Christmas Break: Craftiness Part 1

I've been home for two weeks now, and while reading Harry Potter and watching endless hours of pointless sitcoms proved to be quite lovely at first, I quickly discovered that there is only so much time squandering I can take! I needed to do something somewhat worth while to ensure that my brain didn't turn completely into a worthless puddle of mush.  

  

So naturally I pulled out the sewing machine and got busy. In no time at all I'd turned this tie,

into this necklace. 

For directions and better pictures of other tie-necklaces visit upcycle tutorial: tie-to-necklace. Emily has lots of really cool craft ideas and tons of beautiful pictures to browse through if you're into that sort of thing. 

Finals Week

So this is finals week, and so far I'm doing just fine thanks. I had two papers due Monday, a Spanish final today and then I have a Shakespeare's Brain test tomorrow afternoon. No big deal. 
No, seriously, I don't feel anxious or worried. I know the material and so, while last week with the writing to two papers was a little hectic, this week has proven to be almost relaxing. 




In fact, I've had enough downtime to do some much needed organizing. Although I knew I'd gone through a lot of paper this semester, all I do is read day in and day out after all, it came as quite a surprise as I gathered up all the stray papers I'd either, read, written, or written on (usually all three) just HOW MUCH paper there really was. 

...and that not's even all of it. And, yes, I recycle.

 

 

...just little cognitive theory for you. Thank you Shakespeare's Brain

 

And just in case you're not impressed by all that, here's a picture of me and the girls in our lovely Christmas sweaters. 

Now, as the name suggests, finals week is final, meaning, it marks the end of the semester and therefore the begin of the break. However,  as it is still only Wednesday, the week is not over. So continue to pray for all the college students in your life as we take our finals (while I may not be stressed out, I know plenty of people who are and justifiably so) and pray for me as I drive back to Houston on Friday.
 

 

Four Months Later....

So I've been doing the college thing for about four months now, and while (as I've mentioned once or twice) I love school and college life, it feels good to be home. People had warned me that it would feel "weird" and "different" coming back, and while there a little bit of that, it pretty much feels like coming back from any other trip I've taken. In fact it's almost weirder to me that everything is still so familiar.

It's almost like waking up from a dream. Things look fuzzy and out of focus at first, but as your brain slowly adjusts to the fact that you are really are awake, everything appears in all their familiar clarity. There are a few new pictures around, mostly of me, and some new chairs, but after one night even those "new" things seem familiar.

I will admit, however, that my room looks awfully lonely without me. 

"Alena, did you leave anything useful here when you went to college?" 

"Nope. Not a thing." 

That's what makes it weird. It still looks like my room, no they haven't turned it into an exercise room or anything like that, but without all the crafting items strewn about, and shoes and clothes scattered carelessly across the floor, my room just isn't very "Alena'' anymore. 

BUT

Home is still where the leftovers are better than anything found in a cafeteria,

Where ice tea is found in abundance,

Where music is constantly playing.....

.....or being played.  

(I never thought I'd be saying this, but actually I miss hearing my brother practice for hours on end!)

Home is where I feel loved.

Going Home!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In five days will pack a suitcase, jump in the car, drive an hour and a half to the airport, and after a 50 minute flight, I will land safe and sound back in Houston. Sure, flying home results in only a slightly shorter amount of travel time, and probably a whole lot more stress, but it doesn't matter, I'M GOING HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Obviously, I haven't been back since I left at the beginning of the semester and so I'm REALLY looking forward to this trip. Not only do I get to see family and friends, enjoy some home cooked meals (Daddy always told us we wouldn't appreciate how wonderful of a cook my momma is until we left for college. Boy, was he right!), but I'll also be reunited with my sewing machine and fully equipped and functional kitchen!!!!! 


I'm aware of the fact that things will be different when I get back. Planner that I am, I've already starting thinking about what I wanted to pack for the week and it all suddenly felt really weird to me. While it's be said that home is where your heart is, I'm pretty sure it might as well be where your stuff is. Home is supposed to have everything you need, the fact that I need to pack like I would any other trip in order to go home, is just strange. 


Even stranger is the fact that I'm actually looking forward to these changes. I can't wait to see what's new and different, and while it may be a little disconcerting, I'm taking comfort in the fact that I'm  different too, and, no, I don't just mean the nose ring.


That's all to say, Clear Lake, I can't wait to be back and I'm looking forward to seeing you all and the story swapping :)