I hate to leave you, please don't be sad.

Yes, its true. I'm leaving you blogspot.

I'm sorry, it's not you its me. I need more attractive templates, sleeker designs, more socially appropriate blogger interactions.

But the rest of you, please follow me to my NEW blog:

http://rachelceleste.tumblr.com/

It'll be fun, you'll see.

Thanks for reading, I always forget that you do... but I'm glad that you do. Very glad.

experimenting sometimes leads to failing

Of all my classes this semester, most of which I enjoy, Web Design has decided to be the mean little voice in the back of my mind. Which is unfortunate because I really wanted to like it, hmm...pity.

Seriously though, great stuff, its just a super long and for me complicated process to figure out web design. This week we had to make 4 mock layouts based upon a clients {students} company and had to cater it to them. Here are two of my better, but still not so awesome ones.

So, I'll keep playing with it 'till I figure it out or at least understand it a little more. But, its a process nonetheless.

In other news, our first Eddy {concert of local bands put on monthly at Biola, which I am now a part of planning} is tomorrow night and I'm super excited to see how it plays out.

Oh, Andy Warhol...

One of my favorite classes this semester, Contemporary Art Trends, is a discussion about artists from the 1950s up until the present day art scene including their work, their influences, thought processes and cultural impact. Its only a once a week class, and even though it is a 4 hour friday morning lecture... I'm like a kid on santa's lap every week.

We explored the life and work of Andy Warhol this past week, and being among one of my favorite contemporary artists I was excited to see what he had in store.. but he is SO much more interesting than I thought!

He was a silly little genius. The basis of his work being the repitition of iconic and even controversial images to the point of insignificance in order to drone out the meaning all together and leave it as a lifeless void. He even carried this out through his false persona as a cocky and insecure parrot like consumer mindset to the public in order to further reinforce his work. Genius, genius, crazy little genius.

...and not to mention he really does make captivating contemporary art {paintings, photos, reproductions, films, and screen prints} as well as being unabashadly eccentric and oddly fascinating. And was apparantly a practicing Byzantine Catholic who worked at homeless shelters and lived with his aged devout Catholic mother, as well as being a sexually mysterious and living in his studio affectionately named "The Factory" with walls lined with tin foil and full of partying hippy posse.

Which makes me want to hang out with him even more, figure him out and hear his inspirations. I hope he's in heaven... I'd love to meet this silly creative legend and talk about Jesus.

I realize that sounded like a book report, but I just can't get over how weirdly fascinating he is...

Things I'm learning.

I feel like everyday since I've been back at school I learn something about myself that I had forgotten about or newly discovered.

I've learned that I am a purely visual learner. If I can't see it, possibly feel it or visualize it somehow, it will go in one ear and out the other. Guaranteed.

I've learned that I don't talk as much as I thought. Those who know me well are howling with laughter at this moment I'm sure, but really, I've met some crazy crazy talkers these past few weeks. I'm put in my place next to them, man.. I didn't think it was possible.

I've learned I giggle when I don't have any clue what I'm doing. Trying to pass off my inablity as cuteness? Uncomfortable nervousness? Gut instinct? I dunno, its funny, and in turn makes me giggle more, duh.

I've learned that I get very emotionally invested in almost every situation in which I am involved. Lunch with friends, a piece of literature, song lyrics, my nephews every movement it seems, time with those i love, a circumstance I may hear in passing regarding someone I don't know and will never meet, the ridiculous story lines of teen soap operas, you name it, I'm sucked in like that.

I've learned that I am very selfish with my time. I am way too social for my own good and college is just a reciepe for every single class failure if I was allowed to play as much as my heart desires. So supressing my social butterfly within me is very hard to do and I've realized that because of this I am a time whore, reserving far more play time than work time in my schedule. Which is almost always impossible {sigh}.

I've learned how much I love to sing. Since being back at Mosaic Whittier, my lovely church, I've sang every week and never get tired of it. Never get bored of it. Never get self conscious about it. Weird, can't explain it, just love it.

I've learned that I should pursue what I want, even if I am self conscious if I will succeed. Which means I want to probably switch my emphasis from Design to Interdisciplinary which means I would study both Design and Photography, which is what I love and wanted to do from the start. I just got nervous, and am feeling affirmation that I should pursue it and design together, not just singularly. So, that's real exciting.

I've learned today that I have mono. Which is maybe God's way of telling me to slow down, take things one day at a time and take better care of myself. All of which I have no time to do, but since He brought me into this He will bring me out better than when I entered. Because that's His specialty.

I'm off to go learn some more.

In the mean time, here is my homework from last week, hehe. Enjoy.

And in case you need an explanation: {we had to take 100 images and put them in some sort of grid. I took 100 people doing finger mustaches and put them on someone doing a finger mustache. what else?}

Workin on it.

"Let love be genuine.
Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.
Love one another with brotherly affection.
Outdo one another in showing honor.
Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.
Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.
Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.
Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.
Live in harmony with one another.
Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly.
Never be wise in your own sight...
Do not be overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good."
{Romans 12:9-16, 21}

I've been on my own mind a lot lately. In the midst of the ever intensifying whirlwind that seems to be my life, I go inward, get very introspective and often closed off from what's really happening. Plug my ears, sing la la la and wait for it to blow over. I've been thinking, and am obviously realizing I can't go on like this forever.

So here I go.
Time for a Rachel's insides makeover.

May to August

Here comes the invitiable and unfortunate end of summer blog, we all knew it would eventually show up on these tiny bits of cyberspace, I just didn't anticipate it approaching so rapidly.

Goodness it was great.

Summer contained lots of lovely treasures and suprises. Some trivial, some exciting, some life changing, some so silly they don't fit into a catagory. Here are some things.

I participated in the union of my best friend being joined with the love of her life for ever.

I gallavanted on an island with three beautiful friends, sang love ballads in golfcarts and drank beverages by the water.

I grew deeper in my relationships with family.

I became quite fond of a young gentleman.

I had countless nights with best friends, doing nothing remarkable, but enjoying every second.

I got to hang out with mounds of junior highers for a week in the woods. Sleeping on the ground, listening for God's voice, getting my hair braided, eating candy, talking about boys, rattling scorpions out of sleeping bags with a chorus of screeching 12 yr olds, and learning from them as much as they learned from me.

I watched more movies than I can count, stargazed, hottubed, bbq'ed, overslept, underslept, cuddled, camped, wakeboarded, and took many pictures.

I gained another beautiful nephew that I can't wait to see become a man.

I learned how to let go of things I've been harping on for years and realize how much they have affected my daily life, physical health and interactions. And am still working on it and am now changed for the better.

I didn't learn Italian, hike, get a tan, mini golf, or paint my room like I had planned.

I cried every week, and learned how healthy that is and how much I needed it.

I ate $3 pizza with gaggles of friends past midnight on the sidewalk downtown and giggled at the drunks wandering by and singing karaoke.

I felt often treasured, cared for, spoiled, loved and appreciated. Which is (selfishly) what I have been holding out for.

I job hunted fruitlessly for weeks and then was blessed to work for my dad, which was not always easy or exciting but looking back, I wouldn't trade all those hours we got to spend together for any mimimum wage customer service job.

I got to show my beloved Oregon to my beloved roommate, and giggled for four days straight while doing it.

I sipped coffee, talked about important things, went on impromtu photoshoots, swam, windowshopped, watched movies in the park, and stayed up past the point of alertness of motor skills.

I walked from Pennington to Cedar Links holding hands and mumbling tiny things beneath the moonlit sky.

I learned what it is like to be granted God's grace and provision for something you truly cannot control.

I loved, encouraged, enjoyed, expressed, and soaked up every situation to its maximum capacity this summer and I'm sad to see it go.


It is ONLY appropriate to let Dashboard explain...

"Age Six Racer"

So long sweet summer,

I stumbled upon you and gratefully basked in your rays.

So long sweet slumber.

I fell into you now you're gracefully falling away.

Hey thanks, thanks for that summer.

It is cold where your going I hope that your heart is always warm.

I gave you the best, gave you the best that I had.

You passed on my letters and passed on the best that I had.

I hate the winter in Lexington.

So now, here I sit. In my new apartment, next to my new roomie Shannon Tierney (who I am delighted to cohabititate with and whose name you will be hearing more of) as we simultaniously blog.

My parents are leaving LA in the morning, I left my siblings, sibling in laws, nephews, friends and fellah at home. It's just me now and I hope I can squeeze as much out of this Fall and Spring as I did out of Summer.

With 18 units, (2 art history lectures, 3 studios at 6 hours a week, and a lit class) my job in AS (student gov) on Social Board planning student events, and Youth Ministry as well as Music Ministry at my church... I will be at my max most of the time. But I'm thrilled to see what will become of the semester God has planned out for me.

It's with fervent hope, constant faith, zealous ambition and lots of caffine that I enter the college realm once again.

It's good to be back.

Ready? Go.

too soon

6days6days6days6days6days6days.

Crazy.

I'm in the list making stage.

Soon I will be in the frantically gathering and compulsive late night hanging out stage.

Yikes summer, why'd you have to let fall be a big creeper and hijack all our merriment?

WHAaaattttTT?

I leave for Biola in 11 days. Ehem...uhh...soo, really? {wee bit o' shock perhaps}

This summer has been, scratch that, I choose to still speak in present tense until it is truly past... summer IS wonderful and its weird that its flying by so swiftly.

This is not the time for a farwell summer blog, oh no. But here is a chewable quote and a giggle worthy picture to soften the blow for the farewell blog to come.

"A gentleman is a man who can play the accordion but doesn't." -Unknown

Ok... two. Because I'm totally against pictures of fuzzy creatures unless followed by something actually interesting enough to be creative.
And since you get two pictures, you get two quotes....you came to the right blog today, friend.

"While the fates permit, live happily; life speeds on with hurried step, and with winged days the wheel of the headlong year is turned." -Seneca

{sigh}

When they call your name
will you walk right up
with a smile on your face
or will you cower in fear
in your favorite sweater
with an old love letter

i wish you would
i wish you would
come pick me up
take me out
f me up
steal my records
screw all my friends
they're all full of shit
with a smile on your face
and then do it again
i wish you would

when you're walking downtown
do you wish i was there
do you wish it was me
with the windows clean and the mannequins eyes
do they look like mine

you know you could
i wish you would
come pick me up
take me out
f me up
steal my records
screw all my friends
behind my back
with a smile on your face
and then you do it again
i wish you would

i wish you'd make up my bed
so i could make up my mind
try it for sleeping instead
maybe you'll rest sometime
i wish i could

...love, ryan adams.

Expression.

go.

bored holes through our tongues
to sing a song about it
held our breath for too long
‘til we’re half sick about it

tell us what we did wrong
and you can blame us for it
turn a clamp on our thumbs
we’ll sew a doll about it
and tell us all about it

how ‘bout some credit now
where credit is due
for the damage that we’ve done
wrought upon ourselves and others
with a slow and vicious gun
and although pratfalls can be fun
encores can be fatal
and there i hear you say

thank god it’s fatal
not shy
not shy of fatal
thank god

wait just a second now
it’s not all that bad
are we not having fun?

you’re making mountains of handkerchiefs
where the mascara always runs

so be careful when you’re done you’re bound to get post-natal

what did i just hear you say?

thank god it’s fatal
we don’t want to hear the sound of a door
and we don’t want to read the signs that you bore

you know the kind of sign you hang on the door
saying we’ll be back what a crack
don’t you think we might have heard that before?
{heretics - andrew bird}





Such is the way of the world
You can never know
Just where to put all your faith
And how will it grow

Gonna rise up
Burning back holes in dark memories
Gonna rise up
Turning mistakes into gold

Such is the passage of time
Too fast to fold
And suddenly swallowed by signs
Low and behold

Gonna rise up
Find my direction magnetically
Gonna rise up
Throw down my ace in the hole
{eddie vedder - rise}