The last b-day party

A few days ago I made invitations for my last (kiddy) birthday party. On the card I wrote,"Your invited to. . . Rana's last birthday party." My mom thought it

was too dramatic and sounded like I was going to die. But it really is true

I will never have a slumber party style birthday party again. Now that I

am 18 I have to be a grown up and I can't have kiddy birthdays any more. (sadly)

Christmas Banquet

This last Friday I attended the Christmas Banquet at my High School. CB is the equivalent to a Homecoming dance - dancing + fancy dinner. It always takes a long time to prepare for and always ends up causing some kind a of drama. I personally feel like the whole thing is silly.

The table number (in the right bottom corner you can

see part of the head of a guy sitting at our table that I don't even know)

The beautiful yet fatty and inedible pork

-yuck!-

OK. . . so I was really bored. There was nothing to do but stare at the nasty pork and attempt awkward conversation with the random people that are in my class yet I have never spoken to before. I was bored. To pass the time I took random pictures.

really good cake - best part of CB

Table decor

ED taking a picture

SNOW

This weekend my city had a few inches of snow. Of course, it snowed on the weekend and all remnants of snow were cleared up by Monday. I will never have another snow day before I graduate High School. At my High School it is almost impossible to have a snow day because my principle is from Michigan and he is an ex-marine. If he can walk to his mail box in the morning we have school. 98% of the time when it snows.

Unfortunatley I have been stuck inside studing for finals for a while. I tried to take a picture of studying but there is no way to make pictures of me studying artsey or even mildly interesting. I guess I need to quit stalling and get back to studying.

I got the package in the mail

A few days ago I got the big packet in the mail. I made it into the U. I almost can't wait for my senoir year to end and my college life to begin. It almost feels as if I am a student at the U already. I have my own email account, I know my way around the library(I even found the secret anex), and have eaten on campus several times.

These beautiful roses came from my sweet Aunt

Having fun with Adobe Photoshop

I'm back

I just realized that my password is spelled wrong and that is why

I have not been able to log into my blog account.

I am back now . . . but I have little time to update my blog

I will try to write or post something at least once a week. (Hopefully)

A random picture of a bug sitting on my dad's arm.

He keep on trying to attack the camera (the bug not my dad)

Book of poetry

I was trying to figure out what to buy for my mother a few years ago. I wanted to give her something original that she would enjoy and wouldn't throw away in a few years.

Eventually I decided to make books of illustrated poetry.

This book contains poetry of my mom's professor and friend, Dr. Aaron Belz.

(my mom is in the process of finishing college before I begin)

First day of senior year

My family does not have a lot of traditions. We don't pass a piece of corn around the dinner table at Thanksgiving and share what we are thankful for. At Christmas time we don't hang an advent calendar (or put up a tree). My family has never hosted a Easter egg hunt or made Easter baskets. Most of the time we don't follow regular holiday traditions.

Some unorthodox traditions we do have involve school and birthdays. At my birthday party we always take a picture of all my friends sitting on our couch (in the same position). After dinner we always have a dessert other than cake. In the morning we have amazing, delicious blueberry and chocolate chip scones.

On the first day of school every year (from kindergarten to this year) my mom takes a picture of me on the porch before I head off to school. This is the first time I have driven myself to school on the first day and possibly the last time we will ever do this.

there it is...my first day as a Senior

An Old Church

Today I took some pictures of an old church across from my house.

Most of them were not good, but this picture

of the windows is nice because of the bright colors.

My biology project

I am posting a biology project I made last winter.
The assignment was to research an animal and then share
the information in an essay or artist way.
...hmm...essay or artistic presentation....

How to make a card

The easy step-by-step process
to make a simply yet attractive card

Tools you will need

...and paper of course

(I separate my paper into a patterned and plain boxes)

1. Make the center piece for your card. Simple is usually better.

This center piece was inspired by birds

on a power line.

2. Find 2 or 3 complementary piece of paper.

3. Find the paper you want to be the card itself, cut, and fold.

4. This card seemed empty so I added a few touches.

5. Glue all elements to the surface of the card.

6. Be sure to add your own logo on the back.

The finished product

A couple tips

1. Adding a lot of layers complements a simple card.

2. Tearing rather than cutting can add a nice effect.

3. Photographs can make nice centerpieces for those non-artists.

Bar B Q

Yesterdays Barbecued chicken

My mom tricked my dad into eating dark meat by telling him it was chicken breast. My aunty, grandma, and friend TC were also around the table at dinner. TC made a shrimp salad that was really tasty (I only sampled it b/c I hate shrimp). Later we had a competitive game of password.

Dad barbecues using a chimney to start the fire

Dad's dorky garden shoes. He cut his Wellingtons when they fell apart and covered a hole in the toe with a bike tire patch.

Just another example of my familly's unconventional recycling methods

postage stamp quilt

About 4 or 5 years ago I made a postage stamp quilt top. Unfortunately I did not have the drive to carry the quilt to fruition. Only recently my mom attached the quilt top to the batting and backing (an old white sheet).

my mother sewing the binding onto
the quilt

(note her manicure - she is quite proud

of it and was posing her hands for the camera)

My mother used the above thread to sew the quilt.

She inherited this thread from her great grandmother

(who was very frugal). As you can see the thread is

wrapped around a toilet paper roll.

my mother's sewing box