Monday, November 9, 2015

What is Family?









A family is love
That puts itself above
Everything else in this world.

A family is trust
That's fair and just
In its treatment of each other.

A family is pride
And will never hide
Its feelings for one another.

A family is dear
And won't disappear
When things are getting tough.

A family is hope
That learns to cope
With all that comes their way.

A family is sound
With their feet on the ground
On every brand new day.

A family is kind
And will always find
The time to be together.

A family is wise
And treasures its ties
For always and forever. 

Poem by Edwina Reizer


Saturday, October 10, 2015

Books, Books, and More Books

The Scarlet Letter, The Gambler, The Screwtape Letters, Murder in the Cathedral, I Have a Dream, The Complete Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass,  One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Great Gatsby, A Tale of Two Cities, Anthem, The Innocence of Father Brown, Up From Slavery, The Trial. 

Hello everyone,

Isn't it great when you say, "Hey, I'm back!" and then don't post for another month?

I'm a great blogger, I know. No need to praise me.

Do you ever have those days as an introvert, where you already made plans but then you realize how badly you need a recharge day and you desperately hope those plans get cancelled? Please don't say I'm the only one or I'm going to feel like a really mean person. Today was one of those days. This week (errr, month) has been go go go and when I realized yesterday that today I was suppose to be gone for 12 hours, I collapsed on my bed and just stared at the well for a little while. Lucky for me, those plans got canceled, so now I'm enjoying a nice Saturday being a loner. 

 Currently I'm sipping on some green tea with lemon and listening to the rain pour outside. There is nothing more relaxing then hard rain soaking everything outside and the noise it makes. Of course, I had to wear my hug in a sweater and my rain storm socks. (They're white with blue rain clouds and lightening all over them :D ) I live for these fall days. Of course, my rainy socks and tea aren't alone.  Near by is a giant pile of books just waiting there to be read.

Could this day be any better?

Above, you can enjoy my very artsy photo of awkwardly stacked books and a random aloe vera plant. 

For English this year, I decided to take the honors option that forces you to read large books with multiple names I can't pronounce in small amounts of time. Actually, the books really aren't that big and I love reading them, but it has caused me to be busy. I've already discovered a new favorite of mine, though. The Scarlet Letter is seriously a great book. Read it and you're welcome. 

Anyways, to the point of this post, I'm thinking of writing book reviews or responses or something to do with the books I read.  Are you all interested in that at all? I for one love books and following book blogs and reading stuff about books, but I don't want to bore all of you with my book rambles, so let me know! You should also leave me a book suggestion down below. My to-read list is huge and I have about 20 books on my bookshelf waiting to be picked up, but you can never have too many book suggestions on your list. 

Hope you all have a relaxing weekend,

Elizabeth


Sunday, September 13, 2015

Well Hello



Well this is awkward.  

It's been five months since I've posted on here. FIVE MONTHS. 

Oh golly.

I could sit here and write a huge post filled with explanations and excuses for why I've been absent, but I won't because honestly, I've just been lazy and had a lack of inspiration. If you all have any ideas or anything you want to see more of, let me know in the comments below.

Just thought I would share the very awkward picture above. I really don't know what I'm doing or trying to pose like, but I wanted to show you all my new haircut. I was feeling spontaneous and that was the result. So far so good, except I have no idea how to style it. Suggestions? 

I can't wait to be posting more, I miss you guys! Currently I'm sick and not feeling too great, but once I'm back on my feet I'm hoping to be more active on here.

See you soon,

Elizabeth

Sunday, April 12, 2015

Weekend Summary #3


Friday// I spent Friday in Puyallup with a good friend of mine, Sasha. We met at the camp we were volunteering at over the summer and clicked right away Sadly, we live a couple hours away from each other, so it is hard to hangout. I got to go down to her house this weekend though, for her birthday. We spent the day going to Panera Bread and exploring a cute little park, meeting up with some of her friends and going to pizza, and then we stayed in a cute hotel and watched UP. It was a fun day full of laughs.

Saturday// After we woke up, we headed down to the breakfast they had. We each got a plate piled with waffles and another plate with eggs, bacon, yogurt, and bagels. Of course, we can't forget the chocolate milk. Then, once we had taken all the food we could grab, we headed back to our rooms to eat breakfast in bed and watch the Princess Bride. Afterwords, we went to the Daffodil Parade and got yummy scones. The parade was super fun with lots of cool floats. Once that was finished, the other two girls went home and Sasha and I headed over to the Southcenter mall to meet my mom and get some shopping done. I bought my first Lush bathbomb and I'm so excited to try it out!

Sunday// I spent the day going to church,(In my new Forever 21 shirt) having lunch with my brothers, and lounging around the house. Our church service was really good! We're going through a hymns series, talking about the back story of each and different scriptures that apply to them. It's really interesting. Lunch was fun too, though I've ate so much this weekend, I feel kind of gross and like I needed to eat a lot of vegetables.

Hope you all had a great weekend as well,

Elizabeth


Monday, April 6, 2015

Festive Outfit // Easter Sunday















Dress/Value Village, Cardigan/Target, Wedges/Fred Meyer, Belt/Stitches, Necklace/Gift

Hello everyone,

Did you all have a wonderful Easter? It truly is a beautiful holiday to celebrate Christ's resurrection. I got to spend some time at church worshiping God and having fellowship over brunch. Then, we had Chloe (my photographer) and her family over for dinner. Overall it was a great day :) Here's some photos of my outfit.

Hope you all had a wonderful Easter Sunday too,

Elizabeth

Friday, April 3, 2015

Currently // Happy Good Friday





Hello beautiful people,

How are you all on this wonderful Good Friday? Can you believe that Easter is right around the corner? It's crazy! 2015 is going by so quickly. I love Easter, though, so I'm quite excited it has arrived. I am hoping to get an Easter themed cupcake post up soon and hopefully get pictures taken of my Easter outfit. With that being said, I am so sorry for not posting much these last few weeks! It's been crazy busy for me. Not only have I been flooded with school, but I also started a new job tutoring, so my time has been filled up.

Today I just wanted to update you all on what I've been doing lately. Besides from working and doing homework, I've been enjoying reading some new books, attempting to paint, journaling, and working on some new blog ideas. Have any of you read All The Light We Cannot See? I've only been able to read a couple chapters, but I'm liking it so far. :) Let me know if you like it, or if you have any other book suggestions. I'm always up for discovering new books :)

I've also been painting a little. By no means am I any good, I just really enjoy it. It's one of those things I can do in whatever mood I'm in and is just so fun to me, I love being able to be creative and have the freedom to create whatever I want. Something about it is just so satisfying and relaxing, Does anyone else know what I'm talking about? I would love to become better at it too, though even if I don't, I'll probably keep doing it just because it's a pretty awesome pastime.

Journaling has been another think I've really been enjoying. To be honest, I have about ten journals laying around in my room. Some full, some empty, some half filled with lists, old dreams, and secrets I had long forgotten. When I found this sparkly journal at T.J.Maxx, I knew I had to buy it, even when I have about 3 other empty journals in the bottom of my desk drawer. It's been the perfect journal to write in at night and get everything off of my mind. Seriously, if you have a hard time sleeping because you can't turn your brain off, trying writing down whatever is in you mind at night, it really helps!

Although it may not seem like I've been blogging or reading any of your guys post, I promise I have! As I said before, I've just been so busy, so I haven't had the time to comment much or post anything, but I am working on some new posts so there will be more coming soon! :) Hopefully my schedule will slow down and I can become more active. I have been reading all you comments, too. You guys really make my day. If it wasn't for you guys, it would be so hard to keep on blogging. I'm so thankful I have such sweet followers, I love you 

With love,

Elizabeth

Saturday, March 28, 2015

How To Beat Procrastination


Hello everyone,

As you can see from both my title and the picture above, today I come to talk to you about procrastination. You would be lying if you said you don't procrastinate. We all do it, even if we may not realize it. For example, right now I'm procrastinating getting some History done by writing this post. So really, I can't yell at you for doing it. I do, however, have a lot of experience in trying to not procrastinate, so hopefully my tips might help out some of you folks. 

 1. Be Comfortable 


I am home schooled, (I take private school classes twice a week.) so I am mostly doing school at home which gives me the freedom to wear whatever I want. Normally, I like to change out of my PJ's just so I'm not tempted to fall back asleep again, but I still like to stay comfortable. It is so hard for me to focus in stiff clothes and when my hair is falling into my face, so I like to wear baggy sweater/T-shirts, leggings/jeggings, and tie my hair up. 

2. Stay Hydrated 


This is one of my favorites. If you entered my room, you would find about 2-3 water bottles, 2 glasses, and at least 1 tumbler laying around..possibly some coffee mugs too. I am always drinking some sort of water mixture, tea, coffee, or smoothie. Mostly though, I add lemon into my water. Lemon is known to help you be more alert and stimulate memory. It really does help me focus, plus it tastes super good! 

3. Don't Study in Bed


I don't care how cute your bed is, if it's made, if it is comfortable, don't do it! You get twice as much work done when you are doing it on a desk or a table. Your bed is for sleeping and your body knows that, so you will automatically be less focused and become drowsy. I highly suggest you find a nice place where you can mainly just focus on school that works for you, and leave you bed for resting and watching Netflix. 


4. Keep Your Work Space Clean 


This is another huge one! Maybe it works for you, but for most people it is difficult to get things done when everything is messy and unorganized. A cluttered desk makes for slow work, so take some time to organize everything in a practical way that will cause you to be more efficient. I have a small shelf to keep my books in; jars for my pens, highlighters, and pencils; and bins for my art supplies and folders. It is helpful to have a clearer desk and a designated place for everything.  


5.Eliminate Distractions


If we're all being honest here, whenever we try to get anything done, we look at our phones every 5 minutes...which then lead to 30 minutes and before we know it we've watched 11 YouTube videos and spammed our Pinterest followers with pins. Save yourself from that black hole, turn your phone off and take it to another room. Focus on the task that is before you and save phone time for later, you will get so much more done!


 6. Listen to Music



Okay, so this one depends on the person. If you can't focus with music, do listen to it! I love listening to music while I do school, though! Depending on the subject, I will change my music to fit what I'm doing. When I'm reading, I listen to classical. When I'm writing, I listen to music I can sing along with. When I'm working on math, I listen to music that pumps me up so I don't fall asleep. Just figure out what works best for you. 

7. Make Lists


So if you've read some of my last posts, you know I love To-Do lists, especially when they're in fun colors. Plan out what you need to get done by importance, how you're going to finish it, and when it needs to be completed. It's good to have a visual reminder of what you need to get done. Plus, whenever you check things off, it motivates you to do more so you can check off even more things. I've gotten so much done just because of that weirdly satisfying feeling I get. 

8. Take Breaks 


So I know I said before to keep distractions away from you, but it is good to take 5-10 minute breaks every hour or so. This helps you to look forward to something and not feel as if you've been working for hours. You can check your phone, read a couple blog posts, watch a YouTube video, read a chapter in your favorite book, whatever you want! Just make sure not to take too long of breaks. ;)

9. Work With Others


I love doing homework and studying with friends! Sometimes we will get together at each others houses, or we'll go out to coffee. It's nice because if one of us is stuck, another one might not be, or we'll help each other edit different papers. It's just great to have a friend to help motivate you and get it finished. Just make sure to do at least some work and not talk the entire time. 

10. Just Do It

All photos via Unsplash
Totally copying Nike here, but seriously, just do it! You can search google for hundreds of tips on how to get things done, but in the end, you're the only one with the power to motivate yourself to actually get it finished, so do it! Not everything in this world is fun, but we've just got to suck it up and do it anyway. So stop reading my blog and start on whatever project you need to get done. Trust me, once you're finished you will be so relieved! 



How do you beat procrastination? Any tips that I didn't include? Leave me a comment and let me know!

I hope you have a productive day,

Elizabeth 


Thursday, March 19, 2015

Embracing the Pain // Four Years












Hello everyone, 

Today it's been four years. 

Four years since the first man I ever loved passed into the arms of Jesus.

I normally don't write heavy blog posts, and by no means do I want attention or pity; I just wanted to talk about this day, and my blog seemed like a good place to do that. 

As a child, I grew up in a Christian home. I attended church and AWANA weekly, read my Bible and said my prayers, and truly did believe God created this earth and Christ died for us. But I had it easy! My parents were amazing and so loving, my brothers and I got along well and did all sorts of fun things together, I had good friends, a beautiful place to live, food and water, clothing. My life was great! I think I really took it for granted.

On February 4th, 2010, my dad was diagnosed with AML (Acute myeloid leukemia) Cancer had invaded my father's body and I was terrified. Months of treatment, hospital visits, tears, cafeteria food, and waiting began. Every day was filled with new hope, and new terror. But as the months dragged on, that hope began to dwindle, and on March 19th, 2011, my dad took his last breath. 

I often try to reflect on what it was like before this awful surprise hit my family. 

I remember how, whenever I went bowling, my dad would try to teach me all these techniques on how to bowl better. Our favorite one was to puff air out of our mouths in hope it would push the ball along and get me a strike. I don't know if it ever worked, but I sure used to get a lot more strikes with dad around. 

I remember looking out my window and seeing my dad walking around in his red and black plaid shirt and cowboy hat. He was always chopping wood or working on something else around the house. It is so weird how the things you miss most are the little things.

I remember his giant bear hugs, the way his whiskers felt on my cheek when he kissed me goodnight, all the conversations we had on our father-daughter dates. I remember the love that sparkled in his eyes when he was around us, the way he looked at my mom with such deep affection, his quiet guitar strumming as we tried to fall asleep. 

To be honest, though, I don't like trying to remember all the good things, because before I can focus on all the wonderful memories, my mind goes to death. 

Pain, tears, death. That's what I remember most.

I remember countless visits to the hospital and it becoming my second home. I remember seeing my dad always sleeping because he was in such serious pain. I remember crying almost every day because everything that was happening was so unfair. I remember the evening before my dad died, not wanting to let go. I remember people's look of pity at the funeral while I held to my eldest brother’s shirt, bawling into his chest. 

Remembering these things brings me pain, so I try not to remember them. I attempt to block out the most life-changing event that ever happened to me, and sometimes, I succeed.

I succeed at blowing out all of the bad memories, but along with the bad memories go the good memories, so I'm left with either embracing the pain or forgetting everything all together.

My dad doesn't deserve that! 

He deserves to be remembered for how loving he was. For what an amazing father he was to us kids. He deserves to be remembered for how sacrificial he was--working day in and day out just for my family! Even when he was sick, he would try to get things done around the house. He deserves to be remembered as an inspiration. No one has inspired me more than my father. He loved and served Christ through his entire walk with cancer and modeled so much faith to us kids. 

My dad doesn't deserve to be forgotten just because I don't want to remember the pain.

The thing is, pain is a part of life. It doesn't matter who you are, you're going to go through something that is tough, no matter what. We live in a fallen, broken world where pain and suffering have infested themselves everywhere. Even so, I know God is in the midst of it, ready to come alongside of us and carry us through all of life's hardships. 

So in the end, I want to embrace the pain. I know that someday I will be reunited with my dad, and that brings me hope! I don't need to be afraid to face the pain of the past, for Christ is there to comfort me through whatever comes my way.

"But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,
    Whose confidence is in him.
 They will be like a tree planted by the water
    That sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
    Its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
    And never fails to bear fruit."

-Jeremiah 17:7-8

With much love,

Elizabeth

Friday, March 13, 2015

Casual Outfit // Hanging Out With Elissa



















Hello everyone,

Today I come to you with a casual outfit/pleading post. It's been a hectic week and I am honestly in a huge blogging rut. I don't know what to post or write and I don't have anything planned or a draft to work on. I've come back to this empty page a couple time this week, but nothing has really come to me. What would you all like to see and read? I need some suggestions so leave me a comment or shoot me an e-mail. I would be much obliged! 

Last weekend I got to hangout with Elissa from Letters to Jayna. (Go check her out!) We walked around her town for a little while and she wanted to snap some pictures. Naturally, I modeled because of my extreme talents of being comfortable around a camera and posing with gusto (NOT). It was really fun though, and I always love spending time with Elissa. She sent me these pictures today so I thought why not share them with you all. 

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend,

Elizabeth

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