while at work...

Last week, Tuesday evening to be exact, one of my coworkers, Sharon, came up to me before she got off and asked me to do her a favor.  Her summer reading program was the next day and the kids were going to be learning how to draw.  But they were also going to be making creations with their fingerprints using stamps.  So, Sharon asked me to test each stamp to make sure it was good and inky for the children.  I must have looked a tad bit dumbfounded because she confirmed that yes she really did want me to stick my fingers in the stamps and test them.  When I finished I left her note telling her which ones worked best.  And just out of impulse, I signed my name and then put my thumbprint beside it.  Mmhm...my job is awesome.

***

When I'm around my family, specifically my sister, I've learned to answer not only to Katie, but to Annie as well.  The same thing has occurred at work.  Only I'm called Rachael instead.  I've never met Rachael.  She left before I got there.  But apparently I'm a lot like her, both in build and mannerism.  And, I confess, after hearing about how much I was like her several times I finally looked her up on facebook.  There's definitely a resemblance.   I'd love to meet her someday and go up to her and say, "Hi, I'm Katie, but I'm often mistaken for you."

***

Many of my coworkers have commented on my hair in the last week after having it colored.  Most people say I look even more like my mom.  *grins*  But this one fellow, Ryan, worked the night shift with me one day last week.  It was probably two and a half, maybe three hours into our shift when he looks over at me and suddenly says, "Do you have a red streak in her hair?"  

I laugh and answer, "Yeah."  

"I guess it was intentional...?"  

I laugh again, "Yep."  

"I've been sitting here with you all night and I just now noticed!"  

Then one of our shelvers walks by and Ryan says to her while gesturing to me, "Is her hair different?"  

Right off the bat she answers, "Yeah she got highlights."  

It was really quite funny.  Good times...good times. 

through my window

If I wait too long to live my dream, I may find that it's too heavy.  But if I start now, day by day, every day, someday people may marvel at how much I can carry.

--Jerry Spinelli, "Today I Will"

coloring

I've been coloring!

No, not with crayons, markers, or paper.

What then?

Well...with my hair!

I have always had a bit of a fascination with red hair.  My hair is a little naturally strawberry blond anyway, but those girls that have the full head of red, natural hair...how cool!  My aunt recently got a dark highlight put in her bangs, and it, well, it inspired me.  Why not try the same thing with red?

So I did!






Yesterday afternoon I spent two hours in the hair salon.  It was the first time I've ever colored my hair, and it was quite an adventure.

{Sorry that these are blurry.  They're iPod pictures.}

Don't worry... I waited a good two weeks before making the appointment and spent a lot of time thinking about it.  I made absolutely sure I really wanted this put in my hair.  Haha!

Here are a couple pictures of the finished product.  I really love it!  And so does my mom...which is really saying something, because she was pretty nervous about the whole ordeal.

Persuasion

To recap, my brother Zach and I decided one of our projects for the remainder of the year was going to be to read all six of Jane Austen's novels.  We created our own, two person book club.  The Jane Austen Book Club.

"Persuasion" was our first pick.  My pick, actually.  I was pretty excited to read this one.  I'd heard good things about it.  Zach and I had our book discussion just today and we bantered about different things that I thought I'd share with you.  Feel free to answer any of the questions in a comment of your own if you've read the book and wish to join in.  If you haven't read the book, then I forewarn you here and now.  There are spoilers ahead.

Favorite character?
K: Anne.  Okay, I know, she was the main character.  But she was pretty awesome, you've got to admit.  So calm and collected even though she was surrounded by chaos nearly all the time.
Z: Captain Wentworth.

Least favorite character?
K: Mary.  She drove me batty most of the book.  I found her really very selfish and ready to push off any responsibility (including her children) onto Anne or some other willing soul as soon as she got the chance.
Z: Sir Walter.  He didn't even like his own daughter!  His only concern was his wealth and making a name for himself in society.

What makes the book different than other works of Austen?
We haven't read many of her other books but we've seen several movies.  We noticed that in this one Anne is older.  She's nearly 30 and not in her prime, unlike other characters in Austen's books.

Favorite scene/thing?
K: Forgiveness towards Lady Russell.  When Anne and Captain Wentworth were engaged the first time, Lady Russell was the one who advised Anne against it.  In the long run, it was the wrong advice to give.  But Anne didn't hold that lost time against her.  Lady Russell was Anne's best friend in the book.
Z: Anne was lacking a mother figure and didn't have all that great of a father and yet she was still so polite and just an all around great young lady.  She was her own person, and though she did take advice from others, she didn't let any one control her.

Least favorite scene/thing?
K: The conversation with Mrs. Smith over the character of Mr. Elliot.  Mrs. Smith's part of this conversation just didn't sit right with me.  The first thing that pops out of her mouth about Mr. Elliot when she thinks Anne is engaged to him is selfish.  Instead of having Anne's well being at heart and warning her right off about Mr. Elliot's character, it was all about what she might gain.
Z: The ending.  Of course I liked that Anne and Wentworth got together in the end, but I wish Austen had written dialogue instead of narrating their walk together.

Thoughts on Mr. Elliot...
We both thought that Austen might have had a twist in the book and have Anne end up with Mr. Elliot.  Though neither of us wanted it.  We were slightly surprised when he ended up having an underlying reason for being friends with the Elliot family.

Favorite quote:
Both of our favorite quotes came from Captain Wentworth's letter to Anne.
K: "I have loved none but you."
Z: "You pierce my soul."

I hope you enjoyed this little Jane Austen review.  More to come as we move onto our second book..."Emma".

Scrappy-Journal

This is a book that I like to affectionately refer to as my scrappy-journal.  (Scrapbook + Journal = Scrappy-Journal)  All it is really is an ordinary composition notebook.  At least it was when I bought it.  Clearance at Walmart...can't beat that!  When I got it, I made a pact with myself that I wasn't going to be a perfectionist.  I was going to cut and tape and scribble...even be messy if I felt like it.  And that's what I've done.  As you can see, it's bulging with creativity.  And it's incredibly easy, so I thought I'd show you how to do it.

(Oh, before I go any further, I know the quality of some of these photos isn't the best.  They were hurriedly snapped in my darkish room.  My apologies.)

(Oh, very random side note...I just happen to be grooving to the Tarzan soundtrack right now. ;) )

Okay, back to my journal.  I thought I would do a very brave thing and let you see inside.  On one condition.  No making fun, okay?  Sound good?

My first couple pages are book lists.  I love to look back and see old titles I've read and remember the stories.  Plus it helps me keep up with how many books I've read in a month/year.

I like to write funny quotes that I find on pinterest...things that just plain describe me.  And I also tape or stick things that I find places.  Like the stickers below.

One of my most treasured pages is the one below.  I made it for one of the dearest people I know.  Emily is my pen pal and best friend.  We met over blogger a year and a half ago, and someday we'll meet in person.  I just feel it in my bones.  So I made a page with things we want to do when we meet.

After a couple months of taping and sticking, my journal started to get...well a bit fat.  I didn't want anything falling out, so I grabbed a heavy duty hole punch from my mom's office and punched a hole in each side.  With a couple pieces of ribbon I'm able to tie it up.  It works very nicely.

Not only do I like to put funny things in my book, but also little pieces of inspiration.  Quotes, song lyrics...things I find on pinterest or other blogs.  Things I simply want to remember.

The page below happens to be my most recent.  "All the time God is writing a bigger narrative."

I also have a summer bucket list, old movie tickets, my birthday and graduation invitations.  I used a few pages for people to sign at my graduation ceremony.  I have my first "I Voted" sticker in there.  A seashell I got in Florida last year.  And an origami frog that I made.  Random...and yet special things to me.