We arrived as the sun was setting, swirling pink and orange and indigo as a backdrop for the sun slipping beneath the horizon. Granted, I'm not who goes on rides and consumes large amounts of deep fried food, but there's something alluring about a carnival, especially at dusk.

The flashing neon signs, a stark contrast against the darkening sky, flaunting the biggest spiders of the world, deep fried ice cream, and rides of all sorts. And in between the livestock, the deep fried kool-aid and burgers with doughnuts as buns (no, I'm not kidding), the screams of people on rides, the newly hatched chicks carefully wobbling about, there's a sense of peace. I like the fair. And I can't wait to go again next year.

What's your favorite part of the fair?

ps the winner of the $25 gift certificate to the poppy boutique is josie and the winner of the locket is emma. congratulations! please email me to claim your prize. 

note: if winners do no respond within forty eight hours, new winners will be picked.

It's an oxymoron. Life, simultaneously messy and perfectly neat, heartbreaking and being filled with so much joy it's as if your heart will burst. Gritty, yet amazingly rewarding, trials and the best days of your life. I'm not quite sure how to go about writing this -- there's so much to be said about a single word, our very existence. My time here on earth hasn't been very long, but the sliver I've been fortunate enough to experience has taught me so much.



It's taught me that faith and family are the most important things and best friends are essential, people who will just listen as you talk and talk for hours on end, put up with drama and silliness, and give you advice. Strong relationships are the basis to making it through this crazy journey -- with people as well as God.

oh hi alina.

It's taught me that every single second should be cherished and lived like it's your last. Life is too short to complain, fight, argue over petty things that are forgotten in a blink of an eye. I must confess this is something that I struggle with -- being the strong willed person I am, it's hard for me to just let it go. It's far from simple; on the contrary, it's hard. I can only trust in the grace of Christ that he will help me.

It's taught me that nothing is perfect -- no human, no blog, no situation, and most definitely not my life. When it comes to blogging, there are some trials I share on here, but this is not a dumping ground for every single thing that is going wrong in my life. That is what my diary is for. Honestly, the things that upset me every day are trivial and simply not worth rehashing. This space is a visual journal and a place to be creative, a place to remember the little things and chronicle my photographic journey.
That's not to say that life can get overwhelming; on the contrary, I sometimes succumb to tears just wondering how I can possible be able to get everything done in time. These past few weeks have been incredibly wonderful and at the same time so overwhelming at the same time. Having my sister here completes us, but it's a balancing act, really, trying to fit in work and other tasks that still need to be done while resting by spending time with my family. I wouldn't trade it for anything, though -- I'm so thankful to have this time. So no, life recently hasn't been perfect, but it's been pretty darn good.

(for some other wonderful, perfectly said words on the topic of blogging,  Libby's "the onion girls" post is simply phenomenal. pleasepleaseplease do yourself the favor of reading it.)

life has also taught me that my mother's pizza is the best.

I can't even begin to scrape the surface of all that life is and stands for, but tonight, these are these few things are the ones that are my heart. Life. I love it, in all its crazy, gritty, wonderful, frustrating, amazing glory.

Have a beautiful rest of the week, lovelies.

It's an in-between month. September, with summer weather in the beginning, then a slow, slipping transition into fall; dotted with birthdays and celebrations and just plain loveliness. 

And then there's October. Tucked into the space between the last traces of summer and the first icy tendrils of winter, I feel as if it's the only legitimate month of autumn. I tend to overlook this month of crackling, crunchy leaves, a thousand shades of crimson and amber and gold; the clear, blindingly azure skies; the wispy scent of smoke in the air; the extra patchwork quilt on the bed. But when October arrives each year, I wonder how I ever survived without it.
It's the first touch of fall, the dipping-in-your-toes stage, a bit of a deja vu when reacquainting yourself with the  new season. It's the second and third mug of hot chocolate, steaming and frothy with milk. It's the flushed pink cheeks and frozen ears, tingling just enough to make you feel more alive than ever. It's the crackling fire on a chilly night, the smoke making its lazy ascent into the velvety, star studded blackness. It's October and I'm quite smitten.

Exactly one year ago today, October third, I was in Paris. I can't quite wrap my mind around the fact that so much time has already passed – time flies so quickly. I miss it. I remember biting into my first pain au chocolat (and consequently dying a thousand deaths of buttery goodness) in one of the myriad tiny bakeries that dot every inch of the city. I remember trudging up the steep steps on the hill that houses Sacre Coeur and gasping at the sight of Paris spread out before me. I remember seeing the Mona Lisa for the first time and the giggle my mother and I shared looking at the other spectators jostle each other for a good photograph. I took a picture of that scene.

I also remember sitting at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, crying. My emotions were a mess that day – simultaneously elated, excited, and exhausted. I realized while sitting on that bench that I only had a few days left in Europe, and I cried. I was overwhelmed with everything I'd seen in such a short amount of time and my feet ached from walking so many miles. I cried, wishing the rest of my family could be there right with me. I cried in happiness and disbelief that I was really there. Yes, I'm silly – but sometimes when you're caught up in a moment, it's hard to keep your emotions in check.

September was a good month, a very good month. But this is October. A month of memories, new things, warm colors, and lots of family time. This is October and I'm so glad it's here. 

xo

ps to ring in october, a new look at pastor's girl's ponderings. it's a change i've been planning and working on for a few weeks -- while i find sidebar headers lovely, i was ready for something different. thoughts?


update: for those of you that thought my blog design was similar to hannah's -- there's no question that i admire her designs and blog, but i promisepromisepromise that i was working on this design before she redid her blog. i suppose great minds think alike, no? ;)

desserts

black currant banana bread

cheesecake bars

cinnamon rolls

chocolate chunk cookies

chocolate chip cookies

chocolate chip blondies

homemade oreos
salted caramel brownies

other

baked macaroni and cheese

flammkuchen

granola