Pages to Read and to Fold

I've been enjoying some wonderful pages lately: the pages of a new book I discovered. I found it while at Barnes and Noble (I love that place; it always has that new book smell.) and I absolutely loved it. I recommend it to everyone with the capability to read it and understand it who is over thirteen years old. There are a few parts that our younger generation probably doesn't need to read, though they've probably seen worse.

I have to say, this is the best book I've read in a very long time. It had wonderful use of language and imagery, personification, and characterization. I absolutely loved the characters. I was thrown into the stories and felt the emotions of the characters, and by the time the book was over, I was sorry that it had ended. I felt like I knew the characters and I would definitely buy and read any future books by this author. With such an enjoyable writing style and such fantastic characters, why wouldn't I?

Also, here is Lev AC Rosen's website, where you can preview the first two chapters and read them over and over to your heart's content.

Do you remember my fan-girl post about Artemis Fowl? Well, I'm sure you can guess what else I bought while at Barnes and Noble: the new book. Artemis, fifteen year old criminal mastermind, having seen fairies, demons, and more, finally goes insane. It certainly took him long enough.

In other news, I've gained a new mini-hobby: paper-folding. You can read more about it and see pictures on my deviantART. I would post them here as well, but I prefer to avoid double posting things where I can.

I'm afraid I haven't been posting anything of much quality lately near as often as I would like, and I'm sorry about that. School has officially eaten my life for the time being, so until I graduate, this is how it will be the majority of the time. One of these days, I'll catch back up.

Stretched paper thin,

Shansie

Kodak Moment

Only problem is that I don't have a Kodak camera. It's definitely a Nikon. Anyways, here are some pictures. Enjoy!

Wooden pagoda thing. And trees. And a lamp.
Ooh, look, spiderwebs!

Flowers and grass and shadows!

Did your parents ever tell you not to stare at the sun?
Mine did. Hey, look. A tree!

On an unrelated note, I've gotten a little braver lately. I stopped worrying about someone judging me for doing something I wanted to and just trying to have fun instead. So guess what I did? I cooked breakfast with my mom. We made pancakes, and when we took them out of the pan, we flipped them in the air and caught them with the plates. My dad was so worried that we would drop them on the floor, but we kept flipping them anyways. We caught most of them. I was pretty proud of us, and I decided that a photo-shoot was in order, so I made the perfect pancake stack, took lots of pictures, and then gave it to my brother. He said they were delicious.

Omnomnom pancakes.

Get. In. Mah. Belleh. (I couldn't resist.)

Feeling immature today,

Shansie

Dynamic Views

Sleep: that happens?

I decided to play around with the new template, Dynamic Views, a little bit. At first glance, I had a moment of "What even is this?" Upon further scrolling, I decided it was interesting. It was sleek, modern, and very snippet-oriented on every mode except for the classic. I guess that's fine, since that's pretty much what people want - small blobs of information or pictures here and there. I can't help but wonder though, as I look at it, where did my blog go?

Now, maybe it's just me, but I like my quilt background. I'm kind of attached to it, be that a good or bad thing. This thing was white. Not just part of it - the whole thing. Now, once I played around with the design editor a little more, I discovered that you can, in fact use a background on the very top bar, which looks nice, but doesn't quite work with my background. (The crossword background, however, looks pretty spiffy like this.)

It's sleek, modern, and pretty, but it doesn't look like a blog. Maybe that's the point. It doesn't look like a blog. Maybe it isn't supposed to. If you're going for that, it makes sense. Personally, I'm fine with my rough-around-the-edges blog the way it is, but if that's the look you're going for, it's a sleek, modern, and easily navigable template.

All in all? It's a nice addition. It has all sorts of fun features. You could use it for just about anything, from a portfolio-style site to an online magazine. I tip my hat to you, blogger. I like this idea, even if I won't be using it on this blog.

I'm sure there are other cool things you can do with it, but I didn't take the time to find all the quirks of it. I finally started to feel a little tired - and I'm taking that chance to go to bed. And with that, good night.

I keep forgetting to sign these,

Shansie

Restless

Why on earth, you might be wondering, am I sitting in my room, at 12:30 a.m. writing a blog post? Well, I can't sleep. Have you ever had the feeling, as you're lying there, trying to sleep, and your mind just won't slow down? I've had more than plenty nights recently where I have that trouble. After spending an hour rolling from side to side, finding a comfortable spot, and trying to relax, I gave up on the idea of sleep and got up.

I wasn't quite sure what to do, as I can't turn on a light, because my roommate is asleep, so studying wasn't an option - and so here I am, writing you all a blog post at this ridiculous hour. It's almost funny, when I think about it. I was tired at 7:00 p.m. today. I could have gone to bed then, and I wouldn't have had this problem.

Like I said before, this has happened with irritating frequency lately. My mind just isn't slowing down when I'm tired. To be honest, I don't think it's slowing down even when I do get to sleep anymore. I've been dreaming a lot more often lately. Whereas I used to rarely dream of a theme repeatedly unless it was in a recurring dream, lately I've been having different dreams with shared themes, which is quite abnormal for me.

What's even weirder is the level of detail I'm able to recall from the dreams, and how realistic they are.I mean, the ability to recall dreams like this is just... strange. Not to say that I haven't recalled strange dreams in great detail before, I just haven't recalled this many related dreams in this level of detail in such a short period of time before. It's just weird.

Are dreams supposed to tell you something? When I'm dreaming about a very specific thing over and over for weeks on end, it makes me wonder.

Either way, I suppose I'll try to sleep again at some point. If that fails, there's a good chance you'll see another post at silly hours of the morning today - or is it tonight?

Tossing and turning,
Shansie

Who Am I?

I watched Rango with my roommate last night. It was a great movie. Great animation. Rango was constantly searching for answers to one question: "Who am I?"

In my Oral Comm class, our first speech is to introduce a classmate. We interview them, pick two or three main ideas or points, make an outline, and present it to the class. The goal is to help the teacher remember our names, and to practice public speaking before we do our large speeches.

I figured that if I have to present things to the class, it should be a good presentation, especially since the classmate I will be introducing will be watching.

This is my question to you: What makes a person who they are? Is it their passions? Their actions? Their thoughts? How can you introduce someone so that they will be remembered? How do you avoid that moment of awkward silence?

On a different note, I'm sorry I haven't posted much as of late. I haven't forgotten about you all. I've just been a bit busy with school and all. Perhaps I'll post soon about words, etymology, singing, writing, or other things of the sort. Before I go off rambling about who knows what, though, I'll let this post come to an end. More to come another day.

Why must I forget to sign these?
Shansie

Fowl Play

I've read the Artemis Fowl books for years. At one point, I owned all of the books, and The Artemis Fowl Files. Unfortunately, one year, I got moths in my room, and they ate some of my books. I've yet to find the money to replace them.

Either way, they're amazing books. I love them. For the longest time, there were only six books in the series. (There are also The Artemis Fowl Files, and two Graphic Novels currently.) I waited and waited for a seventh book to come out. At some point, I lost track. Recently, however, I decided to check again, in hopes that I would find a new book out.

This time, I was right. There was a new book. I was so excited, you wouldn't have believed it. I read the entire prologue and first chapter on the official Artemis Fowl website, and I fell in love with the book. It's amazing, and our beloved fifteen year old Artemis has gone quite undeniably insane. I guess you can't blame the kid, after all the stuff he's seen and done.

Yesterday, when I went to the library, I put the newest book, Atlantis Complex, on hold. I could barely contain my excitement. Hopefully they will get the book in later this week and I'll be able to read it, at which point I will inform you of how amazing it undoubtedly will be. I desperately want to rant about the series, but if you haven't read it, I would be giving you spoilers. I refuse to ruin the books for you, because I hope you will read them. You won't regret it.

In case you were curious, the books in the series now include Artemis Fowl, The Arctic Incident, The Eternity Code, The Opal Deception, The Lost Colony, The Time Paradox, and The Atlantis Complex. All six books that I have read were amazing, and I have no doubt that the seventh book will easily live up to my expectations.

Don't say d'Arvit,

Shansie

Talented?

You know, I can sing and write and whatnot, but aside from that, I don't have any natural talents I can think of. I"m not really sure if those count as talents anyways. I guess my academics are kind of a talent - I'm gifted and all, but does that really count as a talent? I mean, anything I've ever been any good at is something I've worked very hard at. Stuff doesn't just come easy for me very often.

Remember how I taught myself to sing? I taught myself to write much the same way. I was reading at three years old, and after immersing myself in my books for years and years (and thus losing any social capacity I might have had), I started writing, and my writing slowly turned into what it is now, after a ton of essays and playing with poetry and about seven different attempts at books, not to mention the countless rewrites of books that consisted only of the first chapter.

I got good at riding and working with horses after spending every waking moment I possibly could at the stables from the winter of my freshman year until I left to go to school. I took lessons as long as I could afford it and I worked cleaning stalls and feeding and riding every horse on the property until I got some degree of horse sense.

It's like that with everything I do: gymnastics, horses, singing, writing, schoolwork, bicycling, and now I'm working on photography. Funny thing is, the first time I did these things, no one had the reaction of "Oh, you have talent." My singing received a multitude of shushing and kids telling me to "shut up," while my writing often garnered dishonest opinions when I only wanted critiques.

So, this is my question to you: Can you really consider any of these to be talents?

Well, while I'm posting about talents, I might as well do something I've been putting off for a while. I'll let you guys see my deviantART. Yup, I don't have much up there, but it's a little bit of random stuff. Nowhere near as cool as I see some people, like *Shichigoro756 (You're welcome for the free advertising. You're awesome.), posting, but hey. It's something. Maybe one of these days I'll get something really cool up there, like if I ever post part of my book, or figure out how to take pictures in the fog. Don't worry, I'll be sure to let you know if I do. But even though I don't really see it as anything spectacular, you should take a look. The more feedback I get, the better.

Deviously yours,
Shansie

Mandatory Teenage Angst

You always hear me talk about more adult topics, and everyone always hears me say how I wanted to be a Veterinarian for a good part of my childhood. Well, now they hear me saying that I want to be a high school Biology teacher. Yup, that's right. Now, before you start in with asking Where is the angst?!, just let me finish.

It isn't entirely true that I've always wanted to be a veterinarian. I have always loved animals. They are my escape, my friends, my listening ear, my shoulder to cry on, my loves. However, they weren't my first love. That title would belong to my voice. I love to sing.

Sure, sure. Lots of people enjoy singing. Yup, my little description box over there says I like singing. Thing is, I never took lessons. I taught myself to sing listening to 'Nsync, Brittany Spears, Shania Twain, Martina McBride, and the like. Whitney Houston is completely my hero.

I was very shy as a kid, and anytime I would sing in front of people, they would get annoyed and shush me. It didn't take long to convince me that I had no talent. I decided, that like everything else, I lacked the talent and would have to make up for it in hard work. I began staying up late into the night, sometimes past midnight, to practice. I sang along to songs, trying my hardest to mimic the voices.

Slowly, I gained confidence. I began to think that maybe, just maybe, I might be some good. I desperately wanted someone to notice my voice. I loved singing so much. It was my dream to be famous, to spread the way music makes me feel to the world. Quite honestly, that dream has never died, nor has that feeling. I still love to sing. It makes me so happy, nearly nothing can stop me from singing, aside from losing my voice completely. Every time I listen to the radio, I dream of being discovered, of getting at least one song on the radio.

I know it's a crazy dream. I know that it's completely illogical, and that hardly anyone ever makes it anywhere. What I don't understand is why that should stop me from trying. I mean, what's the worst that could happen? If I didn't make it, I'd just be right back where I am now, right? It's not like I would stop going to school to try. I would still want to finish up school while I was singing.

So, there's today's angst for you. Hope you enjoyed reading it.

Singing as I post,
Shansie

Shan Interviews Shan - Just for you.

So, you claim to be a teenager, correct?
Well, yes. I do. In fact, I am a teenager. To be more specific, I am seventeen.

I see that you post a lot about topics that don't seem very teenager-like.
I guess you could say that. I suppose I have posted about more adult topics on occasion, if you would like to classify them as such. I've been told I'm more mature than others my age since I was young - okay, now I sound old - since I was a little kid, like 7 years old. I have posted about my philosophy on blogging (if you didn't see it, see my first post here), my hatred of chatspeak, my college classes, photography, writing, drawing, design, books, and, in a roundabout way, my faith.

Your faith?
I am a Christian, and proud. Quite a bit of my writing, photography, etc. reflect that, although very little of it bluntly says it.

You mentioned college classes, but you said you were seventeen. Shouldn't you be in high school?
Yes, yes, and yes. I am seventeen, and yes I am technically in high school. No, I am not taking dual credit high school courses. I am currently working on my second year of my associate's degree in math and science. My college classes not only count towards my degree, but cover all of the requirements necessary to graduate high school, and I mean all of them. Trust me, it's not easy, but it's worth it.

Aren't teenagers supposed to be disrespectful, eternally bored, skip school, listen to loud music, and go to wild parties?
You would be surprised. Disrespectful, well, not always. Every once in a while, I snap at my mom, but I generally apologize and do something nice for her within a few minutes. It really doesn't happen as often as you would think. I know plenty of very respectful teenagers, some of whom you wouldn't expect it from by looking at them.

School skipping is seriously just a stereotype. You are always going to have a few teens who skip school, but in reality, you are always going to have a few adults who call in sick to work when really they're perfectly healthy. We're fairly normal human beings.

Alright, I can't deny the loud music. Mine isn't as loud as most, maybe, but that's just because I don't want to lose my hearing at thirty. We listen to music pretty loudly, and if it's our favorite song, you'll see us reach to turn up the volume. That one's pretty accurate, although not everyone listens to screaming, hard rock, rapping music. We range all the way from classical, to country, to anything else you can imagine. We're pretty open with our music as a general rule.

Wild parties. Oh my. Some teenagers might, but as for me and the majority of my friends, I would much rather stay home and stay up all night watching movies, drinking nothing harder than caffeine, and playing goofy games like "Chubby Bunny."

Oh so you don't know? Well, you just go around the circle and put one marshmallow in your mouth at a time, and try to say "Chubby Bunny" without chewing or spitting out the marshmallows. Last one to lose the mallows wins.


Well, you don't sound like a teenager.
Wait, I haven't posted anything from my teenager-side, have I? Woops, sorry 'bout that. My bad. Would you like me to fix this?

Psh, yes. If you don't, people are going to stop believing you.
Alright, alright. I'll toss some angst up in a post later.

You better.

This is Your Homework.

The book does not lie.

Yes, I'm giving you a reading list. Don't worry, they're all really good books that I thoroughly enjoyed. I can only hope that you will enjoy them as much as I did.

Hit the books, kid.

And don't you close them.

No more, no more,

No more, no more.

(To the tune of "Hit the Road, Jack.")

The Artemis Fowl Series, by Eoin Colfer

I'm obsessed with these books. You know how people are with Twilight and Harry Potter? That's how I am with Artemis Fowl. If they made a movie, I would watch it a million times.

Forever My Lady, by Jeff Rivera

Oh my gosh. What can I say. This book made me cry my eyes out. It was amazing. You should read it.

Black Beauty

Do I really have to list the author? It's a classic. The personality of the horse is captured perfectly.

Lord of the Flies

Okay, so it was required reading, but it was good. I really enjoyed reading it.

Gathering Blue, Messenger, and The Giver, by Lois Lowry

These are phenomenal books. I had to read them for a class, and I now own the series. Beautifully written, and so much thought went into them. They really do make you wonder...

Goosebumps, by RL Stine

I don't care what anyone says. These books from my childhood were the coolest things ever. I loved ghost stories, and these books never ceased to fill my craving for the scary, strange, and creepy.

The Babysitter's Club

Okay, so I read these when I was younger. I still read them over and over. On my shelf, if by no other standards, they're a timeless classic. I never get bored of them.

Majyk, by Angie Sage

There's a whole series of these books, starring Septimus Heap. I've unfortunately only had the opportunity to read the first book, Majyk. Nonetheless, I highly recommend it. I very much enjoyed reading it.

Vibes, by Amy Kathleen Ryan

This is definitely a teenage book. I recently read it, around the same time I read Forever My Lady. I enjoyed it, although it is much less conservative than I consider my usual reading. It had great character development, and made me laugh and cry.

If I could remember more, I would list them for you, but unfortunately that is all I can recall for now. But now, you have three posts caught up here. Hopefully that will help make up for my random absence before. Do let me know if you read any of these books and what you think of them!

Hit the books, Jack,
Shansie

A Call For Help

As you all know, I love to read and write. Sometimes, though, I get so caught up in how a story I'm writing makes me feel, and what I think about the characters, that I don't stop to think about the reader. Honestly, that's one of my major weaknesses.

My characters are like an extension of myself. If you read into my characters, you're really reading into me. Funny, isn't it? So many of the things that happen to my characters, I've never experienced. I've never felt the pains or joys that my characters go through, and yet, they are like a part of me. Their personalities reflect me or people I know. Even their appearances and names symbolize something. I put more thought into them than I do into my every day life.

Yet, without a reader, a story really isn't complete, is it? I want someone to feel like they know a character when they've read something I've written. I want them to feel like they know me. The thing is, I don't really know how to do that.

This is me reaching out to you, the readers. When you read a book, short story, poem, or any form of writing for that matter, what makes you like it? What about it invokes that emotion that makes something such a great work? If you could commission a book to be written exactly the way you think a book should be... What would it be like? What is important to you when you read something?

Please comment... I really truly want to improve my writing. There's very few things that I really enjoy and want to do better at, and this is one of them. I want my writing to somehow help the reader. I just need the reader to tell me how I can do that. Thank you in advance to anyone and everyone who helps. You're amazing, each and every one of you.

SOS,
Shansie

Sebastian and the Invisible Polar Bears

Sorry guys, it's taken me quite a while to get back to posting. I couldn't decide what I wanted to post, or how I wanted to post it, and I didn't know if I should post more writing or not. I then realized that I hadn't posted anything since May, and that was far too long. So, here we go. How about we start off with a picture? I have quite a few I've been waiting to show you guys!

I want this.

This is sold by a Zoo somewhere. I saw it and... Isn't it just adorable? It comes with all the crayons you need! Who says white crayons are useless? Not if you have this coloring book. Unfortunately, when I went to buy it, their online store was down. Sadness ensued.

Anyways, I thought it was pretty epic. Ya know what else is pretty cool? A zipper dress. A dress, made of zippers. Ever thought "Oh, if this was two inches shorter/longer" Never fear, zipper dress is here. You can fix your dress to be just the right length.. A little higher or lower in the bust... Or to show your stomach. Whatever floats your boat I guess.

Cocktail party...Stripping at work...Stripping at a bar.

Pretty skimpy, unless you don't strip the center picture, but hey. Each to their own. Oh yes, I almost forgot... Just partially unzip one zipper and you have instant cut outs (or zip-outs, if you prefer). I prefer to stick to my conservative clothing, personally. The concept is pretty cool though.

The designer is Sebastian Errazuriz.  I don't know much about him, except that I started looking up his other stuff promptly after seeing this dress. He is very... different/unique/interesting. You all know that I collect teddy bears, yes? Well, you can imagine how badly I want this then:

How much more epic can you get?

A cute jacket... Made of a bunch of teddy bears. One word: yes. And I thought the teddy bear backpacks were cool.

This guy's stuff keeps getting cooler.
Or maybe it's just weirder.
I want this, by the way.

It's shelving! All you do is fold down the exact number of "spines" you need and.. Bam. Instant easy to organize, space-saving shelving. You really should look this guy up (I just used Google Images after a while).

There's a few more things that I'm really not sure what to say about. Shall we take a look?

Aflac?

I think this one's made of gloves.
Gives a whole meaning to having hands all over you.

Baby swings and... Elderly swings?
Well, I guess the wheelchair-bound might want to swing too.

Jean Sneakers! For the converse lover.

This is a Fireplace.

Couple cups?

Porcupine cabinet!

Long story short? This guy has cool stuff.

Still alive,
Shansie

"Love thy neighbor as thyself"

I can't even begin to explain how this video makes me feel. A friend linked me to this, and... It's simply awful. I'm infuriated at these people. I could rant for pages - but I won't. I'll simply pray for them... I'll pray that they'll see the light, and I'll pray that their children will get out while they still can. Whatever happened to spreading God's love? I could have sworn that's what I read. I have one last thing to say...

"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?" Matthew 7:3

Okay, so I promise my next post won't be as controversial as this one. I just saw this and... Well, you know what I mean. I needed a chance to vent a little.


Busy Ranting,
Shansie


UPDATE: So, now they're going to take their protests to Joplin. I tip my hat to all the Americans who are joining together in a counter-protest to fight back against this so-called "church." Here is the Facebook page for the counter-protest. I encourage anyone who can to join in peacefully surrounding the people of Joplin so they cannot get to the families. Oh, and Brandon Mississippi: You guys are my heroes. Look at this. 

Spread the Love

...Or more accurately, the butter.

While I'm at school, we have our meals provided for us. We eat the same food the other college students do during first and second semester, but not during what we call "May Session." It's just one class that we take a month to complete. The month is always May, hence the name.

Anyways, our meals during May Session are catered, and at dinner today, the theme was "80's Night." My friends and I were trying to figure out what exactly was different about food in the 80's. It was difficult, mind you, because none of us have lived through the 80's. Our suggestions entailed things like "Butter," "Cheeseburgers," and "Less preservatives." Actually, the last one was my attempt at humor. Cue the laughing tape? Yeah, didn't think so. So, when we got there, we saw salad (which we always have), corn, potato-wedge fries, fried craw fish, some fried things that vaguely resembled chicken, popcorn shrimp...

...and this.

(They kind of resemble disco balls if you ask me.)

There was a huge glass bowl, full to the brim of these butter balls. I take it someone likes butter, and my friend was correct about the butter.

In honor of these disco-butter-balls, I'm going to "Spread the love." I might even "Butter it up," if you will (My puns are awful today). "Moving right along..." (This is what my awesome Government/Politics teacher for May Session always says after a string of puns.)

Buttered-up Blogs (that Shansie thinks are awesome)

(You should read them.)

(in no particular order)

Behr Rake's Blog

This is a simply delightful blog written by a dog-owner from the perspective of her charming female Great Dane, Behr Behr. I discovered this blog only today, and absolutely loved it.

All The Wile

This is my awesome friend, Treble's blog. Yes, I know I constantly berate you to read her blog, but it really is good. She writes me "bed time stories" that provide endless entertainment, and sometimes even maniacal laughter, for both of us. I hope that you enjoy her serious stories and their laughable creation as much as I do!

:: Arta = art+fashion ::

Okay, what can I say. This girl has so much spunk in her writing, and is a phenomenal artist, no matter what she tries to draw. I'm awe-struck. Go see her blog. Add her to your stalked followed blogs. Tell her she's awesome. She definitely deserves it!

False Starts & Sideshow

These are Crosby Kenyon's blogs. I love his writing, photography, and whatever other miscellaneous stuff he decides to post every once in a while. His blog never fails to brighten my day when it's been rough. Anyways, go follow his blogs. You won't regret it.

Lucid Dreaming

Quoted from her blog: "Elizabeth May is a nationally published photographer residing in Scotland. This is the blog where she posts random photos, tutorials, and other photography miscellany." Her photography is gorgeous, and I just love how she shows you something different than you'd expect to see of something.

The Trouble With Poet

Beautiful poetry and other forms of creative writing, strong and unique voice, and a great sense of humor make Kimberly Kaye's blog one of my favorites. She simply strikes me as a writer - and to clarify, not all authors do. I absolutely adore her blog, which I discovered when it was featured as a "Blog of Note." You should definitely check out this blog.

So, those are the blogs I'm currently drooling over. Feel free to comment about other blogs you think are worth checking out, and if I put your blog on here, and you don't want it here, just let me know and I'll take it off ASAP. I don't want to give you any attention you didn't want to start with.

Butter it up,

Shansie

Anniversary of Existence

Here is my birthday post to you, traveler of the internet. I stole the title from an internet friend who told me their "Anniversary of Existence" was coming up**. I approve greatly of their wording. If it's your birthday too, then I guess we're birthday twins. Have some confetti. But not any cake, because my cake is in cupcake form. Speaking of awesome foods:

Guess what else is awesome?

That's right, folks. Bacon. Donuts.

The best things ever. Bacon Donuts. They are delicious. Treble and I once had a 2 a.m. visit to her room in which we were asked "Do you want some bacon donuts?" Treble's response was something along the lines of "Is that even a question? Of course we want bacon donuts." I have to say I agree. They're delicious.

Speaking of Treble, she has a blog. Go see it. She's epic and stuff. She writes me bedtime stories. Yes, we're all concerned about my choice of bedtime stories. Join the club.

I opened a couple presents last night. You know, as you get older, it seems you get less presents, but they're so much more awesome than when you were little. For example, I got season 2 of House and an "Ideal Teddy Bear." It's a collectible, and I collect teddy bears.

This is pretty much what it looks like, only not as good condition.

But that's okay, because I don't collect them for the value. Sentimental value, plus the fact that teddy bears are just plain awesome. So, as a result, my teddy bear had previously been out of its box, and likely won't stay in its box with me. It's fine though. I don't intend on selling it anyways. If I had a better condition one, maybe it'd stay in the box, but teddy bears weren't intended to sit in a box. They were meant to be awesome, loved, and held.

I think it's time I stop lecturing you about teddy bears and bacon donuts. Anyways, my friends threw me an early surprise birthday party back in March when I was home. One of them bought me an entire HUGE bag of Mardi Gras beads down in Louisiana. I also got a notebook, which is awesome because I love to write. One of my friends made me a scrapbook page on which they drew a picture of me and my horse, which was extremely good, I might add. And yet another friend got me bubbles. My bubbles? The thing is shaped like a light-saber. Seriously. If you hold it up to a light, it looks like it's glowing. I have a bubble light saber. Epic win if you ask me. Oh, I also got sparkly (Yes, I know that's not a legitimate word.) good smelling stuff. It's cool. And I honestly can't remember everything else, but it was all pretty awesome. I'm surprised I didn't get bubble wrap and duct tape too. Then again... My birthday isn't over yet.

**Oh, my bad. After reading this, he decided he wanted credit or some nonsense like that. Silly internet friend. Anyways, he goes by "The Best Finnish Person Shansie has ever Spoken to" where I come from. Here's to spreading the news of his awesome wordings, or something like that. Yeah.

Happy Birthday to me,

Shansie

Gasp! Shan is trying to draw!

Yes, that's right. I am trying to teach myself to draw. Be afraid; be very afraid. What am I trying to learn to draw? Well, roses. Yes, you read that right. Roses.

First Try drawing a rose...

Second try... Sorry the picture is dark.

Third try... Finished earlier today.

They aren't great, but hey. I don't draw a lot (although I'm working on fixing that). As always, constructive criticism is welcome, as well as pointers and opinions. (Which rose is your favorite and why?) I apologize for the significant lack of text in this post. Maybe one day I'll make it up to you?



WORD OF THE POST:
Abbozzo - preliminary sketch
(http://phrontistery.info/a.html)

You should also visit the Phrontisery when you're finished here. It's a simply delightful site.

-scribble, sketch, shade-
Shansie

Ever heard of Footprints in the Sand?

My posts may seem a bit unhappy for a while. Yesterday I went through a breakup. I'll spare you the details, but I don't hold a grudge against him. We both still like each other. I like him a lot, but life goes on. It doesn't help to dwell on the past. It hurts; I know it will for a long time. Everything happens for a reason. The world doesn't stop spinning because of how I feel, so let's skip the pity party.
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Something positive comes of everything, I suppose. It might be hard to see at first, but it's always there. When I'm upset, I tend to write better. I added a lot to my story yesterday, and today I wrote a thing that kind of relates to the Footprints in the Sand story. Yes, I am a Christian.This also made me rely on my faith more than usual. See there? That's two positive things.
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Guess what? You just met an optimist.


The Beach in my Soul
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Have you ever been to the beach? Not just any beach. I have, long ago. It's distant: a memory from my childhood. Remember the story of footprints in the sand? It is very much like that beach. It may even be the very same beach.
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In my dreams, I walked along the beach. The warm sand gave way beneath my feat and squished beneath my toes. The golden grains kissed my skin like tiny droplets of sunlight as I picked up a handful and let the sand slide through my fingers. I walked to the edge of the sea and let the waves wash over my feet. The wet sand wrapped itself around my toes; it begged me to stay. A small crab crawled nearby, shaking his claw at me. He looked like a little old man, yelling at a child to get off his lawn.
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My footprints had marred the beautiful perfection of the beach. That was when I noticed his footprints, parallel to my own. They were light and intricately detailed. No imperfections weighed down on them. However, there was a small red spot in the center of each print where he had bled. I knelt down to touch a print, and found that the bloodied sand had turned to rubies.
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I looked up and there he was, standing next to me. He reached out a hand, and I instantly trusted him. I took his hand and he let me into the sea. He baptized me there, in the sea by that beautiful beach, and I knew I was safe.
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It has been far too long since I visited that beach in my soul. He was with me always, guiding me, but I grew and didn't always listen.
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I dearly missed the peace I felt on the beach that day.
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Today, I revisit that sacred beach. I let the sand kiss my skin like little drops of sun. I let the sea wash over my feet while the wet sand hugs my toes and the crab shakes his claw.
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Today, I sit down in the ocean and wait for him. I pick up that little angry crab and rub his shell. I wonder what troubles him so. The crab looks up at me with his sad old eyes, and I can feel his pain.
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There is a hand on my shoulder. He kneels down next to me. The peace washes over me with the ocean, and the crab crawls away,no longer shaking his fist. I fall into his arms in a hug. I'm sorry that I didn't come sooner.
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He doesn't fix my broken heart. He doesn't erase the pain, nor does he heal my wounds. But he is there, and that is enough. He gives me peace. He makes my pain bearable. He loves me, even though I haven't given him the love he deserves all these years. He doesn't hold a grudge. I know he's forgiven me. I know I didn't deserve it.


Long Story,
Shansie

Inspired by a Pack of Pens

I received a package of pens as a gift yesterday. Now, don't think that's a lame gift. These are only the most amazing pens I have ever written with. The person who gave me them had some of her own that I have borrowed on occasion, and I loved them. They write very smoothly and don't drag at all. The best part is that you can get them at Wal-Mart. They are "@ the OFFICE" brand "gel pens." They are fairly thick and are fine point. They also come in lots of colors. I highly recommended them.

Once I had these pens, I was just itching to write something. I wrote two short little somethings, although I'm not quite sure what to call them. They are mainly just my thoughts at the time, filled with some metaphors and analogies. I might end up actually using them in something one day, but for now I'm happy with the way they are.

After the Rain has Passed

Have you ever noticed that the grass looks a little greener after a storm? The sun seems to shine just that much brighter. It's like Mother Nature's way of making it up to you after a thunderstorm.

Have you ever noticed that people are like that too? They smile a little brighter after you let them cry on your shoulder. They're a little nicer - a little more sincere. It's like a secret thank you. Even if no one else notices, they know how big of a difference that small gesture made. They want you to know that you made a difference, even if it's only subconsciously.

Moon & Sun; Yin & Yang

They are total opposites: yin and yang from each other. Like the sun and the moon. But what does that change? He loves her.

Have you ever seen the moon in the afternoon sky and wondered why he was there? He knows the sun will be there, so he rises early. Though he can't go near her, he watches from afar, eternally half a day away from her side.

The sun is beautiful, glowing, surrounded by people. They bask in her light and marvel at the beauty she creates. She is never alone, not knowing the love she is missing.

The moon reflects her light, banished to the dark cold of the night. He revels in the chance to visit the day. He is alone in the night sky: a crowded room of stars. None of them shine as brightly as his love, the sun. He is always lonely, but always faithful to the sun. Never has he loved another.

A crystal tear fell from the moon's face as the sun left his side and night set in. A shooting star was what we would see from our view down below.


Gellin' like Magellan,
Shansie

Part 1: A New Beginning

You know that thing where you write the beginning of a story, and mail it to someone, and they write the next bit of the story, and mail it back to you, and it goes on and on like that? One of my friends and I are going to do that, so here is the bit I'm sending her tomorrow.

Part 1: A New Beginning

By: Shansie Sherazi

Different shades of yellow silk and chiffon cascaded from her dress down over the leather. A young woman was poised side-saddle atop a large dark bay stallion with high white socks up to his knees, His coat shone with such health that it dappled in the sunlight and very nearly had a yellow undertone.

She held her reins in one hand, her delicate long fingers wrapped around the leather, as she ran a hand along the light flowing sundress.  At her command, the stallion stepped forward, relaxing into the long strides of a walk.

As they traveled down the side of the old dirt road, she saw a young girl ahead. The girl was sitting on the ground in tears with several boys around her. They taunted her rudely. The woman atop the horse narrowed her hazel eyes at the boys before making a decision. She urged the stallion into a trot, and he strode gracefully toward the group. He stopped right before the young boys; his neck curved elegantly as he looked sternly down at them.

“That is quite enough.” Her silky voice rang out to them. “Leave her be.”

The young boys gawked at her. “Y-yes ma’am.” They backed a few steps away. As her horse stamped a hoof lightly, they turned and fled.

The woman reached out her hand to the young girl and helped her up onto the horse in front of her. The girl had dirt on her pale face, and her blonde hair fell over her shoulders in soft ringlets while her tears left clear rivers on her cheeks. “Come on now, dear. Let’s get you cleaned up.”

So, that was my bit of a story. As always, constructive criticism is welcome. Hopefully she'll write back soon, and I'll get her part of the story! I love just writing for fun and not having to worry about specifics or anything.

Also, I've been trying to think of a plot line for the story I'm working on currently, involving a girl - Indigo Mai Verity - who absolutely loves to take pictures, and is fairly quiet. She is the one all her friends turn to when they need some advice or just someone to talk to. Even though the drama doesn't usually happen to her directly, the drama from her friends tends to involve her indirectly in some way.

Her roommate is a very strong-willed, colorful personality who isn't afraid to be herself. Her name is Symóne Accardi. She is going to be pure Italian. One of Indigo's closest friends is a black girl named Esperanza Verena Ardovini. Esperanza isn't completely black, but a motley of several cultures, black being the most prominent to show in her appearance.

Those are the only characters I have worked on so far, and I don't really want to create too many more before I have an idea of what should happen. I know what's going to happen with Esperanza, but it isn't large enough to write the entire book over. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!

Letter writing,
Shansie

Reminiscing in my Old Writing

You know what hurts? When there's nothing  you can say, when there's nothing you can do, and you just have to watch this person who you care so much about as they hurt - that sucks. Have you ever been in that moment when you realize that they're hurting worse than you are? Except, you don't know how they feel. The thing is, you've never felt that. You can't sympathize. You can't give them any advice and you can't tell them you know what they mean. It makes you feel completely and utterly helpless.

There is a picture at this link. It isn't my picture, but I found it just surfing through Google Images. I thought I'd share it with you. And with this, I'll move away from depressing topics.

I guess today would be a good day to share one of my random hobbies with you. I love to write. I love words. So, in my spare time, I often write a little bit. Usually just snippets that turn into a part of a story that ends up being tossed into a folder and ignored when I decide I no longer like it. One such story began with but a single paragraph, written only because I was bored. I wrote 6 and a half chapters off of it, and decided it wasn't going to work in the way I had thought originally. I don't like the rest of the story, but I suppose I could share that first paragraph with you. Let me know what you think; constructive criticism is always welcome.

I open the curtains in my room and the sunshine pours through the glass, illuminating my room.  I push open the window to let in the crisp autumn air.  A soft morning breeze ruffles my damp hair and sends a chill over my skin. My dog stretches and yawns on the rug.  I breathe in the taste of fall with a calm appreciation.  This is my heaven.
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Please keep in mind, I wrote this two years ago. I also didn't edit it before posting this. I'm not completely happy with it, but I'm not sure if I want to do anything with it yet, so I left it the way it was. Thus, it isn't really my best writing.


Remembering,
Shansie

Bonding Time with my Digital Camera

So, I got a digital camera from my parents for Christmas. I've been wanting one for a while, but I've been making do with my cell phone camera. Not exactly the best quality pictures, let me tell you. Besides, when I accidentally broke my phone in half(Good thing it had a warranty.), I had to get a new phone. Same type, only this one wasn't broken in half, and it had a factory defect. Gotta love those, right? So, the camera likes to be silly. You know what it really really likes to do? It likes to take alien pictures. Or monster pictures, really, it isn't all that picky. What I mean is that the pictures show up green and fuzzy. Don't believe me?

How about now?

Yeah. It's pretty bad. So you can guess how excited I was about my new camera. I was ecstatic. So I've been playing around with photography lately. I learned today that I love the fog, but it's so hard to take pictures in! When you get a cool picture, it's so exciting! However, I didn't really like any of my foggy pictures enough to show you. Sorry! However, I thought you might enjoy a non-foggy picture that I took today. So, here it is, in all of it's amateur glory. Or lack of glory. I'm not really sure which it is.

You see that there? That's a squirrel.

So yeah, after taking several pictures of this squirrel, I felt like I had really accomplished something in my photo-session. It made me pretty happy, to be quite honest. I think I'm just easily amused. 

Anyways, on other topics, I would love to post some sappy Valentine's Day blog post about how wonderful my boyfriend is. However, that's way too cliche. So, rather than an entire blog post, here is my Valentine's Day in a nutshell:

For Valentine's day, he gave me a bag of Lindor Truffles, a Teddy bear that was holding a "Happy Valentine's Day" heart, and a Goo Goo Dolls CD. Best. Valentine's. Presents. Ever. Not only do I collect Teddy bears, but he's gotten me addicted to the Goo Goo Doll's music, and we're going to a concert of theirs in April. Somehow, Valentine's day seems a lot less pointless now.

Not hating on Val--SQUIRREL!

Shansie

P.S. I really want to watch the movie UP now. Thanks, Mr. Squirrel.

Extraordinarily Ordinary

In my Composition II class, we're doing a project where we write a profile about a person. You can pick someone who is in the public eye often, or you can pick someone who is seemingly "normal." This project instantly made me thing of your average person. Everything about them seems normal or "ordinary" at first glance. However, if you really slow down and observe them, talk to their friends, or get to know them, they have so much more to offer to the world. They are extraordinary in their own way, they just don't flaunt it. I think I want to do my project over someone who is "extraordinarily ordinary."

I want to find someone who is humble, someone who doesn't realize how wonderful they are... A person who really and truly is focused on others rather than on themselves. It's truly inspiring to see someone like this. My best friend is like this, and I think it would be wonderful to meet more people like her. Have you ever met a person like this? Astonishing, isn't it?

Another ordinary blogger,
Shansie

cn u rd ths?

Chatspeak: Where do I even start? I could rant for pages and pages about this. It's unprofessional. It has it's place, but that place isn't in the public where it annoys the grammar-obsessed people of the world. I am proud to say that I am a member of this group of grammar-freaks.

I got my first cell phone for my 15th birthday. It was a Razr, and I was given a texting plan with it. I immediately texted my best friend and have been texting since. I personally don't see a problem with texting. Like anything else, it can be used or misused. I am not innocent of chatspeak. I admit that I often used chatspeak, and sometimes still use it, while texting. When you don't have a full keyboard, it can be a pain to type everything out. For example, if I wanted to ask my friend if she wanted to hang out tonight, I would say "hey, want to hang out tonite?" What did I change? It lacks capitalization and I changed "night" to "nite." Am I right in saying that it's fairly simple?

I was horrified by the awful disfigurement of the English language by those a few years younger than me, when I saw them using chatspeak on facebook, of all places. "hey wnt 2 hng out 2nt?" I can barely read it. Where are all the vowels? Apparently they are no longer important. Something else I see commonly? "ohemgee lyk ur crzy!!!1!!11!!! idk u!!1!" Once again, I have to read over these comments several times before I can decipher what it says.

People type out entire conversations like this. Sometimes, I even see this on discussion boards of a serious topic. You see well thought out comments with proper grammar and spelling, then you see a comment like "no way ur stupid" or "THAT'S WRONG." I don't even bother to read caps half the time, especially when they have these other issues.

What could be worse than caps or chatspeak? Sticky Caps. When someone types out "iKr ItS cRzY oHeMgEe!!11!" it simply drives me insane. That takes longer to type than simply typing "Oh my gosh, I know, right? It's crazy." The second option may not be proper grammar, but at least it looks semi-decent.

Don't take this wrong, younger generation; I'm not trying to be too condescending. I chatspeak too. I enjoy my unlimited texting, and I would rather text than talk on the phone. I probably spend too much time on facebook. However, you have two options: You can look educated, or you can look "kewl." Your choice.

ttfn,
Shansie

Thoughts on Blogging

Oftentimes, I've tried to start a blog. Years and years ago, it was out of pure boredom that I struck an interest in blogging. I was in the "above average" category in school and was rarely interested in the lower level subjects being taught in our schools. I viewed blogging as something to pass the time. It was something to take my mind off of the teasing I often endured as a "smart kid." The names were condescending and rarely that nice. However, I had found a few close friends who would often take up for me. I also found internet friends. These were people who could know my personality without a name; I never had to meet them or show my face. I could simply be me. I became known as "Shansie" on the sites I frequented, and felt like I liked the name better than my given name. I wasn't confident in the outside world, but the internet gave me a kind of escape.

My blogging dwindled with time. I simply didn't know what to write about. I didn't have enough real-world experience to write about my ventures, and I wasn't sure enough in myself to tell of my views on the world. For almost two years, I wrote nothing in any of my blogs.

Today, I deleted the vast majority of my old blogs. I wanted to erase the unsuccessful blogs and start fresh. This is my re-entrance to the blogging world. Take it as you will. Love it, hate it, or anywhere in-between. It is your choice. Keep in mind, you don't have to read it simply because it is here. That is your choice.

The "Spoon and Ladel" is a name derived from one of the sites I frequented when I was younger, and still do. One of the internet friends I found years ago is still one I find myself talking to often. She is wonderful and seems to cheer me up when I've had a rough day. Here's to you: The Ladel to my Spoon (Yes, I am aware of the misspelling of "Ladel." It was intentional.).

I dedicate this blog to anyone, in real life or on the internet, who has ever helped or encouraged me in any way. Specifically to my friends, parents, little brother, best friend, the parents of many of my friends, adopted uncles, Ladel & others, along with many more. You are all wonderful, and I don't know what I would have done without you in my life.

Sincerely,

Shansie