiedemanntribe.blogspot.com/2011/03/modest-fashion-features-15-japan.html

Thanks, Victoria! Happy weekend everyone.

Quoteables.

2011-03-21T12:00:00.000-07:00

"IMPOSSIBLE IS NOTHING."

I don't have tons of time for posting, but doing a quotes post on facing the impossible seems like a good idea today. I have a lot of things going on in my life that feel like they should, by normal worldly standards, should be impossible. But as the missionary Amy Carmichael said "...nothing is impossible if one if meant to do it." That to me is so encouraging, so provoking. Failure isn't an option when impossibility is my destiny.

Couple more quotes on believing and doing the impossible:

"Impossible is a word to be found only in the dictionary of fools."- Napoleon Bonaparte (yes, just quoted him too).

"Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast."- Lewis Carroll (Alice in Wonderland) (and why yes, I haven't had breakfast yet!)

"Believe and act as if it were impossible to fail"- Robert Kettering (and yes, yes it is.)

It makes no sense, but she has come too far to not believe in the impossible.- from a summation of a certain character in a certain book written by a certain passionate chick who happens to be me.

And this one is my fasvorite:

"impossible is an opinion"- Muhammad Ali (yes, I did just quote him.)

Now go forth and do it.

*"impossible is nothing" quote is a popular Adidas slogan that I greatly enjoy.

Me, myself and my new stuff.

2011-03-20T12:13:00.000-07:00

Okay, we all know I got a new camera. This camera is beautiful, wonderful and amazing. It also has a self timer shooting option...*ahem, cough, hint*

I also bought a dress. It is handmade and from the fifties. The shop owner said she acquired it from two older women who were selling their house and needed to get rid of an attic full of clothes from their youth. JACKPOT! I love vintage stuff. I adore handmade stuff. I also like stuff from cute little shops (just opened today!), especially when the stuff you want costs $10. Win, win, win situation.

With the combination of the camera, the vintage dress, and the springy weather I thought it would be a good time for a narcissistic photo session. So here it is!

Look at me, all smarty looking and in a dress.

*okay, I'm not actually reading. I just thought a little Sherlock would be nice as a prop.

Dear Bella,

We're pale.

Love,

your legs.

Cliche I have a book on my face shot? check.

I sort of stop looking like me when I make this face?

This is more like me, for sure. Why sit on a couch if you can sit on the top of it?

I feel like this photo is TOTALLY me.

It's been a while since pure me-ness has been captured by a camera, but this right here?

That sarcastic and sassy face?

Oh yes. That is ME.

*update: I was told that if I wore pearls and pushed a vacuum I could be June Cleaver (from leave it to beaver) in this outfit. Apparently that is a compliment on the fact that I can rock a dress from another era. But honestly people, would June Cleaver make ^that^ face? I think not. And besides, her dresses are all one color and boring. Mine is...so not. :)

This is your brain on college home work...

2011-03-18T11:07:00.000-07:00

This Mercedes Benz ad is sort of a good depiction of how I feel right now.
It's my new desktop.

I found this image in a google search (for psychology class) looking for images of the right and left hemispheres of the brain. I saved it to mu computer, because I thought it was really artful, though it had nothing to do with what I was searching for.

You can click the above link to see it enlarged but the captions on either side say this:

"LEFT BRAIN:
I am a scientist. A mathematician
I love the familiar. I categorize. I am accurate. Linear
Analytical. Strategic. I am practical.
Always in control. A master of words and language.
Realistic. I calculate equations and play with numbers.
I am order. I am logic.
I know exactly who I am."

"RIGHT BRAIN:

I am the right brain.

I am creativity. A free spirit. I am passion.

Yearning. Sensuality. I am the sound of roaring laughter.

I am taste. The feeling of sand beneath bare feet.

I am movement. Vivid colors.

I am the urge to paint on an empty canvas.

I am boundless imagination. Art. Poetry. I sense. I feel.

I am everything I wanted to be."

My summation?

LEFT BRAIN:

this is my brain on college courses.

this is the smart half.

RIGHT BRAIN:

this is who my brain is the rest of the time.

this is me.

Neither dead nor dying...

2011-03-16T08:06:00.000-07:00

Hey people of my blog,

Just a heads up, I am not dead, nor am I dying.

My life is a little bit crazy right now and I sort of feel like there is more stuff to get done then there are hours for me to do it. Just a lot a lot of stuff going on. Not at all like a crisis or anything, don't worry! I'm totally fine! Just lots of school and other important aspects of my life that need to be focused on.

One day I will post again with some consistency, I promise!

I have so many things I would like to write about and SO many things I want to take pictures of with my new camera.

Right now I just can't focus too much time on blogging. Gotta prioritize. Hurray for adulthood and real life situations requiring my attention!

One day I will live again here on this blog. But for now I have another essay to write and a lot of reading to do. And 46.2 billion other things.

*sigh.

peace, love, and chaos;

3ella

Awesomebella Cooks-CHILI AND CORNBREAD

2011-03-11T10:10:00.000-08:00

Yup. This week I cooked some chili (a meat version and a veggie version) and I cooked come cornbread. My sister Tia and I think chili is super delicious and it's not something we eat often so it was fun to make (and eat) it. But I did not make just any old cornbread. I took some advice from food network's cooking queen, Paula Deen, and made cornbread WAFFLES.

best.
idea.
ever.

I used Paula's recipe, sans green pepper (we don't like 'em) for the meaty chili. The veggie one I sort of made up. Kidney and black beans instead of kidney and ground hamburger meat.

Here is how this CHILI WITH CORNBREAD WAFFLES went down:

Lots and lots of cans to be opened (remember, I made 2 batches, one with me and one without, so this is what double looks like).

There aren't a lot of things that make me cry. Onions are one of them. (2 red onions, chopped)

Along with all the canned good and onions, in went 1 jalapeno, 4 cloves are garlic, cumin, coriander and chili powder.
Into the meaty one went something like a pound of ground hamburger. That cooked for a little bit with the onions and garlic before I added all the beans and whatnot.
Simmered for 2 hours.

Corn muffin mix to make the cornbread waffles. I followed the recipe from Paula, but you could also used a box corn bread mix. Essentially the same thing (corn meal, flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, eggs, milk).

While the chili simmered I started cranking out waffles on our vintage waffle irons.

Kept them warm in the oven (on like 175) as I went.
(random: I like the lighting in this oven shot. one waffle looks heavenly with a light beam coming down on it. the other is on the dark side, lurking in the shadows.)

By the time I was done I had 2 plates stacked with waffles. (I used Paula's recipe but tripled it)

Then I brought it all together on plates.
Waffle on the bottom, scoop of chili of choice, sour cream and cheddar cheese. YUM.

Overall this is a really easy meal. Waffles are so simple and for the chili I basically opened cans, dumped them in a pot, and added a few seasonings. Even with minimum effort it was SO DELICIOUS. I recommend this dinner (and Paula's recipe) as a simple and relatively cheap dinner.

What will I cook next week? I actually don't know. I'll letcha know when I get that one figured out. Suggestions? Always looking for ideas!

My new baby.

2011-03-08T11:49:00.000-08:00

aka my CANON EOS 60D.

I FINALLY got one. I have been saving up money (every spare bill, every penny, and everything in between) for the past 8 months. And a week ago my dream of owning a D-SLR, particularly a Canon 60D came true.

I love, love, love this camera. It is entirely worth the mass amount of money I spent on it. 18 Megapixels,ISO option up to 6400. Shoots HD video. Vari-angle (flip out) LCD screen. 5.3 frames per second. 15 shooting modes, including live view. And...like a million other things. The colors and image quality is just superb. I get all giddy each time a take a photo!

Right now I have have the camera body and the lens it came with (18-135 mm). Eventually I will be doing a lens upgrade, and buying a couple accessories such a a remote, a flashgun, and a trip/monopod. But what I have now is GREAT. I have waited so, so, so long for this. And let me just tell you, the waiting makes the having even better.

I can't wait to have some free time to go out and just take photos, photos, photos. There will be plenty of that to come. I PROMISE! So many possibilities!

I'm SO EXCITED, guys!!!!

*please note how rebellious I am for not taking your typical "me with camera to my face" shot. I had to use a lot of self-control not to. Oh so tempting when your camera is just so beautiful.

There is some thing(s) you should know about me...

2011-03-07T08:40:00.000-08:00

My name is Isabella Kiss and there are some things you should know about me...

First off, When I tell you my name is Isabella Kiss I am not kidding. It is. Really truly. Says so right on my certification of birth.

Also: When I tell you my name don't say "like in twilight!" and do not inquire about "my relationship with vampires." I get that enough. NO. NOT LIKE IN TWILIGHT! Not at all. Don't make my life worse but adding to the onslaught of Twilight jokes thrown at me upon every introducing of myself.

When I say I am a Christian that doesn't mean I am announcing that I boring and uptight, and/or that I hate anyone/anything non Christian. Quite the opposite. I am mad fun, super not boring. I just choose to have the kind of fun I can remember the next day. And strongly believe that God so loved the world and therefore so should I.

When asked for my "religion" I hesitate to answer. Why? Sound contradictory? Well, I am not into religion. I am into relationship. Like the relationship I have with my heavenly Father who saved me with the blood of His Son Jesus. That is what Christianity really is.

When I say I am a writer that doesn't mean you should say to me "well, have fun starving" or "I hope you marry well." Thanks for your concerns but feel free to keep them in your head.

When I talk of being a "dust assassin" that basically mean I make money by cleaning houses. I just like to apply the concept of assassination to my occupation. Looks good on forms and in profiles...or not.

When I state that I am a "pescetarian" I am not telling you of my religion or occultic involvement. No, no, no! It simply means that I eat fish and not meat. Don't be confused.

When you say I am sarcastic I will disagree with you and say I am sardonic. There is a difference. Look it up!

When I mention knitting/crocheting/sewing/anything of the like please do not compare me to your grandmother. Creative, awesome, and just all together artistic I am. Granny I am not.

When I talk of that ^^ and things like cooking don't use the word "domestic" to describe me. I am not something that has been house broken and tamed. I do not walk nicely on a leash and I am much feistier than your lapdog and/or Ma Ingalls/Martha Stewart/or whatever female you think of as being domesticated. I am simply well-rounded. Don't hate cause you ain't.

When I mention I am home-schooled in grades 1- 12 that doesn't mean I was a homeschoolER.It involved no long skirts, no tucked in shirts, no life of solitude, and no awkward hair cuts. There are some serious differences such as those that you should just be aware of. And look, I turned out as a functional (and smart) member of society. Points to me (and my mom).

When I say that ^^ do not ask me if I have friends. Really now. Cease with the ridiculousity. Yes, I do. Of course.

When I talk of my family of 10 people, 8 of which are kids that doesn't mean you ought to say "LIKE THE DUGGARS!" Uhmmmm...just no. Inaccurate comparison in so many ways.

When you notice those kiddos who are my siblings and note that we have a broad range on the melanin spectrum (aka there are some serious skin tone differences) don't ask me if I am sure they are my sisters/brothers. Yes, I am sure and no explanation is owed to you if you want to be a racist. Also, no, it is not "weird" that they are adopted and I am not. You're weird and also narrow minded.

on the topic of racism...
When I say I don't really agree with/like the choices and character of our current president don't dare tell me I am a racist. Don't bother. I am anything but and I do respect our president in that he is the President and God put him into his position of authority. I simply agree with some famous guy by the name of King who said "I have a dream that {my four little children will one day live in a nation where} they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." I don't care what color he is. I simply have a problem with his character and a lot of the decisions he makes.

When I don't seem to take a like stance with the activism of groups like PETA or Americans attempting to save polar bears or any other type of wild life it doesn't mean I hate animals, I am just far more concerned the saving of human life and the great injustice of our nations tolerance of abortion. I do however really, really like animals. Love them actually! People just win. If I had to choose I'd rather save babies than furry things. Do don't talk to me about saving whales until we stop this homicide of human life.

When you are sitting there gasping as you read all this thinking that I am much too straight forward, very difficult, or maybe just highly opinionated, please know that perhaps you are right.

I, Isabella Kiss, am very clear on what I stand for, and by stand I actually mean I take one.

I refuse to live mediocre.

I refuse to sugar coat.

I refuse to be who society tells me that I am.

I refuse to back off or shut up.

I know who I am and no one is going to change me.
I will not be labeled, stereotyped or boxed in.

I'm passionate, ardent and ever-so-feisty.

I know what I believe and Whom I believe in and you will not be able to tell me otherwise. I was made by the God of the universe who loves me and saved me so I could live for eternity with Him and live life in abundance here on earth in a way that brings Him glory.

I live on purpose for a purpose.

Thanks for getting to know me. If you found this experience of becoming better acquainted with my person to be less than enjoyable feel free to close your eyes.

I am who I am. I like it that way. And there will be no changing it.

*this post was in my drafts. I wrote it a couple months ago during a blog venting session and am pulling it out as I am too busy studying for midterms to post this week. I hope I didn't scare y'all. If I did I'm not sorry.

"My Name is Narcissist."

2011-03-04T10:40:00.000-08:00

Lately I have been spending a lot of time reading Henry David Thoreau's Walden for English class, so my mind if swarmed with deep thoughts of the wilderness and Thoreau quotations.

I shall leave you with one to ponder over the weekend. I like it because it feels like a mild reference to me and how much I talk about myself on this blog (and why).

"I should not talk so much if there were anybody else I whom I knew as well. Unfortunately, I am confined to this theme by the narrowness of my experience. Moreover, I, on my side, require every writer, first or last, a simple and sincere account of his own life, and not merely what he has heard of other men's lives..."- Henry David Thoreau (first page of his journal-style book Walden)

Happy weekend, all!

My Name Is Not King...

Wanna help me out with a school assignment? SURVEY TIME!

On Nicknames...

Passionately Curious: Quote-ables from Albert Einstein...

Possibly/maybe/perhaps Final New Blog Look!?

I've got a brand new pair of... BLOG LAYOUTS!

If I had lived in the 60's...

DIY Elbow Patch Sweater

$41 of stripe-d gloriousness: WHY I SHOP AT THRIFT STORES

Boom, here we go uhgaiinnn...

"When you're in over your head, I'll be there with you. "

Isaiah 43

When You're Between a Rock and a Hard Place

You Didn't Even Do the Minimum

Little Sweden

Most Christmas songs don't make me cry but...

Though they never thought it was possible...

Bolton Notch "Flag Rock" Hike

Boston is...for lovers?

Happy Veteran's day.

Here I am again...more in love than ever...

Not like I am excited for anything...

I'm hopeless...

BIG SWEATERS

Golly roy*G*biv Willikers...

{Reading} Nooks & Crannies...

Awesomebella (who is an awesome girlfriend) "cooks" -PUPPY CHOW

Christians only...sinners need not apply...

It's that time of year- CUSTOM KNITS AND CROCHETS!

Fairs=Fun

In a galaxy far, far away on my fingernails...

Hello, Hurricane (Irene)

What really happened last week...

Back2School4Me

Camping at the beach.

I'm a granny again...

Now, this is a story all about how my life got flipped-turned upside down...by an Airman.

Remember that scene with the elephant graveyard?

On philosophy and throw pillows...

Quest for Cowboy Boots? Complete.

Vintage Dress Restyle

Oh hey, I have free time...

Pattern: Easy Skirt WITH POCKETS!

We are such stuff as dreams are made on...

Final Stretch...

What's wrong with this picture...

Britishness. And humor.

This is what love and acceptance looks like....

happy birthday to...

what to do with horrendously blue frosting...

Can you wear cowboy boots in New England?

Maxi Dresses for Teapots...

A little story for you...

Restyle: Boy Shirt ----> Girl Shirt.

*LIGHT*

This is my therapy...just call it what it is.

Idolatry, Adultery and Me...

On wings like eagles...

Small Group Cultural Dinner Party...

Hooyah/Hua Air Force...

Creativity (part 3)- Church is boring?

Creativity (part 2)- or our lack there of...

Creativity (part 1)- Do you Know What is Inside of You?

So this is what it feels like to have free time?

Sometimes being lied to for weeks is great fun...

Let me explain why I have been absent from your bloglandrical lives...

Once again, we're AWAKENING.

Quoteables.

Avi was a little girl...

And I said how about breakfast... The Cosmic Omelet

Awesomebella Cooks- BRICK CHICKEN AND ISRAELI COUSCOUS

My {NEW} Photography Blog- SOMETIMES I SHOOT THINGS

Me and my baby giraffe

Awesomebella Cooks-LO MEIN

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Quoteables.

Me, myself and my new stuff.

This is your brain on college home work...

Neither dead nor dying...

Awesomebella Cooks-CHILI AND CORNBREAD

Golly royGbiv Willikers...

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