The Night Before Sophomore Year

Pretty sure my second year of college starts tomorrow.

Say WHAT?!

But we'll skip the part where I go on and on about how fast time flies, how I can't believe I'm already a sophomore, how excited I am to be back at college, how I'm looking forward to seeing what God does in the next year--

Oops I guess I didn't skip that part.

Aaaanyway -- let's see if I can wrap up the happenings of the past few weeks a bit more succinctly... ;)

So, summer in Washington state ended up being really great, and I made lots of memories while my family and I were out there. There was also some serious sister-bonding time (I'm lookin' at you, Dani), which was so great. Lots of laughs, too -- but that's a given with me, right?

Sorry not sorry guys, I laugh too much. Get over it and laugh with me. It's good for you.

Tonight, the last day before my self-imposed deadline, I am about to complete my ridiculous 50-movie summer watchlist, with the 1939 classic Stagecoach (which looks great I'm psyched). Honestly, I still can't decide if the 50 movies was a good or a bad idea, but regardless, I've had seriously so much fun glutting myself on films over the past three months. ;)

No, but seriously -- I feel so much more knowledgeable about filmmaking and films in general, after finally having seen the ultimate classics like Citizen Kane and Gone With the Wind. It's been great, guys. Not sure if I'll do it again (maybe on a smaller scale), but it was great.

Oh, and if you're at all interested in seeing what films the list comprised of... here it is. I must give the disclaimer that not all of them were good, per say -- you can see my ratings on the list there. ;) Sometime in the coming weeks, I plan to do an extensive post concerning all the movies that I DO recommend off the list, which is gonna be way fun.

Let's see, what else has been going on.... oh! Just this week, I helped out with the New Student Seminar (and other events of freshman orientation) at my university, to fulfill the required 20 hours of Christian/community service hours for the semester -- and let me tell you, it was amazing.

We stuffed and handed out tons and tons of bags and brochures and T-shirts to the dear freshmen, helped them find their way around the campus buildings, and I think all 35 of us helpers went home with heatstroke -- BUT, I also think we'd all say that it was totally worth it, just to be able to be a part of welcoming the 4,000ish new students. I know I do, anyway!

So, to wrap up this post, and for my final bit of news from the summer...

Drumroll please.

so enthusiastic

A new cosplay is iiiiin the works!!!

can you guess what it's gonna be can you can you

More on that at a later date -- for now, I gotta go pick out my outfit for my second first day of college... ;)

College Semester 2: ...And Accounted For

Current feels:

These past two weeks have been pretty much the fullest two weeks of my college experience so far.  And I loved every moment.

May 2nd & 3rd: Last classes, Monday and Tuesday.

May 4th: Wednesday off; HAPPY STAR WARS DAY hehe.

May 5th &6th: Finals Thursday and Friday -- as well as CIVIL WAR.

YES TWICE.

With screenwriting peeps. :D

First of all, Winter Soldier still has 1st place in my heart out of the Captain America trilogy. ;)

Second of all... IT WAS SO HYSTERICAL AND SPIDEY WAS PERFECT AND BLACK PANTHER WAS SO COOL AND THE REFERENCE TO STAR WARS WAS THE BEST REFERENCE EVER MADE EVER AND I LOVED BLACK WIDOW (AS USUAL) BECAUSE SHE WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO REALLY CARED ABOUT UNITY AND I KINDA SHIP SCARLET WITCH AND VISION AND WHY DID THEY PUT BUCKY BACK TO SLEEP I SWEAR IF HE DOESN'T COME BACK IN BLACK PANTHER I WILL BE SO MAD BECAUSE DEAR BUCKY IS FINALLY KINDA OKAY AND CAPTAIN AMERICA PUT DOWN THE STINKIN' SHIELD AND SPEAKING OF WHICH AS MUCH AS I HATE TO SAY IT STEVE NEEDED TO DIE IN THIS MOVIE AND THE SHIELD NEEDED TO GET PASSED TO BUCKY BECAUSE SO MANY REASONS THAT I WON'T GO INTO RIGHT NOW

Ahem.

May 7th: Saturday, I participated in the first annual LU Four Hour Film Festival!!

I was assigned the manager position, which I thoroughly enjoyed, basically being a producer type of person.  But it was really a collaborative effort between all of us -- fun, crazy, nerve-wreaking, and nooooow I just want to do it again because there's so many things I would do differently and so much I learned about making a film in four hours. ;)

Overall, it was wonderful for just getting experience shooting a film off the cuff, with a group of people you've never met before, in a very tight time frame, with absolutely no prep, no budget, no actors, and no equipment except the cameras on our phones.  Plus, I had fun, and it made me even more excited to get into the film program where I'll be able to make movies all the time.

ONE MORE YEAR, GUYS ONE MORE YEAR.

Sooooo... a few photos from the day courtesy of the festival's Facebook page:

Our team, "Rogue Two," being given our genre to work with.

Shooting...

Hard at work editing before the 5:30pm deadline!

And if you'd care to see the amusing end result, entitled "Gum-Shoe"... it's odd, be forewarned.  We had to include a shoe as a prop, the line "Trust the process" at some point in the dialogue, and our assigned genre was "mystery," soooo... yeah.  This is what came about. ;D

Oh, and keep an eye out for my little cameo (heh heh)...

May 8th: Sunday was church, chilling, and studying.

May 9th: More finals Monday, and the last 2nd Monday Cinema of the semester.

2nd Monday Cinema is a movie night the film program puts on every month, and this month, they showed all the short films shot at the Four Hour Film Festival, gave out awards to the various winners, showed BTS from the day -- and, of course, had everyone dress up for the occasion. ;)

Accepting our award of "Best Use of Dialogue," at the 2nd Monday Cinema awards night!

May 10th: LAST FINAL, for Screenwriting class, that Tuesday!!!  My script was finally read out loud (the very last of the whole class), and I turned in the final draft of my script, The Final Truth.

(Speaking of which... if any of you are interested in reading it, shoot me an email @ adventuresofanelvenprincess@gmail.com and I'll let you do just that!! It's only 13 pages, so no time commitment. And, feedback, people. I'd love to get some. :D)

May 11th: Wednesday we went to a matinee showing of Beauty and the Beast, which I've been helping to create the costumes for, for the past two months!  So that was kind of awesome... and the show really was wonderfully done.

May 12th: Thursday was my last day of work at the costume shop until the Fall -- 'twas a bittersweet day. :)

May 13th, 14th, 15th, & 16th: Finally time to chill out and do all the things I said I'd do once the semester came to an end, because...

Summer is finally HERE.

Fifteen; Counting down to Summer and Civil War

I thought this last full week of classes of my freshman year would go by sooooooo slooooooow... but it really didn't.

A few things that happened this week...

• Friday was opening night for the production of Beauty and the Beast that we've been working on in the costume shop for the past few months!!  It's wonderful to have all those costumes finished.  And I'm so excited to go see the play myself Tuesday after next!  I've heard it's absolutely magical.
• In a literal throw back -- or rather, throw down -- to my childhood, I skinned both my knees and elbows quite nicely as I dashed to meet my sister, who was waiting in her car to pick me up from work.  Don't ask me how it happened. One minute I was on my feet and the next I was on my face.  Oh well.  Battle scars to add some realism to my Cap cosplay for next week..? ;)
• Also on Friday, I completed my apparel project in sewing class!!  I'm sure I've mentioned this before, but it's a winter coat -- and it turned out quite nicely, I'd say!  It's seriously such a lovely design.  I'll be sure to share some pictures once I get it back from being graded. :)

Now, a few things that will happen in the next two weeks...

• In only nine days, my first year of college will be over.  In just nine days!!  Half of me is thrilled, and the other half is kinda depressed...  But, honestly, I do think I'm ready for freshman year to be over, and to move on to sophomore year.  Sophomore year is gonna be fun. :D
• But, also in nine days, summer will finally be here!!!  So. much. excite.  I'm still waiting on God for direction of what exactly I should spend my three free months doing, but in the meantime, just the thought of being able to sleep in and not having to do homework... EEP.

Finally, to address the event we've all been waiting for...

IT IS COMING PREPARE THE MORGUE

Ahem. Only four days until we get to see Captain America: Civil War.  FOUR STINKIN' DAYS.  Need I remind you that I've been waiting for this movie since forevaaaaaaaaaah... basically since Winter Soldier, but mostly since Age of Ultron...

And now it's almost HERE.

Ah.  I'm so scared, guys.  Seriously.  I just know I'm gonna be traumatized.  At least it'll be fun to get all decked out in my ol' fem Cap costume again...and cry my eyeballs out, but ya know, it's all good.  UGH it's going to be so good.  SO GOOD.  All the review so far are stellar.  And, hello, according to Rotten Tomatoes it's 94% fresh, versus Winter Soldier's 89%.  And we all know how good Winter Soldier is.

Speaking of which, I'm gonna watch that piece of cinematic brilliance tonight in preparation for Civil War, following The First Avenger two weeks ago, so I better head off and continue plugging away at homework for COMS (speech) class.

Au revoir, mes amis.  If you don't hear from me next week, I think you know what my cause of death will be.

The Joy and Movie Night of the Fourteenth Week

Friends, I could just cry.

My cup of joy has continued to overflow this week, just as it did last week.  And, again, I have no reason except God.  I mean, for goodness sake, it's the end of the semester!  Final projects and assignments are all coming up next week, finals are the week after and fast approaching -- AND there is absolutely no way I can get it all done, and do well, and not die.  That is, without God.

I think this is a good place to be.

Being physically and mentally unable to do everything that needs to get done, means that you're going to be running on Supernatural Power during that time, if you surrender.  In those moments, you can know that God is working with you, and in you, and through you, because, otherwise, you would fail miserably -- just crash and burn.  And it wouldn't be pretty.

But when God steps in... it all works out, better than you could ever do on your own.

So, that's what I'm holding to right now.  That, and the residual happiness from the movie night I hosted for the wonderful people in my Screenwriting class yesterday.  God laid the idea on my heart, and He brought it to fruition and to success.  He also brought the guests: 10 of my classmates, out of the 30, came -- and even our awesome professor showed up!!

We really had such a great group.

As for what we watched: 2001: A Space Odyssey -- and I haven't the slightest idea of where to start with that.  It was, in all: bizarre, suspenseful, incredible, mesmerizing, confusing, beautiful, and boring as all get out.  And I'm so glad I didn't know that before I picked it for the night -- or else I wouldn't have, and would've missed out on a fabulous experience full of hilarity and craziness. ;)

So, in conclusion to this post, I honestly don't know if it's possible that anyone got more joy out of the little movie night than I did... it was a perfect end to a wonderful (and hectic) week. :)

3-Teen: Joy and Snapshots

I'm swamped for time, so I'll keep this short and sweet.

Thank you for your words of encouragement on last week's post -- in the words of Paul, "I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers."

Since last week, my joy has increased exponentially, and I have no explanation except God.  I've been learning so much about joy as a fruit of the Spirit, and it's been absolutely incredible to be able to bear that fruit in my life so tangibly.  I get teary-eyed just thinking about it.

The weird thing about that is -- everything is pretty much the same, just the usual classes, work, and homework, plus a few get-togethers and lunches and skype calls with various lovely people at school and across the world (lookin' at you, Evie dear, and your human and ibis and duck friends).

I need to wrap this up and finish homework for my personal finance class, but first, an awesome truth about me right now: I'm more spiritually mature than I've ever been before in my entire life.  Never have I felt so close to God, so in-tune to His desires and plans... ah.  My heart is so full.

Well, here's to growing more -- because friend, I am so painfully far from perfect.  But by God's grace, He's working on me and in me, little by little.

this is how I feel on the inside too

avengers band-aids make everything better

parts of the whole

reading scripts and enjoying silence

project WIP for sewing class

part of one of five mobcaps I made at work

alone and yet not lonely

12: Making Friends and Influencing People?

I've realized something.

Lately, it hasn't been the sewing, the screenwriting, the costume-creating, that has been dominating my thoughts.  Of course, I've thought about those things a whole lot -- but what's been persistently on my mind is God, and people.  Which is actually awesome, now that I really think about it.

But, it's been tough, see.  It's because I've been lonely.

How could someone be lonely while seeing so many people every day, you ask?  Because of fear, disconnect, rejection... Some days are so much better than others, when I feel connected and alive and happy -- but other days are really, really isolating.  Yeah, well, like today.

Today, I felt isolated.

Isolation hurts my soul, because, yes, I am extroverted.  I'm also guarded, shy, fearful.  So many things swirl inside my head, things that no one ever hears because I "know" they don't care to hear them.  I'm scared of what people will think of me and of how people will respond to me.

I can talk so big, but when the rubber meets the road, I'm a coward.

Nowadays, rarely do I say what I want to say.  Funny things, opinionated things, encouraging things -- just the usual candid conversation.  I feel like I'm just bad at that, though.  I feel like so many things I say are so seriously stupid -- so why would I ever try to say more??

That's my problem.

I care too much about what people think of me, and it's hindering my ability to make friends and influence people.  I know for a fact that I'm cutting myself off more so than others are cutting me off.  And I don't want to, because, truly, I love people so much.

I mean, what's more important than God and humans?

My heart is heavy from college life, and I could use a lift.  My dear family and you dear internet friends are really the only genuine human encouragement I feel these days.  You guys say, even without words, "You're really awesome, you encourage me, I hope I encourage you, and I'm so glad you're in my life."

Thank you so, so much for that.

But at school, I suppose I just gotta keep trusting God, that He'll lead me through the loneliness -- whether that's out, or even further in.  Thank God I don't have to overcome this alone, and that, even if I never do become truly "un-isolated" in college, I've got Him to pull me through.

A theme song for Week 13:

My Own Character Development / The Eleventh

Beatsheet format today to show the pretty cool story of last week (God is the greatest author ever, dontcha know??).

Hello dear friends.

Opening Image: Last week, and particularly last weekend, was wonderful.  Okay, I lied.  Last week was not completely wonderful.

The Setup/Break Into Two: The first part of the week was kinda boring and I low-key wanted to quit my job (yes the one I haven't even had for two months yet), because I was sick of not having time to do all the fun things I wanted to do.

Fun and Games: But Tuesday was still a fun day, as I got to have lunch with some friends from screenwriting, and chat with them and some others before class.

Midpoint: Then, halfway through the school week I came down with a cold -- AGAIN.  And just as I was starting to get back to being joyful.  I had a terrible attitude about it, and was mad at God for making me deal with that again so soon (you know how it goes).

Dark Night of the Soul: So Thursday I did some sulking -- mostly over the cold deal, but also subconsciously over lack of positive social interaction aaand the existence of some negative interactions that day at school.

Break Into Three: Like I said though, my week really was wonderful -- the "wonderful" part just didn't start until Thursday evening, by God fixing my attitude concerning my current daily life (due in part to a conversation with my oldest sister Alissa).  But I still wanted to quit my job, and I was still without a whole lotta joy, aaaand I was still sick.

Finale: The next day, Friday, promised a wonderful treat: earlier in the week, Paris, one of you amazing people who follow the writings of my convoluted life, reached out, saying she was coming to CFAW here at LU, and asking if we could connect over the weekend!!  Well, of course, I immediately agreed, and we made plans for her to come to my classes and eat lunch with me on Friday.  We also ended up going to the Rend Collective concert together that evening (which was absolutely faaaantaaaastic and I seriously love them so much), as well as the fashion show Saturday evening (which was absolutely amazing and I can't wait to be a part of it next year)!!

Finale (cont): Anyway, Friday and Saturday came and went, and I had the most fantastic time with Paris.  It might seem like it was me who was all unselfish and sweet -- but honestly, I think I might have had more fun being all hospitable and hanging out with her than she did hanging with me (;D).  So, dear, it was such a joy to meet and hang out and fangirl with you, and again, thank you so so much for reaching out.  I'm excited to stay in touch and see where God leads you!!

Final Image: And the finale of the week, in my daily perusal of my Bloglovin' feed, I saw this article: "Six Ways God's at Work in You - At Work", from the fantastic and always inspiring/convicting Desiring God blog.

Finale Image (cont): K God.  Thank u.  I think I get it now.  I think I know now I'm where I'm supposed to be, here in this job, and I know I want to serve you better in it.  Thanks for the joy, I needed it.  Thanks for the confidence boost -- I needed that too.  And thanks especially for taking the trouble to work on my character development -- you know I need it.

Yes.  I'm ready for the 12th Week now.

~          ~          ~

P.S. EVIE!!!  That's a shout out to Evie.  Long overdue.  Y'see, we got to skype each other two weeks ago, and it was so so so fun, and she gave a shout out on HER BLOG, but I didn't on MY BLOG.  Which was upsetting.  So, dear Evie, thanks for that skype call.  It literally made my day.  Gotta do it again soon, k?? ;)

Ten. Easter. Etc.

Yo.

If I told you that I forgot about blogging until 20 minutes before midnight on Monday because I put it off on Sunday, would you believe me?  Well, you should, because I did.  Oops.

Anyway, this week was fairly routine, except for the celebration of just THE GREATEST ACT IN ALL OF HISTORY.  Last Friday, Good Friday, is the best Friday out of every Friday of the year, because on that day, many, many years ago, Christ died so that we might live.

But, you know, the story did not end there.  Three days later, Christ rose from the stinkin' DEAD and the greatest act history has ever known was completed.  There has never been such a beautiful display of love, nor will there ever be.  That's why Easter is awesome.  And don't you forget it. :)

Between the Easter celebrations, I did lotsa homework -- the most fun of which, was finally getting to start work on my short film script for screenwriting class!!  Oh my word was it fun, to finally see the idea that I've been developing for sooo long FINALLY become words on a page, actually looking like a real script (because it IS a real script)... yes, such a marvelous feeling. ^_^

After this class, and realizing how much I truly do love script writing, and not failing too terribly at it, I don't think I'd mind becoming a screenwriter.  Stories are so powerful, guys, and to be the person who gets to create that story in the first place?  That's an awesome thing.  But, you know, costumes are also a thing so I probably won't ever become a screenwriter.  But, you never know! ;)

Speaking of stories, as we all know, Batman v. Superman came out this weekend... and naw, I didn't go see it, simply because I knew I wouldn't enjoy it -- or at least not enough to warrant the $9.  I might see it when it's at Redbox, but with Civil War coming up, I know there's just no reason for me to bother with sub-par superheroes-becoming-enemies stories.  So, yeah.  I just thought I should address that before moving on, since it's a wee bit of a big deal in the fangirl world. ;)

And now speaking of Civil War, I will leave you with this masterfully edited video entitled, "The Road to Civil War," showing beautifully the history behind this movie.  The feels are strong with this one, so prepare yourself...

Halfway Finished with College Semester 2.0

Guess who's on Spring Break????

DIS GIRL.

And it's a good thing too, because this week was a doozy.  I had to present my first big speech in Communications class, an "argument of fact."  So I chose to argue the conspiracy theory that Obama is a terrorist/terrorist sympathizer.  It was fabulous...ly hilarious.

I also had two midterms (which both ended up being super easy), for Communications and Biblical Worldview 2.  Studying for those took some time, though.  Add to that work and homework, and I was maxed out for busyness.  So, it's wonderful that break is finally here and I'll be able to chillax a bit. ;)

At the costume shop, we're currently in the thick of building costumes for Beauty and the Beast!  Everything is very hush hush, but what I can say, is that the costume I've been helping with, for Madame de la Grande Bouche (in other words, the wardrobe) was just completed on Friday, and it looks pretty cool. ;)

But what I'm really excited about for Spring Break, is that three of my best friends from Tennessee are coming up to visit over the weekend!  It feels like I haven't seen them in ages, though it's only been a few months.  It's going to be so much fun to show them around my new hometown and Liberty.  And speaking of which -- they're arriving today!  So, I must keep this post short and sweet, and I'm going to go prep for their arrival... ;)

Oh also this happened this week and it broke my ability to even.  Literally no words to express how stinkin' excited I am for this movie.

Until next week, my dear friends!  I apologize that the past few posts haven't been very interesting -- I'm hoping to get up a fun post about a recent sewing project for next week. :)

Sick in the Seventh Week

This week, I came down with a cold.  And when I get sick, I have this bad tendency of getting 100% sick.  So, I skipped three days of classes and work, and slept.  This helped me get over the worst of it, but now I get to suffer through the tail end of it... not fun.

While all this is going on, homework has kind of piled up.  So I've been trying not to stress over that, and instead focus on the fact that I only have one more week to get through before Spring break is here, and I will finally have some room to breathe.  Continued prayers for me would be so, so appreciated, if you think of it.

Thanks for letting me have a little pity party there.  But now I need to practice a speech, so I'll keep this post short and sweet, and leave you with these terrible quality photos (thank you, dumb phone) from the past few months, taken around various places on campus -- entitled, "Feat. My Feet." ;)

Week 6 (x3) Equals 18 Years

Hello once again, my friends.

This week was special, because Wednesday was my 18th birthday.

thank you tom, thanks

And it was absolutely wonderful.  I had sewing and screenwriting class, in between which I read Nehemiah (one of my favorite books of the Old Testament because Nehemiah was an awesome guy) and had lunch by myself.  Then I had work until 6, and when I got home, my family threw me a mini party with just us. We had Paleo hotdogs, sweet potato chips, and roasted brussels sprouts for dinner (ah it was amazing - don't judge me please), and then my older sister Alissa, for dessert, arranged a fruit platter like Cap's shield.  It was nothing less than beautiful, and made me very happy, needless to say.

Then I got to open my presentssss (always fun hehehe), one of which was a gorgeous daffodil plant (a tradition for my birthday, because they always bloomed during it when we lived in GA).  My second older sister Crystal gave me the game "Catch Phrase" - Star Wars edition!!  So, it's all words and phrases relating to the Star Wars universe, and the game itself is shaped as the Millennium Falcon.  Yes, it was way too awesome, and I might have fangirled in a very un-adult way when I saw it... ;)  So we played that for quite a while, and it was so much fun.

Then we all settled down and watched Jurassic World, for the first time for everyone in the fam except me.  The second viewing made me realize just how much I really love that movie.  Epic dinosaurs, cool Chris Pratt, dear Blue running to save everyone, the absolute presh ending... ahh it is just such a crazy, stressful, fun experience to watch and makes me so happy.  I just love it.  I really do. #whosaysgirlscantlikeactionfilms

You know, I hate to end this post so soon, but I've got a speech outline to write that's due day after next, and I really need to get crackin'.  Hey, if you think of it, would you mind praying for me?  For that speech, but also for my health - I'm in a flare with my crohn's currently which I just can't seem to get out of, aaaand I think I'm coming down with a cold, to top it all off.  Thank you so much, I so appreciate it.  I've told you before how blessed I feel that you're in my life, right?  Well, if not, I'm saying it now.  I feel so blessed that you're in my life.

In the words of Bilbo, "Alas, [eighteen] years is far too short a time to spend among such excellent and admirable people."

♡ you all. 

A 3rd Week: In and Out of the Comfort Zone

So, to begin, some little happenings of the week within my comfort zone:

Storytelling and sewing seem to be my current lot in life, and I'm so happy for that. What can I say? It's what I love. Speaking of which, I should be working on a synopsis for screenwriting class right now (basically a 250-500 word version of the pitch I mentioned last week)... but writing this post is more fun... ;)

Now, for sewing, I've started the project I mentioned last week! I should have known better than to think that it would be put off, especially when I already have the fabric... ;D But anyway, over the week/weekend, I've begun putting together Simplicity 8014 - and it's been rather difficult, thanks to my gorgeous silky fabric. *cries*

Ahem. So, after cutting out all the pieces (which takes forever, as you know if you've sewn from a pattern before), and applying interfacing to the pieces that require it, I've only been able to get as far as completing some of the bodice (the front pockets created a bit of a roadblock). If they're not gorgeous after all the time I'm spent on them, I will be very sad.

But, all in all, this shirt dress has been an interesting piece to work on, providing me with some use for my free time (because I still haven't been able to start working my costuming job... thanks, official paperwork), as well as a bit of a sewing challenge to improve and expand my skills. Oh, and I'm super excited for the finish product, 'cause I think it'll be adorbs. ;)

Now, to finish, a little story of this week's happening outside of my comfort zone:

I got to meet the author of a wonderful book, Soul Cravings, that I read by chance only a few weeks ago: Erwin McManus. Funny thing is, I didn't know he was speaking until they introduced him. Which leads me to my little story of that experience... ;)

After McManus spoke (and what he talked about was absolutely brilliant), he was at a table set up with his newest book, The Artisan Soul, talking to students and signing books. Now, me, being the slightly shy creature I am, was nervous to go up, and so I stayed in my seat observing the interactions and working up some guts.

Because I knew if I didn't do it, I'd regret it all day.

So, after about fifteen minutes, when the line had subsided quite a bit, the holy Spirit must have given me a push because I found myself traipsing down the steps of the auditorium. Then, when it was my turn, I bought "The Artisan Soul," and then got to speak with Mr Erwin for a moment as he signed my copy. He was so nice, and was appreciative that I had read "Soul Cravings." 

I walked away clutching my new book, jubilant simply because I had "done it."

I sincerely hope I was a little bit of an encouragement to Mr McManus, because he certainly was to me. I haven't started reading "The Artisan Soul" yet because i'm currently reading seven books, but I can't wait until I can - mostly because it sounds amazing, but also because, hey, I've met the author! ;)

Now, in conclusion, friends, I have so much else I would love to share with you all if I had more time to write. So many things I've been learning, so many joyful little happenings, so many times God poured out little blessings... but alas, homework awaits and midnight approaches, so, until next week, I shall bid you all a fond farewell.

his little nose scrunch tho

Le Deuxieme: Sewing & Storytelling

As I wrote that title, meaning to sum up what was going on this second week of my second semester of college, I realized something... costuming is exactly where sewing and storytelling collide, and that is exactly why I love it so much. Costuming is the culmination of the two pastimes I enjoy the most. Rather interesting, eh? ;)

Moving on from that little rabbit trail, let's chat about sewing.

First, that half-circle skirt I mentioned I had made two weeks ago? I remembered to take a picture last Thursday, when I wore it to school again:

hi im beth and i like being overdramatic

Super simplistic outfit, but it was a really gloomy day and I was just reflecting that in my dress. ;) As for the skirt though, I really love it. I made it to hit right above the knee, which is my favorite length for skirts, and the half-circle is extremely conducive to activity - it's full enough to be pretty, but straight enough so there's no fear of it going anywhere crazy. ;)

Also this week, we're getting started on making some samples of a bunch of different seam constructions, and I loved being able to slow down a bit to cut out all the fabric pieces required for them. You can't see my fabric very well in the pic, but I bought my 100% cotton in a pretty little pink and green flowery print that I just love. If I have any left, I want to make a clutch or something out of it, because looking at it just makes me happy. ^_^

And lastly, I went to Joann on Wednesday to take advantage of their $1 Simplicity pattern sale (!!!), and came home with three patterns and three yards of some gorgeous black peachskin fabric (that's what it says on the receipt anyway..?) to create that middle pattern, view B (the tan version) with view A (the floral one)'s sleeve and collar. I'm not sure when exactly I'll find time for it, but it'll get made eventually... ;)

So, now that we've gone over the sewing aspects of the past week, it's time to go into the storytelling aspect...

Screenwriting class has definitely shifted into high gear this week, with our first writing assignment due on Monday: three film or "elevator" pitches for three story ideas we come up with on our own. Plus, we have to get to present one of them in class... Yeahhhh, I'm not too thrilled about that. I've learned from past experience I'm not much of a visual performer... BUT. I'm determined to not be nervous, and I'm sure it'll go fine. ;)

Welp... it's now past midnight, and I suppose I should be asleep. Funny how time flies when you're telling about what you love, isn't it? But I'll just say goodnight, and that I look forward to next week when I can talk with you all further about sewing, storytelling, and more. ^_^

College Semester 2: Present...

Today was the first day of classes for my last semester of Freshman year, and my second semester of college.

And it was a phenomenal day.

First, last night, I had just finished a half-circle skirt that I'd been working on this past week, so I got to wear that today. I made it out of some beautiful swishy, green fabric I found in my stash (I think it was originally thrifted) when I was organizing my fabric box, and it turned out rather pretty.  Now, wearing pretty skirts always makes me feel happy, but wearing a pretty skirt that I made myself is even better.  So, great start to the day.

Second, all classes before convocation were cancelled (meaning my 8:15 sewing class), because Donald Trump came to speak, and so security was complicated and they needed extra time to get people in and out of the auditorium. Now, me, being a lucky duck commuter, am not required to attend convo... which meant sleeping in. Hehehe. ;)

Third, 1:00 was my first screenwriting class!! Oh guuuuuys, I'm just thrilled for this course. Today was just intros and going over the syllabus (literally my favorite thing to do *note the sarcasm*), but it was still fun, and I got to meet and chat a bit with a fellow film major, which was great. I love meeting people. I really must be an extrovert... a not-super-outgoing extravert. That must be it.

Fourth, when I got home from screenwriting, (my only class of the day), I got an e-mail... which you might have already heard about from my twitter...

guys i'm going to be interviewed for a job in the theater department's costume shop at my school IM SO EXCITED

— Beth P. (@AnElvenPrincess) January 18, 2016

I'm trying really really hard to not get my hopes up, BUT MY HOPES ARE UP AND IF I GET THE JOB I WILL PROBABLY DIE FROM HAPPINESS. [Ahem]. They requested an interview with me sometime this week, and from there, I suppose I'll just have to wait for "the call." Wait, that's what actors get... do employees get calls too?? ;D

So, if I get the job, trust me. I will let you know asap. ;)

Fifth, I sold another one of my old textbooks to a student on campus before I headed over to my next, last, activity.  Hey, ten dollars is ten dollars, and that kind of money adds up, right? It was the fourth textbook I've sold, so I was super thankful for that. God takes care of me and my minor finances. :)

And last of all, my final activity of the day, I got to watch Jurassic World (!!!) for the first time with other peeps from the Cinematic Arts program, courtesy of the wonderful people who put together "2nd Monday Cinema" for us film geeks. As far as the film goes -- absolutely phenomenal. I need to see it again so I can form a better thought-out opinion of it, but... I loved every minute of it. So stressful but exciting and aesthetically appealing and well thought out... mhmm. Great fun, great film. ;)

So that was my first day of my second semester of college. It was a wonderful day, and it makes me excited for the coming semester and all the good times to come.

P.S. If the title of this post sounds somewhat disfunctional, that's because it is. The second half will come at the end of the semester. Because I'm just creative like that. ;D

Week 16 - [Almost] Done

The 16th week of my college career has come and gone.  Classes for the four courses I have remaining wrapped up on Wednesday, and finals week officially began on Friday - which was also the day I had my first final exam.

As of Friday, at 12:30 pm, my "thorn in the flesh," Philosophy 201, was behind me, and I was free (for the weekend, at least).  I must admit, I will, in some ways, miss it.  I met some super cool people, had some fun times in class, and, though I hate to admit it, did learn quite a bit of practical philosophy.  So, though I am relieved it is over, I do appreciate the time I spent taking the course.

You know, that would be the second time God has put me in that type of situation...  I suppose I am just a reluctant learner. ;)

So, with Philosophy behind me, I feel like I can finally breathe easy (though the 59 definitions I had to memorize are still swimming around in my head...).  I still have three other finals to go, but they won't be anywhere near as trying as that one for philosophy.  Come to think of it, my schedule worked out rather well, actually, because I ended up having one exam every day of finals week... that makes my OCD self rather happy. ;D

Friday night was the big, final event of the semester, Christmas Coffeehouse.  Basically a sort of concert/talent show, featuring music, dancing, lip-sync battles, and videos made by students, all based on the theme "Falalalala."  It was a great night, lots of fun and super crazy loud.  This was one of my favorites of the night -- it's just too funny.  Oh, and don't forget to watch 'til the very end...

Now it's time for some cosplay updaaaaaates...

So.  Belt is taking shape, after spending an eon of time working on the pattern to be just right...

Tried my hand at dying with coffee for the first time, and it worked fabulously!!  Big fan of coffee dying.  It gave the perfect aged, distressed look -- exactly what I was going for.  I did this to the arm wraps, which are simply two rolls of cotton gauze bandage (which look exactly like what was used for the real costume), as well as to the shirt I made, to give it a bit of an aged look, as I wasn't entirely happy with the color.

arm wraps

shirt

I'll save the end results until the reveal of the final costume. ;D

One last thing I did for the costume this week, was do a makeup and hair test.  Both turned out quite well - even though I don't look exactly like Daisy Ridley, and I'm planning on doing my hair slightly different than Rey's (in three little buns rather than half ponytails, which I just think looks odd.. xD).  I'm planning on making a video of the hair/makeup process on premiere day, maybe, possibly, hopefully.  'Cause those kinds of videos are just fun. :D

Next week!  A change to the posting schedule:  You should expect another post on Wednesday (hopefully, at least - unless I'm hard at work finishing my costume ;D) detailing the official end of the semester and all the finishing touches on my Rey costume.  Then, I'll hopefully get another one up sometime after Thursday with all the events of the Star Wars premiere!

Now... how 'bout you?  Super stoked for The Force Awakens, riiiiight??? :D

The Fifteenth Week, College and Cosplay

There's only 1 and 1/2 weeks left in my first semester of college.  It's absolutely crazy, but I'm so excited to finally be nearing the end... and Star Wars: The Force Awakens. :D  Those are the two topics of interest for today... ;)

Classes are going quite well.  Two have finished already, so I've just got four classes remaining - and I don't have any big projects left, just finals.  Yay! :)

So, in PHIL201, we're almost done studying philosophy of religion; I finished making the apparel project (pajama pants) in FACS222 on Friday; we've just got one last class period for CRST290 (History of Life), which will just be a review of the semester; and we just finished watching the 1989 Batman in CINE101 (not a huuuge fan of it, but for an 80s film and the first serious superhero movie, it was fairly good).

Now, as for my Rey costume, things are going just swimmingly. :D

I got around to buying some faux leather at Joann for the belt earlier this week, and I'm super pleased with it.  Though it was described as suede on the label, it's actually got a half-leather half-suede finish, which I thought was a really neat look, and lent itself to looking nice and old and distressed.  Plus, it's the perfect color and weight, AND it was on clearance.  Basically a total win.

Thursday night, I made the leather cuff (when I should have been working on a paper for philosophy instead, and ended up staying up until 2am to finish that buuuut regardless...both got done... xD), and I'm super pleased with how it turned out:

Isn't it just the coolest design??  I'm obsessed with it.

I also started work on a template for the leather belt, but I'm only about half way done with that:

Welp guys, only 11 days until the end of my semester, and 12 days until The Force Awakens.  So hold tight.  This next week-and-a-half is going to be crazy.

See ya next Sunday. :)

Week 13&14, Thanksgiving Break

I dunno if you noticed, but I skipped posting last Sunday.  See, Thanksgiving break had just begun and I figured I deserved a break, and knew you wouldn't mind not hearing from me for an extra week. ;)

But now that I'm all rested up and more than ready for the final 3 weeks of my first semester of college at Liberty University, I'm also ready to tell you all about the past 2 weeks.  So let's get this post on the road.  Hehe.

Week Thirteen is a bit of a blur as I look back on it now, but I do remember buying more fabric for my Rey cosplay (beige linen for the pants)... a presentation on the problem of evil for my philosophy class... the 3rd exam in my History of Life class... and packing up for the seven hour drive back to my old home in Tennessee.

Which leads me to Thanksgiving break -- 9 whole glorious days of no classes, spent with my family and friends.  And how wonderful it was to see my dear friends from highschool again, just like old times, feeling like an eternity and yet only yesterday since I last saw them.  We just fell back into friendship as if I'd never left.  Oh, and two of them surprised me with dozens of these glorious pictures and little sticky notes pasted all over our house when I got home:

Again, a bajillion thanks to you girls for making my life. ;D

The rest of the week was just homework, youtube videos, reading, hanging with friends, finally introducing myself to twenty one pilots' first album (and now i'm just obsessed with it duh BUT NO NEW [TO ME] MUSIC UNTIL THEY RELEASE A NEW ALBUM TEARS), Thanksgiving with the fam (which was so lovely), a wonderful drive back to school, some major progress on my Rey costume...

Makin' pants out of that gawgeous, and might I add perfect, linen I bought last week...

progress progress

bad fitting pants feat. my fab modelling skillz and doctor who regalia
["keep calm and don't blink" tee and dalek socks]

and lastly, a little tease at the costume put together just for fun,
and meh awesome Rey boots.

AND FINALLY that trailer for Captain America: Civil War...

Oh guys.  Oh guys.  OH GUYS.  Let me tell ya, I won't be getting over this anytime soon.  Not at least until the movie comes out 6 months from now.  And even then, I won't get over it.  So basically... I shall be in a perpetual state of "can't even" in regard to this movie for a very long time, beginning last wednesday and heading off into eternity.  Basically.

#BECAUSEBUCKYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

Until next week, dear.

P.S. feel free to post any fangirl-y comments, because you know i'm right there with ya. obviously. ;D