Around Here Lately Part 2

I know I just did one of these posts, but I had a couple more ideas that I wanted to write down before I lost them. You know me, gotta remember every little thing and document it with both pictures and words.

I got my very own laptop for my birthday and oh my goodness my world has changed. It's wonderful! I don't have to ask for a turn, no one asks to take it from me, I have all of my photos in one place, I got photoshop (i still have absolutely no idea how to use that...), I can write whenever I want, basically it's everything I dreamed it would be. Megan asked me what it's name was, then told me never mind it's weird to name your laptop, but she didn't tell me that fast enough for me to not name it, so my laptop is named Candace. We're going to blame the fact that we're reading The Sound and The Fury in AP Lit for that one. By the way that book is amazing and blowing my mind and just another reason why I love literature. My respect and admiration for William Faulkner grows by the word.

Because of all of the school we missed because of Georgia's ice storms, we have to go to school for 30 extra minutes everyday until May 14th. I'm trying to see the positive in this, aka no cutting into summer, and think about how awesome it will be to come home at 2:10 on May 15th!

Drop what you're doing right this very second and go to google maps. I had a little bit of fun with it and looked up my old house in Pittsburgh and basically relived my entire childhood. Bike riding down the street to Jenna's with my Cheetah Girl's CD and Target bags full of Sweet Streets and Fisher Price people and the Happy Family Barbie dolls all came rushing back. I saw the park and the hill we sled down in my backyard and basically felt like a little kid again. Which is awesome because ever since I turned 18, adulthood seems to be coming at me way too fast. Go google your childhood, it's surreal. And if you don't want to do that or are like me and want to keep google mapping things (yes, we're making it a verb now), go look up Oxford, England. That's where I will be spending a month this summer (it's official! this blog is going to be so exciting come july! sincerely, mad takes england!) and I kid you not my heart actually stopped. It's gorgeous. The row houses, the colors, the ancient buildings, the trees, take me now! I want to live there! I just might die!

^^^Some of my favorite pics with my dad.^^^

Today is my dearest darlingest father's birthday! Gee whiz Dad you're the best. The older I get the more I realize we are a lot alike, and that makes me oh so happy.  Just last night we were both sitting on the counter with our feet propped up on either the island or the fridge, and I just got this wave of love in my heart for you. I know you will always be my movie watching buddy, my car singing duet partner, and last minute Taco Bell and late night Chickfila milkshake run companion. I can count on you and tell you anything, and I wouldn't want anyone else as my dad. Happy birthday Daddy-o!

Sincerely, mad

Around Here Lately

I really want to go on a photo adventure. I've never done one, but I hear other people do them. So that must mean they're fun, right?

Also, Goodwill. Someone teach me their ways so I can come home with five new skirts for under $20.

Guys. I'm sewing. Remember that headband I told you about? I wore it. And rocked it if I do say so myself. For the first time in my life I'm doing crafts and absolutely loving it. I've made pottery in high school that I'm proud of, but guys, want to hear a secret? I hated crafts and art as a kid. I'm serious. I told myself for years that I wasn't creative because the things I made never looked like what I had imagined in my head. When I got to high school I got over it and took art classes in an attempt to be a better doodler. Notes to friends and all, you know how it is. Turns out I'm terrible at 2D art. Put a teddy bear in front of me and tell me to draw it and you will NOT get a teddy bear picture. So my doodling doesn't look realistic, but I've gotten over it and embraced the stick figures whole-heartedly. Give me a ball of clay, though, and say to make something out of it, I can handle that. I love art when it's non-objective. Less rules, more freedom to do whatever. Also it's easier to come up with an explanation for it when you mess up. I kid you not, we were working with plaster in 3D and I ended up with something resembling three spheres stuck together with a slash down the middle, and when Mrs. Kates asked what it was, I told her I called it melting snowman. I ended up in the display case for that one, thank you very much. Anyways, yeah, I like art now. I've been converted to DIY projects, and the pride I feel after making something overrides any disappointment with mistakes I made. It's absolutely fabulous. Whatever your head is telling you, do art. If it's being encouraging, good for you, you're ahead of the game. If it's being obnoxious tell it to shush and then proceed to ignore it and make beautiful things. It is the best idea ever, promise.

^^^Selfies and whatnot. I'm converted to them too. I know, who is this girl?^^^

Also, I wore sandals and a skirt without tights on Saturday, and I felt scandalous. I haven't shown that much bare skin since, well, crossfit that morning. But I haven't shown that much bare skin with regular clothes since like October.

We made valentines in Directed Studies on Friday, and the picture below is my salvaged valentine. I tried to trace my hand and then make it look like the sign for I love you, but when I cut off the third and fourth fingers, my hand looked amputated. The more I tried to fix it the worse it got. So I ended up with a couple made out of the palm. I'm proud of the girl, but I'm not quite sure what's going on with the guy. I ran out of time, and quite frankly I don't know what to with him anyways, so I guess he'll just forever look like the silhouette of a Yo Gabba Gabba character. It's whatevs.

I'm like an adult now and it's weird. I've had to teach classes in church twice, and I gave a talk in the main meeting yesterday. I told Mom that all of a sudden I have all of these things I've got to do, and I asked her if it ever stopped. (after three weeks i asked this question. i was mostly kidding, but kinda not. three years from now i'm going to shake my head at 18 year old mallory and her silly questions.) She laughed and told me welcome to adulthood. I'm not complaining, it's just all starting to happen so fast! I'm going to England for a month this summer all by myself, and then I'm going to college and then I'm going to have to get a job and buy a house and oh my gosh what is this?

Also, I changed the about tab on this here blog. Not that that's important or anything. It's just kinda ridiculous and I kinda love it.

Here's to a new week and hoping I go to bed before 11 o'clock sometime. You hear that Mom? I'm gonna try. For real this time.

Sincerely, mad