Chocolate! (A Book Tag)

Uggggghhhh.

I have... five posts in my blog drafts folder waiting to be completed. They're all about 1/4 of the way finished, and I have to take pictures to finish all of them. Which is just not happening.

Sooooo instead, I'm doing a blog tag, which I was nominated for by Aspen over at Texas Rebel Girl, and Sarah from Sarah'Sword! Thanks, girls, for the nominations! Because I really did not feel like finishing those other posts right now... though I do need to... eventually. ;)

Well, shall we get started then? *smile*

Dark Chocolate (a book that covers a dark topic):

Uhh... I really don't read many of that sort of thing... but I'll go with... oh! I know. The Left Behind series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. It's all about the end times, as described in the book of Revelation. Very intense, and tough subject, but really great. I'm only just finishing up the 2nd book, but I'm really excited to read the rest.

White Chocolate (a light and humorous read): 

This one is definitely The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien (duh). Yes, yes, it does get sad nearing the end, but it's such a fun, super easy, and definitely humorous read. ;)

Milk Chocolate (a book with a lot of hype that you're dying to read): 

Ooh oh oh! The Giver by Lois Lowry. I've heard some great things about the movie based on it that just released, so I want to read the book first so I can see le movie. ;)

Caramel-filled Chocolate (a book that makes you feel all gooey inside): 

Ehehe. There are many many many... ;D First that comes to mind would be The Merchant's Daughter by Melanie Dickerson. Lotsa lovely goo-ey-ness. ;)

Wafer-less Kit-Kat (a book that surprised you):

First of all, I've never heard of a wafer-less Kit-Kat, so..? Or maybe that's because it would be surprising to eat a Kit-Kat only to find out it doesn't have wafers? Idk. Anyway... xD 

One that surprised me was DragonSpell by Donita K. Paul. From the cover and first few chapters, I was totally not expecting the awesome book it turned out to be -- seriously, one of the best I've read in a while. Really fun fantasy story, and very Tolkien-esque. ;)

Snickers (a book you're going nuts about): 

Anomaly by Krista McGee!! Set in a dystopian world with genetically modified humans who don't have emotions, this book was incredible. It sounds cliche, but it totally isn't. I'm dying to read the next two books in the trilogy.

Hot Chocolate with Mini Marshmallows (a book you turn to for comfort): 

The Bible!!! No, I'm serious, man. There is no other book in the world that can give such complete peace as God's Word. ^_^

A Box of Chocolates (a series you feel has something for everyone): 

This is super easy -- The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien (including it's prequel, The Hobbit). I've heard sooo many people say how they read at least The Hobbit in school, and it was their absolute favorite book ever -- then they got older and decided to read LOTR, only to love that even more. 

Honestly, you can't get much better than Middle-earth. ;) 

That was so much fun -- thanks again for the nominations, girls!! :) 

And here are my nominees!

Amber - Amber on the Mountain

Elizabeth - The Fangirl in Me

Zoë - Most Excellent Timing

Ely - What Can I Say?

Madison - A Wanderer's Journey

Maggie - Ladies of the Press

Evelyn - Me, Myself and I

Hannah - Thoughts From a Nerdy Girl

And, of course, any one else who would like to do the tag! Even if you want to do it in the comment section here, go for it! Because I literally hate to leave people out... it makes me sad. ;) 

Welp, hope you enjoyed this fun little post, and hopefully I'll get those 5 drafts finished sometime soon... ;) 

~Beth

Maturation is a Process

Let's just say...

I've seen myself mature the most over the past 2 years than during any other period in my life.

And yes, I'm glad of this... but of course, in some ways I'm not... though I'll leave the nostalgic, I-don't-want-to-grow-up post for another time. ;)

Anyway.

This maturation has not only been physical, mental, social... but also spiritual.

Up until I was halfway through my 14th year of life, I hadn't ever really felt a real connection with God. I wanted to, I really did -- but I just... wasn't. Church was boring, just a time to see my friends, as was youth group, my devotions were a total of 5 minutes, in which I read a chapter of the Bible, sometimes writing down the reference, and occasionally writing down something I thought was interesting about it.

Let me tell you... I have too many pages in my bible notebook full of one-line entries.

Now, moving ahead in my timeline, I began to grow.

Somewhere along the line, something began to change. I don't think I could stick my finger on any big turning point, or radical transformation, but instead, it was gradual. So gradual that I didn't know the difference until it was upon me.

Like a bud finally beginning to bloom, opening it's petals towards the Son, I was finally beginning the meaningful life of a Christian that I had always yearned for.

You know how God's always saying that if we seek Him, we'll find Him? (Jer. 29:13, Matt. 7:7)

IT'S TRUE.

I was seeking. God had already found me, but my eyes weren't fully opened yet. Then, through His Holy Spirit working in me, through the process of maturation, I began to see...

My relationship with Jesus began to mean something more than just going to church, reading the Bible, having Christian friends... it meant interacting with Christ on a daily basis, through prayer, reading His word, and searching for His will in everything (or at least trying to...!)

I began to see new meaning in the songs I loved to sing in church (mascara smears after worship, anyone?). God began to teach and speak to me directly - from His word, in my personal quiet times, and also from other things that I would read, see, or that would simply pop into my head (that is the absolute best!), and I began praying more (which is an area I still struggle in).

I also began to lean on Him for strength in school work, projects (yes, cosplay!) health issues, my safety, the list goes on and on, encompassing every aspect of my life.

So... why did I write this?

I think because I wanted to let anyone who hasn't felt they've "clicked" with God yet, that that's okay. Maturation is a process, and it won't happen all at once. All we can do is continue to seek God with our whole being, and ask Him to reveal Himself to us.

Guys... He has promised that those who seek WILL find. Claim that promise, because it is yours to claim.

He will lead -- all you must do is follow.

Music Spotlight: "Wonders"

Time for a music spotlight, featuring... The Piano Guys' new album, Wonders!

The Piano Guys are just awesome.  In case you haven't heard of them before, the perfect description comes from their Facebook page:

"What do you get when you mix up a marketing genius that does video, a studio engineer that writes music, a pianist that had a successful solo career, and a cellist that does pretty much everything? The Piano Guys: a miraculous meeting of “guys” with the same intrinsic purpose – to make a positive impact in the lives of people all over the world through music videos."

I found them over on YouTube about 2 years ago, from their (gorgeous) Lord of the Rings arrangement.  After that, I was in love! ;)

About the music on their latest album... it's even better than their past two albums!  There's two songs featuring vocals, while the rest are instrumental -- making it perfect study music.

So, there's my brief rundown of The Piano Guys and Wonders!  Let meh know in le comments what your favorite song(s) are off the album, and if you had heard of these musicians before! :)

Here's my favorites...

3 - Ants Marching / Ode to Joy

4 - Fathers' Eyes

7 - Batman Evolution

8 - Don't You Worry Child (feat. Shweta Subram)

11 - Because of You

Ugly Knit Shirt Refashion

Firstly -- you must forgive me for going all M.I.A. on ya'll for 10 days. It wasn't intentional, I promise! ;)

In that time, I've been up to quite a lot. And the refashion in this post is one of them!

I haven't done one of these in much too long, and I've had this shirt hanging around for a while - a very out-of-fashion, ribbed knit, long sleeved shirt. A hand-me-down from one of my older sisters. ;)

Here's where we begin:

Yes, it is wearable as it is, but it could be much much better. The big thing was those sleeves... so awkward. The fit wasn't the greatest either.

I first picked out what I did like about it: the color, and the cute lace lining the collar. Other than that... meh. So, time to get to work!

I decided to make the sleeves 3/4 length:

Sewing!

Sleeve hem completed:

Then I took it in about a 1/2 inch along each side, including the armhole (which were a tad large) and the upper part of the sleeve.

Aaaaand finished! :D

P.S. Apologies for this post being kinda quick. Lotsa business going on, and not enough time to blog. :p I've got several cosplay posts in the draft folder (as usual, right xD) - but for now, here's a little tease... :D

[Battle] Tauriel Cosplay - The Dress

Here arrives the promised post:

The dress for my battle Tauriel costume!

But first, some progress pics from the making of it.

The bodice, which really shows the importance of fitting pattern-made clothes before you sew them together. I lengthened the pattern piece so it would fall a bit below my waist, instead of right at it:

The collar, which I altered quite a bit from the original pattern piece:

Bodice + collar sewn together:

The skirt, which took an extremely long time (see how I didn't say "forever"? ;)) due to the huge hem and getting the correct length. And yes, it is split down the front and back.

The sleeves, which took a bit of time to fit as well. As you can [barely] see, they're split at the wrist:

And finally -- the finished product! It was so worth all the work, and I totally reccomend this pattern (McCall's 6818). Fairly simple to follow, and with a lovely outcome (okay with altering ;D).

(you can't tell very well, but the skirt really is split down the front and back, I promise;)

And one picture of me wearing it. :)

(excuse the no makeup ;))

P.S. 76 days in the countdown to The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies!

A Day of Horses and Doctor Who

While ya'll are waiting with bated breath for October 1st and the reveal of my battle Tauriel dress (kidding, kidding ;D), I thought I might write a fun post about a "horse play day" I had with this awesome girl named Karis, who I've mentioned on here before. ;) Karis blogs over at The Horse Nextdoor, and you should definitely go check it out and say hi!

Karis riding bare-back on her quarter pony, Lady.

But anyway - back to le day...

Mya and Lady (Karis' horse and pony, respectedly) both had been having some serious hoof problems the past few weeks, but had finally started looking better the past few days, so Karis invited me over to hang out and help her give the ponies some exercise.

What ensued was a fun, relaxing, "horse play day," which included grooming, lunging, bare-back riding, a run-away pony, and lots of fandom talk - mostly concerning Doctor Who...

...which is always funny, because we're complete opposites when it comes to our favorite characters...

(Karis, you're reading this - you're nodding, right? ;D)

So, I'm a die-hard (literally) fan of David Tennant's 10 - and Rose. Especially together. Ehehehehehehe... *sobs*

Aaaand Karis loves Matt Smith's 12. And doesn't like Rose at all. As in... she didn't even cry at "Doomsday." (I KNOW. Don't worry - I've given her plenty of grief over that... ;D)

Soooo, yes. Wait, where was I going with that.... oh yeah. No where. ;D

Until October, my friends! ;)

[Battle] Tauriel Cosplay - Chainmail Completed!

Here's one {of many} things that've been happening since I last updated you guys on my battle Tauriel costume...

My pop-tab shoulder chainmail pauldrons are 100% finished (with the help of some donations from friends)! :D

As you can see, they're a general diamond shape, with some slight shaping at the upper top for the shoulder so they'll lay better.

Each piece is made of (to my best approximation) ~175 tabs.

Now, you might be wondering why I didn't just make the chain mail out of metal rings instead... which would arguably have looked better.  Well, guys, if you don't know by now, I'm a budget cosplayer [read: cheap]. When I can make something for a fraction of the cost it would have been, I go for it. And honestly, I enjoy costuming more when I can do it inexpensively. So, free chain mail? Yep, that fit my budget quite nicely! ;)

You might have noticed the fabric underneath the chain mail. Looks quite similar to the fabric for my battle Tauriel dress, doesn't it...? Well, I did say this costume would be completed way before December 17th, did I not...? Oh yes I did. :D

Prepare for the unveiling of the dress a week from today:

October 1st.

P.S. Thanks, you guys, for putting up with all my crazy shenanigans. You know I have way too fun with this stuff. ;D

Captain America Cosplay - Footwear Acquired

You know back in August, how I asked all my lovely readers' opinions on boots for my fem Captain America costume...?

And how there was one pair that we all said we loved...?

Well, guess what came in the mail today. :D

Yep -- I ended up on the inevitable and bought them. ;D

Aaaand you all were totally right: they are perfect for the look I'm going for with my fem Cap costume. And a bonus: I absolutely adore them for everyday wear as well. Seriously. These are, like, my new favorite pair of shoes... ;D

As for details...

The leather is really nice - it's not shiny, like patent leather, but is instead this really cool matte texture, which I just adore.

The color is perfect; this awesome distressed brown, actually a pretty close match to his boots (and the other brown costume details) of his costume for Age of Ultron.

And I love the buckle details! They lend an almost military style, and keep the boots from looking boring.

As for the heel, I personally think the 3 inch heel is perfect. It'll add a nice touch of femininity to the costume, without going overboard. And, for a girl who isn't 6 foot like most superheroes, this'll give me a nice height boost. ;)

So, basically, they're perfect superhero boots: fairly simple and no-nonsense, but still quite chic.

Now I just wish it would start getting colder so I can wear them for realz... ;)

[Battle] Tauriel Cosplay - Pattern Prep and Cutting

I've been so busy working on my battle Tauriel costume this week that I've neglected updating ya'll on my progress... ;)

Just a word in advance: I will have this cosplay completed way before the Hobbit 3 premiere on December 17th. Which just means... I'll have to figure something else out to keep me busy in the long months ahead. xD Maybe start working on Arwen's coronation dress? I mean, I've got the fabric already... :)

Anyway -- back to the pattern (McCall's 6818).

First up was reading over the instructions for making the pattern, to get an idea of what would be entailed here.

Next, was cutting out the individual pieces from the larger pattern sheets, and then taking some measurements for alterations.

Then ironing the pattern pieces out so everything would lie smoothly when I cut the fabric...

Prepping the fabric to be cut...

And finally, pinning and cutting the fabric. Which is most likely my least favorite part of sewing. That, and sleeves. xD

And here is the end of today's [rather short] post -- but don't worry, more updates coming soon! (;

P.S. THE COSTUME IS ACTUALLY COMING TOGETHER.

Captain America Cosplay - The Shield (by Disguise)

A fitting introduction to this post... ;D

So.  Mine might not be made of vibranium, or be able to deflect bullets.  But still...

I'm just way too excited about this thing.

I got it from Amazon for 25 bucks (but I got it free [YAYY] using my Amazon giftcards I earned through Swagbucks! which is awesome btw;).

It's a bit overpriced for what it is (hard plastic circle?) But it's not nearly as bad as the reviews would say - and it beats paying upwards of $200 for a metal shield. xD

Like I said in the title, it's the movie version (as opposed to comic) of Cap's shield, made by Disguise, and is the new-and-improved version for Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

The paint job is very tidy, and the colors are nice and vibrant, and screen-accurate. It's made of hard plastic, 24" diameter (1-1 size ratio with the movie version), with the star raised and with accents at the tips. There's two black elastic straps on the back...

And as you can see, they're attached to the shield with plastic..uh...things (xD), which are super-glued to the shield. I have the elastic pinned right now, as they were too large for my arm. No big deal there.  (I'm actually thinking of doing a complete modification to the straps, and exchanging the black elastic for leather straps with buckles for a more accurate look - and also because that'd just be cool. xD)

As far as sturdiness goes, noooo this shield isn't gonna keep me safe from Nazis or Chitauri or Bucky (sobs), but it is decent. As long as I take care of it and don't throw it against walls and stuff, it will hold up just great. ;D  And as far as looks? Fabulous. Much better than I was expecting! :)

Welp - I'm out. Gotta go pose in front of the mirror with my shield some more.  Just kidding just kidding... maybe... ;)

[Battle] Tauriel Cosplay - Fabric and Pattern

So, sorry not sorry about that little cliffhanger in my last post... hope I didn't leave you guys hanging too long... but I was kinda having fun with that... ;D

So, the other day (as in, last Saturday) I went to Joann (you know, the fabric store) for the first time with my oldest (eldest?) sister, Alissa.

Which was an experience in it of itself... as they had more fabrics (and higher prices o.O) than I had anticipated. However! With the help of Alissa (no seriously, I wouldn't have survived without her. xD), I was able to decide on fabric for my "Battle Tauriel" dress.

See, what made the trip "interesting," was that I really didn't have a set idea for what color/material I wanted. I was originally thinking light green suede...

...but ended up with this (which I'm [now] convinced is 900% better than green suede would have been for this costume. ;))

So, I'm kinda notorious for not using fabrics for their intended purpose. And, with that said, the material is 5 yards of Sew Classic's polyester crepe suiting in "medieval blue". xD Yeah. Like I said. Not for intended purposes. ;D

But in all seriousness, this fabric is lovely. The drape is absolutely gorgeous, with just the right weight. The crepe-weave is super cool, too. From far away, the texture looks so cool... then you get up close and it's even cooler. ;)

Also, the color! Ahhhhhh the color. IMHO, 'tis just divine. As you can see, each picture made it look a different shade (and none of them are edited, either). In natural lighting especially, the color goes crazy - morphing from jewel tones to a slate grey. And the chain mail (if you don't know what I'm talking about, you can see back in this post) looks quite pretty and feminine against it, the colors reminiscent of Arwen's requiem gown in The Two Towers.

And a bonus is that I actually look good in this color. Which wouldn't have been true with the suede I was considering. So there's that. ;D

Next up: The pattern.  I also got this at Joann, and it just happened to be on sale for 2 bucks! *Happy dance.* ;) McCalls's 6818:

I'll be following view B mostly, though using the sleeves of A (normal long sleeves). I plan on doing some alterations to it, because, as I'm sure you can see, it's not perfect. But it's got some great potential.

I'll be making the skirt come completely around the front (though keeping the slit down the center), lowering the waistline just a bit, and making the collar smaller, to be more like the collar of Tauriel's archer dress.  And as for the cape... I'm probably going to nix it, but it's still a possibility. We'll just have to see. ;)

So you guys are no longer in suspense -- yayy! ;D Let meh know whatcha think of the fabric and my pattern plans and such. I always love hearing you guys' thoughts. :)  Btw... the design of my costume isn't quite complete yet. There's an aspect or two that I'm still pondering, which I'll share soon (once I actually, like, make up my mind. ;D)

Lastly, I've got at least 3 cosplay posts swirling around in my brain that I just need to write up... Because, like I've said, there's been quite a bit of costume happenings lately. :D

#Can'tBalanceSchoolAndCosplay

Apologies beforehand because this is gonna be a quick post. I sowwy, but I'll explain why. :P

School has started -- yeah, that's basically my explanation. Even though I'm homeschooled, I've still got plenty of work to do; as I'm sure all you homeschoolers will smile and nod to. You know what I'm talking about. ;)

Aaaaand add to that, the fact that my internet has been out since Saturday night, when we had a pretty large thunderstorm, and I have no clue when it'll be fixed. SO I've been hanging out at our local christian college's library all day, mooching off their wifi. ;D

I'm taking an online dual-enrollment class from the college, also -- General Psychology. Exciting, right? :p After looking at the syllabus today, though, it definitely could be worse. It actually should be fairly easy. Maybe even fun...? We shall see. ;)

So, that's what I've been doing today -- exploring the online portal and downloading syllabi (plural of syllabus..?), reading assignments, and powerpoints, and also submitting some preliminary homework. All of which didn't leave much time for a very exciting blog post...
WHICH IS REALLY SAD BECAUSE I'VE GOT SO MUCH TO TELL YOU GUYS.  Like, seriously. Some major Tauriel and Captain America cosplay progress has been happening this week. I'll try really really really hard to get a post up about those two very soon, but in the meantime, you can mull over all possible meanings behind this (hehe):

Change...

Here's some background music for this post. ;)

I've noticed a theme in the posts written on the blogs I follow recently.

Change.

I've currently been experiencing this - change - the most I've experienced it, well, ever. While in the past I've moved several times to very different locations, they occurred when I was younger and less effected by such things.

But, now, I'm 16 and have been living in the same place for the past 6 years, and those years have been more influential on my life than any of those before. I've had so many wonderful memories with the amazing friends I made in those 6 years.

Then, suddenly, I realize that those friends and their lives are changing, including me and mine.

None of us have much free time any more to just hang out. Some of them have begun drifting out of my life. And as for the people who have gone away to college, well, I'll only have the opportunity to see them when they come home on breaks. Which I definitely look forward to, but it's not nearly as satisfying as knowing I'll at least see them every week at church.

And then there's the result of these changes. Like I've already experienced, people end up fading out of your life and, somehow, you two turn back into acquaintances, with not so much as "goodbye."

My personal change is hard, and scary, as well. I'm approaching my senior year of highschool. In just over a year, I'll be heading to college... and so many questions and fears arise from this fact.

Will I be able to keep up with all the [difficult] school work? And amidst that work, will I still have time for the things I enjoy? Will I be able to make any new friends? Will I meet *that* special someone?

All this... yeah. It's hard. Change is hard. And scary. And is when we need to trust God the most.

However - we have to remember that change can also be good. For us, for others... and with this, somehow it will all turn out perfectly in the end.