Tuesday, December 28, 2010

One Year!

So, big news: I have officially had this blog for a whole year! I went back and read through the blogs and have realized that I have changed a lot and have become a much more confident individual.

I have found my Mr. Bingley, experienced countless days of beautiful snow, and have knit and baked either far too much or not enough. I have written 54 posts (55 including this one) and that was without posting for weeks on end in some cases. As a new year's resolution, I will try to post at least once a week in order to keep the blog updated, interesting, and free of "catch up" posts.

In other news, Christmas was wonderful. It felt very close-knit and peaceful. And, to top it off (quite literally) it was a white Christmas and a very white Boxing Day. With 14.5 inches of snow (which was enough to snap tree branches, tree trunks, and metal umbrella poles), let's say that we won't be leaving the house for a while.

Also, upon cleaning and reorganizing my bookshelf, I came across 12 books that I haven't read! They should keep me busy until the snow melts.

It has been a great year posting and sharing with everyone. I hope you continue to read as much as I continue to write and I thank everyone who has been here since December 28, 2009.

Until next time!

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Bread and Bracelets

With Christmas just days away, I am surprised by how little I've baked! To remedy that, I decided to bake not one, but three loaves of Italian herb bread. I must say it is the most delicious batch of bread I have ever made!


In more exciting new, I officially opened up an online shop! For now I am selling a few necklaces and bracelets I have made, but I plan to add scarves and other original crafts. It's called "Market Turtle" (for no real reason except that I thought it sounded good). You can find my shop here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/Xethtine

My vacation from school has thus-far been a fair mix of work and relaxation. It's nice working in the store this time of year and seeing all of the presents and cookies being sent all over the country and a few going overseas. Its such a wonderful time of year with so many wonderful people and so many wonderful feelings. I cannot wait for Christmas morning ^_^

Anywhos, time to get back to baking!

Until next time! Happy Holidays! :)

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Kanji Names

As with the Numbers Game blog, a surprising amount of people participated. Nine of you responded and so, without further delay, here are your "kanji names" in what you mean to me. I thought I would make it a little fun and let you all try to figure out your name.


Ambition (Yabou): Because you have never stopped striving for your goals and have always worked hard to achieve them.


Balance (Kinkou): Because you are able to manage an extremely busy life with a very calm and happy demeanor.


Best Friend (Shinyuu): Because you are and always will be my best friend.


Kindness (Shinsetsu): Because you have never been anything but polite and kind and sincere to me and I truly appreciate that :)


Labyrinth (Meikyuu): Because I never cease to be confused by you, but it is fun to try to figure you out from time to time :P


Protector (Shugosha): Because you've never stopped looking out for me and you will always be there for me.


Sincerity (Seijitsu): Because you are always honest with me and have always been very kind and loving.


Spirit (Seishin): Because you are filled with it and love to share it with everyone around you.


Welcome (Kangei): Because you have always made me feel like a part of your family.

Here are two additional joke names. You know who you are :P


Bad Influence (Akueikyou) and Son (Musuko).

Thanks again to everyone who participated! I will try to resume normal blogs within the next few days. If you enjoyed the past two blogs, I'd be more than willing to come up with some more participation blogs.

Until next time!

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Holiday Cheer

First off, this blog is blog #50!! Woohoo! I made a mistake and thought that the numbers blog was #50, but simply miscounted.

It has been a great weekend thus far. With today being my "study day", I feel that I have been able to relax, de-stress, and have a lot of fun. I went to my second Christmas party last night (it was actually a banquet) and I was able to talk with a lot of my friends whom I haven't seen all semester.

The theme for the party was the Roaring 20's and so the room was filled with feathers and very sharp and snazzy outfits. I personally went with a feather in my hair, a white blouse, and a pinstriped vest and pair of pants. All-in-all, I feel I had the appearance of a poker dealer, but the outfit seemed to fit in well.

The main event of the banquet was another White Elephant gift exchange. This was infinitely more hilarious than the exchange on Wednesday night as it involved over 50 participants and many "stolen" gifts. I did opt to steal a gift and my reason was quite silly: I only wanted the basket it came in. The basket now sits proudly in my room, its contents re-gifted or traded. I ended up with 2 bracelets, a horse-giraffe-goat stuffed animal, some candies, and a set of jacks.

It was nice to be with all of my bible study friends in such a happy and lively atmosphere. There was so much celebration and laughter and simple good cheer. It makes me feel so good to have a surrounding of good-natured friends that I can feel completely safe and happy with and it makes me sad that I don't spend nearly as much time with them all as I should. I will make a much better effort next semester, as I shouldn't be as busy, and I feel that this holiday season is really going to invoke a lot of positive change.

With exams fast approaching, I feel that this weekend (aside from today) was meant for relaxing and being with friends. I am in a great state of mind, I am happy, and I am ready to take my exams head on!

Until next time!

Friday, December 10, 2010

Cupcakes and Critters

This is blog number one for today. The Numbers Game blog will go up later today once all numbers are in. I look forward to seeing who participates and why they chose the numbers they did.

This blog is simply a blog about some of the fun things I've gotten to do this week!

First off, Wednesday was officially the last day of the semester! I can't believe that it's already over, it feels like it went by extremely fast. I still have a few exams to take, but I'm essentially done and this time next week I will be home!

Wednesday was really a lot of fun. I was able to do some baking and go to a very nice Christmas party with my bible study. I baked Devil's Food cupcakes and put nonpareils (Snocaps) and edible pearls on them to make them a little fancier. I think they came out quite well and people seemed to enjoy them at the party.


The party was a lot of fun. I got to talk with people I haven't heard from in a while and meet new people. Towards the end of the party, there was a While Elephant gift exchange. I realised in horror that I had left my gift at home. I quickly found some paper and made a 12 point star origami and made it an ornament. I felt terrible because everyone else had brought really nice gifts. I've told the person that ended up with the star that I'd be more than happy to give them the original gift, but I haven't heard back from her yet.

During the exchange, I ended up with quite a hilarious gift. I haven't had a chance to program it yet, but it should fix the issue of constantly losing the remote.


Again, it was just really great being able to celebrate with friends that I haven't been able to talk with in a while and to make new friends. There is another celebration that I am going to on Saturday. It is a Christmas banquet and the theme in the Roaring 20's. I haven't yet decided what to wear, but it should be a lot of fun.

Thursday was cleaning day, but that only lasted until about 1 pm and then I became terribly bored. One day in and I already am missing school! To relieve the boredom, I decided to break out my polymer clay and create. What I created, I'm not exactly sure, but her name is Fanny and she likes to protect my Christmas cookies from other wandering creatures.


Thursday night, my boyfriend and I went and saw Tangled, which had a lot of very funny parts to it, but as a whole felt very "fluffy" as a movie; there was a lot of filler material (there was far too much singing, which I suppose is characteristic of Disney movies) and about 30 minutes of actual, substantial plot material. I would watch it again, but only for the humorous parts.

It is now Friday and, after having cleaned some more, it is only noon! I'm sure I will find something to do...

I will be posting the special Numbers Game blog later today, so keep an eye out for it :)

Until This Afternoon!

The Numbers Game

After semi-persistent badgering of my friends and family, I finally was able to have 11 people participate in the numbers game! I will put them in the order that I received them. Thanks so much to everyone who participated!

64: I can't believe its been eight years! Eight wonderful years of goofiness, awesomeness, and great friendship. Even though we've lived hundreds of miles away from each other for 5 years, you are still my very best friend and I cannot wait until the next time I get to see you. No matter how much distance there is between us, I am convinced that we will always be friends, even when we are those crazy old ladies in the nursing home, and we will always love Cheese, no matter how old it gets. Thank you for being such a good friend through all of the years :) (Flying purple moose, over and out)

2: You helped me through my first semester of college, when I was scared of a lot of things, emotionally, spiritually, and academically. You have always been there for me and, while you can be a little nuts sometimes, you are still a wonderful friend and an awesome ninja turtle :)

42: Where do I even begin?! You are like the older brother I never had. You are always the first to ask me if something is wrong and are always there with a hug if I need one. I really do appreciate your friendship and I hope that we will always be close, no matter how many miles separate us.

74: It has been so long since we talked! You were such a good friend to me in high school and I really did miss you when you moved. You were always so kind and funny and, while I would never dissect a frog with you (or any one) ever again, I really did like having you as my lab partner ("The Dynamic Duo" as Ms. Grimes put it). I hope to see again someday and I hope that you are doing well

7: I love the way you keep up with me on Facebook and on my blog. It makes me feel so good that you read it. I really wish we lived closer to each other and I wish I could see you more often. You are sincerely one of my favorite relatives and, even though there are eight states, an international border, and a province separating us, I love the close bond we have created. I love you and cannot wait until the next time I get to see you :)

f513698e64169103f7b9Ze9ccf4adebc: Firstly, I did type out that whole "number" instead of just copying and pasting it. Secondly, it has been way too long since we talked! I never see you anymore and that just won't do! You have been a good friend throughout my college career and it was always fun to hear about your new engineering endeavors or to see new photos you had taken (my favorite is the one of the moon with the rainbow halo). I miss you and think you should definitely show up around Blacksburg sometime soon :P

8: Of course you would pick 8 :) You know me so well, better than anyone in the world will ever know me. You have been there for me through everything and have helped me learn so much. I don't say it enough, but I appreciate everything you do for me and I love you with all of my heart. I love it when we have days for just us and I love the way you have always kept me safe but given me the freedom to explore on my own. I love the relationship we have and I am certain it will never fade or go away; we love each other just that much! I love that we have been able to keep such a strong bond throughout my whole life, something many people take for granted, and I will always always always love you.

110: Haha! I love the way you picked your number! It is a shame that we don't get to see each other much this year; it was always so much fun to have you pop by the room last year. I hope you are doing well with my old roommate. I always look for you two during the halftime show! I apologize for the caroling texts, a mere confusion of names :P

101010: System.out.println("Ah, FacePamphlet. Good times :P. Class was always so much fun with you, as were the hours of study sessions wracking our brains as to how to recreate FaceBook. I'm sad that we don't see each other so much, but am glad that we have remained friends. And while I have given up programming, I can always appreciate a humorous bit of binary :)");

123456789: Why haven't I seen you all semester? You love right next door!! Ever since my first semester here, you have been a great friend to me, especially when it came to bible study and church. I'm sad that you're never at the lunch table (and that I'm never at the lunch table) and I really miss you!

X: Way to be awesome with the roman numeral. Even though we hardly see each other any more, its always good to know that you'll be there for me if I need you. You helped me through a lot during high school and I will always remember you as the friend who hijacked my wheelchair. I was devastated when you shaved your head because then I had nothing to braid when band got boring :P. I miss you and hopefully we can see each other soon :)

Thanks again to everyone who participated :)

Monday, December 6, 2010

Snow Dazed and Exam Crazed


It has officially happened! The first snow of the season! Its so exciting because now it really feels like the Christmas season, especially since the snow started when I was on my way to go caroling.

Some of my church group friends and I went to a veterans' hospital to sing to patients that were sick. When we got there, it was decided that we were to sing on stage rather than go room to room. So, the eight of us got up there and sang 11 Christmas songs including "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer", "Joy to the World", and a never ending version of "We Wish you a Merry Christmas". It was truly a wonderful time and it was good to see how many people we made smile.

On the way back, the snow just kept drifting down and covered everything very quickly. It was funny to see a fall scene turn into a winter scene in a matter of hours!

Snow is absolutely my favorite type of weather (despite the cold). Seeing it just makes me happy and it just seems so magical and beautiful. It makes me feel calm and at ease, which is very beneficial as exams come up.

The semester is finally drawing to a close and exams are fast approaching. I have two tomorrow and then three next week and then I get to taste the sweet freedom of a 4 week break. I still am unsure of what courses I am going to take next semester, but I am certain that I will not ever have a semester with such varied classes ever again!

Anywhos, I have to get back to study for Art History and Geography.

Remember to take time today to throw a snowball at a friend! It's very therapeutic :)

Until Next Time :)

Saturday, December 4, 2010

Ups and Downs

Finally! The holiday season has officially started! Time to break out the muffin pans, cookie sheets, mixing bowls, etc. Right now, it seems that this wonderful season is one of the few things keeping me together as the semester draws to a close.

This past week has been extremely hectic for academic and emotional reasons. Let's start with academics:

This week encompassed a test, a practicum, a 5 hour geography project, a quiz, an essay in french about my opinions on welfare, and countless other little assignments to keep myself busy. While I've managed to keep up with it all (with the exception of one homework assignment), it has been extremely stressful with the addition of emotional stresses.

The past few weeks have been emotionally draining. Period. I feel that my efforts socially and academically are not appreciated and that friendships I've made are weakening because I've been so busy this semester. I also feel betrayed by several people whom I did everything to salvage a friendship with. I feel disrespected, ignored, and I feel like some people don't really care about me the way I thought they did.

I am very hurt because I have never been unfair or unkind to anyone and simply can't understand why they feel I don't deserve the same in return. If I have a problem with someone, I am at least civil with them. I don't go behind their back and tell lies, I don't play myself out as a helpless victim, and I don't try to turn their friends against them.

I am not just referring to one person or incidence, this is just triggered by a recent one. I am frustrated and hurt and I feel that I have been treated very unfairly in a situation that could have been resolved very easily.

That is the major emotional weight on me right now. I am also stressing because one of my good friends is in the hospital after a devastating car crash. I am stressing because I am unsure of my future, what I want to do, what I am going to do.

I am trying to sort everything out. I am sorry that this isn't as happy of a blog as I normally post, so to finish on a good note, here is a picture of a cupcake made of flowers:

I hope all of you are having a holiday season that is off to a great start and I look forward to posting through Christmas as I bake and create and get the Holiday spirits up :)

Until next time!