Auld Lang Syne

It's been a long while since I last posted, so I have a lot of catching up to do!  With everything now coming to a close--my first semester as college sophomore is behind me, the month of December will soon be over, and with that, so will the year 2010--I've decided to make this post a reflective one, while still sharing some new news :)

For starters, back on the weekend of the 11th, before the hell week of finals ensued, I decided to take those few days as a little vacation for myself.  I would not think, do, look at anything that had to do with school work or finals or anything unpleasant for that weekend.  I was burnt out and needed time to reboot.  So that Saturday my friend Jackie and I went into Northampton to relax, shop, and have some quality girl time.  It was perfect!  We spent all day there, window shopped for hours, had a filling dinner at a local burger joint, and immersed ourselves in the satisfaction of doing nothing.  The town was all decorated with holiday lights and I got some pretty nice pictures for just walking and snapping! :)

It's a little blurry, but I kind of like it that way!

Department Store in Northampton

Little Moon

Great food!

I love this picture of the Church

Motel Northampton

So I survived finals and the semester itself and it actually all turned out great!  My grades went up yesterday and I'm very pleased!  I achieved the goal my goal for the semester: I made Dean's List!  I also will be a Teaching Assistant for an Intro Psych class for the Spring Semester!  I'm very excited yet a little scared of this new opportunity--hopefully all will turn out well!

Since I've been home, things have been much better! I am no longer starving from eating poor DC food, my sleep has returned to me, and thought of having no real pressures or responsibilities at the moment is thrilling (though they are always lurking in the recesses of my mind).  

My Christmas was wonderful!  I thankfully was not a home without a Christmas tree (and I thank my mom dearly for that!) and received more gifts than I could have hoped for.  A few days before Christmas I saw The Radio City Rockettes with my sister Fallon, my boyfriend Taylor, Elise, and our friends. The show was great and really put me in full-blown Christmas spirit!  The eve of Christmas Eve I spent with Taylor and his family and it was magical!  Christmas Eve night I was at my dad's and his new family.  Usually a painful and heartbreaking task, I found that I rather enjoyed myself this year and that hopefully, with time, it will become easier and that I will finally be okay with my parents divorce of over two years ago.  After my dad's, it was "A Wonderful Life" at my house with my mom, her boyfriend, and my sister--a family tradition I will be sure to carry on.  Christmas Day saw the Disney Parks' Christmas Parade and a peaceful dinner with my mom and sister. <3

Fancy isn't it? Yep, we velvet rope off our tree.  Don't you?  Just kidding!  This a tree at the Wang Theater for the Radio City Rockette's Christmas Show  

Ceiling of the Wang Theater in Boston

The Show!
(They didn't allow flash photography, even before the show started! I got yelled at , well actually asked nicely, to refrain from taking pictures.  But I snuck this one for the blog!)

This is one of our tree's newest ornaments.  Fallon and I got it on our August trip to Disney World.  It's a tradition that whenever we go, we always bring back an ornament.  This one is shaped like Mickey's ears but holds the iconic symbols of each of the four theme parks: Cinderella's Castle (Magic Kingdom), Spaceship Earth (Epcot), The Tree of Life (Animal Kingdom), and Mickey's Sorcerer's Hat (MGM Studios).  On the back it reads "The West Sisters 2010".

Pretty Colorful Lights!

My Christmas Angel! I love her!  I got her a couple years ago from Lowe's .  I think she's beautiful. 

Christmas was a white one!  And the days following it we had a blizzard!  I've taken a few photos and I'll be sure to take some more.  It's simply breathtaking and everything is just blanketed with the sparkling powder!  New Year's Eve is coming up quick, this Friday to be exact.  And I'll be sure to post pictures of my on-goings!  I'm going to a Celtic's game with Taylor.  My first ever!  Also, I've broken out of my beret crocheting streak and finally made some other hats!  Hopefully, I'll finally finish my fabulous fall scarf as well and have photos on that as well!  Until next time, have a Happy Holiday and wonderful New Year!! :)

Amateur

I've started to develop a interest in photography.  For years, I've always love to take photos of the seasons, landscape, and random especially.  Lighting fascinates me--natural or artificial, and I absolutely love experimenting with black and white, sepia, or natural colors.  Going to school in Amherst is wonderful for taking pictures of the seasons, autumn in particular.  I love to go for walks around campus and on the outskirts of the woods and just take pictures of anything that strikes me.  I have an amazing view of the sunset from my window, as well.  My boyfriend is also very into photography and has sparked my occasional hobby.  Elise just bought a totally amazing camera.  It's so intimidating, but I've seen some of the pictures she's taken just playing with it and they're so great.  

I fell in love with Maine this summer.  It was breathtaking, that's about all I can offer to describe it.  Maine is so peaceful and natural and though I've never really considered myself one to live out in the country or at least away from the city, I would totally move there in a heartbeat.  Actually, I've just realized that a lot of the things I've never consider myself to be, I've actually become. Interesting.

So these pictures are just my fun, little hobby, me messing around with my Cyber-shot in my room.  Hardly anything noteworthy, but I think they come out pretty decent and wanted to share!

"Into Heaven"
Okay, so the title is cheesy, I know--it's a work in progress.  But, isn't it amazing.  That's from my window.  The sunsets get shorter and shorter as we get closer to winter, but sometimes I can catch them just at the right moment.

When I should be doing other things....

I love to procrastinate.  Pretty sure that it's my #1 consistent hobby.  Currently I should be heading down to go to my class, but where I'm sitting here at my desk, the fading sunlight streams in perfectly and I figured that I would write a little...
The semester is almost over and I could not be happier!  I've been unusually stressed lately and cannot wait to be rid of the task of homework and papers and the constant obligations.  I feel that I have no time to do anything that I really enjoy or time to explore new things.  And with the holiday season coming on quickly, I have been giving into my distractions more so and it has made me so much happier!
 I recently learned to crochet this summer from my best friend and have pretty much perfected making "the slouchy hat".  I've made about 6 of them and I'm surprised each time how easier and faster it becomes.  It's such an amazing skill and the satisfying feeling you get when you have a completed project in your hands that you can actual use and wear and it looks half-way decent is priceless.  I've been working on an Autumn-inspired scarf for quite sometime now and cannot wait to finish it over break.  It's really cool!  The pattern itself gives it a sort of leafy look.  Soon I hope to add pictures to my blog of the different crafts I'm working on (an idea again suggested by my best friend Elise who encouraged me to make this blog in the first place).  It's so relaxing to just sit and crochet by my window, listening to Christmas music, when I should be doing other things.  Almost as if time has stopped or rather slowed.
Lately, I've been in this sort of paradox where I want time to slow down, but at the same time speed up so I can be done with college and my "real life" can begin. As you'll probably come to realize through the course of my blog that I hate waiting! (Ironically, I consider myself a patient person though)  But, "good things come to those who wait", right?

The First Time

Yay!! This is my first blogging experience ever! It's very exciting and I hope you all enjoy!  I procrastinate A LOT (in fact I am procrastinating writing a paper at this very moment I am posting this! haha) but I am going to try my very hardest to make faithful postings.  My hope is that this will become the place that I can just go to to write about anything: daily experiences, random dreams, unanswered questions.  A space where all my innermost thoughts can live.  I write a lot of poetry and hope to one day have my writings published.  This blog is like my first step and I'm so very happy I finally decided to do this!  Soon, I hope to post pictures and all kinds of things!  Stay tuned!! :)