"Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened." – Dr. Seuss

I need to plaster that quote all over my dorm room this year.

So I've come to my last day working in the STEM Center, and I'm kinda feeling sad about it! The two ladies that I've spent most of my time with are just lovely, and I will miss them quite a bit! Here's hoping I can work here next summer :)

I've just about come to the end of my summer at home, as well. Thursday I'll head back to school to train for my new job, just in time to melt in the 110+ degree heat up there, and then class will be starting before I even know it! Honestly, if I could have my perfect world, I'd be able to go to school and live close to home, but alas I can not, so I'll just have to be brave and deal with it. I am excited to see all my friends again, though, it's been far too long and I miss them dreadfully! Sheesh, I feel like all I ever do is miss people :/ that's what I get for going to school in a different state! Tonight, however, is a celebration! Since I won't be home for my birthday next week, we're celebrating tonight. Even my brother is leaving his mission stay (not a trip, they're staying in town) to come, and that's saying something!

Well, this has been an thoroughly sappy post so far :P In other news, last week was our family trip to Florida, and it was magnificent! Four, yes, FOUR days on the beach, including a boat ride, a trip to the Naval Air Museum, and one night camping on the beach with my dad! Not to mention time to spend with extended family that I don't get to see too often. The best news? I only got a very light sunburn, and that's truly impressive for one as white as I am. I'll have to post some pictures of Florida when I get the chance, because I took some very lovely ones; but it may be the weekend before I get around to it, what with moving states and jobs and all.

Now, for your entertainment update: Peter Jackson has officially announced that The Hobbit is now a trilogy!! You have no idea how excited I am for these three movies. Currently I'm re-reading The Hobbit, and then I'm going to start in on the LotR appendixes, and if I get really motivated, I'll read the Unfinished Tales or Book of Lost Tales. I might even make my, ahem...5th...attempt to read the Silmarillion.. I might even finish this time! But regardless, Jackson did such a fine job with the LotR, I'm quite confident that he can muster up 3 more good movies!

Summer Fun, and other Nonsense

My Xyloband

Sitting here on a nice rainy day keeping my promise to post about what I've done for fun this summer :) Possibly the most exciting thing was going to see Coldplay (one of my favorite bands) live a few weeks ago! I wasn't planning on going, but the day before things worked out and I got to go with my Dad and brother, plus a bunch of my brother's friends. It was a fabulous concert! They did everything expected of them, such as play everyone's favorite songs, but the coolest thing they did was pass out wristbands called Xylobands to everyone that lit up in time to some of their songs. It was an incredible effect, because every person from the floor to the roof (I was part of the roof crowd) had one, so the whole room was sparkling! On the whole it was a ton of fun :)

Yellow

I've also had some amazing time with friends this summer. Since my parents own a bed and breakfast, we can put up a lot of extra people, so I had four friends come stay a weekend with us, which was amazing fun :) I'm so looking forward to being back at school with them for another year!

All the Xylobands lit up!

I also got the chance to go on the annual camping trip with my brother and our two friends. This year we went to Lake Hugo to camp, play cards, swim, etc. Basically everything went smoothly, except that it took us about an hour and a half to find the actual campsite (I will accept the blame for getting faulty directions) and one of our loaves of stromboli (pizza stuffed bread) got soaked by a bag of ice (again, I will accept the blame for accidentally leaving the bag of ice on top of the bread). But no one got hurt or sunburnt, we had a nice, private spot to pitch the tent, and it wasn't so miserably hot this time!

The last thing we've got planned this summer is a vacation to visit family in Florida, and I am super pumped to spend time on the beach! Sadly, my sister is lame and went to Germany for the summer, so for the first time in my life I'll have to brave the beach without her. Gah. I'll probably bring a bunch of art stuff to work on, since it'll be my last chance before school to do anything like that. So, here's prepping for a week of sand[rashes] and sun[burns]!

The Air is Wet..

So said my 13 year old cousin from New Mexico. The average humidity she's used to is prolly around 6%, whereas here we have an average humidity closer to 60%. (That's your fun fact of the day!)

 So it's been a while, but then, when have I ever been consistent? This summer has been wonderful so far! I did finally start an Etsy store, The Wire Peacock, and I'm working to get my feet off the ground ;) Jewelry is just such an over-saturated market that it is hard to make a space for myself, so I'm workin' on finding ways to be found.

Wire Knot Baltic Amber Gemstone Dangle Chandelier Earrings

I also managed to snag a job last month! After applying everywhere around town, even resorting to restaurants and calling centers with no luck, I was recommended for an office-type job at the university which has worked out splendidly! I have such wonderful people to work with, everyone is just about as kind and gracious as you can imagine, and it's very low stress. I think the best thing about the job is probably the fact that I get a faculty/staff parking permit, my own desk, my own computer, my own phone, and my own e-mail! Silly, I know, but I feel very special parking in the forbidden faculty/staff lots and answering my business phone ;) This next week the center that I am working for is hosting a math and science camp for middle school kids, so I think I'm in for a long week :P But it should be fun!

The Bathroom (in-progress)

In other news, mostly all I've done is work around the house and help with the Hardeman House Bed and Breakfast. I've been tasked with remodeling our half bathroom using a movie theme. I've finished all the painting, and I was even brave enough to paint some of it solid black, despite the total lack of windows or skylights. So now I'm on to figuring out the decorations. We've got several mini "movie posters" we cut from the front of old VHS boxes, and I want to find some old movie paraphernalia such as movie reels and cameras. I also think it'd be fun to make some fake movie props, like ruby slippers and light sabers, that could be put up around the room. My Dad is also looking at incorporating some SUPER ancient movie history. Our house was build in 1892, around the same time that Thomas Eddison started making the first moving pictures for public viewing. You can watch this one up above, the Blacksmith Scene, and then you can read about it on Wikipedia here (I know, I know, not the MOST reliable source available). It would be super fun to have a way to play this and other clips in the bathroom, but I haven't been about to find a digital frame that plays movies in addition to a .jpeg slideshow, so we might have to settle for a print from the clip.

I have also done some fun things this summer, but I think I'll come back and post about those later, since this one is so long! But don't worry, THIS time, later means tonight or tomorrow :)