More on Tonski Time...

Yes, I do realize I owe you a post about the engagement story, but instead you are going to get a post about why I haven't had enough time to post about the engagement story in the last couple weeks. You see...I'm very busy...planning...A WEDDING.

A wedding in 77 days, nonetheless.

Yes. JoJo and I are going to be getting married on May 26th of this year. While a 3 month engagement is short (and yes, we know this is crazy to try to pull off) we decided together, after much thought and prayer, that it is how we want to do things. Not that we are rushing or anything, it is just that JoJo will be deploying for 6 months to the country of Qatar come June and he and I want to make the commitment of marriage before that.

We will be having a small, outdoor, mostly family, picnic-y and casual wedding at my grandparent's farm 8 days before he leaves. The plans are coming along quite nicely and we are very, very excited about it. But we, along with our families and friends, have been mighty busy. Now onto of my already busy school and work schedule, I am planning a spring wedding. And trying to wrap my mind around the fact that in under 3 months I will be a wife. A military wife. (In case you were wondering I will stay with my family on the east coast, up until he returns from the deployment. They we will see to moving me to the west coast where JoJo is stationed.)

All that being said, you can see why blog posts will be few and far between. But I will *TRY* and keep you posted on all the excitement as best as I can, so follow along with us on our adventure!

Summary of Tonski Time...

Well. I am back.

I returned home from Washington state's McChord AFB on Sunday morning. My 8 days with my Airman were...fantastic. I could probably write about 40 posts with all the experiences put into words and then coupled with photos (of which I took 479).

It was so lovely to be able to go to where JoJo was. I got to see the base and where he works. I got to meet people who I had previously only known as names and not faces. I got to see the gorgeous state of Washington and explore new places. And I got to do it all with JoJo and his family. It was really a great trip.

There are so many things I could write about, but for now I want to give a new definition to the phrase "Tonski Time." Previously "Tonski Time" was any amount of time I spent with my JoJo. Everyone loves their Tonski time and I love mine the most. But now we have a new meaning to those two words and a new countdown to go with them. But now it isn't just about counting down to SEEING him.

Now Tonski Time can be applied in countdown fashion to...
....how long before *I* am a Tonski. Or, if you'd like to stick with the seeing theme, seeing him at the end of an aisle.









Because we are engaged. 
 *commence with shrieking and cheering*

Yes. JoJo proposed.

February 20th, 2011, my best friend became my boyfriend. One year later, on the anniversary of that day, (February 20th, 2012) my boyfriend became my fiance.

I need to figure out how to type up a summarized version of how all that happened, and I am still sorting through the pictures of the whole thing, but for now I will leave you with two things.

First, a picture:

JoJo, stubborn traditionalist that he is (we both are), picked this ring out all by himself, without any input from me or suggestions from any other person who knows me. He spent months visiting jewelry stores and searching online because he wanted it to be perfect. He searched and searched to find the design that I would like using a "princess cut" diamond because he refers to me as his gypsy princess. And he specifically chose a ring with three diamonds to match the trinity ring that my dad gave me a promise ring on my 16th birthday, as well as the ring with 3 hearts that JoJo gave me as a promise from him at the beginning of our relationship.

He's good, I tell you.

I don't think I could have explained to him or anyone else what a "perfect" ring for me would be. JoJo just knows me well enough that he picked it. It is SO me. I love the design. I love the white gold  I love how tiny and dainty it is (a perfect fit for my little hands). I love that its not big and flashy. And I love knowing that HE chose it and put a ton of effort into doing so. The man loves me. He hates shopping and had no prior interest in jewelry (in fact, he still doesn't). But now he knows more about diamonds and rings than I do. I am so impressed with him. God has blessed me with an amazing man who truly cares about me and who is really great at showing it.

Although I will post pictures and a more full explanation of the proposal (which by the way was also very perfect) soon, I will leave you with this second thing.

#2- Yes. I cried.

If you know me at all, that pretty much summarizes just how wonderful it was.
I, Isabella, rarely cry. And never have I ever cried out of happiness. Up until the 20th of February 2012, that is.

 When JoJo proposed, I cried. And it was perfect.

More pictures and stories to come!

"Hello Tonski Time" and "Hello Seattle."

*Hello Blog, as well.

Number 1: As you read this, I am on a plan headed westward. Scheduled posting is magical, eh?

Why am I headed westward? Because, after 4 months of 3,000 miles between us, it is *TONSKI TIME* again. Meaning I am flying to see JoJo in Washington state. And staying for 8 predictably glorious days.

Fear not, there will be pictures and posts galore upon my returning, but until then your lives will be devoid of Isabella Kiss. See me later.

Lastly, why am I posting an Owl City song when I am actually annoyed by it? Because. It is just all to applicable. And I cannot lie to you and say I haven't been jumping around my house for the past week with the words of this song (or even worse, the more synth-y remix) on my lips.

Yes, I still do hate Valentine's day, thanks for asking...

*VDAY LOVERS BEWARE. STOP READING NOW.*

Remember this post? About my holiday killjoy-ish and anti-valentine's-dayness? Last year? At a time that was prior (but only by a few days) to JoJo and I?

In case you were wondering, yes, I still do feel that way.

I had several interesting conversations over the last couple days involving my stance on Vday. APPARENTLY people seemed to think I never liked it because "I never had someone."

Let me just clarify that right now: *NO* Wrong. Inaccurate. Not correct. Uh-Uh.

#1- lets not pretend I was a hopeless single moping around, dreaming and hoping cupid would come along and shoot a prince charming in the backside with a love arrow so I would be lonely no more. No way, no how. I was single for 20 years and liked it that way, thankyouverymuch. No regrets whatsoever.
#2- no. I was not covering up some deep emotional longing by acting like I hated Valentine's day. I actually did.

I still do. A lot. Not just because I am a scrooge and a killjoy against holiday commercialization, but because I am very against the notion of having a designated holiday to celebrate being in love. I am against having a holiday that pretty much requires people to do loving things for each other. I am of the mind set that if I love someone (*and we all know who that is*) that I would tell that person daily. That I would act like I loved that person daily. That I would do things that expressed my love for that person daily. That there would be random "just because" type gifts and cute cards and whatnot not because the calendar told me to, but because those things were all GENUINE expressions of my love. I want to live love. Not pencil it in on my calendar when I can manage to find the time.

Basically, I am against the whole "acting upon being loving" thing on Valentines day in the same way that I am against "lets all suddenly be thankful on Thanksgiving day." I don't like a calendar telling me when I should express which emotions (and I don't like being told what to do, period. Have you notice?). Especially if those emotions tend to get seemingly neglected the rest of the time.

Yes. I am odd. Noted.

If you like chocolates and roses on Valentine's Day, then I hope your dearly beloved gets you some. Seriously. If that is how ya'll choose to celebrate the love that you have and you are happy with it that way, then by all means, have at those chocolates!

*side note: I am utterly baffled by all the "my wonderful boyfriend surprised me with chocolates and flowers! he is just the best!" statuses today. Uhm...did you not look at your calendar this morning? It's Valentines day. Not much of a surprise, if you ask me. Surprise means you *don't* know it's coming. Now my boyfriend, he knows a a thing or two about surprises, but that is another story...

But...I don't want that. (I think I am missing some sort of female gene? This is clearly not normal.) Roses, chocolates, and red and pink cards shaped like un-anatomically correct vital organs just on February 14th just aren't for me. Maybe I don't know what I am talking about, but I don't really see this opinion of mine ever changing. Not now, not ever. However, I am very much in love and I definitely don't see that changing. Ever.

I have always felt like this about Vday, but I think my relationship with JoJo has only made me dislike it more (ironic...?). If anything (out of the many things I have learned after *almost* a year of long-distancing it), this relationship has taught me never to take JoJo, or the time I do get to spend with him, for granted. I don't get to really pick when I see him. I don't see him on birthdays. Or holidays. Whether Hallmark says I have to or not. So I have come to a point of celebrating just *being* with him whenever I can. We make our own holidays.We specialize in "just because." And that is a concept I want to hold onto, beyond the point of there being distance between us.

But, even if we were together, we would not be celebrating Valentine's Day in any normal manner.

Oh, and by the way, guess what? No surprise, but my dearly beloved, who has thought processes as twisted as mine, feels the exact same way about commercialized holidays such as Valentine's day (and about being told what to do...). Perrrrfect.

Passionately Curious 4- Einstein on how to make a change, to solve problems and eliminate insanity.

...no subtitle...sorry...just not witty enough to produce something for this one. I try people, I really do...

 source 1, source 2.

"No problem can be solved 

from the same level of consciousness that created it."

-Albert Einstein 

Intellectuals solve problems, 

geniuses prevent them. 

"It is not that I am so smart, 
but that I stay with problems longer"

source 1, source2.

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results

Passionately Curious 3- Einstein on IMMAGINATIOOON and Fantasy

...this post doesn't have a subtitle, but it has a hand motion. That spongebob episode where Patrick and Spongebob are playing in a box and everytime Spongebob says "Imagination" he moves his hands in an arch and a rainbow appears over his head? Yup. That is what I am thinking right now.

On another note, I cannot believe I just in cooperated Einstein and Spongebob Squarepants into the same post....

source 1, source 2.

"Imagination is more important

than knowledge" 

source

 

"The gift of fantasy has meant 

more to me than my talent 

for absorbing positive knowledge."

source

On the topic of helping out...Help my friend Saige raise money for kids with cancer?

This is Saige (the other guy would be my youth pastor Eric Peoples).

She is awesome. 

Saige starting coming to my youth group a little over a year ago with a friend of ours. She got saved and God radically has been working in her life since then. I took the picture above when she was baptized this past September. Watching what God has done/is doing in her life has be so wonderful!

Saige has a heart for people. She really has a heart for the down-hearted, the broken, the outcast, the lost, and the hurting, and I so admire her for that. Saige loves people like Jesus loves people. She is truly...incredible.

Saige is also very brave. She is going to do something not a lot of girls would consider doing: she is going to shave her head. To raise money for a foundation (St. Baldricks) for kids with cancer. She has talked about doing this for a long while (she just recently cut off her head of dreadlocks and has told me multiple times when she did it she would shave her head and raise money). And now she is REALLY doing it!

In all honestly, I personally am not brave enough to do this. I am also bound by a certain contract to a certain Airman with certain rules like "don't shave your head." (Yes. Really.) I have, however, donated my hair to Locks of Love , a similar organization!  I cut off about 16 inches of my hair when I was 15, just after a friend of mine was diagnosed with cancer and it is certainly something I would do again. Possibly soon, with all this hair I am collecting.

Anyway, back to Saige. A message from her:

"I will be shaving my head to raise money for efforts to conquer kids' cancer. Anyone want to join mine team!? All donations will be helpful! My goal is is raise 500 dollars. The shave date is March 7th...."

You heard her! She wants to raise $500 in under about a month. And then she will be saying goodbye to her hair for the cause! 

If anyone is interested in donating to Saige's efforts, just go check out her page *HERE*. Or if you are interested in a similar project, perhaps check out St. Baldrick's, Locks of Love, or organization of similar mission.  Thanks!

i have a thing for lil' fat babies.

I love fat babies. I just love 'em to pieces.

Skinny babies sort of...scare me. (I was one. It is just not good). I just like squishy babies. They are just fantastic.

I think I offend a lot of people when I say things like this about their children ("Why is this young girl acting as though my precious bundle of joy is obese!?"), so I try not to say it to people, unless they are somehow directly related to me. I really don't see what the problem is, though. Fat babies are healthy and happy. And not like they are really worried about their self image...

My little sister (now almost 4) still responds to the name Squish, which is what I called her since she was a yittle baby. She also responds to Baby Giraffe...so maybe she is just odd, like me.

My Mom has always told me to pray for specifics, and that God likes details. So I pray for God to give me fat, squishy babies in the far and distant future, else I will...send them back...is that weird? 

*dear my far and distant future children,

i will love you, no matter what. But...please just be fat and make it easier for all of us.

On the topic of fat babies, check this one out. Guess who! (Not me, obviously!)

Not sure if he would okay the posting of this picture, which is pretty much one of my favorite things of all time, but he mostly likely won't care. It is just way too precious not to. And I tell him he was a cutelilfatbaby all the time and he likes it, so...

Passionately Curious 2- what is, and isn't stupidty.

...I feel a great need to subtitle this post as "mama always used to say 'stupid is as stupid does...'" (and no, Einstein didn't say that one. That was Forrest. Forrest Gump.)

What is NOT stupidity...

 source 1, source 2.

 What IS...

(come on, don't even tell me that the above quote isn't incredibly witty!)

source

 "The difference between stupidity 
and genius is that genius has its limits."

source

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

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!

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

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!

Boom, here we go uhgaiinnn...

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. "

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

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...

...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!

Bolton Notch "Flag Rock" Hike

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.

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

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!

This is your brain on college home work...

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...

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

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!