Summer hookin'

Anyone who knows my mother knows that she has been crocheting for probably as long as she's been alive (well maybe not quite that long but pretty close.) She taught me how to crochet when I was home over winter break, and ever since then I haven't really been able to stop. I'm nowhere near as good as her by any means, but the ability to finally read a pattern helps when it comes to actually making things. I've made simple things to start with, a scarf, headbands, a couple of slouchy hats, easy stuff. So far this summer, I have completed two more complex projects that I will share with you all. Lucky ducks you are!

Here's the first project, I think I started it on a Saturday or Sunday evening and had it finished by the Thursday or Friday of that same week, so not too complex.

The pattern for this scarf can be found at: http://www.craftsy.com/pattern/crocheting/accessory/alana-lacy-scarf-free-crochet-pattern/54402?_ct=fhevybu-fqjjuhdbyrhqho-jyjbu&_ctp=54402

It calls for cotton yarn, but you would probably be fine with a finer yarn. You could also make it without the tassels if that's what makes you HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY (had to throw a Duck Dynasty reference in here somewhere)

When making this pattern, I found it helpful to write out the instructions for each row so I could cross them out when I finished them. That helps me, and I think part of that has to do with the fact that I am still a beginner. It's a simple pattern however, because it repeats a lot.

Okay, enough about the scarf. Here's the next project. This one took me probably about a week or so when all was said and done.

The pattern for this hat is available at: http://cre8tioncrochet.com/2013/03/crochet-hipster-hat/

I honestly only picked this pattern because it was called a hipster hat, and I thought it looked sweet. I'm a fan of hats for when I'm having a bad hair, or when I'm just too lazy to straighten my hair. 

This pattern is somewhat difficult if you are not careful. I actually had to rip this out and start again because I got mixed up. It is crucial that you COUNT after you complete every round to make sure that you have the correct number of stitches in each row, otherwise your next rows will not work out. 

I actually printed this pattern out and used scrapbook sleeves and a dry erase marker to cross out the rows I had already completed. It was especially helpful for the decreasing rows. Again, that is just how I like to do it. There is a pattern for a little bow that you could attach to the hat if you desire, but I think I will omit that on this hat.

I've started on a larger crochet project endeavor: the "Mile a Minute" afghan. We'll see how that goes....

So, for all you crochet people out there, happy hooking, and for those who don't crochet, thanks for reading anyway :)

Weird looks from the librarian

I've always loved to read, and summer is the time I love the most because I have bountiful amounts of time to lay down and read a book cover to cover. I have a varied taste in books, I read a little bit of everything (except super fantasy stuff or science fiction, ain't nobody got time for that!) I recently decided (as in about 3:00 this afternoon) that I was going to dig a trench in my personal reading quest and read a bunch of classic novels by great authors. I'm talking Steinbeck. Dickens. Austen. The Bronte sisters. The whole shebang. Of course, to counteract these heavy classic novels, I also need some fun, young adult novels. I cannot explain why, but I have recently gotten hooked into a young adult series entitled "Private" by Kate Brian. Set in a posh New England academy type high school with rich girls, one scholarship student pushing her way to the top, and sex, booze, and rock and roll (okay, I was kidding about the rock and roll, but there is drug use, so in an indirect way I guess it could be rock and roll, but I digress), this book literally SCREAMS teeny bopper thirteen year old who is trying to pretend she is a lot older than she really is. I'm almost ashamed to admit that I have the first 6 books in less than a week, just like I'm ashamed to admit that I've read all the Gossip Girl novels and the Twilight novels multiple times. I mean, I am supposed to be a SMART girl who thrives for literature, and last time I checked, Stephanie Meyer or Gossip Girl were not on the lists of Great American novels, but again I digress. But whatever the circumstances are, I cannot stop reading these books. So today, I went to the library after getting home from babysitting to check out some new books since I had finished all the other ones I checked out late last week. I ran (figuratively) to check out the next 6 books in the Private series (just reading this is pathetic :P), perused the young adult section and found a few books, and then went for the classics. Let me tell you, I have never gotten a look as weird as I did today from the library when she saw my pile that contained 6 of those teeny bopper novels, East of Eden by Steinbeck, Oliver Twist by Dickens, Dr. Zhivago, and two pathetic young adult books.

First year of college

As of about 2:00 on Wednesday, I was done with my first year of college. It's scary how fast that year flew by, and what's even scarier is that I know the next three are going to fly by even faster. I had lots of good and bad experiences, but I feel like every freshman college student, and just college students in general are going to have those. I made some friends, lost some friends, made some new friends, lost some friends. I don't think the losing friends had anything to really do with the people necessarily, it was just that we all come from completely different lives. I ended up moving home about halfway through the second semester because my dorm room was just associated with stress. I couldn't eat, I couldn't sleep, I couldn't get anything done. I figured that I needed to move home the night I called my mom after I had been crying for 2 and 1/2 hours about my so called friends ignoring me and then trying to act like it was my fault. Things improved 100 times after I moved home. My appetite was back, I was getting sleep, and I got stuff done. Definitely one of the  best decisions I made this year if not my whole life.
The academic side of things was a challenge, yet interesting at the same time. I managed to pull all A's my first semester for a 4.0. I was really stoked about that! This semester, I ended up with a B- in Chemistry, a B+ in Communications, A's in my music classes, and an unknown grade as of right now in my History class. People tell me I need to relax about getting B's  but they seem to forget I had ONE B in 4 semesters of high school, and I have very high expectations for myself (aka A's) but my parents have still ensured me that they are proud of me even if I got those two B's so that is what really matters. The academics tended to be very stressful at times, and I didn't think I was even going to get B's I was struggling so  badly. But, my faith was proven after receiving an A in a 300 level (think Junior status) Philosophy course 1st semester, and after receiving an email from my history professor this morning that told me I did a good job this semester (also in a 300 level course). I managed to get through all those days when I threatened Jerry Bertrand that I was going to go to the registrar's office and change my major to anything but music education. I always laugh because when I would threaten to do that, Jerry would just look at me and ask what I was going to change to, and I couldn't  give him an answer because there isn't anything I really see myself doing for the rest of my life besides teaching music. I freaked out that I was going to fail my finals earlier this week, and even threw my studying materials across the room at one point, only to leave the test room feeling very confident in my performances. All these things have led me to the conclusion that I get too worked up about things that I shouldn't get worked up about. I know that I work really damn hard to  get the grades I get, and it's evident that my professor's see that also. On a sidebar, if my mother is reading this right now, she is probably laughing, because she has been telling me my whole life that I worry too much about things that I shouldn't worry about or can't control, so, MOM, YOU WERE RIGHT.
College so far has taught me a lot about myself. I met people with lives that are extremely different than mine, both in seemingly better and worse ways (but mostly better). I wouldn't change my life for anything though because I can have the good feeling that I am not a spoiled brat who is used to getting whatever they want like SOME people I met at BVU. I know the value of hard work and I am willing to stress out, cry, throw notes, punch things, etc to make sure I pull good grades and do as well as I know I can!
Well, summer. It's so strange from going to having tons of homework and studying to having nothing to do. I've done some stuff around the house to help Mom out, and yesterday I did a major cleaning and organizing of my bedroom. We are redoing the spare bedroom this summer and turning it into a study den for me to use in the fall. I've got a babysitting job all next week, and hopefully one the next week for the rest of the summer. I'm playing in Muni Band, and in the pit orchestra for the musical in Cherokee. I plan on reading a lot, spending as much time outside as I can, crocheting a lot, playing my horn, and just enjoying time to do things that I love. I'm also on the Orientation team at school, so I get to help welcome the new class of freshman and get them excited to start their college careers at BVU.
So, I say deuces, freshman year of college. I learned a lot, I cried a lot, I ate a lot, I studied a lot (but mostly learned and ate) :). I cannot wait to see what next year has in store for me (you can probably bet notes will get thrown across the room on at least one occasion though) ;)

ABC's of my Life

A- Amy, my best friend since Kindergarten and the one person who has always been there for me no matter what.
B- Boz Wellz, where I spend my time working and the place my money comes from.
C- Chocolate, the first food I turn to when I'm stressed, upset, or feeling yucky.
D- Denise, my mother and my best friend.
E- Excited, the feeling I get when I think about starting college in a month.
F- French Horn, my passion and favorite thing in the world.
G- Gone with the Wind, one of my favorite novels and movies.
H- Harry Potter, the best movie/book series ever. I'm a huge Potterhead.
I- Ice cream, one of my favorite treats.
J- Jesus, my savior.
K- King of Queens, great TV show that I've seen most of the episodes of.
L- Liberty Hall, the dorm I will be living in at Buena Vista this year.
M- Music, I love to sing it, play it, listen to it, everything about it, I love.
N- Nervous, another feeling I get when I think about starting college in a month.
O- Organizing, the basement to be specific. That's our project for the rest of the summer.
P- Pretty Little Liars, one of my favorite TV shows.
Q- Queen Anne Cherry Cordials, my favorite favorite favorite candy to buy at Christmas time.
R- Reading, my favorite thing to do when I have the time.
S- Singing, another thing I love to do, whether it be in my room, the car, the shower, or Walmart.
T- Teaching, what I plan on making a career out of.
U- Unlimited texting, something I wish I had. :P
V- Valentine's Day, my least favorite holiday. Why does it have to be February 14th to profess your love?
W- Washington D.C., a place I want to travel to sometime before I die.
X- Xmas, my favorite holiday. I love decorating for it, listening to music, baking, and celebrating the birth of our Savior.
Y- YouCat, a book I just bought to help me learn more about my Catholic faith that I really know nothing about. (See previous blog post)
Z- Zebras, an animal that intrigue me. Are they black with white stripes, or white with black stripes??????

Trying to reclaim my faith

I got into a discussion with a friend on twitter this morning about how we don't feel our church did a good job educating us on our Catholic faith, and I agree 100% and beyond. The CCD/Religious Ed/School of Faith program at St. Mary's in Storm Lake is a complete and utter joke, and I don't care who I offend by saying that. I attended classes for the better part of 10 years, learned all my prayers, and went to mass with my parents, but I still do not know anything about my faith or the history of my church. My parents took a lot of criticism from many people when they allowed me to quit confirmation, but I don't understand why. Parents forcing their kids to do the confirmation program is the total opposite of what confirmation is supposed to be about, and I was not going to make the conscious decision to become a confirmed adult member of a church that I knew nothing about. What really angers me is that the kids who go to Catholic school seem to know a great deal more about the history of our church, why things are done the way they are, etc. The conclusion I'm drawing from this is that the kids who attend St. Mary's  get to learn more about their faith and the history of their church because their parents pay buckoo bucks for them to attend the parochial school. They're kind of leaving us public school kids out to dry, and giving up the short end of the stick because "you don't attend St. Mary's." It's kind of like their expecting the public school kids to just go along with things and not *expect* to learn because we don't pay a million dollars for CCD. (Okay, a million dollars is a huge exaggeration, but I digress.)
So, you are asking yourself, what are you going to do about this Kelsey? Well, I've decided it's time for me to take my faith into my own hands. I've scoured the internet and found online print resources that several parishes use for the RCIA program, I've ordered a book specifically written for Catholic Youth to help us understand our church, and I've sought out my public library for other print resources. If my church didn't feel it necessary to give me the education of my faith I deserve because I didn't attend St. Mary's, I'm going to educate myself. I have the support of my other public school Catholic friends and my parents, and I'm going to do this. I'm actually going to educate myself on the faith I've been living my entire life before I decide to become a full member of the church.
My friend Alyssa said it best on Twitter. "We are hurt by our lack of education." This is so true it's scary. Because we were not educated in most aspects of how our church works, the one thing that should be unquestionable in our lives is perhaps one of the most questionable things we deal with.

Books you must read and why I feel so

I'm constantly looking for things to blog about, and I came across a website that has a list of over 100 blogging topics. Some of them are things I could really care less about, but this one sort of spoke to me, because as most of you know, I spend a good majority of any free time I get reading a great book. So, without further ado, here is a *small* list of books that I feel everyone should read, and why I feel so. Here we go.....

1. The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling- First of all, if you haven't read at least 1 of the HP books by now, you either live under a rock or can't grasp the idea of reading a fantasy novel. I will tell you that fantasy is not my number one genre, in fact, it falls at the bottom of my list. However, I started reading the Harry Potter books in second grade (Ms. Langner's class, represent!), and I was instantly intrigued. Perhaps the reason I and so many others love these books is because of the fantasy elements. When you read HP, you are flown away to a different world, and it's so helpful when you really need an escape. Once I started one, I had problems putting them down. J.K. Rowling writes so well, and the plots of all the books are awesome, and you get sucked in (although sometimes it does take awhile for that to happen.) Even if you have TRIED reading the books before, I urge everyone to try it again, look past the *fantasy* genre and think of it as a great American classic in the making, because honestly, it is most likely going to become that.

2. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee- I probably would have never read this book if it was not required in my freshman Accelerated English class, but looking back, I am extremely glad that it was. This book is a classic example of a child being shaped by her surroundings and having to grow up faster than she perhaps wanted. This is on my top 10 list of best novels I've ever read. READ IT!!

3. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck- This was another required Accel. read, and although there are parts of it I could have lived without, it is overall one of the truly "American" novels. I feel that this novel is relate-able, although it took place during the Great Depression. The economic hardship and having to uproot themselves to go to an unknown place that the Joad family undergoes is more often than not a common thing in today's world.

4. The Help by Kathryn Stockett- Another good novel that is historical but shown from the African American side of the 1960s as opposed to the WASP, if you will, side.  One of the best quotes I've heard in a long time comes from  this book: "You is kind, You is smart, You is important."

5. Anything by Jodi Picoult- If you are the kind of person who loves a good realistic fiction novel with a ton of twists and the occasional tear jerker moment, you *NEED* to read some Jodi Picoult novels. She writes BRILLIANTLY and her books are always ones that sort of throw you  for a loop sometime during the duration of the novel, some of them throw you at the end, while some throw you in the middle. Heck, sometimes they throw you at the beginning. I've read most of her novels. I recommend all of them, but my favorite ones are Nineteen Minutes, Lone Wolf, My Sister's Keeper, Handle with Care, House Rules, Sing you Home, and Plain Truth.

That should hold you guys for now. I'm always reading, so I'll always come up with more that I will eventually share with you guys at a later date. But I'm in serious need of some more blog ideas that don't involve books, so if you happen to have any *bright* ideas, please comment and let me know!

The little kids have got it right

Yesterday, I had the afternoon off so I chose to go hang out with my second family, who is a family I have been babysitting for since the summer before I started 8th grade. After going to the waterpark to enjoy an indoor swim and finding it closed, we decided to go back to their house and make puppy chow. Brayden is 2 1/2, and Maddie will be going into 7th grade in the fall. The whole time when we were standing together in the kitchen making puppy chow, Brayden was nothing but smiles and giggles, and it helped me realize, the little kids are in fact smarter than most of us adults. I say this because they are able to smile and laugh no matter what is going on. I realize that little kids don't often recognize tragedy or sad events, so they are able to just smile all the time, but it really got me thinking: what if we all just smiled and laughed more, in order to get over our grief? This last year has been hell for me and my family, and although I try to keep myself composed, I have gone from being consumed with grief, to being angry at the world, to almost losing faith in everything I've ever believed. Times are still hard, and sometimes I just sit and think "Why did this happen to my family?" Lately, it hasn't so much been that question, it's been "Why do things KEEP happening?", because in my mind, God wouldn't be punishing people who do good for others in this way. I think I need to take a page out of Brayden's book. I need to smile more, laugh more, and forget all the bad things that are happening. There's a time and a place for grief and anger, but I can't let it consume my whole life. Hey, Brayden may only be 2, but he's got life figured out better thus far than a lot of adults ever do. Smile and laugh. That's the key to life. The little kids have all got it right.