Taylor Belle In the Country.

Oh dear. Not College again.

taylorbelleinthecountry — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 01:06:58 +0000

Yes, I’m afraid it’s already that time of year. I have to go back to college. Thank goodness I only have a year left. I had some serious doubts that I was even going to return.

Last night, it was raining, and I was just sitting under the porch and thinking. It was so nice, because it was finally cool after being unbearablably hot and humid the past few weeks. And I was just sitting in a sweatshirt and shorts, comfertable and cool, thinking about life in general.

It’s so nice that I am able to do that without worrying were my next meal will come from, whether or not I’m pregnant or if someone has me within the sights of their sniper. I am a very lucky and thankful individual, and I know that the majority of people aren’t so lucky.

Oh, these lovely end-of-summer nights.

taylorbelleinthecountry — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 23:38:43 +0000

The FFIN (Future Family In Law) and I took a drive around looking for a house yesterday for FH (Future Husband)’s sister. I thought she found a really nice one, with a white house with a porch and a nice lawn and a big, weathered barn and a falling-down shed. Very country. But, it’s too far away from our town for her.

Today we helped his dad prune some trees and take the ex-branches to the firepit. Campfire sometime soon!

Update.

taylorbelleinthecountry — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 23:53:45 +0000

Hello! Sorry for my very infrequent, sporadic posts! This past month has been pretty eventful. A wedding in which my boy was supposed to be best man has been detained from this Saturday until the last Saturday in the month. The groom is in the army and his training got pushed back. The only problem with this is that I will already be five days into my second and last year of college. Talk about a stressful week!

I got back my security deposit from the garbage dump where I previously lived- a mere $245 of the $560 I gave them. I got so ripped off it makes me mad just writing about it. I am also supposed to be getting my vacation pay from the 4 day trip I took two months ago – finally. I no longer work at this job and am getting quite frustrated with them as well.

In other, happier news, my future mother-in-law taught me how to can green beans a few weeks ago. She is going to give me a few quarts, and maybe a good deal of frozen ones as well because she still has to do a third picking and is running out of jars! I really did enjoy picking, snapping, washing, cutting and finally canning those beans. It gives one such a sense of accomplishment when you look upon a huge shelf filled with jars which are the direct result of your hard work. She also filled a large bag with already cut beans, which I gave to my mother and those were cooked and frozen.

My FMIL also has a good deal of zucchini and squash coming; unfortunately, I am not a fan of either. Her pea plants only survived about one every third seedling, and the deer have been eating those as well so there hasn’t been many. She has a good deal of corn growing as well but none of those are quite ready yet.

I have decided I will be making all of my baked goods entirely from scratch. I will be making bread, noodles, plain frycake doughnuts and muffins and hopefully bagels from scratch. I am really, really excited. I work at a bakery but sadly I only really make the cakes (from a box) cream pies (which I am not the fondest of) and fill the doughnuts. I would buy stuff from them but think I will save money making instantly and from scratch.

My mother’s birthday is coming up and as I am trying to save money to survive through my last year of college, don’t really want to spend any money on a gift and I am trying to think of something to make. I want to stay away from food because she is trying to lose weight. I have some fabric I could use for something but I don’t even know what I would make.

The heat and humidity are starting to get to me! We had a really terrible severe thunderstorm a few nights ago. One just sits down and soon your sitting in a pool of perspiration.

My parents own a bit of acreage and I was hoping to get a small rototiller and plant a large garden next year. I would plant for both myself and my family. I have been searching craigslist for a cheap used one but no luck yet. If worst comes to worst, I can use FFIL’s in exchange for my parents’ weed wacker, I’m sure.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

taylorbelleinthecountry — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 23:49:36 +0000

I must say, the best so far.

It was so dark, just like the book, but had a lot of plot changes. I agree with the director that artistic liscemse was used well. I do believe that they showed way too much Draco. Harry was supposed to be obcessed with him and what he was up to; this obsession was not that evident in the movie. Also, when Dumbledore is drinking the potion in the cave, he should have been screaming. Not just merely whimpering.

The good parts: numerous. I thought the highlight (forgive me if this sounds weird) was Dumbledore’s death scene. Well, not the actual death, but when Harry visited him where he lay. It was very well done. The hand gesture, like the hand gesture in the beginning, was subtle but well-placed.

I, of course, also loved the Harry-Ginny kiss, even though that too is out of place a bit. It was sweet, kind of secret, and a bit akward. It was perfect. I also thought the little Hermione crying scene was fantastic, and it showed that these movies are about more than just magic.

There was also a fair bit of humor in them. Harry during his swig of Felix was a tad bit obnxious, but it made me laugh just the same.

The portrayl of Voldemort, both by the younger and teenaged versions, was brilliant. The teenage one that Slughorn experianced was exactly how I pictured him, maybe just a bit more handsome. I really liked the Voldemort from Chamber of Secrets.

Tom Fenton’s performance as Draco was very nice. Especially the face-stomping train scene and as the frightened, scared assasin in the Astronomy tower.

I wish the audience was given a bit more information on the cave, the necklace and the poisoned mead. I felt I had to answer questions from my companions afterwards, which was unnessecary. ALL of the posters were fantastic, especially the one seen here.

Overall, an incredibly entertaining and exhilorating film.

Christmas Ball-Jar Vase

taylorbelleinthecountry — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 14:13:30 +0000

I got this idea from a magazine but for the life of my, can not remember which one. Anyways, you buy a large Ball Jar, like this:

They come in a pack of six 64oz jars, for $10.49 which I thought was pretty reasonable. The plan is to make one for my grandmother, one for my boyfriends’ mother, and one or two for myself. I’m sure the others I will find use for.

The idea is to get some blocks of that green plant foam and place it inside for water instead of just filling the jar. On the outside, you use a hot glue gun to decorate the jar with strips of wallpaper or scrap-booking paper, ribbons, buttons and whatever other do-dads you deem necessary. So, I’m hoping to make these, and fill them with the foam and poinsettias.

Christmas is my favorite time of the year and I get ready very early and in advance!

Plans for New Apartment

taylorbelleinthecountry — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 13:46:19 +0000

Right now, I’m kind of in-limbo between my old apartment and my new one. I can’t move into the new one til at the very earliest, August. But that doesn’t mean I can’t think about what I’m going to do with it.

First, a rough depiction of the floor-plan:

It’s actually quite spacious. The box by the stairway is a closet, as is the thing in the kitchen. The kitchen is rather small but it’s incredibly larger than my previous apartment. There are four windows, two in the living room, one in the kitchen and one in the bedroom. The bedroom sliding glass doors also looks out to a deck which has a lovely view of the creek.

For each of the windows, I’m going to make my own curtains. They will be made out of this material:

which is a burgundy gingham check. I will be going with the bigger pattern on the right. The fabric is $3.49 a yard. My first estimate is that I will need 12-15 yards. Since my future landlord is very particular about the curtains and rods, I will be using a tension spring rod which I will put inside the window frame. Each of these cost about $4. This will also give me an excellent view of the woodwork around the windows. Underneath the curtains, in case they are thinner, I will add a sheer white panel as well. I plan to just use loops on the backs of curtains and leave about 2-3″ above the rod to hide it. I will post more pictures when I get into the project more.

For the pillows, I will stay within the country and red theme I want to create. I didn’t want a bright, “Christmas-y” red, but something that would work for most of the year. I figure if I don’t like the red in spring, I can just take the checkered panel down and leave the sheers. So, pillow fabric:

I figure I will get 2 yards of each and make at least two pillows of each. If I have any extra, I can use that to make a small tablecloth for my endtable. Last year, my grandmother bought me fabric for a quilt. I have a twin bed still, so I will use that quilt in my bedroom for now. The colors of the quilt are tans and yellows and browns, more neutral and natural. I will use those colors for my bedroom. I was also hoping to make a burlap “runner” for the foot of my bed – not sure what those are called. I think it would add nice texture. I may also use some burlap for a table runner.

Background Information.

taylorbelleinthecountry — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 12:14:31 +0000

I am not really intending anyone to read this blog, but someday I hope to write a book about my life (who doesn’t) and would like some documentation. However, on the off-chance that anyone does read this, I will now proceed to tell you a bit about myself so you are not left in the dark.

My name is not really Taylor Belle. Big surprise. I am an avid fan of Jack Johnson and each of those names are a song by him, and I think they fit rather nicely together. Anyways, I’m eighteen years of age, and female. Don’t let that fool you, though. I took AP English in high school and excelled at writing. I would have strived to be a writer if not for my discovery of the camera. I am currently enrolled in a small college, and in about a month, will be in year two of two to complete my Associates Degree in Photography. I’ve made Dean’s List the past two semesters. I am the oldest of four children. My parents have been married 23 years. I ran track and played volleyball in high school, I love horses and dogs, and I am a huge movie buff. I hope to put some reviews in this blog as well.

I really try to be a happy, optomistic person an encourage others to do the same. However, I do have a temper and will let you know when I am angered by something. I laugh a lot, am easily amused, and am very family-oriented.

Hope you enjoy reading.