"College Musings" or "Too Many Short Sentences" or "The Wall of Awesome"

The fact that I pretentiously used the word "musings" will attest to the fact that I have been in the College World for a grand total of three weeks minus a day.
Dorm life. Not a day goes by that I don't double-check the shower for cockroaches. There is great community here. We've all bonded over cafeteria food. This hallway is decorated with Disney princesses.
My second week of classes commence. I experienced the thrill of awaking at 8A.M. and arriving at Intro to Old Testament at 8:09A.M.
Unruffled.
Poised.
Bright eyed and bushy-tailed.
9 minutes late.
I was let off easy, but needless to say I learned my lesson.
For several hours.
This morning I foolishly decided to relearn this lesson. I went to lunch right after chapel. PEOPLE. Never go to lunch right after chapel. It's a trap. Your stomach deceives you. Trust your schedule. Go to class.
American Sign Language class is a charming little group of people. We aren't allowed to use our voices, but we are already fluent in numbers one through fifteen and, "My name K-E-Z-I-A. Your name who?" (remember to furrow brow and stick our your chin in perplexity) After class it takes several minutes for us to dare to talk.
I have a little mailbox, #377. I always think of the movie Shop Around the Corner.

Oh, my Dear Friend, my heart was trembling as I walked into the post office, and there you were, lying in Box 237. I took you out of your envelope and read you, read you right there.

You know how she opens up the box puts her hand in and sighs when she finds that it is empty? As of yet, that hasn't really happened to me since you all have been so kind and correspondful. I've had some sort of mail almost every day.
Thanks to all who have written to me. Write again. I will reply. Truly!
Now I am sitting in a loungelocated in my dorm. It is called the Hyphen. Before me sit two of my hall mates and looming above is the Wall of Awesome. Apparently it was inspired by 1000awesomethings.com. People have written on construction paper some things that touch and inspire them. Such as.
Roasting the perfect marshmallow. Hearing from camp friends. High-fiving babies. Living with someone who doesn't mind killing spiders. The smell of rain on a hot sidewalk. Finally getting that piece of popcorn that's been stuck in your teeth all day (personal favorite)
Being a freshman but hanging out with upperclassmen. Is this truly such a big deal? Apparently its tradition for the junior and senior crowd are supposed to behave uppity and aloof. Remind me to be like that in a couple years. Sounds fun.
What with the tardiness issue, I didn't have the grandest day. But you know what? I'm taking a hint from my friend Hannah Ruth. I'm going to pretend to have the best day ever. Unfortunately, every time I said, "Hello! How are you!?" to my fellow college students, the sound that returned was a guttural groan of agony.
But I do hope you are all having a lovely beginning of autumn. This is my favorite time of year. Smile. Give hugs. Go to bed before 3A.M.
Kezia

Sagebrush

The West is more beautiful this year than ever before. The sun is brighter. The air is clearer. The dust swirls in exotic plumes that accompany us down every road, hurrying along behind.
I watched hungrily out the window and relished every sagebrush and antelope moment.
Then we were here. In an Idaho town in an old house on a street of chain link fences and barking dogs.
I stumbled from the van and up the cement steps into Grandma's soft little hug. I didn't look around or examine my surroundings now. It would be the same, I knew.
I hope to never see it change. I will plug my ears and shut my eyes but I won't accept this house's alteration.
Dear Grandma's House, please keep your blessed consistency! Never cast off your royal blue shag carpet and 60's sofa. Never part with those stiff orange curtains. Bid not the crunchy porch furniture and frightening brown basement spiders of unusual size farewell. The musty smell becomes you. Your shower that doesn't drain is beloved, you know.
Can you know? Can you truly understand what you mean to us? Yes, I think you do. After all, you must know us better than anyone.
If I was ridiculous enough to talk to inanimate objects, I'd thank you. Instead, I will thank God for this strange little treasure of a home in dusty Idaho. Thank God.

Momma's Birthday Cake

Sometimes I complain about my little cheap-o camera. But once in a great while there is something so photogenic that even my fujifilm can't help but capture a tidbit of its splendor.

There are two things consistent and predictable in this world. They are: God's undying love and Momma's birthday cake. In fact, I know that the second is the fruit of the first. Only a truly loving God would give me such a dear mother that I don't deserve. Only a blessed woman would make her own birthday cake year after year--and share it.~Birthday Cake Frosting~

9 Tbs. lemon juice

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 pint whipping cream

green food coloring

Whip and fold in whipping cream. If you can keep yourself from eating most of it, cut the cake in half horizontally and fill in before you frost the top. Momma puts a clean piece of paper over the hole so that the cake has a nice clean look.

Enjoy.

The only cake in this house all year that isn't chocolate. :)

The Pillowcase Apron

Are you looking for a quick sewing project that will give you instant joy along with a lasting pleasure whenever you lay eyes upon it (the project, I mean)? Of course you are. Here it is. You can whip this up in literally minutes, and it is basically stress free in every particular.
And attractive.

And so frugal. Here's how.

1. Grab the loveliest, most wrinkled pillowcase in your mom's stash of bed linens. As you make a beeline towards your sewing machine, wave it in her general direction and say, "HeymindifIripthisapartkaythanks."

2. Spread out your treasure on a flat and fairly clean surface. Respectfully rip out the side seem most of the way up. Leave the top four inches or so unscathed.

3. Now, take out a pencil, pen, or eyeliner or whatever and mark lines across upon which you will cut:

The top, closed portion is the waistband. Next will be two long strips that will be the ties. Finally, the large and beautiful portion is the skirt of your apron.

4. Grab on long strip and press it in half lengthwise. Sew along the raw edge. Turn it rightside out using a safety pin, knitting needle or somesuch long utensil. Press.

5. You may add interfacing (as I did) to the waistband, since this fabric is rather flimsy. Attach the ties to either side of the waistband. Set aside momentarily.

6. Pick up the large and beautiful skirt portion. The topmost edge will be raw where you cut it. There you will make a gathering stitch and gather gather gather until it is the width of the waistband.

7. Tuck the gather inside the waistband about 1/4 inch and topstitch.

8. If there are any raw edges that you find undesirable, hem.

9. If you desire some commendably useful and trendy pockets, you are at leisure to create some.

10. Put on apron. Make some cupcakes. Feel feminine. Smile big.

Almost no hemming + resourceful use of a common household object= happy.

-Kez

I Jesu navn

går vi til bord,

at spise, drikke på hans ord,

dig Gud til ære, os til gavn,

så får vi mad

i Jesu navn.

Years before this present day my mother had a Carl Larsson-esque idea of a hand painted border around our kitchen. In the true nature of Norwegian decor, our house contains striking primary colors along with rustic dusty barn wood and the remnants of peeling wallpaper.

The border was to happily not be in English but rather the language of the vikings. The following was inspired by a decorative platter that has been in our family ever since my Grandma bought it at Stabo ten years ago. Yellow acrylic paint from Meijer. Bliss.

"In Jesus' name" is what meets your eyes when you first enter and leave the kitchen.

This has to be one of my favorite projects. While I was standing on the counters and trying not to drip paint on the stovetop I liked to think I was Suzanne in the Larsson painting above. I only wish my hair was that long.

In Jesus' name

To the table we go

To eat and drink upon His Word.

To Him the glory, us the gain,

We'll then have food

In Jesus' name.

The Scientific Stages of the First Blog Post

I

Cliche comment about how cliche it is to write a blog. I try to get across that I'm perfectly aware that I'm making myself vulnerable unto the scrutiny of those vicious commenters. I hope to thus stun the crowd with my insight. A mixture of modesty and ego.

Example: Yes. Another blog. . . Another blog in which the blogger will write about stuff that annoys her, stuff that she finds funny, stuff that she's made, stuff that she freaks out about. Another blog, but mine is more spectacular than all the rest, as you will see.

II

Welcome anyway, even though I laugh at myself for being cliche. ha! ha! Though I don't think so, or else I wouldn't be writing so much about myself.

III

Hopes and dreams for my little Baby blog. This blog will magically motivate me to write more often and be more cleverer than in real life. I just want to share my gift of inspiration. (A noble cause, no doubt!)

IV

This paragraph is me through my eyes and what I want your eyes to behold when you read this blog. Often contains introductions to the author's family and pets, many sentences starting with "I love ___." to show how original they are to love that particular item/craft/food/animal. Blunt sentences, apparently very honest and sure to give you deep insights into the mind of the author.

Ex: I am obsessed with the movie Pete's Dragon. I love mouse pads. My favorite food is cream of wheat.

V

Insincere apologetic comment on length and inane content.

Ex: Here I go again! Blabbing about myself! I bet you're bored! Tee hee!

VI

A small chuckle at themselves and pointing out that this is a foretaste of posts to come.

Ex: Might as well get used to it! I'm just like this all the time!

VII

Second thoughts. Stay and listen to me! I'm boring, but you hafta listen! It'll get better! I promise!

IX

May or may not conclude with a name.

Ex: XOXOXOX (gag),

The Sew-sew Crafty Thrifting Vintage Thread Girl

I hope you realize that this is said with the utmost snark, considering I just described every first blog post of my life. There have been many, my friends. They're the best.

Dear Reader. . .

Now I'm all shy.

After spending a vast amount of time making this blog beautiful and aesthetically pleasing for your eyeballs. . . I find myself hesitating.

As we know, hesitation is the downfall of all bloggers. If the author does not have the confidence of mold and the charisma of a root beer float the blog is doomed to fail. Thankfully I am an expert in all things root beer and I am improving in leaps and bounds on my moldy side.

To win back your favor after that last statement I will offer you many endearing empty promises for this blog:

a) I will post mediocre pictures of my creative projects.

b) I may post recipes and mediocre pictures of spectacular delicacies.

c) I may just post a link to my friend Yammie's blog, instead.

d) I will unabashedly quote, imitate, and pretend I am one of the fantastic sewing bloggers on this thing called the World Wide Web.

e) There might be some original posts, too.

f) There will be lists.

g) There will be a post explaining why I am addicted to lists.

h) I will probably talk about my family and friends and cornmeal.

i) I'm throwing around the idea of movie and book reviews as well. (this is where you comment and say yea or nay)

j) I will strive to present this blog in the most interesting way, while inspiring you to go on to greater things and know that our talents come from one source, Jesus Christ our Savior and Creator.

k) I'm tempted to use the rest of the alphabet.

l) I'll have mercy on you. This time.

m) I entreat you to read and enjoy this B-log. It may be a blessing in disguise.

P.S. Here's a treat: